CHARISMATICA

(Wigglesworth via Wikipedia)

Received from Charisma Online-

Another great  message by Smith Wigglesworth to start off the week by:

Do you hear the ringing of the prayer bells? The Father is waiting in the prayer tower of your soul, waiting and longing to have a talk with you. He wants you to know Him as intimately as the Old Testament prophets knew Him. You can confidently enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus. (See Hebrews 10:19.) He is the way to the Father.
Moses, an Old Testament prophet, knew God, and he knew the ways of God. He was not afraid to reveal his disappointments, frustrations, anger, and fears to the God in whose presence he dwelled. David, who wrote many of the psalms, expressed his innermost thoughts to Jehovah God even while declaring his trust in Him. In Lamentations 3:17, the prophet Jeremiah expressed his true feelings of despair. This opened the door for him to receive hope and confidence.

You can talk openly with God—your wonderful Counselor, your Prince of Peace—about anything. Tell Him your innermost thoughts. Describe your fondest dreams. Expose your true feelings, desires, wants, and needs. Express your love and gratitude to Him with thanksgiving. It may be possible to hide your true feelings from others or even from yourself, but it is impossible to hide your feelings from God.

Often feelings are a barometer, alerting us to a need for change in our thought life and attitudes. Unfortunately, we sometimes misuse the Scriptures as a cover-up for a feeling we perceive as wrong instead of acknowledging the feeling and expecting answers from the Lord to determine the cause and the remedy. God is concerned about everything that concerns you (Ps. 138:8). Ask Him for what you believe you need. Allow Him the time to speak to you and to show you your real need.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:
But as for me, I will come into your Temple protected by your mercy and your love; I will worship you with deepest awe.—Psalm 5:7, tlb

TODAY’S PRAYER:
Lord, You are my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in You, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy, and I will give thanks to You. Thank You for arming me with strength and making my way perfect. In the name of Jesus, I can face challenges with wisdom, understanding, intelligence, and supernatural ability because Your Word dwells in me richly. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.            *Top 

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Here are the 10 Top blog Posts for 2008:

Barack Obama a Fulfillment of Muslim Prophecy?

Heretical Charismatic Pastor Loses Church

TheCall–A Prophetic Cry for Revival

Mozambique: Latest from Heidi Baker and Iris Ministries

Revival in a Kansas City Church?

Was The Apostle Paul a Spy?

Kansas City Revival Continues…

Prayers for the President Elect

One More Look at Lakeland?

Healing Testimonies for November            *Top

(-Picture via Wikipedia)

Received from Charisma Online-

Another great  message by Smith Wigglesworth to start off the week by:

Oh that GOD shall give us an earnest, intent position where flesh and blood have to yield! We will go forward. We will not be moved by our feelings.

The man is prayed for tonight and gets a blessing, but tomorrow, because he does not feel exactly as he thinks he ought to feel, begins murmuring. So, he exchanges the Word of God for his feelings.

Let Christ have His perfect work. You must cease to be. That is a difficult thing for you and me. But it is not trouble at all when you are in the hands of the Potter. You are only wrong when you are kicking. You are all right when you are still and He is forming you afresh. So let Him form you afresh today and make of you a vessel that will stand the stress.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

When ye received the word of God . . . ye received it . . . as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

TODAY’S PRAYER:
Word of God, take priority over my feelings that I must trust only Thy truth. Amen.

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(-Cover of The Purpose of Christmas)

Pastor Rick Warren has been in the news lately as Barrack Obama’s controversial choice to say a prayer at the inaugural.

Here’s an excellent article written by Warren on the real meaning of Christmas. It’s actually an excerpt from his recent book:  The Purpose of Christmas–a timely message posted in Christianity Today Magazine online:

"Christmas is a party. Specifically, it’s a birthday party — for Jesus — and birthdays are meant to be celebrated. It’s why we say "Merry Christmas!"

Ironically, at most Christmas parties the person whose birthday we’re supposed to be celebrating is completely ignored. He’s never even mentioned. Although Jesus is the reason for the season, he’s often overlooked or merely mentioned along with Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus, the Grinch, elves, and a long list of celebrated fictional characters.

As I was writing this little book, I decided to take a survey of Christmas shoppers. I asked, "What are you celebrating this Christmas?" Most answers had nothing to do with Jesus:

• "I’m celebrating that I made it through another year."
• "I’m celebrating being home with my family."
• "I got a Christmas bonus."
• "My son is home from Iraq."
• "The candidate I voted for got elected."
• "I’m celebrating that I’ve finished all my shopping."
• "I’m not celebrating anything. I’m just trying to survive."

Preparing for Christmas can be a lot of work, especially for moms. With the pressure of buying gifts, sending greeting cards, decorating our homes, putting up lights, cooking, attending parties, and cleaning up afterward, we have little time to actually enjoy the meaning of Christmas.

The first purpose of Christmas is celebration! We learn this from the angel’s opening statement to the shepherds of Bethlehem. God had wonderful news for us that would cause us all to rejoice, celebrate, and throw a party: "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." Luke 2:10 (NIV)

The good news of Christmas is worth celebrating for three reasons. It is personal: "I bring YOU." It is positive: "GOOD news of great joy." And it is universal: "for ALL the people." It doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve done, where you’ve been, or where you’re headed — this news is for you."  <<Read the complete article>>            *Top

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(Picture via Wikipedia)

Here’s a great interview with Rodney Howard-Browne from MinistryToday magazine online. He talks about the American church and about revival. When asked about the church’s role in revival he responded with:

The upper room was not a hotel where you checked in and never checked out, which a lot of charismatic-Pentecostal churches have become. They’re like hotels in that you just come for the feeling, like a drug. You come, get your high, go sit in the corner and say, "Wow."

Response: The interview is short but sweet. I encourage you to read it all–it will only take about 5 minutes! Pastor Rodney does have an inspired understanding of where the church is and where God would like to take it. Blessings.

(-Wigglesworth via Wikipedia)

I received this devotional from Charisma OnLine-

Another message of Smith Wigglesworth to start the week out right:

I know this is clearly as anything, that no man can change God. You cannot change Him.

But as a man labors in prayer, and groans, and travails because his tremendous sin is weighing him down, he becomes broken in the presence of God. When properly melted in the perfect harmony with the divine plan of God, then God can work in that clay where before He could not work.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:
The publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.—LUKE 18:13

TODAY’S PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, change me as I pray. Amen.            *Top

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(Jesus via Wikipedia)

We are in a spiritual decline in the church, in this nation, and in all of the Western world.

There is a blinding stupor that has covered all of Europe and America. Secular humanism and atheism are on the move and have overtaken the church in the media and in the schools and universities creating a spiritual vacuum in the Western world. Meanwhile it is like the church is asleep.

Some of us have come alive this Christmas season and become involved in the ‘War on Christmas’ and refuse to give or receive a ‘Happy Holidays’ greeting holding out for the traditional ‘Merry Christmas’. However, the cause is really already lost in our public schools. Traditional carols aren’t allowed, even Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was kicked out of one school because the song dares to even mention Christmas. You can bet however, that every schoolchild knows that the Muslims recently celebrated their yearly Hajj.

That brings up the real spiritual challenge to Christianity–Islam which is growing at a phenomenal rate and actually has incredible demonic backing. Unchecked, Europe could become Muslim in one generation–the current demographics bear this out.

It seems incredible but there is huge spiritual deception and blindness going on right now in regard to Islam. In fact, in the UK the Church of England seems to be surrendering to Islam on many different levels. In Italy the birth-rate among Italians is so low that most demographers forecast that The Vatican will be surrounded by a Muslim immigrant dominated nation in 20 years.

In America, the church is under a tremendous assault by homosexuality and the more liberal part of the church including the Episcopalians are surrendering under a delusion of the enemy–calling it a response to the love that Christ taught. Unless revival comes soon, mark my words, same-sex marriage will become a legal reality within 5 years and those who oppose it and teach against homosexuality will be subject to lawsuits and/or arrest. This is already the case in Canada and some European countries.

Look at the radical response to Prop 8-the traditional marriage amendment- in California. Also, notice the current outrage in the main-stream media because Pastor Rick Warren was picked to give a prayer at the inaugural. What is his great crime?–he supports traditional marriage.

Western civilization itself is actually in danger of disappearing in one generation. Without a major revival, major changes are planned by the enemy and the church could be driven nearly underground in one generation. Why do I say this? According to recent polls and demographics, 80% of the kids raised attending American churches by Christian parents leave the church as adults–and worst, are not raising their kids in the faith.

My generation (Baby-Boomers) and the next has failed to pass on their faith to the next generation and as we pass from the scene, the church could begin to diminish to 20% of its present size unless there is some kind of radical change.

Major revival is the only hope that I can see for reversing these trends. Christians have spent a lot of time and resources politically in the last 20 years trying to reverse some of these trends to no avail—Come Holy Spirit and bless this land. Let the Son rise up and shine across the face of America and Europe–to the very ends of the earth and push away the darkness once more.           *Top 

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 World Revival Church in Kansas City, Mo. has been experiencing a continuing revival since May 2, 2008, with hundreds attending 4 services a week. We first posted on this in July.

Now the pastor says that the outpouring is ready to expand globally.

This is not his first experience with a revival–Steve Gray, senior pastor of World Revival Church, led a three-year-long outpouring in Smithton, Mo., a decade ago. Pastor Gray indicates that he is going to do it different this time around. Read the latest.            *Top

The hometown church of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was set on fire last Friday night, causing an estimated $1 million in damage. There were a handful of women and children inside the church at the time and fortunately everyone was able to escape without injuries.

Federal investigators confirmed that the fire at the Wasilla Bible Church had been caused by arson.  <<Read the Whole Article>>

Response: Bet you thought the election was over? Well we are still living in the aftermath out here in California. Now this in Alaska. I do believe that we have turned a new page in this country–We could well be seeing the beginning of real persecution of Christians and the church.         *Top

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I found this over at Persecution Blog, the original is from Reuters. Testimonies like this never really get old and bring a smile to my face and joy to my heart every time:

Amin said he became aware of Jesus Christ after dreaming that a figure dressed in a white robe approached him in a forest and handed him a Bible.

"When I told my father I had become a Christian he just stared at me without speaking. Then he said: ‘From now on, you are not my son. Go to those people, let them feed you and give you a home — we’ll see who cares for you’," said Amin.

He left town, stopped his studies and now lives from translation work offered by a Christian missionary group.

Response: Thousands of Muslims are coming to Christ every year through dreams and visions. It is a radical decision for these folks when they come out of the closet and declare their new faith in Jesus. All are rejected by their families, most suffer some kind of persecution, and many even face death.

These folk really know first hand what Christmas is all about and received the gift of his Son Jesus regardless of the consequences.            *Top