Tag : Rev. Christopher Ian Chenoweth

05Sep

Positive Daily Inspiration – September 5, 2022 – Apart from Christ There is No Explanation for Such A Life

Positive Daily Inspiration - September 5, 2022 - Apart from Christ There is No Explanation for Such A Life

“Is not your respect of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?”
Job 4:6

NEW VIDEO SEE BELOW

In the early 1950s Mahalia Jackson found herself before a sellout crowd in New York City’s famed Carnegie Hall. “I stood there,” she later recalled, “gazing out at thousands of men and women who had come to hear me – a baby nurse and a washerwoman – on the stage where great artists like Caruso and Lily Pons and Marian Anderson had sung, and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to make a sound.” But sing she did, and “The more I sang the more people in the audience cried out for joy. As the beat picked up, hands started flying and feet started tapping and folks began to shout all over the great Hall.”

Jackson had risen from humble beginnings in New Orleans to become hailed as the world’s greatest gospel singer – the “Queen of gospel music.”

Mahalia’s formal education ended abruptly with the eighth grade, when she took a job as a laundress. In 1928, although only 16, Mahalia moved to Chicago, where she lived with two of her aunts. Her plans to study nursing were dashed when one of her aunts became ill, making it necessary for Mahalia to work to help make ends meet.

In 1932 the untrained Mahalia paid a hard-earned 4 dollars to her professor on Chicago’s South side – for what turned out to be her one and only singing lesson. The professor berated his would be pupil, telling her to “stop hollering” and sing her songs “so that white people can understand them.” Mahalia never went back for another lesson.

Gradually, Mahalia’s musical talent was noticed outside religious circles.

Jazz promoters invited her to sing in nightclubs, with one promising her as much as $25,000 per night to perform in Las Vegas. Consistently, she turned down all such engagements, insisting that she was first and foremost a gospel singer. “When you sing gospel songs, you have a feeling that there is a cure for what is wrong,” she said. But “when you get through with the blues, you’ve got nothing to rest on.”

In 1972 Mahalia died in Evergreen Park, Illinois. At the Greater Salem Baptist Church, more than 40,000 people filed past her coffin to pay their final respects.

Because such a large crowd was expected, her funeral service was held at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center.

Although Mahalia received accolades from around the world, she always maintained a deep sense of humility about herself and her gifts saying, “My success is the work of the Lord.”

Apart from Christ there is no explanation for such a life.

How do you in your life rise above conditions, lack, limitation and worry. You do it by going consistently to God and allowing God to consistently work in and through your life.

Are we professionals or amateurs in life? The professional goes to God for help continuously. The successful professional realizes it is not her or him but God that produces the success.

When he sees a log jam, the professional logger climbs a tall tree and locates a key log, and has that log blown up and lets the stream do the rest. An amateur would start at the edge of the jam and move all the logs, eventually moving the key log. Obviously, both methods will get the logs moving, but the professional does his work more quickly and effectively.

In Proverbs 3:25-26 it states, “Do not be afraid of sudden panic, or the storm or the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.”

“This one thing I do,” said Paul. Most people would have to alter that and confess, “these fifty things I dabble in.”

There are many detours in life, but we can choose the direct route. The direct route to success is continuous connection to God.

(I have always said of my life: “Apart from Christ there is no explanation for such a life.” I can’t take credit for the huge success of this ministry – I give it ALL to God. God can use an admitted sometimes bumbling idiot to produce worldwide success. – Chris Chenoweth)

POSITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Dear God, in the end I wanted said of me, “Apart from Christ there is no explanation for such a life!”
Help me to do more.
Help me to be more.
Help me to make a difference.

In Jesus Christ’s name … Amen

POSITIVE AFFIRMATION FOR TODAY: The victorious Spirit of God, that is with me now, is equal to any occasion, greater than any need, mightier than any problem. All is well with me in my world because all is well with God.

POSITIVE QUOTE FOR TODAY: “I keep six honest serving men (They taught me all I know); their names are Walked (always learn from the person that has walked the path not merely had an opinion of it) and Why and When and How and Where and Who.” Kipling

_____

Supported 100% by our readers – THANK YOU!
Instant online, or recurring monthly giving:
https://positivechristianity.net/donation-tithe/
By mail: Positive Christianity Box 7993 Woodlands, TX 77387

___

NEED PRAYER? Click here – Positive Christianity will pray with you, daily, for an entire 2 months.
There Is Never a Charge for Prayer.

Television channels (Free Service):
NEW Inspiration http://www.youtube.com/PositiveChristianity
Prayer http://www.youtube.com/prayerAmerica
Meditation http://www.youtube.com/PositiveChurch

GOD BLESS YOU, Happy Labor Day!
Christopher Ian Chenoweth

Read More
05Sep

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON – The Tap In To Real Spiritual Power

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON - The Tap In To Real Spiritual Power

Time Sensitivity: none

A FREE GIFT FOR CLERGY

Positive Written Sermons is a FREE service of Positive Christianity to those ACTIVE IN CLERGY MINISTRY to ease your burdens in ministry. Each positive sermon is non-denominational; feel free to tailor to your denominational needs, or personal style. We consider our sermons to be 90% complete; they await your personal stories and anecdotes.

_____________________________________

Personal important note: Many (hundreds) have been asking about our retreat center in Ellijay Georgia – Hope Hill.

People have wanted to book it, read about it, etc. and it’s now off-line.

About six months ago as I faced my own storm of life with my health challenge. My financial advisor strongly advised that I sell Hope Hill. He said because of Texas and Georgia law it would definitely go into probate which could last years. But I said, “I love Hope Hill,” and when I’m not using it is rented 90% of the time making it very profitable for the ministry. He said, during probate it would sit vacant you would not be allowed to rent it and that being the case it would go into disrepair.

I put Hope Hill on the market and sold it within days for a high amount which went to help the trust to support this ministry ongoing.

By the way, I’m doing fine, feel-good, and in a great mood. God is with me. Please don’t write asking me how I’m doing because I just can’t keep up with that kind of correspondence. I dislike being the focus instead of God being the focus. Plus, such correspondence in large numbers really brings me down temporarily.

_______

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

Tennyson once said that more things are brought about in this world by prayer than we can ever dream about.

Let me tell you a story.

There has been a great deal in the news in the last few years about mining accidents in the United States. Years ago, in a Salem, Kentucky zinc mine there were five miners in the mine together there was a rockfall in the mine – a collision of the ceiling. They were trapped. There was no light. There was no food. There was no water. They were there in the darkness.

Now, these five men were non-religious. But at a time like that … You think your life is passing in front of your eyes, and indeed it was for these five miners. So one miner suggested that they pray and sing. Ordinarily if he would have done that, he would have been beaten up. But not today, not in this mine after the collapse.

So, they sat there on the floor, gasping for air, and they started to sing and pray. They sang old gospel songs. One would lead and then another. And they prayed for a total of fifty-three hours. They never slept. They continued to pray. They got into such a feeling of oneness with God that after a while it didn’t even matter to them if they were found or not. They knew there was something more to life than that zinc mine and their daily hum-drum existence. Through personal spiritual experience each miner knew God. And they knew God was present with them there in that mine.

They continued to pray. Finally, they heard axes chipping through the rock. They heard people moving the rock and they heard people coming in, but they didn’t stop praying. They continued to pray and sing as they were lifted up out of the mine. On their miner’s helmets they had scrawled with a rock, “If we’re dead when you find us, we are all saved.”

What does it mean to be saved? It’s not a one-time event. When things happen in your life that knock you down, how do you get through it? Do you go the old, human way, or are you going to be spiritually saved in that moment? Every miner went on to have a profound religious life. All the miners said the collapse was the finest thing that had ever happened in their lives. They said, “Thank God we were trapped in that mine for fifty-three hours, for the experience gave us new life.”

When the outlook is bad in your life, try the up look. Try looking to God – instead of the situation. Try it and see what happens. You are going to make the discovery of discoveries that everybody can make, regardless of religious ties. You are going to find God because God is with you right now. Prayer is a feeding time for your soul. Sometimes our souls are starved, especially when bad things had been happening to us. It is a communion with God.

Prayer is a homecoming!

It’s easy to pray. Often in our lives, we have been given the message that it is hard to pray. No. That’s a human message of your human mind. It’s easy to pray. Our minds were created to pray, just as our lungs were created to breathe.

In prayer, we are consenting. We are permitting God to work through us. God does work through us when we permit God to do so. If we permit God to work through us for even a brief couple of minutes, God will do it. If we want it all day long or for fifty-three hours continuously, God will do that too. And it’s ever expansive. The more we permit God to work through us, the greater it is and the greater we are.

Frank B. Whitney once said, “To get out of personal, difficult situations, you must get out of personal consciousness.” You must lift yourself above the things that you have been thinking about. What do you lift yourself into? Into Power. There is a power in prayer that this talk cannot do justice to. There is a power in God that no human can tell you about fully with human words. You have to experience it, through a personal spiritual experience.

In the Bible, it says, “It is done unto you as you believe.” That is because prayer, like electricity, travels in a circle. When you pray, it is like a boomerang. It’s going to come back into your life. Prayer produces after the pattern is set.

The famous Mayo Clinic is in Rochester Minnesota. The Mayo brothers (Will and Charles Mayo) had a dream of better healing. Will Mayo once said this:

“I have seen patients who were dead by all standards. Everyone knew they could not live. We knew they were going to die. But I have seen a minister come to the bedside of one of these patients and do something that I could not do. I have seen that patient’s life touched in some way that I can’t explain as a medical doctor, with some immortal spark that defied medical knowledge and materialistic common sense. Believe it or not, that patient lived.”

We see this every day in ministry. Through this ministry, we see people who aren’t supposed to live, live; people who aren’t supposed to be able to pull their business out of where it is, pull it out and prosper. People have changed their lives around. People who are destroying themselves with their habits and various things just turn their lives around because of a power they connect with–a power which does not have those problems, a power that is readily accessible to us all.

Prayer, as Jesus Christ understood and used it, is communion with God. For communion of a child with God is a splendid, confidential talk of the child with the Parent. Communion means – common – union.

There is a locked, hidden pattern of prayer that works within the Bible that Jesus Christ used. I’m going to give you an example of how to unlock some of this prayer potential that is within you. I’m going to tell the story of the raising of Lazarus. In that, there is a locked, hidden pattern that can help you unlock your life.

Let me give you the setting for what was going on. Lazarus had been dead for four days when Jesus arrived at the tomb. Now, I would like you to picture the scene. There are hundreds of wailing women crying their eyes out. Then we see the curious crowd–not so much a faith-believing crowd, but a doubting crowd. They doubt with everything inside of them that a miracle could possibly take place. Then we see the grim, gray, rock-hewn cave with a large, circular stone rolled in front of the opening. [John 11:39-44].

“Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me. I knew that Thou hearest me always, but I have said this on account of the people standing by that they may believe that Thou didst send Me.’ When He said this, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The dead man came out, his hand and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.'”

First of all, how does Jesus address God? Jesus addresses God in a different way than we sometimes address God. He addresses God as if He were an immediate, close, available, mighty and loving Presence.

The basic pattern for prayer is in six steps.

1. “Take away the stone.” The very first step is to take away whatever barrier exists in your life, your mind and your heart. Open your eyes and your mind and your heart to betterment. Agree with God that improvement is possible and consent to whatever changes this may demand of you. Prayer, you see, does not change God. It changes us.

2. “Jesus lifted up His eyes.” This means He lifted up his vision, and His perspective, as well as His sight. What a thing to do in prayer. Sometimes the people praying never get to this point. They are so locked into the problem that they just beg God to save them from their problems. Their eyes are centered on the problem. Never once do they give God the credit for possibly being able to bring something higher into their lives. Jesus saw that with God working through Him, something more was possible.

In the highest form of prayer, we do not ask that God lower God’s sight to ours, but rather we seek to raise our sight to God’s. Raise your sights, to see through God’s eyes, to think through God’s thought, to hear God’s words.

3. “Father, I thank Thee.” Now Jesus had a Bible just like we do, but His Bible was the Old Testament. Jesus read the Old Testament. He was familiar with it. The Old Testament teaches to thank God. The Jewish people thank God as a matter of habit. The difference here, (and it’s a big difference), is that He didn’t thank God after Lazarus came out, but through his faith, and vision, thanked God in advance. There is a world of difference in that kind of faith.

Have enough faith in your life to know that when you pray, you’re not wondering, “Gee, I wonder if God heard that? Did God hear me that time?” Have faith to permit God to work through you. Have faith enough to give thanks in advance. The ultimate prayer is giving thanks continuously.

4. “He cried out with a loud voice.” This is the voice of unquestioning assurance. This is the voice in you that knows. I often ask people, “How would you act if your prayer was already answered?” They have answered, “Well, I would be exuberant. I would be on fire with God.” I would then tell them to act that way right now because it has been answered. It has to come through you – YOUR FAITH.

5. “The dead man came out.” The things that are impossible to you and me as mortal women and men are possible to God. And anything IS possible for you with God working through you if you are God-filled. The Bible says, “Where one thing I know: where I was blind, I now see, whereas I was once dead, I have come alive again; whereas I was impoverished, I am enriched. whereas I was abandoned, I am loved and accepted. Old thoughts and old things are become as waters that have passed away. Behold, all things are made new.”

6. “Unbind him and let him go.” Even though this dead man lives and has walked forth, he is still bound to the old thinking that got him there in the first place. He still has it wound in his consciousness and all that has been healed is the effect. Go beyond just healing the effect to – healing the cause. To heal the cause, we have to unbind ourselves, and loose ourselves from that type of thinking. So many times, we see a person healed of some disease and then a couple of years later they get it again in a different place. You have to go inside, and, if necessary, turn yourself inside-out, and unbind yourself. Completely become new, where the old things have passed away once and for all.

Every morning there are two trains departing. You determine which train you are going to get on. One train is God-faith. It is a happy, exhilarating type of life. The other train is limited human thought. All your baggage is on that train. You feel comfortable on that train because it is what you know. There are many people you know and love on that train. But on that train, you begin to lose your energy. You begin to worry and fret. You have pain in your physical body. Then we shout out and accuse God of gross inefficiency. We pray, but our tone is loud and angry like that of a dissatisfied guest in a mismanaged motel.

Sig Paulson once said, “When we pray, things work out great. But when we don’t pray, our troubles prey on us.”

Emerson once said, “Prayer is the contemplation of the facts of your life from the highest point of view.”

And so, it is.

You see, prayer must become a way of life rather than a series of isolated acts. In his wonderful book, Prayer the Master Key, James Dillet Freeman said, “The great purpose of prayer is this: to turn wordless longing into words of faith; to turn words of faith into life-supporting attitudes; to turn life-supporting attitudes into brave, wise, loving acts; and to turn the brave, wise, loving acts into a full life.”

Prayer is spiritual. It is mental only in the sense that the mind is the necessary agent of it. It is mental to the spiritual, and then the spiritual becomes translated in the mental of you. But prayer unifies us with a realm where discord and imperfection do not exist. Problems are solved through prayer, but this is secondary. The main thing prayer does is lift us up.

(Show newspaper) This morning I cut an article out of the newspaper. In it they give the annual percentage rate of a new car. The only problem with this is it is called a “Pay As You Go Plan.” If the car breaks down, you still pay as you go. If it gets wrecked, you still pay as you go. If it rusts out, you still pay as you go.

What I’m asking you to do is to have a “Pray As You Go Plan.” It’s an investment in yourself. It builds you up. It’s where everything is gained continuously. Nobody, especially not myself, can teach you to be a good Christian. You have to get it through on the job training. And on the job training is prayer. The trouble with some of us is that we have been inoculated with small doses of Christianity which keep us from catching the real thing.

I’m going to ask you not just to pray about it, but to pray it through, to believe as you have never believed before. Many people keep God as we keep a spare tire on a car. We keep it in the trunk. We want it to be in good shape for emergencies, but we never look at it. We know that it’s there, but we don’t use it unless there is an emergency. Well, I tell you, my friend, there is a higher way to live.

Prayer without ceasing is a persistent effort to educate our minds and hearts to the qualities of God’s nature. When we read of Jesus spending whole nights in prayer, our first thought is He was asking and begging God for something. But we find that prayer is many-sided. He was not only asking, but He was receiving. The Son of man must be lifted up. And there is no way to do this except through prayer.

Many of us just pray for five minutes a day or less. The only problem with that is that it leaves 1,335 minutes for limited, human thinking. If you’re going toward the spiritual life, you need to pray more. Martin Luther King, Jr. used to take his three best hours of the day and save that for prayer. Jesus’ spiritual cycle was continuous prayer, but He did it in this way – taking prayer into everything He did. He prayed. He worked. He rested. Then he repeated the cycle.

In prayer, you are told how to act. You need to take action – not ending your prayer but continuing it through your actions.

A hungry man had prayed to the Lord many times to send him a chicken. Finally, he got the chicken when he prayed for the Lord to send him TO a chicken.

We have to put feet and arms onto our prayers and continue praying when we’re doing our work.

The first thing in the morning when you wake up, you say, “Dear God … ” and you begin my prayer. You keep in mind that everything you do that day, every word you speak, will continue your prayer. And then, the last thing at night before you close your eyes, you say, “Amen.”

I was telling this to a wonderful friend of mine the other day at McDonalds. He said, “If continuous prayer is so important and if it is to be a way of life, why is church necessary?” I loved this. I had French fries in front of me. I took one French fry out of the pack and laid it aside. Now the French fries were piping hot. But in thirty seconds or less, the French fry I laid aside was stone cold. I said, “Feel that French fry. Now feel these other French fries.” They were still piping hot because they were together. They were keeping each other warm. I suppose that is what church is about.

Let me tell you one more story. The earliest African converts to Christianity were earnest and regular in their prayer and devotions. They would walk down separate paths through a field into the thicket for a private prayer area. When the tribe would see the grass growing on someone’s path, they would say to the person, “Brother, the grass grows on your path yonder.” They would know that he wasn’t praying. So, they would watch the paths every morning to see if the converts were praying.

Well, we don’t have a path. We have to police ourselves. That is a big opportunity for us because we have the access to God’s power. We realize, perhaps better than most people, that we are children of God. Perhaps we realize better than most how connected we are to God.

True prayer is the greatest act of power in the world that you can ever take part in. it changes you. It changes your attitudes. It changes your conditions, your life, your thoughts, your feelings, your words and your actions. When you pray, you are the miracle that happens. The true end of prayer is not to develop a power to perform miracles, but to develop yourself so in faith you will be able to accept miracles. You, yourself, are the miracle. If you let yourself develop into what you were made to be by God, you’re going to find yourself with innate God-given powers and extraordinary capabilities.

There’s a song that has some wonderful words. I’d like to share them with you. It is the melody of The Battle Hymn of the Republic, but with new words. It talks about continuous prayer and having that attitude of faith.

“Mine eyes have seen the coming of an age that is to be. When from every limitation, I shall know that I am free. For the age is rich in promise and my soul has eyes to see. God’s Truth is marching on.”

(Adlib prayer close)

God Bless You!

PRAYER / MEDITATION_______________________________

In your awareness, I ask you to become one with that wondrous Presence of God.

God is with you now.

Surrounding you and within you. You and God are one.

I would like you to meditate on that Truth. YOU AND GOD ARE ONE. You are not separate. You are one with all Power, one with the Perfect one who does not know imperfection of any kind. You and God are one.

I ask you to bathe your human sorrows in this awareness of God. Bathe your worries and bathe your lost hope. God is with you, cleansing, renewing, bringing a Grace to your life. God is here to help you–an immediate God for an immediate solution.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

God is love. And you feel God’s mighty love working within you, bathing your mind, soothing it. You feel God’s love in the very core of your being. God is a giving God. God is giving to you constantly. During this meditation, you open your mind and heart and say, “Dear God, I accept. I consent to You. I consent to oneness. I consent to an infilling in my awareness.” You and God are one.

Meditate on this idea in the silence of prayer …

Sweet, continuous communion with God is happening here. A common-union with God is happening here. This prayer time is going to continue far beyond this prayer time.

This is just the beginning for your day. It is the starting point. As a great horse leaves the starting gate, you leave, gaining speed in your prayer awareness. You will not know sorrow today. You will pray instead. You will not know depression today. You will pray instead.

Human worry is cast out in Jesus Christ’s name.

You pray instead.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

We have a common-union with God who does not know worry or sorrow. We do not fret today. We pray.

You and God are one. God and you are one. God has great need of you. But God can only use you if you consent to the Divine in your free-will.

Dear God, Now, we consent.

God is renewing us today. God is renewing our old dreams and hopes, the vision we used to have of our perception, the thoughts that we have had in our minds when we have prayed and hoped and believed a lot.

That hope is found in you now. It has been lost in you for some time, and your dreams are fulfilled in your prayer times. The healing which has not been at hand is at hand in prayer.

You and God are one. God is closer than your breath, as near as your thought. This activity is happening now. Allow it to happen. Ask for it to happen.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

God and you are one strong, indivisible unit. You cannot be divided from God. God and you are inseparable. You are bonded together. You are fused with new strength. You are fused with that portion of yourself that never doubts. It does not have a concept of doubt. You are no longer alone. God is with you. And you are so aware in your mind that you are working as a pair. You turn your attention away from limited human thought. Continuously you are turning your attention toward abundance, illumination and healing now and forevermore.

In Jesus Christ’s name, we pray … Amen.

Since 1999 – The worldwide PRAYER PLACE inside the Internet, serving well over 2 million every day. Welcoming all faiths, excluding no one. Reaching the ends of the earth with the positive message of God. Not connected to any church, Positive Christianity is a Prayer Ministry without walls, physical or denominational, that the world can instantly access and use without cost.

ARCHIVES of recent Positive Daily Inspiration is available on our homepage; use anything you wish.

FREE Encyclopedia of Prayers: http://www.positivechristianity.org/prayersearch.php

NEED PRAYER? Click here – if you have a prayer need, Positive Christianity will start praying with you, daily, for an entire month. There Is Never a Charge for Prayer.

DONATIONS Thank You for helping us with this great free work for ministers of every faith:
Instant online donation:
https://positivechristianity.net/donation-tithe/
By mail: Positive Christianity Box 7993 Woodlands, TX 77387

GOD BLESS YOU,
Christopher Ian Chenoweth

Read More
04Sep

Positive Daily Inspiration – September 4, 2022 – Sunday Funnies

Positive Daily Inspiration - September 4, 2022 - Sunday Funnies

(Submitted with our great thanks)

“I have said this to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

At the end of summer, when the power mower was broken and wouldn’t run, I kept hinting to my husband that he ought to get it fixed, but somehow the message never sunk in.

Finally, I thought of a clever way to make the point. When my husband arrived home that day, he found me seated in the tall grass, busily snipping away with a tiny pair of sewing scissors.

He watched silently for a short time, and then went into the house. He was gone only a few moments, and when he came out again, he handed me a toothbrush.

“When you finish cutting the grass,” he said, “you might as well sweep the sidewalks.”

He will be just fine, when they take the casts off.

_____

Everyone thinks we are senile.

An elderly couple, who were childhood sweethearts, had married and settled down in their old neighborhood and are celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary.

They walk down the street to their old school.

There, they hold hands as they find the old desk they’d shared, and where he had carved “I love you, Sally.”

On their way back home, a bag of money falls out of an armored car, practically at their feet. She quickly picks it up, but they don’t know what to do with it, so they take it home. There, she counts the money, and it’s fifty-thousand dollars. The husband says, “We’ve got to give it back.” She says, “Finders keepers” and she puts the money back in the bag and hides it up in their attic.

The next day, two FBI men are going door-to-door in the neighborhood, looking for the money and show up at their home.

They say, “Pardon me, but did either of you find any money that fell out of an armored car yesterday?”

She says, “No.” The husband says, “She’s lying. She hid it up in the attic.” She says, “Don’t believe him, he’s getting senile.” But the agents sit the man down and begin to question him. One says, “Tell us the story from the beginning.”

The old man says, “Well, when Sally and I were walking home from school yesterday … “

The FBI guy looks at his partner and says, “We’re outta here … “

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

On this Sunday, I take time to worship in my own way. If I am able to go to church – I go.

I do not miss the opportunity to be recharged and revitalized. I spend time today with God and this prepares me in spiritual ways beyond what I even know. I worship You dear God, in gratitude for all the wonder in my life.

In Jesus Christ name … Amen

POSITIVE DAILY AFFIRMATION: I am God’s child, richly endowed with God given gifts. I praise the good in my life.

POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE: “You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars … you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.” Desiderata

_____

Supported 100% by our readers – THANK YOU!
Instant online, or recurring monthly giving:
https://positivechristianity.net/donation-tithe/
By mail: Positive Christianity Box 7993 Woodlands, TX 77387

___

NEED PRAYER? Click here – Positive Christianity will pray with you, daily, for an entire 2 months.
There Is Never a Charge for Prayer.

Television channels (Free Service):
Inspiration http://www.youtube.com/PositiveChristianity
Prayer http://www.youtube.com/prayerAmerica
Meditation http://www.youtube.com/PositiveChurch

GOD BLESS YOU, Happy Labor Day!
Christopher Ian Chenoweth

Read More
03Sep

Positive Daily Inspiration – September 3, 2022 – Saturday Inspiration

Positive Daily Inspiration - September 3, 2022 - Saturday Inspiration

(Submitted with our great thanks)

“You will have confidence because there is hope; you will be protected and take your rest in safety.”
Job 11:18

1. Faith is the ability to not panic.

2. If you worry, you didn’t pray. If you pray, don’t worry.

3. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home every day.

4. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

5. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so God can untangle the knot.

6. Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.

7. Laugh every day; it’s like inner jogging.

8. The most important things in your home are the people.

9. Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional.

10. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.

11. We do not remember days, but moments. Life moves too fast, so enjoy your precious moments. Like the saying: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but the number of times your breath is taken away.”

12. Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage. The great goals and dreams you’re seeking require courage and risk-taking. Learn from the turtle – it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.

13. Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death.

14. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

________

The fan said … Be Cool!
The roof said … Aim High!
The Window said … See the World!
The clock said … Every Minute Is Precious!
The mirror said … Reflect before You Act!
The calendar said … Be up to Date!
The door said … Push Hard for Your Goals!

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

Dear God, in the stillness of my soul I ask You
to hold me close and reassure me.

You often speak to me in a language that is inaudible to the human ear but which my soul understands. In prayer with You I am comforted. Any concern is replaced with the assurance of Divine help.

In Jesus Christ name … Amen

POSITIVE DAILY AFFIRMATION: Christ, mighty in the midst of me, gives me the victory over every limitation. As a child of God I am healthy, happy and prosperous.

POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE: Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly. Anonymous

_____

Supported 100% by our readers – THANK YOU!
Instant online, or recurring monthly giving:
https://positivechristianity.net/donation-tithe/
By mail: Positive Christianity Box 7993 Woodlands, TX 77387

___

NEED PRAYER? Click here – Positive Christianity will pray with you, daily, for an entire 2 months.
There Is Never a Charge for Prayer.

Television channels (Free Service):
Inspiration http://www.youtube.com/PositiveChristianity
Prayer http://www.youtube.com/prayerAmerica
Meditation http://www.youtube.com/PositiveChurch

GOD BLESS YOU, Happy Labor Day!
Christopher Ian Chenoweth

Read More
02Sep

Positive Daily Inspiration – September 2, 2022 – CLEANING UP YOUR LIFE

Positive Daily Inspiration - September 2, 2022 - CLEANING UP YOUR LIFE

“It is God who made the heavens and the earth … nothing is too hard for God.”
Jeremiah 32:17

There is a classic story about a social worker who went into the home of a family and was quite taken back by the condition she found there. The family did not really have a sense of neatness. Everything was filthy. There were old newspapers on the floor and there was a mess everywhere she looked.

She thought and she prayed. She said, “God, how can I, in a subtle way, make them have the desire for cleanliness and better things in life which they could have if they took the time to have it?” One day, she was at a flower shop. She noticed this incredibly beautiful potted plant. It was the most beautiful plant she had seen in some time. She bought it and instead of taking it home to her own house, she took it over to the house of that family.

She set it in the middle of the dining room table. The family started to look at God’s beauty in that plant. They started to look at their surroundings. They saw that the surroundings did not quite match the beauty of the God inspired plant.

They cleaned, and then they painted, and they discovered beauty again.

When you bring something beautiful of God into a chaotic environment it can change everything at home, at the office, or even in a chaotic mind.

It does not take much of God to change everything. Like a small candle can light the darkest room, so can one thought of God brighten a life. God is so perfect that imperfection melts away. Even faith the size of a grain of mustard seed can permanently change a life.

There may be times when you may seem overwhelmed by the day-to-day problems of life. Rather than focusing on these problems, however, you turn your attention to the power of God with you, and in your life.

You look to the beauty of God, and at the same time, release any difficulties to God. Before you can be completely free of anxiety, you must fully release the problem, not just give it to God and continue to worry about it. You trust that because you have God’s love and grace helping you, you can handle any situation. God knows your needs even before you ask, and Divine power is bringing about wonderful results even as you pray.

As you let go of the mess of thinking and worrying about your problems, and let God’s power work in and through you, you will be free from tension, stress, and strain.

There is a power with you that loves and cares for you. As you pray, visualize God’s life moving through you and your life. Envision God’s healing life as a current flowing from the top of your head to the souls of your feet. Imagine God flowing through every aspect of your life cleansing that with Divine perfection.

You hold to the vision of God’s help despite any outer appearances to the contrary. While you are praying, you include others who are in the need of prayer. You know the truth for them just as surely as you know it for yourself. You see them completely helped by God. You are so thankful that God answers prayer.

No challenge is too great for God’s power to dissolve. No mess is too great for God not to be able to clean up. Trust completely in God to guide you and your loved ones on paths of light and happiness.

This Positive Daily Inspiration is sent to you in positive prayer knowing that it will affect your life in a positive way. You rejoice that God’s beauty is moving through your life right now.

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

Dear God, sometimes my problems seem almost too hard to handle. But You will help me to know what to do and how to do it. Forgive my mistakes and help me to experience Your love; change me into a better person.

Often, I do not know or understand myself really. But You know me, and through faith in You I can be full of truth, health, and happiness. Heal me of all unhappy and unhealthy attitudes.

Give me a real cleansing of my mind. If I am disturbed today, may I receive from You deep healing quietness, and in that quietness, let my uptightness be absorbed in peacefulness.

Let me be troubled no more. Activate me to a new life through Your Spirit.

Clean up my life dear God.

This I ask in the name of Jesus Christ … Amen

POSITIVE DAILY AFFIRMATION: Thank You, God, for the power to clean up my life.

POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE: “He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the world.” Marcus Aurelius

_____

Supported 100% by our readers – THANK YOU!
Instant online, or recurring monthly giving:
https://positivechristianity.net/donation-tithe/
By mail: Positive Christianity Box 7993 Woodlands, TX 77387

___

NEED PRAYER? Click here – Positive Christianity will pray with you, daily, for an entire 2 months.
There Is Never a Charge for Prayer.

Television channels (Free Service):
Inspiration http://www.youtube.com/PositiveChristianity
Prayer http://www.youtube.com/prayerAmerica
Meditation http://www.youtube.com/PositiveChurch

GOD BLESS YOU,
Christopher Ian Chenoweth

Read More
01Sep

Name: Theresa Boedeker – Date: 9/1/2022, 12:51 PM – Prayer Request: “Please offer prayer …”

Name: Theresa Boedeker - Date: 9/1/2022, 12:51 PM

Prayer Request: Please offer prayer to heal our planet EARTH i.e. due to deforestation, loss of entire ecosystems, extinction of animals and plant life, and climate crisis for all human life.

View OPEN Prayer Requests
Submit a Prayer Request
Read More
01Sep

Positive Daily Inspiration – September 1, 2022 – GOD CAN DO

Positive Daily Inspiration - September 1, 2022 - GOD CAN DO

“In God we live and move and have being.”
Acts 17:28

NEW VIDEOS TODAY – SEE BELOW

GOD CAN DO day! Write this on your calendar this day. It reminds you that today can be, a GOD CAN DO day!

Take a moment to reflect in prayer about God, and what God CAN DO with your day.

Today is a CAN DO day!

Many times, today, it is well to pray for GOD CAN DO for yourself and for all of the activities facing you. Give thanks that your way is made clear, and that all things are working together for your highest good.

God can DO! God is established in your life. God is established in your home. God can DO!

God is established in your workplace. God can DO!

Before entering into any activity or business venture, pray for GOD CAN DO POWER for yourself, for all participants, and for all the business to be transacted. It will be a GOD CAN DO day.

Pray: “GOD CAN DO! The way is made clear. Thank You, God!”

Through your constant awareness of God’s presence with you, you are assured of the right out-working of all things; you are assured that you will be able to meet every situation in precisely the perfect manner.

As you turn to God for guidance and direction, you will be aware of God as your instant, constant, and never-failing help. God is with you, RIGHT NOW, and God will always be with you. You cannot be where God is not. God is with you! God is your source, and you are the recipient of God’s light and wisdom, through which your way is made smooth and harmonious.

Perhaps you will be at meetings with people today – pray God can do! Perhaps you will be communicating by phone or by Internet – pray for God can DO!

Have you ever thought of how much time it would take to place an order for everything in your life – even for one day? You would be so busy making decisions that you would have very little time to actually live your life.

Thank God, there is a GOD CAN DO working in and through my life, and in and through my entire universe. I do not have to place an order for the air you breathe, the renewal of your cells in my body, or the next sunrise. God can DO!

CAN DO moves on the wings of God’s wonderful Spirit into every place and circumstance that I could ever be. CAN DO frees me to get on with my life and supports me along your path of life.

God can DO! In my life – this is God’s moment!

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

Dear God, where I can’t – You can God. I work with You.

I maintain a positive attitude and outlook because God can DO!

I pray in Jesus Christ’s name … Amen

POSITIVE DAILY AFFIRMATION: I am a light, not a judge. I am a model, not a critic. I am a part of the solution, not the problem.

POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE: “There are glimpses of heaven to us in every act, or thought, or word, that raises us above ourselves.” A. P. Stanley

_____

Supported 100% by our readers – THANK YOU!
Instant online, or recurring monthly giving:
https://positivechristianity.net/donation-tithe/
By mail: Positive Christianity Box 7993 Woodlands, TX 77387

___

NEED PRAYER? Click here – Positive Christianity will pray with you, daily, for an entire 2 months.
There Is Never a Charge for Prayer.

Television channels (Free Service):
Inspiration http://www.youtube.com/PositiveChristianity
NEW Prayer http://www.youtube.com/prayerAmerica
NEW Meditation http://www.youtube.com/PositiveChurch

GOD BLESS YOU,
Christopher Ian Chenoweth

Read More
31Aug

Positive Daily Inspiration – August 31, 2022 – There Is No Lack in God

Positive Daily Inspiration - August 31, 2022 - There Is No Lack in God

“Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” Luke 6:38

There is no lack in the kingdom of God. All the goodness of God is available to you, right now, and you are a grateful receiver.

You develop an ability to accept the goodness of God by being grateful receiver and by being a generous giver. You give of your time, talents, and resources. As you give generously to bless others, you attract abundant good to you.

The good you choose in life is ready for you and awaits your calling it forth into visibility. Giving generously of your time, talents, and resources accelerates the process by which your good is made visible.

You help maintain an active circle of giving and receiving. By being a generous giver, you plant seeds of good that return to you abundant harvest of blessings. As you give, so shall you receive!

Pray this prayer with me, today: “The resurrecting power of Christ resurrects my life, enriching it with creative, God-prospering ideas.”

Say the above prayer, aloud, every waking hour.

It is our prayer at Positive Christianity that you are blessed today with a resurrected life, and career.

In 1 Timothy 1:14, our Bible states, “The grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”

I pray you realize that God is your source of all good. You are connected with unlimited substance out of which all good is made manifest.

When you give first, you are placing your complete faith in God and God’s abundant supply of good, ever available for you and your life.

Give of your time, talent, and treasure. This is not the time to sit back with a catcher’s mitt in both hands only hoping to receive.

It is the time to make a difference, and truly standout, and shine!

In faith-filled prayer, you become receptive to Divine inspiration. You give of your time and you receive from God. You confidently accept these new ideas, knowing that you will always be guided to the right ways in which they can be brought into manifestation.

One of our purposes in this life is to learn to trust enough, where we give first and then the blessings are endless.

You give of your God-given talent – spreading around the good that you were born to give.

What are some of the ways that you can give of yourself more, today, so that you can receive more good in your life? Ask God.

You give of your treasures, to help others in need.

God is your help in every need, God is waiting to help you become more giving, and God is waiting to help expand your receptivity to accept your good of the 100 fold return.

POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

Dear God, I seek to be a light. I do not let imagined, or real darkness put out my light.

I seek to make a difference by letting my light shine. May I be the type of soul that is empowered by faith and belief only. May I be energized by You. May I hold to the possibilities and let go of fears.

Knowing that with You by my side great things can be accomplished, I know that prosperity in all forms is now mine.

In Jesus Christ name … Amen

POSITIVE DAILY AFFIRMATION: The resurrecting power of Christ resurrects my life, enriching it with creative, God-prospering ideas.

POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE: “There is always something to do. There are hungry people to feed, naked people to clothe, sick people to comfort and make well. And while I don’t expect you to save the world, I do think it’s not asking too much for you to love those with whom you sleep, share the happiness of those whom you call friend, engage those among you who are visionary, and remove from your life those who offer you depression, despair, and disrespect.” Nikki Giovanni

_____

Make a difference, and God WILL give to you!
Instant online, or recurring monthly giving:
https://positivechristianity.net/donation-tithe/
By mail: Positive Christianity Box 7993 Woodlands, TX 77387
Thank you!

___

NEED PRAYER? Click here – Positive Christianity will pray with you, daily, for an entire 2 months.
There Is Never a Charge for Prayer.

Television channels (Free Service):
Inspiration http://www.youtube.com/PositiveChristianity
Prayer http://www.youtube.com/prayerAmerica
Meditation http://www.youtube.com/PositiveChurch

GOD BLESS YOU,
Christopher Ian Chenoweth

Read More
30Aug

Positive Daily Inspiration – August 30, 2022 – Tuesday Prayer and Meditation for Hope

Positive Daily Inspiration - August 30, 2022 - Tuesday Prayer and Meditation for Hope

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
Psalm 23

In this time of prayer and meditation we focus our faith on God. We believe ALL things are working together for our highest good, especially now. As I begin this day, I think of the challenges and responsibilities that lie before me. I take stock of my strengths and skills, and I ask myself, “Do I believe I am able. Do I believe I can be healed? Do I believe that all things are working together for my good?” I place my trust in God, I rest in the assurance of that hope.

I believe that God is able and therefore God will equip and empower me to be able.

In the stillness of prayer, I affirm the presence of God with us right now, and the answer comes: “Yes! I believe God’s indwelling presence. I believe in my abilities. I believe I can do all things that are mine to do with God’s help.”

Rest in the silence of prayer …

Through my belief that God is my loving help in every need, I can make my world one of harmony, accomplishment, and love. I believe I can overcome troublesome situations that have bound me in the past. I believe in the strength and might of God in my life; the power that calms every storm. I believe I will continue to progress to the realization of that which is for my highest good.

Dear God, I believe in Your power to heal every situation, every condition, of mind, body, and affairs. Heavenly God, I believe in Your presence in every situation that brings about harmony and order. I believe there is no situation beyond Your help, and appearances that seem so real can be changed by You. I have strong hope because I have strong faith in You.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

Lord, I believe in Your power to protect me and my loved ones under all circumstances. You are everywhere present. You are with me. You are with my loved ones. Lord, I truly believe that all Your children carry within them the spark of help from the Divine. I see the good in all persons everywhere. I know that Your presence surrounds us and dwells within us all, guiding us into right avenues of good.

I am not defeated by apparent loss or failure. I am NOT downed by circumstances. When I hold to the realization that I am a spiritual being and that I was created in Your image and after Your likeness and through Your spirit which is alive in me, I am able to stand strong and steady.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

I do not give way to fear. I do not give up. I know that there is yet more in me, and there are new paths, new ways, new ideas opening to me.

This new life that is opening before me is Divinely ordered by You, dear God, and I am excited and joyous as I watch my life change and blossom.

I believe in You, dear God. I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe in myself. Thank You, God, for the ability to see past appearances and have an optimistic attitude. I thank You that we have the courage to do the things that are there for us to do, to rise above any apparent failing situation.

Rest in the silence of prayer …

Thank You, God, that we can make a 180-degree turn in our thinking, and that we can rise from what appears to be a dead-end and go forward in new directions to our good. Thank You, dear God.

Dear wonderful God, we believe in the purpose of Christianity and its worldwide mission, and we thank You that it is active in each of our lives right now. As we go forward in this day, we remain open, hopeful, receptive, excited, and tuned into this real experience that we each are having. We are so grateful.

I believe in You, God, and so I believe in myself. I make hope one of my foundation pillars to experience.

In Jesus Christ name,

And so, it is … Amen.

POSITIVE DAILY AFFIRMATION: I myself am a contributor to God’s world. I give myself freely, joyfully, abundantly with strong hope in every situation in my life.

POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE: “They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.” Tom Bodett

_____

Make a difference and God WILL give to you!
Instant online, or recurring monthly giving:
https://positivechristianity.net/donation-tithe/
By mail: Positive Christianity Box 7993 Woodlands, TX 77387
Thank you!

___

NEED PRAYER? Click here – Positive Christianity will pray with you, daily, for an entire 2 months.
There Is Never a Charge for Prayer.

Television channels (Free Service):
Inspiration http://www.youtube.com/PositiveChristianity
Prayer http://www.youtube.com/prayerAmerica
Meditation http://www.youtube.com/PositiveChurch

GOD BLESS YOU,
Christopher Ian Chenoweth

Read More
29Aug

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON – Complete Funeral Service, and family pre-meeting

POSITIVE WRITTEN SERMON - Complete Funeral Service, and family pre-meeting

Time Sensitivity: as needed

A FREE GIFT FOR CLERGY

Positive Written Sermons is a FREE service of Positive Christianity to those ACTIVE IN CLERGY MINISTRY to ease your burdens in ministry. Each positive sermon is non-denominational; feel free to tailor to your denominational needs, or personal style. We consider our sermons to be 90% complete; they await your personal stories and anecdotes.

_____________________________________

(Suggest printing in large type, and placing in heavy plastic sleeves in a 8 x 10 notebook for outside services that may be windy or rainy. If using additional Post-it notes do not rely on their stickiness alone, heavily tape to the plastic sheets, or place under the plastic.)

_____________________________________

“Lo, I am with you always” Matthew 28:20

(((Opening Music)))

We are here to honor the life of (full name)

Please join me in prayer:

By Your grace, O God, lover of my soul, strength of my body, light of my life, I am sustained, freed from my sorrow. My heart is at peace for I am one with You. My faith has told me so. I draw nearer to You, dear loving God, that I may be nearer to [my loved one] who is with You.

Help me to know perfectly that life is eternal, and death but a shadow that hides from my earthly sight the unseen world into which [my dear one] has stepped. Love knows no boundaries, and the love of my heart reaches into the beyond.

You did not lose when You gave [this dear one] to me, and I cant lose when [my beloved] returns to Your eternal home. As it promises in the Bible, “In my Father’s house are many rooms” (John 14:2).

Still in the shadow of Your protection, still in Your loving care, only into another room has [my dear one] gone. This I know, even as I know You are ever watchful over me.

As to life in this other room, I trust that to You. I know that when the veils of uncertainty are fully lifted from my vision I shall see clearly into this room, and know perfectly all that is now hidden.

Help me, dear God, to understand the mystery of eternal life. Some day I shall understand. Until then I am content to know that [my beloved] is with You, safe in Your everlasting arms.

Now we continue our prayer with the 23rd Psalm:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restored my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness of His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil: My cup runneth over

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

In Jesus Christ’s name. . Amen

I would like to share the following with you. It is called “There Is No Death.”

I am standing on the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch her until at length she is a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says, “There! She’s gone!” Gone where? Gone from my sight, that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side, and she is just as able to bear her load of living weight to her destined harbor.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment then someone at my side says, “There! She’s gone!” there are other eyes watching her coming, aid other voices ready to take up the glad shout, ‘There she comes!”

And that is dying.

(((SOLO or MUSIC)))

We are gathered here today to reaffirm our faith in life eternal as we bless [this loved one] on [his~her] way into [his/her] next experience in living.

It is our prayer that from this time forward we may never think of [him/her] as limited by time or form, but always as a living soul, continuing on the pathway of life, ever in our heavenly God’s wise and loving care,

The Holy Bible gives us many promises concerning eternal life, Here are a few:

John 5:24, “He that heareth my word. and believeth Him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life”.

John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he die, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die”.

II Corinthians 4:16-18, “No wonder we do not lose heart! Our eyes are fixed, not on the things that are seen, but on the things that are unseen: for what is seen passes away; what is unseen is eternal. For we know that if the earthly frame that houses us today should be demolished, we possess a building which God has provided – a house not made by human hands, eternal, and in heaven. In this present body we do indeed groan; we yearn to have our heavenly habitation put on over this one”.

I Corinthians 15:44-49, “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body … , the first child is of the earth, earthy: the second child is of heaven – and as we have borne the image of the earth,, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.. For, our citizenship is in heaven”.

Life, being of God and actually being an extension of God Himself into His creation, can under no conditions be lost. Life is eternal. It never ceases to exist. It does not allow itself to he lost or ended any more than God, our Creator and sustainer is ever lost.

There is not now, never has been, and never can be any absence of life anywhere, any time, because there can never be an absence of God,

Life does not move toward death. It moves toward more life. It turns death into life. It turns inanimate matter into life. It turns lesser forms of life into higher forms of life, It invents. It evolves. It shapes itself into new and ever more various forms, with greater capacities for living. It moves from brute to human and from human beyond that, that we can ever know. Even now the life-force is pressing to outstrip itself, to surpass and over-top all that it has so far done.

It is as when we climb a mountain. Sometimes to reach the peak we have to go down into a valley. But when we emerge, we are closer to the peak.

Life does not go backward. Life goes forward. Life is like Napoleon’s drummer boy – it does not know how to beat retreat. Its bugles, even blowing requiem, sound for the living and are a call to life, When the winding of the horn has died away upon the air and pulses only in our heart, we lift our eyes to green endeavors

We can fix our gaze on the death and the dying, or even trouble and evil and imperfection. But this is not the whole view. Life is whole, and to be understood, it must be seen whole.

It is not that the facts are not the facts. It is just that they are not the truth. Believing that the facts are the truth is like believing that the sun has stopped shining because we happen at the moment to be in darkness. The long day’s journey is not into the night. Though we move through 10,000 nights, the journey is and always has been toward a brighter day.

The setting sun is but the other side of the rising sun! Nevertheless, even from this part view, seeing things moment-by-moment and little-by-little, we see that if there is darkness, there is also light.

For the person passing through death, it is really a birth into a new and better world. Those who are left behind should not grieve as if there were no hope. Life is changed, not taken away. Our dear ones live on in a world beautiful beyond anything we can imagine. With God, they await the day when they will welcome us with joy.

At a sad time like this we ask, “What happens when the individual goes through the experience humans call death?” This is simply the separation of the soul from a particular body.

The body is merely the clothing that the soul has worn for a time. In this process called death, the clothing is discarded, and the soul goes on to its next experience in Divine unfoldment.

The soul of [the one we love] is not here in this casket. This is but the body that housed the individual. The soul, the spiritual being, is too great to be confined,

As we lay aside a garment at the end of a day, so [our loved one] has laid aside the garment of the flesh.

(His/Her] soul continues in another sphere of life. Although invisible to us, [he/she] continues [his/her] soul experience.

In this gathering of loved ones and friends, we are particularly aware of the love and friendship of this one we have known, and we are saddened in the thought that something precious has gone out of our lives. But we know that it is not the outer face or form that draws a host of friends, Rather it is the inner qualities–love, strength, and joy–that come from the heart of God and find expression in those with whom we share rich experiences.

(((PERSONAL COMMENTS))) – this is the place for the complete biography of the deceased’s life that the family has given you starting the birthplace, schooling, military service, places of residence, hobbies, vocation, accomplishments, awards, clubs belonged to, location of death.

(((Ask if anyone would like to say anything about (him/her)))

Wait just a brief moment, there probably will not be anyone because this is so hard to do. But there will be occasions where you will have many that wish to speak, including family members that had indicated so.

And personal comments section with:

The sunrise of this earthly life – ____________ (date). The sunset of this journey – ____________ (date).

“The free gift of God,” said Paul, “is eternal life” (Romans 6:23). Life did not begin when we were born, nor does it cease when we die, anymore than we begin to live when we put on a garment, or cease to live if we lay it aside. It is true that a part of our spiritual growth is to learn to exercise our God-given dominion over the body, but as it says in I Corinthians 15:26, “the last enemy to be destroyed is death.” I am sure that as we cross that threshold that humans called death we ourselves will smile a bit, because we realize that death is not a period, but simply a comma in the story of life.

To overcome death we must place our emphasis upon life. The more completely we express life, the more our lives will increase.

We should not fear death, either for ourselves or for others. We do not fear it if we are firmly established in the understanding of God’s love for us. We wish for those whom we love only that which is for their good. If we knowingly had the power, we would ensure that good to them. If our human love would do so much, how much more will the love of God do! We readily forgive the errors of those whom we love. We help them to overcome weakness, to manifest wisdom and strength. How much more does God forgive us our human mistakes, and help us to he strong and wise!

Our grief for the departed is not usually grief for them because they are with God and are happy again.

Our grief is for ourselves because we shall miss them and because we seem to be separated from them.

We take from bereavement its greatest power to us when we realize that in fact our grief is for ourselves.

(((SOLO)))

This is entitled Eternal Vision:

They know me not who think that I am only flesh and blood a transient dweller on this fragile earth that gave me human birth,

For I am Spirit.
eternal, indestructible, not confined to space or time. And when my sojourn here is through, my roles fulfilled, my assignments done, I will lay aside this suit called my body and move on to other’ mansions, roles, assignments in our God’s house of eternal life.

So dry your tears.
weep not overmuch for me–or for yourself. Set me free, in the love that holds us all and makes us one eternally!

Our paths will cross again
Our minds and hearts will touch; our souls will shout with joy and laughter as we recall the lives we’ve lived, the worlds we’ve seen, the ways we’ve trod to find ourselves–at last–in God.

Prayer:

Let us all here at this moment form a Divinely appointed prayer group. As we pray together let us know that each one is enriched in his own experience of God and in his own participation in the life that is limited only by our present understanding.

Romans 8:38-39 “For l am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will he able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I believe prayer is the language of Spirit. It has no boundaries of time or space, so no one ever passes beyond the realms of prayer.

Let us enter into this time of prayer with open and receptive minds and hearts. As we do so, we shall release a real blessing of prayer that will follow our loved one in [his/her] great ongoing. Let us pray. Please join me in saying our Lord’s Prayer.

Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it :is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread:
And forgive our debts,
As we have also forgiven our debtors.

And leave us not in temptation,
But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.
Amen

Dear God, with the loss of our dear one, we turn sincerely to You, for the comfort and strength that You have to offer. We willingly turn to You in this time of need and we surrender all of our pain in one great gesture of letting go.

Dear God, we open ourselves to the influx of Your love, comfort, and strength. By becoming still in prayer, by listening, we hear Your voice, God, assuring us that all is not lost. We know with Your help, darkness will turn to light.

We find acceptance in our hearts of a deep and unexplainable Presence that gives us the strength to carry on.

Dear God, we feel Your Presence and warmth of Your love. In the awareness of our oneness with You, we feel a sense of closeness with all those whom we love, even (name) who has passed beyond our physical sight. We see [name] enfolded in Your love, and we know that Your light illumines [name] path.

Through the language of prayer, we extend the blessings of mind and heart to this dear one. To [name] in [his/her] ongoing we say: “We know that your faith is a lamp unto your feet. We know that you are secure in God and in life that is endless. Our prayer for you is this:

The light of God surrounds you;
The love of God enfolds you:
The power of God protects you;
The presence of God watches over you.
Wherever you are, God is!

We remember Jesus’ words of eternal life. We are lifted up in the thought of the eternal unending life in which we live, in which (name) lives. The Comforter with us brings to our remembrance the assurance that though to appearances life may seem to cease, behind the appearances is the Truth of eternal life.

And now, dear God, we give thanks that You strengthen us and lead us on our way, as we make our own adjustments in the days to come. We give thanks for guidance, understanding, strength, and peace. God, we thank Thee, for Thine “is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.” Amen.

THIS NOW CONCLUDES THE SERVICE.

(((Post-service instrumental music)))

_____________________________________________

Funeral Committal graveside:

(This is generally very short, due to the weather elements, and that the formal service has already been done.)

We go to the grave of a friend saying a [man/woman] is dead. But angels throng about [him/her] saying a [man/woman] is born.

Friends, we are here to consecrate this resting place. To release this human form, and to commit the soul of our dear one into the care and keeping of God.

Allow me to share with you “The Traveler”
by James Dillet Freeman

[He/She] has put on invisibility.
Dear Lord, I cannot see–
But this I know, although the road ascends
And passes from my sight;
That there will be no night~
That You will take [him/her] gently by the hand
And lead [him/her] on
Along the road of life that never ends,
And [he/she/ will find it is not death but dawn
I do not doubt that You are there as here,
And You will hold [him/her] dear.

Our life did not begin with birth,
It is not of the earth;
And this that we call death, it is no more
Than the opening and closing of a door–
And in Your house how many rooms must be
Beyond this one where we rest momently

Dear Lord, I thank You for the faith that frees,
The love that knows it cannot lose its own,
The love that, looking through the shadows see
That you and [he/she] and I are ever one

This garment of flesh used for a time is not the reality of [our loved one]. I pray that this grave and its marker will never be a reminder of one who is dead. Rather, I pray it will always be a symbol of the life that was lived; life that is one with eternal life; life that in its ongoing seeks the fulfillment of God’s eternal life

Let us pray.

Dear God, we know that You are here as everywhere. We know that You consecrate this place and receive this human form. In its transition, we commit to Your care and keeping the soul we love.

To our dear one, this true spiritual being, we say:

“There shall be a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3).

We lift our eyes above and beyond “the valley of the shadow of death,” (Psalms 23:4). to the sunrise of a new day and to a new life.

We bless our dear one in [his/her] journey forward, and we loose [him/her] and let [him/her] go. As we turn to face the work that lies before us, we remember the promise of Jesus-

“Lo, I am with you always” Matthew 28:20

Thank You, God, for the privilege we have had to share our life experience with [name]. We know that all the good we have shared with [name] makes us richer and better able to fulfill our part in the challenge of living.

We thank You, God for Your love and ever-present help on our way.

In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

THE END OF COMMITTAL SERVICE

_____________________________________________

First meeting with family, SHEET FOR QUESTIONS:

(Give of business card with ALL your numbers, including home, personal cell phone, to every person in attendance. Some of the most meaningful comments about the deceased may come later.)

I developed this sheet after doing a funeral for a housewife. After the service they said, “You called her Mary, we all called her June.” Sometimes a person’s name is quite different from what is on their birth certificate, the family in their grief will often forget to mention these things.

Another time I did a service, and afterwards the extended family said you never mentioned her military service (it was quite extensive.) Again the family thought that this was a given, that everyone should know. I didn’t know.

Service date: __________________

Time: _______________

Funeral Home: __________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________

Funeral Home Contact: __________________________________

Funeral Home phone: ____________________________________

Place of service_______________________ Special Directions_________________

Ask funeral home: what type of service? Where in building? How many people will be attending? Request a microphone, if over a few. People are often older, and unless sitting on the front row they will not hear you. This is a given most places, but not all. Many times the funeral home will use community buildings, and halls, not normally for funerals. They will not think about microphones until it’s too late.

Ask if you will be going to the cemetery?
Should you drive in your own car, or ride in the hearse?

If driving your own car where should you be in the procession? (Normally clergy car follows the hearse.)

Request that funeral home sends you in advance, by email, the newspaper obit.

Note: Good funeral directors – direct. But with funeral homes becoming corporate I have seen that sadly drastically change over the last decades.

I have had a lot of funerals that I completely ran, because funeral home didn’t know how.

Family Contact_________________________________________
Phone:______________________ Relationship_______________

Deceased Full Legal Name:_______________________________
Pronunciation___________________________________________

Nickname_____________________________________________

Born______________________ Where_____________________

Passed Where _______________ When____________________

Schooling____________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Service – Branch – History___________________________

_____________________________________________________

(City) Resident (or) what led to him/her to (City)

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

(Note: this is the story of the journey and will often take up several pages)

Married_________ How many years __________ Where_____________

(Note: I usually only mention the last marriage, unless there are special circumstances)

How many children__________

First Names (by order of birth)

__________ __________ __________ __________ __________

__________ __________ __________ __________ __________

Career(s) _______________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Clubs ___________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Hobbies/Loves/Passions in life___________________________

_________________________________________________________

Special Friendships:_____________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Will anybody be speaking, or presenting Bible, poetry etc. at the service?

____________________________________________________

Would the family like me to ask the open question:
“Would anyone like to say anything in loving memory of (deceased)?” ___________________

(If someone, or many people speak, be close by, to help the person walk up the stairs, and help them in their grief. One time, I stood with a person at the lectern to help hold them up, otherwise they would’ve fallen.)

One sentence that would describe person____________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Notes:

Since 1999 – The worldwide PRAYER PLACE inside the Internet, serving well over 2 million every day. Welcoming all faiths, excluding no one. Reaching the ends of the earth with the positive message of God. Not connected to any church, Positive Christianity is a Prayer Ministry without walls, physical or denominational, that the world can instantly access and use without cost.

ARCHIVES of recent Positive Daily Inspiration is available on our homepage; use anything you wish.

FREE Encyclopedia of Prayers: http://www.positivechristianity.org/prayersearch.php

NEED PRAYER? Click here – if you have a prayer need, Positive Christianity will start praying with you, daily, for an entire month. There Is Never a Charge for Prayer.

DONATIONS Thank You for helping us with this great free work for ministers of every faith:
Instant online donation:
https://positivechristianity.net/donation-tithe/
By mail: Positive Christianity Box 7993 Woodlands, TX 77387

GOD BLESS YOU,
Christopher Ian Chenoweth

Read More
© 1999 - 2022 Positive Christianity. All Rights Reserved. AwesomeOne Theme maintained by KESSCo Services.