A.F.W.I.S. State of the Ministry Report 2012

A.F.W.I.S. State of the Ministry Report 2012

Greetings in the name of Yeshua,

2012 was filled with blessings and challenges. The blog reached over 100,000 hits and we saw hits from places like China, Hong Kong, Philippines, India, Australia and Russia. The Holy Spirit surly is blessing our devotional blog. We also connect with Operation World. I love this because it opens our eyes to every country of the world and gives us the chance to pray for them and see just what the needs are for that country; we will do that again this year.

2012 brought about the creation of the Musical page on Facebook. It turned out that this past year we had the passing of several people we know and friends of people we know, and music plays such a big role in healing and comfort, so I saw a need for friends of mine to be able to go to a place and get uplifting music they could trust and not need to think about it. So that is why I did that.

2012 also saw the creation of the Partners page on Facebook. This is a page that we will post updates to our prayer partners and a place where you can easily post a note to us if you like.

2013 I am eager to see what Papa God has for us to do this year; I am sure it will be filled with excitement, I can already tell. Papa has given me some glimpses of some things to come along with some challenges and changes in our life and ministry, Praise God.

I love to spend time with Papa; being able to develop that constant form of communication with HIM has been time well spent. I realize that Papa is the answer to all my problems. No, I do not live in a dream world, however, I have come to realize that if I remember to come to HIM first with my problems most of them do not seem so big anymore, and lots of times I do not even need to do anything about them things seem to work out. It’s when I get involved again that I get bogged down.

I think I could say this was my biggest learning curve in 2012 and I realize I am still not all the way there as I would like to be, always learning every day. I found these scriptures that help me pull these thoughts together. Let’s look at them together:

Romans 8 (NIV)

Life through the Spirit ~

1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[e] his Spirit who lives in you.

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Present Suffering and Future Glory

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

More than Conquerors

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

    “For your sake we face death all day long;

    We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 16:17-19 (N.I.V.)

17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

So as we march through all the challenges of this new year let’s not get caught up in the infighting of partisan politics and the “he said, she said” GOSSIP that the bible warns us to stay clear of.

Spend the time getting closer to Papa God and let HIM direct your path.

He is waiting for ya.

Seek Him now while he can be found.

Ya never know when the door will be shut and then he may say,

“Who are you? I never knew you.”

Gary Miller  ~ A.F.W.I.S.

May the Lord Bless you and Keep you,

May the Lord Make His Face Shine on you and give you Peace.