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Trust
Valley Walking by Julie Meyer-Weber
I don't much like walking in the valley.
It is treacherous.
There are rocks stubbing my toes.
And jagged cliff walls stabbing my back.
I don't much like valley-walking.
The hike is loathsome.
The air is stifling.
The way seems endless.
In valley-walking, the darkness oppresses.
The shadow of death hovers over
Pushing
Taunting
Blocking out the warmth of the Sun.
I don"t like valley-walking.
I have forgotten the mountains
I have lost sight of the flowers
This valley walking has become my daily trek.
I don't like valley-walking.
There is not running in the valley.
No rushing the pain
One must WALK through it.
Slow treads of torment
No easy exits.
Did I hear You?
Did you say, "Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death?"
Did you say I could do this without fear?
Are you really with me?
One foot in front of the other
Upon the valley terrain
Bravely, sadly, hopefully
For You are with me.
Still, I do not much like valley-walking.
April 29, 2009
God gave me these words back in April of 2009. I did not know how much I would need them now. As my husband and I both have lost jobs, and the future seems so bleak. I still do not like valley walking. |
Julia Weber, 12/30/2010
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Spiritual Toolbox part 3: Book of Common Prayer
What is it?
The Book of Common Prayer is the common title of a number of prayer books of the Church of England and of other Anglican churches.
A major revision was published in 1662 (Church of England 1662). That edition has remained the official prayer book of the Church of England, although in the 21st century, an alternative book called Common Worship has largely displaced the Book of Common Prayer at the main Sunday worship service of most English parish churches.
Where to find it?
Thanks to the era of internet and electronics it is no longer necessary to feverishly browse through and old dusty book to get to the right pages — although dusty can have its charm too — but you can easily find it on the web neatly arranged per day, divided between morning, evening and night-prayer. Just click on the link and you’re ready to go!
http://cofe.anglican.org/worship/dailyprayer/morning/
http://cofe.anglican.org/worship/dailyprayer/evening/
http://cofe.anglican.org/worship/dailyprayer/night/
On the site mentioned above you can choose between the old The Book of Common Prayer (1662)-text that has a literary beauty of its own and the Common Worship: Daily Prayer-version that is more accessible to our postmodern race.
What are its contents?
For example today is the fourth Sunday of Lent. The prayers for today consist of:
Preparation:
1. introduction
2. prayer of thanksgiving
3. a suitable hymn
4. opening prayer
5. silence
Word of God:
1. Psalmody (psalms)
2. Canticle
3. Scripture reading of the day
4. Responsory
5. Gospel Canticle e.g. the Benedictus
Prayers:
1. intercession: for the day and its tasks; the world and its needs; the Church and her life.
2. silence
3. the Collect of the day
4. the Lord’s prayer
Conclusion
The evening prayer rite is quite similar in length and composition but consists of some different elements.
The night rite is quite short in comparison. It is also called the ancient office of the Compline. It is above all a service of quietness before rest at the end of the day.
Here are a few beautiful excerpts from today’s Night prayer as an example:
An Order for Night Prayer (Compline)
Sunday, 14 March 2010
The Fourth Sunday of Lent
The Lord almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.
Amen.
A period of silence for reflection on the past day may follow.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Alleluia.
The following or other suitable hymn may be sung.
Before the ending of the day,
Creator of the world, we pray
That you, with steadfast love, would keep
Your watch around us while we sleep.
From evil dreams defend our sight,
From fears and terrors of the night;
Tread underfoot our deadly foe
That we no sinful thought may know.
O Father, that we ask be done
Through Jesus Christ, your only Son;
And Holy Spirit, by whose breath
Our souls are raised to life from death.
Intercessions and thanksgivings may be offered here.
The Collect
Silence may be kept.
The Conclusion
In peace we will lie down and sleep;
for you alone, Lord, make us dwell in safety.
Abide with us, Lord Jesus,
for the night is at hand and the day is now past.
As the night watch looks for the morning,
so do we look for you, O Christ.
[Come with the dawning of the day
and make yourself known in the breaking of the bread.]
May God bless us,
that in us may be found love and humility,
obedience and thanksgiving,
discipline, gentleness and peace.
© The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2000-2005
All of the official Common Worship publications are being published by Church House Publishing.
How do I use the Daily Prayers in my devotional time?
Since I already listen to the Bible every day for 20 minutes @ Daily Audio Bible, I skip most of the Scripture readings and Psalms and stick to the beautiful prayers as mentioned above.
I don’t pray from the Book of Common Prayer every day but I alternate with the prayers I described in Spiritual Toolbox part 1: the Daily prayer. In addition I also pray ‘freestyle’ to God as well ;-)
But if you haven’t yet established a daily Bible reading routine then the Book of Common prayer can be just perfect for you to immerse yourself in Scripture and pray the prayers of the ages daily.
I encourage you all to give it a go!
Feel free to ask me any questions or comment on this post below, or follow me on Twitter.
Sources:
Wikipedia
Church of England |
Eskadi Es, 3/15/2010
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The spiritual Toolbox Part 1: the Daily Prayer
Lately I've been thinking a lot about how to improve my prayer life. I've been feeling uninspired, dull and unfocused to pray. Still I think prayer is the most important part of our spiritual life. That's why I decided to dedicate a 10-part series to the matter: The Spiritual Toolbox, exploring different types of prayer and other spiritual practices with wisdom from Christian spiritual teachers and Christian denominations like: John Eldredge, Neil Anderson, the Anglican Church, the Benedictines, Brian Hardin, Ignatius de Loyola and Henri Nouwen.
My goal is to inspire myself to pray more regularly and in a more engaged fashion to strenghten my relationship with the Lord and to inspire you along the way!
After all in the New Testament Jesus withdrew very often from the crowd to pray. To spend time with the Most High is key to your faith!
Have a great journey!
Here's the outline of the contents of the series:
Spiritual toolbox part 1: the Daily Prayer
Spiritual toolbox part 2: Book of Common Prayer
Spiritual toolbox part 3: The Examen Prayer
Spiritual toolbox part 4: Journaling
Spiritual toolbox part 5: Lectio Divina
Spiritual toolbox part 6: Practicing Silence
Spiritual toolbox part 7: The Daily Audio Bible
Spiritual toolbox part 8: Praying with the names of God
Spiritual toolbox part 9: Setting up a morning devotion
Spiritual toolbox part 10: Setting up an evening devotion
In this first post I want to share with you two of my favorite prayers, which are especially helpful if you feel uninspired to pray or are at a loss for words.
I encourage you to experiment with them. Here they are:
1. Daily Prayer
My dear Lord Jesus I come to you now to be restored in you, to be renewed in you, to receive
your love and your life, and all the grace and mercy I so desperately need this day. I honor you
as my Sovereign, and I surrender every aspect of my life totally and completely to you. I give
you my spirit, soul and body, my heart, mind, and will. I cover myself with your blood—my spirit,
soul, and body, my heart, mind and will. I ask your Holy Spirit to restore me in you, renew me in
you, and to lead me in this time of prayer. In all that I now pray, I stand in total agreement with
your Spirit, and with my intercessors and allies, by your Spirit alone.
[Now, if you are a husband, you’ll want to include your wife in this time of prayer. If you are a
parent, you’ll want to include your children. If this doesn’t apply to you, jump to the paragraph
after this one.]
In all that I now pray, I include (my wife and/or children, by name). Acting as their head, I bring
them under your authority and covering, as I come under your authority and covering. I cover
(wife and/or children, by name) with your blood – their spirit, soul and body, their heart, mind
and will. I ask your Spirit to restore them in you, renew them in you, and apply to them all that I
now pray on their behalf, acting as their head.
Dear God, holy and victorious Trinity, you alone are worthy of all my worship, my heart’s
devotion, all my praise, all my trust and all the glory of my life. I love you, I worship you, I trust
you. I give myself over to you in my heart’s search for life. You alone are Life, and you have
become my life. I renounce all other gods, all idols, and I give you the place in my heart and in
my life that you truly deserve. I confess here and now that this is all about you, God, and not
about me. You are the Hero of this story, and I belong to you. Forgive me for my every sin.
Search me and know me and reveal to me where you are working in my life, and grant to me
the grace of your healing and deliverance, and a deep and true repentance.
Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me and choosing me before you made the world. You are
my true Father—my Creator, my Redeemer, my Sustainer, and the true end of all things,
including my life. I love you, I trust you, I worship you. I give myself over to you to be one with
you in all things, as Jesus is one with you. Thank you for proving your love by sending Jesus. I
receive him and all his life and all his work, which you ordained for me. Thank you for including
me in Christ, for forgiving me my sins, for granting me his righteousness, for making me
complete in him. Thank you for making me alive with Christ, raising me with him, seating me
with him at your right hand, establishing me in his authority, and anointing me with your Holy
Spirit, your love and your favor. I receive it all with thanks and give it total claim to my life—my
spirit, soul, and body, my heart, mind and will. I bring the life and the work of Jesus over (wife
and/or children, by name) and over my home, my household, my vehicles, finances, all my
kingdom and domain.
Jesus, thank you for coming to ransom me with your own life. I love you, I worship you, I trust
you. I give myself over to you, to be one with you in all things. And I receive all the work and all
of the triumph of your cross, death, blood and sacrifice for me, through which I am atoned for, I
am ransomed and transferred to your kingdom, my sin nature is removed, my heart is
circumcised unto God, and every claim made against me is disarmed this day. I now take my
place in your cross and death, through which I have died with you to sin, to my flesh, to the
world, and to the evil one. I take up the cross and crucify my flesh with all its pride, arrogance,
unbelief, and idolatry (and anything else you are currently struggling with). I put off the old man.
I ask you to apply to me the fullness of your cross, death, blood and sacrifice. I receive it with
thanks and give it total claim to my spirit, soul and body, my heart, mind and will.
Jesus, I also sincerely receive you as my life, my holiness and strength, and I receive all the
work and triumph of your resurrection, through which you have conquered sin and death and
judgment. Death has no mastery over you, nor does any foul thing. And I have been raised with
you to a new life, to live your life – dead to sin and alive to God. I now take my place in your
resurrection and in your life, through which I am saved by your life. I reign in life through your
life. I receive your life – your humility, love and forgiveness, your integrity in all things, your
wisdom, discernment and cunning, your strength, your joy, your union with the Father. Apply to
me the fullness of your resurrection. I receive it with thanks and give it total claim to my spirit,
soul and body, my heart, mind and will.
Jesus, I also sincerely receive you as my authority, rule, and dominion, my everlasting victory
against Satan and his kingdom, and my ability to bring your Kingdom at all times and in every
way. I receive all the work and triumph of your ascension, through which you have judged Satan
and cast him down, you have disarmed his kingdom. All authority in heaven and on earth has
been given to you, Jesus. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to you, and you
are worthy to receive all glory and honor, power and dominion, now and forevermore. And I
have been given fullness in you, in your authority. I now take my place in your ascension, and in
your throne, through which I have been raised with you to the right hand of the Father and
established in your authority. I now bring the kingdom of God, and the authority, rule and
dominion of Jesus Christ over my life today, over my home, my household, my vehicles and
finances, over all my kingdom and domain.
I now bring the authority, rule and dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the fullness of the
work of Christ, against Satan, against his kingdom, against every foul and unclean spirit come
against me. (At this point you might want to name the spirits that you know have been attacking
you). I bring the full work of Jesus Christ against every foul power and black art, against every
human being and their warfare. I bind it all from me in the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ and
in his Name.
Holy Spirit, thank you for coming. I love you, I worship you, I trust you. I sincerely receive you
and all the work and victory in Pentecost, through which you have come, you have clothed me
with power from on high, sealed me in Christ. You have become my union with the Father and
the Son, become the Spirit of truth in me, the life of God in me, my Counselor, Comforter,
Strength, and Guide. I honor you as my Sovereign, and I yield every dimension of my spirit, soul
and body, my heart, mind and will to you and you alone, to be filled with you, to walk in step with
you in all things. Fill me afresh. Restore my union with the Father and the Son. Lead me in all
truth, anoint me for all of my life and walk and calling, and lead me deeper into Jesus today. I
receive you with thanks, and I give you total claim to my life.
Heavenly Father, thank you for granting to me every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ
Jesus. I claim the riches in Christ Jesus over my life today, my home, my kingdom and domain.
I bring the blood of Christ over my spirit, soul, and body, my heart, mind and will. I put on the full
armor of God – the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the gospel, helmet of
salvation. I take up the shield of faith and sword of the Spirit, and I choose to wield these
weapons at all times in the power of God. I choose to pray at all times in the Spirit.
Thank you for your angels. I summon them in the authority of Jesus Christ and command them
to destroy the kingdom of darkness throughout my kingdom and domain, destroy all that is
raised against me, and to establish your Kingdom throughout my kingdom and domain. I ask
you to send forth your Spirit to raise up prayer and intercession for me this day. I now call forth
the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ throughout my home, my family, my kingdom and my
domain, in the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, with all glory and honor and thanks to him.
This prayer was developed over many years and from many sources but is in its current form directly from the ministry of
ransomedheart.com . For additional resources, books and events please visit the ransomed heart website. The Daily Audio Bible
fully endorses the teachings and writings of John Eldredge and the ministry of the Ransomed Heart team.
2. Daily Prayer
Daily Prayer and Declaration
Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You and honor
You as my Lord and Savior. You are in control of
all things. I thank You that You are always with
me and will never leave me nor forsake me. You are
the only all-powerful and only wise God. You are
kind and loving in all Your ways. I love You and
thank You that I am united with Christ and spiritually
alive in Him. I choose not to love the world or
the things in the world, and I crucify the flesh and
all its passions.
Thank You for the life I now have in Christ.
I ask You to fill me with the Holy Spirit so I can be
guided by You and not carry out the desires of the
flesh. I declare my total dependence upon You, and
I take my stand against Satan and all his lying
ways. I choose to believe the truth of God’s Word
despite what my feelings may say. I refuse to be
discouraged; You are the God of all hope. Nothing
is too difficult for You. I am confident that You
will supply all my needs as I seek to live according
to Your Word. I thank You that I can be content
and live a responsible life through Christ who
strengthens me.
I now take my stand against Satan and
command him and all his evil spirits to depart
from me. I choose to put on the full armor of God
so I may be able to stand firm against all the devil’s
schemes. I submit my body as a living and holy
sacrifice to You, and I choose to renew my mind by
Your living Word. By so doing I will be able to prove
that Your will is good, acceptable, and perfect for
me. In the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ, I pray. Amen.
Bedtime Prayer
Thank You, Lord, that You have brought me into Your
family and have blessed me with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Thank You
for this time of renewal and refreshment through sleep.
I accept it as one of Your blessings for Your children
and I trust You to guard my mind and my body during
my sleep.
As I have thought about You and Your truth during
the day, I choose to let those good thoughts continue in
my mind while I am asleep. I commit myself to You for
Your protection against every attempt of Satan and his
demons to attack me during sleep. Guard my mind
from nightmares. I renounce all fear and cast every
anxiety upon You, Lord. I commit myself to You as my
rock, my fortress, and my strong tower. May Your peace
be upon this place of rest. In the strong name of the
Lord Jesus Christ I pray. Amen
You can follow me on Twitter and please leave a comment below if you like, I would love to hear from you!
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Eskadi Es, 3/9/2010
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Bullies
When we think of the word bully many negative things come to our mind. Most often we think of the person who pushed us around mentally and even physically in high school. It may be the tormenter that spread lies about us and caused others to alienate you or call you names. As adults bullies are a bit more subtle but even more dangerous. They are the boss who pushes us around, the co-worker stopping at nothing to get ahead or the group of gossips that misuses company time to push their agenda or their low self-esteems out of the gutter. This can happen in both a Christian and non-Christian environment as I have observed working in both settings. Sometimes I almost cringe when I find out that I am working with a Christian because those that brag the loudest are often the farthest away from the word Christian. Dictionary.com defines a bully as a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people. The dictionary website, One Look.com further defines a bully as a cruel and brutal fellow that is bossy, frighten with threats or an intimating domineering manner.
I also believe that bullies can be our own mistakes. Sometimes we can be a bully to our selves with negative thoughts, feelings, actions and be a magnet to draw others to criticize and emotionally batter us. A defeating attitude can also lead to a personal and professional failure by our lack of low-self esteem, worry, laziness, loss of focus and careless mistakes. Bullies may also be life’s events we can’t control such as or chronic disease or a nagging injury from years past. Not all thorns are caused by sin and Paul tells us in I Corinthians 7:7-10 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, and in difficulties. For when I am weak, then He is strong
What else does the Bible say about bullies? The Bible clearly states in the Old Testament bullies that tormented the Israelites. And if the Israelites wholehearted followed the Lord they were delivered from the enemy. Exodus 23:22-24 states if you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land, and I will wipe ( the enemies) Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces.
Many instances in the New Testament included Peter being delivered from a from a bully jail cell of death by an angel in the middle of the night. Acts 12:7-127Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists… "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating." Bullies are timeless and full of our history and culture.
They say on the average 10% of all people will like not you. But what if God is teaching you about bulling and more than 10% of the people in your workplace, extended family, or neighborhood hate you. I believe he is delivering you from trusting people, your health and security but to put your trust in him. Last year I was in a extremely stressful job situation. Eighty percent of the people hated me. I dreaded going to work everyday and my health including my physical body, emotional and mental health and blood pressure were affected. This affected my work performance and my mental attitude. Just one week after being delivered from the bad job situation I could finally remember not being sick to my stomach after eight months of a living hell. I could not for a long time remember how it felt not be feel sick all the time.
This year it seems like most everyone likes me at my new position. The few who don’t are high strung and just need to chill out because they cause drama everywhere they go. My attitude has changed, my work performance has skyrocketed and I love to go to work everyday. But not a day goes by that I remember that past and thank God for his wonderful blessings.
After asking the Lord to help me in bully situations I have come to the following conclusions. Emotions are real and it is normal and alright to express our frustrations and fears. But how we do it in the midst of the situation should be done often in private and with lots of communication with God. Feelings and emotions are the result of a natural reaction and need to be released. How we do this needs to be with God’s help.
Prayer is important in our dealing with bullies. We should pray x5.
- Pray about the situation.
- Pray for the person or persons who have wronged continue to plague us daily.
- Pray for wisdom in knowing what to say and what not to say.
- Pray what to do in the situation. ( Remember that what and about are totally two different things.)
- Pray how we can learn from the situation no matter how painful it can be.
Sometimes God delivers us in unusual ways. Sometimes bullies are brought into our lives to teach us lessons. I have learned so much from my bullies. Their words, their lies, attitudes and actions have made me a stronger person and I am learning how to deal with great adversity and how to treat other people above and below me. Recently one of my old work bullies showed up at church. It took everything for me to say hi and be nice. I did and I could just see the heaping coals go right on her head. Then later I was asked at a part time job interview if I ever worked with her. I forgot her name and said I did not know her. The pain was gone and God had delivered me from her evil grip on my life.
Ephesians 5:6 say Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. I would rather have man’s wrath towards me instead of God’s. God will not be mocked and I promised that he will not give more that we can handle despite the fact that often we may feel we are over our head sometimes. He will make a way.
References:
Bible Gateway.com
Dictionary.com
One Look Dictionary
www.onelook.com
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Christina Chapan, 12/6/2009
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Thorns
As I think about the spring, I am again reminded of Christ’s death and resurrection. I think about His thorns as I think about mine. This article is not about a specific thorn, but about how to handle the thorns in our lives and how to effectively minister to others.
I will not mention my specific thorn—or thorns—because Paul did not. Paul was a creative speaker, a brilliant writer, and an eloquent communicator for Christ, but he had a thorn. Scripture does not specifically mention what it is, but scholars believe that it may have been a physical challenge, a relationship or a challenge within his life. This thorn brought him continually closer to the Lord and showed Paul how to rely on Him despite challenges.
What is a thorn? When I looked it up in the dictionary, I found that a thorn is something that causes irritation and annoyance; a woody plant bearing sharp impeding processes (as briars, prickles, or spines), and something that causes distress or irritation—often used in the phrase thorn in one's side.
Everyone has thorns. Some are challenged with them more than others. They can be physical challenges, difficult relationships, or mental and physical holes in a person’s life. Not all thorns are caused by sin. Some thorns can be the result of other people’s choices, but all thorns must be dealt with daily. Whether or not the thorns are caused by sin, our response is to work at them and try to understand the challenges presented by that thorn.
How to deal with thorns
First, be thankful for the thorn. Paul talks discusses them 2 Corinthians 12:7 when he says that,“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” Through God’s grace, we can be strong.
Do not get bitter with the thorn. In my case, some in the Christian community have not been supportive of the challenges I face with my thorn. People with whom I have been brutally honest about my challenges, have swept my thorn under the rug. They have been insensitive and unsupportive. I am sure that they prayed, but since they did not know how to respond, they did not say anything at all. On the positive, I have found supportive my non-Christian friends have been more sensitive about my thorn. I have also grown closer to my family members, my sister in particular. I thank God for restoring these relationships everyday. Thorns are not necessarily caused by sin, but sometimes act as lessons from God. Genesis 6:9 says, “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.” Think of the mental and physical thorns he felt when he began to build the ark and had to deal with the separation from his family.
Know your limits when dealing with your thorn. I have chosen to surrender some of my non-essential activities to allow more rest in my life. In my case, I also decided to quit medical treatment to allow me to deal more effectively with my thorn. I have learned to say no especially to those people who have been non-supportive throughout this process. This fall, I gave up four volunteer activities. I do not miss any of them and I am glad to get out of those situations. I am learning to embrace “me” time when I am faced with multiple stressful situations. I have also found that ministering—despite my pain—has been a source of healing for me.
I have also sought help. Counseling and talking with friends has been essential in helping me deal with my thorn. It is not bad to get help from a Christian counselor. I am not embarrassed about my situation and talk freely with others about it. James 4:6 says that “But he gives us more grace.” That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” My thorn has kept me humble and so it did for Paul.
Use negative thorn experiences for good. I have found that my deepest darkest moments with my thorn have helped me be creative as a writer. Some of my best work has come during those hardest moments of my life. I have also seen other talents in my life increase. God has given me the gift of singing and I feel a greater depth in my vocal talents than ever before.Psalm 84:7 says, “They go from strength to strength, Until each appears before God in Zion” and in Proverbs 4:18 it says that “the path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” Philippians 1:6 says,“Being confident of this that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Freedom is not always being freed. I am not sure what road my thorn will take me on but within the depths of my mental prison, I can be assured by Psalm 118:5 that says, “In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free.” My freedom is very personal and not apparent but, at times, I feel it near.
Involve exercise as part of your daily lifestyle and rejoice in the things that you can control. I have also taken up long distance running, continued per iodization in my weightlifting, and have started stretching classes. Long Distance running has given me direction, goals, and new relationships. I am trying new things I only dreamed of doing like half-marathons and maybe a few full ones later this year. Weightlifting continues to inspire me as I watch my muscles grow. It is essential when dealing with a thorn to rejoice in the circumstances that you can control. Philippians 3:12-15 says, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point, you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. “
Be sure to eat right and take care of yourself. Proper sleep and nutrition are essential in dealing with a life crisis. I have not been good in this area recently and I have realized that my coping skills have suffered due to lack of proper nutrition and rest.
I Corinthians 6:12-13 says, “Everything is permissible for me–but not everything is beneficial.” “Everything is permissible for me–but I will not be mastered by anything.” “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food–but God will destroy them both.”
I Corinthians 6:19-20 also says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body.”
Forgive and just move on. Think of what Jesus said about forgiving. He said to forgive 70 times seven. That is many times in just one day. Matthew 18:21-22says, “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but 77 times.’”You may not feel like forgiving, but it is the right thing to do. Eventually the pain does not hurt so much. I am hoping that in time it will go away. God is a much better judge than I can ever be.
Limit your time with draining and negative situations. I have found that it is best if I limit the time and energy I devote to situations requiring me to dwell on my thorn. I limit my exposure to friends, places, and circumstances that refuse to be supportive. Setting energizing personal goals has helped me during this thorny time in my life.
Last of all, I suggest that you keep a quiet time. I know that without a quiet time, I would not have been able to weather the storms of my life. Other irritants have also entered my life and I am using these irritants and my thorns to help me grow in the grace of God. I know he has a plan for me.
How to help someone with thorns
Be non-judgmental about the thorn. Colossians 1:10 says, “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.” Instead of always giving advice, live a life worthy of bearing helpful fruit in that person’s life. Let God sort out if that person needs to be emptied of themselves or their sin.
Pray for that person and let them know you are doing so. Tears of gratitude well up in my eyes for the people who have simply told me that they have been praying for me. That is a tremendous gift. The words themselves are not important, but what they represent is tremendously important to me.
Pat answers are okay. Throughout this experience, I have received goofy advice from people. At first, it bothered me; but when I really looked at the situation, I realized that those people said those things because they cared. I would rather have people be open, honest, and ask me how I am doing; many people I expected to do so, did not.
Last of all, realize that the greatest thorn did not happen to you but to the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 27:29 says, “and they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ they said.” Mark 15:17 echoes, “they put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.” John 19:5 continues, “When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, ‘Here is the man!’”
As you go through life dealing with your thorns or ministering to someone with thorns., I pray that you remember Philippians 1:9-11, “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ–to the glory and praise of God.”
References:
Bible Gateway
http://www.biblegateway.com/
One Look Dictionary
http://www.onelook.com/
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Christina Chapan, 10/28/2009
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Windfarm Confirmation of Vision
I wanted to share something that God confirmed to me in His sometimes comical anonymous way…. It is comical, please understand that I’m not sharing this to make light of the vision…. Which I am in complete agreement with. Quite the contrary, I firmly believe that there is no greater call than to spread God’s Truth in these days of relativity and pluralism…..
I’m brand new to Daily Audio Bible perhaps a week or so, and its pulled me back on track, saving or rather losing my life so that He might live through me…. I listened to all that I could find on the Wind-Farm Last Thursday night, my heart burned like fire when I listened to Brian's journey through New England…. My favorite ski Area is called Wild-Cat, which offers an unparalleled view of the Mount Washington and the entire presidential range….. Oh four winds fill these dry bones, oh that this can now be a reality….. The unknown soldiers, wow, what a vision seeing them brought to life in glorified bodies….. Then the fact the Holy Spirit lead to the Catholic Church, huge, huge, huge is all I can say…… Let us all find Christ forgetting all about our self proclaimed Doctrinal disputes….. His blood that washes us every day, and leads us in paths of His righteousness…. We had a powerful night of revelation and prayer over this vision, I could not sleep just going over in my heart and mind and spirit what is currently unfolding, what will it look like when millions of people pray in agreement , even some of them from New England!!!!!! Dry bones, please breath here and push back the darkness of Witchcraft and every foul thing that sets itself against Christ… Holy Spirit come breathe new life in us bring Revival in this heart and all the hearts of your people…
I was so taken by Brian's comments in the airport where every attempt to put God in a box is somehow retrofitted into the context of one's own life , and that every time you do that God blows it up……
I expected slight opposition to this, so was not surprised when we woke up Friday morning with 2” water in our completely finished in-law apartment , the hot water heater failed….. Well isn’t it interesting that what the enemy meant for harm is thwarted as God is turning it into confirmation….. He blew up my work, done in pride, my attempt to help my wife’s Mom , that somehow I (the recovering-alcoholic husband) would be approved of in their sight, if I created a perfect place for her to retire in…… Poooof---trashed!!
Trying to stay in peace we called the local pro’s for such cleanup tasks…. As the chaos ensued for ¾ of the day and I was exhausted just about to start complaining, what do I see but three guys coming around the corner holding several electric fans each, my heart went on fire again, and I started to laugh……. WindFarm…….yes…….WindFarm,,,, Windfarm in my basement restoring our apartment, cleansing it of my pride…… Confirming the Windfarm in my heart once again….
Well I hope that somehow this little personal testimony blesses you when you are tired, know that the Vision is embraced even in New England…. God bless your faithfulness to the calling…. Know that New England can be a lonely unapproachable place, “your're welcome at my fire any time” quote from the Man From Snowy River ….
God Bless my Brother in Christ,
Rick Humphrey
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Richard Humphrey, 10/26/2009
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Sacrificing our will
Thus sayith the Lord of Hosts “My house before thy house.”
We as servants of the Lord must learn to put the Lord’s work before ours. It is a struggle to deny our fleshly desires but we must realize that the Lord’s work is of the utmost importance. This takes a daily commitment to surrender our will so His will can be done on earth as it is in heaven. The best example of this principle can be found in the book of Haggai. Here we find the children of Jerusalem desperately tying to rebuild the city after an attack. At first the elders thought it would be wise to start with the building of the residential houses but after the profit Haggai spoke to them they changed their tune. He spoke to the children of God saying “Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages, earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labor of the hands.”
Once the people of the Lord realized that He was still in control (of their flocks, fields, herds, and everything else) they came to the conclusion that any action that is not blessed by the Lord is pointless. So they trusted in Him to work on their house while they worked on His and behold the Lord blessed them. Then the Lord gave charge to Haggai to say unto King Zerub'babel and his people “I am with you, saith the LORD.” Then the Lord restored the harvest and strengthened His people’s hand so that they were able the build the Lords temple quickly. Now could God have brought about His plan without His children obeying certainly? However it is the Lords heart to see the first fruits of our love through our sacrifices. It was a great sacrifice for the children of Jerusalem to live without a house for a while but our God measures our love for Him on the amount of our sacrifices. When we face times of sacrifice we must not forget the Father sacrificing his one and only son and Christ ultimate sacrifice on the cross for our sin. Jesus said “There is no greater love than this, a man who lays down his life for a friend.” So since He died for us let us live for Him by sacrificing our will so His eternal work might be displayed through our lives.
Received By: Britney Mann |
Britney Mann, 10/26/2009
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Be in the sacrifice of Christ
To be a Christian is to be in the sacrifice of Christ . Not only do you need to accept that the pure lamb was slain in order to be considered clean an acceptable by the Father (Isaiah 1:18, Revelation 7:15, John 14:6) but you also must be a living sacrifice placed on God’s altar before men. You must sacrifice your life, dreams, goals, and aspirations take up your cross by be a servant to all men. For the Son of man came not to be served but to serve. To only accept Christ sacrifice yet not live in it is a tragedy that will rob the believer of the blessings and perfect will of God. The believer will become bored and dry learning all the scripture by heart yet at the same time never letting it in to their heart so that their spirit might be resurrected in Christ. (James 2:14-26, Galatians 2:20). Often the believer that doesn’t serve will tend to compromise on their faith for unless you crucify the flesh you will follow your flesh which will lead you far from the law of basic Christian doctrine. (Romans 8:1-17). So therefore I implore us all to be a poured offering before men (Philippians 2:17, 2 Timothy 4:6) that our flesh within be crucified to allow the resurrection in Christ Holy Spirit to begin. Anything less than this living sacrifice will lead us to spiritual death.
Received by: Britney Mann
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Britney Mann, 10/25/2009
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Daily Audio Bible is a podcast that began January 1, 2006 by its founder, Brian Hardin. It has broadcast the Bible in its entirety each year every day since. The dramatic success of the program and its impressive community loyalty has made it one of the largest online communities in the world. The mission of the Daily Audio Bible is to bring the spoken Word of God to anyone who will listen, anywhere in the world, anytime of day or night and to create a community around it so that no one has to ever feel alone again.
