 "The [intrinsically] good man produces what is good and honorable and moral out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart; and the [intrinsically] evil man produces what is wicked and depraved out of the evil [in his heart]; for his mouth speaks from the overflow of his heart." Luke 6:45 All glory and honor and praise and thanksgiving to God, Most High, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Heavenly Father, let your words continue to flow through me, and not my own. In Jesus' sweet name. Amen! This is something God has been putting on my heart since at least the beginning of December, but just this morning, lying in bed, half asleep, He pulled it together for me. God is Great - All The Time! CAIN AND ABEL We can see God's system of obedience at work in the story of Cain and Abel. "Woe to them! For they have gone the [defiant] way of Cain. . ." Jude 1:11 What was the "[defiant] way of Cain"? Throughout scripture, both the Old and the New Testament, we are told repeatedly that we should love our neighbor. Jesus specifically tells us to love God and love our neighbor, above all else: Matthew 22 37 "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." We are also told to "Honor the Lord with your substance, and with the firstfruits of all your increase:" Proverbs 3:9 Having read the book of Genesis at least a few times in the last few years, I still never understood why God did not respect Cain's offering, even though the words were right there the whole time. Genesis 4 2 ". . . And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lies at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him." Let's look at Genesis 4:3, "And in the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground." Cain offered the fruit of the ground. We can see Cain was not honoring God with the "firstfruits" of his increase, but he offered only the fruit of the ground, which could have been anything, most certainly not his firstfruits, or it would have been so written. The firstfruits are to be from excess, surplus, not from the leftovers. Cain was honoring God only for what he thought he could get from it, not from his heart, in full obedience to God, loving Him with his heart, mind and soul. God knows our hearts. On the other hand, we see that Abel offered his firstborn (firstfruits), his excess, not his leftovers, AND He gave an offering of fat, which would later, in Leviticus, be reserved as an "offering to God, especially for sin": "But Abel brought [an offering of] the [finest] firstborn of his flock and the [b]fat portions. And the Lord had respect (regard) for Abel and for his offering;" Genesis 4:4 Footnotes: biblegateway:com [b] Genesis 4:4 That is, the fat that covered the entrails of the animals. Later, in the Mosaic Law, the Israelites were forbidden to eat this fat (Lev 7:23), which was reserved as an offering to God, especially for sin (Lev 4:8, 26, 35; 9:10; 16:25). Let's look further at the transgressions of Cain: Cain was the tiller of the ground. Abel was a shepherd, a keeper of the animals. When it came time for them to make offerings to God, Cain gave of his crops, and Abel gave of the firstfruits of his flock. God respected Abel's offering. He did not respect Cain's offering. Why? God wants us to understand that Cain's heart was not right with God. Cain tried to convince Abel to give him an animal, or trade or barter crops for an animal, and Abel would not agree. Why would Abel not make the trade with Cain? Because Abel knew that Cain's heart was not right with God. He knew that Cain was just going through the motions, so to speak, in order to receive God's grace or favor. Abel knew that Cain did not want the animal to sacrifice for forgiveness of his sins, but only for what rewards he thought he may receive from God for the sacrifice. Abel was righteous. He had God's Word stored in his heart, and followed His Word, so that he would not sin against God. Psalm 119:11 above. Cain was not righteous, although he too had God's Word stored in his heart, or at least knew right from wrong, as shown in Genesis 4:7, when God says, "If you do well, shall you not be accepted? and if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. . ." So, he knew to do well, and what the consequences were. He was, however, of that "wicked one": "Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." 1 John 3:12 Adam and Eve chose sin over the light and love God offered, the [intrinsically evil man over the intrinsically good man]. They chose our path for us initially, but we are suppose to be the Light of the World, to rise above the lusts of the flesh, and the evil of this world. God is good, and everything He created is perfect, and designed to move man toward Him, back to His glory. So, Cain was of that 'wicked one,' and was trying to deceive God, and climb into heaven some other way than through the door: “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up from some other place [on the stone wall], that one is a thief and a robber." John 10:1 Basically, Cain was trying to reap the benefits of righteousness without actually sowing the proper seeds: walking with, knowing, following and being obedient to God. We know that Cain knew the right thing to do, and chose not to do it: "If you do well, will you not be accepted? and if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. . ." God was reminding Cain that he knew right from wrong, that he should do what he knew to be right, and thereby overcome man's tendencies towards stubbornness and evil thoughts, and, rather, be obedient to God, to accomplish God's Will, like Abel. Otherwise, sin was at the door, and he would rule over it. ". . . And unto you shall be his [sin's] desire, and you shall rule over him [sin]." Genesis 4:7 Now, in Genesis 4:8, we see that Cain talked with Abel and then slew him. "And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him." Clearly, it seems as if that sentence is missing the crux. What prompted Cain to kill Abel? The scripture says, Cain talked with Abel his brother, and, later in the field, Cain slew him. What was their conversation? Well, Abel knew that Cain's heart was not right with God, so the "talk" they had went something like this: Cain said, Hey, Abel, I need a flawless, unblemished, sheep for a sacrifice to the Father. Abel (Knowing Cain's heart) replied, Okay, sure, brother. Let us go to the field and pick a sheep. (Later in the field) Abel (Knowing Cain's heart), Picked out the worst possible sheep he could find, and gave it to Cain, saying, Here is the perfect sheep for you! Cain cried out, This sheep is sick and weak and blemished! Abel (Knowing Cain's heart) replied, Yes! That is the perfect sheep for you! Cain became enraged and killed Abel, and became the first man to shed innocent human blood. Now, we know from scripture that Abel was "righteous," but was he completely innocent? The bible also says that King David was righteous, but he murdered Uriah so he could have his wife. Why did King David murder Uriah? We can see in 2 Samuel 11:4-9 here that after Bathsheba told King David that she was pregnant, King David tried to get Uriah to go home, presumably so he would be with his wife, and then would believe that the child was his own. Uriah had been away from home, at war for King David, for some time, so the child his wife was carrying could not have been his own. This is a great example of how sin leads to other sin. Perhaps, King David did not want his child to be a known bastard. Clearly, what he did, he did for the child. This shows us that God is a very forgiving God, that He knows our hearts, and He will have compassion and mercy on whom He chooses. “I, the Lord, search and examine the mind, I test the heart . . . " Jeremiah 17:10 Back to Cain and Abel: Had Abel followed God's Word in his heart fully, he would have trusted God, and given Cain 100 flawless, unblemished, sheep when he asked for 1, and he would have still been alive to tell the story to his grandchildren. God judges on the heart. If the person receiving our gift is unworthy, God will repay each person accordingly. Luke 6:38 He knows our hearts, and he knew that Abel had honorable motives, when he denied Cain the flawless, unblemished, animal. He was doing it to prevent Cain from deceiving God. Abel failed to realize, however, that God already knew this. God knows our hearts. He judges. He repays. Vengeance is mine says the Lord. Romans 12:19 THE BLOOD SACRIFICE If God were not so forgiving of our sins, none of us would have salvation, because we are all born flesh and blood sinners, and must be ‘born again’ in Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! Thank you, Jesus. Hebrews 12:24 below tells us that the blood sacrifice of Jesus was merciful, better and nobler, a more gracious message, which cried out for God to forgive men because "they know not what they do," Luke 23:34, as opposed to Abel, whose blood [sacrifice] cried out to God for vengeance. "and to Jesus, the Mediator of a new covenant [uniting God and man], and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance]." Hebrews 12:24 Cain killed Abel, because God required a blood sacrifice. Cain's heart was not right with God, so Abel would not give him a 'flawless, unblemished' animal to sacrifice. Cain, in a fit of rage, killed him as THE blood sacrifice to God. This is why God says, ". . . What have you done? The voice of your brother’s [innocent] blood is crying out to Me from the ground [for justice]." Genesis 4:10 And, also, why Jesus’ ultimate blood sacrifice is compared to Cain’s sacrifice of Abel’s blood in Hebrews 12:24 above. God is Great - All the Time! I pray that we all turn back to God, in full surrender, so that our hearts are right with Him. "Change your hearts, and show by the way you live that you have changed." Matthew 3:8 All glory and honor and praise and thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father, the source of all things, and the cohesive force holding all things together, and to whom we return, in Jesus Christ! Hallelujah! Praise God! Thank you, Jesus! Amen.
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Mary, did you know that when you kissed your baby boy you kissed the face of God? Hallelujah! At the end of 2020, God put on my heart that 2021 would not be just another year, but would be the year that America and the world would begin to wake up and realize that there is only One God, who can save us, even with Eternal Life. Thank you, Jesus. Amen. Now, at the end of 2021, He has put on my heart that He is the source of all things: “Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, who is the source of all things. . ." 1 Corinthians 8:6 And, that all things, as we know them, as well as what we do not know, visible and invisible, are in existence because of Him: "For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, [things] visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [that is, by His activity] and for Him." Colossians 1:16 We are coming into an amazing time, where we will begin to see more of God's miracles, signs and wonders. I would not be surprised to see miraculous births, healings, possibly even resurrections. I heard a prophet say that God said He is going to put His DNA in some people! He is letting us know He is here. Right now, His Spirit is pouring out into His children all over the world, in masses, and they are receiving powerful gifts and talents from the Holy Spirit. Keep focused on God: “The eye is the lamp of the body; so if your eye is clear [spiritually perceptive], your whole body will be full of light [benefiting from God’s precepts] (laws, commands)." Matthew 6:22 If we are not spiritually focused on God, it may look gloomy and dark around us, or even that that is normal. This is why God tells us to wear His full armor Ephesians 6:11-24, because our adversary the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he can destroy. If we wear the full armor of God, then our bodies will be full of light, and we know that Satan dwells in the dark, and runs from the light: "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." John 3:19 Jesus tells us that the two greatest commandments are to love God with all of your heart, mind and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. Two simple things that could change the world. Remember, God's Word is alive. These are not JUST words. Love God and others as yourself! I know it can seem easier to love a God we cannot see than to love other people, standing right next to us. Forgive us, Lord. This is the world we have created for ourselves. When we can look at the homeless person on the corner, and feel compassion for him as if it were us standing on the corner, then we will understand Jesus' commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. The homeless person is too easy though. Most people have a tug at their heart strings when they see homeless people, especially children. What about the grumpy pants in the convenience store you go to everyday? Or, that neighbor who has a Biden (or Trump, depending on your preference) sign in their front yard? Or, what about our family that we have not spoken to in years? Or, that car behind you riding on your bumper with his bright lights on? Can we muster some love for these people? When we can look past our initial 'feelings' of hate, or indifference, and make a step towards freedom, liberty, emancipation from the bondage of hate, then we will understand God's Words. "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom]." 2 Corinthians 3:17 Hate, indifference, or feelings of superiority, keep us where Satan wants us, not where God wants us. When we realize that we are not superior, but we are actually the very person at which we are looking, that we are ONE from 'the source,' God, then we will truly understand Jesus' words, to love our neighbor as ourself, because they are US! So, yes, when Mary kissed her baby boy, she kissed the face of God, but she also kissed her own face, and the face of her mother and father, her neighbor next door, the grumpy pants down the street. We are all ONE, and we all return to 'the source.' "Earnestly remember your Creator before the silver cord [of life] is broken, or the golden bowl is crushed, or the pitcher at the fountain is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; then the dust [out of which God made man’s body] will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 We must 'earnestly remember our Creator' before 'the spirit returns to God who gave it," and by remembering our creator, thus remember ourselves, and who we are: ONE! Find your connection with God, and ultimately with all of mankind, by reading the bible and praying. Read and pray, pray and read. Do random acts of kindness. Everyone knows that the things we do repeatedly become habits. Let's make our habits for the greater good. We cannot control the choices the world makes, or even our own friends and family make. We can only control the choices we make. I pray that we all make a choice to "Let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16 Kiss the face of God today, and, remember, you are kissing your own face! Jesus promises us only good if we follow Him. Again, not JUST words. Psalm 91 Security of the One Who Trusts in the Lord. 1 "He who [a]dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand]. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust [with great confidence, and on whom I rely]!” 3 For He will save you from the trap of the fowler, And from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you and completely protect you with His pinions, And under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and a wall. 5 You will not be afraid of the terror of night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Nor of the destruction (sudden death) that lays waste at noon. 7 A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But danger will not come near you. 8 You will only [be a spectator as you] look on with your eyes And witness the [divine] repayment of the wicked [as you watch safely from the shelter of the Most High]. 9 Because you have made the Lord, [who is] my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 10 No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent. 11 For He will command His angels in regard to you, To protect and defend and guard you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. 12 They will lift you up in their hands, So that you do not [even] strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread upon the lion and cobra; The young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. 14 “Because he set his love on Me, therefore I will save him; I will set him [securely] on high, because he knows My name [he confidently trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never abandon him, no, never]. 15 “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 16 “With a long life I will satisfy him And I will let him see My salvation.” Footnotes
Thank you, Father. Amen.  "He is not here: for he is risen. . ." Matthew 28:6Last night 12/21/21, I dreamed all night again, this time of "The Resurrection." It was the same kind of dream as "Christmas Magic," which I wrote about a few days ago. Update: 12/25/21: I just realized the date 12/21/21 adds up to 333, a number thought to represent Jesus Christ: (1+2=3, 1+2=3, 2+1=3 (333). You can't make this stuff up. The dream last night about the resurrection really felt like it had something to do with the "Christmas Magic" story. Again, there were no pictures or visions that are clear to me, or that I remember, but a feeling of amazement, as if perhaps I was witnessing resurrections, and the words "The Resurrection" over and over and over again. Heavenly Father, hear my prayers. Let Your words flow through me, and not my own, and let Your children hear them. In Jesus' name. Amen. So, what was God’s plan for man? The book of Titus tells us that it was eternal life: Titus 1:2 “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;” So, God promised [man] eternal life before the world began, and we know also that He has only thoughts of peace towards man, to give us an expected end … eternal life: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11 Amen. Now, Colossians 1 tells us that everything was created, BY HIM THROUGH HIM FOR HIM, and IN HIM Colossians 1 16 “For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, [things] visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [that is, by His activity] and for Him. 17 And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.] Think of it like a movie: God is the creator/writer and director, and everyone and everything, earthly and heavenly beings, is there to perform God’s Will, like actors in His movie. BY HIM THROUGH HIM FOR HIM, and IN HIM His Will, before the world began, was that man, who was created from the dust of the earth, would have access to eternal life. So, every life force in the universe is pushing man towards God’s Will, from one degree of glory to more glory, from imperfection to perfection [which is eternal life]. “And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 Every life force in heaven and in and on earth is pushing man towards God’s Will, including Satan and his minions. Think of God's Plan like a movie, God's movie. At first viewing of God’s movie, Satan and his minions appear to be the antagonists in the movie, the evil villains, and by all rights and definition, they are evil. The real antagonist in the movie, however, is sin and through sin, death. Now, we know from scripture that God is perfect, and everything He created is good: God is perfect: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:48 And, everything He created is good: “For everything God has created is good. . .” 1 Timothy 4:4 Therefore, we should have faith to believe that Satan was created exactly how God planned it: Perfect in all his ways until iniquity was found in him. “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” Ezekiel 28:15 Is this not why even the Archangel Michael dared not accuse the devil (Satan), but simply said, "The Lord rebuke you"? Jude 1:9 Jude 1 8 "Nevertheless in the same way, these dreamers [who are dreaming that God will not punish them] also defile the body, and reject [legitimate] authority, and revile and mock angelic majesties. 9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil (Satan), and arguing about the body of Moses, did not dare bring an abusive condemnation against him, but [simply] said, 'The Lord rebuke you!' 10 But these men sneer at anything which they do not understand; and whatever they do know by [mere] instinct, like unreasoning and irrational beasts—by these things they are destroyed." But these men sneer at anything which they do not understand . . . by these things they are destroyed. Jude 1:10 In other words, we should not sneer at things we do not understand in God's Word, lest by so doing, we destroy ourselves. How could we be 'born again,' unless we first died? 1 Corinthians 15 35 "But someone will say, 'How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body will they come?' 36 You fool! Every time you plant seed you sow something that does not come to life [germinating, springing up and growing] unless it first dies." It took me a little minute to understand what he was saying, but if you think about it, when you plant a seed, the outer shell must die for the seed to break through and grow. Right now, we are still in our seed, our shell. Our outer shell must die, our flesh, so that we can come to life in Jesus Christ, the resurrection. So, we were created perfect, like God, in light and love, planted in the dirt and raised up with God's breathe. Now, through sin and death, we die, spiritually and literally, and are 'born again' in Christ, whom is the Word made flesh. How many people know that God never promised in His Word a good time for bad people? The way of the ungodly will perish. Psalm 1:6 - It will not be a good time for the wicked. The Bible is clear on this fact. God is good, all the time - to His chosen people - but, when He comes again, the ungodly will perish. His children, however, are protected from harm in Jesus Christ: Jesus said, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19 If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior, God has given you an engraved invitation, written in the blood of His only begotten son. Did you RSVP by accepting Him and believing in Him? Have you surrendered your life in full obedience to God? God promised eternal life before the world began, but “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God . . .” 1 Corinthians 15:50 Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, except through eternal life, also called ‘the resurrection,’ who is Jesus Christ. “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” John 11:25 JESUS CHRIST IS THE RESURRECTION!! In other words, through God's brilliant plan for man, sin entered the world, which is the antagonist (the bad guy) in His movie, and through sin death entered, through death, eternal life in the resurrection, which is Jesus Christ, whom is the protagonist (the good guy) in the movie. “Jesus says unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life [the resurrection]: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6 Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection, is God’s promise of eternal life before the world began. We are ‘born again’ now through His Word, His system on earth, but later, at the end, we will be ‘born again,’ in the resurrection, who is Jesus Christ. “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 now or then! How can we be ‘born again' unless we first die, to be resurrected incorruptible and immortal, and to ascend on the clouds with Jesus? “For this corruptible [man] must put on incorruption, and this mortal [man] must put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:53 God's movie is unique, in that our free will lets us write our ending: In both endings, man dies; there is no escaping that, but in one ending, death leads us through the fire, and in the other ending, death leads to eternal life, the resurrection, who is Jesus Christ. Which ending do you choose? Bow to Jesus and confess to God now . . . "For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." Romans 14:11 GOD IS GOOD - ALL THE TIME! All glory and honor and praise and thanksgiving to God, Most High, the creator of the heavens and the earth. Amen! Do You Believe? All glory, honor, praise and thanksgiving to the One True God, the living God! Heavenly Father, let your words flow through me, and let Your children hear them. In Jesus' name. Amen. A couple of days ago, I prayed for God to give me insight into the next step in His Plan, and/or when the world would see what He is doing, specifically? Last night, I had a dream. No pictures or visions, just words. "Christmas Magic," over and over and over again, all night long in my sleep. I thought that was all God gave me about it, until I started writing this blog. I am confident that we are getting ready to see some real 'Christmas Magic,' like the supernatural kind. Perhaps, the same as the REAL, original, 'Christmas Magic,' which was the supernatural, virgin, birth of Jesus Christ. That just popped into my head as I was writing this, and, then, I remembered a prophet saying recently that God said we are getting ready to see His Power, as in the days of Zechariah and Elizabeth. If you remember Zechariah and Elizabeth, they were both old when they were told by God's angel Gabriel that Elizabeth would have a son, and they would name him John ... John the Baptizer. If I am being honest, this is not the kind of 'Christmas Magic' I was envisioning after I had the dream, nor all the way up to as I was writing this blog, which is probably why I did not write it yesterday, because I was not on the track on which God wanted me, so I had no words. I was not even sure I was going to write it. Honestly, all I had were the words 'Christmas Magic.' Everything else came to me as I was writing it, but I do know I prayed for understanding, and I do know that I had the dream about the words 'Christmas Magic,' and I know how God has put things together for me over the last two years: a piece of scripture here, a dream there, a prophet's words at exactly the right time, and altogether, His Word cannot be denied. Hallelujah! Praise God! So, a miracle birth was not what I was envisioning. I mean, it would be wonderful to see some miracles at Christmas (or anytime), don't get me wrong, Amen, but, to be honest, my earthly, fleshy, vision of 'Christmas Magic' was more regarding politics. I am sure that is what is on a lot of people's minds, but as God told me earlier in the year: A politician, a mere man, cannot save us; Jesus Christ is the only one who can save us! See my blog titled, "GOD versus THE WORLD" here. Now, God has taken me on quite a journey over the last couple of years in writing about His Plan: First, He said this was a Spiritual War, not in the physical realm, but in the supernatural realm; then, He said that He is separating the wheat from the chaff, and drawing a line with His finger in stone between good and evil, God and Satan, so that no one can be confused (boy, He was not kidding!); then, the lukewarm Christian; reaping what we sow; seed time and harvest; repentance; judgment; now, activating His government, or system, on earth; and, finally, Him wanting ALL focus on Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. So, hold on to your hats and buckle up, get ready for some supernatural 'Christmas Magic'! Do you believe? I do! I have seen His Power too many times in my life to not believe. Our Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, thank you for our many blessings. Thank you for Your Word. Thank you for Your Word that tells us that if we call on you, you will show us great and mighty things, and if we ask, believing, we will receive. Hallelujah! Father, help us to have faith in You, and to believe as little children, who have faith in a different kind of 'Christmas Magic,' for theirs is the kingdom of God. We know that with men, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. Hallelujah! Thank you, Jesus. We pray for these things in Jesus' name. Amen.  WHEN YOU KNOW GOD, YOU KNOW YOU KNOW GOD! Hallelujah! Do you know Him? Something God has shared with me recently, in the last couple of months, is that His Word, the Bible, is a system, an automated system on earth, activated by praying and reading His Word, and, also, by our own thoughts, words spoken, and our own actions or deeds. The words in the Bible are not just words. They are active and alive. If we meditate on His word, worship Him, give all glory, praise and thanksgiving to Him, day and night, every day, it will activate enormous blessings in our lives. Not only have I experienced His system in my life, personally, as I have written about in these blogs recently, but this is also what He tells us to do in His Word. "So then, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of [our great] God." 1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God! Whatever you do ::::: Philippians 4 6 "Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. 7 And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." "In everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition" WHATEVER YOU DO! By prayer and petition ... and receive the PEACE of God that passes ALL understanding! God's System! James 4 goes into God's System of Prayer even further, and tells us specifically to pray before we move or change jobs. James 4 13 "Come now [and pay attention to this], you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and carry on our business and make a profit.' 14 Yet you do not know [the least thing] about what may happen in your life tomorrow. [What is secure in your life?] You are merely a vapor [like a puff of smoke or a wisp of steam from a cooking pot] that is visible for a little while and then vanishes [into thin air]. 15 Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and we will do this or that.' 16 But as it is, you boast [vainly] in your pretension and arrogance. All such boasting is evil." Now, I know people will say to themselves, I have a job and a family. I don't have time for meditation, prayer and worship, day and night! And, God says to you, Yes, you do! Yes, you do have time, even with your hectic schedule and being pulled in 50 different directions, you have time! You know why you have time? First of all, because God said you do LOL Amen? But, also, because meditation, prayer and worship can, and should, be done all day long, every day. When you are driving down the road, just say to yourself, or out loud, Praise God! Thank you, Jesus! All Glory and Honor and Praise to God, Most High! Thank you thank you thank you. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God! Amen! Easy peasy, right? It really just takes a conscious effort, and eventually it becomes a habit, a good habit! Waiting in the drop-off line at school? Heavenly Father, thank you for my many blessings. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins. Watch over my children and my husband today, keep your word and your will in their hearts, and make their paths straight. Amen! Prayer system activated! Start talking to God, reading His Word, and listening to His answers. Watch the enormous benefits that start to roll into your life. Now, what does God say about His system of prayer for healing? GOD'S SYSTEM OF PRAYER FOR HEALING OURSELVES AND OTHERS James 5 13 "Is anyone among you suffering? He must pray. Is anyone joyful? He is to sing praises [to God]. 14 Is anyone among you sick? He must call for the elders (spiritual leaders) of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with [c]oil [the presence of God, the Holy Spirit] in the name of the Lord [Jesus Christ]; 15 and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God--it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours [with the same physical, mental, and spiritual limitations and shortcomings], and he prayed intensely for it not to rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its crops [as usual]." Footnotes: biblegateway.com (c) James 5:14 The oil symbolizes the presence of God. Definition of "dynamic": always ACTIVE or changing. Prayer is 'dynamic,' always active (alive). Hallelujah! Amen! So, according to James 5:13-18 above, whom is called to pray for the sick? First, the elders, or spiritual leaders, of the church are to pray over them, and anoint them with the presence of God, which is the Holy Spirit, in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Second, as righteous men and women, we are called to pray for them and ourselves (that we may all be healed and restored), and we are specifically told that we can accomplish 'MUCH' through prayer! Now, what does "righteous" mean. If anyone is like I was, I really did not understand what it meant until recently. I remember not that long ago, looking at my husband and saying, Am I righteous? Are you righteous? What does that mean? So, I looked up the definition of "righteous": from wordnik: Morally upright; without guilt or sin. I was like, wow, that really does not describe me, even though I was living as sin-free as humanly possible at that time (within my limited knowledge of God's Word), so the whole concept of righteousness went right over my head. Then, of course, a light bulb went off (God spoke), and I realized that 'righteous' means saved by the grace of God, and having our sins washed away by the blood sacrifice of the New Covenant, Jesus Christ. In other words, we are saved from sin, or death (we are righteous), because God wanted to save us, and he sacrificed His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, so that our sins could be washed away, once and for all, forever. Amen! But do not abuse God's system, because with blessings come curses. Plus, we (believers) will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give account to God! Romans 14:11-12. Praise God! Thank you, Jesus! See more in my blog titled, 'Sin No More.' Further, Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:19 that if just two of us agree on earth on anything, it shall be done for them! "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 18:19 God's System! So, these are the reasons I started attending Saturday night prayer meeting at church, because I know firsthand that prayer works in my life. I think I was driven (by God) to come to the church physically, and pray with other people in the chapel. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20 It was almost like a feeling of selfishness on my part, because I knew miracles could happen, and I was not doing what God's Word instructed me to do to help effectuate those miracles in other people's lives, as well as my own. "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." James 5:16 - God's System!! Remember, Satan is like a roaring lion looking for whom he can devour. The one Saturday night I did not attend the prayer meeting, I knew immediately that Satan had won that round, and I vowed to not let that happen again. Praise God! So, maybe you will be called (by God) to attend prayer meetings at your church for healing of others, or you and/or your family and friends, or possibly a stranger! Regardless, cover all your bases, activate ALL of God's blessings and walk with Him all day long, every day. You will activate God's system in your life, and then you will fully understand what I mean when I say, When you know God, you KNOW you know him! I pray God gives everyone the peace that passes all understanding! Hallelujah! Praise God! Amen! |
Melanie GarciaFaithful and humble servant to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Archives
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