I was asking the Lord yesterday, "Lord, what can I give people to encourage them?" The answer? We serve a God who answers prayer. Here is where the floodgate opens of "but what about a,b,c,d,e,f etc etc?" Without getting buried and sidetracked let me say this, the Lord has answered this brother's prayers and I am not special. What has been done for me, can and will be done for you. Also, sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes no, sometimes wait.
What happens in people's minds when the Lord waits for 2-3 years to answer your prayer? How many people give up by day 3 and say "well, see! The Lord doesn't answer!" The Lord has made me wait, and wait, and wait some more. Especially for the answers to requests for miracles. That is not to say the Lord cannot or will not answer quickly. I am just saying I have had to wait for most things.
What is people's reaction when the Lord says no? Is that not an answer? If people will only accept a yes from the Lord are they really being honest?
There are a zillion different scenarios we could talk about because every person is unique and has their own relationship with the Lord. Sometimes in addition to yes, no and wait a person may have a sin problem that is not covered because they are not "in Christ" and thus not under the blood for the forgiveness of sin. That is to say, they are testing the waters of Christianity maybe but are not Christians. If you are "in Christ" the answers you should be looking for are yes, no or wait."
How do we know what the answer is? A personal day to day relationship with Jesus Christ. His Spirit tells us in our spirit if we should continue to hang onto our request. This is not a scientific answer, its something that must be discerned in the spirit and no one person can do it for another. The Lord wants a relationship that is unique and rich and loving with YOU, personally and He has never given this brother and answer for another. That is for you and Him alone to figure out.
Seeing the answer to prayer will require faith, and patience and sore testing. Do you really believe? Will your faith stand the test of time. Time does test all of us. Is this a pleasant experience? Not in my experience. I have experienced trial and tribulations of soul and spirit as I waited for my answers. I did also experience periodic strengthening and encouragement from the Lord to not give up.
To give you an idea of the kind of God we serve, some things I asked for I stopped praying for and years later they showed up. The key in those cases was I never doubted that the Lord would answer I just could not keep praying for that particular thing because maybe I thought it was not important enough or whatever to continue in prayer for every day. Then, the Lord gave it to me anyway. Remember, I did not doubt, I just did not continue asking for it.
I am going to wrap this one up, but I want to restate what the Lord gave me to give to you: pray and do not give up if its for something that really matters to you. Do not look to mankind for answers on these things, you need to hear from God directly. You need a Word or a touch from the Lord, only that will satisfy your soul.
When you approach the throne of grace, bring the Lord something to work with like 1. your faith and 2. His Word. Bring Him your faith and His Word, two things that are irresistible to our God. What has the Lord already said that you can bring back to Him for fulfillment?
1 Thess 5:16Rejoice always, 17pray continually, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus
This ^^ right here is one of the most powerful sentences in the Bible in this brother's opinion. Rejoice when? Only when things are going well for you? No. Only when you are getting instant answers? No, ALWAYS. Pray when? Continually. Give thanks when? In ALL circumstances.
Is this ^^ easy? No. Is this powerful? You can literally move mountains with this one sentence. If people would just do this, their world would transform. Sometimes you will have to force yourself to rejoice and pray and give thanks and you will be doing it while it feels like your guts are turning inside out from the situation you find yourself in. << Your feelings are betraying you while your faith makes a stand.
For this purpose I was created and write to you today. I have often asked the Lord what I should be doing with my life. I am not really good at anything but the Lord has blessed all the work of my hands. Not because I am special but because He is faithful. What I should be doing with my life is explaining to you that I have been there, with my guts turning over inside of me over the wrenching circumstance in my life. I have been there fighting back the waves of fear and doubt. I have been there near tears crying out to God " Lord if you don't help me this will be the end of me!!!"
I have been there, and here I am now on the other side of many miracles and answers to prayer to encourage you to stand firm in the faith and not give up. I open my arms and give you a virtual hug right now and whisper in your ear "rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances..."
grace and peace be upon you and yours.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Hope
| May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. |
Set your hope fully on what the Lord will do for you moment by moment and day by day. As the days grow dark, the light in us shines brighter. Have you forgotten that we are the light of the world?
Matthew 5:14
| "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. |
We are here to radiate light in this world. How do we do this? Let me use a question to answer a question: If you knew some hypothetical person who was full of faith, hope and love to the point of overflowing, would you consider them a light? Yes, you would because a person like that literally lights up the room they walk into. People notice it but rarely do they speak about it. We know people like this but they are few. They walk into a room and it lights up. We are to be these people.
Again, how do we do this? It begins with our mind and heart. You decide to put your hope fully in the Lord, you decide to be joyful, you decide to love. I will hope and love today. I will focus my mind on what the Lord has already done for me. I will set my hope fully on His moment to moment provision and companionship in my life. I will look for it and search for it until I see it, moment by moment and day by day.
Our God is a God of miracles, and provision, and power, and love, and mercy, and hope, and peace, and the list goes on and on. He can be trusted today, He is faithful. This nobody is a living witness to the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord, not because I am anything but so I can testify to you that our God lives and is very very active right now and He can be trusted.
If we do not have our God's assistance then all is lost. At all costs, we must have His provision and power, His answers to our prayers in our lives. Set your heart fully on what it is you seek. Keep your eyes on the Lord, and do not give up. Ask, seek, knock and continue to ask, seek, and knock until you get your answer. I have had to wait years sometime to get my answer but it always comes through, always.
What happens to a tiny light in a room that grows darker. Each moment as the darkness grows, so does the brilliance and radiance of the tiny light because the darkness accentuates and brings into sharp focus every photon of light in that room. We are those tiny lights and the world is the dark room.
This brother would encourage you today to ask, seek and knock and do not give up. If it kills you in the effort you can NEVER GIVE UP.....
| "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. |
grace and peace
Monday, September 2, 2013
We Have His Promises
We need to brace ourselves for what may lie ahead through the end of this year and beyond. Warnings are everywhere that something catastrophic may happen. Also, we do not know exactly when the escape from all will take place (Luke 21:36). Could it be this year, during the Feast of Trumpets? Only the Lord knows. If the Lord tarries, we have His promises that are worth more than gold. Consider the promises made below:
Psalm 37:18
The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,
and their inheritance will endure forever.
19In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
These are real promises that the Lord fully intends to deliver on. If He wrote it, He meant it. In the days, weeks and months ahead we may need to rely on His promises more than ever. The Lord truly is our only source of supply and provision in this world.
Three things we must always remember to take to the Lord when we approach Him: 1. Our thanks and praise, 2. our faith and 3. His promises. This trifecta can and will move mountains in our lives. This writer has seen it happen over and over again. Keep the faith, please remember me and my family in your prayers as I remember you and yours in mine.
grace and peace
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Walking With The Lord
Here is a Word of encouragement:
Psalm 30:11You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
I have been asking the Lord about the days ahead, and His response was:
1. Remember-what He has done for me, the miracles, the answered prayers, the deliverance just like in Psalm 30 above
2. Walk step by step, moment by moment with Him. Trust, have faith, believe.
That's it. Through each miracle the Lord has walked me through, He has taught me the same thing: walk with Him step by step, moment by moment. We cannot walk with Him tomorrow until tomorrow arrives and yesterday is gone forever. Now, today is the day we have to walk with our God. Walk with Him, trust Him, stay in the Word to build your faith and watch what He will do.
grace and peace
Psalm 30:11You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
I have been asking the Lord about the days ahead, and His response was:
1. Remember-what He has done for me, the miracles, the answered prayers, the deliverance just like in Psalm 30 above
2. Walk step by step, moment by moment with Him. Trust, have faith, believe.
That's it. Through each miracle the Lord has walked me through, He has taught me the same thing: walk with Him step by step, moment by moment. We cannot walk with Him tomorrow until tomorrow arrives and yesterday is gone forever. Now, today is the day we have to walk with our God. Walk with Him, trust Him, stay in the Word to build your faith and watch what He will do.
grace and peace
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Hope
This one will be short but I want to pass onto you a theme the Lord has placed in my heart: hope. As the days become darker we need to keep the spark of hope alive in our hearts. We do this in and through the Word. This particular scripture really nails the concept down for us:
1 Cor 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
We must keep faith, hope and love alive. Imagine with me for a moment just how far these three words could take us through this darkness if we all fully embraced them. How far can faith take us? All the way. How far can hope take us? All the way. How far can love take us.....all the way.
Our supply and provision and anything else we need comes from the unseen world into this seen world through faith hope and love. What am I talking about? Manna in the desert for Israel during the exodus is an example. The Lord provided a way that could not be anticipated, made no sense in the physical, was not rational or scientific etc. The Lord loved His people, He provided for them, end of story.
If we are on this earth and we are His children, He will have to provide for us or we will not survive. Do you think He knows this? Of course He does. Love, trust, hope, faith these things have been laid on this writer's heart to share with you. We who believe have a hope that the world does not. We have more than this, we have a blessed hope. Please remember to keep faith, hope and love alive. Focus on it, remember it morning noon and night. The Lord wrote this 1 Cor 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. Lets remember what our loving Father has written to us.
grace and peace
1 Cor 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
We must keep faith, hope and love alive. Imagine with me for a moment just how far these three words could take us through this darkness if we all fully embraced them. How far can faith take us? All the way. How far can hope take us? All the way. How far can love take us.....all the way.
Our supply and provision and anything else we need comes from the unseen world into this seen world through faith hope and love. What am I talking about? Manna in the desert for Israel during the exodus is an example. The Lord provided a way that could not be anticipated, made no sense in the physical, was not rational or scientific etc. The Lord loved His people, He provided for them, end of story.
If we are on this earth and we are His children, He will have to provide for us or we will not survive. Do you think He knows this? Of course He does. Love, trust, hope, faith these things have been laid on this writer's heart to share with you. We who believe have a hope that the world does not. We have more than this, we have a blessed hope. Please remember to keep faith, hope and love alive. Focus on it, remember it morning noon and night. The Lord wrote this 1 Cor 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. Lets remember what our loving Father has written to us.
grace and peace
Thursday, July 18, 2013
A Loving Father
Just a quick note here to share something the Lord impressed upon me today. The Lord is as good as He possibly can be to us and for us based on our soul's condition and what our mission is. What does that mean?
1. Our soul's condition-If a childs soul/spirit is weak from being neck deep in sin, there is only so much blessing the Lord can do in that childs life without them using it as fuel to drive themselves deeper into the hole they are digging for themself.
2. Our mission-some of the Lord's children are destined for higher glory in heaven because they are enduring hell on earth here. Some are destined to be severely persecuted, martyred etc. Not all are martyrs, not all are apostles, not all are teachers etc. We all have different missions.
Here ^^ are two reasons (I am sure there are more) why we are not to judge each other. Who knows what your mission is, or mine? The Lord knows. One person lives a life that is very very hard on earth, others live lives that are not as hard (relatively). Is the Lord unfair? No way. He sees the end from the beginning, He sees eternity and you and I in it. ALL will be settled. The Lord Himself explained this better than I can:
Keep your eyes on the Lord. As the days grow dark we must keep our eyes on the prize which is Christ Jesus and us being found "in Him" and thereby possessing all things.
grace and peace
1. Our soul's condition-If a childs soul/spirit is weak from being neck deep in sin, there is only so much blessing the Lord can do in that childs life without them using it as fuel to drive themselves deeper into the hole they are digging for themself.
2. Our mission-some of the Lord's children are destined for higher glory in heaven because they are enduring hell on earth here. Some are destined to be severely persecuted, martyred etc. Not all are martyrs, not all are apostles, not all are teachers etc. We all have different missions.
Here ^^ are two reasons (I am sure there are more) why we are not to judge each other. Who knows what your mission is, or mine? The Lord knows. One person lives a life that is very very hard on earth, others live lives that are not as hard (relatively). Is the Lord unfair? No way. He sees the end from the beginning, He sees eternity and you and I in it. ALL will be settled. The Lord Himself explained this better than I can:
Luke 6:20Looking at his disciples, he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
23“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
Keep your eyes on the Lord. As the days grow dark we must keep our eyes on the prize which is Christ Jesus and us being found "in Him" and thereby possessing all things.
grace and peace
Sunday, July 7, 2013
A Request For Direction
There are people looking for direction in this world. Where can they find it? Can they pray for it? Yes, but what else, what else can they do where else can they look to find direction? Here is one gigantic clue the Lord gave us:
Col 3:3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
In order to find direction you must find yourself. And where are 'you' at? The true you is now hidden, in Christ. So, to find and connect with yourself you must find and connect with Jesus Christ in whom you are now hidden. This is your first and greatest job each and every day. If you cannot even find yourself, how will you ever find direction for the other things that occupy your mind?
This is a win/win proposition. Seek first the kingdom of God and everything else will be added unto you, remember?
Matt 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
When you seek to find yourself, you must first seek to find Christ Jesus in whom you are hidden, and Jesus Christ can be found in His kingdom. A way to visualize this is to draw a circle and write your name in it. Then draw another circle around that circle and write the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in it. Then draw another circle around those two circles and write "the Kingdom of our Lord" in it. When you draw this out, what do you see? Our Lord has set us up for success by the system/laws He has created.
Seek His Kingdom to find Christ and thus find yourself and all these things will be given to you as well....What you seek is hidden away in the kingdom of God, in Christ Jesus. Another way of answering how you can find your direction is: seek the kingdom so you can find Christ and thus find yourself so you can find your direction.
Col 3:3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
In order to find direction you must find yourself. And where are 'you' at? The true you is now hidden, in Christ. So, to find and connect with yourself you must find and connect with Jesus Christ in whom you are now hidden. This is your first and greatest job each and every day. If you cannot even find yourself, how will you ever find direction for the other things that occupy your mind?
This is a win/win proposition. Seek first the kingdom of God and everything else will be added unto you, remember?
Matt 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
When you seek to find yourself, you must first seek to find Christ Jesus in whom you are hidden, and Jesus Christ can be found in His kingdom. A way to visualize this is to draw a circle and write your name in it. Then draw another circle around that circle and write the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in it. Then draw another circle around those two circles and write "the Kingdom of our Lord" in it. When you draw this out, what do you see? Our Lord has set us up for success by the system/laws He has created.
Seek His Kingdom to find Christ and thus find yourself and all these things will be given to you as well....What you seek is hidden away in the kingdom of God, in Christ Jesus. Another way of answering how you can find your direction is: seek the kingdom so you can find Christ and thus find yourself so you can find your direction.
Allow me one last way of explaining this then I will leave it alone. If you approach someone and ask them for the directions to the nearest walmart, their directions will only be good if you know where you are starting from. If you do not correctly identify your starting location/situation, the directions will not help you reach your destination. Understand? By centering yourself in the kingdom, in Christ and in the hidden you in Christ, only then can you understand where you really are right now as a starting point so when you receive your directions they will get you to where you need to go.
grace and peace
Friday, July 5, 2013
Encourage Yourself In The Lord
There are days when you are believing the Lord for an answer when you feel like you can barely get out of bed let alone ask for help, pray or believe for a miracle. What do we do when inside we feel like we are scraping the bottom of the barrel for our faith? You ask for more faith. When we don't have something we can either 1. complain about it, or 2. do something about it (ask for more) and wait for it.
The Lord gave us many examples to learn from. In the following example David and his men were doing some amazing things. You would think from reading the text that David's men would be more loyal, more trustworthy, whatever but read how they reacted and what David did in this situation:
You can read 1 Sam 29 for more background
1 Sam 30:1And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; 2And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way. 3So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. 4Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 6And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
David's story is a good one. He was the beloved of the Lord, a man after the Lord's own heart and yet look at this situation he is put into. His men want to stone him and his wives are captured and taken away. Can you imagine? Not a fun day. Was David distressed? Yep, he probably felt like someone kicked him in the stomach a couple times then left him for dead, but what did David do? He encouraged himself in the Lord. And what was the result? The result was good.
What is all the trial and tribulation about here on earth? Is it just to trouble us for no reason or is there a reason? The reason is to get to know and love and trust the Lord our God. Are these trials easy? No, in fact they can border on feeling like we are close to death but again why are we facing these things? We will learn to rely on, trust and love our God.
All these just words? I mean, does brother D write all this for someone to feel good? No and yes. No this is not just to make you feel better. This is REAL, there is power behind the words. Not my words but His Word. The Lord wrote everything to us for a reason. This brother has a testimony for you, I have been through this. I have scraped the bottom of what felt like a deep dark lake where by faith was attacked in a way I did not think possible. I have felt abandoned and alone and without the Lord's presence. It was for a very short time but I have felt it. Who else felt it?
Mark 15:34
And just as our Lord trusted the Father and the result was our salvation, in each of our trials no matter how dark or hopeless things appear we must trust and seek the Lord until we have our answer. Why? Because this brother is telling you I have been delivered out of all my troubles (now I have some new ones but thats a different story). The Lord has answered when I have asked. I am not special, what does the Word say?
I have had to wait for my answers, but I received my answers. The Lord has been faithful and true. He has helped me and He will help you, just dont give up. The Lord has performed many miracles in this brother's life, many and although they have been wonderful to behold I understand they were not just for me. Example, when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead was it just for Lazarus that the miracle was performed? No, it was for every believer who ever believed after that miracle was performed. The raising of Lazarus was just as much for you and me as it was for Lazarus and those standing around watching it on that day long ago.
Keep the faith, hold on, hang on. If you cannot take a step forward then at least stand your ground and do not retreat, just stand. Part of these things we go through is for the Lord to reveal His power and His majesty to us. Through every hardship and resulting deliverance the Lord is revealing Himself to us. I have been through many of these and I can tell you my heart swells with love when I think about how the Lord rescued me, delivered me, saved me from my troubles over and over again. And no most of the time it was not a quick fix so I did suffer while I waited but some of that suffering was self imposed. Why didn't I trust the Lord more? After so many deliverances and miracles why
do I still sometimes not walk and think like I should? I am human, so are you. Don't beat yourself up. Focus on the solution not the problem.
Ask, seek, knock. These Words were written to us for a reason, they are not empty. Ask and ye shall receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened. These are facts, not just suggestions. Ask, seek and knock are the commands our Lord gave to us to help us. Remember the story of the unjust judge, persist.
On the day you get your answer it will all make sense. On the day the arm of the Lord is revealed in power on your behalf, you will understand. On that day you will forget your trouble and your heart will overflow with thanks and joy then you will be a light for someone else's miracle. You will have a testimony based on fact when the Lord comes through for you just as He has come through for me and all those we read about in the Word.
Keep the faith, grace and peace
The Lord gave us many examples to learn from. In the following example David and his men were doing some amazing things. You would think from reading the text that David's men would be more loyal, more trustworthy, whatever but read how they reacted and what David did in this situation:
You can read 1 Sam 29 for more background
1 Sam 30:1And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; 2And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way. 3So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. 4Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 6And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
David's story is a good one. He was the beloved of the Lord, a man after the Lord's own heart and yet look at this situation he is put into. His men want to stone him and his wives are captured and taken away. Can you imagine? Not a fun day. Was David distressed? Yep, he probably felt like someone kicked him in the stomach a couple times then left him for dead, but what did David do? He encouraged himself in the Lord. And what was the result? The result was good.
What is all the trial and tribulation about here on earth? Is it just to trouble us for no reason or is there a reason? The reason is to get to know and love and trust the Lord our God. Are these trials easy? No, in fact they can border on feeling like we are close to death but again why are we facing these things? We will learn to rely on, trust and love our God.
All these just words? I mean, does brother D write all this for someone to feel good? No and yes. No this is not just to make you feel better. This is REAL, there is power behind the words. Not my words but His Word. The Lord wrote everything to us for a reason. This brother has a testimony for you, I have been through this. I have scraped the bottom of what felt like a deep dark lake where by faith was attacked in a way I did not think possible. I have felt abandoned and alone and without the Lord's presence. It was for a very short time but I have felt it. Who else felt it?
Mark 15:34
| And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?") |
And just as our Lord trusted the Father and the result was our salvation, in each of our trials no matter how dark or hopeless things appear we must trust and seek the Lord until we have our answer. Why? Because this brother is telling you I have been delivered out of all my troubles (now I have some new ones but thats a different story). The Lord has answered when I have asked. I am not special, what does the Word say?
| "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you |
I have had to wait for my answers, but I received my answers. The Lord has been faithful and true. He has helped me and He will help you, just dont give up. The Lord has performed many miracles in this brother's life, many and although they have been wonderful to behold I understand they were not just for me. Example, when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead was it just for Lazarus that the miracle was performed? No, it was for every believer who ever believed after that miracle was performed. The raising of Lazarus was just as much for you and me as it was for Lazarus and those standing around watching it on that day long ago.
Keep the faith, hold on, hang on. If you cannot take a step forward then at least stand your ground and do not retreat, just stand. Part of these things we go through is for the Lord to reveal His power and His majesty to us. Through every hardship and resulting deliverance the Lord is revealing Himself to us. I have been through many of these and I can tell you my heart swells with love when I think about how the Lord rescued me, delivered me, saved me from my troubles over and over again. And no most of the time it was not a quick fix so I did suffer while I waited but some of that suffering was self imposed. Why didn't I trust the Lord more? After so many deliverances and miracles why
do I still sometimes not walk and think like I should? I am human, so are you. Don't beat yourself up. Focus on the solution not the problem.
Ask, seek, knock. These Words were written to us for a reason, they are not empty. Ask and ye shall receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened. These are facts, not just suggestions. Ask, seek and knock are the commands our Lord gave to us to help us. Remember the story of the unjust judge, persist.
On the day you get your answer it will all make sense. On the day the arm of the Lord is revealed in power on your behalf, you will understand. On that day you will forget your trouble and your heart will overflow with thanks and joy then you will be a light for someone else's miracle. You will have a testimony based on fact when the Lord comes through for you just as He has come through for me and all those we read about in the Word.
Keep the faith, grace and peace
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Pray Without Ceasing
1 Thess 5:15See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. 16Rejoice evermore. 17Pray without ceasing. 18In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19Quench not the Spirit. 20Despise not prophesyings. 21Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22Abstain from all appearance of evil.
I wanted to share with you something the Lord brought to my mind yesterday about "pray without ceasing." Why would the Lord tell us to pray without ceasing? Because He never intends to answer us? Because He likes us to do futile things? To frustrate us? No to all these things. He tells us to pray without ceasing so we may receive AN ANSWER to our needs.
Ask, seek, knock, why would the Lord tell us to do these things? To get AN ANSWER from Him. Our God does not speak idle Words. If He said it He meant it and He meant it for our good.
So pray without ceasing offering up a multitude of prayers and requests and do so with thanksgiving.
This world may be entering into unprecedented troubled times in the days ahead. If that is so we will need the Lord to answer many prayers and requests and to show us His tender mercies every day.
Keep the faith. grace and peace
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Our Momentary Troubles
The Lord gave me this one yesterday so I pass it on to you:
Our momentary troubles enable the Lord to demonstrate His power and glory to us. Without troubles and conflict and tribulation, the Lord would not have much reason to demonstrate His power to us. Every good story has an element of conflict in it so it can be resolved, so it is with us.
You may say "but brother D I dont need any more conflict or tribulation, my plate is full!" I understand and I have felt the same way at times in the past. I can tell you now having been delivered from every trial that the Lord is true to His Word and although it may seem unbearable at the moment if you ask for strength and wait for the Lord He WILL come through for you. How, what, when, where are all up to the Lord but He will come through for you. What did the Lord say? What did He promise? What can you take back to Him in prayer? This:
This ^^ my friends is absolute truth. This brother can testify to you that I have had troubles and tribulations and trials and the Lord has delivered me from them all. They were not pleasant, and I would not want to go through any of them again but having gone through them I now see and know that the Lord is true to His Word and He can be trusted to the uttermost.
The Lord wants to display His power and majesty to us. I am standing with some of you even now in prayer for your miracles. What is going to happen when the Lord delivers your miracle? You will see the power and majesty of the Lord. You will understand in a deeper way what kind of God we serve. He is awesome.
I write this to encourage you today to pray and not give up. Ask, seek, knock and the door will be opened. Trust the Lord, hold on and you will see the power and majesty of our God when He works on your behalf. There is little to nothing in this world like seeing the Lord move in power on your behalf. He still works miracles today, thats a fact. He wants to reveal Himself to us in His fullness, we just have to believe and not give up.
grace and peace
Our momentary troubles enable the Lord to demonstrate His power and glory to us. Without troubles and conflict and tribulation, the Lord would not have much reason to demonstrate His power to us. Every good story has an element of conflict in it so it can be resolved, so it is with us.
You may say "but brother D I dont need any more conflict or tribulation, my plate is full!" I understand and I have felt the same way at times in the past. I can tell you now having been delivered from every trial that the Lord is true to His Word and although it may seem unbearable at the moment if you ask for strength and wait for the Lord He WILL come through for you. How, what, when, where are all up to the Lord but He will come through for you. What did the Lord say? What did He promise? What can you take back to Him in prayer? This:
Psalm 34"4I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
6This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
7The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
This ^^ my friends is absolute truth. This brother can testify to you that I have had troubles and tribulations and trials and the Lord has delivered me from them all. They were not pleasant, and I would not want to go through any of them again but having gone through them I now see and know that the Lord is true to His Word and He can be trusted to the uttermost.
The Lord wants to display His power and majesty to us. I am standing with some of you even now in prayer for your miracles. What is going to happen when the Lord delivers your miracle? You will see the power and majesty of the Lord. You will understand in a deeper way what kind of God we serve. He is awesome.
I write this to encourage you today to pray and not give up. Ask, seek, knock and the door will be opened. Trust the Lord, hold on and you will see the power and majesty of our God when He works on your behalf. There is little to nothing in this world like seeing the Lord move in power on your behalf. He still works miracles today, thats a fact. He wants to reveal Himself to us in His fullness, we just have to believe and not give up.
grace and peace
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Faith To Work Miracles Comes From Words Like These
Psalm 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.
Really this says it all in very few words ^^. Commit, trust and the Lord will act. It may take awhile for Him to act but act He does. This brother has seen many miracles and I can testify that the Word of the Lord is true. Commit, trust and He will act. How wonderful.
For those of you praying for something (maybe a miracle) these words are for you. Do not quit, persevere, hang in there, stay in the fight, don't give up. Commit to the Lord till death do you part, trust in Him and watch what He will do. If you don't believe my testimony go open the book of Hebrews and read about the cloud of witnesses who all testify to the same thing. The Lord is faithful, He will act, just be patient. Take the days one at a time and eventually you will have your answer from our God.
grace and peace
Saturday, May 25, 2013
An Encouragement To Pray and Not Give Up
I believe with 100% certainty that the Lord answers prayer, so pray. Pray without ceasing. What does the Lord say about this?
Matt 7:7“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
If you are believing the Lord for something big, like a miracle or you have big problems that need to be solved (again, a miracle is needed) let me share with you from my own experience. I just had one of the biggest miracles ever performed in my life (the Lord has worked many). It was during this biggest miracle that took me to the heights that I was also brought down to the lowest depths. My faith was tested and attacked in a way I had not thought possible, but the Lord was with me He did not leave me or forsake me just as He promised. These words are for you. Understand that the biggest miracles often come with the lowest valleys.
Here are two examples from the Word: Jesus our Lord and David the Lord's beloved
What happened here ^^? The Lord God just before ascending the heights in glory as our Savior through His shed blood was crying "why have you forsaken me" to the Father. Do you see it? Its the valley before the mountaintop.
Again here with David:
Psalm 6
Sound like David was at a low point here?^^ David had to run and hide in caves from Saul before he became king. David also had the valley before the mountaintop experience.
This brother would like to encourage you to pray and not give up. Hold on for one more day. Do not let anyone or anything rob you of your faith because your faith is everything. If the enemy or this world or men can steal your faith they can steal your miracle, dont let it happen.
The Lord has led this brother through valley experiences to share with you today the truth, which is if you hold on in faith, eventually at some point you will look in victory at your situation. We cannot know when or how, only the Lord knows. Also know that the Lord does not enjoy putting you through your valley, He loves us and is kind and merciful even if you dont sense that in your valley please just hold on. The Lord told us what He is doing
The victories the Lord gives are very very great. If you are in a valley experience today open your bible up and read what happened to our fathers in the faith, how the ran and hid and suffered then they looked on in victory on the day the Lord answered them. This brother can testify along with the scriptures that the Lord does make us wait sometimes but victory and our answer is always on the way. Dont give up, stand, be strong, read the promises and stand on them. Offer the Lord your faith and His Word/His promises when you pray and fight for yourself in prayer. Make your case before the Lord but give Him something to work with. Too many people do not bring the King of Kings any faith or His own Word and they walk away empty handed. We have to give the Lord something to work with!!
The Lord our God is a King and His Kingdom is made up of laws. So just like a lawyer we have to make our case before Him. Read the Bible and see how the fathers in the faith made their case before the Lord, they reasoned with Him according to His own Word and they received what they asked for. How can the Lord resist His own Word? Think about it.
Don't give up, keep the faith. grace and peace
Matt 7:7“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
If you are believing the Lord for something big, like a miracle or you have big problems that need to be solved (again, a miracle is needed) let me share with you from my own experience. I just had one of the biggest miracles ever performed in my life (the Lord has worked many). It was during this biggest miracle that took me to the heights that I was also brought down to the lowest depths. My faith was tested and attacked in a way I had not thought possible, but the Lord was with me He did not leave me or forsake me just as He promised. These words are for you. Understand that the biggest miracles often come with the lowest valleys.
Here are two examples from the Word: Jesus our Lord and David the Lord's beloved
| And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?") |
What happened here ^^? The Lord God just before ascending the heights in glory as our Savior through His shed blood was crying "why have you forsaken me" to the Father. Do you see it? Its the valley before the mountaintop.
Again here with David:
Psalm 6
Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
2Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;
heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
3My soul is in deep anguish.
How long, Lord, how long?
4Turn, Lord, and deliver me;
save me because of your unfailing love.
5Among the dead no one proclaims your name.
Who praises you from the grave?
6I am worn out from my groaning.
All night long I flood my bed with weeping
and drench my couch with tears.
7My eyes grow weak with sorrow;
they fail because of all my foes.
8Away from me, all you who do evil,
for the Lord has heard my weeping.
9The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
10All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;
they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.
Sound like David was at a low point here?^^ David had to run and hide in caves from Saul before he became king. David also had the valley before the mountaintop experience.
This brother would like to encourage you to pray and not give up. Hold on for one more day. Do not let anyone or anything rob you of your faith because your faith is everything. If the enemy or this world or men can steal your faith they can steal your miracle, dont let it happen.
The Lord has led this brother through valley experiences to share with you today the truth, which is if you hold on in faith, eventually at some point you will look in victory at your situation. We cannot know when or how, only the Lord knows. Also know that the Lord does not enjoy putting you through your valley, He loves us and is kind and merciful even if you dont sense that in your valley please just hold on. The Lord told us what He is doing
| ... And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose |
The victories the Lord gives are very very great. If you are in a valley experience today open your bible up and read what happened to our fathers in the faith, how the ran and hid and suffered then they looked on in victory on the day the Lord answered them. This brother can testify along with the scriptures that the Lord does make us wait sometimes but victory and our answer is always on the way. Dont give up, stand, be strong, read the promises and stand on them. Offer the Lord your faith and His Word/His promises when you pray and fight for yourself in prayer. Make your case before the Lord but give Him something to work with. Too many people do not bring the King of Kings any faith or His own Word and they walk away empty handed. We have to give the Lord something to work with!!
The Lord our God is a King and His Kingdom is made up of laws. So just like a lawyer we have to make our case before Him. Read the Bible and see how the fathers in the faith made their case before the Lord, they reasoned with Him according to His own Word and they received what they asked for. How can the Lord resist His own Word? Think about it.
Don't give up, keep the faith. grace and peace
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Something You Need to Know When You Are Going Through Hard Times
The reason we must get to know the Lord intimately is so we will trust Him. It is hard to trust someone you do not know. Something we know about the Lord is He is full of lovingkindness toward those who belong to Him. Why does this matter? Because when it looks like the world is going to cave in on you from 4 sides, you have to know without a shadow of a doubt the Lord loves you and shows His kindness to you over and over again. This brother knows without a doubt that the Lord's lovingkindness is real toward us. What does the Word say?
Yes, it makes a difference when you are surrounded by lovingkindness. It makes a difference in your walk, your talk, your faith, everything. I hope you are encouraged today by the kind of God we serve. He is full of wrath and vengeance and anger toward the wicked:
Heb 10:30For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
But how does the Lord deal with us? He is full of lovingkindness and tender mercies. Read all the scriptures above. Yes we go through tribulations and trials on this earth but its all for a reason. The Lord has lovingkindness in store for us even through the tough times. Without it, I would not have seen many victories.
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you and may He grant you peace.
| ... "I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, In lovingkindness and in compassion ... //bible.cc/hosea/2-19.htm - 18k |
| ... Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. ... //bible.cc/psalms/51-1.htm - 19k |
| ... The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness. ... //bible.cc/jeremiah/31-3.htm - 18k |
| ... To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night, .... ... //bible.cc/psalms/92-2.htm - 17k |
| ... I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all ... //bible.cc/psalms/138-2.htm - 19k |
| ... but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth ... //bible.cc/jeremiah/9-24.htm - 20k |
| ... a house of mourning, or go to lament or to console them; for I have withdrawn My peace from this people," declares the LORD, "My lovingkindness and compassion. ... //bible.cc/jeremiah/16-5.htm - 19k |
| ... For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth. ... For your lovingkindness is before my eyes: and I have walked in your truth. ... //bible.cc/psalms/26-3.htm - 17k |
| ... Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You. ... Because your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you. ... //bible.cc/psalms/63-3.htm - 17k |
| ... O continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, And Your righteousness to the upright in heart. ... //bible.cc/psalms/36-10.htm - 17k |
| ... Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion ... //bible.cc/psalms/103-4.htm - 17k |
| ... The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life. ... //bible.cc/psalms/42-8.htm - 18k |
| ... Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul. ... //bible.cc/psalms/143-8.htm - 18k |
| ... Wondrously show Your lovingkindness, O Savior of those who take refuge at Your right hand From those who rise up against them. ... //bible.cc/psalms/17-7.htm - 18k |
| ... Answer me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good; According to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me ... //bible.cc/psalms/69-16.htm - 17k |
Yes, it makes a difference when you are surrounded by lovingkindness. It makes a difference in your walk, your talk, your faith, everything. I hope you are encouraged today by the kind of God we serve. He is full of wrath and vengeance and anger toward the wicked:
Heb 10:30For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
But how does the Lord deal with us? He is full of lovingkindness and tender mercies. Read all the scriptures above. Yes we go through tribulations and trials on this earth but its all for a reason. The Lord has lovingkindness in store for us even through the tough times. Without it, I would not have seen many victories.
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you and may He grant you peace.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
The End of All Things Is Near
1 Peter 4:7The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.
How is the end of all things refreshing? We know that our striving and struggle will not go on forever. Whatever battles we face today will soon come to an end. The end for the sinner is something to be greatly feared. The end for the saint is something to rejoice over and look forward to. Our treasure is in and with Christ. None of us have any remote idea how great the things are that are waiting for us when our battles here are over.
While we are here we must do what we have been called to do and fight the good fight in faith. We must pray and keep our eyes on Jesus. He alone is the focus the Lord God our Father has called us to. So much in life is irrelevant with no eternal value whatsoever. Let us remember those few things that do have eternal value and focus on them. The end of all things is near and while we endure to the end we have help from our Lord to make it through the troubles of each day, one day at a time until we see our Lord face to face and rejoice.
Lift your chin up and give thanks today, right now for whatever in your life is worthy of thanks. We can all be thankful for something even if its just waking up breathing. Keep the faith, pray for each other and please pray for me. There is miracle working power in each and every prayer offered in faith.
grace and peace
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Wait On The Lord
We wait for the Lord, we know what that means but we also read in the Word that we wait on the Lord. What does that mean?
What does a "waiter" do in a restaurant? He "waits" on you. Put in other words he serves you. To wait on the Lord is not only to bide time awaiting His return but also to serve Him. And what is one of the rewards for "waiting" on the Lord?
31But 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.
The battles we fight take the strength out of us, but what does the Lord do for His servants? He renews our strength. Do you need renewed strength? I do every single day. So let us wait on the Lord to renew our strength and run without becoming weary and walk and not become faint. We shall mount up with wings as eagles and renew our strength if we wait on the Lord.
In order to wait upon Him we must be in close proximity to Him. Could you imagine going to a restaurant and being told your waiter was in another state? How well do you think that would work? We must enter His presence to wait on Him, then we will renew our strength.
These are not just fluffy words, this is real renewal and real strength that we need each and every day. The Lord has instructed us how to lay hold of this strength and renewal, let us pay attention so we may receive what we need.
grace and peace
What does a "waiter" do in a restaurant? He "waits" on you. Put in other words he serves you. To wait on the Lord is not only to bide time awaiting His return but also to serve Him. And what is one of the rewards for "waiting" on the Lord?
31But 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.
The battles we fight take the strength out of us, but what does the Lord do for His servants? He renews our strength. Do you need renewed strength? I do every single day. So let us wait on the Lord to renew our strength and run without becoming weary and walk and not become faint. We shall mount up with wings as eagles and renew our strength if we wait on the Lord.
In order to wait upon Him we must be in close proximity to Him. Could you imagine going to a restaurant and being told your waiter was in another state? How well do you think that would work? We must enter His presence to wait on Him, then we will renew our strength.
These are not just fluffy words, this is real renewal and real strength that we need each and every day. The Lord has instructed us how to lay hold of this strength and renewal, let us pay attention so we may receive what we need.
grace and peace
Monday, April 29, 2013
Personal Time With The Lord Comes First
This is the foundation of everything. We must know Him. We get to know somebody by spending time with them. All the other stuff we do might be great but this personal time must come before all of it.
grace and peace
grace and peace
Monday, April 22, 2013
Sometimes All You Can Do Is Stand
This will be short. It relates to seeing your prayers answered and/or seeing a miracle birthed in your life. When you are waiting for your prayer/miracle to show up, sometimes the battle is so hard you dont even have the strength to pray inside your head. I've been there. There is nothing wrong with you and you should not beat yourself up when you are in these times of low strength. What should you do when you can't manage to pray or rejoice or give thanks or ask or seek or knock etc? Just stand...
Its okay!! This is battle, this is war. Sometimes you cannot gain an inch of ground so just stand firm on the ground you've already gained. Do not retreat, just stand.
Proof to back this up?
grace and peace
Its okay!! This is battle, this is war. Sometimes you cannot gain an inch of ground so just stand firm on the ground you've already gained. Do not retreat, just stand.
Proof to back this up?
| Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! ... //bible.cc/philippians/4-1.htm - 18k |
| So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. ... //bible.cc/2_thessalonians/2-15.htm - 19k |
| Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. ... Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. ... //bible.cc/1_corinthians/16-13.htm - 18k |
| ... Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. ... Stand firm then and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery. ... //bible.cc/galatians/5-1.htm - 18k |
| Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ... //bible.cc/ephesians/6-14.htm - 18k |
| They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. ... Those nations will fall down and collapse, but we will rise up and stand firm. ... //bible.cc/psalms/20-8.htm - 17k |
| ... Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. ... //bible.cc/exodus/14-13.htm - 19k |
| ... If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.'" .. ... //bible.cc/isaiah/7-9.htm - 18k |
| But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. ... His thoughts stand firm in every generation. ... //bible.cc/psalms/33-11.htm - 17k |
| ... Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. ... //bible.cc/2_chronicles/20-17.htm - 20k |
| LORD, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed. ... //bible.cc/psalms/30-7.htm - 17k |
| ... for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord. ... For now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord. ... //bible.cc/1_thessalonians/3-8.htm - 17k |
| When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever. ... //bible.cc/proverbs/10-25.htm - 17k |
| Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. ... It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. ... //bible.cc/2_corinthians/1-21.htm - 18k |
| ..... Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. ... //bible.cc/1_corinthians/15-58.htm - 20k |
grace and peace
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