Wow, what a week we’ve had since we were together last.  I trust everyone is doing well in spite of the weather.  This has to be the worse conditions I’ve seen since Teresa and I moved to NWA in August of 1992.  If you’re like me you’ve long passed the “cabin fever” stage and you’ve reached the stage of “insanity”.  We have ventured out today and are getting caught up on some things in the office.

This last Sunday was a great Sunday of “Impact” here at CLC.  I thought the Praise and Worship was just “over the top” and the Presence of God was so real, reassuring us of the strong Hope, Grace and Power we have in God.  I thought one of the most powerful things that Pastor Boone brought to us Sunday in his message was the fact “it’s not as much about us Loving God as it is the Love God has for us”.  If you can embrace that and allow the Holy Spirit to bring revelation to your mind of how much God loves us in spite of our sin, failures, frustrations, misunderstandings and short-comings we could truly experience the “Impact” of God’s Power on our lives.  The above statement in no way suggests that we aren’t to Love God but it does release us from the bondage of guilt and shame when it seems we don’t Love Him if we fail Him because His Love covers all.  It all goes back to our “effort” and “performance”.  We don’t have to perform in order to prove our Love for God.  We don’t “do works” in order to prove our Faith but we “do works” because of our Faith!!  You can’t perform enough to earn God’s Love, He already loves us.  Matter of fact the scripture says…”Even while we were dead in our trespasses and sins, he died for us”!!!

I sense that we are beginning to take on a different understanding of all that God has done for us and the role we play in God’s Mission of Grace, Love and Reconciliation to the world.

I pray that you will allow all that God has done for you create an “Impact” wherever you go.

Sunday we are expecting great things as we gather together for worship.  I trust everyone will be thawed out and ready to go.  We are praying for those who are still without electricity that the lights will come on “SOON”!!!  I would encourage you to check on friends that may be in need and make sure that no one is going without during this difficult time.

Doing Life Together,

Pastor Terry Baker

                                                Daniel 10:1 – 21

Dan 10: 1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war.[ The understanding of the message came to him in a vision.

Dan 10:2 At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks.

Dan 10:3 I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.

Dan 10:4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris,

Dan 10:5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist.

Dan 10:6 His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.

Dan 10:7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves.

Dan 10:8  So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless.

Dan 10:9  Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.

Dan 10:10 A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.

Dan 10:11  He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.

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Michelle Burwell

Age Unknown

Occupation: World Changer

Devotion

The power of Choosing Right Words

Scriptures-  Prov. 12:18, 15:4, 18:21;  Deut.  30:19-20;  Matt. 12:33-37,

Choice- an act of selecting freely and after consideration

    an inclination toward

    the opportunity to choose

Everyone uses words to express him/her self.  It is the choice of words we use that determines whether we speak life or death.

Prov. 18:21

This scripture says that our words can bring life to someone or a situation, or they can speak death.  The choice is ours.

Finding the right words to say is not always easy, but it is very important!

Prov. 12:18

Prov. 15:4

We can literally see that if we speak life and encouraging words, we can bring healing to a spirit.

Deut. 30:19-20

Heaven and earth are witnesses to the words we speak.  When we choose to speak life we are choosing to give ourself life (and our children).   Speaking life in the dimmest of situation can be the biggest witness to another person.  They may be gong through something in their life as well and your words of life may be all they need.

Matt. 12:33-37 

We are all judged by the words we use! 

We all use words to communicate.  We can speak life or we can speak death.  The choice is ours!