It's time to Pray

Please forgive me for interrupting our normal style of TGN- but prayer is strongly being pressed on my heart. So I'm giving it priority while I am led to; praying the Word. Please continue to pray.

Prayer: LORD, You know our hearts, You know our feelings and emotions; You know that serving You brings mighty criticism from others, from unbelievers and believers. The criticism is there; we typically do all we can to avoid it. Give us the strength to take the pain to do what is right at all times. There is no more time to waste. Make each one of us like an olive tree, flourishing in Your house; I trust in Your unfailing love for ever and ever. I will praise You forever for what You have done; in Your Name I will hope, for Your Name is Good. I will praise you in the presence of Your saints. Let us praise You together always. I pray this in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen (Psalm 52/2 Corinthians 8)


*Continue to pray for the Church (believers, pastors, leaders, all ministry in and outside the walls of the church, over the Word, pray over how we will reach the community and world). It is a crucial time to get on our knees and do so. I can't stress enough how important it is that we all do this now.


**In flowing with the Holy Spirit, we'll be back with Matthew 27:45-56-The Death of Jesus, soon. Let's focus on this specific prayer today!**

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"Through God's mercy I have this ministry, I will not lose heart... I do not preach myself, but Jesus Christ as LORD and myself as the servant of the people for Jesus' sake." 2 Corinthians 4:1,5

Scripture & Prayer from NIV Women's Devotional Bible-Classic Edition.

www.thegoodnews4yourlife.blogspot.com "Providing you with what you already have access to in the most convenient way. So that we all can continue to grow in wisdom & understanding of God."


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Pray for the Church

Prayer: LORD, You are calling us to pray for the church!!!! Not only the body of believers but also specific congregations. There is so much going on in this world, in our country, our communities; so many prayer requests and needs in our church family; Have mercy, O God according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion, blot out our transgressions, wash away all out iniquities and foolishness. Cleanse us from sin. Forgive us LORD, because of our arrogance and pride, against You and only You, have we sinned and done what was evil in Your sight. If sin had it's way, we would never make it. But Your grace and mercy are on our side. You will not let us fall into the enemy's hands. Instead, You bring darkness to light, you expose- so that we can correct. It's time for Your people to come together and stop allowing silliness and unimportant things to separate us. Our love for You should bring us together. Cleanse us LORD, whiter than snow. Let us begin to hear joy and gladness in the church. Create in each of us a pure heart, O God and renew a steadfast spirit within us. Shake us out of routine and let us be sensitive and obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit in every ministry within and outside the walls of the church building. Let us respond to Your call for corporate prayer. Praying with one another whenever we get the chance and praying for one another at all times. Do not cast us from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from us. We cannot blame anything on the world/unbelievers. It is our responsibility. We hold the light of Your Son, we know the Truth, we are called to be different- to separate ourselves from sin and be renewed by the transforming of our minds. Transformed by Your powerful Word. LORD, we have been lazy; please forgive us for not keeping You fresh in our lives. We've allowed You to slip back to second, third, fourth- even last place in our lives. We are called to bring forth Your presence in everything we do. Not just what we choose to let You reveal Yourself in. Who is in control here? You are. We know it's all better in Your hands, yet we fall back into thinking we know best. Perfect in us LORD patience for You. Restore us to the joy of Your salvation and grant a willing spirit to sustain each and every one of Your children.
I bind in the name of Jesus, every attempt of the enemy to use Your people and Your Word to taint Your name, to call forth evil and hateful deeds. Our God is a loving God who loves those we find it hard to love. For You it is effortless! Forgive us for ascribing completely false attributes to Your character LORD. Protect Your children, so that we will teach this world Your ways; so that sinner will turn back to You. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and repentant heart. This brokenness is the time when we fully realize- "Not my way" BUT ONLY GOD'S WAY will we be successful.
You are a God who saves and there is no better time than now to save! Let Your children sing of Your righteousness always and never be ashamed to do so. LORD, open our lips and let our mouths declare Your praise. In Your good pleasure make Zion prosper. We need Your rain!
Please continue to touch us, have mercy upon us, guide us and protect us. Please help us to feel your presence and experience your peace in the midst of it all. Thank you, loving and merciful God. In the Savior's name I pray, amen.
(Psalm 48-51/ 2 Corinthians 6-7 & PTWG)

*If you attend a weekly service, please pray for your pastors and leaders, pray for your congregation, pray over the Word being taught, pray over how you all will reach the community and world. It is a crucial time to get on our knees and do so. If you don't attend, pray for the pastor you watch on television or listen to on the radio, pray for your friend's church or your family members'. I can't stress enough how important it is that we all do this now.

**In flowing with the Holy Spirit, we'll be back with Matthew 27:45-56-The Death of Jesus, tomorrow morning. Let's focus on this specific prayer today!**

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"Through God's mercy I have this ministry, I will not lose heart... I do not preach myself, but Jesus Christ as LORD and myself as the servant of the people for Jesus' sake." 2 Corinthians 4:1,5

Scripture & Prayer from NIV Women's Devotional Bible-Classic Edition. Parts of prayer from Prime Time With God.

www.thegoodnews4yourlife.blogspot.com "Providing you with what you already have access to in the most convenient way. So that we all can continue to grow in wisdom & understanding of God."

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TGN: Labor Day Message

This has been on my heart all day. I definitely receive it as command for myself; but I have a strong urge that it will confirm something for someone reading this today:

"BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD" Psalm 46:10

We'll be back with Matthew 27:45-56-The Death of Jesus, Tuesday morning.

Have a great Monday!

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TGN: The Death of Jesus

YOUR AMAZING COMMENTS:

RE: TGN : Fully Conscious (9/2/09)
"All 'The Good News' is good. But, this one is really enlightening."

Re: TGN: We Know in Part (9/3/09)
"That was beautiful.....the prayer was beautiful!!! Thank you Jesus...I am about to shout up in this piece. "

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Prayer (for you to pray as it applies to you or someone in your life): LORD, You deserve the highest praise; You deserve ALL the praise. Let me shout to You with cries of joy, no matter what I am going through. Let my praise not be depended on what You do for me in my timing, but let me lift Your Name on High because of Who You are. How awesome You are, the LORD Most High, the King over all the earth! I sing praises to You. You not only reign over nations but You reign over my life. How great You are to be concerned about me and everything of me. Even seated on Your holy throne, You are thinking about me. I belong to You and only You LORD. I stand in awe of You. Be exalted and lift up forever and ever! In Jesus' name. Amen. (Psalm 47/Ecclesiastes 5)
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DEATH & RESURRECTION OF JESUS, THE KING

Matthew 27

The Death of Jesus v. 45-56

From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"-which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."
Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"
Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons (James and John).
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The most important thing is to first read the Word. Then begin to ask God to reveal some of the things you don't understand or get. I encourage all of us to really know the accounts of Jesus life, death and resurrection.

TGN will go into deeper detail of the above scripture next week.

Have a wonderful weekend! No matter if it's 2 or 3 days for you- enjoy it to the fullest.
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"Through God's mercy I have this ministry, I will not lose heart... I do not preach myself, but Jesus Christ as LORD and myself as the servant of the people for Jesus' sake." 2 Corinthians 4:1,5

Scripture & Prayer from NIV Women's Devotional Bible-Classic Edition. Notes from The Study Application Bible.

www.thegoodnews4yourlife.blogspot.com "Providing you with what you already have access to in the most convenient way. So that we all can continue to grow in wisdom & understanding of God."


Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

TGN: We Know in Part

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Prayer (for you to pray as it applies to you or someone in your life): God, You are my refuge and strength. An ever-present help in trouble. You see the trouble that I will never know about and take care of it. Therefore I will not fear even when things fall down before me. Just because it looks bad or feels bad- doesn't necessarily mean good will not come out of it. You, the LORD Almighty is with me. The God of Jacob is my fortress. Let the world see Your works LORD. You command me to "Be still, and know that (You) are God; (You) will be exalted among the nations, (You) will be exalted in the earth.". You spoke it and Your words never return void. In the pressures of the greatest responsibilities, in the worry of the smallest cares, in the perplexities of life's moments of crisis: I will rest in the security of Your Will. What the world worries about, will not cause concern in my life; because in Your beautiful rest, I will have a calmness of spirit and my soul will reflect Your beauty. My presence will calm the uproar in the lives of others, as the uproars of my own life have been calmed in Your holy presence. In the name of Your courageous Son, Jesus. Amen. (Psalm 46)
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DEATH & RESURRECTION OF JESUS, THE KING

Matthew 27

The Crucifixion *part 4* v. 36-44

And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: "THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS." Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"
In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God. ' " In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
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We can be some cruel individuals. Can't we? We will sit and judge someone, treat them unkind, talk about them, ignore them- as if we have never done anything wrong in our own life. Or we count our sin as not as bad as another's. News flash-a sin is a sin. None is better than the other. Though the worse sin is to deny the Holy Spirit; if you commit murder, I am no better than you just because I lied. They are all sins against God.

Now we really get ugly when we condemn someone without any proof or in clear awareness that the accusation is a lie. These people knew they were doing Jesus wrong. What they didn't know is what they were accusing Him of (down to the very sign above His head); He was in the very process of fulfilling His own prophecy.

Because Jesus is the Son of God, who always obeys the Will of the Father, as the people demanded proof from Him; He did not come down from the cross. Everything He did was because it was in obedience to the Father. He didn't need the glory of men, He was the glory of the LORD.

How does this relate to our own lives? Well first, people will ridicule you, people will accuse you, people will put you down. But you have to remember, your entire life is in purpose of God's Will, therefore don't ever feel you have to prove something to man that will take you out of your purpose for God.

And second, let's begin to treat one another with kindness- especially when we don't understand someone, and even more when they are not kind to us. Don't push people to become what benefits you, encourage them to be all the God has created them to be in any way you can. No matter how genius we are, we still will never know everything ("we know in part" 1 Corinthians 13:9) and you never know what God is working out in any given situation.

KEEP PRAYING OVER EVERYTHING!

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"Through God's mercy I have this ministry, I will not lose heart... I do not preach myself, but Jesus Christ as LORD and myself as the servant of the people for Jesus' sake." 2 Corinthians 4:1,5

Scripture & Prayer from NIV Women's Devotional Bible-Classic Edition (H. Smith). Notes from The Study Application Bible.

www.thegoodnews4yourlife.blogspot.com "Providing you with what you already have access to in the most convenient way. So that we all can continue to grow in wisdom & understanding of God."

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

TGN : Fully Conscious

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Prayer (for you to pray as it applies to you or someone in your life): Father God, on behalf of truth, humility and righteousness let me do all things victoriously. And in all things, I mean the awesome deeds by which are ordained by Your Holiness. In all things, I mean in service with love to Your people. In all things, I mean from what I think, to what I do. Let it all be in honor of You. Thank You for correction, thank You for moving me to the next stage and on the next level in Your perfect timing, thank You for always being massive steps ahead of me, thank You for Your loving right hand that is always over my life. Truly, with humbled appreciation thank You. There is no one who deserves the praise like You do. Hallelujah. Thank You Jesus. Amen.
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DEATH & RESURRECTION OF JESUS, THE KING

Matthew 27

The Crucifixion *part 3* v. 34

There (the soldiers) offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall (a narcotic used to deaden pain); but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.
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When Jesus was offered the wine mixed with gall, He refused to drink it because of what was in it. Gall is generally understood to be a narcotic that was used to deaden pain. That wasn't the plan for Jesus. Jesus would suffer fully conscious and with a clear mind.

What do you use to block the pain in your heart? Drugs, alcohol, sex, food, tv, music, isolation, sleep, depression (some people find comfort in it), excessive control, anger... ? Whatever it is, trip this-we DON'T need it! And let's rebuke the lie, some of these things are not used just to have a good time, or to rest- they are used to dull the pain. But the catch is that once you're back in reality, the pain is still there. Ironically, we keep turning to these empty, lifeless remedies.

Take a great lesson from our Friend Jesus, who suffered way more than we ever will. Jesus was without fault and still willingly did what His life was created for, consciously and with a clear mind. This is how much He trusted His Father.
Honestly, most of the time we make the dumb decisions that bring on our pain, and we allow that guilt to draw us away from God. It's time to trust our Father! It's time to bring all the pain and suffering to Him so that He can deal with it and remove it.

Let's all commit today and every day to stop taking our relief in our own hands; and let God take it in His. Even when we suffer, let's keep clear minds in order to turn to God and to not give the enemy any room to get in. Don't you want to live the life that you were created for? I know I do! It took me several years to figure this all out, but I'm glad that I finally get it and exercise it in my life. It is awesome to see God move quickly and efficiently on my behalf. The killers I use to turn to no longer control me nor entice me when it comes to the comfort I need.

To be totally clear, this message is speaking to that deep emotional pain inside of you; the pain that feels like it will never go away and it seems that no one can help you. Well, God can and will. Make it easy and let Him. No matter how hard it is for us to do it, go Nike and "just do it!"

WHAT IS YOUR GALL?
-spit it out!
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"Through God's mercy I have this ministry, I will not lose heart... I do not preach myself, but Jesus Christ as LORD and myself as the servant of the people for Jesus' sake." 2 Corinthians 4:1,5

Scripture & Prayer from NIV Women's Devotional Bible-Classic Edition. Notes from The Study Application Bible.

www.thegoodnews4yourlife.blogspot.com "Providing you with what you already have access to in the most convenient way. So that we all can continue to grow in wisdom & understanding of God." LT

Are you receiving anything from the Good News? Share with us!


Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

TGN: Burden

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Prayer (for you to pray as it applies to you or someone in your life): You are humbling me dear God. I know it and as hard as it is at times, I welcome it because You are only raising me up to be mature in Your ways. You are raising me to do what You created me to do in Your name only. I have sinned and perverted what was right, but because of Your mercy and grace I did not get what I deserved. You redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I thank You because I will live to enjoy the light. Your awesome light. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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DEATH & RESURRECTION OF JESUS, THE KING

Matthew 27

The Crucifixion *part 2* v. 32

As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.
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If you are not aware, the four gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) recount many of the same experiences through different eyes. So be prepared to read Scripture that will ring in your head as "familiar" but trust- it will reveal something new to you or just remind you of something important each time. The crucifixion is an account that we will revisit in the next 3 gospels.

What torture Jesus had to endure. In this day, condemned prisoners had to carry their own crosses to the execution site. Jesus, weakened from the beatings He had received, was physically unable to carry His cross any farther. Thus, a bystanders, Simon (verse 32), was forced to do so. What an honor this man Simon had, probably without even realizing it. He actually was able to carry the physical burden of the cross with Jesus. He was forced, which probably meant that he refused. But he still did it. Can we take a journey back to Matthew 11:28, when Jesus told the crowd "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

There is absolute freedom in Jesus, that is the truth. But while in this world where satan is- there is a burden that comes with serving Jesus. And many of us do not want to carry it, just like Simon didn't. The burden of being rejected, talked about and judged; the burden of sin, excessive demands of religious leaders, family members and friends, oppression and persecution, weariness in the search for God and the list can go on.

Jesus frees us from ALL burdens. The rest that Jesus promises comes from His fulfillment on the cross. Love, healing, and peace with God are His promises. A relationship with God changes meaningless, wearisome toil/labor into spiritual productivity and purpose. There was purpose in Simon carrying the cross with Jesus. When we are beaten down emotionally, physically and spiritually, Jesus does exactly as Simon did- He is right there to take those burdens off of us. There is purpose in serving Jesus each and every day of our lives. The blessing is that Jesus will not refuse to help us; BUT He will not force Himself upon us either. We have to make the decision and take action in the choices we make every day to join Jesus and live the way He commands. It will be hard- there is no doubt about it. You will have to take stand after stand opposite popular opinion and behaviors. But it will definitely be worth it.

There is no way Simon wasn't changed from making that journey with Jesus. And there is no way you will not be changed in allowing Him to take the journey with you.

FIND YOUR REST IN THE LORD!

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"Through God's mercy I have this ministry, I will not lose heart... I do not preach myself, but Jesus Christ as LORD and myself as the servant of the people for Jesus' sake." 2 Corinthians 4:1,5

Scripture & Prayer from NIV Women's Devotional Bible-Classic Edition. Notes from The Study Application Bible.

www.thegoodnews4yourlife.blogspot.com "Providing you with what you already have access to in the most convenient way. So that we all can continue to grow in wisdom & understanding of God." LT

Are you receiving anything from the Good News? Share with us!


Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry