However, appointments within the realm of the supernatural are the pre-ordained celebrations of the majesty of God?s power. For every blessing in your life, there is an appointment waiting.

_Ecclesiastes 9:11 (Solomon writes, ) I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but *time and chance happeneth to them all*._

_Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:_

Given the many details that a presidential inaugural committee must cope with, mistakes are inevitable. So it was that Franklin Delano Roosevelt received an invitation to his own January 20, 1937 presidential inauguration! Through the White House social bureau, he solemnly sent word that _”the press of official business would keep him away”_. Then, relenting, he sent a further note in his own handwriting: “I have rearranged my engagements and think I may be able to attend. I will know definitely by January 19. F.D.R.”

Appointments are clever devices that men and women use to arrange and remind themselves of an agreed-upon meeting.

Appointments are often made, and seldom kept. They are the curse and the blessing of the busy lifestyle.

Appointments are set, and kept. Set and broken. Rescheduled and juggled to the whim and fancy of the unmindful and inconvenienced.

However, appointments within the realm of the supernatural are the pre-ordained celebrations of the majesty of God?s power.

Timetables, appointments and schedules appear regularly throughout scripture, and while the God of Creation is not bound by the constraints of earthly time, the ticking of every second holds an immense weight in the lives of mankind.

In Genesis 1, God placed the sun in the sky to give light to the world and to dictate the passing of time. Hours, days, months and seasons have governed the existence of life since the dawn of creation.

More than 560 times in the Bible, God mentions time, and nearly 800 times he references the passing of days. It?s clear that the measurement of time is God?s ordained system of appointing events in our lives. In fact, Heb 9:27 tells us, ?And as it is _appointed_ unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:? (emphasis mine).

It stands to reason that, given God?s obvious inclination to punctuality, he would choose to use this system of appointments to mete out the blessings that are directed toward his people!

The prophet Elisha was blessed by a Shunamite woman, and in return for her faithful care of this man of God, she was promised a son? the thing that she so desired to have. Listen to this discourse?

_2 Kings 4:14 And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi (his servant) answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old._
_15 And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door._
_16a And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son._

God had an appointment with this woman. It was already jotted down in His DayTimer. Penciled in on the calender. It was declared to her. Spoken by the prophet, under the authority of God. Yet it seemed so outrageous? so out of reach? so UNBELIEVABLE, that this desperate woman couldn?t comprehend the authenticity of the promise.

_16b And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid._

This woman simply didn’t want to be disappointed again in life. She’s already had too much of that. She was imploring the man of God, “Please… tell me it’s true! Tell me there’s really hope for me! Don’t just make a promise that I’ll cling to only to realize it was all a fantasy. Tell me it’s real!” Maybe you know what it’s like to hear the word of God spoken into your life, and you somehow can’t fathom that it could really happen to you. You’ve been hurt too many times before. “God, can this really happen for me? Please… tell me it’s really true!”

Be careful when you dare to deny the promise of God in your life! In Genesis 18, God rebuked Sarah for her unbelief at the imminent fulfillment of His promise!

_Genesis 18:13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, How can I bear a child, when I?m old?_
_14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? *At the time appointed* I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah *shall have a son*._

When God proclaims promise, there is no room for doubting. When God testifies of His timing, there is no place for a shrine to skepticism! Because when God is ready, *there comes a time*!

_2 Kings 4:17 And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, *according to the time* of life._

I want to declare to you right now, that your blessing has a due-date! God has declared it, and ordained it in you. It’s an appointment set by God himself!

When God gives a promise, He always attaches a due date! You may not know when it is, but there is a time appointed! There is a season of life that is waiting for its delivery! Every deliverance ever declared in Scripture had a due date… a time of fulfillment.

The rock that sailed through the air, after being flung be a young shepherd?s leather sling, was on a flight of destiny. There was an appointed time? a date with destiny? when that small stone would meet with the fleshy forehead of a boastful giant named Goliath. There came a time.

There was a scheduled liaison between the dust-covered ground and tons of falling rubble as the walls of Jericho fell into the timetable of God?s deliverance! There came a time!

The sun and the moon stood still for Joshua and the Children of Israel just to ensure that their victory would be consummated on the Timetable of God! There came a time!

The second hand ticked over to the ordained position in time as the calloused fingers of an aging woman brushed across the fabric of Jesus? robe. It had been 12 long years, but there came a time!

The sun slipped quietly overhead, anxiously awaiting it?s opportunity to peek from behind the cloud and reveal itself for the first time in Blind Bartimaeus? life. At the very instant Jesus spoke the last word of this phrase, ?Go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole!?… the culmination of God?s divine appointment with Bartimaeus? faith… his eyes opened to reveal the manifest blessings of God!

Bartimaeus had his detractors, yes. And you will have yours once you lay hold of the hope of your deliverance? but he was not deterred. He pressed forward as the clock was ticking ever so near to his appointed time!

In April of 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote a letter from a Birmingham jail to a group of clergymen. In this letter imploring them to stop criticizing his fight for freedom, he penned the following words, ?There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience.?

Church, there is a due date on the blessings that God has declared in your life!
There is a divine appointment for your healing!
There is a scheduled drop-off for your deliverance!

Do not let the enemy detract you from your personal revival! Man of God! Woman of God! There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and you are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair! There comes a time!

Joshua, there is a walled city waiting to come crashing down for you!
Sarah, there is a son waiting to be born!
David, there is a Goliath waiting to fall!
Paul, there is a city ready to be won to God!

_Ecclesiastes 3:1 …there is… a time to every purpose under the heaven:_

There comes a time.

_Jay Jones is the administrator of “Apostolic Living”:http://www.apostolicliving.com, and the proud pastor of “The Pentecostals”:http://www.mypentecost.com in Kentwood, Michigan._

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One way of accomplishing this is by way of *Care-Packs*, which are small gift-bags filled with snacks and goodies. Once you get the concept, you can use it in virtually any situation where you see the need.

*Mall Outreach*

h2. Where can they be used?

We have currently used Care Packs in our local malls, and the largest hospital in our city. The key is to fill a need.

For a mall outreach, focus on the workers on either a busy weekend or a holiday. Often on a holiday, people are working in the malls servicing others while they’re wishing they could be enjoying their holiday too. Care-Packs show them our appreciation for sacrificing their time to bless others. Also, they can get so busy that they have no time to stop and eat, so the Care-Packs give them a chance to grab a quick snack on the go. These gestures are REALLY appreciated!

Probably the most impactful Care-Pack outreach we do is going to the hospital in our city and taking Care-Packs to all of the waiting rooms where people are waiting for loved ones. This is a great time to show them love in a time of need, and to pray with people. I’m telling you… this is an incredible way to touch a life, because it’s appreciated. The gift bag just opens up the door for you to minister to them.

Opportunities abound for this sort of outreach. Begin to brainstorm of ways and places that just a small gesture would impact someone’s life. Perhaps it would be at the voting booths during election time while people are forced to wait in line. Maybe on the morning after Thanksgiving while people are freezing and hungry while in line for the early-bird deals? Possibly on a busy street corner in your city while people are walking to work? I’m sure if you give it some thought, you can think of plenty of opportunities.

h2. How are they Made?

When our church assembles Care-Packs, we simply fill small gift bags with a few breath-mints, granola bar, lollipop, candy bar, Hershey’s Kisses and a bit of string-confetti. Then, we close the bag and attach a church outreach card to it which has a friendly saying similar to, “This is our simple way of saying God loves you… let us know if we can be of more assistance.”

We started out using paper bags the size of a lunch-bag, and attached the card with a paper clip… but we then started purchasing colored, cellophane gift bags and sealing them with with a twist-tie. We punch holes in the corner of our outreach cards, and attach them to the bags.

The important things with Care Packs is to make sure they are well-done and professional looking. By “right-clicking here”:http://www.apostolicliving.com/images/stories/downloads/care_pack.jpg, or on the outreach card below and choosing “save link as…”, you can download a high-res version of the card I designed for our church. It’s generic, so you can use it in your ministry as well.

We print our own cards on an inkjet printer using double-sided business cards from an Office Supply store. On the front is the following graphic, and on the back we include our church’s logo, name, service times, website, and map to our church.

We use the assembly-line approach when making our bags, and generally do an outreach of 100 to 300 bags at a time.

If you have any questions about this type of outreach, or if you try it at your church, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment in our forums and share your thoughts.

God bless you!

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Daniel and the three Hebrew children “purposed in their heart.” The stroms life brought their way could not shake them. Joseph held on to his Word from the Lord through the betrayal of all the setbacks. God’s promis sustained him. On the other hand, Rehoboam, _”did evil because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.” (II Chronicles 12:14)_

The Psalmist said, _*”My heart is fixed,* Oh God…” (Psalm 57?7)_ Paul declared, _*”None of these things move me…”* (Acts 20:24)_ so how do we become steadfast and *unmoveable?*

1) *Build on Jesus Christ only!* (I Corinthians 3:11) _”…Behond I lay in Sion a Chief Cornerstone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded…but unto them which be disobedient, …a Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the Word, being disobedient…” (I Peter 2:6-8)_

2) *Know who it is that is speaking to you.* If you listen to other voices, they will lead you in other directions. The voice of the Word of God, the Spirit of God and the mand of God agree. Moreover, the Word is forever settled (Psalm 119:89). Any thing or any one that takes exception to the Word of God is out of line and a deceiver.

3) *Keep your flesh under subjection.* Paul said it’s a daily thing. If you allow your flesh to rear its ugly head, you risk deception, destruction, and death. James says, _”Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren.” (James 1:14-16)_

Everything that can be shaken will be shaken. _”See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that sapke on earth, much more shall not we escape, of we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but not He hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this…signifieth the *removing* of those things that are shaken…that those things which *cannot be shaken* may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which *cannot be moved,* let us…serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:25-29)_

The old song says, “In time like these…be very sure…your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock.” James’ exhorts and encourages us with these words… _”Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall received the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.”_ and _”Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” (James 1:12; 5:8)_

Did you see Me in the hair colored neon orange on the young lady you passed? Tell Me, did you see Me?

Did you see Me in the eyes of the young man in the army jacket pushing a broom down the school hallway? Tell Me, did you see Me?

Did you see Me in the unrelenting black of the group of kids you watched warily from across the mall? Tell Me, did you see Me?

Did you see Me in the smile of the deformed child you watched in the stor today? Tell Me, did you see Me?

Did you see Me in the giggles of the two precious girls given by Me? Tell Me, did you see Me?

Did you see Me through the frustration, could you feel the wounded pain in the boy you love so well? Tell Me, did you see Me?

Did you see Me in the eyes of the spouse you never asked for and still I gave you beyond your dreams? Tell Me, did you see Me?

did you see Me in the plan I have set yet you are still learning? Tell Me, did you see Me?

Did you know I was there?

We speak faith. We do exploits. We can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us. We are more than conquerors, overcomers in this life. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony.

Fight for your right to be a Christian! Don’t let any weak negative person rob you of your walk in God or steal your confidence or faith. Be renewed in your mind.

Fight against every lie of the devil. Claim all your territory. Walk it every day in prayer. Take your shoes off – it’s holy ground! purify it if you’ve let it get unclean.

Keep the scavengers off your sacrifices until God restores them to you whole again. Those children everybody else has written off still have a piece of an ear or a leg left. Those saints who feel they are nothing and have been made to believe the worst can have the veil lifted off and see hope and receive faith for their true high calling in Christ Jesus. The weakest among us can receive strength and be spared and renewed like that scapegoat in the wilderness.

We have the law of liberty.. Our sin is goine. Christ is Lord. We can now by love serve. Hallelujah!

Take off that cloak of maliciousness. We’re not here to serve self or men. We are mighty ambassadors for Jesus; King’s kids! We have repented, we’ve been baptized in Jesus’ Name and received the Holy Ghost, speaking in other tongues. We’re living a holy life.

Fight for your right to serve the Lord. Don’t let anything take it from you. Keep every inch of your ground. Like Israel was told, it will never work to sell or give off part to the enemy. You must recover and keep all in Jesus.

Lay hold of the horns of the altar. Plead the blood. Speak faith. He made you worthy. He is able. With Him… “We are able to go out and take the country, To possess the land from Jordan to the sea; Though the giants may be there our way to hinder, God will surely bring the victory!”

_”…The Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matthew 11:12)_

_Jill Friedman attends New Life Apostolic Church in Detroit, MI._

Do you desire to do *great* thingsfor God? This is a good and noble aspiration. Let us look into what Jesus thought was great and see what caused Him to use the word *great* as an adjective.

Jesus admired *great faith.* To the Syro-Phoenecian woman, He said, _”O woman, *great* is thy *faith*!”_ Of the centurion, He said, _”I have not found *so great* faith, no, not in Israel.”_ Both were Gentiles. They had no rights and the Jewish religious leaders were always willing remind them of this fact. But they both believed Jesus had power to reach around all that. Their faith so overwhelmed Him, (causing Him to marvel and rejoice in the promise their faith represented,) it moved Him to reach across an entire dispensation of time to meet their need.

Jesus identified the *great commandment,* _”Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind…” _ And… _”Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:35-40)_

His burden was the *great harvest*. It prompted His only prayer request, _”pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest.” (Luke 10:2)_ Before He ascended, Jesus sent His disciples forth into His harvest with what we call the “Great Commission.” See Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-18; Luke 24:45-48; John 4:35-38; and Acts 1:8.

Jesus contrasted the world’s concept with the Kingdom’s this way, _”Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are *great* exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be *great* among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.” (Matthew 20:23-28)_

Considering these things – obviously, growth and greatness in the Kingdom is not like the world thinks. Greatness in God’s eyes doesn’t come because of a college degree or material acquisition, an exhaulted position or claim to fame. Jesus identified three areas of Kingdom greatness – great faith, great commandments, and a great harvest – all of which require having God in His proper place in your heart and mind. His idea of greatness is defined by degrees of service. By way of example, Jesus, who was Lord and Master, laid aside His robe and girded Himself with a towel. Then He bowed down low and began the most humble of tasks, the one usually assigned to the lowliest servant – washing the feet of all twelve of His disciples, (including Judas!) – and this just after they had been quarreling among themselves over who was the greatest.

_”Moreover, it is required in steward, that a man be found faithful.” (I Corinthians 4:2)_ Yet, Jesus said the servant who does everything his master commands is still unprofitable (Luke 17:10). The coveted words, _”Well done!”_ were said to _”good and faithful servants”_ – men who knew their master and what pleased him and stewarded what they were given to bring their master an increase on his investment. We prove our faith by exercising it – putting it to work for His glory.

So, you want to do great things? Utilize what you’ve been given to bring increase to what interests your Lord and Master. By love serve – and seek to add eternal souls to His Kingdom!

_Marjorie Kinnee is Managing Editor of the Apostolic Writers Digest and attends New Life Apostolic Church in Detroit, MI._

_”And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually… But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.” (Genesis 6:5, 8-9)_

We need to be like Noah. He was ridiculed, laughed at, made fun of, etc. If we live godly in this present world, (our generation,) it will be the same for us. But we have to stay faithful in spite of all we go through. We are the chosen ones – we’re to shine our light throughout the world.

_”But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” (I Peter 2:9-10)_

And when we prove ourselves to be faithful and righteous before God, we’ll be rewarded and we’ll have His safety.

_”And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before Me in this generation.” (Genesis 7:1)_

Go and show forth the hidden things of God – His mercy, love, kindness and patience. Correct, rebuke, and tear down strongholds in people’s lives. The Word is hidden from the world. People can’t see Jesus and they don’t know Him. So it’s up to us to declare His righteousness. Teach in and out of season and show forth His holiness. It’s possible – *Even in our generation!*

_Rob Brown is from New Life Apostolic Church in Dettroit, MI_

You’re pregnant, you drop out of school, you get kicked out of your home… maybe all three! Here’s another scenario… You hang around with the wrong crowd and get yourself in trouble with the law, or you get expelled from school. Now there’s nobody left – no one to run to and nowhere to hide. You’re all alone – so you think…

There is one factor – one very, very important person you may have forgotten about – Our Lord and Savior, God Almighty, Jesus Christ. _”A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly; and *there is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.*” (Proverbs 18:24)_ That Friend is Jesus, the greatest Friend, who will never leave you nor forsake you.

When everyone else turns their back on you and leaves, God won’t – because come what may, no matter how many times you let Him down, He’s there for you. No matter how bad a situation gets, when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, God will always have your back.

_Shelee’Ann Flemings is from New Life Apostolic Church in Detroit, MI._

_”The Name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” (Proverbs 18:24)_

_”Hear my cry, O God, attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For Thou has been a shelter for me, and a strong tower fromt he enemy.” (Psalms 61:1-2)_

*A rock is a sure place.* It is solid. It won’t melt or crumble under pressure. You can stand on a rock, you can build on a rock, and you can build with a rock.

_”As for God, His way is perfect; the Word of the LORD is tried: He is a buckler to all them that trust in Him. For who is God, save the LORD? And who is a rock, save our God? God is my strength and power: and He maketh my way perfect.” (II Sameuel 22:31-33)_

*God is our strength.* If it was up to our strength, we would fall because the enemies we face are too strong for us to deal with alone.

_”He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:29-31)_

_”God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalms 46:1)_

_Russell Cook attends New Life Apostolic Church in Detroit, MI._

_”Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)_

God has a prize for every single one of us who follow Him. Do not let your worry about tomorrow overshadow what you can do today. He made us and intended for us to live day by day. That’s His will for our lives.

He loves all those who love Him and make Him their choice. Once we have repented of our sins, God wants us to forget them, just as he has forgotten them. This is the good news we have to share with others who also need God’s saving and forgiving power. Go for these people who need God. Reach for the blessing God has for you and Go for God!

I believe this simple message is all we need to encourage ourselves and to keep our minds off our worries and our past. Thnk about what God has done for you and what you can do for God. Go for God!

_”Trust in the LORD will all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understand. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:4-5)_

_Justin Jeffrey is a member of the youth group of New Life Apostolic Church in Detroit, MI._

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