HAVE YOU BEEN WITH JESUS?

Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Have you spent time with him in relationship? If you have, and if you do, it should be noticeable to those around you. Just as with the apostles, your relationship with Jesus should be apparent to all you come in contact with, even unbelievers.

What are the characteristics of a person who has been with Jesus?

1) When you spend time with Jesus, you become more like him. You will exhibit the "Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).

People will observe there is something different about you from others. And especially if you are a new believer, your friends and family will begin to observe that you are different. They will say things like, "You've changed. What has come over you?" They will notice a more loving spirit in you. You will be noticeably more patient, kind, and gentle. And you will begin to demonstrate more self-control than before.

2) Also, a person who has been with Jesus will boldly share their faith:
"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). In the power of the Holy Spirit it will become your greatest joy to share your faith in Jesus with others. When you have been with Jesus, it will become a relationship that you can't hide from others, even if you wanted to.

3) A person who has been with Jesus will be a person who knows the Scriptures.
In order to be in relationship with Jesus, you must spend time with him in his word. Jesus said, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed" (John 8:31). You will begin to surprise yourself that you actually know what the word of God says about circumstances and situations you are dealing with in your daily life. And you will begin to apply those principles and teachings and actually start to live accordingly.

4) The book of Acts shows us that a person who has been with Jesus will also be a person of prayer:
"So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord...And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:24, 31). You will begin to see God work through the power of prayer, and you will gain confidence in God that He actually does hear your prayers, and answers them.

If you share your faith, if you know the Scriptures, and if you are a person of prayer, people will take note that you have been with Jesus. Then you will begin to have a real impact for the Gospel of Christ within your sphere of influence.

May God bless you with His presence,
Roger

You are the LIGHT of the World!

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it give light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16

The following is a beautiful poem by Anne Johnson Flint

LIGHT
His lamp am I, to shine where He shall say,

And lamps are not for sunny rooms,

Nor for the light of day;

But for dark places of the earth,

Where shame and crime and wrong have birth;

Or for the murky twilight gray

Where wandering sheep have gone astray;

Or where the light of faith grows dim,

And souls are groping after Him.

And sometimes a flame we find,

Clear shining through the night

So bright we do not see the lamp,

But only see the light:

So may I shine -- His light the flame,

that men may glorify His name.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

That is our calling...to be a light for truth in a dark world. May you bring light into someones dark world today.

Love and blessings,
Roger

Hearing from God

Pray for President Obama to keep the vital spiritual disciplines of Bible reading and prayer, that he may hear and obey God’s leading.
"He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." -- John 8:47 (NIV)

"What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!"

The words from this hymn, Lord, remind us once again of the incredible truth that You listen and hear us when we pray. In Your Word we read that you often saved godly kings from their enemies. They were leaders who knew how important it was to listen to you and obey your leading and commands. From these true stories we learn You surely do listen and respond when we call on You. We thank and praise You for this O God.

We ask, Lord, that You would give the same realization to the leader of our nation, President Barack Obama. Encourage and equip him, O God, to maintain a daily habit of searching Your ways through the Bible…and of searching Your heart through prayer. Let President Obama speak to You, O mighty God, and may You respond to his praises and requests. We pray in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, amen.

I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day.
—Abraham Lincoln

As we lift up our nation and our President in prayer each day we can count on the fact that God will hear our prayers and answer them.

God Bless, Roger

PRAYING THROUGH THE FIRST 100 DAYS

Pray for godly influence at every level of the White House
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.—I Peter 5:8(NIV)

Holy and beautiful Lord God, You are glorious, righteous and good. You are the source of all goodness and truth, and there is nothing that is good or true that did not have its source in You. You dwell in unfathomable light and glory, and darkness cannot abide with Your presence.

Lord, we know that we have an enemy—an enemy of our souls that would love to gain a foothold in the halls of influence and power, particularly in the White House and the West Wing. We ask today that godliness and holiness will be the order of the day every day, at every level in the White House. May godly character be valued and sought out by those who lead our nation, so You may be glorified and Your purposes served.

In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

www.presidentialprayerteam.org

Pray For Our President

Pray for President Obama to have the spiritual support and nurture needed to excel in office

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. —II Timothy 3:16(NIV)

Heavenly Father, we praise You today for Your active involvement in the writing of Scripture, an involvement so powerful and pervasive that what is written is the infallible and authoritative Word of God. It is our life manual, by which we can know how to live a righteous life, through Your direction, that is pleasing to You.

Knowing this, Lord, we now intercede for President Obama, that You would place men and women in his life that would teach and, when needed, correct him from the pages of the Bible. Help President Obama to be open and desirous of this instruction, and guide him, O God, to seek the Scriptures for himself so that he may have the principles and wisdom necessary to excel as our president. In the name of Jesus we pray, amen. (taken from www.presidentialprayerteam.org. Praying Through the First 100 Days. Day 16)

Today (Thursday, Feb. 5) President Obama addressed the National Prayer Breakfast. In personal terms, he talked about the role of faith in his life, from his Muslim-born father and a mother skeptical of organized religion to his own embrace of Christianity as a young man.

"I had a father who was born a Muslim but became an atheist, grandparents who were non-practicing Methodists and Baptists, and a mother who was skeptical of organized religion, even as she was the kindest, most spiritual person I've ever known. She was the one who taught me as a child to love, and to understand, and to do unto others as I would want done," he said.

President Obama planned to sign an executive order later in the day creating the White House Office on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. It would expand and refocus the faith-based office founded by former President George W. Bush.

The president will also appoint Joshua DuBois, a 26-year-old Pentecostal minister who headed religious outreach for Obama's Senate office and later his campaign, to lead the partnerships office and name 25 religious and secular leaders to a new advisory board.

May the Lord God Almighty bless us and guide us as we go through a very difficult time in our nation.

Love you all,

Pastor Roger