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Jesus can never be boxed in. He continually and consistently does things that leave us astonished.But, it’s that astonishment that leads us to worship. When Jesus broke down their boxes of understanding, the Pharisees and religious leaders became very …

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When times of difficulty visit our homes, and there’s nothing within our
power to be done, where is our trust focused?  A total trust and reliance
on God is not always natural but is necessary!  Trust in the Lord and His
Grace to see it through!! 

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A 2006 survey of ministers revealed that 89% of them have considered leaving the ministry, and 57% would quit if they had any other prospects. Recently researchers from the Clergy Health Initiative at Duke Divinity School did a study of 1,700 clergy finding that the instances for depression and anxiety were well above the national […]

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iStock 000003852552XSmall “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.”         

2 Tim. 3:1-2
 

     Christ was ministering in the lower Galilee when he and his disciples sailed across the lake to one of the cities of the Decapolis.  Passing a grave yard, a man who had experienced a mental breakdown and had become possessed by about two-thousand spirits met Christ. The Bible says he was “exceedingly fierce” (Matt. 8:28). In this narrative the word fierce in Greek is chalepos, meaning toreduce strength; to become difficult and dangerous.’  He was not just a rough fellow having a hard time, since the spirits within him could break chains and wooden fetters. He was dangerous to anyone who encountered him.

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The ministry is both a calling and a labor of love.  At VOE and OCI the Lord has blessed us with numerous volunteers, all serving in the ministry of “helps” (1 Cor. 12:28). Without this dedicated work force, both ministries would be limited in accomplishing their God-given assignments. 

     At OCI each volunteer working with or around people must undergo a background check.  At times, their record shows an action that occurred before the person came to Christ. Under certain legal requirements, a person cannot be around children, youth or in other areas of ministry because of an event in their past. In some instances, this can be frustrating for a now Christian individual; when people were unsaved and much younger, they made decisions which came back to haunt them in their later years.

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Recently during my quiet time, I have thought about Shabbach Masters Commission slogan, “Where God can blow your mind!” While thinking about that phrase I pictured what this year at Masters is going to be like.  I began to think about what I want to get out of this year, what I want God to do me, and how I want God to just blow my mind out of the waters. 
Have you ever seen a 5 year old getting ready to start kindergarden and how he has so much excitement and has big dreams and expectancy for his first year of school? I’m that 5 year old getting ready to start my second year of Masters Commission. I have realized lately that everything you do and decisions you make will either move you forward or set you back to reaching what & where God has for you. So as I walk into Shabbach MC 2013, I enter with a mindset that everything that I am handed to do, is going to prepare me for the mission field. Everything that is being poured into me needs to be soaked up like a sponge and applied to my daily lifestyle. 
Every decision I make needs to be thought of in the way of “is this going to benefit me or set me back in the long run.” In order for me to gain anything from this year, I need to take it in myself. You can have someone pour and pour into you but if you never stretch out your hand and grab it, you will never receive what they are saying to you. This year I am entering into a year where i want EVERYTHING that is being poured into me, and I want to run with it. I want to allow what’s being poured into me to advance me to much greater things that God has in store for me. 

Blessings,

Katlyn