IN THE PRESENCE OF JEHOVAH – WFC TRIO

In and out of situations
That tug o’ war at me;
All day long I struggle
For answers that I need.
But then I come into His presence
And all my questions become clear
And for a sacred moment
No doubt can interfere.

Chorus:
In the presence of Jehovah
God Almighty, Prince of Peace,
Troubles vanish, hearts are mended
In the presence of the King.

Through His love the Lord provided
A place for us to rest;
A place to find the answers
In the hours of distress.
Now there is never any reason
For you to give up in despair;
Just slip away and breathe His name
He will surely meet you there.

Repeat chorus

In the presence of Jehovah
God Almighty, Prince of Peace
Trouble vanish, hearts are mended
In the presence of the King.

I can feel His mighty power and His grace in this place

I can feel the rush of angels wings

I see glory on each face

yes surely the presence (x2)

of the Lord is in this place

WISDOM

James, a “pillar in the early church” (Gal. 2:9), recognized the great destructive power and the danger of an uncontrolled tongue. He was not alone. Men and women in many cultures have warned us about the need to guard our speech. This bit of verse by an unknown writer says it well:

“The boneless tongue, so small and weak, can crush and kill,” declared the Greek.

The Persian proverb wisely saith, “A lengthy tongue, an early death.” Sometimes it takes this form instead:“Don’t let your tongue cut off your head.”

While Arab sages this impart: “The tongue’s great storehouse is the heart.”

From Hebrew wit, the maxim’s sprung: “Though feet should slip, don’t let the tongue.”

A verse from Scripture crowns the whole: “Who keeps the tongue doth keep his soul.”

Is it any wonder that James likened the tongue to a little fire that sets a great forest ablaze, or to the very small rudder that turns a mighty ship in a storm? (James 3:4-6).

O Lord, help us to learn a lesson from the wise. Help us to hold our tongue and not let it slip. – Haddon Robinson

There are some silent people
Whose praises should be sung;
They preach a mighty sermon
By guarding well their tongue.  — Posegate

Wise is the person who knows what to say and when to say it.

HAPPINESS

 Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open. – John Barrymore

John Barrymore Biography
Film Actor, Theater Actor (1882–1942)
OCCUPATION
Film Actor, Theater Actor
BIRTH DATE
February 15, 1882
DEATH DATE
May 29, 1942
PLACE OF BIRTH
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
PLACE OF DEATH
Hollywood, California
ORIGINALLY
John Blythe
SYNOPSIS
CITE THIS PAGE
American actor John Barrymore, called “The Great Profile,” is remembered for his roles as a debonair leading man and for his interpretations of Shakespeare.
He studied painting in Paris but returned to the United States to make his stage debut in 1903. He became a popular light comedian, but it was in serious roles that he scored his greatest stage triumphs. He appeared in motion pictures from 1913. He was considered one of the greatest and handsomest actors of the age.

In order to be happy in this world we have to really examine who we are at the core, and proceed to act accordingly. There is no way around this, because when we avoid this we find that we do nothing except continue to rattle and shake our foundation causing our own lives nothing but instability and pain.

You never know what life is going to put in front of you. Sometimes you will be faced with an abundance of opportunity and sometimes you will be faced with an even greater amount of heartache. Just because life presents things in your path that you may not wish to conquer, doesn’t mean that you should ever stop being happy. For when you know who you really are, and what you are placed to do on this Earth, absolutely nothing can stand in the way of your happiness.

TRUTH

By Roy Lessin

Truth, like the sunrise, moves away night;
It enters the soul sending demons to flight.
Truth, like a hammer, breaks every chain;
It works like an ointment to heal every pain.

Truth, like a locksmith, sets captives free;
It touches the heart causing blind eyes to see.
Truth, like a searchlight, exposes the lie;
It soars as the eagle to lift you on high.

Truth is the captain that knows no defeat.
Truth is my portion, my milk and my meat.
Truth is the music that lets my heart sing.
Truth is my Savior, He’s Lord and He’s King!

Jesus said, “I am…the Truth.” John 14:6

Roy Lessin came to know Christ at the age of nineteen.
He was led to the Lord by his father, Joseph, who was raised an orthodox Jew in the Bronx, New York. Joseph was forty years of age when he discovered a Gideon Bible in his hotel room in Las Vegas, Nevada. He had never read the Bible in English and started to read in the book of Genesis. When it came time to check out of the hotel, Joseph stole the Bible. He continued reading the Bible whenever he could. As he read the book of Isaiah, God opened his eyes to see that Jesus Christ was his Messiah. After coming to Christ, Roy attended Bethany College of Missions (Bethany Fellowship) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was there that he met his wife, Charlene. They were married in 1964. After graduation, Roy served as a Christian Education Director and Youth Minister in Oakland, California. Roy and Char spent two years on the mission field—one year in Mexico, and one year in Puerto Rico working in a Christian bookstore.
In 1971, Roy, along with three other Christian men (Dean Kerns, Don Leetch, and Russ Flint) started a Christian publishing company in Covina, California, called Outreach Publications. After its first year in business the company created a Christmas card with the message “When you get right down to it, the only thing that really matters is Jesus.” That card was the beginning of DaySpring Cards. Since that time Roy spent many years in various creative and editorial roles bringing hope and encouragement to the body of Christ.
Today, Roy is an active Bible teacher and continues to be involved with DaySpring Cards, serving in various pastoral responsibilities, as well as helping to create new products. He has written numerous gift and devotional books. Roy and Char have two children and four grandchildren.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

By: Dave Branon

Are you getting what you want out of life? Or do you feel that circumstances, or other outside factors are robbing you of value joy?
Recently, a polling agency asked 1,000 people what they most desired in their lives. One fascinating result was that 90% of Bible-believing Christians said that they wanted these outcome:
• A close relationship with God
• A clear purpose in life
• A high degree of integrity
• And a deep commitment to the faith
Notice that these heartfelt desires are all things we as individuals can do something about without outside human help. No government program will assist here, and tough economic times cannot steal these ideals. These life goals are achieved as we allow God’s Word to rule in our hearts and as we receive the Spirit’s strength to build up “the inner man”, resulting in true joy.
In our complicated world, it’s tempting to put our quest for what we desire into the hands of others – to expect an outside entity to fulfil our desires. While we sometimes need help, and we cannot live in isolation, it’s not outside sources that provide true happiness. That comes from within – from letting Christ be at home in our hearts.

Holy Spirit, Light Divine
By: Andrew Reed

Holy Spirit, light divine,
Dawn upon this soul of mine;
Let your word dispel the night,
Wake my spirit, clear my sight.

Holy Spirit, grace divine,
Cleanse this sinful heart of mine;
In your mercy look on me,
From sin’s bondage set me free.

Holy Spirit, truth divine,
Shine upon these eyes of mine;
Send your radiance from above,
Let me know my Savior’s love.

Holy Spirit, power divine,
Fortify this will of mine;
Bend it to your own pure will,
All my life with graces fill.

Holy Spirit, peace divine,
Still this restless heart of mine;
Speak to calm the tossing sea,
Stayed in your tranquility.

Holy Spirit, all divine,
Dwell within this self of mine;
I your temple pure would be
Now and for eternity.

______________________________________________________________________
If a troubled world gets you down, look up to Jesus

SHOW ME YOUR BRAVE by Sara Bareilles

I was inspired by this song a few months ago when I needed it most!

Singer, Pianist, Songwriter (1979–)

QUICK FACTS

NAME
Sara Bareilles
OCCUPATION
Singer, Pianist, Songwriter
BIRTH DATE
December 7, 1979 (age 34)
EDUCATION
University of California, Los Angeles
PLACE OF BIRTH
Eureka, California
AKA
Sara Bareilles
FULL NAME
Sara Beth Bareilles
ZODIAC SIGN
Sagittarius

QUOTES
“I grew up a fat girl. I had to change schools at one point because the kids were so mean to me. I still often feel I just don’t want anyone to notice anything about me.”
—Sara Bareilles

Synopsis
Born on December 7, 1979, in Eureka, California, Sara Bareilles is a singer-songwriter and pianist known for the hit “Love Song,” off the album Little Voice (2007). The song sold more than 3 million copies and garnered two Grammy Award nominations for the artist. In 2010, Bareilles released Kaleidoscope Heart, featuring the single “King of Anything,” for which she received her third Grammy nod. In 2011, Bareilles was added as a celebrity judge to the third season of The Sing-Off. She left the show prior to its fourth season, and went on to release projects like Once Upon Another Time (2012) and The Blessed Unrest (2013).

Early Life
Singer-songwriter Sara Beth Bareilles was born on December 7, 1979, in Eureka, California, to Paul Bareilles, an insurance adjuster and logger, and his wife, Bonnie. The youngest of three girls, childhood was not always easy for Bareilles. “I grew up a fat girl,” she later recalled. “I had to change schools at one point because the kids were so mean to me. I still often feel I just don’t want anyone to notice anything about me.”

Still, despite a preference to go unnoticed, Bareilles had an unmistakable passion for music and theater. She performed in her school choirs and played Audrey in a high school production of Little Shop of Horrors. Following high school, she attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where she majored in communications. More importantly, she found her singing voice as a member of an a cappella group at the school.

After graduating in 2001, Bareilles, who remained in southern California, set out to pursue her dream of making it as a musician. Over the course of the next three years, she worked the club scene, performing at open-mic nights, landing a few paid gigs and eventually performing at festivals.

Writing ‘Love Song’
In 2003, Sara Bareilles recorded her first demo, Careful Confessions, which eventually got the attention of Epic Records, who signed her to a deal. The company set out to revamp the songs on her debut demo as well as incorporate newer material for her first album, Little Voice (2007).

Ironically, one of the anchors of the album was the hit single “Love Song,” a tune that was sparked by the singer’s own frustrations with Epic and the record-making process. “I was just turning in material and having people not like it,” Bareilles said. “It’s the first time I’d really collaborated with people and gotten their feedback on my material. So I think I got very stubborn and turned off by the whole idea.”

The song took off, however, and in turn, the album quickly gained momentum with consumers, who loved Bareille’s soulful voice and open-book lyrics about love and life. With some heavy promotion from iTunes and Rhapsody, “Love Song” sold more than 3 million copies. Little Voice, meanwhile, became a Top 10 album. The singer-songwriter’s success was punctuated that year by two Grammy Award nominations, for song of the year and best female pop vocal performance.

For Bareilles the sudden success, and the work that went into producing it, was a bit daunting at times. “I was so precious about every choice,” she said. “I was so guarded, and I don’t know that I enjoyed it as much as I could have. There were times where I was so fearful and so anxious about the process: ‘Am I doing too much? Am I selling out? Do I look all right?’ All those things swirl around in your brain. What I’m here to do is play my music, and I want to be able to enjoy the process this time.”

HE NEVER SLEEPS, GOD NEVER SLUMBERS – sung by Don Moen

Click on this link to listen to “He never sleeps God never slumbers”, sung by Don Moen
When you prayed every prayer that you know how to pray?
Just remember the Lord will hear
and the answer is on its way
Our God is able,
He is Mighty,
He is Faithful.

And He never sleeps, He never slumbers,
He never tires of hearing our prayer
When we are weak, He becomes stronger
So rest in His love and cast all of your cares on Him

Do you feel that the Lord has forgotten your need?
Just remember that
God is always working in ways you cannot see
Our God is able,
He is mighty,
He is faithful

And He never sleeps, He never slumbers,
He never tires of hearing our prayer
When we are weak, He becomes stronger
So rest in His love and cast all of your cares on Him

He never sleeps, He never slumbers,
He never tires of hearing our prayer
When we are weak, He becomes stronger
So rest in His love and cast all of your cares on Him

He never sleeps, He never slumbers,
He never tires of hearing our prayer
When we are weak, He becomes stronger
So rest in His love and cast all of your cares on Him

The bible tell us to cast all of our cares on Him
Because He cares for us
My friends this is more than a promise
It’s a command
So be at rest
Because today God is working in ways that we can not see
He never sleeps, He never slumbers,

He never sleeps, He never slumbers,
He never tires of hearing our prayer
When we are weak, He becomes stronger
So rest in His love and cast all of your cares on Him

He never sleeps, He never slumbers,
He never tires of hearing our prayer
When we are weak, He becomes stronger
So rest in His love and cast all of your cares

So rest in His love and cast all of your cares
So rest in His love and cast all of your cares
So rest in His love and cast all of your cares on Him

***

Directly licensed
for internet public performance

Psalm 121:3
“He will not let you be defeated.
He who guards you never sleeps.

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LORD YOU ARE GOOD AND YOUR MERCY FOREVER ENDURE BY DON MOEN

Click on this link to listen to this song ~ LORD YOU ARE GOOD

Where would I be
If You had not been by my side
How could I rise to meet
The morning of the day

Your tender mercy
Always calling from behind
At times I could not see You
Even though You were close by

And Lord You are good
You are Good
And Your mercy forever endures
Lord You are good
You are good
And Your mercy forever endures

Where would I be
If You had not been by my side
How could I rise to meet
The morning of the day

Your tender mercy
Always calling from behind
At times I could not see You
Even though You were close by

And Lord You are good
You are Good
And Your mercy forever endures
O Lord You are good
You are good
And Your mercy forever endures

Help me to see Your loving kindness
Help me to see You as You are
Help me to see Your loving kindness
Help me to see You as You are
As You really, really are

O Lord You are good
You are Good
And Your mercy forever endures
O Lord You are good
You are good
And Your mercy forever endures

O Lord You are good
You are Good
And Your mercy forever endures
O Lord You are good
You are good

And Your mercy forever endures
And Your mercy forever endures
And Your mercy forever endures

***

Sung by praise, worship leader, singer,
and songwriter Don Moen
Directly licensed
for internet public performance

Psalm 100:5
The LORD is good. His mercy endures forever.
His faithfulness endures
throughout every generation.

YOU ARE SPECIAL

Did You Know You’re Someone Special?

Marjorie grew up with with a sense of worthlessness. Again and again her father said she would never accomplish anything in life. He told her she was a loser and that anything she did try was sure to end in failure. With these words ringing in her ears she grew up looking for someone who would love her and see her as a person of worth. This led her into relationships that were disappointing to her, ending in pain and devastation with yet another proof that she was worthless and unlovable. Maybe you can identify with Marjorie and your story is much like hers. Where does our sense of self worth come from?

It is true that the foundation for a person’s self-worth is laid in the home. Words that we hear in our home can build or tear down our worth as a person. The Bible speaks of words of life and death in Prov.18:21 where it says,”Death and life are in the power of the tongue,…” As we hear words of affirmation and encouragement they are words of life to us while words of criticism and belittling are words of death. Other people like teachers, friends, employers and spouses add to the collection of life-giving or death words in a person’s heart. Over time a person begins to see themselves in the light of these words. Is this the final word or is there hope that one can develop a sense of worth as a person?

If we look in the Scriptures we see that God never meant it to be this way. He speaks words of life into the heart of every person. We read in Genesis that when God completed the creation of the world he made man in his likeness or image. This likeness gave man and later also the woman he made the capacity to think, to make decisions, to know right from wrong, to be creative and to have the ability to communicate and have a personal relationship. Not only did God put this potential in the heart of man and woman he also gave them an assignment to use these abilities. They were told to rule over the things he had created and give to each a name. Herein lies the potential to organize, care, and to be in charge.

Although the assignment to be fruitful is linked to increasing in number it could also indicate creativity in other areas. Fruitfulness can also speak of the outcome of our labour, of putting our God given creativity to work in a job, a home based business, our homes or in areas where God has given us a creative interest which every person possesses who is created in the image of God. Fruit speaks of a beautiful outcome of our labors.

One of the most beautiful aspects of the creation of man is God seeing the need for man to be in a relationship, to have a companion. God places this need and capacity into the heart of each person. Each has the potential to be a friend, a companion, a helper or a person of influence.

This is what God had in mind when he created you. He created you in his image so that you could think, make choices, use your creativity, build relationships, faithfully work at the tasks in your hand and be a person of influence in the lives of others.

But that’s not all. This was only the beginning. In Psalms 139 he says we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” and describes the creation of each person with words like “knit together” and “woven together” and “ordaining our days” all of which require a plan by a great creator. God had a plan for each of our lives and put together each person with abilities, personality and potential.

But the greatest evidence of our worth is that he loved us so much that he sent his son to die for us when we were sinners and totally unlovable. We were worth it to him. But there’s more to that as well. When we believe that Jesus died for us and we accept his forgiveness we become his child. A son and daughter of the King of Kings. As we live in that relationship with him we begin to reflect his godly character and we produce the fruit of the Spirit named in Galatians 5:22-23 as: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The beauty of this fruit in our lives makes each of us a person of impact and influence.

No matter what “words of death” others have spoken about you God’s view of you rises above those words and he speaks “words of life” into your heart today. He says, “I created you in my image, I gave you abilities to rule, organize, manage your area of life, I gave you a creativity that if followed will bring you joy, I made you to be a companion or friend to someone, to be a person of influence, you are precious to me, I loved you so much that I gave my son to die for you and now I want you to be my representative to share this love with others on earth. ”

God made you a person of worth. He decided when he planned your life what abilities he would give to you. We all have varying amounts of ability to organize, lead, create or influence but we have the choice as to what we want to do with that which God has entrusted to us. God also gives us opportunities where we can use these abilities. The fruitfulness depends on how we care for, cultivate and use each of these abilities which in turn results in the fruitfulness of influencing the lives of the people God has placed in our world whether they be children, spouses, employees, friends or neighbors. You are special to God and he wants to use you to speak “words of life” into the lives of those around you.

Have you ever opened up your heart to God and asked Him to enable you to become the person He created you to be? If you would like to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, you can say this prayer:

Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make the kind of person You want me to be.

If you prayed today and asked Jesus Christ to come into your life and take control, we would love to hear from you. Drop us a quick line using the form below and if you’re looking for a response, we’ll do that too.

God Bless you.

WORRY AND ANXIOUS THOUGHTS

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34
When Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow, it is not a suggestion, but a command. Think about it. God divided time into days and nights so we would have manageable portions of life to handle. His grace is sufficient a day at a time.
When we worry about the future, we load ourselves with more than He intended us to carry. Anxious thoughts about the future block us from our relationship with God. We can trust Him at all times, a day at a time.
There is scarcely any sin against which our Lord Jesus more warns his disciples, than disquieting, distracting, distrustful cares about the things of this life. This often ensnares the poor as much as the love of wealth does the rich.
Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
Jesus forbids worry. Three times Jesus commands his followers to not worry. For those who are already living in worry, he commands, “Stop the worrying.” For those who are about to start worry, he declares, “Don’t make that step. Don’t even begin to worry.”
Jesus’ command is meant to keep his followers from getting hurt. Worry hurts. It affects people and their relationship. It strangles people. It chokes them. It affects even their sleep. It destroys faith. It leads to a lot of trouble.
Jesus provides prescriptions for a worry-free life. These prescriptions require attitude, life, and value adjustments. These require repentance, a seeking of divine help, and an honest to goodness evaluation of our lives.
How about you? What occupies your mind? Do you worry about the future? The formula to defeat worry is to draw close to God, to feel His presence daily and to trust Him for today.