"Don't go for looks, they can deceive.
Don't go for wealth, in the end it fades away.
Go for someone who makes you smile
because it takes only a smile
to make a dark day seem bright."
UNKNOWN
Bake A Pie...Eat A Pie...W.P.A.
Wolfgang P. Acosta"
Please send this request to all of your friends and family. Please continue to pray for Arlene and her family. Her surgary was today. i will keep you posted.
God be with you Arlene!
This is the news on Arlene ~~ Please keep praying for her and her family.
"The operation was a sucess...had to go back in a do some more work on drainage...But there is an infection that the doctors are working with...I pray for it to get better...."
~~thank you all so much~~
Now enjoy the stories!!!
After living a "decent" life my time on earth came to an end. The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what I thought to be a courthouse. The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat by the defense table. As I looked around I saw the "prosecutor," he was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he stared at me, he definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen.
I sat down and looked to my left and there sat my lawyer, a kind and gentle-looking man whose appearance seemed very familiar to me. The corner door flew open and there appeared the judge in full flowing robes. He commanded an awesome presence as he moved across the room and I couldn't take my eyes off of him. As he took his seat behind the bench, he said "Let us begin."
The prosecutor rose and said "My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this man belongs in hell." He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole and in the past when I cheated others. Satan told of other horrible perversions that were once in my life and the more he spoke the further down in my seat I sank. I was so embarrassed that I couldn't look at anyone, even my own lawyer, as the Devil told of sins that even I had completely forgotten about.
As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I was equally upset at my representative who sat there silently not offering any form of defense at all. I know I had been guilty of those things, but I had done some good in my life-couldn't that at least equal out part of the harm I've done.
Satan finished with a fury and said "This man belongs in hell, he is guilty of all that I have charged and there is not a person who can prove otherwise. Justice will finally be served this day."
When it was his turn, my lawyer first asked if he might approach the bench. The judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan, and beckoned him to come forward. As he got up and started walking I was able to see him now in his full splendor and majesty. Now I realized why he seemed so familiar, this was Jesus representing me, my Lord and my Savior.
He stopped at the bench and softly said to the judge "Hi Dad" and then he turned to address the court. "Satan was correct in saying that this man had sinned, I won't deny any of these allegations. And yes the wages of sins is death and this man deserves to be punished." Jesus took a deep breath and turned to his Father with outstretched arms and proclaimed "However, I died on the cross so that this person might have eternal life and he has accepted me as his Savior, so he is mine." My Lord continued with "His name is written in the book of life and no one can snatch him from me. Satan still does not understand yet, this man is not to be given justice but rather mercy."
As Jesus sat down, He quietly paused, looked at his Father and replied "There is nothing else that needs to be done, I've done it all." The Judge lifted his mighty hand and slammed the gavel down and the following words bellowed from his lips- "This man is free-the penalty for him has already been paid in full, case dismissed."
As my Lord led me away I could hear Satan ranting and raving "I won't give up, I'll win the next one."
I asked Jesus as he gave me my instructions where to go next, "Have you ever lost a case?" Christ lovingly smiled and said "Everyone that has come to me and asked me to represent them has received the same verdict as you, Paid in Full."
Lord, show them a new revelation of Your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace & mercy. Where there is self-doubting, release a renewed confidence in Your ability to work through them. Where there is tiredness, or exhaustion, I ask You to give them understanding, patience, & strength as they learn submission to Your leading.
Where there is spiritual stagnation, I ask You to renew them by revealing Your nearness, and by drawing them into greater intimacy with You. Where there is fear, reveal Your love, and release to them Your courage.
Where there is a sin blocking them, reveal it, and break its hold over my friend's life.
Bless their finances, give them greater vision, and raise up leaders, and friends to support, and encourage them. Give each of them discernment to recognize the demonic forces around them, and reveal to them the power they have in You to defeat it.
I ask You to do these things in Jesus' name!
A man's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her father. When the minister arrived, he found the man laying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed. The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit.
"I guess you were expecting me," he said.
"No, who are you?", said the father.
"I'm the new minister at your church," he replied. "When I saw the empty chair, I figured you knew I was going to show up."
"Oh, yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man. "Would you mind closing the door?" Puzzled, the minister shut the door. "I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. "But all of my life I have never known how to pray.
At church I used to hear the pastor talk about payer, but it went right over my head. I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until one day about four years ago my best friend said to me, 'Joe prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest~~
Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, ‘I'll be with you always.’ Then just speak to him and listen in the same way you're doing with me right now.’
So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I’ld do it a couple of hours every day. I'm careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm."
The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old guy to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the church.
Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her daddy had died that afternoon. "Did he die in peace?" he asked.
"Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something strange about his death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?
The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, "I wish we all could go like that."
