HOPE DEALER In Amishland

The 5th & final way to vaccinate ourselves from the negative effects of the Whine Flu is this... 5. Don’t strike the rock, speak in faith. Numbers 20:7-12, "God spoke to Moses: "Take the staff. Assemble the community, you and your brother Aaron. Speak to that rock that's right in front of them and it will give water. You will bring water out of the rock for them; congregation and cattle will both drink." Moses took the staff away from God's presence, as commanded. He and Aaron rounded up the whole congregation in front of the rock. Moses spoke: "Listen, rebels! Do we have to bring water out of this rock for you?" With that Moses raised his arm and slammed his staff against the rock—once, twice. Water poured out. Congregation and cattle drank. God said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you didn't trust me, didn't treat me with holy reverence in front of the People of Israel, you two aren't going to lead this company into the land that I

When I first got married I read a book by Dr. Willard Harley, a counselor in Minnesota, called, "His Needs, Her Needs." He has identified through thousands of couples what he thinks are the top 5 needs of most men and the top 5 needs of most women. I also read a book by Dr. Gary Chapman called, "The 5 Love Languages." Both of these books have been incredibly helpful in my marriage because they teach you what the needs of your spouse are & how you can meet them. I encourage you to take the time to click on the book titles above & discover more about them when you are finished reading the post below. The thoughts below are from a our mid-week series that we have adapted from Rick Warren based on the 10 commandments. Great stuff! THE PREVENTION: SIX STEPS 1. MAKE A COMMITMENT TO GOD'S STANDARDS. "How can a (person) keep his way pure? By living according to your Word." Ps. 119:9 "Be faithful to your own wife and give your love t

HOW TO CONQUER THE WHINE FLU Below are 4 thoughts about how you can vaccinate yourself against the whine flu once and for all. 1. ADMIT THAT YOU HAVE A PROBLEM. "A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance." Prov. 28:13 (LB) Admit it is a problem for you, not for other people, but for you. Often the most difficult part in learning how to handle complaining is recognizing it in yourself. If someone recorded you for a week, what would it reveal about your speech. How much time do you spend griping, grumping, complaining, arguing, and saying "life stinks." You've got to admit it's a problem for me. 2. ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. "Some people ruin themselves by their own stupid mistakes and then blame the Lord." Prov. 19:3 (GN) When I bring problems into my life, I have no legitimate right to complain. Many times complaining is just an excuse to be irresponsible an

Take your temperature today & determine if you are coming down with the whine flu! Are you... 1. THE "COMPLAINER": Favorite saying, "It's not fair." (David) "Have I been wasting my time Why take all the trouble to be pure? All I get out of it is trouble and woe." Psalm 73:13 (LB) These people wake up negative. They rise and whine. David whines all through the Psalms. Life is not fair. God never said it is going to be fair. In fact, fairness ended in the garden of Eden & will not return until Heaven. As long as you complain about the fact that life is not fair it only makes you more miserable. But it will never change the fact that life is not always fair. Complaining does not work. 2. THE "MARTYR": Favorite saying, "No one appreciates me." "Moses said to the Lord, `Why pick on me, to give me the burden of a people like this? I can't carry this nation by myself! ... If you're going to treat me like

This weekend I shared a message that was challenging and hopefully encouraging to our church family. This week I want to talk about a very important topic. I'm using the imagery of the whine flu to help us think about our words & our future. God has given every person incredible power through the use of our words. Maybe you aren't where you want to be in life today. The truth is that the words that you've spoken in the past are directly tied to your present & your future. The Bible teaches us that our words are simply the overflow from what is in our hearts. What we say is ultimately what we believe. What you believe is where your faith is established. If you're mouth is full of negativity & complaining, your heart is full of doubt. The Apostle Paul reminds us in PHILIPPIANS 2:14-15 "Do everything without complaining or arguing (WHINING), so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generat