So the question was posed....If you could pick your personality from all the people in the bible, excluding Jesus, who would you want to be like?
Well, after careful consideration I have decided I would like to be Deborah and Jael. You can read the story in Judges. They were both women that were fearless!
Deborah was a homemaker and an ordinary woman but she was extremely devoted to God. People would come to her for counsel and direction in their everyday lives. She had enthusiasm and faith that kindled the people around her. She believed God for big things, she inspired people around her to believe God and she enabled people to act quickly and radically for God. When people were panicking around her she was able to lead them to victory! Religious zeal and patriotism could sum her up. When her leadership faltered, she was able to rise up and be the deliverer.
She was able to speak to her leadership positively even when she was let down and encourage him to "GO"!
She ended up leading a war and her spiritual insight was all she leaned on! They where up against the impossible. God used nature and the elements of the earth to bring her victory!
She believed that if people just put their hope in God and honor Him that He would deliver them and lead them to victory. Even when the people around her had a lack of vision or faith...her faith was able to carry them!
In Judges 4:9 she showed that she was a prophet as well. She said that a woman would win the war. That is when Jael comes into the picture, another woman. She was in a tent that the enemy fled into. She acted hospitable and let the enemy come in and she served him milk. When he relaxed and fell asleep she drove a metal peg through his temple....killing the enemy! As you can see, she was strong, coarse, hard and very courageous! She wasn't fragile and scared, she wasn't waiting for a deliverer,she rose to the occasion and became the deliverer.
Two woman that showed Gods power and might!
1st a homemaker
2nd a counselor
3rd a warrior
4th a prophet
There are many many woman in the bible....they love God and are used by God in mighty ways!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
I didnt speak for a week....
- It taught me to be very cautious of what I said, everything I said I had to write down and it took forever! I didn't want to waste my time on idol Babel, it took to long to write!
- It showed me how frustrated I get when I am unable to communicate. I would get so frustrated that I would cry. On the 4th day I had to start over cause I blew up! It seemed like people didn't think I wasn't important enough to take the time to communicate with me, at least a couple of people.
- It taught me to be slow to speak, again, I had to write it down so I had time to think about what I was going to say and a lot of times I would erase it and say never mind.
- It showed me how important it is to communicate and to communicate the right way!
- It showed me how much people depended on me, (good and bad), I felt loved and also stuck...because I couldn't help them!
- It also showed me how little people pay attention; some people didn't even realize I wasn't speaking....I guess it is no biggy but it could really affect some people if they aren't noticed. Some people noticed that don't even live in the same state as me, lol (Johnson). ....Crazy!
- It taught me not to care what people thought of me....I felt people were going to think I was being to religious or to spiritual....who cares! There was a time though- that would have really bothered me. I really only care what God thinks! YAAAA! I have been delivered!
- I learned that talking could be a form of bondage. Not knowing when to speak or what to say can be destructive to our well being and the well being of others around us!
- I heard from God easier,....because I was not talking, I was listening!
- I learned Patience...because when I heard from God on what to do and what He wanted me to do, I still had to wait tell my fast was completed to move forward.
- I learned that fires don't go out unless there is no more wood (words) or a whole bunch of water (Jesus); in my case... both had to take place!
- I have learned who really cares.. what you have to say, and who is patient enough to deal with you under hard circumstances, cause they take the time to read your notes and wait for you to write them and it is very time consuming! The people that get irritated and the people that just realize they love you and want to be there for you.
- I learned that my tone and my body language in some cases where just excuses that people used not to communicate or face problems.
- When I was quite (the people that knew I wasn't able to talk) rose to the occasion. Normally they didn't give their input, but they showed their love by talking for me!
- I noticed that a lot of times when I was writing something, people would assume half way through the statement what I was writing, 99% of the time, they were wrong on there assumptions. Blew my mind! We wander why there is so much miscommunication, we think we know what people are saying before they finish! Even when I wrote it in black and white it was assumed what I was writing. People would interrupt me writing!!!
I pray that everything I learned would be in my heart for the rest of my life...I don't want this to be something forgotten! I want to be slow to speak, I want my words to carry weight and I want to know what to say and what not to say and even better when to say it! I don't want to talk just because I have a mouth! I want to be a vessel that God can use to speak to the broken hearted and the lost. I desire to bless people and God with my mouth and not curse them. My words can speak life or death and I don't want to be careless with it! Think before I speak and not in anger! Oh God... that my words would be acceptable and pleasing to You!
Proverbs 10:19 (NLT) Too much talk leads to sin.
Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Reconciliation......?
God reconciled us to Him- through Jesus. We don't have to be reconciled to Him if we don't want to be. But God has left the door open to us if we choose to accept His forgiveness. We have sinned against God, but with all His love and desire for our best, He sent His son to die for us even though we were His enemy! How many of us would die for someone that is our enemy and a lot of times hates us? Will we- no matter the pain or hurt committed against us, be willing to die for the very person that has hurt us? Jesus did that very thing! True attempt to reconcile: is when we lay our pride down and do what God did for us. We crucify ourselves- to bring forgiveness against sin committed against us. We do this by going to the person and talking about it. It is uncomfortable but the outcome of reconciliation is more important. After the crucifying however, it is up to the person to accept that sacrifice of humility or "uncomfortable feelings" and be set free from the bondage of sin or the bondage of offence. We can't make people accept Jesus' sacrifice for their sin nor can we make them accept our sacrifice of love towards them. They can accept it and believe that we truly love them or they can deny it and say we were not sincere. A lot of people say things like..... "if there was really a God then why is there all this pain", but the bottom line is there is healing in Jesus and God has supplied the healing.... people are just not willing to accept it. They choose to hold on to their sin and the pain that comes from it. They try and blame everyone around them for their pain but refuse to face the issue head on. If people choose to deal with issues they will be reconciled. Just like if they choose to accept Jesus sacrifice on the cross, they will be forgiven!
The parallel with reconciliation with God and are brethren is the same and very vivid when you look at it correctly.
The parallel with reconciliation with God and are brethren is the same and very vivid when you look at it correctly.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Why do you cry to Me? GO FORWARD! Gen 14:15
God brought me to this scripture years ago....and again brings it to me today! I am so thankful for His faithfulness! He truly loves us and wants the best for us! We need to be obedient, regardless of how hard it is and how we feel!
Eternity is along time to think about what we should have done, is it worth it?
THE PRAYER OF UNBELIEF
You’ve heard of the prayer of faith. I believe there is a mirror image of
this prayer, a prayer that is based on flesh. I call it the prayer of unbelief.
I want to pose a question to you. Have you ever heard the Lord tell you,
“Quit praying—get up off your knees”? Has his Spirit ever commanded you,
“Stop crying, and wipe your eyes. Why are you on your face before me?”
The Lord spoke these very words to Moses: “The Lord said unto Moses,
Wherefore criest thou unto me?” (Exodus 14:15). The literal Hebrew meaning of
the verse is, “Why are you shrieking at me? Why all the loud pleading in my
ears?”
Why would God say this to Moses? Here was a godly, praying man, in the crisis
of his life. The Israelites were being chased by Pharaoh, with no escape. Most
Christians would probably react as Moses did. He set out for an isolated
hillside and got alone with the Lord. Then he poured out his heart in prayer.
When God heard Moses shrieking, he told him, “Enough.” Scripture is not
explicit about what follows. But at that point God might have said, “You have
no right to agonize before me, Moses. Your cries are an affront to my
faithfulness. I’ve already given you my solemn promise of deliverance. And
I’ve instructed you specifically on what to do. Now, stop crying.”
As we face our own crises, we may convince ourselves, “Prayer is the most
important thing I can do right now.” But a time comes when God calls us to
act, to obey his Word in faith. At such a time, he won’t allow us to retreat
to a wilderness to pray. That would be disobedience and any prayers would be
offered in unbelief.
The prayer of unbelief takes into account only God’s goodness. It ignores the
severity of his holy judgments. Paul writes, “Behold therefore the goodness
and severity of God” (Romans 11:22). The apostle purposely mentions God’s
goodness and severity in the same breath here. He’s saying one can’t be
separated from the other.
In the Old Testament, Isaiah stated it this way: “Behold, the Lord’s hand
is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot
hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your
sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are
defiled with blood” (Isaiah 59:1–3).
Beloved, God didn’t change between the Old Testament and the New. He’s a
God of love and mercy, as Isaiah points out. But he still hates sin because
he’s holy and just. That’s why he told Israel, “I can’t hear you
because of your sin.”
Consider the words of the psalmist David: “I cried unto him with my mouth,
and he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord
will not hear me: but verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice
of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away [ignored] my prayer”
(Psalm 66:17–20).
The psalmist is saying, “I saw there was iniquity in my heart and I refused
to live with it. So I went to the Lord to get cleansed. Then he heard my
prayer. But if I had held on to my sin, God wouldn’t have listened to my
cry.”
~David Wilkerson
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2010
""Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds"".
~ Albert Einstein
You’ve heard of the prayer of faith. I believe there is a mirror image of
this prayer, a prayer that is based on flesh. I call it the prayer of unbelief.
I want to pose a question to you. Have you ever heard the Lord tell you,
“Quit praying—get up off your knees”? Has his Spirit ever commanded you,
“Stop crying, and wipe your eyes. Why are you on your face before me?”
The Lord spoke these very words to Moses: “The Lord said unto Moses,
Wherefore criest thou unto me?” (Exodus 14:15). The literal Hebrew meaning of
the verse is, “Why are you shrieking at me? Why all the loud pleading in my
ears?”
Why would God say this to Moses? Here was a godly, praying man, in the crisis
of his life. The Israelites were being chased by Pharaoh, with no escape. Most
Christians would probably react as Moses did. He set out for an isolated
hillside and got alone with the Lord. Then he poured out his heart in prayer.
When God heard Moses shrieking, he told him, “Enough.” Scripture is not
explicit about what follows. But at that point God might have said, “You have
no right to agonize before me, Moses. Your cries are an affront to my
faithfulness. I’ve already given you my solemn promise of deliverance. And
I’ve instructed you specifically on what to do. Now, stop crying.”
As we face our own crises, we may convince ourselves, “Prayer is the most
important thing I can do right now.” But a time comes when God calls us to
act, to obey his Word in faith. At such a time, he won’t allow us to retreat
to a wilderness to pray. That would be disobedience and any prayers would be
offered in unbelief.
The prayer of unbelief takes into account only God’s goodness. It ignores the
severity of his holy judgments. Paul writes, “Behold therefore the goodness
and severity of God” (Romans 11:22). The apostle purposely mentions God’s
goodness and severity in the same breath here. He’s saying one can’t be
separated from the other.
In the Old Testament, Isaiah stated it this way: “Behold, the Lord’s hand
is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot
hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your
sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are
defiled with blood” (Isaiah 59:1–3).
Beloved, God didn’t change between the Old Testament and the New. He’s a
God of love and mercy, as Isaiah points out. But he still hates sin because
he’s holy and just. That’s why he told Israel, “I can’t hear you
because of your sin.”
Consider the words of the psalmist David: “I cried unto him with my mouth,
and he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord
will not hear me: but verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice
of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away [ignored] my prayer”
(Psalm 66:17–20).
The psalmist is saying, “I saw there was iniquity in my heart and I refused
to live with it. So I went to the Lord to get cleansed. Then he heard my
prayer. But if I had held on to my sin, God wouldn’t have listened to my
cry.”
~David Wilkerson
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2010
""Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds"".
~ Albert Einstein
Saturday, September 18, 2010
"The Bait of Satan" by John Bevere
Friday, September 17, 2010
RELIGOUIS NITPICKING!
2 Timothy 2:14-18 (The Message)
14-18Repeat these basic essentials over and over to God's people. Warn them before God against pious nitpicking, which chips away at the faith. It just wears everyone out. Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won't be ashamed of, laying out the truth plain and simple. Stay clear of pious talk that is only talk. Words are not mere words, you know. If they're not backed by a godly life, they accumulate as poison in the soul. Hymenaeus and Philetus are examples, throwing believers off stride and missing the truth by a mile by saying the resurrection is over and done with.
Pious= Having or exhibiting religious reverence; earnestly compliant in the observance of religion; devout. See Synonyms at religious
RELIGIOUS NITPICKING!
14-18Repeat these basic essentials over and over to God's people. Warn them before God against pious nitpicking, which chips away at the faith. It just wears everyone out. Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won't be ashamed of, laying out the truth plain and simple. Stay clear of pious talk that is only talk. Words are not mere words, you know. If they're not backed by a godly life, they accumulate as poison in the soul. Hymenaeus and Philetus are examples, throwing believers off stride and missing the truth by a mile by saying the resurrection is over and done with.
Pious= Having or exhibiting religious reverence; earnestly compliant in the observance of religion; devout. See Synonyms at religious
RELIGIOUS NITPICKING!
Is it worth it?
It amazes me, the things that we lose the victory over! Stupid stuff, that in the end won't matter. People please keep things in perspective, the day we are on our death bed, we will wish we spent our time wisely! Loving our loved ones, laughing with them, listening to what matters to them. Caring for them the way we want to be cared for! It is a time investment! What matters most? What do we neglect in order to get what we want? Do we neglect our kids to cooking or cleaning, neglect our husbands because we are busy reading or watching a move? In the end will it be worth it? Really- worth it? When I die I want everyone to remember me as authentic person, not fake! Not just words, I want to really love with all my heart and not just pretend that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing. I don't want to regret even one minute spent on laziness or idleness. We really convince ourselves of the lies! All in the name of anger and hurt- we hurt others!!!!!!!!!!!! We are so selfish as human beings! Our pride stinks in the nostrils of God! God help us.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The Tabernacle....does it show us anything today as New Testiment beleivers?
So during worship service I try and think of what I am singing and I always knew the idea of the holy of hollies.....what it was etc. But I never studied it and then I had a friend tell me some things about it that stirred me up to study it more in depth. What I found really helped me have a deeper understanding of what God wants and expects of us. Let me explain:
I want to draw a parallel between the different sections in the tabernacle and what we experience today in our personal walk with God.
1.) The Gate of the tabernacle- there was only one entrance into the tabernacle.
There is only one way to God...Jesus
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Jesus Christ, He is the only way in!
Jesus is the gate...
“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” (John 10:9)
2.) The Brazen alter of the tabernacle- The 1st thing you see when you enter the gate is an alter where a sacrifice was made for your sins. It was bloody! The only way to cover your sins was through the shedding of blood.
Exodus 30:20
When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the LORD, they shall wash with water, lest they die.
Jesus on the cross would be that sacrifice today...You would see the horror of your sin and what it has done, how bad your sin really is. It is so bad that blood was shed for the payment of your sin. Here you would be forgiven.
“For you know that … you were redeemed … with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)
"He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.” (Leviticus 1:4)
notice: he laid his hands on the head of the animal being sacrificed. If he didn't make it personal...with his hands- he would take it lightly.
3.) The laven- or basin of the tabernacle, was a large bowl filled with water located halfway between the brazen altar, and the Holy Place. This was for the hands and the feet to be washed
If we are reading the Bible and God's word it will wash us, and cleanse us from the dirt that gets on our minds, renewing us to go further.
“…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)
4.) Entering the holy place- the tent.
The 1st room of the tent has 3 pieces of furniture: the menorah (lampstand), table of showbread and the golden alter of incense.
“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually. Outside the curtain of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps before the Lord from evening till morning, continually.’” (Leviticus 24:1-3)
Jesus said:
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” (John 9:46)
Without the light the priest could not see to go further.
In Revelations, it says that if we (talking to Christians) don't repent and do the first works; He will remove our lampstand. (Revelations 2:5)
If He removes our lampstands, we will not be able to see, we will stumble and fall.
Jesus said:
“I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. … Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die.” (John 6:35, 49-50)
“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’” (Matthew 26:26)
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelations 3:20)
“…for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56:7)
“May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” (Psalm 141:2)
“Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand.” (Revelations 8:3-4)
Matthew 27:51 (NKJV)
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split
6.)The Ark of the Covenant was a sacred and portable chest. It was the most important item to the people of God. It was a portable sanctuary. No one could touch it, if they did it would kill them, they transported it with poles on their shoulders.
Inside the Ark of the covenant you would find 3 items:
Interesting...the 3 things in the Ark of the covenant...
John 14:15 (NKJV)
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.
To hear the song that inspired me to study this follow the link:
The tabernacle was a place where the people of God went to worship, a place where people could focus on Gods presence. There where different sections in the Tabernacle.
I want to draw a parallel between the different sections in the tabernacle and what we experience today in our personal walk with God.
1.) The Gate of the tabernacle- there was only one entrance into the tabernacle.
There is only one way to God...Jesus
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
Jesus Christ, He is the only way in!
Jesus is the gate...
“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” (John 10:9)
2.) The Brazen alter of the tabernacle- The 1st thing you see when you enter the gate is an alter where a sacrifice was made for your sins. It was bloody! The only way to cover your sins was through the shedding of blood.
Exodus 30:20
When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the LORD, they shall wash with water, lest they die.
Jesus on the cross would be that sacrifice today...You would see the horror of your sin and what it has done, how bad your sin really is. It is so bad that blood was shed for the payment of your sin. Here you would be forgiven.
“For you know that … you were redeemed … with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)
"He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.” (Leviticus 1:4)
notice: he laid his hands on the head of the animal being sacrificed. If he didn't make it personal...with his hands- he would take it lightly.
3.) The laven- or basin of the tabernacle, was a large bowl filled with water located halfway between the brazen altar, and the Holy Place. This was for the hands and the feet to be washed
If we are reading the Bible and God's word it will wash us, and cleanse us from the dirt that gets on our minds, renewing us to go further.
“…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)
4.) Entering the holy place- the tent.
The 1st room of the tent has 3 pieces of furniture: the menorah (lampstand), table of showbread and the golden alter of incense.
- The first piece of furniture was the menorah. It was the golden Lamp stand or candle stick, The candles were to be burning continuously; they were to never go out. Olive oil and wicks were sticking out. It was the only light that would allow the priest to see where he was going inside the tabernacle. Without this light he would stumble and not be able to see where or what he was doing. Without this light they wouldn’t be able to see the show bread and the alter of incense.
“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually. Outside the curtain of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps before the Lord from evening till morning, continually.’” (Leviticus 24:1-3)
Jesus said:
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” (John 9:46)
Without the light the priest could not see to go further.
In Revelations, it says that if we (talking to Christians) don't repent and do the first works; He will remove our lampstand. (Revelations 2:5)
If He removes our lampstands, we will not be able to see, we will stumble and fall.
- The second piece of furniture was the table of showbread, also called bread of the presence. (12 loaves of bread, representing the 12 tribes, Gods people) Only the priest could eat the bread, and they only could eat it in the holy place. It was a picture of communion with God. God wanted to have communion and fellowship with man. An invitation to share a meal.
Jesus said:
“I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. … Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die.” (John 6:35, 49-50)
“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’” (Matthew 26:26)
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelations 3:20)
- The golden altar of incense was the third piece of furniture- which is not to be confused with the brazen altar, sat in front of the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Hollies. This is where the incense burned, at the same time as the burnt offering, at the same time every day, (morning and evening, continually burning all the time night and day. It was made of stacte, onycha, galbanum and frankincence and it was considered holy. It was not to be copied for perfumes or for their own consumption; it was set apart only for God.
“…for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56:7)
“May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” (Psalm 141:2)
“Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand.” (Revelations 8:3-4)
The Veil was a curtain that separated the 2 different sections. Only the High Priest was permitted to go past it, into the Holy of Holies.
5.) Holy of Holies- this is where you would find The Ark of the Covenant. No ordinary person would enter here, it was Gods special dwelling place. This was only for the High Priest, the one set apart for God.
- The Veil (Curtain)- made of 10 blue, purple and scarlet fine linen curtains. This was torn from top to bottom when Jesus died on the cross (Matt 27:51) Symbolizing that all men could come to God, not just the priest
Matthew 27:51 (NKJV)
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split
6.)The Ark of the Covenant was a sacred and portable chest. It was the most important item to the people of God. It was a portable sanctuary. No one could touch it, if they did it would kill them, they transported it with poles on their shoulders.
- The Ark of the Covenant had a Mercy seat. It was covered in gold. The high priest would sprinkle blood for the atonement (price) for our sins. It was a picture of Gods mercy to forgive sin.
- The Cherubim was the part of the mercy seat which had two cherubim. They were angelic statues standing on opposite ends facing each other with their wings stretched out, their faces where bowed toward the mercy seat.
Inside the Ark of the covenant you would find 3 items:
- The first thing was the Rod of Aaron that budded- which was to remind people that God places our leaders in position and not to rebel against them!
- The second was Manna- which was a picture of Gods provision....God always supplies our needs, He fed His people in the desert with miracle food from heaven. They only could take enough for the day cause it would go bad by the next day.
- The third thing was the Ten Commandments- stone tablets with Gods law on them.
Interesting...the 3 things in the Ark of the covenant...
- A picture of God's leadership
- A picture of God's provision
- The commandments
John 14:15 (NKJV)
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.
To hear the song that inspired me to study this follow the link:
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The Walls in your life!
Proverbs 18:19 A brother offended is harder to be won over than a strong city, and [their] contentions separate them like the bars of a castle.
Have you ever felt like there are walls in your life that hinder your walk with God and prevent you from doing the will of God to your full potential? It could be walls around your heart or someone elses heart....I have been doing a study on destroying those walls! We all have hurts and pains in our lives, they will either make us or break us! Its a decision you have to make! If you dont make the decision to destroy those walls you will be a prisoner to them. You need to let God heal you or you won't make it.
Joshua 6
The people where commanded to walk around Jericho once for 6 days; on the 7th day they where to walk around it 7 times. On the first day. Joshua commanded not a word to be spoken (Josh 6:10)....not even a whisper! This, I beleive, was because their ancestors died in the wilderness because they complained grumbled, and murmered about everything they had to do and every trial that came their way. God did miracle after miracle and still they complained constantly....no matter how many miracles they saw....they would not let God change them and heal them. Because of that, they did not make it to the promise land. It was an 11 day journey that ended up being 40yrs and in the end they still didnt make it to the promise land! God was with them and they refused to trust Him.
They marched around Jericho 7 times on the 7th day, but in order for the walls to come down, the people had to sound the trumpet first. (Josh 6:5)...A trumpet was a sign of Gods presence- used in war, it was used to assemble Gods people together. When the horn was sounded the people where commanded to SHOUT and then the wall would come down.
Ilearn good and bad from our parents. If you walk around with walls around your heart you are carrying around unresolved hurt, jeoulsy, strife, anger, envy, bitterness, outrage, resentment and want to bring it in our court. When we go to church, if we go to prayer passively, no walls will come down. When we asseble together, we are to lift are voices and shout in prayer and praise. When we do this walls come down! When they sound the horn, the spirit of God is present. and where the spirit of God is.... there is liberty. (2Corinthians 3:17) Liberty frees us from sin, death and the condemnation of the law.
Hebrews 11:30 Because of faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encompassed for seven days.
Once those walls come down it is very important not to let anyone rebuild the walls in your heart again. Joshua pronounced a curse on anyone that tried to rebuild the walls.
Josh 6:26 Then Joshua laid this oath on them, Cursed is the man before the Lord who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. With the loss of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son shall he set up its gates.
We will curse our kids.....if we have walls around our hearts....you say how? Well we hatred. All these are deadly emotions! They can cause you to complain, grumble and murmer; just like the children of Isreal in the wilderness that died after 4o years. They saw miracles, they had God with them and still didnt let God change them....they didnt trust God!
I hope you see the parrelel in our lives today, we draw things out that should take 11 days and make it a lifetime of pain and sufffering. It takes our joy and peace and makes us see our trials bigger than what they really are. I know it is hard to let things go and to let God heal us but we need to walk by faith and beleive that is we are obideint to do what God tells us, no matter how humbling it is...the result will be our freedom and the promise land. There is victory in Jesus! We are the head and not the tail and more than conquerors!
Hebrews 11:30 Because of faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encompassed for seven days.
Once those walls come down it is very important not to let anyone rebuild the walls in your heart again. Joshua pronounced a curse on anyone that tried to rebuild the walls.
Josh 6:26 Then Joshua laid this oath on them, Cursed is the man before the Lord who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. With the loss of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son shall he set up its gates.
We will curse our kids.....if we have walls around our hearts....you say how? Well we hatred. All these are deadly emotions! They can cause you to complain, grumble and murmer; just like the children of Isreal in the wilderness that died after 4o years. They saw miracles, they had God with them and still didnt let God change them....they didnt trust God!
I hope you see the parrelel in our lives today, we draw things out that should take 11 days and make it a lifetime of pain and sufffering. It takes our joy and peace and makes us see our trials bigger than what they really are. I know it is hard to let things go and to let God heal us but we need to walk by faith and beleive that is we are obideint to do what God tells us, no matter how humbling it is...the result will be our freedom and the promise land. There is victory in Jesus! We are the head and not the tail and more than conquerors!
Be quite, don't talk about your problems, rehursing them over and over. Dont complain, grumble and murmer!
Assemble with Gods people, pray with Gods people and Praise with Gods people. This is the only way you will experiance liberty. By faith , this will make the walls come down.
Don't rebuild the walls....dont grumble, complain and murmer....be positive! Guard your heart! Don't let anyone else rebuild them either....talking about their problems, constantly rehearing the issues they have with you.
We all need to find balance in this, there is a time to talk about things and a time to just trust God....You need to be the judge of what is healthy and unhealthy! God will help you decern this if you are sensitive to his spirit.
The way we get sensitive to Him is dying to ourselves, He must increase and you must decrease.
READ GODS WORD
PRAY
FAST
Monday, September 06, 2010
Labor Day week end!
Went to the fire museum today....Allie wants to be firefighter! It was very cool, they had the fire trucks displayed from 1725 on....
We tried on the jacket, hats and played a bit!
We will always remember all those that lost their lives on 9/11.....being 5 days from the anniversary it was appropriate to display the huge poster they had displayed! As you can see the towers in the picture are not really there....they are just a shadow :(
Bye all...we love you!
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Attitudes are contagious....is yours worth catching?
This month I have had so many bad things happen! I have caught myself having the worst attitude! God help me to keep the right perspective! I am so sick of fake people.....then I wander if I am being a fake. We will bare fruit of what we really are and we need to examine ourselves of our fruit. I want to be real and I want to please God with my life...nothing else really matters to me! We need to guard our hearts from the junk of this world....hurts of people that are supposed to be close to us, people that we call friends and then turn on us.....Its funny I expect it from people in the world and it hurts so much more when its comes from a fellow christian. I know none of us are perfect and know I have hurt people in the past....I choose to forgive and to continue loving them even if they hate me! I love God and I don't care what they do to me, I will still forgive them and love them....Gods grace is sufficient for me!
Jeremiah 17:9 (The Message)
"The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful,
a puzzle that no one can figure out.
But I, God, search the heart
and examine the mind.
I get to the heart of the human.
I get to the root of things.
I treat them as they really are,
not as they pretend to be."
Jeremiah 17:9 (The Message)
"The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful,
a puzzle that no one can figure out.
But I, God, search the heart
and examine the mind.
I get to the heart of the human.
I get to the root of things.
I treat them as they really are,
not as they pretend to be."
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Friends
You can win more friends with your ears than your mouth.
James 1:19-20
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.
Keep their secrets! Don't talk about their faults.
Proverbs 16:28 (The Message)
Troublemakers start fights;
gossips break up friendships.
Proverbs 17:9
He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends.
Learn to be a friend if you desire to have one.
Proverbs 18:24
A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Bottom line, if you can do this, you will be a success!
Matthew 7:12 (The Message)
"Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get.
Don't wear out your welcome, visiting and calling all hours of the day and night!
Proverbs 25:17 (NLT)
Don’t visit your neighbors too often,
or you will wear out your welcome.
Be there for them, for better or worse.
Proverbs 14:10 (The Message)
The person who shuns the bitter moments of friends
will be an outsider at their celebrations.
Proverbs 17:17 (The Message)
One Who Knows Much Says Little
Friends love through all kinds of weather,
and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.
Proverbs 25:11 (CEV)
The right word
at the right time
is like precious gold
set in silver.
Please be patient and loving....don't have the answer for everything.....
Jobs friends blamed all of his troubles on hidden sin that they thought he must have had....but in the end there wasn't any sin! Please don't give answers without knowing whats really going on....if you don't know then simply say so!
James 1:19-20
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.
Keep their secrets! Don't talk about their faults.
Proverbs 16:28 (The Message)
Troublemakers start fights;
gossips break up friendships.
Proverbs 17:9
He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends.
Learn to be a friend if you desire to have one.
Proverbs 18:24
A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Bottom line, if you can do this, you will be a success!
Matthew 7:12 (The Message)
"Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get.
Don't wear out your welcome, visiting and calling all hours of the day and night!
Proverbs 25:17 (NLT)
Don’t visit your neighbors too often,
or you will wear out your welcome.
Be there for them, for better or worse.
Proverbs 14:10 (The Message)
The person who shuns the bitter moments of friends
will be an outsider at their celebrations.
Proverbs 17:17 (The Message)
One Who Knows Much Says Little
Friends love through all kinds of weather,
and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.
Proverbs 25:11 (CEV)
The right word
at the right time
is like precious gold
set in silver.
Please be patient and loving....don't have the answer for everything.....
Jobs friends blamed all of his troubles on hidden sin that they thought he must have had....but in the end there wasn't any sin! Please don't give answers without knowing whats really going on....if you don't know then simply say so!
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