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As we transition from the last day of the year (2023) into the future days to come, we wanted to take a minute to wish you the best in your upcoming year. Remember that no matter what we went through in the past year we have a choice every day, every morning, to put on a fresh 'new' attitude and to "say" = this Day is going to be the Best Day, yet. ...and the next morning, the same: this Day is going to be the Best Day, yet. ...and continue on. In the New Year, take on this philosophy ~ "I'm not going to let the devil steal my Joy!" No matter what that 'devil' *looks like, remember it is just a test to see if he can get you angry, worked up, worried, sad, doubting, stressed out ~ again, whatever the 'devil' looks like in your life Strive to Hold onto Your JOY. Physically shake your head if you have to and speak out ~ "Oh No, I see what you're doing and it's not going to work; you're not taking my Joy". You see the theory in this is, you have to give your happiness away, you have to give it up when unfortunate things happen; just don't do that, stand firm and keep your Peace, Joy & Love (period)! My Wish for you this year is to grow Spiritually Stronger so you can Stand when the enemy comes ~ and he will come, that and taxes you can be certain of...but when you handle it with Grace & combat it with Faithfulness he will flee from you. God Bless you each and Every Day. From all of us to all of you and yours ~ Happy New Year. [ *flat tire, vehicle breaks down, late for work, no lunch for the kids, didn't iron the shirt, family/friend passes unexpectedly, etc. etc. ]

What is your Purpose ~ ?

Thanksgiving 2022 ~ Be Thankful = 30 Things I’m Thankful for 1. Jesus. He died for me, he shed his blood to cover my sins, his body was beaten and broken so I could be healed; but most of all so I can live for all eternity in Heaven. 2. Freedom. To live in a free country and have freedom of speech and religion, to live in a country where I can praise the Lord and assemble together with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ without being persecuted and put to death for my faith. Freedom to spread the Word of God to those who haven’t heard it yet or who haven’t made a choice. If you still have breath in your body it’s not too late to choose Jesus. No matter what you’ve done in the past, if you’ve made bad choices in the past, just humble yourself and call on his name, ask him to forgive you (repent) and to come into your heard and be the Lord of your life. 3. Food. For a Thanksgiving meal, and for every morsel I ever consume, I give the Glory to God everyday because I know, and think about, how many do not have and go days (or longer) without food. 4. Water. It is still amazing to me to be able to walk to the sink and get potable drinking water from the faucet. Many people in other countries do not have easy access to clean drinking water, if any clean water at all. In many villages residents have to walk 5 miles one way to get dirty water for drinking, washing and cooking; water that makes them physically sick because the water is filled with harmful bacteria. 5. Indoor Plumbing. Need I say more? Every time I’m able to flush the toilet I give thanks! 6. Legs. Any every other part of my body. I’m thankful that I can get up and out of bed in the morning without assistance and walk to the kitchen to make some coffee/tea. 7. Brush Teeth. A bit more of the above; I’m thankful that I can brush my own teeth and feed myself. I think many don’t stop and think about the items above, perhaps taking them for granted, never giving them a second thought. Many times looking at the glass as not full. There is so much to be Thankful for. The Bible says “at all times, in every circumstance give Glory to God”. 8.-14. Ability to: 8. Learn a new topic or skill 9. Drive myself and others to where we need to be; and to visits other locations. 10. Speak with others and bring joy to their lives; peace, hope and a Smile to their faces. 11. Be Positive. Keeping my focus on the fact that “God’s Got This” so I should relax. 12. Pray. Having constant lines of communication with the Trinity, & Prayer is our weapon so when the World seems like its crumbling just pray it out. Push back those dark forces and evil principalities with prayer and worship. 13. Write. Physically with pen and paper; and digitally so I can communicate with all of you. Soon, I will become an author…(Remember to Speak things into existence). 14. See. With Spiritual & Physical eyes. From viewing a beautiful sunset or an interesting painting to seeing someone in need or hurting and being able to fill that need with a hot meal, warm blanket or even just a smile can brighten someone’s day. 15.-17. Heat, Electricity, A/C. (not necessarily in that order, but sometimes…) 18.-20. Family, Friends, Neighbors. I’m thankful for loved ones and to be able to live in a community where I can be outside of the house without fear. 21. Clothes on my back. 22. Song in my heart. 23. Peace in my body. 24. Communication. Open lines of communication with Father God through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “ask anything in my name and my Father will do it for you; you have not because you ask not”. So I try to keep this in mind and ask; while there are many days I don’t want to ask and just worship. Ephesians says God is able to do more than we could ever ask or think – so I try to remember to ask. 25. Battle. (Spiritual/Physical) I am a Warrior, I am constantly battling the enemy! He has tried to take me out many times, but yet I live by the Grace & Glory of God. Philippians 1:23-24 Paul speaks about leaving the physical body and going to be with Christ or remaining in his flesh because it would be more beneficial for those he was writing to if he stayed. I too have thought about this and have come to the same conclusion, thinking if this ministry, this work can bring even just 1 person into the Kingdom of Heaven, bring just one person to know the Lord, wasn’t it all worth it? And I think Yes, for sure, no doubt about it. ~ It reminds me of this story about the starfish that had washed up onto the shore after a storm at sea. Thousands of them covered the stretch of beach and one man watched out a window as another man on the beach endlessly threw one starfish after the other back into the water. After several hours of this, the man that had been watching went out and said to the man tossing the starfish, 1 by 1, back into the water, “do you think you’re making a difference, you’ve been at this for hours and there are thousands of starfish on the beach”. The other man looked at him, and with a starfish in his hand, as he gently tossed it back into the water he replied, “for this one it makes a difference”. 26. The Holy Spirit. Our great intercessor. Who communicates to God on our behalf when we know not what to say and simple don’t have the words. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says that our bodies are the temple that God’s spirit dwells in. If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple… 27. NDEs. Those who have deceased, gone to Heaven or Hell and were sent ack to share their powerful testimonies about their experiences, what they saw, how it smelled, etc. 28. Testimonies. My own and those of others. For it is through our testimonies that we are set free and set others free, breaking the bondage of the enemy. Our testimonies are not just how we came to the Lord but also how he has worked in our lives and what he does for one he will do for the rest as he is no respecter of persons but loves us all the same sinner or saint. 29. The Bible. I heard a minister say, this is what it stands for: B asic I nstructions B efore L eaving E arth It wasn’t the first time I’d heard something like this, I’ve mostly heard that it is our guide book for this life to get us to the next. This life is just the beginning; the setup for our eternal life, let each breath have a great impact for the good of the whole human race. 30. ALL of you Readers/Viewers. That you continue to prosper the Word of God until he returns for us and we reign with him in Eternity. Remember, we are already seated with him in Heavenly places. Glory on & May your days Be Blessed.

Happy Easter! He is Risen… Today my niece was baptized. Water Baptism has been going on for thousands of years…John the Baptist was baptizing when Jesus came to the river Jordan to be baptized. Let’s look at Romans chapter 6 (verses 1-14) – Dead to Sin, Alive to God . Do you know, when we are baptized, we are buried with Christ Jesus into death and raised from the dead (raised from the death of our sins); just as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father – so we too are raised to walk in the newness of life (all sins washed away). For whosoever believe in him may not parish but have everlasting life. God did not send his son into the World to condemn but instead so that those who believe in the son could be saved and set free from sin. (John 3:16-17) One died for all, therefore all died. (Corinthians 5:14) Today’s pastor did a great job conveying the likeness of water baptism to the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. Well, What if you’re not baptized but believe in God + Jesus and have received Jesus as your Lord & Savior? Let’s see what the Bible says about it... John 3:9 Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Mark 16:15-16 And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation - whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Galatians 3:26-27 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism . John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God. John 14:15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." Acts 2:41 Those who received his word were baptized ; and there were added that day about three thousand souls. Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized , both men and women. Acts 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Acts 16:15 And after she was baptized , and her household as well... Acts 16:31 And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household. Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 19:5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word. Romans 6:3-5 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

So, this is Christmas ~ It is Christmas Time, again, all over the World and many are gearing up for the holiday. It’s the time of year when the weather changes, lights and decorations go up, Christmas music plays in the air, gifts are given, maybe some eggnog, even smells of the season to remind us of this wonderful time of year. What do you think of when you think of Christmas? And do we know what’s behind the meaning and symbols of Christmas? For the majority, Christmas is the day we celebrate the birth of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. One of the most famous representations at this time of year is the Christmas tree. The evergreen tree represents the eternal life that Jesus died to give us, by dying on a tree (the cross) to wash away our sins (past, present, future). John 17:3 (ESV) And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Have you ever wondered why we give gifts at Christmas? Well, the three Wise men brought Jesus expensive gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These were not typical gifts for a young child, in fact, these where the gifts given at burial but as we know this Jesus was not any ordinary child but extraordinary. These presents were given as representation of what Jesus came to do; he came to give his life for us. Gold is associated with kings; Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Frankincense, an incense perfume, as a symbol of deity. Myrrh was an embalming oil that has a pleasant scent, it was a symbol of death. Today, we still continue to give appropriate gifts at Christmas just as they did over 2,000 years ago. Now, onto the children’s favorite part of the season ol’ St. Nick. Believe it or not, Santa Claus is the representation of a real person, or people throughout the course of history…there have been several do-gooders referenced in different locations across the old world that had similar names to the now known Santa Claus – a few are: Kris Kringle, Pelznickel, Sinterklaas, Father Christmas and during the 3 rd Century Nicholas of Mayra (now known as modern day Turkey), a bishop, was known for giving gifts to the children in his town, in sacks...he was, also, a defender of the faith and taught about Jesus as our savior. This is where the term “ol’ St. Nick” comes from. Hopefully the symbolic parallels can be seen as to why we celebrate around a tree, sharing gifts and whispering secrets of Santa Claus. A fun to watch holiday movie called ‘Saving Christmas’ shows some of these parallels. The link is provided below or you can order a DVD from your local distributor (also, we’re looking to have copies added to our resources page). Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, this year and every year! As it says so profoundly in Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you, to give you hope and a future” & in Job 8:7 (CEV) Your future will be far brighter than your past. BoD Treasurer, bgs Movie: Saving Christmas