The Inspired Box - May 2

 

PSALM 27:1

The LORD is The Strength of my life:

of whom shall I be afraid? 

    We are to be bold as lions when we testify of God's amazing grace on our lives (Proverbs 28:1). Though we are like sheep among wolves (Matthew 10:16), we are to be shrewd/wise/sensible/cunning (strategic thinking) as serpents and innocent/sincere/blameless/unsophisticated as doves. On a side note, Strong's Exhaustive Concordance describes sheep as "easily led, forward walking". 

    When we follow our Shepherd faithfully, it is entirely possible to be not only a sheep in His flock, His pasture, but also a lion following The LION OF JUDAH (Revelation 5:5). When Christ spoke to the crowds surrounding Him, He told them He could only speak what His Father was speaking. When we hear Him speak to us, we hear our Father speaking His Word over us and into us. This is our STRENGTH. What, indeed, do we have to fear from anyone? 

    Since we see that God's people are likened to sheep, we also see that the places we will go when we speak God's Word into the ears of those who hear us, will be the territories of they who will try to kill us, for that is what wolves do:they are predatory and viciously attack when least expected. Our weapon in overcoming these wolves are the same as David's: his faith in God to give him strength to defend his position and his flock.  Sometimes the wolves will be allowed to win and overcome the Christian, at other times The Word of God will cause the wolves to cower and slink away. Psalm 27:2. 

    Let us kneel before God in the privacy of our prayer closets/war rooms and find strength in His presence, seeking only to be with Him in His kingdom. And in these times of prayer with our God, let us also pray to be filled with His Light, His Word and His Spirit that we may truly walk as lions in a world filled with wolves. 

THIS IS THE AIR I BREATHE - Michael W. Smith 

CONSUMING FIRE - Hillsong    

 

Jesus Is Lord

 1 Corinthians 12:3

Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the [power and influence of the] Spirit of God can say, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is [my] Lord,” except by [the power and influence of] The Holy Spirit. 

Exodus 17:15

And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah Nissi. (The LORD My Banner). 

1 John 4:2-3

By this you will know The Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time. 

Romans 10:9-10, 13

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him out from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved. ~ For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved. 

    Why is this designation as LORD become so important even in this day and age? To be someone's Lord is to have the rule and mastery over them, as well as the protection and guardianship. To have Lordship is to have the governorship, as Isaiah wrote in  Isaiah 9:6 "...and the government shall be upon His shoulders...". Within His government He is the fulfillment of The Law (Matthew 5:17) and His Law is Love (Romans 13:10). 

    Who declared Jesus Christ Lord to begin with? His Father, Almighty God, gave His only begotten Son Lordship for a time (Psalm 110:1; Mark 12:36; 1 Corinthians 15:24-25). It is His Lordship we desire when we come to Him in faith, believing Him to be God's only begotten Son.       We come in faith with repentant hearts when we need to confess our sins. We come in faith believing that He not only hears the cries of our hearts but longs for us to hear the cry of His heart. We come to Christ as friend to Friend, meeting at the altar which we have set up for Him. Altars can be built anywhere. If that is not possible for you where you are, remember: when we clasp our fingers together, that is our altar, for prayer is where we meet God.

    The altars of the Old Testament were at times set up after the meeting had taken place as a remembrance of that meeting between God and man. As Moses had set up the altar in Exodus 17:15, one of our key verses for today. Moses named his altar THE LORD MY BANNER. Abraham built an altar, too. Genesis 22:1-19. Abraham and his son Isaac walked up a mountain carrying the tools and equipment needed to build the altar and lay the sacrifice. Abraham named his altar THE LORD PROVIDES. 

    We have named our altars, too. We may travel hither and yon, but the memory of where we were when we spoke with God and God revealed Himself to us is our Remembrance. There was a time when my kids were little that we had just enough money coming in to pay the rent and the utilities. But we had no money for food. So we sat together in the kitchen, held hands and prayed for God to bring us something to eat. No sooner had we said Amen than there was a knock on the door. On the porch were some a couple of friends, each with their arms full of groceries. God already knew our need and had prepared in advance to answer our prayers of faith. THE LORD PROVIDES. 

    Therefore with full confidence I may say, as Moses said, THE LORD IS MY BANNER. I will wave His Name across the plains, the mountains, the oceans, the valleys and the lakes. I will carry His Name into battle each time I declare that He Is Lord, for Christ is not just Lord, He is MY LORD. I declare in my heart, in my home, in my family, in my church, in my neighborhood, in my city, in my state, in my country, and beyond, that wherever The LORD leads me, I will go, because He goes with me. 

    JESUS IS LORD. 

JESUS IS  LIFE

LORD OF ALL 

A Crucified Life - - Is Hard Pressed

 

2 Corinthians 7:5

For from the time that we came to Macedonia, we had no relief for our body, but we were tormented in all things: combat from without, and fear from within.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 3600/2852 & 2346

Tormented: to suffer pain; to be mistreated violently

Pressed: afflicted, hard pressed, constricted, compressed 

     

     I used the Aramaic translation for today's verse because it explained best to me this verse. But finding the correct definition of 'tormented' in this instance took some time, as there are many types of torment.

     Paul is writing from their personal experience of being violently coming against for bringing the gospel to Macedonia. At the same time in which he and his companion(s) are being come against personally, their thoughts began to bring fear into the equation. So, from both the outside and the inside they felt tormented, compressed.

     Ever seen an apple squeeze? That's pressing hard from two sides to produce something that doesn't even resemble an apple, yet is sweet to the taste and quenches a body's thirst. That's what was happening here. Being hard pressed on every side, these men were becoming something more, being changed and conformed to a sweeter taste in the Lord. 

    It is the same for every born again believer who is willing to share the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. We must be willing to stand up for Jesus in the Love of God. We are not violent. We do not take  up arms against the unbeliever. If we need defending, Christ is our Defense. We must pursue righteousness every step of the way.

    We overcome fear that rises up within us by the Word which is in us. The Holy Spirit upon us, and working through us and in us, girds us up and builds a fire within us to keep going, to keep speaking the Name of Jesus and God's message of salvation and deliverance. 

    He reminds us that we are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Our strength is in the Lord, not in ourselves. The only power that is wielded is the power of God bursting forth from our obedience to Him. 

    In this day and age in which we currently live, born again believers are not welcome. Our differences set us apart boldly. We have one voice: we speak the Love of God. We have one heart: we pursue godly agendas. We have one name: born again believer. 

    And we have one Savior: the only begotten Son of God Jesus Christ, the Messiah who was promised in the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testament. 

    Lord, use us for Your glory as we bring Your Word to a lost and dying world who desperately need You. Help us to bring You to each and every one who hungers for Truth and Love and Friendship that is faithful and sure. 

In Your Wonderful Name,

Amen.

PRESSED FOR THE BETTER  (A Jesus Culture playlist)

Alive In You

Where You Go, I Go

My Soul Longs For You

Break Every Chain

One Thing Remains

Fill Me Up

Rooftops

Set A Fire

Your Love Never Fails

A Crucified Life - - Dying Daily

 

2 Corinthians 4:10

Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 3500

Dying: a putting to death, a state of death

From the Greek word 'nekrósis' (pronounced nek'-ro-sis): dead or lifeless condition.

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS

Luke 9:23

Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.

    We who choose Christ as our Savior are baptized into His death, which includes His sufferings, His humiliations, His (at times) silence. In this born again life we now live, having chosen to follow Christ faithfully, we, too, will suffer, for so He has called us to do. Those who pick up their cross (make a decision to follow Him even after considering the consequences) will also know the same sufferings. 

    Our families will be divided. Mine were against me being a woman preacher. Since I wouldn't change my mine some in my family refused to speak to me, while a handful supported my decision. But I did not back down and remained faithful in my calling. This faithfulness has caused some who turned against me to turn to Christ. 

    Our friends will forsake us, seeing us changed after receiving Christ as our Lord and Savior, and not wanting that change as yet for themselves, they will leave us. But that's alright. While we remain adamant in our decision, we do so with the Love of God living in us. 

    The decisions we made when we lived a life without Christ are not the same decisions we make in Christ. No more mind-altering drugs, no more uninhibited drinking, no more nightclubs and parties as such. No more listening to and believing liars, who twist the Word to their own convenience. Even my favorite genres of music and books has changed. No longer do I walk in darkness, for I have found the Light, and I'm following Him now.

    I have picked up my cross and I am following Jesus. Though my body, mind and spirit know the pain of walking this journey with Christ, I also know the joy of walking WITH CHRIST: the born again Christians are never really alone, for He helps us carry our cross through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

THIS CROSS I CARRY

    It is no light thing to 'take up' our cross. That cross Christ carried across His shoulders was heavy, so heavy that His bruised and bloody body could not even bear the weight of it as He slowly made His way up the hillside path. He needed help. 

    We, too, would not be able to make it through to the end if we did not have each other to help us carry our crosses. And we carry them on a daily basis, not just once and we're done. For while we are making our way through this world, wherever Christ leads us, we are doing so one day at a time. 

    This cross I carry, I carry without complaint, for so my Savior did also. Though groans may have escaped His lips, whining and complaining did not. Though tears may have flowed down His cheeks, He did not retaliate against those who were mocking Him. In His humiliation He neither threatened anyone, nor attacked His accusers in any form. He forgave.     

    And while He was dying, after having been nailed to the cross, at least one more believed and was admitted into Paradise with Jesus. Immediately after His last breath, the centurion who stood near said, "Truly this was the Son of God." (Mark 15:39). He would be the first of many to believe that  Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God.  

DYING DAILY TO REVEAL LIFE IN CHRIST

    To die daily is to put bring my body and my mind into submission to the Word of God. It is to put God first in my life every day. When I awaken, I greet Him. "Good Morning, Lord" and "Welcome, Holy Spirit." I make myself clean and presentable on the outside while He makes me clean and acceptable on the inside. 

    The Word tells us to pray without ceasing, so I do. I am in constant communication with my Lord. Kneeling is not always necessary, which is good because I am not yet physically back to the point where I can do so without pain and requiring assistance to get back up again. The Lord is with me and that's enough. 

    To die daily is to surrender what I want to do with my day and receive what He wants to do in me in the day. The night is for sleep and for rest; the day is for work. And the days are short and getting shorter. 

    Time is running out, the sand in the hourglass moves faster than it used to. Not only is this a proven scientific fact now, the Word has revealed it to us. Mark 13:20 tells us that God will shorten the days of tribulation for the sake of His people.

     And while that Day is not yet arrived, no one knows the hour of their death or the manner thereof; therefore, we must always be ready. And we can't be ready if we're not saved by the water and the blood which flowed from Jesus' side. We can't be ready if the Spirit of God is not in us, transforming our old self into our new self. We must get ready and live as if Jesus were returning today.

    Dear God,

    Be my God. Be my Savior. Forgive me of all my sins and my trespasses. For I have been a wicked sinner and I have trespassed against You. Forgive me of unclean thoughts and fill my mind with Your Word. Forgive me of unloving words which I have spoken and fill my heart with Your Word. Forgive me for the wrong I have done to others in my ignorance of what is right and fill me with Your Word, that Your Love would guide my actions. 

    O Lord, I am a sinner and desire to be saved by Your grace, for only You can save a wretch like me! Only You can fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Only You can quench this thirst and sustain this hunger that I have to know You better. Only You can show me mercy and, Lord, only You can forgive me. 

    Bring me into Yourself and be welcomed in me. You knocked on the door of my heart and I am letting You in. Stay with me as long You like. Remain in me and I will remain in You. 

    In Jesus' Name, we pray, Amen

DRAW ME NEARER - Hymn

AT THE CROSS - Chris Tomlin

ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER - Robin Mark

OCEANS - Hillsong United

BREATHE - Michael W. Smith

I SURRENDER - Hillsong

I OFFER MY LIFE - Don Moen

     

    

Heart & Soul - - Hard Pressed

 

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. 

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 2346

Hard Pressed: afflicted, compressed, rub together

From the Greek word 'thlibó' (pronounced thlee'-bo): distressed, oppressively afflicted, made to feel confined (hemmed in) {between a rock and a hard place}. 

WE DO NOT LOSE HEART

    Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. 

    Luke 18:1-7 tells us the parable of the persistent widow who kept pestering a judge to act on her behalf, which he finally did. It is a strong reminder of our need to pray to our God, our Father in heaven, who hears our prayers and acts on our behalf, as well. We do not stop praying: we do not stop interceding for others, nor do we stop praying for ourselves. Like the song goes, It's Me, It's Me, O Lord, standin' in the need of prayer. 

PLANTING FOR A HARVEST

    Galatians 6:9

Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 

    1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

    That harvest the believer reaps is their reward for all their hard work in the kingdom of God. The harvest of souls saved, delivered, filled and working side by side with all of us: the here and now believer, the righteous believers in the Old Testament and in the early church in the New Testament Scriptures, the believer who is believing even now while we are in this moment, and the believers who will believe.

    That harvest is the building up of the saints of God, His holy people, His church. I am in the harvest. Someone prayed for me. I should've died when I was living in sin. Had I died then, my soul would have gone to hell. I am so thankful that someone loved me enough to pray me into the kingdom of God.     

    Never give up. Never stop praying. Never stop interceding. Hold your ground and don't back down. Regardless of who comes against us, even the ones we are praying for, we will remain rooted and grounded in the Word and hold onto the promise of God that our households would be saved as long as we believe. 

    Some Christians here in America are being persecuted, but not all; not yet, anyway. Some Christians here are mocked for their faith. Some are physically attacked, but all of us are under a spiritual attack. 

    It is that attack that we come against. We fight/pray for our families: we want them with us in heaven. We pray for our friends: heaven wouldn't be the same without oru friends there rejoicing with us. We pray for the strangers, the foreigners in our land, that they, too, would know the salvation of the Lord and shout for joy. 

    We pray for our enemies: we pray the blessings of God upon all of them. We do not seek their demise, nor do we pray against them: we pray for their deliverance, that their hearts would turn to God and that God would turn their lives upside down. 

    We pray for the persecuted saints all over the world. As it was in the early days of the growth of the young church, so it is even now. They who come against the saints of God are the enemies we are praying for. For it is not people we war against with our prayers; it is darkness in high places, invisible to the naked eye but seen by the eyes of God (Ephesians 6:12).

    We pray for our missionaries, the people we have sent to other countries around the world to share the gospel of salvation. We pray that their needs would be met  and their desires accomplished in their ministries.

HARDPRESSED

    You ever make your own juice in a juicer? The machine squeezes the best parts of the fruits and vegetables into a pitcher at one end, while, at the same time, removing the seeds and pulp at the other end. Without the squeezing there would be no wonderful juice to drink. 

    It is the same for us. The mature believer knows that it is in the crushing, in the pressing, that we are made new again and again. The hard times, the difficult days, bring us closer to God. We are His New Wine and we are poured out before Him. 

    We accept it for we have surrendered our to His will. We have submitted to His calling for us, preferring to be the clay that gets molded and not the clay that gets tossed out into the rubbish heap. He Didn't Throw The Clay Away. We are His vessels of honor, His new wine, His moldings and fashionings. From glory to glory we advance against the kingdom of darkness, pressing on to reach the kingdom of glory where our King reigns on high. 

THE LORD IS WITH YOU

    Psalm 37:24

Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.

    1 John 4:4

You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.

    Isaiah 41:10

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

STEADFAST

SCRIPTURE WARFARE SONGS

   

    

Heart & Soul - - God Makes His Light Shine

 

2 Corinthians 4:6

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made His light to shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 1391

Glory: the unspoken manifestation of God; renown, honor; divine quality, splendor

From the Greek word 'doxa' (pronounced dox'-ah): God's infinite, intrinsic worth (substance, essence).

LIGHT SHINES OUT OF DARKNESS

    Genesis 1:3, 4 

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 

    Now this was only the first day of creation that God made light. On the fourth day of creation (Genesis 1:14-19) God created reference points of light: sun, moon and stars. 

    Our hearts are dark with sin, for we are born with a sinful nature. Blame it on Adam and Eve. Being the first people from whom all peoples are descended, the consequences of the sins they committed (doubting God's Word and then disobeying it) is passed on to each and every one of us. 

    When we are young, one of the first words we learn is "No." And when we are told not to do something, our first instinct is to go and do that which we are not supposed to do. We also do not do that which we are told to do. "Go clean your room." Who did that right away? We learned obedience because disobedience has consequences. We needed a Savior so God sent One.

    Acts 26:17, 18

I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’

LIGHT REVEALS DARKNESS

    John 1:5

The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

    How can so many people who live in the darkness not see the darkness for what it is? Because they have not seen the Light, for then the Light would reveal the darkness. In the darkest of nights it is impossible to see anything, even your hand in front of your face. We need some kind of light to show us where to walk that we would not stumble and fall. As it is in life, so is it in the spirit and the spirit realm: the unseen invisible place in our bodies. 

    But what if you've seen the Light and then turned your back on it, turned a blind eye to the Light? They've seen the Light and decided not to have anything to do with it, with Christ. 

    John 3:18-20

Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.

Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE

    Jesus told His disciples that even though He Himself is the Light (John 1:4; 8:12; 9:5; 12:46) of the world, soon He would be leaving the world (John 12:35) and they would be the light that shines (Matthew 6:14-16; John 12:36). 

    We who shine as lights in the world are able to do so because we have seen a great Light shining in the darkness (Isaiah 9:2). And this Light is the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 4:2). We believe in the Name of the only begotten Son of God and grab hold of the salvation He provides to they who see by faith and believe that He is Savior. 

    This Light is the gospel of God, the gospel of salvation through repentance and forgiveness (Luke 24:47). We are to repent and be baptized into the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15, 16; Acts 2:38).

LIGHT SHINE BRIGHT

    It is heartbreaking to see people who have seen the Light walk away from the Light. Though we may wonder if they have truly seen the Light for Who He is, we cannot leave them in the darkness of their unbelief. We must intercede on their behalves, praying and praying for they who live in the darkness to see the glory of the Light of Salvation in Jesus' face. Chains need to be broken, bonds (cords, ropes) need to fall off.  

    We who have the Light of the gospel are compelled to share this gospel. We want they who have not seen the Light to see Jesus, to believe in Jesus. We have a strong desire to see souls saved: to rejoice in their salvation through repentance (turning away from sin to obedience). We delight in their baptisms, both water and spirit. We encourage these new believers and each other in the Word, speaking it, praying it, living it: answering Jesus' call to "Follow Me." (Matthew 4:19, 20).   

    Even now, while we are in the world, we remind you who hear us that we are not of this world (John 18:36). Because our life is hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3) we cannot see our permanent dwelling yet, but Jesus is preparing one for us where He is, for He has said, "I go to prepare a place for you that where I am you may be also. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am." (John 14:2, 3).

    I'm letting my light shine when I speak Jesus to you who hear what I say. I needed a Savior. I turned my face to the Light and the glory of God filled my heart. He is the Light that shines in the darkness of my heart. Jesus is the Light which grows and glows within me, shining out of me into the darkness around me. I speak Jesus. I speak with words of Love, having the Love of God living me in His Son Jesus Christ.

     For it is truly Love to obey the commands of God to "go into all the world and preach the gospel." I don't have to travel far for the darkness of this world is right here in my own backyard. I speak Jesus into my family, into my neighborhood, into my community, into my town, into my church. I speak repentance, forgiveness, and being baptized into His Name. I speak refreshing and rejoicing

    Revelation 22:17

And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And the one hearing, let him say, "Come!" And the one thirsting let him come; the one desiring, let him take freely the water of life.

LIGHT SHINES IN THE HEART

Dear God,

    Please forgive me of all my sins. Come into my heart and let me live in Yours. Wash me clean of all unrighteousness. Make me pure and holy that I might live in Your presence all the days of my life. For I have been an unwilling partner of sin and desire only the goodness of God in You. Shine Your Light in me and remove the darkness from my heart.

    Give me Your peace, Your strength, to walk in this new life You have given me. In You I place my hope. Lead me in Your Word, guiding my steps and guarding my life. Help me to guard my heart and my tongue, that I may not cause another to slip and fall. 

    Thank You for saving me, for taking my sins upon Yourself and dying in my place that I might live forever in You. Thank You Lord Jesus. I praise You and adore You.

    Amen.

LIGHT SHINES

    

    

    

    

    

Heart & Soul - - Glad Heart/Heavy Heart

 

Isaiah 65:14

My servants will shout for joy with a glad heart, but you will cry out with a heavy heart and wail with a broken spirit.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 2898 & 3511

Glad: joyful, gladness 

From the Hebrew word 'tub' (pronounced toob)

Heavy: pain, suffering (physical/mental), grief, sorrow

From the Hebrew word 'keeb' (pronounced keh-abe')  

By now we know that the Glad Heart is the heart that belongs to Jesus, the heart that lives inside the heart of God.

And the heavy heart is the heart that refuses to believe in, and does not belong to, Jesus. 

GLAD HEART

    Isaiah 51:11

So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.

    Psalm 40:16

May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, "The LORD be magnified!"

    Revelation 22:3

No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be within the city, and His servants will worship Him.

HEAVY HEART

    Isaiah 13:6

Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near; it will come as destruction from the Almighty.

    Revelation 1:7

Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.

    Psalm 112:10

The wicked man will see and be grieved; he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the desires of the wicked will perish.

    Revelation 20:12, 15

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.

And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

    Lord, may our hearts be turned to You. Lead us in Your Word, guide us with Your Holy Spirit. Bring us into Your kingdom, even as we pray for the repentance of they who have not yet done so. May we flourish in Your fields, doing the works which You have prepared for us to do.

    Let us linger in Your presence, giving our worship to You, gaining strength from You, that we may pursue the lost souls and reach them for You. Be glorified, Lord, in our praise and worship. 

    We the glad of heart rejoice in Your Name and seek Your face. As we humble ourselves and submit to Your will, have Your way in us. Do with us as You choose. We are Your willing vessels, surrendered hearts. 

    Though You call all people everywhere to repentance, we know, Lord, that too many will not choose You, but help us to reach as many as we can. Save our families, our friends, the strangers/foreigners among us and our enemies. 

    Fill each of us with Your Holy Spirit that we might walk this born again life with Your power. Draw us close to You that we might hear Your voice more clearly. 

    We rejoice in Your beauty, Your glory, Your presence, O Lord. For You are our Crown, our Savior, our King. Come, Lord Jesus, and fill this place even  now. 

    In Jesus' Name,

    Amen.

GLAD HEART/HEAVY HEART

At Your Feet

O Come To The Altar

Dead Man

Ocean Floor

Jesus Got Ahold Of My Life

Where We Belong 

The Last Song

Heart & Soul - - Germination

 

Colossians 3:1

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 4891

Raised: to raise together 

From the Greek word 'sunegeiró' (pronounced soon-eg-i'-ro) meaning " I raise along with".

"To raise up together from moral death to a new and blessed life devoted to God."

RAISED WITH HIM

    We are risen from the dead with Christ when we believe in His Name for our salvation (Romans 10:13). For His very Name is Savior (Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31). 

    Colossians 2:12 "And having been buried with Him in baptism, you were raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead." Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

    ALIVE TO GOD THROUGH THE CROSS

    Romans 6:3-5    

(3) Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? (4) We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection.

    Galatians 5:24

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 

    Galatians 6:14

But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 

    I am alive to God through the cross, through the crucifixion of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, who died for me, to save me from the punishment of my sins. He died for you, too. And those who believe, who call on His Name to save them, have died with Him; for we are now in Him and He is in us, as He prayed in the garden in John 17:20-26. It's a lovely prayer. 

    If a person hasn't come to the cross to lay their burden of sins down there, then they need to do so soon, very soon. Christ is returning soon and very soon. It will be near impossible to come to Christ when God calls His church into His presence. (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17). I'm so excited! Aren't you? 

    SEEK THE THINGS ABOVE

    What are the things above that we, as citizens (Philippians 3:20) of heaven, should be seeking? What are we looking for, searching out? Matthew 6:20-21 tells us "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupts, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

>ETERNAL LIFE is our greatest treasure. But to have it there we must first claim it here. For it is both our now reward for we live in Him now and our later treasure up there. We will get new bodies, changed bodies . As a seed that is planted in the ground does not remain a seed but changes and grows into whatever the seed was destined to become, we, too, will be changed. 

    The seed goes through a transformative process to become what will be seen. In science it is called germination. In Scripture it is called 'from glory to glory' (2 Corinthians 3:18). 

ROOTS AND SHOOTS

• The seed's first stage is getting water to begin the process. For the Christian that water is the Holy Spirit. Before anything else worthwhile can happen in a Christian's life, the Holy Spirit must be present in us. The seed first grows roots to reach into the ground and find water. The Christian's roots are in the Word of God, we dig deep into His Word to find our resources for growth. 
• The seed's second stage is oxygen. It needs to breathe. For the Christian that oxygen is the presence of God, for He gives us breath. 
• The seed's third stage is the right temperature in which to flourish. For the Christian the right temperature is persecution. For the church grew when the Word spread through the Christians who fled the cities where they were being hunted and killed for the Name of Jesus. Hard to believe that we require such uncivilities to grow in our faith, isn't it? But in the Christian life this requirement is akin to the dirt in which the seed has been buried. It must push through, up and out in order to reach the sun and become a seedling, a young plant. During this stage of development the seed, the Christian, breaks through the hard shell surrounding it; we tear down walls and the new life that is growing us shoots upward to break through the ground (the fears, doubts and ponderings) in which it is buried and become a sprout, a new life, which will grow and become stronger in the light of God's love and mercy. Grace Like Rain.
• The seed's fourth requirement is light: it requires sunshine and warmth. So, too, the Christian requires Sonlight. We strive, persevere, and push through the obstacles to reach the Christ in Whom our lives shine. 
• The seed's fifth and final stage is the transformation into what it was created to be. Its roots have driven deep into the ground, its shoots have made their final push through and up, its leaves are releasing oxygen and its purpose is made known when its fruit (plant type) is visible to everyone who sees it. So, too, is the Christian's life. They who see us know we are Christians even before we open our mouth to speak. For the glory of the Lord shines in our faces. 

    CHRIST AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD

How wonderful to be a seed in the garden of God, to be the planting of the Lord! Rise up, O Christian, and be who the Lord is calling you to be! See Him in all His glory, where He is seated at the right hand of His Father. Ask you how we know He is there? The Word states this is so. He has been seen there. 

    Acts 7:55-56

55) But he (Stephen) being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. (56) And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

    Mark 16:19

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

    Daniel 7:13

In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence.

    Someday soon we, too, will see Christ at the right hand of God. For God's Word is True & Faithful. God never lies. God is Love, not chaos. All will see Him but not all will remain with Him. Only the ones who have believed on the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation and turned their backs on the temptations of this world, choosing to live for Him. 

    Have you said, Yes, Lord, I am Yours? Have you surrendered your heart and your life to Him? Hurry, hurry; come to the altar and give God your heart, that He may plant Himself in your heart. changing you according to His will and purpose for  you. Like He did me. 

    Every day is a new challenge, a new opportunity to serve Him and be of use to Him in His kingdom. Every day is a day of growth, a day of spreading the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ, in the hopes that the hearer would receive it into their own hearts. 

    We pray, Lord, be my Lord. I am a wretched sinner and I have transgressed against You. I have broken Your laws and I need Your Savior. I need Jesus Christ to wash my sins away in the blood He shed for me on the cross. I need His resurrection power to become the Christian You want me to be. I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. As I commit myself to You, Father, strengthen me in Your Word and  Your Love. Guide me, lead me, guard my tongue, that I may speak only the words You give me. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may walk in this new life which You have given me. I praise You and thank You for saving me, filling me and leading me. In Jesus' Name, we pray, Amen. 

FEARLESS

    

Heart & Soul - - Anointed By God

 

1 John 2:20

But you have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all things.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 5545

Unction: anointing

From the Greek word 'chrisma' (pronounced khris'-mah) (from 5548 /xríō, "anoint with oil") . Referring to the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit, guiding the receptive believer into the fullness of God's preferred-will. [This anointing functions through faith (4102 /pístis), i.e. God inwardly persuading the believer of His preferences.]  

    The Holy Spirit is that unction, that unguent, poured out on the Christians. He is represented in Scripture as Wind (1 Chronicles 14:15; Acts 2:2), Breath of God (John 20:22), Dove (John 1:32), Rain (Hosea 6:3; James 5:7), Fire (Acts 2:3) and Oil (1 John 2:20).

    The Spirit is the Oil of Joy: exuberant joy, wild joy, delight (Hebrews 1:9). God anoints us (2 Corinthians 1:21-22) with His Holy Spirit to accomplish the work He has set forth for His people to do (Luke 4:18-21, referring to Christ's anointing) and Acts 2:8, power to witness). The Holy Spirit is only given to God's people, none other are qualified to receive Him. 

   Having been born anew, experienced a new birth through the power of God's Holy Spirit and through the water, we are privileged to live our lives through Him, in Him and with Him. To serve God is one of the greatest honors we will ever know. The first greatest honor He bestowed on us was the gift of salvation through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. We are covered with His righteousness by placing our faith in Him. 

    The Holy Spirit is not the anointer: He is the anointing, our anointing. We are anointed with the Oil of Healing (Matthew 11:5). We are anointed with the Oil of Power to Preach the Gospel  (Isaiah 61:1. We are anointed with the Spirit of Wisdom (). 

    This anointing is for us, our children and our grandchildren; it is also conditional (Isaiah 59:20-21; Isaiah 44:3). This anointing of the Holy Spirit is the baptism of the Spirit given by Christ to His disciples, His followers (John 1:33; Acts 2:1-4). 

    God anoints His servants with His precious Holy Spirit to work in power and complete the works in Him. What are these works which only the anointing empowers? 1 Corinthians 12 outlines the different diversities of gifts in the Spirit. Whatever we do in the Spirit is not done just for ourselves but for all of us ( 1 Corinthians 12:7). 

    We are the body of Christ and the body has different functions, but all work together for the good of the body. Whether we speak of our physical bodies or our spiritual body. For in the Spirit there is one body and that is the body of Christ. As He served and suffered for us during He ministry here, we, too, now serve and suffer as His body for the benefit of each of us. 

    When one part of the body ceases to function in the way in which it was created to function, other parts of the body must step up and fill the void, if possible. We lose a limb, that limb can be replaced to some degree. But if a major organ fails, then the whole body fails. This is true in the body of Christ, as well. 

    When our hearts are not working in the way in which they should be, then we need a new heart. And God provides one. He removes the heart of stone and replaces it with a fleshy heart, a heart that can be molded and written on (Ezekiel 11:19-20; Jeremiah 32:39; 2 Corinthians 3:3). And in this new heart, God, His Christ and His Holy Spirit take up residence (John 14:23). 

    But because our hearts are unclean, this new heart, this new birth, must wash away our uncleanness, our sins, our unrighteousness. Every little nook and cranny must be dusted, cleaned and repaired that there are no breaches where the enemy of our souls can enter in.  

    Lord, let this anointing be made full in me that I might finish my race, my course with grace and humility. Guide me through the obstacles in my path on this journey You have set me on. Be my Guide, my Light, my Oil as I walk Your Word out in my life. While I long to wear the crowns of victory You have set up for me, even more so, let me see Your smiling face when You call my name to the supper table. May I be Your good and faithful servant until then. Amen. 

COME HOLY SPIRIT

Guard Your Heart - - Watch Over Your Fruitfulness

 

John 15:5

"I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing."

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 2590

Fruit: deed, action, result, profit, gain

From the Greek word 'karpos' (pronounced kar-pos'). Extended definition: everything done in true partnership with Christ, i.e. a believer (a branch) lives in union with Christ (the Vine). By definition, fruit results from two life-streams – the Lord living His life through ours – to yield what is eternal. 

    Our fruitfulness in the kingdom of God depends on our inclination, our leaning, into Christ. Can the branch of a fruit tree bring forth fresh fruit unless it is attached to the tree? No. Neither then can a born again believer produce fruit alone. We need Jesus Christ living in us to "bear fruit". 

    Just what kind of fruit does a Christian bear when Christ (the vine) lives in us and the Spirit (the sap) flows through us?

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

I liken the fruit of the Spirit to a single fruit, like citrus, which has many segments yet remains an individual fruit.

    Galatians 5:22, 23

22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

    When these things are evident in a person's life, when you can see them, then you know that there stands a fruitful Christian. From the inside (where the Spirit works on us) to the outside. 

    Sometimes though the Master Gardener (our heavenly Father) sees the need for our trees, or vines, can be made more fruitful, so He prunes us. Does this hurt? Briefly. But then after a season our branches grow heavy with even more fruit than we think we can bear. Unless the Master Gardener sees there is no fruit, then He removes a branch or two from the tree or the vine. 

FRUITFUL FAITH

    The fruit in the Father's garden is not for physical  consumption, it is the result of a single Seed: the Seed of Righteousness: Jesus Christ, The LORD My Righteousness. This seed is the result of Faith in God which Abram had when God called him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. (Genesis 22:1-19 and Hebrews 11:17 "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac on the altar. He who had received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son). 

    It is only by Faith in the promises of God that we are able to spread the gospel of God's plan of salvation, the Seed of righteousness, in His fields. Sometimes, this seed does not take root, as told in the Parable of The Sower. Only when the Seed reaches the heart does it take root and begin to grow. 

    It wasn't just one person telling me about God and Jesus Christ, it was many. The Word says "some plant, some water, some harvest". At some point in my life, someone planted the Seed in my heart where it took root. Others watered my heart with their tears, when they prayed for me. Now the Word grows in me and I'm growing in the Word. When I am perfect, I'll be harvested by the Master Gardener. 

FRUITFULNESS

    Every time I tell you about my Jesus and what He's done for me, I'm planting the Seed. It's up to you whether or not you receive it into your hearts. The tears of my prayers water not just my plantings, but the plantings of others when I pray for their gardens/fields. 

    I grew up singing classic hymns in church, like Bringing In The Sheaves which speaks of the harvest of grain sheaves as compared to the souls which are being saved through the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Bringing In The Sheaves

~Knowles Shaw~1874~Psalm 126:6

He that goes forth and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

1. Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,

Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;

Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,

We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

2. Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,

Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze;

By and by, the harvest and the labor ended,

We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

3. Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master,

Tho’, the loss sustained, our spirit often grieves;

When our weeping’s over, He will bid us welcome,

We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

(Refrain)

Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,

We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves;

Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,

We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

    And so we pray. We pray for the Lord's perfect will to be done, not what we want or how we want it. We pray for our families, our friends; for our spouses, our children, and our children's children. We pray for the people our children associate themselves with and for their families. 

    First and foremost, we pray for their salvation. We pray that they be filled with the Holy Spirit, that they all may walk empowered in the strength of the Lord. We pray that their hearts would be filled to overflowing with the joy of the Lord; that their fruit would be evident and sweet. 

    Lastly, we pray that they would remain strong in the Lord and in the power of His might all the days of their life. That they would be a blessing not only to their Lord but to everyone they meet. That's our prayer for fruitfulness in the kingdom of God.

FRUITFULNESS MEDLEY

So Will I

Gratitude

When I Pray

No Other Name

Graves Into Gardens

Give Me Faith

Build My Life