November 2008
Atack, attack!
Attack, attack!
Terry Dashner……..Faith Fellowship Church PO Box 1586 Broken Arrow, OK 74013
Introduction:
General Ulysses S. Grant was badly beaten in the battle of Shiloh, Tennessee. General James McPherson, his aide, reported the loss of half of the Union artillery and almost one-third of the troops during the bloody conflict.
Retreat was Grant’s only option, or so it seemed. Against all odds Grant ordered, “Reform the lines and we will attack at dawn. We will take them by surprise.” By nine o’clock the next morning the South’s troops were being routed by the surprise attack from the weary Union troops. It seems that the confederates had felt so secure in the previous day’s victory that they failed to stay alert, thus giving up their blood-soaked and hallowed ground.
Someone once said that Christians are most vulnerable to the enemy’s attack after a great victory. Why is this? Because there is a real tendency among victors to rest on their laurels after victory, instead of securing their lines in vigilance. Complacency kills.
The Essence of this document:
There is a real danger in the body of Christ to become complacent after battles have been fought and won. And this should not be. May I ask you a question? Are you alert to the enemy’s schemes against you? Or does complacency define your disposition?
This morning I want to share with you three reasons why complacency makes the child of God vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks. Knowing why complacency happens can help us safe-guard ourselves against it. At all costs the Christian should remain vigilant throughout her spiritual journey.
Body of document:I
There are several reasons for complacency after a spiritual victory. For one, complacency happens when the one in charge fails to recognize her advantage. The one in charge must see the benefit in regrouping and attacking until the enemy is utterly destroyed. Once you win a spiritual battle don’t fold-up shop and retire. Attack! Okay, so you’ve won a battle, pursue the enemy until you’ve won the war. In spiritual warfare there are no retreats or awards banquets, only attack. Don’t wait for the enemy to hit you, press into the kingdom of darkness and fight with the Light!
In 1863 President Lincoln was downcast beyond words when General Lee retreated from Gettysburg. In deep despair he penned these words to General George G. Meade of the Union Army: “…my dear general, I do not believe you appreciate the magnitude of the misfortune involved in Lee’s escape. He was within your grasp, and to have closed upon him would, in connection with our other late successes have ended the war. As it is, the war will be prolonged indefinitely.” The letter was never sent.
General George G. Meade failed, in the words of Lincoln, to “appreciate the magnitude of the misfortune involved in Lee’s escape.” Because Meade let Lee cross the Potomac, between July 4 to July 15, 1863, Lee accomplished the impossible and was able to fight again, prolonging the war. During this short time, Lee established field hospitals to care for the 8500 sick and wounded evacuees he brought back with him, many of whom would heal and return to service. He salvaged most of his artillery, returning 6000 wagons and between 30,000 and 40,000 horses and mules. He also brought back 30,000 cattle and 25,000 sheep and thousands of hogs. Whereas this army had been on the verge of starvation two months before Gettysburg, he had succeeded in getting supplies enough for the war to go on many more months, despite manpower losses. Had Meade crushed Lee’s army in the Potomac (flood stage delayed the crossing), the war would have ended earlier. As it turns out, the war continued for another two years with thousands, upon thousands of war casualties.
Remember this point to safe-guard yourself against complacency:
After your spar with the enemies of darkness, keep attacking until the Lord directs you to a new campaign. Never retreat and never allow complacency to enter your relationship with the Lord. Press the point. Follow through. Take it all the way!
II
Secondly, complacency comes when we elect to build a port folio, instead of sounding a bugle’s charge. Many in the body of Christ are content to relive their past events of victory, instead of “forgetting those things which are behind” and pressing ahead. If you find your conversations about God in the past tense, you need to repent of complacency and get in the fight of faith.
May I share with you a secret to success for your spiritual progress? It is this: keep moving. Progress along. Don’t stop, and certainly don’t retreat.
Forward movement for the believer is permanent. The story is told about the great Reformer, Martin Luther. One day his son came home from school skipping and singing. “Why are you so happy?” Luther asked him. “Today we finished the catechism,” answered his son. “My, but you are far ahead of me,” said Luther. “I’ve been studying the catechism all my life, and I haven’t finished it yet.”
Forward movement for the believer is perseverance. When Daniel Webster was a young lawyer he took a case for a fee of $20.00. It was a difficult case and in preparing for it he had to make a trip to Boston, which in itself cost more than he was getting as a fee. He was determined to do a thorough job on the case and win it, which he did. Many years later a big company wanted him at short notice to undertake a case for what was in those days a fabulous fee. Webster looked over the case and found it was almost identical with the one he had researched and won 20 years before! Although it took 20 years to turn profit, his perseverance paid off.
Remember this point to safe-guard yourself against complacency:
Resist the temptation to rest on your laurels and live in the past. Keep yourself moving forward in the Kingdom of God. Steadfastness has its rewards in time.
III.
Thirdly, complacency comes when we lose focus. The object of our faith is Christ alone. Christ is our focus.
There are two ways to see something. I can see an object with my eyes. But, I can also see an object with the eyes of my spirit. One of the greatest gifts God has given man is to visualize something internally. I can’t see Jesus with my physical eyes. But, I can see the Bible. I can read the Bible. And as I read the Bible, I begin to visualize internally what Jesus is like. In fact, the Holy Spirit is sent for this very purposeto help us maintain our focus on Christ. As our focus is maintained, we become changed in to His likeness.
Many people today fall to complacency because they take their eyes off the Word of God. They simply lose focus. They place their focus on other “things.” Before long they become transformed by the “things of this world.” The “things of this world” become their focus and then their god.
With your eyes on Jesus, you avoid misdirection in life. The best way to hit a bull’s-eye every time you throw a dart is to throw your dart at a blank target. Wherever the dart strikes, select that spot as the bull’s-eye and draw concentric circles around it.
Crazy, you say? No more absurd than an aimless person who stumbles into one day after another, setting today’s goal on the basis of yesterday’s deed. Wouldn’t you agree? A steadfast gaze upon the Master will direct you on a straight pathway.
With your eyes on Jesus, you can see what He’s up to. Isa. 45:11 tells us to ask God about the things to come. I can tell you this. Jesus is up to something big! In fact it wouldn’t surprise me if He’s no longer seated, but standing before the Father and ready to carry out this order, “My Son, it’s time. Go and gather up your bride. I’m calling them home.”
Remember this point to safe-guard yourself against complacency:
Stay focused on the Word. Stay in fellowship with your Christian brothers and sisters. Keep communicating with the Lordpray without ceasing!
Concluding remarks:
I have shared with you the danger of complacency. Be very cautious after great victories. To let down your guard and revel in the victory is to invite disaster. Stay alerted to the advantage you have when the enemy is on the run. Pursue the darkness, and crush it with the light of Jesus! Resist the temptation to live in your past accomplishments. Keep moving forward. And above all, keep your eyes on Jesus. Stay alerted to what the Spirit of Grace is doing around you. Don’t miss the move of God in this latter day.
What about you? Has complacency slipped into your relationship with God? Are you distant and needing a change? May I re-introduce you to the solution? His name is Jesus. The Bible says that there is “no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” The name Jesus is greater than the name, complacency. Just as light overcomes darkness by driving it away, so does the name Jesus when spoken with meaning from the heart, overcomes and drives away all the uncertainty about your eternal future.
You see God has provided you an eternal home in Heaven, but you must ask Him for it. And when you call upon God’s Son to save you, the Bible says that He will save you to the uttermost. He will name you as one of His own. He will nurture you and care for you in your relationship with Him. And then one day, He will call for you and carry you home. I must say though, heaven is not a place for the complacent. It is not a place for the “lovers of this world.” Heaven is home to those only who love God, who want to serve God, and who can stand in His courts of praise forever and ever, rejoicing with the saints.
Only Jesus makes this happen. Call upon His nameJESUS.
Keep the faith. Stay the course. Jesus is coming soon.
Pastor T.
About the Author
Pastor’s a small church in Broken Arrow, OK. U.S. Navy veteran and retired police officer with the city of Tulsa. Father of three grown children and grandfather of two grandchildren–Brynn and London who rests with Jesus in heaven.
Are You An Amber Gal?
Amber is a beautiful gift from mother nature. It comes in many different colors - yellow, orange, red, white, brown, green, blue and almost black. It may be transparent or clouded. Transparent tones range from pale to dark yellow, to yellow light brown. Cloudy amber comes in many colors.
Amber is fossilized resin of ancient trees that grew in “amber forests”. Through various physical and chemical changes the resin becomes Amber. Amber is unique because it is able to preserve the organic tissues in it. It is very common to find pieces of plants and insects, trapped in amber making it extremely valuable to both collectors and the scientists. A beautiful and fascinating gem!
Amber is found in various parts of the world. The largest amber deposits are off the shores of the Baltic Sea. Baltic Amber is the most sought after and valuable for making amber jewelry.
Baltic Amber has been used for decorative items since prehistoric times. A Baltic amber amulet has even been found in Egyptian tombs . Amber was also very popular in ancient Rome during the reign of Neron when: jewelry, ornaments, amulets, and even dice were made from amber. During the Middle Ages, amber prayer beads were exported. From the 16th century into the 18th century item made from amber included jewelry, dishes, buttons, pipe mouth pieces, chess sets and a host of other fine products.
The majority of Baltic amber comes from a 400-square-mile area - the Samland Peninsula, now known as the Kaliningrad region. The Kaliningrad amber mine supplies 99% of the Baltic amber. Up until the 19th century amber was retrieved manually from the sea. During the latter part of the 19th century operations became much more sophisticated as they began dredging and mining for amber. Since then millions of pounds of Baltic amber have been mined.. A small town in the Kaliningrad region has the world’s largest amber mine.
Amber has a special beauty in its ability for each piece to be truly original in nature and content. The downfall to amber is like anything organic it does not last forever. Baltic amber is known to have the longest life expectancy. Taking proper care of your amber will result in enjoyment for many years, sometimes thousands of years as seen with the recovery of jewels from the past.
Some important tips for caring for your amber:
* Never store amber where it may rub against hard surfaces such as metal or other jewelry.
* Do not expose amber to harsh chemicals such as soap, jewelry cleaners, perfumes, hair products.
* Do not expose amber to direct sunshine or heat.
* To clean your amber wash in lukewarm water. Use a soft cloth to wash and dry. To restore the shine polish with pure olive oil.
* Treat your amber like any fine gem
Where amber with pride, add it to your jewelry wardrobe and be sure to make your fashion statement!
About the Author
Sher from Estate Jewelry International has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing fashion, jewelry,and wedding help. Please visit us at http://www.estatejewelryinternational.com/
Are Internet Freebies On The Way Out?
We have ridden a long wave of Internet freebies. Free ISPs,
free e-books, free ezines, free email accounts, free
software programs; you name it, and it has been on the
Internet as some type of freebie.
We have all taken advantage of these freebies, some of us
more than others. Many of these came with a small price tag
such as providing your email address or other personal
information and/or agreeing to accept a certain amount of
advertising in exchange for the freebie.
Some freebies were not worth the time it took to download
and install them, and others were literally worth their
weight in gold. Some of us went into a freebie frenzy,
downloading everything that we found for free. We wound up
with so many ebooks and programs we didn’t have time to read
or use them and they wound up simply taking space on our
computers.
More and more Internet businesses are finding it fruitless
to give away freebies which do not produce buying customers.
Making a profit is the bottom line for any business. Where
there is no profit motive it is a hobby and not a business.
Recent events indicate a strong movement toward less
freebies. The search engines are a leading indicator. Some
of the largest search engines have gone from free to paid
listings. There is a growing trend of ezine publishers
switching to a paid subscription model from the old free
model. Other ezines which provided valuable information and
services have simply stopped publishing.
One of the larger free email providers has recently started
charging a minimal fee for its services. Will this spread
to the other free email providers?
Look around the Internet and you will find more web sites
closing. Many of these sites provided valuable services and
products, however they could not continue in business
without showing a profit. It is very difficult to compete
with free. The current line of thinking seems to be to
settle for the lesser free service or product rather than
pay for quality products and services.
We have grown to consider these freebies as a right rather
than a privilege and therefore resent losing them. This is
unjust because we expect to be properly paid for our own
efforts. Most of us cannot afford to work for free, yet we
expect others to do just that.
Our entire civilization is based on trading what we produce
for what others produce. It is a very simple concept.
Produce nothing and get nothing in return. Yet many of us
expect something for nothing.
Time and effort translate into money, and it takes time and
effort to produce and distribute freebies. Without a
profitable return on the freebies there is little or no
reason to provide them.
What happens to the Internet when the for-profit businesses
are forced out of existence by freebies? Will we still have
freebies? And if so, what quality of service or product can
we expect?
About the Author
Robert Taylor
Stop trying to make money the hard way. Discover a simple
system that will have you running a profitable online
business in no time. (Plus you get to sell this incredible
resource and keep all the money!)
http://www.traffictoyoursite.com/quickway.html
An Introduction to Dehumidifiers
Humid air is, by definition, saturated with water. It hangs in the air in a sort of limbo, waiting to land on something. It condenses on your skin, upholstery, walls, the cat, everywhere. This can cause not only a lot of discomfort for you and your cat, but also extensive damage to your house. Paint, wallpaper, wood, and art suffer especially.
Worst of all, excess humidity makes for a wonderful Petrie dish for mold and other types of harmful bacteria, presenting a health threat you can’t afford to ignore. About the only thing that can benefit from a constantly humid environment are cigars.
Dehumidifiers reduce the moisture in the air while reducing or eliminating deterioration of equipment due to rust, rot, mold and mildew. Home dehumidifiers remove from five to 15 quarts of water from the air daily.
All dehumidifiers are noisy - about as noisy as a window-mounted air conditioner - due to the fan and compressor. The fan draws air from the room, moves it through the machine, and blows it back out to the room. The compressor circulates the refrigerant through the evaporator coils.
The evaporator coils cool the air. This causes all the water to condense on the evaporator coils. The water then drips into a condensation pan, which diverts the water to the reservoir bucket.
The condenser coils then warm the dried air back up to room temperature before it is blown back out to the room. These wear out quickly and must be replaced every season.
Note that some reservoir buckets are bigger than others, ranging in capacity from 10 to 65 pints. When the reservoir bucket gets full, the machine automatically stops, thus preventing overflow. The bucket can then be removed, dumped out, and returned.
Alternatively, most models can be fitted with a drain hose or regular garden hose, which continuously lets water out into any drain.
About the Author
Dehumidifiers Info provides detailed information about basement, home, small, portable, and closet dehumidifiers, plus dehumidifier reviews, and more. Dehumidifiers Info is the sister site of Humidifiers Web.
An Introduction to Bamboo Flooring
A little known fact: bamboo is technically not a tree at all, but a grass that includes over 1,000 species. Even without planting, bamboo naturally grows back, and it reaches maturity in only four to five years. These qualities make bamboo an excellent, forest-friendly source of wood for flooring.
Bamboo flooring may be new to North America but there are already several importers. Almost all bamboo imported to Canada and the United States is grown and manufactured in China though, it can be found in all of Southeast Asia.
Bamboo flooring is durable, and has a warmth and beauty that makes it especially desirable for flooring. Though there are many species of bamboo, only some are suitable for making flooring. Moso, for instance, is a common choice that reaches 40-50 feet high after just one year of growth. In another three years, the reeds are mature enough for harvesting. After harvesting, the bamboo is dried in the sun and then cut into strips that are shaped and planed. From these strips, bamboo flooring is made through a process of laminating and staining. The two main colors available for bamboo flooring are natural (a light woody color), and carbonized (an amber shade). There are also other color variations depending on the staining method.
Bamboo flooring has many remarkable qualities that make it equal to or better than many other “wood” flooring options. It is as hard as hard maple, and has been confirmed as harder and more stable than red oak. Maintenance for bamboo flooring is no different than for other pre-finished wood floor products — frequent sweeping or vacuuming, spray cleaners, and occasionally mopping. Environmentally, the impact on world forests would be dramatically lessened if bamboo flooring were more widely used.
When considering bamboo flooring, it is important to know that not all bamboo is equal. Nor is all bamboo processing equal. Some discount or wholesale companies are already selling immaturely cut bamboo for bamboo flooring. The result is low-quality, cheap bamboo flooring that won’t last. Timing is also important in processing bamboo. If it is not treated within three days after it has been cut, the bamboo can easily mold, making the resulting flooring look bland and dull. Be sure to confirm that the wholesaler you deal with is knowledgeable and can assure that their bamboo and processing methods are of high quality.
About the Author
Bamboo Flooring Info provides detailed information about bamboo laminate flooring, discount bamboo flooring, installation, suppliers, and more. Bamboo Flooring Info is the sister site of Hardwood Floors Web.
Alternative Energy Facts.
The basics about alternative energy.
The alternative energies that most money has been invested in so far are solar and wind energy. One of the reasons that these energy sources are so popular is because of the availability of the fuels and the amount of research already conducted into their viability and possible uses. Solar power is probably the most effective and available energy that homeowners can use to help do their bit for the renewable energy cause. Photovoltaic tiles are easily and quickly installed on the roof, in the garden, on the shed or just about anywhere that you have a little spare room; and they aren’t the eye sores that they once were. Solar panels can be used to heat water, your house or your pool or for providing your entire house with electricity. They are without doubt the easiest way for you to help protect the environment.
Around the world.
The 1980s saw enough wind and solar power sources installed in California alone to power over 10 million homes but that’s still a small drop in the ocean. Nearly 80% of the fossil fuel reserves in the world are coal, but coal mining is decreasing with every day that passes, and not because of a lack of resource but because of the cost of extraction. These fossil fuels only form naturally and they take millions and millions of years to reform; this means that when we’ve run out of fossil fuels we can’t just wait for more to appear, we need to act now to find sustainable, ecologically friendly renewable energy sources.
Cleaner Fossil Fuels.
Even if we were to find a sustainable amount of fossil fuels it still has diverse effects on the world we live in. The burning of fossil fuels has been proven to be directly responsible for the phenomenon of global warming, which scientists believe will eventually kill all vegetation on this planet. However, there are new technologies being developed that enable us to remove 99% of the side effects associated with burning fossil fuels and safely turning them into power. Regrettably though, this simply isn’t an option.
The way forward.
The fact is that whether we safely produce energy using fossil fuels or not, it simply isn’t going to be an option for much longer. Future generations aren’t going to be offered the luxury of debating this issue, because without research now it is highly probably that the world will run out of fossil fuels long before we come up with a workable alternative. A number of worldwide committees have been set up in order to discuss and implement the best way forward regarding energy consumption; because of this many countries finally began to take the problem seriously. Many billions of dollars are being thrown into funding research and production of the various fossil fuels as well as trying to discover new sources of alternative energy.
About the Author
For more more information about alternative energy please visit http://www.alternative-energy-solutions.com
After the most up-to-date opinion with reference to gems.
Often when you are looking for high-class information about gems, it will be hard extracting the best information from reckless gems suggestions or guidance so it’s prudent to know how to judge the information you are presented with.
Jewelz.com Gemstones and Jewelry
Shop for various size and shape gems. View color pictures of gem selections such as rubies, sapphires, garnets, and amethysts.
Here are a few tips that you should make use of when you are trying to find information about gems. Please be aware that the guidance we put forward is only appropriate to internet info about gems. We can’t give you any tips or guidance for researching in ‘real world’ situations.
GemSuite.com Colored Gemstones
Company offers free shipping on loose gemstones, including tanzanite, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies. Each gemstone is graded by GIA-certified gemologists.
A good pointer to follow when you’re presented with information and advice about a gems web site is to research who is behind the website. This may show you the people behind the site gems integrity The easiest way to reveal who owns the gems web site is to look on the ‘about’ page or the sites ‘contact’ page.
Any reputable website providing information regarding gems, will almost certainly provide an ‘about’ or ‘contact’ page which will list the owner’s details. The fine points should detail a number of indications about the website owner’s expertise. You can then make a judgement about the webmaster’s training and understanding, to offer assistance with gems.
About the author:
Tom Brown is the webmaster for http://www.hession-herald.info
AFL Australian Football Semifinals
AFL (the goldmine) this week, only the winners can play in the next round of playoff stage!
Friday:
Sydney-Geelong
A loser (Sydney) and a winner (Geelong), this pair came out from the previous round of the very special playoff style of AFL. Sydney is hot favourite and would not be wise to bet against the home team in the so called semifinal, which is really not a semifinal… 12.00 CET my bet: Sydney to win
Saturday:
Adelaide Crows-Port Adelaide
A loser (Crows) and a winner (Port Adelaide) and the same home stadium. The result is everybody’s guess. 11.00 CET, my bet: Port Adelaide to win.
About the Author
winner blackjack sportbetting picks