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My New Dawn
Hiding in the midnight,
I've watched life pass me by.
Haunted by each heartbreak,
And mistake I’ve let weigh me down.
Now feels like…
Chorus:
This is my new dawn
My yesterdays have come and gone
Walked in the dark too long
This is my new, this is my new dawn.
I’ve washed my hands now,
I’ve laid down all my doubt
I see that sun rising, baptizing,
And shining straight into my soul
Bridge:
Just like a child, suddenly everything’s new.
The colors collide, and I see a beautiful view
Now I feel alive…
My new dawn…
My new dawn…
Friday, May 30, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Welcome Home!
http://
Belief over misery
And now after all
I've got my memories
They're always
Inside of me
But I can't go back
Back to how it was
I believe now
I've come too far
No I can't go back
Back to how it was
Created for a place
I've never known
This is home
Now I'm finally
Where I belong
Where I belong
Yeah, this is home
I've been searching
For a place of my own
Now I've found it
Maybe this is home
Yeah, this is home
Belief over misery
I've seen the enemy
And I won't go back
Back to how it was
And I got my heart
Set on
What happens next
I got my eyes wide
It's not over yet
We are miracles
And we're not alone
And now after all
My searching
After all my questions
I'm gonna call it home
I got a brand new mindset
I can finally see
The sunset
I'm gonna call it home
Now I know
Yeah, this is home
I've come too far
Now I won't go back
This is home
Sunday, May 25, 2008
"I know Whom I have believed" (II Timothy 1:12ff).
We don't know this Jesus we think we know. He is Wholly Other, totally, supremely, magnificently GOD. Only God can remain silent while we speak blasphemies and heresies in His name. He allows mankind to distort and misrepresent and bring people to a place of despair, just so He can then step in and reveal Himself for Who He really is. And He is never, ever, ever, ever what you thought. Nothing is as you have been told. And then, once you meet Him, you cannot describe Him, except to say He is nothing like what you had been told. Beyond description.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Prayer of a Minor Prophet
By A. W Tozer
This is the prayer of a man called to be a witness to the nations. This is what he said to his Lord on the day of his ordination. After the elders and ministers had prayed and laid their hands on him he withdrew to meet his Saviour in the secret place and in the silence, farther in than his well-meaning brethren could take him. And he said:
O Lord, I have heard Thy voice and was afraid. Thou hast called me to an awesome task in a grave and perilous hour. Thou are about to shake all nations and the earth and also heaven, that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. O Lord, our Lord, Thou has stopped to honor me to be Thy servant. No man takes this honor upon himself save he that is called of God as was Aaron. Thou has ordained me Thy messenger to them that are stubborn of heart and hard of hearing. They have rejected Thee, the Master, and it is not to be expected that they will receive me, the servant.
My God, I shall not waste time deploring my weakness nor my unfittedness for the work. The responsibility is not mine but Thine. Thou hast said, “I knew thee—I ordained thee—I sanctified thee,” and Thou has also said, “Thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.” Who am I to argue with Thee or to call into question Thy sovereign choice? The decision is not mine but Thine. So be it, Lord. Thy will, not mine, be done.
Well do I know, Thou God of the prophets and the apostles, that as long as I honor Thee Thou wilt honor me. Help me therefore to take this solemn vow to honor Thee in all my future life and labors, whether by gain or by loss, by life or by death, and then to keep that vow unbroken while I live.
It is time, O God, for Thee to work, for the enemy has entered into Thy pastures and the sheep are torn and scattered. And false shepherds abound who deny the danger and laugh at the perils which surround Thy flock. The sheep are deceived by these hirelings and follow them with touching loyalty while the wolf closes in to kill and destroy. I beseech Thee, give me sharp eyes to detect the presence of the enemy; give me understanding to distinguish the false friend from the true. Give me vision to see and courage to report what I see faithfully. Make my voice so like Thine own that even the sick sheep will recognize it and follow Thee.
Lord Jesus, I come to Thee for spiritual preparation. Lay Thy hand upon me. Anoint me with the oil of the New Testament prophet. Forbid that I should become a religious scribe and thus lose my prophetic calling. Save me from the curse that lies dark across the face of the modern clergy, the curse of compromise, of imitation, of professionalism. Save me from the error of judging a church by its size, its popularity or the amount of its yearly offering. Help me to remember that I am a prophet; not a promoter, not a religious manager—but a prophet. Let me never become a slave to crowds. Heal my soul of carnal ambitions and deliver me from the itch for publicity. Save me from the bondage to things. Let me not waste my days puttering around the house. Lay Thy terror upon me, O God, and drive me to the place of prayer where I may wrestle with principalities and powers and the rulers of the darkness of this world. Deliver me from overeating and late sleeping. Teach me self-discipline that I may be a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
I accept hard work and small rewards in this life. I ask for no easy place. I shall try to be blind to the little ways that I could make my life easier. If others seek the smoother path I shall try to take the hard way without judging them too harshly. I shall expect opposition and try to take it quietly when it comes. Or if, as sometimes it falleth out to Thy servants, I shall have grateful gifts pressed upon me by Thy kindly people, stand by me then and save me from the blight that often follows. Teach me to use whatever I receive in such manner that it will not injure my soul nor diminish my spiritual power. And if in Thy permissive providence honor should come to me from Thy church, let me not forget in that hour that I am unworthy of the least of Thy mercies, and that if men knew me as intimately as I know myself they would withhold their honors or bestow them upon others more worthy to receive them.
And now, O Lord of heaven and earth, I consecrate my remaining days to Thee; let them be many or few, as Thou wilt. Let me stand before the great or minister to the poor and lowly; that choice is not mine, and I would not influence it if I could. I am Thy servant to do Thy will, and that will is sweeter to me than position or riches or fame and I choose it above all things on earth or in heaven. Though I am chosen of Thee and honored by a high and holy calling, let me never forget that I am but a man of dust and ashes, a man with all the natural faults and passions that plague the race of men. I pray Thee therefore, my Lord and Redeemer, save me from myself and from all the injuries I may do myself while trying to be a blessing to others. Fill me with thy power by the Holy Spirit, and I will go in Thy strength and tell of Thy righteousness, even Thine only. I will spread abroad the message of redeeming love while my normal powers endure.
Then, dear Lord, when I am old and weary and too tired to go on, have a place ready for me above, and make me to be numbered with Thy saints in glory everlasting. Amen.
This is the prayer of a man called to be a witness to the nations. This is what he said to his Lord on the day of his ordination. After the elders and ministers had prayed and laid their hands on him he withdrew to meet his Saviour in the secret place and in the silence, farther in than his well-meaning brethren could take him. And he said:
O Lord, I have heard Thy voice and was afraid. Thou hast called me to an awesome task in a grave and perilous hour. Thou are about to shake all nations and the earth and also heaven, that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. O Lord, our Lord, Thou has stopped to honor me to be Thy servant. No man takes this honor upon himself save he that is called of God as was Aaron. Thou has ordained me Thy messenger to them that are stubborn of heart and hard of hearing. They have rejected Thee, the Master, and it is not to be expected that they will receive me, the servant.
My God, I shall not waste time deploring my weakness nor my unfittedness for the work. The responsibility is not mine but Thine. Thou hast said, “I knew thee—I ordained thee—I sanctified thee,” and Thou has also said, “Thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.” Who am I to argue with Thee or to call into question Thy sovereign choice? The decision is not mine but Thine. So be it, Lord. Thy will, not mine, be done.
Well do I know, Thou God of the prophets and the apostles, that as long as I honor Thee Thou wilt honor me. Help me therefore to take this solemn vow to honor Thee in all my future life and labors, whether by gain or by loss, by life or by death, and then to keep that vow unbroken while I live.
It is time, O God, for Thee to work, for the enemy has entered into Thy pastures and the sheep are torn and scattered. And false shepherds abound who deny the danger and laugh at the perils which surround Thy flock. The sheep are deceived by these hirelings and follow them with touching loyalty while the wolf closes in to kill and destroy. I beseech Thee, give me sharp eyes to detect the presence of the enemy; give me understanding to distinguish the false friend from the true. Give me vision to see and courage to report what I see faithfully. Make my voice so like Thine own that even the sick sheep will recognize it and follow Thee.
Lord Jesus, I come to Thee for spiritual preparation. Lay Thy hand upon me. Anoint me with the oil of the New Testament prophet. Forbid that I should become a religious scribe and thus lose my prophetic calling. Save me from the curse that lies dark across the face of the modern clergy, the curse of compromise, of imitation, of professionalism. Save me from the error of judging a church by its size, its popularity or the amount of its yearly offering. Help me to remember that I am a prophet; not a promoter, not a religious manager—but a prophet. Let me never become a slave to crowds. Heal my soul of carnal ambitions and deliver me from the itch for publicity. Save me from the bondage to things. Let me not waste my days puttering around the house. Lay Thy terror upon me, O God, and drive me to the place of prayer where I may wrestle with principalities and powers and the rulers of the darkness of this world. Deliver me from overeating and late sleeping. Teach me self-discipline that I may be a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
I accept hard work and small rewards in this life. I ask for no easy place. I shall try to be blind to the little ways that I could make my life easier. If others seek the smoother path I shall try to take the hard way without judging them too harshly. I shall expect opposition and try to take it quietly when it comes. Or if, as sometimes it falleth out to Thy servants, I shall have grateful gifts pressed upon me by Thy kindly people, stand by me then and save me from the blight that often follows. Teach me to use whatever I receive in such manner that it will not injure my soul nor diminish my spiritual power. And if in Thy permissive providence honor should come to me from Thy church, let me not forget in that hour that I am unworthy of the least of Thy mercies, and that if men knew me as intimately as I know myself they would withhold their honors or bestow them upon others more worthy to receive them.
And now, O Lord of heaven and earth, I consecrate my remaining days to Thee; let them be many or few, as Thou wilt. Let me stand before the great or minister to the poor and lowly; that choice is not mine, and I would not influence it if I could. I am Thy servant to do Thy will, and that will is sweeter to me than position or riches or fame and I choose it above all things on earth or in heaven. Though I am chosen of Thee and honored by a high and holy calling, let me never forget that I am but a man of dust and ashes, a man with all the natural faults and passions that plague the race of men. I pray Thee therefore, my Lord and Redeemer, save me from myself and from all the injuries I may do myself while trying to be a blessing to others. Fill me with thy power by the Holy Spirit, and I will go in Thy strength and tell of Thy righteousness, even Thine only. I will spread abroad the message of redeeming love while my normal powers endure.
Then, dear Lord, when I am old and weary and too tired to go on, have a place ready for me above, and make me to be numbered with Thy saints in glory everlasting. Amen.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Fasting and Prayer in Missions Preparation
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood." Isaiah 58:5-7
As we move forward in the days ahead and focus our attention on the nations, we cannot help but stress the importance of fasting and prayer. Fasting along with prayer will be a key used by God to launch you into His work, whether in country or overseas, and it will be vital to your success. We want to encourage you to begin to make fasting a part of your life. God will give you spiritual discernment and an increased ability to hear His voice when you fast. He will enlarge your faith and help you to increase your focus on the eternal. He also gives spiritual power to those who fast, and we certainly need that in reaching the nations. The urgency to reach the nations is increasing at an incredible rate. We must be prepared and ready to go. Fasting and prayer prepares us in the quickest and most powerful way for our future work for God.
The Purifying Power of Fasting and Prayer
"If my people… will humble themselves and pray and seek My face" II Chronicles 7:14
"After 45 years of emphasizing evangelism, discipleship and fulfillment of the Great Commission, some may think I have gone off on a tangent with my strong emphasis on fasting and prayer. The fact is that the best way to help individuals become evangelists for Christ is to bring them into a relationship with God in which the Holy Spirit renews them. Only fasting meets the criteria of each aspect of II Chronicles 7:14: 'If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.' When you humble yourself and pray and seek God's face and turn from your wicked ways, something happens to you and you get excited about the Lord in a way that you do not through any other means." Bill Bright
After returning from India last year, I am convinced that God wants to bring His people into a deep and holy life style. I was challenged deeply by the pure, humble and simple lives of the Christians I met in India. The harvest is ripe there, and the Christians are positioned in a holy and pure life style that is necessary for the ingathering of souls. God is using them in bringing signs, wonders and miracles. Fasting and prayer purifies the believer and makes us ready for harvest in the nations. Fasting does much in our lives internally. God desires that we seek a love relationship with Him. He longs for intimacy with us. Fasting and prayer remove the distractions from our lives so that we can focus on Him alone. Our relationship becomes purer, and our devotion becomes more intense. We get to the place where we seek Him only and not other things. The benefits listed below show us just how powerful this purifying is when we take time to seek God in fasting.
It humbles the soul - Jesus is our example. He humbled Himself unto the death on the cross (Philippians 2). Through brokenness, the Holy Spirit empowers us to live the resurrected life and touch the nations with His glory. "I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting." (Psalm 35:13)
It chastens the soul - The closer we draw near God's heart, the more we will share His sorrows. "When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach. I made sackcloth also my garment." (Psalm 69:10, 11)
It brings the body into subjection - We need to discipline ourselves physically on a daily basis. "Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." (I Corinthians 9:26-27)
It breaks down the barriers in man's carnal nature - These soulish barriers hinder the Holy Spirit's power. Fasting can enable the Holy Spirit to work unhindered through your prayers. "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us." (Ephesians 3:20)
It sacrifices our personal will - It is the discipline of the heart and mind and emotions. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)
It is a time of examination - God examines our inner attitudes and motivation. Fasting and prayer quiet us so we can more clearly hear His voice. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24)
It brings us into a deeper level of brokenness - "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." (Psalm 51:17)
It enables God to focus on our heart - He looks deeply in our hearts during times of fasting, encouraging and revealing any need for repentance. "Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind." (Psalm 26:2)
It causes us to face ourselves without escape routes - This brings us into a deeper relationship with God. "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." (Psalm 42:1-2a)
Fasting opens the way for God's grace - God gives grace to the humble. We need lots of grace on the mission field. "But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" (James 4:6)
Ask God How to Personally Incorporate Fasting into Your Life
When we fast and pray, we are conscious of His presence, and we yield to His Spirit in humility. God will flow through those who intimately know Him. When our carnal nature of selfishness is broken, pride is replaced by submission, and we grow in our obedience and love. He will always use the broken and humble. We read in James 4:6, "But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'" As we experience the grace of God in a greater dimension in our lives, we give Him all the praise and glory. We especially encourage you to employ fasting in your life before you go overseas. The following are some helpful ways to incorporate fasting into your lifestyle.
Seek God regarding fasting in your own personal life - Ask Him to increase your ability to fast and pray. Start where you are. Skip meals and pray, and then fast for a day or a few days. As He leads, you will want to move into times of longer fasts.
Ask God to give you some key things for which to pray during times of fasting - Write them down in a journal so that you can pray for them regularly. As you ask God to speak to you, and write down anything He says, ask Him for spiritual discernment and guidance for the future.
Pray for God to increase prayer and fasting in your city and the nation where you work or plan to work - Bathe that country in prayer during seasons of fasting.
Read books on prayer and fasting.
Be encouraged as you seek to develop your fasting and prayer life. Fasting is an important part of being an effective overseas worker. God will empower you for service; He will give you grace, and you shall not be disappointed. He will come through for you in a powerful way. After years on the mission field and years of involvement in Christian work, we have found fasting to be one of the most important disciplines in the Christian life. There are not words to express the value of fasting with prayer.
Fasting is spreading throughout the world as a vital part of the life of God's end-time workers. We started fasting many years ago on the mission field. We started small with 1-day fasts and moved into 3-day fasts with small groups. We have often fasted between Christmas and New Year's Day for yearly guidance. In time, we moved into more lengthy fasts of 21 days, 30 days, and a 40-day fast. We also recommend fasting until dinner before major ministry trips or for particular needs or guidance. Some of us are called to a fasting life style for reaching the nations. We recommend a 3-day Global Bridegroom Fast every first Monday-Wednesday every month. The value of fasting cannot be fully expressed. It has the power to break through any obstacles. After every long fast, we have seen God break through in a multitude of ways. Let God challenge you to this most strategic discipline. You will have God's grace and will never be disappointed in the resulting victories!
"Prayer intercession moves into the breach, the spiritual gap, and begins to pray repentance, restoration, revival and redirection for people - saved and unsaved. This should be the intercessor's prayer while fasting. This is the prayer God desires from fasting intercessors. 'Is this not the fast I have chosen?' Combine this spirit of intercession with the fasting of an honest heart, with Isaiah 58:6-12 to guide us, and the result will be powerful prayers with Kingdom results."
Monday, May 12, 2008
Quotes from Vance Havner
~The devil will let a preacher prepare a sermon if it will keep him from preparing himself.
~We are the salt of the earth, mind you, not the sugar. Our ministry is to truly cleanse and not just to change the taste.
~Too many churches start at eleven o'clock sharp, and end at twelve o'clock dull.
~Plenty of church members are shaky about what they believe, while not many are shaken by what they believe.
~Some preachers ought to put more fire into their sermons, or more sermons into the fire.
~The church is a hospital for sinners, and not a museum for saints.
~Preaching the truth makes the people either sad, mad, or glad. Too many people today leave church on Sunday neither sad, mad, nor glad; they go out as they came in. Better go out mad than just go out!
~There is a trend today that would put a new robe on the prodigal son while he is still feeding hogs. Some would put the ring on his finger while he still in the pigsty. Others would paint the pigsty and advocate bigger and better hog pens.
~VH Spurgeon wrote something to the effect that it is better to be a lean bird in the woods than a fat bird in a cage. Today's young minister is tempted to feather his nest in a comfortable parish with plenty of security. A caged eagle is a sad sight but sadder still is a caged preacher.
~We are the salt of the earth, mind you, not the sugar. Our ministry is to truly cleanse and not just to change the taste.
~Too many churches start at eleven o'clock sharp, and end at twelve o'clock dull.
~Plenty of church members are shaky about what they believe, while not many are shaken by what they believe.
~Some preachers ought to put more fire into their sermons, or more sermons into the fire.
~The church is a hospital for sinners, and not a museum for saints.
~Preaching the truth makes the people either sad, mad, or glad. Too many people today leave church on Sunday neither sad, mad, nor glad; they go out as they came in. Better go out mad than just go out!
~There is a trend today that would put a new robe on the prodigal son while he is still feeding hogs. Some would put the ring on his finger while he still in the pigsty. Others would paint the pigsty and advocate bigger and better hog pens.
~VH Spurgeon wrote something to the effect that it is better to be a lean bird in the woods than a fat bird in a cage. Today's young minister is tempted to feather his nest in a comfortable parish with plenty of security. A caged eagle is a sad sight but sadder still is a caged preacher.
Friday, May 09, 2008
The High Calling..
Just feeling the need to repost this from an earlier one:
I will attempt to help you understand the call as a pioneer. When we look at others who have gone before us, it can help us with where we find ourselves currently. Though we see through a glass darkly, it still helps to catch just a glimpse of what we are going
through. We could be called “forerunners” or “reformers”…. It can be seen as one who runs in front of the crowd. One who will search out the best path for others who will soon follow. One who will be the first to encounter un-plowed territory or land. Your vision or perspective will be vastly different from others as your eyesight will see from a completely different vantage point. You are much like the “Pioneers” of old who headed west in search of new land to settle in. They had to trail blaze through uninhabited land to make a way for others to cross with ease. They were “way makers” and visionaries”. What kept them pressing forward was a dream, a dream that held great promise of a better land in which to settle and grow strong roots.
This fire placed within you was placed there by the Lord of Glory Himself. Knowing this is from Him will help us to continue in the journey though many obstacles will be encountered. We press for the mark of the high calling of Christ. The cost is great. It could cost you everything you have and then some. You will be frequently misunderstood, rejected, slandered, ridiculed, mocked, condemned, betrayed and left by your closest loved ones. The greatest pain will come from those that you love the most. It will come from friends who you thought to be faithful. This walk is indeed very lonely. But yet He is asking, “Will you follow Me as I lead?” I can only pray that your answer will be ” Yes, Lord, let it be unto me, according to Your will”.
Brokeness will be a requirement. He will insist upon it. To be a vessel fit for His glory to reside and for Him to trust you, brokenness must come. There will come a time when one will begin to accept the refiner’s fire and actually ask for more of it. Those who have been given the revelation of just how precious that refinement is, knowing that it is bringing us forth as gold. I liken this brokenness to the story of Mary who sat at the feet of Jesus as the pharisees rebuked her. She took the bottle of alabaster and BROKE the bottle and the seal so that she could anoint her beloved Jesus with her most precious gift. She wiped His feet with her tears as she poured out her love to Him. Beloved, YOU are that bottle that needs to be broken. When broken, the fragrance of that brokeness will be so glorious before the Lord that it will rise to His nostrils and be most pleasing in His sight. The breaking brings forth humility and a contrite spirit which is of great worth in the sight of the King. Continual resistance from outside forces will only cause you to push in that much closer to the Lord. To remain stagnant would be like death to them. >For it is built within them an internal push that cannot remain still. Mundane routines are very hard to endure. For a fire is blazing within them.
Like the pioneers of old, they will encounter great difficulty. Some included impassable mountains, dense brush, severe weather, sickness and disease, wild animals, hunger and thirst as well as enemies. You can be certain there was much fighting in the ranks. It would take a strong leader to endure through it all. The pioneers’ battles were mostly in the natural but what drove them to succeed was a dream. Our battle will occur in the mind, the natural and in the spiritual realm. But always keep in mind that the King of Kings goes before you and will light your path. If He is for us, who can be against us? He never said this walk would be easy. He only said, pick up your cross and follow Me. He is still saying that today. May our spirit be quick to say, “Yes Lord, I will follow You
wherever You lead”.
Hallelujah to the King…….
The Lord will build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
I will attempt to help you understand the call as a pioneer. When we look at others who have gone before us, it can help us with where we find ourselves currently. Though we see through a glass darkly, it still helps to catch just a glimpse of what we are going
through. We could be called “forerunners” or “reformers”…. It can be seen as one who runs in front of the crowd. One who will search out the best path for others who will soon follow. One who will be the first to encounter un-plowed territory or land. Your vision or perspective will be vastly different from others as your eyesight will see from a completely different vantage point. You are much like the “Pioneers” of old who headed west in search of new land to settle in. They had to trail blaze through uninhabited land to make a way for others to cross with ease. They were “way makers” and visionaries”. What kept them pressing forward was a dream, a dream that held great promise of a better land in which to settle and grow strong roots.
This fire placed within you was placed there by the Lord of Glory Himself. Knowing this is from Him will help us to continue in the journey though many obstacles will be encountered. We press for the mark of the high calling of Christ. The cost is great. It could cost you everything you have and then some. You will be frequently misunderstood, rejected, slandered, ridiculed, mocked, condemned, betrayed and left by your closest loved ones. The greatest pain will come from those that you love the most. It will come from friends who you thought to be faithful. This walk is indeed very lonely. But yet He is asking, “Will you follow Me as I lead?” I can only pray that your answer will be ” Yes, Lord, let it be unto me, according to Your will”.
Brokeness will be a requirement. He will insist upon it. To be a vessel fit for His glory to reside and for Him to trust you, brokenness must come. There will come a time when one will begin to accept the refiner’s fire and actually ask for more of it. Those who have been given the revelation of just how precious that refinement is, knowing that it is bringing us forth as gold. I liken this brokenness to the story of Mary who sat at the feet of Jesus as the pharisees rebuked her. She took the bottle of alabaster and BROKE the bottle and the seal so that she could anoint her beloved Jesus with her most precious gift. She wiped His feet with her tears as she poured out her love to Him. Beloved, YOU are that bottle that needs to be broken. When broken, the fragrance of that brokeness will be so glorious before the Lord that it will rise to His nostrils and be most pleasing in His sight. The breaking brings forth humility and a contrite spirit which is of great worth in the sight of the King. Continual resistance from outside forces will only cause you to push in that much closer to the Lord. To remain stagnant would be like death to them. >For it is built within them an internal push that cannot remain still. Mundane routines are very hard to endure. For a fire is blazing within them.
Like the pioneers of old, they will encounter great difficulty. Some included impassable mountains, dense brush, severe weather, sickness and disease, wild animals, hunger and thirst as well as enemies. You can be certain there was much fighting in the ranks. It would take a strong leader to endure through it all. The pioneers’ battles were mostly in the natural but what drove them to succeed was a dream. Our battle will occur in the mind, the natural and in the spiritual realm. But always keep in mind that the King of Kings goes before you and will light your path. If He is for us, who can be against us? He never said this walk would be easy. He only said, pick up your cross and follow Me. He is still saying that today. May our spirit be quick to say, “Yes Lord, I will follow You
wherever You lead”.
Hallelujah to the King…….
The Lord will build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Performance or Prophetic?
By Stephen Bennett:
Just trying to be cool and current can leave you wanting. The latest contemporary songs sound terrific. Your own nostalgic favorites can still enjoy the glory of yesteryear. Volume still stirs and pumps. The sweet and soft sounds, soothe and make us fly. Skill and excellence are important. Yet the end-time glory and the governing anointing and power of God still hovers and waits. What is He waiting for?
Over the last 15 years a new generation has immerged into an established contemporary church culture in the Body of Christ that now has its own sense of tradition and denominationalism. This young generation has nonetheless been blessed with the freedom and liberty of music expression that many had pioneered in the decades before the nineties. Yet in the current journey, incredible success, and now global marketing, the prophetic and governmental power of music and its end-time purposes, as we see in Scripture, is becoming lost on much of this generation in contemporary church culture. What is the Holy Spirit waiting for now?
Musicians and singers who are worshipping warriors, that understand, and carry the presence and glory of God through their intercession and worship. They are prophets of sound yet to fully emerge that will articulate heaven into earth. The Body of Christ is in what is termed an apostolic reformation where the fullness of God’s authority and power is to be unleashed in the Church and on the world - this includes through the music. There is a cost to carrying this level of authority. It requires intimacy with God, consecration and total death to self - in this rapidly accelerating busy world many do not have the time for this.
Spiritual Shifts
The Holy Spirit is stirring the Body of Christ to realize that He wants to bring great quantum shifts in the way ministry is released in everything to do with what church is, the market place, events etc. These are shifts in the lives of people, where they can be accelerated quickly from one point to the next in their lives. They change so significantly in a moment of time that they are never the same again – this is not just the hype of contemporary religious church, but the tangible reality of spiritual change by the power and glory of God manifesting in lives. This is all part of the ongoing end-time transition into the apostolic reformation of the Church that will be able to have major affect in cities and nations.
Elements that hold this back in Australia are complacency, church cultures that are more obsessed with themselves, easy look good lifestyle, measures of worldliness and success based on things, and spiritual structures that tend to shut down or control the revelatory prophetic and apostolic flow rather than release it.
A significant change will happen when the Body of Christ embraces and releases its artists, singers and musicians to function in the proper biblical way. There are many that you would know, who are either disenfranchised, in the wilderness because of ''church'', or are aware of what God is doing and are looking for where they ''fit'' now''. God is re-building the Tabernacle of David for the rest of mankind to seek the Lord (Amos 9:11, Acts 16:15); musicians and artists have a very significant role to play. It’s not just about ''the songs'', or getting the latest worship leader into church with a current promoted album (this is where we can miss it). But the significance of power is from a synergy of musicians working together in close Godly relationship, who are called within a prophetic paradigm of church, as in David’s Tabernacle. To affect a governmental shift in the spirit over the lives of people, and to decree change into the atmosph! ere for the church, their territories and nation (Psalm 149).
The most powerful moves of the Spirit can come in the spontaneous gaps or prophetic interruptions in songs that are led by the Spirit, this can release the profound ministry strategies the Lord has for that time or moment. This is part of what being a prophet musician is about, this is the call of the artist, musician, singer today - to carry governmental spiritual authority and bring heaven to earth, to open up the earth as it were. See the glory of God released in all power and authority - which is what was given to Jesus by the Father and consequently to us in Christ. Tradition – old or new - cannot do this.
Performance or Prophetic?
In the western world the songs performed in many church meetings are often just well crafted popular styled music: now they are often more predictable as we follow one another, easily marketed, entertaining, and consumer friendly, some are even just produced for the royalties they generate. We call great sales as success, and the music is celebrated. Much of it is of course exemplary, positive, and incredibly well produced, although some of it can fall short of the full impact it could have in the world of the spirit. Why? Because many musical artists lack prophetic and apostolic revelation, mainly because they are untaught or just not in a church paradigm that releases it.
If overly contrived popular style praise is the only music ever played in churches, it may be fun and edifying, but may rarely carry an apostolic breakthrough anointing that takes you to a place of glory and the quantum shifts in the spirit that can bring immense change. This is true, especially when there is a major over emphasis on performance, or keeping up a church image, or when the music presentation is often produced with a marketing motive, or just for media. At worst, when it is a sleek church showcase set to just impress man. The emphasis on image (which is quite prevalent today) creates a stage performance, where moving in time, clicking fingers, wearing exquisite robes, or trendy brand clothing, or colors, often overshadows the reasons why we are on a platform. The lyrics we sing may all sound good, however, we end up missing the point of our purpose.
In many church services the music has been reduced to a predictable 15 minute warm up before announcements and the preaching. People’s hearts are left hanging out for more. You feel suspended, not having arrived anywhere - before all the advertisements and in house news and media take over. This is not a healthy place to be in for worshippers. Over time people can be lulled into thinking that is all there is. Sunday morning can end up feeling like a rushed ‘snack’ – in and out in an hour and half, yet left wanting for more. This is not the way to treat God’s people, or presenting this as the only definitive modern way of Christ.
In our efforts to be contemporary, current, and popular, our sounds can easily become spiritually dull, although it all seems right. The dullness then gets on you because you are under that authority and influence, and music has huge covering power over people in a local church. Why does this happen? In our highly stimulated visual world, we have allowed image and performance, to sometimes usurp the more important consideration of a greater relationship and consecration to Jesus Christ and hunger for His presence. The end result is a form that denies the release of real governing power. It is in such a place where God may say, "take away from me the noise of your songs." Amos 5:23. If all we have is a controlled religion with no power – we may as well close the doors and go home and play with the children in the sunshine, it’s more fun.
Many styles and expressions of music are used and blessed by God. In right context they are all effective. Many Christian artists are called into the numerous areas of music as a witness for Christ. There are bands with vision to release the glory of God through various music genres in the world market. This trend is increasing, and is highly effective in reaching people who will never go near a church building - especially the younger generation. With the apostolic anointing, we should be invading our culture in all realms outside the walls of what we call churches. However, if we just try to stay only popular or trendy within established church, we may create a maintenance level of music that is safe and spiritually middle of the road. This can breed an entertained, spectator audience, who are hooked on meetings - when they should be a participating congregation who can be accelerated and matured through intimacy with the Lord that releases them to be the mi! ghty Army of God, that affects the world.
We can now ask the question why we don’t often see the spontaneous prophetic song, or the song of the Lord much anymore. This used to be normal in church especially in the eighties, and is modeled in the Tabernacle of David as a major part of the prophetic purposes of music. Performance or Prophetic? Many in the Church are hungry for the prophetic today, and deep is crying unto deep. Many churches are fearful of releasing the fullness of it because of past extremes or lack of understanding. But times are changing and the Lord wants to move rapidly and release His glory on the earth. It will take the Church to fully shift into apostolic and prophetic understanding for the end-times.
End-Time Advance
True advancement in the 21st Century must come from moving on with the Spirit of the Lord and living in His ways. Many of us have just thought about God, Church, and spiritual authority, in the various ways it has been handed down to us in our Christian traditions, or movements.
If we are to fully embrace the apostolic move in these days, we must change the way we think. The Prophet Isaiah said, ''on the throne of David…to order it and establish it'' (Isaiah 9:7). God is on the throne, so we must all be throne thinkers. In Christ we sit with Him ''in heavenly places far above all principalities and power'' (Ephesians 1:20-21). Throne thinking is governmental thinking - we think as God thinks (as Jesus did), and we do as God does. God promised David he would establish this in these days. "I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn to my servant David: ''Your seed I will establish forever and build up your throne to all generations.'' " ''…I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David; His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me'' (Psalm 89:3-4, 35-36).
God is establishing and building up the throne of apostolic authority in the Church. It has endured through history and is flourishing now. We are in apostolic days, the majestic, glorious, royal authority of Christ will shine like the sun in the Church (Isaiah 60); the sun is hot, warm, and inviting. The Lord promised David. God has great zeal to establish His authority, government, and right order (Isaiah 9:7). The Hebrew language paints the picture of the Lord being red in the face, with an absolute righteous burning desire. This zeal for His temple was manifest in Jerusalem; it had ''eaten Him up'', moreover, Jesus violently cleared the temple on account of the merchandising ways of it’s religious ministers (John 2:15-17).
God does not tolerate anything against His Holy desire where His government is concerned. He wants to advance His glory now against all substitutes, false and futile. God is hot for this to happen. If the Church does not flow with God''s ways, we are warned by the Psalmist, ''He who instructs the nations shall He not correct…? The Lord knows the thoughts of man that they are futile'' (Psalm 94:10-11).
Man made ideas from the spirit of this age, the principles of the world, religious traditions, or simply just trying to be cool and contemporary, are just not enough anymore. They are futile in truly being able to reform and change nations. God is establishing apostolic and prophetic authority in the Body of Christ; we cannot resist it, even in our music. ‘He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’ Revelation 3:6.
Just trying to be cool and current can leave you wanting. The latest contemporary songs sound terrific. Your own nostalgic favorites can still enjoy the glory of yesteryear. Volume still stirs and pumps. The sweet and soft sounds, soothe and make us fly. Skill and excellence are important. Yet the end-time glory and the governing anointing and power of God still hovers and waits. What is He waiting for?
Over the last 15 years a new generation has immerged into an established contemporary church culture in the Body of Christ that now has its own sense of tradition and denominationalism. This young generation has nonetheless been blessed with the freedom and liberty of music expression that many had pioneered in the decades before the nineties. Yet in the current journey, incredible success, and now global marketing, the prophetic and governmental power of music and its end-time purposes, as we see in Scripture, is becoming lost on much of this generation in contemporary church culture. What is the Holy Spirit waiting for now?
Musicians and singers who are worshipping warriors, that understand, and carry the presence and glory of God through their intercession and worship. They are prophets of sound yet to fully emerge that will articulate heaven into earth. The Body of Christ is in what is termed an apostolic reformation where the fullness of God’s authority and power is to be unleashed in the Church and on the world - this includes through the music. There is a cost to carrying this level of authority. It requires intimacy with God, consecration and total death to self - in this rapidly accelerating busy world many do not have the time for this.
Spiritual Shifts
The Holy Spirit is stirring the Body of Christ to realize that He wants to bring great quantum shifts in the way ministry is released in everything to do with what church is, the market place, events etc. These are shifts in the lives of people, where they can be accelerated quickly from one point to the next in their lives. They change so significantly in a moment of time that they are never the same again – this is not just the hype of contemporary religious church, but the tangible reality of spiritual change by the power and glory of God manifesting in lives. This is all part of the ongoing end-time transition into the apostolic reformation of the Church that will be able to have major affect in cities and nations.
Elements that hold this back in Australia are complacency, church cultures that are more obsessed with themselves, easy look good lifestyle, measures of worldliness and success based on things, and spiritual structures that tend to shut down or control the revelatory prophetic and apostolic flow rather than release it.
A significant change will happen when the Body of Christ embraces and releases its artists, singers and musicians to function in the proper biblical way. There are many that you would know, who are either disenfranchised, in the wilderness because of ''church'', or are aware of what God is doing and are looking for where they ''fit'' now''. God is re-building the Tabernacle of David for the rest of mankind to seek the Lord (Amos 9:11, Acts 16:15); musicians and artists have a very significant role to play. It’s not just about ''the songs'', or getting the latest worship leader into church with a current promoted album (this is where we can miss it). But the significance of power is from a synergy of musicians working together in close Godly relationship, who are called within a prophetic paradigm of church, as in David’s Tabernacle. To affect a governmental shift in the spirit over the lives of people, and to decree change into the atmosph! ere for the church, their territories and nation (Psalm 149).
The most powerful moves of the Spirit can come in the spontaneous gaps or prophetic interruptions in songs that are led by the Spirit, this can release the profound ministry strategies the Lord has for that time or moment. This is part of what being a prophet musician is about, this is the call of the artist, musician, singer today - to carry governmental spiritual authority and bring heaven to earth, to open up the earth as it were. See the glory of God released in all power and authority - which is what was given to Jesus by the Father and consequently to us in Christ. Tradition – old or new - cannot do this.
Performance or Prophetic?
In the western world the songs performed in many church meetings are often just well crafted popular styled music: now they are often more predictable as we follow one another, easily marketed, entertaining, and consumer friendly, some are even just produced for the royalties they generate. We call great sales as success, and the music is celebrated. Much of it is of course exemplary, positive, and incredibly well produced, although some of it can fall short of the full impact it could have in the world of the spirit. Why? Because many musical artists lack prophetic and apostolic revelation, mainly because they are untaught or just not in a church paradigm that releases it.
If overly contrived popular style praise is the only music ever played in churches, it may be fun and edifying, but may rarely carry an apostolic breakthrough anointing that takes you to a place of glory and the quantum shifts in the spirit that can bring immense change. This is true, especially when there is a major over emphasis on performance, or keeping up a church image, or when the music presentation is often produced with a marketing motive, or just for media. At worst, when it is a sleek church showcase set to just impress man. The emphasis on image (which is quite prevalent today) creates a stage performance, where moving in time, clicking fingers, wearing exquisite robes, or trendy brand clothing, or colors, often overshadows the reasons why we are on a platform. The lyrics we sing may all sound good, however, we end up missing the point of our purpose.
In many church services the music has been reduced to a predictable 15 minute warm up before announcements and the preaching. People’s hearts are left hanging out for more. You feel suspended, not having arrived anywhere - before all the advertisements and in house news and media take over. This is not a healthy place to be in for worshippers. Over time people can be lulled into thinking that is all there is. Sunday morning can end up feeling like a rushed ‘snack’ – in and out in an hour and half, yet left wanting for more. This is not the way to treat God’s people, or presenting this as the only definitive modern way of Christ.
In our efforts to be contemporary, current, and popular, our sounds can easily become spiritually dull, although it all seems right. The dullness then gets on you because you are under that authority and influence, and music has huge covering power over people in a local church. Why does this happen? In our highly stimulated visual world, we have allowed image and performance, to sometimes usurp the more important consideration of a greater relationship and consecration to Jesus Christ and hunger for His presence. The end result is a form that denies the release of real governing power. It is in such a place where God may say, "take away from me the noise of your songs." Amos 5:23. If all we have is a controlled religion with no power – we may as well close the doors and go home and play with the children in the sunshine, it’s more fun.
Many styles and expressions of music are used and blessed by God. In right context they are all effective. Many Christian artists are called into the numerous areas of music as a witness for Christ. There are bands with vision to release the glory of God through various music genres in the world market. This trend is increasing, and is highly effective in reaching people who will never go near a church building - especially the younger generation. With the apostolic anointing, we should be invading our culture in all realms outside the walls of what we call churches. However, if we just try to stay only popular or trendy within established church, we may create a maintenance level of music that is safe and spiritually middle of the road. This can breed an entertained, spectator audience, who are hooked on meetings - when they should be a participating congregation who can be accelerated and matured through intimacy with the Lord that releases them to be the mi! ghty Army of God, that affects the world.
We can now ask the question why we don’t often see the spontaneous prophetic song, or the song of the Lord much anymore. This used to be normal in church especially in the eighties, and is modeled in the Tabernacle of David as a major part of the prophetic purposes of music. Performance or Prophetic? Many in the Church are hungry for the prophetic today, and deep is crying unto deep. Many churches are fearful of releasing the fullness of it because of past extremes or lack of understanding. But times are changing and the Lord wants to move rapidly and release His glory on the earth. It will take the Church to fully shift into apostolic and prophetic understanding for the end-times.
End-Time Advance
True advancement in the 21st Century must come from moving on with the Spirit of the Lord and living in His ways. Many of us have just thought about God, Church, and spiritual authority, in the various ways it has been handed down to us in our Christian traditions, or movements.
If we are to fully embrace the apostolic move in these days, we must change the way we think. The Prophet Isaiah said, ''on the throne of David…to order it and establish it'' (Isaiah 9:7). God is on the throne, so we must all be throne thinkers. In Christ we sit with Him ''in heavenly places far above all principalities and power'' (Ephesians 1:20-21). Throne thinking is governmental thinking - we think as God thinks (as Jesus did), and we do as God does. God promised David he would establish this in these days. "I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn to my servant David: ''Your seed I will establish forever and build up your throne to all generations.'' " ''…I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David; His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me'' (Psalm 89:3-4, 35-36).
God is establishing and building up the throne of apostolic authority in the Church. It has endured through history and is flourishing now. We are in apostolic days, the majestic, glorious, royal authority of Christ will shine like the sun in the Church (Isaiah 60); the sun is hot, warm, and inviting. The Lord promised David. God has great zeal to establish His authority, government, and right order (Isaiah 9:7). The Hebrew language paints the picture of the Lord being red in the face, with an absolute righteous burning desire. This zeal for His temple was manifest in Jerusalem; it had ''eaten Him up'', moreover, Jesus violently cleared the temple on account of the merchandising ways of it’s religious ministers (John 2:15-17).
God does not tolerate anything against His Holy desire where His government is concerned. He wants to advance His glory now against all substitutes, false and futile. God is hot for this to happen. If the Church does not flow with God''s ways, we are warned by the Psalmist, ''He who instructs the nations shall He not correct…? The Lord knows the thoughts of man that they are futile'' (Psalm 94:10-11).
Man made ideas from the spirit of this age, the principles of the world, religious traditions, or simply just trying to be cool and contemporary, are just not enough anymore. They are futile in truly being able to reform and change nations. God is establishing apostolic and prophetic authority in the Body of Christ; we cannot resist it, even in our music. ‘He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’ Revelation 3:6.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Is Tolerance Love?
Tolerance has been misused in our society, being wrongly affiliated with the “approval” point of view. But Jesus provided the perfect example of speaking the truth and showing love when he defended the adulterous woman against those who judged her, and also told her “go and leave yourlife of sin.” (John 4:1-30)
Here is some of what Josh McDowell has to say about worldly “tolerance” versus love:
Here is some of what Josh McDowell has to say about worldly “tolerance” versus love:
Tolerance says, "You must approve of what I do." Love responds, "I must do something harder; I will love you, even when your behavior offends me."
Tolerance says, "You must agree with me." Love responds, "I must do something harder; I will tell you the truth, because I am convinced 'the truth will set you free.' "
Tolerance says, "You must allow me to have my way." Love responds, "I must do something harder; I will plead with you to follow the right way, because I believe you are worth the risk."
Tolerance seeks to be inoffensive; love takes risks.
Tolerance glorifies division; love seeks unity.
Tolerance costs nothing; love costs everything.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
THE CROSS IS CENTRAL TO THE WORK OF PRAYER
Precisely how does a human being, with all their feelings and emotions, relegate his (or her) natural sense, ignore what his eyes and ears tell him, and really get into a place in God where he can pray in cooperation with God's Will? What we have called "taking up the Cross" is now about to hit home for many of us who have held it as a mere doctrine, but not an experience. For only someone dead to himself can do it, and this is exactly what the Cross is meant to accomplish in the life of the Christian. The very struggle itself is necessary, not too unlike the baby bird which must struggle with its own shell before it can be free of it. We see this pointedly illustrated in the Garden of Gethsemane by Christ Himself, when He prayed:
"Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not My will, but Your Will be done (Matthew 26:39)."
His sweat mingled with His tears, and He wrestled with Himself three times before He could settle the issue, but once it was settled, He gave no resistance, and within a few hours everything was accomplished. Oh! That is where we are lacking today! How long will we kick and struggle against the pricks? How long will we argue and complain against God and resist His dealings with us? If we have to die in order to truly live, let us be about the business of dying! If we must be crucified in order to have Resurrection Life, then let us just submit to it and get it over with!
Some very telling features are found in this passage and in the ones related to it. We see at once that there is a thing called God's Will, and there is a thing called My Will. If this was true of Jesus, believe me when I say it is abundantly true of us. Forget about the devil for a moment, this issue of God's Will versus My Will is one hundred thousand times more intense than any fight with some devil or demon. God's Will and My Will are not always in agreement, and that is going to be a problem for God and for me until it is resolved. How can I represent His Kingdom in the earth and talk about His preeminence over all creation if He does not have the preeminence in my own life?
HENCE THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER: to get aligned with the Mind, Will, Heart, Desire, Purpose, and Aim of God Himself. It is a fight and a struggle just to get to Gethsemane. It is a battle to get your brethren to stay awake with you for even one hour; and it is an all-out war to "pray thrice" or ten times or twenty times or one hundred times, as the case may be, until you have gotten the victory over yourself, and come away soaked with the blood, sweat, and tears of that early morning wrestling. But once the outcome is decided in God's favor, what awesome power and Life one receives, to drink that Cup that looked so impossible before, and to go forth bearing the Cross in the strength and power of God Himself, to do whatever He requires!
Admittedly, the kind of prayer we are calling the Church to will require a great deal of self-denial and work, more work than most of us are accustomed to, and for that reason the majority of people who read this will give it up as too laborious. Like the disciples who fell asleep, some simply cannot stay awake (literally or figuratively) to watch and pray for any length of time. This is due in part to the "lazy man's" way of praying that we have been taught and have followed for so long. Now we are not talking about how many hours per day you should spend in prayer. You can be effectual and fervent for twenty minutes per day, and you can be totally ineffectual and half-hearted for several hours straight. Which fulfills God's purpose? We need to work on the quality of our intercessions first and foremost, and then we can work on the quantity of them.
Thus, a serious call to prayer and fasting involves something more than an occasional prayer meeting, an hour-long prayer vigil, or an occasional skipped meal or two. It is a call, not to the world in general, but to the Church, for it is the Call of the Cross all over again: to give no place to the flesh, even in prayer; to subjugate all that pertains to the natural man; to get aligned with something larger and bigger than myself; to get one's own house in order; to bring a message of warning AND mercy to the unsubmitted earth; to prepare the way for the preeminence of Christ, and to demonstrate that preeminence to the rest of the world. Towards this End, we pray that the Lord will raise up more of the saints to represent His interests as the House of Prayer for All Nations.
"Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not My will, but Your Will be done (Matthew 26:39)."
His sweat mingled with His tears, and He wrestled with Himself three times before He could settle the issue, but once it was settled, He gave no resistance, and within a few hours everything was accomplished. Oh! That is where we are lacking today! How long will we kick and struggle against the pricks? How long will we argue and complain against God and resist His dealings with us? If we have to die in order to truly live, let us be about the business of dying! If we must be crucified in order to have Resurrection Life, then let us just submit to it and get it over with!
Some very telling features are found in this passage and in the ones related to it. We see at once that there is a thing called God's Will, and there is a thing called My Will. If this was true of Jesus, believe me when I say it is abundantly true of us. Forget about the devil for a moment, this issue of God's Will versus My Will is one hundred thousand times more intense than any fight with some devil or demon. God's Will and My Will are not always in agreement, and that is going to be a problem for God and for me until it is resolved. How can I represent His Kingdom in the earth and talk about His preeminence over all creation if He does not have the preeminence in my own life?
HENCE THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER: to get aligned with the Mind, Will, Heart, Desire, Purpose, and Aim of God Himself. It is a fight and a struggle just to get to Gethsemane. It is a battle to get your brethren to stay awake with you for even one hour; and it is an all-out war to "pray thrice" or ten times or twenty times or one hundred times, as the case may be, until you have gotten the victory over yourself, and come away soaked with the blood, sweat, and tears of that early morning wrestling. But once the outcome is decided in God's favor, what awesome power and Life one receives, to drink that Cup that looked so impossible before, and to go forth bearing the Cross in the strength and power of God Himself, to do whatever He requires!
Admittedly, the kind of prayer we are calling the Church to will require a great deal of self-denial and work, more work than most of us are accustomed to, and for that reason the majority of people who read this will give it up as too laborious. Like the disciples who fell asleep, some simply cannot stay awake (literally or figuratively) to watch and pray for any length of time. This is due in part to the "lazy man's" way of praying that we have been taught and have followed for so long. Now we are not talking about how many hours per day you should spend in prayer. You can be effectual and fervent for twenty minutes per day, and you can be totally ineffectual and half-hearted for several hours straight. Which fulfills God's purpose? We need to work on the quality of our intercessions first and foremost, and then we can work on the quantity of them.
Thus, a serious call to prayer and fasting involves something more than an occasional prayer meeting, an hour-long prayer vigil, or an occasional skipped meal or two. It is a call, not to the world in general, but to the Church, for it is the Call of the Cross all over again: to give no place to the flesh, even in prayer; to subjugate all that pertains to the natural man; to get aligned with something larger and bigger than myself; to get one's own house in order; to bring a message of warning AND mercy to the unsubmitted earth; to prepare the way for the preeminence of Christ, and to demonstrate that preeminence to the rest of the world. Towards this End, we pray that the Lord will raise up more of the saints to represent His interests as the House of Prayer for All Nations.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
The Blessing and the Breaking
"And it came to pass, as He sat at meat with them, He took bread, and blessed it, and brake and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him" (Luke 24:30-31).
After Jesus blessed the bread, and broke it, and gave it to them, their eyes were opened and they knew Him. Until you have the blessing and the breaking your eyes will remain closed. Blessings alone do not open our eyes. Indeed, blessings by themselves tend to close our eyes. We do not come to know Him in the blessing, but in the breaking. Then what we already have in Him will be revealed. Our eyes will be opened and we will see that He has been standing there the whole time.
Do you want to know Him? Do you want to see Him for Who He is? Do you want to go deeper? Do you want to have your eyes opened? Embrace the blessing AND the breaking; receive them both. If you are a bruised reed or a broken cistern, take heart, because you are making progress.
After Jesus blessed the bread, and broke it, and gave it to them, their eyes were opened and they knew Him. Until you have the blessing and the breaking your eyes will remain closed. Blessings alone do not open our eyes. Indeed, blessings by themselves tend to close our eyes. We do not come to know Him in the blessing, but in the breaking. Then what we already have in Him will be revealed. Our eyes will be opened and we will see that He has been standing there the whole time.
Do you want to know Him? Do you want to see Him for Who He is? Do you want to go deeper? Do you want to have your eyes opened? Embrace the blessing AND the breaking; receive them both. If you are a bruised reed or a broken cistern, take heart, because you are making progress.
Friday, April 11, 2008
When Average Men Follow Christ
By Francis Frangipane
Before we doubt whether we are the caliber of the first disciples, here is a fact sheet compiled from over 200 New Testament Scriptures concerning those whom Jesus first called.
The disciples... came to Christ, believed in Him, followed Him.
They...
dined with Him, often became hungry, often didn't have time to eat, twice fed the multitudes.
They...
received special authority to heal and deliver, became Jesus' confidants, were often rebuked and corrected, were entrusted with the mysteries of God's Kingdom.
They...
did what was not lawful on the Sabbath, broke the traditions of the elders, entered the Kingdom of God and walked in God's power.
They...
were frightened, fell on their faces, were much afraid, were very astonished, they marveled, they were indignant and they rejoiced.
They...
became weary on a number of occasions, grumbled and withdrew, some stopped walking with Jesus; even after the resurrection some still doubted, they wrote the New Testament and died for their faith.
They...
were taught to pray for the Kingdom to come and for laborers for the harvest, yet slept while Jesus prayed; they spent ten days in continuous prayer before Pentecost, and prayed corporately every day afterward at 3:00 p.m..
They...
forgot provisions, made commitments they could not keep, individuals begged them to heal people they could not heal, they attempted to exorcise demons that would not leave, they rebuked parents bringing children to be blessed, abandoned Jesus in His deepest need, they were frequently jealous and ambitious, and they turned the world upside down after the resurrection.
They...
had a tendency to invent doctrines, tried to command fire to fall on the Samaritans, put a limit on how many times to forgive, presumed John would not die, wanted to build tabernacles for Jesus, Moses and Elijah, became the tabernacle of God on earth after Pentecost.
They...
prepared cities for the arrival of Jesus, prepared the Passover for the last supper, and were prepared by God to represent Christ; ultimately, they were prepared to die for the Lord.
They...
remembered what Jesus taught, received the great commission, faced terrible opposition from principalities and powers, Jews and Gentiles, yet they made disciples of all nations.
Let us read the words of Christ as though we were sitting at Jesus' feet learning. What did Jesus say concerning love, spiritual authority, or the power of faith? It is time to not be overwhelmed by our flaws and weaknesses. Rather, let us obey all Jesus taught and be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, even as His first disciples were.
Before we doubt whether we are the caliber of the first disciples, here is a fact sheet compiled from over 200 New Testament Scriptures concerning those whom Jesus first called.
The disciples... came to Christ, believed in Him, followed Him.
They...
dined with Him, often became hungry, often didn't have time to eat, twice fed the multitudes.
They...
received special authority to heal and deliver, became Jesus' confidants, were often rebuked and corrected, were entrusted with the mysteries of God's Kingdom.
They...
did what was not lawful on the Sabbath, broke the traditions of the elders, entered the Kingdom of God and walked in God's power.
They...
were frightened, fell on their faces, were much afraid, were very astonished, they marveled, they were indignant and they rejoiced.
They...
became weary on a number of occasions, grumbled and withdrew, some stopped walking with Jesus; even after the resurrection some still doubted, they wrote the New Testament and died for their faith.
They...
were taught to pray for the Kingdom to come and for laborers for the harvest, yet slept while Jesus prayed; they spent ten days in continuous prayer before Pentecost, and prayed corporately every day afterward at 3:00 p.m..
They...
forgot provisions, made commitments they could not keep, individuals begged them to heal people they could not heal, they attempted to exorcise demons that would not leave, they rebuked parents bringing children to be blessed, abandoned Jesus in His deepest need, they were frequently jealous and ambitious, and they turned the world upside down after the resurrection.
They...
had a tendency to invent doctrines, tried to command fire to fall on the Samaritans, put a limit on how many times to forgive, presumed John would not die, wanted to build tabernacles for Jesus, Moses and Elijah, became the tabernacle of God on earth after Pentecost.
They...
prepared cities for the arrival of Jesus, prepared the Passover for the last supper, and were prepared by God to represent Christ; ultimately, they were prepared to die for the Lord.
They...
remembered what Jesus taught, received the great commission, faced terrible opposition from principalities and powers, Jews and Gentiles, yet they made disciples of all nations.
Let us read the words of Christ as though we were sitting at Jesus' feet learning. What did Jesus say concerning love, spiritual authority, or the power of faith? It is time to not be overwhelmed by our flaws and weaknesses. Rather, let us obey all Jesus taught and be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, even as His first disciples were.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
$$
How many of us sweat over money and finance issues..?
Kindof puts it into proper perspective don't you think?
RICHER THAN YOU THINK?
How do you feel about that? A bit richer we hope. Richer and ready to give some of your newly found wealth to those who need it most. It not hard - just slip your hand in your pocket and pull out something special. Something that can help redress the balance - and also make you feel uncommonly good. Many peoples lives could be happier if you donated just one hour's salary (approx $14.36 - UK estimate).
All you have to do is make a choice.
$8 could buy you 15 organic apples OR 25 fruit trees for farmers in Honduras to grow and sell fruit at their local market.
$30 could buy you an ER DVD Boxset OR a First Aid kit for a village in Haiti.
$73 could buy you a new mobile phone OR a new mobile health clinic to care for AIDS orphans in Uganda.
$2400 could buy you a second generation High Definition TV OR schooling for an entire generation of school children in an Angolan village.
Kindof puts it into proper perspective don't you think?
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Grace..
"And He said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (II Corinthians 12:9).
All those who want power with God must see that His power is released through our weakness. Do realize that you are weak whether you admit it or not, but the power of humility is in recognizing and agreeing before God that we really can do nothing of our own selves. God's power is not for those with natural charisma, talent, leadership skills, education, training, or "connections". God is not looking for volunteers to serve at their own convenience as their schedule permits, but calls for disciples who will lay down their lives. The flesh counts for nothing in spiritual matters.
All those who want power with God must see that His power is released through our weakness. Do realize that you are weak whether you admit it or not, but the power of humility is in recognizing and agreeing before God that we really can do nothing of our own selves. God's power is not for those with natural charisma, talent, leadership skills, education, training, or "connections". God is not looking for volunteers to serve at their own convenience as their schedule permits, but calls for disciples who will lay down their lives. The flesh counts for nothing in spiritual matters.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
ITS WAR TIME..
When Kings Go Out to Battle
By Francis Frangipane
Beware of a Passive Spirit
There are many examples of David's valor. As a young man, for instance, while others trembled, David was ready and eager to face Goliath. David is an example of one whom God chose, whose passions for God sustained him for most of his life.
Yet David also provides an example of what happens to good people when they go passive when they should be fighting. For there was an occasion when David did not pursue his enemies and the consequences were grave. It happened because he allowed a passive spirit to subdue his will.
"Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem" (2 Sam.11:1).
During a time of war, the king allowed a passive spirit to immobilize his soul. Soon we find this great warrior king almost helpless to resist the unfolding spiritual attack.
"Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance" (2 Sam. 11:2).
The woman was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. From the moment David accepted the influence of that passive spirit, his resistance was weakened; a paralysis of conscience occurred. Scripture says that "when evening came David arose from his bed." Perhaps it was customary to rest in the afternoon, but it strikes me as inconsistent for David to nap while his men fought. It is possible that this nap was not a response to a bodily need but an expression of the slumber that gripped his soul. He was in bed until "evening."
This heaviness of soul resting on David was actually part of a larger, synchronized spiritual attack. The other part of that battle was the quiet, inner prompting that stirred Bathsheba to bathe in a place where David could see her. Finally, unable to resist, and in defiance of his noble qualities, David "sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her" (2 Sam. 11:4).
Dear friend, remember: This terrible moral failure was not driven by David's lust or flagrant rebellion to God. A passive spirit introduced David to his sin! The problem was simply that, in a time when the kings went forth to war, David stayed at home.
We ourselves are in a time of war. The Spirit of God is calling us to fight for our souls as well as our families, cities and nations. Indeed, God's Word reveals that "The Lord will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies" (Isa. 42:13).
Is that holy fight in you? Is there a war cry in your spirit? If you are born again, that cry is within you, even if it has been muted by lethargy.
We will never succeed as overcomers without carrying in our spirits the war cry of God. We must stop resisting the call to prayer; we must embrace the reality of spiritual warfare; and we must fight with the weapons of warfare that God has given us, both for our own progress and also on behalf of those we love.
Know, however, that the moment you accept a passive spirit, you should anticipate that a temptation appropriate to your weakness will soon follow. It may not be Bathsheba; it may be pornography on the Internet. Or it may be a coworker who begins to look attractive at a time when you and your spouse are struggling. Whatever the area of weakness in your life, Satan will attack that area. It will likely not be a bold frontal assault; if you first drop your guard and relax your fight, he will disarm you with a passive spirit. If the enemy succeeds in his assault, you will find yourself wrapped up in something that can devastate you and your loved ones.
One may argue, "I'm walking with God. I'm a bond-servant of the Lord. I'm not vulnerable." Remember what the Lord warned the church in Thyatira: "I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols" (Rev. 2:20) .
Jesus was concerned, not only for the corrupting influence of Jezebel in the world; He was concerned that the leaders of the church had grown tolerant. More, her seductions not only targeted the wayward or new believers, but she led God's bond-servants astray.
Although it does not identify this seductive spirit by name, Proverbs warns of the temptations of the Jezebel spirit. Speaking of "the woman of folly," she calls out "to those who pass by, who are making their paths straight: Whoever is naive, let him turn in here" (see Prov. 9:14-18).
Who is this spirit after? Those "who are making their paths straight."
Beloved, it is springtime here in the northern hemisphere. It is that time of the year when seduction begins to call out "to those who pass by." Let us not become passive in a time of war. Rather, let us fight for our nation, our cities, our families and, especially, our own souls.
It is time for kings to go to war
By Francis Frangipane
Beware of a Passive Spirit
There are many examples of David's valor. As a young man, for instance, while others trembled, David was ready and eager to face Goliath. David is an example of one whom God chose, whose passions for God sustained him for most of his life.
Yet David also provides an example of what happens to good people when they go passive when they should be fighting. For there was an occasion when David did not pursue his enemies and the consequences were grave. It happened because he allowed a passive spirit to subdue his will.
"Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem" (2 Sam.11:1).
During a time of war, the king allowed a passive spirit to immobilize his soul. Soon we find this great warrior king almost helpless to resist the unfolding spiritual attack.
"Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance" (2 Sam. 11:2).
The woman was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. From the moment David accepted the influence of that passive spirit, his resistance was weakened; a paralysis of conscience occurred. Scripture says that "when evening came David arose from his bed." Perhaps it was customary to rest in the afternoon, but it strikes me as inconsistent for David to nap while his men fought. It is possible that this nap was not a response to a bodily need but an expression of the slumber that gripped his soul. He was in bed until "evening."
This heaviness of soul resting on David was actually part of a larger, synchronized spiritual attack. The other part of that battle was the quiet, inner prompting that stirred Bathsheba to bathe in a place where David could see her. Finally, unable to resist, and in defiance of his noble qualities, David "sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her" (2 Sam. 11:4).
Dear friend, remember: This terrible moral failure was not driven by David's lust or flagrant rebellion to God. A passive spirit introduced David to his sin! The problem was simply that, in a time when the kings went forth to war, David stayed at home.
We ourselves are in a time of war. The Spirit of God is calling us to fight for our souls as well as our families, cities and nations. Indeed, God's Word reveals that "The Lord will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies" (Isa. 42:13).
Is that holy fight in you? Is there a war cry in your spirit? If you are born again, that cry is within you, even if it has been muted by lethargy.
We will never succeed as overcomers without carrying in our spirits the war cry of God. We must stop resisting the call to prayer; we must embrace the reality of spiritual warfare; and we must fight with the weapons of warfare that God has given us, both for our own progress and also on behalf of those we love.
Know, however, that the moment you accept a passive spirit, you should anticipate that a temptation appropriate to your weakness will soon follow. It may not be Bathsheba; it may be pornography on the Internet. Or it may be a coworker who begins to look attractive at a time when you and your spouse are struggling. Whatever the area of weakness in your life, Satan will attack that area. It will likely not be a bold frontal assault; if you first drop your guard and relax your fight, he will disarm you with a passive spirit. If the enemy succeeds in his assault, you will find yourself wrapped up in something that can devastate you and your loved ones.
One may argue, "I'm walking with God. I'm a bond-servant of the Lord. I'm not vulnerable." Remember what the Lord warned the church in Thyatira: "I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols" (Rev. 2:20) .
Jesus was concerned, not only for the corrupting influence of Jezebel in the world; He was concerned that the leaders of the church had grown tolerant. More, her seductions not only targeted the wayward or new believers, but she led God's bond-servants astray.
Although it does not identify this seductive spirit by name, Proverbs warns of the temptations of the Jezebel spirit. Speaking of "the woman of folly," she calls out "to those who pass by, who are making their paths straight: Whoever is naive, let him turn in here" (see Prov. 9:14-18).
Who is this spirit after? Those "who are making their paths straight."
Beloved, it is springtime here in the northern hemisphere. It is that time of the year when seduction begins to call out "to those who pass by." Let us not become passive in a time of war. Rather, let us fight for our nation, our cities, our families and, especially, our own souls.
It is time for kings to go to war
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
This is amazing..haha..
check out this link..its hilarious:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1358314062/bclid1363192294/bctid1482436596
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1358314062/bclid1363192294/bctid1482436596
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Jars of Clay ...
A blog friend steered me to Blood Water Mission, started by Jars of Clay..the video speaks for itself. I even went without coffee for two whole weeks, saved what I would have spent, and sent it on to them..this is an amazing way to connect with our brothers and sisters in Africa..
Monday, March 31, 2008
Ozzy
I love this quote from Oswald Chambers:
"We tend to say that because a person has natural ability, he will make a good Christian. It is not a matter of our equipment, but a matter of our poverty; not of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us; not a matter of natural virtues, of strength of character, of knowledge, or of experience—all of that is of no avail in this concern. The only thing of value is being taken into the compelling purpose of God and being made His friends."
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