Freedom Reigns - Jesus Culture

Sometimes we just need a reminder of what God is up to.  I love Jesus Culture and this song, Freedom Reigns ALWAYS minsters life to me when I need it.  Wether we feel it or not, Jesus Reigns yesterday, today and forever and ONE day ALL of the earth will declare it.  Amazing God!  Amazing!

There is FREEDOM in Jesus. My prayer is that you will walk in that freedom - there is NOTHING like it!  Jesus Reign in my heart, in my city, in my world.  Amazing!

I Pray On Christmas - Harry Connick, Jr.

To get into the Christmas season, let's join Harry Connick, Jr. with Kim Burrell as they sing, I Pray on Christmas.  Incredible voices as they call on the Lord and join together in an incredible music duet.  I simply LOVE Kim's voice.  The women has soul and a voice too.  Enjoy and don't forget to pray - not only on Christmas, but everyday!  AWESOME!

For the Honor - Elevation Worship

A friend living in Minnesota told me about this group, Elevation and so I listened. The more I listened to this song, the more I really enjoyed it.  I say that because I want you to give it a chance when you hear it by listening a couple of times over a couple of days.  Their music is a bit different than some Christian Worship Music but it has a good feel and a great message.  For The Honor has such powerful images and is full of much truth but in our busyness of life, sometimes we miss the point found in this message; Honor!

What is honor?
Noun (a person, place or thing): High respect; esteem.
Verb (an action word): Regard with great respect.

Synonyms (words that mean the same thing):

noun.  honour - credit - respect - homage - dignity - glory

verb.  honour - respect - esteem - venerate - revere - dignify

Because this is a worship song, you need to listen to it when you have a heart of worship.  If I could suggest, at the end of a long day, curl up on a comfortable chair, grab a blanket, a cup of tea, light a candle or dim the lights and then listen.  Hear the message; completely.  HEAR what the Spirit is saying to the churches.  We need to be FULL of His Word and FULL of His Spirit...we NEED to be READY for those days when all we will do is worship!  ENJOY!

Hallelujah Chorus by the Philadelphia Opera Company

Found this last year but didn't get around to posting it so I thought I would be the first of the season for this year!  This incredibly fun event in a food court was staged by the Philadelphia Opera Company singing the Hallelujah Chorus on Saturday, October 30, 2010. There were over 650 choristers who met at Macy's Center City in Philadelphia.

There was another event like the one above that was hosted on November 13, 2010, in a food court at the Well and Seaway Mall by the Niagara Chorus.  Here is their version of the Hallelujah Chorus.

INCREDIBLE!  Do people stop to listen to the words as they sing this song?  One day ALL of mankind WILL get it!  Blessings and a Merry Christmas to you all!

10 Basic Blessings

I saw 10 Basic Blessings You Should Be Thankful For which was published by Charisma Magazine, Fire in my Bones by J. Lee Grady and thought it was worth sharing.  He wrote a really great article on things that WE, as Americans, need to be thankful for when so many are grumbling about how "bad" things are.  Really?  Bad?  Do we, again as Americans, even KNOW what bad looks like?

Rather than rewriting his entire article you can go to the link above to read it, but I will post his list; as just thinking about this puts a lot of things into perspective.


1. Got clean water? The next time you uncap a bottle of water or grab a drink from the tap, remember that one in eight people in the world (that’s 884 million people) lack access to clean water supplies. Millions of women around the world spend several hours a day collecting water. When you take a five-minute shower, you use more water than a typical person in a developing country uses in a whole day.

2. Do you have a bathroom? About 40 percent of the world's population (2.6 billion people) do not have toilets. Lack of sanitation facilities spreads disease and is a major reason why more than 2 million people die annually of diarrhea.

3. How’s your electricity? The power in my house might be interrupted briefly three times a year because of Florida storms. But 1.6 billion people—a· quarter of humanity—live without any electricity. And, because of unreliable infrastructure, at least 2 billion people on earth don’t have any light at night.

4. Got a roof over your head? One billion people live in slums. That's almost one-sixth of the world’s population. Of this total, 640 million children live without adequate shelter; they live in cardboard boxes, tin-roofed shacks, one-room mud huts or filthy, crowded tenements. It’s been estimated that 1.4 billion people will live in slums by 2020. Meanwhile here in the United States, between 2.3 to 2.5 million people are classified as homeless.

5. Is there food on your table? In the United States we are battling an obesity epidemic. Yet according to UNICEF, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty. Approximately 790 million people in the developing world are chronically undernourished, and almost 28 percent of all children in developing countries are estimated to be underweight or stunted.

6. Got a stove? In developing countries, some 2.5 billion people use fuelwood, charcoal or animal dung to meet their energy needs for cooking. In sub-Saharan Africa, more than 80 percent of the population depends on these crude, traditional means for cooking, as do over half of the populations of India and China. The really sad part: Indoor air pollution resulting from the use of solid fuels claims the lives of 1.5 million people each year, more than half of them below the age of 5.

7. Got regular income? You may have had to take a pay cut during the recession. But keep in mind that at least 80 percent of humanity lives on less than $10 a day. The world's average income is about $7,000 a year. Still, only about 19 percent of the world's population lives in countries with per capita incomes at least this high.

8. Did you go to school? Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names. Enrollment data shows that about 72 million children of primary school age in the developing world were not in school in 2005 (and 57 percent of them were girls).

9. Are you generally healthy? Americans face illness like people in other nations—and more than 12 million Americans are battling cancer in any given year. But many of us have access to health care. In the developing world, more than 2.2 million children die each year because they are not immunized. An estimated 40 million people in developing countries are living with HIV/AIDS. Every year there are 350–500 million cases of malaria, with 1 million fatalities, mostly in Africa.

10. Are you free to worship God? More than 400 Christians die for their faith every day around the world, and most of these believers suffer in Islamic countries—although the top hot spot for Christian persecution, according to Open Doors International, is the atheist regime of North Korea.

What will you be grateful for this Thanksgiving? In these tough economic times you may feel the urge to complain. Be thankful instead! God calls us to live above this negativity. When we give thanks in all things, God gives us a supernatural attitude adjustment. When we thank God for all He has given us, acknowledging that we don’t deserve His goodness, our grumbling melts into gratitude and our impatience turns to praise.

Hold On to Your Hope - Robby Mounce

So back September 23rd my sons team was playing Mineral Wells Community Christian School in a six-man football game when the game abruptly ended because a player was hurt on the field.

Eventually Robby Mounce (#11 in purple) was air-lifted from the field and taken to a Ft. Worth Hospital.  We have been following his recovery since then.  We have met his family, his team-mates, friends and youth pastor and have watched this incredible journey as God has been so faithful to minister to this family!

Here was one of the first news reports we heard about Robby on Fox 4 news.

On the 18th of November, Robby went to a new home that someone has given their family for six months (rent free) as their old home was a mobile home and Robby would not be able to navigate it very well.  He was home for Thanksgiving and continues to improve.  This was the most recent news story about Robby.

If you google Robby's name you come up with many other stories about him, but one of my favorite was these two girls who wrote a song about him, Hold On to Your Hope.

Robby is a miracle in the making.  Incredible story and so blessed to see how God has been completing the work in Robby!  Our God is good and ALL that he does is good!

George Washington's Thanksgiving

Now that all your "turkey" has settled and you are back into your routines, I ran across this posting regarding George Washington and his 1789 Thanksgiving proclamation.  A far cry from what we are hearing in the news today but this is what the First President of the United States believed.  Not only was this HIS belief but he was  repeatedly elected so you know that the "people" believed this same way.  The "people" had a heart for God and founded this nation to be a nation after the heart of God.  If the "people" had a different heart than this, they would have elected someone who represented their hearts.

That is what is going on today, many people have hearts that are far from God so they are electing people with godless agendas and selfish convictions.  God forgive us!

George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1789

 "Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor - and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me 'to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.'

"Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be - That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks - for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation - for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war - for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed - for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

"And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions - to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually - to render our national government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed - to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord - To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us - and generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best."

Mario Monti - Prime Minister of Italy

Mario Monti (3-19-43)

Let me introduce you to Mario Monti, the highest bidder and now new owner, I mean, Prime Minister of Italy.  He has served as a European Commissioner from 1995 to 2004 with responsibilities for the Internal Market, Services, Customs and Taxation from 1995-1999.

Monti is a member of the Presiderium of the Friends of Europe, a leading European think tank, and was the first chairman of Bruegel, a European think tank founded in 2005. He is the European Chairman of the Trilateral Commission, (another think tank founded in 1973 by David Rockefeller).  He is also a leading member of the exclusive Bilderberg Group of economists.
Monti has been an international adviser to Goldman Sachs and the Coca-Cola Company.  To say that he is well, rich, would be a slight understatement.  To say he has rich friends, would again, be a significant understatement. Many sources are calling this "takeover  a "coup d'etat".  This new takeover has global implications.

What does all this mean in light of the Bible?  Well go to my link called the Obama Deception.  Once there, click on the link of the same name or scroll to the bottom of that page and watch the video.  This video is FULL of information about the Bilderberg Group and the Trilateral Commission and many other rather interesting facts that will effect you and me in this every changing world.

You can read in my Rights and Responsibility blog about how even Chris Matthews has defected from the Obama "spell" but are there are already many factors outside our country in place that may never be reversible.  Daily we could see the book of Revelation unfold before our eyes.

Maranatha - Come Lord Jesus!

The Manifested Glory of God

So last week at Bethel Church in Redding, California an interesting thing occurred.  It was November 13th and the Glory of the Lord came down...or should I say up!  Notice how the Glory Cloud "rose" among them.

Steve Fish, a Pastor at Convergence Church (click on 11-20-11) from Ft. Worth, Texas had an excellent message regarding the Glory of the Lord in response to this video from Redding.


THE GLORY OF THE LORD:

Exodus 16:10   It came about as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

Exodus 24:16, 17  The glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud.  And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountain top.
 Exodus 29:42 (the tabernacle)  It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the doorway of the tent of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. I will meet there with the sons of Israel, and it shall be consecrated(to make holy) by My glory.

Exodus 40:34, 35  Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

Numbers 14:20  So the LORD said, “I have pardoned them according to your word; but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD.

Numbers 16:42  It came about, however, when the congregation had assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tent of meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.

I Samuel 4:21  And she called the boy Ichabod (no glory), saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” because the ark of God was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 

Psalms 26:8  O LORD, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells. 

Psalm 63:2  Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,  To see Your power and Your glory. 

Isaiah 40:5  Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together;  For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (This is the prophetic word of Jesus' coming!)

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

 

John 2:11  This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

John 11:40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" (raising the dead is a manifestation Glory of God!)

John 17:22 The glory which You have given Me I have given to them (this is you and me!), that they may be one, just as We are one;

Romans 3:23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  (He came to redeem us from the curse and from falling short of glory!)

Romans 8:17    Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Romans 8:21, 22  that the creation itself will be liberated (set free) from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

Ephesians 5:27  (we are going to presented Jesus) and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Revelation 21:23  The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

Colossians 1:27  To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Acts 4:13  Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.  (The GLORY was on them and they "recognized" it.)

 

II Corinthians 3:18  But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.  (From glory to glory to glory...we are being transfigured (metamorphosis).)

II Corinthians 3:10  For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it.  For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

II Corinthians 3:12  Therefore having such a hope (the hope of glory), we use great boldness in our speech.  (Boldness in Greek means "freedom of speech".  We have no need to "veil" who we are anymore!  We are FREE to be who we really are!)

II Corinthians 3:7  But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was...

II Corinthians 3:13 (Moses glory was fading away)...and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away.

II Corinthians 3:11 For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.  (Moses glory was fading but we have unfading glory (vs 11).)

II Corinthians 3:10  For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it.  For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.  (surpassing glory (vs 10) and ever increasing glory!)

Come brothers and sisters, let us WALK IN HIS GLORY!

I See Heaven - Bryan & Katie Torwalt

Another POWERFUL song that ministers to my heart and fills my Spirit!  I See Heaven...do you?

I pray you are encouraged today as you take the time to position yourself to receive from the Lord.  If you need hope, strength, comfort, joy, help, peace, life, whatever YOUR need, get under the spout where the Lord can rain down on you.  Be filled with His goodness, His healing, His provision by worshipping His Holy Name!  He IS the answer!

Lord send your Glory down on us - we are desperate for you.  Amen!