Life Recovery Ministry | Using the Bible for recovery and significant life changes

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus. One of your email recipients forwarded a the message below to me and it led me to write you.

God seemed to prepare me to also start a ministry that is not your mainline, steepled church full of Sunday best dressed denominational folks. This revival began on the streets and beaches of Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the Island of Oahu July 4, 2003. The mission for the Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry was to feed the down and out, the poor and homeless, the cast aways that you dont find in the church. This move of God started with the remnant, the left overs. Isnt that always Gods way!! Check out the web site www.waikikibeachoutreach.org for more information and follow some of the links for more information. The site is still being developed by others who see the needs.

I was never a pastor of a church. I never started a church. I knew nothing about non-profit corporations. I did not even know what God wanted me to do, I was not humble enough to hear the voice of the Lord 2 years ago. Then miracles started happening as I read His Words every day. God put all the tools in front of me without me knowing what I was doing. If I had known what it would lead to, I dont think I would have even started this ministry. But I knew I had to follow Gods will for me, not Bobs. From feeding 25 to 40 people out of a back pack twice a week, to feeding an average of 100 hungry folks 6 days a week have consumed 14 hours per day. This ministry still is a church without walls and instantaneous services, Bible studies, prayer meetings, fellowship meetings, and church related stuff are occurring every day at any time anywhere 2 or 3 are gathered together in His name. I am 58 years old, but I have never felt better pulling a cart with a hundred plus pounds of food in it for 6 miles every day. The joy of helping others is unbelievably GREAT! Today, half of my time is spent feeding the body, the other half is spent feeding the spirit. Praise the Lord.

Now as you are being led to begin a new ministry, maybe God will show you the path clearer than He did to me. But I believe He will be helping you to put together plan B which will be His plan, not yours. You may think you put it all together, but my experience shows me, if it is from God, you wont see it coming.

Dear Friends,

Recently, God has led me to restudy the great Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles 100 years ago. Perhaps because I've been praying for revival and will soon start a new church in Tennessee, God is preparing us for His mighty move.

I see three things that were present in the people in preparation for the Azusa Street revival. These began sometime in 1904, grew in 1905 and manifested in 1906. Then for three and one half years the church met three times a day, every day of the week as God moved in miraculous ways. The ultimate outcome was the millions of Pentecostal believers in the world today.

The three things:

(1) A humbleness in the people that would welcome personal, unashamed repentance.

(2) Continual, from the heart prayer...on your knees, groaning for God. Praying for all churches and people, not just theirs.

(3) An expectation of God's move...knowing, not hoping, He was going to move in their midst.

They did this before the teacher came, before Rev Seymour came on the scene to lead the church into revival.

And, what a church it was!! This was not your mainline, steepled church full of Sunday best dressed denominational folks. Revival began in an inner city mission church. Azusa Street Mission was a refuge for the down and out, the poor and homeless, the cast aways that you don't find in the church. This great worldwide move of God started with the remnant, the left overs. Isn't that always God's way!!

Well, He's getting ready to do it again. Will He change His methods and begin it in the beautiful 25,000-member church, or in a big time tele-evangelist's coliseum filling miracle service? Who knows, but why would He? I kind of think the move is coming to a ministry nobody has heard of where fancy clothes are just as rare as padded pews, where the town's richest man is sitting next to the poorest, and the good smelling woman with the lovely hat is sitting next to the stringy haired girl wearing the holey jeans.

What do you think?

Dr Z

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus. Thank you for your message. Thank you for sharing God's Words to me. I am inspired to comment on them and believe there is someone I am sending this to that will touch their heart or someone they know.

2And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him--the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

We may feel deep insecurities and hurt over the abuse, misunderstandings, and injustices we have suffered at the hands of others. Our hope is in God, who will come again and rule the world in justice and truth. He will straighten out all the inequities of the past. When God's Kingdom is established, we will not have anything to fear: "9Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain. And as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the LORD." (11:9).

12For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

While we may be firmly grounded in sound doctrine and accept our responsibility to live a godly life, we must be aware of the fierce, invisible warfare Satan wages against us. Many of our struggles with addiction could be the result of direct attacks by spiritual enemies. Since we continue to struggle with a dependency that once rendered us powerless, we need to admit our inability to manage our life. Then as we turn our life and will over to God, He will stand with us in the battle.

39One of the young men went out into the field to gather vegetables and came back with a pocketful of wild gourds. He shredded them and put them into the kettle without realizing they were poisonous. 40But after the men had eaten a bite or two they cried out, "Man of God, there's poison in this stew!" So they would not eat it.

Those who would convey spiritual life to dead souls, must feel deeply for their case, and labor fervently in prayer for them. Though the minister cannot give Divine life to his fellow-sinners, he must use every means, with as much earnestness as if he could do so.

What inspired me most was the continuation of this chapter in verses 42 to 44 which deals with the feeding of hundreds. This sounds like what Jesus did with 5000 men and later with 4000 more, and what the Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry is doing right now every day.

I am preparing spaghetti right now to feed about 100 homeless folk who live on the beach of Waikiki today. Praise the Lord. God has provided about 20 loaves of french bread that I will also serve with the spaghetti. Coincidence?

Feeding of a Hundred (NIV)

42 A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. "Give it to the people to eat," Elisha said.

But Elisha answered, "Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the LORD says: 'They will eat and have some left over.' " 44 Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD .

18Destruction is certain for those who drag their sins behind them, tied with cords of falsehood. 19They even mock the Holy One of Israel and say, "Hurry up and do something! Quick, show us what you can do. We want to see what you have planned."

20Destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil; that dark is light and light is dark; that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.

21Destruction is certain for those who think they are wise and consider themselves to be clever.

22Destruction is certain for those who are heroes when it comes to drinking, who boast about all the liquor they can hold. 23They take bribes to pervert justice. They let the wicked go free while punishing the innocent.

When we reject God, our perception of right and wrong becomes distorted. We call our compulsion good, and we become abusive to others. We don't view reality correctly because we have abandoned the one who made reality. To see things in the proper light again, we need to read the Bible - God's Word to us - and talk to God through prayer. As we improve our conscious contacts with God, we will discover His will for us and receive clearer understandings of His truth.

Greetings in CHRIST,.....
(thought you heard the last of me for awhile huh? LoL)
I discovered that I attached my reply to the wrong email....the notes
i'm sending
to you should be fastened to the email that
concerns the persecution from the politicians & police force.
I wanted you to know that while I
was praying for you & the brothers and sisters there, that I believe the
Lord told me that HE was/is going to 'add to' what is already
there that you have in your hands....(?).(and I believe He
was accentuating the fact that one of your
worse opposers will have a 'damascus
road' conversion)....there might be some key insite in Acts 9 (you
already know
the scripture better than I do..) I believe HE is releasing some
strategy
for you and your team...
Also (i think this is the Lord, & not me...) I think HE is saying, to be
aware of someone in your camp. 2Kings 4:39-40
Isa 5:18-23. And then ofcourse...
Eph 6:12. I didn't give these to you in the order in which I feel HE
gave them to me,
This is the first one, Isa. 11:2.
Bob, if any of this is 'off', I know you will know what to do with it. I
am going to
pray along these lines for you guys on the front lines there.
Thanks for this email..and the chance to be involved.....
Blessings, Mary

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus. Thank you for sharing daily thoughts to me. Thank you for pointing out God's Word in Psalm 40.

God's timing is always worth waiting for. If we look to Him for help, He will rescue us from destruction and dispair and from the things that hold us down. He will also bring stability to our life so we can move forward again with confidence and joy. If we are to experience God's best for our life (which far exceeds anything we can imagine), we need to rely on Him alone and avoid any entanglements with those who could lead us away from God and His plan for us. As the song begins:

1 I waited patiently for the LORD to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.

    2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
       out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground
       and steadied me as I walked along.

    3 He has given me a new song to sing,
       a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be astounded.
       They will put their trust in the LORD.

    4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD,
       who have no confidence in the proud,
       or in those who worship idols.

    5 O LORD my God, you have done many miracles for us.
       Your plans for us are too numerous to list. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
       I would never come to the end of them.

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus. I am calling upon anyone to hlep me find a new place for me and the Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry before April 1, 2005 if possible. My roommate is overwhelmed with the inability to not use the space he is paying for and the manager is not prepared to continue to allow this ministry to operate in this facility much longer.

Attached is a picture of my living room after a Sam's Club contribution being made once a week to the Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry was delivered by a volunteer. As you can see by the lack of space in the so called living room, and the kitchen and the lanai are even worse, I and the Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry needs more space. We need something walking distance from the Waikiki Beach. We need something to share for a while, because I only have a limited income right now. I could use over 50% of my gross pension, or about $650, so I will need some roommates, at least for a while until grant money becomes available to help pay the rent. I could contribute more, but I must also pay for electricity, my phone, a Stafford loan, and buy enough food that is not donated by others. It could be a 3, 4, or, preferably, 5 bedroom house in the Kapahulu or McKully or Diamond Head areas. It could be an office with a kitchen and bath in the Waikiki area. It could be anything to allow the continued maintenance of the Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry's needs. I am presently using 3 refrigerators, a freezer, every inch of space in cabinets and cupboards (including the tops), and every bit of floor space except for a path to the kitchen and bathroom and lanai.

Is there anything anybody out there that could help me find more space? I am busy every day, about 12 to 14 hurs per day, so I don't have a lot of time except for part of Wednesday. Even Wednesdays, my day of rest, is being booked by helping constituents, by buying food, by writing commentary on the Bible for the Life Recovery Ministry, by manning a national prayer line, by Bible study, or by something else that seem most important to do at that moment. Please help me find new space, somebody!

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus. Thank you for the time you spent with me this evening at the AA meeting. It was a pleasure to see you. Thank you for your offer to spend time with me to help fulfill some of the Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry web site long range plans.

I have forwarded a letter from my friend, Randolph Amen, 728-7697, who suggest that we work to have a web site similar to www.cchr.org or something that we could move toward. I hope you can help Randy with his web site needs also and that you might call him this week.

Thank you for your offer to spend time with me this Wednesday, but I realize now that I do not have any money in my account to do anything until after the first of the month. So I ask if you might have some time next Wednesday evening so we can sit down and order all the stuff the Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry needs to make the web site long range plan a reality with my debit card then. Let me know if this might be a problem to you.

Bob and Art: I just have to share with you the website that I think is the best I have ever seen: cchr.org. It is the kind I must have for 123 Law; Bob should have for WBOM; and you, Art, should have, unless you have such a type as yet. I will ask the Citizens Commission on Human Rights to provide me with the name of its webmaster and try to get one prepared for 123 Law and you guys too, if you want.

I am working on the reinstatement matter (must put off everything else until that is completed) and so I will be neglecting you both to a great extent this week. In working on the reinstatement matter, I made an inquiry with the local Scientology group regarding an alternative to Dr. Murphy's clean bill of health for me for reinstatement purposes. I was referred by Nowell, Amy and another gentleman at Scientology (just a quarter of a block from Century Square where I had to be today for the phone line installations for my new office, to cchr.org and so when I was working on the reinstatement tonight and noticed that I hadn't checked it out as yet, I went to it and wow. Not only is interactively perfect, but it does everything the way I would on a topic of great concern to me since I truly believe psychiatrists killed my wife and maybe killing me and everryone else too with pushing drugs and false doctrine on the unwary. In any event, for me, it is well worth investigating and even contributing to, when I have some money again.

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus. An email abuddy sent me this article written by Max Lucado that inspirted me to send to everone I know. I hope you enjoy it as much as I.

I think I might be giving a message on the beach this Thursday evening sharing some of these words. The last Thursday of every month we have services and a dinner on the beach at the concession stand by the Waikiki Aquarium, and everyone is invited. We usually only have about 12 to 20 listen to the message, but about 40 or more show up for the dinner. Interesting.

What if, for twenty-four hours, Jesus wakes up in your bed, walks in your shoes, lives in your house, assumes your schedule? Your boss becomes his boss, your mother becomes his mother, your pains become his pains? With one exception, nothing about your life changes. Your health doesnt change. Your circumstances dont change. Your schedule isnt altered. Your problems arent solved. Only one change occurs.

What if, for one day and one night, Jesus lives your life with his heart? Your heart gets the day off, and your life is led by the heart of Christ. His priorities govern your actions. His passions drive your decisions. His love directs your behavior.

What would you be like? Would people notice a change? Your familywould they see something new? Your coworkerswould they sense a difference? What about the less fortunate? Would you treat them the same? And your friends? Would they detect more joy? How about your enemies? Would they receive more mercy from Christs heart than from yours?

And you? How would you feel? What alterations would this transplant have on your stress level? Your mood swings? Your temper? Would you sleep better? Would you see sunsets differently? Death differently? Taxes differently? Any chance youd need fewer aspirin or sedatives? How about your reaction to traffic delays? (Ouch, that touched a nerve.) Would you still dread what you are dreading? Better yet, would you still do what you are doing?

Would you still do what you had planned to do for the next twenty-four hours? Pause and think about your schedule. Obligations. Engagements. Outings. Appointments. With Jesus taking over your heart, would anything change?

Keep working on this for a moment. Adjust the lens of your imagination until you have a clear picture of Jesus leading your life, then snap the shutter and frame the image. What you see is what God wants. He wants you to "think and act like Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5).

Gods plan for you is nothing short of a new heart. If you were a car, God would want control of your engine. If you were a computer, God would claim the software and the hard drive. If you were an airplane, hed take his seat in the cockpit. But you are a person, so God wants to change your heart.

"But you were taught to be made new in your hearts, to become a new person. That new person is made to be like Godmade to be truly good and holy" (Eph. 4:2324).

Im going to risk something here. Its dangerous to sum up grand truths in one statement, but Im going to try. If a sentence or two could capture Gods desire for each of us, it might read like this:

God loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.

God loves you just the way you are. If you think his love for you would be stronger if your faith were, you are wrong. If you think his love would be deeper if your thoughts were, wrong again. Dont confuse Gods love with the love of people. The love of people often increases with performance and decreases with mistakes. Not so with Gods love. He loves you right where you are. To quote my wifes favorite author:

Gods love never ceases. Never. Though we spurn him. Ignore him. Reject him. Despise him. Disobey him. He will not change. Our evil cannot diminish his love. Our goodness cannot increase it. Our faith does not earn it anymore than our stupidity jeopardizes it. God doesnt love us less if we fail or more if we succeed. Gods love never ceases.

When my daughter Jenna was a toddler, I used to take her to a park not far from our apartment. One day as she was playing in a sandbox, an ice-cream salesman approached us. I purchased her a treat, and when I turned to give it to her, I saw her mouth was full of sand. Where I intended to put a delicacy, she had put dirt.

Did I love her with dirt in her mouth? Absolutely. Was she any less my daughter with dirt in her mouth? Of course not. Was I going to allow her to keep the dirt in her mouth? No way. I loved her right where she was, but I refused to leave her there. I carried her over to the water fountain and washed out her mouth. Why? Because I love her.

God does the same for us. He holds us over the fountain. "Spit out the dirt, honey," our Father urges. "Ive got something better for you." And so he cleanses us of filth: immorality, dishonesty, prejudice, bitterness, greed. We dont enjoy the cleansing; sometimes we even opt for the dirt over the ice cream. "I can eat dirt if I want to!" we pout and proclaim. Which is truewe can. But if we do, the loss is ours. God has a better offer. He wants us to be just like Jesus.

Isnt that good news? You arent stuck with todays personality. You arent condemned to "grumpydom." You are tweakable. Even if youve worried each day of your life, you neednt worry the rest of your life. So what if you were born a bigot? You dont have to die one.

Where did we get the idea we cant change? From whence come statements such as, "Its just my nature to worry," or, "Ill always be pessimistic. Im just that way," or, "I have a bad temper. I cant help the way I react"? Who says? Would we make similar statements about our bodies? "Its just my nature to have a broken leg. I cant do anything about it." Of course not. If our bodies malfunction, we seek help. Shouldnt we do the same with our hearts? Shouldnt we seek aid for our sour attitudes? Cant we request treatment for our selfish tirades? Of course we can. Jesus can change our hearts. He wants us to have a heart like his.

The heart of Jesus was pure. The Savior was adored by thousands, yet content to live a simple life. He was cared for by women (Luke 8:13), yet never accused of lustful thoughts; scorned by his own creation, but willing to forgive them before they even requested his mercy. Peter, who traveled with Jesus for three and a half years, described him as a "lamb, unblemished and spotless" (1 Pet. 1:19 nasb). After spending the same amount of time with Jesus, John concluded, "And in him is no sin" (1 John 3:5 niv).

Jesus heart was peaceful. The disciples fretted over the need to feed the thousands, but not Jesus. He thanked God for the problem. The disciples shouted for fear in the storm, but not Jesus. He slept through it. Peter drew his sword to fight the soldiers, but not Jesus. He lifted his hand to heal. His heart was at peace. When his disciples abandoned him, did he pout and go home? When Peter denied him, did Jesus lose his temper? When the soldiers spit in his face, did he breathe fire in theirs? Far from it. He was at peace. He forgave them. He refused to be guided by vengeance.

He also refused to be guided by anything other than his high call. His heart was purposeful. Most lives aim at nothing in particular and achieve it. Jesus aimed at one goalto save humanity from its sin. He could summarize his life with one sentence: "The Son of man came to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10 rsv). Jesus was so focused on his task that he knew when to say, "My time has not yet come" (John 2:4) and when to say, "It is finished" (John 19:30). But he was not so focused on his goal that he was unpleasant.

Quite the contrary. How pleasant were his thoughts! Children couldnt resist Jesus. He could find beauty in lilies, joy in worship, and possibilities in problems. He would spend days with multitudes of sick people and still feel sorry for them. He spent over three decades wading through the muck and mire of our sin yet still saw enough beauty in us to die for our mistakes.

But the crowning attribute of Christ was this: his heart was spiritual. His thoughts reflected his intimate relationship with the Father. "I am in the Father and the Father is in me," he stated (John 14:11). His first recorded sermon begins with the words, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me" (Luke 4:18 nasb). He was "led by the Spirit" (Matt. 4:1 niv) and "full of the Holy Spirit" (Luke 4:1 niv). He returned from the desert "in the power of the Spirit" (Luke 4:14 niv).

Jesus took his instructions from God. It was his habit to go to worship (Luke 4:16). It was his practice to memorize scripture (Luke 4:4). Luke says Jesus "often slipped away to be alone so he could pray" (Luke 5:16). His times of prayer guided him. He once returned from prayer and announced it was time to move to another city (Mark 1:38). Another time of prayer resulted in the selection of the disciples (Luke 6:1213). Jesus was led by an unseen hand. "The Son does whatever the Father does" (John 5:19). In the same chapter he stated, "I can do nothing alone. I judge only the way I am told" (John 5:30).

Our hearts seem so far from his. He is pure; we are greedy. He is peaceful; we are hassled. He is purposeful; we are distracted. He is pleasant; we are cranky. He is spiritual; we are earthbound. The distance between our hearts and his seems so immense. How could we ever hope to have the heart of Jesus?

Ready for a surprise? You already do. You already have the heart of Christ. Why are you looking at me that way? Would I kid you? If you are in Christ, you already have the heart of Christ. One of the supreme yet unrealized promises of God is simply this: if you have given your life to Jesus, Jesus has given himself to you. He has made your heart his home. It would be hard to say it more succinctly than Paul does: "Christ lives in me" (Gal. 2:20 msg).

At the risk of repeating myself, let me repeat myself. If you have given your life to Jesus, Jesus has given himself to you. He has moved in and unpacked his bags and is ready to change you "into his likeness from one degree of glory to another" (2 Cor. 3:18 rsv). Paul explains it with these words: "Strange as it seems, we Christians actually do have within us a portion of the very thoughts and mind of Christ" (1 Cor. 2:16 tlb).

Strange is the word! If I have the mind of Jesus, why do I still think so much like me? If I have the heart of Christ, why do I still have the hang-ups of Max? If Jesus dwells within me, why do I still hate traffic jams?

Part of the answer is illustrated in a story about a lady who had a small house on the seashore of Ireland at the turn of the century. She was quite wealthy but also quite frugal. The people were surprised, then, when she decided to be among the first to have electricity in her home.

Several weeks after the installation, a meter reader appeared at her door. He asked if her electricity was working well, and she assured him it was. "Im wondering if you can explain something to me," he said. "Your meter shows scarcely any usage. Are you using your power?"

"Certainly," she answered. "Each evening when the sun sets, I turn on my lights just long enough to light my candles; then I turn them off."

Shes tapped into the power but doesnt use it. Her house is connected but not altered. Dont we make the same mistake? We, toowith our souls saved but our hearts unchangedare connected but not altered. Trusting Christ for salvation but resisting transformation. We occasionally flip the switch, but most of the time we settle for shadows.

What would happen if we left the light on? What would happen if we not only flipped the switch but lived in the light? What changes would occur if we set about the task of dwelling in the radiance of Christ?

No doubt about it: God has ambitious plans for us. The same one who saved your soul longs to remake your heart. His plan is nothing short of a total transformation: "He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son" (Rom. 8:29 msg).

"You have begun to live the new life, in which you are being made new and are becoming like the One who made you. This new life brings you the true knowledge of God" (Col. 3:10).

God is willing to change us into the likeness of the Savior. Shall we accept his offer? Here is my suggestion. Lets imagine what it means to be just like Jesus. Lets look long into the heart of Christ. Lets spend some chapters considering his compassion, reflecting upon his intimacy with the Father, admiring his focus, pondering his endurance. How did he forgive? When did he pray? What made him so pleasant? Why didnt he give up? Lets "fix our eyes on Jesus" (Heb. 12:2 niv). Perhaps in seeing him, we will see what we can become.

"Be gentle and ready to forgive; never hold grudges. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others."colossians 3:13 tlb

As I was reviewing my email, I found a letter by John C. Maxwell, a pastor who seeks to help church leaders, that touched my heart. He didnt quote any scriptures, but it is evident they are in the words. As Jesus never quoted scripture verses (they were not identified then) but he used a lot of parables that made a lot of sense that the Bible could back up. I think this does the same. Let me know what you think about it.

I put the Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry within the text and changed the wording from "You" to "We" or "Us" or "Our"; can you put you or your organization within it also?

What Are We Committed To?

What do we think of when we hear the word commitment?

Perhaps we picture a loving husband caring for his invalid wife. Maybe we envision a business owner who puts her resources and reputation on the line to lead her company through a crisis.

Perhaps we see a dedicated teacher who spends hours of his own time tutoring underprivileged children. Or maybe the scene that comes to mind is one of a group of soldiers who willingly enters harm's way to protect their countrymen.

These are all wonderful examples of commitment. But have we considered the fact that individuals who act in less admirable ways also are committed? People who watch the clock at work are committed to making it through the day so they can go home.

People who spend most of their free time in front of the television are committed to taking life easy. People who cheat on their income taxes are committed to beating the system.

Do we understand what I'm saying? When it comes to living a life of significance, the vital question isn't, "Am I committed?" It's, "What am I committed to?"

Over the years, I've had the opportunity to observe many remarkable individuals who I refer to as "make-a-difference people"the kind of folks you want on your team and in your life because they're constantly making positive things happen.

"Make-a-difference" people stand out from everyone else because they are connectedto a great leader, to a powerful vision and to other people who want to make a difference.

Another critical factor that sets "make-a-difference people" apart is their deep level of commitment in four key areas:

1. Make-a-difference people are committed to excellence.
Conforming to someone else's standard of excellence isn't an option; they set their own bar, and they set it high. If we want to be a difference-maker, our bar of excellence should be higher than anyone else's. In other words, we should expect more out of ourselves than anyone else expects out of us.

2. Make-a-difference people are committed to service.
George Burns once said, "When you stop giving and offering something to the rest of the world, it's time to turn out the lights." That is so true. Anyone can call himself a servant-leader, but that description is meaningless unless it's accompanied by action. True servanthood of Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry manifests itself in the following four ways:

Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry puts others ahead of an individual agenda. True servants aren't in it for themselves; they're committed to the growth and well-being of the people they're serving.

Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry begins with security. Service often takes us out of our comfort zone, and in order to function effectively in such unfamiliar territory, confidence is a necessity.

Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry initiates service to others. It doesn't wait to be served. It doesn't wait to be asked to serve. It goes first.

Waikiki Beach Outreach Ministry is not position-conscious. You show me a person who serves, and I'll show you someone who cares little about titles.

3. Make-a-difference people are committed to growth.
I have found that there are three types of people on earth: the unlearned, the learned and the learning. If we want to make a positive contribution with our lives, never stop stretching and growing. Make a concerted effort to learn today what will help you do better tomorrow. If we grow in the right areas today, we'll reap the right rewards tomorrow.

4. Make-a-difference people are committed to giving.
The reason for this is simple: Giving is the highest level of living. Here are four ways to develop a giving spirit in your life:

Be grateful for whatever we have. It's hard to be generous when we always want more for ourselves.

Put people first. The measure of a leader is not the number of people who serve him, but the number of people whom he serves.

Don't allow the desire for possessions to control us. This is so critical. Do we control our money, or does our money control us?

Develop the habit of giving. Author Richard Foster made a profound statement about this: "Just the very act of letting go of money or some other treasure does something within us," he said. "It destroys the demon greed."

Now that I've described the characteristics that set make-a-difference people apart, it's time to get personal. Do we want to make a difference in our business, our community, our family or any other area of life that is important us?

If our answer is yes, I have one more question for us. Are we making a differencewherever we are, whatever we're doing?

I certainly hope so.

But if not, don't get discouraged. Instead, as I said last time, get busy. There's no time like the present to become a make-a-difference person.

This article is used by permission from Dr. John C. Maxwell's
free monthly e-newsletter: Leadership Wired
available at www.injoy.com .

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus. My roommate just sent me some information about anger that I have included in the text of this message, so I checked out what the Bible had to say about it. It was very interesting, and the 302 times it was used in the New Living Translation showed me most of the time it is not initiated from God. It is one of the words that are actually the opposite of love. And since God is love, then anger, hatred, resentment, etc. etc. is not initiated from God.

But God reacts to anger by being angry to those who choose to not follow Him. The Bible says He still loves us, but He wants us to know when we are not obeying His will for us. So if we still get angry, maybe we are not following His will for us. This could be a wake up call for us. Just something to think about.

You can't change the past,
but you can ruin the present
by worrying over the future.

A hug is a great gift... one size fits all.
It can be given for any occasion
and it's easy to exchange.

If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday
and the worries of tomorrow,
you have no today to be thankful for.

Patience is the ability to idle your motor
when you feel like stripping your gears.

For every minute you are angry with someone,
you lose 60 seconds of happiness
that you can never get back.

Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus. God bless you, Sister Laura. Thank you for your message, and especially the prayer. God works in mighty ways with the power of pray. Miracles have already happened per the prayer since I first read this prayer. My prayers are with you and your son.

As you shared Matthew 28:20, I am led to respond so others might hear His Words clearer. And putting these words into context, we are being commissioned to do God's work. The New Living Translation goes something like this:

The Great Commission

16Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him--but some of them still doubted!

18Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. 19Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Some disciples adjusted to the reality of Jesus' resurrection quite readily, while others still doubted. But Jesus' resurrection was not an end in itself, nor was it for just his closest disciples. This new life through faith in the crucified and resurrected Christ is offered to all the people of the world. Those who by faith enter true spiritual recovery are baptized to show their commitment. Studying God's Word and regular instruction in the faith help those in recovery (and those dealing with significant life changing events) grow spiritually. Recovery is available through God's power until Jesus returns at the end of the age.

Since Jesus' resurrection was not only for His closest disciples, I have chosen to be part of that great commission. Since I desire to serve God and to be a disciple of Christ, the Holy Spirit is moving me to do things I never did before. Nations consist of individual people, and God seems to be guiding me to prepare individuals for baptism by helping them to understand what it takes to be disciples of Christ. As Jesus said, "Follow me," I am telling those who are beach bums that I am also a beach bum, and they can "Follow me," and maybe they can have the sense of love, joy and peace that I have. A few of the 200 individuals I see every week are changing or are on the verge of making a new commitment to Jesus. My behavior is evident as others see me feeding and sharing the Word of God to the homeless, poor, and bystanders every day.

Since I am writing this to you and others (and I have walked with you, so I know what you are doing), my question to others is "What are we DOING to get into the Book of Life? What is the evidence of our behavior? How can others recognize Jesus within us?"

Thank you for sharing your words and God's Words. Thank you even more for your prayers. God bless you and your family. May your new life in your new home be the best days of your lives. Praise the Lord.

GOD BLESS YOU BROTHER BOB as always, and sorry today is first time to ck mail in quite some time,,,,,,,, moving in new home from THE LORD and most of the time it was GOD, my husband, and myself,,,,,,,,,,,,, to pack, load, and unpack, and reload etc...............

We are still awaiting on our shipment from Hawaii, that has been in storage all this time,

Our SON CHRISTOPHER is in IRAQ , and we appreciate YOUR PRAYERS.......

GOD gave me the scripture this morning in
MATTHEW 28:20
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I AM WITH YOU ALWAY, even unto the end of the world. AMEN

Don't give up BROTHER BOB ------- GOD has brought you this far, and HE WILL SEE YOU THROUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FATHER you said in YOUR WORD that if 2 agree, and ask you ANYTHING ACCORDING TO YOUR WILL, that YOU WILL DO IT !

So, IN THE PRECIOUS NAME OF JESUS, I come before you with a DEMAND for my BROTHER BOB IN THE AUTHORITY OF YOUR NAME to BRING INCREASE to YOUR MINISTRY and PRAY, for AMBUNDANCE in FIANACES to come FORWARD to continue to assist, in FEEDING, and CLOTHING the poor and needy !

I KNOW THAT YOU ANSWER BEFORE WE CALL, and that HELP IS ON THE WAY ALREADY !
I KNOW THAT YOU ARE BRINGING IN FAITHFULL HELPING HANDS IN AMBUNDANCE, and that outside resources have been contacted, and that the problems with additional space has been solved.

I THANK YOU LORD JESUS FOR YOUR WORD, and WE GIVE ALL THE PRAISE and GLORY TO YOU, and WHAT YOU DO............

I THANK YOU THAT YOU CHOSE A MAN OF FAITH THAT DOES NOT GIVE UP< and KNOWS TO WALK BY HIS FAITH, and not by sight

I THANK YOU LORD JESUS CHRIST FOR THE GREATEST BREAKTHROUGH EVER HAS BEEN RECIEVED...................

I THANK YOU LORD THAT YOU ARE A GOD OF MORE THAN ENOUGH, as YOUR WORD SAYS that you ARE OUR SHEPPARD WE SHALL NOT WANT.....

WE THANK YOU THAT WE DO NOT WANT FOR ANYTHING !!!!!!!!!!!

Touch Brother Bob and GIVE HIM THE REASSURANCE HE NEEDS, and remind him that it is NOT ABOUT HIM ------------- BUT ALL ABOUT YOU LORD, and WHAT YOU DO,,,,,,,,,, not what we do......................and on YOUR TIME, not ours.

                                                PRAISE YOU LORD
                                                IN JESUS NAME
                                                       AMEN