-Eternity on Our Hearts
-By: Lawrence E. Ford, Sr.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4, NKJV)

Scripture makes it clear that since the Fall, our earthly lives are temporal. The sin committed by Adam and Eve set death in motion, both physically and spiritually. How that must have grieved the Creator! And yet, our Lord loved the first couple and their descendants so much that He provided a plan of redemption that would rescue His beloved creation from the ultimate consequences of that sin (John 3:16). Why?

Because eternity is on God’s heart. Is it on ours?
January brings with it a feeling of renewal, a sense of starting fresh with new plans, new commitments, and new opportunities. But how much of this newness is focused here on earth? If we are honest, we’d have to admit that most all of the “new” we are considering is deeply rooted in the here and now.

Paul’s admonition to the Colossians reminds us that real living is not in the here and now, but in the glory to come, when the temporal becomes eternal. He commands us to set our minds “on things above, not on things on the earth.” Why? Because that’s where Christ is, and that’s our promised destiny. Philippians 3:20 says that our citizenship is in heaven, not on this ball of dirt. So we need to think with eternity on our minds; we need to plan with eternity on our minds; we need to live right now—this year—with eternity on our minds. Doing so allows us a greater glimpse of the glory to come.
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As many of us pray, 'Even so, Come Lord Jesus', let us also remember to pray for those that are still lost and without the blessed 'hope' that we have in Jesus.
"In all things give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." AMEN~

--Thank You for Your Mercy and Love~~

--Helen Steiner Rice~~

--Prayer is much more than just asking for things---

It's the peace and contentment that quietness brings.

So thank You again for Your mercy and love
And for making me heir to Your Kingdom above.~~

--God Chats in the Closet/ Anywhere...and everywhere!


Religious leaders loved to make theater out of their prayers. The show nauseated Jesus. In Matthew 6:6 He said, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who cannot be seen. Your Father can see what is done in secret, and He will reward you.”

The words surely stunned Jesus’ audience. The people were simple farmers and stonemasons. They couldn’t enter the temple. But they could enter their closets. The point? He is low on fancy, high on accessibility. You need not woo him with location! Or wow him with eloquence. It’s the power of a simple prayer.
Come to Jesus as a little child, for such is the kingdom of God. Jesus is as close as the mention of His Name. ~ Jesus said, "I am the way the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)

--AN ANSWER TO PRAYER~~
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-By: Yves Baptiste~
Program Manager in Haiti
Samaritan's Purse ~~

~~IN HAITI, the year 2019 was defined by "peyi lok"--country lockdown. Those who opposed the current president protested in the streets. The nation's already-fragile economic infrastructures were shut down, and Samaritan's Purse was forced to suspend our programming.

Our staff used that time to seek the Lord in prayer, asking Him how we can best meet the needs of the people of Haiti--particularly during times of uncertainty and unrest. During those times of prayer and planning, we did not know that 2020 would bring the coronavirus pandemic. But God knew.

Samaritan's Purse Haiti began 2020 with an outlook of hope. Then COVID-19 found its way to the shores of the island nation, crippling communities that were struggling in the aftermath of 'peyi lok'. Samaritan's Purse designed a response project to reach 1,500 families. Working with local church partners, we distributed hygiene kits filled with essential supplies to at-risk households, and shared information about how to protect themselves from the virus. Most important, the Gospel was shared and relationships formed between our staff, church partners, and the community.

Yva Milor was one of the people who came to receive the supplies. She was so thankful, and told us that she had wanted to buy a hand-washing bucket to keep her family safe but the expense was too great a burden for their meager household income. Yva's family also received soap, cloth masks, and bleach. She was overjoyed that she had the supplies and knowledge to protect her loved ones from the virus.

Our team is grateful to God for sovereignly answering our prayers and equipping our team in Haiti to minister to at-risk families as a tangible expression of Christ's love. ~~
-PLEASE KEEP SAMARITAN'S PURSE IN PRAYER. Thank you and GOD BLESS!