TJN Intercessors

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Comment by exe*Cute* on November 29, 2008 at 6:52pm

May the Lord abundantly Bless and Guide us, as we journey together to the Promised-Land !!


http://www.blueletterbible.org/

Comment by Ladyjd721 on November 28, 2008 at 5:35am

Living With Thanksgiving
Dr. Tony Beam
Believe it or not, not everyone is looking forward to Thanksgiving. My mother-in-law was in the Department of Motor Vehicles the other day and she overheard someone say they wished they had to work on Thanksgiving so they could avoid having to spend time with their in-laws.
Why do some people have such a negative feeling about such a positive holiday?
It would seem there are plenty of people who go through life looking only at the disappointments or the painful experiences refusing to see the blessings that surround many of life's challenges. I don't know who should receive the credit for the following witticism to but I agree with its underlying philosophy.
"As you travel down life's pathway, may this ever be your goal...keep you eye on the donut, and not on the hole."
The first Thanksgiving took place in the midst of some of the worst trials imaginable for those who braved the crossing of the Atlantic to begin a new life in the new world. One hundred and two pilgrims landed at Plymouth in December of 1620. Less than six months later only fifty-five were still alive. Their chances of survival rested fully upon the fruit of the fall harvest.
When that harvest was fully gathered Edward Winslow wrote these words, "...although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty."
There in the middle of devastating circumstances with their very lives hanging on the quality of the harvest that small band of believers were able to praise God for what they believed were His abundant blessings.
King David understood this principle when he wrote Psalm 103. David begins by exalting the name of the Lord and by encouraging himself to remember who God is and what He has done. "Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless His holy name. Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all His benefits."
The key to an attitude of thanksgiving that transcends the season is our ability to remember the blessing of our God. David emphasizes the fact we must respond to God in a personal way. We must personally bless the Lord as we remember His goodness.
Jesus understood this principle well for John's Gospel records that before Jesus multiplied the loaves and the fish to feed the five thousand, He lifted his eyes toward heaven and gave thanks for what He had in His hand.
I am afraid if I had been holding nothing but a few loaves and a few small fish I would have been too focused on my lack of supply to be thankful for what God had already supplied.
When our praise becomes personal it does so because we are consumed with an attitude of thanksgiving for what we have rather than focusing on what we need.
Those blessings are profound, in that they are blessings that proceed from the soul. Being thankful for our blessings should proceed from the very fiber of our being. It isn't the mere material and temporary blessings that David is speaking about but rather the eternal blessings that flow from God who is eternal.
This week, as we sit around a bountiful table surrounded by the blessings of God, let us not forget all His benefits.

Comment by Ladyjd721 on November 26, 2008 at 7:36am

A CITIZEN OF HEAVEN

Philippians 3:16-21
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Philippians+3:16-21

Dear Father,

I want to join all your holy people in imitating the example of
your apostle Paul, and I want to take notice of people in my own
time who live by the same example.

Thank you, my God, that my citizenship is in heaven, from which I
wait the return of my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank you, Father, that he will come to change my lowly body to be
like his glorious body, by the power which enables him to subject
all things to himself.

In the name of Jesus I ask these things. Amen.

Comment by Ladyjd721 on November 26, 2008 at 6:19am

For He is Good
Greg Laurie
Often at this time of year, we put a lot of emphasis on Christmas. As merchants compete for our attention, we start becoming preoccupied with putting up the lights, trimming the tree, buying presents, and so on. In the process of it all, we can very easily forget the beautiful holiday called Thanksgiving. Proclaimed as a national Thanksgiving Day in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln, it initially was a religious holiday and, more to the point, a Christian holiday.
At this particular time of year we can sometimes forget about how thankful we ought to be. We need to never forget that God has blessed us to live, in my opinion, in the greatest country on the face of the earth, the United States of America. We have so many privileges here. We have a lot to give thanks for.
Certainly the Bible urges us to give thanks to the Lord. We are told in Psalm 106:1, "Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever" (NKJV). Colossians 3:17 says, "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (NKJV). Then in Hebrews 13:15, we read, "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name" (NKJV, emphasis mine).
Sometimes worship and thanksgiving can indeed be a sacrifice. Why? Because we don't feel like it. It may be because we are down or depressed or things aren't going all that well for us. Maybe we are experiencing hardship or a tragedy has struck, and we don't want to thank God. But Psalm 106:1 doesn't say, "Give thanks to the Lord because you feel good." It says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good."
We are quick to ask for help, but we are slow in returning thanks. Yet we should be just as definite in giving thanks to God as we are in requesting help from Him. As a result, there are at least three things about giving thanks that we Christians need to know.
First, to give thanks, we must recognize that God is in control of all circumstances surrounding our lives, both good and bad. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (NKJV). God is paying attention to what is going on in our lives. And He knows what you are going through right now.
Second, we must realize that God loves us and is always looking out for our eternal benefit, even if what we are presently going through is difficult. As 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 says, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (NKJV).
Third, we must realize that God is wiser than we are. He is always dealing with us for our best eternal good, where in contrast, we are always interested in what is for our temporary good. But sometimes what is good for us eternally is not easy for us temporarily. God will make that determination and work in our lives accordingly.
When is the last time you said...
Lord, thank You that you have allowed me to live in the United States of America...
Thank You for my church and allowing me to be a part of it...
Thank You for sending Your Son to die on the cross for my sins...
Thank You that He rose again...
Thank You that my life, which was once filled with guilt, is now filled with Your purpose and peace...
Thank You that no matter what happens, You are coming back again for me...?
There is so much to give thanks for. Have you been thanking God? Let's not wait until the fourth Thursday of November. Because for the Christian, every day should be Thanksgiving

Comment by Ladyjd721 on November 24, 2008 at 7:24am

TO KNOW CHRIST

Philippians 3:10-14
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Philippians+3:10-14

Father,

I want to do this because I want to know Christ and the power of
his resurrection, and be allowed even to share in his sufferings,
becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the
resurrection from the dead.

Dear Father, I know that I have not made this my own yet, but one
thing let me do: Let me forget what lies behind and strain forward
to what lies ahead. Help me to keep pressing forward toward the
goal so that I may win the prize according to your will in Christ
Jesus, my Lord.

In his name of our Lord Jesus I ask these things and pray that you
will grant us a spirit of perseverance unto eternal life. Amen.

Comment by Ladyjd721 on November 24, 2008 at 6:17am

A Moment of Thanks
Dr. David Jeremiah
Life is hard, and every day is challenging. You may be wondering just now if you can go on. Perhaps another person is vexing you. Perhaps you've been maligned or criticized. You're discouraged with unanswered prayer. Maybe you're feeling like Elijah under the broom tree, wanting to die.
Try praying with thanksgiving. A thankful attitude is the cure for many emotional ailments. Take depression, for example. What is depression or discouragement except the total collapse of thanksgiving in our lives?
Thanksgiving is also the opposite of discontent. It's easy for us to become disgruntled with various factors in our lives; but let's be like one man who was thankful...
* For the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.
* For all the complaining I hear about the government because it means that I have freedom of speech.
* For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I am alive.
* For the teenager who is not doing dishes but is watching TV because that means he is at home and not on the streets.
* For the taxes that I pay because it means that I'm employed.
* For the lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.
* For weariness at the end of the day because it means I have been capable of working hard.
* For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking and that I have been blessed with transportation.
Thanksgiving is the opposite of anxiety. Philippians 4:6: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." Worship and worry cannot live in the same heart. They are mutually exclusive, according to Ruth Graham.
Thanksgiving is also the corrective for sadness and even grief. While working on a message from Psalm 100, my phone rang. It was from a family dear to me. Our children were about the same age and had played together growing up.
The caller told me there had been an accident in the woods, and a portion of a tree had fallen on one of the boys. He'd been pinned for over an hour before the ambulance arrived, and it appeared the young man would be paralyzed from the waist down. His spinal cord had been crushed.
Well, that just destroyed my afternoon. I couldn't get it out of my mind. This was a blond-headed kid, very athletic, full of life; and in one moment, his life was shattered and changed. I wrestled with my own thoughts and emotions until evening, then I placed a call to the intensive care unit of the hospital. Frankly, I didn't know what to say; but I didn't have to say much at all. The boy's father ended up comforting me.
He said, "Pastor, I want you to know that my wife and I are, first of all, thankful that our son is alive. Second, we're thanking God that it wasn't the upper part of his body that was paralyzed. And thirdly, though we don't understand why, we know God is good and that somehow in the midst of this, He has a plan for our son's life that must go beyond anything we can imagine. Though it's hard and we wish it hadn't happened, we have committed it to our God, for He is good."
Is the race of life wearing you down?
Try a moment of thanks.

Comment by Ladyjd721 on November 19, 2008 at 4:28am

VERSE:
And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when
thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when
thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
-- Deuteronomy 11:19
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Deuteronomy+11:19&translation=kjv

THOUGHT:
Moses gives us three crucial messages about God's commandments.
First, as parents, it is our responsibility to teach them to our
children -- not the responsibility of the government, or of the
schools, nor even our churches. Second, we are to teach them in the
everyday course of life as we go about our routines as a family.
Third, we are to teach them continuously by both our words and our
lives as we raise our children.

PRAYER:
O LORD God, please bless me as I seek to impart my faith to
others, especially to those in my family. Please bless me with a
consistent and faithful witness to them and the right words to say
when the time is right. Give me the courage and sensitivity to say
it with loving respect, and the courage to live as a strong
Christian example for my children and grandchildren. In Jesus' name
I pray. Amen.

Comment by Ladyjd721 on November 18, 2008 at 4:35am

Finishing Well
Ken Boa
We sing the song, "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back," but why is it that so many people do? There seems to be an epidemic of Christians who begin well but finish poorly. Let me share seven crucial characteristics that will help you to finish well.
1. Intimacy With Christ.
Our highest calling is to grow in our knowledge of Christ and to make Him known to others. Does our desire to know Christ exceed all other aspirations? If not, whatever is taking His place in the center of our affections must yield to Him if we are to know the joy of bearing spiritual fruit. A key secret of those who finish well is to focus more on loving Jesus than on avoiding sin. The more we love Jesus, the more we will learn to put our confidence in Him alone.
2. Fidelity With Spiritual Disciplines
Spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fellowship, study, worship, and submission are not ends in themselves, but means to the end of intimacy with Christ and spiritual formation. When left to itself, however, any one of these disciplines tends to decline and decay. An infusion of directed intentionality and effort is necessary to sustain order and growth and to bring repeated times of personal renewal.
3. A Biblical Perspective On The Circumstances Of Life.
Part of the purpose of our suffering and trials is to drive us to dependence on God alone. God responds by revealing more of Himself to us. This knowledge increases our faith and our capacity to trust His character and His promises through the times we do not understand His purposes and His ways. When we view our circumstances in light of God's character instead of God's character in light of our circumstances, we come to see that God is never indifferent to us, and that He uses suffering for our good so we will be more fully united to Christ.
4. A Teachable, Responsive, and Humble Spirit.
Those who finish well maintain an ongoing learning posture through the seasons of their lives. Humility and responsive obedience are the keys to maintaining a teachable spirit.
Humility is the disposition in which we displace self through the enthronement of Christ in our lives and realize that all of life is about trust in God. Obedience is the application of biblical faith in that which is not seen, and that which is not yet. As we mature in Christ, we learn to trust God's character and promises in spite of ambiguity or trials.
5. A Clear Sense Of Personal Calling.
God has called each of us to a purposeful journey sustained by faithfulness and growing hope. This calling or vocation transcends our occupations and endures beyond the end of our careers. As we seek the Lord's guidance in developing a personal vision and clarity of mission, we move beyond the level of tasks and accomplishments to the level of the purpose for which we were created.
6. Healthy Relationships with Resourceful People.
Relationships such as spiritual mentoring, servant leadership, and personal and group accountability are valuable resources that encourage, equip, and exhort. People who finish well do not do so without the caring support of other growing members of the body of Christ. These relationships help us to increase in intimacy with Christ, maintain the needed disciplines, clarify our long-term perspective, sustain a teachable attitude, and develop our purpose and calling.
7. Ongoing Ministry Investment In The Lives Of Others.
Spirit-filled living requires us to discover and develop the spiritual gifts we have received and exercise them through the Spirit's power for the edification of others. Believers who finish well are marked by ongoing outreach and sacrificial ministry for the good of other people.
Those who squander the resources, gifts, experiences, and hard-learned insights God has given them by no longer investing them in the lives of others soon wither and withdraw.
What does it take to finish well? Taking to heart the above seven characteristics will help you finish well day by day, as you "run with endurance the race that is set before [you]" (Heb. 12:1).

Comment by Ladyjd721 on November 18, 2008 at 3:04am

The Heart of Jesus

The Son does whatever the Father does.
John 5:19 (NCV)

The crowning attribute of Christ was this: his heart was spiritual. His
thoughts reflected his intimate relationship with the Father. "I am in the
Father and the Father is in me," he stated (John 14:11)....


Jesus took his instructions from God. It was his habit to go to worship
(Luke 4:16). It was his practice to memorize Scripture (Luke 4:4). Luke says
Jesus "often slipped away to be alone so he could pray" (Luke 5:16). His
times of prayer guided him. He once returned from prayer and announced it
was time to move to another city (Mark 1:38). Another time of prayer
resulted in the selection of the disciples (Luke 6:12-13). Jesus was led by
an unseen hand....


The heart of Jesus was spiritual.


From: Just Like Jesus
Copyright (Word Publishing, 1998)
Max Lucado

Comment by Ladyjd721 on November 16, 2008 at 12:36pm

SETBACKS INTO STEPPING STONES

Philippians 1:12-20
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Philippians+1:12-20

Dear Father,

Take the setbacks of our lives and use them to further the
proclamation of your Good News about Jesus to the world.

Let such things become a source of encouragement to our brethren
when they see the valor of those who bear up under adversity. May
every hardship spur your people on to boldly speak your word
without fear!

Even when your word is proclaimed for the wrong reason, we
rejoice, for your word of salvation is nevertheless proclaimed.

Father, we rejoice in the way you comfort and remain faithful to
us.

We are thankful that the prayers of our fellow believers rise
night and day for us and for the good of your kingdom.

In the name of King Jesus I ask. Amen.

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