Kingdom Vision

Peace of mind is a precious gift!

Here is Christ's formula for freedom from anxiety . . .

Seek First Gods Kingdom

TEN COMMANDMENTS

[click on 'T']

Israel Prayer Update, June 1, 2015

[Occasion of display in Jerusalem of oldest known copy of the

TEN COMMANDMENTS]

Vision to Save Your Life and Renew Hope

V I S I O N

to Save Your Life

and Renew Hope

Here at Lindsay House, we want the very best for you!

We want you to prosper in spirit, soul and body.

You may possess bank accounts, real estate,

own art works, and stocks and bonds --

And yet you could be frustrated, miserable, alienated, and perhaps even

tempted to end your own life.

Or, you may have lost your job, your home and your retirement savings!

So if you are reading this now, it means that a door is opening for you

to overcome, and to transform your disappointments into victories!

Be warned:

Where there is no vision, the people perish.

We have heard or read the phrase, "corrections in the market".

Well, our Creator God makes corrections in other areas too -- such as,

1) pulling down unjust governments, and instead, raising up leaders who honor Him and His principles,

2) letting motives leading to bad policies and actions boomerang on their perpetrators, and raising up those who can heal the disastrous mess.

It is because we need to be comforted and encouraged in times like these, that God speaks to His friends (who love and serve Him), and tells them to publish what He has said.

Following are two such messages. Let us believe them.

Be blessed, be comforted, and be encouraged!

As in the Days of Noah...

by Theresa Phillips

Jun 14, 2010

I was in worship when the Lord spoke to me, "These are the days of Noah. Speak it forth, do not hold back," said the Lord.

Wow, I was taken by surprise by this. His voice was loud and clear! "Yes Sir," was my answer. Then He began to prophesy through me, "These are the days of Noah. As the people did not understand what Noah was doing, so will they not understand what I am asking you to do." That got my attention!

Again He said, "These are as the days of Noah. When the ark was to be built, laughter and scorn were the response. So it shall be again. Build me a resting place," said the Lord God. "Who will build Me a refuge? Who will build for Me?" asked the Lord.

"These are like the days of Noah. I am speaking, I am seeking, I am waiting for a joint effort to BUILD My realm. Storm clouds are gathering. I am calling for a building - a reformation of the Kingdom. IT IS AT HAND. Who will build?" said the Lord. Then I began to shudder in awe... Total awe...

What Shall We Build?

God, make me a heart like David!

2 Samuel 7:13 He is the one who will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

"I require," says the Lord, "a house, a home, a safety chamber, a place of rest. I was continually with Noah and those who were with him," says the Lord. "In like manner, I will be with you! I am asking for a new ark of safety. I am asking for a rebuilding of My eternal Kingdom in the below. I am asking for My Church to arise to the task... Build Me a place."

Acts 7:49 "Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me?" says the Lord. "Or where will My resting place be?"

I was aware of a mandate from the Lord. He is calling for a reconstruction of a tabernacle - NOT made by hands but established in the hearts of men. This tabernacle is the continued communication between God and His subjects.

"My People, Resist the Temptation to Disrupt the Plans I Have"

He began to speak more: "I am calling for this NOW! I am asking My people to resist the temptation to disrupt the plans I have. For as in the days of Noah, the people were not READY to have a relationship as Noah had with Me. They were chiding and complaining and making mockery of what was being established in the earth... A man heard My voice, he obeyed Me, his family was spared. Creatures were placed in safety. Do you know," says the Lord, "that every animal I placed in the ark will never perish? Never perish!

"Man will NEVER perish; that which is made in My image will not die! For I am an ETERNAL God and will not die. I said I would never leave you, never forsake you. Trust Me," says the Lord! "I am on a collision course with man's agenda; I will move My Kingdom, My domain, My presence, My person, My realm, My atmosphere.

I will move it as a suddenly in your midst and you will stand in awe."

"It is For You to Know the Seasons"

"'Why?' is the question I hear often in My ear. 'When?' is the next. But I say to you, 'It is for you to know the seasons. It is for you to plant and reap in them as they come upon you. That will satisfy Me,'" says the Lord. "I will move in your midst!"

Jeremiah 8:7 Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But My people do not know the requirements of the LORD.

"Noah heard and acted like he was scorned, but he had My ear," said the Lord. "I am speaking to many today; this very moment, I am sending a word of exhortation. I am proclaiming to you, 'I am in the rebuilding business; I have been rebuilding the Tabernacle of David.'"

Acts 15:16: After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up.

"This is a house of praise. Yes, praise is building a safe place, for I will dwell among those who praise Me; they will praise Me even more," says the Lord.

Psalm 22:3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.

"I Am Rebuilding, Re-Emerging and Re-Establishing...

When My Kingdom Sees a King, it Will Change the Nation!"

"I am rebuilding ancient walls; even now researchers are finding ruins in the land of the ancient ones. I am being found, and now I will make you seek Me with more interest...

"Now I am calling for a building...a building of My Kingdom," says the Lord. "I am rebuilding a House of Praise. This noise will be heard abroad and many will come and see what is happening! I am rebuilding a House of Prayer, and many will come and be healed and taught to know My voice. I am rebuilding an army of lovers of the King, and many will then change their habits. Just to get closer! Just to enter! For who does not want to be close to a King?" asked the Lord.

"I am re-emerging Myself as a royal Priest, and many will come and humble themselves in front of the mighty altar of hope. I am re-establishing My boundaries, yes, My commandments, in the hearts of men, and once again a revival of holiness will come forth. This will change nations," says the Lord. "When My Kingdom sees a King in the House of Bread, it will change the nation. I tell you, My throne will change the nation!

"I am making Myself 'seen' so man can be like Me to the governmental leaders of nations, networks and marketplace leaders."

"It is the Day of the New Things as in the Days of Noah

Watch, Pray and Obey"

Matthew 24:37-38: As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark.

"Take this warning, My loved ones, for time is running short: I am on My way to make the GREAT CHANGE. Ha, you heard it, now I will do it! Seat Me as King; your reward will be great. The Kingdom is at hand. Why? For the King MUST be recognized as PRESENT! As in the days of Noah, those who were not educated of My ways did not believe I could speak and I could direct a new thing. Ha, again I say,

'It is The Day of New Things as in the days of Noah!'

"So...you have been in these days; for I say to you NOW do not lose your hope or vision; GO and be it! I am speaking now to you leaders: Watch and pray and obey, for the building must take place!

1 Peter 5:1: To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed:

"Yes, share with one another, for you in My Kingdom must be a team. Ministers unite! Fellowships unite! People, receive the word of the Lord through ones you know not, for it is I who am building My Kingdom in the below. It is Me calling. It is Me directing. I am with you FOREVER!" says the Lord God Almighty.

Pray with me:

Dear Jesus, I surrender all to be a subject of Your realm. I choose this day to submit myself to You and to Your word and to those of Your Kingdom. I choose this day to unite and believe You can and will be in every house of worship; I will accept them as my own family and admonish them as they do Your will. I choose this day to covenant with You and tabernacle with You to rebuild relationships and repair bridges and conform to Your image. Bless each reader, amen!

Theresa Phillips
Chicago Prophetic Voice
Email: Info@chicagopropheticvoice.net

Fiery Dawn Panorama

The Bright Lamp of Holiness

by Francis Frangipane

Jun 13, 2010

When true holiness exists in a Christian's life, it produces a luminosity, a glow around that individual. Infants and little children, because their spirits are yet pure and undefiled and because they are so close to the actual presence of God, emanate this light as well. Their light is visible because their hearts are transparent and truthful. For us, the way to the bright lamp of holiness is this same way of transparency and truth.

It is the way to the pure gold of the Kingdom of God.

When Your Eye is Single

From the moment Christ enters within us, we are holy, set apart unto God. This kind of holiness is the same sanctification that made the utensils in the temple holy: holy because they were used in service to the Lord. They had no virtue in themselves; their material substance did not change. Christianity, in general, is holy in that sense. But the holiness we are seeking is the fulfillment of having been set apart. We are seeking a holiness that mirrors, through us, the presence of God in Heaven. We are seeking both His nature and His quality of life.

Since true holiness produces in us the actual life of the Holy Spirit, we must be sure we know who the Spirit is. The Spirit of God is love, not religion. God is life, not rituals. The Holy Spirit does more in us than simply enable us to "speak in tongues" or witness. The Spirit leads us into the presence of Jesus. Herein is our holiness received: in our union and fellowship with Jesus Christ.

Again, the holiness we are seeking is not a legislative or legalistic set of rules; it is Christ's very own life. The Holy Spirit works in us not merely a new desire to love, but He imparts to us Christ's very own love. We develop more than just a general faith in Jesus; we actually begin believing like Jesus, with His quality of faith. It is God in us that makes us holy. Let it stagger us. Let it rock us off our comfortable little perches until, with great trembling and great joy, with deep worship and holy fear, we approach the Divine Reality who has, for His own will and purpose, called us to Himself.

Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16). The Spirit of God dwells in us. In this light, let us ask ourselves again the age-old question, "What is man?" We know how we appear to other men but, if God truly is within us, how do we appear to angels, or devils? What light marks us in the spirit-world, what illumination surrounds us, what glory declares to the invisible realm: Behold and beware, here walks a child of God! Think of it: the Spirit of the Creator, who purposed in the beginning to make man in His image, is in you . . . now.

Holiness is a Body Full of Light

There are limitations. There are conditions. You cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve light and darkness, sin and righteousness, self and God. Light is within you but so also is darkness. Our world is a world in darkness. Our ancestors were sons of darkness. Our carnal minds yet remain theaters of darkness. In a world of choices, we must choose light. That is why Jesus taught that we must be single-minded if we would become fully mature sons of light. He said, The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness (Luke 11:34 KJV).

If you are focused in your will and heart toward God, your body is full of light and you are giving full expression to the glory of God within you. But, if you are double-minded, if you are dwelling on sinful or evil thoughts, your light is proportionally diminished until your very body is full of darkness. Jesus went on to warn, Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness (Luke 11:35 KJV).

If you do nothing about your salvation, fail to seek God, or choose to disobey Him, you are in darkness. Do not console yourself with an aimless hope that someday, somehow, you will get better. Arm yourself with determination! For if the light in you is in darkness, how terrible is that darkness! Son of light, you must hate darkness! For darkness is the substance of Hell; it is the world without God!

But our hope is light, not darkness. Your feet are walking the path of the just, that path which grows brighter and brighter unto the full day. If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it shall be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays (Luke 11:36). This verse gives a very clear picture of what holiness looks like in its maturity: our bodies are radiant with glory even as a lamp shines at full brightness. What a tremendous hope - that we can be so wholly illumined with the presence of God that there is "no dark part" within us!

A garment of light and glory awaits the spiritually mature, the holy ones of God, a garment similar to what Jesus wore on the Mount of Transfiguration!

A splendor not just put on in eternity but one worn here, "in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation"; here, where we "appear as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:14-15).

You were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8). Now you are a child of light. These are not merely figures of speech! The glory of God is within and around you; it is a spiritual reality! But what of the darkness that is yet within you? Paul continued,

And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them . . . but all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

Ephesians 5:11, 13

Do not hide your darkness, expose it. Do not sympathetically make excuses for it, confess it. Hate it. Renounce it. For as long as darkness remains in darkness, it rules you. But when you bring darkness out into the light, it becomes light. When you take your secret sins and boldly come unto the throne of God's grace and confess them, He cleanses you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). If you sin again, repent again. And again, until the habit of sin is broken within you.

Like the prospectors of old, you must stake your claim high in the Kingdom of God, being ready to defend your rights to the "pure gold" of Heaven (Revelation 3:18). And as you pitch your tent at the throne of grace, something eternal will begin to glow in you, like hot coals on a furnace floor. And as you persist with the Almighty, the sacred fire of His presence will consume the wood, hay and stubble of your former ways.

Power such as Jesus had will reside in your innermost being.

Angels will stand in awe, for your gold will be refined,

your garments light, and your life holy.

SunStar, clouds

Francis Frangipane

Ministries of Francis Frangipane
Email:francis1@frangipane.org

These two messages were published by:

Elijah List Publications
528 Ellsworth St. SW
Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926-3250

Discovering the Keys to the Kingdom

by Raylyn Terrell

Introduction

I did not know nor understand what I had done. It was so wonderful to be free of emotional and physical pain. Everything was different, and I was floating on cloud seventy-seven.

That night in October of 1960 I surrendered to God while reading the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 through 7). Therefore what follows is the fruit of seeking and finding during fifty years of life as God's child. Now, I pray Father's blessing upon you. May you also, seek that you may discover the

Keys to the Kingdom of God!

"The kingdom of God," yes, many use this phrase. The crucial question is, when we speak these words, what do we mean? Do we have to be theologians with many degrees, and many years of study in Scripture and other ancient books, in order to experience and understand this kingdom?

Even a brief look at the words of Jesus tells us, NO. We do not need to be theologians to experience and understand; to know God's kingdom.

"Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven...." (Matthew 18:3,4)

Yes, Our Lord Jesus Christ said that we had to be converted (turned, changed) and become like children in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. Earlier in my family life I was the mother of a house full of children. They taught me a lot, and probably more than I was able to teach them. I saw that children can forgive quickly, not holding a grudge; that if they are loved and they know it, they are willing to accept guidance and instruction. I also saw that selfishness, indeed mental illness in a parent, can warp a child's development, scarring the child until healing comes through the Blood of Jesus Christ applied to their memory and emotions.

We need to know and understand then, according to God's Word, what road we must take to qualify. There is an old question: "How then shall we live?" We must personalize this question in God's Presence, and say to Him,

"Father, how would you have me to live?"

This is the humbling of ourselves that must begin the journey. What follows is Father's answer to us, taught by the Holy Spirit, and sealed by the most holy Blood of the Lamb, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Yeshua Ha'Meshiach.

Love and honor God. Love and honor one another

The words sound so nice, however, the reality of obedience to these commandments of Jesus will cost us our lives! Unless we die to our selfish identity (where sin is the king), we will never love and honor God. Neither will we love and honor our parents, or our brothers and sisters. Let's get real! This is why the Son of God came to live on the earth. He showed us the tender loving care of Our Father God. He modeled the life, the conversation, the actions of a true Son of the Living God. Then to crown it all, he took our sins upon Himself in the Garden of Gethsemene, suffering and dying to buy us back from satan and hell.

Ah, but the choice to receive His holy sacrifice is in our hands. Our own lips must confess that we are sinners, and that we need to be saved from ourselves. As long as we think and speak the lie: "I'm pretty good. I can make it on my own, thank you!" we are heading down the broad road to destruction and separation from God forever.

Jesus said that the way to LIFE was straight and narrow, and that there are few that find it. Therefore, we must make every effort toward discovering, and turning the keys to God's kingdom.

One may say, "Didn't Jesus give the keys of the kingdom to Peter, and isn't that why he was the first Pope?" Let us look at what Jesus said and get our thinking straight on the matter:

Peter had just answered Jesus' question, "Whom do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!"

"And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven..." (Matthew 16:15-19a)

Peter's name in Greek, means "little rock, or stone". The rock Jesus referred to as being the foundation for His church, was not the person of Peter, but the revelation given to Peter, that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. According to Scripture there is indeed an authority structure in Christ's church, and it is listed in 1 Corinthians 12 this way (vs. 27, 28):

Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.

Paul's letter to his spiritual son, Timothy says that deacons help to minister to the body of believers in material ways, as in 1 Timothy 3:10.

To truly see the Church which is being built by Jesus, who is its cornerstone, we ought not look to religious bodies headed by those who claim authority, and make a big show. When Jesus was asked about identifying a true prophet, or servant of God, he said, "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits." (Matthew 7:15, 16a) The wise will study the text through vs. 23 as well.

Forgive and be forgiven

Our human emotions are like the mercury in thermometers; they go up, and they go down. In some individuals the change from up to down and vice versa may occur several times within just a few minutes of time. There is nothing so inconstant as our "feelings". When the prophet Jeremiah wrote: "The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. Who can know it?" he was expressing a truth which modern bioscience has proved. Our emotions are fickle because our motives are...because our blood sugar levels go up and down...because nerve paths in our brains become twisted and we can't think straight. Causes may include physical or emotional shock, dietary deficiencies, allergies, indulgence in alcohol, tobacco, street drugs, and effects of prescription drugs.

In the recent past, medical scientists have observed human behavior and put various labels on the symptoms they have seen. If we are honest, we will simply acknowledge God's statement: "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."

When we are unhappy and desperate enough to agree with God and say, "I have sinned...I am a sinner." Only then will we know the reality of God's love for us. Only then will the blood sacrifice of Jesus, God's Son, be made real to us, and its power applied to our crying need.

When I reached this point in my life in 1960, a fervent prayer of surrender (which included forgiving all those who had hurt me) enabled Holy Spirit to take possession of my being; changing me forever. I have tried to describe that experience. "It was like waves of liquid love were going back and forth through me. When the sensation stopped, I was filled with a peace I had never known, and I fell into a deep sleep. Some hours later, after attending to the early morning needs of the three children, I returned to my Bible and prayed: "What has happened to me?" I opened the Book, and a passage lifted off the page before my eyes in bold type. It read,

"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and behold, all things have become new. And all things are of God, Who has made us ministers of reconciliation..."

This passage (2 Corinthians 5:17-19) summed it up then, and sums it up now. It describes my conversion experience, the wonderful new reality of my life, and my calling into HIS Life. If someone should ask me who I am, I can speak this same passage of Scripture, and be completely assured of its reality. Who I am as a human personality is unimportant. God's Life in me is everything. Christ is everything. My loving Lord is everything, and my former life is over. I have been forgiven. I died with God's Son, and am now alive in Him, forever (Galatians 2:20).

Do to others what you want them to do to you

Have you ever spoken in annoyance or anger, and wished you could take it back? Somehow you knew those words would come back like a boomerang; and they did, whether you realized it or not.

The greatly honored English scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, defined three laws of motion. The third one equates to:

To every action there is an equal and opposite re-action.

Newton was also a man of strong biblical faith. In his day, there was little understanding of the spiritual life of the spoken word. Today we understand this better, and are wise to control our tongues. The sooner a child learns to keep his tongue from angrily responding when he is provoked, the more blessed, peaceful and productive his life will be. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." (Matthew 5:9)

Since the atmosphere of God's Presence in our lives is His wonderful peace, He tells us in His Word to seek peace and pursue it. It is a most important goal for us. The violence today and historical examples should put holy fear into us, when it comes to holding our tempers and bridling our tongues.

Therefore we should actively refuse to take offense, and learn to speak softly, toward the best interests of others. Our warfare is not with people, but with satanic forces that control them.

(A practical example): Is there a leak from a water pipe in your home? When you quickly repair the leak, it will not become a flood on your floor.

Believe and Obey Father's Word

Rebellion can be active, or it can be passive. You've probably heard about the little boy who obeyed a command to sit down. He said: "I'm sitting down on the outside, but I am standing up on the inside." Rebelling against biblical authority will get us into trouble every time. Peace and order in our relationships requires that we obey the constituted authorities in our lives. If we refuse to obey family and civil authority whom we can see, how will we obey our Father God whom we cannot see? This is why He gave us the Holy Scriptures, the Holy Spirit to teach, lead and guide, believing and faithful parents and mentors to counsel, advise and warn us.

His Word is settled in heaven, said the psalmist. He exalts His Word even above His Name. We hide His Word in our hearts so that we will not sin against Him. Jesus is the Word, manifest in the flesh. As a resurrected man, He rules in heaven, and awaits the moment His Father will say it is time to return for all of God's children.

Jesus said that if we would obey His Word, (not understanding, but believing that God gave it), we would receive revelation knowledge concerning it (John 7:16-18). I can remember when this became vividly real in my early walk with Christ. In whatever situation I found myself, when I obeyed the whispered voice of Holy Spirit reminding me of a scriptural passage, the result was always blessed, and I grew in grace, understanding and wisdom. Such a lifestyle will be filled with heartfelt praise and thanksgiving!

Give, and it shall be given to you

What a wonderful thing it is to be free from fear that I will starve, or be homeless! The materialism of our culture today blinds us to the proof of God's love in His promise to supply our daily needs. Trusting in Him rather than in bank accounts, investments, jobs, government benefits and so forth, opens the way to miracles, large and small. Although I did have to enter a homeless shelter twice within a year and a half, His grace was there, and I saw and heard of miraculously changed lives. Since over the years I have given refuge in my home to those in need, my housing needs are now met, after the period of homelessness. Since I have given, I have now received.

Because I have contributed money and food to others over the years, money and food are now being given to me. Because in years past I have given away several automobiles, I am expecting an automobile to be given to me. (My seven-year-old Nissan Altima was repossessed by the bank because of my lack of funds to keep up payments. But that is another story.)

While I was returning recently from a walking trip to the local supermarket, I had a really fun "God incident." I had paused in the produce section to look over the tomato display. I wanted a tomato, but put that thought aside because of the expense. Walking back home I stopped at the highway to push the pedestrian walk button. Happening to glance down I saw a most unusual sight: On top of the concrete footing for the pole was a fallen leaf. Centered on top of the leaf was a beautifully formed, red, ripe tomato! Now I will leave it to you, my reader, to explain this event. It's my hope and prayer that you will give the credit and glory to the One who deserves it. By the way, that tomato was delicious!

Rest in the Lord; and do not strive

Frenetic human activity is probably at the root of many modern diseases. STRESS is the inevitable result, with one major problem leading to another. Cancer, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes; all have beginnings in anxiety leading to fear. These emotions usually cause us to binge on food and drink that gives us a quick emotional satisfaction, which then harms the body. Trusting in God and His love for us removes these emotions and allows us to live in the Rest of the Lord, which the Apostle Paul describes in the fourth chapter of Hebrews. We then may make wise lifestyle choices.

LIFE is not God AND me, it is God IN me, living out His life through my human life, as He did in Jesus, His only begotten Son. His kingdom is experienced by His children through this reality. Jesus said:

"It is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these [things] will be added to you."

The tomato was a "thing" given to me from Father's love. Very seldom do I experience anxiety today because I know Father holds me safely in His hands.

Believe God's prophets

About forty years ago I read a story. With every re-reading, the wonder of it continues to amaze and delight me. It is found in the Bible, second Book of Chronicles, chapter 20. It tells of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, the people of Judah and Jerusalem and of a prophet who spoke the words of God. Then it tells what happened historically to confirm the words which the prophet spoke.

All the Holy Bible was given to us, with the books and history of the Old Covenant (God's Word to His people, Israel), for our example. We can hear this prophet, and the other prophets of the Bible, and benefit from their faith and words. Not only were there prophets of God then, there are prophets and apostles of God now. A few are highly visible in today's Church, and more are still hidden, and in training. We need to hear God's direction in these times, and this may one day be a matter of life or death for us. Let us ask Our Father to reveal to us the voices He wants us to hear. When Jesus was asked how to identify the servants of God, he said: "You shall know them by their fruits." (The fruits of the Holy Spirit are listed in Galatians, fifth chapter, verses 22-25.)

Walk in the Spirit, and Reject works of the flesh

"The fruit of the Holy Spirit is: love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, meekness, gentleness, faith, self-control; against such things there is no law."

"If we live by the Spirit let us also walk by the Spirit."

"The deeds of the flesh are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, of which I forewarn you...that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (from Galatians 5)

Encourage one another, especially the faint-hearted

Different people need different kinds and degrees of grace at various times. Each of us is equally loved, but we have different needs. Therefore, those who love and serve Christ will cultivate friendly, compassionate communication. Too many of God's children have been deeply wounded by people in church authority who were more concerned with appearances and traditions, than in being vessels of God's love to a hurting brother or sister. To be led by the Holy Spirit at all times, must be our daily prayer.

Appreciate, honor, and submit to the five-fold ministry

Scripture tells us what is godly order in Christ's church. When we read and pray our way through the 12th, 13th and 14th chapters of 1 Corinthians, we will not be able to accept dogmatic assertion that the gifts and ministries described there have passed away. Indeed, an honest investigation will reveal that every one of these gifts is alive and well (because God is), and are accessed by faith through humility. So let us humble ourselves, ask, seek and knock, confessing our sins, especially that of pride. Then we will receive the great power available to us in Christ, to destroy the works of the devil in our own lives, the lives of others, and indeed in nations as well.

Live in peace with one another

"Behold, how good and pleasant it is for men to dwell together in unity...there shall the Lord give the blessing; life forevermore." The sweetness of true fellowship in Christ is a foretaste of heaven indeed! Let us seek peace and pursue it, as we put the welfare of others ahead of our own.

Warn the unruly

We have sore spots in our souls from old wounds. When someone feels a prick in one of these places, they may react and become "unruly." Sometimes we need to be sternly corrected. There is a deep and permanent remedy for this. Ministries have grown up during the last fifty years which deal with inner healing, generational deliverance, and dis-associative disorder. The medical community utilizes drugs and psychotherapy. There may be a temporary need for the latter. However, these mental/emotional conditions would be more quickly resolved through mature prayer/counseling ministries. Therapeutic nutrition can make a big difference as well. The bottom line is that Jesus, God's Son, paid for every mental/emotional illness as He bled from the cruel crown of thorns.

Help the weak

No matter who we are, where we are or what we are; no matter how much or how little we have in the bank; no matter what our social connections or lack of them; no matter what our church affiliation; times come when each of us is weak. If the props we have leaned upon have been removed, our "blessings" have been removed, or even become "curses" instead. What do we do then? Where can we go for help?

Only to our Father God.

In God's earthly family, we are like the internal organs of the human body, which help and support one of their sick and weakly members. Did you know that when an organ of the endocrine system is temporarily disabled from hormone production, its neighbors take over part of its duties, allowing the sick, weak one to rest? When its function is restored, and the organ is again producing its assigned hormones, the helping neighbors return to their normal functions.

Christ's Body is designed by Father to do the same thing. Am I fulfilling my own functions? Am I available to help a weakened part of the Body when the Holy Spirit calls me to do so?

Let us give thanks for this blessed privilege, and fulfill it.

Be patient with everyone

Since I am not perfected yet, and neither are you, we will certainly be tested by each others' weaknesses. Patience takes time to develop in our character, and usually does so in our trips through fire and water. Often this will include the "iron sharpening iron" part of our human relationships.

When I had little children, my love for a toddler helped to balance my impatience with the time it took to toilet-train him. (I now know that it was God's love in me for my child. If it were up to my selfish nature to exhibit patience, I could not do it.)

Do not repay evil with evil, but with good

The human ego wants to strike back. It wants revenge; but it is the nature of Christ to fight evil with love and kindness. Since I have accepted the death of the human being I was at birth, I do not have to "defend myself." Instead, I can step back, bless the one who curses me, and refer the problem to my Heavenly Father, in Jesus' Name. Much stress and sorrow have been avoided as I learned this wonderful lifestyle. As one by one we die to our selfish natures, accepting the nature of God within us, the kingdom of God advances in the earth. "My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins." (James 6:19, 20)

Rejoice always

"Oh, come on now. That's crazy!" said the man. "Do you mean that I'm supposed to shout 'Praise God!' and jump up and down when somebody does me dirty?"

Well, yes, if that's how God's Spirit moves you. Why? Because it will really make the devil mad! And it will put a smile on God's face. He'll say, "That's my boy! I knew he could do it." Then an angel will chase the devil away, and bring you through in heavenly style. If you fume and fuss and try to win this battle in your humanity, giving in to your feelings, the devil has already won. So give God's Word and His Wisdom the benefit of your faith and confidence. Something wonderful will happen, and you will never want to go back to the old way again. This is another wonderful key to God's kingdom!

In everything give thanks; it is God's will

This goes along with "rejoice always" and for the same reasons. If we give thanks to God in every situation no matter what it is, we are saying: "Father, You said that I should give You thanks in this. You know that I don't feel happy right now, and I don't really want to say, 'thank you', but I'm doing it because you said I should. Now, please turn this thing around for me, and help me feel like I'm thankful. Amen.

Then Father will do just that! This was dramatically real for me when President John F. Kennedy died. It was repeated when my beloved husband, Jim died.

Pray without ceasing

Why do we have to keep praying until we see the answer? Could it be that Father is working out patience and trust in us? Could it be that in His love for us he gives tests of faith; that He wants us to rely completely on Him and not on ourselves? Could it be that Father wants to see and hear His children come together, confessing their sins to one another, and praying for each other's needs? And could it be that He is driving us to His Word and to our knees because we need to humble ourselves?

Yes, indeed. His Word tells us so.

Do not quench the Spirit

Over the years it has become clear to me that God's love for us causes Him to speak; to communicate with us. This is not a sometime reality, but a very frequent one. It is now evident that thoughts in my mind, positively influencing behavior and decisions, are put there by the Holy Spirit. My hand reaches for a book at the public library. A "chance" conversation brings a comment which turns out to be pivotal in my life at the time.

I was in the seeking process before my conversion. The English translation of a novel by the Frenchman, Flaubert, shown light into my life. Can God speak to someone through a French novel? But He did speak to me that day, and through that bit of literature. It was about the unhappy wife of a man who did not cherish her. He failed to give gifts of appreciation such as jewelry, and was unfaithful to their marriage union. This woman took comfort in her childrens' love and dedicated herself to their care.

Her reward would be the good character of her children.

They would be her " jewels".

My own "jewels" have wandered down painful paths . Yet as I write, the changes are coming, more and more quickly. It is God's perfect process that matters, however long it takes.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would convince us of sin, of righteousness (right relationship) and of judgment (John 15:7-11). We must keep our heart and ears open to His voice, for we are like sheep which easily go astray, and need to be returned to His holy highway. This is why we must submit to godly leadership - and to His words spoken through trustworthy Christian brothers and sisters.

Do not despise prophetic utterances

Sometimes our Father speaks directly, identifying Himself to us. First Corinthians, chapters twelve, thirteen and fourteen clarify this. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are still operating in Christ's Church. Some have claimed otherwise. As with every area of life, we must make a choice: whom will we believe?

Our loving Father has given and established gifts to help His children navigate through this life, and qualify them for life with Him forever. We may ask:

Would a military commander of integrity, deliberately withhold necessary equipment and defense knowledge from those under his chain of command? The answer must be, no. Therefore let us seek to prophesy, that we might upbuild the Church. When we hear or read prophetic utterance, let us seek the gift of discerning of spirits, so that we will know and be sure that we are hearing only our God.

"My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow Me."

(John 10:27)

Examine everything carefully; and hold to the good

The Word of God, Holy Spirit's leading and guiding, and gifts of the Holy Spirit will provide all the help we need to ask, seek and knock to determine God's truth and will for any situation. For instance: James 3:13-18 speaks of humbling oneself, and looking to the spiritual fruit of ourselves and others.

"You will know them by their fruits." (Matthew 7:15,16a)

Abstain from every form of evil

Is the thought in my mind in agreement with God's Word, written in the Holy Bible? (Your word I have hid in my heart, that I might not sin against You.)

Filling my mind and heart with God's thoughts, and making decisions based upon them, will protect me from the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil.

The double-minded rebel will say to himself: "God is love. He will forgive me for my little sins. I'm off to the singles bar. No big thing."

"Do not be deceived. Bad company corrupts good morals."

(Matthew 15:33)

I must live my life to give joy first to my Heavenly Father who created me and planned my life; secondly, to my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ who loved me even as He died for me; and thirdly, to the Holy Spirit who comforts, teaches and guides me.

Our confession of faith:

For the glory of God, and for the gift of eternal life in His Presence, I choose to die to my own selfish will, and to submit each moment of every day of my life to His loving care. In Jesus' holy name, I forgive everyone who has ever wronged me or my loved ones.

(For obeying the above commands, this prayer-promise is given in

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

"Now may the God of peace sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit, soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our

Lord Jesus Christ.

Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass."

AMEN!

The Kingdom Must Have a King

Studies in ancient and modern history tell the story well. Earthly kingdoms rise, and earthly kingdoms fall. One kingdom, however, will never fall.

Yeshua described it as follows:

"The kingdom of God is within you."

In His prayer to the Father: "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven."

Parable of the wheat and the tares: " And He said, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one: and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.

So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.

The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear."

The battle has been joined. The harvest has begun.

We all have the chance to choose our identity:

with the wheat, or with the tares.

May our decision be for Life forevermore, in the kingdom of

God's dear Son, Yeshua.

Amen.

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