Silent Night?

I keep hearing the Christmas song "Silent Night". I had just written on a previous blog about the shepherds who got the message that night Jesus was born in Bethlehem. I really don't think it was a "silent night" where they were at. Now, if one is thinking of the beauty of the newborn baby and the gentleness of his hands as he moves and stretches with his eyes closed as when he sleeps, yes, the silence of a beauty that only God can create causes one to be silent and drink in that precious beauty! Thinking of our daughter and grand-child, I always reflect on how tiny their hands were and that awesome stretch of the body when they are so relaxed in mommy's arms. I believe for those "not looking for the coming Messiah" probably saw it as just another night, just another year, and just another season passing.
But "silent" never, for those who came looking from the east followed the star that directed them to the Christ Child. I think there was probably a lot of talk going on about what these men were seeing. And dare I mention what the shepherds probably talked about when the angels appeared to them with a heavenly message?

Luke 2:8-20....................................8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 "Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. NKJV

Now, I cannot say the shepherds were waiting for the consolation to appear. In verse 17 it states that when they had seen HIM, they made it widely known the same which was told to them. AND we find in verse 20 that the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen as it was told them.

Wow! They experienced it and praised God for it! Could they have gotten "loud" about their praise and thanks to God?

I would think that this is not the time to be all "spiritual" but the time to praise God for sending Jesus and telling others about it! Here is scripture in detail stating that these shepherds certainly went out to tell others about Jesus.

Do we do as much? Do we tell others of Jesus? Do we leave glorifying and praising God for things we have heard about HIM in church or even at home in our study time? Do we tell others or are we not receiving truth of Who He is in "church"? Because we should be fed and encouraged to go out and tell others about Jesus. Do we not learn from our "secret place" time with Him or are we again to busy for prayer time because it is the holiday" season?  These shepherds left their flocks to go and see what they had heard and they returned with praise on their lips.

Is it "silent" at your house during this time of year or do you have your family gathered to give praise to God? Is there the exuberance of the expected package under a tree or the coming One, the Savior of the world? It is not about presents, or how much food to have or what kind of meat or drink, but it is about the "One" who was sent! It is about glorifying God for His goodness and love towards that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!  For the coming One will return and will put His foot down on Mt. Olive.........and every eye will see HIM! Yes, He is coming again and there will be no "silence".

Romans 5:6-9 ................6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. NKJV

I believe there was much more in the truth of the angels appearing to the shepherds that night.  I believe the Great Shepherd was talked about that night to the shepherds who kept their watch on their flocks. If we are in any kind of leadership, we are to guide people into the truth of God's word. We are to have one heart with God! We are to tell our children grand-children, those at church, those at the bus stop, those in the work place, those in the grocery store or shopping center. We are to tell others of the love of God and how He came with power to set all the captives free.

I close with this scripture:

Matthew 4:23-5:2.....23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. 25 Great multitudes followed Him--from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.   Matthew 5 ..................5:1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: NKJV

We know from scripture that people followed Jesus............and from this verse of Matthew 4:23....and all the way to Chapter 8 of same book ...........Jesus taught. In my estimation, these people sat for a long time to hear this message preached. These were great crowds who came to hear Him teach and speak truth. Yet, today I hear people say, "oh, they cannot give long sermons for the people get nervous, anxious, and will not sit that long to hear." And, "well, the service is to start at 9 am but the people are still coming in and you look around the room and see maybe a half dozen people just standing around and waiting. Yet these people followed Jesus up a mountain and heard Him teach for hours. People were excited, and came with a longing to hear what He was going to say and teach. Jesus taught them and showed them truth of the Word. He guided them by God's love and the importance of obeying. Jesus showed them and us that He is the Bread of Life (John 6:35-51), Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6) , the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-14), Light in the World (John 812; John 9:5), Door of the Sheep (John 10:7-9), Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), and True Vine (15:1-6)

These people did not have a new SUV or an new cell phone that will do "everything". Yet they heard and they followed. They had to walk or ride the animal that was available at the time. They did not need the new outfit or a limo to get to church.

I pray that I have sparked a fire in many that choose to tell others of God's goodness and love. If we are not corrected and continue down the same ole path, do we fail miserably in not telling others of God's love and how it was expressed through His Son Jesus?

I believe Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit at every turn of His walk with His Father. I believe Him to be obedient even unto death. Are we willing to make the same sacrifice? And our dying to self does not mean we go to the cross, but we do take up the Cross and carry it to remember we have a Savior..............for today we know that a Savior was born.............."Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth, good will toward all men.........."

I pray that we be not the silent majority! I pray that we tell others of God's great love, through giving, through prayer, through teaching, through praise and the love of God to let people know that we have seen a great light! AND HE IS COMING AGAIN!

Matthew 4:16...........16 the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned."  NIV

Father, I pray that there be no "silent nights" in regard to the coming of Your son Jesus. I pray that we would know that a great Light has come upon those living in the land of the shadow of death and as the Light has dawned............may we be like those shepherds and declare God's glory. Peace on this earth begins with us knowing YOUR peace Almighty God, and I pray that we would recognize it to be a peace that is never passive. Father help us today to know that YOUR peace is meant to demolish every single work of darkness. As we move and have our being in YOU, may YOUR peace invade us, and take over  to drive the chaos out of our lives. Father I praise YOU and thank You for Jesus Who is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). He delivered the Gospel of Peace to us. Like Jesus, the more we speak the Word, the more Your peace will prevail in our lives. I also pray that we would know that sin is an open door that invites chaos into our lives. Help us to discern to get sin out and keep it rooted out and demolished. The only silence we should have is the one OF A CONFIDENT TRUST IN YOU within our hearts and minds that keeps the guard up! Yes, today our trust is in YOU!
It is in the mighty name of Jesus that I pray for each TO come to know the great light that has come, and may they experience His great peace that can be carried with us everywhere we go. I pray that our hearts today will declare YOU God and will spend the time, no matter the hour or the lateness, but wait on You to hear You speak. I pray that we would be a force of men and women who will go out to tell others of Jesus and His coming again for His believer's. Father make us strong and courageous. Help us to never be afraid or terrified because of anyone else, for You Lord our God goes with us, just like YOU did for Jesus. Amen.

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV 

On a Short Leash?

There are times we see ourselves losing momentum. There are times we seem to go no further than the end our nose can reach forward.
I remember as a child, I was the one that had to be kept on a short leash, so to speak. Yes, I was that child you read about who can be over a fence and down the road in less than five minutes or the child that can somehow turn on the water faucet outside and have a flooded garden in less than 2 minutes. Yes, and the faucet had a child-proof lock my dad had "to invent" to keep me from turning it on. Still, I had the "power" to turn it on with my little hands! Yes, I was the one child that somehow knew the city worker's had been digging a large hole less than a block from our home and were trying to repair a water line that had broken some two days....before.......but.................because of the turbulent rain for a 22 hour period, all that moisture had prevented them from working on it and  there were only three super large saw-horse type barriers that surrounded it. Yes, you guessed it, and a small child of 2 and 1/2 years could get through it quickly. That newly formed hole now held water to the brim and could drown a small child in a very short time. Yes, I was free, no leash on me and I was heading for trouble! My dad thought I was with my mom, and mom thought that I was still in bed napping...................yeah, right???
He had poured himself a cup of coffee by the kitchen sink, looked out the window and saw my short legs running quickly toward danger! He took off running out the front door and down the street just in time to reach me before the fall into the big super size hole that now was filled with a large volume of muddy water and debris. Yes, he spoke for years on that one story alone, but he said he never forgot the way his heart felt when he finally reached me!

But my dad figured out the solution. He had to travel some because of his business and that left my mother on a 24-hour duty to keep two children safe and one of them had this overwhelming desire for "freedom"! So he fashioned this halter that had a clip on the back of my shoulder blades..............fit comfortable under the arms and had this length of cord fastened to the clothes line. Again, you guessed it, I was safe in my backyard while hooked to this clothes line...............so my mother knew where I would be while she worked in the flooded garden or hung clothes on the line to dry. Yes, I was safe from turning their lives into a horror movie before their eyes.

In writing this, I was thinking of the scripture found in the book of Luke.

Luke 9:59-62......59 Then He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." 60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God." 61 And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house." 62 But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." NKJV

Being asked by Jesus, to follow HIM, and having some excuse for not doing so seems rather bold and self-involved in what they were doing and not seeing a way out of the mundane. Not following after "life, peace, love and joy" appears as a deficit to me! Taking a look at verse 59, is "let me first go and bury my father." And Jesus, replied, "let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."

The verse does not mention that this person's father was ill and close to death. It just shows this man had an excuse ready to give about "why I cannot do what you ask". In that day and time.........when someone passed, they were wrapped in linen cloths with spices and placed in a tomb for about 1  year. Then they would take the bones and bury them in the family lot provided. In this, the man could have several years before following Jesus. Again, we have no time-line, but one thing was evident, the person had a reason not to follow. But Jesus told him to let the dead bury their own dead!

Some seem to think that at some point this person came to serve the Lord. I am not certain of that for the Lord told him to let the dead bury their own dead. So the Lord, in His knowing probably saw some issues that this young person was tied to in the world.  If it were just the matter of an elderly aging father and being the only one to care for them, I believe Jesus would have given the word to go take care of business concerning the father and then come to follow Jesus. I also believe that there was to be an anointing on the young man to preach and teach the word of God and call sinners to salvation for Jesus told him to go and preach the kingdom of God. I believe whatever words this young man spoke at home fell on deaf ears, but I do believe the anointing held the power by the Holy Spirit to see many come to the Lord. The anointing I believe was that which would compel many to be saved and to serve the Lord with gladness in their hearts.

The other scripture verse is 61, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  And Jesus, replied, "no one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

Yikes! What was going on at that house and who was always there? It was possibly a place where we got our way, did things our own way, and had a great time everyday! But anyone knows, especially those who have lived on or even near a farm can readily say that man on that tractor is keeping his focus on plowing that field and not looking back. He is intent with staying side by side with each row and as straight as possible for the next planting.

My question to you is this: " are we truly following Him or are we on a short leash"? Do we keep to the word and look straight before us or do we look back to something we ought to just leave behind? Is our way of thinking keeping us chained to the mundane when God wants to do a "new thing" in our lives?

We should have "godly counsel" on this always. We should not seek advice from tarot cards, the horoscope or psychic readings.  If we are to act on God's word then that Word should be that which is leading us. It should be God we hear, and His word that is before us to keep going in the direction of His life, peace, joy and love! 

Here lately, I write and teach on this scripture, for I believe the Lord is asking us to follow Him. I believe His heart is much like what my dad experienced that day in the rain when he ran a race with death and saved me from falling into that enormous mud hole. Is there a slippery slope that the Lord is trying to keep us safe from falling into concerning going back to just say"good-bye to our peeps and pals at home"? Are we using excuses not to serve the Lord because we feel that we would lose something and not really have a good life to look back on.

I had many adventures when I was a child, and then as a youth in middle school and high school. But the greatest adventures I have had are serving the Lord and writing this blog to tell others of the Goodness and Love of God! I believe the Lord speaks to us and gives us that scripture that should "captivate" and keep our attention. That word speaks and brings life to us, directing us on a path of His goodness always. Yes, correction will come at times and sometimes more than we think we need, but it is because He corrects those He loves.

Proverbs... 3:11-12

11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD,

Nor detest His correction; 

12 For whom the LORD loves He corrects,

Just as a father the son in whom he delights. NKJV

My dad did what he needed and wanted to do, to keep me safe and out of harm's way. What is your Father trying to do to keep you out of that harm that may bring death to you or yours? It is so much better to follow the Lord and learn of Him who gives to us so generously as we saw when He gave us His Son!

Father, You are the Great I Am in our midst! In Jesus' name, I pray for the protection of Your children today that they are covered by the Blood of Jesus. I pray that no evil befalls them and that no weapon formed against them shall prosper. I pray that they have hearing ears, and seeing eyes and will know Your voice when YOU speak to them. Lord today, I thank You for Your correction. May we not despise it for whom You love YOU Lord will correct. We know this because a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

Holy Spirit have Your way in our lives today. We give YOU full  rein here in our lives, our home, ministry and in the work place. Show us where we need to watch our step so that we stay in line with YOU and not venture out in a dangerous place that can cause injury or death to us or our family members. We set our focus right before us and expect to hear YOU speak guiding us into a perfect freedom of Your life, peace, joy and love being strengthened day by day to follow the Lord of glory.

 Lord, continue Your love to those who know you, Your righteousness to the upright in heart. (Psalm 36:10-12) I pray that the foot of proud not come against us nor the hand of wicked shall not drive us away.

I pray today that each who read this will trust in the Lord and do good. That they will dwell in the land You bring them to and to enjoy safe pasture. As each delight in YOU the Lord of glory, may these have their hearts desire. I thank You today, that it is YOU that makes our righteousness shine like the dawn and the justice of Your cause like the noonday sun (Psalm 37:1-6) when we follow YOU and Your ways. Amen.

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at (http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV) 

Honeycomb

I remember the days of the large glass jars of honey. Cannot remember the name brand, but each jar had a part of the honeycomb in it. I always wondered how they got it in there without destroying the comb part. It was so sweet and excellent on those homemade buttermilk biscuits. Well, technology has changed a lot of things and one is the honey jar in that some are made of plastic!  So there is no viewing the beauty of that honeycomb or even for one to have a thought process of how little bees do all that work and make something that tastes so good!

Like honey, the beauty of the amber color gently drizzled over a hot biscuit can entice even a dieter to throw in the towel to enjoy the flavor and taste of all that goodness. If something so simple as honey on a biscuit could cause us to stumble, what else is there that could cause the same problem? Well, you know that honey is good for you. Yes, it is in a certain amount, but what if you ate it three times a day.............and........................on hot biscuits fresh out of the oven all three times?
Proverbs 25:16..................16 Have you found honey?
Eat only as much as you need,
Lest you be filled with it and vomit. NKJV

When we type in honey in reference to the Bible, we can find a lot of scripture that pertains to honey. My favorite passage is found here in Judges 14. From reading through the book of Judges, we find it deals with those who judged in Israel during a very dark time of their history. At this time of their history, Joshua, their leader, had long since passed on to glory. The law which had been handed down was ignored. The only people who continued their walk with the Lord were those of Samson's parent's generation. They continued their devotion and worship to God!
It was by the Lord that the announcement came that Manoah and his wife would have a son. He was to be raised as a Nazirite found in Judges 13:5 .  Samson was to serve the nation as a Judge and stand in that office. He was to serve as one with a commitment to God. But in what the scripture passages reveal, Samson failed time after time.
Samson's major flaw was that he loved women!
So do we have a weak area in our lives? What is that which weakens our "spirit man"? What looks so good to us that we would "compromise" the word of God?

Judges 14:1-20
14:1 Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, "I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife." 3 Then his father and mother said to him, "Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" And Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, for she pleases me well." 4 But his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD--that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. 5 So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah.

Compromise number one, was to his vow as a Nazirite! He was to not have anything to do with any product of grapes and we find him taking his parents on specific trip dangerously close to the vineyards of Timnah!

"Oh, I know the vineyard is there, but I will not consume it in any form?" Well, there is a party coming down shortly!

Compromise number two, Samson evidently did not like his father and mother telling him "no" when it came to the question of the pagan woman. But according to God's plan, Samson was not to intermarry with a Canaanite. Samson was to marry from his own people and someone from their land.

Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. 6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. 7 Then he went down and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. 8 After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. 9 He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.

According to the Law that was present at the time, no one was to eat from a dead carcass. There was not to be  any touching of the thing that was dead or anything around it, in it or on it! Some state it was noteably a lion's body still in tact, some state it was just the skeleton. But Samson knew it was something he killed. Samson took up this honey from a "dead thing" and gave it to his parent's and never telling them where it came from and from what he had taken the honey from in regard to the body of the lion. Another compromise! His parent's were committed to God and standing in the truth of God's Word in the Law at that time. He caused his own parent's to sin by not telling "the truth".

Still, God would move forward in His plan using Samson against the Philistines. 

10 So his father went down to the woman. And Samson gave a feast there, for young men used to do so. 11 And it happened, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. 12 Then Samson said to them, "Let me pose a riddle to you. If you can correctly solve and explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing. 13 But if you cannot explain it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing." And they said to him, "Pose your riddle, that we may hear it." 14 So he said to them:
"Out of the eater came something to eat,And out of the strong came something sweet."
Now for three days they could not explain the riddle.
15 But it came to pass on the seventh day that they said to Samson's wife, "Entice your husband, that he may explain the riddle to us, or else we will burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you invited us in order to take what is ours? Is that not so?" 16 Then Samson's wife wept on him, and said, "You only hate me! You do not love me! You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, but you have not explained it to me." And he said to her, "Look, I have not explained it to my father or my mother; so should I explain it to you?" 17 Now she had wept on him the seven days while their feast lasted. And it happened on the seventh day that he told her, because she pressed him so much. Then she explained the riddle to the sons of her people. 18 So the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down:
"What is sweeter than honey?And what is stronger than a lion?"
And he said to them:
"If you had not plowed with my heifer,You would not have solved my riddle!"
19 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle. So his anger was aroused, and he went back up to his father's house. 20 And Samson's wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man. NKJV

Compromise number three could have happened at the wedding feast! I mean this party thing lasted for seven days. There food and wine was served. Is it possible that Samson partook of the wine offered?

At the wedding feast he proposed a riddle. For entertainment purposes for the guests, Samson promised "thirty changes of clothes" if they could give him an answer to the "riddle"  But unable to solve it, they then urged the new wife to get the answer for them.  Of course He gave in to her demand and told the answer wherein she told the guests. Being betrayed by the new wife, Samson's wrath is kindled and with vengeance in his heart he went to Ashkelon, killed thirty Philistines, and gave the changes of "clothes" to those who had solved the riddle. When he returned to his father's home, Samson's wife was given to his best man.

Compromise is not a good thing! We may think we are on the right path, but when things seem to fall apart, and those who should stand with you seem far away and take the side of the world's thing, then we must stop! Stop! Then take a breath, and pray : Lord, where did I compromise?  When did I get off the path You set forth for me to walk?

Compromise: means to lower one's standard or weaken one's standards...but through God's word that is sweeter than honey we gain understanding. We gain the wisdom to know which way to walk and that which we should avoid!

Psalm 119:103-104............103 How sweet are Your words to my taste,

Sweeter than honey to my mouth! 

104 Through Your precepts I get understanding;

Therefore I hate every false way.  NKJV

God's power in us is His Holy Spirit power! What has weakened our standards in view that the Word of God is that measure where we are at. If we did the plumb line, like we find in scripture, where would we be found? Isaiah 28:17...................17 I will make justice the measuring line 
and righteousness the plumb line; NIV


  Yes, God is totally unstoppable and He can flow through us to accomplish His will for our lives, but we never escape the consequence of sin in our lives. We have only covered a few passages of scripture on Samson's life. In respect to what we have seen, he walked into disobedience against his vow as a Nazirite.

I believe we are to enjoy life, and life abundantly, but not to compromise our heritage of having a Savior and knowing what He did for us! I believe we are to hold the Word continually before us to see if there be any problems!

Yes temptations can come into our lives, but how will we handle them?

If we find ourselves wanting to take "revenge" against someone for the hurt they have caused us, then we need to stop! Stop! Take a deep breath and pray!

In length of space I only wrote on the first portion of scripture on Samson. He had a life that dictated to his lust for women and in so doing was captured and blinded because of that sin. But we know at the end, even in bondage, in the last moments he had, he pleaded for the power of the Holy Spirit to return. He repented his sin before God and killed those who he was meant to take care for God in the first place. What transpired took him to a place where he had nothing left because the Spirit of God had left him and he did not know it! In reality we do not want the Holy Spirit to leave us, but in sin, the Holy Spirit will not be found in our life.
Compromise is a terrible thing and is a hard price to pay with in your body, health and relationships. Is there some area of weakness that should be addressed before it is too late? Is there something that seems harmless, but has the bite of asp, the venom to kill and destroy us?

I close with this scripture! It was one the Lord gave us when we (my husband and I) were saved many years ago!

Leviticus 20:22-26

22'You shall therefore keep all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them, that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out. 23 And you shall not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they commit all these things, and therefore I abhor them. 24 But I have said to you, "You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey." I am the LORD your God, who has separated you from the peoples. 25 You shall therefore distinguish between clean animals and unclean, between unclean birds and clean, and you shall not make yourselves abominable by beast or by bird, or by any kind of living thing that creeps on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean. 26 And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine. NKJV

Our walk should never be "well, he said" or "well, she said", no it should be the Word of God! Everything is plumbed with the line of "righteousness". It should always be what the Lord is speaking and showing us by His Holy Spirit. Because trials can come, our choice should be for life and flee the lust that brings despair and death?

Father, thank You for YOUR Word that is life to us. In Jesus' name, I pray that we be men and women who will not compromise, but put YOUR word as the STANDARD in our lives. Father, I pray that each of us would know Your power through Your Holy Spirit and not misuse it for frivolous gain. I pray that YOU would show any of us where we might have missed the mark. Where have we "compromised" Your Word in dealing with others?  I pray today that we would seek You in the Word and find that place that keeps us separated to You and from the world. We know temptations can come, but I pray that we would have put on that full armor to fight the fiery darts of the enemy. We are thankful that we are not under the Old Covenant, but have a New Living Covenant in Jesus Christ. Today, I expect and believe with a full heart that our land oozes and flows with that milk and honey. I believe us to have the fullness of what YOU have for us. Today I pray that we will continue to seek YOU and keep our focus on what You say. I pray for commitment to be in our hearts and that we will not turn back to folly.  ( Psalm 85:9) 9 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, That glory may dwell in our land. NKJV.  AMEN!

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at (http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV) 

The Neighborhood Watch

John 1:43-51
43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 51 And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." NKJV

Can you imagine what the day was like when Jesus showed up in the "neighborhood"?
Can you imagine if He showed up in your neighborhood much like He did when He came through on His way to Galilee?

On this specific day, we find Jesus calling "to follow HIM"! As He traveled through the communities, He was the one who spoke and the first of the day was Philip. Then it mentions that Philip was from Bethsaida much like Peter and Andrew. They were born evidently in a community of fisherman. But later Peter and Andrew are found to reside in Capernaum.

Philip in all his excitement, runs to tell Nathanael. What an exciting time to be alive! He has seen " the promised One".

We are told that Philip found Nathanael. It does not say what else was going on, but in all the excitement Philip tells Nathanael that "we have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote....Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

What excitement and joy that must have filled Philip's heart, that which so many read of and now see before them, that Philip could now share with someone in "the neighborhood"! 

Do we not get excited when we discover something about Jesus that we had not seen before? Are we not elated and motivated to share what we have just received from the Word of God? For certain, Philip was acquainted with scriptures of the Old Testament and he wanted to share. When we visit the passages written in the book of Isaiah and found in chapter 9.......we read starting in verse 6.....

6 For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called 

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

7 Of the increase of his government and peace 

there will be no end.

He will reign on David's throne 

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it 

with justice and righteousness 

from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the LORD Almighty 

will accomplish this. NIV

We find Jesus called the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, and the Prince of Peace. 

In the scripture below we find Jesus referred to as a "Branch of righteousness" and His name will be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Jeremiah 23:5-6

5 "Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD,

"That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness;

A King shall reign and prosper,

And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 

6 In His days Judah will be saved,

And Israel will dwell safely;

Now this is His name by which He will be called:

THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. NKJV

Yes, there are many wonderful things written to show us what God had planned. And Philip shared with Nathanael but all was not truth of what he spoke. Jesus was of Bethlehem and nowhere does it say that Joseph was the "father" As we know from Scripture, the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and she conceived of the "supernatural" and not of the natural man like Joseph. Yes, mistakes can be made when someone may speak and that is why it is good for each of us to go and study the scriptures for ourselves. It is important to read and reread them and plant them deep in our heart so we know "truth" from error!

The other specific was that Jesus "found" them. Jesus came to meet with them face to face. Without an appointment, a phone call, or email..........today........."what if Jesus is coming to meet you face to face"? Jesus found and then "called them"!

Nathanael speaks and the first thing was:" Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?"

He wanted Philip to prove what he had spoken previously of Jesus of Nazareth.  In light of what Philip spoke was the part about..... of "Nazareth" and Philip just told him "to come and see".  For in scripture, we know,  in Isaiah 7:13-14..........13 Then he said, "Hear now, O house of David!    Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. NKJV

   Philip knew enough of what he read and understood but not enough for another to be convinced. But Philip knew if Nathanael would just come and see, he would recognize who Jesus was! I can tell what I see of who Jesus is and what He has done for me, but you must really come and see Him for you, yourself! You need to make the connection and a lot of times we think if we do not hear or see, that we have missed Him. Yet here we see Jesus and He had come to make contact with them individually.

 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."

Jesus already knew where Nathanael was and what he was doing. Jesus called him an Israelite indeed in whom is no deceit. He was calling him the man of prayer, the man who took time under the fig tree to spend time away from others and spend time to hear God speak. Jesus knew "the state of his heart". He knew Nathanael to be one heart with HIM!
And Nathanael answered, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 51 And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." NKJV

Nathanael was calling Jesus the Teacher when he said, " Rabbi!". He called HIM the Son of God, the King of Israel!
When we believe the greater of Who Jesus is.......we experience seeing the greater for the future.
Telling Nathanael that He saw him under the fig tree, was revealing to more about Jesus knowing the story on Nathanael. He was telling him what had just occurred previously and how the meeting with Philip came about. He revealed that Philip came to tell him the news that Jesus was there.

Jesus saw Nathanael in the "secret place". It was in this place that Nathanael was seeking time with the Lord...............and thinking no one would see, yet Jesus knew where and what he was doing.  Jesus saw in the secret and made it known in the public, in the "neighborhood". Nathanael was different and Jesus made the truth known. In all this, Nathanael knew who Jesus was and embraced Him as the Teacher. He was submitting to the leadership and authority of Jesus, the Son of God. He comes so that our lives will change dramatically from the mundane to the "supernatural".

Nathanael was connected with the Son of Man, the Son of God, the Great "I AM" in our midst! You Nathanael will see the miraculous! We, too, like Nathanael can expect to see the "unseen" manifest in our lives. When it is the Lord who shows up to encourage you and strengthen you in the way to walk and the way to go which is in His truth!

Jesus is seeking those who will submit whole-heartedly to His leadership. He comes to bring strength in our weakness. He comes in our ignorance, to give Light to the word of God and show us the way in which to walk in His wisdom. 

Proverbs 4:10-13

10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,

And the years of your life will be many. 

11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom;

I have led you in right paths. 

12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered,

And when you run, you will not stumble. 

13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;

Keep her, for she is your life. NKJV

We too, can be like Nathanael and go to the "secret place" and look to find the Lord in the scriptures we read and study. But Jesus will be made known to us when we go to see with others. When we get out of the "secret" place and look expectantly, the Lord will speak to us. Like Nathanael, we may not be looking, but the Lord is looking and ever hearing what we speak when we spend time with Him. Jesus will meet you face to face "in the neighborhood watch". He will make it plain and clear that He comes to seek you out for His plan that you see "greater things".

Jesus, You are Welcome Here!

Father, today, I pray in Jesus' name for us to spend time to separate "truth" from error. May we be like the Berean's who search out the scriptures to find the truth of who You are and what we have today in Your name. I pray that we will submit whole-heartedly to Your leadership and Authority. I pray that as we do, that we sill see our years of life will be many, that our ways will be according to Your wisdom, that we be led on right paths, with nothing hindering us! Today, I pray for Your strength where we are weak and for Your guidance when we think we know all we need to know. Because it is You Who knows the Beginning from the End........we set our sights on YOU and ask YOU to lead us in paths of righteousness. I pray that each of confess Jesus as the LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE KING OF ISRAEL, EMMANUEL WITH US! Thank You Lord for Your wisdom that shows where anything is out of alignment in our lives, whether at home, in the work place , school or even in church! I vow to give You praise for all the lives that will be changed because of Your Word of truth. I bless Your name and glorify You. It is Your truth and Light that leads us through the valley of dark shadows and brings into victory. Thank YOU for delivering us from evil work and for the giving us the authority of YOUR Holy name Jesus. Amen.

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at (http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV) 

Healing Garden

Is it ignorance that keeps us in the "sickly place"?

I love the scripture "Thy word hath quickened me."

Healing is simple. Like David, we too, can listen and apply the Word to our lives. We, too, can have an attitude to place the word in our lives that brings life to us and yes to our bodies. The offered gift, all of God's blessings are promised to us. Will we accept them, and take the responsibility to receive not only the Word but His healing as well?

Like the Psalms that David wrote, he has placed the Word in a book for human hearts to receive. From reading through the Psalms ( and I have not finished them all) we find that David believed everything he wrote. He exercised his right in prayer and in worship with thanksgiving to the God of truth. It was David who had a heart knitted to the Father, and it was written that he, David, was " a man after God's own heart."

I can only relate my experiences in the Word of God and how healing continues to come to me and my family. We practice the Word of truth. We write it, confess it boldly and expect a harvest. Truly our bodies are the healing garden of God's word.

Instruction for healing is the same for salvation. It is faith that produces. It is God's will to heal by His word. So that when we continually hear God's word and get it planted deep in our hearts, we are those who experience healing through renewed strength and pain-free bodies.

We must give a place for healing to occur! If I plant my garden with tomato plants and then try to plant pepper plants in the same spot as the tomato plants, then there is no place for either plant to grow. I must give place for tomato plants to have the room and right light to grow well in the summer. Each plant must be watered and watched for best results. As with pepper plants, they need the required lighting and water, but they need their amount of space to grow and produce peppers. When planting these, I know they must be in good rich soil and not in rocky, sandy soil. I cannot plant them in the cold of winter unless I have a special place to keep them like a green house and keep the temps that will help those plants produce fruit.

So too, we must plant God's word in our heart, and let nothing cause the word to die there. So the right conditions would be to seek God's desire. It is His will to heal! We cannot stay in the place called" Nazareth of unbelief". For if we are operating under the influences of the "elders" who dictate like "well, healing is for some and not for others" or "healing was during Jesus' time and not now" then we stay in a place of no healing. But God is greater than us and can override the influences of others for even in Nazareth, Jesus did heal a few. It is the putting of the Word in our hearts, and daily confessing it, that our faith grows and produces what we are seeking: HEALING!

Mark 6:1-6........6:1 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! 3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" And they were offended at Him. 4 But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house." 5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching. NKJV

They thought of Jesus as just the son of a carpenter. Are you just considered someone's wife or someone's mother? Or are you like Jesus, the son of___________________? But Jesus said that the prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and among those of his own house! Yet Jesus counted it unto them as "unbelief". Jesus spent time reading and studying. You can find that of him at the age of 12.AND when we study through the Gospels, we also find Him seeking God's heart in prayer.

The more we become enlightened to His Word, the more we see health restored to our bodies. When we continue to read passages and pray, we see harvest in areas we did not expect.

Our little poodle is a miniature in size. She is black WITH some apricot around her face. She had the apricot color around her face for only three or four years and then seemed to fade. Since my husband and I started reading the word of God every night together, our poodle now finds her way into the middle of the bed as we read, hear and pray with the Word of God. She likes to snuggle and we continue to read and pray. In the last two years, her coat is a gorgeous black color and color of black and apricot are returning to her head and face. Yes, God's word works! Yes, "If thou canst do anything........." we see Jesus speak, "If thou canst believe" and then this father cried out, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."  The man got what he asked for and the healing was a success!   ( see Mark 9:19-23)

We have to reject the traditions of men and of our culture and realize God has healing for us today! Today if you will His voice and not harden your heart..........."Faith without works is dead." It is not God's turn to action............the action part is for us to correspond with action according to knowing and understanding God's faithfulness to His Word of truth. For us to fully exercise our act of faith, means that it is in every fiber of our being. It will the same as getting out of bed and going to work the next day. It will be the same as picking up the children after school and sports everyday! That word becomes us. It will be in our heart, mind and body. That word of God for healing in us, will like taking the next breath of air into our lungs! It is the continual expectancy of knowing that word in me is producing health and strength!

In 1 Corinthians 6:20, we are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body..........how can I glorify God in body if I am sick?

Jesus brought heaven to earth, He came to bring in the Kingdom of Heaven...........and in the Gospels we find what He described it as............!

In closing, I remind you that the Kingdom of Heaven and of God was spoken of by John the Baptist. He was asked if he was the "coming one" but John gave reference to the Messiah or Jesus in Matthew 11:5. In these we see Jesus recounted His deeds of healing. Jesus' healings were the manifestations of the presence of the kingdom of God. Jesus brought it forth, to face the forces of the evil one, satan.

As Jesus was always concerned to heal, He always sought the Father in prayer before and after any one time. The healing's Jesus performed  never showed HIM to actually pray over them, but just speak God's word or say something like, "go, and sin no more". Yikes! sin can make someone sick!

We are to come to His Healing Garden! We can and should do just like Jesus did! We can believe and receive when our faith is overflowing with an expectancy to see the manifestation of a body that is whole with nothing missing and nothing lacking.

Father, I come with a fire of expectancy that is YOU who desires us to  BE
whole and healthy..........to go and sin no more! Today Lord God, I pray that we reject the traditions of men and that we accept and receive the Word that saves and heals.  What I am expecting for everyone who reads and prays this is that they will rise higher and higher in Your Word of truth. That each will put away the things of the world and receive the faith of Healing for a whole body that brings glory to God. I pray that all will stand on Your Word of truth and know the promises  of God personally. I pray that hope arises. And may we all speak that "With God all things are possible to US who believes." I am a believer who believes that all things are possible to me. Thank YOU Lord for Mark 9:23.

Thank You Father, our beloved Father who gave His best. Thank YOU for love everlasting, love unconditional and never failing. By Your Word today, we are not conformed to this world, but we are transformed as we renew our mind's to Your Word. Today I pray we all come to be agreeable with Your word and YOUR will and so shall our plans be established and succeed. Our commitment and trust is in YOU for healing today! In Jesus' name I have prayed, Amen!

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at (http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV) 

Hand Me the S'mores

In recent weeks, I have seen some church leaders take to the highways and bi-ways to ask people if they believe in Jesus. They ask people on the sidewalks and in park areas or bus terminals if they believe there is a "God". I am amazed at the answers. In the few answers they do televise, only one or two may say they know there is a "God". But the rest of the people who are asked really have no answer or do not care if there is a God or not! Today, it seems there are those who delight in being their own "god" and doing their thing, whatever that it is!

I also understand that it is the belief that is being passed around in this day, especially by some who have a TV talk show, and those who have something to do with music industry and the arts is that each person is divine and is a "god" in their own right! What?
And I have recently been sent information of the movement of an "emergent church".What???

Not sure where I have been, but all this is weird to me!

So if I am understanding this correctly, we need to have church toned down so people will hear His Word and want to come to church. That the important thing is people be given a "message" that makes them happy and want to return.
How many will be happy when they take the last breath and find a million in front of them being moved forward into a fiery hell? How many will be mad when they find out the truth was not given to them for sake of desire to have extravagant numbers to fill the big coliseums with thousands of people and yet not give them the "message" in truth?

Job 5:17.......17 "Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects;
Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. NKJV

Jeremiah 1:10
10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms,
To root out and to pull down,
To destroy and to throw down,
To build and to plant."
NKJV

In referring back to this one program and the question asked, "do you believe there is a "God"? Yes, I believe!
When I saw this program on one of the Christian channels, I instantly remembered this commercial of recent months. The commercial was people partying on the beach and had all their fires going on the beach. It was toward evening time during the summer and someone had pulled out the chocolate, crackers and marshmallows for s'mores!
I thought of how many in that group of people knew of Jesus and what was coming on the world in the next decade. Would any care of the "dramatic changes" that are about to occur? Even in my life time I have seen such changes, and I am wondering what happened to the "innocents of youth"? What happened to people being safe to walk in their neighborhoods without being held up by someone who decides to attack, either just to rob or to "hurt in some extreme manner?
Everyone wanting to do "their thing" is apparent when you drive down any interstate highway. Those who will not leave the "left land" for anyone. They will drive 55 mph and take 15 minutes to pass 5 semis and have twenty cars behind them, but they will not "budge" from the left lane! Yes, I saw it and experienced it on a cross-country trip back in October.

The word of God was given to us, to help us, to teach us, to bring comfort and to see who God is and His desires for us. Like Jeremiah 1:10, the word is given for us to tear down any kingdom satan  has tried to put upon us. ( like family thinking is when you are born into that family)
Example: This woman has always cut her turkey into two parts. She had put them into two different pans, so the turkey was never served whole. At one Thanksgiving dinner, the grand-daughter asked the mother why she did this. She, the mother then asked the grandmother why they did that. The grandmother's response was, " when she was first married back in the early  40's, her and her husband lived in a two room apartment. The oven was very tiny, so she had to cut the turkey into two parts to roast it." "But I would not know why your mom would cut the turkey into two parts."
So we see, some things can be passed down without us even thinking twice to do them. It is something to watch your parents do and then do the same thing, but we really need to find out when it comes to serious matters why some people do what they do and not follow their example!
 God has shown us to root those things out of our thinking,...........to then plant God's Word into our thinking.......so we have the same thoughts as God's thoughts and not someone else's thoughts of that new reality show. We are to be built and planted to grow like the scriptures shows below.

Psalm 1:2-6
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish. NIV

If people reject God, and do their own thing, then when the last day comes for them, one can only imagine where they will be found!

In scripture, we find Jesus told of  and yes, described the atmosphere in the furnace of fire. This scripture is the telling of "the wheat and the tares" found in Matthew 13:36-43.

Matthew 13:36-43
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." 37 He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!  NKJV

So we see the world is the field. Jesus sowed the good seed of His Word. We find it in the Gospels.

Those who follow Jesus, who KNOW God, are those who are the good seeds, the sons of the kingdom. But the tares are those who are of the wicked one, the devil! The "tares" those that "offend", those who "practice lawlessness", will be cast into the furnace of fire. It is described there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. When Jesus talked of the "atmosphere" I always think of those players of a football game who cannot get along with each other, and the chaos breaks out. There is the initial pushing and shoving, then the fist comes into play, "whack" and how many punches did they get in before a referee will even notice? But in this of which Jesus speaks is a fire that never distinguished, it never burns out, but continues to burn forever!

In this fire, is separation from God forever. His Presences is not found in hell. There are no parties and some person yelling" hand me the s'mores"! No, it is not a party for people to do whatever they want to do. Yet there are those who do exactly that, without thinking of the consequences of the future.

For the "righteous", their future is bright and they will shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. When I read on this word, I am always reminded of the three young men from the book of Daniel. 

Daniel 3:16-30

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." 

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore, because the king's command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." 25 "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." 

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came from the midst of the fire. 27 And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! 29 Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this." 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the province of Babylon. NKJV

These men experienced a fire created by man. It was a tribulation or trial, but in it all, they kept their focus on God! The fire was heated up seven times greater for the furnace.

Now these men were men who followed in obedience to all God spoke to them. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego were lead to the furnace by mighty men of valor who served in Nebuchadnezzar's army. As these mighty men were commanded to put the young men in the hot furnace, they obeyed. The young men fell into the fire but were not injured, burned or killed, but those who took them to the furnace died because of the exceedingly hot flame.

Nebuchadnezzar looked in and saw "four" men instead of three and he described the fourth as the "Son of God"! Because of their knowing the "one true God", these men were delivered from fire that had no power over them, nor was the hair on their heads singed nor were their garments affected. It was their God who delivered them from the hands of the enemy.

There is a fire coming to many...........and we still have time to confess Jesus as Lord.  This "fire" is one that God created. There is an everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41) and sadly many people will find their destiny in the fire. There will not be heard laughter, joy, or will there be an opportunity to experience the refreshing breeze of the Lord's presence, and no sound of " hand me the s'mores!

Jesus came to bring us life everlasting. In this, those who live for this life will face two deaths: physical and spiritual. (like Adam died) But those who are born again ( receive Jesus as Lord ) die only once: physically and then are ushered into everlasting life!

We have time to get out of "lawlessness" and that which offends God! God is holy and will have nothing to do with anything wicked. He will have nothing do with anything which inflicts pain,or harm to anyone. It is the devil who came to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10)
He has nothing to do with the profane, the filth, the murderous intent imagined by some, and will not listen to any prayer made with any words against His Son, the Cross Jesus hung from or against His Holy Spirit!

Which will we pick?

Revelation 21:7 " He who overcomes (this world) shall inherit all things & I will be his God and he shall be My son." ( parenthesis is mine)
I choose life today. I choose the life-giving force that comes through the shed blood of Calvary when a God of love sent His Son to die for sinful man. Today I choose to pray for those around me and those I do not know that they too would experience the life Jesus came to give to us..........a life of abundance........in healing, in peace, in joy, in salvation so you and I can spend eternity with God, who loved and gave His best for us!

Father, I pray that we bend down to hear and humble ourselves before a God who can cast someone into hell. I pray for us to hear and understand YOU sent Your Son, the Son of Your Love to die for us on the Cross. Lord, I pray for receptive hearts to know God is good and He is for us. YOU are the God who wants His children with Him for all eternity.  May receptive hearts hear today the still small voice and know that it is You who speaks for us to come and receive through the shed Blood of Jesus Christ. May receptive hearts kneel towards Your Holy of Holies and know Your gentle hand that leads us to joy, triumph, yes, victory in salvation through Jesus. Give us a heart for those who may be on their way to an eternal bonfire that never burns out of that which causes thirst forever and cannot be quenched. Give us a heart to continue praying for those YOU our God are drawing to Yourself and may heaven be filled to overflowing of people of every ethnicity. You alone are the judge. May our names be in Your Lamb's book of Life. It is in Jesus' name I pray. Amen

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at (http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV) 

Raising our Eyes to See the Horizon

Do we raise our eyes to see the horizon and look with "supernatural" eyes to see?
Or are we consumed with all that is going on around us and keep our focus on "me, myself and I"?
Seriously, do we just keep our eyes on the little around us to keep us occupied, you know, like buying groceries, paying the bills, keeping the kids in school and healthy, and making it to church this weekend? Or do we seriously look with a focus toward life that is in God and what He planned for us?  Is the everyday, filled to the brim and running over with agendas, the mundane, the things void of life and bring no meaning to our lives or anyone else's?

David said of the Lord; “My times are in Your hand;” (Psalm 31: 15). “Times” here means in the Hebrew; event, experiences, fortunes, occurrences, occasions, permanency, a continuing future, ancient (used in reference and in regard to the past time), forever (for future time; used of continuous existence)..forever (in reference to and of God's existence)

Are our times in His hand? Are our adventures, the events of life, that is nothing more than vapor.........for awhile we are here and then are gone truly in the Master's Hand?

James 4:14-17
14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." 16 As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. 17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. NIV

I tried my way for many years and it did not work. Besides, it is hard to live one's life continually as a control tower of an airport for other's lives. It is like being a dictator without having a country. And who would really wants to be around a "dictator" all the time? Right?

Are we caught up in other people's lives and not our own? Yeah, Shelley, but we are to love our neighbor as ourselves! Yes, but we are not to be the busy body who lives next door! You know, the lady who knows more about other people's lives than she does her own, her husband's or even her children's lives. As the wife and mother, we are to be the " prayer warrior" who seeks God's plan for our family members and even our neighbors. ( loving others as ourselves) As the father figure, he too must also look over the welfare of his family and pray!

What has God placed before you ( man or woman) to keep reaching for Him and His plan? What will you see? And when you do see it, keep it in your heart, like Mary, the mother of Jesus kept all the sayings ever spoken about her son. She pondered truth spoken by two different people in the first few days He was born.

Luke 2:25-40

25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 

29 "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,

According to Your word; 

30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 

31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 

32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,

And the glory of Your people Israel."  

33 And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." 

36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. 

39 So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. NKJV

Two different people, yet similar in their walks of life, and both were seekers of God and "sensitive" His plan, not only for themselves, but for a Nation!

Ask the Lord to show you the horizon and what lies ahead. Believe Him to show it to you and when you see it, keep it, and hold it in your heart. Keep the dream (the future) in your heart. Do not try to take someone else's dream or future. YOU have a place to STAND in history and eternity! Choose God and His plan. Raise your eyes from the everyday and even the mundane. Yes, by all means, pay those bills, and buy those groceries. Feed your family, pray over them and send them out. Help each of them to become what God planned for them. 

Pray: your husband will stand at the gate of the city with business men........Proverbs 31:11

11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;

So he will have no lack of gain. NKJV

Proverbs 31:23

23 Her husband is known in the gates,

When he sits among the elders of the land. 

NKJV

Pray: your children will..Prov 31:28

28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;

Her husband also, and he praises her: NKJV

Psalm  127:3-5

3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD,

children a reward from him. 

4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior 

are sons born in one's youth. 

5 Blessed is the man 

whose quiver is full of them.

They will not be put to shame 

when they contend with their enemies in the gate. NIV

BE THE EXPOSER to anything that is of the negative and darkness..........for God's word is LIGHT and will expose that which not exist in your husband or children's lives.

That is expose it, and address it in God's love and wisdom. As the Lord directs, bring it into the open or the wrong way of doing something...........you are not the "judge". YOU are the "prayer warrior" and the Holy Spirit will show you things coming to you and your family.

DEMONSTRATE A REVERENCE FOR GOD. Always speak of the goodness of God around your family, friends, and even in church. As you speak, you will give revelation to your family as well.

EXPECT A GREAT CHANGE. You will be the world changer and history maker to you your own family.

Now, I speak to men and women alike. When we read of "sons", this means daughters as well. It just applies the word to that written "the sons of God". We truly are "sons of God" when we follow Him and His plan, being obedient and seeking to please the Father!

Do not be "crippled" by former successes! God can and will always go "beyond " the last thing we saw HIM do in and for us!

Don't set your sights just on reality shows. Don't look for another soap opera.  If we watch the negative type of show that which depicts fighting, words that defame a person's character will bring the same into your home and family. It is sowing into that environment. What you focus  on, is what you will become! You have reality going on all around you. Life is HAPPENING RIGHT NOW! Engage in life today and not another agenda! Engage in life, participate and expect a glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Expect to fulfill all He has planned for you and hear HIM say, "well done thou good and faithful servant"!

Be expectant that He will be a part of seeing you experience being a parent, a grand-parent, and even a success where He has planted you. He will be on 'Hand' to see all that He planned is coming to pass, being demonstrated for your good and my good!

He is never surprised by what we say or do, but He is aware when we refuse to obey and hear His plan. Raise YOUR EYES TODAY, AND LOOK.....WITH SUPERNATURAL EYES........ and expect to see what "EXPERIENCES" HE HAS PLANNED FOR YOU TO ENJOY AND BE A PART OF IN HIS PLAN FOR LIFE!

Father, today I pray for all who read this, that everything that has been, everything that is and all that will be is in YOUR hands. I know nothings escapes YOUR watchful eye. (Hebrews 4:13). Father, YOU are familiar with everyone who reads this blog. Before a word is on our tongue You know it. (Psalm 139:4) Our past, our current and future are in Your capable hands. Yes, all is in YOUR eternal hands. As we bow our hearts before You today, we believe for a harvest in righteousness and it to be demonstrated in our families and communities. Father, it is YOU who takes the tattered and the torn to bring glory for all to see that YOU have us safe in YOUR bosom. Even as I pray for each today, I know You are already aware of what will be done to bring it to pass for each..........so right now I give thanks for each man, woman or youth who may read this. It is the Mighty Potter who mends the broken and brings out of that brokenness a changed and charged life for the Lord's glory. I pray that as we wait on YOU and confess Your word over our families that we will gain new strength. We will certainly be those to mount up with wings like eagles to run and not tire...........that when we walk. we will not become the weary. Today YOU are our strength, and the glory of our heads. Thank YOU for Your goodness to us. I pray for those eyes to see and ears to Hear YOU SPEAK and declare the horizon is filled with YOUR glory for their lives. Be unto Your name all honor, glory and praise. Today we move forward and it is BECAUSE OF YOU THE LORD OF GLORY. I have prayed and believed in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at (http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV) 

What about John 3:18?

Thinking of this time of year, one is drawn towards the night angels appeared to a few shepherds keeping watch over their flocks. There came this "Message from Heaven".........Luke 2:8-20......8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 

14 "Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"  

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.  NKJV

Of all the passages, this one and John 3:16 always seems to come up .......that people can quote on the spot.............."For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes  in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

But of late, I am seeing those "license plates" that have John 3:18 and every time I read one passing us on the Interstate, I wonder how many really know what that verse states. It is in the same passage of scripture and is just as important as the verses above it!

John 3:1-21

3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' 8 "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." 9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" 10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."  NKJV

As we make our way through this passage of scripture, we find a man of the Pharisees who is named Nicodemus. Now we know from scripture that the Pharisees had some beliefs and some were.......found........Acts 23:6-8

6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead." 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8(The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.) NIV

Paul was a Pharisee and Jesus told them what was wrong with their stand of making their total devotion a rigid patriotism toward the history of Moses and that generation! The Pharisees had a faithfulness to the covenant given through Moses. Yet Jesus denounced their flaunting hypocrisy in regards to their being the "better class". He called attention to their love of preeminence and of their praying extremely long prayers in a manner of being on exhibit for others to see and to hear. Their fueled a hatred towards Jesus' teachings was evident, as was their opposing Him every opportunity they had, and the continually ill-will talk against Him.

Paul was consistently telling others of what a bondage he was held in as a rigid Pharisee. When Jesus showed up in his life, that bondage was broken, he was set free and was led under the Spirit of God being justified by faith and began his ministry to see others set free from religion!

So Nicodemus comes by night, so he is not seen by the others, and he makes his way to Jesus to ask some questions. 

"How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

 Jesus tells him that he is to be born again, not to the flesh a second time, but born into the spirit. The Holy Spirit moves as He is willed by the Father. We have no say in that! But like Jesus spoke, the spirit moves through like the wind moves and causes the leaves to move, to fall from trees, and to gather together on the ground. We hear the sound of the wind, but  the effects on the leaves is the falling from the tree, and gathering at their lowest point on the ground.

We are born again into the kingdom of God! It is one that is "supernatural" ruled by a "supernatural God"and has given to us the gift of life through His Son Jesus Christ! Jesus was telling of His being lifted up for sinners, a lifting up much like the serpent in the desert concerning Moses. Jesus was the answer to life eternal........and it came when the kingdom was set up!  His words are "spirit and life" to us who believe! Moses was the one who God sent to remind Israel of the Covenant keeping God He WAS AND IS! Ultimately when Israel was led out of  Egypt they had no law or priesthood. Through Moses, God presented them with the ten commandments, the priesthood, the Atonement, the sacrifices , the offerings and the laws that would govern the sacrifices. We understand that this Covenant did not belong to the 10 commandments. The Covenant was the reason for the law. But in all of this, this Covenant Israel could not keep. It is called the Old Covenant. Of all that had to be done to obey the Old Covenant, man failed miserably. So here we see the New Covenant come on the scene of history of Israel.

The Old Covenant was sealed with circumcision, and the New Covenant was sealed with the New Birth.

When Jesus arrived on the scene and was baptized by John the Baptist.......the kingdom was being introduced. It is the kingdom of God being set up on earth. It is God's wills and His ways being established on the earth. It was the Word of God, declaring God, truth, righteousness, justice and holiness! But all that is seen on the scene today,  makes it appear that we are very far from that way of righteousness.

All that Jesus spoke in the Gospels was for our benefit. It was given to show us what the kingdom of God looked like. There is no sickness in heaven, There is no death or tears, or lack. Heaven is peace, joy, health, strength and courage. And Jesus came to set up on earth what was in Heaven! Yes, there should be no sickness, lack, disease, tears, or pain.

God sent Jesus so the world through Jesus might be saved. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned but he who does not believe in Jesus is condemned already. The God of Love, sent the Son of His love, into this world that we could be with Him for all eternity.

That LIGHT has come into the world. And when men love darkness rather than light, it is because their deeds are evil. 

In John 3: 20.... For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."  NKJV

My prayer for all who read this and know truth, that Jesus is the LIGHT come into the world that according to John 1:1-18........that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Even as then, all things were made through Him and without Him nothing was made. He is the Light that shines in the darkness. Without Him, we have nothing! But with Him, we are the saved, the Redeemed, the Righteous, the forgiven!

As John the Baptist bore witness of that Light, we too, have seen that great "Light". He is that light that shines in our hearts......and declares God's plan to a broken and dying world.

Today I pray for eyes and ears to be open to see the Lord of glory. I pray for those who are to be saved, that they become children of God, to those who believe  in His name, not born of blood nor of the will of the flesh but of God! Even though He was sent to the nation of Israel first, but because of their refusal, this glorious Kingdom came to the gentile to any who believe in His name.

Father we pray in Jesus' name. and know You sent Your best for us. Thank You for sending Jesus and salvation. Thank YOU for love everlasting, love unconditional and never failing. Today, I stand with others knowing we will not perish but have everlasting life through Jesus, the Son of Your love. Your Love was demonstrated on the Cross, and may we be as extreme in giving You praise and much thanks for that demonstration. Today for our salvation may we give to Father, the Faithful God, the merciful God, the Living God, our love. Hallowed be Your name. May we leave yesterday behind and choose to prosper in the things of God and His kingdom. I pray that all our days be done in God in His truth, spirit and life. You are the Author of Hope and receive Your joy that is inexpressible and full or glory and peace in facing the future and adventures with YOU! Amen

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at (http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV)