Newsletter€¦ · Web viewThank you, Father, for sending Your Word to heal me and deliver me from...

Special Birthday Blessings For

Jasmine WashingtonLarue Tisone

Helen McCollumMary Sanders

Anitra Williams

A Celebration of Unity & Love To

The Henessys' & Smiths’

Monthly Newsletter Publication September 2005

McClain Ministries 1050 Ridgeside Drive, Brandon, MS 39042 1

The Simplified Soul & The Gift of Forgiveness

Bible Text: I John 1:9 Ephesians 2:8, 9 Psalm 103:12 I Timothy 1:15 Psalm 51:7

Romans 8:38, 39

Central Truth: A weary Christian lay awake in bed one night trying to hold the world together by her worrying and anxiety. Then she heard the Lord gently say, "You can go to sleep now. I'll stay up.”I would like for you to imagine that you have a ten pound bag of potatoes that you must carry around with you everywhere. You have to tuck it into bed with you at night, drag it with you on the bus, sling it over your shoulder when you're shopping and load in the back seat of your car when you are driving. It must be carried with you everywhere for the next three weeks. After three weeks you can dump the sack of potatoes in the nearest trash can. There should be three essential observations that you will make after the experience:

The potatoes were heavy. They started to smell. It felt great to dump them!


and-for-all activity. As you move through the process step by step, you gradually begin to realize that something wonderful is taking place in your heart and setting you free. Here are seven steps that can help you find that freedom:

Forgiveness Step #1: Admit the Hurt and Anger

It may sound strange, but the first step toward forgiving another person is to admit how hurt and angry you really are. Sometimes it seems easier just to pretend the hurt isn't important and try to forget about it. The trouble is, you don't forget. Offenses that wound your heart accumulate in your memory and keep you from experiencing the abundant life God has planned for you.

The process of healing and forgiveness must begin with honesty. You don't want to minimize what happened, but you don't want to exaggerate it either. Truthfully look at what, if any, examine the part you contributed to the problem. Writing down your memories and feelings about an event will help you determine if you are off balance. When you do this, try to step back and get some perspective as well as pouring out your feelings.

Forgiveness Step #2: Talk It Out

If you are in an ongoing relationship with someone who has hurt you, it is important that you talk about the hurt with the one who caused it. Try to choose a convenient time and a private place, but don't put off your conversation just because the circumstances aren't perfect. You will want to be open and honest while not slipping into an attack mode. Calmly express your perspective and feelings about what happened, and then invite the other person to do the same.

That's also true of offenses-both what we have done and what others have done to us. In fact, the failure to deal with hurts is one of the primary reasons people feel exhausted and weary. Carrying a load of guilt or resentment takes a terrible toll-physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I read somewhere that 80 percent of health problems can be traced to the root cause of unforgiveness.

When you think about it, it's easy to see why being forgiven can be a wonderful gift. It's really the gift of love and freedom, the gift of a second chance. But we sometimes forget that forgiveness can be as beneficial to the one giving it as it is to the one receiving it. Forgiveness, in other words, is not only a gift you give others; it is also a wonderful gift to give yourself.

The trouble, of course, is that forgiveness can be costly. If your hurts are deep or recent, even reading this message may be difficult for you. But please don't skip over it. Instead, I suggest you ask the Holy Spirit to work on your heart as you read and to gently move you to the place where you might consider forgiveness.

It’s possible you have carried pain for so long that you don’t even notice how heavy the burden has become. Without your realizing it, these hurts are draining your energy and distracting you from a more fulfilling life. Once you take the steps to forgive someone who has caused you deep pain or even to forgive yourself for something you regret, you might be astonished at the fresh energy you have. Your outlook on life will improve and you’ll wake up each day with new vitality.

The big question, of course, is how do you give the gift of forgiveness? A simple, "I forgive you" rarely cuts it. You might wish for a quick formula so you can check off each item and be done with it. But forgiveness is more a process than a once-


The truth is, we all carry the weight of the careless, hurtful, or terribly wrong things we have done, and we all have abundant need of forgiveness. The amazing thing is that when we come to God, confess our sin, and ask forgiveness...He forgives us. The Bible says it clearly: "If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong."

Jesus has already died to pay the price for your mistakes, and He longs for you to accept His free gift of forgiveness. But He wants something else, too. He wants you to forgive others-not necessarily because they deserve it, not even because forgiving is good for you, but because He forgave you first.

Accepting Gods forgiveness and forgiving others are like two sides of the same coin. They're both necessary if you want to be the person God has in mind for you to be— and avoid lugging around all that guilt and resentment. Besides, if Christ has given you the gift of forgiveness, how can you refuse to offer it to others?

Forgiveness Step #4: Choose Forgiveness

Forgiveness essentially means giving up your right to make other people pay for the wrongs they have committed against you. It's a choice, a decision of the will. And it's good to keep in mind that the choice of forgiveness almost always precedes the feeling of forgiveness.

When you first make the choice to forgive, you might still feel angry or resentful. By choosing forgiveness, you are asking God to take your willingness and gradually work a miracle in your heart. But it may take time-not because forgiveness doesn't work, but because your emotional wounds still need time to heal.


Listen carefully, trying to understand without interrupting or becoming defensive. Remember that there are two sides to every story. Seeing the other side may not reduce the pain, but it may well soften your heart and help you forgive. If a face-to-face meeting is not possible or advisable, you can still benefit from writing out the things you would otherwise say. Be specific about what the other person has done and how this has affected you. If appropriate, ask for clarification or state that you are in the process of trying to forgive. Whether or not you actually mail the letter, "talking it out" in this way will move you one more step down the road to forgiveness.

How to Talk it Out with Someone Who Has Hurt You

Share your hurt and let the other person see your heart.

With a calm voice, explain how the offense has affected you.

Don't accuse, attack, insult, belittle, or use sarcasm.

Use positive statements wherever you can. Use "I" statements like "I feel hurt because..."

Avoid "you" statements like "You are the one who..."

Stay on the subject. Maintain eye contact. Try to talk about your anger without

acting it out. Listen to the other person's viewpoint. Don't interrupt. Speak as though God is listening. (He

is.)

Forgiveness Step #3: Remember Why Forgiveness Is Necessary

"Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." The last part of this verse is a great reminder of why you need to forgive others.


Forgiveness Step #5: Put the Hurt Behind You

The mind is a fabulous computer that usually runs seventy years or more without warranty work. I read somewhere that it can record up to eight hundred memories per second, storing the more significant memories for a lifetime. (Don't you wonder how scientists determine that?) This means that the old saying "forgive and forget" really isn't very likely. But since forgetting is not really a prerequisite for healing a hurt, it's not a necessary part of forgiveness. What is necessary is making a decision to stop rehearsing the pain over and over. Once we have faced what has happened to us, we can be done with reliving the past and rehashing the details. Memories will rise in our mind, but we can choose to put them away and focus on other things.

Putting hurts behind us involves making four promises:

I will no longer dwell on this incident. I will not bring up this incident again

and use it against you. I will not talk to others about this

incident. I will not allow this incident to stand

between us or hinder our relationship.

Forgiveness Step #6: Be Patient with the Process

It would be nice if the process of forgiveness happened quickly, but often it doesn't. Some hurts are just too painful to let go of, even when we truly want to forgive. It takes time to put the pain behind us and move forward. But as the days pass, we usually come to realize that forgiveness has taken hold in our hearts and we are beginning to trust again.

This process is complicated when the other person hurts us again, as is almost inevitable in a very close relationship such as a marriage. In this cycle of hurt, forgiveness, and trust, the forgiveness must be repeated over and over.

In cases of physical and emotional abuse, renewed trust may be inappropriate or even unsafe, and it is vitally important to seek help from a pastor, trained professional or a refuge shelter. But usually in most life situations the cycle is part of the ordinary struggles that deepen our commitment to one another as we work through them. When relationships are restored through the process of giving and receiving for-giveness, they can even become more durable. Like a treasured porcelain vase that has been accidentally broken but is too precious to discard, we lovingly mend the vessel. Sometimes the glue makes it stronger.

Forgiveness Step #7: Forgive Yourself

It is not enough to forgive others. We must also learn to forgive ourselves—and to accept the gift of God's forgiveness. This is often the most difficult step because we feel that the guilt-producing secrets we carry in our heart are too horrible for forgiveness. Remember that God is willing to forgive everything and, indeed, has already forgiven if you have asked Him to. He wants you to move forward and stop punishing yourself.

If you are struggling with ongoing guilt issues in your life, try adapting the steps of the forgiveness process and applying them to your own heart. Admit to them. Talk it out with God and others you have disap-pointed or hurt. Remember God's forgive-ness. Choose forgiveness by accepting what God has offered. Try to put the pain behind you and look forward.


And be patient with the process of coming to terms with the beautiful reality of God's forgiveness.

I just completed reading a booklet “My Heart—Christ's Home” by Robert Boyd Munger where he uses the example of a house to describe how "room by room" we turn our hearts over to Christ. For example, he talks about the Living Room, where we develop intimacy through prayer and reading the Bible, and the Library, which holds things that occupy our minds. But the last room Munger describes is the Hall Closet—the place where we keep the secret things of our heart. And it is in this place that we find the key to forgiving others and ourselves, this is the excerpt:

“One day I found Christ waiting for me at the door. An arresting look was in His eye. As I entered He said to me, "There is a peculiar odor in the house. Something must be dead around here. It's upstairs. I think it is in the hall closet." As soon as He said this, I knew what He was talking about....With trembling fingers I passed the key to Him. He took it, walked over to the door, opened it, entered, took out all the putrefying stuff that was rotting there, and threw it away. Then He cleaned the closet and painted it. It was done in a moment's time. Oh, what victory and release to have that dead thing out of my life.”

For every person-for every stressed-out person-the glorious gifts of forgiveness are victory and release. They are gifts that make your heart soar.

What hurts, offenses, or regrets are you having a hard time letting go of? How is this affecting the way you feel about yourself, about others, about life in general, and about God?

Many of us have areas of our life where we feel we are not worthy of God's forgiveness. On a blank piece of paper,

write one that you struggle with. Next, in bold letters across the page, write, "Forgiven Forever!" Then take the paper and shred it, burn it, or bury it. You are free!Memory Text:

"If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].” (I John 1:9) Amplified

The Simplified Soul & The Beauty of Life

Bible Text: Matthew 7:7 I Samuel 16:16 Philippians 4:7

Central Truth: Each day comes bearing its own unique gifts. I certainly hope you enjoy unwrapping this one today.

Truthfully it has taken entering into retirement that has allowed me to see much of the beauty in life. But it doesn’t take retirement to enjoy the beauty that surrounds you.There is a great deal of plainness and ugliness in all our lives. Yet we are also surrounded by beauty, much of which goes unnoticed because we are so busy scrambling from point A to point B.

We need beauty to pull us above the difficulties and drudgery of everyday existence. If we let it, beauty will touch our soul and lift our attitude, helping us feel more positive and less exhausted.

Jesus said, "Seek and you will find." This is true of many things, even beauty.


If you don't seek it out, you may not find it, even when it's all around you. But if you are looking, it's amazing how much you can find. Suddenly life is not as dull or difficult as you thought.

Beauty needs to be seen to be appreciated, and as the old saying goes, "So many look, but so few see." Opening your eyes to what is lovely around you is a very practical way to reduce your weariness. Try to see with your spirit and let beauty touch your heart. Absorb it and let it soothe away your tension. Let it slow you down and soften the rough edges of your life. Beauty brings peace and pleasure. The longer you enjoy it, the less stress-out you will feel.

The Beauty of Nature

Nature has a different pace that draws you to it. As I use a note pad to write this message, I’m looking out of the window watching deer graze in the back yard, their splendor captivates me. I could sit here all day.

God's awesome imagination is written all over nature. His natural creation changes from season to season and from region to region. The beauty of God's creation is inescapable - if we only open our eyes to appreciate it. More important, it's a reminder of God's amazing and ingenious provision for us, that He gives us not only basic food and shelter, but also a world overwhelming with spirit-lifting wonder.

The Beauty of Art, Music, and Literature

Enjoying artistic beauty is another way of healing all that is stressed-out in our spirits. Art in its purest sense is an attempt to duplicate or describe some aspect of God's creation. My dictionary defines it as "human works of beauty—from dance to drawing to drama to sculpture."

In whatever form, artistic beauty lifts you above the ordinary and provides a break from the hectic.

Every weary person is unique, of course. Just as different aspects of nature draw us differently, we are drawn to different kinds of art.

Someone recently said that music provides the sound track of one's life. Whether it's, praise, gospel, folk, country, rock, or classical, music can provide a reminder of who we are and where we've been. It can also have a powerful effect on how we feel either energizing us or relaxing us.

The Bible tells of a time when King Saul became disturbed and out of control - perhaps overloaded with worries and work. But his servants asked David to play the harp for him, and Saul was able to relax. I know plenty of tense individuals who have found that soothing music is a good way to cover the stress-producing noises that so easily put us on edge. A headset filled with beautiful music can muffle the loudness of the outside world and return gentleness to your soul.

For many stressed out people, of course, nothing is more relaxing than a good book. Something that is well written and attractively designed can delight the mind and enchant the emotions.

Tenderly written words carry a sweetness that wash away cares and concerns. Beautiful words in beautiful books are treasures to which we can return time and time again.

While we are considering art, it's worth noting that the act of creating it can be as soothing or uplifting as the act of enjoying it. Being made in God's image means we are made to create beauty and many of you have found artistic pursuits can be fulfilling, uplifting, and therapeutic.


Nurture its presence in your life. Cherish it as a refreshing gift from the Lord who loves you. As I write these last few lines, I am praying that you will discover that your path from stressed-out to peace and joy is paved with many moments of beauty.Memory Text:

"And God's peace [shall be yours, that 'tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7) Amplified

Many of our prayers go unanswered because we fail to pray according to God's Will. Now that we have prayed the prayer of commitment together, the Holy Spirit wants us to focus our prayers more intensely on praying for each other. Along with the “Prayer of Commitment”Scriptures He provided in July He has given us additional scriptures. To effectively unite our prayers a Promises Booklet will be mailed to you in the next three weeks. Some of you may receive your copy as early as tomorrow. I need for you to hold onto your booklets until you receive further instructions. Many of you may even have a copy of the booklet already, if so; share your new copy with someone else. Also you may have a more elaborate version of the “Promises Book”, however, I would like for you to use the one we are sending in order to maximize the unity the Holy Spirit wants to achieve. Everyone should have their booklet by September 17th, at which time you will receive additional instruct-tions.

A More Beautiful Life - Some Simple Suggestions

Go outside! Just a daily walk in the park or the neighborhood can lower your stress levels.

Bring natural beauty into your home with flowers and greenery or an easy-to-grow houseplant.

If you live in an area you don't think is beautiful, ask God to refocus your eyes to appreciate subtle or hidden beauty around you - a flower in a crevice, a neatly plowed field, a carefully tended tree in an industrial park.

Invest in a piece of artwork you really like, a picture, a small sculpture, a quilt. Put it in a spot where you will see it every day.

Find a book about an artist, writer, or composer you admire and keep it at your bedside.

Take a music break. Put on a favorite CD or tune the radio to a favorite station. Close your eyes and enjoy- or get up and dance.

On the flip side take a silence break. Just sit quietly for fifteen minutes and try to identify the various sounds that reach your ears.

Schedule an afternoon of browsing in a bookstore or flower shop.

If your community has a local pond or lake, take a loaf of bread and feed the ducks.

Visit a museum or art gallery near where you live.

Surely beauty strengthens us through our hectic days. So seek it wherever you can.


THE ANSWERED PRAYERS(From Melva)

Prayer Request 8/18/05 - I just received a call from our sister Arbra Ackee. Her 7 year old grand daughter Morgan was taken to the emergency room this morning due to a nagging fever. The initial test indicated an irregular white cell count and the doctors are now testing for leukemia. The results of the test should be available by 4:00 PM CDT today. Just the word "leukemia" is designed by the enemy to strike terror and fear. An urgent prayer request was immediately sent out to have you join me in praying for Morgan using this scripture: Isaiah 54:13, 14. (New King James Version)

“Morgan Ackee shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be her peace. In righteousness she shall be established; she shall be far from oppression, for she shall not fear; and terror shall not come near her."

Praise Report 8/18/05 - We have heard from our sister Arbra and the results of Morgan’s test for leukemia was negative, No leukemia! Praise God!

GOD’S GOODNESSMelva McClain

I have a personal praise report. Last Friday (August 12th) I discovered I needed some work done on my car. I obtained estimates for the needed mechanical work from two sources. The estimates were in the neighborhood of $1250.00. Most of the cost was labor.

I mentioned the issue to my brother who immediately picked up the parts and completed the work on one of the problems

over the weekend. He also advised me on the second issue I had with the vehicle and made recommendations as to how to proceed.

With my brother's expertise the repairs amounted to a total of $422.29 instead of $1250.00. A net savings of $827.71. Praise His Holy Name!

BLOOD COVENANT PRAISE REPORTMary J. Smith

I have something to report from my Blood Covenant. I had to personally let you know myself. I had consistently repeated, since we launched the Blood Company campaign, on September 1, 2004, that I will be in Atlanta for the next SPD conference. An individual cannot just go to the Conference; you have to "qualify" to attend. Yesterday, (August 18) before I left the house on my second "taxi" run, I got a call telling me my name is listed among those who have qualified.

WORDS FROM THE TELECONFERENCE JULY 30TH

The teleconference was awesome. All of us in attendance were blessed by the inspired words of the message to continue to fight the good fight of faith. Anytime you are thirsty, drink from the fountain that never run dry and where you will never thirst again - that fountain is JESUS “the Christ”, Son of the living God. Feast on the scriptures that were given:

St. John 4:3-19II Corinthians 5:17-18

St. John 5:3-24St. John 6:35

Isaiah 58:11-12

There were people on the conference fromseveral states. This is what some of them shared at the conclusion of being blessed.


Lena Williams – words from the teleconference just confirms what the Lord has been telling me. The captive will be set free. The Prayer of Commitment was just a turning point for God to meet our needs.

Betty Bryant – My Mama went to be with the Lord about a year ago. But God raised me from the bed of sickness to continue the work of the ministry, the ministry of helps-Caregiver.

Lucille Coleman – Thanks to the prayer partners for all your prayers. If the Lord should delay His coming I will be 84 years young in September and I am not going to give up. Thanks to Melva for all her words of inspiration.

Deloris McNair – Thank the Lord for Melva. She is a wonderful person. Enjoyed the teleconference as always. Everything is in the Lords hand. I am praying for everyone.

Mary Hill – I enjoy every teleconference. I am praying that the Lord will bless me to come out to the Home Bible Workshop.

A REVELATION OF LOVE Lena Williams

This is my praise report!!! Monday morning I woke up at 3:00 in the morning and I began to thank and praise The Father for another day.

I felt the need to pray and I did... I emptied myself before the Lord and made a fresh commitment to surrender all that I have and all that I am to Him. I also asked for a return... I asked Him… NO to be quite honest I commanded Him… to give me clear revelation of what He desired for me to do with my life. You might say can we command God?... the answer is clearly in the Bible... He instructs us to command HIM.

Later that morning I received the revelation knowledge that will allow me to be a vessel through which His grace and power will be demonstrated in the world. That's a part of the first paragraph in the prayer of commitment that we have been pray-ing given to us by Melva.

The prayer of commitment is so powerful. The revelation I received was this: GOD is LOVE... I know we have all heard this before but when the Holy Spirit reveals it to your heart...there is a light that goes off that will forever change how you see things and do things. When I heard HIM tell me in the depths of my soul that He loved me and that He has not forgotten me and my family nor will He ever leave me or forsake me...it changed the way I see everything and gave me everlasting peace. The second part of the revelation is GOD LOVES me and I know it and I believe it. When you stay in the Word and you seek God with love and pure motives...He will reveal things to you through the Holy Spirit. It is not just a book it is alive. You will begin to believe with your heart and not your head and that is the difference.

In one hour I wrote the end of a book called "Fallen In Love." In three days... as inspiration from the Holy Spirit came I completed it... (or rather He completed it through me.) The Holy Spirit revealed to me there are thousands of books inside of me (I said "hundreds”?... He said "NO... write what I say thousands").

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much


www.mcclainministries.org

THE WAR RAGES(Article Excerpts)

Here’s the bottom line. You know it and I know it. We won’t win the battles if we refuse to lose the things in life that keep us from following Jesus. I’m not just talking about the end result things; I’m also talking about those little steps of compromise along the way. So, let’s pick up our cross today and lose our lives for Jesus’ sake. Let’s find a way to stand up to the temptations on the job or find another job if necessary. Let’s stay in touch with worldly friends, but chose godly people for our closest friends. And by all means, let’s turn away from those dark, secretive places and run for the light! We’ll never lose anything in life worth keeping if we give it up for Jesus’ sake!

MAKE-OVER

So often, we attempt to present to our Omnipotent Creator what we think is good — justifying our actions, promising to do better, trying to put the best spin on the state of our souls. In the end, what He wants is US. When we give Him ourselves, He gives us the very best He has and makes of us what we could never be if left to our own “make-over” efforts.

Today, don’t endeavor to ‘spin’ all your good qualities trying to sell yourself to God, instead, offer yourself and let Him totally remake you! He’s more interested in site; He’ll take care of the building.

GOD’S PROMISES-OUR FAITHFULNESS

What if the fulfillment of God's greatest promises depended upon my faithfulness? Ouch! That's a tough one. But Matthew 1:23-24 emphasize just that point.

HOME BIBLE WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

Mark your calendars for the September 2005 dates. Please plan to attend.

September 3rd and 17th

1050 Ridgeside DriveBrandon, MS 39042

Phone: 601-824-7498

6:00 P. M. HOUR OF PRAYER

Use this wonderful supernatural tool the Lord has blessed us with the 6 o'clock hour of power. This is the time to intercede for the needs of others, the concerns of the ministry, and to pray for the leadership within our community, our nation, and our world.

Bring all of your cares and burdens to the altar and encourage others to do the same. Lives are being changed. Breakthroughs are happening.

The Truth Shall Set You Free

http://www.mcclainministries.org/


It is the reason behind divisions in homes, friendships, and church fellowships. When you maintain close association with or come under the influence of a person with a spirit more powerful than yours, you are open to the transference of that spirit to your own spirit. You are influenced by that spirit and it is transferred to you.

4th QUARTER 2005 TELECONFERENCE

Saturday, October 29th

8:00 A M. CST

Toll Free Dial-In Number1-888-422-7124

Participant Code: 730940

NATIONAL BULLETIN BOARD PAGE UPDATE

Last call to provide information on our services. Our main focus continues to be the creation of “electronic services portfolios,” for those who have services to offer. I would like for you to provide specific information regarding your services. The electronic portfolio should contain brochures, photos or any material that describes your product or service. You may even have a PowerPoint presentation that we can place in your portfolio. We feel this level of information will give the individual in need of the service a clear picture of your product. So, if you already have a small business or looking to create one, let me hear from you.

It shows how the act of obedience played out with Joseph and Mary. In very simple and straight forward terms, Matthew tells how God spoke His Will through the prophets and angels as well as how Joseph and Mary obeyed what God told them to do. That's still the same way God's promises come true today. God uses the simple act of obedience in matters large and small to bring about His promises. We will not always know why God calls us to a certain task, challenge, or opportunity, but we can be sure that He will always use our faithfulness for our greater good and to bring glory to Him.

WEBSITE - SPIRITUAL WARRIORS PRAYER GUIDE PAGE

SPIRIT TRANSFERENCE

After gaining some experience in warfare, soldiers usually receive more advanced instruction in specific areas of warfare. This portion of the warfare manual is entitled "spiritual warfare advanced training," the initials of which spell "SWAT." In military action, a "SWAT" team is specialized.

In this message you will study one of the most powerful and influential strategies used by Satan. Recognition of this strategy will answer many questions you have had in the past as you witnessed negative changes in your family, friends, and church fellowship ... perhaps even in yourself. The strategy of which we speak is called "spirit transference."

This powerful strategy of spirit transference accounts for many of the spiritual battles fought by believers today. It accounts for the abrupt changes from positive to negative behavior which we witness in those around us. It explains why two children, raised in the same home, who receive the same Christian training, can turn out so differently.


Strive to use these good habits as stable anchor points in your life. With good habits, doing the right things in the right way, you can meet the chaotic instability of modern life with faithfulness and bless others. Just stay out of those destructive ruts!

AUDIO MESSAGES & MUSIC - TEENS

Exciting New Music For Teens

http://mcclainministries.org/messagesmusicaudio

I PROMISE-JACI VELASQUEZ

IF THE WORLD-JACI VELASQUEZ

Thank you partners for doing your part. You are truly a blessing to McClain Ministries. Your faithful commitment and support is greatly appreciated. If you have not yet made a commitment to partner with us, please ask the Holy Spirit to speak to, and guide your heart about it. If you will do your part God will do His part. Please see the How to Contact Article if you are lead to become a partner with us.

GOLDEN NUGGETS PAGERUTS

Let me give you a few practical pointers to help get out of your rut:

Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold. HAVE A MISSION, PURPOSE, PLAN, DIRECTION, for your life. That way, you can, with God’s help, “just say no” to the world. In other words, be proactive about being who God wants you to be and not just reactive to the same old things in the same old way.

REINVENT YOURSELF from the inside out. God has given us the ability and power to recreate ourselves. We were made in His Image, and we can be more like Him everyday. If the old person you are isn’t who you want to be, then begin thinking, portraying, and acting like the person you and God want you to be!

CHANGE SOMETHING OUTWARD as a signal or reminder of your new way of being. You may dress a little differently, try a different “look,” rearrange your furniture, listen to a different type of music, but use an outward symbol to remind you of a commitment to inward change. It’s perfectly okay for you to do this. This is YOUR life; YOU are the one living it. So hey, praise God for life, and live it uniquely. You don’t have to be like everyone else. In fact, as a believer and a child of God, you were not made to be like anyone else.

Now just a word about good habits. Studying Scripture, going to God in heartfelt prayer, caring for yourself physically, making friends, and doing kind deeds for others are all good things.These do not fall into the category of a rut. If you do these things repeatedly and are bored, then vary the routine, but don’t stop the good you’re doing!

http://mcclainministries.org/messagesmusicaudio

Healing Prayers To Help Build Your Faith

Healing For My Body

Dear heavenly Father, in Jesus' name, I come to You for healing in my body. I know that You are a good God, and You are a compassionate, loving Father who desires to see me

healthy, whole, and free. I ask for Your healing power to touch my body right now. Help me to be strong in my faith and to receive my healing.

Jesus died on the cross for my salvation, as well as took stripes on His back for my healing; He bore my sickness and carried my diseases. The Bible says He Himself took our

pains in His own body that with His stripes we were healed.

As I read, study, and meditate on Your Scriptures about healing, I realize that the power of Your Word brings that healing. Let the truth of Your Word grow strong in my heart and

bring revitalization to every part of my body. I receive the Scriptures regarding healing and restoration and make them my own. Jesus paid the price that I be made whole. Now, Lord, I receive Your Word and believe it. I thank You and praise You for the healing that has begun

in my body right now. Help me to see myself well and walking in Divine health in Jesus' name.

Scripture References

Prayer of Faith For HealingFather, in the name of Jesus, I come asking You to heal me. It is written that the prayer of

faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if I have committed sins, I will be forgiven. I let go of all unforgiveness, resentment, anger and ungodly feelings toward

anyone.

My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and I desire to be in good health. I seek truth that will make me free – both spiritual and natural (good eating habits, appropriate rest and

exercise). You bought me at a price, and I desire to glorify you in my spirit and my body – they both belong to you.

Thank you, Father, for sending Your Word to heal me and deliver me from all my destructions. Jesus, You are the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. You bore my


Isaiah 53:5 Matthew 8:17 Psalm 107:20

James 5:15 NKJV I Corinthians 6:19-20

Psalm 107:20 John 1:14

Isaiah 53:4-5 NAS Proverbs 4:21-22 NAS Psalm 103:3-5 NKJV Romans 8:11 NKJV

3 John 2

griefs (pains) and carried my sorrows (sickness). You were pierced through for my transgressions, crushed for my iniquities, the chastening for my well-being fell upon You,

and by your scourging I am healed.

Father, I give attention to Your words, and incline my ear to your sayings. I will not let them depart from my sight, but keep them in the midst of my heart. For they are my life and

health to my whole body.

Since the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in me, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to my mortal body through His Spirit who dwells in me.

Thank you that I will prosper and be in health even as my soul prospers. Amen.

Scripture References

Remember to click on the

Link to Bible Gateway.com:http://www.biblegateway.com/usage/

BibleGateway.com is a searchable online Bible in dozens of languages and trans-lations. In addition to its library of search-able Bibles, the Bible Gateway also features Bible commentaries, audio Bibles, and many other tools that make it easier to read and

understand the Bible. The Bible Gateway is a ministry of Gospelcom.net.

A New Look For The Newsletter


http://www.biblegateway.com/usage/

The grief of parents who loss sons or daughters in Iraq has become a potent political weapon – much more so than in other recent wars.

In my view, these moms and dads have been badly let down by both sides of the war debate. The war's advocates have offered little justification for the sacrifices made by beloved sons and daughters in Iraq, which has allowed the families' raw grief to fester into public anger - and the war's opponents have sought cynically to exploit the families' sorrow for political ends.

Cindy Sheehan camped outside President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas for weeks determined to stay put until the president told her exactly what "noble cause" her 24-year-old son Casey died for in Iraq.

In past wars, the sorrow felt by parents was no less intense than that experienced over Iraq, yet it was rare for personal grief to go so public.

Today, doubt and uncertainty - and even shame - about the Iraq war from the top of society down has turned families' grief into bitterness, and even public rage. In the past, bereaved families took comfort in the belief that their son or daughter died for a greater cause; traditional notions of honor, patriotism, and duty would have given their loved one's death on the battlefield some meaning.

Now, families have few ways to make sense of the deaths in Iraq. The cause that their sons and daughters gave their lives for – the need to get rid of Saddam Hussein's deadly WMD - turned out to be false.

And how could such deaths be seen as a source of pride, as they might have been in earlier periods, when even our leaders seem embarrassed by the Iraqi debacle? The Pentagon ban on releasing photographs of returning military coffins suggested it is ashamed of the war dead, seeking to sneak them through the back door and hurry them into the earth without anybody noticing. (That policy was changed last week - more than two years after the war began - in a settlement of a Freedom of Information suit.) President Bush has been criticized for failing to attend the funerals or memorials of slain servicemen and women.

Ceremonies that in earlier times might have given meaning to death in a war zone are explicitly avoided this time around. What are families to make of this? When even our leaders seem uncertain about the war - when they turn shamefaced from the dead and refuse to recognize their sacrifices with any kind of reminder of their sacrifice - it is not surprising that the families feel bereft, confused, and angry. Without those familiar crutches of duty, victory,


or pride, the death of their loved ones must seem as meaningless as if they'd died in a car accident or in a brawl outside a bar. That is why mothers such as Cindy Sheehan ask Bush a very simple question: “Well, why did my son die?”

There's another reason grief has become a "significant political force" - some in the antiwar movement are exploiting it. As the Los Angeles Times said of Sheehan's camp-out in Crawford, "antiwar activists are trying to make her their long-sought voice."

There is something deeply wrong, cynical and morbid - and I say this as one who was implacably opposed to the war - about these attempts to further publicize and politicize the

families’ grief. It's almost as if some of the antiwar politicians want the families of the dead to do their work for them; as if it is enough to point to a weeping mom to make the case against war. They are relying on images of hardship and sorrow rather than making the hard political case against military intervention, they are letting bereaved families do the job they were elected to do. We sent lawmakers to Washington to represent all of our nation’s views and not hide behind the legitimate grief of parents who have already sacrificed dearly.

On one side, pro-war advocates have left military families to work through their grief alone and confused, and on the other, anti-war forces push these families further into the spotlight. Both are inadequate ways of dealing with the issue of war. They are sorry substitutes for a serious political debate about Iraq - and these methods will likely only exacerbate families' grief.

Let’s not ever forget that Jesus paid it all. His One Sacrifice is enough for all of mankind.


Locally there are a number of shelters housing Biloxi, Gulfport and New Orleans evacuees. These shelters need resources and we intend to help.

Christ United Church is the Central Headquarters for all shelters. And this is what the

shelters need:

New SocksNew Undergarments (all sizes)

Air MattressesBlanketsTowels

Pillow CasesToys

Back PacksHandy Wipes

Umbrella StrollersDiapers (all sizes)

FormulaSip Cups

Baby Food (all stages)House Shoes (slippers of all sizes)

Depends (Adult Diapers)Bottle Water

Nonperishable Food ItemsPersonal Hygiene Items (all types)

Bags w/handles

We have already started to put together 250 Care Packages that contain personal care items. Our goal is 1500 packages by September 10th. Coordinating this effort is Denise

Jones and Mary Simpson: 601-918-7614.

There is a special shelter located at the Trade Mart Center in Jackson, MS housing dialysis patients. They specifically need blankets and pillows. We intend to furnish 200

immediately. Coordinating this effort is Sylvia Washington: 601-331-0315

Many folks are still looking for loveones we have resources that can help: Coordinating this effort is Arbra Ackee: 501-258-1444.

We are also working on possible free cell phones. Kim Myers and Anitra Williams are coordinating this project with both local and national vendors.

Anitra's phone # 601-331-6814.


This is only the beginning. If you want to volunteer for any of the above projects, contact the coordinators for additional information. If you want to donate toward the relief effort,

just make your check payable to McClain Ministries and earmark them for "storm relief." As always feel free to contact me at 601-824-7498.

Family News Network of the International Committee of the Red Cross

As a result of Hurricane Katrina, thousands of people within the United States and abroad have lost contact with their loved ones.

In an effort to help restore family links, the ICRC - in close cooperation with the American Red Cross - offers the following services to all those seeking information about relatives

who may have been affected by the hurricane.

http://www.familylinks.icrc.org/katrina/locate

or

1-877-568-3317


http://www.familylinks.icrc.org/katrina/locate

Newsletter€¦ · Web viewThank you, Father, for sending Your Word to heal me and deliver me from...

Documents

Transcript of Newsletter€¦ · Web viewThank you, Father, for sending Your Word to heal me and deliver me from...