GRACE & PEACE to you from GOD our FATHER thru our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

I pray that you are REJOICING (Phil. 4:4) in the LORD & PRAYING without ceasing (I Thes. 5:17). The 4th Wednesday in January, when I left Chino Womens Prison (60 out of 60 inmates received JESUS), I had a 104 fever & chills. I was very sick on Thursday. Friday, I collapsed, wasnt able to get up off the bathroom floor. Gloria Murcarella was calling me from outside my garage & I couldnt get to the phone. She had made noodle soup for me. I struggled for an hour to get to the phone and tore my bicep muscle. Gloria called 911. The paramedics broke in and took me to the emergency hospital. Pneumonia kept me there for 4 days. The M.D. said that if I had laid on that floor for a day or 2, I would have died. God had a different plan. I had to cancel 11 services. So, in only 10 services, over 150 were brought in by the HOLY SPIRIT (John 6:44). Not much supernatural strength & divine energy this month. A great deal of prayer got me through the 19 services in February. I want to thank all of you (& praise GOD for you) that prayed for me during this time. I was down for 3 weeks. I received over 100 phone calls & had saints all over the country praying for me. I am grateful & humbled. Im always encouraging those where I minister to PRAY continually. There is tremendous POWER in PRAYER. I Thes. 5:17 is one of the shortest verses in the Bible. It simply says, Pray without ceasing. Some think this is mission impossible packed in those 3 words. How in the world can we pray without ceasing? Does that mean we become cloistered like monks & pray night & day? Even so, we couldnt pray without ceasing, could we? Wed have to eat & sleep. Well, part of the problem here is that we misunderstand what prayer is. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:18 that we are to pray for the brethren. This is after we pray on our WHOLE armor, all 6 pieces. We are to pray on all occasions with all kinds of prayer. Certainly we should have DAILY time of quiet solitude when were alone with GOD in prayer. Thats one kind of prayer. But all thru our day, no matter what we are doing, our hearts should be in an attitude of prayer, so that throughout the day were breathing prayer & staying in touch with JESUS. Thats another kind of prayer. Praying without ceasing means we are continually in the attitude of prayer, & when our minds

have a free moment, we use those moments to send up a prayer. Now, in order to be able to do that, we have to have these quiet times of prayer where we establish that FIRM & TRUSTING relationship with the LORD. This is NOT a substitute for scheduled prayer time, but it is another kind of prayer. I think its the most wonderful benefit of being a Christian. To be able to stay in touch, all day long, with the LIVING GOD, just by breathing a prayer what an incredible JOY that is. This is NOT mission impossible. This is privilege incredible! Today, pray without ceasing. Look for those little breaks when you can snatch some prayer time. Youll be surprised how many you will find. It will make a difference in your life guaranteed. But, why is it so hard for Christians to pray without ceasing? What is our priority? CHOICES!!! Today it seems like too many are concerned how they look & feel. They jog; go to spas & diet doing anything to overcome signs of physical weakness. The truth is we all have weaknesses in our lives areas that we must deal with in our thinking, habits & actions, always through prayer. The issue is not what the weakness is but rather how we handle it. You can try to handle it in your own strength, or you can look to GOD for the strength you need. Without prayer; without that constant intimate time with the LORD, nothing of eternal value will ever happen (John 15:5; Eph. 6:10; Heb. 13:5; Phil. 4:13). There must be time for prayer & the Word of GOD, along with PRAISE time. In II Corinthians 12:9, GOD gives us this promise to hold on to when we face our weaknesses: My grace is sufficient for you. GOD will sustain you no matter what you are facing. Pray in expectation (Ps. 62:5) but pray. Dont give up (Luke 18:1). I keep hearing, Im busy dont have time for prayer & the Word of God. Well, the devil is busy too, 24-7. Dont ignore, deny, defend or excuse anything that prevents you from experiencing the victorious life GOD intends for you. Eph. 3:20 says, He is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us. That power is the HOLY SPIRIT who indwells every believer. The Apostle Paul prayed without ceasing! Will you? Why not NOW? Today! Until next month, may GOD bless you. To you who blessed me with love offerings, a 100-fold return. In His Majestys Service,

Dear Friend, If the Lord leads you to send a love offering for my Skid Row and Prison Ministry, please send it to: Heavenly Manna Inc. 8942 Willis Ave. Unit 9, Panorama City, CA 91402 My tax I.D. number for your records is 93-1112647. May God abundantly bless you. In His love, Mel

FINALLY NORMAL
On the surface, I could have been considered having been raised in a somewhat normal home. My parents were not Christians and the Word of God wasnt taught or mentioned. My mother was young, scared and dominated by my father. However, she cared for us and did her best with limited understanding. My father was domineering, self-centered and for the most part, not around. He proffered in the beliefs of the Jehovah Witnesses and was a criminal in his own right. I grew up in the 70s where drugs and alcohol were common place in our society. I partied with my friends, although deep down I knew it was wrong, I didnt realize the destructive path that I was on. I played sports, had average grades, and good manners, therefore it seemed like a normal life. When I look back, its clear that I was becoming a product of the environment around me. By age 13, I was arrested for vandalism. By 16, I was blowing up cars for fun and an occasional insurance job. Once as a favor for the police department (they wanted to get back at a bad guy). By 18, I was selling marijuana and was part of a gang that robbed warehouses. Some police members were our biggest customers. This instilled confidence and made me feel above the law. At age 18, a birthday party was thrown in my honor. A group of major league gangsters (cocaine dealers) up and down the east coast came to honor me. It was a suit and tie affair and crown. Major gangsters, ocean front condos, the FBI, smuggling, rat finks on the street, women, exotic sports cars, & unlimited cash were the norm in my life. At age 34, unbelievable fortune came my way! I was arrested with 11 lbs. of marijuana. After going through a Federal case earlier in which the FBI could not quite pin me down. They charged me with just testimonies against me. A 30 month sentence that had my high priced hot shot lawyer was amazed; especially with a Judge featured by 60 minutes as one of the toughest in the country. The host of my birthday party and most of the men there were charged with a C.C.E. charge (continuing a criminal enterprise, carrying a 20 year sentence. (Gods plan)! As for the marijuana charge, I got off with just felony possession, a 2 year sentence. (Gods grace)! Still disillusioned over the situation in my jail cell, the Holy Spirit hit me, and I cried out to God and asked if you are real, make something of this life, in which I have made a mess. (Gods salvation offer)! Later, after my actual sentencing, I attended the first available church service led by the Holy Spirit, and gave my life to the Lord. (My answer)! Since then, I have been involved in many services to the Lord leading Bible studies, part of the Pastors prayer team, a trained Evangelist, I have led many to the Lord. I have preached and taught at several churches. I am a graduate of a Bible College, about to become a Pastor and ready to write my first book. I can assure all that read this testimony that no matter what you have done or where you are in your life, God has a plan. The only question is your answer to His call. As for me, my life is finally normal. How about yours? Mels friend & Brother in Christ