Category: Worship

faith, God, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, Worship

God Will Turn Things Around for You

Has time ever caught up with you? Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, or maybe because all my kids moved out and are on their own.

I was driving my son to the Doctor the other day. He just had a motorcycle accident 2 weeks ago and broke both of the bones in his lower right leg. He was turning 21 in the next few days and I had a hard time believing he was grown up already. As we drove through Janesville WI, we drove by his old elementary school. I remembered when he and his sister went there and I got a job there to be with them. I had just separated their psycho dad. We drove by the old trailer park we used to live in, and the YMCA Domestic Violence Center where God set us free from abuse. It seems like just yesterday I was living there with both of my young children. Then we drove by the A & W restaurant we would walk to from the shelter. We drove by the park I used to take them to when they were little. I was so broke back then. I had a part time waitress job, and a full time job at a nursing home. Times were hard, but God is good and He provided for us in so many ways. He protected us and kept us safe.

Wow, God sure has a way of turning things around! Today my kids are 21, 22, 30, and 33. I am proud of all of them and they are all leading amazing lives. They always bring me joy and love. God has restored everything and more to us. I am a proud wife of an amazing man and we are blessed beyond belief!

God’s Word for You

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. – Isiah 55:8-11 NKJV

Instead of shame and dishonor,
you will enjoy a double share of honor.
You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land,
and everlasting joy will be yours.

“For I, the Lord, love justice.
    I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering
    and make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their descendants will be recognized
    and honored among the nations.
Everyone will realize that they are a people
    the Lord has blessed.” – Isaiah 61:7-9 NLT

Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ – Isiah 41:10 NKJV

“But all who devour you will be devoured,
    and all your enemies will be sent into exile.
All who plunder you will be plundered,
    and all who attack you will be attacked.
I will give you back your health
    and heal your wounds,” says the Lord.
“For you are called an outcast—
    ‘Jerusalem for whom no one cares.’”

This is what the Lord says:
“When I bring Israel home again from captivity
    and restore their fortunes,
Jerusalem will be rebuilt on its ruins,
    and the palace reconstructed as before.
There will be joy and songs of thanksgiving,
    and I will multiply my people, not diminish them;
I will honor them, not despise them.
Their children will prosper as they did long ago.
I will establish them as a nation before me,
    and I will punish anyone who hurts them.
They will have their own ruler again,
    and he will come from their own people.
I will invite him to approach me,” says the Lord,
    “for who would dare to come unless invited?
You will be my people,
    and I will be your God.” – Jeremiah 30: 16-22 NLT

My Prayer for You:

Dear Lord,

I am thanking you in advance for healing my brothers and sisters in Christ. We are your people and You are our God. During this process we choose to trust You and Your ways. Your word WILL accomplish what You said and it WILL prosper. Thank you Lord, for restoring all of us!

Let’s Worship Together:

GOD SAID HE WILL TURN IT AROUND

RESTORATION

GOD TURN IT AROUND

behavior, Deliverance, Depression, Disablility, faith, God, Healing, Prayer, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, Worship

Rise Up!

Yes, 2020 sucked. But it’s over. We made it. God saw us through and we are still here! Hallelujah! I don’t know about you, but there were a few times I didn’t know if I would make it to 2021. Yes, I have been knocked down this past year with deaths, COVID in my family, heart attack, and pancreatitis, as well as 5 other ER visits. It’s been kind of a blur. But one thing I do know, God was with me the whole time! There were days I cried, days I just wanted to give up, as well as happy days, and beautiful memories. COVID and illness has certainly given us all a clearer picture of what is really important.

There were more than a few days that I stayed home from Church and watched online. This was hard for me because I am part of our Worship Team. So is my husband Bob, and 6 other friends that are the most amazing gift ever. The last time I stayed home I just cried. The Worship Team sounded so good – without me. It was very humbling. Yes, they are all amazing and we are blessed. I felt lonely and left out. It’s so hard to be sick and stay home all the time. But God showed me something. I could praise Him at home, without the band, without my piano or bass, just on my own for He is worthy to be praised! I learned how to just BE with Jesus.

I learned a very important lesson this past year.

For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” – Romans 14:8 NKJV

Yes, God is still on the throne, and whether I play or don’t play, laugh or cry, live or die, I belong to the Lord. This brought me comfort. It is way easier to let go of things I can’t control if I trust my God who knows the end from the beginning. God is with us. He has plans for us here and in Heaven.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
– Jeremiah 29:11-13 NKJV

This verse and song helped me too. I need to see the vision of where I am going, not where I am. Hope rises. Faith rises. God rises, and so will we!

RISE UP by Andra Day

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” – Isaiah 60:1-3 NIV

You’re broken down and tired
Of living life on a merry go round
And you can’t find the fighter
But I see it in you so we gonna walk it out
And move mountains
We gonna walk it out
And move mountains, And I’ll rise up
I’ll rise like the day
I’ll rise up
I’ll rise unafraid
I’ll rise up
And I’ll do it a thousand times again
And I’ll rise up
High like the waves
I’ll rise up
In spite of the ache
I’ll rise up
And I’ll do it a thousand times again, For you
For you
For you
For you, When the silence isn’t quiet
And it feels like it’s getting hard to breathe
And I know you feel like dying
But I promise we’ll take the world to its feet
And move mountains
Bring it to its feet
And move mountains, And I’ll rise up
I’ll rise like the day
I’ll rise up
I’ll rise unafraid
I’ll rise up
And I’ll do it a thousand times again, For you
For you
For you
For you All we need, all we need is hope
And for that we have each other
And for that we have each other
And we will rise
We will rise
We’ll rise, oh, oh
We’ll rise I’ll rise up
Rise like the day
I’ll rise up
In spite of the ache
I will rise a thousand times again
And we’ll rise up
High like the waves
We’ll rise up
In spite of the ache
We’ll rise up
And we’ll do it a thousand times again For you
For you
For you
For you Ah, ah, ah, ah

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Cassandra Monique Batie / Jennifer Decilveo Rise Up lyrics © BMG Rights Management

faith, God, Hope, Music, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, Videos, Worship

God’s Love

I have to remind myself that God’s love is greater than any challenge I face. Sometimes I forget. Here is a poem/song I wrote way back in 2010. Recently our JAM Praise Band has started sharing our original songs. This is the first one I shared. Here is our band playing – no editing or Melodyne – just a group of us who love Jesus!

You can always watch Janesville Apostolic Ministries live Fridays at 6 PM for SOAK or Sundays at 10:30 am for Worship Service at Christian World Media .

God’s Love by Diana Rasmussen 4/28/10

God’s love is faithful, He’s forever true

He loves me with mercy and grace to be new.

His love has no ending, His covenant stands.

A promise between us, and I’m in His hands.

CHORUS

Gods love bears all things, believes all things,

hopes all things, endures all things,

God’s love never fails for me.

God’s love never fails for me

How great is the love that Father lavishes on me

now I am called a child of God.

No eye has seen, no ear has heard,

no mind has conceived what God has for me!

REPEAT CHORUS

God’s love is patient, His love is kind,

His love doesn’t envy, nor boast full of pride.

Not rude or self seeking, or easily angered

Keeps no record of wrongs, but rejoices in truth.

REPEAT CHORUS

faith, God, Hope, Music, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, Worship

The Power of Harmony

There is power in harmony. When everyone works together and does their part to contribute to the whole. I am blessed to be part of an amazing worship team. We have sang together for 8 years now. It is so fun!

According to the Dictionary,

HARMONY is:

noun, plural harmonies.

1.agreement; accord; harmonious relations.

2.a consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of parts; congruity.

3.Music.

any simultaneous combination of tones.
the simultaneous combination of tones, especially when blended into chords pleasing to the ear; chordal structure, as distinguished from melody and rhythm.
the science of the structure, relations, and practical combination of chords.
4.an arrangement of the contents of the Gospels, either of all four or of the first three, designed to show their parallelism, mutual relations, and differences

Our drummer Doug Anderson compiled this MP3 of some of our worship songs. Thanks Doug! We are blessed to sing four part harmony many times.

Being in a worship band is one of the best things ever. Using music to lead people in the presence of God and worship the King of Kings together. People get healed, tears fall, hearts are renewed, hope is reborn. I am so blessed to be able to sing with my husband and my friends. We are not professional musicians, we are just seekers who love to encounter a great God! It is an honor and a priviledge to lead people into the presence of God. God inhabits the praise of all who seek Him. Come and worship with us, no matter what country you are in!

I thought I would share with you today. You can visit us at Janesville Apostolic Ministries in Janesville, WI. Or catch us on the web.

JAM WORSHIP BAND

Here is an audio of us with Days of Elijah, Let God Arise, Reveation Song, You Great Name, and You Won’t Relent. Enjoy!

Bob Rasmussen – guitar and vocals

Carmen Hanson – vocals

Mike Lyle – vocals

Doug Anderson – drums and vocals

Diana Rasmussen – keyboard and vocals

Why We Worship

“One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
and inquire at His temple.” (Psalm 27:4 NKJV)

We pray with one another aloud because the Bible tells us, “They lifted up their voice to God with one accord” (Acts 4:24)

We lift up our hands in worship because in the Bible it says, “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.” (Psalm 134:2)

We sing because in the Bible it tells us to, “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.” (Psalm 98:4)

We clap and shout unto our God because in the Bible we read, “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.” (Psalm 47:1) JAM

“Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.” (Psalm 150:4)

We play musical instruments because the Bible declares, “And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments” (II Samuel 6:5)

We testify publicly of God’s goodness because in the Bible we read, “I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.” (Psalm 22:22)

JAM 3 We anoint with oil for divine healing because the in the Bible we read, “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:” (James 5:14)

We allow the operation of spiritual gifts because in the Bible we read, “When ye come together, everyone of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.” (I Corinthians 14:26)

(source: JAM worship page)

JAM 2

faith, God, Healing, Hope, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, Worship

Reverse Your Worship

One of the best posts ever about praise and worship. Thank you Pure Glory!

”We have so many programs, that sometimes, we’ve programmed God completely out of the equation. We have allowed the spirit of the world to come in, in lieu of the Spirit of the Lord. Competing against one another, idolizing one another, coming to be entertained, but not changed.”

http://pureglory.net/2018/01/12/reverse-your-worship/

Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, Word from the Lord, Worship

The Glory of God is Coming Down

It was a vision when I first woke up this morning – the glory cloud of God coming down like a sheet. Just like Peter saw at Cornelius’s house.

The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”

But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”

And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again. – Acts 10:9-16 NKJV

The Glory of God is like a cloud – it will settle over us and our hearts and make all things new. Be ready for a visitation from the Almighty today friends. God is with us – Emmanuel!

Bible Verses on the Glory Cloud of God

Exodus 13:21-22: The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
1 Kings 8:10-12: It happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD. Then Solomon said, “The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud.
Leviticus 16:2: The LORD said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.
Psalm 97:2: Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
Job 26:9 “He obscures the face of the full moon And spreads His cloud over it.
Job 22:14: ‘Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see; And He walks on the vault of heaven.’
Revelation 14:14: Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand.

Psalm 121: 1-8 NKJV

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?

My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.

The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

God, Hope, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, Worship

Prepared to Be Awed by His Presence

I am so excited! I just feel that the presence of God is going to overwhelm us this Christmas Season!

Are you ready to be awed by His presence?

Are you ready to melt in His arms and just be speechless?

Are you ready to worship the King of Kings?

Yes! He was born a King, even though it didn’t look like it at the time.

Who would put a King in a manger?

I love how God shows up outside of our “box”!

He is so freaking awesome,

And He is ready to invade out time and our space as never before!

He did it before – when He came into this world.

Luke 2:8-20 In the same region there were shepherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord flashed and shone around them, and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. For this day in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord the Messiah. And this will be a sign for you by which you will recognize Him: you will find a Baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

Then suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host angelic army praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, And on earth peace among men with whom He is well-pleased.” When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying one to another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem, and see this wonderful thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”

So they went in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the Baby as He lay in the manger. And when they had seen this, they made known what had been told them about this Child, and all who heard it were astounded and wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these things, giving careful thought to them and pondering them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.

Do not be afraid. Your God has come to you. To hold you, to heal you, to save you and your family. This world is not all there is. There is so much more. We are citizens of Heaven thanks to the Lord who decided to enter His creation as a baby in a manger.

Lord, thank you for coming for all of us. You came to seek and to save the lost. you came to give us hope, a life, and a future. You did for us what we could not do for ourselves. You are our Hope, our Joy, our Savior, and our Future! Hallelujah! Bless God!
O

Deliverance, God, Healing, Hope, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, The Blood of Jesus, Word from the Lord, Worship

Break Every Chain – Word from the Lord

This past Sunday God gave us a Word I’d like to share with you. The band was playing “Break Every Chain” and God gave this Word to our friend Laura :

Word from the Lord

11-13-16

Given to Laura

chains broken 11/13

chains broken all around and laying on an old dirt floor…. like an ancient prision.

no one moves, they stay where the are not leaving- comfortable where they are. we have been freed so we must step forward out of the bondage we have been released from to carry out His will in our lives

we need to choose to walk forward from where we were

I have already released the chains .. what are YOU going to do now….

Deliverance, faith, God, Music, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, Worship

When a Little Child Dances

God taught me something today – through the eyes of a little child. Let’s call him E. He is less than 1 – I think about 6 or 8 months. I play in a worship band every Sunday. We are all over 40-50+. Yet we have fun worshipping the Lord Almighty and bringing his people into the presence of God. Every week little E comes to dance. Sometimes he dances in back by his parents. Today was different. Little E came right onto the stage and started dancing! It moved my heart beyond belief. I scooped him up in my arms and brought him to my piano. He stayed for a moment and played. Praise God!

Then I went and visited my granddaughter. She is the same age. I brought her a little people farm truck that made music. Guess what she did? DJ started to dance! Oh the power of a dance. I truly believe that we bring God joy when we dance in His presence. I wish more of God’s people would let loose and dance before the Lord. David danced – and look what happened!

Let go today. Rejoice in His presence and dance for joy for all that He has done!

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, – Psalm 30:11

It happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with musical instruments. The women sang as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.” 1 Samuel 18:6-7

Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.- 2 samuel 6:14-15 NKJV

God, Hope, Mental Illness, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, Worship

Your Worship Ushers People into the Presence of God

Your worship is sacred and pleasing to God. Whether you are singing in your car to the radio, praising and thanking God, or worshipping with others – your worship ushers people into the presence of God. It’s like He just shows up and does stuff.

We are not saved for ourselves.

God wants His love to spill over onto others you meet everyday.

There’s that mom who is trying to make it on her own after her husband left. There is the elderly woman who feels so alone at night. There is the man who just lost his job and doesn’t know how to tell his family. There is the couple who smile on the outside but are one step away from divorce court. And the young teenage girl who hurts herself to stop the pain. These are people you meet everyday. They are hurting. They don’t know why or how to fix it.

We as Christians carry the Word of the Living God in us. Christ in us – the HOPE of Glory. Yet often we hole ourselves up in our buildings, go to our ‘church’ functions, and don’t reach out to the lost. I did this for years. It’s really easy to hide from the world when you busy yourself with function upon function. I learned the lingo, wore what I ‘should’, and followed the rules – for a bit.

Then the hurt squeezed out.

Have you ever tried to stuff a pillow in a box? No matter how hard you try some of it spills over. You can get it almost all in and then the corner pops out. That’s what it’s like to just ‘go’ and play church. I am speaking to myself first. After a while I took a break. Just like I took a break from my biker days, and my preppie days, and my academic days. I was looking for acceptance and love in all the wrong places. The sad part is, so were all the other people going to church. Only we were afraid to tell each other because we didn’t want other people to know how messed up we really are.

The funny thing is though, God already knows.

He brings all of his kiddos to a place to be healed and loved and sheltered from the world.

Worship is a place where God can show us what real love looks like.

Yes it happens at church, but it also happens every time a believer ushers in His presence. God is with us – Emmanuel. He shows up whenever we praise and worship him. He is with you in the car. He is with you at the job. He is with you in your home. He shows up when we pray. He is there when you go outside for a walk. He shows up when we pray with others – they feel His love and presence. God isn’t confined to a building. He is not confined to a Denomination. Anytime or anyplace we worship Him, His love spills out onto others -just like that pillow!

Thank Goodness God squeezes out of the box we try to put Him in!

I wish I was more transparent in real life. I can here in blog land, I just type what’s on my heart. I am still learning to share in real life. Feelings are so messy. Some days I am just a blubbering idiot I think. I have a few friends I reach out to, and for that I am grateful. I gave up ‘playing church’. I gave myself permission these days to be me, flaws and all. I gave myself permission to be free from other people’s opinions of who they think I am. Today God gets to tell me that. Our identity is hidden in Christ – I think it’s way safer there than anywhere else.

I have struggles everyday. I beat myself up for all the things ‘good little christian girls’ shouldn’t do. But then, as I learned today, God welcomes me in His house anyway. He meets me where I am and loves me through it all. As I confess my faults to God and to others I trust, He forgives me and grants me grace to get up and keep living.

His Word gives me hope – I have to read it – or die. I have been hospitalized for depression. I have tried multiple times to hurt myself. I have given up more times than I can count. I have given up on people, I have given up on myself, and I have given up on love. But the thing I learned today –

God never gave up on me. And He has not given up on you either.

God is for us and with us. He forgives us and loves us. He doesn’t want us to be ‘perfect’ – let it go. Just be you. He made you and He loves you anyway!

Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ – Deut 20:14 NKJV

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. – John 6:35-37 NKJV

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8 NKJV

(All images from Pinterest, sources on image)

faith, God, Healing, Hope, Prayer, Psalms, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, Worship

God is Calling You Deeper

Listen, do you hear Him in your heart? He is Calling you, “Come.” The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.”

Come sit at His feet as the waterfall of His love washes over You. Be washed, be renewed, be loved. He will fill your heart as you spend time with Him!