NO OTHER GOSPEL

Galatians 1:1-16
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Galatians+1:1-16

Dear Father,

Thank you that the revelation given through your apostles was not
concocted by human minds. May I never turn to "another" gospel nor
to a distortion of your gospel. May I never desert the grace of
Christ and become accursed. And may I never seek the favor of men.
I desire your favor. I want to be your servant, to please you and
you alone.

Grant that I may understand the revelation you gave through Paul -
of salvation by grace through faith apart from works of law. In the
complete turn-around in his life help me see the transforming power
of your gospel.

Thank you, Father, for the grace and peace that come through your
Son, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from
this evil age, according to your will. To you be glory for ever and
ever.

In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Moving Forward
Tanya James
While we celebrated Father's Day this past weekend, there were many people upset, depressed, bitter and/or hurt because of their relationships (or lack of) with their fathers. This holiday may bring up old feelings and issues that have never been handled, just buried.
Unfortunately, often times when a person has experienced a bad relationship with their natural father, it's hard for them to fully grasp the love of their Heavenly Father. And that's quite understandable that if the man that stands before you has not demonstrated a father's love - why it would be difficult to understand why God, who you have never seen face to face would be any different.
However, if you are one of those people who don't have a "father-child" relationship for whatever reason - they were not around, you never knew who they were, they were abusive, they died at a young age ... whatever the case may be ... I admonish you to make a decision now to finally let it go. No longer allow it to dictate your life. No, you may not be able to change what has happened but you can change how it affects the rest of your life.
You have the ability and the strength from God to take a stand and say, "no more." Choose to forgive, so that you can move forward.
"Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do." Colossians 3:13
Choose to no longer be trapped in a "self-pity" box blaming all your woes on what your father did or did not do. Choose to destroy that crutch and live a joyous life regardless of your past.
"Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14
More importantly, choose to allow God to show you what an awesome father HE is - one that loves unconditionally and has only your best interest at heart. God will never leave or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).
He has already equipped you with everything you need to step out on faith and in His strength to overcome the pain and no longer allow yourself to be a victim of circumstance!
And to those who grew up with incredible, supportive and encouraging fathers don't miss the opportunity to tell them how much you appreciate them, not just on Father's Day, but every chance you get!

Why Are You Weeping?

The longest nights of weeping
For the hurt that's in my heart,
Are when I cry alone, in pain,
Trapped forever in the dark ...

No relief of deepest sorrow.
Oh, God, please set me free.
I feel so overwhelmed.
What future is for me?

I am bitter.
I am wounded.
I am angry and attacked.
I am weak. For, life is cruel.
Can't You turn the clock right back ...

Back, when life was happy,
When the sun shone down on me,
Before this fierce storm
Hit me violently?

O, Father, why permit
Such angry whips to lash?
Where were You when they struck,
As my heart was deeply gashed?

You could have stopped it, Lord.
Why allow such awful hurt?
My life would be so good, now,
If I wasn't scarred and burnt.

Now, I've screamed all this, to You.
It hasn't changed a thing.
So, for me to live a life, again,
Some change I wish You'd bring.

For, no matter how hard I try
To figure out solutions,
I'm at the end of my resources.
Nothing alters my conclusions.

Oh, Lord, I come to plead for mercy.
Please empty out my heart;
Cleanse and heal, remake it whole.
Give me a brand new start.

I still my crying and my fear.
I admit my way's a flop.
I trust You for deliverance.
Please, undo my tangled knot.

Though, I can't forgive myself.
I believe You have the power.
I give my bitter soul to You.
I will no longer cower.

My crushed heart I give away,
To do with as You will.
I am an empty vessel, Lord,
Only You can fill.

Please, pour Your healing balm,
deep down, into my soul.
Though feeling all discarded,
You, alone, can make me whole.

Lonely, hurting, grieving, damaged;
God stills the falling rain.
Rejected, tempted, attacked or ill;
He heals my heart of pain.

(Lord, cause me to smile, again.)
Soft Whispers from
Derry's Heart Poems

Stay Focused
and
Blessed.........................
Jan

Prequisites for Answered Prayer
Brent Barnett
Here are five elements that the Bible says are essential to having God both hear and answer our prayers. If we do these things we can be sure that our prayers will be answered. That is not to say that we can use these principles as spiritual "magic charms" to make God accomplish our will on earth. The whole point is to accomplish His will on earth as it is in heaven. Thus, central to praying properly is the idea of aligning our hearts and minds with the heart and mind of God. He will then enable us to pray rightly, properly, and in accordance with His will.
1. Faith
Mark 11:22-24 says, "And Jesus answered saying to them, 'Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, "Be taken up and cast into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.'" The principle here is that we must have faith that we have received what we have asked of God in order to receive it. There is no room for doubt (see James 1:5-8). This kind of faith is not forced or contrived, but it flows from a heart and mind that is abiding in Christ (John 15:7).
2. Persistence
Luke 11:5-10 says, "Then He said to them, 'Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, "Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him"; and from inside he answers and says, "Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything." I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.'" The clear lesson in this story is that God honors persistence in prayer. If we want to see answers to our prayers, we need to tarry in prayer, not just one time, but over and over again, not losing heart all the while.
3. Without Ceasing
1 Thessalonians 5:17 gives us another qualification for answered prayer. It says that we must "pray without ceasing." This command is echoed in Ephesians 6:18 which says, "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints." Since Jesus Himself wasn't literally praying constantly but only at certain times, it would be unwise to conclude that we should spend our entire lives actively praying. The idea here is that everything we do, say, and want in life must be filtered through the will of God according to the grid of Scripture. This will require that we are faithful to make time to pray because we will realize that prayer is inseparable from a lifestyle that depends fully on Christ.
4. Righteousness
James 5:16 says, "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." The principle which this passage exposes is that the church's prayer, as well as the individual's, is hindered by the presence of unconfessed sin. If we want to discern the will of God and pray rightly, we must first confess our sin to God and to those whom we have sinned against.
5. According to God's Will
1 John 5:14-15 says, "And this is the confidence that we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." To pray according to God's will is to pray according to what God wants done. This is something the Spirit of God will enable us to do (see Romans 8:26-27) if we are humble and willing to listen and be changed according to the Scripture.
Answered prayer is possible and the desire of God, but we must do it God's way by His Spirit and according to His Word and guiding principles therein. May God make us effective and powerful pray-ers.