Friends are a priceless gift. A friend who will share your joys but will also walk through the valleys with you is a rare jewel. If you have such a friend, treat them well, for they are few and far between. Many friends are there for the good times and will even be near a while in the difficult times. But often, if the trial lingers, friends get weary. Some may even develop 'prayer fatigue'....tiring of your endless requests for prayer in regard to the thing which is besetting you. One who will continue to hold you up, care for you, weep with you, pray for you when the weeks roll into months and the months become years....now that is a TRUE and treasured friend! There are few of those around, so if you have one, thank God for her.
However, if you do not have a friend like that, just know that you DO have such a friend in Jesus. He is always there. He is never too busy. He never tires of our pleas. He never avoids us. He never gets weary of our calling. He is always available, always cares and says to us, "Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest." He IS our very best Friend!
"Consider the work of God; for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked." Eccles. 7: 13
Often God seems to place His children in positions of profound difficulty, leading them into a wedge from which there is no escape; contrivng a situation which no human judgment would have permitted, had it been previously consulted. The very cloud conducts them thither. You may be thus involved at this very hour.
It does seem perplexing and very serious to the last degree, but it is perfectly right. The issue will more than justify Him, who has brought you hither. It is a platform for the display of His almighty grace and power.
He will not only deliver you; but in so doing, He will give you a lesson that you will never forget and to which, in many a psalm and song, in after days, you will ever revert. You will never be able to thank God enough for having done just as He has.
"We may wait til He explains,
Because we know that Jesus reigns."
It puzzles me , but Lord, Thou understandest
And wilt one day explain this crooked thing.
Meanwhile, I know that it has worked out Thy best..
Its very crookedness taught me to cling.
Thou hast fenced up my ways, made my paths crooked,
To keep my wand'ring eyes fixed on Thee,
To make me what I was not, humble, patient;
To draw my heart from earthly love to Thee.
So I will thank and praise Thee for this puzzle;
And trust where I cannot understand
Rejoicing Thou dost hold me worth such testing;
I cling the closer to Thy guiding hand.
FromSTREAMS IN THE DESERT-1965
Friday, October 24, 2008
I received the following from a friend this week. It is a bit long, but worth the read if you are remotely concerned with the upcoming election. If time is short and you do not have time to read it, please scroll down and view the YOUTUBE video. It is powerful!
Letter from Dutch Sheets
October 20, 2008Dear Praying Friend,In 2000, I wrote the 2nd most important letter of my life—a call to prayer for the elections of that year. I’m now writing what may be my most important letter. I knew the importance of those elections in 2000 was beyond any in my life up to that point and that the spiritual warfare surrounding them would be unlike anything any of us had ever seen. That letter was read by millions of people and I believe millions of them responded by praying. I also believe the prayers turned the tide.
You may question whether President Bush was the right choice; obviously, he has made some blunders in his tenure as president. But two of his decisions alone left no doubt he was God’s choice: Roberts and Alito.These two Supreme Court Justices have proven critical in the process of breaking the hold of humanism, death and anti-God agendas that have ruled the Court for 50 years. I assure you that more devastation—the shedding of innocent blood, immorality, decay of the family and an erosion of our godly heritage—has flowed into our nation through that institution than any other door in America. Many times more. The poison allowed into America through their decisions is beyond any of our abilities to articulate. The reality in America is that you don’t need to control Congress or the White Hose to rule the nation. You only need 5 people – 5 out of 9 on the Supreme Court. And for decades those who disagree with just about everything you and I stand for have been in control!In Bush’s two terms, the process of turning this around began with the appointments of Roberts and Alito. Now, we win some cases 5-4 and lose some 4-5. (We barely outlawed partial birth abortion. The vote of one judge saved thousands of babies from this horror.) We need one more conservative Justice for a consistent majority, then more to build a strong majority.
In Obama’s own words, “the next president will appoint at least one, perhaps two or more Supreme Court Justices.” He’s right. Almost certainly two or more older, liberal Justices are waiting until after the elections to retire, in hopes of Obama winning and appointing more liberals to replace them. And he certainly would. He voted against the confirmation of Roberts and Alito. So did Biden. And Biden led the fight against Justice Thomas several years back, another of the 4 solid conservatives. Make no mistake about it, the two of them do have a litmus test for Supreme Court Justices, and a major part of that test is Roe vs. Wade. McCain and Palin, on the other hand, both have very strong pro-life positions. This alone makes the choice for President simple.
To vote for the 2nd and 3rd most liberal senators (Obama and Biden), both of whom are firmly and blatantly pro-abortion, would be unconscionable. Obama has actually said that if he wins, he would like his first action as president to be the signing of the Freedom of Choice Act, which would eliminate every other law against any aspect of abortion (partial birth abortion, parental notification, etc., etc.). And with a democratic majority in the House and Senate, pretty much any legislation he and Biden want to pass will be a slam-dunk. There are many other unrighteous positions they hold but this position alone makes the choice easy. If they win this election, it will set America back decades in the cause of life and the restoration we seek.
Just as many of you do, I too, want to see a first black President, but not Senator Obama. To allow that noble and godly desire, the economy or one’s position on the war to trump this issue of life and death for the innocent unborn is simply wrong. The scriptures teach that if we choose first to exalt righteousness and turn from evil, God promises to heal our land (see Proverbs 14:34; 2 Chronicles 7:14). It is righteousness that exalts a nation, not wealth, prosperity or armies. If we will finish the process of removing the curses of death and anti-God laws off of America by electing a president that will continue to shift the Court, God will grace us with breakthrough in other areas such as the economy, the war against terrorism, etc.
My faith is not in a person, and certainly not a political party, for the healing of America, but I know God’s word and His ways well enough to know that our decisions do move Him to action or inaction. Now to the heart of my reason for writing this letter (I realize I am “preaching to the choir”—most of you who know or listen to me are conservative enough to vote for McCain and Palin.) I have not written any appeals for prayer concerning this election because:1) others have, and2) I believe our movement has matured to the point that the prayer base of the Church is already praying. But I now feel the need to raise my voice.
I am appealing to you to pray for these elections the next two weeks like you’ve never prayed for any in the past. Faithfully. Passionately. Boldly. Ask God for His mercy and grace. We deserve His judgment for removing His influence and authority from our government, schools, homes and businesses; for the killing of 50 million babies; for leading the world in the consumption and exporting of pornography; for passing laws to reject His; etc. But mercy triumphs over judgment and in His wrath He remembers mercy. In 2000 we actually lost the popular vote and won the election—talk about grace!
Please pray for this grace to be released again.But I am also asking you for something more than normal prayer. For those of you who understand spiritual warfare, I am asking you to also include this aspect of prayer. There is no doubt that we have entered a Daniel 10 moment in time: “Then he said to me, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia’” (Daniel 10: 12-13 NAS).
The spiritual warfare in this election is incredibly fierce, and just as it was in Daniel’s day, is all about the restoration of a nation. And also like Daniel, we must keep praying until we win the battle in the heavens.In August of this year I predicted that September would mark a shift in momentum for these elections. This happened with the appointment of Sarah Palin as the Vice Presidential nominee (who is a true Esther in our generation), but when the economy began its meltdown and the media ramped up their unprecedented attacks on Palin, that momentum wasn’t sustained. But we can see it turn again if we approach this battle as the spiritual warfare it truly is and bind the evil forces involved (see Matthew 16:18-19).
The reality is that this election can be the breakthrough we need to fully shift the Court (and ultimately our nation) or it will be an immeasurable setback that could take many years to reverse—if ever. Please understand what I am saying: if we engage in this battle and do what I am asking—in mass—we will win; if we do not, we will lose. I, for one, don’t intend to allow the latter.
I am in Washington, D.C. now (October 20-22) with Lou Engle and a team of prayer leaders from around the nation to war for this election. Join us! Lose some sleep, miss some meals— pray! Pray like never before for these elections. And as you do, involve yourself not only in petitioning prayer but also in spiritual warfare. Use your God-given authority over the plans and strategies of Satan’s kingdom. Bind all witchcraft that is working to control the outcome, including occult powers that are suppressing truth. Release Christ’s Kingdom rule in every way the Holy Spirit leads you.Don’t be deceived and don’t lose hope (if you have to, turn off the TV.) It is not too late to turn these elections. God is plenty powerful enough to do so.
The real question is will we rise to the level of prayer and spiritual warfare necessary to release that power. And remember, we don’t need a majority of Christians who are willing and able to do this—only a praying remnant. We can do it!
Here are some practical suggestions to consider:
1) Fast (a meal a day; a day a week; a Daniel fast; 3 days; 10 days; TV; etc.) and spend the time praying.
2) Agree in prayer with someone everyday for God’s will to be done.
3) Form/participate in prayer groups regularly. Churches could pray everyday.
4) Take time in every gathering to pray. (Take 15 minutes in every service to pray for the elections. Turn an entire service to harp and bowl style intercession—worship and prayer combined.)
5) Join 2 or more on a conference call and pray for 15, 20, or 30 minutes.
6) Pray on the way to work (and on the way home).
7) Pray before you go to sleep.
8) Pray before church services.
9) Ask God to give you His strategy—He will!
In His grip,
Dutch Sheets
Known for his passion for prayer and intercession, Dutch Sheets is the President and Co-founder of Dutch Sheets Ministries, a non-profit organization devoted to passionate prayer and world-changing revival. He is the author of the best-selling book Intercessory Prayer and eleven other books including Watchman Prayer and Tell Your Heart to Beat Again.
I shared earlier this week about hearing the testimony of one whom God had snatched from the very clutches of death. The mother of this young woman told of how she sang the following song again and again to her daughter as she lay in a coma. This young woman could not remember anything upon awaking from June til September. Yet, she could recall every word to this song! Oh the goodness of God!! Since hearing her speak earlier in the week, I have not been able to get this song off my mind. It is an old Fanny Crosby hymn, not one that we sing much in church anymore, but oh the richness and sweetness of it I beg you to absorb. Maybe this is your cry to God today...."While on others thou art calling, do not pass me by".
After this I looked and behold a door was opened in heaven and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me which said 'Come up hither...' and immediately I was in the Spirit and behold a throne was set in heaven and one sat on the throne....and round about the throne were four and twenty seats and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders, sitting clothed in white raiment and they had on their heads crowns of gold.....and about the throne were four beasts.....and they rested not night and day saying 'Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty, which was and is and is to come...and [they] fell down before him that sat on the throne and worshipped him and cast their crowns before the throne saying, 'Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power for thou has created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created'
and Revelation 7: 9-12 says:
After this, I beheld and lo, a great multitude which no man could number ....stood before the throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands and cried with a loud voice saying 'Salvation to our God which sits upon the throne and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne and about the elders and the four beasts and fell before the throne on their faces and worshipped God, saying 'Amen, Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be unto our God forever and ever . Amen'
We can't possibly imagine...no matter how hard we try....we cannot begin to fathom what it will REALLY be like to stand before that throne. But, one thing I do know. We will not be able to stop giving glory to the One, the Only true and living God, King of Kings and Lord of Lords!!!!! It is all we will want to do!
Last night I, along with about 400 other women, had the joy and opportunity to do just that! One of our sisters in Christ and her precious daughter gave testimony to the awesome power of Our Great God. And we had the privilege to stand with them and give Him all the glory for what He had done in their lives.
This daughter, a young wife and mother of 2, had been in a terrible car accident 2 years ago that nearly ended her life. Her brain injuries were so substantial that she was not expected to live and when she did, she was never expected to walk without a cane or walker; she was expected to lose the sight in one eye; her brain function was expected to be less than optimal. Yet last night she stood and walked and talked before a crowd of 400 as she gave testimony to the awesome power of our Great God!!!!!! Her mother gave testimony as well to the faithfulness of God and how He had answered their prayers in order to bring glory to Him! He raised her up in order that HE might be glorified.
As we looked upon this walking miracle, all we could do was say TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!! Which is exactly the song her mother sang in tribute to Him. Oh it was a holy moment. It took my breath away as I thought, "this is what it will be like in Heaven, to stand with the angels and the saints of all the ages and worship at the feet of Jesus, giving him all the praise and honor and glory and majesty HE and HE alone deserves!!!!!!!! Oh what a taste of glory devine!!!!!!!
One thought came to mind in that moment...."Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!"
Have you ever had someone offer you a word of encouragement that just seemed to stick with you? Well here are just a few that may help you as you face your troubles today........
The Bible often says "And it came to pass..."; ever notice that it NEVER says "And it came to stay...."? Neither have your troubles. This TOO shall pass!
Everything that threatens to be over our heads is already under HIS feet.
For THIS you have JESUS. No matter what your THIS is, JESUS is BIG enough!
When Jesus is at the helm of your ship, the boat won't sink and the storm won't last forever.
"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church [His Bride] and gave Himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of the Word." Eph. 5: 25, 26
Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus to encourage them to be a Bride "without spot or blemish". As we are part of the Bride of Christ, how can WE be without spot or blemish? We all sin. We are all "spotted" and "blemished".
How do you get spots out of your laundry? You apply detergent and you wash it. When soap and water move through the fabric of your garments, it lifts out the dirt from within the fibers and leaves the garment clean and "unspotted".
God wishes to do the same thing in our minds by way of His Word. God wants to cleanse our minds and hearts with the "washing of the Word". John Ortberg states "When we come to God, our minds and hearts are like that [dirty laundry], cluttered with "false beliefs and attitudes, deadly feelings, misguided plans and hopes and fears."
Just think about some of the thoughts and attitudes you have already displayed today. Have you gotten irritated with somone? Maybe some slow poke on the expressway? Maybe a clerk in a store? Maybe a fellow employee? Maybe your spouse did not do something you wanted him/her to do? Maybe your child was acting up this morning?
All of us have those things in our minds that need to be "washed out". How do we do it? By meditating on God's word. Meditation requires more than just a casual reading. It is not Bible study...although Bible study is certainly good and beneficial to our lives. No, meditation is taking a verse and thinking on it throughout your day, chewing on it until it penetrates deep within your mind so that you GET IT! You begin to apply what you have learned and allow it to "wash" that area of your life than needs cleansing.
Once again Ortberg says, " Imagine having a mind cleansed of all the debris that blocks our best intentions. Imagine if each time you saw another person your first thought was to pray for him or bless her. Imagine what it would be like if, any time you were challenged or anxious, your reflexive response would be to turn to God for strength. Imagine, if you're a married man, that whenever you looked at any woman other than your wife you would see her as if she were your sister or your daughter. Imagine genuinely wishing your "enemies" well. That's what it would be to have the mind "washed by the Word". This is what it means to "let the word of Christ dwell in you richly". This is how we are to be TRANSFORMED by Scripture. This is our great need."
We do not meditate on scripture so that we can earn points with God. We don't do it so we can check it off a "spiritual checklist". Paul does not say that the purpose of knowing scripture is to enable us, when we go to Heaven to get 100 on our entrance exam. He says it is so that we will be equipped for good works. According to Ortberg we should become "transformed into the kind of people from whom goodness flows like an unceasing stream of water. If the Bible were to completely fulfill its mission, our minds would be so transformed...so filled with thoughts and feelings of truth, love, joy and humility....that our lives would become one uninterrupted series of acts of grace and moral beauty. Every moment would be a miniature reflection of life in the kingdom of God."
Think on this today. I challenge you to begin to immerse yourself in the Word...not so much so you can "get into the Word", but so that the Word can "get into you"!
references from John Ortberg are from his book "The Life You've Always Wanted". I HIGHLY recommend it!
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, so that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly equipped for all good works." II Tim . 3: 16, 17
God's word is holy.............
It's alive.................
It's powerful........................
It's life changing........................
Adrian Rogers wrote:
We must guard ourselves against lowering the standard of God’s Word to our level of understanding or political correctness. And we must guard ourselves against raising our standard of tradition above the standard of His Word. The Bible is not meant to be paraded past the judgment bar of your mind. You can argue with it, but why? You can pick up and read any other book, but this is the book that reads you. It pulsates with life and power. It cuts, burns, crushes, and wields mountain-moving power. His Word has a life of its own. It is the voice of God to you. You cannot refuse it, deny it, distort it, or dilute it. You can only bow before it
Have you picked yours up and read it today? Is there anything on your TO DO list more important today than hearing from God???????
“Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold I will do something new, now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.’” Isaiah 43:18-19 (NAS)
Devotion:
Several years after a friend weathered a huge storm in her marriage, I asked her, “How do you not remember and not get angry all over again when you’re reminded of the hurt your husband caused you?”
Her answer was simple but not easy: “I choose to believe that God loves me, my husband, and my children. And I choose to trust God.”
The key word here is “choose.” Today’s key verse in Isaiah is also about choosing. In our marriages, we can choose to remember the hurtful times, or we can choose not “to call to mind the former things.”
Let’s look at some real-life examples where we can chose to look ahead rather than behind:
I can choose…
to forgive my husband for forgetting my birthday. not to repeat in my mind the hurtful words my husband said in the heat of an argument. to appreciate my husband for what he does now, rather than wishing he’d send me flowers like he did in the beginning of our marriage. to be merciful and gracious when my husband loses money in an unwise investment. not to hold grudges. to forgive my husband for unfaithfulness. not to wonder if I married the right man.
We can make choices like these every day in our marriages, and as we do, I believe we will see God do something new and miraculous in our marriages. After all, He’s the God who makes a “roadway in the wilderness” and “rivers in the desert” as our verse says.
I saw my friend choose to trust God during the storm in her marriage. Then, over and over again, I’ve seen her choose to look ahead to the new things God promises to do in her marriage, rather than dwell on the hurts of the past.
I’m inspired by my friend’s ability to rejoice over the new life God brought to her marriage. As our conversation concluded she said, “What we went through was absolutely heartbreaking, but I prayed to see it through God’s eyes. I believe that God can make all things new, that God can work all things to our good if we believe in Him. God transformed our marriage as I rested in Him and trusted Him.”
Dear Lord, I rejoice that You make all things new! Lord, You can even raise a dead marriage to new life. Lord, I choose to look ahead not behind in my marriage. I choose not to call to mind hurt from the past. I can’t wait to see what good things You bring to my marriage as I trust and obey You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Application Steps: Right now, what hurt or anger can you leave behind so God can do something new in your marriage? Pray now, confessing to God that you’ve been holding on to hurts of the past, and ask Him to begin a new work in your marriage.
"If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me." Psalm 139: 9, 10
I am married to my high school sweetheart, have two precious children...a wonderful son and a sweet daughter-in-love; and a lovely daughter and a great son-in-love....I am truly blessed! But then God has seen fit to double those blessings by also giving us 2 precious, beautiful, adorable granddaughters and the happiest, sweetest grandson in the world. GOD IS GOOD! I have worn many hats in my life, but none more rewarding than being a wife, mother and grandmother. I have loved writing all my life and also enjoy scrapbooking, which allows me to both be creative with photos AND journal to create a legacy for our family. I am what is known as true GRITS...grown and raised in the South. My blood runs ORANGE for the University of Tennessee VOLS but still will cheer for the University of Memphis (as long as they are not playing UT). Teaching women to pursue a passionate relationship with the Lord is the delight of my life. I thank God for giving me that opportunity to be used by Him and to put Him on display.
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