I Corinthians 13:13

A Thing Called Love

This three-year-old orangutan's parents died and he was so sick and depressed that he would not eat; they thought that surely he would die.  At the same time the orangutan arrived at the zoo's treatment center, an old sick dog arrived.  The two lost souls met and have been inseparable ever since.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love."

The orangutan and the old dog are together 24 hours a day in all their activities.  Together, they found that joy and laughter in life, and most especially, the value of friendship.  Our Lord Jesus Christ called us friends and He gave everything He had for us.  He went to the cross willingly; He could have called millions of Angels to His side at any time, but He didn't.  He could have stopped the whippings and the niagara-like flow of His blood, but He didn't.  He could have spoken up in His own defense, but He didn't.  He came to earth as God in the flesh and He came for a purpose to be fulfilled  ...  and He did it! 

      

                                                                       

      "Greater love hath no man than this,

     that a man lay down His life for His friends."

        (John 15:13)  

The Lord Jesus Christ gave us an example of love that some of our wonderful soldiers follow on the battlefield today; they throw themselves in front of the other troops to protect them and many come home missing legs and arms; all we can say is, "there is no greater love than this."  We don't have to be exactly alike to love one another; in fact we can be from one end of the world to the other, and come together in unity for a cause greater than ourselves.  "What is that cause?" you ask.  It is the greatest cause in earth, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  But, we must replace "hate" with "love."  How can we hate someone we do not know?  How can we despise one we have never met, talked with, or even seen, in some cases?  The love of our Lord Jesus Christ transcends oceans, continents, dialects, and every other barrier we put up to stop unity.  

            

                 "Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man,

                though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die."

             (Romans 5:7)

How can such broad differences, such diverse customs, such opposing beliefs come together?  That's a two million dollar question, and perhaps only Jesus Christ, our Lord, has the answer.  People come together most often for a common goal, or a common cause; only in this case, there is nothing common about it!  Jesus Christ our Lord did the most "Royal," the most beautiful, the most phenomenal, the most humble and glorious action of all; He gave His life for His friends.  Life is really short, when you think about it; and time in earth seems to be moving faster and faster.  

It is an amazing and powerful thing Jesus Christ did for us, isn't it?  And, He didn't do it just for us, but for the whole world.  He has a boundless depth of love for every Nation, kindred and tongue; His love is North, South, East and West, and keeps going; it encompasses the universe and settles back in a "City" built upon foundations of love.  The Apostles of Jesus Christ died martyrs' deaths because of their love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  

We could learn a little something from Roscoe, the loving three-year-old orangutan and his forever friend!

                                                                                    By Sheryl Fowler

          (Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.  PromiseLand

          Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)

                                                                                                                            

  

Revelation 5:8

PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS

Earth limits our access to Almighty God, "except," and it's a great big exception  ...  through Prayer!  We can go around the world in one hour through prayer; we can send supplies to missionaries through prayer; we can heal the sick, move Nations and leaders, change laws, prevent accidents, protect Israel, and send America to its knees, all through God's most treasured asset, the prayers of the Saints!

                                                                 

                   "And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four {and} twenty

                                    elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and

                                          golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints."

What an incredible thought that our prayers are bottled up in heaven!  If you ever wondered, "Does God even hear me?"  Wonder no more; if the Word says it, it is!  Prayer leads us directly into the throne room of our Lord Jesus Christ, where we can sit at His feet and commune with Him for hours.  "Hours?" you say.  It's easy to spend hours with God when we feel we know Him.  To know Him is to be filled with His Spirit (Acts 2 and also Acts 19).  The Lord becomes real within us; we hear Him in the very depths of our spirits; we feel His beautiful presence; and Jesus Christ is forever within us, comforting, guiding, teaching, molding and blessing us. 

Prayer is the greatest privilege of the human being.  It transcends galaxies, ozones, continents, and can even move a person standing right next to us.  It is more powerful than a nuclear explosion; it exhumes the wisdom of the ages, knowledge and understanding; it moves through doors, buildings, and prisons; prayer opens cells, breaks chains, and looses bound spirits.  Prayer is a valuable, highly volatile, serious commodity, but costs only a bended knee, and sometimes not even that ... maybe a screaming whisper!

"Another angel who had a golden censer, came and stood

at the altar.  He was given much incense to offer, with

the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne."

(Revelation 8:3)

Prayer in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ has the authority, the power, the dominion, and the impetus to change the world!  The Bible says it this way, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."  (James 5:16)

The gateway to heaven eternally is obedience to His Word, with baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the infilling of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues as the Spirit of Almighty God gives the utterance. Finally, that passage to answers, to healings and to miracles, to the salvation of planet earth, is Prayer.  Our prayers are ever captured and saved in a vial at the very throne of God; where else in the universe do "our" words mean so much?  Every word we cry out to God becomes a precious vapor bottled up and saved for unveiling at a monumental time in eternity.  Oh, dear saint, your prayers are not only heard; they are caught, held to the breast of God and preserved forever!  So, whatever you do, pray!

                                                           

                                                                                                                                                                       By Sheryl Fowler

                               (Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com. 

                           PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)



Luke 1:38

BE IT UNTO ME

The season of Easter always brings to mind Mary's stupendous words.  What if she had said, "No?"  Almighty God knows those whom He visits with questions for the ages, and He knows the ones who will answer with certainty, "Be it unto me."

                                                         "And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; 

                                                             be it unto me according to thy word.  And the 

                                                                               angel departed from her." 

Mary was a willing vessel, a womb to carry the Creator of the universe, a bodily offering for the needs of Almighty God, a humble servant laying down her reputation for eternity's cause, and the most noble sacrifice from the foundation of the world ... "be it unto me."

           

                                                          "For he has been mindful of the humble state of his

             servant.  From now on all generations will call me blessed."

God is still looking for "Mary's," those who will give all to Him, who will lay it all down for His cause.  "What is His cause?" you ask.  His cause is the salvation of the entire world; He is not willing that any should be lost or perish.  He came, died, and rose again to redeem the souls of men, that where He is, we may be also, dwelling in an eternal Garden of Eden.  His plan was always for man to be blessed, to live in peace, and spend his days with joy and splendor.

What Church will say it; what Pastor will say it; what Christian will say it; what songwriter will say it; what artist will say it; what author will say it; and what so-called 'nobody' will say it?  ... "Be it unto me."  Lord, whatever You want to do, however You plan to do it; "Use me."  It doesn't take huge talent, imposing good looks, fortune or fame; it only takes a willing and humble "Mary."  The Bible says it like this, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of {them} whose heart {is} perfect toward him..."  The word 'perfect' here means "sincere" or "totally devoted" to Him.  The Lord Jesus Christ is looking for a Spirit-filled, blood-washed, overflowing, unhindered, unafraid, bona fide, verified, clarified human soul to say it, mean it and do it, "I will."  

     

                                                                        Be It Unto Me!

                                                                                                                                                                                      By Sheryl Fowler

                                          (Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com. 
                                   PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)

   

Psalm 42:1

Panting Souls

The deer or the hart is a gentle, timid, delicate creature, and the psalmist is drawing a comparison of the deer to man's soul, panting after, searching for, or longing for his God.  This is Almighty God's fondest desire, that man would seek Him, desire to please Him, and serve Him.  Oh that mankind would become souls after the Lord Jesus Christ who gave all for His creation.

                                                               

"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so

panteth my soul after thee, O God."

"My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God."  (Psalm 84:2)  The deer enjoys being near the water for feeding, but when he is being hunted, he will go to the water as a refuge.  Jesus said, "But whosever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."  (John 4:14)  God is our refuge; He is a strong tower and the righteous run in to Him and are safe; we are filled with His Spirit and baptized in His name, and we arise to newness of life in Him!  (Acts 2:38)
   

                                                                    

                                                             

    "Why art thou cast down, O my soul?  And why art thou 

    disquieted in me?  Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise 

him for the help of his countenance" 

"The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit."  (Psalm 34:18)  Rise up, and call out to the One who holds the universe in the palm of His hand, the One who speaks and the planets line up, the One who turned back time for a sign to a weeping desperate soul.  The Lord Jesus Christ is your comforter; He leaves the ninety and nine to go after one lost sheep; and He is as close as the mention of His name, Jesus  ...  Jesus!

One who does not know God does not know of the sweetness of His presence, the Joy of His Spirit, the thrill of His voice, and the beauty of His comfort.  He is the satisfying solace of every spirit and the awesome wonder that every human soul longs for, even when they are not aware of their own hunger.  He created us to worship Him, and in our worship, we become complete.  He's the babbling brook for a dry desert, the rainbow after the storm, the lily of the valley and the bright morning star, the whisper in ebony terror, the arms underneath your burden, and He's your Savior, your Lord, Jesus Christ.  

As our hearts pant after our Creator, we can see a light at the end of our dark tunnel, a clearing of our troubled weary minds; we feel a lifting of our heavy burdened spirit; the billowing fearful clouds above our heads start to dissipate;  we see "Sonlight" bursting through the trees, and we fondly remember a few words from the most beautiful of the psalms, "...Weeping may endure for a night, but Joy comes in the morning!"
                                                                                                                                                  

    

                                                                                                        By Sheryl Fowler

             (Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.  PromiseLand

                                          Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)

Psalm 2:12

KISS THE SON

We have arrived at the midnight hour of the Bible's most mysterious, terrifying, and unknown periods of time, the "time" just before the Rapture of the Church.  No one has ever been here before.  The four horses of the Book of Revelation are pawing the ground; Nation rising against Nation; the earth groans and shakes under the pressure of fulfilled prophecy; and Almighty God is angry.  It's time to "kiss the Son!"

                  "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish {from} the way, when

                                              his wrath is kindled but a little.  Blessed {are} all

                                                         they that put their trust in Him."

The Book of Ezekiel is about to come to pass (regarding the nations who will come against Israel) , "And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.  Thus will I magnify myself,  and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord."  (Ezekiel 38:22,23) 

"But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them

ever sing for joy.  Spread your protection over them,

that those who love your name may rejoice in you."

(Psalm 5:11)

It is time for the world to pay homage to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords; to recognize His authority and omnipotent reign; and to submit and realize He is God, the Lord Jesus Christ.  When the God of the universe becomes angry, all of planet earth knows it!  "Why is He angry?" you ask.  When people seek to destroy what He loves, Israel; when sin is rampant; when the Nations have unrighteous leaders; when laws are passed to promote sin; and when people shake their fists in the face of almighty God and dare Him to deal with them, He becomes angry ... and He does  ... "deal with them." 

God is more than Love; He is just.  He is longsuffering and patient, but He reaches a point when He expects a change, a humility, a repentance, and a bended knee.  We are here!  It's for our own good; a Holy people, a God-fearing Nation, a peaceful world are what we should all long for.  It is still a choice; we can choose righteousness or we can choose evil.  The result is Heaven or Hell.  You say, "That's rather blunt!"  The Bible is very blunt; the Lord does not "surprise us" with an eternity in the pits of Hell; nor does He surprise us with a blissful eternity in Heaven.  Both are clearly defined, and roapmaps to each are spelled out from Genesis to Revelation.  The road to salvation is spelled out in the Book of Acts where the Church began; obey Acts 2:38; then Romans to Jude tell us how to live godly after salvation.  The road to Hell is paved with evil, selfish desires, and disobedience to His Word.

How does one appease an angry God?  "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."  (2 Chronicles 7:14)  It could usher in Joel 2:28 when the Lord pours out His Spirit upon all flesh; it could push us into a worldwide revival of paramount proportions; it could "delay" the wrath of God just a little longer. 

What can we do in the midst of these dark clouds hovering over every Nation; the sounds of tanks and bombers; the increasing noise of irate voices; the crumbling economic chaos; the minute by minute breaking news of more disasters; and the shaking, cracking upheaval of the very ground beneath us?  There's one thing we can do  ...

                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                    By Sheryl Fowler

             (Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.  PromiseLand

                                                     Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)

Jeremiah 20:9

THY WORD IS LIKE FIRE

Jeremiah said, But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak anymore in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones.  I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."

In the Book of Acts when the High Priests commanded Peter and John not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:18), they answered them, "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."  (Acts 4:20)

What have "WE" seen and heard?  We have seen so many cancers healed that we cannot easily count them; we have seen Angels, standing wing to wing around our church with their swords drawn; we have smelled the scent of roses in the holiness of our Altar; we have seen our Pastor thrown back five feet from the pulpit by the power of God; we have seen visions and dreamed dreams; and we've seen miracles and healings untold.  Hey, Peter and John, "We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard." 

                                                          
                             Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you
                                            and fill your stomach with it."  So I ate it, and
                                                   it tasted sweet as honey in my mouth.
                                                                             (Ezekiel 3:3)

The Prophets of old were told to eat the Word literally.  The Word of God should be so fresh and so saturated in our minds and hearts that we feel as though WE have eaten it.  The Lord said, "And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, thou {art} my people."  (Isaiah 51:16)

The Word is sharper than a two-edged sword; it cuts to the heart, pierces the soul, and slashes the spirit.  The Word in us should be so intense that we "must" speak it; we must tell anyone who will listen of the hope they have, not only in this life, but the life to come; that no matter how dark the world becomes, the Lord Jesus Christ will be a light and a comfort to them; that to be filled with His Spirit and baptized in His Name are commands from His Word, and with those commands come blessings, freedom, Glory and wonder! 

Time is running out, America; we are overflowing with the preached Word of God.  The Word of God is sweet in our mouths, but a torrential flame in our souls.  "Fire" also means passion!  We should have a burning passion to tell it on the mountains, that Jesus Christ is Lord.  As we near the Rapture of the Church, the world will become colder and colder.  "Are you talking about an 'Ice Age?' you ask."  No, I mean cold as in void of feelings and emotions as earthly goods and families are stripped away with wars, storms, earthquakes, and increasing government controls. 

When people lose everything in one moment, in the blink of an eye, they reach a point of utter despair.  They will need some warmth; they will hunger and thirst after righteousness; they will grab the hems of our garments to tell them of our God and His Word; they will reach to the heavens for comfort and solace; they will be ready for a God who has been ready for them for thousands of years; they will ask about His Word  ....  And we will tell them ... because it's "fire" shut up in our bones! 

                                                     

                                                                                                                     By Sheryl Fowler

            (Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.  PromiseLand 

                                 Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)                                        

                                                              

                                    

The Climb

The Climb

Mountains beckon the climbers and beg

to be scaled

Craggy tops glistening, taunting the leery,

the fearful and  frail

They’re majestic and awesome, luring the

adventurous and the brave

While mocking the oceans, with its depths 

and  great monstrous waves

The apex sits so silent, amidst its lofty,

aerie abode

Awaiting its next conquest, panting over

its pointy node

The climber strives for the top, with

ultimate precision

It's a quest toward the heavens, an

enduring decision
A comparison for the Saint, in the 
climb to find the Lord
We stretch and we reach, with a
 three-fold proven cord
His Blood, His Word and the power
of His Name
Keep us ever climbing toward His Spirit, and
the never-ending flame
The clouds and the storms, over the 
mountain they hover
Undaunted we go; His treasures on shelves
one below the other 

To finally stand upon the mount, and bask in

 unhindered sun

We learn from the mountain; to conquer is not a

promise, but a climb yet to be won.

                                                          By Sheryl Fowler

              (Visit Promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com, PromiseLand

                                     Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)

Revelation 6:2-8

MOUNT UP!

The horses of the Book of Revelation are pawing the ground, eager and anxious to "ride."  As the thundering hoof beats grow louder and louder, we also hear the eerie echoes of a ticking pounding clock.  We sense the four riding horses fastly approaching, and God's Church hears a resounding voice shouting to us to "Mount Up."

"... and behold a white horse...; And there went out another

                                              horse that was red...; And I beheld, and lo a black horse...

                                                            And I looked, and behold a pale horse..."

             
When the horses begin to ride, there is one with a bow and no arrow; the next one brings the emergence of war; then come the groans of famine; and finally, the stench of death.  We are so close that we can feel the earth "shaking" under the pounding grinding hooves.  It is an urgent forceful push for the Church to climb higher, reach further, seek deeper, witness stronger, and bow lower than we ever have before.  It is a call from the heavens to get up and Mount Up! 

The words "Mount Up" not only mean to climb up onto something, but they also mean, "to become greater, stronger or more intense."  We need to be so full of the Holy Ghost that we exhibit the power that when we lay hands on people, they are healed; that when we anoint with oil and baptize them, they rise from the water speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance; and that we spread Acts 2:38 to the North, South, East and West until our straining used-up throats are hoarse and raspy.  We must "run" while it is yet day ... for the night cometh when no man can "run." 

"I saw heaven standing open and there before me

                                                     was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful

                                                     and True.  With justice He judges and makes war."

                                                                                  (Revelation 19:11)

The word mount also means "to move upward into the air;" we're not surprised with that; we are familiar with the pep talk to venture to the edge of the nest, jump out, and fly!  We get it; we're stronger than we think we are; we have more faith than we think we do; and we are not grasshoppers, but Giants, in a world who will soon be looking up for something bigger to show them the way.  We are armed with the Name, the Blood and the Word, and that's enough!   

Come on, Church; grab your hat, your boots, your riata, and outrun the four horses.  We just need to practice our "roping" technique, beat the clock out of the chute, and race into the arena with all we've got.  This is a final round-up of eternal proportions; God just needs willing participants, a people fearless to ride the winds and handle the "dust;" it's a tough woolly job, but really not so hard, if you Mount Up!

                                                                                                                                                                                 By Sheryl Fowler

         (Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com, PromiseLand

                                            Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)

Leviticus 25:23

GOD'S LAND

There were many reasons for blowing a Shofar, but one of the most significant was that it was used by Prophets to call the people together to repent.  When we, as Christians, hear the Shofar today; it should have the same effect on us.  The Shofar is a prominent instrument for the land of Israel.  The Shofar should be blown presently to signify to the world that there is a parcel of planet earth that none should touch; it's God's Land.
 

 "The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land {is} mine;

   for ye {are} strangers and sojourners with me."

The whole world, it seems, is focused on everything that goes on and is centered around God's Land.  Israel is the "apple of His eye," and God allotted the land to them for their use, but the land belongs to God.  In this age of "rights," we can hear people saying, "What right does Israel or Palestine have to the land?"  Rights are established by Almighty God; He alone created the universe and all that is therein, and He can do with it as He chooses.  "Where does the Bible say that," you ask.  "Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; the Lord of hosts is His name."  (Jeremiah 31:35)  

Almighty God is the ultimate authority; He owns it all, and He could show us in an instant that nothing really belongs to us; I think He already has!  Psalm 119:19 says it best, "I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me."  All of the fighting, governmental intrusions, and disunity could be solved with one acknowledgement; take it up with the "Landowner."  

It's time that the entirety of planet earth look to the one "who holds the note."  The Lord Jesus Christ makes it known day by day that this world is not our home; we're just passing through.  He sets up leaders and tears them down; He turns the rotation and degree of the axis; He sets the boundaries of the oceans and the creation of the mountains.  The Lord said to Job, "Who hath prevented me that I should repay him?  Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine."  And, my favorite scripture of all: "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?..."  (Job 38:4)

All of the troubles of the world could be made simpler if we just understood "who" holds it all in His hands, if we lined up with His Will, if we moved with His established Word, and worked with Him instead of against Him.  It seems it is time for the Prophet to take up the Shofar and blow; the deep soul-stirring moan needs to be heard from Nation to Nation, from people to people, from continent to continent.  It is the horn's bellowing call for repentance, a beckoning for creation to fall to its knees and sit at the feet of the One who can shake a planet with the breath of His nostrils, who with a move of His eye can remove mountains into the sea and cover the earth with waters from a clear sunny sky.  

"Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest,

       and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." 

(Ephesians 5:14)



Geography is the Lord's favorite subject; He invented it, designed it, formed it, decorated it, inhabited it, and He has the right to reform it and make it new again.  Boundaries, we must understand, are Almighty God's forte.  He makes them or disintegrates them; He enlarges or condenses them; He is the "Landlord."  And, it would behoove the tenants of planet earth to peruse the wisdom of the Bible and comprehend once and for all that everything under the sun is God's Land!"

                                                                                                                                                                                      By Sheryl Fowler

         (Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.  PromiseLand 

                                      Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)