What God Has Promised

Great Poems by By Annie Johnson Flint

God has not promised
Skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways,
All our lives through.
God has not promised
Sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.

God has not promised
That we shall not know
Toil and temptation,
Trouble and woe;
He has not told us
We shall not bear
Many a burden,
Many a care.

God has not promised
Smooth roads and wide,
Swift, easy travel,
Needing no guide;
Never a mountain,
Rocky and steep,
Never a river
Turbid and deep:

But God has promised
Strength for the day,
Rest for the labor,
Light for the way,
Grace for the trials,
Help from above,
Unfailing sympathy,
Undying love.

Renewing Your Mind

By Virginia Brandt Berg

I once talked with a woman who said she tried very hard to think only positive thoughts, but she was never able to keep it up for long. Even when she managed to appear optimistic, inwardly she was often in turmoil. Her self-help approach to positive thinking excluded God, so when things went wrong, she didn't have anything solid to hold on to.

That may seem paradoxical—faith in God being something substantial—but it's true. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). In the face of difficulty and disappointment, faith is far more effective than mere mental exercise because it is backed by promises that God has made in His Word—promises that bring about tangible results when believed and applied to real-life situations.

These promises not only have the power to change problem situations; they also have the power to change us. The Bible tells us to "be transformed by the renewing of the mind" (Romans 12:2). It is through those "exceedingly great and precious promises" that we "may be partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4).

We can, by an act of our will, take our mind off of negative thoughts. Unless we fill that void, however, the negative thoughts will rush back in. What should we replace those negative thoughts with? What is more positive or more powerful than the living Word of the living God? When coupled with prayer, the uplifting, transforming Word of God can give you victory over every ugly, negative thought and its consequences.

As you make a consistent effort to replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts from God's Word, it will become a habit; you will learn to—as the Bible puts it—"bring your thoughts into captivity" (2 Corinthians 10:5).

This is very difficult to accomplish in the tumult of the world. We don't find the mind of God on the streets of social life or in the hobby shop. To connect with Him, find a place where there are no distractions. "When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly" (Matthew 6:6).

When we come aside from the temporal things that distract and harass us, and there in the presence of God we put our mind on the things of God, the transforming power of God then begins to work in us, and we are changed, renewed. There is no place where the mind can be as fully renewed as in the secret place of prayer, alone with God

Keep on the sunny side of life

KEEP ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF LIFE

Well there's a dark and a troubled side of life.

There's a bright and a sunny side too.

But if you meet with the darkness and strife,

The sunny side we also may view.

Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side,

Keep on the sunny side of life.

It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way,

If we keep on the sunny side of life.

Oh, the storm and its fury broke today,

Crushing hopes that we cherish so dear.

Clouds and storms will in time pass away.

The sun again will shine bright and clear.

Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side,

Keep on the sunny side of life.

It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way,

If we'll keep on the sunny side of life.

Let us greet with a song of hope each day.

Though the moments be cloudy or fair.

Let us trust in our Saviour always,

To keep us, every one, in His care.

Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side,

Keep on the sunny side of life.

It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way,

If we'll keep on the sunny side of life.

If we'll keep on the sunny side of life.

Prayer - Armour of God

Prayer for putting on the Armour of God

"Heavenly Father, we praise and worship you because you are God.

We are honored to be your servants and we take our stand today against the devil and his schemes against us, our families and our ministries.

Father, as we take up each piece of the armor, please secure it in place on us.

1. We take up the shield of faith and extend it over ourselves. It extinguishes all the fiery darts of the evil one.

2. We put on the helmet of salvation, which protects our mind from the enemy's attacks. We have the mind of Christ."

3. We put on the breastplate of righteousness, which covers our bodies with the righteousness of God. In Christ, every foothold of evil has been washed away and we are clothed in righteousness!

4. We gird our loins with the belt of truth. Your word, O God, is truth. Father, sanctify us according to your word and remind us through the Holy Spirit of the truth that destroys the lies of sin.

5. We shod our feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. We have peace with God through the blood of Jesus. We have favor with God and with man. We walk in our inheritance as an adopted son of God and have authority over evil in Jesus' name.

6. We will use the Sword of the Spirit by speaking the Word of God as it applies to whatever situation we may face today. Father, please remind us of your Word via the Holy Spirit.

We will continue throughout the day & night praying in the Spirit, and we believe that the Holy Spirit is interceding on our behalf according to our prayers.

Thank you, Father, for the whole armor of God. Please surround us with your hedge of protection as we move forward on the spiritual battlefield today and every other days. We praise and worship you now and forever. In Jesus mighty name, Amen.

His Name is called Wonderful

God can do wonders, that's why HIS name is called WONDERFUL.

A little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was 'too crowded'.

'I can't go to Sunday School,' she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by.

Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday school class. The child was so happy that they found room for her, and she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.

Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings. Her parents called for the kindhearted pastor who had befriended their daughter to handle the final arrangements.

As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled red purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump.

Inside was found 57 cents and a note, scribbled in childish handwriting, which read: 'This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday School.'
For two years she had saved for this offering of love.

When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion.
He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building.

But the story does not end there...
A newspaper learned of the story and published It. It was read by a wealthy realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands.
When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered to sell it to the little church for 57 cents.

Church members made large donations. Checks came from far and wide.Within five years the little girl's gift had increased to $250,000.00--a huge sum for that time (near the turn of the century). Her unselfish love had paid large dividends.

When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300. And be sure to visit Temple University, where thousands of students are educated.
Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday School building which houses hundreds of beautiful children, built so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside during Sunday school time.

In one of the rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the sweet face of the little girl whose 57 cents, so sacrificially saved, made such remarkable history. Alongside of it is a portrait of her kind pastor, Dr. Russell H. Conwell, author of the book, 'Acres of Diamonds'.

This is a true story, which goes to show WHAT GOD CAN DO WITH 57 CENTS.