Category Archives: Spirituality

The Rain of the Holy Spirit

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“…Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of Hosts.”
Zechariah 4:6 NKJV

It’s not by might, nor by power,
but by the Lord’s Spirit…As a spring shower
causes the sprouting of seeds in the earth—
so, also, by His Spirit, comes the “new birth.”

We look to you, Lord, for those for whom we pray…
It’s by your awakening, that they’ll find the Way.
We trust, Lord, for your Spirit to fall afresh…
You’ve said you would pour it out upon all flesh.

P. A. Oltrogge

“But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.” Acts 2:16-18

“Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.’” John 17:1-3

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” …from Acts 4:8-12, on Jesus Christ of Nazareth

“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth.” spoken by Jesus in John 17:17

“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” words of Jesus in John 4:35

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“…and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labors from the field.” Exodus 23:16 NKJV

…presently, Blessed Shavuot, the Feast of Harvest, May 25-27

The Man Above All Men

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“Come Follow Me” by Greg Olsen. Used with Permission. http://www.GregOlsen.com

“Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’” Matthew 19:21

Have you met up with Jesus?
He’s your kind of Man…
Came down here from heaven,
carrying out God’s mighty plan.

He’s still here today, capturing hearts, lives, and souls,
giving all whom He touches much worthier goals.
He doesn’t actually show up in visible form,
but you’re aware of His presence when prayer becomes norm.

And some have had visions or have seen Him in dreams,
and what they remember is the love that He beams.
That’s also reflected in the words of His book;
the renowned Holy Bible is the right place to look.

You might think you know what could give you life’s best;
but those who follow His lead are on a sure quest.
He wants to increase your every potential,
but living for Him and others is essential.

Dedicating all that you have to Him is not loss–
The best in mind for you is why He died on the cross.

P. A. Oltrogge

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time….” 1 Timothy 2:1-6

“When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?’” Mark 8:34-36

“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

“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 am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep….My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”  John 10:11, 27 

“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 I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

“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.” John 3:16 

“For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.” Matthew 18:11

“…but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11

Scriptures from the New King James Version of the Bible

Look Unto the Hills

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“I will lift up my eyes to the hills–
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.”
Psalm 121:1-2

Lord, you are the source of my help on any given day.
You made the heavens and the earth–On you, my hope will stay.

I will look even to the hills–On their horizon, I’ll always see,
through the eye of faith, my Savior, heading down with help for me.

P. A. Oltrogge

“He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.”
Psalm 121:3-8 NKJV

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.” Psalm 91:1-2 NKJV (and entire Psalm)

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation. God is to us a God of deliverances; and to God the Lord belong escapes from death.” Psalm 68:19, 20 NASB

“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.” 1 Samuel 17:47 (words of David to the Philistine, Goliath)

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

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21 NKJV 

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” words of Jesus in John 14:27 NKJV

In these times of obvious good versus evil, we thank God for (and pray for) those who are standing strong against evil; and, as we feel led, we also do what we can, remembering the promise that our help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth–in whom we’ve placed our faith and who we look to, pray to, and offer our praise. Jesus is Lord!

http://www.BiblicalCivics.com

About God’s presence:
http://www.givehim15.com

Message by Lana Vawser:
http://www.elijahlist.com

A Creation/Science Collection

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For a great variety of programs for you to explore that use scientific evidence to validate the truth of God’s involvement in creation, visit “Origins” at:

http://www.originstv.org

…There, you will find discussions with and exhibits by scientifically-knowledgeable guests.

Click on “Recent Episodes” or “Watch All Past Episodes”

…photos/Unsplash

You’re “On Track” with God

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…doubts on the route…

If doubts make you think things are “off track” in your life;
and you’re feeling like you don’t know what to do,
continue to acknowledge and confess God’s Holy Word.
Then…just keep barreling on through!

P. A. Oltrogge

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

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

Maintaining faith in what God has said…is the right way to keep moving ahead!

“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

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Photo/Unsplash

Iniquities/Diseases destroyed by what won’t return void….

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“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

Isaiah 55:10-11 NKJV

God’s Word doesn’t return to Him void, but accomplishes what He pleases….

Therefore, as repentant believers in Jesus, His Son, we can confidently say,

“He forgives all my iniquities; He heals all my diseases!”

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 NKJV

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” Hebrews 8:12

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

“…who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

“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.” Proverbs 4:20-22 

“For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.” 1 Thessalonians 2:13 

“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

For a helpful way to find, meditate on, and quote God’s Word regarding health/healing, you can visit http://www.moorelife.org and click on “Word Supply” and then “Resources,” where you will find “101 Things God Said About Healing” (both Old Testament and New Testament).

Excellent message at Eagle Mountain International Church from Sunday, May 21, titled, “The Faith Kind” found at: http://www.emic.org

Christians readily believe in the forgiveness of their sins through Christ, our Savior… May we all grow in faith in believing God’s healing Word…that it is the Lord’s will for us to prosper in all things and be in health, just as our soul prospers…. (3 John 1:2)

Thank you, Father, for good health and for the many healings we’ve seen and for those yet to come! In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

Train Ride

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I was traveling on a train that had many stops it would be making…but I knew my destination and which stop that I’d be taking.

I thought I’d ask the traveler next to me where he was going to go; then, surprisingly, he said it wasn’t something he could know.

I thought that that was rather odd, for one needs to be quite sure, for travelers can’t ride indefinitely on a never-ending tour.

I’d researched my destination, having heard it was a beautiful place; but my fellow traveler’s plans were vague and uncertain in his case.

Eventually, he’d need to get off—there would come an end to the trail. It reminded me of those who travel equally vaguely, but on a spiritual rail.

They think that any exit will get them to a final place of peace, but they haven’t secured the ticket to where God’s love will never cease.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life…don’t travel until it’s too dark. Secure your ticket by taking Him as Savior—then you’ll KNOW where you will disembark.

P. A. Oltrogge

“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 NKJV

“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2 NKJV

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 love, as we also are today!

Mount Arbel/Sea of Galilee

Many of the websites noted on this blog help us to walk blessed with the Lord–even believing for the miraculous. For extra encouragement, you may want to read the devotional today at:

http://www.jerrysavelle.org

(On You Tube can be found the amazing story of the restoration of Jerry’s daughter’s fingertips…look for Jerry Savelle, Terri’s Fingers)

…praying for you, a follower or friend of the Porch of the Lord….

Photo/pxfuel

Lord of all Creation

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“The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.” Psalm 145:9 NKJV

Sometimes a part of creation may catch your eye…
creatures that are bold or others that are shy.

Some keep us company, like a good dog or cat…
they can be a calming friend with whom to “chat.”

The flowers of the field, the birds of the air…
Jesus noted over all of them His Father’s care.

The Lord is so creative, and YOU are His design…
unique and special to Him and, through Him, you shine!

P. A. Oltrogge

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 NASB

“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.’” Romans 8:15 NKJV

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Psalm 34:18 NLT

“Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” Proverbs 30:5 NIV

“But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: Ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Luke 12:7 KJV

“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:16-18 NKJV

Tim’s House

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I’ve previously shared about this ministry to the homeless in Chicago, Illinois….the following is a recent post:

Good Morning Everyone!

What an incredible week last Wednesday and Friday! Wow! We have a front-row seat in seeing a glimpse of God’s heart not only in seeing people walk in with arms filled up with overflowing food, clothing, and cooking and helping, but also in the way people experience God’s love in this place! There are no coincidences with God! Thank you to everyone who has allowed God to use you to love and care for our friends who struggle with homelessness including those of you have have financially supported us because we are able to help and provide in so many ways because of you (including helping three people with rooms this past week). Thank you to each of you who has helped us in any way.

As I was getting out of my car in front of Tim’s House last Friday morning, a couple of people asked if they could help carry some of the food inside. I didn’t recognize an older man who quickly reached to help with food, and I asked him his name and introduced myself to him. As he walked in front to open the door, he looked back at me with tears in his eyes as he softly asked, “Is this what this place is called, Tim’s House?”

After he got his breakfast and a cup of coffee, I sat next to him and he told me, “I am homeless and people have been inviting me to come here for the last few years and telling me what a nice place it is. I only knew the address of this place, but when I looked at the door, I knew this was a sign from God.” He went on to say, “My son Tim, Timothy, passed away 2 months ago” and then he just cried as he shared, “I feel so numb and although I’ve gone through very hard things and a LOT of losses in my life, this is something I don’t think I can ever get through. The pain in my heart is nothing like anything I’ve ever known and it took everything for me to get here today.

I looked at him and told him, ‘This place is called ‘Tim’s House’ because God brought this ministry from the loss of my son, Tim, 20 years ago… He looked at me and said, “Wait, you’re Tim’s Mom?” “So you mean that name on the sign is your son’s name?” He then continued to cry as he said, “Now, I know I’m suppose to be here!” We talked for a long time and I shared my own journey and how we cannot with our human minds imagine surviving such a tragedy, but that God never let’s us go; and he could see the picture of God’s promises with his own eyes as he sat around the Tim’s House table. Two hours later as we were opening up our Bibles with the whole group and praying together, this man said in front of the group, “I know that it was God who brought me here, and I’m so grateful to be here with you all.” People applauded and welcomed him and encouraged him!

Thank you to everyone who helps us !!! Update – Stanley was able to sign the papers for his apartment, but the building manager said it might be a couple of weeks before he can move in. I’ll keep you posted.

Love and Blessings,

Marian

“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purposes.” (Romans 8:28)

You can visit at http://www.TimothysMinistry.org