Consider this

[bbyrd009]

Originally Posted by Amanah

Ok, I have a new favorite prayer.

I'm praying God let me be like Samson, he screwed so many things up, but you allowed him to be used greatly one last time for your glory. God if you can overlook Samsons stupidity and use him, I think there is hope for me too.

Oh God use me again, use me to win a soul for you, use me to pray for revival, use me to make a difference in someone's life, if you can use Samson, you can use me.

Amen. As soon as we're pretty sure we're doing pretty good as Christians, we become useless to God in a sense.

I was reviewing your post #21, where you highlighted diff perspectives of...Christ in a couple NT books. I have seen this before, i. e.

Ok, well just touched on there; if you considered
Romans--The love of Christ
Ephesians--the different focus you touched on
etc.

and wonder about a complete NT list? "Attributes" of NT books, maybe...I'll look around.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by Amanah

Brokenness

This morning I was praying through the tabernacle
repenting at the altar
washing with the water of the Word at the laver
entering the Holy place with praise
praying for my family and friends
taking up the sword of the Word and using it to fight the enemy

Afterwards while I was running my 3 mile morning run with my dog and I began to think about all the broken places in my life, and God really began to speak to me.

God can use a person who is broken
we have this treasure in earthern vessels
but it's through the broken places that the annointing can flow

God can flow thru me to touch those who were neglected by their parents, those who have lost a child to death, those who have battled cancer, and those who are going through things that the many other broken places in my life allows the Spirit to flow though.

So this morning, I'm thanking God for the broken places in my life.

Those are great thoughts Amanah, may we all come to a place where we realize our brokenness just means we are real people. All of us are broken pots, and praise God, that HE can fill our broken pot to overflowing with his spirit, and through our brokenness pour out his spirit that can bring healing to other people.

[Amanah]

Do you
Wince when you hear his name made vanity?

What if you were not so safe
Sheltered, circled by love
And convention?
What if
The world shouted at you?
Could you take the string of hoarse words – glutton,
Wino, devil, crazy
Man, agitator . . . .
******-lover, rebel,
And hag the grimy ornament around your neck and answer
Love?

See the sharp stones poised against your head? Even
Your dear friend
Couples your name with curses
(“By God! I know not God!)
The obscene affirmation
Of infidelity echoes, insistent,
From a henhouse roof.

Then – Slap! Spit! The whip,
The thorn. The gravel
Grinds your fallen knees
Under a whole world’s weight
Until
The hammering home of all
Your innocence
Strikes you, stranded,
Halfway between hilltop and heaven.
(Neither will have you)

And you whisper
Forgive?

“The Revolutionary”
Luci Shaw

[Amanah]

I’m reading a book by Dr. Henry Cloud entitled “Changes that Heal.” http://store.cloudtownsend.com/books...heal-book.html

He points out that what Adam and Eve did to fall from paradise was break their relationship with God, resulting in people living in broken relationships with God and each other from then till now.

Our task then is to learn how to restore our relationships with God and each other. That’s the Book isn’t it? Get your relationship right with God and each other?
This task can be seriously complicated if we are raised in a home where our parents don’t know how to bond, don’t have good relationship skills themselves.

I think this task is further complicated by the church, if the church puts a heavy emphasis out the outward appearance, a person may clean up how they appear to others without doing the heart work of learning how to live in honest loving relationship with others. Coming to church and hiding who you really are behind how you appear.

One of the reason why AA has great success is because an alcoholic can come into a meeting and be who is really is, admitting that he needs help, knowing that he will receive loving support and help to overcome his or her addictions.

Dr Cloud believes the reason many of us suffer from addictions, is because we are struggling with relationships and are using drugs, sex, porn, food, shopping, religiosity, etc to make up for our lack of relationship.

My desire is to live honestly and openly in fellowship with other believers, not condemning each others’ brokenness, but encouraging positive spiritual growth. Let us speak the truth with love.

If I can speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy
But I don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate
If I speak God's word with power, revealing all His mysteries
And making everything as plain as day
And if I say to a mountain jump and it jumps
But I don't love, I'm nothing
If I give all I own to the poor
Or if I even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr
But I don't have love, I've gotten nowhere
So, no matter what we say, no matter what we believe, no matter what we do
We're bankrupt without love. (1 Corinthians 13: 1-3)

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by Amanah

I’m reading a book by Dr. Henry Cloud entitled “Changes that Heal.” http://store.cloudtownsend.com/books...heal-book.html

He points out that what Adam and Eve did to fall from paradise was break their relationship with God, resulting in people living in broken relationships with God and each other from then till now.

Our task then is to learn how to restore our relationships with God and each other. That’s the Book isn’t it? Get your relationship right with God and each other?
This task can be seriously complicated if we are raised in a home where our parents don’t know how to bond, don’t have good relationship skills themselves.

I think this task is further complicated by the church, if the church puts a heavy emphasis out the outward appearance, a person may clean up how they appear to others without doing the heart work of learning how to live in honest loving relationship with others. Coming to church and hiding who you really are behind how you appear.

One of the reason why AA has great success is because an alcoholic can come into a meeting and be who is really is, admitting that he needs help, knowing that he will receive loving support and help to overcome his or her addictions.

Dr Cloud believes the reason many of us suffer from addictions, is because we are struggling with relationships and are using drugs, sex, porn, food, shopping, religiosity, etc to make up for our lack of relationship.

My desire is to live honestly and openly in fellowship with other believers, not condemning each others’ brokenness, but encouraging positive spiritual growth. Let us speak the truth with love.

If I can speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy
But I don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate
If I speak God's word with power, revealing all His mysteries
And making everything as plain as day
And if I say to a mountain jump and it jumps
But I don't love, I'm nothing
If I give all I own to the poor
Or if I even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr
But I don't have love, I've gotten nowhere
So, no matter what we say, no matter what we believe, no matter what we do
We're bankrupt without love. (1 Corinthians 13: 1-3)

Such a beautiful and eloquent expression of love, you have written, Amanah. Without love, all our religious thoughts, ways, and actions are in vain. What a concept! May we all grasp it!

[Amanah]

Baptism in the name of Jesus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9zAl...&feature=share

[Lafon]

Originally Posted by Amanah

Baptism in the name of Jesus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9zAl...&feature=share

Thanks! I truly enjoyed that.

[Amanah]

For me, fasting is one of the more difficult spiritual disciplines. But it is key to apostolic power & results.

First Pentecostal Church of Palm Bay is in a season of revival, prayer and fasting. There are many each week receiving the HG, being baptized, and renewed.

During this time, the church is undertaking a 40 day progressive fast, and it has been an amazing experience that I want to share with you. The fast has been tremendously rewarding & enjoyable. Because of the time spent gradually eliminating processed foods from the diet, I've am feeling physically renewed as well as being spritually renewed.

The purpose of fasting is the seek the face of God, set the captives free, to break every yoke, humble our souls, increase our faith, ignite our ministry.

But, In this blog, I'm going to focus more on the physical aspect of this fast to show that with preparation, you can feel well while you fast.

40 day fast:

week 1 - eliminate sugar and sweets

I spent a lot of time shopping and making sure everything I brought was sans processed sugar. I was shocked to see all the foods that contained sugar: bread, peanut butter, salad dressing, tomato sauce, ect ect. It was an eye opening experience to realize that while I thought I had been eating healthy, I was still eating way to much sugar.

Week 2 - No meat, sweets, or sugar (Fish is okay)

Eliminating sugar and meat meant that I was cooking our food from scratch, even the sauces, flipping through all the cook books that I had to find healthy meals to make that my husband would enjoy. The seafood gumbo that I made was a particular hit.

Week 3 - No bread or starches, no meat, sugar or sweets (fish is okay)

This became a bit more challenging, as we are down to eating mainly fruits and vegetables, and my husband isn't really fond of fish. I found some great soup recipes, and we ate a lot of avocados.

Week 4 - Fruits and Vegetables only.

Still eating lots of avocados as they are filling and versatile. I use them in soups, salads, dressings. I know that beans aren't really a fruit or vegetable, but I've retained them in our meals.

Week 5 - Juice Fast.

There are some amazingly good tasting juices that you can buy from the store, and make yourself. I feel so well nourished & healthy at this point. lots of Kale, blueberries, apples, bananas, pears and carrots being made into juice.

Week 6 - 4 day water fast.

no headaches or withdrawals, I feel amazingly well.

I hope that others will be encouraged to seek God with prayer and fasting. Moses, David, Daniel, Jesus, and the Apostles fasted, seeking God for guidance, direction, answers to prayers.

Not only has this progressive fast been a time of spiritual and physical renewal for me, but I've had a wake up call about eating a healthy diet. My goal for the future is to retain clean eating habits so that when I feel led of God to seek him by prayer and fasting, my diet won't be a hinderance.

[KeptByTheWord]

The progressive fast sounds wonderful! I've been in the process of weaning out all processed foods, and high sugar content foods from our diet, and I have really seen a difference in the overall health of our family. I have done the Daniel fast several times, and was really blessed by it. I find fasting mostly beneficial to my personal relationship with the Lord. I know some people fast for certain situations etc., but it has been my experience that fasting generally changes ME and brings me into a deeper, more personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. I'm thrilled to hear how this fast has blessed you. Perhaps you could share some of your recipes that you found for the week when you were eating only fruits and vegetables?

[Amanah]

This was our favorite meal. I included beans in our meals, even though they are not a veggie.

Minestone Soup

Saute Together:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 medium zucchini, sliced

Combine the sauteed vegetables in a soup pot with:
1 28oz can tomatoes, chopped
1 small avocado sliced
4 cups of tomato juice
2 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Simmer then add:
1 15oz can kidney beans