5 signs of a dying church

* Attendance Loss

People stop attending and inviting others. They don't feel the same passion they felt when they first started attending or the burning desire they had when they were young. Quite frankly, they are not excited about their church or what is happening there.

* Attendance Leveling

I hear a lot of preachers say something like, "We've been running 300 quite regularly lately". They say that like it's a good thing, but in reality that's a bad thing. They've been running 300 for the last five years. That's not momentum...

* Offerings Have Recently Dropped

If people have stopped paying their tithes or regular giving to the church, that means that either they don't trust their minister with the money or they don't share the ministry's vision for their church. As a result, they're not being a supporter financially.

* No hanging around/fellowship after service

Every church I have been a part of, has always had wonderful fellowship of the members and their guests after the worship service had ended. Many are the times that the person locking the building up, had to tell people it's time to leave so he could go home. Have you noticed over the years that some people like to scurry out the door and leave immediately, instead of staying for a while and enjoying fellowship with their brothers and sisters in the Lord?

* Youth Group numbers declining.

Young people have a keen ability to recognize something that is real from something that is false. At least when it comes to faith, and whether or not people really love them or not.

Whether they know it or not, the young people of our generation are seeking after parental figures and role models. If the church is loving, caring, and reaches out to these young people, it will most likely have a Youth group that is growing exponentially.

5 signs ऑफ़ अ द्यिंग church

* Attendance Loss

People stop attending and inviting others. They don't feel the same passion they felt when they first started attending or the burning desire they had when they were young. Quite frankly, they are not excited about their church or what is happening there.

* Attendance Leveling

I hear a lot of preachers say something like, "We've been running 300 quite regularly lately". They say that like it's a good thing, but in reality that's a bad thing. They've been running 300 for the last five years. That's not momentum...

* Offerings Have Recently Dropped

If people have stopped paying their tithes or regular giving to the church, that means that either they don't trust their minister with the money or they don't share the ministry's vision for their church. As a result, they're not being a supporter financially.

* No hanging around/fellowship after service

Every church I have been a part of, has always had wonderful fellowship of the members and their guests after the worship service had ended. Many are the times that the person locking the building up, had to tell people it's time to leave so he could go home. Have you noticed over the years that some people like to scurry out the door and leave immediately, instead of staying for a while and enjoying fellowship with their brothers and sisters in the Lord?

* Youth Group numbers declining.

Young people have a keen ability to recognize something that is real from something that is false. At least when it comes to faith, and whether or not people really love them or not.

Whether they know it or not, the young people of our generation are seeking after parental figures and role models. If the church is loving, caring, and reaches out to these young people, it will most likely have a Youth group that is growing exponentially.

My Destiny

वहत इस माय देस्तिन्य?
वहत ऍम इ मदे फॉर इन थिस वर्ल्ड?
वहत पथ हस गोद चोसें फॉर में?
दो इ त्राद ओं ठाट पथ,
और हवे इ वीरेद आवे फ्रॉम आईटी?
दो इ सुब्मित म्य्सेल्फ़ व्होल्ली तो हिम अस अब्राहम दीद,
और दो इ चूसे तो हवे आईटी माय ओवन वे?
थे पथ इ त्राद उपों नो,
इन वहत वे दोएस आईटी इन्फ़्लुएन्के माय वर्ल्ड,
पोसितिवेली?
और पेर्हप्स नेगातिवेली?
तेरे अरे सो मानी क़ुएस्तिओन्स इ ओउघ्त तो आस्क म्य्सेल्फ़,
बुत थें थे लिस्ट इस एन्द्लेस.
थे स्पेशल गरचे ऑफ़ थे अल्मिघ्टी, जेहोवाह शम्मः,
इस वहत इ नीद तो सी में थ्रौघ.
थिस इस अबाउट में,
वहत अबाउट यू?
शालोम.

Faithfulness in our calling

He went out to meet Asa and said to him, 'Listen to me, Asa and all
Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with Him. If you
seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will
forsake you.'" - 2 Chronicles 15:2

Asa was the king of Judah from 912-872 B.C. He reigned for 41 years and
was known as a good king who served the Lord with great zeal. He
reformed many things. He broke down idol worship to foreign gods; he
put away male prostitutes and even removed his own mother from being
queen because she worshiped an idol. The Scriptures say that as long as
he sought the Lord, the Lord prospered his reign.

However, Asa was not totally faithful in his calling. There came a time in his life when he made a decision to no longer trust in
the God of Israel. He lost his confidence in God as his deliverer. The
prophet Hanani came to Asa to inform him that God's blessing was no
longer on his life because of an ungodly alliance he had made.

Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the Lord, He
delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord range
throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully
committed to Him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you
will be at war (2 Chronicles 16:8-9).

There are no guarantees that if we began well we will finish well. The life of Asa tells us this. It is only through God's grace
that we can be faithful to our calling. Each of us is capable of
falling away from God. Pray that God will keep you faithful to the
purposes He has for your life. He strengthens those whose hearts are
fully committed to Him.

· A leader is one who has the courage to dream, the ability to organize and the strength to execute the action necessary – Bill Newman

· A leader is simple one who knows where he /she want to go, gets up and goes. – Bill Newman

· A leader is one who creates, natures and sees his idea to maturity that others may follow suit- Paschal Onuorah

· Every leader needs to spend time in solitude and reflection – Bill Newman

· A leader is someone who readily accepts idea and utilizes them for beneficial purposes. – Paschal Onuorah

· A leader is he who is ready to serve and not be served - Paschal Onuorah

· A leader must be a visionary - Paschal Onuorah

· Dynamic leadership is always fired by vision – Bill Newman

· A leader is one who has the courage to dream, the ability to organize and the strength to execute the action necessary – Bill Newman

· A leader is simple one who knows where he /she want to go, gets up and goes. – Bill Newman

· A leader is one who creates, natures and sees his idea to maturity that others may follow suit- Paschal Onuorah

· Every leader needs to spend time in solitude and reflection – Bill Newman

· A leader is someone who readily accepts idea and utilizes them for beneficial purposes. – Paschal Onuorah

· A leader is he who is ready to serve and not be served - Paschal Onuorah

· A leader must be a visionary - Paschal Onuorah

· Dynamic leadership is always fired by vision – Bill Newman

Vision Part 1

· Your vision or dream is simply your view of what life would be like if certain current needs are met. – Bill Newman

· Your vision is that revelation given to you by God which with determination and doggedness, its actualization can be set in motion -Paschal Onuorah

· Vision creates power – Bill Newman

· Vision is that resolution whose actualization will be beneficial to the world around you. Paschal Onuorah

· Vision is a comprehensive sense of where you are, where you are going, how you are going to get there, and what u’ll do after you get there – Bill Newman

· Vision creates an atmosphere for impossible possibilities – Paschal Onuorah

· Vision is about dreaming dreams about the future – Bill Newman

· Vision is seeing the big picture and personally painting apart of it – Bill Newman

· Vision is being challenged by the world around you and bring compelled to make a mark on it though the force of your own ideas, personality, resources and desires. Bill Newman

· Vision is the camp fire around which people will gather – Bill

· Newman

रेसुर्रेक्टेद FAITH

"थें हे रेअचेद आउट हिस हैण्ड एंड टूक थे क्निफे तो सले हिस सों" (गें २२:१०).

तेरे अरे तिमेस इन ओउर लिवेस व्हेन गोद ब्रिंग्स अ टेस्ट तो सी इफ वे अरे रेअद्य तो पुट तो देअथ थे वैरी थिंग ठाट गोद प्रोमिसेद वे वौल्ड हवे. सुच वास थे केस इन थे लाइफ ऑफ़ अब्राहम विथ इसाक. इसाक वास थे प्रोमिसेद सों. येत, गोद सैद तो रिसे थे क्निफे तो सक्रिफिस हिम इन ओबेदिएन्के तो गोद.

व्हेन गोद ब्रिंग्स सुच अ टेस्ट इन्तो ओउर लिवेस वे उसुअल्ली हवे अ चोइस. निठेर चोइस इस अत्त्रक्टिवे. ओने चोइस विल ओफ्तें सल्वागे सम आस्पेक्ट ऑफ़ थे विसिओं. थे ओथेर चोइस विल तोताल्ली किल थे विसिओं फ्रॉम ओउर पेर्स्पेक्टिवे. होवेवर, ठाट इस थे फैथ देसिसिओं. ठाट इस थे ओनली देसिसिओं फ्रॉम गोद'स पेर्स्पेक्टिवे.

इफ वे चूसे थे फैथ देसिसिओं ठाट किल्स थे विसिओं - वे विल विटनेस थे रेसुर्रेक्तिओन ऑफ़ थे विसिओं सुपेर्नातुराल्ली बी गोद. ओउर ओवन फैथ विल बे लौन्चेद इन्तो अ व्होले न्यू दिमेंसिओं. हे विल रिसे उस उप इन आर्डर तो स्पेअक थ्रौघ ओउर लिवेस इन ठाट एक्ष्पेरिएन्के. गोद ओफ्तें ब्रिंग्स ठाट परसों इन्तो अ वैरी पब्लिक मिनिस्ट्री.

होवेवर, इफ वे चूसे थे लेस्सेर देसिसिओं, वे विल रेसिडे इन अ लेस्सेर वाल्क विथ गोद. गोद विल एक्सेप्ट थे देसिसिओं बुत तेरे विल बे कोन्सेक़ुएन्केस तो ओउर फैथ जौर्नी. हे कान्नोत ट्रस्ट उस विथ अ बिग्गेर विसिओं बेकाउसे हे सीस ओउर ओबेदिएन्के इस मोवे-अबले बसेड ओं ओउर पेर्सिवेद कोन्सेक़ुएन्केस.

इफ वे चूसे थे लेस्सेर देसिसिओं थें गोद विल ओफ्तें ओर्चेस्त्रते ओथेर इवेंट्स इन ओउर लिवेस ठाट अरे देसिग्नेद तो डेवेलोप ओउर फैथ तो अ लेवल ठाट विल अल्लो उस तो मके थे राईट देसिसिओं थे नेक्स्ट टाइम.

पेर्सप्तिओं इस नो reality

"The lions may roar and growl, yet the teeth of the great lions are broken." - Job 4:१०

In the advertising business we often say that "perception is reality"
for the person who views our advertising message. It does not matter
whether the audience believes the message to be true, only that they
perceive it to be true. Their actions will be the same whether they
believe it or only perceive it.

The enemy of our souls is very good at this game. He may bring on us what we perceive to be true when it is a lie. It may appear that
there is no way around a situation. He may bring great fear on us. When
we buy into his lie, we believe only what we have chosen to perceive to
be true. It usually has no basis of truth. Such was the case when Peter
looked on the waters during a night boat journey with the other
disciples. At first glance, he and the disciples screamed with fear,
thinking that what they saw was a ghost. It was actually Jesus.

Satan's name means "accuser." He travels to and fro to accuse the brethren. He brings an impressive front to all he does, yet behind
that front is a weak, toothless lion with a destination that has
already been prepared in the great abyss. He knows his destination, but
he wants to bring as many with him as possible; so he often has a big
roar, but little bite.
The next time some event comes into your life that creates fear and trembling, first determine the source. Look past the emotions and
evaluate the situation in light of God's Word. Perception is not always
reality.

Humility in Relationships by Pastor John Mark

"All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another,
because, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" - 1 Peter 5:5

I'll never forget the first time I discovered what a feeling was. It
was in my early forties. "Surely not!" you may be thinking. Yes, it is
true. Since then, I have discovered many men still live in this
condition. It took an older mentor to help me understand the difference
between information and a feeling. Wives are frustrated because their
husbands share information, but not their feelings. They want to know
what is going on inside their man. The fact is, most men have not been
taught to identify feelings, much less how to share them. It is
something that men must learn to do because it is not a natural trait.
If they do share their feelings, society often portrays them as weak.
No man willingly wants to be portrayed as weak.

In order to become an effective friend and leader, one must learn to be vulnerable with others and develop an ability to share
feelings. It is a vital step to becoming a real person with whom others
can connect emotionally. This is not easy to do if your parents did not
teach you to share your emotional life with others. Emotional
vulnerability is especially hard for men. Author Dr. Larry Crabb
states,

Men who as boys felt neglected by their dads often remain distant from their own children. The sins of fathers are
passed on to children, often through the dynamic of self-protection. It
hurts to be neglected, and it creates questions about our value to
others. So to avoid feeling the sting of further rejection, we refuse
to give that part of ourselves we fear might once again be received
with indifference. When our approach to life revolves around
discipline, commitment, and knowledge [which the Greek influence
teaches us] but runs from feeling the hurt of unmet longings that come
from a lack of deeper relationships, then our efforts to love will be
marked more by required action than by liberating passion. We will be
known as reliable, but not involved. Honest friends will report that
they enjoy being with us, but have trouble feeling close. Even our best
friends (including spouses) will feel guarded around us, a little tense
and vaguely distant. It's not uncommon for Christian leaders to have no
real friends. [Larry Crabb, Inside Out (Colorado Springs, Colorado:
Navpress, n.d.), 98-99.]


If this describes you, why not begin on a new journey of opening up
your life to others in a way that others can see who you really are? It
might be scary at first, but as you grow in this area, you will find
new freedom in your life. Then, others will more readily connect with
you.

Humility in Relationships by Pastor John Mark

"All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another,
because, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" - 1 Peter 5:5

I'll never forget the first time I discovered what a feeling was. It
was in my early forties. "Surely not!" you may be thinking. Yes, it is
true. Since then, I have discovered many men still live in this
condition. It took an older mentor to help me understand the difference
between information and a feeling. Wives are frustrated because their
husbands share information, but not their feelings. They want to know
what is going on inside their man. The fact is, most men have not been
taught to identify feelings, much less how to share them. It is
something that men must learn to do because it is not a natural trait.
If they do share their feelings, society often portrays them as weak.
No man willingly wants to be portrayed as weak.

In order to become an effective friend and leader, one must learn to be vulnerable with others and develop an ability to share
feelings. It is a vital step to becoming a real person with whom others
can connect emotionally. This is not easy to do if your parents did not
teach you to share your emotional life with others. Emotional
vulnerability is especially hard for men. Author Dr. Larry Crabb
states,

Men who as boys felt neglected by their dads often remain distant from their own children. The sins of fathers are
passed on to children, often through the dynamic of self-protection. It
hurts to be neglected, and it creates questions about our value to
others. So to avoid feeling the sting of further rejection, we refuse
to give that part of ourselves we fear might once again be received
with indifference. When our approach to life revolves around
discipline, commitment, and knowledge [which the Greek influence
teaches us] but runs from feeling the hurt of unmet longings that come
from a lack of deeper relationships, then our efforts to love will be
marked more by required action than by liberating passion. We will be
known as reliable, but not involved. Honest friends will report that
they enjoy being with us, but have trouble feeling close. Even our best
friends (including spouses) will feel guarded around us, a little tense
and vaguely distant. It's not uncommon for Christian leaders to have no
real friends. [Larry Crabb, Inside Out (Colorado Springs, Colorado:
Navpress, n.d.), 98-99.]


If this describes you, why not begin on a new journey of opening up
your life to others in a way that others can see who you really are? It
might be scary at first, but as you grow in this area, you will find
new freedom in your life. Then, others will more readily connect with
you.

Thought Conditioners

Thought Conditioner No. 1

The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Luke 18:27

Thought Conditioner No. 2

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27

Thought Conditioner No. 3

Renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Thought Conditioner No. 4

Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Thought Conditioner No. 5

What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Mark 11:24

Thought Conditioner No. 6

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Thought Conditioner No. 7

I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10

Thought Conditioner No. 8

Confess your faults, one for another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16

Thought Conditioner No. 9

If God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

Thought Conditioner No. 10

The kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:21

Thought Conditioner No. 11

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 11 Timothy 1:7

Thought Conditioner No. 12

Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Psalm 73:24

Thought Conditioner No. 13

Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:13

Thought Conditioner No. 14

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

Thought Conditioner No. 15

He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he. Proverbs 16:20

Thought Conditioner No. 16

Incline your ear, and come unto Me: hear, and your soul shall live. Isaiah 55:3

Thought Conditioner No. 17

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Ephesians 3:20

Thought Conditioner No. 18

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Matthew 7:7

Thought Conditioner No. 19

I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Philippians 4:11

Thought Conditioner No. 20

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him. Psalm 62:5

Thought Conditioner No. 21

Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9

Thought Conditioner No. 22

Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2

Thought Conditioner No. 23

But as many as received Him, to them gave He power. John 1:12

Thought Conditioner No. 24

The thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. Job 3:25

Thought Conditioner No. 25

This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

Thought Conditioner No. 26

In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, Romans 8:37-39

Thought Conditioner No. 27

If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. John 7:37

Thought Conditioner No. 28

Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. Matthew 5:44

Thought Conditioner No. 29

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13

Thought Conditioner No. 30

In Him we live, and move, and have our being. Acts 17:28

Thought Conditioner No. 31

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. II Corinthians 5:17

Thought Conditioner No. 32

Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Mark 11:23

Thought Conditioner No. 33

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Thought Conditioner No. 34

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. I Corinthians 2:9

Thought Conditioner No. 35

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22

Thought Conditioner No. 36

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee. Isaiah 26:3

Thought Conditioner No. 37

This is the refreshing. Isaiah 28:12

Thought Conditioner No. 38

I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4

Thought Conditioner No. 39

When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any. Mark 11:25

Thought Conditioner No. 40

They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Revelation 7:16-17

Norman Vincent Peale: 40 Thought Conditioner Verses

LEADERSHIP

* "A Leader is one who guides and develops the activities of others, and seek to provide continual
training and direction."
-Ted Engstrom.
* "Leadership is the discipline of deliberately exerting special influence within a group, to move it
towards goals of beneficial permanence that fulfill the groups needs."
-John Haggai.
* "Leadership is:
*Knowing what to do next
*Knowing why that's important; and
*Knowing how to bring appropriate resources to bear on the needs at hand."
-Bobb Biehl.
* "Leading is causing people to take effective action."
-Howard Hendricks.
* "A Leader is one who affects people's lives positively in such a way that they emulate his
actions, believing in its effectiveness."
-Paschal Onuorah.
* "A Leader is one who knows the way,
Goes the way,
and Shows the way."
-Bill Newman.
* ^{Heb. 11:8-128}By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. ⁹By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

¹¹By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he^a]">[a]considered him faithful who had made the promise. ¹²And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

* "Leaders have empires in their brain."
-Bill Newman.
* "Leaders organize special dream times."
-Bill Newman.

On a certain day in Jesus busy ministry, He was on His way to heal a certain child. While on the journey a woman with an issue of blood reached out to Him and through faith touched Him and received her miraculous healing. Jesus felt the virtue (or anointing) leave Him as she received this healing. He asked, "Who touched me?"
In your ministry, many people are going to pull strength from you. Though Jesus was simply walking along the road on the way to heal a child, someone found a way to press through the crowd and pull it out of Him.
They will call you nearly any time of day. They'll show up at your house when you least expect it. They will tell you their problems at the grocery store. If you show up early for church, there will often be someone there who feels it is their chance to "have your attention".
By the time you get up to preach you may find yourself without virtue from time to time. Preaching itself will drain you of your virtue when you preach under the anointing. I have worked hard in the construction field most of my life, and seldom felt as tired and exhausted as I do after preaching an anointed sermon.
Jesus Himself experienced times when He had to retreat from the crowd and even His close followers to get alone with the Father. This is where He found His virtue (anointing). There is no replacement for personal prayer and time alone with the Source of virtue. Prayer, fasting and constant communion are of absolute necessity if you desire to maintain your virtue.
A Preacher without virtue is like a mechanic without tools. He can tell you what is wrong, but he can't help you very much. Virtue is needed to minister to someone who has been attacked by Satan. Anointing is needed to lift them up and heal them of their physical and spiritual wounds.
Preaching without virtue is just oratory. It might be interesting to listen to, but if it does not heal, it is of little use. It takes virtue to deliver souls from sin. It takes anointing to break the yoke of bondage in people's lives. Without a saturation of the Spirit on a message, it is little more than a lecture.
While a well thought out and prepared message is of absolute necessity, it alone cannot break the yoke. It takes virtue. It takes anointing. It takes prayer. A preacher can accept no substitute for having power with God.
If all Peter had was a good message to preach the day he came across the lame man at the gate Beautiful, there would have been no healing. Peter had something more that day. Peter had anointing/virtue. He had the goods to get the job done.
What is the response after you preach? Do people receive the Holy Ghost? Do they get delivered or healed? Is there virtue in your preaching or is it just good oratory.
Recently a mentor of mine was speaking about evangelists who seem to have a hard time getting their message across. He told me that he stopped second guessing these evangelists as the result from the congregation in the altar was often very powerful. "Many would be be saved " he said "even though the message was not all that compelling."
Preaching under the anointing of the Holy Spirit will break yokes of bondage in people's lives. It will deliver the lost. While you find time to study this week, don't forget to seek God for the anointing. Neither Mathew Henry, Strong, nor a thousand hours of study can take the place of your time in prayer before the Lord.
When we first started MPMMI, our hope was that we could help ministers who's time was so burdened to reduce their study time by utilizing the resources from the site. This reduction in study time would then be better used as time seeking God in prayer for the service.
Many people do not understand the enormous pressure and constraint of time on the average pastor who may be working a full time job as well as Pastoring a church. I understand it all too well. My prayer for you is that the Lord will provide you a way to have more time to get into His word and prepare your heart for that next move of His Spirit.

Birth and death of a Vision

"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." - John 12:24
Almost every significant thing God births He allows to die before the vision is fulfilled in His own way.
-Abraham had a vision of being the father of a great nation (birth). Sarah was barren and became too old to have children (death). God gave Abraham and Sarah a son in their old age. He became the father of a great nation (fulfillment).
-Joseph had a vision that he would be a great leader and that many would bow down to him (birth). Joseph's brothers sold him to some merchants and he became a slave. Later he was falsely condemned to spend his years in prison (death). God allowed Joseph to interpret the dreams of the butler and baker and later the king, whereupon, he was made a ruler in the land (fulfillment).
-Moses had a vision of leading his people out of the bondage of Egypt (birth). Pharaoh as well as his own people drove Moses out of Egypt after Moses' first attempt to relieve their bondage (death). God gave Moses signs and wonders to convince Pharaoh to free the people and bring them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land (fulfillment).
-The disciples had a vision of establishing the Kingdom of God with Jesus (birth). The very ones He came to save killed Jesus, and the disciples saw Him buried in a tomb (death). God raised Jesus from the dead, and the disciples performed great miracles until the gospel had spread through all the world (fulfillment).
-A grain of wheat has a "vision" of reproducing itself and many more grains of wheat (birth). The grain dies in the ground (death). A harvest springs up out of the very process of "death" in the ground (fulfillment).
Has God given you a vision that is yet unfulfilled? If that vision is born of God, He will raise it up in His own way. Do not try to raise the vision in your own strength. Like Moses, who tried to fulfill the vision of freeing the Hebrews by killing the Egyptian, it will only fail. But wait on your heavenly Father to fulfill the vision. Then you will know that it was His vision when He fulfills it in the way only He can do.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit for his gifts

Holy Spirit, divine Consoler, I adore You as my true God, with God the Father and God the Son. I adore You and unite myself to the adoration You receive from the angels and saints.

I give You my heart and I offer my ardent thanksgiving for all the grace which You never cease to bestow on me.

O Giver of all supernatural gifts, who filled the soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with such immense favors, I beg You to visit me with Your grace and Your love and to grant me the gift of holy fear, so that it may act on me as a check to prevent me from falling back into my past sins, for which I beg pardon.

Grant me the gift of piety, so that I may serve You for the future with increased fervor, follow with more promptness Your holy inspirations, and observe your divine precepts with greater fidelity.

Grant me the gift of knowledge, so that I may know the things of God and, enlightened by Your holy teaching, may walk, without deviation, in the path of eternal salvation.

Grant me the gift of fortitude, so that I may overcome courageously all the assaults of the devil, and all the dangers of this world which threaten the salvation of my soul.

Grant me the gift of counsel, so that I may choose what is more conducive to my spiritual advancement and may discover the wiles and snares of the tempter.

Grant me the gift of understanding, so that I may apprehend the divine mysteries and by contemplation of heavenly things detach my thoughts and affections from the vain things of this miserable world.

Grant me the gift of wisdom, so that I may rightly direct all my actions, referring them to God as my last end; so that, having loved Him and served Him in this life, I may have the happiness of possessing Him eternally in the next. Amen.

Dear Holy Spirit fill the heart of the faithful, and rekindle in them the fire of your love