I was painting up high and over concrete, it was really hard to reach so I had to bend over the railing and reach as far as I could.  Where I was painting it was extra dangerous, because there was no one around or within earshot.  I slipped forward over the railing and managed to bruise myself just under my ribs.  Actually, I should have fell head first, straight-down, but something prevented me from that.  (Thankfully, I changed my shoes at the last minute before leaving my house and I think that might have helped me get a little traction.  Even the desire to change into better shoes was Godly!)  In retrospect, something much greater helped to keep my feet stable; as if holding them down.  (Maybe, it was an angel…I don’t know.  I just know that my Father really, really looks out for me!  I continually feel His favor and deepest divine love!)

While I was working I was thinking about the things of God and praying in the Spirit.  I believe that this is the single reason that I am still alive and healthy today!  I had the spirit realm more magnified than the natural realm; thereby, releasing power and blessing on my behalf.  My focus was on Him and faith was unconsciously there.

So what did I learn from this?  (No more dare-devil painting!!)  And, to keep praying, keep meditating, and keep the door open to the things of God!  The spiritual realm is more important than the natural realm!

(Gal. 5:25)  “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]“

Satan is the god of vanity.  The major pleasures of the senses of natural man have no actual reality in them.  There is no reality in Hollywood’s movies, in bars, in gambling, or in drinking.  There is no substance in them that the spirit of man can feed upon.  Satan will never give to man one thing that has in it any permanent value or helpfulness. 

Jesus is the Way into the thing that the heart has craved through the ages…Reality!  The human heart can find no Reality outside of the man Christ Jesus.  The New Creation is real; we now walk in the light of Reality.  No religion, church, or ministry that is born of the senses have appeal for the man who has found true Reality.  This New Natured type of man will shun them, knowing that they carry an incorrect spirit or attitude.  Once man has found the secret of Eternal Life, he/she cannot turn to any other religion. 

The other day I got into a conversation with someone who went into great detail over something that took place years and years ago.  (Well, I didn’t remember it…and when I did it was very vague.)  I didn’t have the emotional attachment to the event that she had; so, I guess it didn’t mean as much to me as it did to her.  Truthfully, I know it was a little irritating to her that I couldn’t recall the event in the same “painstaking detail.”  (I believe that I didn’t want to remember it.  And, my Heavenly Father honored that desire.)  Today, I am of the belief that it is Godly and more beneficial for people to just forget and down-play some things!  (The Lord is just as in charge of our minds and memories as any other part of us–if we let Him be.  Our part is to change what we dwell on!)

There are so many other wonderful things to think about, for instance:  scriptures, the goodness and love of God or the simplistic beauty of our surroundings.  (We should be in complete charge of a healthy mental focus!)  “For who has known the Mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him?  But we have the mind of Christ.”  (1 Cor. 2:16)

Regrets or the “if only’s” can never be fixed through stewing.  What good does that do?  Can anyone change their past?  (There again, it all centers around one’s focus.)  We cannot postpone happiness because of wrong decisions or unfair circumstances.  We must make the most of our lives by learning about our Godly inheritance right now!

Fear and regret (including mind-wasting past memories) are tormenting and I want no part of them.  I have observed numerous persons that are brushing upon madness and insanity because of an incorrect focus.  All people need to “keep their minds stayed upon the Lord” on “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”  (Is. 26:3 and Phil 4:8)

Note:  As Christians, we can’t walk around in denial and  blindly trust some people, but we can be assured that Father will remind us of things exactly when we need to remember!  (Yes!  He is that Exceptional!)  Truly, the battlefield is the mind…if your focus isn’t good–then change it!

Some people have to “hold fast to their confession” in the face of apparent defeat.  They refuse to give into emotions and sense knowledge.  They do not have a dual confession; that is dangerous to confession one moment the absolute integrity of the Word, but the next moment confess that He has not made it good, for you. 

Satan fears our testimony.  If you confess something with your mouth, it reacts upon your heart or your spirit.  You can see it done in the spirit realm and then, when it manifests into the natural realm…there is little to no surprise.  Thinking faith thoughts and speaking faith words, leads the heart out of defeat into victory.  No surprise, when we confess His Word, He watches over it to make it good, but there is no action on the part of God without our confession.  (Jer. 1:12 Ber and Knox) “I am likewise awake over My word to fulfill it.” and/or “Watching for the opportunity to carry out the threats I utter.”

2.  June 3rd is our Graduate Sunday in which we will be honoring our Graduates.

3.  June 10th friend and Evangelist Steve Caris will be ministering at TLC 10:00 am Service!  Be sure not to miss his insight and revelation of the Grace of God!

4.  July 8th we will be Ordaining Jason Arnold for the Ministry.  Remember to:  See Jason regarding our Youth Band and Biker Sunday.

5.  Potter’s Wheel Equipping Center 501 Gray Ave. Tues, and Fri. 7:00 pm with Pastor Kurtis and Gayle Combs.  Remember to keep hearing about the Finished Work of Christ!

6.  Fort Loramie St. Park TLC Church’s Annual Camp-out July 20th!  (Details to be announced…plan to stay the night or join around the campfire for fun and fellowship!)

7.  Dr. Lynn Hiles will be coming to help dedicate our new facility Sept. 21st–(7:00 pm Friday), 22nd–(6:00 pm Saturday), and 23rd–(10:00 am Sunday).  If you need hotel reservations, please contact The Comfort Inn (937) 316-5252/800 4 CHOICE or The Holiday Inn Express (937) 548-1312 or The Greenville Inn (937) 548-3613.

8.  Grant and Colista Rogers, of Tipp City, wish to adopt a 4 year old girl named Anamika from India.  Anamika has cerebral palsy and needs a loving home.  Grant and Colista plan on having garage sales to help fund this adoption.  We are asking that people please contribute by bringing in donations for the Roger’s garage sales.  Please have items in by July 7th.  (We will be storing everything in the church basement/garage door side.)  If you have large items that need to be picked-up, please call  Colista at (937) 684-3924.  All donations brought in will benefit the Roger’s family.  Thank you for remembering who you are in Christ!  You are a supportive and generous church family!

9.  Please tell us if you know of  any Grace/Redemption preachers.  Godly networking is important!  Learning is even more important!  (We want to encourage everyone to keep listening to Pastor Chris and other Grace preachers.  www.rezasafa.com check it out!  Pastor Reza is a mighty man of God with an important message of Redemption!

Eternal Life is now made available to all who choose to receive it.  Through this experience of Salvation…many [identical in Spirit] Believers are roaming the face of the earth recreating, expanding and thriving.  These Born Again/Saved Believers have the exact New Nature of Christ!  Truly, the death of One Man (Jesus) equals life for the multitudes! 

Before the Cross, Jesus could not give anyone His nature because it was not available until after He put sin away, until He had satisfied the claims of justice, conquered satan, arose from the dead, carried His blood into the heavenly Holy of Holies, and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High.

(God never hurts us!  He gets blamed for bad things and that really saddens me.  He is always a good, helpful and loving Father!)  Remember, He gave man free will when He created us.  We make our own decisions; we open or shut doors that are placed before us.  Repercussions or the effects from bad choices are what plague us.  (I can look back on my own life and say, “Father, You were always there!  ‘You promised to never leave me or forsake me.’  (Heb. 13:5)  But, I…I…I chose to ignore Your peaceful promptings and/or the frustrating red flag warnings.”)

Father (God) does not deserve to be blamed because He is no longer the Old Covenant God of wrath and judgment.  He deals with man differently now because of what Jesus took on our behalf at the Cross.  (We have total access to the Father via Christ!) 

I constantly deal with people who have stepped out of the will of the Lord and are paying for it.  Some will get better if they change course and decide to let forgiveness flow from their Born-Again Spirits to others and themselves.  Some will get bitter if they wallow in self-pity, denying they are the instigators and hanging on to various forms of hatred.  Whether we want to admit it or not, everyone has a choice to make!  Hopefully, life won’t have to get pitch black and hard to bear. 

Thought:  People just want the blessings of God without any responsibilities!  Sorry!  It doesn’t work that way. 

(Christians rejoice:  Only God can unscramble scrambled eggs!)

Not only have we a perfect Redemption in the Pauline Revelation, but now we can go back and stand by the side of the Cross with the disciples and we can ask, “Do you know what Jesus is doing on the Cross?”  

E.W. Kenyon–”He is being made sin now.  Watch Him, and when He cries that last bitter cry and yields up His spirit, He is going to the place of suffering as your Substitute.  He is going to stay there until the demands of Justice are met; until Satan is conquered; until the New Birth becomes a possibility; until man can be justified, receive the Nature and Life of Deity, and become the very Righteousness of God in Christ.”

The disciples knew nothing about what Christ was doing for humanity.  They didn’t know what He did on the Cross; they did not understand what He did during the three days and three nights.  Resurrection was a new event and they did not know the meaning of it.  All they knew was Jesus through their senses!  They knew nothing of the Finished Work of Christ!

People come to me questioning if they should stay in their marriage or relationships.  I try to never set a hard rule telling them to stay or leave because only God knows if a person is going to find Grace and change.  Only God know if someone is  going to stifle you.  (It is hard to be around a person who is selfish and/or manifests demons, let alone to be continually yoked to them!  Please remember:  Sex, outside of marriage, still equals a bonding to a person.  (See 1 Cor. 6:18)

Let me give you an analogy:  If you are trying to make an omelet with 2 eggs and both are rotten, everyone around will know it.  If you are trying to make an omelet with 1 good egg and 1 bad egg, the bad egg will always over power the good. Obviously, 2 good eggs equal a succeeded goal.

There is just something about the inner workings of a person.  The heart of a person is vital!  For instance:  (Gen. 6:9) says, “Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.”  (Matt. 1:19) states, “Joseph was a just man, and not willing to make her [Mary] a public example, was minded to put her away privily.”  (1 Sam. 14:14) says, “David was a man after God’s own heart.”  Ruth, Esther and Rachel, etc. “found or obtained favor.”  (In the New Covenant, people choose to be that man or woman.)

Divorce or leaving an unGodly relationship can be tough but if it is lifeless, frustrating and void of peace…the Holy Spirit might be trying to tell you something.  You must be led!  (It is better to be single and happy than chained and miserable.)  If children are involved…they need at least one sane parent.  It is hard for them to be in a loveless, argumentative household, too!  “Where there is envying and strife, there is confusion and every evil work.”  (James 3:16)

Ultimately, I would love to see everyone’s life blissful; however, people have a choice in the matter and they sometimes choose to follow the wrong path.  We can’t over-ride people’s wills and you can’t force anyone to accept the Grace of God.  We can only pray God’s perfect will and offer our support and friendship.