Sunday, October 31, 2010

How to tell if your church is sick or healthy



How to tell if your church is sick or healthy


It's really important to know if the church you are a member of is sick or healthy spiritually. After all, if it's sick; you'll want to know; to help make it healthy.

First some things to go over what a spiritually healthy church is NOT:

1. Its size. It doesn't matter if your church is 50 or 5000. It is not an indicator of spiritual health.

2. Its Music. It doesn't matter if your worship team plays the harp, the piano, you have 10 guitars, and your song leader is famous because he or she sings so great.

3. The Pastor(s) all have degree's from a college.

4. The number of offices it has or how wonderful the church building looks.

5. That your service is on TV or Radio.

Okay you get the idea. Let's look at some of the signs if your church is spiritually sick.

1. No one is encouraged to bring their Bibles


I Tim 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"
Hard to know doctrine if you're not reading it.

2. Hardly anyone comes to prayer meetings


Acts 1:14 "These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren."

Ps 54:12 "Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth."

Matt 18:19-20 19 "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

3. No small groups or low participation

Act 2:46 "And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,"

Heb 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching"

4. The word is watered down so much that no one is encouraged to forsake sin and live holy.

Lev 11:45 "For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy."

Rev 22:18-19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. "

1 John 4:17 "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world."

5. No real love for each other. Only superficial relationships

1 John 4:11 "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."

6. No call to salvation at the end of the message.

John 3:16 "16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Romans 10:9-10 "9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

2 Corn 6:2 ...."behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

7. No call to respond to the message for believers.

Matt 11:20 "Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:"

8. No lives are being changed by God and or His word.


Mark 6:7 "And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;"

Mark 3:15 "And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:"

Mark 12:24 "And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?"


If your church or you as an individual is lacking one of these eight things, I want to encourage you to make some adjustments in your life. Ask God to show you where you may be lacking and to help you.

If you belong to a church that is lacking in one of these areas I encourage you to talk to your Pastor and or the leadership of the church and encourage them in God's word to fulfill His will. Ask what you can do to help bring about a change.
If they reject what you say, you might want to prayerfully consider finding a new church home.

Wishing you more Wealth and Riches in every area of your life,

Dexter

Creation Seminar

 
Dr. William Curtis and his wife from ICR
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We just finished up the Creation Seminar at Pathway

Dr. William Curtis, Bob Cooperman and Jay Auxt taught it.

Dr. Curtis
For more than 20 years Dr. Curtis was involved in the Aerospace Industry. He has degrees in both Mechanical/Aeronautical Engineering as well as Aeronautics and Nuclear Physics.

In 1973 Dr. Curtis became a student at Capital Bible Seminary. he received his Master of Theology in 1976 in Greek and Hebrew. In 1988 he received his Doctorate of Theology from Trinity Theological Seminary in Special Revelation.

From 1982- 1990 Dr. Curtis was the Pastor of Cumberland Bible church as well as adjunct faculty for Washington Bible College and Trinity Theological Seminary.

In 1990 Dr. Curtis founded The institute for Scientific and Biblical Research where he is currently the president. he is also adjunct faculty at Lancaster Bible College.

In a few day's you can see most of the Creation Seminar online at www.pathwaycc.org

Pathway Community Church is located at 890 Taxville Road, York, Pa 17408

Also See ICR

Friday, October 29, 2010

Trick or Treat..It's Your Choice Today


The Grim Reaper

Treat or Treat...It's Your Choice Today

We have a problem and here it is:

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" -The Bible


"The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it [a]overflows)." - Jesus

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.- Revelations 20:12

"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." - Revelations 20:15

Don't be deceived, many people think the devil looks like this:


But he's way to smart to appear as he really is.
"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." -II Corn 11:14

He might look like this instead:



Or like this:



Or like this:



Or possibly like this:


(Disney-The Rescuers)

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" I Peter 5:8

And while I'm on the subject, it use to be you'd only see scary movies out in or around Halloween. Not any more! There have been around 28 horror movies release in 2010. No wonder people are so freaked out now a days!

The real trick though is, people think that there is no devil.



If there is no devil. No satan, no demons, then that makes the whole Bible a lie and Jesus a lier too. But the Bible says:

Luke 11:14 "And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered."

Luke 13:32 "And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected."

Matthew:8:28 "And when He arrived at the other side in the country of the Gadarenes, two men under the control of demons went to meet Him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce and savage that no one was able to pass that way.

29And behold, they shrieked and screamed, What have You to do with us, Jesus, Son of God? Have You come to torment us before the appointed time?(D)

30Now at some distance from there a drove of many hogs was grazing.

31And the demons begged Him, If You drive us out, send us into the drove of hogs.

32And He said to them, Begone! So they came out and went into the hogs, and behold, the whole drove rushed down the steep bank into the sea and died in the water.

33The herdsmen fled and went into the town and reported everything, including what had happened to the men under the power of demons."

Let's look at one of these verses more closely verse 29 from above:

29And behold, they shrieked and screamed, What have You to do with us, Jesus, Son of God?
The Demons knew who Jesus was/is. They called him "Son of God"

The Big question of the day is "Do you know who Jesus is?"

Jesus came to cleanse you of all your sins and forgive you. To give you eternal life.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

Make it a treat today. It's not a trick. Jesus loves you and died for you. He's alive today and wants to come into your life and be your Lord and save you, forgive you of all your sins.

Won't you make him Lord of your life today?

If you want to receive Jesus, pray this prayer and mean it from your heart:

"Jesus, I believe you died for me and are alive today. Forgive me of all my sins and come into my life. I turn from all my sins. Thank you for saving me. Amen. "

If you said that prayer and meant it from your heart you have been Born Again.

I encourage you to find a Bible believing church, read your Bible, and tell someone of your decision today. Feel free to leave a comment.

Wishing you more Wealth and Riches in every area of your life!

Dexter














Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Helping children with heart disease



I just got back from Lancaster, PA from an incredible meeting with the Dannecker family. This family is simply incredible!
Before I tell you want this family does in Israel, I want you to see the baby in their picture. Her name is Moriah.
You see..Hank being in Israel decided he really needed to hear from God as to His will. He used fleece praying. (Judges 6) He prayed "God if it's really your will for us to be here in Israel , I pray for a new child to be in our home." He was in prayer for 2 days alone asking God for His direction. He came back home and soon after his two children and his wife were feeling sick. Well the children got well, but his wife Michele didn't. She explained the symptoms to her friend, and her friend said
"Michele, it sounds like you might be pregnant."
Michele being 40 years old, said no, I don't think so.
Hank her husband upon hearing this, said
"Ah honey I forgot to tell you what I prayed."
Sure enough she had Mariah. They named her Moriah because it was where Hank had prayed on a mountain near them named "Moriah".



They took their family and fulfilled a call to be missionaries in Israel.
I first have to say they were nothing like I had imagined they would be like. They are a family so surrendered to God and so full of love that you can't help but long to be in service like they are to others.
What do they do? They have started something called 1New Heart.
They partner with heart surgeons and provide surgery to children with Congenital heart disease (CHD). Eight out of every 1000 live births around the world have some form of CHD.

I am posting their news letter here. Just click on it three times to enlarge it:



They reach out to Palestinian children. Hank points out that Jesus told us to love our enemy's. (Matthew 5:42-44) It is though this love that families are being touched so deep by the love of Christ that they give their lives to Jesus. Not only is the immediate family effected, but when something good happens in a Palestinian family, they invite all their relatives over and slaughter a couple of lambs and have a feast.
So, many others are touched by the love of Jesus by their service in 1NewHeart.

Heart surgery like this would normally run at least $400,000. An opportunity has opened where they can have a child's operation for only $5,000!

To learn more you can go to http://www.1newheart.org/ or email them at 1newheart@gamil.com

What a wonderful way to give life, both physical and possibly spiritually too!






Wishing you more Wealth and Riches in your life as you give.

Dexter

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

On Looking Up by Zig Ziglar

On Looking Up by Zig Ziglar



Back in the days of sailing ships a young sailor went to sea for the first time. The ship encountered a heavy storm in the North Atlantic. The young sailor was commanded to go aloft and trim the sails. As he started to climb, he made a mistake and looked down. He started to lose his balance. At that moment, an older sailor underneath him shouted, "Look up, son, look up!" The young sailor looked up and regained his balance.

When things seem bad, look to see if you're not facing the wrong direction. When you're looking at the sun, you see no shadows. When the outlook isn’t good, try the uplook—it’s always good!

What is your WHY?

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Just Say NO to GMO!


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Wednesday, October 13, 2010

How Safe is Tylenol really?

Tylenol (acetaminophen) is an over-the-counter pain reliever and fever-reducer that is commonly used for children. The use of acetaminophen has increased dramatically over the past 50 years -- over the same time allergic diseases, such as asthma, have also become more common.
A recent study has linked the use of acetaminophen with Asthma and eczema.

I know in today's world, we think that reaching for the Tylenol is an easy fix. Now we see that while it may help with a fever or a headache, it can increase the chances of young people getting Asthma! There are safe and natural alternatives.
I know at first it seems strange to use "natural" remedies. But as you will experience the effectiveness of natural essential oils you'll be glad to use them and to rest assured of not causing side effects.
Here's a video of a peer of mine in Young Living showing how to take care of a headache naturally using essential oils:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXcas7-f3uw&feature=autofb

Also I know the other main use for Tylenol is when you have a fever. Peppermint Essential Oil put on the feet several times as needed will bring down a persons fever naturally.

Sore body? Pan Away Essential Oil, Peppermint, Wintergreen, and taking at least an ounce of Ningxia Red will take care of sore muscles. I can confirm this because I've used each of these essential oils with great amazement and success!

PLEASE heed the warnings of these findings and throw out your Tylenol and start using Essential oils instead. (Use only Therapeutic Essential Oils to be assured the oils are pure and safe).

To order any of these Therapeutic Essential Oils or Ningxia Red, go to
www.Youngliving.com/wealthandriches

Wishing as always more Wealth and Riches in every area of your life!

Dexter

Monday, October 11, 2010

What to do if you screwed up in the past

What to do if you screwed up in the past:

The longer you live, and the more you live; the more likely you'll make mistakes.
Sometimes BIG ones, sometimes small ones. But what do we do about those sins or mistakes in the "past" we made that are affecting our "now"?

Think of actions as "seeds". Some of the seeds we have sown are what I call "weed seeds." The funny thing about weeds are, they seem to grow faster than "good seeds."
I'm not sure if that's always true, but it sure seems like it. Especially if you sown enough "weed seeds" that it starts choking out the "good seed" or deeds in your life.

The first thing you have to do to get more good things going in your life than the negative is to "take responsibility for your own actions." When we stop blaming our Ex Spouse, our Mother, our Father, our Brothers, our Sisters, our teachers, our Government; and actually start taking responsibility of our lives is the starting point of having a GREAT life!

Second thing to do is: Start sowing "good seeds."
Now realize that if you spent a long time (maybe most of your life) sowing weed seeds that it's going to take some time for the good seeds to overcome the bad ones.

Start sowing A LOT of good seeds! The more the better! Keep doing it day in, day out. The more you sow, the more that will overtake the bad, and sooner or later you're going to see a field full of good fruit instead of weeds!

Thirdly: Don't give up too soon. It can be discouraging at times when you keep doing what's right and not see the fruit of your labors. But do not be deceived, you will reap what you sow if you do not faint!

Fourth: Don't fool yourself into believing your actions don't matter.
Just because you don't see the results of your actions does not mean "you got away with it." For example you might eat at a fast food place almost every day in your 20's and as your continue to eat there into your 30's, you will see and feel the difference in your body. But during years 20-29 for example it doesn't SEEM to matter. Slowly it catches up with you.

Another example would be smoking. You smoke, you feel good at first. It calms you, gives you satisfaction of some sort even. You know in your brain that it's not really good for you, but you keep fooling yourself that "it's not THAT BAD". Why? Because you don't feel or see the effects until many years later. By then many times it's too late and your health is shot!

Another example would be cheating in school. You cheat, you pass, you don't get caught. Maybe you NEVER get caught. You think you're getting away with it. You even get a High School Diploma! Then you get out into the "real world" and you find you can't get a job because you can't pass the tests the employers give to you. Why? Because of those 4 years of cheating. Come to find out, the teacher was right when they said "When you cheat, you're really cheating yourself." At the time you blew it off and said "yeah right!, what ever." But after time, you noticed it has caught up to you!

I'm sure you get the drift.

So what do you do when the past is affecting your "now"?
Take responsibility for your actions, quit blaming others; and start sowing good seeds.

Wishing you more Wealth and Riches in every area of your life!

Dexter

AdvantEdge Newsletter

Most of you think that getting older means aging...

AdvantEdge Newsletter

Natural Face Lift - Green Peas - Health Tip - RealAge

Natural Face Lift - Green Peas - Health Tip - RealAge

Thursday, October 7, 2010

I once read that a coincidence is just when God chooses to remain anonymous.......

I once read that a coincidence is just when God chooses to remain anonymous.......

The SPARROW at STARBUCKS -> The song that silenced the cappuccino machine

It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the Starbucks shop on 51st Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square. Early November weather in New York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill of late December and January, but it's enough to send the masses crowding indoors to vie for available space and warmth.

For a musician, it's the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I'm told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right. Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because our basket was almost overflowing.

It was a fun, low-pressure gig - I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion instruments. We mostly did pop songs from the '40s to the '90s with a few original tunes thrown in. During our emotional rendition of the classic, "If You Don't Know Me by Now," I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along.

After the tune was over, she approached me. "I apologize for singing along on that song. Did it bother you?" she asked.
"No," I replied. "We love it when the audience joins in. Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?"
To my delight, she accepted my invitation. "You choose," I said. "What are you in the mood to sing?"
"Well. ... do you know any hymns?"
Hymns? This woman didn't know who she was dealing with. I cut my teeth on hymns. Before I was even born, I was going to church. I gave our guest singer a knowing look. "Name one."

"Oh, I don't know. There are so many good ones. You pick one."

"Okay," I replied. "How about 'His Eye is on the Sparrow'?" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKUyL0ZUFfM&feature=related)

My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on mine again and said, "Yeah. Let's do that one."

She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her jacket and faced the center of the shop. With my two-bar setup, she began to sing: " Why should I be discouraged? Why should the shadows come?"

The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. Even the gurgling noises of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing to listen. The song rose to its conclusion : " I sing because I'm happy; I sing because I'm free. For His eye is on the sparrow. And I know He watches me".

When the last note was sung, the applause crescended to a deafening roar that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall.
Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din, "Oh, y'all go back to your coffee! I didn't come in here to do a concert! I just came in here to get somethin' to drink, just like you!" But the ovation continued.. I embraced my new friend. "You, my dear, have made my whole year! That was beautiful!"

"Well, it's funny that you picked that particular hymn," she said.

"Why is that?"

"Well . .." she hesitated again, "that was my daughter's favorite song."
"Really!" I exclaimed.
"Yes," she said, and then grabbed my hands. By this time, the applause had subsided and it was business as usual.. "She was 16. She died of a brain tumor last week."

I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence. "Are you going to be okay?"

She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. "I'm gonna be okay. I've just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs, and everything's gonna be just fine." She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone.
Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular coffee shop on that particular November night? Coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that particular shop?
Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn that was the favorite of her daughter, who had died just the week before? I refuse to believe it.

God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time, and it's no stretch for me to imagine that he could reach into a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival.
It was a great reminder that if we keep trusting him and singing his songs, everything's gonna be okay.

The next time you feel like GOD can't use YOU, just remember...
Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
John the Baptist ate bugs
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer...AND
Lazarus was dead!
No more excuses now!!

God can use you to your full potential. Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger. God Bless

Pass this on to someone else, if you'd like. There is NO LUCK attached.

If you don't leave a comment, it's okay: God's Love Is Not Dependent On Blogs.
AMEN TO THIS!!!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Home Remedies Found in Your Medicine Cabinet - By Dr. Oz

Home Remedies Found in Your Medicine Cabinet - By Dr. Oz

-Help with Acid Reflux- Baking Soda and water. Drink 3 times a day, five days a week, for 3 weeks.

-Take a Splinter out of your hand or finger more easily- Put a spot of glue on the area and let it dry for 20 minutes and then you can easily remove the splinter. Easier and safer than sticking a pin and prodding.

- Foods that help counter the amount of salt in our food.
1 out of 4 people in the USA die from high blood pressure. It's a silent killer.
One of the reason is there is so much salt in our foods. Very little salt that we eat daily is from the salt we add to our food.

Figs, Sweet Potato's and cooked Spinach counter the salt we are eating.

My notes: I would highly recommend besides working out and eating correctly, that we take Young Living's Omega Blue and NingXia Red.
When I first started paying attention to my Blood Pressure it was 149/86 at age 45. That was taken on 4/23/09. On 2/17/10 my Blood pressure was 122/64 .


What should your blood pressure be according to your age? Go here for a great chart


So you see, there are quite a few things we can do to help our bodies be more healthy using natural methods.

Wishing you more Wealth and Riches in every area of your life.

Dexter

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Ultimate Alternative Medicine Secrets-Dr. Oz show

Ultimate Alternative Medicine Secrets - Dr Oz show 9/6/10

Fascinating Alternative Medicine. I took notes and want to share and added my additional notes for more details.

What is Alternative Medicine?

Alternative medicine that is not used in the Western Culture that has been used in other Countries, sometimes for centuries.

Secret #1 Help for Arthritis. Mud Baths made of Clay, peat and Sulfur Water.
Has anti inflammatory benefits.

My Notes: Here's a great site about clay mud baths. http://www.eytonsearth.org/clay-baths.php


Secret #2 Aromatherapy. Can be used on pressure points on the body and inhaled to bypass the cortex and go straight into the sensory area's of the brain. Helps with reducing stress.

My notes: Aromatherapy with Essential Oils

Secret #3 Herbs Such as Sage and Black Cohosh. Good for women going through menopause.

My notes: http://altmedicine.about.com/od/blackcohosh/a/blackcohosh.htm
I'd suggest two products by Young Living for women going through menopause called:
FemaGen

And ProgessencePlus


Secret #4 Yoga- The breathing done in Yoga can drop blood pressure.
My notes: While there are I'm sure many physical benefits of Yoga, I do not recommend the spiritual aspect of Yoga.

Secret #5 Inferred Sauna two times a week can help prevent colds and flu as viruses don't do well in temperatures 80 degrees and above. It's why viruses love the Winter season. Be sure to drink plenty of water an be well hydrated before going into any Sauna.



Secret #6 Chinese method called "Cupping" It helps the blood to flow to the area that needs healing of joint pain and brings blood flow to that area. Increased blood flow helps the healing process.

Notes: I'm not sure what to think of cupping seeing how this is the first time I've been exposed to the idea. Here is more info: http://www.chinesecupping.net/history_of_chinese_cupping.html

Secret #7 Reiki (Energy Healing) A balancing process. Helps your system become balanced. Here's an audio explaining Reiki: http://www.reiki.org/Movies/Movie1.html
My Notes: Too new age for me.
I'd much rather use the laying on of hands taught in the Bible as a sound principle of healing along with anointing oils (pure).

Wishing you more Wealth and Riches in every area of your life!

Dexter