By James Goll via my friend David Shepherd - three points for the coming storm that few will receive because they think God winks at sin.
Times of shaking are coming. His plumb line is being dropped, the canon/plumb line of His Word, and of His character being dropped in the midst of the Church, the nation and the nations, resulting in chiropractic adjustments to achieve His purposes. As this occurs we are seeing storms coming.
1. Storms of God's Judgment—Our Response: A cry for mercy requiring brokenness and tenaciousness.
2. Storms of Dark Demonic Attack—Our Response: An authoritative place of intercession, requiring faith, endurance, boldness, believing in the promises and no common ground with the enemy.
3. Storms of Consequences of Sins—Our Response: Repentance requiring humility, lack of defensiveness.
Each storm requires a different Biblical response, but in one way each storm requires the same response—Desperation and Intercession. Ultimately every storm can redemptively be used for God's purposes and to forge character in us. James 2:13 states: "Mercy triumphs over judgment."
Let us pray into the storms of life and lift up a CRY FOR WISDOM AND MERCY IN THE MIDST OF EVERY STORM. I tell you, we have crossed the threshold into the DAYS OF GREAT STORMS and the DAYS OF GREAT VISITATION!
Let us be salt and light! Call on His name! Let us be ambassadors of hope for such a time as this!
DAWN'S reply - CONFIRMATION GIVEN to this message:
Wow. It is so good to watch how God will allow us to see things and then confirm them. This really bared witness! Aside from what we spoke on yesterday in our 'conversations', David, about authority and intercession, here are a few other ...ways it was confo'd (new word?) to me this morning BEFORE I read this.
Some may seem 'crazy' or ' a stretch to some' but this is how it works with me from God:
1) Yesterday, I spent the day wallpapering a friend's home. A "plumb line' is needed in order to keep the wallpaper 'in line, straight, properly placed', it is a critical part of the process - just as it is necessary in the natural/spirit for the very same reasons.
2) Last night, I (finally) went to be around 2:15-2:30 am. I had just fallen asleep, when I was JOLTED awake. I 'heard' a door slam loudly, then 'felt' the entire bed shake (like it was almost in an earthquake for a moment) and finally 'heard' a noise like glass rattling next to me from the SHAKING I felt in the spirit. It was so real, these things really happened - I KNOW. If I didn't know better and understand the spirit, I would argue with anyone who said otherwise that it actually didn't happen in the natural.
3) A cry for mercy requiring brokenness and tenaciousness... this is the place that God is putting so many people right now. I am one of them. Broken, tenacious for the kingdom...desiring mercy.
4) My scripture reading for this morning was in the book of Jeremiah. Chapters 1 and 2. I would encourage you to read these these chapters as you will see that they completely line up and confirm "the coming storm that few will receive because they think God winks at sin..." Whoa.
I was blown away that I had just read that a few moments before reading this. It's too long to post, so 'people of the North', get out that Bible of yours and read it for yourself. (Hint: Jeremiah 1:13-16, wink, wink) But, please read both chapters in full to get it all.
5) And lastly, "for such a time as this"... It has been prophesied that I carry the 'Esther Mantle". 3 times now actually - with the last one being just last Wednesday! The Word given was that I have been prepared "For such a time as this" -- AND SO ARE YOU. We are about to discover that there is a purpose for God’s appointments.
This revelation is made through an exchange of communications between Esther and Mordecai in the book of Esther.
Ester was a simple Jewish girl became the queen of the Persian empire. It was a rags to riches story unexcelled in human history.
The chronology of the book indicates that it was about five years later when the bubble burst and we find a crisis for God’s people. DO YOU GET THIS???? LET THAT SOAK IN FOR A MINUTE, PLEASE!
The culprit who caused the trouble must have been Hitler’s Old Testament hero. He was a vicious, anti-Semitic Amalakite named Haman, evidently a descendant of Agag, king of the Amalakites, whom King Saul had kept alive in disobedience to the command of the Lord (1 Sam. 15:8, 9).
When Ahasuerus made him prime minister, everybody in the palace bowed down to him except Mordecai. He would bow his knee to none but God, and that infuriated Haman. He vowed not only to punish Mordecai, but to exterminate every living Jew in the Persian empire, and incidentally, that would include those in the land of Israel as well, for they were part of the empire. Haman got the king to agree to his plan and it was sealed with the king’s ring, the irreversible law of the Medes and the Persians. It was another hasty decision that Ahasuerus would live to regret.
“When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly. And he went as far as the king’s gate, for no one was to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. And in each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay on sackcloth and ashes” (Esth. 4:1-3).
Esther sent one of the king’s chamberlains to find out why Mordecai was in mourning. Mordecai sent a message back explaining the whole diabolical plot, of which she was unaware, and encouraging her to intercede with the king. She answered quickly, reminding him that no one entered the king’s presence without being invited unless he was tired of living, and that the king had not invited her into his presence for a full month. There was one slim possibility—if the king saw her and extended his golden scepter, she could enter.
Mordecai may have missed God’s best by not returning to Israel, but his spiritual insight had increased since then. He was beginning to understand something of God’s sovereign grace and divine providence, beginning to see that God can use even the adversities of life to accomplish His purposes.
He sent word back to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” (Esth. 4:13, 14).
Esther is really no safer than any other Jew. When it becomes known that she is Jewish, her life will be endangered too. Mordecai is convinced that God is going to care for His people Israel, however. They may be far from Him, but He cannot let them perish, for that would be contrary to His promises. If He does not use Esther to deliver them, He will use some other means. He is a sovereign God.
WE ARE AT A TIME THAT REQUIRES THE TEARING OF OUR SUPERNATURAL CLOTHES AND PUTTING ON SACKCLOTH AND ASHES!!!
These Jews (Christians) were away from their land by their own choice, out of the place of blessing, separated from their place of worship. But they were PRAYING, and God WAS watching over them, superintending their circumstances to GLORIFY HIS OWN NAME.
He is doing the same for us even when we are not aware of it.
CRY ALOUD, SPARE NOT, LIFT UP YOUR VOICE LIKE A TRUMPET, AND SHOW MY PEOPLE THEIR TRANSGRESSION, AND THE HOUSE OF JACOB THEIR SINS. Isaiah 58:1.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
My rant for the day. :) I feel better now.
We can’t say how we arrived at this place for sure,
Only know that you, God, are the only cure,
People keep calling daily on the line,
Wanting to talk about things for the hundredth time.
Mr. we are doing our best, why do you keep calling,
You’re becoming a pest... don’t you know?
We’re not tying to take anyone for a ride,
Just trying to adjust to the changing of the tide.
No one can help it, this process is going so slow.
Our life has changed, haven’t you heard on CNN,
Things just aren’t what they once have been.
Small business had to close after 15 years,
Who would have imagined, so sad,
Yet you keep on pushing, wanting more,
We can see that green-eyed monster lurking.
And while you push nothing more is happening
‘cept a bunch of unnecessary jerking,
The middle class is slowly disappearing,
Can’t you see, don’t you care, man
Stop the madness, stop that insatiable printing…
Pay attention, please…
Lest we lose the value our dollar has,
And find ourselves falling deeper still,
But, nonetheless it is all a wash in the greater scheme of things,
What matters is that we keep trudging up that hill.
Onto that hill of Calvary – the only place there is hope,
Where the economy is stable and the landscape sound,
Where greed, lust, envy, and maliciousness can’t abound.
Where peace is the motto, joy is the cure,
The rushing of a river, glistening against the shore
Where glory abounds and righteousness is pure.
You may try to pull us away, shake and quake us,
Yet, it is all futile, because still will we pray.
You see, mighty is our God and His arm is sure,
He will NOT be mocked and he will rescue the pure,
For those who are His bride, those of whom He is in love,
He will rush from the heavens with a mighty shove,
So many are looking forward to watch him arrive,
And fulfill that great promise to all those dead and alive.
Where is your victory, oh death where is thy sting,
Quickly forgotten, with a triumphant ring,
The blast of that trumpet calling all of us home,
Or the end of our lives- whichever is the ringtone.
For so long humanity has waited and until this time,
Humbly we will wait, Lord, here in the battle line.
Thank you for strength, for peace, mercy, grace,
Wisdom, honor, joy and so much more.
It is in the end, which YOU will shine.
‘cause the one thing learned it is not about us – it never was,
All purpose, all life, is about your fulfillment–
And we are truly humbled and grateful
That you revealed this in your kindness,
And opened our ears and eyes,
Blessed Savior, redeemer, and friend.
Only know that you, God, are the only cure,
People keep calling daily on the line,
Wanting to talk about things for the hundredth time.
Mr. we are doing our best, why do you keep calling,
You’re becoming a pest... don’t you know?
We’re not tying to take anyone for a ride,
Just trying to adjust to the changing of the tide.
No one can help it, this process is going so slow.
Our life has changed, haven’t you heard on CNN,
Things just aren’t what they once have been.
Small business had to close after 15 years,
Who would have imagined, so sad,
Yet you keep on pushing, wanting more,
We can see that green-eyed monster lurking.
And while you push nothing more is happening
‘cept a bunch of unnecessary jerking,
The middle class is slowly disappearing,
Can’t you see, don’t you care, man
Stop the madness, stop that insatiable printing…
Pay attention, please…
Lest we lose the value our dollar has,
And find ourselves falling deeper still,
But, nonetheless it is all a wash in the greater scheme of things,
What matters is that we keep trudging up that hill.
Onto that hill of Calvary – the only place there is hope,
Where the economy is stable and the landscape sound,
Where greed, lust, envy, and maliciousness can’t abound.
Where peace is the motto, joy is the cure,
The rushing of a river, glistening against the shore
Where glory abounds and righteousness is pure.
You may try to pull us away, shake and quake us,
Yet, it is all futile, because still will we pray.
You see, mighty is our God and His arm is sure,
He will NOT be mocked and he will rescue the pure,
For those who are His bride, those of whom He is in love,
He will rush from the heavens with a mighty shove,
So many are looking forward to watch him arrive,
And fulfill that great promise to all those dead and alive.
Where is your victory, oh death where is thy sting,
Quickly forgotten, with a triumphant ring,
The blast of that trumpet calling all of us home,
Or the end of our lives- whichever is the ringtone.
For so long humanity has waited and until this time,
Humbly we will wait, Lord, here in the battle line.
Thank you for strength, for peace, mercy, grace,
Wisdom, honor, joy and so much more.
It is in the end, which YOU will shine.
‘cause the one thing learned it is not about us – it never was,
All purpose, all life, is about your fulfillment–
And we are truly humbled and grateful
That you revealed this in your kindness,
And opened our ears and eyes,
Blessed Savior, redeemer, and friend.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Thoughts on tithing...
Some thoughts to consider about Tithing...
Tithing began before the law was introduced. The Law simply regulated the tithe. Abraham tithed to Melchizedek, 400 years before the time of Moses and the Law, and according... See More to Romans 4:12 we are to walk in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham. If tithing was good for him, it should be good for us, too.
We give tithes like Abraham gave them—not by the Law but by faith. And beside that, if the people of God paid ten percent before the Law, and ten percent under the Law, shouldn't we, who live by grace, be doing any less when we have a better covenant (Heb 7:22).
There is a passage in Hebrews, which deals with this issue directly. It is Hebrews 7:8:
In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living.
Melchizedek received Abraham’s tithe. The Hebrew writer shows that Melchizedek is a prefigure of Christ. We can conclude that just as Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek we give a tithe to Christ who is declared to be living.
Early Jewish believers had no problem with tithing since they had done it under the Law and gave it to the priests. They simply gave their tithe to the elders of the church and did by love. However, as the church became less Jewish this issue came up to the church fathers. They answered the question of tithing with Matthew 23:23:
"Woe to you, ... See Moreteachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
Notice Jesus said, "You should have practiced the latter (justice, mercy and faithfulness), without neglecting the former (tithing)." The fathers argued, and rightful so, that Jesus word ends the discussion. Since Jesus said not to neglect the former—being tithing—then no believer should neglect tithing. I wholeheartedly agree!
Jesus is the Word of God made flesh, so this means every word that comes out of His mouth is eternal. He cannot say anything without it being “spiritual law” and everlasting. Jesus emphasizes this point by saying, “Heaven and earth may pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matt 24:35).
Paul also uses the pattern of tithing under the law in 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 and says,
Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from ... See Morethe gospel.
Paul argues that just as the priests got their food from the tithes of the people, so the preachers should live the same way. This passage clearly shows the mentality of the apostle and his understanding of carrying over the concept of tithing into the church.
The passage often used to contradict this is 2 Corinthians 9:7:
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
The argument goes something like this: "Each believer has a right to decide for himself what to give and should not be told what percentage he should contribute."
The problem with this argument is that the above passage is not dealing with giving to support the church, but rather giving to the poor. Under the Law, giving to the poor was a freewill offering. The Law commanded freewill offerings as well as tithes:
But you are to seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. (Deut 12:5-6)
It is quite inconsistent for people to appeal to freewill offerings yet claim that tithing has been abolished. Both tithing and freewill offerings were incorporated in the Law as the above passage shows, but they preceded the Law, thus they both should be practiced.
One last thing, notice the resemblance of the language Paul uses in the first passage in Galatians and compare it with the Old Testament passage about tithing:
Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. (Gal 6:6)
And you and the Levites and the aliens among you shall rejoice in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household. When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. (Deut 26:11-12)
Tithing began before the law was introduced. The Law simply regulated the tithe. Abraham tithed to Melchizedek, 400 years before the time of Moses and the Law, and according... See More to Romans 4:12 we are to walk in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham. If tithing was good for him, it should be good for us, too.
We give tithes like Abraham gave them—not by the Law but by faith. And beside that, if the people of God paid ten percent before the Law, and ten percent under the Law, shouldn't we, who live by grace, be doing any less when we have a better covenant (Heb 7:22).
There is a passage in Hebrews, which deals with this issue directly. It is Hebrews 7:8:
In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living.
Melchizedek received Abraham’s tithe. The Hebrew writer shows that Melchizedek is a prefigure of Christ. We can conclude that just as Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek we give a tithe to Christ who is declared to be living.
Early Jewish believers had no problem with tithing since they had done it under the Law and gave it to the priests. They simply gave their tithe to the elders of the church and did by love. However, as the church became less Jewish this issue came up to the church fathers. They answered the question of tithing with Matthew 23:23:
"Woe to you, ... See Moreteachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
Notice Jesus said, "You should have practiced the latter (justice, mercy and faithfulness), without neglecting the former (tithing)." The fathers argued, and rightful so, that Jesus word ends the discussion. Since Jesus said not to neglect the former—being tithing—then no believer should neglect tithing. I wholeheartedly agree!
Jesus is the Word of God made flesh, so this means every word that comes out of His mouth is eternal. He cannot say anything without it being “spiritual law” and everlasting. Jesus emphasizes this point by saying, “Heaven and earth may pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matt 24:35).
Paul also uses the pattern of tithing under the law in 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 and says,
Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from ... See Morethe gospel.
Paul argues that just as the priests got their food from the tithes of the people, so the preachers should live the same way. This passage clearly shows the mentality of the apostle and his understanding of carrying over the concept of tithing into the church.
The passage often used to contradict this is 2 Corinthians 9:7:
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
The argument goes something like this: "Each believer has a right to decide for himself what to give and should not be told what percentage he should contribute."
The problem with this argument is that the above passage is not dealing with giving to support the church, but rather giving to the poor. Under the Law, giving to the poor was a freewill offering. The Law commanded freewill offerings as well as tithes:
But you are to seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. (Deut 12:5-6)
It is quite inconsistent for people to appeal to freewill offerings yet claim that tithing has been abolished. Both tithing and freewill offerings were incorporated in the Law as the above passage shows, but they preceded the Law, thus they both should be practiced.
One last thing, notice the resemblance of the language Paul uses in the first passage in Galatians and compare it with the Old Testament passage about tithing:
Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. (Gal 6:6)
And you and the Levites and the aliens among you shall rejoice in all the good things the LORD your God has given to you and your household. When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. (Deut 26:11-12)
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