WORSHIP...

Psalm 100

Serve the Lord with Gladness / A Psalm of  Thanksgiving

1 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations. 

Psalm 100 is in Book 4 of the Book of  Psalms (Psalms 90-106). This is one of 50 Psalms whose author is anonymous. Some of the anonymous Psalms are attributed to Ezra but I have not found anything that would substantiate or deny a claim for his authorship. This is to be sung by God's people as they are on their way to worship Him. We are not to just burst in on God with no preparation in our hearts. He is Holy and we should respect Him as such always. This Psalm is very easy to understand for the young Christians on the 'milk of the word' but also very deep for the more mature Christians that can handle the 'meat of the word.'

According to my open bible timeline: 

Book IV of the Psalms has an anonymous Chief Author with a possible compiler being Ezra or Nehemiah. 

Basic content is an anthem of praise. 

Topical likeness to Pentateuch is Numbers: Wilderness and Wandering. 

Possible dates of compilation: until c. 430 B.C. The span of authorship for the book of Psalms is about 1000 years (c. 1410-430 B.C.)

This is a Psalm of Thanksgiving. 

To a new Christian, this particular psalm reflects a spirit of gladness in coming before God's presence. We are to be thankful, praise Him, and bless his name for The Lord is good and merciful forever with His truth enduring to all generations. This Psalm lifts us up spiritually but also sends our witness out externally as we honor God, draw near to Him, really see Him as our creator and shepherd as we grow and learn the commands here. Just as there is a certain protocol to meet with earthly kings, so too is there a protocol to meet with the King of the Universe. 

This is a very powerful Psalm, especially since it is only five verses long. As a christian matures, they may be shown there are four verses of exhortation with the last verse giving the reason for the exhortations. The five verses contain seven commands that I consider steps of protocol to enter into the presence of our holy God then the reason for the commands. God always meets His children where we are. If we don't know the proper respect, He will not turn us away but will fellowship with us. Proverbs 9:10 tells us the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 

Action words listed by the verses:

Verse 1 SHOUT joyfully 

Verse 2 SERVE and COME before Him

Verse 3 KNOW

Verse 4 ENTER, GIVE THANKS, and BLESS

Verse 5 is the REASON we are given the previous commands.

As Christians, we represent our Savior Jesus to the world. If we walk around in life looking like Eyore in Winnie the Pooh – with his gloom and doom demeanor – would people see anything they want in our life that would encourage them to know our Lord? If we are joyful, and show that God is worth shouting about, people will be drawn to the joy we have in our relationship with our Savior! 

We are to serve the Lord with gladness not because we have to but because we want to. God loves a cheerful giver and that includes being cheerful in our service to Him. Singing will bring us into His presence. He inhabits the praises of his people. When we sing praises to God there is a sweet aroma sent to Heaven.

We all go through high points and low points in life. We are God's children so we learn to know Him, trust Him and lean upon Him. His strength is perfect when our strength is gone so in our weakness we can rise above our circumstances. We will be consistent in our witness to the world but also be able to live with the peace of God calming us in a world in chaos. Thanksgiving in our hearts, which grows the more we know God, leads to greater worship as we enter into the presence of our one true King! 

Verse 4 tells us to 'Praise His name.” The word praise means to kneel to show honor to God. True worship always involves falling at God's feet. In the presence and authority of God, the strength of his creation (man) will leave him and his spirit will naturally bring the body into a kneeling posture.

All of the above are a prelude to true worship. Wanting fellowship with our Lord, we enter into his courts with shouts, praise and singing, we bless his name, and our spirit opens fully to the majestic glory of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. There is no higher experience in this life than to be in the presence of the One True King experiencing heartfelt worship. We are covered in His goodness, love, and faithfulness. At the same time, we start to understand the name of God. In His presence, we recognize even deeper the holiness, greatness, wisdom, truthfulness and loving kindness that is His name!

Psalm 100:1 to Psalm 95:1

Psalm 95 is a call to worship the Lord. The importance of worshiping the Lord is expressed in both scriptures.

Psalm 100:3 ...it is he that hath made us...

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, …

The connection in the old testament Psalm of God being our creator is now complete as this new testament scripture gives us our identity with being created in Christ Jesus.

This psalm is among the most well-known psalms in the Bible. It is memorized by Christians and its basic structure has been placed into the opening line of one of the most well-known prayers taught to children, myself included: “God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food.” 

This psalm is a hymn of praise. The poetry is so very beautiful and calls to our heart as we read it and sing it. The poetry elements appeal to songwriters from generation to generation. Many songs have been written from Psalm 100 alone! I myself can think of a couple right offhand. Here is one from my days as a brand new Christian. 

I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart. I will enter his courts with praise. I will say this is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice for he has made me glad. He has made me glad. He has made me glad. I will rejoice for He has made me glad.

Knowing that the auditorium church only allows time for a prelude into worship, I know how deep worship is and that I desire and need this close fellowship with God. This will only be accomplished in my life as I spend time with Him, alone and not distracted by this world, to walk the steps of protocol into an audience with the King of the Universe. There is nothing in this world that could ever satisfy my heart and spirit than this communion at His feet in His glorious presence.

Maranatha,

Anna

 

An Amazing Man of God ...

[Original publish date: 6/26/20]

Went Home to Jesus yesterday, June 25, 2020.

I met William (Brother Billy) Forrest 53 weeks and 6 days ago. My best friend of 37 years and I went to lunch at Denny's & invited an older gentleman from her daughter's church to eat with us. Little did I know how that one lunch meeting would change my life!

Brother Billy's wife, Christine, went home to be with the Lord on December 31, 2010. He told us that it was 8 years, 6 months, and 13 days since she left him. During our lunch conversation it was revealed that Brother Billy and his Christine met in school. She was the only girl that Brother Billy ever kissed on the lips! After graduation, they married and started out as share croppers with $100 to their name. Brother Billy became a preacher and started churches in Georgia. Brother Billy said his Christine taught him the value of saving, so they always put a little back. He played guitar, self taught, and sang! It was always a joyful time to hear him play and sing! He always sang to Christine each night before he would go to sleep.

I have never seen a mortal love so deep as the one that Brother Billy shared with his wife, Christine! The purity of his love for her and hers for him will stay with me for the rest of my life and beyond! Yes, Jesus loves me unconditionally and nothing compares to that love! Brother Billy would totally agree!

Tammie and I went to visit Brother Billy last Saturday, June 20th. It was 53 weeks to the day since I first met him. Brother Billy joined in as he could when we sang these songs:

Power in the Blood,

Yes, Lord, Yes,

I'll Fly Away

When We All Get To Heaven

Amazing Grace

T

After worship in song, Brother Billy led all of us that were there in Communion. It was a wonderful time! I knew that this would be the last time I would see Brother Billy this side of Heaven! He passed away 4 days later. I cannot be sad ... he finished the race ... loving Jesus with his whole heart, mind, soul, and strength!

I just wanted to do a quick blog post to honor the man that the Lord allowed me to meet and gave me the privilege and honor to minister to through prayer cards and letters. I pray for a special anointing of Salvation on those cards and letters! That anyone that touches them or reads them will feel a mighty call of Holy Spirit to accept Jesus as their Savior! I don't think he ever knew what a blessing he was to so many, myself included! Brother Billy, after 9 years, 6 months and 25 days: you went home to meet Jesus and are reunited with your beloved Christine! We will miss you very much but are so happy you are HOME now and free of pain!

In Loving Memory of Brother Billy: Power in the Blood

REV. WILLIAM J. "BILLY" FORREST, JR.

Be encouraged everyone! Look to the Lord! Rely and Trust in Him! We are in the final seconds before Jesus' return, nothing is happening here that God hasn't allowed. Christians, this is as bad as it gets for us! We go in the Rapture before the Tribulation starts. If you aren't saved, you need to give your heart to Jesus while there is yet time!

UPDATE: I also did not know, until a couple of weeks later, that meeting with Brother Billy at his house to sing and take communion together would be the last time my BFF & I would do anything together face-to-face. I did reach out to her in a letter on July 10, 2020 but nothing came of it.  God knew how, why, and when this would happen. Trust in Him for everything!

Maranatha,

Anna

The Reason Behind the Reason, Prophetic for the Body #3 of 3 - John Fenn

Click on the links below to watch the videos:

 Prophetic: Election and 2021 - John Fenn

Snowmelt-runoff fed Medano Creek in Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado  

Video date shows May 2019. I hear the waves can be up to 3 feet high earlier in the snowmelt-runoff season!

Hi all,

I closed last week talking about how Gallio the Roman Senator and Judge, had refused to make being a Christian a federal offense, but the laws were soon to change. 

Within a few years the Caesar's changed the law, making it required federal law to worship the Caesar and proclaim loyalty to Rome. Christians died by the thousands over the next 2 1/2 centuries because they refused to worship Caesar and proclaim their loyalty to the Empire. They were executed as traitors. 

Worship of the State or the Leader

Historically, once the process of judging one's loyalty as a citizen by a person's religion starts in a nation and culture, it progresses over a relatively short time. Daniel was initially treated well, fed the best food, the best education. But over a short time the enemies in society turned his faith in God into being unpatriotic to the King. Daniel's open worship of the Lord was twisted as a statement of disloyalty to the king and laws of the land. 

In New Testament times, what started in Jerusalem as a dispute among Jews about a sect who believed Jesus is the Messiah, within a few decades turned into the accusation Christians were unpatriotic towards Rome. Their values were different, their allegiance was to Jesus rather than the government; they were counter culture. 

In Nazi Germany laws were made in 1920 against Jews, followed by others in 1933 and 1935. Dachau, the first Nazi death camp, opened in 1933 with rapid expansion within 10 years to over 1,000 camps through 1944. Besides Jews and Christians, political conservatives were accused of being unpatriotic to Hitler. Look at China today sending Christian Uyghurs and ethnic Han Chinese to 'reeducation' camps, which are well publicized yet nations still do business with China. 

What to watch for is this: 

Faith in Jesus will be looked upon as weird, unpatriotic, and worse; the reason a nation has trouble. First leaders, and then society and common culture will change because they will want to quiet or eliminate in some way, the influence of those with faith. As with Daniel, Jesus, 1st century Christians, Jews and Christians and conservatives in Nazi Germany; we will be blamed for the ills of society. We will be viewed as prevention a nation from progressing. 

What starts small, even on a local level, becomes federal within a few years. Fear that 'religious' people will force their values on a nation. Hatred for the principles that build nations and families becomes the norm. The State seeks to control everything. Media becomes a tool of the government. Character assassination and lawsuits directed towards selected situations, individuals, leaders, and anyone who differs with the State policy happens.

Neighbors spy on neighbors, laws are enacted to facilitate such things. Daniel was called a traitor after being spied on by coworkers. Jesus was betrayed by a disciple, and Peter, Paul and thousands of Christians in Rome were labeled enemies of Rome. The State tries to control everyone, and the media and culture help, seeking conformity and punishing those who are different. 

No matter the nation, the mob mentality wants everyone to conform and those who don't are labeled, separated, hated. In The Revelation, if you want to buy or sell, you must first state your allegiance to the system/man and then you receive a mark that allows you to buy and sell. Conformity. Uniformity. Allegiance. 

We see these things developing around the world today in whole nations all at the same time, and some Christians just as they did in Paul's time, will conform to the values of the ruling elite. But others will not. Thus we will see some churches going the way of the world in the name of being relevant, and some Christians who refuse to conform. We're not only different, we refuse to be the same.

What Jesus is doing 

So that is the direction the world is going, but what is Jesus doing? He is moving in the opposite direction. He started in the home with Adam & Eve and has never left. His values have never changed: I was hungry, thirsty, naked, a stranger, sick, in prison, and you fed, watered, clothed, befriended and visited me. He is meek, lowly, approachable, come and be taught by Him. Jesus is about the people in the pews, not about the laser light show at the 'worship' or the coffee shop in the foyer. His idea of being relevant means taking care of people where they live.

He is all about everyday things like one's basic provision, connectedness, relationships, friendships. When the early church was born at Pentecost Acts 2: 42 says their meetings included these 4 elements: Teaching, fellowship, food, prayer. Fellowship is holy, not an afterthought to a meeting as in, 'After our service we will have fellowship in the kitchen area.' They met in homes and knowing one another was important - and that is where God moved to heal, answer prayer, connect people in caring godly relationships. 

Without fanfare Jesus is moving in the midst of relationships among believers. We are seeing more healings, more miracles, more answered prayer in our network than ever before. It doesn't matter whether it happens in a web meeting or in someone's home, around the world the Lord is on the move. Being meek and lowly in heart, He doesn't seek media attention - He just goes about His business as He always has. 

In the visitation of December 2019 and in a recent visitation, the Lord expanded His comments to me about how house churches would be known as the place to go for answered prayer, provision, and miracles in one's life. .  

Christianity must be spiritual and have the Spirit of God moving in our midst

If we don't regularly have the Holy Spirit in us and through us towards others we end up having a form of godliness yet denying the power. It's not their fault: The auditorium church structure of service doesn't allow for everyone to move in the Spirit or receive prayer in small groups. As a result, we have Christians who know all about Jesus, but have never seen the Holy Spirit move in their midst. 

Worse yet, we have pastors who know how to lead a service but not how to move in the gifts of the Spirit. We have worship leaders who know how to lead a service, but not how to set the stage for the Holy Spirit to move in the midst. Many Christians know about Him, but don't know Him. They don't know the Father. 

We all need to know that Christ really does live in us and speaks to us, and guides us, and shows us things to come. Without Him in our midst we have a form of godliness but don't know the power thereof. 

Just like in the early church in Acts 2-4, just like in Rome during times of persecution, just like in nations in the last 2,000 years that have persecuted Christians, there is coming a time when many of those Christians who are in close relationships with others in home based meetings will have their needs met while many on the outside will be in need. Even in the US, we may have a reprieve, but that is all it is. Remember what the Lord told me 2/4/2001: "As it was in the beginning so it must be now; I'm moving in relationships." 

Sobering to think about - new subject next week, until then, blessings,

John Fenn

Church Without Walls International

This is a series for the times we are living in. I am sharing all three installments of the topic with prophetic video at the beginning of each one.

Maranatha,

Anna

 

 

The Reason Behind the Reason; Refusing to be the Same #2 of 3 - John Fenn

 Prophetic: Election and 2021

Hi all,

Last week I mentioned the reason the church has been persecuted through the ages is because they were different from the culture and society around them. But not just that we are different; we refuse to be the same.

This is what is going on now in the body of Christ in nations largely considered to have Christian roots: Christians are choosing to either quietly integrate and adopt the values of the culture around them, or they are choosing to be different by standing firm on their beliefs, morals, and convictions. 

The pattern of persecution - it starts with culture turning against

We find what first happens is a change of culture that turns people against one another. Consider Daniel was 'turned in' to the king by his peers and coworkers. People even start reporting on their neighbors. In Acts 5: 12-13 it says many healings and miracles happened among the believers, who met in home-based churches. 

But outside of those home meetings and that circle of people on the 'same spiritual page', in society as a whole it says the people who weren't believers were afraid of them and no one dared join themselves to them. Why were they afraid of them? Persecution? In part. But they were also different from the culture and they refused to conform. Yet in their difference from society God was manifesting Himself in healings and miracles. So a tug of war began in the hearts of the people: The average citizen might say, 'Here is a group hated by the authorities which makes me afraid, yet God is in their midst which is what I want most of all.' 

In the very next verse it says many became believers and were added to the faith. 

That apparent contradiction reveals a split in society at that time - there was fear among the unbelievers and yet disciples were being made. They were different from the culture of the day, everyone knew what they stood for, and you were either for them or against them. 

Selected leaders to be made examples of

Soon the rulers in Israel began a policy of orchestrated arrests. Peter and John were brought before the leaders in Acts 4. Steven's arrest and execution in Acts 7 escalated the persecution. Saul of Tarsus became chief prosecutor after Steven's death, and in Acts 9 Saul, the future apostle Paul, meets Jesus outside Damascus. This stopped the Jewish leaders in Israel's efforts to carry the persecution of the church beyond the borders of Israel.

By Acts 12 we are told (in Jerusalem) Herod had killed the apostle John's brother, James, by the sword and arrested Peter with the same intent. 

Notice the seed of State persecution began when the leaders were successful in making citizens afraid of Christians. The fear of the Jews in Jerusalem was that these Christians would try to force their beliefs (religion) on them, threatening the Jewish religion and laws and the culture of Israel. But at this point the federal government of Rome is not yet fully involved. 

Character assassination

In Mark 14: 55-58 we find the leaders prosecuting Jesus at trial with false witnesses, some of whom took His words out of context and twisted His words from original intent to fit their agenda.

In our day we see the same character assassination, words twisted, words out of context for anyone who does not conform to the prevailing anti-conservative anti-Jewish/Christian culture. Here and there are cases against selected people who stand in the way of the larger agenda. But a time is coming as it did for the church and Rome, where the whole of the culture will turn against and even blame Christians, Jews, and conservatives for whatever is wrong in a nation. 

They try to make persecution a federal case

It is about 52AD in Acts 18: 12-18, roughly 20 years after Pentecost. In Corinth, Greece we see persecutors of the faith taking their case outside the region of Israel in an effort to get the federal government of Rome involved against Christians.  

In Corinth was a Roman Senator and Judge, Gallio. He is well known historically outside of the Biblical text for several reasons, among them that he was the brother of the famous Roman writer, Seneca. Lucius Junius Gallio Annaeanus was his full name, and when the Jews brought suit against Paul in federal court, they claimed Paul caused people to disobey the Jewish law and therefore they felt, Roman law.

Gallio 'cared for none of these things' and dismissed the case. He sent it back to the Jewish religion and their courts, not involving the federal government of Rome. His dismissal sent a clear message legally speaking, that unless these Christians clearly violated federal law Rome would not entertain such a lawsuit. 

For Christians, Gallio had such influence being a Roman Senator and Judge, that the church overall had relative peace on a federal level for about 10 years, until Nero began his persecutions in the year 64. Though Paul was continually persecuted by unbelieving Jews during this time, the bulk of his letters which form our New Testament were written in this decade. (Romans, I & II Corinthians, Galatians, I & II Thessalonians, Philemon, possibly Hebrews)

Soon however it wouldn't be the unbelieving Jews that would scheme to show Rome that Christians violated Roman federal law; Christians would do that for them, for Roman laws were about to change. 

And that is where we'll pick it up next week. Hopefully you see a pattern, for what I'm sharing of our past is now in our present, and soon to be in our future. Until next week, blessings,

John Fenn

Church Without Walls International

This is a series for the times we are living in. I am sharing all three installments of the topic with prophetic video at the beginning of each one.

Maranatha,

Anna

 

The Reason Behind the Reason; Conformity #1 of 3 - John Fenn

This is a series for the times we are living in. I am sharing all three installments of the topic with prophetic video at the beginning of each one.

Maranatha,

Anna 

Prophetic: Election and 2021 

 

Hi all,

I made the observation in my book Return of the First Church that the early church was a counter-culture movement whereas the modern auditorium church is now merely a sub-culture of the world around it. 

A sub-culture is a small self-insulated group within a larger society, and has it's own beliefs, terminology, world view, and often its own manner of dress. Back in high school days sub-cultures at your school may have included the athletes and cheerleaders in one culture, the gangs in another, the skaters, the nerds, and so on each in their respective cultures. Each sub-culture in that school was unique, yet existed in the larger society of high school, all moving in the same direction - towards graduation. Sub-cultures generally move in the same direction as society as a whole. 

The sub-culture mentality is why churches have fallen into the error of thinking if they had the quality of the world in their facilities, if their 'worship' resembled the world's rock concert, if they had professional elements of a concert, they would attract new people to their auditorium church. They look like the world, sound like it, talk like it, in an effort to be relevant. They are moving in the same direction as the world. They are a sub-culture. 

A counter-culture is a way of life with values that are opposed to the prevailing society. A counter-culture is moving in the opposite direction of local culture and the world. 

Most of what Jesus said was counter-culture. Consider Matthew 5: 43-48: "You have heard it said to love your neighbors but hate your enemies. But I say to you to love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who persecute you so that you may be like your Father in heaven." 

That is counter-culture. He commands a way of life and values directly opposed to the prevailing society and culture around Him. That was powerful. Life-changing. Opposite of all that culture and society believed. Love your enemies. Pray for them. Do good to them. That is counter-culture. 

That is where the power of the body of Christ lies, within its place as a counter-culture. 

Blame God for this one; The Counter-culture

God is the one who started the early church at Pentecost, and He birthed it to be counter-culture because it (we) adhere to the teachings of Jesus. God had moved out of the temple and into human beings and that was exactly opposite of the whole religious culture of the day. The synagogue system was run by aristocratic elites who said God lived in the building, while the church was run by uneducated fishermen who said God lives in people. 

The Jewish elites were centralized to the temple system, which directed all money, power, and attention to themselves. The church was decentralized as God moved out of the temple and into human beings, giving them the freedom to meet together with other living temples as they chose, to give to one another, to support one another and their leaders at will. All this and more was exactly opposite of the existing temple system which dictated what the people heard, how they gave, how they were to include the temple in their lives, and how to interact with one another - Having Christ in people as living temples was and remains a counter-culture. 

The reason behind the reason persecution happens

If we can lay aside for a moment what we all understand as the spiritual reason for persecution - we all know the devil hates God and God's people so he stirs people to persecute us - to look at it from cultural perspective, we will see something.

What made the rulers of Babylon persecute Daniel? 

What made the rulers of Babylon persecute the 3 Hebrew men to the point they put them in the furnace?

What made the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem persecute the early church?

What made the Roman Caesars persecute the Christians? 

What made Nazi Germany persecute the Jews and Christians? (Neot only did about 6 million Jews die in the camps, but another roughly 5 million Christians and political prisoners died there as well.)

What made the USSR persecute Jews and Christians? 

Why are Christians being persecuted today in nations dominated by religions other than Christianity? 

The answer is simple: They were different. 

The deeper answer beyond that: Not only were the different, but they refused to be the same. 

The still deeper answer beyond that: They insisted on their own identity rather than how the State identified them. (Using an emotional crutch, traitors, rebels, mentally ill, dangerous to society, etc)

In each example they were hated because they were counter-culture. A counter-culture refuses to conform to the expectations of society. A counter-culture moves in the opposite direction as the common culture of the day. 

In nations considered culturally Christian, the Father and our Lord are making it so the body of Christ is a counter-culture once again. And we'll pick it up there next week. For those who have ears to hear, you'll recognize this is prophetic....until next week, 

Blessings,

John Fenn

Conspiracy Theories ...

I recommend the following video:

Bible Prophecy Update – October 18, 2020

Pastor JD warns about the dangers concerning “Conspiracy Theories” being either completely dismissed or leaving one confused not knowing what to believe despite the fact that it’s the truth. Subscribe to Pastor J.D.’s new prophecy website at http://jdfarag.org   

Prophecy Update Links:

Origin of the Term “Conspiracy Theory/CIA Document - https://wikispooks.com/wiki/Conspirac... 

Britannica, Cognitive Dissonance - https://www.britannica.com/science/co... 

Wikipedia List of Conspiracy’s - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of... 

Encyclopedia, Gnosticism - https://www.encyclopedia.com/philosop... 

Dr. Creep, Lyrics, Pandemic, 2013 - https://genius.com/Dr-creep-pandemic-... 

Dr. Creep Research of “Conspiracy Theories” in 2012 for 2020 Pandemic - https://theeasternlink.com/pandemic-a... 

YouTube Testimony, Nick Soden - Sydney Australia, “Convert a Cabbie” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-ikk...

Maranatha,

Anna

 

Have You Ever Held On To Anything So Tight ...

that it hurt when God pried your fingers off?! 

After the flood of 1994 in Leesburg, GA, I saw two different reactions: 

• Falling on their knees in love, worship, faith, submission, provision and finding sheltering protection under God's wings.

  Matthew 6:21 Context

  ¹⁸That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. ¹⁹Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: ²⁰But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: ²¹For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ²²The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. ²³But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! ²⁴No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 

  
  

• Shaking their fist in anger at God for taking away their 'things' 

Ephesians 4:26 Context 

²³And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; ²⁴And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. ²⁵Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. ²⁶Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: ²⁷Neither give place to the devil. ²⁸Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. ²⁹Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.  

I was listening to a Thursday night teaching, and I appreciated what the pastor was saying when he made the analogy that it is almost as if God is making our Christian residence on this earth less appealing every day! Watching everything that is going on, it is easy to see how this could be! I am ready to leave and go HOME!

Maranatha,
Anna

Does the Lord Have a Word ...

^{for these days? There will not be a return to life as we knew it before the lock down. In light of this, we should look to God's Holy Word to see what He expects from His children!
I am sharing what God brought across my path to teach me. A while back, He corrected me to lay down all the social media and let the conspiracy talk go. I am going to share what God said to a pastor that I follow that was seeking Him for answers. Holy Spirit quickened my spirit to walk this way, as well, and to share this word with others. Please ask Holy Spirit to give you God's wisdom to understand these words the Lord gave to the prophet Isaiah!}

^{Isaiah 8:10-14 (KJV) 10} Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God [is] with us. ¹¹ For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, ¹² Say ye not, A confederacy, to all [them to] whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. ¹³ Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and [let] him [be] your fear, and [let] him [be] your dread. ^14a And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Isaiah 8:10 "Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God [is] with us."

"God is with us". The Hebrew is Immanuel. The name of the virgin’s child (7:14), guaranteed the eventual triumph of the faithful remnant of Israel.

Plans made against God and His people will never work. The Assyrians will be the sufferers in the end. These people the Assyrians are attacking are God's people. This could not happen, had God not allowed it. The victory for Assyria is short-lived.

Isaiah 8:11 "For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,"

"With a strong hand". God inspired Isaiah with compelling power to speak a message that by its nature distanced him from the people he ministered to.

This is the LORD speaking to Isaiah. Isaiah was in the hand of the LORD. Isaiah was not an idolater. He was separated from the sins of this people. He was speaking all of this representing God. He was speaking as an ambassador for God with God's message to this people.

God was his protection. It was as if he were hidden in the hand of the LORD.

Isaiah 8:12 "Say ye not, A confederacy, to all [them to] whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid."

A Confederacy means conspiracy. Many in Israel considered Isaiah, Jeremiah, and other profits to be servants of the enemy when they advocated a policy of non-reliance on foreign powers and complete dependence on the Lord alone (see Jeremiah 37:13-15).

Isaiah was to say, "Do not make a deal with these Assyrians". Isaiah is calling for the few who would, to stand up for God and be counted. He reminded them, their strength is in the LORD, and they should not fear what these worldly people could do to them.

Isaiah 8:13 "Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and [let] him [be] your fear, and [let] him [be] your dread."

"Sanctify" in the verse above means to separate the LORD and worship only Him. Fear God only. The fear, or reverence, of God is the beginning of wisdom. They were not to fear the Assyrians. This is a call to worship and fear only the LORD.

Isaiah 8:14 "And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem."

“Sanctuary … Stone of stumbling”: Isaiah found encouragement in the Lord as his holy place of protection from his accusers. The New Testament applies this verse to corporate Israel in her ongoing rejection of Jesus as Messiah (Luke 2:34; Romans 9:32-33; 1 Peter 2:8). Both the houses of Israel will be collapsed until the return of the Messiah to the earth restores them.

Those, who fear and reverence the LORD, will be hid in Him. He will be their safe haven. He will protect them from all harm. Those, who do not, will stumble and fall. The same Rock (Jesus Christ), which saves the believers is a stone of stumbling to those who do not believe. He is their downfall.

He is saying that those of the house of Israel, or of Judah, who do not continue in faith in the LORD, will fall. This message can be to the many Christians today who do not remain with the Lord.

Jerusalem would fall then. Zion (the church of the Lord Jesus Christ), will fall now, if we do not fear and reverence the Lord and walk daily in His ways.
Reference for the preceding: 
https://www.bible-studys.org/Bible%20Books/Isaiah/Isaiah%20Chapter%208.html

^{Conspiracy? -- John Fenn video April 2020}

^{Description: A passage from scripture the Lord dropped in my heart a couple weeks ago that I share with everyone. It addresses the many voices out there and instructions from the Lord on how to handle ourselves during this pandemic.}

In the video, John starts out telling how he had been seeking the Lord for two or three weeks: "You know, seeking Him about how should I act, what should I do, what should my mindset be? The Lord

dropped into my spirit Isaiah chapter 8 verses 10 through 14a and the context in Isaiah is that the Assyrians are their enemy and there's much word, much talk, about is it really an alliance with them? Is there a secret agreement going on? Is Assyria going to attack?  There were all kinds of things

going on at the time and and so the Lord gave Isaiah this in Isaiah chapter 8 verses 10 through 14." The Lord forcefully warned John not to act like these people, do not say conspiracy every time these people say the word. The next thing is do not be afraid of what makes them afraid. Do not be scared, do not be afraid of what scares them.  Do not be terrified. You must recognize the authority of the Lord of Heavens Armies. He is the one to respect! He is the one we fear! He will become a

sanctuary and yet a stumbling block to those who don't believe." 

 

I pray that you have eyes to see and ears to hear so that you are teachable in the ways of the Lord!

 

Maranatha,

Anna

Giving You All That I Am ...

With Lifted Hands - Ryan Stevenson

"With Lifted Hands"

I have tasted
All that this world has to offer
The here and gone
That leaves you wanting more
But can't satisfy

Father forgive me
For taking so long to see
That you're all I need

With every heartbeat in my chest
Lord I surrender all that I have
The days yet to come
The days in the past
I'm giving you all I am
With lifted hands
With lifted hands

You show me mercy
When I've done nothing to deserve it
You see the best in me beneath the dust
Because that's how you love
That's how you love

You rush through my veins
I'm wrecked and I'm changed
And my soul will sing

With every heartbeat in my chest
Lord I surrender all that I have
The days yet to come
The days in the past
I'm giving you all I am
With lifted hands
With lifted hands

Heaven or grave
There is no place
I can go to escape
Your love
Heaven or grave
There is no place
I can go to escape
Your love

So with every heartbeat in my chest
Lord I surrender all that I have
The days yet to come
And the days in the past
I'm giving you all, all that I am
I'm giving you all, all that I am
With lifted hands
With lifted hands
With lifted hands
With lifted hands

Heavenly Father,

I lift my hands to you in Praise and Worship. You are the great I AM! May everyone that Holy Spirit leads to this blog (and any of its posts) be blessed beyond measure. May they accept Jesus as their Savior and begin the supernatural discipleship journey! For those saved but lukewarm or wanting to give you more of themselves, I pray with them for your wisdom that they would know the meat of the Living Word and not continue on milk only. I pray Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven! In Jesus name, I ask. Amen!

Maranatha,

Anna

Worship "in spirit and in truth" ...

Worship comes in many forms:
Prayer -- pray His word back to Him, praise and give thanks, listen to  music and sing, spend time in His presence, listen to Holy Spirit and renew your joy in the Lord. These are only a few ways, there are many more. Worship is not just for a corporate body of believers but it is also a personal and private experience between each of us and God!

“But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way.” –John 4:23 

The good news is, you can worship God "in spirit and in truth" anywhere — and worship is a powerful spiritual exercise in any believer’s life.

What Does Worshiping ‘in Truth’ Mean?

“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8, NKJV). 
 We do not worship as the world believes! Rather we focus on the message and the truth of Jesus Christ. 
“Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts” (Colossians 3:16).

The Bible outlines seven different types of worship, and they are all appropriate, with each having its place. Let’s examine them: 

Barak–To kneel, to bless God, to bow down -- Barak means to bow down to, or kneel before, the Lord. It communicates that the Lord holds a place of importance and helps us remember just how great He is. Barak is not done out of a begging attitude but rather an expectant attitude, because the Lord is more than willing and able to move on our behalf. Psalm 72:12-15

Halal–To be clear, to shine, to boast, to show, to rave, to celebrate, to be clamorously foolish -- Halal appears more than 110 times in the Old Testament. It translates as to shine, boast, rave about, celebrate or even to be clamorously foolish. Can you imagine a more wondrous noise raving about about all the Lord is and all He has done? 1 Chronicles 16:4

Shabach–To shout loudly, to command -- Shabach means to shout loudly or command. Of course, it isn’t simply about being loud. Its focus is to worship the Lord with one’s whole being. Psalm 47:1

Tehillah–To sing praises, singing out of the spirit spontaneously -- Tehillah means to sing unrehearsed, unplanned praises to the Lord. It can include adding words to an existing song or even singing in the spirit to the Lord. Psalm 22:3

Towdah–Extending hands, acting out of thanksgiving for what has or will be done -- Towdah is a type of worship that includes extending your hands or raising them in thanksgiving for something that has been done or will be done. Psalm 50:23

Yadah– Extending the hands vigourously -- Yadah means to extend your hands vigorously as in complete surrender. 2 Chronicles 20:21

Zamar – To touch the strings, to make music with instruments, mostly rejoicing -- Zamar means to touch the strings. It involves rejoicing and making music to the Lord. Psalm 150:3-6

Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you about the seven ways to worship "in spirit and in truth."  Remember, praising God is to be on our lips, or spoken (Isaiah 57:19), and we are to do it continually as a sacrifice (Hebrews 13:15). God promises that when we praise and worship Him, He inhabits those praises (Psalm 22:3), and it gives us strength to defeat our enemy (Psalm 8:2)

Maranatha
Anna

There Was Jesus ...

When the life I built came crashing to the ground 
When the friends I had were nowhere to be found 
I couldn't see it then but I can see it now 
There was Jesus 

Zach Williams, Dolly Parton - There Was Jesus (Official Music Video)

There Was Jesus 
Every time I tried to make it on my own 
Every time I tried to stand and start to fall 
All those lonely roads that I have travelled on 
There was Jesus 

When the life I built came crashing to the ground 
When the friends I had were nowhere to be found 
I couldn't see it then but I can see it now 
There was Jesus 

Chorus
In the waiting, in the searching 
In the healing and the hurting 
Like a blessing buried in the broken pieces 
Every minute, every moment 
Of where I been and where I'm going 
Even when I didn't know it 
Or couldn't see it 
There was Jesus 

 For this man who needs amazing kind of grace 
For forgiveness at a price I couldn’t pay 
I’m not perfect so I thank God every day 
There was Jesus 

Chorus

On the mountain in the valleys (There was Jesus) 
In the shadows of the alleys (There was Jesus) 
In the fire, in the flood (There was Jesus) 
Always is and always was I never walk alone

I don't know where you are walking today. Are you at peace? Are you worried? Are you hurting? Are you happy? It doesn't matter what state you find yourself during these chaotic times ... always remember ... THERE WAS JESUS! 

In Revelation 2:4 , Jesus says to the church in Ephesus, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” 
It means “first in time or place; first in rank; first, at the first” (Strong's #4413 - πρῶτος - Old & New Testament Greek Lexicon ).


If this is where you find yourself, look to the Lord and return to your FIRST LOVE! If you don't know Jesus as your Savior, NOW is the best time to accept His sacrifice for YOU! This may be the very last time you hear this ... we are not promised our next breath ... so don't put it off!

Maranatha,
Anna