A Terminal Day

Throughout this day I keep seeing David in the wilderness. David who would become king in the land of Israel, he had to face his own giants before he could face the one that stalked the nation. He faced the lion and the bear and described the up close and personal fight he had to keep the sheep safe from those two strong enemies! But a day was coming to David, where he saw a cause to fight a "terminal type " guy and stop the mandate of Goliath!

In this day and within this hour, we must have those who are ready to stand against the “Goliath” known  for hostile actions against the people of said nation! But what will you and I find in the account we have in God? Will there be much on hand from the promises we have stood on for a loved one, a close family member or neighbor down the street? Or how about what we have held close to us and given to many others who had a walk to consider with God too?

Will we find in that midnight hour with a Dr. report against our life, against what we have known in God to be true or will we be up-ended to find our faith was in a someone and not in the Only TRUE GOD. Will there be found plenty in our account of faith in Him to deliver us or will be found empty, with barely a trace of fuzz as our trust was in someone else?

I have recounted many times of the midnight report in an emergency situation for my health where every card being played was against me, still I lifted my voice with my husband’s voice, thanking the Lord for the life He had given me and thankful for the many people that we reached in the Lord’s name for His glory and praise. Was the account full? Yes and we walked out of that hospital together some 5 days later. The life we have is not about how much stuff we can accumulate but how many people we can reach for God!

Thinking of Hezekiah today! He had been given what we call a Terminal Day! 

2 Kings 20: 1-11 NKJV In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.” 2 Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, saying, 3 Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 

2 Kings 20:4 And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 5 Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD.

2 Kings 20: 6 And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David.’” 7 Then Isaiah said, “Take a lump of figs.” So they took and laid it on the boil and he recovered. 8 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What is the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the LORD the third day?” 9 Then Isaiah said, “This is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing which He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees or go backward ten degrees?”  10 And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees; no, but let the shadow go backward ten degrees.” 11 So Isaiah the prophet cried out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz.

 Before this terrible day began, king Hezekiah was facing the Assyrians. Wherever the Assyrian is mentioned in the bible it is always with the rod and the staff symbolizing oppression and servitude as well as tyranny.  THE Assyrian Spirit: is sinful deeds and associated with harlotry. And the nation of Assyrian would conduct a spiritual harlotry can take different forms as idolatry, unequally yoked, seen 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, worldliness, ostentatious living, inordinate affection Ezekiel 23:9-11, cultism, evil exchange seen in Nahum 3:4 and covetousness seen in Colossians 3:5, Ephesians 5:5.

Today, we can see the Assyrian spirit ruling in the world. It is present in the lives of kings….as to judges, to heads of states, those many captains of industries, military generals, even some clergy and many public officials. Yes, their ruler-ship is in behalf of an evil one who hates. Anti-God and anti- Jesus Christ policies are being planned and sent out daily to corrupt the world in humanism. Taken captives by this entity, the world is hosting something evil in an ignorance. Being careless is being or giving little regard to God or to the things of the God!

In having issues with the Assyrians, he also had a serious health issue going on. It was a boil that was going to kill Hezekiah. He was told of his imminent death.  No doctor was called, no Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was called, not even a near relative!   No, the prophet brought the message from God when the king Hezekiah had prayed. What held this man together was his loyalty to God. What helped him, Hezekiah, through that Terminal Day and hour was to hear God speak through the prophet and obey what was required in obedience to be healed by God! Medicine that man has created can be good. It can be taken when suited for the right purpose. But to expose sick people to more unstable means of vaccines or never studied ingredients in the shot that does nothing, then we must know prayer! And Hezekiah did pray.

Hezekiah went to prayer first! He turned his face to the wall and prayed in earnest. He said: Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

You know when your life is getting better or you know when you are not done in the thing the Lord has prospered in you to do for His glory and to His praise and something appears to put a dark shadow on that which is not from God but appears to cause certain death! He, Hezekiah drew on prayer in his relationship to God. Oh, the midnight hour, so filled with emotions, the world is sleeping, but Hezekiah is awake in the terminal day! His first thoughts was probably how he got a boil on his body. When praying, his answer came and it came quickly!

The Lord will give the solution to us when we pray: He may send you to a doctor. He may send you to dip in the Jordan River or He may give a specific word for healing. Jesus healed them all! Not one person left from His presence sick! Read the passages of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Lazarus walked out of a tomb. Can you imagine such a thing and yet many were there to say their last good-byes to poor old Lazarus, but instead they saw Jesus call him out from death. And we have others like Smith Wigglesworth and A.A. Allen in the last 120 years call people back from death! Their faith was in God that He would raise them, like Jesus raised Lazarus by the Holy Spirit!

In the kingdom purpose what is your credit report with God?  Or do you have one? It best to find out what it is and how empty or full it might be. The way to get it to enlarge is to serve God and to serve others. No perfection required but to respond in kindness! If you have no reserves, now is the time to pray, now is the time to speak of the glory of the Lord. Now is the time to note His goodness in the land of the living. Now is the time to give worth to Him Who is so worthy to receive our praise. Then go help your neighbor. Take a brother a cup of cold water. Take a sister a new pair of shoes. Hug your family! And tell others about Jesus!

Your credit account with God will be found and looked at.  For Hezekiah, he turned his face to the wall, and prayed to see another 15 years of life added to him. He told God of his loyalty to Him. He spoke of the truth he had given others.

What will be added to you today, if you pray before the terminal day, before that ugly thing that appears as the dark shadow that makes no sense, but there it is! Yes, what will come from us when that something appears, a Goliath from the crowds of protesters, to the crowds with signs, and when the only answer is God. For something will occur, a Dr. makes an announcement, a government declares, a sound made from your own body, healthy lifestyle is not found in the words mentioned about you, but still the only answer is God. It is time to call on Him, do it today, and indeed you will know the truth that settles that dark shadow to dust under your feet, and light for you walk another 15 years. It only takes loyalty to God in truth and prayer. What is in your account?

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Feeding on Ashes or God's Word

Psalm 102:8-11

8 My enemies reproach me all day long,

Those who deride me swear an oath against me. 

9 For I have eaten ashes like bread,

And mingled my drink with weeping, 

10 Because of Your indignation and Your wrath;

For You have lifted me up and cast me away. 

11 My days are like a shadow that lengthens,

And I wither away like grass.  NKJV

Sitting in grief, one finds themselves eating on ashes. Many people move into a depression and it is hard for them to come out. But in those times we must remember God is truth and the devil is the liar.

The devil was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is not truth found in him. And he certainly speaks his native language. (John 8:44)

We must discern when the devil is out to harm.

We are to be sanctified by the truth. God's Word is truth. (John 17:17)

We should acknowledge when we have fed on ashes. Turning to God's Word will always lead us into life and health. Holding onto anything of which is a security to us is a lie. Believing in things which are not true, as to in our own selves is a delusion. Our freedom from self is in Jesus. WE are to be changed into His image.

Colossians 3:9-10..........NIV
9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

 Situations can happen. People can pass away. People can hurt us and people can just do the unusual that can affect us in some harmful way, but we are not to live in the hurt, not in the pain of loss or look upon those situations that cause grief as anything to fear or doubt. Change will always come to our lives, but we must be willing to keep moving and not stop.

Submitting to God and His authority means all else falls beneath, is carried in the debris pile, swept away by winds that caused the diversity and never to be seen. 

Scripture tells us by the prophet in Micah that our sins were cast into the depths of the sea. 

Micah 7:18-20

18 Who is a God like You,

Pardoning iniquity 

And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?

He does not retain His anger forever,

Because He delights in mercy. 

19 He will again have compassion on us,

And will subdue our iniquities.

You will cast all our sins 

Into the depths of the sea. 

20 You will give truth to Jacob 

And mercy to Abraham,

Which You have sworn to our fathers 

From days of old.   NKJV

Truth was given to Jacob, and mercy to Abraham.

Our sins were subdued ............and in the blood of Jesus we are the redeemed. The redeemed act joyful. They are the submitted to God and His authority and not to depression or anything else the devil might throw up in your face.

Today submit your dreams to Him as you are submitted to HIM in the authority of His Word. I ask the Lord God to give you God-ordained goals showing you how to invest in your future. I also pray that you who would read this  that you would also be active in service to the Lord all the days of your life. 

Today depression leaves your life. Rise and see your purpose that God has for you. May you be anchored there by the Holy Spirit who is steadfast and true. Be planted in the Lord and be fresh and flourishing and bearing fruit into old age. 

We believe for your transition into His grace of peace and love. We believe for your valleys and high mountains to be  smoothed out.  We believe for level paths for your feet as you walk with HIM.

YOUR future is in Him.

The STAR came out of Jacob. Num 24:17

17 "I see Him, but not now;

I behold Him, but not near;

a Star shall come out of Jacob;

a Scepter shall rise out of Israel,

And batter the brow of Moab,

And destroy all the sons of tumult.  NKJV

God's mercy to us is new every morning. 

Lamentations 3:22-24

22 Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not. 

23 They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness. 

24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul,

"Therefore I hope in Him!"  NKJV

Please don't drink to sadness today. God is smiling on you. He desires to get down and visit with you one to one. Tell Him how you treasure Him and I am certain He will draw you into the comfort of His loving arms and tell you, your best is yet to be. Come out from beneath the covers of despair. Jesus is Lord, A new day is coming and it will be in the brightness of His glory. Amen.

Let's meditate on Jesus who gave us beauty for ashes. In Him we live, In Him we abide in the beauty of His life.

Isaiah 61:2-3....to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion--
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor. NIV

The Message Bible states it this way:
God sent Isaiah to declare the message:
to comfort all who mourn, to care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion. to give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, Messages of joy instead of news of doom. A praising heart instead of a languid spirit. Rename them "Oaks of Righteousness" planted by God to display his glory.

Staying in Jesus, abiding in His peace and love, we stay away from anything that would perish. Leaving the world behind, we leave behind that which is worthless, and we seek that which is priceless.
For He is the pearl of great price.
Woven into the tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then we  will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God's great mystery. All the richest treasures of wisdom and knowledge are embedded in that mystery and nowhere else. And we have been shown the mystery! (Message Bible:Colossians 2)

Continue to pursue things with the life Christ gave us. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Leave the idols behind. don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, be alert to what is going on around Christ. that is where the action is. See things from His perspective. Your old life is dead, Your new life, which is your real life----even though invisible to spectators----is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up too----the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity,  like Christ. ( Message Bible: Colossians 3)

Now commanded to live in peace, we live in accordance with those around us. You might have fed on ashes but today you feed on His Word that is life and peace. Wholly committed we move into a life of real living that is fruitful and a benefit to others. Blessed are those who hear and obey this word today. Even better are those who actually live to practice this very word. Amen.

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That YOU MIGHT Have PEACE Through THE STORM

Isaiah 53:4-6
4 Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
NKJV

Jesus paid a high price for us having died for our sins (iniquities) and such bruising that brought to us His peace.

The New Living Bible states this:

Isaiah 53:4-6

4 Yet it was our grief he bore, our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, for his own sins! 5 But he was wounded and bruised for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace; he was lashed-and we were healed! 6 We-every one of us-have strayed away like sheep! We, who left God's paths to follow our own. Yet God laid on him the guilt and sins of every one of us! 

TLB

Mark 14:34
34 Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch."
NKJV

In Jesus' last hours before crucifixion, He intimated with His heart how His soul was exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Thinking on His life, He carried much love, but got hatred, hardness of heart and much unbelief. He had sorrows that brought Him to prayer in those last hours of life. Yes sin brought sorrow to Him. He was impacted to such a degree that He was sweating drops of blood. Seeing those that He came to, reject Him, and experience such pain in knowing, those He came to save would reject Him even to His death.

Sorrows that weighed Him down, yes beaten for our sake's, that we would have peace. It is those who believe, who receive Him as Savior that will have this "kind of peace". "But how, Shelley? How could He have peace?"

John 14:25-31
25 "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to you.' If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.
NKJV


Jesus had peace that only the Father could give Him. He speaks of peace that He would leave to us, not as the world gives, for that is chaos, but as the Lord gives us courage in our hearts. Then immediately we go into John 15 and He talks about abiding in the Father and in Him. He talks of the Holy Spirit. See below:

John 15:20-27

 20 Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'  

26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. 

NKJV

Jesus had the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit for He came upon Him when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River. Jesus had experienced the hate of those who were reviling Him because He spoke of their sin. As Jesus is, was and is to come ........He bearing witness of truth from the beginning, we too, must bear truth. We are to abide in Him and the Father and hear the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives when saved.

Isaiah 52:13-14

13 See, my Servant shall prosper; he shall be highly exalted. 14 Yet many shall be amazed when they see him-yes, even far-off foreign nations and their kings; they shall stand dumbfounded, speechless in his presence. For they shall see and understand what they had not been told before. They shall see my Servant beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know it was a person standing there. So shall he cleanse many nations. 

TLB

In looking back to chapter 52, we find that the Savior, Jesus was beaten and bloodied, and so disfigured one would scarcely know Him as a person. No, you could not hang that picture of the crucified Savior on your dining room wall.

No, man had no peace till Jesus came. Now Israel could have experienced that peace many times, as they either collectively joined together in giving praise and honor to God, and obeying His commands. But on the whole, as for the man who lives on this earth, peace was left in the Garden of Eden. That relationship with the Father and His guidance was changed when Adam followed the LEADING OF HIS WIFE EVE! We must keep to the order God has planned for His children.
Where there is no order, then chaos ensues!

That peace was something that comes from God. And it was sent through His Son Jesus. We the wounded and the polluted by our sinful nature, were made "whole" complete with nothing missing, nothing broken in our lives when confessing Jesus as Lord of our lives!

He was the bruised, the oppressed, the One who was beaten beyond any recognition showed us how corrupt the flesh nature really was according to God and His standards. Every wound of my heart or yours was taken by Jesus. Every hurtful word or hateful abuse was first taken by the Lord. In all that battered, bloodied and disfigured body He carried the hurt that occurred in my heart and yours first.

That peace Jesus obtained was by violence. It was that violence that takes the life. Looking back to Noah and the flood, we see the rain becoming a flood that would take a violent force against any who remained within those flood-driven areas of the land. It was those who were in the Ark who remained dry within that Ark which rode upon the water of the flood, who would ultimately live to start again.

How could He, Jesus remain so faithful to God to do the thing needed for man-kind? He remained in God Himself. "Yeah, Shelley, but Jesus was God. Yes, but Jesus did not call down those legions of angels to assist Him, did He?"
He is the true Christian. And the way we should walk today is in those steps He took while He walked this earth. When we remain, abide in His teachings and His ways, we find that peace, which fights against any chaos in our lives, and keeps us secure in the shadow of the Almighty God!

Psalm 91:1-2

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High 

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 

2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress;

My God, in Him I will trust." 

NKJV

Abiding in Jesus, we find the same peace He held. He walked, not cutting Himself off from the synagogue or from those leaders who were there at that time, like the Pharisees and Sadducees. Jesus could face them, and walk away victorious because of His strengthening relationship with His Father God. The more time He spent in prayer and the Word, the more He gained the authority to speak peace into His situation. Jesus remained faithful to God and kept no sin in His heart. He was the ultimate sacrifice!

1 John 3:8

 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

NKJV

The more we learn how Jesus walked each time, the further into more peace and into that strength we move, and that peace can only come from God. It was not by separating Himself from that which He had to do.
Likewise we must not refuse to do that which seems hard, or anything the Lord would speak to us to do!  We must continue to walk with those God has placed around us, and speak to those we must speak to and with, we find, when a "storm" does come, it is one that we call that peace of God, to see the chaos removed. Jesus addressed each question and presented them with questions that ultimately pointed back to God the Father.

What authority do we carry when walking through this journey of life? What amount of authority can be seen when facing an enemy we have never met before? The only authority that counts is that which is from God, and remaining in Him, and staying away from sin will mark the path we walk, abiding in Him, and seeing those waves grow calm. It is staying away from sin, for any that darkens the doorway of our lives must be repented of and move on in God's Word and plan. In reflecting on God's plan, and the Redemption through His Son on the Cross, we each are brought back to this "one thing".  Do we really want more of the Jesus Who was the crucified for us or are we happy with the one who man depicts from the painting of the Cross on our living room wall? For many years, when our daughter was still young, we too, had the picture of the crucified Christ, the one with eyes looking to heaven and with the halo around his head. One could see this man's face, the wound on his side and the nails through hands and feet. But it was not till the 1990's that we actually heard how Jesus was crucified. I learned a lot about the weapons used in that day and yes of the cat o' nine tails. You know those leather strips held broken glass and metal pieces in their length and you had nine of them.  When I understood those passages, that though a man, no one could see His visage. NO one would know what He really looked like because of the massive damage done to His body and face. Yes, what Jesus did that day was to die for us, and in His resurrection from the Dead, we gained full legal rights that were PAID IN FULL! TODAY, we have rights to healing, to being whole in our bodies, to being whole in our minds and our emotions and to live in peace all of our days.

In the light of God's Word, is our decision today going to be one in the tradition of men or is it in an expectation of learning about what was gained for us at the Cross? Will we sincerely go by the Word of God and remind ourselves of the day at the Cross, the day at Calvary when everything became dark at noonday?
Many years ago, I went with my parents to Carlsbad Caverns. It was a length of hours to make this tour deep into those caverns made by all that rivers of water so many years ago. At one point, I believe it was the one cavern room called the Garden of the Gods that we gathered or huddled together, that the guide said the lights would be shut off. Our small group of about 35 people, experienced a depth of blackness that day I have never forgotten. The lights were off for only some twenty seconds, but that blackness certainly felt like it enveloped us all in one instant. No one moved from the place where they stood, and the coolness of that depth, deep in those caverns, certainly made one "feel so small and insignificant". I wondered if those who watched Jesus die on the Cross felt that darkness at midday. (or noonday) I wonder if they were enveloped in such darkness that their emotions took them to depths of such despair that all they had done to Him, all that they spoke to Him, and now standing so close and could not touch or speak a word!

Luke 23:44-46
44 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.' "
NKJV

Will we seek that which brings life or just continue to seek man and his mental knowledge. For the image of the man on the Cross in most cases, is one seen as from man's own mental image. But the image our Father wants us to recall is the one that depicts His Son WHO went to the Cross for a dying world! Our taking up the Cross daily is reminding ourselves that we too, must die to the things of the world and to have a walk that is in the image of Jesus Christ the victorious ONE!

Taking selfishness to the Cross, we are choosing to seek to find our place, and that peace in Him. Those fancy homes and cars and high-paying jobs certainly look good, and sound good but in the long run are like that which is built on the sand. In the end, all was just a fancy castle built out of sand and nothing more.

 Our identity is in Him and in Him alone! For it is truly how we are to live, move and have our being. (Acts 17:28)  Apart from Him, we can do nothing. (John 15:5) We are not to be those distracted, for surely in this world people will have tribulations and trials, but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For Jesus overcame the world. He deprived it of power to harm us. (John 16:33)

 Luke 1:76-79
76 "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 
77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people 
By the remission of their sins, 
78 Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 
79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace."  
NKJV

Father God, we are not of the world according to John 17:11,14............we have come to the Kingdom of God, so we do not operate in this world's system. We neither talk or act like the world.
We know we can have tribulations but Jesus overcame the world. Today, we receive His strength, His peace and that power of the Holy Ghost to walk through with our heads held high. We will not be the cowering and wondering what we will do next, but our choice today is finding our place in YOU.  Today Holy Spirit guide us out of any stress related problems and into Your peace and joy. Help us to see the process and the time it will take us to gain that authority for we know we have it all now, but getting that past from our minds will take some work and much time. Your grace is sufficient.
We understand that an "excellent" life begins with that excellent thought life and attitudes. As all fruit has a root,  the root of our actions is our thoughts, words from thought, our emotions (moods) and those which can take root. Help us to get excited about taking part in dealing with that thought life, and to pay attention to that which comes out of our hearts. You our Father desire truth in the inward parts (Psalm 51:6). Help us to see that which is of benefit to us in this life walk.
Today, we pray to be those who will pay attention to that thought life, to our words, those moods and attitudes that are rooted in it. Holy Spirit we loose You into this situation of our thought life. Help us to have and keep that purposeful heart that maintains a godly attitude. Help us to speak only those godly words for life. "Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8) Father YOU seek the pure in heart, and YOU are surely the expert in removing the worthless things while making sure the process is retaining the things of value. Our commitment is to face YOUR truth and allow change to come to us in Jesus' name. Amen.


Please join me in part 2: Deserts and Devils



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

What Have They Seen in Your House?

2 Kings 20:1-21................20:1 In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.' " 2 Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, saying, 3 "Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 5 "Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. 6 And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David." ' " 7 Then Isaiah said, "Take a lump of figs." So they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

8 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "What is the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the LORD the third day?" 9 Then Isaiah said, "This is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing which He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees or go backward ten degrees?" 10 And Hezekiah answered, "It is an easy thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees; no, but let the shadow go backward ten degrees." 11 So Isaiah the prophet cried out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz.

12 At that time Berodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 13 And Hezekiah was attentive to them, and showed them all the house of his treasures--the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all his armory--all that was found among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.

14 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah, and said to him, "What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?" So Hezekiah said, "They came from a far country, from Babylon." 15 And he said, "What have they seen in your house?" So Hezekiah answered, "They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them." 16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD: 17'Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,' says the LORD. 18 And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.' " 19 So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good!" For he said, "Will there not be peace and truth at least in my days?"

20 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah--all his might, and how he made a pool and a tunnel and brought water into the city--are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 21 So Hezekiah rested with his fathers. Then Manasseh his son reigned in his place. NKJV




King Hezekiah lay near death and the sickness was of a nature that it would surely cause him death. There was at the time a plague hitting the people and it amounted to great boils on the body. The nation was at war. As the leader of this people, he had no fight in him due to the sickness that was taking over his body. He turned toward the wall, which was toward the Temple and prayed. His prayer was heard and the prophet returned with the answer to that prayer.

When God moves in a mighty way ARE we likely to forget and entertain as the world does by showing them our "stuff" and not mention the healing and the miracle God did for us? No easy thing, but GOD, does the miraculous in moving the shadow ten degrees backward. Awesome deed is done and it is made note of the occurrence. The report revealed that a miracle in the making would cause the King to go the temple on the third day!
Back on the job and ready to continue his leadership role, King Hezekiah receives letters. As he received the letters of his recovery, he was also receiving the sender of the well-wishing thought. Ah, but alas, Hezekiah just wanted to show off his "stuff" and did not tell these people of the awesome things God had done for him. " Look, I have this, and this and this. Is this not grand?"

Isaiah the prophet is sent back to King Hezekiah and said, "what did these men say, and from where did they come to you?" Of course, Hezekiah said, "they came from a foreign country, from
Babylon." "WHAT HAVE THEY SEEN IN YOUR HOUSE?"

And the King answers, "there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them."

Yes, the king certainly showed them all the wealth he had accumulated, but all the wealth does not measure up to the goodness of God when healing occurs that points to the miraculous being done.

But consider that these men are from Babylon. They no doubt were excited to come to the place that most astronomers of Babylon would have been delighted to visit and find out about how the sun dial moved backward. What an event to see in the natural! Then to not make mention of the whole ordeal and how it all worked together to glorify God, how awesome that would have been to participate in that to glorify God!

Was the King looking for friendship with the Babylonians? Was he more apt to show and display his wares, his fortunes, his things gained through the mantle of wearing the crown, and his storage of the soldierly warlike inventory he held at the time. He surely held facilities to hold all the wares he needed for war!

The prophet no doubt is sent to reprove the King. As we see in 2 Kings 20:14...as the King was complimented by their visit. But the whole thing was wrong!

It is a vain exhibition, and the King offered no reverence or respect to his God.

Do we get caught up with "the stuff" and forget the times God has healed us, kept us from harm, only to delight again in Babylon's friendship? What a message that would have been if the king told them about how God moved the dial backwards? How many could King Hezekiah have ministered to in those astronomers of that day. "Wow, look what my God did here to save me from death!"

No, it appears that the king was all too happy to show off his treasures, so others might see him as to be admired. Sounds a lot like pride does it not?

"Well, I am just innocently showing them my wares!" Wrong! It amounted to sin in the heart. It was a sin in vanity and pride. King Hezekiah's confidence was in "his stuff"!

What "stuff'" do we like to show off? Is there anything that we hold pride in that we have done for ourselves? I think of those in business and is it one what projects that which is honest and of good report or is the business man leading the way in corrupt methods and ways of doing business?

I was approached recently on-line by a ministry and in few words they wanted me to "know" that they were thanking me for my giving into their ministry. They were telling all those they minister to that I had given into that ministry and made a sacrifice toward this ministry. So all those that they spoke to about me and (my giving into that ministry) were in reality saying let's all thank her together as in unity!  Which was based on a lie at that time as I had not given nor had my husband given into that ministry!

Honesty is imperative. Whatever ministry, and however big or little, the optimum word is to be honest to everyone about everything! To tell people that I had given to that ministry when I had not is a lie! (and if God is telling you to give into a fertile soil of ministry, do it, do not delay, but we should not be giving because someone told others we had done it when we have not sown there.) Sowing in the field where we have received a good teaching is vital, but only in that place God has shown and you are fed!

I think of those who are studying for a degree to advance in their career! Do they hold a regard to study and not cheat on exams or find the easy way out of studying?
I even think of those who do things rather under-handed by taking drugs to make their bodies go beyond the limits of the thing they are trying to achieve whether in cycling, football or even in any other kind of sports!
Do we collect "sports cars" for the glory of God or..................?
King Hezekiah was just caught up in "things" and the glory those lifeless things could bring him! Did things become his "god" and cause him to not see fully what God had done for him in healing a body?

It is best to turn from wicked ways and give glory to the One who heals, saves, and delivers. The next time someone comes to visit, will we "show them our stuff" or will we "tell them what God has done for us?" "Will we tell them He saved us, delivered us, and yes healed us of all our infirmities"?

In closing I am reminded of a lady who came out to visit back in February. She has this great sports car, low to the road, and beautiful! She could have pointed out her car but in all our conversation that glorious day was the goodness of God to her, her husband and her sons. She told of the testimony of how God had moved on their behalf on so many occasions and how her sons were doing in school. God is good and He is good all the time to those who believe, to those who adhere to His Word and will not let go of God and of His truth! Her family was experiencing seeing God move in dramatic ways to show He is always ready to perform His word in their lives. She was seeing the life He planned for her and all those God had given her in this life. Hallelujah!

God does come to see how we handle those things He commits to our hands. In any tribulation we should always pay attention to those who are walking with the Lord and hear Him, and to stay away from those who are against us. That is, watch and stay with those who regard God and His power. Stay close to the Word and speak when recovering from any ordeal like sickness, divorce, death or even with past hurts and wounds! Receive a discerning heart, and lean not on what you know but lean on God. It is His Word that is lamp to our feet and a light to our path! Knowing Jesus is our Wisdom, when we listen, we add to our learning. It should be God's guidance we desire and to do always!

Father, Your Word says, "my son , give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out it springs the issues of life." Today we pray for our heart to hold the words of life. We understand that one's preferences and inclinations can be subjected directly by the world. We also understand that the world has the pre-conversion heart and can affect our relationship with YOU our Father when we do not guard our heart with Your Word! Proverbs 11:;2 tells us that "when pride comes, then comes shame; but with the lowly is wisdom.
Father, today we set ourselves to resist pride when it comes!

Today, we expect Your Word to rule over our hearts as we walk with You on this journey of eternal life. We do not desire to be those of vanity and pride, but those who will give glory to God for all that He does in this place. We have come to worship and give thanks today for all that You have done for us and we expect to see Your will done in our lives and our children's lives as well!

We, Lord, do not desire for You to withdraw from us! We know this can be a problem that affects our walk with You. We desire for our lives to be God-centered. We do not want to be overtaken by any thing that possessions can bring as they matter little to us in the scheme of life. We certainly cannot take "stuff" with us when we leave this world! You, our Creator, never intended materialism to be the basis for abundant living.

Today we will hear what God the Lord will speak for He will speak peace to his people and his saints. Today we will not turn back to folly in pride for surely God's salvation is near to us who fear Him that glory may dwell in our land. (Psalm 85:8-13) Lord You will indeed give what is good and our land will yield its harvest that is righteousness. Thank You for preparing the way for our steps in this process. AND Thank You that the reward of humility and the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is riches, honor and life. It is in Jesus' name we pray. Amen

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