Ministry of Prayer - Prayer, Worship, Deliverance

Lord of all creation - I come to You now in the name of this Jesus I have heard about. I was born into a sinful world and have lived in ignorance and rebellion to Your truth. Jesus, I accept You as God manifested in the flesh, born as an offering for my sins. Born to pay the price I am unable to pay - the price required for restored fellowship with my Creator.

I am sorry for all my sins and turn away from them. Please forgive me and make me a vessel fit for Your use. I release any bitterness or unforgiveness in my heart and ask You to deal with those situations. I believe You were born of a virgin, died on the cross, rose from the dead on the third day, ascended into heaven and are now sitting at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for me.

You are now Lord of my life.

JESUS IS COMING SOON! HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE IF WE NEGLECT SO GREAT A SALVATION?

Confess Jesus before men and He will confess you before the Father.
Take me home now please.

may 23

glimpses of glory

"but as it is written: “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. 1 cor 2:9

man has always sought to fill that gaping hole left by God that only He could fill; that only He could complete. there was a movie awhile back that contained a famous line. when a man suddenly realized the love of his life, he faced them and uttered the words, "you complete me." well, God's completes us. until then we are at a lost for the true meaning of life.

many strive to complete themselves, searching to fulfill that innate ability placed within by the god-like ability He shared with man with His breath of life. that was clearly demonstrated in genesis 11 where God confused the language of men to keep them from reaching into the heavens. "and the Lord said, 'indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them'" gen 11:6

then there are others who have found their way back to the light and desire to do it God's way. they seek not so much the "things" of the Creator as the Creator Himself. it's called love and it is what God is all about. "Jesus said to him, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' this is the first and great commandment. and the second is like it: 'you shall love your neighbor as yourself.' on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." matt 22:37-40

this is indeed what all the law and prophets were about; molding us back from sin and once again into the likeness of God. moses once asked to see God's glory. he knew it must be something spectacular because he has witnessed His power. instead, God chose to reveal His goodness, and even then moses had to be hidden in the cleft of the rock as insulation from His majesty, and still, could only view His back side. His power and glory was hidden in His goodness. that revelation was enabled by the fact Jesus was that rock, fully man and fully God, the bridge and only enabler of such a task, and that is why He is the only One worthy to release the judgments of God.

but the day is coming when all shall see Him face to face. then, "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth" phil 2:10 it will be either terrifying for many or an overwhelming sense of completion by others.

this life we now live is not life but a "trying time." when judgement comes and the division is decided, will you be standing on the right or left side of God's division line? one will mean eternal bliss while the others consists only of terrors and torments, justice and judgment

glimpses of His glory; ours are faint indeed compared to the prophets of old and writers of the new testament; the old testament being Christ concealed and the new being Christ revealed. but even now He allows us the faintest of glimpses which draw us ever more towards the calling set before us; our blessed hope and completion in Christ.

and now, we near His crowning dealing with mankind; the rapture and receiving us unto Himself. "he who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still." rev 22:11

to the righteous He says, "come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past." isa 26:20 to the unjust and filthy He will say, because you "'agitated Me with all these things, surely I will also recompense your deeds on your own head,' says the Lord God. 'and you shall not commit lewdness in addition to all your abominations.'" eze 16:43

i truly believe the time of our rapture grows very, very close; perhaps even as close as this span of time we call 2025. yes, that close. i see the edges of this age folding in upon itself and i shudder for those still in blindness and yet sure of themselves and their path. you may be surrounded by christians such as your self, but i assure you, most of the world are not attentive to the things of the Spirit. the blind now lead the blind as they near the very edge of eternity. perhaps their next step will be their final one into destruction.

"have you not known? have you not heard? has it not been told you from the beginning? have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?... to whom then will you liken Me, or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.... have you not known? have you not heard? the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." isa 40:21,25,28-30

now that's a "glimpse of glory."

may23 - glimpses of glory

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WE STAND WITH ISRAEL!

May

A SPECIAL MESSAGE
ministry of prayer in action

my mentor, paula rayburn, sat at her kitchen window one morning looking out at the most vacant lots surrounding her square block in alvarado. she could imagine homes built that would temporarily house abused women and children as they transitioned to a new life. she worked in community services and counseled many as they came and went (often without all the help they needed). she was a strong woman of God with a gift of discernment and operated heavily in the ministry of deliverance. (yes, deliverance is a ministry; one we all need a measure of on occasion.)

that was just a part of her ministry. she also felt led to do more, as though called to give her life for Jesus. she formed the ministry of prayer and obtained her authorization from the government, knowing it would take God's guidance alone to accomplish all in her heart. she officially received her tax-exempt notice in january of 1999.

she has since gone home to our Lord but family and friends continue the work she birthed by one woman's faith in a God of the impossible.

my testimony

unfortunately, i have been in and out of Jesus most of my life. if i had "stayed in", i would have definitely saved myself much heartache. i suppose it wasn't until 1982 that my lasting commitment began.

i have tried to live my personal witness but never really felt myself "called into ministry". it wasn't until 1999 when my dear friend paula was led to form the "Ministry of Prayer" -- and somehow she just kind of dragged me along. i didn't even consent to be on the board for several years -- even though i helped her in every way i could. i even helped her get her 501(c)3 to be officially recognized as tax exempt.

i have always been kind of a passenger on the bus instead of the driver. behind-the-scenes is where i feel most useful. i maintain her websites, do the newsletter, graphics and printing needs. i have been in the printing industry all my life.

if there are any rewards to be had for my portion, they certainly belong to paula. and if there is ever any glory, i gladly pass it all up to Jesus. every time i consider His most precious gift it overwhelms me and tears flow freely. paula has always said i was a worshiper.

my part

we have since done many wonderful things. as designated administrator of world outreach, i will only speak of my part and what i know for sure. our activities have mostly been in nigeria, kenya and in india. being a small ministry has not limited the scope of lives we touched, influenced and changed. after all, it only took one Jesus to change the whole world. it only took - THE Jesus. "therefore God, Your God has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions." psa 45:7b

we have built homes and churches for those desiring to reach the many lost in their own country. we have built wells for the thirsty and purchased food for the hungry. we have clothed many of the naked and comforted their grieving hearts. all this has been done to christian and muslim alike so the love of Christ would be revealed. and the little children, how He loves the little children and so do we.

the stories i could relate; stories of battles and victories against witchcraft and demonic activity as the muslims surrounding did all they could to extinguish us and the work. and now the whole world is waking up to those same spiritual forces. assuredly we battle not against flesh and blood but spiritual force in high places. as i look at the state os israel on the map i say, "but God, she is so small." but our God is enough!

conclusion

now as i look back at all our work i am honestly surprised God could use such a soul as me. He can use anyone, even you. our ministry work still continues in it's many works and now God has allowed this simple soul to reach out to a kind of ministry of her own; a prison ministry. "for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me." matt 25:35-36

how fitting that God would use my dwindling years to fill out the the assignment we all were given. it is now a race to see which comes first - the rapture or our long awaited reward; to see Jesus face to face.

have any of us ever stopped to consider how many lives our life touches? and what kind of affect it has had on them. there's so much i think i should have, could have and wished i had done different. so much could have been done better. but we must be as paul. "forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead" phil 3:13b we must all press ahead. as long as there is breath in my body, let it serve His purposes and His glory.

now before anyone tries to think i boast of myself let me make it plainly clear: we are saved by faith in the atoning blood of Jesus alone. it's possible to have no faith and no works. it's also possible to have works and no faith. but it's impossible to have true saving faith and no works. christianity is not about faith and works either. salvation begins with faith alone, but genuine christianity is about a faith that works. "which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." eph 2:10b

one of my frequent, fervent prayers is that God never be ashamed to be called my God. we are call christians because are supposed to be Christ-like. not just in the proper places at the proper times but at all times. i will forever strive to be called a christian and i pray i never cause shame to be cast on that precious name i an called by.

We are all just a ripple in the ocean of time.

"Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."
Jeremiah 33:3