PREVAILED, CONCLUSION TO 4 PART SERIES: Why obedience is Important, May, 2007

Conclusion

A lot of times, we know that God is telling us to do something but we'll ask somebody to see what they have to say. So I asked my husband what he thought about my writing a newsletter for the subdivision. His reply was quite accurate. He said that would be out of order because there was no Board of Directors. He was right. Besides he said, we were moving. He said it was senseless for me to write a newsletter and we were leaving. I agreed.

I wrote the newsletter, the neighborhood unified and I wrote many more. I began to rekindle my passion for writing and then
You don't have enough time to hear the whole wonderful story...of how my life has turned around. I don't have enough time to tell it (smile) in this one sitting.

But then again, this is why I Blog....stay tuned.

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, 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.

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PREVAILED, Why obedience is important by Elaine Davenport

Hear, for I will speak of excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be of right things; for my mouth shall speak truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. Proverbs 8: 6 (KJV)


Part 3 I NEED FOR YOU TO PICTURE THIS SCENARIO

There were many ups and downs that I had while in school. I was still very vulnerable looking back. I was slowly progressing from the paralysis on the left side of my body. I was trying to get victory over the speech impediment. It was still impossible for me to use my left hand. My mother began to make several weekly trips to the emergency room; often going in the middle of the night requiring my presence. My children were being attacked at school; mostly by bullies; mostly verbally. The work load was incredible. Often, I would stay up all night to read and by morning, I would remember nothing at all. My only solution then and even now was to study 3 to 4 times as much. I was a full time student and a housewife and mom. Something came over me in school and I began to seek out those who were failing to try to bail them out. This helping thing came over me. During the course of my studies; my writing gift materialized. God is good, I take no credit at all for it. It actually was a journey.

IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD

While driving through my neighborhood, I began to hear that voice again. I tried to locate it. This time I paid close attention. It was coming from my heart. I just kept getting this message to write a newsletter for the subdivision. I asked the question out loud in my car as I kept hearing it:

HOW IS THIS GOING TO HELP GOD?


PLEASE READ THE EXCITING CONCLUSION TOMORROW...and I'll give you a hint: God's plan for me had nothing to do with the newsletter in fact, it was training ground and it was all about obedience.

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PREVAILED. MAY, 2007 Why obedience is important

But He said, Blessed (happy and to be envied) rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey and practice it! Luke 11: 28


(It's just so important that you know that at the time all of this was happening, I didn't know much about the Word of God.)

PART TWO

When all of this happened, the only two friends of mine who weren't going to think I was crazy was Cynthia and Jerri. Two women of God. We all spent days (I more than they; rightfully so) trying to figure out what the words meant. I needed to understand what God was saying.

God sent me a message...

THINGS BEGAN TO HAPPEN...

Cynthia called one evening about an accelerated Bachelor's degree program at a Christian College about 10 miles away. Cynthia and I had talked for years about returning to school to get our degrees in such a program. We had heard it was hard and many people that we knew that had enrolled; had dropped out. Cynthia got in immediately, but I began to make excuses right off the bat. I decided not to get in the program and right after that I found myself calling the Admissions counselor. I
got in. There was a lot of prequalification criteria in addition to the program. A lot of the people who started dropped out.

To be successful in this program, you had to be a good writer. I felt it was a personal strength. It was, but I needed brushing up. My instructors favored my writing. There were times when I wanted to drop out of the program, but Cynthia and my new school friends were always there to talk me out of it.

Finally, the big day came. I graduated with a 4.0. I prepared to go get a Master's degree. By this time, I not only knew God had sent me back to school, I was anxious to see what He had next for me. This is a key factor. I finished my Master's degree with a high GPA and thought about law school, or a doctoral degree; but God sent another message.

My husband told me that he thought I needed to spend more time with my family. In doing so, I became more active in my neighborhood.

CHANGE WAS COMING AND IT WAS GOING TO BE DRASTIC.

Stay tuned for Part Three tomorrow

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PREVAILED: MAY 4, 2007 Why Obedience is important by Elaine Davenport

Dear Friend, God Bless you today. I have been praying for you for many months; even if this is your first time ever coming to this site. I pray that things are balanced in your life ands that you remain spiritually enriched. I thank God for you and the fact that He has a grand design for your life.

In the book of Jeremiah: Chapter 39, verse 11, it says:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.


Have a Great day.

The following account is a true account. The most amazing fact that you must keep in mind as you read it is that I was not in a church, didn't know the Word of God and knew nothing about having a conversation with God. I was always a believer, I always had reverence for God; but this was the beginning of change for me. At this point; a messenger wouldn't do, so God spoke to me Himself.


And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to [reverently] fear the Lord our God for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 6: 24 (Amplified)

If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and their years
in pleasantness and joy. Job 36: 11 (Amplified)

He who turns away his ear from hearing the law [of God and man], even his prayer is an abomination, hateful and revolting [to God]. Proverbs 28: 9 (Amplified)


I'll never forget that day. I was at home roaming around like I had done for the past two years, stumbling and trying to regain my old self. Brain surgery had left my body in a semi devastated state. It truly appeared that God was restoring me; yet it had taken me far too long to appreciate it.

Yet, God was so merciful that He still saw some worth in me.

One day I was in the house all alone and I heard a voice speak clearly; it said: "I've opened up a door for you, why won't you walk through it?"


I turned and looked around knowing I was the only one at home. I was prepared to bolt and run straight out of the front door. I had not a clue what the answer to the question was or if I even heard it at all in the first place as I soon began to doubt.

I knew it was God. I had always had a remote closeness and after I thought about it long and hard; I realized that only God knew the thoughts and intents of my heart like the bible says. I my heart, there were some pressing desires regarding personal goals but there had never been time for them.

I knew I had heard that voice, but I couldn't see anyone. So I did the next best thing: I asked two very close God fearing friends if they knew what it meant. They both returned the question to me.

God was about to open a very wide door for me, but first, I had to obey.

THIS STORY WILL BE CONTINUED ON SATURDAY, SUNDAY AND MONDAY)

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Faith to keep my job by Elaine Davenport

Years ago, I was on the verge of losing my job. I didn't understand it and it was too challenging. I thought about quitting, but instead I decided to read the Bible and pray about it. There were rumors that they were supposed to fire me when I started. I meditated on Psalms 34 V. 1-9 I began to recite it everyday. It was a faith building exercise for me. I ended up with a promotion. I wasn't expecting it. The whole exercise of faith established me for a great job, a subsequent marriage and even my current service unto God.

Psalm 34
1 I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.


2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD; the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.


3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.


4I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.


5 They looked unto Him and were lightened, and their faces were not ashamed.


6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.


7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.


8 O taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man that trusteth in Him!


9O fear the LORD, ye His saints! For them that fear Him suffer no want.

This is not some formula. But the exercise of faith, reading the Word, praying, believing God for the impossible, meditating on the Word, regaining my confidence, regaining my self esteem, improving myself, being obedient led to God honoring my prayer to not be fired from my job. Divine appointments and connections came out of nowhere. It was amazing.



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My Crew by Elaine Davenport

I'm not "hip" according to my kids. But I want to say this: I run with a crew of folks that LOVE LOVE LOVE God! In some circles that's not cool! But, in my circle it is TOTALLY COOL!

Another thing we like is the Word, the understanding, the study, the research, the revelation; we can't get enough of it. We can't get enough of getting closer to God. So, if it sounds like I'm never going to quit talking about God and encouraging everyone to love Him and to get to know Him; or that I'm always going to have something to say about the subject of faith; I confess, it's true. I can't quit. Blessings
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TWO ANGLES TO SUBMISSION...WHICH SIDE IS A CHALLENGE FOR YOU? by Elaine Davenport

Submission is a word that people in our society have a problem with. In a country that has turned the corner of the denial of so many human freedoms, people have embraced those freedoms and there seems to have been a personality change.

When I was a little girl, Sunday was a day of worship and stores weren't open. You couldn't go shopping for clothes, shoes, beer, school supplies, nothing. In fact, the divorce rate was a lot lower and all of our friends went to church. I had never heard of an agnostic. I had heard of atheists, but no one knew any. Overall, things were vastly different. I think as a society, we were all much more cooperative. Good or bad, there weren't many lawsuits.

Well the pendulum swang and things changed and life is vastly different. We live in a society where people don't "like" to submit to anything unless they feel like it.

God asks us to submit to Him. That's one vantage point; a very valid one. Submission is the Number One thing, you'll have to do to come to God.

“If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23)

For those who have submitted to God, He then says submit your cares or burdens to Him.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2Corinthians 12: 9

I talk to faith people everyday. One of our greatest challenges is transferring or submitting our burdens to God. He can handle any situation, any problem. Even if it's a big mess. God doesn't care. He can handle it. You'll just have to remember this. It will Bless you.

So these are two different versions of SUBMISSION and people have a problem with each of them.

Faith people have to comprehend what the value of submission. Let's take a look at Webster's 1828 Dictionary's definition of "submission:"




SUBMIS'SION, n. [L. submissio, from submitto.]

1. The act of submitting; the act of yielding to power or authority; surrender of the person and power to the control or government of another.

Submission, dauphin! 'tis a mere French word;

We English warriors wot not what it means.

2. Acknowledgment of inferiority or dependence; humble or suppliant behavior.

In all submission and humility,

York doth present himself unto your highness.

3. Acknowledgment of a fault; confession or error.

Be not as extreme in submission, as in offense.

4. Obedience; compliance with the commands or laws of a superior. Submission of children to their parents is an indispensable duty.

5. Resignation; a yielding of one's will to the will or appointment of a superior without murmuring. Entire and cheerful submission to the will of God is a Christian duty of prime excellence.

Imagine that submission is a two sided coin, which side are you dealing with?

Note: If your answer is neither; that's good. That's good.
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YOU by Elaine Davenport

You are so much more important than you think you are. You are a spirit being. You live in a body. Your body also has a soul. Your soul represents the mind, the will the emotions that you feel or have. This is not rocket science yet some people have a hard time believing it.

God created you, but He also gave you free will. You get to decide what happens to you. Whether you want to live footloose and fancy free just living it up without a care, taking no heed for consequences until they happen or a life of Blessing and protection.

IT"S A REVOLVING DOOR

It's a revolving door. Now a lot of people run back and forth. Some go in and out at various intervals. Some hang out near the door; never venturing inside. "It's too many rules they say, but just in case as an insurance policy, they adopt some of the principles and some of the "language: and go about doing good. I don't know if anyone has told them that good works alone won't get them into heaven or if they believe it because they continue on.

GOING TO THE NEXT LEVEL

And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. Luke 7:50

Thy means you, and thee means the same; so Jesus was saying to the woman with the issue of blood, YOUR faith has saved you.

It's all up to you. It's your faith. Not somebody else's. What are you believing God for? He's just looking for your prayer of faith. I encourage you today to get before Him because in His presence is fullness of joy.

(Psalms 16:11 NKJV) You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

GO IN PEACE!

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FAITH WORKS BY LOVE

A Translation From the Message Bible


1 Corinthians 13

The Way of Love
1 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. 3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

11When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

12We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

13But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

BLAMELESS IN THE SIGHT OF GOD by Elaine Davenport

God left us an instruction manual. It's called: The Bible. Most of us don't know it as well as we should. He wanted to make it easy for us because He loves us so much. It's not a "recipe" book for us to delve into ...it is a "complete" manual. Most misunderstandings in the body of Christ come from our overall inability to comprehend this. This treatise is an effort to take direction from the Word of God to examine certain areas.



I hear and read so much discussion about how things "ought" to be; but what does the Word say? What does God say? I respect opinions, but I respect God much more. No one can tell you God's intentions better than He. Please don't forget that.


SIDEBAR: AS THE BODY OF CHRIST; THE WORLD WATCHES US: WE MUST BE MINDFUL AND WE MUST BE CORRECT.


You can’t be in faith and not understand God’s Word.

He said He will not withhold from anyone whose walk is blameless. So let your walk be blameless.

WHO DOES GOD WANT US TO LOVE?

God is so wonderful. He looked down the road at our world in the Year 2007 and He left us a command; to the body of Christ and even to the churches. He said:

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (NIV, John 13:34-35)

THE DEVIL WOULD LIKE TO GET YOU OFF OF YOUR PATH OF LOVE...

The world watches the Body of Christ with great amusement. So does the devil. And sometimes I wonder if we’re accommodating them unwittingly. Close critiquing of ministries that are different is widespread within the body of Christ even though the Bible is clear about the "role" of the body.

"And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." (Ephesians 1:22-23 NIV)


GOD EXPECTS US TO UNDERSTAND THAT AS THE BODY OF CHRIST WE WON'T ALL BE THE SAME...


Romans 12:4-8
Just as each of us has one body with many members and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. (NIV)

1 Corinthians 12:18-22
But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, (NIV)



I give you the Word of God and I’ll tell you that if you see another ministry that fails or misses the mark in your eyesight, pray for them and ask God what you can do to help them and wait for His instruction. Don’t give ammunition to the world by openly criticizing another ministry.

Many times I observe people complaining about other ministries; but I never see a reply very often. It’s probably because of the following verse. Get in the Word, I encourage you to meditate upon these scriptures before you publicly or privately criticize your brothers or sisters in Christ.


THE WORD IS REAL….
1 Corinthians 12:26-27
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (NIV)


WE HAVE A DIRECTIVE PRAY FOR THOSE THAT PERSECUTE US, NOT TO TALK ABOUT THEM, BUT TO PRAY FOR THEM!


"There is a saying, 'Love your friends and hate your enemies.' But I say: Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way you will be acting as true sons of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust too. If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even scoundrels do that much. If you are friendly only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even the heathen do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. (TLB, Matthew 5:43-48)

AND FINALLY FORGIVE...

"For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. "But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. (NAS, Matthew 6:14-15)


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Mission Statement

When I was in Graduate School, where God had sent me; we learned about mission statements. Here is my statement for this site:

We aim to help people build their faith based on the Word of God and not our opinions.
We will pray before we give you any words here so as not to waste your time. You are too valuable, too precious. We profess love for our neighbors, so our words will be love based. We are not a political voice, but a spiritual voice. We are quite sympathetic to the needs of the world, but we put our trust in God and not in man without exception. We believe that faith is what we all need and that it must be fueled daily. That is why we bring you a word in season each and every day. Our mission is to minister to you. God is in control.

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The Great Exam (A short story) by Elaine Davenport

A certain young man wanted to attend the Number One school in the world. IN ORDER TO DO THIS, HE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A MAJOR TEST. His success could only be assured, if he passed it. Failure was not an option. He had prepared himself all of his life according to the best of his ability; in every way that he knew how for this situation. There had been glitches and schisms in the past but TO HIS KNOWLEDGE, it had all been corrected! He was taught by great men and women, who taught him the way that they had been taught. As time progressed, more and more new truths were revealed to him and he perfected and redirected himself. He was a complete book worm, a true student of the law that had been presented to him. It was the way of his fathers.

He had great memorization skills; second to none. He possessed a photogenic memory if you will. He also had a network of friends who thought like him, had the same goals and objectives. They believed in their cause so greatly and they were so dedicated that it became a lifestyle for them. Right or wrong, they were often misunderstood and in some cases, they were understood even better than they knew themselves.

There came a time when they as individuals had to take a great test. As a group; they were very powerful and very focused. They even had great strategy to attack this major exam and be a success. They had to be perfect in every way when they took this exam and they knew it. There would be no room for error, there could be no margins for failure. They diagnosed everything around them from their group perspective of identifying situations. They felt no need to assess things from any other angle or vantage point. Theirs was the way and they were sure.

There was a very minor flaw and it would show itself strong at a very inopportune time. Whether that would be critical or not would be determined by the test results.

The day of the test came and they were pleased to announce that they had studied and rested. They knew in advance that a select group would pass the test. Though their numbers were off, they were correct in thinking that it would be just a percentage of all who took the test.

According to their calculations only those who were a part of their group could take the test and pass it. Their calculations also showed that even after that; only one in 41 of them would pass it. They had retained many many facts. The preparation for this exam for them had taken a lifetime. They knew Reading, Spelling, Writing, Mathematics, Logistics, Science, The Solar System. Statistics, enough about most subjects that they deemed necessary. More importantly theyt knew the letter of the law. That surely would count for much. They had a guide book and had even studied it well and picked the things they deemed most important based on what they were taught.

Let me say that what they knew was far more detailed than what the average person knew.
On the day of the test, they were surprised to see so many people there who were not of their discipline. In fact, as they looked around they saw that EVERYBODY was there to take the same test. It was crowded but surely there was electricity and excitement in the air!

In a distant room, they heard screaming and crying and they heard laughter and joy, all at different times.


They took the test and all seemed well in their hearts. They were truly sincere. The test was graded on the spot for each of them as they turned in their answers and went before the review board.

I’d love to make this story sound lovely at this point and tell you that they passed, but that would be a lie. They were never taught comprehension to mix with all of their facts that were taught to them. "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth." 2 Timothy 3: 15

They had never ventured to rightly divide the Word of Truth for themselves.

So, though they had the facts, they didn’t have them all and when asked to lay them out, they could not nor were they able to explain in a sensible way what the facts meant.


AS A RESULT, THEY WERE NOT ADMITTED TO THE TOP SCHOOL.

Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth and the light. No man comes to the Father but by me. “


I cannot stand by and say nothing …

I am trusting God that this letter will not fall on deaf ears for it is a letter of love, a seed to be watered and it will reap a harvest! All is well.


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Stay in the cycle of Faith by Elaine Davenport

Just walk up to someone and ask them what are the signs of faith. You will get a myriad of answers and only a few of them will be convincing. It's not because people don't know. It's because no one really ever thought about it that way!

Faith is one of the simplest things; yet people make it complicated. There's a whole lot of faith on the receiving end or the back end, but on the front end...there's usually not as much.

You've got to grab hold of this.

THE CYCLE OF FAITH

1 FAITH ASKS BELIEVING
2.FAITH ACCEPTS
3.FAITH PRAISES & GIVES THANKS
4.FAITH CELEBRATES
5.FAITH SPEAKS BOLDLY BEFOREHAND!
6.FAITH DECREES!
7.FAITH EXCLAIMS
8.FAITH IS ESTABLISHED
9.FAITH ACTS
10.FAITH IS PATIENT
11.FAITH EXPECTS
12.FAITH STAYS ROOTED IN THE WORD OF GOD
13.FAITH STAYS IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD
14.FAITH LOVES
15.FAITH FORGIVES
16.FAITH IS HUMBLE
17.FAITH OVERCOMES
18.FAITH PERSEVERES
19.FAITH NEVER DRAWS BACK
20.FAITH WINS

You have to stay in the cycle of Faith!

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"Who" would be better than you? by Elaine Davenport

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2: 15

Let a man examine himself, etc. To see whether he can eat in loving remembrance of the death of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11: 28

Your family is waiting for you to say something to them. They're expecting it! God needs someone to stand in the gap for your family to be saved and it's going to have to be you. You're going to have to examine yourself. Trust me that this is a faith builder; especially after you begin to see results. It's not going to be your neighbor across the street and in many cases it won't be them, so it's going to have to be you. You're not only going to have to pray, but also minister to them and in some cases bring them to Christ. You may not be able to get them to church; but you can bring them to Christ and let God do the rest.

You've got to get your mind off of you and on to them. You'll be Blessed if you will do this.

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Tip for the Music by Elaine Davenport

It seems that one can encounter a problem navigating from the site regarding music on the web. (Not just this site) What I do is I open a window with the music playing and shrink it on the desktop. Then I open a second window to navigate on the web. On this site; many of the references will take you away from this site and when you leave and come back the music has stopped. This remedy is probably more practical for high speed Internet users. I am humbly sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you. We are working to find a remedy. Thank you.

P.S. A lot of people may choose to come to this site, put on the music and then do their Internet related assignments.
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Conclusion of "Why Tongues" By Elaine Davenport

I suppose I need a rest. I got my sites mixed up. I am so sorry.

"For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries."

I Corinthians 14:14

I have friends who still don’t believe in speaking in tongues. So I ask you:

What is tradition? I offer this answer: Tradition is simply doing things the way the other people around you do. It’s trusting man. But the Word says don’t put your faith in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Read your bible and you cannot form any other conclusion that tongues are necessary for every believer. I* wish someone had cared to explain it to me! Really.

So, I need to explain how my life changed by my speaking in tongues. Out of respect for the people in my life and protecting their confidentiality; I can only say that a clean sweep was made in my household and in my family. The only person who was constantly under attack was me; but the enemy could only make little “mini” attacks because none of his weapons would prosper. I got my vision back, my life back, my family back, my marriage replenished, my children began to prosper and all my family members who never wanted to hear about God had an about face. My income was magnified and business opportunities came out of the woodwork. I could go on but I won’t. Gotta go.

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Faith in God and not in man by Elaine Davenport

And in my preaching there were no honeyed words of wisdom, but I was dependent on the power of the Spirit to make it clear to you: So that your faith might be based not on man's wisdom but on the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2: 4-5


Everyday, we see examples of people who put their faith in men and not God. As a result, there are murders, suicides, homelessness, tragedies, broken hearts, deterioration, lost possessions and I could go on and on. We've all done it at one time or another and I suppose most of us have been burned by that decision. Now I was raised to know that when I got burnt; I would not do it again. Some people like doing the same thing over and over or repeating past mistakes or behaviors; often putting their faith in men.

Today; make up your mind to put your faith in God, letting Him order your steps and hold your hand. Just trust God for this problem. He's consistent and will not let you slip, stumble or fall.

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IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE ;TODAY WOULD YOU BE BRAVE? by Elaine Davenport

I "see" a lot of people praising God! I 'hear" a lot of people talking about God! I "read" a lot of what people write about God. BUT...when the rubber meets the road as they say and people really have to make a choice, who will they choose?

CASSIE BERNALL WAS A SPECIAL YOUNG LADY WITH A HEART FOR GOD. CASSIE GAVE OF HERSELF FREELY TO GOD. SHE WAS A SHINING EXAMPLE TO THE BODY OF CHRIST.

Many people recall her story. Cassie at age seventeen years of age found herself within close proximity of one of the shooters as she huddled on the floor during the Columbine massacre in Denver a year years ago; in which twelve students were killed and two dozen more were injured. The killer looked at her and asked if she believed in God? Without batting an eye, she said Yes. He killed her. At that moment, faith was challenged and faith won! I'm asking you today wherever you are to lift up Cassie's family in prayer. We speak Blessings over their lives. Praise God!

She did not make the decision that day not to deny God, she had made it long before that. It was a question regarding a faith declaration. No one ever said that it would be easy. In fact, Jesus said: If they will persecute me, they will persecute you. Have you made your choice yet or are you just going along for the ride?

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TEARING DOWN STRONGHOLDS IN THE BODY OF CHRIST: SPEAKING IN TONGUES

INTRODUCTION: I RECEIVED THE GIFT OF TRADITIONS FILLED WITH MY FAMILIES "RELIGIOUS" BELIEFS AS A LITTLE CHILD. AS I GREW OLDER PHYSICALLY, I REALIZED THAT I COULD NOT GROW OLDER SPIRITUALLY UNTIL I TOOK GOD AT HIS WORD AND OVERLOOKED THE TRADITIONS OF MEN AND THEIR COMFORT ZONES!


(For some of you; this may be hard, but I present the truth. )

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PART ONE

For years, many people said that people who spoke in tongues were of the devil. Jesus said believers would do it so how did the devil get in there? Well, the Bible says "Satan" is the author of lies.

Don't take another man's word for whether you ought to speak in tongues; take God's Word.

Jesus said in Mark 16: 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

DO YOU BELIEVE? THEN WHY AREN'T SIGNS FOLLOWING YOU?

You made a choice to follow God. Now you have to make a choice to accept all that He freely gives you.


THIS IS WHY:

Speaking in tongues allows us to pray out the perfect will of God for our lives and those around us. That exercise will change your life dramatically. It will build you up personally and it allows you to commune with God. It is the first outward sign that you have been baptized with the Holy Ghost. It gave me confidence that I can get things done in the spirit realm and get my prayers answered.

That gift makes me "feel" powerful.

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PART TWO



If your dandruff is up about the prospect of speaking in tongues; don’t feel bad. I felt the same way myself. I am now certain that speaking in tongues may be one of the most misunderstood “benefits” available to believers.

Over the years, I have changed my mind about a lot of things. I’m pretty stubborn sometimes, so my mind was locked solid on a couple of things when it came to God and the church. Here goes:

(These were things I did not like or vowed never to deal with or do.)

1. I thought speaking in tongues was absolutely ridiculous and that it wasn’t real.
2. I thought people falling out by the power of the Holy Ghost were fake.
3. I loathed: “singing preachers.”
4. I didn’t like noisy churches.
5. I used to say that the one kind of writing that I would never do would be “religious” writing.
6. I did not like the idea of men not going to church; but I especially didn’t like the fact that most churches didn’t do enough to get men into the church.



Today, I’m going to tackle the issue of my apprehension and lack of understanding around the ability to speak in tongues.

I did not come from a Pentecostal background. My mother sent us to church as children, several blocks away. That only happened because the minister kept knocking on the door to invite us and my mother felt bad for him because he wouldn’t give up and he was so nice. In the meantime I’m sure my grandmother had already covered us in prayer.

We came from a long line of Baptists. The family was very comfortable with that. After coming off of a long illness; I was led to a nearby Pentecostal church. I didn’t go there to examine them or take an application. My requirements were simple. I needed a connection with God, direction and to find a way to get my healing. In the midst of my search I found out about the “power” of speaking in tongues.

Here are some things that the Bible says about tongues: And He said unto them, "Go ye into the entire world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." MARK 16¨ 17


It’s amazing that Jesus says that tongues are a sign that you believe. I didn’t write it; Jesus did! What am I inferring? No, what is Jesus inferring? That’s the question.

WAS IT HARD? I was surprised that learning to speak in tongues was just a question of the heart and not anything else. I just asked God for the gift and began to speak.


The Spirit of God helps those that speak in tongues, making intercession for us, knowing what we are to pray which is the perfect will of God.
"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

In the book of Acts; when the members of the early church gathered, they were all in one accord when the Holy Ghost fell. This is important.
Acts 2:4
"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
I Corinthians 14:2

Tomorrow, I will continue this discussion; I hope you'll join in as we tear down this stronghold!


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WHY TONGUES? (Tomorrow's discussion)