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The Word of the Lord to and Through
Religie | Prayer/ Encouragement
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18 November 2009 | 14:27:15
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The Word of the Lord to and Through
Rev. Janna Hogan
“See…I am the Bridge Builder saith the Lord”
“See now…the bridges that I have there for you and all who look to Me…saith the Lord
Cross over the Bridge of forgiveness
See…my forgiveness…and come to Me and I will forgive
See…My mercy Bridge and cross over
See…My
compassion is for you…My understanding…and that …I know your sum
total…what you can and cannot do…or bear…or resist on your own
See…Truth that makes a way for you
Cross
over from where you are…and come to Me…come into what you need from
Me…I am your supplier…saith the Lord…you will never be left in the
world with no way out…of what you find you are in there
I am…the Bridge Builder…I am the way-making Lord of all…who follow Me…who listen to the voice of My Spirit
I
am able to raise up structures both natural and spiritual…both
emotional and physical to carry all who come to Me…over to the help
they need
Go...and share My Word of Promise with My people
The construction site is not visible…but ready to be made visible before the eyes of those who have faith in Me…and come to Me
See…where you are …My people
See…where your heart…soul…body and mind longs to be
See Me…saith the Lord of the impossible
I
have set before you…the way of Life…the way of peace and abundance in
everything…that you might be …My children supplied by your Father in
heaven
Come…take your step of commitment and I will show you…the
Bridge…and…you will walk on my provisions by faith to the other side of
all your needs…that you live victoriously over your past…and the
present pressures of circumstances that have incarcerated you…My people
I will show you…faith followers…the Way when you have committed yourself to following Me…beyond where you are
I am waiting on you…saith the Lord…you are not waiting on Me
Cross over the bridge of hurt…emptiness…loneliness and fear of missing the life I have for you
Cross over from sickness of heart and mind and body…I am your Healer
Cross over to health and wholeness…saith the Lord
Come…the Bridge is ready to be made manifest to show you…your way to Me…and all I have for thee
Draw thyself up…gird thyself…carry your faith from the heart to your mind…
From soul…to body and make therefore a commitment to Me by faith…and in faith you shall cross over to all…saith the Lord”.
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Daily Prayer
Religie | Daily Prayer
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17 November 2009 | 09:53:28
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by Carolyn Baker
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. (Psalm 33:8-10)
Prayer:
Oh how hungry we are for You Jesus – Your people are calling! In places all around the world we are coming together – seeking to know You better and serve You more completely. What a privilege it is to be a member of Your family, and to know that no matter what our circumstances, You stand shoulder to shoulder with us. Your protection surrounds us – Your arms envelop us, and Your “still small voice” calls out to us. How blessed we are!
As I embrace the silence of this time together, I sense an awakening of my spirit responding to the inner nudging of Your Holy Spirit. I look around me at the times we live in - and realize that only You have the answers I seek. You are my only hope for surviving the hills and valleys that surround me. To walk under Your empowering Spirit is my safety net. Knowing how weak I really am, that need for Your comforting Presence, increases each day.
I hear Your reminder that You require obedience, sacrifice and a servant’s heart. Given the very real fact that I am unbelievably selfish sometimes, I see why You had to take me through my own wilderness time, before I could safely begin the journey up the mountain, to the place of wisdom, discernment and understanding You had prepared – even before I was born.
I desire one thing, and one thing only, and that is to see the greatness of my God. I desire to see You given Your rightful place – high and lifted up – in my own life, my family’s life, my church’s life and my nation’s life. There is only one real reason for pushing ahead - and that is for the cause of Christ.
It does come at a cost – but the cost is nothing compared to the price You paid. Almost every day now I receive a vision of Your Cross - and all that this vision entails. I try each day to enter into the holiness of Your Presence, knowing that only because of Your cross is this possible.
I know I am on a different path than I once was. I am amazed at the footsteps I have walked in as I tried to follow after You. In spite of myself, You nonetheless kept me moving ahead, never letting me slip too far from the center of Your Presence. Oh how you love me – how you love all those praying this prayer.
As I pray, I sense much activity in the heavenly places. Your plans are in motion. I see today that my faith is not a static faith – it is like a flowing river that occasionally hits a beaver’s dam – has to make a slight detour – but finds its way back to the main current of your flowing river. Challenging, yes – but even knowing that - amazingly easy to navigate, especially when Your winds are blowing my little tiny boat.
What an amazing God I serve – how privileged I am to be Your child. You have given me a new heart – You have revealed Yourself in ways that constantly surprise me. I rest in the assurances of Your divine timing and ask only to be allowed to walk in Your will all the remaining days of my life.
I rest in the truth of Your Word and in the written promises I find there. Without fail, You always give me the manna I need – exactly when I need it. I rest in Your power, strength and might - knowing that nothing can stand against You.
You are near, and yes, the time is short. Your footsteps are marked in the ground all around me – I walk in them every day. I receive Your challenge to come, follow You - and I do this with joy and hope – knowing that journey of my lifetime begins each new day as I trust You - and take whatever small step of faith you require of me that day.
I would have it no other way - I would live no other way. I simply humble myself before You, praising and thanking my God who has brought so much into my life - and never waivered in His attempts to keep me close – sheltered in His arms - and filled with His hope, peace, joy and love. To You Jesus be all the honor and the glory!
Devotional Idea:
Do you ever hear that small, gentle voice calling out to you to come, sit and listen at His feet? Do you ever put yourself in the silence of a quiet place where all the crazy, busy, and very noisy elements can be silenced? Many times as I gather myself to start my day, I am tempted to sleep a little later, run a quick errand, etc. - yet I have come to recognize that if I will look for it, there is also a heavenly nudging going on at that same time I cannot deny. I believe every new day is an opportunity to draw a little closer to the reality of the closeness of Jesus in our lives. His desire to be intimate with us is an amazing truth - and it is real. I wish I could say I always listen to this nudging, but I don’t, and as result I have spent far too many days wandering in the dilemma of my own humanness. There is a powerful, supernatural and very real relationship to be had with Jesus. We do not have to settle for that which is simply comfortable. We are in fact charged to follow after Jesus each day – which practically is difficult, if you are not listening. If you desire to be the recipient of His contagious fire there will be a price – but no matter how hard it is to carve out the time to spend in intimacy with Jesus – you need to pay it. The result will be a freedom from fear and confusion – you will begin to experience His joy and hope - even in the midst of chaos and busyness. A very sobering verse in Scripture states that “therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” We are to war against an independence of spirit that can cause us great harm. The antidote to this is intimacy with Christ. His Holy Spirit will protect you – but you must learn to listen to His nudging.
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Daily Prayer
Religie | Daily Prayer
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17 November 2009 | 09:48:46
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by Carolyn Baker
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:4)
Prayer:
Lord, it is with a heart full of anticipation that I come before You this morning. With every breath I take I am convicted that you are at work among Your people in a way that we have yet to fully understand. As You reach out from Your heavenly dwelling place, I sense the opening of the supernatural highway between heaven and earth as You share Your great heart of love for all of your people and for the lost and dying.
I know in my heart, Lord, that You created me with every intention in the world of drawing me to Yourself – even though you reign in heaven and I live here on this earth. This distance that separates us is as nothing in Your Kingdom. All of us here on this earth yearn to be with You and to know that You reach out to touch us each and every day. We may not fully understand Your process, but we can trust in You to do what You have promised to do.
There are many faithful ones seeking You out, Lord, and my prayer today is that they would be blessed with the revelation of Your Presence in their lives. This supernatural experience You grant us is a real blessing. I recognize that You never intended for Your kids to live anything except miraculous and powerful lives. This true reality of what our lives is intended to be is becoming more and more real each day, and we are profoundly grateful for your heart of love which allows this to happen.
Every day of my life I find myself more dependent on You and Your truths to see me through the challenges I face. Sometimes this feels like the darkest of places, and I realize that I am in the middle of a wilderness that is ripe with opportunities for growth. Even in these moments, Your blessings are everywhere. I know You never said it would be easy, but You always promised to be with us.
Today, my King, I would like to pray for my brothers and sisters. I pray they would come into the fulfillment of Your great plans and purposes for their lives. I believe You are making a way so we can take possession of the things that have been lost and stolen in our own lives and also in our communities and churches. As we take our rightful places where You have put us, I pray we will humble ourselves before you with hearts of gratitude for all You have given us. I pray we will turn over to you anything that we are trying to hold on to in our own strength - so we can receive from You everything You have prepared for us.
Wherever we find ourselves, Jesus, I pray we inhabit those places as our rightful inheritance. I pray that the Holy Spirit will be in full control so that anything that is set against us will be laid down. Satan has no dominion over the places You have prepared for us, and I believe it is time that we take our stand and fight for that which You have given us. I pray for Your love, joy, peace, and patience to prevail - and that the end result will be Your will being done on the earth as it is done in heaven.
I know, Jesus, that all of this depends on our becoming more and more like You each day. I know Your churches are to be filled with the light of our Savior shining brightly through each and every Christian. When this bright light is allowed to shine, nothing will be able to stop the purposes of our God from being fulfilled.
Please remove any bindings that are in place over Your Body in these days, so that we can see the glory of our God as He changes us into His same image. I ask You, Jesus, to prevent our own weaknesses from taking control so we can take advantage of everything You have prepared for us. Remind us every day to spend time in Your Word and in prayer. Without these disciplines I know we will not make it smoothly to the finished line.
I also recognize in this moment the need we all have as believers for perseverance. As hard as I try and as often as I find myself on my knees, I still need the help of Your grace and Your mercy every single day. To go down deeply into Your truths is my goal, and to keep pounding on Your door until You open it, my method of operation. I know this requires consistency and a somewhat "pit bull" attitude on my part – and I gratefully bow my head in adoration, knowing that You have formed every fiber of my being and have given me the tenacious, fighting spirit I have today.
This spiritual walk you have provided for Your kids is filled with opportunities. I pray we will all be sensitive to the movement of Your Holy Spirit in our hearts as He nudges us to listen and obey the "still small voice of our God." Knowing You are who You say You are - and that You do what You say You do - fills me with the fuel I need to keep on, keeping on. For that, my King, I am grateful and I send up a mighty shout of praise and thanksgiving. To You be all the honor and glory – now and always!
Reflect:
Our Christian walk is largely a process leading us to a life that is pretty much summed up in Christ. As we grow closer to Him, He shares more and more of Himself with us. The challenge is to keep pounding on His door until He answers - and to not let up no matter how tired or beaten down we become. It helps to remember often that we can experience heaven right here on this earth and as we frequently ask God to make that truth clearer to us, we will find a reawakening of our spirit that somehow empowers us to keep going – even when all we want to do is quit and run. I challenge you to really believe that He is, not just that He was. If you can wrap your arms around that truth, you will begin to see into the supernatural realm of possibilities available to you on this earth. Once again, please do not forget to journal!
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Victory
Religie/Christendom | Poetry
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23 Oktober 2009 | 10:48:03
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VICTORY
I refused to be discouraged
To be sad, or to cry;
I refuse to be downhearted,
and here's the reason why...
I have a God who's mighty,
Who's sovereign and supreme;
I have a God who loves me,
and I am on His team.
He is all wise and powerful,
Jesus is His name;
Though everything is changeable,
My God remains the same.
My God knows all that's happening;
Beginning to the end,
His presence is my comfort,
He is my dearest friend.
When sickness comes to weaken me,
To bring my head down low,
I call upon my mighty God;
Into His arms I go.
When circumstances threaten
to rob me from my peace;
He draws me close unto His breast,
Where all my strivings cease.
And when my heart melts within me,
and weakness takes control;
He gathers me into His arms,
He soothes my heart and soul.
The great "I AM" is with me,
My life is in His hand,
The "Son of God" is my hope,
It's in His strength I stand.
I refuse to be defeated,
My eyes are on my God;
He has promised to be with me,
as through this life I trod.
I'm looking past
all my circumstances,
To Heaven's throne above;
My prayers have reached
the heart of God,
I'm resting in His love.
I give God thanks in everything,
My eyes are on His face;
The battle's His, the victory is mine;
He'll help me win the race.
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I Refuse To Be Discouraged
Religie/Christendom | Poetry
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23 Oktober 2009 | 10:45:47
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I Refuse To Be Discouraged
I refuse to be discouraged,
To be sad, or to cry;
I refuse to be downhearted,
and here's the reason why . . .
I have a God who's mighty,
Who's sovereign and supreme;
I have a God who loves me,
and I am on His team.
He is all wise and powerful,
Jesus is His name;
Though everything is changeable,
My God remains the same.
My God knows all that's happening;
Beginning to the end,
His presence is my comfort,
He is my dearest friend.
When sickness comes to weaken me,
To bring my head down low,
I call upon my mighty God;
Into His arms I go.
When circumstances threaten
to rob me from my peace;
He draws me close unto His breast,
Where all my strivings cease.
And when my heart melts within me,
and weakness takes control;
He gathers me into His arms,
He soothes my heart and soul.
The great "I AM" is with me,
My life is in His hand,
The "Son of the Lord" is my hope,
It's in His strength I stand.
I refuse to be defeated,
My eyes are on my God;
He has promised to be with me,
as through this life I trod.
I'm looking past all my circumstances,
To Heaven's throne above;
My prayers have reached the heart of God,
I'm resting in His love.
I give God thanks in everything,
My eyes are on His face;
The battle's His, the victory is mine;
He'll help me win the race.
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The Prophet Jeremiah's take - becoming God's vessel of honor
Religie/Christendom | Vessel of Honor
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21 Augustus 2009 | 22:34:41
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When reading Jeremiah Chapter 18, you can see the process of being
perfected by God. God told Jeremiah to go down to the potter's house
and that He would cause him to hear His words. How important it is to
cultivate the hearing of God's voice. The Father is always speaking;
but we are often too busy to hear. We are admonished to, "Be still and
know that I am God!"
We live in a world that is
full of distractions. If we are to be lead by the Spirit, we have to
find a place of refuge and corner in the attic, a spare room in the
house, the porch, somewhere where you can get alone and just be still
before Him.
Our flesh clamors for stimulation,
but our spirit craves quietness and communion with the Lord. "Come unto
me all ye who labor and I will give your rest..." God longs to speak
with us and comfort us and direct us. We must cultivate being still,
that we might hear his voice. After we have finished praying, it is
time for us to be quiet and allow God to speak to us.
God
spoke to Jeremiah and told him to arise...and I will cause you to hear.
Why didn't God just tell him what he wanted where he was? Why did he
have to arise? The fact that God said, "arise", shows that had to move
from one state to another; either mentally or physically. The word
"arise" means: to become powerful; come on the scene. So Jeremiah had
to move from a state of repose to a state of action.
God
often reveals his will to us progressively. As Jeremiah obeyed the
first command, further instruction was given to him. "I will cause thee
to hear my words." The word "hear" means, to perceive by ear. As we are
quick to hear and obey the voice of the Lord, He will speak to us more
frequently.
God had a great revelation to share
with Jeremiah, which he would have missed if he had not obeyed God's
first command. God showed Jeremiah the process of being made by the
hands of the Great potter. He saw how the vessel in God's hand was
marred. The word "marred" means: ( Nepal ) to be spoiled, be corrupted,
be corrupt, be injured, be ruined, and be rotted.
Some who have
been serving the Lord for many years think we have made it. We can
quote scripture, we sing on the choir and are involved with the prayer
ministry of the church; but if we could only see what the Father sees,
we would hang our heads in shame. We are those vessels, marred in the
hands of the potter and it takes many breakings that the sweetness of
His glory can flow through us consistently and unhindered.
The
process of being made is not always a pleasant one. Many times we are
chastened and subject to repeat hard tests over and over again, until
we finally comprehend what God desires to do in us and through us
God's
cry is, why can I not do with you as this clay. He is longing to mold
us and to make us after his delight. We have this treasure in an
earthen vessel. The glory of God rests on us, and as we allow Him to
deal with us, and to make us, God will be glorified though our lives.
Just
as the Old Testament sacrifice was tied to the horns of the altar
waiting to be slaughtered; so we must be diligent to remain on the
altar, and allow the Father's knife to cut away everything that will
cause us to be spoiled, corrupted, injured, or rotten. Then and only
then, can we truly be vessels of honor, fit for the Master's use.
@Charlotte
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