2 Corinthians 4:6
"He has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ."
- We were created for God's glory, created for the purpose of giving Christ's invisible character a glimpse of visibility.
- We fulfill what we were meant to be when God is recognizable in us.
- However, we have no hope of God's glory if not for the indwelling Spirit of Christ that comes to us at salvation.
- After that, a life that glorifies God or makes Him recognizable is a process that ideally progresses with time and maturity.
If we grasp the eternal consequences of such a destiny, we would want to do anything possible to make sure all our hindrances are removed in order to glorify Him daily and faithfully.
- Beth Moore
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Jesus..............The Faithful One
Jesus - The Faithful One
The confidence we have ....
the trust we hold .....
the hope we carry ....
rest in His faithfulness.
Every promise He has made
He purposes to fulfill.
He has the authority to
accomplish all He has spoken.
His power is limitless ....
His character changeless ....
His love endless!
(from a Christmas card from my Aunt Mary....by Dayspring)
The confidence we have ....
the trust we hold .....
the hope we carry ....
rest in His faithfulness.
Every promise He has made
He purposes to fulfill.
He has the authority to
accomplish all He has spoken.
His power is limitless ....
His character changeless ....
His love endless!
(from a Christmas card from my Aunt Mary....by Dayspring)
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
O my soul, bless God!
Psalm 103 (The Message)
1-2 O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I'll bless his holy name!
O my soul, bless God, don't forget a single blessing!
3-5 He forgives your sins—every one.
He heals your diseases—every one.
He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
He renews your youth—you're always young in his presence.
6-18 God makes everything come out right;
he puts victims back on their feet.
He showed Moses how he went about his work,
opened up his plans to all Israel.
God is sheer mercy and grace;
not easily angered, he's rich in love.
He doesn't endlessly nag and scold,
nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve,
nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
he has separated us from our sins.
As parents feel for their children,
God feels for those who fear him.
He knows us inside and out,
keeps in mind that we're made of mud.
Men and women don't live very long;
like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,
But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,
leaving nothing to show they were here.
God's love, though, is ever and always,
eternally present to all who fear him,
Making everything right for them and their children
as they follow his Covenant ways
and remember to do whatever he said.
19-22 God has set his throne in heaven;
he rules over us all. He's the King!
So bless God, you angels,
ready and able to fly at his bidding,
quick to hear and do what he says.
Bless God, all you armies of angels,
alert to respond to whatever he wills.
Bless God, all creatures, wherever you are—
everything and everyone made by God.
And you, O my soul, bless God!
Merry Christmas to you all!
Enjoy God's greatest gift to us:
Emmanuel - "God with us!"
1-2 O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I'll bless his holy name!
O my soul, bless God, don't forget a single blessing!
3-5 He forgives your sins—every one.
He heals your diseases—every one.
He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
He renews your youth—you're always young in his presence.
6-18 God makes everything come out right;
he puts victims back on their feet.
He showed Moses how he went about his work,
opened up his plans to all Israel.
God is sheer mercy and grace;
not easily angered, he's rich in love.
He doesn't endlessly nag and scold,
nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve,
nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
he has separated us from our sins.
As parents feel for their children,
God feels for those who fear him.
He knows us inside and out,
keeps in mind that we're made of mud.
Men and women don't live very long;
like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,
But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,
leaving nothing to show they were here.
God's love, though, is ever and always,
eternally present to all who fear him,
Making everything right for them and their children
as they follow his Covenant ways
and remember to do whatever he said.
19-22 God has set his throne in heaven;
he rules over us all. He's the King!
So bless God, you angels,
ready and able to fly at his bidding,
quick to hear and do what he says.
Bless God, all you armies of angels,
alert to respond to whatever he wills.
Bless God, all creatures, wherever you are—
everything and everyone made by God.
And you, O my soul, bless God!
Merry Christmas to you all!
Enjoy God's greatest gift to us:
Emmanuel - "God with us!"
Monday, December 22, 2008
OPEN BEFORE CHRISTMAS!
"I Saw Many Gifts Being Earmarked - OPEN BEFORE CHRISTMAS!"
By Bill Yount
Dec 19, 2008
"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant...(the word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, discerning of spirits, divers kinds of tongues and interpretation of tongues)." 1 Corinthians 12:1, 8-10
"A man's gift makes room for him." Proverbs 18:16
I Saw Many Gifts that Even Christmas Couldn't Wait For to Be Opened!
Are you noticing lately that you are being set up to be in the right place at the right time with the right person to minister to them? In everyday life and traveling, I will just happen to sit down beside someone who is either sick or starts talking about their troubles that are overwhelming them. I sense that our "spiritual" gifts are being activated by the great needs of people this hour all around us. I believe that our gifts are now making room for us to influence many people who, up until now, we would not have reached. But now people are so much in need that they are being drawn to us, and their great need for the Lord is actually activating the gifts that God has put within us to minister to them.
Don't Let the Size of Your Gift or What it is Wrapped in Fool You!
I remember as a child growing up that I just couldn't wait until Christmas to open at least one of my gifts under the tree. I remember our mother would say, "Go ask your father first!" We children would keep asking Dad until he would finally give in; and as years went by, it became a family tradition at our home that we could open one gift of our choice before Christmas!
I sense our Heavenly Father saying, "Yes, you may open some of your gifts before Christmas!"
"And Samuel said (to Saul), 'When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?'" 1 Samuel 15:17 (emphasis added).
When I knew that I could open that one gift before Christmas, I would take my time and study the size of the gift, and even the wrapping paper it was wrapped in. Sometimes I was fooled by the size, for some of my most treasured gifts often came in a smaller box with just "plain" wrapping paper.
Many times when ministering to people, I am first challenged by my own size, spiritually speaking. I sense so often my unworthiness and inability, and so many times the enemy still says, "Who do you think you are?" I know God has given me certain gifts to bless others with, but there have been times that my own "wrapping paper" (the earthen vessel), which surrounds my gift, gets in the way and hinders God's gift from getting outside of me to others.
I sense the Lord saying to many of us, "Don't let the size of your gift or the wrapping paper, which surrounds My gift inside of you, fool you. Don't let it stop you anymore. Get past the wrapping paper of your lives and let your gifts out. Remember, "...we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of ourselves!" (2 Corinthians 4:7).
We also need to get past the wrapping paper that others are wrapped in to see the treasure God has placed within each of their lives. Many times we are called to dig for that treasure in others, which is often hidden like diamonds in the rough.
The Gift of "Helps" May be the Most "Powerful" Gift on Earth Needed Right Now!
"And God hath set some in the Church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues" 1 Corinthians 12:28 (emphasis added).
It's interesting that the gift of "helps" is placed by the Holy Spirit in the same category of importance as the apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, healings, diversities of tongues, HELPS, and governments. The governments of the world are now crying out, "Help!" Often we get the cart before the horse when it comes to spiritual giftings and callings. Sometimes it's possible to want to show off a gift or a calling God has given us without a real burden or compassion for people. I sense the more desire I have to just help someone, the more the other spiritual gifts begin to be activated, and God takes over from there!
Like a "Salt Shaker," God's House is Being Shaken to Get Us Out Where Our Gifts are Truly Needed..."To Be the Salt of the World!"
I sense the greater the need for our gifts, the easier it will be to open them. Be sensitive as you walk into the marketplace, the hospitals, the rescue missions, the prisons, the streets - from the guttermost to the highest society places on earth. The needs inside of people will begin to untie that pretty bow on your gift and begin to tear and rip that colorful wrapping paper off of you to get to the "gift" God has placed within you for their hour of crises!
Some might just tear a hole in the roof of your nice house or knock your front door down or ring your phone off the hook to get an answer of the hope that is within you! I sense God's house is being shaken in this hour like a "salt shaker" to get us out where our gifts are truly needed - "to be the salt of the world!"
Go ahead, open up your gifts now! Don't wait until Christmas. Christmas can't wait! What the world needs "now" is something that money cannot buy...give them Jesus!
ElijahList Publications
310 2nd Ave SE
Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
By Bill Yount
Dec 19, 2008
"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant...(the word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, discerning of spirits, divers kinds of tongues and interpretation of tongues)." 1 Corinthians 12:1, 8-10
"A man's gift makes room for him." Proverbs 18:16
I Saw Many Gifts that Even Christmas Couldn't Wait For to Be Opened!
Are you noticing lately that you are being set up to be in the right place at the right time with the right person to minister to them? In everyday life and traveling, I will just happen to sit down beside someone who is either sick or starts talking about their troubles that are overwhelming them. I sense that our "spiritual" gifts are being activated by the great needs of people this hour all around us. I believe that our gifts are now making room for us to influence many people who, up until now, we would not have reached. But now people are so much in need that they are being drawn to us, and their great need for the Lord is actually activating the gifts that God has put within us to minister to them.
Don't Let the Size of Your Gift or What it is Wrapped in Fool You!
I remember as a child growing up that I just couldn't wait until Christmas to open at least one of my gifts under the tree. I remember our mother would say, "Go ask your father first!" We children would keep asking Dad until he would finally give in; and as years went by, it became a family tradition at our home that we could open one gift of our choice before Christmas!
I sense our Heavenly Father saying, "Yes, you may open some of your gifts before Christmas!"
"And Samuel said (to Saul), 'When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?'" 1 Samuel 15:17 (emphasis added).
When I knew that I could open that one gift before Christmas, I would take my time and study the size of the gift, and even the wrapping paper it was wrapped in. Sometimes I was fooled by the size, for some of my most treasured gifts often came in a smaller box with just "plain" wrapping paper.
Many times when ministering to people, I am first challenged by my own size, spiritually speaking. I sense so often my unworthiness and inability, and so many times the enemy still says, "Who do you think you are?" I know God has given me certain gifts to bless others with, but there have been times that my own "wrapping paper" (the earthen vessel), which surrounds my gift, gets in the way and hinders God's gift from getting outside of me to others.
I sense the Lord saying to many of us, "Don't let the size of your gift or the wrapping paper, which surrounds My gift inside of you, fool you. Don't let it stop you anymore. Get past the wrapping paper of your lives and let your gifts out. Remember, "...we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of ourselves!" (2 Corinthians 4:7).
We also need to get past the wrapping paper that others are wrapped in to see the treasure God has placed within each of their lives. Many times we are called to dig for that treasure in others, which is often hidden like diamonds in the rough.
The Gift of "Helps" May be the Most "Powerful" Gift on Earth Needed Right Now!
"And God hath set some in the Church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues" 1 Corinthians 12:28 (emphasis added).
It's interesting that the gift of "helps" is placed by the Holy Spirit in the same category of importance as the apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, healings, diversities of tongues, HELPS, and governments. The governments of the world are now crying out, "Help!" Often we get the cart before the horse when it comes to spiritual giftings and callings. Sometimes it's possible to want to show off a gift or a calling God has given us without a real burden or compassion for people. I sense the more desire I have to just help someone, the more the other spiritual gifts begin to be activated, and God takes over from there!
Like a "Salt Shaker," God's House is Being Shaken to Get Us Out Where Our Gifts are Truly Needed..."To Be the Salt of the World!"
I sense the greater the need for our gifts, the easier it will be to open them. Be sensitive as you walk into the marketplace, the hospitals, the rescue missions, the prisons, the streets - from the guttermost to the highest society places on earth. The needs inside of people will begin to untie that pretty bow on your gift and begin to tear and rip that colorful wrapping paper off of you to get to the "gift" God has placed within you for their hour of crises!
Some might just tear a hole in the roof of your nice house or knock your front door down or ring your phone off the hook to get an answer of the hope that is within you! I sense God's house is being shaken in this hour like a "salt shaker" to get us out where our gifts are truly needed - "to be the salt of the world!"
Go ahead, open up your gifts now! Don't wait until Christmas. Christmas can't wait! What the world needs "now" is something that money cannot buy...give them Jesus!
ElijahList Publications
310 2nd Ave SE
Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
Sunday, December 21, 2008
God blesses those who...............
Matthew 5:1-12 (New Living Translation)
The Sermon on the Mount
"One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them.
This is what he taught them: (The Beattitudes)
God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
God blesses those who are humble,
for they will inherit the whole earth.
God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they will be satisfied.
God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
for they will see God.
God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children of God.
God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted, too."
This is awesome!!
The Sermon on the Mount
"One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them.
This is what he taught them: (The Beattitudes)
God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
God blesses those who are humble,
for they will inherit the whole earth.
God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they will be satisfied.
God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
for they will see God.
God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children of God.
God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted, too."
This is awesome!!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Laminin
A doctor-friend wrote:
A couple of days ago I was running (I use that term very loosely) on my treadmill, watching a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio...and I was BLOWN AWAY! I want to share what I learned....but I fear not being able to convey it as well as I want. I will share anyway.
He (Louie) was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is...how He spoke the universe into being...how He breathes stars out of His mouth that are huge raging balls of fire...etc. etc. Then He went on to speak of how this star-breathing, universe creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder. At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint, you know.) ....and I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God's handiwork. I remember so many times thinking....'How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this???'
Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart...how our loving Creator is also our sustainer.
And then I lost my breath. And it wasn't because I was running my treadmill, either!!!
It was because he started talking about laminin. I knew about laminin. Here is how wikipedia describes them :
Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue.' You see....laminins are what hold us together....LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without them, we would literally fall apart.
And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what laminin LOOKED LIKE. But now I do. And I have thought about it a thousand times since (already). The above image is what the structure of laminin looks like...AND THIS IS NOT a 'Christian portrayal' of it....if you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see.
Now tell me that our God is not the coolest!!! Amazing. The glue that holds us together...ALL of us....is in the shape of the cross. Immediately this verse comes to mind:
Colossians 1:15-17
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth , visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things,
and in him all things HOLD TOGETHER. "
Call me crazy. I just think that is very, very, very cool. Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin, Paul penned those words. And now we see that from a very LITERAL standpoint, we are held together...one cell to another....by the cross.
You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin 'glue' would look like long before Adam even breathed his first breath!!
Here is the link to Louie Giglio message on Laminin. It is amazing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e4zgJXPpI4
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
The Word became flesh
John 1:1-5 (New Living Translation)
"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it."
"The Word" explained here is, of course, Jesus. This is the truth about Jesus, He is the foundation of all truth. If we cannot or do not believe this basic truth, we will not have enough faith to trust our eternal destiny to Him. (New Living Translation commentary)
John 1:14 (The Message)
"The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish."
So, God, decided to make his home among us, to "move into the neighborhood" of this world. While He came to this earth and took upon himself full humanity and lived as a man, He never ceased to be the eternal God who has always existed, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and the source of eternal life. (New Living Translation commentary)
Revelation 1:8 (New Living Translation)
“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,”says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”
So, Jesus has always existed, with God, before the foundation of the world. He always was and always will be. In my opinion, Jesus is the only one we can attach the descriptive word "forever" to.
Forever and always, He will be!
"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it."
"The Word" explained here is, of course, Jesus. This is the truth about Jesus, He is the foundation of all truth. If we cannot or do not believe this basic truth, we will not have enough faith to trust our eternal destiny to Him. (New Living Translation commentary)
John 1:14 (The Message)
"The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish."
So, God, decided to make his home among us, to "move into the neighborhood" of this world. While He came to this earth and took upon himself full humanity and lived as a man, He never ceased to be the eternal God who has always existed, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and the source of eternal life. (New Living Translation commentary)
Revelation 1:8 (New Living Translation)
“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,”says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”
So, Jesus has always existed, with God, before the foundation of the world. He always was and always will be. In my opinion, Jesus is the only one we can attach the descriptive word "forever" to.
Forever and always, He will be!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
"In The First Light"
"In The First Light"
Lyrics written by Robert John Kauflin
Performed by Travis Cottrell
In the first light of a new day
No one knew He had arrived
Things continued as they had been
While a new born softly cried.
But the heavens wrapped in wonder
Knew the meaning of His birth
In the weakness of a baby
They knew God had come to earth.
As His mother held him closely,
It was hard to understand
That her baby not yet speaking
Was the Word of God to man.
He would tell them of His kingdom,
But their hearts would not believe
They would hate Him and in anger
They would nail Him to a tree.
But the sadness would be broken
As the song of life arose
And the First born of creation
Would ascend and take his throne.
He has left it to redeem us,
But before His life began
He knew He´d come back not as a baby
But as The Lord of ev´ry man.
Hear the angels as they´re singing
On the morning of His birth
But how much greater will our song be
When He comes again, when He comes again
Hear the angels as they´re singing
On the morning of His birth
But how much greater will our song be
When He comes again to Earth
When He comes to rule the Earth!
At Christmas, in the midst of celebrating His birth, I cannot help but think about His death. After all, that is what He told us to remember about Him.........."this do in rememberance of me".......(communion). I also cannot help but think about what it means, for us while we are on this earth, and also for us, in the future, when He so gloriously returns to RULE THIS EARTH!
WOW, what a future we have! I am filled with Hope in Jesus Christ!
Merry Christmas!
Much love to you!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
What's next, Papa?
Romans 8:1-17 - (The Message)
The Solution Is Life on God's Terms
1-2With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.
3-4God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn't deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code, weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that.
The law always ended up being used as a Band-Aid on sin instead of a deep healing of it. And now what the law code asked for but we couldn't deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us.
5-8Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored.
9-11But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won't know what we're talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God's terms. It stands to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he'll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's!
12-14So don't you see that we don't owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There's nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!
15-17This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!"
He is especially fond of you!
Have a blessed day!
,Brandi
The Solution Is Life on God's Terms
1-2With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.
3-4God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn't deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code, weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that.
The law always ended up being used as a Band-Aid on sin instead of a deep healing of it. And now what the law code asked for but we couldn't deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us.
5-8Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored.
9-11But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won't know what we're talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God's terms. It stands to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he'll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's!
12-14So don't you see that we don't owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There's nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!
15-17This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!"
He is especially fond of you!
Have a blessed day!
,Brandi
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The double-edged sword
Hebrews 4:12
"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires."
The Word of God exposes us for what we really are. Verse 13 of Hebrews goes on to say that nothing and no one can hide from God. There is no more powerful tool than the word of God. Author Joshua Choonmin Kang says that "Only the word of God can pierce the soul and spirit. Only the word can judge the thoughts and desires of the heart. It is the only tool that can bring about our spiritual formation."
I can't tell you the number of times, when reading the Bible, that it has pierced my heart and convicted me so deeply about an area in my life that needed to change. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind this conviction is directly from God. He speaks to us through His Word. So often, I've had a nagging question in my heart and I will come across my answer, exactly, spelled out on the pages before my eyes.
Let me encourage you that if you really want to make changes to your life, if you really want to get closer to God and actually hear from Him, get into the Word. That is where all the answers live!! Why make choices based on how we "feel". Why not make our choices according to the Word of God and what the Bible has to say on the matter. Let God direct your paths through His living, breathing, active love letter to us!
"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires."
The Word of God exposes us for what we really are. Verse 13 of Hebrews goes on to say that nothing and no one can hide from God. There is no more powerful tool than the word of God. Author Joshua Choonmin Kang says that "Only the word of God can pierce the soul and spirit. Only the word can judge the thoughts and desires of the heart. It is the only tool that can bring about our spiritual formation."
I can't tell you the number of times, when reading the Bible, that it has pierced my heart and convicted me so deeply about an area in my life that needed to change. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind this conviction is directly from God. He speaks to us through His Word. So often, I've had a nagging question in my heart and I will come across my answer, exactly, spelled out on the pages before my eyes.
Let me encourage you that if you really want to make changes to your life, if you really want to get closer to God and actually hear from Him, get into the Word. That is where all the answers live!! Why make choices based on how we "feel". Why not make our choices according to the Word of God and what the Bible has to say on the matter. Let God direct your paths through His living, breathing, active love letter to us!
Monday, December 8, 2008
"The Antidote of Heaven"
This is something that was recently shared with me. It is awesome and so I must share it with you too!
"The Antidote of Heaven"
by Ryan Wyatt
Nov 19, 2008
The Living, Breathing, Supernatural Church!
Prepare yourself! We are in times of great change! A generation is arising, and is even already on the scene, that is no longer settling for "Sunday Morning Christianity." Please know and understand that I love the Church, the real Church. However, "church" as we know it, is about to dramatically change.
We are going from "attending church" and catering to "Sunday Morning Christianity," and we are moving into "being the Church"—a mighty, supernatural army filled with power and equipped to offensively advance and establish the Kingdom of God throughout the earth!
We need to understand that when we received salvation and were born-again, we did not join a social club or world religion called Christianity. We were regenerated and inhabited by a supernatural God who came to mingle with our spirit and transform us into a new creature with a heavenly nature—the very DNA of God now residing in us!
The real Church is not a building, denomination or club. The real Church is a living, breathing, supernatural, heavenly, new-creation entity which carries and manifests the very Kingdom of God on this earth.
In the same way God inhabited a box called, "the ark," in the Old Testament, He now inhabits a people waiting to display His Glory through those who will only believe. You are not just a container or holding chamber where God resides. You actually have the very DNA, or nature, of God in you. In the same way apples bring forth apples, and oranges bring forth oranges, God brings forth sons and daughters at their moment of salvation! You are a gateway—a portal—where Heaven invades earth.
The Church for decades, and even centuries, has been having an identity crisis, and is now receiving a Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God. As a Church, we are beginning to awaken and realize we do have an identity and a purpose that far supersedes just "doing church," and we are beginning to realize that we are the very Body of Jesus Christ on this earth. The very same presence and power that Jesus manifested in His single human body, He will now manifest through His corporate Body, the Church. An army is arising and it is time!
The Eternal Purpose and Mystery
Jesus is intensely serious about receiving His inheritance, and His inheritance is tied up in us fulfilling our destiny as Believers. Jesus Christ's inheritance can be found in Ephesians 3:8-11.
Jesus shed His Blood to purchase for Himself a Bride. However, there is more to this story than just a wedding. This Bride (that's you by the way) is being raised up as the weapon of God in His hand to enforce the victory that has already been accomplished over His enemy, and display the triumph of Jesus Christ to all demonic powers. The Church has a destiny and a purpose to actually display the very glory and victory of God to the principalities, cosmic powers, and evil spiritual forces in heavenly places.
This means that the Church is not to be postured in a spectator position, but rather an offensive position. For too long, the Church has been consumed with a rapture mentality of, "just hang on until Jesus comes and then He will rescue us out of this mess." This mentality simply does not line up with Scripture, and this generation is awakening to the reality of our high calling and eternal purpose as an army of God with a mandate to enforce the victory Jesus won by His shed Blood.
Heaven's Antidote
I am sure you all have noticed that the state and well-being of the world is rapidly declining. Ever since Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden there has been a demonic curse and demonic government ruling over this planet, and satan, our enemy, has assumed the title of, "god of this world."
However, you need to know that satan's power only resides in our ignorance. When we, as the Church, are ignorant of our identity and calling as Heaven's representatives and enforcers, then the devil remains in a place and position of power.
Satan cringed in fear when Jesus came on the scene as the "Last Adam" (see 1 Corinthians 15:45) because he was aware of the fact that Jesus knew who He was, and that Jesus was clear about His mandate to rule and reign over the powers of darkness, and to deliver every tribe, tongue and nation from demonic oppression and bondage.
Jesus, as the "Last Adam," was simply fulfilling the mandate the "First Adam" dropped. Everywhere Jesus went He was on a mission to demonstrate and display the glory and superiority of God over the works of the devil. Did you know the Bible says that Jesus was the "firstborn among many brethren?"
Jesus was the first of a new prototype in the earth. He came to birth a "New Breed" of people who would be inhabited and born of God, and to pick up and carry on the mantle and mandate of Heaven first entrusted to Adam.
Just as a doctor gives an antidote to a patient whose body is filled with poison, so the Church is the heavenly antidote for the demonic curse that fills the earth! For so long, the Church has been content to let the world descend into total chaos, while hoping and praying that Jesus will come and rapture us out of this mess.
However, the heart of this generation is beginning to beat to the same tune as the heartbeat of God. We are waking-up to realize we are the answer and the antidote, and are assigned on this earth with a mandate to destroy the works of the devil—to bring Heaven to earth on a daily basis!
I have a vision of seeing authentic supernatural Christianity expressed on the earth through the Church—the Body of Christ. God has ordained that His Glory be displayed through a people totally devoted and in love with Him. This generation must be equipped and trained to live in such a place of intimacy and fellowship with the Lord—where His Glory truly does abide upon us through miracles, signs, and wonders.
Jesus Christ was sent and lived His life as a prototype of what is possible and available for each one of us as Believers. Jesus lived His day-to-day life out of the intimate voice of God, and carried His Kingdom—the supernatural realm of Heaven—on the earth with miracles, signs and wonders following Him. The cry of Heaven in these end-times is to see a remnant of people recklessly abandoned and in love with their God, who through intimacy, destroy the works of the devil, and bring the realm of Heaven to earth daily.
The Government of God is Here!
For many decades the Lord has been restoring truth to the Church which was lost during the dark ages. We have now come to a "fullness of time juncture," and are entering into a season where the sound of the roar of the Lion of Judah is being heard, with an army of Believers arising out of apathy and complacency, standing to attention, ready to receive marching orders from the King of kings. It's time for the Church to cease our wilderness wanderings and cross over into our intended destiny and promised land.
Prophetically speaking, our promised land represents the government of God. From the very beginning, God intended Adam to have dominion, rule, and to subdue and fill the earth with His glory. The Church has wandered in the wilderness without purpose, just as Israel did, but now it is time to pick up the mandate Adam dropped and establish and advance the Kingdom of God throughout the earth.
Isaiah 9:6 says that Jesus was sent to this earth to bring back the government of God, and He carried this Heavenly government upon His shoulders. It goes on to say, "Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end..." (Isaiah 9:7). Guess what? You, as a born-again Believer, are the increase of the government of God in this world.
The Scripture goes on to say that, "...The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this" (Isaiah 9:7). Great zeal is being poured out from Heaven upon this generation in this hour. The army of Believers on this earth is coming into alignment with the army of the host of Heaven. An army is arising to destroy the works of the devil and release the glory of our God in this land!
An alarm is being trumpeted from Heaven, "Choose this day whom you will serve." Many in the Body of Christ have already chosen to serve God, but the burning question is now, "Who will arise with burning passion and pick up the mandate of Heaven to ADVANCE the Kingdom today?"
ElijahList Publications
310 2nd Ave SE, Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926
"The Antidote of Heaven"
by Ryan Wyatt
Nov 19, 2008
The Living, Breathing, Supernatural Church!
Prepare yourself! We are in times of great change! A generation is arising, and is even already on the scene, that is no longer settling for "Sunday Morning Christianity." Please know and understand that I love the Church, the real Church. However, "church" as we know it, is about to dramatically change.
We are going from "attending church" and catering to "Sunday Morning Christianity," and we are moving into "being the Church"—a mighty, supernatural army filled with power and equipped to offensively advance and establish the Kingdom of God throughout the earth!
We need to understand that when we received salvation and were born-again, we did not join a social club or world religion called Christianity. We were regenerated and inhabited by a supernatural God who came to mingle with our spirit and transform us into a new creature with a heavenly nature—the very DNA of God now residing in us!
The real Church is not a building, denomination or club. The real Church is a living, breathing, supernatural, heavenly, new-creation entity which carries and manifests the very Kingdom of God on this earth.
In the same way God inhabited a box called, "the ark," in the Old Testament, He now inhabits a people waiting to display His Glory through those who will only believe. You are not just a container or holding chamber where God resides. You actually have the very DNA, or nature, of God in you. In the same way apples bring forth apples, and oranges bring forth oranges, God brings forth sons and daughters at their moment of salvation! You are a gateway—a portal—where Heaven invades earth.
The Church for decades, and even centuries, has been having an identity crisis, and is now receiving a Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God. As a Church, we are beginning to awaken and realize we do have an identity and a purpose that far supersedes just "doing church," and we are beginning to realize that we are the very Body of Jesus Christ on this earth. The very same presence and power that Jesus manifested in His single human body, He will now manifest through His corporate Body, the Church. An army is arising and it is time!
The Eternal Purpose and Mystery
Jesus is intensely serious about receiving His inheritance, and His inheritance is tied up in us fulfilling our destiny as Believers. Jesus Christ's inheritance can be found in Ephesians 3:8-11.
Jesus shed His Blood to purchase for Himself a Bride. However, there is more to this story than just a wedding. This Bride (that's you by the way) is being raised up as the weapon of God in His hand to enforce the victory that has already been accomplished over His enemy, and display the triumph of Jesus Christ to all demonic powers. The Church has a destiny and a purpose to actually display the very glory and victory of God to the principalities, cosmic powers, and evil spiritual forces in heavenly places.
This means that the Church is not to be postured in a spectator position, but rather an offensive position. For too long, the Church has been consumed with a rapture mentality of, "just hang on until Jesus comes and then He will rescue us out of this mess." This mentality simply does not line up with Scripture, and this generation is awakening to the reality of our high calling and eternal purpose as an army of God with a mandate to enforce the victory Jesus won by His shed Blood.
Heaven's Antidote
I am sure you all have noticed that the state and well-being of the world is rapidly declining. Ever since Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden there has been a demonic curse and demonic government ruling over this planet, and satan, our enemy, has assumed the title of, "god of this world."
However, you need to know that satan's power only resides in our ignorance. When we, as the Church, are ignorant of our identity and calling as Heaven's representatives and enforcers, then the devil remains in a place and position of power.
Satan cringed in fear when Jesus came on the scene as the "Last Adam" (see 1 Corinthians 15:45) because he was aware of the fact that Jesus knew who He was, and that Jesus was clear about His mandate to rule and reign over the powers of darkness, and to deliver every tribe, tongue and nation from demonic oppression and bondage.
Jesus, as the "Last Adam," was simply fulfilling the mandate the "First Adam" dropped. Everywhere Jesus went He was on a mission to demonstrate and display the glory and superiority of God over the works of the devil. Did you know the Bible says that Jesus was the "firstborn among many brethren?"
Jesus was the first of a new prototype in the earth. He came to birth a "New Breed" of people who would be inhabited and born of God, and to pick up and carry on the mantle and mandate of Heaven first entrusted to Adam.
Just as a doctor gives an antidote to a patient whose body is filled with poison, so the Church is the heavenly antidote for the demonic curse that fills the earth! For so long, the Church has been content to let the world descend into total chaos, while hoping and praying that Jesus will come and rapture us out of this mess.
However, the heart of this generation is beginning to beat to the same tune as the heartbeat of God. We are waking-up to realize we are the answer and the antidote, and are assigned on this earth with a mandate to destroy the works of the devil—to bring Heaven to earth on a daily basis!
I have a vision of seeing authentic supernatural Christianity expressed on the earth through the Church—the Body of Christ. God has ordained that His Glory be displayed through a people totally devoted and in love with Him. This generation must be equipped and trained to live in such a place of intimacy and fellowship with the Lord—where His Glory truly does abide upon us through miracles, signs, and wonders.
Jesus Christ was sent and lived His life as a prototype of what is possible and available for each one of us as Believers. Jesus lived His day-to-day life out of the intimate voice of God, and carried His Kingdom—the supernatural realm of Heaven—on the earth with miracles, signs and wonders following Him. The cry of Heaven in these end-times is to see a remnant of people recklessly abandoned and in love with their God, who through intimacy, destroy the works of the devil, and bring the realm of Heaven to earth daily.
The Government of God is Here!
For many decades the Lord has been restoring truth to the Church which was lost during the dark ages. We have now come to a "fullness of time juncture," and are entering into a season where the sound of the roar of the Lion of Judah is being heard, with an army of Believers arising out of apathy and complacency, standing to attention, ready to receive marching orders from the King of kings. It's time for the Church to cease our wilderness wanderings and cross over into our intended destiny and promised land.
Prophetically speaking, our promised land represents the government of God. From the very beginning, God intended Adam to have dominion, rule, and to subdue and fill the earth with His glory. The Church has wandered in the wilderness without purpose, just as Israel did, but now it is time to pick up the mandate Adam dropped and establish and advance the Kingdom of God throughout the earth.
Isaiah 9:6 says that Jesus was sent to this earth to bring back the government of God, and He carried this Heavenly government upon His shoulders. It goes on to say, "Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end..." (Isaiah 9:7). Guess what? You, as a born-again Believer, are the increase of the government of God in this world.
The Scripture goes on to say that, "...The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this" (Isaiah 9:7). Great zeal is being poured out from Heaven upon this generation in this hour. The army of Believers on this earth is coming into alignment with the army of the host of Heaven. An army is arising to destroy the works of the devil and release the glory of our God in this land!
An alarm is being trumpeted from Heaven, "Choose this day whom you will serve." Many in the Body of Christ have already chosen to serve God, but the burning question is now, "Who will arise with burning passion and pick up the mandate of Heaven to ADVANCE the Kingdom today?"
ElijahList Publications
310 2nd Ave SE, Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926
Sunday, December 7, 2008
As white as snow
Isaiah 1:18
"Says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow....."
Few things are more beautiful and more pure than fresh, white snow. The New Living Translation, Life Application Study Bible explains that Scarlet was the color of a deep-red permanent dye, and its deep stain was virtually impossible to remove from clothing. The stain of sin seems equally permanent (because we can't change the past, can't change what we have done.) But, God can remove sin's stain from our life as he promised to do for the Israelites. We don't have to go through life permanently soiled. It does not matter what we've done or where we've been, God's Word assures us that if we are willing and obedient, Jesus Christ will forgive and remove our most indelible stains. By accepting that His death on the cross was for us, for our sins, we can be washed as clean and white as snow! By accepting His free gift of salvation, we can live as though our sins are as far away as the East is from the West! How awesome that He is ready to meet us right where we are, no matter where we are, and forgive us, as imperfect as we are. That's how much he loves us!!
By the way, the book of Isaiah was written about 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ!
By the way, the book of Isaiah was written about 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ!
Friday, December 5, 2008
NOOMA
Rob Bell is an amazing pastor, speaker and author. He is the Sr. Pastor of Mars Hill Bible Fellowship in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has also written, "Velvet Elvis" - interesting title - and a few other books as well. I listen to the podcasts of his messages weekly. He is so incredibly intelligent and has a dry but wonderful sense of humor! He digs so deep into the meaning of the scriptures. He has been a huge part of my spiritual journey over the past few years.
One of his most powerful projects, in my opinion is the "NOOMA" series. It is a series of short, 10 minute movies, each depicting Biblical truth in our every day lives. They are so cool and so powerful. I think "Kickball" is my personal favorite and "Rain" comes in at a close second. These can serve as an amazing tool for youthgroups or church small groups, or just for your personal enjoyment. Everytime I see a new one I am amazed at how much Jesus loves me! What a creative way to share the message of Christ!
The website where you can see more is http://www.nooma.com/. You can view a brief intro. of each movie there. Here is a description from the homepage:
"Jesus lived with the awareness that God is doing something right here, right now, and anybody can be a part of it. He encouraged his listeners to search, to question, to wrestle with the implications of what he was saying and doing. He inspired, challenged, provoked, comforted, and invited people to be open to God's work in this world. Wherever he went, whatever he did, Jesus started discussions about what matters most, because for Jesus, God is always inviting us to open our eyes and join in. NOOMA is a series of short films that explore our world from the perspective of Jesus. NOOMA is an invitation to search, question, and join the discussion."
- Rob Bell
One of his most powerful projects, in my opinion is the "NOOMA" series. It is a series of short, 10 minute movies, each depicting Biblical truth in our every day lives. They are so cool and so powerful. I think "Kickball" is my personal favorite and "Rain" comes in at a close second. These can serve as an amazing tool for youthgroups or church small groups, or just for your personal enjoyment. Everytime I see a new one I am amazed at how much Jesus loves me! What a creative way to share the message of Christ!
The website where you can see more is http://www.nooma.com/. You can view a brief intro. of each movie there. Here is a description from the homepage:
"Jesus lived with the awareness that God is doing something right here, right now, and anybody can be a part of it. He encouraged his listeners to search, to question, to wrestle with the implications of what he was saying and doing. He inspired, challenged, provoked, comforted, and invited people to be open to God's work in this world. Wherever he went, whatever he did, Jesus started discussions about what matters most, because for Jesus, God is always inviting us to open our eyes and join in. NOOMA is a series of short films that explore our world from the perspective of Jesus. NOOMA is an invitation to search, question, and join the discussion."
- Rob Bell
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Christ holds it ALL together
Colossians 1:15-23
"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.
Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it."
I see no need to tack any of my own comments onto today's blog entry.
You go Paul!
Wow!!
"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.
Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it."
I see no need to tack any of my own comments onto today's blog entry.
You go Paul!
Wow!!
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