A Servant's Heart

by Gloria A. Walker © 2011

You called to me, I answered,

"Yes, Lord, Your will is mine.

I'll yield to You my life and love.

I'll leave it all behind.

To walk with You o'er mountains high,

To walk through valley's low,

To walk with You on sunny days,

To walk where cool winds blow.

The Commitment of an Intercessor

Today our pastor put forth a call for more Intercessors. For those considering responding to that call, please read the following short excerpt from pastor Frangipane's book The Power of One Christlike Life. What an appropriate teaching/example of the life of an Intercessor.

The Commitment of an Intercessor

Then Moses returned to the Lord, and said, "Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves. But now, if Thou wilt, forgive their sin---and if not, please blot me out from Thy book which Thou hast written!" (Exod. 32:31-32)

The prayer of Moses is remarkable. Moses was not only the leader of Israel, he was an intercessor as well. Ultimately, an intercessor gives up all personal advantage for the sake of those for whom he prays. Moses knew he personally had favor with God. Yet he presented himself as a remarkable portrait of one irreversibly committed to Israel's transformation. He said, "If Thou wilt, forgive their sin---and if not, please blot me out from Thy book."

I AM FREE!

by Gloria A. Walker © 2011

"And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work : in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him" (Luke 13:10-17).

I stand trembling in the midst of the crowd. Stand. I am standing! I am as excited as I am overwhelmed. I look into the eyes of the One Who has just called me to Himself. His eyes are filled with such a powerful love, I find myself raising my hand to caress His face, as the feel of His hand lingers at the base of my spine. I am stopped in midstream as the words swirling around me like a whirlwind penetrates my heart. “There are six days in which men ought to work, in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day” (Luke 13:14). Such indignation, such anger, such vitriol in his words. Don’t you understand? I AM STANDING! Why can’t you be happy for me? Why can’t you celebrate with me?

RESPONSES TO ADVERSITY

TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior" (Hab. 3:17-18). 

When we experience adversity, we generally respond in one of three ways: (1) we become angry; (2) we try to gut it out; or (3) we accept it with joy. 

Anger

When adversity comes our way, we say, "Why me, Lord?" We become bitter and resentful and blame God and others for our problems. We view ourselves as victims and demand that God answer our accusing questions: "Why don't You love me, Lord? We feel entitled to life, health, wealth, and happiness. 

Yes, LORD!

by Gloria A. Walker © 2011

"Out of the free flowing intimacy birthed from my relationship with Him comes moments where I find it necessary to express in writing what I cannot articulate with my speech when I am in His Presence. This is the result of one of those moments." 

Emotion. Wave after wave of emotion. Rising and falling. Reaching a peak that is hard to handle. Subsiding enough to allow me to breath, but never far from rising again.

What will happen should it reach it's zenith? Will I explode? Will I melt from the inside out and become putty in Your hands? What are You asking of me? What are You requiring of me? Is this a purification or a consummation?

Either way, the fire is hard to bank. It feels as if wants to break all restraints. It gives me no rest. It doesn't matter. Lord, I yield to all You ask and require of me! Yes, Lord!

PRAYER CHANGES THINGS

by John Paul Jackson © May 2011

My relationship with God changed dramatically in 1978. That was the year I started praying every day. I did so because my marriage was in trouble, my little business was in trouble, my job at a major corporation was in trouble and everything was going downhill. 

You know what? I thought. If I'm going to get fired, I might as well get fired because I'm a raving Christian and not because I’m being a bum, like they think I am. So I started praying — not because I was passionate about prayer but because I really, really wanted to keep my head above water!

NO MATTER THE COST

by Gloria A.Walker © 2011

Out of the broken places of my life rises the fragrance of my worship.  Even as my arms open like the petals of a rose and drink in His loveliness, I remember from whence I’ve come. I remember my heart as it lay in pieces at the feet of those who said they loved me. I remember my body bent beneath the burdens heaped upon me by the very ones who promised to help me. I vividly remember that dark place where I tried with everything in me to escape in the deep recesses of my mind so I would not feel the pain and disappointment dealt to me, even in the household of faith—the one place where escape should have been possible. I remember lying there with my eyes closed, broken and bloody from the warfare around me that only I could hear, see and feel.

REFINER'S FIRE

by  Gloria A. Walker © 2007

        Forged in the flames of adversity. 
        Welded in the crucible of pain. 
        Tried in the furnace of affliction.
        Birthed in the heat of the same.

        Parched for God’s Holy Presence.
        Thirsty for His healing rain.
        Yearning for dew drops of mercy
        To quench the heat of the flames.

GOD'S WOMAN

by Gloria A. Walker

excerpt from "Out of the Depths of My Heart I Cried" © 1996

There's a beauty of the spirit

That she simply cannot hide.

She's surrounded by so great a love

It will not stay inside.

It overflows into our lives.

It fills our empty days.

It draws us every closer to

Love's awesome, burning flames.

The Old Rugged Cross

by George Bennard

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, 

the emblem of suffering and shame; 

and I love that old cross where the dearest and best

for a world of lost sinners was slain.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,

has a wondrous attraction for me;

for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above

to bear it to dark Calvary.

What Price Freedom!

"And I say, oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Yes, I would wander far away, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah! I would hasten to escape and to find shelter from the stormy wind and tempest" (Psalm 55:6-8).

I close my eyes and meditate on these words. As I meditate, I feel as if I'm slowly shedding every care, "every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles me" (Heb. 12 1c AMP). Suddenly, I am one with the Dove, soaring across the heavens. As I indulge my new found freedom, I test my wings; descending and ascending, around, up, down. With all of the excitement and continual somersaulting, I begin to tire. The sky looks funny, as if a storm is brewing. Look, a hill! I think I'll rest under that tree. So much noise. No one will notice if I rest here a moment.