This was sent to me on my website from laughter and lift, a daily email. http://www.laughandlift.com/cartoonhumor/144.jpg Hope you enjoy it.
Heather
Month: November 2005
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
I think this is my all-time favorite holiday. We are spending it with a friend of ours in Long Island. He lost his mother recently and his children are not visiting him, so, rather than having him be alone, we are visiting. This man is so funny. My husband and he grew up together and spent many hours fishing and doing pranks. So I will hear many tales about Little Jimmy.
May not get to spend time on the computer today because we will have to drive back late tonight because of our dog.
Please pray for travelling mercies for us, we woke up to three inches of snow.
My husband forwarded this article to me. I do not know the author but it is something that is awesome.
HOW COULD 50 STATES BE WRONG?
Somewhere along the way, the Federal Courts and the Supreme Court have
misinterpreted the U.S. Constitution. How could fifty States be wrong?
THIS IS VERY INTERESTING! Be sure to read the last two paragraphs.
America’s founders did not intend for there to be a separation of God and
state, as shown by the fact that all 50 states acknowledge God in their
state constitutions:
Alabama 1901, Preamble. We the people of the State of Alabama, invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution
Alaska 1956, Preamble. We, the people of Alaska, grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land
Arizona 1911, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution…
Arkansas 1874, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Arkansas, grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government…
California 1879, Preamble. We, the People of the State of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom ..
Colorado 1876, Preamble. We, the people of Colorado, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of Universe.
Connecticut 1818, Preamble. The People of Connecticut, acknowledging with gratitude the good Providence of God in permitting them to enjoy .
Delaware 1897, Preamble. Through Divine Goodness all men have, by nature, the rights of worshipping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their consciences .
Florida 1885, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Florida, grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty .. establish this Constitution..
Georgia 1777, Preamble. We, the people of Georgia, relying upon protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution…
Hawaii 1959, Preamble. We, the people of Hawaii, Grateful for Divine Guidance .. establish this Constitution.
Idaho 1889, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Idaho, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings.
Illinois 1870, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Illinois,
grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors.
Indiana 1851, Preamble. We, the People of the State of Indiana, grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to chose our form of government.
Iowa 1857, Preamble. We, the People of the State of Iowa, grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of these blessings establish this Constitution
Kansas 1859, Preamble. We, the people of Kansas, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges. establish this Constitution.
Kentucky 1891, Preamble. We, the people of the Commonwealth of gratefulto Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties…
Louisiana 1921, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Louisiana, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy.
Maine 1820, Preamble. We the People of Maine. acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us
an opportunity . and imploring His aid and direction.
Maryland 1776, Preamble. We, the people of the state of Maryland, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty…
Massachusetts 1780, Preamble. We..the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe .. in the course of His Providence, an opportunity . And devoutly imploring His direction
Michigan 1908, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Michigan, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom establish this Constitution
Minnesota, 1857, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings
Mississippi 1890, Preamble. We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work.
Missouri 1845, Preamble. We, the people of Missouri, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness . establish this Constitution
Montana 1889, Preamble. We, the people of Montana, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty. establish this Constitution
Nebraska 1875, Preamble. We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom. establish this Constitution.
Nevada 1864, Preamble. We the people of the State of Nevada, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom establish this Constitution.
New Hampshire 1792, Part I. Art. I. Sec. V. Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience.
New Jersey 1844, Preamble. We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors.
New Mexico 1911, Preamble. We, the People of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty.
New York 1846, Preamble. We, the people of the State of New York, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings.
North Carolina 1868, Preamble. We the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for our civil, political, and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those
North Dakota 1889, Preamble. We, the people of North Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do ordain…
Ohio 1852, Preamble. We the people of the state of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and to promote our common
Oklahoma 1907, Preamble. Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty. establish this ..
Oregon 1857, Bill of Rights, Article I Section 2. All men shall be secure in the Natural right, to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of
their consciences.
Pennsylvania 1776, Preamble. We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance.
Rhode Island 1842, Preamble. We the People of the State of Rhode Island grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing
South Carolina, 1778, Preamble We, the people of he State of South Carolina grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
South Dakota 1889, Preamble. We, the people of South Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for our civil! and religious liberties. Establish this
Tennessee 1796, Art. XI.III. That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their conscience…
Texas 1845, Preamble. We the People of the Republic of Texas, acknowledging, with gratitude, the grace and beneficence of God.
Utah 1896, Preamble. Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we establish this Constitution
Vermont 1777, Preamble. Whereas all government ought to. enable the individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights, and other blessings which the Author of Existence has bestowed on man
Virginia 1776, Bill of Rights, XVI . Religion, or the Duty which we owe our Creator. can be directed only by Reason and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian Forbearance, Love and Charity towards each other
Washington 1889, Preamble. We the People of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution.
West Virginia 1872, Preamble. Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of
West Virginia reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God.
Wisconsin 1848, Preamble. We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, domestic tranquility.
Wyoming 1890, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Wyoming, grateful to God for our civil, political, and religious liberties. establish this Constitution.
After reviewing acknowledgments of God from all 50 state constitutions,
one is faced with the prospect that maybe, just maybe, the ACLU and the
out-of-control federal courts are wrong!
“Those people who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants.”
–William Penn -
You know something. I am so blessed by Xanga. It takes time to visit your sites, but always I learn many new things. Sometimes I think that it is not necessary to write one’s own Xanga, for the richness of what is in other’s sites.
Well, Discipleship continues. There is so much.
Today I think I will share from last week’s lesson. Here is the chapter on obedience from our discipleship text written by Pastor Don Moore, Living Word Chapel.
Obedience that God honors is obedience that is an act of love from Faith. We obey God because we love and trust Him. Works are the same-we do good works and obey God because we love the brethren and God’s creatures.
No one was more obedient than the Pharisees and the Scribes and they missed it completely. The Pharisees were obedient. They kept the Law, but were not obedient to the Spirit of the Law, Mercy, Love, and Faith. Remember the Holy Spirit was not yet given, so they followed the Law obediently. They “knew” they were righteous and obedient. That’s the error. That’s the trap. Self assured, not trusting in God but in the letter of the Law. “I think I’m obedient” is better than “I know I’m obedient”. You should remain teachable and open to the Holy Spirit. Be as obedient as you can and thank God, and give Him the credit as a merciful gracious God.
The Pharisees and the Scribes “knew” for sure that they were so obedient that they could crucify Christ because He didn’t keep the Sabbath. Were they obedient to the Sabbath? You bet they were. They wouldn’t work on the Sabbath. They wouldn’t cook. They wouldn’t pick up a mat. But they’ll crucify Jesus for telling a guy to pick up a mat. He was disobedient because He did break the Sabbath. No “ifs”…He told that man to pick up his mat and go walk (John 5:8). The man was working. He was carrying a mat. He broke the Sabbath, not the spirit of the Sabbath, but a Sabbath ‘law’…”Do no work.”
The purpose of the Sabbath was to rest in, trust in, rely on, believe on, glorify, and draw to our God. The limit of the Sabbath was on work to the flesh, body, business, but surely not limiting the work of mercy or Faith. For a cripple to carry his mat was work, but more importantly a demonstration of victory and glory to God. It did not separate him from God, but bound him closer to God, the testimony of his deliverance and a real ‘Sabbath” -rest in the Lord – Who did the work! To not carry the mat would have broken the Sabbath – the Day for him to rest in the Lord by showing all God’s goodness, and holiness. Keep the Sabbath Holy – what’s more holy than God’s holy power manifesting and then giving Him glory – WOW!!!! Obedience to mercy, love and Faith is freeing, not binding. When we obey God we are free-nothing to worry about, all is well in the universe, let’s have a party! Amen!
If we are obedient it is God who has given us the juice and the strength to stay obedient. Therefore, why should we boast if we are obedient? In our own strength, we have all failed many times. When we do right we are wrong to get puffed up. God is the Enabler and should get the credit. Our obeying is a good work and we can apply Eph 2:10 to this ‘good work’, “which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” God rewards obedience, but He is good and kind because that is His nature. We should not see our obedience as the central cause of God’s blessing.
The minute you put credit from God’s blessing toward your obedience, your flesh can start to glory. Your flesh is going to light up like a Christmas tree and say, “I’m doing it. I’m obedient. God is blessing because I’m obedient.” We say our God is gracious; our God is good. Psalm 145:8, 9 “The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.”
Aren’t we obedient because we know and love Jesus? We just want to be obedient because we feel His presence and we love Him. We are in the presence of the King, who is also our Brother. It just hurts us not to be obedient. What Scripture in the New Testament says we are saved by obedience? It’s not in there, though it is an important key. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). The minute you forget it, you are in the flesh.
We are obedient because of the work the Holy Spirit does in us – He convicts, teaches, guides, and corrects, therefore our obedience is His completed work in us-our work is yielding to His work (our obedience). Our yielding is still His work, as He has given us His Spirit and a renewed mind in which we can yield our flesh. Praise God it’s all Him anyway!
***Obedience is a by-product of relationship. Love compels us to honor our Abba-Father with our whole being.
After writing the above, I received the following devotional and oh how true it is. So hard to say “Yes, Lord” when you are standing alone saying it.
YES, LORD
By Marilyn Ehle
“If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15).
Five thousand committed, earnest, honest Christians stand to their feet and fervently sing with one voice, “Yes, Lord! Yes, Lord. Yes, yes, Lord!” It seems impossible that the rafters will not break free from their moorings, the wood itself joining in a song of praise and commitment. This is an AMEN to end all amens!
Amen. So be it. My most profound amens are not usually said in such a setting. More often I am bowed — sometimes with tears running down my cheeks — in an obedience long sought by God and long resisted by my halting heart.
“The Lord said to Abram, ?Leave’”…and he went. Mary’s response to the angel? “May it be to me as you have said.”
It’s far easier to sing with the crowd than say “yes, Lord” in solitude with God.
Will you commit to seek solitude with the Lord this week, and say “so be it” to the work of His Word and of the Holy Spirit in your life? Amen!
Related Links
Need prayer?
Join us today, November 21, at 12 pm Pacific in the Christian Women Today chat room for a time of prayer for the concerns on your heart. Praying online is an amazing experience; give it a try!
http://christianwomentoday.com/chat/home.html
About the Author
Originally from Michigan, Marilyn Ehle has served with Campus Crusade for Christ in the US, Canada and Germany for nearly 40 years. She’s taught both time management seminars and Bible studies. She’s passionate about reading… but doesn’t feel quite the same about exercise.
Click to comment on this devotional: mailto:editor@christianwomentoday.com?subject=Attn.Marilyn_Ehle
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Pictures you might enjoy. ( I edited this to remove the last two pictures which for some reason have disappeared from the post- any ideas why two would show for awhile then be replaced by empty boxes with the red X in the corner?)
The first two are from last weekend. The girls in my troop (3 of the 4) went to do a community service of planting plants by the Esopus River to help preserve the stream bank. Here is a picture of one of the moms with the girls. We had a lot of flooding recently, so this was necessary and very hard work.
Katherine working hard.
What amazed me is that we went from fall to winter in one week.
Just came back from Bible study. The kids are off from school so I have to give them some attention, then make tacos for dinner. A crowd pleaser in this family.
Hope you have an awesome weekend. Tomorrow is a brunch where I will learn how to be a Girl Scout cookie coordinator. Then I change hats (or uniforms) and drive my boy scout sons around to drop off bags for our local scouting for food, then there is a church function in the evening, church on Sunday where I get to help with arts and crafts. We are making turkey fans. I have some plain fans that the kids will color the “tail feather” fan blades different colors, then paste on a turkey body, wattle, etc. and googly eyes to make the fan.
Maybe somewhere in this weekend I will have time to continue my Bible study homework.
Talk to you soon. My next goal is to visit your sites.
Heather
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Please read post below this one and then this may make more sense.
Pages 99-100 Discipleship manuel by Pastor Don Moore
Hearing the spirits and the Spirit
God’s ideas are spelled out in the Bible and are revealed in our spirits. Nothing can replace prayer time and times of meditation. Learning to quietly sit and just think on the Lord helps us to differentiate between us speaking in our minds and the Spirit of God speaking to our spirit, which speaks to our minds. The disciple must know the voice of his Commanding Officer.
1) Our spirit’s voice (inward voice or inside witness) is not loud or even commanding in nature. Our spirit’s voice has authority and comes as completed thought, not usually a string of words. Often, as my mind is reeling through details, my spirit waits for a pause and eases in a message. Sometimes it’s a different subject or an answer to a prayer that was days old. Sometimes it registers an idea from God that is bigger than my own thoughts.
There are ideas, revelations, truths that register on our spirits at selective times. These are often called “Rhema words” – living, spoken words that burst forth onto our minds from our spirits. These happen in prayer, praise, worship, and reading the Bible, or in sermons or songs. They get our attention from the inside of our hearts. Sometimes it is just a “knowing.”
**There are no premonitions, intuitions or psychic events
but only spiritual episodes that are birthed in our spirits or by God and you know who else (demons).
Throughout this next section, please note: lower case “s” in spirit denotes the human spirit, while capital “S” in Spirit identifies the Spirit of God.
“We are spirits that live in a body and have living souls,” as Brother Hagin so aptly puts it. Our inner man (spirit) speaks to us, so we need to develop our listening skills. The soul is our will, personality, intellectual mind and our emotions. The soul is earthy, carnal, and opposes both the human spirit and the Holy Spirit. The soul can only be spiritual when it is dominated by a spirit that is ‘in tune’ with God’s Word and His Voice. From God’s Word and God’s voice there come messages.
Becoming a renewed mind and a Spirit-filled believer is to become an inward spirit listener. The message may be new, old, profound, or truly simple. Our spirits know way more than our souls. This is the part of man that is most easily in touch with the ‘spirit realm’. In error we have called it the subconscious, the super-conscious, psychic, deeper self, Christ consciousness, etc. It is the inner-man, the hidden man of the heart, the spirit, true self and man’s message center.
Though the message is not loud, it has authority, a ring of truth that demands focus and gives comfort if we listen to our spirit. This is the human spirit acting upon the mind.
(Notes from Friday’s class in relation to the above passage: It is also called our inner witness. Children of God are led by the Spirit of God. There is no such thing as female intuition, we are brought up with that erroneous conception, but it is really the woman’s spirit speaking to her mind. To truly hear from God we have to be under submission, a relationship with the Lord. And to make sure that you are hearing right, it is also important to check things out with your spiritual advisor (pastor, elder, teacher), to make sure that you are hearing correctly. What the Lord most desires from us is relationship with Him.)
2. When the Spirit of God (Voice of God) speaks, He can be more dramatic and speak aloud to the whole being. This is rare and a very special event, which we cannot cause to happen: a supernatural God interrupting our natural day or night activities. This may occur by God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit or an agent – an angel of the above. This voice is very audible to the human ear. Others may hear a sound or rumble but only those intended to hear will clearly know what was said.
For example: God speaking on Mt. Sinai and the Mount of Transfiguration.
(My notes from Friday’s class: This is very rare. In the Old Testament there was usually an urgency to the situation, or a person was in error. What God most wants today is to speak through the Holy Spirit within us. Usually when a voice is audible we are really missing the mark.)
3. The Godhead or agent may speak but the voice is not naturally audible, it is spiritual. This voice registers upon our mind and spirit at the same instant- very dramatic, authoritative, attention grabbing, then inspiring and peaceful. This voice is God speaking to the inner man and mind of man but not the ear of man. “And the voice of the Lord came to me saying…”
(Notes from Friday’s class: this voice registers in you and feels audible, but no one else hears).
4) God or His agent speaks or has spoken in our spirit, our spirit tells or retells the message to our mind. This is often by dreams, visions, and revelations. The mind is being reminded of what the spirits have exchanged or talked about. It can be instantaneous or delayed, as during prophecy, Tongues, interpretations, preaching, teaching, healing or during any anointed time of ministry. The Spirit speaks and leads. Our spirit follows and the mind plays catch up.
To summarize: 1) Man’s spirit speaks to man’s mind – this voice is our own spirit speaking to our own mind. If we are born again, filled with God’ Spirit, then our spirit has in it the Words of God and the thoughts of God. Therefore we are regenerated and can trust what our spirit tells us. Also, we can and should allow this voice to dominate and lead us. Not the emotions (flesh) or our minds, but our spirit (the inner man.) 2. God speaks to man audibly, 3) God speaks to man in his spirit and mind, and 4) God speaks to man’s spirit, which speaks to man’s mind.
We must learn how to hear our spirit and yield our will to our reborn spirit. We use words like “feel, instinct, premonition, vibes, voices” – these are all wrong, for it is a present knowing of an inner thought that registers on the person and is interpreted in the mind and translated into a thought or sentence.
Finally, God is God and can speak to us any time and any way He chooses. We can hear from our spirit’s voice any time if we take the time to listen.
**”The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD,
searching all the inward parts of the belly” (Prov. 20:27)
Have you heard from your inner man lately?
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How do you hear from God? This was the topic of Friday’s discipleship class.
Pastor Don said that we had talked about spiritual gifts, and power gifts in previous classes. All the gifts and unctions operate depending on our ability to hear from God and the leading of the Holy Spirit. These gifts will only operate if we are not out of order, out of time, and need correction of the Holy Spirit.
He pointed out that this topic is sometimes hard to deal with. A new Christian will have an easier time with this subject matter than someone who has been in the Lord for a long time. For, the longer we are in the Lord, the chances are we have developed patterns and ways that we feel are necessary to hear from God. These ways were correct when they occurred in the past but it is not necessarily the way God is still communicating with us. He may use those same ways, or other ways.
In hearing from God believers have had some success (hearing correctly) and some failure (hearing incorrectly). And as is the nature of human beings, we tend to remember our successes and forget the failures. So sometimes we are not objective when we think that our method of hearing from God is always correct.
Once we get set into a pattern of hearing from God, it then becomes easy for satan to counterfeit this pattern. The only way to detect a counterfeit from the real thing is to know the real thing so well that a counterfeit stands out in comparison.
Many times when we pray to God we ask for a sign. This is like in the book of Judges when Gideon asked for a sign, a fleece. He asked God if this is what God wanted to make the fleece wet and the ground dry. God did that. Then the next night Gideon reversed the thing and asked that the fleece stay dry and the ground wet. Then Gideon knew it was from the Lord. Often in the Old Testament the people did ask God for an outward sign. For in those days the Holy Spirit would rest UPON a person. And they would be used mightily by God, but the Holy Spirit was not WITHIN a person as it is these days. The priests and people required outward signs to confirm God’s words. Now we hear from the Holy Spirit within us, not wait for it to rest upon us. We do not need an outward sign.
We pray “Lord help me to stir up the gifts within me.” Pastor Don said that when people come to him and state that they feel God is distant he knows that they are not spending enough time in their prayer life to sense that God is inside of us. Out of the belly (heart) will flow rivers of living water.
In these days God speaks so clearly inside of us, in ways that the prophets of old did not hear. Yes, even today God could use the donkey to speak or respond to our requests for fleece, but we have a better way under the new covenant.
Most Christians have a hard time admitting that at times when they thought they heard from God, that they had accepted a counterfeit. Don’t forget satan is cleaver, and a deceiver, and sometimes he does deceive us into believing we are hearing from God. Then we act on this false belief, and stray from God’s best for us. If we are honest with ourselves and face the fact that we missed the mark, then we can quickly return to the path. But often we tend to rationalize our error and carry on as if we didn’t miss the mark.
When people say “The Lord told me….” Pastor Don says you have to find out how they heard from the Lord. He gave an example of how a member of the church told him that they heard from God that they were to sell their house and go to a place to be a missionary. Pastor Don asked them how they heard this from the Lord. They mentioned that while in a restaurant they were discussing this issue, when the waitress came over, she mentioned the country that they were talking about. They were certain this was a sign from God. So they told Pastor Don. He cautioned them that they may not have heard this message correctly, that they should wait. They did not listen, sold their house, moved, and after years of service had only one salvation. The fruit of this was not huge, they could have had a salvation in the restaurant. Pastor Don said that when the couple gave up, and came back, they went to a different church, and their rationale for not having much success is that maybe that was the one person God wanted saved.
Often when we think we hear from God, and get it wrong, we want to rationalize our mistake,
There are four Biblical ways in the scripture that let us know if it is what the Lord said, specifically and clearly. Usually God does not waste words.
Pastor Don pointed out that when God is speaking he likes to give us room for our own growth and development and creativity, so he does not speak in great details. Often when Pastor Don is given a prophesy from someone it is the first few words that constitute the prophesy, when a person elaborates on and on about those words often the rest of the words are from the person trying to interpret what God was saying. 90% of the time people are prophesying over you what THEY want to hear from the Lord. But often God is not in that prophesy.
An example was that at one point Pastor Don changed a program in the church and a member who loved the old way of doing it, came up and told him Thus says the Lord…. and proceeded to state that the old way was best. But what the member did not know is that God had spoken to Pastor Don and showed him the new way, and that the fruit of the new way was greatly increased.
Sometimes when we hear from God it comes as a surprise because God is out of our time frame. He does not operate in our time-frame that we have on earth. Sometimes we have asked God a question or prayed for a response, and six months later God is answering that prayer, but we try to fit the answer that God is giving us into our current problem. God’s answers are more about what He is concerned about for us, and He will respond when the time is right for us to hear the answer.
God speaks with seasonal references. Sometimes a Word from God is true, but not for that particular time. Pastor Don gave the example that someone came and told him that God wanted him to be a pastor. This was something that Pastor Don did not want to do, he wanted to be an evangelist and musician, but not a pastor. The person then went on to tell him to leave the church he was in and start a new church. Now the first words were from God, that Pastor Don would be a pastor, but the leaving the current church was the “prophet’s” idea of how this pastoring would occur. Pastor Don and his wife prayed, but felt that they had to remain where they were, at Living Word Chapel. Pastor Don prayed to God and said that he needed the gift of administration in order to be a pastor, for he did not have that gift which is why being an evangelist and musician were easier.
After the pastor of the Living Word Chapel died a person named Dave Rumbel gave Pastor Don his phone number and asked him to call. Pastor Don put it off for a long time, and finally called. The person told him that God had spoken to him and that he was to tell Pastor Don, “I have given you the gift of administration.” That was all the person said, but it confirmed the prayer that Pastor Don had prayed, and when he was offered to be pastor of Living Word Chapel, he took it. Had Pastor Don acted on the other person’s prophesy and left Living Word Chapel the outcome would have been different, and most probably not so fruitful.
When God speaks to us, we have to know many things such as if it is for this particular time, an answer to a past prayer. Is it to share with the general congregation, or is it a private message for ourselves. And the first step in learning these things is to know exactly how God speaks to us.
We worked from page 99 in our discipleship manual to know how God speaks to us. It was so well written that I asked Pastor Don if I could type out the page on Xanga, and he told me he gave permission for me to do so.
So in my next entry I will type out page 99 for you to read. Right now I have to rouse kids for various Saturday activities.
This class has been such a blessing to me that I hope it also is for you. Please remember that if there are errors in this, it is my error in notetaking, for much more is said than I can get into my notes.
Have a great Saturday.
Heather
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Here are a few cartoons you may enjoy followed by some notes on Revelation.
Went to my Revelation Bible study tonight (a Kay Arthur study on Interpreting Revelation in the Light of Biblical Prophesy) the fourth in a series of Revelation in-depth Bible studies, incredible. We are looking at prophesies that tie into Revelation.
The fact that blew my mind tonight is this:
Daniel 7 covers the four great beasts in this order: First was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle, The second one resembled a bear, the thrid one was like a leopard, and the fourth beast (antichrist).
Revelation 13 describes the beast this way:
First a beast coming out of the sea (antichrist), then a leopard, a bear, and a lion.
Note that the animals are in reverse order. This is because Daniel was looking forward to the future but John was looking back so he saw the animals in reverse order.
For your information, the lion is Babylon, the leopard is Greece, and the bear is Medo-Persia.
We spent some time in Revelation 17 and tried to figure out this passage from history Rev. 17:9-11 Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes , he must remain a little while. And the beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth , and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.
We were told to put the numbers one through 8 in a column and fill them in, first what we know from the above verses. We left the first five spaces blank and wrote in space 6 Rome because when Paul wrote Revelation, Rome was in power. Then we filled in number 7 and number 8 with the words from the verse (before we tried to figure out from other Revelation texts who they might be). Then we went back into Israel’s history and filled in the first 5 (those who conquered Israel). So our chart looked like this.
7 Kings – the History of Israel
1. Egypt
2. Assyria (Kingdom divided, and northern kingdom taken)
3. Babylon (Lion) Southern Kingdom
4. Medo-Persia (bear)
5. Greece (Leopard – Alexander the great moved very fast in his conquering, hence the leopard)
6. Rome (One is)
7. Another has not yet come, remains a little while. This could possibly be the revived Roman Empire, and perhaps the leaders of the countries could be the 10 kings from which the little horn arises.
8. Beast is an 8th and is one of the seven. Could be the little Horn of Daniel 7, Prince to come, man of lawlessness, Daniel 11- the king, beast of Revelation 13.
We know from just reading the Bible that the antichrist will be a world wide ruler, will have a fatal wound healed, will die, resurrected, declares himself to be god, and causes all to take the mark.
I love studies like this that show me how interconnected the Bible is, and how the prophesies work out so well together. I cannot believe that at one time I thought Bible students were shallow, now I find that there is no end to how much you can plumb the depths of the Word.
Have a blessed evening. I will try to get to your sites. Soon my week will ease. Tomorrow I am training Junior Girl Scout Leaders how to lead a Junior Girl Scout troop, then Friday the opera – Barber of Seville, then Sat I have to go to a workshop for parents of boys who are almost ready to start their Eagle Scout projects, I have two sons in that bracket while my daughter works at planting plants along a stream with others to preserve a stream. Never a dull moment. Then there is homework from Bible studies.
I usually am not this filled up with activities and things, but there are days when this happens.
Heather
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If you live near the outer banks or are hankering for a ministry conference, Pastor Don and three other pastors are speaking at a Ministry Conference November 18-20. Here are the details gleaned by the flier passed out at church.
Here are the keynote speakers: John W. Hobbs (evangelist from Maranatha Ministries Unlimited), Wally Odom (Pastor Liberty Fellowship), Don Moore (Pastor Living Word Chapel) and Jim Southern (Ordained Minister working in the private mental health field). there are also attending the following featured guests: Kenny Davis, Jim and Candy Southern, Scott and Lisa Hobbs, Creative Ministries, Selah— sign language and interpretive movement.
I have heard John Hobbs (who speaks often about the Father’s Love) and Pastor Don, awesome speakers, don’t know the other two, but suspect they are also good speakers.
There are three sessions at $10/session. and a banquet on Sat. night @$35.
If intrested contact Maranatha Ministries Unlimited, POB 3355, Wilmington, NC 28406. The hotel where most are saying is the Clarion Oceanfront Hotel 1-800-843-1249, room cost $73 oceanfront, $63 nonoceanfront.
If you have questions you can call 910-313-1441 (Maranatha Ministries ) and there is a website www.mmu.org
I wish I would be able to atttend, it sounds incredible.
Heather
