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God bless…
P. A. Oltrogge
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Walk in Divine Health and Life (Live at Lakewood Church) by Joseph Prince
As I post this, it is presently available on line to view the message by Joseph Prince on walking in divine health and life through partaking of the holy communion.
“For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
In the message, Joseph Prince explains scripture, such as:
“Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.” 1 Corinthians 11:27-30
I hope/pray you’ll find time to listen to Joseph’s complete encouraging message. I’ll only briefly share a few of his points. He notes that “examining” ourselves means that we’re to examine whether we understand/discern that Jesus’ body was broken for our healing, in addition to His blood being shed for the forgiveness of all our sins. It means judging ourselves in the light of Jesus’ finished work, which brought/brings us into all of the wonderful blessings Jesus purchased for us.
During the message, some powerful testimonies are shared.
And Joseph speaks of how God uses what may seem weak or simple to confound the wise. He refers, at one point, to the story of the Gentile woman who sought the Lord’s help for her afflicted daughter–how God can use even a crumb, (something as simple as taking communion), to accomplish His will, which is your healing. It is a supernatural way…
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“Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.’
“But He answered her not a word.
“And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she cries out after us.’
“But He answered and said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’
“Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’
“But He answered and said, ‘It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.’
“And she said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.’
“Then Jesus answered and said to her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” Matthew 15:21-28
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“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.'” 1 Corinthians 1:27-31
…to confound the wise…(KJV)
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Joseph’s book, Eating Your Way to Wholeness, is available at: http://www.josephprince.org
Also offered are:
Understand the Times CD sermon (audio & video-stream included)
The Benjamin Generation book
posted by: P. A. Oltrogge
A floral post for you…
…I often send flower photos to family/friends…perhaps those who follow the Porch of the Lord blog may enjoy some as well. Today’s photo features some from the hydrangea bushes blooming currently… Among so many things made, flowers, certainly, are an expression from God.
Blessings upon you…
P. A. Oltrogge
“Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” Words of Jesus in Luke 12:27
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:1-5
“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…
“And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” from John 1:14-18 NKJV
Peace, Our Protection
by Kim Potter, http://www.anewthingministries.com
God hasn’t taken His hand of blessing off this nation or its people, but it can sure feel like it some days.
When we turn on the TV, or social media, we are confronted with yet another crisis going on in our nation. Thanks to today’s technology, we have hourly exposure to crime, ungodly laws being put in place, rioting and war. In this constant barrage of negative news, it is challenging to remain in peace. Challenging, but not impossible.
While thinking on this, I remembered a statement I heard recently. It was, “if you protect your peace, your peace will protect you.” I pondered this statement for a few days. While I knew in my heart it was true, I went in search of a scripture to confirm it. I did not have to look very far.
Philippians 4:7 says, And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
I found some interesting things as I studied the word keep.
In the Strong’s Concordance, this word means; to be a watcher in advance, to mount guard as a sentinel (post spies at gates); to hem in, protect, keep (with a garrison).
It further means; to guard, protect by a military guard, either to prevent hostile invasion, or to keep the inhabitants of a besieged city from flight.
I have known peace is an aggressive weapon for years, today I discovered it is also a guard and a protector. However, before that peace can be your guard and protector, it must first be cultivated in your life…into your heart and mind.
Peace is not something I sense on most people, even Christians. I believe this would be different if we realized the true power of peace, His peace. Jesus said in John 14:27, 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.
Do you see what He is saying? He gave us HIS peace. The same peace that carried and protected Him through crowds who wished to stone Him. The same peace that carried Him through the Cross. The same peace that carried Him, that garrisoned about Him, through Hell. The same peace that led Him out to rise again. That peace is the peace He has given you and me. A peace that rules and reigns, if we will allow it to. A peace that protects and guards.
So, how do we cultivate this peace in our life? The answer is found in Isaiah 26:3.
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in you.
We can’t keep our mind on the problem, or on the news and walk in peace. We must keep our mind on God, His Word and His promises. Then and only then will we walk in peace.
Once we have peace, we must protect it. We can’t allow things or people to come in and steal our peace. And trust me, the enemy will do everything in his power to steal your peace. However, he can’t touch it if you don’t allow him to. Jesus gave it to you, it is yours. Yours to keep or yours to let slip away.
As you cultivate and protect peace in your life – that same peace will protect you.
While we may not be able to change the facts that invade our daily lives, we can change our reaction to it. We can change how it affects us and our family. We can also change the atmosphere that surrounds us. We do that by cultivating and protecting the peace Jesus gave us.
Just as scripture says, peace will watch out for you and warn you in advance. It will garrison about you and protect you. It will help you to stand your ground when things try to invade your atmosphere.
How do we walk this out in our daily lives? We can when we choose to keep our minds firmly upon God and His Word. When we don’t lend our ears or our eyes to the negativity of the media. Instead, we choose to think on God and think on His Word. As we do that, we will stay firmly planted in His plan and in His peace. Today, it is my prayer that you walk into His peace. That you will protect that peace once you are walking in it. And that His peace will therefore protect you – all the days of your life.
What Powers Your “Faith Train”?
photo/John Seb Barber
Come into the Lord’s presence with thanksgiving in your heart and enter His courts with praise. Trust in Him at all times to direct your paths, as you acknowledge Him in all of your ways.
Don’t allow praise and thanks to be your faith train’s “caboose,” because the “engine” of your faith is praise! Waiting to thank Him until you “see” (the answer to your prayer) will only bring about delays.
“At all times,” your Father in heaven desires to have fellowship with you. You were created to bring Him that pleasure. He’s the trustworthy Engineer and Conductor of your life. Friendship with Him is your greatest treasure.
P. A. Oltrogge
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving. And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” Psalm 100:4
“I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1
“Trust in Him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah” Psalm 62:8
“For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.” Psalm 96:4
“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. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.” Proverbs 3:5-7
“Fear not, for I AM with you, be not dismayed, for I AM your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 RSV
“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.” Psalm 145:3-4
“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light!” Psalm 148:1-3
This poem was written after hearing a message on the effects of praise at: http://www.awmi.net
See archived post for link to photographer…
And, as we consider the many prayer needs out there in our world, may we do what we can to help in various situations, but increase and accentuate our praise to God for His help and intervention…
Scripture Excerpts
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:7-14
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Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
When I kept silent, my bones grew old
Through my groaning all the day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah
I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
Psalm 32:1-5
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Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
Psalm 51:1-2
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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.
The Lord executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
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.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more.
But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And His kingdom rules over all.
Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Psalm 103
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How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.
Psalm 119:103-104
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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
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Seek the Lord while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked abandon his way,
And the unrighteous person his thoughts;
And let him return to the Lord,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
Isaiah 55:6-7
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If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1
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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace…
Ephesians 1:3-7
Scriptures: New King James Version
Stopping in to Timothy’s Ministry
Our Sunday gatherings mean so much to our friends, and when I asked people as they arrived on the bus how the ride was, everyone had smiles on their faces! “It was a beautiful ride!!”… “I feel so good being here”…”thank you!”… For 20 years people have come out on a yellow school bus from Chicago to join us for our Sunday potluck luncheons in the suburbs, and I’ve always been amazed by what only God could do, beginning with the bus ride! People describe their trip saying that “all of the stress leaves as the bus leaves the city” and never complain about the ride! Once people step inside our doors, the joy is undeniable and our gathering becomes like the best family reunion gathering! God’s presence is in our gathering and we worship God together and read His Word…and that is the only explanation for the joy and love we always experience when we are together. “Where two or more gather in my name, there am I with them”…As someone (who has no place to live) said to me on Sunday, “I feel so much love here and I always look forward to being here…and the food is great!” Thank you again to everyone who helps us.
Love and Blessings,
Marian
Pastor Ricardo shared a message from Philippians 4: 6-7, (one of my most favorite Scriptures in the Bible!)
“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 understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Written by: Marian Alvarado, http://www.timothysministry.org
Prayer/Song for America
Be blessed to use in prayer and hear “America’s Anthem” by Rachel Shafer under “Store” at: http://www.timsheets.org
The Passion of the Christ
“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
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One Good Friday evening, I went to a showing of the movie of 2004–“The Passion of the Christ,” which depicts the suffering that Jesus bore.
I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to watch the movie again, for it is brutal; but it clearly shows that relying on good works to save our souls is futile.
For our holy God so loved the world, that He gave to all of us reprieve, by sending His Son to take our punishment–now all we need to do is believe.
And when we realize all that Jesus did–the love of His Father in Him reflected–“Oh, come let us adore Him,” for He is to be loved, honored, and respected.
Thankfully, God’s Holy Spirit is still mightily at work upon the earth, drawing people to repent and see their need…to enter into the “new birth.”
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation,” is a GIFT to all, that’s free…Jesus bought this blessed gift for us, as described in Isaiah, chapter 53.
“Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way,
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
Isaiah 53:4-6
Poetic by P. A. Oltrogge
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” John 3:3
“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
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:21-26
Scriptures: New King James Version
Night of Betrayal
“When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place for Jesus often met there with His disciples. Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, ‘Whom are you seeking?’ They answered Him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am He.’ And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, ‘I am He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.” John 18:1-6 NKJV
On the night of His betrayal, Jesus permitted Himself to be found. In the presence of the great I AM, the “pursuing” soldiers fell to the ground.
After they revived, He let them lead Him to that for which He’d been born. Willing to do His Father’s will, He yielded to undeserved scorn.
Whippings, mocking, thorns, and then being nailed to Calvary’s cross—All of this He endured as a Shepherd, so that sheep need not be lost.
P. A. Oltrogge
“…for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Luke 19:10 NKJV
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”
John 10:11 NKJV
“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” John 10:17-18 NKJV
“…We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3
Visit: http://www.givehim15.com
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