Sweet Dreams!

Sweet Dreams!

There are times when my dear hubby has to travel for work.  I do not, DO NOT do well when he is gone.  Last time he was gone for just one night, I ended up sleeping in the recliner, with a couple lights on throughout the house.  I've always struggled with fear, and it seems to quadruple when JC is gone.  I have many stories of times when JC was gone (I'll save them for another post!), and how God settled my fears and showed me that my protection and shelter is in Him and Him alone.  Every time, God has been faithful, but in my human weakness, I tend to fear over and over again.  Here in the next couple months my hubby will be traveling once again for just a few nights, and once again God has shown Himself to be so faithful!!  As I've been spending time in my daily devotions, over last few days, reading the Word and praying...God has lead me to read many different scriptures that all speak of our safety and shelter being in God and God alone, but more than that, He has lead me to scriptures that specifically speak of sleeping in peace and protection, without fear.  

I wrote down a list of these scriptures for me to reference when those fears try to come in...and I thought I'd share it with you. I am so thankful for these scriptures, that give us promises of peace, protection, and safety.

Psalm 3:5

I lay down and slept,

yet I woke up in safety,

for the Lord was watching over me.

Psalm 4:8

In peace I will lie down and sleep,

for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

Psalm 34:7

For the angel of the Lord is a guard;

he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

Proverbs 3:24

When you lie down, you will not be afraid; 

when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

God is sooooo good!! 

Keep The Faith!!

Habakkuk 3:17-19

A Hymn of Faith

17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,

Nor fruit be on the vines;

Though the labor of the olive may fail,

And the fields yield no food;

Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,

And there be no herd in the stalls-

18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19 The LORD God is my strength;

He will make my feet like deer's feet,

And He will make me walk on my high hills.

As we go through life we all go through rough places or times...Habakkuk was going through one of those rough times, when he wrote these verses.  Israel was under attack...and when he cried out to the Lord for help, God informed him that the Chaldeans, "A bitter and hasty nation" would come and overtake Israel.  As you might imagine, this was not what Habakkuk was wanting to hear...but the Lord told him to write out the vision and wait for it's fulfillment, for "the just shall live by his faith".  In other words, God is saying, though it may be a long time before you see these things come about, keep watching, keep believing, keep your faith, because "the just shall live by his faith" - If you lose your faith, you surely won't make it!!    

Habakkuk's was afraid when he heard all that God was telling him.  Chapter 3:2 "O LORD, I have heard Your speech and was afraid;"  But in the following verses Habakkuk reminds himself of the glory and power of God.  After 15 verses of remembering the greatness and fullness of God...Habakkuk suddenly is filled with "A Hymn of Faith" And wrote out verses 17-19.   

What can we learn from this? 

God always has a plan, and though we may not always like it, God will get us through the rough places if we keep our faith!!

When the circumstances around us cause fear to rise in our hearts, we need to remind ourselves, of the God we serve, and turn fear into faith.

When we turn fear into faith...we will find the Joy of the Lord, and God will be our strength to get us through the rough spots in life.  

I am so glad we serve a living, powerful, merciful and loving God!!

God is good!! 

Fire Drill!

Fire Drill!

This morning a few minutes after arriving home from taking my daughter to school...I heard the familiar sound of  the schools fire alarm...I watched out the back window of our home, as all the teachers and students filed out of the school to their predetermined locations in the field behind our house.  I could recognize the teachers from my daughter's kindergarten class, and knew that among all the kids dressed in bright colors, my daughter was there...learning what to do in the event of a true emergency.  

As I stood there and watched, until they all gradually went back inside...I thought about a couple things.  

1. I was thankful that today's alarm was just a drill, a practice, there was no fire, no true emergency...my kiddo is safe! 

2. I felt gratitude to all the teachers and staff who work so hard to prepare our young children for a true emergency if/when they have one. 

3. I thought about life.  Every thing we do, everywhere we go, the good times and the bad, and how we even as adults could learn much from these kids who are practicing how they will react when the emergency comes.  

We never know what today holds, or how tomorrow will go.  We can however work today, to be prepared and ready for whatever life may bring.  

How? How do we prepare and get ready for something that is unknown?  

By getting to know the One who holds all of our tomorrows. By learning to trust, and lean on God, even in the good times. We must make sure our source of strength, and our source of hope is God and God alone. 

We cannot place our trust and hope in this world, in money, in our job, in the roof above our heads, in the food we've packed into our pantry, or friends and family we love and depend on daily. All of these things are great, and wonderful...but we must realize that all of these things can fail...they can run out, wear out, disappear, or leave us wanting...Only God, the creator of Heaven and Earth...the one who formed the stars, and knows the number of hairs on our head...He and He alone can be our everything. 

 When we come to the place of trusting Him completely, of making Him the source for all we need...the things of this life, the good and the bad, the known and the unknown, past, present and future, will not shake us, will not wear us down, or knock us out. We will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth fruit in it's season, our leaves will not wither, and whatever we do will prosper. (Psalm 1:3) We will mount up with wings like eagles, we will run and not grow weary, we will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31) 

Today, right now, this is the time to get ready, to be prepared...to start working on a growing, and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ.   Let's dig our roots down deep into God's Word, so that when the storms of life come, we will be planted  so deeply in Him, nothing can move or shake us! 

Psalms 91

Psalms 91

Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”

I love this chapter! God is mighty to save us, protect us, and provide for us.  Not only is He more than able, He wants to do all of this for us.  

Today, I am so thankful that when we place our trust, and hope in God, choosing to take refuge in Him and Him alone, dwelling daily in His presence...all of the promises in this chapter become ours!  

God is so good!! 

If God Is For Us, Who Can Stand Against???

If God Is For Us, Who Can Stand Against???

Exodus 14

The Red Sea Crossing

1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea.3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ 4 Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him. 7 Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. 8 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness. 9 

So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, 

and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.

10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. 

So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. 

11 Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”

13 And 

Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today.

For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 

The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

15 And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. 17 And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

19 And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. 20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the 

Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.

22 So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

24 Now it came to pass,

in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. 25 And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty;

and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” 27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 

Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh 

that came into the sea after them. 

Not so much as one of them remained. 29 But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

30 So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.

I absolutely love this chapter!! I have read this story of the great exodus out of Egypt many times, but as I've read through it this last week or so, I could not help but focus on this chapter!  

I can't get past how God lead them to a place where they couldn't continue without His help. And then God used the situation to not only show the Israelites His might, power, and authority...but He also brought down the Egyptian armies and all their chariots and horses in one fell swoop.  

Most of the time when you hear this story the focus in on the parting waters and walking across on dry ground...but there is a lot more that God did, than just part the waters...He shielded the Israelites from the Egyptians with the pillar of fire and the cloud...so that the Israelites had light, and the Egyptians had only darkness.  God cause confusion in the armies of the Egyptians, and He took the wheels off of their chariots.

God in His great goodness, worked such an amazing miracle here, I just can't even comprehend what it must have been like for the Israelites.  It is clear in this passage that they were fearful, and not sure that God would come through.  But that didn't stop God from working on their behalf.  I believe the same is true for us today...God will guide us in the path that is best for us, even when we question why, and don't see how it could work out for good.  God has a plan, and when we can't continue on our own, when we are stuck with no way to go back and  no way forward...The Lord says that same thing to us today as He did to the Israelites, through Moses,  "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today....Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."  

God will make a way, and I believe with my whole heart, when He does, His power and glory, His mighty hand in our lives will be so clearly evident, no one will be able to deny it!! 

So thankful to be a child of God!

What a joy and a privilege to be counted among the sons and daughters of the Most High God!

Where Are Your Thoughts???

Where Are Your Thoughts???

Today as I read in the book of Mark, there is one thing that really stood out to me. Jesus is conversing with His disciples, asking them who people say He is, and Peter boldly states, that Jesus is the Christ. and then just a few minutes later in the same conversation, Jesus and Peter's conversation takes a major change in direction. Read it with me...

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

27 Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?”

28 So they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”

29 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”

30 Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.  

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection

31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 

32 He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 

33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

It is amazing to me how one minute Peter is speaking words of truth, something that could only have been revealed to Him through the Holy Spirit...and within moments he makes the mistake of rebuking Jesus.  

When I read Jesus' words, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”  It hit me, this is an area we all struggle with!  We worship and praise God with our lips, we declare who He is, and then when we find out His plan is different than how we think it should go, we quickly try to change His mind.  We argue with God, trying to persuade Him that our way would be better.  We very quickly go from Holy Spirit inspired, to speaking words contrary to God's will.  

How do we make that switch?  How do we go from inspired thinking, to contrary thinking?  It's simple, we focus on the things of this world, on our own wants and desires, instead of on God's Word and God's ways.

If we want to make sure that we don't make the same mistake that Peter made, we must be mindful of the things of God, not mindful of the things of man!   

So where are your thoughts today?  Are you focusing on God's Word, God's promises, on things of God?  Or have you allowed the things of this world to come in and distract you?

Let's pray!

Heavenly Father,  We need Your help! We tend to so quickly loose our focus on You, and tend to focus on worldly things.  It is our desire to please You, we want to think on Your Word and to see things from Your perspective.   But we can't do it on our own.  Father, please open our eyes, open our hearts...speak to us and show us your ways.  Lead and guide our thoughts, our words, and our every decision.  You are a great and might God!  We put our trust in you completely! We lay down our own wants and desires, because we know that whatever you have planned for us will far exceed anything we can hope for or imagine! 

Thank You Father!

We ask this in Jesus name!  AMEN.

A Step of Faith

A Step of Faith

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you know what you are supposed to do, but you have no idea how you are going to get from point A (where you are now) to point B (where God is leading you)?   It won't be easy, the path may be clouded, and rocky, or not visible at all. You may be tempted to fear and draw back. Thoughts may fill up your mind, such as, "This is crazy, I must have heard God wrong, this can't be right, I better just go back to point A!"  The only way you will make it from point A (where you are now) to point B (where God is leading you) is walking by faith...

Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

In other words, Faith is the actions we take based on a hope we have received through a promise that is not yet been fulfilled.  Faith is trusting God to come through on His Word!  

So when your at point A (where you are now) and need to get to point B (where God is leading you); what do you do? Do you trust in your own strength? Do you Trust in your friends and companions? Do you trust in your loved ones, your family? Or do you Trust in the Lord? 

Here is what God's Word says on the matter...

Micah 7:5-7

Do not trust in a friend;

Do not put your confidence in a companion;

Guard the doors of your mouth

From her who lies in your bosom.

For son dishonors father,

Daughter rises against her mother,

Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;

A man’s enemies are the men of his own household.

Therefore I will look to the Lord;

I will wait for the God of my salvation;

My God will hear me.

Did you catch that? Read it again.

Micah 7:5-7

Do not trust in a friend;

Do not put your confidence in a companion;

Guard the doors of your mouth

From her who lies in your bosom.

For son dishonors father,

Daughter rises against her mother,

Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;

A man’s enemies are the men of his own household.

Therefore I will look to the Lord;

I will wait for the God of my salvation;

My God will hear me.

Look to the Lord!  He is the source of our Salvation, He will hear us when we call. He will get us from point A (where we are) to Point B (where He is leading us). He is all we need!!

There is no better promise! 

I am so thankful that no matter what, God is in control and He is all I'll ever need!! Hallelujah!


Take that step of faith and just watch as the Lord works!! 

GOD IS GOOD!!!!

Good Morning Holy Spirit Chapter 8

Good Morning Holy Spirit

Chapter 8: A Mighty Entrance

1. Do you have an answer in your heart to the personal question, What does the Lord have in store for me?

Yes, I know that God has great plans for me, plans to prosper me, plans for a hope and a future.  But I also know that God desires that in all things we grow to become more like Christ daily.  We were made to be a refection of Him...everything we go through, whether good or bad, all works out for good, it all brings about God's plan in our lives, and there is nothing better than God's plan for us.

2. How can you find the answer to the previous question?

The only way to know what the Lord has in store for you, is to know Him personally.  Spend time in His Presence, and in His Word, ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and to lead and guide you...it won't be long before you see that every promise in God's Word is for you, and all God's promises are true, He hasn't failed yet and He never will...He is faithful at all times in all things.

3. What is the Father's great desire for us?

The Father's greatest desire is to have a personal relationship with us, to see the reflection of His Son in us.  You see without Jesus in us, we have no place in God's Presence, without Jesus' refection we are not good enough, nothing we do will ever be enough...that is why we needed a Savior, and still need a Savior today...It is only through Jesus that we can boldly stand in the presence of the Most High God.

4. Read the complete book of Acts. In your own words, write down God's plan for us.

I believe that God's plan for us is this...To be cleansed and forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus, to walk daily in His presence, to be lead by the Holy Spirit, to change from glory to glory, becoming more like Jesus everyday.  We are to live victoriously, boldly, and righteously. We are to have faith, not fear, to love and serve others with meekness and humility, and to make our relationship with God our first priority, then all of the other things will fall into place. God has taken care of everything, He is so good!

5. What is the purpose of the signs that follow in the Holy Spirit's presence?

I believe the purpose of the signs that follow the Holy Spirit's presence is to build believers faith, and to show the non-believer that God is real.  The signs are to bring God glory, not man. They always lead people directly to Christ.

6. Is the Holy Spirit for everyone? Is He here today for you? How do you know? Read Acts 5:32; 

10:44-46.

Yes, He is for everyone! Yes, He is here today for all of us! I know these things because of what I've read in the scriptures,  but I also know through experience, the Holy Spirit has touched my life, and I will never be the same.  

7. What is the foundation and authority for all of the work the Holy Spirit was sent to do?

The foundation and authority for everything the Holy Spirit does is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Good Morning Holy Spirit - Chapter 2

Good Morning Holy Spirit

Chapter 2 - From Jaffa to the Ends of the Earth

1.Do you talk with the Lord in your prayers as if He was a good friend who stopped by? Practice spontaneous and open prayer right now.

It may seem odd at first, talking out loud to someone you can't see...but I have found that the times when I speak to Jesus as if He is right there, like a friend who came to visit, these are some of the most wonderful times of communion and closeness.  I encourage you to try it!

2. Do you need to suffer for God to take you seriously? Why, or why not?

No! I believe that there are times of suffering, and those times help us to draw on our faith in Jesus, and when we walk through the hard times leaning on Him, we come out stronger than we were before. But even in the good times when we call on the Lord He hears us, and is right there with us.  We should always lean on the Lord and trust Him, and stay in close communion with Him whether in good or bad times.

3. How do you interpret the author's dream about being a prisoner in chains and led down endless stairs?

I believe that the Lord was showing Benny, that he was slowly being pulled and lead down into the evil and darkness of sin.  It was showing Benny that he had a need for a Savior.  

4. In the same dream, what is the symbolism of the angel's appearance and the shackles falling from the author's hands and feet?

The Angel in the dream represented Salvation through Jesus, when we accept this amazing gift, His sacrifice on the cross pays the price for our sins and we are set freed from our chains and burdens and He brings us out of the darkness into His glorious light.  

5. Does God use dreams and visions to send messages to "ordinary" men and women? describe a dream that seemed to carry a message for you.

Absolutely! God has given me many dreams in my lifetime, and though I have not always understood them right away, in God's time He reveals what they mean.  Just this last December God gave me a dream, it would take too long to tell the whole thing, but the gist is this...

All my friends and family were gathered together at my house, and before we had time to realize all of what was going on, I mean by the time we heard, saw, and recognized it for what it really was, a huge bomber dropped two huge missiles on either side of the house.  Everything for miles around was gone, Everyone was in a panic trying to figure out what to do, Flames were lapping the side of the house and coming through the windows...I ran to get my girls out of their beds, and as I returned to the living room I woke up.

At first I focused on the panic, terror and horror of seeing great destruction all around, and living through such a terrible experience, because it was as real as a dream can get...Real!!  But for the next two weeks the Lord faithfully showed me through sermons I heard, scriptures I read, devotionals I read, even songs I heard on the radio, over and over again God showed me that this dream may have been a warning of something terrible coming, but that is not what God wanted me to focus on.  He wanted me to know that no matter the terror, or the fear, He is here, protecting us.  Not even huge missiles landing right outside our house can get through God's covering of protection.  I believe this dream is more a promise of protection from whatever may come, than a warning of things to come, and I am so thankful that God loves me enough to give me this promise personally, not just for me but for my friends and family as well. Thank you Jesus! You are so Good!!

Where a Desolate Soul Finds God - Francis Frangipane

Here is a excerpt from a book written by Francis Frangipane...I thought it was so good, I just have to share.  To find more from Pastor Frangipane please visit www.frangipane.org

________________________________________________
Where a Desolate Soul Finds God
By Francis Frangipane
(En Español)

In spite of breakthroughs in several regions, many Christians have grown weary. Their love is growing cold; their passions, lukewarm. The prophet Daniel warned of a time when the enemy would "…wear down the saints of the Highest One” (Dan. 7:25). To emerge victorious in this day, we must climb into the reality given to us by God in Psalm 91. There is a place of replenishing life, a fountain of light, wherein we can abide. The Bible calls this place the shelter of the Most High.

Elijah: A Man Like Us
Elijah was a man with passions like ours, and he fought in a spiritual war similar to ours. In his battle for the soul of Israel, he stood against the wiles of Jezebel and her husband, King Ahab. Yet his most intense battle was not against visible foes but against personal discouragement.

As bold as Elijah was, he lived as a fugitive moving in and out of caves and places of hiding. Jezebel had murdered nearly all of the Lord's prophets, replacing their godly influence with the dark, satanic oppression accompanying the priests of Baal and the Asherah. A new initiative, however, had come from the Lord: Both Elijah and the prophets of Baal were to build altars, each to the deity they each served. The God who answered with fire would be acknowledged as Lord over the nation.

King Ahab and all Israel came to the confrontation. Try as they may, the priests of Baal could draw no response from their demonic idol, Baal. In dramatic contrast, at Elijah's prayer, fire immediately fell from heaven and consumed his sacrifice. This was Elijah's greatest victory. And when the Israelites saw the display of God's power, they bowed to the ground saying, "The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God" (1 Kings 18:39).

But the Lord was not finished. After Elijah had the priests of Baal executed, he went to the top of Mount Carmel and, kneeling face down, he prayed seven times for rain until the Lord brought a great downpour that ended a devastating three-year drought. On this one day, both fire and rain miraculously fell from heaven!

Perhaps if this tremendous day had occurred at any other time in Israel's history, the nation would have repented, but it did not. Baal worship should have ended, but it continued. In fact, nothing changed. Instead of the revival that Elijah envisioned, the opposite occurred: an enraged Jezebel vowed to kill the Lord's prophet, spurring Elijah to flee into the wilderness. There Elijah collapsed, exhausted and despondent, beneath a juniper tree. "It is enough; now O Lord," the weary prophet prayed, "take my life, for I am not better than my fathers" (1 Kings 19:4).

Elijah had offered the Lord his very best effort. This day had been the culminating event of his life. Elijah had prayed that Israel would know the Lord was their God and that, in response, the Lord would turn Israel's "heart back again" (1 Kings 18:37). Yet, like the prophets before him, Elijah could not trigger revival for Israel.

Discouragement overwhelmed him. He had had enough.

Have you been to the point of spiritual or emotional exhaustion where you too have said, "It is enough"? Perhaps you were frustrated by your own inability to effect positive change in your family; or, you've fasted and prayed for your church or society but no visible change occurred. You gave your all but found little success. Disheartened and weary like Elijah, all your resources were spent.

Elijah lay down and slept. As he did, an angel touched him and said, "Arise, eat" (1 Kings 19:5). At his head were bread and water. Elijah, weary with life itself, ate and withdrew back into sleep.

Once more the angel touched him. "Arise," he said. "Eat, because the journey is too great for you" (v. 7). For all our visions, plans, and programs, the journey before each of us is also "too great." Indeed our journey will always, at various points, be too great for us. For life is so constructed to drive us closer to God.

Back to Our Foundations
“So [Elijah] arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God” (1 Kings 19:8).

The Lord gave Elijah strength, not to send him back to battle but to bring him back to basics. If we become more consumed with our task than we are with our love for God, our lives will eventually become brittle and desolate. To restore our souls, the Lord brings us back to the essentials of our faith. Indeed, He might even stop our labors completely and direct us to the simpler realities of prayer, time in the Word, and worship. He reminds us that, of all He calls us to accomplish, His greatest commandment is to love Him with “all our heart" (Mark 12:30). Without this focus, we lose touch with God's presence; we are outside the shelter of the Most High.

The Lord brought Elijah to "Horeb, the mountain of God." In Hebrew, Horeb means "desolation." The barren environment mirrored Elijah's soul. Yet to God, Horeb was actually a place where the issues of a man's heart were flushed to the surface. There is no theater at Horeb, no acting. It is the place of unembellished honesty and core-to-surface transparency.

How Did You Get Here?
Perhaps Elijah's greatest virtue was his zeal. Indeed, twice in his communication with God, Elijah speaks of having been "very zealous" for the Lord. But zeal unattended by wisdom eventually becomes its own god. It compels us toward expectations that are unrealistic and outside the timing and anointing of God.

To remain balanced, zeal must be reined in and harnessed by strategic encounters with the living God. Otherwise we become frustrated with people and discouraged with delays. We step outside our place of strength and spiritual protection.

Elijah had come to Horeb and lodged there in a cave. Soon the Word of the Lord came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (v. 9). This is one of the most important questions God will ever ask us. His question probes the reality of our spiritual state: "How did your service to Me become dry and desolate?" God wants us to know that when we fail to esteem Him as our first love, we will always find a desert awaiting us.

Our primary purpose in life must be to abide in Christ. Otherwise we can become so consumed with the deteriorating condition of the world that we fail to see the deteriorating condition of our own soul. In His love, the Lord stops us and forces us to look honestly at our heart: Is this existence that I now live the abundant life promised me from Christ?

Let's speak candidly. We have nothing to prove and no need to pretend. We can abandon the internal mechanisms of defensiveness and pride. If we are disappointed, we are free to express it; if frustrated, we can admit it. We must simply and truthfully evaluate, without rationalization, our true spiritual condition.

Transparency is the outer garment of humility; and, humility draws the grace of God to our hearts. Is not intimacy with God the very thing we most neglect? And is not the Lord alone our source of strength in battle? If the enemy can distract us from our time alone with God, he will isolate us from the help that comes from God alone.

Let us approach the living God without any garment, but with transparency.

A Fresh Anointing
As the pressures of this age escalate, we will soon discover that yesterday's anointing will not suffice for today's battles. The Lord brought a new beginning to Elijah's life at Horeb---one that would ultimately release a "double portion" of power to Elijah's successor, Elisha. Under this new anointing, Jezebel would be destroyed, Baal worship abolished, and the only period of revival the northern tribes ever experienced would begin.

To reach a similar place of breakthrough, it will take more than the momentum of our own zeal. We should not be surprised if God calls us to pass through our own Horeb.

How will we recognize this place? Horeb is the voice of personal desolation; it is the desperate compelling of our heart to possess more of God. We must now listen carefully to the voice of God. For it is at Horeb that He brings us deeper into Himself. It is here, under the canopy of His compassion, that we discover the purpose of our brokenness: our desolation is in fact a time of preparation.

The Lord is about to bring a new beginning to you. When you return to the battle, you shall war from the shelter of the Most High.

Lord Jesus, apart from You, my life is dry and desolate. Forgive me for trying to do Your will without abiding in Your presence. I desperately need You, Lord. This day, I commit my heart to return to my first love. Teach me, Lord, to consider intimacy with You the greatest measure of my success. Let me see Your glory; reveal to me Your goodness. Guide me, Oh Holy Spirit, into the spiritual fortress of the presence of God. Amen.


---adapted from a chapter in Francis' book,
The Shelter of the Most High
published by Charisma House

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Unshakable Faith - Day 43:A Curse From The Ground

Unshakable Faith

Day 43:A Curse From The Ground

1. "The very earth itself curses man today in many regions because of the innocent blood that has been shed upon it." What regions come to mind when you read this statement?

Hmmm, well there are many different regions in the world today who are suffering famines, earthquakes, tsunamis etc.  But one of the ones that stand out most in my mind, is right here in America.  This nation was founded on God's Word, the laws and constitution was made to uphold a standard of living while giving people freedom, justice and the pursuit of happiness.  But the sinful choices made and even made lawful over the years have taken their toll.  We cannot remove prayer, the Word of God and all moral values from our homes and Schools and expect God's blessings to continue to fall.  We cannot allow innocent babies to be murdered by the thousands each year and not pay the consequences...America is dealing with huge issues today, and the only hope we have is to repent of our sins and bring God back into our everyday day lives, not just on Easter and Christmas, even every Sunday is not enough...We need to be in His Word, spending time in His presence each and every day. 

2. Are there generational curses affecting your life or the life of your family that need repentance and restoration?

There are things passed down from generation to generation that we must repent of, and remove from our lives.  I believe everyone has things in their lives that they naturally tend to do, because of a generational curse.  I have dealt with fear all my life...and so has just about all of my sister's and there are five of us.  Do you think that is a coincidence? I don't think it is...somewhere up the line sin caused this generational curse to enter all of our lives.  I have spent much time praying, repenting of being fearful, quoting scriptures and claiming God's promises, and when fear tries to come in, it is met with the full armor of God and doesn't stick around for long...My children will not deal with this generational curse, it stops with me!

3. Repentance can be the beginning of the release of God's grace and favor in your life.

Repentance is key! Only when we ask God for forgiveness and then turn from our sin, will we see God's favor and blessings in our lives.

Unshakable Faith - Day 41: Sin and Depression

Unshakable Faith

Day 41: Sin and Depression

1. Have you suffered from depression?

No, I've never had to deal with depression, though I've had family members and friends who have dealt with it at times.

2. To be delivered from depression is not by having someone accept you the way you are, but by someone loving you enough to correct you so you can do what is right.

Loving someone enough to take a stand and tell them the truth even if it is not what they want to hear is one of the greatest ways you can love someone...Just remember to always speak the truth in love, if it is not said in and with love, it will do more harm than good.

3. Do you know of someone, or the family of someone who committed suicide?

I have heard many stories but I don't know anyone personally who has committed suicide.  It breaks my heart every time I hear about someone who thought the only way to make things better was to end it all...If they only knew that they could turn to Jesus and that God would help them work through the troubles and issues, if they only had the hope that comes from having a personal relationship with Jesus, it would have made a huge difference in their life and the lives of their loved ones.  If you are dealing with suicidal thoughts, please tell a loved one, a pastor or a counselor, get into the Word of God, talk to God, tell Him your doubts, your hurts, your troubles, ask God for guidance, healing and provision...start working on making good choices and decisions...There is hope, and it is found in Jesus!!

Unshakable Faith - Day 32: Fear

Unshakable Faith

Day 32: Fear

1.  Have you experienced unholy fear of God that leads to further corruption of the soul, which caused you to run from Him instead of to Him?

No, I have always known since I was a young child that God is the one and only person I could always run to and depend on fully.  My parents taught us from a young age to love and trust our heavenly Father.  

2. Are you vulnerable enough to take the first step toward redemption and restoration?

Yes and no! It really depends on the situation.  If we are talking about me making a mistake and needing restoration with God, then Yes! I quickly admit my mistake and ask for His forgiveness.  But when it comes to relationships with other people, it is a lot harder for me to admit that I am not perfect! I want others to see me at my best, and I go to great lengths to make sure my best foot is forward.  I have trouble taking off the masks, being real and letting people see me when I'm down.  

3. How hard is it for you to accept that God's grace is extended to even the most grotesque murderers and transgressors?

Grace is not something we can earn, it is not something that is based on our merit or good works.  Websters dictionary defines it as "unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification" Since grace is unmerited, none of us are worthy of it, so none of us have the right to say someone else is more unworthy of it.  That is the beauty of grace!

Unshakable Faith - Day 31: The Delusion

Unshakable Faith

Day 31: The Delusion

1.  Are you seeking to know Him with the understanding that He will always be greater than your natural mind can comprehend?

In all we do, our goal and purpose should be to know and be like Jesus.  We can never fully understand or comprehend all there is to know about God, but when we humbly search and seek Him, He will reveal Himself to us.  God knows just what we need, and just what we are going through, and He is faithful to reveal things about Himself that apply to us...when we are walking through a dark time, He reveals himself as the Light of the World, When we are dealing with sadness, He reveals Himself as the Joy of the Lord...When we need healing He is our healer...He know and He is all we need.

2. Do you sleep peacefully because you are not worried about something hidden being revealed about you?

When we have things hidden, secretive sins, the fear of them being found out is a terrible thing...I've known people who have said that once they came to Christ and found forgiveness and were set free from all the baggage and bondage that comes with a sinful life, they had their first peaceful, restful night of sleep ever in over 40 some years...I am so thankful that we can come to Jesus and He is our peace!! 

3. Have you drawn near to God with confidence so that you will receive mercy and grace in time of need?

God wants us to draw nearer to Him...He is so willing to give us mercy and grace when we need it.  All we have to do is humble ourselves, and earnestly seek Him.

Unshakable Faith - Day 29: The Fall

Unshakable Faith 

Day 29: The Fall

1.  have you been guilty of sins of omission, which is not doing good when it is in your power to do it?


There have been times when God has laid something on my heart, and I have allowed doubt to keep me from being obedient and stepping out of my comfort zone to do or say something that God was asking me to do.  One such time, as a teenager, I was leading worship for our youth group, and I felt the Lord prompt me to have the worship team sing a specific song, and then to pray. I hesitated and went ahead with what we had already practiced before hand, and when I turned the service over to our youth pastor, he immediately requested the team to sing that song, and then started to pray.  Here is the deal, the very words I had in my head to pray, were the words he prayed, and I immediately knew that I had been disobedient to the Holy Spirit's leading.  The amazing thing is that God doesn't just give us random things to say or do, He has a reason for everything.  Someone in the youth group that day needed to sing that song, and hear those specific words.  My disobedience didn't keep them from getting what they needed...God provided some other way, but I missed out on the blessing that always follows obedience.  


2. Are you fleeing from sin by pursuing righteousness, fleeing from hatred by pursuing love, fleeing from fears by pursuing faith, fleeing from impatience by seeking to be more patient?


Yes! It is not enough to just say "I'm going to stop doing this sin!", we need to actively seek to fill the void, time, or space in our lives where the sin was with Christlike traits.  If we stop doing something bad, but forget to fill that area of our lives with Godliness, that void will end up full of sin much worse than the original sin.


3. Do you have a vision of growing in the grace. fruit and power of the Spirit?


Yes! I know that in and of myself, there is nothing worth bragging about.  There is nothing in me alone that will make a huge difference in anything going on in this world.  But when I look at Christ and see His love, grace, mercy, and power working through me, I see that all things are possible! Christ gives me the strength, the joy, the peace, and all the fruits of the Spirit to cause great things to happen not only in my life but in the life of those around me.  Without growth in the grace, fruit and power of the Spirit, my life would loose all hope, and purpose.  

Unshakable Faith - Day 26: The Question

Unshakable Faith 

Day 26: The Question

1. Are your questions motivated by faith or by fear?


Most of the time my questions come out of faith, I ask God to lead and guide us, I ask Him for clarification on something I am studying, etc.  But there have been times when Satan has tried to cause my questions to come from fear, and it always leads to a time of doubt...but God has always been faithful to help me find the truth, and set me back on the right path, with my faith fully in tact.


2. Have you been allowing the Lord's delight to turn your weaknesses into strengths?


Weaknesses into strengths, that is something God is very good at.  There are lots of things about me that I consider weaknesses, but God has used them for His glory.  Many times the things I see as my strengths, must become my weaknesses, and then God can use them...it is all about others seeing His work in my life, so that He will be glorified.  If I am able to do it on my own, what would cause people to see God's hand at work? Why would they give God the glory, if I'm the one who seems perfectly capable and I'm the one who did it?  So God takes the areas where I am weakest and He causes great things to be done through my weakness, and then there is no question of who should receive the glory, because without God's hand at work, it would have never happened.


3. Are you avoiding the faultfinders and the stumbling blocks that the enemy send?


I certainly try! It is so easy to let your guard down and find yourself stumbling over a stumbling block, that you should have seen from far off.  That is why it is so important to daily be in God's Word, to daily spend time in God's presence, daily ask the Lord for guidance and protection.  


Put on the whole armor of God so that when the fiery darts come flying in, your shield of faith will quench them, when Satan tries to attack your mind with thoughts of doubt and sin, your helmet of salvation keeps you sound and righteous.  When the stumbling blocks come out of nowhere, your feet are protected by the gospel of peace, and when the enemy tries to knock you off balance, with lies and deceit, your belt of truth stabilizes you and keeps you steady. When the arrows of hurt and despair try to pierce your heart, your breastplate of righteousness protects you, keeping your heart, safe from harm. And take the sword of the spirit (the Word of God) - this is your one offensive weapon...it is powerful, a double edged sword, dividing down to the bone and the marrow...It will help you see right from wrong, it will lead you and guide you into all truth, it is infallible, perfect in every way.  When we use this armor daily it protects us from anything the enemy may try to use against us.  

Unshakable Faith - Day 23: Marriage

Unshakable Faith

Day 23: Marriage

1. Have you experienced a spiritual sensuality that is released through the love and union of the spirit and soul that physical sensuality can never compare with?


It is a beautiful thing when a husband and wife have a connection of the spirit and soul...The physical connection is beautiful too, but it is meaningless when the other two are missing.  God created marriage,  and He created man and woman to need not just the physical, but more importantly the spiritual and soul connections with each other.  


2. Can you attest that it is the devil's strategy to turn your strengths into weaknesses and use them against you?


Satan is crafty, and sly, if he can take something God has given us for good, and make us use it in a bad way, he will do his best to try it.  We need to be careful to recognize Satan's schemes and to also recognize what our strengths are and how God intended us to use them.


3. Do you understand that the perversion of you nature is Satan's tactic to keep you from unity?


From the very beginning when Satan deceived Eve into eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, his goal has been to separate us from our heavenly Father.  Misery loves company, and Satan is miserable because of the choices he made, that caused God kick him out of heaven. So now his goal is to keep as many people as possible from getting to enjoy Heaven, when he knows it is not an option for himself.  The discord he sows is all a part of that goal, and when we come together in unity and serve God as God intended us to do, it makes Satan's skin crawl...it puts fear in him, because the power of the Body of Christ is directly correlated with the unity of the Body of Christ.  That is why unity is one of the things Satan tries to defeat first... without unity we are lot easier to defeat in other areas.

Unshakable Faith - Day 18: The Sabbath

Unshakable Faith

Day 18: The Sabbath

1. Do you know peace and rest in the midst of any situation?


Having Peace and rest in the midst of any situation can only come from fully leaning on God, and you can only do that if you completely one hundred percent trust Him. God is working on me in this area.  I tend to say "Yes, Lord, I trust You!"  and then pretty soon, I am trying to take the situation on myself and figure it out on my own.  God only wants us to trust Him and be obedient to His Word, and then He will cover us with His umbrella of protection, and will carry us when we don't have the strength to make it.  Just in the last few weeks God has really been speaking to me about trusting Him when the future is uncertain, when we don't know how things will go, or what will happen.  He has promised us His guidance and protection, but that only comes with our decision to trust Him.  I want to be like Job, to trust the Lord enough to say, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him!"  That is the only way to have true peace and rest!


2. Are you living in obedience and abiding in Him?


We all make mistakes, and we all tend to lean on our own understanding of things.  Even King David, made huge mistakes, and leaned on his own understanding to try to fix it.  But the important thing is to always come to God with a repentant heart, in humility, and to give God the glory when He brings you out of that situation your choices got you into.  David wrote the Psalm "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and take not Your Spirit from me." David's desire to keep in good fellowship and to remain in God's presence, brought him back to God even after the terrible mistakes he had made, and God called David a man after His own heart.  I'd say David even with his failures figured out how to abide in God.  In my life I do my best to obey, and abide, but like David I have my moments of failure...I've learned to always run back to God, repent and turn from my sin, and God is always faithful to welcome me back into His arms of love and forgiveness.


3. Have you humbled yourself before God and cast your anxiety upon Him?


It's not always easy, in fact I'd say it is rarely easy to humble yourself and to cast your anxiety upon Him, but it is always worth it.  Once again, this is an area where God is still working on me.  But each day He is showing me that it is really the only way to live!

Psalm 91 - Chapter 18: God Rescues Me From Trouble

Psalm 91: God's Umbrella of Protection

Chapter 18: God Rescues Me From Trouble

"...I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him..."

Psalm 91:15

No matter where we are, we have a promise of God's presence...in good times and bad, when hope abounds or when hopelessness surrounds.  God has promised to be with us, and to rescue us.

I don't know what you may need rescued from today, but I do know that no matter how bad the situation seems, God is bigger and He is more than able to rescue you...He is actually waiting for you to trust Him, so that He can work it all out for good.

The hands that hold the universe and keeps the world in motion, the arms that spread wide as they were nailed to the cross, are reaching down even now into your circumstance working a miracle on your behalf.

Trust Him!
Lean on Him fully!
He will not fail!
He cannot fail! - it is just another marvelous part of who He is.

Psalm 91 - Chapter 15: God Is My Deliverer

Psalm 91: God's Umbrella of Protection

Chapter 15: God Is My Deliverer

"Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him..."

Psalm 91:14a

What do you need deliverance from today?  Are you trusting God in your circumstance?  Are you telling God how big the issue is or are you telling the issue how big your God is?  

Whenever we find ourselves dealing with things that seem too big, to horrible, just too much for us to handle on our own; that is when God is walking with us asking us to cast our care on Him. He is waiting for us to fully hand the situation over to Him and let Him have complete control...and then He will follow through with this promise.  God is faithful to bring us out of the valley of shadow of death, He is strong enough to not only handle our huge problems, but to carry us through them.  Scott Krippayne sings a song that talks of God's deliverance from the storms in life...as you listen to this beautiful song, let your faith arise, put your hope and trust in God...Remember that "Sometime He calms the storm, and other times He calms His child"!