The Year 2016: What Can We Expect?

The following statements are designed for encouragement and inspiration for 2016. Each year God does miraculous things for us because of His great love working within us. I believe we need direction and support while we live, breathe, and make decisions that impact our families and others around us. Here are my thoughts for 2016. I want purpose and direction for the Body of Christ, and I trust that one or more of these insights might help you in your walk with Christ this year.

2016 will be a ‘transitional year’ for the Body of Christ. We have had and there have always been transitional years designated by God. There are many illustrations and biblical examples of transitional years. God always says during those years to “Be courageous and bold, be faithful and obedient, and be fearless and dependent on the power of God.”

During transitional years God says, “Choose this day whom you will serve.” It will be one of those years—a time to choose God 1st; a time of decisions—choices between good and evil, and/or looking too and depending on God or ignoring the signs urgency and becoming complacent.

v 2016 will be a “transitional year” for the Body of Christ—do not expect things to continue as they once were. Be prepared and not surprised when things, events and traditional ways of thought take unexpected turns for good or bad.

v It is time to drop labeling within God’s Church. Try to avoid terms or identification wording that divides the Body of Christ. Such as ‘I am a Baptist’ or ‘I am a Charismatic’, rather strive for unity—we are meant to be ‘together in Christ’, not divided or unconnected.

v The ‘Media’ will not give us the complete picture or proper reasoning to making wise decisions. Do not depend on media sources to give you all the facts or means to make good decisions—it is God who is our wisdom, so depend on Him.

v The dependence on the Holy Spirit is critical this year. The Holy Spirit has many jobs to do and we often take little time to connect and depend on Him. Allow Him to comfort you, to guide you, to strengthen you, and bring the peace and presence of Christ to you each and every day.

v Sin will become even more attractive this next year. If there is one thing I feel God is telling me is to be an overcomer in all things. This year let’s learn to trust in God at all levels of life in our walk with Christ; to be fearless—circumstances should not dictate how we feel; to avoid and hate that which God hates; never lie or tell half truths; do not manipulate others for personal gain; and do not lift up or honor anything or political influence that which does not honor or glorify God (we have too many idols in America’s culture today).

v Strive to be ‘all in’! There will be even more and more Christians this next year that will not want to be a Christian anymore. They will say ‘I am a Christian’ but their lives, heart, and words are far from doing God’s will. We can no longer be part of this world and part in God’s world. During this transitional year apply yourself to be different—to be more Christ-like.

In conclusion, during this ‘transitional year’ strive to be holy and pure. Do not depend on what has worked in the past but let the Holy Spirit guide you. Avoid anything, which might appear to be evil to God—you will need His blessings in all you do.

The Transitional Year of 2016 is for the preparation of the coming years of the working of the Holy Spirit. We need to get ready. What God wants to do and is preparing us to do in His Presence (the Holy Spirit), which will be nothing short of miraculous.

This year will be either good or bad for each of us—depending on what we choose. So let’s say, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Written by Steve the son of John for the Body of Christ.

WWJWMTD

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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January 6, 2016 WWJWMTD by Steve the son of John

An Inspirational Story: Billy Graham

Billy Graham had his struggles also. Even though he had been a Christian for years, and was a pastor and a Bible-school professor, he had not settled in his spirit what he firmly believed in. Before the L.A crusade that changed his ministry forever, he went through two life-changing experiences that shook everything he believed in and impacted his ministry for many years to come. (Here is one experience.)

In the late 1940’s, Billy Graham attended a conference in California where theologians were expressing their doubts about the authority of the Bible. “Suddenly, I was wondering if the Bible could be trusted completely,” Billy stated.

Billy began to study the subject intensively, turning to the Scriptures themselves for guidance. He recalls the moment that changed him forever.

I walked out in the moonlight, my heart heavy and burdened. I dropped to my knees and opened my Bible on a tree stump. If the issue were not settled soon, I knew I could not go on. “Oh God,” I prayed, “there are many things in this Book I do not understand. But God, I am going to accept this Book as Your Word by faith. I’m going to allow my faith to go beyond my intellect and believe that this is Your Inspired Word.”

“From that moment on I have never doubted God’s Word. When I quote the Bible, I believe I am quoting the very Words of God and there’s an extra power in it.” One month later we began the Los Angeles crusade.

Billy had to decide what to believe and who to believe in. We often come to the same ‘y in the road’ in life’s travels and the many ‘road-blocks’ that challenge us. Do you believe and if you believe, what do you believe in? I tell myself each day, “God I believe in you. I believe in what you have said about yourself and what you are planning to do.”

It is time all of us become a Billy Graham—to believe without reservations.

(This article was taken in part from the book, Billy Graham, God’s Ambassador)

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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January 2016 1st of the Month Series on Character by Steve the son of John

How To Stay Happy?

Somebody has said there are only two kinds of people in the world. There are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good morning, Lord," and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, "Good Lord, it’s morning.”

What do you do to plan for a happy day?

Here are some suggestions from friends in order to be happy:

· I believe that I can be happy, “Happy is the person whose God is the Lord.” (Quote from Psalms)

· Playing praise and worship music when I am in my car/house.

· I do something nice for myself each day. Often it is only something small like an extra 10 minutes in a hot tube, purchase my favorite kind of gum, or read a portion of a book with no one around.

· Praying Scriptures, traditional prayers, or in the Spirit daily.

· I’ll watch a feel good movie, one filled with laughter/joy/hope.

· Finding intimacy with the Lord and people brings me happiness.

· If I feel depression coming, I start laughing out loud at the devil. If you’re laughing at the devil it is because the "joy of the Lord is your strength"!

· I like to get up early while it is still really dark and quiet, anytime after midnight before dawn, to listen with a clear mind and heart to receive my daily word from the Lord.

· I stay happy by not turning on the news when I get home. I want my family to bring me happiness and I make time for that.

· I like to be outside with different temperatures, wind, sounds of nature to see the stars, reminding me I am not in control, God is. He is at peace and I can have his peace by casting all my cares on him.

· I purposely remind myself that what I do not get done today, I can do it tomorrow.

· I remind myself that I am an overcomer not by might, not by strength but by His spirit in turning all my fears and doubts into faith and confidence in Jesus.

· I give “Thank you Lord!” statements each day and rejoice in the little things not just the big things during each day.

· I make up my mind to be happy—I do not wait for circumstances to make me happy.

· Helping others brings happiness/peace/and joy for me each day.

· I take time to listen to God. I get quiet and stay calm and wait for God to bring me success and joy.

· I take a 20-minute walk each morning as the sun comes up with my dogs. I pray and think about my day. I try and let the Holy Spirit tell me what I need to do or not to do. In short, I try to get my head and heart around the day God is giving to me.

· I call up a friend that I have not spoken too for a while to just talk and ‘catch-up’.

· I remind God to be ‘in charge’ and offer Him my life to do as He pleases that day.

· I believe—I state what I believe in each day—I tell God who He is and what He has done.

· I tell people that I love them.

· I say from memory a favorite saying or Scripture—this helps me not to be unhappy when things are not going well.

· I just stop and catch myself when I am becoming sad or discouraged. I cannot get things done unless I have happiness inside of me helping to do so.

· I avoid unhappy or negative people. I do not want them to ‘drag me down’.

· I have to laugh at myself. This gets me on track to be happy again.

· I live for the day, not for tomorrow or next year looking for happiness.

“God, grant me your happiness; the happiness that causes me to be happy!”

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (which means "God with us").

And the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace.

There will be no end to the increase of His government or of His peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from now on and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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One Day with God

(An Inspirational Story by Zoe Erler and Prison Fellowship Ministries, 2015)

One day in early November, Nightline’s Juju Chang showed up at Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility in Muskegon, Michigan, for “One Day with God,” a day-long camp hosted by Forgiven Ministry that gives incarcerated parents the opportunity to spend time with and reconcile with their children.

One of the participants was Johnny, who is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder. Johnny went to prison before his daughter Arkinya was born. While in prison, Johnny began to make some positive changes in his life, including enrolling and participating in one of Prison Fellowship’s intensive programs. During this time, Johnny didn’t have any contact with Arkinya, because he had lost touch with Arkinya’s mother Chekesha. But earlier in the year, Chekesha, who lives in Florida, tracked him down to let him know that his daughter wanted to get know her daddy.

“My father was in prison when I was a kid,” Chekesha explained. “I knew what it was like. I put myself in my daughter’s shoes.” So starting in April, Arkinya began calling Johnny on the phone to chat, but the two never met in person … until they learned about the opportunity with “One Day with God.”

The moment that Arkinya walked through the doors of the prison and into Johnny’s arms was a truly remarkable moment, said Scottie Barnes, director of Forgiven Ministry. Although Arkinya was shy in front of the cameras, Johnny wrapped his arms around his daughter and began apologizing to her. “Everyone was tearing up,” said Chekesha.

At the end of the event, Arkinya clung to her father, not wanting to let go. “She cried the entire night after that day,” Chekesha said. Arkinya later told Chekesha that she would prefer to visit her daddy on her birthday than go to Disney World.

The meeting of Johnny and Arkinya was just one of the remarkable reunions that happened that day, including a situation where two boys were reconnected with their dad whom they hadn’t seen in 10 years.

“Of all the camps we did, there was an anointing and an empowering on that camp that I’ve never seen before,” Barnes said. “Every minute was a revival.”

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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Stranger in a Strange Land

(By Steve Rempe & Prison Fellowship/edited with comments by Steve the son of John)

Imagine being transported 50 years into the future—things that were once commonplace have disappeared, or have become quaint relics of an earlier time. In their place are new items and technologies that you don’t understand and can’t use. The food people eat and the clothes they wear are different than you remember, and at a much higher cost than before. Even the way people interact with one another has changed.

Otis Johnson doesn’t have to imagine such a scenario—it’s his reality.

Convicted of the attempted murder of a police officer, Johnson was sent to prison at the age of 25. Now, at the age of 69, he has returned to a world quite different than the one he left 44 years ago.

“My reentry was a little bit hard at first,” Johnson says, “because things had changed. I got off at Time Square, and I was looking at the atmosphere. … I’ve seen that everybody, or the majority of the people were talking to himself or herself. Then I looked closer and they seemed to have things in their ears. I don’t know with those things—with the phone thing? IPhones, they call them, or something like that?”

While Johnson says he is happy to be out of prison (“It’s nice to be free,” he asserts), there is still a lingering sadness of relationships lost during his time behind bars. “[I] think in 1998 or something like that, I lost contact with my family,” Johnson laments. “Coming out of prison, I was mainly alone. … I had no family—no girlfriend, no sisters, no brothers. [I had] no people that I could communicate [with] that I had years ago. Bothers me a lot because … I really miss my family, you know?”

Even a trip to the grocery store is a new experience. “I eat different things now. … The funny dinners, different colored drinks. What do you call it? The ‘gator’ stuff? Pink, blue, all these different colors, so I started drinking that once in a while—just because it looks funny.”

When reflecting on the time he spent in Prison, Johnson says he tries not to dwell on his lost opportunities. “I don’t feel that society owes me anything. Everything happens for a reason, so I let that go, and deal with the future, instead of dealing with the past. I try not to go backward. I try to go forward. That’s how I survive in society.”

It is easy to forget that even things many of us take for granted can become hurdles for those who have been removed from society for even an intermediate period of time. The wealth of options for things like food, the ever-expanding technology, and cultural shifts can prove intimidating to someone who is experiencing them for the first time. In a real sense, these men and women are strangers in a strange land, learning to adapt and seeking help to navigate their way through a strange world.

Jesus said, “Whatever you do this to the least of these, you do it unto me.” If we forget others, Jesus said, He will say, “I never knew you.” In all the Christmas rush and demands on our lives—let us not forget those who Jesus said not too forget!

(Prison Fellowship seeks to help former prisoners succeed once their incarceration ends. Through in-prison training and mentoring programs once these men and women leave prison, Prison Fellowship provides hope that life on the other side of the bars doesn’t result in a different form of captivity that prevents them from becoming productive citizens.)

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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Restoration

(An Inspirational Story from Steve Gregory & Pastor Lee of His Way Out Ministries, 2015)

Good morning Pastor Lee,

I pray this finds you well and enjoying abundant life. As we approach World AIDS Day 2015, I have just committed to supporting His Way Out on a bi-monthly basis, starting today. I also lift you up in prayer. I believe you are doing the Lord’s work like no other. May you continue to educate the Church and, as Jesus did, minister to those on whom society has placed stigma, rather than compassion.

Bakersfield is where I first accepted Christ, at a small Pentecostal church my precious grandma attended faithfully. I had lived a "gay" lifestyle through the late 1970’s thru 1988, when my friend Robin (who is now my wife of nearly 25 years) and I answered the altar call. I had also been heavily addicted to meth for several years. Through the resurrection power of the Lord, addictions were destroyed, brokenness was healed and Robin and I married and had two sons. Subsequently, we entered ministry with an organization where we served in several capacities, starting as children’s pastors. After a few years, the Lord put it on my heart to evangelize, which we did for a few years until we accepted and offer to become Associate Pastors in the Coachella Valley.

I wish I could say this had a happy ending, but it did not. Without going into any sordid detail, suffice it to say my wife and I were treated with legalistic harshness rather than grace. After serving for over 12 years in this organization, we resigned and left very broken. During ministry years, I had maintained a secular job and after our separation from the organization, I was so broken, I sobbed during my commute daily for two years. Regretfully, rather than trusting God to see us through the trauma, I fell back into the old lifestyle. Sexual promiscuity and drug use led to me becoming HIV+ in 2008. Thanks be to God, my relapse was short-lived and I returned to the Lord, albeit once again very broken. I’ve just risen up after a 5-year struggle with clinical depression and anxiety disorders. I attribute my healing from these disorders, along with the fact that HIV is now non-detectable in my system, to being in Scripture daily and taking God at His Word. We are entering the 8th year (God’s number of new beginning) since the entire trauma occurred, and we have weathered the storm through God’s mercy and grace.

I share this with you so you might remember me in prayer as well. Now that I’m once again ready to answer the Lord’s call on my life. The Bible says, "The gifts and calling of God are without repentance." Through this battle I’ve realized God hasn’t changed His thinking toward me. Before I became ill, I started an outreach in my area (greater Palm Springs) to those struggling with unwanted same sex attraction and drug addiction issues. Unfortunately, I had to let everything drop while I went through a maze of doctors and medications. I’ve been off all prescriptions except one HIV med since January of this year. I’m now ready to pick up where I left off and am asking the Lord to order my steps. Please agree with me that I’ll have wisdom through inspiration of the Holy Spirit. My desire is to reach those who have been traumatized and be an agent of hope to those needing restoration. Thank you, dear brother. Thank you for your prayer cover as I step out once again. I look forward to meeting you, whether we meet in this life or in Heaven.

In the love of Christ, Steve Gregory

WWJWMTD

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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November 26, 2015 O Give thanks by Steve the son of John

O Give Thanks…

Give thanks unto the LORD always for He is good and His mercy endures forever!

Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness, and let the whole world know what He has done.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good and his love endures forever. Yes, give thanks to the LORD, for His loving-kindness is everlasting.

Give thanks to the LORD our God and King. It is He who is above all things and is worthy of our thanks.

I give God thanks for you and for all good things God has created for you! I proclaim the mercies and blessings of God upon…
(say their names). I give God thanks for the plans He has for your life—good plans with mercy and truth. I acknowledge that God created you and offers you salvation and redemption—yes, I thank God for you today and forever!

May the Lord keep you, give you good gifts, and stand in the way of Satan’s plans and motives to hurt you. As the Lord is grateful for you so also am I. May He prosper you in all your do, give you direction for your life and blessings beyond measure. May the Holy Spirit bring to you all the promises of God of health, healing, wholeness, and favor so you can truthfully give thanks to Him who watches over you and forgives you without reservation.

May all who know the Lord say, “I give thanks unto the Lord!”

Give thanks to the Lord always for He is good and His love over me endures forever!

WWJWMTD

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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Resurrection Bus

(An Inspirational Story from Tracy Evans & Kris Vallotton, 2013)

The story I am about to tell you, neither I nor the other eyewitnesses had any confusion about what we had seen. A dead woman came to life again before our eyes. Frankly, it was one of the scariest things I have ever seen.

I was driving back from South Africa to our clinic in Mozambique (I am a nurse/missionary—ministering to babies/families). About an hour before I reached the Mozambican border, a minibus ahead of me suddenly had a tire blowout. The wheel tore apart from the rim, and I watched with sickening horror as the bus, which had been traveling at 100 kilometers per hour, swerved off the road and flipped over again and again.

The bus continued to spin, and I caught glimpses of people being tossed around inside like rag dolls. What felt like an hour of horror actually took only a few seconds.

Right away, we went to work assessing the damage. The scene was gruesome. We counted eighteen victims, a few of whom were still trapped inside the overturned bus and some were even pinned underneath it.

My first priority was the two women I had seen go air-borne through the windshield. I was shocked to see that the bundles in their arms were babies, and even more shocked that the infants were both still alive and unharmed.

After landing on their heads, the women were flipped onto their backs and sprawled out on the rocks. Somehow one was still alive, but just barely. The other had not survived. Her neck was clearly broken, and her head had twisted almost completely around so that her face was lying on the ground in a large pool of blood. Her temporal skull was indented, her right eye had popped out of its socket hanging by the optic nerve, she had no pulse or respiration—she was dead. I covered her head with a shirt lying nearby.

“Everyone, listen!” I yelled. “Start praying for these people. I want you to pray out loud over and over again, ‘God heal and preserve life here today, in Jesus name.’ Every time I look at you, I want to see your lips moving!”

While tending to a victim twenty or thirty feet from the dead woman, I heard an Afrikaans lady yell to me, “Sister, come back over here and help this lady!”

“She’s already dead,” I yelled back. But she insisted, “Come, she’s breathing again!”

What I saw was nothing less than terrifying. With the shirt still covering her head, the dead woman first sat up, and then rotated her head around to face forward again.

We all began to scream. A few of the helpers took off running, and I heard their cars peeling-out a few seconds later. I was scared witless, yet removed the blooded shirt from her head and jumped back. Though her face was still covered with blood, her eye was miraculously back in its socket and her head was no long misshapen. She coughed up some blood, sat it out, and then began to look around and call out for her baby. She was alive!

As I drove away, I marveled at what I had witnessed—I marvel to this day. I have prayed for many dead to rise to life, and to date it has not happened. The one time I did not pray, a dead woman came back to life.

I was in a medical mode, not supernatural mode that day. Yet, the Lord had mercy on us all and surpassed our wildest expectations, as He so brilliantly does. What a mighty God we serve! (Taken from the book, Outrageous Courage, by Chosen Books)

WWJWMTD

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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