The Children’s Bread

“And He was saying to her, ‘Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.’” (Mark 7:27) These were Jesus’ words to a Syrophoenician woman, regarding the healing of her daughter… Here He was referring to healing as “the children’s bread.” She was not Jewish (“the children”) but persisted in faith, to ask for His help, which He gave.

Today, another healing account, of Aeneas, (shared below) is referred to, in reference to the upcoming Healing Summit at Oasis Church on August 30th, which will be available to all via the internet…read the message at: http://www.givehim15.com

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We read in the Bible’s book of Acts that in the course of Peter’s travels, he arrived at the town of Lydda to visit with some of the saints.

There he came upon a man named Aeneas, who’d been bedridden for eight years with paralysis and its constraints.

The account tells us that Peter spoke with sure faith, saying, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you: arise, and make your bed.”

At Peter’s words, the paralyzed man immediately arose; and all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord, having seen that healing is the children’s bread.

In another instance, in Joppa, there was a disciple named Tabitha, or Dorcas, who abounded with charity for others and deeds that were kind.

Just at that time, she had fallen sick and died–a loss which was felt deeply, for she had made garments for many; and by such acts of service she was defined.

Some of the disciples heard that Peter was in nearby Lydda, so they sent two men to him to entreat him to come and not delay.

He agreed to come with the men and there, in an upper room of the house where her body was lying, Peter sent out those who wept. He knelt and prayed–then turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, arise,” at which point, death couldn’t stay.

She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. He gave her his hand and raised her up, then called those who’d been there to return. Peter presented her alive to all of them, who were so grateful and amazed.

The raising of Dorcas became known all over Joppa and many there believed, too, on the Lord and that the Name of Jesus, of whom Peter preached, was greatly to be praised.

P. A. Oltrogge

A summary from Acts 9:32-43
Also refer to Acts 10 on the inclusion of the Gentiles in the Gospel, and Acts 11:18 “And when they heard this, they quieted down, and glorified God, saying, ‘Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.’”

“But He was pierced through for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.”  Isaiah 53:5

“And when evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, ‘He Himself took our infirmities, and carried away our diseases.’” Matthew 8:16,17

Other examples of Peter and the other apostles extending healing in Jesus’ Name: Acts 3:1-10, 16 and Acts 5:12-16; Acts 14:8-10; Acts 19:11-12; Acts 20:9-10; Acts 28:3-5 (Paul suffered no harm himself); Acts 28:7-9

Standing in the Need of Prayer

“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, to be testified in due time,  for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-7 NKJV

At the end of this present year, I’d like to be able to say…

I didn’t meet or pass by a person for whom I didn’t pray.

It doesn’t have to be long…and I can quietly intercede–

even praying to God in thought, for Him to meet their most urgent need.

P. A. Oltrogge

You may already be doing this, not wanting to miss someone who may need the Lord’s help in a particular way in their lives…and for some, most importantly, to come to know Him. It is a worthy goal, for there are surely many people who don’t even realize that they are standing in the need of prayer….

Many of the followers of this blog may already be using it, but a great daily resource for more detailed prayer is: http://www.ifapray.org

I very much am blessed (you may be, too) by the Christian song, “Somebody’s praying me through,” which can be found via You Tube…

I am praying for you today, as well… Thank you for following The Porch of the Lord blog…

Somebody’s Praying Me Through:

Pressing over me like a big blue sky,
I know someone has me on their heart tonight.
That’s why I know it’s gonna be alright
‘Cause somebody’s praying me through…
Somebody’s praying me through…
It may be my Mother, it might be my Dad
Or an old friend I’ve forgot I had;
But whoever it is I’m so glad…that
Somebody’s praying me through…
Somebody’s praying me through…
Through the tears, through the rain,
Through the sorrow, through the pain,
It keeps bringing me through
Over and over again.
So when you’re drowning in a sea of hurt
And it feels like life couldn’t get any worse,
There’s a blessing waiting to push back the curse
‘Cause somebody’s praying you through…
Somebody’s praying you through…
Someone got down on their knees and prayed for me;
Somebody’s, somebody’s praying you through…

I’m not entirely sure of the attribution for the writer of the song, but their work is appreciated…

Building Blocks That Blossom

Faith is the seed.

Love is the power.

Hope is the light.

Joy is the flower.

…author unknown, but the meaningful thoughts are appreciated…. P. A. Oltrogge

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

“How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.” Psalm 36:7-9

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

“They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.” Psalm 65:8

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:1-5

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

“But now faith, hope, love abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13


Seven Warnings to the Nations

To hear the message given by Pastor George Pearsons yesterday at Eagle Mountain International Church on the above topic regarding Israel, find “Latest Service,” and then scroll in to approximately 1:23 (one and a half hours in) at: http://www.emic.org

Below is an outline from it:

1   Israel is in Covenant with God, 1 Chronicles 16:15-18

2  The Jews are God’s People, 2 Samuel 7:8-11

3  The Lord is a Man of War, The Lord is His name, Exodus 15:1-3

4   The Lord is Mighty in Battle, Psalm 24:7-10

5   God is Israel’s Shield, Psalm 3:1-8

6  The Nations are Nothing to God, Isaiah 40:15-17

7   God Will Give Israel the Victory, Deuteronomy 20:1-4

“And who is like Your people, like Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name—and to do for Yourself great and awesome deeds for Your land—before Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, the nations, and their gods? For You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; and You, Lord, have become their God.” 2 Samuel 7:23-24

A Trustworthy Topic

To many, this topic may seem difficult or troubling, while it is, in fact, trustworthy. Perhaps you can take steps toward it if you haven’t fully done so yet. The following is presented…

by Kenneth Copeland

Give God a Way In

“And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land.” Malachi 3:11-12

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God is vitally interested in your finances. He wants to multiply and protect them. But He won’t be able to—unless you open the door for Him to do it.

How? Through tithing.

When you tithe, you give God the legal right to intervene in your financial affairs, to bless you richly, and to defend you against the destruction the devil brings. When you tithe, you lay a foundation for success and abundance. You establish deposits with God you can draw on when you need them.

But don’t wait until your back is against the wall to start. Begin now. Start developing your faith when things are going well by meditating on the blessings God’s Word promises you as a tither. Learn to act on that Word now; and when Satan tries to put you in a financial corner, he’ll fail. His power over you financially will have already been broken. Because you’ve established yourself on the covenant of God, Satan will have no chance against you. God will rebuke him for your sake.

If you haven’t yet opened the door and given God a way in to your finances, don’t wait any longer. Do it today. Then, when the pressures of tomorrow come, you’ll be prepared and protected by the special privileges that are guaranteed to those who tithe.

Reprinted with permission from Kenneth Copeland Ministries

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:45-46

Jesus pairs this parable with another one-sentence lesson about treasure hidden in a field (Matthew 13:44). Jesus often does this in his teaching: pairing two illustrations, each with their individual emphases, to make the same general point.

Exceedingly Precious

In the anointing at Bethany (John 12:3–8; also Mark 14:3–9). Martha served. Lazarus, freshly resurrected, reclined at table. Their sister Mary “took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair” (John 12:3). Here, expensive is the same word used for the one great pearl in Matthew 13 (Greek polutimos, “exceedingly precious”). So manifestly, uncomfortably valuable was the ointment that the disciples, and chiefly Judas, registered their concerns. “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” (John 12:5). 

A denarius was a laborer’s daily wage. This ointment represented a whole year’s earnings for a six-days-a-week worker. Likely this was Mary’s nest egg for the future. And yet, as precious as it was, she saw Jesus as more precious. She saw him as surpassingly valuable. She poured her future on his feet, and in doing so, she demonstrated who was supremely precious to her.

Supremely Valuable

Paul takes up the same search, sacrifice, and joy in Philippians 3. Did he perhaps see himself in the merchant of Jesus’s parable? If so, what were the “fine pearls” he amassed before encountering the supreme preciousness of Christ? He provides a list: “circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless” (Philippians 3:5–6). 

As a leader among the strictest sect of his religion, he had an unassailable pedigree (what he couldn’t control, by birth) and performance (what he could, by effort). These were fine pearls indeed. Until he stumbled upon a Treasure who confronted him, knocked him off his horse, and opened his eyes. This was a Treasure that had been hidden from Paul, and yet one he had long been seeking. Now Paul saw Jesus as the one great Pearl of all-surpassing preciousness, and he counted all to be loss — both pedigree and performance — in view of “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). Jesus became to him both an infinitely priceless Treasure to gain and a supremely precious Pearl to know.

God, in all his divine goodness, took on flesh in this one man Jesus. “In him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Colossians 2:9). Finding him as your one Precious will not poison or shrink your soul. He is the antidote to what ails us, the catalyst to expand our small hearts, the surprising remedy we’ve long been seeking.

…by David Mathis, shared with permission…

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“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells everything that he has, and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44 NASB

photo/Pixabay

Our God Reigns

“God reigns over the nations;
God sits on His holy throne.
The princes of the people have gathered together,
The people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
He is greatly exalted.” Psalm 47:8-9

“The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.”  Psalm 93:1

The Eternal Reign of the Lord

“Say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns; The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously.'”  Psalm 96:10

A Song of Praise to the Sovereign Lord

“The Lord reigns; Let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad!”  Psalm 97:1

Praise to the Lord for His Holiness

“The Lord reigns; Let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved!”  Psalm 99:1

“And in that day you will say: ‘Praise the Lord, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted.'” Isaiah 12:4

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!'”  Isaiah 52:7

“Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’  This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.'” Mark 12:29-30

“The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all.” Acts 10:36

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:38-39

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13 See all of Colossians 1

“And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, ‘Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!'” Revelation 19:6

Scriptures: NKJV

Scroll down to read the article, “Lebanon’s Earthquake: A Divine Protection?” at: http://www.ifapray.org

photo/Porch of the Lord

The One Who Sent Jesus

When you believe in Jesus Christ and have settled that He’s the God who is true, you will not simply be believing in Him, but in the One who has sent Him, too.

Jesus came into the world as God’s Light, so that darkness would be dispelled–that none should miss knowing their God, nor have their salvation withheld.

God desires to be a loving Father to all, but His justness will require judgment one day. Jesus did not come to judge but to save, and to teach us to be followers of His Way.

All Jesus ever said or that He did, were things only from His Father that He’d heard. A blessed life now and eternally are the gifts of which a Christian can be assured.

P. A. Oltrogge

“Jesus shouted to the crowds, ‘If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me.  I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. And I know His commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells Me to say.’” John 12:44-50 (NLT)

“Then Jesus cried out and said, ‘He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.” John 12:44-45 (NKJV)

“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.” Hebrews 9:27-28 (NIV)

“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

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” John 5:24

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“Then they said to Him, ‘Who are You?’

“And Jesus said to them, ‘Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.’

“They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.’ As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.” John 8:25-30

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“Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.'” John 8:58

“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” John 10:9-11 (NASB)

“Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.’” John 14:8-10

“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.” John 14:25-28

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3

“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 23:6

Scriptures: NKJV or as noted

Genesis 1:1
Exodus 3:14
Psalm 45:6
Micah 5:2
Matthew 14:33
John 1:1-14
John 3:34-36
John 20:28
Colossians 1:16-17
Colossians 2:9
Titus 2:13
Hebrews 1:8
Hebrews 9:22
Hebrews 10:14

photo/Pixabay

Don’t Underestimate Your Prayers

by Kenneth Copeland

“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.” 1 Timothy 2:1-2

That verse is clear, isn’t it? The instruction is plain. Yet even in these tumultuous days when our nation is so desperately in need of God’s guidance, most of God’s people don’t do what that verse commands.

Why not?

I believe it’s because most of us are overwhelmed by the problems we see around us. How could my prayers make a dent in the national debt? we think. How could my faith affect foreign policy?

In other words, we fail to pray because we fail to realize just how powerfully our prayers can affect this country.

It’s time we caught hold of that. It’s time we realized that if we’d just be obedient to 1 Timothy 2:1-2, there’s no council of any kind on earth, no king, no president, no congress, no anything that could overthrow God’s purpose for His people.

God has called us to intercede. He has commanded us to pray for those in authority. He has given us His Word, His power, His Name, His authority and His faith. We have all the tools necessary to pray effectively for our government and its leaders.

I urge you to intercede. It is your responsibility as a believer to get involved in the affairs of your country. God wants this great land of ours, and the only way He’s going to get it is through His ambassadors—you and me.

Pray for your nation. Every day. And never again underestimate the world-changing power of those prayers.

Reprinted with permission from Kenneth Copeland Ministries

And visit today’s: http://www.givehim15.com

Another Visit to Timothy’s Ministry

…having fun getting the food ready in the kitchen

Thank you to everyone who helped out at our Potluck Luncheon and Worship on Sunday, especially Nina and Jen and their amazing family and friends who hosted our lunch! Wow! It was beyond amazing and such an overflowing with such delicious dishes, and all I can say is that God always provides abundantly! Thank you Nina and Jen and friends! It’s always wonderful when there are lots of bags with containers of leftover food for each person to take with them because more than ever before, I continue to hear about the need for food and people being ‘out of food’ so this is a special gift! Thanks to other friends who brought food as well!

I am so grateful to each of you including those who donate financially so that we can purchase all of the coffee and paper goods and McDonald’s cards as well as bus passes…thanks to all of you!

Such a beautiful time of worshipping together; and as we were listening and worshipping to the song, “I trust in God,” I couldn’t help think that this is a glimpse of Heaven because people come together from all walks of life and somehow there is love that flows through the Holy Spirit throughout our gathering. I think this is what God has intended for us when we come together and share food and clothing and each person shares their hearts and time with one another, and it could only be God that has orchestrated this special place!

The man who just moved into a room at the YMCA after living outside for a few years, showed up with a smile on his face, looking rested and showered and told me, “I feel real good!!! I got a good night’s sleep, and it’s wonderful!” He could not believe it when someone gave him a TV to take back on the bus.

God bless each of you for all that you do and all that you give so that our friends experience the hope and love of God in their lives.

When people arrive from Chicago, they take a name tag and everyone was so happy to see one another and each person receives a bus pass (for another time) and a McDonald’s card!

Getting a cup of coffee and a bagel before our Worship time!

Written by Marian Alvarado, Founder/Timothy’s Ministry, pictured above, behind those helpers in the front of the picture…

Timothy’s Ministry first began in December 2002 as God’s answer to my prayer after I cried out to God on my knees the day before my son Tim’s birthday (Tim passed away the year before). I remember saying, “Help me, God, if only I could have had the simple joy of baking Tim a cake, what I would have given.” Click on “Stories” to read the rest of Marian’s story at:

http://www.timothysministry.org