Additional Outreaches

Over the past few weeks, I have been sharing some outreaches of New Jerusalem Ministries. I shared about some changes that will impact this ministry this year as well New Jerusalem Singers and Happy Times Variety Show.  

In this blog post I would like to share a few other outreaches we have that many may be unfamiliar with. We will look at them one by one. 

Needless to say, if you are reading this you know I write a blog. Well, I have been on hiatus with some of these things for quite a while, but I am slowly making my way back to being active in these things as the Lord leads. I recently resumed blogging. My blog will consist of me sharing my thoughts on a variety of topics on, what I hope to be, a weekly basis. Be sure to check back and check out my blog. I would encourage you to take some time to go back in time to read some of my previous blog posts as well. 

I also started a Vlog some time back. I don't have many posts but I look to start posting more vlogs in the near future. I will be sharing thoughts on my vlog from time to time. I will share inspirational thoughts as well as words of encouragement. I would encourage you to subscribe to my vlog and you will be notified when I post a new vlog. 

Check out my vlog at www.youtube.com/@rayspellbrinkvlog9423 

My YouTube channel has my preaching and teaching in various settings such as churches, home, outside or even sitting my favorite chair. You can access my YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@RaySpellbrink .

My podcast will cover a variety of topics and will include personal thoughts from my own journey as well as interviews with others on a wide variety of topics. You can access my podcast on a variety of platforms. You can check out my podcast using this link: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ray-spellbrink 

Another outreach of NJM is a ministerial fellowship. Our ministry motto is Encourage, Exhort and Edify. That is what we do with NJM Ministerial Fellowship. We work with ministers, ministries, churches, singers, organizations or anyone who may need encouragement, counseling or advise on the various aspects of ministry. This is a free service that we offer however there may be federal, state or county fees associated with legally setting up a Corportation or ministry. 

We host an online Bible Study every other week on Mondays at 7 pm. We host this via Zoom. This is an interactive Bible Study where we encourage everyone to participate and share. We generally go for an hour or so and this includes prayer time at the end of the Bible Study. If you are interested in receiving a link to the Zoom Bible Study, send us your email address and we will add you to our email list when a link is posted. This is also simulcast on my personal Facebook page.  

There is so much associated with ministry, and we try to be available as needed. We are able to serve communion to those who are shut in or may not have a church home. If a loved one is in a senior retirement environment, we can go to them. 

We are able to baptize those locally who have believed on Jesus as their personal Savior and desire to take that next step and be baptized. 

We also perform weddings as well as funerals. 

There may well be other things we do and other services we provide that escape my memory. We love God and love what He has called us to do. 

After reading the last several blog posts, you should have a pretty good understanding of what New Jerusalem Ministries is all about. In a nutshell...IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS!

Please feel free to share this blog post with others who may be interested in NJM and what we offer. We stand ready to serve. 

Until next time, 

Enjoy the journey!

Ray

rayspellbrink@gmail.com

Feel free to friend me on Facebook

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Happy Times Variety Show

In this blog post I want to share a little about a newer outreach that is available. I firmly believe that Christians can have good clean fun. In fact, I had a pastor who would often say, "If Christians can't have good clean fun, then who in this sin-sick world can?" That always stuck with me. 

As a ministry, we believe the gospel is needful and relevant for all age groups. NJM since its inception has had a very strong emphasis on what we deem to be a forgotten segment of society - senior citizens. 

New Jerusalem Singers, our gospel group I shared about in my last blog post, play and sing old time traditional and country gospel music at many senior retirement facilities and senior groups. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we were not permitted to come and sing for quite some time. That left the seniors without a form of ministry or family entertainment. While we were eventually allowed to sing on a very limited basis outside and under limited circumstances due to COVID protocols, we seen the need for these seniors to be provided with quality family entertainment and interaction. 

As a result, we developed a program that would still give seniors who are shut in some entertainment. In 2020 we developed Happy Times Variety Show to fill this need. This includes, but is not limited to, playing songs and music from the 1920's - 1970's that seniors are familiar with. We play a variety of rhythm instruments along with the music. This has gone over very well. In fact, we are doing both a gospel program as well as Happy Times at some facilities on a monthly basis. God is using us to bring joy to and make a difference in the lives of seniors. 

We believe everyone needs to laugh from time to time. It does the soul good. Happy Times Variety Show will do just that. Seeing the smiles and sometimes even the tears as memories flood back from playing these old songs on the faces of the people we play to is so rewarding. We have found that is has become popular enough to offer on a larger scale. 

Happy Times Variety Show is a family friendly variety show consisting primarily of music (DJ style) that includes Country, Gospel, Folk, 50's Rock n Roll, Big Band, Cowboy, Pop and includes songs from the 1920's through the 1970's. We play a variety of rhythm instruments along with the music. Some of the instruments we play include washboard, cajon bongos, bones, sticks, tambourine, shakers, castanets, bells, cabasa, spoons, Chilean rain stick along with others too numerous to name. We are always looking for instruments to add. From time to time, we also utilize puppets, illusions and props. 

If you desire further information or desire to book Happy Times Variety Show for your facility or event, feel free to contact Cindy at 217 652-0423 or email us at happytimesvarietyshow@gmail.com and give us the pertinent information (Name, Date, Time, Contact Information) and we will check our schedule and get back to you as soon as possible.

There is a link to the Happy Times Variety Show website on our ministry page at newjerusalemministries.net . We encourage you to check it out. There are even a few photos on the Happy Times website. 

If you know of someone who may be interested in this post or interested in Happy Times Variety Show, please feel free to share this blog post with them. Thank you. 

Until next time, 

Enjoy the journey!

Ray

rayspellbrink@gmail.com

Feel free to friend me on Facebook

www.facebook.com/rayspellbrink

Don’t Look Down Your Nose At Others

Far too many people have preconceived notions of what a Christian is. They even have ideas in their minds of what a Christian should look like. Some will even take Scripture out of context and tell you what you should or should not wear. In all honesty it gets pretty ridiculous. No wonder many people want no part in what passes as “church” these days. 

We look at how a person looks in regard to their outward appearance. God looks at the heart of the person. People can dress the part. They can look holy yet be far from it on the inside - where it matters. 

I have had people say to me, “You don’t look like a preacher.” I then usually ask them, “What does a preacher look like?” That tends to throw them off guard. If they do respond, it generally has something to do with the outward appearance such as me not wearing a suit and tie. Not wearing a suit and tie is becoming more of a norm these days. For the record, I had a wide array of suits I used to wear. However, my jacket would be off before the service began and my tie would be, at the very least, undone or even off as the service progressed. I deem it to be just man-made expectations. I currently only own one suit. I call it my combination wedding/funeral suit.

Certainly we should be modest in regard to what we wear. After all we are ambassadors of God representing heaven. The Bible teaches modesty. Let me also say here if you dress up because you want to that is fine. I have no problem with that so long as you don’t think you are better than others who do not dress up.

 

Oftentimes these people who hold to these man-made rules or traditions look down their noses at those who don’t meet or measure up to their standards. 

I have no reason to look down my nose at anyone. I am but a sinner saved by God’s amazing grace. I’m thankful for Jesus’ redemptive work at Calvary. 

I pray this particular blog post gives you something to think about and consider.

Until next time...enjoy the journey,

Ray

Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward  a link or use the icons below to repost or forward this blog.

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Does It Really Matter If People Know Who You Are?

Many, today, are concerned with their legacy. Will they be remembered? How will they be remembered by others? Have they made a difference?

Sometimes we wonder if our lives have even mattered. Have we had an impact in any way on those around us?

Perhaps we look for something tangible to see what impact our lives have had. Often we walk away disappointed.

The fact is, in many cases, only eternity will tell the impact our lives have had on others. Let me share a story, if I may. The story is about a man named Edward Kimball. His name doesn’t sound familiar? Let’s take a look at what impact his life had on others.  

The year was 1855, April in America, Mr. Edward Kimble who was 40 years of age learned that he was going to die and had very little time to live. He was a man of very little education but taught a Sunday School class of 15. After the pastor of the church where he attended had preached on evangelism he went out to lead all of his class to the Lord. Mr. Kimble had to overcome fear to go into a shoe store to talk to one of the boys named Dwight. He did so and it was in the stock room of this shoe store he lead D. L. Moody to the Lord.
 
Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899) was an American evangelist. Moody was born in Northfield, Massachusetts. His father died when he was four years of age. He left school at the age of 17 to find work. Moody was led to Christ by his Sunday School
teacher, Edward Kimball, and later began his own Sunday School class with 13 street kids. This class increased its enrollment to 1,500 in four years. Moody did personal work with the soldiers during the Civil War. He traveled in Europe and America, holding campaigns, and personally dealt with over
750,000 individuals. He preached to more than 100,000,000 people, and had over 1,000,000 first time conversions to Jesus Christ. His work continues today through the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.

Dwight L Moody rocked the world with his preaching. Moody was preaching in the British Isles, and a lady teacher was so moved by his testimony that she told it to her class. She, in turn, also told her preacher Frederick Brotherton Meyer that every one of her students had given their heart to the Lord. The report of the teacher had a profound effect on his life. He realized
for the first time what it meant to be brokenhearted about sin and point people to Jesus.
 
Meyer came to America and preached at Moody’s school in Northfield, Massachusetts. He said, “If you’re not willing to give up everything for Christ, are you willing to be made willing?” That remark changed the life of a young preacher named J. Wilbur Chapman.
 
Chapman went on to be a great evangelist in his era. But when he decided to return to the pastorate, he turned his ministry over to a YMCA clerk who had been his advance man. The young man’s name was Billy Sunday.
 
Billy Sunday is one of the twentieth century’s best-known evangelists. By the time of his death in 1935, he had preached to millions, and it is estimated that three hundred thousand men and women were led to faith in Christ at over 200 campaigns. His campaigns were known as “The Sawdust Trail”. His career spanned five decades.
 
In 1924, Sunday conducted a revival in Charlotte, North Carolina. Out of those meetings came a group of laymen that formed a permanent organization to continue witnessing for Christ in their city. Eight years later in 1932, that same group brought an evangelist named Mordecai Ham to town for a citywide meeting.
 
Mordecai Ham lived from 1878 to 1959. He was a Baptist evangelist. During the first year of his ministry Mordecai saw more than 33,000 conversions. In 30 years of ministry more than 300,000 new converts joined Baptist Churches in the south.

The author of the amendment for prohibition stated that Billy Sunday and Mordecai Ham nearly put the saloons out of business. Mordecai exalted Christ and fought sin with all his might.
 
It was at Mount Gilead, Kentucky he encountered two incidents he could never forget. First, a strange power came over him. It was much like that which Charles Finney and D.L. Moody had experienced. It was the power of the Holy Spirit, and Ham always preached in that power from then on. The next day after that Ham visited a dying girl named Lulu. As Lulu, who apparently was unsaved, closed her eyes in death he called to her, “Lulu how is it?” A voice came back, not hers “Lost.....lost.....Oh.....so dark…..so dark.....”
 
Ham established a pattern that was to follow him the rest of his days. He went after the biggest sinners in town, and often saw them saved. A typical story is in a Southern town he was directed to a certain cornfield to seek out the most notorious sinner. The infidel saw the feared preacher coming and hid. The evangelist began to hunt his prey and hearing a suspicious sound from under a corn shock, hauled him out. “What do you want with me?” The atheist quivered. Ham retorted, “I’m going to ask God to kill you! You don’t believe God exists. If there is no God, then my prayers can’t hurt you. But if there is a God, you deserve to die because you are making atheists out of your children and grandchildren. The infidel begged him not to pray that way. Ham said, “Very well then, I shall ask God to save you.” He was saved, and before the meeting was over, all of that
infidel’s family was baptized---forty of them.
 
In November of 1934, in Charlotte, North Carolina, during a fall crusade, Ham was having a trying time. The place was a temporary tabernacle on Pecan Avenue on the outskirts of town. A total of 6,400 were saved at this crusade.  A young man was there and was amazed as he saw more than 5,000 in every meeting, and every seat was filled. People were getting saved all around this young man. It seemed to the young man that the only safe place from the evangelist’s wrath was to join the choir. So that is where he and his friend sat the next night. As the evangelist came up to speak, his first words were, “There is a great sinner in this place tonight.” The young man thought “My mother has been talking to him about me.” That night he turned to his friend and said, “Lets go.” He and his friend were saved that night. His name is Billy Graham and his friend is Grady Wilson.
 
This all came about from one unknown Sunday School teacher to 15 young people who had a passion and a determination to see them saved. Just think of the men, women and young people who were won to Jesus because of this one unknown man.

Let me ask you, Are you willing to be made willing? Are you willing to allow God to change your heart? Just imagine what your legacy could be. 

Until next time...enjoy the journey,

Ray

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It’s All About What You Are Made Of

Have you ever asked someone how they are doing and they respond, “I’m doing okay under the circumstances”. “Circumstances is defined as “facts or conditions connected with or relevant to an event or action”.

I believe character and integrity is extremely important. I also believe our faith and trust in God is vital to the believer. 

Let’s face it, we all face challenges on our journey through life. How we respond to these challenges - whether they be trials, valleys, heartaches, tempatations or whatever else it may be - will be determined by our character and integrity. The means we use in responding to these things is our faith and trust in God.  

You may very well encounter some things on your journey that will soften your heart to a particular situation or person. On the other hand you may encounter some things that harden you or toughen you up. It’s ironic, as the above saying tells us, the same things that soften us can also toughen us. Both are needful in the life of every believer. 

I encourage you to look for the lessons God has for you when you are facing things you’d rather not face in your life. Don’t throw yourself a pity party and become so eager to get out of the tough times that you overlook and miss the lesson.

Keep your chin up and your focus on Jesus.

Until next time...enjoy the journey,

Ray

Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward  a link or use the icons below to repost or forward this blog.

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God Uses Broken Things

 

In this world, broken things are despised and thrown out. Anything we no longer need or want we simply throw away. Damaged goods are rejected, and that often includes people. The world is full of people with broken hearts, broken spirits and broken relationships. 

Who among us hasn’t felt broken in some area of life at times? The Bible has some things to say about brokenness.

Psalm 34:18 CSB

The LORD is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit.

God keeps Himself accessible to the broken-hearted and is always on hand to rescue the crushed in spirit. There is something about reaching a breaking point that causes us to seek God more sincerely.

King David was once a broken man, and he prayed:

God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me…The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God (Psalm 51:10,17 CSB).

The Believers Bible Commentary puts David’s thoughts from these two verses this way, “Looking back, I realize that the trouble all started in my mind. My thought-life was polluted. I entertained evil thoughts until at last I committed the sins. So now I ask that You create in me a clean mind. I know that if the fountain is clean, the stream flowing from it will be clean as well. Yes, Lord, renew my entire inner self so it will be steadfast in guarding against future outbreaks of sin. I come to You with a broken heart - that is the sacrifice You require. You will not despise this shattered and contrite heart that I bring to You.”

There are some things in our lives that need to be broken. Things such as pride, self-will, stubbornness, attitudes and sinful habits, for example, all need to be broken and removed from our lives. When we are broken, God responds accordingly.

Isaiah 57:15 CSB

For the High and Exalted One, who lives forever, whose name is holy, says this: "I live in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the oppressed.

The God who dwells in the high and holy place also dwells in the humble and contrite heart. When we humble our hearts to God in genuine brokenness He hears us. He revives us and brings us back to a useful place in Him.

It’s wonderful to know that God has a history of using broken things as well as broken people. If, like me, you feel there are times in your life you feel broken for one reason or another - have hope. You are never too broken where God can’t find all the pieces and put you back together. You are something special in the eyes, mind and plan of God. He specializes in taking the broken and making something beautiful.

Until next time...enjoy the journey,

Ray

Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward  a link or use the icons below to repost or forward this blog.

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A New Day Is Dawning

It's an exciting time for Cindy and me. It truly is a dawning of a new day! Out ministry is changing and God is opening new doors for us. 

First, we left the pastorate of the church we were pastoring. Our last Sunday as pastor was this past Sunday. We love the people and wish them the best. God brought us back there just over three years ago to help with a transition. We accomplished what God brought us there to accomplish and now its time to move on to the next phase of ministry.

God really began preparing us for this transition last year as He opened doors for our music ministry, New Jerusalem Singers, more than ever before. Last year was the busiest year of music ministry we have ever had. The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart last year letting me know He was going to be leading us out of the pastorate, once again. 

It's an exciting time as well as a big step of faith for us. We are excited that God continues to open more and more doors for us. I have no doubt we will be singing more this year than even last year. We praise God for His faithfulness and His leading. We know if we follow the plan He has laid out before us we will be blessed tremendously - or as I like to say, "He will bless our sox off!"

We ask for your prayers as we walk this new journey God has called us to. Prayers that doors will continue to open, new doors will open that have never opened before, doors will reopen that have been closed in recent years, for our health needs as well as our financial needs. I have no doubt God will meet every need we have - He always has. Above all, we ask for prayers that Jesus would be lifted up in what we say and do and that others would be won to Him and Christians would be encouraged through this ministry.

We invite you to come and join us whenever we are in your area. You may check out our schedule by going to our website at www.newjerusalemsingers.org and clicking on "Schedule".

If you would like to have us come and sing at your event, group or church please contact Cindy at 217 652-0423 or email us at newjerusalemsingers@gmail. com and let us know what date and time you are looking at. 

We also have a Facebook page. Just search for New Jerusalem Singers (it will have a picture and Cindy and me for the profile picture). Be sure to go to our Facebook page and "Like" us to stay in the know. 

We look forward to seeing our many friends in our travels. Between now and the next time our paths cross...enjoy the journey!

Ray

Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward  a link or use the icons below to repost or forward this blog.

DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME

It has been quite some time since I have posted on my blog.  In fact this is my first post this year!  I have received messages from several of my readers asking if everything is ok and why haven't I blogged in a while?  I want to update you on how things are going with us and what we are doing.

The end of July I will be celebrating one year as a retiree from pastoral ministry.  I use the word "celebrate" because I do believe we have been celebrating since leaving the pastorate.  Now don't get me wrong, we do miss many of the people and the fun we had serving Jesus together.  However, just as surely as God led us in to the last pastorate, He led us out.  He emphasized to me that this would be a retirement from pastoral ministry as opposed to a mere resignation.

While I have retired from pastoral ministry, I have by no means retired from ministry!  I have had opportunity to fill in for pastors who are on vacation and even conduct the entire church services. Most excitingly, however, our gospel music group, New Jerusalem Singers, is busier than ever!  When I announced my retirement to the the church congregation last June, I prayed and asked God to keep us busy serving Him.  That He has!  He has opened doors that have not been open to us before, we have returned to places we have been previously and we have started what we are calling Gospel Music Gatherings with New Jerusalem Singers at various venues.  You can check out our singing schedule at www.newjerusalemsingers.org .  I would encouareg you to "Like" New Jersusalem Singers on Facebook, as well.  We will keep you informed of upcoming sings.

June 28th  of this month our group will be celebrating 25 years of gospel music ministry with an Anniversary Sing at Community Park in Jacksonville, IL.  Jacksonville, is where it all started for NJS so we thought it fitting to return for our 25th Anniversary Sing.  We will also be releasing our new project, LIfting Up Jesus For 25 Years on that day.  This is a two cd set . It is a compliation set of fifty songs.  We have taken songs off of every recording we have ever made and compiled them in to this two cd set.  There are many orginal songs that God gave to Cindy and I, as well as songs written by former members of our group.  There are some hymns as well as other songs that touched many hearts through the years.  We are praying this project will be a blessing and encouaragment to our brothers and sisters who are walking this journey with Jesus.

We will also have a reunion of most of our former group members with each doing a few songs with us as we tell the history of the New Jerusalem Singers.

If you are in the area we encourage you to come and join us for this exciting day of ministry.  Apparently we will have some doors to give away.  Cindy tells me we have some door prizes.  Sorry...I just couldn't resist!

The devil has tried to slow us down, with some health issues but he's under our feet and we are moving on with Jesus!

So as you can see, we are doing well and are busy about the Father's business. Hopefully, I can get back in the saddle and resume writing blogs more often then every five months.  Stay tuned!

Until next time...enjoy the journey!

Ray

ARE YOU LISTENING?

NOTE:  My blog posts may become infrequent (as they have in the past month) as we enter in to a very busy time of year for us.  I will, however, make a blog post when I have opportunity.  I plan to resume blogging on a regular basis at the start of the new years.  Thanks!

In 1 Samuel chapter one there was a lady named Hannah .  She was barren and had not given birth.  Hannah wanted a baby in the worst way.  So much so that she prayed to the Lord and told God if He would give her a baby - her heart's desire - she will in turn give him back to the Lord all the days of his life.  Wow!  Can you imagine making that type of a promise to God?  Sure enough, God granted her petition and a baby boy was born.  This baby boy was named Samuel.

Now as Samuel grew, Hannah did not forget her promise to God.   Once Samuel was weaned, Hannah took items for a sacrifice along with Samuel to Eli, the prophet of the day.  She made her sacrifice and then presented to Eli her baby, Samuel.  Samuel was very young at this time.

Now fast-forward to chapter three of 1 Samuel.  Samuel had grown some.  One night, as Samuel laid down to go to sleep for the night he heard a voice calling his name.  He got up and went to where Eli was laying down, thinking it was Eli who had called for him.  Eli, not having called for Samuel, sent him back to bed.  This happened a second and a third time.   The third time it dawned on Eli that it was the Lord who was calling Samuel.  He instructed Samuel to return to his bed and the next time he hears that voice to respond, "Speak Lord, for your servant hears!"  And that's exactly what Samuel did.

Reading Scripture we see God used Samuel in a great way.  When God called him He had a plan.  Samuel yielded to God's call and God's will and followed the plan God laid out for him.

I often wonder how many of us miss the calling of God because we do not recognize the voice of God?  How many miss the blessings of God because we do not recognize the voice of God?  Perhaps we are so wrapped up in the things of God that we miss the voice of God and thereby miss out on His leading, His calling and His blessings.   We get so wrapped up in doing that we neglect to listen, much like Mary and Martha when Jesus visited them.  We get wrapped up in the social club, that passes for today's church, and miss out on genuine fellowship, encouragement and a real walk with the Savior.

The reality is that church can happen anywhere!  It's not confined to a building or even a home.  We recently met with a couple at a restaurant for six hours.  Yes, that's right - six hours.  We ate, we fellowshipped, and we talked about God and His Word.  We shared what the Lord has been doing in our lives and what God is showing us.  We left there feeling like we were just in a New Testament Church gathering.  No one lead, there was no singing...church just happened!  We loved it!

I want to encourage you, in your walk with the Lord, to just let God be God!  Be real and genuine in your journey with Jesus.  Be attentive to the voice of God speaking to your spirit.  It may well be God has blessings to pour out on you.  He may be desiring to reveal His plan for your life to you.  Be real in your worship - wherever it may take place.  Let church happen anywhere!

Until next time...enjoy the journey!

Ray     

Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward a link or use the icons below to repost this blog.

NO GOVERNMENT SHUT DOWN IN HEAVEN!

NOTE:  My blog posts may become infrequent (as they have in the past month) as we enter in to a very busy time of year for us.  I will, however, make a blog post when I have opportunity.  I plan to resume blogging on a regular basis at the start of the new years.  Thanks!

The United States recently come out of a government shut down. While not unprecedented, it has been a while since the U.S. government had shut down.  This was the result of a budget dispute between both major parties.  While this government shut down did not literally shut down the entire government  it did shut down nearly 20% percent of it.  This shut down had a ripple affect on an already weak economy.  Many social services were affected resulting in government offices being closed.  Many employees deemed "non-essential" were sent home until the government budget dispute was resolved. Because of this, phone calls went unanswered, meetings were cancelled and programs were halted.

The resolution came around two weeks later and was a temporary resolution, at that.  There is no guarantee this won't happen again early next year when the agreed upon temporary budget runs out. 

I was thinking while all this was going on just how grateful I am that there is never a government shut down in heaven!  There never has been and there never will be!  Praise God!  As believers, we can rest assured when we pray, God hears!  Jesus remains at the Father's right hand making intercession for us - pleading our case!  There was no disruption of service.  Heaven's economy still thrives!   

It's exciting to think about what awaits us when we pass from this life.  I like how the Salvation Army looks at it when a believer passes from this life.  They believe (as do I) that person has been promoted to heaven!  Wow!  You talk about a promotion!  That's enough to get you excited!  And to think there has never been an interruption in heaven's economy.  Like the old song says, "Heaven's sounding sweeter all the time."

Until next time....enjoy the journey!

Ray

Thanks for taking your time to read and share this blog. If you know of someone who would be encouraged by this blog, please feel free to forward a link or use the icons below to repost this blog.