You are my Strong Tower!

In remembering Sept. 11 and the events of that day 8 years ago when the Trade Center towers were attacked and came down, my thoughts also turn to a tower and a structure that will NEVER fall or collapse...the name of the Lord, and His Kingdom.

The name of the Lord is a STRONG TOWER; the righteous run to it and are safe. (Prov. 18:10)

LORD










...any religious force and weapon that comes against Him and His Kingdom will not prevail!
He is everlasting and the walls of salvation enduring, that cannot be destroyed.

Let the walls of religious intolerance and prejudice come crumbling down and the glory of God's Kingdom shine forth through us.

A song called Strong Tower, by a band named Kutless came to my mind.
If you would like to see Kutless singing this song, the link is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NawddLbdqLA

Also found this one that I was able to embed, a good live video of the song

Strong Tower

Trust God. He delights in you.

Trust God!

He's your Father and delights in You.

Trust the Lord with your finances-with the whole concept of your prosperity.

Trust God with your health. He has the power and the knowledge to fix whatever is wrong with it.

Trust God with your relationships. He is the source of all favor.

Trust God with your emotional needs. He knows what you need better than you do.

Trust God with this day and don't fear anything in it or any person that you encounter during it.

Trust God with the fulfillment of your destiny. Do not walk in fear, worry or anxiety of any kind (the Lord perfects that which concerns you!)
---
(some of the above taken from A Year In The Now, Bishop Jim Swilley)

now a praise dance video of I Trust You.



Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, lean not to your own understanding,
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your steps.

Washed by the Water

"I want to see!"





I heard a word this week that came from out of John 9 that got me thinking several things about being "washed by the water"...also included here a song video I like by the same title, a lot of passion sung behind it.

I want to write more later tonight but for now enjoy what's here, and you can comment.
-----
John 9:
v.1,2 -As He was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth.
His disciples questioned Him: "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

v.3-5 -"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," Jesus answered. "This came about so that God's works might be displayed in him.
We must do the works of Him who sent Me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work.
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

v.6,7 -After He said these things He spit on the ground, made some mud from the saliva, and spread the mud on his eyes.
"Go," He told him, "wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means "Sent"). So he left, washed, and came back seeing.



Your thoughts?
...now the song "Washed by the Water"

Unity in Diversity

1 How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down on the collar of his robe.
3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
Psalms 133, (Today's New International Version)

This past weekend another independent church congregation came and worshipped with ours. The unity in the worship and the diversity represented was absolutely beautiful! Two pastors spoke, choirs combined, and the congregations embraced and welcomed one another. Songs and praises were loud as many shouted unto God and we could see the wonderful working of a God thing. Great unity in the faith and the joy of the Spirit in the house.
It will continue for at least another 3 weeks.

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14


A few quotes to consider; which are your favorite?
"United we stand, divided we fall."-- Aesop (620 -560 B.C.)

We have the ability to achieve, if we master the necessary goodwill, a common global society blessed with a shared culture of peace that is nourished by the ethnic, national and local diversities that enrich our lives.-- Mahnaz Afkhami

cultural differences should not separate us from each other, but rather cultural diversity brings a collective strength that can benefit all of humanity.-- Robert Alan

"Peace requires everyone to be in the circle – wholeness, inclusion." -- Isabel Allende




"We may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race." -- Kofi Annan

"There are no nations! There is only humanity. And if we don't come to understand that right soon, there will be no nations, because there will be no humanity." -- Isaac Asimov


It is thus tolerance that is the source of peace, and intolerance that is the source of disorder and squabbling. -- Pierre Bayle

We are of course a nation of differences. Those differences don’t make us weak. They’re the source of our strength.-- Jimmy Carter

"We live now in a global village and we are in one single family. It’s our responsibility to bring friendship and love from all different places around the world and to live together in peace." -- Jackie Chan

Let us have but one end in view, the welfare of humanity; and let us put aside all selfishness in consideration of language, nationality, or religion. -- John Comenius, 17th century philosopher

Internal peace is an essential first step to achieving peace in the world. How do you cultivate it? It's very simple. In the first place by realizing clearly that all mankind is one, that human beings in every country are members of one and the same family.- The Dalai Lama

The wise man belongs to all countries, for the home of a great soul is the whole world -- Democritus

"I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort where we overlap.”-- Ani DiFranco

"Human diversity makes tolerance more than a virtue; it makes it a requirement for survival." ~ René Dubos

"My country is the world; my countrymen are mankind."-- William Lloyd Garrison

Peace is not unity in similarity but unity in diversity, in the comparison and conciliation of differences -- Mikhail Gorbachev

...to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. -Ephesians 4:12,13

From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.
Ephesian 4:16

TRUE RICHES

Yesterday as I was walking through the garage I began thinking of some things very pressing and stressing about my financial situation and I sent up a prayer for God to enable me and enrich me on every level in every dimension, including the financial one.

I was in one of our bedrooms just 5 minutes later and on the bed a page of a devotional that I had torn out for the previous day's reading to carry with me, now read on it's opposite side the title for the day..."TRUE RICHES!"

What a word and confirmation for me, but I wanted to share it with you. Here it is;

TRUE RICHES!
"Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [ including greed, avarice, lust and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you a have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax my hold on you). [ Assuredly not!]" (Hebrews 13:5 – AMP)

Today I will live in the now! I will live in the now because I am absolutely confident that God will never leave me, nor forsake me. If my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up because He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Even if I make my bed in Sheol (the unseen realm), He will come and find me!

Today I will be satisfied with solely seeking spiritual success, seeing myself safely and securely standing on the solid soil of soul salvation! In other words, as I seek the Kingdom first, everything that I need will be added to me, and I will prosper as my soul prospers! The most important thing is knowing that I am in Christ — for what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and then lose his own soul?

Today I will serve God, and not mammon (money), for no one can serve two masters – he will love the one, and hate the other. But part of refusing to serve mammon is acknowledging that I do not have to ask mammon's permission to do anything! I never have to say, "I can't do this — or go there — or buy that, because 'I can't afford it.'" Money doesn't dictate or define the parameters of my life. Instead, I will say, "If the Lord wills, I will do whatever — or go wherever — or buy whatever." And my God shall supply all of my need, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus!

Today I will remember that I am bought with a price! I'm in! I'm connected! I have a covenant! I have a relationship! I am a son of the God Who owns the cattle of a thousand hills, an heir of the God Who gives me all things that pertain unto life and godliness, richly to enjoy ("He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" Romans 8:32), and a joint-heir with the Christ who willingly and voluntarily shed His own blood for me! No one can pluck me from God's hand!

Today I will feel like a million bucks!

Today I will have a prosperous mentality!

Today I will enjoy being in Christ, and today I will live in the now!

Father, help me to realize how rich I am today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

(taken from A Year In The Now, by Bishop Jim Swilley, - highlights in italics I stressed)

My son Zachary starts his new school next Monday and my wife Natasha is going to pre-planning sessions this week. There is a bit of confusion over some things there so if I could solicit your agreement that God would bring order and clarity over things there with Natasha's Latin and Spanish classes that would be great!..as well as favor...thanks.

May you see God's enabling and richness in your life today.-Love, Karl

Be Made One!

I wanted to touch a little bit on ONENESS, especially when Jesus spoke of us in His prayer to the Father, about us all being made one.
(update: Mon. Aug. 24...You have got to read the full comment that Dan Storie wrote on this here...it really says a lot of what has been on my heart about the subject and is excellent reading...you WILL be blessed!)

I feel like prefacing this, though, with this verse from John 10:16 which says:
But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be ONE FLOCK, ONE SHEPHERD.

You and I as believers come in on verse 20 of John chapter 17:

v20-I pray not only for these, but also for THOSE who believe in Me through their message.

v21-May they all be ONE, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You. May they also be ONE in Us, so the world may believe You sent Me.

v22-I have given them the glory You have given Me. May they be ONE as WE are one.

v23-I am in them and You are in Me. May they be made COMPLETELY ONE, so the world may know You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.

This is just part of the prayer but I wanted to focus on this awesome oneness.

I truly believe that if we as believers in Christ would embrace those things that unite us, a lot more of the world will believe, just as He mentioned above, that the Father sent Him. Jesus equates this being made one with "so the world may believe You sent Me."...and mentions it twice within four verses, AND in just three verses he says "be made one" FOUR times!

Verse 22 says "I HAVE GIVEN THEM THE GLORY YOU HAVE GIVEN ME"...wow!...the GLORY? That's what I read.
The more we work and operate and love TOGETHER, THEN the world will see more of His glory that is in us as a body, as ONE, and believe that the Father sent Jesus.

His desire, will, and intention is that ALL THE WORLD might have a change of heart and mind(repentance), and believe that Jesus is the One sent by the Father.

I'm trying to get my head around some of this because it is so deep, profound and wonderful.
I mean, "being one AS GOD IS ONE"(v22)
or
"You have loved them AS YOU HAVE LOVED ME"(v23)

Wow, Father, You love us as You love Your Son?...hear the thanks and praise from our hearts when we can't find the words.

Jesus Messiah. It's dark for a few seconds but it will begin. Enjoy worshiping!

Declared Righteous!

He BECAME(was made) sin who knew no sin that we might BECOME(be made) His righteousness.

...but believes on Him who declares RIGHTEOUS the UNGODLY, his faith is credited for RIGHTEOUSNESS. Romans 4:5

...so then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, SO ALSO through ONE RIGHTEOUS ACT there is life-giving justification for EVERYONE!.-Romans 5:18

A lot of talk this week that I've heard has focused on "it is well".
I found this nice video with a little history on the author/song of this well known hymn.


Last week's message at worship was "it is well, I am strong, It is finished!"

...and so I say, because the Spirit of God Who dwells in you is strong...you are strong...you are well.