Beautiful Mercy - by Laura Hackett

There is no pit too deep that Jesus cannot reach

There is no sorrow so strong that would overtake His beloved one

Chorus:

And He’s brought me to the wilderness where I will learn to sing

And He lets me know my barrenness so I will learn to lean

Bridge:

Beautiful Mercy, do what You have to do

Jealous Lover, do what You have to do

Tag:

So I will sing; yes, I will sing

I will sing, even in this brokenness

I will sing, even in this loneliness

When You Called My Name...

[So often we come before God's presence, so un-awaken and un-aware of His deep love and longing for us. We get caught up with the "do-ing" and lost sight of the "be-ing". Thanks be to God! He watches over us and reminds us of who we are, and calls us - the people of One Thing. More than that, the touch and presence of the God who calls us overwhelm us - re-aligning us to what is in His heart and strengthening our resolve to run the race set before us...

It is not about which ministry or church we are in... it's about God's people of One Thing - Psalm 27:4, Luke 10:38-42, Phil 3:7-14 - people who have this DNA and living it out in faith and obedience, wherever they are, whatever God has called them to do...]

This is who I am

This is the reason I live

The reason I breathe

How can I forget?

How can I run away?

You are always watching over me

There is a stirring in my heart

There is a fire burning

My heart awakens... when You called my name

What is this striving, O my soul?

What is this unrest within me?

When all You want is my heart, my love

I am alive! No longer living-dead

I am captivated! No longer going through motion

Stir up a passion for Your Name, I pray

You came and gently touched my heart

You spoke and called my name

Awakening zeal, passion, fire in my heart

Once again I turn to You

Once again I say I am Yours

Falling in love with my Beloved, my Bridegroom King, all over again

When You called my name

When You drew near

Nothing else matters

Everything fades away

Everything pales in comparison

This is who I am... when You call my name

You breathed, and the world came into being

You spoke, and my spirit stirred within me

I will arise, and run with You

Draw me away

Draw me close by Your side

We will remember Your love more than wine...

Among those whom God hears and answers

[There must be something about Noah, Daniel, Job, Moses, Aaron and Samuel... something that they did (and lived) right... that in God's fury, He would relent, that when they spoke, God answered them and showed them wonderful things from His heart...]


Ezk 14:12, 19
The word of the LORD came again to me, saying: "Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness," says the Lord GOD.

"Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My fury on it in blood, and cut off from it man and beast, even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness."

Psalm 99:6
Moses and Aaron were among His priests,
And Samuel was among those who called upon His name;
They called upon the LORD, and He answered them.
He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar;
They kept His testimonies and the ordinances He gave them.
You answered them, O LORD our God...

No Lack

[The Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not want (or I shall have no lack)... what does this mean? The key is when the Lord is the Lord of our lives, we shall have no lack... sounds simple yet profound..]

Word of the Lord on 7-11-2009:

I am Your Good Shepherd
I am Your Great Leader
Do not fear
For I am with you
I'll not leave you nor forsake you

Trust in Me
I'll lead you in the way of everlasting
And in me you will have no lack
And in me surely goodness and mercy
Will follow you all the days of your life

I will kiss your heart
And cause you to experience My great love
And I'll pour out My grace on you
To empower you
For My grace is sufficient


When circumstances in our lives spell a 'lack' - be it a unfufilled dream, a lost child, a sickness or a hope deferred... we press in to God, for He is more than able, and He is our Shepherd. We approach Him in confidence because He is a God we sees us and knows us, even before a word is on our lips, He knows it...

When we lay hold of God, we'll find that.... we have no lack... cos we have Him. We have Him leading us, we have Him watching over us, we have Him with us in our journey... yes, truly, we have no lack, when we put the Lord, the Lord of all!

Up!

[A few weeks ago, I asked my nephew and nieces what they liked best in the movie Up! and they unanimously said they liked the talking dog! hmm... I'm not so much an animal lover, so that's not the part I liked best. The ahh! moment for me was when the old man had to offload all that stuff in his house, so as to get higher. Yes, all that stuff - even those that meant lots to him. Lots lots lots... how was that possible? Definitely not for the faint-hearted...]


The only way is Up!
But.. but... why do I seem to be going down?

Moment of reckoning
Moment of decision

Throw throw throw
Treasured, cherished, part of me!

Turned out to be no sweat
For I discovered that there is only onething I'm after

Hey, remember?
Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham... and the list goes on in Hebrews 11

Gulps...
They did not even receive the very promise that was due them in their lifetime!

But they were assured of onething
And they will not be disappointed

Selah
[means pause... to savour the meaning behind the previous two statements]

What's this I'm feeling
What's this I'm seeing

I'm going Up!
Take me higher! Draw me nearer! Closer to Your heart I pray...

I'm singing
I'm rejoicing

If I try and save my life I will lose it
But if I lose my life for Your sake, I'll find it in the end...

Life is found in the letting go
Joy is found in the tearing of the heart


"THEREFORE,
we also,
since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight,
and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us run with endurance
the race that is SET before us,
looking unto JESUS,
the author and finisher of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross,
despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
~ Hebrews 12:1-2

Acidified!

The 3 acid tests for those in any ministry... especially worship & prayer ministry... from Zechariah 7:1-7

1. Did you really fast (serve, lead, go to church etc) for Me - for Me?

2. Do you have 2 different lifestyles? One in the temple/church, one outside the temple/church.

3. You sure you are ready?

Thoughts on the Book of Isaiah

A Problematic Nation before a Persistent God

The nation of Judah sinned. They "lost their senses" and have forsaken the Lord who has brought them up and nourished them. Their rebellion and wickedness were evident to all the earth – worse than the animals that know their master and home, the nation knew not their Master and turned from the One who cared for them. Yet the Lord calls them children (Isa 1:2). He calls them Israel, My people (Isa 1:3).

“But Israel does not know,
My people do not consider.”

God looks upon the sinful nation that has turned away from the Him - it is sick, faint with open wounds and bruises, desolate and overthrown by strangers. What's left of it is liken to a "booth in a vineyard", a "hut in a garden of cucumbers" and a "besieged city" (Isa 1:8).

Before this very pathetic and desolate sight, Isaiah proclaimed (Isa 1:9):

"Unless the LORD of hosts
Had left to us a very small remnant,
We would have become like Sodom,
We would have been made like Gomorrah.”

There will be a remnant! The Lord Himself will provide. He will not utterly destroy the rebellious nation although that is what they deserve. The merciful God is true to His covenant people. But how will He restore them from the dismal state that they are in? Through His remnant people that is pale in comparison before their countless enemies? Let us read on, feeling the heart of God in drawing them back to Him, grasping the ways of the God of justice and love…

A God Who Reasons and Stoops …

Hear! Give ear! You rulers… you people! God appeals to them to come clean and get right with Him first, then offer sacrifices to Him (Isa 1:18). Can you fathom the sight of a God who stooped to just do that when all the rebellious people deserved were nothing but judgment?

“ Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the LORD… "

For offering sacrifices to God, going through the rituals and making prayers while their heart is far away from God, only serves to provoke God to anger even more. Return O Judah! God promises that all He needs is their willingness and obedience and He will cleanse them of their sin and prosper them. But if they refuse and rebel, they shall fall by the sword… (Isa 1:19-20)

If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;
But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword”;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

When God says “I will”

The faithful city has fallen and become a harlot. Yet God, the Lord of host, the mighty One of Israel, is in control and three times He said “I will” – get rid of their adversaries, purge away sin from His people and restore their land to righteousness. Zion shall be redeemed and no one can quench the fury of God’s fire. Nothing, not even their rebellious and wanton hearts, can thwart God’s destiny for them… (Isa 1:24-26)

“ Ah, I will rid Myself of My adversaries,
And take vengeance on My enemies.
I will turn My hand against you,
And thoroughly purge away your dross,
And take away all your alloy.
I will restore your judges as at the first,
And your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.”

So chill…God is in control. What situations and men fail to accomplish in righteousness, God already knows. He speaks through His prophets to woo His people back to Himself. We can put our faith in Him and trust Him. And we can put our hope in what He has in store for us since the beginning of time that He alone shall complete in us. We only need to be willing and obedient and see the loving God move in our lives and be in step with Him.


Prayer

“God, grant us willing and obedient hearts to follow you all the days of our life. Grant us understanding of your heart for us both now and in the days to come, that like what the Psalmist says in Psalm 90:12

“So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

You are once again coming back again to shake the things that can be shaken, purging your people and land from unrighteousness. You alone will restore all things and bring about the very promises You have for us, for You are a faithful God, the Lord of Host.

Lead us O Lord, in Your ways. We acknowledge you and ask for wisdom to not only know Your ways, but also to see Your face. We want to know and feel the heart of the One who stoops to us so that we may be confident to rise again, putting away the shame of our sin. Jesus bore it all for us. When we stumble and fall, we hold on to Your mighty hand and Your undying love for us. Take us higher, take us deeper in You we pray. From strength to strength we will grow, in the light of Your mercy and grace.

We pray too that Your very plan and purposes for the chosen nation, Israel, will come to pass in Your time and might. Even now, let her understand Your heart for her that she may return to You, offering righteous sacrifices that would bring You pleasure. Strengthen, O mighty One of Israel, the ones who stay faithful to You in the midst of persecution. Let them encounter Your right hand leading them through moments of peril. Comfort their hearts O Lord, for You are their Shepherd and they are the sheep of your pen, Your beloved people and nation, destined for Your glory.

In Jesus’ mighty name we pray, Amen.

You Say...

[Songs 4:1-6 - A picture of the one God sees and cherishes... a picture of the cherished heart of our Bridegroom God - Who sees our budding virtues and calls them forth before each of them reach their fullest expression... For He nourishes and cherishes His church, His bride (Eph 5:29) that she may live to the fullest of Her destiny - as a matured Bride of Christ, in full partnership with Him]

(You say) I am fair
I am Your love
You see my heart, filled with emotions for God
No matter how weak this love is

(You say) I am dedicated to You
Committed to You wholeheartedly
Fully Yours... I seek to surrender
All of my heart, my mind, my soul, my strength

(You say) I am skilful in understanding Your word
Rooted in your truth and zealous... passionate
For Your word sustains me and is fruitful within me
Bringing life, bringing light

(You say) The words of my mouth are lovely
Bringing You delight
Speaking aptly in all seasons
Reviving the soul

(You say) I am the one who knows You intimately
For Israel knows Your deeds and Moses knows Your ways
I am one who knows Your ways, Your heart
What You are thinking, what You are feeling

(You say) I am the One who is rich in emotions
For deep calls to deep
Sensitive to the heart of God
Tender-hearted, a precious possession to God

(You say) I am a woman of faith
Strong-willed, steadfast and immovable in the Lord
Tested by fire
Refined pure as gold, made ready for You

(You say) I am fruitful
Bearing fruit in my life, in my ministry
A burning and shining lamp
Calling forth many to love You and make themselves ready

Before You I stand
Amazed by Your love
Astounded by the cherished heart of my Bridegroom God
Pressing in, breaking through

Until the day breaks
And the shadow flees away
I will embrace the cross, whatever the seasons of my life may bring...
And I will offer incense of prayer

In Your House I dwell
Upon Your Promises I stand
In Your Love I revel
I am Yours, I am Yours...

Near or Far

[Many times, we say yes to God. But when God shows up - on His terms not ours, in His ways not our ways, we fizzle out and turn away. Before we feel conflicted within, know that He is our God of love, know that He sees your heart, and He sees you with eyes of love...]

Did I hear you say we are close?
But as I drew nearer
You wanted space
You almost pushed me away

So I watch you from a distance
From time to time
You open your heart
And beckon me to come

Because I love you
I came
Because this is Who I am
I drew near

Not because of what you have done
Or have not done
Or what you are going to do
Or what you are not going to do

But because I am a God of love
And because I see your heart
My love, my fair one
Come away...

When time stood still

[A time of comtemplation... consolidating months of thoughts and word from the Lord - both directly and also through others... A dedication of my heart to the One Who has captured my heart and my all in all..]


Everything around me hushes...
Only one pre-occupation on my mind
Only One captured my gaze

The grass withers and the flowers fall
But the word of the Lord
Stands firm forever

I do... I do love You
And go on loving You
Is what I want to do

In Your presence
It is as if time stood still
Be still and know that I am God...

As I turn my gaze
My heart stays resolute
More of You, less of me (I pray)

Till the day breaks
And the shadows flee away...
I will wait upon You, O my Strength, my Hope...

~ 19 July 2009


Scripture References:
Psalm 27:4
Isaiah 40:7
Matthew 22:37
Psalm 46:10
Songs 4:6

A Heart Response

[Day One... and so I dedicate my heart response to Him...]

"... being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." ~ Phil 1:6

God, You're not done with us yet.

Not a chance. *grins* Never been so happy to know that... surprisingly...

Surprising... coz it's not about not being good enough or having failed. But it's about God being the One who is at work in our lives, and you bet He's going to do His part 100% to complete the work He has begun in each of us...

We will make you ornaments of gold
With studs of silver. ~ Songs 1:11

God (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is commited to my success - our lives, our ministries... Hands down... (aka win already =)

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them. ~ Psalm 139:16

Your eyes are still on us, the one that You have planted. And You have a destiny for us. You've written all about us, on the tablet of Your heart. You think about us...

God, You are at our head, and You are beckoning us to rise up and come away...

But we are still immature and weak. And so You spoke to our hearts - to go back to the basics (deeper yet), to take heed what we hear and how we hear, and yes, You who are at our Head, You will lead us in triumphant procession! (2Cor 2:14)

There is more... when human touches divine, we need strength in our inner man - to receive and to encounter and to be transformed into His likeness. Father! According to the riches of Your glory, strengthen us! (Eph 3:16-19) We want more! It is ours to lay hold of! Give it to us!

Poor in the spirit we come... a realization of our deep poverty - that we have settled for less when we could have more. Turning to the One who alone can satisfy, we press in... till the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force (Matt 11:12). It is our inheritance and portion - to know You deeper, what is in Your will, and our destiny in You...

And so we press in... with eyes of confidence, affection and lovesickness, on You, the One at our Head, seeking for a breaking in and breaking through of God in our lives. (Micah 2:13)

Contend O Bride of Christ! That you may count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus your Lord... and count them as rubbish, that you may gain Christ...

We will remember Your love, that is better than wine, better than life... We will remember that it is in Your heart to build the House of Prayer here in Singapore. What an honor! You have chosen us to lay the foundation in this time, to be that flickering flame that You will sustain, to be the voice in the wilderness, preparing the way. Most of all, we have uncovered a treasure in the midst of it all... that You O God, are our shield and exceedingly great reward... (Gen 15:1) You O Lord, are our portion and our inheritance... (Num 18:20)

God is shaking, what is He saying? Hear!

[Red alert! Going deep in God is not an option!]

Looking around us, it does not take much wisdom or PhD to tell that God is shaking...

Global economic crisis -- Big brothers in the financial sector declaring bankruptcy that made impact on the world economy... Swine flu (or recently re-named Influenza A... means there just could be Influenza B, C and so on?!? or just giving the birds and pigs a break...) leaving the world sitting up and ready for an impending pandemic...

And if your memory does not fail you, here are some major catastrophe that hit Asia in recent years, just to name a few, that took away many lives:
* the cyclone in Myanmar
* the earthquake that shook Sichuan (China)
* the Tsunami in Thailand in Dec 2004

So what about this series of events? What does it tell us? More so, as children of the living God, what should we do in response to these events?

In the bible, we learn that there are seven elements that God is shaking: Heaven, Earth, Sea, Dry land, All nations, Gold & silver (economy) and the temple (church). Haggai 2:7 reveals the purpose of the shaking -- that all will turn to Him...

In the light of the things happening around us, we must not adopt the ostrich mentality as if everything will be better, neglecting what the Word of God says about what is happening and our role in the midst of it! We also need to carry our hearts right and not be offended or fearful.

We need to turn to God, grow in our understanding of what He is saying/doing and know our role, we can be confident and rise up in such a time as this! Like the sons of Isaachar, 1Chron12:32 -- we need to have 'understanding of the times', and 'know what we ought to do'!


Why is it important WHAT you hear?
Matt 24:4-5 says "Take heed that no one deceives you"... dude, you got to hear the right stuff! "Many will come in Jesus' name, saying "I am the Christ,' and will deceive many." It will happen, and will you hear the right things? In the face of so many voices, we need to know what God is saying!

Mark 4:24 Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.

In Mark 4:9-11, after Jesus has told the parable of the sower to his disciples, He says "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." God is speaking and we are the ones hearing... This is the context. We can know the mystery of the kingdom!

Jesus then goes on in verses 13-20 to explain the parable, ending with verses 21-23, exhorting those who hear to be a voice of God.

Through the parable of the sower, Jesus speaks of the way the word (seed) was received, it's corresponding end result, what we hear and 3 warnings + 1 blessing.

Why is it important HOW you hear?

Luke 8:18 Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.”

Very often, the condition of our heart determines what we hear. What is the condition of your heart right now? That will determine how you hear what God is saying!






















Going deep... What you should read / hear now...

























If you would like to purchase a voice recording of the above topic, check out here!

LEANing Bride

[When confusion sets in and frustrations overwhelm you, who do you run to? Who do you turn your thoughts to? Come before the magnificent One… Lean on Him and be lifted up…For a moment He shakes, but He will mold you and show you what remains in you that is precious in His sight…]

I am logical
But I’m also illogical
I am organized
But I’m also disorganized

What I think
What I see
Is imperfection
Is inconsistency

What do I uphold?
What do I stand for?
Only time can tell
Only wisdom can discern

Casting off remarks
Putting aside what I do not fully understand
One Audience remains
One Person I stand before
Selah
His searching eyes
His blazing gaze
Silenced my fretting
Melting away the confusion within
Selah
I will live to please Him
I will live to honor Him
Thanking Him for His grace
Praising Him for His ways

This is my cry
This is my prayer
To love as He love
To walk as He walk

To be close to Him
Near to His courts
To hear His heart’s cry
To see His power and His glory

A bride leaning on her bridegroom King
Overcoming goliaths
Leaping over the mountains
Tried and tested

Dark but lovely
Eyes on Him
There’s no other place I’d rather be
There’s no other Name I will praise

Breaking the silence

[Haven't blogged for quite a while... Got to start digging out my hand-written notes and translate them over here...]

Your life is shaped by the words you speak
The books you read
And the people you associated with

Overwhelmed, Addicted, Messed Up...

[Sometimes seeking the Lord can be a delightful experience, yet sometimes it can be a 'painful' one. Delightful when his tangible presence can be felt and enjoyed. Painful when you are pressing in despite not understanding, not knowing, but pressing in cos you just want to pursue Him and know Him more. .. But you know what, if you seek Him, He will surely come...]

"Let us know,

Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD.

His going forth is established as the morning;

He will come to us like the rain,

Like the latter and former rain to the earth."

~ Hosea 6:3

The More I Seek You

The more I seek You
The more I find You
The more I find You
The more I love You

I want to sit at Your feet
Drink from the cup in Your hand
Lay back against You and breathe
Feel Your heart beat

This love is so deep
It’s more than I can stand
I melt at Your peace
It’s overwhelming

Hear the song by Kari Jobe here http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=60769488

Men who saw God

[In the house of prayer, we pray quite a bit using Eph 1:17-19 - that we will have the wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God... When God answers this prayer, His ways have often been that of self-revelation (of ourselves) => end of self (a response to the holiness of God) => entrusted with deep things of God. May we keep our eyes on the Author and Perfector of our faith, for truly His ways are better!]


[The following is extracted from the book “Spiritual Maturity” by J. Oswald Sanders]


Job – God calls him a perfect and upright man, one that feared God and shunned evil. When confronted with the vision of God, the perfect man is reduced to abject self-abhorrence. “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye has seen thee: Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 33:9; Job 1:8; Job 42:5-6 Collapse of Job’s self-righteousness was quickly followed by the bestowal of double what he had lost, and the turning of his captivity through his intercessions for his friends.

Isaiah – one that presented lofty prophecy, calling down woes on his contemporaries. After the radiant vision of God, he called woe upon himself…Lips which had mediated the divine message were foul and unclean in the light of the holiness of God. Not only were Isaiah’s unclean lips purged and his iniquity removed, but he received an enlarged commission. Isa 3:9, 11: 5:8, 11, 20; 6:1-5

Daniel - One of the most blameless of saints when confronted with the divine glory is prostrated at the corruption, not of his vices but of his virtues! “for my comeliness (beauty) was turned into corruption”. Dan 10:7-9 To Daniel, the sense of corruption gave place to joy in the privilege of being the vehicle of Divine revelation.

Men who saw God - Joshua the High Priest, Job, Jacob, Elijah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Peter, Paul, John... A consistent pattern appears throughout these visions. First the vision, then self-abhorrence, self-abasement, the averted face, the sense of uncleanness, blindness, prostration, comeliness turned into corruption, self-banishment, falling as dead. Do we still desire to pray for a vision of God?

But there is still another side to the picture. God takes no pleasure in seeing His children lie in the dust. If He abases and humbles them, it is only that He may exalt them in due season. Humiliation is not an end in itself - it merely prepares the way for blessing.

The open lesson of these visions surely is that God cannot entrust a man with any deep blessing, any important spiritual ministry, until there has come a complete collapse of self.

True, the vision of God inevitably leads to self-revelation, but always with a beneficent end in view. God does not aim merely to humiliate us. There is no need to fear being brought to an end of ourselves for “the end of self is the beginning of God.” Indeed we may welcome the vision of God if our deepest desire is to advance in holiness and to be of the greatest use to Him.


Prov 29:18 - "Where there is no vision (revelation from God, of God), the people perish (die spiritually prematurely): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."

You are Faithful God

[Many emotions and thoughts come when the time draws near to moving to a new place for the House of Prayer. God is doing something! We have all grown. As we look back with gratitude and ahead in anticipation, it helps to remind ourselves that God is truly faithful, He really is! What He said, He will do...]

John 3:27-30

John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease."

Father, thank You for giving us this ministry - to build the House of Prayer for You in Singapore. This ministry is from You!! Wow!! That You would entrust us to do what is on Your heart. Thank You God! No words can describe just how we feel, just knowing that an Almighty God, so divine and perfect, would give us a gift, and such a precious one - to do the very thing on Your heart! That You would choose us, because You saw that we are sincere, even though we are weak..

Your heart's cry in Isa 66:1 is to look for a dwelling place among men. You showed us the pattern of the tabernacle You desire to dwell in - a place where night and day worship and prayer goes on. A House of Prayer just for You and where worshippers can come anytime to burn, as they watch and pray...

Over the four years, You led us to grow in the message of Intimacy with God and Understanding the Times. You taught us that gazing at You, growing in intimacy with You is to take priority. You let us hear Your call to intimacy with God, even in such a time as this. You reminded us that we are called One Thing Ministries - to do the One Thing - to acquire the oil of intimacy by gazing at Your beauty in Your temple, to sit at Your feet, to count all things loss for the sake of laying hold of You, forgetting what is behind.

So we did. We said yes. We fumbled, we tumbled as we moved along. In Your eyes, we are beautiful. You saw our hearts that say yes, You saw what no men saw... You saw what was in our hearts. There were good times, there were 'bad' times, there were mundane times. You allowed it all, to let us learn to do the House of Prayer before the Audience of One. We ceased striving by our own flesh, we decreased, and let You increase within us. We learnt to live before Your very eyes, we learnt to live before Your very gaze. We pray that You'll keep us steady, as you promised that You would.

Father, stir the hearts of many to come and build the House! People who have the hearts of David, who are after Your own heart. People who are like Mary and Anna, who would pour forth their lives, burning in Your House, so that worship and prayer can continually go on. Worship leaders, Intercessors, Musicians, Singers! Come! That You would bring them in, as You have said in Your word in Isa 56:7. Let them hear and rise up. Let them come and understand what is on Your heart. Your ways, not our ways...

Father, like Abraham, we say that You are our shield and exceedingly great reward! The inheritance of the Levites, those who burn in Your House, is the Lord! Deu 10:9. You are all that we want, You are all that we desire...

I want to be found faithful, I want to be found steady... until the end. Keep me faithful, keep me steady... I say yes! I just want to be Your friend. I just want to hear Your voice! To know what's on Your heart, and to do Your will!

You are still with me

[Often times, we have the faulty impression that being spiritual or having an encounter with God will 'solve it all'. Having an encounter with God (so divine) and an encounter with the frailty of human flesh (so earthly), gave me a such an awakening - to my own perspective of being a christian. Is it my way (God-for-me: expecting God to help me to be better, make things better, bless something I'm doing etc), or is it all about His way (me-for-God)... It's a journey!]

YOU ARE STILL WITH ME

I thought I just met You
I thought You just touched me
But at the next breath,
I faced the giants in my life, and fell

Isn't that encounter with You
Supposed to make me strong(er)?
So that I can overcome?
So that I can be stand?

God for me?
Or me for God?
A journey of me decreasing...
A journey of God increasing...

Yet I am always with You
You hold me by my right hand.
You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.

Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

I'll keep walking
I'll keep leaning
I'll keep gazing
I'll keep my heart ever before You

Seeking You in Your House
Worshipping You
Loving You
With all my heart, my mind, my soul and strength

Song of Songs 2:16
"My beloved is mine, and I am his."

[a statement of a believer saying to God that while she recognises that God is hers, she also belongs to Him. She realises it's not all about herself but that she belongs to God. That it's not all about her needs and her struggles or her sins. The fact that we know that we belong to an Almighty God who loves us, changes the very way we feel, think and see ourselves, people and things around us. Most of all, it impacts how we see and feel about ourselves! I belong to.... God! Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

Gift of God

[I just can't get over this song and these verses! By Justin Rizzo from IHOP! Hear it here http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=147442388]

1Sam 2:8
"He raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,
To set them among princes
And make them inherit the throne of glory. "

Romans 5:10
"For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."


GIFT OF GOD

As for me
I was dead in my transgressions
I was bound to my sin
And (I was) bound to condemnation

As for me
I was an object of His wrath
And fully deserving of death
(I was) Fully deservating of death

But You saw me there
Because of Your great love
You saw me there
Because You're rich in mercy


Chorus
And You made me alive
When I was dead
You raised me up
And seated me with Christ
And it's by Your grace
That I am saved
And it's through faith
It's the very gift of God

Bridge
Eternally
I've been bought with blood
There will never be another sacrifice


Eph 2:4-7
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."

Isaiah 61:3
"... To give them beauty for ashes, "

ps: I love You (back), Lord

Isaiah 43:18

“Do not remember the former things,

Nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I will do a new thing,

Now it shall spring forth;

Shall you not know it?

I will even make a road in the wilderness

And rivers in the desert.

[This verse strikes a familiar chord in many hearts as we usher in a yet another new year... too familiar indeed, until it becomes a cliche? However, it never fails to speak to me, well, seldom, for there's much to put behind us, and much more in Christ that is ahead of us to lay hold of -- that which Christ has first laid hold for us.

May we relentlessly press in, knowing that God takes delight in making known to us His will and face. So we come before Him, having the confidence that He wants to show us more of Himself. And we come boldly, not by our own merit or strength... For He alone is the One who first loved us, and is able to keep us steady and faithful. Through it all, keep within me dear Lord, the heart that responds, ps: I love You (back), Lord...]


Old has gone
Putting the past behind
Memories linger as I inched forward
................................................................I love You, Lord

Eyes (fixed) on You
Hope (evermore) in You
What is this You are doing within me?
................................................................I love You, Lord

I yield to the work of Your gentle hand
Give me revelation
Give me wisdom to understand
................................................................I love You, Lord

According to Your good pleasure
Make known to me the mystery of Your will
What is upon Your heart regarding the fullness of the times
................................................................I love You, Lord

According to the riches of Your grace
Blot out my transgressions
That I may come boldly before You
................................................................I love You, Lord

Early will I seek You
Early will I rise
My love, my God, draw me away...
................................................................I love You, Lord

Methuselah!

[Methuselah, son of Enoch, lived 969 years and his name means "When he dies, judgment will come." Which it did with the great flood... Methuselah died about a month before the flood. God spared him from the flood!

It also tells us something about God who told Enoch to give him that name. It means God is VERY patient when He comes to judging people. He's not quick to do it and hopes that they will repent. Our God is long suffering! Wow!]


From http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/methuselah.html

Methuselah

Exact meaning is somewhat uncertain: Dr. Henry Morris says it may mean, "When he dies, judgment." Others say: "When he is dead it shall be sent" ("it" refers to the Deluge) (Cornwall and Smith, Exhaustive Dictionary of Bible Names).

the son of Enoch, father of Lamech, and grandfather of Noah

He was the oldest man of whom we have any record. This very ancient man lived before the Flood, and died at the age of 969 years, in the year of the Flood (Gen. 5:21-27; 1 Chr. 1:3).

This fact, plus the former possible meaning of his name, suggests that Methuselah's very godly father, Enoch, received a prophecy from God when his son was born, thus the name.

Methuselah's great age may be further evidence of God's "long-suffering… in the days of Noah" (1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 3:9).

Methuselah's name is mentioned seven times in the Bible: Genesis 5:21,22, 25,26,27; 1 Chronicles 1:3; Luke 3:37.

You like, I become!

[Whenever I hear someone say, "We come to the House of Prayer to make God happy", there'll be some goosebumps on me. Goosebumps cos that's not my 'second nature'... yet. I mean, 'make God happy' sounds foreign to me, kindof... Over time, however, I realised that doing what pleases God, becoming what God likes, bring indescribable delight within me. Now, I just like to make God happy! And what He delights in, I seek to become. And boy, am I happy just to hang around the Father's house! I'm a happy being wannabe! =)]

Eph 5:8-10 ~ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.

Colossians 1:10 ~ And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God...

1 Thessalonians 4:1 ~ Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.

THE TYPE OF PEOPLE GOD LOOKS FOR...

1) People after God’s own HEART

What about them ==> They position their hearts (in ALL seasons and situations), to pursue God's heart - to seek to know what God wants, and yield to it. To recognise fleshly un-crucified old-self that's still alive, subject them to God's sovereignty (His timing and ability to help them die to it), and lean on God to see them through the journey.


As a result, when God's word and ways become flesh in them, they will grow to also feed others with knowledge and understanding of God, ie lead them to intimacy with God.

Who it reminds me of ==> King David

Verse to pray ==> Jer 3:15 "And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding."

2) People who seek to understand and know God

What about them ==> They fill their minds with things of God, they seek to understand the why's and what's of God's mind, His attributes etc, and to know Him deeply and intimately.

Who it reminds me of ==> Daniel (Daniel 10:12 ~ “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words."

Verses to pray==> Jer 9:23-24 ~ But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.

Psalm 53:2 ~ God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.

3) People who set their hearts to be voluntary lovers of God

What about them ==> love is not love if it is programmed, or forced. Which means we are all given a choice to love or not love. So it's the same with loving God. He gives us free will to choose to love Him. He is looking for voluntary lovers!

What happens when we love God ==> God is totally overcome with emotions of joy & delight; fascinated and captivated by a believer who turn their eyes/hearts towards Him in love.

SoS 4:9 ~ "You have ravished my heart, My sister, my spouse; You have ravished my heart. With one look of your eyes (desire), With one link of your necklace (will)."

SoS 6:5 turn your eyes away from me for they have overcome me.

In our own human ability, we are unable to love God automatically. God already knows that, and has provided the way!

Rom 5:5 ~ "because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Jesus is saying that there will be people who will love Himself (Jesus) the way God the Father loved Jesus. Jn 17:26 ~ "And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”



4) People who are whole-hearted towards God

What about them ==> Whole-heartedness is not an attainment or achievement. Rather, it is the pursue and posture of the heart, to seek God diligently, with ALL their hearts... As a result, we can see good fruits in their lives! God IS priority and everything and central in their lives!

Verse to pray ==> 2Chron 16:9 ~ "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him."



5) People who are poor and of a contrite spirit

What about them ==> Blessed are the poor in the spirit (realised that there's so much more they want from God, hungry & thirsty to be right before God, meek, merciful, pure in heart, persecuted for God's sake, those who mourn..., those who has the fear of the Lord - they cherish and take God (and His word) seriously!

Verses to pray ==> Matt 5: Beattitudes; Isaiah 66:2 “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word."



6) People who put their faith in the Lord

What about them ==> They walk by faith, not by sight. They choose to put their unwavering confidence and trust in the Lord in the face of difficult circumstances -- for God to deliver them or press in for an eternal reward.

Verses to pray ==> Hebrews 11:6 ~ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.



7) People who live their lives in godliness and holiness, with a knowledge of truth

Verses to pray ==> 1Tim2:1-4 ~ "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

Paul urges Timothy in 1Tim1 to stay in Ephesus to "charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. " Paul is concerned that some have strayed from the knowledge of truth - that teaches them to have a pure heart and sincere faith, and "have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm." Paul thus emphasises in 1Tim2 to call the people back to a life of godliness and holiness, with a knowledge of truth.

I Come Before You

[from ihop interns]

C G
I come before You
F C
Simply to adore You
C G
And I lay down my heart
F C
And choose the good part

C
To know I am Yours
G
To sit at Your feet
F
To give You my heart
G
And all of me

C
To see You face to face
G
And stand as Your friend
F
To know Your embrace
G
A love without end
C G F G
I come before You


I come before You
Knowing that I love You
And I lay down my plans
And come just as I am

Be Near

[When all came crashing down on us.. when all seemed dark and bleak... Take heart, my friend, and find strength and comfort in the Lord! This poem depicts the journey of one who went through the storms in life, emerging as one who brings the comfort and strength received from God to others...]

BE NEAR

It's so dark here...
I can't see what is ahead of me
I can't feel what is inside of me

Where are You?
My love, the One who loves me so
I cried out to You, from the depths of my heart

Is there any life here?
Is there any movement in my heart?
Is there any song I can sing to my Beloved?

So I go about my life
Not feeling, not seeing
Yet faintly hoping all these will change...

My times are in Your hands
My hope is in You
In You alone, I put my trust

And I open my heart to You
No matter how much it hurts
No matter how long it takes

Letting Your love wash over me, completely
Letting Your blood cleanse me, deep within
Letting Your strength empower me, even in my weakness

Be Near O Lord my Strength! (I have none left)
Be Near O Lord my Light! (and shine upon my path)
Be Near O God! (You are all I need)

Come to the Lord
And rest in His strong embrace
For this is Your salvation
For this is Your deliverance


2Cor1:3-4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Breakthrough!

[Expressing hearts, expressing prayers, of breakthrough and breaking forth within and without…]

John 5:35
“He (John the Baptist) was the burning (running with hearts burning with love of God) and shining lamp (running in ministry)…”

Micah 2:13
“The one who breaks open will come up before them; They will break out, Pass through the gate, And go out by it; Their king will pass before them, With the LORD at their head.”

Breakthrough!

Going about busy
To and fro
Learning to make sense
Learning to give You my all

I stumble and fall
I made a mess of it
Gently You came
Gently You lifted me up

I knew I made a mess
I knew things went wrong
Sometimes people understand
Sometimes they don’t…

I don’t need the counsel (for now)
I’m trying to make it work (can’t you see?)
I don’t wana talk about it (for now)
I don’t wana think about it (for now)

What do I do?
When all seems so topsy turvy
I just want to run away
I just want to be free

Where can I go?
‘Cos I just want to find You
Your presence is all I want
Your presence is all I need

Speak to me O Lord
Tell me what’s on Your heart
I will hear and obey
I will walk and trust

For You have been my Guide
For You have been my Strength of my heart
Face the giants?
Face the goliaths in my life?

Courage I need (from You)
Confidence I lean (on You)
To break out
To break forth

Help me to express the words
Deep within my heart
To You
And to the ones who love me so

Do they love me?
Or do they love me not?
Let not love grow cold within me
Let me burn and shine, I pray

Loving You
Loving one another
Is what You desire
Is when all will see and know You are God

My times are in Your hands
Strengthen me to run the race
Steady and faithful
Pressing on, breaking forth

I will face the giants
I will face the goliaths
In the Name of the Lord of host
And carry my heart right, ever before You

I will return to the flock
I will return to the fold
Leaning on You
Never alone…

You see me
You see my heart
Lifter of my head
Break out, break within, break forth I pray…


Song of Solomon 1:7
"Tell me, You whom I love, where you graze your flock and where you rest your sheep at midday. Why should I be like a veiled woman beside the flocks of your friends?" [depicts God leading a believer back to the flock, where one can find Him]

One Thing...

source: http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=ef39e24b2d88e1dc7b5d

Lyrics for One Thing

Verse 1
One thing I desire
One thing I seek
To gaze upon Your beauty
Your Majesty

Verse 2
God of my salvation
Lifter of my head
Teach me how to live O Lord
Your righteousness

Pre Chorus
So I pray to You
So I pray to You

Chorus
Lord Your name
Is higher than the heavens
Lord Your nameIs higher than all created things
Higher than hope
Higher than dreams
The name of the Lord

Verse3
In the days of trouble
You cover me
In the secret place of refuge
Lord I will sing

Bridge
I will seek Your face
Call upon Your Name Jesus
All I want is You Jesus

Team Hoyt - Dick and Rick Hoyt

The father's love for his son reminds me of God's love for us. We say (pray), He acts. He does not give up on us when the world says we are nothing...

Come!

Come be the fire inside of me

Come and be the flame upon my heart

Come and be the fire inside of me

Until You and I are one

That SETTLES it!

I'm in love with God

And God's in love with me

This is who I am

And this is who I'll be

And that settles it

Completely

Can I make-it?

Sometimes I get depressed, really depressed, because I think I think about the wrong set of questions. Know what I mean? Then I spiral down and start to fret... Omigosh! I read the Book of Revelation, and erm, this time round, I got really depressed! I'm thinking - so many calamaties, so many people die (Rev 6:7; Rev 9:18), how I can survive, how I can make it till the end? Then I thought about, ok, so what do I need to do now, quick quick, find out... (not wrong, but pretty much out of fear and many what-if's).

Time-out. Take a step back. Wait... It begins with asking the right question.

Instead of "Can I make it"? I thought... "Can God be trusted?"; "Can I trust Him?" Besides, Apostle Paul exhorted Timothy:

2 Tim1:12
"For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day." (NKJV)

"That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." (NIV)

(1) For I know whom I have believed!!!!!

(2) persuaded, convinced, confident that God can keep us faithful and steady till the end!

Ok, my heart rate calmed down. And hmm... I'm not so depressed after all.

Get down to really KNOW God.
(Article on Knowledge of God http://one-thing-ministries.blogspot.com/2005_06_01_archive.html)

Then entrust our steps into His faithful and loving hands. Trust Him to lead us, being confident in His leadership in our lives, then our ability to make-it.

Prov 3:5-6
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

Jer 9:23-24
Thus says the LORD:
“ Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight,” says the LORD."

Phil 1:6
"...being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ..."

related read: http://peopleofonething.blogspot.com/2006/11/do-you-know.html

Lovesick...

[Ever feel a loss of words in telling God that you want to know Him more? Ever feel so parched and dry, poor in the spirit? Take heart and put Your hope in the Lord! Be strong, and wait upon Him. He is answering your prayer for more. He is cultivating a lovesick heart in You - one that inclines to Him, longing, seeking... ]

Gentle whisper faintly calling
Broken vessel waiting to be filled
Thirsty soul longing to be satisfied

Deep calls out to deep
There is a longing for more
There is a yearning deep within

How can I express
That I want to know You more
That You are all that I want

How can my heart go on
Without a glimpse of Your beauty
Without a touch from my Bridegroom King

Kiss me! with the kisses of Your word
Kiss me! Your love energizes me
Kiss me! Your love is better than wine

That is why I live
That is why I seek
That is why my heart cannot go on without You

Your love is all I live for
Your love is all I seek after
Your love is what sets my heart on fire

Burn a holy flame
Burn it deep within me
Seal of love on my heart

Lovesick for You
Lovesick for more
Lovesick till You come again...

Song of Solomon 1:2
Let him (Jesus) kiss me (church, His bride) with the kisses of his mouth (word that proceeds from His mouth). For your love is better than wine (the pleasures of this world).

People of One Thing

[Overheard... left and right brain communication...]

A: Bee, I heard you got new name ah?

B: Yah, I'm called People of One Thing!

A: Wah, so cool... Wat it means ah?

B: It means seeking God is my One holy passion and pursuit lah.

A: Aye, that reminds me of King David, Mary of Bethany, and Apostle Paul leh.

B: Ah-ber-then, they are People of One Thing mah!

A: Why ah, why they so like dat?

B: Like wat?

A: Like oni want to do One Thing - seeking to be near God, to know God and what God is tinking, feeling about, like so extravagantly wasting their life on God, like so want to have more of God so much so that they consider everything else like dung?

B: Erm, I'll let you know when I become like dat.

A: What you mean?

B: Becos I also discovering why they like dat... I think hor, it's got to do with who God is...

A: who God is?

B: Yah, that God is worth the why they so like dat, or else what? Wake up your idea...

A: True, true... Bee, I mean People of One Thing, I oso want to like them leh. How ah?

B: You sure or not? Don't just say say ah.

A: Yah lah, true one lah.

B: Let's pray lah.

A: Ok, pray wat ah. You pray, I say amen ok?

A: Ok lah...

I will waste my life on You...

[Songs from the prayer room...]

I will waste my life
I'll be tested and tried
With no regrets inside of me
Just let me find I'm at Your feet (2x)

It's all about You, Jesus
It's not about me
Or what I can bring

It's all about You, Jesus
Come and take my offering
Come and take, take all of me

Grow Up =)

["Grow Up!" That seems to be the most valuable advice we can give others and even ourselves, not in impatience, but in a loving tone. I remember the cherished people by my side who have ever gently said that to me. I appreciate these words, and keep them close to my heart. Here's something from Alice Smith's Insight]

Who would you call in a spiritual emergency? Do you have an Elijah--someone whom God has placed in your life as a mentor and role model? Although God provides us Elijah, in due time, we learn that we must not continue to lean on them. God gives us mentors for a reason; but he also gives those mentors for a season. His ultimate intention for us is to stand on our own. The day will come--if it hasn't already--for you to leave the safety and security of the nest and fly.

Consider the partnership of Elijah and Elisha. Three times Elijah made plans to leave; and three times Elisha replied, "As Jehovah lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." He admired and emulated Elijah. He didn't want his friend and mentor to leave. But there would come a time when Elijah would have to go (see 2 Kings 2:13-25).

At some point like Elisa experienced, your Elijah will have to leave. It is painful but predictable, and it's God's plan. You needn't refuse to release your Elijah, or else you will forfeit your full Kingdom potential.

When Elijah ascended in a chariot of fire, Elisha found himself alone. He returned to the Jordan River, which is symbolic of death and separation. "Crossing Jordan" means death to the old and birth to the new opportunities and responsibilities. Your Jordan experiences are those in which you must take the responsibility to walk out what your Elijahs have taught you. When you are alone, the Jordan, once a very familiar place, now seems overwhelming and impossible to cross.

Some wrongly conclude that troubles dissipate when one becomes a Christian. Not so. God does not remove trouble but He empowers us to overcome in the midst of it. After all, without trials there would never be triumph. There is no victory without war and there is no war without an enemy. Strangely, trouble is our friend. Trouble brings us to total dependency upon Christ. Prepare to cross your own Jordans, to confront your own giants and to gain your own victories.

The usual response to trouble is to say, "I can't." But we fail to realize that our tests are tailor-made by the Father (1 Cor. 10:13).

Wasn't God the God of Elisha as He was the God of Elijah? Even though it seemed overwhelming, Elisha was ready to cross the Jordan alone. And we must make the same journey too.

It's important when faced with trouble to keep our focus on Christ. When we focus on our trouble, all of our strength goes to the problem rather than the solution. At that point, we are not only afflicted by trouble but we are distracted from our communion with Christ who is the Source of our strength. Intimacy with Christ is where you will find the strength to stand. You are to stand in faith, walk by faith, and live by the faith of the Son of God (see Eph. 6:13-14; 2 Cor. 5:7; Gal. 2:20).

In 2 Kings 2:15, we read that "a company of prophets from Jericho were watching Elisha." Inside your heart you long to trust God for the extraordinary. But people are watching. You wish someone else could do the work for you. The thought may come to you as it probably did to Elisha, Where is my Elijah when I really need him? Amazingly, if you will press in and be true to the call of God, regardless of your feelings of insecurity and inadequacy or your lack of faith, the Lord will prove Himself to you.

In 2 Kings 2:23-25 we find Elisha being jeered by 42 young people at Bethel. Bethel means "the house of God." Yes, even Christian friends and family may mock your faith or your passion or the level of your commitment. When I was a newly saved teenager, older Christians said, "Alice, after you've been saved awhile, you'll settle down." Today, after more than 42 years, I am more passionately in love with Christ than ever!

Shortly after I began writing my first book, Beyond the Veil: Entering Into Intimacy With God Through Prayer, a Christian leader told me that I was foolish to think that I could write a book. That statement so intimidated me that I shelved the book for 10 months. However, I couldn't shake the fact that the Lord had spoken to me to write this book. In Christ I found the courage to begin again, and Beyond the Veil has become a best-seller. Yes, even in the Church you will find your critics. And its possible that those who have walked with you for years may leave you if the commitment level becomes too difficult for them.

Are you at your end of your endurance? Have you been feeling the need to quit? Don't do it! Your extremity of need is God's opportunity. Stand on His promises. In His time He will disclose the truth and validate you. The fight is not yours, the battle is the Lord's! Practice what the Elijahs in your life have taught you. Put on the mantle of prayer, stand confidently in Christ and stop looking back for your Elijah to do it for you. Jesus Christ is more than enough!

Who's Number One?

[Something I found on the internet on Who's Number One? http://www.sermoncloud.com/pastors-edge/whos-number-one]

Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Before we get into the first commandment, you need to understand that these laws were not given to the Nation of Israel as rules for a relationship with God. These laws were given as a reflection of a relationship with God. You don't keep the Ten Commandments in order to have a relationship with God; you keep them because you do have a relationship with God. The Ten Commandments are not rules for religious people; they are guidelines for God's people. They were meant for God's family.

As our sons began to grow up, we established certain rules in our home: do your homework, don't talk back to your mother, make your bed, and be home on time. I did not give these rules to my kids so they would be my kids; I gave these rules, because they were my kids. These rules simply reflected how I wanted my kids to behave.

Now you will see why the first commandment is not only the first commandment, but it is foundational to the other nine, because if you don't get the first one you will never get the other ones. In the first commandment, God is not saying, "If you want to have a relationship with Me, this is what you have to do." He was saying, "If you have a relationship with Me, this is what you want to do." The first commandment forces us to answer the question, "Who's Number One?"

[It's like God is saying, I did not ask you to love me so that you will be a lover of God. I commanded you to love me because you are a lover of God! So the first commandment is about our identity as a lover of God!]

Be-attitudes in Luke 6 & Matthew 5

LUKE v17
"And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people..."

[v20-26] Our attitude towards Circumstances
- a worldly or kingdom perspective?

[v27-38] Our attitude towards People
- be Christlike!

[v39-45] Our attitude in Ministry that will sustain you
- be Christlike, learn to see clearly, be honest with yourself, guard your heart.

[46-49] Attitude towards God

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Matthew 5
v1 "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..."

[Matt 5,6,7] How to grow the fruits of the be-attitudes and measure them.

God will take care of us!

[Many times, we live our lives, wondering.. Will God take care of us? Can we trust Him? The word of the Lord striked my heart, when I saw how He took care of the multitudes. Those who followed Him, sought Him, those who were 'lost'. He had compassion on them, took care and provided for them, through the miraculous provision of food, even with leftovers! Surely we can trust Him, as we follow and seek Him. God is so good!]

Those who followed Jesus
[Feeding of the Four Thousand)

Mark 8:1-3

"In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with me three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”

Those who sought Jesus
[Feeding of the Five Thousand)

Mark 6:33-37

"But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.” But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.”"