Archive for December, 2009

Dear TC-HOP Family,

I hope all of you had a blessed time with family and friends as we celebrated the birth of our Lord. As I look forward to the coming year and seek the Lord for all He has for us, I have been reading Isaiah 33:5-6, which says, “The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high, He will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. He will be a sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.”

We are praying that the Lord’s justice and righteousness will fill our nation, and we want the Lord to be the sure foundation for our times. It is the Lord who will bring salvation, wisdom and knowledge to us and our leaders. These are great treasures that all of us would like to see established in our land. But there is a key to all this happening in our lives and across our nation, the fear of the Lord. This is the key, if we as a people will humble ourselves, come before the Lord with reverence and awe, and seek His face, then these things will be established.

Psalm 19:9-11 says, “The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.”
As we pray for our region and our nation, let us desire that the true and righteous judgments of the Lord and the clean enduring fear of the Lord would spread across our land, and that in these, we will find our sure foundation for our times.

Blessings,
Gary

Dear TC-HOP Family,

As we approach another Christmas Day in the celebration of our Savior’s birth, the Lord keeps laying upon my heart some scriptures from the book of John. He’s been speaking into my heart concerning the darkness of the world, of who He is in this darkness, and who we ought to be.

When Jesus’ birth was first announced to the shepherds it was in the dark of night, and suddenly a great light of the heavenly hosts broke through the darkness and proclaimed the birth of Christ. After the shepherds experience this encounter with the light and then visit Jesus, they, “returned, glorifying and praising God.” Later, it was a bright light, a star, which led the wise men to Jesus to bow down and worship Him.
John 1:3-5 says, “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” From the very beginning of time Jesus has been giving life to men and His light has been shining to break through the darkness, but because of the darkness of the world and men’s hearts, this light that He brings is hard to understand and accept.

John 3:16- “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:19-21- “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” Jesus, God’s one and only Son, came into the world as light walking in the darkness so that when men experience this light they will receive the light that He brings.

John 8:12- “When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” God is light, and the great “I Am” came into the world in human form so that man can experience and receive this light that lights the way for life.

Jesus then places this responsibility onto us as he says, “You are the light of the world.” If we have accepted Christ and are walking in His light we will be reflecting this light onto others. As Phil. 2:15 says, we are to be, “children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe…”
I’m praying that during this Christmas season, in a miraculous way, the light of Christ will break through into the hearts and lives of those who are walking in darkness. I’m praying that His light will break through the darkness in this city and across our nation. And I’m praying that as the birth of our Savior is celebrated all over the world, people will see and experience the life transforming light, just as the shepherds and wise men did long ago.

Come pray with us this week at the TC-HOP that the light and life of Christ will break out across our city and nation.

Blessings,
Gary

Dear TC-HOP Family,

Luke 18:1 says, “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.” According to the parable of the sower, men and women lose heart from attacks from the evil one; from shallow, rootless faith that cannot endure trouble or hardship; from the cares of this world and also from the “deceitfulness of riches” that chokes our vibrancy and life in God. When given multiple, negative options, do I have the perspective and confidence in God to choose the “better” option, which is praying and trusting in God, though the pressure is great and often my choices don’t translate into immediate comfort or benefit? Ask yourself, ‘In my life, how real is the judgment of God, the age to come, and the reward that awaits me, so that I might stay steady and grow in love? Our great challenge, as we try to give ourselves to a lifestyle of prayer and fasting, lies within the very core of this world (I Jn. 2:16). The delusion of self-sufficiency and self-reliance, the pride of life, and the lust of the eyes and the flesh, all wage war on the devotional life of the believer. It is relatively easy, even for those who have the heart and calling to pray day and night, to lose heart in the journey of intercession and transformation. How can we as the people of God stay steady and persevere in the light of the external and internal threats to our soul and life in God? It’s only through a rich vibrant prayer life that we maintain the vibrancy, life, joy and perspective necessary to weather the storms that will come to shake our resolve and dedication. A life of prayer must translate into real faith, an expression of belief that touches every area of our thoughts, words and actions. Jesus is inviting believers to embrace a lifestyle of prayer and fasting that produces the fruit of agreement with Him in every area of our lives. The Son of Man will find faith on the earth at His return when He finds a people who love mercy, do justly, and walk humbly with their God. (Mic. 6:8) Jesus says in Luke 21:36, “Be always on watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

Blessings,
Gary

Dear TC-HOP Family,

Ephesians 3:16-19 says, “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have the power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

I believe our times in intercession before the Father help us in fulfilling in our lives and the lives of others the prayer in this passage. Through intercession we internalize God’s word by saying it back to Him. In doing this, it marks our mind and spirit and strengthens us, progressively renewing our inner man. God’s words are spirit and life. Each time we say what God says, we impart His life that will illuminate our mind and tenderize our hearts. Intercession unites our hearts to the people and places we pray for. It is a practical expression of love for people and will help produce community with people and ownership of God’s purposes in cities and nations. Intercession will change the spiritual atmosphere of places and thus prepare the way for the presence of God. It releases anointed ministry to bring blessing and deliverance to many. Intercession for others causes multiplied blessings to return back on the life of the intercessor. Every prayer of blessing for another is a prayer that God returns back on you and your family. Lk. 6:38, “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.” Finally, intercession positions us to hear from God about our calling and destiny. In intercession, we receive revelation into the destiny of others (loved ones), cities, or nations so that we may stand with them in contending for God’s fullness for them.

Through our times of intercession this week, let us remember the great impact of what we are doing as it draws us into intimacy with God, transforms with holiness, anoints with power, unifies the community, releases revelation, and increases our inheritance while it trains us to rule with His wisdom.

Blessings,
Gary