The TOKEN

The meaning of ......token (ˈtəʊkən)  

1. an indication related to as to a warning, or sign of something

2. a symbol or visible representation of something; indication as to an authority, a proof, or of an authenticity

For Rahab the harlot, the sign in the window represented that she or her family would not be touched when the Hebrew nation came through Jericho. A scarlet thread represented protection. It was a symbol indicating others not to touch Rahab.

Joshua 2:1-24

2:1 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. 

2 The king of Jericho was told, "Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land." 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land." 

4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don't know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them." 6(But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) 7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut. 

8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, "I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.  11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. 12 Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death." 

14 "Our lives for your lives!" the men assured her. "If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land." 

15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 Now she had said to them, "Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way." 

17 The men said to her, "This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear." 

21 "Agreed," she replied. "Let it be as you say." So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. 

22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. 23 Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, "The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us."  NIV

This agreement guaranteed her safety and her families as we read in verses 17-21. Those who heard they were coming melted "with fear"!

The scarlet thread in the window was a "sign" of kindness to others. What Rahab had done for the spies who came as she hid them in safety from the men of the city would prove to be a good thing for her and her family. Now hidden, but men who would give voice to safety for her and the family by implication of the tying of the scarlet thread in the window, she gave action to her belief. Her home was located as part of the city wall, and the spies who came left by climbing down strategically and went to tell Joshua all that had occurred!

What would have been her prayer when the men left her with the instructions? What life did she have in the city now closed up, and quaking from fear of the God of the Israelites?
This woman knew that God had given them the land of where she lived. She wanted to be found of that which was of life and not over to death.
Her "harlotry" was not sin among the pagan. But encountering God and His people will cause you or I to see people who have a love and trust in God. She renounced her life of harlotry by giving hospitality to the spies. Receiving these men in "peace" she secured her pathway in peace.
Paul wrote about Rahab. And he mentions her faith that was working by love. She believed. Her peers did not believe. In the force that was coming to conquer, she had believed with her whole heart. She asked for a sign that her parents or family would not be destroyed.
As Jesus' blood was represented by the scarlet thread, the harlot had faith in action to represent life and a peace that all was going to be good for her and her family, even though the city would be destroyed.
It was written that one of the young men who she kept in safety while they spied out Jericho married her later. An attitude of gratitude marked for a relationship where her former shame was erased forever. Tying that "token" in the widow became a reward in that she later became the mother of Boaz. See in Ruth 4:21. She is also named in Matthews genealogy seen in Matthew 1:5.

Lives were forever changed!
By "the token", the sign was given to others.

Psalm 73:22-28  The Message Bible:  I was totally ignorant; a dumb ox in your very presence.

I’m still in your presence, but you’ve taken my hand. You wisely and tenderly lead me, and then you bless me.

You’re all I want in heaven! You’re all I want on earth!

 When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful.

Look! Those who left you are falling apart!  Deserters, they’ll never be heard from again.

But I’m in the very presence of God------oh, how refreshing it is!

 I’ve made Lord God my home, God I’m telling the world what you do!

WILL WE be deserters, and never be heard from again? Or will we make known what God has done for us?

It is impossible to please God apart from faith. Why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that He exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek Him.

You never hear anymore about those people of Jericho. But you hear of those who "believed".

In our daily lives, we are to seek God and it can be hard sometimes, especially in poor health or having to work two jobs, or raise other people's children besides your own. But God is always here. He is always present and praying will keep us close and connected.

If you heard "terror" was on its way to your house, would you not pray? We should always delight to meet with God and allow Him to speak to us in poor health, or working two jobs or just being overwhelmed with many "kids".

If we will just pay "attention" to everything in our daily lives, we might see the "token" He Himself has sent to say, "I've heard your prayer, and I will answer!"

This week I had been going over some things my husband and I had prayed. One day I felt I needed a long nap and took the opportunity to lay down to rest. And upon rising, I addressed the same heartfelt desire for some of the prayer requests to be answered. But you cannot force God. You cannot make Him do anything. He is God! But one thing I have learned, is that if I watch for that "token" to appear, I will know what I am to do next. Well, the token came in the mail. We were not expecting anything from any ministry resources that we had given into recently. Two items were of proclamations of which we had done at church during the summer and the other two were journals. Yes, I was to keep writing and to continue to make "declarations" over our lives and our children's lives.

We declare that we are in agreement with God's promises to pour out His Spirit on our descendants and declare that we will see them grow fast, strong and to soar with eagles.

"For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring, and My blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. Some will say, 'I belong to the LORD; others will call themselves by the name of Jacob; still; others will call themselves by the name of Jacob; still others will write on their hand, 'The LORD's,'and will take the name Israel." Isaiah 44:3–5 NIV

We declare to have new opportunities for us to see who needs that deeper touch by Jesus. Help us to bring healing to people who have been the wounded, the rejected and the broken.

"Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame." Luke 14:21 NIV

We declare that we will live our lives this year above all the negativity around us. We look for doors of opportunity and ask for eyes to see all that God our Father is doing!

"After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in Heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, 'Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.'" Revelation 4:1 NIV

 Our prayer is that people who read this will be open to the new that God is doing. We pray they see the tokens He has sent their way to say " He has never left them or forsaken them." We pray for people to be aware that God is loving them everyday and in every way as they keep their pathway in which He ordained their walk with Him. Father may we together be those who walk by faith in action and see the glory of the Lord fill this land. Amen.

Notice: 

The Voice of Prayer  has a new teaching published:

The Glory of the Latter Rain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44w_A_1IBgg



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

WHAT ARE WE FEEDING ON?

What do we delight to feed on?
Judges 14:1-9
14:1 Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, "I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife." 3 Then his father and mother said to him, "Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" And Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, for she pleases me well." 4 But his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD--that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. 5 So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah.

Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. 6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. 7 Then he went down and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. 8 After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. 9 He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.  NKJV

Our thinking on God's Word keeps us in the protected garden. But going outside of that and dwelling in conversations with others who truthfully are away from the Lord will bring us to where they dwell. Samson was anointed of God and was not to eat of anything from or of the dead carcass such as that of the lion he slew. Yet, he saw the carcass of the lion and ate of the honey that a swarm of bees had set up. What we pick up from others will certainly be gained into the heart. And we are to deal in truth always, but Samson did not. What is dead is to remain dead and there cannot be anything gained from it.........for like the dead carcass will keep decaying till nothing remains. And the bees will have to find another place to make their honey!

People so wounded will always revert to dwell on how they were wounded. If they really liked the people or person who betrayed them or wounded them. And if they saw something in them that reminded them of their mother or father, they will want to stay in that hurt. Some people's thinking is that they deserve it!  What ever they have not been delivered from in their past will certainly be carried forward into their future. That is why many become the "stalled" or just immovable, the fixed on the past, the hurt and always bleeding out. You can have a conversation with one and see where they reside. My sister spends time in the Word and with the Lord and she is always shown how there are those who will return to their own vomit! Yikes, that is not good! To maintain the anointing the Lord places in us and on us, we are to be those of integrity and pray diligently that the Lord will give us a discerning heart to read those who so diligently look for someone to harbor their hurtful needs. Yes, because it can happen! We should have the culture of honor and lift others out, but if they do not want to be lifted out by words of encouragement, then we must leave them. And we should check on them, and pray for them regularly.
Sometimes in our eyes we think we are the wise, but in truth wisdom only comes from God. His wisdom is to lead us in justice, truth and love with much peace. But fools find folly as their way of live and living.

Proverbs 26:11-12
11 As a dog returns to his own vomit,
So a fool repeats his folly.
12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
NKJV

My sister is always praying for those who she comes in contact with and her plan is that God will show her how to pray for those so that they will not travel the same path of the hurt they received. And Jesus surely showed those what they were to do when they were the healed. Your faith has healed you, has saved you,  now go in peace ( or sin no more)!

Luke 7:50
50 Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." NIV
Luke 17:19
19 Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." NIV
Luke 18:42
42 Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.  NIV
 What I liked about Bartimaeus from Luke 18 and the leper was that they gave thanks to God. They were the thankful and moved down that pathway.

Many, oh so many, people just want to set up camp and blame someone for their hurt, their pain, their abuse of being used over and over again. Unless we put that on Jesus, then we carry it on and to our demise.

But the Lord came to deliver us and to have our souls rest in Him, which is the Way of truth and life. To reside anyplace else is not in life!
Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."  NKJV

Finding rest for our souls is paramount. And it is only found in Jesus. Samson never knew when the Holy Spirit exited his life. He started doing things in his own power. We do not want to be guilty of that. 

I wrote on a blog in July 26, 2015 about Samson. It is called "Trading Glory for Sorrows". Yes, God did return to help him, but it was not till he (Samson) humbled himself and prayed. We should never take God for granted.
As a Judge, Samson was to rule righteously. That position was to be held by one who was the faithful to Jehovah's righteousness. In Samson, we saw him getting deeper into sin. All it takes is one time to go against what the Lord has given to us. And then a second visit, and that second visit becomes a ritual of doing. If we know that we are not to do certain things, then what is not allowed should always be our priority to keep our walk with God! Anything out of Him and His word will appoint us to wrath and destruction. Being led by the "flesh creature" is not a good thing. We are to bring our living sacrifice to God as from Romans 12 and verses 1-2.

Romans 12:1-2
12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. NKJV

Our reasonable service is that which is according to God's Word. As that "living sacrifice" we are to be humble and not conformed to this world. Easy, right?
If we delight on feeding on "dead things" then our lives will look like that completely. I do not desire to do that. I desire to feed on His faithfulness that powers me up to do what He has asked from His Word.


1 Peter 1:13-21
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."  17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
NKJV

We are to be ready for action (gird up the loins) in our minds,to be sober and rest as you receive revelation of Jesus Christ based upon the grace from God. We are to have a fear of the Lord. And we are the redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. He was the lamb without blemish and without spot. May our faith and hope be in God and not in "dead things".

1 Corinthians 8:6
 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.
NKJV
The New American Standard says this:

1 Corinthians 8:6

6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. NAS

FOR us, there is One God, the Father from whom are all things. We exist for (in) Him and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, to exist through Him.

Our lives are to represent Him and bring glory and honor to Him as well. Do our lives measure up?

Our lives will reveal things to others we meet! What will ours be speaking to another?

Father, we pray in Jesus' name, that we will be directed by Your Holy Spirit. We understand that any preparation of time with You and Your Word is never lost. We are to show ourselves approved according to 2 Timothy 2:15. We also know that we are to be the "dedicated" and to submit to You and when we are the submitted, the devil will flee from us.

We set to consecrate ourselves according 2 Timothy 2:21-26 for we desire to be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master prepared for every good work. We desire to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Show us those who are the foolish with ignorant disputes that we will avoid all that generate strife. We understand that it is a daily walk with You.  Show us any areas of our lives that need much help!

We also pray to be people of integrity according to Psalm 15:4. We are to fear the Lord and to hate pride, arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. (Prov. 8:13-14) We come to Your counsel and sound judgment to have understanding and power.

Father, we thank YOU for Your counsel today. Holy Spirit, teach us, and show us the way to bring glory to God our Father and to Jesus the Lord of glory. We give much thanks for the Holy Spirit in our lives. Amen.


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