CIRCLE OF LIGHT MINISTRIES

 

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Our Mission; REUNITING the Body of Christ so that we may work together to carry forth the Gospel of Salvation through the Blood of Jesus.

It is our Goal here to make a difference. To be a solidifying force in the Gathering of Holy Ghost filled, determined Saints who will lead the charge against allowing the Enemy to gain one further inch of territory which rightfully belongs to those who believe in Christ. It is our Prayer that, as you join us, you will bring the full force of your personal Light, and be open in sharing those Talents and Gifts endowed to you so that together - Together - we may all be that Glow which shines in the Darkness and shows the Way for those lost in Despair, Disorder, and Dis-ease of the mind, body, or Spirit. This Ministry Network is open to all, and specifically encouraged are those who agree that a building bearing a name is less important than a soul bearing the Mark of Christ. No matter your denomination, doctrine, or distance, inside the Body of our Lord and Savior, our Spirits are One, and this is our Strength.

Selah

Minister LP Johnson
Circle of Light - Ministries United

CLICK HERE TO JOIN
http://ministriesunited.ning.com/

Psalms 19
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, 5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.

14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

As we begin our day today, let us keep in mind the five points of this passage.

1. God's will is what governs our lives, and it is by His grace and mercy that you are here, breathing, awake, aware of your surroundings. So be thankful for that, no matter your current circumstance. Start your day with a prayer of Praise!

2. If at any point you are feeling alone, unloved, unappreciated, taken advantage of, belittled, misused, down on your luck, depressed, blocked in, locked in, or left out --- take a moment to look up into the sky. Whether in the daylight so that you have to squint at the sun, or staring into the stars, or even the clouds, the very sky itself sings the testimony of a Loving Creator! Whatever your language, wherever you live, it's the same sky, the same sun, the same moon, and at different points of the year the same stars can be seen everywhere. So it is with God, He is the same today, yesterday, and forever! To you, to me, to all people and all inhabitants of this wonderful world He has provided for us.

3. Stay faithful to Him, remain in fellowship with Him through Prayer, Fasting, and obedience, and through His word you will be given wisdom, you will be granted sight to see truth, you will be freed from the temporary cares and concerns of this material world, and grow to realize your place is one of a Favored, Beloved child held in the arms of a Loving and generous Father.

4. Fear in this context does not mean to be afraid. it denotes 'Respect', Amazement, and Reverence. Respect for God's Law means obedience, striving to stay in His will. Through Jesus, we now have the Holy Spirit of God Himself to guide us in this, Amen...and because of that we can rejoice in doing as the Father wants us to do. Rather than feel burdened by 'trying to do right', we can approach our day with Exalting His name, for He has given us all that we need to go forth with courage and strength! This is - should be - more important to us than anything else ... more precious than all the possession (gold) in the whole world, for this life is fleeting, brief, but when it is done we shall be with Him for all eternity. That is our goal!


5. Everyone has sinned and come short of the glory of God...thus no one is perfect. Be patient with other people as you go about your day. The driver who cut you off. The clerk at the store who's taking too long and holding you up. The co-worker who does not know God and so does not know that he or she is causing so great a harm with what is being done, for they have no true understanding of Love. The cleaners who messed up yet another item of clothing. Your brother, sister, child, teacher, doctor, mother, father, cousin, friend or spouse who will say that one thing today that pushes your buttons. Before you sin in anger - stop. Ask yourself if you would say or do that thing if the Lord was standing right there in the room with you. Then remember that He IS. He has forgiven you for being all of the things, acting all of the ways you witness or experience others acting or doing. And He has commanded that you do so for them - you were NOT born saved! And forgiveness of others is the stipulation by which YOU are forgiven.

5. At the end of the day, don't forget to pray and thank the Lord for seeing you through it. Meditate on the many situations you have heard of throughout the day; occurances in your world, and remember that but for His grace it could have been you. And if you have faced personal trials or tests or storms during the day, exalt Him anyway! You are still here, still alive to know what anything feels like, and you have His promise that no matter what you face, He is yet there to see you through, lift you out of it, and restore you to wholeness. Be patient, Have Faith, and keep Praising God!

Recognize your wonderful day, and take the Word of God with you wherever you go.

Be at Peace Saints, God loves you and so do I.




Minister LP Johnson
Circle of Light - Ministries United
http://circleoflightministries.info

In need of prayer?
prayerwarrior68@yahoo.com

I'd like for each of you to ask yourself what you'd be willing to give up to have eternal life in Heaven, or if you'd be willing to give up eternal life in Heaven to hold on to all of the things...your stuff...that you have right now.

A young man once got very upset with Jesus when told he should give away everything he owned, sell all his stuff, and give away what he made from the sale to the poor. It was the only way, Jesus told him, that he'd be allowed to go with Him. The boy pouted and stomped off.

Some of us feel that way now. We claim to want to go with Jesus...but we are looking back at our stuff as though we want to ask Him, 'can't I just bring this? Or just that...just that too...ok, this is the last thing'

But it never is. We hate the idea of not having 'stuff'. Even stuff we don't need, which is most of it. Some of it we've never known what to do with, but it's ours and we want to keep it.

So what would you do if someone came up to you today and told you, point blank, that it doesn't matter how often you go to church, or how long you've been going to church, or how much you do at church, or how much you give at church. The only way you could get into Heaven is to give up ALL your stuff. Today.

You'd even get the added bonus of being allowed to live another fifty years.

Right now most of you are thinking things I probably shouldn't hear!

What if someone had told you what was going to happen to your life ahead of time? What it would take to get all that stuff ? What it would take to keep all that stuff once you had it?

I'll tell you.

You drag out of bed and off to school every morning for years and years so you can learn how to get it. Of course, education used to be for the sake of knowledge, but we all know enough now to see that's not the case anymore. Now, we go to school and send our kids to school so that they can learn how to get a job, where to find a job, how to get the best job making the most money so they can get stuff we never had enough money to get.

But back to my point.

You finish school, get that wonderful job, make the money to get the stuff. So now, all you have to do is worry about keeping it, replacing it, repairing it, or losing it. You get ready for bed every night, but before you can lay down to sleep you have to check on it, clean it, adjust it, or secure it. If it's not all the way paid for, or you have to pay to use it, you lose more time that you should be asleep thinking about that too.

When you drag up out of the bed in the morning...still tired from all the time you spent the night before awake... you have to check it again, to be sure it's still there, because you never know, right?

Then you spend an hour or two trying to wake up, wash up, eat up, and hurry up, yelling at and threatening anybody who's holding you up, keeping you from spending you day's pay driving around to drop people off at school and other jobs, before you finally race along to your own job, where you spend all day trying to get people to believe you're good enough to do it all over again the next day, and the day after that.

You do this day after day, making plans, moving things around to accommodate your self, your wants, your stuff.

Then one day you wake up, and you realize that the few years you had to spend down here are almost over, and you start wondering what happens when they are over, and there's no more stuff to get.

You've got six different kinds of illnesses, aches, issues, and problems with your body. You're on five different kinds of medicine that keep the doctors happily grabbing at that money you worried so much about making all your life. And you realize that you've actually missed life.

Missed it all.

Now you notice those people who don't have a lot, but are healthy. Those people everybody labeled lazy for not spending sixteen hours of every day away from their kids and loved ones, who are able to laugh, and sing, and have fun just knowing that they are alive. Now all the things you hear at Church start to make sense. Focus on God and not on worldly things, because the things of the world, including your body, will pass away.

Is it too late to change? Of course not. As long as you still draw breath you can call on God to change your perspective and teach you what's really important.

But why wait until you've had to do it the hard way?

Jesus said that to gain the world is to lose your life. So who's to say that you'll get to that old age where you can look back and regret not having paid attention? If you died tomorrow, what would the record show had been more important to you? Keeping your stuff in this life, or laying down all that weight so you could run with Jesus?

Look at it this way. If you were drowning, would you want someone to throw you a car or a floating tire?

You ARE drowning Saints. Trust me on that. You've gone overboard in the sea of life in the middle of a raging storm, you're in the water, and you're hollering for somebody to throw you a car, a house, a pair of shoes, a tv, a box of stuff. Jesus...is reaching out his hand saying 'take it. I'll get you out...just leave that stuff and take my hand and I'll save you!'

And while the waves are knocking you all over the place and the water keeps crashing over your head and going down your throat cutting off your air, you're using every ounce of strength you've got to hold on to your stuff.

And you're going to die if you don't let it go.

With Him right there, with all the power in the world to save you, you're going to die...because you want to.

If you can't see that all this stuff is temporary, if you've let it all become so important to you that not even getting saved from dying is more important, if you've let the Devil trick you into believing that the only way to do it is to grab hold of your stuff...your friends, your jobs, your money, your house, your electronics, your popularity, your this and your that...and keep holding on to it no matter what anyone says...

Then you've chosen, and you'll be left here for the Devil to do what he wants to do with you. And you'll die. Because you can't take anything from this world into Heaven. It's all dirt. All games played in the Dark. All lies, all deception.

Don't believe it? Ask yourself where any of it will be in a thousand years.

Dirt.

But the soul doesn't die, and it's got to go somewhere when the body goes where the rest of this stuff is going.

Where is yours going? Will you make it out of the raging storm? Or sink with your stuff?

You tell me.

Minister LP Johnson
Circle of Light Ministries
For Prayer...  prayerwarrior68@yahoo.com


VISIT "THE CIRCLE INSIDER" THE WEB-JOURNAL FOR THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY!

WELCOME TO ''THE CIRCLE INSIDER''!

MINISTRY/MISSION SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW

 ***************************************************************************************************

 WHO'S IN THE SPOTLIGHT?
I'm speaking with: Sandy Hancock, Author of
"Letting Go, Pathway to an Amazing Life."
 

Q. Let's talk about Sandy the Person first. I know that you now live in California...do you live near the ocean or further inland?

A. I live about a hour and half from the ocean.  About 30 minutes west of Palm Springs.

Q. Were you born there?

A. I was born in Anaheim, CA; same town as Mickey Mouse.

Q. That’s something we don’t hear often. You seem quite the Outdoors person Sister Hancock...I noted in your profile you mention horseback riding, a 4x4 and camping, do you own your own horse and where do you dive?

A.  No I do not own my own horse.  As a child my family had a farm in Central California and at that time I had a horse.  As an adult my riding has been only when I am able to rent a horse.   I go scuba diving in warm water.  Some of the places I have been are the Caribbean, Mexico and Fiji.   

Q. Ok, I also noted another, more unusual past-time...Ballroom dancing...how did you get into that?

A.  I have always loved to dance.  So when I was planning for my wedding it appealed to me to take ballroom dance lessons to have a routine for our dance.  We really enjoyed it and continued for awhile after our honeymoon.  When my husband left me I took lessons again. 

One of the primary lessons to learn in ballroom dancing is that unless there is a good connection between the dancers, the dance will not be flowing and beautiful.  It is the job of the male dancer to lead the female in the dance.  The female may know what type of dance they are performing; for example, it may be the foxtrot or a waltz.  However, she does not know what step the gentleman is going to lead her in next.  When she is not connected to him, she tends to try to anticipate the next move and starts to move in her direction.  As a result, the two no longer move as one graceful pair.  With proper connection, the gentleman can lead her in a number of ways.  It is the lady’s job to stay connected.  So it is with us.  It is God’s job to lead in the path He has for us; we simply need to stay connected.

Q. A very apt analogy! Tell us something of your childhood.

A.  The days as a young child hold a lot of precious memories for me.  At Christmastime, my mom would make sure we had plenty under the tree, with gifts stacked on top of each other.  Each present had different wrapping so that no present looked the same as another.  In the days leading up to Christmas, I would lie by the tree for hours, shaking the boxes and singing, “O Christmas Tree.” 

Sunday evenings were also a special time in which my family would gather together.  We would watch television together.  First we would watch Wild Kingdom followed by The Wonderful World of Disney.  In the winters we would have a roaring fire that I would lie down in front of with my dog, Joe, which I would use as a pillow.  If music came on the television, I would jump up and dance for my mom, dad and brother.
I enjoyed the school I attended, and I am thankful my parents made the decision to enroll me in a Christian school.  My parents did not know God, but they knew the value of a good education.  They felt a Christian school would give me a better education.  It was at school that I learned who Jesus is and about the love of God.  I value those days and the valuable lessons I learned.  Those lessons were what would get me through many challenges in my future. 

During the summer after my eighth-grade year, my dad stopped coming home.  My mom began to panic.  She had never worked, except for a short time when she was much younger.  She had no job skills or education.  The banks from which my dad had borrowed large amounts of money were now coming after her.  We began to hide at her friend’s home so she would not be served papers for lawsuits.  Her goal was to stay hidden until our home sold.  She would end up selling our home for less than market value.

Up to the point that my parents’ marriage began to fall apart, I had lived a very sheltered life.  Most of my childhood had been a happy one, but once they were divorced I was living with a scared, bitter mother.   She took me from the life I had known in Southern California to live in Oklahoma.  I went from private school to public school.  Left behind were all my friends and most of the relatives I had known.  What lay ahead was foreign to and dreadfully frightening to me. 

The family I once knew and loved was gone.  No more did I feel that I had a place where I belonged and where I felt safe.  All I depended on was no more.

Q. And still you’ve come through, which is an amazing testimony to God. So what about now? Are you married? Any Children?

A.  No I am not currently married.  I have two grown boys, ages 22 and 25.  Both live in Florida. The oldest works in construction and the youngest is in the Navy.

Q. What and where is your Church Home?

A.  I attend a Protestant based church in Calimesa, California

Q. How has your writing been received there and in your own community?

A.  Here are a couple of reviews that I have received so far . . .

** “Phenomenal book! From her personal experience, Ms. Hancock gives inspired counsel on how to have a truly amazing life.  Her insight often goes against the modern cultural norm, and challenges popular notions by taking us back to basic concepts that have been known and have worked for millennia.  A must read, if you dare.  Warning!  Do not read this book if you’re happy and content with just miserably existing in this world.  You will be challenged.”

** "This book has a great message to anyone who reads it. The author shares many of her life stories plus a great pathway to happiness. It is a true must have for any Christian reader. The book holds your interest from chapter to chapter."

** “As an avid reader of mostly non-religious books, I was pleasantly surprised how much liked this one.  I found "Letting Go" to flow smoothly between scripture and the stories of the author and others.  This is a REAL story, from a very REAL person who takes us on a journey through her trials & tribulations of looking for her "true love".  She would come to discover that the only "true love" can be found in Jesus Christ.  This is a terrific book about life and living it to its fullest. A very inspiring book to readers of any denomination and I recommend it highly."

Q. Excellent. I myself have been researching your book Sister Sandy, and am eager to read it as well! Now, tell us something about how you came to write ‘Letting Go’.

A. Most of my life I have been a Christian.  As a Christian I knew the Bible said I should have joy and peace.  Yet something was missing; I was not completely satisfied.  I knew that salvation was mine but this did not bring me the happiness I was longing for.  I lacked contentment.  There had to be more to life.  Then I went through what I call a “wilderness experience”.  Through this the Lord changed my focus and my life.  What resulted is a strong desire to tell what I discovered to all who are on the same pursuit for happiness that I was on.

Q. I like that; ‘Wilderness Experience’ – maybe more of us should consider things in that perspective! Ok, so, the title rather speaks for itself, but please give us a little background on how you decided upon it.

A.  I have found in life we hold onto many things we think bring us happiness. For me I believed I would finally find the happiness I was looking for when I was in love and had a happy marriage.  What I would discover is marriage doesn’t bring the contentment in life that I was looking for.  Now don’t get me wrong, I believe in marriage and think it can be a wonderful blessing.   However, marriage or anything else cannot bring fulfillment and purpose in life.  Things in this world can bring temporary happiness but only the Lord can give us lasting peace and joy. 

Even though I was a Christian my focus in life was to find happiness in what the world offers.  My relationship with God was more about what He could do for me.  I looked to God to help me in the things I wanted.  Then I would realize that I had to let go of running my life and pursuing the things I desired.  It was when I let go that I discovered the path to finding real joy was to let Him lead and to share the same dreams.

Q. Amen. Now, the second part of the title asserts that there is a "Pathway" to an Amazing Life...so one must believe that the primary focus of the book is on Christ and becoming closer to him, correct?

A.  Yes.  The primary focus of the book is growing closer to Christ and having a more intimate walk with Him.

Q. Is this book, do you feel, directed at a specific group of readers? Say...young people, married people...women or those dealing with recovery in some fashion?

A. No, it is not directed to a specific group.  It is for anyone who has been searching for happiness and yet never seems to find complete contentment in life. 

Q. You've very generously allowed us, Circle of Light Bookstore, to feature and offer your book for purchase (through Amazon). Where else can our readers find it? Do you have your own web-address?

A.  The book can be purchased at bn.com or Amazon.com.  You can also check with your local bookstore; if they do not have it in stock, they can order it through Ingram/Springarbor.  My website address is www.pathwaytoanamazinglife.com.

 
Q. Are you associated with any other organizations you would care to share the details of with our readers? 

A. Yes I am the director of Amazing Life Ministries.  Amazing Life is dedicated to helping youth who are turning 18 and “aging out” of the foster care system.
Most young people who grow up in the United States reach adulthood healthy, prepared for work, and able to move successfully into adulthood. Unfortunately, many of the youth aging out of foster care are not prepared. They lack the knowledge, skills, and experience that will enable them to be productive members of their community. 

Foster youth face enormous challenges in making a smooth transition to adulthood and building successful lives. These young people often leave the foster care system with few resources and very little support.  They enter adulthood with little hope or preparation for a successful future.  Common among these youth is homelessness, limited education, unemployment, incarceration, substance abuse, and unwanted pregnancy.

Half the proceeds of Letting Go go to Amazing Life Ministries to help these youth.


FINAL THOUGHTS: God has truly blessed you with His Grace Sister Hancock. You have shared an amazing testimony, and more importantly I believe that this book is going to be a means of encouragement and Enlightenment for someone who really needs it today. Someone who will read this page today. That's the way our Father works! He WANTS His children to find out more about Him, and frequently places people in our path that will be a blessing as He has blessed them. You, certainly, have been a blessing to Us, and we are so thankful for you having taken the time to share a little bit of yourself with us and tell us about this wonderful book! Please keep us updated on how it's coming along, and accept our warmest welcome 'Inside the Circle'! God keep you and continue to Bless you!

NOTE: SANDY'S BOOK; "LETTING GO, PATHWAY TO AN AMAZING LIFE", IS OUR 'FEATURE BOOK OF THE WEEK, AND MAY BE PURCHASED RIGHT HERE IN CIRCLE OF LIGHT'S OWN ONLINE BOOKSTORE. IT'S POWERED BY AMAZON TO ASSURE SAFE, RELIABLE PAYMENTS AND IMMEDIATE SHIPPING!