He is Alive

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As I look back to all God has done for us this Resurrection Sunday I see a picture in my mind of a young man. With all the love of the Father in him. Remember this is a picture of what God is like a God that jealously loves us more than ever and wants us to have and be everything we can through him. He is standing at that door.

There is no hardware on the door, it can not be opened from the outside, only we can open that door. Open it to all the love, joy, peace and life out there that he has available for us. It is totally our choice. Life abundantly or death. Not only is it an eternal choice of life ever after we die, but true life right now.

Freedom from sin, death, hell, and the grave. That same power that raised Jesus back to life from that tomb of death, brokenness and darkness is available to everyone. It is free for the asking.

Are you suffering from an addiction that you have no control over that has you imprisoned in a spiraling downward motion of destruction. Are you hurting from unforgiveness towards someone who has caused you great pain in the past, something that has robbed you of all your joy and peace. Are you struggling from day to day with why you are even alive.

You can be free. Jesus is reaching his arms out to you. Arms that want to hold you and never let you go. To give you answers and hope. To make you happier than you have ever been. Help you have purpose and meaning in this current life. Won’t you let him in. Change is available through that door for you just open it.

It says in the Bible that all we have to do is ask Jesus to come in. Tell him that you have sinned and are not perfect. Ask him to forgive you for your past. A past that you have tried to do on your own. One that we truly need his help and power to enjoy. Ask him to help you to have the life he has for you. Ask him to help you do his will.

He will gladly hold your hand as his child today. He will give you a future and a hope.

The prison doors will swing open and you will walk into that glorious light.

That is not all! Talk to God have him show you what’s next. Read his words in the Bible so you will know how to live right. And lastly find good Christian family to unite with and to help you grow in this new life. They can show you truths that can help you have the most successful life ever.

May God our Father and Jesus his son richly bless your lives with the help of their powerful spirit to fulfill all they have for you forever and ever. Amen!

Bloom where you are planted

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After I had my stroke and moved to this nursing home I began to eagerly search after God and his ways. I wanted so much to do what he wanted me to do. I had tried living for myself alone and that had been an utter disaster. I realized that I needed his help more than ever. The more I looked back over my life the more I could see that he had always been there for me.

I really had a great life and I was sabotaging it. Wow I was a spoiled brat and did not deserve his awesome love. That didn’t matter because he was continuing to love me anyway. To help me get back to him. I kept asking him what I could do. One day I was going to talk to a lady that worked here and outside the door she had a plaque. It said ‘Bloom where you are planted.’ I felt God nudge me. That’s what you can do. I have you here for a short time and you will be going back home. But while you are here just rest in me.

That was it. Just be the best me I can be. Help out wherever I can. Nothing hard. I spent my days relaxing and reading ( which I had always wanted to do more of anyway). But I always tried to help others. I was always eager to help out. One day one of the leaders asked me if I would like to deliver the residents mail in our area.

I had wanted to be a mailman when my kids were little but never did it. Sure,that sounds fun! They showed me how my electric wheelchair could help deliver the mail in no time at all. While I was at it I got to know a lot of the residents. People were becoming part of my new family. It was like living in a close little town and I knew everyone.

Then one day I went to the laundry and asked if I could help deliver clothes to people. In no time at all I was helping them. They even gave me a bag of socks that needed to be sorted. I was keeping busy and having a good time doing it.

My son-in-law came by one day to show me his brand new iPad when they had just come out. Wow, I wanted one. I had a laptop that I had written a book about my stroke on but this was so much more. I told God if I could get one I would use it for him. I really meant it also. So my daughter went down to the Apple store in person to see about getting one. The shipments were going the minute they hit the stores. They had just got some in and had one left when she came in. I got one.

Now what was I going to do with it to help people. I had a friend download a Bible app that would play audibly. So I started thinking how people might not be able to read the Bible but they could listen. I had a woman that I had been visiting that could not move anything but her head. She laid in bed on her back and watched tv all day but she loved the Lord and talked about him a lot.

I decided to start with her. I could not speak very well so I had someone explain to her that I would like to play the Bible for her. I stayed about 30 minutes. I would come a couple times a week. She loved it so much. I even bought a praise tape on the iPad and would play that instead sometimes.

I asked a few other people if I could play the Bible for them. It went over really well.

One woman’s son came in while I was there and I got to meet him, We became good friends in no time at all. He actually get my first book published. I had finished it but didn’t know what to do next.

Our home had a resident council to help see that the residents rights were being met. They would meet once a month and I always went. I had brought up problems before that I had. Well they were looking for new officers and God told me to volunteer. So I offered to be treasurer since I had done that before in another club.

Every year at election time I just did not feel right about leaving. I went from treasurer to Vice President, and finally became president. I also felt led to volunteer to help out activities. What could I do? The girl asked if I could lead a Bible group. So I did.

I’m not trying to brag because I did most of these things to keep myself busy, so I wouldn’t be bored. The fact that they helped others was a bonus. The more I got to know the Lord, the more I wanted to do to show the love Jesus was giving me. He was always doing so much for me and helping me love my new home and family.

It’s a never ending circle. The more you do for the Lord, the richer your life gets. Then you want to do more for all those blessings you receive.

My God How Great Thou Art

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The one sure thing we are here on earth for is to give praise to our King. He so deserves it. Think of all he has done for you in your life. I’m fifty-eight so I have many good years to thank him for. I can look back over my life and see how amazing he has been over the years.

Many people have contemplated these same things and have come up with great praise songs to show God how much they adore him. This morning at church we sang ‘How Great Thou Art’. As I sang the words resonated throughout my heart. Oh how much I felt these words.

‘Oh Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds thy hands hath made

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder

Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my savior God, to thee

How great thou art, How great thou art

Then sings my soul, my savior God, to thee

How great thou art, How great thou art

And when I think of God, his son not sparing

Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in

That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing

He bled and died to take away my sin

Then sings my soul, my savior God, to thee

How great thou art, How great thou art

Then sings my soul, my savior God, to thee

How great thou art, How great thou art

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation

And lead me home, what joy shall fill my heart

Then I shall bow with humble adoration

And then proclaim, my God, how great thou art

Then sings my soul, my savior God, to thee

How great thou art, How great thou art

Then sings my soul, my savior God, to thee

How great thou art, How great thou art

God truly has done so much for me. Sending his one and only son to be born of a virgin. In a poor young family. His was not a life of privilege and esteem. Just the opposite. His life was difficult just like ours. He can understand our burdens and pain. Sin tried so hard to break him but, he overcame it.

He did all that gladly. Gladly, not just getting by, but there was joy in his heart as he suffered. He knew this was the only way we could be together forever. Unless we were redeemed by that perfect spotless lamb, it could never be.

This world he created is one thing, one mighty thing, but think of how he has enriched this world by working in the lives of billions of humans giving them great wisdom and ideas that continue to make this world better and better. People whose hearts have touched the world so.

People like mother Teresa, Billy Graham, Martin Luther King. They have made such a difference in so many lives. People like Moses, Elijah, King David, and Saul(Paul). Where would we be without them. Many would not be sons and daughters of our King.

Think about that day when as sons and daughters we will see his face. Standing before him FOREVER. In that wonderful place he has prepared for us in advance.

That awesome perfect place where absolutely nothing is too good for us. His building plans surpass all we can imagine.

Oh God how GREAT thou art!!

How Big God Is

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I went to the movies one night and it got me thinking. How big our God is. Throughout history, for thousands of generations God has been creating people and endowing them with great things to be world changers. He has given that power to all people. It doesn’t matter if you are black or white or green, male or female, Jew or Gentile, rich or poor. We are all God’s children and He wants the very best for us.

Just think of all people past, present and future God has placed on this planet. He cares about each one. He knows the hairs on our heads. He can design us each differently for the time we are in this earth. We can all be world changers.

Look at Esther in the Bible and Rahab and King David. Just to think of a few.

They were nobody’s till God made them somebody’s. He wants to do that for everyone, if we will let Him. To be made for a unique purpose should be the cry of our hearts. “Let me be a part of what you are doing in the world, today and every day Lord.”

Think of all the important people in the world. Inventors, writers, athletes, world thinkers like Einstein, doctors and others who make a great difference in our lives. God made them for a purpose.

Every morning I thank God for someone making coffee beans into coffee as I enjoy my breakfast with a hot cup of coffee. And I can’t really do anything without thinking of Him and something he did. Everything that is or was or will be in the future came from Him and the knowledge he gave someone.

Look at mother Teresa and all she did for the world and hurting people. Or Billy Graham and all the people who came to know the Lord through his ministry. Bill Gates and technology, Henry Thoreau , Isaac Newton, Henry Ford and I could go on forever. These people changed our lives. Could we live without these things, sure but God wants us to have them.

They make our world evolve, getting better every day. In this movie men were working at putting a man on the moon. They just couldn’t get it right. The trajectory was all wrong. Well God gave a bunch of black women unbelievable talent in mathematics and science. They were looked down on in those days of segregation. But they showed America what they were made of. Changing the way people saw black people. Martin Luther King did so much to change thinking towards black people. God used him mightily.

I am a child of God

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I am a child of God. My God adores me. He adores all of his children. Just keep telling yourself this each day. First thing to do is thank God for this new day he has given you and choose to rejoice in it. God wants you to have an abundant life. He is for you. You can confidently go before him and ask for success, knowing his will is for your best.

“I know the plans I have for you, “says the Lord””, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”” Jeremiah 29:11. NIV

Each day is planned out in advance for me. He knows just how my day will go. I can confidently trust him. Spend time with him before your day begins. Give him a chance to tell you things you need to do. Ask him for the strength to meet your days needs. Tell him that you want to be in his will for you.

My father is awesome. Look how well he has always taken care of you. Let him know how great he is. He can keep each person in his perfect will. Everyone, everywhere. I can be strong and courageous for he is with me wherever I go. He is my strength when I am weak.

My daddy is the King of the whole earth. There is no one greater. If God is for me then who should I fear. No one! I am a royal daughter. The apple of his eye. No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, nor mind has conceived the things he has for me because I love him.

Even in my wildest imagination I can’t guess what he has planned. He loves to give me good gifts. This makes me love him more and more. I want to do all I can for him..

Yesterday he gave me a wonderful present. My very good friend had been in the hospital for three weeks in a diabetic coma. Doctors said there was no hope she was on a respirator with no signs of life, but she woke up and they brought her home yesterday. She is her old self but weak. Gods not done with her yet. I am so happy. He loves her too and has great plans for her life.

If you love your God and have been called to repentance he has an awesome plan for you too. Trust in his plan for your life. Seek him and his will. And see how great life can be.

The Wages of Sin

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The wages of sin is still death. God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. You can’t expect to get a get out of sin card free no matter what. The gift of God is a free gift and God will never leave you or forsake, but you can leave. It is a thing called free will. You can’t expect to get into heaven just by doing your own thing. God has promised to forgive your sins. Have you asked him to lately.

“God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, We have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1:5-7. NIV

I believe I saw an ‘IF’ in there. If we walk in the light. So how we act is important. We no longer sin or if we do we sincerely ask forgiveness for that sin and promise never to do it again, and mean it. We can’t get by with habitually sinning and expect him to overlook it. At some point God will leave you to your own desires that rule over you.

“If you love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15. NIV

“Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:6. NIV

Jesus did not sin. Although we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We have hope. We a talking about trying to live a sin free life. A life of integrity. Trying to do all he wants us to and truly loving him and others. Not doing the things we know he does not want us to.

It sounds like hard work. But he will give us strength when we are week and help us turn from sin if we ask. He has given us everything to help us the minute we believe on him and ask his forgiveness. He loves all of his children and is always drawing you to the light.

He has also promised to bless us many ways in his word. You can actually live a blessed life by following his commands. A win win situation. Eternal life in heaven and extra blessings. How awesome. Reading his word helps to know his will for your life. How can you know his commands if you don’t read?

Practice the ACTS of prayer. Adoration, confession, Thanksgiving, and supplication.

This is a good tool for prayer. Tithing is the one way God asks us to test him. You can not out give God just try. Helping those in need. And fellowshiping together. These all bring blessing to your life.

“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” John 13:17 NIV

Go out there and enjoy doing the things that will get you to heaven and bless you.

Miracles all around us

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Believing in miracles is difficult for many people. If you asked most people they would love to see a miracle in their life. Most can probably remember one occurring in their life or the life of a friend or family member. Miracles are happening, though, every minute of every day. God is performing many miracles and just his nature is a miracle. We just need eyes to see them.

Living in faith helps us to see more of God’s miracles. If we have faith to believe in God we can see miracles. What is a miracle: an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause. That sounds like God to me. From day one he has been doing miracles.

Making our entire world and universe and everything in it in six days. Yep a miracle. Why is that so hard for some to believe. It takes real faith. Faith is: confidence or trust in another person or thing: faith in another’s ability. By reading the Bible over and over your faith will be strengthened.

Another way to increase faith is in prayer which is:a devout petition to God or object of worship. Every time we ask God for something to be answered by him we are opening ourselves up to a miracle. We tend to do things ourself until it gets out of our ability. Then we need him to come to our need. That’s when miracles happen.

The more we pray for God to work in our lives and in those around us the more miracles we will see. As our faith grows by seeing God do amazing things we ask him to do more.

Tommy Barnett has believed God for many things in his life and in turn this has changed the lives of his children. They now are believing God for more and more miracles. Dreaming for extra amazing moves of God has become this family’s legacy. The more risks this family takes the bigger the rewards become. It has gotten to a point where day to day living takes more miracles to get by. Just the monthly budget for a church of that size with all of the ministries they are involved in to remain solvent requires miracles every day.

When you get to the point where you believe God to use you more and more in your life. He is able to show you more and more of his ways. Miracles are a big part of his ways. John 14:12 always seemed odd to me. It says: “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” NIV. Me do greater works than Jesus?

That always seemed hard to believe. But Jesus is in heaven with God and he is interceding on our behalf with his father. He is believing with me for me to see God work. That’s got to cause miracles to happen.

So if you want to see miracles in this life just ask God to meet more needs. Needs for you, your family and others in your life and you will see many more miracles.

Following God and Serving

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You have to make a choice in life who you will serve. Either you choose God or you will end up serving something else. Maybe it will be someone good and fair. But can they give you blessings or eternal life. God says in His word how much he loves us. Even at our worst he wants us to come to him. He wants to make your life the very best that it could ever be.

God doesn’t just desire a casual acquaintance. He wants a relationship with you. Spending time together. Good quality time. As I was growing up I was blessed with a good Christian family. He blessed me in so many ways that I didn’t even realize till I was almost fifty. Things I took for granted. I didn’t know what I had. A loving Christian family with both a mom and dad who adored each other.

Loving and caring brothers and a sister who shared everything with me. We were in church each Sunday. My family read the word together during are great family dinners each night. Vacation Bible school spent with my friends making crafts and bible learning games and skits.

In summertime I went to church camp for a week and spent time with God meeting new friends. But other than that I just lived my life. I knew all about God and Bible stories. I could name all the books in the Bible and got a trophy for that but, didn’t really do anything about it. I was a Christian from five years old but I didn’t really know Him.

Even as an adult I attended church with my family but did not have any fruit in my life. I was a good person but had no personal relationship with God or Christ. I didn’t spend much time with Him beyond church just living my life. It wasn’t till I had my stroke and started looking deeper into who God really was to me. I met a wonderful woman who loved God so much and was always talking about her and God. All he did for her and all she was doing for Him. She was our care home chaplain .

She knew something I didn’t. I was determined to find out. At the time I had committed to reading my bible every morning. That was a good start because I would start in Genesis and read every word. Then start all over again. I would read several pages each day. After a few years I was really understanding who God was and how he would act in different situations.

I told myself this is God’s Holy inspired word and I would believe each and every word. This started changing my behavior. I would be careful to keep his commands and do what he said. Each time I would read a new thought would pop up. I didn’t remember reading before.

I decided to listen to Christian music and would sit outside with my earphones on and listen for a long time. One year I made a resolution to start praying every day. For my family, my caregivers, my nurses and my church chaplain. These prayers grew from five minutes to where I now wake up when the caregivers check on me at 4:00am till breakfast comes at 8:30. Some of that time I nod off or sit and listen to God chat with me.

He will tell me so much and time spent with him is so sweet. I can think of so many people to pray for and so much to bring to him that I sometimes keep praying longer.

If you don’t have a dream of your own then start by praying for others. I prayed for everyone in my life and their dreams, I prayed for more love for others. More love for God and his ways. Then just watch God work. Until you have your own dream to pray for like living the life he gave me.

The relationship I share with God is so great. I have seen so many prayers answered and every day I spend more and more time with him.

I always start every morning thanking him for a brand new day to spend with him.

And always tell him to help me do all he has for me. Let me be part of what you are doing in the word. He has made my life so exciting and has shown me so many things to do for Him.

Following him now means finding a need and helping to fill it. I spend my time trying to make others happy. That might mean teaching a bible study about my closest friend. The one I love spending time with. New Year’s Day he gave me an awesome gift he told me we were leaving this nursing home and returning to my family home in the pines.

He has a lot of new things to teach me and new things to do for him there. I will be living in a home with in home help. I don’t know what my life has in store for me. What challenges I might face. But, I know who does and am willing to follow him to the ends of the world to do it all.

How big is your God?

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How big is your God? That is how big your dreams for your life should be. I learned the Bible at a young age. I became a Christian when I was just five. But my parents read the Bible to us every evening during dinner. When I was big enough I read to the family. I believed what I heard. One time when I was older a minister asked us if we really believed the Bible or just the parts we liked. Some of the commandments can be hard to live.

It was that day that I decided. The Bible is true. God said it and I believed it. That settled it in my mind. From that day on every time I read the word I tried to imagine it actually happening. I would play the scenes in my head like I was there. I held Gods promises and commands for me in my heart.

In my years at the nursing home I have gotten so close to God. He’s my friend and I can spend hours talking to him. I hear him speak back to me and always commit to doing everything he asks me to do. So when he began stirring my heart about moving out of this home I was excited.

I believe God and trust God. My God can do anything and will whenever he sees fit. For twelve years I have been in this home. It was God who brought me to this home after my stroke in 2005. I came with the intent to learn to walk again. That never happened but he taught me to accept that. He told me that one day I would go home, but to rest in him for the time being. I was very content in my new home and never thought of leaving.

It was New Year’s Day when the Lord woke me up and said we are going to move. Confirming what I felt in my spirit for a couple weeks. He opened doors I never even imagined. Things started falling into place and it seemed overwhelming to me. He gave me a verse to hold on to. 1 Corinthians 2:9

“No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, and no mind has conceived, what God has planned for those who love him.” NIV

Right after this began my family went ballistic there was no way I was leaving this home. My hometown was out of the question. God warned me this might not be easy. Following God isn’t always easy. He was mocked, and criticized even beaten till the point of death for me. When God told Moses he was going to use him to free the people from Egypt was it easy. NO, there were many trials. Right up to the Red Sea. But the bigger the trials, the bigger the reward in the end. If I never was told that I was crazy then I must not be dreaming big.

You see I come from Dream City Church. Where the man we call the Pope, Tommy Barnett, teaches us all to get a God sized dream. If your dream seems impossible and it could only happen with your Gods help then your dream is a God sized dream.

He once had a dream to jog all the way to Los Angeles from Phoenix to start the very first Dream Center. It happened and now there are hundreds of Dream Centers around the world.

God thinks big. People throughout history have accomplished great things with God’s help. Before the light bulb was a huge success, he made a thousand attempts to get the filament just right. He did not fail 1000 times. It just took longer for that success.

President Lincoln ran for office many times before he became president.

Every good and perfect thing comes from God. The harder it is to get there the sweeter the reward. Depending on how big you see God to be the farther he can take you.

I am in the best health, best strength, best mind, and best spirit than I have ever been. At least since the stroke. If God says we’re moving. Then we are moving. Just the other day my family met with authorities here to talk about me. Trying to save me from myself. My mind may not be all there or just right, they thought. Just because I am so adamant to do what I strongly believe God is showing me to do.

Well when God wants to do something he will. Even without everyone’s permission. This move will happen if and when God wills. I will be right there.

“Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Romans 4:3. NIV