Reverend Dale Seeley - Prayer

James 5:16b ". . . the prayers of a righteous man (individual) is powerful and effective."

1. Ask God to bring us non-believers that we might share the Gospel with them.

2. Ask God to bring us seasoned believers looking for a new church home who can help us accomplish our mission.

3. Ask God to help us become more committed to developing our spiritual disciplines: praying, reading and studying the Bible, witnessing, giving of our time, talents, and financial resources, being involved in worship.

4. Ask God to bless the various ministries and missions that we do in His name.

5. Ask God to help us to be keenly aware of the various ways that Satan will try to sabotage the work of His church at First by creating disunity, distrust, fear, and division.

6. Ask God to protect our church staff and their families; physical and spiritual protection.

7. Ask God to give our church leaders a spirit of unity, oneness of purpose, and wisdom for guiding our church.

8. Ask God to give an even greater love for people that are without Christ and show us ways that we can share God's love with them..

9. Ask God to help us grow our preschool, children, and student ministry.

10. Ask God to give ou Pastor wisdom, discernment, and guidance as he prepares the weekly teachings/sermons.

--Reverend Dale Seeley, First Baptist Church of Newport News Virginia

(The Pastor asks that we pray for these things each day to grow our church and increase our committment to our community. I think it pretty much covers almost everything. I am on the Presidental Prayer Team which has been a real test for me since we changed administrations. I actually do pray for the President. I may not agree with his politics, policies, and programs, but I do believe in praying for my country and it's leaders. Especially, since Christian principles are what formed this country and we must maintain that continuity for the future of this country and our children.) - Barbara's comments

You reap what you Sow

The man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like she had never missed a meal in her life. His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before.
"Leave me alone," he growled... To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling -- her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows.
"Are you hungry?" she asked.
"No," he answered sarcastically. "I've just come from dining with the president. Now go away."
The woman's smile became even broader.
Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm. "What are you doing, lady?" the man asked angrily. "I said to leave me alone.
Just then a policeman came up. "Is there any problem, ma'am?" he asked..
"No problem here, officer," the woman answered. "I'm just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?"
The officer scratched his head. "That's old Jack. He's been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?"
"See that cafeteria over there?" she asked. "I'm going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile."
"Are you crazy, lady?" the homeless man resisted. "I don't want to go in there!" Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up.
"Let me go, officer. I didn't do anything."
"This is a good deal for you, Jack," the officer answered. "Don't blow it."
Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived.
The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table. "What's going on here, officer?" he asked. "What is all this, is this man in trouble?"
"This lady brought this man in here to be fed," the policeman answered..
"Not in here!" the manager replied angrily. "Having a person like that here is bad for business."
Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. "See, lady. I told you so. Now if you'll let me go. I didn't want to come here in the first place."
The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. "Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?"
"Of course I am," the manager answered impatiently. "They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms."
"And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?"
"What business is that of yours?"
I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company."
"Oh."
The woman smiled again. "I thought that might make a difference."
She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a laugh. "Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?"
"No thanks, ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty."
"Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?"
"Yes, ma'am. That would be very nice."
The cafeteria manager turned on his heel. "I'll get your coffee for you right away, officer."
The officer watched him walk away. "You certainly put him in his place," he said.
"That was not my intent.... Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this."
She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently.
"Jack, do you remember me?"
Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes. "I think so--I mean you do look familiar."
"I'm a little older perhaps," she said. "Maybe I've even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry."
"Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly. He couldn't believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry.
"I was just out of college," the woman began. "I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat."
Jack lit up with a smile. "Now I remember," he said. "I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy.."
"I know," the woman continued. "Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble. Then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything would be all right."
"So you started your own business?" Old Jack said.
"I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business that, with the help of God, prospered.." She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. "When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons. He's the personnel director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do around the office."
She smiled. "I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet. If you ever need anything, my door is always open to you."There were tears in the old man's eyes. "How can I ever thank you?" he asked.
"Don't thank me," the woman answered. "To God goes the glory. Thank Jesus.... He led me to you."
Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways. "Thank you for all your help, officer," she said.
"On the contrary, Ms.. Eddy," he answered. "Thank you.... I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget. And...And thank you for the coffee."If you have missed knowing me, you have missed nothing.
If you have missed some of my emails, you might have missed a laugh.
But, if you have missed knowing my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, you have missed everything in the world.
Have a Wonderful Day. May God Bless You Always and don't forget that when you "cast your bread upon the waters," you never know how it will be returned to you. God is so big He can cover the whole world with his Love and so small He can curl up inside your heart.
When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully and let go.
Only 1 of 2 things will happen, either He'll catch you when you fall, or He'll teach you how to fly!
The power of one sentence! God is going to shift things around for you today and let things work in your favor. If you believe, send it. If you don't believe, delete it.
God closes doors no man can open & God opens doors no man can close..

Have a blessed day and remember to be a blessing...

This wonderful story was sent to me by my friend Al Harris in Memphis TN.
ALHarris and Associates,
901-491-8073 cell
"There are 3 kinds of people in the world:• Those that MAKE THINGS HAPPEN...• Those that WATCH Things Happen...• and Those that SAY "What Happened?"

ANGER IN Christians

Ephesians 4:29-32
29 Let no wholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Anger itself is not sinful. The Lord Jesus, became upset, so we know it’s not always wrong. Our reaction, however, can be sinful. When we respond to anger in the wrong way, we can bring emotional, physical, and spiritual devastation on ourselves and others. How should we handle this powerful emotion in a way that will please the Lord?

People handle anger by repression or just deny it exists. Sometime we suppress anger and refuse to deal with it. There can be harsh outbursts where we my try to make excuses for ourselves because "this in how God made me." The correct response to anger is self-control through the power of the Holy Spirit.

We must confess our anger and not deny our feelings because it may make us to stay angry longer. If we harbor anger against our brother, we can never know the fullness of peace that a relationhip with Jesus Christ can bring

We have to identify the source and identify the root of the anger, otherewise you could lash out at someone who did nothing wrong. Deal with anger quickly. Satan wants you to dwell on negative feelings so they will become stronger. Scripture says to deal with your anger (Eph. 4:26-27). If at all possible, deal with your anger before the sun sets. but in some instances of extreme pain and suffering, you won’t be able to get rid of hostility before the sun sets. But you should acknowledge your feelings and decide to deal with them. You shouldn’t just accept rage as a natural response and allow it to become part of your life.

Do not sin. It is possible to get angry without sinning (Eph. 4:26). In fact, anger can motivate us to take necessary action or right a wrong. Consider the example Christ set for us (Matt. 21:13-14; 23:13-33; Mark 3:2-5). Take a time out. Make a purposeful decision not to react quickly, because your first impulse will likely be an unwise one. Give the other person time to talk. Then you will be able to respond in a godly manner. You and I should strive to be “quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.” (James 1:19; see also Ps. 103:8)

Analyze the situation. Has somebody hurt those who are mad at you? Are they frustrated, insecure, jealous, or fatigued? You can use similar questions to analyze your own feelings as well. Getting to the root of the conflict will help you know how to address it.

Don't let you anger take hold of you. Don't ventilate and hurt others. As believers, we must carefully consider how our words affect others. So if venting is needed, tell it to the Lord. Get on your knees in a private place and tell God exactly how you feel. He will begin to work in your heart and draw you toward forgiveness.

Put it away. Ephesians 4:31 says, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” We should “put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Col. 3:12). Both of these actions are possible only through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Replace it. Harness the energy that anger gives you. Use it to wax your car, hit golf balls at the driving range, or clean out a closet. Determine the benefits. The positive side of anger is that it can motivate us to take constructive action, such as fixing problems.

Prevent a wrong response from recurring. We can’t always avoid antagonistic feelings, but we can control how we react to them. Decide ahead of time how you will act in challenging situations. Determine to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become upset.

Stay away from hostile people. Proverbs 22:24-25 says, “Do not associate with a man given to anger; or go with a hot-tempered man, or you will learn his ways and find a snare for yourself.” Refrain from starting relationships with those who are constantly irritated.

Conclusion: Our world is full of injustice, hurt, and rejection. People cut us off on the highway, betray our confidence, and harm those we love. It’s impossible for us to avoid all the causes of anger. However, you and I can choose to respond to this powerful emotion in a way that will honor the Lord. When the Holy Spirit enables you to extend forgiveness to others, you will enjoy the supernatural peace and joy God desires for all His children.

This was paraphrased from a sermon by Dr. Charles Stanley. First Baptist Church of Atlanta. and In Touch Ministries.

I visited here today and thought that you would enjoy it too! - check this out at: http://wandascountryhome.com/letter-jesus/index.html

FATHER GOD

We honor and praise Your name and we come to You with a yearning in our hearts for You.

† Lord, we ask Your call on our lives be blessed and that you lead us in the way of Abraham, to follow your regardless of what others may think.
† Lord give us Your blessing and provide us with the strength and the ability to proclaim your message throughout the world.
† Lord, guide our steps so that we only walk in your path.
† Lord grand us your Divine grace and protect us from sin.
† Lord, we ask you to provide the Holy Spirit to guide us so we can always be obedient to you.
† Lord, we ask that You to open our minds and hearts to those in need around us.

We ask all these things in Your Son’s precious name. - Amen

ABRAHAM’S CALL

God’s Promises to Abram—Genesis 12

1 Now the LORD had said to Abram:
Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house
To a land that I will show you.

2 I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

And in Hebrews 11:8 & Isaiah 55:5 it says “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed. And he went out, not knowing where he went.” (NKJV)

Lets look for a moment at Abraham’s call. Abraham was commanded, he immediately obeyed and he rejoiced. Abraham went without any hesitation; he did not make any excuses. Abraham believed in God so there were no arguments.

Abraham left everything behind even though others thought him insane. His call from God brought joy to his heart and cheered his spirit because he knew that God was with him every moment. God would lead him exactly where God wanted Abraham to be. God provided for Abraham because Abraham obeyed without question.

Charles Spurgeon once said “When men have no faith, God invites them to reason, but when they have faith, reasoning with God becomes a sin.”

Abraham was seventy-five years old when he left Haran with his wife Sarah, his brother’s son, Lot, and all his people and belongings. Abraham followed God’s call to Canaan and the Lord appeared to him and said, “To your descendents I will give this land.”

Quoting Spurgeon further: “From then on Abraham and his seed are almost the only subject of the history in the Bible. All the true blessedness the world is now, or ever shall be possessed of, is owing to Abraham and his posterity. Through them we have a Bible, a Savior, and a Gospel. They are the stock on which the Christian church is grafted. (Ge 12:4)”

“We may rest assured that when Abraham started he asked no questions concerning how far or to what place he was journeying. He left that all in the hands of God. His faith put its hand inside the hand of its Father, and he was content to be led wherever his Father would lead him.
Be an Abraham! Leave everything, and if you do this in faith, verily you shall not lack your reward. He is able, and He has promised to give you in this life ten times more than you lose for Him, and in the world to come life everlasting!”

Abraham’s life was a life of prayer. In a word, Abram illustrates the heavenly calling of those who are members of the body of Christ. The call of Abram shows us the starting-point of the life of faith. The first requirement is separation from the world and from our place in it by nature.

My Call

Marcus Pittman, a friend from the John Leland Center for Theological Studies sent me this link. It is so awesome. It is an article by John Piper about using cancer to witness for Christ. http://tinyurl.com/y8gvny

Strange, but it gave me a real sense of peace when I read it. Sometimes we need to remember that God is in control, not us. We just need to turn it over to Him. This is from a paper that I wrote at Leland.

MY CALL
There are a lot of times that I wonder exactly what my calling is.
I know that my first call is to God. He speaks to me in so many ways.
I have a ministry of “Helps.”
I am the person to call whenever there is something to be done.
I am the one that people call to pray for them or their loved ones.
I am the one who prays for people I see each day, who I feel need help from the Lord.
I am the one that gives the homeless money.
I am the one who gives ladies on corners, waiting for buses, a ride.
I am the one who listens when someone needs a person to talk to.
I am the one who brightens someone’s day with a kind word and a smile.
I am the one who helps stop a child’s tears in a store with words of kindness.
I am the one who drives someone to the doctor when they need it.
I am the one who comforts someone who has lost a loved one.

I am the one who is there for someone whose loved one is very sick or in surgery.
I am the one who will be a best friend when there is a need.

I am the one who loves all I meet, no matter what they have done.
I am the one who comforts the sinner when they are down.
I am the one who loves my family with all my heart.
I am the one who speaks to strangers about Christ.
I am the one who asks the dying neighbor, “Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ?”
This may sound very egotistical, but when I consider who the great “I AM” is,
I am just called to help others in His place.
Everywhere I used the words “I am” was when the Lord was whispering in my ear with his everlasting love for mankind.
The Lord changed my life in so many ways. I actually think of others before myself.
Things are very different in my world, since I came to know Christ as my personal Savior.
He is my all and whatever He has for me to do today, I will..
When He asks that I speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves, I will.
When He asks that I comfort others, I will.
When He asks that I pray for others, I will.
When He asks that I contribute, I will.
When He asks that I heal in His name, I will.
When He asks me to help the poor, I will.
When He asks me to live my life with Him in mind always, I will.
When He asks me to defend the faith, I will.
One of my passions is to become a motivational speaker for women’s groups and write.

And, if it is His will, I will.

- Barbara Duke - 26 August 2008

Perceived Gifts for Pastoral Care and Counseling

I took the PLACE Assessment in the Spring of 2008 semester and I believe it is a marvelous tool to affirm a call. Actually, I realized that I knew the call all along, but the assessment helped me to put it into perspective. I think a ministry of “Helps” is definitely in my future. I have a real heart for older people. There are so many elderly in the United States who seem to be thrown away. People hide their parents away in nursing facilities, just too busy to care for them anymore. I believe there may definitely be something God has for me in this area. There is so much about life that our elderly can help the young with and vice versa. It could be a life-altering experience for a young person to visit a nursing home on a regular basis and brighten the life of someone there. There are many young people that I know that this could make a difference in their life. I plan to work on this during the coming months and see where the Lord leads me.

My church has been very supportive. I really find the most encouragement coming from older women. They are all so dear to me. Most have lived their whole life for their husband and children. Church was more of a social obligation for some of them. They never realized all the things that they could have done until those other things were gone and they were left alone. They were too busy with their children and grandchildren, but now they have now learned to depend on God and each other for strength. They have been so supportive of my ministry, whatever it is this week.

I really love facilitating in group settings. I did just that with the “Celebrate Recovery Group” at First Baptist for two years and also with Parents Without Partners “We Care Group” for three years. I actually miss the interaction and the catharsis of sharing with others.

My spiritual gifts determined in the PLACE assessment last semester are “I‑Inspiring,” “D-Driven,” and “C- Conscientious.” The following are the attributes that I picked out from the lists in the PLACE Assessment:

· Inspiring —compassionate, curious, contagious, easily distracted, emotional, eye for nature and art, expressive, extrovert, friendly, impulsive, out-going, people-centered, positive, restless, and warm.

· Driven—aggressive, bold, confident, determined, impatient, intuitive, optimistic, practical, and restless.

· Conscientious—artistic, creative, faithful, idealistic, impatient, intelligent, loyal, sensitive, and traditional.

I may not have all of these attributes, but I certainly try. In an effort to always be positive in my ministry, you may find there are no negatives in the list. I fully intend to focus on the positive aspects in the Lord’s ministry.

In conclusion, I find it easy to express the joy and hope in the future. I have been able to see deep into myself and realize that God really has something magnificent for me to do. I love being in this class because it is almost like a small therapy group instead of a “class.” The sharing of each person had helped me to see that this is where my gifts might work best with the Lord’s help.

Paper written for "Pastoral Care & Counseling" class taken at the John Leland Center for Theological Studies in the Fall of 2008.