“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1-2
For special insights on finding, following, and fulfilling God’s will, and to receive the free booklet, “Twenty Revelations That Will Change Your Life,” visit the current programming by Andrew Wommack, (click on This Week’s T.V.) at http://www.awmi.net
Andrew’s ministries are based in Colorado, but he has further extensions worldwide.
“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24NKJV
Dear Lord Jesus,
You thought of the lowly, the forgotten, the oppressed. You thought of us all; and, through You, we are blessed.
You’re always the Good Shepherd, our Savior and friend. If any setbacks befall us, you help things to mend.
You’re closer than a brother; and we can draw near, to You for Your assurance that there’s nothing to fear.
You loved the little children and do to this day. For the unborn, young, or old, You’ve taught us to pray.
And also our enemies, You’ve said, are in great need…of prayers to be enlightened, that Your Word they might heed.
Obedient to Your Father, You went to Calvary’s hill. You prayed that cup might pass, but accepted Your Father’s will.
Yes, what a friend we have in Jesus, as the hymn goes. You died for all of mankind, and, praise God, You then arose.
P. A. Oltrogge
“He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’” Matthew 26:39
“For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” Colossians 1:19-20
“Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.” Acts 10:40-41
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29
What a Friend
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! Oh, what peace we often forfeit–oh, what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a Friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness. Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge–take it to the Lord in prayer. Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer. In His arms, He’ll take and shield thee–thou wilt find a solace there.
Amen
Joseph Scriven/author Charles C. Converse/composer
“You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” John 14:15-16
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)
“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)
“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 (NKJV)
“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)
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (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 (NKJV)
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3 (NKJV)
“Surely goodnessandmercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6 (NKJV)
In addition to hearing the others on the entire program, you may want to hear the prophetic message given by Dutch’s brother, Tim Sheets, in the last half of last night’s “Flashpoint” programming, now available at http://www.govictory.com/flashpoint
I’m hoping that this poem makes a little bit of sense– I’m reminded today that it’s not good to be tense. But it’s best to look to Jesus in situations big or small, for He’s the problem solver, we know, after all.
I’m thinking of those who race horses and know a lot about keeping a horse calm, despite the crowds that shout, and from distraction by other horses that are running in a race– they use blinders to keep the horse focused to better win first place.
I want to look to Jesus only and keep thanking the Lord, for faith pleases Him; and those who seek Him find reward. “The battle is the Lord’s” was David’s decree against the giant– faith in the Almighty made a “Goliath” problem be compliant.
P. A. Oltrogge
“Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” David’s words to the Philistine, Goliath, in 1 Samuel 17:47
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:5-6
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
(Blinders, also known as blinkers, have been shown to help some horses stay focused in a race.)
…photo by Paul Kehrer (see original archived post for photographer link)
Through the beauty of a flower, we see our great God’s creative heart. Or the birth of a baby is an expression of another awesome part…of His endless creativity and His giving to us of others to love. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights above.
Praise and thanks to our beautiful Savior, Jesus, the King of Creation. We trust You, placing our hand in Your loving hand through every situation. Help us to share Your love with people who are near to us or far…telling them that You’re the Lord of all, the Bright and Morning Star.
P. A. Oltrogge
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” Revelation 22:16 NKJV
“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high….” Hebrews 1:1-3 NKJV
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:17 NKJV
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 KJV
“The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—” Acts 10:36 NKJV
“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. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.’” John 14:9-11 NKJV
…a flower, or a newborn child…both are works of God
“How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.”
Psalm 36:7-9
Through Jesus, our wonderful Messiah, we have the fountain of life. He came down here as a servant to a world that was full of strife.
The waters from this fountain are able to cleanse any soul, bringing grace to us and His promise that, through Him, we’re forgiven and made whole.
Just as watching a fountain is a refreshing thing, it’s by looking to the words and example of Jesus that renewals of faith and hope will spring.
Out of a strong fountain shoot powerful water sprays… Thank you, Lord, for your power and your love, which work within us throughout our days.
P. A. Oltrogge
Jesus’ words to the woman at Jacob’s well in Samaria…
“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.’
“The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?’
“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.'” John 4:10-14
Jesus’ words to His disciples…
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
…further New Testament scriptures…
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by 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, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.” Hebrews 12:1-3
“For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
“And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.” Colossians 1:19-23
“To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27
“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…” Philippians 1:3-6
“…for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13
“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13
The book, “A Mighty Tempest” may no longer be in print (my copy of the book is from 1992). But it tells the story of Michelle Hamilton, of Australia, who, in the midst of a remote island vacation that she and her mother, Rachelle, had taken, clung to a capsized canoe (bunca), for three days and two nights off of the Philippine coast, drifting for a hundred miles.
Having received permission to share via http://www.savedatsea.com, the following is a brief excerpt from Michelle’s book, about the night of her encounter, of visibly seeing God’s mighty protective angels. Her entire testimony can be found at the mentioned website or on You Tube and in the archives of this blog, where it’s titled, “Lost at Sea.” Her testimony IS better called “Saved at Sea,” as there, she cried out to and found God, who she recalled something of from an occasional visit to a Sunday school as a child.She dedicates her message to Jesus, the One who the wind and waves of the sea obey….
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Without warning, I sensed something near me. Swiveling around in every direction, I was confronted with only the dense blackness of the night. Suddenly surrounding me was an aura of magnetic, vibrating forces that electrically charged the air around me, so much so that I could tangibly feel it! Terrified, I tried to shrink into obscurity under the surface of the ocean. Up to my neck in water, with the acid taste of abject fear in my mouth, I waited, instinctively knowing I was about to experience a spiritual encounter.
Suddenly, before my eyes the vibrating energy took form, an effervescent movement massing together like molecules of light and materializing into the visible images of three angels, not more than five feet from my bunca. Absolutely stunned, I was unable to move. I wanted to swim away from these intimidating spiritual beings. Closing my eyes, I tried to eliminate this vision, truly hoping that when I opened my eyes again, the angels would be gone and I would realize that this was just an apparition, a figment of my haunted mind.
Opening my eyes again, I was assaulted with the truth: It was no apparition–I was in the presence of three angels. Angels from God, sent from heaven to protect me. I’d heard of people having heavenly visitations before, but I had dismissed these people as having overactive imaginations. Would my friends do the same to me? I experienced an eerie sensation as if the meeting of physical and spiritual beings was forbidden. Pure, blinding white light emanated from these three angels which stood together on the surface of the ocean. Towering above the surface, they appeared to be about nine feet tall. Coming from the area of their shoulders was the rounded protrusion of clearly defined feathery wings. With my mouth open in awe and fear, I looked on at these angels that stood on the ocean in a very stoic stance until the white aura of light from them diffused and disappeared. After several minutes, the visual sight of the three angels had dissolved, yet I continued to feel surrounded by what I can only describe as an electromagnetic force.
A tingling sensation rippled up and down my back as I felt a fourth angel directly behind me. Like a cloak, it spread its wings and wrapped them around my body, totally enveloping me. Looking down, I could see the clearly defined, but translucent, wings of the angel, looking very much like those of an enormously large bird. I was completely swathed in a protective covering. The angels were my defensive shield against the murderous ocean. I consciously knew their God-given mission was to keep a vigil throughout the night and guard me from the jaws of death.
Although initially it was a chilling sensation to be in such close proximity to supernatural beings, the eerie feeling soon dissipated, and for the first time since the ordeal began, I felt safe! I felt an overwhelming sense of relief and comfort to know that God was watching over me. The thundering seas continued to pound my body mercilessly, and yet I felt cocooned by the angelic covering God had provided. As if encased in a glass screen box, I viewed the stormy tempest around me with a calm instilled in me that went beyond all human comprehension.
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“Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Psalm 91:9-12
“Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word.” Psalm 103:20
“I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears… The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” Psalm 34:4, 7 NKJV
On His way to Galilee, Jesus went through Samaria to a city called Sychar, near land given by Jacob to Joseph, his son. Jacob’s well was there, and being wearied from His journey, Jesus sat down by the well before His traveling would be done.
While His disciples went away into the city to get food, Jesus asked a woman of Samaria there to give Him a drink that day. How He, a Jew, could ask a Samaritan woman for a drink was her immediate question, and she wondered what He would say.
“If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’” He said, “you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” She noted that He had nothing to draw up water with and the well was deep, so where could He have gotten such to have brought her?
She asked if He considered Himself greater than their father, Jacob, whose well it had been, but which was later left to them. Jesus said that though she drank from Jacob’s well, she’d thirst many times more; but the water He could give would keep her from ever thirsting again.
This Samaritan woman must have believed He possessed some special water, for she asked Him to give to her of that kind. Then Jesus revealed personal things about her life that could only have been known by One with divine knowledge in His mind.
At that, she said she perceived He was a prophet and raised the question of where the worship of God should best be done. Jesus said the important thing was how people should worship, which would be “in spirit and in truth,” or by hearts that were truly “won.”
He said that God, the Father, seeks people with such a heart to worship Him and that she’d worshiped what she didn’t really know. He told her that salvation was of the Jews. Though she was a Samaritan and He a Jew, He was reaching out as a friend to her and not a foe.
The woman from Samaria said she agreed that the Messiah would come and would reveal to the world all things. Then Jesus said, “I who speak to you am He,” declaring He was (is) the One from whom the fountain of water to everlasting life springs.
Amazed, she left her water jug to make her way back to the city, telling the men of how He’d known all the pages in her life’s book. “Could this be the Christ?” she was inquiring and told them that they should really go out for themselves to hear and take a look.
In the meantime, Jesus’ disciples had returned with the food they’d gone to get, and urged that He should partake with them and eat. But Jesus said He had food of which they didn’t know–to do the will of His Father. Working to win the lost to God was His bread and meat.
He said the “fields” were white unto harvest! Then came out to hear Him many who’d been alerted by this “woman at the well’s” own story. And by hearing the Lord Himself, the life-giving “water” continued to flow greatly, as it still does to all today…to God be the glory!
P. A. Oltrogge
(from John, chapter 4)
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17 KJV
To view true accounts of encounters with the Lord in the lives of people today, see the 700 Club, available M-F at: http://www.700club.org
The Porch of the Lord 