PRAYERS

Welcome to this site. My prayer is that you take a look at the site and as you do, let the Holy Spirit speak to your heart and reveal what God wants you to discover. (in Jesus' name)

God tells us that if we see a brother (or sister) in need we should do that which is within our means to help. Prayer is always within our means but we never know what doors Father may open through them. Should you desire prayer for anything (healing, direction, etc.) or if you want supportive prayer along with your own please feel free to e-mail that request to sharbu3@gmail.com and be assured that there are others who will be praying with or for you.


In this blog, I share what the Lord shares with me. I reference scripture a lot in support of what is being said. I realize that what is in each entry is NOT a complete 'word' (discussion) on what is being said, but is rather enough information to stimulate our spirits to dig deeper (remember the Bereans Acts 17:10-11) thereby gaining a fuller understanding for ourselves.

At the end of each post are the options to share, forward or make a comment. Click 'comment' to respond. Let us know if you like, don't like or are helped by what you read. Comments can be made or read by anyone. All you have to do is select the "comment" at he end of the entry.

Saturday, April 23, 2022

 



4-23-2022 Bless My Heart, O' Lord 

Doing something a little different this time.

Two weeks ago we did “My Lord, my God!”, an indication as to just how deep is our relationship with the creator of all things.  We started with when the apostle Thomas realized that Jesus really IS the resurrection, then how do we get to that point and what does God (the Father) expect from us. 

Today, I want to share some songs that Father has me singing along with and which always lift my spirits, especially if I’m feeling a bit down.  The five songs are by known Christian artists and which I believe carry God’s anointing.  That means, as I sing along with them, I can feel the presence of my Lord.  And I mean physically!  I can’t really describe the overall feeling I have because it is, literally, all over my body, but I can tell you that I get weak-kneed and, for a while, my legs don’t want to operate so well, sort of like cooked spaghetti.  Even though my legs aren’t numb, I feel like Elvis and his shaky leg!  No, this doesn’t last forever, sometimes a few minutes, sometimes maybe an hour or so.  And, as I implied, my body ‘tingles’ all over.

I think you’ll be blessed by listening to all the songs and, and as I do, sing along with them to get a greater impact.  Now, I don’t mean ‘just lip sync, but actually sing along with all your heart.  Father doesn’t care what we sound like.  He blesses the effort. (amen?)

My payer is that you be blessed and enjoy these songs as much as I.

I give a brief intro (in writing) so as to set the stage (a little bit) for each song.

The 1st  is “He’s a Chain Breaker” as recorded by Zach Williams released in 2016.

How many of us make poor decisions and get bound up by things that just aren’t good for us?  Father will give us victory – break our chains - and when He does we should go tell people.  “If we believe it.  If we receive it. If we can feel it.  Somebody testify!” 

 


2nd is ”Break Every Chain”  as recorded by Tasha Cobbs Leonard released in 2013.  Now, she has more than one version of this song but this is the one I like best.

I love this song.  Not only does it encourage that we have power in the name of Jesus, but it also prophecies!  In verse two an army rises up.  We have just entered a seven year period of Holy Ghost explosion!  Father is raising up watchmen and regular people to do His work as Jesus did.  Jesus told His disciples that, because He returns to the Father, we would do the works that He did and greater (John 14:12)!  The church will be shaken and many people will come to realize their true relationship with the Lord! 


 

3rd is “Holy Water (the church session)” as recorded by We the Kingdom featuring Tasha Cobbs Leonard released in 2020.  Note that We the Kingdom originally released this song in 2019, then Tasha Cobbs Leonard joined them for this version the following year.

Holy Water is what got me going on these five songs.  As I sang along with the lyric video and started learning this song, Father then added the first two and then the fourth and said “Learn them and know them!”  In my prayer sessions, I sing these four songs almost daily.  I feel this song is truly anointed, but to truly feel the anointing we need to sing along with it.  However, Father has also told me to do something when I sing this song.  So when I sing the first line that has “Like Holy Water on my skin” Father told me to anoint myself with oil.  I have a bottle with a mixture of exta-virgin olive oil, frankincense and myrrh.  As “Holy Water” is being sung, I anoint my forehead forming a cross, then when “on my skin” is being sung, I touch my forehead again.  If you have ever been under the influence of the Holy Ghost, you know what could happen.  I (at least) get all ‘fuzzy’ feeling take a couple of steps backward (but I don’t fall down).  As James Brown said on one of His songs “I feel good!”  Enjoy!

 


4th is “You Know My Name” Also recorded by Tasha Cobbs Leonard released in 2018.

Come to the understanding that Father knows each one of us – personally!  By name!  This song encourages the relationship He desires with each one of us.  It works for me!


 

The 5th is “Amazing Grace” sung in Cherokee by Walela and released in 2015.  Now there are multiple versions released on this song between 2008 and 2016 and the versions I have looked at all have the same song but a different slide show in the videos.  This is the first version I watched and it was released in 2015.

I don’t sing along with this song because the video has no “on screen” lyrics and it is sung in the Cherokee language.  What I do is listen to the song for it is sung beautifully, softly and the musical accompaniment sets a very relaxing atmosphere. I sit down, sit back and use this song to relax from the first four and just bask in God’s love.




Extra added attraction!

Father had given me this song some time ago and has ha me singing it at home for a while.  The intro lays the foundation for the song.

Mary, her sister Martha and their brother Lazarus lived in the little town of Bethany, about two miles outside Jerusalem, up on the hillside of the Mt. of Olives.  They knew Jesus.  Lazarus became ill.  They sent for Jesus.  Lazarus died.  Four days later, when Jesus did come into Bethany, Martha went out to meet Him and said "Master, had you been here my brother would not have died."  Jesus replied "He shall live again."  Martha then said "Yes, Lord, I know.  In the resurrection on the last day."  (suddenly, I hear the birds stop their singing from the trees, Maybe the breeze quits gently brushing across our face. Maybe Jesus puts his hands on his hips as he leans slightly towards Martha.  But He does say "I AM the RESURRECTION! ..."  

Jesus is our hope and promise for eternal fellowship with the Father, through Him.  He is our source of life!  Now, Jesus promises us, in he gospel of John, that we can do all the works he had been doing and greater.  All we have to do is ask the Father in Jesus' name (John 14:12-13).  Even as he walked with his disciples, he gave them power (authority) over sickness and to cast out devils.  Not only to the apostles, but to 70 of his disciples (Matt. chptr 10, Luke chptr 10).Just before he ascended back into heaven, Jesus told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Holy Ghost who would then give them power (Acts 1:8) and to be witnesses unto the ends of the earth.  Power to give us strength to live this life for Him and power to do the works He did.  

We all grow in God's grace, but as we come to understand exactly what He has given us to work with ...whoa!  

And thinking on this is what prompted this song.  Again, may the Lord bless all who bring to heart what these six songs are all about.  






         

Saturday, April 9, 2022

 

4-9-2022    My Lord, my God!

            

 John 20:26-31

Eight days after the resurrection, the disciples were again gathered together, this time Thomas was with them.  The doors were shut, then Jesus, standing in their midst, said “Peace be to you.”  Then He said to Thomas “Reach here with your finger and behold my hands and don’t be afraid to put your hand into my side.  Don’t be faithless, but believing.”

Then Thomas said to Him “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus said “Thomas, because you have seen me and believed, yet blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

Truly, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples which aren’t written in this book.  But the things that are written are so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that you might have life through His name (John 30:30-31, John 31:25).

What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus?  To be a Christian?  All who have believed on Jesus since His ascension back into heaven, because we have heard the word His disciples have left for us, WE ARE the who ‘will yet believe’ in verse 31!  No mortal (on earth) has seen Jesus (physically) since the ascension, but, as we walk with our Lord, we can surely ‘experience’ Him.  

He promises us the Holy Ghost to give us the power - to live this life, do the works He has called us to - and enables us to share the gospel with those around us (Acts:1:8).  Then the Holy Ghost, as evidenced as in Acts chapter two, is given us to assure that Jesus is coming back for us.  Why else would He give us a ‘downpayment’ for our eternity?

The Holy Ghost is not just with us, but ‘in’ us (John 14:17).  Jesus was the presence of the Holy Ghost walking ‘with’ the disciples, but after the ascension, the Holy Ghost takes up residence ‘within’ the heart of each believer!  Understand that the Holy Ghost was not “in” the disciples 2000 years ago but (again) was ‘with’ them in the form of Jesus (John 7:39).

Our walk as a Christian today is to be continually growing closer to our heavenly Father through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Jesus IS the Word of God (John 1:1).  The disciples handed down written copies of some of the Word Jesus gave to them as He walked and talked with them.  As John says in this passage, Jesus told the disciples a whole lot more (John 21:25), but John has shared enough with us so we can come into Jesus’ fold, the kingdom of God.  Because Jesus is the Word, because the ‘written Word’ reflects Jesus, we study the word so our mind and heart, may be renewed (Rom. 12:2) - daily.

To get its full impact, we study the Word prayerfully.  We ask God to open our eyes, our heart and our mind that He might show us what we need to learn as we read a (any) passage, then we sit quietly and listen for the Holy Ghost to teach us what Father wants us to pull from that passage, at that time.  Believe me, every time we read a passage, Father will show us something a little deeper and that deeper draws us (yet) a little closer to God. 

As we draw closer to our Lord, we find our relationship with Him growing stronger and in that stronger relationship we discover how true the words of Thomas are “My Lord, my God!”

MY LORD, MY GOD, implies that we are giving our all to Jesus.  Not only do I receive the promise of eternal life that He promises us (John 3:16) but He gives us the power to live this life for Him, in this world, (Acts 1:8) by taking up residence in our heart. 

Father enables us to say and do all that we do (or need to do) through Jesus living in us in the presence of the Holy Ghost, in our heart.  What do you think makes it possible when He says “I will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5)?

We have just entered a seven year period of “Spiritual Explosion”!  The Holy Ghost will manifest Himself as never before.  Jesus told the disciples that they (and we) would do the works that He did and greater because He goes to the Father (John 14:12).  And Father has been preparing His church, His body for this time (7 seasons, 700 years).  Building us to the point where we are ready to receive a fresh, a new outpouring of the Holy Ghost.  We are in the latter times spoken of by Joel (Joel 2:28-29). 

As the Apostles and disciples went out in Jesus’ name and did works and miracles, we will see a resurgence of this in the coming years as Father solidifies His body (His church), securing the elect.  The elect?  Those who truly believe and live for Jesus in this world.  Those who ‘hear’ AND ‘do’ the Word and will of the Father (Matt. 7:21-23).  That is those who have developed a real (working) relationship with our Lord.  Those who not only understand the ‘statutes that Father has passed on to us (the 10 Commandments & the Law) but have discovered that they are a basic description of God’s true love and that relationship which comes with it.  The elect are those who have learned to ‘abide’ (live) in God’s love!

Like the things that Jesus did?  Yes!  Just as Peter and John who allowed God to use them to heal the lame man at the Beautiful Gate at the temple, through their obedience (Acts 3:1-9).  Read on, in this passage, for Peter used this event to remind the people what they had done to Jesus and what He did for them (and us) and that it wasn’t Peter or John who healed the man but faith in Christ that set the man free (Acts 3:16).  Compare with Jesus healing the man with palsy (Matt. 9:1-8).

The things that Jesus did?  Like when Ananias prayed for Saul (Paul) and his sight (Saul’s) returned to him (Acts 9:10-18).  Compare with Jesus and the blind man (Mark 8:22-25). 

The things that Jesus did?  Or as Paul cast the ‘divining’ spirt out of the damsel (Acts 16:16-18).  Compare with Jesus and the ‘wild man’ of the Gadarenes (Luke 8:26-33).

We know that the apostles did many works after Jesus ascended and take note that they (the church) were of one accord (Acts 5:12).  Where two or more agree, Father will do it (Acts 18:19) and where two or three (at least) are gathered, Jesus is in our midst (Acts 18:20).

Understand, we won’t be seeing just ‘renowned’ men of God doing these works, but average guys and gals, like Stephen (Acts 6:3-8) or you and me, working the wonders and miracles of God.  Keep in mind Peter’s words “this happened because of faith in God”!  Take note that Peter channeled the miracle back to Father through Jesus.  Jesus tells the disciples that whatsoever you do, “ask in My name the Father will do it so that He is glorified in the Son” (John 14:13).  So we realize that we don’t do anything on our own accord, but these things happen because Father is working through us to accomplish His will.

If you look around, you can see that Father is already working (Africa, India) but the impact will go global. 

Remember, some seed fell by the wayside, some on stony ground, some among the thorns and some did fall on good ground (Matt. 13:3-23).  Not every soul who hears the Word of God will receive it or even retain it, yet some will thrive and grow!  This blog has peaked an interest, which already, is rising in Germany, Russia, Israel, Indonesia, Turkey and Hong Kong as well as the U.S.    These are the blog’s biggest audiences. 

Unfortunately not every soul will give their heart to Jesus (God’s desire that ‘none’ should perish, 2 Peter 3:9), but every inhabited continent will experience this explosion and Father will have His number of those who will come into His kingdom (1 Kings 19:18, Rom 11:1-5).

Remember that Jesus preached first to the Jews in the synagogue, then the Jews and the Gentiles out on the hillsides.  He ministered (healed) to the Jews first but didn’t neglect the Gentiles; remember the crumbs and the woman at the table (Matt. 16:21-28).  Jesus sent the apostles to the Jews (Rom. 1:16) then He sent Paul to the Gentiles (Acts 9:13-16).  

Father intends to get His own house (His body) in order (2 Kings 20:1-6) so we can minister to the people in and beyond the church as they come into God’s kingdom.  In other words “Wake up church!” there’s work to do.

As this explosion bursts forth, how many will come to the same conclusion as Thomas?  Will we turn to Jesus and say “My Lord!  My God!”

Amen