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Showing posts from February, 2019

Be Me

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'O my soul, come, praise the Eternal with all that is in me—body, emotions, mind, and will—every part of who I am— praise His holy name. O my soul, come, praise the Eternal; sing a song from a grateful heart; sing and never forget all the good He has done. Despite all your many offenses, He forgives and releases you. More than any doctor, He heals your diseases. He reaches deep into the pit to deliver you from death. He crowns you with unfailing love and compassion like a king. When your soul is famished and withering, He fills you with good and beautiful things, satisfying you as long as you live. He makes you strong like an eagle, restoring your youth. When people are crushed, wronged, enslaved, raped, murdered, the Eternal is just; He makes the wrongs right. He showed Moses His ways; He allowed His people Israel to see His wonders and acts of power. The Eternal is compassionate and merciful. When we cross all the lines, He is patient with us. When we stru...

Be Best

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'H annah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.' 1 Samuel 1:10-11 (NLT) When I mingle my prayers with anguish and tears, God is merciful and just and He hears me. When I pray for the best and mention my needs and all of my desires specifically to Him, He calms my aching heart and changes my countenance. When I take my physical needs to Him, He knows them already and applies the spiritual and I am blessed and I am healed. I am always led to go to Him first. It is my privilege to take everything to the Lord in prayer and to have Him reconcile it all to God at the mercy-seat. Who else is there? Who else would I trust with my most precious, all my needs, the few...

Be Obedient

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'One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.” “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” “Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied. And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.” So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. Soon every container was full to the brim! “Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons. “There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing. When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the...

Be Brave

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'For, behold, the wicked bend the bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart. If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?” Psalm 11:2-3 (NASB) The question is real? When lawlessness breaks out in the land and the law of the land is upheld by a corrupt judge what are the righteous to do? Retreat or go to war? Get the picture in your mind. Darkness covering the land. The wicked behind the bow and the arrow upon the string. The bowman may be my neighbor. Aiming and intending to shoot his arrow right into my heart. Be brave. He is consumed with hatred, he is angry and thinks of nothing else but death. Death to those that he cannot understand. Death to the nation, that he so despises. God, the giver of Life has gone silent in these times, the spirit of death is hoovering over the land. It is 4 a.m. and I hear my battle cry. The time is now for spiritual warfare. The kind of non-violent fighting that i...

Be United

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“But Israel is a senseless nation; the people are foolish, without understanding. Oh, that they were wise and could understand this! Oh, that they might know their fate! How could one person chase a thousand of them, and two people put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the Lord had given them up? But the rock of our enemies is not like our Rock, as even the y recognize. Their vine grows from the vine of Sodom, from the vineyards of Gomorrah. Their grapes are poison, and their clusters are bitter. Their wine is the venom of serpents, the deadly poison of cobras.' Deuteronomy 32:28-33 ((NLT) It is the always the right time for God to appear when things seem to be at their worst. It is a God thing. His timing is perfect. He never fails to show up and to intervene when His people pray. For those that place their trust in anything but the Rock, they will soon enough fall. For the body of Christ, the Church was to function as one body, un...

Be Mournful

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' Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.' Matthew 5:4 (NIV)   'yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.' 2 Corinthians 7:9-11 (NIV)   'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.' 1 John 1:9 (NIV)   Mournful: feeling or expressing sorrow or grief, sorrowful or sad.   We cry for ourselves. We cry for our loss. We cry for our nation. We cry and yet we...

Be Forgiven

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' While they were nailing Jesus to the cross, he prayed over and over, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.” The soldiers, after they crucified him, gambled over his clothing. A great crowd gathered to watch what was happening. The religious leaders sneered at Jesus and mocked him, saying, “Look at this man! What kind of ‘chosen Messiah’ is this? He pretended to save others, but he can’t even save himself!” Luke 23:34-35 (TPT) His prayer of forgiveness was for the soldiers that were nailing Him to the tree. Their work was their duty and they were bound to do it. Just as He lives even now to intercede for those who sin against God without knowing it. He prays for us and intercedes for us out of love for the lost. Not so for Pilate, for he knew that he had condemned and sentenced to death the innocent. Not so for the chief priests and the scribes, for they knew they were about to put out the Light and deny those in need, then and all th...

Be Free

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'When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place.' Psalm 118:5 (NIV) Stay free. The Chosen. Do not stay bound by the things of this world. Your sickness; your poverty; your tormentors may all be things that hold you down, push you back, keep you from reaching your God given destiny. Your sickness. Didn't Christ endure the stripes so that you could be free from the pain and power that sickness has over you? By His stripes you are healed. Be free. Your poverty. Didn't Christ come to save the oppressed? Aren't we promised the land of milk and honey? Do good, bless those that have less than you and He will bless you. Be free. Your tormentors. Didn't Christ live the perfect life among men who tormented Him? He lived and died to save us and He showed us how to live among those that hate us. We are to pray for our enemies. We are to love those that take advantage of us. Jesus is our mediator and He will remov...

Be Still

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' Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.' Psalm 46:6-11 (NIV) Come and see the judgment of the Lord fall on the great nations and kingdoms of this world! He is at work destroying the evil plots and schemes of the wicked and tearing down and exposing their strong holds and tall towers. He destroys their weapons and causes all wars to cease. There is none like You. No more bloodshed. No more loss of innocent lives. No place to hide. Just this, His vo...

Be Filled

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'Woe (judgment is coming) to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by violence! “Is it not indeed from the Lord of hosts that peoples labor [only] for the fire [that will destroy their work], and nations grow weary for nothing [that is, things which have no lasting value]? “But [the time is coming when] the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.' Habakkuk 2:12-14 (AMP) When considering the five woes of the city of Babylon it is wise to remember the third. This is an eternal warning to those that build their cities through force, fraud and cruelty of the poor. Judgment day is coming to those that silence and oppress God's people and to those that follow their own evil ways that lead to ill gotten gains and ignore His Holy Will. Those that refuse to live under His laws and chose to live under the code of iniquity will soon enough live to see His people rise up and His justice pre...

Thoughts to Words to Action

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'He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.' Luke 19:12-13 (KJV) What am I doing with this verse in my life at this time? Isn't this my call or command? Jesus says he will supply all my needs. I am merely to build and expand His Kingdom using those resources and talents He has given me while He is gone. This past year He has supplied all my needs and given me a Word in the early morning hours. Now may be the time for me to take the Word and turn it into action just like He did! To occupy is an interesting choice of words. The word occupy means to reside or have one's place of business in. To occupy means to take control of a place, especially a country. Synonyms are: capture, seize, take possession of, conquer, invade, overrun, take over, colonize, garrison, annex, dominate, subjugat...

Teeth-Chattering Fear

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“Now a word was brought to me stealthily, And my ear received a whisper of it. “Amid disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falls on men, Dread came upon me, and trembling, And made all my bones shake. “Then a spirit passed by my face; The hair of my flesh bristled up. “It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; A form was before my eyes; There was silence, then I heard a voice:' Job 4:12-16 (NASB) The women of God walk in fear of Him. Healthy fear of God and respect for God leads us to obey Him. Women of God are not tempted to fear men and therefore do not waste their time seeking the approval of man. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of their knowledge and freedom. The fear of the Lord is the secret behind all Christian women's boldness and strength. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of our faith. My fear was the beginning of my faith in the Lord. My faith journey began with the feeling that somethi...

Awaken Me

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'The Lord God has given Me [His Servant] the tongue of disciples [as One who is taught], That I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple [as One who is taught]. The Lord God has opened My ear, And I have not been rebellious Nor have I turned back.' Isaiah 50:4-5 (AMP) When you consider the magnitude of what this means to those that live this verse, and to whom this verse is meant for, you can't help but feel amazed. Just consider this. Each morning, No calling in sick. No excuses given because of bad weather. He awakens me. That's a dependable Word. That's a 365 days per year Word. God dispatches one of His angel messengers to bring to each one of them, His servants, a Word! The Word is specifically meant for the ears of the one to whom they are sent. God is the teacher. He awakens my ear to listen as a student. The messenger travels through distances un...

Savior of the World

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'But now the Anointed One has become the King-Priest of every wonderful thing that has come. For he serves in a greater, more perfect heavenly tabernacle not made by men. And he has entered once and forever into the Holiest Sanctuary of All, not with the blood of animal sacrifices, but the sacred blood of his own sacrifice. And he alone has made our salvation secure forever!' Hebrews 9:11-12 (TPT) Cleansed and purified. Eternal security. Deep mysteries. Faith provides. Sacrifice given. Pure life. Heavenly home. High priest. Jesus my Lord!

A Christian Prayer of Gratitude

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'Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.' 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) Gratitude. Gratitude is the way. Gratitude is the way to new beginnings and spiritual awakenings. I am the one that builds up the walls around me when God is always there waiting for me to invite Him back in. He is behi nd it all, in it all and is my all in all. He gets me through it all. I praise Him. He reminds me when I fail to give credit where credit is due. I cannot take credit for this prayer, but it is appropriate for the place I am at this morning. Morning breakthrough. Thank you, Lord, for the blessings you have bestowed on my life. You have provided me with more than I could ever have imagined. You have surrounded me with people who always look out for me. You have given me family and friends who bless me every day with kind words and actions. They lift me up in ways that keep my eyes focused on yo...

We, The Living

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' In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ’s family, then you are Abraham’s famous “descendant,” heirs according to the covenant promises.' Galatians 3:28-29 (MSG) We are all one in the family of God. We shar e one moral personality. Our individual differences merge together in unity under the one main purpose. That one main thing is our higher calling, we are to live as one in Christ. To live as one in Christ is to live with no divisions between the Jew and the Gentile. We are all equally accepted. We are to live as one. To live as one in Christ is to live as free men and women, there can be no slavery in a Christian nation. And aren't we blessed to have had our country fight a war to abolish that evil practice! To live in Christ is to live united as men and women. We are all brothe...

The Excellent Foundation

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'Who do you think Paul is, anyway? Or Apollos, for that matter? Servants, both of us—servants who waited on you as you gradually learned to entrust your lives to our mutual Master. We each carried out our servant assignment. I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow. It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. You happen to be God’s field in which we are working. Or, to put it another way, you are God’s house. Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going...

The Final Countdown

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'So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I’d say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we’re all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren’t going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture: “As I live and breathe,” God says, “every knee will bow before me; Every tong ue will tell the honest truth that I and only I am God.” So tend to your knitting. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.' Romans 14:10-12 (MSG)  

He Straightens Me Out

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He was teaching in one of the meeting places on the Sabbath. There was a woman present, so twisted and bent over with arthritis that she couldn’t even look up. She had been afflicted with this for eighteen years. When Jesus saw her, he called her over. “Woman, you’re free!” He laid hands on her and suddenly she was standing straight and tall, giving glory to God. The meeting -place president, furious because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the congregation, “Six days have been defined as work days. Come on one of the six if you want to be healed, but not on the seventh, the Sabbath.” But Jesus shot back, “You frauds! Each Sabbath every one of you regularly unties your cow or donkey from its stall, leads it out for water, and thinks nothing of it. So why isn’t it all right for me to untie this daughter of Abraham and lead her from the stall where Satan has had her tied these eighteen years?” When he put it that way, his critics were left looking quite silly ...

Glory Songs

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'Let the word of the Anointed One richly inhabit your lives. With all wisdom teach, counsel, and instruct one another. Sing the psalms, compose hymns and songs inspired by the Spirit, and keep on singing—sing to God from hearts full and spilling over with thankfulness.' Colossians 3:15 (VOICE) Paul instructs me to sing. The physical and emotional benefits of singing are many. Singing is good for me. Singing improves my memory and helps to diminish my depression. Singing helps me to feel the thoughts and words that I am singing about. The songs help me to connect my mind, body and spirit. Not just any song though, but I am to sing psalms, hymns and songs inspired by the Spirit! I am to sing the Word! I am to let the Words of Christ richly inhabit my life! With all the wisdom of the ages we are to teach one another. In the past, most people could not read or write, so they told their stories through songs. Even now, we teach our children and grandchildren the t...

Pray for the Women of the 116th

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'Tell Esther, “Don’t be fooled. Just because you are living inside the king’s palace doesn’t mean that you out of all of the Jews will escape the carnage. You must go before your king. If you stay silent during this time, deliverance for the Jews will come from somewhere, but you, my child, and all of your father’s family will die. And who knows? Perhaps you have be en made queen for such a time as this.” Esther 4:13-14 (VOICE) At 26% of the population of the House of Representatives, let's continue to pray for the women that we have sent there to represent us. I pray this day that the spirit of Esther will rise up and fill that place and take over the hearts and minds of those women that are serving us in our government. We call forth Kingdom women that will legislate with wisdom and humility. That will speak truth. That will replace personal ambitions with personal desires to serve all those that they are being paid to represent.That will realize the importa...

Victory Songs

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'For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude Psalm 32:7 (NLT) You hide me in the days of my trouble. You free me from the guilt that brings on the sorrow and pain that I feel when I remember my sin. You protect me from the wrath to come and the consequences brought on by my rebellion against You. You saved me. You redeemed me. Then, You joined in with the heavenly choir! I could hear Your voice singing the song of victory over me. One more soul saved! Yeshua! One more child forgiven! Eloah Selichot! That was the day I will always remember. That was the song I will never forget! Selah! I am forgiven and my heart fills with joy just know it. You are Greater than all of my troubles. In Your House, I can hardly contain it as I behold Your Glory and I notice everyone around me smiling and laughing and lifting up holy hands as well in the overflow of Your Great Love. We are one congregation united in purpose ...

Fasting to Find Freedom

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'This is the kind of fast day I’m after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts. What I’m interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families. Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage. Then when you pray, God will answer. You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.' Isaiah 58:6-9 (MSG) When we, as a Christian nation, are called to it, then we will be able to see the weight that our sins have put us under. What it appears that God is teaching us here, through His prophet Isaiah, is the importance of fasting. The God kind of fast. The true fast that brings repentance and freedom. T...

Three Forces for Good

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"Each of you must respect your mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God." Leviticus 19:3 (NIV) Motherhood. The superior force for change in the world. Mothers usually do the nurturing and raising and the teaching of principles that their sons and daughters will take with them for life. Fatherhood. The superior force for change in the world. Fathers usually do the designing and the building of the culture and we benefit greatly from their labor. They protect and they teach the principles that their sons and daughters will take with them for life. Christianity. The superior force for change in the world. The world's largest and greatest religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and it is through His Word, the Bible, that His followers learn the life principles that His sons and daughters will take with them for eternity. Go forth, then, this day, mothers and fathers and advance His kingdom and His glory...