Dear followers/friends of the Porch of the Lord blog:
I thank God for His supernatural intervention on preserving the life of President Donald Trump and do join in with the many other prayers being said at this time…for comfort and healing for the family of Corey Comperatore, a patriotic American who died in the attack on Saturday, and for the others who were wounded and hospitalized.
I’d like to reference the following for viewing, when you’re able to take the time…
and refer to the message yesterday at Eagle Mountain International Church: http://www.emic.org
If unable to watch the entire service, scroll in to about 55, for a message by Kenneth Copeland and then by Pastor George Pearsons. This is found on the right side of the site–scroll down to “Latest Service.” It will have the date of July 7th, but is actually from yesterday, July 14th.
(An interview at Sid’s site of Shane Winnings is also of encouragement to take in…and others posted there.)
“After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen”
Matthew 6:9-13 KJV
“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 NKJV
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
I like to think of the butterfly, a high-flying creation of beauty…
that once was a lowly caterpillar, but was destined for the unique duty,
of submitting to the Creator’s perfect will, and a higher design.
This may be compared to the lives of believers–even yours and mine.
Once, we were living low, though we may not have thought it so…
then recognized our need to be forgiven and be transformed to grow
into new creations with a very high call–to go throughout the earth,
in order to share with others, for God, the joy of obtaining “the new birth.”
P. A. Oltrogge
” …he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” …words of Jesus from Matthew 10:39
“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.” John 1:12-13
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.'” John 3:3 (NASB)
“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.” …by Jesus in John 3:16-17
” ..’Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.’” …Jesus’ words from Mark 16:15
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Galatians 2:20 (NASB)
“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and are in him that is true, even in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” 1 John 5:20 (KJV)
“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)
“The Lord executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed.” Psalm 103:6
…thank you, Lord, that your Word doesn’t return unto you void but accomplishes the thing for which you sent it…
We believe in the almighty, supernatural power that is God’s…
We believe that He can succeed for us “against all odds.”
We know that He’s instructed us to use His powerful Word–
that it can change those things that have adversely occurred.
Jesus gave us kingdom authority over all the enemy’s power…
So we take authority and plant the Word, for righteousness to flower.
Many wrongs have been occurring over our beloved U.S.A.,
but we use the sword of the Spirit against them continually after we pray.
P. A. Oltrogge
(“…faith without works is dead,” from James 2:20 …A minister has shared that affirming the Word of God by saying it IS doing a “work”). Jesus said, “It is written” and quoted the Word.
“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19
“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints….” Ephesians 6:14-18
“He guards the paths of justice. And preserves the way of His saints.” Proverbs 2:8
“It is a joy for the just to do justice, but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.” Proverbs 21:15
“For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” Psalm 1:6
“There is no (human) wisdom or understanding or counsel (that can prevail) against the Lord.” Proverbs 21:30 AMP
“Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand all.” Proverbs 28:5
“In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness.” Psalm 31:1
“The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.” Psalm 33:10-12 (and all of Psalm 33)
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
.,,Scriptures: NKJV or as noted
…And the Lord’s prayer, King James version:
“After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen”
“And if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Matthew 6:9-15 KJV
“Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.” Romans 12:21 NLT (see all of Romans 12)
Some family members of mine, from Colorado, recently shared these photos, one of which (see the bottom photo) is of the herds of elk that roam where they live. In yesterday’s post by Dutch Sheets, of Give Him 15, he talked about the elk, tying them in with the importance of “hearing” from God in our lives…
Here is a portion of the post:
Several years ago I was observing a small herd of elk just before dark. The wind was just right, blowing my scent away from them, and I had just enough cover between the herd and myself to crawl within twenty yards or so. Eventually, just to see if I could do it, I crawled very slowly out into the open and watched them. They never saw me.
One of the things that intrigued me most was the twitching of the elks’ ears. Ever vigilant, each time they heard a sound, their ears would prick up, in order to hear it even better. Whether eating, drinking, or taking a step, they were always diligent to listen for a potential threat–their lives depended on it. As I watched them, the pricking up of their ears reminded me of a word in Scripture I had studied. I recalled that this was the literal meaning of one of the Hebrew words for “listening.” Qashab means “to prick up the ears like an animal coming to alertness.” This live picture, painted by the elk, was indeed worth a thousand words.
One of the places qashab is used is in Proverbs 4:20-22, a fairly well-known passage of Scripture:
“My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to their whole body.” (Italics mine)
My understanding of “giving attention to” the Lord’s words went to a whole new level as I watched the ears of the ever-vigilant elk. Always listen diligently for His voice, as though your life depends on it, came to mind. No matter what you happen to be doing, remain tuned in to Him.
Spending time with God through prayer, worship, and quiet meditation tunes the soul and awakens the heart, enabling us to hear Him. Life is loud–make it quiet down once in a while. Everything else will scream for your attention, but He will not. Holy Spirit refuses to shout above the clamor and dissonance created by other voices and activities. For those who have grown to love the pleasure of His company enough to make time for Him, for those who truly listen, however, the still small voice of Holy Spirit becomes easily discernible.
Dutch Sheets of Give Him 15
Here is Dutch’s prayer:
Father, give us twitching ears like the elk, inclining them to listen for Your voice, picking up on the impulses of Your Spirit. Give us undistracted hearts that turn aside to see and listen. Life is so loud, so fast, so full. Remind us, please, of what matters most.
You said that as Your sheep, we know Your voice. We declare, therefore, that we ARE able to hear You; we do have ears to hear what You say. We will hear through Your written Word, and we will hear the voice of Holy Spirit. We will be alert, and will not be sidetracked by supposed “shortcuts,” which are actually detours.
Teach us to wait when we need to wait, and to only move when You tell us to move. Crossing the Jordan when it’s in flood stage doesn’t seem right, but sometimes You want to demonstrate Your power by cutting it off (Joshua 3). Your time is the only right time for crossing into the new. So, in all of our ways, we acknowledge You, and trust You to direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Our decree:
We decree that we will wait and listen, so we can follow Holy Spirit’s plan.
…Depicted in a puzzle–the Biblical account of Noah….
“Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.” Genesis 6:14
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God has raised up many ministries to encourage that, as a believer, you can build yourself an ark– through faith in His Word and its promises to you, in a world that has increasingly gotten dark.
Psalm 91 is a well-tested, protective psalm, that we can claim as a shelter and a shield. Many don’t consider that God’s Word could be so sure and have let it become a Sword they only hesitantly wield.
“No evil will befall you…He gives His angels charge over you,” and “With long life He will satisfy you,” are yours to claim– Confession of God’s Word, and the Name and the blood of Jesus, are the weapons, in a storm, that will conquer and tame.
But don’t wait for storms to develop in your life– Make His promises your regular confession every day. Abide in His Word, His presence, and dwell secure, for these are the “Ark,” (“in Christ”), whereby danger is kept away.
P. A. Oltrogge
“But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.” Proverbs 1:33
“My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings and in quiet resting places.” Isaiah 32:18
“The horse is prepared against the day of battle; but safety is of the Lord.” Proverbs 21:31 KJV
“I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust!’” from Psalm 91 — verse 2 …See the entire Psalm in your Bible and you can enter it in the search bar of this blog…
“Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
Adam and Christ Contrasted
When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Romans 5:18-21, NKJV
“Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous actthe free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
“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.”
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2 Corinthians 5:21, NKJV
“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
is how far God removes our sins. We, also, will find rest…
in following the example of Jesus, God’s Son,
who forgave from the cross, knowing God loved everyone.
“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”
was Jesus’ heartfelt prayer, despite what He was going through.
He came to seek and to save those who were lost…
and was willing to go to the cross to pay sin’s high cost.
“Their sins and lawless deeds, I’ll remember no more…”
are words of our God that we simply can’t ignore.
If the Almighty can forgive sins and then even forget,
then we should not be focusing on another person’s debt.
If we break one of God’s laws, we’ve broken them all;
this is stated in His Word, we have to realize and recall.
To judge a fellow, repentant believer is not for us to do,
but we’re to greet them, with love, as the Lord wants us to.
P. A. Oltrogge
“For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him: As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him.” Psalm 103:11-13
“And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’ And they divided His garments and cast lots.” Luke 23:33-34
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5
and see Matthew 18:21-35
“So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.'” John 8:7
“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31-32
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Hebrews 8:10-12
“For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” James 2:10-26
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said,‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!‘” John 1:29
If someone in your life has wronged you or has been hurtful to you or cruel, recognize the way to keep that from becoming a further demonic tool.
Forsake any feelings of anger, hate, or bitterness if you want the Lord’s peace. Forgive who has wronged you and release them to Him, so your well-being won’t cease.
Give any pain to God. He heals the broken-hearted and has said He will draw near…when you draw near to Him, giving Him your cares on the matter, or any fear.
That other person, or persons, need the grace of God as much as anyone. Pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to convict them of all that was said by God’s Son.
Then, picture yourself walking on the shore of an ocean of love with the Lord. Let the sound of the gentle waves of His grace and peace heal you today, and be fully restored.
P. A. Oltrogge
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15 NKJV
“We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 15:11 NLT
“I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.” Romans 1:7 NLT
“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31-32 NKJV
“He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; and He set my feet upon a rock, making my footsteps firm.” Psalm 40:2
…the following is a little contemplation on what I envision the Lord might say to someone who just placed their faith in Him…
To My mind, your life without Me was like being in miry clay; but I kept My hope that you’d respond to My love one day.
Where you had been didn’t matter so much, for I knew that you were in need of My touch.
Ever so gently I drew you away–I knew this would happen if you would just pray.
By the power of My Spirit you opened your heart, and now, through My grace, you have gotten a new start.
That person you were has actually died; a new life’s begun due to “Christ crucified.”
So rejoice in My love as I do in yours. Share it with others despite troubles or wars,
for I have room for so many through heaven’s open doors. And from out of heaven’s windows, My love surely pours–
down to the miry clay–or wherever it may…find people and lead them out to My way.
P. A. Oltrogge
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.’” John 14:6
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
“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
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Galatians 2:20
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” Habakkuk 2:14
“He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge. His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.” Psalm 91:4
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” Matthew 23:37
Be willing to come to Christ and be blessed….
“‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land….’” Isaiah 1:18-19
“And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” But they made light of it and went their ways….’” Matthew 22:1-5
“…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” from Joshua 24:15 AMP
“Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah” Psalm 3:8
While Jesus, His disciples, and a great multitude were going out of Jericho, a beggar was there sitting by the side of the road.
He was Bartimaeus; and though blind, his hearing was fine to have heard of how Jesus’ healing ministry had flowed.
So, when, that day, Bartimaeus heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, Himself, who was passing by…
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” became his earnest and heartfelt cry.
Many, among the crowd, told him to be quiet, as if, for him, there could be nothing in store.
But his plea of “Son of David, have mercy on me!” he kept shouting out all the more.
So Jesus heard Bartimaeus, then stood still, and commanded that he be called.
The persistence and “prayer” of Bartimaeus had caused the pace of Jesus’ journey temporarily to be stalled.
Bartimaeus was now beckoned, instead, with words of encouragement, “Rise, be of good cheer; He is calling you.”
Throwing aside his garment, he got up and came to Jesus, who asked, “What do you want Me to do for you?” Victory was breaking through…
At that point, Bartimaeus said, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight!”
“Go your way, your faith has made you well,” Jesus said; and immediately his world turned from darkness to light.
Walls had fallen down at Jericho through faith in God in an earlier, historical Biblical story.
And a “wall” of blindness fell at Jericho for Bartimaeus, when by faith in God’s mercy, he saw the Lord’s glory.
The account closes with Bartimaeus following Jesus down that outer Jericho road…
He had been confident of mercy and grace through Jesus Christ—from whom God’s marvelous light had flowed….
and still does today!
P. A. Oltrogge
(Based on the account from Mark 10…and referenced is the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho in Joshua 6)
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.” Hebrews 11:30 NKJV
“But you are a chosen generation, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9 NKJV
“My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.”
