Welcome All New Members

Hello Everyone ! We Just love our Newest Members and Your Part of This Family

Jenna, Rev. George & Mrs. Downs:

Welcome to the URCTC prayer family.

Please feel at home with everyone in this home. I'm sure we All will be so blessed in the Lord in unity in this place called home!

catcmo2006 Would like to "Thank Everyone,"whom either has posted this or had sent posting to me from all of those e-mail address! Some of them I will or have passed on to all readers whom looks at all blog sites that I use. Thank You for allow in this site,group sites, web sites and other prayer sites as well in holding one another up for prayer's being totally united in everyone around this world, it's about Jesus Christ first and prayers,intecessory prayer's and at other times about this vast world we live in today which this old world as we all know it is slowly departing to be reaching our home in glory.

If You Died Today, Would You Go To Heaven?

If You Died Today, Would You Go To Heaven?

1. GOD LOVES YOU AND IS SEEKING TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU

"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to remove the barrier of sin." (1 John 4:10)

God loves you and planned a wonderful, full life for you. He wants to enter a personal and intimate relationship with you that includes fellowship, inner peace, happiness, guidance in life and power to fulfill His special plan for your life.

2. SIN HAS CREATED A BARRIER BETWEEN MAN AND GOD

"All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

GOD is Holy, and cannot have a relationship with anyone who falls short of His righteous character. Sin began when man went his own independent way and rejected his relationship with God. At that point, man became unacceptable to God's Holy character.

The Ten Commandments were given to show us how good we would have to be if we try to come to God in our own merit. But God doesn't grade our law-keeping on the curve. He said, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." (James 2:10)

No matter how sincere we are, or how hard we try, or how religious we are, we can never produce a righteousness that God can accept. Even our good deeds are not acceptable in God's sight, "But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags …" (Isaiah 64:6)

So our sin has created a barrier that we cannot remove. Even though God loves you, He cannot compromise His holy character to receive you. Only God can remove this barrier.

3. JESUS CHRIST CAME TO REMOVE THE BARRIER BETWEEN GOD AND MAN

Jesus said of Himself, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

"The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28)

You see, God so loved us that He stepped out of eternity into time and became a man in the person of Jesus Christ. He lived a perfect life as a man and thus qualified to die for the sins of the world. He then willingly died in our place to purchase a pardon for sins and satisfy the demands of His own perfect justice. When He did, He tore down the barrier of sin that separated us.

4. NOW THERE IS ONLY ONE BARRIER BETWEEN YOU AND GOD YOU MUST RECEIVE THE PARDON JESUS PURCHASED FOR YOU

Jesus Christ has removed every barrier that stood between you and God except one -- you must receive the pardon He purchased for you by an act of your will. You see, a pardon is not a pardon until it is received. There is a pardon with your name on it in heaven, but you must receive it to make it valid.

It is not a matter of how good you are -- or even how bad you are. The issue is, will you talk to God and tell him you receive the pardon he purchased for you. He wants you to come just as you are and confess you can never be good enough for Him to accept.

YOU can change your eternal destiny right now. Wherever you are, just bow your head and tell God you receive His pardon for your sins. Ask Jesus Christ to come into your life and begin to give you a new heart with new desires. He will come into your life and bring a new power and motivation for living you never dreamed possible.

Jesus gave us this invitation, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." (Revelation 3:20) The door represents your will.

The Lord Jesus Christ is knocking at the door of your will right now. Just invite Him in and receive the gift of pardon He gave His life to give you. Then thank Him for the pardon and that He must keep His Word.

Don't expect feelings right away. Some have them, some don't. The important thing is to simply believe God keeps His Word and He now has come to live in you. Seek out a Church that is true to the Bible and seek to learn about your new life.

"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Welcome to the forever family of God!
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Maranatha ! - (Lord Come Quickly)

"On Christ the SOLID ROCK I stand, all other ground is sinking sand"

YBIC-Randy

catcmo2006 Would like to "Thank Everyone,"whom either has posted this or had sent posting to me from all of those e-mail address! Some of them I will or have passed on to all readers whom looks at all blog sites that I use. Thank You for allow in this site,group sites, web sites and other prayer sites as well in holding one another up for prayer's being totally united in everyone around this world, it's about Jesus Christ first and prayers,intecessory prayer's and at other times about this vast world we live in today which this old world as we all know it is slowly departing to be reaching our home in glory.

How To Win Your Crowns

How To Win Your Crowns - Jack Kelley - www.gracethrufaith.com

So, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. (Phil 3:13-16)

After you're saved, you have the opportunity to win rewards, or crowns, which will be presented to you immediately after the Rapture. (1 Cor. 4:5) Jesus Himself will make the presentation in what will be the biggest awards ceremony ever in the history of mankind.

This awards ceremony is sometimes called the Bema Seat judgment, after the Greek word for judgment, because of the similarity. In the ancient Olympics, judges awarded ivy crowns (called stephanos) to the winners of the various events at the "Bema Seat", or judges stand, just like they award medals in our time.

The New Testament lists five categories in which crowns will be awarded to qualified believers.

These crowns are identified as the Everlasting Crown (Victory) in 1 Cor 9:25, the Crown of the Soul Winner in Phil 4:1 and 1 Thes 2:19, the Crown of Righteousness in 2 Tim 4:8, the Crown of Life in James 1:12 and Rev 2:10, and the Crown of Glory in 1 Peter 5:4.

The Everlasting Crown (Crown of Victory)

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1 Cor. 9:24-27)

This passage most clearly defines the context in which crowns are awarded, so it's a good one to look at first. The Crown of victory is also the one that the Bible has the most to say about because it's one that every believer can win. Paul used a sports analogy to help us understand the rules for winning so we wouldn't be confused about how this works.

As in events like the Olympics, winning the Victors crown requires that competitors qualify and then compete. For us, qualifying means being saved, because this is an event for believers only. Then we go into "strict training" in order to increase our chances for victory, because no Christian should be satisfied just to qualify, even if it does mean gaining eternal life. That's just the beginning. We all want to win crowns and get rewards. In going for this crown we're not competing against each other, but against our old selves, also called "the flesh".

Achieving victory means putting the flesh to death; getting rid of our selfish desires, our bad habits and attitudes, and any behavior that puts the Lord to shame. One of the places where the Bible has much to say about what it takes to win this crown is Ephesians 4-6. In fact every one of Paul's letters to the Church exhorts us to compete for this crown, out of gratitude for what we've been given. Gaining victory over the flesh is the best thing we can do to show the Lord how thankful we are that He saved us.

As in all competitive events there's no penalty for losing, only a reward for winning. And failing to win in one event does not mean that we forfeit rewards legitimately won in others. But we have to win fair and square, (2 Tim. 2:5) and more than anything else, our attitude has to be right. Any thought of recognition or personal gain, or even of making points with the Lord will disqualify us. The only acceptable motive is bringing glory to God. (1 Cor. 3:12-15 & 4:1-5)

If we're in Christ we're a new creation in God's eyes. (2 Cor. 5:17) We're now royalty in training. Our challenge is to live up to what we've already become by acting like who we are in Christ. Those who succeed will receive the Crown of Victory.

The Crown of the Soul Winner

Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! (Phil. 4:1)

For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy. (1 Thes 2:19)

Paul was happiest when he thought of all the people who had come to the Lord through his teaching, writing, and church planting. And the harvest of his labors has continued unabated through out the entire Church Age. Since there's no number stated as a qualifier we don't have to be intimidated by Paul's unbeatable results. We just have to make the most of every opportunity the Lord brings across our path. And remember, we're judged here by our effort, not our results. Each person bears the responsibility for his or her own choice regarding salvation. So we don't have to be argumentative or coercive, we just have to make a clear and concise presentation of the gospel and then pray that it's received. This is the model Paul established for us.

The Crown of Righteousness

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Tim 4:8)

Since our righteousness is derived from our faith, this Crown is not for those whose lives have been the most pure. You can't get purer than God, whose righteousness has been imputed to us. When we long for the Lord's return we're demonstrating our belief that He's coming for us. We're not afraid that we won't measure up but are absolutely certain that when He comes for His Church, we'll be among those He takes.

A person who depends on the righteousness of his or her own works can only feel either arrogance or fear, not longing. Some are arrogant enough to believe that they deserve entry into Heaven because of their exemplary life. Their pride keeps them from longing for the Lord because they're getting so much satisfaction from feeling superior. They're like the Pharisees who looked the Lord right in the eye and chose to rely on their own works rather than His Grace.

Others live in fear that they'll be rejected at the last minute for some forgotten failure. They don't long for the Lord because they're scared to death of being rejected. Only the one who depends exclusively on Grace can long for the Lord. Since they know we can never measure up, they long for the day when we can no longer fail.

The Crown of Life

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (Jas 1:12)

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Rev 2:10)

This crown is for believers who've faced persecution and suffering for the Lord, even to the point of death. We're familiar with the trials and tribulations of the First and Second Century believers, but did you know that even in our time several thousand believers die for their faith every day, and many more thousands are evicted from their homes, incarcerated, or forced to live in fear for their lives? They will win the Crown of Life.

The Crown of Glory

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 1 Peter 5:1-4

Only those called into ministry can qualify for this crown. The requirements are clear, and many loyal shepherds of the Lord's flock will finally get the recognition they so richly deserve. Others, who've lorded it over believers entrusted to their care, or strapped heavy yokes of legalism to their necks will be forced to stand to the side and watch as the Lord rewards those who've stayed true to His word.

These are the five crowns listed in the New Testament. Some of us may receive all five of these crowns, but every one of us can qualify to receive at least one. And like I said above, there's nothing we can do that will bring the Lord more pleasure. And after all He's done for us, it doesn't seem like too much to ask, does it?
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catcmo2006 Would like to "Thank Everyone,"whom either has posted this or had sent posting to me from all of those e-mail address! Some of them I will or have passed on to all readers whom looks at all blog sites that I use. Thank You for allow in this site,group sites, web sites and other prayer sites as well in holding one another up for prayer's being totally united in everyone around this world, it's about Jesus Christ first and prayers,intecessory prayer's and at other times about this vast world we live in today which this old world as we all know it is slowly departing to be reaching our home in glory.

Remembering Memorial Day 2007

Remember and honor American heroes - Barbara Simpson - www.worldnetdaily.com

Today is Memorial Day. Do you have any idea what that means?

For starters, think about two young men whose bodies were officially identified May 23, after being killed in Iraq.

Pfc. Joseph Anzack of Torrance, Calif. was found shot to death and floating in the Euphrates River. Who knows what torment he endured before he died; he and two other soldiers were ambushed and taken prisoner May 12. His buddies are still missing.

Pvt. Oscar Sauceda of Del Rio, Texas was killed May 22, after he and his unit were hit by enemy small-arms fire. He was with the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment.

Anzack was 20 years old. Sauceda was 21.

If you think about them, will you celebrate Memorial Day differently?

For those of a certain age to remember, it wasn't always Memorial Day. It used to be called Decoration Day and was celebrated on May 30.

You might even remember the sale of red poppies on Decoration Day. They were made by disabled vets and sold to benefit vets, military widows and their children.

You might remember, but then again, maybe not.

For 103 years, Memorial Day/Decoration Day has been a single day for commemoration – a time to remember and honor those men and women who were killed defending our country.

While the tradition began during the Civil War in the South, the first day of memorial to honor war dead was officially proclaimed May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander, Grand Army of the Republic.

The first official observance was held on May 30 of that year. Flowers were placed on Civil War graves at Arlington National Cemetery.

New York was the first state to recognize the holiday in 1873 and by 1890, virtually all northern states followed suit.

As the country endured other wars and finally World War I, in which nearly 117 thousand Americans were killed, it was decided to have a national day of memorial to honor all Americans killed in all wars.

It was never a day to generically remember all dead. Memorial Day was, and is, a day for Americans to come together and honor our military dead who gave their all so we might live in freedom.

But, as in so many things, we take them for granted. We take our freedom for granted, and the solemnity of the day has almost totally been lost.

Times have changed. For most people today, Memorial Day is a holiday weekend. It's a time to get out of town – unless gas prices are too high – and have fun with family and friends.

Of course, it hasn't helped that in 1971, the National Holiday Act moved Memorial Day to the last Monday of May and made it an official federal holiday on a three day weekend.

Intentional or not, the net effect has been to diminish the meaning of the day. Along with the reality that our young people aren't taught history, their understanding of the magnitude of Memorial Day commemoration is often nil.

Because of "weekend" celebrations and traditional parades to honor the military, surviving vets and their compatriots who were killed are rarely recognized.

It used to be that every community had a parade, and, while they were fun and exciting for children, there was also the understanding that the reason for the march was to remember and honor those who died to protect our country and maintain our freedom.

Anzack and Sauceda willingly put their lives at risk for this country – for each of us – and were killed in war. They gave their lives and their futures for this country.

Their families lost loved ones and also their hopes and dreams. All they have are memories and the pain that comes with them. For the families, the two men will be forever young.

Will you remember them on Memorial Day or any day?

Every time you go to work without being shot at, go shopping without worrying about car bombs or allow your children to play in the park or at the beach without fear of land mines, you should think of, and thank, the men and women who serve in our military and honor those who were killed.

It doesn't matter whether you agree with the war, the president or Congress. What does matter is that our military personnel serve with selflessness and dedication. The very least we can do is honor them and the fallen. They've sacrificed more for us than we could ever repay. Surely that warrants a few minutes of silence on Memorial Day to remember and to say thank you.
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catcmo2006 Would like to "Thank Everyone,"whom either has posted this or had sent posting to me from all of those e-mail address! Some of them I will or have passed on to all readers whom looks at all blog sites that I use. Thank You for allow in this site,group sites, web sites and other prayer sites as well in holding one another up for prayer's being totally united in everyone around this world, it's about Jesus Christ first and prayers,intecessory prayer's and at other times about this vast world we live in today which this old world as we all know it is slowly departing to be reaching our home in glory.