8/7/20

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


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

8/6/20

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

8/4/20

Once Saved Always Saved ...

Only one problem, this doctrine is, in fact, completely foreign in the history of Christianity!

It’s Not a Historical Doctrine

The well-known and highly respected Calvinist theologian, John Jefferson Davis wrote an article titled: “The Perseverance of the Saints: A History of the Doctrine” [Journal of Evangelical Theological Society 34:2 (June 1991)]. What I find interesting about this article is that John Jefferson Davis concludes that the doctrine is a new doctrine that has no precedent in history 
John Calvin created this doctrine from a misinterpretation of Saint Augustine's Treatise on the Gift of Perseverance, written around A. D. 429. Augustine believed it was possible to experience the justifying grace of God and yet not persevere to the end.Aug 29, 2016. (The Perseverance of the Saints: A History of the Doctrine by John Jefferson Davis, 1991)

This site contains links and information. The following is one short 
Quote:
James Akin, a Catholic theologian, said in a debate with Calvinist theologian James White that no one before Calvin taught that predestination to grace automatically entails predestination to glory. End Quote 

Please watch the three video links below. John Fenn was saved as a teenager and has walked with the Lord since that day. His teachings are scriptural and solidly based on God's Word! Each video is about 10-12 minutes long but full of wisdom.

Once Saved Always Saved: 3 teachings by John Fenn, Church Without Walls International:





In these final moments, please seek the Lord for Salvation if you aren't saved, His peace that passes all understanding, and His wisdom for the days are evil!

Maranatha,
Anna