Five-Fold Today - Love One Another - Fathers and Sons - Avoid Quarrels and Arguments - The Forge - Rise - Rivers of Living Waters - God Gave Man a Harp
Love One Another Marsha Burns Beloved you are known to be My disciples when you love one another, and your love for one another will cover and protect. Take heed when you find yourself with a desire to accuse and expose. Have you not read that love covers a multitude of sins? When you feel exposed by the fiery trials you must walk through in this season resist the temptation to blame others instead of taking responsibility for your own actions. Take care that seeds of bitterness do not take root in your heart, for they will surely give birth to sin, and sin when it is full grown brings forth death. Let forgiveness reign and restore your soul. http://ft111.com
June 17, 2004
Fathers and Sons
Stephen Hanson
MAL 4:5 See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. [6] He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.
1CO 4:14 I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. [15] Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. [16] Therefore I urge you to imitate me. [17] For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.1JN 2:13 I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men,because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father.
inhistruthprophet@earthlink.net
Avoid Quarrels and Arguments
Ras Robinson
Avoid quarrels and arguments when at all possible. They usually result and pour forth from speculations and imaginations. I have called you to be a peace maker and a servant to all. That is your role.
Therefore, be kind and gentle, showing forth an humble spirit. Pray for those with whom you are tempted to argue and quarrel. If you find a quarrel or argument going on, walk on the other side of the street and pray as you go.
Quibbling and bickering does not accomplish My purposes. Much will be accomplished when you pray for those involved. Avoid quarrels and arguments when at all possible.
2 Tim. 2:23 "But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes."
rasrobinson@fullnessonline.org
http://www.fullnessonline.org
The Forge
By Bill Burns
Last Friday during a time of worship the Lord spoke these words to me, "Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, which are ready to die, and hold fast what you have until I come."
I then asked the Lord what things, and He said, "I have baptized My people in the fire. Do not let My fire go out." When these words were spoken I saw a vision of a blacksmith standing by a forge. The blacksmith was pumping the bellows, and the coals in the forge burned red hot.
As I was watching the blacksmith I thought if what the prophet Isaiah said.
Isaiah 54:16 "Behold, I have created the blacksmith Who blows the coals in the fire, Who brings forth an instrument for his work; And I have created the spoiler to destroy.
As I meditated on this scripture I could see that we are the blacksmiths that God has created. The forge would represent our hearts, and the bellows would be the Holy Spirit. So, when we stir up the Holy Spirit, then He blows (wind of the Spirit) upon our hearts and keeps God's fire burning within our hearts.
In 1 Kings 8:58 Solomon prayed that God would "incline our hearts to himself." The apostle Paul exhorts Timothy to "stir up the gift of God, which is in you."
The Greek word that Paul uses for stir means "to kindle up." To kindle up -- as in blowing on the coals to restart a fire that is about to go out!
In Revelation 3:18 the Lord counsels us to purchase gold (heart faith) refined in the fire. If we will stir up the Holy Spirit who is in us and believe the prophetic word (on the baptism of fire) that Jesus spoke to us, then our hearts will be set ablaze like the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus experienced.
Luke 24: 30-32 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?"
If our hearts (love for God) are set on fire, then we will bring forth instruments (weapons) to use against the destroyer (Satan). God's promise to His servants is recorded in:
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me," Says the LORD.
If we have had our faith purged and tempered in the fire of God, we will be equipped with spiritual weapons.
2 Corinthians 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.
This is God's promise to the blacksmiths (artisans or craftsmen) -- NO weapon formed against you will prosper or be effective. And you will be able to break every curse spoken against you because you will have heart faith.
Heart faith (not head faith) comes because you have stirred up the Holy Spirit who is in you. When the fire of God is burning within, you will have God's power (weapons) to defeat the enemy.
This is why the Lord said, "Hold fast what you have." This summer will be a time of intense spiritual warfare. We must not become complacent, nor should we become distracted with the issues of life.
This summer will be either a time of great victory or tremendous setbacks for the saints of God.
Isaiah prophesied that our heritage is one of victory. That is, if we blow on the coals in our fire. You might ask how does one stir up the breath of God to blow on the coals of our heart. Here is your answer:
Ezekiel 37:9 Also He said to me, Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live."
prophecy111@earthlink.net
Rise
Joyce De Pauw
Sense My Spirit, My child. Walk into the light. Hold nothing back. Let My perfect love cast out all fear. Rise. Rise with your Morning Star, with your King. Feel my grace and mercy surrounding you. Let it sustain you, let it nourish you. Let it be the motivation and the foundation. Who are you in Me? Beloved, precious, apple of My eye. Draw close. Draw even closer. Rest in me. Be seated. You are a perfect fit.
Sense My presence at all times. I call you encourager, lifter, called by God, appointed and anointed. Gifted, worthwhile, valued, cherished.
joyced@napervillecc.org
Rivers of Living Waters
Sammy Tippit
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet {given,} because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:38-39 NAS)
It was the most important day of my life. It was a moment that would set me on a new course for the rest of my days. I walked into a church one person and walked out a completely different one. I walked into that building as a man dying of thirst in a lonely desert, but I walked out with a mighty rushing River flowing from the deepest part of my being. In simple terms, that was the day that I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
My heart was filled with joy and peace. It was as though a ton of bricks had been lifted from my shoulders as the peace of God that surpasses all human understanding flooded my soul. In fact, a River truly was flowing from my heart. The Holy Spirit had entered my heart the moment I placed my faith in Christ. Jesus referred to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit as "Rivers of Living Waters." That's one of the Biblical names given the Holy Spirit. It describes the mighty work that God does when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within our hearts.
I've experienced and learned a number of things over the past 36 years about these "Rivers of Living Waters." First, the Rivers dwell in the deepest part of our being. His love, joy and peace aren't shallow. They run deep. They're much more than a good feeling or a temporary moment of pleasure. The Holy Spirit is present and ready to flow from us in the most difficult of situations. He fills us with peace and joy in the midst of adversity and pain.
Jesus said these "Rivers" will flow out of us from our innermost being. That means that they not only run deep, but the direction of their flow is outward. The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is not just to fill our lives with love, peace and joy, but it's also to allow God to touch other lives through us. I once met a man in Africa who was dying of cancer. He had only two weeks to live. Yet, his heart was overflowing with joy and peace. He had a confidence that was extraordinary. It came from "Rivers of Living Waters" that were flowing from his life. The "Rivers" flowed even when he stood at the banks of death. They just kept flowing.
You may be thinking, "That sounds good, but it's not the reality of my Christian experience."
If that's the case, then there can only be one of two reasons. Either you've never trusted Christ to come into your heart and save you, or you've allowed debris in your heart to hinder the flow. If you've never truly trusted Christ to save you, then you can call upon Him right now, and He will come into the humble, repentant and trusting heart.
If you've already trusted Christ, then you need to remove the debris from your heart that keeps these "Rivers" from flowing. It may be an attitude, or it could be a word or actions that have hindered the flow of the Holy Spirit in your life. It may be bitterness that's keeping God's peace and joy from flowing from your life. It could be unconfessed sin that's robbing you of God's deep blessings.
There's one simple way to get rid of the debris from your soul. Confess that it's there and turn from it. God will cleanse your heart, and the "Rivers" will flow. Beautiful "Rivers." Holy "Rivers." Mighty "Rivers." Oh, let them flow. Let them flow. Let them flow.
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Sammy Tippit and Billy Hobbs recently traveled to Haiti to encourage a prayer movement within the Christian community in Haiti. You can read more about this prayer movement by going to www.sammytippit.org.
God Gave Man a Harp
A. W. Tozer
The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one. --Psalm 14:2-3
Man was made to worship God. God gave to man a harp and said, "Here above all the creatures that I have made and created I have given you the largest harp. I put more strings on your instrument and I have given you a wider range than I have given to any other creature. You can worship Me in a manner that no other creature can." And when he sinned man took that instrument and threw it down in the mud and there it has lain for centuries, rusted, broken, unstrung; and man, instead of playing a harp like the angels and seeking to worship God in all of his activities, is ego-centered and turns in on himself and sulks and swears and laughs and sings, but it's all without joy and without worship....
I say that the greatest tragedy in the world today is that God has made man in His image and made him to worship Him, made him to play the harp of worship before the face of God day and night, but he has failed God and dropped the harp. It lies voiceless at his feet. Worship: The Missing Jewel, 7-8.
"Lord, what a vivid picture! What a tragedy to see that harp lying in the mud. Do a great work today, Lord, to restore that harp to its rightful use. Amen."
tozer-subscribe@litmin.com
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