What Kind of God?

WHAT KIND OF GOD DO YOU THINK I AM?


WITH THE SOLDIERS RIGHT BEHIND THEM AND THE RED SEA AHEAD,
THE PEOPLE CRIED TO MOSES, "MAN IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE DEAD!
"DID YOU BRING US OUT OF EGYPT TO DIE IN THE SAND?"
AND GOD SAID,
"WHAT KIND OF GOD DO YOU THINK I AM?
"DO YOU REALLY THINK THE WATER IS TOO DEEP FOR ME?
"DO YOU THINK THAT I'M AFRAID OF PHARAOH'S ARMY?"
THEN HE PARTED THE WATERS AND THEY WALKED ON DRY LAND,
AND GOD SAID, "NOW WHAT KIND OF GOD DO YOU THINK I AM?"

WHEN THEY REACHED THE LAND OF CANAAN, THEY SENT OUT TWELVE MEN.
TEN CAME BACK TO TELL THE STORY OF THE GIANTS, AND THEN
THE PEOPLE CRIED, "WE ARE DEFEATED, AND WE'LL DIE IN THIS LAND!"
AND GOD SAID, "YES! IF THAT'S THE KIND OF GOD YOU THINK I AM.
"AS YOU'VE SPOKEN IN MY EAR, THAT'S THE THING I WILL DO.
"THE THINGS THAT YOU BELIEVE ARE GONNA HAPPEN TO YOU (Num. 14:28, Mark 11:23-24).
"ONLY JOSHUA AND CALEB WILL SET FOOT IN THE LAND,
CAUSE I KNOW WHAT KIND OF GOD THAT THEY THINK I AM."

PETER YELLED WE GOTTA BAIL BOYS, OR WE AIN'T GONNA FLOAT,
AND WHAT ABOUT THAT JESUS? HE'S ASLEEP IN THE BOAT!"
HOW COULD THIS BUNCH FORGET, HE SAID THEY'D CROSS TO DRY LAND?
THEN JESUS SAID, "WHAT KIND OF GOD DO YOU THINK I AM?
"DO YOU REALLY THINK THE WATER IS TOO DEEP FOR ME?
"DO YOU THINK THAT I'M AFRAID OF SATAN'S FURY?"

JESUS CALMED THE WIND AND WATER WITH AN UPLIFTED HAND,
AND SAID, "NOW WHAT KIND OF GOD DO YOU THINK I AM?"

SO EVEN WHEN THE WATER IS TOO DEEP FOR ME,
EVEN WHEN I'M IN THE MIDST OF SATAN'S FURY,
JESUS NODS TO THE FATHER AND SAYS, "THIS ONE WILL STAND, CAUSE I KNOW WHAT KIND OF GOD THAT HE THINKS I AM."


His Name is I AM. Not I was, or will be. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is limited only by our unbelief. Matt. 13:58 and Mark 6:5.

Does God Lead Us Into Temptation?

Does God lead us into temptation?

I can see why this might be a question for pondering, since in the Lord's prayer, we are taught to pray, "Lead us  not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil." Many translations say "deliver us from the evil one." Implicit in that prayer is that the evil one is the tempter--not God.

"When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed" (James 1:13-14). 

God does not tempt us. However all Christians can expect trials.

I asked the Lord about discerning the difference between trials and temptations, because these words are often used interchangeably in Christian dogma. What He impressed on my spirit is a simple way to discern the difference between a temptation and a "test" or "trial" of our faith.

Temptation always involves evil, or doing evil, and appeals to the lust of the flesh, the lust of eyes, the pride of life. I Jn 2:16

"For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the  world,"  and  Jesus says the devil is the prince of this world (Jn 16: 11).

Temptation to sin leads downward. James 1: 15 says: "Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death."

A FAITH TRIAL always involves victory, moving closer to God, overcoming. Faith trials lead upward.

James 1: 13-14:

For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ... because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Always look at scripture for examples of tests or temptations.

Heb. 11: 17-19 says By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.

Abraham was specifically led (directed, spoken to) by God to offer up Isaac. A faith trial usually involves specific instructions from God. The devil didn't lead Abraham to offer Isaac. By that great act of faith in God's Word,  Abraham (often referred to as "Father Abraham" in New Test.) acted out a type of the Father offering up His only Son (Gen. 22:2). Isaac was the child of the promise, a supernaturally-birthed baby since the mother was past child bearing years, and therefore a type of Christ. (Note: God recognized Isaac, not Ishmael, as Abraham's only son).

Other Bible people who passed faith tests: Moses, Gideon, Jesus Who was led into the wilderness to do battle with Satan, Paul. Each of them had a specific task to perform and was specifically directed by God, not Satan, although Satan wanted to tempt them not to fulfill their FAITH assignments.

King David lost his battle with temptation when Bath Sheba bathed on the rooftop. But God didn't lead David to watch her. The resulting pregnancy tempted David to murder her husband, Uriah. The consequences also including the death of the child. Sin leads to death.

When the Lord leads His people, it is usually not by external circumstances (like accidents, illnesses, tragedies, etc.--that theology comes from the wrongly taught belief that God controls everything that happens to us. If that were so, how would we know when to resist the devil?)

God  desires to lead us by the internal spirit voice, which every born again man has within his own spirit.  We learn to hear His voice as we train our spirits to follow our Good Shepherd, Who says, "My sheep hear my voice."

I must admit, at times I'm better at this than at other times, especially if I let the cares of this world choke out the word.

Psalm 32: 8-9

⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. 

Bible Hub

32:8-11 God teaches by his word, and guides with the secret intimations of his will. ....Proverbs 8:10,11 Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge

I love the passage in I Kings. 19: God was not in the whirlwind, He was not in the earthquake, He was not in the fire, "Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still, small voice.¹³ When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave."

That still small voice rises up from your innermost being and You are led by God's counsel, always to do His will.

The tempter will always entice you to do the opposite.

What Should She Do? She Loves Him.

What Should She Do? She Loves Him.

What does a girl do when she's deeply in love with the guy, wrapped in his passionate embrace, and she doesn't dare risk losing him?

"If you love me you will," he says between kisses and promises of undying devotion.

The flesh answers yes.

She gives away her purity and expects him to keep those promises. She believes him because he actually meant them when he said them. He thought he did. But he wakes up now with a stain on his soul. He has violated the moral law of God. He may not realize it at once. Maybe never if his conscience has been seared over as with a hot iron by our culture's glaring lack of all moral responsibility. However, those people who allow him to do something wrong soon become people he just does not want to be around. He may not even realize it, but it's true.

We love people most who expect and require the best of us. Who lift us up to a higher standard and make us feel good about ourselves.

Soon he begins to take the girl for granted. And then to actually disrespect and dislike her, no matter how desperately she tries to please him. His passionate "love" turns to hate.

It's over. She realizes she has made a serious mistake.

She feels betrayed and sullied. There is a wound in her soul. Seeking to heal that wound, she moves on to the next guy. And the next.

So many young girls are looking for genuine love in all the wrong places. The wrong arms. They are created with this need for love and do not realize it is found only in the arms of their Creator. He has planned the best possible husband for them. It's not too late. She can turn to the Lord and truly find that her way is not leading to the good life she envisioned for herself. It is only in Jesus Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

The girl who has a sincere love for Jesus is protected by obedience when confronted with a guy's words, "If you love me you will." She answers, "If you love me, you would not ask me to do something that is clearly wrong in God's word."

He knows deep inside that she is right. He ends up respecting her for her convictions. He goes home and wakes the next morning with his own self respect intact. She has kept him from a transgression, a stain on his soul, whether he realizes it or not.

If he has any character at all, he realizes this is the kind of girl he wants to marry and cherish as his lifelong companion. The kind of girl who knows how to train up children in the way they should go.

The correct answer to anyone who pressures you to do something wrong or risk losing his or her companionship is: "If you really are my friend--pal, sister, brother, boyfriend, etc.--you would not ask me to do something that is wrong and against the Word of God."

You may lose that person, but the Lord has someone in your future who will bring you joy and not sorrow. Who will lift you up, not bring you down. And it's never too late to turn to Him. His tender mercy is new every morning. He will turn your mourning into dancing light and your sorrow to joy unspeakable and full of glory. He came to seek the lost and broken hearted and to heal all the wounds in their souls. He restores, ne-news, regenerates. A complete makeover from inside out. Who wouldn't want one of those!

Is There A Secret to Happiness?

Is There A Secret

To Happiness?

 

I stepped off the bathroom scale with a sigh of frustration. How was I going to conquer these unwanted pounds?

Bookstore employees say diet and self-help books are their biggest sellers. Many women are not happy with themselves. Inside, we secretly know this involves much more than just our outward appearance. Soon enough we discover that all efforts to change are not working. We fail ourselves.

If only we could discover the secret to happiness.

What if I told you I know where it is?

This is not just a make-over. You get a total transformation from the inside out.

Mine began when I had a desperate longing to become a mother. It took months of seeking, asking, knocking. I read God's word continually, learning that faith comes by hearing and hearing His Word. That makes perfect sense. How can you have faith in His word  if you don't know what He says?

I also found an amazing thing.

God talks!

Right away people put you in the category of "weird" when you say God speaks. Yet He speaks from Genesis through Revelation. How could He not speak to His own sheep who know His voice?

"When you seek me with your whole heart, you will find me" (Jer. 29:13). God who is spirit, spoke that verse to my inner spirit ear and I took it seriously. I was expecting to "find " that He would grant me a child. I found much more. I found a real and vital relationship with Jesus. Indescribable joy!

Wow. Now that God and I were on a first-name basis. Surely He would answer my prayer for a baby.

He spoke to me a second time in the form of a question. "Why don't you fast?" At first, I thought it was my imagination. Yet the question kept popping into my mind.  "Okay, if that's You, Lord I'll fast."

I went all day without food, then opened the fridge that evening. Hungry. What if it was only my imagination and I was going hungry for no real reason? I decided I had better ask the Lord before I took a single bite.

Being young in the Lord, I put out a fleece like Gideon did in Judges 6:36. "Lord show me a verse on fasting if this is really your instruction to me." I let my huge encyclopedic study Bible flop open. My eyes fell on the words: "And they sanctified a fast unto the Lord."

Whoa! Was that a coincidence? My stomach growled. I knew Gideon had put out his fleece twice, and I wanted certainty. "Lord, pardon me if I ask again." I let the book flop open once more. The verse was on fasting. I am embarrassed to say, I repeated this process a third time.

Confirmation? Oh yeah. I went to bed hungry but curiously satisfied.

God will confirm His Word when you seek Him, and as you get to know it better, He brings it to your recollection (John 14: 26). That's how He usually speaks. You will not need to put out a fleece.

The second day of my fast, God filled me with His glorious presence so powerfully that I knew I had touched His throne room. I experienced such fullness of joy, unspeakable and full of glory.

Raising my hands, I declared, "Father, I no longer care if I ever have a child. You are all I want and all I need in this world."

Right then, I learned to seek the Giver and not the gift. I laid my deepest desire on the altar with praises. Guess what? I got it back again. I now have two beautiful daughters and four grandchildren.

My transformation has been ongoing. God did what I could not do to change myself. My listening ear needs fine tuning every now and then, but my heart beats with passion to do His will.

Yes, there is a secret to happiness.  "Happy is the man (woman) who finds God's wisdom and gains understanding" (Proverbs 3:13). I have not been free from the trials and challenges of life, however I have learned to trust in Him. The joy of the Lord is my strength.

Oh yes, with His help, I have lost thirty pounds.

Harriett Ford is an award-winning member of Faithwriters, the author of six books listed on Amazon, a member of Kingdom Xperience, and an inspirational speaker. Contact her at harrietf@centurytel.net.

Does the Bible teach Soul Sleep?

Do our spirits sleep in the grave until the resurrection? 

Does the Bible teach soul sleep as many people believe based on a few passages which seem to indicate this. Actually Jesus used the term "sleeping" to describe only the body of a person who has died, such as Lazarus, and also the little 12-year-old girl He raised. 

Think of what He said when Elijah and Moses appeared with Him on the Mt. of transfiguration. God is not the God of the dead but of the living (Mark 12:27). Clearly they were not sleeping.  And Paul wrote that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). This illustrates that we are spirit-soul beings and only our flesh is mortal. (I Thess 5:23). 

Luke 16:22 "And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;"

Comments by Andrew Wommack on LUKE 16:19-31 follow: 

 Jesus clearly teaches that there is life after death. It shows that there is no "soul sleep" where our souls are awaiting the resurrection of our bodies, but we go into a conscious eternity immediately. It also shows that there are only two destinations possible after death. We either go to a place of torment for the wicked or a place of blessing for the righteous. There is no "limbo" or "purgatory" and there is no second chance, illustrating the finality of our eternal destiny once we die.

Abraham's bosom is a symbolic term designating a place of comfort for the righteous dead. It was located in the heart of the earth, in the same region as hell, where the ungodly dead go. The rich man's body was in the grave and yet this scripture speaks of him lifting up his eyes and seeing Lazarus in Abraham's bosom. Our soul mirrors our physical shape so closely that it is recognizable. It is probable that one's soulish body is an exact duplicate of their physical body.

Part of this man's torment was from the flames. However, he was also tormented by the thought of his loved ones' lives on earth and their eternal destiny. Surely his helplessness to warn them would make his misery worse.

Also, the fact that he could see Lazarus and Abraham in a place of total blessing and comfort would keep him from ever adjusting to his situation.

In the light of Jesus' words, we can see that hell will be much more than just a place of physical torment. Those who are consigned to that place will also be tormented with the thoughts of what could have been if they had trusted Jesus. The greatest witness that anyone could ever receive is the witness from God's Word. The gospel is the "power of God unto salvation".

Share the Word today.

Are you under an umbrella of curses?

I thought she had the victory and we would be rejoicing together in her healing and her travels with her friend.

Instead, I heard Sue crying once again on the phone, and it's true she has serious reason to feel betrayed.

This kind of thing happens way too often in her life. I love her and want this pattern to stop! She has been crying over various painful situations in her life for years, and while I do hurt for her, I want her to break out of this cycle. Sympathy from me is not the answer.

I have been seeking the Lord on this: He showed me through a very wise friend, the umbrella -principle which leads to victimization.

Some people can inadvertently keep themselves under a curse by having a victim mentality.

They see themselves as victims in almost every situation in life. It usually starts in childhood when they actually have been victims of abuse, neglect, parental dysfunction. They do not have much control over this. This umbrella brings a generational victimization curse which must be dealt with.  Deeply dealt with at the very roots.

When they grow up, they  still see themselves as victims, even when they become Christians. They do not learn that they don't have to be victims. They pray and worship, but they want God to be their Rescuer, perpetually. They do not learn how to get out of toxic situations.

They cry and complain about every wound in their souls, and yet they set themselves up for defeat time and time again by that very reaction of crying and complaining instead of singing praises.

They bring themselves  under the victim's curse by their associations.

Whoever you allow into your life brings an umbrella of curses or blessings.  This includes husband, family members,  especially those who are still living under the umbrella of generational curses ( such as a dependent brother or sister). The victim, Sue, supports or agrees with them and soon takes on their curses. Once again, she becomes a victim.

She can stop it by refusing the association. This must be done for her own spiritual and mental health. Mistaken charity can bring a curse. It is also not biblically correct to support a relative who chooses not to work. If a man does not work, let him not eat, said Paul.

Then there is another umbrella of curses or blessings in the work place. If an employer is honest, has integrity, kindness, etc. he will bring blessings. And the opposite is also true. I have seen this in effect in my own life to a startling degree.

The perpetual victim has a choice to make. She does not have to remain in toxic relationships. She does not have to allow the victim-wounds to remain in her soul. She can pull these out one at a time and ask the Lord to replace them with the good seed that brings forth the fruit of the spirit. She can continue to bless others and focus on being a blessing, rather than to focus on licking her wounds. That is the quickest way to heal soul wounds and defeat the curse.

It may take confessing to the Father and asking Him to forgive the victim mentality, because He says we are more than a conqueror through Christ, and if we don't see ourselves that way, and break off the old chains of bondage, we are not free.

You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free!!

Rejoice.

Love you with all my heart, faith, and soul,

Harriett

"You Must Curse God," she said

"You Must Curse God"

Children's laughter came from the wooden horse carousel and the Ferris wheel. Smells of popcorn and cotton candy filled the air.

Carney barkers enticed visitors to drop their hard-earned coins on side shows, ball tosses, games, and weird exhibits, including the Cherokee alligator wrestlers.

A young woman walked along the midway at the 1920s Arkansas state fair.

Caroline stopped at a curtained booth painted with the image of an exotic gypsy woman gazing into a crystal ball. Out of curiosity, she went inside, plunked down a coin and said, "Okay, tell my fortune."

The woman asked for her hand and studied the palm lines a few moments. Her eyes suddenly grew wide. With something like fear in her eyes, she said in a low voice, "I cannot tell your fortune. But you have the power to read the fortunes of others."

What power? What was this? Caroline puzzled. She asked, "What do I have to do?"

The gypsy woman spoke slowly and deliberately, a serious expression in her eyes, "You must curse God."

Caroline drew back. She answered, "I'm not going to curse God. Give me back my coin."

She left the booth and never looked back.

That young woman was my grandmother, who later married a cotton farmer and settled in eastern Oklahoma.

Upon hearing that bit of family history, I became curious in my adult years. Why couldn't the gypsy simply make up some kind of fortune and keep the coin? Why would she urge Caroline to curse God? Was there really some mysterious force at work here?

In my Bible, I soon found numerous scriptures warning people not to seek information about the future from any source but true prophets of God and His Holy Word. Why would God forbid this activity if it is harmless?

The desire to know one's future through oracles, astrologers, and people with "psychic gifts" goes back for thousands of years. All pagan nations have practiced it.

Following is a quote from Deuteronomy 18:9-13: “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire [human sacrifice], who practices divination [obtaining knowledge of the future through spiritualist practices, i.e. psychics] or sorcery, interprets omens [signs of activity of pagan gods, i.e. palm readers, astrology], engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead [séances and those who try to speak to the dead]. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and because of these detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God."

Galatians 5: 19-20 is just one of many scriptures repeating this same instruction.

I have an acquaintance, an author who was once a satanic priest. He is now an ordained evangelist who devotes his ministry to delivering people ensnared by these practices. "They are not harmless pass times or mere games," says Tim Thompson. More about Tim in another post.

How Do We Know It's God Speaking?

We hear people say it often. God told me this. God spoke to me. I have a word from the Lord. Sometimes we hear their claims with skepticism, simply because we know the person too well. Or we know that person did not hear from God because his "message" did not meet the standard of Truth in His Word.

How do we hear from the God of the Bible who so clearly spoke to Adam, to Noah, to Moses, to Abraham, to the Apostles of the New Testament? Did He stop speaking to individuals after the twelve died? Of course not.

God speaks to all people—to you and me. Jesus said, My sheep know my voice. Pastor Jack Hayford explains at least five ways to hear what He wants us to know.

First and foremost,

God speaks through the Scriptures and His Son Jesus, who is the incarnate Word and the true manna from heaven. Many a time, I have opened the Bible and found a word specific to my inquiry.

The Lord speaks through creation. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork" (Psalm 19:1). You can't look up into the night sky without something stirring in your heart that says, "God is mighty." You can't hold a baby in your arms without sensing the marvel of His creative dynamic.

God speaks to our heart. Our conscience "bears witness" (Romans 2:15). Everyone at some time or another, has sensed within themselves the rightness or wrongness of an action. People have an intuitive feeling there is Someone to whom, they are accountable.

God speaks through circumstances. By the very nature of circumstances we face in our lives—whether beautiful or frightening—there comes a revelation of our dependence upon God.

God speaks by His Voice. The conclusive revelation is in the Scriptures, but the Scriptures are filled with God speaking to people.

On that great day of Pentecost, the day the Church was born, Peter rises to preach and interprets what God had said 800 years earlier through the prophet Joel:

"And it shall come to pass in the last days," says God, "that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy." - Acts 2:17-18

God's goal in coming to work through human beings is to fill people with His Holy Spirit and enable them to prophesy. Still, we must always be careful to differentiate between what God has said in His Word, and whether there is a biblical basis to what a person shares as prophecy. The Spirit and the Word always agree. 

Good and Evil at the click of a key

Train Up A Child In The Way He Should Go (Proverbs 22: 6 NKJV)

Some fruit may look delicious, but it can lead to much pain. Ask my sweet husband, who just endured a violent attack of food poisoning. He didn't know the fruit had been contaminated.

It can be argued that there is a difference in knowing about evil and actually partaking of its fruit.

Knowledge about every subject imaginable is so readily offered today.

My computer delivers vast information with just a few clicks.

As a faith writer, I enjoy having that wealth available. Writings by devout ministers of yesteryear and today. Wonderful faith-building devotions, testimonies, biblical discourses. So much wise and godly teaching right there on my screen.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is unimaginable perversion, extremely deceitful doctrines, and wicked information available as well. Sometimes it pops up unbidden on my screen during a topic search. I wonder with horror how a parent can protect an innocent child from accidentally viewing it.

I make the choice to stay away from evil. But I cannot protect my children from the knowledge of it.

That thought brings to mind the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  After being warned its fruit would cause them to die, Adam and Eve made the wrong choice. They saw the fruit and desired it.

The forbidden fruit is often depicted as an apple. Curiously the same name chosen for one of the most successful computer companies, Apple.

The keys one chooses do actually represent the choice to partake of the knowledge of good or evil.

Lord, give parents the wisdom to instill in children how to avoid the bad and choose the knowledge that leads to them to life.

Harriett Ford is the author of numerous faith-based books.

Can't Laugh at Yourself? I Know Someone Who Can

The following is a composite of fun from various contributors to my email. I'd be glad to list authors if I had their names. I'm sure they will enjoy the adaptations.

Nobody ever feels their age. You either feel much younger, or much older than you are. Mr. H says he's only as old as the woman he feels. That would make him around age three, because he loves to hug his granddaughter. Grand kids are the best part of growing old. 

Being old just sort of sneaks up on you. Oh there were a few signs. These are not gray hairs you see on my head. They are wisdom highlights. I just happen to be extremely wise.

Wise, not extremely old.  Contrary to popular thought, wisdom does not just arrive with old age. I know lots of old people who are not very wise at all. Think about some of our politicians and you'll know what I mean.

The thing about being this old is, well, you don't get to practice. I've never been this old before. I may have lost some of my vigor, however, I have lost none of my wonder. Wonder where my glasses are?  Wonder where I left the phone? Wonder what day it is?

Many of us older people find that our face slides down under the chin where it seems to gather in graceful folds. Well, that's what I call them. Sounds better than saggy pleated jowls. 

Last November, Mrs. M was afraid to leave her house until after Thanksgiving. 

Have you been to one of those Medicare welfare checks where your doctor asks if you

are having memory problems? Can you find your way to the restroom by yourself? Know what your name is?  

I told my doctor that I have not stopped at a mail box to order a hamburger, and I've never driven into the car wash from the wrong side. She gave me a good mark for my checkup, even though I admitted that I have to pray the Lord will show me where I parked my car at Wal-mart.

Mr. M. never worries about having Alzheimer's. He says he has some-timers.

Sometimes the thoughts in his head get bored and go out for a stroll through his mouth. Usually not a good thing. 

Speaking of memory, how many remember these four great religious truths?

     1. Muslims do not recognize Jews as God's chosen people.

    2. Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

    3. Protestants do not recognize the pope as the leader of the Christian world.

    4. Baptists do not recognize each other at the liquor store.

  

No matter how old you are, laughter does good like medicine. So if you can't laugh at yourself, just call me and I'll laugh at you. One of us is sure to feel better. 

Kaytie and Dax continue discussion on alien life

Following is an excerpt from the Kaytie Flame trilogy, which will not appear in the book. Kaytie and Dax are characters from my Hidden Dangers Beyond Fantasy books. 

Kaytie and Dax continue their discussion on Alien visitors:

“These so-called alien messengers don’t mind if we think of ourselves as good, loving people. They don’t even care if we believe Jesus is coming again, as long as we think He is coming surrounded by space ships instead of clouds of glory like the angels described in the first chapter of Acts. The messengers want us to believe that Jesus is one of them, an alien being, just like Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius—any venerated religious leader whom they claim was sent to guide and mold our violent natures into peaceful, loving beings.”

Dax mused thoughtfully, “So, if we are created in their image, it follows that these aliens have to be violent beings themselves. Otherwise, how do they explain where mankind got his tendencies toward all the violent and wicked behavior that they want us to abandon?”

“Good question, Dax,” I grinned. Good observation. If they created us, how come our planet is so corrupt?

Thought provoking questions are evidence of thinking instead of blind acceptance—that’s a good thing. Even Jesus did not ask for blind faith from His followers.

Only those people who take the time to read the Bible are equipped with a standard for truth. They can recognize deception. Without Truth, people will fall for anything, even the most preposterous theories.

Dax continued, “However, Kaytie, there are wacky people who use the Bible to defend their own misguided ends.  I’ve been on some of those websites too. They get way too far out on your angle.”

“My angle?”

“The demon and fallen-angel explanation. They want to blame everything on devils.  They claim the Nephilim—the name for the giants before Noah’s flood—are coming to breed with earth women and produce hybrid creatures. These loonies quote scripture and promote all kinds of weird junk.”

He was right. Many people do quote scripture and use it to espouse weird, dangerous and even heretical ideas. I’d have to be careful not to come across like one of them.

“Yes, there are scripture-quoting wackos. But what about the opposite extreme? The scientists?” I suggested. “Some of those guys can be just as weird.”

I directed Dax to another Internet site. “For instance, look here. This awarded German scientist suggests that aliens dumped their waste into our oceans millions of years ago. He says their garbage produced the primordial soup out of which the first amoeba crawled and that's how the evolutionary progression began. In other words, he believes we’re made of space sewage.”

With a giggle I thought of Romans 1:22. ‘Thinking themselves wise, they became fools.’ It takes more faith to believe in that ridiculous theory than to recognize the obvious. Creation shouts that we have a creator.

 Dax chuckled too. “Does he suggest where the earth itself began? Does he try to explain its existence? Astronomers know there had to be a beginning. Einstein knew that. Science alone cannot explain how nothing, nothing, nothing suddenly exploded with a big bang, and . . .  BAM! Everything appeared out of nothing with perfect genetic reproduction systems for all living creatures, plants and animals, on the planet. They expect us to believe this resulted just by random chance? From space gas and dust? Even space dust had to have an origin. Their theory has obvious holes. If aliens seeded earth, where did the aliens come from? Who seeded them?”

He added, “Kaytie you and I both attended universities where the professors tried to train it out of us, but I do believe there is a Creator.”

So he does agree with me about that much!

I said, “It’s interesting to me that the self-proclaimed prophet Rael, who calls his spirit guide Yahweh, believes his alien gods want to have an embassy in Jerusalem." (See www.rael.org/rael)

“That seems to fit your antichrist theory rather well. But supposing they are actual fallen angels. Why would they need a space craft to fly around in?”

“Dax, who says they need a space craft? Perhaps they can appear in whatever form they wish. We know that Elisha watched as the prophet Elijah went up in some kind of fiery chariot. Jesus rose up in the clouds and is coming back the same way. If these entities are demons on a mission to deceive us, they wouldn’t show up in red suits, horns, and carry pitchforks. After all, Satan is called the master deceiver of the whole world. Jesus calls him prince of the power of the air. Paul said he could appear as an angel of light and spoke of signs and lying wonders to deceive even the very elect if possible. What do you suppose a lying wonder might look like? Why wouldn’t it look like a space craft if the purpose is to convince the world that there is no Creator and we are just the product of our alien creators?”

His eyes did not register total unbelief, just thoughtful curiosity, so I continued. “The idea of extra-terrestrial life has been around for ages. It seems the perfect vehicle to convince an uninformed population that they can escape the woes on planet earth to a new life in another world and thereby eliminate the need for a Savior.”

I didn’t say it, but I thought it was also an excellent explanation for the Rapture described in I Cor. 15:51-54. There are differing opinions on what that means, and I didn’t want to get into the discussion with Dax. I believe it means the catching away of the church as described again in I Thess. 4:15-18. After all, Satan will need an explanation for the disappearance of millions of people worldwide if he expects the remainder to worship him. What better plan?

“So it’s all just a big hoax planned from eons ago?”

I had to admit, it sounded a little flimsy when he put it that way. “Dax, God has had plans for this planet from the beginning of time. Plans that reached fulfillment at the appointed times in the past, present, and the future. Why wouldn’t Satan imitate God and put his own plans in place in the past, present, and future? He’s wickedly clever.”

Dax answered, “I’ve been reading about him in the gospels. I have to admit, Jesus dealt with him as an actual personality. Jesus would point it out to us if Satan were not real. He wouldn’t tell us to resist him if there was no devil. But where does this evil character get his demon cohorts?”

“Well, if you look at the book of Revelation, chapter 12 describes how the devil and his angels got cast down to earth. A third of God’s angels followed him in his rebellion. Those fallen angels are what we call demons—and they are here on the earth for the purpose of deceiving mankind.”

Kaytie and Dax argue differing views on alien life

Following is an excerpt from the Kaytie Flame trilogy, which will not appear in the book.

Do you believe in alien life visiting this planet?

Kaytie and Dax are characters from my Hidden Dangers Beyond Fantasy books. Voodoo Vanquishing Vixen is now under contract with Clean Teen Publishing. Captivating Cult Crusher is the second book in the trilogy. The third is Devil's Triangle Temptress.

A generation growing up on witchcraft, vampires, werewolves, as entertainment could find this trilogy just as exciting but with an element of truth they surely need. Knowledge rests not on truth alone, but on recognizing error. Some of these errors can be dangerous and even deadly.  

 In their discussion, Kaytie argues that alien beings are not who they claim to be. Dax muttered something about a whole lot of crazies in the world.

“Yes, but not everyone falls into the looney category. You’ve checked out legitimate research sites on UFO reports. After eliminating the wackos, you find thousands of credible people—highly trained Air Force and Navy pilots, skilled seamen—have observed them. And not just since Roswell. We have records of sightings over the centuries.”

Dax said, “Okay. Weed out the loonies. Credible witnesses do exist. I agree. Go on.”

 “Here’s what most convinces me that these encounters are with evil spirits, Dax. The first thing almost every so-called contactee says is that the Bible is wrong.  That tells me where their ‘message’ comes from. Satan tempted Eve with the same message. Lied to her. Questioned God's word and suggested if she chose higher knowledge she would become like God. That’s exactly what these contactees preach. They claim the aliens want us to choose their higher knowledge and become gods like them.”

Dax muttered, “What? They’re telling people to eat from the tree of forbidden fruit?”

“No, no. They’re saying that God’s word is not true. Don’t you see? They must get us to doubt God’s truth before they can deceive us.”

“Go on. I’m listening.”

“Okay. First they discredit the Bible, like Satan did in the garden. Second, they want us to believe there is no Creator. That the human race is genetically engineered by beings from other planets. They usually preach that we are facing mass destruction if we don’t form a one-world government and an all-inclusive, all-embracing religion. If you know anything about the anti-Christ described in the Bible, a one-world-government is part of his master plan.”

“Do you think this antichrist character is an actual person or a system?”

Continued next blog:

Why Did Jesus Give His Followers Authority?

What did Jesus give us authority for? Why do we need power over serpents, scorpions, and over  all the power of the enemy?

The Lord certainly gave us this authority. Seems important that we must learn how to exercise it. Wouldn't you agree? 

I know believers who take authority over attacks from the enemy. And yes we do have an enemy who walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. When an illness tries to fasten on the body, they don't say, God must be teaching me something because I have done something wrong. They don't accept disease as coming from God at all. Oops! This kind of thinking challenges many who believe everything that happens to them comes from God. Of course we know it does not. The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy--not God. 

These believers say, I resist these lying symptoms in Jesus' Name because He came to make inoperative the works of the devil, and sickness is his work. It steals, kill, and destroys the temple (the body). I refuse to have it.

The symptoms may not leave instantly, but they do leave. I know. I've resisted and seen them go. When the Word (the seed) is rooted, grounded and established in the good soil of a believing heart, it will produce a harvest.

Some will say, I tried this and it didn't work. 

I have said that same thing myself. However, I kept coming back to the Word. 

In consistency lies the key to victory. The more seed you plant, keep it watered, pull out the weeds of doubt, the greater your harvest.

This makes perfect sense. 

The old begging kind of prayers--asking God to do it all for you--are just not compatible with the teaching of the Lord and His apostles.

They never once asked God to heal. Instead they commanded--take up your mat, rise, stretch forth your hand. Study their ministry of healing. See Christ's authority at work. Then begin to walk in it. Your victory is on the way.

DID GOD MEAN WHAT HE SAID?

The original question Satan used to deceive Eve: Has God said?

He continued to persuade her, saying, "No, He didn't mean that, " 

until he finally convinced her, and she ate of the knowledge of 

good and evil.

Today we see extreme political correctness asking the same 

question. Has God said? Did He really mean what He said in 

Leviticus 18: 22 and 20: 13? Or Romans 1: 27?

If I cannot trust the Lord to mean what He says in even one verse, 

then how can I trust Him at all?

I absolutely do trust Him, because He has shown Himself faithful 

to perform His word miraculously in my life. It is a sure 

foundation, unchanging and settled forever, never to pass away, 

unlike our government.

Do I have the right to redefine God's word? Does the government 

have the right to set their laws above His all-knowing wisdom? To 

say God really didn't mean it, because we have modern neurologists 

who explain that our Creator didn't know what He was talking 

about. That He loves us too much to mean what He said in those passages?

Was God really waiting for medical science to point out His error?

Or does He love us enough to point out ours, so that we can dwell with Him in eternity?

How are we to resist the devil if there isn't one?

James 4: 7 teaches us to resist the devil and he will flee from us. Many churches today do not teach much about that old serpent, Lucifer. Others deny that devils even exist.

Two questions come to my seeking mind:

First, how is a young believer supposed to resist the devil if he doesn't even know there is one?

Second, how can he resist if he doesn't know what comes from the devil and what comes from God?

Will he find himself accepting something bad such as disease or oppression and assuming it is from God? Does he have the authority to resist an illness? 

Most of us know that we must resist blatant sin (the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life). That answer seems so obvious. However when you get into the area of what I call excuse-theology, the water gets muddy.

People hear teaching such as God must be teaching you something through this challenge, financial loss,  illness, premature death of a loved one, etc.

Certainly the trials of our faith work patience in us. Yet, if we think bad things come from God, how are we supposed to resist the devil?

Jesus plainly says that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  That includes much more than just wrong behavior. If it's bad, it's from the devil. 

James tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of heavenly lights who does not change like shifting shadows.

Jesus came to give life and that more abundantly. If it's good it's from above.

In my next post, we'll talking about submitting to God (to His perfect will) and resisting the devil. 

Why do people sometimes lose a miraculous sudden healing?

Blessed Believers,
The Lord has been showing me a few things about why people receive and then lose their sudden miracle healing.
One huge reason is found in the parable of the sower. The fowls of the air come to steal the Word (including the healing) if the seed has not been rooted, grounded, established in the good soil of the believing heart.
That's why many times a prayer for healing the sick is delayed. The Lord wants to person to get that word rooted in his heart so the enemy cannot steal it when he tries to put symptoms back on that person (and he always does). The following comments are from Andrew Wommack.


It was not only the faith of the paralytic that Jesus saw, but also that of his four friends (Mk. 2:3). This demonstrates the effect our intercession in faith can have upon others. Jesus saw their faith. However, although our faith released on behalf of others is powerful, it is not a substitute for their faith. It is simply a help. The person who is to receive the miracle must have some degree of faith, also. Even Jesus could not produce healing in those who would not believe (Mk. 6:5-6). In this instance, it is evident that the paralytic himself also had faith because he was not resistant to the four who brought him; and he got up and obeyed Jesus' command (v. 7) without having to be helped.

Why did Jesus minister forgiveness of sins to this man instead of meeting the obvious need he had of healing? Perhaps because our own awareness of sin causes doubt. Why would God want to heal me, a sinful person. God is more concerned with the spiritual health of a man than his physical health. Or, Jesus, through a word of knowledge, may have perceived that the real heart-cry of this man was to be reconciled to God. In some instances (not all - Jn. 9:2-3), sickness was a direct result of sin. Therefore, Jesus would be dealing with the very root of the paralysis. Whether or not this man's paralysis was a direct result of sin, sin in our life (that has not been forgiven) will allow Satan to keep us in his bondage. Through Jesus' act of forgiving this man's sins, the paralytic was free to receive all the blessings of God, which certainly included healing.

The point Jesus is making is that both forgiveness of sins and the healing of the paralytic are humanly impossible. If Jesus could do one of these things, He could do the other. He then healed the paralytic showing that He did, indeed, have the authority to forgive sins. In Jesus' day, the people were more inclined to accept His willingness to heal than they were to accept His forgiveness of sins without the keeping of the law. Today, the church world basically accepts forgiveness of sins, but doubts His willingness to heal. They were never meant to be separated.

How is my soul different from my spirit?

I once thought my soul and spirit were one and the same. I read the word "heart" and assumed it meant my soul, as in Matthew 12:35, "A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things."

Later I learned we are a tri-une being, created in the image of God, who is also a trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So is our spirit part of our heart? 

I read that sin, iniquity, unbelief, etc., come from the heart but not the born-again spirit. 

One of my favorite ministers says: 

"Hebrews 4:12 suggests that spirit and soul are both part of the heart; hence, the scriptures admonish us to believe with all our heart (Acts 8:37), have singleness of heart (Col. 3:22), and tell us our hearts can have two minds or ways of thinking (Jas. 4:8).

"Even Christians still struggle with things like pride and foolishness which Jesus said came out of our heart. It's certain that our born again spirit is not the source of these sins. The heart encompasses more than our spirit.

"The English word "soul" comes from the Greek word "psuche," translated "heart, life, mind, and soul." The mind is the principle and leading part of the soul, followed by the will and emotions. We could also describe the soul as being the hidden part of all existing beings or what most people would call the personality. The soul is the center of the feelings and emotions, appetites and desires, as well as sense perception and consciousness. The soul may also speak of the totality of a person - his total being or self, a person, and the hidden man or inward man. 

"The soul and the body do not get born again. It is the spirit of man that becomes totally new at salvation. So, although every believer receives the same miraculous spiritual rebirth, the visible results of that inward change will vary from person to person according to how much he renews his mind. The term "heart" can include all of the inner man - spirit, soul, or any portion thereof."

The peace of God will keep your heart at rest in Christ Jesus, through any trial or storm. Pastor Shelia Hart Artt's story, "With a Knife at my Throat, I Saw the Lord" from my book SUPERVENTION is a marvelous example of this truth. 

Dying Alone? by Dr. Walker, author of God in the ICU

Comments from Dr. Dave Walker, author of God in the ICU

Paul watched Stephen being stoned and praying for the Father to forgive those who hurled the stones. It made a deep impression on him.

I read of a missionary who became convinced that he was not truly born again when he heard the Moravians on board praising God with all their hearts as their battered ship, on which he cowered in terror, plunged through a storm that seemed certain to destroy them.

I have written about the Elim Missionaries in Zimbabwe who were brutally murdered by Freedom Fighters, but who, to the astonishment and anger of the leader, having been permitted to pray before being bludgeoned to death, prayed not for themselves, but for forgiveness for their murderers. Such was the effect that, in the following months, the whole band -- about twelve in all -- came to bow before the Cross.

I have heard unverified stories of the powerful impact of some of the Christians being beheaded in Syria and Iraq.

In praying for patients in ICU who have died, there have been occasions when I have been supernaturally aware of Jesus. I was praying for a young man who suffered a massive pulmonary embolus and was dying. It was apparent that only a miracle would save him. Suddenly, Jesus was there. I didn't see His features, but there was a definite Person -- a glorious person, not shining or dramatically radiant, but emanating pure goodness and love --standing beside the bed. The man's heart stopped and he was gone, as was Jesus. It was over in less time than it takes to tell it, but has lived with me ever since.

You can make dying people comfortable, deal with their physical and emotional pain, fix their fractures, both of their bones and their relationships, and these are all very good things to do. Yet a time comes when the person has to travel the journey alone. You can walk with them through the tearing from their loved ones, or the mourning of their losses and ease them with understanding and compassion, but when they come to cross the line, to draw in a tired breath and sigh it out for the last time, you have to leave them to walk across alone.

You cannot go with them. Yet there is someone who can be with them in all that you do for them on this side and then, as you have to let go, take them by the hand, and lead them through the dark, cold corridor of transition and into the presence of God.

His name is Jesus. Only He can go all the way. To introduce a dying person to Jesus is the best thing by far that we can do for them. All else stops at the body of the stilled heart.

  D

A believer's authority resists disease

testimony from Andrew Wommack's Blog site. 

Since I have been looking at the way people pray over their children, I find that the prayer of authority is very powerful. See this father's example. This is how I prayed over our first daughter when doctors said she had scoliosis, a heart murmur, and possibly asthma. I refused to receive those reports. She has none of those problems.

Although Holly was completely surprised by Steve's news, the two conceived their fourth child almost immediately.

Several months into the pregnancy, when the time came for Holly to have her second ultrasound, the doctor delivered some devastating news. After careful measurement and calculation, the doctor said that there were several factors that clearly indicated that the baby would be born with Down syndrome. The doctor went on to show the Trover's in detail what led her to the diagnosis. Before leaving the room, the doctor went as far as to talk about possible termination of the pregnancy through abortion.

Termination of the pregnancy was not an option for Steve and Holly.

The enemy had come to steal from Steve and Holly, but they stood their ground. Drawing on the revelation they had received from Andrew's teaching in their church small group, and knowing that it was God who spoke to them about having another child, they refused to believe that this was God's plan for their baby. In the face of this negative report of a medical reality in the natural, Steve, standing on faith in God's word, took his authority and rejected the diagnosis. "I cancel this diagnosis in the name of Jesus. We don't believe these things that were spoken over our child and we don't accept it..." Steve rebuked.

Several months later, the Trover's returned to the doctor's office for another ultrasound. The couple entered the examining room determined to see different results. After a long time passed, the doctor finally spoke and said that if this had been the first time that she had seen this baby, she would have told the Trover's that their baby was perfect in every way. However, in disbelief, the doctor continued to take measurements. Finally, exasperated, the doctor threw up her hands; she couldn't offer any explanation for the transformation she saw in the Trover's baby.

Baby NathanielWhen the time came, Holly was induced and gave birth to a perfect baby boy. Perfect may sound like an exaggeration, but in the medical world, newborn babies are rated by their APGAR score. The score is calculated through a series of five tests, and scores range from zero to ten, ten being the best. The Trover's baby, Nathaniel, scored a perfect ten!