"VICTORIOUS VOICES"
February 18, 2001

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WEEKLY CHATTER WITH LEADER OF CWOW

CWOWMembers Database
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CWOWFriends Mailing List
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A TOUCH OF HEART - From Your Sisters in Christ

Kathy Hyatt (kevinhyatt@missvalley.com) 

I just wanted to stop and say how thankful that I am that we have a God of mercy and loving kindness!  I know I am not a regular member of CWOW, but I wanted to share something with all you ladies so you could pray for me, and also sing praises to God!
All of my life I have prayed that God would take the talents He has given me and use them where ever, for whatever!  This last Friday night, February 2nd, I received a phone call at 9:30 p.m. from a special friend of mine, Patty Dill.  Now, I know her name is not an every day name in everyone's house, but rest assured, she is a wonderful Christian lady!  I am not sure, but maybe some of you have heard of the Southern Gospel Group "Living Sacrifice?" Well, Patty is the soprano in the group. Their alto, Lisa Archer, had laryngitis really bad, and they called and asked me to sing with them.  We left the next morning at 9:00.  What a blessing the whole weekend was!!!  We sang in 3 churches in Nebraska those 2 days, traveled several hundred miles, and I was able to make 4 wonderful friends!  But, most importantly, God has given me a joy in my heart that I haven't had for quiet a while!  You know, I realized this weekend, that God doesn't leave us, we leave Him! 
I am so thankful He doesn't give up on us, and His love endures forever! 
This is just a BIG Thanks to God, our Heavenly Father, for taking care of me, and guiding me through a door I wasn't sure about!
I love you, Father!!!

Kathy Hyatt
Macon, MO

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Julie Cantwell (NrthnJewl@aol.com) 

MySite: My Walk with the Lord

MyURL: WWW.cwowfoundation.org/members/311/julie.html

I have a prayer request.  I will try to keep it short.  I really need prayer for courage and understanding.  Lately my heart has just been filled for my friends.  Some of theses friends have excepted the Lord in the heart, and others haven't.  They all suffer with the stronghold of alcohol.  Everyday I see what the effects of it do to their lives.  Not only does it effect their lives, but it tears at my heart, because I love them so much.  The Lord has shown me that I cant fix it, but to be supportive and be there with them.  I know that he will not give up on them, so I am not going to either.  I want so much for them to have in their hearts what I have.  I want them to have Jesus.  Through him, and only him, they can conquer this.  So again they need prayer, and I need in prayer the wisdom and courage to be able to do God's will, and to speak the words, or give a hug just at the right time, when he needs me too!!!!

Thank you
God Bless
Julie Cantwell


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Ellen Cuffari (ellensherbhouse@yahoo.com) 

MySite: The Herb House

MyURL: http://www.theherbspecialist.com/naturalherbs/index.html

"Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of the earth." Gen. 1:29

I want to offer my sister in Christ an absolutely FREE consultation with me concerning the natural ways to take care of your health.  If you have an ailment and would like to avoid the dangerous side effects of "drugs", please talk to me!

Take the lifestyle analysis at my site or email me privately.  Your health is important to me.

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Submitted by Christine

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Betsy Stevens (dstevensb@aol.com) on Tuesday, February 13, 2001 at 19:32:51
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After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's pastor slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit and, before he gave his sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a guest minister who was in the service that evening. In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service.  

With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak, "A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the Pacific Coast," he began, "when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to shore. The waves were so high, that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized."

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story. The aged minister continued with his story, "Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: to which boy he would throw the other end of the life line. He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a Christian and he also knew that his son's friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves. "As the father yelled out, 'I love you, son!' he threw out the life line to his son's friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of night. His body was never recovered." By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister's mouth. "The father," he continued, "knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus.

Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son's friend. How great is the love of God that He should do the same for us. Our heavenly Father sacrificed His only begotten Son that we could be saved. I urge you to accept His offer to rescue you and take a hold of the life line. He is throwing out to you in this service."

With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room. The pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the end. However, no one responded to the appeal. Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man's side. "That was a nice story," politely started one of the boys, "but I don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian." "Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied, glancing down at his worn Bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face, he once again looked up at the boys and said, "It sure isn't very realistic, is it? But I'm standing here today to tell you that story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up His Son for me. You see... I was that father and your pastor is my son's friend."

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Robin and Cyndi Cannon
Logos church of Christ
Chibana 2491-1
Okinawa City, Okinawa 904-2143

"Preach the gospel.  Use words if necessary."

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Submitted by MamaBlueJ@aol.com

Worldwide Convention

Satan called a worldwide convention.

In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, "We can't keep the Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to their churches; let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that relationship with Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection  "How shall we do this?" shouted his angels. "Keep them busy in the non essentials of life and invent innumerable scheme to occupy their minds," he  answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to  work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles.  Keep them from spending time with  their children. As their  family fragments, soon, their  home will offer no escape from the pressures of work! Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear  that still, small voice." 

"Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays  non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."  "Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers.   Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day.  Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood  their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs,  sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false  hopes.  Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines so the husbands will believe that external beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with  their wives. Ha!  That will fragment those families quickly!" "Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead. Keep them busy, busy, busy! And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions."
"Go ahead, let them be involved in soul winning; but crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause. It will work! It will work!" 

It was quite a convention. The evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get more busy and more rushed, going here and there.

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I guess the question is:
Has the devil been successful at his scheme?
You be the judge! Does "busy" mean the following for you?

B-eing
U-nder
S-atan's
Y-oke

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Submitted by Darlene

The Faith Walk/by Darlene Osborne
http://editor.christianmagazine.org
February Topic: Fighting the Good Fight of Faith

If you are feeling discouraged, losing your zeal to work for the Lord, and fighting battles so hard that you have been tempted to throw in the towel; don't give up! Let's go through the "talking points" of how to fight the good fight of faith all the way through to victory and then you can decide if you still want to throw in the towel. You just might change your mind!

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Betsy Stevens (dstevensb@aol.com) 

Betsy's submission was lengthy so it has been uploaded to a special page.  Click HERE to read Science and Christ.

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Love y'all!!!
Glennette