The Journey to Removing Curses Begins!

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Hi, Book Travelers!

Before we even get into the book, Ten Curses that Block the Blessing, we need to begin to understand what a curse is.  It can be defined as a negative spoken prediction of what someone desires to see come to pass in another's life.  An example of this can be seen in what Jesus did to the fig tree in one of the gospels.  Or it can be a situation that one walks into as a result of his or her actions.  The only example I can think of in the Bible is Judas Iscariot, when he betrayed Christ.  I don't believe that he could have done anything to erase that curse off of his life, so the only thing he could have done was take his own life in order to relieve the agony he was feeling.

Deuteronomy 28 tells of the choices of blessing and cursing that we inherit because of one word: OBEDIENCE.  Let's examine our lives and ask God to open our hearts, dealing with us in this area, so that the curses the enemy has planted to stop us from experiencing all of God can be removed.

We'll be discussing this topic for the next few weeks, so get ready...

Summer Read's Here!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Hi, Travelers!

The book we've been waiting for is finally here!  Ten Curses that Block the Blessing by Larry Huch is ready to purchase or pass around.  Our book club has three books that will be circulating among our members, so if you'd like to be one of the first to read it, please get with me this week.  Or, you can log on to Amazon.com  if you want to buy one of your own books at a reasonably low price.

Pay attention also to this important date: June 15th, 2010 at 7 pm.  This is the date of our next meeting, which will be held at the church.  We usually bring a covered dish to share as we fellowship and discuss a theme from the book (which you can participate in even if you haven't had a chance to read the book by this time).

I'm just excited that we're going to be meeting soon.  Please come -- you will be awesomely blessed.

Upcoming Book

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Hi, Book Travelers!

I just wanted to update you on what we're getting ready to do at ALM concerning the book club.  There's no time like the present to read about everything Christ purchased for us on the cross.  As a result of that, we'll be reading a book about lifting curses off of our lives and walking in the blessing that's ours as heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.  Be looking out for the title and author of that book this week.

Keep reading...

Successful Movie Night

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Wow!  What an amazing time we had last night at the movie night event!  I was overjoyed to see so many people show up -- singles, couples, and just fellow believers who understand that spending time together is what creates a bond that the enemy cannot destroy.  The food was awesome, the fun phenomenal, but the fellowship: priceless.  And after the movie, we were just able to share our hearts and encourage one another with insights we wouldn't have gotten if we had decided to stay home.

Those of you who couldn't make it, I hope this motivates you to push on and come next time.  Even when we meet to discuss a book, if you haven't read it, you still have a wealth of experience and wisdom from walking and talking with God that you can share.  Please pray about becoming a part of our book club, and you'll find that there are people going through pretty much the same challenges as you.  But together, we can overcome anything.

We'll take another two weeks to finish out The Noticer so that those who haven't had a chance to read it yet can do so.  Please come up to me after church and request a copy of the book -- I have one available.  It's that important to us that you grow and be strengthened in your faith in God.  Be blessed, and thanks again to all who turned out to make last night's movie night a huge success.

Much love, Travelers...

The Noticer Chapter 5

Monday, March 1, 2010

In this chapter, wisdom is the principal thing.  According to Andy Andrews, it's the ability to see into the future and discern the consequences of our actions BEFORE making choices -- especially life-altering ones.  Many of us know to stay away from obviously evil things that have the potential to destroy us. But it's the subtle choices whose consequences are not that easy to see which require much more time. 

I think this is such an important chapter, because somewhere along the line we need to pass on to our children the fact that it's never too early to begin thinking ahead of time about what they want out of life, and teaching them to ask for God's help in making those choices.  Many people, myself included, wonder why it's so hard for people to remain committed to anything -- especially marriage.  But the author makes an awesome point: the commitment wouldn't be as hard to do if the choice made were the right one to begin with.  Anyway, I think we'll all agree that serious decisions need to be treated with more seriousness.  If I chose a hairdo that really doesn't complement me, i'd only be stuck with it for a few weeks.  But friends and potential sweethearts must be chosen very carefully, for they'll stick to you like glue that can't be washed out as easily.

Your thoughts, Book Travelers...   

Movie Night!

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Please join us on Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 7 pm for a fun-filled movie night.  We will be watching the movie "Conversations With God", an inspiring film about finding success in the presence of God.  It's actually a bit like the life of Andy Andrews, the author of The Noticer, which is why I wanted the church family to witness how God can meet any of us where we are.  At our last meeting, we had a discussion of what each person envisioned success to be.  This movie answers this question very effectively -- and in such an uplifting way.

Come and be prepared to be blessed.  Bring something to snack on that you can share with someone else.  Bring a pillow and/or a blanket, or come with nothing at all.  We just want you to be 100% comfortable as we fellowship with one another.  I'll be getting back to you on whether child care will be available that night, so stay connected.

Be blessed, and don't forget to have "Conversations with God" of your own...

The Noticer Chapter 4

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Again, I continue to be amazed at how the old man Jones just happens to be in exactly the right spot at the right time in this book.  In this chapter, he manages to take a nap just within eyesight of Walker Miles, another young man at a crisis point in his life.  I guess the author is sending us a message that help is always there in the person of the Holy Spirit or even another saint when we need it the most, because once again Jones manages to make Walker think he's offering the old man a ride, when in fact this is an appointed meeting that will change Walker's life forever.

The issue raised in this chapter is a common one: the fact that many of us carry unnecessary burdens of failure because of something our parent(s) may have done or failed to do.  It's interesting to note that no matter how often we tell ourselves we will NEVER be like that parent, we find ourselves following in that pattern anyway.  In another book by a lady named Ana Mendez, entitled Iniquity,  we cannot break away from these generational ties due to satan's twisted scheme to keep us bound and walking in defeat.  In order to be completely free, we must go to the root of the failure (habit or pattern that keeps showing up as fruit in our lives no matter how often we pray about it), call it out, repent on behalf of ourselves and our ancestors, and then ask the Father to uproot it from our family tree.  For some, depending on how deep the roots go, a process of deliverance may need to take place.

Sounds far out?  Then you may want to do some soul-searching about some of the areas in your life in which you can't seem to grow or see any spiritual success.  If possible, find out from your older relatives just how many of your family members on either side of you did that same thing.  Then begin to ask God to uproot it so that it can no longer keep destroying your efforts to walk in freedom in every area.

I'll be looking forward to reading your own thoughts on this subject soon!