Thursday, August 31, 2006

the fury in the pheasant's wings

"My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind."
- Albert Einstein


Jeremiah 10:11-15

11-15"Tell them this, 'The stick gods
who made nothing, neither sky nor earth,
Will come to nothing
on the earth and under the sky.'"
But it is God whose power made the earth,
whose wisdom gave shape to the world,
who crafted the cosmos.
He thunders, and rain pours down.
He sends the clouds soaring.
He embellishes the storm with lightnings,
launches wind from his warehouse.
Stick-god worshipers looking mighty foolish,
god-makers embarrassed by their handmade gods!
Their gods are frauds—dead sticks,
deadwood gods, tasteless jokes.
When the fires of judgment come, they'll be ashes.


Calling Out Your Name - Rich Mullins

Well the moon moved past Nebraska
And spilled laughter on them cold Dakota Hills
And angels danced on Jacob's stairs
Yeah they danced on Jacob's stairs
There is this silence in the Badlands
And over Kansas the whole universe was stilled
By the whisper of a prayer
The whisper of a prayer

And the single hawk bursts into flight
And in the east the whole horizon is in flames
I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name

I can feel the earth tremble
Beneath the rumbling of the buffalo hooves
And the fury in the pheasant's wings
And there's fury in a pheasant's wings
It tells me the Lord is in His temple
And there is still a faith that can make the mountains move
And a love that can make the heavens ring
And I've seen love make heaven ring

Where the sacred rivers meet
Beneath the shadow of the Keeper of the plains
I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name

From the place where morning gathers
You can look sometimes forever 'til you see
What time may never know
What time may never know
How the Lord takes by its corners this old world
And shakes us forward and shakes us free
To run wild with the hope
To run wild with the hope

The hope that this thirst will not last long
That it will soon drown in the song not sung in vain
And I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name

And I know this thirst will not last long
That it will soon drown in the song not sung in vain
I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And with the prairies I am calling out Your name

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Web Prayer

May the Lord open up
the windows of heaven
and pour you a blessing
that you will not have room
enough to receive it all.

May the Lord bless
you exceedingly and abundantly,
above all you could ever hope for.

May the Lord bless you
that you may walk in a
financial overflow.

May you fall in love with Him
for the rest of your days
in the Name of Jesus.
Amen!

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Praying without ceasing

Praying without ceasing

*Main Scripture*
"Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing fi rm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fi ery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere." (Ephesians 6:13-18, NLT)

*Other Scriptures*
Luke 18:1-7; Romans 8:26-27; Galatians 4:6; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Jude 20

*What Jesus Might Say To You*
Despite the intensity of a spiritual battle or how strong or weak you feel at any given moment, I have given you everything you need to live a godly life and to stand your ground against any attack from your Enemy, Satan.

With every piece of spiritual armor you put on, you clothe yourself with me. I am your helmet of salvation, your breastplate of righteousness, your belt of truth, your shoes of the good news of peace, your sword of the Spirit.

But wearing your spiritual armor still isn't enough. If you run into battle fully equipped but aren't in communication with your command center, you will lose. You need my guidance, my wisdom, my encouragement, and my strength. That's why it's important that you pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Praying at all times means staying in constant communication with me: When you wake up, in between classes, during a test at school, while you're hanging out with your friends, when you go to bed. Prayer is more of an attitude than an activity. Satan loves to ambush my unsuspecting followers. Without prayer he will catch you off guard every time.

As you pray, avoid doing all the talking. I know you have a lot on your heart, but make room for the Holy Spirit to guide you in prayer. Spend time in silence so I can respond to you. But also remember that you're in the middle of a war, not just a fi ght. Other people face the same attacks as you. They need you to pray for them as much as you need them to pray for you.

But there's one more reason why we need to stay connected: I just like to spend time with you!

Your Source for everything,
Jesus

*Summary Challenge*
Staying connected to Jesus is more of an attitude than an activity.

*Spend Some Time Journaling*

Taken from "Conversations with Jesus" by Youth for Christ, copyright 2006, Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission. Order the book here: http://www.youthspecialties.com/product/273463

2. SURF REPORT

~ International High IQ Society Puzzles
http://www.highiqsociety.org/puzzles/

~ Cool Optical Illusions
http://www.coolopticalillusions.com/

3. FORGETTABLE FACT

Blueberry Jelly Bellies were created especially for Ronald Reagan's inauguration

4. POTENT QUOTABLES

"Pray often; for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan"
- John Bunyan

"Prayer is as natural an expression of faith as breathing is of life"
- Jonathan Edwards

5. PARTING SHOT

The easiest way to refold a road map is differently.

*All "surf report" internet links and "potent quotables" are provided for informational purposes, and do not imply endorsement by Youth Specialties.

copyright 2006 :: Youth Specialties