Happy New Year 2007!
"In Your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Psalm 16:11
Hello everyone,
So often we seek the secondary pleasures...they are not evil, or wrong, but they are the thousands of stimulants that we try to use to satisfy the deeper thirst for God. Dana Chandler, spoke at the ONE THING conference in Kansas City, and said that we were created to be "thirsts"...and Jesus is the one who is the Living Water that satisfies that thirst. Many of us have touched the surface in getting to know Him....but there are depths to plunge into. Psalm 42:2 says, "My soul thirsts for the living God....Deep calls to deep at the sound of Thy waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me." So often we fill this thirst with other things...like entertainment, fashion, food, recreation, more things and clutter, activity, even fellowship, and other christian activity ,,, it gives temporary numbing to the "thirst", but we are not satisfied until we quiet ourselves...and learn to do it on a regular basis...to Come Aside, My Beloved.
The purpose of the House of Prayer is to help position ourselves to quietness...to wait for Him, to LISTEN for His voice in our lives. It is to help us to get to KNOW HIM, not ABOUT Him. It is to position ourselves for ENCOUNTER with God that changes us. Encounter changes us, like Saul became Paul.
...we all...are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit"
2 Corinthians 3:181
Once you experience God in His glory you can't turn away from Him or forget His touch It's not just an argument of a doctrine; it's an experience. That is why the apostle Paul said, "I know whom I have believed"
2Timothy 1:12
EXPERIENCE
You might ask? "Isn't that just pulling away from people...aren't we supposed to make a difference and touch humanity with the gospel?" Absolutely we are supposed to...that was Jesus command...to preach the gospel...to teach nations. However, we have often not waited to know what exactly is on HIS heart for what we are to do...how we are to do it! As we learn to "Be still and KNOW THAT I AM GOD"... it goes on to say..."I WILL BE EXALTED IN THE NATIONS, I WILL BE EXALTED IN THE EARTH!" Psalm 46:10.
Allen Hood, from IHOP stated it well: When we learn intimacy with Him, the Bride will whisper on the pillow of the Bridegroom King ... she has His ear. She may say, "Honey, I don't know the intricacies of governing a nation, ruling a world...but that people group...they need aid..." and policy changes the next day.
Think of dreams and visions...nations were changed because of dreams and visions that were interpreted. Daniel, from a young age, had understanding of dreams and visions. He spent time waiting on God...three times a day! Joseph changed the course of history of the then known world through the ability to interpret dreams. He was prepared by God in prison...are you in prision?...in the backside of the desert?...maybe God is preparing you.
Daniel 1:17 And as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature (writing) and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams.
The Old Testament is full of signs, wonders, angelic visitations, dreams and visions, and interpretation. Jesus came on the scene and the Gospels are full of signs, wonders, healings, miracles, angelic visitations. Then the Acts of the Apostles are likewise...even Phillip being transported. Why then do we think that after those 4000 years recorded in the Bible...stories that children and adults love, we should just read about it and think it is not for our time....? The west has become so left brained in studying the Bible and living it saying we need to teach the word of God....but that is the word of God... supernatural encounter with God. God intended Christianity to be an adventure....those things are for us and when we enter the life of prayer and waiting on God, like Daniel had, perhaps the anointing to interpret dreams and visions that can change nations will break out. The supernatural will break out in our lives and we will walk in it as a norm.
We will officially start with the evening prayer meetings next week January 15th.
MONDAY 7pm - Marketplace Prayer
TUESDAY 7pm - Watchmen Prayer
WEDNESDAY noon Prayer for Israel and Middle East 6:30pm Shaarei Tephilla Prayer (connecting via web with Miracle Channel prayer for Canada)
THURSDAY 7pm School of the Prophets.
FRIDAY 7pm City Prayer and Waiting on God daily during Business Hours
God bless,
Marja