Verse and Message (Week of Aug 23-29, 2009) August 27, 2009

 

 

Mathew 5:45b

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

 

John 9:1-3

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”

  

You would think that we who are committed to Christ, who serve Him and others in many capacities, and are obedient to His plan and will for our lives should be given a break from the trials that are thrown our way.

 

You might think it’s unfair for a certain situation to be taking place in your life. You are closer than you have ever been to God, so you wonder….why me? Why does the trouble have to fall on me when there are clearly others who don’t care about the cause of Christ. You might wonder why it appears that those who follow their fleshly desires, those who go their own way without thought to God or others, those who run from righteousness should be the ones to pay the price instead.

 

If you think your burden is too heavy, don’t let the enemy convince you that you are being mistreated….and by the way, storms of life hit us all….those who know and love the Lord and those who don’t.

 

I have received a couple of devotions this week by Pastor Jon Courson of Searchlight that have caused me to chew on this frustration that we sometimes endure….

 

Like Jon Courson, ”I’m convinced that the troubles, challenges, and problems we face are custom-designed to do one thing:  to allow us to draw others to Jesus Christ and to encourage them in Jesus Christ.” — http://www.joncourson.com/

 

The following Daily Devotional is an excerpt from the book A Days Journey by Pastor Jon. This book is a collection of 365 short devotions from the New Testament.

 

This message might shed some light on the purposes of pain, and how there are blessings in brokenness:

 

Philippians 1:19-20

Yes, I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

 
Christ was magnified through Paul’s difficulty. ‘Why does Christ have to be magnified?’ you ask. ‘Isn’t He big enough already?’

Think with me …

Our sun is so big that, if hollowed out, it could hold 1.3 million earths. The sun, however, is dwarfed by the star Antares, which could hold 64 suns. But Antares is a pipsqueak compared to Hercules, which could hold 110 million Antares. Yet Hercules is a speck compared to Epsilon, the largest known star, which could hold 3 million Hercules.

These objects are huge, folks! Why then do they seem so small when we look at them in the night sky? Because we are so far away. Therefore we use a telescope to magnify them and bring them closer to us.

People are far away from Jesus. What will make Him clear to them? Seeing Him walk with us and provide for us through the telescope of our difficulties. If this be true — if Christ is magnified in our hard times — the most logical thing for us to do in such times is to do what Paul did: REJOICE

Jon Courson 08/25/2009 

 

You want others to see you and wonder…”How is she able to be so full of joy when her whole world has fallen apart?” (The answer: Her world isn’t of this world.) How can he be smiling when he just lost his job? (The answer: It’s our job to point people to JESUS.)

 

If we practice strong faith during tough times, we will represent the picture of a powerful testimony of God’s grace, mercy, and love. So, the next time you consider,”Why me?” remember, that the Lord will not only be magnified if you respond to your trial like Jesus….but, He will be glorified and you will be a blessing to others. Yes, my friends…..it’s a supernatural response when you choose to magnify Jesus in your heartache. God is faithful….and if you reciprocate that faith with Him, He will turn your challenge around, because He makes good on all His Promises!

 

TOUGH TIMES DON’T LAST…

TOUGH PEOPLE DO–BECAUSE THEY RUN TO JESUS!

I AM THANKFUL GOD ISN’T FAIR….

BECAUSE IF HE PLAYED FAIR….

WE WOULD BE IN BIG TROUBLE!

SUSIE MC

Verse and Message (Week of Aug 16-22, 2009) August 19, 2009

  

Exodus 3:13-14

Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am . This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’

  

One of the most interesting conversations in the Bible to me occurred when God instructed Moses to go to Pharaoh to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. I guess I think this is kind of funny, because I can so see myself in Moses sandals. I mean, this was a tall order, and Moses is thinking, has God lost His mind?

 

God is asking Moses to do something that in the natural seems to be an impossible feat. Moses asks, “Why me?” Confidence was not a quality Moses could boast at the time. Moses wondered how in the world he would be able to convince Pharaoh that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had sent him with these instructions.

 

God said to Moses, “I-AM-WHO-I-AM. Tell the People of Israel, ‘I-AM sent me to you.’”

 

People, God is the God of the Universe. He can and will do anything He pleases. He doesn’t need our help, and He doesn’t need our permission. We have to trust Him no matter how bizarre something may appear to us. When God is asking us to do something seemingly impossible, we must recognize that we are not doing it….He is doing the impossible through us. We are simply His vessel to demonstrate His Glory! It’s a gift to be used by God!

 

My real point for this message is to share how important declaring the Names of God can be for us. I have learned that when I worship Him in calling Him by name, my confidence is strengthened. As a child of the King, I am able to receive those qualities if I choose to embrace them. In other words, when I worship Him for Who He is, then I am claiming my confidence in Him, and I am able to inherit the fullness of His Names in me. Without Him, I am nothing. With Him, I have everything I will ever need.

 

When we say the Lord’s Prayer, the first part of this prayer that Jesus taught His disciples was to hallow His Name.

“Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your Name”

 

The Eight Covenant Names of God revealed when we pray The Lord’s Prayer:

 

Jehovah Tsidkenu – The Lord is Our Righteousness

Jehovah M’Kaddesh  – The Lord Who Sanctifies

Jehovah Rapha – The Lord Who Heals

Jehovah Nissi – The Lord is My Banner of Victory over the devil

Jehovah Raah – The Lord is My Shepherd

Jehovah Shalom – The Lord is Peace

Jehovah Shammah – The Lord is There/ The Lord is My Companion

Jehovah Jireh - The Lord is My Provider

 

We all like to be called by name; God loves when we worship Him by His Name. You will come to know God like you never have before, if you make a commitment to worship Him in this way consistently.

 

Lastly, I thought I would include a couple of inspiring music videos highlighting the significance of the Names of God. The first song is ”I AM” by Mark Schultz. It’s a beautiful expression declaring the Names of God.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-HIKxnSZSA

 

If you are interested in an extra bonus, I am also including one of my current favorite worship songs as well. 

Check out the music and lyrics to YAHWEH (New Life Worship, Ross Parsley)  

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=day2zcDC2bI

 

EMBRACE THE NAMES OF GOD, AND YOUR CONFIDENCE WILL GROW!

THE GREAT ‘I AM’ CAN BE EVERYTHING TO US….

IF WE LET HIM…

SUSIE MC

Verse and Message (Week of August 9-15, 2009) August 14, 2009

 

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

James 5:16

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

 

Intercessory prayer is prayer for others. An intercessor is one who takes the place of another or pleads another’s case. One study Bible defines intercession as “holy, believing, persevering prayer whereby someone pleads with God on behalf of another or others who desperately need God’s intervention.”

(from http://www.allaboutprayer.org/intercessory-prayer.htm )

 

Church of the Highlands is in the midst of its bi-annual 21 days of prayer. Our church was built on the foundation of prayer. I cannot begin to express how profound the presence of God has been each morning when we have been meeting corporately to focus 100% on prayer. 

 

The practice of 21 days of prayer began before Church of the Highlands existed. Since that time, our worship home has observed a “21 Days of Prayer” at the beginning of January and the beginning of August each year.

 

Prayer didn’t seem that exciting to me when I first visited Highlands at the end of 2003, but when I got a taste of my first experience of 21 Days of Prayer in January 2004, I recognized the exponential power that prayer creates. Prayer moves mountains. Prayer opens doors. Prayer changes things.

 

I learned in Prayer Force that when we intercede, we are the go-between. In other words, we are standing in the gap when we intercede for others in prayer. The Ultimate Go-Between is Jesus Christ. “His intercession was an act of mediation that purchased our right and qualified us to intercede for others.”

(Prayer Force Training Guide)

 

Today, I would like for you to take a look at the following news clip that aired earlier this week on CBS 42. This will give you an idea of how the POWER of PRAYER has changed the atmosphere in Birmingham, Alabama.

 

http://www.cbs42.com/content/mediacenter/default.aspx?videoid=13194@wiat.dayport.com&navCatId=3

 

Mark Hand leads our prayer force team at Highlands, and we are delighted for the support of Police Chief A. C. Roper and all those who play a part in Prayer Force United. Prayer gets God’s attention. Simply put, PRAYER WORKS!

 

“Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons; but they are helpless against our prayers.”
J. Sidlow Baxter from discipleship Journal 
www.discipleshipjournal.com

Friends, I could write for days on the subject of prayer, but rather than write about it, I think I will just pray!

 

THERE’S POWER IN PRAYER, BECAUSE OF THE POWER OF THE BLOOD!

P.U.S.H – PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS!

SUSIE MC

–Photos obtained from Google Images–

**Please join us Monday-Friday 6 am – 7 am and Saturdays 9 am to 10 am through August 22. We would love to have your contribution to the privelege we have in prayer.**

Verse and Message (Week of Aug 2-8, 2009) August 7, 2009

GOD BLESS ALL STUDENTS AS THEY GO BACK TO SCHOOL!

 

Luke 15:4

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?”

  

John 10:9a

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.

 

My neighbor, Terri, had a scare this week. After she had cut her grass in her back yard, she accidentally left one of the gates to her fence open. About two hours later after returning from the grocery store, she discovered that she had failed to close the gate earlier, which allowed her yellow lab Jessie, to escape and run for the hills. 

It was a very stressful evening for all of us. There were search parties involving several cars, and emails were distributed to people who live in and around the area. I also posted a facebook notice. It was a frantic and anxious time…..Jessie was no where to be found.

 

But, Hallelujah, Jessie was found about 9 am the following morning. Much cheering and rejoicing took place when she was discovered a couple miles from her home. I have never seen someone so relieved as her master, Terri.

 

Imagine how the Lord feels about a lost soul. He is desperate to save a lost soul. In fact, it’s His highest priority. He will go to great lengths to draw people to Him. Then, there is a day of magnificent celebration of angels and people alike when a lost soul is found. 

 

There is a battle being waged on earth.  Do you realize that millions of souls hang in the balance? In Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins the battle is described this way:

 

“God beckons us to join Him; Satan tries to stop us. God draws us near; the enemy pulls us away. God holds out the free gift of salvation; the devil tries to distract our attention with his tricks.”

 

Church of the Highlands just began a series this past weekend called “The End.” Obviously, it’s a message series focused on what The Word foretells about the imminent return of Jesus Christ.

 

Friends, we should be frantic and in a panic about the lost souls in this world. One day, time will run out. Our God is a God of second chances, but the Second Coming of Christ leaves only one last chance for salvation. Those lost souls left to fend for themselves in the midst of the ruler of this world will be on extremely shaky ground….it will be a terribly traumatic time. Even though there will still be some who sell out for Christ…. the percentage of people to accept Christ will be small, and it will take no less than a miracle for those individuals to make that crucial decision at that point in the game.

 

It’s easier to come to Christ now more than ever before. The Holy Spirit is spreading throughout the nations like wild fire….His fire consumes. However, the evil one has deceived many and will continue fighting for what he thinks is his share of the people pie!

 

I am grateful that the Lord has placed me in this ministry. Most of you got on this distribution list, because God placed a sense of urgency in my heart to share it with you. Not because I thought you were a lost soul, but because I know we all are connected with the lost, and we are ambassadors and messengers for the beautiful GOOD NEWS! We are a team working together to harvest souls.

 

We can’t save them, but we have the gift of the Holy Spirit within us WHO DESIRES TO SAVE ALL, because HE DIED for ALL! But….it’s each person’s choice whether to accept or reject His glorious offer. We have the privilege to plant the seeds of hope.

 

Jesus is the Gate….THE Gate welcomes whoever desires His presence …..and what’s even more exciting, He will never let us go. He continues to seek the hearts of the lost, because they are His children too….WE ALL ARE HIS CHILDREN…but some kids are lost.

  

Please pray for your lost family members and friends. The prayer for the lost is “golden.” It’s the most incredible request we can present to our Creator and Friend.

 

 

THE GATEKEEPER LOVES AND PROTECTS

DESPERATELY SEEKING LOST SOULS IS THE GREAT COMMISSION TIME

 

TIME IS RUNNING OUT….DON’T PANIC–JUST PRAY!!

SUSIE MC