Charismas Tree

Bearing the yoke

I have been having to remind myself often that if I am feeling excessively burdened,
I'm wearing the wrong yoke:

Jesus said:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you
and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
(Matt 11:28)

Every time I except the yoke Jesus has offered me, I find I somehow inadvertently slip the old yoke of self-importance and excessive responsibility back over my head. Then I get frustrated that I'm so burdened. I'm switching yokes (AGAIN), and accepting the one My Savior has prepared for me. I'm sorry I'm such a stubborn Ox.

KP

What to do with all that SPAM.

I no longer mind getting so much SPAM in my e-mail inbox. I decided to make a good thing out of a bad, so I learned to cook it. It's wonderful, you should try it. Here's a recipe.

======================  SPAM FAJITAS  ====================================

Recipe By : Kevin Puffer

Serving Size : 8

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

Vegetable cooking spray

1 Green bell pepper, cut into strips

1/2 Onion, cut into 1/4″ slices

1 pile SPAM, cut into strips (12 oz)

3/4 c Salsa

8 Flour tortillas, warmed (8")

2 c Shredded lettuce

1/2 c Shredded hot pepper cheese

1/2 c Nonfat plain yogurt

Extra salsa, if desired

Spray large non-stick skillet with cooking spray.
Heat skillet over medium-high heat.
Saute green pepper and onion 2 minutes.
Add SPAM, as much as you want.
Saute 2 minutes.
Stir in salsa and heat thoroughly.
Spoon about 1/2 cup SPAM mixture into each tortilla.
Top each with:

• 1/2 cup shredded lettuce,
• 1 tablespoon shredded cheese,
• 1 tablespoon yogurt,
• and extra salsa, if desired.

MMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmm That's good eatin'!

Post Election Truths To Remember

We Remember...

• Do not let your heart be troubled: We did not vote for King, only president; a president who serves at the pleasure of the King.
• Fear not: The Living God does not win or loose elections; He did not win or loose this one either.
• Peace be with you: While we may have strong emotions over the results of this election, If we are in Christ, we do so as foreigners. This is not our home, we do not even claim dual citizenship. We are naturalized citizens of an eternal kingdom; fully redeemed subjects of the Living Eternal King.(Phil 3:20)
• Find rest for your soul: While we may anticipate change; changes in our earthly situation, our physical comfort, our temporal security, even as servants of the heavenly kingdom our mission field may be changing, we rest assured our mission has not changed. Some things change, Our King does not! (Malachi 3:6)
  

SAY These truths back to Your King!

Our God is in heaven;
He does whatever He pleases. Psa. 115:3

With Him are strength and prudence.
The deceived and the deceiver are His. - Job 12:16

He does great things which we cannot comprehend. - Job 37:5

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the LORD is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand. - Psa. 95:1-7

For exaltation comes neither from the east
Nor from the west nor from the south.
But God is the Judge:
He puts down one,
And exalts another. - Psa. 75:6-7

He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry,
And sets others in their place. - Job 34:24

He is king over all the children of pride. - Job 41:34

The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD,
Like the rivers of water;
He turns it wherever He wishes. - Prov. 21:1

He rules by His power forever;
His eyes observe the nations;

Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. - Psa. 66:7

For You, LORD, are most high above all the earth;
You are exalted far above all gods. - Psa. 97:9

That they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD,
Are the Most High over all the earth. - Psa. 83:18

The LORD has established His throne in heaven,
And His kingdom rules over all. Psa. 103:19

Saints, we do not lose heart.
All our circumstances are is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Blessings
Serving the Living one with You
KP

Old mesage is still current

A friend recently sent me a copy of this prayer, offered by Pastor Joe Wright to the opening session of the Kansas House of Representatives on January 23rd, 1996. The Kansas Legislature journals no longer go back to 1996 (http://www.kslegislature.org/journals/) so the original transcript is not readily available, but I have a recording of pastor Wright and his prayer for your listening edification. The words may be twelve years old, but the message is still very current. Please listen:




Here's a transcription of the audio:

Heavenly Father, we come before you to ask your forgiveness. We seek your direction and your guidance. We know your word says, "Woe to those who call evil good." But that's exactly what we've done.

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values.
We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of your word and called it moral pluralism.
We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building esteem.
We have abused power and called it political savvy.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, oh, God, and know our hearts today. Try us and see if there be some wicked way in us. Cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of Kansas, and who have been ordained by you to govern this great state.
Grant them your wisdom to rule.
And may their decisions direct us to the center of your will.
I ask it in the name of your son, the Living Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Archived at:
http://web.archive.org/web/20070407061139/http://www.centralcc.org/NewsNow/JoeArticles/JoeRepentancePrayer.html