Author Archives: porchofthelord

On America’s National Day of Prayer

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Aware of the many concerns for the United States of America, we’ve been praying and will persevere with praise to and faith and hope in God. As someone recently shared, “I don’t just believe in miracles–I count on them!”

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“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” 

I’m so glad to have been born in the wonderful United States–a country from which came so very many “greats.”

Inventors, teachers, ministers, and those of every profession, found in this blessed country great freedom of expression.

Great national leaders were strategic in guiding the nation, and military “greats” led in many a wartime situation.

And diligent mothers and fathers, who were never well-known, supported the lives of young Americans until they were grown.

Great farmers have cultivated bountiful crops in America’s fertile soil, while many people have been blessed by their important toil.

And with scenic lands of “fruited plains” to mountains very high…the United States is blessed with beauty from rivers to the sky.

But what has made it greatest has been its foundation in the Lord…and our fervent prayer is that its faith in Him will be fully restored.

May all of America find in the Bible its truth that sets men free…Jesus Christ is our needed Savior and Lord…and true source of liberty!

P. A. Oltrogge

“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
2 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” words of Jesus in John 10:10 NKJV

“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint…” Luke 18:1 KJV

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’” John 8:31-32 NKJV

“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:36 NKJV

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” spoken by Jesus in Luke 4:18-19 KJV

“This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.” 1 John 3:23 NKJV

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!” Psalm 133:1
NASB

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12 NKJV

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” …From the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee…
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

Info on prayer today:
http://www.emic.org
http://www.kcm.org
http://www.govictory.org

Wednesday, May 3

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The following are shared by Kim Potter, A New Thing Ministries, and by Gloria Copeland of Kenneth Copeland Ministries.

by Kim Potter:

Recently, I was reading through the Psalms when I came across a familiar passage. I have read it hundreds of times I am sure, but that day, I was overwhelmed by the benefits that belong to someone who reads and obeys God’s Word. Let me share that Psalm with you today. 

Psalm 112:1-8 says, Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely, he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established; He will not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies.

Now, let’s look at the benefits of those who fear God and obey His Word.

Our descendants will be mighty upon the earth.

Our generation will be blessed and empowered to prosper.

Our homes will be filled with riches and wealth.

When darkness attempts to overcome us, God’s light will shine brightly for us.

WE WILL NEVER BE SHAKEN.

We will have an everlasting remembrance.

We will not be afraid of evil tidings or any evil news reports in our land.

Our heart will remain steady and always trusting God, no matter what.

Our heart will be established on God and His Word, and we will have no fear.

God will fight our battles and take care of all our enemies.

Oh, my goodness. The benefits of reading, and obeying God’s Word are incredible, don’t you think? These are the promises to you and I as we spend time in the Word of God and chose to obey and honor it.

The key is no one else can do this for us. It is something we must do for ourselves. We can’t have someone pray these blessings over us – they come only through our actions. If we choose to stay in God’s Word, and obey it, these blessings will be our reward. But we must choose to do what the Bible says. 

Another thing I want to point out is this. This Psalm begins with three powerful words.

Praise the Lord.

We must praise the Lord even before we see these promises manifest in our life. We praise Him for what He has declared over us because He is a good and faithful God and He does not and cannot lie.

My friend, I am not saying you must spend hours in the Bible each day, most people cannot do that. I am saying you must make God’s Word a priority and choose to obey His Word. Even if you take one scripture a week and meditate on it – you are getting the Word of God inside of you – and it will be life-changing. 

Mediate on the Word of God, do what it says, and you will make your way prosperous and have good success. That is your promise along with all these other benefits. Isn’t that amazing! And so worth the effort. 

Today, decide to mediate on God’s Word – get it deep inside your mind and heart, then, declare His promises over you and your family! Amen!

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by Gloria Copeland:

“And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.” Luke 12:42-44 KJV

We often praise God for His faithfulness. We’re thankful that we can always count on Him to be there for us. But we rarely consider the fact that He needs us to be faithful too.

It’s true. God needs people He can count on. He needs faithful and wise stewards He can trust over His household. In this final hour, He needs faithful believers to team up with, so He can manifest Himself in the earth more than ever before.

“Oh Gloria, God doesn’t need me!”

Yes, He does. Ever since the Creation, when He gave man dominion over the earth, He’s needed people to work with Him to get His will done here. You can see that all through the Bible. When the children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt and He wanted to lead them out, He teamed up with a man, Moses, to get the job done. Moses’ responsibility was to stretch out his hand in the earth and command the will of God to be done.

Why did He choose Moses? Because He needed someone who was faithful and would dare to act on His Word. He needed someone He could count on, and He knew Moses was that kind of man.

Psalm 103:7 says, “He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.” If Moses hadn’t been faithful to know God’s ways, the children of Israel would never have seen God’s acts!

God needs you just as He needed Moses. He needs you to be faithful and alert to spiritual things. He needs you to be someone He can trust to know His Word and be obedient to it. He needs you to be a steward who will stretch out his hand like Moses did so that He can perform signs and wonders before the people.

Will you be faithful? It’s a decision you have to make. No one can do it for you. Right now, commit yourself to be that wise and faithful servant. Say in your heart and with your mouth, “God, You can count on me.”

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http://www.anewthingministries.com
http://www.kcm.org
http://www.givehim15.com

In preparation for tomorrow’s National Day of Prayer, you may want to visit the website of Dutch Sheets…and regarding concerns about which to pray for the United States, see the prayer points at the Copeland ministry blog and the recent interview with President Trump by Gene Bailey (May 2nd programming):

http://www.govictory.com/flashpoint

Qualified through Christ

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Photo/Porch of the Lord

“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:9-14 NASB

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name….” John 1:12

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

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6

If you’ve happened to come upon this blog:

I pray you’ll understand fully the importance of the good news. God has given you an offer, which is much too wonderful to refuse…

Receive of God’s forgiveness and goodness for all time. Of the many decisions you’ll make in life, this one is prime.

P. A. Oltrogge

Get Your Hopes Up

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Be blessed to hear “Get Your Hopes Up,” a present series at http://www.covenantfamily.cc

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12

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

If you’re pressed for time, Part 2 seemed especially encouraging to me, though both are good…

(P. A. Oltrogge)

Messages by Pastor Keith Eggert,
of Covenant Family Church (Click on “Media”)

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.” Psalm 42:11

…praying for you, a follower/friend of this blog….

God’s Perfect Love in an Imperfect World

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“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:18-19 NKJV

Let God’s perfect love cast out any and all fear. Jesus said to have faith in God and to be of good cheer!

Anxiety in the heart weighs it down. Thank the Lord for answered prayer, instead–that He is turning things around…

Reversals may not seem possible, the world being an imperfect place…but, remember, where sin abounded, there did, much more, God’s amazing grace!

P. A. Oltrogge

“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad.” Proverbs 12:25 NASB

“Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together. I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.  He freed me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:3-4 NLT

“But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.’” Matthew 14:27

“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:20-21

“… I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 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 16:32-33

“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

“So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Have faith in God.'” Mark 11:22

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.” Psalm 42:11 and 43:5

Yours is the Good Shepherd…

Out of the darkness, into His light

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Jesus was teaching in the temple when some scribes and Pharisees approached, bringing a woman who’d been caught in adultery, who they thoroughly had reproached.

Setting her down before Him, they brought up the command that she be stoned; and what were His thoughts on that—should Moses’ law now be condoned?

Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground, as though He didn’t hear. Soon the woman would find, through Christ, her deliverance from a death fear.

So when they persisted in asking Him, she surely was fearing the worst. But He said, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”

He again stooped down to write—perhaps knowledge of the sins of those accusing. They began to all leave, then, one by one, knowing their own sins they couldn’t be excusing.

Jesus stood up then, seeing only the woman, left there in the midst of the crowd. He asked her where her accusers had gone, their condemnation having been so loud.

“Has no one condemned you?” Jesus asked. “No one, Lord.” Not one of them had stayed. Then He said He didn’t either, but to go and sin no more. She received pardon despite having strayed.

After this event, Jesus declared that He was this world’s light…and that those who follow Him will not walk in darkness but, through Him, will “see” to live right.

P. A. Oltrogge

(poetically related from reading the actual account in John 8:1-12)

Photo/Unsplash

Truth be told…

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“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” John 17:17

Truth be told…
God’s Word is “gold.”

To it, strongly, we must hold…to see the answers to our prayers unfold.

When doubt tries to make us conform to its mold, the promises in God’s Word are what we need to behold.

In it, His account of creation is told; and throughout the Holy Bible, His Son, Jesus, is extolled.

We’re to share His love with others–their hearts to enfold. He wants all to find His love, so our love must be bold.

May we, too, as believers, declare and rest assured…that there’s nothing more trustworthy than God’s Holy Word….

for truth be told…
God’s Word is “gold”…

yet it’s greater than and more to be desired than gold!

P. A. Oltrogge

“As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.” Psalm 18:30 

“The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them, there is great reward.” Psalm 19:9-11 NKJV

“For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.” Psalm 33:4

“My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:7-8 NLT

“He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” Psalm 107:20

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

“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. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:23-25 NKJV

“They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes, I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.” John 17:16-19 NKJV

“For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” 2 Corinthians 1:19-20 NKJV

“Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 3:5 NKJV

“And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:15

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:12-15

“So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” Hebrews 6:18-19 NLT

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised)” Hebrews 10:23

“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” Hebrews 10:45-36

“And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” 1 John 3:23-24

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 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.

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” John 3:14-21 NKJV

…the world needs the truth–the Holy Bible holds the principles of right living and the way of salvation through Jesus Christ, our Lord…

Scriptures: KJV or as noted

In Everything, Give Thanks

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When it looks to you, at times, like there’s simply no way out, let thanking God, the Father, be your sure and chosen route.

When it seems that pressing problems have no known solution, let thanking the Lord turn any worries into a grace revolution.

Paul and Silas were imprisoned but raised their praises high–then found they were delivered, with praise their only cry.

When the way seems very foggy and you’re tempted to despair, just know, though you can’t yet see it, the victory is there.

A great principle of the Bible is to walk by faith and not by sight–so thank God for His presence when it’s dark and you need His light.

Like a pilot relies on instruments through weather good or bad–let thankfulness be the “instrument” with which your life is clad.

P. A. Oltrogge

Acts 16:23-40:
“But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were unfastened.” (25-26)

“But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:14-17 NKJV

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV and Hebrews 11:1

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 15:57

For your interest:

http://www.dynamisworldministries.com

“In That Day” and in Jesus’ Name

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“And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:23-24

What did Jesus mean when He said “in that day…”? Well, He was telling His disciples that He would be going away.

He was going to Calvary, and He was going to die; but He would be raised from the dead and ascend on high.

There, in heaven, He would sit down at His Father’s right hand; and a new day–a New Covenant or Testament would become their brand.

He had met the needs of many and His disciples each day the same; but when He was gone, they were to start praying to the Father in His Name.

That Name would take the place of Him personally doing God’s will. Miracles, signs and wonders, through that Name would be available still.

That our joy may be full, Jesus said, “Ask, and you will receive” — We are “IN” “In that day.” His power’s here, through those who believe!

P. A. Oltrogge

“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’

“So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.”
Mark 16:15-20 NKJV

This post was inspired by a devotional written by Kenneth E. Hagin, founder of Rhema Bible Training Center, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

resources:  
http://www.rhema.org
http://www.kcm.org
http://www.awmi.net

God’s Flower of “Brass”

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…We’re a little past Easter, but this hasn’t been shared for some time. Perhaps it may bless someone still today…

The Easter lily with its trumpet-like flower
is a pure white tribute to Christ’s cleansing power.
It heralds, through its trumpet, His resurrection–
and that now we are made clean through His life of perfection.
That’s why you see the lilies on each Easter day,
and you can “hear” the song, which they yearly play.
The winter of separation from our heavenly Father is ended.
Through all Jesus did, that relationship is mended.
The heavens are telling of the glory of God–
while other flowers join the symphony, coming up through the sod.
These proclaim His handiwork, and even the stones cry out.
The sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him we, too, can spread about.
This Jesus is the Lord of all new birth,
being the firstborn from the dead, God’s Son of great worth.
There were none that did good, no, not one–
until God, in His love, sent us His only Son.
Perhaps there’s a lily representing the cleansing of your soul;
if not, just surrender your heart to be on God’s roll.
Then at Easter, consider the lilies and pray all will “hear”
God’s wonderful proclamation for why they appear.

P. A. Oltrogge

“The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.” Psalm 19:1

“But thanks be to God who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.” 2 Corinthians 2:14

“Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’ And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, ‘Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.’ But He answered and said to them, ‘I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.’” Luke 19:37-40 (New King James)

“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.” Revelation 1:5

“…There is no one who does good, not even one.” Psalm 14:3 and Psalm 53:3

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 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 3:14-17

…Have a blessed week!