Discipline + Correction = Life

Proverbs 10:17
Pick your translation; the principle remains the same.


(New International Version)
He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.


(New American Standard Bible)
He is on the path of life who heeds instruction, but he who ignores reproof goes astray.


(The Message)
The road to life is a disciplined life; ignore correction and you're lost for good.


(Amplified Bible)
He who heeds instruction and correction is [not only himself] in the way of life [but also] is a way of life for others. And he who neglects or refuses reproof [not only himself] goes astray [but also] causes to err and is a path toward ruin for others.


(New Living Translation)
People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray.


(King James Version)
He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.


(English Standard Version)
Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.


(Contemporary English Version)
Accept correction, and you will find life; reject correction, and you will miss the road.


(New King James Version)
He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, but he who refuses correction goes astray.


(New Century Version)
Whoever accepts correction is on the way to life, but whoever ignores correction will lead others away from life.


(21st Century King James Version)
He that keepeth instruction is in the way of life, but he that refuseth reproof erreth.


(Darby Translation)
Keeping instruction is the path to life; but he that forsaketh reproof goeth astray.


(Holman Christian Standard Bible)
The one who follows instruction is on the path to life, but the one who rejects correction goes astray.


(New International Reader's Version)
Anyone who pays attention to his training is on his way to life. But anyone who refuses to be corrected leads others down the wrong path.

Read Your Bible [and Pray Everyday] and You'll Grow, Grow, Grow

"I believe in our day we need to practice the Word of God or to practice God’s principles outlined in the Word. We need to practice what we have been taught from the pulpit, from ministry programs, from teaching tapes and videos. We need to prove the Word of God in our lives in times of little stress so we can be better prepared when the times of pressure, the times of need are at hand.

As with all things that we practice, initially, we might not be very good at what we are practicing, i.e. piano, painting, etc. We miss the correct keys, we paint outside the lines, we falter, we fade, we fail. But it is only through our practice that we can become proficient at anything.

So it is with the Word of God; we initially might not be successful at the Word which we practice, but as we keep trying, as we grow in understanding of Bible principles, we become stronger and our practice more sure. Then our success in the Word becomes greater and greater, and our faith becomes stronger and stronger."


-- Roberta Palmer Grummond, author of the self-published book Practicing the Word of God

Neverending Promises: June 2-09

Isaiah 54 [NIV]

1 "Sing, O barren woman,
you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband,"
says the LORD.

2 "Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.

3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants will dispossess nations
and settle in their desolate cities.

4 "Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame.
Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth
and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.

5 For your Maker is your husband—
the LORD Almighty is his name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
he is called the God of all the earth.

6 The LORD will call you back
as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,
only to be rejected," says your God.

7 "For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with deep compassion I will bring you back.

8 In a surge of anger
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
I will have compassion on you,"
says the LORD your Redeemer.

9 "To me this is like the days of Noah,
when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.
So now I have sworn not to be angry with you,
never to rebuke you again.

10 Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,"
says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

11 "O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,
I will build you with stones of turquoise,
your foundations with sapphires.

12 I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of sparkling jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones.

13 All your sons will be taught by the LORD,
and great will be your children's peace.

14 In righteousness you will be established:
Tyranny will be far from you;
you will have nothing to fear.
Terror will be far removed;
it will not come near you.

15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
whoever attacks you will surrender to you.

16 "See, it is I who created the blacksmith
who fans the coals into flame
and forges a weapon fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc;

17 no weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
and this is their vindication from me,"
declares the LORD.

Light of the Word

Last night's revival service confirmed what the Lord has been repeatedly yet gently speaking to me. Psalm 119:105 says "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Several times before last night, God has been impressing on my heart the importance and urgency of having a daily intake of His word.

Pastor Joe stated that without the guidance of the Word in the church and in one's personal life, it is so easy to stray -- and stray far -- from the truth. This confirmation shook me awake from my insufficiency in the area of voraciously consuming the Word on a daily basis. Yes, I read the Bible and hear on my iPod, but I realized I don't do it deliberately enough. Changes are going to be implmented, by God's grace.

I now feel a greater sense of urgency to really immerse myself -- and the guys in the cell group with me -- in the Word. So help me God.

The Bible is our daily bread, our source of joy and strength, our light, our guide, and without it, living life would be like using a technically complicated equipment without reading the manual.

2 Kings 23:2 says that King Josiah, when he found the Book of the Covenant and realized how far off the nation was from God's standards, read the Book of the Law to all the people "in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant." When they learned of what God said was right, they made restitution -- they repented, stopped sinning and took corrective action. We who read the Bible now should have the same response.

God's Word IS a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Why stumble through the darkness of ignorance, uncertainty and sin when we can shine His truth on our lives and live in perpetual brightness?

Job's Security

Job 5:8-27 [New Century Version]

"But if I were you, I would call on God and bring my problem before him.
God does wonders that cannot be understood; he does so many miracles they cannot be counted.
He gives rain to the earth and sends water on the fields. He makes the humble person important and lifts the sad to places of safety.
He ruins the plans of those who trick others so they have no success.
He catches the wise in their own clever traps and sweeps away the plans of those who try to trick others.
Darkness covers them up in the daytime; even at noon they feel around in the dark.
God saves the needy from their lies and from the harm done by powerful people.
So the poor have hope, while those who are unfair are silenced.

"The one whom God corrects is happy, so do not hate being corrected by the Almighty.
God hurts, but he also bandages up; he injures, but his hands also heal. He will save you from six troubles; even seven troubles will not harm you.
God will buy you back from death in times of hunger, and in battle he will save you from the sword.
You will be protected from the tongue that strikes like a whip, and you will not be afraid when destruction comes.
You will laugh at destruction and hunger, and you will not fear the wild animals, because you will have an agreement with the stones in the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.
You will know that your tent is safe, because you will check the things you own and find nothing missing.
You will know that you will have many children, and your descendants will be like the grass on the earth.
You will come to the grave with all your strength, like bundles of grain gathered at the right time.

"We have checked this, and it is true, so hear it and decide what it means to you."

"Don't Quit On Me Now"

Psalm 138 [The Message]
A David Psalm

Thank you! Everything in me says "Thank you!" Angels listen as I sing my thanks. I kneel in worship facing your holy temple and say it again: "Thank you!" Thank you for your love, thank you for your faithfulness; Most holy is your name, most holy is your Word.
The moment I called out, you stepped in; you made my life large with strength.

When they hear what you have to say, God, all earth's kings will say "Thank you." They'll sing of what you've done: "How great the glory of God!"
And here's why:
God, high above, sees far below; no matter the distance,
he knows everything about us.

When I walk into the thick of trouble, keep me alive in the angry turmoil. With one hand strike my foes, With your other hand save me. Finish what you started in me, God. Your love is eternal
—don't quit on me now.

Let the River Flow 2008: Faith Bombs

Feb. 20, 2008 Wednesday 10:00 am
Pastor Rich Oliver

As a believer, we need to launch faith bombs, look for the fingerprints of God and ask, “What is God Doing?”

FAITH BOMBS WE CAN FOCUS OUR EYES ON:

GOD’S LOVE
The Father’s heart of love brings miracles.

Jesus is moved with compassion for the great multitude.

MATTHEW 14:14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, HE HAD COMPASSION ON THEM AND HEALED THEIR SICK.

THE POWER OF HIS LOVE IN US BRINGS FAVOR AND BLESSINGS that overtakes us.

Pursue His love every day. Decide it – desire it. It unlocks healing, provision, miracles, supernatural experiences, wisdom, the hidden mysteries of the Lord, grace upon grace.

His love will clothe you, deliver you, bless you, strengthen you, bring back the prodigals.

Make it your aim to know the love of the Lord.

COVENANT-KEEPING GOD
EPHESIANS 3:6 This mystery is that THROUGH THE GOSPEL THE GENTILES ARE HEIRS TOGETHER WITH ISRAEL, MEMBERS TOGETHER OF ONE BODY, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

EPHESIANS 3:10-11 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 ACCORDING TO HIS ETERNAL PURPOSE WHICH HE ACCOMPLISHED IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.

EPHESIANS 3:16-19 I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith . And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

He is always looking out for what’s best for you.

When you have a heart of compassion, when you cry tears in behalf of your family, your nation, your city, your declaration shifts things in the spiritual.

WE HAVE TO BE IN THE CORE OF WHO WE ARE, FILLED WITH THE LOVE OF GOD.

His promises are sure. It’s His very nature to do what He promises to do.

His promise of healing is already done, finished.

1 PETER 2:24 He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; BY HIS WOUNDS YOU HAVE BEEN HEALED.

We as spirit-filled Christians should STAND ON THE PROMISES OF GOD. If His promises are not real, then everything we have in life, which He spoke into existence, is not real.

THE WILL OF GOD
God uses us to bring Jesus into our world. Are we in His will concerning this?

FULFILLMENT OF PROPHETIC WORDS
ISAIAH 53:5 But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, AND BY HIS WOUNDS WE ARE HEALED.

Jesus is the realization of this prophecy.

Healing is for everyone.

MATTHEW 8:16-17 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to Him, and He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "HE TOOK UP OUR INFIRMITIES AND CARRIED OUR DISEASES."

HE IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW
HEBREWS 13:8 JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY AND TODAY AND FOREVER.

JAMES 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who DOES NOT CHANGE LIKE SHIFTING SHADOWS.

REVELATION 1:18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and BEHOLD I AM ALIVE FOREVER AND EVER! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

HEALING COMMISSION
He has commissioned us to work miracles in His name.
JOHN 14:12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

MARK 16:15, 18 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation…..they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."

Be a people who cry out to God for our calling.

GOD’S GOODNESS

We serve a good God.
MATTHEW 7:11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!

Even nature testifies of God’s goodness.
JAMES 1:17-18 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

These gifts are to empower us, so that we do not speak on our own strength but on the authority of Jesus.
EPHESIANS 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,…

GOD IS SOVEREIGN
ECCLESIASTES 8:3 Do not be in a hurry to leave the King's presence. Do not stand up for a bad cause, for He will do whatever He pleases.

Sovereign – Monarch, Supreme Ruler, Autonomous or Self-directed

He is Sovereign and He does what He pleases.

DESPERATION
MARK 5:24-28 The desperation of the woman with the issue of blood.
24 A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed."

MATTHEW 15:22-28 The desperation of the woman with a demon-possessed daughter
22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." 23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." 25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. 26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." 27 "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

KINGDOM ADVANCEMENT
He does miracles to destroy the works of the enemy.
ACTS 10:38 …how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how HE WENT AROUND DOING GOOD AND HEALING ALL WHO WERE UNDER THE POWER OF THE DEVIL, because God was with Him.

1 JOHN 3:8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. THE REASON THE SON OF GOD APPEARED WAS TO DESTROY THE DEVIL'S WORK.

You and I are called to lay hands on the sick, preach and proclaim the good news and to set free those in bondage.

HOW TO MAINTAIN HEALING:

PRAISE, PRAYER AND WORSHIP helps you maintain healing.

MEDITATE ON AND LIVE BY GOD’S WORD. Meditation brings revelations, revelation brings healing manifestation, healing brings encouragement to the heart from which the mouth speaks.

PROVERBS 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

MATTHEW 12:34 For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks .

LUKE 6:45 For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks .

CONSTANTLY PURSUE HIS PRESENCE AND POWER inside and outside the church walls. We owe the world an encounter with God.

What I believe after I pray is as important as what I believe while I am praying.

Every problem is an opportunity for a miracle and to show the world HOW BIG OUR GOD IS. We’ve got to be a people of DISCIPLINED PRAYER, PRAISE AND WORSHIP.

Discipline will bring you to a place where God’s glory dwells. Regularly invite His presence in your life.

Salvador del Mundo

I try to save the world.


That's my problem.


But I'm not the Savior...


...Jesus is!

Let the River Flow 2008: Living Our Dreams

Notes from the 2008 Let the River Flow Conference... from Arlene del Socorro {thanks!}.

- - - - -


LET THE RIVER FLOW CONFERENCE 2008
Feb. 18, 2008 Monday Ladies’ Meeting 7:00 pm – LIVING OUR DREAMS

Lindy Oliver

WOMEN are NURTURERS, capable of compassion and helping and encouraging children to find their own faith in God. Women are multi-tasking people.

We are created to be DREAMERS and it is something we are not supposed to outgrow.

A DREAM is something strongly desired, something that fully satisfies.

We need to change our “IF ONLY” with ‘WHAT CAN WE DO TOGETHER LORD?”

The world is a dream stealer. Even the church can be a dream stealer. But we need to TAKE PLEASURE IN THE LORD and hold on to our dream.

PSALMS 37:4-6 DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD AND HE WILL GIVE YOU THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.


HOW DO WE GET FROM HAVING DREAMS TO REALLY LIVING THOSE DREAMS?

Example of Mary: LUKE 1:26-38

26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 FOR NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD."

38 "I AM THE LORD'S SERVANT," MARY ANSWERED. "MAY IT BE TO ME AS YOU HAVE SAID." Then the angel left her.


It has to START WITH THE LORD.

Share your dreams with Him. DREAMS ARE BORN OUT OF A RELATIONSHIP. Conception comes not from passion but from INTIMACY.

Believe that WITH GOD NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. (verse 37)
BELIEVE IN YOUR DREAMS. Believe the prophetic words you received and what God has placed in your heart. It’s not about knowing how it’s going to happen, it’s about WHO GAVE THE PROMISE.

We need to SURRENDER TO GOD’S IDEA like Mary.
She believed so she conceived. (verse 38)

We have to carry our dreams to its’ FULL TERM.
It was an inconvenient time for Mary to travel and she was uncomfortable during the entire trip but she proceeded to carry the dream.

DO NOT ABORT YOUR DREAMS WHEN IT GETS UNCOMFORTABLE.

Deal with the inconvenience and LOOK FORWARD TO BIRTHING YOUR DREAMS. We know there is a baby inside a pregnant woman. We don’t say there is a promise inside the womb. There is a seed, a life inside it. It is the same with your dreams. YOUR DREAMS CARRY LIFE, A SEED THAT WILL PRODUCE GOOD FRUIT IN DUE SEASON.

WE HAVE TO LABOR BEFORE WE CAN BREAKTHROUGH.
Mary’s time to labor came at a very inconvenient time in a place where there was no room for her to properly deliver her baby, BUT IT WAS GOD’S PERFECT APPOINTED TIME.

To LABOR is to TRAVAIL, STRUGGLE, STRIVE, TO SWEAT. Spend time in PRAYER to PREPARE YOURSELF FOR IT.

Breakthrough is messy, but that’s not the dream. The baby is the dream, the treasure. THE MESS COMES BEFORE THE DREAM.

If you want to see the dream come, you got to BREAKTHROUGH.

NURTURE THE DREAM.
God trusted Mary and Joseph to raise His Son. Your dream will need a lot of your time and attention, but in time, your dream will be imprinted with your life.

GIVE YOUR DREAM, YOUR VISION BACK TO GOD.
Remit it to Him. RELEASE IT AND GIVE UP YOUR RIGHTS AND YOUR CONTROL OVER IT TO GOD. The dream and life we have in us has a PURPOSE and DESTINY FAR MORE BIGGER THAN US. Release your children and bless them. Know that GOD IS AT WORK IN THEIR LIVES.

To move from having dreams to really living those dreams starts with INTIMACY. BELIEVE. That’s where life is conceived. Then we SURRENDER TO HIM. Choose to believe Him who is the Giver of life, share your life with Him and see a fruitful and fulfilling life in Him.

Today's Word is...

...GODLY!

Let the River Flow 2008: Running with Jesus [part 2]

thanks to Arlene del Socorro for passing out these notes online. God bless her more!

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Let the River Flow Conference 2008
Feb. 17, 2008 Sunday Service 9:00 am – Running with Jesus

Part 2

PREREQUISITES TO GETTING TO THE OTHER SIDE:

Leave the crowd behind (MARK 4:36 NIV LEAVING THE CROWD BEHIND, they took Him along, just as He was, in the boat.)

See who is with you (MARK 4:36 NIV There were also OTHER BOATS with Him.)

Know who is with you (MARK 4:36 NIV Leaving the crowd behind, they took Him along, JUST AS HE WAS, in the boat.) Jesus came as He was on the boat – the KING OF KINGS, LORD OF LORDS, ALMIGHTY AND GREAT, SON OF GOD

Know that you have no control over the elements, but Jesus has. (MARK 4:37-39 NIV A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, don't You care if we drown?" HE GOT UP, REBUKED THE WIND AND SAID TO THE WAVES, "QUIET! BE STILL!" THEN THE WIND DIED DOWN AND IT WAS COMPLETELY CALM. )


Pastor Rich Oliver

God has spoken prophetic direction in your life but a storm meets you and you think you will sink.

IF YOU STAY TOO LONG IN A STRUGGLE BEFORE YOU CALL ON GOD, YOU WILL GET AN ATTITUDE PROBLEM. You will look for someone to blame except yourself.

Jesus said in MARK 4:40 NIV, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

He is saying why are you so afraid that you would forget my character? Do you believe in the storm more than you believe in me?

When we forget our purpose, then the activities of the Lord will surprise us. We will ask questions like “who is this?”

MARK 4:41 NIV They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!"

Don’t be caught totally off guard.

Today's Word is...

...DIVINE!

Today's Word is...

...GREATER!

Lose Heart

One of the prophetic directions for this year was that it would be a year of encouraging oneself in the Lord. This is true. These days it is necessary to just really lift yourself up and encourage your spirit to hope in the Lord and to not be discouraged [everyone else seems to be too busy to do it for you. heheh].

I find myself in a season where I feel like being led by the hand of God, but with my eyes blindfolded -- I have little-to-no idea of where this road is going most of the time. I find myself asking God and myself what's going on.

I reviewed my journal the other night and was struck by how many times the Lord had spoken to me to cease striving and to just rest in Him. I seem to be forgetting that He's told me He'll take care of me so many times. But God is always gracious.

Today, I felt a few minutes of in-coming discouragement and whispered to the Lord, "please, don't let me lose heart. I do not want to be discouraged, Lord." To which He reminded me to lift myself up and to bless Him with my soul.

I ran to the Biblegateway and searched through the site using the words "lose heart". This led me to this passage in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18...

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

God strengthens the inner man daily, but we have to do our part by reading His Word and constantly reminding ourselves to praise the Lord with our inmost being. His Word in our hearts keeps it from being swayed by our light and momentary troubles. As we fix our eyes on Him, He will keep us in perfect peace and keep us from losing heart.

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.

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!”

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.”

Not I No More

und nicht mehr lebe ich, sondern Christus lebt in mir; was ich aber jetzt im Fleisch lebe, lebe ich im Glauben, [und zwar im Glauben] an den Sohn Gottes, der mich geliebt und sich selbst für mich hingegeben hat.

Съразпнах се с Христа, и сега вече, не аз живея, но Христос живее в мене; а животът, който сега живея в тялото, живея го с вярата, която е в Божия Син, Който ме възлюби и предаде Себе Си за мене.

Med Kristus er jeg korsfæstet, og det er ikke mere mig, der lever, men Kristus lever i mig; men hvad jeg nu lever, i Kødet, det lever jeg i Troen, på Guds Søn, som elskede mig og gav sig selv hen for mig.

Con Cristo estoy juntamente crucificado, y ya no vivo yo, mas vive Cristo en mí; y lo que ahora vivo en la carne, lo vivo en la fe del Hijo de Dios, el cual me amó y se entregó a sí mismo por mí.

J'ai été crucifié avec Christ; et si je vis, ce n'est plus moi qui vis, c'est Christ qui vit en moi; si je vis maintenant dans la chair, je vis dans la foi au Fils de Dieu, qui m'a aimé et qui s'est livré lui-même pour moi.

Napatay ako kaupod ni Cristo sa krus. Indi na ako ang nagakabuhi karon, kundi si Cristo na ang nagakabuhi sa akon. Kag ining kabuhi nga akon ginakabuhi karon amo ang resulta sang akon pagtuo sa Anak sang Dios nga naghigugma sa akon kag naghalad sang iya kabuhi para sa akon.

Ég er krossfestur með Kristi. Sjálfur lifi ég ekki framar, heldur lifir Kristur í mér. Lífinu, sem ég lifi nú hér á jörð, lifi ég í trúnni á Guðs son, sem elskaði mig og lagði sjálfan sig í sölurnar fyrir mig.

Napako ako sa krus na kasama ni Cristo, gayunman ako ay nabubuhay. Ngunit hindi na ako ang nabubuhay kundi si Cristo na ang nabubuhay sa akin. Ang buhay na ikinabubuhay ko ngayon sa laman ay ikinabubuhay ko sa pananampalataya ng Anak ng Diyos na siyang umibig sa akin at nagbigay ng kaniyang sarili para sa akin.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.



Galatians 2:20... in different tongues