Carrying A Burden #152

Nehemiah 1:3-6a They said to me, "The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire." 4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days ; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 I said, "I beseech You, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 6 let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants.

It is one thing to care about yourself and your own needs, but there is something special about having a burden for someone else. Nehemiah received information that the city of Jerusalem was in ruins and that the people were in distress and reproach. The walls of the city were broken down and burned. His response is similar to what your response might be if your friend, family or loved one was hurting. He sat down and cried. His heart was broken over the sorrow of someone for which he cared deeply. They were going through a difficult time and he was moved with compassion. The Bible says that he mourned for days and sometimes problems do not end overnight. They often continue over a long period

of time. Such was the case for Jerusalem.

Nehemiah went into action. He knew that the only permanent help would come from God. He called upon God with fasting and prayer. His intercession for his beloved city caused him to approach God as the great, awesome God, who preserves the covenant and was filled with love for His people.

Do you have someone right now for whom you are especially burdened? The Bible says to bear one another’s burdens. You can do that right now by bringing your concern to God, who is full of loving-kindness. You can pray for the person or persons that you know need God’s love and grace. God answered Nehemiah’s prayer and he will yours too.

More than likely you have someone right now who is depending on your prayers and concern. Why not be the person who brings their needs in prayer to God?

_______________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Banner Desert Medical Center,

No, I am not a patient this time. My grandson, Johnny, was admitted on Monday because of digestive issues. The Doctors have discovered he has reflux and swallowing issues, and he is also allergic to milk. So he will be using a new formula and doing several other things to improve his ability to eat. We are hoping he will go home by Thursday if not before.

Sandy and I have pretty well camped out at the hospital with Mandy and John since Monday. We are all tired and are ready to go home. We would really appreciate your prayers for Johnny.

I have had the privilege of going around the hospital to see Doctors and Nurses who cared for me when I was a patient. Some of them I hadn’t seen for almost two years. They were amazed at how well I am doing. It was my honor to tell them how good God is. I also was able to thank them for their great care of me. One Doctor mentioned he keeps a picture of Sandy and me on his desk to inspire him. God is at work.

This past weekend Sandy and I had a wonderful time at the Grace Community Church’s all church campout. We enjoyed the mountains in the rim country of Arizona. The fishing was fair and the fellowship was great. I had the opportunity of preaching on Sunday and also baptizing three people. What a joy.I hope you have a great week and pray that God will pour out his blessings upon you. He does love you and cares for you. Thank Him often and return the love to Him. Also I want to remind you to "love one another". ~DGW

Your Life #151

Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God.”

What does faith look like? Mark 10:46-52 and Matthew 20:29-34 describe faith in action. Matthew’s account says there were two men; Mark’s account only named one, Bartimaeus. It is possible that Jesus encountered these two men both on his entry into Jericho and on the way out of Jericho. They were both blind. How did Bartimaeus express his faith?

1. He expressed a need. Mark 10:46-47 “a blind beggar named Bartimaeus ...was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

2. He saw Jesus as the answer to his need and was persistent. Verse 48 “Son of David have mercy on me!” He repeated the cry of his heart to the one he knew could make a difference.

3. He responded to the call of Jesus. Verse 49 says “And Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him here.’” Jesus had interest in this man who expressed faith. He called to him to come to the source of the answer to his need.

4. He jumped at the opportunity for an answer. Verse 50 “And throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus.” It appears that he was enthusiastic about expressing his faith.

5. He told Jesus what was needed. Verse 51 “What do you want Me to do for you?” “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” He didn’t just ask Jesus to be with him or guide him or bless him. He went to the heart of the matter. He was blind. He wanted to see. Faith gets specific.

6. He received the answer to his need. Verse 52 “Go, your faith has made you well. Immediately he received his sight and began following Him on the road.” Your part of faith is to receive. As you

believe you also receive.

7. He followed Jesus. Your ultimate expression of faith is a daily life of following Jesus Christ as your Savior, Lord, and Life. He was following down a road. The phrase means more than just a dirt path or a well-traveled road.

It is your life. It is God’s plan. It means you are traveling down your personal road of life in the ha

nds of God.

Do you walk by faith? Follow the example of Blind Bartimaeus. Let faith be your daily walk down the road of life.

___________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Wood's Canyon Lake, AZ

This is such a beautiful place in the Rim Country of Arizona. For those of you who have never visited the mountains of Arizona you are missing some of God's finest creation. For those of you in the Valley of the Sun, I remind you it is cool up here!

Friday, Saturday and Sunday we have the privilege of being a part of Grace Community Church's Family Campout. I will be speaking at the morning worship on Sunday.

We had a wonderful time celebrating Father's Day. The photo is all the "boys". Notice I am still a boy too.

Thank you for all your prayers. We continue to be blessed.God is good and has shown such grace and mercy. I really appreciate your encouraging emails. T

hanks for taking time to respond. ~ DGW

Talk To Yourself #150

Psalms 62:1 My soul waits in silence for God only ; From Him is my salvation. 2 He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold ; I shall not be greatly shaken. Psalm 62:5 My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold ; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. 8 Trust in Him at all times, O people ; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.

Ever talk to yourself? You might have heard it is ok to talk to yourself as long as you don’t answer yourself. Well, David not only talked to himself, but he did answer. His question would have been, “Where do I go when things around me seem to be falling apart?” His answer is “To God.”

His soul: his emotions, his thoughts, and his volition are struggling with a need for hope and protection. In verse five he speaks to his soul and says, “Soul, Wait in silence for God only.” David knew God was his hope and strength, but like you, David needed a reminder. Talk to yourself. Remind your soul that God is the answer. How easy it is to forget that in the past you found your salvation, stronghold, rock, hope, strength and refuge in God. Talk to yourself again and say, “Soul, God is what I need to meet my needs.” The world, Satan and your own flesh will tell you that something else will meet your needs. Just remember it is God only who is everything.

Here is where you probably run into difficulty. The Psalmist says, “WAIT” on the Lord. You may be like so many others and find that waiting is hard. You may get impatient and reach to other sources of help. It is time to have a heart to heart talk with your self. He alone is your rock and salvation. He alone is your strength and refuge. He alone is your hope.

Trust Him at all times. Verse 8 “Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge” for your soul. Tell God how you feel, what you are thinking and determine to trust Him to meet your needs. He does not want to GIVE you hope or strength. He wants to BE your hope and strength. Trust Him right now to be for you what you are lacking. So, you may need to talk to yourself as well as to God.

May He bless you this very moment as you have your little talk with yourself and God.

____________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks in Tempe, AZ

Everyday I am reminded what a wonderful gift God has given us that we call LIFE.

Two years ago this very day I was in the hospital with an extremely dangerous life threatening liver infection. I came home the first time on June 16, 2009. The Lord not only spared my life, but gave me a quality of life through which I can serve Him. To Him Be The Glory.

Happy Father's Day to all of you Dads. I do hope you have a wonderful day.

June 24-26 Sandy and I will have the privilege of being with Grace Community Church at their annual all Church Campout. We will be a Wood's Canyon. We are going a few days early in order to take Burke and Collin fishing and camping. Bennett will be at Youth Camp in Glorietta NM. All three boys are in Prescott, AZ this week for camp.

We are so blessed with folks like you who pray for us and support our ministry. You are special. Thanks.

Love you all. ~ DGW

Serve Along The Way #149

Matthew 20:20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. 21: And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on 21Your right and one on Your left.” 22: But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.” ...25: Jesus called them to Himself and said. “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26: It is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be our servant, 27: and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28: just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give His life a ransom for many.”

The world has struggled over the centuries to determine who was the greatest. Wars have been fought, families have struggled, nations have been divided, and lives have been lost all for the desire to determine the person or persons who will rule over the others. Jesus’ disciples were no different. They wanted the choice spots in leadership. James and John’s mother was so determined that she made a direct request for Jesus to place her sons as the two most important persons in His kingdom. Little did she understand that the drink Jesus mentions is the drink of suffering which will be realized at the cross when He becomes the ransom for the sin of every person in the whole world.

Jesus explains that the truly great people are servants. They are those who choose to give themselves in service and love to those in need. True leadership is servant leadership. To be a follower of Jesus means we not only serve, but do it with a cheerful heart and attitude. Someone has said, “How do you know if you have a servant heart?” The answer is simple. How do you feel when you are treated like one?

Who are you serving today? Are you giving yourself in service to those that God places in your pathway? The way of greatness is not in lording it over, or being the boss of scores of people. The true test of leadership is found in your attitude in serving them. The greatest person who ever lived was Jesus and he served by giving his life a ransom for many.

Will you follow His example today? It will give your life real purpose.

_____________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Aspen Campground in the beautiful rim country of AZ,

Sandy and I are camping with our grandson, Collin, this week at Wood's Canyoun Lake. We have caught a few trout and are enjoying the cool weather; sure beats the 100 degrees plus in Tempe.

We will return home on Friday and return here on June 20 for another week. We will be with the Grace Community Church Family Campout. I will be speaking at the Sunday morning services here at Wood's Canyon Lake on June 26th. Grandsons Burke and Collin will be with us. The both will be at Church Camp the week between.

We attended our granson, Bennett's 8th grade promotion this past Friday. Hard to believe we will have a granson in high school next year.

I saw the oncologist on Friday and received a wonderful report. The cancer is still present but is considered stable. That means no growth in the past three months. When the Doctor asked how I was feeling I said, "Great!" He said nothing, but raised both hands in the air and looked toward heaven. I will see him again in four months and if the report is good like this one he will not see me again for six months. PTL

God continues to bless by giving us opportunities to share our faith with those who will listen. What a joy it is to tell people, "what the Lord has done." Psalms 118:17

May God bless you with a wonderful summer with family and friends, and may He meet the needs of your heart. Our Heavenly Father desire to give you peace, hope and encouragement. ~ DGW

Coping With Life #148

Psalms 131:1-3

1 A song for the ascent to Jerusalem. A psalm of David. LORD, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don't concern myself with matters too great or awesome for me. 2 But I have stilled and quieted myself, just as a small child is quiet with its mother. Yes, like a small child is my soul within me. 3 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD -- now and always.

If you were asked the question: “How are you?” Would your answer include the words, “I am tired?” Most people are overcommitted, overworked, and expecting too much of themselves and others. Are you one of those? David, the Psalmist, discovered himself to be the overachiever who was proud and haughty, concerned with matters above and beyond his strength.

David found that he could no longer keep up the pace and finally found in God a place of quiet and peace. The need of his soul was recovered deep in the presence of a God. He discovered that his tireless efforts generated by his prideful, haughty spirit only led to emotional and physical exhaustion.

The answer was to make some choices. He simply decided to not involve himself in matters to difficult. He also made a conscious effort to be still and quiet his soul. He pictures his life as a small child resting against its mother for comfort and peace. David sees himself as that child resting in the arms of God.

He could only do that because he knew the God of comfort and peace; a God in whom he could take refuge. What today is overwhelming to you? What are you attempting to do or be in order to prove your value or worth? Remember that your true value and worth only comes from God? Is your pride in your accomplishments destroying your life? How are you coping with the issues you are facing? Could it be that you need to back off from the devastating issues that are destroying you and take a place of stillness and quiet in the arms of the Lord?

God loves you and accepts you as you are. He desires to hold you in His presence and bring a calm to your soul. Allow him right now to be your comfort, consoler, and encourager.

___________________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from beautiful AZ,

I do hope and pray you have had a great week. This has been a week that Sandy and I were able to share together. Over three years ago we were given a boat. Because of my illness we had never had it to the Lake fishing. Well we did this week.

Sandy of course caught more fish than I did. 6 to 0. I have been skunked before. Although it sounds better if I tell that most of my

time was spent taking fish off her line, baiting her hook and making sure she had the best place to fish. That is not true, but makes a great story.

We also took in a movie and spent last evening babysitting little Johnny. Friday night Burke and Bennett spent the night with us. It is always fun to have them around. We are so grateful for all four of our grandson. Collin just returned from a week in Florida at Disney World. He is full of stories. Bennett graduates from 8th grade Friday June 3rd. We are looking forw

ard to the festivities.

June 24-26 we will be at the Family Camping Trip of Grace Community Church at Wood's Canyon Campground. I will be leading their worship service on Sunday June 26 in the beautiful Rim Country of Arizona.

June 3 I get the reports back from the Oncologist. Pray for good reports.

June 13-17 three of the grandsons: Burke, Bennett and Collin will be at Church Camp. Pray for them to learn about their walk with God. All three boys know Christ as their Savior and Lord. For that we praise God.

Thank you for all your prayers and concern. Please pray for ministry opportunities for Sandy and me. Love you all. ~ DGW

Fear Factor! #147

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Ever feel afraid? Not the kind brought about by snakes, spiders, and high places, but the fear of failure, the unknown, rejection. Fear can be debilitating and cripple your ability to think, make decisions, relate to other people, and cause major worry and even health issues.

The Bible has a lot to say about fear, but the words to the young Pastor Timothy from his mentor, the Apostle Paul, may say it best. Fear and timidity do not come from God. They are from the enemy whose desire it is to steel, kill, and destroy. Your spiritual, emotional and physical health is greatly influenced by fear. Truth can nullify fear. “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” John 8:32.

The truth is that God not only does not give you fear and timidity; He gives you something to replace it. God is the author of power, love and self-discipline. Some translations say ‘sound mind’ instead of self-discipline.

What do you believe? Do you look at a situation or circumstance and shudder with fear and back away in timidity, or do you accept God’s truth that you have power, love and a sound mind? The Bible says, “Perfect love casts out fear.” 1 John 4:18. You have power over fear because God gives it to you. You have love instead of fear because God gives it to you. You have a sound mind instead of fear because God gives it to you.

How would you like to make a trade? Trade your fear and timidity for what God can give you. Trust His word not how you feel about your life, situation, or circumstance. God is far greater than any fear you will ever encounter.

Never forget that it is God’s desires to change the way you think. He wants you to know and experience truth. Trust Him today instead of the fear that the enemy throws into your mind. The battle is in your mind. It is truth versus the lies of the enemy. God loves you and wants you to move from fear to faith.

_____________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from the Wood home,

I have already been to have a CT scan done this morning. (TR) Everything went well. I will get the results of labs that were taken last week and CT scan when I see

the oncologist next Friday June 3.

Mentioning June 3. It is my Dad's 86th birthday. He is in a nursing home in MO and doing well. One day this week he sat in the hall way with the other residents as the

tornado sirens blared over Eldon, MO. He said he got tired sitting and was really glad when it was over.

Sandy has relatives in Joplin. They had windows blown out of their cars and some limbs down but were all ok.

Sandy and I had the privilege of going to our grandson Bennett's band and choir concerts this week. He loves music and is quite good, even if I am a bit prejudice.

Johnny went to the Dr. for a check up this week. He is up to 9 lbs 2.5 oz. It is so great to see him doing so well.

Susan and Collin are in Florida at Disney World this week. They call with reports daily of all the fun they are having.

Please continue to pray for these needs:

People in Joplin, MO.

Good results of CT scan and labs.

Ministry opportunities for me and Sandy.

Summer vacations and travel for all.

Church camps for Burke, Collin and Bennett.

I will be speaking at the Family Camping trip for Grace Community Church the last week of June.

I love all of you and appreciate your prayers and concern. ~ DGW

What Directions? #146

John 21:19-22 19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow me!" 20 Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His breast at the supper, and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" 21 Petertherefore seeing him said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?" 22 Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!" (NAS)

When all else fails read the directions. Great advice; but maybe it should read, “When all else fails; follow the directions.” How often have you received instructions only to ignore them? Most everyone has at some time read the instructions only to proceed to ‘do it your way.’ Whether it was a school assignment or putting together the Christmas gift that simply said, “Some assembly required” you did it your way and ended up with a mess. Usually that “some assembly required” meant a degree in engineering was required; you still ignored the instructions and jumped full speed ahead into the project without heeding any guidance.

The Apostle Peter had been following Jesus three years by this time. He had witnessed miracles, heard Jesus teach and had himself denied that he knew Jesus three times. After a miraculous fishing trip Jesus spoke to Peter about his future. He told Peter to follow Him and Peter responded by asking about John. “What about him?” The instructions to Peter were clear, “follow me.” Peter appeared determined to take attention off of the instructions he had received and make sure John followed his instructions.

Jesus merely responded that what I request of John is between me and John and not your business. Peter’s instruction was clear and simple; follow Jesus.

You may ignore your instructions, do it your way, try to get someone else to follow your directions, or do as you are instructed. The choice is yours. Today is decision day.

_______________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings fom Starbucks,

It has been a great week. Sandy and enjoyed our time with the Golden Valley

Baptist Church this past week-end. God gave me the strength to preach three times. The church is a wonderful loving fellowship. We both were encouraged by their love for one another. Pastor Steve was in a men's retreat, but his wife, Julie, took great care of us. We are talking of a marriage retreat with them in the fall.

This week I signed up the 999th person to receive The Encourager. Send me some one's name and email to receive it and we will hit the 1000 mark. I am so grateful to write words of encouragement each week to so many. I also enjoy hearing back from you.

Collin had his last choir performance of the year. (see attach) His school is closing as part of the budget cuts in our Tempe Elementary School district so he will attend a new school next year. It is still close to where Susan and he live. It will take some

adjustments so pray for him.

Sandy had her tests performed yesterday to determine if the cancer had returned. She was clear for which we praise God. She has an Ultra Sound next week as one more test. The doctor does

not expect to find anything. Again we praise the Lord.

I will have labs done today (19th). The CT scan will be in two weeks. I will get results on June 3 when I see the oncologist. Pray for a good report.

Thanks for your prayers and love. It means a great deal to us. I pray that God will bless you today with an assignment that will bring glory to Him. Please continue to pray for ministry opportunities for both me and Sandy.

God bless you. ~ DGW