A steadfast STILLNESS….

Psalm 37: 7 ~ Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil device!

The typhoon was massive. It slammed into the eastern coast of China, the eye-wall brushing past the small village and the underground church where we were bound.

Our plane was grounded, so we decided to go over land. We arrive 24 hours late, discovering to our amazement that members of the small church had waited for us, singing songs through the night. The original congregation of 40 had grown to over 600.

On the way out of the service, as all gathered their homemade wooden folding chairs, an elderly woman in an impeccably clean blue flowered blouse took me by the hand. She pressed it to her heart and through the translator said, “You don’t have to leave. Why don’t you just stay with us?”

Though most of her teeth were gone, her smile was radiant. She placed her gnarled hand on my head, and we laughed together at my baldness. When we approached the van and it became clear that I was not free to stay and enjoy her hospitality, a calm settled over her that is impossible to describe. As she became still, her smile transformed. The deep wrinkles still formed the pattern of her smile, but her eyes, no less bright, looked away. I became aware that this was the moment I had come to China to experience. “This is the face of lament,” a voice inside my heart spoke.

I have had the privilege to know perhaps a dozen believers who have suffered for their faith. They have come from all walks of life, rich and poor and from every corner of the world. Yet they all had this in common, that same quality – a steadfast stillness.

Grief resolved through lament settles deep in our souls. There, like the ballast in a ship, it keeps us upright in the midst of life’s typhoons. It is an accomplishment earned through simple acceptance of the Word that speaks “Be still” (Mark 4: 39)

The storms, the brokenness, the pain, the confusion, the disappointment that comes when someone drops into your life for a little while and is then suddenly swept away, all can be transformed, transfigured, clamed into a peace and a stillness that is “righting” and steadying and steadfast.

-Suffering can have a calming effect on our souls-

Daily devotional from “Our Journey”

A little HOPE

Jimmy O’Neill, fifteen, has a lot to worry about. Born with cystic fibrosis, an inherited lung disease, he has been hospitalized five or six times a year since age six. Every day he takes twenty-five pills and spends twenty minutes in physical therapy.

Whenever he ahs a cold, he has to receive intravenous medication to fight off the infection. And if he feels a little sick, he immediately has to go to the hospital to see what’s wrong. “ My body is sort of like a car that everyone wants to keep in tip-top shape,” he explains. As a result, he often misses fifty to sixty days of school each year.

Jimmy also has a future to worry about. “I have to realize that, no matter what, I’ll never be totally independent,” he says. “There’s always going to have to be someone there for me.”

Yet Jimmy doesn’t worry. “There are some things in life you have choices about and there are things you don’t” he explains. “God will take care of whatever is going to happen.”

So instead of worrying, Jimmy has hope and faith in God. “You always have to have a little hope,” he says, “because if you run out of that, there’s nothing worth anything. You might as well give up right then and there.”

Jimmy O’Neill has learned how faith helps overcome worries. In contrast, the Istraelites in the desert worried about how to find food.

Read Exodus 16: 2-15 to learn how God took care of their worries.

Where’s your focus?

Gary Richards was appalled when he saw the tapes in his friend Tim Fellman’s car. “How can you listen tothis trash?” he asked as he read the sexually explicit and raunchy song titles.

“Give it a rest,” Tim shot back. “These groups know music. Who cares about the words? Stop being a crusader.”

The conversation came back to haunt Tim that Wednesday night in Bible study. The group read the Bible and tried to apply its principles to their lives. They focused on how being a Christian shapes your priorities and interests in life and how it affects everything you do.

Tim was challenged by the discussion and wanted to talk about it with Gary. On the way home from the Bible study, they talked about friendships and being honest. Then Gary asked. “What does all this say about your music, Tim? Can you listen t raunchy songs and read your Bible at the same time?”

Tim was steamed, “Sure I can!” he shouted, hoping Gary would back off. Which he did. They rode in silence until Tim dropped off Gary at home.

Two weeks later Gary found a note stuffed through the slot in his school locker. “You were right,” it smply said. “The songs I liked and God’s word don’t mix. I have changed to more positive music. Thanks.”

Tim had discovered how focusing on God’s word can change your values and priorities. God gave Joshua the same advice, and it guided him to be successful as God’s leader.

Read the advice in Joshua 1: 6-9

Stephen

Had learn a lot from yesterday discipleship.
Finished study of the book of Roman.

Studied chapter 6 and 7 of Acts which is about Stephen, a man full of faith. He did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. However there are opposition arose, they produced false witnesses and accused Stephen. At the end, Stephen was stoned to death. But the most interesting part is the last verse of chapter 7 saying “Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell ASLEEP.
So, Stephen didn’t died because of the severe injuries and pain caused by stoning, but he just feel asleep without feeling any pain.

Give and You'll receive

Yay! I had gave my 10% tithe to God. I had earned my 1000usd this few month and 100usd was given to God as tithe. Thanks to Him for blessing me so much! I believe the amount I given is much more smaller than what God wanted to bless me!

In bible said, give and you will receive. So, if you want to receive more, give as God want you to give. Dont forget to pay your tithe to God. You will be given more in return! BUt of course you dont give because you want to receive more.. You give because you LOVE~

I found it~

Thank God... was looking for an envelope of money.... kept on praying that I could found it... and yea..! I found it today!! Thank God!

Receive this mail from a pastor of my Church here.... share it with you all!

Dear Beloved of God, WCCI Leaders!
Here are some notes on an important point that the church often
misses. I feel the Lord wants you to know about it...
Let's read,

I Cor 3:16, " Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that
the Spirit of God dwells in you?"

I Cor 6:19 amp, "Do you not know that your body is the temple - the
very sanctuary - of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you
have received as a Gift from God? .."

2 Cor 6:16, "What agreement can there be between a temple of God and
idols? For we are the temple of the living God; even as God said, I
will dwell in and with and among them, and I will be their God and
they shall be My people."

Ephesians 2:19-22 amp, "Therefore, you are no longer outsiders
excluded from the rights of citizens, but you now share citizenship
with the saints [God's own people, consecrated and set apart for
Himself], and you belong to God's own household. You are built
upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus
Himself the chief Cornerstone. In Him the whole structure is joined &
welded together harmoniously and it continues to rise & grow into a
holy temple in the Lord [a sanctuary dedicated, consecrated, and
sacred to the presence of the Lord]. In Him and in fellowship with
one another you yourselves also are being built up into this structure
with the rest, to form a fixed abode [dwelling place] of God in &
through the Spirit."

SO...?
1. When we come together in the Podfak or any other gathering place,
we are not in the house of God. You read correctly, we are not IN the
"House of God". We cannot be IN the house of God, because we actually
ARE the house of God. It is two different things. Re-read Eph above
and you'll notice that together we ARE the house of God. It goes
with Nic's teaching Saturday. We are 'being built up into this
structure...' WOW. WE are the house of God!! Say it, "I AM THE HOUSE
OF GOD! Not some building, but ME!" Many Christians have theology
based more on Old Testament rather than the New and they don't know
it. In Pre-Jesus times the Presence of God was in a room. NOW, we
are the dwelling place, the presence of God. HALLELUIA! Meditate on
these scriptures until they become a reality to you and you end up
jumping up and down in excitement for what God has done in you. [I
did!]

2a. For us to say, "Welcome to the house of God", we're saying we can
only find God's Presence in a building. By using inaccurate words,
we -accidentally- deny that God lives within each of us, saying that
He dwells in the Podfak (or whatever building we call the House of
God). I know that each of you know He dwells within you. Sometimes
we use phrases we've heard others say and we need to check them by the
Word. His Holy sanctuary [us together] is becoming more beautiful and
more glorious as we walk more in holiness and unity day by day.
THAT'S the House of God=all of us together, any day, any time, any
where and everywhere believers are!!

2b. You ask, "Ok, Pamela, what do I say to start church service?"
Remember James said we'd receive Wisdom if we ask? Let's all ask!
God is saying it's TIME for us to go WAY HIGHER in our opening
statements!! He told me that I was to tell you this one thing AND
THEN challenge you to reach much higher for vision of what the service
is all about, then set the tone for it by the opening statement! If
you need it, here are 3 starters ... Use them as a starting point to
BE MORE RADICAL FOR HIM AND SET THE TONE FOR THAT SERVICE... -oooh,
makes whoever opens responsible to have vision!!! Yea!

"Welcome to Word of Christ Church International, a part of the
Generation that is winning the World for Jesus!"

"Welcome to a gathering of sold-out, radical, lovers-of-the-Most-High
God, where Jesus Is Lord, Love Reigns, and Miracles Prevail!"

"Welcome to where a PART of the House of God is gathering. This part
is called WCCI and we're blessed by your presence!"

Remember, don't be held back if God gives you a Word that pushes
further with HIM! Ever notice when God gives correction, more vision
& revelation follows?
I Love ya all, have a blessed week with HIM!
Pamela

"Seek the FACE of God, Seek His Heart, and everything else falls in line."