Sunday, August 15, 2010

THE DASH STUDENT MINISTRY OF NEW LIFE APOSTOLIC CHURCH



Welcome to the DASH blog!. . . 

We are the youth group at New Life Apostolic Church in Watkinsville, GA. Composed of youth ages 13 -- 25 (singles!), we are striving to reach out and show the world what great things God is doing! 
We are looking forward to what God will do this month. Get ready!! Check out the youth department's web blog at the site below:

http://thedashstudentministries.blogspot.com/



Friday, August 6, 2010

IT'S WHAT YOU SCATTER

Friends,
I normally don’t forward e-mails. But this story touched my heart and reminded me of my dad who did not have a great deal of wealth in this world, but was passionate in touching people’s life in a special way. He passed away almost three years ago and had over 1,200 people show up at his funeral within a day of notice.


God bless you,
Toufic Azar, Pastor
Duncan Creek Pentecostal Church 
Bufurd, Georgia
_____________________________________________
IT'S WHAT YOU SCATTER


I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes... I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas.I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.
   
 'Hello Barry, how are you today?'
 'H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. 
 Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look good.' 


 'They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?'
 'Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time.' 
 'Good. Anything I can help you with?' 
 'No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas.'


 'Would you like to take some home?'  Asked Mr. Miller. 
 'No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with.'


 'Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?'


 'All I got's my prize marble here.' 
 'Is that right? Let me see it' said Miller. 
 'Here 'tis. She's a dandy.' 
 'I can see that. Hmm mmm, only thing is this one is blue and I
 sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?' the store owner asked. 


 'Not zackley but almost.'


 'Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip
 this way let me look at that red marble'. Mr. Miller told the boy.


 'Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.' 
   
Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, 'There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.' 


I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. 


A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles. Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died.. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could. 


Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket. 
   
Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one; each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. 


Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes. Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket. 


'Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size....they came to pay their debt.' 'We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,' she confided, 'but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho ..' With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles. 


The Moral: 
We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds.Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath. 
   
Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles ~ A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself... 
   
An unexpected phone call from an old friend.... Green stoplights on your way to work.... 
   
The fastest line at the grocery store.... A good sing-along song on the radio... 
   
Your keys found right where you left them. 


IT'S NOT WHAT YOU GATHER, BUT WHAT YOU SCATTER 
THAT TELLS WHAT KIND OF LIFE YOU HAVE LIVED!
_____________________________________________



Toufic Azar pastors a new home missions work of the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ (ALJC) in the state of Georgia. The church is called Duncan Creek Pentecostal located in Buford, Georgia. Pastor Azar is married to April and they have four children. They have labored in the ministry a number of years serving as missionaries to Lebanon was well as evangelizing and now pastoring. Visit the church's website for more information and directions at www.duncancreekpentecostal.com.  Thanks Bro. Azar for sharing this wonderful story with us! God Bless! New Life Outreach Team.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

KRISTEN CLACK'S BLOG




For those of you who have been praying for a beautiful young lady involved in a serious car accident on Saturday evening, she has been improving and God has been doing a mighty work in this situation. Please continue to pray for the Clack family and for Kristen's complete healing. Information and updates are readily available from her blog website listed below. Thanks and God Bless. New Life Outreach Team.


http://kristenclack.wordpress.com/

Monday, July 26, 2010

WHY PRAY?

   1) There is a God
   2) He listens to prayer
   3) He hears my prayer    


I choose to believe in God because the alternative is simply void. ..void of purpose. ..void of compassion. I cannot relinquish my faith to mere coincidence. I refuse to base my existence on a random set of events whose mathematical and scientific permutation are unfathomable. Without divinely given purpose, and the capacity for self willed compassion I am subject to nothing more than animalistic instinct. I have no wish to live in a world where intellectual and physical strength leave no room for the beauty of the God given soul. I choose to leave behind the bleak and barren landscape of humanistic rhetoric. I choose to believe in God. So, for me there is a God.

If l believe there is a God then, I accept my existence is the result ofGod's will. God is infinitely greater in power, knowledge, and goodness than I am. Therefore, if l am aware of his
existence; he must surely be aware of mine. God knows my thoughts and intents. He must know my words! If God has given me life and purpose, he must care deeply for me. 

"For this reason I kneel before the F ather, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the .fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us ,to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. " [Ephesians 3: 14-21] Paul's prayer for Ephesus.

There is a God, he listens to prayer but, how does he hear my prayer among the countless prayers of all humanity? For this I would like to borrow from a metaphor presented on the BBC by one of the giants of Christian apologetics, C.S. Lewis. 


God is timeless and as such has eternity to access every moment in time. Lewis presented God as the author of a book who may at any time walk away from writing. For the characters in the story, the time between when the author stopped writing and then returned to his work is undetectable. The events of the story will just continue to unfold from beginning to end. In this sense, to us our lives are on a continuum but, God possesses the unique ability to access us at any point in time. With this being understood, God has all eternity to listen, ponder, and respond to each and every one of our prayers. God is never too busy to hear your prayer.

This may seem to some simplistic and bold but, the truth often is just that. ..simple and bold.


How special would you feel if you had a direct line to the President, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, Lebron James, or some other World renowned celebrity? How many times a day would you call? If we could even begin to comprehend God's love for us, we would never again forget to pray. ..we would "pray without ceasing." [ I Thessalonians 5: 17]
__________________________________________________________________


Rev. Andy Wilson is a licensed minister with the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ (ALJC) and a life long member of New Life Apostolic Church in Watkinsville, Georgia. Andy and his wife Tammy have one child, Caleb. They have served in several capacities in the church such as preaching, youth ministry, and teaching. Andy is an anointed man of God and has been mentored by great men of God such as his late father, Rev. Jim Wilson, Bishop Douglas Hammond, and our current pastor, Rev. Tim Hammond. Andy and his family are tremendous assets to the Kingdom of God. You can contact him at nlac.tv@gmail.com. Thanks for reading his article. God Bless, Scott Strawn



Monday, July 12, 2010

2010 GEORGIA DISTRICT CAMP - JULY 19, 20, 21

Georgia Apostolic Crusaders Youth Camp is quickly approaching. We will be having our camp this year at Legacy Retreat Center in Commerce, GA on July 19-22. We are very excited about our new location and are expecting great things. Bro James Chessor will be preaching the nights and Bro Chad Erickson will be preaching the mornings and leading us in praise and worship. Our theme for this year is EMERGE.

Emerge- to rise, come forth into view or notice; rise up-reach out

My vision is for the students in our Georgia District to Emerge; Rise Up and Reach Out! We are a generation that has been called out of darkness, into His marvelous light. Our teenagers and college students are facing more today than we can even fathom. They have been told by this world that they can’t make it. In a society where celebrities, athletes, and politicians continue to fall, they’ve been made to believe that it’s impossible to live and be Christ-Like. The bible says in Matthew 19:26, “with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

It’s my ambition and goal for our students to reach out to their schools, communities, and families. Mark 16:15 says “go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Two key words in that passage are “all” and “every.” Our students have been given the opportunity to go to all and preach to everyone. They can reach people that we could never reach. They have to believe in themselves and trust in God. The world says that one person can’t make a difference, but God says that you and I can make a difference. “Two are better than one…” Let’s EMERGE and rise up and reach out in 2010.

Jason Hagwood (pictured left with his wife Deesha) is a licensed minister with the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ (ALJC) organization and a youth pastor with New Life Apostolic Church in Watkinsville, Georgia. He also serves as the Georgia District President for the ALJC. He is married to Deesha Hagwood and they have two children. Jason can be reached at jhag7780@aol.com.