Stay Prepared

"Take not thine Holy Spirit from me." -- Psalm 51:11

A reporter once asked Kathryn Kuhlman what she did to prepare for the miraculous healing services she conducted. Her reply, "I stay prepared." She went on to say, "I fear no man. I fear not Satan. I use the same weapon on him that Jesus did: 'It Is Written'." 

Her only fear was the fear of grieving the Holy Spirit and having the anointing lift. During her time alone with God she would often pray the prayer of David, "Take not thine Holy Spirit from me."

Her ministry came at great personal cost but she willingly made the choice to stay prepared.

Today's prayer: "Teach me to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, minute by minute. Amen."

Rich Toward God

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse ...
and I will rebuke the devourer for your sake." (Malachi 3:10-11)

Most of us have a concept of the word "whole." For example, if I owe you money, you most likely want me to pay you the entire sum. I know that when I receive a bill from the electric or phone company they certainly want the entire amount. And what if I were to offer you a piece of candy? Would you want the entire piece or is it okay if I take a bite first? Do you suppose when God said to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that He had our good in mind? I know I want Him to rebuke the devourer for my sake, the "whole" devourer, not just a partial rebuking. Just pondering "being rich toward God" this morning.

whole - comprising the full quantity, amount, extent, number, etc., without diminution or exception; entire, full, or total

Snapshot

"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults - unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don't condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you'll find life a lot easier." -- Luke 6:37, The Message

The interesting thing about snapshots is that they only capture a moment in time. There is no knowledge of what led up to the photo or what happened immediately after the camera clicked. When we judge another person based on an immediate event or decision in their life we are acting just like a camera, choosing to capture and judge them based on that one snapshot in time. God sees the whole picture. He knows all the events that led up to that moment in time, that moment you chose to judge, and He knows the plans He has for their future. Think of all the snapshots you have collected over the years of yourself. Some are more flattering than others. No one has a perfect "filmstrip" of their life. Love everyone. Let God sort them.

IF

"If you forgive those who sin against you, your Heavenly Father will forgive you." -- Matthew 6:14

"If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your dwelling." -- Psalm 91:9-10

"If you prize wisdom, she will exalt you." -- Proverbs 4:8

"If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD - and He will repay you." -- Proverbs 19:17

Have you ever noticed how many scriptures begin with the word "if" -- or how many promises are coupled with the word "if" -- we are partakers of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) -- to partake is to take part -- we have a part to fulfill. After all, "IF" does begin with "I"

The Burn Room

Not a service
Not an event
Not a concert

It's a place of presence .... come soak, worship, and pray

Tonight, 7pm-9pm, in the sanctuary of Oxford Church of God, 5450 College Corner Pike, Oxford


Feel free to stop in for a few minutes or a few hours ...

Passion for your house consumes me. 

The Burn Room is a ministry of the Oxford House of Prayer:
www.oxfordhouseofprayer.com

Tradition

I saw a post on Twitter:

Dear Facebook, 

There's a new kid in town. His name is Twitter. 

Sincerely, 

MySpace

I like this quote. Things change. They always will. So, I thought it interesting that at last night's Bible study our pastor talked about "tradition" and how we cannot let it dictate our ministries. What once worked for a certain generation is not relevant now. He then demonstrated his point. He held up a church hymnal in the air and asked if we all knew what it was. A resounding "yes" echoed back. He then sent someone to go get a teenager from the youth group down the hall. Again, he held up the hymnal. This time he asked the teen, "do you know what this is?" The teen had no clue. 

God is always moving .... let's move with Him.

Idle Words

"Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit - you choose." -- Proverbs 18:21, MSG

We like to talk. Sometimes I think we talk to fill the silence. We talk to ourselves (sometimes out loud). To be honest, we eat the fruit of our own lips in this life. The more foolishness we talk, the more foolishness we eat. Here's to a better diet!

1. idle words - empty rhetoric or insincere or exaggerated talk; "that's a lot of wind"

Problem or Solution

"For I watch over my word to perform it." -- Jeremiah 1:12

"Bless Jehovah, ye his angels, That are mighty in strength, that fulfill his word, Hearkening unto the voice of his word." -- Psalm 103:20

"Prayer is not about bringing your problems to God but about bringing solutions to your problems." -- Shawn Baker

We are prone to go into our prayer closets and present a list of our problems to God, and He is faithful to comfort us in our afflictions. But, what we should do more often is go into our prayer closets and present a list of solutions, according to His WORD. God watches over His Word to perform it (Jer. 1:12). He is waiting for us to declare the solution out of our own mouth and He will even dispatch angels to fulfill His Word.

Facts are temporary (e.g. the doctor says it's cancer).

TRUTH will always override facts. The truth is that "by His stripes we are healed."

Take that diagnosis (whatever it may be) and the WORD of God into the prayer closet and declare the solution to your situation.

Thanks to Shawn for this great teaching!

Power of Suggestion

"We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." -- 2 Corinthians 10:5

"There must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes." -- Ephesians 4:23

There is so much power in suggestion; much more than we realize. Just the other day I overheard someone say, "so and so did such and such." And wouldn't you know the very next time I saw "so and so" my flesh immediately remembered that statement. Grrrr, I wish I had never heard it because it is hard to keep our flesh silent, which is why I love this cartoon. This suggestion box is actually a paper shredder! Now, if only we could shred all those negative suggestions that bombard our lives day in and day out! Once something is shredded it's nearly impossible to put it back together, especially if you have one of those super confetti shredders.

Today's prayer: "God, I choose to take captive every negative thought and place it in the shredder of a renewed mind. Amen."

I Run To You

"I run to you, God; I run for dear life..." -- Psalm 31:1, The Message

"I have come to you for protection; don't let me be put to shame. Rescue me, for you always do what is right." -- Psalm 31:1, NLT

I had a disturbing thing happen to me recently and there was nothing I could do about it. It was one of those things that caught me off guard and is completely out of my control. As soon as it happened I thought, "I've got to talk to someone about this" -- my spouse, my best friend, etc., but immediately the Holy Spirit whispered, "talk to me; run to me."

Today's prayer: "God, I run to you in my bewilderment. What just happened? How will I recover? Protect me from my thoughts and even more so from my actions. Do not let me be put to shame. Rescue me, for You always do what is right. Amen."