Looking for Answers?

Today, I speak peace in the midst of the storm, and I release the gift of faith on every person reading this article. I know that there is nothing that God cannot do! In the name of Jesus let your Word go forth and fall on fertile ground.

It is true, there is so much turmoil in the world today. There is a crazy virus running loose and people are scared. Is this the end times? Is Jesus coming back? Will we go through the tribulation? What’s really going on? It is why I was asked to even write this article to begin with. I have not covered every aspect of the Word of God but that is not the point of this article, the point is to point you in the right direction for salvation. The point is to share with you how to be ready for His coming. It is my hope that when you walk away from reading this article you will have a foundation of knowledge of a few things:

1) God is our creator

2) There is only one God

3) Jesus is the name of God

4) God robed himself as flesh and came to die for us

5) What I must do to be saved?

6) What are the signs of the time?

7) How can I be ready?

The Beginning:

First and foremost, let’s start at the beginning.

Gen 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

We ask questions like, “Who is God? Did the big bang theory happen? Why am I here?” Simply put God created the heavens and the earth. There is no truth in the big bang theory, other than God spoke and it happened. We are here to have a relationship with God, and I will attempt to lay this out throughout the article. We must believe the very first scripture to know that He is God. This is the foundation for the rest of the Word of God. We must believe it to be true in order to know that He is the one true and only God. With that established we can then know that if one part of the Word of God is true, then it is all true and that Word is for us to be saved.

We must believe that very first scripture, or how can we believe the rest? Right here we see “GOD” created. We don’t see three Gods, such as the belief in the father, son, and Holy ghost as being three persons in God. It simply says, “GOD”. There is only one God.

Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord:”

The name of God was not revealed in the Old Testament but it is clear that there is only one God. There is no mention of more than one all throughout the scriptures. It wasn’t until we get to the New Testament that we know that Jesus is God. He came and robed himself in flesh.

John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

John 1:14 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.”

 I Timothy 3:16 “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

In the New Testament it states in Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Again, this is pretty simple, God created the heavens and the earth, and there is only one God. There is one who sits upon the throne at the end of time.

Revelation 4:2 “And immediately I was in the spirit: and behold, a throne was set in the heaven, and one sat on the throne.”

In Summary: God created the heavens and the earth. There is only one God. His name is revealed in the New Testament as Jesus, the only saving name. The “Word” in the Greek is translated as Logos which is the voice of God, it denotes in John 1:1 as the essential Word of God, embodied in Jesus Christ, who is the creator of the universe.

Salvation:

Now that we know who He is. What must we do to be saved? Jesus answered this question when a ruler named Nicodemus came to Him at night.

John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

His response is what we would have thought too.

John 3:4 “Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

Here is Jesus’ response.

John 3:5-8 “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

Too often people bypass these scriptures and go straight to this scripture and take it out of context:

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Nothing is diminished here! Jesus already commanded that we had to be born of the water and the spirit. He describes the Holy ghost which at this point had not been poured out, as wind and it cometh and it goeth. Here Jesus is saying in John 3:16 that we must believe what He just taught us and then we can be saved. Believing isn’t the only step it is just the first step. If you don’t believe the Word of God is true and that Jesus is God, it is going to be pretty hard to be born of the water (baptism) and the spirit (the outpouring of the Holy Ghost).

Now that we know what we are to do, how can it be implemented in our current lives? Jesus died for our sins on the cross, he was buried in the tomb, and then He rose again on the third day. (We will bring out more of this further on) After He rose he told them to go and tarry in Jerusalem and wait for the promise.

Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

The disciples, Mary the mother of Jesus and many others a total of 120 people began to pray in Jerusalem for the promise of the Holy Ghost. And then it happened! The spirit of God was poured out on all the people in the upper room.

Acts 2:1-4 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

The presence of the Lord and the tongues were so loud that it spilled out into the streets. People from all over town came to see what was going on in the upper room. Peter was the rock of the church and Jesus had given him the authority over the church before he left and ascended up into heaven. This is important because, Peter had the authority to tell people how to be saved. He preached a sermon and he referred to an old prophecy of Joel and that it was the fulfillment of that prophecy.

Acts 2:15-21 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Of course the people were amazed and they asked a simple question, what must we do to be saved? These were the very same people who probably followed him when he did signs, wonders and miracles. They are the same people who cried, crucify him!

Acts 2:36-39 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

(SALVATION) Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

SALVATION!!!!!! Death, Burial, and Resurrection

(Repentance) We must repent, this is a turning away from sin. We cannot remember all that we have done wrong and we might not even know some things we have done are sin. We can simply say, “Lord please forgive me of all my sins and help me to live a life unto you!” Repentance is death to self. We identify with Jesus as he died on the cross for our sins. We must continually build and altar daily to as for forgiveness of sins.

(Baptism) We have to be baptized in the NAME OF JESUS! No other way of baptism formula is in the bible. We can find in Acts 2, 8, 10, & 19 all instances where they were baptized in the name of Jesus. This is the water that Jesus was talking about. Jesus also said in Matthew 28:19 to go ye therefore baptizing them in the name… There is no other name whereby we must be saved, Acts 4:12 as mentioned above. Why the name? It is how we identify with his burial. We are buried with him in baptism.

Romans 6:4 “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Our sins can only be remitted by His blood. When we are baptized the name of Jesus is applied to our lives. We are marked as his and we are adopted into the bloodline of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:4-5 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will”

(Holy Ghost) We have already established what the holy ghost is the speaking in tongues (Acts 2:4) We also know that this is the spirit that Jesus spoke of in (John 3:5). We have to be born of the water and the spirit in order to be saved. Peter told us to be saved we had to obey (Acts 2:38). Now we can understand just as Jesus rose from the grave, we too shall rise to newness of life. The Holy Ghost is the resurrection of our souls. Without the Holy Ghost we cannot be saved! Jesus said it, Peter said it, and the Word of God plainly lays it out. It is up to us to respond to the gospel. Without the water and spirit, we shall not enter into, or see the Kingdom of God. The correct response to salvation is to obey the Word of God.

The End:

The end is truly upon us. I know many have heard this for years, and might have even said, well the rapture hasn’t happened yet, so I doubt it will. Sadly, that is bad information and the wrong way to look at living for the Lord. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. Your end could happen in a car accident, or a sickness unto death. We are appointed a time to die. The question is, will you die and go to be with the Lord in heaven? Or will you die and go hell with Satan? The choice is really ours. We have to be obedient to His word. To much is given much is required. We have a responsibility to know the Word of God for our own lives. We cannot stand before the Lord at judgement day for anyone else other than ourselves. We can reject truth, or we can embrace it! It really is that simple. We can go back and read the words of Jesus in (John 3:5) we will not see the kingdom or enter into the kingdom without the water and the spirit. I have explained this above, but I want to reiterate truth.

How can we know Jesus is ready to come?

Matthew 24:1-14
“And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.All these are the beginning of sorrows.Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

In summary: There will be many false Christs, Wars and rumors of Wars, Nation against nation, Famines, Pestilences (Viruses, Plagues, etc), earthquakes in divers places (means many places). This is the beginning of sorrows. We will be hated for His names’ sake, which again an importance to be covered by His name in baptism. Then there will be more affliction and there will be hatred in the land for each other (such as racial tension). There will be many false prophets, which we have seen but there will be more. There will be hatred because there is iniquity in our hearts (iniquity is trying to do it our own way, to follow our own path, our own way to salvation, our own ideas). With iniquity in our hearts the love we had will wax cold, or the love we should have will never be in our lives. But if we endure, follow the plan of salvation, find a place of repentance, and seek the Lord’s will and not our own, we will be saved in the end. When the gospel is preached in all the world, then the end shall come.

Where are we right now? We are at plagues and pestilence. We are at hatred and iniquity. We are having strange weather patterns, and earthquakes all over the world. We are in the midst of a virus and God is using this to open the eyes of the world, that He is coming back soon! The church has been asleep and distracted, including myself. God has been awakening me truly for months, even before this virus came out. God is awakening the church and He is awakening those who are searching for the Lord. Honestly, the Lord could come back any day at this point. There are those being persecuted all around the world for his names’s sake. The only thing that is not 100% is the gospel being preached unto all nations but that too is upon us. A friend of mine Art Wilson has been doing bible studies at the United Nations for several years and many nations’ leaders have come to the salvation truth. The last I had heard at a conference was there were only 17 nations we were not preaching the gospel to around the world. With the United Nations and time, I am sure that number has decreased. The Lord is ready to come back for His bride. We the church are the bride of Christ.

How are we going to be caught up?

I Thessalonians 4:16-17 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

Those who have the spirit of God living inside of them will be caught up to meet Him in the air. It is the Spirit of God (Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in tongues) that will cause us to be lifted from the earth.

Steps in the Last Days – A Look Through Revelation

The Rapture: The next major event for believers (the Church) will be the "catching away" commonly called the Rapture (1 Thess.4:17). The Bible gives us no signs preceding the Rapture; however, many passages of Scripture indicate that it will happen at any moment (Matt. 24:36; Lk. 21:36; 1 Thess. 4:17; Rev. 3:10). All believers who have received salvation (Acts 2:38) who are alive, along with those who have died after the Day of Pentecost and before the Rapture, will be included in this event, we are the Bride of Christ. (I Thess. 4: 13-17). The resurrection of believers will occur at the Rapture. The word "rapture" comes from the Latin word rapera, which means to be "caught up" and this is the term used in 1 Thessalonians 4:17: "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together...". The New Testament was originally written in Greek… the Greek word is harpazo. Those who miss the Rapture, by reason of rejecting (not believing in the salvation plan) Christ as Lord, will be on earth to face seven years of the most terrible events in Earth's and mankind's history. This time is called the Tribulation Period (Matt. 24:21).

The Judgment Seat of Christ: Paul affirms the judgment of every believer in 2 Corinthians 5:10… ―For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. It immediately follows, or will occur in conjunction with, the Rapture. This is when we will be rewarded according to our works on earth. This is not a judgement for our sins but rather a judgement for what we have done for Christ. This is when we will throw our crowns at his feet. Rev 4:10-11

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb: This event will occur in heaven after the Rapture, after the Judgment Seat of Christ, and before the Second Corning of Jesus Christ to Earth (Rev. 19:7-9). This time frame is realized because the Church ("caught up" believers) will return to Earth with Christ (Zech. 14:5; Col. 3:4; I Thess. 3:13; Jude 14; Rev. 19:7-9). Then the Bride of Christ (2 Cor. 11:2) will be represented by the term "wife" (Rev. 19:7). When we get to heaven we are going to eat and sup with the Lord before we go and fight the battle of Armageddon, when we with the Lord shall defeat Satan, and He will be cast into hell for a 1000 years. Rev. 20:2-3

The Second Coming of Christ:  The Second Coming of Christ is when Christ will split the eastern sky and return to Earth to set up His 5 millennium kingdom. It will be the most glorious event the world has ever seen (Read Rev. 19:11). The Church, aka – the Body of Christ—the wife of Christ will rule and reign with Christ during the earthly kingdom.

The Judgment of Nations:  The judgment of Gentiles will occur after the Tribulation Period and after the Second Coming of Christ. It will occur immediately after the Lord comes to the Earth to reign over His earthly kingdom (Matt. 25:31; Lk. 1:32). This judgment will be directed toward the gentile nations of people on Earth who help or do not help the children of Israel during the Tribulation Period because it is directed toward bringing the children of Israel to repentance. Those judged at this event will either be cast into the Lake of Fire or allowed to enter into the Millennial Reign, depending upon their actions toward "my brethren" (Read Matt. 25: 31-46). Those who aid the children of Israel (Jews) are represented as sheep in Matthew's Gospel account and those who do not help the Jews are represented by goats.

The Age of the Millennial Reign of Christ—Kingdom: This is the period when Christ Jesus will rule and reign upon the Earth from Jerusalem for 1,000 years. Those included in the Rapture will rule and reign with Him (Rom. 8:17; II Tim. 2:12). Today, the term "millennium" has overshadowed the use of the biblical term "kingdom." This is due to the mention of only the length of this period in Scripture, that is, the "one thousand years" of Revelation 20:1-5. The term is also used to minimize confusion between the spiritual and literal kingdoms of Christ. The Millennial Reign and the Kingdom have often been treated interchangeably. They are so called because Christ will set up a divine government on Earth over the nations of the world. It is the "thy kingdom come" of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:10).

The Creation of the New Heaven and New Earth: After the dissolution of the present heaven and earth at the end of the millennium, God will create a new heaven and a new earth (Isa. 65:17; 66:22; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1). By a definite act of creation God calls into being a new heaven and a new earth. As God created the present heavens and earth to be the scene of His theocratic display, so God will create the new heavens and earth to be the scene of the eternal theocratic kingdom of God. Israel's covenants guarantee the people the land, a national existence, a kingdom, a King, and spiritual blessings in perpetuity. Therefore, there must be an eternal earth in which these blessings can be fulfilled. By a translation out of the old earth Israel will be brought into the new earth, there to enjoy forever all that God has promised to them. Then it shall be eternally true… as seen in Revelation 21:3 "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." The creation of the new heavens and new earth is the final preparatory act anticipating the eternal kingdom of God. It will then be true, that God has a kingdom "wherein dwelleth righteousness."

Eternal Destiny of Believers:  In relation to the eternal destiny of believers, it is to be observed that their destiny primarily is related to a Person rather than a place. While the place looms with importance (John 14:3), the place is overshadowed by the Person into whose presence the believer is taken, as seen in these Scriptures:

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also (John 14:3).

When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory (Col. 3:4).

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord (1 Thess.4:16-17). Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2).

It is the Person who is emphasized in all the passages dealing with the glorious expectation of the Church rather than the place to which they are taken. We see, from passages such as Revelation 21:3 that the Lord Jesus Christ will be dwelling with men on the new earth in the eternal kingdom. Since Scripture reveals that the church will be with Christ, we can concluded that the eternal abode of the church will likewise be in the new earth, in that heavenly city—New Jerusalem, that has been especially prepared by God for the saints. Such a relationship would be the answer to the Lords Prayer for those God had given Him.

In Conclusion: We must know that God is our creator. There is one God and His name is Jesus, and He came and died, was buried and rose again. We are to follow the salvation plan of Jesus to be born of the water and the spirit. We identify with the death, burial, and resurrection by repenting, being baptized in Jesus name, and receiving the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues. There are warnings in the scriptures to let us know that Jesus is coming back for His bride. (Matt 24) We know that we have to follow the plan of salvation and be ready when He comes to take His bride home. No man knows the day or the hour that the Lord will come. We are to watch, look for the signs, and be ready to meet Him in the air. The chain of events following the rapture really are for those who miss the rapture because the church will already be gone. We can have an assurance in Jesus that if we follow the salvation plan, are obedient to His word, and seek Him first that we will make it in the rapture. We have nothing to fear because no matter how you look at it, we the church win! The rapture the catching away of the church will happen for the bride of Christ those who died after Pentecost and before the rapture and/or still living at rapture.

Revelation 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

If you are looking for the truth, looking for answers, and looking to find salvation. Feel free to contact me and I will point you to a church that can help you. My church website is www.alwchurch.com and my organization website is www.upci.org you can find me on facebook and message me on messenger as well or you can email me at maesong@gmail.com

How in the World do I Get Peace?

How in the world do I get peace? 

Phillipians 4:4-8

What is peace and how do I obtain it? It is a fruit of the spirit and we must go through turmoil and overcome to obtain this fruit. If our lives were perfect and we never faced adversity we would be stagnant Christians, content to stand still and do nothing. It is human nature to not like change and growth. In fact, I don’t like it much at all. Yet, at the same time I don’t want to stand still in my spirit it is the flesh that is unwilling to move but with the spirit flowing in us like a river we are ever moving forward, or we will die.

The Lord spoke to me in a beautiful way this week about His peace and that He had given it to me. God can give it to us, but we must receive it from Him, in order to obtain it. If I were to receive a birthday present from a friend or family member and then never took the gift home, did I really receive it? I would have to answer no. I think we often leave the gifts the Lord gives us on the table. What have you left on your spiritual table?

When you are headed in the right direction, I promise you will face opposition. Oftentimes from those who mean the most to you. This has happened a few times in my life, but I know that through every situation God has helped me to grow into who He desires me to become. I often fall short and I am truly my greatest critic. Yet, He has something more even in my criticism for me and for you. He has perfect peace in the midst of your storm.

There is something to the familiar statement, “He gives us peace in the storm.” He is our help and from whom I am nothing without Him. You may be misunderstood, you may be walking a lonely journey in your personal wilderness, or you may be facing financial, personal, and health issues. But I am here to tell you today, that God is with you in that storm. You may be in great sorrow, but joy comes in the morning. I for one have had to depend on this promise from the Lord a lot the past few years.

I truly don’t understand and yet do understand the process that God has had me in for the last few years. I have had to solely depend on the Lord. It has been a very humbling and humiliating experience and I am still in the midst of this trial. Yet, my God is faithful, and He has never left me or forsaken me in my sorrow. It has been a lonely walk and an enlightening walk as well. If we always do the same things, we always get the same results. God has been calling me to a higher calling and that road is a broken road, it is paved with broken glass, broken ideals, and a broken spirit. I am not bitter or upset at anyone, but God has used circumstances to show me that I have to truly die to self and to not stand in the way of the Lord.

The Lord is calling me and you to a life of deeper consecration and prayer. He is calling us to obedience to His word, but also to His voice. Without obedience to the word, His voice, and to our leadership in our lives we will stand still. It is imperative that we heed the voice of obedience in our lives. Maybe this blog won’t hit home for you now but it will hit home at some point in your walk with God and hopefully this blog will come to mind and help you to walk the journey and know that there is peace and understanding on the other side, in the morning.

I want to warn you that when you get serious about becoming who God has called you to be all hell will break loose! But that is when you know you are headed in the right direction. I want to share some of the distractions the enemy will use to misdirect your life from fulfilling your calling:

Miscommunication of your words, 

Misconception of your actions and integrity called into action, 

Hurt Feelings, 

Sickness in your body or a loved one,  

Personal attack on character and lies, 

If you are single many opportunities with the wrong type of person,

 Made to feel alienated and alone and loneliness, 

Constant mind warfare replaying any and all these distractions in your mind,

 Depression and sometimes anxiety, 

Fear and inadequacy.

How do we counteract these distractions? I can honestly tell you that it is not easy, but I know it will be worth it all in the end to see souls saved and lives changed. If will faint not, we shall surely reap! I guess it is here I will be candid about some of the things going on in my life. If we always seem like we have it all together, how can we truly help anyone? I for one am tired of the enemy coming against me and you! It is my hope that through this blog that you will gain some peace and know that you are not alone in your struggle.

Here is my story: I lost my job sadly to say about 2 years ago now. I have filled out 100's of applications, and have probably been on 15 job interviews, with no job in the horizon. My car was re-possessed about a year and a half ago and I have had to depend solely on the kindness of others. This has probably been my hardest trial to have to give up my independence! This has truly not been easy. My parents are both ill and have faced many trials. I have had the attack on my mind continually, no matter the prayer, the fasting, and the word. I have felt useless, helpless and alone. BUT God! I have not wavered in my faith in Him, for He owns all the cattle on 1000 hills.

I don’t know how He has done it, but He has kept me. I have been blessed beyond measure and He allowed me to start a small food business. It has had its ebbs and flows, but it has been God. He has kept me all this time and He has shown me that He is my provider and if I will trust in Him, He will provide my needs. God doesn’t ever put us through trials that He is not preparing us to overcome. He doesn’t put us in valley’s or winter and not have a plan to lead us out. Discouragement is not of God and I have held true to my faith even though I haven’t seen the end of the trial. I know my God is faithful, He will bring me out and He will bring you out too! It isn't about the job and the car in the long and short of it the reason I am here is because God has stopped me in my tracks to change me. He has been working out of me some long time fears and inhibitions and the tendency to alienate myself and go it alone. 

I have made lots of mistakes on this journey and I know there has been people I have hurt inadvertently, for which I am truly sorry. I have learned that I have to take responsibility for my actions and wrongdoing lest I continue doing the wrong things. It is one of the hardest lessons to learn but if you are willing to ask for forgiveness even when you are the one who has been hurt, you will learn true freedom. 

I promise you, it’s not easy to stand when all you want to do is crumble. I have been in great sorrow and my heart has been broken more than once. I had put back up walls that had once been down. I closed myself off to not be hurt again. I alienated myself thinking it was safe. I listened to the lies by the enemy. I was also told to give up, go back to Michigan, that I must be sinning, that God is angry with me, that I haven’t tried hard enough, and all the while the enemy saying I am not worth anything. I may not know much but I know that my God is standing for me in peace and that He has a plan, even when I was blind to see it. Job stood alone and his trial was over when he began to pray for his friends, he began to see their needs above his own. He lost his selfishness even though he was being persecuted, he began to see beyond his own troubles. 

I think I have lost sight of this in the past few years. Yes, I love others but my trials have been in my face and it has been hard to see others. That is just raw honest feedback for myself. I have loved them and served them but maybe I haven't seen them. It hurts my heart that I have been selfish. But God is leading me out. 

Today, I stand and say, no matter the shortcomings, no matter the journey, no matter how bleak it may look, I know my redeemer lives! I know He is working and fighting for me. I refuse to back down, I refuse to give up right before the victory. Don’t give up! You are standing in the midst of your miracle. Don’t let the enemy and the words of others keep you from becoming the woman or man of God, He has called you to be! Every bit of your trial is a distraction to keep you from prayer, overcoming, and becoming who you are called to be! 

A Word That Changed Me

A few weeks ago, a man of God came to our church and he spoke a word of prophecy in my life. The short story is God was calling me to the next level and it was time to step out and do what He was telling me to do. There was nothing he told me God had not already told me but to hear it all spoken in one word sent me to my knees. How in the world could I really be and do all that he had spoken over me? This sent me into more intercessory prayer, more reading of the word and more soul searching. This of course never makes the enemy happy and all fangs have been out ever since. I truly recognize the tactics of the enemy but also know that not all criticism is bad criticism. You must take it and keep a teachable spirit or otherwise you miss the point of the trial in the first place. I want to also say that I can never do the things he stated, and that it is only God flowing in me that any of it will come to pass.

New levels bring new devils! The Lord revealed to me at Texas Singles Conference this year some shortcomings and some footholds of the enemy in my life. I have fallen short, but I am here to tell you the story is not over yet! I choose the peace of the Lord in the storm! I choose His ways over my ways, and not my will but His will be done. I don’t want to get to the end of my days and wish I had done the things; He had called me to do. I don’t want to stand in my own iniquity and think I had the better way when God was truly working it out of me. If there is one thing I know, He is seeking to give you and me peace. He wants to fight the battle and if we let Him, He will overcome!

I want to share with this word of hope that the Lord gave to me this week. If you are in the trial of your life this word is for you too. If you are weary and want to find peace this word is for you. If you want to give the devil a black eye this word is for you!

“Let peace come upon you. My peace I give thee. I am not tossed about the waves and I am not in wonder. I see you. I know you. I have called you. I am calling you out of turmoil and into your destiny. I am the God of peace and I am giving you great peace; I’m giving you my peace. Trust my timing and know that I have led you on this journey and I have prepared the way for you. I have unfolded my plan for you, and I have anointed you for my glory. I have been pushing you and teaching you to not only hear my voice but to wait on my timing. My ways are perfect, and my peace is perfect. The lies of the enemy have not consumed you and you are not forsaken. I have stopped him in his tracks and he no longer has a foothold in your life. I have been bringing out of you your greatest fears and teaching you to overcome. I have set you apart for my glory and at every juncture in the road, it is I the Lord who has ordained it. I know exactly where you are because I have placed you here. Step into your anointing and know that I am your peace and I have gone before you.”

How We Obtain Peace:

Philippians 4:4-8

1)  Praise: We have to praise Him in the storm. It is funny how God works. I just taught a bible study on how praise is the key to wholeness. Having peace is all about being a whole person in Christ Jesus. Don’t let the enemy or any person steal your praise. V4 “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” No matter the weapons of the enemy remember, we win!

2)  Moderation: which means to be gentle, kind, patient and fair. This means we have to have peace with all men and purpose in our hearts to be kindhearted and to not let our good actions be called into question. V5. “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.”

3) Thankful: Everything we have comes from the Lord. We don’t have to anxious for anything and worry is actually a sin. We are to leave everything in His hands and to let Him know everything that we have need of and know that He is in control. V6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

4) Knowing: It might not make sense to others but you know in your heart that God is faithful and He is working it all out. It is faith in action. Knowing is one step beyond faith, faith is knowing He can, but knowing is just that knowing He will do it. V7. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

5) Our Diet: Prayer, Fasting, and the Word must be apart of our daily diet but there is more. What are we letting our minds dwell on?  It is easy to dwell on the negative. This person doesn’t like me. That person did this or that. And although some of it might be true you have to take responsibility for your part. What are you eating? As in what are you letting feed your soul? Who are you letting speak into your life? What are you ingesting spiritually? Are you reading the word? Are you careful what you put before your eyes? Are you letting the opinions of others dictate who you are in Christ Jesus? I would have to say that we all struggle with some or all of this but the answer is in the Word. V8. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

These are the tools to living an overcoming life with the Lord. We have learned them, we have to then receive them and then become them in our lives as an example to others. We are to be content in whatsoever state we are in whether we are hungry or full, whether we are rich or poor. If we live by these principles, then we know that we can do all things through Christ which strengthen us. But we have to do our part, to receive peace and strength! Peace cometh by staying true to the steps I have laid out. It is up to us to obtain peace. God is calling us to a life of peace and holiness. He is calling us to a consecrated life unto Him and without peace we cannot obtain His promises. We cannot be in utter turmoil and walk in His peace at the same time, it is just not how it works.

I pray this blog blessed you and that God will show you in this how to obtain peace and now be willing to do the work to become the person God has called you to become.

Reflections of My Brokenness

Reflections of My Brokenness

I am an avid coffee drinker, I mean I love coffee, dark roast, medium roast, espresso, I’m all in! I have a wide variety of coffee mugs, as I tend to pick them up from special events or birthdays etc. But, in the last few weeks, I have broken two of my favorite mugs. They both had sentimental value to me for different reasons. On one mug, I only broke the handle, so I put it on my dresser with the broken handle inside the cup. The second mug, I dropped, and it didn’t break but then while picking it up, I dropped it again and it shattered and broke in half. The third mug is a whole mug but a dry mug. I want to talk today in this blog about the different types of brokenness and how God can and will use them all for His glory.

I attended the Shine Conference 2019 in Katy, Texas this past weekend and it has got me reflecting on my brokenness and how God has made me whole. In June of 2012, I traveled around the country on a road trip for a few months by myself. I was broken but the broken handle was inside my cup. It was on this journey that God began to shape me and mold me and make me over. I had very low self-esteem and I was riddled with fear. I went from one poor relationship to the next and thought that this is what defined me. I was so fearful that anyone could ever love me, that I let anyone into my circle. Through the process of getting out of church for several years and now at this point finding my way back to God, I wrote a book about finding my way back to God. It is called “Unfolding the Rose.” I was broken on the inside and I carried around the pieces for years. Yet, through the process of coming back to the Lord, I found a love I never thought existed. I found the true love of the Lord. In my brokenness, I found the only love that truly matters. Often God allows us to be broken so that we can find ourselves in Him. When we come to the end of our road and that is where, He meets us. Then for the first time we can look in the mirror an see our reflection and begin to see His reflection in us.

The real brokenness happened after my book was published. I thought, I was restored, and I was to a certain extent. But there was more brokenness to come. I was the shattered cup that was beyond repair, or so I thought. Just as the silversmith must put the silver in the fire to allow the impurities to rise to the top, he then scrapes it off and puts it back in the fire. It is in this fire that the silver is made pure. God allows the fire to remove the things of this world that still have a hold on us. If we have lingering sin in our lives, He will allow us to be sifted, just as Peter was sifted to break us, mold us, and finally to transform us into beautiful pure silver or gold. Here in this new brokenness I was shattered, and I thought beyond repair, but God had a different plan. No, my life was not ending but it was truly just beginning.

I found myself in a pyramid of lies, sin, and deceit. Have you ever been so deceived, that you literally didn’t see it coming, and you had no idea how you got there? That was me too! Here I was doing a work for the Lord. I was praying, fasting, reading my bible, teaching bible studies, and praying people through to the Holy Ghost and yet here I was caught up in a shattered mess. God moved in a mighty way and truly delivered me from the hand of the enemy. I cried out to God and begged Him to save me from the mess I was in, and you know what He did just that! He is always close to the brokenhearted and He will never leave us or forsake us! He will meet you too in your shattered mess.

A path to wholeness…

I am happy to say that through my two broken coffee cups of brokenness, that God gave me a whole new cup. He took both of my broken cups and He weaved them together with pure gold. The Chinese culture believes in taking broken vessels and piecing them back together with gold. God did this with my brokenness. He took both cups and said, “Behold, in you will I make a new thing.” He began five years ago to shape me and mold me into the most beautiful cup for His glory. He has had me on a path to understanding that He truly is in control. He led me to a couple who saw worth in me, and who didn’t look at me for my brokenness, but saw me as a vessel of honor. God will put the right people in your life at the right time. You just have to be a willing vessel. 

I cried out in despair and God spoke as ever I have heard Him speak, “Go to the _________”. I listened to the Lord and in my obedience, He put me on a new path. He led me to a path of servanthood. He led me to a path of self-reflection and evaluation. He took me to a new level of understanding in the Spirit. And the best thing He has done is that He has allowed me to help affect change in the lives of so many people. God moved me from the city I was in and moved me to Dallas. Here I decided to change many of my ways to the better: 

1) I was going to be faithful

2) I was going to be a servant

3) I was going to o whatever was asked of me

4) I was going to listen to the advice of others (even if I didn’t get it) to be willing to hear and have a teachable spirit.

5) I was going to be a vessel of honor for His glory.

I tend to be a little hard-headed and head strong, but I have truly committed my life to these principles. Sometimes God will take us back to step one (a servant) and let us repeat the steps if we try and step past the hard parts in life. We cannot skip steps! God will always make us repeat them. If that is one word of wisdom, that I could impart in this whole blog, would be “don’t skip the steps.” Who I am now is hardly recognizable to, who I was 7 years ago, when I got back in church. I was broken then, and then broken again, but now He has made me whole.

It is my hope to encourage you that if you feel broken beyond repair, God will make you better than repairable, He will make you over with gold. He can use any willing vessel. He is looking for those who are available. He isn’t looking for perfection because He is already perfect. He knew all your failures and He knows all your future failures, but He has still called you to greatness. It doesn’t matter how far you have fallen or where you come from, if you are willing and available, God can do a work in you! If God has placed a calling on your life or given you promises, dreams or visions, these cannot fade away. Only you can make them not come to pass, only you can hinder the work of God in your life. Only you can say no, to being made whole.

My pastor preached a message a few years back that changed my life, “Standing between the Dream and the Promise.” Meaning sometimes we are standing in His promises, but we think we are dreaming, or we don’t realize that God is fulfilling His promises in us. It was after this message, I realized that God was fulfilling His word in me. No, it didn’t look like what I thought, and it wasn’t how I had imagined my life, but it was according to His plan in me. Here I was leading worship, the Youth Leader, teaching Sunday School, teaching Bible studies, in church leadership and I stopped and looked at my reflection and I was stunned! Somehow so many of the things God had promised me as a little girl had come to pass, but it didn’t happen like I thought it would, so I was blinded in my dream, yearning for something that was already happening. God truly was fulfilling His promises all around me. They happened gradually and over time, but they were being fulfilled in me. So, take a moment and look at yourself and see that God is doing more than what you might initially think.

Currently, I am in a different type of brokenness. It is the brokenness where God breaks you. The first two broken cups came from my own self. This cup I am in now is a dry cup without any coffee. The vessel is whole, but it is dry. It is a valley of brokenness in a desert. I truly feel that in this God has been perfecting me. I have been unemployed for over a year. I have had to depend wholly on God and His wonderful saints of God. I have been on several interviews, worked with more recruiters than you can imagine, yet here I am still without a job. I have sold furniture, electronics, started a Keto Bakery, made dinners, and have truly depended on the love of those around me. Yet, God has truly kept me in this valley. It is a testimony as to His hand on my life.

When God has His hand in it, He doesn’t let you drop or fall or break but rather he keeps you in that place. I don’t understand why it has taken so long but Joshua had to walk around the wall seven times. Naaman had to dip in the water seven times. The little woman with the judge had to keep petitioning the judge until He said, “give her what she wants so she will go away.” I don’t know how I have made it this long, BUT God! He truly never leaves us or forsakes us. In this brokenness, God has been teaching me that He is my husband, He is my provider, He is in control, He wants my pride, He wants my arrogance, He wants my obedience, He wants me just where He has me. God wants to take you and me to the next level. He wants to be master of our lives. He wants to get the glory for all that is done. He wants complete obedience, so that He can use us more greatly than ever before! I know I am just one prayer away from my miracle. Whether it be today’s prayer or tomorrow’s prayer, each prayer is one prayer closer to His answer for my life.

We must be willing to go through the test to get the testimony! Sometimes God will let us walk through a valley because we are stronger, and He can trust us with that valley. He will use it to help someone else! The test might not even really be for us, but if we can walk through it, we can be a testimony of what God in our life. If He can do it for me and you, He can do it for anyone, and that is the testimony. Will you trust Him in your brokenness? Will you let Him make you over for His Glory? Will you be made whole and then still must wait on God? You choose….

If this blog has touched you feel free to share it. If you would like to order my book "Unfolding the Rose" it is available on Amazon or you can order it from me directly. I also have an upcoming book that I am working on and will be updating more on that later. If you have a prayer request or would like to message me for anything feel free to find me on facebook. I pray that this blog has helped you and that God will lead you to all that He has for you. Don’t be weary in well doing and you will reap if you faint not.

God Bless!

Linda

Made for the Desert - Raising a Red Banner for Me!

Made for the Desert - Raising a Red Banner for Me

It isn’t easy being in the desert alone. You want to ask the question of the Lord, why? It is a natural question to ask because the desert is a dry and lonely place and it often is so foreign that you might feel lost and undone. So, what is the purpose? To be honest sometimes I think I know and then sometimes, I question if, I will ever move out of the desert. We are going to explore some reasons why we are in the desert together for, I too am here with you in my own desert. 

The first thing I know is that, God is in control. He knows exactly why you are where you are, and He is perfecting you in it. So how will you respond to your desert? Will you get bitter or better? Will you blame God, or will you trust Him? Will you ask Him to remove you from the desert, or will you trust Him to lead you through the entire process?

These are some hard questions and we often default to the first response, rather than the correct response. It is hard to be stretched. It is hard to trust. It is hard to be in a new place. It is hard to not ask, why? So, what are we to truly do in our desert?

A few months ago, God gave me a word and told me He was my red banner. What could this mean Lord? Honestly it didn’t make much sense to me until I began to study it out. In one place a study showed that there were different colors of banners and they were symbolic of different things. Such as a green banner could symbolize healing. But a red banner, (the lord is my banner) is meant to be that we are covered by the blood of Jesus.

There is only one mention of Jehovah-Nissi (The Lord is my banner) Exodus 17:15. This is when Moses was in the wilderness that he built an altar unto the Lord. He called it the Lord is my banner. But the key point is He built an altar in his dry and lonesome place. The second thing we must do is, we must build an altar in our weakest place, and it is there that God can begin to shape us and shift us for His glory. It was his dry and lonesome place but here the Lord met Moses and it is there that the Lord will meet you too!

The third thing we need to know is, we are in a spiritual battle and we wrestle not against flesh and blood Ephesians 6:12-13. It is important to know that we must put on the whole armor of God in order to even stand in the fight. When we are in battle, He is our red banner. He is our covering and we are covered by the blood of Jesus when we fight and war in the spirit, if we put on our armor and let Him fight for us in the battle. Yet, we must go to war on our altar in our desert for Him to activate, His banner in our lives.

We have a challenge in this desert to more than we have done before, to pray harder than we have before, and most of all to wait in that desert. When we wait on the Lord and trust Him, He will lead us to the water. What is a banner really? It is a form of victory! It is God raising a standard above our enemies! Psalms 18:48 Song of Solomon 2:4

The fourth thing we need to know is that God is fighting for us! A banner is a standard which the lord raises up and causes the enemy to flee! It literally means he makes a way of escape! Just as in battle flags or banners are raised to symbolize surrender or victory! Isaiah 59:19 The red banner is the blood of Jesus being applied to your life, when you make an altar in your desert the lord is fighting for you. He is raising a standard and the enemy must flee! He cannot stand where the lord is standing, Ephesians 5:10-20 when you’ve done all to stand the lord fights the battle. He places his banner upon your life and nothing the enemy does or says cannot make it come to pass in your life. When the lord raises up a standard, He is our banner, He is our Jehovah-Nissi in the wilderness and He becomes our banner for victory!

In conclusion: we must 1) trust God and know that He is in control, 2) pray in our desert 3) put on the armor of God 4) know that God is fighting for us and that He is our banner.

We can’t walk this walk alone. We can’t do it without waking with the Lord and trusting his plan. We must be willing to pray, “not my will but thy will be done.” Then we actually have to mean it! We must die daily on the altar, the altar of repentance, the altar in our desert, the altar of self-will, and the altar of dying out to our own plans. This is hard for a fixer like me. I see something and I have a plan in motion in my mind. This is good sometimes, but it is not always God’s will for my life.

A few things I know about God’s will. It doesn’t change according to my emotions. It doesn’t change daily. It is about being rooted and planted. God’s will line up with the Word of God. It is a life submitted to authority. It is a life, living and serving, while doing everything you do as unto the Lord. In order to operate in God’s will, you must be faithful, consistent, prayerful, will to take correction, and to have a teachable spirit. These are just some things I have gleaned along the way. It is challenging and the enemy will fight you about having the right attitude and being submitted to authority. In order to have authority and you have to be under authority.

Don’t be discouraged in your desert! Just know that if you are there, God trusts you to be there! He knows where you are, and He has a perfect plan! God knows the right timing to take you from your desert, just keep doing what you’re doing for the Lord, and know that God’s got this! We were made to be in the desert to perfect us and He raises a banner to protect us in that fight!

“When you walk, I am the ground beneath your feet, when you’re weary, I am your strong tower, when you can’t see the way I am your light. I know right where you’re at and I have not forgotten you, I have not overlooked you, but rather I have kept you. I am not mad at you and I am not punishing you but rather I am preparing you. I have set you aside and hidden you because you are my precious treasure. I am preparing you like Esther for greatness and in that there is a season of preparation. She was anointed but she was hidden. She was prepared but she was alone, but you are not alone for I the lord God go with you wherever you go.”

A Marriage for a Lifetime!

Are you ready to embark on a journey? Have you ever wondered how it is supposed to work? What does the bible have to say about a biblical marriage? And is it really that important? These are the questions I am going to attempt to answer in this blog. I have stewed on this subject for over a year. I have studied it in the Word and have had God give me insight into His perfect plan for marriage. So come take a walk with me as we begin our story of a young woman named Rebekah.

The story of Isaac and Rebekah is a familiar story to most. I want to emphasize that although I am going to lay out a biblical marriage blueprint for us in the physical it is also a typology of our marriage to God as the bride of Christ. Every reflection of marriage and even the reason why God made marriage is so that we could understand what it means to be married to God. I will touch on that some but truly I want to lay out a blueprint of Gods plan for our lives.

There are so many things going on in today’s society and the media. But, how do we as single Christians find our Isaac or Rebekah? With the alarming divorce rate in and out of the church, should we even bother looking? I am sure this is how Rebekah felt so long ago.

1) A servant’s heart

And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter…And he said O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. Genesis 24:9,12

Man: The servant of Abraham is a type and shadow of the man today who is serving his master (Jesus). He prayed to God and asked God to show him who Isaac’s wife would be just as a man of God will pray and ask God to show him who his wife is today. He will be a servant of the Lord. (As most of us do not have a manservant to go and find us a wife.)

Here we can also note that the man is the one who went in search of his bride. Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD. Proverbs 18:22 Ladies as much as we might want to pursue a husband it just isn’t in the plan of God. We have to let them find us! This is ever a hard lesson to learn and sadly most do not. In a world where roles are reversed and identities are confused this is hard to have faith that the man will actually find us. Reminds me of a quote I saw one time, “My knight isn’t on a horse, he’s lost in the woods on a turtle.” Well he may be “lost” but it’s not our job to find him. We can only pursue him in prayer. God will reward you but you will have to wait for the promise.

He is a praying man! He will also pursue you in prayer! If he isn’t praying for you now, why would you waste your time on a façade of a promise?

And he said O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master. Genesis 24:12-14

Woman: A woman must also be a servant like Rebekah was on that day. How many days had she willingly gone to the well to draw water? I am sure she was tired after the long walk in the desert that day. It was hard work to lift the water jug down into the well. I wonder how often she thought that God had forgotten her. I don’t think there is a single woman alive in church who hasn’t thought this before. We see here that she served and her decision to serve a stranger opened the door to her heart’s desire.

And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. Genesis 24:16-20

If you are lacking direction in your life and you don’t know how God will ever bring you your mate, I implore you to choose to be a servant. Be a servant on your job. Be a servant at your church. Be a servant to your pastor. Be a servant to your family. Be a servant to your community. The key to God opening doors in your life is to be a willing servant. Serve with no expectation of recognition. Serve with a heart of worship. Serve the least of the Kingdom in love. Don’t serve with the idea of if I serve God will bring me my man! No, a servant serves and because they serve they are rewarded not because it’s their duty but because it is in their heart to help others.

2) A Praying Man and Woman

There are two times the servant prays in this story. He prays for guidance and then he worships God for answering his prayer.

And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in? And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor. She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in. And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord. Genesis 24:23-26

Ladies~ your husband is a prayer warrior! He is seeking God for you hand in marriage! He is worshipping at home and he is worshipping in church. He is putting God first in all He does. He is seeking to honor you with his attentions. His purpose is to lead you closer to Jesus. He is not seeking you in secret. He is not asking you to compromise your morals or your virtue. He is looking to provide you with the very best he has to offer! Do not be fooled by those who are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Your husband will be upfront and clear with his intentions. He will have sought godly council from his leaders and have fasted and prayed.

Men~ your wife will have the fruit of the spirit and be adorned in godly jewels. The servant of the Lord will have placed them upon her life. She will be a testament of beauty and grace.

And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well. Genesis 24:30

She will have the gifts of the spirit operating in her life. She will be a prayer warrior. She will be evident of who she is in God and she will be a testament of God working in her life. She will be set apart seeking God first in her life, a servant seeking to please even the lowliest of strangers.

3) The Blessings of Counsel

Both will seek godly counsel. The man will make his intentions known. The woman will tell her family and loved ones and seek approval. It can never be the will of God to not include your pastor, your family, and loved ones in your life’s decision. This will bring the blessings of the Lord on your life. You will begin life together the right way and not in shame. There is no hurry! You don’t have to run away together and elope. You don’t have to marry in secret! The blessing of your family and church family is the best plan. I know there are circumstances that don’t allow this and there are always situations of unsaved family not welcoming your marriage but the part you have to play is including them even if in your circumstance they don’t like your proposed spouse. The point is you asked for the blessing and you did your due diligence to go through all the right channels.

And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left. Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the Lord: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken. Genesis 24:49-51

Rebekah was a blessing as she went and followed her husband. The woman goes to the man! I know this point might not be popular but it’s a valid point. The woman should always follow the man. When it comes to, where do we live? Whose church do we go to? Which state should we live in?

The answer is simple! The woman goes where he wants her to go. Now the man may want to move to your church etc. but that has to be his choice. When you as a woman do not follow your husband and demand him to follow you, you tip the balance of leadership. If you want him to be a leader this is the first place you let him lead you. The best answer is to take it to prayer and allow God to tell him and then be willing to listen to his answer. You will never be sorry you let him be the leader. If you are a woman who seeks after the heart of God you will be willing to follow your husband to the ends of the earth!

4) The Blueprint for Marriage

Rebekah went to her husband And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. Genesis 24:58 She left that entire life she knew to follow a promise to become a mother of many nations. She left her family in faith that God had led her to a man who would provide for her needs: spiritual, physical, and emotional needs.

Isaac is working in the field  And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. Genesis 24:63 Here is another example of your husband. He is working in the field of souls. He is a servant himself in the house of the Lord. He is busy about the Father’s business. He is not sitting idly by and doing nothing but he is provider for spiritual, physical and emotional needs. No my sister in the Lord, he is working in the kingdom. He is kingdom minded. He is working and learning to be a provider while he is waiting for God to show him who you are as his bride.

The Marriage And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. Genesis 23:64-67 

She followed him. He recognized her for her gifts. (There are things that we ask God to do, when praying for a spouse and then when we see those things being answered in that person we know that God is answering our prayers. I personally have asked God some specific things for my mate and I believe that He will answer those prayers if I am willing to wait on the promise!) She was modest!!!!! This is a huge deal! A woman entering into a biblical marriage will be modest. She will not be sensual, seductive in either her clothing or the way she presents herself. He took her as his wife. He didn’t have poor intentions. He was honorable towards her and did not lead her on. She became his confidant and comforter. They became each others life partner!

In conclusion, I pray that you have read this blog with an open heart and open mind. Key point to remember:

1) Seek God’s will in Prayer

2) Have a Servant’s Heart

3) Praying Man and Woman

4) Worship God with your answer

5) Seek Godly Counsel

6) Recognize spiritual fruit and gifts

7) Be willing to lead and to follow

8) Work in the field

9) Be modest in your person

10) Have honest intentions

11) Allow God to unfold your own love story!

Only The King

Only The King

“Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.” Daniel 3:26

In prayer yesterday the Lord led me to Daniel 3:10 and I continued to read through a familiar passage of scripture. The three Hebrew children were thrown in the fire because they refused to worship any other God but the one true God. I know this passage well and I am sure some of you know it well too, as many of us learned about them in Sunday School. As I read the passages there were a few different things that came to light that God began to show me and I want to share them with you…

1) The Hebrew boys weren’t kept from the fire

2) They had to walk in the fire but it did not harm them

3) The Lord walked with them in the fire

4) Those who threw them in the fire were killed

5) Only the King could call them out of the fire

6) The Hebrew boys were promoted in the Kingdom

The Fire~

1) No matter who you are in life you will face trials and tribulation and you will go through the fire. It is in the fire that we are refined and we are made over for the glory of the King. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and its true He could keep us from going through the fire but then we would not be strong in battle. We would be complacent and the enemy would be able to sneak into our camp because we would not have our guard and armor round about us. We will always go through some type of trial but you can either do it with the Lord or try and do it alone. But with the Lord He will keep you and trying to do it alone will more than likely result in another trip to the fire!

No Harm~

2) We have to walk in the fire but when we are there we have promise that He will never leave us or forsake us!

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Deuteronomy 31:6

The Hebrew children were put in the fire and yet they were not harmed. The Lord spoke to me awhile back in prayer and told me that, I would be in the fire but the fire would not harm me. Honestly I didn’t even think about the Hebrew boys, but God’s word is true and it never changes.

Not Alone~

3) We are not alone in the fire!

“Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Daniel 3:24-25

The Son of God was with the Hebrew boys and He is with us too. His word shall never pass away and what was true for them, is true for me, and is true for you too! God is no respecter of persons and His word, His love, and His promises are for all of us! So just know that the fire you are in today, you are not alone...

Our Enemies~

4) The men who put the Hebrew boys in the fire died! God is going to avenge you! You don’t have to fight the battle! The battle is mine sayeth the Lord! The enemy has been defeated and death can’t hold Him down! You don’t have to avenge yourself when you have been done wrong. The Lord will fight for you! He will restore, heal, and deliver!!!!

Come Forth, and Come Hither~

5) This is the main point that God showed me in the scriptures… Come forth!!! Only the King can call you out of the fire… He didn’t put you there but He allowed it to happen. He didn’t take you out of the fire right away but He walked with you in the fire. And now He is the only one who can call you out of the fire! He knows exactly where you are because He is right there with you my friend! He allowed you to be there to teach you to become an overcomer. He is walking right beside you and He will never leave you! 

The King is calling me out of the fire! I had to be in the fire so He could make me over once more. I will be in the fire again in the future but today He has given me strength for the next trial. Every thing we go through is to help us through the next trial and to help someone else through their fire. We overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. We are overcomers in Jesus Christ! We have a choice to move forward and get better or to get bitter. There will always be a trial, and something we are to bare. We have a promise that He will be with us in the trial. I am ready for to come out of the fire… Listen to His voice because He will soon be calling you too!!!!

Promotion~

6) The Hebrew boys were rewarded for their faithfulness to the Lord. They went through the fire and they came out the other side victorious! When we too pass the test God promotes us in the spirit. We have a deeper understanding of the Lord and we know him more. He may promote you and elevate you when and where you least expect it. There is always a promotion when we pass the test and we can be rest assured that the Lord will always reward the faithful. We may have never heard of the Hebrew boys if they had bowed to an idol but we know their story because they stayed true to their God.

Conclusion~

I think they were scared. I think they doubted what God was doing. I think they prayed for God to send angels to deliver them. I think they wondered why they were walking in the fire. I think they talked to God in the fire and asked Him why He had let them go into the fire in the first place. I think they were human! The moral of the story is to trust God and even when we don’t know what He is doing to walk with Him in the fire. He will call you out to come forth! Then He will reward you with a blessing for your faithfulness! Keep walking forward!!!

What About The Splinter?

Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye. Luke 6:42

Mesquite trees are one of the toughest trees known to man. They can reach up to 50 feet tall with a branch spread of 40 feet or more. Their thorns are as tough as nails. They are big and strong and they can also kill you… You can move the beam of the tree completely out of the ground. It can be totally removed and yet one small trace, a splinter can get in your hand etc. and kill you. The thorns are poisonous and it is the splinter that will kill you…

There seems to be a new trend in the church or is it really new? I think that it is just re-packaged and re-labeled as being godly. (You have a beam in your eye, so you can’t even talk about my splinter)

I rarely speak out on controversial matters because I feel that it is more important to try and spark people to be inspired to change. I only speak now because I have seen so many loved ones in the church hurt, myself included while sitting on a pew. This message isn’t to point fingers or to say I am better than you. On the contrary I know without a shadow of a doubt that I have failed God probably more and in worse ways than most of you who will read this blog. I am a failure, a sinner, a former backslider, and was once lost. I had a beam in my eye.

But… what about the splinter?

Now, I am free, a sinner saved by grace, on fire for God, and I have been found. There is a great divide in the church for people like me. I was raised in church and walked away for several years. Then when I came back home I was welcomed with open arms like the prodigal daughter. The welcome party was short lived. Then there was a wide assortment of criticisms. It broke my heart literally. To think that I was so on fire for God and I just wanted to please Him and here I was made to feel like I wasn’t good enough. That I would have to do penance and (16) hail Mary’s and then it just might be possible to be used of God. It may sound like I am being bitter or hateful but I am not I am only trying to share how hard it is for a person to come back to God while on display. There is an expectation placed on your shoulders to be the new perfect saint and it is hard to live up to. Sadly, I feel this is why so many backsliders do not come home. They can’t face the judgment. I am sharing this to be an eye-opener to the church not to be another person turning reverse criticism, what would be the point?

So what happens when a backslider feels so much criticism? What happens when you are ostracized by those who are supposed to love you? What happens when you are stumbling and about to fall? What happens when people sit back and say, “Look at what they are doing” they aren’t changed?

The answer is: They fall while sitting on the pew….

A friend told me recently that her pastor told her, “You can’t expect to be a 30 year saint in 2 years of coming back to God.” I don’t know why these words have spoken to me but they have resonated into my soul. The same is for me. I may have been raised in church but I walked away from God. I lived a life of sin to the fullest.  It has taken three years of constant consecration to God for Him to re-program my mind. Friends you can’t input that much sin into your life and expect that just because you came back to God that you won’t still be struggling. Give yourself a break and stop being so hard on yourself. It is a process and you will fail God once you get back into church. You will more than likely fail Him really bad and you will think that you can’t make it. Sadly, people will tell you that you can’t make it too.  

I am here as living proof that you too can make it!!!! I have learned the really hard way that not everyone is behind you. Not everyone is your friend. Not everyone sees the good in you and who you will become. But it is a lesson worth learning, so that you too do not become a splinter pointing at a beam in someone else’s eye. You can choose today this very moment to stop the cycle of disdain. You can stop the criticisms and begin to pray rather than judge the beam in another’s eye lest you grow a splinter that will become infected. A little leaven leaveneth a whole lump. So don't be a part of the lump be a part of restoration in the body! 

You set the tone and atmosphere for your life. You can change the world you live in by reaching out to those who are hurting. You too might be the next one to fall and you might need the same help up as your brother or sister.  Make the choice to change. When we truly become one body and change toward the love of Jesus, that is when we will be able to move toward revival. How can we truly love new people if we can’t love those who we know?

“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”

1 John 4:20

There is a splinter in the church and it is infecting the body. Just because you don’t have a beam in your eye, doesn't mean there isn't a problem. I want to point out in love that just because you sit on a pew and your sins aren’t as open as (mine or someone elses) remember pointing fingers at others doesn’t diminish your sin. Ouch that is strong language! Please note that I am not being a reverse-judge mentalist. I am only trying to point out some pitfalls that we have all been guilty to fall into these categories.

So what can us as church goers do to change how we treat others?

1)    Love our neighbor as ourselves (It really is the most important thing)

2)    Pray for our brother or sister when we see them in a pit

3)    Don’t put your brother or sister in a pit and cause them to fall

4)    Love our neighbor as ourselves

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.  For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:1-4

We cannot put condemnation on those who are no longer walking after the flesh and who are now walking the Spirit. I am so grateful and humbled that the Lord saw fit to pull the beam out of my eye and am now missing an eye. I pray every day to reach for others in their pit so that they too can have the beam pulled out of their eye. I strive toward the mark of not letting a splinter fester into an infection within my own person. I choose to not spread the infection throughout the body of believers. Will I be perfect? No. I am only aware and with awareness bring the ability to be proactive to combat against the enemy of self. I choose to love in spite of fault. I choose daily examine my life for splinters. I pray this blog opens eyes not in judgment but in awareness!