Thoughts From Bob

Each and everyone one of us are going through tough times right now, but God is getting ready to bless you in a way that only He can. Keep the faith.

This prayer is powerful, and prayer is one of the best gifts we receive.
There is no cost but a lot of rewards. Let’s continue to pray for one another.

The prayer:

Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those that I care deeply for, who are reading this right now.

Show them a new revelation of your love and power.

Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment.

Where there is pain, give them your peace and mercy.

Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through your grace.

Where there is need, I ask you to fulfill their needs.

Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings.

In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

Tags: Bible, Life by Bob
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What is in your hand?  Or, What is in your inventory?

When disaster strikes as it certainly has in these United States this year it seems to me we need to raise our sights and look at the answers to these two questions.

As I watch the real winners respond to disaster in our land and see how they have turned a situation that seemed insurmountable into a pathway to victory, I wanted to see how they did it.

The greatest treasures any of the winners have is the sure and certain belief they have solidly planted in their own soul that :

1 God is in charge and He owns it all. [Read more →]

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One of your greatest sources of pleasure and inner peace is the ability you have to bless others.

This short message is a new adventure for many of us because it is an investigation into the why some things happen in our lives. We are spiritual beings and the spiritual aspect of our makeup is not really emphasized in our western culture.

The American Indian’s culture was one where the spiritual aspect was a concept that began when the children were small because they were told of the power of the Great Spirit.

The framers of our constitution were well aware of this power because in the opening of our constitution we are told that we are endowed with the ability to search for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

There is no doubt in my mind that this concept is one of the main contributors to the greatness of the United States of America.

We can and should develop blessing in our lives and include it in our pursuit of happiness.

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One detail that is never mentioned is that in Washington, D.C. there can never be a building of greater height than the Washington Monument.

With all the uproar about removing the ten commandments, etc., this is worth a moment or two of your time. I was not aware of this amazing historical information.

On the aluminum cap, atop the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., are displayed two words: Laus Deo.

No one can see these words.  In fact, most visitors to the monument are totally unaware they are even there and for that matter, probably couldn’t care less. 

Once you know Laus Deo’s history, you will want to share this with everyone you know. These words have been there for many years; they are 555 feet, 5.125 inches high, perched atop the monument, facing skyward to the Father of our nation, overlooking the 69 square miles which comprise the District of Columbia, capital of the United States of America.

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Tags: Bible, Life by Bob
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The Bible has a wonderful and powerful capability to lift the human spirit and give hope and faith and love to anyone who can discover the marvelous truths that have been placed there for our benefit.Almost a hundred years ago there were two men in a hotel room in Wisconsin who were both students of the Bible. They had an idea that if they could devise ways to put Bibles where people could read them it would be a blessing to this nation.

Today this organization is composed of thousands of people who are called Gideons and the Gideons have put Bibles in most of the rooms in our hotels. Today many of the Bibles printed by and for the Gideons contain a list of scripture references so even if you never had a Bible in your hands before you can turn to the powerful words of God so you can receive the help and faith in yourself to find the hope you can use to conquer fear, find answers to personal problems, get an idea to help you if you are Anxious, Bereaved, Defeated, Depressed, Discouraged and the list goes on and on.

I have been very blessed in many ways in my life but perhaps the greatest blessings have always come from a lesson learned in a time of adversity. The natural God-given instinct in time of great fear or sorrow or danger is to call out to God for help.

I was an infantry soldier in World War II and I can tell you there were no atheists in the foxholes we dug for our personal protection.

Most of you who are reading this page will remember when a word of encouragement or love or kindness or even a severe scolding changed your life. Words have power.

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I can remember when our kids were little and we lived on a farm. The beginning of spring meant an Easter egg huntThe trick was to hide the eggs in such a way that they would be right in the middle of an unlikely place. They would be overlooked unless a careful examination of the location was made. Imagine the joy in the mind of the one who finds the treasure in the unlikely place.

This joy has happened to many of us but it triggered a real and lasting enthusiasm n the mind of Bruce Wilkinson when he found the prayer of Jabez. It contains only two verses but it has such tremendous power it can change anybodies life that will use it. AND it is stuck right in the middle of some of the most boring reading in the entire Bible, the list of the begats in the 4^th chapter of First Chronicles verses 9 and 10.

The book, The Prayer of Jabez has earned well over a million dollars. I tell you that to illustrate its power. But even though it has such tremendous power it is totally worthless unless it is prayed by a believer.

When you get this prayer I advise you to trace the outline of your right hand on a blank piece of paper. That will give you a very familiar outline that has five points. Then in your own handwriting.

On the Thumb write Bless Me Indeed

On the first finger put Enlarge My Coast

On the tall finger Let God Guide Me

On the ring finger put the words Keep Me From Evil

Then on the little finger instead of don’t let it grieve me put

DON’T LET ME DO ANYTHING I WILL BE SORRY FOR LATER.

Then if you will look at that hand picture at least 5 times a day for a week you will have memorized the prayer and then you can say it many times a day every day.

If you will do that you will begin to realize that you do have God’s favor, and your life will get better.

You will find that your goals really are attainable.

You can actually help more people.

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To my friends

I have an interesting job in the North Heights Lutheran Church in Arden Hills, MN.  This is a church that has 8000 members, two campuses and about 12 different services every Sunday.

One of the functions at most of the services is provided by a team of people we call altar ministers. These are volunteers who have been through a training program and who are willing to come to the front of the auditorium after the service and offer to pray with anyone who wants to come up for prayer.

We usually work in teams of two altar ministers, the official title of the job. We will listen to and then pray for and with the person who comes up for prayer.

I was introduced to the job of being an alter minister by a friend who was an altar minister and he asked me to come up with him and see what it was like to be an altar minister. When I watched Carl Brostrum pray with people I decided I would attempt to take the training and join the team of altar ministers. That was in 1990 so I have had a unique opportunity to witness the remarkable power of prayer.

I can truthfully say that the fifteen minutes more or less in that job has become the most valuable thing I do in my week.

It is no longer a surprise to me when some kind stranger will approach me and say, “Do you remember praying with me?”

Usually I will answer, no. I can honestly say I do not remember because my goal is to forget the time I spend at the altar rail BECAUSE IT IS REALLY NOT ANY OF MY BUSINESS, I am just a simple connector between the person who needs the prayer and the Holy Spirit. I just happen to be there. I cannot claim any of the remarkable things done to and for the person who comes to ask for prayer.

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   Advice  Jesus  gave to  Jairus when  things looked  hopeless

 This story   has much  human interest and  it has a spectacular ending,

Jairus was a  ruler of the  Synagogue so we know he had wealth and  power  and  probably was a  very  successful.  We are told he had a  gate house  so  probably had a  mansion in the  drive  beyond the  gatehouse. RGSJr.

Mark chapter 5

²¹Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. ²²And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet ²³and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” ²⁴So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.

Even  though  the story  begins with Jairus who had an urgent message Jesus did not get in a  hurry.  He is interrupted  by a poor woman  who  had  troubles for  twelve years and  she had spent all her  money on  doctors and  was still worse than she had  ever been. RGSJr.

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Tags: Bible, Life by Bob
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 God likes positive thinkers

The Holy  Bible is full of stories that illustrate the love of  God for those people who love  Him and keep  his commandments.  I am sure the stories are meant to inspire us and encourage us.  Sometimes when we are facing a serious problem it is fun to allow you to admire the heroes in the Bible stories.  RGSJr.

One of the great quotes in the Bible is found in  the book of  Hebrews,  Chapter 11 :6

⁶But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

The story I like that illustrates the blessing of the Lord on men of faith is found in the  Old  Testament in the  book  of  Numbers Chapter 13

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 God is Good!
God   made us and  loves us.

If you  want to do something that  praises and  pleases 

Him  you  must learn  to  pray

I found this  little   Poem  and  realized the  author of the  poem was able to  give this advice maybe better than  I could.

THE POEM

I knelt to pray but not for long,
I had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For bills would soon be due.
So! I knelt and said a hurried prayer,
And jumped up off my knees.
My Christian duty was now done
My soul could rest at ease….
All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer
No time to speak of Christ to friends,
They’d laugh at me I’d fear.
No time, no time, too much to do,
That was my constant cry,
No time to give to souls in need
But at last the time, the time to die.
I went before the Lord,
I came, I stood with downcast eyes.
For in his hands God held a book;
It was the book of life.
God looked into his book and said
“Your name I cannot find.
I once was going to write it down…
But never found the time”

Tags: Bible by Bob
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