Puddle Jumpers

Psalm 44:3......3 For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword,
Nor did their own arm save them;
But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance,
Because You favored them. NKJV

There are giants in the land! Yes, this was probably heard throughout the camp for days when the spies returned from checking out the Promised Land. But according to this scripture above, they gained possession of the land, not by their own sword nor by their own arm! They gained the land through the right hand of God, by the light of His countenance because God favored them! Amen.

Psalm 5:11-12................11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;

Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;

Let those also who love Your name 

Be joyful in You. 

12 For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;

With favor You will surround him as with a shield.  NKJV

Was listening to some teaching early this morning, and when I heard the Psalm 44, I thought also of Psalm 5 and verse 12.............and this picture like a motion picture movie came spiritually to my heart to see. It was like seeing this new vehicle, like a new pickup truck, all washed and waxed, go through this tremendous mud puddle. As I watched the truck go through this really deep, almost pond sized-body filled with mixture of watery mud with the consistency of thick, sticky, and pasty mud, the truck rolled through the muddy mess, and this thick paste splashed in slow motion over this new truck. It looked like a real muddy mess. As I looked closely, I could this impenetrable thick shield over the paint of the vehicle. Then instantly, rain came from heaven and washed the mud away. The truck was as new and shiny as before with no trace of mud anywhere to be seen on the body! The paint on the truck was not marred in anyway by the sudden insult of mud on the shiny coat.

I then thought of people and walking through their daily lives. They need their bills paid, their children schooled, their taxes paid, money to help out their elderly parents, a new place to live or to sell some property they no longer need. They just need some favor where they are walking that day! They desire to have a lower bill on their utilities, a lower bill on their property taxes or favor just getting to work that morning.

Some of the things we may encounter each day, may look like this grand new truck driving through a tremendous sized mud puddle. Having to get from point A to point B certainly can take some effort and work when dealing with other people.  But anyone knows that some people just create mud puddles, and are known as puddle jumpers. They like making things hard, difficult, and sometimes just hard to understand. But truly having God and His favor causes us to have a shield of favor. That when God our Father favors us, He surrounds with a shield where the mud from those puddle jumpers just rolls off us. When God our Father is for us, then all other things must bow to the name of Jesus.

A good example of this I desire to share with you all is this, and again I think of our children, C. and K.  It was five years ago when our grand-daughter was just months old and C. and K.  were requiring a larger home. They had seen a couple of places to check out and I happened to be visiting in their home at the time. So I went with them, and we all prayed for God our Father's perfect plan for them in the process in finding a new place to live!

Well, we arrived early and had to wait for the property manager to arrive. This gave us time to continue to pray to the Father about this specific home. This was a new home and not lived in, but the owner's wanted it rented to the right people.

When we went in, and walked each room downstairs, I immediately in the spirit, saw my son-in-law donned with his chef's hat on, perfectly white apron,  and was serving food to guests in this perfect kitchen. I could see him laughing and enjoying himself as he served others!

Again, I tell you this place was new, and even the information brochures on each appliance were still taped to the inside of the oven, the microwave oven, and the refrigerator. There was still plastic coverings all over the carpets! It was awesome. It had the new home smell of fresh lumber and paint! As we walked through, I told C. and K. what I saw about seeing our son-in-law preparing food in this kitchen and they were excited.

So, they talked with the property management and found out there was already two other families ahead of them on the list for occupying this particular property. C. and K. then filled out the proper forms and waited. Together, we all thanked the Lord for His goodness to His children and they were giving thanks for their new home. One week went by and then two weeks went by and nothing. Then along about the third week a call was made. One family had been disqualified and the lady was to give it to the 2nd on list who qualified, but she said she could not do it! She said somehow she knew this property should go to C. and K. and our grand-child!

They moved in May of that year and have been there ever since! They have always had favor there with this woman and the management company, plus with the actually owner of said property!

We can go through our life's journey and know God our Father is with us. He loves us and wants to bless us. We may come across puddle jumpers sometimes, but God makes all that muddy mess to wash away and restore to us the beauty He has for His children and their children! We truly have seen this circumstance unfold in the lives of  C., K. and our grand-child!

Some things make look like obstacles, road-blocks or hindrances, but we should ask the Lord for His plan and when He gives us vision, then we must hold on and keep Him ever before our eyes knowing that He has given us a shield of favor and whatever the world may throw at us, the Lord will wash it away and cause us to win!
If you are searching out new things, like buying a new home, renting a new place, just moving across town, helping your elderly parents, or just needing lower taxes, ask the Lord to show you  how to walk through the circumstance. He may or may not give you a vision of it, but you will have this knowing within your heart that things are about to change. Seek the Lord in His guidance for your life and you will experience the favor of God as a SHIELD!

Father, thank You for the shield of favor that You have surrounded us with. May we always know that You are looking out for our best interest. The world may speak or do something against Your plan for us, but it is You Who have given us the Land of Promise.  Help us to know that we do not gain this possession by sword or our own arm, but know that it is by Your right hand, Your arm and the Light of Your Countenance because You favor us!

Father, in Jesus' name, thank You for favor upon those whose hearts follow after You.
Today, Your children diligently seek good among those they work with, with those they live with, with those they gather with to worship You and  with those Who are dedicated to serving You no matter what the circumstance! I thank You for all who have received this Word today, and know that the favor of God is flowing to them right now. It is YOU who has placed on them the spirit of favor. They are a success today! These, Your children, seekers of good, are filled today with Your fullness and rooted and grounded in love. Father, today, I ask You to give to Your children abundantly above all that they may ask or think as YOUR mighty power takes over in them. 

Father, I attest that out of the abundance of their hearts, they shall continually speak, "Let the Lord be magnified, Who takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant. And their tongue shall talk of Your righteousness, rightness, and justice and [his/her reason for] Your praise all the day long. Amen.

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

Would You Have Time for Me?

If I, the stranger, showed up at your work place, would you have time for me? If I came to where you are directing a lab and leading others in a hospital scene, would you have time for me? On Superbowl Day, if I came for prayer at your house, would you have time for me? Would you really stop your day for me, the stranger, to ask about why I was there? Or would we be embarrassed  IF someone showed up at the workplace asking for just a few minutes of time for a prayer in Jesus' name and a word?

What about our priorities? Yes, what about those priorities in the workplace, home and even in city the square? Do we consider ourselves too busy and of importance to come down from a cloud of "important me" to help a stranger who could use a timely word from God?
Do we tell others, "well, I will catch you next Sunday" or " I will catch you next Saturday evening for church"?  Are we just connecting with those "church folks"?
Is Jesus the Lord and Ruler of our hearts in our home and the workplace? What about having a simplicity of life that is one of perfect order, that is quiet filled with the Presence of God? Or do we operate in a place that promotes us, that is very loud, and  carries the promotional neon sign flashing..............."see how I am doing"! "Look at me, look at me!"
Before this day, started, did we truly seek the Lord, submitting the entire length of our day and every encounter with others into His mighty hands for safe keeping? And did it include a stranger?

Let's look at John's ( you remember John the Baptist, right) busy day..........baptizing those who confessed their sins..........calling to those that the "kingdom of God" was at hand!

Matthew 3:4-17.......4 And John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him. 16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  NKJV

God is order! Jesus had a need to be baptized by John the Baptist! Interesting truth, is this not?

What if God wanted to deliver to you a word in person, and we would not permit the person ( maybe a stranger ) to come to deliver it?  What if another young person comes for prayer and tell of his trouble, and we are all dressed in our pretty white uniform and looking all business, but have no time for the troubled young man and he possibly could be the next Billy Graham? 

God decides the package when He delivers a "message", a prayer, or even a "Word". We do not get to choose that delivery person.

So what if you had been "John the Baptist" and sent Jesus away............"sorry, I am busy here........."!
The religious folks in John's day surely resented him and his way of dress. They did not seem to take him at his word.

They came and asked who he was!

John 1:19-28........................19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." 21 And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." 22 Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" 23 He said: "I am

'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
"Make straight the way of the LORD," '

as the prophet Isaiah said."

24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" 26 John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." 28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.   NKJV

What I believe is that John was looking for the Promised One, for he speaks, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

He, John, expressed his looking for the One to come and did not mind telling those religious leaders of the day that they were vipers!
John's day was changed. He was ministering the Word for repentance. He was telling of those Who was to come and changed his day when Jesus arrived!
Now if John had to change his day, should we not be willing to do the same?


We find when reading about Paul, his day was changed. In fact his whole itinerary changed. Let's read it here below!

Acts 16:6-10...................6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.  NIV

Paul and his companions tried to cross the border to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to do so. It was then during he night Paul had the vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."
Paul's itinerary brought him to Philippi and made his first convert in Europe. We know her as Lydia, " a certain woman named Lydia......who was a seller of purple. (Acts 16:14)
Then Paul and his companion were followed by a slave girl with a spirit of divination. (This is found in Acts 16)

Of course, the final city we find him in before leaving Macedonia for Athens, Greece was Berea (Acts 17:10-14). It was here that he left Silas and Timothy for a short period of time to assist in the work. (Acts 17:15 and Acts 18:5)

Paul was to become acquainted and work with Macedonians like Gaius in Acts 19:29, Aristarchus in Acts 19:29;27:2, Secundus in Acts 20:4, and Sopater in Acts 20:4.

What if when Paul had the vision, he told God, "sorry, I am super busy here!" "Catch me next month!"

In the workplace, we are very busy and do our job well, but when we give God glory ahead and give HIM praise for what He will do in that place that will bring new converts to His kingdom, we should be willing in heart to say, "yes, Lord, change my day and bring whom You will so that I might pray for them, give them a word of encouragement or just a hug"!

I always think of this scripture:Matthew 10:32-33.................32 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. NKJV

Are we willing to confess Jesus before men when our "peeps" are not around? Or could we be like the Pharisees and Sadducees.......?

On our trip out East back in the Fall of  2014, we prayed and believed for much success in that trip of gathering information on the health of all my family who lives there. They certainly were important to us, and it was our desire to get there and help for the time we could! On our trip back, my prayer was one of how we might together as a family minister to someone, and the Lord certainly gave us someone to minister to in the workplace.
It was on the third day out, and we wanted a good "breakfast" place to eat, but it seemed that either the place we chose was closed or was nowhere near the area we were driving through on our way west. Finally around or close to noon, we find a restaurant. Still off the main Interstate with some twisting and curving of side road, we arrived at the final destination for "breakfast" food.
It was when we were seated and this young, tall man came out to serve us and he certainly was the "one" God wanted us to minister to on that day! He surely needed an encouraging Word according to what the Lord was showing us and we were certainly excited to deliver it! This young man had such a "spirit of excellence" on him to do a wonderful job! Before we left that place, all of us hugged and looked forward to eternity with Jesus. The young man, as well as us, were invigorated with the breath of life that comes from God and Him alone.  Yes, that place was busy, but we were not intimidated to minister God's life and love to this young man in front of others who were there just to eat.

Yes, we had opportunity to stop many places to eat before arriving back at home, and we saw some people who did not dress for opportunity and offer to go beyond in any manner of their serving patrons at a few restaurants. A couple places, we felt like we should have gotten the food ourselves.

Do we really have time for others?  Do we look out to minister to those "WE DO NOT KNOW" OR ARE WE JUST LOOKING FOR OUR FELLOW PEEPS? You know what I mean, those, who will stroke the kitty cat fur and puff us up TO BUILD OUR EGO, or can we really step out and minister without any stroking and remembrance other on the part of the stranger when they remember we prayed for them in PUBLIC! Like John the Baptist, will we look for those to minister to while they are on our pathway?
What if we need to change up our day, or change up a trip to accommodate what God wants to do for someone He loves?
We are going through once in this life and there are no dress rehearsals. What will people remember about our attitude and character towards others? Will we only embrace those nearest to us and look like us or will we go "to Macedonia" when God calls?



Father, we pray today in Jesus' name that when YOU call, we want to answer with an emphatic "yes". Help us to see where changes can come in our daily life of living and to reach the "stranger" You love with all Your heart.
Like John the Baptist and Paul, You interrupted their lives and brought such change and glory to Your name, we pray for that same kind of move in our lives. May we move from the mundane to the adventurous, from the spectator to the participator in Your plan for the strangers that come across our paths.
 Father, I know we all have questions about our needs, desires and wants. and even what our future looks like, but in reality may we know that we exist to glorify You.  That when days come and we feel beaten down, even by some kind of adverse circumstance, HELP us to know YOU are with us and that YOU desire us to participate with You in meeting with the stranger. Today, we choose not to seek our "peeps" to give us that old familiar pat on the back and shove us forward, to get us up and get us going, but we seek the Supernatural in You. I pray that we would never be confined to the material world but know YOU are our source and In YOU we are not limited!

We are of the Light and dressed in the righteousness of God. We are those with a home that has seated us at the right hand of the Father of glory. We carry His name and are empowered from on high. It is today that we expect our lives to change to minister to the "stranger" and may we never be the same in Jesus' name. Amen.

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

So Many Keys

If you have lived for the amount of time that I have, you will have this abundance of keys that are a mystery. Of all the properties we have owned, bought or sold, including various vehicles, houses and cars, we have collected so many colorful keys of which I know not where they belong. We always seemed to take note of each collected key and to what it was used for in regards to the house or vehicle, but then came the need for security box keys, the mail box keys, the baggage keys, and then the safety box keys! Yikes! So many keys! So how did we get such a collection at this time of life?
When I was growing up, I remember the crystal door knobs with the skeleton keys! That is something that can take you back to another era! Yes, they are something of the past. They are of the ancient and sometimes overly decorative according to the tastes of today. The other thing is that they came as in my parent's first home, with the brassy back plates. And that same "skeleton key" could open just about every door in that house!
In the journey of our family and those involved, we probably have the biggest and best collection of odd keys!

Yes, so many keys, yet the one that counts is the key of faith for salvation into the promises of God!

Hebrew 11:32-40...............32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented-- 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
NKJV

Faith was, is and will always be that which salvation is received. It is in true faith that confidence is shown toward God the Author and Finisher of our faith. Our salvation is by grace, but it is by faith that trust is shown that we have obedience, a trust in the promises of God that He will do what He has spoken in His promises to us. Our salvation, or Redemption came through faith in Jesus Christ. We are saved from the penalty of sin. Daily we are sanctified as the Holy Spirit sanctifies us. God rescued us (John 3:17)in Jesus His Son, through His resurrection achieved our salvation.
Romans 5:8-11....................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. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. NKJV

Ephesians 1:7-9.............. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, NKJV

We understand and know that salvation is the gracious and undeserved gift of God...............Ephesians 2:5-8................5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, NKJV

Our salvation came through faith in Jesus Christ........Acts 4:12..... 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
NKJV

I like what John wrote:  1 John 5:9-13... 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. 10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. 11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. NKJV

By grace we have been given salvation, and through belief in the Son of God...........we have eternal life.

And like those who walked by faith but did not receive the promise but looked forward to the day Jesus would come. Although Jesus had not been made flesh to walk with us, yet, these men and women of old certainly walked to subdue kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises given them and certainly shut the mouths of lions. Men and women put their trust in God to obtain a good testimony through faith. Some lived in the mountains and the caves. Some were beaten, others were tormented and others became strong to fight many battles.

These were those who put their trust in God and what He spoke!

We have a key to use! We have the promises of God and there are many of them. I like to say them over and over and hold onto to them daily, and as I speak I am reminded of the faith of those who saw Jesus coming one day..........well, He came and He is with us through His Holy Spirit. We have Holy Spirit fire!
Below, I add a testimony that occurred about 10 or so years ago. It is having that "KEY" that gets you to the point of trust in God that He will do what He says He will do for us!
We too can experience some awesome leading of the Holy Spirit when we heed His voice. Like those of "old" who came through with a testimony of faith, I, too, want to be remembered as one who held a testimony of faith!

Our daughter was leading youths on a Mission's trip to Haiti back at the beginning of this new century. She and another leader were in training in the Dallas area before the trip. The youths joined them about the last 10 days and then they as a group were to fly out to Haiti. Because of civil unrest and two or three people being killed in the streets of Haiti on the day they were to travel there, changes were made. So our daughter called us in Washington and asked for prayer for the team, the leaders and God's plan for this ever-changing mission's trip! So my husband and I went to prayer on our knees. It was almost 7 pm our time and we prayed till we got the answer.

Our daughter called back and we told her what the Lord had us to pray! We told her the trip by plane to Miami would be fine, but the Holy Spirit was showing us problems of the plane they were destined to fly overseas. We had asked the Lord to stop the plane from taking off as there were many mechanical things that needed to be gone over before a flight that would go across the Atlantic Ocean. We asked the Lord that a fine tooth comb be used over every mechanical area of that plane. As we spoke with our daughter, she told us that they were now set to fly to Panama and be  the"Panamanian Special Forces".

Together the three of us prayed together and then we hung up. My husband and I continued to cover the plane, the leaders and youths in prayer for the trip overseas. On the morning of next day, our daughter called from Miami and the "plane for Panama was not taking off". They found some "mechanical" things wrong with the plane and that the plane was not in good shape to make the flight over open waters of the Atlantic. So the team was given vouchers for food and a place to sleep till they got a plane that was available that could make the flight to Panama. Yes, they got to Panama and it was all to God's glory! Amen.

So many keys..........so many things that could be opened, yet, one works all the time. It is the Key of faith and trust in the Lord. It is knowing that He is with us and knows the end from the beginning.


I take a quote from Joyce Meyer.........she said, "many people feel so pressured by the expectations of others that it causes them to be frustrated, miserable, and confused about what they should do. But there is a way that to live a simple joy-filled, peaceful life, and the key is learning how to be led by the Holy Spirit, not the traditions of men, or the expectations of men."


Father, thank You for Jesus, the gift of salvation through Your grace and mercy towards us. We thank You for the Holy Spirit who was given to us as the comforter! For we know Your Word teaches us that ...."No eye has seen,   no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"- God has revealed it to us by his Spirit."

Father, we are thankful for the Spirit  that searches all things, even the deep things of God. It is through Him today that we understand what You have given freely to us. Father today we draw near to You....and we ask the Holy Spirit to lead us on the path purposed. We ask You Holy Spirit to talk to us about our specific assignment. (Acts 13:2 as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.)

Holy Spirit we ask YOU to link us miraculously with those who will celebrate us.(according to Acts chapter 8)

Holy Spirit, we ask You to reveal those who despise us as an enemy. (Acts 13:9-10)

We ask You, Holy Spirit to reveal to us the difference between the essential and nonessential issues. (“For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things.” Acts 15:28)

We ask You Holy Spirit to  talk to us about the place of provision and supply. (“Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook…I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there” 1Kings 17:3-4 (was evident in the life of Elijah)

Holy Spirit, we ask You to talk to us about problems in the lives of other people. ( Samuel experienced this as a child.. God talked to Samuel about Eli, his spiritual mentor.)

Holy Spirit I KNOW  that YOU will become a Source of agitation to unholy men. (Acts 6:10

Acts 6:8-11    8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. 10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.  NKJV)

Today, we expect the fire of the Holy Spirit. We honor You Holy Spirit and we heed Your warnings concerning those things coming on the earth. Help us Holy Spirit, You are a wonderful gift to us. You are our Companion. YOU mentor us and teach us,You are truly our treasured Friend. Thank YOU for taking time to talk with us, converse with us and reveal instructions to us. Please, please, forgives us for the times we have not listened, obeyed, and completed Your word. If we have failed to do any instruction, please speak again to us in such a way we cannot doubt it. Please unclutter our lives of all distractions so that we may hear Your voice and obey You without question.  In Jesus’ holy name. amen and amen!

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

A Moment, A Mist in Time

How do we define a life, who was so valuable to the kingdom of God? If I could put it down on paper, write it in honor of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, it would be glorifying to the One Who created such a fine lady.
Today, I write in remembrance of a dear friend who departed to be with the Lord on February 10, 2015.  I will call her "Jude"..........and she impacted many lives with her love for the Lord and His goodness. She had a contagious laugh that would cause others to join in and laugh as well. Just ask my daughter about that laugh.  On her serious side, Jude was as quiet as a mouse in hearing the Lord speak His next direction to her!
I dedicate this to the memory of her today!

I knew her through serving with her. For these almost two full decades, we have had a relationship. Although since she and her husband had moved from the Seattle area in 2004, we remained in contact with calls, visits and even dinner out! We came to know her in 1997. Spent time assisting her in Bible studies with other women. I gleaned a great deal about being the "lady" God desires us to be. She served in Women's Ministry, led Bible studies, led Prayer Ministry and of late, had a ministry for missionaries. I remember that she with her husband cleaned bathrooms for two years and never complained. A lot of information and knowledge of a gracious, serving lady came to me and I put it down as the memories have come. Yes, it was seven years we lived close by to one another. They had moved to be closer to her mother for awhile.
 In all this, she was a friend to many, loved to pray and loved to tell others of how God brought her through many trials and tribulations. She would glow with the Presence of God and seemed to be effervescent with a freshness of a cool breeze on a hot day!  It was always her goal to be mindful of God, an instrument to glorify Him much like David did.
She loved to drive "little sport cars" and if she knew not what to cook for dinner, she would throw some onions in a  skillet and just saute' till she could figure something out. She wanted her husband to come home and find her busy preparing for his trip home from a busy day at work!
Yes, she was always looking out for others indeed!
It was her delight to feed you even if you had just had a meal. She certainly looked out for the needs of the many whether in the "hug" ministry or ministering to a broken heart in prayer!
We could be in a crowd of people, and find something that could make us laugh, like talking about those "June Bugs" being we were from the South. Yes, she spent some time there when a child and together, we had much we could cover about the "good ole' south"!

Her beauty was a moral beauty. She stood out from the crowd and had the "graces" of a true lady.
She was rich in the things of God, and gloried in Him, as praise continued to flow from her mouth.
Today, I believe she stands with Jesus and giving glory to Him even still. I know her to be laughing with joy in expressible and full of His glory. Yes, a contagious laugh I am certain is still heard throughout the kingdom.

My question is this: " what will people remember about us?"

Would people be reminded of some wisdom God had us to speak to them or could they possibly remember a truth that God allowed us to speak to others about God, that made them smile and weep at the same time? For I genuinely do both right now!
Will our lives continue to speak truth of God the Father and declare His goodness when we have left this world?
 I am in awe of someone who can live fully for God and be thankful. For whatever Jude's plight, she always came through like a "trooper" and clung to promise of life through Jesus, the Lord and Savior!  That is what I desire for me and my family. I desire for many people to know God as I do and what I saw demonstrated in and through a woman totally committed to God!

There are people we can read about and study in the Bible and know how they came through great trials and tribulations. We can learn and glean so much from lives lived totally for God!

We can certainly remember some of the "ladies" of the Bible.  Let's see, Miriam was devoted to God and to ministry. She was faithful, disciplined and a leader. Deborah, was remarkable as the prophetess, a wife of Lappidoth, and a judge. She was also known as " a mother in Israel". She was devoted to God and she obeyed His instruction. She was known for her wisdom that came from a humble path of service to God and to man.  In Ruth's life we have found out that God never changes, is always on the scene, in circumstances, through people and yes, showing up in some major events in our lives!  She came through some tough times of loss and suffering. But she responded by giving her heart to not only Naomi's God but she served others.

Now Hannah, what a lady indeed, and how easy to keep her mouth closed when her husband had another woman living with them. Yikes, someone would have been exiting that house, if it were mine! Even though bullied, Hannah had a fellowship with God that showed she was a woman of strength and courage to believe God for the best in any situation! In these cases, prayer was always on the forefront of any matter or situation going on at the time!

As men and women of God, do we look to God for our answers and trust He is for us? Do we see that our faith in the One True God brings out a beauty in us that others will see and know?

And then I think of Elizabeth, the righteous and the obedient. Though childless, her barrenness was something that could cause her and her husband to be thrown out of the church. She had strength where many would have discouragement and disappointment. Her days  were filled with an expectancy that God answers. The Lord brought them the word, “ He will also be before Him in the spirit of Elijah”…(.Luke 1:15,17)

Even as Zacharias prayed and got the answer.........it was his questioning in unbelief that shut his mouth till the baby John came forth into this world and make a difference for the kingdom of God. Elizabeth displayed her praise and thankfulness toward a loving God and she experienced the miraculous, did she not?

Our lives are for but a moment.....a mist in time.......James 4:14............14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  NKJV

So in comparison to a vapor like shaking a fizzy cola, do we see our time is so short here on this earth?

If we are but for a moment in time.........then shake this vessel Lord and make me like a cola that fizzes and that YOU can shake me up..........cause me to move......that I may speak, to pray with an earnest heart,  glorify God, and serve my fellowman to make the mark You intended me to do in this moment of time.

 It was said that James M. Black, in 1893, a Methodist Sunday School teacher in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was calling roll one day for a youth meeting. One of the youths did not show up. Her name was Bessie, the daughter of a drunkard. He was disappointed to find no song or anything about the roll call up yonder.......(with Bessie on his mind).....he in effect said, "well, I trust when the roll is called up yonder, she (Bessie) will be there.."

The "inner voice" seemed to say, "why don't you write one?" But he dismissed the thought. When he arrived at the gate on his way home. the same thought came so strongly that tears filled his eyes. He went to the piano and began the effortless task of writing the song.............of course we know it to be the song that was sung in the Academy award winning movie, Sergeant York (1941).  

When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more,

And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair;

When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,

And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.

This Mr. James Black certainly heeded God the Holy Spirit and wrote what he felt for all the Bessie's in the world. He sat down and wrote a song about what was his heart and the Father's heart!

I am looking forward to the day I can stand with my friend, Jude, and meet all the ladies of the Bible, for they truly are the example of the way to walk to see God's face, and experience His love everyday of our lives!   I have a music box that has this quote on the face of it.......On the face of the lid..................there is this orchid opening up.....and the verse goes like this: "Special People...Touch our Hearts and leave their Fingerprints there FOREVER....
Jude certainly touched my heart.............!

Father, today, I thank You for all the Jude's, the Elizabeth's, the Ruth's, and the Hannah's, who by example, showed us that we can benefit from knowing Your truth and wisdom. Today, I pray that any who read this, man or woman alike, would benefit from knowing that God has something special planned for us. YOU Father planned for us from the foundation of the world. We sometimes may not like the ending, but surely You God do not make mistakes, and You keep us from the enemy. It is You Who knows our frame and Father, our eyes are on You, the Author and Finisher of our faith.  If we are but for a moment in time.........then shake these vessels Lord and make us like a cola that fizzes and that YOU can shake us up...........to move................shake us up.........to be that effervescence... SO....that we willingly will speak, will be willing to pray, to glorify God no matter what, and serve our fellowman to make the mark You intended us to do in this moment of time.

For there are many, Father, who make an impact in other people's lives, but may we be those who will sound different and look different. May they know us to be the son's and the daughter's of the Most High God. Like our friend Jude, may we show proper respect to everyone, love the brotherhood of believers, and fear God. ( 1 Peter 2:17)

Lord God, I pray for us to speak with the wisdom of God and give revelation of Your word that dispels the darkness.

Like Jesus, may we be those who will lead and teach others. Father activate the gifts in us and use it for Your glory. Help us to mentor those who could use it and embrace it. Just like the lamp that needs to be plugged in to light the living room, who might we need to connect with today for Your glory? Cause us to be the those who will lead and cause others to succeed in Jesus' name. May we be those people who will cause others to come to know our God our Father and to bring to YOU, a smile to Your face. Amen.

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

The Silent Voice

What is the silent voice? Is there a time to hear that silent voice when all hell is breaking loose against us? When we have seen some great things done by God, do we faint when a wicked man or woman speaks?  How will we know "our place"?

1 Kings 19:5-12.........5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat." 6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you." 8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.

9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 So he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life."

11 Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. NKJV

What a life of Elijah, a prophet that seen things come to pass so quickly when he prayed, believed and participated with God to see the end results. Spend some time in 1 Kings and become acquainted with Elijah, the man of prayer.
From history of the beginning, we know that Abraham was to come out..........to come out from among them and go the new land!.If we know that we are offspring of Abraham, we know that we can as heirs of the promise experience the coming out, to go the "new land", the place prepared for us. In coming out, we have to know what Elijah faced too, it was a struggle against idolatry as Abraham had encountered. Through the passage above, we see that God would not allow Elijah to be defeated!
Defeat was nowhere in the plan of God for Elijah!

For this elderly man, power was the foremost thing he saw from God. It was power of the fire falling from heaven found in 1 Kings 18:38-40...........38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" 40 And Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!" So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there. NKJV

Elijah came against idolatry on Mount Carmel and defeated the false prophets and had them executed there. It was just Elijah and God. He did not put God in a box but kept his focus that God would answer prayer.   In 1 Kings 18:36-38...........36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. 37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again." 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. NKJV

The fire fell and consumed the sacrifice, the wood and the stone, with dust, and licked up the water in the trench as well.

He executed the false ones and this made Queen Jezebel mad that she sent out a big threat against God's anointed one. And Elijah ran.............to the the cave in the mountain.

There are times for each of us in standing with God, in our walking with God and even in our running with God. I believe you can see these in the life of Elijah. There are the those times in trusting for something specific, the stand and the wait!  We saw it in prayer for the return of rain. There are those times of the walk in each moment of our day and then of course the running, is that which the anointing comes on to that which God commands us to do.

BUT THERE ARE THE TIMES OF THE SILENT STILL VOICE!

When I had first entered into ministry outside of the four walls of the church, the Lord spoke to me about being able to hear Him above all the noise. For He said there would be chatter everywhere and many, many people wanting to be heard. I remember going to the Seattle airport to pick up our daughter and son-in-law back from a trip to one of the Hawaiian islands. I remember leaving early and getting to airport in plenty of time of the arrival of the plane. I got me a coffee, you know, one of those fancy ones and sat down. I noticed where I sat they had three T.V. monitors all within close proximity of where I seated myself to enjoy that black and white mocha! Then I noticed the amount of people passing by and how their voices were growing loudly as they passed by it seemed to drown out the voices of those speaking on the T.V. monitors.

I talked with the Lord about those speaking all at the same time, and He told me that He had placed His Holy Spirit in all of us to hear those who had a heart for Him, and that I would be able to see and know those who would be refreshed by His words when ministering to the multitudes.
And it happened as He said. The more I prayed in my language and allowed the Holy Spirit to have His way, then I would see those who really had the desire to come out, to see those who had such a broken and hurting hearts readily receive that one word of God to bring change to their lives.

Elijah knew those who had a heart for God and those who were just playing their games to get their way. Elijah had seen how powerful Jezebel ruled. The idolatrous queen had her husband Ahab to erect a city that worshiped Baal. When Elijah came to Mount Carmel and executed her false prophets there, she swore revenge on Elijah. (1 Kings 18:19)
Now you must understand that Queen Jezebel had all kinds of sexual activity going on throughout her palace even while she had visitors in from the outside. She was deeply entrenched into sexual immorality. 

As we return now to Elijah in the cave. All the noise and confusion reigned in those who had other gods, but Elijah wanted to remain faithful to the One who sent him out. And to Elijah,  he felt he was the only one "who" remained the prophet of God, but God came and told him otherwise.
The mountain broke into pieces, the wind blew fiercely and fire came down, but God was not in those things...........all the loud sounds came and went and Elijah was left in silence, in a dark cave! In that quiet the silent voice spoke. Not to harm Elijah, not to accuse him, but to ask him a simple question.

1 Kings 19:13-21.......13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 14 And he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life." 15 Then the LORD said to him: "Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 17 It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him."

19 So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, "Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you." And he said to him, "Go back again, for what have I done to you?" 21 So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen's equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant. NKJV

"What are you doing here, Elijah?"
God came and had a quiet conversation. He gave Elijah the next thing for him to do for God's plan for not only Elijah, but for Israel!
Now in this same wilderness, where Moses fled from Pharaoh, Elijah fled from Ahab and Jezebel. Elijah pleaded his stand for the "Lord", and even though his zeal had left, his heart was still connected to the truth of God's plan for the now impatient Elijah. The miraculous is awesome, and is a tool no doubt to give a view to the unbeliever that God is real and is powerful. But at looking at Elijah in this deserted place, we see that it is knowing God in the quiet! It is like when the drummer no longer drums, when the singer no longer sings, the prayer is done, and people leave the "sanctuary", there is another place that God will speak in "the silent voice".
There is no pomp and circumstance......there is just the quiet!
No praise and worship singers, no blazing guitars and bass needed here. Our true relationship in this relationship with God, is finding God when all has quieted down, and the musicians leave, and even people may exit our lives, yet, God reaches out to us in His loving and giving manner of the Father for the child.
Elijah was given a list of things still to do and that included in finding Elisha and train him.
What amount of time? Not certain, but things had to be in place for God to take him to heaven in glory!

It is not over till God says it is over..................God has as much for you and I to do, just like He had for Elijah. He is not through with us. If you find yourself in the "cave" today, listen in the quiet. Find solitude that God is with you today to give you His plan for "you" for tomorrow. He is on the scene to speak and we should be willing to abide in the "quiet".....and hear Him give us the details of the plan ahead of us.
Whatever may be plaguing your life today, whatever circumstance, God is still on the scene.
I asked my niece if I might share a portion of poem she wrote with help of the Holy Spirit on April 24, 2012. It is titled: My God, My Rock.
I believe it is the Holy Spirit who reminded me today of those words penciled by my niece and the guidance of the Holy Spirit Himself!  I quote only a couple of verses, but it moved my heart and wanted to share today this from Psalm 23 and Psalm 103.... that she took and wrote ........."Your love and blessings ever increasing

I stop and remember You are my God, My Rock

You are my Shepherd and I am part of Your Flock

By Your gentle Rod, You guide me, I find my place"

Today, may we find "our place".

Father, I pray, in Jesus’ name for those who have been on the forefront of ministry, not only in the ministry in church but outreach as well and those in the workplace. I pray that each will find "our place". Today, Father I pray that each would have faith in YOU to redeem their souls from negative emotions. You have said in YOUR Word that You redeem our souls when we put our trust in You according to Psalm 34:22. May we never be controlled by depression, anger, anxiety, jealousy, hopelessness, fear, or suicide. Specifically, I pray about anger, fear, depression and sickness caused by an unforgiving heart. Deliver Your people today from this and all other controlling emotions. (Psalm 40:17). Free Your children to share the deepest of feelings with those who are committed to reconciliation, and those qualified to help. Please give each of us the ability to not be so serious all the time. Give us the gift of laughter and ability to find humor even in those serious situations. Teach us Your children to take our eyes off  of circumstances and trust in You, regardless of how we might be feeling. Father, I pray that You would give  Your children patience to possess their soul and the ability to take charge of it (Luke 21:19) . anoint us with the “oil of joy” (Isaiah 61:3), refresh us with Your Spirit, and set us free from negative emotions this day.

Father, we come to the place of quiet and seek to wait as long as necessary to see what You will say (Hab. 2:1-2) to us and what we will answer when we are corrected. Truly You are for us and will lead us in a smooth path to bring glory to Your name. Thank You Lord for meeting us today in the quiet and solitude of this place where Your tender mercies are demonstrated.
Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve us for You can see the evil that has surrounded so many today Lord.(Ps. 40:11-12).

In the Name of Jesus I plead the Blood of Jesus over the portals of the minds, will and emotions and body of those who read and pray this today.  I believe that we are protected by the blood of the Lamb that gives us access to the Holy of Holies. Satan I declare to you that you will not bring in strife, anxiety, or anger to those of the children of God. 

Lord, You have said that the life of the flesh is in the Blood. Thank You for this blood that has cleansed us from sin and sealed the New Covenant of which we are partakers. Today we are more than conquerors in Jesus Christ.  We find our place in YOU. Amen.

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

Refreshments Served Here!

Genesis 24:1-21....................24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please, put your hand under my thigh, 3 and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; 4 but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac." 5 And the servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?" 6 But Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not take my son back there. 7 The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants I give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there." 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

10 Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, for all his master's goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 Then he said, "O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink'--let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master."

15 And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. 16 Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. 17 And the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher." 18 So she said, "Drink, my lord." Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking." 20 Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. 21 And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.  NKJV

Don't you love how things will come together, when obeying God and seeing His plan revealed for something specific?
In verse 10 above and following, we surely see a servant willing to obey his master Abraham and Abraham giving him the exact word and instruction to do on the trip to Mesopotamia and the city of Nahor.
Even this servant, Eliezer, had to speak the same thing as Abraham. When arriving at the city well of water at the time of evening, he spoke a prayer........"O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink'--let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master."

Eliezer had to be acquainted with God. He knew how to pray and was in all ways wise and courteous toward Rebekah and later to her family.

Then Rebekah shows up with her pitcher on her shoulder. This young virgin was doing a chore as such and filled her pitcher without hesitation when the servant ran and asked for a drink, she gave him one. Then seeing him refreshed, she also spoke of giving drink to his camels as well.

Without even knowing it, Rebekah had answered every point in prayer made by the servant. While all this was going on, the servant remained quiet. I wonder at what thought process he had going all the time she was continually refilling and giving out water to the camels..........all ten of them!

Rebekah's character was of ambition and her beauty was one that ensnared men. We also know her to be courteous as she was toward Abraham's servant. Her willingness to go above and beyond that day proved to be a blessing to her. She gained the approval to become the wife of Isaac.

Genesis 24:29-60..............29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man by the well. 30 So it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister's wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, "Thus the man spoke to me," that he went to the man. And there he stood by the camels at the well. 31 And he said, "Come in, O blessed of the LORD! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels." 

32 Then the man came to the house. And he unloaded the camels, and provided straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told about my errand." And he said, "Speak on." 34 So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. 35 The LORD has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and to him he has given all that he has. 37 Now my master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell; 38 but you shall go to my father's house and to my family, and take a wife for my son.' 39 "And I said to my master, 'Perhaps the woman will not follow me.' 40 "But he said to me, 'The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father's house. 41 You will be clear from this oath when you arrive among my family; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.' 

42 "And this day I came to the well and said, 'O LORD God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go, 43 behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, "Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink," 44'and she says to me, "Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,"--let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.' 

45 "But before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah, coming out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her, 'Please let me drink.' 46 "And she made haste and let her pitcher down from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will give your camels a drink also.' So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink also. 47 Then I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' And she said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48 And I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my master's brother for his son. 49 Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left." 

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, "The thing comes from the LORD; we cannot speak to you either bad or good. 51 Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the LORD has spoken." 

52 And it came to pass, when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he worshiped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth. 53 Then the servant brought out jewelry of silver, jewelry of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank and stayed all night. Then they arose in the morning, and he said, "Send me away to my master." 55 But her brother and her mother said, "Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go." 56 And he said to them, "Do not hinder me, since the LORD has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master." 57 So they said, "We will call the young woman and ask her personally." 58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go." 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her: 

"Our sister, may you become 

The mother of thousands of ten thousands;

And may your descendants possess 

The gates of those who hate them." NKJV

Back to verse 45,, we see the servant again speak of Rebekah and her willingness to serve. He talks about her haste to the specific job.

Then in verse 52, we see that Eliezer worshiped the LORD. He was very demonstrative in his actions toward praying and giving much thanks. Rebekah left that very day to become the wife of Isaac.

What thing has God sent to the "one" who refreshes others? What is the new thing coming to the "one" who delights to do the will of God and help see others succeed?

When serving in ministry at the jail and the women;s shelter, I had a friend who also was a servant indeed. She was always available. Anything that needed to be done, she was always going above and beyond. True armor bearers are those who look to those who are leading. My armor bearer was always praying and worshiping God in giving thanks for all that He was doing in the ministry we were overseeing.

Are we refreshed when serving with others or we just leaving dry and parched?

Eliezer remained consistent with the object and that was to gain a wife for Isaac. He appeared to remain humble in telling the girls' family all that had been spoken in the agreement for marriage. Yes, this servant had a loyalty. He was a man of prayer and of worship. (read all of chapter 24 of Genesis)

Who might refresh you? Look for those who have a prayer life! Is their family one you know and well acquainted with? Are you comfortable around them? Are they good listeners and always submit to authority?

Like Eliezer, there should be no complaining here! There should be no self-centered people involved with us.

An armor-bearer will be one who is free from the anger thing and nothing of the carnal nature.

This is a critical time for people to come forward and serve. Serve where you are planted. If you do not have a church but do live within the word of God and prayer and the Lord is leading you to be OUTREACH, then go do it. Those who see the gifting in you will come alongside and "help".
You will see God move when you move!

Father, in Jesus' name, we pray and give thanks that we all speak the same thing YOU speak. As each of us are a prisoner for the Lord, living life worthy of the calling received, Lord may we be reminded daily to humble ourselves before YOU.

Whatever our calling, may each keep the unity of the Spirit through a bond of peace set by the Lord in one faith, in one baptism, and one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all things.

Grant to us Lord this day, Your leaders, Your representatives to express boldness in speaking Your word which You will confirm with signs following. We, Your people , Father, clothe ourselves as Your own picked representatives and Your chosen ones, who are purified and holy and well-beloved by You  are putting on the behavior that is merciful, and tenderhearted. In gentleness and patience we have the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper. We are fore bearing with each other and if having any grievance with another person,  are readily active to pardon each other. As You Lord, have freely forgiven us, so do we also forgive.

The Word spoken, alive and active has its home in our hearts.  It is Jesus Who sits on the throne of our hearts and that word dwells in us in all richness, as we teach, admonish, and train each other in all insight, intelligence and wisdom in spiritual songs, making melody to You, Father, with Your grace in our hearts.

We are contacting YOU the Author and the Finisher of our faith and put this Word into motion. This Word will not return void, but will accomplish where it is sent. We are totally leaning on YOU and learning of YOUR wisdom, drawing on Your strength and filled with Your quietness……that is bringing the Results we believe for those moving out in power of the Holy Spirit to be OUTREACH, to be PRAYER WARRIORS, to be those YOU have called for such a time as this, and work together in unity and harmony. May this bless YOU and bring beautiful music, a lovely sound to YOUR hearing Father. Amen and amen

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

No Appetite, No Presence of God

Proverbs 16:20......20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
And whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he. NKJV

Proverbs 19:8.........8 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul;

He who keeps understanding will find good. NKJV

Ever met someone, or worked with someone who had this statement of "I am not happy." Then the "someone" will state why they think they are not happy. It is either due to their job, their spouse, their children, the parent's that raised them or where they live.

But being happy has nothing to do with the other people in our lives or where we live, but has everything to do with our heart issues. We can always go look for "greener grass" but take the some 'ole heart issues with us.

Yes, many chase the proverbial, "greener grass" thing, sometimes by ending up divorced, separated from their offspring, changing jobs and finding more trouble than they believed they could ever possibly get into in their entire life.

We are told in 1 Peter to have one mind, compassion for one another, to be tenderhearted and courteous...........

1 Peter 3:8-12.....8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For 

"He who would love life 

And see good days,

Let him refrain his tongue from evil,

And his lips from speaking deceit.  

11 Let him turn away from evil and do good;

Let him seek peace and pursue it.  

12 For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,

And His ears are open to their prayers;

But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil."  NKJV

Imagine the world having one mind. Imagine a world where everyone had compassion for their neighbor and not trying to outdo that neighbor. And you know what I mean! Yeah, let's get that new car, move into that new home, but the old car is barely two years old and the old house is not even ten years old yet.

Yes, it is heart issues and what we think is "happy". It is all that "stuff" from the past that clutters and adds chaos to our thinking.

Imagine people who are tender-hearted toward one another, who will bless you no matter what! He who would love life and see good days is to refrain his tongue from speaking evil of anyone.

No lying here!  No conjuring up a lie to tell someone. You know like when you were in school and the "kid" said, "the dog ate his homework." My dog did not like eating paper. She preferred biscuits and gravy, thank you very much!

But honestly, being happy to me lines up with those beatitudes from the book of Matthew 5:3-12. Every believer should have these as the evidence they are saved and look out for others ........

Matthew 5:3-12..........3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

For they shall be comforted. 

5 Blessed are the meek,

For they shall inherit the earth. 

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they shall be filled. 

7 Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain mercy. 

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

For they shall see God. 

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God. 

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. NKJV

ENCOUNTERS:These are encounters with God. They are those God-kind of things that cause us to look different, sound different and to act different than other people act in similar situations!

Nope, not making God to my image, I am the one who will fear the Lord! I will keep my focus on a  "Big God" and not little me! Whatever the chaos that may be taking on the world, our feet should be established knowing God is bigger and is greater than any major earthquake, bird flu virus, measles, mumps and rubella.

 OUR God wants us to operate in His wisdom and not bury our heads in some sand dune somewhere and "pretend".  (well, let's pretend this is not real)

It is our duty to mourn after God and to lament. For truly we are seeing today what sin does to a nation! We should not be looking for the way out, to run away from that which troubles our world, our nation, and community. Ours is to represent a great God and mourn. When others are looking for a way out, we should be looking for the "doorway in" to helping those who do not know Jesus. The only "happy" found here is looking to God who is our sufficiency. He has given us some very solid promises of what He wants for us if we are willing to go after them.

Today, it seems easy for some to lie, to cast the blame, and gather those who would slander and harm another, but our comfort, peace and life eternal is from the God who expressed His love to us through His Son..............

Hungering for God .......to be saturated with His Word, His Presence, and His glory. Is it not time to see all that come to pass for us?

I always hear people say, "well, you don't have to read the Bible everyday" and I am appalled.

I always think of the fireplace and those pieces of coal that were placed there hours ago and lit to heat a room. I know that when you take one of those lumps of fire-hot coals out, they will burn bright for a few minutes but in less than about 15 minutes they start to turn cold. But inserting the piece of coal back into the fire will cause it to burn brightly again.  So when we insert ourselves into His Word and His way of doing, we become saturated with Who He is.

Then we walk out into the world for a job that may be less than what we expected, a visit to a hospital to see someone who might need prayer and an encouraging word. We can walk out from the Word of God and prayer to call someone to let them know we are thinking about them. We could find something good to say to our children and grand-children or for someone else's grand-children. We become those peacemakers who choose not to lie, not be addicted to lying but on the contrary to make peace. Yes, it is an on-going study to find that place to stay in His peace. Not by my works but truly serving my family and others through a peace that came through Jesus Christ.

Psalm 23:5-6............
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over. 
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever. NKJV

A hungering for God is coming to the table that He has prepared for us to dine at!  He has prepared it for us, and do we sit at that table or hunger after the table set by the world. Do we hunger for "more fun", "more things for me", "more everything for me" or are we hungering to see the dead raised, the cancer victim carry cancer no more, to see a child healed of leukemia or senior citizen healed of alzheimer's.  For these are all names under the feet of Jesus and if we fill up with Him, then who or what can stand against?

I think of this family who live close by out here in the gorge. I am always reminded of their generous spirit to help foster small children. Most of those small ones come from broken homes and from parents who abuse some kind of substance. Some of these little ones were babies and I saw this couple take these "little ones" into their home to be loved and comforted in their pain. To me, their sacrifice has been to bring peace into these "little ones " lives. Can we do as much?

Closing: we choose to be happy because of the God Who gave so much. We choose this "green grass" here and know God has a life of happiness for us when we follow His lead and dine at His table!

I pray that people everywhere will make Jesus the Shepherd of their lives.

Father, today I think of all those who follow that pigskin and this is their big day today. In watching all that activity and ball throwing, I pray for people not to be taken in by all the ads they see and hear on  T.V. Today I pray for those to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and not follow the voice of the stranger. Lord, when we commit our ways to You, YOU cause our thoughts to become agreeable to YOUR will and our plans will be established and succeed. I pray for all who have opportunity to read this to Know without a DOUBT, that they are of more value than any football game that lasts for four hours. I pray that they would find the table prepared by a good God and has called us to His kingdom of God for such a time as this.

Lord, for those who hunger, saturate them with Your Word and and lead them in paths of righteousness for Your name's sake. It is You that Restores Us! Restore us Lord, and make us into the man and woman You destined us to be and may it be to Your glory. We give You thanks for the good things You have for us and we do not have to chase after them or even after money. You are the Provider Who provides for our every need. Keep watch over Your children Lord and I will watch and pray for them as well. May they rise up IN YOU and SEE THEIR ENEMIES SCATTERED IN JESUS' NAME. Amen.

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