Today Someone..."His Wings"

The Lord gave me the vision of wings, "His wings", not the wings of birds, not the wings of angels.
In Psalm 36:7, the Bible mentions God's wings;

"How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of men take refuge and put their trust under the shadow of Your wings."

He wrapped me in His wings; I could feel the Lord envelop me in His protective wings as I prayed. A soft, downy warmth, like you get from a feather filled quilt as you wrap it around you on a cold Winter's evening.

Why wings, I asked?

Wings of birds lift them up out of dangers way; enfold and protect the young; ward off attacks from the enemy and carry them to new heights.

God does the same for us when we trust in Him as our Father.
He has redeemed us through His Son, Jesus, and does not want harm or evil to befall us.
Through His grace alone, we are saved and have His promise of salvation when we accept Him into our lives.
He lifts us to a new level in our relationship with Him...BUT the road we must follow can be tough with many dangers and temptations thrown in our way.

When we pray we ask and thank God for His protection on us, our families, our friends, our churches...

How wonderful to feel and know that His protective "wings" are always around us.

The Lord sometimes gives us a glimpse of His presence, to sustain us throughout the day and all our days.

Are you walking in the shadow of His wings?

Dear Jesus,

By Your grace alone,

You lift me up to You,

You redeem me through Your love,

And swaddle me in Your wings.

Whenever I feel weary,

Afraid, worried or alone,

I call on the Name, above all Names,

And You caress me with Your wings.

When family are away from me,

And burdened for them I feel,

Your Spirit descends upon them,

Encircling them in Your wings.

My dear friends, I pray,

That you may have this peace,

Trust in Him to keep your needs

Under the shadow of His wings.

When you need uplifting,

Turn to our wonderful Lord,

He'll envelop you in His love,

And surround you with His wings.

Now sit very quietly,

As you wait upon the Lord,

You too will feel Him draw near

To enfold you in His wings.

Amen.

You too, Oh Lord, give us "wings".

Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles;

they shall run, and not be weary;

and they shall walk, and not faint.

(By Doreen Hardie)

Today Someone...We are all one in Christ Jesus.

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28).

On 29 May 2006 the Lord gave me a message. It was about my personal growth in Him and my concerns about the wonderful people I know, from other religions, who pray, do good deeds and acknowledge Jesus as a prophet but not as the Saviour. I feel that God wants me to share this message. It is a very sensitive topic and I'm not well educated in other religion's beliefs. All I know is that we serve a God of love and mercy.

"As long as they are hearing and praying I will not harden their hearts.

Do not judge them.

Show them love and compassion, not in words, let My love shine through.

Keep yourself pure, be merciful, not proud...

continue to see the vision that all people are made in My likeness,

none are unclean in My sight...

I am the Saviour of the World, the Lord, Jesus Christ,

let Me lead them unto Me as I have desired.

Amen."

I feel God has placed a responsibility on our shoulders, as Christians, to be a Christ like example to others who know of Him but have not accepted Him as the Messiah or as their personal Saviour. The Lord is able to use us if we allow ourselves to be willing vessels in His service. He wants others to encounter His saving grace in their lives, through our obedience to Him.

I have come across some wonderful Christians from other religions who are true examples of the mercy of Jesus saving blood. They continue living in their communities, abiding by the laws therein, but testifying to the saving grace of Jesus.

We are entrusted by God to witness to others, in our community, our work places, our schools, the love and salvation that only comes through His grace when we acknowledge our sinfulness and accept Jesus as our personal Saviour.

Dear Lord,

Today someone prays for all of mankind.

You, Lord, were sent by Your Father in heaven into this world.

You know our human frailties because You lived as one of us.

Yet You remained blameless before God.

Dear Jesus by Your painful death on the cross,

And Your glorious resurrection

You have set us free from the damnation of sin.

Let us therefore bear witness to this fact.

"It is through faith that all of us are God's children

in union with Christ Jesus...

So there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles,

Slaves and free men, between men and women.

We are all one in union with Christ Jesus.

If you belong to Christ,

Then you are the descendants of Abraham

And will receive what God has promised."*

Lord help us to be an example,

of Your saving Grace

To everyone we encounter today.

Amen.

*Gal 3:26-29

Today Someone...Mother Teresa's worthy life.

On 10 September 1946 Jesus revealed to Mother Teresa His heart's desire:

It was His "thirst", His infinite longing to be loved by the most forgotten, abandoned and rejected among His children, the poorest of the poor.

He spoke to her with great clarity and urgency about her new mission. The Missionaries of Charity.

"Come, be My light. I cannot go alone. They (the poor) don't know Me so they don't want Me. You come, go amongst them. Carry Me with you into them. How I long to enter their holes, their dark, unhappy homes."

Jesus wanted Mother Teresa to start a new congregation whose members, as He told her;

"would be My fire of love amongst the very poor - the sick, the dying, the little street children. The poor I want you to bring to Me, and the sisters that would offer their lives as victims of My love will bring these souls to Me."

What a witness Mother Teresa became to God's love. She and her followers were so united to God, so as to radiate Him, even in the greatest darkness.

Now I hear you say, "I can never be a Mother Teresa."

BUT God sent Mother Teresa and now sends each one of us:

"You come, go amongst them."

We too are to be carriers of His light, love and compassion to others.

Mother Teresa's words encourage us even today:

"Give Jesus your heart to love and your hands to serve. Be His light, His fire of love amongst the poor."

How do we do this in today's busy, modern lifestyle?

Mother Teresa left us with this advice:

• This love begins at home. The family is the place to learn Jesus. God has sent the family-together as husband and wife and children-to be His love.
• "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." (Proverbs 3:3)
• The "poor" can be in our own families. Give them always a happy smile; give them not only your ears but also your heart.
• In our love of neighbour, people will be able to recognize Jesus. Kindness has converted more people than zeal, science or eloquence.
• We must be examples of His kindness, His forgiveness, His understanding and His love, so that others will be able to recognize Jesus, welcome Him into their lives and enjoy His love, joy and peace.
• "I believe in person to person. Every person is Christ for me, and since there is only one Jesus, that person is the one person in the world at that moment." Said Mother Teresa.

When Mother Teresa received her Nobel Prize she was asked,

"What can we do to promote world peace?"

She replied,

"Go home and love your family."

Anyway

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.

-Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.

-Do it anyway.

If you're successful, you win false friends and true enemies.

-Succeed anyway.

The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow.

-Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness will make you vulnerable.

-Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

-Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you help them.

-Help anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you will get kicked in the teeth.

-Give the world the best you've got anyway.

(by Mother Teresa)

Dear Lord,

Today someone remembers;

Blessed Teresa of Culcutta,

Jesus called you to "be His light,"

by loving and serving Him

wholeheartedly in the poorest of the poor,

and so satiating His thirst for love and souls.

Grant that I may also be like you,

a carrier of His light, love and peace to others,

radiating His tender mercy to my brothers and sisters

who live in darkness and pain.

Mother Teresa untiringly repeated,

"God still loves the world through you

and through me today."

May she accompany us from Heaven

and help us to be God's light,

love and compassion in the world.

Amen.

Today Someone...Tell My People to feed My lambs.

My flock is thirsting, thirsting for a revelation of Me, go forth and feed My lambs, refresh My sheep.

The time is coming when they will not follow the Shepard's voice, to the water...to the food of life.

You must work now while there is yet time.

Any little bit of inspiration to another that comes through Me will not go astray.

Trust in Me, share My Word with everyone you encounter... do not be afraid, do not be ashamed, do not be embarrassed...I am with you.

Trust in Me the Lord God Almighty, and do My Will.

I want My harvest of souls to be great.

I want the evil one to be ashamed of the river of blood that pours forth from his harvest that will be crushed in the wine-press outside My gates. I do not want him to have a flood two hundred miles long and five feet deep.

(Revelation14:20)

Turn those away from fulfilling their evil desires and receiving the judgement reserved for ‘him who deceives’.

Turn them to My riches in Glory, so that they may fully understand the love and MERCY of the Almighty God!

...Be an example.

Dear Lord,

Today Someone stands up for God's Word;

Let me be like...

He who professes to have knowledge of God,

He who styles himself as a child of the LORD.

The wicked say,

“Let us beset the just one, he is obnoxious to us;

He sets himself against our doings,

Reproaches us for our transgressions.

To us he is the censure of our thoughts;

Merely to see him is a hardship for us,

Because his life is not like that of others,

And different are his ways.

He judges us debased;

He holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.

He calls blest the destiny of the just,

And boasts that God is his Father.

Let us see whether his words be true;

Let us find out what will happen to him.

For if the just one be the son of God,

He will defend him and deliver him

from the hand of his foes.

With revilement and torture, let us put him to the test;

That we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience.

Let us condemn him to a shameful death;

For according to his own words,

God will take care of him.”

These are their thoughts, but they err;

For their wickedness blinds them,

and they know not the hidden counsels of God;

Neither do they count on a recompense of holiness,

Nor discern the innocent souls’ reward.

Amen.

Revelation 14: 19-20.

19So the angel swung his scythe on the earth and stripped the grapes and gathered the vintage from the vines of the earth and cast it into the huge winepress of God's indignation and wrath.

20And the grapes in the winepress were trodden outside the city, and blood poured from the winepress, reaching as high as horses' bridles, for a distance of about 200 miles.

Today Someone...A Compassionate Heart.

This is compassionate love:

• In compassion, we contact the authorities when we see children being abused, even though their parents might retaliate.
• In compassion, we take meals to a sick neighbour, even though his illness is making him cranky and he's likely to lash out at you.
• In compassion, we speak up for someone who's been misunderstood and rejected, even though we'll become the next target of condemnation.
• In compassion, we advocate for employees who are being ill treated by their employers, even though we'll be disdained or fired or blacklisted for stirring up trouble.
  

Anything less than this is unChrist-like. When we get nailed for doing good deeds, we are truly being like Jesus.

We're taking our compassion all the way to the cross. We are taking CHRIST'S compassion to the crosses that He wants us to carry with Him.

Our compassion is His. Our crosses are His. We are intimately united to Him when we suffer for the sake of love.

Take a bold step forward in compassion:

• Dare to follow your heart where others need the caring touch of Jesus.
• Look for opportunities to be Jesus for others in ways that you've avoided before.
• Stretch your ability to face the cross because of love for others.

The word "compassion" means "with passion"

--- you are with Jesus in His holy Passion!

by Terry A. Modica.

© March 2007

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A Compassionate Heart.

Dear Lord,

Today someone prays for

a compassionate heart.

Grant in her a Christ-like

love for others.

Let her hear,

really hear the cry from the heart of others.

Let her understand,

really understand what her neighbour is experiencing.

Let her know,

really know how long her friend has been suffering.

Let her love,

really love all those you put in her path today.

Let her respond,

really respond with love,

Understanding and the compassion

that can only come from You,

Our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

(Phil 1:9-10)

And this is my prayer:

That your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

So that you may be able to discern what is best

And may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.

Today Someone...Depression.

Today Someone wants to share some thoughts on the debilitating illness...

DEPRESSION.

I am not in the medical profession...

I am not in the psychiatric profession...

I have never suffered from depression...

BUT

As the years have passed by, I have come in contact with this "syndrome", for want of a better word, many times.

I have been a "victim" of depression although I've never suffered from it. "How so?" You may ask.

Any family who has had a member afflicted by this condition will tell you that it causes the whole unit to suffer. It's very much like when we hurt a limb, our whole body feels the discomfort and pain.

Some parts over compensate to try to relieve the pressure the pain is causing...this is fatiguing as it is not naturally equipped for this dual functionality.

Some parts become immune to the pain in order to see to the daily functioning of the rest of the body.

Some parts have sharp outbursts of protest when a nerve touches its area causing discomfort.

Some parts come out in sympathy and mimic the disability.

All in all a very unhealthy situation...but the body copes albeit it in a dysfunctional way. Likewise with the family.

In the early stages of depression the family and patient often deny that there is anything wrong, as an unsettled spirit comes over the family.

The first reactions to depression are..."Oh pull yourself together, you've got nothing to be THAT miserable about".

As the weeks pass by, the patient descends into an uncontrollable deepening abyss of despair.

I feel even the medical profession are not 100% sure as to the cause of depression but have found a way of alleviating the symptoms through medication. I praise God that He has blessed man with the ingenuity to manufacture such drugs which so often are the starting point of healing in the depressed person's life.

-Chemical imbalances;

-Illness;

-Extremely difficult life situations;

-Nothing.

These are a few things I've heard stated as being the cause or trigger of someone's depression.

So often the family is ashamed to mention it is going through the turmoil of depression...there seems to be a stigma attached to it...they alienate themselves from others at a time when they most need support.

I share the following tips with others who are facing this crisis with a family member:

In this state they don't appreciate anything you try to do to help...

do it anyway.

They can be illogical and argumentative...

don't argue back, be understanding.

They can be despondent and heartbroken...

give comfort, don't tell the person to pull themselves together.

They can hate themselves and life...

nothing you say will convince them otherwise, just put your arms around them and tell them how much you love and appreciate them.

They can be ashamed and apologetic...

tell them there is nothing to apologise for as they were there for you in times of need.

They can say that you don't understand what they are going through...

tell them you know, but nevertheless you are there for them 100%.

They can be clingy and insecure...

try to keep a 'normal routine', but be conscious to have someone available for them at all times, as they can become extremely frightened. Be sensitive to this need and make time for them.

The above are not easy to do. It can take many months for things to 'feel' right again.

You will be surprised how many families go through this.

So what do we as Christians do when faced with Depression in a member of our family?

I have been criticised for advocating medication. I feel that any counselling is useless until the afflicted person has regained a state of calmness in which he can logically discuss his feelings. Carefully controlled and monitored anti-depressants may help a person reach this stage. Sometimes a root cause or trigger for depression can be discovered and dealt with by a professional or Christian counsellor. In many instances we never discover why a person suffers from depression. If long term medication is necessary, treat it sensibly, as you would for any other illness, under the supervision of a Doctor. Try to avoid a 'roller-coaster' attitude to medication, going on and off it as your mood changes, as this so often leads to an unnecessary increase in dosage.

As Christians we must prayerfully hand the situation to God.

In the Bible we see King David experiencing the symptoms of depression.

"My soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to the grave. I am counted with those who go down to the pit; I am like a man who has no strength". (Psalm 88:3,4)

"I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly: I go mourning all the day long"..."I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart" (Psalm 38:6,7).

Like King David we must find hope in the Lord and embrace His healing.

"O Lord you have brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit" (Psalm 30:3).

"I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, for You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities" (Psalm 31:7).

"Draw near to my soul and redeem it" (Psalm 69:18).

Pray for an upliftment in the person's spirit every day. Tell him you are praying for him. As he improves, encourage him to pray with you. Only God can deliver and heal, but He can use you as His instrument of restoration.

I feel prayer and support can help sustain long term results.

'I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth - praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.

(Psalm 40:1-3)

Let us Pray;

Dear Lord,

Today someone

prayerfully upholds families

going through the trials

of depression.

It is an affliction one would not

wish on one's worst enemy.

It reduces one to the lowest

emotional state imaginable.

But You, our Lord God Almighty,

Have heard the cries of your children

from the depths of their despair.

Throughout all ages, You have heard this cry.

You alone can lift them

out of this misery.

You alone can restore their spirits.

You alone can heal their hearts today.

Thank You Jesus

for Your loving kindness;

You are the Rock of ages,

Let all emotions be anchored to You.

You bring new life,

You bring new joy,

You bring contentment

to our lives once more.

Amen.