General Log

Here find every blog post I’ve written. They’re in chronological order beginning with the most recent post, going backwards through the earlier posts, all the way to the beginning.

Willing to Trust?

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“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.” Matthew 23:37 NASB 95

Are we willing to trust, to come closer, to snuggle under the shadow of the Lord’s wings and stay there?

When He spoke these words, Jesus knew difficult days were coming. He longed to gather God’s people together, close to himself, and protect them. Yet He finished His statement by making this sad comment, “and you were unwilling.”

Recently I had a strange dream. I saw a man-sized hen walking among people some distance away. Suddenly she was in my face. It startled me – to suddenly be eye to eye with a huge chicken. That chicken was in my personal space and close enough to peck my face! Unnerved, I looked in her eyes. The tenderness that was in the hen’s eyes became apparent. Maybe this hen likes me. But could I trust her, or should I flee? I awoke with the dream’s memory freshly intact and feelings of uncertainty swirling.

That chicken reminded me of a traumatic childhood incident. While walking through my neighborhood a German Shepherd approached me wagging its tail. I liked dogs so began petting it. Suddenly that dog stopped wagging, bared its teeth and lunged for my arm. He tore a big swath out of my coat. The experience deeply frightened me. Would this chicken be unpredictable and turn vicious as that dog did? Could I trust it?

The eyes of that hen looked strangely familiar.  Lord, was that You? Did You come to me in the form of a hen, in my dream? Dreams can be strange that way! As I researched and pondered the possible meanings of this dream, I came across the Matthew 23:37 and the dream began to make sense.

In Psalm 91 it says:  “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, who abides in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust. For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.” Psalm 91:1-4 RSV

Tumultuous times began before the Presidential election of 2020. They continue into this 2024 Presidential election cycle. We live in unprecedented times. Unusual events are happening and they are not over. The closer the people of God can get to the heart of God and to each other, the more deeply we can trust in the Lord, the safer we will all be from any coming storm.

Let us receive healing from our past traumas and anything else that causes us to remain aloof from the One whom we should trust. Let us put our trust more fully in the Lord. Let us find our resting place close to God, remaining stable and fixed under His wings, near each other, safe from any oncoming trouble.

There is much deception out there these days. Whose report do we believe? Is this or that real? What is the truth? “Jesus said…, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6 ESV

 My suggestion to you is to draw near to the author of Truth. Put your trust in Him. Shed all internal misgivings you feel toward Him. God is absolutely good! Avoid what distracts from building that trust. Get closer to Him. Stay under His wings! How? Keep reading and you’ll find one suggestion.

For help with heart issues consider utilizing the Praying Medic’s relatively new book entitled, “Emotional Healing Made Simple.”  I have found it helpful. The author doesn’t know I am suggesting his book to you. May the Prince of Peace be with you in ever increasing ways!

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

Jesus loves you and wants to gather you under His wings like a hen gathers her chicks!

Note: Bible references taken from blueletterbible.org

 Day of Atonement Basics for Believers in Jesus

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Yom Kippur Begins in the Evening. New Days Start around Sunset in Genesis

The story of God’s great rescue of mankind from destruction begins in the Old Testament.  There the preeminence of Jesus Christ is foreshadowed throughout His Story. Hidden among many other nuggets pointing to Christ are the annual Jewish Appointed Times that take place in the Spring and the Fall Seasons.  Considered by practicing Jews as the most holy of all, the Day of Atonement is one of them.  It’s also called Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur 2022 begins Tuesday evening October 4.

The book of Leviticus specifies that on this special day the Israelis are to gather at the temple in Jerusalem, rest from all of their work, afflicted themselves, and cleanse their souls from sin. Back when there was a temple in Jerusalem, the priests would offer animal sacrifices on Yom Kippur as specified, including two male goats. The goats were sin offerings of one sort or another. (See Leviticus 16: 7-22).

Here’s what happened back then with the goats: A priest would offer up one goat as a sin offering at the temple in the usual way and use its blood to cleanse certain places as well as all the people from their uncleanness.

Later Aaron would put his hands on the second goat’s head and confess the people’s sins, imputing their sins into that goat. Then the goat would be dropped off in some remote wilderness area. It would not be able to find its way back to their camp and probably would not survive. This practice of shunning and casting away one goat that is bearing the sin of the group is where the term “scapegoat” came from.

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Fall Feasts Basics for Christians

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Link to watch on YouTube

How Old Testament Fall Feasts are Relevant Today.

We’re mid-stream between two of three major annual Old Testament Fall Feasts; moving away from the first toward the second. The first was the Feast of Trumpets, (which corresponds with the Jewish Civic New Year). It’s called Rosh Hashanah, began at sundown on September 25th and ended at sundown on September 27, 2022. According to the Jewish Civic Calendar we have now entered the year 5783. The next major appointed time is Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, which begins on October 5, 2022. After that comes Sukkot, also called the Feast of Tabernacles. Sukkot 2022 will begin in the evening of Sunday, October 9 and ends the evening of Sunday, October 16. It has 6 plus days, and the 8th is also celebrated.

The Feast of Trumpets is the first major biblical appointed time of the Fall Season. It corresponds to the Civic New Year. According to scripture, on that day the Jewish people were to rest from work, make a food offering , shout and blast shofars,  and present themselves to the Lord for his blessing; not necessarily in that order.

For Christians the Feast of Trumpets, can be considered a call to look for Jesus Christ’s return. It’s also possible the blasts and shouting specifically foreshadow the catching away of the church, with the marriage supper of the Lamb to follow. This feast reminds us to be awake, watch and live ready.

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Jesus is the Superstar and We Need Each Other

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Piecing the Parts Together

Take a look at these photos one by one without peeking ahead if possible:  

What do you think is going on here? Is he angry? Is the sun making him squint? Perhaps he’s looking off in the distance. Maybe he needs glasses. Could he be frustrated? How does he feel?

Let’s add another part to the whole.

What impression do you have now? Could he be surprised? Maybe he’s at the dentist or possibly getting a throat exam. Perhaps he’s calling out to a loved one? With only eyes and mouth to look at, it’s hard to tell, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it help to see more of the body to better figure out the puzzle?

Of course! But take a guess, if you will, before you go ahead and look.

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ONE IN THE GLORY

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Days of Extremes

We’re living in a new era; the nebulous grey zone in the middle is disappearing. Lines are being drawn. People can no longer sit on the fence but rather they’re falling off on either the side of light or darkness. Some, feeling increasingly uncomfortable with where they landed, are finding they want to switch sides. Many are beginning to look to God for answers, for hope, for freedom and for life; some for the first time. Hunger to escape darkness is more and more propelling seekers of light into churches.  Will they find what they’re looking for? Will they be drawn by an adequate witness, seeing how good God is and how much He loves them?

Oneness is Lacking

Will there be an adequate witness within churches as gazillions of denominations and non-denominations argue over points of doctrine, faith, and practice; with believers criticizing other believers? That’s not impressive or strikingly different from the world’s ways. What will cause God’s people to become one; to focus on what we have in common rather than obsess over our differences? Only the body of Christ moving

as One, mature in Christ, showing the love and power of God can present an adequate witness to a lost world.  How will we become ONE? Not by human effort but by the Spirit of God.

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My Thanksgiving Story

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Monday a friend and I did some shopping together at a distant location. We loaded our selections of bagged products into her trunk, hers on the left side and mine on the right.  Next we drove back to the community center in her neighborhood where my car was waiting. She parked beside my car so we could easily transfer bags from her trunk into mine.  As I prepared to get out of the car it occurred to me to tell her she could just stay inside if she wanted and I would do the transfer because when we’d shopped together previously she’d helped me transfer the goods.

Being the kind hearted soul that she is, she disregarded my suggestion and got out of her car to help me. We moved my share of the bags from her trunk to mine and shut the trunks. That’s when she reached for the handle of her car door on the driver’s side. It wouldn’t open. Pale faced, she looked at me with eyes protruding. Oh no!  Her car was locked with the engine running. We both peered through the car’s windows and saw her keys dangling in the ignition. Glancing back, I again took in the distressed look on her face.

God’s peace was steadying my heart as I stood on the other side of her car. The thought entered my mind to open the passenger side door. Without a doubt or thought of consideration on how unlikely this would be to work, I pulled on the handle. The door readily opened. Next I pushed the unlock button so my friend could get in on her side. She sighed and smiled and opened the door. Then I looked at her and said, “That should not have worked.”

“I know!” she replied.

We both went our way, me thinking about what had just transpired.

 The driver’s side of a car has the master control over locking a car. If you lock the driver’s side the entire car will lock with one push. Models vary in precisely how unlocking works but it is consistent that when the driver’s side locks so do all the other doors. Most cars are designed that way. It’s a convenience to the driver and a safety for the vehicle to lock all doors in one action. Toyotas work that way and her’s is a Camery. Since the driver’s door was locked all the other doors should also have locked. But we got back in easily against all logic.  Praise God!

Did we have some supernatural help? Did angels work with us to resolve this perplexing situation? It wouldn’t surprise me! It wouldn’t be the first time God has helped his children get through locked places in times of distress. There are biblical example of unlockings happening in the book of Acts. See Acts Chapters 5 and 12.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+5%3A17-23&version=ESV https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+12%3A10&version=ESV

God watches over his children and sometimes he does supernatural acts to help them. And he often does them without fanfare or fireworks. He can be so subtle. He’s not about showing off but helping out. There were no flashing lights, no bullhorns, no parade; just a simple, quiet, impossible resolution to a problem. The door opened when it shouldn’t have. Now God’s kids could be about the business they were called to that day rather than be waylaid by a problem that could have taken considerable time to resolve. Yet I could have missed it and gone on about my day without paying attention to what had happened. Let’s take note of God’s merciful kind actions on our behalf. Let’s give him the credit and the praise for the good things he has done and be thankful for his kindness and his love.

HAPPY Thanksgiving!

Comfort in Times of Turmoil

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Photo by Magda Ehlers on Pexels.com

Enjoy, meditate on, receive encouragementy from, and even memorize this promise for the righteous. It’s so appropriate for  this stormy time in history: Isaiah 54:11- 15.
This morning a scripture came to mind and this evening I heard another read it elsewhere on a prayer call as a promise at this time. So I take that as confirmation this is a NOW scripture for this turmoltious time. Here it is:
Isa 54:11-15 KJV
(11)  O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.
(12)  And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
(13)  And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
(14)  In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.
(15)  Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.
God wants to be your stable place in the midst of the storm. Say ‘yes’ to him. Follow him. Trust him and fear will ease its grip on you. Believe his promises. Yield to his leading. Then you will find his peace. The peace of his presence will surround you and increase upon you as you continue in your direction toward knowing God; this in which you have begun. Your choice will have a postive effect on the generations to come.

Jesus Ascended & Sent the Spirit

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Thursday is Ascension Day. There will be 10 days from the Day of Ascension until Pentecost Sunday, which is May 31st in 2020. Consider it could be beyond important for you to prepare. Several leaders in the prophetic community have said Passover this year was more like the first Passover than any other ever in history. That’s because in Jerusalem (as well as here) people didn’t just celebrate it, people observed it. Families stayed in their homes hoping destruction would pass by.  At the first Passover the plague of destruction was death of the firstborn. This time around it was the COVID-19 virus. Since this year’s Passover, was so unique, it has been suggested that this year’s Pentecost will also be like no other with a great outpouring of the Spirit of God arriving around that time.

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Who was passed over at the first Passover? Who escaped death of their firstborn? Those who remained in their homes after having placed the blood of the lamb on their lintels and doorposts; they were spared. Who received the baptism of the Spirit and fire? Those who remained in the upper room waiting with holy expectation while worshiping together and preparing themselves; they experienced the wind and fire of God.  In both cases the obedient received the blessing, the protection and the empowerment of God. The community at large was mostly oblivious. Where are you now with all this? How much do you want to position yourself for whatever God may be about to do on the earth?

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Be Transfigured! What?

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The Bible could have translated it that way! Instead Romans 12:2 usually reads “be changed” or “be transformed by the renewal of your mind” but they could have written “be transfigured.” It’s the same word in the Greek!

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The Greek the word is Strongs #G3339 – “metamorphoo.” Our word metamorphosis is related to it. This power packed word is only used five times in the New Testament and three of those times describe what happened to Jesus during a supernatural encounter when he met with Moses and Elijah on a mountain top in view of three of his disciples. Jesus face shown like the sun. Father God spoke. Jesus’ disciples became terrified and fell on their faces. That’s the word being used! The other two times the word is used, it’s translated as “transformed” and it’s directed toward believers. We are instructed to receive transformation from the LORD.

Let’s expand our understanding of this amazing word. It’s describing metamorphosis of soul; making God’s kids into people of excellence, beautiful, pure and holy; perhaps barely recognizable in comparison with the way folks started out. We’re not talking about just a wee bit of change here and there, a new idea or two. Transformation is to receive an entire makeover; day by day becoming a mature new creation reality, a mature son, more and more displaying the character of Christ, walking out his heart, mind and actions in the way we live our lives.

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Prophecy from God? Today? Let’s Talk!

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                          males-2373737_1920
Some folks claim there is no longer a legitimate prophetic gift of God in operation among Christians. They say Christ came and the gift of prophecy stopped right away or shortly thereafter. Have you ever heard or perhaps even yourself said, “We have Jesus. We have the Bible. So we don’t need prophecy any longer. God doesn’t do that anymore.” This perspective is called cessationist and it’s sometimes backed up with scriptures such as the one below.
harold-933746_1920“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.” (Heb 1:1-4 ESV)

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