January 2011

Greetings in the name of Jesus,

I hope you have already noticed the change in our letterhead.  This is a one-time change in order to facilitate the message I want to convey to you as we begin a new year. My prayer is that you read this entire message.  As you begin, many of you will feel that this is a solicitation for funds.  May I assure you that nothing could be further from the truth.  Therefore please continue to read and I again pray that this will be a new years blessing to your Christian walk.

In the book of James (4:2) the scripture clearly states, “you have not because you ask not”. All the commentaries, topical concordances, and references that I use reference this scripture back to Matthew (7:7-8) “Ask and it shall be given unto you; seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.”  For everyone that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. In the foregoing chapter, our Savior had spoken of prayer as a commanded duty by which God is honored.  Here he is speaking of it as the appointed means of obtaining what we need.  He uses three words ask, seek, and knock to emphasize one word...pray, pray, and pray again. Again in Matthew (21: 21-22) Christ states that if you have faith you shall say this to the mountain, be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea, it shall be done, and all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

I have found over twenty different scriptures in the Bible to include both the Old and New Testament dealing with tithes. Among these is found in the last book of the Old Testament (Malachi 3:7-10).  Here we find God accusing us of robbing Him. The most interesting part of these scriptures is found in verse 10.  This is the only place I have ever found in the entire Bible where God actually challenges us to prove Him wrong! “Bring ye all of your tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it”!!!

In 2010 God opened so many new doors and opportunities for Lifeline.  We, like other ministries, felt the sting of our nations economic crisis; however, God met our every need every month.

Toward the end of the year and specifically in November and December God challenged me to pray for our needs in faith.  I prayed: “My father in heaven, I come before you unworthy, sinful, and undeserving, asking you to forgive me of my sins of commissions well as my sins of omission.  Father, I also approach you boldly with the faith of Jairus whose daughter you returned to life, with the faith of Martha and Mary, with the faith two blind men who cried out “have mercy on us”, with the faith of the young lady who touched the hem of your garment.  I come before you with the faith of the ten lepers and as all of these you healed, I ask in faith and through the power of your Holy Spirit, meet the needs of Lifeline as we go forward in faith and service to you...Amen.

Janet and I spent Christmas in Waynesboro, Georgia with my mother and sister.  We both spent most of our time in bed with the flu, yet I continued my prayers in faith (pray, pray.... and pray again).  We were not able to return to Thomasville until December 28th. Upon contacting Cindy about our financial conditions, she reported the following:

Thru the first two weeks of December our contributions for the month were at a six-year low.

· On November 30th we had a negative balance but with obligations of $2,200.00.

· On December 1st we received $2,380.00.

· On December 14th we had a balance of $196.52 with obligations of $2000.00

· On December 15th we received $2000.00

· On December 29th we had a balance of $131.52

· On December 30th we deposited $2700.00

Jimmy Keyton used to tell me of similar situations that he was confronted with on many occasions, yet he could never finish explaining the events and needs without breaking down with tears. As Cindy conveyed our situation during November, I could only weep.

We have not because we ask not and that is the way I see it as I look forward to a New Year. I will continue to pray in faith.

iHs

Griff