I'm free by Lynda Randell

I'm free from the fear of tomorrow-
I'm free from the guilt of my past
I've traded my shackles for a glorious song-
I'm free- Praise the Lord, free at last!

Perfect peace

It’s almost a month since I’ve moved here to Suzhou. It’s a city with beautiful gardens. It’s well known not only for its gardens but also for its canals and silk. My goal for the next few weeks is to learn Chinese especially asking the taxi driver to take me home without using my taxi cards. These are cards which have different addresses (shopping centres, medical, schools, apartments etc.) written in both Chinese and English.

Each day I’m grateful for His blessings, the beauty of this place and the different cultural experiences. This morning my reading was from Isaiah 26:3 – 4. It reads: You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.
He will give us peace..perfect peace when we place our trust in Him. Who will have that peace? It's those whose minds are steadfast on Him. I looked up the word 'steadfast' in the dictionary and it says: fixed in direction, unwavering. When I hand my situation, my family, my concerns, my everything to Him.....my eyes and my trust is FIXED on Him and Him alone ...I believe that what He says in His word, He will surely accomplish.....His peace will overwhelm me!

My nerves, my thoughts, my 'what ifs' are calmed with His perfect peace when I place my trust in His ability to perform His word and when my gaze is steadfast on Him and not on those around me!

Praying for others

Ephesians 6:18
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
I was reminded yesterday by a dear friend about the importance of uplifting others in prayer and how our prayers are not in vain. Our prayers for others is so precious. We may not know or understand what they go through but our Omniscient, Omnipotent and Omnipresent Father KNOWS EVERYTHING! As His Spirit prompts us, He leads us as we respond in prayer. HE WHO WORKS BEHIND THE SCENES WILL DO THE REST!


Let's continue to pray for one another.

Praise the LORD -Psalms 103

I have personalised this beautiful Psalm. PRAISE THE LORD!

Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name.
Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all His benefits—
who forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases,
who redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion,
who satisfies my desires with good things so that my youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

 

LORD, You work righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. 

 You made known Your ways to Moses, Your deeds to the people of Israel:
LORD, You are compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
You will not always accuse, nor will You harbor Your anger forever;
 You do not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is Your love for those who fear You;
As far as the east is from the west, so far have You removed our transgressions from us.

 As a father has compassion on his children, so You, LORD, have compassion on those who fear You;  for You know how we are formed, You remember that we are dust.
Our life is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone, and in its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting Your love is with those who fear You,
and Your righteousness with our children’s children

With those who keep Your covenant and remember to obey Your precepts.

 LORD, You have established Your throne in heaven, and Your kingdom rules over all. 

 Praise the LORD, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His bidding,
 who obey His word.
 Praise the LORD, all His heavenly hosts, you His servants who do His will.
Praise the LORD, all His works everywhere in His dominion.

 Praise the LORD, my soul.

Gratitude

Continue to let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. Maya Angelou

 

FRIENDS

 I read this somewhere...... and I like it!

FRIENDS - God's way of taking care of us!

What would we do without our precious friends?

Thank you Lord for the gift of friends!

Confession

Sometimes we get so overwhelmed with everything that we forget what is readily ours through Jesus Christ our Lord! BE BLESSED!

The following confession was given by Creflo A. Dollar:

Decree a thing and it shall be established...

Death and life are in the power of the tongue and I declare in Jesus' name that my life is changing. I declare that no weapon formed or fashioned against me shall prosper.  I declare that God will perform that which concerneth me. I speak to my physical body and I declare in the Name of Jesus that my body functions to the perfection that God created it to function.  Every sickness, every disease and every germ that touches my body dies instantly, for I live the divine life and walk in divine health.

I declare that I am out of debt forever.  All of my needs are met right now and I have plenty more to put in store.  I have preferential treatment and I walk in the favor of God and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost.  I expect unexpected income because I am a money magnet.  I am blessed to be a blessing until all the families of the earth have been blessed.  And I will say continually, "Let the Lord be magnified Who takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servants."  I am your servant Lord, and I will not deny you the pleasure You take in seeing me prosper.  In the Name of Jesus, I am no longer the tail.  I am no longer beneath.  I declare that I am above only!

I declare promotion in my life.  Promotion on my job.  Promotion in my spirit.  Promotion in my soul.  Promotion in my finances and divine health in my body.  I declare increase and promotion and it shall surely come to pass.

Lord, you said that if any man lack wisdom let him ask of God Who will give unto him freely, liberally and upbraideth not.  So I declare that I have the wisdom of God exploding within me.  I have revelation knowledge flowing through me for God will not withhold any good thing from me.  Men show me great favor at every turn.

As the redeemed of the Lord, whatever I say is so and therefore, I declare that all that I have said is established unto me.  I declare that my words and the meditations of my heart make my way prosperous and I have good success.  In the Name of Jesus, whatever I say, I am indicting a good matter.  For my tongue is my pen and I am writing on the tablets of my heart, the words of the Living God.

I am anointed.  I have virtue.  Burdens are removed.  Yokes are destroyed.  I walk in the glorious light of the Gospel and I walk by faith and not by sight.  I have no fear because I have been given a spirit of love, power and a sound mind.  I am the redeemed of the Lord, and whatever I say is so.  So all that I have said and all that I have declared shall be established unto me NOW, in Jesus' Name. 

I have what I say!

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.