Grac*e-mail for 06/29/10 got grace?

Grac*e-mail for 06/29/10
got grace?

Having fun every night this week at VBS! The scripture below is our theme…

John()_:-) Every time you see this angel, remember that God loves you!

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Ephesians 6:11-18

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the Wiles of the devil.12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the wicked one.17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…”

NKJV

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Grac*e-mail now has a page on Facebook… so send your friends an invitation to enjoy!

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A Little Help for a Lady
By Bass Mitchell

Some time ago I visited New York City. Nothing stands out more in my memory than what I saw in New York Harbor. There she was, standing 302 feet above the water and weighing 225 tons - the Statue of Liberty. In her left hand she held a tablet on which was inscribed: The Fourth of July, 1776. But what really awed me was her massive right arm that's twelve foot in width as it held a torch high above her head like a light to the rest of the world. A light flooded my soul, in spite of the darkness that had descended upon this great city and on our own country because of 9/11. A sense of pride and hope overwhelmed me - just a little of what those first persons sailing into the harbor must have felt when they first saw Lady Liberty. And I began to think about what a great country this is - all the things that make her great. I realized for all her problems, she was still the greatest nation on earth and that I could live no place else.

Then I thought about the story of a man who once took his granddaughter with him on a visit to New York City. They rode the ferry out to see the Statue of Liberty. The little girl was awed by the sight of the great arm holding up that huge lamp. On the return boat to Manhattan she kept looking back at the statue. That night when she could not sleep her grandfather asked if something was troubling her. "I keep thinking of the lady with the lamp," she said. "Don't you think somebody ought to help her hold it up?"

Yes, her arm is getting weary these days. Yes, we can help her by…

Saying a prayer every now and then for our country and our leaders…rather than just making complaints...

Protecting and preserving our natural resources…like our oceans...

Not waiting for the government to do everything for us, but taking initiative to do what we can to make our country and world a better place to live for ourselves and the generations to come…

Exercising our rights, like voting, for which so many have fought and died…

Lifting the load of someone we meet in need…

Being patient, kind, and courteous when we are behind the wheel and in everything else we do…

Volunteering our time at a local adult day care, hospital, school, homeless shelter, and anywhere else we might be needed…

Working for liberty and justice for all people everywhere and in every way we can…helping that light to shine in all dark places...

Daily giving thanks for the privilege and the responsibilities of living in a nation God has so richly blessed…

I see and hear this message everywhere: GOD BLESS AMERICA. Did you ever stop to think that this is a prayer God is waiting to answer through you and me? How can you and I best help answer that prayer this day? How can we this day reach up and give Lady Liberty a little hand holding up that light?

--
Bass Mitchell
pastor.bass@gmail.com
http://www.epiphanyumc.com
bass.mitchell@homiliesbyemail.com
http://www.homiliesbyemail.com
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Are you looking for some online Bible study tools? Here is a link to “Into Thy Word” Ministries…

http://70030.netministry.com/

A little from their “About” page…

Who We Are

In 1978, Under Francis A. Schaeffer’s guidance and vision, “Into Thy Word” was founded!

Whatever happened to discipleship? Evangelical leadership has forgotten the basics of its call, make disciples. Thus, the Holy Spirit and the Bible gave Into Thy Word its call and I its start. Their mandate is simple, model and teach “true spirituality” to pastors, churches and young people. Teaching them “how to study the Bible” so to place the Centrality and Lordship of Christ into their lives and church. I cannot think of anything that is more needed or important for a church to aggressively support and do. Francis A. Schaeffer, Switzerland, 1983

Into Thy Word Ministries Vision

It is our VISION and call, and commitment to “true spirituality” to point the church back onto the path of making disciples. It is our passion and directive to lead Christians away from our false perceptions and into His way.

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Got these from “Pun of the Day”. You can subscribe at
http://www.punoftheday.com/

I was against the construction of tennis courts in the park as I thought they would cause too much racket.

I should have been sad when my flashlight batteries died, but I was delighted.

When I bought some fruit trees the nursery owner gave me some insects to help with pollination. They were free bees.

Simultaneous management of elephants and walruses requires the ability to multitusk.

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Haha…
A man was riding his Harley along a California beach when suddenly the sky clouded above his head... In a booming voice, the Lord said, "Because you have tried to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish."
The biker pulled over and said, "Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can ride over anytime I want."
The Lord said, "Your request is materialistic. Think of the enormous challenges for that kind of undertaking; the supports required to reach the bottom of the Pacific and the concrete and steel it would take! I can do it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things. Take a little more time and think of something that could possibly help mankind."
The biker thought about it for a long time... Finally, he said, "Lord, I wish that I, and all men, could understand our wives; I want to know how she feels inside, what she's thinking, why she cries, what she means when she says nothing's wrong, and how I can make a woman truly happy."
The Lord replied, "You want two lanes or four on that bridge?"
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Now to be fair – here is another funny…(Got this one from Pastor Danny Holdren)
Three Men on a Hike
Three men were hiking through a forest when they came upon a large raging, violent river. Needing to get to the other side, the first man prayed: 'God, please give me the strength to cross the river.'
Poof! God gave him big arms and strong legs and he was able to swim across in about 2 hours, having almost drowned twice.
After witnessing that, the second man prayed: 'God, please give me strength and the tools to cross the river'
Poof! God gave him a rowboat and strong arms and strong legs and he was able to row across in about an hour after almost capsizing once.
Seeing what happened to the first two men, the third man prayed: 'God, please give me the strength, the tools and the intelligence to cross the river'
Poof! He was turned into a woman. She checked the map, hiked one hundred yards up stream and walked across the bridge.

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Got this at
http://holidays.net/independence/

Here is the full text of the Declaration of Independence...

In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation

US Declaration of Independence

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain [George III] is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained, and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies, without the consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

* For protecting them by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
* For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
* For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
* For depriving us in many cases of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
* For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
* For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
* For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
* For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms. Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren.

* We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us.
* We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here.
* We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence.

They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare.

That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do.

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

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Got this from the “Pearls” mailing list. To receive, just sent Larry Burrows a request at larryb1939@sbcglobal.net

When difficult times come -- and they will -- we can decide to become bitter, angry, and brittle. Or, we can choose to open our lives to the presence of God, whose nature it is to enlarge us and deepen us and make us better because of what we have endured. --Charles E. Poole

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Psalm 119:9-16

How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O LORD!
Teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips I have declared
All the judgments of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts,
And contemplate Your ways.
16 I will delight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.

NKJV

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Send good stories and clean funnies to: johnlynnbright@gmail.com

NOTE - All material contained in this mailing is shared as received and is believed, by me, to be anonymous... unless credit is given. Please contact me at the address above if you know the author of any material so that I may give credit where credit is due. Thanks!

Grace & peace –
John A. Bright
Pastor, Walmsley Boulevard UMC in Richmond, Virginia
johnlynnbright@gmail.com
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change..."