"Feet Like Fine Brass"

"Feet Like Fine Brass"

Revelations 1:12-17 (vs 15)

12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,

13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.

14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;

15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;

16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last."

Deuteronomy 33:25-27 (KJV)

25 Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.

26There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. 

27The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.

Here are two different scriptures that talk of shoes/feet of brass.  The first one (from today's bible reading) is in Revelations 1 verse 15.  In this verse it is the description of Jesus' feet, as seen by John in his vision while on the island of Patmos. The second one, is from Deuteronomy 33:25. This one is a description of God's protection and provision to help us make it through the rough times coming in our lives. It is a promise!  

I have read both of these scriptures many times over the years, but today the Holy Spirit showed me that the "shoes of brass", in Deuteronomy, are a picture of Jesus working in us, making us more like Him.  This promise in Deuteronomy  is a foreshadow of Jesus' triumph in Revelations.  In Revelations, Jesus has conquered death, He doesn't need "shoes of brass" He has "feet of fine brass". God gave us the promise of "shoes of brass", or victory through Jesus, the one with "feet like fine brass", thousands of years before John had the vision on the Island of Patmos.  What an incredible promise, a promise not only of protection and strength, but the promise of Salvation through Christ, and the ability to become more like Jesus as well!

We don't need to try to go through life on our own strength, Jesus is our strength and He is giving us feet just like His!  Hallelujah!!

A God Near At Hand!

"'Am I a God near at hand,' says the Lord,

'And not a God afar off? 

Can anyone hide himself in secret places, 

So I shall not see him?' says the Lord;

'Do I not fill heaven and earth?' says the Lord."

Jeremiah 23:23-24

In this passage the Lord is talking to Israel and all the false prophets, through Jeremiah.  He is telling them all the punishment their bad choices and false worship will bring.  And He reminds them in these few verses that He is a God at hand, and not a God afar off. 

Today I believe this scripture is for us as well.  So many times we go to church put on the facade that everything is honky dory, but if those we try to deceive could see into our daily lives they would be forced to see just how good at acting on Sundays we really are.  

God is not just a God we sing songs about on Sunday, and forget about the rest of the week.  God wants to have a personal, real, daily relationship with each one of us.  God is not a God afar off! God is right there beside us when we

spread 

that nasty bit of gossip. He is right there with us when we watch that show that uses His name in vain over and over again.  God is with us when we lie to our boss about being sick.  The list could go on and on...All of us make bad decision, all of us have fallen short...and no one is perfect.  Even so, we should do our best to live our lives to honor and serve God.  Not because there is some law, or rule about it in the Bible; but because we are so in love with God.  When we love someone, we want to please them...Are you living your life for your own pleasure? Or are you living your life for God's pleasure?

My hope is that my life, the part seen by all my friends, family, and church family, and the part only seen by God, the secret, hidden parts will all bring pleasure to God.  

How about you???

Let's Pray!

 Father God, I am so thankful that You are not some God afar off...I am so glad that You are here with me every single moment of every single day.  You see the good, the bad, and the ugly, yet You still love me and call me Your child!   Your love is amazing...it is too much for my mind to even comprehend...but I accept it and I thank You for it!  Today I ask that You help me to live my life worthy of Your love, I want every part of my life to bring You glory an honor.  Show me, Lord, the areas of my life that aren't pleasing to You, and give me the strength to make the necessary changes.  I love You so much! You are so good! My words could never express how great You are! Holy, Awesome, Mighty, Gracious, Loving, My Provider, My Healer, My Joy and Strength. You are my all in all! 

Thank You Lord!! 

In Jesus Name, AMEN.

The True Vine - John 15

John 15 (NKJV)

The True Vine

1“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 

3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 

4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 

6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 

7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 

8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Love and Joy Perfected

9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 

10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 

13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 

14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 

15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 

16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 

17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

The World’s Hatred

18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 

19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 

20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 

21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 

22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 

23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 

24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 

25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’

The Coming Rejection

26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 

27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

I love this chapter, did you know that it is the inspiration for this blog?!?!  God is The Vine, we are the branches. We live and breath and move in Him, apart from Him we can do nothing!   I am so thankful for God's provision!!  He didn't have to enable us to connect to Him and grow in Him...but He loves us so much, that He gave His Son's life to make it all possible.  As a mother of two, I cannot imagine ever giving up one of my children to save anyone, much less a world full of people who have shown a history of rejecting, denying, and abhorring the love so freely given.  I am amazed at the love of God, it never changes, it never fails, God's love is unconditional, steady, and so great we can not comprehend the expanse of it all.  

I do not claim to know or understand everything.  But I do know my Heavenly Father, and I know that when things in life don't make much sense, when we can't figure out the heads and tails of it all...God is in control, and if we will lean on Him and trust Him...He will work it all out for our good! My God has never failed me yet, even thought I've failed Him many times...yet His love and provision, mercy and grace are always more than enough!! 

God is so good!!

The Story Of Lazarus

John 11:38-44

Lazarus Raised from the Dead 

38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” 

Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said,“Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 

42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 

43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 

44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

I love this story! I remember an old song by Carmen...it tells the story from a little different perspective...Lazarus was dead, he arrives in paradise and he starts telling Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Daniel, King Solomon, King David and many more about how he knew Jesus...but then Jesus starts calling "Lazarus, Lazarus, Lazarus, Come Forth!"  What an amazing and wonderful story...of Jesus' love and compassion, but also of His magnificent power!   

Here is the song by Carmen from way back in 1984 - and oldie but a goodie...Enjoy!

He Will Rejoice Over You With Singing!

"The Lord your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.” 

Zephaniah 3:17


As I read this scripture this morning, this promise stands out to me.  I cannot fully describe all the feelings and thoughts that I have as I read it, but I can tell you that it is as if I heard singing...not quite audible, and from a far off...but it was beautiful, deep, robust, like the sound of a thousand different men singing in harmony, only this was one voice.  The song I heard was brief, but left me longing to hear more.  And suddenly, I am overwhelmed with the thought that God rejoices over me.  God rejoices over me with singing!  When He looks at me, He is so filled with joy, that he can't help but sing over me!  The love of God is so amazing! I am so unworthy, and yet He loves me anyway!