Prayer Targets

     Even though this message, which came today from  the Elijah List, specifically targets Europe, it is applicable to all nations.  We must be seeking what is on God's heart, and praying that His Will will be done.

"Beginning in 2012, Dr. Sharon Stone presented a 10-year plan for the transformation of the spiritual atmosphere above Europe at a meeting of her network, Christian International Europe. This plan was based on what God had been showing her prophetically about shifting the atmosphere above nations for sustained revival and awakening." 

  ...There are several strategic focuses [for prayer & action] that God has given me for Europe... (This is not an exhaustive list, and of course there are other major areas of concern: poverty, abortion, family values, economic crisis, etc.) The areas are:

1. National alignment with Israel
2. Modern-day slavery
3. An underdeveloped young generation

1. National Alignment With Israel

      How a nation treats the Jews and Israel will determine how much authority and blessing that nation receives from God: ''I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you"(Genesis 12:3). God Himself has set the boundaries of the land of Israel as a covenant to the people of Israel: "I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the desert to the Euphrates River..." (Exodus 23:31). God does not break His covenant. In the same way, we cannot separate Israel from their covenant land.

     "On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves"(Zechariah 12:3). It will not be easy for our nations to align with Israel, and sometimes it will feel like a heavy stone that we have to carry. This will be increasingly true as public opinion turns against Israel. God, however, is getting ready to move in Israel. God is going to judge the nations and glorify His people, just like He did when the Jews were in Goshen and Egypt.

2. Modern-Day Slavery

    The Bible says that righteousness and justice are the foundations of God's throne (see Psalm 89:14), and it is time for European social reformers like William Wilberforce to rise up again and abolish human trafficking (i.e. modern-day slavery). Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor. Conservative estimates show that there are currently approximately 27 million people being trafficked.

     Slavery is a moral issue and compromises the atmosphere of freedom and righteousness that God so desires. We need to realize that modern-day slavery does not just exist outside of our borders. As Believers we carry a powerful message of hope and liberation.

      God commands us to seek justice for the oppressed. Our fervent prayers can accomplish much. We must also understand that God has given us authority and influence through Christ Jesus. We as Believers therefore have a special position when it comes to the work of abolition. Through prayer and acts of service we can help rescue and restore those who are being trafficked and help to create new futures for the vulnerable.

3. Youth – Developing a Passionate Generation To Guard the Gates of Justice and Sustain Awakening/Revival

     Several European nations have experienced awakenings and revivals before. Unfortunately, they were relatively short-lived and not sustainable. One of the reasons for this is that they were not generational. As leaders, we have done a disservice to our youth by leading them to think that we could preach them into revival. We have got to be passionate about the Presence of Jesus. We need to expose our youth to dynamic passion and teach them how to guard it and to grow it. We do not just get this from a 60-minute service on a Sunday.

      When Moses and Joshua went up to the mountain to meet with God (see Exodus 24:12-18) they did not know how long they would be there. God did not say anything for the first six days. They were, however, content just to sit in His presence. Then, on the seventh day, God invited Moses into the cloud. Joshua, on the other hand, had to remain on the outside for another 33 days. During these 33 days Joshua got hungrier by the minute for the Presence of God.

      All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshipped, each man in his tent door. So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And He would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle. Exodus 33:10-11

      Young people are passionate and pro-active. They get angry and frustrated, and they are disappointed when they look at the world. As a consequence, they are often among God's most blunt and unintentional prophets. Jesus asks us to have prophetic foresight, to dream of what a better world would look like, and to work towards the transformation of this world.

      It is essential that we equip this emerging generation to be radical passionate leaders who:

• know the weight of the call of God on their lives and who walk in it,
• who refuse the status quo of religion,
• who seek to explore the depths of God, and
• who live devoted to a lifestyle of worship.

     If we do, they will become a passionate generation who will guard the gates of justice in our nations and be able to sustain the coming awakening and revival.

Sharon Stone
Christian International Europe
Email: info@nederlandseprofetischeraad.org

Awakening God’s People (Connection!-Devotionals For Every Day Life)

      This excerpt from yesterday's Connection! daily email devotional is encouraging!  God 'shows up' at the darkest hour to bring revival to His people.  He's done it before and there are signs that He is about to do it again!
     If you haven't already signed up to receive this devotional, I highly recommend it.  It is an excellent resource and a great reminder to continue in prayer!

Awakening God’s People
Posted: 11 Jan 2013 10:00 PM PST

Five major traits characterize the great historical awakenings.
     First, the awakenings were preceded by gross moral and spiritual declension in the church. The church ceased to be a great lighthouse for a world in a stormy sea and was drowning in the waves of immorality and impurity. Because her eyes were filled with impurities, she could not see God in His splendor and majesty.
     Second, God would, at the darkest moment, breathe on the hearts of a few individuals. They would begin to seek His face, and a revival of prayer would result. The Holy Spirit would show men and women the utter necessity of absolute dependence upon God.
     Third, a visitation of God’s presence would come among God’s people. A fresh breath of life blew into the churches—the life of God in the hearts of His people. A new sense of purity of character grew among God’s people. The church experienced the holiness of God, and Christians were conformed into the image of Christ.
      Fourth, a reaping of a great evangelistic harvest occurred—a renewal of the preaching of the old truths of the Bible. Pastors and evangelists preached the holiness of God, the corrupted nature of man, and Christ as God’s only provision for man’s sin. They preached that Christ must be received by faith and that man must be born again. They preached against sin and set forth the extraordinary love of God. And God gave the increase. The greatest times of evangelism took place during the great spiritual awakenings.
     Finally, growth in the church resulted, and new movements and ministers were thrust into world evangelism. There were lasting results; the fruit remained. Although there were some excesses in each movement, in general the church made great strides in building the kingdom of God.
        –Adapted from The Prayer Factor by Sammy Tippit

Heart Surgeon Speaks Out On What Really Causes Heart Disease ~Dr. Dwight Lundell

      I found this posted on another blog.  It is rather long but very informative!  Dr. Mercola, whose articles I read frequently, has been saying the same thing for quite some time.  We have been brainwashed into thinking meat is bad for us, when in fact we are clogging our arteries eating what we've been told is "healthy low-fat".

Heart Surgeon Speaks Out On What Really Causes Heart Disease--Dr. Dwight Lundell

We physicians with all our training, knowledge and authority often acquire a rather large ego that tends to make it difficult to admit we are wrong. So, here it is. I freely admit to being wrong. As a heart surgeon with 25 years experience, having performed over 5,000 open-heart surgeries, today is my day to right the wrong with medical and scientific fact.

I trained for many years with other prominent physicians labelled "opinion makers." Bombarded with scientific literature, continually attending education seminars, we opinion makers insisted heart disease resulted from the simple fact of elevated blood cholesterol.

The only accepted therapy was prescribing medications to lower cholesterol and a diet that severely restricted fat intake. The latter of course we insisted would lower cholesterol and heart disease. Deviations from these recommendations were considered heresy and could quite possibly result in malpractice.

It Is Not Working!

These recommendations are no longer scientifically or morally defensible. The discovery a few years ago that inflammation in the artery wall is the real cause of heart disease is slowly leading to a paradigm shift in how heart disease and other chronic ailments will be treated.

The long-established dietary recommendations have created epidemics of obesity and diabetes, the consequences of which dwarf any historical plague in terms of mortality, human suffering and dire economic consequences.

Despite the fact that 25% of the population takes expensive statin medications and despite the fact we have reduced the fat content of our diets, more Americans will die this year of heart disease than ever before.

Statistics from the American Heart Association show that 75 million Americans currently suffer from heart disease, 20 million have diabetes and 57 million have pre-diabetes. These disorders are affecting younger and younger people in greater numbers every year.

Simply stated, without inflammation being present in the body, there is no way that cholesterol would accumulate in the wall of the blood vessel and cause heart disease and strokes. Without inflammation, cholesterol would move freely throughout the body as nature intended. It is inflammation that causes cholesterol to become trapped.

Inflammation is not complicated -- it is quite simply your body's natural defence to a foreign invader such as a bacteria, toxin or virus. The cycle of inflammation is perfect in how it protects your body from these bacterial and viral invaders. However, if we chronically expose the body to injury by toxins or foods the human body was never designed to process,a condition occurs called chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is just as harmful as acute inflammation is beneficial.

What thoughtful person would willfully expose himself repeatedly to foods or other substances that are known to cause injury to the body? Well, smokers perhaps, but at least they made that choice willfully.

The rest of us have simply followed the recommended mainstream diet that is low in fat and high in polyunsaturated fats and carbohydrates, not knowing we were causing repeated injury to our blood vessels. This repeated injury creates chronic inflammation leading to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity.

Let me repeat that: The injury and inflammation in our blood vessels is caused by the low fat diet recommended for years by mainstream medicine.

What are the biggest culprits of chronic inflammation? Quite simply, they are the overload of simple, highly processed carbohydrates (sugar, flour and all the products made from them) and the excess consumption of omega-6 vegetable oils like soybean, corn and sunflower that are found in many processed foods.

Take a moment to visualize rubbing a stiff brush repeatedly over soft skin until it becomes quite red and nearly bleeding. you kept this up several times a day, every day for five years. If you could tolerate this painful brushing, you would have a bleeding, swollen infected area that became worse with each repeated injury. This is a good way to visualize the inflammatory process that could be going on in your body right now.

Regardless of where the inflammatory process occurs, externally or internally, it is the same. I have peered inside thousands upon thousands of arteries. A diseased artery looks as if someone took a brush and scrubbed repeatedly against its wall. Several times a day, every day, the foods we eat create small injuries compounding into more injuries, causing the body to respond continuously and appropriately with inflammation.

While we savor the tantalizing taste of a sweet roll, our bodies respond alarmingly as if a foreign invader arrived declaring war. Foods loaded with sugars and simple carbohydrates, or processed with omega-6 oils for long shelf life have been the mainstay of the American diet for six decades. These foods have been slowly poisoning everyone.

How does eating a simple sweet roll create a cascade of inflammation to make you sick?

Imagine spilling syrup on your keyboard and you have a visual of what occurs inside the cell. When we consume simple carbohydrates such as sugar, blood sugar rises rapidly. In response, your pancreas secretes insulin whose primary purpose is to drive sugar into each cell where it is stored for energy. If the cell is full and does not need glucose, it is rejected to avoid extra sugar gumming up the works.

When your full cells reject the extra glucose, blood sugar rises producing more insulin and the glucose converts to stored fat.

What does all this have to do with inflammation? Blood sugar is controlled in a very narrow range. Extra sugar molecules attach to a variety of proteins that in turn injure the blood vessel wall. This repeated injury to the blood vessel wall sets off inflammation. When you spike your blood sugar level several times a day, every day, it is exactly like taking sandpaper to the inside of your delicate blood vessels.

While you may not be able to see it, rest assured it is there. I saw it in over 5,000 surgical patients spanning 25 years who all shared one common denominator -- inflammation in their arteries.

Let's get back to the sweet roll. That innocent looking goody not only contains sugars, it is baked in one of many omega-6 oils such as soybean. Chips and fries are soaked in soybean oil; processed foods are manufactured with omega-6 oils for longer shelf life. While omega-6's are essential -they are part of every cell membrane controlling what goes in and out of the cell -- they must be in the correct balance with omega-3's.

If the balance shifts by consuming excessive omega-6, the cell membrane produces chemicals called cytokines that directly cause inflammation.

Today's mainstream American diet has produced an extreme imbalance of these two fats. The ratio of imbalance ranges from 15:1 to as high as 30:1 in favor of omega-6. That's a tremendous amount of cytokines causing inflammation. In today's food environment, a 3:1 ratio would be optimal and healthy.

To make matters worse, the excess weight you are carrying from eating these foods creates overloaded fat cells that pour out large quantities of pro-inflammatory chemicals that add to the injury caused by having high blood sugar. The process that began with a sweet roll turns into a vicious cycle over time that creates heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and finally, Alzheimer's disease, as the inflammatory process continues unabated.

There is no escaping the fact that the more we consume prepared and processed foods, the more we trip the inflammation switch little by little each day. The human body cannot process, nor was it designed to consume, foods packed with sugars and soaked in omega-6 oils.

There is but one answer to quieting inflammation, and that is returning to foods closer to their natural state. To build muscle, eat more protein. Choose carbohydrates that are very complex such as colorful fruits and vegetables. Cut down on or eliminate inflammation- causing omega-6 fats like corn and soybean oil and the processed foods that are made from them.

One tablespoon of corn oil contains 7,280 mg of omega-6; soybean contains 6,940 mg. Instead, use olive oil or butter from grass-fed beef.

Animal fats contain less than 20% omega-6 and are much less likely to cause inflammation than the supposedly healthy oils labelled polyunsaturated. Forget the "science" that has been drummed into your head for decades. The science that saturated fat alone causes heart disease is non-existent. The science that saturated fat raises blood cholesterol is also very weak. Since we now know that cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease, the concern about saturated fat is even more absurd today.

The cholesterol theory led to the no-fat, low-fat recommendations that in turn created the very foods now causing an epidemic of inflammation. Mainstream medicine made a terrible mistake when it advised people to avoid saturated fat in favor of foods high in omega-6 fats. We now have an epidemic of arterial inflammation leading to heart disease and other silent killers.

What you can do is choose whole foods your grandmother served and not those your mom turned to as grocery store aisles filled with manufactured foods. By eliminating inflammatory foods and adding essential nutrients from fresh unprocessed food, you will reverse years of damage in your arteries and throughout your body from consuming the typical American diet.

More on Franklin Graham

 I posted some of Franklin Graham's comments from this letter a few days ago, but here is the entire letter.  I think it is worth re-posting because it is so true.  We must pray for a spiritual awakening in America!  (and the world!)

Fiscal Cliff? What About Our Spiritual Cliff?

FROM THE DESK OF FRANKLIN GRAHAM

December 27, 2012 - My hope and prayer is that the Lord will once again move in our land. It can happen, and we are trusting that a fire of revival will ignite as tens of thousands of homes are opened up this year to share the Gospel through My Hope with Billy Graham.

Calling America back from the edge of a spiritual and moral cliff.

Dear Friend,

As we come into the new year, America is facing many challenges. For the past few weeks, the media has been focused on what has been termed as the nation’s “fiscal cliff.”

Our country’s financial problems, however, are nothing compared to the spiritual and moral cliff that is far more destructive to our nation than any economic concerns.

Since the recent election, we’ve seen same-sex couples lining up at courthouses in several states to receive their marriage licenses, and hundreds of people gathering in public places to light up marijuana cigarettes in the states where it has just been decriminalized.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. The moral decline we see on television programs—blatant immorality, senseless violence, media-friendly gay and lesbian behavior—is just a reflection of the moral corruption that has infected our entire nation. These are indeed dark days ... but there is hope.

The Bible says, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3, ESV). No question our country’s foundations are being destroyed, but I am reminded of an era in the Old Testament where the Lord moved in a dramatic way to bring godly change to a spiritually dark and depraved nation like Judah, whose moral foundations had been seriously eroded.

Manasseh was the wickedest king to rule over Judah. Throughout his 55 years of evil reign, the land had been defiled with innocent blood. He led Judah into witchcraft, sorcery, and the worship of false gods and idols, including the fertility goddess Asherah. He even sacrificed his own son in the fires of idolatry.

Not many years later, God worked in an extraordinary and unexpected way to bring national revival.

Josiah, Manasseh’s grandson, became king at age 8. Ten years after becoming king, Josiah asked his high priest, Hilkiah, to collect funds to repair the temple that was in disrepair. As they worked, they uncovered the book of the law (the first five books of the Bible). Apparently it had been lost and neglected for a number of years. When Josiah heard the books read aloud by a scribe, he tore his clothes and said, “Great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us” (2 Kings 22:13).

When the Word of God was then read aloud to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, it pierced their souls and the stage was set for national repentance. Idols were smashed, spiritists and mediums forcibly removed, and the worship of the one true God reinstated. Once again, righteousness ruled.

For far too long, as a nation we have neglected—and even rejected—the Word of God and His commands. Yet the Scriptures are mighty, able to penetrate even the most hardened and darkened hearts with convicting, life-giving power. They are God-breathed, and any new season of repentance and revival in America can only come through a renewed focus on the great truths of God’s Word.

Just as the Lord used an 18-year-old king to begin revival in a corrupt nation more than 1,500 years ago, He can use us as we earnestly seek Him, stand for His truths, and pray for America. This is the only cure for a sin-sickened country that is about to slip into a moral abyss, and it is why we must proclaim the Good News.

My hope and prayer is that the Lord will once again move in our land. It can happen, and we are trusting that a fire of revival will ignite as tens of thousands of homes are opened up this year to share the Gospel through My Hope with Billy Graham. It will be a tremendous outreach across our country, the most extensive we have conducted in the history of this ministry, and we need your prayers and financial support as we put this massive evangelistic effort together.

Only the Lord Jesus Christ knows what lies ahead of us in the coming year, but I do know that He promises to be with us every step of the way, “even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Thank you, and God bless you. We appreciate you.

 Warmly,

Franklin Graham

                   (See Graham Letter, My Hope with Billy Graham)

Another Good Word from Joseph Prince

     When we were in Israel with Ray Vander Laan many years ago, he pointed out that by substituting Jesus for Abraham in this covenant God was guaranteeing that Jesus would have to die because 'cutting the covenant' in that culture meant that those who participated were saying "let this be done to me--this death by slaughtering--if I don't keep all the requirements of the covenant."  God knew that we couldn't fulfill our part and would have to die, so he substituted Jesus in our place to pay the price and fulfill our part of the covenant.  That was an amazing revelation to me!

A Sleeping Partner Who Benefits   (Joseph Prince Devotional, 1-10-13)

Genesis 15:12 12Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram…

In business, sleeping or silent partners don’t work but still take home huge profits. They are like the wife of the boxing champion. He gets badly beaten up to win the prize money. But when he gets home, his wife takes it from him and says, “Thank you very much, darling!”

Do you know that in your covenant with God, you are like the boxer’s wife or the sleeping partner?

When Abraham asked God how he would know for sure that he would inherit the land that God had promised him, God made a covenant with him. (Genesis 15:8–21) But instead of cutting the covenant with Abraham by walking in between the animal pieces with him, God put Abraham into a deep sleep and cut the covenant with Jesus instead.

Jesus, the light of the world, appeared as the pillar of fire and cut the covenant with God the Father who appeared as the pillar of cloud. In other words, Jesus took Abraham’s place. He was perfect Man representing Abraham when He cut the covenant with His Father.

By substituting Abraham with Jesus, God was being gracious because if Abraham had done it, he would also have been responsible for keeping the covenant. And Abraham, being a mere man, would fail. But God the Son can never fail! Abraham’s blessings were therefore guaranteed because they did not depend on his performance but Jesus’ performance. Abraham was literally a sleeping partner, a beneficiary of the covenant.

Today, God has also made a covenant with you, called the new covenant. And like Abraham, you are a sleeping partner because the new covenant was also cut between God the Father and God the Son at Calvary. You are simply a beneficiary of the new covenant. You enjoy all its benefits without having to work at keeping it. Jesus, your representative, has already fulfilled all the conditions on your behalf. And because His obedience is perfect and His work is perfectly finished, the covenant blessings for you are guaranteed!

My friend, there is nothing left for you to do, but everything for you to believe. Don’t try to work for your covenant blessings. Rest in the Son’s finished work and receive them by faith!

AMERICA'S HUNTERS –The Other Side of Gun Control

     I found this interesting and actually pretty amazing!  Even though I live in a state that is known for the best deer hunting, I had no idea there are so many hunters in the country!   This is an email I received recently.  I checked--Wisconsin has over 600,000 hunters--so I believe it is factual.   With the President & the Democrats trying to implement gun control, I find this particularly interesting.  Americans take seriously their right to bear arms therefore I believe there will be quite a lot of resistance if someone decides to take those guns away!

AMERICA'S HUNTERS –The Other Side of Gun Control

     Pretty Amazing! - The world's largest army... America 's hunters! I had never thought about this...A blogger added up the deer license sales in just a handful of states and arrived at a striking conclusion:

     There were over 600,000 hunters this season in the state of Wisconsin ..Allow me to restate that number: 600,000. Over the last several months, Wisconsin's hunters became the eighth largest army in the world.

     More men under arms than in Iran … More than France and Germany combined.

     These men deployed to the woods of a single American state, Wisconsin, to hunt with firearms, and no one was killed.

      That number pales in comparison to the 750,000 who hunted the woods of Pennsylvania and Michigan's 700,000 hunters, all of whom have now returned home safely. Toss in a quarter million hunters in West Virginia and it literally establishes the fact that the hunters of those four states alone would comprise the largest army in the world. And then add in the total number of hunters in the other 46 states. It's millions more.

     The point? America will forever be safe from foreign invasion with that kind of home-grown firepower.

     Hunting...it's not just a way to fill the freezer. It's a matter of national security. That's why all enemies, foreign and domestic, want to see us disarmed. Food for thought, when next we consider gun control.

     Overall it's true, so if we disregard some assumptions that hunters don't possess the same skills as soldiers, the question would still remain...What army of 2 million would want to face 30, 40, 50 million armed citizens???

Avoiding the Upper Room? - Connection! (Devotions for Every Day Life)

      I receive a daily email devotional relating to prayer from Harvest Prayer Ministries.  It is an excellent resource for reminding me of the importance of prayer, an encouragement to pray and the need to persevere in prayer.  I am posting today's message in case you're not familiar with this website and their helpful devotionals.
      Prayer is the most important thing we can do for ourselves and for others, and yet it often is one of the last resorts when all else has failed.  I want it to be my first response so I need all the encouragement I can get to keep it forefront in my life.

---

Avoiding the Upper Room? Posted: 07 Jan 2013 10:00 PM PST  I have read the Acts hundreds of times, and portions of it a few thousand times. Here is one of the plainest books in the Bible, yet I often miss or read right past what is very plain. In chapter one I read right past verse 4, in which our risen Lord gives His last and in a real sense, His most powerful, most commanding command. He actually “charged” them, a military term, “not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father” (ASV).       He literally commanded them to go to the Upper Room and to abide in prayer. And they did. In verses 14 and 15 we read that these all, about 120, continued in prayer and supplication.       Why did they do it? Because Jesus commanded it. Our trouble today is that we have not seen the Upper Room prayer meeting as a command of Jesus. We seem to have little authority when it comes to getting our churches into prayer meetings and all that God wants to do there. I have to say to congregations: “If Jesus commanded you to go to prayer meetings, would you go?” “Well, yes,” they reply, “if Jesus told me to, I would go.” “Well, He does tell you, commands you, to go. Will you go?”        The Great Commission is our mission in the Church. We hold to that, and uphold it. And here is the last, most forceful and imperative of all His commandments, and we don’t heed it, often don’t even seem to hear it. This is a great part of our problem and weakness – getting corporate prayer and revival back into our churches (Acts 1:4).        In Acts 1 we have a full account of Jesus’ last day on earth and of His last things, which are now to be our first things. His last command becomes our first responsibility.                –Adapted from The Upper Room: God’s Revival Model by Armin Gesswein.     Lord Jesus, Your command in the book of Acts is so clear, and I have been so negligent about obeying the call to corporate prayer for the sake of the fulfillment of Your Great Commission. I want to be a catalyst for revival in my church, but I can only do that as revival grips my own stubborn heart. May I begin to see Your command as my first responsibility and be faithful to seek you in the company of others! Revive my heart, my family and my church for Your glory and for the purpose of finishing the task You have set before us! Prayer Points      Praise God for his inexhaustible goodness. There is nothing lacking or defective in him. Give thanks for all the pleasure and blessings which flow from God’s goodness. Confess any ingratitude to him. Commit yourself to God-like goodness. Ask that today you may grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18).       Pray that your children will grow up in the training and instruction of the Lord and will learn to walk in his ways (Eph. 6:4). Prayer Pointer “When you go to your knees, God will help you stand up to anything.” —Anonymous –Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend

Rick Joyner: The Great Commission

    This word from Rick Joyner was posted on the Elijah List this morning.  It is a good word!  We must become disciples--not just converts--so that we can do our part in seeing the Great Commission fulfilled. 

Rick Joyner:

The Great Commission Is About To Be Fulfilled

    We are in the times of the beginning of a new epoch for Christianity. True apostolic Christianity is being restored to the earth. This will result in nothing less than the greatest manifestation of Christ on the earth since He Himself walked the earth.

     The last and greatest charge that the Lord gave to His disciples before His ascension was to fulfill "The Great Commission." The single greatest failure of Christianity has been a devotion to making converts instead of making disciples. This has led to superficial Christians and superficial Christianity. This is about to change, and The Great Commission is about to be fulfilled.

     We could easily spend all year exploring the depths of understanding in just the first sentence of The Great Commission, and it would be a year well spent. We will spend the whole year on the entire commission, and we will not come close to exhausting all that is contained in this message.

     There is a spirit of revelation being released that will help us to see the depths of God and His purposes. Along with this, we will see a hunger increasing for knowing Him better and deeper. So our devotion this year to understand The Great Commission with more depth is to seek to walk in it and do our parts to help the Body of Christ fulfill its mandate. Let's begin by reading it:

      And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Matthew 28:18-20

      When the Body of Christ recovers this basic mandate, it will arise and mature into all that it has been called to be. That day is now at hand.

The Great Commission focuses and encompasses our full purpose in Christ. First we must become His disciple. A disciple is a student, but in Biblical times it was much more than just a student. A disciple lived to know their master and to become like their master. A disciple of Christ lives to know Him, to become like Him, and to do the works that He did just as He commanded us. Until we do this, we have not matured as we should. Regardless of how superficial our Christian life has been, this can change now and will for all who seek to walk in their full purpose.

Rick Joyner
MorningStar Ministries
Email: info@morningstarministries.org

My Scriptural Goal for 2013.

       Have you made any resolutions for the coming year?  I am becoming more and more certain that if we would primarily seek the face of God everything else would fall into place.  
      Didn't He tell us that in Matthew 6:31-34?  “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

     I am choosing this passage of scripture as my goal for 2013.  I want my primary desire and goal to be--'to seek the face of God and know His glory.'  

     Wouldn't it be wonderful if the body of Christ made that their corporate goal?  I believe a church that seeks the face of God will be one that knows the glory of God.  As Martyn Lloyd-Jones, who witnessed God’s presence in his congregation in South Wales, stated, “There is no doubt but that 99.9 percent of our troubles as Christians is that we are ignorant of God. We spend so much time in feeling our own pulse, taking our own spiritual temperature, considering our moods, and states and fears. Oh, if we but had some conception of Him, the inconceivable glory of God.”

     I want to know Him in this way, don't you?

Franklin Graham's Comments On The Spiritual State of the USA

     Franklin Graham comments on the spiritual cliff we have been going over as a country--even if we have avoided the financial cliff for a few months.

“Since the recent election, we’ve seen same-sex couples lining up at courthouses in several states to receive their marriage licenses, and hundreds of people gathering in public places to light up marijuana cigarettes in the states where it has just been decriminalized."

“This is only the tip of the iceberg. The moral decline we see on television programs – blatant immorality, senseless violence, media-friendly gay and lesbian behavior – is just a reflection of the moral corruption that has infected our entire nation. These are indeed dark days … but there is hope.

“The Bible says, ‘If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?’ (Psalm 11:3, ESV).

No question our country’s foundations are being destroyed, but I am reminded of an era in the Old Testament where the Lord moved in a dramatic way to bring godly change to a spiritually dark and depraved nation like Judah, whose moral foundations had been seriously eroded.”

“For far too long, as a nation we have neglected – and even rejected – the Word of God and His commands. Yet the Scriptures are mighty, able to penetrate even the most hardened and darkened hearts with convicting, life-giving power,” Graham wrote.

“This is the only cure for a sin-sickened country that is about to slip into a moral abyss, and it is why we must proclaim the Good News.” 

Whatever Happened to Integrity?

    I am posting this because I believe the Dietrich Bonhoeffer quote I posted on Wednesday.  If we don't speak up, all our freedoms are going to be lost to unscrupulous, power hungry political correctness!  But even worse than that--we are sinning against God by our silence!
    I am becoming (already am) irate at the injustices that are not reported by the media, but instead they publish propaganda to convince people that what is happening is true--and good for them!!  What about Benghazi?  The "news" we are given on gun control, global warming, same-sex marriage, and abortion are obvious examples of how the left-leaning media are helping to change the way those who only listen to mainstream media think.
    The information posted below was sent to me in an email recently.  If it doesn't make your blood boil then there really is little hope for America!  This is outrageous and should be investigated--instead of ignored and covered up!
      If Obama won fair & square, so be it, but if he won by deceit and manipulation it should be exposed and he should be impeached!  What is wrong with the Republican leadership?  Why do they not have any backbone to discover lies and injustice and right the wrongs that are exposed?
      I have heard many say there's going to have to be a third political party emerge, made up of those who believe in the Constitution, in morality, in doing what is best for the country and not looking out for their own interests. If the two parties we now have continue to seek their own way and not the collective good of the nation, I pray that happens!  I am ready to join!

From Bill O'Reilly's message board..

Most everyone suspected fraud, but these numbers prove it and our government and media refuse to do anything about it.

As each state reported their final election details, the evidence of voter fraud is astounding. Massive voter fraud has been reported in areas of OH and FL, with PA, WI and VA. All are deploying personnel to investigate election results.

Here are just a few examples of what has surfaced with much more to come.

* In 59 voting districts in the Philadelphia region, Obama received 100% of the votes with not even a single vote recorded for Romney. (a mathematical and statistical impossibility).

* In 21 districts in Wood County Ohio, Obama received 100% of the votes where GOP inspectors were illegally removed from their polling locations - and not one single vote was recorded for Romney. (another statistical impossibility).

* In Wood County Ohio, 106,258 voted in a county with only 98,213 eligible voters.

* In St. Lucie County, FL, there were 175,574 registered eligible voters but 247,713 votes were cast.

* The National SEAL Museum , a polling location in St. Lucie County, FL had a 158% voter turnout.

* Palm Beach County , FL had a 141% voter turnout.

* In Ohio County , Obama won by 108% of the total number of eligible voters.

NOTE: Obama won in every state that did not require a Photo ID and lost in every state that did require a Photo ID in order to vote.

 Imagine that!

Cookbooks

      As you may have read in a post a year or so ago, I decided to publish a cookbook containing my favorite recipes to give to my children & grandchildren for Christmas 2011.  Once I discovered it was much more economical to order several, I decided to order 250 for friends, family, and other interested parties.  Since most of those are gone, my sister asked if I would consider ordering more.  We have decided to place another large order and split it because she & her husband have several people they would like to give them to.
      The cost is the same whether I order extra copies or republish the cookbook, so I decided I would republish it and correct the few typos I found in the first one.  Republishing would also make it possible to add a few recipes I had forgotten.
      I believe the cookbook would be even more interesting and useful if you readers would add some of your great recipes.  If you have any favorites you're willing to share, I would love to have them!   Please send them to me at countrygirl@shalominthewilderness.com in the next week, or two.  (I need to re-submit the entire book before the 1st of February and it takes awhile to get it organized.)  I would consider it a wonderful gift if you desire to participate in this memory I'm making for my family & friends!  Extra copies will be available, if you want one, too.  I will also be posting all the recipes under the Recipes Pages on the blog.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer Quote

      "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act."  German Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945

A Prayer For The New Year

     This is an excerpt from a devotional from the Praying Like Jabez Prayer Calendar by Sylvia Gunter.  See more of her devotionals at The Father's Business.
     The focus of the prayer time in the devotional seems to be just what the Lord has been showing us in so many different ways these past few months.  It is important to seek God's favor--not so we can use it selfishly--but because others will see the difference.  It actually will become an evangelistic tool.  When others see His favor on our lives, it will create a desire in them to have it, too.

. . . God is longing to show us more of himself. CS Lewis wrote in The Weight Of Glory, "...like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." What is the bigger, deeper, wider, higher pd's love that He wants to take you to in 2013? In 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 we read of a man who was not going to be satisfied with anything less than all that God had for him. "Jabez was more honorable than his brothers... Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' And God granted his request." In 2013, may you be extravagantly blessed as God expands your borders through your own heart's cry for more of God. Journal your own Jabez evidences of God at work in your life and write more Jabez prayers in your own words. God delights to hear and answer this prayer.  Prayer 1.  Bless me indeed. You are the Blesser from whose hand every good thing comes.  I want a front-row seat on a life of Your miracles (Mark 16:20). 2.  Enlarge my territory. I boldly ask that You expand Your kingdom through me.  Thrust me into the mainstream of Your plans, way beyond my ability, and accomplish them by the exhaustless energy of Your Holy Spirit and in the freshness of Your holy Word (Acts 1:8). Make my prayer life and my life in Your Spirit match my assignment. 3.  Be with me. I am totally dependent on seeing Your strong hand on everything that touches me. I see before me human impossibilities, which is the realm of incredible blessing in which You specialize (Mat 19:26). 4. Keep evil far from me. Help me stand confidently against the enemy when I have stirred up the hosts of darkness with Kingdom invasion. Keep me relying on the sharp weapons of Your warfare (Eph 6:12-18). Help me give no quarter to the enemy. Free me from ground I have given him. It is said that a bigger love will quench a lesser. With passion for Jesus, quench my pet sins of pride, judgment, anger, and impatience. Spirit of the living God, cleanse me of insensitivity, hardness, indifference, ignorance, and shallowness. 5. God, answer my request. Live in me a life that is totally explainable only that it's You (Isa 65:24). In Jesus' name, amen. Introduction © 2013, by Sylvia Gunter. Day 12 prayer, taken from the 31-day prayer calendar, Praying Like Jabez, © 2001 by Sylvia Gunter.  Available at www.thefathersbusiness.com.

    My blessing and wish for your new year is that a cloud of God's favor would be over you wherever you go and whatever you do!  I pray that others will see that favor and be drawn to Him so that more and more people will know how much God loves them and desires to favor them, which will cause them to come into the kingdom, too!

Keith Miller:

A Time of Release and Favor!

    In the light of the king's face is life, and his favor is like a cloud of the latter rain.Proverbs 16:15

    May the Lord's brilliancy be upon you in a great way, and may you reflect His light – the light that releases the manifold wisdom of God through your life!

A Cloud of Favor

      Ephesians 3:12 says, "In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him."

     In other words, we have been given unlimited access. Let us go boldly before His throne, and let us also be awakened to the fullness of the blessing of living in continuous fellowship with Him who sits on the throne. Let this be an increased time of living under open heavens so that we would reflect His glory! May a cloud of His presence – the presence that is true favor and true riches – release the latter rain upon us for a fresh time of harvest for us and our households.

   • Get ready! Be of good cheer! Celebrate! Your eyes shall see the glory of the Lord.

   • Ask now for the latter rain. Ask now for the harvest!

   • Ask now for the King to grant you favor to possess the Kingdom!

    The Lord wants to use our lives to display His goodness, His grace, and His manifold wisdom. Let's ask the Lord to release a cloud of favor – the favor that releases the latter rain. All we need to do is ask! It is His good pleasure to give to us the Kingdom – to give us favor to walk in the fullness of our inheritance.

A Time of Release

      If you've been going through a narrow place, I decree over your life that it is a time of release for you. As you go through the gates, you will make a powerful transition in the spirit. As you say yes to Him and as you enter through the doors that He opens, you will be prepared for the courses to be laid for the many to come. Your breakthrough today will become breakthrough for many in the future. This is what the prophet Joel wrote about:

     Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you – The former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. Joel 2:23-24

    • Be glad! Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice! Rejoice in the Lord your God.

    • Release a great shout of praise right now! Rejoice in the Lord.

    • Shout with shouts of joy! Shout with shouts of victory! Shout with shouts of exuberance!

    • Celebrate in the light of the King's face! The light of the King's face is life!

    We have unlimited access!

    We are about to see the demonstration of the revelation of this. Yes, we will experience the reality of living, functioning, and ministering under the fullness of our inheritance of an open heaven in our lives.

     To this end, I pray the Lord releases to you the latter rain to bring a harvest, new wine, and fresh oil for you, and your household for 2013!

     Thank You, wonderful Jesus, for the fresh rain of Your presence. Release it upon all who read this. Thank You for the privilege of coming with great boldness and confidence before You and beholding You! We behold the light of the King's face – the light that releases life and a cloud of favor that releases the latter rain. Thank You, Lord, for releasing the Harvest Rain. In Jesus's mighty name, amen.

Richest blessings to you,

Keith Miller and Janet Miller
Stand Firm World Ministries
Email: info@sfwm.org