What a great time to be alive and living for Jesus!! I recently joined a group on Facebook called, “You know you were raised A/G if…..”, and you filled in the blank. People talked about how they were raised and the things they were taught in church. We laughed as we remembered how we were not allowed to wear shorts in P.E. We laughed at the fact that we were not allowed to go anywhere but church when we went on a date. That’s just how we were raised, that’s what we believed the Bible taught. (What started out as a passion to please God in everything, became a doctrine of man.) At first it was pretty funny reminiscing and remembering how we were not allowed to do certain things and how we all went through similar teachings as we grew up. Then I began to hear people talk about how the spirit moved back then and “why doesn’t He move that way now?”. They kept attributing the move of the Spirit to the songs that were sung. Some even said that if we would get back to the old paths and the way things were done, God would move again.

Yes, God moved when people wore long dresses and suits with ties. He moved when we sung the old hymns. The Holy Spirit is also moving today when we sing the new songs. I see the Holy Spirit move when people have on shorts, sleeveless shirts, hats, long hair and I could keep going. The Spirit moves all the time at SpeedWay Christian Fellowship. I even heard of a person who happened to be in the shower, totally nude and the Holy Spirit moved in power upon him and he fell out in the Spirit, while in the tub. God didn’t move in power because of the way people dressed, or the song they sung. The Bible tells us God doesn’t look at the outward appearance. (1 Samuel 16:7)

Could it be that the Holy Spirit is not moving now because people no longer have a passion for God? Maybe He is not moving now because people no longer strive to please Him. God is looking on the heart. He is looking for a people with passionate hearts, that love Him with every part of their being.

I thank God for my Christian heritage, but I don’t want to go back to the way it was. I love what God is doing now. God says, “Behold I do a new thing…” This is not something that is new to God, it’s new to us. We have to move with the Holy Spirit, into the new things God has for us, as He leads. Sometimes we have to give up man made traditions and doctrines and go with God. We need to become passionate about the things of God and we will experience the move of God in a greater measure than even what our fore fathers experienced.

Do you want to see a move of God like on the day of Pentecost, or even like we use to see as young people raised in a A/G environment? Do you want to see things happen like in the book of Acts? Let’s become passionate for God, seeking Him like never before. Let’s abandon all for Him. Let’s get eager to please Him no matter what, and we will see God move in power once again like He did in days gone by.

I saw a post on facebook this week that caught my attention.. It said, “When you hang on the cross for someone’s sins then you can judge them.” We as Christians have taken it upon ourselves to judge those around us. Several years ago God began dealing with me about not judging and forgiving people. Ever so often He will refresh me in His Word concerning this. As He began to show me my heart I was astonished at how much we judge others.

Jesus Himself said,” You judge after the flesh. I judge no man.” Jesus is our example. A woman was brought to Him, she had been caught in the very act of adultery. Yet in His mercy and grace He said, “Neither do I condemn (judge) thee, go and sin no more.” John 3:17: For God sent not His son into the world to condemn (judge) the world: but that the world through Him might be saved.”

We need to extend mercy to those around us. The Bible says, “For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:15) If we give judgment and ask for repayment for wrongs done to us, then we will be dealt with according to what we dish out. If we extend mercy we will receive mercy. If we dole out judgment we will receive judgment. The Bible tells us we will reap what we sow.

Last week we received a telephone call asking for prayer. A lady had gone into labor and she was two months early. She was care flighted to a bigger hospital. The doctors told her the baby only weighed three pounds and his lungs were not developed enough for him to be born. They began to administer a drug to stop the contractions. The next day the baby was born, his lungs were fully developed and he weighed 4 lb 5 oz. Mom and baby doing great!!!!! God is so good!!!!

We have been praying for a lady who was given three weeks to live. She had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. That was before Thanksgiving. She is still alive. The doctors told her the cancer that was in her body is not advancing anymore. They also did a cat scan on her brain and there is no cancer in her brain. We are still praying, even though the cancer is not advancing, it is still showing up in her body. We are rejoicing at what God is doing!!!!

We have also been praying for jobs. We had several that were without jobs and right now good jobs are hard to find. We got in agreement for better jobs, with more money, and better benefits. D Wayne went to work this last week, and he is making more money. Praise God!!! Favor of the Lord!!!

God is faithful that promised! Every promise in Him is yes and amen to the glory of God!!! We give God ALL the glory for the things He has done!!!!!

Two months ago God put it on pastors heart to began having prayer every night except Friday and Sunday night. This was a sacrifice for everyone, but as we meet together, God is moving in a powerful way. Not only are we changing as individuals , but the church as a whole is changing. We are seeing God answer prayers. I’m talking about impossible situations, things that look impossible with man, but God is showing Himself mighty in our behalf. As of right now there is no end to the prayer services any time in the near future. (If its not broken, don’t fix it.) I believe we are about to see a move of God at SpeedWay Christian Fellowship like we have never seen. We are about to see things we have never dreamed of. We are seeing an increase in the flow of the gifts of the Spirit. We are seeing people step into their place in the church.

Last summer we had a speaker who had never been to our church, she got up and told pastor that God had given her a scripture for the church. We are standing on it and we know that “there will be a performance of those things told us by the Lord”. Exodus 34:10: And He said: “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. Are we special, no, were just a group of people that have decided to believe that God is who He says He is, and that He will do what He said He will do!!!!

I heard something not long ago that really got me to thinking. Someone said, “He who has your ear, has your attention. He who has your attention, has your behavior.” Who are we listening too? Who has our attention? Is our behavior lining up with what we know is right?

The serpent in the garden began to talk to Eve. He began to twist the truth. When she began to listen, he had her attention and then she began to behave accordingly. It then affected her life and brought about her down fall.

To many times we as Christians we listen to the wrong voice. We begin to believe his lies. Our behavior changes and we say and do things that don’t line up with the Word of God. We say and do things to tear others down instead of edifying and building them up. Our behavior will effect our lives and bring destruction.

Not long ago we had something happen. We prayed about it and God brought about victory. Others didn’t see that God had caused truth to prevail and they began to listen to the wrong voice. Then their behavior changed and they began to say things to hurt us. It wasn’t easy to keep listening to God’s voice. Are we perfect, no, in all honesty we want to retaliate, but we wanted to please Him more than anything else. We will continue to pray and as God brings the Word to our heart, and act accordingly. As a result we have the favor of God and He has blessed us as we have continued to walk in love and listen to the voice of truth.

So today I am asking you, who has your ear? Who has your attention? Who has your behavior? Let’s do a check up from the neck up, and see who we are listening to. Let’s tune into God’s voice and let Him have our attention. Then our behavior will line up so we can began to imitate Him and walk in love.

As I regain coherence, I still can't shake the overwhelming understanding of God. God. My God. His love. His magnificence. His wonder. His incredible lovely amazing awesomeness. Oh God. Oh God.

Have you ever been so overwhelmed by the wholeness of Who He is? Or even just the minuscule part that you can grasp? I can't even comprehend that. Oh God.

I started tripping out yesterday at the immensity of His love for me that He would so orchestrate my life to the littlest details and is just SO FREAKING GOOD. I can't describe it, I can't contain it. I just...oh my precious God. Jesus.

This morning I woke up and turned on some music and was singing like a maniac. Song in my heart? God, I've been bubbling over all day. I can't contain it. I spent Bible class testifying to my kids. I spent math class testifying to my kids. I had to pause in my praise to call parents' names over the walkie talkie during pickup. I didn't tutor this afternoon and came home and just started singing some more. Got inspired to paint and painted and praised and got so crazy pumped up I could barely drive to book club. I turned on the cruise so I wouldn't speed and screamed. I couldn't sing anymore because I just had to scream. It's all inside trying to come out and I'm driving and rocking and emitting noises and praise and Lord have mercy. It was a struggle to sit through book club because I wanted to yell and run. Run, run, run. I couldn't sit still. I couldn't. I did try. My heart was bursting through.

Got back into the car to come home and it continued. Rocking and hollering. Completely overwhelmed by how He loves me. How, how, how. Jesus, help me make it home. If I can just get home. So I think. I can't park and get out of my car, running up two flights of stairs, trying to hold it in and the second I bust through the door I freaking flip out and fall over, completely consumed. Melted. All I can do is moan and groan and drool.

I felt Jesus and I thought--why would You come HERE?--oh my God it's a mess, there are clothes and dishes everywhere. Why would Almighty, the I AM, come HERE? Why not at church or someplace nicer? And He kept saying, I love you, because I love you. And oh God, oh God. I'm overwhelmed.

My body doesn't know what to do. I can't get up. But I'm having fits of laughing and shaking and groaning and moaning. But I'm not consciously thinking about anything. Then I wonder how I got on the floor. I never thought about being on the floor. It happened before my brain had time to analyze the ins and outs.

I'm overwhelmed by Him. "This love is so deep; it's more than I can stand. I melt in Your peace; it's overwhelming." I've melted. I've been overwhelmed. I try to text what is happening. I try to get up. Did I make it to the bathroom to get a tissue? I came to the computer to turn on the worship I was listening to earlier. Somehow I ended up on the floor again. I love you. I love you. You'll never forget this night. I love you.

Oh, God. I want to live in Your presence. But You are so much. I want to share what's happening, but it's still happening. I can't articulate when You completely and totally overwhelm me, saturate me, come so close that I can smell You. I can just crumple. Why is it that you love me? There are so many trillions of people and You love ME. But oh, why wonder why, because You just do. Oh, God, I'm overwhelmed.

Written and submitted by Debbie McMullen

In Ephesians 4:1 the Bible reads: I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. In Ephesians 5:1-2 it reads: Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children. And walk in love.

We as Christians know how to talk the talk, but being a Christian is more than being able to talk the lingo. We know just the things to say to sound religious, we know how to raise our hands. We know the right time to say "Amen". We even know when to turn on the tears. The sad thing is too many don't walk the walk. It is not always easy to walk the way Jesus did and love the unlovely. God is interested in the condition of your heart not the eloquence of your speech.

In 1 Corinthians 13 the Bible defines the word love. The amplified reads: Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited; it is not rude and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own right or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, it is ever ready to believe the best of every person. its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails. When nothing else seems to get through to people love never fails.

It's time we as Christians began to walk the walk, the God kind of walk: LOVE. People are sick and tired of hearing the talk, they are looking for the actions behind the words you speak. It's time we begin to let God change our hearts so we can walk the walk and be like Him. Let's walk like Jesus did in demonstration of the power not just the words.