Godly Sorrow

I enjoy the Old Testament and find wonderful testimonies of those who followed God and those who chose not to follow Him. In one is this of King Saul.

1 Samuel 15: 10-35 NKJV 10 Now the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, 11 “ I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night.

12 So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul went t Carmel and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by and gone down to Gilgal.” 13 Then Samuel went to Saul, & Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD.” 14 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, & the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” 15 And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; and th rest we have utterly destroyed.”

16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Be quiet!” And I will tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak on.” 17 so Samuel said, “When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the LORD anoint you king over Israel? 18”Now the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites & fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 ‘Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did yo swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the LORD?” 20 And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me & brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.”  21 “But the people took of the plunder, sheep & oxen , the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.”

Yes, Saul has his answers ready. He accuses the people he was to serve as the ones who chose to take the plunder when Saul was told differently!

22 So Samuel said: ‘Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, & to heed better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.”

Yes, rebellion is not a good thing. Now Saul is in witchcraft. He was choosing his own way.

24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD & your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin, & return with me, that I may worship the LORD.“  26 But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected  you from being king over Israel.”

From verse 24, Saul is revealing he had sinned and on top of that he did it because he feared the people! Many leaders end up in that destructive place when they rather follow man than God. In verse 25 he asking Samuel to pardon his sin and return with him so that he Saul may worship the LORD. Would that be collusion? Terrible!

Then Samuel spoke that he would not return with Saul for he Saul had rejected the word of the LORD and the LORD had rejected Saul from being king over Israel. 

Yeah, not a good place to be when it was God who placed Saul in the position!

27 And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, & it tore. 28 So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today & has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 “and also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent. 

The kingdom in an instant was torn from Saul!

30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now, please before the elders of my people and before Israel, & return with me, that I may worship the LORD your God.” 31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, & Saul worshiped the LORD. 32 Then Samuel said, “ Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me.” So Agag came to him cautiously. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33 But Samuel said, “As our sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal. 34 Then Samuel went up to Ramah & Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul. 35 And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul & for the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

Still within his whining Saul is desiring to keep this good standard with the people not fearing God. Saul wanted to look good among his peers. Samuel goes with Saul only to do the thing that Saul was to do. He was to kill Agag so that he would not bring disasters on the Jewish people.

Samuel did not see Saul again till Saul had died.

This gives details of the mournful heart Samuel held for Saul. Every true believer in God will carry his heart for the lost. Those failing to see or hear God's heed for safety through salvation brings them at the end of their days in utter ruin and death.

If Saul had had a godly sorrow and not wanting to move from following God, his life might have been different. Still God desires a man after His own heart. And that is one who will worship Him in the darkest hour, will pray when no words come, and continue to seek when He seems not to be present. Still God is with us. He will never leave us nor abandon us. Ours is to seek with a whole heart to fervently see with the light of His word truths that set us free and keep us free never to be entangled in the snares of wrong words.

For Saul was snared by his words and it was those to please man and he thought he could use them on Samuel. No, that did not work for him and it will not work for us!

May we truly hold a godly sorrow that we will not want to hurt our Father's heart by continuing to seek our plans instead of obeying His plans.

2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

For that wall that was built to keep God out is to come down when we truly have a godly sorrow of repentance. It is turning away from bad behavior that keeps the wall up between us. God desires us to come to Him and tell the sorrows of our heart and repent for the mistakes we have made that has separated us from Him.

Receiving Jesus as Lord turns us away from our past not to do the past again. OUR lives are new in God with the heart conversion. Those who desire to dwell in their past,  desire to live in those past  sins , and to revisit those "old haunts" will find the wrong road to travel. If you or I sorrow for lost goods, lost friends, the death of relatives, then our heart is in that place. Choosing to have friends over God is sad. I would rather have God for He is my life. But I am certain He has godly friends for me just like He has them for you.

Reveling in that past thing can cause disease and increases the risk of more complaints in that thing. We are to put away evil thinking and evil speaking! Saul blamed the people but truly Saul's heart was to please the people of his kingdom and not God!

A true godly sorrow will produce reform in our thinking and our action. 

Pleasing God is looking toward tomorrow and relishing the pain of yesterday. We have all lost someone but I would hope that the best that Jesus gave is not forgotten or hidden of all the past hurts, the past losses, or the past homes we might have had. Our best day is to live in today, be thankful and expect tomorrow to be better by the hand of a great God who is for us and not against us!

New teaching at: Voice of Prayer  

Done In God

https://youtu.be/336mNFa4AGA

You can also visit my You Tube channel Voice of Prayer 

for more teaching at:  http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV

New teaching at: Life Giving Wells

The Full Counsel of God

https://youtu.be/_R1NXVrd6MI

Also visit Life Giving Wells You Tube Channel for more teaching:

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INHERITANCE

Voice of Prayer

Proverbs 13:22 Amplified Bible  22 a good man leaves an inheritance [of moral stability and goodness] to his children’s children, and the wealth of the sinner [finds its way eventually] into the hands of the righteous, for whom it was laid up.

That inheritance is one of prayer, of a godly life (living for God and not for self), leaving a “good name”, an example that one sees as a witness for God and His glory, and the many cherished memories spent with the one willing to leave an inheritance to the next generation!

This inheritance is “not always” that of houses, land or something costly thing that others might conceive as an inheritance, but the wise man knows what to leave for others.

Heard a teaching earlier this morning and I kept thinking of this scripture verse. Although it was not mentioned in the teaching, yet I kept hearing it grow louder in my thinking.

Proverbs 4:23 Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.  Proverbs. 18:2 Amplified Bible….. A [self-confident] fool has no delight in understanding but only in revealing his personal opinions & himself.  No opinions please: God’s thoughts only.

Proverbs 9: 6 Leave off, simple ones [forsake the foolish & simpleminded] & live! & walk in the way of insight & understanding. 

Many today just have the desire to give their opinion of themselves, they desire to leave opinions wherever they go, roam or live! Yet, in Hebrews, chapter 4 and starting in verse 12-16, we are reminded of this:   Hebrews 4: 12-16  Amp. Bible 12 For the Word that God speaks is alive / full of power [making it active, operative, energizing /effective]it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) & the [immortal] spirit, & of joints & marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing, sifting & analyzing & judging the very thoughts & purposes of the heart 13 & not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open & exposed, naked & defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do. (HEART)

 14 Inasmuch then as we have a great High Priest Who has [already] ascended & passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of  God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith in Him]. 15 For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand & sympathize & have shared feeling with our weaknesses & infirmities & liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning. Let us then fearlessly & confidently & boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] & find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help / well-timed help, coming just when we need it].  

God is to be our source by speaking God’s language, and cooperating with Him, ……” In leaving an inheritance, we must be living a life that will leave a good one to the next generation. If we allow ourselves to be “immersed” in the Holy Spirit then we find Proverbs 14:33-34 reflected through our lives.

It states this: Proverbs 14:33-34   Amp. Bible 33 Wisdom rests [silently] in the mind and heart of him who has understanding, but that which is in the inward part of [self-confident] fools is made known. 34 Uprightness & right standing with God (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area & relation) elevate a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

Living the godly life is living in the way God desires us to live as holy unto Him! We are to discern the difference of the world from that which is truth in God. Speaking multitudes of languages does nothing for the heart of the man or woman who is far from God!

Having millions of dollars will do nothing for your soul if it is by doing one’s own thing is living for the world and to make a name in the world.

If we truly are the followers of Jesus then we are to be found in truth with reverence to HIM our Creator who planned for us from the foundation of the world…...Looking toward the future and living eternally with Him, we are to be for His glory and to His praise not only where we live in the country but also in the city!

Being immersed in God, others should see the witness of God in you and in me. If they do not, then why do they not see it?

No it is not about leaving those houses, much land or millions of dollars behind, but what kind of life did you leave that would carry your child, grown children or grand-children forward in God. In my lifetime I have seen a young man receive the language of Spanish overnight to go on missions trips to Mexico and finally start a place of ministry of ever level in God. I have seen another get millions overnight and be broke in nine years without hope because they did not have God in their lives.

So, for me and looking on in 2018 I truly desire to leave an inheritance that will still speak even when I am gone from this earth: not of fairy dust, tattoos , riding on angels wings, but truly one who walks with God daily. I desire for our grand-daughter to know the goodness of God and not take it lightly that any language, any person or any organization can make them famous and make them famous even over night. For our true delight should be in the Lord and to know Him intimately.

May we see the New Year as the opportunity to leaving a future inheritance to our children. May we see it as one that will speak of God, will speak life, will reveal His goodness for them and those who will cross their paths.

Father, today lead us by Your Holy Spirit! In Jesus Name we pray and believe that You will go before us and make the rough places smooth; You will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars. You will give us the treasures of darkness and hidden wealth of secret places, in order that we may know that it is You, the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls us by name. (Isaiah 45:2-3)

Father God, I ask You to lead us when we are blinded by ways we have not known, along unfamiliar paths please guide us; Lord, turn the darkness into light before us and make the rough places smooth. I pray these are the things You will do for us who pray and believe YOU. You will not forsake us. ( Isaiah 42:16)

Help us where we might be failing in the godly life. Show us by revelation of Your word where we need Your strength and guides us in the way that is everlasting.

If it had not been for You,………….Oh, Lord search our hearts and strengthen us to live more like You, revealing You to others and pray like Jesus did. We know when You are involved in our lives, we flourish. We become what YOU purposed for us and we run the race without anything to hinder. Today we set our sights on You and believe we receive that of what we have asked knowing You are for us and not against. Thank You for hearing our plea. Amen!

New teaching at: Voice of Prayer  

“WISE MEN”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaRyecDbrUc

You can also visit my You Tube channel Voice of Prayer 

for more teaching at:  http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV

New teaching at: Life Giving Wells

Plans: Jeremiah 29

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1sh5uCx-Fo&t=3s

Also visit Life Giving Wells You Tube Channel for more teaching:

http://bit.ly/2wgu1kw

What Do You Mean There is No Storm?

What do you mean there is no storm? Hey, just look outside!
Yeah, that weatherperson surely has their work cut out for themselves. Yet, I have been aware their radar for this area is being serviced. So when might we expect the radar to be back on the job I ask you? (Lately I text our daughter to see what her phone shows as to a report)
The FORECAST: cold with sun. Light breezy winds out of the east will blow in the next cold front!
Well, it was anything but sunny on this day. Can you see the picture here? And that light breezy condition amounted to winds of about 70 miles per hour. Oh, and did I mention there was snow?
I was viewing the weather forecast today. I even surfed the Weather Channel. And in every place I thought to search out next week's temps all amounted to the day temp going from 20 degrees, to 17 degrees to 12 degrees. I told my husband I am not looking anymore this week and this is just Thursday. And I will not even mention the nighttime temps!
I admit it is Winter. And with winter comes all the wind, snow, frequent rains that freeze into a skating rink of roadways and pathways. Also, I remember Spring comes after Winter is finished. And yet, we are how many days into the winter season,.....oh yeah 10 days, right?


I remember Jesus being in a storm and demanded it to be still! And peace came in the midst of the chaos. But peace did not mean there was not a storm, and staying in peace during chaotic times does not mean there is no warfare going on.
God is not the author of any confusion. God is merciful with gentleness and much peace.

Let's read a passage here on staying in peace......

Luke 8:22-37  KJV

¶ 22 Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.
23 But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. 
24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.
¶ 26 And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.
27 And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.
28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.
29 (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)
30 And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.
31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.
32 And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.
33 Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.
34 When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country.
35 Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
36 They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.
¶ 37 Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.

In verse 23, that jeopardy is DANGER!
Gaining a perspective of sea water plus wind, one finds ultimate peril.
In seeing where this group of men were going and who they were to encounter, brings us to the heart of the matter. The devil certainly did not want Jesus and the team to make it to the other side. Seriously, many a demon had made their home in the man who lived among the tombs. You might remember him as the man of Gadara.
So while the sea tossed a great tempest, Jesus commanded it to be stilled.

Seriously speaking, when a boat is taking on much water, then to me danger is eminent. So Jesus spoke to the storm and to the one who organized the chaos.

Calling on Jesus in the midst of such turmoil meant they needed an answer and where was their faith?

Excuse me for this but in thinking on this today, I am appalled that men believe there was this big bang theory. Yet, when I think of God and He spoke light be, I am thinking there was a sonic boom and in that explosion of light meeting the darkness, peace and organization came into being. The devil came to steal, kill and destroy. But Jesus came to give us life abundantly.
There was an explosion at a fireworks factory in Mexico a day or two before Christmas.......and when the explosions began people died. When God creates a "light be" then chaos becomes organized and there is only light.

So Jesus rebuked the wind and the raging waves of water. And they ceased to be. And what remained was a great calm.  Thus it was Jesus Christ Who showed that, though the devil pretends to be the prince of the power of the air, yet even there he has him in a chain.

On the other side of the storm was a man needing much help of Jesus. The man had many demonic spirits living within him. And when Jesus came to the side of the Gadarenes, he was met by the demoniac of Gadara.

So "legion" was sent out of the man!

And the people who owned the pigs came out to see. And those who lived in that community came out to see and they were all afraid at the demoniac now free, in his right mind, and dressed. And the people were afraid????

It was the same said of those after the election this year of the new president. They said they were afraid. Why would anyone be afraid of what God is doing to and for you?

Well, God is a God of sign and wonders. And He will accomplish His plan in the earth. There was opportunity for others to hear the message of salvation and it was time for that crew of people to be awaken to life of God. Wow, what events that occurred to just get to the other side.

And we complain about going to church in the rain???

WE are not alone! In this total ocean of air, there are spiritual beings who wage a war on humans. We must understand our spiritual well-being is to heed something Paul wrote us about. It is found in the book of Ephesians 6. And within the verses of 10-12, battles are waged by those determined to keep their first-occupancy rights. If you think you have heard about the "haters" you might have missed this one if you have not read Ephesians 6. But there are those who hate to a great degree. And they really hate when we have become sons of God. 

Ephesians 6:10-20     KJV

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 

19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 

20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. 

As we continue to grow in bearing His image, their time is short and our inheritance will be returned to us. At this point it is by faith. It is an unseen force, but they exist none the less. And we are to be aware that they communicate with thoughts and attitudes.

We are not to be passive about those demonic spirits. We are to be active in speaking to the storm's, to sickness and even to that bed of affliction and say "you will not rise up a second time."

Today, take an active role in speaking to that which you do have authority over. By remaining in the Father, and keeping Jesus enthroned on our hearts, we will mark a path that is set with the mercy of God in peace and love.

OUR daughter and son-in-law had planned their wedding. Of course this has been awhile ago now. But when they chose the date it was winter time weather. Yes, February 2. And why not have a June wedding or maybe a 4th of July Wedding? No it was the 2nd of February. So some nine months ahead, while getting the gown, the bridesmaid outfits, and yes finding the right place to hose this wonderful even for two wonderful people, we were confessing that the temperatures would be in the sixties, the sun would shine, there would be no wind, and it would be a wonderful day to fly anywhere they would go on their honeymoon. We confessed so many things for that period of time and that all coming would be here for the event. Well it came to pass. It was a beautiful day. It was the mid- sixties and yes the snow from the days before had melted. The day came and it went, but it was marked out in what we believed to be true for our kids on their special day.

Ask yourself, "what is on the other side of this storm?" Ask what you need to know of the Father and to prevail by speaking what Jesus did. Our faith at times really needs some stretching. But we can overcome the world, Jesus did! Receive strength of the Lord. Walk through with your head held high. Speak peace, expect His love and know the best is coming your way. Oh the winds may be 80 miles an hour, the snow is on the level of 36 inches, yet, on the other side, we have a message to get out. We have someone to speak to about Jesus. Someone needs to know your testimony and my testimony.

We have the Holy Spirit and we will not cower in the corner. We will speak to symptoms, and to storms, and strange drivers on I-5 and say that they go in Jesus name. But the Lord is our shelter and we abide in His security and peace. May the Holy Spirit guide you and in the process of time, know His grace is sufficient.

Keep an attitude of a godly life and keep the excitement in your heart. And may you see the benefit of standing against the storms even when someone speaks " there is no storm"!

Notice: 

The Voice of Prayer  has a new teaching published:
The GAURANTEE of the Holy Spirit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfhqpP2MhFc


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