Today's Christian Journal : Newsletter

Over the years, I’ve learned that the words I speak have a profound effect on my disposition as well as my circumstance. I’ve purposed in my heart to be more diligent this year in speaking faith-filled words over every situation. It’s important to do so because the mouth is the on and off switch for life or death. Proverbs 18:21 states, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” NKJV.

I wonder how many dreams have been aborted because we spoke words of death, sickness or doubt. Or how many marriages, friendships or spirits have been utterly broken because of words spoken that didn’t line up with the Word of God. Chances are that we’re all guilty of speaking negative words either to ourselves or into the lives of others. The good news is that we can begin today to speak blessings and not curses.

Self-defeating habits are often hard to change, especially if you’ve become accustomed to hearing and believing negative, fear-filled words. Get in the habit of speaking positive, self-affirming words that line up with the Word of God. You’ll begin to notice a difference in how you look and feel. Others will begin to notice too. Position yourself for a mighty move of God by lining up your words with His Word.

I’ve found that a good time to start is in the morning. I start the day by speaking God’s Word over my life and that of my loved ones. This practice guides my decisions and is a stabilizing force throughout the day. One scripture that brings me extra comfort is found in Isaiah 54:17 which states, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment, you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me, says the Lord.” NKJV.

What are you saying about yourself and/or your situation? Are you speaking words of life or death? If you would like to experience the awesome power of God in your life, begin speaking faith-filled words over each and every situation. Find scriptures that speak to your circumstance. Trust and believe that God will move on your behalf. Send me an email and share your experience. God is faithful to perform His Word.

Paul Rudatsikira Lives By Faith and Starts a Nonprofit to Help Improve Life in Africa

Thirteen years ago Paul Rudatsikira and his family fled their home in Burundi when the slaughter began in their native Rwanda. Four hundred members of his extended family perished in the 1994 genocide that killed an estimated 1 million people in 100 days.

Fearing the spread of violence in the region, Paul Rudatsikira Rudatsikira and his family sought asylum in the United States. They were six of only 43 Rwandans granted asylum by the United States that year.

Now 22, Rudatsikira recently told his story as a Commencement speaker at the University of California, Riverside, where he graduated with a B.A. in history and a dream to improve the lives of all Africans, particularly those in Rwanda.

To that end Rudatsikira has formed a non-profit, Africa Global Partnership, an organization he hopes will be a bridge in the U.S. for “good-willed leaders and institutions that desire to make a positive impact in Africa.” A formal launch is planned in December in New York City.

Rudatsikira, who is a United States citizen, was born a citizen of Rwanda in the neighboring country of Burundi, where his parents were medical missionaries. He has spent much of his undergraduate career speaking on behalf of Rwanda and Africa, appearing at diverse functions and advising individuals who want to help Rwanda, including members of Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. He took a group of 21 business leaders on a fact-finding trip to Rwanda in April to encourage support for projects that will improve health, education, orphan care and economic, community and infrastructure development.

“I want to give a human connection on Africa,” he says. “People are used to seeing statistics representing the African people, but rarely do they get to hear the story behind the statistics. It is a responsibility for me to show the heart and soul of Africa in a way that will inspire people here and around the world to make a positive impact in Africa.”

Wouldn't it be great if God decided to use billboards to talk to you? Just think, you could be driving down the road and God could simply choose one of a zillion billboards on the side of the road to get your attention. There you'd be with a mapped out message right from God. Pretty cool, huh?

I've often thought that method would certainly work for me! On the other hand, He could use something more subtle. Like a gentle rap on the side of head whenever you veer off the course. Yup, there's a thought.....God smacking people whenever they weren't listening. I'm afraid we'd all be walking around pretty much in a daze from all that "activity".

Hearing from God is a learned skill. Of course, you could be one of the lucky ones like Moses, who was walking up the mountain, minding his own business, when he stumbled onto the burning bush. Most of us don't have those kinds of encounters so we find ourselves looking for skills to help us hear from God.

* His WORD. In order to actually "hear" from God, you have to know some things about God's character. You need to develop an understanding of who God is, and the way He does things. Fortunately, all that info is available in the Bible. The book goes into a lot of detail about how you can expect God to react, what kinds of expectations He has for you, and most specifically, how He expects you to treat other people. It's actually a pretty good book, given its age.

* Other People. Many times God will use other people to try to get through to you. It's possible for God to use anyone at any time, but I find more messages coming from people who are practicing Christians than non-practicing ones.

* Your Circumstances. Sometimes the only way God can teach you something is to allow circumstances in your life to lead you to and THROUGH the very thing you need to discover. One of my favorite authors, Joyce Meyer, says, "There's no such thing as a drive-through break-through.

* The Still Small Voice. Most of the time God uses a tiny voice inside you to let you know when you're not on the right path. Some people call it "the voice of peace". Whenever you're contemplating something and you don't have peace about it, it's a very good idea to stop and carefully look at the options. There's usually a reason you don't feel peace about it.

* THE ACTUAL VOICE. Sometimes youe're able to "hear" something in your spirit that sounds like an actual audible voice. Or all of a sudden, you just know you heard something. Pay attention to those occasions because it is very likely God trying to tell you something.

Let me give you an example. A couple years ago I signed up to become a hospital visitor for my church. When I first saw the notice in our church bulletin, I immediately felt I should respond. But, I let it pass. Over the next couple of weeks, the thought occurred to me off and on so I said to myself, "If I see the notice in the bulletin this coming Sunday, I'll sign up."

Of course, it was in there. But this time when I saw it, there was no getting away from it. I finally had to say, "OK, OK God, I'm going!"

So there I was doing hospital visits for the first time. I was nervous, but I prayed A LOT before I went, and I was doing OK. But on my way to my second hospital, I prayed again that God would use me to represent Him to all the sick people, giving comfort, etc.

Right in front of the hospital was a crosswalk with a traffic light. As I stood at the corner I kept praying, starting to cross, even though the light was red. I mean, I was in a hurry trying to get to all those sick people!

Right in the middle of the street I heard, "So you want to represent Me, and you can't even make it across the street without breaking the law?"

I was so shocked by this, I said the most spiritual thing I could think of .... "Oops".

God uses lots of things to talk to you. But actually hearing from God isn't so much a matter of "IF" He's talking, it's whether you're listening.

Karen Wolff is the founder of http://www.christian-books-for-women.com, a place where Christian women can find lots of info, tips, and help with a variety of issues they face every day.

Godly Retirement
By Al Boyce

Two dozen newly hired employees of a large financial institution gathered in a conference room for three days of orientation. A good part of the first day was devoted to taking full advantage of the company's 401K plan. The entire last day was devoted to IRAs and other retirement plans.

Repeatedly, speakers warned that Social Security would soon be a thing of the past; that we must work to assure our own solvency when we retire. One woman estimated each of us would need $500,000 in retirement savings accounts in order to retire "comfortably." Another suggested putting away every spare penny to protect against the ravages of inflation.

With the best of intentions, this company was systematically instilling in its employees the desire -- no, the NEED -- to look out for themselves, to hoard their money, to define their "comfortable" retirement years by how lavishly they would be able to live. Vacation homes were a given.

Is it any wonder that Americans struggle to tithe, or to serve others, or even to reduce their own worldly appetites when we are surrounded by trusted advisors who lecture us about materialism as if it were the ultimate virtue?

Contrast that with Christ's admonition that we give freely to others; that we are to live simply and hold our material possessions with open hands.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."(Matthew 6:19-21)

I know a man who is in his mid-40s. He lives in an unheated trailer behind someone else's house. When he can't get day labor jobs, he panhandles. Sometimes he gets food from dumpsters behind grocery stores.

This man also volunteers four hours a day at a warehouse that provides food, clothing and other necessities to the homeless, to migrant workers, to displaced families. He refuses to take anything from the warehouse for himself because he wants to "give back" what he has received from others.

One gift he has received has been the support and friendship to help him stay sober for nearly six months.

This man has no IRA, no pension fund, no 401K, no savings account. He is looking for a steady job, but with poor reading skills, hearing difficulties and a spotty employment history, his prospects are not good.

Still, he reaches out to his brothers and sisters on the street; those who can't shake their own substance abuse. He doesn't counsel them on how to save up money, get a job or prepare for retirement. He encourages them to embrace Jesus as their Lord and Savior; to relinquish their grim hold on things of this earth and to recognize the joy of living by God's grace.

In this way, he contributes to the ultimate 401K. There are no contribution limits. You are never too old to start paying in. Your assets are controlled by someone with a proven track record.

One more thing: God provides an infinite match, which is a good thing, since your life expectancy will be off the charts.

Al Boyce is a former writer and reporter for The Associated Press. He lives in Raleigh, NC, where he now writes for God.

Solomon had wisdom in that statement from Proverbs 17:22. The human body, which God designed, can produce it's own disease fighting chemicals. God has created us "fearfully and wonderfully." These bodies that we walk around in are truly amazing! Evolution is just not smart enough to equip us with the mind-boggling intelligence that our bodies contain!

For example, when you are joyful, your body secretes two types of chemicals that fight cancer and other diseases. When you experience that exhilarating feeling of being truly joyful, it does "good like a medicine."

One type of chemical released in your body when you are joyful is called "neuropeptide." These neuropeptides are the same kind of chemical that cancer patients are injected with at the cost of up to $40,000.00 per shot! And God created our bodies to produce them naturally by having a joyful heart!

Another chemical secreted into the bloodstream, by having a joyful heart, is known as "opioid." (You can see the root word for "opium" which can be a dangerous drug but produces a calming effect.)

Opioids when secreted into the bloodstream enhance the immune system to help fight the common cold. So, is there a cure for the common cold? Yes! A merry heart!

You see, our minds, bodies and spirits are all connected. We are a walking network of amazing super-intelligence! We are not "gods," but we are created "in the image of God."

God has created us so unique. When we are joyful, our minds, bodies and spirits are effected by it. Your mind can sense true joy coming from your spirit, and when your mind senses joy on the radar screen, it sends out "opioids" into the bloodstream which connect with "monocytes." The monocytes receive messages from the opioids which trigger a Pac-Man like response and they begin to eat bacteria and viruses that tear down your immune system.

If you are plagued by fear, worry, stress and anger, you are opening the door to sickness. Your body is not secreting what it needs to keep you vibrant. Is it any wonder Jesus tells us to stop worrying? (Matthew 6). Is it any wonder that the Apostle Paul tells us to stop worrying? ( Phil. 4). Seek first His Kingdom and righteousness and all of your needs will be given unto you. (Matt. 6:33)

Take care of your mind, body and spirit. Have a joyful heart. Stop killing yourself. Allow that wise body God gave you to release those wonderful chemicals in order that you may experience optimum health and performance for His glory!

Donna L. Watkins lives in Central Virginia with her wonderful husband enjoying birds, wildlife, gardening, forests, nature travel and her cat, Squeek. More articles can be found at TheHerbsPlace.com and a free subscription to her mailing, A Healing Moment. http://www.theherbsplace.com/ahm.html