Newness of Life

  Would You Like To Go On An Adventure? I was browsing a Virginia Beach yard sale on a Saturday morning, fresh coffee in hand, when I noticed it. Propped up against a wooden table was a tacky, 1970’s painting of a sail boat framed in that iconic, pea-brown wood that thankfully perished with the 70’s. The quote read, “If you want to reach new horizons, you have to lose sight of the shore.” That was me, I thought. I am about to lose sight of the shore. A few days earlier, I had stood outside my bosses’ door trembling from head to toe. I was about to walk into her office and inform her that I would going to Africa for two months. Either I would be granted a leave of absence, or I would leave my job; either way, I was going. I had been feeling unfulfilled in my career and stagnant in my relationship with God for quite some time. I earnestly cried out to God for deeper heart change and to walk in His purposes. God always answers the sincere cry of His children. He graciously assured me that

God is a good Father. Good fathers feed their children well. Jesus used the Matzah bread during the Passover dinner before he was crucified to show that the Passover feast is a symbol of his salvation. Matzah was considered “poor man’s bread”, or “bread of affliction" (Wikipedia). He was actually crucified at the exact hour in which the Passover lamb was sacrificed! Was God trying to underline this truth for us? It certainly seems so. He broke the Matzah and said, “This is my body. Take it and eat.” P artake. Consume My Life. You live by receiving My Life by faith. Those who feel their need and weakness will eat the poor man’s bread. It is His presence with us and in us. But not all bread is good. Jesus warned of tainted bread, and urged his disciples not to eat of it. "Beware the leaven of the Pharisees," he warned. Beware of their sinful influence in other words. These guys were the uber religious, totally dedicated to God. Following God’s law to the letter was what th

💓  The events in the world are stirring up emotions, and passions, anger, strife, hatred, fear, and confusion. Betrayal, accusations, rumors, threats are coming quickly to destroy your faith and love and to steal the word of the Lord in your hearts. Above all, guard your hearts! Hurt people hurt people. If you are not watchful, you will give way to offense, fear, anger, and the spirit of accusation. What I said to my disciples before I went to the cross, I say to you, watch and pray, for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Words are spirit. Diligently guard your ears and conversations and pay close attention to your thoughts and emotions in this hour. Trust me to search your hearts and minds every day, for that is my job to show you where sin is seeking to enter, or has taken root. It’s easier to keep it out then it is to root it out, but I do both for you as you trust Me. The enemy is very reasonable, or so it seem to your human mind, but if you will be very watchful, a

 I dreamt of this passage and want to study it out as it feels pertinent to the hour in which we live. Yes, it causes a deep quaking in my spirit, and spurs me to God's face in total dependence. Pasting notes here. Older commentaries often express spiritual truths with great eloquence and wisdom that is sorely lacking in our day. Is 66:15 See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 2 Th 1:7-8 Barnes Notes:  This will take place when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels  8 in   blazing   fire,   inflicting   vengeance   on those who   do not know   God   and   do not obey   the   gospel   of our   Lord   Jesus.   Every man's work shall be made manifest - What every man has built on this foundation shall be seen. Whether he has held truth or error; whether he has had correct views of piety or false; whether what he has done has been what he should hav

As I have been praying about the merging of religions happening in the world now: "We all pray to the same God" as well as politicians claiming faith in God, I was led to Ezra 4 this morning, a book I am not at all familiar with. I found these notes illuminating and disturbing.  Things are moving so quickly now that I find it so hard to keep up with it all. The Lord certainly expounds on things that we are searching out, if we will only go to Him expectantly. His gifts are for the asking. These quotes are taken from Bible hub commentaries from Ezra 4. They are a stark warning and parallel current events-we do well to heed their warning.  These commentary remarks are in regard to godless nations claiming to worship Israel's God, and asking to help in building the temple. Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye  do ; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of

Hi there. That's me and Gracie! I continue to be pointed towards chapters in Isaiah, and one of them is Isaiah 7-8 where Judah is threatened by an alliance between Israel's northern kingdom on Syria that seeks to come against Judah and Jerusalem. I am not sure yet if Jerusalem was a part of Judah, but Isaiah comes to assure Ahaz, King of Judah, that their evil conspiracy against Jerusalem will not come to pass (Isaiah 7:7).  Isaiah even offers a sign to show that this evil plan will not happen, and that is that a child will be born who prefigures Jesus Christ, the last days Messiah who will also rescue the Jews from another "Assyrian" (Antichrist) on some future day. There is one condition: that is Ahaz must BELIEVE the Lord. He is faced with a choice: trust the Assyrian, a worldly power, or trust God's promise? Ahaz must trust God's promise through the prophet in order to be saved, and if he will not, the plans will come to pass: Study notes (ESB) says that t