My has it been some time since we have visited with Moses and the Israelites .We have seen them become freed from slavery in Egypt (which we also realize is a symbol of the World), and they began a great adventure towards their Promised Land. I am going to recap a few of the places the Israelites were led by God to bring us up to todya.

Just like God deals with us, He realizes that while it is easy to get the Israelites out of Egypt it is a lot harder to get Egypt out of the Israelites. To do this, he is going to take them on a journey with resting places at different points so that we can see what God is doing spiritually to the Israelites through the journey.

I love how we see pictures of Jesus throughout the Old Testament, and also how we can see through the examples in the Old Testament of what God is doing in our own spiritual walks. When God reached into our lives and shed light on our situation (the burning bush), arranged trials and life situations to make us realize our need for freedom and how sovereign God is. (If you really want to check out God’s sovereignty just read the book of Daniel, that is the main theme of that book). And then when we accept Christ into our lives and hearts, the Holy Spirit goes about helping us to change old patterns of behavior and walk forward as a new creation IN CHRIST. It is a process. Old habits sometimes cling, and we learn to free ourselves from them.

In Pastor Don’s Bible studies in 2 Kings we saw the journey that Elisha and Elijah made, and how each stop of the way brings about a spiritual lesson. The same is true for the Israelites. We have covered some in previous posts, but I thought I would make a bit of a recap here.

The first stop was SUCCOTH (Exodus 12:37) The meaning of Succoth is TENT TOWN, a reminder to the Israelites that in this life we are passing through. To not take things in this life so seriously, but rather to seek first the Kingdom of God, and the rest will follow. We cannot really enjoy life unless we have sought God. We don’t set down roots here on earth, but we go where God leads us. The people were ready for a long hike, they had hiked up their tunics, put their bread kneading bowls on their backs and brought all their possessions out of Egypt, and God is now going to lead them on a journey – that should have taken about a year, but will end up taking 40 years. Each stop on the way will teach the people something about God and about their spiritual walk. Their exit from Egypt came right on schedule – as God had predicted to Abraham, 430 years sojourn in Egypt. During that time the Egyptians protected the rag-tag band of Israelites from the enemy, and the tribe grew strong, from 40 or so entering Egypt to 2 – 3 million exiting Egypt. While there, although living conditions were tough, the tribe prospered. Now they were ready to go and claim the promised land, but first they had to see that it was God who mattered, that we just pass through.

After that God led the people to the edge of the wilderness, to ETHAM (Exodus 13:20) which means “With them.” God deliberately did not lead them the shorter way through the land of the Philistines because they were not ready to fight them, God had to pull the people together as one. It was here that God demonstrated that He would be with them on the journey. He led the people with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Life may seem desert-like to us, bleak, but in reality, no matter how dark our circumstances seem, we have God with us (The Holy Spirit) guiding our steps. We do not have to step out blindly. It is comforting to know I AM is with us.

Then, after that comfort, God led the people to a place that to the senses would seem very crazy, between a rock and a hard place, PI HAHIROTH (The Mouth of the Caves) and MIGDOL and the RED SEA. (Exodus 14) The Israelites needed to realize that God did not always act for their personal comfort, but in this case a powerful message was given to Egypt about God being Sovereign. He also taught the Israelites to  FEAR NOT because fear means we are not having faith in God, and we lose sight of the bigness of God. STAND STILL. How many times have we blocked what God is wanting to do by trying to solve the problem in our own strength? God does not need our help, although sometimes He lets us help Him. He knew what He was doing even though the circumstances seemed dire to the Israelites – boxed in with the Red Sea at their backs and no place to go – Pharaoh barreling down, but GOD, Praise God all we need to do is fear not, stand still and  SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD. This is such a perfect picture of what Jesus did for us, taking us out of Egypt and protecting us, freeing us from the bonds of sin and death. The parting of the Red Sea has a lot of parallels to Jesus. The Red Sea represents the boundary of satan’s authority. Walking through the Red Sea is like a baptism, and they carried the bones of Joseph across towards the Promised Land. God showed up in a big way, reminding the Israelites about their experience in Etham – that God is with them. Sometimes we forget that when we feel boxed in by life.

God then led the Israelites to MARAH. The defeat of the Egyptians caused the Israelites to worship and praise and sing victory songs. They came through the Wilderness of Shur, wandering there for three days and finding no water. How easy it is for us to forget the great things God has done for us when we come up to a dry spot in our lives. We start murmuring and complaining about our situation. It is easy to sit here and type the high, holy position of how God freed them from Egypt, saved them from Pharaoh and his armies, led them to victory with riches beyond imagination, now they gripe and grumble. But I have done the same thing when situations get tough, forgetting all the things God has done in my life and focusing on the challenges. MARAH (Exodus 15:23) means Bitterness, and the roots of bitterness can run deep in us. We can hold onto old hurts and pains and lack, and be choked by bitterness. There is a solution though. God in HIS mercy instructed Moses to take a tree and cast it into the waters and they became sweet. (Remember the waters also were drunk by 2-3 million Israelites). God then gave them a statute, Exodus 15:26 “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”  Our solution is the same as that of the Israelites, when we face bitterness in our life, we need to give it to the Cross.  When we turn it over to Jesus, our situation changes.

From Marah, the Israelites traveled to the WILDERNESS OF SIN (thorn and clay) between ELIM (Palms) and SINAI (Thorny). Again they murmured, blaming Moses for their hunger. And God rained down manna (What is It?) for them. And that evening he sent quails to feed the people. With the manna came specific instructions on how much to gather, when to gather it, and its consumption. God was going to test the people in this to see if they would obey Him. Sadly, we will see that they will not obey the instructions of God. In this spot they started being tricked by their memories, remembering the fleshpots of Egypt, and all the food that they consumed there (not true because they were slaves and did not eat the richest food), and they accused God of bringing them out of Egypt to kill them by starvation. They complained against Moses and Aaron, but Moses and Aaron reminded them that their complaints were really against God. And God was merciful here, providing abundantly for their needs, in spite of their ungrateful complaining. God would provide Manna for the people in abundance for 40 years. If there were a conservative number of Israelites of say 2 million, and they collected about 6 pints of Manna per person, that would mean 12 million pints every single day! In order to transport the tons of Manna, today we would need about 10 trains with 30 boxcars apiece to bring just one day’s worth of Manna.

Thinking about Jesus and how Manna represents him, we see in John 6 about Jesus feeding the 5,000. The people then ask Jesus after that glorious sign and wonder, for more signs and wonders. They said, John 6:30-40 Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Jesus is our Bread of Life. We pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” The Israelites were to gather their Manna daily, just as we need to be in the Word of God daily. When Jesus was tested in the wilderness, he told satan Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

The Manna in the wilderness points to Jesus. In the beginning was the Word, and Jesus is the Word. We need to meditate on, digest, and eat the Word daily. If we do not we lose our focus. We can become disillusioned, disoriented and confused. We can backtrack and go back to what God has freed us from.

Tomorrow I will share with you how the Israelites followed God’s Commands concerning the Manna. I wish I could say that we would not do that in similar circumstances, but there are times in my life when I heard God’s direction and did not follow it, only to learn that God’s plan was a more excellent way.

I pray this review is helpful, and I hope you enjoyed this wonderful spring day. God is so good!

Heather

Friday we had an incredible Bible study. Pastor Don let Janet share her testimony of what God is doing in her life. It is incredible to see how God works in people’s lives. Listening to how God reaches into a life and changes us can be very helpful in our own personal walks with God. God is awesome! Janet shared her journey of how God was dealing with her with certain issues in her life. The testimony was beautiful, heartfelt, and impacting. We all came away with a greater understanding of God’s love, peace, and how we can use the scriptures to let God guide us in doing what He knows we need to be doing in our lives. (At the end Janet told us that she did not use a concordance to look up scriptures, that these scriptures God would show her over time – this testimony covers many months of God working in her life.) I really thank her for being so open and transparent and sharing her journey with us. I know that I did not perfectly get down all of her testimony, I got down as much as I could as true to her testimony as possible. When I show it to her, if she says I have made any mistakes I will correct them.

Janet began by sharing a song by Katherine Troccoli: I Call Him Love

Some called him a prophet
Some called him a saint
Some couldn’t believe their eyes or the words he had to say
Some called him crazy
Some thought he was strange
But I have felt his touch and I’ll never be the same
Chorus
I call him love
I call him mercy
I called him out of my darkness and pain
And he answered my need
I call him love
I call him healing
He is the one who has filled me with hope
And restored life to me
I call him love

Some call him a mystery
A power without a face
Some feel He’s a distant father
That they could not embrace
But I have felt his touch and I’ll never be the same

Chorus

Cause he reached out to me
I’m overwhelmed by the grace I have received
Chorus

After we worshipped with this song, Janet told us that He wants to touch all of us with His love. She then brought us to Daniel 4:1-3 Nebuchadnezzar the king, To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me. How great are His signs, and how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.

Janet told us that we are all captive by different things. Captive people can identify with other captives. She pointed out that she had grown up in a house that had lots of anger, not so much love. So she could not understand love or receive love in her life. She sought a deeper peace of the Lord and would meet with hurdles and obstacles to that peace. She would get more trust in the Lord, but then obstacles would come her way.

God told her she had to love her family more deeply. It can be a struggle to love someone you perceive as undeserving. She pointed out that at times she has been critical of her husband and daughter, and realized that that was not loving them with the love of Christ.

2 Timothy 2:20-26 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

She said that she realized that you had to PURSUE peace and righteousness. That you can be held captive by the devil, and you would stay bound to him if you kept doing things on your own. If we seek God and pursue righteousness, then we will be sanctified. We will come to our senses. All our answers are right here: Janet pointed to the Bible.

We can be loving the wrong things, For example we can love being negative and critical. But love is unconditional liike the agape love of Jesus.

Psalm 4:1-5 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer. How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood? Selah But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; the LORD will hear when I call to Him. Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.

God was dealing with Janet’s anger, reminding her to be angry and not sin. Having a pre-teenage daughter, there were times when angry words were said and the situation would escalate. (Heather’s note, having three teenagers I fully understand that, and these lessons spoke very strongly to me.) She wrote Psalm 4:1-5 (see above) on a piece of paper and kept it on her refrigerator. When the situation would escalate, she gave the paper to her daughter, sent her to her room to read the verses two times and pray, then they would talk. Inevitably their talk later, after the time with the Word and Prayer was more peaceful. We want to give Him the glory and when we are not kind we are not giving God the glory.

She pointed out that she wanted to be, as verse three states, set apart for God as godly. And in order to do this, the next verse, verse 4 was crucial, to not be angry, to not lash out.

She told the story about the boy who spoke words in anger and his father sent him outside to nail a nail into a fence post every time he had an angry word. When he finally had mastered his anger, then his father had him pull out the nails from the fence post and he saw the destruction that the nails made in the wood. Janet pointed out that angry and mean words put holes in people’s hearts.

In this Psalm the secret is to seek God out and He will answer. When we are angry we are to meditate on God, and let Him be the one who speaks through you. Lord, you are my righteousness, and I trust you. If we are faithful, God will be faithful to us.

BE YE LOVE DRIVEN

Mature faith is love driven. Love is a strong liking for someone, passionate affection, loving, well intended, kind. We are called to love one another. Love is not dependant upon whether or not we FEEL like loving someone. But we CHOOSE to love someone regardless of our feelings.

When we realize the love that our abba father has for us, we are inspired to share that love with others. God’s love for us was manifested while we were still sinners, He sent His son as a sacrifice so that we could be forgiven and have a relationship with God.

We want to strive for excellence in our lives.

Psalm 91 talks about abiding in the presence of God. If we abide in Him, we rest.
Psalm 92 talks about giving thanks to God for He is faithful.

Psalm 92:1-4 It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High: to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night; On an instrument of ten strings, on the lute, and on the harp, with harmonious sound. For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work: I will triumph in the works of Your hands.

What is good is that the Lord gives us the desires of our heart. So when we desire what He wills, He fulfills it.

Janet then mentioned that God dealt with her about her caffeine addiction. (Heather’s note, God deals with us where He thinks we need to work on our lives, and it is very individual). Janet mentioned that because of going to school, her work and her family she had convinced herself that she needed coffee for energy, and she drank about two pots of coffee a day. She tried to stop the addiction on her own, but was only able to cut down on the drinking of caffeine. And when situations were tough or hectic she would justify what she was doing.

One day at church the Holy Spirit touched her very deeply and she felt a deep peace within her. She was someone who pretty much ran when she moved, and after she got up from the touch of the Holy Spirit she was walking very slowly and calmly. People noticed the change in her usual behavior.

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing.

Quieting with His love was a key for Janet. She prayed to receive the fullness of His love.

Ephesians 3:14-21 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, (15) from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named (16) that He would rant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, (17) that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love (18) may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height–(19) to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (20) Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Verse 17 is the key, being rooted and grounded in Love. LOVE IS THE FOUNDATION of what is going on. If we know the love of Christ, we can conquer for He has conquered, and we know the FULLNESS OF GOD. She realized that she needed the fullness of God.

Janet had prayed Ephesians 3 for different reasons, but had not picked up on the Key of love and fullness. We need to reach out and He will strengthen us with His Holy Spirit. (Heather’s note, that is what is so awesome about the Bible and studying the Bible with others, we get to see the same verses from different points of view, and things that we miss or gloss over another can point out, the scriptures are so alive with meaning as we keep reading and seeking Him.)

So God was dealing with her regarding fullness

Ephesians 4:13-16 till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head, Christ–from whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Within our flesh we are never perfect, we can only be perfect in HIM. And speaking the truth IN LOVE. There is no better way to encourage and edify than to speak in love.

Ephesians 4:29-30 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

We are all sealed by God. And we do have to watch what words come out of our mouths, that they edify and encourage.

Ephesians 5:26-27 (The Bride of Christ) that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having sport or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

God was taking Janet deeper, wanting to sanctify and cleanse her with the Word of God. When we go to the deep place with God we can be used by God. We have to rise up first in love and be giving love and that gives us a peace that passes all understanding.

Romans 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

We will not be disappointed by what we see, for love is tangible. We can see it and feel it. After working things out in our lives, God puts a seal on it.

So, through her prayer and work in the Word Janet was brought to a point where she could give caffeine to the Lord. The flesh was so used to the caffeine habit, so her flesh had to die to the caffeine. But satan was tricky. Janet replaced coffee with chai tea not realizing that it also had caffeine. One girl who babysat for her was telling Janet that she started her morning with a tea called “Awake” and then went to bed after drinking a tea that caused her to rest. Janet started thinking about the Awake tea, but the Holy Spirit put it into her heart not to do that.

She kept drinking the more calming teas, which affected her moods and attitude. At one point she had a lot of papers to write, and talked herself into a cup of coffee only to be unable to drink the whole amount. The Holy Spirit had tried to intervene in that. The milk at the coffee shop was curdled, so she had to get a second cup without curdled milk. And she found it humorous that even after the coffee, when she needed to stay up and write a paper, she was tired and went to bed at 7 in the evening. The coffee did not work. She found that she had far more energy drinking the herb teas in obedience to God than she ever had with the coffee.

satan is deceptive. Janet was seeking to purify herself for the Lord, and he kept trying to get her to break this.

I mentioned to Janet that the coffee was like Daniel 1 where Daniel and the three Israelites “purposed” in their heart not to eat the rich foods from the king’s table.

GOD IS LOVE, and He loves us very much.

1 John 3:16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

We need God, and by His Holy Spirit we are able to gain a victory over what God has put in our hearts to change. It was with the Holy Spirit’s help that Janet was able to free herself from coffee. She learned how to rest in Him, that it wasn’t by her work or effort, but with the help of God. She also mentioned that she prays first thing in the morning. You need to get into alignment with the Spirit of God.

Then God led Janet to verses about His love for us.

1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.

Revelation 2:4 (Jesus speaking) Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Even before I knew Him, He loved me. Even before I was born He loved me. He first loved us.

Psalm 145:20 The LORD preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.

Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins

Janet shared that she used to be hypercritical of her daughter. If she made her bed, Janet found the wrinkles in the cover. If she cleaned a room, Janet found the things that were not cleaned. She realized from the verses that God was giving her that she had to accept her daughter for who she is, just like God accepted us for who we were. He loved us before we knew Him, while we were still sinners. He loves us for who we are. That change in attitude about accepting people for who they are impacted her relationship with her daughter and husband. The changes in her were beginning to be noticed by those around her.

Then Janet told us that God told her that she did not have the right to be selfish. If Jesus was selfish He may not have decided to go to the cross. That she had to give herself for others.

To illustrate her point, she said that she has a dog poem on her refrigerator. (Heather’s comment, I wonder what other gems are on her refrigerator, I suspect they are great.)

Here is the poem:
You look at me with eyes of love
You never hold a grudge
You think I’m far too wonderful
To criticize or judge.

That is how God loves us, and we want to love Him to the fullest of our ability.

So Janet started treating her daughter as the beautiful girl that she is, and one day her daughter had the choice to have a sleepover with friends or to go out to dinner with her mom. She chose spending time with her mom. (Heather’s note, what a testimony about the power of love.)

Janet also mentioned that the caffeine addiction that she had was being observed by her daughter. And that we need to set examples for our kids. Whether or not the kids will say this, they really want to be like us, which means that if we have any addictive behavior the kids will begin to model it, wanting to be like us. So Janet is happy her daughter sees that caffeine is not something Janet wants in her life anymore.

Love is sacrificially giving of one’s self for other’s benefit.

One can correct another, but what is important is HOW you say what you are saying. Are you speaking out of a sacrifice of love or from a spirit of criticism? When we sacrifice our fleshly natures, the flesh wants us to return to the old ways. God helps us to do what He knows is in our best interests, we can’t do it on our own.

But what God wants for us is not just love, but also PEACE.

We started running short of time so Janet went over the other verses important to her testimony, but with less commentary.

2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love or Christ compels us, because we judge thus that if One died for all, then all died.

The love of Christ compels us.

2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Hold our tongues, watch what we say, and follow His commandments. His ways will bring us to peace.

Psalm 34:11-14 Come, you children, listen to me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Actively pursue peace, not just wait.

Psalm 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.

Psalm 34-17-18 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Humbling, brings love, inner peace, and it is a peace that passes all understanding.

She talked about an altar call that she went forward for to help her with her need for peace. After that someone came to hug Janet and told her that she had been praying for her by name. Sometimes people are praying for us that we aren’t aware are praying for us.

Psalm 85:8 I will hear what God the LORD will speak. For He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; but let them not turn back to folly.

We have to be careful not to turn back to our old ways, to be in God’s peace requires us to work at it, to pursue it.

Then Janet read a passage from the open Bible,

Galatians 5:22 Joy is love’s strength, peace is love’s security, patience is love’s endurance, kindness is love’s conduct, goodness is love’s character, faithfulness is love’s confidence, gentleness is love’s humility, ad self control is love’s victory.

2 Timothy 2:5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

We have to follow His will.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-25 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. Brethren, pray for us.

When God begins a work in us, He will complete it. He is faithful. The Key is that we do not have to do it ourselves, God is faithful, He will do it.

Ephesians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.

We are in HIM. He chose us IN HIM.

1 Corinthians 7:15 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.

We are to exhibit HIS peace, we have the promise from the Prince of Peace.

2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Become complete – that is what we do IN HIM.

1 Timothy 2:2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

2 Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:13-14 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.

Rest in HIM.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

In HIM we have peace.

Ezekiel 34:25-31  “I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing. Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them.  And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid. I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore. Thus they shall know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people,” says the Lord GOD.“You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God,” says the Lord GOD.

We can sleep in His safety, the trees are ripe with fruit, The soul is at rest. Soul rest is mentioned 27 times in the Old Testament – it is the word “sabitismos”, and in the New Testament it is only mentioned once.

Psalm 107:4, 9 They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; they found no city to dwell in, (9) For H satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness.

We have the indwelling Spirit, the life-giving Spirit, and it overflows out of us.

Colossians 2:9-10 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

ALL FULLNESS

Colossians 1:19-23 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

It pleases Him that we are full in Him.

Janet closed in prayer. I am so thankful that she shared her journey with us.

Have a blessed night, this journey sure gave me a lot of food for thought and action.

Heather

This Wednesday Pastor Don talked about the various offices of the church. He pointed out that the prophet is gifted to minister to other prophets, believers and non-believers. As we grow closer to the end times the gifts of the prophets will operate more in the world than in the past.

Pastor Don then told us that an Apostle operates in all the gifts, he is the sent one, and an Apostle operates also as a prophet, a teacher, a pastor and an evangelist. While an apostle may stay in one home church the apostle travels around and has many churches established under him. Remember he is a SENT one, which is what Apostle means (sent one). All the churches under his apostleship draw upon him. To maintain the role of apostle all the spiritual gifts are needed.

Pastor Don remarked that there are many people who call themselves apostles who are not really in the office of apostle. One came through town who had one church of 40 people but called himself an apostle. In reality, if someone is calling themselves an apostle they probably are not, for an apostle is humble and does not need to cling to a title.

Pastor Don asked us what are the offices: 1 Corinthians 12:28-31 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way. 

(Heather’s note, the more excellent way 1 Cor 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. All of the offices that GOD appoints function through love – without love we are out of God’s will.)

Ephesians 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

He Himself is Jesus, SOME is the saints he gave them to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for what purpose?

Ephesians 4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. For how long? Ephesians 4:13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. To the fullness of Christ, to a perfect man, then what will happen? Ephesians 4:14-15 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head –Christ–SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE and to GROW UP THE SAINTS  into what? ALL (not some) things. Ephesians 4:16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joining supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The purpose of the equipping of the saints is to establish the church, and the gifts edify.

Many churches today are in serious trouble and out of order because they do not operate in all the giftings. If they do not operate in all the giftings, it is up to the pastor to make sure to invite people into the church who are gifted in areas that the church is lacking so that the saints have access to all the spiritual gifts.

The PROPHET may also operate in all the gifts, but primarily he operates in the vocal gifts. His task is to speak the Word of the Lord, thus says the Lord. He may operate in the gifts of the spirit and his words can be on two levels 1) FORTH TELL – telling the Word of the Lord, preaching and spreading the word, and 2) FORE TELL – the Word, giving glimpses of the future, what is going to come to pass, what has happened and is going to happen.

EVANGELIST – is in the realm of FORTH TELLING, preaching the Word, but with DEMONSTRATIONS OF SIGNS AND WONDERS. The main function of an evangelist is to grow the church. An evangelist eats, drinks, and lives salvation and expansion of the gospel. This is done through signs and wonders and the Word of God. Casting out demons, tongues, healings and other signs. Sometimes people call themselves evangelists when they go around teaching the Word of God, but without signs and wonders they are not evangelists, they are teachers. The evangelist gets the person saved and plugged into a church. Without being plugged into a church, a saved person can open themselves back to the old ways.

PASTORS. It is here that the church has really messed up. A pastor is a shepherd of the sheep, and his only gift is to exemplify the LOVE of God. The church has tried to establish itself on the back of the pastors, expecting them to not only pastor the flock, but be a financial wizard, run the social program, be a carpenter, and clean the church, and keep peace among the fighting members of the flock. Pastor Don told us that studies have shown that 70% of pastors give it up after four years, for they are burnt out. A pastor should have wisdom, but he doesn’t have to have it, and administration gifts help pastors, but his main function is to LOVE THE SHEEP, to lead and protect the sheep. A pastor is not always also a teacher.

TEACHER, Biblical teachers bring revelation and understanding to the Word, to the written Word and to the prophetic Word. A prophet blows into town, drops Words from God and blows out of town. The teacher helps the person to understand what the prophet has said and how to apply it in their lives. A teacher gives wisdom, revelation of God, and understanding. A teacher also teaches by demonstrating the living out of the Word. Their lives have to demonstrate the Word of God in action. Because so many teachers cannot totally live out the Word, they limit what they teach to a few select areas that they can live out in life, and leave the rest untaught. But a true teacher teaches the whole Word of God, not just certain parts.

Pastor Don said that teachers that do not live out the Word in their lives are like a person who is shown a car: “This is a car, this is a car key, this is an engine, these are the tires, etc.” But the teacher never teaches the person how to drive the car, they just name the component parts of the car.

A teacher’s life has to be an example of what he is teaching. A drug smoking, alcoholic teacher can’t mentor the Word. And a good teacher has walked in the Word, struggled with the Word, and is capable of helping a person to walk through the Word. The person recognizes that the teacher has been there, done that and really does understand, and really has succeeded. His life has to reflect success with the Word. He doesn’t just tell the Word, but also teaches the impact, possibilities, revelations and without the experience of the Word in his life, he can’t tell a person what to expect. No one can learn that stuff in seminary.

Pastor Don had us give examples of mentors and mentees.

Mentor:   Elijah                      Mentee: Elisha
              Paul                                     Timothy
              Eli                                        Samuel
              Jesus                                    Peter, James, John
              Moses                                  Joshua

The mentee knows that the mentor is their teacher. In order to learn what the teacher has to share they have to get into the teacher’s hip pocket and grow. They go with the attitude that I am not leaving you, that they want the person to teach them the life. The Christian life can’t be learned from any book, you need to be around a person who is living it out.

LABELS are necessary for people who don’t have one. Pastor Don does not like to be called “reverend” because the only one who is to be revered is God. He is a Pastor, but even in public at times he would rather be called “Don” because when people who are not saved hear “pastor” they tend to back off.

Today there are a lot of people calling themselves “Bishop.” Bishop means “overseer.” And the word “bishop” doesn’t mean anything else but overseer. If you are a deacon in good standing you are an overseer, if you are in charge of cleaning the bathroom you are an overseer. You could call yourself Bishop of what you oversee. The church has mixed up overseer with apostle and have given the name “Bishop” to that role. A bishop may never become an apostle. It is an example of EGO RUN AMUK.

Is every pastor a teacher? No
Is every Pastor an evangelist? No

Teachers teach and demonstrate the Word, but they do not all operate in the spiritual gifts.

Kenneth Hagin began as a teacher and ended up a prophet.
Benny Hinn was at one point a pastor, now he is an evangelist with signs and wonders. Pastor Don thinks that at some point he may end up in the role of prophet.
Billy Graham is an evangelist but had only one sign and wonder – Salvation.

TIMINGS IN MINISTRY

Pastor Don says to do what God tells you to do when He tells you to do it. Don’t presume to know what God is going with what He is telling you to do.

Pastor Don also pointed out that a prophet cannot be expected to pastor a person. If a prophet blows into your life and drops a bombshell prophesy, they may move on and you are stuck with the prophesy. Your teacher and pastor will be the ones to help you learn to live out the prophesy.

ALL OF US at different times have operated in all of these gifts. God will use us when He needs to to reach a person. Because we operate once in a gift does not mean that it is our gifting for life. We are to be open to where God wants us to go and do. But some of the giftings are consistently in our lives and we begin to realize it is what I want to do. It is also important to remember that we are not the one to do the gifts that it is GOD WORKING THROUGH US. We do nothing in our own power.

Pastor Don named a few of the people who have taught at our church and we began to name the gifts that the person operates with. Pastor Don then pointed out that it helps to know who to go to when you have a spiritual need. You don’t go to a prophet when you need a teacher, etc.

Pastor Don then reminded us of Elisha and Naaman (2 Kings 5). Elisha was a prophet, and he was not a pastor. Naaman wanted Elisha to come out and minister to him personally – Elisha sent out a servant with a message – “Thus says the Lord.” Naaman almost did not get his healing because Elisha did not care if Naaman followed God’s direction or not – it was not Elisha’s problem. Elisha just had to deliver the Word of God and it was up to Naaman to obey or not to obey the Word of God.

Pastor Don then talked about the ministries on TV and pointed out that we are not to tithe to them. We can give an offering, but we have to tithe where we are being fed consistently (our church).

I asked what happens if a person messes up their lives, does God take away the gifts and callings? Pastor Don mentioned some famous pastors who messed up such as Jimmy Swaggert, WV Grant at one point messed up, Jim Bakker, etc. He said Romans 11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. God does not give a gift and take it away. If you mess up, if you walk away from your calling you may not operate in it due to your actions and life. Once you repent, you may end up returning to your calling. Pastor Don pointed out that Jimmy Swaggert still has a ministry, but because of his messing up in the past, his ministry is not as large as it once was. The gift never leaves us, but for us to flow in the Spirit, we do need to repent.

So the callings are Apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher.

Then Pastor Don had us look at  1 Corinthian 12:28 again And God has appointed these in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.

He pointed out that not all the callings are listed by the same names, yet all the callings are covered in 1 Corinthians 12:28 Pastors have the gifts of helps, evangelists work in signs and wonders, healings, tongues.

Then he spent some time answering questions and here are the bits of answers:

Pastor Don said that you can never establish a church only on the basis of tongues. Tongues are for the edification of the saint, and we are not to forbid the speaking of tongues (so some churches are out of order in that way). At the same time there are times when tongues are not appropriate (when visitors are present and would be confused by that kind of behavior). Pastor Don once walked into a church with his wife, before his wife was saved, and the entire church was praying in tongues. No explanation was given, they were not noticed and they got up and left-still not being noticed. That is out of order. And it is also important to note that whether or not a person speaks in tongues is not as important as their relationship with God.

In a church service there are times for speaking in tongues, praise, praying, giving the Word. Paul wrote about the church in Corinth who spoke in tongues all the time, prayed and sang in tongues, and he cautioned them that they were out of order. When alone it is perfectly fine, but a church is also to reach out to others who are not the brethren, and when those are present then when a tongue is given, an interpretation must follow, so that all present can understand.

Pastor Don reminded us that we need to be aware of who is in church, are there unbelievers present who might be confused, is it all believers? Does he have to explain what is going on so that all are on the same page? Yet, he has also noticed that as people grow closer to God, they are less bothered by what manifestation in the flesh that the Holy Spirit operates in. In the early phases of a person’s walk they are distracted by the fleshly manifestations, when their walk with God is closer then it becomes more a matter of what God is dealing with in them.

I hope this teaching blesses you. Our Bible studies are so much fun. This time we spent about 45 minutes in prayer, then had the Bible study. Other times the prayer time is shorter and the study longer. We do what the Spirit leads. What is great about our studies is that we are free to ask questions and share concerns. We would love to stay longer at Bible study, but often it is very late when we leave.

Have a blessed night!

Heather

We, as usual for a Wednesday Bible study, started asking questions. Pastor Don expertly fielded them.

Pastor Don answered a question about the antichrist.

He pointed out that on earth there are people who are antichrists (not like Christ), who teach false doctrines, give false prophesies, and try to pull people away from Christ. This is not the ANTICHRIST of the last days, but many of the cults who teach false doctrines also have a spirit of antichrist in them.

With prophets, there are real prophets and then there are those like Gehazi who are in it for the money. They want to be in the political arena, to be the big Kahuna.

Pastor Don pointed out that there are secret organizations who, when you get to higher degrees of initiation, have a hidden agenda that is antichrist-like in nature. When you start out it sounds so godly and holy, but once you begin to elevate in the ranks the false teachings creep in.

He was then asked, when you forgive a person do you have to let them back into your life? What if that person hurt you or your family very badly, do you have to invite them back into your home?

Pastor Don said that forgiveness is not permission for that person to come back into your life. I can forgive them and turn them over to God’s justice. Forgiveness does not give them permission to continue to do what they once did to you. It just is a liberation for you that you do not have to carry the burden time and time again.

Another question elicited the answer that Jesus died on the cross and that dying occurred both in the physical time period that it occurred (which was about 2000 years ago) but also outside of time because he died for our sins past, present, and future.

Pastor Don pointed out that people usually think that there is earthly linear time, but in eternity there is time also, not our 24 hour days, but it is a time that is wrapped around spiritual events.

In Genesis 1 God created time as we know it, day/night, the seasons, the years, and this time will continue until this earth passes away and then we have a New Heaven and a New Earth, and Jesus and God will be the light of that, we won’t need the sun and the moon to mark time.

But Spiritual time is driven by prophetic events. The are not governed by the sun and the moon. For example, Christ will come back at a set time that is determined by events here on earth. But we don’t know when that time is.

We take our 24 hour day and want God to operate in our time frame, but God is not in our time frame, he operates in a different time frame. Pastor Don pointed out that for a baby, there is no concept of time – there are events. One day he may discover his toes and spend time sucking on his foot, when that stops he forgets his foot and moves to the next thing, waving his fist in the air. He cries when hungry, but it isn’t on a clock or a set time. As he grows he gets caught up into the cycle of time as we know it.

For God one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day. In Daniel 9, Daniel talks about the 70 weeks. Daniel 9:24-26 Seventy weeks are determined (seventy weeks of seven years = 490 years) For your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. (Jesus Christ) Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty two weeks; the street shall be built again and the wall, even in troublesome times.

The Jewish calendar had 360 days in a year and if you multiply it out with years, it showed that 4/6/AD32 Jesus rode on a donkey into Jerusalem. The scribes and the Pharisees knew the timing, in fact when John the Baptist was around they asked him if he was the Messiah. Jesus was upset with the scribes and the pharisees because they knew the hours and times.

(Heather’s note, in fact, Daniel read the prophets and started fasting and praying because he knew that the 70 years of exile were over (Chapter 9), and that God was going to restore Jerusalem, bring Israel back to the land to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. Then from the decree of Cyrus to let the Israelites return and rebuild the temple, the time clock continued ticking until Jesus rode through the gates of Jerusalem. After the crucifixion, the timeclock stopped, and the last week of the seventy weeks has not yet occurred. When events conspire to start the prophetic clock again, it will continue. The clock is linked to events in the Jewish nation.

We cannot wrap our minds around concepts like forever and ever, ages and ages.

Pastor Don then said that he was going to talk more about prophetic vision because of where we are in 2 Kings. He said that the prophetic speaks, sees, hears and meditates. And he gave us a brief summary that he says he will go into greater detail about.

SPEAK: The prophet speaks the Word of God. The prophet does not need to have revelation or understanding of what is going on, just speaking, “Thus says the LORD.”

SEES: The prophet sees beyond the veil of the carnal, across time, and looks at it and brings back what he sees into the spacial realm. He can see future, past, or present. What he sees may never happen, immediately transpire, or happen in the future. He may not necessarily know what he is seeing, and may need another prophetic gift to explain.

Daniel was a seer, Elisha was a seer. Remember the prayer in Daniel 2:20-22 (part of the prayer) Blessed  be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. he reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him…”

God can reveal hidden things to the prophet. Daniel and his peers fasted and prayed, asking God for revelation. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and wanted someone to not only tell him the dream, but interpret it. None of the court magicians or people could reveal the dream to the king, so God showed it to Daniel and gave Daniel the interpretation.

The speaker can generate the gift of the Holy Spirit and give the prophesy that God gives for a reason.. The seer needs a Word of Knowledge. He can see something but have no knowledge of what information is being portrayed by what he is seeing. God could have shown Daniel the dream, but not the interpretation of the dream. But in this case God revealed both to Daniel.

HEARING: This is not only audible, it can be an inner word of God, an angel speaks, you hear it inside, and sometimes it is only for you. Your word must agree with the Word of God. It can be an INWARD WITNESS. Pastor Don pointed out that sometimes people think the inner witness is kind of like female intuition (but men can also have the inner witness). It is the still small voice.

STUDY, the prophet heard as as a loud voice, but that would never have developed without his study in the Word. Paul in Acts Chapter 27: although Paul was a tentmaker, not a sailor, he perceived that the ship would sink. No one listened to him until the ship began to sink, then Paul Got a Word of Knowledge that everyone would be safe, but the ship and cargo would be lost. The crew finally listened to and obeyed Paul.

Then Pastor Don talked about MEDITATING ON THE WORD OF GOD, pointing out that it was for intercession, not contemplating one’s navel.  David meditated on the Word of God when he wrote the Psalms. It is a place of contemplation, not of voiding the mind and stagnation, it can be speaking in tongues, speaking the Word of God, contemplating the attributes and goodness of God.

Pastor Don says that before he gets out of bed, that he thinks on the things of God. When we drive in the car we can thank God for His creation and the scenery.

To be spiritually real you need a level of compassion. The presence of the Holy Spirit affects you.

Then he continued talking and responding to questions. He pointed out that our emotions can work for or against us. If we are truly in the Spirit, we will not care what others think about us,  just what God thinks about us and getting out what God gives us in the meditative state. The Spirit brings to rembrance, and brings a Rhema word to us. For that to happen, we need to be in the Word, knowing the Word so that the Holy Spirit has Word in us to bring out. When we study the Word, part of that study is to store up for a time and a purpose the Word of God. (Heather’s note, but we also study to know about God, to fill our minds with the good things of God, etc.)

God’s meditations suspend the carnal and we are protected as we meditate.

There is an angelic covering. God has assigned angels to us. Unless we violate God or blaspheme the Holy Spirit, these angels are there protecting us. The Holy Spirit covers us without and within, prays for us, and brings us the Word. And there is a faith covering. When we are in a dangerous place, when times are tough, reach out to others, because joint prayer helps, and prayers of faith will help to build our faith for the situation. And then we have the Word Covering, for God’s word does not come back void. It has spoken power.

Pastor Don told us that he would continue this on Friday.

I am praying your weekend is blessed, this has been one spectacular week for me.

Heather

I have spent some time today trying to update my links, I am now in 9/06 and have put a link to the Bible studies and a few humorous things in my links box. There is one sermon that is so awesome that, if you haven’t read it you would be blessed. It is called the RED LETTERS and it was given by Pastor Don after they attended a conference where some of the “Bible teachers” were trying to say that Jesus did not say all that the Bible says He said.

I hope you have a blessed night, if I get more time on the computer I will continue to try and bring my links more up to date. There are some incredible Bible studies in them, pure gold. And then a few fun entries, Eggplants and The Secret Correspondence between Rocky the Wonder Dog and Buzz

My goal is to get caught up.

Heather

Pastor Don and one of our music teams did the praise and worship for a Revival at Victory Christian Church in Albany (www.godinthecity.com). The visiting pastor was Steve Solomon, the host of the radio show “Praise in the Night,” and pastor of a church in Dallas called Riverwalk (http://riverwalkfellowship.com).

When Pastor Steve spoke, he mentioned that God made us, so he can fix us.

Luke 24:13-14 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all those things which had happened.

In Pastor Steve’s Bible (I am guessing King James) the word “seven miles” is listed as furlongs. He said that sometimes he likes the older Bible versions because you don’t know what all the words mean. By not knowing the meaning you can read a word like “furlong” and your neck gets healed, praise God. We laughed so hard.

Luke 24:15-16 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. We want Jesus to draw near.  But their eyes were restrained so that they did not know Him. Even though Jesus was next to them, their eyes were blind and they did not know that it was Jesus. God has mercy and opens our eyes. When we share God’s Word with others we are not to get frustrated if they reject what we are saying, if they don’t “see” what we are saying. It is not our job to save a person, our job is to preach, and God will give the increase, God will open the blind eyes.

Luke 23:17-18 And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?” Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in those days?”

 Pastor Steve said this is translated, “Where are you from? Mars? the Moon?” that you do not know what happened here.

Luke 23:19 And He said to them, “What things?” So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people?

Pastor Steve translated for us into the common language of New York, “Yo, What’s up?”

Luke 23:20  and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him.

People are always worried about the devil, the ruler of darkness. Christianity isn’t the toys. The Priests, the Sanhedrin, the Levites are called the rulers of the people. But we have the blood of Jesus, which casts out the devil. People and politicians and religious rulers bind the people up in bondage and deny Messiah. Jesus came to free us from bondage.

Luke 23:21-23 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Three days.  Yes and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said he was alive.

Women always get weird spiritual stuff, they couldn’t find Jesus and they saw angels!

Luke 23:24 And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.

They did not see anything. Intercessors acting weird on top of it all!

Luke 23:25 Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.

Modern translation, “Yo, what’s up, fool? You are living a lie and not believing the prophets.

Luke 23:26-27 “Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

(Heather’s note, this is one fantasy I have for Heaven, I want to hear what Jesus showed those disciples what He taught them on the road to Emmaus, there is so much Jesus in the Old Testament.) Pastor Steve said to stay with the Word of God, Moses and the Prophets. There is nothing like the Word of God, and they felt it in their hearts.

If you continue reading you will see that Jesus broke bread with them and their eyes were opened so that they recognized Him and believed. Then they said, Luke 23:32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”

Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us. He prayed for us while we were still in the womb, before we were in the womb.

What is your problem? So many people, when trouble comes, ask, “Where is God?” (Heather’s note, I can relate to that! I spent 40 years asking that question).

People will quote to you, “God helps those who help themselves.” but that is not in the Bible

Romans 8:33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

It is God who justifies, it is His idea, His responsibility, His delight. We are objects of His delight, even when we didn’t know any better. God kept us alive until we could get saved, what can the world do to us? Nothing can separate us from the love of God. God takes care of us.

Luke 24:31-32 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”

Pastor Steve said something so awesome here, he said, “They did not compare NOTES, they compared HEARTS!” Testifying about what God did in their heart. God loves. We are the object of His mysterious love.  Why love us? God has the ability to do it and it seemed good to Him. God created all things for His pleasure.

When we ask why we are in our situation, it is to please God. It pleased God to have us born at such a time as this. So why are we discouraged, and then Pastor Steve sang a few bars of His eye is on the sparrow.  His eye is on you. There is nothing the devil can do to you. God is on our side. (Heather’s note, God will use what satan meant for harm for good.)

Acts 14:22 …strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”

God has a way, a plan, a destiny. God working will manifest. In Genesis, there was one SEED (singular) and God told Eve Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you (satan) and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed…

Galatians 3:17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God to Christ, that it should make the promise to no effect.

First there was the covenant, then 430 years later the law. But the New Covenant that we are under was made before the law, it was made before the creation of the earth. Christians always want to go back to the law.

Back in the garden, Eve listened when the serpent said, “Yo, woman…” Adam and Eve fell through disobedience to God, but the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit had the New Covenant in place before the law.

The Old Covenant was between man and God – Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses. If man, in his own strength obeyed God he would be blessed, if he disobeyed he would be cursed.

The rabbis would speak curses over the people. Praise God, we are under the blood.

With the New Covenant, God made the covenant with Himself, with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God will not break His covenant. God will not disappoint God.

Jesus said in his prayer, John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept, and none of them is lost except the son of perdition that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

The only one lost was the son of perdition, Judas.

We are not saved by our works, but by what Jesus has already done, and that cannot be broken. We may commit a sin, but we are not fallen from grace.

Many Christians try to make up laws to make God like them better. It is faith in God, not faith in works. And faith to believe comes from God. There is liberty in worshipping God. It is not liberty by law, but by worship. When we are led by the Spirit, the Holy Ghost delivers us by the grace of God. The power is of God, not strength in ourselves.

God likes me before I did good or bad. God justifies, loves me, calls me just. God says, “You good. Its all good.” I call you good. You don’t have to do something, make coffee, swim the English Channel. There is nothing to spend to get healed. We are under the New Covenant, you are in. Our forefathers had to get circumcised (Pastor Steve smiled and said, “I won’t go there.) We don’t have to not eat pork. We are good, we are in under the New Covenant.

The Gospel is GOOD NEWS. So tell people about it, tell them that God loves us!

There is nothing we have to do to get God to like us better. Deep inside you know you are saved.  Some people say, “I don’t feel saved.”

There are some that Jesus will say, Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Then Pastor Steve gave some examples. I wish you could have seen his hand motions with this, which were so inclusive,

“I lost my temper.” God says, “You’re still good, now deal with that temper.”

“I cursed.” God says, “I heard it, you’re still good, Peter cursed and swore around the campfire, but you need to deal with those cursings because it is confusing those who are not saved.”

God tells us, “You’re good, you belong to me.”

1 John 1:9-10 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

We are Believers, not sinless. (Heather’s note, even Paul said that he did what he didn’t want to do.)

Pastor Steve also showed us a video about a recent trip to Kenya where he prophesied the end of a three year drought and that end occurred while he was there. I found a link on his church’s site to a video about this if you are interested.

I hope this teaching blesses you, it sure blessed me.

Those of you who have read my testimony may recall that Pastor Steve Solomon prophesied over me before I got saved that the tares would be removed from my mind. Then God sent in a master gardener in the form of Pastor Don to accomplish the weeding. After I got saved I had an opportunity to go back to a revival that Pastor Steve preached at and let him know that his prophesy manifested. During that revival he started calling me the wicked witch of the east – and had me laughing about my past. That touch from God through Pastor Steve freed me from some of the bonds of the past, from the guilt that was clinging to me for the forty years I wasted in the occult. This time, I am not certain what God is doing but he touched me in a big way on Friday, I really needed to spend that time with God. Seems that Pastor Steve is like the Johnny Appleseed of God in my life, dropping seeds in the form of Words of Wisdom and Knowledge into my life, and then over time Pastor Don helps them to grow. I cry when I think of how awesome God is, and how much He uses everything for good that satan meant for harm. I have to tell you that I am glad God uses cracked pots!

I cannot report what the Bible teaching was from last night, and am not sure if the recorder picked it up. God, with his infinite sense of humor separated me from my pen and notebook, as I was stretched out on the floor resting in God’s Spirit. I am still chuckling and smiling and shaking at times. I think my husband thinks something is peculiar, he keeps asking me why I am laughing out loud at odd moments.

Pastor Steve has a very interesting style of delivery – On Thursday I saw him sing the salvation message over many people, when they came forward for salvation. His humor and holy laughter that he elicits can cut through so many layers of resistance and get to the heart of what a person needs. And like Pastor Don, the Word comes alive in his teaching of it. I love how God works, Pastor Don taught on this same topic in Wednesday’s Bible study. Seems that both pastors are on the same page (or pages of the Bible).

Have a great Sunday!

Heather

I have given this link before for Pastor Don’s TV Show. If you look on the left side you will see links to a few of his shows (in the white box that says “Say Amen.” You can watch the show online). He is on our local cable television. These particular shows are a blessing and would help you to see some of Pastor Don’s teachings yourself. While my notes are as thorough as I can make them, it is always better to hear the teachings direct.

Because of this TV ministry, Pastor Don has people calling in and asking questions of him. He cares enough to answer these questions. Recently someone called who was a deacon of their church, and because of the sensitive nature of the question, needed counsel from someone outside of their sphere of influence. This person as a youth, over 40 years ago lived a sinful lifestyle, had taken drugs and stole things to support their habit. Recently the person was wondering about if they should contact the police and report the old crime, the people that the person stole from are no longer around to repay, and now they are wondering about if they are qualified to serve in the church. The peace of God had been gone from this person’s life which is why the person called Pastor Don.

Pastor Don told us that when we minister to people there may be similar questions coming to us so he thought he would take us to the scriptures he used to help the above mentioned person.

Pastor Don pointed out that many people do not understand salvation or they get the concept of salvation wrong. When there is a spiritual battle it is important to recognize the players in the battle.

Salvation has NOTHING to do with anything you can earn. It is not based on works, good deeds, feeding the hungry, or any thing we can do in our own energy. Salvation is determined by WHOSE you are and what you BELIEVE. The pivotal thought that came when Martin Luther nailed that letter to the church door, was that we are saved by Grace, not by our own works.

So Pastor Don shared with us how he counseled this person:

Luke 23:38-40 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?”

Luke 23:41 “And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”

This criminal who spoke up knew that he was guilty and deserved the punishment he received. As the holy days of Israel approached, the criminals, thieves and pick pockets would come out to rob those who came to celebrate the feast. If they got caught they were crucified. But Jesus’s behavior on the cross, with those who mocked him, and his forgiving of those who did not know what they did, caused the one thief to realize that Jesus was not guilty of any crime and did not deserve to be crucified. He had been in Jerusalem and probably (speculation) heard Jesus teach, or had heard rumors about Jesus. He heard the accusation brought against him and realized that the scribes and pharisees did not “dig” it that Jesus was teaching and saying what he said. But also probably knew Jesus had done nothing immoral or unethical.

Luke 23:42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.”

He called Jesus “Lord.” and recognized who Jesus was.

Luke 23:43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

This is the GOSPEL (good news). This thief did not DESERVE to be saved, he was guilty, had done no good works, did not make a massive confession, say the sinner’s prayer, or anything. He just said, Jesus was LORD. By that confession of the truth, when the thief’s air passed out of his body for the last time, he was with Jesus in heaven.

It had nothing to do with good works. Billy Graham, Mother Theresa, or any other servant of the Lord will not get to heaven because of the works that they did. They get to Heaven the same way we do. Someone asked about that, wondering why the good works then, and Pastor Don pointed out that there are rewards in Heaven for serving God, but getting into Heaven is not dependant on good works.

Paul, in Romans 10:9-13 (which we all read out loud together) “…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

Notice, it says “Whoever CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD shall be saved. It is not how many food pantries you run, how many babies you save from abortion, how many little old ladies you help cross the street. If a person who does many good deeds dies and they never called on the name of the Lord you will not see them in Heaven.

Someone asked about doubt, and Pastor Don pointed out that belief is always challenged by doubt. Someone commented that doubt occurs in the mind, belief in the heart. Pastor Don thought that was insightful.

Mark 11:22-24 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

Here is the proof text that doubt is in the head, not in the heart. You can always tell when a doubter is a nonbeliever, because they doubt so much that it leads to unbelief. Whereas a doubter who is a believer will struggle with doubt and end up believing God. Even when you have doubt, that does not make you an unbeliever. Remember Thomas (unjustly called doubting Thomas) because he was brave enough to want to go and fight for Jesus when the going got tough, and the other disciples did not fully believe Jesus was resurrected until he showed up in their midst. But Jesus accepted Thomas’ doubt and met him at the point he needed to be able to believe. God is not afraid of our doubts.

When were we saved? Someone answered when we believed Jesus is Lord, which is true. But we were saved over 2000 years ago when Jesus went to the cross for our sins. We were saved way before the earth was created, when God and Jesus planned for our need for salvation. We were saved long before we were ever thought of, well before we were even born. When we doubt our salvation, we are saying in effect, “Jesus did not do a thorough job on the cross.” We have to decide, did Jesus pay for our sins completely or not. If we believe He paid for them completely we are saved, if not, we have rejected His gift of salvation.

Pastor Don gave an example of getting a traffic ticket for speeding and the police officer tells you that if you go to court you will get off for the ticket. You have a choice, send in the money for the ticket or go to court and hope that the police officer is telling the truth. When you go to the court and the officer writes off your ticket then you know that you received unmerited grace from the police officer.

1 John 2:18-19 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

We can tell the true believers for they do not leave the church. If they walk away from Jesus and do not return, then they were not true believers. Only those who remain in Christ are the true believers. It isn’t if they have doubts, believers have doubts.

1 John 2:12-14 I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.

God forgave our sins for HIS NAME’S sake, not for anything we did. He proves to Himself that he can save us, that he is ABLE. He can save the dregs of the earth, the religious hypocrite, the spiritually blind, the legalist. We lucked out, for we are in the gospel. When we make a heart decision that Jesus is Lord, do we have it together, NOOOO. God knows we are not perfect. So then, why do we do good works? We do them because we Love God, and we want to do good. The good works will not save us, but once we are saved, we want to do good works.

So I asked Pastor Don, what did he tell that person about the past situation, once salvation was understood. And Pastor Don said that he told the person that they needed to identify the players in this scene. The Holy Spirit will convict, but not condemn. When this person was condemning themselves, it was not from God, but from satan that the condemnation comes for he ever walks to and fro seeking to bring accusation against the brethren. That this person was a new creation in Christ, the old had passed away, and the person was new. When this person prayed for salvation, and then doubted that they were saved, it was calling God a liar, and saying that God did not do a complete work.

God said that He will remember our sins no more, so why do we keep bringing up what is forgiven and forgotten YOU ARE FORGIVEN.

Pastor Don said, “MY DOUBT DOES NOT NEGATE GOD’S TRUTH.”

In church there are three reasons why people carry on so much guilt:

satan tries to convince us of our guilt to prevent us from doing God’s work
We inflate our sense of unworthiness, which a sin of pride.
We are begging a compliment, which is also a sin of pride.

At some point we have to say, That was then, this is NOW. At what point do you accept the fact that you are grown. You have to grow up spiritually. When will the world have to stop paying us for the sins of our past, for the sins of what was done to us by others? No amount of love can fill the hole left by hurts in the past, it is impossible to re-do the past. What is gone is gone, and the next person can’t pay for what was done to us. We need a real healer, Jesus, in our lives to heal us. He paid for it all, and only the love from Jesus can fill that avoid with us.

I will continue this tomorrow. I am praying you have a great weekend.

Heather

I got such a blessing last night in an unexpected way when I went to New York.

During a Friday Bible study Pastor Don was talking about an evangelist called W.V. Grant, from Dallas. He had, some time ago, gone to one of Pastor Grant’s revivals in Virginia. Right now W.V. Grant is doing a revival in Brooklyn, New York. Some of our church members have been going there to be blessed. I was able to ride with a few members of our church to Brooklyn last night.

I went there skeptical. Most of you know that with my background in the occult I am very careful about people with gifts of the Spirit because I want to know which spirit these gifts come from. Satan can imitate what God does, and when people come to a meeting needy and hungry, satan is aware of their needs and if the pastor is not really right on, what is given may not be of God. This pastor, W.V. Grant was the real thing.

What was astounding to me was how many of the people present who sit under pastors in churches had so many huge presenting problems. So many needs and demonic influences which were oppressing them (not possessing, but oppressing – big difference there).

In our group, when Pastor Grant spoke over the people I was with, it was blessings, and the problems faced were presented as done, resolved. When he spoke over me he recognized that I had been through some intense stuff in my past, and he said, “It is finished and God will use it to bless others.” I knew it was finished, it had been finished awhile ago and God is using me to bless others. It was a good confirmation of what Pastor Don has already told me.

But what I came away with is a bigger blessing than that. I came away realizing that Pastor Don is an incredible shepherd of his sheep. That he, through God, has really helped us to resolve the issues we came to church with when we first walked through these doors. We are not walking around with gaping sores of spiritual hurt and pain. He has taught us the Word of God, how to apply the Word of God in our lives, and I am certain he prays for us, blesses us with his teachings, and has brought us to a point where healing occurs. When told these things, Pastor Don always reminds us that it is God, not him who had done this work in us.

It is sometimes interesting and nice to go and see another person’s ministry, but I fully realize that not all are as blessed as we are to have a pastor who is such a good shepherd. And I want to encourage you to find such a pastor, and when you do, stay put under the teachings of your pastor.

What keeps going through my mind is the last scene in the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy wants to go home and she is told to click her heels together and say, “There is no place like home, there is no place like home.” She realized that all that she needed was in her own back yard.

I used to not understand that movie when I was a kid, because with my past I would never have wanted to leave Oz, but truly right now I can say, “There is no place like my church home, there is no place like my church home.” I am so blessed and highly favored.

Praise God!

Heather

Now we are going to see Gehazi show his true colors, he is not as reliable as Elisha was for Elijah. The sad thing for me in this story is how easily something that God wants to do in a person’s life can be ruined by one step in error of another person. The message from God that Elisha wanted to show Naaman will be polluted by Gehazi. It makes me want to keep praying that I do not ever come behind a teacher and hurt the message given to another by something I say or do, or don’t say and do. Never do I want to interfere in the work God is doing in someone’s life.

Remember Naaman wanted to pay Elisha for the healing he received from leprosy. Elisha refused payment, for Elisha’s purpose was that Naaman would know that Israel had a prophet of God.  Naaman realized that the God of Elisha, God was God, but he had a problem because of his official duties. I find it wonderful that he cared enough about God to ask the following:

2 Kings 5:17-18 So Naaman said, “Then, if not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth: for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD. Yet in this thing may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon–when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD please pardon your servant in this thing.

Notice the difference in Naaman’s attitude toward Elisha, instead of being the proud warrior, Naaman now says, “your servant.” Elisha comes out to talk with Naaman and Naaman has a problem and a question for Elisha. Naaman’s master is a pagan king of Syria. Part of Naaman’s duties is to accompany the king into the pagan temple for worship, and he has to bow down to help the king down and up. Naaman will still have to do that, and he is saying that he will not worship the pagan gods when he bows down, but he will still have to bow down.

2 Kings 5:19 Then he said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him a short distance.

Elisha tells Naaman no problem.

Now we will see Gehazi’s meddling and ruining God’s message to Naaman, through greed.

2 Kings 5:20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared Naaman the Syrian, while not receiving from his hands what he brought; but as the LORD lives, I will run after him and take something from him.”

Pastor Don’s comment was “Oh, oh.” Here Gehazi is bringing God into this situation. Elisha had said he would take nothing, and Gehazi is going against what his teacher is saying. (Heather’s note, he is acting in the flesh, not at all concerned about the spiritual lesson Elisha might have been showing Naaman. Gehazi is more concerned about himself than the spiritual health of Naaman.)

2 Kings 5:21-22 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him he got down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is it well?” And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Indeed, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of garments.’”

Lies, none of this is the truth - Elisha did not send Gehazi to Naaman. Naaman now will begin to think that the gift of healing from God comes with a price. So Gehazi lied on God and He lied on Elisha. This lie tarnishes the purity of Elisha’s message, corrupts it for filthy lucre. It is stealing God’s glory in this situation.

2 Kings 5:23-24 So Naaman said, “Please take two talents.” And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and handed them to two of his servants; and they carried them on ahead of him. When he came to the citadel, he took them from their hand, and stored them away in the house; then he let the men go, and they departed.

Now He tries to hide the stuff. He makes a mistake many of us make when we try to hide things, we can’t hide anything from God.

2 Kings 5:25 Now he went in and stood before his master, Elisha said to him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant did not go anywhere.”

Another lie!

2 Kings 5:26  Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants?”

Busted! The Spirit of the Prophet knew what Gehazi did, Gehazi did not pull the wool over Elisha’s eyes. And not only that, but Elisha knew what Gehazi had in mind to do with the money – clothing, olive groves, vineyards, sheep, oxen and servants. It also is pointing to what Gehazi might have done had the prophetic mantle been passed to him.  (Heather’s note, I am sorry that Naaman got the wrong message, but glad that Gehazi was found out before he had gone any further in the training with Elisha.) We saw hints of Gehazi’s true colors when he showed such a lack of compassion for the woman whose son had died. He did not care about the sufferings of others.

2 Kings 5:27 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow.

Someone commented that it did not seem fair that this would continue on through the descendants, but the truth is that fathers teach their children by their example.

Pastor Don continued to share that we need discernment. Gehazi walked the walk and talked the talk, but His heart was not pure. Pastor Don pointed out that we are all at different levels spiritually, but we will not know know what we are made up of until the testing comes, and the testing always comes. Gehazi failed his test with Naaman, Baalam failed the test of delivering God’s message.

We will be tested. Jimmy Swaggert was tested with porn, Benny Hinn spent too much money on himself, far more than necessary. People will use those who fail a test to criticize the church, to say “The church is full of hypocrites.” and use that as a reason to not go to church. But there is a difference between the people of God (church) and God Himself. If we scratch the surface of us, there is hypocrisy in everyone at some point. And it is not who were are in our public persona, but who we are at night, or when no one else can see us. Until the testing comes we will not know exactly who we are or what we are made of.

Where will we draw the line? Do we cross over that line when the pressure is put on us, when our job is on the line, when we are financially strapped, when we are in a hostile country?

Elisha did not properly discern about Gehazi, Elisha is good, but lacked discernment in this instance.

If Gehazi had repented, told the truth, the outcome might have been different.  But God knew the heart of Gehazi, and since Gehazi was the servant of Elisha, God made sure that the mantle of Elisha would not pass to Gehazi.

Elisha was dependant on Elijah for his resources, as a servant of the prophet Elijah took care of Elisha and met his needs. Had Gehazi obeyed Elisha, Elisha would have continued meeting Gehazi’s needs as they walked together and Gehazi was discipled by Elisha.

Elisha is the same as us when we work with a disciple.
We go with what we know, and give the person the benefit of doubt. The Holy Spirit will send opportunities to let the person reveal their true nature. Then we will have greater discernment.

Had Elisha not acted on this new information about Gehazi, had he not spoken and caused the repercussions to come onto Gehazi, then Elisha would have met the fate of Eli, who ignored the sins of his sons (Gehazi was a spiritual son to Elisha), and Eli’s (the High Priest) sons stole from the people, burned wrong fire on the altar of incense and did much evil in God’s eyes, so God had Samuel the prophet predict the death of the sons and the death of Eli, and they ended up dying.

It was Elisha’s responsibility to make sure that when the mantle is passed it is passed to someone worthy of serving God.

Praying you have a blessed day.

Heather

Pastor Don continued in 2 Kings. I am so grateful that I get to sit under his teachings, for there is so much that I come away with from the Bible studies. I still chuckle when I remember that I couldn’t understand why people went to Bible studies, read the Bible once and move on to the next book. Little did I know the incredible depth that God put into His Word, and the interconnections between passages of scripture that give even more insight. Truly if I were only allowed to take one book to a deserted island, the Bible would be that book.

2 Kings 4:38-41 And Elisha returned to Gilgal, and there was  a famine in the land. Now the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” So one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered from it a lapful of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, though they did not know what they were. Then they served it to the men to eat. Now it happened, as they were eating the stew, that they cried out and said,, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it. So he said, “Then bring some flour,” And he put it into the pot and said, “Serve it to the people, that they may eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.

Pastor Don pointed out that when there is a problem, God knows the solution, even if that solution does not make sense to us. That He can tell us how to fix the problem, and if we do what He tells us, it is fixed perfectly. Pastor Don mused (speculated) that there must have been some sort of chemical reaction between the flour and whatever caused the poison. That one thing neutralized the other. This passage also shows how the prophet takes care of those who are under him.

2 Kings 4:42-44 Then a man came from Baal Shalisha and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain in his knapsack. And he said, “Give it to the people that they may eat.” But his servant said, “What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?” He said again, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the LORD: “They shall eat and have some left over.” So he set it before them; and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.”

(Heather’s musing, was this servant Gehazi who later shows more of his true colors? He sort of reminds me of Judas in this.)

Pastor Don told us that this passage should ring a bell with us (Jesus feeding the multitude). That we need to remember that when Jesus was on earth He was a man, and every miracle that Jesus did He did as a man. So we too can perform miracles with the Power of God. What Jesus did, we can do too. If we honor the principles of God, and apply them, God will honor them.

With the following passages I am combining Wednesday’s and Friday’s Bible studies together. That is another cool thing about Bible studies, the same passages taught by the same teacher still elicits new and exciting information. You can never, ever get too much Bible study.

2 Kings 5:1 Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper.

(Heather’s note, this reminds me of my studies in Daniel, that God is sovereign over the affairs of all on earth. Here is a pagan commander, and GOD is giving him the victory, it isn’t Naaman who brings on the victory, but the LORD.) Regarding this kind of leprosy, this is not the kind that isolated the person, for Naaman was able to be around people, but it was some kind of skin disease that was noticeable.

2 Kings 5:2-3 And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife. Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.”

Pastor Don pointed out that the servant girl cared enough about her master to tell him about Elisha. If her master was not a man of character, if he was cruel, the servant girl would have not said anything.

2 Kings 5:4-5 And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel.” Then the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing.

The king thought that Naaman would have to bribe for the healing.

2 Kings 5:6-7 Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy. And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.”

The king of Israel made a mistake here and misread the intent of the king of Syria. The king of Syria was honoring the king of Israel by sending Naaman to him first before having Naaman seek out the prophet. The king of Israel thought that the king of Syria was asking an impossible task of him so that he could accuse him and bring war to Israel. But this was not the intent. The king of Syria was not trying to pick a fight with Israel or to discredit the king of Israel. The tearing of the clothes was symbolic of disgust, anguish, despair, blasphemy.

2 Kings 5:8 So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

Elisha did not think the leprosy was such a big deal, and was going to use this to show Syria that there is a prophet of God in Israel.

2 Kings 5:9-11 Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’”

Naaman went to Elisha with preconceived ideas of how Elisha was going to heal him. It was presumptuous to come to the man of God and tell God what to do and how to do it. God does in His own way and His own time. Naaman felt that Elisha should come out to him – a prophet of God should never go to a ruler. The ruler should come to the prophet. When pastors go to the president when the president calls them to his office they are in error, reality the president should go to where the pastors are. Pastor Don pointed out that verse 11 is why we don’t see many miracles in the church, people put God into a box of their preconceived notions. They want to reduce God to a formula, a program, and if God acted one way in the past, they assume that that is how God will act in all similar circumstances.  Preconceived ideas short circuit the power of God. With God it is THY WILL BE DONE.

Regarding methods, God will pick a method that will make sure that He gets the glory. We want God to do it the way we think it should be, but God always knows the better way.

Pastor Don says that there are times when new people come to our church from other churches where they held a position of honor in the church - teacher, music minister, deacon, etc. When they come to our church Pastor Don does not immediately recruit them to work. He has them sit in the pews for a time and watches their character first. Many do not stick around because they thought they would be fawned over, but for Pastor Don it is not who you were, but what you are that matters. Usually they stay a few weeks and move on. Jesus also would point out shortcomings of those who followed him or wanted to follow him. An example is the rich young ruler.

Pastor Don then spent some time talking about a video and book one of the members gave him called “The Secret.” He said that the secret -that you can command the universe is a recipe for disaster. It is not OUR power, but that God gives us the authority that allows us to have any power over the universe. The Secret talks about how every rock, stone, plant, etc. has life force in it – that is true, but the life force is put there by the Creator. The secret wants to have all the power with God stripped out of the mix. God set the universe into play and He controls it by His Word, and He permits us to be intstruments of His purpose. What happens is that the techniques of the secret, stolen from Biblical principles, do work – but without God, the way is left open for satan to come in and manipulate results. When we remove God from the mix, we leave ourselves open for the enemy, and he will come in and permit things to happen until a person is so far removed from God, then the enemy will take back his “benevolent” attitude and knock a person down.

We can speak things into existence when they are in line with God’s will. When the prophet says no rain for 3 1/2 years, it won’t rain, but the prophet would not utter those words without the prompting of God. God did give us dominion over the earth, but He signs the check. Without the backing of God, satan will have a hey day.

Romans 10:17 So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

When we speak things into existence, when we speak in faith, it is the WORD OF GOD that we speak and hear. That is the true power.  You can’t access the power of the secret without the author of the secret, God. Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

The secret is to focus on God, and He will place those desires, and delights in giving them to us. Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

The secret is teaching half truths, and making them sound so biblical, but when taken out of context, or not including all that the scripture is saying, it then becomes dangerous. The universe does not obey us if we are ordering it around, unless we are in obedience to God, and then the universe is working in line with God’s will.

The secret tells us to know what we want and then we can create it. If we are not acting in God’s will, obeying the Creator, it is smoke and mirrors. The problem with all of these self-help secrets and books is that most of us do not have the self control to implement them. When you are seeking success, there is also the aspect of character. Your success can sometimes take you to places your character cannot support.

So Naaman decided that the prophet needed to come out and meet him (not just send a word), and that the prophet needed to wave his hand over the area. But that was not what was needed, and we are going to see the depth of Naaman’s pride with the next few verses.

2 Kings 5:12-13 Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more than, when he says to you, “Wash and be clean?”

At least Naaman was teachable, and listened to his servant. His servant also must have thought Naaman was a man of character, and was willing to listen to his servant’s good advice. It also showed that Naaman had different ideas of how God was going to heal him, and God and the Holy Spirit had other plans. The Jordan was a little river, and not all that clean either.

2 Kings 5:14-15 So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.”

Elisha achieved the purpose stated in verse 8, that he would know that there is a prophet in Israel.

2 Chronicles 20:20 …”Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”

When Naaman came to Elisha, he was a pagan, a nonbeliever, who was desperate. He sought out God because of desperation, the leprous condition of his body. We, who want to reach people, also have to realize that many who are hurting come to church desperate, having tried all other things and it hasn’t worked for them, so the Haaaave to go to church. (Heather’s note: Kind of in the same category of having to go to the dentist or some other distasteful activity.) They are not coming to church because they want to be like you. In fact, in their eyes we are a motley crew – we bicker, jockey for position, and are not always nice, pleasant, or act in the way that their preconceived notion says about how a Christian should act. They come with a  condition of hardened heart, and God meets their need. They get a response that changes them. The greatest tool that a righteous Christian has will blow them out of the water, the Word of God. Out of desperation they come to church with a HOPE, and God’s word will turn that hope into faith. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

Pastor Don said, for example, you don’t seek prosperity and tell God how you want Him to manifest it. We have to have faith in God, not faith in faith, not faith in a technique, or a certain way of doing things. God is the one who gets the Glory, not our methods or preconceived notions.

In verse 15, we see a change in Naaman’s attitude, no longer is he the proud commander, but he has realized that he is a servant of the prophet.

2 Kings 5:16 But he (Elisha) said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.” And he urged him to take it but he refused.

Elisha decided not to take any reward for the healing, He wanted to show that God could not be bought, and that the services of the prophet cannot be bought. This is a good lesson to the church, that it should not be controlled by money or gifts. There is a fine line between gratitude and profit. There is no price for a miracle, and so often many of the ministries are putting pressure to have people pay money into them. Of course, ministries do need money to run, and it is good to give money to ministries who reach out to other people, but it is not giving to get  something, but giving to God and God’s ministry. God will bless the gifts, but the gifts are not buying the response from God. God’s gifts are free. In this case, Elisha wanted to give a powerful message to Naaman that God and his prophets cannot be bought, and we will see that Gehazi will ruin that message with greed. God seeks to give to us, and some of his ministers also ruin the message of God’s love freely given with their greed.

I am going to leave the rest of this chapter for tomorrow so that the post is not super long.

Have a blessed day. We are looking “forward” to a major Nor’Easter not sure if it will be snow, floods, or what. Of course, the kids are hoping for a snow day on Monday.

Heather