4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. Psalm 27:4 NIV

Selah

As I stated yesterday, I was under some sort of attack. Ephesians tells us we are not wrestling with flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. My brethren, do not think it coincidently, these fights you are going through. They are meant to bring you down, cause confusion, stop the flow of God in your life so you will give in and not complete the task. We are required to be strong and yes; we have to fight. In the following passage in Ephesians this fight is pointed out.

10In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].

11Put on God's whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

12For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere. Ephesians 6 (Amplified Bible)

O.K; I understand. Nobody likes the idea of these unseen things coming against them but that is the way it is and going to be. Get used to it. Instead of fearing it, prepare for it. Put on your Armor every morning; get into the throne room of God with praise & worship every morning. Get ready for battle and get ready to win. You are victorious. You can be a mighty warrior. You can accomplish what God has called you to do. You will walk in the blessings of the Lord.

In the name of Jesus Christ!

Amen

Hey,

I ‘m back. My laptop went down over the weekend but I have it fixed now. I am still concentrating on our praises to God. It’s amazing how much strength you get by spending time with the Lord worshiping and praising him. I had a tough day so when I got home this evening I decided to get in my prayer room and start praising and worshiping God. I finally broke through and the heaviness that was on me lifted and I felt refreshed again, ready to do battle. I spent another hour in that charged atmosphere and completed my task. So I leave you with another psalm, meditate and seek His face and you will get your answers.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

1O CLAP your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph and songs of joy!

2For the Lord Most High excites terror, awe, and dread; He is a great King over all the earth.

3He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.

4He chose our inheritance for us, the glory and pride of Jacob, whom He loves.

Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

5God has ascended amid shouting, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

6Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

7For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises in a skillful psalm and with understanding.

8God reigns over the nations; God sits upon His holy throne.

9The princes and nobles of the peoples are gathered together, a [united] people for the God of Abraham, for the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted.

Be Happy!

Philippians 4:12 (Amplified Bible)

12I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.

Realize today that God is in love with you and He wants you to be Happy.

Be Blessed

Treasures

Isaiah 33:6 (New King James Version)

6 Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the LORD is His treasure.


In this present time with the stock market fall, banks failing, and the mortgage crisis still hitting home we all need wisdom and knowledge. Isaiah points out that wisdom and knowledge will be stability for us, I think in any times. God will always pull you through when you respect Him. This respect gives you access to wisdom, knowledge, and strength. Trust in the Lord today, ask Him for wisdom and knowledge to help you maneuver through these hard times. He is your strength in times of trouble.


In Christ

Praise Part 2

I have always loved to praise & worship the Lord. I knew it was important to my well being, and God loves it. I must admit though, until this week I really didn’t realize how important it is. David was the King of Israel, a very important leader, and he placed praise and worship as a priority in his & his people’s life. David commanded that the Ark of the Covenant be brought up on the shoulders of the Levites amidst the sound of songs and musical instruments to his new capital, Jerusalem. There he had it placed in a tent and appointed two-hundred and eighty-eight prophetic singers and four thousand musicians to minister before the Lord, “to make petition, to give thanks and to praise the Lord” day and night (1 Chronicles 15–17). David separated the musicians for worshiping God continually, 24-7. That was what they did every day, day after day. They ministered, made petitions, gave thanks, and praise to the Lord, the God of Israel. I think they took praise and worship very serious. They set the atmosphere for miracles, it was charged with Gods presence because He said He dwells in the praises of His people. They did nothing before they consulted the Lord with petitions, praise, and adoration. David and the army commanders chose the 288 prophetic musicians, 12 per one hour watch; this provided the connection between ministry and military victory (1 Chronicles 25). Do you consult the Lord about things in your Life? Have you set the atmosphere for miracles? David thought it was so important for his success he implemented it continually, 24-7. You should consider the pattern or path that David took. As the saying goes you do not go to someone who is lazy and unsuccessful to show you how to be successful. Do not overlook the power of praise and worship. It is more important than we all realize.

In Christ

Praise Part 1

People today have forgotten the power of praise but King David knew were his strength came from. Prophetic praise came before and after his military victories. Meditate on the scriptures below and I will comment later.

4 He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to make petition, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel: 5 Asaph was the chief, Zechariah second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They were to play the lyres and harps, Asaph was to sound the cymbals, 6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.

David's Psalm of Thanks

7 That day David first committed to Asaph and his associates this psalm of thanks to the LORD :
8 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.
9 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
11 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.
12 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
13 O descendants of Israel his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.
14 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
15 He remembers [b] his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,
16 the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.
17 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
18 "To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit."
19 When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it,
20 they [c] wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.
21 He allowed no man to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:
22 "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."
23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
25 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
27 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place.
28 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength,
29 ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his [d] holiness.
30 Tremble before him, all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.
31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!"
32 Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!
33 Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.
34 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
35 Cry out, "Save us, O God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, that we may glory in your praise."
36 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said "Amen" and "Praise the LORD."