34 posts tagged “jesus”
Hey all. If you're reading this, thanks.
For the remainder of this blog, it matters not who you voted for in the recent elections. What happened, happened. I can't say it's the will of God, because I simply don't know it was... God wanted to lead Israel, but they wanted a king, so God gave them a king after their own heart, and it ended up being their downfall.
But that's not the point I'm trying to make in this Blog.
If you're a Christian, you've been instructed by the Lord "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" (1 Tim 2:1-2). Why, you ask? "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 tim 2:-3-4).
So, regarding that. I've invited most of you to this event on facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=50987482352
It's called "Pray for Barak." Simple enough. (also, please invite your friends as well...)
I assume the date for this event is correct...if it's not, the correct date wins. ha.
If you'll notice, the date of the event is set from monday Jan 19th at 12AM to Tuesday Jan 20 at 12AM. That's obviously a 24-hour period... and it's hard to think that one person can pray for 24-hours.
So here's my suggestions, and I'm breaking it down by places my friends (YOU GUYS) are.. so here's my ideas:
24 hour prayer event:
- LCHOPpers: You know what to do.. get to it!
- Josh and the OUHOPpers - I'm confident you guys are ready to pull this off. Contact me/LCHOP buddies if you need some help organizing
- people in Savannah/Statesboro - I know we'll probably all be in class by then, but if possible I'd like to combine forces (Jarod, your ZEAL group with the RUF @ SCAD, and others as well) and do a 24-hour prayer session. simply put, if we have 24 people, each agreeing to pray for 1 hour in the same room, this would be great, and would pave the way for future long-format prayer meetings (totally NOT expecting people to pray for like 5 hours on end.. )
- Michael and SCAD RUF - I know this might seem daunting and maybe weird, but I'd like to try it.. if it utterly fails, we'll put it on the shelf for a later date. But i"ll need help getting the word out and also organizing. anyone with the gift of administration? I got the mobilization!
- others of you in the US, but outside of the GA area, I encourage you guys to gather your friends and organize some sort of 24-hour meeting.. if not that, try to get together with friends and pray before, during, and after the inaugurational speech.
- and finally, my international friends - we need you on this one... I've heard it said before, "as america goes, so goes the whole world." meaning that america, in a way, paves the way for a new cultural shift in the world. Pray that america would not lower the cultural standard bar, but in fact raise it. I really appreciate every prayer you guys say for this country! I only wish I could say I was faithful enough to do the same. Forgive me for not.
My closing statement I guess... GIVE ME FEEDBACK!
Let me know what you guys are planning, and what you need help on. Get most of this planning done over the winter break, so that way you can have solid plans to give to people while spreading the word around your campuses/workplaces/churches etc come january!
I guess that's it everyone... Bless you all!!!
rg
So.. I've never been so gripped over the elections (it's only my second one), but the Lord gave a certain grace this morning as I loaded the Global Bridegroom Fast webstream from IHOP-KC. I began weeping over the unborn, and pleading for LIFE, and that voters today would abandon their party affiliation unto a Greater Affiliation, of one to Christ, and His morals.
this article will probably be offensive to some people.. but it goes to show I'm not the only one thinking this way...
Hungry for the Eternal
By Stephanie Farebrother - Limited Edition Journalist
In this hour of history, as the Second Coming draws nearer, a crucial battle is being fought for the hearts and minds of young adults. Music is one of the primary arenas in this battle, for music affects people in ways that sermons and seminars cannot.
Several young prophetic musicians from the International House of Prayer–Kansas City are taking a stand against darkness through their music and lifestyles. As prophetic musicians, they seek to understand and express the Lord’s emotions and purposes through music. Because they want to listen to the Holy Spirit and faithfully play what they hear, they have closely examined the influence that secular music has in their lives.
Seth Yates, an electric guitar player on Corry Asbury’s worship team, says that everything boils down to a spiritual battle, including music.
“There are two worship movements arising: one glorifies God and the other glorifies man,” he says.
Seth has been at IHOP–KC for two years. Over a year ago, he decided to completely give up secular music, which he categorizes as any music that exalts man and the needs of man. Two times previous Seth felt convinced to stop listening to secular music, but went back to it little by little. Finally, still feeling conviction from the Lord, Seth decided to do some research and find evidence for why he should abstain from secular music.
“I knew that there was a lot of music I was supposed to give up; I knew it was not edifying me or pleasing God,” he says.
After reviewing the history of music, Seth discovered that a majority of big-name rock bands and singers have been influenced by the occult and the New Age movement. He realized how ignorant and deceived he had been about what his favorite bands represented.
“I would always say that I need to listen to secular music to get creative inspiration, or that I didn’t listen to the words, just the music,” he explains. But after doing some research, he realized that all music is an expression of the heart, and by extension a representation of how that heart is aligned. If musicians are not for God in their hearts, then they are against Him. There are no gray areas.
Once Seth understood that music is a spiritual battleground and that secular artists had chosen to represent darkness, he removed secular music from his life.
“Once I gave it up, I really felt a fog lift, like I could think clearly,” he says.
A few months after he had given up secular music, Seth started having prophetic dreams and encounters that focused on the power of music. The Lord told Seth very clearly that he is to encourage others to embrace a new kind of music: the sounds coming from the throne room of God.
In one dream, Seth was talking with an angel about the music of heaven. The angel started playing him a melody line, but another musician interrupted the angel to say that the melody sounded too childish. Seth says the dream showed him that the melodies of Heaven are available, but you have to be willing to surrender your heart and receive from the Lord instead of the world. You cannot judge what you hear from the Lord based on the world’s standards.
“As a musician, it is hard to give up secular music,” Seth says, “because you are taking a leap of faith in trusting God as the Author of music to creatively inspire you in worship.”.
Jordan Vanderplate, another electric guitar player at the House of Prayer, emphasizes the importance of pursuing the music of the Spirit. Jordan is a self-taught musician who never listened to much secular music. Instead of feeling left out because his head isn’t full of all the latest songs, Jordan focuses on filling his heart with prophetic music.
“It provokes me to seek after the music of the Spirit. In the last days we are going to need to hear melodies in the Spirit to shift things,” Jordan says.
He understands that prophetic music can shift things in the spiritual realm. By playing based on what he hears from the Holy Spirit, Jordon can focus on releasing the power of God through his guitar, rather than just trying to play good music.
Jordan wants to see this ministry of prophetic music cultivated through his worship. He plays about six hours a day in the prayer room with three different worship teams, striving for excellence in his music.
“Your musical skill and playing will reflect your heart and the secret place—it totally hinges on your personal life in God,” Jordan explains.
Cassie Campbell, who plays the electric bass for Misty Edward’s team, also chose to get rid of all her secular music in order to pursue music born out of the spirit of prayer and prophecy.
“I felt like if I want to be a prophetic musician at the end of the age, I need to separate myself from darkness,” she explains.
Narrowing her scope of music was not motivated out of legalism, Cassie says, but out of a lack of interest in music not centered on Christ.
“As I got closer to the Lord, I didn’t want to listen to anything that wasn’t about Him,” she says.
Less than a week after deleting all her music, Cassie says the Lord confirmed to her heart that she had truly made the right decision. One evening during a worship set in the prayer room, Misty asked Cassie to start a cycle—to help set the mood and tempo for the team with Holy Spirit-inspired music.
While the team prayed in the Spirit and asked the Lord to come, Cassie asked the Lord for a prophetic melody and began to play her bass. The melody line she played that night eventually grew into the song “You Won’t Relent,” based on Song of Solomon 8:6. Misty had been asking the Lord for a song from that very verse, and Cassie’s bass line fueled the chorus.
“You think you would have to work for it and that the Lord would make you wait a while to prove you are faithful before blessing your music, but that night the Lord kissed our set with that sweet chorus,” she says.
According to Cassie, prophetic music should not be taken lightly.
“There is something in music that no one can touch—it prepares the way and opens up the spirit to godliness,” she says.
Cassie says that a good question to ask yourself is if the music you are listening to makes you want to satisfy the first and second commandments: to have no other gods before Him and to worship only Him. If the music does draw you to worship God, then listen to it, but if not, then she says to give it up.
Seth, Jordan and Cassie have chosen to separate themselves from secular music, not for the sake of religion, but to stand before the Lord in purity. They do this both as musicians who live in an atmosphere of constant prayer and worship, and as believers who want to be wholly devoted to God.
Music is more than just nice background noise for them. It is a spiritual door that can open a person’s heart to either light or darkness. These musicians understand the importance that worship music will have during the End Times. By rejecting a huge piece of the youth culture in America—culture that will have no lasting impact—they are able to embrace music with eternal significance. They have chosen to seek after melodies from Heaven and give themselves wholeheartedly to God.
“Music inspired by the Holy Spirit will leave you wanting to pursue holiness. Holiness is abandonment. Position yourself before God and abandon yourself to Him,” Seth says.
Stephanie Farebrother, 11/27/2007
Matthew 11:6 - That's Jesus Speaking.
Maybe so?! I feel like I'm starting a rumor or something.. but check out these images, found on the top banner of IHOP's online store.
So my friend got married this past weekend, and it was BEAUTIFUL. So good. I can't wait for my other friends to get married.. not to mention me get married. of course I'll need to find out who the wife-to-be is.. haha.
Music is just music,
And words are only words,
But "death and life are in the power of the tongue."
Prov 18:21
This may be a re-post.. but it's worth it.
"Hezekiah said this when he was reigniting the priesthood. He said 'Just stand, serve, minister, and burn in front of God, and get this whole nation turned around.' And he did it. He did it with a priesthood burning in front of God. You're made to burn. You're made to burn. Do you know that? You're not just made to hear other people burn, and see other people burn... YOU are made to burn. There's many of you, you've never felt the burn of the Lord.. in your spirit man. That spirit of burning, that place of standing before the Lord and burning with a scripture on your heart, and God's just enjoying you. He desires this."
Spirit of God, I pray, begin to move on our hearts. Fan the flame! Tear off the stereotypes of priesthood. and give us the spirit of BURNING!! Help us to BURN BURN BURN!!! Amen in the name of Jesus! So be it!!!
woo.
Here's how it works. On your phone, you text the number 466453 (GOOGLE) and if you type "Define ____" and put your word in there, they define it. so for the word travail, I got back this:
July 7, 2008.
Editor Times-Dispatch
Each year I get to celebrate Independence Day twice. On June 30
I celebrate my independence day and on July 4 I celebrate America's.
This year is special because it marks the 40th anniversary of my
independence.
On June 30, 1968, I escaped Connunist Cuba and a few months
later I was in the United States to stay. That I happened to arrive
in Richmond on Thanksgiving Day is just part of the story, but I
digress.
I've thought a lot about the anniversary this year. The
election-year rhetoric has made me think a lot about Cuba and what
transpired there. In the late 1950's, most Cubans thought Cuba
needed a change, and they were right. So when a young leader came
along, every Cuban was at least receptive.
When the young leader spoke eloquently and passionately and
denounced the old system, the press fell in love with him. They
never questioned who his friends were or what he really believed in.
When he said he would help the farmers and the poor and bring free
medical care and education to all, everyone followed. When he said
he would bring justice and equality to all, everyone said "Praise
the Lord". And when the young leader said, "I wil be for change and
I'll bring you change, everyone yelled, "Viva Fidel!"
But nobody asked about the change, so by the time the
executioner's guns went silent the people's guns had been taken
away. By the time everyone was equal, they were equally poor,
hungry, and oppressed. By the time everyone received their free
education it was worth nothing. By the time the press noticed, it
was too late, because they were now working for him. By the time the
change was finally implemented Cuba had been knocked down a couple
of notches to Third-World status. By the time the change was over
more than a million people had taken to boats, rafts, and inner
tubes. You can call those who made it ashore anywhere else in the
world most fortunate Cubans. And now I'm back to the beginning of my
story.
Luckily, we would never fall in America for a young leader who
promised change without asking, what change? How will you carry it
out? What will it cost America?
Would we?
Manuel Alvarez, Jr.
ps89.14-
Righteousness and justice are the FOUNDATION OF GOD'S THRONE.
And mercy and truth GO BEFORE HIS FACE!
That's sooo cool!! IT'S BLOWIN MY BRAINS!
the word "go" in Hebrew means "to project (one self); i.e. precede..."
^^ Mercy and truth "project" from his face... haha! that's awesome
Okay. so check this too.. the message.. here's how that reads:
"The Right and Justice are the roots of Your rule;
Love and Truth are it's fruits."
God is SOOO cool!! haha.
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