Nation's eyes on state after Prop. 8 ruling
Please visit my prayer blog:
http://occupyingforjusticeandfreedom.vox.com/library/post/day-83-it-just-got-bigger.html
I was seeking something to sing to my beautiful new granddaughter...and The Impossible Dream is what came to mind. I haven't thought about that song for a long time.
But wow...it isn't all that old. It was written in 1965 by Mitch Leigh/Joe Darion for the musical Man of LaMancha and was quite a popular song.
The Impossible Dream
To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far
To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into hell
For a heavenly cause
And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star
Rather than double-post, please click below to visit my prayer blog.
2009 Prayer for Our Nation
Father in Heaven,
We lift our eyes toward Your Throne, where You reign in righteousness.
Your Word assures us that when Your people cry out in sincerity and humility, You will never turn a deaf ear to us.
We call upon You now, seeking Your forgiveness and favor.
Look over this fevered landscape and heal us, Lord.
Drop knees to the floor and raise eyes to the sky, for we know where our help comes from.
Unite these States again in devotion to You, and blur every dividing line.
Do not give us over to our sins. Give us, instead, over to passionate prayer that moves Your heart.
“May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You.”
In the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
Amen
Today, Thursday May 7, is the 2009 National Day of Prayer. The theme this year is "Prayer... America's Hope" and is based on the verse from Psalm 33:22 which states: "May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you." I attempted to send a video with this email, which briefly explains this year's theme; and at the bottom of this email is the 2009 Prayer for the Nation.
I
do encourage that if you're able to get to a local event, please do.
Many towns hold observances at their city/town hall. These local
observances are imperative to our freedom to assemble.
Here is a link from NDP's official website to "Find an Event" near you.
If you're not able to get out to a local event, then I welcome you to join me live online through Yahoo! Messenger. There will be a conference room open from 1pm through 7pm, where we will pray in agreement for our nation and its leaders. As time allows and the Lord directs in being sober and vigilant, there will also be sermons from David Wilkerson's website, World Challenge Inc., and messages from the recent revival conference in Wales.
For your information, here is a link to an article from 2004 regarding Obama's faith. As you may know, NDP is not being observed at the White House for the first time in (I believe) 8 years; Obama is opting to issue a proclamation and observe privately.
Also for your
information are two links, both covering the history of NDP:
The History of National Day of Prayer - from NDP official website
History of the NDP - from ReligiousTolerance.org (this is more extensive)
Please feel free to join me on Yahoo! Messenger anytime between 1-7pm. IM me for an invite; my Yahoo! ID is "angeljoymom". Following the observance at 8pm, you are welcome to join us for fellowship and prayer at Church of the Living God (small plugin required, user name = your first name, password = VIRTUE).
God bless you!
Mark 14:25
The Lord is showing me how it may appear that Days 57-58 were specifically focused on Uganda. That was not the intention.
Uganda is distant to us. True famine is distant to most of us...it's not in our backyard. Not only that, but we can see in Old Testament days that famine was something sent by God for a purpose...and it was temporary...seen to have relief.
The intention of Days 57-58 was to get in touch with God's heart through prayer...to let go of our worldview...get past ourselves, our worries and concerns so that we can, through prayer, see some of what God sees. Then I asked the Lord, "OK...my heart is burdened now...what can I do?"
Granted, the majority of us don't live near Uganda, Kenya, Africa, India, or anyplace where famine is a way of life. Granted, the Lord appoints some to be leaders...some servants...some of us are richer, some poorer. Some of us are born into affluent countries and others into impoverished; but how does that fact absolve us? Does God have His own caste system? Or are we to take our abundance and give it to those impoverished?
In Mark 14:7, Jesus said, "For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good:
but me ye have not always." And in John 10:10, Jesus said, "The thief
cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come
that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
In the Greek, John 10:10's "life" is life/lifetime; and "abundantly" is beyond, superabundant (in quantity) or superior
(in quality). Why does the combination of these two verses add up to a
prosperity doctrine? In the midst of a trial or suffering, how often
do we say "I don't know what I'd do without Jesus; how does the world
make it without turning to Him?" Doesn't the mere presence of Jesus
automatically make our lives superabundant or superior? a little easier
to live?
While famines in the Old Testament were temporary, how long now have we been seeing famines in our lifetime? I'm thinking of a song called "If We Are the Body"...why aren't these arms reaching? The atheist looks at the impoverished and says "If one exists, where is their God?" Then the atheist looks at us Christians crying "Bless me, Lord!" and laughs while we try to be a witness and testimony of the One True God and Father of All Creation. I don't like thinking this way, but do they witness hypocrisy? Do they have grounds with which to question?
So...what can we do?
1) We can start by taking our eyes (and hearts) off of everything and everyone except Christ and what/who He approves.
2) We can put off the old man and, praying Proverbs 30:8, trade our
heart for one renewed with what God loves. Proverbs 30:8 says "Remove
far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed
me with food convenient for me."
3) We can take a stand against doctrine that promotes prosperity at the
expense of poverty. Does 'poor' have to be equivalent to
'impoverished'? Let's ask God to help us become sober and vigilant.
When Peter was in jail and in chains, people prayed for
hours...FERVENTLY...for his release. No one went to the jail. Can we
pray for hours on end...fervently...asking God to bring an end to
the famines (on earth as it is in heaven) or even provide the means and
mobilize us to relieve those who are suffering?
Soberness and vigilance...perhaps Jesus isn't necessarily having a party while He prepares our place in heaven...but is "fasting". Mark 14:25 says "Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Below is from a beautiful site called Reflections Online.
Link: http://www.reflections-online.net/en/bible_verses_reflections_10.php
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Reflections on Bible verses
Galatians 5:22-23a
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
The Choice
The sky is still black. The world is still asleep.
The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive.
It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun.
The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day.
The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race.
The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made
and deadlines to be met.
For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands.
It is now that I must make a choice.
Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose.
And so I choose.
I choose love ...
No occasion justifies hatred;
No injustice warrants bitterness.
I choose love.
Today I will love God and what God loves.
I choose joy ...
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance.
I will refuse the temptation to be cynical ... the tool of the lazy thinker.
I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God.
I will refuse to see any problems anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I choose peace ...
I will live forgiven.
I will forgive so that I may live.
I choose patience ...
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world.
Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so.
Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray.
Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I choose kindness ...
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone.
Kind to the rich, for they are afraid.
And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I choose goodness ...
I will go without before I take dishonest gain.
I will be overlooked before I will boast.
I will confess before I will accuse.
I choose goodness.
I choose faithfulness ...
Today I will keep my promises.
My debtors will not regret their trust.
My associates will not question my word.
My wife will not question my love.
And my children will never fear that father will not come home.
I choose gentleness ...
Nothing is won by force.
I choose to be gentle.
If I raise my voice may it be only in praise.
If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I choose self-control ...
I am a spiritual being.
After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.
I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal.
I choose self-control.
I will be drunk only by joy.
I will be impassioned only by my faith.
I will be influenced only by God.
I will be taught only by Christ.
I choose self-control.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-control.
To these I commit my day.
If I succeed, I will give thanks.
If I fail, I will seek His grace.
And then, when this day is done,
I will place my head on my pillow and rest.
Max Lucado
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever might believe on him would not perish,
but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world through Him might be saved.
John 3:16-17
Mercy
Faith
I love You
I trust You
and
I will follow You
(Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.~ Psalm 37:3-5)
Sign of the times?
As I was stumbling through my StumbleUpon today, this picture appeared. It struck me at 2 levels, of course: natural and spiritual.
In the natural, it reminded me of all the political activity. Between the large stimulus package and HR 1388, and now the Internet Security bill giving the president control over Internet activity...it's enough to make our heads spin (and that's putting it mildly). There is so much in the works that should be given opportunity for fair debate; but that won't happen. Everyday there is something more on the roster to look at. And it's all like that sign: sharp edges preventing handling, an overpowering message portraying fear and calamity, out-of-touch with the reality of the issue, which happens to be in fine print...how convenient.
In the spiritual, I'm reminded of several things.
One is all the activity that works to occupy us and keep our attention
away from our reality; albeit in the sign, the reality is a warning ~
but in the spiritual, our reality is our ultimate destiny.
Another
reminder is false teaching that steals our attention while the truth is
narrow (represented by the fine print). Such teachings are broadly
capturing the Bride's undivided attention...it is "touchy", in that it
refuses to be rebuked/corrected and doesn't care if it harms the hands
of those who attempt to remove it...and the ultimate destination of
those not seeing the fine print/truth is fatal.
I mentioned to my daughter that I have no pictures of Adel (my newest grandbaby) and no current pictures of our family...PERIOD!
She apologized, saying it takes a long time to upload on the computer from their camera. She also mentioned her MySpace, which I had forgotten about.
So, here are some things from her MySpace:
I did say "things"...plural...didn't I?
Looks like I have to wait.
My Groups
-
Protestant Reformation History & Current Reformation Living Updated: Yesterday
-
Intentional Misinformation In News Updated: Yesterday
-
Rage & Violence Against Conservatives Updated: Yesterday
Neighborhood
Explore friends, family, friends & family, or entire neighborhood.
Links
40 Days Prayer & Fasting ~ ...
We are a small group meeting nightly online to pray for t...
Recent Comments
-
Lexann said:
II Chron. 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my... read more
on 2009 National Day of Prayer -
-
-
Amen, Lexann! read more
on 2009 National Day of Prayer