Category Archives: Faith

On the Highway with God’s Protective Spirit (GPS)

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When you have a decision to make…among equally appealing ways,

you’ll be heading in the right direction if you begin on the road of praise.

Then, if an unforeseen roadblock on your journey suddenly comes into view,

just keep up the praise to God, and He can easily wave you through.

There could, however, be a perplexing detour that’s totally unexpected;

but trust the Lord if that arises, the Spirit’s direction being greatly respected.

Trusting in Him with all your heart, and not leaning on what your mind decides,

will keep you on God’s high “way” for you, following as He safely guides.

And if you’ve made a wrong turn, not led by faith, but by your own sight,

know that your loving God of heaven will still lead you to His route that’s right.

P. A. Oltrogge

“For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them; but it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, because You favored them.” Psalm 44:3

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” Romans 8:14-17

“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 3:22-23 RSV

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” 2 Corinthians 2:14

Deuteronomy 31:8; Psalm 37:23-24; Proverbs 24:16; Jeremiah 29:11-13; Romans 8:1; Hebrews 4:16; 1 John 1:9

His Presence and Protection

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You're cared for by My angels, who daily surround;
and as you seek for Me daily, you know I'm easily found.

I appreciate what you do to help and encourage others, 
thereby building up the faith of your sisters and brothers.

And your prayers are so important to all people of the earth;
they bear fruit in helping many to find the "new birth."

I've given you the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide you;
He is wonderfully present, living inside you.

I'm your shelter and shield...have faith and not fear.
Emmanuel, God is with you...My love is steadfast and near.

P. A. Oltrogge

"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring
forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, 
which being interpreted is, God with us."  Matthew 1:23 KJV

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another 
Helper, that He may abide with you forever--the Spirit of 
truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither
sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells
with you and will be in you."  John 14:16-17 NKJV

"Jesus answered and said to him, 'If anyone loves Me, He will 
keep My Word; and My Father will love him, and We will 
come to him, and make Our home with him.'"  John 14:23 NKJV

2 kings 6:14-16
Psalm 34:7-8; Psalm 73:28; Psalm 91
Proverbs 30:5
Matthew 9:38
John 3:3
Romans 5:5
Galatians 4:6; Galatians 6:10
Ephesians 1:13-14
James 4:8

See: "About the Porch"

By His Grace

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Jesus…

I’ve come to a situation that’s difficult to face,
so I ask of you, Lord, to sustain me with your grace.

Send down your grace…much of it may be needed
before this problem’s “flooding” will have receded.

But if it’s prolonged, I’ll keep drawing from your supply
of divine grace upon grace to help me get by.

Thanks for bountiful grace, poured into my being.
I’ve found it’s your grace that is absolutely freeing.

P. A. Oltrogge

“From his fulness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:16 NRSV

Reassurances by Our Redeemer

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Many situations come to mind nationwide, worldwide, and in our own lives that we bring to the Lord in prayer. And we continue to pray for people to put their faith in Jesus, our Savior and Lord. For those who have done so, God sends encouragement; and His goodness, faithfulness, and promises are their anchor.

Just a few months ago, this Word from the Holy Spirit was received by minister and evangelist Jerry Savelle. This has been shared with his ministry partners (jerrysavelle.org) and also by Pastor George Pearsons of Eagle Mountain International Church (emic.org)

Jesus said, “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

A Word from the Holy Spirit:

Do not fret and do not fear;
I still plan to give you a supernatural year.

It’s not over and you will not fail.
Didn’t I tell you that the gates of hell shall not prevail?

Rest in Me and I’ll see you through,
and I’ll bring to pass all that I said I would do.

So thank your Father in Heaven that you have a choice.
You can choose to fear or you can choose to rejoice.

So rejoice and do not cease.
This is how you tap in to My supernatural peace.

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” words of Jesus in Matthew 16:18

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

Be blessed to contribute to the ministry, and view touching videos at http://www.samaritanspurse.org of a young orphaned boy from Lesotho, South Africa, who received a shoebox gift that impacted his heart and life, children of the Pacific Islands receiving such gifts, and other stories of Christian love at work throughout the world.

Powerful Prayers for Peter

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Herod began to persecute those who believed in Jesus, it’s told in the twelfth chapter of Acts. James was martyred by the sword and Peter was seized, though there had been no criminal facts.

The church was offering up constant prayer for Peter–imprisoned by Herod Agrippa, the king. So in the dark of the night, God sent an angel to visit Peter there, who was asleep despite everything.

Four squads of soldiers had been assigned to him; and he was chained as he slept that night. A soldier on each side of him and guards were there, who were keeping the prison door barred tight.

Suddenly, the angel of the Lord stood by Peter, and a light shone inside the prison cell. The angel struck him on his side and raised him up; and from Peter’s hands, the heavy prison chains fell.

At the angel’s instruction, Peter dressed quickly to follow him–though it all seemed to be unreal. They went past the first and second guard posts. “This must be a ‘vision,’” was how it made him feel.

They came to the iron gate that led to the city, which simply opened to them of its own accord–then went out and down one street, and the angel departed. What a rescue from an angel of the Lord!

Peter came to his senses, realizing it had actually happened–he’d escaped Herod and leaders of the Jews. He proceeded on to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where they’d fervently prayed for this news.

Peter knocked at the door of the gate to the house, and a girl by the name of Rhoda came to see who was there. In her joy at hearing his voice, she ran to tell the others it was Peter, and that God had answered prayer.

They just couldn’t believe her, so Peter had to continue to knock, until they opened the door themselves to see… that God, indeed, had heard their prayers for Peter, and had sent His angel–to miraculously set him free!

At dawn, back at the prison, there was a commotion among the soldiers, as to how Peter’s captivity was defied. After a search was endeavored, Herod ordered the soldiers’ deaths; but the Bible records that he, too, soon afterward died…

“But the word of God grew and multiplied!”

P. A. Oltrogge

(From the account in Acts 12)

To Cast and Not to Cast

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“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:6-7 NKJV

I cast all my cares upon You, Lord,
for worry is something I can’t afford.

I’ll take Your peace, instead of stress;
Your thoughts towards me are always to bless.

Oh, what a compassionate God we have.
His love for us is like healing salve.

Cast your cares on Jesus–His peace in trade;
then leave them there once you have prayed.

Now, keep your confidence–don’t cast it away.
Hold fast to your faith in Him each day.

P. A. Oltrogge

“Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” Psalm 55:22 NASB

“Turn all your anxiety over to God because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 GW

“Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks.” Philippians 4:6 GW

“Cast not away your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.” Hebrews 10:35 KJV

“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.” Hebrews 4:14 KJV

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

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11 KJV

Isaiah 54:17; Isaiah 55:10-11; Jeremiah 1:12; 1 Corinthians 14:15; 2 Corinthians 2:14

…thanking the Lord!

The Resurrected Lord appears at the Sea of Galilee

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After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples several times–for instance, once at the Sea of Galilee. In the group were Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, two other disciples, and the sons of Zebedee.

Peter announced he was going to go out to fish; and they all decided they would join him, too, on the boat. They fished all night but caught nothing; and in the morning they saw Jesus on the shore as they were afloat.

They didn’t realize this was the Master when He called to them as “friends,” asking if they had fish aboard. “No,” they said–but then took His advice, that a shift of the net to the right side shouldn’t be ignored.

When they did as He said, they came into such an abundance of fish that they weren’t able to haul in the net, which caused them to remember a previous miraculous catch–an incident they could never forget.

John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, spoke up first, saying, “It is the Lord!” They all were overwhelmed and excited. Peter, in his eagerness, threw on his tunic, and jumped into the sea for the shore–so unable to wait to be reunited.

The others followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, with which Jesus had just blessed–such a great haul. A fire of burning coals with fish and also bread was ready on shore, where the Lord wanted to dine with them all.

Jesus said that they should bring some of the fish just caught–153 large fish in all, and yet the net wasn’t torn. “Come and have breakfast,” was His warm greeting to His disciples there on that joyful and, to them, miraculous morn.

Have you fished all night, are you not expecting to see the Lord show up, do you think miracles are few and far between? Well, He’s the resurrected Lord, and is “ALIVE forevermore!” We can expect to see miracles yet like none we’ve ever seen!

P. A. Oltrogge

(from John 21:1-14
and reference to Luke 5:1-11)

“And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.’” Revelation 1:17-19

The various versions of the Bible have Jesus calling out to His disciples in this account in different terms.  “Children” is written in the King James Version–which they were, beloved children of God.

In the Gospel of John, we read of John as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Of course, all of His disciples were the recipients of His unmerited love, as we also are today!

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 107:1; Psalm 136:1-26; Psalm 145:9

"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

"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)

Standing in Faith by Standing in Praise

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Sometimes we may feel imprisoned, in need of a breakthrough because of an unwise decision. At such times we must look in faith to our Redeemer, with praise being the master key of precision.

Of course, some problems are unforeseen, and we had nothing to do with how they came about. But filling the Lord’s ears, night and day, with His praises, will bring release and break persistent doubt.

Paul and Silas were shut inside of a prison–praise to God was their only weapon of choice. Then God sent an earthquake to set them free, because they had chosen, wisely, to rejoice!

They went from being jailed to being guests in the jailer’s home and recipients of his care. The jailer had become their brother in Christ–what an answer to their praises and prayer!

So if, today, you hear of troubling situations in this world and wonder what you can possibly do…after prayer, keep praising our Lord Jesus Christ, who is mighty to save and ever Faithful and True!

P. A. Oltrogge

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1 NKJV

“Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its going down, the name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens.” Psalm 113:1-4 NKJV

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.” Revelation 19:12 NKJV

Account of Paul and Silas imprisoned in Acts 16

Search the web for Philip Renner, worship music

“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 College, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.