What SNARES?

SNARES, WHAT SNARES?

In walking around the backyard I was reminded of my younger days of walking through fields of bluebonnets, sweet clover, and weeds about knee high. I was also reminded of those fields that held an abundance of fleas.
Although at that time, I did not know how to apply the word of God to stop those critters from clinging to my socks. So it was an ever so gently removing of the socks and shoes outside the house before entering into the house to wash off all that field dust and hitchhikers. Yikes!

I find places to walk today that are people friendly like level paths for the feet, dry areas and mostly grass, asphalt or concrete. I am not much of an enthusiast for finding those wild, wide open spaces where animals rule. One dog in the house is plenty. I certainly do not need to go looking for further adventures with the "wild game" of America.
Had seen this video clip on the "news" recently of this group of men who got out of an SUV to take pictures of Cheetahs.......NOW, did they not know the Cheetahs are known for how fast they can run....????
But seriously why do something like that? Are people not in their right minds when taking adventures on hikes, vacations or cruises to those far away places where there are still animals, critters to hitchhike on socks and even some things we would rather not mention here.
But I remembered today of this lady who took her family on a trip to Bermuda one summer. But of her return proved delightful to her in that she has three children and the oldest was a son, they all cooperated by the rules in place to have family time and fun together.  Her son proved vital for help on the trip and the girls were a set of twins who were about four years old at the time, laughed a lot and agreed with what mommy said!

The lady came in to our work place about a week after her trip home and told us of that trip and how the sun was great but she was not feeling too well. She had some fatigue and had slept a lot since returning home. She also happened to show us this long red mark on her right leg. It was a streak of red from the side of small toe up the side of her calf. Yikes again! I asked her if she had been to the Dr.  and she had not been but she told us that she had made an appointment for that day!

When she returned to our place of work, she told us of her report and she had been snared by some parasite from the sandy beaches of that region. Although they were told to wear sandals especially on the beaches and when showering in those shower stalls next to the ocean, still she had contracted a hiker who hitched all the way back to Washington State.
She had to take medicine for parasites and recovered from her ordeal, she though shared that she thought she would take a different kind of trip the next time.

Snares?  Proverbs 22:5 Amplified Bible 5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the obstinate and willful; he who guards himself will be far from them.

Thought of this and wondered if the people who have resorts to visit really give the proper information to those traveling abroad to see their vacation land? For those who do not tell truth to those coming to the "resort" will certainly encounter some thorns and snares.
 For people who will not operate in truth will lead others into certain dangers. If a full shoe was needed to cover the entire foot instead of some a sling sandal, maybe the hitcher would not have caught a ride with this woman to her home.
Reflecting on her time there, she was glad or happy for some real time "with her children" and enjoy some summer sun, but to be sick on returning to her home was not in her plans at all!  For this lady came home with something "that troubled" her body and could have caused some serious damage to her body.

I wonder today how many go around with parasites from other countries and regions and never know they have them!
We must know truth and be given to hearing truth and what lies outside the region of which we live. For certain travel is necessary at times when some family member is ill or one just wants to get out and see some scenery other than down the I-5 corridor in the northwest.

Not sure this lady took any more adventures outside the mainland, but I know I would check out which "critters" live in that region of the world and what chances are they likely to catch a ride of a human type transport.
wall,
People may lie, and lie to their advantage, but God will never lie to us. He gives us His wisdom that speaks only truth to us. Lying is wicked (Psalm 109:2 and Proverbs 13:5) and an abomination to the Lord (Proverbs 12:22). And we know that all lies originate from the devil who is the father of lies. John 8:44

God is to be our wall. He puts a wall around His people to keep Satan at bay. He did that in the example of Job. Satan complained, “have you not made a hedge [wall] around him, around his household and around all that he has on every side? (Job 1:10) It was only when God removed that wall that Satan could attack Job. And we see what Satan did to Job.

We each have the personal work of rebuilding the “wall”. It is one who seeks to have a strong relationship with God, and then see that it is He Who provides the defenses for us and our loved ones. Yes God is our WALL!

Before traveling this summer be sure to find out all the necessary information to the place you decide to visit. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what may be necessary information the travel people forgot to tell you and what you really need to know about. And ask questions about the region or place you have chosen to travel.

God desires us to wise as serpents and gentle as doves. Enjoy the warm summer breezes, the scent of honeysuckle and watch in the evening hours for those lightning bugs and be reminded that God lights our way we when ask Him to light our way and enjoy His goodness that he has for you and me!

New teaching at: Voice of Prayer  

Beyond Our Ability by God's Power

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You can also visit my You Tube channel Voice of Prayer 

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New teaching at: Life Giving Wells

Positive Good in the Face of Evil

https://youtu.be/ke5QPZmhNJg

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

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Where Our Spirit Fails, God Never Fails

Voice of Prayer

Psalm 143:7-10  Amplified Bible 7 Answer me speedily, O Lord, for my spirit fails; hide not Your face from me, lest I become like those who go down into the pit ( the grave). 8 Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning for on You do I lean and in You do I trust, Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, for I lift my inner self to you. 9 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; I flee to You to hide me. 10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; let Your good Spirit lead me into a level country and into the land of uprightness.

Answer me speedily!
Answer me yesterday Lord.....sound familiar. Gee God, I needed the answer yesterday. For many us, we need the answer yesterday to whatever may be occurring today. But if we had been on guard over our walk with Him, we would have known when to spend that extra time praying, and less talking or more time reading His word about something specific instead of looking for the answer from another mouth other than God's mouth.

We are to live by the Bread that comes from heaven. It is life -giving, power packed with all we need and it keeps us safe in God's presence.
That self-gratification thing though can get us into trouble. It takes us places that are terribly unsafe, reckless and where our spirit can fail within us.
David said this in Psalm 143 and reading from verses 1 and 2: Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, and in Your righteousness. 2 And enter not into judgment with Your servant for in Your sight no man living is [in himself] righteous or justified.

David has prayed. When we get to verses 7-10, we see him praying for his deliverance and the quickening of the Holy Spirit in his life.
David prayed for the agreeable in God. Though really bad things were occurring, still David held on to his convictions that God is good. He was seeking the Spirit of God that would reveal the prudent, the reliable and yes the most wise way to walk on the right path.

There will always be situations in our lives: some mistakes made by us and some made by those who may touch our lives in some way. Still the prayer to God is made for the guidance when trouble is not only prevailing but should be implemented well before something or someone "comes to disturb the peace".

It is holding on to God's peace within His presence, we keep to the level country. Anything outside of God is then revealed that is where the dangers and false speaking lie.

But when we get to verses 11- 12 of Psalm 143 we find this: 11 Save my life, O Lord, for Your name's sake; in Your righteousness, bring my life out of trouble and free me from distress. 12 And in your mercy and loving-kindness, cut off my enemies and destroy all those who afflict my inner self, for I am Your servant.

What David is praying for here is to be helped in his daily devotions to God. Quicken by the Spirit of God is what David desired most. Though so many things were incensed against him, still his thoughts were on keeping his heart open to hearing and receiving God's truth.

No one is exempt from trouble of this world, but when we keep our focus we prevail. Where our spirit seems to fail, we must be strengthened in the word of God and know that He never fails.

I like Psalm 27:13-14 in the Amplified Bible. It states this: 13 [What would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord's goodness in the land of the living! 14 Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brace and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.

Seeing God's goodness is remaining in Him. It is seeing Him on a daily basis and not once a week for an hour. If we truly are the sons of God, we will glory in His might and strength. If we truly are His sons we will know His voice when He speaks. We will know when He has come to our defense when it is really needed and not when we just whine about something.
He knows us, He knows what we are about. He knows our failings and our triumphs, but they fail in comparison to His great love and glory. Our hearts are to be filled with all that He is from His word. Anything less is the grave!

Keep your peace, gain your strength and let your heart become the stout and the enduring. Make your stand with God and see His glory fill your life. Amen.

Notice: 

The Voice of Prayer  has a new teaching:
Ministry Moments: Mighty in Deeds, Miracles, and Prayer

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WATCH OUT for Snakes!

Voice of Prayer....R. Twiner

Was viewing the evening news....well, more like muting it, and watching and waiting for something news worthy to watch and hear about last night. (Friday evening)
One came up about this little girl....so I took it off the mute button. Story was out of Australia I think it was and this woman had taken some pics of her little two year old out along some old highway..sounded like a outing while weather was nice........well, long story shortened, when the woman got home and got her pictures made, she noticed that where her daughter stood to pick wild flowers or such...was next to this old fallen down fence...and across it was "what she thought to be a part of the broken down fence." Well in truth, it was a massive, poisonous snake that slithered slowly next to her two year. Yikes!
And in the pic, I saw neither it's head nor tail. And its size in its middle was bigger than my arm.


Psalm 91:7-16   NKJV
7 A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. 8 Only with your eyes shall you look and see the reward of the wicked. 9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 10 No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; 11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. 12 In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. 13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation.

Verse 9 reminds us that when we have made the Lord our refuge, our dwelling place, then no evil shall befall us. Do we run to our refuge in time of trouble?
Verse 10 reminds us that no plague comes near our dwelling, for the Lord (v.11) gives His angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways.
Now those ways....are being submitted to the Lord! It is not following anyone or anything else. Even the Most High is our dwelling place.
Verse 13, we shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent shall we trample underfoot.
That treading is God the Lord leading us through any adverse situation. In this meaning, the lion is anything that roars against what God is doing in and through us. The cobra, or adder is in some translations is that which contorts or twist........anything. Contortion of anything that looks like:
warped, crooked or bent..
It is used in speaking and again doing anything against God. Trampling under foot is that each step we take we endure in the mercy of God to go forward and expand His kingdom that has come. We endure in God and His word. We flourish in Him who is enough for us.


In working on this today, I was reminded of this passage in Luke 4:22-32 in the NKJV.
22 So all bore witness to him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"
23 He said to them, You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself!" "Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country." 24 The He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 "And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian." 28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city, and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that that they might throw Him down over the cliff. 30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

31 Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. 32 And they were astonished at His teaching, for His was with authority.



We are the saved by the salvation that came through Jesus. And we live in a world that is ruled by the adversary, for "this present evil age (Galatians 1:4) lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1John 5:19)
Staying under the Refuge of the Most High, we know that through Jesus that satan had nothing in Jesus, that is in regard to no control. Satan had no control over Jesus who remained in the Father. He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world.

There will always be conflict until Jesus takes His rightful rule. And He is returning soon to do that. What we do with it in the here and now is to remain in Him, and hear the leadership of the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit that directs us through the here and now. Just like Jesus passing through the midst of those who would harm him, even to kill Him, he passed through the midst of them and went His way.
In verse 31, it is recorded for our benefit that we continue to find Him speaking still as He was teaching to them on the Sabbaths, and His teaching was with authority.

His teaching with authority was marked by the divine presence of His Father that was with Him. Jesus held the approval of the Father. Will we take note of that today? Will we observe when a snake has entered the environment, but we have the authority to continue to speak and do as Jesus did.
There will always be the "roaring" and conflict of many words.  (watching the news for 15 minutes)

For again this world is under the sway of the enemy, the old serpent himself, the devil and anything that is of disorder, confusion, and sin-riddled, and yes of many tragedies is from the enemy who came to steal, kill and destroy, but we are to abide in God and in Him we abide in safety. We abide in Him who is our shelter, our high Rock, fortress that is fortified for our protection.

Psalm 61:3-4    NKJV   3 For You have been a shelter for me, as strong tower from the enemy. 4 I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.

Setting our love upon God our Father,  we are the delivered.
Setting our love upon God, we are set on high.

Because we know His name, and are intimate of knowing who He is .....we can call on His name.
AND WE CALL, God our Father will answer us.
He is with us in trouble; He will deliver us and honor us.
AND it is with long life God our Father will satisfy us and show us His salvation.

Staying with Him, residing within His presence, we stay out of confusion, we are the comforted, and choosing Him above all worldly favor we are the protected. We have been, given His grace and have been given good things. Will we see them, acknowledge them and give thanks for them?

He has given us by His grace to know when someone is speaking twisted words to us. And we can tread on it and move forward to expand the kingdom of God that has come, never missing a step or the opportunity to minister life to another about the love of God and Jesus His Son.

Father God, today we pray Psalm 91. Cover us with Your feathers for it is under Your wings we take refuge. Let Your truth be our shield. Show us those things that are twisted in speaking, and help us to walk on Your word of truth that is peace and safety. You are our Shelter, a strong tower from the enemy and we will abide with You forever. Our trust is in You! Ten thousand may be having accidents on interstate highways or state routes as well but it will not come near us as Your word is given to us we stand.We have made Jesus our Lord and no evil befalls us. We are thankful for the shed blood of the Lamb and we live in a land that flourishes and with every need you provide, we rise in the glory of the Lord, the devil is under our feet and we believe Jesus is returning soon. Thank You Father for your love and we abide in Your everlasting arms and to Your glory. Amen.


Notice: 

The Voice of Prayer  has a new teaching:

Prayer Advances the Kingdom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at4bsVLLIAU

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

Perfume, Oil Scents and Trouble?

Pic by Voice of Prayer

Favor is given as a purpose.

Esther 2 :8-17   NKJV   8 So it was, when the king’s command and decree were heard, and when many young women were gathered at Shushan the citadel, under the custody of Hegai, that Esther also was taken to the king’s place, into the care of Hegai the custodian of the women. 9 Now the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance. Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women. 10 Esther had not revealed her people or family, for Mordecai had charged her not to reveal it. 11 And every day Mordecai paced in front on the court of the women’s quarters, to learn of Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her. 12 Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after she had completed twelve months’ preparation, according to the regulations for the women, for thus were the days of their preparations apportioned; six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women. 13 Thus prepared, each young woman went to the king, and she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the women’s quarters to the king’s palace. 14 In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who kept the concubines. She would not go in to the king again unless the king delighted in her and called for her by name. 15 Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her. 16 So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 17 The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Any one and anything outside of our environment and community are those who still have some authority to make the rules, the laws, or something else that can be or appear as negative to us. Esther found this out in a big way!

Moving in God’s favor, Esther found herself outside of the environment she knew. Even though out of his sight, Mordecai continued to seek her welfare for good. We find him pacing back and forth and asking questions for her welfare within the walls of the king’s dominion.

Esther had to complete the 12-month process of the oils and perfumes just to go in and see the king. In this process, any serious skin problems would be dealt with. The woman was not to be blemished in any manner. Of the products used at the time, myrrh, honey and cassia topped the list. Myrrh was a healing agent, an oil resin native of Africa, the oil was as perfume, a perfume ingredient and for wound dressing. It was sought out for the use on ring worm type disease. The cassia was noted for what we would call PMS problems.

Sudden removal from one place to another is a great burden to many people. For many people it looks and sounds like big trouble!  Like children as an example, any trip outside of the 24/7 at our home, my little sister would require her pillow and blanket. She made it known that she had to be home before dark and she was two when she told our mother that. Moving to take another position far from what we know as the “known and the comfortable” can make some people down-right unhappy. In truth, some people can get downright ugly about the whole situation.  But evidently Esther has some up-bringing that took her from the unknown place of just a face in the crowd to the known face of a queen. She had to have to recognize the rules and to honor the leadership over her when she arrived as another face in the crowd.

Favor surely came to her, but she had to follow instructions, and obey every command whether she liked it or not. Sometimes people think they know better maybe by their age or even their schooling. But it must have been Esther’s upbringing in the Lord God that brought her to the place she was meant to stand. We only looked at the first part of the walk Esther took toward being Queen. Her greatest obstacle still lay before her, yet she had made it through the first hallmark of being favored by God.

Was thinking on Esther today, I had remarked to my husband of the people I have had opportunity to mentor how many really took it to heart to make the notes of wisdom the Lord had me give them for the walk with God. Some made notes as I would speak with them. Some just would come and nod and smile a lot but really asked no questions.

My husband has opportunity in the position he holds to do the same. He has done this for many years. In the recent, he spoke of all the ones who have heeded what he told them, and they had moved forward and gone farther in less time than those who took no attention to the wisdom he gave. I too,  think on one who I had given attention to and gave wisdom of God and it seemed to be rejected every step of the way. Ah, but rejection can be good, and paying attention to the speaker of why they chose another direction, certain does not limit God in their life, but it puts a roadblock by said person that they know better than God. Many probably just tell Him, bye, bye for now.........."I know better"....yet, theirs lives give a hint a trouble when you see them and hear them speak.

One thing is for certain, Esther heeded that which was before her and she was reminded of what her uncle Mordecai told her when she came to live with him after her parent’s death. Oh, yes, in Esther there is much, much more of detail, but the preparation came first. And in that process there is the waiting to do the next thing.

I thought of this month as Valentine’s Day approaches, and how many roses will be bought and given. I thought of how many boxes of chocolate and perfumes would find their way into the hands of a woman created by God. And in those scents and fragrances, I thought of this passage:

2 Corinthians 2:12-17     NKJV

12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, 13 I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia. 14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ. 

And I thought of this passage:

Song 4:9-12      NKJV

9 You have ravished my heart,  My sister, my spouse;  You have ravished my heart  With one look of your eyes,  With one link of your necklace.

10 How fair is your love,  My sister, my spouse!  How much better than wine is your love,  And the scent of your perfumes Than all spices!

11 Your lips, O my spouse,  Drip as the honeycomb;  Honey and milk are under your tongue;  And the fragrance of your garments  Is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

12 A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. 13 Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with pleasant fruits. Fragrant henna with spikenard, 14 Spikenard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices----15 a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and steams from Lebanon.

Experiencing authentic love happens when both the man and woman of God know who they are in Christ. As with the union between two people designed by God, we look even deeper to this in the sense of the body of believer’s in Christ Jesus. We should refuse and abstain from any kind of involvement that would cause unwarranted situations to arise. Abstaining from the unneeded keeps us clean and away from that which might destroy.

In preparation, we are to seek God first. We are to seek to have godly counsel and not just any counsel! And we are to ask God to show us where we stand and with whom we stand. For God has someone for each who looks to marry. And for those believer’s in Christ, we look to keep ourselves holy toward Him knowing that He is our 1^st priority to even living this life.

Learn to speak the language of love. Spend time in 1 John, 2 John and 3 John. Be wise and look forward to knowing someone as your husband or as your wife, and know God as Your Husband who comes for His bride without spot or wrinkle. As we learn to speak with the Lord, then we can speak with others and those we are destined to know and walk with through life.

Protect your garden with the Lord and protect that which is with the husband or wife you have.

Celebrate the walk you have with Jesus. Celebrate truth that you will really know who He I
has destined you to be in Him. And then celebrate life it is just beginning.

AND then last but not the least of these:

Psalm 45:8-9     NKJV

8 All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia, Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad. 9 Kings' daughters are among Your honorable women;  At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir. 

As we spend time to seek His face, and know Him and remain within His presence, we become aware of those scents of myrrh, aloes and cassia. We become aware when that beautiful scent presents itself in our smelling, and enjoying the beautiful scent of the Savior, and our HUSBAND, THE LORD!

All that Esther was taught, the testing came in a big way when she had to fully depend on God Himself. Each of us will face that moment. It will not matter who else is around you, but what strength you hold that is of God that will carry you into your future. In His speaking, we hear His love, peace and wisdom. And it is that Word of God manifested in you that will hold you when all chaos is breaking out either towards you or your community. Stand firm, give heed to the adversary but speak all, write all and share of all God has done for you.

What symbolic language will you learn of His speaking? What will you discover in Him that will not be like any other relationship you have ever known? The ideal relationship, the ideal marriage, the authentic is only found in God. Enjoy His timeless truth in speaking love to you! Amen!

Notice: 

The Voice of Prayer  has a new teaching:

The Truthful Witness: Not Based on Lies, False Ideas or Fantasies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yapgc3QC344



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

TREMBLE!

Jeremiah 33:9

9 And [Jerusalem] shall be to Me a name of joy, praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth that hear of all the good I do for it, and they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace, prosperity, security and stability I provide for it.

 Psalm 105:1-4

Oh, give thanks to the LORD!

Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!

2 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;

Talk of all His wondrous works!

3 Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!

4 Seek the LORD and His strength;

Seek His face evermore!  NKJV

Jesus spoke of His desire that we would all be in unity. And what does the scripture say that He prayed? 

John 17:20-26

20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."  NKJV

Unity….Faith……Glory…..Jesus said, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word (message) 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in M, and I in YOU; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them. That they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

I take you back to the moment when Jesus rode into Jerusalem. People were laying palm leaves and their outer garments or tunics on the pathway……….and was being laid down toward Antonia Fortress. But Jesus had to have gotten off the donkey………pushed through and broke the line right in front of the temple and went in to do some things.

Matthew 21:6-17

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

"Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

"Hosanna in the highest!"

10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"

11 The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

12 Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 "It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'"

14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.

16 "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him.

"Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, "'From the lips of children and infants

you have ordained praise'?"

17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night. NIV

What will we recognize in another person? Will jealousy reveal its ugly head or will people see Jesus in us? Over the weekend we had were invited out to this new restaurant we had not been to before. It was great food, a really awesome atmosphere and the time flew by so quickly. In the upstairs dining area there was one wall of all different kinds and styles of mirrors. Some had gold frames, some were of black frames, and some were antique-like frames. It was done so well and the decorating style had a wonderful appeal for the eyes to take in for that size of wall. With all the different sized mirrors, the arrangement of them certainly made the room look bigger. And I thought of Jesus and how He reflected God to those around Him.

In the amount of time of Jesus’ life and His ministry to those around Him, the children certainly had praise in their mouths. I could see those money-changers being driven out. Jesus was re-directing them from the money venture that they had imposed in that place. In Jesus, we saw how zealous He was that the temple would become what it was always to be……….a House of Prayer and a place where even the children would raise their voices in praise to God. The children had to have danced around Jesus when He was disturbing those upright tables and bringing all that money to the floor of the Temple. Jesus was there to show the way. As Jesus was spoken of by the prophets, Jesus was now speaking His language toward that which revered God, lifted His Holy Name, and brought glory to HIM.

For people were all watching and saw what might have seemed like a great disturbance at the same time many were trying to direct Jesus to Antonio Fortress. The city was full of people for the Passover that was about to begin.  Jesus was pointing the way to God and how God was to be given all the praise for who He was. He was pointing to JUSTICE AND GOVERNMENT THAT was of God Himself! Jesus was pointing to prayer/relationship.........not taking over a government that was representing man. 

Our assignment is to recognize and know Jesus has come, tell others about Him, give them the salvation message and show them His love. We are to direct them, not to the hurts from the world but the power of God that supersedes every name in the earth, (on it and in it)

Ministry is that which points every person back to Jesus, the plan of Redemption, and once obtaining Salvation, to walk as He, Jesus, Who was, is, and is to come and always will be Holy!

Jesus did not command people by rules or regulations. He came to set people free from religiosity. You know that which is, children hidden in the back rooms, dim lights, slow music to begin worship……….okay, enough worship, let’s talk money………announcements. Message and done. Oh, did we have time for prayer tonight?

We were told in Jeremiah 33:3 amp…that we are to call to God and He would answer us and show us great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which we do not know or recognize, have knowledge of and understand.

In my estimation of the passage, it is for us to call to God……Jeremiah 33:2-9

2 "The Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth-Jehovah is his name-says this: 3'Ask me and I will tell you some remarkable secrets about what is going to happen here. 4 For though you have torn down the houses of this city, and the king's palace too, for materials to strengthen the walls against the siege weapons of the enemy, 5 yet the Babylonians will enter, and the men of this city are already as good as dead, for I have determined to destroy them in my furious anger. I have abandoned them because of all their wickedness, and I will not pity them when they cry for help.'

6 "Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem's damage and give her prosperity and peace. 7 I will rebuild the cities of both Judah and Israel and restore their fortunes. 8 And I will cleanse away all their sins against me and pardon them. 9 Then this city will be an honor to me, and it will give me joy and be a source of praise and glory to me before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see the good I do for my people and will tremble with awe! TLB

In spending time over this passage……one thing was evident and that was that God Himself wanted to show the people what trouble they were in and how the whole of what they had done to themselves would play out.

In the course of this reading, we know the prophet Jeremiah was to call upon God in prayer as we all are called to pray!  In this we have the Holy God, His character, we have His covenant, and we have His glory. In the crucifixion of Jesus we saw the crown of thorns that surrounded His head…..His whole thinking process that represented man in his sickness, his disease, his lack of strength because of hurtful experiences or painful memories of things past.

I do not know about you, but I want to know my future. And I can declare all those promises but they will not supersede my prayer time with God.
2 Peter 1:3-4
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. NIV

 It is that abide word again. It is that declaring those promises to Him, but also communicating….”Father, this is my heart today!”

So when we ask God……our Father will show us what things we have gotten ourselves into that will probably one day be a message to others……”Don’t do what I did”……”but seek God with all your hearts”.

In the Amplified, verse 6 and following reads this way: (Jeremiah 33:6) Behold, [in the future restored Jerusalem] I will lay upon it health and healing, and I will cure them and will reveal to them the abundance of peace (prosperity, security, stability) and truth. 7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to be reverse and will rebuild them as they were at the first. 8 And I will cleanse them from all the guilt and iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will forgive all their guilt and iniquities by which they have sinned and rebelled against Me. 9 And [Jerusalem] shall be to Me a name of joy, praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth that hear of all the good I do for it, and they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace, prosperity, security and stability I provide for it.

In short, yes a timely word indeed to what was about to transpire in the seeing of those who had fallen away. For those who had come from the “old man” to become the new man in Christ experience this. For calling on God and His holiness (righteousness) we take hold of that new covenant man, and experience health and healing. In each of our lives, our serving becomes that when we partake of His broken body and shed Blood. In that we experience His prosperity, His security and the truth (revelation knowledge). From verse 7 the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to be reversed. We as individuals will praise God for His goodness, no longer held in captivity.

“JUDAH”- was considered the noble one. What occurred before Joseph in Egypt, Judah was the one that truth would be revealed. Judah did not desire harm on another as we look back at Genesis 37:26-28

26 So Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh." And his brothers listened. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt. NKJV

As we read throughout Genesis and of Jacob’s family, who had become Israel…….yes that name change, remember?

Jacob’s oldest son Reuben gave up his birthright to lead the family by engaging in incest. (Remember what we had read on Esau and Jacob? The birthright was to be given Esau, but he lost it because his need for a bowl of lentil soup. (Genesis 25:31-34)  31 Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright." 32 "Look, I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?" 33 But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.  So Esau despised his birthright.  NIV

Genesis 27:36

36 Esau said, "Isn't he rightly named Jacob? He has deceived me these two times: He took my birthright, and now he's taken my blessing!" Then he asked, "Haven't you reserved any blessing for me?" NIV

Simeon and Levi committed murder. So it was in Judah to receive that blessing from the father. Judah was one who was seen as the “lion”…..and the image of that was painted for us in……Revelation 5:5

5 Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."NIV

In Moses' dying blessing (Deuteronomy 33:7) he prays: "Hear Lord the voice of Judah (in prayer) and bring him (marching at the head of the tribes back again victorious) unto his people."

As do each of us have a place in the body of Christ, those of the spiritual reside in the place of praise to our God, we have the place of authority and royal priesthood. As that of Israel…….we are those united as one family in God. When we recognize His voice, obey His commands, we know He is delighted that we are following in the way we are to go. (Psalm 37:23) God does not kill, steal or destroy. Anything or anyone declaring these things are not of God, but of the devil. It is in our recognizing Him, and telling others about Him, that they hear that spiritual joy in our voices. We dance like David danced, and we will never back down when giving truth of Jesus Christ the Lord of glory. We have the opportunity to have a birthright in God through Jesus………and have the blessing too!

When we are in unity…….that harmony……..we co-operate with God and receive His instructions for our lives. And as we keep leaning on…….our trust growing in Him, we grow in faith!

9 And [Jerusalem] shall be to Me a name of joy, praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth that hear of all the good I do for it, and they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace, prosperity, security and stability I provide for it.

And that holy house……that noble sanctuary is to God a name of joy, praise and glory before all the nations of the earth that hear of all the good that God does for it………..and we His people shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace, prosperity, security and stability God our Father provides for it.  Amen.

And this he [Moses] said of Judah: “hear O Lord, the voice of Judah (prayer), and bring him to his people! With his hands he contended for himself; but may You be a help against his enemies.”

Father, may our voices be heard as one in unity……..not of noise, or of confusion. But no matter whether we are yellow, black, white, red……..we all matter in Your sight. We desire to be that one with Jesus…..abiding in that place of “fearing You in all Your glory and holiness” and trembling because of Your great good to us. May our eyes always be opened to see You in our lives and may we never act like the “lost”. May we hold You in high esteem because You are God. That we hold our gaze upon You who is awesome in splendor,  power and might. We desire to be prayer warriors who tremble in Your presence………and seek Your plan, seeing our place and stand to defend with the Word of God that prevails. May we ever be mindful, if God be for us, who can (possibly) stand against us? He Who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all---how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? God, You are our JUSTICE. In Jesus name we stand as One. Amen.

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

ON YOUR MARK, SET, GO!

Exodus14:5-14
5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, "Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?" 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him. 7 Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. 8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness. 9 So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.

10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD. 11 Then they said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?' For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness." 13 And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."    NKJV


Now we know that the people were not really fleeing. We know them to being quick in obeying what they were told to do when leaving Pharaoh and Egypt. (God knew Pharaoh would change his mind)
And of course, those serving Pharaoh were probably really upset in that whatever duties those Hebrew people held while in captivity were going to go to those who remained who served Pharaoh.  Yes, trouble on the horizon!

Ever seen that today............? You know down-sizing in companies and those people remaining get NO increase in pay, but do twice or three times the work in a regular work day!
THEN  we see in verse 6 that Pharaoh is making haste to get his chariot to "go"! He has those six hundred choice chariots and the rest that are mediocre type chariots. You know we have the grand made ones..........extra parts, extra quality put into them, and then those lesser quality made chariots....those probably made with a cheaper grade of wood, made with parts that were left off or out of the whole concept because they were " cheap". HE PURSUED THEM HOPING TO OVERTAKE THEM! Yes, he changed his mind.
Now, let's think about those fine Arabian horses that pulled those fine chariots. We know the Arabian to be fast although not as fast as an American quarter horse. Those Arabians are accustomed to the heat. They were used for many centuries and for great distances. So you have a well-bred animal for the desert.
Then of all things........yes,......the Lord had them go by the way of the wilderness instead of going by the shortcut through the land of the Philistines.
Sometimes it requires some amount of days, weeks and months to get the past out of our daily thinking. Sometimes we need to meditate on "those miracles" and give testimony of the truth that God is for us. But sometimes, the present is so embedded into our thinking, we need some time and exercise in knowing Him as the God Who performs miracles, and displays them in His power among His redeemed.

Psalm 77:13-15
13 Your ways, O God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
NIV

Read below about the long way around in the wilderness:

Exodus 13:17-22
17 Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, "Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt." 18 So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt. 19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, "God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you." 20 So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness. 21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.   NKJV

So back to Pharaoh, fine chariots, and fine Arabians horses all on their way to bring you back to the brick making party with no straw.........and more work added..........that you have to look for your own straw! WOW!

Exodus 5:10-23

10 Then the slave drivers and the foremen went out and said to the people, "This is what Pharaoh says: 'I will not give you any more straw. 11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.'" 12 So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. 13 The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, "Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw." 14 The Israelite foremen appointed by Pharaoh's slave drivers were beaten and were asked, "Why didn't you meet your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?" 

15 Then the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: "Why have you treated your servants this way? 16 Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, 'Make bricks!' Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people." 

17 Pharaoh said, "Lazy, that's what you are--lazy! That is why you keep saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.' 18 Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks." 

19 The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, "You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day." 20 When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, 21 and they said, "May the LORD look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us." 

22 Moses returned to the LORD and said, "O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all." NIV

Yes, there was some trouble on the horizon! It was a day of maybe terror would you say to those who would not trust in God? The people were telling Moses, "why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?' "Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians, for it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness." (Exodus 14:11-14) Even though they saw the miracles.........they did not lean on God. They just thought of what they left behind.

Exodus 14:13-14
13 And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."
NKJV

Holding our peace can be hard..........that loose lips and speaking against what God has said, but that world can have a hold on our thought life. But God is telling them to hold their peace, that God the LORD would fight for them.

Yes, when it is time to leave Egypt, that same thinking has to go as well. This Hebrew nation was reflecting on the years they had been held in captivity.........and they relived it in those moments that they saw those fine chariots and horses headed towards them. Those chariots would be on them quickly, indeed!
What frightens us from our past? What have we not let go, to revisit in the recesses of our minds?

Psalm 46:10-11
10 Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

11 The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. NKJV

In this day and time, it is in the Lord that we will find our answers. It is getting still before Him, and quieting all those voices that say anything different than what God has said about you or me. Silence those emotions that may speak loudly, why lament, God is on the scene. Are you saved or you just the wandering one? Those who know their God will do exploits!
They will walk when they must walk and they will run when they must run.

1 John 5:3-5
3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.   NIV

Overcoming this world and the things of straw or lack is only in this world. But the things of God are spiritual, the lasting for an eternity, where we saw Jesus turn water into wine. Allowing God into our circumstances, allows us to stop looking back at Egypt and lack and look to the resources of God Who is enough for us. It is the place where the healed come back to give praise, the lame jump for joy, the blind see again to follow Jesus ......the Way, the Truth and Life!
Be still and become acquainted with God and allow revelation of His word overtake your life, and you will see the enemy defeated time and again for the Lord came to set the captives free. AMEN!


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

Changing Seasons: Embrace the Transition

Don't you love the changing seasons? My favorite is Fall. I am always delighted with the leaves of color falling to the ground as they leave the season of warmth in glorious color and display marking the time for mankind to make time for rest during the cold, wet season that follows so briskly behind.
Those leaves of color surely are majestic on the mountainside or along a roadway that leads out of town and into the country where there is an explosion of color on both sides of the road, in every driveway marking a pathway to someone's home and even around those lakes and along the depths of ditches. I can look out my backdoor and see the golds, yellows, cranberry reds and blazing orange that adds color on a golf course of velvet green. Yes, those leaves are falling and man attempts to clean them up, sweep them away from that velvet green, but I like the gentle fall of those leaves and how they cover the ground so quickly when the wind announces it is in town to stay!
As those men try to sweep away the past, do we reflect on that which God brought us through, what God did when we needed Him the most, and if we touched lives in His name?
Our yard has been decorated with some unwanted broken limbs from the swaying of the willow trees. Yes that wind has announced loudly that winter will be here much too soon.  But seriously, Fall is the best time of year to me.
Fall is transition time!

Fall is the time to reflect on the months gone by for 2015. It is the time to settle once and for all that God is with us. We are to know that without doubt He is our safety and security. But we must also take account of what lies before, in the cold of winter, the wind of change in the air, and time to either relax or remain in what we have seen year after year or acclaim loudly, that we are the awakened and ready to be partnered with God for the end time harvest.

When we look for that "change" to appear on the horizon, we either embrace it or run from it. We will find those who choose to stay behind while the few, those chosen will move even in the cold of winter to find God's plan for them. They will look to make plans and see about outreaches to their community. They look for any doors that will be opened to them. They look for any class time, Bible study time, and lots of prayer time with those who will assist them in moving forward for AND WITH God and in those valued things God has prepared for those who love Him and are the called.

I think of Moses, and how he must have wrestled with God through those lies that came to taunt Moses at every turn as the time grew closer for God's people to be led out of captivity.
In Hosea 2:14-15 we find about some "trouble" that becomes a door of hope!
Hosea 2:14-15
14 "Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
Will bring her into the wilderness,
And speak comfort to her.
15 I will give her her vineyards from there,
And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope;
She shall sing there,
As in the days of her youth,
As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.   NKJV

If you have come through "trouble" understand you are not alone in this. Others have come the same way and probably in a different manner. As God comforts His family, they find a place to sing and rejoice in what He is doing. I have seen it this year, have you?


Isaiah 65:8-10
"As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes
and men say, 'Don't destroy it,
there is yet some good in it,'
so will I do in behalf of my servants;
I will not destroy them all.
9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
and from Judah those who will possess my mountains;
my chosen people will inherit them,
and there will my servants live.
10 Sharon will become a pasture for flocks,
and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds,
for my people who seek me.              NIV

Yes, for God's people who really seek Him will find that resting place. Even when the cold winds blow reminding us that winter is not too far off, yet, we keep our eyes on the horizon and our future which God knows so well.

Now in the case of this "trouble" Achan was a son of Carmi of the tribe of Judah. His sin was that in his covetousness, he took a chance  of taking a mantle from Shinar which is Babylon and he also took for himself two hundred shekels of silver and a gold bar about fifty shekels' in weight. (all the metals were to be given in consecration to God)

They were told "NOT TO TAKE ANYTHING" FROM the fallen city of Jericho. A ban was in effect to not remove anything from the city but that all that could be burned would be burned. As of the metals, they were to be consecrated to God. Read in Joshua 6:15-21.....

Joshua 6:15-21

15 But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. On that day only they marched around the city seven times. 16 And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: "Shout, for the LORD has given you the city! 17 Now the city shall be doomed by the LORD to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19 But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD." 20 So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.    NKJV

Really strong punishment for not obeying God. Achan and his crew of family, and all property was brought to the area to be stoned and then burned with fire. See Joshua 7:25. High price to pay for not being loyal to God!

Our lives are certainly touched by many other lives. But we choose whom we will serve. Do we want to serve ourselves, and get our way all the time OR will we serve God faithfully and expect His good for us? ARE WE COVETOUS ABOUT SOMETHING WE SHOULD LEAVE BEHIND?

In agreeing with someone, is it right in the eyes of God? Like Achan, his sons and daughters were at some degree responsible as he was. As their leader of the household, he should have been bent toward following the instructions given to all by God. And as that leader, leading his family to do the same. But alas, it was not to be for Achan and his own!
It is to our advantage to be disciplined in the Word of God and in His wisdom.  Achan certainly chose his covetousness above God. He had to be stopped because any further venture in that direction by any others as Achan, would change the end of what Canaan was representing to Israel. And what was promised was this land of 'promise'. It was to be inhabited by the Jewish people and to be divided among the 12 tribes of Israel. It was a future and a hope that God desired for His people!

Jeremiah 42:5-6

 5 So they said to Jeremiah, "Let the LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do according to everything which the LORD your God sends us by you. 6 Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God."   NKJV

Whatever "trouble" we may have passed through in 2015, let it be known this day that "what the Lord speaks, pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God.

"Church" as we know it as been done in most cases as a religious thing. Of course we know "church " to be the body of Christ. It is to have no walls around it. What is on the horizon, is that which is ministry to those outside the walls of a building. Ministry will be done in new ways, new plans, and through much prayer time with God. What is on the horizon looks like dramatic change. Those who have spent time with God know this is happening. They are the excited, they have "boots on the ground" ready for action.  This transition is happening. We move into our future today. We use those cold, wet days to pray, seek God in ways we never have before and lean not to our own understanding but in all our ways trust Him and know His way is the "right way" and we will move into Spring with victory for those who are faithful to the call!

That which is God belongs to God and that which is of the world should be left behind. You choose!

Let's make a faithful commitment to serve God with all our hearts, move out of the building with walls and touch people's hearts with the love of God!

An except from my blog: A Zealous Warrior at Dawn or In the Dark of Night:
It takes more than the prowess of a strengthened body and muscles twice the size of a weight lifter to prove the worth in battle. But ultimately, we face an enemy who works in the spirit world. We have to be trained in the Word that is "spirit and truth". David said, "I caught it by its beard and struck and killed it." NOW THAT IS A WARRIOR IN ACTION THAT IS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL!

Ephesians 6:12-19......12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 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, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints------19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Our strength to walk everyday is in knowing God and His ways and thoughts. We are to be clothed with that which looks like "the Christian soldier". We are to contend with faith that our trust is in God and His plan. We look expectantly to victory for He is our courage, and all the promises He has for us, are in Him and Him alone! As we know, the devil does not show up in a red suit and tail to dance around us, but he certainly works in darkness and to practice the ambush he wants to set to destroy man. He came to Jesus in the "wilderness" after the water baptism, and he too, can come and tempt with the eye gate and ear gate. He always comes to people, not in a repulsive form but with some enticing temptation to allure to his way of sin and deceit. He comes with an invitation to entice one to the pleasures of the world. Any darkness can represent sin and ignorance. We are to be those Christian solderers, who as warriors, wage the war on the enemy. We are to light the way with God's Word and declare what he has done through His Son Jesus. We are those to stand against pride, ambition and of course, against any revenge against another person. Jesus taught what His Kingdom was and we are to operate within that kingdom. We are to stand against anything that speaks crosswise to the Word of God.

Reading the Word of God is paramount and when we put on our righteousness, we are standing ready with the Word for battle. We are the warriors, who have put on truth in our hearts, and being sincere to speak knowing it is what our Father God speaks as well.

Change is here, like it or not! Being ready is important..........to move when God says "MOVE"...........not out of town, or hide in a cave, but be ready to move to the frontline to face and speak to the enemy with truth. Surely we need to rest, but it is in His peace we are to reside. And if you do not know that peace or are far from it...........then find out why you are not at peace! God has the answer.  Truly God is for us..........AND HE IS IN US! Rise and take your place. Find that door........God is our hope for all our tomorrow's............It is not over yet!  Embrace the transition and be loyal to God! Amen!

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