October Spiritual Well- being Article by Steve Auterburn of New Life Ministries

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
Philippians 4:12

Society says, "Just do it!" Friends say, "If it feels good, do it." And our flesh says, "More, more, more!" Our appetite for pleasure fuels our lives.

Is this a bad thing? Actually, you were designed for pleasure—but the pleasure that you were designed to seek—the pleasure that will truly satisfy—is finding pleasure in God.

Far too often, however, we set our sights too low, seeking satisfaction from power, food, status, money, or things. C.S. Lewis wisely reflected that we're like ignorant children who want to go on making mud pies in a slum because we cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. "We are far too easily pleased," he concluded.

Maybe you're dissatisfied in your hunt for pleasure, or maybe you're satisfied right where you are and you shouldn't be. Pause and reflect on the source of your pleasure. Only one source is lasting—seek God.

"Pleasure can be supported by an illusion; but happiness rests upon truth."- Sébastien-Roch Nicolas De Chamfort (1741-1794)

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Weekend Spiritual Well-being Article by Dr. Michael Youssef

Our society seems to take one misstep after another. People around us are wandering aimlessly through life, not knowing what they truly believe or whom they should follow. Politicians and community leaders have strayed off course as they have ignored the divine wisdom and guidance of God in order to follow their own human principles.

God wants to show us how to live abundant and joyful lives. He desires to lead the way for us through life, steering us away from temptation and sheltering us in the storms. He wants to give us guidance in our decisions. We are not to live as the world does, chasing after every new philosophical trend. Instead we are to live confidently knowing that the only One we need to follow is God.

Sometimes as Christians we allow ourselves to become obsessed with discerning God's will. We pour over the fine details, examining every possible option, worried that one wrong step will send us out of God's favor. We doubt past decisions that did not turn out the way we had hoped. We doubt our ability to discern God's will. We waste time regretting and worrying.

Instead of obsessing over our choices, we should focus on our complete willingness to obey the will of God when He shows it to us. We need to first be in a place of submission before God, willing to follow wherever He leads. We build that type of obedience by spending regular time with God in prayer and in His Word.

The psalmist declared, "He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way" (Psalm 25:9). If we focus on humbly obeying God, we can trust that He will guide us on the right paths. For many Christians, this is easier said than done. In theory, we all claim to want to be obedient to God, but in reality we hold on to our own plans. We are willing to accept God's will for us when it suits us, but we balk when He points in a direction outside of our comfort zones. We pray for Him to show us His will, secretly hoping it will be something we desire. We claim obedience, but remain latched on to our own wants.

Sometimes God's plans for us do not make sense. Sometimes they are uncomfortable or even painful. But if we truly walk in obedience to God, we will find contentment whatever circumstances He may bring. We can rejoice even in the times of teaching, training, and testing. We can trust that even if we make a misstep, our sovereign God can lead us back into His will.

The psalmist discovered the joys and benefits of obedience to God: "Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.…I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts. I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word. I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" (Psalm 119:97, 100-105).

Unlike the worldly culture around us, we are not rudderless. We have God's guiding Holy Spirit to show us the best course. But first we must surrender completely to following His will and His commandments, even when they do not match our personal desires. We must spend regular time in prayer learning His voice and His heart. The more we know God, the easier it will be to discern His voice from our own self-serving thoughts. If you are resistant to giving God full control of your life, confess this to Him in prayer.

Pray for His help in developing a humble and obedient heart in you. Pray that He will awaken the hearts of Christians across the country so they will also seek to obey His guidance.

"We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands."--1 John 2:3

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Four Secrets to Answered Prayer by Pastor Rick Warren

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Our mission is to keep people informed, equipped and prepared for any  type of  disaster based on the scripture :

A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

Proverbs 22:3 NLT

Some of us have adjusted our portfolio and some of us have it on the TO DO list.  Some of us have bought our supplies but have taken a few items out  and not replenished. Hurricane Irene prep gave us an idea of how many people will be caught short. Maybe this is the week you really cross these items off the TO Do list!

GP Preparedness Re-posting for early September 2011
As part of our mission, GP wants to provide useful informational resources to help you prepare for what we believe are difficult times ahead, both financially and otherwise. As a reminder, we have provided in a Financial Preparedness section, selected websites, books and other resources that we hope will help prepare you and get your financial house in order. We alo have provided information on spiritual preparedness as well as other information. Please check it out by going tothe Our Perspective tab at the top and click on Preparedness.

A few comments on the difficult financial times we see ahead.  Right now our country is broke.  Our National debt  ($14 Trillion) is $300,431 for every household that pays net taxes. If we add on the expected debt for our “entitlements” (social security, medicare, etc,), it is $1,202,373 per household that pays net taxes. Imagine that, over one million dollars! We cannot even pay the interest let alone pay down the debt. In addition, we have our own Federal Reserve buying most of the debt that our Treasury Department issues. Why? To keep interest rates down and because there are not enough buyers for the bonds. We are in trouble and Washington keeps spending. At Global Perspectives, we believe this will not end well.

In addition to the significant economic problems we have, just look around our world. Geopolitical changes and events are both on the increase as well as in intensity.  Any day they could easily change our lives.

Remember Proverbs 22:3 "A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it".

We have the following specific recommendations for action:

• Don't Own Stocks - Stocks will eventually go back to the lows of 2009 as our debt, higher interest rates, a weak U. S. dollar and other policies lead to ugly economic times.
• Don't Own Bonds – The Fed has zero interest rates and are buying our own bonds issued by the Treasury because no one else will. Yields are now at 20 + year lows. No where to go but up and that means bond prices go down.
• Own physical Gold and Silver – Hedge on the U. S. $, inflation and chaos. Paper assets (like ETF’S) cannot be trusted.
• Keep Cash in a Strong Foreign Currency Bank (non U.S. dollars) – The U.S. $ will lose world currency status and the $ could lose half of it’s value. Our debt will crush us.
• Get Out of Debt - One less thing to worry about and debt is not Biblical.
• Keep at Least a 3 Month Supply of food, water and medicines. Be prepared to share with others.
• Stay close to God. He will help you through tough times. You are more than welcome to this information if you do not know God.  We hope and pray that someday soon you will. We would love to have the opportunity to talk with you about enjoying a personal relationship with Him.

Steven Meyers and Ron Rebner

^Disclaimer

^{The statements, opinions and analyses presented in the articles and newsletters on this website are provided as a general information and education service only. Opinions, estimates and probabilities expressed herein constitute the judgment of the author as of the date indicated and are subject to change without notice. Nothing contained in this website is intended to be, nor shall it be construed as, investment advice, nor is it to be relied upon in making any investment or other decision. Prior to making any investment decision, you are advised to consult with your broker, investment advisor or other appropriate tax or financial professional to determine the suitability of any investment. Neither GrainBelt Commodities, LLC. nor Steven R. Meyers shall be responsible or have any liability for investment decisions based upon, or the results obtained from, the information provided.}

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Spiritual Well-being Article for September by Dr. Michael Youssef

Prayers of faith have great power. They can conquer the unconquerable, overcome our obstacles, accomplish the impossible and vanquish the enemy. The apostle Paul said that God is "able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20). Yet God does not want us to spend our big prayers on selfish desires. God wants us to pray big prayers of faith for things that will glorify Him.

In the book of Jeremiah, we see God speaking to His people through His prophet. God said, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3). God spoke these words through Jeremiah during a dark point in Israel's history. Nebuchadnezzar had already sent the Babylonian army to Jerusalem. The city was under siege. Hostages had been taken to Babylon. These were some of the worst times God's people had experienced since their days of slavery in Egypt.

But this predicament was of their own creation. For years the Israelites had drifted away from the God who brought them out of slavery into the Promised Land. They forgot the One who loved them and provided for them. Instead, they turned their backs on Him by placing their trust in political messiahs, placing their security in material possessions, and compromising their God-given values. Their hearts had become calloused and their ears had become deaf to God's Word. Yet even at their lowest point, God was still calling and appealing to His children to return to Him. He was telling them through Jeremiah that even at that late hour it was not too late to call out to Him. God was ready to bring restoration to His people for His glory.

God wants to do great things for His people. During the days of Jeremiah, He promised them restoration from the destruction of the Babylonians. He said, "I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before .... Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it" (Jeremiah 33:7, 9).

God wants to hear big prayers that seek to bring Him "renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations." Yes, God does want to hear our small prayers. He wants us to reveal our hearts to Him and share our concerns and hopes. Yet the prayers that seek to glorify God, to honor Him, to further the work of His kingdom, to transform the hearts of nonbelievers, to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ, and to reveal His majesty — those are the prayers that are most powerful.
Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him. — Psalm 4:3

God responds to a heart that is truly devoted to Him and in awe of Him. God knows every inner corner of our hearts. We do not fool Him by saying we want something for His glory when secretly our motivations are selfish. We do not fool Him by saying we believe He can work miracles when inwardly we doubt He will follow through.

When we seek to truly know and understand God and develop a daily relationship with Him, we begin to understand just how big and capable and trustworthy our God is. When we know that God follows through on His promises and He is ready and willing to do big things, we can pray in faith that He will act in big ways. When we understand just how amazing and loving our Creator God is, we will genuinely seek to please Him by praying for things that honor Him. "Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him" (1 John 3:21, 22).

When was the last time you genuinely prayed for God's kingdom to be glorified through your life? When was the last time your prayer requests were centered on bringing God glory instead of fulfilling your desires? If you are finding it difficult to pray selflessly for God's glory, confess this in prayer today. Ask the Holy Spirit to transform your heart to seek God first above all other things and to develop a daily fellowship with Him.

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September Spiritual Well-being Article by Pastor John Piper

God did his most deadly work to destroy hopelessness and futility and provincial cowardice. He gave up his Son to torture and death. A perfect life, a perfect death, and the decisive work was done.

But there are millions who are numb to hope because of the God-belittling things they have done and how ugly they have become. They don't lift lofty arguments against God's Truth; they shrug and feel irretrievably outside. They don't defy God consciously; they default to cake and television. Except for the periodic rush of sex and sport and cinema, life yawns. There is no passion for significance. For many, no passion at all.

There is a Christian version of this paralysis. The decision has been made to trust Christ. The shoot of hope and joy has sprung up. The long battle against sin has begun. But the defeats are many, and the plant begins to wither. One sees only clouds and gathering darkness. The problem is not perplexing doctrine or evolutionary assaults or threats of persecution. The problem is falling down too many times. Gradually the fatal feeling creeps in: the fight is futile; it isn't worth it.

Along with this hopelessness and futility, especially since 9/11, provincial cowardice captures many Christian minds. They fear that it may sound conceited to call every people group in the world to trust Christ or perish. It seems too global. Too sweeping. Too universal. To say it takes their breath away. And, worse, it brings down the wrath of the tolerant. What could be more arrogant than to think that the infinite variety of need in all the cultural groups of the world could be met by a single Savior!

It is astonishing that the biblical gospel of justification by faith alone answers these three human failures: the hopelessness of unbelievers, the feeling of futility from falling down, and the fear of making global claims for Christ.

To the numb and listless sinner, feeling beyond all hope of godliness, the Bible says, "To the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness" (Romans 4:5). God justifies the "ungodly." This truth is meant to break the back of hopelessness.

The connection between the sinner and the Savior is trust, not improvement of behavior. That comes later. It's this order that gives hope. "For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law" (Romans 3:28). The basis of this wild and wonderful hope (the ungodly justified) is "Christ for righteousness to everyone who believes" (Romans 10:4, literal translation). Through faith alone God counts the ungodly as righteous because of Christ. "For our sake [God] made [Christ] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Let all who are paralyzed by the weight of sin and the powerlessness to change turn in here.

To the fallen saint, who knows the darkness is self-inflicted and feels the futility of looking for hope from a frowning Judge, the Bible gives a shocking example of gutsy guilt. It pictures God's failed prophet beneath a righteous frown, bearing his chastisement with broken-hearted boldness. "Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light" (Micah 7:8-9). This is courageous contrition. Gutsy guilt. The saint has fallen. The darkness of God's indignation is on him. He does not blow it off, but waits. And he throws in the face of his accuser the confidence that his indignant Judge will plead his cause and execute justice for (not against) him. This is the application of justification to the fallen saint. Broken-hearted, gutsy guilt.

For the squeamish fellow afraid of making global claims for Christ, the biblical teaching on justification explodes his little world. It says: the deepest problem to be solved is the same for every human being, because every human is a descendant of Adam. And the problem to be solved is that "by one man's disobedience many were made sinners." "One trespass led to condemnation for all men." The only solution to this universal condemnation is a "second Adam" who provides "the free gift of righteousness" to all who hear the gospel and believe (Romans 5:17-19). Therefore Christ, the second Adam, the giver of righteousness, is the only global Savior.

Embrace as your treasure the gift of justification. There is no part of your life where it is not immeasurably precious.

By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.

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August Spiritual Well-Being Article by J. Stephen Lang

The old sailor looked at the skies and saw a dark storm coming. As the sea became rough and choppy, the old salt calmly lowered the heavy-chained anchor link by link, battened down the hatches and went to bed for the night.

He knew the storm would be rough. But he had faith in the grasp of the anchor. He knew his boat would be there in the morning.

Hope Defined

Like that sailor, we have an "anchor" for our lives that can help us stand fast through the storms of life. It's called hope.

In biblical terms, hope is closely allied with faith.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that, faith is "the assurance of things hoped for" (Hebrews 11:1). Hope, therefore, is the object upon which we direct our focus and energies.

To the Christian, hope is the knowledge that we are being changed for the better as we trust in God's promises (Romans 8:28). It is the conviction that no matter the circumstances, God's plans for our lives are "for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11b NLT).

Hope Described

The Bible is full of examples of men and women who hoped in God's promises. The patriarch Abraham is held up for believers as a model of hope.

When Abraham was 75, God promised to bless him and give him many descendants, as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abraham heard these words and believed God (Genesis 15:6).

But despite his belief, Hebrews 6:15 explains, Abraham had to wait 25 years to see the fulfillment of his hope. Yet all the while, Abraham trusted in God, the Author of his hope, until he saw the promise come to pass.

You see, Abraham's hope wasn't in his own ability to father a child. It was rooted in a trustworthy, unchangeable God, and in His eternal promises.

The writer of Hebrews explains that God wants us to take encouragement from His character and hope in Him (Hebrews 6:16-18). In fact, the Scriptures describe this hope "… as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast" (Hebrews 6:19a).

READ ABOUT HOPE DERAILED

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Spiritual Well- being Article for August 2011

GP: What a real struggle this topic can be. Even with living most of ones life as a committed Chrsitian one can get caught up in the pursuit of nice

things....better things.... bigger things. The dangerous point is when "they" become one's identity and when "they " possess us.

How many people can say less is more?

It is our prayer for all of us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to ask the Lord to show us

where, how and when we are to reach out to people for Him. Use us Lord.

With Jesus we can live a fullfilled life of adventure being amazed at what he will do through us.

Our prayer is each one of us will get started today living life to the fullest with Him for his glory.... not ours.  Then each one of us will create our legacy.

Has your life become dull, boring and routine? This devotional by Warren Mueller will help you discover the key to living a full and meaningful life.

A Full and Meaningful Life

Life is full of routines like sleeping, eating and working with occasional landmarks such as marriage, birth and death. Seasons and years come and go. Even special events like vacations and holidays can become repetitious, less exciting and meaningful as we grow older. So how can we live a full and meaningful life?

Three Common Approaches

There are three common approaches that consume most of the time, talents and energy of our waking hours. One approach is the pursuit of material things. Americans are in love with having a modern home, late model cars, lots of clothes, a wide variety of food and as many new electronic gadgets as possible. The desire for more and better things has resulted in a throwaway society where new is better, savings are low and debt is high. The cost and quantity of things that are accumulated measure success.

The Pursuit of Things

There are two problems with the pursuit of things. First, possessions tend to possess the possessor. The more you have the more there is to take care of and worry about. I think about this whenever I cut and fertilize the lawn, wash the cars and keep the house clean. Things break down and this is a continuing source of headaches and frustration. Secondly, things and wealth that are accumulated are left behind when death occurs. Therefore, others benefit from the hard work to accumulate things. This can be good or bad depending on whether the inheritors are appreciative and wise in using the wealth passed to them. The bottom line is that man enters this world with nothing and takes nothing out of it so it is not true that the one who dies with the most things wins.

The Pursuit of Pleasure

The second popular philosophy of life is the pursuit of pleasures to experience life to the fullest. These people have a lifestyle of traveling, multiple sexual partners, drugs, new restaurants and entertainment forms (e.g., TVs, CDs, VCRs, etc.), seeking excitement and pleasures that are fleeting. There is no lasting satisfaction in this approach and it leads to frustration. Most people do not have enough time or money to experience all the possible places, people, food, things, etc., that can be enjoyed. Indeed, even if it were possible to have unlimited wealth, there would always be places and things beyond our experience due to the limits of the human life span.

A full life cannot be measured by the quantity but rather by the quality of one's relationships with others and with God.

The Apostle Paul, after having been beaten, ship-wrecked and thrown into prison, wrote that he had lived a full life and was content in whatever situation he found himself (Philippians 4:11-12). Paul said that as long as he had Jesus, he could do anything through the strength of God's presence and power (Philippians 4:13).

Leaving a Legacy

A third popular pursuit is to leave a legacy. Living for family, fame or fortune may be noble, but it is ultimately futile. Family members and human relationships seldom turn out the way we like. Fame and fortune dwindle over time, and facts are frequently altered to meet political, cultural or religious objectives. King Solomon of the Bible was a person who had vast wealth, time and wisdom. He tried all of life's pursuits but, in the end, found them all to be meaningless vanity and chasing after the wind (Ecclesiastes 1:13-14). He concluded that the best that man could hope for was to find satisfaction in work, do good and fear God (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13; 12:13).

This is the best that man can hope for without a saving relationship with Jesus who said that abundant and meaningful life comes from knowing him as personal savior (John 10:9-10).

For Reflection

So the key to living a full and meaningful life is first discovering a relationship with Jesus Christ and then following the Lord on an amazing adventure through a life of faith. Want to learn more about becoming a Christian? Visit "How to Become a Christian."

Also:

• Christianity Basics
• Spending Time with God

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Spiritual Well-being Article for the Week by Pastor Ray Bentley

GP- For some of us the market freefall was anticipated.

For some, sadly, it was not. Others have greater concerns for physical

and spritiual health for self, family or friends.Thus says the Lord,

"Be Still and Know that I am God" may be what we need to take a

moment and do right now.

We need to focus on the important and not the urgent for a moment.

We cannot give away what we do not have ourselves.

Sometimes life is tough. The One who created us and loves us no matter what gives us His very own words for us to absorb into our soul and hide in our hearts as resources for the difficult moments, hours and days when we need encouragement. We encourage you to print this and save for such a time as well as to share it with others in need.

God is a God of relationships and He yearns for one with you and me.

What ever you are dealing with or facing, I want to encourage you this week the way a friend encouraged me with God’s Word:

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