Don't Live Like a Refugee

Voice of Prayer: Storms come, but do not be defined by them.

Was thinking of this title for about two weeks. I then remembered the lyrics of an "old" Tom Petty song that was done some decades ago, and asked the Lord what I should write about.

Now from that song, he mentions being burned by other lovers and in respect, the world can provide many lover's, but to whom will we trust our hearts to?
Being held for a ransom, literally tied up into something of the world is a "really bad place" to be. Yet there are many who are not saved today. They have not turned to hear His voice, the Lord of glory, but have continued to walk and hold onto abandonment, brokenness and pain.

Refugee: one who flees for safety, either from war, forced out by hurricanes and tornadoes.
The Collins Dictionary gives this meaning: REFUGEES are people who have been forced to leave their homes or their country, either because there is war, because of political or religious beliefs or because of natural disasters.

Bad things can occur. We live an world with an evil ruler (satan), yet our hearts are to be set on Jesus Christ the Lord of glory. Understanding that He is to leads us, yet I wonder how many are still placed in harm's way. More bad can come upon the world when sin is prevailing. 

Scripture tells us in Matthew 5:44-45..."love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. 45 "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes the sun rise on the evil and o the good; and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

We may not want to think about that sin thing! But when a nation turns from the things God they move into harm's way.  I remember this family who moved out of harm's way in the Texas area. They moved many miles due north of them to be doing "what the Lord asked them to do". 
So today they are high and yes dry. They have their home and safety as well.

But even if you are in the as we say "bad zone", the Lord has a way out. Being Christian should not be one who just functions within a "church building". They should not to consider that they are cutting edge when they remain closed up like Jericho behind closed doors. (The difference, the world is going to get them, instead the Lord has come  live within us and show us to take the land for His own glory.) If God is truly in us and with us we should be taking the land for His glory.

Recently I had written on standing like Esther. We should stand in the face of any real situation that can kill, yet when we know God is with us, we stand victoriously just like Esther and she did it through prayer. In Scripture we find others as well who took the "hard " road if you will allow it. They took what is known as a non-antagonistic stance toward the world. In Daniel and Joseph, we saw relationship precedes any ministry.
You cannot lead anyone you cannot influence. If we are cut-outs that just fit within the building...then we will be of no value where it counts. It is a real service to speak prophetically to your congregation but what about speaking that in the marketplace?

There has been many violent storms come through the coast lands as well as many fires inland of this great country. Yet are we speaking of God 's goodness and are we going into all the world or is is just about "that" Saturday night service or Sunday morning service.

In Dr. Bernard's Greek translations he introduced three such words for "world".
One is found in Matthew 13:22. Within this speaking of Jesus, "the cares of this world (aion) refers us to the period of time, to a generation that is in human history.

A second one is found Matthew 24:14. Again in Jesus' speaking, it is, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world (oikuomene) as a witness to all the nations." Oikuomene means land, territories and geographical nations.

Then Dr. Bernard gave alos a third meaning for world that is found in Mark 16:15. Again within Jesus' speaking,  "Go into all the world (kosmos) and preach the gospel to every creature." This use of kosmos by Christ is very interesting indeed.  Within this meaning we find it means to penetrate every social order, arrangement or culture—the way human society is organized. Yes, we are to penetrate the culture with God's word.

Have had many a talk with my husband and son-on-law as well about how to penetrate the culture as it is. If you have been in church for any length of time you will find it is divided into what is known as the the society in seven pillars.

They are : (1) religion, (2) family, (3) business, (4) education, (5) government, (6) arts, and (7) media. The latter five of business, education, government, arts and media make up what is called the "marketplace."

In understanding we are given the command to "go", then we also understand that Jesus gave us that to "preach" but also to engage.

(In a recent teaching from Life Giving Wells, the Lord gave me the teaching for "God Devised Glorification". Within that teaching we are to engage, not remain within "four walls".

Whether you have been abused by a hurricane, hit by a fast moving tornado or seen raging fires within your community, state or country, still the mandate still holds. We are to engage and in that point to engage that social order within any territory and yes the marketplace we must prove to be the relevant.

I have seen people in the last ten years to stop their teachings and pull up couches to just "chat it up" about some distant memory of God from their youth or early years of ministry but mention nothing of His majesty and glory that prevails when we come on a bent knee to pray in Jesus' name and to live like He purposed: not as a refugee from the area of 'hard knocks', volatile situations but to live for His glory in His peace and His victory. AND that is for today, to live for Him, and expect Him to prevail for us.

There are many people misplaced, and some without anything much to return to but ashes. Do not allow the devil to tell you are finished! Do not allow him to lie to you! It is not over! Get up, dust off and heed God!


And for those who have been through it already, what about our taking part in prayer for those affected, and what about some support from our check-book for those affected, and what about food from our own pantry to support another,  and from the prayer room of our house? 
No we cannot be in all places like God, but when we pray, we live outside of the box. When we pray we seek the face of God and see things change for the glory of God and for the safety of His people things happen, the environment is changed and life appears again.

Living out the Pharisaical route should not be considered among us. 

I remember reading once of Pastor Kong Hee wrote and preached that people of the church were not to live like they are carving out a Christian ghetto for themselves. He wrote they who do live that way, live in legalism and continue to make man-made rules. He said in that environment, members of the Christian faith would be taught to see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil. 

Yes, each one of them within that congregation would remain unexposed to the world around them and remain also very innocent to those things as he related.

Ours is to live a life unhindered. If we truly live within Jesus's teachings, adhere to that truth only and do as He does we would be outside of the walls more often. God truly wants to keep us safe and if we obey Him, then we should be found with Him in truth, love, peace, holding onto faith that we are purposed to live for Him. Whatever the occurrence in your life, yet God is alive and He hears us when we really seek Him in prayer.

We are not to live as "refugees". We are to live for God to see His glory come and fill this earth, not just within four-walls of a church building. Today, I pray that you would know when God is speaking. And it will not be from the lazy boy recliner of life. We must be immersed in Him, His word, and be those who will pray those truths out. May the Father of Light reveal to you what is on your pathway, and may you heed those detours and obey to move ahead when the going is clear, yet remember He said I will never leave you nor will I ever forsake you. Where ever you may be at this moment and whatever condition, obey the Lord's leading and go in His peace. Live life to the full, and fear not. Remember, " seek first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."  ( Luke 12:31-32) Amen.

New teaching at: Voice of Prayer  

Greater

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciSWjqC6fWQ

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

God Devised Glorification

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw-ubNvAOdY&t=2s

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

http://bit.ly/2wgu1kw

Seasons

Voice of Prayer

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6  BUT concerning the times and the seasons brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 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 no sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.

Seasons come and go. We watch with anticipation for the flowers first bloom, even when the temps are barely able to climb into the fifties. Then we watch for the rays to cast longer shadows for the lengthening days and by the fourth of July we expect to see the days grow shorter and the warmth to turn to a shiver that travels from the face and down our spine. It is most certainly the right time to reach for that jacket or even a hooded jacket to keep the moist off the glasses to see clearly while taking that "short" walk around the yard or the neighborhood!

In 1 Thessalonians 5, we are reminded to keep watch as the one who believes the Gospel, the one who belongs to Christ Jesus and not to give way to a careless attitude where one is unconcerned about the seasons. Keeping in mind to keep God's word and foremost for that instruction leads us through God's grace and to the light and truth.  Our security is to be in the Lord and not in money or things or even in other people! It is not be centered in what we do but that the Lord is in what we do!
Was thinking about people who prepared for their children to go back to school. For in this new year, the parent or parents make certain the child or children have new clothes that fit, new shoes to start the year off right and to have a good outlook on their school learning. Had seen these teenagers interviewed this morning on their way back to school within the Portland, Oregon school district today and one teen said he thought he should be back at school for he was bored at home!

A friend we have known only a few years has a little one going to kindergarten, and we do not see them really anymore for they live in another community some miles away. BUT she had posted the child's look for school and her smile on Facebook and the little one's face spoke volumes about her starting school. Am thinking that the child will do well in her new surroundings indeed!

Preparation is always important. The Lord will come as we see in verse 3. There will be people who will be destroyed. Now no one likes that talk, right? Yet the Bible is firm on it. For we are told those who put their trust into things will not have opportunity to repent. For truly today is the day of salvation, to repent and turn toward the Lord God. If we keep putting off God, then why should we expect Him to answer when the "destruction" comes?


The Lord will come and many will see His coming manifested. He will come when they are not expecting Him to appear.
In the flood, Noah spent some hundred years to build and then the drops fell from the sky. Rain came down of which no one had seen before ever. And people did not repent! They did not stop what they were doing to heed God and the warning!

Jesus will return. And the warning is given to us that we make the changes needed to heed His plan and not ours.
Suddenly, yes destruction is suddenly, and will happen.  As a pregnant woman, that woman in travail (those labor pains) will grown consistently till the child appears. So too, the Lord Jesus has spoken of His coming.  And for any event, large or small people like to prepare. As for going back to school, preparation is key to having order and provide the needed supplies your child may need to be instructed in that which will aid them as adults.
For the Christian, the believer, we too must be equipped and watchful.
To be sober-minded, we keep awake and alert to the devices of the enemy. There was an event of a hurricane that was forecasted to hit the Texas coast last week and people were gathering their plywood on Friday and the storm hit Saturday. (seriously if you can trust the news on TV anymore) I wondered why many took it so lightly and not get out while the getting out would have been good to do! We should maintain vigilance to watch and understand what the Lord would speak to us for safety and keeping close to His heart when alarms are being sounded!

I know not how people live on the coastlines like they do. And many certainly continue to build in the pathways of destructive storms. If you look at the maps of all the former hurricanes they surely made their marks to be read about decades later. Still people will build in that same pathway!
If I am the Christian, and am told to live in that expectancy, am I doing that?

As the parent prepared for the child or children to return to school, should not we hold that place of action and be active in character to keep the Lord our priority? Do we leave church, and go somewhere to indulge in a meal? Do we leave a prayer service and go indulge in something hidden with the dark of night?  (Well, I took care of God's thing, now I am doing my thing?)

Seasons most certainly appear. They come and they go. And being ready should be important to each of us. Observation to keep watch, is the action in full view of others, that Jesus is our Lord. He is Lord, morning, noon and night. He is Lord when we eat at a restaurant. He is Lord when we buy groceries or when we drop by to get those special cinnamon rolls our kids like to eat. Jesus is Lord when we retire at night.  The seasons, well they last some three months....and with that we experience the height and depth of a cold and icy season, the extreme of a hot dog day summer or the extreme of a wind of 75 miles an hour in the dark of night.
Whatever our lives, they should reflect the life which when looked upon could be seen in a 24-hour period in the full blaze of a well-lighted day!

Just like knowing preparation is important for your children to return to school in good form, so too, we should be well prepared with an expectancy that the Lord is coming for His church, the believer's. What we do in any 24 -hour period should be for full display that we belong to Christ Jesus, with no if's, and's or but's about it. Belonging to the Lord is speaking His language, knowing His heart always and being prepared when He says "move"!
And then do it!

I pray today for those living in Texas and the children going back to school. I pray people would know in Jesus' name that power of destruction and that we should know God who keeps us in safety when we chase after Him, seeking Him while He may found and knowing there is a day coming when the Lord will come suddenly. Will people be prepared to know His coming? Today Lord is the day of salvation and may people heed the call to repentance. We pray today for children returning to school and may they be in safety and protection. May they be far from gun violence and far from the angry man. May people come to know the Lord Jesus and move in the places He has purpose for them. May they truly know His love and be bound to His plan of good. Lord we are thankful for those who are the lines in Texas in search, in rescue, in clean-up and and restoration. We pray today for hearts to be encouraged and show us who we might help and send money that would be the most useful. WE BELIEVE FOR THE GOOD TO COME TO TEXAS AND MAY THEY RISE OUT OF THE DESTRUCTION WATERS KNOWING BETTER IS AHEAD! LORD THANK YOU FOR LOVE AND SAFETY IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING. AMEN!

Notice: 

New teaching at: Voice of Prayer  

Anxious Thoughts or Offensive Ways: Swearing By God's Authority

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnhWXUACel4

New teaching at: Life Giving Wells

Behold the Beauty of The Lord : Psalm 27 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH-2RpzYReg

You can also visit my You Tube channel Voice of Prayer 

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

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

http://bit.ly/2wgu1kw

WOULD THAT SCARE YOU?

Psalm 29
Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones,
Give unto the LORD glory and strength.
2 Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name;
Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
The God of glory thunders;
The LORD is over many waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;
The voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars,
Yes, the LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire.

8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
The LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth,
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everyone says, "Glory!"

10 The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the LORD sits as King forever.
11 The LORD will give strength to His people;
The LORD will bless His people with peace.    NKJV

Is God in the "let's scare mankind business"? No! He does not scare anyone, but He will certainly "correct".
Living in the south certainly can be predictable about storms, those either as electrical or the tornadic super-storm. In that kingdom of nature, we can see, wonderful effects of natural causes, and the operations of those powers of nature we see take on a strength and life of their own. Living in those regions where those events occur, can in the least be harrowing. After such storms one can see the magnitude of damage and sometimes death. One can see what is left in the aftermath of such destructive winds, storms, and even in those catastrophic earthquakes.
In my youth, I saw more than one tree hit by lightning. I had seen buildings pushed over as the leaning Tower of Pisa, and knew there was more going on than what meets the eye.

In the aftermath of one such storm, I saw debris piled up for miles and sometimes on both sides of this main interstate through the city. This was the early 70's. There were still flood waters some 24 hours later on major roadways into neighborhoods and highways. In the light of day, and passing through, I saw a golf course that looked more like a swamp area than that of the pristine look of the normal glorious playground of velvet green. That golf course was truly short of its beauty. With standing water and trash and objects strewn around, it appeared to be a "real mess"!
Would this event last? No!
But one takes note of the brutality of winds and destructive forces beyond our control! In all that chaos, man got up and gathered teams, and the clean-up began. What took just minutes to destroy, it would take months to rebuild that which was brought down by the horrific winds of nature. When the waters dried up and the soil removed from the grassy lawns, some resemblance of the beauty started to return. Those leaning buildings had to come down.
Was this God's doing?

Again, no, for God is the God of creating and not destroying. God is not in the destruction business. But satan is the destroyer. He came to kill, steal and destroy!
John 10:10................ 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. NKJV

From the scripture passage of Psalm 29, we are introduced into the voice of the Lord!
His voice is over the waters like we see in the Beginning with God in Genesis 1. We see the Spirit of God hovering over the face of the deep! Verse 4 tells that the voice of the LORD is powerful and is majestic. Verse 5 reminds us that His voice will break the cedars in Lebanon.
People purchase things in cedar when they want them to last a long time. Cedar is considered a good wood. It is considered durable for the long haul in life. Ranchers will purchase cedar posts to build fences to keep their livestock within said boundaries of their property. They expect to pay out money for the best wood in fencing.
But God's voice will break cedar into pieces, and it would be hard to do, or would it?

When we speak the Word of God, and the enemy, that thief (the devil) hears the voice speak what God speaks, then that same speaking is powerful, it is majestic, it is strong, and will shake things up like we see in Verse 8. And in Verse 10, we see the LORD gives strength to his people, and He blesses His people with peace.

So if God speaking God's own Word shakes things up, then we shake things up as well when speaking His Words.

In the dramatic effects of Mt. St. Helen's erupting in 1980. .......that mountain decided to explode into gas, ash and rocks. It lifted high its belching capabilities and lifted rocks and ash far into the sky and then those great capabilities became evident of all the ash into other states. That continual affect left the sky darkened with the ash and then if that was not enough, the day became like night where no light remained. Then there came the spilling over a great accumulation of lava to fill the lake and valley below with melted glacier ice. Yes, even those who were miles away saw the plume of smoke rise higher and higher into the sky. Devastation took place in the area in the shadow of Mt. St. Helen where lives were changed or lost in the cataclysmic upheaval that day. When the word got out, and pictures taken of that eventful May 18, much talking was going on. What was written and recorded was that of loudness that volcano gave giving up it's load of the mixture of gas exploding, causing a heat to melt those glacier ice sheaths to become the muddy waters with a force of power to run it's desired course and in it's path, it took out massive sized trees and rocks larger than a school bus that swept down a great mountainside that had no say in the matter.  And what was recorded also spoke of the the darkness that fell today, and it was like being wrapped in a blanket!
WOULD THAT SCARE YOU?
We lived about a 1800 miles from that catastrophic event and still saw ash on our driveway. It was some two inches that floated down from a cloudless sky!

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but He has given us power, love and a sound mind! (2 Timothy 1 :7)

We must behold His glory. We must behold the Creator who created the rocks, the rivers, the icecaps on mountain tops, the sounds of birds singing, the voices of children in laughter and in play, and the promise of tomorrow in Jesus Christ.

For to us, we have His promises of safety when we dwell with Him. Others who may not know Him may come under the other voice of terror. But He is God forever. He is the one who blesses us with His peace.

I remember hearing about the Comet Halle Bop. The newscasters were saying, "you can see it on these days of this particular month." We searched the sky and found it there, almost like it was held in space. Parading across a starlight sky, we noticed the tail that seemed to go on and on. It was seeing liking this reside left behind, but oh, what a beauty it left behind it. On that darkened sky, it looked like shimmering diamonds. I remembered the Lord spoke to me about it. He said  that when He too, passes by us, we can stand in His glory.........and when we look later or even tomorrow, we would still see that beauty, that lingering affect of being  in His presence. That glory would not be just in front of us, but behind us as well!

In speaking in His glory, in His beauty, power and honor, we are declaring His Word to be true. It is strength and peace to us. But to others that same word may be terror!

That power from Psalm 29 is seen when we declare the same Words the Lord speaks. When we do everything must change.

May we pray and give honor to the ONE who created for His glory. May we all have opportunity to speak to the storm as Jesus did when satan has his hand in it to create evil. Be turned to God and His glory and voice what He has spoken.

Mark 4:35-41.......35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side." 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" 39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"    NKJV

Like Jesus we too, can speak to the storm. It may be a great windstorm arising, but we can rebuke the wind and if there is a sea of water that can be calmed. That which He created had to obey Him!

Father, thank You for Your word that is life and truth to us. In Jesus' name , we pray to be those who declare YOUR word everywhere we go and in everything we do for Your glory. We expect to speak as You spoke in the Beginning and light began.
Today, we stand on the Rock of our Salvation. We speak from hearts that are grounded in His Word. As we speak may the ground shake, yes a shaking that removes that which we do not need so that which is of God may remain. May we spiritually be connected always and look to that raised banner of the Lord's victory over us!
We will not speak as the devil or the world speaks, but we will speak as we hear our Father God speak.

I pray each who read this will walk safely in their way today and that their feet will not stumble. Tonight when we lie down in the South or in the Northwest, we lie down and be in His peace that we shall not be afraid.  We shall not be afraid of sudden terror from the enemy nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes for the Lord will be our confidence and will keep our feet from being caught. Thank You Father for the creative Word that we unwrap today. We will speak as You speak and see the ground shake and that which is of YOU will REMAIN IN OUR LIVES. AMEN AND AMEN!

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