Bob Sorge: "BURNING BEFORE HIS THRONE MEANS STANDING IN THE ALL-CONSUMING FIRE"

Dear friends,

Be blessed by this prophetic post. Bob Sorge so beautifully describes what my heart longs for. The last few years, my continuing prayer has been, "Let my worship burn for the world to see." I want to be a never-ending "flame of fire" ministering to my Jesus!!!

In the fiery love of Jesus,
Beautiful Grace

"His 'consuming fire' will burn away all from your life, until all that's left is love itself."

My prayer life was transformed when I discovered that prayer is the glorious adventure of an unfolding, growing, reciprocating relationship with the living God of the universe. Nothing excels the glory of burning with holy longing before a burning God who blazes with fiery passions for weak but lovesick worshipers.

I didn't stumble or wander accidentally into this discovery; it was a divine set-up. I was ambushed. In my case, a personal trial has been used by God to totally rewrite my spiritual DNA, redirect the course of my life, and bring me to the threshold of a relationship that I always longed for but didn't know how to find. The calamity made me absolutely desperate for God. I began to scour God's Word like a starving man trying to stay alive. It wasn't the fiery trial that changed me; it was the desperate pursuit of God in the trial that changed me.

There are two Scriptures that define my place before God in my present season. The first is Deuteronomy 10:8, "At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister to Him and to bless in His name, to this day." I now see my primary calling as being that of standing before God and ministering to Him. No great agenda, no mighty ambitions, no rush to move on to the next thing. I just stand before Him and love Him.

The second Scripture is Revelation 4:5, "Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God." When I saw the phrase, "burning before the throne," my heart cried out, "Lord, I want those same words to characterize my life. I too want to stand before You and burn before Your throne!"

I have discovered who I am. I am a holy one (not because of who I am, but because of where I am) who stands before the throne of The Holy One, gazes upon His beauty and majesty, the fire that flows from His throne (see Daniel 7:10) flowing into my heart, setting me ablaze with the same fiery passions that kindle God's heart, and now my love flows back to Him like a volcanic eruption as my heart responds to the love He is now igniting in my heart (see Romans 5:5).

I will burn before Him for eternity. I will always stand here. By His grace, I shall never be moved. May nothing of this world or of hell's assault ever deter me from this holy stand before His throne. I've tasted of the ultimate privilege of burning before His throne, and I'm ruined for anything less.

Simply Stand

There are seasons when God calls us to simply stand. We might prefer the adrenalin of chasing down a great cause, but sometimes God calls us to stop all activity and just stand. Sometimes He gives us no choice. Occasionally, circumstances will constrain us beyond our ability to steer a different course, and we become prisoners to the chains that bind us to God's will. Incapable of extricating ourselves and moving on to the next thing, all we can do is stand and burn in holy love for our King.

It is commonly said, "Don't just stand there, do something!" When circumstances in our lives are careening out of control, the great temptation--when you don't know what to do--is to do something. "God can't steer a stationary vehicle," they say, "So start moving out on something, and let God direct your course."

That may be the way to go in some situations, but the Lord has been leading me in a different path. He inverted that common saying and gave it to me this way, "Don't just do something, stand there!" It came like this: "When you don't know what to do, don't just do something! Wait on Me, stand before Me, minister to Me, until. Until I speak. When I speak to you, then you can move out in response. But until I speak, just stand there."

I've been gripped recently by the phrase, "the fire never says, 'Enough!'" (Proverbs 30:16). There is a fire in God that is never satisfied; and there's a fire in me, placed there by God, that is never satisfied. The fire in me is constantly reaching out for more of God; and the fire in Him responds by desiring more of me in return. Eternity will be the unending adventure of ever giving more of our hearts in fiery love to Him, as He eternally unfolds more of His glorious beauty to us.

Do something dangerous. Get alone with God! His "consuming fire" will burn away all from your life, until all that's left is love itself. This is our God, "Who makes...His ministers a flame of fire" (Hebrews 1:7).

He'll make you one, too, if you'll let Him.

Bob Sorge
Oasis House Ministries
Email: oasisdesk@aol.com

More Pics From Super Hero Night

The Adventures of Mega Mom

The Fuel Meeting (Youth Group) hosted its first "Super Hero Night" this past Wednesday night. I thought you might enjoy some pictures of the event and a description of Mega Mom's super powers.

Mega Mom...

*sports the ability to determine if the activities her children
are involved in are appropriate with her famous "Mommy Meter."

*has grown "eyes on the back of her head". She ALWAYS knows what her children are doing.

*has a motto..."working hard to make you work harder."

*yields a loaf of French bread and uses it to subdue her children by feeding them until they are stupefied and can no longer resist her commands.

*wears a utility belt holding her cell phone (on which she talks incessantly in order to paralyze her children into submission)

*uses her toilet bowl brush (which she uses to clean all commodes in order to protect her children from villainous microorganisms)

*flings her feather duster (used to clean her children's abode, freeing it from the dreaded "Dust Bunny," the mortal enemy of the Mega Family).

*senses danger and springs into action protecting her children with her "bulging eye" weapon and scares the perpetrator away with one glance.

Mom Update: Praise and Prayer

Dear Praying Friends,

Awesome praise...Mom received news that she is cleared of the C. difficile infection, which had been causing severe diarrhea. She was discharged from the visiting nurses yesterday and is doing well! She will have pre-op testing done today and will be seen by a cardiologist on Friday, to be cleared for her surgery, which is scheduled for October 18th (Mom and Dad's anniversary).

Additional Mom prayer...my mother-in-law was in a car accident yesterday and is currently in Hershey Medical Center. She has multiple rib fractures and a bruised heart and lungs (her chest hit the steering wheel). She is in quite a bit of pain. Please pray!

Thank you, Jesus, for protecting my mother-in-law. This accident could have caused much, much more trauma.

Blessings,
Beautiful Grace :)

Naked and Not Ashamed

And the man and his wife were both naked and were not embarrassed or ashamed in each other's presence. Genesis 2:25 (Amplified)

The verse above refers to Adam and Eve, creation's first husband and wife. Physically naked, they walked and talked and loved each other. They were a perfect match, made by the Perfect Matchmaker.

Before the fall, they knew no sin; therefore, they had no need for embarrassment or shame even in nakedness. They were clothed with innocence. When sin tainted the perfection of God's creation, all of that changed. Now their eyes were opened, and they were ashamed!!!

September 22, 2007, marks Strongman and my twenty-third anniversary. In the last twenty-three years, we have seen each other at our worst and our best, but only a few years ago did I realize that not only can I be physically naked and not ashamed in my husband's presence, but more importantly, I can be spiritually naked before my husband and not be ashamed. He has proven to be my most trustworthy and faithful friend (next to Jesus). Never have I met another human being, who really knows my weaknesses, yet has NEVER ONCE made me to feel embarrassed or ashamed. He loves me in process. :)

I take this opportunity to thank you, Strongman, for your faithfulness and love. We definitely have lived "for better and for worse, in sickness and in health" in our marriage, but through it all, you have remained steadfast. He is changing both of us from glory to glory.

Happy Anniversary, Strongman. I love you!

Mom Update: Praise and Prayer

Dear Friends,

Mom saw the surgeon yesterday. She will need to have surgery to remove her left kidney sometime in October (we don't know the date yet). The tests show the tumor has not spread beyond the kidney and is actually contained within the kidney. PTL!!!

Mom will need to be completely free from infection (the visiting nurses are collecting a stool specimen today) and be cleared by her cardiologist, prior to the surgery (she had an appointment on 9/28).

Thank you for every prayer uttered. It is through your prayers that His power is released!!!! No matter what our physical eyes see, heaven's plan will manifest itself in the earthly realm!!! In Jesus name!!!!

Bless you all,
Beautiful Grace :)

Praise and Prayer: Mom Update

Dear Friends,

Mom was discharged on Wednesday night. She is still having diarrhea, but has not had a fever!!! PTL!!!! Please pray that she is able to keep track of her many pills; I'm sure she is a little overwhelmed with ten of them. Please pray that she actually takes the time to rest. She has a servant's heart and tends to overdue her activities.

Praise You, Jesus, for giving me a Mom who has modeled servanthood. She is unassuming, humble and truly loves.

May the Lord of Light and Life reveal Himself to you. May He wake you in the night with songs of love and touch your heart as no human being can! Amen!!!!

With love,
Beautiful Grace :)

Praise and Prayer: Mom Update

Dear Friends,

I visited Mom yesterday...her leg looks better than I have seen it in years!!! Praise and honor and glory to Jesus!!! She has not had diarrhea since Saturday. PTL!!!

She was diagnosed with C-Diff. (the "bad" bacteria of the intestine overgrew because the "good" bacteria were killed of as a result of all the antibiotics Mom has received recently). C-Diff. is an extremely contagious infection, therefore, Mom needs to be in contact isolation, which means we must gown and glove to visit her.

Mom is eating her yogurt to restore the balance of bacteria in her intestines and says she feels better, but is still a little wiped out.

Please pray for continued increase in strength for Mom and a complete eradication of these pesty infections, in Jesus name!!!!

Mom is an intercessor, and I declare that these attacks on her physical body would not impede her in bringing people and situations before the throne of the Most High God!!!! May she pray, just what Jesus is praying at He sits by the right hand of God!!!! AMEN!!!!!

With love,
Beautiful Grace :)

Praise and Prayer: Mom Update

Dear Friends,

Mom was readmitted to the hospital this afternoon. She developed weakness with a fever of 101˚ F and diarrhea. She may have an infection caused by the many antibiotics she's had lately.

Thank Jesus that Mom's leg is not becoming worse. I praise you Lord for her openness and love toward You. This would be much harder if my Mom didn't know You.

Please pray for her immune system to pick up the pace in fighting these infections.

May His blessings overflow you!!!

With love,
Beautiful Grace :)

Poetry Place: "Psalm of Beautiful Grace"

This psalm was written at the beginning of the season that God currently has me in. The last six years have been ones of intensity in trials and tribulations, but more importantly, they have been ones of deliverance and preparation.

I post this prophetic psalm now in honor the approaching new year, the final year of my current season of preparation...a year of coming full circle and new beginnings.

Be blessed, my friends!!!


Psalm of Beautiful Grace
Written after reading Psalm 119.
12/15/01 4:00 am

Teach me Your commandments,
That I might not sin against You.
Give me Your understanding,
That I may keep Your whole word.

I cry out to You with my soul- to You, my God.
For You alone can save me.

You are my Portion.
You are my Provider.

Your mercy endures forever,
And Your loving-kindness is poured out to me.
You are the Treasure that I seek.

I have sought for You my whole life!
I searched for You, before I even knew You.
My soul remembered the day of my creation,
The day Your awesome hand fashioned me
In my mother’s womb.

My spirit rejoices in the day of my salvation,
That day long ago.
You did not leave me in my tears.
You did not forsake me in my sins.

You provided a way for me, a path on which to walk.
Your Holy Spirit has led me in Your ways.
Strengthen me by Your Spirit,
That I would always obey Your commands.
For You delight in obedience, more than sacrifices.

Teach me to walk in Your ways, forevermore.
I will be pleasing to You all the days of my life.
Your salvation is never ending,
And my reward is eternity with You.

Let me sit at Your feet and worship You, my King.
Allow me to anoint You with my tears.
Your love is sweet, it touches my soul,
My spirit rejoices in Your touch.

You call me as a lover calls His beloved
With gentle cords and a soft voice.
Teach me Your love; Whisper Your heart.
Impart to me the ways that will touch Your heart.

Your eyes search.
Search for me, my Lord!
Let them rest on Your servant.

Your eyes are flaming; They are fire.
They pierce through the facade of men.
They view the heart.
Your eyes melt me!

Where can I go to hide from you?
Why would I ever want to hide from my strength,
My fortress?
For when I fall, You pick me up.
When I transgress, You wipe me clean.

All things are possible with You, my Abba.
You have the power to make all my ways straight.
Let me always rely on You.

My children will bless You, because of my ways.
Let Your holy name be praised!

You are perfect- the consummation of perfection.
Let Your perfection consume me.
Let Your ways bring me peace.

My enemies try to turn me from You,
But they will not succeed,
For I am in the palm of my Creator’s hand,
And no one may snatch me from You.

Strengthen me with Your love.
Let your Holy Fire burn in me.
Let me never put You to shame.
I’m after Your heart!