About-Face!

180 Movie is a 33 minute video which will rock your way of thinking about life forever. This short movie will impact you in a colossal way. Brilliantly done! Viewer discretion is advised.



If you are looking for something to do with your youth group or even for you and your family, you can order the t-shirts and DVDs for a very reasonable price and just hand them out in your community. You can check out their web site at heartchanger.com

Exodus 20:13 NIV

“You shall not murder"

Proverbs 24:11-12 NIV

Rescue those being led away to death;
   hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
   does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
   Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done? 

Psalm 127:3 NIV

Children are a heritage from the LORD,
   offspring a reward from him. 

Psalm 139:13-16 NIV

For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place,
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book

   before one of them came to be.

Isaiah 1:18 NIV

“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
   says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
   they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
   they shall be like wool. 

Acts 2:37-29 NIV

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

Praise our God, He is a forgiving God!

Blessings,
<><

A Mother's Love

There are no words to describe a mother's love, but there are pictures and self less acts that do help illustrate the deep, deep love of a mother for her child. Alice from Alice's Reprieve found a blog describing such a love as this.

Tripp

Please meet Tripp. Tripp is 2 years old and has an atuosmal recessive condition called JEB, Junctional Epirdermolysis Bullosa, "EB"ing a Mommy is Courtney' daily walk with her son and the ups and downs of caring for this boy who is in pain constantly. There is not much out there to stop or reverse this nasty skin disorder, yet in  amongst the pain that this child suffers every single day, there is love, laughter, joy and music.

Please keep Tripp and his mom Courtney in your prayers. This little fellow is amazing! He is now blind and cannot eat for the sores in his mouth, but he can play the drums! What a musically inclined little treasure he is. Please visit his blog and give some love and encouragement to his mom, who is beside herself knowing her son suffers intense pain every single day.

Luke 18:16-17 NIV
But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Romans 8:34-35 NIV
Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

Blessings,
<><

Feed MY People

Google Image

 Isaiah 58 NLT

¹ “Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast.

      Shout aloud! Don’t be timid.
   Tell my people Israel of their sins!
    ² Yet they act so pious!
   They come to the Temple every day
      and seem delighted to learn all about me.
   They act like a righteous nation
      that would never abandon the laws of its God.
   They ask me to take action on their behalf,
      pretending they want to be near me.
  

 

Google Image

 

 ³ ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say.

      ‘Why aren’t you impressed?
   We have been very hard on ourselves,
      and you don’t even notice it!’

   “I will tell you why!” I respond.
      “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves.
   Even while you fast,
      you keep oppressing your workers.

   

Google Image

⁴ What good is fasting
      when you keep on fighting and quarreling?
   This kind of fasting
      will never get you anywhere with me.
 ⁵ You humble yourselves
      by going through the motions of penance,
   bowing your heads
      like reeds bending in the wind.
   You dress in burlap
      and cover yourselves with ashes.
   Is this what you call fasting?
      Do you really think this will please the Lord?

Google Image

  ⁶ “No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
   Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
      lighten the burden of those who work for you.
   Let the oppressed go free,
      and remove the chains that bind people.
 

Google Image

⁷ Share your food with the hungry,
      and give shelter to the homeless.
   Give clothes to those who need them,
      and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

 

Google Image

⁸ “Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
      and your wounds will quickly heal.
   Your godliness will lead you forward,
      and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
 ⁹ Then when you call, the Lord will answer.
      ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.

   “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.
      Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors!
 

Google Image

¹⁰ Feed the hungry,
      and help those in trouble.
   Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
      and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
 ¹¹ The Lord will guide you continually,
      giving you water when you are dry
      and restoring your strength.
   You will be like a well-watered garden,
      like an ever-flowing spring.
  

Google Image

¹² Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities.
      Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls
      and a restorer of homes.

 ¹³ “Keep the Sabbath day holy.
      Don’t pursue your own interests on that day,
   but enjoy the Sabbath
      and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day.

  

Google Image

 Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day,
      and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.
 ¹⁴ Then the Lord will be your delight.
      I will give you great honor
   and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob.
      I, the Lord, have spoken!”

                  
Blessings,
<><

Wildlife Visit

Shinzou and the bear

Proverbs 17:12 NIV

Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
   than a fool bent on folly.

Proverbs 28:14-15 NIV
Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,
   but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.

 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
   is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.

Genesis 1:24-24 NIV
And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 2:18-20 NIV

Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

Well, what excitement my son and I had this early afternoon. The dogs were going crazy and all of a sudden my son shouts at me, "Mom!! Get the camera, quick!" So I picked up the camera and ran to the kitchen and out the window not 10 feet from the porch was this sweet bear in the tree with my two Akita dogs barking like crazy. The bear was madder than anything and I thought for sure there was going to be a fight. SOTK managed to call in one of the Akita's, the female named Koji, but Shinzou would have nothing of it. The stand off was on with Shinzou in a frozen stance and the bear hissing, clucking and slapping the tree. Finally after about 5 minutes the bear gave up and ran up higher in the tree and I was able to call Shinzou off and get him in the house. I snapped pics and then finally SOTK and I back up and the bear came down the tree and headed off towards the compost. Princess, our Boarder Collie, barked until the bear left and headed up the mountain.

We have seen many, many bears but have never been able to get such great pictures. She/he sure is a beauty, all sleek, shiny and very healthy. She/he is almost ready to hibernate and, from the weather predictions, that could be sooner rather than later.

 Isaiah 11:6-8 NIV

The wolf will live with the lamb,

   the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
   and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear,
   their young will lie down together,
   and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
   and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.

Blessings,
<><

How To Fast; Part 3

Health Warning:
You should not fast food if you are diabetic, have health issues or are prone to eating disorders. Always consult your doctor before you go on an extended fast and you should always make sure you are taking in enough fluids and salt. 

We saw why we should fast in Part 1 and Part 2. Now, let's look at how to fast.

Fasting is about the condition of the heart and not how many days or what you fast. Some sites on fasting give names to the different fasts like the 'Esther fast', or the 'Daniel fast'. I don't like to do this as this gives recognition to the person and not God and the whole idea about fasting is to deny self and focus on God.

There are different types of fasts that can be done and the best place to start is in prayer asking God what He wants you to do and for how long. Since feelings can be tempted and prompted by Satan it is good to look at the situation we are in and then look to the people in the Bible to see what they did. You can refer to post 1 and post 2 for scripture reference on the 'whys'.

There are 5 types of fasts that can be done and these are;

--the absolute fast, no food or water for no longer than 3 days
--the normal/strict fast, no food only water
--the normal fast, no food only liquids
--the partial fast, restricting certain foods, food groups or certain meals
--the material fast, staying way from a particular thing that is very satisfying or addicting for you, eg; smoking

If you have never fasted before it is wise to start small, like fasting a meal or a favourite food. If you choose to do a 7 day fast right off the bat you might just be setting yourself up for failure. Fasting will detox your body and the first 3 days of a fast can be very difficult as your body is going through withdrawal and releasing toxins. Gradually your body will become use to fasting and you will be able to go for longer periods of time.

How long should you fast

Google Image

This is between you and God. I know of people who are led into only fasting just a meal and will pray during the duration they would take for that meal, like an hour or so or, like John Wesley, he practiced fasting twice a week on Wednesday and Friday. Then there is the Jewish fast from sun up to sun down, or from sun down to sun down. Seek God's will for you and then go with it. Since the Bible has the longest fast as 40 days then I recommend not going longer than this because then we are stepping out of God's word and harm can come to your body.

What to expect when you fast from food

The first three days are the toughest, you will experience hunger pains, headaches, coating on the tongue, irritability and weakness. By the fourth day the hunger pains should diminish along with the headaches and irritability. By the fifth and sixth day you should feel very energized, alert and very in tune to God and His word. You will still have coating on the tongue and you might still be weak, depending on how much reserves you have on your body to start with. If you are continuing on into a longer fast you will become weak and tend to sleep more but your alertness and sensitivity will increase. This should continue the duration of the fast be it 7, 14, 21 or 40 days. Each person is different and will experience differently but in general you will feel great and vibrant because the sluggishness of certain food types and harmful additives is being purged from your body.

It is not out of the norm to experience spiritual attack and failure. If failure happens and you cave in and eat something, don't worry about it, just pick yourself up and continue on. Remember, this is a matter of the heart and God wants obedience not sacrifice. If you experience spiritual attack that is ok too, for after Jesus had His 40 day fast Satan came and tempted Him. Remember, when we are weak then He is strong.

Google Image

2Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Not only is this a purging of the body this is also a purging of the soul. It is not uncommon to be in a repentant state throughout your fast. I have experienced a very sorrowful heart finding myself crying and praying over various things as the Spirit of God has led me. I have also had sins from my past bubble up, things I had either totally forgot about or had no memory of until God showed me. When this happens just confess your sins and accept the forgiveness He offers you.

Material fast

I have never done a material fast but my children and certain friends have. Most of you will remember Emily, the 16 year old girl with leukemia. Almost a year ago my daughter set up a 40 day fast for her while she underwent stem cell transplant. While on this fast, since my daughter was still in her growing stage, she fasted talking from 6 pm till the following morning. It was a very tough fast especially since my daughter has not stopped talking since the day she learned how. ;P

How to break a fast

Google Image

This depends on what type of fast you did or for how long you fasted but in general you will want to break your fast slowly and with easy on the stomach foods. It is a good idea to start with fruit and vegetable juice and broth. Then boiled veggies and raw fruit then adding in crackers or dry bread. Easy is the key and it is a good idea to take up to 4-7 days to come back into full eating. Your stomach will have shrunk and your digestive system either stopped or slowed down. Here is a great site on fasting and how to break a fast

http://www.freedomyou.com/fasting_book/how%20to%20break%20a%20fast.htm

Spiritual and Health benefits

Spiritually you will be sharp and in tune to the Holy Spirit. Bible verses will come readily to your mind and you will be sensitive to the prompting of God and willing to obey quicker than before. With a life dedicated to fasting and prayer you will find the fruit of the Spirit growing in you. Physical health wise, your system will have been cleaned out from the build up of toxins.  This usually requires a 30 day or more fast, but benefits will be felt by a 7 day fast.You will have more energy and some of the health issues you might have experienced before may have disappeared.

Daniel 9:3, 20 NIV

³ So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

²⁰ While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the LORD my God for his holy hill— 

Next up; my fasting testimony.

Blessings,
<><

Should We Fast? Part 2

Health Warning:

Google Image

You should not fast food if you are diabetic, have health issues or are prone to anorexia. Always consult your doctor before you go on an extended fast and you should always make sure you are taking in enough fluids and salt.

In our vulnerability we should direct our self to dependence upon God by fasting and praying, asking God to intervene at our point of need and feed our spirit with His Spirit.

Appeals to God for victory:

Jehoshaphat, a king of Judah learned prayer and fasting was key to military adversaries and the result was that God set confusion in the camp of the enemy.
 
2 Chronicles 20:3 NIV

Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.

v 22-23

As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another. 

Elijah was given great victory over the demonic principalities operating through Queen Jezebel. 1 Kings 18:16-40 show us how Elijah was fearless in front of King Ahab and 850 Baal and Asherah prophets, but he ran for his life at the threat of Jezebel because she was sanctioned by demonic principalities of witchcraft that intimidated him.

1 Kings 19:1-3 NIV

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,

2 Kings 9:22 NIV

When Joram saw Jehu he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?”

   “How can there be peace,” Jehu replied, “as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”

After a 40 day period of fasting and praying, traveling to meet with God, 1 Kings 19:1-14, God gave Elijah a message that assured him of the Lord's rule over political and spiritual forces. (This, along with Moses and Jesus' fast was a supernatural fast, directed and ordained by God).

1 Kings 19:15-18 NIV

The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

Fasting places us in the position to receive protection from harm and victory over the enemy. God does not withhold these blessings from us but Satan blinds us into living below our privilege. Fasting and prayer open our eyes to seeing things in the right perspective so we shed insecurity and hold on to the continual blessing and favour that is ours as children of the King.

Safe journey:

Ezra was embarking on a journey to return to Jerusalem and he was ashamed to ask the king for an army to protect them so they fasted and prayed asking God for protection, and He answered their prayer. I also have this verse Ezra 8:23, as part of my blog title because the journey God has me on is one of intercessing. Healing from physical, emotional and spiritual ailments with the utmost healing being that of a soul, a soul given over to Jesus Christ and becoming a child of God. This is a journey in which we need the protection of our God for Satan is always on the attack and he would see people suffer and not become Christians.

Ezra 8:21-23 NIV

There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.” So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.

When your life is in danger:

Queen Esther fasted a full fast for 3 days and nights before she approached the king, which was forbidden to do. No one was allowed to approach the king unless they were called forward, but because of the dire need of her people, Ester decided to do this.

Esther 4:15-16 NIV
Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

When we feel tension in our relationships:

Sweet relationships with other believers is a sign that God's grace is working in us.

1 John 1:7 NIV

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 

Fellowship means we are relating to others as equals, lack of fellowship means we think we are above or below them.

Fasting is an expression of the heart's longing to a greater intimacy in our walk with God, it assures a devotions that lasts. Regular practice of fasting and prayer helps assure consistency in our devotion to God because it develops a lifestyle of self-denial.

Luke 9:23 NIV

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."

Intensifies the worship of God:

Acts 13:1-3 NIV

Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.  

The discipline of fasting helps us to give ourselves fully to the Lord by cutting off the tendencies we have that distract our focus on Him. We develop the consistency of devotion that will draw us into the presence of God in which He is pleased to walk and talk with us.  

Desire spiritual blessing and insight: 

Colossians 2:2-3 NIV

My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 

Empowers us for spiritual warfare:

1 John 3:8 NIV

The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.

Matthew 10:1 NIV

Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 

Matthew 17:14-20 NIV

When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

   “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Fasting nil's unbelief that hinders our prayer lives and is instrumental in empowering our ministries.We are to serve the body of Christ and evangelize the lost. Our desire should be to help others experience God's grace and goodness. We are to work together to see God's kingdom advance and the power of darkness leave.

Fasting and prayer does not change God, it changes us. It lines up our thoughts with God's thoughts and ways. It does not twist God's arm to get Him to work for us but it puts us in the position to receive the grace He freely gives and enables us to do His bidding.

Fasting makes sure we are humble, repentant and accepting forgiveness so we do not feel distant from God. It allows us to come to God for protection from harm over the enemy so He can overcome our weakness and vulnerability. It empowers us for ministry and allows us to light the pathway for others.

I am sure I have missed many other situations in which to fast, but I am sure you get the idea. :) Next up: How to fast.

Blessings,
<><

EDIT: Update: Beautiful Light & Katie

Google Image

 EDIT: New update from Beautiful Light

Yesterday morning, while I was praying, I got a text message from a dear friend. In short, she said that God had been nudging her to make her 3 bedroom condominium unit located in an upscale, beautiful place of ----- available to me and my daughter to live in while we are searching for a place of our own to move to. The unit is for sale, but at the moment there are no takers yet.
Lets hear a PRAISE GOD!!!!
Prayer warriors, I have an update from Beautiful Light and Turquoise. The following is taken from a recent email:

...we have found a little bachelor's pad not too far away from where we live that is for rent. It is very small, with only a tiny kitchen and one toilet and bath, but it is currently occupied and the tenant's contract ends on September 30.

It is good enough for my daughter and her maid and her dog, and to start with, we will have to buy a few basic furniture - two beds, some chairs and a table at least, a kitchen stove and other kitchen essentials, as we are not taking any with us.

We plan to move out of our ancestral home by Oct 1,. PLEASE PRAY THAT THE CURRENT TENANT MOVES OUT SEPT 30. HE SEEMS INCLINED TO STAY EVEN IF THE CONTRACT ENDS BY MONTH END.

Pray also for the spirit of Elijah and the spirit of Jehu to arise in me that this evil diabolic spirit of manipulation, control, and greed will be disarmed and toppled down.

Please continue to pray for God's financial spiritual provisions, as well as the wisdom to know the right action to take.

This is only a temporary step. Turquoise my daughter and I feel that there is a new home of God's choosing and God's providing available for us... 

Update from Katie:

Katie had a Bone Marrow biopsy done, and although quite painful, we received the results back today.  They came back negative, meaning that it is not in her bone marrow, which is phenomenal news!  At the present moment, we have not received many answers that tell us exactly what Katie has and how to treat it, but tomorrow they will run the PET scan and get the rest of the biopsy results back that will bring conclusive answers and how to start treatment.  Right now, we're hoping to start treatment on either Monday or Tuesday. 

Please continue to hold these two sisters up to our Lord. Crystal Mary posted a comment praying the following verse over Katie. Let's claim this for both of our sisters!

Google Image

Isaiah 54:17 NKJV

"No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
And their righteousness is from Me, Says the LORD."

Urgent: Update on Katie

Katie

Just saw a notice on Twitter from Barbie, My Freshly Brewed Life and there has been a quick decline in Katie's health. She has been diagnosed:

High Grade Hodgkins - Aggressive

Following taken directly from Katie's blog:

Katies condition has worsened. If she remains in Sonora they are unable to see her until friday. Her breathing is shorter and more labored, her body is more tense and her pain and cough have increased.
We are preparing to head to Stanford Emergency now.
We are not without HOPE and FAITH in His ability to heal Katie COMPLETELY! We are praying for favor with the hospital, doctors, financial aid and EVERYONE Katie comes in contact with.
We are still having a difficult time nailing down clear coverage for Katie and Noah financially. There is a LOT of red tape, a LOT of forms to fill out, a LOT of people to talk to...all while trying to manage her pain, create times of rest, and investigate the actaul thing we are fighting in her body.
Please pray for more financial breakthrough and clarity, for favor with Noah's job as well as the rest of the family's jobs.
It is an intense day but we are SO VERY ENCOURAGED by all of the support both in prayer and financially that has already come in. PLEASE continue to cry out to Jesus to arise with HEALING in His wings!
"I would have fainted, unless I had believed I would see the GOODNESS of the Lord in the land of the LIVING" psalm 27:13

Google Image

Dear Father,
Nothing is to hard for You and in the mighty name of Jesus Christ I ask for Your healing hand to be resting on Katie right now Lord. I ask for Your Holy presence to be with her right now, Lord. And for Your comfort to remove the pain and easy her breathing. Lord God, I ask, along with many brothers and sisters who are praying for Katie, for healing here on earth. Father You are the great Physician and You alone heal, either through medicines or miracles, it is You who does it, so Lord God please, in Your mercy, touch Katie and heal her.
We trust Her in Your perfect care. In the powerful name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen and amen.
<><

Fasting; Should We Do This? Part 1

Health Warning:
You should not fast food if you are diabetic, have health issues or are prone to anorexia. Always consult your doctor before you go on an extended fast and you should always make sure you are taking in enough fluids and salt.
James 5:16 NIV

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 

Prayer is coming to God in weakness and asking Him, in His righteousness, to intervene for us. When a righteous person prays passionately, God will release His power. The problem is life and the world can get in the way and we tend to focus on self, instead of God. Prayer, combined with fasting, helps us to deny self and forces us to focus on God.

Matthew 17:20 NIV

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

When should we fast? 

When we feel separated from God. Christians cannot be separated from God because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross but when we focus on self and we feel our heart growing cold towards God, fasting and prayer will restore our passion towards our relationship with God by revealing our love for God in a new light. Food can bog us down and we can feel sleepy and content. Hunger, on the other hand, allows our spirit and our mind to be awake and we are more in tune to God's voice and our conscience is easily aroused by the Holy Spirit's promptings.

Romans 6:23 NIV

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Fasting signifies humility:

By denying our body food and or water, we are humbling our self in front of God and asking Him to provide for us. Saul, after being blinded, fasted 3 days and nights with out food or water.

Acts 9:9 NIV

For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. 

Demonstrates repentance:

Joel 2:12-13 NIV

“Even now,” declares the LORD,
   “return to me with all your heart,
   with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

 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. 

James 4:8-10 NIV

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. 

Appeals to God for forgiveness and pardon:

1 Kings 16:30 NIV

Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him.

1 Kings 21:27 NIV

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly. 

v28-29 NIV
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”

2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

"if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 

The response from God to fasting and praying will assure pardon and restoration from our sinful lifestyle. Even though Christians have the Holy Spirit intercessing for us, if we harbor sin in our lifestyle then what happens is we drift away from Jesus and even though He is still beside us we cannot hear His voice and our prayers, being tinted by the sin in our lives, does not reach God. The Christian walk way is very narrow and few stay on it because it means living separate from the worldly way. In these last days with the media pounding our mind with sexual pleasures, profanities and immoral lifestyles, it is hard to keep to the path of God because our conscience becomes numb. If Christians continue to walk away from God we do risk losing our salvation because Jesus will say, I do not know you...

Matthew 7:21-23 NIV
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’"

We need to have an active relationship with Him and the only way this can happen is by spending time with Him and the best way to accomplish this is by prayer, fasting and humble submission to Him.

Google Image

To be continued with more reasons for fasting.

<><

Pray for Katie

Barbie, My Freshly Brewed Life, notified me for an urgent prayer request. Please visit her for the full details.

Katie and her husband, Noah

Katie, on Tuesday September 13, has been diagnosed with lymphoma, cancer of the lymph nodes.

Psalm 41:3 NIV

The LORD sustains them on their sickbed
   and restores them from their bed of illness.

(I took this from Barbie)

Please pray from victory and not defeat! Katie is EXTREMELY confident in the hands that hold her. Jesus is the ultimate trump card and His blood is enough. He can and will provide EVERYTHING she needs through this process. Pray the Word and guard your heart, thoughts, and speech from partnering with fear, doubt, and death. Pray for the doctors, the hospital staff, Katie’s entire family and surrounding friends to have wisdom from heaven and stand in HOPE on Katie’s behalf. We get to lift our voice to a living God that hears and is passionate about His Katie! You are partnering with HIM when you pray! – (Taken from “Praying for Katie“.  I couldn’t have said it any better!) 

Please hold Katie up to Jesus. Pray for 100% health.

Hebrews 7:25 NIV

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

 
Blessings,
<>< 

Warning The Sheep, by Emily

Here is another borrowed post this time from Emily, Extending Eager Hands. I read this really early this morning and was chewing on it for the better part of the morn. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and I pray it will stir a deep desire to shout the alarm to our brothers and sisters who are slumbering. I have turned comments off on this post. ;)

Warning the Sheep

Google Image

Let's pretend I'm a sheep.  Baa.

I'm in a flock of sheep, in a field.  My fellow sheep and I spend our days just hanging out, chewing our grass, following our Shepherd.

But let's say I'm a sheep who happens to be more observant than my fellow sheep.  While my brothers and sisters tend to chew their grass, with their heads down, I chew my grass with my head held high, watching the world around me.  Let's say I also have a better sense of smell, by some gift that the good Lord gave me.

One day, we're all hanging out, chewing our...

                                                                                                  1 John 2:18-19 NIV

Google Image

Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

Blessings,

<><

Encourage One Another

I came across a new blog from a veteran blogger, Ron, The Old Geezer, has started a second blog called Encourage One Another

Check it out, I am sure you will enjoy it as Ron always has interesting posts. The following is taken from his blog with the permission of re-posting. Enjoy!

Google Image

Bob and the Lord stood by to observe a baseball game. The Lord's team was playing Satan's team. The Lord's team was at bat, the score was tied zero to zero, and it was the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs. They continued to watch as a batter stepped up to the plate whose name was Love. Love swung at the first pitch and hit a single, because Love never fails. The next batter was named Faith, who also got a single because Faith works with Love. The next batter up was named Godly wisdom. Satan wound up and threw the first pitch. Godly Wisdom looked it over and let it pass: Ball one. Three more pitches and Godly Wisdom walked, because Godly wisdom never swings at what Satan throws.

The bases were loaded. The Lord then turned to Bob and told him He was now going to bring in His star player. Up to the plate stepped Grace. Bob said, "He sure doesn't look like much!" Satan's whole team relaxed when they saw Grace. Thinking he had won the game, Satan wound up and fired his first pitch. To the shock of everyone, Grace hit the ball harder than anyone had ever seen. But Satan was not worried; his center fielder let very few get by. He went up for the ball, but it went right through his glove, hit him on the head and sent him crashing on the ground; then it continued over the fence for a home run! The Lord's team won.

The Lord then asked Bob if he knew why Love, Faith, and Godly Wisdom could get on base but could not win the game. Bob answered that he did not know why. The Lord explained, "If your love, faith and wisdom had won the game you would think you had done it by yourself. Love, faith and wisdom will get you on base, but only My Grace can get you home. My Grace is the one thing Satan cannot steal. ~Unknown Author

Google Image

Acts 9:31 NIV

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. 

Blessings,
<><

Kienan Hebert is HOME!

PRAISE GOD!!!

Google Image

Kienan Hebert has been returned home healthy and safe.
On Saturday, the Hebert family made an emotional plea directly to the suspected abductor, Randall Hopley. The child was left in the Hebert home, which was empty as the family was staying with friends.
Police then received a 9-11 call and arrived at the home to find the child.
“We can confirm that three-year-old Kienan Hebert is safe and sound and alive. He appears to be in good general health,” Moskaluk said, adding he had never seen an outcome like this in 26 years of policing. “I truly want to smile about this because it’s not very often that these types of things happen in these types of investigations, frankly.”

Now, how great is that!

You can read the news here and here.

Thank you Father, thank you!!!!

John 11:40 NIV

Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

Colossians 3:16-17 NIV

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

Thank you for praying!

<><