Elements of God's Word - Earth

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Gen 1:1

When God created the earth – he created it with the ability to perpetually bring forth plants and trees and herbs and other things that have their seed (their ability to produce offspring) within themselves. When the Lord created the animals and creeping things He said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind.” and it was so. Gen 1:24.

When God created the man, he told the man that He had given him everything on the earth that he would need for life – to eat – and to have dominion over all the earth. The man also had his seed within himself – in order to produce offspring.

The word used for earth in these beginning verses is the Hebrew word Erets pronounced Eh-rets. It means earth (the whole earth as opposed to part), land, ground, country, inhabitants of the land.

Man was formed out of the earth – “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground (earth), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Gen 2:7. That word earth – ground – is the Hebrew word Adamah and means red earth – but more specifically it is an agricultural term for ground that is ready to be tilled. The kind of soil that is good for growing things. When man sinned and was cast out of the Garden of Eden, the Lord cursed the ground. It would now bring forth thorns and thistles which it had before not brought forth. It would now take sweat of a man’s brow to bring anything decent out of the ground.

In simplistic terms Cain brought an offer to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. The same ground that the Lord had cursed, and when Cain killed Abel, Cain was also cursed from the earth, that it would no longer yield it’s strength – no matter what kind of sweat was involved. So for Cain – it was a double curse.

Lamech, who lived to be 777 years old, when Noah was born said of him, “This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed.” Gen 5:29. When Noah came off the ark, and the animals with him:

Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. Gen 8:20-22

Time does not allow for me to give more of a proper post to this subject, since there are over 2000 instances of the word earth in God's Word. I highly recommend you do a word study on earth for yourseves, it is a very rich subject.

Symbolically WE are the earth. We are the soil tilled and ready for the Master Planter. Jesus Christ is the Word of God. Christ in you means that the Lord has planted His Words inside you (the earth) and is waiting for the fruits of righteousness to spring forth. The meek (those that want to grow in God’s Word and Seek His Face diligently) will inherit the earth.

The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Psa 12:6.

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Psa 46:10

For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. Psa 74:12

That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth. Psa 83:18

Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob; Psa 114:7

The promise of a New Heavens and a New Earth – carries with it the promise of a new glorious body for the old body will pass away.

Choose today what kind of soil you are, what kind of earth. Fertile rich soil that bears much fruit for the Master, or dried cracked earth good for nothing.

Dark days are coming on the earth. Seek the Lord's face and desire to be close to Him.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Rest in Peace

David Wilkerson was killed in a car accident yesterday. Please pray for his family and especially his wife who is in critical condition.

This news bothers me greatly. We are in a spiritual battle and at any moment, in the blink of an eye, you can be taken out.

Dark days are here my friends. They are here. Pray as hard as you can. Seek the Lord as hard as you can and do not let the adversary get a toehold in your life.

With great love and concern
Linda

Know Your Enemy Part 74 - The Emergent Church

A Balanced Diet

Many times throughout God's Word, food is used as an allegory. I have written on these themes before, but I feel they can always be touched on again.

The concept of milk - is for baby Christians. Christ and Him crucified. It is to say, Jesus died for you. Jesus laid down His perfect sinless life so that you can be saved. The simplicity of Christ is easily digested for the newbie, yet profound all on it's own. Anything more substantial and you run the risk of hurting them, the Word needs to be built upon a little at a time, so that it is can be processed.

Herbs are the spicy little verses that can be memorized in order to fight against our adversary. Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and promises out of the epistles. Spend the day eating herbs and if the devil comes sniffing around you just have to breathe on him like onion-breath and he goes running away. Buh-bye!

Jesus is the Bread of Life, as in our daily Bread. That is our daily time in the Word. Our fellowship with the Father and our foundation to start any day. Without a firm daily foundation in God's Word, you run the risk of very serious spiritual health problems. This should be a staple of your life. I like to start my mornings with my time in the Word. I read a couple pages in the Old Testament and then a couple pages in the New Testament and most often, it is in this morning reading time that the Lord is able to speak to me out of His Word. If you skip this step, just like skipping breakfast, you will be run down by mid-morning and the rest of the day just won't really track right. This is one of the most important keys to Christian living. If you don't have time for this MAKE TIME!

Then of course the meat of the Word. I remember when I was a little kid and we had steak for dinner. I hated steak when I was little. Chewing and chewing! (Of course, the steak I had as a child was always overcooked which made it worse. Steak should be medium rare. Period!) So I would chew and chew and it felt like 20 minutes later I was still chewing - so I would pretend to wipe my mouth with my napkin and put the steak in and the rest of dinner hold it in my hand under the table. Unfortunately for me, that stubborn little kid in me still sometimes has problems when eating meat. My impatience for understanding gets me frustrated. If we are having problems understanding the meat of the Word, then we need to seek the Lord for understanding, who gives it freely.

Jesus had multitudes of people following Him, more so once it was noised abroad that He was giving away free food. But when He started talking about them eating His flesh and drinking His blood - many of His disciples turned away.

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. Jhn 6:53-58

I always felt sorry for Jesus at this point, when he asked his remaining disciples, "Will you also go away?" Many times I have thought what Peter said, "Where else shall we go? You have the Words of Eternal Life."

It is the Lord who teaches us His amazing Word and helps our understanding. But time is running short. Decide today that you will be weaned from the milk and grow up to start chewing on the meat of the Word. Dedicate yourselves to study and put the Word on in your mind - putting on the Lord Jesus Christ. Because a famine is coming. A famine of the Word of God. When you are being persecuted and standing before Kings for the testimony of Jesus Christ - the Holy Spirit will be drawing on the Words that are in your mind already - in order to speak. Make sure there is something there to draw upon.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Little Children

This is a picture of my beautiful little grandchild Joshua. The title of the picture when it came to me was, "Fighting Dragons." Isn't that cool?!

The Lord Jesus was NOT happy with His disciples when they tried to prevent the little children from coming to Him. He said in Matt 19:14, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

One of the terms for the phrase "little children" is the greek word Teknion. It is used 9 times in the New Testament and translated as "little children." The words the Lord uses in His Word are perfect and there are important reasons the Lord requires us to be like little children if we are to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. If we do not TRUST the Lord like little kids, he can't teach us. If we do not run after the truth of His Word like little kids, he can not show us the treasures in His Word that He has for us.

Because Peter trusted the Lord like a little kid, he was able to walk on the water - just as Jesus had. It was fear that caused Peter to start to sink. Fear - that the Lord was not completely trustworthy to keep him afloat. We - as little children - need to trust in the Lord COMPLETELY. I am writing about this because I am struggling with this. Just as I am angry at myself for feeling this way - I am battling to eliminate the fear and doubt in my life. God looks on the heart - and my head can trust the Lord - but when rubber meets the road - my heart has to completely lay down my life on the alter and trust the Lord.

I think it is a good reminder to re-read the verses from the word teknion and translated "little children."

Jesus said, "Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:33-35

Paul said, "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you," as he talked to the Galatians about their error in trying to get back under the law. Gal 4:9

John used the term teknion seven times in his epistle of 1st John:

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin , we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 1 John 2:1

I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. 1Jo 2:12

And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear , we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 1Jo 2:28

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 1Jo 3:7

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 1Jo 3:18

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 1Jo 4:4

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. 1Jo 5:21

I would strongly recommend that you read the epistle of 1 John, because it has a lot to say to those who endeavor to trust the Lord like little children.

The Lord IS completely trustworthy. We need to come to Him as little children - in love, in trust and in obedience. We need to put away fear and doubt. We need to know that the Lord does not lead us into temptation but delivers us from evil. As little children we need to follow Him and seek Him.

Pray for me, my friends!

Blessings in Christ
Linda

Opening up to the Lord

It is after 3am. In my dream tonight, the Lord was trying to teach me His Words. But for some reason, it was not going well. I want to learn God's Words, but so much of what He was trying to teach me was brand new, and I at first thought I was having a problem getting rid of the traditions I had learned in order to fully accept the Pure Words He was trying to teach me. There was a level of frustration going on that was unclear.

Finally the Lord said to me, "This would be easier, if you could truly open up to Me."

I saw myself as a little child covered in bubbles resisting the attempts of the father at trying to wash behind my ears.

I saw myself as a little girl with huge tangles in her hair. The Lord was trying to brush them out but I was being too fussy and shaking my head back and forth.

"Open up to me."

I realized that the Lord was asking me for a deeper level of intimacy with Him. I realized that I was afraid. I still had pockets of control and doubt and unbelief in my life. I need to be at the level where there is nothing between the Father and myself. I need to be completely open with the Lord because the things the Lord will be requiring of me in the days to come will entail a full trust in the Lord and immediate obedience. There will be no chances for running out into traffic.

I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.

I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.

I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. Song of Solomon 5:2-5

The Lord is beginning to reveal to me what His plan and Will is for my life. The Lord has placed a high calling on my life, higher than I imagined, and I will need to be ready. There is no room for doubt or unbelief. There is no room for less than perfect fellowship with the Father.

Things are changing my friends. Seek the Lord with your whole heart, mind, soul and strength and hold nothing back. If you seek Him, you will find Him, it is a promise.

Blessings in Christ
Linda

New World Next Week