Proverbs 24:10
If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.
1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary,
you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith,
being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by
fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the
revelation of Jesus Christ.
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The test of faith is adversity, for adversity reveals strength. A weak person
pleads adverse conditions in order to quit. The strong will not give up in
adversity, but will patiently endure and persevere, relying on the Lord
alone.
So if you feel like you're in the desert today growing faint, cling to the
Lord! Allow Him to bring you thru this trail. He will bring you thru; your
faith strengthened and proven -- more precious than gold!
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Do not faint
Do not give up, though the battle is great
Do not waver, be strong, hold fast
Treasure the words of His mouth -- more than necessary food.
Trust Him with your whole heart
Acknowledge Him in all your ways
Call on the name of Jesus
Lean on the Lord, trust Him completely, lean not on your own
understanding
He will direct your path --Prov 3:5-6
Hold fast to His path, do not turn to the right or left
Call on the name of Lord and wait for His answer
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart
... and wait for the LORD. --Ps 27:4
It's only by leaning completely on Him, hoping in Him
... that you will come up out of the desert --Song 8:5
Then, you will come forth as gold, complete and lacking in nothing
LORD will rise upon you and His glory will appear --Isa 60:2
And you shall be called
'The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD';
And you shall be called 'Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken'. --Isa 62:12
A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the
excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His
marvelous light --1 Pe 2:9
You will shine proclaiming His praise.
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart
... and wait for the LORD. --Ps 27:4
Behold He is coming quickly --Rev 22:12
Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might,
... With His arm ruling for Him
... Behold, His reward is with Him
... And His recompense before Him. --Isa 40:10
Hold fast to your hope in Christ Jesus without wavering; for He is faithful
--Heb 10:23
Zechariah 13:9
And I will bring the third part through the fire,
... Refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested
... They will call on My name, and I will answer them;
... I will say, 'They are My people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is my
God.'
Job 23:10-12
But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as
gold. My foot has held fast to His path; I have kept His way and not
turned aside. I have not departed from the command of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.
James 1:2-4
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let
endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and
complete, lacking in nothing.
2 Corinthians 6:10
... sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;
as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
Most people think that John 11:35 "Jesus wept" is the shortest verse in the Bible. In the original Greek it has three words and 16 letters.... 1 Thessalonians 5:16 "Rejoice evermore" has two words and 14 letters, so it is actually shorter in the original Greek.
It is remarkable that these two shortest verses give us the picture of the sympathy and compassion of the heart of Christ in fellowship with all our sorrows; and give us the key to a triumphant Christian walk. Rejoicing always and in all circumstances, even while sorrowing! Though it is the shortest verse, it never ends.
Because Jesus wept; we can rejoice evermore! :)
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice evermore; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
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A Horn Lifted Up!
August 19, 2008
Psalm 148:14
He has lifted up for His people a horn{He has made his people victorious},
the praise of all His faithful saints, of Israel, the people close to His heart.
Praise the LORD!
The idiom "exalt/lift up the horn" signifies military victory. Jesus has
given His people victory. Jesus took our nature, and draws us near. He
gives us His Holy Spirit, and brings us into union.
Ephesians 4:4-6
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope
when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and
Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
This is our highest honor, an unfailing source of joy and peace, of praise.
He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great
and awesome things which your eyes have seen. --Deut 10:21
The Lord Jesus Christ is our praise! He is our victory!
Lift up your voice and praise Him!
Make a joyful noise to the LORD
Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious. --Ps 66:1-2
Sing and shout out loud the victory!
He is our shield, our glory and the lifter of our heads --Ps 3:3
As we raise this joyful sound to the LORD, He will turn His face towards
His worshippers
His favor, His blessing, His manifest presence will rest upon His people
They will walk in the light of His countenance
He will smile.
Sing and shout out loud the victory!
Psalm 47:5
God has ascended His throne amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the
sounding of trumpets{rams horn}.
Psalm 89:15-18, 24
15 How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound{the shout}!
O LORD, they walk in the light of Your countenance{His smile}.
16 In Your name they rejoice all the day,
And by Your righteousness they are exalted.
17 For You are the glory of their strength,
And by Your favor our horn is exalted.
18 For our shield belongs to the LORD,
And our king to the Holy One of Israel.
24 My faithfulness and My lovingkindness will be with him,
And in My name his horn will be exalted.
Psalm 3:7-8
Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God! For You have smitten all my enemies
on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked. Victory comes
from you, O LORD. May your blessings{favor} rest on your people.
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The Beauty of the LORD
August 17, 2008
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The Lord gave me the following about the beauty of the LORD the other day, His beauty shows His favor -- again His manifest presence among His people individually and corporately. This morning I think He added to these ideas with Colossians 3 -- let the word of Christ dwell richly. Praise the LORD! I believe we see this each time we meet corporately. I know I saw His beauty on each face yesterday at the conference. It's SUCH a blessing to have a group to press deeper into the LORD with, a place where the living word of Christ can dwell and be made visible -- and He is sooo
BEAUTIFUL! :)
P.S. |
Psalm 90:17 NKJV
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.
Psalm 90:17 NIV
May the favour of the Lord our God rest upon us;
establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.
Psalm 90:17 NASB
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands.
Psalm 90:17 MSG
And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us,
confirming the work that we do. Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!
Psalm 90:17 BBE
Let the pleasure of the Lord our God be on us: O Lord, give strength to the work of our hands.
I like to look at different versions of the same verse. It sometimes gives a new depth or insight into scripture. The above verses reminded me of Moses and his unwillingness to go anywhere without the Lord's visible presence, without the Lord's favor.
Exodus 33:15-16
Then he{Moses} said to Him, "If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. "For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?"
There is nothing like the Light of Christ's face, His truth, His presence! It's the Lord's presence that distinguishes His people, the work of His hands. It's His presence that shows His favor. The following plea of Moses reveals the kind of heart that the Lord turns His face towards and shows His favor to.
Exodus 33:13
"Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people."
The Lord turns His face towards the heart that sincerely wants to know and follow His ways. This is the heart that will reflect the light of Christ.
:)
Finding favor with the Lord means knowing Him, following His ways and displaying His beauty/ splendor in your life.
Numbers 6:24-26
"The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace."'
Let the beauty, favor, loveliness, and delight of the LORD our God be upon us,
Confirming and establishing the work of our hands for us;
Yes, confirm and establish the work of our hands.
***
Let the Living Word Dwell
Colossians 3
12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
'Let the living word of Christ dwell', the above passage gives some key ways to do this!
As each of us does this individually, the word of Christ will dwell richly in each heart. The more we are able to do this the more the Lord's favor, His manifest presence will be seen in each life.
After each has done this individually, look how we are to come together corporately.
As hearts where the word of Christ dwells richly come together in worship, the Lord's presence is manifested even more. He inhabits, is enthroned in, the praise of His people (Ps 22:3). This allows us to hear corporately: to teach and admonish one another with all wisdom. As our hearts and ears are opened to hear His word individually and then corporately our faith will be increased. For faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ (Rom 10:17).
This coming together of hearts where the word of Christ dwells richly, turns God face towards His people, displaying His favor, His manifest presence, His beauty and confirms/establishes the work of His people's hands!
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Oh Lord let the word of Christ dwell richly in our hearts
Let the beauty, favor, loveliness, and delight of the LORD our God be upon us,
Confirming and establishing the work of our hands for us;
That the living word of Christ may be manifest and accomplish His purposes.
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Psalm 138:5,8
5 May they{we} sing of the ways of the LORD,
for the glory of the LORD is great.
8 The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me{us};
your love, O LORD, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands.
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Wendee's Songs
August 16, 2008
Those clapping trees, the voice of many waters and being led forth in joy, spreading the knowledge of Lord's glory over the earth are in the forefront of my mind & heart.
Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this;
... shout aloud, O earth beneath.
... Burst into song, you mountains,
... you forests and all your trees,
... for the LORD has redeemed Jacob,
... He displays his glory in Israel. --Isa 44:23
The Lord's glory will be revealed in Zion thru the voice of many waters and
'They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious.' --Isa 11:9-10
As I was pondering this I was prompted to look up Wendee's songs -- I remembered there were trees and the song of the redeemed in them. LOOK!!! They fit with everything the Lord is doing with us right now! :) They also fit with the song of the dove rising -- something I wrote in the past -- I've also included this to encourage us all (along with the pouring bucket email)-- the song of the dove is DEFINITELY rising -- ascending high above the tops of the {clapping} trees - bringing the release of the earth and establishing the kingdom of the Lamb!
HALLELU-YAH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Karen \o/
RIVER OF GOD FLOW
River of God flow deep in my soul
River of God come restore and make whole
River of God flow out through this land
To kings and nations through these hands
Reigning One You have decreed
Your Bride shall walk in victory
Sons arise and sing the song
of the Lamb to whom you belong
(repeat chorus )
THE SONG OF THE REDEEMED
1) Oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord
Firmly rooted by the streams of living water
As you receive it's life giving flow
Can you feel your branches start to blow
As the Spirit of life brings the melody
CHORUS
It's the song of the redeemed
It's the song of the Redeemed
Ascending high above the tops of the trees
It's the song of life and peace
That will bring the earth's release
Establishing the Kingdom of the Lamb
O trees sing!
2) For creation knows the song and waits with yearning ear
For the sound that will come forth and bring release
From the greatest to the small
awaits the trumpet call
as the sons of God arise and begin to sing
(REPEAT CHORUS )
*****
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A Glorious Defense
August 8, 2008
Is your heart overwhelmed today? Weary from the wind and waves of a
storm? Fearful at the approach of ominous black clouds? Thirsty as in a
dry and weary land where there is no water?
Remember the Rock, the Rock that is higher! --Ps 61:2
The Rock
A refuge, hiding place from the storm and rain
Shelter from the wind
A strong tower
Like streams of water in a dry country
Like the shade of a huge rock in a parched land --Isa 32:2
In the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling;
... He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle
... and set me high upon a rock. --Ps 27:5
His glory, a covering of divine protection
A glorious defense for His people.
Isaiah 4:5-6
And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion and
upon her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a
flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a defense[02646]. It
will be a shelter[05521] and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge
and hiding-place from the storm and rain.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide
... in the shadow of the Almighty. --Ps 91:1
The Lord has chosen Zion as His habitation, His dwelling place
His resting place forever. --Ps 132:13-14
Let us go into His dwelling place;
... Let us worship at His footstool.
Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place,
... You and the ark of Your strength.
Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness,
... And let Your godly ones sing for joy. --Ps 132:7-9
Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
... Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
... Let those also who love Your name
... Be joyful in You.
For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;
... With favor You will surround him as with a shield. --Ps 5:11-12
Enter His rest, His rest is glorious
His glory a sure defense for His people
Trust and abide in the shelter of His wings forever. --Ps 61:4
Psalm 125:1-2
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved
but abides for ever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD
surrounds his people both now and for evermore.
Isaiah 26:3-4 (Amplified Bible)
You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose
mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he
commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.
So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope
confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the
Rock of Ages].
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defense -- chuppah [02646]
From http://net.bible.org/strong.php?id=02646
Definition:
1) chamber, room, canopy, closet
1a) canopy
1b) chamber
1c) divine protection (fig.)
from 2645; a canopy:-chamber, closet, defence.
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shelter -- cukkah [05521]
From http://net.bible.org/strong.php?id=05221
Definition:
1) thicket, covert, booth
1a) thicket
1b) booth (rude or temporary shelter)
fem of 5520; a hut or lair:-booth, cottage, covert,
pavilion, tabernacle, tent.
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