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True Fasting…

June 3, 2012 by admin Leave a Comment

“Shout it aloud,   do not hold back.     Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion     and to the descendants of Jacob their sins. 2 For day after day they seek   me out;     they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right     and has not forsaken   the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions     and seem eager for God to come near   them. 3 ‘Why have we fasted,’they say,     ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled  ourselves,     and you have not noticed?’

“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please     and exploit all your workers. 4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,     and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today     and expect your voice to be heard   on high. 5 Is this the kind of fast  I have chosen,     only a day for people to humble  themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed     and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast,     a day acceptable to the Lord?

6 “Is not this the kind of fasting   I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice     and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed   free     and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry     and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter — when you see the naked, to clothe   them,     and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,     and your healing   will quickly appear; then your righteousness[a]   will go before you,     and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. 9 Then you will call,  and the Lord will answer;     you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,     with the pointing finger   and malicious talk, 10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry     and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light   will rise in the darkness,     and your night will become like the noonday. 11 The Lord will guide   you always;     he will satisfy your needs   in a sun-scorched land     and will strengthen   your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden,     like a spring   whose waters never fail. 12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins     and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,     Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath     and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight     and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way     and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, 14 then you will find your joy  in the Lord,     and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights  of the land     and to feast on the inheritance  of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Filed Under: Balanced Life Ministry, Church Assistance, Leadership Forum, The Church Voice Tagged With: fasting, God, Isaiah, life, lord, sabbath

Let Freedom Ring…

June 1, 2012 by admin 2 Comments

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” Proverbs 29:2  Have you ever considered how this scripture can be broken down in every aspect of leadership from the White House, the work place, the pulpits and to our own homes? There is a big difference between good people and Godly people as there is a difference as well in righteousness, self righteousness and unrighteousness. What many people fail to understand due to their lives being away from God is the negative affects within our homes when we have a lack of relationship with the Lord.

There is liberty, freedom and security under Godly leadership due to the understanding and trust within God’s Word. On the other hand you will find that ungodly leadership often reveals itself under pressure through their actions often caused by their own fears. Under ungodly leadership the people within any structure often become oppressed or lets say in spiritual bondage robbing the joy and quenching the life within the home.

There is nothing worse than being in a place without freedom and equal rights and with Godly leadership in place this allows the people to rejoice. If you were to look at your home today, what would you see in the people around you? Would you find them being treated fairly and encouraged or would you find them unhappy due to simply not being able to offer what they have to give? There comes a point in our homes that these chains must be broken that are holding us down due to simply not speaking the Truth in love and in boldness. It is my prayer that every soul within a leadership position from our homes to the White House places their trust in God without leaning upon their own understanding….

Enjoy this song titled Let Freedom Ring by the Gaithers and pray for Godly men and women to stand up to serve others rather than themselves…

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

http://specialdeliverybook.com

Filed Under: Balanced Life Ministry, Church Assistance, Daily Growth, Leadership Forum Tagged With: gaithers, God, james harriosn, jesus, life, lord, love, white house

Affective Prayer…

January 29, 2012 by admin Leave a Comment

There are several ingredients that make up affective prayer.  Think about it! Have you ever tried to bake a cake without mixing the batter? Have you ever tried to substitute something artificial in place of something real? Or, have you ever left something out due to thinking it was not needed? In order for our prayers to be affective it is wise to examine the sincerity of our hearts along with understanding of our motives. Sometimes we ask God to do things when He is simply waiting on us to take that step in faith.

Faith can not be activated without a step as we learn this very lesson with the servant of Abraham as he prayed to the Lord of his master prior to meeting the wife of Isaac. After he prayed he then got up and went to her which then activated the outcome of his prayer. He knew what he had prayed and did not go to her while flaunting this in her face but he allowed God to guide the steps as he displayed obedience to the Lord of his master.

There are times when we are to simply pray for those that we can not reach but when God has us in a place that we can be affective in our obedience then we are to take those directed steps in faith. The object is to recognize the balanced skills required of when to step and when not to step. This is how we recognize the doors that open and the doors that shut. For why would we ever expect to receive if we are not willing to knock?

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Matthew 7:7

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

http://specialdeliverybook.com

 

Filed Under: Balanced Life Ministry, Church Assistance, Daily Growth, Leadership Forum, Marriage, Spiritual Growth Tagged With: balanced, faith, God, james harriosn, life, lord, prayer

New Year New Birth

December 31, 2011 by admin 1 Comment

Throughout our journey in life with God He often sends other individuals across our path in order to warn, encourage, assist, and give or to simply serve. Sometimes there are periods of life that can be compared to a desert where the Lord is waiting upon His children to return for a drink. As we learn to follow the direction of God it is not our place to challenge or take over something given by the Lord but to assist as a midwife in the birth and then to wait upon the Lord in His peace and understanding while trusting in Him for our future.

If God gives a direct order then we are to follow and to deliver but if not then we are to recognize the needs within the mission and learn to serve those needs to the best of our God given abilities. You will find that when something is being led by the Lord it will be moving forward at a gradual rate based upon the maturity of the people. It is the individual’s responsibility with the vision to insure the first steps taken and to not allow the excitement or the emotions to push something before its time. Not only is it the leaders position to insure the first steps with the Lord but it is his or her place to delegate specific responsibilities to the individuals based upon their God given talents and understanding. This confirmation between individuals comes in the spirit as Jonathan confirmed with David. Jonathan had no doubts of the love of God that was in David and he knew whatever took place that it was in the Lord’s hands. Another important part to recognize is what happens when we challenge the positions that have been given by the Lord due to our own lack of understanding. Through Gods Word we gain liberty, achieve honor and maintain order as we learn the importance of obedience to our Creator through His mercy and unfailing grace.

We learn these leadership characteristics through the life of many individuals throughout history but most of all from Jesus Christ who taught us the art of being a living sacrifice. The life of Moses and Joshua teach us many lessons within leadership, the passing of the mantle and the proper function of the body. In the first attempt to reach their destination Moses could have attempted to rally the troops after they returned with doubts but he knew then it would have been short lived due to acting on emotions instead of being led within the confidence of God that we develop as our relationship builds as we spend time with Him. We also learn what happens when authority is challenged as the family and followers of Korah were consumed by the world when they came against the authorities established by God. One other valuable lesson is how the murmuring and disobedience of the body prolonged the blessings of the Lord simply due to the lack of trust and disobedience to His instruction.

Often you will find in the birth of something new many who will come and many that will go. The reason for this is often due to someone’s lack of understanding in the Word of God within the mission or in any new organization. Sometimes missions are on individual basis and sometimes they are on corporate levels. On corporate levels of success the one with the original vision must wait upon the Lord to bring the people together in order to move forward toward the Promises of God. How we confirm these individuals is by the parts of the overall vision that God gives them, their willingness to assist with understanding and through the confirmation of the spirit. There is an established order by God within any organization just as it is within our homes and if we neglect this order then this will eventually bring confusion and division within the body structure.

It is very wise for every individual to understand our service or submission is unto the Lord and not unto man. On corporate levels, as individuals it is very wise to stay in tune with the Lord to insure the inner drive is to serve the people and not upon the returns. Our returns are not earthly returns but are of the eternal Kingdom of God.

One of the hardest things to overcome in our human nature is looking beyond what we see to recall the instruction of the Lord and acting within His Word when we face confrontation or obstacles in this temporary life. We learn in 2 Chronicles 34 of a new king Josiah that was only 8 years old at the time he received kingship. With the elders that submitted under his authority this displays the Lords instruction and obedience within their own lives. They could have been bitter because of his age or rebellious due to coveting someone else’s position but instead they chose to serve as Gods Word instructs. On the other hand we learn another lesson in 1 Kings 12 with another youth that refused to listen for the Godly council of the elders and this brought oppression upon the people. Another lesson was the political marriage of Ahab and Jezebel. Ahab allowed the persuasion of the world to rob him and those that he served due to only thinking of the monetary returns. Without the discipline of God man cannot handle power and the only way is through the humble example of Jesus Christ.

Spiritually Satan uses many tactics to hinder or prevent something of God and sometimes when he misses one generation he strikes through the next. This lesson was taught through the lesson of the beheading of John the Baptist. The Kings wife carried a grudge and it was this generational grudge that was carried out through her daughter. Unlike Jonathan who recognized something wrong of God within his father Saul, the daughter carried out the sin instead of breaking the chain of evil. We learn of many things throughout the Word of God that teach us how to maintain our homes, our careers and our nation but if we can’t learn to keep God’s Word in front of all things and teach the Word to our children then it is only a matter of time before we stumble and fall. I praise God today for this drink in the desert and it is my prayer for God’s children to stand again united in One to drink from the well of God and help serve the people from the bread of life in Jesus Christ…amen

“But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves”…Luke 22

 

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

http://specialdeliverybook.com

Filed Under: Balanced Life Ministry, Church Assistance, Leadership Forum, Spiritual Growth, The Church Voice Tagged With: balance, balanced, birthing pains, children, creator, God, james harriosn, jesus, life, lord, love, new year

God’s Value In Time…

December 29, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

If we put a value on our time then what value do we see in Gods Time? If we desire the most value for the time we give then shouldn’t we put a higher value on the time that we have received? There is a value for the Life we have and it is a price that we could not afford. The price has already been paid and it is now up to us to make the most of His return. For the time we have is a gift and the only value we have is the Lords…amen

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

http://specialdeliverybook.com

Filed Under: Balanced Life Ministry, Church Assistance, Daily Growth, Economics & Finance, Leadership Forum Tagged With: balanced, God, James Harrison, life, lord, love, time

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Direction_for_America

Letter to America

August 20, 2017 By admin Leave a Comment

Where are the men of God?! [Read More…]

pickwickoutpost

Moving Forward At The Outpost…

August 14, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment

The Lord recently led me from my daily writings at BLM, to living it out in faith, at a little place on the edge of the TN River called The Outpost located in Pickwick, TN.

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Spiritual Revelations

Don’t be like Eli in 1st Samuel and miss something that has been given by God. If you recall with Eli he did not listen because the Word of God was rare in those days and he did not recognize what was taking place until he saw the persistence of Samuel…

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Be Inspired!

  • America’s Prayer…
  • Letter to America
  • Original or Reproduction???
  • Discipleship & Spiritual Recognition…
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Voice Your Opinion!

  • Jeff on Are You In A Spiritual Prison
  • Pamela on Are You In A Spiritual Prison
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  • Joshua Tilghman@Biblical interpretation on Dwelling In The Presence Of God…

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