The Two Fears - Part One: Fear Not

 

Isaiah 41:10

Fear not, for I Am with you; Be not dismayed, for I Am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness.' 

    The first time we see God saying to one of His chosen servants to not fear is in Genesis 15:1, when God tells Abram, "After these things The Word of The LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I Am thy Shield, and thy Exceeding Great Reward." 

    The last time The Lord speaks these words, "Fear Not", is in Revelation 1:17, when The First and The Last speaks to John in his vision: "And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I Am The First and The Last." 

    In this day and age, we who believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that The Word of God is Truth, are daily bombarded with unChristlike behaviors and attitudes. We are attacked on every side and must be able to hold onto the cross (the place of saving grace) and the empty tomb (the place of eternal life revealed), when we go about our day to day lives. 

    Everybody has a story, and in our stories are chapters: the situations we find ourselves in, whether through our own decisions or the result of someone else's decision(s) which impacted us in some way. But in every chapter God is there. Sometimes we see Him working in our lives, sometimes we are completely unaware that He is there. 

    I say all this to remind you (and myself) that God Is Present: He is The Omnipresent God -- everywhere at the same time. If you are a born again Christian, then God is with you: leading us, guiding us: revealing to us His purpose for our lives. If we would just listen to Him and follow His lead, He will work everything out for our good. He said so. Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." His purpose, His will, for our lives. We just have to wake up and pay attention. 

    There may or may not be 365 verses pertaining to not being afraid. I don't know, I've only just started this study. But I'm expressly searching out the two-word phrase "fear not". The rest can wait for another day. 

    When God gives the instruction to "fear not", He is preparing each person He speaks this to for a mighty move of God. God spoke to Abram and promised him that his seed, his heirs, would be in the multitudes, just as the stars that covered the night sky. God also informed Abram that his heirs would be enslaved by a people whom God was to judge at a later time (four hundred years). In all this Abram is to "fear not", for God is his Shield (his protector, his defense) and his exceeding great reward (not just Abram's Rewarder, but Abram's Reward). 

    Because of what took place in Genesis 14, God found favor with Abram and chose to visit him, speak with him, promise him many things and form a covenant with him. This great honor may be given to each of God's people when they obey God and believe His Word, as Abram did. Following God faithfully, we, too, may find ourselves in situations He places us in. Not for our comfort, but for our spiritual growth. God wants to speak to us. Are we listening for His voice? Are we in a place where we can hear Him clearly? and know which decision is the right decision? Only you and I and God know the answer to these questions. For He knows our hearts and our thoughts. 

    Let us "fear not" as we prepare to take the next step in our journey on The Way of Holiness in which we walk. 

Friends, Not Servants

 

JOHN 15:15

No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you. 

    See the difference between being a servant and being a friend? A servant is obedient and does as instructed, but a friend knows why and does as he is instructed with joy and understanding. 

    Proverbs 17:17 tells us that a friend loves at all times. We know that when no one wants to be around us for the Truth we speak of God's Word, then it is not so much us they are avoiding, it is God in us. 

    Yet, David wrote in Psalm 2:11 that we are to "serve The Lord with fear and  rejoice with trembling." Is this contradictory? No. To serve The Lord with fear is to honor Him; it is to put God first in every aspect of our lives; it is to make no decision without consulting Him first. It is to seek the will of God, know and understand the will of God and to act upon this knowledge with such joy that we are overcome by the emotion of being in His presence. 

    It is the love of God for us that has caused us to put our faith in Him. It is the hand of friendship being extended towards us through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ that has caused us to come near to God, that we may hear Him speak more clearly. Both Isaiah (Isaiah 1:18) and James (4:8) inform us that God says we must come close to Him that He may come closer to us. Employees/servants do not do so. Friends, however, transcend the employer/employee relationship. 

   Isaiah reminds us in 1:19, 20 that it is our willingness to obey/follow The Lord that brings about this wonderful blessing of friendship. Yet, a warning is given in verse 20 that to ignore this magnificent gesture from God, of drawing close to Him, is to sign our own death warrant. 

    James (4:8) tells us that our words and our actions need to align with our hearts, and that, as Christians, our hearts must align with The Word of God. A person whose heart follows after the teachings of Christ wholeheartedly leaves little room for doubt and faithlessness. In Christ, we are His friends. Outside of Christ, we are His enemies. 

    I am a friend of God, for I am in Christ. Where are you?

I AM A FRIEND OF GOD - Israel Houghton 

GOD WITH US - Mercy Me

Prepositional Faith - Peace Through Christ

 

ACTS 10:36

He has sent this message to the people of Israel, proclaiming the gospel of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

Isaiah 9:6

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid. 

2 Thessalonians 3:16

Now The Lord of Peace Himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. 

    Without Christ there is no peace....of any kind whatsoever. There is the illusion of peace, or the delusion of peace. We live in a world that strives for freedoms, but at another's cost. This world imitates but does not deliver on true peace, for only Christ Jesus can give a person real lasting peace: peace of mind, peace in our hearts. 

    Inner peace does not come from within ourselves, nor does it exist outside of God's Word. "Peace, Peace, Wonderful Peace," as the hymnist wrote, comes down from The Father above. 

    In The Word, as listed above, we read that not only is Jesus Peace, but He shares His peace with those who believe that He is God's only begotten Son, sent here by His Father to be our Redeemer: He would take the punishment intended for the sinners who disobeyed God's Word upon Himself. Why? Because of God's great love for the people who inhabit this world we live in. 

    It's Amazing Grace, isn't it? It's almost too wonderful for words, yet many a song has been written praising God for His lovingkindness towards us. Too many to number, for that would actually be impossible. Not all songs written for God were recorded through the ages. But God knows. 

    All those reckless thoughts that attack a person's mental stability through what we see and hear and feel have to go through the blood of Jesus Christ, when we come to the cross and believe that this Man is, indeed, the Promised Redeemer from God. And when we come out on the other side, our thinking has changed. For the blood has washed our hearts and our minds clean. Now we have Peace, the Peace Christ promised to give the people who believe Him and follow Him wherever He leads. We have His Peace within us now. 

    God is amazing. Only God can take The Words that He speaks and wrap them in flesh and bone and place It in a young girl's womb via the power of His Holy Spirit. Nobody in all of history has ever done that, nor will anyone ever be able to do so. This is an awesome feat! This is a God I can trust with my life and my soul, with my heart and my mind! This is peace. 

    Peace flows through me like a river meanders through the mountains. It covers every obstacle in my way, sometimes rushing down like a waterfall; at other times this peace narrows into streams which feed the ecosystems of life. And I am content. With Christ as my Shepherd, leading this sheep of His, what have I to fear? Nothing. I have Peace Like A River because Jesus is my Peace. 

    

 

The Fork In The Road

 

 

THE FORK IN THE ROAD

There is a point in every person's life when they will have to make a decision on whether or not they will choose to believe God and accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. The decision to follow Christ or not follow Christ can only be made on an individual basis. We can pray for our families and friends to be saved, but ultimately it will be their decision just as it was ours. 

While some will believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, there are still so many people who believe otherwise, and they flaunt their sin not only in our face, but in God's face and they will answer for their sins against God. 

However, while we still have breath, we pray for their salvation and that The Holy Spirit would fill them, giving them power to walk out their newfound faith in these last days before Christ's return. We pray for them with the love of God, Who lives in us and is constantly changing us, filling us with so much love for others that it overflows and blesses not only us, but those on whom we share this love of God with. 

When you have come to the fork in your road, you will see two destinations: one on the left and one on the right: there is no middle road. Imagine one sign reading "The Way of Holiness" and the other sign reads "Self-Interest". The Way of Holiness is strewn with gravel, potholes, obstacles, hidden pits and other things we cannot yet see. The Way of Holiness is straight and narrow: just enough room for two people to walk side by side. There is danger on every side, and yet, we can see that there are other people on this road, not many, but enough perhaps to peak our curiosity. Some are dressed in rags, some are crippled in body, some are singing, some are calling us to walk in The Way of Holiness with them.

Self-Interest is filled with every goodie you could possibly imagine. It is a colorful, winding road with vendors hawking their wares for you to purchase along your journey. The sun is shining on this road and there is not a cloud in the sky. There are no apparent obstacles on this road. It is crowded and the people ahead are laughing and talking amongst themselves. They gesture to us and call out our names to join them on their merry journey. 

A decision must be made, for there is no going back the way we came. We must move forward but which road will we take? Only you can make that decision. Only you can choose your destination. 

Whatever God calls "sin" is nothing to be proud of.

Isaiah 3:9

The expression on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom they flaunt their sin; they do not conceal it. Woe to them, for they have brought disaster upon themselves.

    Romans 6:23 tells us the destination of the unrepentant sinner and the destination of the repentant:

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

    But not a death where you just lie in the ground after your life ends. Nor does your body become one with nature. You are not reincarnated into something else: neither your spirit nor your soul will take on a new shape/identity.

    The death of the unrepentant sinner is a sorrowful event for those whom The Lord knows, but that person refused to know or even acknowledge.

The unrepentant soul will go to hell and there are no parties in hell. Friends and family might be there, but the lost soul will not be aware of others around him or her. In death as in life, their only thoughts will be selfish, while their bodies writhe in anguish.

    Luke 16:19-31 tells us the Parable of "The Rich Man & Lazarus". In life the rich man had everything but faith, while Lazarus had nothing in life except faith. The rich man lacked for nothing, but Lazarus lacked everything. Both died. The rich man went to hell and Lazarus went to Paradise.

    In hell a person will have their memories, their senses and their desire that their family would know Christ.

Luke 16:23 the rich man was in torment

Luke 16:24 the rich man knew thirst and was in agony

Luke 16:26 crossing from Paradise to hell after death is impossible

Luke 16:27 the rich man wanted his family warned about hell

But in Paradise there is comfort and rest.

     Repent And Believe The Gospel now, today, while today is still here. For The Bible says that tomorrow is not promised. We must take full advantage of today to believe that Jesus Christ Is Lord and begin to walk by faith this process of holiness which God would have us to live in. 

JESUS GOT AHOLD OF MY LIFE - Dallas Holm 

COME TO THE TABLE - Sidewalk Prophets 

THERE IS ONE GOSPEL - CityAlight

I Am Christian's Ears

 

ISAIAH 6:8

Also I heard the voice of The Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

    I am Christian's ears and I hear the voice of The Lord speaking to me, too. And like the prophet Isaiah, Christian's mouth said, "Lord, here am I; send me." 

    I hear The Lord speaking to me when I am silent before Him ~ Psalm 46:10; Habakkuk 2:20; Zechariah 2:13. 

    I hear The Lord singing over me ~ Zephaniah 3:17.

    I hear Him in the night ~ Job 35:10; Psalm 42:8.

    I hear His voice in the garden ~ John 17; John 20:18. 

I hear Him speaking to me in The Scriptures ~ Jeremiah 7:2; Nehemiah 8:1-6. 

    I am Christian's ears and when I hear my Lord speaking to me, I am attentive and ready my heart to be obedient to His direction. 

    I hear Him call my name ~ John 3:16, 17; Romans 10:13 ~ I am a whosoever. First He calls me to serve Him, then He calls me friend ~ John 15:15. 

    I hear The Lord call me to obedience to His Word ~ John 15:14; 1 John 2:3, 5:3. 

    I hear Him calling me to pick up my cross and carry it ~ Mark 8:34.

    I hear His voice telling me that I will suffer for Him - 1 Peter 2:21.

    I hear the voice of The Lord calling me to forgive every offense and every slight and every sin against me, that He might be able to forgive me ~ Matthew 6:14, 15.

     I hear the voice of The Lord calling me to rest in Him ~ Matthew 11:28.

    I am Christian's ears. I hear, I listen, I learn. 

SANCTUARY

OVERWHELMED 

RATTLE 

WORD OF GOD SPEAK 

PIERCED

 

PIERCED

CRUSHED
PUNISHMENT

WOUNDED

STRIPES
But He was pierced for our transgressions, 

He was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace

was upon Him,

and by His stripes

we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

    PIERCED

The nails used to hold Christ to the cross were about 7-inches in length: head, shank, tip. 

    This is a Remembrance Nail my Mother found at a thrift store some years back. And she gave it to me. These were created in 1973 after much research by the man who commissioned them to be made. It's a heavy nail with a roundish head and a thick point. It was this type of nail that PIERCED Christ Jesus' hands and feet. And while the nails fastened Him to the cross, it was Love that kept Him there. 

    CRUSHED

    Oppressed in spirit, bruised in body, Jesus knew pain like many of us have never experienced. A crown of thorns was not just laid atop His head, but pressed into His head with such force that the top of His head bled. He was whipped then covered with a robe; when the blood had begun to dry on the robe, it was lifted off His body, tearing anew the wounds on His back. He was forced to carry His own cross up a hill. Then He was nailed to it. The reverberations of the hammer hitting the nails echoed through His broken body.

    We have oils and ointments and drinks to dull the sensations of pain in our bodies and minds. He had none of this, though when it was offered Him, He refused (Psalm 69:21; John 19:29). 

    PUNISHMENT

Hebrews 9:27, 28 tells us "Just as it is appointed unto man to die once, and after that to face judgment,  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." 

    He bore my sins and yours. He took our punishment upon Himself that we would not be punished for our unrighteous, wicked ways. Christ Jesus allowed Himself, in obedience to His Father, to be tortured and killed for us (Luke 22:42). 

WOUNDED

    Not all wounds result in death, but this wounding which Christ received not only resulted in His death, but was instrumental in conquering death once and for all to all who believe on The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. 

    What are these transgressions for which He was PIERCED and WOUNDED? Rebellion. Rising up against God and God's Word. Rebellious thoughts and actions and attitudes. Insurrection against God's Authority. Treasonous words and actions.

    STRIPES

    It is for our rebellion that He willingly let Himself be led to a mock trial; let Himself be taunted, whipped with a Roman leather whip which had barbs in it designed to rip and tear the flesh off of the one being punished in this way. He allowed Himself to be led on the road to Calvary. He is God's Word in the flesh and in the flesh He submitted and surrendered to God's Will that God's Purpose would be carried out:

    JOHN 3:16, 17

For God so LOVED THE WORLD that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

    By His STRIPES we are healed. Healed of the sin in our hearts. Healed of the sicknesses in our bodies. Healed and delivered of the torments of the mind. All we have to do is believe that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD. 

    And having believed it is only in this love we have for Him that we can choose to honor Him with our lives. So we ask The Holy Spirit to reveal God to us in His Word and help us to live a life that honors God. That's The Way of Holiness. That's the path we traverse and the journey we begin in this life. 

    It's a simple faith. So simple that it is impossible for many people to believe it. But I believe. Do you? 

    

BY HIS WOUNDS - Mac Powell (Glory Revealed album)

ONLY JESUS - Casting Crowns 

BETTER IS ONE DAY - Kutless

    

The Lord Is - - October 2023

 

YASHA

(pronounced yaw-shah')

SAVIOR

Isaiah 60:16

You will drink the milk of nations and nurse at the breasts of royalty; you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

SAVIOR: Deliverer

Luke 2:11

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ The Lord.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Acts 5:31

Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

1 John 4:14

And we have seen and do testify that The Father sent The Son to be the Saviour of the world.

Jude 1:25

To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

    Given to everyone to be Savior, but the decision to believe so and receive Him as such must be made on an individual basis. The Lord is MY Savior. Sent to be The Savior of the world and WHOSOEVER believes will be saved by Him. 

    Romans 10:8-10, 13

But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved. ..... for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

    

    MAOZ

(pronounced maw-oze')
STRENGTH

Psalm 27:1
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my Light and my Salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the Strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

The LORD is Safety, Protection; a Fortress to be reckoned with but which none can tear down, nor overthrow. He is Stronghold and Defense. Why should I be afraid of anyone or anything when I have The LORD and He has me?
Remember, God is a personal God. Therefore the believer can rightly say, "my" when referring to Who God Is. MY Light. MY Salvation. Strength of MY Life. I became His when I believed His Word and accepted Him by Faith in His Word. I am His and He is mine.
And He's coming back to get me, get all His people, soon. Are you one of them? 

OZ MIGDAL 

(pronounced oze mig-dawl')

STRONG TOWER

    

Proverbs 18:10

The Name of The LORD is a Strong Tower: the righteous run into it, and is safe. 

Exodus 3:14, 15

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 

God also told Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, The God of your fathers—The God of Abraham, The God of Isaac, and The God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.

MY ROCK

2 Samuel 22:3

My God is my Rock, in whom I take Refuge, my Shield, and The Horn of my Salvation. My Stronghold, my Refuge, and my Savior, You save me from violence.

MY FORTRESS

Psalm 144:2

He is my Steadfast Love and my Fortress, my Stronghold and my Deliverer. He is my Shield, in whom I take Refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

MY REFUGE

Psalm 61:3

For You have been my Refuge, a Tower of Strength against the enemy.

Famine In The Land

 

There's a famine for the hearing of The Word. See this Bible? It's never been used. Never opened. Never read. Never loved. No one ever preached from it, nor shared the love of God from it. It's just window dressing in some homes. 

Amos 8:11

Behold, the days come, says The Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing The Word of The Lord. 

The only thing we can do to prepare for this famine is get into The Truth of The Word of God. But why is God sending this type of famine throughout the land? 

Famines happen because there is no food. There is no food because there is a drought. There is a drought because there is no rain. There is no rain because there is no gratitude, no worship of the One True God.

Everyone is right in there own eyes but not in the eyes of God. We need to get right with God the Way God wants us to get right with Him. In Isaiah 1:18, The Lord God calls to His people, “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool." 

A famine for the hearing of The Word will come because there are few preachers of The full gospel Truth of The Word of God. Many will preach only the sweet and not the bitter Truth. Those who preach in this manner are not seeking God, seeking to hear God's Voice and receive from Him what He has to give. There hearts are empty, though they appear to be in the understanding, they too, are in the dark. 

There is no Holy Spirit rain to fall on these preachers of empty words because they do not allow Him to sanctify them and prepare them to be in God's eternal presence. There is no power to their words, nor are the hearts of the people changed. 

It is the Truth of God's Word that changes a person's eternal destination when that person hears The Word, believes The Word, receives The Word and The Word gets applied to their heart. Romans 10:16,17 "But not all of them welcomed the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by The Word of God. 

Many many who need to hear The Truth of The Word of God will refuse to do so. For this Truth reveals The Message of the Love of God to all the world. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

To refuse such an invitation from God is to send one's self to hell. For hell exists though it was not created to punish people, but to punish one-third of heaven's angels for rebelling against GOD and to punish Satan, the archangel formerly known as Lucifer. 

There is a famine for the hearing of The Word of God. How is it going to affect you? 

The Lord Is With You

 

The Lord Is With You

ISAIAH 43:2

When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

and when you go through the rivers,

they will not overwhelm you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be scorched;

the flames will not set you ablaze.

Because the believer is called by The Lord's Name there is no cause to be afraid, nor is there any reason to be fearful of anything or anyone.

Exodus 3:12 "I will be with you."

Deuteronomy 31: 6 "Be strong and courageous."

Psalm 23:4 "The Lord is with me."

Psalm 73:23 "I am always with You."

Matthew 28:20 "I am with you always."

    Just because you may not be hearing God's voice when you want to does not mean He is not right there with you while you go through dark or shadowy valleys. He is always with us. He is our Good Shepherd, The One Who leads us beside still waters where we can drink freely in peace. The One Who guides us along rock strewn paths and dry deserts: He is still with us. The One Who feeds us from His own table in the presence of our enemies.

    The One Who fills our cups so full with the richness of His generosity that our cups overflow. The One Who feeds us from His staff of life, His heavenly Bread. The One Who guards us from all evil with His rod of justice and judgment; always watching out for us on the left and on the right. The One Who is always aware of His flock and where they are, even the untrained sheep who wander The Lord brings back to His fold.

    Even when The Lord Jesus Christ was first laid in the manger, the angels who spoke to the shepherds on the hillsides just outside of Bethlehem informed them that there was no need to fear, but to have great joy: for now The Lord Who would rule the City of David had arrived. Fear left their hearts as they journeyed to the place where the prophesied King of Israel now lay peacefully in the manger.

    Still the words go out to each and every one of us: Fear not, for I am with you always.

FEAR NOT - Carman

    We are to look not on our circumstances but focus our eyes on His Word, seeking Him out. We are to set ourselves into His Word, as He is The Foundation of our life and all of our blessings flow from His hand. We will move ahead and not look back because we are following our Shepherd our Friend. We must not let our bodies dictate our commitment levels. Yes, we are in pain. Yes, we ache and hurt and groan when we move, but move we must and follow Him we will. For He has called us to follow Him and serve Him in whatsoever capacity He places us. I serve Him from here.

    I love these little Bible studies and look forward to interactive responses. We are to encourage one another in The Word until Jesus returns to bring us home. Let us begin to do so even now.

I WILL SERvE THE LORD - Carman

    

God Forgives, Forgets

 

Isaiah 43:25

I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.

FORGIVEN

WHEN WE REPENT and TURN TO HIM Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool." Psalm 25:7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my rebellious acts; remember me according to Your loving devotion, because of Your goodness, O LORD. Romans 10:8-10 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: that if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him out from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

FORGOTTEN

Hebrews 8:12

"For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."

Psalm 103:12

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.Isaiah 44:22

I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, as a cloud, your sins: return to Me; for I have redeemed you.

The Lord Is - - - September 2023

 

    Exodus 6:2

And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him,

I AM THE LORD.

    Exodus 3:14,15

God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

God also told Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob--has sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation."

    This is a powerful statement and only a powerful GOD can make such a statement. The LORD God is such. He is Omnipotent: All powerful. He is Omniscient: All knowing. He is Omnipresent: Everywhere at the same time. 

    Omniscient: 1 John 3:20; Acts 1:24; Isaiah 40:28; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Isaiah 43:10-13. 

    Omnipotent: Revelation 19:6; Psalm 147:5; Joshua 4:24; Daniel 2:20-22; Romans 1:20.

    Omnipresent: Psalm 139:7-10; Jeremiah 23:24; Proverbs 15:3; Colossians 1:17.

   Isn't it amazing that such a God could love us? Could extend the right arm of His righteousness to us? That God would wrap His Powerful Word in frail flesh and send Him to die as punishment for our sins? 

    For The Word, His Son, was and is perfect and in Him is no sin; in Him is no darkness. For Jesus Christ is wholly holy, He is Light and Love sent to bring mankind (women and men, girls and boys) back to The Almighty God. He is sent to bring you and I back to God. 

    We need to throw ourselves on the mercy of His courts (at the cross), repent of our sins against God and be forgiven by Him. We need to become His people once more by allowing His Holy Spirit to transform us from unrighteous living to righteous living. To prepare us to be servants in His kingdom. 

    I would rather be a servant in my Father's house than do anything else anywhere else. Psalm 84:10 "For better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked."

LOVED,SAVED,FILLED

EL SHADDAY

(pronounced el-shad-dah'-ee)

GOD ALMIGHTY

Exodus 6:3

And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob by the name of GOD ALMIGHTY, but by My Name JEHOVAH was I not known by them. 

Genesis 17:1

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. (NLT)

 

PATER PHOS

(pronounced pat-ayr' foce)

FATHER OF LIGHTS

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of Lights, with Whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Matthew 7:11

So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

RUACH MISHPAT

(pronounced roo'-akh mish-pawt')

SPIRIT OF JUSTICE

Isaiah 28:6

A Spirit of Justice to Him who sits in judgment, and a Strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate.

John 5:30

I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

Return of The King - - The Breath of The Lord

 

    Isaiah 40:7

The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of The LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass.

        THE BREATH OF THE LORD

    The breath of The LORD has power. David's song of deliverance in 2 Samuel 22:16 tells us, "The channels of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils." That's a mighty strong breath: the channels-the valleys beneath the sea, the seabeds-were exposed. This is just a mere chiding of The LORD's breath. 

    Moses sang a song of deliverance, as well, after Pharaoh and his army were destroyed. Exodus 15:8-10 "At the blast of Your nostrils the waters piled up; like a wall the currents stood firm; the depths congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy declared, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.’ But You blew with Your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters."

    The LORD's breath can both deliver and destroy. Job 4:8,9

" As I have observed, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble reap the same. By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger they are consumed."

    The breath of The LORD creates winter. Job 37:10 "By the breath of God the ice is formed and the watery expanses are frozen." 

    The breath of God burns. Isaiah 30:33 says, "For Topheth (a place of burning, of cremation; a city near Jerusalem) has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its funeral pyre is deep and wide, with plenty of fire and wood. The breath of the LORD, like a torrent of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze." 

    Job 33:4 "The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of The Almighty gives me life."

    With His breath God speaks life and death. Life to the people who love Him, honor Him, believe His Word and receive His Son. Death to the people who rebel against Him, deny Him, disobey His Word and receive not His Son. Life to they who seek His face and not just His hand; who want to be near Him, not just want something from Him. Death to they who refuse to enter His presence and deny that anything they have, including every breath they take, comes from God. 

  

    With His breath God created the earth and everything in and on and around it. Genesis 1. Psalm 33:6 "the stars". Psalm 104:5-30 "His works, creations". 

SALVATION A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH

    Most of us know the story of the dry bones, but have we ever paid attention to what God told Ezekiel? Read Ezekiel 37:1-14 , specifically verse 9 for our study today, "Then He said to me, “Prophesy to The Breath; prophesy, son of man, and tell The Breath that this is what the Lord GOD says: Come from the four winds, O Breath, and breathe into these slain, so that they may live!” (italics mine). 

    Without The Breath of God, The Spirit of God, there cannot be Life. Jesus informed Nicodemus (John 3:5) that without water and Spirit no one could be born again. It is The Spirit that gives life (John 6:63). Christ is The Word. The Spirit is The Life. The Word cannot speak unless The Spirit, The Breath, makes it possible (John 5:16-30). 

    In the baptism of water we make a confession of faith in Jesus Christ. In the baptism of fire we receive The Breath of life from God, His precious Holy Spirit. 

    I need The Word and The Spirit. The Word gives Life Eternal and The Spirit is that Life. I am nothing without both. I am just dry bones, dry bones lying in a desert wilderness. But I saw the Light and repented of all my sins against God. And The Word gave me Life when I believed God and trusted God. 

    You can have Life, too. All you have to do is believe God's Word is True and Faithful. Repent of your sins against God, turn away from doing those things and do the things which God wants you to do. Receive The Holy Spirit, The Breath of God, into you by the power of God's Word, His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ and begin to live this new life which God has birthed into you. 

BREATH OF GOD 

     

    

    

Return of The King - - Cry Out!

 

    Isaiah 40:6

A voice says, "Cry out!" And I asked, "What shall I cry out?" "All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field."

LENGTH OF LIFE

    Job 14:1,2

“Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble. Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure."

    1 Peter 1:24,25

For, "All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but The Word of The Lord stands forever.” And this is The Word that was proclaimed to you.

    Psalm 103:14-16

For He knows our frame; He is mindful that we are dust. 

As for man, his days are like grass—he blooms like a flower of the field; when the wind passes over, it vanishes, and its place remembers it no more.

    GOD'S VOICE CRIES OUT TO US

    We are informed by John the Baptist to "Prepare the way of The Lord." What does that mean to us? For their are no roadways to repair, nor are their paths to straiten. We need to prepare our hearts to receive its King. We need to come near to the voice of wisdom (Proverbs) and learn what The Lord would have us to know before He arrives on the scene. 

    In ancient days, and even now in some cultures, a herald, a publicist, would arrive before the King, announcing as he came that "The King is coming! The King is coming! Fill in the potholes that His horses would not stumble. Clean up the roads that the path will be unblemished and spotless. For The King is Coming!" 

    So, even now, God's heralds also cry out, "King Jesus is Coming! Prepare your hearts to receive Him! Repent, for His kingdom is near!" Repentance is necessary for the King to make His home in our hearts. It opens the door for The King to enter in. 

    His forgiveness cleanses our hearts. His great love for us is what caused Him to arrive in the first place. His grace is poured upon us like oil, covering our wounds and preparing us for His purpose. 

    MAKE YOURSELVES READY

    This prophecy concerning John was given to Elizabeth, "And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for The Lord." This is what God's people Cry Out! even now: Make ready a people prepared for The Lord. 

    Read our Bibles with prayer, seeking God's wisdom and asking Him along the Way to fill us with understanding, that we, too--as Daniel and his companions were--may be children of excellence in His sight. Daniel 1:8,17.

    Repent: confess our sins to God and STOP doing them. Instead, fill our hearts and minds with The WORD of GOD. This is not just memorization of The Word, but filling the well of our hearts with God's Word, that, when needed The Spirit of God may draw up from the deep and filled well of our hearts The necessary Word which needs to be spoken at such and such a time. 

    Seek God. Pray incessantly to God our Father. As a child converses with his loving father, let us speak also with our Loving Father. Sharing our days, though short they may be, with The Father Who gave us these days. Seeking to be near Him, to follow Him and see what He's doing. As a child follows his dad, that he might learn and do what he sees his dad do. 

    I Cry Out! "Prepare your hearts to receive The King of Kings!" 

JESUS IS COMING SOON

CRY OUT various artists