Need You.

Psalm 63:1

A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah.  O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for  you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.

~Though he was both hungry and in great distress, yet he made God above all meat & drink~

~We must seek Him.  We must seek acquaintance with Him by His word and seek mercy from Him by prayer!

~The desire of my soul is so vehement, that my very body feels the effects of it.

(those were all taken from crosswalk study tools – as you can tell I LOVE IT!)

No matter what physical, emotional condition I’m in, I LONG for Jesus above all else. He is it! The best thing before and after sliced bread! No, but seriously, I need him more than breath for my physical well being. Love Him.

Majestic.

Job 37:23 – We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty, yet He is so just and merciful that He doesn’t oppress us.

~Our finite understandings cannot comprehend his infinite perfections~ (crosswalk.com study tools)

Him first. He is our #1 priority – we can’t be so focused on what the next priorities are that we lose sight of the first.  Him first. Him.  He is a mystery because we cannot fully comprehend him.

Fortitude.

FORTITUDE – that strength or firmness of MIND or SOUL which enables a person to encounter danger with coolness and courage, or to bear pain or adversity without murmuring, depression or despondency. Fortitude is the basis or source of genuine courage or intrepidity (Fearlessness; fearless bravery in danger; undaunted courage or boldness) of danger, of patience in suffering, of forebearance ( a withholding from beginning an act) under injuries, and of magnanimity (Greatness of mind; that elevation or dignity of soul, which encounters danger and trouble with tranquillity and firmness, which raises the possessor above revenge, and makes him delight in acts of benevolence, which makes him disdain injustice and meanness, and prompts him to sacrifice personal ease, interest and safety for the accomplishment of useful and noble objects) in all conditions of life. We sometimes confound the effect with cause, and use fortitude as synonyms with courage or patience; but courage is an active virtue or vice, and patience is the effect of fortitude.

Fortitude is the guard and support of the other virtues.

Judges 6:34 – Then the Spirit of the Lord took possession of Gideon. He blew a ram’s horn as a call to arms, and men of the clan of Abiezer came to him.

~That word possession really got to me. So, in wanting to study this verse out, I went to www.crosswalk.com and looked up study tools for this verse and heres what they said:

God, by His Spirit put life into Gideon. (ok, this is what i want!) The Spirit of the Lord clothes Gideon. A Spirit of FORTITUDE from before the Lord clothed Gideon. (ahhhh, awesome word fortitude, as you can see above i had to study that one out and its amazing!) He was himself a mighty man of valor, get personal strength and courage though vigorously excerted, would not suffice for this great action; he must have the armour of God upon him, and this is what he must depend upon; the Spirit of the Lord clothed him in an extraordinary manner. Whom God calls to His work He will qualify and animate for it. Gideon with his trumpet put life into his neighbors, God working with Him, he blew a trumpet. So, suddenly God can turn hearts even of idolaters and persecutors and the most distant laying furthest from danger can hear and follow.

So Good. All of it. Know that we must depend upon that armour and being clothed by the Spirit and the Spirit of fortitude is powerful! We cannot do it. No matter how strong. He has to give us power by His Spirit. So for all those times I’ve tried and failed, I know why. And then, Gideon because he was qualified and animated by God put life into his neigbours with God, not alone, with God. Lord, thank you.

Acts 14:21-23

After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned again to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that they must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations. Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church and prayed for them with fasting, turning them over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had come to trust.

~Reading that text above seriously has me excited.  Life Connection Church is the same as Paul and Barnabas.  Making Disciples, sending them out, laboring for them and trusting that the Lord is going to take care of everything. I’m just in awe struck wonder right now about the fact that the Lord is using us in such a big way.  I guess I’m seeing the bigger picture.  And knowing that this is happening all over the world too! I’m empowered and encouraged today as I meditate on this text.  Lets get ready brothers and sisters we have a huge job ahead~   )

You have me.

Psalm 48:9 – O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in  your temple.

Psalm 143:5b-6 – I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done. I lift my hands to you in prayer.  I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain.

I keep thinking of those words from Hillsongs, “Fire Fall down.” ~Show me  your heart, show me your ways, show me your glory~ I want to thirst and thirst and thitst and never stop so that I know more about him to be more like him. He’s so unfailing and assuring, the one right thing in my life!

Thank you Lord for your protection.  that you have me in the palm of your hand.  You have me.  No need to go anywhere. You have me.

AWE.

Yesterday’s word at church was so eye opening for me.  To be in awe BEFORE God shows up.  To be excited.  And to believe that He will show up.  To really believe, not just saying it because I know to say it.

Lord, I pray that this week, you specifically show me how great you are.

Psalm 29:1-2 – Honor the Lord,  you heavenly beings, honor the Lord for His glory & strength.  Honor the Lord for the glory of His name.  Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

~His name.  Just His name alone is mighty.  Then you add strength and holiness and each one makes him mightier.~ I am in awe of Him today, as he’s been showing me situations in peoples lives that I’ve been believing and praying for are changing and it is only by HIS SPIRIT.

Praise for sufferring for Jesus. Martyr’s thank you.

Acts 5:17-42

The apostles were out preaching the gospel.  They were being bold and healing some peeps.  But they kept getting locked up by the religious people. And the Lord kept rescuing them out of jail.  Then the council wanted to kill them all.  But one man (used by God whether he knew or not) told them to let the apostles go and sooner or later the “jesus” movement would fizzle out.  So, they FLOGGED (WHIPPED OR SCOURGED) the apostles. And what did the apostles do??? THEY PRAISED GOD THAT THEY COULD SUFFER FOR HIS NAME!  And then they continued preaching in Jesus name!  To me, that looks alot different than what we do when we suffer…we get frazzled, or maybe we pray against the enemy but do we stop and think to praise God that we can suffer for his might name?  I want to be like the apostles.

Lord, increase my faith.  Let me rejoice when I suffer your name.  And let me be bold & never stop proclaiming your name even if it gets hard.  And I just pray for all of the modern day martyrs that are suffering for your name.

Healer. He is.

ACTS 5:12-16

Meanwhile, the apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among
the people. And the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area
known as Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared to join them, though everyone
had high regard for them.  And more and more people believed and were brought
to the Lord – crowds of both men and women. As a result of the apostles’ work,
sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s
shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. Crowds came in from the
villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil
spirits, and they were all healed.

~We’ve received the Holy Spirit.  We’ve prayed for boldness and His word that He came to heal, so we just need to step out in this area~ It has always been a passion of mine to see people healed; body, soul & mind.  Recently i was miraculously healed and I know that I know that He heals.  Today. Not just back then when it was the apostles. But those awesome moves of the Holy Spirit with healing and thousands coming to know the Lord. That is for today.  Its all happening today and I know I want to be used to be part of it. How insanely awesome would it be to have thousands brining the sick to be healed and for God’s glory will make people believe in the power that is in Jesus name? This has so far been a week of the Lord just showing me His power and encouraging me to step out and be bold when the Spirit is leading.

I need to be more bold

I was reading and meditating on Acts 4:23-31.  The verses that really stuck out to me where 29-31.  They read as follows:

“And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word.  Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.  After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.  Then they preached the word of God with boldness.”

Here the disciples are crying out for boldness..seeking him and asking for healings and signs and wonders for His glory. Our motive has to always be right. And all it took was for them to be filled with the Holy Spirit. For us that are filled with the Holy Spirit (me included) the boldness is already within us. We just need to be obedient and stop worrying about what makes us comfortable. being bold is not comfortable.  Being bold means to exit out of my complacent, feel good, right where i wanna be in life and actually reaching across and living my life about him. Not about me. About Him.

Room for doubt if we let it in…

“When they saw him, they worshiped him – but some of them still doubted!” Matthew 28:17

This verse is what I’ve been stuck on today.  I don’t know exactly why.  Except, I do know that i sometimes struggle with doubting the plans God has for my life.  And its out of pride.  I start thinking that I will have to do it all and I get overwhelmed when its not that at all.  I don’t want to be like that. I’m His disciple and I want to worship him without doubt.  I have to worship him without doubt or its not true worship.