My Very Great Reward (Genesis 15:1)

The math is simple. Whatever area in your life that hasn’t been fully surrendered to God and where you haven’t learned how to derive pleasure from communion with Him alone (make Him your very great reward) is simply an area where you are vulnerable to seduction by other things. It doesn’t matter if you’re a new believer of if you’ve been saved for years or if you’re the pastor of a church. Cisterns that don’t hold water (Jer. 2:13) is simply a principle of the kingdom that cannot be violated. Any time we derive satisfaction from other things outside of an understanding that only the presence of Jesus can bring us fulfillment we are making an idol of it. Whether it is something that is blatantly sinful or it is something that is legitimate yet not God’s highest for us, it does not matter. We were simply made for intimacy with Jesus and nothing else will do.

The Abortion Issue is Coming to a Head

Today, this article was the headline article on CNN.com. It is very enlightening but let me forewarn you, it predictably vilifies the pro-life movement while (of course) presenting the abortion doctor as the unsung hero. Please see this as an urgent prayer request. I believe that if the praying church will pray in unity for LeRoy Carhart we can see his salvation through the great mercy of Jesus Christ.

The abortionist and his No. 1 foe By Wayne Drash, CNN STORY HIGHLIGHTS Dr. LeRoy Carhart is new face of late-term abortion after killing of George Tiller “I don’t want his death to be in vain,” Carhart says Troy Newman of Operation Rescue wants Carhart out of business Bellevue, Nebraska (CNN) — When you cross The Line of Death onto clinic property, the protesters stare at you. They get on walkie talkies and relay information: Your car. What you look like. Any identifying detail. “Take a look around you, sir,” one woman shouts. “The place is a dump.”

“Prayer is the greater work…”

Oswald Chambers devotional from “My tmost for His highest”

October 17, 2009

The Key of the Greater Work

. . . I say to you, he who believes in Me, . . . greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father —John 14:12

Prayer does not equip us for greater works— prayer is the greater work. Yet we think of prayer as some commonsense exercise of our higher powers that simply prepares us for God’s work. In the teachings of Jesus Christ, prayer is the working of the miracle of redemption in me, which produces the miracle of redemption in others, through the power of God. The way fruit remains firm is through prayer, but remember that it is prayer based on the agony of Christ in redemption, not on my own agony. We must go to God as His child, because only a child gets his prayers answered; a “wise” man does not (see Matthew 11:25 ).

How God’s Grace and my Will work together

I found this to be an enlightening article on how the Holy Spirit moves us. Enjoy! 

Excerpt from Charles Finney’s “Revival Lectures” Lecture VII Introduction pp. 115-116

“Several of my Lectures have been on the subject of Prayer, and the importance of having the spirit of prayer – of the intercession of the Holy Ghost. Whenever the necessity and importance of the Spirit’s influences are held forth, there can be no doubt that persons are in danger of abusing the doctrine, and perverting it to their own injury.

How Do you Know when God is Speaking?

The following is an excerpt from Charles Finney’s “Revival Lectures” from Lecture #6 (p.102)

This is one of the best descriptions I’ve heard on how to tell when God is speaking to you. Enjoy!

The Stage is being set for revival in L.A.

Even as I sit here, the stage is being set for revival here in Echo Park, Los Angeles. So many things are happening. The foundation is being laid for the parking structure that will enable Angelus Temple to be able to once again fill up with people for multiple services,a place to park all the cars. I can see so much correlation between the spiritual and the natural. I sit in my little prayer room crying out for revival and to see the revival wells reopened. At the same time, there is a huge drill drilling holes in the earth, deeper than imaginable. They are being drilled so that footers can be set that will support the weight of the new parking structure.

The importance of knowing the word

Today I was considering the importance of being grounded in the word and what that even means. When God told Joshua that he and his people should meditate on His word day and night, He wasn’t saying just to make sure that they read the law, He was saying that their entire culture should be built around the word of God.

Jesus and Kettle Corn

It’s been about a year now since I discovered the joys of kettle corn. My wife and I were at a farmer’s market in little Tokyo and she recommended I try it. I had never heard of it before. It was only my unwavering trust in her that convinced me to pay twice the price for a bag of popcorn than I would even pay in a movie theater.   From the first mouthful I was hooked.

When Bethel kids go to Disneyland

When the “Magic Kingdom” Starts Looking Like God’s Kingdom
(*Video at the end of post) 

Aimee Herd (June 23, 2009)

When a group of Christian youth visiting Disneyland pray for one young man and he’s healed instantly, many other healings and salvations suddenly break out.

Keep praying for revival in California!!!

Right now I’m sitting in Angelus Temple. They are hosting a night of prayer. It’s exciting to see what God is doing here. As people are praying all over the world for revival in California and especially Los Angeles, I see the effects of those prayers. Sometimes I watch the people in IHOP’s prayer room crying out for California, for a house of prayer to be raised up, for revival to break out. I want to encourage you, it’s happening. God is stirring up hearts for day and night prayer. He is raising up an army here in the city of Los Angeles! Keep praying for California, intercessors! Keep beating on the doors of heaven. Your prayers are being heard. Pray for Angelus Temple. There is a revival well here and there is a generation being raised up that is hungry for the ancient paths. Pray for a rekindling of the Azusa Street fire that began mere blocks from this spot. Dear Lord, send revival to California. Send new rain, raise up houses of prayer in Los Angeles! Bring back the days of revival. Send the cloud of your glory once again, amen.

He delights in me!

“He rescued me because He delighted in me.” - Psalm 18:19, II Samuel 22:20

There is some extraordinary truth in this statement for the believer. David, the man after God’s own heart, who just admitted that all of his foes were greater than he was reveals the truth to His success in battle and in all the he did. He was not primarily concerned with fighting battles. He did not identify himself primarily as a warrior. He saw himself as someone who was loved by God. He understood his value in Christ and it wasn’t as a conqueror. It was as a lover. He was called a man after God’s own heart because he sought to understand God’s heart and to reflect God’s heart in his own life.

“If” – The biggest word in the whole bible

If.

 Have you ever stopped to ponder the implications of the word “If” in the bible? Recently, I have stopped to think about the power of this one little word that shows up in different places in the bible and causes so much trouble. The word “If” in the bible is a huge and powerful word that singlehandedly ruins our ability to put God in a box. It’s a word that gives a dimension of infinite depth and limitless possibilities to the word of God and the applications of scripture.

A Brief History of 24-7 Prayer

*This article is taken from IHOP-KC’s website, please visit them at www.ihop.org

The Tabernacle of David

King David was a man of “one thing” (Psalm 27:4). Around 1000 BC, as an outflow of his heart, he commanded that the Ark of the Covenant be brought up on the shoulders of the Levites amidst the sound of songs and musical instruments to his new capital, Jerusalem. There he had it placed in a tent and appointed two hundred and eighty-eight prophetic singers and four thousand musicians to minister before the Lord, “to make petition, to give thanks and to praise the Lord” day and night (1 Chronicles 15:1–17:27). This was unlike anything that had been done in Israel’s history, but it was God’s plan for Israel.

Moravians – Exerpt from Wikipedia entry

View entire Wikipedia entry

Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine, 18^th century renewal

Zinzendorf preaching to people from many nations

The Passing of a Spiritual Mother

Our beloved Jill went home to be with Jesus at 9:48 pm CST, January 09, 2009. Thank you all for standing with us and praying. She is now with her best friend, Holy Spirit, and Dancing with Her Destiny.

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In light of Yesterday’s news, I felt a strong conviction to honor the memory of this extraordinary woman by giving witness to how God has used her life to impact mine, and I am sure many others. As I have given testimony in other posts, my meeting with Jill Austin was nothing short of a life changing experience in which the Lord changed the whole direction of my life and ministry.

Oh Yeah… I’m a Temple!

Today, as I was sitting in the house of Prayer reading my bible, the Lord reminded me of something that I guess I had forgotten. In all my prayers for revival and strategizing to see His glory fall in the church and to see a 24-7 house of Prayer raised up I seem to have forgotten that first and foremost,the temple that I need to build up is me! I read I Corinthians 3:16 and  it just hit me, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” Well, duh! It’s almost like Paul expected his readers to forget this simple but important truth. Why is this relevant and why did it hit me like a bucket of cold water in the face? I’ll explain…

The Kingdom Mindset pt. VII

The obstacles to a kingdom mindset

There are three obstacles that are against our walking in a kingdom mindset. First is our own flesh. Our fallen nature rages against the kingdom mindset. Walking in the kingdom mindset requires overcoming our flesh and living in a state of internal dissension with our fleshly desires.

The Kingdom Mindset pt. VI

The benefits of a kingdom mindset

The benefits of pursuing and walking in a kingdom mindset are the benefits of the kingdom itself. In God’s kingdom there is no disease, no sin, no depression, no crime and no pain. As we acquire and walk in a kingdom mindset we gain, by the Holy Spirit, the ability to walk in freedom from the effects of this fallen world.

the Kingdom Mindset pt. V

How do we walk in the kingdom mindset?

Walking in the kingdom mindset goes hand in hand with acquiring the kingdom mindset. They both work together. You cannot separate knowing the kingdom mindset from walking in the kingdom mindset. The bible repeatedly states that the way into the kingdom is wholehearted pursuit of Jesus.

The Kingdom Mindset pt. IV

How do we acquire a kingdom mindset?

There are two aspects to stepping into the kingdom mindset, just like there are two aspects to the salvation of our souls. Firstly, there is the initial act, the rebirth that comes by repentance, acknowledgement of sin, the public confession of our faith and water baptism. Secondly, there is the equally important and ongoing work of salvation by which we choose to walk out a genuine love for God (a desire for intimacy) and obedience to His will.