Pressing Toward The Goal

Through The Fire

2011-10-04T07:41:00.003-04:00

Through the Fire
by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman
Streams In The Desert

"So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning"
Job 42: 12

Through his griefs Job came to his heritage. He was tried that his godliness might be confirmed. Are not my troubles intended to deepen my character and to robe me in graces I had little of before? I come to my glory through eclipses, tears, death. My ripest fruit grows against the roughest wall. Job's afflictions left him with higher conceptions of God and lowlier thoughts of himself. "Now," he cried, "mine eye seeth thee.

And if, through pain and loss, I feel God so near in His majesty that I bend low before Him and pray, "Thy will be done," I gain very much. God gave Job glimpses of the future glory. In those wearisome days and nights, he penetrated within the veil, and could say, "I know that my Redeemer liveth." Surely the latter end of Job was more blessed than the beginning.
--In the Hour of Silence

"Trouble never comes to a man unless she brings a nugget of gold in her hand." Apparent adversity will finally turn out to be the advantage of the right if we are only willing to keep on working and to wait patiently. How steadfastly the great victor souls have kept at their work, dauntless and unafraid! There are blessings which we cannot obtain if we cannot accept and endure suffering. There are joys that can come to us only through sorrow. There are revealings of Divine truth which we can get only when earth's lights have gone out. There are harvests which can grow only after the plowshare has done its work.
--Selected

Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seamed with scars; martyrs have put on their coronation robes glittering with fire, and through their tears have the sorrowful first seen the gates of Heaven. --Chapin

Vision For The Body Of Christ - Rich Hoffman

2011-04-28T17:19:00.001-04:00

Vision for the Body of Christ 3/18/11
Rich Hoffman
Seen on Open Heaven Forums

As I was just waking up the Lord showed me a vision of a ceremony that He wishes His Body to perform to prepare for the coming revival here in the Pacific Northwest and then around the world.

In it I saw all persons in a room stand up and form a circle and hold hands and hug one another. Then the Lord gave me these words to speak with each member present repeating.

Oath of Office in the Body of Christ

In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit I solemnly swear before God and man the following:

1. I am a member of the Body of Christ.
2. I promise to love, strengthen and to aid the other members of the Body.
3. I promise to not criticize or murmur and to not harm other members of the Body of Christ.
4. I promise to love, cherish and to respect others in the Body with no regard to race, color or creed.
5. I promise to listen to God's voice and to do God's will.
6. I promise to be gentle and kind with other parts of the Body in the mercy and grace given to me by the Lord.
7. I promise to build God's kingdom not my own.
8. I promise to die to self and to live for Christ.
9. I promise to not quench the Holy Spirit, but to give Him free reign in my life.
10. I promise to mentor and to rise up others to walk in the image and likeness of Christ.
11. I promise to listen and to obey the voice of God.
12. In all ways I promise to follow the path of righteousness.
13. I promise to seek to fulfill and to obey God's plan for me in His Body.
14. I promise to live and work in unity in the Body of Christ, so help me God.

Don't Look For Love In So Many Directions - Lyn McSweeney

2011-04-10T08:37:00.002-04:00

Video Link

Don't Look For Love In So Many Directions
Lyn McSweeney (Lyn's website)

We look for love in so many directions hoping to win some ones affections
We grasp hold of this one we grasp hold of that not knowing them really or where they are “at”.
I have been there and done that and I know how much pain and suffering it can bring...

Be careful my children there is one who’ll persuade.. you to take that path that may lead to your grave.

He’ll bring people around you who are not filled with me, please be careful my child don’t let that be.

The enemy knows you desire to be loved, child come close to me let me be enough.
Come close to me give me your praise, allow me to guide you all of your days.
Seek my face first in all that you do, know me my child know how much I love you.
Let me make those divine connections.
I am the one who makes the corrections.
I am the one who brings forth the changes
I am the one who rearranges
So child wont you just ..rest in me, allow me to change things how I want them to be.
Don’t look for love in so many directions
Hoping to win some ones affections.

The Crucified Life - Bob Sorge (video)

2011-04-02T05:33:00.000-04:00

A Call To Anguish - David Wilkerson (video)

2011-03-31T13:40:00.001-04:00

The Blessing Of Betrayal - H.L. Roush

2011-03-29T17:11:00.003-04:00

The Blessing of Betrayal

H.L. Roush

DEDICATION:

To all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ to sincerity, and who have been wounded in the house of your friends for His sake. May this message be used in the hands of the Holy Spirit to help transform your crown of betrayal into the blossom of blessing. May the loneliness of personal rejection fade into insignificance by the warmth of His fellowship. May the Bride of Christ be made to know the reality of her union with Jesus.

H. L. Roush

The snow fell silently like drifting feathers and soon covered the drab and soiled earth with white. It had been snowing all night and I looked from my study window with a warm quiet heart on the first snow of winter. It was the day after Thanksgiving and the snowfall gave me all the excuse I needed to slow down my busy schedule to take the needed time to enjoy the fellowship of my family. We had much to be thankful for that year, as always. The hand of the Lord had been so obviously upon our lives and ministry that we could only bow before Him with grateful hearts and in the quiet knowledge that He had been the doer of it all.

The precious calm of that morning was soon shattered by the insistent ringing of the phone. It was the first link in a heavy chain that was soon to bind me in despair and sorrow; for the voice on the other end of the line informed me that great trouble had just entered my life.

Circumstances had been brought to pass that now endangered my whole ministry, as well as the potential ruin of my personal and family life, It is amazing how quickly the whole world seems to change when our circumstances change.

Truly, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, for the quiet white of the snow now seemed to me to be only hypocrisy that covered the hard, cruel facts which I knew lay beneath its deceptive cover. The lingering joy of Thanksgiving with my family quickly disappeared beneath the shadow of this present sorrow and I sank in my chair trembling and shocked. Serious accusations had been made against me by an unknown accuser, and God knew my heart that I was an innocent victim of distorted circumstances. I could only cry, "Oh, Father, who would do this?" My prayer was answered in a few short days and with it came the deepest pain of all; for, my betrayer was discovered to be a friend who professed to love me.

For two days I brooded in stunned silence and blackest despair. The trouble which I found myself facing was serious enough but was compounded beyond that which I felt that I was able to bear by the unbelievable fact that the one who had brought this grief into my life was one who broke bread with me around the table of the Lord and spoke often of their love for me. The precious truth which I learned through that experience are the subject of this book. Our "personal" experiences are not so personal as we might imagine what is happening in our lives as members of the Body of Christ is happening for the comfort and help of others (2 Corinthians 1). It is "happening" because it is the mutual inheritance of the members of Christ's Body to share in the sufferings of the Head (Philippians 1:29; Colossians 1:24).

THE CERTAINTY OF BETRAYAL

The withering experience of being betrayed by our friends and loved ones must of necessity come in every believer's life. I base this observation on much experience in the Christian life plus the clear and simple teaching of the word of God. It is an interesting discovery to learn that the word "betray" and its forms are only used in regard to Jesus' betrayal by Judas, except a single time in Luke 21:16.

In this passage, which is prophetic, it is used to depict the end of the age of grace and is stated to be one of the identification marks, or signs of, the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The verse simply reads: "And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death." This is a terrible thing to look forward to, but it is the plain promise of the word of Christ. The age of grace is to end with a world-wide religious deception. It will be the time of the great counterfeit perilous times in which the truth will be resisted by deceit and trickery (Study Paul's words in 2 Tim. 3:1-8).

I believe that every man, in whom Jesus dwells, will in these last terrible times have his own personal Judas; for in the age of the counterfeit the false brother will be prominent. Also, betrayal is the common experience of every man whom God has ever used for His glory. Our verse in Luke 21:16 says that betrayal comes by the hand of "parents, and brethren, and kinfolks and friends." Startling, but true, and for a good reason.

First, our enemies cannot betray us. We do not let them close enough to our hearts. We are not intimate enough with our enemies. It is with our brethren and our friends that we share our hearts, Since our enemies cannot hurt us, it is our friends who wound us. So, the Psalmist said in Ps. 55:12-14: "For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have born it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: but it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company."

So all Bible history echoes the fact of betrayal at the hand of our friends. Abel was betrayed by his only brother, Esau by his twin brother, Isaac by his son, Uriah by his trusted king and by his lovely wife, Jesus by His devoted disciple, Paul by "false brethren." We need not go on, for this solemn truth remains: it is often our friends that rise against us and so magnify our troubles in the Christian life. In general I have been treated with far more kindness by the unsaved than by professing brothers; and I have experienced often the crushing wound of betrayal at the hand of those who professed to love me.

This paradox may disturb and distress us, but the wisdom and love of God in it all is seen in the sobering truth that He spared not His own Son in this regard, but sent Him to His death by the hand of His friend. May God instruct our hearts in this precious lesson!

THE METHOD OF BETRAYAL

The method will always be the same. First, our betrayers will choose the time carefully. In the case of Jesus, He was betrayed at the exact moment in His life when He needed human fellowship the most (Mark 14:37); at the hour of His greatest need; and when He stood at the threshold of His greatest work (Calvary). Take heart, dear reader, if betrayal has been your recent experience. There must be great things ahead for you, else Satan would not strike at this very time. Our betrayers also know the place to strike us. John 18:2 shows that Judas knew the secret place of Jesus' retreat. They observe us and know our place of agony and prayer; and so having the advantage of intimacy, they smite us in an opportune place.

Their means of betrayal will always be the kiss. They encourage our love that they might strike us in an unguarded moment. The word of God says: "Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me" (Psalm 41:9). There is a precious word picture in this verse. The original meaning portrays a trusted family horse viciously kicking from behind an unsuspecting and trusting friend.

VICTORY OVER THE BETRAYER

What became of Judas? History has written his tragic end, but lurking in the seeming vagueness of the brief accounts of his death is a drama that has remained untold too long. In order to see it in its real perspective, we must look briefly at the relationship between Jesus and Judas. Jesus chose Judas and prayed for him (Luke 6:12-13), as He did for Jerusalem that rejected Him and for those who crucified Him. Jesus desired Judas to eat the last Passover with Him (Luke 23: 14-15), loved him and offered him the place of love and communion at the table in the Passover chamber (John 13:26). Jesus washed his feet (John 13:5) and, hence, expressed to him a love that was indeed unfeigned and worthy of the Son of God. Jesus gave Judas full recognition and never revealed him as His future betrayer, referring to Judas as His "friend."

Careful meditation on the events leading to the betrayal will reveal that Jesus offered to Judas every token of love and was unwilling to disown him even at the moment of his crime. Jesus taught in Matthew 5:44 that we love our enemies and He practiced all that He preached on the subject. Even though He knew full well in advance the evil which Judas would work against Him, He demonstrated His sincere love in every conceivable manner.

In Mark 14:45 Judas agreed to betray Jesus with a kiss. There are two words in the original for "kiss." One means the kiss of friendship and one means to kiss fervently, or the kiss of real love.

Now come to Gethsemane and see the final scene. Judas comes with the multitude armed with staves and swords to take Jesus prisoner. Judas greets the Lord and kisses him; but, according to the original, not with the kiss of friendship as he agreed, but with the kiss of genuine love!

Only eternity will reveal what happened that moment in Judas' heart. Perhaps, in the flickering light of the torches, Judas sees in the face of Jesus the shocking truth that in spite of his betrayal, Jesus loved him yet, for He called Judas, "friend." Jesus is taken away and Judas cries that he has betrayed innocent blood; he had learned that Jesus' love for him was real. His heart must have experienced a crushing blow, and now he cannot rationalize his madness or justify his dastardly deed. He tries to undo what he has done by returning the money, but is rejected by his worldly friends in contempt, as not even they can keep company for long with a Judas.

His momentary gain turns to dust in his hands - the future is black without the fellowship of Jesus and his friends - he has lost forever his ministry given to him by Jesus (Acts 1:20); his habitation will now be desolate, and another man will take his crown, and Judas will go to his own place in a lonely death by his own hand. Did Judas die at his own hand? It seems apparent to me that Judas died under the force of the irresistible love of Christ. Judas destroyed himself because he could no longer live with himself or others and all of this was worked by the unfeigned love of the Lord Jesus Christ. It seems to me that the words of Romans 12:20-21 are suddenly clear: "Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Is not the Word fulfilled that states: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal..." (2 Corinthians 10:4).

"Charity (love) never faileth..." (1 Corinthians 13:8).

Indeed we desperately need to settle in our hearts that the word of God is true. We only give reason to the hatred of our enemies and cause to the betrayal by our friends when we recompense evil for evil.

Love that is unfeigned and unmoved because of evil worked against it will ultimately drive its betrayer to the lonely slopes of Aceldama to die.

THE NEED FOR BETRAYAL

There is another consideration in the fact of Judas' betrayal. He was chosen by the Lord Jesus Christ, although the Lord knew beforehand that Judas would betray Him (John 6:64). In my own personal experience of betrayal at the hand of a friend, the dear Lord showed me this precious truth. While in the fire of this trial, I went to bed one night brooding over this one who pretended to love me and used his profession to betray me into the hands of enemies. In the night I awoke in prayer to be answered with these thoughts: the Lord Jesus chose His own friends and knowing in advance the treachery of Judas, He chose him anyway!

He said of them that He had chosen them twelve, and one of them was a devil. I was made to thank God for that devil, as he was necessary to the ministry of Jesus, and for my betrayer since he must be needed in my life as well. What possible need could a believer have to be betrayed by friends or loved ones?

What good purpose could the pain and sorrow of a wounded heart serve? I asked these questions and found answers in the night that met the need of my heart. We have need to learn the faithfulness of the Holy Spirit in our lives, Consider the fact that Jesus was never deceived in Judas. "... for Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him" (John 6: 64).

I am sure that in every experience of betrayal in the believer's life he can look back and remember the faithful warning of the Holy Spirit. In one case, I recall I could have known from the beginning if I had only listened to the witness of the Spirit within. Who can explain the nature of the warning of God in the soul against a false brother? It is not easily put into words but all saints know the uneasiness that reason cannot take away about some who profess to be our friends. We know and experience that real wall of restraint that seeks to prevent us from giving our hearts to those who would betray us in a time of need in our lives.

We would not so often be heart-broken and disappointed by others if we would be more sensitive to the faithful One who indwells us. Do we not believe in "discernment" by the Spirit? Then why do we often brush aside the strangeness of our hearts toward professing friends and proceed to conjure up "fellowship" over all the warnings of the Lord Jesus Christ by His Spirit? When will we learn that, "The Lord knoweth them that are His"? Our business is to listen to Him in the deep recesses of our soul and depend upon Him to search the hearts of others by His Spirit. The betrayal experience brings into sharp focus the truth that public acceptance among believers, using the phraseology of the saints, doing religious works, preaching, or any other outward mark that is often accepted as "proof" of a man's salvation and trustworthiness, does not tell always the true story.

"... for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).

Let us give to every man the standing which he professes to have with God but never let us go beyond the testimony of the Spirit of God in our hearts in our relationship with others. We read of many who came to Jesus and professed faith in Him, based purely upon the miracles that He performed and not upon a real heart faith in Him as the Son of God. Drawn only by the impression of His outward works, they numbered themselves among His followers; "But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man" (John 2:24-25).

Our obligation is not to open our hearts to every man who seeks entrance into our inner man, hut to let our hearts be affected toward others by the Holy Spirit Who will never fail to warn us of those who seek to deceive us. Let us learn that "fellowship" is the work of the Holy Spirit and not of man.

Let us not seek to establish it without His help or to ignore it when He has so obviously created it between our hearts and others in the Body of Christ. What is the need of betrayal? Perhaps it comes to light through Peter's words in his first epistle when he observes that the "heaviness through manifold temptations" of his readers "need be." Needed because, as he so beautifully explains, there is a future and present fruit of such heart-searching experiences.

In the future, this trial of faith, like gold tried in the fire, will be brought out of the furnace of our lives as praise, honor, and glory for the Lord Jesus Christ at His appearing. If we could only lay hold of this tremendous potential in the midst of our trials, how differently our hearts would respond to the challenge of the hour! Yet, besides this, (grace upon grace), the heavy trials of life are used to do a work so necessary to all of us; the work of increasing our love and joy in this present life. Read 1 Peter 1:6-8 and remember that out of every furnace of affliction, we have come out loving the Lord as never before and rejoicing in the reality of His fellowship.

We need the betrayal experience to learn true submission to the Lord. The greatest prayer which the child of God can utter is the prayer of the perfect Son:"... even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight" (Luke 10:21).

When we can thus cry from our wounded hearts, the sting is gone and we have triumphed; for our submission to the pleasure of the Father in our lives brings victory over every attack against us (see 2 Corinthians 2:14).

Read 2 Corinthians 4:15-18, which gives more reasons for the seeming unreasonableness of life's great disappointments. Paul gives the proper perspective to our heartaches by telling us that the attack is not against the outer man, but against the inner man. We so often tremble under the fear of what this will "do to me," and forget in times of trouble that nothing can harm us in the inner man, if we have taken to ourselves the full armor of God. These things are only for a moment compared to eternity and will one day work an eternal weight of glory. These deep waters will only serve to lift our eyes from earthly ties and "things" and put them upon the values of eternity.

The enemy would overwhelm us and darken our reason by causing us to concentrate on the fearful details of the outer experience; thus, while we occupy ourselves with meaningless worry about the outer man, we are often smitten in the inner man to our own defeat. Many a saint has survived the outward experience only to fall mortally wounded by bitterness, resentment, malice, and an unforgiving heart.

In times of betrayal let the saint first learn to gird up the loins of his mind in Christ and to appropriate the full armor of God, which is actually putting on Christ in all of His strength and might.

THE BLESSING OF BETRAYAL

Consider the blessing that betrayal brings when, through it, we learn to recognize no hand but the faithful hand of our loving Father in heaven. We give far too much glory to the devil, the world and the flesh in the circumstances of our lives. We blame our enemies when we are buffeted; but great peace and quietness of heart becomes ours when we refuse to recognize second causes in our lives.

God is sovereign and He is our Father. He has been pleased to allow this to happen to us and our part is to believe that "... all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

In the blessing of this quietness, David endured with a patient spirit the cursing of Shimei and forbade any evil to be returned to him for the evil rendered. David saw but one hand behind it all - the loving hand of God working good through Shimei's evil.

Joseph was bitterly betrayed by his brothers, placed in the pit and sold as a slave only to be befriended by Potiphar's wife and then cruelly betrayed again. Placed in prison, he made friends with the butler and soon knew the agony of the kiss of betrayal once more; for when the butler was restored to the favor of the court of Egypt, he broke his prison promise to Joseph and -"Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him" (Genesis 40:23).

So much trouble for one man seems sufficient to mortally wound him in the inner man until he would perish under the bitterness of soul that often comes from personal rejection; but the years passed and Joseph was remembered of the Lord and exalted to the throne of Egypt in victory and the blessed secret of his sanity, yea, of his triumphant, conquering patience is revealed in his words to his brothers:

"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good..." (Genesis 50:20).

Peter manifested this same truth in his perspective of Calvary's cross. Although he accuses the nation of taking Jesus by wicked hands to crucify and slay Him, Peter viewed it as no tragedy, saw in it no victory of Satan; but, triumphantly announces that the Lord Jesus Christ was "... delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God..." (Acts 2:23).

And so, my dearly beloved saints of God, who at this moment find yourselves in perplexity over the betrayal of a friend, admit this moment that God could have overruled it if He had wished, but allowed it for your good. Rejoice in this blessing, as He is owning you as His son and preparing you for the comfort and the blessing of others (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). He has graced your life with the glorious privilege of sharing with you the most intimate of the sufferings of Christ (Philippians 3:10).

This fellowship is with a select company, for not all are privileged to know the agony of betrayal that we might share in some degree the depth of the love of Christ. Your betrayer has meant it for evil, But God will make it all for good; and as Jesus chose Judas, since He had need of the betrayal in His own life, so God in His faithfulness has chosen our betrayers - He knew full well that if the choice had been ours, it would never have been made.

You ask "Chosen our betrayers? What good can they do for us?" You have forgotten that Judas' betrayal delivered Jesus Christ to His greatest work and put in motion the events that fulfilled the eternal purposes of God in Christ. Eternal redemption through the blood of Christ was the fruit of Judas' despicable deed! It remains a fact that our friends will not do this work for us. Only our enemies will deliver us to the pain of circumstances beyond our control; and hence, perform a real service to the saints of God. A betrayer delivered me to circumstances that changed the course of my ministry and released me to the greatest work of my life.

A betrayer worked hardship in my life that resulted in my being freed from dependence upon man and made me the Lord's free man! A betrayer brought suffering into my life that resulted in the present fruitful and joyful ministry that I have received of Christ for His Body. Like all saints, my hindsight being better than my foresight, I look back and thank God for every "devil" chosen by a faithful Father, as I might well have missed some of life's greatest blessings had it not been for them.

The blessing of betrayal? Only God could make it thus, but I have found the paradox of these words to be a reality. Betrayal, at the hands of those whom we have trusted with our hearts, can yield blessing that we are not able to contain. Through betrayal I have learned what the Psalmist meant when he sang "By this I know that you favourest me, because my enemy doesn't not triumph over me"(Psalm 41:11) Also, what the Prophet meant when he wrote "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD" (Isaiah 54:17).

Through betrayal I have learned that the strength and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in my life can only be worked in the blessing of weakness brought to pass by the buffeting of Satan's messenger as a thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7).

Through betrayal we are prepared for the blessing of being used to comfort others in the same trial of faith with the same comfort wherewith we ourselves have been comforted of God (2 Corinthians 1:4).

Through betrayal at the hand of a "friend", I have received the blessing of putting in this message the precious truths which I have learned in the fellowship of Christ Jesus my Lord. The blessings of thousands who will read this message flow from the fountain of betrayal and, hence, the evil of that deed is transformed, by grace, into the goodness of God.

Through the experience of betrayal by false friends, I have received one of life's greatest blessings in learning how to love my enemies and to bless those who persecute me. These words "Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not" (Romans 12:14)

For years these were hard for me to understand and much more difficult to practice. The performance of these words are diametrically opposed to all that is in man; and the understanding of them lay couched beneath the bitter waters of savage attack by my "friends." Experience alone has made them a blessed reality. The word "bless" means to "eulogize," or "to speak well of."

The words "curse not" mean to "wish no ill." When the blessing of betrayal is realized, when we look back and see how much we have reaped in increased joy, love, grace, strength and fellowship with the dear Lord Jesus, we are overwhelmed with the realization of how much good our betrayer has worked for us. His intentions are of no concern.

It is the blessed fruit which he has brought into our lives that matters. How gloriously easy it becomes to truthfully "speak well" of him and wish him no ill. Yes, when we look upon our present blessed state and realize that we were delivered by an enemy to the liberty and largeness of the land that we now possess, we can say: "I can say nothing but good of him, for he has been a blessing to me!" Thus, like the trampled flower whose perfume rises to bless the foot that crushed it, so our hearts can find no bitterness, seek no revenge, wish no ill. The fullness of our own cups must overflow and bless the hand that afflicted us.

This was posted on Open Heaven Forums

Take Heed When You Think You Stand - Glenn Jackson

2011-03-29T16:04:00.005-04:00

...."You, in Your great compassion, did not forsake them in the wilderness; The pillar of cloud did not leave them by day, to guide them on their way, nor the pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they were to go".... Nehemiah 9:19 NASB

MARCH 28, 2011

THE PITFALL [SNARE] OF ONE THINKING THAT THEY HAVE "ARRIVED

Words of Prophecy - Glenn Jackson

JIL Ministries

Many of My children "think" that they have "arrived" but truly I say to you, before one can "arrive" [in the fullness of their Kingdom-position, and destiny in Christ] they must first "depart" [from the world and its ways]. "arrive" - reach one's destination;

Failure to "abide" in My Word [Will] in this final hour will most surely mean the failure to succeed! There are many who have deemed their ministry a success, but their idea of success is not based solely on the fulfilment of My Will, but on the fulfilment of their "preconceived notion" of My Will. For if they had a "burning vision" of My highest purposes and plans - kept alive by a continual guarding of their hearts with "all diligence", and a forsaking of all that serves only to remove them from the "high life" [zoe] they would never have come to a place of "comfort" [thinking they had "arrived] wherein they selfishly set their heart on the "increase" of My blessing rather than pressing on in My perfect Will - oblivious to Satan's attempts to hinder or stop them from fulfilling all that "I" called them to.

All those who truly love Me with a whole heart, know and understand that the point of "true arrival" comes only when the fullness of their task is done, and they stand before Me at the end of their "time on earth".

There is no way for My children to measure their spiritual growth except for a continued walking in perfect obedience. ...."Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands [who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm], take heed lest he fall [into sin]".... 1 Corinthians 10:12 The Amplified Translation....

"Not that I [Paul] have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the [continually] upward call of God in Christ Jesus".... Philippians 3:12-14 NASB

...."for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit".... Romans 14:17 NASB

It is important for one to remember [as they pursue the fullness of their Kingdom-position and destiny in Christ] that they are ALWAYS [in the sight of the Father] much closer to spiritual maturity than they know [consciously] - and, yet, on the other hand, as they advance in spiritual things they must continually guard against the pitfall [snare] that some have fallen into of "thinking" that they have "arrived" [which leads to a "certain" plateau {and great darkness} - spiritually speaking].

Because of these things, it is of the utmost importance for one to simply be found "maintaining" peace and joy in their heart [through an abiding faith, love and obedience] in what can only be defined as a "most critical hour" on every front. Clearly, it is time it is time for all those who are truly seeking the "fullness" of their precious destiny [in Christ] to focus on the "priorities" that the Holy Spirit places on their heart in this season. For ONLY He can unfold things in a manner that will bring about the fullness of the Father's purpose in one's personal life - and in the lives of all those in their sphere of existence who are truly seeking Him.

Tried & True - Phyllis Popovich

2011-03-24T06:33:00.003-04:00

Tried & True

A Prophetic Word
by Phyllis Popovich

Do you not know? Do you not see that I am calling forth a holy people…a people who will not bow the knee to another, a people whose great desire is for the truth and to honor the truth? I have called forth a people to be sound in doctrine, who will not only try the spirits, but who will examine the word spoken under the microscope of My Word…the more sure word of prophecy.

This people will not seek the favor of man, nor will they be ensnared by the fear of man. They shall walk together though miles apart, for they are one in Spirit and in doctrine…free of factions and dubious manifestations. These are the called-out ones, whose hope is not in man-made traditions, fine-appearing edifices, or cultic mysticism, but whose hope rests solidly on My Word, an unadulterated word, not that which pleases or appeases the flesh.

They will understand My judgments and agree with them. They will know when to pray for their fulfillment, or when a situation is the work of the enemy… although to all appearances may seem harmless, but detrimental to the work of the Holy Spirit and His work throughout the world. These believers will know when to leave a situation in My hands and allow Me to correct and reprove; to divide the wheat from the chaff, tearing down evil and upholding that which is good, pure and true.

They will not be partial because of outward appearance, but will discern by the Spirit who is Mine and who is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Darkness is being brought to light and My children will know and recognize their final destiny, their final resting place is not this world. They know that not all who call themselves “Christian” are My children. They determine the fruit of the Spirit not by quantity (numbers), but quality of character and adherence to My Word.

These courageously speak the unvarnished truth no matter the cost. Their love for Me is deep. They seek Me and My will above all, hungering and thirsting after righteousness.

Yes, I will have a true, purified people, who follow the way of the cross, who have willingly learned obedience through suffering, and are willing to lay down their lives, as did My only begotten Son, Jesus. The choice is yours.

"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve..." Joshua 24:15

Seen on Open Heaven Forums

I Will Open The Way Of Hope - Mary Lindow

2011-03-24T05:14:00.005-04:00

"I WILL OPEN THE WAY OF HOPE AND SHINE LIGHT ON THE PATHWAY"

by Mary Lindow through the Holy Spirit <--link to Mary Lindow's website Jesus says to all those who belong to Him,
"I will not leave you as orphans. I WILL come to you.”
John 14:18

This is the same Savior who says,
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Hebrews. 13:5

He's the One who promised,
"The one that comes to me, I will certainly not cast out."
John 6:37

And from now on, that promise of Jesus can be all about you, "The one that comes to me I will certainly not cast out.

"The Lord would say these words to you......
And I

“You now understand the pain of betrayal, losses so great that you can no longer talk about them You have ached in such agonizing despair, that at times you have begged me to let you die. Friends have turned and chosen to see you through blinded eyes of their own making, and have refused to help you to find you footing again, thinking they are doing you a service by letting you grovel and weep in painful loss and sorrow. You have been reduced in the past season to identifying with those who were forced to make bricks for Pharaoh without straw.

I too was a man of sorrows and endured the shame, in order to be formed, shaped and made ready for the moment of redemption. And so shall it be with you. Redemption from the losses will come to those who choose obedience over pleasure, servant hood over being the served one, and letting go of the dreams of greatness you cling too, no longer using my name or gifts as a calling card.

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.
Jude 1:24

Maturation is the call of the moment.
Let the follies of your dim visions fall away.
I have a more perfect way that I am forming in you and for you.
I have caused you to cease from striving, from worrying, and from being anxious.

You now rest up again my chest, waiting, trusting, wanting only ME. You have become kinder, a better listener, a more trusted confidant.I can work well with those attributes.

Just Watch Me in this Year. I WILL Open the Way of Hope and shine Light on the pathway for those who have ceased from manipulating the moment.”

You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
Psalm 18:28

Psalm 51 - Create in me a clean heart O God

2011-03-23T13:44:00.007-04:00

Psalm 51

For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Nathan the prophet came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.
2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.
3 For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.
4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.
5 For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
6 But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.

7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice.
9 Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.
11 Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.
13 Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you.
14 Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.
15 Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.
16 You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering.

17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
18 Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit—with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings. Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.

To My Hurting Daughters - Olivia Reitz Long

2011-03-20T17:13:00.008-04:00

To My Hurting Daughters My Name Is Immanuel

To My hurting daughters... I have seen your frustrations and I know your questions. My eyes have gone to and fro, looking for someone who was willing to put aside all things and you said "here am I" and then found yourself going through the fire and it's been much hotter than you ever expected. You have known what it is to be in need and you know the hurts of the outcasts for so many times you feel like an outcast yourself.

You have brought to My remembrance My many words and promises to you. My Beloved, I have heard your cries. Know that I have not gone back on My Word, I cannot because I Am bound by My Word. My hands have not been idle. I have been with you through every frustration and pain that has been inflicted upon you, for My Name is Immanuel.

Know, My daughters that I have and Am paving the way, the preparations have been under way for your breakthroughs. Be sensitive to My directions, even to the smallest insignificances, because they are vital! Do not fear that you will miss Me or My direction. You have walked many spiritual miles for Me and have fought many spiritual battles and I AM pleased that even through your own pain you have been there for another sister in need.

You have cried out to Me through your tears and pain telling Me that all seems hopeless in your eyes. Although it seems as though I have forsaken you, KNOW that I Am Immanuel. Although it seems My eye and My hand have not been upon you, KNOW that I AM Immanuel. ... Beloved, I AM aware of All your needs, My eyes are upon them and upon you. Now is the time to hold fast to My promises. Now is the time to hold on to your faith. Although it 'appears' the answers are far off, they are much nearer than you know! Continue to speak words of faith to My daughters.

Continue to stand firm and rejoice in Me. My Beloved, I have breathed My breath into your lives and anything that I breathe my breath into - LIVES!!!! Know that even now, in your pain and even confusion, I AM breathing wellness into My willing vessels. This is the time that you must keep your focus and that focus is ME. Reserve your heart for Me at all costs, for the day is surely coming when those who have chosen to walk with their King through all adversities will see the might and Power of MY strong arm. My daughters, you will see Breakthrough in unprecedented ways and the time of your blossoming forth for ME is SURELY at hand. The time that you have awaited is SURELY upon the horizon in might and power.

You have been learning to rely on ME, and no other, for ALL things! You have been learning to rely on ME for even your very existence in your painful situations. And now, My daughters, "Watch ME move in a mighty way." Watch Me bring forth all those things that I have promised you. Provisions, needs met and your place in My plan. All are coming forth by My hand and because of My Word. I AM speaking forth these words this very hour. As I spoke the Word - the universe came into being. I AM now speaking forth the Word for you!

Behold the goodness of your Lord and Savior, for I can create out of the ugly and unseemly and create something beautiful. Await the appearance of My surprises that I AM placing at your doorstep. Be expectant of the gifts from the I AM launching you into going about your Father's business in a more productive way. Beware of those that tell you times are hard and you will never see the Glory of your God. Beware of those who discourage you from accepting My word into your heart, for truly, I HAVE SPOKEN and truly I will bring forth ALL I have spoken. Put not your trust in another but In Me. I have given you My Word and I have confirmed My Word. NOW, I AM FAITHFUL TO BRING IT TO PASS.

I AM not a man who would look down on His Beloved. Reach forth your hand and receive. Behold, I will give strengthening power to My chosen daughters and I will restore all that you have lost. Today, I AM calling for you to reach forth you hand and receive and as you receive give out to another of My hurting daughters. Give to those you see in need. Give to those who are discouraged. I AM calling for the process to go forth in My Name and by MY power and none shall stop it, for I AM IMMANUEL.

I want you to know these words are truly spoken by the voice of your God. Will you continue to give freely to others of My daughters in need, In My Name? Will you continue to offer a cup of living water to your sisters who are discouraged and are losing hope, even when you are feeling the depths of despair yourself? Truly you ARE receiving from ME, now freely give what you have received.

You knew that I had called you and to set your face as flint in that calling - a calling that is special and unique and one only you can achieve .... It is a high calling and one not to be taken lightly. The preparations have been intense and you have been trained in life's situations. These have not been easy and it has taken great faith. Do you hear me? You, my beautiful daughters, have great faith. My Word says that to those who overcome, I will give a crown of life and you are overcomers and you shall receive your crown. This crown will take many forms and your needs will be met and your calling sure.

My hurting daughters, ALL, I say ALL authority has been given to you. Get mean with the enemy. Do not allow him in the back door for He will rob you of the peace I have given you. You are Mine! My signet ring is upon your finger and My seal upon your forehead. Go - in the authority, GO - in the power of My Name. Let nothing or no-one come between My presence and you. You are mine and I AM jealous over you.

I AM calling you to walk forth as mighty warriors of God. Stand tall and stand strong in ME! I want those around you to see My glory in you. The world is saying , 'aha, aha, where is her God?' - but the world and the church shall see that I AM alive in you, they shall see My Glory and My love in you and upon you. They will see Who I AM and what I can do through My hurting daughters who I WILL bring forth In My Glory and they will see that I AM IMMANUEL in you.

You have waited and waited. You have wondered when will it happen? You have said "When Lord, When?" I say to you, my daughters, Now....now is the day. I AM giving you the desires of your heart and it will be a strong witness to many! You are a testimony and a witness... I AM Immanuel.

My daughters, what I have for you will be hard for you to contain. It will be like a mother giving birth. The blessings will cause you to forget these hard and difficult times. The blessings will be 100 fold, in every area and to those of whom I called you to, they will surely be blessed! You have sowed into My work and you shall reap the harvest. I love giving to My children, I take pleasure in giving to My own. Expect a harvest in all areas ... spiritual, emotional and physical.

I see faith arising in your spirit and it is your faith and trust In Me that will move mountains. Mountains are moving this day because of your faith. Debts are being paid and that which seemed impossible you will see as "possible" with your God. It is time for you to 'soar like the eagle', for nothing, I say NOTHING is impossible with your God. Rise, O' precious daughter of Mine, rise and see the impossible happen. Let no one dissuade you with their words or actions, no-one. Rise and soar O' Daughter of Mine. Let your faith soar for the day of promise is here. Give me first place in your heart always and know that I AM Immanuel, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS.....

You have been in a desperate situation and time. You have tasted the mire and the desperation of many of My daughters. You have felt the desire to give up and you have experienced the feeling of going under. My beautiful servant you have tasted what many are living under....As MY SON took on the sins of the world, so you, My daughters, so you have tasted and taken on desperation... and ... just as you have experienced the desperation you will experience My deliverance. This is your testimony. You will see what I have been accomplishing on your behalf in the spiritual realm now touch you in the natural realm and you will say, Aha, My God was always with me.

My ears are listening for your shouts of joy that will arise for the gates of heaven are opening upon you. My daughters, I AM IMMANUEL!!!

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and they will call Him Immanuel, which means, "God with us." Matthew :23

Read more of Olivia Reitz Long here

John Mulinde's prophetic message at IHOP 3/1/11

2011-03-11T04:44:00.002-05:00

An extraordinary message and 'in season'. The actual message begins at 2:45 after the introduction. I can only urge anyone who happens by this blog to take the time to listen. It's vital at this juncture in history to have 'ears to hear' the heart of this.

By Grace Alone (video)

2011-03-01T06:39:00.001-05:00

I Have Not Forgotten You - Olivia Reitz Long

2011-02-24T18:07:00.003-05:00

I have given My Beloved so many wonderful promises. My righteous ones who have been waiting, ready to move on in My plan and sometimes you wonder have I forgotten you?

For some it seems as though family is crumbling around you.

Some are seemingly sitting in darkness praying just to have comfort and peace and hopefully that there will be ultimate deliverance.

Some are very lonely and depressed.

Some have made tragic mistakes and feel they can't be forgiven let alone move forward. Some are in the midst of uncertainty and hopelessness.

Some feel like you are suffocating under the weights that have beset you.

For some there are doubts, fear or anger and you feel abandoned. Some have grown weary from the waiting.

Some are battling with an illness that says you are at death's door - you are in need of a healing, a miracle healing and you feel so helpless and vulnerable.

Some ask why haven't my prayers been answered? Why is this tremendous hurt still besetting me? Why am I suffering? When will I see an answer to my financial problems? Why don't you tell me what to do? What did I do wrong?

Some have even gone your own way and you depend on the words of others instead of My Word. You have trusted in your own thoughts rather than Me and wonder if there can be any hope that I will still use you?

Some are distraught for you know My promises for you but still you remain in a waiting mode, not getting anywhere let alone accomplishing anything for My Kingdom purposes.

Some have a great fear that you will blow it, that after you have waited so long and so patiently even when everything in you screams to move forward, still you stand - now concerned that at the moment I move you will miss it. The enemy wants you to believe I have forgotten you by besetting your mind that I won't see your needs or answer your prayers and to whisper in your ear that I AM not listening and have forgotten you.

My Beloved, I CANNOT forget you because I am a God of justice.

My Beloved, hear me and believe Me in what I say unto you. I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN YOU !!! Now is the time that I wish to remove any areas of doubt - any areas of fear - any areas of anger or bitterness. Instead of despair I bring you hope. Know that through this lengthy storm that you have been enduring, where you sometimes think I have been doing nothing, that this is when I have been doing My greatest work in you.

Haven't I said that you are engraved in the palms of My hands? Haven't I said that I will make a way where there is no way? Haven't I said that I will provide for your every need? Haven't I said that I would heal every hurt?

Forgotten you? Beloved, I CANNOT forget a child of mine! When others have abandoned you in your hour of need, I have never abandoned you! Although the answers seem agonizingly slow in coming, Beloved, the answers ARE coming!!! NOT ONE PROMISE I HAVE MADE UNTO YOU SHALL FAIL, FOR I HAVE SPOKEN IT! Haven't I said that I will come with a vengeance, a God of recompense? SURELY, I will come and save you and SURELY, I will move you into your Kingdom position.

The battlegrounds have been many, but still the hope in Me was always deep in your heart so that nothing or no-one could tear you from Me. For all who have listened to Me, spent time with ME, obeyed Me, depended on Me even through all your failings, and still you wait upon your Lord and you will see Me move in unprecedented power and glory upon you. I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN YOU. I know exactly where you are and what you are going through, trust Me, I have it all under control.

I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN YOU and you have My unfailing and unending love and My plan for your life. I will never leave you alone or forsaken. Your answers are coming and they will be the 'correct' answers and they will come RIGHT ON TIME. I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN YOU and I shall come to you. Prepare your hearts for I AM coming!!! This long season of heartaches, tests and trials is coming to an end so prepare the way for the Lord!!!

"For the Lord thy God is a merciful God. He will not forsake you, neither destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore unto them." Deut. 4:31

"For the Lord loves justice and does not forget His saints (holy ones, consecrated ones); they are preserved forever, but the descendents of the wicked shall be cut off." Psalm 37: 28

"Say to those who are of a fearful and hasty heart, Be strong, fear not! BEHOLD, your God will come with vengeance; with the recompense of God He will come and save you." Isaiah 35:4

Olivia Reitz Long on eptv.org

Joseph's "Prison" and David's "Cave" - Glenn H. Jackson

2011-02-24T12:34:00.008-05:00

This is the most critical time in the history of both mankind and the church and, thus, all those who truly love God and desire to see the fullness of their precious destiny in Christ remain in a very intense refining process. It is very important to remember the life of Joseph and David in this hour - and the fact that reaching the "fullness" of their God-ordained destiny reached the stage where it appeared impossible in the natural [neither "prison" or the "cave" are very inspiring environments where one's vision is concerned].

BUT God, in His perfect faithfulness brought all things forth in the fullness of time, and both men ended up fulfilling ALL that they were created for - according to His highest purpose. There are many in the camp of "Joseph's prison" and "David's cave" in this hour and, so, it is of the utmost importance for each and every one of them to simply carry on walking in faith [trust] and obedience in their present circumstances - KNOWING [maintaining a deep revelation of the fact] that in their love and faithfulness [patience] they will not fail to inherit the "fullness" of all that the Father had planned for them from before the foundations of the earth [Ephesians 2:10].

Read the rest of this here

Interview With God

2011-02-11T19:19:00.000-05:00

Creation Calls

2011-02-11T13:15:00.001-05:00

From The Branch Church
Music by Brian Doerksen

Be Ready For My Suprise - Olivia Reitz Long

2011-02-10T16:27:00.009-05:00

Be Ready For My Surprise
Olivia Reitz Long

"Even though I walk 'through' the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me..." Psalm 23:4

So many of My own are going and have been going through painful trials - you are suffering and you awake the next day, concerned of what that day might bring. You are concerned about your here and now, concerned about your future and the future of your country as well as the world. A future that appears to you to be crumbling and falling apart, but I say REJOICE, REJOICE in your sufferings looking forward to the outcome that is to follow, not only with you but in all aspects of what I AM doing.

Sufferings, Jesus suffered but He beat suffering, and how did he end up .... with Glory! Are you not connected with Him? Others say "You are a Christian, look at the sufferings and pain you are going through!" They see what is on the surface, but what they don't see is the word "through". I said you would walk "through" the shadow of death, not remain in it and when you get to the other side, you will come out as metal that was purified by the red hot fire... So when they speak these things to you, when they insult and ridicule you for your beliefs - friends, co-workers, the man on the street, even family members; it's for one reason and one reason only, it's because you live for Christ and believe in His standards and they cannot fathom even the most simplest part of your walk with Me.

I spoke the universe into existence with a word and I hold that same universe in My hand even now and the God of the Universe can surprise even My own. Be ready, for shortly - perhaps not today, perhaps not tomorrow and perhaps not even a month from now, but shortly... in My timing! Just as a loved one can surprise you with the most beautiful of gifts, given in love - how much more is your Beloved able to give you a surprise gift that will rival anything you could ever think or imagine... given in My boundless Love for you!

Remain in Hope, Remain in Faith, Remain in Joy, Remain Strong - even in the most difficult of moments - Remain in all of these and Pray always - for others and yourself, to stay the course ... and ...

REJOICE, again I say REJOICE, Look Up ... and BE READY FOR MY SURPRISE!

Read in its entirety here

This Is The Time - Olivia Reitz Long

2011-02-09T10:17:00.007-05:00

This Is The Time
Olivia Reitz Long

For My Chosen Ones, you have faced, square in the face, your midnight hour. The enemy has sought to do you in, with every kind of attack he could throw at you and yours. But I say to My Beloved, this is the time you will see your God come through mightily on your behalf, as you have faced and withstood, every kind of attack. I say unto you, this day, your enemies will NOT triumph over you for I have promised you the same as I did the children of Israel.

The enemy has sought to derail you through any means he can, through people, through circumstances - and you know that he is lurking around you - "in wait" - to steal your joy, your peace and he 'dares to hope' - your destiny in Me.

I say unto you, this is the time, this is the season, for My Beloved to walk in "true victory" over the enemy. This is "not" the time to rehash over and over again in your mind of what has been done unto you. This is the time for you to move forward and also a time to remain very serious about the war waged against you as you always need to be on the alert for confrontation. Remember, My Beloved, he wages in the spiritual realm to influence you in the physical realm by any means possible. Remember also he is a defeated foe, he knows his end, and he knows your destiny, a destiny that will be completed, in Me.

You have gone through so much and you realize that this is the time to stand up and say NO MORE! - to have complete and total trust and faith in your God and to know that all you need has been provided through the Cross. You have learned much through the attacks, realizing that the enemy has a well-prepared and strategic plan, intended to keep you from giving Me the Glory. You now know, with all of your heart, that I have given you all of the strength and all of the courage that you have need of to be successful over the enemy and WIN. You will face the enemy square in the eye and say: "There is nothing you can do to steal my peace, to steal my joy or to cause me to stumble or fall. I know Who I follow and I KNOW that it is He Who gives me the victory!"

Click here to read the rest of this as well as other things written by Olivia R. Long

Make A Joyful Shout!

2011-02-09T09:39:00.003-05:00

Psalm 100

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God'

It is He who has made us, and now we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord IS good.

His mercy IS everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Strong Composure - Streams In The Desert - February 9

2011-02-09T09:18:00.004-05:00

Strong Composure

by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves" Romans 12:19

There are seasons when to be still demands immeasurably higher strength than to act. Composure is often the highest result of power. To the vilest and most deadly charges Jesus responded with deep, unbroken silence, such as excited the wonder of the judge and the spectators. To the grossest insults, the most violent ill-treatment and mockery that might well bring indignation into the feeblest heart, He responded with voiceless complacent calmness. Those who are unjustly accused, and causelessly ill-treated know what tremendous strength is necessary to keep silence to God.

"Men may misjudge thy aim, Think they have cause to blame, Say, thou art wrong; Keep on thy quiet way, Christ is the Judge, not they, Fear not, be strong."

St. Paul said, "None of these things move me."

He did not say, none of these things hurt me. It is one thing to be hurt, and quite another to be moved. St. Paul had a very tender heart. We do not read of any apostle who cried as St. Paul did. It takes a strong man to cry. Jesus wept, and He was the manliest Man that ever lived. So it does not say, none of these things hurt me. But the apostle had determined not to move from what he believed was right. He did not count as we are apt to count; he did not care for ease; he did not care for this mortal life. He cared for only one thing, and that was to be loyal to Christ, to have His smile. To St. Paul, more than to any other man, His work was wages, His smile was Heaven.

--Margaret Bottome

Resting - February 8, 2011

2011-02-08T08:11:00.005-05:00

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

Don't be afraid to take a break and relax. Your intensity in finding solutions to the problems you face will not even come close to the benefits of quiet rest in My presence and trusting Me to give you the necessary wisdom for breakthrough. This is not a time to tough it out in the strength of your own soul; it is a time to exercise resolute faith in My ability and willingness to bring you through every trial in victory, says the Lord. Only believe!

Psalm 107:28-31 Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!
______________________________________________________________________________________

It is time for a break. In fact, you should break often. Rest is My gift. You must embrace and receive it. Rest is promised to every believer. The coming of Jesus fulfilled all the law and ushered in grace for law. Man is so drawn to work for everything they get. Religious rules and regulations have long ago passed away. Endless working, without breaking for rest, is not of Me. Start embracing the cycle of work and rest. Jesus' death on the cross was His work from which He is forever resting. You are one with Him. Mix Spirit-led work with rest working in balance. You will never have real peace until you learn to receive this gift of rest.

Hebrews 4:1 (NASB) "Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it." Ras Robinson

2011: Year of Restoration (Crossing The Bridge To Glory) - Abraham George

2011-02-07T13:26:00.003-05:00

I decree, may the Lord subdue the power of darkness, remove hindrances on your way of success, and usher you into a place of glorious destiny this year in Jesus name.

Are you there? All your life is full of disappointments, your glory has been tampered with, nothing seems to be working well for you because of demonic oppressions, self invited afflictions or disobedience to God’s order. Every move towards success in your life meets failure. Whether is demonic oppression, self invited afflictions in disobedience to God’s order and ordinances, or by your sins that has taken hold of you for years in times past. I have a “Good News” for you this year - that to many “Year 2011” is “The Year of Restoration”, “Restoration of lost Glory and Destiny of God, of lost Health, lost Finance, lost Power and Authority, lost of Dignity, lost of Favor and Honor, lost of Business, Materials and Financial connections”.

This year for your real restoration, the Lord will first take vengeance on the oppressors of your life, and restore your health physically, materially, financially and spiritually. “Therefore, all they that devour thee shall be devoured, and all thine adversaries every one of them shall go into captivity: and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey”

“For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD, because they called thee and Outcast, saying, this is Zion, whom no man seeketh after” (Jer 30:16-17).

Every wicked oppressor of your life, demonic powers, fowling spirits, spirits of delay, hindrances and disappointments will receive the wrath of God from this moment. I decree the release of God’s whirlwind and His fierce anger upon your devourers and adversaries in Jesus name (Amen) – Jer 30:22-24; 23:19-20.

ALL WILL BE WELL IN JESUS NAME

The Arrow Of The Lord - Christine Beadsworth

2011-02-07T10:38:00.002-05:00

There is a time of being hidden and polished and refined as an arrow for the Lord’s purpose and then there is a time when He takes the arrow out of His quiver and puts it in the bow. The time has come for the sending forth to the target. This is the purpose for which the arrow was made and makes worthwhile all the time of rubbing and scraping and hammering, polishing and sharpening. The preparation was with a goal in mind. This sense of destiny is what has given the arrow strength and endurance to endure the refining.

What a sense of exhilaration as, at last the arrow is removed from the darkness of the quiver and into the sunlight, held firmly in the Master’s grip; and oh, the excitement at finally being fit into the bow! All the prophesies and whisperings of the Lord in the night season seem at last to make sense in the light and the target is clearly in view.

Then suddenly the arrow experiences something strange. Instead of being moved forward in the direction of the target, it is pulled back in the opposite direction to its destiny. It seems as if everything is reversing, although it is still facing in the same direction. Questions and doubts begin to assail this polished arrow and the tension of the bow string behind it becomes almost unbearable. The arrow feels almost backed against a wall. It can feel the tight grip of God’s strong right hand but the direction things are taking make no sense at all. The target is still in sight but growing further away by the second. What the arrow doesn’t realize is that the incredible tension in the string has stored up a large amount of potential or stored energy. The reversal is absolutely necessary to put into place behind the arrow, the power to propel it at lightening speed to the center of its target; and while it feels itself going backwards, the eye of the Archer is adjusting His focus on the target and making minute adjustments, which will make an enormous difference to the position and depth the arrow penetrates. God is taking aim because He doesn’t intend to just graze the enemy’s cheek. He is striking a death-blow and accuracy is very important.

Read more...........

Make War - John Piper

2010-08-11T21:13:00.005-04:00

6 minutes

Refuge

2010-02-04T05:57:00.008-05:00

Psalm 61

1 O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer!

2 From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety,

3 for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.

4 Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!

5 For you have heard my vows, O God. You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.

Refuge

Prophetic Word through MARY CLARK

Marianna, Florida

February 3, 2010

refuge – safe haven, sanctuary, shelter, protection, place of safety

I am your refuge, beloved. I am that One to seek during times of strife. I am that One to Whom you can come and rest your weary head. Never doubt that this place has always been made available to you. Never doubt My love for you. It is constant. It is the place of quiet wonder where your God dwells and invites you to join Him.

I am your refuge. I take delight in having you near to Me. Do not stray. Do not wander off into the world looking for Me. I am only a whisper away from you, only a gentle whisper.

2 Corinthians 1: 3-10

2010-02-03T18:00:00.006-05:00

God Offers Comfort to All

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.

4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.

6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer.

7 We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

8 We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it.

9 In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.

10 And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.

This Thing Is From Me

2010-02-01T04:44:00.006-05:00

This Thing Is From Me
by
Mrs. Charles E. Cowman
Streams In The Desert

"This thing is from me" (1 Kings 12:24).

"Life's disappointments are veiled love's appointments." --Rev. C. A. Fox

My child, I have a message for you today; let me whisper it in your ear, that it may gild with glory any storm clouds which may arise, and smooth the rough places upon which you may have to tread. It is short, only five words, but let them sink into your inmost soul; use them as a pillow upon which to rest your weary head. This thing is from Me.

Have you ever thought of it, that all that concerns you concerns Me too? For, "he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye" (Zech. 2:8). You are very precious in My sight. (Isa. 43:4) Therefore, it is My special delight to educate you.

I would have you learn when temptations assail you, and the "enemy comes in like a flood," that this thing is from Me, that your weakness needs My might, and your safety lies in letting Me fight for you.

Are you in difficult circumstances, surrounded by people who do not understand you, who never consult your taste, who put you in the background? This thing is from Me. I am the God of circumstances. Thou camest not to thy place by accident, it is the very place God meant for thee.

Have you not asked to be made humble? See then, I have placed you in the very school where this lesson is taught; your surroundings and companions are only working out My will.

Are you in money difficulties? Is it hard to make both ends meet? This thing is from Me, for I am your purse-bearer and would have you draw from and depend upon Me. My supplies are limitless (Phil.4:19). I would have you prove my promises. Let it not be said of you, "In this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God" (Deut. 1:32).

Are you passing through a night of sorrow? This thing is from Me. I am the Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief. I have let earthly comforters fail you, that by turning to Me you may obtain everlasting consolation (2 Thess. 2:16, 17). Have you longed to do some great work for Me and instead have been laid aside on a bed of pain and weakness? This thing is from Me. I could not get your attention in your busy days and I want to teach you some of my deepest lessons. "They also serve who only stand and wait." Some of My greatest workers are those shut out from active service, that they may learn to wield the weapon of all--prayer.

This day I place in your hand this pot of holy oil. Make use of it free, my child. Let every circumstance that arises, every word that pains you, every interruption that would make you impatient, every revelation of your weakness be anointed with it. The sting will go as you learn to see Me in all things. --Laura A. Barter Snow

Abide With Me (video)

2009-09-29T21:25:00.002-04:00

Compassion

2009-07-18T09:54:00.006-04:00

"I have this theory that if one person shows compassion to another then that person will start a chain reaction of the same."
-- Rachel Joy Scott

Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation.
-- Henry Ward Beecher

Vision - Thomas Jefferson And An Apple

2009-05-13T14:21:00.018-04:00

I saw Thomas Jefferson’s face. It was very large and much like his image on Mount Rushmore.

Then I saw his entire person and he was standing dressed in a military uniform of the American Revolution. He was in an apple orchard and he slowly walked to one of the trees and reached up to touch a ripe apple. He just stood with his hand hovering over the fruit for a moment and then he picked it.

He then sat down on a round bench, built on the circumference of the tree trunk and leaned his elbows on his knees with the apple between his hands. He slowly turned the apple as if contemplating it very deeply and seriously.

The vision ended there.

Thomas Jefferson is only a symbol in this vision and in it he represents freedom and thought. Jefferson is famous, among other things, for being the principle author of the American Declaration of Independence as well as being a thinker/philosopher.

The freedom represented in this vision is that of anyone whose sins have been forgiven by Christ and is free from sin as well as free to obey God.

The military uniform is indicative of battle. The war waged is not with guns and canons but rather in the mind and will.

The apple is the classic symbol of temptation.

Here is portrayed a man of freedom waging a war of will in the face of temptation and it is the same war we face as Christians on a regular basis. We are free in Christ because He made us free with His death and resurrection. What Jefferson (the thinker) was doing as his hand hovered over the apple was what we do when we begin to have thoughts of sin.

As the apple was picked, the thoughts of sin have begun to turn toward actually committing the sin. The contemplation of the apple as Jefferson slowly turned it in his hands is a picture of the way we make a choice to sin or not. We premeditate very often before we actually commit to going all the way with whatever sin happens to be tempting us at the moment.

So since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does this mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive His approval. Thank God! Once you were slave of sin, but now you have obeyed with all your heart the new teaching God has given. Now you are FREE from sin, your old master, and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness.
Romans 6

Fear Factor by Mary Clark

2009-05-11T18:59:00.007-04:00

Have you ever had a panic attack? I'm not particularly prone to them but I had one today. I received news that almost overwhelmed me and all I could do was breathe the name of Jesus over and over again. In the midst of this I suddenly felt prompted to look at the Spirit of Prophecy website (link below) and read this by Mary Clark. Such a timely reassurance was so startling it knocked the fear right out of me.

God is so very good.

Fear Factor by
Mark Clark Link

May 11, 2009

The enemy us using the fear factor in this day. He is trying his best to plant fear in the hearts of My chosen. He is trying to make you second-guess My word. He wants you to give up on Me, give up on your walk with Me. He wants you to turn away from Me. He is telling you that things will occur in your vicinity that you will not be able to handle. He is telling you that I can’t or I won’t take care of you. He is telling you that you are going to live without those things that you need and those things that you desire. He is telling you that life as you have known it is over, and that from here on a dark cloud is coming to envelop you and those you love.

Would you like to hear what I have to say about future events? First of all, I tell you that I will never leave you or forsake you. I tell you that I will supply all of your needs according to My riches in glory. I am working My good pleasure in you, too, beloved. And to be exact, right on target, I want you to know that you will prosper in Me. You will blossom in Me. You will know the wonder of belonging to the King of glory in an extraordinary way. I tell you that you can always count on Me to deliver My best to My chosen.

Those who choose to walk with the enemy may experience all of these things that he is forecasting, but those who put their trust in Me will be blessed, blessed far beyond all their expectations, and that thing that the enemy delights in touting, the fear factor, will not touch you, My beloved. Those who choose to follow his voice, listening to his words of doom and tragedy, will not know the blessings of the Lord, but will be caught up in the whirlwind of lies that he has so delightedly devised.

The enemy is trying to put fear in My beloved’s heart. He is speaking words that are upsetting, to say the least. I want My beloved to stay fixed on Me, trusting in Me to bear them along to the safety and peace that I provide. Give him none of your attention. Don’t listen to the words he is speaking out in the world today. Trust in Me. Look to Me for total deliverance and know that one who puts his trust in Me is saved soundly in every sense of the word, and there is nothing the enemy can do to penetrate the wonder of My glory that so richly surrounds one who puts his trusts in Me to deliver!!!

Take The Initiative - Oswald Chambers

2009-05-10T22:19:00.002-04:00

"Add to your faith virtue. . ." ("Furnish your faith with resolution.") (MOFFATT.) 2 Peter 1:5

"Add" means there is something we have to do. We are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We cannot save ourselves nor sanctify ourselves, God does that; but God will not give us good habits, He will not give us character, He will not make us walk aright. We have to do all that ourselves, we have to work out the salvation God has worked in. "Add" means to get into the habit of doing things, and in the initial stages it is difficult. To take the initiative is to make a beginning, to instruct yourself in the way you have to go.

Beware of the tendency of asking the way when you know it perfectly well. Take the initiative, stop hesitating, and take the first step. Be resolute when God speaks, act in faith immediately on what He says, and never revise your decisions. If you hesitate when God tells you to do a thing, you endanger your standing in grace. Take the initiative, take it yourself, take the step with your will now, make it impossible to go back. Burn your bridges behind you - "I will write that letter"; "I will pay that debt." Make the thing inevitable.

We have to get into the habit of hearkening to God about everything, to form the habit of finding out what God says. If when a crisis comes, we instinctively turn to God, we know that the habit has been formed. We have to take the initiative where we are, not where we are not.

A Movie Worth Watching

2009-05-07T09:09:00.002-04:00

Amazing Grace

Lee Tracy: The Secular State vs. The Theocratic State

2009-05-07T08:46:00.011-04:00

Royal Crocus by Holly Cawfield

The Secular State vs. The Theocratic State
Written by Lee Tracy and seen on Open Heaven Forums
Link

One of the most common misconceptions I come across is this idea that we are here to establish theocratic governments. This concept puts Christians into the position of being opposed to secular governments – essentially in a state of constant rebellion as they seek to establish what they term ‘a Godly government’ opposing any attempts and all attempts by the state to do what is ethically right but perceived as theologically wrong. This is wrong. It is against what the Bible teaches and puts us into the position of being not only wrong under secular Law (rebellion against the State if it goes far enough is termed sedition or treason) but wrong under God’s Law as well.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.
Romans 13:1-3

Paul’s admonition here is very clear – we are subject to the ruling authorities and that even those ‘ungodly’ secular authorities we feel we have to oppose are instituted by God. Remember Paul was writing to Christians in Rome. By all standards Rome was one of the most secular and corrupt governments of the day totally given over to the lusts of the flesh. In just a few short years Nero would be burning Christians and throwing them to the lions and yet Paul did not suggest opposition to this government.

But let me explain further why the concept of theocratic government is wrong Biblically. There is only one Biblically instituted authority – Jesus. He is the head over all. And there will come a time when Jesus will rule on earth, during the millennial reign of Christ when all rule and authority will be His, and everything will be put under His feet. Until then we are stuck with the rule of man, in a fallen world. Therefore it is wrong for us to elect, raise up, elevate a ruler saying ‘this man rules on behalf of God’ or this is a Christian government. This is usurping the role of Christ and is therefore wrong.

People say that Jesus opposed the authorities of the day and use this to justify their opposition of authorities. However this is simply not true. When confronted by the leading religious authorities (civilian authorities didn’t pay much attention to Him until His trial and crucifixion) He would answer them but He did not go out of his way to confront them. In fact often He would slip away from amongst them to avoid confrontation. It was His refusal to confront authorities that lead Judas to betray Him. Judas was a Zealot, a Jewish ‘freedom fighter’ against Rome. His concept of the Messiah was that Jesus would be the Jewish King come to lead the people in war against Rome. When it was abundantly clear that Jesus was not going to do this, Judas’ disappointment led him straight to the Sanhedrin who were only to ready to listen after Jesus upset the tables of the money changers. Aaah you say but Jesus did upset the tables of the money changers – but we have to ask why did He do that? Up to this point every time they came with an accusation He answered them in a way that led them to leave Him alone. Time and time again Jesus avoided confrontation but now He knew that it was His time. He came to Jerusalem precisely to provoke a confrontation. He had to give them cause to crucify Him. And what better way to cause profound offence but to hit them were it hurts the worst – in their pockets. He had been in Jerusalem on other occasions and the money changers were there then – it was ONLY when it was His time to go to the Cross that He provoked confrontation.

Early Christians did not confront the social ills of their day. In Ephesus there was a riot because the livelihood of the silversmiths was threatened by the growing Christian population – not because the Christians said or did anything against them but simply because they were not buying idols and objects of silver to give to the temple of Diana. Paul did not preach against slavery, another social ill. He told slaves to obey their masters. He told masters to treat their slaves well. If Paul was promoting social change then surely he would have said – slaves leave, masters free your slaves? The only social change that is ordered in the New Testament writings is that Christians are told to leave off behaving immorally.

So where does this leave us when we are confronted by changes in society we deem ‘evil’ or ‘ungodly? What is our role in government? What type of government should we look to establish?

Well first we must acknowledge we are subject to the ruling authorities:

Put them in mind to be in subjection to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready unto every good work,
Titus 3:1

And secondly we owe them obedience, honour, taxes etc:

Render to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. 8 Owe no man anything, save to love one another: for he that loves his neighbour has fulfilled the law.
Romans 13:7-8

We must separate once and for all in our minds the concept of a Christian state and the concept of a secular state. The concept of a ‘Christian’ state goes back all the way to the dim recesses of time when we had Kings who claimed to ‘rule by the authority of God’ making their word absolute. This was nothing more than man’s attempt to establish the kingdom of God on earth by his might and not in accordance with God’s Word or worse an attempt to legitimise the absolute rule of the King by making himself rule ‘by God’ and therefore incontestable. The Kingdom of God on earth will be established by Christ at the right time, and not by the works of man. I would also like to point out that the Kingdom of God is both a spiritual concept and a real physical one. There is the Kingdom of God within us, and the coming Kingdom of God when Christ will reign on earth.

There is a further problem, a theologically correct State, is morally wrong in a fallen world for one simple reason. It is, by its very nature, exclusionary. The Bible is unequivocal about right and wrong. A true Christian government ruling by the statutes and laws of God must perforce put into effect laws that are unequivocal about certain behaviours, certain beliefs, certain actions. However this cannot be so in a fallen world. You cannot force people who are NOT born again to behave as though they are. Apart from anything else they are not capable of adhering to the moral law of God. They are not filled and empowered and transformed by the indwelling Holy Spirit to do so. Even so to make a law is not how God deals with us.

You cannot bring condemnation on people because of their fallen state. It is not our job either by word, or deed or the establishment of ‘Christian’ government to bring condemnation. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to bring CONVICTION of sin (conviction is not the same as condemnation) and thus bring people to repentance. This work of the Holy Spirit goes on in the saved – Paul tells us ‘work out your salvation’ meaning precisely this process of purification and it works through us into the fallen world to bring people to the foot of the cross in repentance.

If you have a system of government based on God’s laws then we are also guilty of turning the clock back to the Old Testament when we were under The Law. Jesus came to set us free from The Law. He fulfilled the Law so that we might be free – why then do we want to re-establish the Law in the form of Christian government? The Bible makes it clear – The Law cannot save. The Law brought death because none can uphold the Law. Why then do we want to establish a new law that will have precisely the same effect?

Make no mistake – the result of ‘Christian’ law – will be no different from the Law of the Old Testament – it will bring into being a state of condemnation and lawlessness because even Christians will not be able to uphold such a Law because we can only uphold ALL the Laws of God, when we are made in perfect in Christ, and who among you can say that they have achieved that?
We must also not confuse the establishment of the Kingdom of God with government. The Kingdom of God bears no resemblance whatsoever to any existing political system. Any attempt to make current political systems fit our concept of the Kingdom of God is foolish and doomed to failure. During the millennial reign of Christ, there will be ONE authority only – Jesus – His word will be the incontrovertible Law that will be upheld and no man will counter it. Until then we must allow men to rule as wisely as possible.

Secular government must do what is ethically and morally right for a fallen world. This means a system of freedom of speech, freedom of belief, freedom from oppression, freedom from prejudice. People must be free to practise whatever beliefs they deem good in their sight. We must not oppose such moves towards freedom and restriction of prejudice by secular governments, rather we must encourage and support all movements to greater freedom, and less prejudice under the Law. It is only in a State of religious, political, moral freedom that we are free to fulfil our role as Christians.

We must be there when the weary, broken, hurting world turns to us in desperation.

We must be there to welcome in the weak, the sick, the broken-hearted, the down-trodden, the sinners.

We must be ready to do good works, to support the elderly, the widows and the orphans, to reach out to the hurting.

We must offer the world that which is lacks – salvation. But we can only do this when we are free to do so. And if the government that protects our freedom, also protects other freedoms it is only right that it should do so. We cannot impose our will on others. God does not IMPOSE His will on us therefore we cannot impose our way on others either. If this was the right way then the Bible would tell us go out and establish governments. But it doesn’t!

It is not ‘our way’ vs ‘their way’. Remember we are in the world but not of it. So then we must leave the world to govern itself as best it can while we fulfil our role to be there when it fails.

Does this mean we must abandon “God’s Law” in how we govern altogether? No of course not because there are some basic laws of God that are common to all. Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not murder are two that immediately come to mind. However it must be tempered with tolerance, and what we know is right.

I have spoken quite theoretically so let me give a solid example. Let me take a ‘hot topic’.

A very ‘hot topic’ guaranteed to get most people hot under the collar is the legitimisation of Gay marriages. And I don’t know if I am being very brave or very stupid by using this as an example.

Gay marriage, gay rights, gay anything … Let us first examine the fruits of the intolerance to gay people the Church has shown in the past.

1. Gay Christians, instead of being led to freedom in Christ, have rebelled against the established Church and formed ‘Gay’ Churches. What an abomination that is in the sight of God.

2. The gay community perceives Christians as being intolerant, prejudiced, narrow-minded, ignorant and pretty much the last place on earth they will turn to for help.

So if we are known by the fruit – our attitude of intolerance hasn’t produced very good fruit has it? We have driven people to form churches where abomination is openly encouraged, sanctioned and deemed pleasing to God, in direct opposition to scripture leading to further sin because the inerrancy of scripture is questioned. And we are perceived as the ‘enemy’ by the larger community. In what way is this pleasing to God or helpful? In what way is this being a light in the darkness to these profoundly hurting people. I have known quite a few gay people and believe me, these people HURT. They have suffered rejection their entire lives, more rejection, even if it is ‘righteous’ is not what they need, not what will help, not what will draw them.

Let me be very clear. I oppose homosexuality. It is against the natural order established by God of a relationship between man and woman. However let me be equally very clear – intolerance won no heart. And no gay person will hear a word of intolerance from me until such time as they are seeking the truth and ask me to tell them the truth, because it is more important to me that they can come and ask than it is for me to hammer them with words of condemnation.

Regarding gay marriages – this is one of those areas where we have to separate very clearly between what is right and what is right. That sounds like a contradictory statement but it is not. It is not right that people are denied rights every citizen enjoys because of their sexual orientation. The legal state of marriage brings certain rights and protections to the partner, particularly with regard medical care and after death. If two people, whoever they are, wish to enter into the legal contract of marriage they should be permitted to do so by the State and should enjoy the rights and benefits of said contract. It is ethically right that this should be so. The rightness of this in the eyes of God is an entirely separate issue and they should not be made the same issue. When we make them the same issue the fruits of our intolerance are once again proof of the wrongness of our attitude.

If a gay person in a gay marriage becomes born-again the Holy Spirit will convict them. We must be there to minister truth and healing to them when that happens but it will NOT happen if we are perceived as the ‘enemy’. We must be seen to be tolerant. We must be perceived to be a place where hurting people can turn. This is one of those examples where Paul was talking about when he said:

But take care that this power of yours does not give cause for trouble to the feeble. For if a man sees you, who have knowledge, taking food as a guest in the house of an image, will it not give him, if he is feeble, the idea that he may take food offered to images? And so, through your knowledge, you are the cause of destruction to your brother, for whom Christ underwent death. And in this way, doing evil to the brothers, and causing trouble to those whose faith is feeble, you are sinning against Christ. For this reason, if food is a cause of trouble to my brother, I will give up taking meat for ever, so that I may not be a cause of trouble to my brother.
1 Cor 8:9-13

and

Let a man give attention not only to what is good for himself, but equally to his neighbour's good. Whatever meat may be had at the public market, take as food without question of right or wrong; For the earth is the Lord's and all things in it. If a Gentile makes a feast for you, and you are pleased to go as a guest, take whatever is put before you, without question of right or wrong. But if anyone says to you, This food has been used as an offering, do not take it, on account of him who said it, and on account of his sense of right and wrong: Right and wrong, I say, not for you, but for the other man; for the fact that I am free is not dependent on another man's sense of right or wrong. But if I give praise to God for the food which I take, let no man say evil of me for that reason. So then, if it is a question of food or drink, or any other thing, whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Cor 10:24-31

The principle Paul was applying here is that there is that there is a difference between what is right and what is right. If we have a truth that others cannot understand and in applying it we cause them to stumble in their faith then even though what we did was right it was still wrong because it caused another to stumble.

Our intolerance of homosexuality may be Biblically correct but it is still wrong because it drives people away from the very thing their souls cry out for – salvation.

To get back to the whole issue of government: Freedom in all shapes and forms is the result of the work of God bringing wisdom and knowledge to the mind of man. Throughout the ages God has worked through the minds of men to bring about enlightenment and change society from oppression to freedom. In this way we have seen slavery abolished, prejudice and bias on the basis of race or sex abolished (in law anyway if not entirely in our hearts), people given rights of protection in the work place, child labour abolished, all people given the right to vote and too many other changes for the good of society to mention. And if you start opposing one freedom you oppose all of them. Repression breeds oppression.

This is not the true freedom we experience in God but a form of it the world can understand and tolerate. It may SEEM to be opposed to the Word of God, in some areas, but it is not. In God there is total freedom, as Paul wrote there is “neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:28) but the world cannot understand, nor live in that truth until that day when we are indeed all made one in Christ. Until then God gives us a form of this freedom to enjoy. Remember He makes the rain fall on the righteous and the unrighteous. Freedom, in all its forms, must be enjoyed by all or it is enjoyed by none. We only have to look at political systems that are oppressive to see the truth of that statement. Under oppression no one is free, including those who oppress.

It is oppressive, repressive and intolerant political systems that are opposed to the Word of God not free ones. Give thanks to God for systems of politics/governance that espouse greater freedoms of all kinds, including the freedom to do things that are Biblically wrong, because under them you are free too, and you are free to do the work God has called you to do. Our job is to be light in the darkness and be conduits of the Holy Spirit into the world to change the hearts of man. Do what God directs you to do and leave the rest to Him. Let us not fall into the trap of doing what seems right but is in fact wrong. Let us work to establish greater freedom and rights under a secular system for all because it is this freedom that will bring greater salvation in the end.

(If you don’t understand what I mean by that last statement then let me elaborate just a little. God gives us the freedom to go our own way, knowing that we will eventually be brought to our knees before Him. A parent allows a child to wilfully do as they want, at times; knowing that the lesson learned the hard way is learnt well. In the same way we MUST allow people the freedom to go their own way in sin because when they are brought low they will turn to God. It is love of the hardest kind to allow others freedom even knowing what they do is wrong. It is love, for a fallen world, that says let me step aside from appearing prejudiced to you EVEN if my condemnation is right because your salvation is more important to me than anything else. It is love that says let me give you freedom, so that I too, can be free to help you when your ‘freedom’ fails you. It is love that says, as Paul did, let me be all things to all men so that they can be saved.)

Just one thing - the only exception I make to the concept of freedom in society is that there is a moral imperitive to also protect the weak. Therefore freedom must be tempered by laws to protect children, the elderly, anyone within the society who is vulnerable in anyway. Freedom does not include the right to cause harm.

Bryan Hupperts - "I Dreamed I Went To A Carnival"

2009-05-07T08:27:00.002-04:00

From Bryan Hupperts website:
http://www.sheeptrax.com/index.html

I Dreamt I Went To A Carnival
I dreamed I went to a carnival billed as THE GREATEST CARNIVAL SHOW ON EARTH! As I pulled in to the lot, there were smiling greeters with flashlights who guided me expertly as I parked.

I exited my vehicle to the sound of excitement, the glare and flash of multi-colored lights and the screams of thrill seekers on the various rides. The cacophony was almost overwhelming. I followed the crowd of people who were happily murmuring about the various things they had come for: blessings, thrills, to be fed, to be entertained.

I had just paid the full admission price when someone started walking towards me from the shadows. While I could not quite recognize his face, I knew he was a friend. He said, “Why are you wasting your time and money here?”

“But,” I stammered, protesting, “This is the greatest carnival show on earth.” He was silent for a moment, then replied simply, “We’ll see.” And off we walked together into the charged, frenetic atmosphere that was the carnival.

The sights and sounds of merrymaking were amazing! This was a traveling show and it brought out the crowds. There were singers, actors, dancers, and those skilled at rhetoric, yet each seemed hell-bent on outdoing the next person. “Is this some sort of contest? Is there a prize?” I asked my guide. He replied, “Yes, it is a contest, but they already have their reward.” I didn’t grasp his cryptic remark and shrugged it off.

We walked down the midway amid the swarming crowd. There was so much competing for my attention that it was difficult to focus. There was a Big Top with the curious sign that read Trap Ease; perhaps it was a typo. The finely dressed ringmaster told jokes, made people laugh, and encouraged people to buy his videos and tapes “for a blessing,” but I didn’t hear the rest since we kept on walking. I wasn’t sure why, but I began to be uneasy, afraid.

Carnies would hawk their particular game and attraction promising fame, wealth, beauty, and personal satisfaction if I would only step up and lay my money down. At the nudging behest of my quiet companion, we stopped at a game of Balloon Pop.

The fast talking carnie assured me that all I had to do was pop the balloons with a dart and I would win fabulous prizes. I paid the fee, took careful aim, and threw dart after dart but I kept missing. Was this game rigged? My friend then handed me a curiously bloodstained dart with the word TRUTH inscribed on it, and said simply, “Use this.” I took it, aimed carefully, threw it and popped balloon after balloon. The carnie shrieked and finally excommunicated me from his booth – no prizes awarded. He accused me of cheating!

There was a trained Lion of Judah in a cage doing tricks for the ringmaster to the squeals and delights of the crowd. “Make him heal,” yelled one. “No, make him bless me with money,” cried out another. And the strange thing was that the lion seemed to be going along with it. However, as I got closer to the exhibit, I looked into the lion’s eyes… It was not the Lion of Judah at all, but instead a killer lion stalking its prey, seeking someone to devour. He was a fraud, but he looked almost like the real thing. I jumped back and we walked away as the beast growled menacingly at us.

There is not space to tell of the baptismal dunking booth, or the house of smoke and mirrors that distorted reality through the haze of religiously themed rose-colored glasses. Especially disturbing was the Fortune Telling Prophet who, as his sign promised, would give you a guaranteed, genuine Word From God for an Activation Fee of $40.00. I was ready to kick over his crystal ball, but my companion stopped me. “This is their festival, not mine,” he said. We walked away.

The carnival was overcharging for the love feasts of corndogs and lemonade and I kept getting the feeling the food and attractions were supposed to be provided for free, but perhaps it was just a feeling. After all, business is business.

And then a wave of nausea began to rise in my throat as I took the spectacle in. It was like music without a melody, or a painting without color. There was a growing sense of – violation. And suddenly, in the distance like a welcome breeze on a hot, humid day, I heard a quiet sound, almost like a chorus of voices rising in song. I turned and began to walk towards the music, walking away from the beguilement and clang of the carnival.

My head began to clear and, as I was walking away, the lettering on the carnival signs began to rearrange to read, THE GREATEST CARNAL SHOW ON EARTH! “How do I get out of this madhouse? I am almost ready to hurl,” I asked. My companion agreed, saying, “I am almost ready to vomit, too.” He pointed me towards the Tunnel Of Love. As I walked towards it, I began to notice others quietly leaving the carnival one or two at a time, sometimes in small groups, walking away from the carnival following the drift of the music that led inexorably towards the little boats that rode the gentle waters of the Tunnel of Love.

As I stepped into the little boat, my companion spoke from behind, “I’ll see you on the other side where we will dine together,” and he was gone. And in the Tunnel of Love there was no fear. The clang of the carnival began to fade as the music and singing grew louder. It was, it was… worship, but worship as I had never experienced, for it was borne of passion and offered up in Spirit and Truth! It washed over me, cleansing me, inviting me to join my voice to the swelling chorus of adoration and praise sacrificed to the Most High God. And as the darkness began to fade as the Tunnel of Love gave way to LIGHT!

Bryan Hupperts
© 2008

Consider The Lilies

2009-05-06T21:29:00.003-04:00

Photo: Holly Cawfield

Don’t Worry….Consider The Lilies

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?’ or “What shall we drink?’ or “What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6

The "Go" Of Unconditional Surrender (Oswald Chambers)

2008-09-28T07:47:00.003-04:00

"One thing thou lackest: . . come, take up the cross, and follow Me."

Mark 10:21

The rich young ruler had the master passion to be perfect. When he saw Jesus Christ, he wanted to be like Him. Our Lord never puts personal holiness to the fore when He calls a disciple; He puts absolute annihilation of my right to myself and identification with Himself - a relationship with Himself in which there is no other relationship. Luke 14:26 has nothing to do with salvation or sanctification, but with unconditional identification with Jesus Christ. Very few of us know the absolute "go" of abandonment to Jesus.

"Then Jesus beholding him loved him." The look of Jesus will mean a heart broken for ever from allegiance to any other person or thing. Has Jesus ever looked at you? The look of Jesus transforms and transfixes. Where you are "soft" with God is where the Lord has looked at you. If you are hard and vindictive, insistent on your own way, certain that the other person is more likely to be in the wrong than you are, it is an indication that there are whole tracts of your nature that have never been transformed by His gaze.

"One thing thou lackest . . ." The only "good thing" from Jesus Christ's point of view is union with Himself and nothing in between.

"Sell whatsoever thou hast . ." I must reduce myself until I am a mere conscious man, I must fundamentally renounce possessions of all kinds, not to save my soul (only one thing saves a man - absolute reliance upon Jesus Christ) - but in order to follow Jesus. "Come, and follow Me." And the road is the way He went.

In Me (Streams In The Desert)

2008-09-28T07:39:00.006-04:00

In Me

by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

From: Streams In The Desert

"In me . . . peace" (John 16:33). There is a vast difference between happiness and blessedness. Paul had imprisonments and pains, sacrifice and suffering up to the very limit; but in the midst of it all, he was blessed. All the beatitudes came into his heart and life in the midst of those very conditions.

Paganini, the great violinist, came out before his audience one day and made the discovery just as they ended their applause that there was something wrong with his violin. He looked at it a second and then saw that it was not his famous and valuable one. He felt paralyzed for a moment, then turned to his audience and told them there had been some mistake and he did not have his own violin. He stepped back behind the curtain thinking that it was still where he had left it, but discovered that some one had stolen his and left that old second-hand one in its place. He remained back of the curtain a moment, then came out before his audience and said: "Ladies and Gentlemen: I will show you that the music is not in the instrument, but in the soul."

And he played as he had never played before; and out of that second-hand instrument, the music poured forth until the audience was enraptured with enthusiasm and the applause almost lifted the ceiling of the building, because the man had revealed to them that music was not in the machine but in his own soul.

It is your mission, tested and tried one, to walk out on the stage of this world and reveal to all earth and Heaven that the music is not in conditions, not in the things, not in externals, but the music of life is in your own soul.

Rock Of Refuge And Safety

2008-09-19T07:34:00.005-04:00

Greeting The Morning by Holly Cawfield

Every generation has faced difficult circumstances and Psalm 91 has been a strength and comfort throughout the centuries. The present conditions in the world whether economic, political or spiritual make this psalm as important as it has ever been.

When we shelter within the safety of the Lord, there is true rest because in spite of the ways in which we try to find refuge and safety in our homes or savings accounts or family, ultimately our only safe fortress is the Lord Himself.

Our trust in Him is never misplaced no matter what our circumstances. Psalm 91 is not a hollow thing but a bedrock of strength and hope based in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 91:
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare of the Lord; He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I am trusting Him.

For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from the fatal plague. He will shield you with His wings. He will shelter you with His feathers. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor fear the dangers of the day, nor dread the plague that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. But you will see it with your eyes; you will see how the wicked are punished.

If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you, no plague will come near your dwelling. For He orders His angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you with their hands to keep you from striking your foot on a stone. You will trample down lions and poisonous snakes; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet.

The Lord says, 'I will rescue those who love Me. I will protect those who trust in My name. When they call on Me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue them and honor them. I will satisfy them with a long life and give them My salvation.

Vision - Broken Road by Susan Boje

2008-09-18T08:34:00.002-04:00

The scene opens up in Black and White, with no sound. I saw a totally devastated city, bombed out like you would see pictures of Berlin at the end of WW2. I watched a young woman (the only person in the picture) slowly picking her way along the broken and torn up road, going slowly so as not to get cut by debris. There was absolutely no other life around her and every single building was in wreckage.Interestingly enough the woman was very healthy, with only some dust on her clothes. She had on ballet type slippers and a scarf covering her hair.

Then the Lord said: This is my Bride----she is doing just fine, she is healthy and whole, just a bit dirty from the dust clinging to her feet. Every world and church structure has collapsed but my Bride is able to navigate the road, even if slowly, and she is coming to Me.

I could see some of the buildings---a restaurant, a gas station, a city hall and police station. She wasn't hungry so she didn't need to get food. She was walking so didn't need the gas. There was no other people around so she didn't need justice or protection. All she had to do was walk forward past the city to get a farm outside the city where all would be provided.

I then got a birds eye view of the city. Coming into the devastated city were people of every nation and tribe but as they entered the city they transformed into identical twins of the first woman.

The Lord said These are my bride, transformed into true unity. There identity is no longer in who they were but who I have made them into be for eternity. The strongest part of the vision was seeing how healthy the woman was. How calm and strong and confident she was.

It just encouraged to see we are going to "make it" regardless of the chaos around us.

Destiny Of Holiness (Oswald Chambers)

2008-09-18T05:37:00.006-04:00

Don't be misled. Remember that you can't ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow!

Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.

So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.

Galatians 6: 7-9

DESTINY OF HOLINESS

By Oswald Chambers

Ye shall be holy; for I am holy. 1 Peter 1:16

Continually restate to yourself what the purpose of your life is. The destined end of man is not happiness, nor health, but holiness. Nowadays we have far too many affinities, we are dissipated with them; right, good, noble affinities which will yet have their fulfilment, but in the meantime God has to atrophy them. The one thing that matters is whether a man will accept the God Who will make him holy. At all costs a man must be rightly related to God.

Do I believe I need to be holy? Do I believe God can come into me and make me holy? If by your preaching you convince me that I am unholy, I resent your preaching. The preaching of the gospel awakens an intense resentment because it must reveal that I am unholy; but it also awakens an intense craving. God has one destined end for mankind, viz., holiness. His one aim is the production of saints. God is not an eternal blessing-machine for men; He did not come to save men out of pity: He came to save men because He had created them to be holy. The Atonement means that God can put me back into perfect union with Himself, without a shadow between, through the Death of Jesus Christ.

Never tolerate through sympathy with yourself or with others any practice that is not in keeping with a holy God. Holiness means unsullied walking with the feet, unsullied talking with the tongue, unsullied thinking with the mind - every detail of the life under the scrutiny of God. Holiness is not only what God gives me, but what I manifest that God has given me.

Vision - The Overcomers (Holly Cawfield)

2008-08-22T18:20:00.008-04:00

Cobblestone Bridge by Thomas Kinkaid*

I was standing overlooking a very wide valley which was really more like a plain. There were trees on the perimeter but it was mostly a grassy area. Nothing was happening and it seemed as if this inaction was going on for a long time. All was silent and nothing was moving. I was about to turn away with the feeling that I was somehow in the wrong place when I heard the word, 'Watch.'

On the crest of the hill of the far side of the valley there was suddenly light which looked like a sunrise even though it was already daytime. At first, this light appeared a warm pink colour as it began to flow across the top of the hill and as it continued to flow it changed from pink to gold. The colour or quality of this flowing light kept changing as it moved until it was an enormous mass of warm, white light entirely filling the valley.

When I looked more closely I could see shapes that looked like people but very difficult to distinguish individually. They were shoulder to shoulder, wearing military uniforms and carrying swords yet so close to one another there didn’t appear to be any differences which I understood was an indication of their unity of spirit and purpose.

In front of this flowing body of white light I suddenly saw dark beings also garbed in some kind of military uniform flying away in panic.

This wonderful valley kept filling with light until the valley could no longer contain it. I turned around and saw a village but rather than the light flowing down the street, it was flowing in the houses. Very quickly beautiful, glowing light flooded out of each window in every building whether it was a home, an office, a store or a stable.

Just as I was waiting for what seemed a very long time at the outset of this vision, so we have been waiting to see a wonderful move of God on this earth. That the light was initially pink was a bit of a question for me and as I researched I discovered that pink often represents ‘man’. This coming move of God will come through those who love Him but are not perfect. Yet even as this presence of Himself continues to grow, we will be purified until only He is seen, which is the indication of the changing colour of the light.

These soldiers, standing shoulder to shoulder, were the overcomers--those who had stumbled and been restored, sinned and been forgiven, finally taken their eyes off themselves and/or the faults of others and had learned to walk in the pure light of Christ. They moved in unison as one body whose sole purpose was the Lord’s purpose. It was difficult to see them because these were the ones who had crucified the flesh and decreased that He might increase. This is how we are supposed to look.

The light which was in them, and completely surrounding them, flowed into the village and brought salvation to the lost, restoration to the backslidden, hope to hurting hearts, healing to broken bodies, rebuilt marriages and families, joy to souls in mourning, peace in place of strife, reverence replaced the profane, peace soothed anger, backbiting gave way to encouragement...and there was love.

The Lord was there.

His name was honoured.

*www. thomaskinkade.com/magi/servlet/com.asucon.ebiz.home.web.tk.HomeServlet

Danger - Keep Out

2008-08-21T13:43:00.006-04:00

Danger-Keep Out by Holly Cawfield

What’s the giant in your life? We all have one….or more!

The story of David and Goliath is far more than a lesson for a children’s Sunday School class and has a powerful application to each believer’s life today. A Goliath, or giant, in our life can be any number of things--an attitude we have difficulty controlling, a habit which is bad for us or another person who seems intent on making our life miserable. Without a doubt you can think of something that has taken on gigantic proportions in your life at one time or another.

The question is how to fight these giants. In the story of David and Goliath, the army of Israel had been taunted by Goliath for many days and the army just hadn’t been able to defeat him. Isn’t that just the way the giants in our lives behave? They have their own way of taunting us. If, for example, you’ve made a decision to avoid foods that are bad for you because you know your health is going to suffer, suddenly all you can ‘hear’ is the taunting of the chocolate bar a family member brought home or the wheedling of the doughnut shop when you drive by. The same is true when you make a decision to quench the impulse to fire back with sarcastic comments or talk behind the back of the person in your life who continually raises your ire. Before you might have had trouble thinking of a good comeback on the spot, suddenly you find your head filled with witty or biting ripostes.

Isn’t it always the way.

The giant just keeps taunting you and because you’ve made the decision to rise above the situation it feels as if the situation just hems you in, making a mockery of all your good intentions.

That’s when it’s time to stop flailing and start fighting.

Temptation to do wrong is inevitable. I didn’t say that, it’s in Matthew 18. There will always be temptations in life and being prepared for them is having the knowledge that they will seem to pop up unexpectedly.

Many temptations come along because we’ve put ourselves right in their path. Our associations with people can either influence us for right or wrong so it’s wise to give thought to those who have the ability to sway us one way or another. If we’re battling some form of substance abuse whether it be drugs, alcohol or too much food, it’s wisdom to ensure we keep these things at a distance. This is only common sense.

Temptation to sin gains a foothold in life and then becomes actual sin when we have a complacent or procrastinating attitude. Complacency says “oh, I can handle this” and then eventually makes peace with sin. Procrastination doesn’t see the urgency of dealing with sin now.

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Each attitude is far more dangerous to the health of our spiritual lives than we often realize. We are told to RUN from evil things. That implies a serious sense of urgency. Faith, even the strongest faith, can be eroded bit by apparently innocuous bit and hence the importance of running from those things the Bible calls sin. In some cases this is our best strategy for fighting the temptation to sin….just run from it.

Other times we need to confront a situation head on the way David did with Goliath. He only fought with some stones and a slingshot which made his weapons seem rather paltry BUT he was fighting with the help of the Lord and that made all the difference. As David knew he had the backing of the Lord to fight the giant, we also know we have the backing or strength of the Lord to help us fight those things that tempt us. Even though we may feel very weak if we keep our focus on Him, He will prove His strength by showing us a way out of the temptations we face.

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We only have to choose to take the way out He provides.

His divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in His divine nature. So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. 1 Peter 1: 4a-5a

Spiritual Confusion

2008-08-13T15:13:00.004-04:00

Simplicity, Stark Shadow by Holly Cawfield

There are days when it just seems as if the clarity of the path ahead has been shrouded in fog. The still, small voice of the Lord doesn’t seem to make any sense or isn’t at all clear. It’s particularly frustrating when only a day or two earlier it was crystal clear.

Days like this do come along and how we react tells us a lot about how much rebellion still remains in the heart. Perhaps you can tell I’m having just that kind of day….well, actually two days.

What’s especially interesting when a time like this comes along is the way the Lord will speak even though it might not be in the way we hope or expect. Only this morning an email to which I regularly subscribe showed up with the following bit of wisdom:

I have spoken very clearly to you in days past and directed your steps with surety. My words to you, both written and prophetic, have been a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. If it seems you cannot see clearly at this time, or that you have lost your way, go back to what you know to be the truth.

Go back to the place spiritually where your direction was certain, and regain your perspective and clarity. Many things have happened to create doubt and confusion, but My presence with you is still absolutely indisputable, says the Lord.

Psalms 119:105 -- Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
(Marsha Burns www. ft111.com)

Good advice but surprisingly difficult to take when everything within wants to run ahead to the next thing. However, it’s always been wisdom when the path ahead isn’t clear to simply continue on in obedience to the last thing you felt the Lord telling you to do. And then wait. The wind will change and bring clear air again. It always does.

Then, as if it wasn’t enough to have a bit of wisdom arrive via email a page fell out of my Bible. I have one Bible that I tape all kinds of bits and pieces into--things I’ve read that I’ve found particularly helpful at one time or another--and what fell out of it today? This, from Oswald Chambers’ devotional book, My Utmost For His Highest:

Simplicity is the secret to seeing things clearly. A saint does not think clearly until a long time passes, but a saint ought to see clearly without any difficulty. You cannot think through spiritual confusion to make things clear; to make things clear, you must obey. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will only think yourself into further wandering thoughts and more confusion.

If there is something in your life upon which God has put His pressure, then obey Him in that matter. Bring all your "arguments and . . . every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" regarding the matter, and everything will become as clear as daylight to you . Your reasoning capacity will come later, but reasoning is not how we see. We see like children, and when we try to be wise we see nothing.

Even the very smallest thing that we allow in our lives that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit is completely sufficient to account for spiritual confusion, and spending all of our time thinking about it will still never make it clear. Spiritual confusion can only be conquered through obedience. As soon as we obey, we have discernment.

This is humiliating, because when we are confused we know that the reason lies in the state of our mind. But when our natural power of sight is devoted and submitted in obedience to the Holy Spirit, it becomes the very power by which we perceive God’s will, and our entire life is kept in simplicity.

Hmmm....sounds like the Lord is speaking quite clearly after all and today is just a “KISS” kind of day.

K - Keep
I - It
S - Simple
S - Stupid

Just obey.

Holly

When God Puts His Finger On Something

2008-08-11T19:22:00.014-04:00

Water War by Jan Piller*

So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the special blessings that will come to you at the return of Jesus Christ. Obey God because you are His children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God--who chose you to be His children--is holy. For He Himself has said, ‘You must be holy because I am holy. 1 Peter 1: 13-16

When the Lord puts His finger on something in our lives it seems as if the pressure just won’t let up until we make the choice to do His will. We hear the voice of our conscience nagging at us which we often try to push to the back of our minds. Finally the nagging just becomes so insistent we decide to do something about it.

Obedience--it’s one of the toughest things in the Christian life because usually the very thing the Lord wants us to do, or not do, is something we quite like doing. I’m not talking about robbing banks. Most of us don’t have to deal with an overwhelming temptation to rob a bank or commit some other sort of dastardly deed of that nature. No, usually it’s something like changing an attitude, behaviour or habit with which our conscience is troubled.

Some things are obvious. There are basic issues most everyone in the world agrees are wrong. We all know robbing a bank is wrong just as we know pilfering from the office petty cash is too. That’s not the sort of thing I’m referring to here though. I’m speaking of the kinds of things that have been longstanding issues in our lives like controlling our anger or gossiping or being lazy or telling lies or misconduct in relationships or any of the myriad of things that are part of the human condition.

And the human condition is the whole point. We don’t like to feel as if we’re limited to what we can and cannot do and if we take a hard look at the root causes of some of these habits we’ll find a whole lot of pride and rebellion. Actually pride and rebellion really aren’t all that different from each other and pretty much any ‘sin’ you can think of is rooted in pride. Pride is that streak in us that says ‘all that matters is ME or MY opinion or what I want.’

Do you ever wonder why God even cares whether or not you stop doing something that isn’t harming another living soul though? Well, first of all, it could be argued that everything we do has consequences for both ourselves and others, however, that’s a discussion for another day. At the moment, I’m thinking of the way God is actually trying to protect us from future harm when He puts the pressure on something today. For example, if we hold a bitter and unforgiving attitude toward someone it’s easy to see how that attitude grows into terrible proportions over the years until that ‘root of bitterness’ becomes a full blown tree and takes over our lives. It not only causes stress and unhappiness but over a long period can affect our health.

Logical isn’t it? So why do we have such trouble simply being obedient. Think of a young child or even a teenager. When events in their lives come to a head, as a parent you want to say to them head, ‘If you had just done what you were told we could have avoided this mess.” We know it with our children so why do we have so much trouble as adults when God is speaking to us about the same old issue we’ve been fighting Him on for years?

Because we actually like these inappropriate behaviours.

Because we want our own way.

Does that sound like a rebellious attitude to you? Well, welcome to my world . . . . and I would venture to say the world of most Christians who are making a serious attempt to live their lives as God would have them do and struggling in the process.

I’ve been looking at a passage of scripture in 1 Peter, ‘So think clearly and exercise self-control.” That’s interesting. We’re supposed to think clearly…use our reasoning or mental capability to engage logical thought. That being the case, look at the very thing you’re struggling with today and take it to its logical conclusion if you choose NOT to do the thing God is telling you. What are the ramifications if you continue? What is the potential fall-out? Who, besides yourself, could be hurt?

If you ask yourself those questions you begin to see the personal advantages in obedience. That's the Me-ward aspect of obedience.

This passage of scripture also says, “You must be holy because I am holy.” That’s an entirely different angle. This is obedience that reflects the glory and holiness of God in our lives. This is God-ward obedience. It is the kind that squashes the inner attitude of rebellion; one that says, ‘He must increase and I must decrease’; one that cherishes the holiness of God as more valuable than my present gratification.

Then, just to make obedience really appealing, God promises special blessings to those who walk in His will. You would think that alone would be enough to keep us on the straight and narrow.

One thing I absolutely know to be true. God has promised when we are tempted to sin He will provide a way out. This promise He keeps and does so on a regular basis. He knows how weak we are but if we’re paying attention to that finger He’s been using to put the pressure on our conscience He will point to a path that leads us out of temptation.

Trust Him for it …….and keep your eyes open so you can see the way He will provide.

Holly

But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it. 1 Corinthians 10: 13-14

*See Jan Piller's Photo Gallery: www.redbubble.com/people/janpiller

Spiritual Winter - Madame Jeanne Guyon

2008-08-11T10:38:00.004-04:00

Winter Tree by Holly Cawfield

THE BLESSEDNESS OF WINTER
by Jeanne Guyon 1648-1717

From: Final Steps in Christian Maturity
ISBN: 0-940232-22-7

I see the season of winter as an excellent example of the transforming work of the Lord in a Christian’s life. When winter comes, the vegetable world, it seems to me, reflects the image of the purifying which God does in order to remove imperfections from the life of one of His children.

As cold comes on the wings of a winter storm, the trees gradually begin to lose their leaves. The green is soon changed into a funereal brown; soon the leaves fall away and die. Behold the tree’s appearance now! It looks stripped and desolate. Behold the loss of summer’s beautiful garment. What happens as you look upon that poor tree? You see a revelation.

Under all the beautiful leaves there had been all sorts of irregularities and defects. The defects had been invisible because of the beautiful leaves. Now those defects are startlingly revealed! The tree is no longer beautiful in its surface appearance. But has the tree actually changed? Not at all. Everything is exactly as it was before. The beauty of the outward life of the leaves had only hidden what was always present.

The same is true of you. The same is true of all believers. We can each look so beautiful….until life disappears! Then, no matter who, the Christian is revealed as full of defects. As the Lord works on you to produce purification, you will appear stripped of all your virtues. But, in the tree, there is life inside; and, as the tree, you are not actually becoming worse, you are simply seeing yourself for what you really are. Know that somewhere deep within the tree of winter there is still the life that produced last spring’s beautiful leaves.

No, the believer’s inmost being has not been deprived of its essential virtue. He has lost no advantages. He has only lost something human, a sense of his own personal goodness, and he has discovered, instead, his utter wretchedness. He has lost the ease of following the Lord. That ease was born more of ignorance of self than anything else.

As with the tree, so with you.

The Christian, now spoiled and naked, appears in his own eyes to be a denuded thing’ and all those around him see his defects for the first time: defects which were previously veiled, concealed by outward graces.

Sometimes such revelation is so devastating to the pride of a Christ he simply never recovers, and decided to be a Christian on some other level; or gives up following the Lord entirely.
Throughout the long cold winter, the tree certainly appears as dead as the very deadest of all trees in the forest. The tree knows no reality. Here is total destruction, it seems. But the truth lies somewhere else.

That tree is actually undergoing and submitting to a process which preserves its life and strengthens the tree. After all, what does winter do to a tree? It contracts the tree’s exterior. The life deep within is no longer uselessly expended! Its life, rather, is concentrated within the deepest part of the trunk and in the hidden portions of the root. The life is forced deeper and deeper into the inmost part of the tree.

Winter preserves the tree, no matter how dead the tree may appear. Yes, its leaves have fallen away and its true deformed state has been exposed; yet the tree has never been more alive than at that time. During the winter, the source and principle of life is more firmly established than at any other season.

In all the other season, the tree employs the whole force of its life in adorning and beautifying itself. But it does so at the expense of expending its life, taking its very vitality from the roots and the deepest part of the trunk. There must be winter. Winter is necessary for the tree if it is to live, survive and flourish.

Virtue has a way of sinking deep within the Christian, while totally disappearing from the surface, leaving the outward and natural defects in very conspicuous view.

If we have eyes to see, then we see that this is beautiful.

Grace operates in your life in exactly the same way. God will take away the leaves. Something will cause them to fall. The outward virtue will collapse. He does this that He may strengthen the principle of virtue. The source of virtue must be built up. Something deep within the soul is still functioning. Somewhere within the spirit the functions that are the highest (in God’s estimation) have never rested. What is going on is exceedingly hidden. It is humble.

What is happening is pure love.

What is going on in the inmost part is absolute abandonment and contempt of self. The inward man is making progress. The soul in venturing forth into the interior. True, it seems that the operations of God are concentrated on the external parts of the believer, and even a moment’s glance reveals that the exterior things are not pleasant to look upon. Yet, in truth, no new defects in the soul have developed. Only the uncovering of old faults has come about. And, as they are exposed, they are better healed.

If you dare the spiritual pilgrimage, you need to remember in times of calamity, and in times of what appear to be dry spells, and in that time which men will call a spiritual winter: Life is there.

If winter comes…….

An Open Letter To Pastors

2008-08-10T11:43:00.006-04:00

A Woman Writing A Letter by Frans van Mieris

Dear Brothers:

Early this morning I read a post on an internet forum by a very sincere and concerned Christian woman. The paragraph pertinent to this letter reads as follows:

Pastor R___ is teaching on the gifts on the spirit. He was teaching on the gift of prophecy the other night and he said prophecy is to encourage and edify. I asked what he thought of the doom and gloom prophecies on America. Pastor R___ said that if God would allow America to fall he would have to apologize to Jesus. Jesus died for our sins and he died for all Americans to live in his grace. This is the age of grace not judgment. Someday judgment will come and that won't happen until the church is removed.

Pastors, please listen to the many prophetic voices speaking out in this hour. To be sure, you must pray and hear for yourself but please do not dismiss what the watchmen, intercessors and prophets are saying.

You know that prophecy is intended to encourage and edify and it is my belief these warnings are indeed encouragement and edification.

Encouragement defined is to ‘give courage to or inspire with strength; embolden; to incite or animate.’

Edify is ‘building up; instructing; improving the mind.’

Is this not what the prophetic warnings are doing? Sent by God and delivered to prepare His people rather than leave them vulnerable and caught with their spiritual guard down?

Whether judgment is a ‘smiting’ of the Lord or a removal of His hand of protection, I submit to you that I cannot see much of a difference. For God to remove His hand of protection on the life of an individual or an entire nation is terrifying in its implications. Without His protection we are, individually or collectively, made wholly vulnerable to attack from Satan and/or the intents of those held in his power to do evil.

The lives of those you shepherd are at stake whether it be their personal relationships, financial ability to feed their families, literally in the severe possibilities of natural and man-made disasters, persecution for faith in Jesus Christ and a whole host of other variables.

I know this subject brings flutterings and faintings to those who struggle with their faith and backlashes from board members but it is your God-given mandate to protect those in your care. To simply dismiss the now prolific warnings as the ravings of deceived doom and gloomers is, in itself a deception. A people prepared are those who have been on their faces before God in humility and deep penitence and can, therefore, hear the voice of the Lord for their protection and direction. Each of us must be doing this at this time.

Truly, God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and self-discipline. The message God is speaking to His Church today is telling us He is coming in glory and fire. Those prepared can rejoice in anticipation of this glory, all the while grieving due to the effects of the fire on those who have not been prepared spiritually.

It is a time of travail; a time to importune the Almighty God in intercessory prayer.

I know you understand the need to protect the ‘sheep’ only too well but please bear in mind that ignorance is not bliss nor will ignoring this make it go away. Give them the truth and they will hear it as the Holy Spirit speaks it to them. People may not want to hear but they need to hear the message of deep repentance and righteous living because without it they will be caught by the fire and miss the glory. Turn your Sunday morning service from its routine to a time of repentance and prayer because ‘those who claim they belong to the Lord must turn away from all wickedness.’

You know far better than I just how much wickedness there is in the lives of some you counsel--sins considered unmentionable in the past. Call them to repentance that they will qualify for protection under His sheltering wings in the day of disaster. His mercy to us all is so vast and unfathomable.

Read the whole third chapter of Lamentations. Please don’t leave yourselves or your flock unprotected and unprepared. Listen as you go to your prayer closet and hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

“My dear brothers and sisters, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.”
Most respectfully,
Holly Cawfield

Build Each Other Up

2008-08-09T21:15:00.009-04:00

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I admire, and dare I say envy, people who wake up in the morning ready to take on the day the moment their feet hit the floor. My brain doesn’t function well until I’ve had a couple of cups of coffee so first thing each morning I come to the computer and take a bit of a leisurely look around while I'm waking up.

This morning I stopped by a website that purports to be ‘discerning’ which apparently means the writer feels a commission to tear down just about every pastor, preacher, prophet, writer and possibly the cleaning lady in the office too. It seems the author of these articles believes it’s important to point out every error found and, therefore, conclude that if there is one error an entire ministry is worthless.

Out of curiosity I read a few of these articles and the more I did, the more I found myself unsettled to the point of discouragement.

Interesting.

Discouragement doesn't come from the Holy Spirit. So then I began to question why someone would feel their ‘mission’ was to point to relatively trivial error in people and their ministry in the name of discernment rather than point to the goodness and wonder of God. I suspect this person truly believes the work of the website is very important because it will, presumably, keep people from error in their own lives. However, rather than having that effect it seems to me it’s divisive and accusing which has the potential to be far more injurious than a preacher who might have ‘misinterpreted’ a passage of scripture one week.

What was particularly glaring though was the way there didn’t appear to be any evidence of the Kingdom of God. I didn’t see forgiveness or love or kindness or loyalty toward other Christians but instead had the impression of an arrogant assault. So I did a Google search to see how many of these kinds of ‘ministries’ there are on the internet and discovered they’re all over the place.

Perhaps it’s the way the internet allows one to speak one’s mind without a kind and loving confrontation…. or provides the ability to rant.

Perhaps I’m doing the very same thing here.

I’d best go to prayer.

Holly

Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God. So don’t condemn each other anymore. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not put an obstacle in another Christian’s path.

For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness, and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God. And other people will approve of you too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement help you live in complete harmony with one another--each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So accept each other just as Christ has accepted you; then God will be glorified.

From Romans 14 and 15

Vision - Church, Wake Up! (Holly Cawfield)

2008-08-08T20:18:00.008-04:00

August 8, 2008
There was a man, dressed in casual beige slacks and a very dark green sweater walking along a laneway. A hedge lined one side of this lane and on the other side was a view of the sea. The man had his hands in his pockets and was looking out at a sailboat through a slight haze on the water. After he paused to take in the sight, he continued walking along the lane, whistling with his head tilted back a little.

Several airplanes flew overhead and the man stopped to watch them. They weren’t ordinary passenger planes but looked much more sleek and streamlined… I think they were jets. After they passed overhead the man continued down the lane.

Then…I saw this man standing in front of an old fashioned bakery. It had large, paned windows and a screen door that creaked when it opened. He stood in front of the bakery window for a moment to see what was on display and then went into the store. Inside, he ordered some tarts and the baker, wearing a long, white butcher-style apron put the tarts in a paper bag and handed them to the man. While the man was waiting for his change he leaned very casually against the counter and asked if the baker had heard the sound of the planes overhead. Because they had been so loud it was clear the man expected the baker to say ‘yes.’ However, the baker hadn’t heard a thing. The man then left the shop and walked down the street of a very quaint village, eating a tart as he walked.

Then….I saw this same man in a well-appointed hotel room, decorated in the Federal style. He was in front of a mirror tying a bow tie and wearing a tuxedo. When he was satisfied with his appearance, he looked out a mullioned window to the street to see if his hired car and driver was waiting for him.

Then…..I saw this man entering an extremely formal dining room. It was the type of room one sees in very old and expensive estate homes…like one of the old Vanderbilt mansions. There was a very long dining table and at each place there was a tuxedo-clad man. They all appeared to have been waiting for the arrival of this man and looked very pleased to see him as well as pleased for whatever reason they were gathering. The host came and welcomed the man by shaking his hand and asking him to have a seat at the table.

Then the host stood at the head of the table and said,
“Well gentlemen, we’re all here now. Our plan is underway. We’ve had a few delays along the way but I think I can safely say the plan has been launched.”

Then….I saw the lane by the sea again. There was no one there and nothing moving. This went on for a few minutes. Everything was pleasant and peaceful, the sun was shining, there was a slight breeze and small waves lapping on the edge of the shore.

Suddenly there was an explosion with dirt, rocks and debris shooting high in the air. I looked behind me and saw a Cape Cod-style house with an American flag.

Then I saw a huge, silver cannon. It was very shiny and modern rather than a 19th century type of armament.

I then saw the village as if I was standing at its entrance and there was another explosion in the business area. I looked around and saw a church on a hill and watched as the steeple was blown off.

When I asked the Lord, “Why aren’t there any people running or screaming?”

He replied, “They’re asleep.”

Don’t be misled. Remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. Galatians 6: 6-8

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God’s plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will give you mighty inner strength through His Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God! By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. May He be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen. Ephesians 3: 14-21

I believe there are three levels of interpretation with this vision:

1. Attack on America

This seems self-evident given the quantity of dreams/visions/prophetic words that have been received during the last few years. The jets are the warnings.

2. The Church Will Be Shaken

That the steeple of the church was blown off speaks of the way the prophetic voices have been warning of the great shaking that is coming to the Church. The Lord has been warning of this since the 1970’s. The preaching that has become common in recent years has emphasized ‘self’ and prosperity rather than Christ and death to self. It is an affront to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the glory of God. This message of self has acted like a doping narcotic to those who call themselves Christians when we are all called to die to self.

3. Susceptibility to Attack by Satan

We are told we must keep up our guard because Satan is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. His wiles and tricks are numerous and they come when we are complacent in our sin. There has never been a good time for this kind of complacency but now, more than ever, it is time to seek the Lord with all of your heart.

Just as there are people orchestrating events for evil in America, so there are spirits trying to do the same thing. Complacency with sin is a kind of sleep that removes a person from the protection and provision of God Almighty. If this vision is anything, it must be a cry for turning to God with penitence, humility and obedience. God is, as ever, our only protection.

Church, please wake up!

Holly Cawfield

It's Okay To Ask "Why?"

2008-08-08T12:50:00.006-04:00

Grey Winter Afternoon by Holly Cawfield

I’m not one of those people who likes surprises.

Oh, I know most people think they’re great but I suppose I’m just pedantic enough to like to have some kind of mental/emotional preparation when some form of change is coming. Perhaps on reflection I should revise that and say I don’t like unpleasant surprises and then I would imagine almost everyone would agree with that.

Suffering often comes as a surprise although I would venture to say there are many times when the Lord prepares the listening heart for rough seas ahead. Nevertheless, we’re usually taken by surprise by bad news which is probably why Peter told us NOT to be surprised at the firey trials that come our way. In other words, it really isn’t unexpected that as Christians in this life we will find legs of this journey where the path becomes quite bumpy.

While everything in us wants to cry out, ‘just make it go away’ there is the pained voice of reason that wants to know why. It would be impossible for me to count the number of times I’ve heard people say we’re not supposed to ask why but that doesn’t make sense to me. A rational, thinking person obviously wants that question answered and I think God does want to answer it. I’m not referring to the whining ‘why me’ sort of query but rather the question that asks ‘what is Your purpose for this Lord?’ It’s a fair question after all.

So perhaps it’s necessary to consider different types of suffering because they’re not all created equal. For instance, there’s the suffering that comes from sin and disobedience. That is the kind we practically invite on ourselves because we move out from under the protective shield God provides when we step out of His will.

Then there’s the type of suffering that comes in the form of discipline or chastisement from the Lord when He is lovingly correcting us. I have found this is actually one of the easier types to face because when the Lord brings His discipline He does it in mercy. When the discipline has done its work of bringing us back into the centre of His will, the discipline stops. It’s a way of keeping us from other more tragic forms of suffering.

Sometimes we suffer in empathy for others who are in pain and our feelings of helplessness become almost overwhelming.

Then there’s the suffering that comes prior to a revelation of God in the form of a deeper understanding of His ways and is used to help others in their own struggles.

When this occurs it creates a time of anguish to the soul that seems inexplicable for a season. The person coping with circumstances beyond their control and for no apparent reason sits in a dizzying disorientation wondering what he’s done to deserve the mess his life has become. He repents of everything he ever did or ever thought of doing. He summons up every ounce of faith and begins to rebuke the devil and claim peace, healing, deliverance or whatever it is he feels he needs to resolve the problem.

And still he sits in the middle of a mess.

Why?

First of all, ask yourself if you believe things happen in life randomly. If you do then questioning why isn’t really pertinent. However, if you believe there are no coincidences and there is nothing random in the life of a believer, then your ‘why’ question might better be “what is Your will and purpose in this Lord?”

God may not immediately reveal what His purpose is and sometimes His still, small voice will simply say, “I have a purpose in what is happening to you” or " Just trust Me." Believe it or not, that’s enough if you trust God. If you honestly believe He is smart enough and strong enough to orchestrate all the circumstances of your life for your good and He tells you He has a purpose for that with which you’re dealing, then it’s enough.

It’s enough because it means He WILL work it out for your good and very likely for the good of others which becomes the point of this form of suffering. Through the trials of difficult circumstances a person learns to make God their treasure, His glory their pursuit and His wisdom becomes as necessary as breathing. The result of which is a new and deeper relationship with Him and a greater understanding of His ways which in turn becomes the basis for genuine love for others.

This is our cross. This is what it means to identify with the cross of Jesus Christ….to take up our cross and follow Him. He died on the cross for the redemption of the world and of course, He is the only One who could literally do that. However, we take up the cross in our lives when we allow Him to use our suffering to transform us into His image which makes us conveyers of His love to those around us.

It’s the crucified life. The one that lives out the concept that He must increase and I must decrease. When there’s less of ‘me’ then more of Jesus Christ can be seen. When more of Jesus can be seen then those who don’t know Him will actually want to know Him.

He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. You can be sure that the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with His comfort through Christ. So when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your benefit and salvation. For when God comforts us, it is so that we, in turn, can be an encouragement to you. 2 Corinthians 1: 4-6

Holly

Vision - A Very Narrow Path (Holly Cawfield)

2008-08-07T16:16:00.006-04:00

Mountain Path - billmunnsgallery.com

I was standing under a maple tree. A low branch filled with leaves was partly obscuring what was beyond but when I leaned forward to see past the leaves I saw a dirt path on which stood a very still figure. He was dressed in a long, white robe with a hood and a gold braided belt tied around his waist. I kept looking, not making a sound or a move and neither did he. It was almost as if He was frozen in place.

Then I decided to step out from under the branch and it was that which seemed to cause him to turn toward me. As he did so, I realized it was Jesus.

The He said to me,
“Will you follow Me?”

“Yes,” I replied.

So I went over to the dirt path which was extremely narrow and started following Him as He began to walk. On the left side of the path there was an incredibly steep drop and given my fear of heights I chose not to look down. On the right side there was a grass shoulder but not particularly wide, with a few rocks and weeds and then a hill that rose up just as sharply as the drop on the left side.

He walked around a bit of a bend and suddenly the path was on the side of a mountain with a very long drop below and to my right was basically a wall of rock.

I said in a very shaken voice, “Jesus, you know I’m afraid of heights.”

“Do you trust Me to lead you safely?” He asked.

I did answer ‘yes’ but my legs were shaking so badly I was having trouble putting one foot in front of the other. He moved very slowly and I knew He was doing this because He really did understand how each step was so frightening to me.

“What are we doing here, Lord?” I asked Him.

“Tell them I will be asking them to do things which will frighten them but I want them to look past their fear and see Me leading them. My path has become very narrow but if they will simply keep their eyes on Me, I will lead them safely.”

Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And because God raised Christ from the dead and gave Him great glory, your faith and hope can be placed confidently in God. 1 Peter 1: 21

Vision - The Soldier Bride (Holly Cawfield)

2008-08-06T14:21:00.008-04:00

Photo by Georgie Sharp*

August 2008
I saw a group of Canadian soldiers, men and women, standing in the foyer of a building. There were only a handful of them, perhaps six or eight and they were waiting for a vehicle to come and pick them up. I understood them to be a well-trained, elite unit. As I watched, they were busy doing small things like adjusting a belt or double checking their packs to make sure they had everything. I saw one man lean over and adjust the sock inside his boot.

Next I saw a very beautiful white flower. It was a camellia and I immediately understood that as a flower traditionally used for weddings, I was seeing the Bride in these soldiers.

Then I next saw these soldiers unloading cargo from the belly of an airplane. The plane was remarkably close to the ground and the cargo door was under the wing of the plane. One soldier had to bend low to unload the boxes and then passed them to the other soldiers, rather in the way of a bucket brigade. The impression was that they were working efficiently as a team.

Next I saw this elite team individually crawling through a row of tunnels and I understood that these tunnels were under the Canadian/American border. Each soldier was in full battle gear and wearing heavy backpacks filled with supplies they’d taken from the plane.

Then I found myself following one of the soldiers as he was walking through an American city. I knew it was American because I saw a J.C. Penney sign dangling from the side of a building. The city looked like pictures of Iraq after the bombing and looting with a few stores, offices and houses standing but in very bad condition. There was debris everywhere and as I looked around I realized everything was a grey/beige colour except for the J.C. Penney sign, the soldier in forest green uniform and half of a McDonald’s arch. The other half was crumbled.

There wasn’t a person on the street except for the soldier, however, there were people in the buildings peeking through boarded up windows. These boards weren’t sheets of plywood but looked instead as if people had used any kind of wood they could find. In each of these windows I could see eyes and they were following the soldier as he walked down the street. Their fear was obvious and I understood that fear to be because of his uniform.

I knew the people needed the supplies the soldier was carrying but they were too afraid to call out and ask for them. I also wondered why the soldier didn’t offer the supplies but realized he was entirely focused on whatever his mission was.

Then I saw a young, African American man lying bleeding on the sidewalk in front of what was once a store.. His eyes were closed and he was clearly moments away from death. The soldier stopped, looked at the man and simply said, “Rise up.” With that the young man opened his eyes and lifted one arm which the soldier grasped, helping the man to his feet. This man looked completely stunned and incredulous as he stood staring at the soldier and after a few moments he yelled, “I’m healed.”

The soldier started walking again and now the young man was following him, jumping up and down as he did and calling out, “I’m healed, I’m healed! This guy healed me.”

The soldier replied, “I didn’t heal you, Jesus Christ did.” In the strange silence of the street these words seemed very loud.

Meanwhile, the people inside the buildings were still watching and still afraid to come out and the soldier continued walking down the street, now apparently looking for something else.

Then the soldier stopped at a place where the asphalt of the road had heaved from some force and a huge chunk of the road was almost vertical leaving a gaping hole in the ground. The soldier stopped and in the hole were three children. One was a little African American girl wearing a dirty white blouse and the other two were little boys in grubby, stripped t-shirts. When they saw the soldier they looked so terrified I wanted to hug them and tell them he wouldn’t hurt them. I have never seen such frightened children.

The soldier leaned down to help them out of the hole and they kept shrinking back trying to avoid his hands until the young man told them they would be safe. Although they clearly didn’t believe him they were so afraid of the soldier they didn’t fight him any longer. As they got out of the hole, they clung to the legs of the young African American man, whose name was apparently Alphonse.

The soldier opened his backpack and took out some water and some special candies that were a kind of meal replacement enriched with vitamins and gave one to each child.

At that point, the soldier seemed to know he had to keep moving. He was still looking very focused and now as he turned down another street Alphonse and the three children were following him.

We walked past more grey/beige damaged storefronts on one side of the street but oddly on the other side of the street there was the federal Capital Building surrounded by beautiful, well-maintained lawns and trees. I walked along wondering if this was an indication of government officials who had safe and clean shelter and food while the citizens were struggling on their own without supplies. (In spite of the fact I saw the Capital Building I am not sure that this was Washington.)

The soldier walked down several more blocks until he came to a two-storey, flat-roofed building with a set of exterior stairs leading to the second floor. We all followed him up and watched as he knocked on a dull, red door. At his knock, we saw a pair of eyes looking through a very small window and then the soldier said,

“I come in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.”

With that, the person inside opened the door and we all went into a large room with a big table in the centre and about ten or twelve people, both men and women. The children were still terribly frightened and three women came over and each took a child over to a chair and sat down and held them on their laps. In spite of the fact the children would have normally been too old to sit on a lap, these children just held on for dear life. It was a heart wrenching scene.

The people in the room were wary of the soldier but he simply pulled off his backpack, opened it up on the table and started pulling out packages wrapped in silver foil. It was food and he was giving this packets out to each person in the room. Then he pulled out some very small Bibles.
When a couple of the women saw the Bibles, they looked absolutely terrified and had tears in their eyes. One of the women said,

“If they find us with Bibles they’ll send us to the camps.”

Nevertheless, each person gratefully and eagerly took a Bible.

Then I saw a white curtain billowing into the room from an opened door, opposite to where we’d come in. There was a brilliant light and suddenly Jesus walked into the room. He immediately looked at the children with such compassion and sadness that I got tears in my eyes and especially as I saw those children run right up to Him to hug Him. He held each of them and as He did I could see them changing from terrified and traumatized children to looking rosy and happy.

All the adults had fallen to their knees the moment Jesus walked into the room. They were bent low with their heads bowed. I wanted to do the very same thing but heard the Spirit say, “Watch.”

I watched as Jesus held these children and then said to the others in the room,

“From this day on do not be afraid. I am with you and I will be with you to help you. I will protect you. You will find shelter and you will find necessary food. In just a while your troubles will be over. Watch for Me. I am coming soon.”

“Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor. The Lord rescues them in times of trouble. The Lord protects them and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity and rescues them from their enemies. The Lord nurses them when they are sick and eases their pain and discomfort.” Psalm 41: 1-3

WHAT I BELIEVE THE LORD HAS SHOWN ME ABOUT THIS VISION:

During the last months as I have read many of the dreams, visions and prophetic words regarding the judgment that’s coming I have asked the Lord, if it be in His will, to show me a picture of what we can expect.

There are many here in Canada who are praying the Lord will work through this country to be light to the world. While I do not believe Canada is free from a coming judgment, I have a sense that we may have a little time in which it could be possible for us to help our brothers and sisters in the U.S.A. in their time of need. I pray that is so.

You may read this vision and see only a picture of the devastation that appears to be imminent for America but I would ask you to see more than that as well. This is very much about the calling of the Bride of Christ--or the remnant-- for this generation and time.

The soldiers in this vision are the remnant, the Bride of Christ, who have been prepared and trained through some grueling circumstances in their lives in order to learn faith, trust, obedience and focus on Christ. Those who have been through this and those who are presently experiencing this ‘stretching and pruning’ of the Lord will be the special ops crew the Lord will send to those who are in desperation, whether they are people who do not know Christ as Saviour or those who do but find themselves in very great need both physically and spiritually.

For those who have been through much during these last years, each will recognize the difference in their new levels of faith and trust, not to mention a genuine respect for the importance of obedience. When the call comes it will require immense faith, a deep level of trust and entire obedience. There won’t be much margin for error for lives are, and will be, hanging in the balance.

It’s only upon reflection that I look at the cargo plane in this vision and see the significance that the soldier is unloading under a wing. It seems clear this speaks of the way those who trust the Lord will find protection under His wings. The boxes in the plane were filled with food and with the Word--the bread of life. The Lord was providing this physical and spiritual food in a manner similar to the parable of the loaves and fishes when Jesus then asked the disciples to distribute the food to the hungry crowd.

It seems to me that the underground tunnels speak of a death to self or a seed dying in the ground as well as great humility. The soldiers had to crawl through those tunnels in full gear with heavy packs but rather than complain about the difficulty or load, their attitude was one of determination to obey orders from their commander instead of complaining about the inconvenience or pain to ‘self’.

That the city was an American one does imply there is much ahead for America that will be dreadful. Having said that, I do believe this devastated city is also a picture of the type of judgment that will occur around the world. This is very much a picture of the decimation of all that has been held in greater worth and esteem than the Lord Himself.

The J.C.Penney sign speaks to me of the materialism which has become such an immense part of the western culture. It isn’t only an American mentality, yet it has been American corporations that have created a very great deal of suffering and cruelty to the poor of the world and perhaps this dangling sign is an indication of God’s righteous hand against such that has happened.

The crumbled buildings would suggest that everything that can be shaken, will be shaken whether it’s a building or an attitude.

There was such a tremendous fear through those streets and as I ‘walked’ behind the soldier it was almost tangible. A spirit of fear was unleashed at some point over the world and it seems particularly apparent in the U.S.

The soldier also represents authority. The remnant will be walking in God-given authority but absolutely NOT to inspire fear, as was the perception of the people as this soldier walked down the street. Their fear of his uniform indicated they had suffered at the hands of those in authority as it has been, or will be, usurped by evil forces but the remnant’s authority is based in Kingdom love. The lack of trust on the part of the people hiding behind the boarded-up windows, even when they so desperately needed food, was a serious indication of how these evil forces (Satanic) had made them prisoners in both their homes and their way of thinking. This fear of the uniform also spoke to me of the conditions under martial law.

Continually through this vision I was aware of the intense focus on the part of the soldier. He knew he had a mission and did not allow himself to side-tracked in spite of the need he saw. It puts me in mind of John 5:19 where it says, “Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing.” Was this an unkindness not to help those this soldier was passing? I would suggest the answer to that is ‘no’. This soldier, in his precise focus and obedience, would open the door to allow the Lord to do the work. By simply doing the thing that was required of him, the soldier left the way open for the Lord to do the work of implementing His higher purposes.

When the soldier said, ‘Rise up’ to Alphonse I noticed he didn’t say, ‘in the name of Jesus’. I almost wrote that in and then realized it would be presumption on my part. As I have prayerfully considered this I believe this is suggesting the Bride, or the remnant, is to walk in the authority of her “Husband”, the Lord.

This healing also represents the miracles that will be seen through this very difficult time ahead. The purpose of judgment isn’t merely punishment but more like a last resort to save eternal lives. The healing of a man close to death suggests the miracles will be astounding but the soldier didn’t spend time analyzing the healing, or proclaiming the healing, or advertising it. Instead, he kept his focus and moved to the next assignment which was rescuing the children.

I believe the children represent all those who have been sacrificed on the altar of convenience, materialism and a complete disregard for the statutes of God. I would also suggest they represent the orphans that we have been commissioned to care for as more important than the unproductive projects in which so much time, effort and money has been spent. It could also be said that as there were three of them they were a kind of Shadrach, Meshech and Abenedgo.

That Alphonse and these three children chose to follow the soldier is a picture of revival. They had been ‘saved’ out of their situations and then ‘followed’ which is, of course, the very thing we’re told to do as Christians when we read that Jesus said, “Come, follow Me.”

It was interesting to look up the meaning of the name ‘Alphonse.’ It means ‘ready for battle’ as well as ‘noble.’ This gives me the impression that there will be many who come to know the Lord or return to Him during the revival that stems out of this time of judgment and these will be quickly made ready for the battle of winning more souls. We’ve heard from those with a prophetic calling that many of the strongest soul winners during the harvest will be new Christians and children.

The second storey house where the people were together put me in mind of the gathering of the disciples after the death of Jesus and before His resurrection.. It can be assumed these people had been much in prayer and certainly in a great deal of fear and discouragement. It would also suggest the way believers are to be unified together as the body of Christ. In their true fellowship they would strengthen and encourage one another.

When the soldier unpacked the food the understanding is one of provision in the midst of great deprivation or famine or the setting of a table in the presence of our enemies.

The fearful comment by the woman when the soldier offered a Bible is a reminder that as Christians there will be times of suffering and/or persecution in our lives for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s pretty much unheard of here in North America but something with which Christians in many parts of the world are all too familiar. When Peter denied Christ it was because he was feeling truly threatened. I have often thought when I’ve heard people speak of Peter as a coward that perhaps they have never felt threatened to such an extent that they had to make this kind of choice.

“But God will use this persecution to show His justice. For He will make you worthy of His Kingdom, for which you are suffering, and in His justice He will punish those who persecute you. And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven.”

Ultimately, we simply must believe. Abraham believed and God called him righteous. Our belief may be stretched to the limit during difficult times but we CAN trust the Lord to be with us always. This belief is grounded in repentance. Our stance today must be one of repentance before the Lord. This cannot be emphasized enough for it is when we are ‘right’ before the Lord we can expect the blessings of obedience.

God saved you by His special favour when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2: 8-10

And so we keep on praying for you, that our God will make you worthy of the life to which He called you. And we pray that God, by His power, will fulfill all your good intentions and faithful deeds. Then everyone will give honour to the name of our Lord Jesus because of you, and you will be honored along with Him. This is all made possible because of the undeserved favour of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1: 11-12

*flicr.com/photos/georgiesharp

Vision - The Wedding Invitation Has A Reply Card (Holly Cawfield)

2008-08-04T08:00:00.009-04:00

White Tulips by Holly Cawfield

July 2008
I entered a house. It was a typical suburban, side split house one sees from the 1960’s or 1970’s. As I walked into the front entry of this house there stood a man holding something white.

The man had sandy blond hair and a full moustache. He was dressed in blue jeans and a red plaid shirt…all very neat and clean but in simple, working clothes. I looked at his face briefly and noted that in spite of his very sombre expression he appeared to be extremely kind.

Without speaking a word, he extended his hand with the white object. It was a folded card and I knew without being told it was the reply card for a wedding invitation. It remained in his hand because he was extending it for the purpose of showing me something. He opened the card and though I expected to see something written, instead I saw something that more closely resembled a television or computer screen except that it was completely three-dimensional.

I was immediately struck by the startlingly beautiful green blades of grass that appeared to be growing right out of this screen. These blades were the most stunning shade of green I’ve ever seen because they radiated light--the light was coming from within the blades and more gorgeous than any grass I could ever imagine. Suddenly, behind the blades of this grass there were missiles exploding. I could see the explosions and the smoke billowing up behind the grass blades but it didn’t diminish the radiant light of the green in the least.

As I gave the man a questioning look about what I was seeing, he merely looked back at me wordlessly but I somehow knew I was supposed to climb the staircase that was just to the left of me.

It was a short staircase of perhaps 7 or 8 steps and as I climbed I saw a white hall in front of me. There were two open doors at the end of the hall but between the staircase and these rooms was a closet with white painted double doors and locked brass door knobs. These two doors kept bulging outward into the hall as if they were made of very pliable material. I could hear a lot of loud and angry noise behind the door but individual voices were indiscernible and I knew it was filled with darkness.

The door kept bulging out and I just stood watching it for long minutes, not sure whether to keep walking down the hall or stay where I was. Then I was torn between the curiosity of what was going on behind that door and the desire to walk down the narrow hall. The two rooms at the end drew my eye just as forcefully as the bulging closet doors because there was such an intense light coming from each of the rooms. I also wasn’t sure that passing these closet doors was either smart or safe because it appeared the locking mechanism would give out at any second.

As I stood undecided I knew I had three choices. I could stay where I was, on the fence as it were. Or I could try to open the closet doors and see what was going on. Or I could continue down the hall toward these beautifully lit rooms. Once I realized the choices I knew the only option was to walk down the narrow hall and to do so safely it was essential to completely ignore the bulging closet…not to even look at it again if I was going to arrive safely to those rooms where there was indescribable light and Presence.

What was more compelling than the curiously heaving closet was the way the hall was filled with light, peace and a remarkable gentleness. It was these characteristics which made the noises behind the closet pale into insignificance.

The meaning of this vision was shown to me as follows:

The house represents “the House” or the Church and is, I believe, a message for others as well as myself.

The man was a messenger. Although he was dressed in humble work clothes, I couldn’t help but notice how exceptionally clean he, and his clothing, was. He was a fellow worker for the Lord who had been through his ‘cleaning’ process and was bringing a message/invitation to the Body, who is the Bride, and hence the wedding reply card.

The picture of the beautiful green grass with missiles exploding in the background is the first part of the message. It indicates that the Bride is going to face great trials and has been preparing for that with the refining process she has been through but the radiant green grass represents the glorious deliverance of the Lord in the midst of those trials. [1]

The stairs indicate the Bride is now preparing, or ready, to climb to the next level (transitioning) but there will be decisions to be made. Each person will have to decide whether they are going to go forward with the Lord past obstacles, stay where they are or retreat. As I have been considering this I believe the Lord has indicated that any of us who think we wouldn’t possibly retreat have a dangerous mindset. Rather like Peter before he denied the Lord. (note to self: are you reading this carefully?)

But what was in the closet? As I prayed about this, I believe the Lord showed me that it was filled with pride, jealousy, selfishness, quarrels and fights, backbiting and gossip for the enemy will attempt to wage a new and more intense-than-ever war against God’s people by using God’s people who become involved or ensnared with such things. [2] Any one of these things will become an enormous stumbling block for both ourselves and for those we wish to reach for Christ. What must be noted is that the closet was locked. The only way the viciousness of what was behind the doors would have been allowed out was if I had unlocked the door myself.
The hall was narrow and filled with the characteristics of light, peace and gentleness that can only come from the Spirit of God and it is there where we must remain. Walking forward with our focus entirely on the Light of Christ and we must keep going not allowing ourselves to be distracted [3] or discouraged [4] by the darkness of pride and the sins which accompany it.

[1] These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1: 7
Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised. Hebrews 10: 36

But He brought His people safely out of Egypt, loaded with silver and gold; there were no sick or feeble among them. Egypt was glad when they were gone, for the dread of them was great. The Lord spread out a cloud above them as a covering and gave them a great fire to light the darkness. They asked for meat, and He sent them quail; He gave them manna--bread from heaven. He opened up a rock, and water gushed out to form a river through the dry and barren land. For He remembered His sacred promise to Abraham His servant. So He brought His people out of Egypt with joy, His chosen ones with rejoicing.Psalm 105: 37-43

[2] But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there. If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another.Galatians 5: 22-26

[3] It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt. He was not afraid of the king. Moses kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the One who is invisible. Hebrews 10: 27

[4] But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters.Galatians 6

Times Of Testing

2008-08-03T12:55:00.009-04:00

Lake Ontario Waves by Holly Cawfield

“As evening came, Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Let’s cross to the other side of the lake. He was already in the boat, so they started out, leaving the crowds behind. But soon a fierce storm arose. High waves began to break into the boat until it was nearly full of water.
Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with His head on a cushion. Frantically they woke Him up, shouting, ‘Teacher, don’t you even care that we are going to drown?” Mark 4: 35-38

The often quoted “there are no atheists in foxholes” is a cliché only because it’s true. When we face trials in our lives, it's not only wise but necessary to look to God for help as our faith is tested and usually strained to the limit.

Trials have a very real and important purpose in the life of faith for many of these trials are actually a testing to expand faith. It’s not the sort of testing one thinks of when writing an exam precisely where a pass or fail is the point. Testing is more like working a muscle to increase its strength. It’s the way God uses circumstances in our lives to develop greater faith in our lives as opposed to the idea that He’s standing there with a report card recording our passing or failing grade.

Perhaps you think the idea of trials for the sake of increased faith sounds like God is inflicting cruel and unusual punishment but that would be missing the point. In this life we’re constantly in training as Christians which is why the Bible so often uses military analogies. The battles for which we train and face are meant to equip us to fight against the enemies like pride or self-sufficiency or fear or idolatries … pretty much the whole gamut of sin that pervades so much of our lives.

Every trial we face isn’t necessarily a test but certainly every trial is an opportunity for the growth of faith. In each one with which we find ourselves coping we have a new and wonderful opportunity to see the hand of God which is always ready to help in times of trouble. He promises to be our refuge and strength and He always lives up to His promises.

Like most of His promises though, there is a condition. It is that we are to ‘stay with Him’. It makes me think of the way a 911 emergency operator will keep a person on the line while waiting for the police or ambulance to arrive. The operator will ask some questions deliberately posed to keep the person on the line with advice, direction or a calming effect. We only get advice, direction or that calming effect from the Lord IF we stay on the line, as it were. As we are connected to Him in order to hear His still, small voice, He shows us the way through the circumstances. In this, our faith and trust grows by leaps and bounds.

During a time of testing it’s wise to simply obey whatever we believe the Lord is telling us as we spend time in His presence. You are spending time in His presence aren’t you? The worst possible response during a time of difficulty is to avoid God in a kind of sulk or because you’re distracted by your circumstances. When we spend time in His presence we find peace and it’s when our minds and hearts are peaceful we are most able to cope with the problems at hand. It also makes us more clear headed so we can actually hear what He’s saying.

The shortest way through any trial or time of testing is simply to be obedient. It can actually be the hardest thing to do even if it may be the most logical in terms of the Christian life but it’s a surefire way to get through the situation more easily. God will reveal something, or several ‘somethings’, about which He requires us to obey. The wisest course to just do what we’re told!

A time of testing will also produce patience. There are times when we are required to wait.

And wait.

And wait some more.

That’s when the ‘faith muscle’ really gets a workout. However, during any time of waiting God provides whatever is needed to get through the day whether it be something material or a word of peace or encouragement. The key is not to get discouraged or to give up for there is a harvest of blessing we reap when we ‘soldier on’ with Him.

He has promised He will be with us no matter what the circumstances are. We can count on His protection when we remain close to Him and obey His instructions.

So…..

“When He woke up, He rebuked the wind and said to the water, ’Quiet down!’ Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was great calm. And He asked them, ’Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in Me?” Mark 4: 40

Vision - Tied Up In Church (Holly Cawfield)

2008-08-03T10:04:00.008-04:00

August 2008
Before me was a large tree loaded with apples though it was much larger than a normal apple tree. The tree was in a beautiful park-like setting with a manicured lawn and many other large trees throughout, quite typical of a city park or an old estate home.

Under the tree there was a long, rectangular table with a red and white gingham cloth. There were a few people walking about and they were dressed in 1950’s clothing. I saw some children and particularly a man and woman. The man was wearing a shirt and tie with the jacket of his suit slung over one shoulder. The woman had on a powder blue shirtwaist dress with a full skirt. It was the clothing that gave me the understanding it was the 50’s.

The table was set up for the church picnic but there wasn’t any food on it.

A brief flash of something to my left caught my eye. It was a huge great white shark which loomed over the scene with an evil grin and then disappeared.

Beyond the tree, the people and the table there was a house that appeared to have been built in the 1910’s in the craftsman style with a large, screened-in veranda at the front. There wasn’t any question of needing permission to enter the house so I went up the front steps and into this veranda. It was much darker inside than I thought it would be considering the sunny, summer day outside.

As I walked into the hall I saw the dining room with a long table and around it were chairs occupied by people. There was no food on this table either. Each person had their hands behind the backs of the chairs and their entire torso was tied to the chairs with heavy rope. They each had a gag on their mouths.

There was nothing about these people that suggested they were in distress. They looked quite content, or resigned, to their situation.

I went up the stairs at the end of the hall and on the second floor there were several closed doors. Behind one door I was aware of a sexual encounter in progress. Behind the door across the hall I was aware there were two men counting money.

There was a small, narrow staircase that led up to an attic. When I went up there I saw many, very dusty boxes and they were all filled with Bibles.

When I went back downstairs and outside I saw the strangest thing. Standing there about eight feet tall was Mr. Peanut. I heard him say with showman enthusiasm, “C’mon inside! We’re putting on a show!”

The people who had been on the lawn looked delighted and happily went into the house.

I went and stood sadly under the oversized apple tree and asked, “Why are they in there Lord?”

He replied, “They are naïve people who have been deceived by smooth talk and glowing words. They don’t know any better and they are deceived by those who have turned faith in Me into a peanut gallery show.”

Then I asked, “Once they go in there they’re tied to those chairs. What will happen to them Lord?”

The Lord replied, “This is the condition of many who call themselves My Church but I will protect and deliver all those who are Mine. I will send them those who will speak My truth. I will open the eyes of those who want their eyes opened.”

“My sheep recognize My voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from Me, for My Father has given them to Me, and He is more powerful than anyone else. So no one can take them from Me.” John 10: 27-29

Vision - 1920's Roadster (Holly Cawfield)

2008-08-01T09:02:00.008-04:00

July 2008

Standing by the side of a country highway, I saw a car speedily approaching. I was surprised to see it was a 1920’s roadster and very bright yellow. As the car got closer, I saw there were four people in it and from what I could see they were all dressed in clothing of the 1920’s. They were laughing and having a fine time together just enjoying a sunny day out in the country.

The car slowed down considerably as it came close to me, though they were entirely unaware of my presence. When I looked over my shoulder to see their reason for stopping, I saw a huge pile of broken rocks on the middle of the road. There was a very rocky mountain around which this road had been created and apparently there had been a rock slide. The road was completely impassable.

The driver got out of the car and his clothing was an indication of his personality. He was wearing pleated, light coloured slacks and a green, knit vest. He walked over to the rocks and with a very sincere and determined manner knelt down and began to look for a path through which he could drive the car. He was completely absorbed with the task and I understood him to be genuinely concerned about finding a solution to their problem.

When I looked back toward the vehicle I saw that one of the women was getting out of it. She was wearing a mid-calf length dark skirt and a midi-style sweater to match. I saw the collar of her white blouse around the neckline of the sweater. Her clothing indicated she, too, was a very sincere person, modestly clothed and her expression also showed a determined but gentle attitude to find a solution to the dilemma. However, now all around the car were huge piles of rock. The car was completely surrounded by them with no discernible way through. In spite of this, the woman got to her knees and began to look at the rocks behind the car and said, “I know there’s a way back. I’ll find it here somehow.”

Then the second woman emerged from the car and was a striking contrast to the man and other woman. She was wearing a fairly long, beige wrap around coat with a fur-trimmed collar, a cloche hat and an arrogant expression. As she closed the car door, she sat on the running board crossing her legs and lighting up a cigarette in one of those long holders considered fashionable in the 1920’s. She was nonchalant about the predicament and expecting the others to find a solution to it.

When I looked beyond her I saw the second man now standing at the side of the car and he now had my entire attention. In spite of the fact that he was well dressed in a light coloured business suit, it wasn’t his clothing which made him so worth watching--it was his posture. He was standing at full attention with his right hand over his heart and I immediately thought of the way Americans do this when they are repeating the Pledge of Allegiance.

He was looking at the sky above the pile of rocks, about a forty-five degree angle from the direction of the road. I followed his gaze but couldn’t see what it was he was staring at, however, since his focus was so riveted on the sky I continued to look until I saw a hand. The hand then became a pointed index finger and when I looked at where it was pointing I suddenly saw a v-shaped path through the rocks. This path wasn’t at all discernible until the finger pointed it out nor was it a simple and clean path for it would require a bit of climbing over the rubble, but it was a way through.

The man told the others about the path but the first man was too busy trying to find his own way. The same thing was true for the woman who was trying to go back the way they came. The arrogant woman just ignored him because she was waiting for someone to come to move the rocks.

So the man who saw the finger in the sky began to pick his way through the ‘v’ in the rocks and I started to follow him because I wanted to see where he was going. It only took a few steps until I saw what was ahead. It was a beautiful, green valley filled with fruit trees and a log cabin and it wasn’t even very far.

I believe the Lord has shown me these aspects to this vision:

Economic
It was set in the 1920’s because it was a time not unlike what we’ve experienced for the last few decades here in North America with abundance of materials things. The car, the clothing and the laughter while they were driving before the rock slide all indicate ‘the good life’. The rock slide represents a sudden economic mess.

Types of Christians
The more important point of this vision is, I believe, the way each person handled the trial. The first man was a sincere and genuine person but one determined to do things his own way and in his own power.

The first woman was one who wanted to sincerely find a path but her desire to go back the way they came represents doing things as they’ve always been done and that will no longer work in the days ahead.

The second woman was the selfish and prideful one who let others do the work and had little concern about her attitude. Her priorities were very material.

However, it was the second man who represents the true believer. He stood with focused attention on the Lord, not the circumstances. His hand over his heart was an indication that he trusted entirely in the Lord to show him the way through the difficulty and his trust was not misplaced when he was able to see with supernatural eyes the path the Lord was setting before him.

There is a great deal we’re hearing about what is coming in terms of some very difficult times ahead. We’re expecting a great and glorious move of the Lord but we also are hearing about the fire of judgement coming to the world. I see both illustrated in this vision.

The assurance of the Lord’s protection and provision is ours IF our hearts are given over to Him entirely and our focus remains solely on Him.

No matter whether the various trials that come our way are personal or global, the principle always holds true….
“Lord, You are my strength and fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble.”
Jeremiah 16: 19

Sin
There is one other, important consideration in this vision and it’s the way we deal with sin.

The first man is a picture of the times we try to deal with sin in our own strength. Undoubtedly, our own will is of extreme importance regarding our choices but to attempt to conquer sin in our own strength is the path of failure.

Or perhaps like the first woman we haven’t let go of the past and it prevents us from moving on.

Then there is the second woman who represents the person who doesn’t even care to do anything about the sin in his/her life.

But then there’s the second man. He is the one the Lord delivers from his sin. It is this person who knows deliverance only comes from the Lord, who is willing to let go of the past, knows the renunciation of sin cannot be done by only by willing it away but only through the grace of the Lord who makes a way when we are tempted.

Vision - The Train (Holly Cawfield)

2008-07-30T10:08:00.010-04:00

July 2008
I was standing by a train track in a country setting. While there were many trees none of them obstructed my view of the length of the track to my left. Along the rails there was tall grass and summer wildflowers.

A very great distance away I saw a speck of light, which as it came closer was apparent that it was the headlight of a train engine. Steadily, the train approached, not moving with excessive speed and the light became almost blinding.

I stepped back a bit further from the track as the train began to pass me and I saw there were approximately a dozen cars and each one was a little like a cattle car except that the sides were more open than usual and enclosed only by metal bars. Rather like prison bars.

Each car was filled with people, not just filled but packed with people. The expressions on their faces ranged from fear to despair and the sounds of their cries was horrifying and heartbreaking. Arms extended from between the bars and when these people saw me they started calling out, “Help us. Please, help.”

I stood there in tears as the train continued its steady pace with the understanding there was nothing I could do to help these people.

This was the first part of the vision and as I prayed and asked the Lord what He was showing me, He replied, ‘You are seeing Luke 13: 25-28.”

“….but when the head of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. Then you will stand outside knocking and pleading, “Lord, open the door for us!” But He will reply, ‘I do not know you.” You will say, ‘But we ate and drank with You, and You taught in our streets.’ And He will reply, ‘I tell you, I do not know you.”

The following day I received the second part of this vision.

Now I was on top of the train as it was arriving in some kind of terminal with the most awful feeling of dread as the train passed through a series of cement arches. However, as the train pulled to a stop at the terminal I was pleasantly surprised to see an ultra modern and very well-lit, clean area. There was something remarkably reassuring about the ‘ordinary-ness’ of this which looked very much like a modern airport. Glass doors were surrounded by chrome and the platform area was very bright in spite of the fact there was little colour other than cement grey.

The people in the ‘cage cars’ below me seemed reassured by this terminal as well. Their cries of fear had subsided to small, whimpering sounds that indicated to me that they felt there might be some hope after all.

Then from behind me I saw a truck approaching. It looked like an army truck with a kind of canvas covering. It pulled to a stop between the train and the platform and out of it came a man in a blue overall. He unloaded a folding table and chair and set them both up on the platform. When this was done, another man got out of the cabin of the truck. This man was dressed in dark slacks and a very crisp, white uniform-style white shirt with a dark tie. He was notably handsome with dark hair and moustache -- so handsome, in fact, that I was staring. However, when I looked into his eyes I was repulsed. A feeling of absolute horror and dread came over me as I watched him walk casually, but deliberately, over to the table. He was carrying a large, hardcover book.

He sat down, opened the book to the first page and took a pen out of his shirt pocket. Then he nodded to the workman who unlocked the sliding door of the first cage car and dropped a set of steps down so the people could file out. These people stood in a line in front of the table quite unsure of what was happening.

The first person to stand in front of this man was a woman and when she gave her name the man at the table looked at the book and put a checkmark by her name. She was then instructed to go through a glass door of the terminal. It was impossible to see what was beyond the glass door for it appeared to have a kind of film over it that darkened it.

I looked back at the people in the line as the next person came to the table and I saw some people with questioning expressions, others very worried but not as fearful as when I’d seen them pass by on the train and two or three who looked absolutely terrified. They were the ones who seemed to know exactly what was happening.

The vision ended there.

When I asked the Lord who the man was, He said, “Satan.”

“Examine yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine. Test yourselves.” 2 Corinthians 13

I am persuaded there are two interpretations to this vision. The first is very clearly a picture of those who regarded themselves as Christians but had done so in a somewhat careless fashion. They had been without wholehearted commitment to following Christ.

With this interpretation Satan had produced his book of death, a grim parody of God's Book of Life. As the people got off the train and lined up at the desk, their names were found and they were directed through the doors that led into hell.

The second interpretation is a picture of persecuted Christians. These people on the train were Christians who were being taken into internment camps much the way the Jews were in Nazi Germany. The only clue in the vision regarding geographic location was the fact the people spoke English yet I understood it to be America.

This vision is a warning for eternity as well as for the perilous times we may face here. Repeatedly, the Lord is calling us into His presence, into a closer walk with Him, to take up our cross and follow, to spend time in the 'secret place' and to learn to hear His voice for our direction. His promise is that He will be our refuge and safety, our strength and high tower no matter what we may have to face......

....because the path continues to narrow.

The Dream - Michael Boldea

2008-07-25T07:39:00.001-04:00

The Dream
October 30, 2007

Dear Brethren

1 Thessalonians 5:4-5, “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”

1 Thessalonians 5:8, “But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.”

I had a dream last night, and if not for the specific instruction to share what I saw, I would have preferred to keep it to myself. I had gone to bed late, having waited for my wife to get home from work. After seeing that she had arrived home safely, and saying my prayers, I fell into a restful sleep.

I dreamt that I was sleeping, when a hand touched my shoulder, and a voice I recognized said, ‘wake up.’

In my dream I opened my eyes, and my breath caught in my throat as I saw who had awakened me. It was the same messenger, the angel I had seen on previous occasions, dressed in full battle armor, standing by the side of my bed.

“Take my hand” he said, “I have been sent to show you something.”

I barely touched the hand that was extended toward me, when my bed and my bedroom evaporated, and I found myself standing before a white oblong building, that looked allot like a barn or a horse stable. Two large doors made up the front of the structure, and as I looked they began to swing open.

I knew wherever I was it was not of this earth, because everything shone, everything was white, pristine, immaculate.

I also knew that whatever the reason was for being shown this, was about to be revealed, so I stood in silence, holding the messenger’s hand.

As soon as the doors were fully open, I saw an angel that looked very much like the one standing beside me, except without the armor, leading a white horse by its reins. The horse was large and muscular, but he followed the angel obediently, with its head bent low. The angel’s countenance was somber as he led the horse away, and for some reason this registered with great clarity.

I looked up to the messenger whose hand I was still holding, but he merely nodded toward the white building and the open doors, and said, ‘witness.’

Another angel soon appeared in the doorway, holding the reins of a red horse, following after the first. I began to realize what I was seeing, and in silence watched as two more angels appeared, each holding the reins of a horse, one black, one of no discernable color, just pale. All four angels were dressed alike, and had the same somber, sorrowful countenance.

I stood and watched as all four horses were led out of my sight, and finally when they had disappeared from view, the messenger turned to me and said: ‘Go an tell what you have seen. The riders prepare, the horses are ready, and soon they will descend, soon they will be loosed. Remember what you have witnessed, and do not hold back a single word. Soon they descend on wings of fury; soon turmoil will shake earth’s very foundation. Prepare yourself, for many will fall and few will stand. Fulfillment is at hand, go and speak what you have seen, and what you have heard. The Kingdom awaits the righteous, the holy will soon see the Lord.”

I only realized I was still holding his hand when he let go of mine, and suddenly I was back in my bed, sitting up, fully awake. I am still unsure whether or not it was a dream, or if ‘dream’ is the right word for it, but for simplicity’s sake I will call it a dream.

I tried to go back to sleep but could not, vividly remembering the sorrowful look on the faces of the angels who were leading the horses out of the stables.

It seems the world is seeing, what the church is refusing to acknowledge, the fact that we are on the cusp of great upheaval not only in this nation, but also throughout the world. These are the days of which the prophets spoke, the days of which Christ warned, the time of distress, of sifting and of separation.

My prayer is that we remember always, our hope is in the Lord, and He is faithful to those who are faithful to Him. If one word stands out from this entire dream, it is the word ‘prepare’ and we must do so with diligence. The children of God must steel themselves for what is coming, prepare their hearts and settle within their souls that the day in which we will have to stand for truth is soon approaching.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”

With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
http://www.handofhelp.com/index.php

May Your Glory Shine

2008-07-25T07:29:00.004-04:00

My heart is confident in You, O God; no wonder I can sing Your praises! Wake up, my soul! Wake up, O harp and lyre! I will waken the dawn with my song. I will thank You, O Lord, in front of all the people. I will sing Your praises among the nations.

For Your unfailing love is higher than the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May Your glory shine over all the earth.
Psalm 108

Living In The Light

2008-07-15T19:31:00.004-04:00

Dawning Pink by Holly Cawfield

This is the message He has given us to announce to you: God is light and there is no darkness in Him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness. We are not living in the truth.

But if we are living in the light of God's presence, just as Christ is, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from every sin.

If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.
1 John 1: 5-8

Others May, You Cannot

2008-07-15T18:03:00.005-04:00

Allium Array by Holly Cawfield

Others May, You Cannot
by G. D. Watson

If God has called you to be truly like Jesus in all your spirit, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility. He will put on you such demands of obedience that you will not be allowed to follow other Christians. In many ways, He seems to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.

Others who seem to be very religious and useful may push themselves, pull wires, and scheme to carry out their plans, but you cannot. If you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

Others can brag about themselves, their work, their successes, their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing. If you begin to do so, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others will be allowed to succeed in making great sums of money, or having a legacy left to them, or in having luxuries, but God may supply you only on a day-to-day basis, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, a helpless dependence on Him and His unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and put forward while keeping you hidden in obscurity because He wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade.

God may let others be great, but keep you small. He will let others do a work for Him and get the credit, but He will make you work and toil without knowing how much you are doing. Then, to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work which you have done; this to teach you the message of the Cross, humility, and something of the value of being cloaked with His nature. The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch on you, and with a jealous love rebuke you for careless words and feelings, or for wasting your time which other Christians never seem distressed over.

So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and has a right to do as He pleases with His own, and that He may not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealings with you. God will take you at your word; if you absolutely sell yourself to be His slave, He will wrap you up in a jealous love and let other people say and do many things that you cannot. Settle it forever; you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue or chaining your hand or closing your eyes in ways which others are not dealt with. However, know this great secret of the Kingdom: When you are so completely possessed with the Living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven, the high calling of God.

Let God Arise - Paul Wilbur (video)

2008-07-14T19:36:00.003-04:00

Sing a new song to the Lord!
Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
Sing to the Lord; bless His name.
Each day proclaim the good news that He saves.
Psalm 96: 1-2

video = 6:41 minutes

Harmonious Dwelling

2008-07-14T12:11:00.004-04:00

Collision by Holly Cawfield

“If anyone says, ‘I am living in the light’, but hates a Christian brother or sister that person is living in darkness.” 1 John 2: 9

Infighting, backstabbing and gossip. Any pastor can tell you the church is filled with these. A search of some Christian forums on the internet will show the same thing.

How in the world do Christians expect to show the love of Christ to an unsaved world if we can’t even be at peace with fellow believers?

The example of David and Jonathan is one that sets a wonderful example for us. These two young men made a covenant of friendship which bound them to protect and provide for one another. Neither of them took this agreement at all lightly either. It was Jonathan who had to face the anger and disparagement of his father, Saul, when he stood up for David. In fact, he was essentially risking his life for his friend. It was something David never forgot even after Jonathan’s death when he sought members of Jonathan’s family so he could bless them once he was king. The covenant of friendship was that serious.

In this day of easy communication via the internet it’s a simple thing for anyone to post vicious attacks against ‘fallen’ Christians and do so with usernames that make them anonymous. So we’ve come from ‘roasting the pastor’ over the Sunday beef to making our criticisms of the Body of Christ so public they can be seen by the entire world while we rattle off on our computers.

Is it discernment or a critical and judgmental spirit? What is the attitude of the heart when writing? Could it be pride?

The accuser of the brethren is Satan. That being the case, it’s logical to assume that Christians who see it as their ‘mission’ to tear down others may well have the direction of Satan to do so but certainly not the Holy Spirit for it’s His way to bind the broken hearted and forgive those who have stumbled.

A judgmental attitude is an enemy strategy. See it for what it is.

God’s plan is for believers to interact together in a loving and harmonious way. When two or more are in agreement in prayer, there is harmony which touches the heart of God. Satan’s ploy is to destroy the harmony of believers and the most efficient way to do that is to set them at war with one another. However, when we truly see with the eyes of our heart we recognize that we’re not really fighting people but the powers that control them…….or us.

Unbelievers have long looked at Christians, sceptically watching church wars and gossip, and then we wonder why they don’t want to get involved with religion. Quite honestly, with that kind of behaviour it’s very difficult to demonstrate our relationship with Jesus Christ.

When we see of someone who is genuinely in error our attitude is supposed to be gentle and humble; merciful and kind; tender-hearted and patient. In other words, we are to speak and act in a loving manner from a heart that has been transformed by the love of Christ. The apostle Paul tells us to stay away from anger and controversy, to avoid arguing and complaining; that we’re to make allowances for other people’s faults and forgive those who offend us.

There is a kind of feeding frenzy when a brother or sister falls and it often takes the form of pious gloating. It feeds the darker side of our personalities when our focus and efforts are much more productively and joyfully employed feasting on the glories and richness of God Almighty. It is only then when we find ourselves infused with love that forgives, love that grieves and love that views with compassion.

After all, we have all sinned and come short of God’s glorious standard and it is only He who declares us not guilty. Behold the splendour of the Lord and it become the lens through which others are seen--sometimes struggling with sin, filled with faults but always loved by Christ.

“But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. ….If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another.” Galatians 5: 22 &25-26

Mary, Did You Know (video)

2008-07-13T18:51:00.001-04:00

John Piper On The Prosperity Gospel (video)

2008-07-13T17:40:00.008-04:00

(3 minutes)

The Sky Displays Him

2008-07-11T21:36:00.006-04:00

Thanksgiving Sunrise by Holly Cawfield

The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display His marvelous craftsmanship.

Day after day they continue to speak' night after night they make Him known.

They speak without a sound or a word; their voice is silent in the skies; yet their message has gone out to all the earth, and their words to all the world.

Psalm 19: 1-3

Love Is...

2008-07-11T21:03:00.007-04:00

Tiny Pink Blooms by Holly Cawfield

Love is patient and kind.

Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.

Love does not demand its own way.

Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.

It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Love will last forever......

There are three things that will endure---faith, hope, and love---and the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13

Something For Nothing

2008-07-10T20:59:00.006-04:00

Gifts are fun. Just look at the way a child opens her gifts on a birthday with a look of delight that warms the heart. Gifts are fun to get and just as much fun to give and the best ones are those that are given with the note that says “Just because I love you.”

When I think of giving my granddaughter a gift, it isn’t because I’m asking her to perform or work for it but simply for the sake of letting her know in a tangible way that I love her with the hope that she’ll find a bit of delight in it.

To me this is such a wonderful picture of the way God loves us and gives to us freely when we come to Him for the salvation of our souls. There we are, filled with imperfections, bad attitudes and some downright awful behaviour and the moment we express our sincere sorrow for them He forgives us. When we confess Jesus as Lord He then grants us the most extraordinary gift of salvation and places His Holy Spirit within us. On top of that He promises us eternal life in heaven.

Not a bad deal.

We give Him our faulty selves and He gives us “more than we can ask or think.”

And why is He so generous?

Just because He loves us.

‘When people work, their wages are not a gift. Workers earn what they receive. But people are declared righteous because of their faith, not because of their work.” Romans 4: 4-5

The gift of eternal life isn’t one He gives us because we’ve somehow earned it by doing good deeds or been a really nice person. God doesn’t require that we perform for our salvation any more than I require performance from my little granddaughter when I give her a gift. No, it’s not about earning His gift--it’s about understanding our need for it. The only condition on this gift of Himself to us is that we come to Him in faith with an attitude of humility and repentance regarding our sin; seeking and receiving His forgiveness; recognizing Jesus Christ is the way to God.

Salvation isn’t about crushing demands of religious performance. It’s simply about recognizing Jesus Christ died on the cross, was resurrected, and this because He loved each one of us.

“But then God our Saviour showed us His kindness and love. He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us because of what Jesus Christ our Saviour did. He declared us not guilty because of His great kindness. And now we know that we will inherit eternal life.” Titus 3: 4-6

Good News

2008-07-09T20:07:00.005-04:00

Daisy Eyes by Holly Cawfield

Who doesn’t love good news?

Apparently, quite a few people.

The good news of the gospel is something rejected by millions which is, of course, their choice. However, for many it hasn’t yet been a matter of choice because they haven’t really heard what the good news is.

What it isn’t, is a need to join a religious denomination. It’s entirely about a living and vibrant relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Imagine it for a moment if you don’t already have such a relationship. The ability to communicate with the Creator, to know His direction for your life, to have a sense of peace when your circumstances are overwhelming, to be connected to God. Most of all, to have the complete assurance as an eternal being that you will spend that eternity with Him in Heaven.

While people have often made the gospel complicated, it’s really a very simple message.

If we start from the point of man, it’s easy to see why the gospel is so necessary. Have you ever met a perfect person? I’m talking about a really perfect person--one who has never once lied, been proud, acted only out of self-interest, been greedy when there was an opportunity for generosity. You get the idea. You may have known some very good and kind people but would you consider any of them perfect?

“For ALL have sinned; ALL fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Romans 3: 23

It’s those things we do, so much a part of our basic human nature, which God calls sin. Sin isn’t a popular word and certainly most people don’t like to think of themselves as sinners. Or if they do, somehow their sins are excusable and justifiable.

However, that’s not the way God sees it. Sin, embedded in all of us, is a form of living death. Not only does it affect us adversely in our daily lives but it most certainly separates us from God without some intervention.

Thousands of years ago the answer was to offer a sacrifice to atone for sin. Men would approach the Temple of God with something of value and it would be a form of penance for their sins.
God had a better plan though and it’s based on His enormous love and mercy.

He decided to do away with such a system and instead sent a form of Himself, Jesus Christ His Son. The plan was that Jesus would be the final sacrifice for the sins of mankind. He would pay the price, or take the punishment, for the sins of humanity with His death. What was then required of man was to quite simply repent (to turn from) of sin and accept the offer of redemption given by Christ with His death.

“Yet now God in His gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God’s anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed His blood, sacrificing His life for us.” Romans 3: 24-25

Without getting bogged down in theology, that’s a pretty simple message:

I am not perfect, therefore, I am a sinner.

I confess this and with a heartfelt choice to be different, I accept the redemption (salvation, rescue, deliverance) of Jesus Christ.

This is the part of a relationship with God that’s a non-negotiable. He is the One who has made the standard and because He’s the One in charge of things, it’s up to us to consider and make the choice.

Think of it. With this choice made sincerely, you get life.

If a doctor told you an operation would guarantee your life, would the choice be all that difficult to make?

The offer Jesus Christ makes is even more guaranteed. With salvation comes eternal life. Not just a few extra years but eternal life.

It’s really pretty simple.

“For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10: 9

Do The Small Thing

2008-07-09T09:32:00.010-04:00

Silken by Holly Cawfield

You’ve been praying. You’ve been following Christ on the narrow path, sometimes in step with Him and other times lagging behind or stumbling. You’ve experienced some of the most difficult situations of your life, ones that have tested your faith to the utter limits.

Through all of this tempestuous wilderness you’ve been through, you’ve been alone. Oh, you’ve known the Lord has been with you. After all, if it hadn’t been for His presence, His protection, His provision and His promises through these years you might not have had the strength to go on. But those around you really don’t understand those times when you’ve felt as if you’ve been pulled through a fence backwards.

During this season of preparation, you’ve read about David hiding in the cave as he was pursued by Saul and recognized the similarities, discovering the ‘cave’ has been your haven and your prison. A haven because it’s been there where the Lord has met you in the most extraordinary ways; a prison because there’s been no way out if you’re to remain obedient and abiding.

Now there is the sound of a gentle whisper and He is speaking to you, telling you to come out of that cave.

Just as the Lord told Elijah there were seven thousand other prophets, He has given you the ability via the internet to discover there are many others of the remnant that have been walking the wilderness path just as you have. And now the Lord is telling each of us our time of wilderness wandering and cave hiding/refining is coming to a close for there is work to be done.

Waiting has been incredibly difficult and you’ve done it with obedience but you’re probably so familiar with the sound of the Lord telling you to wait that a call to action is almost unrecognizable. Or perhaps like Moses, your time in the desert has humbled you to the point where you’re ready to step aside and allow others you feel are more qualified to fulfill the vision the Lord gave you.

The key word is ‘fulfill’. This is the time of fulfillment. Look at the ‘fields’ around you because they are ripe for harvesting.

You have a vision. The Lord gave it to you, He confirmed it and then He took you through a very long season when the vision withered almost to a mere memory. He is now renewing that vision with all the grandiose ideas you had of saving the world or thoughts of fame sifted by His winnowing fork. He is telling you in the whisper of a gentle breeze that it’s time.

Time for what though?

You know you can’t ‘make it happen’. You know you have not the slightest desire to ‘make it happen’ either. So what is the very small thing the Lord has indicated you should do? Ask yourself. There’s one thing so seemingly insignificant before you right now and it’s this which is your first step. It’s time to be faithful in this small thing in order to be given a greater responsibility.

He will give you whatever you need to do this small thing whether it’s people around you who appear to be very unlikely or the material necessities to fulfill His directive to you. Brace yourself though. It’s been relatively easy here in the west when it comes to sharing the gospel in the past. Now, it’s going to be different. But you changed while you were in your wilderness. Christ has been forming Himself in you and the enemy of your soul isn’t at all pleased. However, what you’ve learned, and more importantly what you’ve become, in your wilderness has strengthened your foundation so it will be able to withstand whatever comes against it.

There are rough times ahead for this world. The warnings have given people a great deal of time to get their lives ordered spiritually to provide a safe harbour in the storms to come. You won’t be immune from the difficulties but you will have the Provider and Protector steering your course and showing you exactly how to navigate. Many opportunities will present themselves in order that you will rescue the perishing.

Your task is now before you. It’s time to work and while you do you must be on your guard and remain protected by the armour of faith and love. The Lord is setting up His Kingdom and just as when Jesus came to earth the first time, it won’t look quite like we expect--expect the unexpected.

As you’ve heard so often, He is coming in glory and in fire. The glory will be utterly magnificent, beyond anything we’ve ever known. The fire is going to be very difficult for anyone who hasn’t surrendered to Him in all things. During the time of the wilderness there was the opportunity to fall on the rock and be broken. When He comes with His fire to those areas of our lives that we refused to change, His ‘rock’ will fall, crushing each of those areas and it’s a much more painful way to deal with them.

At all times, stay in His presence and fulfill whatever is required of you by Him in a precise way for He is leading you along the path He has for your life. He will give you explicit directions and show you each step you are to take, clearing the obstacles ahead in order to fulfill His purposes.

Keep the oil of your lamp filled with His Spirit. Trim the wicks with your obedience.

He'll be here soon.

Refuge And Safety

2008-07-09T07:49:00.005-04:00

Inukshuk by Holly Cawfield

"‘They were terrified, but He [Jesus] called out to them, “I am here! Don’t be afraid.” John 6: 19-20

For those who are righteous God will be your refuge and safety.

In the difficult times ahead, the Lord is expecting us to help others who are in need, offering food or shelter or hospitality to those who are struggling in their travels. Whatever we have, we’ve been given in order to share.

There will be many dangers but just as the Lord protected Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, so the followers of Christ will be protected and this will cause many to turn to the Lord as they see the power of God demonstrated during such trials.

The Lord will preserve His remnant.

In spite of rampant confusion, the righteous will listen to the Lord and follow His lead. Some are being led to move their place of residence and others will stay where they are; each must know the Lord’s voice for their direction. ALL must turn to Him and walk in complete obedience.

So what can we do now to prepare?

If you don’t know Christ as Saviour you are in the worst possible position for not only what’s coming to the world but for eternity. Repent of your sin and turn to Christ for His forgiveness.

If you do know the Lord, examine yourself and ask the Lord if there is anything about which you need to obey or repent. Do not defile yourself with unworthy things.

If you haven’t received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, begin seeking the Lord for this.

Fast and pray. Consider a Daniel Fast because it may be a prolonged fast…but as the Lord leads you of course. Seek the Lord with all of your heart and do the spiritual warfare for your own life and the spiritual warfare over your country. Satanic forces have been unleashed but the army of the Lord is the most powerful on earth.

Be generous, now more than ever. It may be money to whatever person or cause the Lord puts on your heart but it may also be something with which the Lord has gifted you. All we have is His and that includes abilities as well as material things. Ask Him what He would have you do. The generosity you sow to others now will be something you reap during the hard times.

Will you need emergency supplies? Possibly. Probably. However, you must ask the Lord about it. Hearing His voice in all things is of the utmost importance. The timing of what’s to come is unknown and only the direction of the Holy Spirit will tell you what you need to do in this regard. The most important thing though is when and if you do begin to make preparations of this sort, it’s not for hoarding and only for yourself but in order that you can share with others in need when the time comes.

Educate yourself. First and foremost the Bible of course. Then start researching on your computer.

I believe it’s time to be a doer.

The Lord IS coming with signs and wonders. He will demonstrate His mighty power and glory. He will also demonstrate terrifying acts. Throughout all of this there is going to be the most extraordinary revival and many will turn to the Lord.

As this happens the judgments will cease and the Lord will pour down His blessings. Crops will be grown again and though we will have walked through the “Valley of Weeping” it will become a place of refreshing springs (psalm 84)

The land will be filled with His glory.

He will give leaders who are men and women after His own heart.

The nation will honour the Lord and in turn be a blessing once again to other nations.

"Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart's desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you." Psalm 37:3-5

"The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand." Psalm 37: 23-24

Revelation 8:3-6

2008-07-02T16:16:00.003-04:00

"Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound."

Let him who has ears, hear.

A Call To Arms

2008-07-01T09:51:00.003-04:00

For years prophets have been warning of the impending judgment of God upon America. The scenarios portrayed in these prophesies are appalling. Some of these ‘old eagles’ who have been warning America have said they have now been told by the Lord the prophesies of judgment have now ended ….the warnings have been given and it is up to us all to listen and act.

I have heard it said that because these prophesies have ended, judgment is now set. However, through much agonizing prayer I believe the Lord has reiterated what He has said in His Word:

“If you stop your sinning and begin to obey the Lord your God, He will cancel the disaster that He has announced against you.” Jeremiah 26: 13

There are many intercessory prayers being lifted for America within her borders as well as around the world but more are needed. By in large, Christians have become very passive and it’s precisely the wrong thing to be doing at this time. There is an emergency before us and we have been called to battle.

What I believe the Lord is showing us is this:

America, your ship of state is sailing right into a hurricane. The government, or the power ‘behind the throne‘, has charted a course right into a shipwreck. Your pride in your country and flag has superseded a humble position before the Lord and His bitter cup of judgment is poised.

Children have been sacrificed on the altar of convenience. Forty million unborn killed.

Impure relationships and sexual immorality abound in the secular as well as the ‘church.’

Government, or the power behind the throne, has lied to you and done despicable things in your name.

What America has done to others is now going to be done to America.

War on your soil as an enemy army comes against you
Famine
Many will be lost
Grief and mourning will be everywhere

“The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior. Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory--for all its strength, it cannot save you. But the Lord watches over those who fear Him, those who rely on His unfailing
love. He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine.” Psalm 33: 16-19

The principalities against which we are fighting are strongholds in the highest places. Government is controlled by names and faces you don’t see in the news. These, in turn, are controlled by Satanic forces which are pouring into the country. There is an immense enemy hoard hovering across the leadership of America. It is these spirits against which we fight.

Worship. Get into the presence of God in humble worship.

As you speak to each of these, repent of any such things in your own life. There is no authority in any area where there has not been repentance. Speak the blood of Christ and the name of Christ into these.

Rebuke and Bind the Spirits of:

Blasphemy
Revenge
Adultery and Fornication
Lying
Betrayal
Fear
PrideControlling Spirits (Manipulation)
Idolatry
Greed
Chaos
Wicked Alliances
Death
Hatred

Declare:

Reverence
Forgiveness
Purity
Truth
Holiness
Peace
Frustration to the plans of the ‘crafty’
Humility
Order
Love
Peace in Jerusalem
The Glory of God

There is no time to waste. These strongholds have been in place for quite some time and they continue to gain strength and as they do it’s as if these spirits have blindfolded much of America.

The Republican party won’t save America from God’s judgments. Neither will the Democratic party. It’s the army of Christians who are called to battle in the heavenlies against the Satanic forces.

Warning

2008-06-26T18:40:00.005-04:00

After The Fire by Holly Cawfield

Before you read this post, please click on this link and read the introduction from my Prophetic Warnings blog.
http://propheticwarnings.blogspot.com/2008/07/purpose-of-this-blog.html

Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message of judgment I have given you.”
This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” Jonah 3: 1-4

For quite some time the Lord has been sending warnings through those gifted with a prophetic anointing. These warnings appear to have tremendous similarities, which to me speak of those who are hearing from the Lord in a kind of concert--as each prophet speaks it harmonizes with what others have heard.

While these prophecies have minor differences, the similarity which runs through each is that great judgment is coming to the world and most especially to America. The Spirit of the Lord is coming very soon in glory and with fire and with this visitation of judgment will be untold anguish for us on this North American continent.

To speak of judgment is to raise the ire or sarcasm of most people. While it’s never been a welcome message, today more than ever before, it is one that is ridiculed. It’s a grave error to do so. The Lord has been sending these warnings for many years now with a patient endurance as He waits for people and governments to repent of truly evil practices. However, instead of repentance it seems things only get worse. The list of offences is very long and while most people shake their heads with dismay at government policies or the individual actions of those who murder, rape or steal, the idea of God coming in judgment is inconceivable.

I am only one small voice on an obscure internet blog and yet I know it is my duty to warn anyone who comes across this. The warning is simply this: God is coming in judgment and America is in far more danger than most people understand. The only hope….and I mean the ONLY hope….is for each person to repent of their sin and turn to God through the salvation of Jesus Christ. There isn’t one of us that doesn’t have something for which we need to repent and there isn’t one of us that doesn’t absolutely NEED to turn to God. He is our only hope of protection in what’s to come.

This is a ‘season’ for fasting and prayer.

It’s a time to seek the Lord with all that is within us.

It is a time to ‘get right’ with God.

The time is now very short.

“The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they decided to go without food and wear sackcloth to show their sorrow.” Jonah 3: 5

Looking Back

2008-06-18T17:47:00.005-04:00

Arrogant Swan by Holly Cawfield

But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plough and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” Luke 9: 62

Commitment is a serious word to many people. It means their word is their bond, that they will finish what they started or will stick with something or someone despite the difficulties. Society today makes it easier than ever to renege on a commitment so people who follow through in a loyal manner have a quality of character that is highly esteemed.

The commitment in the Christian life is to follow Christ. We do that by the truth of His Word, the leading of His Holy Spirit and a focus on Him whether our circumstances are easy or fraught with difficulty. Perhaps the most important aspect of commitment is belief. When we deeply believe something it’s a far simpler thing to make, and keep, a commitment.

“Looking back” in the above verse suggests someone who makes a commitment to a certain course, then thinks back to a time when life required less and considers quitting the present course of action. One thing we know we can expect from commitment is that it's going to require something of us. That something might be work or faith or trust or an absolute determination not to give up. Whatever it requires, it will make demands on us and when they become onerous our temptation is to look back to a time when we think we had freedom.

Abraham was one who made such a commitment of faith that he shines as an example in scripture. As a man without a child he was given a promise by God when he was a very old man that he would be the father of many. Because the promise was given by God it would have been easy to believe initially. However, the years rolled by and still there were no children yet Abraham believed and kept his commitment to trust God to fulfill His promise.

Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was absolutely convinced that God was able to do anything He promised. And because of Abraham’s faith, God declared him to be righteous.” Acts 4: 20-22

It would have been understandable for Abraham to be discouraged and give up his expectation but this verse tells us instead his faith grew stronger. He’d made a commitment to believe the promise God had given and because he stuck to that commitment he saw the fulfillment of the promise. Not only did he have a son but God Himself declared Abraham a righteous man.

God has given every single one of us promises we can trust. His commitment is to fulfill those promises. Our commitment is to trust and obey. Looking back is a way of seeking answers or fulfillment in the systems of this world which eventually disappoint us or lead us away from our commitment to Christ. It is our duty, and indeed our very great joy, to keep our hands on the plough with our eyes on Christ and we will reap the blessings of a life wholly committed to Him.

“I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2: 20

Plans

2008-06-17T19:15:00.007-04:00

Waiting To Fly by Holly Cawfield

But then something happened! For it pleased God in His kindness to choose me and call me, even before I was born! What undeserved mercy! Then He revealed his Son to me so that I could proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.
Galatians 1: 15-16

When basic needs such as food, shelter and relationships are fulfilled, we humans have a pressing desire to live lives of purpose. We’re each born with gifts and talents and some are fortunate enough to even earn a living using those talents.

While we as Christians may have a variety of purposes or callings there is one common thread for each of us and it is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. It’s the mandate of every single Christian by direction of Christ Himself.

Many times preachers will exhort their congregations to ‘just get out there and do it” which is understandable given the way many believers become so caught up with their lives they miss opportunities to ‘rescue the perishing’ regularly.

But what if you’re one of those who are champing at the bit to fulfill the calling you believe the Lord has embedded in your heart and yet you find yourself in a wilderness experience or trapped in circumstances that are prison-like or you’re beset with so many horrendous problems in your life that all you can do is put out fires?

Take heart from this: you’re in good company.

You are probably already aware of Paul, Joseph, Elijah, John the Baptist, Moses, David and just about every other person in the Bible the Lord used to fulfill His purposes. Each one had lengthy time-outs while the Lord prepared them for what was ahead.

These are times of training and they can seem extraordinarily long but they are actually a gift of grace from the Lord to prepare us. It’s in these times we learn to be hearers and doers of His Word, we learn the value of complete obedience, we learn the power of prayer and we learn endurance.

The danger during these periods is discouragement. Sometimes we think God has forgotten us and it is especially true when we see others forging ahead in their destiny. Other times we find ourselves wondering if we were delusional. Still other times we hear the disparaging comments of others and confidence in our direction wobbles.

David experienced this very thing when he was anointed to be king of Israel and found himself constantly dodging the sword of Saul. At one point, Jonathan assures David by saying, “Don’t be afraid. My father will never find you. You are going to be the king of Israel …” (1 Samuel 23: 17). The Lord had His plan for David and at a time when he was fighting for his life he had a trustworthy friend helping him and reminding him that God had a plan.

God has a plan for your life. There may be what appear to be insurmountable obstacles but keep your focus on the Lord, obey Him in the tasks of each day and you will find yourself precisely in the centre of that plan and His will.

Holly

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11

Loving Discipline

2008-06-16T12:27:00.012-04:00

Blizzard Sunset by Holly Cawfield

"And have you entirely forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you, His children? He said:
My child, don't ignore it when the Lord disciplines you, and don't be discouraged when He corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those He loves...."
Hebrews 12: 5-6

It’s not a popular thing to suggest God might discipline us. Vehement protestations question how a loving God could possibly allow bad things to happen to good people. But bad things happen to good people all the time and if God is sovereign and omnipotent, as of course He is, the question then becomes why. This is a question people have been asking since the beginning of time and one we’d all wish to have answered fully.

There are many aspects of suffering in this world. With only a mouse click on any news website we learn of the horrors of famines, earthquakes, floods, crimes and cancers constantly present in this world. However, with this post I am referring only to the type of difficulty that occurs when our heavenly Father lovingly corrects us.

He does you know.

When we’re drifting away from a close relationship with God, usually typified by waning prayer and Bible reading/study, He will send along warnings in order to get our attention. Initially, He will speak to us most often through our conscience. It is at this point we are very wise indeed if we immediately turn from a behaviour or attitude that God would consider sin. Yet many times we ignore the voice of conscience and carry on with our own will which takes us step-by-precarious-step from the centre of God’s will.

Increasingly, there will be warnings and they come in many forms. Some come from sermons, others may come from friends who see that we’re losing some of the graces of love, joy, peace, kindness, self-control and so on. Still other warnings may come in the form of a movie that makes a sharp point right in the bulls-eye of our conscience. Perhaps it’s a daily email that comes with a Scripture verse or a card from a relative. Whatever way a warning 'speaks' the discerning heart will know it’s the Lord’s voice.

At this point we often find ourselves making excuses to justify our behaviour or we whine that 'it’s too hard to obey'. The Lord’s patience is an absolutely remarkable thing though. He will continue to give us time to turn from those behaviours He refers to as sin, always waiting for us to come to Him in repentance. When we do He rewards us with forgiveness and blessing.

However, if we continue to persist in our sin the warnings will become increasingly louder and more obvious until finally the Lord has to “get out of His chair’.

This is a reference to my son-in-law’s father. Pierre tells the story of how his father, Phil, would warn he and his brothers and sister when playtime turned rough. After several admonitions Phil would finally say, “If I have to get out of this chair….” With this the children knew Dad was threatening to take the situation in hand!

It’s not so very different with the Lord. When we continue to sin the Lord will correct us. He doesn’t do it because He’s ‘mad at us’ which has often been the stick people have held over others to manipulate them. Rather, He will allow or design a circumstance that will instantly stop us in our tracks and always because in His boundless love for us is protecting us from wandering down a destructive path. The pain experienced in the correction is far less than the one we would feel otherwise.

The apostle Paul had been imprisoned and was being taken to Rome. Before the voyage Paul heard the voice of the Lord and warned the ship’s officers that it was too dangerous to sail. In spite of the warning, the ship put out to sea and sailed right into a massive storm. The ship’s officers didn’t listen to the voice of the Lord and came close to losing their lives as well as the lives of their entire crew. However, they did listen during the storm when Paul told them the Lord would preserve their lives even though they were going to be shipwrecked and then told them what they needed to do. (Read the full account of this story in Acts 27)

The point, of course, is that they could have avoided the shipwreck altogether had they listened to the voice of the Lord before sailing.

Pay attention to the early warnings and act on them.
Holly

But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the chastening of the Almighty when you sin. For though He wounds, He also bandages. He strikes, but His hands also heal.

Job 5: 17-18

Comfort and Purpose

2008-06-16T12:08:00.010-04:00

Walk To The Waves by Holly Cawfield

“All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us.”
2 Corinthians 1: 3

Some years ago I read the word ‘comfort’ derives from a Latin word that means ‘to strengthen’. Until then, I generally thought of comfort as consolation, rather in the way of patting someone on the hand in a sympathetic manner. Yet it was learning the word also indicates strengthening which gave me a better understanding of what this verse above means.

Life has so many moments when we need strength--illness, financial setbacks, relationship issues or the surprise of the telephone call that brings a blow of bad news on a day when life looks pretty good. Our perception of these times affects whether we see them as disasters …..or opportunities.

My goodness, that sounds trite--like some television infomercial guru selling his latest book on positive thinking. Yet the reality is that each storm of life represents an opportunity for character growth and faith development. Having said that, while in the midst of these storms it can be difficult to care much about either one!

However, it’s vital during times of stress to be able to see purpose in our circumstances. Any person ‘rightly related’ to God (ie: one who has repented from sin and turned his or her life Godward through the salvation of Jesus Christ) can weather any storm with the sure knowledge that all things are working together for good according to the purposes of God. In fact, that reference from Romans 8:28 is a principle by which each us have sure comfort or strength no matter what situation may arise in life.

Think about it for a minute.

“For we know that all things work together for good for those who are the called according to His purpose…”

A Christian is one of those who are ‘called’. So with that in mind we then know that ALL things that occur work together for our good. Even the bad stuff.

Knowing there is purpose drastically changes how we perceive that bad stuff.

Knowing there is purpose is itself a great comfort.

Holly

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character is us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.”

Romans 5: 3-5