A Witness in the Silence…

The Lord awakened me last night.

I want to share something with you. An observation really. Many of you know what it feels like to be awakened by the Holy Spirit at night, or hear the Lord’s call to awaken. You know exactly what I mean, when I say the Lord awakened me.

I rose up, ready to listen as to who needed intercession. Usually I sit at the side of my bed, and wait to hear. Nothing came. So I went to the living room, and sat in the “waiting chair” as I call it. Nothing. Since I was sleepy, I went down the “usual suspect” list, and I did not feel any prompting of the Spirit.  Nothing.  I walked around the house and checked the doors and windows, and prayed.  Nothing. I drank a glass of water, and headed for bed.

I stopped to check my sleeping mother, to see if her breathing was alright, and if she was covered and away from the edge of the bed.

As I turned away I almost missed it. I was intrigued. I was witnessing something my mother had often shared with my sister and me. She often told us, how she through the years had dreamt that she was flying in the air. She would relate these dreams with excitement and joy.

I sat down and watched my mother’s legs, as she lay in a supine position (face-up in bed), with her legs slightly raised up off the bed. The wonder of it all is that since her left hip fractures, arthritis, and age, she is unable to lift her legs up off the mattress without assistance. I know this because my sister and I help her with her therapeutic exercises. Her legs are too weak to lift off the mattress, but here she was in her sleep, legs slightly lifted.

And then it happened ! Her toes began to wiggle, and flutter, like wings, and then I saw her feet slightly turn to the left, and then maneuver smoothly to the right. I thought to myself, “she must be soaring through the sky with those maneuvers.”

 I watched her face. She had a peaceful look and a slight smile on her lips. Soon her fingers were fluttering, as well as her toes.  “She must need extra oomph” I thought to myself, as she climbed higher and higher.

 As she continued fluttering her toes and fingers, I thought of the stories she had told us, and then I realized she had been retelling the Psalms or biblical passages from Revelations, Isaiah, Daniel and Genesis. 

“Well shut my mouth”, I said to myself (feeling more like Gomer Pyle, “Shazam”), as I clearly recalled the times she had described God’s creation as colorfully intense, with waters that seemed to be living and as fountains, or the crystal waters over which she had soared. I remembered how she had described the trees whose deep green branches extended into the sky in open worship.  She would often encounter a black as black can be huge raging bull, which would pursue her, and as soon as she called out, a Shepherd would appear and rescue her. Other times, a mighty Lion would roar. She told me that the secret was to “call out”, and she would get so frustrated in her dream, because she would not call out, until the last moment. Sound familiar?

How about the time, she perceived evil (in the form of men), pursuing her, and she lifted her feet, and fluttered her toes, and she flew over the dark valley, and the twisted winding road below. She soared higher and higher until she arrived at a beautiful garden where an elegant table was set for many. I recognized Psalm 23.

There was another time she described how she was flying under the wings of a huge eagle, whose wing span stretched across the heavens.  Suddenly a huge hand covered her fluttering toes, so she would not hurt them against the stony mountains. She finally arrived safely to a fortress high above the clouds. The Lord showed me this was Psalm 91.

As I watched her, and recalled other descriptions she had shared, I began to recognize the tree from Psalm 1, and then from Psalm 3 the time she was in a battle, but covered with a shield, and was so tired that she lay down to rest in the middle of the battle, and then got up again refreshed without being harmed. I remembered now, how she had dodged the arrows in Psalm 11 and flown straight up to the face of God.  She tiptoed her way through Psalm 57.

I cried with a humble heart, realizing now the preciousness of what my mother had so often shared, and I had taken so lightly, even dismissed as a fanciful dream. As I contemplated my mother who was sleeping soundly, I looked over her pain racked body, and those legs and feet which require assistance and the use of a walker, and sometimes a wheelchair, those arms which she has trouble extending or holding up for long, and the fingers slightly bent with arthritis.  I had to praise the Lord, because He was allowing her in her dreams to “leap upon high places” with “hinds feet” (Psalm 18) and “soar” under the “wing” of the Almighty while singing (Psalm 63).  All things are possible in her dreams, and she regains the strength in her limbs.

How many things have I missed by not stopping to observe and to listen?  My mother’s dreams testify of the love of her Lord.  Her night prayers turn into songs that elevate her spirit before the throne of God. 

The Lord granted me the privilege to observe. As I worship, the following song leaps into my mind, and I share it with you, as ‘a witness in the silence.”  As a side note, as I sit down to write this post, my mother’s hands are extended out as if in worship, and her toes are still fluttering. I wonder which divine place she is visiting tonight?  Sweet dreams, mom.

Testify to Love from worshipgod2008

 

 Testify To Love Lyrics

All the colors of the rainbow
All of voices of the wind
Every dream that reaches out
That reaches out to find where love begins
Every word of every story
Every star in every sky
Every corner of creation lives to testify
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love
I’ll be a witness in the silences when words are not enough
With every breath I take I will give thanks to God above
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love
From the mountains to the valleys
From the rivers to the sea
Every hand that reaches out
Every hand that reaches out to offer peace
Every simple act of mercy
Every step to kingdom come
All the Hope in every heart will speak what love has done.

Levanto Mis Manos from unangeldeamor

Hoshi’ana

The  following is from a dear “e-friend in Christ”, Donna Diorio, who is one of many who have poured into my life.  Please support her ministry in any way the Lord may lead you. Please visit her ministry sites noted below.

Hoshi’ana

Posted Monday, June 22, 2009  by Donna Diorio, IsraelWatcher at Fruit of the Fig Tree blog

Sunday before last I sat listening to a pastor talk about his walk with the Lord and marveled over the many ways our experiences were similar.

We both came to the Lord as children in Baptist churches, then in the same year – 1982 – both of us entered into another experience that radically changed our walk. As he put it, ‘I can’t explain what happened; all I know is, “I was blind and now I see.”

That’s what happened to me, too, when I was introduced to the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:2). The Word of God came alive to me. Suddenly I could actually understand what I was reading!

I had to laugh listening to this pastor’s story because we also shared the experience of having difficulty receiving our prayer language – praying in the Spirit, or praying in other tongues. He said it took him about six months after receiving the baptism of the Spirit before his prayer language finally broke through.

For me it was more like three months, but I was just as perplexed and frustrated as it sounds like he was. We were both open to receiving and really, as Baptists we had never even been taught against speaking in tongues, so we didn’t have to battle through any preconceived notions. Like him – and he was a pastor’s son – we just had never heard about praying in the Spirit or “tongues” at all.

Like him, I really wanted my prayer language, but it didn’t matter how many times people prayed for us, there was something going on that just blocked that release. He speculated that maybe it was his logical male thinking processes that blocked the flow, because he liked to have everything figured out mentally. Maybe. I can certainly relate to that approach to things in my life too.

Whatever it was that blocked the flow, it certainly wasn’t anything I did when my prayer language finally began to flow. I remember distinctly sitting at the drawing board in my bedroom doing some art project while listening to a praise tape when suddenly my prayer language just bubbled up within me and poured out of my mouth. It was a language I didn’t know and words I’d never heard. My prayer language came pouring out when I wasn’t even thinking about it and – WOW! – I was so excited. It was joy unspeakable.

This Saturday I attended Shabbat worship at a local Messianic Jewish congregation. It was my first time to attend their worship services but we sang the familiar songs of worship to the Lord that I have enjoyed over the past almost two decades in the Messianic Jewish movement.

I am always moved by the reverence of Messianic worship; it is a holy reverence. Very pure.

We began to sing a song, Holy, which I have since found out was composed by Christian inspirational composer Grayson Warren Brown, which goes,

    “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
    heaven and earth are full of your glory.
    Hoshi’ana! Hoshi’ana! In the highest.”

In Messianic circles, we sing the Hebrew “Hoshi’ana” instead of the transliteration “Hosanna” found in the passage of Matthew 21 that this wonderful praise hymn is based on. 

As we were singing the chorus above, that’s when I remembered that when I got in my prayer language back in 1982, in the first string of words that was the word “Hoshiana”.

I remember it so clearly because I was so excited about finally receiving my prayer language that I immediately wrote down the words phonetically, “So I wouldn’t forget them.” I had no idea that the word was a Hebrew word or what it meant, only that it was a beautiful word to my ears – like the word “ocean” only, o-she-ana.

It was many years later before I realized it was a Hebrew word, and it is not until now that realize there was surely significance to this being a first word in my prayer language. It is the only word in that first string of words in my prayer language that I can remember 27 years later. It is still a word that bubbles forth at times when I am speaking in my prayer language.

In the Hebrew “hoshi a na” means “save us!” – it is a salvation that is understood to come through the Messiah. In Psalm 118, a prayer that is recited on the last day of the Feast of Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles – a feast in part that is symbolic of the indwelling of the Spirit in the Body of Messiah), “hoshi’ana” is the cry of Israel for the promised Messiah to deliver them, to fulfill salvation for them as a nation.

Psalm 118: 25-26
(Hoshi’ana) Save now, I pray, O LORD;
O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.
Notice that the same words follow (“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”) that the crowd proclaimed to Jesus in what is known as His “Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem:

    Matthew 21:
    5 “Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.”

    6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

    8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

    10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

Isaiah 21:11 and Zechariah 9:9 are prophecies that were fulfilled in the exact words of the cries of the multitudes as Yeshua entered Jerusalem before His last Passover.

“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Surely your salvation (yesha) is coming; Isaiah 62:11

Even His name – Yeshua – is based on the Hebrew root word, yesha, which means “salvation.” Isaiah refers to the Messiah as “salvation” and Zechariah refers to Him as Israel’s “king.”

Zechariah prophesies, (9:9)
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.

Just before He ascended into heaven before the very eyes of his disciples they asked Him, Acts 1:6-8,
“Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Some have found fault with the disciples asking Jesus when He would restore the kingdom to Israel as if it were an inappropriate question, but the truth is this was a perfectly appropriate expectation for His Jewish disciples to have. For their expectation was for the promise, for Israel’s hope in the LORD. It was the Messianic expectation of the Son of David who would be Israel’s deliverer and salvation.

Jesus did not rebuke them for expecting the restoration of the kingdom to Israel, answering them that the timing or season for the restoration of the kingdom to Israel was the Father’s business. Not their business to know, but their business was to receive the power of the Holy Spirit to become witnesses for Him.

In Matthew 23:37, Yeshua speaks to the crowd gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover, saying

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’”

In this statement Jesus is saying that there is a time when Israel, in numbers large enough to be considered a corporate cry, will say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” It will mark the official season that the Father will “restore the kingdom to Israel.”

This is what we are all pressing into, the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven and Jesus is saying that Israel will surely be included in that kingdom. It is the reason Isaiah 62 is a prophecy so close to the heart of every Messianic Jew and every Christian whom God has stirred with heart for the Jewish people to come to the knowledge of their own Messiah.

    Isaiah 62

    1 For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace,
    And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
    Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
    And her salvation as a lamp that burns.
    2 The Gentiles shall see your righteousness,
    And all kings your glory.
    You shall be called by a new name,
    Which the mouth of the LORD will name.
    3 You shall also be a crown of glory
    In the hand of the LORD,
    And a royal diadem
    In the hand of your God.
    4 You shall no longer be termed Forsaken,
    Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate;
    But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah;
    For the LORD delights in you,
    And your land shall be married.
    5 For as a young man marries a virgin,
    So shall your sons marry you;
    And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
    So shall your God rejoice over you.
    6 I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
    They shall never hold their peace day or night.
    You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent,
    7 And give Him no rest till He establishes
    And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
    8 The LORD has sworn by His right hand
    And by the arm of His strength:
    “Surely I will no longer give your grain
    As food for your enemies;
    And the sons of the foreigner shall not drink your new wine,
    For which you have labored.
    9 But those who have gathered it shall eat it,
    And praise the LORD;
    Those who have brought it together shall drink it in My holy courts.”
    10 Go through,
    Go through the gates!
    Prepare the way for the people;
    Build up,
    Build up the highway!
    Take out the stones,
    Lift up a banner for the peoples!
    11 Indeed the LORD has proclaimed
    To the end of the world:
    “Say to the daughter of Zion,
    ‘Surely your salvation is coming;
    Behold, His reward is with Him,
    And His work before Him.’”
    12 And they shall call them The Holy People,
    The Redeemed of the LORD;
    And you shall be called Sought Out,
    A City Not Forsaken.

Permission granted to forward or republish this writing providing
author’s name and www.israelprayer.com are included.

- Donna Diorio
www.israelprayer.com Serving the Israeli Body of Messiah

My Israel Blogs:

If your weekly Arrows from Zion email does not come in, check online!
at Israel Prayer Dot Com  Arrows from Zion (headline points only) posted each Wednesday
      http://israelprayerdotcom.blogspot.com/

Israel Watcher – A Second Opinion    Mostly political or current events commentary
      http://israelwatcherasecondopinion.blogspot.com/

Fruit of the Fig Tree   Spiritual insights 
         http://figtreefruit-israelwatcher.blogspot.com/

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Stretches of Sand

There are hurting people. I have received emails in the last month, and spoken to people who are hurting. I have been with others who could not even give voice to their hurt. They did not have to, the hurt was in their eyes, their voice, their slumped shoulders, and heart.

I have been interceding for people, calling their name out before the Lord. I ask him to hear their prayer in the those long “stretches of sand”, their personal deserts, their place of distress.

I am reminded of the desolate places like the cave (1 Samuel 22) where David hid away or the desert (1 Samuel 25), or the brook where Elijah found himself (1 Kings 17), or the jail (King’s Prison) in which Joseph was (Genesis 39:20).

But let’s take a second look, what did David do while in the cave? He sharpened his weapons and considered his options. He fortified his camp. He built up supporters.

What did Elijah do? He fortified his body. He ate bread in the morning, and in the evening, and drank from the brook.  He had holy provision.  We too can eat and drink of the Word in our place of distress, it is Holy provision. 

What did Joseph do? He took care of the prisoners. He looked away from his own bondage, and served others.  He listened to their dreams.

Maybe you feel isolation in your life right now. Is it from friends, family or church, or from sickness?  Is there disappointment? Has hope dwindled? Are people questioning your integrity, your very sanity, or your courage? Do you hear whispers, “can that person possibly pick themselves up?” If you recall in one of the post’s in April 27, 2009, under the ‘Pressed Reporter”, I wrote about the feet in the sand.  Well, as I have prayed for those hurting, that picture in my mind and the sound of shuffling are so present, and I know God is carrying each one of us through. Through the whispers, through the defeat, through the dishonor, through the sandstorm, and into an oasis of rest and refershment.

But wait, David had a “band of brothers” and he formed a mighty force out of that desolate place. 

Elijah was not alone, God told him, (1 Kings 19:18 NIV) – “Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel–all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.”

It shows us a picture that even while we are in our low place, God is bringing together our supporters, and those who will bless us, those who will go into battle for us.

Daniel formed divine connections in his lowest moments. Look around the desolate place, find the glimmer of light, and follow it, hold fast, and make your way out of your “desert”

It is during these ‘stretches of sand” that our fiber is strengthened and our character is molded.  This isolation is a place of preparedness. It is a place to depend solely on God.

As I pray for those I am aware of being in a hurting place, I ask the Lord to please visit you in that place, the place you find yourself. I have the Word “Makom” meaning a name of God meaning “place”. May your hearts rest assured that “He” is in that “place” with you and is bringing you through.

Let’s look back at I kings 19:10-15 God asks Elijah twice: ”What doest thou here?” NIV version reads – What are you doing here, Elijah?” God told him “Go back the way you came…(I kings 19:15). Don’t stay in the cave or desert, don’t stay by the brook, don’t stay in isolation in a jail of your making.  The last thing I want to remind you of is found in 1Samuel 22:5 (NIV) – “Do not stay in the stronghold; depart and go to the land of Judah.’”  Put your praise on.  – Judah means praise. Ps 50:23 (NIV)  He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.”  Go back the way you came. Powerful words.  Yes, friend, go back the way you came, to that place you first found Jesus, to that place you first found joy.  Amen.  Andre Crouch’s song says it this way…

Take me back, take me back dear Lord
To the place where I first received you.
Take me back, take me back dear Lord where I
First believed.

 I feel that I’m so far from you Lord
But still I hear you calling me
Those simple things that I once knew,
The memories are drawing me.

I must confess, Lord I’ve been blessed
But yet my soul’s not satisfied.
Renew my faith, restore my joy
And dry my weeping eyes.

I tried so hard,
To make it all alone.
I need your help
Just to make it home.

Andrae Crouch “Take Me Back” from TrotOut

As I was ending this post, I heard this song, and it said it all. Be encouraged, dear one.

You Are My Hiding Place/As The Deer from michelle2chat

013. Desert Song – Hillsong 2008 w/z Lyrics and Chords  stephb280784

You Never Let Go – song by Matt Redman kalilahka2007

Clinging to the cross from tinx2000

 

AVOT: Patriarchs

It is Saturday, and tomorrow is Sunday, June 21, 2009 – Father’s Day.  I busied myself while waiting for a Word from God.  Literally a Word.  The Word “Avot” rings out in my head.  I immediately know that this must be a word related to Father’s since I have been asking the Lord as to what I was to share, here, on Father’s day.

I stop straightening the linen closet, and check the references. Yep. There it is.

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Prayers/Daily_Prayers/

Shemoneh_Esrei/Avot/avot.html

shows “Avot” Patriarchs

According to:

http://www.answers.com/topic/avot-1

and

Encyclopedia of Judaism. The New Encyclopedia of Judaism. Copyright © 1989, 2002 by G.G. The Jerusalem Publishing House, Ltd. All rights reserved

‘Avot” is:

“It is a collection of rabbinic sayings and maxims which emphasize the importance of wise counsel, Torah study, and religious observance in Jewish life.”

According to:

http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/a.htm

“Avot” – the group of “forefathers,” or “Founding Fathers,” of the Jewish people.  

Hmmm.. wise counsel from father’s.  The following comes to mind:

My father was a carpenter. My father would run his hands across the grain of wooden furniture. He would stop to admire the grain, and wonder what caused its formation. He would tell me to stop and appreciate the grain in the wood in the dining room table.  The grain in the wood was a telltale sign of the strength of the wood.

From what I remember, the grain illustrates how every time the tree encountered some sort of storm “altering” situation, a new pattern emerged, thus strengthening the tree.  My dad also told me that the grain of the wood determines how straight the tree grows. I remember him showing me “twisted” growth, where the tree shot off to the right or to the left. I remember how he illustrated that a “knot” in the wood looks attractive, but it is really the weakest area of the tree, where a break can happen. Looking back I can see “the signposts” from a Christian perspective.

My father would lament that furniture was not made like it was in the “old days.”  He commented how the company he worked for had him apply wood grain “stain” instead, and how he did his best to emulate the true pattern of grain.

My father was a quiet man. Not a man of many words, but he was warm-hearted nonetheless. He lived by example, not by many words. The lesson shared above is from a man who in my growing years I watched come home limping and quietly go to his room, and tend to his bleeding ulcers on his legs. My sister Mary Lou was his little nurse, and would dutifully hold the tape and gauze while he cut new dressings for his wounds.  I also think about the thick yellowish calluses on his hands as he would lean on the table asking about our day.  I remember the slow tired smile at the end of the day.  As I look back, I see the strength in the pattern of his “grain.”

Have you noticed that trees are mentioned many times in the Bible.  There are all kinds of trees and illustrations to do a study. (http://www.bible-topics.com/Trees.html)

Let us stop to appreciate the grain of our tree stock, our fathers, and our patriarchs. Above all, let us strive to emulate the pattern set to us by our heavenly father.

God the Father patterned each tree, that its grain be strong, to whether the storms, to be a shelter.  There was a tree that to this day, has brought shelter to many a soul, for that tree bore Jesus Christ on its grain.  God had to love that tree and see it grow strong, and give it pattern, and in doing so, give his most beloved Son, Jesus, up to the tree, the old rugged cross.

He Grew A tree from WorshipinPoetry

I stop to contemplate the word “Patriarch:

Pa”tri*arch – lineage, especially on the father’s side, race; father, a leader, chief; to lead, rule.  From: Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

As I consider, the word Patriarch, I remember memorable leaders and fathers in my family circle.

1986 and 1987 were difficult years for our families. My father had been diagnosed with cancer. He lived through December 1987. My cousin Julie and her children lost a husband and father, Arthur in April of 1986. The next year my Aunt and cousins in San Diego lost a father and husband, my uncle Salvador in April of 1987. My sister-in-law, Linda, lost her dad in June of 1987, while he was visiting here on Father’s Day in Southern California from Wisconsin. My dad passed on in December 2007.

They were our Patriarchs. These men were so much a part of our lives, and continue in our hearts these many years. I celebrate their memory. I celebrate the legacy of their families. Look for the “strength” (grain) pattern in your father’s and how God’s love is reflected through them. Stop and appreciate them, not only by word, but from the heart.

Patriarchs are like the grain of wood, in who families find their strength, and the rings in the grain, are fortified as they unite under one head.  The center of the grain is the strongest, as it should be with the Patriarchs, (the leaders) in our families, the center of our connection.  There might be a knot in our family trees, you know the place. The place where there was twisted growth, and the pattern wanted to shoot off to the left or grow downward, but then strength from the “core” overtook the wayward, and breaking occurred to allow for “correction” and strengthening.  

In this day and age, we hear the word Patriarch used mainly in the Bible, when it speaks to us of the great men of faith. I hear you, yes, they were men of faith who had their weak moments, their trials, their own journeys, but in coming through, their descendents came through too, and the blessing was extended down.  We only have to look to them to see that they were the center of their families, the respected heads, and when the family honored their Patriarchs, when they actually took time for a relationship, all sorts of blessings and connections were promised to them.  If your earthly father relationship is broken, then connect.  Let it be you that makes a difference in the grain, you and yours will be blessed.  If your heavenly relationship with the Father is broken, then connect. Your blessing will be great.

Take time to think about it. Abraham, Jacob, Job, and David went through journeys and trials, in which they learned the depth of what it means to call on God.  The ones I mentioned here, had children, and if we read back to their stories, we can appreciate the strengthening of their “grain.” 

And to the Supreme Dad of Fatherhood, God our Father, who has privileged us with the gift of being his children.  2 Corinthians 6:18 reads: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters.”  Abba, Father, God the Father.

I share the following labors of love:

The Father’s Song by Matt Redman from Muis0260

From The Father’s Heart – 365Promises.com FROM fatherheart

The Father’s Love from RickJadin

Our Father from bluegrifter

Amy Grant – Our Father’s Eyes from bpentium

 

 

CLOUDS

I saw this headline yesterday “Iowa woman’s photo sparks push for new cloud type.”

This is taken from Google News about an “Associated Press” article. The headline and picture caught my attention. I have the Word Anan. Without referencing back to “my dictionary” I just knew that word must mean “clouds”. I wasn’t surprised when I went back through the archives and found the Word under March 21, 2008 in this blog, and on my computer database.

I looked back at the picture, and then went through the article.  

 

The picture has the following caption:

This June 20, 2006 photo provided on Monday, June 8, 2009 and taken by Jane Wiggins from a downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa office building shows what may become the first new cloud type to be recognized by scientists since 1951. (AP Photo/Jane Wiggins)

You can read the article at:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jr_JYe1yoQG3-SfHL7U8rYlNs4eAD98OMNBG2

I am amazed how there are never coincidences. I had just posted the previous post “Recall Notice” and added a song about the tribulation, when the article, the picture and the Word “Anan” came to my attention.  Let’s take a look at the post from last year. Here it is:

March 21, 2008

The Strong’s number assigned to the Hebrew word Anan is 6049 and 6051- a cloud (as covering the sky), i.e. the nimbus or thunder-cloud:–cloud.

As I ponder the word “clouds” I think of how in the Bible it signaled the divine presence of God.  It also was a covering.  Let’s take a look at the following:

Acts 1:9 to 11 reads as follows – 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11″Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

We read the following in Matthew 24: 29 to 31 -

29Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

30And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The verse which I find most joy in is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 – Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Revelations 1:7 reads: Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Jesus Christ will be seen “coming with the clouds” upon his return.  He will be seen by everyone living at the time of his return.

Colossians 3:2 (Amplified Bible) tells us: “And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth. “  This gives a new meaning to having your head in the clouds. Next time someone asks “Is your head in the clouds?”  ….You can answer “you bet!”  Your focus is on the eternal.

Jesus Christ will return in the clouds. Are you ready for His return? Are those clouds I see in your horizon?

CLOUDS from dmcoe

John Starnes – Midnight Cry from luciamaria81

TRUE CHANGE IS COMING ! GET READY!

Recall Notice…

Thank you Rachel for sharing the following. I have seen this message make its rounds in emails and about the WEB, but cannot find whom it should be attributed to or its author. Let it be for God’s Glory!

RECALL NOTICE: 

The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.

This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically termed “Sub-sequential Internal Non-Morality,” or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed. 

Some of the symptoms include:
1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion in the mental component
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion
 
The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect.

The Repair Technician, JESUS, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required.

The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R.
Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.
 
No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with:
1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control
 
Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E. (Believers’ Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.
 
WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, call on Jesus.
 
DANGER: The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility. Thank you for your attention! 

- GOD
 
P.S. Please assist where possible by notifying others of this important recall notice, and you may contact the Father at any time by ‘Knee mail’.
 
Because He Lives!

-Anonymous-

I have added a song in Spanish about “The Great Tribulation” (“La Gran Tribulación”) by Stanislao Marino with scenes from “Left Behind”.   

 LA GRAN TRIBULACION – ESTAS LISTO SI EL RAPTO FUERA HOY? From MusicaCristianaTube

PRAISE BREAK….

Hi friends…Are you facing a mountain of work? I am, so I thought we had better put our praise on. Things always seem to fall into perspective and go smoother when we praise first.  Happy Thursday!

You’re the Lion of Judah  from TimeTides

Eden’s Bridge – El Shaddai from AngelaWho

Kimberly & Alberto Rivera – Deeper Still gle1244

We Bow Down – Robin Mark  NewCovenant75

Etsah – Strategy to Access the Crown

The Holy Spirit is not done with the Book of Esther. He is not done with you or me.  This is another follow-up post to Queen Esther, as posted in April and May 2009.  I have some interesting (Transliterated) Words.

The first Word is  Etsah – Hebrew Advise; Strategy (Strong’s Number 6098). The thought “Strategy to Access the Crown” is in my spirit.  So I contemplated the presentation to “Queen Esther’s Banquet” (by the Circle of Power Ministry) as written about starting on April 27, 2009

As we entered the banquet site, each one of us received a prayer, A Word, and a crown was placed upon our head.  The room had been prepared.  The atmosphere was prepared and then launched as the Shofar was blown.

The atmosphere was prepared, and now she would prepare herself. Esther’s breakthrough was using the spiritual weapons with which she had been equipped through the Holy Spirit, fasting and prayer.  The she brought out the big guns-tactile alert- worship. She was anointed for service. Warfare was on.

The next words (Transliterated) are

Tsaba (Strong’s Number 6633) in Hebrew means: an “organized host” or. “army” of foot soldiers.

Tsar (Strong’s Number 6862) in Hebrew means: adversary

Nakah (Strong’s Number 5221) in Hebrew means: a bodily blow; hard, heavy; striking to kill

Let these words speak to you as you think of Esther preparing herself.

Next time you are worshipping, imagine yourself putting on the armor, one piece at a time….the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, your feet fitted with readiness, the helmet of salvation, and finally the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit.  God will show up in the middle of your worshipping.  You will feel enabled and empowered, as you picture yourself ready. You will get up renewed and in the fullness of the Spirit.

Ephesians 6:10-18 with these words: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

Once Esther had submitted, prepared and received her instruction, she followed through with obedience.  All that was left to go into her destiny was to dare push through to the throne room, where she would find her ultimate deliverance and be blessed on so many different levels.  Just like Esther, our obedience releases the blessing to all those connected with us, like the Jewish People were connected to Esther. 

She knew the key was Divine strategy, she did not rely on her own understanding. She was leaning on a higher power, and trusting with all her heart.  Proverbs 3:5 reads:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (NIV)

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. (AMP)

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (KJV)

The result is in Proverbs 3:13, which reads:

13 Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding 14 For she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. (NIV)

In the end, Esther was blessed, and the blessing extended to Mordecai.  We read in the book of Esther, that when Mordecai, left the presence of the king he was dressed in royal garments, and with the King’s seal.  

There are seasons in which we seem to be “suited up” in armor endlessly. Then we come into the throne room of grace, and our wounds are cleansed with the Balm of Gilead, and we receive a fresh anointing, and oh how wonderful, when we slip into our royal garments, and we sit at the King’s table, with the other warriors, recounting our victories.

One Night with the King (Juanita Bynum) drmidi2007

 

Princess Esther sings! (by Liken) from Tennor1

Full Armor of God from thegospelisgood

CeCe Winans Performs–”Waging War” moluvsax

Phil Driscoll – Warriors from Tzama91

Ruth..standing in a blessed “place”…

 

We continue in Ruth…

Ruth Chapter 2 A gentile (Ruth) was grafted into the kingdom (Boaz), a Jew was the kinsman Redeemer. Jesus is our kinsman, our redeemer, and we are Ruth, the bride of Christ (kinsman redeemer). The Redeemer moved Ruth into a place of recognition. She was positioned to be known for eternity as a generational blessing, grandmother of King David, and in the Genealogy of Jesus Christ. Ruth verse 2:3 says that she “happened” into the field of Boaz, but we know there are no coincidences in God, this was a divine connection. How do divine connections happen? One connects with another through the Holy Spirit.

Ruth 2:8 “go not to glean in another field….” It shows us to “stay” (be faithful) in the right field, and not to go “picking in the field of the ungodly, in the ways of the world.” If we stay faithful, God will position us in a place, where we did not expect to be, or even less be blessed with harvest. Ruth was gleaning in a place, that she did not expect to glean. She was a Kairos woman she was positioned for the Kingdom.

Ruth 2:16 “And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her…” Many people read and repeat that the Kinsman Redeemer left handfuls on purpose, but the Word in the Bible says Boaz left handfuls of purpose for her to glean. Again, Ruth was a Kairos woman she was positioned for the Kingdom. She like Esther had been positioned of purpose. Ruth like Esther also grew in grace. The words “for” and “of” are prepositions. The Holy Spirit shows me that A Writer will catch the use of a preposition. The use of a preposition has power to change things. It changes the entire sentence. It changes the entire relationship of words. The preposition is strategically placed for a purpose. A preposition has a function. In fact, the word Preposition means that which is placed before. The way the word purpose is in the sentence in the Bible, it is used as a noun. Since purpose in this instance means:

Purpose –noun 1. the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc. 2. an intended or desired result; end; aim; goal. 3. determination; resoluteness. 4. the subject in hand; the point at issue. 5. practical result, effect, or advantage: to act to good purpose. From: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/purpose

The next Word is: Marjoor (which it turns out is Arabic) meaning: A noun (purpose) followed by a preposition (of).

“Of” apreposition 1. (used to indicate distance or direction from, separation, deprivation, etc.): within a mile of the church; south of Omaha; to be robbed of one’s money. 2. (used to indicate derivation, origin, or source): a man of good family; the plays of Shakespeare; a piece of cake. 3. (used to indicate cause, motive, occasion, or reason): to die of hunger. 4. (used to indicate material, component parts, substance, or contents): a dress of silk; an apartment of three rooms; a book of poems; a package of cheese. 5. (used to indicate apposition or identity): Is that idiot of a salesman calling again? 6. (used to indicate specific identity or a particular item within a category): the city of Chicago; thoughts of love. 7. (used to indicate possession, connection, or association): the king of France; the property of the church. 8. (used to indicate inclusion in a number, class, or whole): one of us. 9. (used to indicate the objective relation, the object of the action noted by the preceding noun or the application of a verb or adjective): the ringing of bells; He writes her of home; I’m tired of working. 10. (used to indicate reference or respect): There is talk of peace. 11. (used to indicate qualities or attributes): an ambassador of remarkable tact. 12. (used to indicate a specified time): They arrived of an evening. 13. Chiefly Northern U.S. before the hour of; until: twenty minutes of five. 14. on the part of: It was very mean of you to laugh at me. 15. in respect to: fleet of foot. 16. set aside for or devoted to: a minute of prayer.

Well continuing, Ruth was walking in her purpose, and she found handfuls of purpose and on purpose.

 The Holy Spirit emphasizes that Ruth was positioned.  Ruth was moving forward. She was not looking back. She was moving out of famine. For our women, that might mean famine in the hearts and souls of our children, famine in our relationships, and famine in our pockets. In moving forward, and in making a commitment, Ruth was positioning for blessing, and the blessing extended to those connected to her (Naomi).

Ruth was moving out of a situation, confronted by situations which today’’s women find themselves. She was facing loss and lack. She faced disease and death in her family. She faced famine, hunger, and lack in her family. She was tired in heart and body. She faced foreclosure (the loss) of the home she knew. Like many of our women, today, after being married and setting up a household, she found herself in a situation, where she had to begin again. She had a social situation, what would the neighbors say? She was a widow, and maybe like many women, her identity had been in her husband, she had relied on him to provide for everything, and suddenly she had to answer for herself and another person. She had to learn the value of being separate from he husband, what her worth was. Ruth was willing to do hard work, (gleaning) to get ahead in life, and knew her reward would come eventually. She knew persistence to her commitment would bring reward. We can apply that to our Christian walk in everyday life.

The Book of Ruth speaks to us of the strength of women. It is a relevant book even today, speaking to us of today’s issues. We see that Ruth finds herself a single woman working in a mans’ world. We see the resourcefulness of Ruth, of taking the leftovers, and turning it into her income (provision). Like other Godly resourceful women, Ruth connects to her sphere of influence and God provides divine appointments and connections. Ruth did not compromise her integrity in the workplace to get ahead, she retained her honor and self-respect. I stop to wonder how many other women were connected to Ruth, and were impacted by her commitment, (Ruth 2:22 and 23 speaks if the maidens of Boaz).  I am sure someone else in that field drew strength from her everyday they were in the same field, laboring for the harvest. Is that so in our case?

Ruth 10 and 11 jump out at me. Ruth asks Boaz, why is it that she has found favor in his sight and why is it that he has taken notice of her? Look at his answer: Boaz tells her that he has heard about her (“It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done…”) In that same way, God sees what we do for the kingdom, and our faithfulness, and he rewards us with blessing. He sets us up for promotion.

Maybe like Ruth, you say, “…Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? (Ruth 2:10) Ruth had captured his heart. Have you captured the heart of the redeemer? Seek him out, sit at his feet. Just as Ruth did, ask Him for His covering.

Finally, there is a wonderful blessing from the Kinsman Redeemer in Ruth 2:12 – “The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” (Ruth 2:12)  The Kinsman Redeemer speaks this blessing as he watches Ruth in the field.

I receive the Word “Makom” meaning a name of God meaning “place”. Amen, Ruth was in a blessed place indeed.  Being in the field is a blessed place.

Ruth from jonathangemmell

Ruth 2 from jonathangemmell

Steve Apirana – Ruth’s Song from wildcat1559

Hallel: Praise…

 

Hallel is a Jewish prayer using the Praise Psalms from 113 to 118.  Hallel is an Aramaic Word.

According to my studies, “Hallel Praise”is said on certain Jewish occasions, one of them being the “season” we just ended, “Shavout.”  Today is the seventh day after ‘Shavout.” It is a time of completion.

As usual, I asked the Lord “what He would have me know and to share.”  As I mentioned in one of the earlier posts, the Holy Spirit prompted me to read the Book of Ruth again, after reading the Book of Esther. I did not know at the time that the Book of Ruth is read during Shavout.

At Shavuot, God’s people were instructed to bring the choice firstfruits (bikurrim) to the house of the Lord their God. It was harvest time and God had blessed their labors in the field.
(http://www.jewishjewels.org)

Ruth’s book is a book at Harvest time.  Ruth is also a book about Gentiles connecting with the Jewish people. She connected to the Blessed People (Naomi) and positioned herself in a Blessed Place (Bethlehem) where there was sure to be divine connections and divine activity. Ruth was positioning herself along with people with an eternal perspective, people with a heritage.

Take time to read the Praise Psalms from 113 to 118.   We will look more into this in the following days.  I leave you with the following…

Psalm 113 Let The Name..from HeirsoOf Paradise