Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this fabulous Friday. We are excited about the prayer conference that begins today. Pray for our Friday Television Outreach this evening at 7 PM on Time Warner Cable channel 4. I am including the schedule for the weekend. Please join us in prayer. Sunita and Andy got home Wednesday evening. Their friends Rob, Jenn and Melanie from Washington will be here this evening. Kelly Johnson is with us also. Those of you live in the area please join us for various sessions for the weekend.
Our Lord talked much on prayer. In Luke 18,we have in record of the story that Jesus told his disciples about an absolutely horrible judge. This judge hated people and he hated God. Unfortunately, appearing in his courtroom was a poor widow who needed justice but had nothing. She had no money, she had no husband, she had no standing, she had no power, and she had no resources. She had nothing. She was so insignificant, she probably could not have received justice in a good courtroom with a good judge, but here she was in the courtroom of the worst judge in the land.
The one thing that she did possess was the capacity to to annoy. So she annoyed this judge constantly. She yelled out in his courtroom: “Give me justice! Give me justice! Give me justice!” The judge responded by granting her the justice that she so vociferously demanded. She was a feisty character pounding away on the doors of justice, crying out, "Give me justice, give me justice". The word here that is translated “she kept coming to him.” Perhaps that’s the way God wants us to pray, pummeling the doors of heaven with our wants.
Edward Bennett Williams was a legendary and very powerful Washington criminal attorney. At one time he was the owner of both the Washington Redskins and the Baltimore Orioles. He was Frank Sinatra's lawyer and even defended President Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal. One day, as Mother Teresa was trying to raise money for an AIDS hospice program, she called for an appointment with Williams. Edward Bennett Williams and his partner Paul Dietrich had a charitable foundation that she hoped would help by making a donation. Before she arrived for the appointment, Williams said to his partner, “You know, Paul, AIDS is not my favorite disease. I don’t really want to make a contribution, but I’ve got this Catholic saint coming to see me, and I don’t know what to do.” After they talked it over they agreed that they would be polite, hear her out, but then say no because they had used up all their funds for the time being.
Mother Teresa arrived and sat like a little sparrow on the other side of the big mahogany lawyer’s desk. She made her appeal for the hospice, and Williams said, “We’re touched by your appeal, but no we don’t have any funds available at this time for your project.” Mother Teresa looked at him and said simply, “Let us pray.” Williams looked at Dietrich; they bowed their heads and after a rather lengthy prayer, Mother Teresa made the same pitch, word for word, for the AIDS hospice again. Again Williams politely said no. Mother Teresa looked at him and said, “Let us pray.” Williams, exasperated, looked up at the ceiling and said “All right, all right, get me my checkbook!”
The Good News of the story is to Pray always and don’t lose heart. Jesus' story is not only about an incorrigible judge and an annoying old widow. It is about God and it is about you and me. This story says if a poor widow, a nobody with no power, no authority, no influence can get justice out of a judge with no honor or integrity how much more will the children of the Most High God, whom He formed in the womb, whom He loved so much that He sent His son to die for us, find our God willing to hear and answer our prayers.
The Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. Pray always without losing heart." Because Jesus says, God will hears your prayers and will answer them quickly!
Tom Long, a professor at Emory Candler school of theology told this story: "I had a friend growing up who had the ugliest bicycle I’d ever seen. It was a hand-me-down made from the parts of other bicycles. It was so ugly it didn’t even have handlebar grips. He was always complaining that his hands would slip off the slick handlebars. He pestered his dad to buy him some handlebar grips, but his dad kept refusing.
"One day his dad took him to the Western Auto hardware store. Near the front door there were some new handlebar grips for sale. They were plastic and had long streamers hanging from the ends. He said, “Daddy, daddy, I’ve just GOT to have these handlebar grips! Please daddy!” His dad looked and him and said, 'No son, you don’t need those grips. Now come with me to the back of the store.' As he followed his dad, my friend was bitter and frustrated. Under his breath he was muttering, 'I never get ANYTHING. It’s just a lousy three dollars! My dad sure is mean!' When they got to the back of the store the owner wheeled out a shiny, brand new bicycle–complete with handlebar grips with plastic streamers. My friend’s dad said, 'Here son, it’s an early birthday present. I wouldn’t buy you any handlebar grips because I had something better in mind!' My friend was ecstatic!"
Always pray without losing heart, for our God is a sovereign just God who loves his children! He hears your prayers and will answer them.
In Christ
Brown
http://youtu.be/uAbaqzk66Vc
PRAYER CONFERENCE:
Union Center United Methodist Church:
128 Maple Drive, Endicott, New York 13760
PRAYER CONFERENCE:
Friday October 14 through Sunday October 16, 2011
Need hope?
Need a reason to continue?
Need joy?
Need peace?
Need an answer?
Need rest?
" COME TO JESUS AND LIVE "
Need NEED LIFE?No matter what you need…
JESUS says “Call to Me & I will Answer!”
~ Jeremiah 33:3
Join us for a weekend of Hope, Joy, Peace & Life!!
Friday Oct. 14 – 6:00 pm: Opening session at Union Center UMC with Kelly Johnson from Two By Two Ministries
Saturday Oct. 15:
9 am – Noon at Union Center UMC: Open Prayer Time: A refreshing time of personal prayer and community prayer for any storm you’ve weathered. Prayer teams available to pray with those who desire it.
5:30pm – Community Dinner at Endicott First Methodist
6:30pm – Worship service with Kelly Johnson at Endicott First Methodist.
Sunday Oct. 16 – 8:30 & 11:00 am at Union Center UMC– Join us for morning worship with guest speaker Kelly Johnson.
***Please note our two locations for these events***
Union Center United Methodist Church is located at 128 Maple Dr. Endicott
Endicott First Methodist is located at 53 McKinley Ave. Endicott
For information please call 607-748-6329-748-1358 or 427-4359
If you are unable to come but have a need you’d like to have us pray for, please email it to umcgospel@aol.com attn: Prayer Team
We praise the Lord for the following who will be leaders in the Prayer conference:
Kelly Johnson from Memphis, TN.
Sunita and Andy from Washington, DC
Rob and Jenn from Washington, DC
Melanie from Baltimore
Laureen from Binghamton
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