I Am Going To Be Fine

Rick Joyner: "The Army of God Mobilizes--There is No Greater Adventure than the True Christian Life"

from ElijahList.com

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A popular saying has been "Get a life!" This is typically used as a rebuke to those who are so trapped in the mundane that the insignificant is significant to them. We want this series to help all believers live lives of significance and leave a trail of significant accomplishments. To use biblical terms, it is fulfilling the Lord’s command to bear fruit, and fruit that remains (see John 15:16).

First, if your life is boring, you are definitely not in the right place. There is nothing more interesting than God and getting close to Him. There is no greater adventure than the true Christian life. There is nothing more boring than religion. There is nothing more exciting than the true Christian life, but there is also nothing more difficult to live in these times. This is not for wimps! God is mobilizing an army of the most resolute, fearless warriors. These will not be controlled by fears, but by faith. They are also constrained by their mission.

When God created man, He commanded him to "be fruitful and multiply." So there is a part of our very nature that wants to accomplish and to accomplish big things--to "multiply." This desire is not pride or selfish ambition, though it can be perverted by those, but it is really our basic makeup. When we have been redeemed by embracing the atonement sacrifice of Jesus, it is the beginning of our realignment to the ultimate purposes of God. The calling on every Christian is to be fruitful and multiply. This is so important that the Lord also stated in John 15 that He would cut off the branches that did not bear fruit. Therefore, having a life that is not bearing fruit is not an option.

Developing an Army

This is why we are mobilizing. When you mobilize an army, it is to begin the training that will lead to the building of an effective army that can accomplish its objectives. As we have covered, very basic to being a part of the effective force of the Lord is to be able to hear His commands and obey them. Knowing His voice is basic, and though this remains something of an ultimate purpose with many believers, it is just the beginning of our training. We cannot go further without this ability, but we must go further once we do have it.

The four stages of developing an army are:

1) Mobilizing

2) Training

3) Equipping

4) Deploying

Mobilizing into the army of God and finding our right place in His Body is not the goal, but a goal that is necessary before we go on. There is also a factor of timing for this. When I was in the Navy, after basic training I was sent to various schools for more advanced training before I was assigned to a squadron and sent to the fleet. It is for this purpose that we are sometimes shifted from one congregation to another. Each congregation may specialize in something we need for our training, but ultimately we have a more permanent assignment that could well be the church body that we will be assigned to, possibly even for the rest of our life. Even so, we must always be ready for the Holy Spirit to place us in the body as it pleases Him.

Of course, one of the biggest problems we have in the Body right now is that most Christians do not have a vital local church life, and are therefore stymied in their development. A lot could be said about this, as we have in the past, but for now we will focus on those who are being mobilized, who are either in their right place for now, or are getting there.

We must also keep in mind that the army is being mobilized because there is a desperate war going on. We do not know how many salvations are dependent on our obedience, but even if we are called to the most seemingly obscure helps ministry, it is likely that many souls are depending on us. How could there be such a responsibility put on us? That is the nature of the call of God. Think about the consequences of Adam’s obedience of disobedience. We may not think this is fair, that Adam did not ask to be put in a position where his actions would affect billions. However, he was given authority over the earth, and with authority comes responsibility.

The clear teaching of Scripture is that what we do affects many more. The answer to this is to obey! We were not called just so we could be saved and go to Heaven, but we were bought with a price, and we are no longer our own. We are soldiers, like it or not. We can reject our calling and bury the talents we have been trusted with, but if we do, we can be sure that on that great judgment day we will hear, "You wicked, lazy slave" (see Matthew 25:26).

If we have embraced the Cross, the atonement of the Cross of Jesus, we no longer have the right to do what we want to do. We have a calling, a mission, and a purpose that no one else on this planet is equipped to do like us. We can reject our calling, and it will be given to another, as we see a pattern of this in the Scriptures, but I am sure anyone serious enough to be reading this has no intention of that.

We have been enlisted in the army, and there is a desperate war going on. There is no doubt about the ultimate outcome of this war, but there is much to be decided about how we will do in the war and how the nations and people we have been called to defend or win will do. The right way to look at this is not fearfully, but as an opportunity. You could be used to set many free from their bondage, maybe even whole nations. You may not be called to the frontline of the battle, but just to stay with the baggage. However, you will receive a great reward for doing your part.

In future articles, we are going to begin looking at some very serious, but exciting principles about the war itself. This is a part of our training. This is an army of light, and the Lord likes for everyone in His army to be marching in the light, knowing where they are going and what they will be called to do. We are going to march into battle, and we can count on there being conflicts, but we can also be sure that this will be the most fulfilling adventure we could ever be a part of.

Rick Joyner
MorningStar Ministries
Email: info@morningstarministries.org

Correct Me

I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. Correct me, LORD, but only with justice – not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing. -- Jeremiah 10:23-24

With Your All

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom." -- Ecclesiastes 9:10

How Low Can You Go?

"...if you are called as a deliverer and a forerunner, the Lord has to work His heart of humility in you."


"So part of your journey as a deliverer and as a forerunner is the changing of garments. What season are you in? That is part of the divine strategy of the Lord--to kill us so that we look more like Him. The only problem is that it is a custom-designed death for each one of us. We don't get to choose how we get to die. We think it would be easier if we could choose our "death," but the Lord strategically sets it up for each one of us to deal with the motives of our heart, so that we love Him; so that we will be desperate for Him and press into Him--no matter what!"


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from the prophetic word released by Jill Austin over at the ElijahList website.

The Word + Music = Powerful Evangelism

I am currently listening to the songs that the choir is going to present on the March 15th Easter cantata and I really believe these are some of the most moving and anointed songs I have ever heard and sung with the group.

The Word of God as it is already powerful enough, but setting them into music transforms them into something quite different on its own. Personally, I find it easier to absorb scripture when set to music, and most of the verses that I have memorized are the ones that I have heard through songs.

Five years of ministry with the New Life Sounds Choir has taught me this: relaying God’s Word through music is a powerful tool of evangelism.

For this set of 15 songs that we will be singing, I am firmly believing that the Lord will do something awesome in the heart of those appointed to watch the musical. With songs based on passages of scripture – like Zephaniah 3:17 [“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”] and Micah 7:8 [“Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; Though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me.”] – I am confident that people’s eyes will be opened to the Father’s love for His children, that He truly, madly, deeply cares for us.

“Worthy of Worship” – the 2008 Easter cantata will be presented at the Maranatha World Outreach Center in Manalili corner Burgos streets, Cebu City. Everyone is invited to come, be blessed and be overwhelmed by the heavenly Father’s love.

Man of Intensity

You hold so much inside you
The power of a seed
It's planted, sown within you
It's rooted strong and deep

Potential stored within you
Like waters to a dam
And once the floodgates open
You will become that man

Young man, you are beloved
Your name explains the call
Of one who seeks the Master
His heart, His all in all

Young man, no need to worry
He will supply each need
And faith for signs and wonders
It's He who will increase

Great man, He goes before you
Your steps accounted for
Just follow Daddy's prompting
He surely will restore

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For DJ, the intense man of God: as your name prophesies, you are beloved and God will certainly add the increase and the intensity of His presence in your life!

Kept From Harm

The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121: 5-8


The Lord gave me this passage of scripture last night before going to bed. It reassured my that He DOES take care of me and keeps me safe.

This morning, two people in the office told me they noticed that I lost weight. I knew this already since I had dropped from 125 pounds at the start of the year to my current 120 pounds. The two people who pointed out my weight to me made it sound like my losing weight was fearfully negative or a cause for concern. And it made me feel a bit worried.

The enemy inserted fear about my health and about my image – I don’t want to be too thin. The enemy made me worry about my body and its state if especially if keep busy and eat little these days. It almost got me really down.

But as I continued on the work day, the Lord reminded me of the passage of scripture that He gave me last night: Psalm chapter 121, verses 5 to 8. He reminded me that one of the devil’s tactics is to make me doubt His word. So I went online and searched for this scripture on Biblegateway and the Lord’s comfort came.

God’s word is fixed. God’s word is unchanging as He is. God’s promises are yes and amen. The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy through lies, doubts and fear. But Jesus came to give us life and life in abundance. This challenge from the enemy just makes me want to bury my head even more in God’s word!

The Lord watches over ME – the Lord is MY shade at MY right hand; the sun will not harm ME by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep ME from all harm – he will watch over MY life; the Lord will watch over MY coming and going both now and forevermore.

That’s one of God’s promises to me…

…and He never breaks ‘em!

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This entry goes out mainly to the demonic spirit who tried to make me despair and doubt the Word of God earlier. “Nice try!”

Switch/Accelerate

Half way into the preparations for the Easter cantata, one of the tenors in the choir decided to bow out of the season due to some unknown reasons [to me at least]. It would have been okay on any given day that he pulled out, but under the circumstances -- with one of the older members of the tenors taking a leave of absence at the start of the year, leaving a shortage of tenors -- it was ill-timed and unexpected.

Nevertheless, God always has a better plan in mind. He always raises up another person to fill in and fulfill the vacated duty. In this case, it was I who was called on from the basses to take the slot with the tenors and help fortify the group -- at least that's what I feel the Spirit is leading me to do.

So, now I have officially switched sides -- I'm singing with the tenors for this Easter cantata, which by the way is called "Worthy of Worship!"

And that's not all. As this has been identified as a season of acceleration, a lot of things in my life and in the ministry has been moving, shifting, changing. The Lord has been calling His children to rise up, go further and do more for Him this year.

Not only is there choir practices for me these days -- three days in a week until we sing on March 15 -- there's also a project that needs to be done by March 5 for my discipleship training class. Then there's also the upcoming cafe/outreach activity that will be taking place in front of our church building, which should be very exciting.



Amidst all these, God reminds me: "It's not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord."

Song of the Day: God Be Merciful to Me

click here for audio/video

God be merciful to me
On Thy grace, I rest my plea
Plenteous in compassion Thou
Blot out my transgressions now

Wash me, make me pure within
Cleanse, oh, cleanse me from my sin

My transgressions I confess
Grief and guilt my soul oppress
I have sinned against Thy grace
And provoked Thee to Thy face

I confess Thy judgment just
Speechless, I, Thy mercy trust

I am evil born in sin
Thou desirest truth within
Thou alone my Savior art
Teach Thy wisdom to my heart

Make me pure, Thy grace bestow
Wash me whiter than the snow

Gracious God, my heart renew
Make my spirit right and true
Thy salvation's joy impart
Steadfast make my willing heart
Steadfast make my willing heart

Broken, humbled to the dust
By Thy wrath and judgment just
Let my contrite heart rejoice
And in gladness hear Thy voice

From my sins, oh, hide Thy face
Blot them out in boundless grace

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Always the prayer of my heart -- for God's mercy to abound in my sin-stained life. This hymn, made modern by Jars of Clay, is the summary of my life and God's infinite goodness.

Overflow

During this morning’s devotional time with my discipleship training classmates (Kuya Henry, Ate Ruby, Venus, Fiel and Edsel), the Lord showed me an image of a glass that was being filled to overflowing with water poured out from a pitcher. I got the impression that God was filling us up with the Holy Spirit in that time of worship and praise, as His presence was with us.

As the word was shared by Ate Ruby – reading from the prophet Isaiah (chapter 55) where it talks about the power of God’s word and that it never goes back to Him void but accomplishes His purposes – the Lord just began to expound the meaning of the pitcher-water-glass image He gave me.

“The Lord is filling us up with His word so that His word will effortlessly overflow from us unto others.”

Edsel also shared what the Lord impressed on Him with the reading of the passage in Isaiah and during the worship time. Edsel pointed out that sometimes we tend to get used to our comfort zones that we hinder the miracles of God and the power of His word from manifesting in our lives. Like the Israelites of old who preferred to go back to the comforts of Egypt – even though they were enslaved there – we sometimes want to maintain status quo in our lives.

Though we know there is so much more God can give us and do through us if we just boldly step out of our comfort zones and step out in faith, we allow ourselves to get held back by fear and intimidation of the unknowns in our lives. This also further clarified what the Lord meant in the water-filling vision. The Lord impressed upon me that He can only fill us when we are willing to first empty ourselves.

“Are you willing to empty yourself so that the Lord can fill you to overflowing? Your degree of emptiness determines the depth of the in-filling and the amount of the overflow!”

The Holy Spirit also revealed to me that the students in our discipleship class are being equipped with the Word so that we can make prophetic declarations and decrees over this nation.

“The Lord is filling us up with His word so that we can make prophetic decrees that come from an overflow of His word in us; decrees and declarations over the Philippines that will come to pass because His word does not return to Him void but fulfill its every purpose.”

Signs/Omens/Dreams

There was a dream of flying high on a broom stick and witnessing people practicing witchcraft right before my eyes.

Afterwards I flew on my own and landed on earth to fulfill my carnal desires.

There was a vision of a 16,000 peso check and a hidden 500 peso bill in my wallet.

Another vision was of a stairway to the skies leading to a grand gate or door in the heavens that looked like this.

When I dream of snakes, see them in pictures or on TV, it is always a warning from God.

"It's now His time to respond."

"Presently there is a big group of God's children who, in the past, experienced the mighty moving of God in your life and ministry. But due to various circumstances, some of you had to give up works or ministry, and may now find yourself seemingly bereft of any success. Despite the difficulties you had to face, the sacrifices you had to endure, the seemingly barrenness of your life right now, quietly, you continue to worship and honor God as best you know how. Yet you cannot deny there is a greater longing in your heart to do more for God's people, to do more for His Kingdom, and to implement all the ideas and plans God has planted inside of you to do. The dreams and visions God placed in the innermost parts of your heart for so long seem to be unattainable.

But there is great news: God had you in His mind! If you can identify with this group, the great news is that God had you specifically in mind and will call you to be on the forefront when His Holy Spirit makes the move. As you have been faithful to God, holding nothing back in the process, laying down everything at His feet, it's now His time to respond. He has not forgotten His promises and His calling for you and your family, and you will see Him opening doors and opportunities which you thought were closed or lost."

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from the prophetic word released by Ching Co at the Elijah List website.

Hearts of the Children Back to the Fathers

Almighty God, I pray that You would turn the hearts of the children back to the fathers; that respect and love for the fathers would be restored in the hearts of the children of this nation. Father, let obedience be the language children speak to their parents; that it becomes a tangible sign of an intangible character. Let there be not only an outward turning back of children's hearts to the fathers and leaders of our nation, but let there be a genuine change from within, from our hearts, because that is where it should begin.

Father God, I pray that the people of this nation would learn to respect their leaders; that we as citizens of the Philippines would learn to respect and submit to the delegated authority You have placed above us, as You have allowed them to be there for a purpose. Teach us Holy Spirit to intercede for our government officials -- from our President to our barangay tanods -- so that they will be guided and led by You in everything they do. Help us, Filipinos, to lift our politicians up to You Lord in prayer; that instead of calling them names, bad mouthing them and heaping curses on them, we would bless them, speak words of life and encouragement to them, and cover them in prayer. Enable us, God, to see beyond who they are in the natural; open our spiritual eyes to see them the way You see them -- they, too, are precious in Your sight.

Lord, I pray that the hearts of the people in the Philippines would turn their hearts first and foremost to You, our Heavenly Father, because we need to set our hearts to will of the King if we are to live under Your rule, Your reign, You Kingdom; because once our hearts are turned to You, Father, submission, respect and obedience to our earthly fathers, leaders and delegated authority will become an overflow of our submission, respect and obedience to You. I pray, Father, that You would let this start within the hearts of every single Filipino. Let it start in mine.

In Jesus' mighty name I pray.

Hearts of the Fathers to the Children

Father God, I pray that You turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children; the hearts of politicians to the people; the heart of the governors to their constituents; the heart of the mayors to their citizens. I pray for Your righteousness to reign in the hearts of men in the land and that Your righteousness would become a way of life for us Filipinos.

God, give this nation the heart of the Father. Give us a heart that loves unconditionally, the way You love unconditionally. Let the fathers of this nation rise up; let the men of this nation be the leaders that You've made them to be; let them be teachers, mentors, friends, preachers, pastors, captains, commanders, tutors, peacemakers and example-setters to their children first of all -- because it has to start at home before it sweeps the whole country.

Father, raise up godly and God-fearing men and fathers in the Philippines. Men who will put the interest of other before their own. Men who will put You first before themselves. Men who are not afraid to give up the things they want in life to give way to the things that You want in their lives. Men who will have the heart of the Heavenly Father -- willing to bless others, willing to give good things, willing to sacrifice for the greater good, willing to always set their hearts on the needs of others.

God, give us a revelation of Your heart, Father, so that we will know unconditional love at its highest form, for only when our hearts are turned to Yours can there be a true turning of the hearts of the fathers back to the children.

This I pray in the name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.

The Garden

Excerpted from "Her Hand in Marriage" by Doug Wilson, pages 93-95
[thanks to UBS for sharing this]

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As my horse trotted wearily up the road, I could see the walls of a beautiful garden ahead. Outside the gate was an equally beautiful woman. At the sound of my greeting, she turned and dropped a curtsey. “Good sir...good morning.”

I looked at her, and then at the garden walls extending out to the right and left. Behind her was the garden gate.

I said, “I am very thirsty… for something clean.”

She smiled, and her smile made me thirstier still. But she said nothing.

“Is there water here?” I asked.

“There is a stream within my garden.” Her statement was simply a statement of fact; there was no invitation at all in it.

I asked, “May I come in and drink?”

“No,” she said. “The lord of my mother’s garden does not permit that.”

“Why is this? Other women have let me drink from the gardens that they tend.” I glanced at the fruit-laden branches which were visible over the top of the garden wall. “You have a lovely garden, but those who let me drink had gardens just as beautiful.”

She laughed at this, and her laugh was merry indeed.

“I have no doubt that you have been in some lovely gardens. But was the water clean?”

“No,” I said, and in spite of myself, turned my head and looked down. She continued with a question. “Is that why you are no longer in the gardens tended by these women?”

I was ashamed so I did not answer her. Instead I looked past her into the garden. The path through the gate disappeared after a few feet, leaving the view of anyone on the road.

“It seems like a shame for such a garden to go to waste.”

She seemed both puzzled and amused. “How does it go to waste?”

“Does any man drink from your stream?”

“No, but no man fouls it either.”

“But isn’t that not a waste? Was not your stream made to quench the thirst of travelers?”

“I’m afraid you are seriously mistaken. It was made to quench the thirst, not of travelers, but of the lord of the garden.”

“Oh,” I said, “This garden has a lord?”

“No,” she said.

“Then I don’t understand. Are you speaking in riddles?”

“She smiled. “No, I am not. The garden will one day have a lord, although it does not yet. The stream is for him alone.”

“And who will your lord be?”

“When my mother’s lord gives a blessing, the one whom I appoint.”

“How can the lesser appoint the greater?”

“How can it be so? When my lord comes, I will grant to him my garden. But until I do, he is just another traveler.”

“And what do you look for? I am sure there are many who knock at your gate.”

At this she blushed slightly but looked straight at me. “I will not have a lord who does not have a lord himself – my lord must have taken an oath of fealty to the Landlord.”

“The Landlord? Who is He?”

“He is the owner of all the gardens along this road. In order to come into my garden, my lord must take an oath before the Landlord to tend the garden well. He must also swear that he will enter no other garden.”

I had never heard such words as these before. “How long must he stay out of other gardens?”

“Forever.”

“But what if he is born to travel?”

“Then he is not born for my garden.”

“I see,” I said, becoming a little angry. “Then why have I never heard of such an oath? I have been in many gardens.”

“Yes, you said that before. But was the water clean? Were the gardens tended? That is what happens when there is no oath.”

“So that is all? If someone takes an oath before the Landlord, you will make him your lord?”

“No.”

“Well, what else then?”

“There are many men who think they can tend my garden well, and who would be willing to swear an oath before the Landlord saying so. But that does not mean that my mother’s lord, or I, share their confidence.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that I know the extent of the garden. I have a knowledge of it that cannot be gained from the road. But no man can share that knowledge until after I have made him my lord and husband. So I must have the measure of the man before.”

“So what must a man do? It seems like much work.”

She smiled once again. “There is much work. There is also much fruit.”

“So what must a man do?”

“The first thing is to – “

“Yes, I know. He must swear to the Landlord. But after?”

“He must return to me, and ask to see my mother’s lord.”

“And what would he say?”

“That depends on the man.” At this parting comment, she turned and walked slowly back in to the garden, pulling the gate closed behind her. I spurred my horse, which began to trot down the road. I did not know what to think, but I needed to find this Landlord.