LDM Newsletter

Have you “registered” on our LDM site yet? It makes our job easier and you get privileges, like Free Downloads and being the first to know about Special Sales and New Releases. Please register now! the Wind that IS by melody green When things don’t turn out the way we thought they would When we are not in the place we hoped we’d be Or with those we long to be with There is One who understands When circumstances are not what we anticipated Our life is still guided by a purposeful God When He breathes, clouds move, trees rustle, boats sail He is the One who clears our way with His Wind When the Wind is fierce the move is swift and frenzied When a gentle breeze blows an easy glide is enjoyed In still waters we may simply bobble along, often feeling forgotten But the One who measures velocity, knows our times and our seasons When things are not what we hoped or prayed for We must shift our heart into the Wind that IS We must bend our will into the reality of God’s leading He is the only One who can see the big picture After yielding and cooperating and doing our part We will find ourselves at that next place of new beginnings We will also understand both the swiftness and the delays And the timing and wisdom of the One who carried us there "You are my God. My times are in your hands..." Psalm 31:14 We need your help to share hope and salvation around the world. Every gift of any amount is appreciated and used wisely. an LDM Classic! ZEAL - Love Ablaze! by Leonard Ravenhill Enoch had prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones." If Jesus had entered history like that, or had come on a dark night over Jerusalem in a blazing chariot of fire (like Elijah went up to heaven), then the clamoring crowds would have accepted and adored Him. But as the poet once said, "They were looking for a king, to bring salvation nigh, He came a little infant thing, that made a woman cry." Cleansing the Temple The local folk knew Jesus well, He was the best carpenter in the nation. But now He had stepped out of bounds, He accepted the nomination of that wild preacher John the Baptist as the Lamb of God. He had agreed to let the people mount Him on an ass and enter the city amid cries of "Hosanna." Now He had stirred the city by routing the moneychangers and cattle dealers from the temple. For almost thirty years He had watched men desecrate the place. He was outraged at their insolence and greed. He was disgusted that they had carpeted the temple courts with animal excrement, and polluted the place with the stench of urine. Each of the Gospels tells of the whipping Christ. But Luke makes a very valuable difference as he records the events in the life of Jesus. He says that before Jesus had entered the temple, while He was still entering Jerusalem, He had stopped to weep over the great city. So we have the weeping Christ before we had the whipping Christ. Since He was about His Father's business at twelve years of age, Jesus had trod the temple courts and had always been grieved and outraged that they were defiled not just with animal dung, but with red-eyed extortioners, cheating moneychangers, and cattle dealers. For thirty years He had been growing in grace and in the knowledge of His Father - now He knew His mission! And His explanation for this one-man attack on the sacrilege and defilement of the house of God is summed up in these words: "Zeal for Thy house will consume me." READ MORE LDM Offers Life Changing Articles Online...Did you know that we have about 150 Discipleship Articles to read online for free? Many by Keith and Melody Green, as well as classic authors like, AW Tozer, David Wilkerson, Winkie Pratney, John Dawson, Leonard Ravenhill and more. You can also order most of them in pamphlet form for friends and tract distribution. They are real treasures to grow by! Ray and Lisa are my friends. Their testimony of being delivered from drugs and criminal activity brought me to tears. God is so incredibly good. -- Melody Green THE DEVIL THE DOPE MAN True Story of Lisa and Ray Stribling It was the year 1975. I was up on a hill in a roach-infested, filthy, rundown house; I was in a bathroom and the smell of stale alcohol, and musty soiled laundry was enough to make you sick. I was with some older people. We tied a belt around my arm and slammed a needle full of PCP (THC) into my veins. I was only twelve years old. I was the last born in a large family. We had just come out of a year where tragedies had visited us. I had no father. I had an absent mother, and my destiny was the streets. I wandered the neighborhoods and the streets and hung with people that were older, harder, and who were all too ready to educate me in what I needed to know to survive. I stayed high on THC everyday; and when I was 13 years old, I overdosed in the back seat of a car. We stole cars, burglarized houses, and took anything that wasn’t nailed down. We were 14 year old drug dealers: dealing THC, weed, speed, and cocaine. We drank any kind of alcohol we could steal. I had my first baby when I was 15, and by the time I was 16, I was a full-on drug addict. I was a junkie. At 17 years old, I was kicked out on the street, and was living in my car with a one year old son. The more pain I felt the more drugs I used and the higher I became. That same year I caught my first felony forgery case. I started running with a whole different crowd and met a dude who showed me how to “hit myself”. I learned quickly if you were going to be a dope shooter, you couldn’t depend on anyone else in the game to do it for you. This was the element that helped seal my fate. Over the next 12 years, the hole got deeper and darker. We were thieves. We were robbers, and we didn’t care who got hurt along the way. We lived in a world where women were beaten into submission and gunfights were a regular occurrence. We were drug dealers and ran several dope houses in the city. We were not only selling large quantities of meth and cocaine, we were addicted and using large quantities. We stayed awake for weeks at a time, only to black out, wake up and start over. We had access to any kind of pharmaceuticals that we wanted. Our doors got kicked in by the police more times than can be counted, often leaving our children completely traumatized. The Narcotic and Burglary Unit were always putting out warrants on us, and we were on a first name basis with the bail bondsman. Many of our comrades were lost to the streets. They were in car wrecks and motorcycle wrecks. They overdosed. They hung themselves. They were stabbed to death. They were beaten to death. They were shot and killed. The ones that were fortunate enough to live are now living a life behind bars. In 1983, I married that dude who taught me how to “hit myself”. We went on to have three more children. Our children were raised up in the dope house. They saw people shooting drugs, and they saw people smoking crack. They were abandoned. They were neglected, and saw more than any little set of eyes should ever be responsible for seeing. READ MORE Register online to download the PDF of this powerful testimony. You can make free copies for your city streets -- or for anyone you know who is suffering from addiction or other life threatening habits. Lisa and Ray Today ... Taking Jesus into the Streets! Lisa and Ray Stribling are the founders of Hope City KC, a prayer-based ministry to the poor, homeless, prostituted, and addicted. They have many years of experience in jail, prayer, and street ministry, and are faithfully preaching the gospel and feeding the poor in Kansas City’s toughest neighborhoods. Read More about the work they are doing and how you can help. AMAZING PRICE on Keith Green Music! LIMITED TIME! Greatest Hits or Live Experience CD On Sale - $9.99 EACH! (Retails for $13.99) Or GET BOTH for ONLY $19!

Weakness is Strength

Weakness and confidence just don’t seem to go together, do they? It’s the bravest and brashest heroes we’re attracted to in books or movies, not the tiny, the wimpy or the tame. If we do enjoy characters with faults and flaws, it’s often because they are being made fun of or being put down.

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence.” - Hebrews 4:16

Yet in God’s economy, it’s often the weak who are valued. Think of little David who approached Goliath with just a few stones. One glimpse of his circumstances and most of us would say, “He’s a goner!” Or the Apostle Paul who freely admitted his failures, saying, “I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.” Paul loved to shout out his temptations and shortcomings. Yet God used Paul powerfully.

God loves your weakness, for that’s where He shows up with strength. If you feel feeble or faint in your prayers for the military and our nation – or in any part of your Christian life – admit it to Him so he can empower you to approach His throne…where He lovingly waits to answer your prayers.

^1-5 You’ve forced me to talk this way, and I do it against my better judgment. But now that we’re at it, I may as well bring up the matter of visions and revelations that God gave me. For instance, I know a man who, fourteen years ago, was seized by Christ and swept in ecstasy to the heights of heaven. I really don’t know if this took place in the body or out of it; only God knows. I also know that this man was hijacked into paradise—again, whether in or out of the body, I don’t know; God knows. There he heard the unspeakable spoken, but was forbidden to tell what he heard. This is the man I want to talk about. But about myself, I’m not saying another word apart from the humiliations.

⁶ If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I’d still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I’ll spare you. I don’t want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you’d encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk.

^7-10 Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it’s all you need.

My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

2^nd Corinthians 12:1-10 [Message]

Written by Meagan Gillan

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Sword Fighting

“...Jesus answered...‘It is also written...’”

Matthew 4:7 [NIV] 

After the blessing comes the battle! And Jesus was no exception. Following His baptism, “...the Spirit sent Him out into the desert” (Mark 1:12 NIV). After fasting forty days He was hungry. That’s when satan showed up and said...

If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread

Matthew 4:3 [NIV] 

You can count on the enemy to show up at your most vulnerable moments. And when he does, you’d better know what the Word of God actually says - not just selected snippets and quotes you’ve heard second- or third-hand. 

All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching ...in righteousness

2^nd Timothy 3:16 [NIV] 

We pick the parts of Scripture that fit our lifestyle and bolster our theology, but when the enemy manipulates God’s Word and uses it against you, you need to be able to say, “It is also written.” You need to know what else God has to say. The Bible says satan “will speak against the Most High...oppress his saints and try to change...times and ...laws...” (Daniel 7:25 NIV).

We understand that satan knows that the Word of God is “...a double-edged sword...” (Hebrews 4:12 NCV).  However, he will still try to engage you in a sword fight!

But “Jesus answered... ‘It is also written: Do not put...God to the test.’” Jesus knew what His Father had actually said, and refused to allow satan to dictate His responses, including what He should eat. Whose menu are you eating from today? Are you like the prodigal, settling for pig-swill while your Father has a feast prepared for you? Tell satan, “...Get thee behind me...” (Matthew 16:23), and stop letting him bamboozle you with lies and half-truths!
Get into God’s Word and get God’s Word into you!

“...Take up the whole armor of God...”

Ephesians 6:13 [NKJV]

In spite of a great Christian Spiritual awakening in Samaria, Simon the Sorcerer was still in business.

The people “...heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time” (Acts 8:9-11 NKJV). So, how do the apostles handle this situation? Sidestep it? Coexist peacefully with evil? No! They confronted him with the claims of Christ, saying: “Repent...[that] your heart may be forgiven..." (Acts 8:22 NKJV). And Simon did.

A good doctor identifies the problem then treats it. The forces of evil around us are real, and we must know how to deal with them. Remember the tortured man living in the tombs of Gadara whom Christ healed? The spirits within him did two things worthy of note. First, they introduced themselves as “...Legion...for we are many” (Mark 5:9 NIV). A legion was a well trained, fully equipped division of the Roman army that took orders from Caesar. Second, they “...begged Jesus...not to send them out of the area” (Mark 5:10 NIV).

That’s because they had established a stronghold there. Can you see a Spiritual parallel here? You can’t fight Spiritual battles with carnal weapons and hope to win. Blaming Satan for all your problems is a cop-out, but failing to see him at work in your situation is foolishness. To fight and win you must know what you are up against. You must be able to look beyond the obvious and see the actual! You are dealing with “...principalities...powers...the rulers of the darkness...spiritual hosts of wickedness... Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day...” (Ephesians 6:12-13 NKJV).

Expect the unexpected,
God is going to do amazing things!

-- Pastor Ng Francis
www.fnministries.com

---

You can get more teaching on this subject with the free Powerhouse Ministry CD The Art of Fighting Without Fighting and other Spiritual Warfare Teaching Resources at Link 2 Power!

Anguish

The following video is a powerful message to the church from David Wilkerson that we hope will be a blessing to you as it has blessed us.

Judypie’s Seeds to Success

Planting Seeds of Righteousness

Holy Spirit, help me plant the good seeds of righteousness. I expect to reap a crop of peace and love. I plow up the hard ground of my heart for now is the time to seek the Lord. Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth. I am a peacemaker planting seeds of peace and I will reap a harvest of goodness in the name of Jesus. Amen.

I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness,
and you will harvest a crop of love.
Plow up the hard ground of your hearts,
for now is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come
and shower righteousness upon you.’

Hosea 10:12 [NLT]

Examine me, O LORD, and prove me;
Try my mind and my heart.
For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,
And I have walked in Your truth.

Psalm 26:2-3 [NKJV]

And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

James 3:18 [NLT]

All is Well

Jesus is Lord, and everything is all right! Your plan is to prosper me and not to harm me. Your plan is to give me hope and a future. Thank You for listening to me when I call upon You, when I am praying to You. I love You because You first loved me. And I know that in all things, Father-God, You work for my good because I choose to love You. I have been called according to Your purpose. Even in the face of adversity I declare, “All is well.” Amen!

Run to meet her and say, Is it well with you? Well with your husband? Well with the child? And she answered, It is well.

2^nd Kings 4:26 [AMP]

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:11-13 [NIV]

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28 [NIV]

I Run to Win

Father, I thank You for all the pioneers who blazed the way, all the veterans cheering me on. I will never quit! I lay aside every weight and every sin that would hinder me. I fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. I am running to win. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Amen!

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

Hebrews 12:1–3 [Message]

You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally.

1^st Corinthians 9:24-25 [Message]

I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.

Philippians 3:13-14 [AMP]

Success

Lord, the plans of the mind and orderly thinking belong to me, but from You comes the [wise] answer of the tongue. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but You, Lord, weigh the spirits (the thoughts and intents of the heart). I roll my works upon You [commit and trust them wholly to You; You will cause my thoughts to become agreeable to Your will, and] so shall my plans be established and succeed. In the name of Jesus I thank You for directing my paths. Amen!

¹ THE PLANS of the mind and orderly thinking belong to man, but from the Lord comes the [wise] answer of the tongue.

² All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits (the thoughts and intents of the heart).

³ Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.

⁴ The Lord has made everything [to accommodate itself and contribute] to its own end and His own purpose--even the wicked [are fitted for their role] for the day of calamity and evil.

⁵ Everyone proud and arrogant in heart is disgusting, hateful, and exceedingly offensive to the Lord; be assured [I pledge it] they will not go unpunished.

⁶ By mercy and love, truth and fidelity [to God and man--not by sacrificial offerings], iniquity is purged out of the heart, and by the reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord men depart from and avoid evil.

⁷ When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

⁸ Better is a little with righteousness (uprightness in every area and relation and right standing with God) than great revenues with injustice.

⁹ A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.

¹⁰ Divinely directed decisions are on the lips of the king; his mouth should not transgress in judgment.

¹¹ A just balance and scales are the Lord’s; all the weights of the bag are His work [established on His eternal principles].

¹² It is an abomination [to God and men] for kings to commit wickedness, for a throne is established and made secure by righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation).

¹³ Right and just lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right.

¹⁴ The wrath of a king is as messengers of death, but a wise man will pacify it.

¹⁵ In the light of the king’s countenance is life, and his favor is as a cloud bringing the spring rain.

¹⁶ How much better it is to get skillful and godly Wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

¹⁷ The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; he who guards his way preserves his life.

¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

¹⁹ Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the meek and poor than to divide the spoil with the proud.

²⁰ He who deals wisely and heeds [God’s] word and counsel shall find good, and whoever leans on, trusts in, and is confident in the Lord--happy, blessed, and fortunate is he.

²¹ The wise in heart are called prudent, understanding, and knowing, and winsome speech increases learning [in both speaker and listener].

²² Understanding is a wellspring of life to those who have it, but to give instruction to fools is folly.

²³ The mind of the wise instructs his mouth, and adds learning and persuasiveness to his lips.

²⁴ Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the mind and healing to the body.

²⁵ There is a way that seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death.

²⁶ The appetite of the laborer works for him, for [the need of] his mouth urges him on.

²⁷ A worthless man devises and digs up mischief, and in his lips there is as a scorching fire.

²⁸ A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.

²⁹ The exceedingly grasping, covetous, and violent man entices his neighbor, leading him in a way that is not good.

³⁰ He who shuts his eyes to devise perverse things and who compresses his lips [as if in concealment] brings evil to pass.

³¹ The hoary head is a crown of beauty and glory if it is found in the way of righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation).

³² He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, he who rules his [own] spirit than he who takes a city.

³³ The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly of the Lord [even the events that seem accidental are really ordered by Him].

Proverbs 16 [AMP]

Conclusion

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord! (Joshua 24:15)

Forgetting the Past

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”

Isaiah 43:18 [NIV]

What do you do when your memory drags the “there and then” into the “here and now,” immersing you in the same old pain? The Bible answers, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

Your past can infect your present and influence your future unless you decide to let it go. For the next few days, let’s consider this. First, let go of what God has forgiven! God’s only response to confessed sin is to forgive and forget it.

If it comes up again, you, not He, brought it up. The Bible tells us that “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us... and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1^st John 1:9).

Two things make letting go difficult:

1. Your feelings
   
   “I just don’t feel forgiven!” you say. However, you are forgiven by God’s grace obtained through Christ’s sacrifice - regardless of what your emotions are telling you. Don’t wait to feel it before you accept it; accept it and then you will start to feel it!
   
   
2. A wrong concept of God
   
   You say, “My earthly dad says that he forgives me, but each time I fail he throws all of my old offenses in my face again.” Your Heavenly Father doesn’t operate that way. He says that “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more” (Isa 43:25 NIV).

God doesn’t bring them up because He doesn’t remember them. All your sins were judged and paid for at Calvary. Once confessed, you’ll never again be charged with them. So rejoice and let them go. The Court of Heaven has ruled you not guilty!

Pastor Ng Francis
www.fnministries.com

Judypie on Receiving God’s Blessings

If your prayers aren’t being answered, check out your love walk. Are you walking in love toward your family and your fellow man? Jesus said in John 13:34-35: Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other. One may lament, how can I love like Jesus loves? How can I love with the God kind of love? When you were born again the love of God was shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit. At first this love is streaked with selfishness and self-centeredness, but if you will read the Word, pray and meditate on God’s love for you, His love will drive fear out of doors. Fear is an entity that keeps you from loving one another, but you can risk loving others because you learn to trust in God’s love for you.

Father, I pray that I may be filled with the love of God. You are able to do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine, according to Your power that is at work within me. To You goes all the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!

Ephesians 3:19-21 [AMP]

Favor

LORD, I give thanks to You for You are good! Your mercy endures forever. Who can express Your mighty acts? Who can declare all Your praise? Remember me, O LORD, with the favor You have toward Your people. Visit me with Your salvation in the name of Your Son, Jesus. I love You, my Lord, my Redeemer. Amen.

PRAISE THE Lord! (Hallelujah!) O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever! Who can put into words and tell the mighty deeds of the Lord? Or who can show forth all the praise [that is due Him]? Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are those who observe justice [treating others fairly] and who do right and are in right standing with God at all times. [Earnestly] remember me, O Lord, when You favor Your people! O visit me also when You deliver them, and grant me Your salvation!--

Psalm 106:1-4 [AMP]

Prosperity

Father, it is your desire that I prosper and be in health, even as my soul prospers. In the name of Jesus, I put off the old man with its wrong attitudes and behaviors, and put on the new man created in righteousness. I receive and welcome the Word that contains the power to save my soul— to root out strongholds that are contrary to the Truth. I will diligently obey the message; being a doer of the Word and not merely a listener. Thank You for helping me overcome wrong ideas about financial freedom. I will ever be humbly grateful and one with you as I experience financial success in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.

3^rd John 2 [AMP]

So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls. But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].

James 1:21-22 [AMP]

Promotion

Heavenly Father, according to your Word promotion comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. God, you are the judge: you put down one person, and set up another. I’m content to be myself so that I will become more than myself. I choose being humble and reverent toward you, Lord, and you will make me both wise and honored in the name of Jesus. I write mercy and truth upon the tablets of my heart, and you cause me to find favor with God and with man. Thank you for my promotion that comes from the north at your bidding that I might fulfill my destiny. Amen.

For not from the east nor from the west nor from the south come promotion and lifting up. But God is the Judge! He puts down one and lifts up another.

Psalm 75:6-7 [AMP]

“When you’re invited to dinner, go and sit at the last place. Then when the host comes he may very well say, ‘Friend, come up to the front.’ That will give the dinner guests something to talk about! What I’m saying is, If you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face. But if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.”

Luke 14:11 [Message]

Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor.

Proverbs 15:33 [New Living Translation]

Affirmation of My Desire

My desire is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before others or have their good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Amen

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death

Philippians 3:10 [NIV]

What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.

Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.

Galatians 2:20 [Message]

God effectually works in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight. Choose to affirm God’s Word every day—be filled with the Holy Spirit.

God Answers Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, I come into Your presence with thanksgiving. You are the God of my salvation. You are my confidence and hope. I know that in the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart]. Thank You for answering me from Your holy heaven with the saving strength of Your right hand. For in You, O Lord, do I hope; You will answer, O Lord my God. I love You with all that is within me, and I praise Your holy name.

May He grant you according to your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans. We will [shout in] triumph at your salvation and victory, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.

Psalm 20:4-6 [AMP]

Joyful Praise

Holy Spirit, I ask you to perfect the fruit of my lips giving praise. Thank you for this mighty weapon of praise, which stops and stills the enemy. I am joyful in the Salvation of my Lord. I greatly rejoice in your strength, O LORD; and in your salvation! You have given me my heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of my lips. You meet me with the blessings of goodness… You give me life and length of days. You have made me exceedingly glad with your presence. Be exalted, O LORD, in Your own strength! Amen

O LORD, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory on [or above] the heavens. Out of the mouths of babes and unweaned infants You have established strength because of Your foes, that You might silence the enemy and the avenger. When I view and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained and established, What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him? Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field, The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your name in all the earth!

Psalm 8 [AMP]

THE KING [David] shall joy in Your strength, O Lord; and in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah [pause, and think of that]! For You send blessings of good things to meet him; You set a crown of pure gold on his head. He asked life of You, and You gave it to him--long life forever and evermore. His glory is great because of Your aid; splendor and majesty You bestow upon him. For You make him to be blessed and a blessing forever; You make him exceedingly glad with the joy of Your presence. For the king trusts, relies on, and is confident in the Lord, and through the mercy and steadfast love of the Most High he will never be moved. Your hand shall find all Your enemies; Your right hand shall find all those who hate You. You will make them as if in a blazing oven in the time of Your anger; the Lord will swallow them up in His wrath, and the fire will utterly consume them. Their offspring You will destroy from the earth, and their sons from among the children of men. For they planned evil against You; they conceived a mischievous plot which they are not able to perform. For You will make them turn their backs; You will aim Your bow [of divine justice] at their faces. Be exalted, Lord, in Your strength; we will sing and praise Your power.

Psalm 21 [AMP]

The Ultimate Blessing

And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

Revelation 21:2-4 [New Living Translation]

Meditations from Judypie: The Fear Of The Lord

In Hebrew, “Fear of the Lord” is translated Yirat Adonai. The root word Yirah expresses many different aspects of how we should regard God: with awe, reverence, wonder, amazement, fear, astonishment, devotion, and awareness of the sacred and awesome mystery of our relation to an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God...

When taking into consideration the many ideas expressed by the word “yirah,” having a “fear of the Lord” becomes very reasonable. It is actually a call for us to acknowledge God’s awesomeness -- in the universe, and in our lives. It is a declaration of our faith in Him, and how we should love and revere Him.

It reminds us to experience Him with ever-evolving, daily-renewed love and commitment...to realize and worship with gratitude the preciousness of our relationship with our Creator.

In other words: having a “fear of the Lord” is daily-remembering not to take God, and our relationship with Him, for granted. When we respect and regard Him in this manner, it gives our Father His proper place of sovereignty over our lives.

Having this kind of “fear of the Lord” is not a command to consider Him as a terrifying, unforgiving, or wrathful God. “Fear of the Lord” doesn’t mean being scared of God.

When people think, “God is scary!” this perception comes from a distorted perception of the who God is. God has revealed His nature in His Word. From cover to cover in your Bible, you will find that God loves His children and seeks their highest and best good. The apostle Paul described God’s nature as having these hallmarks in addition to love: joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22 - 23).

However, we must never lose sight of the fact that we are the created; He is the Creator.

We are finite; He is infinite.

We are bound by time and space; He is eternal and ever-present.

We know things in part; He knows things in full.

We are wise when we welcome the presence of God into our lives. We are wise when we consult God about who we are and what He has planned for us. We are wise when we realize that God is in control.

This is why the Bible tells us that “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” and we are commanded to follow His Word and praise Him in all things, and for all things.

So rejoice daily in having a healthy “fear of the Lord.” It is a truly a profound expression of our faith in Him - and it brings us into a deeper, fuller, more intimate relationship with our Father, the great “I AM!”

And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

Revelation 21:2-4 [New Living Translation]

Worship Together

In This Edition - Featured Song: "Life Light Up" from Christy Nockels - Team Building - Thoughts from Nehemiah - Featured Worship Leader: Christy Nockels - Life Light Up CD - 11 Songs for $7! Song Spotlight Jesus Messiah Free Songs Life Light Up Christy Nockels A Mighty Fortress Christy Nockels Beautiful Jesus Kristian Stanfill New Song Cafe Life Light Up with Christy Nockels New Song Jukebox Life Light Up Christy Nockels A Mighty Fortress Christy Nockels No Not One Christy Nockels Beautiful Jesus Kristian Stanfill Listen now! Featured Song: "Life Light Up" From Christy - I started writing this lyric and chorus melody in the Autumn of 2007, after a Passion regional conference in Boston. The worship was explosive that weekend, and the anticipation of the students to see God move was life changing for me. When I flew home from that weekend I looked over the city from the airplane and a melody and lyric came from my mouth, "let my life light up like the city lights..." Download Free Sheet Music for "Life Light Up" and learn how to play it in this week's New Song Cafe! Featured Bible Study: Team Building - Thoughts from Nehemiah I was reading through the first couple chapters of Nehemiah today and realized how many great leadership lessons there are to learn from our Biblical contractor. First, Nehemiah had a passion for people first, church second. It says in chapter 1 verse 2 that Nehemiah questioned Hanani about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. In ministry, we often get these two things reversed. We have a passion first for our ministry and second for the people. This often leads to "using" our flock to accomplish our ministry goals. Read more on the blog... Featured Worship Leader: Christy Nockels Christy Nockels was born in Ft. Worth, TX as a seminary baby. She grew up in Oklahoma as the daughter of a pastor and a piano teacher, which infused her heart early with a love for both music and God's word. Read more about Christy and her ministry... New CD: 11 Songs for $7! Christy's heart through leading worship and song writing is to help people communicate intimately with the living God, and to leave a legacy of proclaiming Jesus' fame to this generation. Get her new CD now!

WorshipTogether.com | PO Box 5084, Brentwood, TN 37024-5084

Michael Jackson : Pastor Gregory Dickow Prophesies Hope Before Death

Exercise Your Mind

“Study... present yourself to God approved, a workman...”

2^nd Timothy 2:15 [AMP]

Our bodies don’t work very well without adequate exercise; neither do our minds! Ever go back upstairs to remind yourself of why you originally went downstairs? Are names, numbers and appointments you remembered effortlessly in the past becoming increasingly elusive? Do you sometimes wonder if you’re “losing it?”

Doctors say that in most cases, mindless hours in front of television, avoiding intellectual stimulation and exertion, result in the shrinking of our mind’s capacity, including our memory. “Brain fitness” experts assure us that our brains don’t grow old from working too hard, but from hardly working at all. “Brain plasticity” - the capacity of our mind to retain or regain flexibility - is a matter of exercise.

When you just let your mind “vegetate” and don’t stretch it with thoughtful reading, rational thinking, intelligent analysis and conversation, it loses plasticity and becomes old at any age. On the other hand, if you challenge your mind regularly, your brain gets younger as you get older (the problem is not how old your brain is, but how old your thinking is).

Here’s a great way to strengthen your mind: “Study... present yourself to God approved, a workman who has no cause to be ashamed... accurately dividing the Word of truth.” The word “study” in Greek text means to exert yourself mentally, to push your mind to study God’s Word. Like a “workman,” make it work! God promises that if you meditate on His Word daily you’ll become “...like a tree planted by streams of water... which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (Psalm 1:3 [NIV]).

Don’t let your mind “wither;” exercise and strengthen it by studying the Scriptures!

Pastor Ng Francis
www.fnministries.com

God Has Your Answer. You Must LISTEN!

“Fear not, for I am with you...”

Isaiah 41:10 [NKJV]

To be successful in anything God calls you to do, you must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit within you and learn to recognize when He speaks to you through the Scriptures. When the pressure is on and you are tempted to move too quickly, you will hear His voice saying: “...You shall not go out with haste... for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard” (Isaiah 52:12 [NKJV]).

God has got you covered; front and back. How good is that?

When you are about to make a wrong turn or a bad decision, He will remind you, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” (Proverbs 16:9 [NIV]). When you don’t have the ways and means to get the job done, His voice will whisper: “The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail” (Isaiah 58:11 [NKJV]).

You have an unfailing supply. When you run out of answers and don’t know what to do, He will reassure you: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you” (Psalm 32:8 [NIV]). When the load becomes too heavy to carry, you will hear His voice saying, “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall” (Psalm 55:22 NIV).

Hearing God’s voice may mean that you have to sacrifice lesser things and tune out other voices, but you must do it. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is more important than learning to recognize God’s voice when He speaks to you.

Pastor Ng Francis
www.fnministries.com