The Neighborhood Watch

John 1:43-51
43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 51 And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." NKJV

Can you imagine what the day was like when Jesus showed up in the "neighborhood"?
Can you imagine if He showed up in your neighborhood much like He did when He came through on His way to Galilee?

On this specific day, we find Jesus calling "to follow HIM"! As He traveled through the communities, He was the one who spoke and the first of the day was Philip. Then it mentions that Philip was from Bethsaida much like Peter and Andrew. They were born evidently in a community of fisherman. But later Peter and Andrew are found to reside in Capernaum.

Philip in all his excitement, runs to tell Nathanael. What an exciting time to be alive! He has seen " the promised One".

We are told that Philip found Nathanael. It does not say what else was going on, but in all the excitement Philip tells Nathanael that "we have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote....Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

What excitement and joy that must have filled Philip's heart, that which so many read of and now see before them, that Philip could now share with someone in "the neighborhood"! 

Do we not get excited when we discover something about Jesus that we had not seen before? Are we not elated and motivated to share what we have just received from the Word of God? For certain, Philip was acquainted with scriptures of the Old Testament and he wanted to share. When we visit the passages written in the book of Isaiah and found in chapter 9.......we read starting in verse 6.....

6 For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called 

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

7 Of the increase of his government and peace 

there will be no end.

He will reign on David's throne 

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it 

with justice and righteousness 

from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the LORD Almighty 

will accomplish this. NIV

We find Jesus called the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, and the Prince of Peace. 

In the scripture below we find Jesus referred to as a "Branch of righteousness" and His name will be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Jeremiah 23:5-6

5 "Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD,

"That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness;

A King shall reign and prosper,

And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 

6 In His days Judah will be saved,

And Israel will dwell safely;

Now this is His name by which He will be called:

THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. NKJV

Yes, there are many wonderful things written to show us what God had planned. And Philip shared with Nathanael but all was not truth of what he spoke. Jesus was of Bethlehem and nowhere does it say that Joseph was the "father" As we know from Scripture, the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and she conceived of the "supernatural" and not of the natural man like Joseph. Yes, mistakes can be made when someone may speak and that is why it is good for each of us to go and study the scriptures for ourselves. It is important to read and reread them and plant them deep in our heart so we know "truth" from error!

The other specific was that Jesus "found" them. Jesus came to meet with them face to face. Without an appointment, a phone call, or email..........today........."what if Jesus is coming to meet you face to face"? Jesus found and then "called them"!

Nathanael speaks and the first thing was:" Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?"

He wanted Philip to prove what he had spoken previously of Jesus of Nazareth.  In light of what Philip spoke was the part about..... of "Nazareth" and Philip just told him "to come and see".  For in scripture, we know,  in Isaiah 7:13-14..........13 Then he said, "Hear now, O house of David!    Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. NKJV

   Philip knew enough of what he read and understood but not enough for another to be convinced. But Philip knew if Nathanael would just come and see, he would recognize who Jesus was! I can tell what I see of who Jesus is and what He has done for me, but you must really come and see Him for you, yourself! You need to make the connection and a lot of times we think if we do not hear or see, that we have missed Him. Yet here we see Jesus and He had come to make contact with them individually.

 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."

Jesus already knew where Nathanael was and what he was doing. Jesus called him an Israelite indeed in whom is no deceit. He was calling him the man of prayer, the man who took time under the fig tree to spend time away from others and spend time to hear God speak. Jesus knew "the state of his heart". He knew Nathanael to be one heart with HIM!
And Nathanael answered, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 51 And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." NKJV

Nathanael was calling Jesus the Teacher when he said, " Rabbi!". He called HIM the Son of God, the King of Israel!
When we believe the greater of Who Jesus is.......we experience seeing the greater for the future.
Telling Nathanael that He saw him under the fig tree, was revealing to more about Jesus knowing the story on Nathanael. He was telling him what had just occurred previously and how the meeting with Philip came about. He revealed that Philip came to tell him the news that Jesus was there.

Jesus saw Nathanael in the "secret place". It was in this place that Nathanael was seeking time with the Lord...............and thinking no one would see, yet Jesus knew where and what he was doing.  Jesus saw in the secret and made it known in the public, in the "neighborhood". Nathanael was different and Jesus made the truth known. In all this, Nathanael knew who Jesus was and embraced Him as the Teacher. He was submitting to the leadership and authority of Jesus, the Son of God. He comes so that our lives will change dramatically from the mundane to the "supernatural".

Nathanael was connected with the Son of Man, the Son of God, the Great "I AM" in our midst! You Nathanael will see the miraculous! We, too, like Nathanael can expect to see the "unseen" manifest in our lives. When it is the Lord who shows up to encourage you and strengthen you in the way to walk and the way to go which is in His truth!

Jesus is seeking those who will submit whole-heartedly to His leadership. He comes to bring strength in our weakness. He comes in our ignorance, to give Light to the word of God and show us the way in which to walk in His wisdom. 

Proverbs 4:10-13

10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,

And the years of your life will be many. 

11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom;

I have led you in right paths. 

12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered,

And when you run, you will not stumble. 

13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;

Keep her, for she is your life. NKJV

We too, can be like Nathanael and go to the "secret place" and look to find the Lord in the scriptures we read and study. But Jesus will be made known to us when we go to see with others. When we get out of the "secret" place and look expectantly, the Lord will speak to us. Like Nathanael, we may not be looking, but the Lord is looking and ever hearing what we speak when we spend time with Him. Jesus will meet you face to face "in the neighborhood watch". He will make it plain and clear that He comes to seek you out for His plan that you see "greater things".

Jesus, You are Welcome Here!

Father, today, I pray in Jesus' name for us to spend time to separate "truth" from error. May we be like the Berean's who search out the scriptures to find the truth of who You are and what we have today in Your name. I pray that we will submit whole-heartedly to Your leadership and Authority. I pray that as we do, that we sill see our years of life will be many, that our ways will be according to Your wisdom, that we be led on right paths, with nothing hindering us! Today, I pray for Your strength where we are weak and for Your guidance when we think we know all we need to know. Because it is You Who knows the Beginning from the End........we set our sights on YOU and ask YOU to lead us in paths of righteousness. I pray that each of confess Jesus as the LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE KING OF ISRAEL, EMMANUEL WITH US! Thank You Lord for Your wisdom that shows where anything is out of alignment in our lives, whether at home, in the work place , school or even in church! I vow to give You praise for all the lives that will be changed because of Your Word of truth. I bless Your name and glorify You. It is Your truth and Light that leads us through the valley of dark shadows and brings into victory. Thank YOU for delivering us from evil work and for the giving us the authority of YOUR Holy name Jesus. Amen.

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

Healing Garden

Is it ignorance that keeps us in the "sickly place"?

I love the scripture "Thy word hath quickened me."

Healing is simple. Like David, we too, can listen and apply the Word to our lives. We, too, can have an attitude to place the word in our lives that brings life to us and yes to our bodies. The offered gift, all of God's blessings are promised to us. Will we accept them, and take the responsibility to receive not only the Word but His healing as well?

Like the Psalms that David wrote, he has placed the Word in a book for human hearts to receive. From reading through the Psalms ( and I have not finished them all) we find that David believed everything he wrote. He exercised his right in prayer and in worship with thanksgiving to the God of truth. It was David who had a heart knitted to the Father, and it was written that he, David, was " a man after God's own heart."

I can only relate my experiences in the Word of God and how healing continues to come to me and my family. We practice the Word of truth. We write it, confess it boldly and expect a harvest. Truly our bodies are the healing garden of God's word.

Instruction for healing is the same for salvation. It is faith that produces. It is God's will to heal by His word. So that when we continually hear God's word and get it planted deep in our hearts, we are those who experience healing through renewed strength and pain-free bodies.

We must give a place for healing to occur! If I plant my garden with tomato plants and then try to plant pepper plants in the same spot as the tomato plants, then there is no place for either plant to grow. I must give place for tomato plants to have the room and right light to grow well in the summer. Each plant must be watered and watched for best results. As with pepper plants, they need the required lighting and water, but they need their amount of space to grow and produce peppers. When planting these, I know they must be in good rich soil and not in rocky, sandy soil. I cannot plant them in the cold of winter unless I have a special place to keep them like a green house and keep the temps that will help those plants produce fruit.

So too, we must plant God's word in our heart, and let nothing cause the word to die there. So the right conditions would be to seek God's desire. It is His will to heal! We cannot stay in the place called" Nazareth of unbelief". For if we are operating under the influences of the "elders" who dictate like "well, healing is for some and not for others" or "healing was during Jesus' time and not now" then we stay in a place of no healing. But God is greater than us and can override the influences of others for even in Nazareth, Jesus did heal a few. It is the putting of the Word in our hearts, and daily confessing it, that our faith grows and produces what we are seeking: HEALING!

Mark 6:1-6........6:1 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! 3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" And they were offended at Him. 4 But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house." 5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching. NKJV

They thought of Jesus as just the son of a carpenter. Are you just considered someone's wife or someone's mother? Or are you like Jesus, the son of___________________? But Jesus said that the prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and among those of his own house! Yet Jesus counted it unto them as "unbelief". Jesus spent time reading and studying. You can find that of him at the age of 12.AND when we study through the Gospels, we also find Him seeking God's heart in prayer.

The more we become enlightened to His Word, the more we see health restored to our bodies. When we continue to read passages and pray, we see harvest in areas we did not expect.

Our little poodle is a miniature in size. She is black WITH some apricot around her face. She had the apricot color around her face for only three or four years and then seemed to fade. Since my husband and I started reading the word of God every night together, our poodle now finds her way into the middle of the bed as we read, hear and pray with the Word of God. She likes to snuggle and we continue to read and pray. In the last two years, her coat is a gorgeous black color and color of black and apricot are returning to her head and face. Yes, God's word works! Yes, "If thou canst do anything........." we see Jesus speak, "If thou canst believe" and then this father cried out, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."  The man got what he asked for and the healing was a success!   ( see Mark 9:19-23)

We have to reject the traditions of men and of our culture and realize God has healing for us today! Today if you will His voice and not harden your heart..........."Faith without works is dead." It is not God's turn to action............the action part is for us to correspond with action according to knowing and understanding God's faithfulness to His Word of truth. For us to fully exercise our act of faith, means that it is in every fiber of our being. It will the same as getting out of bed and going to work the next day. It will be the same as picking up the children after school and sports everyday! That word becomes us. It will be in our heart, mind and body. That word of God for healing in us, will like taking the next breath of air into our lungs! It is the continual expectancy of knowing that word in me is producing health and strength!

In 1 Corinthians 6:20, we are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body..........how can I glorify God in body if I am sick?

Jesus brought heaven to earth, He came to bring in the Kingdom of Heaven...........and in the Gospels we find what He described it as............!

In closing, I remind you that the Kingdom of Heaven and of God was spoken of by John the Baptist. He was asked if he was the "coming one" but John gave reference to the Messiah or Jesus in Matthew 11:5. In these we see Jesus recounted His deeds of healing. Jesus' healings were the manifestations of the presence of the kingdom of God. Jesus brought it forth, to face the forces of the evil one, satan.

As Jesus was always concerned to heal, He always sought the Father in prayer before and after any one time. The healing's Jesus performed  never showed HIM to actually pray over them, but just speak God's word or say something like, "go, and sin no more". Yikes! sin can make someone sick!

We are to come to His Healing Garden! We can and should do just like Jesus did! We can believe and receive when our faith is overflowing with an expectancy to see the manifestation of a body that is whole with nothing missing and nothing lacking.

Father, I come with a fire of expectancy that is YOU who desires us to  BE
whole and healthy..........to go and sin no more! Today Lord God, I pray that we reject the traditions of men and that we accept and receive the Word that saves and heals.  What I am expecting for everyone who reads and prays this is that they will rise higher and higher in Your Word of truth. That each will put away the things of the world and receive the faith of Healing for a whole body that brings glory to God. I pray that all will stand on Your Word of truth and know the promises  of God personally. I pray that hope arises. And may we all speak that "With God all things are possible to US who believes." I am a believer who believes that all things are possible to me. Thank YOU Lord for Mark 9:23.

Thank You Father, our beloved Father who gave His best. Thank YOU for love everlasting, love unconditional and never failing. By Your Word today, we are not conformed to this world, but we are transformed as we renew our mind's to Your Word. Today I pray we all come to be agreeable with Your word and YOUR will and so shall our plans be established and succeed. Our commitment and trust is in YOU for healing today! In Jesus' name I have prayed, Amen!

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

Hand Me the S'mores

In recent weeks, I have seen some church leaders take to the highways and bi-ways to ask people if they believe in Jesus. They ask people on the sidewalks and in park areas or bus terminals if they believe there is a "God". I am amazed at the answers. In the few answers they do televise, only one or two may say they know there is a "God". But the rest of the people who are asked really have no answer or do not care if there is a God or not! Today, it seems there are those who delight in being their own "god" and doing their thing, whatever that it is!

I also understand that it is the belief that is being passed around in this day, especially by some who have a TV talk show, and those who have something to do with music industry and the arts is that each person is divine and is a "god" in their own right! What?
And I have recently been sent information of the movement of an "emergent church".What???

Not sure where I have been, but all this is weird to me!

So if I am understanding this correctly, we need to have church toned down so people will hear His Word and want to come to church. That the important thing is people be given a "message" that makes them happy and want to return.
How many will be happy when they take the last breath and find a million in front of them being moved forward into a fiery hell? How many will be mad when they find out the truth was not given to them for sake of desire to have extravagant numbers to fill the big coliseums with thousands of people and yet not give them the "message" in truth?

Job 5:17.......17 "Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects;
Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. NKJV

Jeremiah 1:10
10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms,
To root out and to pull down,
To destroy and to throw down,
To build and to plant."
NKJV

In referring back to this one program and the question asked, "do you believe there is a "God"? Yes, I believe!
When I saw this program on one of the Christian channels, I instantly remembered this commercial of recent months. The commercial was people partying on the beach and had all their fires going on the beach. It was toward evening time during the summer and someone had pulled out the chocolate, crackers and marshmallows for s'mores!
I thought of how many in that group of people knew of Jesus and what was coming on the world in the next decade. Would any care of the "dramatic changes" that are about to occur? Even in my life time I have seen such changes, and I am wondering what happened to the "innocents of youth"? What happened to people being safe to walk in their neighborhoods without being held up by someone who decides to attack, either just to rob or to "hurt in some extreme manner?
Everyone wanting to do "their thing" is apparent when you drive down any interstate highway. Those who will not leave the "left land" for anyone. They will drive 55 mph and take 15 minutes to pass 5 semis and have twenty cars behind them, but they will not "budge" from the left lane! Yes, I saw it and experienced it on a cross-country trip back in October.

The word of God was given to us, to help us, to teach us, to bring comfort and to see who God is and His desires for us. Like Jeremiah 1:10, the word is given for us to tear down any kingdom satan  has tried to put upon us. ( like family thinking is when you are born into that family)
Example: This woman has always cut her turkey into two parts. She had put them into two different pans, so the turkey was never served whole. At one Thanksgiving dinner, the grand-daughter asked the mother why she did this. She, the mother then asked the grandmother why they did that. The grandmother's response was, " when she was first married back in the early  40's, her and her husband lived in a two room apartment. The oven was very tiny, so she had to cut the turkey into two parts to roast it." "But I would not know why your mom would cut the turkey into two parts."
So we see, some things can be passed down without us even thinking twice to do them. It is something to watch your parents do and then do the same thing, but we really need to find out when it comes to serious matters why some people do what they do and not follow their example!
 God has shown us to root those things out of our thinking,...........to then plant God's Word into our thinking.......so we have the same thoughts as God's thoughts and not someone else's thoughts of that new reality show. We are to be built and planted to grow like the scriptures shows below.

Psalm 1:2-6
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish. NIV

If people reject God, and do their own thing, then when the last day comes for them, one can only imagine where they will be found!

In scripture, we find Jesus told of  and yes, described the atmosphere in the furnace of fire. This scripture is the telling of "the wheat and the tares" found in Matthew 13:36-43.

Matthew 13:36-43
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." 37 He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!  NKJV

So we see the world is the field. Jesus sowed the good seed of His Word. We find it in the Gospels.

Those who follow Jesus, who KNOW God, are those who are the good seeds, the sons of the kingdom. But the tares are those who are of the wicked one, the devil! The "tares" those that "offend", those who "practice lawlessness", will be cast into the furnace of fire. It is described there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. When Jesus talked of the "atmosphere" I always think of those players of a football game who cannot get along with each other, and the chaos breaks out. There is the initial pushing and shoving, then the fist comes into play, "whack" and how many punches did they get in before a referee will even notice? But in this of which Jesus speaks is a fire that never distinguished, it never burns out, but continues to burn forever!

In this fire, is separation from God forever. His Presences is not found in hell. There are no parties and some person yelling" hand me the s'mores"! No, it is not a party for people to do whatever they want to do. Yet there are those who do exactly that, without thinking of the consequences of the future.

For the "righteous", their future is bright and they will shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. When I read on this word, I am always reminded of the three young men from the book of Daniel. 

Daniel 3:16-30

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." 

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore, because the king's command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." 25 "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." 

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came from the midst of the fire. 27 And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! 29 Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this." 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the province of Babylon. NKJV

These men experienced a fire created by man. It was a tribulation or trial, but in it all, they kept their focus on God! The fire was heated up seven times greater for the furnace.

Now these men were men who followed in obedience to all God spoke to them. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego were lead to the furnace by mighty men of valor who served in Nebuchadnezzar's army. As these mighty men were commanded to put the young men in the hot furnace, they obeyed. The young men fell into the fire but were not injured, burned or killed, but those who took them to the furnace died because of the exceedingly hot flame.

Nebuchadnezzar looked in and saw "four" men instead of three and he described the fourth as the "Son of God"! Because of their knowing the "one true God", these men were delivered from fire that had no power over them, nor was the hair on their heads singed nor were their garments affected. It was their God who delivered them from the hands of the enemy.

There is a fire coming to many...........and we still have time to confess Jesus as Lord.  This "fire" is one that God created. There is an everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41) and sadly many people will find their destiny in the fire. There will not be heard laughter, joy, or will there be an opportunity to experience the refreshing breeze of the Lord's presence, and no sound of " hand me the s'mores!

Jesus came to bring us life everlasting. In this, those who live for this life will face two deaths: physical and spiritual. (like Adam died) But those who are born again ( receive Jesus as Lord ) die only once: physically and then are ushered into everlasting life!

We have time to get out of "lawlessness" and that which offends God! God is holy and will have nothing to do with anything wicked. He will have nothing do with anything which inflicts pain,or harm to anyone. It is the devil who came to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10)
He has nothing to do with the profane, the filth, the murderous intent imagined by some, and will not listen to any prayer made with any words against His Son, the Cross Jesus hung from or against His Holy Spirit!

Which will we pick?

Revelation 21:7 " He who overcomes (this world) shall inherit all things & I will be his God and he shall be My son." ( parenthesis is mine)
I choose life today. I choose the life-giving force that comes through the shed blood of Calvary when a God of love sent His Son to die for sinful man. Today I choose to pray for those around me and those I do not know that they too would experience the life Jesus came to give to us..........a life of abundance........in healing, in peace, in joy, in salvation so you and I can spend eternity with God, who loved and gave His best for us!

Father, I pray that we bend down to hear and humble ourselves before a God who can cast someone into hell. I pray for us to hear and understand YOU sent Your Son, the Son of Your Love to die for us on the Cross. Lord, I pray for receptive hearts to know God is good and He is for us. YOU are the God who wants His children with Him for all eternity.  May receptive hearts hear today the still small voice and know that it is You who speaks for us to come and receive through the shed Blood of Jesus Christ. May receptive hearts kneel towards Your Holy of Holies and know Your gentle hand that leads us to joy, triumph, yes, victory in salvation through Jesus. Give us a heart for those who may be on their way to an eternal bonfire that never burns out of that which causes thirst forever and cannot be quenched. Give us a heart to continue praying for those YOU our God are drawing to Yourself and may heaven be filled to overflowing of people of every ethnicity. You alone are the judge. May our names be in Your Lamb's book of Life. It is in Jesus' name I pray. Amen

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

Raising our Eyes to See the Horizon

Do we raise our eyes to see the horizon and look with "supernatural" eyes to see?
Or are we consumed with all that is going on around us and keep our focus on "me, myself and I"?
Seriously, do we just keep our eyes on the little around us to keep us occupied, you know, like buying groceries, paying the bills, keeping the kids in school and healthy, and making it to church this weekend? Or do we seriously look with a focus toward life that is in God and what He planned for us?  Is the everyday, filled to the brim and running over with agendas, the mundane, the things void of life and bring no meaning to our lives or anyone else's?

David said of the Lord; “My times are in Your hand;” (Psalm 31: 15). “Times” here means in the Hebrew; event, experiences, fortunes, occurrences, occasions, permanency, a continuing future, ancient (used in reference and in regard to the past time), forever (for future time; used of continuous existence)..forever (in reference to and of God's existence)

Are our times in His hand? Are our adventures, the events of life, that is nothing more than vapor.........for awhile we are here and then are gone truly in the Master's Hand?

James 4:14-17
14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." 16 As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. 17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. NIV

I tried my way for many years and it did not work. Besides, it is hard to live one's life continually as a control tower of an airport for other's lives. It is like being a dictator without having a country. And who would really wants to be around a "dictator" all the time? Right?

Are we caught up in other people's lives and not our own? Yeah, Shelley, but we are to love our neighbor as ourselves! Yes, but we are not to be the busy body who lives next door! You know, the lady who knows more about other people's lives than she does her own, her husband's or even her children's lives. As the wife and mother, we are to be the " prayer warrior" who seeks God's plan for our family members and even our neighbors. ( loving others as ourselves) As the father figure, he too must also look over the welfare of his family and pray!

What has God placed before you ( man or woman) to keep reaching for Him and His plan? What will you see? And when you do see it, keep it in your heart, like Mary, the mother of Jesus kept all the sayings ever spoken about her son. She pondered truth spoken by two different people in the first few days He was born.

Luke 2:25-40

25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: 

29 "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,

According to Your word; 

30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 

31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 

32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,

And the glory of Your people Israel."  

33 And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." 

36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. 

39 So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. NKJV

Two different people, yet similar in their walks of life, and both were seekers of God and "sensitive" His plan, not only for themselves, but for a Nation!

Ask the Lord to show you the horizon and what lies ahead. Believe Him to show it to you and when you see it, keep it, and hold it in your heart. Keep the dream (the future) in your heart. Do not try to take someone else's dream or future. YOU have a place to STAND in history and eternity! Choose God and His plan. Raise your eyes from the everyday and even the mundane. Yes, by all means, pay those bills, and buy those groceries. Feed your family, pray over them and send them out. Help each of them to become what God planned for them. 

Pray: your husband will stand at the gate of the city with business men........Proverbs 31:11

11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;

So he will have no lack of gain. NKJV

Proverbs 31:23

23 Her husband is known in the gates,

When he sits among the elders of the land. 

NKJV

Pray: your children will..Prov 31:28

28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;

Her husband also, and he praises her: NKJV

Psalm  127:3-5

3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD,

children a reward from him. 

4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior 

are sons born in one's youth. 

5 Blessed is the man 

whose quiver is full of them.

They will not be put to shame 

when they contend with their enemies in the gate. NIV

BE THE EXPOSER to anything that is of the negative and darkness..........for God's word is LIGHT and will expose that which not exist in your husband or children's lives.

That is expose it, and address it in God's love and wisdom. As the Lord directs, bring it into the open or the wrong way of doing something...........you are not the "judge". YOU are the "prayer warrior" and the Holy Spirit will show you things coming to you and your family.

DEMONSTRATE A REVERENCE FOR GOD. Always speak of the goodness of God around your family, friends, and even in church. As you speak, you will give revelation to your family as well.

EXPECT A GREAT CHANGE. You will be the world changer and history maker to you your own family.

Now, I speak to men and women alike. When we read of "sons", this means daughters as well. It just applies the word to that written "the sons of God". We truly are "sons of God" when we follow Him and His plan, being obedient and seeking to please the Father!

Do not be "crippled" by former successes! God can and will always go "beyond " the last thing we saw HIM do in and for us!

Don't set your sights just on reality shows. Don't look for another soap opera.  If we watch the negative type of show that which depicts fighting, words that defame a person's character will bring the same into your home and family. It is sowing into that environment. What you focus  on, is what you will become! You have reality going on all around you. Life is HAPPENING RIGHT NOW! Engage in life today and not another agenda! Engage in life, participate and expect a glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Expect to fulfill all He has planned for you and hear HIM say, "well done thou good and faithful servant"!

Be expectant that He will be a part of seeing you experience being a parent, a grand-parent, and even a success where He has planted you. He will be on 'Hand' to see all that He planned is coming to pass, being demonstrated for your good and my good!

He is never surprised by what we say or do, but He is aware when we refuse to obey and hear His plan. Raise YOUR EYES TODAY, AND LOOK.....WITH SUPERNATURAL EYES........ and expect to see what "EXPERIENCES" HE HAS PLANNED FOR YOU TO ENJOY AND BE A PART OF IN HIS PLAN FOR LIFE!

Father, today I pray for all who read this, that everything that has been, everything that is and all that will be is in YOUR hands. I know nothings escapes YOUR watchful eye. (Hebrews 4:13). Father, YOU are familiar with everyone who reads this blog. Before a word is on our tongue You know it. (Psalm 139:4) Our past, our current and future are in Your capable hands. Yes, all is in YOUR eternal hands. As we bow our hearts before You today, we believe for a harvest in righteousness and it to be demonstrated in our families and communities. Father, it is YOU who takes the tattered and the torn to bring glory for all to see that YOU have us safe in YOUR bosom. Even as I pray for each today, I know You are already aware of what will be done to bring it to pass for each..........so right now I give thanks for each man, woman or youth who may read this. It is the Mighty Potter who mends the broken and brings out of that brokenness a changed and charged life for the Lord's glory. I pray that as we wait on YOU and confess Your word over our families that we will gain new strength. We will certainly be those to mount up with wings like eagles to run and not tire...........that when we walk. we will not become the weary. Today YOU are our strength, and the glory of our heads. Thank YOU for Your goodness to us. I pray for those eyes to see and ears to Hear YOU SPEAK and declare the horizon is filled with YOUR glory for their lives. Be unto Your name all honor, glory and praise. Today we move forward and it is BECAUSE OF YOU THE LORD OF GLORY. I have prayed and believed in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen

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

What about John 3:18?

Thinking of this time of year, one is drawn towards the night angels appeared to a few shepherds keeping watch over their flocks. There came this "Message from Heaven".........Luke 2:8-20......8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 

14 "Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"  

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.  NKJV

Of all the passages, this one and John 3:16 always seems to come up .......that people can quote on the spot.............."For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes  in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

But of late, I am seeing those "license plates" that have John 3:18 and every time I read one passing us on the Interstate, I wonder how many really know what that verse states. It is in the same passage of scripture and is just as important as the verses above it!

John 3:1-21

3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' 8 "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." 9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" 10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."  NKJV

As we make our way through this passage of scripture, we find a man of the Pharisees who is named Nicodemus. Now we know from scripture that the Pharisees had some beliefs and some were.......found........Acts 23:6-8

6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead." 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8(The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.) NIV

Paul was a Pharisee and Jesus told them what was wrong with their stand of making their total devotion a rigid patriotism toward the history of Moses and that generation! The Pharisees had a faithfulness to the covenant given through Moses. Yet Jesus denounced their flaunting hypocrisy in regards to their being the "better class". He called attention to their love of preeminence and of their praying extremely long prayers in a manner of being on exhibit for others to see and to hear. Their fueled a hatred towards Jesus' teachings was evident, as was their opposing Him every opportunity they had, and the continually ill-will talk against Him.

Paul was consistently telling others of what a bondage he was held in as a rigid Pharisee. When Jesus showed up in his life, that bondage was broken, he was set free and was led under the Spirit of God being justified by faith and began his ministry to see others set free from religion!

So Nicodemus comes by night, so he is not seen by the others, and he makes his way to Jesus to ask some questions. 

"How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

 Jesus tells him that he is to be born again, not to the flesh a second time, but born into the spirit. The Holy Spirit moves as He is willed by the Father. We have no say in that! But like Jesus spoke, the spirit moves through like the wind moves and causes the leaves to move, to fall from trees, and to gather together on the ground. We hear the sound of the wind, but  the effects on the leaves is the falling from the tree, and gathering at their lowest point on the ground.

We are born again into the kingdom of God! It is one that is "supernatural" ruled by a "supernatural God"and has given to us the gift of life through His Son Jesus Christ! Jesus was telling of His being lifted up for sinners, a lifting up much like the serpent in the desert concerning Moses. Jesus was the answer to life eternal........and it came when the kingdom was set up!  His words are "spirit and life" to us who believe! Moses was the one who God sent to remind Israel of the Covenant keeping God He WAS AND IS! Ultimately when Israel was led out of  Egypt they had no law or priesthood. Through Moses, God presented them with the ten commandments, the priesthood, the Atonement, the sacrifices , the offerings and the laws that would govern the sacrifices. We understand that this Covenant did not belong to the 10 commandments. The Covenant was the reason for the law. But in all of this, this Covenant Israel could not keep. It is called the Old Covenant. Of all that had to be done to obey the Old Covenant, man failed miserably. So here we see the New Covenant come on the scene of history of Israel.

The Old Covenant was sealed with circumcision, and the New Covenant was sealed with the New Birth.

When Jesus arrived on the scene and was baptized by John the Baptist.......the kingdom was being introduced. It is the kingdom of God being set up on earth. It is God's wills and His ways being established on the earth. It was the Word of God, declaring God, truth, righteousness, justice and holiness! But all that is seen on the scene today,  makes it appear that we are very far from that way of righteousness.

All that Jesus spoke in the Gospels was for our benefit. It was given to show us what the kingdom of God looked like. There is no sickness in heaven, There is no death or tears, or lack. Heaven is peace, joy, health, strength and courage. And Jesus came to set up on earth what was in Heaven! Yes, there should be no sickness, lack, disease, tears, or pain.

God sent Jesus so the world through Jesus might be saved. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned but he who does not believe in Jesus is condemned already. The God of Love, sent the Son of His love, into this world that we could be with Him for all eternity.

That LIGHT has come into the world. And when men love darkness rather than light, it is because their deeds are evil. 

In John 3: 20.... For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."  NKJV

My prayer for all who read this and know truth, that Jesus is the LIGHT come into the world that according to John 1:1-18........that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Even as then, all things were made through Him and without Him nothing was made. He is the Light that shines in the darkness. Without Him, we have nothing! But with Him, we are the saved, the Redeemed, the Righteous, the forgiven!

As John the Baptist bore witness of that Light, we too, have seen that great "Light". He is that light that shines in our hearts......and declares God's plan to a broken and dying world.

Today I pray for eyes and ears to be open to see the Lord of glory. I pray for those who are to be saved, that they become children of God, to those who believe  in His name, not born of blood nor of the will of the flesh but of God! Even though He was sent to the nation of Israel first, but because of their refusal, this glorious Kingdom came to the gentile to any who believe in His name.

Father we pray in Jesus' name. and know You sent Your best for us. Thank You for sending Jesus and salvation. Thank YOU for love everlasting, love unconditional and never failing. Today, I stand with others knowing we will not perish but have everlasting life through Jesus, the Son of Your love. Your Love was demonstrated on the Cross, and may we be as extreme in giving You praise and much thanks for that demonstration. Today for our salvation may we give to Father, the Faithful God, the merciful God, the Living God, our love. Hallowed be Your name. May we leave yesterday behind and choose to prosper in the things of God and His kingdom. I pray that all our days be done in God in His truth, spirit and life. You are the Author of Hope and receive Your joy that is inexpressible and full or glory and peace in facing the future and adventures with YOU! Amen

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

Last Words

What will be our last words? The moment our last breath is taken, what will be the last thing we speak out of our mouths? I like to talk, just ask my husband. I like to visit and talk about things we did with our granddaughter, with our daughter and son-in-law and what new scriptures brought light into something I was dealing with. Yes, I like to speak and like to share with others God's goodness!

I have someone though who speaks all the time, even while I sleep and He is the Holy Spirit. He is always telling me things to come and am I listening? There are times I think I left the T.V. on or the C.D. player is still going when I finally realize, that it is the Holy Spirit Who is speaking & wants me to hear what He is saying at that moment.
There are times I only hear when I get really quiet. Of late, I am always telling my husband that there is too much noise and chaos. I sense in my spirit man that we must get quiet before God and Hear HIM speak the things we need to know for today and tomorrow.

Psalm 1
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish. NKJV

Psalm 1 gives us detail of the man (or woman) who is blessed. They are the ones who walk not in the counsel of the ungodly, or stand in the path of sinners nor sit in the seat of scornful!
The blessed are like the tree planted by the rivers of living water. They bring forth fruit. They are like trees that are always green and they never wither away to die.
The Lord knows the way of the righteous, those who follow closely to His Word and to His plan for life.
Ultimately our walk with God is to be one on the path of the godly, the righteous, the obedient to be the blessed of the Lord.
We can look up the word scorn to find it means one who is thinks himself to be superior, one who mocks others, always sneering toward others and looking down on someone. Sounds like the modern day bully to me! The ungodly is the one who is immoral, blasphemous, profane and one who has no reverence towards God or the things of God. They are those who curse a lot! There is nothing good that comes from their mouths!

 I think of Pharaoh when standing toe to toe with Moses. Let's look at Exodus 5:2 and it is a verse in scripture that gives Pharaoh's heart on the matter towards God. Exodus 5:2...Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go."
When we read the written word on the confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh. we discover that Pharaoh had all his idols. He was found to worship  the Nile..........it was the first place he would go in the early morning hours. It was the first to be turned to blood! It bore the blood of those babies the Pharaoh had ordered to death as soon as they were born. But Pharaoh liked being number 1! He had continually hardened his heart towards God and God's people. Pharaoh considered himself divine, and he felt he did not have to answer to anyone else.

Yes, what is in our heart will be made known by what we speak through our mouth. We will either speak the words of God that bring life. Or we will speak the words of the world that bring death to us and to all that we know! The human heart is the "one thing" we must check every day! It is the human heart that always wants more. It is not satisfied, but always relishes in the more and the extravagant desires to be entertained for enjoyment's sake. Yes, the human heart can devise many things! (for more on this see the address below to view my Youtube channel on the teaching of "The Practice of Prayer).

If our life is taken suddenly, where would we find ourselves? What would be the last thing out of our mouths?
In our diagnosis: will God be found in our heart or will the world?
In our diagnosis: will God be treasured or will it be that new multi-million dollar home?
What we treasure here is what we will be found to treasure later!

God does not mind us having things, but do things have us, or own us? Is who we are synonymous with WHAT is in our heart? WOULD your friends describe who you are by what is in your mouth?

In scripture, we find Jesus who had a heart for the things of God!

Even at the age of 12 years old, Jesus' heart was in the temple. He was found, as we see here, that he was sitting in the midst of teachers, both listening and asking questions.
Luke 2:41-52...........41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. 43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; 44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day's journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. 46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously." 49 And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" 50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. NKJV

Jesus still had to be subject to His mother and father. But He KNEW WHO HIS HEAVENLY FATHER WAS! He desired to be found looking into the perfect law of liberty.

Where can we be found?

Yes, if our life comes to an abrupt end, what will proceed from our mouths? Will we be elated to say, "I am going home to be with the Lord!" or will we speak words of blasphemy toward the "one true" God?

If today, is our last day, how will we spend it? What will be the last thing someone remembers about us? It speaks in scripture that Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. He spent time to fill His heart with God's word and He increased. He had favor with God and man!

In His last minutes on the Cross, Jesus spoke in Luke 23 and verse 46, "Father, into Your  hands I commit My spirit."

Luke 23:44-47
 45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.' " Having said this, He breathed His last. 47 So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!"NKJV
Even in all the injustice, Jesus was seen by the centurion as a righteous Man!

On some headstones in cemeteries, there is a dash between the years of one's birth and one's death. What would that "dash mark" say about us? Did we live for God or did we live to buy another expensive home we did not need? Would that "dash mark" hold the secrets of our life lived for more money, fun times, and maybe drugs or alcohol? Or would that "dash mark" hold many stories of a person who laid down their life to get the Gospel message out for others to hear? Would that "dash mark" tell of our lives in missionary work or work in teaching Sunday School for small children each week? Would that "dash mark" hold the secrets of all the food you gave to the homeless and hungry and never told anyone you did it?
For me, I like to write of the goodness and the love of God and how His word increases us with His wisdom for us to make the right answers at the right time so we can continue to move forward in His perfect plan for our lives.
I choose to speak about HIM and tell all of what He has done for me!

Father, if my life is called up today and it is time to go and leave this world, I pray that I would be counted with the righteous. I pray Lord, in Jesus' name, that like Psalm 1, I will find my place with the godly who treasure YOU. I pray that I will keep my heart from sin and scorn. I pray that I would continue to find YOUR word as life to me.  According to Proverbs 1:2-10, I desire to know YOUR wisdom and instruction. I desire to perceive words of understanding. That as I receive Your instruction of wisdom, I will know justice, judgment and equity.

I desire to be the man who receives Your knowledge and discretion, to attain Your wise counsel for every decision I must make in this lifetime.
The fruit of such learning of Your wisdom is a graceful ornament on my head and chains about my neck.
I pray for an adventurous of life with YOU. Today I pray for all who read this that their lives will make a turn to the righteous and be found with You. Those who have been on the fence will now be turned on to the fire of the Lord. I desire that all would not perish but have everlasting life and that is through Your Son Jesus Christ. I thank You for salvation through Your Son and I have believed and confessed Jesus is Lord of my life.Today, I stand with the righteous and expect Your return to take us home! Lord, we love YOU and give YOU all our praise and thanks. Amen

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

Never Alone

When the seasons change, and the darkness creeps in earlier in the Fall and Winter, of course, all the lights are on in our house. Inside and outside there are lights to light up the darkest of rainy, cold days and nights.  Even the wind seems to take on that howling type of sound you mainly hear only in the late winter.

But in years earlier, I experienced the darkest of the dark and the coldest of many days. For a period of time our marriage seemed more like a one-sided affair so to speak. Sometimes people have to make decisions to work more hours to have something set aside for retirement. But I sensed there was more to my husband's behavior than just some financial situations that had to be adjusted.

We can sense when someone is upset or even mad, right? But it seemed deeper and more dramatic and the hours together were harder than when he had to be away from me.
In this period of time, my husband had lost first his step-father and then his mother. Even though their deaths were three years apart, he seemed deeper in darkness than what I had thought he should be experiencing.
With the death of his parents, old things cropped up from his childhood that were anything but good. He had faced many beatings by a strap or belt. As the man no longer lived, my husband faced those times alone, he thought.
While he was working through many challenging things he had experienced of his childhood, I faced something I had not expected. In the course of only a few months, my body became very fatigued and needed more than the nine hours sleep I usually got. I would force myself out of bed and into work clothes, only to return several hours later and resort to the bed for the needed rest.
Finally making the appointment, the G.P. could not help and sent me to a specialist, who then sent me to another specialist. After three months, they found the mass growing on my ovary. Surgery would be needed to remove it and have a hysterectomy, but I sensed that God was close by my side.

Yes, it was the end of August and darkness seemed to creep in earlier, even though it was summer time by the calendar, it seemed more like the middle of winter time. The day finally came in September and that ugly thing was removed and I was whole 100 percent.
What helped me, when my husband was away so much of the time? I had no other family within a four hour drive from where I lived. I seemed invariably alone with no outlet.......But............

I had God! I had Jesus the Healer! I had the Holy Spirit who was my Comfort through those long, and darkest of days. I chose to hear God speak. I would speak His word daily, so I could hear it and the neighbors as well. I would put healing CD's and teaching tapes on healing. I kept the Word of God flowing. I added praise and worship music and pray in the spirit. (your prayer language in Tongues)

He was all I needed to make it through a dark place in my life!

No, we are never alone! We must know that He is there and cares so much for us.

Visit those passages of scripture should you need some lifting today..........whatever I experienced I gave thanks, no not for the ugly mass but for the goodness and love of God and to know He watched over me. It is not easy to do some days, but if you keep it up, you will come out of that "deep hole" and know that God has a way for you.

Remind yourself of these things:
Lamentations 3:22-23....the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Psalm 107:20...he sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions

Isaiah 43:2....when you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and though the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Psalm 34:15...........the eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.

Psalm 34:18...The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

God has a plan for you and He is not through with you yet!
You are saved by His grace...Ephesians 2:5
You are a new creation....Ephesians 2:15
You are a partaker of His promises in Christ...2 Peter 1:4
You are strengthened with might by His Spirit.......Ephesians 3:16
You allow Christ to dwell in your heart by faith...Ephesians 3:17
You are more than a conqueror...Romans 8:37
You are the healed....1 Peter 2:24
You are free....John 8:36
You are victorious....1 John 5:4

When I prayed for me, I continued to pray for my husband and others as well. It was not just about me and what I was experiencing. I chose to let the Light of God shine on the situation and came out of the darkness and the cold. I experienced the love of God!

Sometimes, we may think we are the "only ones" who go through things, but we are not. Those who stand the closest to us all face something either daily or monthly. What we choose should be life in God and His ways!

It took almost 10 years for my husband to come through that pain and anguish, but he is stronger in the Lord. My husband and I walk side by side to minister God's Word to others. I pray that you will know that you are not alone and God, alone has the answer you need!

Five years earlier I had put this prayer together and I send to you today:
Father, this is the day the Lord has made. I rejoice and I am glad in it! I rejoice in You always. And again I say, I rejoice. I delight myself in You, Lord. Happy am I because God is my Lord! Lord, I pray that my countenance radiates joy of the Lord. My joy I pray is overflowing so it may be full, complete for the joy of the Lord is my strength. Father, today I have the victory in the name of Jesus. Satan is under my feet.
I pray also for my husband for I know YOU intended that the greatest most rewarding human relationship in my life would be my marriage. Help us to resolve any differences that we have had. Rekindle in our hearts the love, joy and passion we had for each other when we were married. Help us to forgive the mistakes we have made and start fresh again. Help me as his help-mate be sensitive toward him. Reveal to me areas I need to change in order for our relationship to improve. Help us to guard our mouths so we not criticize each other. Show us how to love and give love to our spouse. Let our lives be an example of Your love and grace. Lord restore our marriage completely and I give you much thanks. It is in the mighty name of Jesus I pray. Amen




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

Tomorrow

Exodus 8:8-15............8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, "Entreat the LORD that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD." 9 And Moses said to Pharaoh, "Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only." 10 So he said, "Tomorrow." And he said, "Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. 11 And the frogs shall depart from you, from your houses, from your servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only." 12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh. And Moses cried out to the LORD concerning the frogs which He had brought against Pharaoh. 13 So the LORD did according to the word of Moses. And the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields. 14 They gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the LORD had said.
NKJV

Tomorrow? What? Frogs everywhere, and Pharaoh said, "Tomorrow".

Then Moses speaks....."Let it be according to your word..........tomorrow........." yikes"!

Moses took it to prayer! He cried out to the LORD and the LORD answered to what Moses had prayed. Yes, frogs out of the houses, courtyards and out of the fields. They were all gathered together in heaps and those dead frogs had a terrific smell. Even though Pharaoh saw the relief of "no frogs" in the bedroom, or in the house, he continued to harden his heart and would not allow the people to go!

Right in the middle of something like a trial, or tribulation,  could we act like Pharaoh did?

We know that Moses was sent by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. But Pharaoh did not know or accept the God of the Israelites. When we read in Exodus of the plagues, each only hardened Pharaoh's heart even more! (Exodus 7:8-13,22, 8:15,32.) Each plague was carried out to show God was the "only true God" and the Egyptian gods and their pharaoh were powerless before Him.

Yes, sin played a super-sized role in the plagues being displayed across the horizon of Egypt and within homes, courtyards, and fields. We know that "hardness of heart" played the biggest role in the death of Pharaoh's own son. The firstborn was taken in the last plague.

After the son's death, Pharaoh agreed to submit to God's power and let the people go. (Exodus 12:29-33)

Even though the people were allowed to go, Pharaoh later relented and chased them, but he, like his army, drowned in the Red Sea.

Yes, there is a lesson in all this. Every day there may be trials and tribulations. If we have not encountered one here on planet earth, we are either dead or we live alone on a deserted island.

Seriously, we can see how people want their own way and things done a certain way, just by driving the Interstate. Try it across the country, say from the west coast to the east coast and see how many desire their way on the roadway. I speak especially of those who "hog" the passing lane. You know the ones, they will not drive faster or move to the right for the faster traffic. Nope, not going to happen, they pay their taxes, and they own that "lane".

I believe Pharaoh came from a long of men who got their own way for a long time. And men today can experience the same. But one day, we find, we are not alone. Tomorrow I will do it. Tomorrow I will see about that being done. Tomorrow, since I am boss, will be the right time to do what I want to do it! The thing is, tomorrow always comes, and it always involves other people.

Every time Pharaoh spoke, he spoke from his heart. What is the condition of our heart?

Do we need a transplant immediately?

We are to watch over our heart with all diligence. 

Proverbs 4:23-27...................23 Keep your heart with all diligence,

For out of it spring the issues of life. 

24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth,

And put perverse lips far from you. 

25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,

And your eyelids look right before you. 

26 Ponder the path of your feet,

And let all your ways be established. 

27 Do not turn to the right or the left;

Remove your foot from evil. NKJV

I think of Pharaoh who died such a violent death, as well as his men, and those fine Arabian horses. Pharaoh's decisions always involved others, just as ours does!

Put away from us a deceitful mouth...........yes lies!

Keep the perverse lips far..............away........yes cussing!

Let our eyes look forward, straight ahead and ponder our steps toward "tomorrow".

When our ways are established in the Lord, our future looks bright. Nope, no looking to our right or to our left.........never mind Janie Sue, or Johnny Rhodes, for we need to keep a watch over our heart.............lets move away from evil and to be "on the alert'!

Father, You tell us in Your word to be diligent. That our hearts are to be watched over with all diligence. For life will spring forth when we stay away from those that would harm our heart. Today we seek to fill our heart with Your Words so we become determined to not miss the mark. Lord, I pray that we would be men and women, unwearied as we take our stand to "watch" over our hearts. It is our prayer of thanksgiving that speak here declaring that we flex our muscles to keep a healthful heart. Like the words of Proverbs 10 and verse 8, we will be the wise in heart to receive your commands. We desire to be those who walk with integrity to walk securely. And we pray that wisdom would be found on our lips who has understanding that You are God. We thank You for all the tomorrows that YOU have planned for us and may they be to YOUR glory. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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

LIVING LOUD FOR GOD

Living loud for God looks like David facing the Philistine giant Goliath!
Living loud for God brings us out of mediocrity and the position of the back row to the front and center to speak and proclaim the goodness of God!
This living loud for God cost some time with Him. It is more than attending a conference which connects us with others. This adventure looks like having some alone time with God. There is a price to pray to have that intimate time with God and hear Him speak.

Living loud for God means that we do not dismiss God when we leave a worship service on Saturday evening or Sunday morning.


Romans 5:5-11.......................5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.   6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. NKJV

Even the scripture above declares to us that God demonstrated His own love toward us allowing Christ to die for us. Being justified by His blood, we were saved from wrath.

To me that sounds like rejoicing time. We being saved by His grace in His Son Jesus, are now reconciled to God and are joint-heirs with Jesus!

God demonstrated: He established it in Jesus.

He manifested it through the Cross and testified of it through His apostles.

He did not conceal it, hide it, or misrepresent it.

Romans  3:24-26.................24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. NKJV

Ephesians  2:19-22...........19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. NKJV

John 1:14-18..........14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' " 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. NKJV

Romans 1:16-17...........16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."  

NKJV

It was recorded for our benefit. It was the God of glory who demonstrated His righteousness through His acts of love in the gift of His Son Jesus! Jesus established the Cornerstone becoming the Chief in whom joins us together in Him for this dwelling place of God. In truth and grace, we have been added to the family of God. If we know that we are in Him, do we dismiss Him when through with a worship service or prayer meeting? Do we act like the world as soon as we leave a service, where we knew without a doubt God Himself showed up to be with us and to show He cares? Do we make for the door in a full run out of a service or building and act like we do not know Him?  Much like Peter, when Jesus asked them to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, do we fall asleep during what is important time for prayer and word for us, and then find ourselves like "Peter" running from something that made us frightful, yes afraid?

 Are we trying to gather around others we do not know and warm ourselves with that which the world can relate to, but is far from us?  Peter was taken by John into the house area and when challenged by the maid,Peter showed his lack of compassion for Jesus. Even though Jesus was somewhere upstairs in front of  the High Priest, Peter did not want those who wanted to put Jesus to death to know that he, Peter, was counted as one of the Lord's disciples.  He now was with those who wanted to put Jesus on the Cross. Yes, there was a fire to warm them, but those who gathered around forgot the fire and just gathered to speak blasphemies against the Lord. ( you know birds of a feather will flock together) It was Peter who stood with those who denied the Christ. He stood with those servants who wanted to crucify Jesus!

 Are we found denying Jesus, just when we probably need Him the most in our lives?

The scriptures above are to show how Jesus was the Word manifested. It was His glory that they beheld. He was the only begotten of the Father who was full of grace and truth. Jesus came to establish Heaven on Earth...........Our Father, who in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven!

Righteousness came in the son of love! His name is:Isaiah 9:6-7.......................6 For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called 

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

7 Of the increase of His government and peace 

There will be no end,

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

To order it and establish it with judgment and justice 

From that time forward, even forever.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. NKJV

He came with judgment and justice! Matthew 6:33-34......................33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. NKJV

Seek first the kingdom of God that Jesus came to establish. Seek His ways and thoughts and seek His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. God knows what we need and it is His desire for us to put Him first before all things! 

Living loud for God is a step of faith. It says, "my trust  is in the Lord". We can be like David and run to face those giants and speak out loud, " I come to you in the name of the Lord."

God spoke loud and clear about His son and left many details for us to see in His word. Today, I have come to you in the name of the Lord to declare He is for you. When we show the enemy we do not fear, but trust the Lord to keep our backs, He is faithful to lead us through any trial or tribulation. God is faithful to His Word. Remember Peter got back on the right path and was found with the 120 praying in the upper room waiting for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

I pray for each and every one who reads this that they will be the bold.

Father, today I pray in Jesus' name for those who read this will be as bold as lions to declare truth that Jesus has come. His name is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, the Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace. Today Lord God, I pray for any man, woman or child who reads this to stay faithful to the Lord, for You are the Faithful One. We understand that we are to be righteous as You are righteous. Jesus thank You for the public demonstration of God's righteousness. As we are those who put our trust in You, we are not the righteous because of our inherent goodness, BUT we are righteous because of our identification by faith with You Jesus! Lord helps us to recognize and know that Your righteousness was imputed into us when we received You, Jesus as Lord of our lives. But we also must know that we are to be obedient just as Christ was to the Cross! Lord help us to be faithful to Your Word. Help us to be those who proclaim Your goodness to others. 

Lord, I also pray for those who have been silenced by the enemy either in their work place, home, or school. May they Lord know they hear YOU speak and tell them things that are to come by the Holy Spirit. Help those YOU love know that You are with them to declare God's peace, God's justice in a bad situation. And I ask that dreams be given to those who have been assailed by the enemy. When they dream Lord, show them that it is truth and "it will be fulfilled in their lifetime." Lord, You are are for us and YOU never let go! Help us that are in unbelief, and show us the path that grows brighter into the full light of day. Today I pray that each here will rejoice in hope, patient in tribulation and that they continue to be steadfast in prayer. You are the "Great I am" in our midst. Thank YOU Lord for the Word of God that prevails in our lives today in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.

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