Don't Miss Christmas.

This . . .
Christmas Eve Gift!
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That . . .
It's Saturday morning - Christmas Eve and tomorrow is Christmas Day - Oh Boy.
For all of you who thought Christmas was on Tuesday, don't be deceived. I talked to God and tomorrow is the day. That means most of you are way less ready than you thought.
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This is That . . .
Christmas Morning. Have all the doors open, the air conditioner is on, and starting a fire in the fireplace. Went caroling at the Leonards last night and they gave Eli a life size teddy Bear. We have a life size Tiger looking on as well, now all we need is a Lion - Oh, My!
Grandma is cooking the fried mush, Elliott is wrapping gifts, Amy is feeding Lucy, Taylor is making balloon creatures, Tarah is going back and forth from the open doors to the fire, Lee Ann is wrapped up in a blanket on the couch, Taylor is cooking stuff and taking pictures, Eli is enjoying his balloon hat, Lucy is all spit up and happy, Nathan just sneezed and ran off to find a kleenex, Brian won brother-in-law of the year last night, Grandma is still cooking mush, Jeanette is loafing in an easy chair, the Mashburn Singers CD (Elliott) is playing - wow!, and the gifts are waiting under the tree.

50 million Babies

This . . .
Our cat Jasper just spent ten minutes cleaning his face and ears. The thing is, he has pine straw stuck to his rear end.
What a Bullwinkle.
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That . . .
I finished getting the nativity scene up in the front yard today, complete with a star up high in a tree. I figured a great way to get the star up would be to tie a monkey wrench on the end of a rope, and then throw the wrench over a branch, and then tie the star to the other end, and then hoist it up and tie it off.
What a great idea!
I made a perfect throw on the very first try, only after the wrench went over the limb it kept going and swung around the branch again. Stuck. So I decided to tie another wrench on to the other end and throw it over in the other direction to set the first wrench free. That looked like it was going to work, but the loop caught around the first wrench and made a knot. Really stuck.
Well anyway, this years nativity has a star AND a monkey wrench up in the tree. Turns out that on that night long ago, the wiseman couldn't figure out which star to follow until they saw a wrench tied to one of them. Isn't God amazing?
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This is That . . .
On 9/11 there were 2,974 fatalities, not including the 19 hijackers.
It was horrible.
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In the US, one baby dies in its mother's womb by abortion every twenty seconds. That's 180 every hour; 4,320 every day; 129,600 every month; one million five hundred fifty five thousand two hundred every year. World wide, it's 50 million every year or three every two seconds.
That is in just ONE year.
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Jeremiah 1:5
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
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Merry Christmas! and Hallelujah!

This . . .
My son Elliott made this video and posted it on youtube last Christmas. I thought it would be good to get it out and share it again, so here it is.

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That . . .
We own land in Lake Village and haven't sold a lot in five years.
Kevin Johnson called me today and said,
"I have good news and good news. I have the money and the go ahead and I want to buy two lots over in Lakewood Estates. When can I pay you the money and get the deed to my lots?"
I love this guy.
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This is That . . .
And I love my Father in heaven who provides all that I need according to his riches in heaven thru Christ Jesus.
Phillipeans 4:19
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
The Message Bible says:
You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need.

Make His Paths Straight

This . . .
Our Christmas tree has been in the corner for a couple of days without lights or decorations. I had decided I liked it like that - bare. Really down to earth and even marvelously unique in a simple way. Mom didn't fall for it even a little bit, so now the tree has lights and tomorrow an abundance of decorations, I'm sure.
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That . . .
I have been thinking about how absolutely shocked we used to be when when a guy would just up and shoot some people. It seems now that our response is more like, "Oh, somebody shot somebody again." We still hate it, but we're just not very surprised or upset.
And it's not just people shooting each other, sins of all kind just don't seem to grip us like they used to.
I don't need to name them, you can make your own list.
This is particularly dangerous if it is us doing the sinning and we don't feel very bad about it. This is not good.
Slap us God. Wake us up.
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This is That . . .
Matthew 3
1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:
“ The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘ Prepare the way of the LORD;
Make His paths straight.’”
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Joel 2
12 “ Now, therefore,” says the LORD,
“ Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
13 So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.

Mike Huckabee for President

This . . .
While checking my mail at Yahoo, this is the 23rd day in a row that I have been the 10,000th visitor to some site making me a huge winner of some kind! And this is NO JOKE!
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Got an email from clasmates.com telling me I was popular. That's nice to know.
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That . . .
Another great quote from my mother, "The democrats really blew it when they chose their presidential candidates."
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This is That . . .
I am endorsing Mike Huckabee for president. This will be a huge boost to his campaign . . . for sure. It's me and Chuck.
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The video below is about 40 minutes long. Just skip a meal, turn off Desperate Housewives, and watch it.

Pastors and Pews

The Terrific Twos

This . . .
Today is my grandson Elijah's birthday. Spent last night at his house. Got up this morning, fed my granddaughter Lucy a bottle, ate cereal with Elijah and watched Toy Story Two, had a cup of coffee and then took a nap, all before I got up.
Then I picked out a nice blue towel and took a shower. When I unfolded the towel, I realized it had a picture of Pooh Bear, a picture of Tigger, a little hood, and the words Baby Boy in blue.
Cool.
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That . . .
Eli is two, but NOT terrible.
It's the wonderful ones, the terrific twos, the tremendous threes, the fabulous fours, fantastic fives, super sixes, the sensational sevens, extatic eights, the nearly perfect nines, and the stupendous tens. It's all good.
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This is That . . .
Happy Birthday Elijah. You are terrific!
I pray for you . . . eternal life - to infinity, and beyond.

Hmmmmmmmm

This . . .
My Mom said, "I hope Arkansas misses McNutt, cause I liked him."
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I just heard a guy on TV say, "Sometimes it's always good to . . ."
Hmmmmmmm?
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Cool quarterbacks sometimes always wear baseball caps.
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That . . .
There is something noble and great about writing. Writing forces you to decide what you think and what you believe. Writing also helps others to decide what they think and believe - through their agreement or disagreement with what you said.
Shawn Blanc
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This is That . . .
So now I am supposed to write something brilliant about what I think and what I believe in order to help others decide what they think and believe through agreement or disagreement with what I write about what I think and believe.
Hmmmmmm.

It's Me God, Jerry.

This . . .
I was living in Madison house in Wichita, Kansas with Brian, Doug, Jim, Gayle and Schoon. One evening while walking with my Golden Retriever, Gandolph, I came across a dead possum in the yard. I knew it was dead because Gandolph ran right up to it barking as ferociously as he could and it didn't even move a bit. No one wants a dead possum in their yard, so I picked it up by the tail and flunged it over the back fence as far as I could. It landed with a thump. I went inside to tell someone, and when we came out to look, it was gone. You got it, a possum playing possum.
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That . . .
Today was trash day, so I was gathering up the trash this morning when I discoverd a dead possum in one of the trash cans. I knew it was dead, because it stinketh. I am talking stinky stink. I put a bag of trash over it and took the can to the street hoping the trashmen would just toss the whole thing in the truck possum and all. Well, when I came home at noon there was the trash can with the possum still in it. Only now, the possum was looking at me. I took it across the street and dumped it out realizing it just couldn't get out. It happily ran off into the woods to take a bath I hope. At the bottom of the can was a bag of poopy cat litter which explained the stink.
You got it, a possum playing possum.
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This is That . . .
Believers in Jesus don't usually play dead, but I fear we often play alive. It's called pride. We really care what people think, and we want them to think that we lead great Christian lives and that we are way, way, OK . . . Great in God's eyes when maybe we're not.
I don't want people to just THINK I am alive,
I want God to KNOW I'm alive.
Like a song says,
I don't want to talk ABOUT Jesus like He's not in the room,
I want to talk TO Him face to face.
How bad would it be to stand before God and say, "Boy you wouldn't believe how great I was in the eyes of all the believers down there."
And God might say, "Now what was your name again?"

Set Your Love As A Firey Seal Upon My Heart

This . . .
My daughter-in-law Lee Ann was complaining about a hiccup attack she was having. So I quietly walked up to her and then suddenly yelled as loud as I could right in her face. After she got up off the ground, she didn't hiccup again. I never really believed that scaring someone would keep them from hiccupping, but now I wonder.
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That . . .
I just ate a bon-bon. It was delicious. Make that two - both delicious.
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This is That . . .
Song of Solomon 6:8
Set me as a seal upon your heart,
As a seal upon your arm;
For love is as strong as death,
Jealousy as cruel as the grave;
Its flames are flames of fire,
A most vehement flame.
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What are you most pasionate about?
Where does passion come from?
What makes you cry?
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My sister Jeanette and her husband Brian renewed their marriage vows over this past Thanksgiving week-end, after 25 years of marriage. Then various family members spoke blessings over them; and then we sang a choral arrangment of an Irish Blessing to them. I was all about singing, but I could only get out a few notes because of the emotions welling up inside of me.
This is not an unusual thing, I am definately a weeper. Feelings of love and being loved are strong emotions, bringing great joy if experienced in a positive way, and great sadness if that love is something only longed for.
For me, loving God and experiencing his love most often brings tears.
I embrace those moments.
I want Jesus to be the one I am most passionate about.
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And so I pray, Jesus, . . .
Come and set your love as a flame upon my heart.
I long to love you even as the Father has loved you.
Give me a passion for your name.
Set your love as a firey seal upon my heart.

More on the Kingdom of God

This . . .
I was talking to our one fish today.
"I am lonely", he said sadly, "being the one and only fish in the tank".
"You ate all the other fish", I reminded him.
"They were delicious", he said, "but I'm still lonely.
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That . . .
I love winter in Arkansas. It means you don't have to run the air conditioner near as often. Except when you have a fire in the fireplace. Then you have to run it about the same as summer.
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This is That . . .
How do we define the Kingdom of God?
Here is one definition . . .
The Kingdom is anywhere the obedience to God's reign or government is manifested in peoples lives. Jesus is the King and so wherever he reigns as Lord . . . there is the Kingdom.
So the Kingdom of God, here and now, requires our cooperation. The Kingdom is already here in part wherever people yield to Jesus and make him Lord. But the Kingdom is not yet fully come until Jesus comes and rules and reigns during the millennium with fullness over the whole earth.
I guess that was more "a little one person discussion" than a "definition".
I invite you to jump in and think out loud with me.

The Kingdom of God

This . . .
If anyone has a baby boy on the way . . .
I have a great choice for a name.
Kabob.
If it happens to be a girl . . .
Kabobbette would be good.
Remember, you heard it here first.
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That . . .
I spent the week-end with my son Nathan and his wife Amy and two children, Elijah (Almost two) and Lucy (three months). The guest bed is in Eli's room, so we were sleeping together, me in the bed and him in his crib.
I had to get up at 3:30 a.m. to go to the bathroom - the room was dark. As soon as I got out of bed, I heard Eli say in a very awake and very cheery voice, "HI!"
I went on to the bathroom, giggling a bit, and then came back in the room to hear Eli say in a very excited and bright voice, "Hi, grandpa!" He has always called me paw paw, but this time it was grandpa.
Then he said again, "Hi, Grandpa, what 'ya doin'?"
"Sleepin'", I replied.
Then we both went back to sleep.
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This is That . . .
I have been meditating on "The Kingdom of God".
Is the Kingdom of God here now? I believe it is.
Is the Kingdom of God yet to come? I believe it is.
What about the Kingdom of Heaven?
When we pray, "Thy Kingdom come" what are we praying for?
When John the Baptist said to repent for the Kindom of God is at hand, what did he mean?
There is a lot I don't know, but one thing I do know - A kingdom has a king and the King of the Kingdom of God is Jesus.
The Kingdom is here and He's the King.
The Kingdom is coming and He'll be the King . . .
and His Kingdom will have no end.
What say you?

Pursuing Righteousness

This . . .
I rather enjoyed this news article in yesterdays paper.
Charles Everson, 49, and his wife, Linda, were both unhurt after a 600-pound cow fell about 200 feet off a cliff and struck the hood of their minivan while the Michigan couple were celebrating their first wedding anniverary in Manson, Washington.
I can just imagine someone asking after they got home,
"So, how was your trip?"
And the cow's family must have been quite upset.
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That . . .
When God thinks of us, is he mad, glad or sad?
Well it depends on our heart.
If we are pursuing righteousness he is very glad.
If we are in rebellion, he is for sure sad, and maybe mad.
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If we think he is mad, and he's not, that's called condemnation -
we don't want that.
If we think he is glad, and he's not, that's called presumption -
we really don't want that.
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This is That . . .
God is glad when our hearts are turned towards him. He knows we are but dust, and so he is forever merciful, kind, and quick to forgive.
He loves us even in our weakness.
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When we sin, God wants us to stand before Him, ask for forgiveness, repent (turn from) our sin, and declare war on it by purposing in our heart not to give ourselves to sin in any way. We may fall in an area of sin many times, yet still declare war on it by hating it as our enemy and determining within ourselves to love God.
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Weak love is not false love. Weak love is immature, but still sincere,
and God desires us to be confident in His delight over us
while we are yet weak and maturing.
God sees us as beautiful, even in our weakness.
God loves us and has glad, happy feelings towards us, as we go thru the journey of pursuing righteousness, stumbling along the way.
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Rebellion is another thing.

Uncle Hutson

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This . . .
Uncle Hutson was a favorite uncle. I've got stories.
Hutson and Hazel lived on Beaver Lake and had a high powered ski boat. Hutson was always coming up with some ski trick so he could show off when we came to visit. A favorite involved a dry dock take-off. He would stand on the dock in a single ski, dressed in street clothes. The boat would start close enough to the dock for there to be several loops of slack rope between him and the boat. Hutson would light a cigarette and then signal for the boat to take off. When the rope slack ran out he would jump out from the dock and take off skiing in his street clothes, smoking a cigarette. He would take a quick loop around the lake and then crossing the wake he would propel himself back toward the dock and wind up sitting down on the side, still smoking his cigarette.
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When they were little, my dad asked Hutson one time,
"When you finish that apple, can I have the core?"
Hutson answered, "When I finish this apple there ain't gonna be no core".
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That . . .
Hutson was not a Christian, but he was nice about it. My dad would witness to him, and he would just grin and say,
"Well I'll keep that in mind."
Eventually he wound up with cancer, in the hospital on his death bed.
My dad was strongly urging his brother to accept Christ. Hutson felt it just wouldn't be right to live a life without God and then get on the train at the very last minute, at the very last stop. My dad told him, "It doesn't really matter who you go to the dance with, but it is very important who you go home with".
Hudson said he would think about that.
My sister, Jeanette, wrote a very powerful letter to Hutson, telling him that God was very merciful, very kind, full of love and longing for Hutson to come home with him. Hutson spent his last days clutching that letter on his chest. At last he prayed with my dad (his brother) to receive Christ as his saviour.
It will be good to see Hutson again, and be together with him for eternity.
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This is That . . .
I found this website on a link of a link of a friend. It is totally encouraging, inspiring, entertaining . . . in a word, great.
I couldn't figure out how to get a direct link, but this address will take you to the blogsite where the video is. It is under a post entitled "ressurection".
Get a cup of coffee, get comfy, and enjoy.
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www.raretune.com
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On This Side Of The River

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This . . .
I was watching "The 700 Club", a Christian program with Pat Robertson tonight on the ABC Network.
Before the program, they put up a disclaimer that said,
The following CBN telecast does not reflect the views of ABC Family.
Then after the program, they put up another disclaimer saying,
The preceding CBN telecast does not reflect the views of ABC Family.
I don't need my finger to gag.
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That . . .
is enough to make me want to pray for my enemies.
They used to say that the program "does not necessarily" reflect the views of the ABC Network.
But no more Mr. Nice Guy. They have taken the gloves off, come out of the closet, and are declaring "in your face" immorality and rebellion against Christianity.
It's time to shout out the truth.
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This is That . . .
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Jesus is the son of God. He is the living word of God. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except they come thru Him. He came to earth as a man and lived a life without sin. He was crucified on a cross as a substitute for the sins of the world. He died and was buried, but his sacrifice conquered death. He rose again and ascended into heaven and now sits at the right hand of the father where he interceeds for us day and night. His father God is preparing a bride for him even now.
Oh, how He loves you and me.
Sin will come to fullness in the world bringing great tribulation. At the same time, God will pour out his Spirit with great power. There will be a great harvest and revival unlike anything followers of Jesus have ever known; and a great falling away.
Many Jews will die, and many Christians who stand with the Jews will be martyred as well. Every Jew who survives will be saved as they declare, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."
As the Spirit and the Bride say come, Jesus will return to earth again and he will rule and reign from Jerusalem with his bride for a thousand years. He will judge his enemies, and it will not be good for those who have rejected him. Heaven is coming to earth. After the millennium there will be a new heaven and a new earth. God will again dwell among us and talk to us face to face, and we will be with the Lord forever. His Kingdom will never end.
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The previous statement reflects my views completely, even though my views are subject to change as I pray for the gift of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.
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The way is narrow and few there are who find it.
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Joshua 24:15
And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Hope

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This . . .
I was attending Colby Jr. College back in 1972. A friend, Kathy, came bouncing in announcing . . . I like the way that sounds so I think I'll say it again. She came bouncing in announcing, "I've written a book!"
I answered with, "Wow, that's great! What's it about?"
Her response, "I don't know, I haven't read it yet."
She wasn't joking.
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That is how this blog is. I don't know what it's about because I haven't read it yet, but as soon as I do, I'll let you know. No joke.
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That . . .
I don't like halloween.
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This is That . . .
I Thessalonians 5:8 talks about the hope of salvation.
Hebrews 11:1 says faith is the substance of things hoped for.
I Corinthians 13:13 says now abide faith, hope and love.
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There is a line in The Princess Bride that says, "I don't think that word means what you think it means."
I think the word hope might be a word like that.
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The word hope in the above passages has nothing to do with wringing our hands and "hoping" that things will work out.
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A simple definition of faith is,
Confidence in God's promises related to the present.
A simple definition of hope is,
Confidence in God's promises related to the future.
So faith focuses on the present and hope focuses on the future, but they both are certainties.
There are many, many prophetic promises in the Bible that have "certainly" already happened, and there are many others that "certainly" will happen.
As believers, we should exercise great faith
in believing the now promises of God.
And we should also enjoy a great hope
for promises related to the future.
They will certainly come to pass . . . I hope.
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I don't like Halloween.

What A Friend We Have In Jesus

This . . .
I remember taking Elliott to baseball practice the other year when he was about eight. It was around 4:30 in the afternoon and he let me know he was really hungry, so we stopped at Taco Bell for some tacos. As he was eating his third one, he looked over at me and said . . . "This doesn't count as supper does it?".
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That . . .
I saw Cindy, Kenny and Matt Hudgens at Wal-Mart this evening.
Kenny said, "How are you?"
I started to answer fine, but then, decided to say good, only it came out, "fude".
The question is how do you spell food? I mean good is pronounced good, and food is pronounced food, so how do you spell the word good with an f in front pronounced like a word that rhymes with hood only with an f? I don't think you can spell that word, but trust me, you can say it.
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This is That . . .
James 4:4
Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?
I think it might be good to read that again.
Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?
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James chapter six says we used to know this, but we don't anymore.
I am feeling a bit prudish. It is not easy to "not be friends with the world". That TV show is funny and fun to watch, but I somehow think we should not be friends with it.
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That music makes my flesh feel great. I "love" that song, that singer, that group.
I don't think we should be friends with that music.
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That actor or actress has values that make me want to puke, and going to a movie they are in denounces all that I believe, but it's only a movie, right? And so entertaining.
I don't think we should be friends with that actor, that actress or that movie.
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We have rolled our eyes and shook our heads at the idea that stores shouldn't be open on Sunday, that dancing as the world dances is evil, that rock 'n roll is of the devil, that we shouldn't allow Elvis to gyrate his hips on the Ed Sullivan show, that "Woodstock" was immoral and rebellious, not a new freedom of speech full of peace and love. That "Saturday Night Live" is trash.
Maybe the old fogeys were right after all. Maybe I'm turning into an old fogey.
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People say, "Get a life"; "Lighten up"; "Times have changed".
I think times HAVE changed, but God hasn't. My flesh is crying out, but my spirit is not agreeing. This is not an easy thing; the way to destruction IS broad and the way to life IS narrow.
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Call me an old whatever, but I believe we need to re-evaluate who and what we are friends with, repent, and confess . . .
"What a friend we have in Jesus".

Chronos / Kyros / Plero'o"

Notes from a message by Dutch Sheets
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Ecclesiates 3
To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, And a time to die;
A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill, And a time to heal;
A time to break down, And a time to build up;
A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain, And a time to lose;
A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
A time to tear, And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
A time to love, And a time to hate;
A time of war, And a time of peace.
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This . . .
There is an appointed time. Really. There is an appointed time of change, and nothing will ever be the same.
There is an appointed time. A day. A moment when God breaks in.
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That . . .
There is a season for us to plow; a season to plant; a season to water and weed; and a season to reap.
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This is That . . .
What time is it?
Three different words dealing with times and seasons.
Chronos
Chronological time: day to day; hour to hour; moment to moment.
Plowing. Planting. Cultivating. Blood. Sweat. Tears.
Kyros
An appointed time. An opportune time. A kyros time is not necessarily a time when something IS done, but the strategic time when something can and must be done. A kyros moment is a window of opportunity. Kyros is not a time of arrival, but a new season where something is possible. If you "keep on" you will move into the next phase of time . . .
Plero'o
Fullness of time. Jesus came at the "fullness of time". When the day of pentocost was "plero'o" (fully come). The disciples could have fervently prayed for the day of pentecost to come earier, even a day, but it was not going to happen, because the day of pentecost had not yet "fully come".
Plero'o is what we all desire - fullness in joy and provision; Fullness in unity with one another and with God; Experiencing fullness in purpose; Fully loving God and fully recieving his love for us. We have plowed, planted, cultivated and fervently prayed. We have entered into a kyros time of believing and knowing that the window of opportunity is open. That God is up to something. That something big is going on. We can smell the bacon cooking, but we can't quite get a full hold of it to take a bite. Keep pressing, keep praying, do not grow faint. The fullness of time, the fullness of all that God desires, and the fullness of all that we desire in God is coming.
The fullness of God is coming.

Wisdom and Revelation

Ephesians 1:17-18
". . .that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; . . ."
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This . . .
In a work environment if you know how to do something, then when that something needs to be done, the responsibility will be given to you because you know how to do it. The more right stuff you know how to do and the more wrong stuff you know not to do, the more you are expected to do the right stuff and not do the wrong stuff.
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That . . .
Wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God are good things, but when wisdom and revelation come they bring along a heightened level of responsibility. To "not know any better" is a pretty good excuse for falling short. But if you know better, you are wise to do better.
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This is That . . .
I have been seeking wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God's will concerning divorce and remarriage. As I have sought after God's heart on this subject I believe he has given me some answers and those answers are different from what I have always thought and believed. God's thoughts are higher than mine. As stated above, when revelation comes an appropriate response is required. Sometimes I think I would be better off not knowing or understanding some of the things I know and understand concering the ways and will of God. While it may seem good to keep my head in the sand, it for sure is better to pull it out.
Please pray for me as I pray for you and others, that God would give the gift of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.
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John Piper on divorce and remarriage . . .
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/1986/1488_Divorce_and_Remarriage_A_Position_Paper/

I'da seen to it that you'da got to . . .

This . . .
I don't know the story behind this quote, but it's a dandy. I got it from my son Elliott and he thinks he got it from a story that Tarah told. If anyone knows the whole story, I would like to hear it.
"If I'da know'd that you'd a wanted to a went I'da seen to it that you'da got to get to go.".
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That . . .
I have had some second thoughts about yesterday's post. I do believe that it is good to keep the gospel message simple, but then on the other hand I know that Jesus didn't always "speak English" as it were. I have listed a few instances under This is That.
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This is That . . .
John 6:53-56
Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
Makes sense to me.
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John 7:6-8
Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.
I get what he's talking about, but I don't know what he means.
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Matthew 5:22
But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
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I'm gonna go look for one more and then I'm done.
Matthew 7:21-23
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!
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So is calling on the name of the Lord enough? or is doing his will required as well?

Prophetic Untimeliness

This . . .
I have been "reading at" a book called Prophetic Untimeliness by O.S. Guiness. Here is a short summary of what the book is about.
By our uncritical pursuit of relevance we have actually courted irrelevance; by our breathless chase after relevance without a matching commitment to faithfulness, we have become not only unfaithful but irrelevant; by our determined efforts to redefine ourselves in ways that are more compelling to the modern world than are faithful to Christ, we have lost not only our identity but our authority and our relevance. Our crying need is to be faithful as well as relevant.
I am not sure that I know what that means, but I think I understand it.
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That . . .
OS makes statements in this book that I enjoy because they sound totally brilliant, but after reading them three or four times, I am still scratching my head.
Here is another favorite.
If resistance thinking is so important and untimely people are so vital, where do we find the counterperspective that frees us from the distortions of our own situation?
What?
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This is That . . .
When God speaks, what he says is always relevant and timely. It is the spin we put on what he says that sometimes makes what we think he said irrelevant and untimely.
I think we need to think simple and speak English.
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God is good.
God loves me.
God desires that I love him.
When I love him I will be obedient to him.
Sin is bad. Obedience is good.
Read God's word and pray to him about it.
Take care of the needy, give to the poor.
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I could go on and on and so could you.
We know, but we don't always do.

Colgate, Wasp Guts, and Jonah

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This . . .
I remember this old toothpaste commercial. A little boy arrives home with his Dad after a visit to the denist and announces to his mother, "Look, Mom, only two cavities!" The idea being that if you brush with Colgate you could have a great check-up too with only TWO cavities. I have had only two cavities in 55 years and one of those was in a baby tooth. Which reminds me, I am almost due for my five year check-up.
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That . . .
I was printing t-shirts yesterday and suddenly noticed a "lump" between the screen and the shirt. Turns out that just as I lowered the screen, a wasp flew inbetween and then I squeegied him to death in gold ink. I intend to charge more for that shirt because it has wasp guts on it and I figure you should pay more for golden wasp inerds pressed into your shirt.
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This is That . . .
Jonah was a prophet. Here is the message God gave to Jonah to give to the city of Nineveh,
"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me." Jonah 1:2
“Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” Jonah 3:4
Because we know the end of the story, we know that this decree would be reversed if the people of Nineveh would repent.
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Think of God sending forth his judgement via email. He types it up,
"I will destroy Nineveh in forty days." Then he tells a prophet to go tell the people what he has in his outbox. The prophet speaks and the people listen. They respond with fasting and repentance. No water, no food, even for the livestock. God is greatly pleased with this repsonse and goes back to the outbox on his computer. Instead of pushing send, he pushes delete.
". . . and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it." Jonah 3:10
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So here we are, living in the midst of great wickedness all around. And the voice of the Lord is shouting!
Joel 2
1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For the day of the LORD is coming, For it is at hand:
2 A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness,
Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains.
11 . . . For the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; Who can endure it?
12 “ Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “ Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.
14 Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him—
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God has an email all typed up in his outbox, but He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness. He is waiting for his desired response . . .
16 Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes;
Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber,
And the bride from her dressing room.
17 Let the priests, who minister to the LORD,
Weep between the porch and the altar;
Let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD, . . .
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Positioning

This . . .
Here is the deal on our cat Jasper. He stays outside mostly because he is so obnoxious, but when he comes in he wants to be sure you know it. He gets and stays right under your feet, lays down right in your path, meows and makes a rukus by rubbing up against you, and if that doesn't work he will bounce off the wall til you pay attention.
Reminds me of the lady in the Bible who wouldn't be quiet until her neighbor got up to get her something to eat for a late night guest.
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That . . .
I played basketball in high school. Basketball is a game of positioning. If you want to score, you need to be in the right place to receive the ball where you can shoot and hopefully score.
You need to be in the right spot to pass the ball to a team mate so they can score.
You need to stay between an opposing player and their goal in order to play good defense.
You need to block out and get into position if you want to rebound.
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This is That . . .
An important part of our relationship with God has to do with being in the right position to receive whatever he has for us or to give whatever he wants from us. Here are a few thoughts on advantageous positioning with God.
A place of prayer is a good start. Having your eyes, ears and face turned towards God is a good thing. You don't want to have to turn around and say, "What was that, God? I wasn't looking, I wasn't listening, I was somewhere over yonder, hang on, I'll be there in a minute".
A place of sin with your back turned towards God would be the total wrong position. Duh! A place of repentance is a good position.
Fellowshiping with other believers is the right place. Fellowshiping with the world would obviously not be good, so don't do that.
I heard someone say this week, "Don't go anywhere you wouldn't take Jesus with you".
Circle under God's feet. Stay in his way. Pray and rub up against him with worship. God's eyes are searching the earth for wholehearted believers with their faces turned towards him ready to receive wisdom and revelation, ready to be and do all that he desires.
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Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.
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Here I am God. My face is turned towards you. Send me.
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Sounding the Trumpet . . . Again

This . . .
There has been a sweet potato on our counter for a couple of weeks. Yesterday, it turned into a creature from the "vegetable lagoon". Very scary things growing out in every direction. I am thankful it is right next to the knives.
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That . . .
So what is with all the flies? I think I know now why they're called house flies - because they are all in the house. Just how long does a fly live and do they come from sweet potatoes?
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This is That . . . .
Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.
Most believers have a pretty good idea of who God has been, but the question is . . .
Who is He? (What is He doing?) and what about the "is to come" part? (What are His plans?)
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When I first started blogging, I wanted to "Sound The Alarm and Blow The Trumpet In Zion"
Nothing much has changed except we are closer to Jesus' return now than we were then.
I want to get back to it.
Here are five important things that I believe need to be trumpeted.
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1. Great revival is coming. God is going to pour out his power on "The Bride of Christ" as he brings us into unity and perfects us in love. We are on a mission from God and he is going to empower us to be victorious. This will be the churches finest hour.
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2. Great trouble and tribulation are coming as sin in the world comes into fullness. The trouble will come from a variety of sources, but it will all be orchestrated by God. He will use the least possible amount of trouble, to bring the greatest number of people into the deepest level of love without violating anyones free will. This will be really terrible trouble, but also a really great harvest.
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3. Wholeheartedness is required. This is no time to continue in sin. Repent and turn your heart completely towards the Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength. Luke warm is going away and only the hot and cold will remain. Trust me, you want to be hot.
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4. God is good, even when trouble comes, do not be decieved . . . God is GOOD. He is full of love, mercy, and kindness in the great outpouring and in the trouble. When trouble comes, people generally turn away from God, or run to Him. Make a decision now to ALWAYS run to Him for He is good.
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5. Pray. God is raising up a mighty army of worship and intercession. Join the army. Call a sacred assembly. Fast. Pray. Cry out between the porch and the altar. Worship the Lord your God. Seperate yourself from the "things of the world". Don't be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Meditate on God's word and pray over it.
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These five points are all covered in the book of Joel - Only three chapters. Make that nine if you read it three times.

The Words In Red

I have been spending time reading just the red part in my red letter Bible.
I can only conclude, my thoughts are not His thoughts and my ways are not His ways.
I continuely find my self asking, "Jesus, what does that mean?"
Everything He says is so profound, completely right and true, but at the same time so mysterious. Just when I think I am following along pretty well and getting it, he says something that I just don't get at all.
I can only pray out of Ephesians 1, that God would give me the gift of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.
Oh to have the mind of Christ and think what he thinks, say what he says, and pray what he prays.

Tarah's Blog Proclaiming Truth

Be sure to read Tarah's post, "Laying Down My Life".
http://www.proclaimingtruth.blogspot.com/

You Are Always Good

You're faithful. You're faithful. You're faithful.
You're always good.
You're kindness leads me. You're gentleness it moves me.
Yea tho I walk thru the valley of the shadow of death,
I have no doubt you've already gone ahead.
You're my fire by night and you're my cloud by day.
And tho ten thousand may fall to my right and my left
Under the shadow of the most high I find rest
You're my fire by night and my cloud by day.
You're faithful. You never change. You're always good.

Francis Frangipane

Rule In The Midst Of Your Enemies!
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True peace does not come from extreme indifference, nor does it originate from becoming so "spiritual" that you fail to notice the world around you. Peace is the fruit of being confident in God's love; it is born of the revelation that, regardless of the battle, "greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). You are not self-assured, you are God-assured.
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The God Of Peace Will Crush Satan. To wage effective spiritual warfare, we must understand and use spiritual authority. Spiritual authority, however, is not forcing your will upon another person. When you have spiritual authority, you have established God's peace in an area that once was full of conflict and oppression. Therefore, to truly be able to move in authority, we must first have peace.
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The apostle Paul taught, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet" (Rom. 16:20). When we maintain peace during warfare, it is a crushing deathblow to satanic oppression and fear. Our victory never comes from our emotions or our intellect. Our victory comes by refusing to judge by what our eyes see or our ears hear and by trusting that what God has promised will come to pass.
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We will never know Christ's victory in its fullness until we stop reacting humanly to our circumstances. When you truly have authority over something you can look at that thing without worry, fear or intimidation. Your peace is the proof of your victory. Jesus' authority over the violent storm (see Matthew 8:23-27) was the exercise and expansion of His peace over the elements. He did not fight against the storm, nor did He fear it. He faced its fury and subdued it with His authority in perfect peace. In Pilate's court, in a world stirred to an emotional frenzy by the powers of hell, a holy tranquility surrounded Christ---peace that was born out of His resolve to do God's will no matter what the cost. His Spirit emanated a calm that perfectly represented the peace at God's throne. In a matter of moments it was no longer Jesus who was on trial, but Satan, Pilate and the religious establishment in Israel.
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Satan's arsenal consists of such things as fear, worry, doubt and self-pity. Every one of these weapons robs us of peace and leaves us troubled inside. Do you want to discern where the enemy is coming against you? In the network of your relationships, wherever you do not have peace, you have war. Conversely, wherever you have peace, you have victory. When Satan hurls his darts against you, the more peace you have during adversity, the more truly you are walking in Christ's victory.
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Paul tells us to be "in no way alarmed by your opponents---which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you" (Phil. 1:28). Your peace, your immovable stand upon the Word of God is a sign that you are positioned correctly in focused submission to the will of God. The very fact that you are "in no way alarmed" by your adversary is a sign that you have authority over him.
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Peacemakers Are Sons Of God. Peace is spirit power. Peace is an attribute of the Holy Spirit, and when you are walking in peace, you are walking in power. A peacemaker is not merely someone who protests against war; he is one who is inwardly so yielded to Christ in spirit and purpose that he can be called a son of God (see Matthew 5:9). Where he goes, God goes and where God goes, he goes. He is fearless, calm and bold. Peace emanates from him the way light and heat radiate from fire.
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In the battles of life, your peace is actually a weapon. Indeed, your confidence declares that you are not falling for the lies of the devil. You see, the first step toward having spiritual authority over the adversary is having peace in spite of our circumstances. When Jesus confronted the devil, He did not confront Satan with His emotions or in fear. Knowing that the devil was a liar, He simply refused to be influenced by any other voice than God's. His peace overwhelmed Satan. His authority then shattered the lie, which sent demons fleeing.
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Rest Before Rule. In the 23rd Psalm, David declared, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me" (v. 4). There is a place of walking with God where you simply "fear no evil." During his lifetime, David faced many enemies including a lion, a bear and a giant. In this psalm he stood in the "shadow of death" itself, yet he feared no evil. David's trust was in the Lord. He said, "You are with me." Because God is with you, every adversity you face will unfold in victory as you maintain your faith in God. David continued, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies" (v. 5). The battle you are in will soon become a meal to you, an experience that will nourish and build you up spiritually.
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Only God's peace will quell your fleshly reactions in battle. The source of God's peace is God Himself. Indeed, "before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal" (Rev. 4:6). The glass sea is a symbol: there are no ripples, no waves, no anxieties troubling God. The Lord is never worried, never in a hurry nor without an answer. The sea around Him is perfectly still and totally calm. All our victories flow out from being seated here with Him.
God is our Father. The heavenly Jerusalem is our mother, the birthplace of our new nature (see Galatians 4:26). And you, you are a beloved child of God, part of the Father's family and a member of His household (see Ephesians 2:19). You must know by revelation that you are not struggling to get into heaven; rather, you were born there in spiritual rebirth (see John 3:1-8 AMP). Let your heart be settled and positioned correctly in your relationship with the Almighty. .
To those who have been born again from above, He says, "Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet" (Ps. 110:1). Before you go into warfare, recognize that it is not you that the devil is afraid of; it is Christ in you! We have been raised up and seated with Christ in heavenly places (see Ephesians 2:6). This is why the Holy Spirit continues to speak to us that worship of God is our first response in battle. Position yourself in the presence of God. Sit, at rest, in the knowledge that Christ has already made your enemies the footstool for your feet. From a position of rest, the Word of the Lord continues, "The Lord will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, ‘Rule in the midst of Your enemies' " (Ps. 110:2).
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Rest precedes rule. Peace precedes power. Do not seek to rule over the devil until you are submitting to God's rule over you. The focal point of all victory comes from seeking God until you find Him, and having found Him, allowing His presence to fill your spirit with His peace. From full assurance at His right hand, as you rest in His victory, so will you rule in the midst of your enemies.

Ephesians 1;17-23

I have been meditating today on Ephesians 1:17-23
I like the Living Bible Translation . . .
17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

The Call Nashville Report

This . . .
What happened at "The Call Nashville" yesterday, July 7, 2007?
We arranged for part of our group to help take up the offering at the end of the day, so several of us arrived at the stadium at 7:00 a.m. and were given cute little yellow vests to wear. These vests also allowed us stadium entrance before the main gates opened at 8:00. We were virtually the first ones into the stadium. At 7:30 we were in our seats and the sun was just beginning to bare down. Kevin Prosch led the pre-event worship from about 8:00 til the official beginning at 10:00. The next 12 hours was spent in worship and intercession. There was an occasional cloud, but mostly we were in direct sunlight. There were about 70,000 people in attendance. A majority of those fasted on water for the day, most had fasted in some way for forty days. To say the least, it was hot and we were so thankful for sunscreen. We were not allowed to bring water in because of stadium rules, and water was $3 a bottle. There were water fountains available. I say all of that just to say that it was a long hot day, but there was a determination all day to worship extravagantly and to intereceed with much purpose and energy. I encountered no complaining, even though the circumstance warranted it.
Also, there were numerous gatherings around the nation where believers gathered in houses of worship to join "The Call Nashville" thru a live feed from God TV. Anyone with Direct TV could tune in on channel 365 and watch live. This included an outside of the nation feed to over 200 countries. God TV rocks.
So there were thousands praying all over the world. I know my mom tuned in for all 12 hours! Way to go grandma!
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That . . .
I arrived with anticipation of God rending the heavens, and coming to encounter us in powerful ways with signs and wonders, but I soon realized that a solomn assemby is almost all about believers gathering to rend their hearts. True encounter with God makes us realize how big, good and holy God is and how poor, needy and sinful we are. So it is not surprising that a major amount of time was spent in personal repentance and in corporate repentance for the sins of the church and our nation. "Jesus we plead your blood over our sins, and the sins of our nation".
So the schedule for the day was worship, repentance, worship, repentance, worship, repentance, etc, with a little petition sprinkled here and there.
The following is an outline of the day with no comment. I would encourage anyone who was there to please leave a comment of your experience and encounter thru the day as we all prayed together. That would be very helpful to me and also to anyone who was not there that might be trying to get an understanding of all that happened as we spent this day in prayer.
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This is That . . .
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I. The shofars are sounded with a massive outcry of worship and affection to God.
II. Lou Engle opens by reading from Joel 2 - Blow the trumpet - call a solemn assembly.
III. A Native American believer prays for the justice gates to be opened and releases a "Warrior Cry".
IV. Lou . . . "We present ourselves before the Lord. This is not about horizontal, this is about vertical."
V. Different groups present are asked to stand and be presented before the Lord. As each different group is presented, they are asked to stand.
. . . a. The residents of Nashville and the musicians of Nashville.
. . . b. The African American church.
. . . c. Asian Americans
. . . d. Lation Americans
. . . e. Native American Indians
. . . f. Everyone who attends a church in America.
. . . g. Natural born Jews.
. . . h. Senator Sam Brownback repents of sins on behalf of our Nation and asks for forgiveness from different American groups.
. . . . . . 1. American Indians
. . . . . . 2. African American community
. . . . . . 3. For the policy that makes abortion legal
. . . . . . 4. As a nation let us not forget Israel
. . . i. Michael W. Smith reads a letter from President Bush
VI. Pray for our President and govermental leaders.
. . . a. Short prayers from many prayed on the microphone.
. . . b. Repentance for a critical spirit towards our leaders.
. . . c. Small group prayer all over the stadium
. . . d. Mike Bickle leads prayer of repentance for a rebelious spirit.
. . . e. Prayer for outpouring of Spirit on Latinos and all illegal immigrants.
VII. Call to interceed for the Soul of our Nation and tear down the walls of Baal.
VIII. Call to humble ourselves and pray and turn from our wicked ways.
. . . a. We are not here to have a nice day. We are here to do battle.
. . . b. Cry out for mercy and forgiveness.
IX. Rick Pino
. . . a. Let the Lion of Judah roar. Roar out of Zion. Warrior cry.
. . . b. Hosanna. Hosanna in the highest.Holy Holy Holy God, God of power and might.
. . . c. Worship
X. Summer of love 1967
. . . a. Dutch Sheets - Divorce Baal - remarry God.
. . . b. Couple shares their 1967 Summer of Love involvement
. . . . . . 1. Lou leads prayer of repentance for a generation that embraced, free sex, drugs and rejection of morals and rebellion against authority.
XI. Matthew Stark - Call to repent for involvement with pornography.
. . . a. 325,000 US children age 17 or younger are prostitutes or pornagraphic performers.
. . . b. One out of six boys / one out of three girls are sexually molested before they turn 18.
. . . c. Pornographic revenues in the US are greater than that of the NBA, MLB and NFL combined.
. . . d. 51% of pastors say they struggle with pornographic temptation.
. . . e. 53% of men who went to a promisekeeper event confess that they looked at pornography the week before.
. . . f. 54% percent of church leaders regularly view pornography
. . . g. One out of three visitors to pornographic web sites are women.
. . . h. 60% of adults and 50% of born again Christians believe it is ok for men and women to live together.
. . . i. Pornographic movie rentals increase more than any other time when Christian conferences come to town.
. . . j. Nine out of ten kids ages 8 to 16 have viewed pornographic material online either intentionally or accidentally. Parents get the computers out of your kids rooms.
. . . k. It is time to say, "Not in my house! Not in my life! Not in my church! Not in my city! And not in my nation!
. . . l. It stops right here. You don't have to be in bondage to this. There is freedom available from this epidemic problem thru the blood of Jesus!
. . . m. REPENT.
. . . n. Many, many leave their seats and fill the front and aisles to repent and ask forgiveness.
. . . o. There is a wave of confession, repentance all over the stadium.
. . . p. DELIVERANCE.
. . . q. Cindy Jacobs calls for the fear of the Lord to fall on everyone who produces or prophets from the pornographic industry. She calls for this stronghold to bend its knee and bow down before the Lord Jesus.
. . . r. A call is made to make covenant with our eyes not to look upon any vile thing.
. . . s. A call is made for sexual purity.
. . . t. A call is made for holiness.
. . . u. Corey Russell - "Raise your hands to heaven and pray. God I ask you to forgive me. Release the blood of Jesus over my eyes. God cleanse my eyes. Shut my eyes to these things, and open my eyes to heaven! Bring deliverance. Bring deliverance. Bring deliverance my God as I cry out to you now. Open the heavens God and send delverance.
XII. Eddie James worship.
. . . a.We weep between the porch and the altar. Pour out your Spirit on your sons and your daughters. We return to you with fasting and weeping. We return to you. We want to be free from pornography Jesus. We repent to you. We return to you. We cry out to you.
. . . b. Corey Russell - We are doing more than just saying no to pornography. We are saying yes to God. Let us return to God by pursuing the knowledge of God. Let the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus strike our hearts and the hearts of all people in our nation.
. . . c. More prayer for the cleansing of our eyes. Call to make a covenant with our eyes to not look on any vile thing.
XIII. Testimonies of involvement with abortions. Personal repentance and prayer for forgiveness.
. . . a. Those who have had aborntions.
. . . b. Those who have given abortions
. . . c. Those who have encouraged others to have abortions.
. . . d. Those who have paid for abortions
. . . e. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
XIV. Prophetic decrees
. . . a. Can't think of his name? I think it's John somebody - God shall bring restoration to America in response to the prayers of repentance being offered today. For every aborted baby God will raise up a mighty warrior. God will raise up an army like no other. From this day forward I (God) am going to shake every thing that can be shaken. I am going to remove the unrighteous from office and put the righteous in
. . . b. Cindy Jacobs - The Elijah spirit is in this place to fight against the spirit of Baal. Abortion is coming down. A terrorist plot of death will be uncovered and stopped as the Supreme court uncovers the evil of abortion and stops it.
. . . c. We declare that we are the generation of righteousness. We will walk in holiness and purity with our eyes fixed only on Jesus.
. . . d. Awakening. Awakening. Awakening.
. . . e. Dutch Sheets - Seven Decrees
. . . . . . 1. We decree that America's marriage to Baal is terminated and that the fruit of that marriage will now come to an end.
. . . . . . 2. We decree that the stronghold of sexual sin in America is being broken, including sex outside of marriage, homosexuality, incest, adultry and pornography. We decree that in its place will come a revival of purity and holiness.
. . . . . . 3.We decree that the sin of covenant breaking, manifesting thru divorce, generational breeches, disloyalty, ratial strife, lying, disrespect of authority, and broken relationships in general are now broken in America. We decree that in it's place covenant faithfulness will again prevail in America
. . . . . . 4. We decree that witchcraft, idolotry, and the power of false religions are broken off of our land.
. . . . . . 5. We decree that the sins of violence and anger, murder, abortion, rape, incest, self mutilation, cutting and other forms of violence are being broken off of America.
. . . . . . 6. We declare that in this divorce settlement, we receive custody of the children.
We decree that Baal and Molech will not continue to steal, kill and destroy our children, but rather a great awakening is coming to America that will save a generation
. . . . . . 7. And lastly, we decree that America is turning back to God and his son Jesus Christ and that we are renewing covenant with him thru Jesus Christ. We declare that love is stronger than death, that the fire of love for God is stronger than the fire of lust. We decree that America will once again burn with a holy passion for God.
XV. Ricky Scaggs sings about spiritual fathers. Old folks 40 and over give a shout. No more wilderness wandering.
XVI. Karen Wheaton - youth dance to song about prophecying to the dry bones.
. . . a. If you are ready to be a part of this army, shout unto God with a voice of triumph!
Shout and shake this place! (Everyone banged on chairs)
XVII. Misty Edwards
. . . a. My soul longs for you. Nothing else will do.
. . . b. How far will you let me go? How abandoned will you let me be.
. . . c. I'm in love with God, God's in love with me, This is who I am and this is who I'll be and that settles it, completely. (Mike in the background - Jesus we love you!)
XVIII. Mike Bickle
. . . a. Song of Solomon 8:6
. . . b. God will set a seal of His love on our hearts.
. . . c. Misty's piano never did work. It was great anyway.
. . . d. STI leader gave testimony of how God set the seal of love on her heart and she was ruined forever to be a lover of God.
. . . e. We won't relent until you have it all. My heart is yours. Come be the fire inside of me, come and be the flame upon my heart until you and I are one.
. . . f. Lou leads ministry time of soaking in the love of Jesus.
XIX. Lou leads everyone in communion, a covenant ceremony symbolic of the Bride of Christ marrying our Bridegroom.
. . . a.Where you go I'll go, what you say I'll say, and what you pray I'll pray.
XIX. Cindy Jacobs prophecies over Lou Engle.
. . . a. God has given you a William Wilberforce annointing
. . . b. God is giving you strength for this battle to be a reformer.
. . . c. Your voice will be heard before congress.
. . . d. From this day God's fire is coming on you to reform a nation.
. . . e. God is giving you a voice that will be heard in govermental places.
XX. Lou Engle - More weddings are taking place today on 7.07.07 than on any other day in history. Three couples will get married here today as an enactment in the natural of what is going on in the Spirit. This generation is getting ready for the marriage of the Lamb. The bride is making herself ready. You may say this is bazzar. I say why not? Couples are getting married everywhere else today, why not here?
These three couples are going to come forward and their pastors are going to marry them in front. We are going to have to return to a covenant relationship with God as divorce is running ramant thru the church. Begin to pray - Forgive us God. As these get married we are going to sing songs of worship to our God. He is the romancer of our hearts. These weddings are but a shadow of the glory that will be as Jesus marries his bride. Let's worship. Let's dance with the lover of our soul.
. . . a. Chris Dupree - Dance with me, oh lover of my soul. Romance me, oh lover of my soul.
XXI. Lou Engel - We're going to sing over Jerusalm. We are about to sing over Jerusalem.
. . . a. Hosea 2 - I will no longer call you Baal, I will call you husband. This speaks of Israel coming back to the Lord, Jesus Christ.
. . . b. I want to tell you about a dream my friend Chris had. We we're in a hotel, a place where Rachel weeped before her children. In the dream we received a phone call from four Ruths. Ruth Prince the wife of Derek Prince who called for fasting and prayer. Ruth Graham who just died, the wife of Billie Graham. Billie Grahams ministry got blasted open in 1948 the same year that Israel became a nation. And Ruth Heflin who was an annointed worship leader in Israel. And the fourth Ruth who was calling us was Ruth of Ruth and Boaz. Ruth means friend. And Ruth is the gentile people who when Naomi was filled with pain and biterness, she went out of her land and was returning back to Israel, and Ruth clinged to her.
. . . c. I feel the call has been raised up to call forth the gentile youth of the nation to cling to Israel again and to turn their hearts to Israel and to pray that Yashewa would be seen and known in Israel right now.
. . . d. Would you pray with me right now. We pray right now that the youth of this nation would turn their hearts towards Israel. Right now would you begin to be that Ruth that clings to Israel and say I will turn my heart to Israel right now and pray. Begin to declare, I turn my heart.
. . . e. Leonard Jones - America shine again on the streets of Jerusalem.
. . . f. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem for all who bless her will prosper. For Zion's sake I will not keep silent until her righteousnesss shines like the dawn and her salvation springs forth like a blazing torch. You who call upon the Lord, give yourselves no rest . . . God will soveriegnly open the eyes of the Jewish people. 400,000 maybe half a million Jewish people have given their hearts to the Lord in the last 35 years. Let us pray today that Jewish eyes by the hundreds of thousands will be opened.
. . . g. James Goll - Dream of an Angel with a sash that read "Israel Awakening". We pray for an unprecidented awakening of Israel today in Jesus name. We call for blinders to fall off their eyes. And we pray for all the decendants of Abraham. We pray for the greatest awakening that the Jewish people have ever had, let it come, let it be.
I want to pray that our Nation would be in proper alignment with Israel. We bless our leaders and we would call forth your divine wisdom and understanding that would go beyond humanism. We call for Biblical revelation to be imparted to heads of state. God, let this nation align with your end time purposes for the apple of your eye.
XXII. Lindell Cooley - Worship
XXIII. Prayer for Nashville, and all represented cities.
. . . a. Michael W. Smith - How Great Is Our God. Worship.
. . . b. Lou - pray for a nation wide outpouring of the Holy Spirit
. . . c. Pray for your city. Pray for your state. Bring an awakening. Pray for revival. Go ahead now, let's rumble together.
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For whatever reason, my God TV recording ended here. The three areas remaining that I remember are: Prayer for ending of abortion. The Sons of Thunder http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~revival/thunder.html and http://www.harvestsound.com/ And the sounding of 300 shofars and major shouts of warfare and victory. The 300 represented the number in Gideon's Army.

Day 39

Off to Nashville tomorrow!
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This . . .
There have been many prophecies swirling around "The Call Nashville". I have mentioned several of them in this blog over the last 40 days, so I don't guess I'll mention any of them again here. These are almost all (maybe all) very positive words and I am praying that they will be fulfilled. They could be summed up like this . . .
God is going to pour out His spirit in new and powerful ways for the purpose of empowring his people to do all that is in His heart to do.
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That . . .
What is the proper response to a prophecy like that?
Let me suggest a not very good response, "Well I guess we will just have to wait and see."
That is a bit like saying, "I guess God could do that, but I don't know if he will, so let's just wait and see."
Consider Elijah.
After a long drought, Elijah propheies in I Kings 18 . . .
“Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” In other words, "It's going to rain".
Elijah's response could have been, "Well I guess we will just have to wait and see", but that was not Elijah's response.
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This is That . . .
And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, 43 and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.”
So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”
44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’”
45 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain.
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That is the correct response . . . PRAY! And that is what "The Call Nashville" is all about. Praying in all that has been already proclaimed in the "Word of God".
The word is, "The rain is coming".
Just like Elijah, let's pray it in.
And then, just like Elijah, let's take off and out run that chariot!

The Great Grass Transplant

Day 38 . . . two days to go.
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This . . .
This morning I didn't know anything about shucking corn. But now, at the end of the day, I know all about shucking corn, boiling corn, cutting corn and freezing corn.
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That . . .
We have a small area in our yard that has been grassless for as long as I can remember. This year, I have worked hard to try and get grass to grow there.
I tilled it all up, brought in fertile soil, and have seeded it three different times over the past few months. Some grass has grown, but despite all the babying, it hasn't flourished.
Today while mowing I decided to take time out and clean out around the railroad ties in the parking area at the bottom of our drive. There was grass growing all around them, even some grass had grown up thru one of the railroad ties and was coming out the top. There is also grass growing up thru various cracks in the driveway and all along (and in) a brick sidewalk in front of the house. I have sprayed all of these areas in years past with roundup or other weed and grass killers and I was thinking I would do that again today. It works for a while, but not for long.
There is one more area of interest and that is the area where I park my car. I park at the top of the driveway and beyond on the grass so that my Mom has room to back her car out if she needs to go somewhere. There is some very fine, tough grass that grows in this area. It reminds me of the grass on a golf course green. Mom suggested that I start parking my car over on the struggling area so that it would grow.
So I was thinking, why does all this grass grow in the tough spots in the midst of all the discouragement, but it doesn't grow (very well) in the place I encourage it to grow. Try to follow me here, I'll not be much longer.
I decided that instead of killing the unwanted grass, that I would transplant this tough, grow no matter what grass into the hard to grow area.
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This is That . . .
The strongest believers in the body of Christ are the ones who have grown in the midst of persecution and discouragement. The ones who have grown up thru the cracks in the midst of all sorts of "grass killers". The ones who have had large obsticles of discouragement placed on top of them. Over a period of time, these believers have become some "tough grass". These believers are everywhere. They are the ones who thru it all, are still standing strong, still praying, still wholeheartedly pressing in to the heart of God, still saying "yes", and still saying, "Jesus, I am yours".
So what now?
I believe a major "grass transplant" is on the horizon. As these seed bearers begin to transplant {in the lives of others} all the seed that they have received over long periods of enduring, a huge harvest will spring forth and multitudes will ride the wave of those who have gone before. The ones who come in at the end of the day, will get the same pay as those who started work early. I believe this will happen quickly as God orchestrates a great end-time harvest.
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Tomorrow, I want to get back to Lou Engle and all the words that have been given concerning "The Call Nashville". What should our response be to all these prophetic words? . . . tomorrow.

Lou Engle Interview about The Call Nashville

This . . .
Day 37, three days to go.
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That . . .
I saw an interview with Che' Ahn and Lou Engle on God TV last night. It is an interview that took place when Lou Engle was first announcing "The Call Nashville". It's got alot of good and encouraging stuff in it that I wanted to share, so I have transcribed the majority of it below. I didn't realize how many broken sentences people make when they talk instead of write. But this is good. Get a cup of coffee (or water, juice, whatever) and soak some of this stuff up.
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This is That . . .
Che' Ahn
I am so excited, because the journey continues. There is a major announcement you need to make, so I want you to share about "The Call Nashville 07-07-07". So, why Nashville and why that date.
Lou Engle
For those who haven't heard, we launched a thing called "The Call" where literally 400,000 gathered together in Washington DC in the year 2000 to fast and pray for our nation and the elections, and I believe that that call changed history. All over this country and the world, I run into people who say they were marked that day. I believe there was literally a marking of a generation for a passion for Christ that occured on that day.
We did seven "calls", the final one was in Dallas and then James Goll gave us a prophetic word and the word was this, he said the call was going to die for three years, but then it would be resurrected. I had been prophecying even back in 2001 that we would do a call in Nashville. But it never happened. It just all died and so we laid it down. Then the Lord began to stir this vision I had been prophesying in 2001 that there was going to come a prophetic movement and a call to go to Nashville to pray. There was a prophesy released called the sons of thunder by a man named James Reil. And that prophecy and that dream that he had was that there was going to be a new breed of musicians released into the earth and they would not be those who were looking for a position or a label. They were those who were playing their guitars behind the curtain because they wanted to influence God more than man. And the curtains would be opened, and they would find themselves releasing an annointing stronger than the Beatles mania of the 60's, and it would reap the greatest harvest in the history of America.
Che' Ahn
And this would come out of Nashville, the music capital of the world.
Lou
Yes, Nashville is where the sounds come from, and so we have been prophecying that something is coming out of Nashville. But I just want to say this. It is not enough tojust have a prophecy. Prophecy must be prayed from heaven to earth. It not just automatic. Someones has to envoke that dream into the earth realm and I just had a vision that thousands and thousands would gather together to cry out for the sound of the musicians that would reap that harvest, and I feel like we are in that moment.
So, we began to come up to three years, and we began to ask, God are you doing this? I began to talk to some friends, and we began to look at stadiums and the Nashville stadium was open on 070707.
Che' Ahn
So talk about the Bob Jones prophecy.
Lou
Yes, Bob Jones had given a prophecy way before the Houston Oilers had moved to Nashville to become the Titans. He prophecied that the Houston Oilers would move to Nashville, and Nashville would build God a stadium that would be the staging ground for 100,000 young people coming together for a great youth army of prayer and worship.
Che' Ahn
Hallelujah! Wow. And that was in 1993.
Lou
Yes, that was in 1993 and he said this thing would be called the shot that was heard around the world.
So we are pondering all these things, and a woman, Sharon Stone from England stands up and points her finger at me and says, seven seven 0 seven, the day that the scepter is being lowered to you . . .
Che' Ahn
Now she knows nothing about all of this.
Lou
That's right, she knows nothing and she says to me, 7 7 07, the day that the scepter is being lowered to you for the mobilizaion of a great youth army of prayer. And I'm stunned by it! You know, James Goll and I are just kind of buzzing . . . How many of you know that we need the endorsement of God. It's not enough to blow a trumpet because we think it's a good idea. I've got to know that God is summoning the nation and as it was in 1997, a woman came to me and said have you ever thought about putting kids on the mall in DC like Promise Keepers did the fathers? And I said m'am I prophesied it a year and a half ago, and she said I'm going to pay your salary this year, the Lord spoke to me to pay your salary I want to give you $100,000 to start it. That was eight years ago and that launched the first call.
So right after this word from Sharon Stone, a lady is on the phone, I met her one time, and she calls me up and says, what are you doing? So I told her about the call. She says, I have written you a check for $100,000, I have it in my hand. And I thought oh my God, we have come full circle and were starting again another wave, because I believe America is in a crisis. I believe it is a time again for Joel 2. When there is no hope for a Nation, blow the trumpet in Zion, call a fast, gather the young, gather the old, cry out and God will answer. I believe we are in a great surge, a prophetic moment in the history of America for fasting and prayer.
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This is pretty long, and this is a good spot for a pause, so Selah.
I will continue tomorrow.

Day 36 - Brownback For President

http://www.brownback.com/s/

I'm In!

Day 35 . . . Five Days To Go
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This . . .
"Hey, this is great. Really. This is exactly what I've been looking for.
It looks great. It sounds great. It feels great. For sure, I want this.
I have just one question, How much does it cost?"
"Well, I am glad that you have decided that I am really who you want, but there is a cost."
"That's OK God, I'll pay anything, just tell me how much."
"Let me give it to you straight. It will cost you everything."
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That . . .
"Wow, everything? That's a lot. Tell me that part about what I get again."
"All that I have is yours."
"N0, I mean seriously.
"I am serious."
You're joking, right?"
"Don't make me come down there."
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This is That . . .
"So you want me to give you everything and you want to give me all that you have in return? I mean when you put it that way it seems rather lopsided. After all, you created the heavens and the earth. You placed the stars in the sky. You figured out butterflies and hippos and didn't even break a sweat. You are THE God of the universe. You are the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You are loving and kind, full of mercy and all powerful.
You are holy and perfect in all your ways.
All the silver and gold is yours, and all you want from me is all that I have?"
"That's right, I want you."
"I'm in."
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Duhh!

Day 32 . . . Eight Days To Go!

This . . .
I believe the rain is coming.
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That . . .
Some days it doesnt rain.
A dry and barren land.
Some days it sprinkles.
Ankle Deep
Some days it rains.
Waist Deep
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This is That . . .
Some days it pours.
SWIM!

The Call Nashville

Great Prayer Meeting

Day 28 . . . 12 days to go.
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Here is what I believe about a person who is lost.
It is like they are standing in the middle of the highway with a semi-truck fast approaching. They do not choose to exercise their free will and get out of the way because they are blinded to the truth and can't see the semi coming.
We can't force them to receive Jesus, but we can pray that God will remove the blinders, and then in a moment of clarity they will be able to see the approaching danger and will make the obvious correct choice. No one will remain on that highway if they can see the semi-truck coming with Jesus beckoning them to come to Him.
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This . . .
I attended a prayer meeting this afternoon with Jan, Alphie, John and Valerie. Somewhere in there, I prayed that if there was anyone present at the evening service who didn't know Jesus, that God would take down the blinders and send a moment of clarity so that the person would be able to see their sin, realize their need of a Saviour, and understand that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.
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That . . .
During the evening meeting, Doug Sherman shared that his father, an 86 year old Jewish man, was ill and in great danger because he didn't know Jesus.
As I continued in worship, I visualized that I was holding Doug's dad in my hand, and was lifting him up to the Lord in prayer.
Then I heard the voice of the enemy say, "He is lost."
In response, I heard another voice scream out, "No!"
And then another intercessor screamed out, "No!" And then another.
I determined that it was time to go to battle for the soul of this elderly Jewish man.
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This is That . . .
Let this be my testimony of what happened as a small group of people gathered to pray on Sunday evening, June 24, 2007.
As we waited on the Lord, He heard our cries and answered.
The sea was parted and the waters of the river Jordan rolled back.
The trumpet was sounded, and an elderly Jewish man received Jesus as his saviour when the walls of his unbelief crumbled to the ground.
I could see the Calvary (The Lord's Army) come up over a hill on the horizon riding on horses in great numbers. They sounded a trumpet of victory and came and saved the day.
The guy got the girl, and they rode off together into the sunset.
It was a happy ending.
The next morning, as the sun came up, a great mountain had moved from one side of the valley to the other. It was a new day, and nothing would ever be the same.
I prophecy that this will be my testimony of what happened as a small group of people gathered to pray on the evening of Sunday, June 24, 2007.
As we interceed, let faith arise and salvation spring forth in the name of Jesus,
AMEN.
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If this all seems a bit strange, I would agree.
It seems that way to me too!
Never the less, that's my testimony, and I'm stickin' to it!
As Lily Tomlin used to say . . . "And that's the truth! . . . thblthsbt!"

Tell Me The Stories Of Jesus

Day 27 - Thirteen Days to Go
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This . . .
Fish lost.
Love of the Father.
Pelican heroism.
Fish amnesia.
Crab torture.
One Fish found.
Many Fish caught.
Fish unity.
Keep swimming.
Many Fish free.
One Fish dead. (Not Really)
I love you Dad. I love you too Son.
Fish hugs and fin holding.
The End.
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I love you Elijah. If we were fish I would hug you and hold your fin.
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That . . .
Tell me the stories of Jesus.
I keep forgetting.
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This is That . . .
There are times when I am full of faith, and times when I am full of something else.
My faith is strengthened when I share the word of the Lord with fellow believers. There is something about two or three gathered together and believing and encouraging one another that is very powerful.
Romans 10
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
That is why we need to keep telling and hearing the stories of Jesus over and over again.
Romans 12
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Being "conformed" would be believing what the world says.
Being "transformed" would be believing what God's word says.
As we continually hear what God says, we begin to say and believe what God says.
When we say and believe what God says, our minds are renewed.
So tell me about Jesus, the "Word of God".
And let me tell you about Jesus.
And then let us believe and agree together and let faith arise.
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"Finding Nemo"
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Day 26

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This . . .
Every once in a while I hear someone say something about heroes.
Let me tell you about my heroes . . . to me they are those who are radical believers in Jesus. The ones who know they are nothing without Christ. The ones who embrace prayer as a strong thing. The ones who know their great need of God; those who mourn over their sin and the sins of others; those who hunger to be righteous; those who desire to see every wrong thing made right and every broken thing made whole through the power of a loving God; those who understand that last is first; that the greatest among us are the servants; those who know how wretched they are, but desire to have clean hands and pure hearts; those who weep between the porch and the altar, crying out for mercy; those who embrace weakness and cry out to a powerful and loving God.
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That . . .
I love the body of Christ.
The ones who love Jesus, and the ones that He loves.
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This is That . . .

Matthew 5
1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “ Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you
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These are my heroes . . . and sheroes.
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It's Halftime

Day 20
Joel 2
“ Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.
14 Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him— A grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God?
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly;
16 Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room.
17 Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, Where is their God?’”
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This . . .
Today ends the first half of this forty day season of fasting and prayer. Three weeks from today marks "The Call" in Nashville where 100,000 are expected to gather together at the football stadium where the Titan's play. It is called LP Field and seats approximately 68,798. Add to that the space on the field and it still comes up short of seating 100,000. Never the less, I believe that there will be more than 100,000 who attend, filling the stadium inside and out.
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That . . .
I have always wished that I had been at the Woodstock festival back in 1969. Even though I wasn't there, I embraced the "spirit of Woodstock" as a young 20 year old during the 70's.
It seemed harmless. It seemed good. It seemed right.
It wasn't.
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Now I want to make a much wiser choice of embracing God in this season and being present at "The Call".
It seems to be God's heart. It seems good. It seems right.
It is.

This is That . . .
It's halftime. Time to re-group. Time to make adjustments and change whatever strategies need to be changed and make plans to finish strong. I am ready to sign up again to press in and pray. To turn to God with all of my heart with weeping, fasting and mourning. To rend my heart, to weep between the porch and the altar.
To blow the trumpet in Zion and say,
“Spare Your people, O LORD."
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Joel 2
32 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.
For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the LORD has said,
Among the remnant whom the LORD calls.

There Is Something Bigger Going On

Day 18
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This . . .
I know that there are some people who know me just barely, or a little bit, or pretty well, or even really well who may think I am not altogether "normal" in my views of who Jesus is, and what I believe about Him and the season we are in. There has been something deep in my spirit for a few years now that I have found hard to express to others and even to God. I am usually sorely dissapointed when I try. It is like God is encouraging me with, "Get Ready", but at the same time is saying, "Not Yet".
I believe the body of Christ is pregnant, that a birthing of something "new" is coming, and I am becoming aware that there are "many" all over this nation and world who sense the same thing. I am not alone. There is "something bigger going on, something bigger than me".
It is something Holy.
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That . . .
And so, I find myself in a company of people who are in a season of fasting and prayer for forty days, believing that as we rend our hearts, God will rend the heavens and come down and encounter us in new and powerful ways that we have not known before.
.
This is That . . .
I listened to a message by Francis Frangipane today. He expresses exactly how I feel. The paradigm that he describes of going hard after God and seeking His face is exactly the place I find myself in. If you are interested in knowing what makes me tick, this is it.
Rather than write down "everything" he says, I thought it would be better to just encourage you to listen.
Don't just pass this by. Take time to settle down for a moment and listen.
I can't figure out how to provide a direct link, so you will have to just copy and paste the link below.
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http://arrowbookstore.frangipane.org/Downloads/seek_my_face.mp3
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Encouragement

Day 15
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This . . .
I left my laptop in Little Rock on Sunday and so I am experiencing life without a lap. Please pray for me as I endure this great difficulty.

That . . .
I am really blessed and impacted by the words of this worship song.

Where you go, I go.
What you say, I say.
What you pray, I pray.
What you pray, I pray.

Jesus only did what He saw you do.
He would only say what He heard you speak.
He would only move when He felt you lead.
Following your heart following your Spirit.

How could I expect to walk without you.
When every move that Jesus made was in surrender.
I will not begin to live without you.
For you alone are worthy and you are always good.

God, I long to hear your voice like Jesus did. Teach me to hear your voice. Speak to me like you did to Jesus. And
Jesus . . . I want to be like you. Make me like you.

This is That . . .
From "David Sliker's" blog today.

40 days is a long time.

I, for one, am finding myself in dire need to refocus and set myself again for the next phase of our 40-day fast and not lose momentum. Initial zeal and passion that ignites the heart at the beginning phases of a corporate fast can quickly fade in the midst of something like this. It’s so easy for me to disconnect from the reasons that I said “yes” to this fast in the first place and lose my way a little related to time, energy, and prayer. How tragic to endure a 40-day fast and find that I prayed less not more?

It’s a fight in our weakness to say “yes” to God - not one time, but minute by minute, choice by choice, step by step. I feel like the offer of a lifetime has been extended to me - to participate in a historic fast that in many ways is a continuation of a true historic fast - and yet my mind and my heart are prone to wander. And so it is that I present myself to the Lord again today, asking for fresh grace and power to lay hold of a resolve that is beyond me. I want a resolve that is God-birthed and ignited. I want a fresh zeal to arise within me to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

I do not simply want to lay hold of an expression of Christianity - even a “better” one. I want to lay hold of Jesus. And so I press on.

How are you doing today? Let’s go again, together, into the fresh pursuit of His heart and His high calling for our lives.

David