Sunday, April 19, 2009
It's time... Let's go
Jesus gave me these words at a conference this weekend. He alone restores our lives. He alone brings a fresh revelation of His love. On the heals of a season of desperately searching for Him, like the Shulamite maiden searched for Solomon.... He overwhelmed me with His intimacy after a time of praise and worship in our home with a few family friends Thursday evening. I wish I could describe it. I just feel the need to encourage anyone who may be pressing in. He will be found. Scripture says it and you can take Him to the bank on it. The reunion of intimacy is so sweet. Thank you Jesus. I am humbled and in awe of you! You are the lover of my soul, come in to your garden. Let your North and South wind blow.
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HELLO JINA, MY NAME IS MARY ANNE & I'M A FELLOW LIVING PROOF BLOGGER & WANTED TO INTRODUCE MYSELF & DROP YOU A FEW WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT & THAT ARE HEAVY ON MY HEART TO PASS ON AS WELL AS A POWERFUL *PRAISE* BLOGPOST IF THAT'S OKAY? I APOLOGIZE UPFRONT FOR THE LENGTH IT MAY TAKE UP ON YOUR BLOG! ;)
LIKE YOU WHEN I WAS READING MELISSA'S POSTS RE: HER INDIA TRIP I WAS MOVED TO TEARS OVER IT ALL! THEN WAS MOVED TO MORE TEARS WHEN I READ YOUR POST TO MEL & CHECKED OUT YOUR BLOGS & WAS SO ENCOURAGED & FELT AN *INSTANT* KINDRED SPIRIT CONNECTION VIA OUR SHARED PASSION & LOVE FOR HOMESCHOOLING & FOR NOTHING LESS THAN SOLD-OUT-NESS FOR JESUS!
PRAISING GOD FOR HIS FAITHFULNESS TO YOU IN SEEKING HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART & HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE UNTIL YOU FIND HIM, HEAR HIM & EXPERIENCE A FRESH BREEZE OF HIS TRANSFORMING REVELATION TO YOU HIS BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS! WHATEVER YOU DO PRAYING THAT YOU ALWAYS KEEP PRAISING JESUS ALOUD TO & WITH YOUR DEAR HUBBY & KIDDOS & ALL THE WORLD & CYBER-WORLD TO HEAR OF ALL THE GOOD HE HAS DONE, IS DOING & WILL DO FOR YOU!!
PSALM 22:3 ASSURES US THAT GOD INHABITS THE PRAISES OF HIS PEOPLE...WHICH ALSO MEANS THAT SINCE HE IS ALIVE & WELL REIGNING INSIDE US HE IS MORE THAN ABLE TO MEET ALL OUR NEEDS - FOR *WORDS* OF REVELATION & GUIDANCE, POWER, HEALING & OTHERWISE!!
"But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel." -PSALM 22:3-
In googling a search for THIS PRAISE SCRIPTURE REFERENCE LAST NITE I *stumbled* upon....which we know for believers is CODE for *God GRACIOSULY led me to* the following DEVOTIONAL from devotions.com to go along w/ Psalm 22:3 DESCRIBING SO WELL HOW & WHY IT'S A DEADLY WEAPON TO OUR ENEMIES' PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE IN HOPES TO ROB US OF OUR HOPE, JOY, PERSEVERANCE & FAITH! JINA I HAVE A FEELING THE BLOGPOST BELOW JUST MAY VERY WELL KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF AS IT DID MINE:
God Inhabits The Praises Of His People
4/14/2007
If you go to church with any regularity, you may have heard your music minister say, “God inhabits the praises of his people”. I always thought that statement was nothing more than a way to get me to sing the praise choruses that so many of our churches use now.
The truth is we should heed that advice. It’s not just that it’s scriptural. It’s one of God’s principles that work when we apply it.
Many of you probably did not know Roger Bennett. Roger Bennett was a Southern Gospel piano player and songwriter who made a living serving the Lord in the ministry of music. Unfortunately, he succumbed to cancer last month after an 11-year battle.
The last several years were not particularly easy ones for Bennett. He had leukemia, which he thought was in remission, only to see it rage back in his life with vengeance. He fought it valiantly, but realized that the disease was winning so he decided to take a stand and underwent a bone marrow transplant at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas – the first of three.
Bennett wrote about his experiences on his website, Roger Bennett’s Midnight Meditations. “I am convinced,” he told his readers, “that our enemy stalks us exactly in the way the Bible describes him, a roaring lion. He hides in the bushes waiting for any sign of weakness and then he strikes.”
Bennett admitted that his faith became weak in the loneliness that is associated with bone marrow transplants. He mentioned one particular night when he “bottomed out”.
“He didn’t strike me physically,” Bennett wrote. “That had been accomplished for him by the chemo. He struck a more critical part of my being - my joy, my confidence, my hope. Every thought I turned toward heaven bounced back to me as if it were made of brass. Every time I tried to ‘look on the bright side’, I ended up imaging a very dark future. Then he threw his most effective dart at me - Doubt. ‘You call yourself a Christian,’ he said. ‘What a hypocrite! You wrote, Don’t Be Afraid, and yet you are more afraid now than you’ve ever been. You wrote about joy and yet now you are filled with despair. So much for your faith, Mr. Gospel Singer.”
Indeed, Bennett had hit rock bottom. “I believed everything Satan said,” he admitted. “I tried everything I knew to pull out of it - all to no avail. I thought if I could just doze off, this will pass by morning. But the clock seemed to move in slow motion. Sleep was nowhere near. I tried to lose myself in the Bible, but the words blurred to my eyes and I couldn’t make any sense of them.”
Finally, Bennett had an epiphany, a revelation of sorts. He thought about the story told in Acts when Paul and Silas were in jail. “They didn’t despair,” he said. “They sang…It became their weapon.”
So Bennett began singing. “One after another these old songs came to my memory and I sang them to my empty room. It wasn’t a great performance, but it may have been the most powerful blessing I’ve received in my life.”
Roger Bennett realized just how true God is to His Word. He really does inhabit the praises of his people.
When it begins to rain in your life, take Roger Bennett’s (and God’s) advice - Sing the Gospel and allow it take root in your heart. You may not sing your blues away, but I’ll bet you’ll feel the presence of a pretty powerful friend.
posted by Mike Ruffin on 4/14/2007
5 Comments:
Anonymous Anonymous said...
I awoke this morning with this text on my mind. I googled it and chose this website first to check the verse out.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful testimony about Bennett. This is a word in season I know and praise is something the Lord would have us do because it confuses our enemy.
Thank you once again for sharing this. I know I have to share this with a friend who is likewise going through the most difficult time of their lives.
Little_1 (Scotland)
4:39 AM
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Thanks for this message.
Similar to anonymous above, I woke up the morning feeling blue & attempts at brightening up were not successful.
After listening to Don Moen's "Here we are", the particular words he said, "God inhabits the praises of His people" struck me.
I then googled them and this was the best hit which concurred with me. It has been a blessing.
I am convinced as well, that God not only dwells in the praises of His people but also delights in the praises of His people.
Let me share a testimony. I am the leader of an evangelism group. One evening, our praise & worship time was up but the people just kept singing. It made me irritated so I wanted to cut them short & we 'get on with the most important business of winning souls for Christ'.
But a Voice clearly said to me, "Why do you want to prevent my people from praising me?"
3:44 AM
Anonymous Anonymous said...
This is so amazing because i woke up with that scripture in my mind and i googled to find the verse. i know when we praise God will not only come and give us what we need He will inhabit us. God bless you
7:31 AM
Anonymous Anonymous said...
I was looking for the verse after reading my notes. i googled it and read your story.
I believe often we are at loss for words, but when we praise, its like youve done it all, pray, praise pettition. youfeel fulfilled.
12:53 PM
Anonymous Anonymous said...
This text has been on my mind all week and it has really excited me. I sing in our church choir and praise has always been my weapon. I'm very glad God really inhabits the praises of His people.
10:39 PM
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