tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39037727662338326802024-03-05T16:48:56.501-08:00From Playmate to Preacher Rescued From ShameJoin me as I journey to the next season of my life.Rev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-39000864305272134142014-06-23T19:43:00.001-07:002014-07-27T17:22:34.569-07:00Five Keys To Hearing God's Voice<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Hearing the voice of God is the birthright of a
born-again believer and there are several scriptures in the Bible that help us
realize this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John 10:27 says, “My sheep
hear My voice and I know them, and they follow me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Rev 3:20 it says, “Behold, I stand at the
door and knock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If anyone hears My voice
and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We see in Genesis 3:8a, "...they heard the sound
of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day..." This is
how God wants to relate to us today as well. It is God's desire to walk with
and to communicate with His children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The most difficult part of hearing God is the fact that it takes time to
learn to discern God's voice--and it takes a humble heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The writer of Hebrews tells us that we can train our
ear to recognize the voice of God above all the noise. "But solid food
belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have
their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Hebrews 5:14). It
is by practicing, by reason of use, that we are able to discern whether what we
hear is of God, our flesh, or the Devil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, when you know someone intimately, you know their voice.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In the book of Habakkuk he is asking the Lord
questions pertaining to his life and why things are the way they are; not
unlike those things we ask the Lord today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In Chapter one verse two he says, “O Lord how long shall I cry, and You will
not hear?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the Lord did hear and He
did answer Him, which gives us the full assurance that the Lord answers when we
call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is not a dead God, He’s alive,
which means when He speaks we can hear His voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As I write this blog, Pastor Tim Clark, senior
pastor of The Church on the Way in Van Nuys, California, has declared a season
of “PAUSE.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During this time we are
waiting for a powerful move of the Holy Spirit and for the Lord to utterly have
His way in our personal lives, and in the life of our church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are expecting God to order our steps as we
wait for Him to speak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, in order
to hear Him, we must quiet ourselves and “listen.” This was the "word of
the Lord' given by one of our most respected elders and a world renowned Bible
teacher and author, Joy Dawson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Like Habakkuk we can take a position before God that
enables us to hear His voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The five
keys to hearing God’s voice below are just a few ways God speaks to us
today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Habakkuk 2:1-3 says:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">I wil</span></span>l stand my
watch</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And set myself
on the rampart,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And watch to see
what He will say to me,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And what I will
answer when I am corrected.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Then the Lord
answered me and said:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Write the
vision</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And make it
plain on tablets,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">That he may run
who reads it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">For the vision
is yet for an appointed time;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But at the end
it will speak, and it will not lie.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Though it
tarries, wait for it;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Because it will
surely come,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It will not
tarry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">1)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meet
with the Lord regularly in a special place of prayer. “I will stand my watch” I
will set myself on rampart, or I will stand fortified, I will strengthen
myself.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My friends recently gave me a plaque that says, “The
Throne Room.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s in my living
room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s what I consider my prayer
closet; a place where I meet the Lord every day and have intimate
conversations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s where I worship Him
and give Him all my petitions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Designate
a place to meet the Lord in your home.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">2)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look
for God to speak to you in dreams and visions. I will “watch to see.”</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This is where I get the most revelation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God has always given me prophetic dreams and
visions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And whether it is a vision in
prayer or a dream when I am sleeping, God speaks to me by giving direction,
exhortation or reproof.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen to what
the Lord is saying to you through your dreams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They may be prophetic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They may
also be bad pizza, but the action word here is, “watch to see”.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">3)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen
for the word of the Lord - It must be motivating to you and cause you to run
with it. “He will say to me.” It’s not always easy to listen to God especially
when it’s a reproof—we are innately against correction. That’s because we are
sin nature.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">And listening is an art in itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1 Kings Chp. 19:11, 12 it says: “Go out,
and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and
a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces
before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an
earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake, and after the earthquake a
fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small
voice.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">God spoke to Elijah in a still small voice’, I’ve
also known God to be very loud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The key
is to quiet yourself so you can listen, really listen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elijah went to the mountain, but your
mountain can be any place you are quiet, a place where you set your heart to
hear what God has to say. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Listening requires a great deal of maturity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of you are gifted at listening, while
others are not; but it is extremely important if you are expecting to hear from
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> There are times when we </span>are all desperate to hear from
the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I've</span>
literally begged God to speak to me about certain things and heard nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Until one day </span>I realized, I was doing all the
talking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hadn’t positioned myself to
listen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> After recalling when the Lord had spoken to me, </span>I decided it was usually when I wasn’t thinking, I wasn’t talking, I wasn’t busy doing things, in
fact it’s almost always when I’m in the restroom or doing the dishes (private
confessions).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A place where my body,
soul and spirit are paused—a quiet place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A place where God knows I am perfectly still.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems I’m able to listen better when I am
in one of those two places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There are other places the Lord speaks to me
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, first thing in the
morning before I have poured my coffee, when my brain isn’t working, I’m
sitting on the side of my bed feeling cold and sleepy, He almost always gives
me scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another place God’s speaks
to me is when I am in prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recently I
attended a prayer meeting with my girlfriends and the Lord showed me a picture
of everyone in the room wearing a different colored robe and the meaning of
each color pertaining to their lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>God was not only speaking to me, but to every person in the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">You may be saying to yourself, but God doesn’t speak
to me that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing I know for
sure, God speaks to all His children, we must learn to discern His voice, like
we would our children or our parents. After hearing from the Lord—we must trust
that what He has spoken will come to pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why trust? Because then we are in a position to obey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, why listen if you’re not going to
obey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pastor Jeff Lyle wrote this on his
twitter today:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"What a challenge it
is for those who would hear the voice of God on a matter concerning which their
minds are already made up." </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">God can speak to you through your pastor, God TV, a
friend, or even an ungodly person. God can use anyone to speak into our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even as I was readying this blog, I heard the
same message twice before I finally sat down to finish it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was God speaking to me!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">4)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep
a journal of the things that God says to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Write the vision, the vision must be plain and written on tablets.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I find if I don’t write things down, I forget them
or the enemy steals them from me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mark
it in your Bible and date it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That way,
you are building an altar of sort on the page or scripture to remember what God
said to you on that specific day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
also nice to go back and see what the Lord has promised you and/or the
scriptures He has given you to stand on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I find when I write it down I meditate on it all day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m actually feeding myself with spiritual
food.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">5)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wait
for God to bring it to pass. It must be received with patience, “It will surely
come.” </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">God immediately reassures us that the message is
truth. It may not be fulfilled right away. But it is God's truth, so we must
believe it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Though it tarries,
wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry" is also a
parallel construction. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It says the vision is for an appointed time and
there are often delays. When God delays, there is a purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He fulfills our promises when He knows we are
ready for them; thus the parallel construction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Though they tarry, they will not tarry. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Scripture says, He will never give us more than we
can take, it also means He will never give us what He hasn’t already prepared
our hearts for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The good news is
fulfillment is certain. For example, I was given a promise 20 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I heard the Lord speak to me, I said,
“Oh I can’t do that Lord.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It still
hasn’t come to pass, but I know God has it for me, and now I’m ready for it.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I think that’s the biggest misconception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s timing is not a Timex or Rolex or any
other kind of earthly watch maker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
a prophetic time, a Kairos time, an appointed time that only God knows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kairos is an ancient Greek word meaning the
right or opportune moment—the supreme moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>God may speak to you about what He’s going to do in your life, however,
if you get ahead of His timing the results unfortunately will not be the
same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Waiting is acknowledging He is
Lord over your life.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We must also recognize a very vital part of God’s
voice in the church are visions and prophecy, they must stay alive for the
church to thrive, for warnings and for edification.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The presence of vision creates hope and
brings change when articulated with enthusiasm. Luke 24:23 says, “When they did
not find Jesus’ body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of
angles who said He was alive!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gave
them hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In Hosea 12:10 it says, “I have spoken by the
prophets, And have multiplied visions. I have given symbols through the witness
of the prophets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Prov. 29:18 it says,
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law is
happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must receive and believe that
God-given dreams are possible. The presence or absence of vision will determine
whether or not people become lethargic or worse “cast off restraint” oblivious
to the law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, there is no
self-discipline.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In Matt. 2:12 it says, “They, being divinely warned
in a dream, that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own
country another way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What will you answer
when you are told to go another way?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When God speaks, do you listen?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And after you hear, do you obey?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">God desires to manifest those things He has promised
you in this new season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He longs to give
you the kind of eternal hope and life changing vision that turns your world
upside down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is ready to open a door
for you that no man can shut and give you all the desires of your heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My prayer is, when He speaks—we listen and
obey!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Rev. Daina House</span><br />
6/23/14</div>
Rev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-54303391290511164672014-05-07T13:24:00.002-07:002014-05-07T13:24:25.379-07:00Freedom Through A Fresh Circumcision Of The Heart<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Circumcision of the heart is the
habitual disposition of our soul which is termed holiness; and which directly
implies, that we are cleansed from sin, from all filthiness both of flesh and
spirit; and by consequence, endued with those virtues which were also in Christ
Jesus; being so renewed in the spirit of our mind, as to be perfect as our
Father in heaven is perfect. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The Word says in Deut. 10:16,
“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I understand this, it is to basically cut
away all impurity and filth of the heart, mind, soul and life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is this important? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know from my personal experience anything I do
not “cut off” continues to grow and prosper on its own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more I feed it, the more it grows and
ultimately consumes my thoughts, beliefs and behavior. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">When severing the unhealthy
thoughts, behaviors or beliefs from our hearts, we are basically taking what’s
ill and cauterizing it from our heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In order to allow that impurity portion to die, we have to disconnect
the life giving flow that’s feeding it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cutting off involves severing the impurity and allowing that severed
piece of one’s heart to die.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to
say, this is a process, a long process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And sometimes a very painful process as you can imagine, anything that
involves cutting will involve some pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, the pain is well worth it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is very important that our severing from
the old ways be as complete and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">continuous</i>
as possible.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">To obtain personal freedom and
wholeness, we must be delivered from every wrong attitude, old behavior,
generational curse, unforgiveness, blame, shame, etc., etc .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in order for this to happen, we must be
100% honest with ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we
have cut these things off—to sustain our freedom, we must read God’s word,
have a steady prayer and worship life and stay accountable to people who will
tell us the truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These disciplines
enlarge our hearts and transform our minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They help us walk in the truth of God’s will for our life; and advance
the process of freedom and holiness. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">If we allow the Spiritual
Circumcision of the Heart to change us, we become more internally motivated as
our hearts are changed—so that instead of relying on our minds to memorize
rules—there is a gradual movement from mental rules and disciplines to an
obedience rooted in the heart’s judgments and convictions.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">This circumcision ushers in God’s
wholeness and causes us to mature in the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Christian maturity is living out what God says we are in His Son.
Growing-up into the person God wants us to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We must be continually changed in order to fulfill our purpose, and
changing our hearts by a spiritual circumcision provides that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Duet. 30:6 says, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your
descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul, that you may live.”<o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Finally, I know how easy it is to
turn back to the impure way of thinking, believing and behaving if we haven’t
completely circumcised it from our hearts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If our hearts haven't changed, neither have
we.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s what Paul teaches us in the
Bible and what still speaks today. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Prayer Declaration:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lord, please d<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">eliver me from all impure thinking,
believing and behaving</span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span>I desire to be
free from anything that does not please You, that I may fulfill the purpose You
have for me and be an example to those around me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep me from turning back to those things I have
severed from my heart and give me the resurrection power to maintain my
wholeness and holiness in You.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">In Jesus name, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Amen</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Rev Daina House</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">5/6/14</span></div>
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<br />Rev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-870011108982861152014-04-02T13:33:00.001-07:002014-04-02T13:46:05.237-07:00Deliverance Comes Before HealingI recently read the Bible story about Naaman and was
intrigued by his predicament and the unusual way God healed him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After reading the story, I realized the Lord
was showing me <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">deliverance comes before healing</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many different circumstances can keep us from
getting healed, often times they are things we wouldn’t necessarily associate
with healing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course there are times
when we don’t get healed and that is a mystery to us all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, that’s not what I am writing about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
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I’m writing about what could’ve been Naaman’s deliverance before
his healing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a Deliverance Minister—I’m
always looking for ways to help people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
used to believe that deliverance had nothing to do with healing; I’ve since
learned the two are very closely related.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Call it whatever you like, demons, oppression, familiar spirits, etc.,
but there are certain areas of our lives that need deliverance before we can
walk as whole, healthy, healed men and women of God.</div>
<br />
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In 2 Kings 5:1 it says, “<span class="text">Now Naaman,
commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in
the eyes of his master, because by him the </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="text"> had given
victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">but</span> a leper.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span class="text"></span><br />
<span class="text">On one of the Syrian’s raids, they brought
back captive a young girl from the land of Israel, who waited on Naaman’s
wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day she said to her mistress,
“If only my master <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">were</span> with
the prophet who <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">is</span> in Samaria,
he would heal him of his leprosy.” Now Naaman’s wife told him what the young maid
said, and he immediately went to his master the king.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="text">Then the king of Syria said to him, Go now, and I will send
a letter to the king of Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So he
departed and brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, “I have sent
Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, when the king of Israel read the letter,
he tore his clothes and said, “<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Am</span>
I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of
his leprosy? </span><br />
<br />
<span class="text">When Elisha, the man of God heard that the king of Israel
had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your
clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet
in Israel.”</span><br />
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<span class="text">As the story continues, Naaman went with
his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. Only Elisha
sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and
your flesh shall be restored to you, and <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">you
shall</span> be clean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, Naaman
became furious, and went away saying, “Indeed, this man will surely come out <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">to me,</span> and stand and call on the name
of the </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="text"> his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal my leprosy. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Are</span> not the Abanah and the Pharpar,
the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash
in them and be clean?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="text">Here is where we often find ourselves in
times of need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though Naaman was
desperate to be healed, it seemed he wanted to be in charge of just how that
healing would come to pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scripture says that Naaman
went away in a rage, and seeing this, his servants spoke to him, and said, “My
father, <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">if</span> the prophet had told
you <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">to do</span> something great,
would you not have done <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">it?</span> How
much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and
dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God;
and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span class="text">Why is it we are always ready to do
something great for God, but when it’s outside our comfort zone we tend to protest?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naaman is no different than us, he knew of
two cleaner rivers he could go to, why did it have to be the Jordan?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I personally believe that the Jordan was a
place of miracles and deliverance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
all, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan and the Israelites crossed the Jordan to
the Promise Land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also believe that
Elisha had a purpose for telling him to dip seven times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span class="text">In all spiritual matters we are responsible
for our own outcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one else can dip
for us, our healing depends upon our own actions; and our spiritual health
always facilitates our physical healing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here’s where Naaman’s deliverance starts. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He heeded the words of the young maid, which
was unusual for a man of his stature and he received the rebuke of his servants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, that was only the beginning, apparently there were a few things he needed
to leave under the water before that healing would manifest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span class="text">In Naaman’s eyes the healing should be
quick and easy, but in God’s eyes the Jordan was the only way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reluctantly he follows the command of Elisha
and wades into the waters of the Jordan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With the first dip, I imagined the Lord washing away his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">anger</i>; which was his initial
response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You see the ways of the Lord are
purposeful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is always doing something
more than we perceive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span class="text">Now remember, Naaman was a honorable man,
but he had to learn that his great wealth and earthly grandeur were nothing—everything
he had and everything he stood for could not heal his leprosy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore I believe the second dip washed
away his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pride</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is the strongman in most of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We often want our healing without humbly submitting
ourselves to the ways of the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="text">By now Naaman might have be thinking, I still
see the leprosy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shouldn’t the
appearance of my skin be changing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
water was dirty and mucky but if he wanted to be healed, he must do exactly
what the man of God told him, dip seven times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Causing the third dip to wash away <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">disobedience</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God often sets us up in situations that
require total obedience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no
such thing as half obedience or delayed obedience, but a strict command to
obey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would have to go the distance
in order to receive the blessing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="text">Observing no change after three dips, I
would imagine his heart began to sink and the enemy of his flesh and the enemy
of this world began mocking him<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What
are you doing in that water?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing is
going to happen—you really think God can heal you?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naaman had longed for years to be cleansed from
this infirmity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wanted to believe that
what he was doing was the answer; yet so far, he saw nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isn’t that the way it is when we’ve been
standing and believing God to be healed for any length of time; even though we
know our God is faithful?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the fourth
dip delivered him from the spirit of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fear</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span class="text">Anguish began to take over Naaman soul and humiliation
began to speak. He had long been admired by everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had gifts no one else had, yet this was
the one thing he could not do for himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The thought of remaining this way and the disappointment of living the
rest of his life disgraced by leprosy caused him to dip yet another time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On this the fifth time, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shame</i> was undone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would
no longer feel sorry for himself or be embarrassed by his condition no matter what
the outcome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="text">With shame<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>finally gone, Naaman was getting stronger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As he approached the sixth dip, he let go of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">self-will</i> and the idea of being healed
without the help of others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had
willed his leprosy away, he had probably tried everything he knew to do, which
in those days was very little, yet there was no change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t until he reminded himself of the
brave young girl who believed the prophet in Samaria could help him, that he
continued.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This speaks to all of us, I
don’t think there is a person reading this paper who really believes if they
just willed something out of their life, eventually it would go away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter how self-sufficient we are, without
the Lord’s help and the help of others, willfulness accomplishes very little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span class="text">With all the deliverance Naaman
received—God cleared the way for his miraculous healing and on the seventh dip as
we all know, he was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">healed</i> from
leprosy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact the Bible says his skin
was made like the flesh of a little child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is a beautiful picture of salvation and renewal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we are delivered from the spiritual
oppressions, God can make us whole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He can
make us young again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gives us a fresh
start even if we have been walking with Him a very long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Bible says, He delivered us in the past,
he will deliver us now and he will continue to deliver us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span class="text">It’s important to understand deliverance
and healing are not a onetime event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
fact, we must persistently contend for righteousness and healing in our
lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the Lord after He made the
universe has to continually uphold it; why would we think otherwise for
ourselves?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember God has a plan for
your life and you cannot fulfill that plan if you are bound and wounded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span class="text">Take an assessment of your life today—are
there things God is asking you to let go of?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Do you need healing from your own kind of leprosy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those things that spot your life yet are unseen
by your fellow man?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is calling for a
church without spot or wrinkle—the time is drawing neigh for all of us to be
cleansed so that we are effective in the work of the ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Deliverance comes before healing</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span class="text">Rev Daina House<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span class="text">4/2/14<o:p></o:p></span>Rev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-78013632713920924232013-11-07T20:38:00.000-08:002013-11-08T10:17:01.413-08:00What Are You Running From?As a young child I was taught the Biblical story of Jonah in Sunday
school--of how a giant whale swallowed Jonah and spit him out after three
days. Can you imagine spending three days in the belly of a whale?
I can’t. I also can’t imagine living in utter darkness—thus the reason
for my blog. <u1:p></u1:p><br />
<br />
As the story goes, Jonah was a man whom God instructed to: “Arise, go to
Nineveh, the great city and cry out against it; for their wickedness had come
up before the Lord. But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence
of the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>. He went down to
Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">paid
the fare</i>, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the
presence of the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>.” (Jonah
1:1-3) NKJV<br />
<br />
Jonah was called to deliver the word of the Lord to the wicked people of Nineveh. However, Jonah rejected God's call, he didn't want God to forgive them—he<em> wanted</em>
God to judge them. So rather than argue, he ran in the
opposite direction; thereby saying “no” to God. Can one man’s “no”
circumvent the eternal plan of God? God’s concern for all mankind and His
reluctance to leave a servant in dejection and misery brought about by his
disobedience is played out in this story. <br />
<br />
Has God ever called you to a specific person/s and for a moment you
preferred God’s judgment for their wickedness rather than His forgiveness and
salvation? I don’t know about you, but if we’re being completely honest,
I believe many of us have just by our inaction. <u1:p></u1:p><br />
<br />
Notice the scripture says Jonah fled from the presence of the Lord—not
Nineveh. It also says he found a ship going to Tarshish. He might
have said, “Well, if I’m not supposed to go to Tarshish, there won’t be a ship
leaving today”—sort of a fleece to satisfy his human desire and justify his
disobedience. I know you’ve never done that… A little word of
advice, the enemy of our soul will always provide a way out if we're running
from the presence of the Lord. And forgive me for spiritualizing this,
but it also says he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">paid the fare</i> to
get on the ship. Make no mistake—we will always “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pay the fare</i>” when we’re running from something. <u1:p></u1:p><br />
<br />
Not long after they set sail, the Lord sent a tempest wind upon the
sea to awaken Jonah; as he had gone to the lower part of the ship to sleep.
Again I’ll take the liberty of spiritualizing this scripture. When
running from something—is it possible we enter into a lower form of
Christianity and fall asleep? And while we’re sleeping, others are being tossed
around by the world looking for an answer to their storms.<br />
<br />
As the tempest grew stronger and stronger, the mariners said to themselves,
“For whose cause has this trouble come upon us.” So they cast lots and
the lot fell on Jonah. In fear, the Captain came to Jonah and said, “What
do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider
us, so that we may not perish.” What is your occupation? And where do you
come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” (Jonah
1:6-8) NKJV<br />
<br />
Jonah immediately tells them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God
of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” (Jonah 1:9) NKJV
There are four reasons in my opinion God called Jonah to preach to
Nineveh; one, because he was available, two, because he knew God’s voice,
three, because he was fallible and four, because he feared the
Lord. It's also the reason He calls us. Jonah's confession
rescued those on the ship from a physical death, and those in Nineveh from a spiritual death. <br />
<br />
To calm the storm and save the ship, they would have to throw Jonah
overboard—where an unknown fate awaited him—one he never imagined. You
would think after Jonah’s confession and repentance the Lord would have
supernaturally delivered him to Nineveh. However, he still had to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pay
the fare</i>.”</b> Unfortunately, Jonah’s former decision came with
consequences. After being thrown into the sea, the greatest natural
baptismal there is, the Lord prepared a big fish to swallow him—where he
remained for three days and three nights. After which, he was spit out on
dry land to begin his long journey to Nineveh—where he did deliver God's word, and they did
turn from their wicked ways.<br />
<br />
Today I posted a trailer on Facebook called “God’s Not Dead.” <a href="http://www.godsnotdeadthemovie.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.GodsNotDeadTheMovie.com</span></a><span style="color: #333333;">. A</span>fter watching it, I cried.
Why? Because so many people in the world are lost
or blatantly deny God’s existence. God has commissioned each of
us to reach the lost—wicked or not. Hopefully, no matter who they are or
what we think of them, we will answer the call to seek and save the lost.
Saying “no” comes with a great price, as we’ve learned from Jonah. Who
has God called you to? What are you running from?<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I
have become all things to all <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">men that</span>
I might by all means save some</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i>
(1 Corn. 9:22b) NKJV<br />
<br />
Daina House<u1:p></u1:p><br />
11/7/13<o:p></o:p><br />
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
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Rev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-15413454409301194372013-09-30T19:52:00.001-07:002013-12-09T10:20:48.171-08:00Investing In The FutureOver the past several months, I’ve heard numerous sermons about investing in
the future. The first one was called “Miraculous Change,” by Pastor Dan
Hicks. He said, we must keep going—we must go further than where we are
right now, and he quoted the poem, “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost.
In the poem and in Pastor Dan’s sermon the point is; the road less traveled is
where our lives make a difference—to us and to others.<br />
<br />
Too often we get to a crossroad in life and take the familiar way, the one
that makes more sense on paper, or the one everyone else takes. Oh that
we might adventure into unknown places, where new and fresh discoveries are
found; a place where life isn’t just maintained, but advanced.<br />
<br />
Thomas Edison was forty-six years old when he discovered the light bulb. His
famous quote was, “I never failed, but found a thousand ways that didn’t
work.” Thank God he continued to take the road less traveled because
eventually he changed our lives with his invention. One of Edison’s
mentors during those early years was a fellow telegrapher and inventor named
Franklin Leonard Pope, who allowed the then broke youth to live and work in the
basement of his Elizabeth, New Jersey home. This man not only invested in
a young Thomas Edison, but in the future of the world.<br />
<br />
Pastor Dan was preaching out of 2 kings 2:1-14. In this scripture,
Elisha made a fresh commitment to follow Elijah no matter where he went.
Even though the people warned Elisha his master would be taken from him,
he proclaimed more than once he would not leave Elijah’s side. As a
result, Elisha eventually received a double portion from the Lord as Elijah was
taken up to heaven. Here we have a tenacious young man choosing the road
less traveled; and an elder imparting wisdom to the next generation.
Pastor Dan fervently admonished those who neglect this biblical
calling. <br />
<br />
Then, about a week or so later, my lead pastor, Ricky Temple preached out of
Matthew 13:3-8. You all know the message about the Sower who sowed
seed. The first seed fell by the way side, and the birds devoured
them. The second seed fell on stony places; they grew but were scorched
and withered away because they had no roots. The next seed fell among
thorns and the thorns sprung up and choked them. But the last ones fell
on good ground and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold and
some thirtyfold. <br />
<br />
He went on to say that our seed or investment in the future doesn’t always
have an immediate return. In fact, he pointed out how long the Lord sows
into our lives, knowing He might not receive a return for many years. In
my case thirty-eight years; at which time I finally surrendered my whole
heart. It’s amazing that only one-fourth of the Sower’s seed brought
forth fruit, yet He continued to sow anyway. So I ask you, are you sowing
seed into someone’s life for a future investment? <br />
<br />
I’ll never forget a story Anna Hayford told years ago. A young person
approached her with a story about praying for a particular relative for three
weeks with no real evidence of change. To which she replied, “Young man,
I prayed for one family member fourteen years before I realized the fruit of my
prayers.” Why do we always want an immediate return for our seed?
I’m sure it’s because we are a microwave generation—we want instant results to
everything. The Word actually says we will live in houses we did not
build—that means we will partake of the fruit of someone else’s labor. <br />
<br />
A month or so later, I went to a Celebrity Bible Study where I heard Tim
Storey say, “You have to believe God for more. Leave all the elementary
thinking behind and believe God to do miraculous things in your life.
Dream bigger, but <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">give more</i></b> and it will be given back to you.” He said he
needed a permanent building for his meetings, and believed God for two point
five million dollars to buy the building. That may sound crazy to you,
but Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church in Dallas, Texas prayed the same prayer
and God paid cash for his building. Of course the law of sowing and
reaping always applies in these situations, but Tim said, “If God can give
other religions great elaborate temples funded by huge corporations and
celebrities, why is it so hard to believe God for a building that would further
the Gospel?” My question is—why is it so hard to give more? It’s a
proven fact that no one can out give God. He always gives more in
return. Also, when you think about giving, it’s not just about our money,
it’s also about our time and resources. <br />
<br />
Then my girlfriend posted a video on my Facebook page. A message from
Tyler Perry titled “Only Believe”. Tyler talked about sowing seeds into
your future and believing God for the return even if it takes years; and like
Thomas Edison the odds are you’re likely to fail a few times before you
succeed. I was starting to see a pattern and I knew God was trying to
tell me something. It all came together when I prayed about joining a TV
Show called "<em>New Generation</em>" on the International Christian
Family Network; a show that ministers to the next generation. <br />
<br />
I received the scripture in 2 Corinthians 9:13,14 that says, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">While through the proof of this ministry
they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the Gospel of Jesus
Christ and for your liberal sharing with them and all men—and by their prayer
for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you.” </i>Sometimes
you know what God is asking you to do, but you are hindered by your own negotiations
with God and giving—so to move you, He allows you to hear different
messages with the same meaning. I suddenly realized I wanted to go
further, take the road less traveled, dreamer bigger, believe for more, give
more and seed into the next generation. <br />
<br />
This month I will join the program as a Guest Co-Host with great joy in my
heart; believing many souls will be affected for the Kingdom. I hope to
impart the wisdom God has given me to these precious young sisters in the Lord
and in return glean from their beautiful spirits and kind hearts. This
new journey will be educational, fun, entertaining and of course godly.
I’m excited to see what the Lord will do in this next season as I sow my
seed---Investing In The Future! Won’t you join me? <br />
<br />
Stay tune for channels, dates and times…<br />
Rev Daina House<br />
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Rev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-20413796081216728082013-06-26T09:39:00.000-07:002013-06-27T15:27:13.098-07:00No Judgment Here...<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I read a statement on twitter today
from Matthew Barnett that said, “The stronger our walk with God, the less we
judge. Awareness of our own flawed self produces kindness and
understanding.” I'd also like to add, our walk is often stronger because
God loves us unconditionally.<br />
<br />
I can hardly believe it’s been over a year since I’ve posted a blog.
Where does the time go? For a season all I did was write. I felt
getting my “Book” in shape was the best use of my time. However, as
I sit here today, so too does my book; not published and waiting for God’s
perfect timing. I had a literary agent for a year who tried very hard to
sell the book to no avail.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I watched a reality TV show a while back where a
contestant was voted off. After which they asked him the question,
“Well, how does it feel to get voted off?” What a silly question!
He probably felt like a failure, but that’s not what he said.
He was twenty-three years old and his answer was kind and confident. He
said, “Well, I guess God has another plan.” What a mature answer for such
a young man. I have never forgotten his statement and today that's my
answer when people asked why my book hasn't been published. </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I think the reason I haven’t written is because I
wanted to write when I had something to write about. Mainly my book being
published, but that hasn't happened. Maybe I feared the judgment of man on top of my personal disappointment. However, I realized
being authentic is the only way I know. People relate to it and there is
no shame in telling the truth. So I figured it was time to write.
Life has a way of changing. Actually, there are many exciting things on the
horizon right now—just not things I
planned. Someone once said, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your
plans.” No truer words were ever spoken. So for now, I must wait
and move forward all at the same time. Although there are seasons when I
get frustrated with waiting, I still believe
that Father knows best! </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I know there are thousands of people
out there who benefit from my testimony and ministry, but there’s a down side to it as well. The world we live in seems
so harsh, bullying and fault-finding, it’s hard to hear all the judgment
and criticism you get, even when you are doing it to serve
others. Everyone is an expert at everything; they also have the
internet to voice their opinion on a regular basis, and they do. </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I think the hardest thing to do is be true to
yourself without fearing the judgment of others. The truth is there are
so many rules. For example: You have to write on your Twitter account
every day at least twice a day. But there are certain things you can and cannot
write—who knows what those things are. Be careful what you post on
Facebook, it might come back and bite you! If you don’t post things,
according to them, whoever “they” are, you can’t be successful. If you
do, you run the risk of being judged. You have to post your sermons and
testimony on U-Tube or no one will know you exist. However, having spent the last thirty-seven years trying to remove things from the
Internet—I’m still trying to get the hang of posting everything on the Internet! Oh my! </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Furthermore, how do you keep others from judging
you when you tell them everything you do? Sometimes when people judge
you without them considering you are a real person with real feelings, it hurts. The majority of the time it comes from people you don't even know. Oh well—we can't please everyone in life. It just isn't realistic. The truth is, my life is a living testimony and it
speaks for itself. I also know there are more good people in the world than bad--they're just a little quieter. My prayer: To be kindly affectionate and understanding
towards others, remain aware of my own personal flaws and leave all judgment up to God. <br />
<br />
Thanks Matthew...<br />
<br />
Rev Daina House<br />
6/26/13</div>
</div>
Rev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-36876821504155079272012-04-12T15:07:00.000-07:002013-10-14T13:51:32.206-07:00Toxic ShameLiving our lives in complete and total truth, is one of the hardest things to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, first of all, as a nation, we do not believe in absolute truth anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems we have taken God out of everything in order to serve our own purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Bible says, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He gave them their request, but sent leanness to their souls</i> (Psalm 106:15).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consequently we have created our own sense of right and wrong, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">which leaves every man doing what is right in his own eyes,</i> (Judges 17:6); a prescription for failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have mastered this way of life, and told ourselves that God’s truth simply does not matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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It all started in the Garden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the beginning of time, man lived in perfect harmony with God, the animals and nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God gave Adam and Eve the law of the land which they did not heed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consequently, through one man’s disobedience sin and shame entered into the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly aware of their nakedness, they covered themselves with fig leaves and were removed from the Garden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, we are still using those fig leaves today to cover our shame; only now they are called addictions. </div>
As a society, we have given ourselves over to abortion, divorce, sexual promiscuity, divination and idolatry, just to name a few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, our spiritual inheritance passed from one generation to the next has caused shame to dominate our culture now more than any other time in history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shame comes through many different avenues but whether it is incest, molestation, rejection, unworthiness, fear or abandonment, it is toxic and debilitating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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It is a proven fact that shame is the number one contributor to addiction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eighty percent of society knows someone who is struggling with an addiction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People are medicating their shame with shopping, drugs and alcohol, over eating, exercise, perfectionism, pride and control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an attempt to medicate their pain, but only a temporary solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Remember, Jesus came as the second Adam, to pay the price for all sin for all mankind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. But I have come that they may have <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">life</span>, and that they may have it more <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">abundant</span>ly</i> (John 10:10).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often times, fear and wrong thinking makes one believe if they have strong boundaries, if they voice their pain, if they get angry or if they show weakness, they will lose the love of those closest to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They fear the truth will bring them more rejection and abandonment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This dysfunctional attitude cripples those who suffer from toxic shame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Further, it is perpetuated by the lack of deliverance ministers and education the church has available to help people with these kinds of issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
I discovered my insecurities and self-loathing were caused by my parent’s divorce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their neglect failed to satisfy the love I needed as a child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also had a spiritual inheritance from my father’s side of the family, of a fatherless spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This spirit carries with it the deepest kind of shame next to molestation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Subsequently, I became a perfectionist, trying to work for the approval, acceptance and love of my father, as well as men in general.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was impossible for me to have real intimacy with God or man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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So how do we dispel the toxic shame in our lives?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no way to change the past, but we can certainly change the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first step is to find the root of that shame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a painful process of digging deep into the inner most recesses of one’s life; a process that demands complete and total honesty with one’s self.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, there must be a confession and acknowledgement of those difficult things you have been hiding for years—things that have severely wounded you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lastly, a person has to walk out a process of removing the layers of self protection, so that they are open to letting go of their shame. </div>
For a long time, I held on to my pride, control and unforgiveness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually I realized those were the very things that kept me from being delivered<a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="_GoBack"></a>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to stop blaming others for how I felt and trust that if I lived a life of total truth, people could, and would love the real me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In time, I began to love myself for who God created me to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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It started when I went to Heaven, by way of visitation. There came a cleansing fire and the love of God was so deep that I never wanted to cover up or medicate my shame again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I prayed fervently for God to take it away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This allowed Him to heal my brokenness with His love, understanding and care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t instantaneous, but I stand before you today delivered from toxic shame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Not everyone can have a heavenly visitation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I know given the right resources, God can help those who struggle with debilitating toxic shame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Like myself, you must believe you are </span>not a mistake, nor are you a failure, in fact, God loves you very much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It is especially hard when others condemn you and judge you, instead of seeing your pain. </span>All anyone really needs is to feel loved and accepted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Bible says we are, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Accepted in the Beloved </i>(Eph 1:6b).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also says the only successful way to freedom is the truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free,</i> (John 8:32). The word “make” in the Hebrew language means “to liberate or to deliver.”<br />
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Rev Daina House</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
4/12/12</div>
Rev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-53606850452583984452012-01-18T10:53:00.000-08:002012-01-19T10:23:14.150-08:00"Job - Living In A Whirlwind"Contrary to what most people think, the book of Job is not a story of a self-righteous man being punished by God for his sin. Actually he was a righteous man who one day, by no fault of his own, found himself living in a whirlwind. Another word for whirlwind is twister. Job was living a normal life when a great and giant twister came and took his children, his livestock and everything he owned. And if that wasn’t enough, he was also afflicted with a terrible skin disease, or in layman terms, boils. <br />
<br />
<br />
Lately I've witnessed several families going through extreme hardship−and they, like Job are living in a whirlwind. I’d like to share my heart with those of you who tend to judge these people. Whether it is the loss of a home, a job, one's health or an injustice—it isn’t our position to criticize, find fault or figure out how they got there. It seems when loss and suffering come, every area of one’s life is affected; even friends get caught in the whirlwind.<br />
<br />
Actually, this is true of Job’s friends too. While he was going through the most devastating trial of his life, one by one, after sitting with him for seven days, contemplating his situation; they did more harm than good. After their proclamations, Job became more beleaguered and confused by their judgments than by his circumstance. As wonderful and sincere as friends can be, instead of offering Job compassion, prayers and friendship; they brought false accusations and condemnation. And if that wasn't enough, they began to rationalize among themselves just how Job's problems could be solved; thus the dreadful process of thinking for God.<br />
<br />
Although Job never sinned against God with his lips, I am certain that living in a whirlwind makes anyone susceptible to it. However, Job never blamed God, but he did curse the day he was born. Could Job have ended this suffering by cursing God? That’s what his wife wanted. That meant she blamed God for what was happening. In a way she was right, God did after all, offer up Job to Satan by saying, “<em>have you considered my servant Job?” </em>But, instead of blame, he desperately and relentlessly pursued God. <br />
<br />
At last, a suddenly happens, now instead of living in a whirlwind, for one moment everything stopped and Job was silenced by God speaking to him from the whirlwind. Job answers God's question "<em>who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?</em>" by replying that he has said things he didn't understand because they were far beyond his comprehension. This is very different from his previous complaint. God's ways had been just as incomprehensible, but at that time, they were dark, heavy, and oppressive; now they are full of life and wonder. Like Job, our first response to pain and suffering is oppression. That is, until we desperately pursue God; then supernatural revelation brings transformation. Job's next phrase reveals his dawning moment. "<em>Listen, please, and let me speak</em>;" Job replied "<em>I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.”</em> Eph. 1:18a says, "<em>The eyes of your understanding being enlightened</em>;" the eyes of his understanding were opened. Job's torment not only brought him solidarity with God, it brought him into God's very presence. In His presence, things look different. When Job’s friends are told by God to go and be prayed for and offer sacrifices to him, they too see things differently. Their life of living in the whirlwind of guessing, reasoning and thinking are over as well; exchanged for a greater understanding of God's glorious ways!<br />
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Years ago, I found myself living in a whirlwind of my own. Something I had never encountered before and hopefully will never be subjected to again. It was a travesty with no rational explanation. The fact that I had in all honesty done nothing wrong was the worst part. Like Job, I felt abandoned by God. This kind of injustice far surpasses one's mortal comprehension. All I could do was trust my all powerful, fair and righteous God to see me through. While I never lost my child or became sick, my name was associated with wrongdoing and I needed God to redeem, restore, and acknowledge my innocence. That never happened.<br />
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What did happen was God spoke to me while I was in the midst of the whirlwind, and brought great understanding. In my desperation, He reminded me that He too had done nothing wrong but through His sufferings brought forgiveness of sin, and a personal relationship with God the Father. I realized His objective was to give me the same beautiful testimony He gave Job, no matter how minute. I was now a partaker of His sufferings. God knew Job would remain faithful, and I am proud to say, He knew I would too.<br />
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We may never know why, at times, we experience trials and tribulations; but we can be sure of one thing, God is right there with us and our friends should be too. My heart goes out to those today that may be living in a whirlwind—let’s not try, judge and sentence them in the court of human reasoning. Rather, let’s surround them with love, and nurse them back to a place where hope and a future are found; a place where judgment finds no home. Remember, everything can change in a single breath. Let’s be loving and compassionate. Let’s stand with them in their time of need and believe God for full and total restoration…lest it be us tomorrow!<br />
<br />
Love God desperately, love people compassionately (Pastor Dan Hicks)<br />
<br />
Rev Daina House<br />
1/17/12Rev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-52511661150074774112011-08-31T15:25:00.000-07:002011-09-07T12:55:07.581-07:00Deep Calls Unto DeepHave you ever called out, “Hello” in a large canyon and immediately you heard your own voice echoing back? “Hello, hello” Then you say, “How are you?” and you hear, “How are you, how are you?” Just once, I wish someone would say, “Hello, I’m fine and you?” But that doesn’t happen. Does our Almighty God withhold His presence in our most desperate times? No, I don’t believe He does. Just when we think He has abandoned us, He brings a miraculous ray of hope; never revealing more than He wants us to know, nor giving us more than we can take. He is all sufficient in every season of our life. <br />
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Psalms 42:1-8 says, “<em>As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, where is your God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast. Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance. Oh my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, and from the heights of Hermon, from the Hill Mizar. <strong>Deep calls unto deep </strong>at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me. The Lord will command His loving-kindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me. </em><br />
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</em><br />
In these scriptures, the Spirit of Faith addresses the cast down soul, and compels him to take his eyes off the circumstances and look to God. The subjective feelings of distress war against the facts of faith. In Psalms 63:1 & 2 it says <em>“Oh God You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for you in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.”</em> Saints, we are called to continue our spiritual pursuits, even in the most difficult times. It is in these times that our commitment to Christ must prevail. We must search for Him with all our heart. Long for Him to take us to a deeper place.<br />
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Arduous seasons always seem longer than those of ease. Often in these seasons, unbelief creeps in─the very thing that aborts our dreams. We must take our eyes off our circumstances and believe the word of God. We frequently make the mistake of treating God the Father like our earthly fathers. This beloved is our biggest misconception. John 13.12 says, “<em>If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things.”</em> To believe is one thing, but to act as if we don’t is another. If a student makes an A on a test he was given, it doesn’t necessarily mean he believes all the answers he gave. It does prove that he has the knowledge and know-how to get the answers right. So we are as Christians, each knowing what Christ has called us to, though at times, lacking true conviction. <br />
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If the disciples cried out, <em>“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief,”</em> then we are forewarned of our inability to remain faithful believers without continual prayer. In order to become a disciple of Jesus, then, we must believe in Him. In order to develop as His disciple we must progressively come to believe what He says to be so. To enter His kingdom, we believe in Him. To be at home in His kingdom is learning to reign with Him there. We must share His beliefs. It is by this that our Christ likeness begins to shine through. <br />
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I believe we are entering a new season Saints, one where we must submit to the pruning hand of God. We must allow Him to cut out portions of our inner man. This can be extremely painful, yet not without purpose. The Lord is asking us for more. More faith, more trust and more understanding. This deeper work promises to produce an abundant, fruitful life. The Bible says, “<em>You will know them by their fruit” </em>(Matt 7:16). So we must remember what Jesus said to the disciples in John 15:1,<em> “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” </em><br />
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Some time ago my son and his girlfriend gave me a small rose bush for Mother’s Day. I must admit, I do not have a green thumb. Let’s just say I am extremely challenged when it comes to gardening. The first season I had the plant, it produced ten beautiful pink roses. After that, it just looked dead. It was the perfect picture of an exhausted Christian with no fresh buds, no aroma and lots of thorns. Because the plant was given to me by my son, I was willing to do anything to keep it alive. I called a client of mine who is very knowable in gardening and she told me to cut it back all the way to the roots─leaving only a few green stems at the bottom. Then put it in a larger pot. In spite of this, the plant looked dead─or so I thought. My sick little rose bush would never produce another blossom. A short time later however, with a little water and a lot faith, the bush not only came back twice as big as it was before, it produced three different colored roses. Immediately I knew what the Lord was teaching me. Even when things look dead, never give up; life only stays small when you do. <em>“A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men"</em> (Proverbs 18:16).<br />
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I have concluded that worldly prosperity and ease seldom produces proper refinement, but the pruning hand of God works wonders. Rest assured, when we cry out to God, He is able to usher in a “suddenly.” In a moment of time, He opens the eyes of our understanding and brings forth new direction; moving us in our orbiting life, from one season to the next. I shudder to think what might happen to us without this divine intervention. <br />
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Beloved, I want to challenge you to new heights today, dare you to go deeper; seeking more of His kingdom rule in your life. Let’s welcome the pruning hand of God and believe that what He has promised, He will surely bring to pass. Understanding that the riches of this world are temporal, but the riches of His kingdom are eternal. Let’s be fruitful, believing saints, knowing that there is a purpose to every season. Let the pruning begin─<strong><em>Deep Calls Unto Deep!</em></strong><br />
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Rev. Daina House <br />
8/30/11Rev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-65459543470969179122011-07-11T16:22:00.000-07:002013-06-27T09:04:06.506-07:00A NEW DAY & A NEW WAYRecently my Stepfather, who was extremely ill, took his own life. To date, the most difficult thing I’ve ever processed. What amount of physical and emotional pain brings this kind of depression and despair? Why would a person kill them self? I must admit, the hopelessness of his suicide left me overwhelmed and heart sick. <br />
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Could I have done anything different? Could another family member have prevented this from happening? All the whys’ and what ifs’ will forever go unanswered. Death is a natural process, but the loss of a loved one in this manner is extremely hard to understand. The one positive thing, if there is one, is that my Stepfather is no longer in pain. <br />
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After a sudden death, the rest of the family is left to re-group and process the next phase of life; however difficult that may be. A couple of years ago, I heard a sermon by Pastor Ricky Temple that begged the question, “How well do you transition in life? He said, "If you don't transition well, you will eventually be carrying around dead things; and the worst part is everyone will know they are dead but you.” My conclusion: If we do not transition well, there will be no forward movement. When the cares of this life weight you down and life seems hopeless; don’t stop, keep going. I wish I could have imparted that to my Stepfather...<br />
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After the initial shock of his death, I realized that I too needed to make a change. It all started last summer when the Lord asked me to resign from the Single Mom’s Ministry. I seemed to be in a season of waiting. Only I wasn’t just waiting, I lost my vision and hunger for the Lord. My life felt mundane and without purpose. The days and months past before I realized, I needed a fresh vision. Oh don’t get me wrong, I was still preaching, reading the Word, and robotically attending church and prayer meetings; but without zeal….. <br />
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The place I was in, the Brook Cherith dried up and I needed to find Zarephath. Change was in order; and although we pray for change, and desperately need it─it isn’t always welcomed. It’s uncomfortable and requires much more motivation than we often posses in a dry place. I also didn’t know where to start, and then it happened. An altar call at church for people who had lost their vision…Imagine that, God was ease dropping!<br />
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Soon after, while working for an elderly client of mine, I walked onto their balcony. Their home is an enormous condominium high above Century City, overlooking the Westside. On a clear day, you can see where the land and the Pacific Ocean meet. As I was staring out, the Lord suddenly said, “Do you see the ocean Daina?” I said, “Yes Lord, I see it, but just barely.” Then He said, “But you know it’s there?” I said, “Yes Lord, I know it’s there.” Then very clearly I heard, “What I have for you is there too Daina, and although you can barely see it, it’s there, keep going.” <br />
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Let’s just say if I could have flown off that balcony to “my destiny” it would have been a quick and easy trip. Suffice to say, that’s not how life works. It isn’t lived on the mountain tops, but rather in the valleys. In order to start this “new day,” I had to take the elevator down to the bottom floor and begin to make my way towards something I know is there, but may not always be able to see. Faith…things hoped for, yet not seen. I’m sure there will be sorrow and joy, suffering and healing, tears and smiles, troubles and triumphs along the way. However, I’ve decided to embrace this new season, and I'm praising God for my renewed vision. In fact, I'm excited again, and I can feel the call of the Lord pressing me forward. I caught the vision and discovered “A New Day and A New Way!”<br />
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Rev Daina House <br />
7/11/11Rev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-67495587832025351192011-02-28T12:00:00.000-08:002011-03-31T15:26:39.290-07:00Living In the MomentIt’s been some time since I have written on my blog, but I'd like to share my heart with you today. I recently spoke to Singles at my church and advised them to stop waiting for a husband, a new home, a better job or a financial windfall, and start <strong><em>Living In the Moment</em></strong>.<br />
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Hope deferred makes a heart grow sick! However, it dawned on me, that I too was living that way. I’ve been extremely busy writing my book and learned how inept I was at a project of this size. However, I am quickly rectifying that. There must be millions of people out there trying to get a book read, edited, or published but I never anticipated how difficult it would be.<br />
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While I enjoy the creativeness of writing, I don’t enjoy the long arduous birthing process it takes to have a somewhat decent, sellable book at the end of it. Which leads me to why I am writing today. I found myself always waiting for tomorrow...the next call, the next meeting or the next re-write – thereby causing me to live for what comes next, instead of <em><strong>Living in the moment</strong></em>.<br />
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I think I've always been a person who plans their life. After one accomplishment, I look forward to setting my sights and goals on something new. While this can be a healthy way to live and a constructive way to approach life, it didn't allow me to <em><strong>Live in the moment</strong></em>. The Bible says <em>do not worry about tomorrow, for today has enough cares of its own. </em>It’s also a well known fact, that we aren’t promised tomorrow – so why do I constantly live for what tomorrow may bring, instead of <strong><em>Living in the moment?</em></strong><br />
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I have decided that my writing, preaching, or scheduled events will always be there – but my life is lost to those around me unless I <em><strong>Live in the moment</strong></em>. I am happier, less anxious and enjoy life to the fullest when I only breathe the air of this moment in time. Not looking back or looking forward, allows me to reap the fullness of what God has for me today. I don’t want to miss another beautiful sunset, a friend in need, or a flower blooming in my garden, to plans I have tomorrow.<br />
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Fulfillment only comes when you are fully content with today. Won’t you join me in my endeavor to live for today and let my tomorrows take care of themselves by <strong><em>Living in the moment… </em></strong><br />
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Rev. Daina House<br />
2/28/2011Rev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-89662635655821007742010-09-17T11:02:00.000-07:002010-09-17T12:01:44.790-07:00Common Heart ProblemsRecently I read the book "Healing For The Father Wound, by H. Norman Wright. In his book he shares common heart problems that men and women suffer from as a result of their "Fathers." I have a strong feeling they will minister to you. If you are a son, put he in the place of she...<br />
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<strong><u>The Bruised Heart</u></strong> – A daughter with a bruised heart feels beaten down. She feels she can never be good enough to live up to the expectations of those around her, especially her father. Much of the time she feels ashamed, fearful, and insecure. It hurts too much to try, so the fear of making a mistake or losing makes her reluctant to enter wholeheartedly into life.<br />
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She lives in survival mode, believing, “I have to look out for myself because no one else will. And if they say they will, I can’t depend on them. Withdrawing is one way to protect herself and eliminate being hurt. Often she is very sensitive, and at times despair and hopelessness are her companions.<br />
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A woman with a bruised heart came into being because she didn’t receive approval, validation, sufficient attention, or support from important people in her life. Either her father didn’t know how to give this, made it conditional, wasn’t around to give it, or chose not to give it. And these four crucial elements (approval, validation, attention, support) become like a quest to such a daughter. Often the way she goes about trying to find these is unhealthy, creating other problems for her, or she self-sabotages her efforts.<br />
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Jesus Christ is the answer for a The Bruised Heart - He heals the broken-hearted ; and binds up their wounds (Psalms 147:3)<br />
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<u><strong>The Performance Heart</strong></u> – This is a heart problem that at first glance doesn’t appear to be a problem. It belongs to the daughter who drives herself to be the best in whatever it is that she does. The fear of failure and disappointment is her driving force. For some it’s the message to her father, “I’ll show you. I can be successful. I can be the best. You didn’t give me what I needed, so I’ll get it myself.” And to add to the feelings of inadequacy, she’s selective in her search for approval. Often she seeks only those with status, who can validate how well she’s done. What drives a daughter in this way? Doubt. Feelings of inadequacy. The I-don’t measure-up-in-the-eyes-of-my-dad-syndrome. She invests her identity in how well she performs, with the thought drumming through her mind, “I can and I will do it.” Unfortunately, this heart has to continually do more and perform better in order to be valued.<br />
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Jesus would say, “It’s not necessary.” He values you for who you are. It’s not based on your performance. God does not love you for what you do…..You can’t perform well enough in anything to earn His love. God both wants you to say and enables you to say, “It’s all right that I’m not perfect. God sees me perfect in Christ. I don’t have to prove anything to my father. He isn’t the ultimate judge of my value.”<br />
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Jesus Christ is the answer for the Performance Heart - “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16a)<br />
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<strong><u>The Harden Heart</u></strong> – I’ve seen hearts that are hard – like concrete. This problem is a clear sign of tremendous hurt in the father-daughter relationship. In this case a daughter has been hurt so much by life that she shuts down emotionally and cuts herself off from her heart. She thinks, “If you feel, you hurt, so block the feelings-stuff them.” The one emotion she allows herself to feel is anger and it comes out quite strongly. Often the approval and protection she wanted as a child never came, and that disappointment produced the hurt in her. But this daughter can learn that disappointments are a part of life. God is the author of feelings, and it’s all right to experience the entire range of emotions. God is there to assist us in whatever our feelings might be. Rather than stuff them, she has to come to terms with what happened and accepts her hurt as a legitimate response to her experience. Only then can she begin to heal and feel her heart soften.<br />
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Jesus Christ is the answer to a Hardened Heart - For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. (Hebrews 3:14, 15)<br />
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<strong><u>The Addicted Heart</u></strong> – is another hurting heart. It’s a heart that latches onto people, activities, substances, and food, anything that will cover the hurt inside. Everything is done in excess in order to cover the disappointments of life. But unfortunately it doesn’t work. It’s a substitute that doesn’t live up to its promises. The hurts and the hole are still there. Its attempt to cope fails. It’s an escape that leads back to prison. The neediness can only be satisfied when the love and message of Jesus – “You’re alright” – finds a home in your heart.<br />
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Jesus Christ is the answer for an Addicted Heart - For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:20, 21)<br />
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If you identify with any of these hearts, don't just read them and claim them; while they may be truth, they are not who you are in Christ. Shed the "old nature" by resolving today that you will not live in the past, but the present. Let's make every moment count, and love our children unconditionally.... It's important for fathers, to never break your children's spirit or heart; they need your approval and love to be successful; and to survive in this often cruel world...<br />
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Blessings, <br />
Rev Daina House<br />
9/17/10Rev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-88973969243280555942010-08-29T18:18:00.000-07:002012-01-25T19:13:27.765-08:00Shipwrecked<em>This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered <strong>shipwreck</strong>. (</em>1 Timothy 1:18, 19 )<br />
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Have you ever had a promise or prophecy spoken over you, and you knew that you knew it was from the Lord? When God gives us a word, we happily receive it for a season and are steadfast in our belief; but often after a short time we grow weary in our belief and become <strong>shipwrecked</strong> in our faith. We begin to doubt what we heard, and whether God really said what we thought He said. <br />
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We all love prophecies and need them to bring us encouragement and hope. In fact, scripture says that prophecy is to be given for edification, exhortation, and comfort (1 Cor. 14:3). In Acts 27:24, the Apostle Paul received a prophecy. When the ship carrying him to Rome encountered rough seas, an angelic messenger said, <em>“Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.”</em> However, Paul’s circumstance showed no sign of this; in fact, it appeared to be the exact opposite of what God had promised! <br />
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<strong>Prophetic Action</strong><br />
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There are always actions that come with promises and prophecies. In this case, the thing God asked Paul to do was the faith part of the action, and the thing God asked Paul not to do was the physical part of the action. The faith part was to believe that all would be saved which depended on the physical action that no one could leave the ship no matter how bad it looked. How often do we want to jump ship when things look different than we expect? Why is it that we get <strong>shipwrecked</strong> in our faith when our lives are suddenly interrupted by a change in the atmosphere? Does that really change what God is doing? Of course not. But it does appear that way at times. <br />
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<strong>Seeing With Eyes of Faith</strong><br />
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<em>Faith is the substance of things hoped for yet not seen</em> (Heb. 11:1). Why must things look a certain way for God to fulfill His promises? Because we see with our natural eyes, but we serve a supernatural God! His ways are not our ways…they are higher. When the seas get rough and the winds are contrary, that is the time to strengthen our faith, and stay on course. His word is true, so we must anchor ourselves all the more when we feel afflicted by our circumstances. Affliction will never injure us or detour us when it is blended with submission. <br />
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<strong>Submission and Steadfastness</strong><br />
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Submitting to the will of God in every circumstance, even when you don’t understand it, is powerful. It is contrary to our flesh and causes our spiritual being to grow. <em>Abraham did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was able also to perform. </em>(Romans 4:20, 21) When God spoke to Paul on the ship to Rome saying, “You shall see Caesar;”<u> that was a promise</u>! Paul believed that it would be exactly as God said it would be, and we must do the same. We must hold fast until the promise is fulfilled. When the wind and sea were against them, God was still for them. The men were tempted to jump ship, but Paul stood strong in his faith and all those on board were saved because of that faith. <br />
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But the adversity is relentless. After landing on the island of Malta, as Paul gathered kindling for a fire, he was bitten by a poisonous snake. The natives leaped to the conclusion that Paul must be a murderer; as that was their belief of someone whose was bitten by this kind of snake. Why else would all of nature (the sea!…now a snake!) be so set against him? Isn’t it just like the enemy to come and speak to us about our past? After all, Paul had participated in Stephen’s murder. (Acts 8:1) The adversary will always bring doubt when it comes to the word of the Lord. Would Paul see the island of Malta and not Caesar or would he stand on the complete word of the Lord that said, “You shall see Caesar”? Ahh, not even a poisonous snake could undo Paul! He remained steadfast! <br />
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<strong>Don’t Settle for Partial Victory</strong><br />
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Often times we settle for partial victories because we get <strong>shipwrecked</strong> in our faith. We feel defeated by the smallest set back and stop believing in the very thing that ensures our victory…God’s word. Paul never believed it would be smooth sailing, but what he did believe was that God does not lie. Paul stood in faith, warfare and good conscience…and God’s will was performed. The same is true for us today. If you have been given a promise, a prophecy, or a word from the Lord, stand in faith! When things look like they are headed in the wrong direction, God is still faithful to see you through! Remember He has made us as a shipwright makes his vessels—to weather the tempest and the storms. We must trust that the One who speaks the promise does not glory in a <strong>shipwrecked</strong> vessel. Instead, He glories in the victorious sailor who uses those promises as an everyday source of strength and comfort. Believing that He is sure to fulfill each and every one of them in the days, weeks, months and years to come.<br />
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Standing in Faith! <br />
Rev Daina <br />
8/29/10Rev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-83095859296587579592010-06-15T16:00:00.000-07:002010-06-16T08:49:15.096-07:00The Blessings and Favor of GodThere have been several instances lately where I have entreated the blessings and favor of God. Desperately petitioning Him for one thing or another. Knowing that though I do not always remain faithful, God does. The truth is God blesses those who walk in faithfulness and thus the WORD He has given me for this season. Let’s first look at Haggai Chapter 1:5 & 6, <em>“Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways”! “ You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”</em> Remember the Israelites had come back from exile and were to build the Temple of the Lord, only they had become discouraged, uninterested and dissatisfied. So, they had gone back to building their own paneled houses. <br />
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Is that where you are today? All too often we let lack dictate what we will give to God – whether lack of time or resources, and especially financial resources. Sound all too familiar? I love being around people who have the favor and blessings of God on their lives. They have a settled peace about them, their walk is steadfast and you can always depend on them to be strong and joyful. The truth is, when we are putting God first in everything, He will supply all we need. The word of the Lord for this season is Haggai 1:13,14. <em><strong>“Then Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, spoke the LORD’s message to the people, saying, “I am with you, says the LORD.” So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God.”</strong></em> The Lord wants to stir us up. He wants to awaken us, excite us, arouse us to action and open our eyes in this season.<br />
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If you have ever done any cooking, you know that when you are asked to pour another ingredient in the mix, it almost always says; keep stirring. If the recipe calls for stirring, it’s so that nothing stays at the bottom, or floats on the top, or is allowed to separate itself from the rest of the other ingredients. We must come together again and be refreshed. The Lord wants to stir up our cold hearts and give us a renewed desire for doing His will today! Unfortunately we all fall asleep so easily, we get lulled by the mundane. But the Lord would say, in Haggai Chapter 2:4, <em>“Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the LORD; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the LORD, ‘and <strong>work;</strong> for I am with you,’ says the LORD of hosts. 5 ‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!”</em> The word <strong><em>work</em></strong> here means, in it’s broadest sense and widest application, accomplish, advance, bring forth, be busy, commit, journey, advance and bring forth, make, be occupied. Be a warrior, a workman…<br />
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So often when we run into hard times, have difficulties and discouragements, we slowly loose interest and we stop reading our bibles, we stop seeking Him for the right answers, we stop praying fervently and then we have stopped, <strong><em>building our temples</em></strong>. When we let this happen, we loose the blessings and favor of God in our lives. When we put God first, His blessings and favor abound. Our vineyards grow, our grapes are abundant, we sleep peacefully, and our enemies cannot prevail against us. When our lives gets wrapped up in money, suddenly our interest overwhelm God’s interest and we're robbing from God to do for ourselves; only to be left empty.<br />
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Think about it, this is what is happening in America today, our country has so much, yet we have so little satisfaction. We are a people consumed with self. Self pride, self ambition, self helps, and on and on…We are a people wondering in darkness and confusion, so God has removed Himself from us because we have taken Him out of everything! We are no longer a country “Blessed by God!" <br />
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So how do we get back? We must first stop comparing ourselves with others. It brings hopelessness and inferiority – you are special and chosen, and there is none like you… Let’s go back to Haggai in chapter 2 verse 6 thru 9. <em>“For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; 7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations,[b] and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts. 8 ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts. 9 ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts.” </em> God promises to once again fill us with His glory, He reminds us that He owns all the silver and gold – He is our supply. Then He reads our hearts, He knows what we have seen in our past, so He reminds us that that His latter glory will be greater than His former glory…..and then comes His promise of peace. <br />
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There is one more piece of business He addresses before He promises His blessings. We must remove the dead things, or the defiling things in our lives. What are you putting your hand to that is unclean? In chapter 2 verses 12 thru 14 it says, <em>“If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy? Then the priests answered and said, “No." And Haggai said, “If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?” So the priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.” Then Haggai answered and said, “‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the LORD, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.”</em><br />
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Blessings and favor do not come until what we are offering the Lord of ourselves; our bodies, our temples are undefiled and clean. Let’s hearken to the Word of the Lord in this season and restore ourselves back to the blessings and favor of God. Believe God to have hand made everything you need. In 1 Kings 6: 6b thru 7 "<em>when Solomon was building the Temple –they made narrow ledges around the outside of the temple, so that the support beams would not be fastened into the walls of the temple. And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was <strong>heard</strong> in the temple while it was being built.</em> I'm taking a bit of liberty here in this scripture because just as Solomon means peaceful, our temples can remain peaceful too while the building takes place for us on the outside. The Lord has excavated things so well to build us up with, that His peace and stillness remain on the inside; and where the peace of God is, there too will be the <strong><em>Blessings and Favor of God.</em></strong><br />
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Daina House<br />
6/15/2010Rev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-60508173702059204662010-04-05T11:04:00.000-07:002010-04-05T11:04:03.888-07:00Building Your Call<strong><em>BUILDING YOUR CALL</em></strong> <br />
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The other day, the Lord gave me this scripture in Nehemiah 4:17 & 18 – <em>“Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked.” </em>Nehemiah and the Jews were building a wall – you and I are <strong><em>building our call</em></strong>….. Let's take a look at what is needed while we continue to build...<br />
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Decisions in the Face of Opposition (Nehemiah vv. 1-23) <br />
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The diligent labor of the Jews drew out more bitter anger on the part of the enemy. Sanballat was furious and resorted to the moral weakness of mockery, speaking contemptuously of "these feeble Jews" (vv. 1-2). "Will they fortify themselves?" he asked. His very attitude showed that it was necessary for them to fortify themselves against him! Also, "Will they offer sacrifices?" In other words, he did not want them to honor God by sacrificing to Him. "Will they complete it in a day?" He feared the energy with which they were working. "Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish?" Can they possibly repair the wall after its being so demolished by the enemy? If Sanballat thought this was too ambitious a project, he would soon find out the answer. All these questions are too frequently asked by opposers of the work of God when believers seek to return to God's principles of truth.<br />
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Tobiah continued the same hateful ridicule by saying, "Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall." Very well: Tobiah was a fox: Let him try to break down the wall! But how good it is to hear the involuntary prayer of Nehemiah, "Hear, O God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity!" (v. 4). He added, "Do not let their sin be blotted out from before You, for they have provoked You to anger before the builders: (v.5). Where there is true repentance before God, sins will be blotted out (Isa. 43:25), just as Israel will learn at the end of their Great Tribulation, but these men knew nothing of repentance, for they instead provoked the Lord to anger by their persecution of His servants. Nehemiah did not speak of how badly he himself felt, but of how God had been provoked to anger.<br />
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God's answer to this short prayer is seen in verse 6, "So we built the wall." (<strong><em>So we build our call</em></strong>). Opposition did not stop the work: in fact, "the people had a mind to work." May we too be stirred to continue in the work of the Lord in spite of whatever opposition. At such times too God gives us a special grace.<br />
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When the wall had been joined together up to half its height, Sanballat and Tobiah, together with Arabs, Ammonites and Ashdodites became very angry (v. 9). They had tried mockery and ridicule, but were frustrated in this. Therefore they conspired to attack Jerusalem in order to spread confusion among the builders (v. 8). But the Jews were aware of this determined conspiracy, and first prayed to God, then set a watch against them day and night (v. 9). This was certainly the right order of action. They did not panic and think of attacking the enemy, but rather depended on God and were watchful against the enemy, and God protected them. This is praying without ceasing…<br />
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However, not only was the opposition of the enemy a trial to them, but their labor was hindered by the fact of much rubbish being in their way. This was no doubt caused by the residue of the former broken down wall. The strength of the laborers was failing in the face of so monumental a task of clearing away the rubbish. In Christian profession today, there is much rubbish too, the rubbish of much false teaching, and it is no easy task to remove such rubbish so that people may be freed from weary confusion. Though some are truly burden bearers, the labor of this becomes so heavy as to take away strength. We will always need the exhortation, "let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Gal. 6:9).<br />
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Nehemiah also knew that their enemies were plotting, "They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into the midst and kill them and cause the work to cease" (v. 11). Nehemiah had Jewish informers who lived near these adversaries, who warned Nehemiah ten times that these enemies intended to attack them in spite of their precautions (v. 12). Therefore Nehemiah positioned men with armaments behind the lower parts of the wall and at the openings. These were prepared for conflict with swords, spears and bows (v. 13). May we be willing laborers in the work of God, and at the same time prepared for spiritual conflict.<br />
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With that said, we must also realize that "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:4-5). If we are prepared with such weapons which involve obedience to the Word of God, we may find the battle is already won, as did the workers on the wall.<br />
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For Nehemiah had spoken plainly, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses" (v. 14). Having the Lord with them, though being prepared to fight, they were not required to do so. Believers today may well experience the same thing. If they are prepared through study of scripture to watch against the subtleties of the enemy, Satan will be afraid to attack, for he would find himself facing the Lord rather than facing a weak believer. Satan wants to catch us off guard, not having our confidence firmly in the Lord: otherwise he knows he can do no damage. When the adversaries found that the Jews knew of their plotting, they could do nothing (v. 15). If we are ignorant of Satan's devices he will take advantage of us, but if we are on proper guard against those devices we shall be protected by the Lord (2 Cor. 2:11).<br />
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Special plans had been made at that time, with half of Nehemiah's servants working on the wall and half being armed with spears, shields and bows, also having armor (v. 16). The leaders are mentioned as being "behind all the house of Judah," possibly to back up and encourage the work and the watchfulness of the guard. <em><strong>Both the builders and the burden bearers are said to have worked with one hand and carried a weapon in the other (v. 17). This is perhaps further explained in verse 18 as not literally always carrying the sword in the hand, but having it girded on his side, where he could easily use it if necessary.</strong></em><br />
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Beside Nehemiah was one who sounded the trumpet. It was priests who did this service (Num. 10:8). If warfare impended, they were to sound an alarm (Num. 10:9). In this case it would be Nehemiah who gave orders to the trumpeter, for Nehemiah is a type of Christ, the Leader. He gave the reason for having the trumpeter with him, "The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us" (vv. 19-20). How good that he insists on this confidence in God! We too must hold fast to our confidence in God!<br />
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Thus, the opposition did not succeed in hindering the work of God. Nor will he succeed in hindering you and the call the Lord has on your life. So build on! The laborers continued their work from the break of day until the stars appeared at night (v. 21). This is a reminder of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 16:9, "For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries." He does not say, "but there are many adversaries," as though this might excuse him from persisting in the work, but simply "and there are many adversaries," therefore it was more important to have his whole heart in the service of God, because he knew he would face the adversary.<br />
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Nehemiah gave orders too that the workers and servants were to stay at night inside the walls of Jerusalem, thereby serving the purpose of guard duty at night as well as working by day (v. 22). This concerted concentration on the work of the Lord continued till the wall was built. What an example for believers today, who might take to heart the exhortation of 1 Corinthians 15:58, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." Keep working mighty saints; building the call of the Lord on your life.<br />
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As to Nehemiah himself and his special servants and the men of the guard who attended him (not all the workers), they did not take off their clothes even for sleeping, though the one exception was for when they washed themselves. However busy we may be in the Lord's work, we must never neglect "the washing of water by the Word," for occupation with the work itself will cause some defilement which must be washed away by the application of the Word of God. <br />
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<strong>Building your call will always:</strong><br />
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Be opposed and/or hindered by the enemy – teaching you how to build and war at the same time<br />
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Cost you more than you planned, but the benefits are out of this world<br />
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Take longer than you anticipated; so you mustn’t grow weary in doing well<br />
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Demand your full commitment and devotion; to the Lord and to the work at hand<br />
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Be a dirty job – which is why we must be washed in the Word<br />
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Rev Daina<br />
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Bible Commentary by – www.biblecentre.orgRev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-29181216325150130042010-02-08T14:44:00.000-08:002012-02-02T11:30:57.148-08:00Staying on Schedule - Redeeming the TimeIt's been quite some time since I have written on my blog, and quite a while since I’ve spent a substantial amount of time writing my book. It's so easy to get distracted and so hard staying on schedule! Last summer, the Lord specifically gave me Colossians 4:5, <em>“Walk in wisdom towards those who are outside, <strong>redeeming the time</strong>.” </em>I knew He was asking me to focus on what He has anointed and appointed me to do in this season; and that is to write my book. His plan is to speak to those who do not know Him, and minister to those that do--through my book. So in summary--get busy Daina!<br />
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First it was Christmas, then New Years, then my birthday, and then just one thing after another in life. Before you realize it, you are not staying on schedule. For me it's writing my book, and for you, well only you can know that, but it's probably something that means a lot to you and <strong><em>"time"</em></strong> just keeps slipping away and you still haven’t started it, much less finished it. It's so important to make good use of our time. Truly God waits on us more than we ever wait on Him. He has a plan and a purpose for our lives and staying on schedule and redeeming the time is so important. <br />
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Usually when I get distracted or pick up things that aren’t meant for me to do, I end up with a busy spirit. Being busy, for the most part is certainly not a bad thing, and most people would love to have the abundance of work that I have in this economy. However, by doing those things, I’m not accomplishing the task the Lord has asked me to do, because there’s no time. Scripture says, My yoke is easy and My burden is light, and that means, when we do what He calls us to, it’s not really work at all; but ministry, desire, destiny… It’s only then that we are truly fulfilled!<br />
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It's important for me to once again start staying on schedule and redeem the time. We all seem to think that we have plenty of time to achieve what the Lord has for us, but as of today, I believe that is foolish thinking. Look what happened in Haiti. The Lord did not say to Joshua, when you feel like it, I want you to cross the Jordan. He said, "In three days, you will cross the Jordan." God's timing is perfect. So, I must stop spending so much time on unimportant things and do what the Lord is telling me to do. <strong><em>Write the book</em></strong>. Only then will I feel more refreshed, more invigorated and closer to the Holy Spirit; and only then will the rewards of staying on schedule and redeeming the time be mine. <br />
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I’m reminded that it’s almost Valentine’s Day and I want my love restored for writing – join me as I put down those things that steal my joy and make me tired; and pick up those things that bring true love back to my heart! Let’s start staying on schedule and redeeming the time for our blessings, and the blessings of others. Destiny, here we come!<br />
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Rev. Daina House<br />
<strong>2/8/2010</strong> – Eight meaning new beginnings!<br />
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"All that's necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing." Edmund BurkeRev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-15470185799518930422009-12-16T14:03:00.000-08:002011-09-13T09:45:49.445-07:00Weddings and MarriageI recently attended a beautiful wedding in Laguna Beach. One of my best friend's son was getting married. They were a young, adorable couple. At the reception, everyone at my table was married except one woman who brought her son. <br />
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All throughout the reception, I was asked, “Why aren’t you married Daina, you are so pretty.” First of all, I don’t really have the answer to that, and second of all, I don’t think it has anything to do with my being pretty. When I was younger, I dated a lot. I was also married for seven years to a man who cheated on me. Then had a child with another man who never wanted or accepted his son. Thus I spent twenty years raising my son alone. Did that taint my feelings about men? Absolutely not, I am open and willing to be married, if that’s what the Lord wills. <br />
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When I first came to the Lord, I dated a man who was extremely loving, but he was also controlling and jealous. The Lord made it very clear, that this was not my husband and I was devastated. I loved him and begged God to change His mind; He never did. At the same time, a girlfriend of mine prophesied that either this man would be my ministry, or I would have a ministry! I never gave the prophecy much thought, but I now realize I'm walking in that prophetic word; I have a ministry, but no man.<br />
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I have dedicated my whole life to serving the Lord and His people. However at the wedding, something happened to me. All the way home I thought about the beautiful couple, and how many people in the room were married. The question of why I wasn't married lingered in my head. I asked myself, am I really ok with being single? My answer was yes. I decided that I do not need to be married to feel a sense of accomplishment or complete fulfillment. I'm happy with my life, and I wouldn't change a thing, even if I could. I have chosen the work of the ministry and consider myself blessed. <br />
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The next day in church, during worship, the Holy Spirit came upon me, and for the first time in a long time, I came undone. I began to weep and say yes to Him. I found myself making vows to Him as my husband. I told Him I would be faithful to His ministry and His call on my life. I told Him that I trusted Him in every area of my life. <br />
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I've found that God's timing is perfect. He knows me intimately and I am sure He hasn’t forgotten I'm single. Still, it's hard sometimes to be the only one in the room without a mate. However, please don’t think my life is empty without marriage, because I am married to the best husband of all, Jesus Christ!<br />
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Rev Daina House<br />
12/16/09Rev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-11893944393647960652009-12-07T10:49:00.000-08:002009-12-21T15:12:48.310-08:00Baby Dedication<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUq0UIV0RUN9pCYRNEq0P_H0jRRkAboK7AefVDzBPQIPyf1db8BI6a5bO1v0DfvSeo_9wRs_DbylaWep9Qim49nlLE6BYKQ7BWffaq6uvBJ45bXgEQJhNbwmzzFKYoNi71TNuRzhbtq1w/s1600-h/Baby+Dedication+2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUq0UIV0RUN9pCYRNEq0P_H0jRRkAboK7AefVDzBPQIPyf1db8BI6a5bO1v0DfvSeo_9wRs_DbylaWep9Qim49nlLE6BYKQ7BWffaq6uvBJ45bXgEQJhNbwmzzFKYoNi71TNuRzhbtq1w/s320/Baby+Dedication+2.bmp" /></a>It started years ago when a young lady with five children was looking for fellowship with other single moms. She had been going to church, but found it increasingly hard to connect with, or even meet other single moms in the congregation. This particular Sunday, she missed the morning service, but realized there was a meeting for single moms that evening. She was so excited, she ran up the stairs to join Precious MOMents – the Single Mom’s Ministry at the Church On The Way. <br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Just two years before, she lost her husband to gang violence. As a result of her deep depression, she started abusing drugs, lost her kids to foster care, and found herself in rehab. While there, she discovered she was pregnant with twins. She was only 26 years old. This was not just any young girl, but a strong gifted woman of God. Now, it was a must, in order to keep her children, she would have to give her life over to the Lord full time; which she did. After attending our meetings for a season; she had a multitude of miracles. Her addictions were cast out, she stopped dating and going to worldly places, she received a new home, a new job, and began to move powerfully in the gift of prophecy. Her life was full of blessings. <br />
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She thrived for a while, but before long the loneliness was so unbearable, in search of comfort, she started compromising her morals and values. She met a Christian man at church and even though they were monogamous, they began having relations together with the intention of getting married someday. Eventually she stopped coming to our meetings, but still called every now and then for spiritual guidance or financial help. I always prayed for her and encouraged her spiritually; and found a great organization in Malibu, called the Artifac Tree that helped her financially. For the most part she was doing a fantastic job raising these kids alone. In fact, single moms are my heroes; it is extremely hard to raise children alone.<br />
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It was a year ago last month when I received a phone call from her, in hysterics. “What happened? I asked?” She began to tell me the story. She and her boyfriend had started drinking and that day, he stopped by her house and wanted her to go somewhere with him. She said no, because she knew he was drunk. She went on to say, He drove three blocks away, fell asleep, crashed the car and died. “Do you know that I could have been in that car? I always went with him, I loved him; I don’t know why I decided not to go that day.” “I do,” I said. “God and His angels protected you. You are alive today because God has a plan for your life.” She cried and cried and cried and cried with an inconsolable travail. She then asked me when the next Single Mom’s meeting was and it happened to be that next Saturday night. She showed up; heartbroken, yet grateful for the divine unconditional love and acceptance of our group, and most of all, for our Savior who had spared her life. I prayed for her and she repented and whaled through the whole meeting–at one point, all she could say was Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. It was so hard to see someone so devastated and hurt so deeply, again.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The Lord prophesied over her that night and said, “For<strong><em> nine months</em></strong>, I do not want you to do anything. Do not go out, do not do anything except go to church, read your bible and take care of your children.” He wanted to be her first love again. Why <strong><em>nine months</em></strong>, well that was revealed just before the funeral. She began to get morning sickness, so she took a pregnancy test; and after going to the doctor, it was confirmed that she was carrying twins, again. God not only saved her life that day, but the lives of her two unborn babies. She was pregnant with this young man’s children. She told me, Pastor, I can’t do this, and she was tormented by a decision of whether to keep these babies, or abort them. I fought hard for what I knew to be God's will. I had to be the voice of those babies and I prayed fervently for their existence to continue. God already spared their lives once, and now I had to make sure they lived. It wasn’t long before she decided to keep those two little gifts of life; and has thanked me profusely ever since! <br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi97nCoGkWjYDRvrQEMpTwG1VQ0UXKXHDwcwsViDan3Khx28-Bg2UHXSjszNPxo7KXxcJQ1S1h6cT1Oz3Vzcm_5RVTVmmhdeHl7fQT6J8DkUavvn3mZCuZNf2R91_kAG39-qwsXmUWOKCk/s1600-h/Baby+Dedication.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi97nCoGkWjYDRvrQEMpTwG1VQ0UXKXHDwcwsViDan3Khx28-Bg2UHXSjszNPxo7KXxcJQ1S1h6cT1Oz3Vzcm_5RVTVmmhdeHl7fQT6J8DkUavvn3mZCuZNf2R91_kAG39-qwsXmUWOKCk/s320/Baby+Dedication.bmp" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">You can only imagine what she has been through; losing her boyfriend, attending his funeral, and going through the next nine months of pregnancy alone, with five other children. However, God's grace helped her deliver two little bundles of joy. Two double heartaches brought two double blessings. Today, three months later, I go and dedicate those boys to the Lord. Won’t you join me in praying for this young, beautiful single mom as she humbly and bravely raises <strong><em>seven</em></strong> children alone…<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Rev Daina House<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">12/3/09<br />
</div>Rev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-68185265792169666292009-11-16T11:16:00.000-08:002009-11-19T12:26:02.010-08:00Word From the Lord for 2010<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I’d first like to give you a little background, so you can see the flow of what the Lord is doing.<br />
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It was Friday March 21, 2008, when I woke up with the words "Season of Death" on my lips. It was the voice of the Lord echoing through me. My first impression was that the Lord was referring to physical death, but He quickly gave me scripture in 2 Corinthians 4:8-12 which says: <em><strong>We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you</strong></em>. After reading the scripture, I was certain the Lord was speaking about dying to the flesh and the Spirit life of the believer. However, it proved to be much more than that.<br />
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The Lord said we would begin to experience tremendous hardships, such as financial hardships, emotional and physical hardships; and that the adversity would be so devastating, that some would even question their very purpose, as Job did. It was a hard word, but I knew it was not the enemy speaking. I determined that it wasn’t just for me, but for the body of Christ at large; so I immediately sent it to my Pastor at The Church on the Way. It wasn’t until two months later that true understanding came. The Lord was prophesying the death of the American economy, along with our dependency on anything except Him. Everything the Lord said came to pass in the next twelve months; from the fall of the stock market, to the closing of banks and most devastating, the loss of multiple thousands of jobs. Some of my closest friends lost their homes, their jobs and all their finances; death was visible everywhere. <br />
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It has only been in the last five months that we have started to see some recovery; but certainly not because the government gave us a Stimulus Plan. In fact the “Year of Change,” as stated during the Presidential election, has not come from this Administration, but from the hand of the Almighty God, because on April 1, 2009 the Lord spoke to me again. I was worshiping in a Wednesday evening service and I had a vision of a gigantic stone in front of a gigantic tomb. I heard the Lord say, “I am rolling away the stone in the lives of My people in this season. Believe for those things that need resurrection life; those things that are deep within a tomb of darkness that are seemingly dead, for I, the Lord your God, have come to remove the shroud from your lives and cause those things to come to life again. I am bringing resurrection life in this hour, but look not for those things to come in the way they have come in the past my children, because they will not come in this manner; for I will perform them in an unusual way,” says the Lord your God. <br />
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Now, the Lord has given another word, a word for 2010. He simply said “<strong><em>HARVEST.”</em></strong> As I prayed and asked the Lord for more, He began to speak, “I am your provider and the sustainer of life. I am bringing a great harvest in the coming year. One that will prove to be unprecedented plenty, in the natural and the spiritual…The scripture the Lord gave me was Joshua 3:15-17 which says, <strong><em>“and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest) that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.” </em></strong><br />
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Matthew Henry’s Commentary says, “The Jordan overflowing its banks magnifies the power of God, and his kindness towards us. The passage over the Jordan, as an entrance to Canaan, after Israel’s long weary wanderings in the wilderness, is a type and shadow of the believer's passage through death to heaven, after he has finished his wanderings in this sinful world. Jesus, typified by the ark, has gone before us and crossed the river when its banks were overflowing.” <strong><em>This means that He crossed over at the most difficult time</em></strong>. Just as the Red Sea parted, the Jordan stood up in a heap and the Israelites carrying the Ark of the Covenant crossed over on dry ground. Even when they did not hold up their part of the Covenant, <strong><em>the Lord held up HIS!</em></strong> In other words, He has not only gone before us and made a way for us to pass from this sinful world into heaven, but He has made a way for us here and now! The Lord has seen our wanderings and our wilderness in this past season and He is speaking, overflow, plenty, and <em><strong>HARVEST for the year 2010. </strong></em><br />
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“You will begin to see those things which I have spoken in the past, now come to fruition. The desires of your heart will be revealed and answered, and they will show themselves in the next twelve months. Spiritual harvest will abound like never before. I am bringing in vats of supply for your labor and your debts. This will be the year that ushers in great clarity to those who have felt no purpose or focus. My manifest presence will attend your every move and I will truly make beauty from ashes. Your sufferings will ease as you believe Me and My Word in this next year. Lift up your heads, for what you have need of, it cometh says the Lord. Stand tall in this season my sons and daughters, for I the Lord your God have passed through the Jordon before you and have made a way for you to enter in. Watch Me as I give you open heavens, supernatural revelations and yes, even many great signs and wonders. My power will be seen in all the earth and nothing shall by any means harm you. <br />
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I have seen your wanderings and I have felt your weariness. Trust that it is I, the Lord your God who will bring change, for I have caused the “Season of Death” to end, and I have rolled away the stone from your tombs; and I am ushering in a great and mighty <strong><em>HARVEST,</em></strong> says the Lord your God.”<br />
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Rev Daina House<br />
11/11/09Rev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3903772766233832680.post-58840568280934795122009-11-06T14:05:00.000-08:002009-11-06T14:23:26.700-08:00Trusting the LordDo you ever find yourself doubting why you have been chosen to do the things you're doing? Sometimes I consider and contemplate the vast amount of people the Lord has to choose from, and ask myself why He uses such peculiar people like myself. What goes on in the mind of God when he takes a man like Moses, who stutters; or man man like Jonah who is obstinate and disobedient to deliver his people? I guess you could call me a deliverer. Why is it that we have to spend years in the desert or in the belly of a whale before we get it right? I've finally realized, that time is on my side.. Everything takes time...Rev. Daina Househttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08447054507241238188noreply@blogger.com0