In the Heart of a Nation

What have we seen in the nation like Israel? Have we searched the pages of the Bible to read it and find what the "heritage" looked like for those who walked generation after generation with God and what it probably looked like for those who did not walk the paths of peace with God?  No, many went their own way into idolatry and lusts of every kind and ended up dead well before their years were spent!
Today, is our heart set to God's heart in the plan for America? I often see pictures, artworks in galleries and many on display in the nearest photo gallery of that which captures one's heart. I see that which people seem to long for, have lived and left for another country, or else were uprooted deliberately to be brought to a nation they knew nothing of or even cared about.
In all my years, I always remember having the opportunities in school to have history lessons on our forefathers of this great nation. I remember how it was begun so many hundreds of years ago. And in all my learning of this country, I am in awe of the founding fathers persistence to keep pursuing forward for God. There is a program on the Christian Channel "Faith in History" given by William Federer. I find it on channel 377 TCT.....3:30 p. m. weekdays. In this program, he relates historic truths and the cost many of those paid in the early days of this country. Of late, I have even seen some presidents spoken of in the "light of God and His Word".
I believe that "light" is shining on us today. In this hour will we be found those who will pray for our country, pray that "it's " best days are ahead and not behind?

I grew up in a state where people sought out justice and for the vastness of it in the early days, they deputized men who would as a team work together to see that those breaking the law would be brought back alive for justice to be served. I remember reading and hearing stories that my great grand-parents passed along. They spoke of how the civilized world in those early states of this country were anything, but civilized.

My heart has always been that which God had placed in me. I would take in all that knowledge and then spend time out of doors to see the vastness of God and His beauty that is all around. People today spend hours writing with paint cans all types of graffiti on say train cars and buildings. Although those belong to others, still people are writing on that which does not belong to them. They try to get over the truth that they long for another country. They let others know they feel the lesser and less fortunate in this vital country where people can work, people can dream, and people can make a difference. But it is like anything we try to do with others, it takes "team" work.

My heart seeks the Father's heart for our country. I seek His direction and how to pray for this place of beauty and how it was forged by men who had hearts after God! In His plan all lives matter and it was as such for this country and yet, in all that was still not slavery seen in those first colonies of this nation?  But such stories are being revealed today of those who came from Africa made a difference in this nation. They came from England, France, Italy, and other European countries. Some came with the German sounding names, yet they came to live a life free to worship, to live to have family together and live to see another day flourishing AND  not by trying to JUST survive.
In seeing this program and especially about the founding fathers and their vital signatures on a document that in the long run cost them, not only sometimes their very lives, but also their families, their homes and livelihood as well, they would not have a changed a thing they did to be in America. They left religious bondage in some cases and others just left who had no rights to who they could or would worship!
Today, we have many streaming into this nation who do not want to be known. They desire others to not know their agenda's. In the early years of this country, many entered through Ellis Island and gave their information. In this vast melting pot of so many nations, would it not still be vital to give the information of what your name is, what you intend and if you will work with a dream of just live off the government??
THERE WAS A CHRISTIAN MAN WHO HAD A DREAM! And like him, we too, continue to dream that our nation will be like it was strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. We have a dream that millions will know Jesus as Lord and Savior. Yes we too have a dream, that many will come to peace in His name and under His leadership as Lord.

Jesus said this thousands of years ago and it still hold so true today:
John 8:30-36
30 As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. 31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." 33 They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" 34 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. NKJV

I believe if people come with the knowledge of leaving that bondage behind, they will move through and gain a freedom. Jesus said those who abide in Him are His disciples indeed. But He said if you abide in MY WORD! And the people He spoke too were those in bondage as to sin...........He spoke of them as "slaves". But the son who abides in the Words of God, that which Jesus gave us will be the son who abides forever.

The knowledge we truly need comes through Jesus and that abiding.

Where do our "hearts" reside? Are we in the past? I believe people who came from other countries hundreds of years ago were torn away from families and from their homes they knew. Many knew much hardship and pain, but those who kept seeking the "better" life kept their hearts to living as the free. Churches were built and people knew God. In the hardships of the twentieth century many became aware of the evil of men's hearts in the great holocaust of such magnitude. And yet it is occurring today and great magnitudes of Christian families are being decimated in magnitudes that whole cities are non-existent. Very few people remain in a once thriving city there in the Eastern country of Syria and city of Aleepo. I viewed recently on CNN a woman journalist who moved through quickly to document the holocaust. She went through there not staying long in any one area of the country. For it was for her safety and the teams, that they would move and cover the news of the holocaust. In one viewing we saw  the very few who gather each day at the remaining well of water in Aleepo, and they range in age of about 70 years of age to about 20 years of age. The handful who remain of children were being moved out of "danger". Yes many Christians in those eastern middle nations are being destroyed. Their once thriving cities are rubble heaps today with no car traffic and no visible business anywhere. There is no lights on and no grocery stores to shop at for food.
There are no medics found!


In years gone by, many came to this country.........and they came with few belongings in hand. They came from religious bondage, from slavery to slavery, from more than enough to down right lacking in food, medicines and the such. This country was founded on the principle that all men could be free. It was the land of the free and the home of the brave!

We must keep our eyes open to what God would be speaking and giving us in this hour for this vital nation. Let's remember that to be a son, we must act like the son and not like the alien, the slave. We must have our sights on God and His Word just like our forefather's of this nation.

No, I was not related to them by blood, but I hold in my heart what they held in theirs and that all men can be free. It is in the relationship with God and holding His Words to our heart that we will go forth in freedom that is truly of God and not of man or men.

To be the brave, we must have courage and in truth to abide in Him, and hold our faith up as that shield that if God be for us, then who can possibly be against us? His word must have a place in our hearts.

Will we write the "vision" on our hearts today and pray for "the brave" to rise out of hiding? Will we seek God and His plan like the forefathers did so many hundreds of years ago?

Today I encourage  you to not fear! Be willing to proclaim, to publish a vision that God is for us. Be willing to open those flood gates of praise to Him and let others know you believe this to be a great nation that is one nation wholly under God! Set your foreheads like flint, and speak with confidence that God will do what He planned for America. Pray that He will show you where you stand in this defining hour of strength and courage in God who is more than enough to accomplish what we put into His hands to do. Let's set our faith in Him and His Word. Let's have the fear of God that is written about in Proverbs 8:13.

Proverbs 8:13...The fear of the LORD is to hate evil, pride, arrogance, and the evil way. The knowledge we must know is that which is from God. We desire His wisdom to live the moral life which is toward being holy.

If one desires to go back to their "own" country, then they should be able to do so without fear. What we hold in our hearts will certainly be seen. And in that inward attitude, our conduct is seen on the outside. Ours is to be that which departs from evil. And in every circumstance of life we are to choose God and His way. Our choosing God is loving His way, is doing right and having a life that is living in the fear of the Lord!

It will cost you something! But can you hide forever? No, it is time to rise and shine! For you will look like "love" to others. Choosing God is choosing to be "the brave". Put on that shield of faith and the breastplate of righteousness. Set your sights on God to hear Him speak and then be "ready for the adventure of your life". I am, are you?

Set the spiritual authority you walk in and know through God and remind God of this one passage given to us:

Amos 5:21-24..............21 "I hate, I despise your religious feasts; 

I cannot stand your assemblies.
22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.
23 Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24 But let justice roll on like a river, 
righteousness like a never-failing stream! NIV
Our traditions mean nothing to God. What we esteem as our heritage brings no life. The only life that can be found is in Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory!
WE have nothing to bring the Father but our hearts. He will not listen to the music and have no regard for that with which we bring to worship Him. He truly desires our hearts, FIRST AND FOREMOST. He will not regard my latest new outfit, or your new car. He will not regard how we speak and teach AND give Him no glory.  He looks on the "heart"!

Jeremiah 17:9-10.....................9 "The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
10 I, the LORD, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings.   NKJV

I love this verse: Proverbs 16:1..........To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. NIV

We may make many plans in our heart but God answers what comes from what we speak. If we hold evil against another, evil will visit the house of the evil speaking person. What we hold in our hearts will be seen and it will be heard!

Father, let justice roll on like a river and righteousness like a never-failing stream. We pray in Jesus' name, that we know the heart is a deceitful thing, desperately wicked and that You search the heart and test the mind. YOU test giving to every man according to his ways. According to the fruit of his doings. Lord we pray that Your justice roll on like a mighty river. What was established in the beginning for this country, may it be seen in the land again. We know there to be many prayer warriors set like flint to pray out Your will for this nation. May it be truly one nation under God. May those who have set themselves to rule with evil and a heavy hand be sent backwards. May their devices come on their own heads, on their own children. For we seek that which is life everlasting, and life that is of goodness and peace in Jesus Christ. We can certainly pray for others, but the Word speaks in John 15:7-8............. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. NKJV

Father, we understand by this that spiritual authority is by abiding in You and the words You have given us. And when we do abide there, we ask what we desire and it is done! It is completed, the finished!
By this You our Father is glorified. Yes we expect to bear much fruit so we will be Your disciples forever.
We stand in the place of "Faith" and we speak with boldness, that we will not turn to the left but we keep like the one with the discerning heart that acquires knowledge and to have the ears of the wise seeking it out. (Proverbs 18:15)

We pray out of our hearts for this nation under one God.........Who is the Almighty, the Everlasting Father, the Great I am in our midst. We pray for the Wonderful Counselor and King of Glory to take  His rightful place in people's hearts and His place to rule forever. We know He is coming soon and many are in the valley of decision. Father we set our hearts to compel others by the Holy Spirit in us that unto Jesus is life and unto any other is to death. We desire God's family to be united in One Heart in God who is above all. It is in Him that we live and move and have our being. Amen.

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Fairy Dust and a Wand or Power and Great Strength

I have written on Deborah before: the Judge in Israel:
She was the strong! According to the Hebrew calendar, she lead Israel in 2654-2694. She went into battle written in Judges 4:6-9. See Blog: Appointed by God: Deborah, the Prophetess (published 9.19.14)  Then we read of Queen Salome Alexandra who reigned in Judea from 76 B.C to 67 B.C. Who was considered a political leader and skillful mediator.

And then we come to hear of this woman God makes mention of in the book of Acts. Her name was Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians. Well, I had started work on this today and was intrigued how God works. I happen to turn on TBN and Pastor T.D. Jakes was on. And who was he mentioning: Queen Candace of the Ethiopians!

Upon rising early this morning rain drenched morning, I was thinking the importance of praying the way Deborah, the Judge in Israel prayed for her people. The "mother" was praying for all the people in Israel. Well I had some information and some teaching before hand on these women, but it continued to grow. And while meditating on the Word of God, I wrote down about 2 1/2 pages of notes for the blog today. (3.11)

In regard to women in the Bible and those who held a great position intrigue me!
People truly like those who can work those great "exploits" while serving a people and God, and I always wondered how they could do what they did and LIVE!  I am certain many women will question as one gets to that place, and I am one as well who has thought on these matters, too! From the Bible, those exploits for God count for an eternity! It comes from knowing God!
Looking into those from the Bible, at the time of Queen Candace and the Ethiopian being mentioned, I remember that she regarded Israel highly and  had much respect for their God!


Acts 8:26-41..............26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is desert. 27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go near and overtake this chariot." 30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 31 And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this:

"He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away,
And who will declare His generation?
For His life is taken from the earth."

34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, "I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?" 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" 37 Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." 38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.  NKJV

Now I had you read this passage, but what we look on is that which has to do with the eunuch.

From this verse 27 ............Philip was told to rise and go to an area... and....it was on this particular roadway from Jerusalem to Gaza. And in this verse he (Philip) finds a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians. This man had authority (charge) over all her treasury and he had come to Jerusalem to worship.

Yes, the Gospel had reached the ends of the earth.....and that the nation was being pointed toward God and salvation through Jesus Christ.

In thinking of their skin color, they were the darkest.........but they had been given Jesus. They had been given God's grace. And many thought it was wrong for salvation to come to them. But God is no respecter of persons. He loves all people and all lives matter in His sight!

Looking further into their backgrounds and how the Queen took her stand next to the king.........I like what T.D. Jake said today on his teaching:"She was no Barbie doll." And I had wondered what kind of queen could stand in those days with a true king! The women who go to battle with the men in this country of Ethiopia would be regarded for their strategy and experience in the "front line" if you will. In some cases that chosen 'queen' could be one who could lose an eye because of the up close and personal fight! Still, one in the lineage much like "Pharaoh", a Candace would come and stand with a "king". These women were known as the "warrior queens".

When Alexander wanted to take all of Europe...( you know he wanted to have authority over the whole earth)!.......Alexander the Great met with Queen Candace and he decided when he saw her riding on an elephant.........that he would NOT try to take Ethiopia. He backed down when he saw her on the big creature!

No, she was no "doll" of any kind. But she was a one of kind who is mentioned..........and did they not receive the good news?   In what I had put down for notes early this morning, my thoughts were on last night at church, praying for the activities this spring and summer to reach the youths and teens, and praying for the youth who will be adults in the future. They are our future!

We, as a group gathered and prayed............for the young children and those we are destined to have contact with and in that I thought of Deborah and those who played parts in praying over countries and leading others to Jesus. She was called the "Mother in Israel".

As in the culture of the day, most movies today will include some kind of supernatural. They have "magic". They have the sparkling blue dress, the crown on blond hair, and fairy dust sprinkling all around in the air............falling to the floor beneath their feet. Then, alas, I think of the eye shadow I had gotten to wear on my eyelids...........just a little color, if you please. Aah, but the glitter in the shadow........and then it is in my eyes and then I rub them. AND then the pain sets in, my eyes are bloodshot. PLEASE NO FAIRY DUST HERE!

If we give our youth, and teens fairy dust, blue gowns, and magic wands, and they think their lives will look like that, then when will you speak truth and tell them, "they may not be the queen with the crown", they will not have magic wands to make everything better when all hell is breaking loose against them. For giving them those things and so early, I saw pain on our grand-daughter's face when I asked why she did not want to be the brunette in the fairy dust movie and she said" because the blond wore the crown" and "she wore the pretty sparkling and fancy gown"!

Matthew 6:19-21..........19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. NKJV

From the scripture above we see that which is built on having a shallow beauty of the outside of one being revealed. 

Those kind of things are built on the promises given by a broken and fallen world. They will only break more hearts, bring about those broken dreams with no castles and no hope!
But our hope is to be in Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1-5

5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.  NIV

For where do we place our children to stand, "in the world" under the leadership of the adversary we know as the devil? Yes, those things can be "oh so cute" and fancy fun, but what about those kids who now think they have to be blond to have the great beautiful gown?
And I think of all those young boys...........that their vision is on "the far away galaxy"...........Wow! So what about the here and now, the present time, are we placing anything in them to move forward other than with a "light saber" or a "space ship" to leave the 3rd Rock from the Sun? Some of those things are just for a moment's time, but what have we placed in them that will take them into the exploits for God and into eternity?

I am then drawn back to the prayer Thursday night, and where do we place our children and those who are "our future". Lord, help us to pray for them, and then show us how to give life to them that presents the Queens like Esther, the prophets like Deborah who desired the good for them, for the future of a strong nation without fairy dust, and without "light sabers"!
In prayer today, I am calling out those "warrior queens" who stand with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! I am calling those out who have the strategy of the great queen in battles. For our children are at stake right now. The devil desires their souls.

We read about Deborah in Judges 4.

Judges 4:4-24

4 Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, "The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: 'Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.'" 

8 Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go." 

9 "Very well," Deborah said, "I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman." So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh, 10 where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him. 

11 Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses' brother-in-law, and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh. 

12 When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 Sisera gathered together his nine hundred iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River. 

14 Then Deborah said to Barak, "Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?" So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten thousand men. 15 At Barak's advance, the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot. 16 But Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim. All the troops of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left. 

17 Sisera, however, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there were friendly relations between Jabin king of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite. 

18 Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Come, my lord, come right in. Don't be afraid." So he entered her tent, and she put a covering over him. 

19 "I'm thirsty," he said. "Please give me some water." She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up. 

20 "Stand in the doorway of the tent," he told her. "If someone comes by and asks you, 'Is anyone here?' say 'No.'" 

21 But Jael, Heber's wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died. 

22 Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. "Come," she said, "I will show you the man you're looking for." So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple-dead. 

23 On that day God subdued Jabin, the Canaanite king, before the Israelites.   24 And the hand of the Israelites grew stronger and stronger against Jabin, the Canaanite king, until they destroyed him. 

NIV

In Judges 4:4-7.....Deborah gives him the strategy.  In detail she gives him the step by step. But verse 8 tells us that he would not go unless she went.

And of course, the rest is now history. For this all came into the hands of a woman. The honor went to another.

She sings in Judges 5 a praise to God. She praises those who willingly went into battle. She sings from her heart of those who offered themselves willingly among the people. And in 4:12, we find this:

Judges 5:1-3...........1 Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying: 

2 "Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. 3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes, I , even I will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel." KJV

"THEN SANG DEBORAH AND BARAK . . ."When leaders lead in Israel, when the people willingly offer themselves, Bless the LORD" (Judges 5:1, 2).

This verse 2 is revealing praise to be given to the Lord.

An area such as this with such dark oppression, do we not see it today?

Then we find that reason for giving such praise:   The Lord had avenged Israel. In looking at the  Hebrew word for avenge, we can find it meant "to break or set loose by delivering from oppression." Deliverance from the oppression and bondage of the enemy is always cause for praise to the Lord. Right?

Working with God's plan and giving Him praise gave the time of their being loosed.  The captives were set free when they "willingly offered themselves."

They were the "willing" without any manipulation. As His child, we should be oh so prompt to obey!

We are to live by faith and that faith must be rooted in God!

Those who do exploits will "know " their God. They will hear the plans of strategy and move in praise to Him that He is the leader, the ONE who rules over our hearts.

FROM APPOINTED BY GOD: DEBORAH, THE PROPHETESS:
I believe she was sent to protect the children of Israel from the violence of the Canaanite king, Jabin. He was a man of violence who was cruel to all he came in contact with during those harsh and formidable years in Israel.
In scripture we find located in the book of Proverbs 3:31...." to envy not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways."
The "oppressor" being the man of violence. In the world today, our children should be nurtured in a lifestyle of the pure, the peaceable, the gentle, easy to get along with, and yes full of mercy. From James 3:14-18 the description of wisdom spoken about is to be without hypocrisy, without any partiality and full of good fruits.
If we are introducing our children and yes, grand-children into an oppressed lifestyle, we NEED TO STOP IT NOW! I, too, have found I need to change the channel and get if off the show with guns ringing out, guns used to harm another person, guns that depict violence in this world. I for one must change the channel to something along the lines of peace for our grand-daughter to see and enjoy and not to be scared out of her wits.
Deborah, stood as wisdom to declare God will deliver the land from the oppressor.
He will deliver us from cruelty, oppressive people, and those who inflict brutality on another person.
But who of us will take the stand to do that? Or who will fight for our children and grand-children and see violence come to an end?
Psalm 73:6-8 says, "therefore pride compasses them about as a chain; violence covers them as a garment.....7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. NIV

So from scripture it appears, that violence has many faces!

If a man, woman or child have the hardened heart, and are consumed with lying like verse 7 declares, then the man, woman or even the child will speak with the malice, and exhibit a brutality towards another person.
When a person speaks with malice, they speak to do evil, to take revenge on another, and they have this deep-seated meanness and hate. Those who have put on the garment of violence speak with arrogance, and they usually have the prideful self-importance in their behavior around others. They bully others to announce their unhappiness and to declare themselves to be number "1". It is in this arrogance of bullying they threaten to bring cruelty, brutality and destruction by physical force.

Sound familiar? Seen that lately on the evening news?

Deborah the Judge, became the "mother in Israel" the mother who watched over God's children in Israel at a time of injustice, of violence, and maltreatment. In the verses describing the sad condition of those in the country at the time, the oppression of the people and distress was due to their sin in idolatry.
We allow our children to watch violent movies, and play games that initiate violent force on another and then we wonder what is going on in our streets!
We are certainly not to make provision for the sinful, the oppressive things in our homes or even our schools and sport activities. We saw the oppressive king described in Judges. God sent Deborah to stand strong for her nation. Can we do as much? Are our children worth the price to see violence come to an end in our cities, and in our homes?

Let's lead our young girls and young boys into God's plan. Speak truth to them and deliver their souls. That is protect them from things they should not be watching and adhere to for their safety's sake. Let us be those "warrior queens" who will prevail in prayer for our kids in this nation that is to be the "the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. God created this nation and still has His plan for it! Let's stand together, rally around our youth, whether they are red, yellow, black or white, they are still the Precious in His Sight. "Awake, Awake",........"Awake, Awake, utter a song"............give worship and praise to God and walk toward leading those who have been captives. Stand with the King today, and give voice of praise in your home, in your neighborhood and in your city. Raise your voice for ears to be opened and eyes to see that have been blind, for our children to come out of bondage and be a fire for God in this generation and in this hour. Amen!

I dedicate this to my daughter Candace and all those who pray for the youth and seek their good. I dedicate to those who are the self-less like the Tina's who give of themselves to serve others. I dedicate this to the "pastors" who give of their time and energy to touch children's heart that shows in their day to day life without regard to themselves.
May this bring glory to God and to those who show themselves the willing to go in HIS NAME. AMEN!

Link to "The Voice of Prayer" below has been repaired please view for more of God's teaching!

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

Piercing the Darkness

John 1:4-5

4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.     NKJV

1 Thessalonians 5:5-11...............5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. 11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.      NKJV

My desire this year was to teach on women of the Bible who were women of prayer! In spending time researching and reading............Esther is always been one to me who stands as one who was willing to " pierce the darkness".

If Jesus is really in our hearts, then are we edifying others, and seeking to help them to come higher by our example or do we just resemble "the world"?

Please study for yourself the life of Esther and find that which you can glean for your own life! For truly she made her mark in history for the Lord!

Esther was a stranger in a strange land. Her parents had died and she had come to live with her cousin  Mordecai in Susa. Mordecai knew her as Hadassah, Fearing for her safety, he changed her name to what we know today as Esther.

There was many things transpiring at the palace for the King Xerxes. It was on the last day of feast    ( Esther 1:9-12) and the King sent in his seven chamberlains (or eunuchs) to bring his wife Queen Vashti before the King's table. My question is "why bring your wife, even a Queen in before men who had been drinking and partying for seven days"? And we know that she refused to go before the "drunken party of men".

But Queen Vashti had to have been a noble woman and was not willing to flaunt her beauty before the drunken man. In reality, she held to the respect towards her husband, that if he did not keep her safe and behind secure doors, she surely should be choosing to remain modest behind them. She did not exhibit herself in this public assembly of partying men. She wanted to retain honor and her kingly husband refused her!

So we move on to Esther.........and in Esther 2:17-20.......we find she had more favor with the king and she won the approval over all the other virgins. A royal crown was set on her head. When time came for the Great Banquet, it was for Esther and all nobles and officials were invited to attend.

Esther became a Queen to a pagan King. No one knowing her heritage, she walked with the King and remained faithful to her adoptive father, Mordecai. We understand through reading through this book, that Esther was headed for destiny to pierce the darkness. It was imperative for her not to reveal her heritage to others till the time came for the revelation come to save a nation.

Esther 4:13-17..............13 Then Mordecai told them to answer Esther: "Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king's palace any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" 15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: 16 "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!" 17 So Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther commanded him.     NKJV

She was brave and knew the peril before her. She had not been called to the King's quarters in 30 days. She was going to have to do something to get to talk with the King, her husband.

As we read from the beginning of her life in the Citadel of Susa, she had many teachers. She was a woman who had courage when facing the enemy.
(She had learned from her cousin, but also learned from those in the court of the king. She learned the government and protocol)

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

And the "one thing" I call your attention to is that she prayed. In the above passage, she came to the hour that prayer and fasting was needed. She agreed with Mordecai,  that even her maids will likewise fast. And  Esther was expecting, that even though it was against the law for her to go the King, she would do what answer came from the prayer and fasting.

One thing about Esther, she was gathering all her information  and she acted!She was being led by wisdom.  Her being obedient was paramount to her and did not matter whether she perished or not, she was on her way to the palace. She moved through in the wisdom of God and allowed Him freedom to guide her every step of the way!

Esther 7:1-4.....7:1 So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther. 2 And on the second day, at the banquet of wine, the king again said to Esther, "What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!" 3 Then Queen Esther answered and said, "If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. 4 For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king's loss."  NKJV
As she came before the King and asked her petition, the truth came out of Esther and her people.
"If I have found favor in your sight, O king and if it pleases the king, let my life be given at my petition and my people at my request."
She speaks of the evil plan of Haman and how he, Haman, had worked towards a plan to destory her people.

Esther 7:10.......... 10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king's wrath subsided. NKJV

Esther 8:1-8...........8:1 On that day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. 2 So the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman. 

3 Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews. 4 And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king, 5 and said, "If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king's provinces. 6 For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my countrymen?" 

7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, "Indeed, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews. 8 You yourselves write a decree for the Jews, as you please, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for a letter which is written in the king's name and sealed with the king's signet ring no one can revoke."  NKJV

Piercing the Darkness!

We too, can have that moment when we must stand against something that is there to stop us, get rid us, or even harm us!

I had worked for some years in the child care industry. I loved working with children and watching their vigor and character form into a young youth and into adulthood. One moment stands out to me in all those years, when one must face the darkness and pierce it with God's truth and prayer.

In the department I worked in, we had a mixture babies and young school age children. Some of the babies were a little delayed sometimes in walking. Not because they were in any way challenged but in their weight and some "slight laziness". But they all got to the point one day of walking on two feet. Praise the Lord!

One such boy, was only 16 months old and he would do what we called " the military crawl". And he certainly was fast on his belly in doing this crawl!

One older child ( about 6 years of age or 7 years of age) came in one day, and began to hit the small ones on the head, first with a toy and then his fist. We stopped him, separated the child out from the others and told the supervisor and the mother of older child. There were always at least three adults working to keep the smaller number children safe as the day of work was ending.

The older child had done this specific thing before and now was up to his third time which meant about 3 months of "no visit " to the childcare department.

The mother was terribly displeased and was very vocal of her resentment. The lady wrote a letter to the owner of business, the manager of business and of course for the supervisor as well. Two names were on the letter to state that we were against her child. Now the Lord had said for me to spend time during this long weekend to pray and that was what I did. I went to prayer that holiday weekend and was seeking His wisdom of what might come from all of this. I wanted to know "God's plan" in all of this!

Long story shortened, all read the letter. It came down the chain of command and it was even brought to us after the holiday weekend. But no one wanted to do anything with it, for the two of us ladies had worked there for a very long time and had proven our faithfulness to care for all the children that came to that daycare. The letter had been passed down from owner to manager and then supervisor and of course, our supervisor was not going to do anything about it. She knew our work ethics.

When the supervisor had brought "the letter" in for us to read, I remember walking across the room to get it from her hand and walked with it....reading down the page as I walked the entire length of that room.................and I came back praising God out loud for His goodness to me and to my co-worker!

In and through this time period, we continued to work and give thanks to God and to pray for those who would want you gone now!
People knew me in that place. They knew I would pray for them and they knew I would always talk about my God!

When we spend time with God, and plead the Blood of Jesus over every situation, we see His power released on the earth for our benefit. 

Like Esther, we too, can pierce the darkness, believe for the good to come from all the chaos and expect to continue going forward in His plan for our lives.

We are to be the light of men who shine in darkness and even though the darkness does not comprehend it, we are those sons of the day. We are to be watchful through prayer and sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love. At every turn we are appointed to comfort and edify one another.

Esther had cousin Mordecai who adopted her, to teach her, to care for and stand with her as she grew up. The Lord wants to teach us, care for us and STAND WITH US WHEN THOSE WHO WOULD STAND IN OPPOSITION AGAINST US FOR DOING GOOD!

1 John 1:5-10......5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.  NKJV


Father, thank You for the Light of Your word. Our fellowship is to give You glory and praise. I pray that we would continue to be those who have fellowship with You and to stay in the light of Your Word. It is Jesus' Blood that cleanses us from all sins. In 1 Thessalonians 5:5-11....we are no longer of the night or in darkness. I pray that we would be those who "watch" through prayer and are sober, who put on the breastplate of faith and love with the helmet of salvation that comes through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is our opportunity to comfort others and to edify them where You have planned for us to work and play.  I pray that each of us would be the "Light" that pierces the darkness and stand believing YOU have our backs and that nothing will harm us. Thank You FOR the truth of Your Word that gives us wisdom to face peril, and receive instruction to walk in the way of truth and righteousness all the days of our lives in Jesus' name. Amen

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