All Glory to God

All supernatural things are not of God. Even the things that are supernatural, such as signs and wonders, these may be perceived in a wrong way. Paul and Barnabas spoke first the gospel message with signs following. It is by faith in the Living God that He is glorified. Jesus is the Son of God who brings forgiveness of sins and signs and wonders through the obedience of his disciples.

Act 14:8  And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked:
Act 14:9  The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,
Act 14:10  Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.
Act 14:11  And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.
Act 14:12  And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.
Act 14:13  Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.
Act 14:14  Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,
Act 14:15  And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
Act 14:16  Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.
Act 14:17  Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.
Act 14:18  And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.
Act 14:19  And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
Act 14:20  Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

Paul and Barnabas were in a land that worshipped false gods. When they spoke the gospel message, the focus was more on the healing that followed. The Greek gods, Jupiter and Mercury, were given credit for the work of the Holy Spirit. God does not share his glory with false gods. Paul and Barnabas were quick to give the credit to God almighty, even tearing their clothes as an act of  humility to give God the glory and not to man. Then came the Jews from Antioch that were opposing them.This is why we must be determined to serve God and not to give up and to be faint hearted.  Satan always seems to come to try to destroy the work of God. They resulted in stoning Paul and they thought that he was dead as they dragged him out of the city. From a god to a dead man in one day. Our God is greater, for as the disciples stood around him, probably in prayer, He raised up Paul who returned to the city. The next day they departed.

If you are in ministry to be praised of men, then you are seeking glory  that only belongs to God. Quit the competition to look good before men. To have a bigger church or a higher position. It is God who calls and he chooses the least likely before the world to serve him.

1Co 1:26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence.
1Co 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1Co 1:31  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

The message and the focus is to be on the God of Israel and His Son Jesus who came to save our souls unto himself. Give God all the Glory, speak His word, humble yourself before him and he will lift you up to serve him. Let us celebrate Him in worship and praise. Our reward and honor will be given to us when we are with him in glory. Come, let us worship the LORD.

My Heart's Desire

Paul was a Roman citizen, but above all he loved Israel and the Jewish people, for he too was a Jew, a Pharisee of the Pharisees but when he saw the blinding light...Jesus, on the road to Damascus,(Acts 9:3)  his life and calling was turned around to serve Messiah Jesus. He was called to be the apostle to the Gentiles.

 

Rom 10:1  Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
Rom 10:2  For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Rom 10:3  For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Rom 10:4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Antioch

 

Act 13:44  And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
Act 13:45  But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
Act 13:46  Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Act 13:47  For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
Act 13:48  And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

 

When family or those we love most refuse the gospel message, it tears at our heart, as it did to Paul who loved his fellow Jews. He didn't stop loving and praying for them who were connected by blood, but who lacked faith. and we do not stop praying for them as well.

 

Rom 9:1  I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
Rom 9:2  That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
Rom 9:3  For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
Rom 9:4  Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
Rom 9:5  Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Rom 9:6  Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
Rom 9:7  Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Rom 9:8  That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

The children of the promise which is received by faith. By faith in Messiah Jesus both Jew and the Gentiles become the children of the promise.

 

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

I love Israel as the people of the promises of God and I love the people of the Church who are included in the family of God. We also love those who are not yet seeing the light, that is Jesus who are still in the darkness of sin. I pray that those who cannot see will see Jesus and be saved as well. This is my heart's desire.

Psalm 121

These are comforting words.

 

Psa 121:1  A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 

His presence was in the temple high in Jerusalem.

Psa 121:2  My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
Psa 121:3  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 

Psa 121:4  Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 

He knows are condition and he wants us to trust in him.

Psa 121:5  The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 

Psa 121:6  The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 

In the physical it is very hot and in the spiritual a hot war is being waged against righteousness. Our Lord is our righteousness. 

Psa 121:7  The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

Lead us not into temptation and keep us from evil my LORD and my comforter.

Pledge of Allegiance

When I have lunch with my wife at the Senior center, before we eat I stand and we pledge  allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

I pledge Allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which it stands,
one nation under God, indivisible,
with Liberty and Justice for all.

Whereas I always have said the pledge with pride in our countries values, it is with a tinge of sadness as I think of the deep and good meaning of the values the flag represents.

 One nation under God.

indivisible

with Liberty

And Justice

for all.

Those who are changing America are doing it at the expense of the core values that our flag represents. They want to remove God, or replace him with foreign gods. The country is deeply divided. A nation without God cannot stand. Freedom and liberty are being removed as the constitution and the Bill of Rights are being ignored by more "modern" ways. No more justice for all.

"We the people" of God have the presence of God, the Holy Spirit with us.  We are to allow God in us to reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement:

John 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
John 16:8  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
John 16:9  Of sin, because they believe not on me;
John 16:10  Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
John 16:11  Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

John 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
John 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 9:4  I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

The devil is orchestrating all of this into a New World Order. Then instead of establishing a good democracy, He will appoint a wicked tyrant. It is already explained to us in the Bible. The world has no truth, because they left God. We have the truth of God which makes us important to God and the founding father's vision of America. The new world government will try to silence us, but we are free in Christ Jesus. They can't take the Holy Spirit from us. Speak the truth in love. God is at the beginning and the end of this world. He will bring order to the world when he comes. The elite of the world mock his message, but that is nothing "new." These things must be before His coming.

The Pledge of Allegiance - YouTube

(HD 720p) "Stars and Stripes Forever", John Philip Sousa - YouTube

Spoken Words

When we speak to someone, what spirit do we speak from? Is it from envy or jealousy? Are we speaking to exalt our self or to put down another? We need to be careful when we speak.

 

Job 26:4  To whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee?

 

2Sa 23:1  Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,
2Sa 23:2  The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.
2Sa 23:3  The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

Jas 3:8  But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Jas 3:9  Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
Jas 3:10  Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Jas 3:11  Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
Jas 3:12  Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
Jas 3:13  Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

Psa 19:14  Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

 

Pro 8:7  For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

 

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

 

Mat 15:11  Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

 

Rom 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto rightousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 

Jesus warned the son's of thunder about what spirit they spoke from.

 

Luk 9:52  And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
Luk 9:53  And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
Luk 9:54  And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
Luk 9:55  But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
Luk 9:56  For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

 

1Co 12:3  Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

There is much to say about words. As a servant of God do you speak his word from his Spirit? Put a guard on your mouth and speak words to build up the hearer. Words of warning and correction from the Holy Ghost will build faith in the hearer. Do not dump garbage words on a person. Confess your sins and unbelief to God and speak from His Spirit. Speak the truth in love.

 

Strength to the Weary

  

Isa 40:30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
Isa 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

To wait on the LORD is to actively seek Him. We wait until His power and direction is given to us. Meanwhile we continue to do the things He has given us to do. We mount up with wings as eagles, above the concerns of this life. We peacefully soar in the Spirit with the LORD. He takes us above the concerns of this life into heavenly places. As we do the things we know that he approves of, He gives us His strength. He blesses others through us, and we in turn receive his strength and blessings. He is our inexhaustible source of energy, better than vitamins. His presence with us can raise the dead, give life to the weary and overcome any weakness. He is our strength.

Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

We shall run the race that is set before us and not tire. We leave our burdens at the cross. Sins can weigh us down; give them all to Jesus. Concerns of this life need not affect us if we continue doing the things he has called us to do. In Christ Jesus we are free and we dwell with Him in heavenly places. 

Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Finally we are to walk in the Spirit and not faint. The Spirit is life and love.

Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

We soar as an eagle, we run and we walk across the finish line, by the Spirit we stay in the will of God, until we finish this life, even if carried across the finish line by like minded friends,  and Jesus welcomes us into His eternal presence. We live in and through him evermore. Now that is a better promise then any fairy tale and it is a never ending story. We live life more abundantly, now and forever more. Together with Christ we live happily, joyfully for ever after. There is no bad ending in Christ Jesus; only new beginnings and perfect peace in His presence.

A Holy Highway

Do you want to go back to where you were before you began your journey in the Lord? There is no looking back, we are on a holy calling, on a holy way. When God's people came to Israel there was and will be new life, and when Jesus returns all creation will be restored. His people will enter a new world where Jesus is Lord of all and the devil is locked up. This will be a time of great peace and because Jesus reigns there will be no infirmities of the flesh for the people of the nations and we shall return with him in glorified bodies.

Isa 35:1 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.

Isa 35:2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.

The wilderness is blooming now, for underground is a supply of water that is being used to water over fifty farms, in what was once arid dry desert. Recent news has it that the reservoirs are low and that other water supplies are needed. When the Lord returns there will be water springing forth into the dead sea. Nothing can live in the salt of the dead sea, but this healing stream will bring with it new life.

A river of life shall flow from the temple in Jerrusalem.

Eze 47:1  Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. 

Eze 47:6  And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.
Eze 47:7  Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
Eze 47:8  Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.
Eze 47:9  And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.

Eze 47:12  And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

Isa 35:3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
Isa 35:4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you.

Out of the tribulation a people will come to the LORD, He shall bring vengeance on the evil of the world and set up His Millennial Kingdom.

Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.