How wonderful it is to receive an answer to prayer! But there is something even more wonderful – to be an answer to prayer.

Have you been an answer to prayer lately? Joseph was! In Psalm 105:17 we read, “He sent a man before them – Joseph – who was sold as a slave.” At the time, Joseph could not see what God was doing. But God was preparing him to be an answer to prayer. He was going to use Joseph to protect the people of Israel. If Joseph had not done this, the nation might have perished. If the nation had perished, we wouldn’t have a Bible, and we wouldn’t have a Savior.

God plans His work. We never have to worry about what is going on, because God knows. He is never caught off guard, and He is never surprised. God never says, “How did that happen?”

He chose Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Jacob’s sons to accomplish some great purposes in this world – to bear witness of the true and living God, to give us the Bible and the Savior. God also works His plan. He uses people to accomplish His purposes.

We don’t always know what God is doing. He didn’t send an angel down to prison to explain to Joseph all of His plans. Joseph worked and walked by faith. He went through trials and dishonor, but he ultimately triumphed. From trial to triumph, from bondage to blessing, Joseph was an answer to prayer.

You may be wondering today why you are going through this experience. Why doesn’t God make life easier for you? Remember Joseph. God chose him, prepared him and used him as an answer to prayer. Let God prepare you for what He has prepared for you! He designs them for your good and His glory.

Perhaps you are going through difficulties and trials today. God doesn’t waste your trials. He might be planning to use you as an answer to prayer.

Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 8.19. Live for God, on purpose, as He works His good will out in your life!

The Pathway of Power

Does the Bible tell us that when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will speak in tongues? When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will fall over? How about, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will laugh, run around, or swing from chandeliers? Of course, this isn’t what the Bible says. Acts 1:8 says ”...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you!” The greatest characteristic of being a Pentecostal Christian should be power! But, unfortunately, many people have identified being Pentecostal with any number of other things, including those we previously mentioned!

As we continue our preaching series “Walking on Pentecostal Pathways,” we will focus this week on what must be the identifying characteristic of anyone that claims to be Pentecostal – power!

As a Pentecostal believer, I do want to go on record as believing in speaking in other tongues. And, I believe that this is the initial physical sign that one has indeed received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. But, tongues is NOT any indicator that one continues to live a life full of the Spirit of the living God! Acts 1:8 not only says that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, but also that we will be His witnesses to the very ends of the earth!

This week, we will look at the next part of the Pentecostal pathway – “The Pathway of Power.” Be sure to join us as we learn from Peter’s experiences in Acts 9:32-43.

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The King Has Another Move!

This week, we enjoyed the PennDel MinistrieSummit, our annual district council for the Pennsylvania-Delaware District. The speaker for our concluding service was Rev. Zollie Smith, the Executive Director of US Missions for the Assemblies of God. In his message, he shared this story, which has been told by Christian speakers as far back as 1955 when Billy Graham told a variation of it early in his ministry. I trust you will be as blessed as we were when we heard it!

Two men are standing in front of a painting called Checkmate in an art gallery. In the painting, a man is playing chess with the devil. The devil is grinning ear-to-ear because he has the man cornered. The title of the painting, Checkmate, indicates that the game is over. The devil has won. His opponent has no more moves.

The first man looking at the painting wants to move on to other paintings in the gallery. But the second man, an international chess champion, wants to look at the painting longer, so he waves his friend on and tells him he will catch up later. The chess champion stares and stares at the chess board, then suddenly he steps back, flabbergasted. “It’s wrong!” he exclaims. “There’s one more move.” He runs to his friend and together they look at the painting. “We have to contact the painter,” the chess champion says. “It’s not checkmate. The king has one more move.”

When you look at Scripture, you will see that all through history, the devil has had God’s people in what seemed like “checkmate.” But God had another move.

In Exodus 14, with the Egyptians relentlessly chasing them, the Israelites, finally released to journey to the Promised Land, came to the shores of the Red Sea. They could see the dust from approaching Egyptian chariots on the horizon and hear the war cries of their pursuers. They had nowhere to turn. Their families would be killed; their possessions would be taken. Checkmate, right?

The King had another move. God says to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground” (Exodus 14:15-16). We know the rest of the story. The Israelites get to the other side; the Egyptians drown when God closes the water alley.

In 1 Samuel 17, the Israelites and their leader, Saul, were terrified. The nine-foot-tall Philistine giant, Goliath, was taunting them and making fun of their God. The Israelites were in checkmate.

But the King had one more move. An insignificant little boy too small to fit into Saul’s armor knocked off Goliath and delivered the Israelites. David, who knew a thing or two about being in checkmate, shows his deep faith when he says, “The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear with will rescue me from this Philistine!” (1 Samuel 17:37).

In Daniel 6:1-28, King Darius threw Daniel into a lions’ den because Daniel ignored the new law to pray to King Darius and instead prayed to God. In imagery reminiscent of the tomb of Jesus, a stone was rolled over the mouth of the lions’ den and Daniel was left to be torn apart. You can’t get much more “checkmate” than that situation!

But the King had another move. He sends an angel to close the lions’ mouths. When King Darius finds Daniel safe, he says: “I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and he will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rule will never end” (Daniel 7:26).

Perhaps you feel like you are in checkmate in your life. You are in debt. You’ve lost your job. Your marriage is in trouble. Someone you love is dying. You have an addiction that is eating you with shame.

Whatever your situation, you have to remember that God always has another move in your life. He can get you out of whatever you’re in. He raised his own Son from death! Pray to Him. His love for you is unconditional, and he never turns his back on you. You have another move.

Even if your pain keeps you from finding the words to pray, the Holy Spirit will pray for you. Paul says in Romans 8:26: “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.”

When it seems as if you can’t move to the next square on the calendar, remember, the King always has another move!

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The Twenty Cans of Success

Christian author Neil Anderson wrote a list he called The Twenty Cans of Success. These are based on what the New Testament says is true of Christians. These are promises, claimed by believers through the centuries. Allow God to speak to you through these assurances.

1. Why should I say I can’t when the Bible says I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13)?

2. Why should I lack when I know that God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19)?

3. Why should I fear when the Bible says God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7)?

4. Why should I lack faith to fulfill my calling knowing that God as allotted to me a measure of faith (Romans 12:3)?

5. Why should I be weak when the Bible says that the Lord is the strength of my life and that I will display strength and take action because I know God (Psalm 27:1; Daniel 11:32)?

6. Why should I allow Satan supremacy over my life when He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4)?

7. Why should I accept defeat when the Bible says that God always leads me in triumph (2 Corinthians 2:14)?

8. Why should I lack wisdom when Christ became wisdom to me from God and God gives wisdom to me generously when I ask Him for it (1 Corinthians 1:30; James 1:5)?

9. Why should I be depressed when I can recall to mind God’s lovingkindness, compassion, and faithfulness and have hope (Lamentations 3:21-23)?

10. Why should I worry and fret when I can cast all my anxiety on Christ who cares for me (1 Peter 5:7)?

11. Why should I ever be in bondage knowing that there is liberty where the Spirit of the Lord is (2 Corinthians 3:17)?

12. Why should I feel condemned when the Bible says I am not condemned because I am in Christ (Romans 8:1)?

13. Why should I feel alone when Jesus said He is with me always and He will never leave me nor forsake me (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5)?

14. Why should I feel accursed or that I am the victim of bad luck when the Bible says that Christ redeemed me from the curse of the law that I might receive His Spirit (Galatians 3:13-14)?

15. Why should I be discontented when I, like Paul, can learn to be content in all my circumstances (Philippians 4:11)?

16. Why should I feel worthless when Christ became sin on my behalf that I might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21)?

17. Why should I have a persecution complex knowing that nobody can be against me when God is for me (Romans 8:31)?

18. Why should I be confused when God is the author of peace and He gives me knowledge through His indwelling Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:33; 2:12)?

19. Why should I feel like a failure when I am a conqueror in all things through Christ (Romans 8:37)?

20. Why should I let the pressures of life bother me when I can take courage knowing that Jesus has overcome the world and its tribulations (John 16:33)?

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The Highest Priority

Have you ever been in a hurry and buttoned up a long overcoat with lots of buttons and when you were done, found out that the coat was uneven? What went wrong? I’ll tell you what went wrong. When you don’t get the first button in the right hole, all the rest are out of sequence too, right?!

That’s a parable about life. Jesus said it this way in the Sermon on the Mount: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33) If the Lord is not the high priority in your life, then, like the overcoat, so many other things in life will be out of whack as well.

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Ode to Mom

by Wayne F. Winters

My mom was always there for us through good times or bad.
Anything we needed she made sure that we had.
For Halloween she’d dress us up like a pirate or a ghoul
For Easter she would hide those eggs and chocolate bunnies too.

Our birthday cake always home baked and decorated too
The frosting spread with loving strokes as only she could do.
Each flower and each letter had to be put on just so
A masterpiece with candles lit, “Make a wish and blow.”

Doctor Mom was ready for each cut and every sprain.
And somehow just a kiss from mom would get rid of the pain.
She didn’t need a white lab coat her housedress did just fine
And when you left her “office” you felt better every time.

For Christmas and Thanksgiving you could count on quite a treat.
Roast turkey or a baked ham and of course some homemade sweets.
She’d be in the kitchen for hours on those days
To show how much she loved us in every single way.

So here’s to mom on mother’s day,
I wrote this so you’d know
How much I love you every day, even if it doesn’t show.
I look back on my childhood and thank the stars above.

For everything you gave me, but mostly for your love.

About the Author: Wayne F. Winters, Riverside, California, USA, http://www.freewebs.com/faithheals Writer is a retired jewelry manager who retired early due to health reasons. Hobbies include writing, guitar and photography. Resides in southern California.

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Lifespan Explained

On the first day, God created the dog and said, “Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years.” The dog said, “That’s a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I’ll give you back the other ten?” So God agreed.

On the second day, God created the monkey and said, “Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I’ll give you a twenty-year life span.” The monkey said, “Monkey tricks for twenty years? That’s a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the Dog did?” And God agreed.

On the third day, God created the cow and said, “You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer’s family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years.” The cow said, “That’s kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty and I’ll give back the other forty?” And God agreed again.

On the fourth day, God created man and said, “Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I’ll give you twenty years.” But man said, “Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?” “Okay,” said God, “You asked for it.”

So that is why for our first twenty years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.

Life has now been explained to you. There is no need to thank me for this valuable information. I’m doing it as a public service.

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The Last Impression

A newly widowed man stood at the cemetery next to his wife’s casket. When the graveside service had no more than terminated, there was a tremendous burst of thunder accompanied by a distant lightning bolt and more rumbling thunder.

The little old man looked at the pastor and calmly said, “Well, she’s there.

This is going to be a great Sunday here at WFA! It’s Mothers’ Day, and we have a special gift for every mom! It’s also Pentecost Sunday – and God has already given every believer a special gift – the promise of the Father, the empowerment that comes from receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Come worship the living God with us this Sunday!