Pat Russell Online

It is easy for us to become overwhelmed with our day to day activities.  We turn our phone on, slip our Bluetooth on, hop in the car and head for the Timmy’s Drive Thru, order our double double with the a toasted bagel and cream cheese.  Flip on the radio and patiently scurry through traffic until we reach our destination.  For bus commuters everything is timed to the minute.  We head out the door, down the street to the bus stop, hop on, glance at ‘fellow’ passengers who are on the regular commute.  If connecting to another bus or trai we look straight ahead, ignore anyone who might remotely resemble someone we know, get on the next transit connection and keep going until we get to our position at work. 

Determination must be the ultimate key to winning!  You have to train exercise, eat a proper diet and train for the run, with the intentional goal of wining the race!  In order to win a race you have to purpose to keep the finish line in your view.

From the time I was a young child I had heard that we were in the "last days" and that one day this earth that we know will change.  God would send His Son back to planet earth and He will turn this world upside down - again.  Guess what?  We are still in the last days and Jesus is coming back!  So what does "the last days" really mean?

    Some people see goal setting as a mindless task.  And yet successful people always set goals.  These people do not rely on themselves or their own strength to accomplish all these goals.  Successful people understand that in order to achieve their dreams and ambitions they need other people.  In other words they must invite others to be a part of their achievements.

Great leaders are great because they engage the mindset of team work.  We hear it all the time from motivational speakers and business owners.  Many of these people who excel in leadership have become so because of their understanding that they are only one person and in order to build a great enterprise they must draw from those who are better than themselves and those who have strengths they do not.  Do any people come to mind?

Let me draw your attention to one such leader in the Bible.

King Solomon was not a great king because he was the son of King David who was one of the greatest songwriters and was the greatest king known to Israel .  No, he was great partly because of his famous cry to God for wisdom.  As a young man given the awesome responsibility of ruling a dynasty lead by his infamous father, he understood early on that he needed wisdom to rule successfully.  Throughout his writings you hear Solomon talk at length of our need for "wisdom" in the book of Proverbs.  Some verses are

            There is wisdom in the multitude of counsellors.

Also

            Wise people treasure knowledge but the babbling of a fool invites trouble (Prov. 10:14)

            People who accept correction are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore it will lead others astray (Prov. 10:17)

These are just a few.

I have been reading a book by Andy Andrews where the author writes a fictional passage on King Solomon based on known historical facts on the king.  Listen to a portion of the fictional dialogue between the main character and King Solomon.

David states

"You are the wisest man in the world," he said, "and obviously the richest. Yet you said you keep counsel with those other men.  Why?"

Solomon smiled patiently, "Only a fool refuses the counsel of wise men.  There is safety in counsel.  Sensible instruction is a life-giving fountain that will help you escape all manner of deadly traps.  Find a wise man, a person who has accomplished what you wish for in your own life, and listen closely to his words."

Earlier in the passage Solomon points out the priests, those in charge of government records and his army commander.  These are men who have expertise in things he does not.  He needs these individuals to help him run the dynasty.  Who do we need?  Who do we draw from to help us do what we do well?  There are many just waiting for us to draw from for their help, their guidance.   We must use discretion in whom we look to.  As Solomon notes above look for people who have accomplished what you wish for in your own life.  In other words if you want to increase wealth don't talk to those who have been unemployed endlessly because they sit at home just waiting for companies to wake them out of their daily sleep to be hired!  No you talk to those who are working in the field you desire and who have been faithful to their tasks there.  You talk to those who are growing in their knowledge of God and in their field.

Make the commitment to seek wisdom and counsel from wise people.

Have you ever tried to work on something and you have to fight off interruptions?  First the phone rings.  Then the doorbell.  The person who is trying to sell you something at the door does not hear you when you say "no thank you" and  you find yourself stopping and looking at them wanting desperately to ask "did you not hear the words NO THANK YOU?"  So you let them continue to talk...

Have you ever tried to work on something and you have to fight off interruptions?  First the phone rings.  Then the doorbell.  The person who is trying to sell you something at the door does not hear you when you say "no thank you" and  you find yourself stopping and looking at them wanting desperately to ask "did you not hear the words NO THANK YOU?"  So you let them continue to talk.  When they ask you a  question and you don't answer right away they begin to talk again and then your hand goes up "Thank you for your time - I am not interested.  I must go now good bye"  Before the words can come out of his mouth you swiftly close the door and run back to what you were doing.  You get there but the phone rings again and you are faced with a decision?  Do I answer or do I complete my task.  Oh but you have caller ID and you see that it is your child's school calling - it could be your child, or it could be the school "Hmmmmm", you think "should I answer".  You are glad you did because your child is ill and you have to go and pick them up.  Does any of this sound familiar?  Maybe the interruption is different but the situation is the same and it is in a word FRUSTRATING!.   The writer of Hebrews understood life and it's distractions and exhorted us to run this race of life...

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:2

This has been one of my life verses (it's hard to settle for one) and I must tell you that staying focussed and keeping my eyes on Jesus can be a challenge at times.  I cannot give one reason, only that it is a daily battle.  Just putting this article together has required some focus.  Yet I believe Jesus understands.  When He was here on earth he had to fight off those who wanted him to do things that were not in the orders He received from His Father.  Sometimes he had to slip through the crowd and run away.  Other times he jumped in a boat and took off to another side of town.  Jesus is very familiar with the distractions you and I have to deal with.  The apostle Paul charges us to run this race of life with "patience" which means to run with hopeful endurance.  In order to do this you have to keep your eyes on the goal and ask yourself  - How important is the goal?  Is it worthwhile?

Well let's look at the whole thing in the context of the verses before and after:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (NIV)

Staying focussed requires us to put aside anything that will distract us from running to win.  That leads us to even more discussion - we'll look at that another time.  In the meantime - set your goal; commit to reaching it and go until you accomplish it!

Blessings!

You will be pleased to know that Living Truth is re-broadcasting the Holy Land series this month due to popular demand. Do not miss watching the session by Charles Price at the Sea of Galilee this coming Sunday (Mar 28). You may be lucky to see yourself on Television.

You will be pleased to know that Living Truth is re-broadcasting the Holy Land series this month due to popular demand.

Do not miss watching the session by Charles Price at the Sea of Galilee this coming Sunday (Mar 28). You may be lucky to see yourself on Television.

On April 11, you will enjoy watching Hilary Price at the Bethany by the Jordan. You may see yourself shooing the flies away as there were so many alighting on all of us without ceasing (ha-ha).

Of course, Pat Russell was also amazing and be blessed by her music ministry once again. Please inform your friends to watch our 2008 Israel group tour recorded episodes on these 2 Sundays.

To those of you who are not able to watch Living Truth Television on Sundays because of having to rush to your church service, we have good news for you: Living Truth is now being broadcast every Saturday night from 8 pm to 9 pm in Grace TV (formerly Christian Channel) and it is available in Rogers digital (channel 241) throughout the nation. While the rest of the country watch LT on Sundays, you get to watch the same programme a day before.

Not too many people know that I was very committed to short distant running (ie. 100 and 200 meter dash) in my high school days.  I have often thought about why I never pursued professional sports.  I do know that words spoken to me may have influenced my decision.  Uncertain of professional sports was another contributor.  And yet as I watched the Olympics over the past two weeks, and the story of the now infamous Joannie Rochette I paused to stop and think.

I'm not sure when you're supposed to stop saying that so until someone tells me otherwise I'll just continue to extend this blessing! 

We have begun this new year, as we all well know now, with quite a bang.  In Toronto public transit has increased (again) but more notably is the earthquake that has occurred in Haiti.  Just as the tsunami hit Thailand a few years ago, we feel helpless as we watch the images of lives torn apart play over and over on television.  And yet we are not helpless.   One of the best things we can do which will cost us something, yet I believe we can all give, and that's time.  Take time to pray.  Pray for the workers who have gone over to provide medical care and aid.  Pray for the organizations who are co-ordinating relief effort.  Pray for every single person who will be handling any finances for the victims of this disaster that they will handle them with care and integrity so that the funds will indeed go to provide the assistance necessary. Pray for the leadership of Haiti that God will indeed give them wisdom in directing and bringing about order on the island.  And most of all pray that people will cry out to God.  While we grieve, we are told in the Bible:

⁴Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁵For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ and will deceive many. ⁶You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁷Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸All these are the beginning of birth pains. (emphasis mine)  (Matthew 24: 4-8)

In agreement with a dear friend who has been affected by this devastation, I cry out, Lord have mercy.

"... I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy."    (Hab. 3:2)

So friends, give where you can, pray when you can but don't forget those who are suffering.  Always remembering, there go I but for the grace of God.

Blessings!

For the past 20 years I have been proclaiming the message in song that God so loved the world that He sent his Son to reclaim the relationship lost by the first man and woman.  I have done that primarily in the Greater Toronto Area with a few invitations to go overseas.

I have been invited to accompany Rev. Marie Miller of Foundations Ministries, an international evangelistic/missions organization affiliated with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada from October 3rd to 13th, 2009 to travel to Bangkok, Thailand.  We will be working alongside Peter and Pat DeWitt who are present missionaries to Thailand.

For the first time I am extending an invitation for you to prayerfully consider being a part of this wonderful venture.  Your assistance in any amount to meet the goal of $2000 (airfare and accommodation) would be greatly appreciated. This is a very unusual letter for me to write, as I have never stepped out in faith and asked for assistance in this way before.  

If you are able to send a contribution please forward it to the Foundations mailing address.  A tax receipt will be issued for any contributions over $20.00.  Please make all cheques/money orders payable to: 

Foundations Ministries
8-60 Bristol Rd. East, Suite 425
Mississauga, ON   L4Z 3K8
www.foundationsministries.org

Please go to the website of Foundations at www.foundations.org to find out further information on this organization.  Thank you so much in advance for your contribution, prayer and support as we work together to reach lives in the last days before our Lord comes.

Sincerely,

Patricia Russell

I watched a GodTube video that was quite provoking.  The video was about a man who received magazines in his mailbox from various companies advertising their "specials" for the Christmas season.  There was a problem though:  none of these magazines mentioned the title "Christmas".  They all quoted "Holiday" specials.  Some would like to impose that they are taking into consideration all the holidays celebrated during the month of December but if we are truly honest we'll admit that Christmas is the biggest and most celebrated holiday for centuries worldwide.  However, because we live in the era of "political correctness" we have all subtly fallen for this simply rephrasing it as  "holiday".