Monthly Archives: January 2023

There’s a Song in the Air

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…we’re only a little past Christmas and Epiphany (the visit of the wise men), so I’m sharing still a lovely hymn….

There’s a song in the air; there’s a star in the sky…
There’s a mother’s sweet prayer, and a baby’s low cry.
And the star rains its fire, while angelic choirs sing,
for the manger of Bethlehem cradles a King!

There’s a tumult of joy, o’er the wonderful birth,
for a virgin’s sweet baby is the Lord of the earth.
Lo, the star rains its fire while angelic choirs sing,
for the manger of Bethlehem cradles a King!

In the light of that star, angels sang of His worth,
and their song from afar has swept over the earth.
Every hearth is aflame, as we join in and sing,
in the homes of the nations that Jesus is King!

We rejoice in His light as we echo the song
that was heard in the night from the heavenly throng.
The shepherds rejoiced and also made known
that the Savior had arrived from God’s heavenly throne.

Josiah G. Holland/Karl P. Harrington

Since this was authored long ago, I adjusted the song somewhat to a bit more modern thought… It is a beautiful Christmas hymn.

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“Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’

“So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.” …from Luke 2

…and of the journey of the wise men, we read:

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.'” Matthew 2:1-2

“…and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:9-11

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:12-14

…a few more poetic thoughts:

In the Light of His Star

In the light of a brilliant star that was shining in the East…was found the prophesied Savior and our great High Priest.

There’s only one Mediator between God and man–Jesus, our Redeemer, who was sent to us by God’s plan.

Mankind needed to be saved from this world’s evil foe. Now Christ’s redeeming blood makes sins as white as snow.

For guidance to the Messiah, God had used a star. Wise men came to worship Christ–they’d seen it from afar.

Those who see their need for the redemption that Christ brings…do worship Him, as well–our Mighty God and King of Kings!

P. A. Oltrogge

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18 KJV

“For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all….” 1 Timothy 2:1-6

“…For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

“And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 19:16

Scriptures: NKJV or as noted

A Pause out on the Porch

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I started this blog to share the love of Jesus–other Christians have done the same. I share what God has put on my heart, praying over it, in Jesus’ name.

But I may, at times, post messages a bit too often…it’s become a habit of mine–to head out onto the Porch of the Lord for a visit with its friends on line.

Therefore, if I don’t show up some days, I know the Lord will meet you there. He, by His Spirit, and through your own beloved Bible, has the highest, most personal, and the best things to share.

P. A. Oltrogge

Many of you are already established in this, but I wanted to still share the following…on hearing the Lord’s voice, by Kenneth Copeland, titled, “God has Something to Say”

The sheep listen to [the Shepherd’s] voice and heed it; and he calls his own sheep by name and brings (leads) them out. John 10:3, The Amplified Bible

Don’t ever be so afraid of making a mistake you miss out on the joy of acting on the voice of the Lord. Instead, trust the leadership of the Holy Spirit and let Him show you how. He’ll begin by speaking to you about the little things in your life, and as you grow accustomed to hearing and obeying, He’ll speak to you about weightier things.

That’s how it happened with Gloria and me. When we first accepted Jesus as Lord, we didn’t have any idea how to hear God. Our spirits weren’t yet trained to distinguish His leading. But since the Bible promised we could do it, we began to approach our prayer time and Bible study time expecting to hear God’s direction and He began to give it.

I’ll never forget the first time it happened to Gloria. She’d been reading the Bible and she just stopped for a few minutes to see if God would say something to her. Right down on the inside of her, she heard the Lord say, The light is on in your car.

It didn’t occur to her that God would speak to her about something so trivial, so she just brushed that thought aside and went on listening. Pretty soon, He said the same thing again. He kept on repeating it until finally, she got up and walked out to the car. Sure enough, the light was on.

Why would God bother with something as insignificant as a car light? Because He cares! He knew Gloria was home alone that night with two small children, and if that battery had run down, she’d have been stuck there. God was watching out for her, and He told her just exactly what she needed to know right then.

Yet, at the same time, He knew she was a beginner where listening to His voice was concerned, so He gave her an instruction she could follow without much risk. I mean, what if she had gone out there and the light hadn’t been on? What if she’d missed it? She would have felt foolish but that wouldn’t have hurt anything.

If you’ll trust Him, the Holy Spirit will do the same thing for you that He did for Gloria and me. He’ll bring you along one step at a time in a way that will help you, not hurt you.

The biggest mistake you can make is to be afraid to follow that inward witness which is the No. 1 way God leads all His children (Romans 8:14). So don’t be afraid. Take time to listen today. Expect to hear in your spirit. God has something to say to you.

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Romans 8:14 NKJV

Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 2:6-16

Reprinted with permission from Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Good Samaritans

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As we continue into the new year, we’ll want to, of course, keep helping others through the many Christian outreaches we know of. A number of them have been mentioned on this blog, such as http://www.ob.org and http://www.samaritanspurse.org

Many ministries, such as those of Kenneth Copeland, Jerry Savelle, Keith Moore, and others are constantly giving into other various missions and ministries.

Another is the Jerusalem Prayer Team. If you would like to pray, help, or receive updates from them, (one of their latest updates is below), you can do so at http://www.jerusalemprayerteam.org

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When we stand before the Lord to give an account for how we used the time and resources He gave us, what will we say? I want to be able to tell Him I did my very best, especially for His Jewish brothers and sisters, the least of these. I’m sure you feel the same way, and that’s why I’m asking for your help with a very important outreach of Christian love. 

EMAIL_MEM122622.jpg 

During Hanukkah, we hosted a party at your Friends of Zion Center for 400 Jewish widows and orphans, and in the following days took presents, food, and other necessities of life to over 3,000 more. But we cannot limit this vital outreach of Christian love just to the holidays…the needs are all year long. There are so many in Israel who have lost husbands and fathers to the deadly terrorist attacks motivated by the evil of anti-Semitic hatred. These people are being targeted and murdered simply because they are Jewish. It’s time for us to take a stand and show God’s Chosen People that they are not alone. 

The only way we are able to continue all of the outreaches of the Jerusalem Prayer Team, in Israel, in Ukraine, and all around the world is with the generous support of friends like you. Your gift today is vital as we seek to do all we can to help those in need. This is our “such a time as this” moment, and we must not miss it.

Your support of the Jerusalem Prayer Team today allows us to purchase food, medicine, clothing, and other necessities of life for the poor Holocaust survivors, as well as to continue to operate the Friends of Zion Museum, to stand up and speak out for Israel, and to meet urgent humanitarian needs among the poor Jewish people in Israel and Ukraine. Thank you so much for being part of this vital worldwide prayer movement.

Your ambassador to Jerusalem,

Michael David Evans

The Day the Lord Has Made

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“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 NKJV

It’s a new day–not a “blue” day…

It’s a “God will see you through” day;

and it’s an “expect a miracle, too” day!

P. A. Oltrogge

“Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.'” Mark 9:23 NKJV

The booklet below by Lindsay Roberts is great encouragement on the possibility of the miraculous–not from testimonies of present-day miracles; but she uses examples from the Bible. She challenges people not to think it’s crazy to believe in them, but to think it can be amazing to believe in them. And, of course, the Roberts family (her father-in-law was Oral Roberts) is very much noted as believers who encourage others to “expect a miracle.” In her own life, she’s experienced many challenges, some very difficult, but she kept right on believing. To order, visit the bookstore at http://www.richardroberts.org


Rains can’t endure; God’s mercies are sure…

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After the rain, the sun will come out…
Of the Lord’s faithfulness, we must not doubt.

Rain is most often a life-giving thing…
May the “rains” of life be faith-strengthening.

P. A. Oltrogge

“Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

Psalm 103:1-5

Psalm 25:6; Psalm 40:11; Psalm 89:1;
Psalm 107; Psalm 136; Psalm 145

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:  The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.”   Lamentations 3:21-23 RSV

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever.  Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the enemy….”  Psalm 107:1-2

“Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!  For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.”  Psalm 107:8-9

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” James 1:2-3 NASB

“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart….” Luke 18:1

Jesus said: “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” 
…from Matthew 7:24-29

(Scriptures NKJV, or as noted)

At http://www.kcm.org are prophetic words for 2023 by Kenneth Copeland under “Make God’s Word Final Authority in 2023”

Also visit today’s encouraging post by Dutch and Tim Sheets at:

http://www.dutchsheets.org (video)

http://www.givehim15.com (written)

There’s Still Light in Goshen

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The Lord was working out a major plan to set free–the captive Hebrew people of old. There would be ten plagues, so the actions of Moses and Aaron would need to be brave and bold.

When they came before Pharaoh, they had commands from the Lord on what to say or do, to warn him of, or initiate, every plague that his nation was soon to go through.

The ninth plague of darkness was so severe that the Egyptians couldn’t get around. For three days, the darkness was “felt” and thick, in the air and on the ground.

One of Egypt’s chief deities was the sun “god,” so such darkness proved the Lord’s might, to prevail over any of the “gods” of the Egyptians. Only His power could end the dark night.

But the Hebrews were under God’s protection; and, in the midst of that constant night, there was light in Goshen in their dwellings because God was in charge of their fight.

Today, people experience darkness, not of God and not a kind where you can’t visibly see, but darkness in their minds when they’ve not recognized “the door,” through which anyone’s able to go free.

Jesus pointed the way, saying, “If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” You can experience “Goshen” through God’s Son yet today, and you’ll have all of the light that you’ll need.

P. A. Oltrogge

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.’ So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” Exodus 10:21-23 NKJV

“If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:36 KJV

“Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.’” John 8:12 NKJV

“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.’” John 10:9-10 NASB

“But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 NKJV

Happy New Year!

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Snowy, Northbrook, IL,
Photo shared with permission of http://www.frankhubeny.blog

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As we step into 2023, the now present, new year,

with the Lord as our Shepherd, we’ll have nothing to fear.

In fact, we remember, Jesus told us to be of good cheer…

He has overcome the world, and it’s His voice, we’ll hear.

“My sheep hear my voice.”  Jesus, You will lead the way.

“I am with you always.”  We’re listening for what You’ll say.

Lead us on pathways, Lord, to show acts of Your love and grace…

after we’ve made time spent with You priority, seeking Your face.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow us each and every day…

You’ve assured our petitions are heard and answered when we pray.

Help us not to be anxious, but, instead, to sense Your peace.

Your mercies never come to an end–Your love will never cease!

P. A. Oltrogge

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulnrss.” Lamentations 3:21-23 RSV

“…and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” John 10:3

“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” John 10:14-15

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” John 10:27

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek.’  Psalm 27:8

“The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, oh Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” Psalm 138:8

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 KJV

“Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3

“I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4 NASB

“So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.'” Mark 11:22-24 (and the following two verses on the importance of forgiving)

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want… Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:1, 6

Scriptures: NKJV or as noted