I Bless His Name

“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

I was given the opportunity to testify of God’s faithfulness to renew my mind when it was battered by such anguish years ago.  In the opportunity, you better believe the serpent raised his head and gave me several reasons why I should not - several fear tactics as to why I needed to remain quiet.  

“You will offend that person if you tell them your testimony.”  

Instead of bowing down to  the serpent, God reminded me that the verse above applied in this

situation.  The Lord has faithfully  been teaching me how this verse means what it says.  Satan is brazen, and he is a bully.  However, there is no need for a saint to be bullied by Satan.  Saints are to tread over ALL the power of the enemy.   So - I did.  I tread on him by this testimony.  I shared that no matter the mental anguish, no matter the thoughts that attempt to take root in a person’s mind in order to birth sin, JESUS Christ is the answer.  He ALONE renews minds.  I recalled Isaiah 61 that carries this promise and power:  “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.”

As I did this, my flesh fell on the floor dead. And I was happy to see it there.  My spirit that was led by His Spirit was emboldened.  I decided the consequence that followed by man - his response, him being offended by me - was all worth it as long as it brought GOD GLORY!!

I would not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, especially this aspect.

After sharing my testimony, a series of miraculous and Holy Spirit filled moments occurred, one after another and another!  Wow!  The Devil wants people to be shackled in their thought life and wants them to rely on the world to fix them, yet the world’s “fix” is simply a band-aid.  The real problem is still lurking underneath, festering.  Jesus can renew a broken mind! Seek HIM!

This song is so beautiful.  The words ring true in my own life.  No matter what battle you face, praise in the midst; for the Lord will show up and resurrect you.

Rejected

In the reference section of a Thompson Chain Bible, you will find a brief, neutral outline of the Book of Jeremiah.  The portion below is of note.  Though a neutral listing of this aspect of the Jeremiah, it is one that should be scrutinized, especially by those who are instructed by God to deliver sobering messages to the masses.

Jeremiah's

Rejection:

1. By his neighbors -- Jeremiah 11:19-21

19 But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.

20 But, O Lord of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause.

21 Therefore thus saith the Lord of the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the Lord, that thou die not by our hand:

2. By his own family -- Jeremiah 12:6

6 For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.

3. By the priests and prophets -- Jeremiah 20:1-2

1 Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the Lord, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.

2 Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the Lord.

4. By his friends -- Jeremiah 20:10

10 For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.

5. By all the people -- Jeremiah 26:9

9 Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

6. By the king -- Jeremiah 36:23  

23 And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.

Rejected by man, but accepted by GOD:

Jeremiah 1:

4 Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

6 Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

7 But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.

9 Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

. . .

17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.

18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.

19 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.

Amen.

Heaven's Not 'Here'

"If I could just make a little more money ..."

"If I could just bench 50 more pounds, ..."

"If I could lose just 20 pounds ..."

"If my spouse looked just a little bit better..."

"If I just drove that kind of car..."

"If only I could work there..."

"If only that person were attracted to me..."

"If only my kids would..."
"If only more people liked me..."

"If only I were smarter..."

"If only this..."

"If only that..."

"If only this were different in my life, then I would be so happy."  "... then peace."  "...then heaven."

Heaven is not here.  Heaven is not in the next job, in the next 20 pounds you lose, in the next relationship, in the next paycheck  .... so stop falling for the same trap every. single. time.  

Heaven is with Jesus.  Is He with you?  Are you with Him?  

Jesus said:

If He is not your foremost desire, then your eternity will not likely be spent with Him in His Heaven. You must turn from your ways and turn to Him fully.

For centuries, the Devil has hatched the same old plan from generation to generation... and the majority of people buy his lies without ever questioning the "system" he established.  A system of insecurity.  A system of instability.  A system where nothing we attain or 'achieve' in this life will ever really be enough.  He keeps the masses wanting more.  While the masses are in search of pseudo-peace and pseudo-joy, they refuse to raise their head up from the filthy earth that they spend most of their lives sweeping to absolutely no avail.  The dirt gets moved from one location to another as you sweep, but it will never be anything other than what it has always been... dirt...filth... Moving the dirt won't change what it is.  This world system is temporary.  Why put so much effort in that which is temporary?  

I'm not suggesting you crawl into a cave and live out the rest of your days.  I am saying stop allowing your aspirations of peace and heaven to be dictated by this faulty world system.  Man works for a living and provides for himself while journeying through this life.  But, don't believe those pitiful lies that suggest making the pleasures and extras of this life your highest aspirations.  That is idolatry.  When man seeks most diligently to achieve success in this life, he is certainly not focused on the next life. The fact is you are being prepared in this life for the next one.  The question is WHO is preparing you?  Is Jesus preparing a place for you in the presence of your enemies?  Do you believe that those who truly follow the Shepherd will receive all the provision they need as they journey through this world to the next, which is Eternal?  Listen, you really have to believe it. Not just verbally say, but it must be an eat, sleep, pray it kind of belief.  It must be the very air you breathe kind of belief.  Your belief in the promise found in Psalm 23:5 must be steadfast and unmovable.

Otherwise, Satan is never far behind when disbelief is present in you.  You see, Satan is also preparing a table, but it is one void of godliness, void of godly transformation, void of holiness;  it is a table filled with greed, hate, anger, jealousy, lust, false religion, deceit --- anything that opposes God.

From which table are you eating?  

With God, there is provision that will prepare you for the True Kingdom of Heaven.  There will be tribulation.  There will be trials.  There will be enemies.  But, most importantly, there will be the True and Living God guiding you, teaching you, and preparing you for an Eternity with Him.  Heaven Is With Him.  No dirt.  Just purity.  Just Holiness.  That which abides forever in Righteousness.

Heaven's not here.

The truth is this:  Nothing less than the true Grace of God can open anyone's eyes to the silliness of this insecure satanic system.  I'm not talking about a "I'm covered by grace no matter what I do down here" lie.  That false definition of grace was also created by the serpent and is perhaps the center piece on his table... "Ye, shall not surely die" (Genesis 3:4).  He's the same serpent who has people frantically running around trying to 'be' something or to 'know' something in order to feel like they 'are' something.  Don't you get sick of the Devil's garbage floating around in your thought process?  

Pray that God will renew your mind.  Does He not show us in His Word that our minds can, in fact, be renewed?  Do we believe what His Word says?  Listen, we don't really believe in Jesus if we read certain scripture and think, "that's not really possible with me."  Who do you have faith in... yourself or Him?  He said to BELIEVE.

Again, we can only truly have our minds transformed by Him, His Grace.

Wow!  That kind of Biblical Grace excites me because without it, I am lost.  And so are you.

This Grace isn't a "magic wand".  It comes with directions.  We are called in the Word of God to resist temptation.  Whatever it may be, resist the temptation to sin against God.  If we do, there are valiant promises of reconstruction and transformation that His Grace provides.  That excites me!

Look closely at what God calls us to do, and look closely at what He promises His Grace will do:

"Here" wants us to get caught up in the 'will' of the world.  What drives the world wants to drive you, but the Word of God is in stark contrast to anything the world considers right:

Sukkot

(To The Saint)

Feast of Tabernacles

As Saints journey through this world and all that The World represents, we must know that all of “this” is temporary.  

Temporary.  

In the wilderness of this world, there will be 1) struggles 2) enemies 3) pain 4) sadness 5) moments of fear 6) battles with our own flesh 7) battles with others 8) battles with principalities of darkness.

If we are not guarding our hearts as we journey through the wilderness, we will find ourselves overcome by unbelief. Circling. Pacing Back & Forth. Fearful. Overcome.

When we put our faith in God to lead us and when we truly follow Him, He is faithful to care for us in a perfect way, according to His plan.  

The Lord sought to remind me recently about the “temporariness” of the struggles of this life when He taught me about the Feast of Tabernacles (also known as the Feast of Booths and Sukkot/Succoth). He, in the span of 2 hours, brought the phrase “Feast of Tabernacles” to my attention three separate times in remarkable ways.

A foe had surfaced in my life.  Really, he was

the same foe he has always been, but operating in a different body, using a different platform, but certainly, the same old Serpent, that Dragon, Satan.

I was not at all familiar with this particular feast in the Bible. Yet, the Lord was set on teaching me about this practice and most importantly the significance the Feast of Tabernacles still holds today in the life of a born again Christian.

Feast of Tabernacles/ Feast of Booths/ Sukkot/ Succoth

I do not doubt that there are many layers to Sukkot, but

God sought to teach me this aspect of it:  The Feast of Tabernacles was a celebration by God’s people that lasted for a week.  The Jewish people would build small booths (tabernacles) out of branches and leaves, living in them for a week. Why?  This Feast served as a reminder of God's provision for the Israelites earlier in the Old Testament. As the Israelites made their way from Egypt to the promised land, they traveled through the wilderness.  They had no permanent home while they traveled.  They were called to rely solely on God, who promised to shelter them and provide for them.  God provided a pillar of fire by night and pillar of cloud by day (Exodus 13: 21-22) for the Israelites. This was just one way God provided for His people.

Therefore, the tabernacles or booths the Jewish people built during the Feast of Tabernacles were specifically made as temporary dwellings in order to symbolically remind them how God had worked in the past.  Also, these booths represented what God would do for them in the future as well. Hallelujah!  

Can you think of every time God showed up for you? Every time He delivered you? Think on it.  Remember those times.  What makes you think He won’t yet again in this battle … with this particular foe.  Is the battle bigger than any you have ever experienced?  Look for the pillar of fire by night.  It’s there.  God is ready to help His people.  Are you going to trust Him?  Are you going to rejoice in His Strength?

In the picture below, the Israelites lived in temporary shelters as they journeyed through the wilderness (this world/trials), but GOD appeared to them as a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day to lead His people!  Isn’t God good!  Yes, He sure is! Trust Him, not the things of this world, not even the formidable foes that surface.

The Lord has meticulously spent this last year teaching me, through trials & through speaking His Truth, that this, this world, is temporary.  The foes, the struggles, the heartache -- it’s all temporary.  

Follow Him.  The Lord continues to remind me of that City, whose maker and builder is God.  Those who have a true heart to obey the Lord and to be transformed by Him are traveling to a City, and in fact, saints ARE that City being built and transformed by God as we obey Him. (Isaiah 60:18, 60:19, 60:20)

After the LORD taught me about the Feast of Tabernacles recently,  this foe that had been plaguing me dissolved by the hand of the Lord in a matter of days, just as God had indicated to me that he would.  The foe wanted me to weep, but the Lord instructed me to REJOICE!  And I did.  I rejoiced in God’s Strength!  Oh, how He strengthens me.

Keep walking, Saint.  Pitch your temporary tent where the Lord leads you.  Allow your temporary foe to surface.  No matter the form of the foe, his time is short in your life.  Remain faithful to the LORD.  Speak when He says to speak.  Do what He says to do.  Move when He says to move.  Believe. Obey.  The LORD will fulfill every hopeful promise to those who keep covenant with Him.  

Please understand:  The Pilgrims (Saints) who are passing through this wilderness must know - the Lord has steadfastly taught me this with every trial faced this year - there is no permanent home here for the Saints, but there is a permanent CITY where the Glory of God will reside forever more, and that is where you are going as a Pilgrim.  Remember, "this wilderness" - whatever your wilderness may be - "this" is temporary.  Keep moving Pilgrim. Glory!  (Revelation 21: 22-23, Hebrews 11:13, Hebrews 11:10, 11:19, 12:22, 13:14)

Word of My Testimony:  It's been one pilgrimage after another

over the last year.  It's been one pulling up stakes and traveling on a few more feet after another for me this year.  It has been one detachment at a time from this world, the things of this world,  the lies of this world, after another, and each time, God has provided.  He has directed.  If you know about the story called The Pilgrim's Progress, there is a moment in one of its depictions, where the character Christian sees another character whose name is Faithful off in the distance.  Christian yells for Faithful to wait until he can catch up with Faithful, but Faithful's response is basically 'you can run and catch up with me, but I am not stopping.  I have to keep moving.'

Boy, that is where I am in this journey with the Lord.  I'll do what I can as the Lord directs to point you to the narrow path. But, I won't stand still and take up a permanent residence down here for you.  If you are my brother, sister, mother, father, husband, child, best friend, acquaintance, stranger on the street, I can't stop for you.  I can't do it.  You can join me on this transforming journey, but if you don't want to do so, I've got to keep movin' on!  I'm headed to a CITY!  

Hallelujah!

In the Shelter