Holy Spirit Let me See a Glimpse of a Large Shoe of an Angel

For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.

Deuteronomy 20:4 ESV 

On October 14, 2018, while sitting at my desk, studying and praying, I happened to look down and in the Spirit, I saw a huge, white tennis shoe.  Knowing that it was an Angel, but as I looked at the shoe, I had the thought it looked like a Nike tennis shoe and then I was out of the Spirit.  I was frightened at first and then elated knowing I did see part of an angel, and wrote it down, wanting to research it later.

Biblical meaning of "shoes" I found:

1.  It is often considered some dreams are a direct message from God, and some symbols have significant importance in these dreams. Shoes are one of those objects, with a special symbolism in dreams. 

2.  They are often mentioned in the Bible and their symbolism is beyond human needs for protection of their feet and making their life easier. Most importantly, they are related to the subject of our direction and focus in life.

3.  Dreaming about looking at a pair of shoes. If you dreamed you were looking at a pair of shoes, such a dream might represent some path or a direction in life you are considering to take on in the future.

4.  Shoes have a special symbolism in the Bible. In fact, the Bible is maybe our oldest source to discover the symbolism of shoes. Shoes usually represent our faith in God and our readiness to serve God.

5.  They can also, symbolize victory over the enemy, being taken cared for by God, our humility before God, answering of our prayers, etc.

6.  Dreams about shoes, whether we have dreamed of losing our shoes, or having dirty shoes, needing to clean them, etc. can all be a message from God about possibly wandering off from his path.

7.  Shoes were considered as a symbol of power in ancient times. They were also a symbol of successful warriors.

Now, weeks later while on my laptop I received a notification that there was an added video from Patricia King.  Clicking on her program, Patricia was talking to a guest who had seen an Angel, in the past, who handed her a pair of tennis shoes and they were Niki's.  Needless to say, I was excited about what she had to say. 

Excerpt from video of Patricia King, Prophetic Vision:  On this episode of Everlasting Love TV, Patricia King features the next generation of prophetic voices and vision.  While you watch, you will meet Lana Vawser, one of the new prophets God is raising up, and you will hear the Word of the Lord for this hour – a word for you about acceleration and increase.  Are you ready for more? Are you ready for some breakthrough?  Are you ready for multiplication?  Watch now and hear Lana and Patricia proclaim the Word of the Lord for this season over your life.  

Prophetic Word given by Lana Vawser:  The word Niki, in it's Greek word context, is Victory and the Lord said in this season I am awakening my people to the revelation that they're already over-comers and that you're fighting from victory not for it.  And this season I am feeling, like we all have, that the Lord is decreeing breakthrough and this is a season of rapid acceleration.  And in the extension that's taking place that there's a shaking that's happening and God is bringing to the surface things that are in our heart and our soul that could potentially hold us back from the place of stepping into the breakthrough.  And I really feel this season that he is breaking limitations and really awakening us to the freedom that we all ready have.  

But thanks be to God, who gives us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:57 ESV 

1 John 5:4-5 ESV 

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the Victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Oh, what a Beautiful, Beautiful day! Day I will never forget!

Getting up and around this morning I began singing the words, "Oh, what a Beautiful, Beautiful day!  Day I will never forget, Heaven came down and glory filled my soul".  I couldn't remember the whole song, I hadn't sang that song for years, so I decided to get the lyrics online.  This was a song I had learned in Sunday School when I was young and while reading it, I did notice that I had used the word "Beautiful Day", instead of "Wonderful Day".  Then as I repeated, "Beautiful" again I recalled the time I was reading the Word and I had came upon the word "Beautiful" which was describing the LORD and His Beauty.  It was as I read the scripture that I was covered by the presence of the Holy Spirit and was immediately humbled by the knowing of the "Beauty" of  GOD.  

I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit who can bring "Joy" with just a little nudge my way saying, remember how Beautiful and Wonderful your Father in Heaven is.  Oh, and then He gives another nudge with the reminder of how it feels to be in His presence.  Holy Spirit showed me I needed to focus my eyes in another direction by focusing on my Creator and not on the worries of events circling around me.  I praise You and worship You Lord for all the good things You give each of us by showing us those small glimpses of heaven and teaching us Your ways. Thank you, Lord.

What caused Isaiah to worship in the presence of the Lord? “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up” (Is. 6:1).

What caused Job to repent and turn from his sin? “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eyes have seen thee” (Job 42:5).

What caused the people to worship in the desert? “And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshiped, every man in his tent door” (Ex. 33:10).

What caused John to worship the Word and declare Him? “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:14).

And by the same measure, what causes the wicked men of earth to cry out to the mountains for relief? Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb (Rev. 6:16).

Do you see? It’s not how hard we try to feel about worship; it’s not about our passions and desires. When we come to dwell in the house of the Lord and fix our eyes upon Him in order to learn of His wonder and to see His beauty then we’ll know what it means to meditate on Him.

True praise recognizes the value given us by God, but the focus of every word and every breath says Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come (Rev. 4:8).

In our praise we take notice of His power and glory.  We acknowledge that everything good comes from Him (James 1:17).

While David was praising the Lord, he said, I have asked one thing from Yahweh.  This I will seek, to remain in Yahweh’s house all the days of my life in order to gaze at Yahweh’s beauty and to search for an answer in his temple.  He hides me in his shelter when there is trouble.  He keeps me hidden in his tent.  He sets me high on a rock.  Psalm 27:4-5 / Names of God Bible (NOG)

May we learn to dwell in His temple together and gaze upon His Beauty!

Heaven Came Down / O What A Wonderful, Wonderful Day

O what a wonderful, wonderful day, day I will never forget;

After I'd wandered in darkness away, Jesus my Savior I met.

O what a tender, compassionate friend, He met the need of my heart;

Shadows dispelling, with joy I am telling, He made all the darkness depart.

Chorus

Heaven came down and glory filled my soul, (filled my soul)

When at the cross the Savior made me whole; (made me whole)

My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day,

Heaven came down and glory filled my soul! (filled my soul)

Born of the Spirit with life from above into God's family divine,

Justified fully thru Calvary's love, O what a standing is mine!

And the transaction so quickly was made, when as a sinner I came,

Took of the offer, of grace He did proffer, He saved me, O praise His dear name!

Chorus

Heaven came down and glory filled my soul, (filled my soul)

When at the cross the Savior made me whole; (made me whole)

My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day,

Heaven came down and glory filled my soul! (filled my soul)

Now I've a hope that will surely endure after the passing of time;

I have a future in heaven for sure there in those mansions sublime.

And it's because of that wonderful day, when at the cross I believed;

Riches eternal and blessings supernal, from His precious hand I received.

Chorus

Heaven came down and glory filled my soul, (filled my soul)

When at the cross the Savior made me whole; (made me whole)

My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day,

Heaven came down and glory filled my soul! (filled my soul)

              

A Journey in the Book of Samuel the Seer

The Book of SAMUEL

The two books that now make up 1 and 2 Samuel were originally one book called “The Book of Samuel.” The actual author is unknown. Samuel undoubtedly had written a great deal about this time in Israel’s history. However, other materials had been collected from which the actual writer could draw. Three of these are mentioned in 1 Chronicles 29:29, namely: “the book of Samuel the seer,” “the book of Nathan the prophet,” and “the book of Gad the seer.” Both Gad and Abiathar had access to the court events of David’s reign and one or both may have given us these two books.

Second Samuel deals with the ascendance of David to the throne of Israel and the forty years of his reign. He is the focal point of the book.

The theme of the coming King, the Messiah, is introduced as God establishes an everlasting covenant with David and his kingdom, “Your throne shall be established forever” (7:16).

David successfully defeats the enemies of Israel, and a time of stability and prosperity begins to emerge. Sadly however, his vulnerability and weakness lead him into his sin with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah, her husband.

Though David repents after being confronted by the prophet Nathan, the consequences of his actions are spelled out: “The sword shall never depart from your house” (12:10).

The book ends with two beautiful poems, a list of David’s mighty men, and David’s sin in numbering the fighting men of Israel. David repents, buys the threshing floor of Araunah, and presents offerings to the Lord on the altar he builds there.

This book unfolds God’s working in history. Although human beings were sinful and must sometimes be punished by Him, God still worked through them to accomplish His redemptive purpose, fully realized in Jesus Christ, the Messiah and King of Kings. (See Rev. 22:16.)

Likewise, God has left the church in the world as the body of Christ to witness for Him and to carry out His purposes on the Earth today.

David and his reign look to the coming of the Messiah. Chapter 7 especially anticipates the future King. God intercepts David’s plans to build a house for the ark and explains that while David cannot build Him a house, God is building David a house, that is, a lineage that will last forever.

The convincing or convicting work of the Spirit is seen clearly with Nathan the prophet confronting David about his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. David’s sin is laid bare, righteousness is accomplished, and the judgment is spelled out. This, in microcosm, illustrates the broad working of the Holy Spirit in the world, through the Spirit-empowered church.

Jesus explained the work of the Spirit in John 16:8: “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” We clearly see the working of the Holy Spirit in these ways in 2 Samuel. He functioned most often through the priest. He is seen working as counselor in the many times David would “inquire of the Lord” through the priest and the ephod.

In his victory over all Israel’s enemies, his humility and commitment to the Lord, his zeal for the house of God, his combining of the offices of prophet, priest, and king—David is a forerunner of the Root of Jesse, Jesus Christ.

What do you do when life falls apart? David wrote Psalm 3. He wrote a psalm! Maybe that’s why he is called a man after God’s heart! Some scholars call Psalm 3 a morning psalm.  Psalm 3 shows us that…When life falls apart, you can experience God’s peace by laying hold of Him in believing prayer.

1. There are times when life falls apart (3:1-2).

David cries out (3:1-2), “O Lord, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no deliverance for him in God.’” The first, second, and final strophes are followed by “Selah,” which is probably a musical notation meaning, “pause,” or “crescendo.”

David begins by crying out to Yahweh, translated Lord (in small caps). When the NASB uses “Lord” (not small caps), it is translating the Hebrew, Adonai, meaning “Sovereign Lord.” “Lord” in small caps translates Yahweh, the personal, covenant name of God. God revealed Himself to Moses with this name at the burning bush. It is related to the Hebrew verb, “to be,” so that God tells Moses, “I am who I am” (Exod. 3:14). For David to address God as Yahweh had the same connotation as New Testament believers addressing Him as, “Abba, Father” (Willem VanGemeren, Expositor’s Bible Commentary, ed. by Frank Gaebelein [Zondervan], 5:74). It is an intimate, personal cry for help.

I’ve already described David’s traumatic situation, but note a few other features brought out by these verses. First, David’s adversaries were increasing in number. He always had enemies, but the ranks were growing daily. Things were snowballing against David. Like a dam that first leaks and then suddenly bursts, the raging torrent of the rebellion was threatening to sweep David and his loyal followers to their deaths.

Second, verse 2 reports the words of David’s enemies, who were impugning his relationship with God. The verse reads literally, “Many are saying to my soul….” That is, their words were hitting David in his heart or soul, saying, “There is no deliverance for him in God.” Probably, they were bringing up his now-public sin with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband. They were saying, “Hypocrite! Scoundrel! How can he claim to follow God? His claim that God has anointed him as king is a joke! God is not on the side of such a phony!” C. H. Spurgeon (A Treasury of David [Baker], 1:25) writes,

Doubtless, David felt this infernal suggestion to be staggering to his faith. If all the trials which come from heaven, all the temptations which ascend from hell, and all the crosses which arise from earth, could be mixed and pressed together, they would not make a trial so terrible as that which is contained in this verse. It is the most bitter of all afflictions to be lead [sic] to fear that there is no help for us in God.

Note that even though God knows all these details, David tells Him what’s going on. He’s not informing God, but rather laying his burden on the Lord. David is acknowledging to God that he is not able in himself to handle this overwhelming situation.

2. When life falls apart, you must know who God is and how to lay hold of Him in prayer (3:3-4).

“But You” (3:3) reflects David’s shift of focus from his frightening circumstances (3:1-2) to the Lord in prayer. This strophe shows the Lord to be our shield, our glory, the restorer of our joy, and our prayer-answering God.

A. THE LORD IS OUR SHIELD.
We recently studied this as we looked at the shield of faith as a part of our spiritual armor (Eph. 6:16). It first occurs in the Bible when God told Abram that He is Abram’s shield (Gen. 15:1). It also occurs frequently throughout the Psalms (5:12; 18:2, 30, 35; 28:7; 33:20; et. al.). It means that God is our protector and defender. He shields us from the enemy’s attacks. Note how David personalizes it, that the Lord is a shield “about me.” Your faith in the Lord must be personal.

B. THE LORD IS OUR GLORY.
Although David had great earthly acclaim before this catastrophe, he is acknowledging that his identification with the Lord is his only claim to glory. Whether the Lord restored David to his place of earthly prominence or not, God was his glory. The term points to “the comparative unimportance of earthly esteem, always transient and fickle” (Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72 [IVP], p. 54). As Christians, we will share in Christ’s glory (2 Thess. 1:10).

C. THE LORD IS THE RESTORER OF OUR JOY.
“To lift up the head” is a Hebrew expression for restoring someone who is cast down to his dignity and position. Joseph told the cupbearer (Gen. 40:13), “Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office.” (See, also Gen. 40:20; 2 Kings 25:27 [NASB, margin]; Ps. 27:5-6). By way of application, it refers to God restoring to us the joy that we had before the crisis brought us low. He humbles the proud, but lifts up the humble who cry out to Him, bringing joy to those He restores (1 Sam. 2:1-10; Ps. 107:9, 33-42).

D. THE LORD IS OUR PRAYER-ANSWERING GOD (3:4).
J. J. S. Perowne (The Book of Psalms [Zondervan], p. 123) observes that David’s crying to the Lord with his voice does not express “a single act, but the habit of a life.” Spurgeon said (ibid., p. 26), “We need not fear a frowning world while we rejoice in a prayer-hearing God.”

God’s “holy mountain” (or hill, 3:4) refers to Mount Zion in Jerusalem, where the ark of the covenant remained. Zadok and the Levites were carrying the ark to join David in his escape. But David sent them back into the city, saying (2 Sam. 15:25-26), “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the Lord, then He will bring me back again and show me both it and His habitation. But if He should say thus, ‘I have no delight in you,’ behold, here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him.” David’s heart was humbled before God. If the Lord restored him, David would worship Him. If the Lord did not restore Him, David still would bow before His just and holy ways. But even though now David was separated geographically from the symbol of God’s dwelling place, the separation was no hindrance to his prayers.

We should learn to humble ourselves before God, realizing that our only plea is His grace. Also, no matter where we’re at or in what kind of difficult circumstances we find ourselves—even if our difficulties are the result of our own sin or failure—we can cry out to the Lord for grace and know that He will hear and answer according to His purpose.

Thus when life was falling apart, David laid hold of the Lord in prayer. Then what happened?

3. When you lay hold of the Lord in prayer, you will experience His peace (3:5-6).

The whole of Psalm 3, but especially verses 5-6, is a real-life drama illustrating Philippians 4:6-7: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” David cried out to God in prayer, then he went to bed—not in the palace, but camped in the wilderness—and slept through the night. It reminds me of Peter on the night before his intended execution. He was so sound asleep in the prison between two guards that the angel sent to rescue him had to hit him to wake him up (Acts 12:7)! David awoke safe and sound, because the Lord sustained him. As reports came in of the tens of thousands set against him, he was not afraid (Ps. 3:6).

When the Lord is your shield and the one who sustains you, the odds or numbers against you don’t matter. As someone has said, “One plus God is a majority.” Or, as Paul puts it (Rom. 8:31), “If God is for us, who is against us?” As he goes on to say, even if we are like sheep for the slaughter, “in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37). Even if our enemies kill us, we can have God’s peace in our soul.

4. Believing prayer depends completely on God for deliverance (3:7-8).

In a make-believe world, David could have said, “Amen” after verse 6. But in the real world, when not only you, but also hundreds of loyal supporters and their families are depending on you, anxiety has a way of creeping back in. So David cries out to God again (3:7-8), “Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God! For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the Lord; Your blessing be upon Your people.”

In verse 1, many were rising up against David. Now, he uses the same verb to ask God to rise up against his enemies. In verse 2, David’s skeptics had said that God would not deliver him. Here, David uses the same verb to ask God to save him. He pictures his enemies as ravenous beasts baring their teeth, ready to devour him. So David asks God to break their teeth, which would render them powerless. The verbs may be translated as petitions (VanGemeren, 5:78) or they may reflect David’s sure confidence that God would act. So he wrote as if He already had acted (Alan Ross, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, ed. by John Walvoord & Roy Zuck [Victor Books], 1:793).

David’s final exclamation, “Salvation belongs to the Lord,” shows that David was not depending on his troops, or his counselors that he had planted to mislead Absalom, or on any military strategy. Rather, he acknowledges that any victory would come from God alone. When we cast ourselves on God alone for deliverance, He gets all the praise when He answers our prayers.

David’s final request, “Your blessing be upon Your people,” shows that David was not praying selfishly. He was the anointed king of God’s people. Absalom’s rebellion negatively affected the entire nation. So when David asked God to deliver him, he saw it in terms of God’s blessing His people.

Believing prayer always keeps this kingdom purpose in focus. The Lord’s prayer teaches us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). If your world has fallen apart because you’ve been wiped out financially, or your marriage is in trouble or your child has rebelled, don’t just pray selfishly so that your happy world might be restored. Pray in light of God’s kingdom purposes. Pray that God will act so that He will be glorified and His people will be blessed and strengthened.

David turned this horrible experience of betrayal, emotional pain, and nearly being killed into a song of praise. This teaches us that God can use our worst trials to deepen our trust in Him and to produce praises that will encourage His people. When life falls apart, you can experience God’s peace by laying hold of Him in believing prayer. When He answers, He gets the glory, you get the joy, and God’s people get the blessing.

Whether it’s a minor crisis or whether life is falling apart at the seams, if Jesus is your High Priest you have access through His blood to the same prayer-hearing God who rescued David. Even if the crisis is the result of your own sin, humble yourself before Him in repentant, believing prayer and He will exalt you at the proper time.

Why does God not always remove the consequences of our sins, even after we’ve repented?  See Hebrews 12:3-11.

David not only prayed; he also escaped and then organized his army to fight the enemy. Where is the proper balance between prayer and the use of permissible means?

Some say that to pray in faith means to “command God” to act according to His promises. Why is this wrong? See 2 Sam. 15:25-26.

Why is it essential not just to pray for your problems, but also to pray for God’s greater purpose and glory for His people?

~Steven J. Cole

Holy Spirit said, Baruch Ata Adonai, Eloheinu, Melekh Ha'olam

On March 11, 2018, when I was going through a hard time in life these words came to me  "For Such A Time as This" which in turn made me think of the story of Esther.  After thinking those thoughts, the Holy Spirit said, Baruch Ata Adonai, Eloheinu, Melekh ha'olam. I then started researching the words that were said on google and the Word, and wrote it down and the study strengthened me to make it through all the turmoil I was dealing with.

Why are you positioned where you are? Why do you work where you work? Why do you live where you live? Why do you go to school where you go to school? Why do you go to church where you go to church? You do what you do because God has assigned you there - and here – “for such a time as this.”

The challenge Esther received is found in Esther 4:14 and it may very well be the challenge that our Savior has for you at this point in your life. “Who knows but that you have come to your position for such a time as this?” In other words, God has placed you where you are, not just to enjoy the benefits of life in America, but to build His kingdom, to help His people, to fulfill His purposes.

If you’ve ever experienced brokenness in your life – if you think you’ve been dealt a tough hand, there is a beautiful lesson here for you. If you’ve been crushed by life - if you have a troubled past that is fractured, then you can learn some unforgettable truths from Esther.

God created you for a divine appointment - a unique role to fulfill in your life - just like Esther! There is something you can do for God that no one else can do - a God-given niche only you can fill.

God issues His challenges, His teachings to us in many ways. He does it through His Word. He does it through His pastors. He does it through His church. He does it through family members or friends or bosses or co-workers or fellow students. 

Listen, we are not the source of power to fulfill our divine appointment for such a time as this. God is the source! Through the Holy Spirit, God will faithfully empower us to take the actions we need to take “for such a time as this.” Every now and then, we find ourselves at a moment in time that might be called a “pivot point” in history.

Today, in America, we aren’t living with the threat of physical death. But God’s people are in distress!

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.  Hosea 4:6

People are dying for the truth. That’s why we are here – to bring life where there is death!

Today, we see the threat of death to family.

We see the threat of death to morality.

We see the threat of death to eternity.

Wherever there is a people of God there are enemies of God.

You are where you are for such a time as this because God’s people are in distress!

This was the testing of Esther’s character. She was beautiful on the outside. But was she beautiful on the inside?

I believe these verses go on to teach us that she was incredibly more beautiful on the inside. I Samuel 16:7 says, “The LORD sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” What did He see when He saw Esther’s heart? What does He desire to see in your heart and in mine?

What is God looking for in your heart?

God challenges our values, doesn’t He? What is most important to you? In order for us to fulfill our divine appointment in such a time as this, we must be willing to let go of the selfishness. We’ve got to let go of our need to be in control. We’ve got to let go of our telling God when it is convenient in our schedules to serve Him. We’ve got to sacrifice our time, our talent, and our treasure.

God is looking for a sacrificial heart.

What does God see when He sees your heart?

For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.  2 Chronicles 16:9

“Enough of the easy life,” said Esther. “It’s time to put my life on the line. I am Jewish and I believe in the living God. I’m ready to stand up for my people. And if I perish, I perish.”

What does it matter if you get involved or not? It matters greatly because it shows what’s in your heart. Yes, it’s true that God has other ways to accomplish His objectives. He has other people He can use. He isn’t frustrated or restrained because you and I may be indifferent. But when that happens, we are the losers. When we are called “for such a time as this,” how tragic if we do not have what it takes to stand when invited.

I am only one,

But still I am one.

I cannot do everything;

But still I can do something;

And because I cannot do everything

I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

God’s person has been discovered! That person, I believe, is you and it’s me!

Esther had asked for prayer and fasting to prepare for the moment when the doors to the Throne Room opened and she walked through the door. She knelt as soon as she was clear of the doorway and waited for the response from the King. Would she live or would she die? When the King extended his golden scepter, he had spared her life. His response was very tender. The king listened to her pleas for her people.

The tables were turned on the man who wanted to kill Mordecai and all the Jews. The king saw him for what he was – a selfish, power-hungry, ego-maniac. He was executed on the very gallows he had built for Mordecai’s murder. Not only were the Jews allowed to live, they were permitted to defend themselves against their enemies. Esther, a Jew, remains the queen. And Mordecai, another Jew, becomes second-in-command.

Behold, God is exalted in His power…Job 36:22

O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary. The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God!  Psalm 68:35

Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him. Daniel 2:20

Wicked plans have been thwarted. Corruption has been rooted out. Evil has been fully dealt with.

Are you struggling today? Caught in between a rock and a hard place? Stop, take a breath and look around. Look for the hand of God leading you and orchestrating the events around you. Who knows, but that you have been lead to right where you are, for such a time as this.

Never let the fact that God is invisible cause you to doubt the fact that God is invincible.

God’s power is on display!

Notice something. The link between God’s people in distress and God’s power on display is God’s person. Are you God’s person?

God knows everything about you and sees you as His masterpiece, and will never give up on creating you to be everything he created you to be. So, give permission to God to take control of your life. If you don’t know Jesus, He’s here. He loves you. He died to pay the penalty for your sins. He rose again. If you haven’t already, ask Jesus to come into your life right now.  ~Bits and Pieces of the Sermon by Rick Duncan

Baruch Ata Adonoy Shehechianu | Jonathan and Aviva Settel

( Shabbat Shalom Prayer ) In Hebrew and English Lyrics

Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, Melekh ha'olam

Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe

asher kidishanu b'mitz'votav v'tzivanu

Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us

l'had'lik neir shel Shabbat. (Amein)

to light the lights of Shabbat. (Amen)

You have kept us Alive for Such a Time as This.

Jonathan Settel - Shehekianu/Shehecheyanu - Lyrics. Messianic Praise and Worship

THE LORD SPEAKS TO ISRAEL AS HIS WIFE

When the Holy Spirit speaks you listen.  My daughter Tria, heard the Holy Spirit speak Isaiah 54 and  I wanted to study along with her and found an article I would like to share which I enjoyed reading.

Sing, O barren, you who have not borne: In ancient Israel, the barren woman carried an enormous load of shame and disgrace. Here, the LORD likens captive Israel to a barren woman who can now sing - because now more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married woman.

The Babylonian exile and captivity meant more than oppression for Israel; it meant shame, disgrace, and humiliation. God promises a glorious release from not only the exile and captivity, but also from the shame, disgrace, and humiliation.

This passage is quoted by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 4:27, in reference to the miraculous "birth" of those under the New Covenant. Paul also probably intended the phrase more are the children to also indicate that the children of the New Covenant would out number the children of the Old Covenant.

Enlarge the place of your tent: The curse and shame of barrenness would be so completely broken, and Israel would be so fruitful, that they would have to expand their living space. This would be of particular comfort to the returning Babylonian exiles, who felt themselves small in number and weak. This promise would strengthen them.

Isaiah 54:1-3:  Israel will be restored like a barren woman who bears many children.

Through the centuries, many of hurting woman have taken this promise for herself. Forsaken by a husband, or forsaken of a husband, they have found beautiful comfort in the promise that God would be a husband to them, when all others forsook them. The principle is true; God will supply and meet our emotional needs, and rescue us from our disgrace and shame, when others forsaken us.

The promise that the LORD will meet our needs when others forsake us does not leave us to a place of "second best." The LORD God can be a greater husband than any man can be. This is something for every single woman to remember; and something no married woman should forget. An earthly husband can never fulfill every need that the great Heavenly Husband can.

Isaiah 54:4-6: Israel will be restored like a widow who is rescued from her reproach.

And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore: Just as God compared the disgrace of Israel to the shame of barrenness, now He compares their humiliation to the reproach of widowhood. Here, the LORD promises rescue from Israel's shame.

"Shame … disgrace … humiliated represent three synonymous Hebrew verbs sharing the fundamental idea of disappointed hopes, the embarrassment of expecting - even publicly announcing - one thing and then reaping another." (Motyer)

For your Maker is your husband: Though Israel might have been regarded as forsaken as a widow, the LORD promises to stand in the place of her husband.

The LORD of hosts is His name: To comfort and strengthen His people, God reminds them of how glorious of a Savior He is. He is their Maker, He is the LORD of hosts, He is their Redeemer, He is the Holy One of Israel, and He is called the God of the whole earth. Not only does God supply a husband, but a great one - Himself! 

Isaiah 54:7-8:  God explains His restoration of Israel.

For a mere moment I have forsaken you: God never really forsook Israel; yet He recognizes that they felt forsaken. God says, "for a mere moment I allowed you to feel that I have forsaken you."

But with great mercies I will gather you: The forsaken is in the present tense; the great mercies are in the future tense. But they are real, and give Israel cause to set their hope and trust in the LORD, though they feel forsaken at the moment.

I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you: The contrast is between the moment of feeling forsaken and the everlasting nature of the kindness that will come. When we feel tried and forsaken, we should recognize that it is just for a moment, and the everlasting blessing will certainly come.

Isaiah 54:9-10:  A promise to never forsake Israel.  Comfort and assurance to restored Israel.    

For this is like the waters of Noah to Me: Just as God promised that the flood waters of Noah's day would not cover the earth forever, so will His anger recede from Israel.

For the mountains shall depart … but My kindness shall not depart from you: Flood waters recede, and mountains do not. But even if the mountains shall depart, even if the hills be removed, the kindness of the LORD to His people will never depart. The kindness of the LORD is more certain than the mountains and the hills, and His covenant of peace is more sure.

Isaiah 54:11-17:  Promises of prosperity, peace, and protection.

To you afflicted one, tossed with tempest and not comforted: God cares about the afflicted one. He cares about the one tossed with tempest. He cares about the one who is not comforted. When someone is in this place - afflicted, tossed, and not comforted - it is easy for them to believe God doesn't care. But He does, and He gives precious promises to give strength.

Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems … sapphires … rubies … crystal: God will lavish riches upon the hurting and afflicted. When someone feels afflicted, tossed, and not comforted, they feel poor, no matter how much money they have in the bank. God promises to make the afflicted truly rich.

All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children: When we are afflicted, tossed, and not comforted, we feel bad not just for ourselves, but also for our children. God gives precious assurance not only for us, but also quiets our fears for our children.

In righteousness you shall be established … you shall not fear … whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake: God promises those who are afflicted, tossed, and not comforted will find protection and security in Him.

The sovereign God - who created the blacksmith, who created the spoiler to destroy - also has the power to protect. He can promise that no weapon formed against you shall prosper. Whatever weapon is raised against God's people is destined to be destroyed itself. God will ultimately even protect His people from criticism; indeed, every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn.

The LORD will not allow the weapon formed against His servants to prosper. Sometimes this means the LORD takes the weapon out of the hand of the enemy of His servants. Sometimes it means that God allows the weapon to strike, but brings a greater good out of it than the pain of the immediate blow. In allowing this, God will not allow the weapon to prosper, but transforms the violent sword into a trowel for building His kingdom.

The tongue which rises against you can really hurt. "Satan leaves no stone unturned against the Church of God. He uses not simply the hand; but, what is oftener a sharper weapon, the tongue. We can bear a blow, sometimes, but we cannot endure an insult. There is a great power in the tongue. We can rise from a blow which smote us to the ground; but we cannot so easily recover from slander, that lays the character low." (Spurgeon) Yet, we can trust in the LORD's triumph. "The more accusers, the more acquittals; the more slander, the more honor; so the enemy may slander us as much as he pleases." (Spurgeon)

This is not a blanket promise for any church-goer. The LORD specifically says, this is the heritage of the servants of the LORD. Are you a servant of the LORD? Then you can rest easy in His promised protection. The LORD also says that this is a promise for those whose righteousness is from Me - from the LORD Himself - and not from themselves. When a person understands that their righteousness is really from the LORD, they are much more comfortable in letting the LORD protect their righteousness.

HOLY SPIRIT SPOKE PSALM 20 TO BRING SHALOM

The Assurance of God’s Saving Work

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble;

May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;

May He send you help from the sanctuary,

And strengthen you out of Zion;

May He remember all your offerings,

And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah

May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,

And fulfill all your purpose.

We will rejoice in your salvation,

And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!

May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;

He will answer him from His holy heaven

With the saving strength of His right hand.

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;

But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

They have bowed down and fallen;

But we have risen and stand upright.

Save, Lord!

May the King answer us when we call.

"May God answer you in your day of trouble." In one interpretation,  Midrash Tehillim draws an analogy between the God-Israel relationship and the relationship of a mother and daughter who, though they have quarreled, are still so deeply connected that when the daughter cries out in labor, her mother -- even if her mother is in heaven, e.g. the world to come -- cries out along with her. "The suffering of my daughter is my suffering," the mother says. How wondrous that the sages could understand God as our Mother, who endures the birth-pangs of our transformation along with us!

The "time of trouble" at the beginning of the psalm and the "day when we call" at the end of the psalm can both be understood as the day of labor and delivery. The rabbis further note that this psalm has nine verses (if you ignore the superscription, "for the leader: a psalm of David"), and these nine verses can be likened to the nine months of pregnancy.

In A Time to Be Born: Customs and Folklore of Jewish Birth, Michele Klein notes that Jews have recited psalms to ease delivery since the gaonic period and that psalm 20 has been frequently used in this way. In the fourteenth century there was a custom of a "helper" reciting this psalm while the woman in labor focused her thoughts on a certain name of God, a procedure repeated nine times. Starting in the seventeenth century there are records of a practice in which the reader engaged in kabbalistic letter-permutations of the divine Name each time it appears in this psalm -- the reader, of course, being the woman's husband who was probably outside the delivery room, since women of that era would not have known these practices (and, I'm guessing, women in any era would find that kind of finicky letter permutation practice challenging during contractions!)

And the Zohar notes that there are 70 words in psalm 20, which (in that text's understanding) correspond to the seventy cries of the laboring woman. (Seventy cries, eh? I'll have to bear that in mind.)

Of the secondary texts I studied, my favorite is the passage from Midrash Tehillim, which oscillates between reading the "time of trouble" as a reference to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (a moment of communal crisis) and as a reference to every woman's experience in labor (a moment of individual or personal crisis.) I like that these interpretations coexist.

And, of course, from this vantage I can see that the (painful and traumatic) destruction of the Temple was also the birth-pangs of a new paradigm of Judaism...just as I can imagine that once I make it through the physical and emotional rigors of labor and delivery, something miraculous and new will emerge in my own life. There's light at the end of the tunnel, and there's comfort in knowing that wherever we are -- physically, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually -- God is there with us, and will be there when we reach the other side.

It's hard to know how much of this learning will stick with me when I am in the extraordinary space/time of the delivery room, but I'm grateful to have had the chance to delve into this learning as I prepare to give birth.  ~Velveteen Rabbi 

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank you for your angels that you have assigned to our children. You have given your angels charge over them, to keep them in all their ways. We reverence you and acknowledge you as our Lord and Savior. Thank you for the angel of the LORD who encamps all around our children and delivers them from perilous situations. We bless our children that they may be powerful in the land, and fulfill their divine destiny.

We proclaim that our children are a heritage and a reward from you. We ask you, Father, draw them to repentance with your goodness, and give them as an inheritance to the Lord Jesus Christ. He shed his blood for them that they might be saved, and your arm is not shortened that you cannot save. Holy Spirit, we ask you to convince and convict them of sin, righteousness and judgment.

May our sons and daughters repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and they will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. According to your promise we are asking you to pour your Spirit and your blessings on our children. Our sons and daughters shall prophecy; our young men shall see visions. 

Lord, you chose our children before the foundation of the world and called them in their youth. Our children are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation. They are your own special people. Father, confirm your word and hallow your name in the lives of our children for your glory and honor.  Amen