Oh my thank you for being here at the CUP! WOW! What a blessing!
This picture is of me and Sharon on the right, with Craig and Anita Price our very good friends who I write about today. We are at the Cracker Barrel.
I have to share this with you that FGGAM.ORG is growing beyond my dreams….Isaac Milleson our CTO told me this morning that yesterday we had 5,924 VISITORS! Europe is growing very fast for us. We are praying that we can afford our own server as the demand for FGGAM.ORG is growing rapidly and the growth calls for our own private server to meet the increased demand. Please keep us in your prayers, we work from 4am to late at night in manning FGGAM.ORG If you can aid our efforts by a love offering each month we would be thankful. This is no longer a small ministry, this is major league stuff. I am still trying to wrap my head around this! Hard for this little small town boy to get this, but not this, When God is at the center as to what we do, it’s never small, for God’s Glory Alone! Amen! Love in Jesus to all!
We are still praying for a full-time paid news reporter, but we cannot afford that yet. I will be going away for awhile in May and need a fill-in. Please pray.
If you can become a monthly supporter please go to www.fggam.org FGGAM.ORG and get securely set up…..we would be thankful for your support, we need consistent supporters like you! You can also give by mailing your love offerings to FGGAM PO BOX 65516 Albuquerque, NM 87193. Your gift is tax deductible.
We also need writers for the website, news writers and writers of inspiration. Please contact me if you are interested. We can help train you in writing news. Some of our writers have never written before and are doing an AWESOME JOB! PTL!!!
The Lord brought me to this scripture:
“Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land;
but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Amen! Praise God! Isaiah 1:18-20
I find it amazing how the Lord sends us to scripture everyday to read……I find it also amazing how He sends me to books to read! I FIND IT A MIRACLE HOW THE LORD DIRECTS EVERY STEP AND WORD WE SAY! AMEN! But you have got to have a personal relationship with Him for this to happen, it just does not happen! Oh, my friends, satan is going to pull on your string like a puppet if you do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ! Amen!
Friendship!
What is friendship to you? To me it is that our souls are knit together.
Sharon and I have been experiencing wonderful friendships. We got to visit with Craig and Anita Price of Sidney, Montana, as they traveled back to Big Sky Country from Phoenix. The Price’s helped me get established in my first job in radio in 1979. I worked for the Minnesota State News Network starting in 1978 while I was going to Brown.
Craig and Anita mean the world to me and Sharon, such Godly people. In the visit my mind raced back to those years in Sidney and the fun I had in local radio! Craig was the first coach I ever interviewed, as my job at KGCX was as Sports Director/Play by Play and Morning Show Host. What a blast! The tender loving lessons that the Price’s taught me are priceless! I carry them with me to this day. It was hard saying goodbye to them as they left for Sidney yesterday……..I cried like a baby.
Anita says she never misses a CUP, it is her daily devotions and to my pleasant surprise Craig said he reads every word I write! Amen Praise God! I am thankful I can repay the Prices some how for all their kindness to me.
Then yesterday out of the blue I received a phone call from Bill White who attends Valley View Christian Church in Edgewood. I met Bill when I would fill in for Pastor Leonard Navarre at Men’s Bible study and we developed a friendship, like I did with all the guys. I treasure these friendships.
A Godly friend never leaves you, you feel them in your heart and soul.
Like my Dear friend Marv who is on his deathbed. I have not seen Marv in over 20 years. I weep at reading my Christmas card from Marv, he wrote..”Remembering you as the best true friend I’ve ever had.” And now my Dear Marv is on his deathbed. I await the call that he is in heaven. I am sorry that I did not travel to go see him and Shirley. Our souls are knit together.
I miss my Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Grandma and my Uncle Joe so very much, but they are in my heart and soul.
Do you have friends that seldom contact you?………It seems that you always have to contact them? If you are one of those folks that never contact people that are your friends…..what are you waiting for? You know who you are!LOL! LOL! I believe we can get tied up in our world and miss out on the joy of relationships that God put together, for His Glory, just a bit of caution here, don’t forget those relationships.
Sharon and I treasure your relationship.
I believe if we would pay more attention to our relationships it would be a much better world for God’s Glory!
Oh my! Families would be so better off! Amen!
How many people is your soul knitted to?
What is stopping you?
If you need help on friendships, contact me.
The following is written by Derek Hill…….
What is a real friendship? Is it a casual handshake or kind gesture? Is it a phone call to see if you are okay? Is it a visit to the hospital for those that are hurting or a night out for dinner? Friendship does incorporate all of these things, but what really makes a friendship at the heart of it? The Bible shows about some very good friendships. Let us dive into Scripture and look at a few of them.
David and Jonathan
This is one of my all-time favorite friendships recorded in the Bible. 1 Samuel 18:1-4 says, “As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father’s house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.” This is a friendship that God brought about. These kinds of feelings don’t just happen. Jonathan was the eldest son to Saul and should have been the rightful heir to the throne. (1 Samuel 20:30-31) When Saul’s jealousy grew for David and he wanted him dead, Jonathan warned David to flee to a nearby field in 1 Samuel chapter 20:1-24. Jonathon lost his chance to be king when he warned David to flee. (1 Samuel 20:30-31) As the story goes, David and Jonathan loved each other like brothers and unfortunately were separated forever on earth. (1 Samuel 20:41-42) They had a final meeting in these passages and it was a heartfelt goodbye of many tears:
“David rose from beside the stone heap and fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another, David weeping the most.” (vs 41)
I can’t even imagine having to say goodbye to a dear friend for the rest of my days on earth, while they are still living.
Ruth and Naomi
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
This is a beautiful story. As a famine devastated the land Naomi lived in, her husband and two sons died and she was left with her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. Naomi was heart-broken and told them both to return to the houses they came from so that they could find new families to start. Like-wise Orpah and Ruth were distraught. “Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.” (Ruth 1:14) Orpah then leaves, but Ruth cannot bear the thought of leaving Naomi forever. “But Ruth said, ‘Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more if anything but death parts me from you.” (Ruth 1:16-17) Ruth loved Naomi so much that she wanted to live with her forever and be buried next to her. Eventually Ruth marries Boaz and gives birth to a son and gives her child to Naomi to help raise. Naomi becomes a foster parent to Obed. Naomi’s love for Ruth is evident as Ruth 4:15 says, “Your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons.” This is a very serious statement because sons were valued more than daughters in the Old Testament. Ruth and Naomi loved each other dearly and we can learn a lot from their story.
Jesus, Mary, Martha and Lazarus
Mary, Martha and Lazarus were all siblings and they were all dear friends with Jesus. In John 12:3 Mary takes very expensive perfume and anoints Jesus’ feet with it to show her love for Him. Luke 10:38-42 shows the love of Martha. She worked tirelessly to serve everyone in the house. Her heart was in the right place, even though she didn’t spend time with Jesus while He was there. Her love was put into the wrong actions, but one thing is clear and that is she did love Jesus. Jesus’ love for Lazarus is evident in John 11:3, “So the sisters (Mary and Martha) sent to Him, saying, ‘Lord, he (Lazarus) whom you love is ill.” There are not a lot of scriptures that showcase the friendship of these four but you can see their love for each other the most in John 11:32-36, “Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet, saying to Him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in His Spirit and greatly troubled. And He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to Him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept. So the Jews said, ‘See how He loved him!” There is no doubt about the friendship that Jesus had with Mary, Martha and Lazarus. This last passage is so comforting because when Jesus sees His loved ones weeping, He weeps with them. What a joy to know that Jesus weeps every time we weep. Don’t you love your Savior! He truly is an awesome Savior!
Conclusion
I hope you can see from these three examples how genuine love is expressed in friendship. In David and Jonathan’s case, true friendship is expressed by Jonathan in saving David’s life. David’s love is expressed through much sorrow and tears about their separation. In Ruth and Naomi’s case, Ruth’s love is clearly expressed in that she wants to stay by Naomi’s side forever. Naomi’s love is expressed in that she loved Ruth more than seven sons. In the case of Jesus, Mary, Martha and Lazarus, Mary and Martha both showed love through service and sacrifice. Jesus showed His love for all four when He wept at the tomb of Lazarus.
In closing, I leave you with the greatest verse on love in the Bible (aside from Jesus’ death for us):
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
You can see a genuine love for your friends if you are willing to love them enough to die for them. I praise Jesus every day because He loved me that much. I encourage you to praise Him every day also, for He loved the whole world enough to die for us all, so that we all could be called sons and daughters of God. Praise His Holy Name! May you strive to stay on the narrow path as you live a life worthy of the calling. God bless you!
This post was sent to us by Frank Haley ties right in with our message today…….Thank you Frank!
THE BACK NINE HOLES
READ SLOWLY PLEASE.
AND THEN IT IS WINTER
You know … time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.
But, here it is… the back nine of my life and it catches me by surprise…How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go?
I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that I was only on the first hole and the back nine was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.
But, here it is…my friends are retired and getting gray…they move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me…but, I see the great change…Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant…but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we’d become.
Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore… it’s mandatory! Cause if I don’t on my own free will… I just fall asleep where I sit!
And so…now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that though Im on the back nine, and I’m not sure how long it will last…this I know, that when it’s over on this earth…it’s over. A new adventure will begin! Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn’t done…things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I’m happy to have done. It’s all in a lifetime.
So, if you’re not on the back nine yet…let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Don’t put things off too long!! Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether youre on the back nine or not!
You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life…so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember…and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!!
“Life” is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one. LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN! BE HAPPY ! HAVE A GREAT DAY Remember “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. LIVE HAPPY IN 2014!
LASTLY, CONSIDER THIS:
*Your kids are becoming you……but your grandchildren are perfect!
*Going out is good.. Coming home is better!
*You forget names…. But it’s OK because some people forgot they even knew you!!!
*You realize you’re never going to be really good at anything like golf.
*The things you used to care to do, you aren’t as interested in anymore, but you really do care that you aren’t as interested.
*You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV ‘ON’ than in bed. It’s called “pre-sleep”.
*You miss the days when everything worked with just an “ON” and “OFF” switch..
*You tend to use more 4 letter words … “what?”…”when?”… ???
*You notice everything they sell in stores is “sleeveless”?!!!
*What used to be freckles are now liver spots.
*Everybody whispers.
*You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet…. 2 of which you will never wear.
But Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best of all, OLD FRIENDS!!
Stay well, “OLD FRIEND!” Send this on to other “Old Friends!” and let them laugh in AGREEMENT!!! It’s Not What You Gather, But What You Scatter That Tells What Kind Of Life You Have Lived.
TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE, SO ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.
Please also read:
Video Post by Pastor Paul Holt:
Earthquakes and the First Blood Moon
Shari Johnson Post:
Encouragement from the field…
For God’s Glory Alone in the Love of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Dewey, Sharon, Paul, Jo, FGGAM Board and families
Let us keep praying for each other and our families