Luke 10:19-20

"Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven."

Amazing!

Francis Chan spoke at Reality this last Sunday...two sermons here.

Zechariah 2:5 - God's Favor to Zion

"For I,' declares the Lord, 'will be a wall of fire around her and I will be the glory in her midst.' "

Isaiah 52:7-10

"How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, "Your God reigns!" Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, they shout joyfully together; for they will see with their own eyes when the Lord restores Zion. Break forth, shout joyfully together; you waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God."

remarkable faith, suffering

Romans 8:35-39

"A remarkable statement of what faith is about. "Killed all the day long" - yet a winner. Trouble, pain, persecution, and all the rest - but "overwhelming victory". Now this is the amazing thing: the victory is not escape or exemption or protection from any of the things listed. Paul went through them. He did not escape trouble. He was not exempt from human woes. God did not protect even this Very Important Person from public floggings or starvation or anything else. Yet Paul was able to say he was winning the victory through Him who has proved His love for us. How? How had He proved His love?
Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering. The love of God is of a different nature altogether. It does not hate tragedy. It never denies reality. It stands in the very teeth of suffering. The love of God did not protect His own Son. That was the proof of His love - that He gave that Son, that He let Him go to Calvary's Cross, though "legions of angels" might have received Him. He will not necessarily protect us - not from anything it takes to make us like His Son. A lot of hammering and chiseling and purifying by fire will have to go into the process.
The point is that we have to learn to trust in little things, even in what may seem like silly things, if we are ever going to be privileged to suffer in the big things. " Elisabeth Elliot

Isaiah 51:12-13, 54:5

"I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies and the son of man who is made like grass, that you have forgotten the Lord your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, that you fear continually all day long...
For your husband is your Maker, whose name is the Lord of hosts; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth."

I wait
Dear Lord, Thy ways
Are past finding out,
Thy love too high.
O hold me still
Beneath Thy shadow.
It is enough that Thou
Lift up the light
Of Thy countenance.
I wait-
Because I am commanded
So to do. My mind
Is filled with wonderings.
My soul asks "Why?"
But then the quiet word,
"Wait thou only
Upon God."
And so, not even for the light
To show a step ahead,
But for Thee, dear Lord,
I wait.
-Elisabeth Elliot

"My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation...My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us." Psalm 62:1, 5-8

Every minute we can pour our hearts out to the Lord. He cares for us with a love we cannot fathom! Dive into His word and learn from Him. Hide under His wing and find your rest in HIM alone! Thank you Lord!

WHAT WE PROCLAIM
listen!!!
Kel just showed me this song!
My pastor just preached on this, see sermon here. 

We have this treasure in jars of clay
To show that the power comes from God
We are afflicted in every way
But we're not crushed
We are perplexed but not driven to despair
Persecuted but not forsaken
We are struck down, but not destroyed
Struck down, but not destroyed

What we proclaim is not ourselves
What we proclaim is not ourselves
Oh, we proclaim the Holy Name of Jesus

Not to us o Lord,
Not to us o Lord,
But to Your Name be the glory

…The oil of gladness instead of mourning…

“You are the glorious Image Bearer of the Lord Jesus Christ— the crown of his creation. You have been assaulted. You have fallen to your own resources. Your Enemy has seized upon your wounds and your sins to pin your heart down. Now the Son of God has come to ransom you, and to heal your broken, wounded, bleeding heart, and to set you free from bondage. He came for the brokenhearted captives. that’s me. That’s you. He came torestore the glorious creation that you are. And then set you free … to be yourself.
‘The LORD their God will save them on that day
as the flock of his people.
They willsparkle in his land
like jewels in a crown.
How attractive and beautiful they will be!’ (Zech. 9:16-17) “
-Captivating by John & Staci Eldredge.
Gosh, so humbled. I am so unworthy.
from: Kelsie Herbison

Psalm 51:6

Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. 

"Our Supreme Treasure" Britt Merrick in Reality SF

click here
"The greatest gift God could ever give us is Himself." And He has!!! As much as you will receive and more! "The goal of our existence is that we would enjoy God. The chief end of man is to know God and enjoy Him forever."

Oswald Chambers "The Concept of Divine Control"
http://utmost.org/the-concept-of-divine-control/

From Daisy's blog. Please continue to pray.

C.S. Lewis on Prayer

From C.S. Lewis' The Silver Chair (Aslan the Lion represents Jesus)
"I was wondering - I mean - could there be some mistake? Because nobody called me and Scrubb, you know. It was we who asked to come here. Scrubb said we were to call to  - to Somebody - it was a name I wouldn't know - and perhaps the Somebody would let us in. And we did, and then we found the door open."
"You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you." said the Lion

"Bare heights of loneliness...a wilderness whose burning winds sweep over glowing sands, what are they to Him? Even there He can refresh us, even there He can renew us."

-Chp. 43, Windows by Amy Carmichael

Many are eager to be a "winner" for God but how many are even willing to be a "failure"?


This is the true test of whether we desire His glory or our own. Jesus said, "I do not receive glory from men;" John 5:41


 John 5:44 - "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?" 
How can you have faith so long as you receive honor from one another, and care nothing for the honor that comes from Him who alone is 
God?" (Jn 5:44 NEB).



This is a constant prayer (to desire HIS glory before my own or others) and something I struggle with often. God is faithful and He will give you strength to desire His glory when we ask for it in moments of weakness.

"It requires no skill nor knowledge to go to God, but only a heart resolute to turn to Him, and for Him, and to love only Him." -Brother Lawrence

I want my spirit to be more tightly sewn to Jesus' than my mind is to the world.

Pray for Daisy

http://prayfordaisy.tumblr.com/

Joy is the touch of God's finger. The object of our longing is not the touch but the Toucher. This is true of all good things-they are all God's touch. Whatever we desire, we are really desiring God. -Peter Kreeft

My good friend Sarah showed me both these quotes and I love them... and her.

"For nothing will be impossible with God" Luke 1:37

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them." -Henry David Thoreau

Choose today who you will serve

 1 Chronicles 28:10
         "Consider now,
          for the LORD has chosen you
          to build a house for the sanctuary;
          be courageous and act."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is there something the LORD has chosen me to "build" in HIS Kingdom?  Is there something I am afraid to do or "build" for HIM  because the magnitude seems too great or I am too focused on myself and my weaknesses rather than the LORD and HIS glory?  Am I delaying obedience to the LORD?

I must consider now...I must consider today...what the LORD has chosen me to "build" as a "house for the sanctuary" for HIS glory and then I must be courageous and act in HIS strength alone.

Selah.


-Mrs. Gill (a wise and beautiful woman)

Psalm 145:14-21

    14The LORD sustains all who fall
         And raises up all who are bowed down.
    15The eyes of all look to You,
         And You give them their food in due time.
    16You open Your hand
         And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
    17The LORD is righteous in all His ways
         And kind in all His deeds.
    18The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,
         To all who call upon Him in truth.
    19He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
         He will also hear their cry and will save them.
    20The LORD keeps all who love Him,
         But all the wicked He will destroy.
    21My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
         And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.

perspective

"By God's grace people can be kind to each other, create beauty, love each other, build families and cultures. Sin and its effects are always with us, but if we obsess over them we overlook the wonder of God's presence in people and their various cultures. Look for the good and the beauty, and when you see it you will see God's grace.

Seeing things as others see them is the way of the servant. Seeing things the way God sees them is the way of the disciple. The ultimate perspective is God's perspective - we should try to see things as He sees them. -Duane Elmer
{The only way this is possible is by the Holy Spirit. Believe me, I've tried by myself and failed every time. We just gotta ask to see with His eyes.} :)

Luke 8:48

"Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

John 10:10

"I have come that they might have life and have it to the full."

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Praying for one another

A Christian community either lives by the intercessory prayers of its members for one another, or the community will be destroyed.
I can no longer condemn or hate other Christians for whom I pray, no matter how much trouble they cause me.
In intercessory prayer the face that may have been strange and intolerable to me is transformed into the face of one for whom Christ died, the face of a pardoned sinner. That is a blessed discovery for the Christian who is beginning to offer intercessory prayer for others.
As far as we are concerned, there is no dislike, no personal tension, no disunity or strife, that cannot be overcome by intercessory prayer.
Intercessory prayer is the purifying bath into which the individual and the community must enter every day.

The Alabaster Box Must Be Broken

"there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head." Mark 14:3

"If the alabaster box is not broken the pure nard will not flow forth. Strange to say, many are still treasuring the alabaster box, thinking that its value exceeds that of the ointment.
The Treasure is in the earthen vessel (2 Cor 4:7). But if the earthen vessel cannot be broken, who can see the Treasure within? Have we seen what is the final objective of the Lord's working in our lives? It is to break open this earthen vessel, to burst open our alabaster box, to crack open our shell. The Lord longs to find a way to bless the world through those who belong to Him. Brokenness is the way of blessing, the way of fragrance, the way of fruitfulness. But, it is also a path sprinkled with 'blood from our wounds'. Yes, there is blood from the many wounds we suffer. When we offer ourselves to the Lord for His service, we cannot afford to be lenient and spare ourselves.
Each of us must find out for himself personally what is the mind of the Lord in his life. It is a most lamentable fact that many do not know what is the Lord's mind or intention for their lives. How much they need Him to open their eyes, to see that everything which comes into their lives can be meaningful. The Lord had not wasted even one thing.
However, too many of us, even before the Lord raises a hand, are already upset. Oh, we must realize that all life's experiences, troubles, and trials which the Lord sends are for our highest good. We cannot expect the Lord to give anything better, for these constant difficulties are His best. Should one approach the Lord and pray, saying, "O Lord, please let me choose the best thing for my life," I believe the Lord would tell him, "What I have given you is the best - your daily trials are for your greatest profit."
-The Release of the Spirit by Watchman Nee

Brokenness = Freedom

yep that's right. 


"...unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." John 12:24


Once the shell of the husk is split open, the wheat begins to grow. So the question here is not whether life exists inside the shell, but whether the shell on the outside is cracked open. The question is not how thus to obtain life, but rather how to allow this life to come forth. 

"This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." John 6:29


"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, from his innermost being will 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 7:37-39