The Road of Hope

I love calling home and talking to my mum. A woman who is so passionate about seeking God's heart, a great prayer warrior and a true inspiration! The other morning we were sharing about 'The Walk to Emmaeus' and how this story teaches us different lessons. The story is found in Luke 24: 13 - 32.

One thing that has stood out for me is how God is always with us in our darkest hour! As the two disciples were walking from Jerusalem towards Emmaeus, they were discussing all that had happened in the last few days and the scripture says '......
Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.

 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

   They stood still, their faces downcast.  One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

  “What things?” he asked.

   “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.  The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him;  but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 

They had placed their hope in Jesus and their hopes were dashed. Their dreams were shattered when the One they were following who performed miracles and who they had hoped would redeem Israel was crucified! They were so overwhelmed by their grief, their sorrows and disappointments as they were walking away from Jerusalem that they did not recognise Jesus when He joined their journey!!! All they could talk about was their disappointments.

I thought of the times when I had been disappointed when my dreams did not materialise. I had questions after questions. I wanted to know why, how and what if....... It's so easy to get into that mode that we forget what is happening around us!

I like the way, the disciples were telling Jesus about Jesus!!
He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”  And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 

On that road, Jesus rekindled their faith in the WORD of God! He is the Alpha and Omega! The beginning and the end! He was and is and is to come!!!! He does not change. His Word stands firm and will not change. Jesus took them back to the beginning with Moses and he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. It was at that point that something sparked in their heart. In verse 32 it says,....... “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

I am so grateful for this awesome God who does not leave us in our darkest hour! He continues to walk with us, listening to us and reminding us of His promises. I could just imagine the two disciples during their conversation with HIM, their faith in the Word was stirred and their hope  began to rise again. They couldn't let this 'stranger' go so they invited Him to go home with them. They invited Jesus in!

When Jesus is invited back into our lives, peace and hope is restored! When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.  Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.

Like the two on the road to Emmaus, I'm glad that we do not travel alone. God is with us. Are we willing to see Him?

His LOVE!

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

He loved us then, He loves us now and He will continue to love us forever! I am so grateful for His LOVE. I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow--not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. Romans 8:38

I thank God that as Easter is upon us, it gives us that moment to remember the powerful work of His LOVE!

...At the cross I bow my knee

Where Your BLOOD  was shed for me

There's no greater LOVE than this

You have overcome the grave

Glory fills the highest place

What can separate me now.

You tore the veil

You made a way

When you said that it is done...

(by Hillsong)

Will You Choose to Fly

Here is another prophetic word was given by Eileen Fisher on March 22, 2011. I choose to fly!

"Will You Choose to Fly?"

I heard the Lord say, "I will make a path where there is no path. I will make a road where there is no road. I will make a door where there is no door. Then I will bid you, I will invite you, I will call you to walk beside Me. Then I will wait and watch. How you respond will decide where We will go and how deep We will go, and how high We will go. I will honor your free will of choice. If you choose to come high in Heavenly places, I will guide you to soar like an eagle. If you choose to lay in the Valley of Dry Bones, I will sit with you in the 'Valley of Dry Bones.' 

"You cannot ever, ever, ever escape My presence. You can close yourself off, you can choose to turn your back, you can choose to look sideways at Me and glance at Me, but you will never come to know Me by a mere glance. You will come to know Me as you read My Word, know My Heart, My Spirit, My Will and My Ways. As you present yourself before My throne and allow Me to present My presence upon you, then others will recognize you because you have come from My presence. 

"First, I will gather you into My presence. I will bid you and say, 'Choose.' Will you choose to fly? Or will you choose to sit among the dry bones: the yesterdays, the leftover dreams, the broken promises of what man has done or has not done to you or for you? Will you choose to pick up each dry bone and examine it, then demand justification for the dry bone man has used upon you?

"I will heal your heart and I will bid you to come out of the valley of dry bones. I am longing for a people who will experience and carry My joy. I want your feet to dance in My presence. I want your voice to sing in My presence. I want your heart to be healed in My presence. DO NOT CLOSE THE DOOR. When you do, you shut out healing. You shut out hope. You close down the destiny that you were created for."

Cry unto the Lord and He will answer you. He WILL show you great and mighty deeds! I bid you, cry unto the Lord!

I Am More Than Enough For You

I was blessed by this message this morning.

"Heaven is for You... Choose This Day: Are You for Heaven?"

The following corporate prophetic word was given by Eileen Fisher on March 8, 2011 during her weekly Prophetic School of the Holy Spirit meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado:

I hear the Lord say, "I am walking among you. I will invite you to dwell with Me in holiness. How I long to touch your troubled minds, and troubled hearts, and troubled souls and troubled bodies. How I long to sit with you; to speak with you heart to heart, face to face. How I long for you to understand that I am more than enough for you. How I long for you to know the depth, the very depth of My love to the very depth of your being. Your being would rejoice in who you are called to be and were created to be. You will find this in Me alone, for I am Creator. Man would lay their hands upon you to create you in their own image. In that process, you lose who I have called you to be. We created man in Our image in the beginning, and Our eternal plan and purposes have never changed.

"Behold Me on the Cross. Behold Me in the tomb. Behold Me in the resurrection. Behold Me upon the throne. Let that throne be in your heart to where you can visit Me, to where I can speak to you. Bring your heart to Me. Let me gather you under Myself. Not only am I the King of Kings and the Shepherd, but I am the Alpha and the Omega. I have been at your beginning and I shall be with you forever, for you are an eternal being as I am the eternal God.

"Do not restrict Me; learn to worship Me. In that process I will build you up, for I have not come to tear you down. I have come to destroy the works of the enemy. I have come to declare My Kingdom in your hearts, in your households, in your past, present and future. Declare Me as the King of Kings and allow Me to come in to rule and reign in every corner of your heart, your mind, your will and your emotions. Are you willing to cast all aside that would grieve My presence? Are you willing to come openly before Me, presenting your hearts naked before Me? I read your hearts.

"How I long to gather you, to protect you, to build you up. To build you up so high into My presence that you experience the kiss of the approval of your Father in Heaven. This will set you free. Heaven is for you," says the Lord your God. "Choose this day: Are you for Heaven?"

Prayer: Father, we declare that your Kingdom has come and Your will will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. We give you all of the praise, the honor and the glory. Amen.

Prayer For Hope and Encouragement

The following corporate prophetic word was given by Eileen Fisher on March 15, 2011 during her weekly Prophetic School of the Holy Spirit meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado:

Lord, we cry unto You and we know that You hear us. Lord, I ask that right now You will go into every heart that is open, every spirit that is open and pour in hope...supernatural hope. Father God, we come in the name of Jesus as Your children. Lord, we lift our cups up for you to fill them up. Lord, I lift up every broken heart in this room and those represented. I ask You to be the Lord thy God that heals us, and that You would bring the pieces that have been stolen and robbed, and go and bring them back. Father, I ask this for every vessel that is cracked and weary.

Father, I take authority over stress. I would ask for Your supernatural peace to flood our minds. Make our minds to be still and restored, that our dreams will become Godly dreams. Would you touch our eyes to see in the Spirit, and our ears to hear in the Spirit.

Holy Spirit, I ask You to hover right now and that You would go into those areas of discouragement and despondency and release Your grace. Father, as Your grace goes into these areas, I thank You for Your strength. Holy Spirit, You are called Strengthener, so I ask You to become The Strengthener right now.

http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=9746

No problem too big

As I pondered on this song, I am encouraged, comforted and reminded that NOTHING is too heavy for HIM to carry. Just imagine, 'If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulder.....I know my brother that He will carry you.'

 Lynda Randle sings this message so beautifully!

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matt.11:28 

Your Confessions

FAITH IS A SEED
Text: Luke 17:3-6



Man's heart  = ground or soil

 Entrances of the seed on to the soil......

        Through our eyes by what we see and read.   

Through our ears by what we hear.

Through our mouth by what we speak.

The negative seeds that I take in will result in the negative words that I speak out. Those negative words then influence my decision making.

It reminds me of that saying 'Words will either break you or mould you."

Proverbs 4: 20-27 talks about the different entrances of the word.

vs 23 says '......guard your heart for it is the well spring of life'

The Bible is a book of seeds. We take the seeds (either through the eyes, ears, mouth) and plant them in the grounds of our hearts. We treat the Word just we would treat a seed....we watch over it with diligence and nurture it so it can grow.

To illustrate this - Think about planting a seed. As I plant a seed in the ground I already have an image in my mind of what the seed will grow into. I can see/visualise the end product as I plant the seed. I know that what I have planted in the ground will give me what I have visualised! So to get my 'end product', I need to watch the seed ensuring it's not dug up or eaten by bugs and water it.

To link back to the Word-What is the Word of God saying about my situation, I read it (eyes), I need to speak that Word out. I need to believe and visualise the 'end product' of  what I am reading and speaking.  As I continue to speak it, my inner ear hears it and the Word in my heart begins to grow!! The more I speak it, the more it becomes embedded in my heart!

Pr. 4:  23 says '......guard your heart for it is the well spring of life'

It is important to guard my heart because the enemy will try to find ways to suffocate the 'seed' already planted in my heart. He will show me things that is contradictory to the Word I am believing. He will use people or other things to say negative things about my situation. To counter attack his plan, I need to keep confessing and visualising the Word of God regarding my situation and not allow what I see or hear to influence what I think and do! As I speak the Word, my faith in the Word continues to grow!

Just linking it to my favourite quotes....

"Turn your faith into a confession"

"Your faith cannot take off unless you speak the word"

Plans

Jeremiah 29:11
For I alone know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

In four months time I take on a new posting to China. I am excited about the new challenges ahead of me. I do not know what to expect but I have peace that my God has already seen my future.

Prayers for the Qld flood victims

My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Queensland who are being affected by the ongoing flooding. I was watching the unbelievable images of the 'inland tsunami' that hit the city of Toowoomba unexpectedly yesterday afternoon. 'It was like watching toy cars floating in a bathtub!' People were caught off guard!! Hopefully the rain will ease sometime soon.

Lord, we remember them in prayer.

Merry Christmas

Wishing all my blogger friends a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed 2011!

Nurses and doctors!

To all the nurses and doctors out there.....I take my hat off to the amazing work that you do. THANK YOU!!!! The last few days in hospital has given me a deep appreciation for the tireless work that nurses and doctors do to ensure patient well-being. Some even go beyond their call of duty to sing or read a book to a patient! I don't know how they stay awake all night and still manage a smile in the morning as they attend to you!!!

May they continue to use their God given talents to reach out to others under their care not only physically but also emotionally and spritually!

Slow Me Down Lord

I had to smile when I read this. Sometimes I really need to slow down!!!!

Slow Me Down Lord

Slow me down, Lord!

Ease the pounding of my heart

By the quieting of my mind.

Steady my hurried pace

With a vision of the eternal reach of time.

Give me,

Amidst the confusions of my day,

The calmness of the everlasting hills.

Break the tensions of my nerves

With the soothing music

Of the singing streams

That live in my memory.

Help me to know

The magical power of sleep,

Teach me the art

Of taking minute vacations

Of slowing down

To look at a flower;

To chat with an old friend

Or make a new one;

To pat a stray dog;

To watch a spider build a web;

To smile at a child;

Or to read a few lines from a good book.

Remind me each day

That the race is not always to the swift;

That there is more to life

Than increasing its speed.

Let me look upward

Into the branches of the towering oak

And know that it grew great and strong

Because it grew slowly and well.

Slow me down, Lord,

And inspire me to send my roots deep

Into the soil of life's enduring values

That I may grow toward the stars

Of my greater destiny.

-- Wilfred A. Peterson

Praying Colossians

Colossians 1:1-14



Heavenly Father,


May You fill me with the knowledge of Your will through all spiritual wisdom

and understanding. I pray this in order that I may live a life worthy of the You

and may please You in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in

the knowledge of You, being strengthened with all power according to Your

glorious might ....so that I may have great endurance and patience, and

joyfully give thanks to You my Father, for You have qualified me to share in

the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of light.

For You have rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into

the Kingdom of the Son You love, in whom we have redemption, the

forgiveness of sins.

In Jesus Name
Amen