Intimacy with God

Oswald Chambers says:

"It is an incontrovertible fact that some Christians seem to experience a much closer intimacy with God than others. They appear to enjoy a reverent familiarity with Him that is foreign to us. Is it a matter of favoritism on the part of God? Or do such people qualify in some way for that desirable intimacy?

Both Scripture and experience teach that it is we, not God, who determines the degree of intimacy with Him that we enjoy. We are at this moment as close to God as we really choose to be. We are now, and we will be in the future, only as intimate with God as we really choose to be.”

When I think about the Lord

When I Think about the Lord
How He saved me, how He raised me
how He filled me, with the Holy Ghost
How He healed me, to the uttermost

When I Think about the Lord
how He picked me up and turned me around
how He placed my feet on solid ground

Chrous

It makes me wanna shout
Hallelujah
Thank you Jesus
LORD, you're worthy, of all the glory, and all the honor
and all the praise

God hear the prayers of the humble (Peter Horrobin)

Then (the angel) continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel.. Since the first day when you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.”
Daniel 10:12, NIV

Our first thoughts when someone mentions the name Daniel are usually about the story of what happened when he was thrown into the lion’s den as a punishment for not bowing down to an idol. Daniel was more concerned about his relationship with God than he was about his own personal safety. Daniel’s relationship with God was lived out at an unusual level of intimacy and fellowship. He wasn’t interested in protecting himself if it meant that he would be betraying the God he loved. What an example he is to us all.

Through his well-established pattern of living in relational obedience to the Lord, Daniel had grow into having an unusual level of awareness of the spiritual realms. He was able to hear and understand what God was saying through dreams and visions and at times he was able to see the angelic beings and hear what God was saying to him through them. And when Daniel prayed it was as if there was an open door into the heavenly realms - he had an exceptional level of earned authority with the Lord. When he prayed - things happened!

In our Scripture for today we discover the key to Daniel’s effectiveness as an intercessor - as a man who could not only speak to God in prayer, but who also heard God’s answers with amazing clarity - whether those answers came to him directly from God or through the intervention of God’s angelic messenger, as happened here in Daniel 10.

The key is one that is there for each and every one of us to use! The key of humility! Humility is the opposite of pride. Pride says, ‘I know best’. In pride people rise up in their own authority, oblivious to the fact that there is a higher authority than any human authority. Humility recognises that God is the source of all power and all authority and that as we come before Him, in holy fear of the Lord, then we are putting ourselves in the place where our ears can be open to hear His voice in response to our prayers and intercessions. Derek Prince used to say, ‘The way down is the way up.’ Daniel was a dynamic example of how when he humbled himself before the Lord, God raised him up!

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the example of Daniel and for his humble submission to your authority. Help me, Lord, to walk in a similar way in my own life, recognising that pride is a barrier to effective prayer and that humility opens the doors of the heavens to those who know and love the Lord. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Today's Writer : Peter Horrobin Peter Horrobin is the Founding and International Director of Ellel Ministries. He has now written and is currently developing Ellel 365 – a completely new online training school. This is specifically designed to help people understand and apply the practical truths of God’s Word into their lives. Already there have been many remarkable testimonies of what God is doing in people’s lives. The Ellel 365 website has now been completely updated. To take a look for yourself click on the Ellel 365 link on this page.

Show me your face, Lord (Paul Wilbur)

It says in Exodus 33, "The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend." Wow. Would I want to be known as God's friend.

What was Moses' secret? I believe that it is that above all things, He wanted to know God.

And Moses said to God, "If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you."

Would we yearn, above all things, for intimacy with God.

This song by Paul Wilbur just beautifully captures the prayer of my heart.



Moses stood on the mountain
Waiting for You to pass by
You placed Your hand over his face
In Your presence he wouldn't die
All Israel saw your glory
and it shines down through the Age
and you call us to boldly seek your face

Show me your face Lord
Show me your face
And then gird up my legs
that I might stand in this holy place
Show me your face Lord
Your power and your grace -
I will make it to the end
If I could just see your face.

David knew there was something more
than the Ark of Your presence
In a manger Messiah was born
amongst Kings and peasants
All Israel saw the glory
and it shines down through the Age
Now you've called us o boldly seek your face

Parable of the 10 virgins

For a while now, I've been attending classes held at One Thing Ministries in Singapore, which seeks to set up a 24/7 prayer house in the land. The ministry emphasises two streams - the End Times, and intimacy with God. Both resonate deeply with me, the first because it's hard not to sense through world events that we are in the last of the last days. And the second, because as Ps Kay Cheong of One Thing Ministries would say, How can we be sure, when we see the unprecedented darkness of the last days, that we will not get offended with God? The God most of us know is a God of mercy and love. But Jesus when He comes again will also be Judge, King and Bridegroom. In Psalms 2 and Revelation 19, Jesus is described as having an iron rod and an iron sceptre, respectively. So how will we be sure we won't be offended by Him when we pray for mercy and see judgement, destruction and carnage? By knowing His heart, growing in intimacy, or in other words, "buying oil" now.

Ps Kay Cheong's teaching on "The Parable of the 10 virgins" is what the Church desperately needs to hear in this hour. It is a heart piercing teaching about what we need to do to prepare ourselves, so we don't miss out on partnering Jesus in the greatest revival the earth will see. It pierced my heart. Listen to this teaching - it will change your paradigm about living in these End Times.

Making sense of what's happening in Egypt in light of End-Time prophecy

In February, Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in an uprising. Despite being a strongman, under his rulership, Egypt was an ally of Israel. It will be interesting to see what next for Egypt, now that he is no longer in power. In Isaiah 19, there is a verse that speaks of Egypt's redemptive place in God's plan. What is notable is that God calls Egypt "my people" and it says that Egypt and Assyria will worship together with Israel the third.

In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. 24 In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing[b] on the earth. 25 The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.” (Isaiah 19:23-25)

Ps Kay Chong of One Thing Ministries helps to distill God's End-Time plan for Egypt, and to make sense of what will ultimately happen in fulfilment of Biblical prophecy. To listen to it, click here.

Love Came Down by Brian Johnson

What a wonderful song!



Love Came Down by Brian Johnson

Verse 1

If my heart is overwhelmed and I cannot hear your voice
I hold onto what is true, though I cannot see
If the storms of life they come, and the road ahead gets steep
I will lift these hands in faith, I will believe

Pre-Chorus
I remind myself of all that you’ve done

And the life I have because of your son
Chorus
Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am yours
I am forever yours
Mountain high or valley low
I sing out and remind my soul
I am yours
I am forever yours

Verse 2

When my heart is filled with hope, and every promise comes my way
When I feel your hands of grace, rest upon me
Staying desperate for you God, Staying humbled at your feet
I will lift these hands and praise, I will believe