The Bible was never meant to be a substitute for God.
It was provided to bring us closer to God, and
to enhance our relationship with Him. Whenever
we grab the Bible without the presence of God
we end up in legalism. That is with a powerless
condemning religion. It is the Holy Spirit that gives
life. Bob Lipsys Australia.

Consider the following introduction from an article
by Larry Christiansen:

A journalist once asked Smith Wiggelsworth, the great
Pentecostal evangelist, ”What is the key to successful
evangelism?” He expected Wiggelsworth to emphasize
healing and miracles, which were prominent in the
evangelist’s own ministry. Wiggelsworth surprised him
with this answer: “The key to successful evangelism is the
leading of the Holy Spirit in each individual encounter.”
This is the secret of a church that prevails: a prevailing
church lives not simply by principles, but by the presence
of the living Lord.

One of the great traps in living the Christian life is the
tendency to substitute principles for the presence
and guidance of the Holy Spirit. We scour Scripture
looking for principles we can apply to life situations.
In almost any story or text we can ferret out a general
principle, a formula for dealing with a life problem.
…………….The danger in this approach is that it can
foster a belief in Scripture that effectively neutralizes
the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

A Quote by Larry Christenson see the full article at
http://www.lutheranrenewal.org/newsletters/0709b.pdf

simply irresistible

The gospel to me is simply irresistible.
A quote by Blaise Pascal

Decision Maker

Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.
1 John 5:21

You See Bones, I See an Army

Sometimes we look around us and see only dead bones. We do not see life, either for us or others. We just see death, problems, troubles, heartache….. Then God comes walking by and says “You See Bones, I See an Army”. I love that saying. It came from the title of a book by Floyd McClung. Too often I just see the bones. What have you been looking at today? A pile of dead bones or have you been looking through God’s eyes and seeing an Army, ready to explode on the scene and do God’s will. Bob Lipsys

Here are some words by Floyd McClung they give insight into what we need to do next.
There is a valley of dry bones God wants to use, but those bones won't become an army until they are prophesied over. The dry bones are made up of the poor, the rebellious, the marginalized of society, the young, and the uneducated. They carry wounds, have been abused, suffer from AIDS, are widows and single parents. They are often so poor they have lost hope of finding a purpose in life. They are waiting for someone to believe in them. By choosing to follow Jesus, believers have joined a great procession of men and women who are living for something far greater than themselves. The challenge is to act like we really believe what we are called to be and to do: to become a radical community of Jesus followers who seek to alleviate injustice and share the Father's love with those who have never heard that he cares for them; to show that the church of Jesus Christ is the hope of the world.
From: You See Bones, I See an Army: Changing the Way We Do Church. By Floyd McClung

We cannot lose

Some Inspiration from one of today's great Church Planters and healers in Africa, Rolland Baker

Blessings are falling around you, Grab hold of some using your faith - Bob Lipsys

We cannot lose. We will not be ashamed. We will see the salvation of the Lord spread through the most unstable, violent and out-of-control areas of Africa. Jesus knows how to glorify Himself and look out for His own reputation. We are unspeakably graced to participate in His work. And then we awake to new mercies and fresh motivation, never stepping away from Him and the life that flows from the vine into the branches. In newsletter after newsletter we have issued an invitation to join us in missions. We do that not out of desperation, but in faith and love. It is to your advantage to obey the Gospel, freely and with great joy, bearing tremendous fruit. May you hear His voice clearly and respond with His energy. ...... Much love in Jesus,

Rolland Baker
see http://www.irismin.org