Dwelling Place

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms Deuteronomy 33:27a

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
Psalm 90:1-2

About My Father

The one thing I ask of the LORD
--the thing I seek most--
is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
delighting in the LORD's perfections
and meditating in his Temple.
Psalm 27:4

Breathe On Me

Holy Spirit, breathe on me,
until my heart is clean;
let sunshine fill its inmost part,
with not a cloud between.

Holy Spirit, breathe on me,
my stubborn will subdue;
teach me in words of living flame
what Christ would have me do.

Holy Spirit, breathe on me,
fill me with power divine;
kindle a flame of love and zeal
within this heart of mine.

Holy Spirit, breathe on me,
till I am all Thine own,
until my will is lost in Thine,
to live for Thee alone.

Chorus
Breathe on me, breathe on me
Holy Spirit, breathe on me;
Take Thou my heart, cleanse every part,
Holy Spirit breathe on me.

B.B. McKinney

Winter Frost on a Windowpane

Blessed be the name of God,
forever and ever.
He knows all, does all:
He changes the seasons and guides history,
Daniel 2:20-21

Dare to be a Caleb

Many of you know I had a son named Caleb, so I was "all ears" when I heard Isabel Allum say that each of us needs a "Caleb" in our lives.

She talked about a time many years ago when she got discouraged and burned out. However, her pastors believed in her and made it known with words and actions of encouragement.

Isabel said, " People hear their prophecies and all that God has planned for them, but lose heart because of trials. We need to be "Calebs" and remind them of what the Lord has promised and not to give up or give in to discouragement.

Be a safe place for your friend where they can vent and question, knowing that you will consistently remind them of God's love and their kingdom identity.

It was in the Kadesh Valley that Joshua and Caleb first got a glimpse of the promised land and brought back that humongous bunch of grapes. Of course, you know the story of how the Israelites refused to follow God into the land and wouldn't listen to Joshua and Caleb's good report.

I imagine that, as Joshua became the leader after Moses' death, he leaned on Caleb and was refreshed by his faith and encouragement. The Bible says that Caleb had a great spirit because he wholly believed the Lord his God.

We have the honor of being able to speak life and blessing into our friends. We are commanded to pray for our pastors and leaders and for our President, that they might follow the Lord and come into the destiny God has prepared for them.

Numbers 14:6-9

⁶And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among the scouts who had searched the land, rent their clothes,

⁷And they said to all the company of Israelites, The land through which we passed as scouts is an exceedingly good land.

⁸If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

⁹Only do not rebel against the Lord, neither fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their defense and the shadow [of protection] is removed from over them, but the Lord is with us. Fear them not.

Established in Love

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:14-21

Labels

I hate the scratchy irritating labels that manufacturers sew into the necks and waists of my clothing. The first thing I do when I get home from the store is cut them out.

When a friend was praying over some of us ladies at prayer meeting, she felt the Lord was telling us to rip off the labels that the accuser has put on us. That sounded like a good idea to me!

How many times have you entertained thoughts condemning yourself as

Too lazy, too crazy,
Too busy, too dizzy,
Too shy or too bold.
Too young or too old.

"Stop helping the devil out by putting yourself down," she told us.

"Go to God's Word and find out what He thinks about you."

I am beginning to realize that the whole Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, is about reversing the curse.

You were dead, because you were sinful and were not God's people. But God let Christ make you alive, when he forgave all our sins.

God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross.

There Christ defeated all powers and forces. He let the whole world see them being led away as prisoners when he celebrated his victory.

Colossians 2:13-15

FLY: Then Sings My Soul Saturday

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
They shall mount up with wings as eagles.
Isaiah 40:31

Whenever...

Whenever the emotions stray from peace,

ask for forgiveness and return to the heart of your Beloved, found in His Word.

Whenever the mind strays from peace,

ask for forgiveness and return to the truths of your Beloved, found in His Word.

Whenever the will strays from peace,

ask for forgiveness and return to radical dependence on your Beloved's good will,

found in His Word.

Bobby Conner

Angels

"Believers, look up. Take courage. The angels are nearer to you than you think."

Billy Graham

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Luke 2:13-14

Luminaries

"We have this treasure in earthen vessels." -2 Corinthians 4:7

I don't have much experience making clay pots, but I think I could paraphrase this truth by saying God has placed His treasure in styrofoam cups, or maybe brown paper bags, that the glory will belong to Him, not to us.



We may see ourselves as simple containers, like this brown lunch bag,


but when God illuminates our lives,





then places us alongside other luminaries, we SHINE in the darkness.

Kimberly Rivera Sings a Song for Christiana

Jesus is the light of the world
that the darkness can never extinguish.
He is the good shepherd
that the enemy will never scare off.

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
and we beheld His glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth."
John 1:14

"He will feed His flock like a shepherd:
He will gather the lambs in His arm,
He will carry them in His bosom
and will gently lead those that have their young."
Isaiah 40:11

Gentle Shepherd, come and lead us,
For we need your help to find our way.
Gentle Shepherd come and feed us,
For we need your strength from day to day.
There's no other we can turn to
who can help us face another day.
Gentle Shepherd, come and lead us,
For we need your help to find our way.
Gaither Music

Goodness of God

The following was written by Pastor Mahesh Chavda from Charlotte, NC. He is a former Hindu, who was given a Bible by a missionary when he was a teenager. He went against the wishes and traditions of his whole family to follow Jesus. He and his wife, Bonnie, have traveled all over the world preaching the gospel and have seen God perform signs and wonders and miraculous healings.

Exodus 34 records one of the most glorious visitations in Scripture. Moses had already spent 40 days in God's manifest presence, receiving the plans for the Tabernacle and the tablets of stone engraved with the law. When Moses came down from the mountain, he found the Israelites in rebellion and idolatry to a golden calf, and in his anger he broke the very tablets God had carved with His own hand.

Yet, God called him up a second time, and in that visitation there was even greater glory than before. The first time, God revealed His law and His holiness, but it was in the second visitation that God revealed His character, His name and His glory to Moses and to the generations that followed. So great was his encounter that when Moses returned to the people, his face literally shone with the glory.

How many of us have messed up? Be encouraged. God is calling us into His presence again. Religion would have us believe that our failings exclude us from divine visitation. But the only answer for our failures is the power of resurrection that comes directly from the glory. God is love, and in His mercy, He invites us once again into His presence that we might be transformed from glory to glory.

We are in a season of visitation, all we need to do is step in. This is what we are asking for the Church, for our families and for our nation. We may have messed up, we may like Moses even have broken, destroyed or strayed away from the gifts and callings the Lord has given us, but He is saying in this hour, "Be ready. Come up. Present yourself to Me."

1 John 3:2 says, "Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."

http://www.maheshchavda.com/

Sacrificial Love and a Sacrifice of Praise

The only place you can offer sacrificial love is on this earth during your short lifetime. I guess that is why Jesus came from Heaven to earth.

When I gave my son back to God, it was the hardest thing I had ever done. It wasn't like I had a choice for him to live or die. But I had a choice to praise God whatever happened. In the final hours of my son's life, Holy Spirit gave me the grace to look at death as if Caleb was moving out of a tattered pup tent into a new mansion. I was happy for him.

Problem was: I was staying here. So there was grief and sadness, but I gradually came back around to seeing that GOD'S GOODNESS is the focus of my praise, not my circumstances.

Sometimes, it looks like and feels like God has let us down, pulled the rug out from under us.
I don't have the answers. I have given up my right to understand WHY. My mind could not comprehend the mysteries of God even if He told me.

How greatly God's heart must be touched by your praise when you choose to keep on calling on His name, and keep on praising His name in the depths of uncertainty, disappointment and confusion.

You are offering up a sacrifice of praise and that is a sweet incense that rises to the very throne of God. Only in this lifetime will you have the opportunity to be the fragrance of Christ and have that kind of testimony in the midst of tragedy and loss.

Stay connected to your Heavenly Father. Stay connected to your church or prayer group. Go, even if you cry, even if people don't understand. The day will come when they will need to lean on you.

May I never be stingy with my praise, dear Lord, for you were not stingy with your sacrificial love.

Put on the Lord Jesus Christ

Letter from the Bridegroom

Wear My love like a ring.
Never take it off.
Let it glimmer in the light
for all to see.
Wear My love.

Wear My forgiveness like a bridal veil.
I considered you worthy of extravagant price.
Worth the sacrifice.
Walk in forgiveness.

Wear My comfort like a shawl
of softest yarn
handmade for you.
I have sent Holy Spirit to warm your heart.
Bask in the warmth of My comfort.

Put on the wedding gown of praise.
Clap for joy.
Spin and leap.
You're My reason for rejoicing.
You belong to Me.
Sing My praise.

Slide your feet
into the crystal slippers of peace.
How lovely are the feet
of those who bring good news of
My peace.

Now, you are adorned as a bride for her bridegroom,
but while you are waiting for Me to appear,
drink from My joy like a fountain.
Drink deeply and be filled.
I am the One who beautifies, satisfies and glorifies.

by Karen Rice

Ephesians 6:12-15 NIV

Exceeding Joy

I have found exceeding joy,
Jesus answered when I called
this Name that has saved me,
pure love that embraced me.

Mercy, grace, eternal life.
Bought from darkness to His light.
While lost in my sin, He
raised me and made me live.

Chorus:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
my heart joys in God my Saviour,
for He lifts the lowly,
He's done great things for me.
I will sing, praising evermore,
He is mighty and Holy is His Name.

I will lift my head up high,
praising Jesus through each trial.
Though I have not seen Him,
I love Him completely.

Miriam Webster

Please visit http://signsmiraclesandwonders.blogspot.com/for more beautiful songs.

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful that, as I draw near to God, and spend time in His Word, that the harsh voices of the world grow fainter, and I hear the Savior's voice more clearly: "I'll go with you all the way."

Feeling Safe

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
John 14:18

There is a Fountain

This is McKinney Fountain in Bloomington, Indiana, in front of the Simon Music Center on the campus of Indiana University. I love to visit this fountain often and enjoy sitting on a park bench nearby listening to the sound of the water.

I am reminded of this song written by Dennis Jernigan:

There is a fountain

Who is a king

Victorious Warrior and Lord of Everything

My Rock, My Shelter

My very own

Precious Redeemer who reigns upon the throne

When Jesus came to earth the first time, He didn't come as an earthly king, because he came in humility as a gentle lamb. But when He comes again, He will come in splendor and majesty as our reigning King, not with the faint cry of a newborn, but with a voice like the "sound of many waters".

His head and His hair were white like white wool, [as white] as snow, and His eyes [flashed] like a flame of fire. His feet glowed like burnished (bright) bronze as it is refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.
Revelation 1:14-15 Amplified

Soon every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

For there is no other God but me,
a righteous God and Savior.
There is none but me.
Let all the world look to me for salvation!
For I am God; there is no other.
I have sworn by my own name;
I have spoken the truth,
and I will never go back on my word:
Every knee will bend to me,
and every tongue will confess allegiance to me.
Isaiah 45: 21b-24 NLT

Riding the Wave of God's Glory

Over twenty years ago, God gave me a vision of a tremendous wave coming out of Canada poised to break over the Midwest. He told me it was the wave of His glory.

Soon afterward, I was sound asleep dreaming that God was carrying me in the Spirit around the earth. I was traveling at a speed beyond comprehension, but I was not afraid. I could see the oceans and the nations, and I could hear a the words of Joel 2.

I suddenly awoke and sat up on the side of the bed, but the message of the Scriptures continued in my thoughts, as if someone were reading it to me, though I had never memorized the passage.

It was not a message of fear, but of life and hope. Our merciful God is releasing mighty angel armies in these last years to gather in the nations. People from every tribe and language will know the love of God and God will reveal the truth of His Son. Cities will be transformed in a day.

Now 2010 is upon us. This is the time of which Smith Wigglesworth and William Seymour prophesied in which we will see much greater miracles, manifestations, salvations, healings, and deliverances than were seen in the revivals in the early 1900's.

Isaiah 6 says the angels are crying out, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty. The whole earth is filled with His glory."

Every person we meet, every saint and atheist, every dignitary and prisoner in shackles, is being impacted by the glory of God. To those who will bow before Him, it will be a time of awe and wonder. For those who continue to run from God's mercy, the days ahead will be terrifying. We must be about our Father's business of calling forth His glory in salvation, healing, and deliverance. We must pay whatever it costs to stay near to the heart of God and in fellowship with other believers in these times.

JOEL 2

¹³ Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.

¹⁴ Who knows? He may turn and have pity
and leave behind a blessing—
grain offerings and drink offerings
for the LORD your God.

¹⁵ Blow the trumpet in Zion,
declare a holy fast,
call a sacred assembly.

¹⁶ Gather the people,
consecrate the assembly;
bring together the elders,
gather the children,
those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room
and the bride her chamber.

¹⁷ Let the priests, who minister before the LORD,
weep between the temple porch and the altar.
Let them say, "Spare your people, O LORD.
Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn,
a byword among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
'Where is their God?' "

²⁸ "And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.

²⁹ Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

³⁰ I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.

³¹ The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.

³² And everyone who calls
on the name of the LORD will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the LORD has said,
among the survivors
whom the LORD calls.

Overflow

John 16:^23-24 [Jesus said] "This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I've revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he'll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks!"

Peace and Rest

In the battles of life, your peace is actually a weapon. Indeed, your confidence declares that you are not falling for the lies of the devil.

Rest precedes rule. Peace precedes power.

Do not seek to rule over the devil until you are submitting to God's rule over you.

The focal point of all victory comes from seeking God until you find Him, and having found Him, allowing His presence to fill your spirit with His peace.

From full assurance at His right hand, as you rest in His victory, so will you rule in the midst of your enemies.

Francis Frangipane

Justin Rizzo, You Are Holy - Prince of Peace

Pearl

Fridays meant spelling tests in Miss Crawford's room. My childhood friend, Ronnie, knew how to get her mind off of spelling. Just as she was about to give the first spelling word, Ronnie would raise his hand and ask her about her pearls.

She fell for it every time. She and her teacher friends would travel every summer to exotic places and bring back souvenirs. Her gray pearls were from one of those trips. Back then, she explained, pearls were harvested by deep sea divers who risked all to find perfect pearls.

In the parable of the man who sold all to buy the pearl of great price, I always thought of Jesus as representing the pearl. Recently, though a preschooler was singing a little song about how God gave His all to purchase us.

You are the pearl of great price.

As my son, Cameron, wrote, "Jesus didn't let the cross stand in the way of love."

A Good Investment

"How much of your life you've invested in Jesus Christ is the issue. Have we held some back for ourselves - just in case He's not as real, as powerful, as active as we thought? Just in case He doesn't come through? Just in case He really can't be taken at His Word? Or have we banked everything we have and everything we are on the reality that Jesus Christ is Lord of all the earth? We will never fulfill our destinies until our hope is built on nothing less."

Beth Moore, Beloved Disciple

All Shook Up

We can be thankful even in this economic downturn because God is still bringing in His Harvest and He is still hiring laborers.

This is an encouraging thought from Bill Yount:

Jesus Always Shakes the Economy on Earth When He Wants to Bring in a Great Harvest!

Jesus calls His disciples to leave the security of their fishing business, shaking their economy: "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men!" Jesus shakes their economy to stretch their faith in Him to supply their every need.

Jesus Himself had nowhere to lay His head: "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has no place to lay His head" (Luke 9:58), yet He lacked nothing in His life on earth. He told His disciples to take nothing for their journey. And the disciples lacked nothing either! Why? Because they were about the Father's business of winning the lost.

When you see the economy being shaken, know that you are about to be stretched in order to meet the lack in people's lives.

Jesus reveals Himself through lack more than He does through abundance! Jesus uses a little boy's bag lunch to cater a fish fry for five thousand people! One disciple thought, "Five loaves and two fishes, what is that among so many?" The five thousand hungry men and women and children were being used to stretch the disciple's thoughts on limitations...with twelve baskets leftover!

As our city and nation continues to take a pounding by the economy, know that this is a set-up for us to be stretched by their needs for help.

by Bill Yount (Read his entire article at Elijah List)

Winter Wonder

Today was WINDY! The snow swirled up and down and round and round like someone had shaken a snow globe. The school children gathered at the window spontaneously and began to sing Jingle Bells.

For a moment I was back in my own first grade class so long ago. Miss Underwood had stepped out of the class for a few moments and told us NOT to get out of our seats, but when she came through the doorway to see us gathered by the windows gazing at the season's first snowflakes, softly singing, she joined in with as much delight as a first grader.

Suddenly I found myself back in the present, singing along.

I pray that we always keep our childlike joy and wonder in God's handiwork.

Edelweiss: Soothing piano & violin instrumental

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

Sometimes I come up against a problem that seems impossible. At times, I pray, but then I don't take time to wait on the Lord and see how He will lead. I think I have to just run out and solve it myself the only way I KNOW.

Heavenly Father, You made a way for me to enter the Holy Place, the Holy of Holies, that I might commune with You. Jesus, You are my High Priest. You ever live to make intercession for me. If I lack wisdom, I may come to You anytime, and You will gladly listen and answer.

If you are not even sure about God's goodness and love and power, ASK HIM. He will reveal Himself to you in a way that you can understand.

Who, Me?

As Mary was chosen to carry the Savior, God has chosen us in these last days to carry His Life to a world whom He desperately loves.

"Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

Luke 1:45

Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth.

Just as You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

John 17:17-18

Encouraging Word

Please read my comment about songwriter, Don Moen, below the song.



Three year old Caleb died on a cold winter day fourteen years ago. I still remember all the cards, flowers, and acts of kindness shown to us by family, neighbors, church, Hospice, medical professionals, and the Down syndrome parent support group.

As I was listening to Don Moen on You Tube, I recalled that Cameron, Caleb, and I would spend many nights going to sleep listening to his songs on cassette tape. "You Are the God That Healeth Me", "I Just Want to Be Where You Are", and "God Will Make a Way" were some of our favorites.

These were songs that were played at his funeral, and I wrote a letter afterward, telling Don Moen how much his music had ministered to us during the months that Caleb, Cameron and I could no longer go to church because of Caleb's declining health.

A couple of weeks later, Cameron received a letter from Mr. Moen, expressing his sympathy, but also encouraging Cameron that he would see his baby brother again. Mr. Moen ended his letter by saying that he had a feeling that he and Cameron would someday meet.

It struck me tonight that all these years later, Cameron is a songwriter and worship leader. Who knows the effect that a simple word of encouragement may have?

Wisdom and a Good Fight

"God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin."
1 Corinthians 1:30 NLT

Jesus has made us accepted, loved, victorious, peaceful, pure, good, and wise. However it is still up to us, when hard situations arise, to "fight the good fight of faith".

Joshua 1:3 says, "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads (darak), I have given it to you."

Darak means to wage warfare in the spirit. Remember that, out of the hundreds of thousands of able-bodied grown men that left slavery in Egypt headed for the Promised Land, only TWO of the former slaves crossed Jordan to occupy the land. The others refused to "tread" on the territory that was promised to them, so they died in the wilderness, going around in circles their whole lives.

My desire is to obey God's word, to show mercy, to love God with all my heart. to love my neighbor as myself, and to be a humble servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is also teaching me that I have to stand up for what is right, even if it costs me.

Bob Norcross told this illustration: When he was a little boy, he got a shiny red wagon for Christmas. It was just what he wanted and he pulled it all around the neighborhood. One evening, his father came home from work, and asked his son, "I didn't see your wagon in the garage. Where is it?"

Bob whimpered, "Somebody stole it."

With a stern authoritative voice, Bob's father told him , "Go get your wagon NOW!"

At that moment, Bob decided He would rather face the neighborhood bully, than the displeasure of his Father. He recovered his wagon!

I admit that I struggle with all this and am tempted to be too passive.

My prayer is that I will learn what it means to fight the good fight of faith, believing that, as I obey God, everywhere the foot of my sole shall tread, my Heavenly Father will give it to me.

You Are

Lord, You are more precious than silver.
Lord, You are more costly than gold.
Lord, You are more beautiful than diamonds,
And nothing I desire compares to You.

Lord, Your Love is higher than mountains.
Lord, Your Love is deeper than seas.
Lord, Your Love encompasses the nations,
And yet, You live right here inside of me!

Who can weigh the value of knowing You?
Who can judge the worth of who You are?
Who can count the blessings of loving You?
Who can say just how great You are?

Lord, You are more precious than silver.
Lord, You are more costly than gold.
Lord, You are more beautiful than diamonds,
And nothing I desire compares to You.

And nothing I desire compares to You.

by Lynn DeShazo