10.29.2009

10%

If only emotion could be fully expressed through writing. Without the voice inflections and tones, you can’t fully understand what someone writes, unless you know the person, and still, then, you don’t always know the full meaning. It is said that the actual words are only 10% of what is being said. I guess that is what makes certain writers so good.

10.29.09

If only there were a way for me to describe the burning feeling in side me. I can’t even say it is burning. I don’t know what the correct word would be. But then, that has been a problem all my life. I was never good with words, and I could never find the right word to use in many situations. I guess that is still my problem today. Only now, I know what is going on inside of me—at least to an extent. I know that God has been cleaning house all year long. This feeling of the Holy Spirit inside of me is something I never want to leave. Even though I don’t feel it on a regular basis, when it comes, I am overjoyed! So here God is, moving all around inside of me, in his temple of my body. All I know is that whatever is happening inside of me is the Lord. If and when you see me, I think you will notice something different. There is a joy that is only found in him. Though I have always been a happy and joyful person, I have never been filled in this way. And I have never experienced God’s work and his hand in so many little things that each moment brings. I love this change of mind set. I love living my life as a ministry and not doing ministry at certain times of the day. Do I have it figured out. Na. Who ever will? But at least I am on a direct route of lovin Jesus.

Prophetic Words

I guess my conclusion and findings for prophecy and intercession will never be final—because I will be learning more in each as I continue my journey of life.

Mainly, I have come to understand that prophecy and being a Prophet are two different things. They are different gifts. Prophetic words for fellow believers are simply the building and encouraging of the church—Christ’s body. Prophecy (capital P) is a foretelling of the future gift that is very rare.

When it comes to prophetic words, one people almost always have a word for people or for a group. But it is not just for people who always have something to say. This is an action we can all put into practice. It is basically the same conclusion I found when seeking what intercession was and if it was something everyone does. God can give everyone times of intercession but for some that is a spiritual gift they walk in regularly. It is the same with prophecy. Some are meant to go sing and pray over places, prophesying over the nations. Some are suppose to speak words over the nations and individuals. All of this is to accomplish the same thing: to build into the church. In doing so, we must pray over each other.

For example, one night last month, my team had a time of worship and prayer. Before we ended, we spent time praying for each individual person. We would all lay hands on the person and pray as the Lord lead—all at the same time. When everyone was done, we would tell the person whatever the Lord had laid on our hearts. And I would get these (what seemed like random) things for my teammates. When I would speak them to that person, they almost always correlated with what others had to say, or with what that individual was going through.

Prophetic words. Words that encouraged and built up the person. Prophetic words always edify and bring life.

“…the one who prophesies speaks to people for their up building and encouragement and consolation.” 1 Corinthians 14:3

10.14.2009

prophesy and intercession

I have been thinking a lot these past few days about intercession and prophecy. I wanted to share my thoughts and findings and prayers about them, and in a few days, I will let you know the answers to my findings.

Isaiah 53 says yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. (end of verse 12). This is, of course, Isaiah talking about Jesus interceding on behalf of the robbers also being crucified. He is what many like to call ‘standing in the gap’. I understand that he does that. But what does that mean for humans and intercession?

Romans 8: 34 Christ Jesus…who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

1 Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.

“There he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.” Hebrews 9:15

Intercession: the act of intervening on behalf of another.

I don’t doubt that God has given me the ability to intercede for people. He has given me very clear cut things for people. Sometimes those are things they are experiencing right in that moment. Sometimes I will get present struggles or happenings and future things. But I have never had the Lord reveal something in someone’s future without it being in a time of intercession. And when those times happen and I actually remember the things that I had been praying for, I have never been able to tell someone those future things until a later time—usually being when they go through them. So is that prophecy intertwined with intercession? Through the gift of intercession, God has at times given me the ability of other gifts—dreams, interpretations, encouragement, and prophecy.

Prophesy: say that (a specific thing) will happen in the future; speak or write by divine inspiration; when a man prophesies; it is because the spirit of the Lord comes upon him
Does God use each of us in prophesy? Is there a difference between prophecy and encouragement? In my mind there is. Prophecy is future things, something spoken for the future. Encouragement is most generally for that moment in time. You usually give a word of encouragement of scripture for something someone is going through.

Amos 3:7 “For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servant the prophet.”

Amos 3:8 “The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?”

1 Chronicles 25:1 “David and his priests…who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals.”

1 Corinthians 14 (1) “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts especially that you may prophesy. (3) …the one who prophesies speaks to people for their up building and encouragement and consolation.” Does this mean that there is encouragement included in prophesy? Are they one in the same or two different things?

So, should everyone therefore, expect to prophesy, and should they be seeking out God for those things? Does everyone receive this gift?

Does this make any sense? This is just all the stuff that has been running through my head these past 4 or 5 days. I don’t know if you are getting the connection I am making between the two and what I am really looking for here or not. I want to understand them a little better individually, but I also think they are connected and have just really been questioning whether prophesy is something we are ALL gifted with or just some people. I don’t doubt that God will do what he wants in his time, I know he can, will, and has given people prophesy for certain times. But, should I be expectant on hearing the Lord give me future things for people? Or is the simple act of telling people whatever it is the Lord gives me an act of prophesy? Because in my mind, prophesy isn’t usually the things I get from the Lord. I just think of those things as either truth, or encouragement.

10.12.2009

the Onethe One the One who was born upon non-deserving hay the One who grew with the children at play the One who with one breath gave us grace the On

the One who was born upon non-deserving hay
the One who grew with the children at play
the One who with one breath gave us grace
the One knew and loved
the One who was sent from up above

It was he who took it all on
He who lived perfectly
He who was three in One

Imagine bearing the sins of just one
Being beaten & bruised for nothing you had done
You carrying the cross upon your slashed back
The long way up the hill on the death path

The railroad size nail pierces your hands
They push thorns in your head as a crown
Then hoist the tree into a hole in the ground
This is where you hang, awaiting a painful death
All for one person whose transgressions set heavy on your shoulders

But it was not you, it was the One
He laid it all on the line
Gave it all up
It was He who counted the cost

the One who breaths life into the dead
the One who brings rest; whose compassion is never scarce
the One who loves with an unconditional spirit
the One whose beauty could never be described
the One who gave His life upon a tree
the One who desires only me