Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Mothers Are "Always" Mothers!





Mothers are mothers when we are babies, and they're still mothers when we're 65 and they're 85; Mothers are "always" Mothers.  They still tell you to be careful going home, and lock your doors even when you're 65 years old!

   
Do you ever wonder if Jesus Christ, our Lord, was a compliant, contemplative, studious child?  Did He ever shout "No," and throw tantrums as a child?  Did He scuff His knees and scrape His shins, or was He a quiet, deep-thinking introvert in those early years?  We know He went missing at the early age of twelve and was finally discovered in the Temple confounding and amazing the Doctors with His wisdom.

            

Mary knew who He was, but He was still a growing child, and she was ever and always a Mother.  We have to wonder what she thought when wisdom emerged from His young mouth.  He must have said things that astounded her, because of how He shocked all those in the temple with His teachings.  Here, we have a mother just like any other mother, except "her" child is Almighty God in the flesh!  How does an ordinary mother behave with an extraordinary baby?  Mary, on the other hand, was more than an ordinary mother, since she is the only mother in earth to have given birth to God!  When we think about this whole plan; we almost sit with our mouths open.  It's an ethereal story, humbling the redeemed, haunting the foolish, and beckoning the hungry ... 

              


We fast forward and Jesus is throwing out the money changers.  He's wielding His authority in righteousness over their disregard for the House of God.  What is Mary thinking now?  As she has watched Him grow over the years and she has seen His very apparent power, visible in so many ways, did she struggle with the issue of Him being her son and Him being God?  She was, after all, first and foremost, still a mother. 


                                                              
                                                                      
The years go by and she sees Him writing people's sins on the ground, healing a deaf woman, and so many other miracles.  She thought, "this is my son?"   All the while, the mother in her was laid aside as she observed the Messiah, the Savior of the world, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords "arise" day by day in the ordinary lives of everyone around her.  To her, He was still her son, her baby grown up, and her protective, nurturing instinct was still alive; it didn't matter that He was now in His 30's.  It didn't matter that He seemed to be tending the people in need  everywhere He went.  To the mother that she was, He would always be her baby, her son, or would He?
           




Then came the day when Mary's motherhood of this Son was given to another.  We can feel her heartbreak at the words, "When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!"  Jesus Christ never called Mary "Mother;" He called her "woman" many times.  She knew in her heart who He was, but she carried Him within her for nine months; she nursed Him; she raised Him; she coddled and burped Him; she watched Him grow into a man, and now ... He was giving her to another to call him son!  In the mind of our Lord Jesus Christ were the famous words, "It is finished!"  The God who came in the flesh to die for all mankind had "borrowed" a woman's womb for just a little while, and now the God of the universe had completed the story, and Mary was no longer a mother.  


But there's one thing nobody considers about "Mothers;" a mother never forgets the kicks in her womb, those little fingers, that sweet baby smell, that cooing baby smile, those baby giggles that thrill anyone who hears them; no matter how old the child; and nobody, "nobody" can take that away from her; she carries it to her dying day  ... even if she's been given away and told to mother another ...  It's because, and forever will be, that Mothers Are "Always" Mothers ...  Except one!

     
Mary holding Jesus after His death on the cross


Jesus Christ rises the third day

Jesus Christ leaves the tomb

Mary, the mother of Jesus in the Upper Room,
waiting to be filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ!


 (Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.)


Pastor Kenneth Phillips and 
First Lady Wanda Phillips
(He will always be our earthly Father in the Lord and 
she will always be our Mother in the Lord)

                                                                                                      
PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas
Services Sundays 10:30 am and Wednesdays 7:15 pm
~~~~~Live Streaming~~~~~

Merry Christmas!  Bless you for joining us at PromiseLand!  Send us your 
prayer needs, and if you would like to sow seed in holy blessed
ground, please give a love offering online @ promiselandchurch.net.  
Thank you, dear one, and I know the Lord will surely bless you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



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{Special thanks to cooltext.com.}


Tuesday, September 2, 2014

"Life Is A Ladder"




"When he (Jacob) reached a certain  place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set.  Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.  He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.  There above it stood the LORD and He said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.  I will give you and your descendents the land on which you are lying.  Your descendents will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south.  All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.  I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land.  I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."  (Genesis 28:11-17)


When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is
 in this place, and I was not aware of it."  He was afraid and said,
"How awesome is this place!  This is none other than the house of
God; this is the gate of heaven."


Early the next morn, Jacob took the pillar that was under his head and poured oil on it and called the place Bethel.  Then, Jacob made a vow to the Lord that if He would watch over him on his journey, give him food to eat and clothes to wear, and return him safely to his father's house, he said, "Then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."

(Jacob wrestles with an Angel)
"Now when he saw that he did not prevail against
him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of
Jacob's hip was out of joint as he wrestled with him."
(Genesis 32:25)

Jacob was destined to encounter Angels!  He dreamed about then, and he wrestled with them.  Here again Jacob encounters an angel; he evidently did not like what the angel said and he wrestled with him.  They wrestled all night long, and the angel finally said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."  Jacob would have none of that; he said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."  Then, the angel asked, "What is thy name?"  Jacob told him and he said, "Thou shalt no more be called Jacob; thou shalt be called Israel."  The name of Jacob has a meaning of  "heel catcher/deceiver/ supplanter," but Israel meant "a prince of God."



Jacob's test and struggle are the reason we have a Nation named Israel.  And, the Nation of Israel "wrestles" yet today with enemies all around her seeking to destroy her, yet she prevails!  The Nation is blessed, and those who bless her shall be blessed; those who curse her shall be cursed.


Life for each one of us in God is a struggle to reach the apex of the time of blessings for a season, and then we all hit those seasons of disappointments; it is a ladder of rungs, each a climb to reach more in God, to reach those higher glories, to experience the depth of the mind of God, and the secrets of God.  Those who do not climb will miss the blessings; they will miss the growth, the gifts, the impetus to do exploits.  Each of those rungs represents greater dimensions, greater insight, strength and power in the Holy Ghost.  The interesting thing is that the lower we bow, the higher we climb.  God's blessings are not one step above each other, but one step below the other.  Down is up with the Lord; climbing is bowing to a posture of greater and greater humility.  We are never as tall in the Spirit as when we are bowed on our knees!



Lord, we seek Your face down on our knees, and we climb to stupendous heights down on our knees; we soar with the eagles down on our knees; we bow low to climb high down on our knees, and in the process we greet angels ascending and descending  ...  Even they know: "Life Is A Ladder!"



(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.)




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sculpture of Jacob's Dream

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pastor Kenneth Phillips
(He climbs continually)

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas
Services Sunday 10:30 am and Wednesday 7:15 pm
~~~~~~~~Live Streaming~~~~~~~~

Please send us your prayer requests, and if you 
would like to sow seed into holy ground that prays
and SEES miracles, you may give online @ 
promiselandchurch.net.  God bless you, and 
I know that He surely will!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PromiseLand Church!
The Bride sets the wedding date as she climbs to
bring in the Harvest, the "last" soul to be saved.

God's Church is an army, marching in
UNITY to accomplish God's purpose in the earth. 
Dream your dreams, use your talents and gifts, Saints, 
and build a ladder for God's Angels to descend and ascend 
to fulfill Your dream for the kingdom of God!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{Special thanks to cooltext.com for the use of
graphic text generator}

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Whispered Prayers by Karen Peck and New River

Whispered Prayers by Karen Peck and New River

"Trial's Cry"

Job



"How I long for the months gone by,
for the days when God watched over me."
(Job 29:2)

Oh, how we long for yesterday, when in the midst of the test and
 trial; we cry for the days of yore
If we could only go back to when the Lord was close, the tears
 were dry, and the pain was no more
The test is a desert so hot and dry, loneliness is our companion
 and a stillness of the hovering heavens
It's a place where we come face to face with our inner being, a
 loudness of our own soul that deafens
Questions plague us, mourning cloaks us, depression seeks to
 overtake us, but our faith offers rebuttal
For every "Why?" our faith grabs hands with our soul and
spirit, and together they form a holy huddle  
It's a war against the flesh so bleeding and torn, seeking to rob
 our belief that Almighty God's still there
Even though we can't see Him, or touch Him; that faith
floods us like an epee, in the throes of a dare
We thought we had lost it in the middle of pain and despair, but
the Word rises up in a fight to the finish
Our own hearts are surprised, when we have no proof that we'll
live, but the hope will not be diminished
The fire shut up in our bones comes to our rescue in times of
war, when God says, "You can only go this far!"
It seems to be the only voice from above that we're sure of, and
it blows in the winds, shoving aside the stars
As we moan in gasping breaths, that we wish we hadn't been
born, the Lord emerges with Lion-like force
He says, "Where were you when I formed the foundation of the
world?" and lists His power, as a matter of course
We're suddenly humbled in arrogance of stature, realizing we're
but "dust," and God's hand's in the matter
It's clear now that it all began with accusations from the cast out
one, the doomed for the Lake of Fire adder
After all, Job's trial lasted only nine months; to everything there
is a season, and a time to every purpose
When we belong to Jesus Christ, our trials are in His realm; we
were bought with His blood, and purchased
Perspective comes into view, and the desert seems to have an
oasis; and it's cancelling our desire for the past
The presence of the Lord has brought a new angle to this test,
and we are enlightened to a new forecast
The times on the wheel only make us stronger, if we hold tight to
the horns of the altar, and refuse the devil a bow
We should know the trial is always about our faith, our stand, our
trust in the Holy One, to whom we vowed
As Jacob wrestled with the angel and wouldn't let him go, so
fierce was the battle, disjointing his thigh
So we must love our Savior, our Lord, through every test and
every "Why," with trust as ever our "Trial's Cry."


(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.)



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Pastor Kenneth Phillips
He was given 4-6 months to live!


Pastor Kenneth Phillips
No Cancer!  Dr. said he has the blood of an 18 year old!
Thank You, Lord Jesus!


Karen Phillips 
Healed of Leukemia!
Thank You, Lord Jesus!


PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas
Services Sunday 10:30 am and Wednesday 7:15 pm
~~~~~~~~Live Streaming~~~~~~~~

Thank you for joining us in worship of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Please send us your prayer requests and if you would like to 
sow seed into holy ground that prays and SEES miracles,
you may give online @ promiselandchurch.net.  God Bless you, 
dear one, and I know that He surely will!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PromiseLand Church!
We pray; we fast; we believe; we Win!
Many people in our congregation and those we've
prayed for have been healed!
To God be the Glory forever and ever!
Thank You, Lord Jesus!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


{Special thanks to cooltext.com for the use of
graphic text generator}

Sunday, August 10, 2014

"Return To Me!"





"I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned
against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son;
make me like one of your hired servants.’  So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled
with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and
kissed him.  “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven
and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’   “But the
father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him.
Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  Bring the fattened calf
 and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.  For this son of mine was
dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."
(Luke 15:18-24) 

"I watch you in your hurt and pain," says the Lord,
and I long for your hand in Mine
Your struggles are before My face, I AM your comforter,
 and you are My own design
I wait for you and stand by as you strain to sleep, but
your burdens keep you awake
Don't you know that I love you and I shed my blood
for your heartache, all for your sake
Come unto Me; I was so hurt when you left Me, but I
have never left you nor forsaken you
For you see, I knew one day you would come back; you
would miss, and long for Me too
You are mine; your name is engraved in the scars in
My hands, forever to be known
My creation is My beloved, from Eden's dust, you are
the image of Me, My soul's groan
Have you not wandered too long, and your heart is so
weary, and aching for peace
Let My arms enfold you, wash away your sins, and
bring you a sweet release
Earth is My footstool, and the honest hearts draw My
eyes, to and fro from day to day
As I search for My own, and beckon them to My love,
from their lonely prodigal way
Come home, precious one, the fatted calf awaits, with
My robe of kingly stature
You can fall to your knees and be yourself now; put
aside the wayfaring actor
Let Me fill you with My Spirit, it's the JOY from above, 
and it's the reason why I came
Surrender your heart, and I will wash away your stains, as
 you obey, and are baptized in My name 
For I knew you from the womb; you were chosen to
be mine, a vessel for all to see
My arms are open wide, my child, it's time to rise from
the dust, and "Return To Me."



(promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.)




Pastor Kenneth Phillips
(He's calling for those who have lost their way to 
return to the Lord Jesus Christ!)

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas
Services Sunday 10:30 am and Wednesday 7:15 pm
~~~~~~~Live Streaming~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PromiseLand Church has been ongoing for over 46 years, 
loving and reaching out to every Nation with the 
gospel of Jesus Christ.  Send us your prayer needs, and
if you would be so kind as to give a love offering, please
go to promiselandchurch.net and give online.  
Thank You, and May the Lord richly bless you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~












PromiseLand Church!
We're telling all people and all nations 
that Jesus Christ waits for them with 
open arms.  Run to His love!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please leave your comments and prayer request at the end 
of this post.  I will be honored to pray for you!  
Thank you for visiting "God's blog" and please come back!
May the Lord bless you and keep you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{Special thanks to cooltext.com for the use of
graphic text generator}