Friday, November 20, 2009

Be strong and courageous!

Joshua 1:9 - The Message

"Haven't I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take."

Joshua 1:9 - NIV

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

And now I've got __________on the move! (fill in your name)

This is what God had to say to Cyrus, the king who God anointed. Why did He anoint Cyrus? Because God had a special task for him to do for Israel. Does God have a special task for you? Has He anointed you to do something in His name, for His glory? Is it something out of your comfort zone, or perhaps way out of the comfort zones of those around you, in your world? Do we really believe that God is who He says He is and that we CAN DO what He says we can do, what He calls us to do? Read on and be blessed, my friends! I've bolded the parts that God has spoken DIRECTLY to my spirit, today!

Isaiah 45 - (The Message)

1-7 God's Message to his anointed, to Cyrus, whom he took by the hand
To give the task of taming the nations,
of terrifying their kings—
He gave him free rein,
no restrictions:
"I'll go ahead of you,
clearing and paving the road.

I'll break down bronze city gates,
smash padlocks, kick down barred entrances.
I'll lead you to buried treasures,
secret caches of valuables—
Confirmations that it is, in fact, I, God,
the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.

It's because of my dear servant Jacob,
Israel my chosen,
That I've singled you out, called you by name,
and given you this privileged work.

And you don't even know me!
I am God, the only God there is.
Besides me there are no real gods.
I'm the one who armed you for this work,
though you don't even know me,
So that everyone, from east to west, will know
that I have no god-rivals.
I am God, the only God there is.
I form light and create darkness,
I make harmonies and create discords.
I, God, do all these things.


8-10"Open up, heavens, and rain.
Clouds, pour out buckets of my goodness!
Loosen up, earth, and bloom salvation;
sprout right living.

I, God, generate all this.
But doom to you who fight your Maker—
you're a pot at odds with the potter!
Does clay talk back to the potter:
'What are you doing? What clumsy fingers!'
Would a sperm say to a father,
'Who gave you permission to use me to make a baby?'
Or a fetus to a mother,
'Why have you cooped me up in this belly?'"

11-13Thus God, The Holy of Israel, Israel's Maker, says:
"Do you question who or what I'm making?
Are you telling me what I can or cannot do?

I made earth,
and I created man and woman to live on it.
I handcrafted the skies
and direct all the constellations in their turnings.
And now I've got Cyrus on the move.
I've rolled out the red carpet before him.
He will build my city.
He will bring home my exiles.
I didn't hire him to do this. I told him.
I, God-of-the-Angel-Armies."


14God says:

"The workers of Egypt, the merchants of Ethiopia,
and those statuesque Sabeans
Will all come over to you—all yours.
Docile in chains, they'll follow you,
Hands folded in reverence, praying before you:
'Amazing! God is with you!

There is no other God—none.'"