"We are only the distance of worship away from the throne of God."

- Praise is so powerful -
I don't think allot of people realize just how important praise is.

For many praise is singing a few songs before the church service begins to allow people to chat - catch up with friends - allow the late comers ~ a buffer ~ before the message begins. You know... sing a few hymns to settle everyone down before the pastor starts... Even many pastors think this way - sad :(

Over the years - one of the hardest things to explain to people is that when we praise - truly praise the Lord - we are not bringing the Glory of Heaven into the sanctuary - what we are doing is joining the service (that is all ready in progress) in Heaven. In the spirit realm we can literally joint in with the Heavenly Hosts - singing around the throne of God. The Bible says that our bodies are the Temple of the Living God - Jesus dwells within us - This is a mystery - When we praise - we are not getting more of His presence - what is happening is... our flesh is shutting down and we begin to see into the spirit realm. The more we participate in worship - the more we forget about ourselves - what others are thinking - what we are thinking - and just begin to praise - lift up- and glorify Jesus - the more we fade away in this world and enter into the kingdom of God. We are actually allowing - the Kingdom of God - to be here on earth... WOW

This is a personal experience - Each individual has to press in for themselves - We can't do it for them - If they decide to just sit there like a bump on a log and say... "I don't feel God's presence" Well they're right...

I encourage each worshiper to tell others - show others - how to enter into the gates of Heaven with praise - Once you've been there - you never want to leave...

"We are only the distance of worship away from the throne of God." Jack W. Hayford

God Bless
"To The King!" "To the Kingdom!"
"Our God is on the Move!"
Ben Andrews

Perfect?

Perfect?

"I can't stop thinking about it!" "You've gotta let it go!" "I can't!"

Mark and Lisa sat on the shoreline - staring out over the water.
It had been over an hour since they sat down and still they hadn't moved.
Fixated on some imaginary spot on the horizon not willing to even look at each other.

"You know?... I wonder... what would have happened if?"
"If what? You can't go back in time and change what happened- period end of sentence!"

"Mark, why do you have to be such a jerk?"

"I'm sorry - I don't mean to be a jerk - I just can't see how going over and over this - can help either one of us."

It was as if time had stood still.

Maybe they couldn't go back in time but this sure wasn't allowing them to move on either.


It had been nearly two years now - since they had lost their little girl. She was born perfect - all ten toes and fingers- every part whole and nothing missing. Candra had been the light of their life - filling their home with joy and happiness.
She was almost twelve when it happened. At first she began to lose her balance a little - then she began to forget things. Mark and Lisa were young parents. They didn't know much about themselves let alone how to look after a little one - yet intuitively they knew something was wrong - bad wrong. Lisa finally got enough courage to say it out loud. "Mark, do you see something different about Candra? - She doesn't seem herself." Mark sheepishly replied, "I didn't want to say anything - but now that you've mentioned it - she does seem a bit off her game." It wasn't long after that - that they took her to a specialist - where their concerns were confirmed. Looking back this was probably one of the darkest days of their lives.

Mark and Lisa met in high school. They were what you'd call "high school sweethearts". Their relationship wasn't picture perfect - they fought allot and broke up more times than you can count - somehow they stuck together and weathered the storms. Maybe it was practice - practice for a storm of such strength and magnitude that they would need every skill they learned during their wars - to keep this marriage together. The loss of Candra came at a time in Mark and Lisa's marriage that was - well you might say - less than perfect. Lets just say their eyes were not so focused on each other and let it go at that. They had both lived - looking for what (could have been) and were never quite satisfied with what they had. Better jobs, more money, better kids, and they even doubted if they should have ever gotten together.
Loosing Candra tore a hole in all that.

Had they had - just what they wanted - and missed it?

Now they needed each other more than any time in their entire lives.
A part of them was gone - a part of them that they had brought into the world
-
together.

As they sat there - - - they no longer fantasized. They didn't dream of better partners, places or things - they just held each other and waited for the ache to go away.
---

So many times we stare - fixated on some imaginary spot on the horizon.

We look over the fence at what could have been.

We dream of lovers that would bring us unheard of happiness - castles filled with treasures - where every day the sun shines -
You know the stuff that fairy tails are made of.

Why is that?

Have you ever found yourself saying the "if onlys"? "If only I had their money." If only I had his wife." If only I had her husband." "If only I had their kids." "If only I had them for parents!" (Car, job, health, you name it!)


Over they years I too have fallen into the "If onlys" trap. But what I have also seen is this...
-
Everyone has their "STUFF". By that I mean...
--
The grass may look greener on the other side but ask yourself - "Why is it greener?" If you look closer -- it is usually because it is well fertilized.
As soon as you start walking around in their "Green Grass" you step in their "Stuff".

God wants us to be content where we are. Not to punish us with what we don't have - but to wake us up to what we do have.

Hebrews 13:5 (KJV)
"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

I like how the (Amplified Bible) translates it...
Hebrews 13:5
"Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have];
for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support.
[I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down ([relax My hold on you)!
[Assuredly not!]"


Don't get frozen in time!


Trust God and cherish what you have.
God wants us to be content not as a punishment but because he loves it when we find that place of peace.

He only wants good for us.

When we are discontent - we are the ones who loose.



Enjoy what you have...
you don't know how long you'll have it.

Written By & Submitted by: Ben Andrews

"To The King!"

"To The Kingdom!"

True Friend

Everything in his life had come to a screeching halt and I mean screeching! The winds weren't blowing and rain falling - THE WINDS WERE SCREAMING. The rain was coming down so hard that it was like someone had taken an Olympic size pool -picked it up and dumped it on his head. This wasn't the - "Oh they don't like me." or "I've been laid off -what am I going to do." or " The car blew up.' You know the junk that seems to come in waves -sometimes so fast we can hardly keep our heads above water. No this was so huge that the only thing that comes mind is maybe ... a - "hurricane of the heart.

They were High School sweethearts - then they married - had kids - lived life -had problems - experienced defeats and victories. They grew so close that to watch them was to watch a Hollywood love story - Then she was gone. Cancer had come back like a roaring lion stealing her from my friend. His heart was ripped out. Half of himself was literally torn from his flesh. I can't even imagine still being alive with half of me ripped away - I can only tell you as an observer. He had all the rights to lay down and die - I mean that! He had the right to put his head in his pillow and never come out again. If it had been one of the couples I know that really don't like each other and with that I'm being kind - ya know - the couple that feels as if they got a bum deal - well then maybe it wouldn't have been so devastating .Why am I telling you all this? Well bare with me I do have a point.

While all this was happening to my friend my world too was falling apart. Not anywhere as close or as terrible as what he was going through - but nonetheless it was. His wife Patty had been a constant true friend to my wife. She would pray for her even in the middle of her pain and life stealing disease. So when we got the news that our son was missing - off on drugs - lost in the woods - we didn't know who to call. Patty was gone - heaven now celebrated her homecoming and our prayer warrior was on the other side. Out of shear desperation my dear wife said to me “who do we call - Patty is gone?” I said, “call Bruce God hears him.” “We can't call him! Patty just died!” she replied. Something inside told me "go ahead and call it will be OK." so she did... He answered -Mary said "Bruce could you be my Patty? - And the first thing out of his mouth was " Ill be right there." He didn't get out a scale and balance and say... "My hurts are more than your hurts - so I can't." No he laid down his life and said... "I don't care what's going on in my life - my friends are hurting." WOW! - Amazing. 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.' John 15:13

That night - I can still remember as if it were today- We stood together in my daughter's 2nd floor bedroom - held hands and called on all of heaven - sent out ministering angels - asked our Savor -Jesus - to find my boy lost in more ways than you can imagine and began a friendship so deep so true that not even hell itself could rip it apart. I didn't deserve nor did I earn this friend. He just laid down everything and cared.

Jesus is this kind of friend. He had all the rights to walk away. He even asked His Heavenly father. "...fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." Matt 26:39 He laid it all down - His Life - His Rights - He did nothing wrong - yet was persecuted beyond imagination - and in the middle of it all... He gave. While on the cross - beaten past human recognition - bloody torn and in monumental pain - a thief on the cross next to Him asked a favor - "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. Luke 23:42-43 He didn't say... "Leave me alone - can't you see I'm dying over here. I've got enough to deal with - besides that you're the reason I'm up here anyway."

What is a true friend? - Someone who gives without wanting anything - someone who lays down their life - someone who lays down their mess and helps you with yours. I know I have a one. I am blessed beyond measure. I have Jesus Christ as my very best friend and friends that have Jesus living in them. Friends that have one foot in this world and a heart mingled in Heaven.



Submitted by: Ben Andrews

"To The King!"

"To The Kingdom!"

Wisdom

"Wisdom - seldom takes the easy road."

By: Ben Andrews
I was praying... "God give me wisdom to know what to do in this situation?" This was His reply...Not exactly what I was looking for - but definitely what I needed...

Mercy

Mercy is the gift that keeps on giving......
---
Love knows when to stop!

By Ben Andrews 06/28/2009

"There could Never Be a More Beautiful You"!

God made you just the way your are "There could Never Be a More Beautiful You"! --- Awesome song--- Remember God sees our HEARTS. I've seen some pretty ugly "beautiful" people - Then again -- My heart has see some people that are beautiful beyond words. I've looked into the eyes of those the world has thrown to the curb to see beauty -so true -so real -that unless you too have seen with your "heart eyes" words could not do justice to explain what I've seen there. ---There could never be a more beautiful You. ---

"To The King!" "To The Kingdom!"

Create in me a clean heart, O God

Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

I love this prayer by King David. He was searching to know God in a deeper more intimate way.
He was concerned with the inner man the hidden parts. He wanted his heart cleaned and knew that he wasn't able to clean it on his own.

As Christians we spend so much time cleaning up and making the outside look good.
Like a new car - we wash and wax it - we polish the chrome until we can see ourselves in it's reflection.

But what about the heart of the vehicle? So many time we neglect what we can't see or if we were truthful about it - we neglect what we hope others can't see.

I grew up in a church that cared more about how others saw us.
The right length hair - the right clothes - the right talk -
It was all about the outward man.

I have seen many that look great on the outside yet on the inside they are dead.

David was called "a man after God's own heart - why?
David knew the importance of the condition of the heart.
Where the heart is the rest will follow.

David saw, more than ever, what an unclean heart he had, and sadly laments it; but he sees it is not in his own power to amend it, and therefore begs God to create in him a clean heart.

I Samuel 16:1-13 where Samuel anoints David to be the next King of Israel, and God tell him (Samuel)
"Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart"

Paul says of David in Acts 13:22:
A person after God's own heart, who will do everything Gods wants you to do.

I challenge you...
Call on God...
Ask Him to change your heart.

Maybe God will say of you?
He/she was a man/woman after God's own heart.

Anyone can look good on the outside
"but the LORD looks at the heart."

Submitted By: Ben Andrews

“To The King!”

“To The Kingdom!”

Shine

When Christians shine - it is because the Glory of the Lord is revealed.

When we glorify ourselves - we eclipse the Light of the Son.

By: Ben Andrews 06/26/2009

Shall we not with such a Great Salvation

Shall we not with such a Great Salvation - declare it unto the world? Shall we then therefore hold so dear our own satisfaction and lusts that they should not by our sharing be set free? Can we with so seared conscience cleave to that which is temporal – and thereby knowingly obscure the eternal inheritance that we have been so freely given? Are we so fallen a creation - that we can no longer see that by this deception we are worse than the one who is the master of lies? Awake oh fallen warriors – arise from your slumber – cast off the blinders that hide the truth. The deceiver has cloaked the gift that was so freely given. He has placed doubt in the hearts of man - so much so that hatred is fallen on our Beloved while Sin and Death are being lifted as “the way”. There is but one way and that way is Jesus - all other roads lead to death. Not the death of this body only - but eternal death. There is a darkness that has descended upon the earth – the Spirit of the Ages. It cries out for blood - and a sacrifice that cost everything. Do not be deceived. He would have all believe he is the light – but darkness hides in his bowls waiting to be released upon all mankind. Be not fooled – God is not mocked – what-so-ever is sown shall also be reaped.

Written By: Ben Andrews