Take Heed that No Man Deceive You

Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

The Word Christ means Annointed.

Now if someone came up to you and said, "I am Christ." would you believe it? What if someone came up to you and said, "Jesus Christ is in the field, let's go listen to him." Would you consider it? Maybe you would if you were unstable or blown about with every wind of doctrine, like some may be. But if you were a well-adjusted Christian, you would just shake your head at the stupidity of such a claim.

So why would Jesus say that? I believe there is an error here in translation. I believe what Jesus is saying here is "Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Annointed." There are alot of people who come in Jesus name, (say they are Christian), even going so far as say they are Annointed (claim to be born again filled with the Holy Spirit). They are the ones I think Jesus was trying to warn us about. They are the ones that will deceive many.

The last time I went to the little pentacostal church I was going to for a while, a traveling minister came to preach there. He stood on stage with his microphone and jumped up and down saying, "I feel the Annointing coming on" and he would speak in tongues, as if to prove his point. (Notice no interpretation which is not according to the Word.) He kept jumping up and down as if the Holy Spirit was a carbonated beverage you had to shake up in order to activate it. Like it would just get shaken up enough to pop and you would be filled with the Holy Spirit (it's bubbling, it's bubbling, it's bubbling in my soul.) That man came down and put his hand on a young girls head and tried to get her to be slain in the spirit and I was standing near praying that the Lord would protect her from any demonic impartation. Finally the man had to stop and nothing had happened and I thanked the Lord for His hedge of protection on her. I never went back to that church.

Jesus warned us against false brethren, wolves in sheeps clothing He called them. 1st John also warns against them. Testing the spirits is not putting your finger in your mouth and then up to the air to see which way the wind is blowing. It is testing the spirits of the brethren, whether they are of God or not.

A mistake I have made repeatedly on this trip is to openly trust people who say they are Christian. We are to love the brethren and our enemies, but that does not mean we have to open our hearts to them and tell them every detail of our lives. Satan has infiltrated every organization and there are many anti-christs out in the world posing as real Christians. It's not the pew-warming Laodician Christians I'm talking aobut either. It's the Christians that appear like strong spirit-filled talking the talk and walking the walk people, who are only spying out your liberty in Christ so they can turn and rend you when you least expect it.

Mat 24:9 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.
Mat 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Mat 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Mat 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Who is the they? The people who come in Jesus name and say they are annointed. They shall be offended and shall betray and hate one another.

This is why it is so very important to seek the Father. Learn to hear His voice, because we are in dark days and you will not be able to trust the people around you to be true brethren or not. I don't mean being overly suspicious or anything! Just guard your heart and only fully trust in the Lord Almighty. He will communicate to you where you should be and what you should be doing. Pray for those people around you to be saved, everyone you meet you should pray for and especially pray for the people who give you trouble and persecute you. The fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for always being trustworthy. Thank you for your many blessings and protections in our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Be Ye Angry and Sin Not

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Eph 4:26-27

This verse has been on my mind lately. Anger is an emotion. Jesus looked on the Pharisees in anger because of their hard-heartedness before He healed the man with the withered hand (Mark 3:5). So it is available to be angry and still not be sinning.

Some interesting articles on the subject are here:

Anger by Kevin Cauley from the Preachers File

Be Ye Angry and Sin Not By David Tavender of Berean Bible Fellowship of Australia

Our emotion of Anger must be controlled. Like anything of the flesh, it can become a door to other worse things such as wrath or hatred. Galations 5 is a good comparison between the works of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit.

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

"They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." We who are Christs need to be always sure that we catch that emotion of Anger at the moment it hits - in order to lead every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. If you are having a problem controlling your anger, or if your flesh still reacts in anger at certain things - it is possible to ask the Father for deliverance and victory over this area.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your Holy spirit and for making it available for us, your children, to walk after the spirit and not after the flesh. Please help me to overcome anger and all the other areas of my life where I am falling short. In the name of your son Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Wedding Planners - Part 2 Countdown: 25 Days

It is getting down to the wire, but the Lord is handling all the details so wonderfully.

Mom and I went to pick up the bridesmaids dresses. Since we were at the mall, Mom said, "Let's look at shoes. Maybe there is a pair of shoes you can wear with your bridesmaid dress." So the very first store we went to (J.C. Penny) had this excellent pair of shoes, with just the right amount of heels and exactly my size! Plus! They were regularly $45 on sale for $21.99! Thank you Lord.

Thank you Heavenly Father for handling all the details of my life and my sister's wedding. Thank you for loving me, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Listening to the Lord - Part 6 - Conclusion

The subject of Listening to the Lord is so vast, that I have barely even begun to scratch the surface in these last few postings. Everytime we read the Holy bible the Lord is speaking to us. He speaks to us in dreams, in visions. Sometimes He speaks to us in parables by the situations going on around us in our lives and the world at large. Sometimes the Lord speaks to us through other people.

Here is a list written by James W. Goll of the Elijahlist:

"Ten Effective Tools for the Trade

• Number One: Don't Make Hearing God Complicated!
It is actually not hard to hear God. We tend to overcomplicate the whole matter. The following are three simple steps that help us, very simplistically, hear God's gracious voice.

# 1 — Submit to His Lordship
Ask Him to help you silence your own thoughts, desires and opinions. You want to hear only the thoughts of the Lord right now. Proverbs 3:5-7, "In all your ways acknowledge Him. And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your eyes, fear the Lord and turn away from evil." James says, "Submit unto God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Before resisting always comes submitting.

# 2 — Resist the Enemy
Use the authority Jesus Christ has given you as His disciple to silence the voice of the enemy. Apply the Blood of Jesus over your life and resist the enemy. He will run in terror away from you. Great news! If you do what God wants you to do (first!), then He will do for you what you cannot do on your own!

# 3 — Ask your Question and Expect God's Answer
Ask the question that is in your heart, bring it before the throne of Almighty God. You must now wait for Him to answer. Believing that as you submit to God and resisted the enemy you can now expect that you will be filled with the knowledge of God's will with all spiritual wisdom and understanding (Colossians 1:9). Now, at times, an immediate reply will come—other times it is like a slow, simmering process—but the most important aspect is to ask, expect and receive.

• Number Two: Allow God to Speak in the Way He Chooses.
Don't try to dictate to God the guidance methods you prefer. Listen with a yielded heart. There is a direct link between yielding and hearing. He may choose to speak to you in a method that you are not accustomed to. He will speak through His written Word, through a person, through dreams, visions, through the quiet inner voice... Now having submitted, resisted and asked, do not dictate the way you want Him to answer your request. Allow God to speak to you in the way He chooses.

• Number Three: Confess Any Known Sins.
Psalm 66:18, "If I regard wickedness in my heart the Lord will not hear me." If the Lord doesn't hear you, then you're not going to receive the answer that you're hoping for, because He hasn't even heard the question yet. So the third point in hearing God's voice is one of the foundation stones of A, B, C Christianity—the confession of sins. Confess your sins. He is waiting to listen. He is waiting to forgive. Confess your sins to our Father in Jesus' great name. A clean heart is a prerequisite to hearing God.

• Number Four: Have You Obeyed the Last Thing God Told You to Do?
If you haven't obeyed His last orders, why do you think He would give you new ones? He's waiting for you to do what He's already told you to do. This alone is one of the main reasons people don't think they are hearing from Papa. He has already spoken—you already know what is required of you. Now go do, for Jesus' sake! It's the issue of obedience. Go back and finish your last orders could be a word of wisdom needed so that you can continue in life's journey.

• Number Five: Get Your Own Leading.
God will use others to confirm your guidance, but we must learn to hear the voice of the Lord for ourselves. God is a jealous God. He wants to talk with you. Become secure in your own identity in Christ. Realize that you are a son or daughter of the Creator of the universe in your own right. He has promises to lead His own and has given us His precious Holy Spirit to be our guide. Is He yours? Don't be wrongly co-dependent upon others. At the same time, don't jump in the other ditch by over-reacting and cultivating an independent and rebellious spirit. You've got to, and you will learn to, hear God for yourself.

• Number Six: Don't Talk about Your Word Too Soon.
This is a really wise one. I wished I had known this one a bit earlier on in my life! I think the dreamer Joseph might have wished he had heard this one also! The main purpose of waiting is to help you avoid the not-so-obvious pitfalls. Have you ever considered that God might like to share a secret with a trusted friend? Have you considered asking permission before opening wide your mouth and repeating everything you supposedly know?

Oftentimes, God does speak something to us ahead of time, before it comes into being. His word comes to prepare us and to change us to be the vessel qualified to do what has been spoken. He will prepare us for that which lies ahead.

• Number Seven: God Will Confirm What He's Telling You.
Realize God does use others to confirm His word. It's a part of a safety net of protection. Second Corinthians 13:1 wisely states that God will confirm His word by two or three witnesses. This particular truth is quoted three times in the Bible. God will confirm His word by the witness or testimony of two and three others. Isn't that wonderful! If it really is God, He will speak the same or similar thing more than once. So—in other words—you don't have to go running off with just a one-time word! If it really is from God, it will be confirmed. Rest in that fact.

Believe that the Lord will speak through those in relational authority in your life. Trust the Lord and pray for those in authority. There is safety in the multitude of counsel.

• Number Eight: Be Aware of Counterfeits.
Satan loves to counterfeit. He has no originality—He's just a copycat! If there's a counterfeit, what does that mean? It infers that there's something authentic and real out there. The enemy only counterfeits what is real. Counterfeit money...Why is there counterfeit money? Because there's real money and it has power.

Why does the enemy have counterfeit voices, counterfeit occult, counterfeit experiences, and even counterfeit supernatural encounters? Why? Because our Lord of Hosts has the real power, the real dreams, myriads of angels, and the true guidance system.

God is a supernatural Being. People are born with a void that only the voice of God can fill. But beware of counterfeits from the dark side. They exist to trap you; flee from them in Jesus' name!

• Number Nine: Practice Hearing God's Voice.
Yes, practice hearing the voice of God, and it will become easier. It's like picking up the phone and recognizing the voice of a friend. You know their voice because you've heard it so much.

If I want to know His voice, I've got to spend some time with Him. The voice of the Holy Spirit is so lovely to me today. I would never want to grieve Him. We must get to know the voice of our Master and it only comes by spending time with Him. The more you practice, the easier it becomes!

• Number Ten: Cultivating an Intimate Relationship.
From God's perspective, the most important reason for hearing the voice of God is not just to know the right things to do—it is knowing the Source Himself! If you don't have good communication with a person, you don't have a vibrant relationship with them.

True guidance is getting closer to the Guide. We grow to know the Lord better as He speaks to us. As we listen to Him and obey His word, we make His heart glad. Our relationship with our Papa God goes so far beyond information, guidance, dreams, visions, angels, and all the wonderful supernatural stuff. It goes so far beyond that.

It's all about intimacy with Jesus. The gifts of the Spirit are appetizers to whet our desire for more of God Himself. The voice of God is used to create a deeper hunger within us so that we might come into closer communion with Him. The reason to hear His voice is really simple: to cultivate an intimate relationship with our Abba Father. Our Daddy wants to commune with us even more than we want to commune with Him. Draw near, He is drawing near to you.

So, that's some simple foundational thoughts on hearing the voice of God. I hope these tools will get added to your tool chest 'cause it's time to listen up! The Holy Spirit has something He wants to say to you!

Blessings to You! James W. Goll"

One last thing. There is an excellent podcast from The Full Armor of God Podcast website that you should listen to.

It is called Full Armor of God: A Danger Signal - Unanswered Prayer.

Thank you Merciful Heavenly Father for desiring to have a relationship with us, wanting to talk to us and have us hear You clearly. Thank you for the gift of Holy Spirit and for your plan of redemption for us. In the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sunday Update - Corbett Report

Listening to the Lord - Part 5 - Fasting

Ezr 8:21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

Ezr 8:23 So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.

I don't remember where I read that Matthew 6 is about the Christian walk: Give, fast and pray. Fasting should be a crucial part of our walk. Fasting is a way of sanctifying yourself before the Lord with a view to getting an answer on a specific petition. Here are some online resources concerning fasting:

Releasing God's Power Through Fasting by Bill Bright

Jentezen Franklin Fasting Movement

But you can find more resources by doing a google search and also a word study in the Bible concerning fasts and fasting.

Some things to keep in mind when considering a fast:

1.) It is recommended that you see a doctor before entering into any fasts. I personally disagree because I trust my Heavenly Father more as my physician than any earthly doctor, but you need to make your own decision concerning that.

2.) DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT do a 40 day fast your first time out, unless specifically told to by the Lord. Work up to it by doing some 3 day and 10 day fasts before hand. Do not do a no water fast for more than three days, that is very dangerous.

3.) Don't make excuses. I hear the "I can't because I am diabetic" or whatever. I come from a family of diabetics, and believe me, we can EAT! There are many ways you can fast and still maintain your blood sugar levels. If needed you could just fast between meals (or do a Daniel Fast which is: Eat no meat, no sweets and no bread. Drink water and juice. Eat fruits and vegetables.) It is recommended that you allow yourself juices on some of the longer fasts.

There are several different types of fasts:

1.) Fasting till evening - Many times the congregation of Israel as a whole would fast all day and then break the fast at evening.

2.) One day, 3 day, 7 days, 10 days, 21 days and 40 days.

Frankly you can do a fast for how ever long you want, but do not go over 40 days because that is very dangerous. You should seek the Lord as to what kind of fast He would have you do. I tried to do a fast where I only drank water and I got such an extreme headache that I ended up having to eat something. So now I usually allow myself juices in order to not have a headache, and if I just want to drink water and have no coffee or juice, I will only fast until 3pm because I can do that length of time without a headache.

I personally like a 3 day fast with juices and water. Recently I had the house to myself while my parents were away so I did a two day fast with one or two specific situations in mind to bring before the Lord. I had answers to both before the end of the 2nd day. (But finish your fast, don't just break the fast because you got your answer!)

There is much much more on the subject of fasting that I do not have space for in this blog post. Seek the Lord and be smart - do not put yourself in danger.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for the fast, for a way to sanctify ourselves and draw close to you. thank you for being so awesome and wonderful. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

New World Next Week

Listening to the Lord - Part 4 - Counterfeits and Spiritual Warfare

The devil takes great pleasure in deceiving the people of the Lord. Russ Dizdar refers to it as "voice to skull technology" where demons will literally throw thoughts into your mind. We need to study the Bible in order to know the true revelation vs demon inspired thoughts and ideas. As in 1 John, we need to test the spirits. We also need to understand our authority in Christ and should be rebuking and casting out any demons that could be influencing our lives, daily!

In order to truly understand spritual warfare, you first have to understand that the idea that a Christian can't have a demon is a false doctrine. Many people do not get the deliverance they need from demonic influences because of that false doctrine. Sometimes the Lord will leave a demon in a Christian in order to teach them spiritual warfare when they are ready. Sometimes a Christian will bring it on themselves by willful disobedience and when they repent, and turn back to the Lord again, they need deliverance. Many Christians are on anti-depressants and various other drugs because they believe that Christians can't have demons, when the Christian could be under the influence of spirits of depression and spirits of opression that they need to be delivered from. It is the first step in spiritual warfare.

The realm of spiritual warfare is too big for me to cover in this posting, but I want to give some resources

Russ Dizdar of Shatterthedarkness.net has hundreds and hundreds of mp3's that address spiritual warfare topics. He has a class called Confronting the Powers that is being offered free on his site that I highly recommend.

Confronting the Powers

The Word tells us NOT to be ignorant of Satan's devices. David Eells of Unleavened Bread Ministries also has some great mp3's on this topic. Some I believe that directly address this topic are here:

What spirits do you follow?
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

He also has another one called Demon Tactics.

But the best resource of all is our Heavenly Father. If you have questions about whether or not WHAT you are listening to is from Him or some other spirit, He will answer you if you seek Him diligently.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the blood and name of your son, Jesus Christ, Yeshua, that gives us authority over the spirit realm and the gates of hell shall not prevail against us. Thank you so much for the great deliverance you give us each and every day. In Jesus name. Amen.

Listening to the Lord - Part 3 - Don't listen to the Old Man

Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee. Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. Psalms 143:8-10

And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. Isa 30:21

One of THE scariest stories in the bible, involves a nameless man of God who has a prophecy that came true - establishing him as a true prophet of God. But because he listened to someone else, he lost everything, including his life.

And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.

And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.

And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.

And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.

The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. 1 Kings 13:1-5

The altar rending was the sign given that this was a true prophecy from the Lord.

And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.

And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.

And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:

For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.

So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel. 1Kings 13:6-10

Ok. So the Lord specifically told the man of God not to eat or drink or go back the way he came. So far so good, he obeyed. But now for the scary part:

Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.

And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.

And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,

And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.

Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.

And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:

For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.

He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.

So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.

And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back:

And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,

But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.

And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.

And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.

And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.

And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him. 1 Kings 13:11-26

This story has ALWAYS bothered me. Why did the old prophet lie? was it a test? Certainly, one the man of God obviously failed.

The Old prophet represents the Old Man nature. The Old Man wants to kill you and he will lie to do it. Now the story goes on that the Old prophet really felt bad about the man of God, but too late, the guy is dead now. This also establishes the fact that you should never listen to anyone else when they try to tell you that the Lord gave them a revelation that is the opposite of what the Lord has given you. We are to obey the Lord only! not a man.

Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: Psalm 146:3-5

David Eells from Unleavened Bread Ministries has an excellent booklet called, "Are you following a Wolf" That helps distinquish the Old Man from the New man.

The New man is Christ in you the hope of glory. We are not to doubt ourselves and our standing as sons of Yahweh. If the Lord gives you a revelation, it is ok to get a confirmation (you should always confirm to make sure it is from the Lord and testing the spirits), but don't let some Old prophet, or someone else come along and try to tell you that you didnt hear from the Lord. The Lord will teach you His ways and how to obey Him. Don't let Satan cause you to lose by not obeying the Lord.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for teaching us your ways - what they are and what they are not. Thank you so much for being so loving and awesome and always taking care of our needs. In the name of Yeshua, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Listening to the Lord - Part 2 - The sound of silence

If you have spent any amount of time on this walk, you will come up against situations where it appears that the Lord is not giving you any answers. It may even seem like there is dead silence when you are trying to hear from the Lord.

David lamented that fact in Psalms 77

"I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.

I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah. Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.

I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah." Psalms 77:1-9

David knows that the Lord hears him, but he is sure the Lord must be mad at him because He is not answering. But David understands why in verse 10, "This is MY infirmity."

David recognized why his soul refused to be comforted, he was communing with his own heart and became troubled. In Psalms 77:10-20 David remembers all the wonderful things God had done.

In the case of Saul of the Old Testament, who the Lord wouldn't answer, Saul NEVER admitted he was wrong. He NEVER got right again with the Lord. He was filled with fear and unbelief. He had a spirit of murder and tried to kill David more than once. He even accused his own son Jonathan of being a homosexual towards David. (1 Sam 20:30)

The Book of James explains a lot concerning an answer from the Lord: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8

Being double-minded means, having one eye on the Lord and one on the world. You cannot serve two masters. Your mind has to be totally on the Lord, for the answers. And sometimes the answer is:

Wait.

If you are born again of God, and you have the Holy Spirit in you then you have the promises of God. The Lord promises to always hear your prayers and to never leave you or forsake you. So if you are not hearing from the Lord, then the answer is to wait on the Lord until you do hear an answer. The Old-time revivalists used a term, "praying through." It was a good term. It meant praying until you get an answer. The Lord is not a microwave. Wait 30 second and DING you have your answer. The Lord may require you to wait for MONTHS. Look how long Abraham had to wait. Do a word study on wait and waiting in the Word. It's part of our training as sons of God. To be ready, to watch and to wait.

Dear Merciful Heavenly Father. Thank you so much for always being with us and never forsaking us. Thank you for always hearing our prayers. Thank you for your word and for your Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Listening to the Lord - Part 1 - The still small voice

(I would like to preface this next series of posts with the fact that this is not a teaching blog. I am only writing here about what the Lord has shown me out of His Word and things I have learned from my own walk. I am not a prophet NOR am I an expert on hearing the voice of the Lord. I'm just a girl trying to walk obediently to the Lord.)

The very main way a person is to be able to hear from the Lord is through His Word. We are to study to show ourselves approved, as workmen that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth. Any revelation the Lord would give you has to line up with His Word.

The first time Samuel heard the voice of the Lord, he thought it was Eli calling for him:

That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me.

And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. 1 Sam 3:4-10

Eli had to teach Samuel what to do when hearing the voice of the Lord.

When Elijah was in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights he came to the Lord in extreme agitation:

1Ki 19:10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

The Lord took the time to teach Elijah what it was not, before he could teach him what it was.

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 1 Kings 19:11-12

This was the Lord teaching Elijah how to quiet his mind so that he could really hear the voice of the Lord. Also, the word for wind could also be translated as spirit. We are in a spiritual battle. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, and more often than not the battle takes place in our minds. The Lord taught Elijah that the Lord was in the still small voice.

The word still in that passage means both whisper and calm. It reminds me of Revelation 4:6 when it talks about a sea of glass. That is the mind fully at rest in the Lord.

In the new testament - when we get born again, we have the spirit of Christ in us. We are told in 1 John to try the spirits, whether they be from God. The very main way that God talks to us is through His Word. If you have a revelation that is contrary to the Word of God, you are listening to a wrong spirit. There are no set instructions in the bible about how to hear from the Lord. That is because the Holy Spirit teaches us individually how to hear from the Lord.

Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

1Jn 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you so much for your Holy Word, for sending us Jesus Christ as our example in all things and for dying for us, and thank you so very much for the Holy Spirit - that teaches us how to listen to your voice in our lives. Thank you for being so merciful with us, in the name of your son Jesus Christ, Yeshua, Amen.

Sunday Update - The Corbett Report

Isaiah 25:8-9

He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.

And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Shake it off

"And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he said this, he fell asleep. And Saul was consenting unto his death" Acts. 7:58-8:1.

"And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and SLAUGHTER against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the High priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem." Acts 9:1-2.

Saul was a bad guy originally. We first hear of him as he is consenting unto Stephens death. That word consenting is the Greek word - syneudokeō - which literally means:
1) to be pleased together with, to approve together (with others)
2) to be pleased at the same time with, consent, agree to
a) to applaud

Paul basically clapped his hands in pleasure at the death of Stephen. BUT we know that Paul repented and the Lord Jesus Himself witnessed to Paul on the road to Damascus. I'm only bringing it up for the context of what I'm going to talk about next:

"And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live." Act 28:3-5

No doubt.

This was an orchestrated, targeted attack from the adversary with a view to assassinate Paul. The viper (the agent of satan) came out of no-where and latched onto Paul's hand and started pumping lethal poison into his body. This was a set up.Because the first thing the locals do, instead of running up to him and saying, "Are you hurt? Are you ok?" just assume that Paul must be a murderer and suffering the consequences of his own sin. But how did Paul react?

"And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm." Acts 28:5

Paul shook it off. Why? Because Paul knew his position in Christ. He knew that he was no longer that man consenting unto the death of Stephen. He knew he had been washed by the blood of Christ and that those past sins were forgiven. He recognized it as an attack by Satan and understood that Satan had no authority over him. Satan had no right to attack Paul and Paul knew it and so he was able to shake it off.

About a month ago I posted a dream that I had called The Nightmares of Children Part 2At the time I believed the dream was from the Lord showing me I had an open door to sin in my mind. Later when I told a friend the dream, she said, "The Lord doesn't remind us of old sins, he doesn't remember our old sins," I gasped! She was right, that dream was an attack by the adversary! There was no open door to sin in my mind, it was Satan showing me an open door and trying to entice me to go back through it, because Satan had me right where he wanted me while I was engaging in that activity. I'm sure he would love for me to go back down that road.

But I had assumed because it was a dream, that it was from the Lord. The devil loves to attack us in our sleep. The Lord showed me why it is so important to test the spirits whether they be of the Lord.

Dear Heavenly Father, help me to be a better believer, help me to remember your promises and to shake it off when the devil attacks. In the name of Yeshua, Jesus Christ. Amen.

New World Next Week

Grrrr...

I had to go see the doctor today. My thyroid medicine prescription has run out of refills and the doctor would not write me a new prescription until I came in for a blood test and an exam. Last year, I decided I didnt need my thyroid medicine anymore and I stopped taking it.

I swelled up like a big fat balloon. Especially my hands. Ow.

so, since they basically had me over a barrel, I had to go in. Luckily I asked for the naturaopath doctor and she was really nice. So I had some blood drawn and I will find out from the doctor what my new prescription is. We talked about more natural options such as changes in diet (gluten-free etc.) in order to make changes to the prescription, but that would mean I would have to go in every couple weeks. I told the doctor that I was a Christian and that I believe the Lord is going to heal me and I will not have to take this thyroid medicine anymore. She was really nice about that and was totally willing to work with me on alternatives.

I do believe the Lord will heal me. Last time my prescription was 175 milligrams, then it went down to 150 milligrams. Maybe it will just keep going down and down. Yeah. Lets pray and believe for that.

Thank you Heavenly Father, for healing me of all my infirmities. I rebuke any spirits of infirmity and evil spirits of thyroid in the name of Jesus Christ. Thy Will be done Lord, in Jesus' name. Amen.

A noise like a dog

As I was reading in Psalms this morning, I came across this verse:

Psalms 59:5-6, "Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah. They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.

Farther down it states again:

Psalms 59:12-14, "For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak. Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah. And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city."

Anytime a verse is repeated like that in the Bible, it means that it is established and it is God's way of saying THIS IS IMPORTANT. These verses establish the fact that making a noise like a dog is something that the heathen and wicked transgressors do, NOT righteous people.

Barking like a dog or making ANY animal noises are all FALSE manifestations. Oh, they are real manifestations but NOT of the Holy Spirit, but deceiving demonic manifestations. If you have participated in this activity please seek the Lord and repent. It is one thing to be deceived, but now you know.

Also be aware that speaking in tongues in a worship service is only allowed biblically if it is interpreted. See 1 Corinthians 14. The reason is, witchcraft spirits and tribal spirits can also speak in tongues and when they do, they are cursing people or casting spells, and because no-one corrects this, these spirits have been able to invade our churches.

Don't be so naive that you think that Satan hasn't infiltrated your church. Satan has infiltrated EVERY SINGLE organization on this planet. Ignorance is no excuse. This is the main reason the Lord is calling people out of the organized churches, because they have all been infiltrated with false doctrines and false manifestations.

Read your bible. Repent. Seek the Lord.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your rich amazing Word, that we can learn of you what is true and what is false. Thank you in the name of Jesus Christ! Amen.

The Wedding Planners...

My parents and I spent the better part of yesterday making lists of things that still had to be done for the wedding. Stuff like:
Catering details
Florist
Cake
Bridesmaids outfits - alterations? Hair? Nails?
Rehearsal dinner
Etc. Etc. Etc.
It was amazing how quickly three hours can go when you work on a project like that. Then we gave my sister that is getting married the lists so she knows what needs to be done (my sister really appreciated it because she has been very busy with her new job.)

My mom said that we should set the lists in front of the Lord and pray for all the details to be taken care of. I said, "mom! that is an excellent idea!" The Lord has already shown that He is involved in the details of this wedding. All of us bridesmaids are a size 18. The dress lady said she had never heard of such a thing. Then my sister found the flower girl and jr bridesmaid dresses at a garage sale for $3 dollars each.

My sister told me that my future brother in law puts little notes in her lunch with the countdown on how many days left before the wedding. That is so sweet it makes me cry. As of today: 40 days till the wedding.

Sunday Update - The Corbett Report

Hug the Homeless

Jesus Christ was a homeless man. He could easily fall asleep in the prow of a ship, because he was use to having to sleep in unusual places. I'm sure it was really annoying to be woken up just because of a little storm.

While I was offline, I stayed in a Wal-mart parking lot for a week, sleeping in my van. At the time, the Lord led me there, I did not know how long I would be there. I just obeyed. In an effort to save gas, I often left my van in the parking lot and walked to other places nearby. There was a Safeway store that had wifi a couple blocks away, so I would walk there with my laptop. I usually did not take any money with me.

As I was walking back one morning, I came across a homeless man. He had a cardboard sign that said, "Homeless. Please, anything will help. WWJD" I stood and talked to him for a bit. His name was Albie (short for Albert.) He said that he was fairly recently homeless, because the bills and house just got away from him after his wife died. His clothes were basically clean and he was wearing a cross around his neck. I told him that I didn't have anything to give him but asked if it was okay for me to pray for him. He said he would be very happy for me to pray for him. So I prayed for him to be healed of all his infirmities and rebuked any spirits of infirmity in the name of Jesus Christ. I thanked the Lord for how He always meets our needs.

We talked a little about Jesus. He told me a story about how at the church he used to go to he would always go up to the front whenever the preacher said, "Who wants to be saved." He said the preacher said to him, "Albie, why do you always come up, you are already saved." Albie said he told the preacher, "I need as much saving as I can get!" We both laughed. I told Albie that I'd see him around and walked back to my van.

The next day as I drove near the same spot, I saw Albie again. I had money on me this time so I parked the van and asked him if I could take him to lunch at the Burger King which was right at that corner. He said sure. So we went to the Burger King and ordered lunch. I thought I smelled alcohol as we were getting our sodas. We talked about where a person could get a hot shower in town, etc., when he said, "my names Richard - what's yours"

!!!!

(yes, all you people who want to email me and tell me I'm an idiot. Don't bother, I already know)

I asked Richard if he knew Albie. He said that the old hands have been teaching Albie the ropes around there. Soon, I was finished eating and I told Richard it was nice to meet him and I left.

There are no accidents on this trip. Richard must have needed a hot meal, just like any other homeless person, although I felt like a complete dork.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the opportunities to give to the downtrodden, whether a prayer or a meal. Thank you for always giving me a roof over my head, even if it is just my van. Thank you for being so awesome and wonderful. In the name of Jesus Christ. amen.

Episode 186 - Media Monarchy

The Boonies

Did you know that there are still people out there who never get online and don't have a computer or internet access? Yeah, me neither.

I have been out at my cousin's house the last couple days. He fixed my van and then I helped out doing some grocery shopping and running various errands, and cleaning. But mainly, just visiting. It has been a really nice time.

My parents called me to ask me to come do some work for them, so I am back at their house for the next couple months. But it was the Lord's timing that I am back, not mine. My sister's wedding is at the end of October and there is plenty of work to be done before that happens, and then after that also, so unless the Lord sends me elsewhere, I may be here for a while. I just take these things one day at a time.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for being so wonderful and always meeting and exceeding all my needs. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

The farm

Several times on this journey the Lord has brought me here to the farm. It is very peaceful here and it is a quiet oasis for me to regroup, take a shower, have a good home-cooked meal, etc.

I thought you would like to meet the cast of characters:
This is Harley. As in Davidson. He is such a big old teddy bear. He comes up to my hips and is a huge intimidating dog, but he won't hurt a flea. He raised Orange cat from a kitten. Now Orange Cat things shes a dog.This is Orange Cat. Her real name is Tiger, but I've always called her Orange Cat. The family watched yesterday as she literally jumped up and plucked a bird out of the sky mid-flight. Killed it dead. Yuck. Before that I told my niece, "Your dad said I could have Orange cat as my van kitty." she said, "What?! No!" heh heh. This is Brown Dog. Her name is Daisy, but she just looks so much like a Brown dog to me. I mean, have you ever seen such a brown dog before? Then there are the cows I heard that the little cow I had a problem with a couple months ago died in the middle of the field a couple weeks ago. poor thing.

And here is the beautiful garden:
My cousin Rick, who is going to fix my van's starter is coming to pick me up and take me to my uncle's house and I am going to help him paint the house. A nice exchange for working on my van. So I am not sure what the internet access will be this weekend. If you don't hear from me, know the Lord is always looking out for me.

Dear Heavenly Merciful Father. Thank you for times of refreshing. Thank you for always taking care of me and I am never alone. In Jesus name Amen.

Veggietales

I was contemplating my lack of vegtables this morning. I have lots of peanut butter and bean dip and crackers and dried fruit (and Twizzlers - gotta have Twizzlers for road trip food.) But I did notice that I have not had any vegtables for awhile. Oh well, that is the least of my needs. I have been waiting on the Lord and asking for clear, unmistakable direction for my life.

I was going to write about hot showers today. I had a plan for the day (Lord willing). I was going to drive to the state park and have a hot shower, take some pictures in order to blog about how thankful I am for the hot showers at the park. Then I was going to meander back, get some gas, get comfy on the couch at the library and quilt as I listened to the teaching from David Eells ministry. So with this little plan in mind, I went out to my van.

It wouldn't start.

I am completely helpless when it comes to working on vehicles. I know nothing and can do nothing. I'm also not in a position to pay a bunch of money to have a shop work on it. I prayed for an answer and kept trying to start it, but it wouldn't start. Long story short, my brother in law came out to look at it. The starter is out, so we went and bought another starter and he was able to manually start the van in order for me to drive back to their house. They invited me to dinner and to stay at their house for a couple days. I thought that was very clear direction. Plus, they have an awesome vegtable garden.

Thank you Heavenly Father for always providing all my needs, even the least of them. Thank you for being so awesome and wonderful. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Psalms 35

[[[A Psalm] of David.]] Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.
Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.

Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.
Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.

For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.
Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.

And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?

False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.
But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.

But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.
Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.

For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.
Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.

Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.

Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.