Month: March 2014

Faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. How can I have that faith?

On By Ancient PathsIn bible study7 Comments
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1
 
 

12 Keys to Faith

#1: No fear. You can not fear man, man’s words or his countenance
Faith requires great boldness and courage. It takes – well, sometimes, it is putting yourself in a position to be mocked or made fun of. It’s an action, it’s words spoken, it’s like the bible says “faith without works is dead”. God’s faith doesn’t match the logic of our world. To speak life over a person close to death takes great boldness and faith. You must be able to ignore the sneers, comments, countenance and words that go against what you believe. You must stand unshakable in Christ Jesus.

“I, yes I, am the one who comforts you.
So why are you afraid of mere humans,
who wither like the grass and disappear?.Is 51:12

Nehemiah was a man who was unmoved by the defeating words of his enemy. He sought out to do the impossible . He kept his focus and led in the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

#2: Never Give up. Believe that God can do the impossible
Think of the moment Peter was about to step out of the boat, that’s where we need to be with our faith. Taking the leap even though everyone tells you  “No, that’s impossible”.  Sometimes we think our situation is hopeless and there is no end, but that is not true. We can trust in God even in the most hopeless situation. God rescues us, this we can count on. Consider this trying time to be a test of your faith. 

“With God, all things are possible” Matthew 19:26, mark 10:27, Luke 18:27
 For with God nothing will be impossible.Luke 1:37

”Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all. Psalms 34:19

let God be true, but every man a liar. Romans 3:4

   He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day Psalm 91:1-16

 

#3 Count it all joy
Even in the darkest hours, I can have joy in my heart. I have this joy because I keep my faith in God’s word. Sure, things can shake us up, but we need to be ready with our sword (which is the word of God) and warfare (our protection Eph 6). Maybe we can see it as a faith meter, keeping our tank full or keeping our focus on God’s truth.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:3-5

 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1-4

  Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit  1 Thessalonians 5:16-19

#4 Be willing to risk looking like a fool to the world, but a faithful servant to the Lord-: Not ashamed or embarrassed. 
Faith means that you are willing to look foolish before the world and those around you. Don’t you think those in Noah’s day thought Noah was a complete fool? He was building a huge ark- for what? His sons were busy building this big ark, I’m sure their friends and family thought they were crazy.

It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith Hebrews 11

What do you think Abraham’s family thought of him when he went to sacrifice his son or when he left his entire family and his hometown to an unknown location that the Lord was leading him to? So many examples are in the bible of men and woman who did the impossible, they went against what others and the world would have had them do – Esther,  Ruth, Abraham, Jacob, Abel, Joshua, Moses, Moses parents, the people of Israel when they walked through the waters, Issac, Joseph,Jeremiah, Ezekiel, David, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter, Paul and many more.

A friend of mine was told her mother was not going to live through the night.  She spoke scriptures over her mother and told the doctors and nurses: “no! my mother will live”. Some laughed, some tried to comfort her with her mothers death but no one believed her words. Guess what! Her mother lived and she was miraculously healed. My daughter spoke out in faith when the doctor told her she needed back surgery. She risked being called a fool by saying to the doctor “ You are wrong and God is going to heal me”. That’s amazing faith. This faith pleases the Lord.

Abel is spoken of as a man of great faith. He gave the Lord the best he had. He trusted the Lord and was not afraid to give up his best.  His brother hated him, so we can guess that his brother would try to discourage him with words “Why do you need to sacrifice so much?”.  I’m sure his brother would verbally hurt him, but Abel didn’t let his brothers words and countenance affect him and his faith. He always stood firm.

#5 Speak life- speak out – stop complaining. Tell others that you trust in God. Let your life be a testimony of praise for Him.

   Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name. Malachi 3:16 

Reading over Hebrews 11, I see that faith is more than just believing. It’s moving out in faith, it’s fearless and it’s willing to risk everything. Before, I only noticed the obedience and faith of the great patriarchs, I never considered the persecution they endured because of their faith. Faith is when you don’t rely on man’s words, worldly knowledge or influence. It’s when you step out – in a new realm. It’s just like walking on the water. You are about to do something that no one would believe. With God, ALL things are possible.

  It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise.  And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them. 

Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Prov 18:21

 
 
#6 Don’t let your faith be tossed around like the waves of the sea – believing one minute and doubting the next. No fear, No doubt
 
 
 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yoursMark 11:23-24
 
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.  Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. James 1:6-8
 
 

#7 : Have scripture ready, close-by at all times to crush any doubt, unbelief or lies that the devil wants you to worry about 

 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you .Luke 10:18-19

  One important key to faith is your sword, which is the word of God. I wrote down scripture that defeats any lie or false thinking that may enter my mind. I posted them all over my house-  on my refrigerator, oven, doors, cabinets, mirrors, walls, children’s rooms and everywhere. That may sound crazy to some, but every time I walk by the scripture I read it out loud and it changes me. I woke up so tired the other day, moping into the kitchen and boom! There was scripture in my face when I looked up. I said it out loud and I could feel my faith meter for that day increasing. It’s really amazing.   In the verse below, we learn that Jesus wants to do miracles for us but unbelief gets in the way.

 “ And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief..and because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them” (Matt13:58, Mark 6:5)

Looking back to the examples of the Israelites in the wilderness, their doubt and unbelief angered the Lord. Some were killed by plague, other times they lost their protection. Ultimately their fear and doubt caused a 2 week journey to turn into a 40 year journey of testing.  When the Lord showed them the promised land, only 2 out of the 10 spies believed God would deliver them. Eight of the 10 men said it would be impossible and caused the entire congregation to doubt, fear and complain to the Lord. The 8 doubting spies feared the people in the land, for they were giants. The congregation wept and cried all night long from hearing the fearful and hopeless report. They complained to Moses and doubted God. The Lord was angry and those who feared in unbelief died in the plague.

The Lord said to Moses“How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them?  I will disown them and destroy them with a plague. Then I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are!”.” Numbers 14:11

“Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. …. the Lord have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die. And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land, Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the Lord.”

Hebrews 3: Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness, Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.  Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’
So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’” Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;  but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said:“Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

#8: Learning to wait. Faith takes patience, or waiting time in which we hope

Consider the life of Joseph; he was hated and rejected by his 10 brothers. They sold him and he ended up as a slave in another land of another language. He was later forgotten in a prison cell. Joseph could have given up at any moment, but he didn’t. He could have thought- well, this is it, I’m going to die here, my life is over. However, Psalm 105 tells us that God was testing him.

“He sent a man before them— Joseph—who was sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters, He was laid in irons.  Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the Lord tested him.  The king sent and released him, The ruler of the people let him go free.  He made him lord of his house, And ruler of all his  possessions.”

   How many of us today would have withstood that test?

In Act7, we are told that God delivered Joseph from all his troubles- and that same promise is for you also. God doesn’t promise us a life without trials or troubles, but He does promise us that He will rescue us, He will deliver us. He will deliver you from all your troubles.

  • Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. Psalms 34:19
  • Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!Psalm 27:14
  •  Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. Psalm 33:20
  • Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass Psalm 37:7

#9 Believe!

Here’s a lesson the Lord taught me last week as I pondered on the faith that pleases God:
Within my heart, I heard:
Do you believe you have eternal life? I said of course I do, I believe that. I have no doubt.
Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for you sins? Yes, I do, I do.
Do you believe God cares for you? Yes, I do
You believe everything in the bible to be true, but why does your faith toss like a wave when you are believing for me to rescue you? to answer your prayers? To heal you? that whatever you ask in My name, it will be given?
If you believe, because of your faith, that you have eternal life and that Jesus died on the cross for you, you should have the same faith for all of my words.
 
 I have noticed that my faith can be just like the waves described in scripture. That’s where doubt, fear and hopelessness try to enter my thoughts. Remembering Phil 4:8 has helped me. I know the enemy tries to destroy our faith in the Lord. He sends arrows of doubt, fear and unbelief into our thoughts, but God has given us the power to reject those wrong thoughts . God has given us Spiritual warfare in order to fully protect us – and they do!
 
  •  And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith Matthew 21:22
  • He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to GodRomans 4:20
  • I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord Psalm 19:14 
  •  For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.2 Timothy 1:7
  • So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17
  • Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go Joshua 1:9 
  •  What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, …Romans 4:1-25
  •  We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ 2 Corinthians 10:5
  • And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.Hebrews 11:6 
  •  For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13

#10 Pray to Him- Cry out to Him and he will hear you( Gen 21:14-21. 1 Kings 17:18-24, Luke 8:40-48)

Psalm 107
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!
Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
For he has gathered the exiles from many lands,
from east and west, from north and south.

Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless.
Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died.
“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
    and he rescued them from their distress.
He led them straight to safety,to a city where they could live.
Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, imprisoned in iron chains of misery.
They rebelled against the words of God, scorning the counsel of the Most High.
That is why he broke them with hard labor; they fell, and no one was there to help them.
“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; he snapped their chains.
Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. For he broke down their prison gates of bronze; he cut apart their bars of iron.

Some were fools; they rebelled and suffered for their sins.
They couldn’t stand the thought of food, and they were knocking on death’s door.
“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
    and he saved them from their distress.
He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.
Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.

#11: Have a right relationship with the Lord 

You must love the Lord you God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul and all your strength. You must love your neighbor as yourself.”we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law” Roman 3:28.This doesn’t give us an excuse to continue on in any sin we are living in. Sin in our lives  can interfere with our prayers. Don’t let sin be a stumbling block. Don’t pretend to Honor God with your lips but turn your back on Him.

  • Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered 1 Peter 3:7
  • Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. Romans 4:13
  •  Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I findthat your actions do not meet the requirements of my God.Revelation 3:2

#12 Remember all He has done – keep a journal of remembrance

Keep a journal. Stop and recall all the miracles He’s done in your life. Remembering builds up your faith.

“By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. 35 Women received their loved ones back again from death.But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. 36 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. 37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.  For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us. Heb 11

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Christian view of the Color Run (Holi festival): Putting the brakes on Pagan Christianity -stop bringing the World into our churches

On By Ancient PathsIn news67 Comments

“Do not worship the Lord your God in the way the pagan people worship their gods”
Deuteronomy 12:4

Take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.
Deuteronomy 12:30-31

     The newest fad in our churches, Christian organizations and youth groups is the Color Run. The Color Run is an ancient Hindu and Hare Krishna festival also called the Holi festival.  Holi was the name of the Hindu demon king’s sister. This festival dates back to over 2000 years ago. It wasn’t suddenly invented two years ago as some websites claim. It’s been going on for thousands of years at the beginning of spring. When I first heard about this 5k color run, it sounded super fun…however something didn’t feel right about it and I wasn’t comfortable with my children participating in it. When I found out the origins, I was still unsure. However that same day, I sat down to read my bible and this verse practically jumped off the pages:

“Do not worship the Lord your God in the way the pagan people worship their gods” Deuteronomy 12:4

  Let me clear some things up first. I’m not judging anyone who is participating; I only hope that those who are feeling indecisive about this, would find their answer. I pray that the shepherds would be more aware of the paths along which they are leading their sheep  and that those called out to be gatekeepers and watchmen would stand guard and protect the flock.


Color run origins:

The Holi (aka Color run) Hindu festival is celebrated at the beginning of spring each year. The name Holi (which means burning) originated from the name Holika, the demon king’s evil sister.  She, Holika, helped her brother reign by killing his son/ her nephew. Legend says that the son of the demon refused to worship him and instead worshiped Vishnu. So Holika ended this by putting the boy on her lap and sitting in a fire so he would die. She thought she would be untouched because her super power was that fire could not burn her- but her plan backfired and she sizzled to death.
In India, they throw colored powders in the air over the people as a symbolic remembrance of this demon sister Holika (Holi) and the beginning of spring.  On this day many others worship Kaamadeva, the love god. There are a few other variations and myths (and some have changed over the years): to some it was a time when the moon god was worshipped- here’s another one – Krishna wasn’t happy with his skin color so his mother told him to color his lovers skin so her complexion would change and from there, they started the color festival. Don’t ask me to explain that one, but if you want to find out more, see the links below.

Why are we turning to pagan religions, worldly traditions, new age ideas and witchcraft to find new ways to play church? 

Last year, the fad was the Harlem shake. I embarrassingly watched my children’s youth group’s you tubes as they gyrated in their underwear wearing large animal head pieces. I cringed! Then I saw pastors and churches joining in. The year before this it was the Circle maker. Why are we going to pagan religions, worldly traditions, new age and witchcraft to find new ways to play church?

I wonder how many pagan practices we unknowingly have within our churches, traditions and holidays. It’s our job to stop it when it begins to sneak into our churches.  What are we teaching the next generation by doing this? The Color run sounds like a lot of fun, no doubt about that- but I ask you, as Christians and Church members- When are we finally going to put the brakes on bringing the world and pagan practices into our churches?

Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned– as worthless as a half baked cake.
Hosea 7:8

For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob,
Because they are filled with eastern ways; Isaiah 2: 6

Reading through Hindu sites I found mixed emotions on how they feel about us celebrating their tradition. Some are deeply offended and some are happy they can share their Hindu and Hare Krishna religion with us- yes, they see it as an open door to share their faith.

Do Something New!

God wants us to be NEW. A new Creations. He gave each one of us an amazing mind- surely we can come up with our own new ways of worship and fellowship. I am sure we can think up new creative ways of fellowship without copying pagan religions. We are not to be conformed to this world, but TRANSFORMED by the renewing of our mind.

I just thought of something!!!!!! Joshua at Jericho and Gehazi with the Shumanite were both supposed to run/walk without a word spoken, okay maybe it’s boring – but think of how much we’d have to say when we reached the end. And how about Elijah’s supernatural run when he outran the chariots, there was a terrible storm coming. So I’m thinking everyone has to run like the wind and anyone who is slow gets soaked. Lol– but you see, you can get creative, amen?

He asks us to sing Him NEW songs. He specifically tells us in Deuteronomy 12:29-32

“When the Lord your God goes ahead of you and destroys the nations and you drive them out and live in their land,  do not fall into the trap of following their customs and worshiping their gods. Do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations worship their gods? I want to follow their example.’  You must not worship the Lord your God the way the other nations worship their gods, for they perform for their gods every detestable act that the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods.“So be careful to obey all the commands I give you. You must not add anything to them or subtract anything from them.

 Hear the Word of the Lord:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.Romans 12:1-3

“On that day of judgment,” says the Lord, “I will punish the leaders and princes of Judah and all those following pagan customs.Yes, I will punish those who participate in pagan worship ceremonies, and those who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit Zephaniah 1:8-9

 You have put pagan symbols on your doorposts and behind your doors. You have left me and climbed into bed with these detestable gods. You have committed yourselves to them. You love to look at their naked bodies Isaiah 57:8.

This disaster came upon the people of Israel because they worshiped other gods. They sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them safely out of Egypt and had rescued them from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. 8 They had followed the practices of the pagan nations the Lord had driven from the land ahead of them, as well as the practices the kings of Israel had introduced. 2 kings 17

 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother was Hephzibah. 2 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, following the detestable practices of the pagan nations that the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. 2 Kings 21 (NLT)21

 

This festival is also called ‘run or dye’ – yes, churches are using that slogan.  I have no comment for that- just a sigh……

Money, Money, and More Money   

One more thing that weighs heavily on my heart- the pull of money, money and more money – isn’t that what this is all about?  Are we feeding the hungry?  are we visiting the sick? are we visiting those in prison? are we clothing the naked? are we helping the widow? are we going after the lost? are we guiding the those who have backslidden? Where have our priorities gone? What example are we setting for the next generation? How much of our thoughts- and our church leadership’s time and energy is put towards  business/money and how much is put toward walking with God? It’s time for a heart check- where are my priorities? Am I really trusting in the Lord? How can I get to that place where I can walk with the Lord as Enoch did?  Would I be on the left or the right in that last day parable described in Matthew 25:34-

 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me.  I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.  I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me. “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink?  Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?  When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters you were doing it to me!’

 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

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 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.John 3:16
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
John 14:6

Creation, let’s talk Genesis 1

On By Ancient PathsIn bible study4 Comments

(Disclaimer: these are just my thoughts and wonderings- fyi: I wasn’t there at creation or before creation**, just completely consumed in thoughts of bible verses- and another fyi- I 100% believe the bible to be true and trustworthy)  

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth- this was before day 1. It is clear that after he made the heavens and the earth, God said – Let there be light. But holdup here a minute…. This means that the earth existed before the sun, the moon and the stars (and light existed on earth before the Sun) which were created on day 3. Yet- they were not the source of light because light was on earth on day 1 before the sun. So what gave off this light? It had to be Jesus or the Glory of God. The light of the World- and doesn’t revelation say

  1. Revelation 21:23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.
  2. Revelation 22:5 And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

So here we are on day 2- there is light and there is no sun. But wait, backtrack- there was the earth and it was formless with water all over the place because on day 2, God separated the sky from the waters – in other words –there was no gravity. Did gravity come into existence on day 2 when God separated the sky from the waters? And if there was no gravity- was there also no time? Can time exist without gravity? How can that be?

What exactly is the heaven that was made before day 1, or in the beginning? I guess that is where the Lord lives and not the galaxy of stars we would imagine because those were made on day 3. So before day one, we have an earth and a heaven and water that reached up to heaven. But wait, there was water, so there was a heat source or it would be frozen, unless water didn’t freeze? If it was pitch black and no light, I would guess it would be frozen, but it wasn’t.  So I’m guessing there was a temperature source , no gravity (or little gravity, and therefore no time (or slower time).

On day 1, God separated the day and night and this marked the first day. In other words, did the earth, at this point, begin to turn? How else could a separation of light and darkness occur?

In the past, I had a theory that satan was cast out of heaven before day one and that he was already in hell, but Ezekiel 28 tells us – okay disclaimer – these are my thoughts and wonderings, find out the truth for yourself AND you will find different thoughts on Ez 28, but just hear me out. This was a funeral song sent to the king of Tyre:

You were the model of perfection,
full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty.
 You were in Eden,
the garden of God.
Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone[b]—
red carnelian, pale-green peridot, white moonstone,
blue-green beryl, onyx, green jasper,
blue lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald—
all beautifully crafted for you
and set in the finest gold.
They were given to you
on the day you were created.
 I ordained and anointed you
as the mighty angelic guardian.[c]
You had access to the holy mountain of God
and walked among the stones of fire.

“You were blameless in all you did
from the day you were created
until the day evil was found in you.
 Your rich commerce led you to violence,
and you sinned.
So I banished you in disgrace
from the mountain of God.

If these verses are talking about satan- there he is in the Garden of Eden as a mighty angelic guardian all decked out with jewels and access to the Mountain of God- Well, this is tricky, but I wonder – I wonder if satan saw man and got furiously mad/jealous and this is the day evil was found in him. If that is so, then the war in heaven occurred after the creation of man.  Jesus said“ “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning!”

On to other things……

Let’s go back to the beginning, before day 1.- The earth was formless and empty, covered by darkness and waters. That stumps me. What did the heavens look like? I can’t help but wonder if something was on earth before our day 1. We know our history starts with day 1 and our generation started with Adam about 5700 years ago.  I don’t know, lots of thoughts. In my mind, I don’t see God creating a voidless formless empty earth, I am perplexed and wonder if it was another creation that was destroyed. If carbon dating is correct, then perhaps another generation, like us failed and turned from God also – but then how could that happen unless evil was present? And the only evil we know is satan unless another evil is out there? hmmmmmmm

**as I said, I wasn’t there at creation, or was I and I don’t know! In Jeremiah it says “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 So God knew us before we were born! Before we were in our mother’s wombs- so hey! God knew us before we existed – even in the womb! King Solomon, in Eccl 11:5, says, that the human spirit is infused into a little body of a baby while it is yet in it’s mother’s womb. So here we have a Spirit- that’s you and me- before we were ever in our mother’s womb- we were somehow in some form with God? Were we with Him before we came to earth? 

You guided my conception and formed me in the womb.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Job 10:10. Ps 139:13-16

As I’ve always wondered this, I thought it was interesting that my youngest daughter would name all her baby dolls Belle and Sarah. This when when she first began to walk and talk, she knew no one of these two names. However, Belle was my grandmother and Sarah was my first daughter who died. I always used to wonder – how in the world did she know these two names? She didn’t watch tv, movies or know anyone – how odd, I thought, did she, perhaps know them in heaven before she was born.

The Account of Creation

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.[a] 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”

And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.

6 Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” 7 And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. 8 God called the space “sky.”

And evening passed and morning came, marking the second day.

9 Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened. 10 God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. 12 The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

13 And evening passed and morning came, marking the third day.

14 Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. 15 Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened.16 God made two great lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, 18 to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

19 And evening passed and morning came, marking the fourth day.

20 Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.” 21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”

23 And evening passed and morning came, marking the fifth day.

24 Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened. 25 God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings[b] in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”27 So God created human beings[c] in his own image.    In the image of God he created them;    male and female he created them.28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”29 Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. 30 And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!

And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.

The Armor of God: Ephesians 6 – New discoveries!

On By Ancient PathsIn bible study2 Comments

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

  1. belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the
  2. breastplate of righteousness in place,  and with your
  3. feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the
  4. shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the
  5. helmet of salvation and the
  6. sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

 Piecing together the study of our armor, I have found that certain pieces of this armor must be paired with another in order for it to have the full effect.  It’s truly amazing! The shoes must be worn along with the breastplate, the shield must be used with the sword and the helmet must be worn with the belt. You can’t just put on one piece.

 
Peace (shoes) and Righteousness (breastplate)

I previously did a study on Peace and Righteousness. I found that they truly do protect us and they work together- in protecting us. Peace and Right living , together, are our spiritual armor that protects us. It was truly amazing to see the two paired together so often in scripture. You absolutely cannot have one without the other, you can’t have righteousness without peace and you can’t have peace without righteousness.  Check out a few scriptures and see:

  •  Mercy and truth are met together ; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Psalm 85:10
  • And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. Isaiah 32:17
  • O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: Isaiah 48:18
  • To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; Hebrews 7:2
  • And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace James 3:18


Faith (Shield) and God’s Word (Sword)

   Another interesting discovery! Just as Righteousness and peace work together and cannot work without each other, so I have found the same with the shield and sword. You cannot have faith without the Word, impossible! For faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of the Lord. I cannot protect myself against the wiles of the devil and his tactics without the help of God and His word. Faith in our Holy Father and His word protects me. God’s word crushes and destroys the enemy’s plan of attack – that’s my sword. The bible says that our enemy throws fiery darts at us- those darts are thoughts, doubts, fears- we hold up the shield of faith knowing we can trust in God. All those darts fall and will not touch you BUT if you get lazy and forget the Word, all those wrong thoughts will settle in your mind, fall deep in your heart and it will become part of you- we can’t let this happen.

  •   Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, The shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! Your enemies shall submit to you, And you shall tread down their high places. Deut 33:29

Keeping scripture close at hand is key. When you trust in God, you trust in His word. When the enemy throws fears, discouragement, depression, wrong thoughts, and hopelessness your way you must hold up the shield of Faith- No weapon formed against you shall prosper! For this is the heritage of the saints of the Lord.

Speak it out- How interesting it is, I have found, the power of the spoken word. Notice that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Why doesn’t is say faith comes by reading and reading by the word of God? Maybe, or wait- not maybe- when we speak God’s Word and hear it – our faith grows and is strengthened. So I wonder, if we would begin speaking out in faith, we could really shake this wicked world up. If I can overthrow a mountain with faith just the size of a small mustard seed – whoa! Can you imagine what we can do in this world? I’m not talking about naming your Bentley, come on – I’m talking about making our world a Holy Nation. Instead of complaining about the wicked songs, lyrics, movies, shows, books – I will speak out in faith and prayer.

“God will protect my children, In Jesus Name, crush this wicked agenda that seeks to destroy our youth. Let every wrong and wicked movie crash to nothing and be destroyed before it touches the precious hearts of our children and….. here I go- May the new movie Divergent that is targeted at the youth be cast out and thrown into the sea”

Sidetrack:    My daughter and I had a conversation yesterday about the movie ‘catching fire’. My husband and kids watched it while I fumed up a furnace.  I prayed that God would take care of it so I didn’t act like an angry monkey on crack. The next day I was reading Imitation of Christ by Thomas Kemper with my daughter (part of her literary reading for high school) and it sparked a conversation

  “Not every desire is from the Holy Spirit, even though it may seem right and good…. And Whatever the mind sees as good, ask and desire in fear of God and humility of heart”

Me:“Look, just because you want to watch a movie and it seems good and right- doesn’t make it good and right before God”
She replies “there’s nothing wrong with it”
I say,” really? Killing? Sexuality? Kids slicing each others throats? Would you watch that movie if Jesus walked in here?
Silence…..
Then we kept reading the book:

“Not every desire is from the Holy Spirit, even though it may seem right and good”

I said,” You see, not everything you desire and think is okay, is okay with God.”
She replied “but mom, what if I watch it and it doesn’t affect me”
I said ”The bible says everything you see, hear, think, and do goes in your heart. Of course it affects you- and everyone else who watches it. Everything in that movie went into your heart and the only way you can clean it out is through the Word of God”
Silence
Yea mom, your right…. and we continued reading. I thought this was interesting because #1God answered my prayer, took care of this for me and gave my kids understanding #2 I had faith God would take care of it when I prayed and tried my best to keep peace – and true enough, my prayer of faith went out and God took care of this better than I could have (and btw…. I’m quite well aware that I am one of the last standing Christians who oppose this movie and all the other stuff out there- I don’t have to agree with the world and I’m not going to – even if I’m the last person on earth who stands up to disagree, so if you like the movie, fine – I’m not judging you and you’re not judging me – I’m just saying it how it is, I know there is more to this movie -and I’ll tell you what else- I know without a doubt these movies (and books on child mutilation) that have become the new obsession and required reading in schools absolutely have an underlying agenda of molding, shaping and desensitizing our children)  

Moving Onnnn….

Now where was I…. the reason I wanted write you today is about faith- can you believe this? 4 pages into this post and finally I’m getting around to the subject. I’ve got so much to tell you! Ugh, maybe I should rename this or start a new post…..I’ll have to put it in another post because now I have something new…..

If peace and righteousness must be paired together and now I have found that faith and the Word must be paired together ( or shoes + breastplate = protection, sword+shield destroys and kills your enemy and their attacks) Well then! Let’s see if we can find a link between the belt of truth and the helmet of salvation………

Truth (belt) and Salvation (helmet)

Yes! It’s true! You cannot have salvation without the truth- this is so cool! Salvation comes through the Spirit through our belief in the truth.- ( a tie in with faith). The truth and your salvation in Jesus keep you grounded, unshaken and standing firm!!!  Wow, it’s all piecing together like a puzzle. Salvation comes through the truth and it helps you stand firm. Jesus is the truth of our salvation. The word of truth is the gospel of salvation. It’s Jesus! He is the truth and our salvation. Okay, here’s an overview of all our armor- Jesus , God’s Word and right living- those three together are the foundation of all this armor. I can see it! I’m jumping up and down- piecing a super cool puzzle together.

  • [ Believers Should Stand Firm]As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:13
  •  Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. Psalm 25:5
  • I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation. Psalm 40:10
  • But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation. Psalm 69:13
  • In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Ephesians 1:13

You see, God has given you 6 items for you to use in this war. (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)    Did you notice that complaining about the annoying tactics of the enemy is not a weapon or a shielding  piece of armor? If it was, I’d be quite a warrior, but it doesn’t work this way ( I’m preaching to myself here) Are you just fending off the enemy or are you destroying the enemy with the Sword of God? We can march around with our helmet of salvation on and still get side swiped and crushed if we don’t stand firm on the Word of God. Get your sword out, remember who you are in Christ and don’t take any more garbage from the enemy because the name of Jesus is higher and more powerful than anything that may come against you.

For He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing,
And was clad with zeal as a cloak.
18 According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay,
Fury to His adversaries,
Recompense to His enemies;
The coastlands He will fully repay.
19 So shall they fear
The name of the Lord from the west,
And His glory from the rising of the sun;
When the enemy comes in like a flood,
The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.
20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,”
Says the Lord. Isaiah 59:18-20

 

What’s the point? Why the armor and the sword?
(from Jeremiah 17:7-8)

Listen up!  Blessed are you mighty and strong man of valor because you have put your trust and hope in the Lord. You have found your confidence and security in the Most High God.  You shall be like a tree transplanted along the refreshing waters of the river that sendeth out its roots by the river.  Because you have put all your trust in the Lord and not put your trust in your own strength or wealth, you stand unshakable, for the Lord is with you.

           When heat or drought comes, you shall not be concerned or worried because you are always bearing fruit and your leaves will always be green. Attacks and storms may come your way, but not a branch shall be moved. You will prosper and flourish through all your storms, in drought, in valleys and through all the troubles that try to come against you. Even in times of drought or destitution, though the rain not fall for a period of time, you shall be unshakable, you will not be anxious or worried. You will prosper in perfect peace without fear. You trust fully in the Lord. You will not be sorrowful when troubles arise for you know that the Lord protects you. He is your rock and your fortress. Though these times come and go, you will never stop yielding fruit, you will accomplish all the Lord has planned for your life. You will always be provided for and your life will produce much fruit.

     You count it all joy when troubles come and you know that we are destined for such troubles. You can rejoice in your problems and trials for we know they help us and strengthen us. We can remind ourselves as David did “ I see that the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me.”

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catching fire cult programming
Put on the shoes of peace