Jesus Culture - Rooftops - Kim Walker

Jesus Culture - You Won't Relent - Kim Walker & Chris Quilala

Prayer & Scripture for the day

When I Need to Be Delivered from Fear

Dear Lord, I am sometimes afraid of what might happen in the future. I submit all my fears to You and thank You that You will take them from me. I lift up to You my greatest fear and ask that You would give me Your peace in place of that fear. When troubling things happen to me or around me, help me to remember that You are on my side and will fight for me. If You are for me, then no one can ever succeed against me. I pray in Jesus' name, Amen!

You must not fear them, for the LORD your God Himself fights for you.’

Deuteronomy 3:22 (NKJV)

Word for Today

For I will pour water on him who is thirsty,
And floods on the dry ground;
I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, 
And My blessings on your offspring;
Isaiah 44:3 (NKJV)

I will pour water on him who is thirsty, I will pour floods upon the dry ground!

God has got exactly what you need.
God has got plenty of His divine blessings to meet your need.
If you are thirsty and dry, He has living water for you.
Give Him your need today.

Song : 'Reach out and touch the Lord as He passes by.
You will find He's not too busy to hear your heart's cry.
He's passing by this moment, your need to supply.
So, reach out and touch the Lord as He passes by.'

Word for Today

"Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; 
Thereby good will come to you.
Job 22:21(NKJV)

Acquaint now yourself with God [submit to Him] and be at peace; by that you shall prosper and great good shall come to you. 
When we submit ourselves to God great things can happen! 
The light of God's favour can shine upon us. 
Then we can be at peace. The results will even surprise you!

PRAYER : Lord, I submit myself to You. I entrust my life into Your hands. Fill my life with peace and bring forth something wonderful from my life, I pray in Jesus' name, Amen!

Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV)

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

gaining strength

by : regina franklin

After 20 years in youth ministry, my husband has weathered his fair share of injuries on the job. Most recently, he was involved in a competitive outdoor game when he twisted his foot. Playing through the pain, he conceded to his injury only after winning the contest. He limped to a nearby place to sit down and carefully remove his sock, only to see his ankle quickly swelling past the size of an orange. A trip to the hospital revealed it wasn’t broken, but he soon realized it would take time before his foot could bear weight once again.

Pain often serves as a reminder of our limitations. To those of us who pride ourselves on our independence and feel most comfortable being in control, we don’t relish the pain when it reminds us we’re vulnerable. Instead of admitting our need, we “play through the pain,” if not to convince ourselves then to assure others that we can handle whatever comes our way. No one likes to feel weak.

The whole crux of the gospel, however, rests on our desperate need and the insufficiency of our own resources. Pride keeps us from admitting our needs, much less our failures. But until we’re willing to deal with those things, we cut ourselves off from the fullness of the power of Christ in our lives.

Strength for the believer looks far different than what the world professes. “[Jesus] gave up His divine privileges . . . and was born as a human being”

Philippians 2:7 (NKJV) -but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

in the greatest show of power the heavens have ever witnessed

2 Corinthians 13:4 (NKJV) - For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.

We gain strength when we see difficulties—and our weaknesses—as a means for His power to be at work in us.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NKJV) - And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

It’s the difference between limping and running. 

Isaiah 40:29-31 (NKJV) - He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

Read 

2 Corinthians 12:1-10 (NKJV)

The Vision of Paradise

 ¹ It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: 

² I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. 

³ And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—  

⁴ how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. ⁵ Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities.  

⁶ For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.

The Thorn in the Flesh

⁷ And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.  

⁸ Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.  

⁹ And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  

¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

More to Read - to discover why we can experience joy even as we see and acknowledge our own inadequacies.

Isaiah 35 (NKJV)

The Future Glory of Zion

¹ The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; 

² It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, The excellency of our God.

³ Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. 

⁴ Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “ Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” 

⁵ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 

⁶ Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert. 

⁷ The parched ground shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water; In the habitation of jackals, where each lay, There shall be grass with reeds and rushes. 

⁸ A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray. 

⁹ No lion shall be there, Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; It shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, 

¹⁰ And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

How does the world’s definition of strength differ from the one found in the Word of God? In what areas of life have you been limping on an old wound rather than admitting your weakness and hurt to the Lord?

Word for Today

Jeremiah 30:11 (NKJV)
For I am with you,’ says the LORD, ‘to save you; Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, Yet I will not make a complete end of you. But I will correct you in justice, And will not let you go altogether unpunished.’

For I am with you,' says the LORD, 'to save you;

Here God gives you two assurances:

1. I AM WITH YOU!

2. I WILL SAVE YOU!

He is with you and He will rescue and save you.

Prayer: Lord, my heart is assured, knowing that You are with me and You will save me. In Jesus' name Amen!

Psalm 23 (NKJV)

A Psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD

Forever.

bold, faithful friends

bold, faithful friends

Jesus had returned to His base in Capernaum after a preaching trip. When the locals heard that He was back, they ran to where He was staying (probably Peter’s house) and swarmed around it. So many people crowded into the house that there was no way a paralyzed man, brought to the door by his concerned friends, could get in. But his friends would not be hindered! They hatched a dangerous, unconventional plan.

They picked up their paralyzed friend, hauled him up the side staircase to Peter’s roof, broke through the mud seal, ripped up the straw thatching, and made a hole large enough to lower the man through. They vandalized Peter’s home! When Jesus saw their radical faith, He gave them more than what they’d come for: He met the man’s spiritual needs first and then healed him physically.

Mark 2:5

⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” 

Mark 2:11-12

¹¹ “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”  

¹² Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Sometimes we simply can’t go any further in life or deeper into faith on our own. Seasons come when we need others to boldly carry us to Jesus.

“I remember when I wrote my book on prayer,” author Richard Foster once told me during a radio interview. “When I finished it, I didn’t want to pray. In fact, I didn’t even like prayer!” He was burned out and spiritually dry. Richard’s weekly prayer group soon came around and he shared his predicament with them. He revealed his prayerlessness to his four friends and waited for their response. “We don’t think you should pray right now,” they told him, “so we will become your prayer for you.” It wasn’t long before Richard was praying again for himself.

Just like the paralytic man and like Richard Foster, we all need bold, faithful friends. I thank God for those who carry me to Jesus and pray the prayer I can’t pray myself.

Read - Mark 2:1-12 (NKJV)

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic

¹ And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 

² Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 

³ Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 

⁴ And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
⁶ And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 

⁷ “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
⁸ But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?  

⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 

¹⁰ But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, ¹¹ “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”  

¹² Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

More to Read - Matthew 8:5-13 (NKJV)

Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant

⁵ Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him,  

⁶ saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”
⁷ And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
⁸ The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 

⁹ For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
¹⁰ When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 

¹¹ And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 

¹² But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 

¹³ Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

Mark 5:21-43 (NKJV)

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

²¹ Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. 

²² And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 

²³ and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” 

²⁴ So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.
²⁵ Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 

²⁶ and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 

²⁷ When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  

²⁸ For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
²⁹ Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 

³⁰ And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”
³¹ But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”
³² And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 

³³ But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 

³⁴ And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
³⁵ While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
³⁶ As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” 

³⁷ And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 

³⁸ Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. 

³⁹ When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”
⁴⁰ And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. 

⁴¹ Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”  

⁴² Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement.  

⁴³ But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

Acts 9:36-42 (NKJV)

Dorcas Restored to Life

³⁶ At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. 

³⁷ But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 

³⁸ And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. 

³⁹ Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. 

⁴⁰ But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 

⁴¹ Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 

⁴² And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord.

Which faithful friends carry you to Jesus when you’re weak? Who could you be such a friend to today?

Happy Mother's Day to all the Wonderful Mother's

A Mum is a small portions of God's love in action.

She looks with her heart and feels with her eyes.

A Mum is the bank where her children deposit all their worries and hurt.

A Mum is the cement that keeps her family together and her love lasts a lifetime.

You can have everything in life but you only get one Mum.

Send this to anyone whose a lovely Mummy and let her know...

She's absolutely wonderful!

I just did!

Happy Mother's Day

xx

When The Road is Long