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Fixing our thoughts on the Lord

Let us fix the focus of our hearts and thoughts upon the Lord

In these crazy days across our nation, let us fix the focus of our hearts and thoughts upon the Lord.  Jesus told Pilate “My Kingdom is not of this world:  if My Kingdom were of this world, then I would have My servants fight”  (Jn. 18:36).  God’s Kingdom is ruled by different standards than the kingdoms of this world.  We, as His people, must remember this.  I don’t normally turn to the book of Jeremiah for encouragement, however, chapters 29-32 seemed relevant to me.  Israel found itself riddled with pestilence which is later identified as an incurable disease along with economic upheaval and unrest among the peoples.  Sound familiar?  The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah was along these lines:  There is a set time (a limited timeframe) around all the chaos.  The purpose of the time was to clean up the hearts of God’s people as well as to grab the attention of the unbelieving population.  They were instructed to put away their deceptions through seeking the Lord with the promise of  finding Me when you search for Me with all your heart.  God is after our wholehearted pursuit of Him, not just when it rescues us from things we don’t like.  I believe the Lord has also set a timeframe around our current days as He prompts His people to seek Him wholeheartedly.  Here’s the encouragement God then spoke which I see as relevant and applicable to us:  Do not fear nor be dismayed.  Though you have no healing medicines and your wound is incurable, yet I will restore health to you and heal you.  I will have mercy upon your dwellings, from the palace (our nation’s Government) which will remain! to the congregation that shall be established before Me, to the nobles and governors (leaders, both private and public) whom I will cause to draw near to Me because they have pledged their hearts to be My people, and I will be their God.  Behold the whirlwind of the Lord will fall upon the head of the wicked until the Lord has performed all the intents of His heart.  Refrain your voices from weeping and despair for there is hope for your future.  I will restore rejoicing in the streets, the sound of bride and bridegroom, and people will stream to the goodness of the Lord who causes souls to be like well-watered gardens.  Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh, is there anything too hard for Me?”  These verses come from those chapters.   I feel strongly they are a NOW WORD from the Lord of Hosts as we set our hearts upon Him and bow low in surrender to His voice.  He desires us to superimpose His Kingdom of Righteousness, Peace, and Joy upon this afflicted world and upon our nation and communities.

Wanda Anderson

GHM Invite 2017

Gathering of Leaders

Gathering and Honoring Women in 5-Fold Ministry and Senior Pastoral Positions

The Lord gives the word of power, the women who bear and publish the news are a Great Host. Ps. 68:11

Dear Five-Fold Women Leaders of God,

You are invited at no charge as our guest to a Great Host event and luncheon in Houston on Saturday, August 19th, 2017.

Freedom Outpost Houston
2800 Antoine Suite 2842
Houston, Tx, 77077
United States
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Meeting 10:00 AM, Lunch 1:00 PM, Meeting 2:00 PM

It is our heart to strengthen, equip, empower, and unite God’s women leaders for His purposes. It is our prayer that each leader will return to their respective commissions with renewed strength, strategy, and vigor to get the job done. We desire to honor you, and to let you rest and receive of His love. Lunch is provided for you all to enjoy as you fellowship and create new relationships for the good of Houston, the Kingdom of God, and for the strengthening it provides.

A free will offering will be received. Please RSVP below (with the expectation to inform us if you are unable to attend so as to have accurate lunch count – we pay our caterer for exact number of attendees.)

We look forward to seeing you in Houston as we recognize the Lord’s growing purpose, increased power, and synergy each time we unite with one another. You, Ladies, are the Great Host! Join us as we gather to serve you and allow the Holy Spirit to energize you as He ministers His timely and life-empowering Word and direction.
The Great Host Board
Rev. Lora Allison, Pastor Joni Stevenson, Pastor Pat McElwee, and Rev. Candi MacAlpine

The Governing Board consists of seasoned, ordained ministers, who together carry diverse backgrounds and many years experience in ministry and leadership. Great Host is established through relationship, strategy and activation built upon the firm foundation of Christ and His shed blood. “…that they all maybe one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they may also be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.”. John 17:21

For further information contact greathostministries@gmail.com.

www.greathostministries.com

It's a Choice to Rejoice!

It’s a Choice to Rejoice

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Emotions are fickle. Opinions are fickle. Perspective is fickle. What is fickle? The dictionary calls it “unstable in affection,” and it applies to that nature within us that changes capriciously according to weather, hormones, a look, or even whether we think someone likes us or not. Once fickleness colors our perspective, much like glasses filtering out sunlight, our choices of attitude become more and more limited. We forget we even have a choice. Soon we don’t care. We have made a choice without even knowing it. And life becomes a roller coaster downhill most of the way. We may complain about our lack of joy. We become more and more negative. Jokes help but when we have become negative enough, we are even antagonistic at most humor. Sometimes the ridiculous catches us unaware, and we laugh in spite of ourselves, but quickly we pull the “comforting” and familiar shroud of darkness around us once again. Grouchy. Irritable.

Best case scenario, we would think, is to passively catch the roller coaster on the upward swing. But the psalmist, who talks about lonely birds on the housetop and wasted bones, proclaims yet WILL I rejoice [praise him]. Paul shouts, Rejoice! And AGAIN I say, Rejoice! This is the day that the Lord has made and I WILL rejoice and be glad in it. No conditions. He made it, I will — my will wills — my perspective bows — my mouth chooses — my emotions choose — TO REJOICE! When that choice is made, colored glasses come off. Sunlight looks brighter. Flowers are more brilliant. Jokes are funnier. People are more interesting. They like us better when we smile. But most of all, we tap into His joy, and thus His strength, His Presence, His grace, and His love. And all because we made one little choice– to Rejoice!!!

Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice.   Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.        Ps 51:8-12 NKJV

(Excerpt from the book, Stress Relief, by Lora Allison)

Thy Kingdom Come!

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Word from the Lord regarding women in the Kingdom of God:

“In the alignment of My Kingdom, there will be neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female, and My government shall be of My own choosing. Allow Me to choose.  Let My wisdom rule and My grace abound.  Let My Word prevail and My preferences stand alone.  Allow humility to bring your mind-sets down, until what is in your mind is the stark, razor-clear exactness of the Word of God, living and active and piercing and exposing.

Learn to choose to be exposed.  For when you lose the fear of being exposed, you will find that what is left is My glory in you, shining for all to see.  Prejudice must fall before the blinding rising of My Light.  As My thoughts rise within you, the splendor and clarity of My mind will set you free from the torments of human thinking.  The freedom of this will take your breath away.  The rigidity of the everyday struggle to continue with so many opinions will soften and melt away before the enormity of My love.

My love will align My entire Kingdom, every race and tribe, every kindred and tongue, every created one of My desire, fitly joined together, unified in My covenant.  I am a covenant keeping God.  And My covenant is for all, freely given, and freely received.

Prejudice is not My way.  All are welcome and equal in this new world.  Let the old things pass away, for the new, like My lovingkindnesses, is fresh every morning.  Enjoy My mercy and My grace.  Look for your space– for it is here, waiting for you in My Kingdom, in My paradise, in the place which I have prepared for you, says your God.”

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

                                                                             Galations  3:28, NKJV

Excerpt from Kingdom Alignment, by Lora Allison

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