Ancient Words - Hebrew Word Pictures
 

change it up:
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Hebrew Word Pictures - Eden

As in many cases, we have experienced that in Hebrew word pictures, one word can have many meanings, just as an English word may have multiple meanings. The word Eden has two meanings, made of three Hebrew pictures; dalet (door or pathway), ayin (to see, know, or experience, and noon (activity or life). Our first experience with Eden is found in Genesis.

Genesis 2:8
And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.

When we think of Eden, we think of paradise and perfection. This is exactly what the Garden of Eden was. It was paradise and it was perfect. In Hebrew word pictures the word Eden is synonymous with pleasant. But our shallow understand of the word pleasant is far, far away from the Hebrew word picture understanding for the word pleasant or Eden.

The second meaning of the Hebrew word picture for Eden is ÔÇ£a place of continual life where you can see or experience the door of lifeÔÇØ or ÔÇ£to personally know the judgeÔÇØ. DoesnÔÇÖt this word picture for Eden give us an understanding of what heaven is ÔÇô a place of continual life ÔÇô a place where we can see the door of life, the way (Jesus) to personally know the judge? And who is the judge? Jesus!

Once we open that door, we enter into Eden ÔÇô our eternal life.
We know that the Garden of Eden was a place of continual life. Hebrew word pictures just confirms that. For Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden was a place of continual life ÔÇô a place where they could live forever had they not sinned. Eden was a place where they could see and experience and commune and fellowship with God. It was a place where they personally knew God. Of course, all this was theirs until they sinned.

For all of us as believers in Jesus, once we take Jesus as personal Lord and Savior, we are assured of that continual life with Him in heaven. Here on earth we have a personal relationship with Jesus. We know the sweet fellowship we have here on earth but can we even begin to imagine what that will be in heaven! How much more personal can that be?


--
Shalom Alechem B'Shem Yeshua HaMashiach.
(Peace be unto you in the Name of Jesus the Messiah)

Phil and Patti
www.philandpatti.com.
www.philandpatti.blogspot.com.

"We live by faith, not by sight."
2 Cor 5:7

Bible Study- Monday nights at 7:00 pm

FAITH FELLOWSHIP WORSHIP- Wednesday nights at 7:00 pm
email for location

Devotion: Deep Things
 

Deep Things


"He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light" (Job 12:22).

One of the great mysteries of the Kingdom is how God uses the darkest times in our lives to reveal greater depths of understanding of His ways. The only way we can receive these deeper things is to be driven to the depths of darkness. It is here that we discover important truths that He plans to use in our lives and the lives of others.

There is a process God uses to draw us into greater levels of intimacy. The first phase involves a depth of soul experience that causes great pain in our lives. We seek God for deliverance from the incredible emotional pain this causes. Our primary motivation for seeking God is to get out of our pain.

During this time, God meets us in the depths of darkness. We discover that He never left us but is in the midst of the darkness. We develop a new relationship with God. Gradually our motivation turns from removal of pain to love and intimacy with God. This is the place our Heavenly Father desires us to be.

During this season God will make spiritual deposits into your life. Others will be making withdrawals in the future from your life as well. You see, God reveals deep things in darkness that will be revealed in the light.

If you find yourself in great distress, know that God will bring your deep shadows into the light. The key to your deliverance is becoming satisfied in God. He becomes your all. He is your life. You will know your deliverance is near when your circumstances simply don't matter to you anymore.

Love the Lord your God with all your soul and see what things He will show you in the deep things of darkness.

Devotion: Understanding Your Gift
 

Understanding Your Gift


Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. - 1 Corinthians 12:1

In First Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, the apostle Paul is teaching us about the role of spiritual gifts in the Church. He correlates these gifts to a human body, telling us that each person's gift helps the whole Body of the Church. This is such an important principle for us to learn. I must say I learned this principle regarding my own spiritual gift the hard way.
"God will never speak as strongly to you as to someone else," said my mentor to me one day. The statement shocked me. "What in the world do you mean by that?" I argued with him.

"Your spiritual gift of administration/leading is one of the most dangerous gifts in the whole Body of Christ. The reason is that you can see the big picture better than anyone else, and you're so task-oriented that you will run people into the ground getting your project completed because you think you see it so clearly. That is why the best friend you could ever have is someone with a prophetic gift to discern whether the big picture you see is actually the picture God is directing. It is the one gift that can almost stand alone better than any other - at least that is the opinion of the one with that gift."
Oh, how I have learned this lesson the hard way! He was so right. There has been many a church staff destroyed by a person with the gift of administration. During my years as a business owner, I saw how I stressed out my staff because of the tremendous load I put on them with multiple projects. It was so easy for me because the more balls I had juggling, the better I felt. I was oblivious to how my multi-task personality impacted those around me.

Today, I have some special relationships with intercessors and prophetic people whom I depend on for confirmation of direction. I have learned their spiritual gifts of discernment are of great value in determining strategic direction. I have learned that God has placed within each person a spiritual gift that is designed to make the Body of Christ function better for His purposes.

When we discover the spiritual gifts God has placed in those around us, we are better able to see the Body function as a real body-totally dependent on one another. Some of us are more sensitive to God's voice because God has gifted us in that way. Others of us are less sensitive because God wants us to depend on others in the Body for their gifts. Find out whom God has placed around you today and discover a new dimension of spiritual productivity.

Devotion: A Heavenly Strategic Planning Session
 

A Heavenly Strategic Planning Session


And the Lord said, "Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?" One suggested this, and another that. - 1 Kings 22:20

There are few times we get a glimpse of what goes on in Heaven. Here is one instance when the angels were conferring with the Lord about the judgment of King Ahab for his sin and who was going to set up Ahab for this judgment.

If God wanted to use you to impact your world for Jesus Christ, what circumstances would have to be created in order for you to respond to His call? Would prospering you materially encourage you to this end? Would a major change in what you are presently doing be necessary? What would your response be should God and the angels conclude that the only way to move you into a position of fulfilling God's purposes was to remove some things that might be very dear to you? Would you agree with their plan if you knew this would be the only way you would achieve the purposes for which God made you? Hard questions, aren't they?

This is the very thing God does in many who have been called for a special mission. Moses had to be stripped of his royal position in the family of Egypt and sit in the desert for 40 years. The apostle Paul had to be knocked to the ground, blinded, and receive a personal visitation from Jesus. The 12 disciples had to leave their jobs for three years to follow Christ. Imagine what kind of disruption this had on their lives. There are many examples of God bringing major upheaval in the lives of those He called for His purposes. Why?

The reason is that we do not seek God with a whole heart in times of prosperity and comfort. Prosperity and comfort tend to breed complacency and satisfaction. It is rare to find the man or woman who seeks God with a whole heart who does so simply from a grateful heart. We often must have pain or crisis to motivate us. Eventually, that crisis bridges us to a new calling, and we embrace that calling if we are open to the Holy Spirit's work in us. We can actually thank God for the change that was required to get us to this place, but it is not without anguish of heart.

Would you be willing to sit in the strategic planning session for your life and agree with the plans God has for your life? Could you give God complete freedom to implement that plan, no matter the cost? Ask God to give you the grace and trust in His love for you to say "yes."

Devotion: Defining Your Self-Worth
 

Defining Your Self-Worth


"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well" (Psalm 139:14).

What measurements do you use to define your self-worth? Do you define it based on your financial assets? Is it based on what you have achieved professionally? Perhaps you define your value based on the number of children you have.

There are many things we can use to define our self-worth. However, the scriptures tell us there is only one measure for our self-worth. Each of us has self-worth because we are made in the image of God. And because we are made in the image of God, we are valuable. Whenever you and I place a value in ourselves that is based on some other performance criteria, we have moved beyond God's view of our worth as human beings. You are never more valuable to God than you were the day you were born.

Many of us have sought to determine our self-worth based on the amount of money we have. This is a dangerous trap. Paul warns us against seeking to build wealth in order to gain greater value. Paul came to understand that the greatest riches could not compare with knowing Christ. In fact, he considered all other material things to be mere rubbish in comparison: "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (Philippians 3:7-8).

Basing our self-worth on how much money we have or our achievements is an easy trap. We are bombarded with messages that say we are defined by what we drive, where we live, how many toys we own, and the size of our investment account. The media message is designed to create dissatisfaction and lust for what we don't have.

Paul said the purpose for his existence was......"to know Christ, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death" (Philippians 3:10).

In what terms do you define yourself? Is it based on knowing Christ alone?

Devotion: Time to Hear
 

Time to Hear

"He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him" (John 14:21).

We live in a day of 12 step programs for this, 4 points to success for that, and all forms of programmatic means of becoming successful. Have you ever wondered how you can guarantee a greater revelation of Jesus in your life? Jesus tells us how this can be done.

It is all tied to obedience. He tells us in John the following: "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him" (John 14:21). The key here is in the last three words.

He will show Himself to us because of our loving Him through our obedience. The more obedient we become, the more revelation of His presence we will feel in our life. Jeremiah tells us, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3).

Many Christians wonder why they cannot hear or sense the presence of God in their life. It is because they do not seek Him with a whole heart, and they are not obedient to the things He has asked.

God does not show us the next move until we are obedient to the first thing He has spoken to us. It is a progressive process. He entrusts the small things to us first, then moves us to the larger. I was like many today who are so focused on seeking the activity of God versus seeking God Himself. Hebrews tells us that God rewards those who diligently seek Him. In the Old Testament we are told, "But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deuteronomy 4:29).


I realized if I was going to hear the voice of God, I had to make time to seek Him and hear Him. I had to spend focused time alone reading, studying, and seeking His face alone.


Jesus set the model for this when He often left the crowds to be alone and to seek His heavenly Father. I also had to tune my "radio" to His frequency. Static comes into that frequency when I am disobedient. My level of seeking determines the power of my radio, Him. The more I seek Him, the more I hear Him. Seek the Lord today so that you may be empowered by His presence.

Devotion: Hearing His Voice
 

Hearing His Voice


"He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." - John 8:47

Jesus said that the key to being able to hear God's voice is first to be one of His children. One of the great mysteries of the universe to my logical mind is how God can communicate with six billion people on the earth at the same time. It is one of those mysteries I must let go of because my "hard drive" would crash if I had to explain and understand this before I believed and trusted in Him. It is as though God places a computer chip in each human being, and when we place our faith and trust in Him, it becomes activated. We begin to communicate with Him. Jesus says that if we are children of God, then we can hear God's voice. He further explains this relationship in the following parable:

"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice (John 10:1-5)."

The Shepherd is always representative of Christ. Sheep are representative of God's children. This passage tells us that the Shepherd communicates with His children. We are called by name and we can listen to our Shepherd's voice. There is another comforting aspect to this relationship. The Shepherd goes before the sheep to prepare the way. Jesus has already gone before us today to prepare our way.

Knowing the Shepherd and His voice allows us to have the assurance that we will not be fooled by another shepherd's voice. The sheep know His voice. It is only when we are dull of hearing that we mistakenly hear another's voice and follow it. Sin can create a poor frequency in our communication with the Shepherd. Make sure your frequency is free of static (sin) today so that the Shepherd can lead you and go before you.

Finally, distractions can also keep us from hearing our Shepherd's voice. When the sheep get entangled in the fence or wander off, they get too far away to hear the Shepherd's voice. We must stay in close proximity to the Shepherd to hear His voice. Stay close to the Shepherd today. Listen and follow. He wants to lead you

Devotion: Spiritual Warfare
 

Spiritual Warfare

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood...." - Ephesians 6:12

Have you ever heard someone say, "I will never do business with another Christian"? I hear this comment quite often in my dealings with Christian workplace believers. This comment represents the battle that rages against us by the enemy of our soul to destroy the witness and effectiveness of Christian workplace believers. We must realize that we are in a war - a war for the souls of men, a war to discredit all that a Christian stands for, a war that is designed to divide Christian against Christian.

Satan's ploy in the life of Christian workplace believers is to do several things to make them ineffective as soldiers in the workplace. First, he wants to discredit them by allowing them to fail other people in their professional services. This often shows up in failing to perform what they committed to do or performing in an unsatisfactory way. Sometimes, this is a result of a downright failure of the workplace believer to perform with excellence. In other cases, it may be a misunderstanding in the midst of the service that causes strife and division instigated by the enemy.

The result in both cases is the same: a division among Christians and even non-Christians, further resulting in a damaged witness for Christ. The apostle Peter admonishes us to "live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us" (1 Peter. 2:12).

There are times when each of us is thrust into situations out of our control. Sometimes this results in our inability to pay a bill on time, or to deliver a service. Defeating satan in these battles requires extra communication with those with whom we are dealing. If the motive of your heart is to do right, then God will give you favor in order to work through these difficult spots. Ask God today to show you where the enemy is seeking to make you ineffective.

We wage a spiritual war that is not flesh and blood. We must fight this war with spiritual weapons applied to practical daily living.

Devotion: The Greatest Test
 

The Greatest Test


"I know, my God, that You test the heart and are pleased with integrity." - 1 Chronicles 29:17a

God tests His children to know what is in their hearts. God's desire for each of His children is to walk in relationship with Him, to uphold His righteousness and integrity. It is a high calling that we will fail to achieve without complete dependence on Him.

The greatest tests come not in great adversities, but in great prosperity. For it is in prosperity that we begin to lose the sensitivity to sin in our lives. Adversity motivates us to righteousness out of a desire to see our adversity changed. Prosperity fails to provide this motivation for obedience. We fall into a satisfaction and confidence in life that is based on our prosperity rather than on God.

Hezekiah was a great godly king. He was a faithful, God-honoring king most of his life, but toward the end he became proud. God wanted to find out if he would still honor Him and recognize His blessings in his life. He failed the test when God sent an envoy to his palace to inquire about a miracle that God performed on behalf of Hezekiah. The test was designed to find out if Hezekiah would publicly acknowledge the miracle performed on his behalf.

But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart (2 Chronicle 32:31).

Hezekiah's failure resulted in his children failing to carry on as rulers of Israel, and the nation would eventually be taken over by Babylon.

The lesson of Hezekiah is clear. If we are to remain faithful to our Lord, we must remain steadfast in our obedience to Him. Prosperity can be our greatest test. Ask the Lord to give you the grace to be a faithful follower during times of prosperity.

Devotion: You Were Made to Fly
 

You Were Made to Fly


"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised" (Job 1:21).

Can a caterpillar fly? If you said, "No," you would be partially correct. Actually, a caterpillar can fly, but it must have a transformation first.

The butterfly begins life as a caterpillar, a wormlike larva that spins a cocoon for itself. For weeks, the larva remains hidden within the cocoon as it undergoes metamorphosis. When it's time for the butterfly to emerge, it must struggle and fight its way out of the cocoon. We might be tempted to help this process by tearing open the cocoon - but that's the worst thing we could do. The struggle makes it strong and enables it to fly. Butterflies need adversity to become what God intended them to be. So do us.

The Book of Job is the story of a wealthy and successful community leader named Job. He was a successful and righteous businessman with huge holdings of livestock and real estate. One day satan came before God and asked him, "Where have you come from?" satan replied, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."

God said to satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? He is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." Notice that God pointed Job out to satan! God gave satan permission to put Job through a trial of adversity. Job's herds were stolen, his servants were murdered, and all of Job's children were killed by a sudden tornado.

Through his trial of adversity, he grows in strength, wisdom and faith. His entire perspective on God is transformed by his suffering. He was even accused of sin by his closest friends.

We must get beyond the immature notion that God is interested only in making us healthy, wealthy and happy. More than anything, He wants us to be like Christ. And the road to becoming like Christ often leads through the wilderness of adversity.

In order for the butterfly to fly, there must be a transformation process that is often developed through adversity

Devotion: A Mother's Work
 

how many of you guys have your wife set up as a stay at home Mom?
seems that's the best way to do it, raise your family with your values, instead of daycare.


------------------------------------
A MotherÔÇÖs Work

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother - which is the first commandment with a promise - that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth" (Ephesians 6:1-3).

One of the great tragedies of society today is the minimizing of the work performed daily by stay-at-home moms. Women who decide to stay home to raise their kids are a rare breed indeed. They must overcome the stigma of comparison to others who pursue careers outside the home. They fail to get the feelings of accomplishment that can come from a career. They are the unseen missionaries of our day. There will be a special reward for these selfless servants.

Without the commitment of our stay-at-home moms we would not have some of our greatest leaders. "All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother," said Abraham Lincoln.

Though poor, Ida Stover was determined to go to college. She scraped together enough money to attend Lane College in Lecompton, Kan., where she met fellow student David Eisenhower. She was known as a firm but gentle disciplinarian and was deeply religious. It is said she once won a prize for memorizing 1,365 Bible verses. As a pacifist, she was not in favor of her son attending West Point but decided to let him go. She was the mother of Dwight David Eisenhower, one of the greatest U.S. presidents.

Mary Litogot grew up on a farm, and met her future husband, William Ford, when he came to work on their farm. She was 12 and he was 26. They married nine years later. Mary was self-sufficient and a diligent worker. Henry later attributed his clean factories to her belief in cleanliness. She encouraged his interest in machines early on. He later said, "I have tried to live my life as my mother would have wished. I believe I have done, as far as I could, just what she hoped for me." She was the mother of Henry Ford.

Has God called you to be a stay-at-home mom? Know that your obedience and sacrifice will be recognized by the Lord.

THANK GOD FOR ALL OUR MOTHERS AND TO EVERY MOTHER READING THIS, ÔÇ£HAPPY MOTHERÔÇÖS DAYÔÇØ

Devotion: No Longer Thirsty
 

No Longer Thirsty

ÔÇ£Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal lifeÔÇØ (John 4:13-14).

I was called to the law enforcement academy to meet with a recruit who was burned out and ready to quit. We sat quietly until he finally spoke, asking for water. Finally, refreshed by a cold drink, we began to deal with his issues and eventually got to a place of prayer. I asked for GodÔÇÖs refreshing touch upon the manÔÇÖs life.

In the Bible story of the woman at the well, the Samaritan was a woman of mixed heritage with a bad reputation. No Jewish man would talk to her, but Jesus didnÔÇÖt let that stop Him from engaging her in conversation.

The story reminds us that the Gospel is for every person, no matter what race, social status, or sinful past. Like Jesus, we are called to cross barriers as we follow Him, prepared to offer the Gospel to anyone, anytime, in any place.

My academy friend offered himself to Jesus, drinking deeply of His love, strength, wisdom, and care. He found the strength to keep going and enter the world of law enforcement.

Jesus, the fountain of life, brings living water that can forever quench a personÔÇÖs thirst for God.

Devotion: Hearing His Voice
 

distractions = hot rods, wife's, girls, toys, guns......

---------------------------------

Hearing His Voice


"He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." - John 8:47

Jesus said that the key to being able to hear God's voice is first to be one of His children. One of the great mysteries of the universe to my logical mind is how God can communicate with six billion people on the earth at the same time. It is one of those mysteries I must let go of because my "hard drive" would crash if I had to explain and understand this before I believed and trusted in Him. It is as though God places a computer chip in each human being, and when we place our faith and trust in Him, it becomes activated. We begin to communicate with Him. Jesus says that if we are children of God, then we can hear God's voice. He further explains this relationship in the following parable:

"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice (John 10:1-5)."

The Shepherd is always representative of Christ. Sheep are representative of God's children. This passage tells us that the Shepherd communicates with His children. We are called by name and we can listen to our Shepherd's voice. There is another comforting aspect to this relationship. The Shepherd goes before the sheep to prepare the way. Jesus has already gone before us today to prepare our way.

Knowing the Shepherd and His voice allows us to have the assurance that we will not be fooled by another shepherd's voice. The sheep know His voice. It is only when we are dull of hearing that we mistakenly hear another's voice and follows it. Sin can create a poor frequency in our communication with the Shepherd. Make sure your frequency is free of static (sin) today so that the Shepherd can lead you and go before you.

Finally, distractions can also keep us from hearing our Shepherd's voice. When the sheep get entangled in the fence or wander off, they get too far away to hear the Shepherd's voice. We must stay in close proximity to the Shepherd to hear His voice. Stay close to the Shepherd today. Listen and follow. He wants to lead you

Devotion: I Am With Thee
 

I Am With Thee

Isaiah 41:10 (KJV) "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

Here in the Word of God we have a promise from God, "...I am with thee!" And because He is with the Born Again Believer, those that are saved do not have to fear or be dismayed, losing our courage in the face of danger or trouble.

One thing that every human being can be assured of is this, you will face opposition, danger and trouble in this life, but to the child of God, God tells us to not fear nor be dismayed because HE IS WITH US! GLORY TO GOD! Some folks may say BIG DEAL, SO WHAT if He is with you? Let me say this, God is not just anybody, GOD IS GOD!

The Bible clearly tells us that no weapon can be formed against a child of God that will harm us. The Lord promises us that He will help us and protect us by HIS RIGHT HAND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS! No matter what may come in our way, this I know, IF YOU ARE ON THE LORD'S SIDE, YOU ARE A WINNER EITHER WAY!

Devotion: Free to Stand
 

Free to Stand

"That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies..." Joshua 7:12
It matters not how strong you are. It matters not whether you have the greatest resources and talent. It matters not if you have the best plans and procedures. It will all fail if you have a break in your armor.

This is the message God told Joshua when he attempted to go against a small army at Ai, which was the Israelites' second battle in the Promised Land. Sometimes we try to figure out why we are not successful in an endeavor. We look at all aspects of our performance to see what went wrong. For the people of Israel, it was not easily seen on the surface.

Everything seemed just as it should be from Joshua's vantage point, so when his army was soundly defeated, he cried out to God, "Ah, Sovereign Lord, why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us?" (Josh. 7:7a)

The people had been defeated because God could not bless them. One person had violated the covenant with God. They were not to take any possessions from the first battle, but one person failed to live up to this, and the whole army suffered.

Sin makes our armor vulnerable to attack from satan, who then gains permission from God to attack us in the area where we have failed to uphold righteousness. If we break down in moral purity, satan comes in and establishes a stronghold. If we give place to bitterness and unforgiveness, we will break fellowship with God and others. If we become money-focused, we will fall into greed and deception. It is a vicious cycle.

Examine your armor today. Make sure you are not susceptible to attack. Begin from a solid spiritual foundation and your chances of success will be great

Devotion: Faith Journey
 

Faith Journey

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.

Our faith journey isn't just about showing up on Sunday for a good sermon and good music and a good meal. It's about what we do Monday through Saturday as well, especially in those quiet moments, when the spotlight's not on us, and we're making those daily choices about how to live our lives.

We see that in the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus didn't limit his ministry to the four walls of the church". He was out there fighting injustice and speaking truth to power every single day. He was out there spreading a message of grace and redemption to the least, the last, and the lost. And our charge is to find Him everywhere, every day, by how we live our lives."

Devotion: Seeing Backward
 

any you guys got an example of this, seeing how/why something happened years later? post'em up, tired of talking to myself in here...


It is often years later when we discover the wisdom of God

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Seeing Backward


"O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed" (Psalm 30:7).

It is often difficult to recognize the hand of God when we are in the midst of adversity. We often feel God has hidden His face from us. When the Lord takes us through deep valleys, there will be fruit from the deep valley that we cannot see. You must press into Him with all you have during this time.

God uses the deep valley to frame our lives to create a change in our nature, not just a change in habits. The depth and width of our valley is often an indicator of the level of calling and influence we will have on others in the future. Our adversity is not just for us, but others who will be in our future path of influence. This is not very comforting when you are in the middle of the valley, but know this is a truth in the Kingdom.

It is often years later when we discover the wisdom of God and why He intentionally led us through the dark valley. Life is often lived forward, but understood backward. It is not until we are down the road and we stand on the mountain looking back at through valley that we can appreciate the terrain God has allowed us to scale and the spiritual deposits He has made in our life while we were there. "He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light" (Job 12:22). When you begin to realize this, you sit back and breathe a sigh of relief because you know that God was in control all along. It didn't seem like it at the time, but He was.

Do you find yourself in the valley? Now is the time to fully trust Him to guide you to higher ground

if you guys got any questions about the Bible, LMK and i can look them up, doing a course now, and it is killing me (time-intensive), but it explains alot.
however, they do tend to use BIG WORDs:

"(2) Given the relationship of Urzeit and Endzeit within the com-positional
seams of the Pentateuch, it is reasonable to expect to find
the important eschatological themes of the poetic texts also in Genesis
1-11. Where this seems to me to be of particular importance is in
the prominence given in the poetic texts to the idea of an eschatological
kingdom. This suggests that the theme of the Kingdom of God
may also be at work in Genesis 1-11. It is from such a perspective that,
I believe, we can begin to feel some exegetical ground under our feet
in the attempt to link the OT and NT into a single Biblical Theology.
It is an exegesis that, as Eichrodt once lamented, is not "exhausted by
a bare historical connection, such as might afford material for the historian's
examination but no more."58 What I think our exegesis suggests
is that the canonical Pentateuch already appears to be in "the
unique spiritual realm of the NT" in which, to quote Eichrodt again,
there is a "fundamental identity" (eine grundlegende Wesenseigent??mlichkeit)
between the NT and OT. For, to quote Eichrodt one more
time, "that which binds together indivisibly the two realms of the
Old and New Testaments . . . is the irruption of the Kingship of God
into this world and its establishment here."

Devotion: Reflecting His Glory
 

Reflecting His Glory


"They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your might, so that all men may know of Your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom." Psalm 145:11-12

How do you measure your effectiveness in God, or should you even be thinking like this? The early Church turned the world upside down in that first century. What made them so effective? Was it their theology? Was it great preaching? Was it due to one man's influence apart from Jesus?

The Scriptures are clear as to what made the early Church effective. It is at the core of God's heart, and it is quite simple. God desires to reflect His nature and power through every individual. When this happens, the world is automatically changed because those who reflect His glory affect the world.

We serve a jealous God. He is a God who will not share His glory with anyone. God sets up situations in order to demonstrate His power through them. He has done this since the day He created man. His desire is to reflect His glory through you and me, so that all men may know of His mighty acts and the glorious splendor of His Kingdom.

The apostle Paul understood this principle: "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power" (1 Corinthians 2:4-5). If you do not see His glory being reflected through your life, then you need to ask why. He has promised to do so if we will walk in obedience to His commands.

Devotion: The Hill
 

The Hill
Mary Lee Moeny

'Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us...' Hebrews 12:1

In the early 1980s our daughter ran for a season with the Duke City Dashers, girls' and women's track team. Our daughter was young, maybe first or second grade. One of the races we attended was held in the foothills to the east of town.

We came out for the race on a sunny Saturday ÔÇô you could already tell that it was going to be a hot day. The coach gathered the girls; they lined up at the starting line; the gun was fired and they were off ÔÇô running through the arroyos of New MexicoÔÇÖs Sandia Mountain.

We parents wandered from the Starting Line over to the Finish Line to cheer the girls on. The Finish Line was tricky. As the girls rounded the bend of the arroyo (they would be running through sand), in front of them was a rise.

From the perspective of the girls, the rise seemed to go straight up, at least a mile or so. From the perspective of the parents on the top, the rise was neither that steep, nor that high. And, just as you topped the hill, there was the Finish Line! But, you couldnÔÇÖt see it until you topped the crest of the rise.

The girls came running ÔÇô this was a cross country race and the girls had run hard! One little girl, built more like a cocker-spaniel than a greyhound, ran by. Her face was flushed, hot and sweaty; her curly blonde hair was sticking to her face and her neck. You could tell she had hit the wall, that sheÔÇÖd run out everything she had! When she saw this ÔÇÿmile-high mountainÔÇÖ in front of her, she broke into gasping tears. Her coach, on the sidelines, encouraged her not to quit: ÔÇ£DonÔÇÖt step off the track, honey! You can do it!ÔÇØ He kept encouraging her, telling her she didnÔÇÖt have to run up the hill; she could just walk it. She was so close - she was almost to the Finish Line.

that was a profound lesson to me. When the course has been hard and IÔÇÖve given it all that I have to give; when thereÔÇÖs a pain in my gut and I feel like my legs are made of Jell-O, when I donÔÇÖt know where the Finish Line is, the Lord does know. From the perspective of the little girl, the Finish Line was an impossible goal. From the perspective of her coach, she was almost there.

It has been that way in so many hard, hard issues in my life ÔÇô when I thought I could go no further, my Coach, Jesus Christ always encourages me: ÔÇ£Take heart. Do not be afraid. You donÔÇÖt have to run; just stay on the track! Stay in the race ÔÇô you are almost there!ÔÇØ

He knows where the Finish Line is; He knows how close I am and He gives me strength to finish the course.

ÔÇ£I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.ÔÇØ John 16