For the next couple of entries, I’m going to share some gems from a book called PrayerStreaming, by Janet Holm McHenry.
McHenry delves into the topic of praying without ceasing. (I Thessalonians 5:17). Talk about a guilt producing verse, how on earth is a person supposed to pray every moment of every day? After a few years of studying the “greats” of prayer, she devotes a chapter to the lessons that each of these spiritual giants and how they moved from prayerlessness to praying with every breath. It is possible. It can be done.
The devil has used this one to beat me up for a long time. It used to be a guilt producing drag for me before I discovered the beauty and thrill of prayer. But today, my heart yearns for more intimacy with the Father, so I want to learn more and more of how to stay in constant communion with him.
I hope these gems motivate you to great depths of prayer. The book is also available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNobel.com for $12.99. It would make a great Life Group…if you are interested in leading it, I would help you get it done!
I am adding a new link on my blog roll. This site is an amazing window into the world of orphaned and abandoned children around the world. My already stirred spirit starts to buzz whenever I read this blog. The author’s work around the world is to set up church based orphan homes that are far different from institutional orphanges. You have got to read the entry from April 10 called Gas Chambers or Homes? Powerful!
… actually very responsive. Whenever I go to the door of the coop and call them they come right over to visit. While the scaredy cat chickens run for cover.
Hmmm…are they trying to make it hard for me to eat them? Maybe they aren’t as dumb as they are supposed to be.
Jeremiah 12 starts out with Jeremiah having a talk with God. He tells the LORD that he (Jeremiah) would like to talk about justice and to have the opportunity to “plead” his case.
Many treachous, wicked people all around Jeremiah are prospering. Their lives are successful and fruitful. They talk about God, but hypocritcally they have nothing to do with Him.
But Jeremiah, who is unswervingly faithful to God, is not doing well. He is harrassed and abused on every side. So he asks God to deal with these evil men who contrast so starkly with Jeremiah’s righteousness.
God replies with this in Jeremiah 12:5
If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, then how will you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace, how will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?
The horses are coming and the competition with these “footmen” problems will be nothing compared to what will come in the end of the age. God is sending me today problems and complications and opposition to make me stronger. Hebrews 12:4 makes me compare my whiny responses to believers in persecuted lands and finds me lacking:
You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
These are my training ground. These are the trips to the spiritual gym where I will build the habits that will see me through the last days. I must learn to conquer the things I deal with today through prayer, worship, the infilling of the Spirit and the planting of the Word deep in my heart, so that when the heat turns up, I will be ready.
I cannot give in to fear, anxiety, nervousness. My strength is built when I respond the right way…knowing that the God who formed me, saved me, purifies me and prepares me will not leave me or forsake me.
Help me to persevere and be transformed into your likeness LORD Jesus. Make me hungry like the hunger of a long fast for your word. Help praise and worship to be my reaction to adversity.
I’m begging you…pray for a beautiful day tomorrow (Monday)!!!!!
Steve has got to have a good day for working outside, because there are 100 broiler chicks arriving in 2 weeks.
I was so thankful for a beautiful day on Saturday!!! The zoo in the house had become unbearable. Friday morning I got up to the dog (who I actually like), the rabbit out of his cage (looking for love in all the wrong places), and the two turkeys who could get out of their “containment” facility. All of these wandering around my sun porch like they belong there. But the day was beautiful on Saturday and the chicken coop was refurbished to provide sufficient protection for our two turkeys and two chicks.
Please…pray for a good work day with no nasty weather. I am thankful to longer be Mrs. Noah but with a flock on the horizon, I have visions of 100 baby chicks all over the house.
OK, so last entry I was thinking about Jesus enduring the cross, and then I found this verse again when I was reviewing where the sermons series has been taking us.
Romans 8:18-19
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creations waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God
Can I endure these “momentary light afflictions” for some glory to come? That verse even talks about the weight of the glory to come.
Jesus endured the cross for the JOY set before Him.
I must endure…..for a weight of eternal glory that all of creation longs to see. What on earth could be so amazing that ALL of creation is anxiously waiting to see?
Thanks for your patience with my lack of blogging during the past two weeks. We’ve had a great time with the GSSM team here and our trip to Birmingham for the ARC conference. The trip was great and fresh ideas will be implemented at CATG soon.
A few weeks ago, I was reading Wendy Alec’s new book, Messiah, which is difficult to get because of problems between the British and American publishers. But, oh, is it worth it. (Actually, God bless someone here at church, who generously loaned me her copy.) This series of books starts with the fall of Lucifer and tells the story of creation, the fall, the coming of Jesus and his death and resurrection. In particular, the account of the crucifixtion was riveting. Sure, crucifixtion by itself is horrifying, but as this author describes the fury of satan’s wrath on loosed on Jesus in that day, I was struck again about how great a sacrifice my Jesus made for me.
Hebrews 12:2 says, that Jesus “who for the JOY set before him, endured the cross”. The kind of JOY that would compensate one for the agony and humiliation of the cross must be staggering. Infinite JOY.
So I started looking around and asking Holy Spirit to show me things that bring Jesus JOY today. One of the greatest ones I think is when we come together in worship. My heart beats a little faster and my breath catches within me as I think about how pleased He must be when we worship with abandon songs like the Revelation Song.
So here are my two questions today. #1. When you come to worship, are you aware that your presence and your attitude can bring JOY to the King of Kings? #2 Ask Holy Spirit, what brings Jesus joy. Then please, please, please…make comments on the blog…What did He reveal to you that brings Him JOY? Let me know so that I can go and bless Him too!
To study the etymology of a word is to study its history and its origin.
The etymology of the word jealous shows us this:
“Most of the words for ‘envy’ … had from the outset a hostile force, based on ‘look at’ (with malice), ‘not love,’ etc. Conversely, most of those which became distinctive terms for ‘jealousy’ were originally used also in a good sense, zeal.
So jealous has its roots in Greek in the word zeal. A God who is zealous for me is passionate and committed to me and my good. A far different spin than a jealous God who is based out of malice.
I can’t leave this one alone. Oprah talked on the video on my last entry about how the thought of a “jealous” God stopped her pursuit of Him. For me, there is a HUGE amount of security in the jealousy of God.
Here’s the first problem. It is a preposition. Oprah says, “God is jealous of me?!” And that didn’t hit her right. No, God is not jealous OF you; He is jealous FOR you. There’s a huge difference in those two little words. Every reference in the Bible to God’s jealousy relates to how He feels when the people that He loves forsake Him for other gods. The definition of jealousy supports this. Jealousy = “fearful or wary of being supplanted; apprehesive of losing affection or position.” God’s LOVE for people makes Him jealous the same way that a devoted spouse would feel if their beloved cheated on him/her. Song of Solomon 8:6 says,
“Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame. “
God’s love and jealousy FOR us is unavoidable and relentless. But there is the melancholy note to it too in that He gave us free will. We can choose to not love Him. We can choose to not serve Him. We can choose to play the harlot with lesser loves.
So, dear Oprah, I find security in the fact that the All Knowing, All Powerful, Magnificent God loves me in such a way that it can be called jealousy. I revel in the security of knowing that I am so loved and protected that not even death kept Him away from me. Knowing the jealousy of God FOR me drives me deeply into His arms rather than flinging me into the place where I have to depend on myself for my salvation.
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect—if that were possible. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.
I have heard stories from with in our own church family of those who are being swept up in the Church of Oprah. This video exposes some of the false teachings of this new movement. It is over six minutes long, but worth a watch.
