Below are testimonals of individuals and/or entities that have been impacted by the work we do! We have recieved cards and thank you's for years now and it is time to share those. For more giving information go to the link here.
"Exactly 7 days ago I stood in church and lifted my hand to declare "a full freezer for my kids this summer" and not more than 24 hours later I was receiveing the blessing from JWTJ and Molly Painter Ministries. I am forever blessed by you and those who serve with you. Summertime can be a stressful time for me and the kids being out of Work. BUT God. Thank you for hearing the voice of the Lord and blessing us."
"Heart of Hope"
28 Cases of Water donated to The Help Center
10 Boxes/6 Bags of food-The Help Center
$1,000.00 donation from "Heart of Hope" Run for Hunger--The Help Center
$1,000.00 donation to the Carolina Beach Elementary School (Backpack Buddy Program)
Single family mother with three children says:
I truly love your ministry. Not because I have received from it but because the Lord put it on your heart to start it and you were obedient to do so without hesitation and against any opposition. I pray that the Lord would enlarge your territory, send you abundant resources, and workers to help labor with you as you fulfill the call of God on your life. For each and every gift we have received it as been an answer to a prayer. We are thankful and we pray for you. Since you have come into our lives I know happier children. You have helped to lift a heavy load from our (my) shoulders. For that we say thank you. May the Lord shine His face upon you this season. S.W.
Weddings
Molly,
What a beautiful day the Lord blessed us with. Our wedding was prefect and we are so gald that you were a part of it! Molly, you truly are a special person. Thank you for all of you help...K/R.
I just got back from going to the store which was not unique in and of itself, but what I saw hanging at the end of a huge truck/ladder, in the parking lot, made me catch my breath and well up in my heart. I stood in awe over the spectacle. As I got into my car and drove away from its majesty all I could recall was how the American flag appeared. It was the brightest, boldest, and most beautiful American Flag. It hurled in the breeze as if to say This is what freedom looks like.
This ministry wants to give a ‘big shout out’ to the men and women who have served all of us so faithfully in every branch of the armed services. For those who have served not only on the front lines, but in the hospitals, ships, airplanes and along our coast. For those who have taken dictation, typing until your fingers felt as if they were going to fall off, and for all of those who have answered phones calls for anyone who serves this free nation. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Many have stood in danger so that we can go to sleep at night more peacefully. I do not suppose that many of us will ever know the horrors some have faced. Thank you. You worked hard so that we would not have to.
And then lastly, I thought Isn’t that what Jesus did for us so that we would not have to work hard? He died to give us freedom. And, the choice of whether to walk in this freedom is up to us.
God bless you this Memorial Day as you celebrate and remember those who have died and given their whole lives for us,
Romans 5:5 "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."
I do not want to sound trite or "holier than thou" when I tell you that God loves you. What I certainly do not want to come across is a “know it all” in the things of God but, from experience, and overwhelming situations of defeat, despair and just feeling like pond scum for such a long, long time is the fact that I discovered God does love me. But, it was not just knowing (in my head) he loved me that helped turn my heart around this past year it was feeling he loved me. For that one gift I would not trade all the "tea in China" for as the saying goes.
Notice the opening scripture of this blog. The words used (and the ones I want you to focus in on) are "the love of God." That is saying to us (believers) do we know the love OF God or have we received the revelation of how much he loves each of us in our hearts? I am not talking about our love for him. I think that if we are indeed Christians that we must certainly believe that we love God.
Quite frankly after all the years of trying so hard to tithe, be obedient, sacrifice everything (of me) FOR everyone I was of the mind that this would be pleasing God and by this he must know that I love him. By doing this at times I was so worn out (thinking that this was God's will) that I could hardly speak I was so tired. I wanted to show him that I loved him instead of receiving his love for me as a gift that does not have to be earned.
When it comes to the things of God sometimes it takes a 2x4 to hit me over the head in order just to get it. Hairdressers have always asked me, "Does this or that hurt?" And my reply has always been, "No, I have a hard head!"
But, I have finally gotten the revelation, inside of my heart, that God does love me. How else would he have used me so mightily to help intercede for others who have received wonderful answers to their petitions? How else would he have given me so much in the form of my sanity, my well-being physically or providing for me so bountifully?
I graduated from Liberty University (March 2014) with a Biblical Theology degree. I have also just passed the first leg of being approved for Ordination which will hinge on my passing the scrutiny (drilling/questions) of a local board comprised of pastors. That will be no small feat! But, what is most important to me is the fact that I think I finally feel in my heart that God does love me and wants only what is best for me. Wow! What a God! What a Savior! He loves little ‘ole me!
And for all of you who read this particular blog I want you to know that he loves little ‘ole you just as much. Feel the love of the Father in your heart and if you don’t then ask him to reveal it to you. I have been ardently trying to walk with God for over nineteen years now, and I have just gotten this. Truly to believe right and feel the love OF the Father is everything. It is a gift and it is a feeling that you have of his love that can and will revolutionize your whole state of being.
Last night as I lay in bed, I was thinking about how my life is full of lessons. I often wonder if God is tired of being my teacher. I have a lot of things to re-do according to His will. He probably is up in heaven just shaking His head. I bet He says, "Will she never learn?"
Life is a Lesson
I have learned in the past few months that I need to get my life straight. How many times do we rehash what we need to do? For instance, I should pick up my Bible more. Why don't I? I don't have an answer but I can tell you one thing, I need to figure it out. God has shown me that life is very precious and short. Many people say it but honestly unless it happens to you...it really doesn't have much impact. You cannot even grasp the magnitude of how precious life truly is.
Making a List
I decided that I need to make a list. Let's face it. We are all busy and until you make a list, you cannot even remember what you need to do let alone to even do it. So my goal is to make a list this week of things that I need to do. I want to incorporate it into my life taking out things that really are worthless and non-beneficial. Staring at my IPAD or something ridiculous on TV needs to be dealt with. Incorporating more Bible studying, helping others, doing more for the ministry and going into areas that God wants me to go in needs to be front and center.
Getting my Priorities Straight
We all need direction and first and foremost, we need to pray about it. So I need to make sure that before my two big feet hit the floor, that I give my attention first to God. It truly makes my day so much better. There are so many times that I am scurrying around the house getting ready for work or running somewhere that I forget to give the most important person center stage. Of course, I repent for it and it is over. It is so easy to just move on and put it behind me but seriously, I know better. We all do. How many times have I been told, "Put Him first." Priority number one...God is First. Everything else will fall into place after that. Now everyone will have to figure out what the rest of their priorities are but I do know that it just refreshes my soul knowing that I am pleasing God.
Staying on Track
I think once I have made my list and gotten my priorities straight, I will have some peace. I just feel like I have let God down at times. I cannot go back and change things though. I cannot go back and redo life in order to make things right. My heart hurts knowing that I could have done more but all that I have left in my portfolio is that I Love God and I know that He loves me. Otherwise, I would have been just sand running through His fingers. He could have walked away and never looked back at all but He did. He is still with me and I owe it to Him to get back on the God train and stay on track.
So CHOO CHOO! Let's board the God train and stay on the RIGHT track.
I don't need anymore detours or delays.
Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
This past Saturday (26th of October) the “Heart of Hope” Run for Hunger stepped up to the plate to help children in need on Carolina Beach. Usually, there are what I call ‘front’ people that you see who are the faces for any business operation. Many assume those are the ones who do all the work but nothing could be further from the truth. I have had many around me over the last years that do a lot of what others would call ‘grunt’ work but an invaluable part of making certain that all the bases are covered for events or meetings.
I have always taken scripture literal in the Word of God. For example, one is “Do it as unto the Lord.” In any endeavor I try to perform as if God were my manager or employer. I (as a human) perform much better knowing He is my boss and it stretches me to go the distance that I might not have ordinarily gone. Do I fall short at times? Yes. But, when I do I go to God, repent, dust myself off and start all over again. Life is much too short to worry about the small things and yet it is the small things that I try so hard to get right. I believe that ‘if you are faithful with a little you are given more.” But, the key is that you have to remain faithful and very obedient.
I want to thank Marjorie Ard, Katie Altobellis, Susan Gahan and Dara Newberry (my daughter) for their steadfastness and abilities to help pull off this run so beautifully. I could not have done any of it without them. Katie garnered so much support in the way of donations and gifts; Susan kept up with recording these donations and sending thank you notes (which we still are in need of sending out more), Marjorie kept up with prayer intercession and Dara (my daughter) sold and sold this run, organized the whole thing and gave us a ‘look’ in our marketing that was beyond compare. Also, I want to thank you Mandy, Tracy, Lisa, Suzanne and Mike for all you did and of course, all of our wonderful vendors! We all have full-time lives but with God’s grace managed to do this for the ones who cannot help themselves and do not ask to be in these situations.
Thank you all for your support. As I walked around talking to others I discovered that many do not even know of the need on the Island…yet it is there. “Heart of Hope” will be around for a long, long time because there will always be children who need our help and we will strive to do it ‘as unto the Lord.’
We are headed into week three of the government shutdown and unless Republicans can get their priorities straight, troubling times are ahead. If our lawmakers do not increase the debt ceiling by the 17th of this month, some fear disaster will loom. America will have to choose which bills to pay and which to ignore and perhaps this will throw us into another recession.
The last government shutdown happened because parties could not agree on federal spending levels and it lasted from December 1995 until early January 1996. But the state of the nation was different then. The economy was booming; unemployment at that time was around 5.5; compared to a little over 7 percent now. Also, the key figures in the last shutdown and this one got along differently; then President Clinton and House Speaker Gingrich were at least open to negotiations—Obama and Boehner have not fared so well in their relationship. Boehner has flatly said he will not negotiate.
What is interesting here is that Congress has had disputes over the budget before but this battle is not even over issues related to the budget but to health care reform. The House wants Obama’s plan to be defunded but the Democrats are not backing down.
It is disturbing because in most instances America has rallied together in times of trouble. What makes this time different? Has this nation gotten too big for just Washington to be able to handle? What has happened to us as a people that we would risk national and global repercussions because we fail to compromise over ObamaCare???
The average American has not really experienced any backlash from this dysfunction that is going on in Washington now but what will be triggered if both sides do not find common ground will deeply effect many if this gridlock continues.
I believe that as we continue to decline in our traditional and moral values and keep allowing God’s name to be stripped out of many areas of our lives we will start to reap what we have sowed. For some reason this nation continues to declare its independence from the only One who can help us.
Recently, Pope Francis responded to questions by a co-founder of an Italian newspaper who describes himself as a “non-believer” and his 2,500 word response made international headlines. I have to say that a couple of the Pope’s answers to Eugenio Scalfari made me raise an eyebrow.
Scalfari asked the Pope if the Lord extended forgiveness on those “who do not believe and do not seek to believe.” The Pope’s answer was that “God’s mercy has no limits” and to those who do not believe, they have to “abide by their own conscience” and that their consciences will let them know what is good and evil.
Really? But an unbelieving heart and an evil conscience will not get you into Heaven. No one gets into Heaven just because they think they are good. We do not get to make our own rules and reap divine rewards. Every time I have listened to my conscience outside the will of God, I’d wished I had not.
And where in the Bible does it say God’s mercy on us lasts forever? His mercy is great and repetitive but to abuse His mercy has its limits and consequences. This is but one example…look what happened to the people in Noah’s day. Mercy finally ran out, did it not?
Not all consciences know the difference between good and evil, either. Hitler and Mussolini’s consciences told them they were doing “good” in their evil.
I respect the pope and I am not taking a swipe at him but no one person on this earth, no matter who they are, has all the right answers.
God is good to all of us and His mercy covers us all too, including atheists. That’s just who He is. However, just because Jesus redeemed us (atheists included) does not mean we will be saved; God does not force us to be a branch on His vine.
It takes but just a sliver of light to penetrate the tiniest crack…
Psalm 14:1 – The fool hath said in his heart, “There is no God”… (NKJ)
I am no theologian but I address things the best way I know how—
When is the last time you went to church and heard a sermon that addressed the subject of wrath and were told it was an attribute of God? Naturally, no one likes to hear “fire and brimstone” lectures coming down from the pulpit, but if one denies wrath is not an expression of God’s displeasure with man, then they are simply reinventing the Gospel to accommodate and make it into only those things that make them feel comfortable.
Many who worship God incorporate the singing of hymns and recently, the Presbyterian Church (USA) started theological debates among the masses due to their challenging the words of the song, “In Christ Alone.” They have dropped this hymn from their repertoire because the song’s authors refused to change a line in the song.
One of the song’s lyrics say, “on that cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.” The song committee of this church wanted the line addressing God’s wrath to be changed to, “the love of God was magnified.” Some think by removing the word “wrath” the church is burying its head in the sand by refuting the truth of the Gospel. Others think the church made the right move wanting the line removed because they feel like the wrong impression is given. They say the song implies God took His wrath out on Jesus and in turn killed Him. Where do people come up with this stuff?
Why are we always trying to redesign the Gospel so that nothing in it sounds offensive? And it is mans’ offenses that make it that way anyway because there is nothing offensive in God at all. There is instance after instance of God’s chosen people and pagans alike having to drink of God’s cup of wrath because of their insistent and consistent love affair with sin.
Hebrews 12:5-6—“My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”
We have come to expect outrageous statements that frequently flow from the mouths of atheists like physicist Stephen Hawking and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. Dawkins, in particular, works hard and has made quite a living at attacking God. Some of us will never get used to what they say. However, as offensive as I find their suggestions, I do not think that anything they have ever said has taken my breath away in quite the same manner as what Desmond Tutu recently announced to the United Nations.
The now retired black African leader campaigned hard to end apartheid and was well-deserving of his Nobel Peace Prize and other prestigious awards for his no less than heroic attempts to end the ongoing racism, violence and intolerance in his country. Now this man of God has turned the Gospel around, put his own sway on it, and in no uncertain terms, put God to a test.
During a July appearance before the UN for the “Free and Equal campaign in South Africa at which Tutu spoke, he declared that he “refused to go to a homophobic Heaven,” and would rather go to hell than worship a God who was homophobic. He was adamant and said his feelings about this were as deep as they were for the cause of antiapartheid.
I understand his hard-lined stance about the many countries in Africa who enact the death sentence on those committing homosexual acts. The governments making these policies are evil but you are asking to go to the same place others have tried to make your people feel like they were in.
I am appalled and distressed that a peaceful man of God who has championed such outstanding human rights causes would then turn around and challenge what God has said is right. Do you know what doors you may have possibly opened up not only for yourself but for others who hang on your very words, sir? And I am not talking about the doors of Heaven.
Do you really realize what you have said, Tutu? You could have wished nothing worse on or for yourself.
While I was doing some research, I came across a book written over a decade ago called, God Owes us Nothing and thought, How interesting. This is what I have been taught and it is a phrase that has been repeated many times over the past several years, but up until now, I have mostly rejected this concept. With that realization, I thought that it might be a good topic to write on, because I cannot be the only one with this “entitlement” brand of thinking.
At first, I thought, Now this is a depressing thought that God should not be somehow in my debt, but because I have accepted the foolishness in my thinking and repented, it has turned out to be quite a liberating realization. It has been revealed to me that this has been nothing but pride on my part.
For some reason, I thought that if I do all the right things and live according to God’s precepts, when something comes up that I need some divine intervention on, it will be granted to me because I deserve God’s favor in any given situation. Excuse me, God, please forgive me… Who do I think Iam?
What I think has been destitute in my thinking is that being self-centered, I have never really taken into consideration how much God has done for me…just because; not because he owes me one thing. God owes no man on this earth; He lacks nothing and nothing man can do for Him make His existence any better.
We do not have a business type relationship with God. He owes us nothing for being “good” servants. All God does is give and give and give…His grace is a gift, and Jesus dying on the cross was our ultimate gift.
This has been a hard article to write but if it can serve to help others resolve their brattish and arrogant way of thinking, then it has served its purpose. Sometimes we need to be reminded to take our eyes off ourselves and fix them on Heaven where they belong.
