Japan Prayer Link2024-03-28T13:28:52ZKouhei Aokihttp://prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com/profile/AokiKouheihttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3143937602?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com/forum/topic/listForContributor?user=02uuw79dspioa&feed=yes&xn_auth=noJPL: To Continue or Not?tag:prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com,2010-06-15:3210096:Topic:83282010-06-15T01:02:38.000ZKouhei Aokihttp://prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com/profile/AokiKouhei
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">Dear one and all:…</span></p>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br></br></span></div>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">Dear one and all:</span></p>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br/></span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">How are you today? I hope that you are fine.</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br/></span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">I am sending you this message to let you know that our host for this site is starting a new policy that affects us all: starting in July, Ning.com will make this service available for a FEE. The developers have made their intention public as can be seen on the topmost line when you open your account or personal site. </span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br/></span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">How do we respond to this change? I would like to know your thoughts on this. Please either write a blog message or make your ideas known in the "Forum". I am particularly interested to know if you would like to maintain your account with JPL and to make sure to update it as often as possible. Hence, we might consider the option to raise funds to pay for the service. Otherwise, just like any other initiatives, it may have reached already its natural end and we may decide to dissolve JPL altogether.</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br/></span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">At any rate, I would like to personally thank all of you who have made the Japan Prayer Link a platform for prayer, maintaining contact with your friends and family, letting us have a glimpse of your personal life through photos and videos, and for sharing your experiences with the Lord to encourage the rest of us as we read what you have written here.</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br/></span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">"And in everything you do, do it all for the glory of GOD!" Yes. And, for this site too!</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br/></span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">Thank you for your continued prayers for Japan and for us.</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br/></span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">Pastor Joseph Ricohermoso</span></div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;">JPL Moderator</span></div> Jesus on Prayer from the Gospel of St. Matthewtag:prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com,2010-01-22:3210096:Topic:72592010-01-22T07:47:11.000ZKouhei Aokihttp://prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com/profile/AokiKouhei
"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites...." (Matthew 6:5)<div><br></br></div>
<div><i>"But you, when you pray, go into your room ... pray to your Father who is in the secret place...." </i>(Matthew 6:6)</div>
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<div>"And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do" (Matthew 6:7).</div>
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<div><i>"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." </i>(Matthew…</div>
"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites...." (Matthew 6:5)<div><br/></div>
<div><i>"But you, when you pray, go into your room ... pray to your Father who is in the secret place...." </i>(Matthew 6:6)</div>
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<div>"And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do" (Matthew 6:7).</div>
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<div><i>"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." </i>(Matthew 7:7)</div>
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<div>So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." (Matthew 17:20-21).</div>
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<div><i>"Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:19-20)</i></div>
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<div>"And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." (Matthew 21:22)</div> Pray for protectiontag:prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com,2009-11-25:3210096:Topic:68242009-11-25T00:03:12.000ZKouhei Aokihttp://prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com/profile/AokiKouhei
Dear Friends and Loved ones:<br />
Lately, Father has been blessing our work with success and new beginnings. We recently did an ad campaign for our English school and the Lord added 6 or 7 new students to our school. One is discussing it with her family. Also, my partner, Pastor Ralph Faerber, and I have started our (the Lord's) store on the internet to sell Japanese and Oriental goods to the world. This store is the beginning of 4 or 5 businesses which will be oriented to bringing the Gospel to…
Dear Friends and Loved ones:<br />
Lately, Father has been blessing our work with success and new beginnings. We recently did an ad campaign for our English school and the Lord added 6 or 7 new students to our school. One is discussing it with her family. Also, my partner, Pastor Ralph Faerber, and I have started our (the Lord's) store on the internet to sell Japanese and Oriental goods to the world. This store is the beginning of 4 or 5 businesses which will be oriented to bringing the Gospel to Japan. Father showed me three years ago that I would be doing a Christian T-shirt business in Japan. I have been offered another Bible College to do in Japan and I want to have a translation team organized and on salary to translate books, internet info-sites, and curricula for colleges and schools. Christian books from the West would be sold in Japanese Christian Book Stores. My long term goal is to have access to mass media to teach Japan Christianity. I was taught by my leaders in Vineyard that when God calls you to missions--think big and God will honour your faith. He has spoken clearly to start the internet store(s) and has spoken clearly about doing the T-shirt business. I am working with a Pastor in the States concerning the Bible College. The translation team will be a must to make the college a reality.<br />
However, this morning Father showed me that all of this is making the enemy angry. He has been attacking in various areas but this morning Father showed me that the enemy plans a massive "bombing" attack of the work. When Father shows you these things it is a call to worship and prayer. Therefore, I am asking you, my friends, to stand with me in prayer for the work in Japan and for protection against the enemy.<br />
Please pray that Father will disperse His Holy War Angels against the enemy in the heavens to fight off any of the enemies forces that would try to hurt the work. This is a real battle and Jesus said that the enemy is the ruler and power of the air. In Daniel, we saw that God sent archangels to help Gabriel get the message through to Daniel and the angels had to fight the Princes of Persia and Greece.<br />
Please pray for our students in our school that the enemy cannot influence their thinking and emotions to turn them against the school and their studies.<br />
Please pray that the enemy can no longer influence our store suppliers to remove items that are good sellers. We have seen this happen recently.<br />
Please pray that the Japanese will not panic with the recession and will continue to opt for Western Christian weddings to bless the missionary tentmakers who depend upon this for income.<br />
Please pray that Japanese couples will opt for Christian style weddings and not for civic weddings with no Christian pastor.<br />
Please pray for all the missionaries and pastors and their work in Japan as they sacrifice their time, money, and lives to bring the Gospel to the Japanese people. We all need protection and finances to do the work.<br />
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The enemy has used lack of finances, fatigue, discouragement, lonliness, and many more tactics to try to kill the work. But greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. Jesus is the Sword that we swing. But we must swing the Sword. We have a job to do to pray, to learn how to fight and to fight.<br />
And please remember to worship Father by using the praise language of King David and the elders and saints in Revelation as they said to Father how much they loved Him, praised Him, extol and exalt His Glorious Name, and told Him there is none like Him, Ruler of Heaven and Earth, Holy One, Righteous One, Our Lord, God, Redeemer, Saviour, Friend. Say all of this to Him in worship as you give Him your full attention and focus your heart and mind on Him trying hard not to let your mind drift off of Him onto things of this life. Jesus told the woman at the well that the Father seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. Father chases after those who will actively praise and worship Him.<br />
Psalm 22:3 says that the Lord God of Israel inhabits/enthrones upon the praises of His people. Dick Eastman of Every Home For Christ taught that as we praise Him we build a spiritual throne upon which He comes and sits. And when the King comes, His authority and Kingdom comes and the enemy has to scatter. That is why the enemy hates this kind of praise and mocks it. This praise is Power and it defeats the enemy. This praise and worship brings God's glory into His church.<br />
God bless you all in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ<br />
Gordon Tippett<br />
Kyoto, Japan Bridging the Gap: Faith and Practicetag:prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com,2009-09-19:3210096:Topic:64622009-09-19T15:37:22.000ZKouhei Aokihttp://prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com/profile/AokiKouhei
I read this article from the online version of Newsweek. It is about <b>The Case for God</b> a book written by a former nun.<br />
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Please click this link and tell us what you think after reading it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/215180" target="_blank">http://www.newsweek.com/id/215180</a><br />
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Pastor Joseph
I read this article from the online version of Newsweek. It is about <b>The Case for God</b> a book written by a former nun.<br />
<br />
Please click this link and tell us what you think after reading it.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/215180" target="_blank">http://www.newsweek.com/id/215180</a><br />
<br />
Pastor Joseph Father's Amazing Freedomtag:prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com,2009-08-31:3210096:Topic:63622009-08-31T23:13:49.000ZKouhei Aokihttp://prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com/profile/AokiKouhei
Dear Father’s children:<br />
When you live alone, the enemy loves to use it as an opportunity to attack. Last Friday night, I did myself in as usual on Friday nights by thinking, “Wow, its Friday, what are my friends doing? Where can I go? Who can I call?” In the West, Friday is the first evening of the weekend and the work week is done. It is a joke at work to say TGIF which means Thank God It’s Friday. Traditionally, friends and relatives get together or husbands and wives, girlfriends and…
Dear Father’s children:<br />
When you live alone, the enemy loves to use it as an opportunity to attack. Last Friday night, I did myself in as usual on Friday nights by thinking, “Wow, its Friday, what are my friends doing? Where can I go? Who can I call?” In the West, Friday is the first evening of the weekend and the work week is done. It is a joke at work to say TGIF which means Thank God It’s Friday. Traditionally, friends and relatives get together or husbands and wives, girlfriends and boyfriends go to a movie and dinner. But that life is past for me but I don’t want to let it go. The problem is that in Japan, Saturday is just another workday and Friday night is just another night of the week.<br />
Last Friday night, as I wanted to be with someone for fellowship, that sick feeling of loneliness sunk into my soul. But I know that when I long for fellowship, that is the time that the Lord wants me to seek Him. He told me many years ago through the Word that He gave to Abraham, “I am your exceeding great reward,” that He wants to be my Rest and Relaxation in His peace and joy as I worship..<br />
The loneliness feeling wants me to get out of my apartment and do anything but be alone. And so the battle begins. I want to run and God wants me to stay. This time though I remembered Paul’s writing to the Ephesian Christians in Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood (humans), but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” That lonely feeling that feels so horrible was a flaming arrow of the evil one that got through my shield of faith because I looked to man for my R & R when God had already spoken to me that I am to look to Him. My disobedience opened the door for the enemy to attack.<br />
The Apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. (Watch for it). Your adversary the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.” Then in verse 9, he tells us what to do. “But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brothers who are in the world.” Peter said to resist the devil. Jesus said in Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”<br />
So in the Name of Jesus, I spoke to that feeling/spirit and told it that Irejected it and commanded it in Jesus’ Name to leave me and to get out of my apartment. IT IMMEDIATELY LEFT. Human emotions do not work that way. You cannot tell your sorrow over a lost love one to go away and it goes away. After the spirit left, the Holy Spirit touched me with his joy. I started to worship Father and the joy increased. I then broke out in tongues and the flow was obviously the freedom of the Holy Spirit.<br />
It would be wrong of me to leave you with the impression that it is just that easy to tell these things to leave and they will immediately leave all the time. I have had counsel and put my heart under the Holy Spirit’s microscope to search out my personal problems for 25 plus years and am now free. The spirits know me from past battles. This is something we grow into and we have to have the Holy Spirit heal our past hurts, and experience a heart that immediately forgives others of hurting us/you. But we must not let the thought, "Oh, I am too weak too fight," stop us from fighting back. Jesus wants us always to act in faith in His power to fight on our behalf. We don't let a lack of faith hold us back from trying. We will not learn to fight without trying to fight.<br />
When I was in seminary, I suffered from attacks of anxiety. It would not go when I told it to leave because there was a weakness in my heart that left the door open for the spirit to attack. However, I was not defenseless. Jesus told Rick Joyner as related in his book The Final Quest or The Call that if we fall off the road of sweet fellowship with Him and fall into the ditch of despair, we cannot think our way out of the ditch because it was our thoughts that got us there. The remedy is to call out to Jesus, “HELP,” and He would come and put us back on His road. And that is what I would do when I was attacked by anxiety. Sitting in front of my computer staring at the beginning of a paper feeling anxiety, I would pray, “Dear Lord Jesus, please take this anxiety away so I can write my paper.” And immediately He would take it away and I would write a B+ or A paper.<br />
After seminary, God gave me a gift in a prophet friend who prayed with me and together we discovered the thing in my past that caused the anxiety and I spoke to that spirit and it left too. When it left, CONFIDENCE, flooded my soul. It is as Peter wrote: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” We don’t have to put up with loneliness, fear, worry, anxiety etc. if we have laid our hearts on Jesus’ altar, opened up to let the Holy Spirit search us for our weak areas caused by past hurts, and get healed and completely set free. We will have power and authority over all the works of the enemy in our life. There is no blame in having a problem. The solution is to find out what the problem is and take it to Jesus and ask the Holy Spirit to heal our heart and forgive anyone who may have hurt us. A healed heart is a free heart and a powerful heart against the enemy.<br />
God bless you all<br />
Gordon Tippett Father's Amazing Wisdomtag:prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com,2009-06-22:3210096:Topic:52052009-06-22T23:40:41.000ZKouhei Aokihttp://prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com/profile/AokiKouhei
Dear Father's Children:<br />
Have you ever been hurt by another person and could not get the sorrow and sick feeling in the pit of your stomach to go away? When crises like these hit us, the thoughts and feelings seem always to haunt our minds and won't go away? How can we be free of this?<br />
Paul cried out these words in Romans 7:24-"Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? And then he exclaims in praise in verse 25: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" It…
Dear Father's Children:<br />
Have you ever been hurt by another person and could not get the sorrow and sick feeling in the pit of your stomach to go away? When crises like these hit us, the thoughts and feelings seem always to haunt our minds and won't go away? How can we be free of this?<br />
Paul cried out these words in Romans 7:24-"Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? And then he exclaims in praise in verse 25: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" It is always the work of Jesus Christ: the cross, the resurrection, the ascension and the giving of the Holy Spirit to regenerate (give us Father's nature to) us, that brings freedom. And we take this by an act of our will. We exclaim to God, "I want it. And I will do anything you ask to get it." What does He ask? Acts 3:38-"Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Commit all your ways to God, trust also in Him and He will do it. (Psalm 37:5) He will give you the power to forgive.<br />
Jesus said in Matthew 6:14-15 "For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 "But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." You say, "How can I forgive him/her. It hurts too much?" Father asks us to turn our eyes away from the emotions and look to Him by an act of our will and say, "I want to forgive. Please help me to forgive." James wrote, "Submit therefore to God, 'Resist the devil and he will flee from you.'" If you submit to God with all honesty and openness of heart holding nothing back from in Him by confession, He will give you the power to forgive. The hurt may return again in the future, but you do the same submitting to God in prayer and He will again help you be free.<br />
Let me share a secret about our heart. Paul wrote in Titus 1:15 "To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled." When we harbour ill feelings towards another and dislike or even hate the person, our emotions cloud our heart and blind us from seeing any good in that person. We can only see the hate in our own hearts. We see everything by the condition and nature of our own hearts. That is why Jesus asked us in Matthew 1:7-"Judge not lest you be judged. For in the same measure that you judge another, you will be judged." Why is that? Because both we and the person we are judging have the same fallen, sinful Adam and Eve nature that we inherited from Adam and Eve. We are the same as them in our fallen nature. So God will judge us by the way we judge them. Dear children, Father does not want us bearing grudges and judging one another but for us to be free of this darkness and bondage and to love one another, praying for one another, and seeking the best for one another. When we understand that the other person is hurting like us it is easier to have compassion for them and to pray for them. Then we are free of the pain, hurt and sick feeling in our stomach. This is Father's Amazing Wisdom.<br />
God bless you richly<br />
Gordon Tippett Father's Amazing Gracetag:prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com,2009-06-22:3210096:Topic:52042009-06-22T23:40:00.000ZKouhei Aokihttp://prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com/profile/AokiKouhei
Dear Father's Children:<br />
Neil T. Anderson, author of The Bondage Breakers, said that our feelings follow our thoughts. If I wake up in the morning knowing that I am going to lose my job that day I will feel sad and worried. However, if I wake up knowing that I am going to get a raise, I will feel happy. Therefore, if we control our thoughts, we can manage our emotions. Now there are times of course when this is more difficult like when you lose a loved one; however, in our normal lives of home,…
Dear Father's Children:<br />
Neil T. Anderson, author of The Bondage Breakers, said that our feelings follow our thoughts. If I wake up in the morning knowing that I am going to lose my job that day I will feel sad and worried. However, if I wake up knowing that I am going to get a raise, I will feel happy. Therefore, if we control our thoughts, we can manage our emotions. Now there are times of course when this is more difficult like when you lose a loved one; however, in our normal lives of home, job, friends and R & R the above prinicple is generally true. Can we control our thoughts? Have you thought about the fact that you have a thought life?<br />
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, "for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh (material), but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses (strongholds of the mind, patterns of thinking), 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, admonishes us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Instead, of allowing our thoughts to ramble down paths not knowing where they are going to lead us, we stop the thought when it comes and examine it to see if it is going to lead us to negative thinking and evil emotions, or lead us to something that is honourable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, of excellence or praise worthy (Phil. 4:8). If the thought is negative, we immediately reject it and replace it with a good thought from Jesus Christ's wisdom and good principles of living. To do this you have to know God's Holy Word.<br />
The good news is that by the power of the cross you can do this. That is Father's amazing grace to us. Jesus said that he will set us free from the mastery of sin, and we will be free indeed. (John 8:34-36)Because Jesus has set us free, He gives us a choice to choose good or evil; a choice we did not have before we accepted Him and received the Holy Spirit into our hearts. You have power to choose to refuse negative thoughts and negative emotions. Take control of your thought life and you can live in Jesus' joy, peace, love, and faith.<br />
God bless you<br />
Gordon Father's Amazing Peacetag:prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com,2009-06-22:3210096:Topic:52032009-06-22T23:39:09.000ZKouhei Aokihttp://prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com/profile/AokiKouhei
• Manage Blog<br />
Dear Father's children:<br />
One of the most beautiful gifts that Father as given us is His Peace. In John 14:27, Our Lord Jesus told the disciples, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid." Immediately after Jesus promised us His peace to give to us stability and rest in our hearts, He warns us not to be troubled and not to fear. Why? Because our fragile hearts get shaky at times…
• Manage Blog<br />
Dear Father's children:<br />
One of the most beautiful gifts that Father as given us is His Peace. In John 14:27, Our Lord Jesus told the disciples, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid." Immediately after Jesus promised us His peace to give to us stability and rest in our hearts, He warns us not to be troubled and not to fear. Why? Because our fragile hearts get shaky at times and we lose His peace. We receive thoughts of doubt, fear, worry, anxiety, jealousy, envy, anger, hate etc. and these things drain God’s peace from our hearts. The key word here is "receive." God told Cain that sin was crouching at the door and it was up to him to master it. Jesus said to the disciples on the lake,"Why did you doubt?" I heard a pastor teaching on this and he said that in the Greek the verb is why did you receive the doubt? Psalms 37:8 says, "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret, it leads only to evildoing." And Paul said in Philippians 4:6 "Be anxious for nothing but to pray with thanksgiving and God's peace which surpasses all comprehension will guard our minds and hearts in Christ Jesus." The Scriptures expects us to be able to receive or reject the negatives that can destroy our peace. How? Just by prayer and giving them to God. He has the power to remove all of it from our hearts and to give us His peace back to us. His power to redeem, restore, and heal surpasses all understanding. That is why Paul can say in Colossians 3:15, "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful." It is up to us to allow the peace to rule in our hearts. Will we give in to the negatives or push them away and give it to God for Him to take and restore our peace again.<br />
I confess that I allowed the pressures and stress of living in Japan get to me and sink me into anger. I prayed one morning for Father to show me my heart as He sees it. By mid-morning I was almost to tears. I probably would have been but I was on the way to the bank at the time and had to execise self-control. Ha Ha. I hated what He showed me. When I got home I gave it to Him and He took it in an instant and gave me my peace back. I have been endevouring to maintain it since. I run to Him with any negatives and confess them. He is so faithful. I feel so good in Him. We Just watch what enters our minds and hearts and give it to Him and He removes it and restores our peace. Like King David we pray, "Create in me a clean heart O God, And renew a steadfast/upright spirit within me...Restore to me the joy of my salvation, And sustain me with a willing spirit." Psalm 51:10,12.<br />
God bless<br />
Gordon Father's Amazing Lovetag:prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com,2009-06-22:3210096:Topic:52022009-06-22T23:38:03.000ZKouhei Aokihttp://prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com/profile/AokiKouhei
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Hallelujah. Oh there is so much love in that statement. Our God, the One and Only Creator God, because there could only be one Creator, created us out of His love, for His love, and to have objects to love. In Proverbs 8:30-31, the writer is personifying Wisdom, which is Jesus Christ and Wisdom (Christ) is speaking about the time when He was with Father as Father created us. Wisdom (Christ) says that 30 "Then I was beside Him (Father,…
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Hallelujah. Oh there is so much love in that statement. Our God, the One and Only Creator God, because there could only be one Creator, created us out of His love, for His love, and to have objects to love. In Proverbs 8:30-31, the writer is personifying Wisdom, which is Jesus Christ and Wisdom (Christ) is speaking about the time when He was with Father as Father created us. Wisdom (Christ) says that 30 "Then I was beside Him (Father, Creator), as a master workman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, 31Rejoicing in the world, His earth, And having my delight in the sons of men." We were created in an atmosphere of extreme love, joy and delight. Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and all the angels of Heaven were dancing and singing as God fashioned Adam out of the molecules of the earth. In Zephaniah 3;17 it says, "The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy." I think the most profound words in that verse is that God will be quiet over you in His love. Imagine the Father with his gaze fixed on you in a stillness and quietness that you can feel as He muses and meditates in His heart of how much He loves you and delights in you. He says, "Look at this is my child whom I have born from my love and now am fashioning into a saint with my grace and unconditional love. It does not matter what he/she is their fallen nature because My Son in whom I delight has taken all their sins to the cross and eliminated them there. Oh how holy, how pure, how clean, how innocent is my child in my sight. I can't wait until the day when all my children will be shining jewels of diamonds, rubies, emeralds and pearls in my Kingdom to dance before Me forever in great rejoicing and utter victory."<br />
God bless you who are His dear children in the Kingdom of joy and victory Let's say hello to everyone!tag:prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com,2009-04-21:3210096:Topic:2232009-04-21T02:26:12.000ZKouhei Aokihttp://prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com/profile/AokiKouhei
Hi:D<br />
Pastor Joseph invited me to this network. Minasan, yoroshiku!<br />
<br />
Thought it'd be nice if we introduce ourselves here, since I don't know most of you here and you probably don't know me:)<br />
<br />
My name is Mami, I live in Brisbane, Australia. I'm 21 year old Japanese girl, studying at the univ of Queensland. I met Joseph when I went back to Kyoto for holiday.<br />
<br />
I serve in a church called Hope Brisbane Christian Church. I'm serving in a evangelism ministry and worship ministry. I have a burden for…
Hi:D<br />
Pastor Joseph invited me to this network. Minasan, yoroshiku!<br />
<br />
Thought it'd be nice if we introduce ourselves here, since I don't know most of you here and you probably don't know me:)<br />
<br />
My name is Mami, I live in Brisbane, Australia. I'm 21 year old Japanese girl, studying at the univ of Queensland. I met Joseph when I went back to Kyoto for holiday.<br />
<br />
I serve in a church called Hope Brisbane Christian Church. I'm serving in a evangelism ministry and worship ministry. I have a burden for the lost in Japan, and hoping someday I will go back to Japan to serve in student ministry there.<br />
<br />
Nice to meet you!