"I Love My Church In America" By Joni Ames

 

God says, "I Love My Church in America"  By Joni Ames

Dear Friends,

Finally, I am home in WV and have the time to sit and write to you about some of the things the Lord has been speaking to me as I've been traveling the past three months....

First of all, the day before National Day of Prayer this year, I had an unforgettable dream.

In it, I was excited to be home and going into my Church, and kept on saying, "I love my Church!"

The Ushers were trying to "hush" me, because Church had already started. But I just kept saying, "I love my Church!" - "I love my Church!" - "I love my Church!" - With tears streaming down my cheeks!

Finally, a lady that seemed to be a very mature, seasoned prophetic intercessor said, "Wait! The Lord is trying to tell us something through this lady!" She then put her hands on my back and prayed, "Father, what are you trying to say through this woman?"

The Lord Himself then began to speak and say, "I love my Church!" "I love my Church in America!"

"I love my Church in America, and those who gather faithfully to worship Me!" - "I love the worshippers in My Church in America!"

"I love my Church!" - "And I love those in My Church in America who are beginning a world wide prayer movement!" - "I love the intercessors in My Church in America!"

"I love my Church!" - "I love the young people who aren't ashamed to take me to school with them and lead other young people to Me!" - "I love the young people in My Church in America!"

"I love my Church!" - "I love those who aren't afraid to take My Word into the highways, byways, and even into the prisons!" - "I love the evangelists in My Church in America!"

"I love my Church!" - "I love those who are taking My Word to unreached people in remote parts of the World!" - "I love the missionaries in My Church in America!"

"I love my Church!" - "I love those who are loving on My Children - On My Young people in My Church!" - "I love those who are investing into the next generation in My Church in America!"

This went on for TWO HOURS! - TWO HOURS of God saying what He LOVES about His Church in America!

I awoke in tears, crying out loudly, "I love my Church!" - "I love My Church in America!"

As I sat there, I said, "But, God...Everyone says you hate and are gong to destroy America?!"
He said, "Did I not say if there were only ten righteous that I would save Soddom & Gommorah?"
Remember also, I said, "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

"And I can, you know! I can take the lava from a volcano, and cause it to flow into the earthquake fault lines in the earth, and seal them up, like welding material! I CAN - LITERALLY - even heal the Land!"

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A TIME OF RESTORATION

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We are truly in a time of Joel 2:25 restoration for God's people, and the fulfillment of His promises.

"So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you." (Joel 2:25)

As God says in Ezekiel 12:23b, "The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision."
And again in Ezekiel 12:25, " I am the Lord, I speak, and the word which I speak WILL come to pass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will SAY the word AND PERFORM IT," says the Lord God.  - Then it is repeated in verse 28, "Thus says the Lord God, None of My Words will be postponed any more, but the Word which I speak WILL be done," says the Lord God.

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HE HEARS YOUR CRIES!
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I enjoy scanning current events and seeing what the Lord has to say about them.

Recently, a painting called, "The Scream" by Edvard Munch sold at an auction in New York for a record breaking amount of near $120 Million. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/02/the-scream-auction-edvard-munch_n_1472529.html?) - I sensed the Lord was speaking through it.

I was reminded of an old story I heard about someone who, one night, accidentally turned the heater in a fish tank on "high," and when they got up the next morning, all the fish were dead. The person wept as they said, "I never heard their silent screams."

In that, I felt the message from the Lord through the sale of "The Scream" for near $120 Million is that He hears even the "silent" screams of His people. And he gave me Psalm 120:1 for you today, "In my distress I cried to the Lord and He heard me."

Just know that He knows what you are going through, and hears the cries of your heart! You are NOT alone! And He will not leave you comfortless or without hope for the future!

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GOD SPEAKS IN THE STORMS

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Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are active in this season! Not silent!

As the thunder rumbled recently, the Lord reminded me of the promise in His Word in John 12:28. It is a the record of a short, yet very precious conversation between Father and Son. Jesus said, "Father Glorify Your Name," and the Father responded, "I have both glorified it and WILL glorify it again." - In verse 29, it says the people just thought it thundered! But He had spoken and given an awesome promise!

I believe He is speaking to us this promise today. He wants us to know that He is about to glorify His name again - even in the midst of the darkest times on earth - in and through His people (Is. 60:1-2). That's you and me!

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OUR PART
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This is our time to get un-stuck and move on!! Acts 3:19 reminds us that our part is: "Repent so that times of refreshing may come!"
Matt 4:17 tells us, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand." - And Luke 17:21-22 is a reminder that His Kingdom is WITHIN us!

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HOPE

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Do you feel as though you've lost all hope?

Dale Carnegie once said, "Most of the important things in the world were accomplished by people who have kept trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."

So I declare this scripture over you today, "Now may the God of hope FILL you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may ABOUND in hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 15:13)

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THE CHURCH

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Have you cried over the condition of the Church of Today and how Its' people have been treated?

"The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly (Church), who are among you, to whom its reproach is a burden. Behold, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you; I will save the lame, And gather those who were driven out; I will appoint them for praise and fame In every land where they were put to shame. At that time I will bring you back, Even at the time I gather you; For I will give you fame and praise Among all the peoples of the earth, When I return your captives before your eyes, Says the Lord." (Zephaniah 3:17-20)

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HOW DO YOU FEEL?

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Do you feel like a misfit? Welcome to the club! For you are the kind of material that God likes to use!

1 Corinthians 1:25-31 & 2:1-5 reminds us of the type of people God will use:

"Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption that, as it is written, He who glories, let him glory in the Lord ." (1 Corinthians 1:25-31)

"And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)

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OUR JOB

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Simply put, it is time to get out of the attitude of the paralysis of analysis and DO something! Quit waiting to do it perfectly! Robert Schuller once said, "Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing perfectly."

Stop putting things in pocket of "someday." - There's no such day! - God made Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! - But anything put into a pocket of "Someday" will never happen!

It's time to, "Write the vision and make it plain!" (Habakuk 2:2-4)
And then - time to go forward in faithfulness - obedience, Remember, as we are faithful in the little, He will reward us with the much!

We need to be faithful & obedient, Like the Royal Lipizzaner Stallions! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY3wmWT-sb8&feature=youtube_gdata_player) - So well trained & obedient that the slightest nudge causes them to turn in the right direction. Their movements are like a beautiful dance in a royal wedding!

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QUIT QUITTING!

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Time to be consistent! Time to quit being a quitter!

Phillipians 3:16 says, "It is God who works in us both to will and to do of His Good Pleasure." - When you look up the meaning of "works," it means "energizes." And "will" means to "want to." - So it can actually be read like this: "It is God who energizes us both to want to and to DO of His Good Pleasure." - Isn't that awesome?! Without Him we can do nothing! But with Him, we can do all things!! He will even give us the "want to" and the energy to do it!

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YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

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It's time to get rid of a "loner" mentality, and realize that He not only energizes us to do His Will, but promises to be right there helping us to do it! "

"And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen." (Mark 16:15-20)

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INVEST YOURSELF!
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Don't let the enemy keep you from the rest of the Body of Christ! NO Church is perfect! If you know how to "do it right," they, by golly, get in there and show us how it should be done! Just as with any structure, "Assembly is required!"

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:23-25)

It is important in this time to invest in relationships via time, prayer, and faithfulness for kingdom purposes. We need each other! Ephesians 4:16 says, "When every part does it's share, it causes growth in the Body." - Therefore, if we do not do our share, we stunt its' growth.
God's Word tells us how important it is to have the "Two or more" that can pray in agreement so that we can obtain victory. We need each other - We need relationship with one another in order to operate in victory!

"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)

Get back in place! For the Lord (and His Body) has need of you!!!

It's time to go after the Harvest! The Lord said, "Don't let My Harvest rot in the field!" He who wins souls is wise! Time to go after it!

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TWO QUESTIONS

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Like the king asked Esther, in this season, God is asking us, "What is it you want?"
He's also asking us, "What do you expect?"
Reminding us, "As your faith is, so be it unto you!" :-)
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UNITY = BLESSING

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In this season of restoration (Joel 2:25), acceleration, & suddenlies, we need to be in harmony/unity/one accord with one another
Where there is unity, the COMMANDED blessing of God flows! - That means healings, deliverances, hope, and lives restored.
Like Acts 1 & 2, this is an appointed time in the Lord!! Let the winds blow!!!!
As they did, it is time for us to position ourselves for the promises! Get in place! Position yourselves for victory!
The word Position means, "act of placing or arranging; as if for specific purpose"
Time to position with purpose! ON PURPOSE!!!
2 Chron. 20:17, "Position yourselves! Then stand & see the glory of the Lord."
Then stay at your post! Bloom where you are planted!I
Don't second guess yourself or God! Obey Him, even in the little!
And in the process - Don't word curse yourself, your situation, surroundings, or people who surround you! Toxic people talk sick/ poisonous! Don't word curse or poison yourself, situation, surroundings, or those God places in your path.

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BE IN AN ATTITUDE OF EXPECTANCY!
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There's been a serious battle for the mind and heart in this season! - Guard your heart with all diligence! Out of it flow the issues of life! And guard your mind and the way you think!
"You who were once alienated & enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has He reconciled!" (Col. 1:21)
It's a must to renew our minds with Word - Faith comes by hearing the Word! - Not someone else's word! - God's Word!
"Do not be confirmed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good and acceptable will of God." (Romans 12:2)
In the process of all of this, it is important to bring every thought into the captivity of the obedience of Christ!
For the weapons of our warfare  are  not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, (2 Corinthians 10:4, 5)
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STEWARD YOUR GIFTS FAITHFULLY!

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We must also steward our gifts faithfully! - That means - Use them! :-)
We are in the 3rd day A time of reproducing, just as in Genesis 1:

"Then God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth; and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the third day." (Genesis 1:11-13)

Time to reproduce, train, equip, and send forth!

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IN CLOSING

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Let's not look for affirmation of man, but God.
Let's listen! To God and to those He puts in our care!
Let's forgive and get over the past so we can step into the future - into our promised land!

Let's get whatever healing we need. Hurt people hurt people and healed people heal people. Stuff happens to us all! Let's not get stuck there!
It is time to get in-stuck & move on!!
God loves His Church! He loves YOU! He has need of YOU! It's time to get back in position and do what it is that you were born for!

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PRAYER

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Father, we thank You for Your love! We love You too! And we ask You to restore our faith and hope, and to help us get un-stuck and go forward in You and all You have called us to. We pray to be a reflection of You and Your Heart and Love in every way. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

- Joni Ames

 

Joni Ames
P.O. Box 99
Elkview, WV 25071
E-Mail: JoniAmes@aol.com
Main Website: http://www.joniames.org