Beautiful Things

What a wonderful time of year!  It's the MOST WONDERFUL Time of the Year and we hear it playing as we shop and eat but then, is it?  I see broken people, hurting people, empty people, lost people and my spirit aches for them.  I receive calls, prayer request, messages on Facebook, emails, texts from dear friends who are drowning in doubt and I pray.  I pray,  I pray.  I wake up daily, hearing the Lord sing over me songs of peace and hope and joy and then I begin to pray again, to intercede, to lift up and tear down (strongholds) and bring situations before my amazing daddy, God!

Today I heard the words from Michael Gungor's song Beautiful Things replaying in my head, "You make beautiful things, beautiful things out of the dust."  (See entire song lyrics below.)  This song is a musical version of what God is doing, daily in us.  He is making us new!  He is working!  He is awake, alive, active, able, aware, among us, around us, upon us and in us and He is working; YES, He is making us new!

Cast all your doubt, discouragement, disappointment, people's disapproval, denial, depression, distraction and even the destruction that your sin may have caused in your life at His feet and give it to Him.  Ask Him to take it all and then watch and see how He will make beautiful things out of the dust of your life!  He is amazing and HE can do it!

I listened to this song over and over and over and over in the last 24 hours, letting it water me, refresh me, permeate through the thick junk of the world on me and I have listened at least five times in the last hour.  I keep listening as the Spirit of the Lord poured into me, refreshing me, rejuvenating me, reminding me that He is indeed working on my behalf; restoring me, revitalizing me, reworking my thinking and my heart.  He wants to rebuild us, equip us, heal us, commission us, empower us BUT He is limited by our choices.  Some of us choose sin.  We need to stop.  Some of us currently are not choosing sin, but we are beat us with our remembrance of our sin and that it is paralyzing us in the now.  He needs to make us new.  He needs to have the permission to go in and rewire us, refresh us, rework us, renew us!  Give Him that permission today; right now! ASK Holy Spirit to come in and make all things NEW in you!

Gungor writes, "Hope is springing up from this old ground, out of chaos life is being found in YOU!"  After hearing this over and over, the Lord brought me to that word, HOPE!  There is it, again.  I have been being infused with Hope since the outcome of our national election.  I needed HOPE and God has been faithful to provide it to me!  The spirit of the Lord then brought to my remembrance the song Hope's Anthem by Bethel Live.

God is preparing us.  He is pouring out Himself again, as a drink offering.  He is OFFERING you refreshment, renewing, water to your dry soul.  He is HOPE personified and He is pouring out what we need in these days of depression, mall shootings, economy crises, bankruptcy, wars and rumors of war, family disfunction, divorce, betrayal, eating disorders, cancer; what is your need?  He has poured out the solution and he is OFFERING it to you but you have to TAKE it, DRINK it and receive it!

A good place to start this act of faith would be to have some communion, right now.  YOU and God.  Grab a cracker, a hunk of bread, and some juice and REMEMBER what He did for you at the cross.  Take the bread, bless it and see Him on the cross for you and your sin.  Eat the bread and then drink the cup as you remember how he was beaten and bled and died for your sickness, your disease (habitual sin can be like a disease - eating at you, destroying you).  Confess your sin and your need for Him to take your place and then RECEIVE His finished work at the cross for you.  Ask Holy Spirit to come and FILL YOU, renew you, refresh you, and motivate you.  He is a fire, and all consuming fire (God is) and His spirit (one of the three parts of God) is the only entity of the God-head that is still moving here on this planet.  God the Father is in heaven and Jesus is sitting at His right hand but Jesus said,

"but the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 14:26. 

"But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away.  Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you."  John 16:7

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever." John 14:16

You see, there are three baptisms; there is the baptism in water, the baptism of Holy Spirt and baptism of fire.  The English word "baptism" is a derivative of the Greek word "baptisma," which was a term used for a ritual washing. In the Old Testament, the term describes the ritual cleansing practices priests were supposed to perform for the congregation of Israel.

The baptism in water: By the baptism of water one experience in conversion to the faith in this life and a cleansing away of the old nature and as a consecration.  The baptism of water should happen AFTER your confession of faith to Jesus!  It's your outward sign to the world that something has changed or shifted in you.  It could also be understood as a typification of the judgement of God on the earth by means of water during the deluge of Noah, wherein God cleansed the world of wickedness.  The water WASHES us!  It is a sign that our sins have been washed away!

Which leads to the baptism of the Holy Spirit:  This is where you as a believer ask Holy Spirit to have His way in you and you give Him permission to "drive".  It is similar to what you did for salvation, when you asked Jesus to take your sin and save you.  Holy Spirit is IN you when you were saved but just as a guest in your home is not "welcomed" until YOU, the owner of your home, "RECEIVED" them, so Holy Spirit is waiting in the hallway or foyer of your "home" (your body) for your acknowledgment of His part in the Trinity.


In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was a privilege from God upon just a few categories of people.  These categories were mainly the Kings who were anointed to rule over Israel, the true Prophets of the living God and the Levitical Priests.  The Lord God also slightly extended this privilege of the Holy Spirit to afew other special people - for instance, the seventy elders who were to help Moses in leading the Israelites on their way towards Canaan (Exodus 11:16-26).


A look at the scriptures also reveals a few other people receiving this special privilege of the Holy Spirit.  A few of these examples include Mary who was espoused to Joseph (Luke 1:35) and Elizabeth and her unborn child John the Baptist (Luke 1:41).  However, the Holy Spirit did not indwell in them constantly, but instead came upon them to give special divine directions and revelations for some specific situation.


So, in the Old Testament days, the Holy Spirit had not yet been poured out from heaven upon ALL those who believed in the living God.  We do find in many places in the Old Testament where prophets like Joel announce a big change is coming - that the Holy Spirit shall be poured out upon all flesh.  "And it will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind". (Joel 2:28).

Jesus had to leave and go back to the Father so the Gift of the Father would be released.  Jesus had to go up to heaven so Holy Spirit would come down to believers.  (John 16:7).  In Acts 1:4-5, the Lord Jesus Christ commands his disciples not to preach the gospel until they had received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  A few days later during Pentecost, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit occurred upon the 120 disciples who had obeyed the Lord's command to await this special Baptism at Jerusalem (John 24:49, Acts 2:1-4).

And so in the New Testament, the scenario changes. Here we find true believers receiving the Holy Spirit who now indwells in them constantly. This was the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon believers in the New Testament era. From that time up to this present time, the Holy Spirit's baptism is open to all believers who desire him, and who walk in holiness before God.


The baptism of fire: This is a purifying and sanctifying baptism.  It is the restoration of all things in Christ.  What is important to note is that the fire and water baptisms are symbolic and represent the purifying and cleansing power of Gods Judgment.  This baptism is ONLY for the saints of God and is given by Holy Spirit. Luke 12:50, Jesus says, "There is a terrible baptism ahead for me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished."  Jesus paved the way for us!  

Fire is a symbol of Holy Spirit and the purifying judgement of God. Believers need to walk in the Spirit of God. Holy Spirit will lead the saint in the ways of God. All ungodliness in the lives of the saints will have to be burned up by the fire of the Lord.  1 Corinthians 3:13 "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work."

As long as the believer is founded in the unshakeable word of God – by faith and obedience – they will always come out of the fire stronger. They will not fall apart. These hard times of fire baptism will also make the believer come out of the trials purified, just like gold is when it is passed through the hot furnace fire to be purified.

The Bible is full of men and women of God who went through this type of baptism – Job the man of God, the prophets of God in the old testament especially during the reign of King Ahab and his wicked wife Jezebel, David the King, Jesus Christ, Apostles Peter and Paul, and the persecutions of the saints of God in the early Church during the reign of a great many Roman kings. Jesus Christ talks frequently of this type of baptism upon all those believing in him. You must also keep in mind that our heavenly Father is faithful, He will not allow that which we can not bear. Instead he gives us the spiritual strength to endure what ever he allows to come into our lifes so that we are victorious to the glory of his name. It is written, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it," (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Jesus told us to wait for Him as He was giving another.  When did you acknowlege the "other" sent by Jesus to help you now?  If you need HOPE, you need Holy Spirit!  Come Holy Spirit, I Need Thee!

"Beautiful Things"

All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us 

"Hope's Anthem"

He's awakening the hope in me

By calling forth my destiny

He's breathing life

Into my soul

I will thirst for

Him and Him alone

Pre Chorus

He has come like the rain

That showers on the barren plain

So my heart and tongue confess

Jesus, Christ the Hope of man

Chorus

My hope is in you, God

I am steadfast

I will not be moved

I'm anchored, never shaken

All my hope is in You

Bridge (2x)

He's bringing hope to the hopeless

And giving his heart to the broken

And sharing His home with the orphan

He is the joy, He is my joy

He is the hope of the nations

The father's heart we're embracing

He is the song we're declaring

He is the joy, He is my joy

COME HOLY SPIRIT, I NEED THEE 

CHORUS:

Come Holy spirit, I need You,
Come Holy Spirit, I pray,
Come in Thy strength and Thy power,
Come in Thine own gentle way.

Come as the wisdom to children,

Come as new sight for the blind

Come Lord as strength to my weakness

Take me, soul, body and mind

Come like the spring in the desert,
Come to this winner of souls,
Oh, let Thy sweet healing power,
Touch me and make me whole.

Come Lord as rest to the weary

Come as a balm for the soul

Come as a dew to my trials

Fill me with Joy evermore.

Come Holy Spirit I need You,
Come in Thine own gentle way,
Come as the rest to the weary,
Come fill me with joy today.

HOPE in this Season!

I woke up singing, "Holy Spirit you are welcome here.  Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere.  Your glory God, is what my heart longs for.  To be overcome by your presence Lord."  It's called Holy Spirit by Brian and Katie Torwalt.  I have shared this song before but this morning the Lord was up to something, I could feel it in my bones, and the something was something GOOD!

Sunrise 12-11-12

After listening to the song about 5 times and singing it over my husband as he was shaving, I went to my computer to begin to seek the Lord as to who needed to be filled up. I posted it as my status on facebook and then saw a friend post about the moon and Venus up high in the morning sky.  She said it was beautiful so I had to go see.

This is the coldest morning we have had in about 10 months or so, it was 19 degrees according to my thermometer but I didn't care, I grabbed a blanket, and rushed out the front door.  Draped in this warmth while in my pj's, I was stunned. WOW - it was breathtaking and inspiring.  I ran back in for my camera as I knew I had to capture this treasure.  MAGNIFICENT, I thought! Here is exactly what the sky looked like, I just watermarked it and framed it.  The air was cold, the atmosphere was crisp and God was speaking!

While preparing the image for this post, I noticed another friend had just posted her photo of God's awesomeness to facebook.  Her's was of an evergreen branch with snow.  I was overcome with the magnitude of God's love for me in seeing her photo and all that God was already doing so I had to post to her wall.

2012 Snow by Corynn Flood

"How WONDERFUL our God is, from the detail of clusters of ice crystals clinging to a branch to the magnificence of the heavens. WOW - OUR GOD REIGNS and he LOVES us SO! Have a FABULOUS day my sister! You are a HOPE ambassador. Everywhere you go, you bring the HOPE of Glory that the world LONGS for! WOW- what a job you have!"

Did you catch that word of exhortation that the Lord gave me for her?  That WE are called to be "ambassadors of HOPE"!  My pastor has been teaching on HOPE (look for 12-09-12 Steve Fish HOPE Prophets part 4) for the last few weeks and he really wasn't planning on teaching on it again, but he did.  This message of HOPE has permeated my spirit and accosted me. He shared that in this hour, God is raising up "Ambassadors of HOPE" or "Hope Prophets".  See we are to be pouring out on to others the "Hope and Glory" that is in us but here's the deal; you can't give what you don't have.  

He went on to say that, "Hope is the seedbed for Faith.  Hebrews 11:1".  In my walk, God has always filled me with Faith and now my HOPE is being charged because my faith has been rising up!  Do you see?  We need to RISE up!  Hope is founded in Love so I encourage you to take time to be filled with LOVE from your daddy, your papa, your Lord and Savior, JESUS CHRIST!  Take time to let the Lord LOVE YOU!

Here are some of my favorite songs that minister life to me and some have ministered to me over the last 40 years.

I Need to be Still by BJ Thomas
I Met God in the Morning by Lydell (1970's)  I can't find a music track link that was to the tune that Lydell sang it but I did find the words. It was poem by Bishop Ralph Cushman

"I met God in the morning"

I met God in the morning
when the day was at its best,
And His Presence came like sunrise,
Like a glory in my breast.

All day long the Presence lingered,
All day long He stayed with me,
And we sailed in perfect calmness
O'er a very troubled sea.

Other ships were blown and battered,
Other ships were sore distressed,
But the winds that seemed to drive them,
Brought to me a peace and rest.

Then I thought of other mornings,
With a keen remorse of mind,
When I too had loosed the moorings,
With the presence left behind.

So, I think I know the secret,
Learned from many a troubled way:
You must seek Him in the morning
If you want Him through the day!
By Bishop Ralph Cushman

10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman
Hope's Anthem by Bethel Live

I then was messaged by a friend saying how much he has been encouraged by my family and me.  He stopped his message as he said tears were welling up in him.  I told him that I too cry easily because God is continually melting off the calluses on my heart and the tears are those shavings, pealing off like drops shedding out of my heart.

I then felt the Lord rising up in my spirit to pray for him.  As I was praying, I felt this come out of me for him,  "That God was to make a way where there seemed to be NO way because God is SO about...providing, guiding, teaching, releasing, positioning, reconstructing, healing, restoring...He's got this! Love you brother. May you FEEL the Lord WITH you as you enter this day! Amen!"

This is what happens when YOU get filled up with His love, you become a river that the Lord just begins to pour out onto others.  Be encouraged my friends and find your HOPE in the Lord.

Finally one more message came from a brother in the Lord seeking links and CD's to put into the hands of a dying relative who didn't believe.  I sent him to my favorites:

Pastor Thurman Scrivner
Louis Giglio - Laminin
Case for Christ by Lee Strobel (audio version)

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I experienced a miracle today and have been rejoicing over the goodness of the Lord on my life all day. I was driving at 8:15AM this morning, to pick up my son from basketball practice, when on a back country road on oncoming car was IN my lane heading into a tight turn. I held down the horn as he quickly was approaching impact. I prayed and called on my God to protect me. I went as far to the right as I could without falling down the hill when he suddenly heard my horn sounding, looking up he saw me and while swerving away he turned quickly back into his lane, preventing our impact. God is SO faithful! Thank you angles of God for watching over me. I spent the next few minutes celebrating the miracle I just experienced and how quickly it all unfolded and how quickly the Lord rescued me.

What I didn't share on facebook were some details about the event that I would like to share here.  First was that my horn has been "broken" and really hasn't worked.  If it wouldn't have "sounded" today, this guy would have hit me! He would have impacted my car right into my side, HITTING ME, literally! My door would have taken the impact of his large SUV and I was sitting right behind it. I was traveling 30 MPH and he was doing at least 40 so that was a greatly increased combined speed. That full blow would have been tremendous BUT the Lord intervened and spared me GREAT pain and distress, if not my very life!

I then went on to pick up my son, came home and proceeded with my day.   I had an appointment for my hair (yes, I know...vanity) but this appointment I made back in August so this day truly was "picked" out by the Lord. (For-the-record,  I am only vain 4 days of the year...LOL.)  After spending a "fair" amount of time (about 4 hours) at the salon, God opened MANY doors.   It began with just hearing my stylist share her heart.

If you have ever been to the salon, you would know that conversation is a must and if you don't talk, your stylist will.  It is almost like going to a therapist.  People have quite the intimate conversations with their stylist.  Anyway, the salon owner was also on the floor and all the stylists would talk among themselves, asking questions, sharing tidbits of information and even teasing or joking with one another.  What was interesting today was that several of the stylists commented (under their breath) that the owner was not in the best of moods these past couple of days and each of them wondered what was going on in his life to bring such tension to the floor.

I knew just a bit about him, as he too was a Christian, even an elder in his church and he was quite open and direct in his discussions with all of us in the room.  The Lord began to give me "comments" and "questions" to ask him.  After about three of these statements by me to him, and the room, he looked at me and said, "Is this my own personal prophecy day today?"

I said, "yes!"

He looked backed, smiled and walked on and then I said another statement which stopped him in his tracks as he looked back at me and the other stylists watched and "ooowed".  It was all light-hearted but Holy Spirit was pricking his heart.

Finally he confessed that he was a "Scrooge" and that he hated Christmas because of what the world had turned it into, not, of course, because of the birth of Jesus.  I exploded with a HUGE smile and said questioning, "You hate this time of year?  Why?  This is the most WONDERFUL time of the year and the easiest time to witness as EVERYONE loves Christmas!  People are 'ripe' to hear the GOOD NEWS as they NEED Jesus and are looking for REAL joy!"

I reminded him of the fact that it is "GOOD NEWS" and we are the bringers of this news!  What a WONDERFUL opportunity the Lord has given us!

He looked at me puzzled as he stopped and then he went on.  I KNEW I would be praying over him before I left the salon this day.

Meanwhile, back to my stylist.  We had been in-and-out of our conversation that centered around her life growing-up and her experiences with meeting the Lord and churches and the total dysfunction of her personal home-life.  She was questioning the baptism in the Holy Spirit as she saw others have this gift at a couple of the churches she attended in her youth but she personally felt she never received the gift and wondered why.  Over the course of the next two hours, Holy Spirit began laying the roadwork for her to indeed receive and operate in that gift.  While paying, I prayed for her and she indeed received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and she also spoke in tongues!  It was beautiful.  She cried, I cried and the Holy Spirit fell!  AWESOME GOD!

Back to the owner; while I was still getting my hair cut and dried, I was able to pray for him.  He too was broken before the Lord and began to brush tears from his cheeks.  God was SO evident and moving in this salon.  What prompted the prayer for him was he re-entered the common area and my stylist questioned his changing of the music.  (I hadn't even noticed but she had.)  She said, "Is that Christmas music playing?" He said yes.  Laughter and excitement erupted as apparently the "old" Scrooge was not allowing Christmas music in the salon before this.  He came over toward my stylist to have this conversation about the music and I KNEW this was when we would pray and we did!

I left the salon rejoicing in ALL that God had done for these two people as they were BOTH impacted directly by the power of God, personally in their lives and they both were believers.  We need to be looking for opportunity to POUR into ALL that we meet in these great days we living in. It was such an amazing experience for me to see God move so greatly for each of them. I got in my car and just sat there praising God for what had just happened, totally forgetting the road event earlier in the day.

I went on to the dairy store to pick up some milk and the cashier hurried toward the counter as she saw me nearing the check out isle. She rang the items up, I paid and then I said, personally to her, that I wished for her day to be full of blessings. She responded and said, "I sure need that. I will always take blessings."

She rounded the counter to go back to stocking and had to pass by me.  I then reached out my hand and said to her, "Can I pray for you?" She said yes and handed me her "gloved" hands as she had been stocking the ice cream. I prayed over her for a few brief moments and she graciously thanked me saying how much she needed that.

I was again, REJOICING in the opportunities that God had allotted me this very special day and as I entered my car, I realized the assignment that had been sent against me, back on that curve this early AM. I began to thank God for the fruit of this day and the blessings of my very life. How things could have been SO different.

I post this as WE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. The first person I ministered to today was the owner of the salon, a Christian, who called Himself "Scrooge" as he just didn't "like" the holidays. Remember that this is the most WONDERFUL time of the year to share the "GOOD NEWS" because EVERYONE loves Christmas! It doesn't get any easier that sharing the Love of the Lord during this time of year. Even tho the media is making a "big deal" about Christmas, the average person still LOVES this time of year or at least they want to love it.  I can be a most difficult time for some and so again, a perfect opportunity to pray for someone!  People are SO open!  I pray that YOU will share the GOOD NEWS! Give yourself EXTRA time when you are shopping, eating, or going to the salon because YOU BRING the GOOD NEWS wherever YOU go.

We should be excited for the days that we live in. THESE ARE THE DAYS THAT THE PROPHETS HAVE LONGED FOR and YOU and ME have been CHOSEN to LIVE HERE, NOW , for SUCH A TIME AS THIS!

I love you dear brothers and sisters in Christ and I pray ALL is WELL with you and your SOUL this very joyous time of the year! I am REJOICING as this day, could have easily been my last on this planet, instead, God brought the Kingdom to three dear people where they needed Him most. WOW - we get to partake in this and get heaven too! Hallelujah!

the Atheist

An atheist was seated next to a little girl on an airplane. He turned to her and said,"Do you want to talk? Flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger."

The little girl, who had just started to read her book, replied to the total stranger, "What would you want to talk about?"

"Oh, I don't know," said the atheist. "How about why there is no God, or no Heaven or

Hell, or no life after death?" as he smiled smugly.

"OK," she said. "Those could be interesting topics but let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff - grass. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, but a horse produces clumps. Why do you suppose that is?"

The atheist, visibly surprised by the little girl's intelligence, thinks about it and says, "Hmmm, I have no idea."

To which the little girl replies, "Do you really feel qualified to discuss why there is no God, or no Heaven or Hell, or no life after death, when you don't know crap?"

Thanksgiving...are we Thankful?

I saw a post this morning on facebook that triggered a theme in me. The person was talking about Thanksgiving and Black Friday and how Black Friday was now encroaching on Thanksgiving day and....I had to pause.

WE are the reason for this. We, the consumer have brought this type of behavior to the culture.  WE are supposedly, all into being "thankful" only to go out the next day and become greedy? You will see "fights" covered on the news the day after we as a nation stop to be Thankful. Really? Now people will be passing the turkey and running out the door to shop because of "door-busters" that are now happening all day on Thanksgiving? What? Why are we doing this?

My son who worked retail gave me some insight into these "door-busters".  Most the time they are over-stocked items that "bombed" in their market so they are being "resurrected" and sold as "deals".  Yeah, deals for the CEO's so they don't eat the losses on product that wouldn't or didn't sell.  Many times these electronics are "last years" model and out-of-date (as electronics go).  There is so much "hype" with it all and we, the people, are "suckers" for a deal.

We can stop this, you know. How? By not going. We can refuse to "feed the machine".  We can choose to enjoy family and friends and stay home, stay out of the stores, have a "holiday".  Wow, that's a "new" concept (*insert sarcasm here).   If we don't go to the stores, the stores will not open next year and invade our families because they are about the "bottom-line" and if it doesn't work, they won't do it. I have had children working retail (in the past) and I had a hard time with the bosses mandate as they had to go to "work" because ALL employees HAD a mandatory work day on Black Friday; and not just Friday but 4 hours before the store opens and the entire week-end.  So they had to leave the festivities because Best Buy opened at Midnight last year and all employees had to get there to "set-up" the deals.  They worked all night!  This is MADNESS!  It really felt wrong as he had to leave early to go home to sleep so he could leave at night to work all night and all day.  He left while we were still fellowshipping, laughing and enjoying the holiday but suddenly, it didn't seem so festive as "one of us" was no longer there.


This leads me to another observation. Many people are not even spending Thanksgiving with family anymore. This is tragic and many times, it is because of "choice" rather than circumstance.  As a kid, I remember great aunts coming to the house that we only saw at holidays, and for sure cousins were around when we were small and most definitely, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews and now...now, it pains me. My children will have their siblings and maybe even some friends but grandparents live out of state and so we only get them on the random holidays. They don't get uncles and aunts or even cousins anymore because of choices not circumstance and many of those relatives who could get together (as they live in the same town), won't.  Why?  Many reasons and most of them come down to "selfishness". 

In this month of Thanksgiving, maybe we all could try to give our time more to BEING thankful rather than just saying we are. Actions speak louder than words. Just a thought.

Where will you BE on Thanksgiving? Hopefully with family, laughing, playing games, watching movies, eating and hanging out as you create memories for your children and grandchildren to recall later in their lives.  You are forming traditions by what YOU choose.

Many relatives have come before you with great anticipation of this day as they helped form your traditions. What is the legacy you are making for the generations beneath you? The older I get as a mother, the more I understand tradition and the heritage it is to our seed.  May we choose wisely and go for the eternal and not just the temporal.

Hope!

There is HOPE in the Lord! This is what God tells us.  We are to put our HOPE in the Lord! We are called to higher things; higher ways but we can't get there if we are downtrodden and heavy-laden.  God doesn't call us without equipping us.  Therefore this is a season for HOPE!  God is pouring out Hope; hope for a lost and dying world.

We are to be the ambassadors and prophets of HOPE in this season! WE ARE! Did you hear me? WE are the agents God has put into this place to be His hands, His feet, His HOPE to the lost and dying world.  We are to be pouring out onto others as God is pouring into us.  This requires us to be full of hope!

Wow - this is convicting because we can't GIVE what we don't have. Did you get that? We CAN'T give what we don't have. We NEED hope and upon receiving hope, we are then to go out and give it away! There is darkness ALL around us, but people - we have the HOPE that abounds planted into our very fibers when we were born again. We SHOULD look different to the world. We should ACT different than the world. We should HAVE HOPE and then pour it out for all to see.

We have the HOPE of Glory IN US! The world is looking for HOPE. They are looking at you!  Show them HOPE!  God's Hope never fails, never runs out, never gives up.  He is Hope to the hopeless.  He is our HOPE!

We have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. – I Timothy 4:10  Marantha!  Come Lord Jesus - our HOPE!

Take a minute to enjoy this incredible worship song.  It is FULL of Hope...it is Hope's Anthem.  Blessings!

What happened to the church?

So over the last few days, I have been taking a lot of time searching the Lord for what has happened to our beloved United States of America.  The shock of how our nation has embraced this President AGAIN has brought me to the conclusion that judgement will be coming on our nation as we have turned our backs on God.  I already felt we were on thin ice before the election but the election was like our final chance to turn-away from the things that were abominations to God; like abortion and gay marriage.  It saddens me to see how Godless our nation has turned.

I can't help but hear the recounted story of Noah in my head as the people mocked and laughed at him for his "bold, "outrageous, judgmental" statements, they said.  The people scorned him as he continued to plead with them to repent for their evil, but they laughed.  Finally the door on the arch was shut by the hand of God himself and the drops of rain later began.  I can't even fathom the horror outside as those inside must have been wrenched in pain hearing the cries for "another" chance.  Please!  Help Us!

This, I believe, is about to be manifested in our lifetimes too.  It was as if hurricane Sandy was a wake-up call, but few were even paying attention to the Lord. In the last few days, I have had two private facebook messages from "friends" who want to find their way back to the Lord.  They "sense" something has "shifted" even though I am not sure if they did or did not vote for this president; they KNOW something is wrong, terribly wrong at the core of our society.  I also received a message "laughing" at me for my choice had failed.

The "day after" the stock market fell and the dollar fell in value and as all this was happening, I saw many friends on facebook gloating at their "victory"!  It makes me cringe as they mock God, Christians, the "far-right", those "radicals" and on and on.  But this is not the half of it, what is really troubling is that most of this "mocking" is coming from people that call themselves "believers".  Yes, SHOCKING!

I can't tell you how many people I have had "discussions" with regarding the bible and Christianity before the elections and the troublesome thing was these discussions were with people who call themselves "Christians".  Christians "challenged" me that Romney was from a "cult" and as a Christian, how could I vote for him.  Well Obama seems more like a Muslim to me, but that didn't stop them for voting for him.  They want to say that endorsing this president is "the right thing" because he has a heart for the poor but they won't address his agreement to the slaughter of innocence in the womb or more over, the endorsement of killing babies who survive abortion in "born-alive".  This is murder and yet Christians seem to be a-okay with that.  Really?

I have been a member and I know people who are members of churches where the message has been so watered down all in the name of being "seeker" friendly and with that, people have no understanding of this loving God who is also a God of "justice".  Seems like the "fire-and-brimstone" message has been replaced with this soft, "Grace for all" message.  I think there is truth to be found in fire and brimstone and in grace but to replace one with the other is error.

This video is interesting and his bottom line is exactly where the Lord has brought me to.   Over the course of the last years, especially the last months, weeks and then days, I have felt a tremendous burden (even warning) in my heart for the pastors who have watered-down the message of the gospel to fill their pews and build their programs and buildings.  It is evident to me, that they have been found "wanting" as many who voted in this election still call themselves "believers" yet we have this outcome.  Even the demons say they "believe".  It's not enough to believe.  We have to LIVE what we believe.  God is a "fruit inspector" and he looks at the fruit, not the intention.  Lord, have mercy on us.

Obama and Faith

A pastor friend on facebook posted this link so I watched it regarding Obama and faith.  I was quite troubled by it, to say the least.  I am at a loss for the lack of understanding of what Christian means and now to a pastor too.  It is painful for me to watch the country I love move from a "Christian" nation to a socialist one.

How can the God of life be pro-choice or worse, pro-abortion?  How can a God who clearly states that Adam and Eve were to complete each other and He made Eve for man be ok with gay relationships?  How can a God who states that Israel is HIS land and not to divide it be ok with people dividing HIS land?  He isn't and he can't.  It's against His very nature and I understand me stating this very "politically incorrect" statement won't be received by many but I don't live to please many.  I live to please One!  I am NOT ashamed of the Gospel of Christ and I will not deny what His word states, even if people don't like it.

The deception in this land is great and even the elect will be misled (Matthew 24:24.  Time will tell Obama's true colors and I pray I am wrong, but deep within me, I believe these people are the ones who are deceived.

Hope and Change TODAY!

HOPE AND CHANGE!

EVERYONE: PLEASE READ, COPY AND SHARE THIS. TODAY'S THE DAY WE MAKE A CHANGE...A REAL CHANGE!!!  (Posted by a friend on facebook.)

Quit trashing President Obama's accomplishments. He has done more than any other President before him. He has an impressive list of accomplishments:

First President to apply for college aid as a foreign student, then deny he was a foreigner.
First President to have a social security number from a state he has never lived in.

First President to preside over a cut to the credit-rating of the United States.
First President to violate the War Powers Act.
First President to be held in contempt of court for illegally obstructing oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
First President to require all Americans to purchase a product from a third party.
First President to spend a trillion dollars on 'shovel-ready' jobs when there was no such thing as 'shovel-ready' jobs.
First President to abrogate bankruptcy law to turn over control of companies to his union supporters.
First President to by-pass Congress and implement the Dream Act through executive fiat.
First President to order a secret amnesty program that stopped the deportation of illegal immigrants across the U.S., including those with criminal convictions.
First President to demand a company hand-over $20 billion to one of his political appointees.
First President to tell a CEO of a major corporation (Chrysler) to resign.
First President to terminate America 's ability to put a man in space.
First President to cancel the National Day of Prayer and to say that America is no longer a Christian nation.
First President to have a law signed by an auto-pen without being present.
First President to arbitrarily declare an existing law unconstitutional and refuse to enforce it.

First President to threaten insurance companies if they publicly spoke-out on the reasons for their rate increases.
First President to tell a major manufacturing company in which state it is allowed to locate a factory.
First President to file lawsuits against the states he swore an oath to protect (AZ, WI, OH, IN).
First President to withdraw an existing coal permit that had been properly issued years ago.
First President to actively try to bankrupt an American industry (coal).
First President to fire an inspector general of Ameri-Corps for catching one of his friends in a corruption case.
First President to appoint 45 czars to replace elected officials in his office.
First President to surround himself with radical left wing anarchists.
First President to golf 73 separate times in his first two and a half years in office, 102 to date.
First President to hide his medical, educational and travel records.
First President to win a Nobel Peace Prize for doing NOTHING to earn it.
First President to go on multiple global “apology tours” and concurrent “insult our friends” tours.
First President to go on 17 lavish vacations, including date nights and Wednesday evening White House parties for his friends paid for by the taxpayer.
First President to have 22 personal servants (taxpayer funded) for his wife.
First President to keep a dog trainer on retainer for $102,000 a year at taxpayer expense.
First President to repeat the Holy Quran & tell us the early morning call of the Azan (Islamic call to worship) is the most beautiful sound on earth.
First President to tell the military men and women that they should pay for their own private insurance because they “volunteered to go to war and knew the consequences”.
Then he was the First President to tell the members of the military that THEY were UNPATRIOTIC for balking at the last suggestion.
First President to side with a foreign nation over one of the American 50 states (Mexico vs Arizona).

How is this hope and change working out for you?  God Help Us!