There are certain experiences that will impact your life at such a level that you know you will never forget them or be the same afterwards.  One such encounter for me was the Sunday morning service at the River at Tampa Bay Church on December 13^th, 2009.  After advertising for a month all over the city of Tampa that Pastor Rodney and Revival Ministries would be giving away over 1,000 Christmas toys and boxes of food to anyone who registered and came to the service on the 13^th of December, we saw over 1300 people come! We brought them in by the bus loads. Over 310 children came with their parents.  And after the gospel was preached in the children’s church 156 kids gave their lives to Christ, and in the main adult service just shy of 200 people accepted the Lord as their personal savior!

The efforts that went into seeing such an incredible miracle were worth every moment.  Having a Sunday service in America where over 27 percent of the audience commits to serving Jesus Christ will bring anyone to tears. It was life changing.  So often people pray to see the harvest of souls and ask God to bring people to their church.  That just won’t cut it, you have to go out on the streets and meet people in their daily lives to minister to them and bring them to church!  If a salesman sits in his office and waits for people to call him how successful will he be?  Not at all! But if he goes door to door and meets people he will see his labors come to fruition.  Serving under Pastor Rodney and the mighty vision he has for the city of Tampa Bay and America is contagious, and watching so many people come forward to receive salvation has permanently left a mark on my heart! The only thing you can bring to Heaven with you on that glorious day are the souls of the people who accepted salvation when you ministered the gospel to them.  Thank you God for a ministry whose heart is set at winning the lost of the world at any cost and effort!

Timothy T

Around midday, He came to a well in a city named Sychar.

Exhausted and hot, Jesus sat down by that well. Seeing that she was drawing water, He asked her if she would give Him a drink. This happened in an area known as Samaria—a area where Jews barely went. She was startled that He would even talk to her. This led to a dialogue that was so heavy, John recorded it in the 4th gospel account, the one that bears his name—John 4:1-30. Bother to read these verses slowly and solemnly. His words to her, especially those in verses ten and 13-14.

Her words to Him, as she attempts to understand who he is. Her words to others, as she later tells them about Him. Ultimately , bother to respond to these 2 questions:. What did Jesus mean when He said to the lady, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again ; but whoever drinks of the water that I’ll give him shall never thirst”? What are the diversities between the sort of water we drink and the sort of water Jesus gives? As necessary as water is to our contentment, it doesn’t permanently slake our thirst. We’ll always need and want more—a lot more.

But the water Jesus offers not only brings momentary satisfaction, it brings satisfaction forever. Perhaps it’s time for you to claim to Jesus what he announced to that lady : give me a drink.

Well-meaning oldsters, grandparents, teachers and clergyas well as college and govt systemsoften become enablers by softening or getting shot of the natural results of their kid’s, student’s or constituent’s behaviour. In yesterday’s attention, we debated the boy, whose substance issue finished in crisis. That whole process and the ensuing crisis influenced many lives. The boy developed a serious substance issue by the point he was fifteen.

    His parents, rather than drawing limits and looking for much wanted help for their boy, targeted on safeguarding him from the natural results of his evil-doing. When the high-school principal presented proof that he was selling marijuana, his mum and dad hit out at the high school and threatened a legal action.

    In one year’s time, he was detained 5 times for driving under the influence of alcohol. Every time, his mum and dad bailed him out of jail, giving him “one more chance.” Their other children were neglected.

    Their sort of “helping” had only continued his behaviour and had turned into agony for the whole family.

    If somebody you love is wrestling with a life-controlling problem, you can help by setting limits, by employing troublesome love. And trust God to help you thru the maze. Father, teach me to set limits for my loved one and to reply to wrong behaviors with troublesome loveand please give me the power to follow thru.

Is the one you love battling with a life-controlling problem? Are you helping him ( or her ) overcome or are you becoming part of the problem? Enabling is anything that stands in the way of the natural effects of someone’s behaviour.

    A nice example would be oldsters trying frequently to help their child with his drug abuse. At age twelve, the child started drinking at a pal’s house on the weekend and was reliant upon drugs by age fifteen. His drug taking led to his murdering a particularly close family mate and serving a lengthy jail sentence. During his teen years, they attempted to help him by bailing him out every time he got into difficulty, instead of letting him to suffer the results of his behaviour.

    By making an attempt to help, the oldsters became part of the issue. They enabled to keep on a downward spiral till his behaviour finished in tragedy. Is someone you care about wrestling with a life-controlling problem? It is natural to need to protect those we care about, but safeguarding them from the natural results of their evildoing only enables them to resume on the same trail. Ask God to offer you the wisdom and the strength to say “no.” to hope and love and support but not enable.

    I would like to help the one I care about so much. And I’m beginning to realize more that I do more harm than help by rescuing him from the effects of his behaviour.    Is the one you love battling with a life-controlling problem? Are you helping him ( or her ) overcome or are you becoming part of the problem? Enabling is anything that stands in the way of the natural effects of someone’s behaviour.