His Grace Magazine

Grace His

January 2021

Photo by Heidi Power

Bonavista

Newfoundland & Labrador

WOOD

"He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."Ministries 1 John 5:12

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Table of Contents Happy New Year!

January 2021

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day."

John 6:44

Comics................................................................................Page 3 From the Pulpit.................................................................Pages 4-7 Book in Review..................................................................Page 8 Prayer Page........................................................................Page 9 Bible Study.........................................................................Page 11 World News.......................................................................Pages 12, 13 Timeless Truths.................................................................Pages 14-16 Recipe Page........................................................................Page 17 Athletes for Christ.............................................................Page 18 Poetry Page........................................................................Page 20 Movie in Review................................................................Page 22

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Comic...

January 2021

Happy New Year!

The Word According to Elijah

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But it tastes so yummy!!

You're gonna regret eating that, Elijah!

Revelations 10:9

“...And he said to me, "Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.�

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From the Pulpit...

Owner/Publisher: Rob Wood

H

Happy New Year!

appy New Year to all of our readers, and thank you for your faithfulness of reading His Grace every month.

Here we are in the beginning of another new year. As of the start of every year, we wonder what it might bring.

As time goes on, we are drawing ever closer to the second coming of Jesus Christ. We are seeing such things much clearer these days and how things may play out; such things as a One World Government and the Mark of the Beast.

We can now see how these things could happen for the very first time.

Christian persecution that we have read about in books and the

January 2021

Are you right with God?

bible is at an all-time high.

I recently read an article that said thirteen Christians a day are killed because of their faith. 309 million Christians now live in places with high or extreme levels of persecution.

Those figures are up from 260 million this time last year. Also, every day twelve churches are attacked, twelve Christians are arrested or imprisoned or abducted.

One of the countries that are mentioned is North Korea.

Christians are seen as hostile elements that are to be eradicated.

Christians are not allowed to exist in Afghanistan. In Somalia, Christians are high value targets.

In Libya, they face deadly abuse and violence. Christians are attacked constantly in Pakistan. In Sudan, Christians are targets of persecution. In Eritrea, Christians are imprisoned and left to die in shipping containers. In Yemen, Christians live not only in a civil war and

famine but they face the fear of attacks.

It is illegal in Iran to convert or to preach the word of God. There is unprecedented violence against Christians in India.

Our fellow Christians around the world face persecution every single day. These are just a taste of some of the horrible things Christians have to endure every single day. We have been blessed, but persecution is also on its way here. We see it in the United States, and in some stories I have read, here as well. But as time goes on, the persecution will get worse all around the world, until the Rapture comes for us. So my question to all of you is, 'Are you ready? Are you right with God?' This is the time to do that self-check.

So many people think they are Christians, but unfortunately just because people call themselves Christians, it doesn't mean they are. So many people are going around with unforgivingness

in their hearts and holding on to grudges, not to mention other things that we are commanded to let go of. I even notice these days that alot of people are wearing cross necklaces, yet alot of them are not even Christians. I guess it just means that it's a piece of jewelry now, which I find sad. The point is that anyone nowa-days can say they're Christian, but are they really?

The truth is, there are no guarantees in life. James 4:13-15 says, "Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit;" whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."

To be right with God, we need to figure out what is wrong with us,

From the Pulpit...

January 2021

and the answer to that is sin. There is no one that does good, no not even one. Psalm 14:3 says, "They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one." We have all turned against God's commands, one time or another.

Isaiah 53:6 says, "All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way: And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

Unfortunately, the thing with committing sin is that the end result is death. Death was brought into the world when Eve and Adam sinned in the garden of Eden. If they had not sinned, they would have never died, but after the fall of man, death became part of life.

But the good news, which means Gospel, is that our loving God found us to bring us salvation, in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus told us that His soul purpose was to seek out and save them that were lost, as in

Happy New Year!

Are you right with God?

Luke 19:10, "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

When Jesus was on the cross, He took everyone's sins who had ever lived and who will ever live on this earth upon Himself. He said that His purpose was done, just before He died on the cross.

John 19:30 says, "So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit."

Having the right relationship with God starts with confessing your sins to Him. While we are on our knees in prayer with Him, we are to humble ourselves and confess all of our sins to God. Romans 10:10 says, "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Our repentance must be followed with faith, the faith that we know that Jesus died on the cross for us and three days later

was resurrected as our Lord and Savior.

Romans 10:9 says, "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

Many other scriptures speak of faith being so essential to us, such as Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Also, Galations 2:16 says, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified."

Being right with God is totally up to you. When we consider all that He has so wonderfully done for us, from all the blessings we have received from

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Him to the fact that He sent us a Savior, God provided the perfect sacrifice to take all our sins away forever. John 1:29 says, "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold!

The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" And also Acts 2:21 says, "And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Not only do we need to know we are right with God, but we also must be a real Christian, not one that just says they are.

Would you believe someone when they said they played hockey professionally, yet they couldn't skate?

Or would you give money for a cause of saving the forest, then find out the one who is in charge of the campaign works for a logging company?

Would you truly care about their cause?

We can actually ask the same question of anyone who claims to be a Christian. Can we

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Happy New Year!

From the Pulpit...

truly be called a Christian if we don't know what it means to truly follow Jesus? If we're not committed to walk in the way of Jesus Christ, then how can we be called Christians?

We can now look to answering a few of these questions. One thing to remember is that Jesus told us there would be people who would claim to be believers, but they are not saved and these people would face eternal judgment in hell. Matthew 7:21-23 says, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" It's so important that people

January 2021

Are you right with God?

know what it takes to be a true Christian and if they have their salvation.

1. Do you Pray?

As it is important for us to talk with our parents, children, boss, employees, etc.

We also need to have good communication skills with God; it is absolutely essential.

We need to go to Him in prayer at least three times a day, and have a heartfelt, passionate prayer with Him. We truly need to pray without ceasing, and give thanks to Jesus for everything in our lives, so when we are walking around, working, no matter what we are doing, we can pray in our mind, or just have a talk with Him, as Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

2. Do you read AND obey the bible? The bible is a living book; it has everything in it that we need to live a godly life. God also shows us how to live in

His will for our lives. It also tells us what is to come in the future. As Christians, we should be reading the bible every day and night.

It truly is a great way to get to know God and how He works.

He tells us who He is, what He has done, and what He is going to do. The bible says that if we truly love God, we will obey Him. 1 John 5:3 says, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome." We should be reading it, not because we have to, but because we want to.

3. What is the most important thing in your life? We all value the time we can spend with our families, and friends; these are all good things in our lives, but we must put Jesus first every single time - Jesus first, family and friends second, ourselves last.

Luke 14:26-27 says, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters,

yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."

Now the ancient near eastern concepts of the word 'hate' didn't mean the intense feelings of loathing or revulsion, as it does here in the western part of the world today.

To hate something meant to place it in a lower position than something else. Jesus wasn't encouraging His followers to loathe their families, but rather to make sure that God reigns supreme in their lives.

4. How do you respond to sin? Sin is everything that we do wrong in God's eyes. It can be done in thought, word or in actions, according to God's Holy word.

God's standards are much higher than ours, where if you lust over someone, He sees that as adultery and if you hate someone, He sees that as murder. When you disobey God, do you admit you were wrong and that you sinned against Him, or

From the Pulpit...

January 2021

do you just try to sweep it under the rug and hide it from God? Do you think it was a mistake that won't happen again, or do you just think to yourself that it was a one-time thing, no worries? We, as Christians, must always own up to it; we must admit it to God that we have sinned and ask God for His forgiveness.

Only when we do this are we forgiven by God. 1 John 1:8-10 says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."

If we don't confess, He won't forgive us and He will not listen to our prayers.

Isaiah 59:2 says, "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear."

Happy New Year!

Are you right with God?

We must seek God's face for His help to overcome any sin, because those who continue in the same sin are not truly saved and are not Christians.

1 John 3:4-10 says, "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you.

He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children

of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother."

5. Has your life changed? The life of a Christian should show a life transformation.

Instead of being dead to sin, we are now made new in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

Being a Christian means we live each day with Jesus, and we should start to produce

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fruit as we learn and grow in Christ. As a Christian, we should not be disobeying God. 1 John 2:3-4 says, "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."

If you fall short in any of these areas, there is still time to fix it, but don't delay. Just stop sinning, turn to Him, ask for His fogiveness and repent of your sins, read your bible and obey God in all His ways. May God bless you all.

WOOD Ministries Publisher/Sales Graphic Designer/Writer: Rob Wood wood.ministries.2020@gmail.com

Editor/Writer: Donna Wood

wood.ministries.2020@gmail.com

Writer: Lynne Wood

wood.ministries.2020@gmail.com

Owned and published by Rob Wood of Wood Ministries.

Contact us @ 905-380-4489, or email us at wood.ministries.2020@gmail.com

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Happy New Year!

Book in Review...

January 2021

The Light of His Presence

Prayers to draw you near to the heart of God...

Book by: Anne Graham Lotz Written by: Lynne Wood

T

he Light of His Presence is the latest book from Anne Graham Lotz. Anne, as you probably know, is the daughter of Billy Graham. He once called her the best preacher in the family. Anne is an international speaker, an award winning author and President of AnGel Ministries.

The Light of His Presence are all prayers to draw you closer to God, and they certainly do that. Even with Anne's background, she still struggled with concentration while praying. It is so easy in our busy lives to be distracted while praying.

Sometimes, you might be so tired, you start praying less and then skip it altogether. Before

long, prayer starts to take a back seat in your life.

Anne found it much easier to concentrate when she started to write her prayers out. Prayer is essential; it should never be something you skip or rush through. Picking

a certain time of day helps.

Setting your alarm early so that you can talk to God before you begin your day can be so amazing. If you don't quite know what to say, it doesn't matter; just talk to Him like He's with you, because He is, and He loves to hear from you. The reason we pray is to have a very personal relationship with our creator. With this book, Anne is giving you a glimpse of her personal prayer life with Jesus.

Anne incorporates worship, confession and thanksgiving into her

forty beautifully written prayers. She covers a multitude of topics in her book, such as peace and protection, trust, salvation, a light in the darkness, a prayer for the lonely and the strength to stand. These are just examples of the prayers in this book.

Certainly not everyone can write prayers like these, but these prayers touch your heart when you read them. They make you think about who He really is, and He is worthy of your love and praise.

Anne's prayer for you is that God will use her struggle with prayer to help you overcome yours, and that as a result, you will be drawn nearer to the heart of God.

"Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.."

Psalm 141:2

Prayer...

January 2021

Happy New Year!

Be a Reflection of His Love

Dear Lord Jesus, Thank You for bringing us into the light of Your saving grace.

Help us to be a reflection of Your love as we journey through this dark world.

Help us to walk in the spirit and in truth and be used as channels through which Your love, grace, healing and forgiveness may flow to others.

In Jesus' precious name we pray,

Amen “This is love, that we walk according to His commandments.

This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.�

2 John 6

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Happy New Year!

January 2021

Look at the birds

of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your

heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Matthew 6:26

Bible Study...

January 2021

E

Happy New Year!

Ephesians 5:8

phesians 5:8: "For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light."

Before we knew Christ, we were in darkness and were a product of the darkness of sin. It was prideful rebellion against the Lord that enslaved us to sin and entrapped us in the darkness of this world system.

We live in a world where money and sex rule the day. Our world is so often a dark place, full of evil, and often doesn't even know it or care to admit it.

Darkness manifests itself as envy, jealousy, hatred, exploitation, greed, drunkenness and worse. Behind all of this is real pain, hurt and evil; often hidden, yet always there. In John 3:19, Jesus says: "This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil." Without the Lord in our lives, our darkness is hopeless and helpless. Life within the darkness is utterly alone. The Bible tells us to not become partners with a world under God's judgment.

In this verse, the Apostle Paul describes the contrast between light and darkness and what every believer's life was like before salvation with what God intends it to be like after salvation.

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Live in the Light!

How do we overcome this evil as Christians? God is light and in Him there is no darkness. He sent His only Son to be the Light of the world. We have been forgiven through His blood. We have been raised with Christ and so given security now and hope for the future. A person who has been saved from sin should be through with sin and should live as a redeemed and purified child of God. When Jesus comes into our lives, He exposes the darkness within us.

When we confess it, Jesus gives us power which strengthens and enables us so that we are no longer helpless and alone. Because we are God's dearly loved children, we are to imitate Him by walking in love and fleeing from sin. Our life-walk should be a reflection of His goodness and grace, His righteousness and integrity, His kindness, gentleness and truth. Our Christian life should reflect His humility and patient endurance, and our life should blossom into godly fruitfulness, reflecting the love of God.

Galatians 5:22 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and selfcontrol. Against such things there is no law."

Goodness is love in action. Righteousness means having a right character or integrity before God and right actions before men. Both goodness and righteousness are based on truth, which is the absence of falsehood and deception and it comes from the Word and will of God. The more time we spend in the Word of God, the more luminous we become.

Only through Christ can our identities change. Even in the midst of our own sin and pain, in Christ, we are light. The difference between darkness and light describes the differences that Christ makes in our lives. It is the presence of the Lord in our hearts that makes our current life one that is filled with light. Jesus says in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life."

Let us live our lives as children of the light and shine the light of God's goodness and grace into the lives of everyone we meet.

Knowing that we were once lost in darkness and were separated from the light of His eternal love should give us reason for compassion and understanding for one another.

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Happy New Year!

January 2021

Nashville Bombing!

Nashville Police Officer said...God told him to walk away from RV, before it exploded.

O

ne of the Nashville police officers who is being called a hero is James Wells. He and other officers ran from building to building, helping people escape to safety, minutes before a man wanting to commit suicide detonated a bomb inside his RV. While James was in the process of helping the people flee from their homes, he heard God speak to him.

The RV was being treated as a possible bomb threat. As Officer Wells was on patrol early that Christmas morning, he heard the call from Officer Tyler Luellen. Luellen needed all units at the scene on Second Avenue immediately.

Wells knew by the tone of his voice that something was wrong.

Officer Wells and his partner, Officer Amanda Topping, pulled up in their cruiser beside the RV, as both officers were unaware of the situation that was about to unfold.

They moved their cruiser and set up for a

rescue plan to evacuate many of the residents that lived nearby.

of one another. He described the whole ordeal as something out

Officer Wells said, "God saved his life. " As he was walking towards the RV, he heard God tell him to turn around and go check on Officer Topping, who was by herself on Broadway.

When Officer Wells turned around to walk towards his partner Topping, all he could see was orange from the blast and then he heard a very loud explosion.

He said, "He was stumbling," then told himself to stay on his feet to reach his partner.

Wells then started running toward his partner to see if she was okay. When he reached her, they grabbed hold

of a movie.

He said, "My partner was telling me that they were trying to reach me on the radio, but I couldn't hear. I had lost temporary hearing in my left ear. They got me to the paramedics and called my wife immediately to let her know that I was okay.

They wanted me to go to the hospital but I didn't want to leave them.

When I heard there were three people injured, I told the paramedics to take care of them."

The authorities confirmed that the man suspected of setting off the bomb died in the explosion. Some

residents received injuries from the blast, but none were life threatening.

Officer Wells has only been with the Nashville Police department for about 21 months. He said, "This is going to tie us together forever, for the rest of my life." He told the reporters that, "Christmas will never be the same for him."

He continued, "I am a spiritual person and so I truly believe that when I do this job, I'm led by that voice, how I treat people, how I go about doing this job every day; that's what guides me. I truly believe that's what guided me in that sense because I was literally getting ready to walk back toward that RV. When you watch the video, you can see that moment of clarity for me when I heard God say, 'Go and check on Topping."

By listening to the voice of God, he is still with us and we are glad that he is. God Bless you, Officer James Wells.

January 2021

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Happy New Year!

A Mother thanks God!

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Seven year old saved his sister from burning house, after mom was woke up by God.

n Tennessee, a mother thanked God and also her 7 year old son, who endangered his life so that he could save the life of his baby sister from their house that caught fire in December.

Nicole Davidson and her husband, Chris, were both firefighters.

On December 8th, Chris and Nicole put their three children to bed for the night at 8:30 p.m.

A few hours later, Nicole said that God woke her up to alert her that there was a fire tearing through their house.

Around 11:30 p.m., someone woke Nicole up and she knows it was God. Her husband Chris had grabbed a fire extinguisher as she grabbed the boys, since they were closer to the fire.

The boys are Nicole and Chris' 2 year old son, Elijah, and 7 year old, Eli. It only took a few minutes for the fire to get totally out of control and they both ran outside for safety, as they left their 22 month old daughter,

Erin, behind in the crib. They were both horrified as they thought they wouldn't be able to get her out.

At this point, the fire was so dense that there was no way they could get to their baby. They even went outside to try to get into her window to pull her out, but there wasn't anything there for them to stand on to reach that far up.

Seven year old Eli told reporters that his dad broke the window of Erin's bedroom and asked him to go in and try to get his sister.

At the time, he didn't think he could do it.

But after thinking of his sister in there and possibly dying in the fire, he was able to gather up the courage to go in and get her.

Eli said, "Dad broke the window, then he said 'I can't do it,' a couple of times, and then I said, 'I got her dad.' When we went down there, I said I was scared but I didn't want my sister to die."

His dad was very proud of Eli. Chris said, "He did something a grown man wouldn't do."

After the rescue of his

sister, Eli said, "It's okay to be scared but you are brave inside and you can do it when you want to."

Chris and Nicole have foster parented 34 children; this includes Eli and they've adopted two other children, Erin and Elijah.

They're now staying with relatives, as the house was totally destroyed in the fire.

A 'Go Fund Me' page was set up for them and in a little over one week after the fire, $330,000 had been raised for the Davidson family.

Dem. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver from Missouri ends opening pray with 'Amen and Awomen'

T

he Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, Dem. Mo., changed the traditional prayer ending of "Amen" by saying "Amen and awomen" as he gave his opening prayer for the 117th Congress on Sunday, which raised alot of eyebrows.

He also prayed to other gods as well.

After this video was posted online, it was

right away criticized by many lawmakers, who then said it was wrong to try to make this a gender issue with the word "Amen." Rep.

Guy Reschenthaler, Republican, Pa., took to Twitter to say that the word, 'Amen' is "Latin for 'so be it.'" "It's not a gendered word," he wrote.

"Unfortunately, facts are irrelevant to progressives.

Unbelievable."

Emanuel Cleaver is an ordained United Methodist pastor and was tapped to lead the opening prayer to begin the new session.

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H

ave you been called by God? One way to define a true Christian is to realize that such a person must be called by God. Jesus stated that, "For many are called, but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14). God invites many out of spiritual darkness and deceit and into His wondrous truth that fills us with an understanding of that precious truth.

Revelation 17:14 tells us that we must be "... called, chosen, and faithful." If we remain faithful, we have the promise of eternal life.

Who does God call?

Those who are more apt to see their inadequacies and know they need forgiveness of their sins.

Those who are humble and recognize their human weaknesses and mistakes are more likely to acknowledge that they need God's help more so than the powerful and self-sufficient, who fail to see a need for God in their lives.

Not everyone answers that call. The Christian life is a narrow and difficult path and "there are few who find it (Matthew 7:14).

However, God's Word reveals that, through

Happy New Year!

January 2021

Is God calling you?

studying His plan of salvation, He is letting most people live the

heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matthew

human experience under Satan's way. but eventually they will want to go His way. It is then they will realize that the only real truth is God's absolute truth, as set out in the Bible, and that only God can define what is right and wrong, holy and unholy, good and bad.

From the beginning, we have always tried to determine what is truth and, as a result, we have rejected God's revelation.

Because of that, "... whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Galatians 6:7).

Wrong choices and decisions that we make can affect the way we worship God. Jesus Himself says, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of

7:21). Jesus warns of those who practice their own doctrines wrongly and expect God to honor such worship. If we choose to worship Him our own way, instead of how God tells us to worship Him, our prayers are useless and in vain. Matthew 15:79 says, "Hypocrites!

Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."

A true Christian worships God according to His instructions as laid out in His holy Word (Deuteronomy 12:32). We are told to strive daily to live

"... by every word of God" (Luke 4:4). Some people do not realize that satan continues to deceive the majority of mankind (1 John 5:19; Revelation 12:9). They do not understand that satan, '... the god of this age' (2 Corinthians 4:4), extends his lying ways even into teaching and practices embraced by mainstream Christianity (2 Corinthians 11:1315). Once God opens one's mind to His truth though, we are responsible to act on it. If we choose to not live by what we have learned, God will not add anything more to our understanding. We need to truly repent for our wrongdoings, recognizing that it was for us that Jesus was crucified.

What does it mean to repent? It means to change, to turn around, to stop going the way we are going. It means to be truly sorry for our sins, as well as to have sorrow for our inclinations and desires to do the wrong things. Repentance is a process; it is a process of change, or surrendering yourself and turning your life over to God. It starts with having a repentant attitude and turning in the

January 2021

right direction. God reveals His truth through His Word so that we can understand exactly what sin is to help us know the way of life we are called to live. We learn, through the teachings of the Holy Spirit, how to pass from a sinful way of life to a completely new one where righteousness prevails.

With time, we learn to leave our old self behind; we die in the flesh and begin to live in the Spirit. Romans 8:9 tells us, "But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His." The Holy Spirit helps a Christian build godly character and shows evidence of God at work in his or her life.

The Spirit also provides power, love and a sound, godly mind (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

True Christians are willing to give their lives to God and to always put God first.

God becomes the head of that household and He helps them to work through any uncertainties that they may be faced with.

They learn to walk in faith, to trust in

Happy New Year!

Is God calling you?

Him, becoming totally dependent on Him. The rewards are enormous for those who choose to serve God and become true followers of Christ!

If Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, you have the promise of eternal life! Hebrews 9:15 says, "And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance."

You are a child of God! John 1:12-13 says, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." You have access to God and peace with God! Romans 5:1-2 says, " Therefore, having being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. "

You have been adopted into God's family and can call God your Father!

Romans 8:15 says, "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, Abba, Father."

You are loved by God! John 15:9-10 says, "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."

You have been chosen

by God! John 15:16 says, "You did not chose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask in the Father in My name He may give you."

He created and fashioned you and gave you a purpose to fulfill. You are not an accident! Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

You are accepted!

Ephesians 1:6 says, "...

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to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved."

He cares for you when you are weak!

Hebrews 4:15-16 says, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

You are forgiven!

Romans 8:33-34 says, "Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us."

You are free from condemnation! Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."

You are a new creature in Christ. You have been transformed!

2 Corinthians 5:17 says,

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"Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things are become new."

God will strengthen you to do all you need to do! Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

God will not leave or forsake you! Hebrews 13:5-6 says, "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we may boldly say: 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'

You are a heir with God and a joint-heir with Christ! Romans 8:17 says, "And if children, then heirsheirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."

You have an inheritance in heaven!

John 14:2-3 says, "In My Father's house are many mansions; If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come

Happy New Year!

January 2021

Is God calling you?

again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

You are able to overcome! 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you; for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.'"

God's righteousness has been inputed to you!

Romans 4:23-25 says, "Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offences, and was raised because of our justification."

You have an advocate!

1 John 2:1-2 says, "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world."

God is working in you!

Philippians 1:6

says, "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."

God has given you a lively hope! 1 Peter 1:3-5 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

He will protect you to the end! John 10:27-29 says, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and noone is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand."

You can have full assurance of faith!

Luke 12:32 says, "Do

not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

You are complete in Christ! Colossians 2:10 says, "And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."

Nothing can separate you from God's love!

Romans 8:35-39 says, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: 'For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.' Yet, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

WOOD

Ministries

Written by: Donna Wood Photo by: Heidi Power

Recipe...

January 2021

Happy New Year!

Easy Mandarin Orange Cake

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Cake Ingredients: • 1 yellow Cake Mix • ½ c Oil • 4 Eggs • 1-10 oz can Mandarin Oranges (with liquid) Icing Ingredients: • 2 c Icing Sugar • ¼ c softened Butter • 1 – 6 oz container Yogurt • 1 tbsp Flour

For Cake: • Place all ingredients in a bowl • Beat 3-4 min with mixer • Pour equally into 3 round cake pans • Bake at 350 deg for 25 min.

For Icing: • Mix butter and yogurt on med. speed for 3 min.

• Add flour and icing sugar, ½ cup at a time • Mix well

1 Kings 19:6 “Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again.”

Happy New Year!

Athletes for Christ...

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January 2021

Walter Abercrombie Walter is now a Gospel Singer W

alter Abercrombie was born on September 26, 1959 in Waco, Texas. He was a fantastic running back at Waco University High School before m o v i n g down the street to play for Baylor University.

The 6 foot, 210 pound running back began his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers as their number one NFL draft choice. In 1982, he was selected 12th overall. Walter was part of a class of fantastic running backs that year in the NFL, which included Marcus Allan, Joe Morris, Gerald Riggs, Darrin Nelson, Barry Redden and Butch Woolfolk.

Walter would go on to play in Pittsburgh for 6 seasons and in both the 1985 and 1986 seasons, he surpassed 1,000 yards for a combined yards rushing and passing.

Walter is also best

remembered for his performance in the 1984 AFC playoff game. He played against the Denver Broncos when Walter rushed for 75 yards and caught a few passes for another 18 yards, as his Pittsburgh Steelers upset the Denver Broncos that year 24-17. With that big win, the Steelers went to the AFC Championship game, but Miami Dolphins beat Pittsburgh Steelers and he never went to the Super Bowl.

The fan expectations were high of Walter Abercrombie in Pittsburgh, as the fan base there wanted him to take the next step up to take the place of the Hall of Famer, Franco Harris.

In 1988, however, Walter decided to leave the Pittsburgh Steelers and play for the Philadelphia Eagles, but things turned bad there for Walter as a knee injury would soon end his football career.

After Walter's career in football ended, he decided to return to the Baylor University and serve as the Executive Director of Baylor Athletics.

Walter's father was a Baptist Pastor, and his mother was a nurse.

Walter is a Christian who

speaks strongly about his faith. He is also an accomplished gospel singer.

Walter has recognized that God has always been and remains with him while he takes every step of his journey, no matter what the situation may be, whether in times of joy or during times of sorrow.

Walter encourages the students where he works at Baylor University to see God's blessings in their lives and for them to remain loyal and faithful to God always during their highs and their lows in life.

After Walter retired from football in 1990, he moved back to a 100-acre ranch near Riesel, Texas, where he had horses and cattle.

Walter met his wife, Kim, a California girl, through his agent, and he brought her to Texas two years later; they were married in 1992. It was quite a change for Kim coming to Texas from California.

Walter and Kim have four children, two sons, Wesley and Warren and two daughters, Ryann and Peyton.

They still live in Texas today.

January 2021

Happy New Year!

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Poetry...

Happy New Year!

The Cross-Over

January 2021

Death can be a new beginning, Like the dawn of a brand new day, The first snowfall at the onset of winter, Or a beautiful spring blossom in May. There is nothing to fear of dying; Our Lord will never leave us alone.

A loving welcome awaits as angels Escort us to our eternal home.

A magnificent union there'll be With Jesus and the Heavenly Hosts, And the dear souls who left before us Those in Christ we miss the most.

If you believe in the Word of Jesus, And in the One from Whom He was sent, There will be no condemnation Once you ask for forgiveness and repent.

No eye has seen nor ear has heard, No human mind can conceive The wondrous things God has prepared For those who, in Him, believe.

(Luke 16:22)

“And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom; the rich man also died, and was buried.�

January 2021

Happy New Year!

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T

Movie in Review...

Happy New Year!

January 2021

The Miracle Season “Based on a True Story�

his movie is based on a true story, The Miracle Season is an uplifting sports movie.

It's about a high school volleyball team that now needs to step up to lift each other up after their star player and captain dies in an accident. The Miracle Season is an enjoyable movie; it also has a powerful Christian message about always loving each other, especially in the middle of hard times that we

face in life.

Caroline is an unrestrained high school senior who enjoys life and loves to have fun. Caroline and Kelly, her best friend, are teammates on the school volleyball team.

This year is big one for Caroline; she is the team captain and a senior on the team. But her mother is very sick in hospital and is unable to attend any of her games.

Caroline enjoys having

friends over to her families barn to hang out together and have fun with. After everyone was there enjoying themselves, Caroline decides to go for a ride on her mopad to visit her mother in hospital.

After waving goodbye to her friends, she turns the corner, and a short ways down the road Caroline is killed when she hits a tree with her mopad. Everyone is so devastated, especially Kelly, her best friend, Caroline's father, Ernie, and her mother. Shortly after Caroline passed away, her mother also passes away, leaving Ernie completely devastated.

The players on the team, including Kelly, don't have any interest in playing volleyball, but their coach persuades Kelly that she has to lead the team forward to play again. The team then decides to play in honor of Caroline.

Kelly persuades the other players they have to try to win the State Championship for the second year in a row.

But morale is so low at

this point, they lost one of their best players and a friend in Caroline. Not knowing if they can do this, they all agree to try to win. Can they do this for Caroline? Can they win their second State Championship without their star player and captain?

The Miracle Season is a good Christian movie for the whole family to watch. Caroline's father, Ernie, gets enraged at God after his wife and daughter both die, but as the movie goes on, he begins to move beyond the pain and he starts to thank God for the blessings of his daughter and wife in his life.

Starring: Erin Moriarty, Helen Hunt, Tiera Skovbye, Danika Yarosh, William Hurt, Jason GrayStanford, Rebecca Staab.

Executive Producer: Jennifer Monroe, Nicole Stojkovich.

Producer: Mark Ciardi, Scott Holroyd, Mickey Liddell, Pete Shilaimon.

Writers: David Aaron Cohen, Elissa Matsueda.

The Miracle Season is available on Blue ray and DVD.

Happy New Year!

Grace

January 2021

His

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New stories every month!

Interesting Christian topics, Great Movie, CD and Book reviews!

Get your FREE copy of His Grace magazine today!

Call 905-380-4489 wood.ministries.2020@gmail.com or check out our magazine on-line @ Ministries www.issuu.com/His-Grace

WOOD

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Happy New Year!

January 2021

G GOD O D IS

PLEASE SHARE GOD'S LOVE