Here are my notes for The Blessed Test teaching:
Psalm 1:1-3
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth for his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
These verses are so wonderful! Go read them again! (:
Anyways.....
Blessed: uncanny, innate, intrinsic, ability to succeed over adversity.
True worship comes from people who are blessed. Blessings and curses speak to the end of a process - Jesus broke the five loaves and fish and in the BREAKING was the blessing, Jesus spoke the blessing before he broke the bread, and in the end it blessed 5,000+.
Being blessed is like how a cat always lands on their feet.
Adversity shows the extent of your blessing.
3 Don'ts & 1 Do:
1. DON'T: I will not bless you if you walk in the counsel of the wicked, God will not bless you if you listen to worldly advice.
Romans 12:2
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect, will of God.
Do not shape yourself around what's going on in the world. Conform to Jesus. Spend your life around Godly people.
Transform: changed by God.
Transformation, like the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to butterfly. Spend your life around people who will transform with you. People who will help you fly, rather than crawl. Why crawl, when you have it in you to fly? Transformations occur from the inside, by renewing your mind.
You will become what you feed your mind. The reason why you go to school, is to feed your mind information. To become a doctor, you must feed your mind books and other things that are for doctors. The only reason you aren't a doctor or astronaut is because he or she read and studied different books than you. The realities of your past and present remain in your mind. Life would be so much easier as a Christian if you just forgot what happened in your past. It'd be much easier to beat an addiction if you forgot what it felt like. But just because you can relate to a weakness doesn't mean you have to accept the mindset
Ephesian 2:1-7
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
*quickened: given life
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
*there is a persuasive spirit of disobedience over the world!
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath,even as others.
*Conversation: past lifestyles
Lusts: not just sexual things, to lust is to covet (to look upon with longing) and to fulfill the flesh.
4 BUT GOD who is RICH in mercy, for his great love wherewith He loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
The prodigal son physically in the circumstance and mentally left his problem
"I will arise and go to my Father's house!"
2.DON'T: stand in the way of sinners. - Not stand in the way of them getting to their sin or whatever - but don't adopt their ways, behaviors, or attitudes! Change your ways, you have control over yourself!
3.DON'T: Sit in the seat of the scornful. DO NOT associate with bitter people. If you adopt their bitter ways and become a negative person you can not be blessed. Scornful and rejected people are dangerous! Bitterness will spoil your heart and curse you.
You cannot afford to get bitter, if you get bitter you won't get better.
GET IT OUT OF YOU!! so you can go ahead!
1. DO:Meditate in His law day and night. God will sustain you.
Sustain: to support, hold or bear up from below; bear the weight of, as a structure (dictionary.com)
DO NOT compare your blessing! Be thankful for what you have - your season is coming! He's raising things up for you!
Whatsoever he DOETH shall proser. The key word there is DO - implies action.
STOP: asking God to bless what you are not doing!!!!! Quit it!!!!! God cannot bless dysfunction, He can only bless function! Things in your life are not going to be as easy as they are advertised. Do not be surprised by the excruciating pain you will feel, don't run away!
God says if you will do it, I will bless it!
This is the kind of doing that will cause bruising.
Like the little 20 pound dog who followed his master, but his master closed the screen door. That little dog, FLUNG his WHOLE body at that door, stepped back and realize the harder he threw himself at the door, the more it moved. The dog, got that door open, so he could follow his master.
Do you think the dog liked the feeling of being smashed up against a door? Probably not. He wanted to follow his master, he wanted to see him. He threw everything he had at getting that door open.
That's the kind of doing I'm talking about.
If you throw everything you've got, He'll throw everything He's got!
The blessings are in the work. Just like how the blessing was in the breaking of the 5 loaves of bread. - If the blessing was in the beginning when Jesus raised the bread to God, it would have been too heavy to hold.
Streeeetch yourself!!
And for goodness' sake, go out and be obedient to God and start DOING!
The blessing is a reaction to the action!
Maybe, you are not waiting on God, perhaps God is waiting for you?
You've got to be willing to throw everything you've got at what it'll take to succeed. Ten talents - the man was cursed by lack of effort. The other two went out and made more!
Hebrews - you have not resisted unto blood!
There can be no blessing without breaking!
Stop dreaming, start doing.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Move: Make Room
So, my mom bought the T.D. Jakes series called Move, and the first teaching is called Make Room, here are some of my notes and thoughts. . .
God has established a bilateral covenant with his people - which means both sides have responsibility.
Malachi 3:10-12
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. 12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.
Tithe: ten; tenth percentage of your wages; act of worship
The key to tithing is to tithe consistently and with a joyful heart
It is more blessed to give than to receive
example: it is better to give a loan than to need one
Give God the very best, because your gifts say a lot about you. 2,000 years ago, they would have given things like sheep and grains because that's what they used for money and the Israelites would give God one for every ten. So one sheep for every ten born. But instead of giving God the best lamb, they'd give Him the crippled one or the sick one, because they couldn't use it anyways. That's like saying to God "this is what I think of you". If you give good, He will return good. If you give bad, He will return what you gave.
Tithers have a security in God, He's got an umbrella of protection around you, God will always make a way for his faithful tithers.
10: number of completion; finality; the whole
Giving the tenth represents the whole. God is big on representations-
example: Jesus' sacrifice was accepted to bless the whole. Jesus was the tithe that represented the whole.
The 10% blesses the 90% because the 10% represents the 100% - make sense?
Do NOT spend God's tithe money, its like in the Garden with Adam and Eve, they could have the WHOLE garden, except one tree. The tithe, the holy part, set aside for God. The serpent persuaded Eve to eat of the tithe, set apart for God.
Genesis 3:5
5"..ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil."
It's true, they would be like God, eating God's glory. Eating what God should have had - God said He would not share in His glory
As a tither, you are blessed, and the enemy cannot curse what God has blessed. The enemy has to seduce you into cursing yourself, like he did with Adam and Eve.
Disobedience caused the fall of man.
A tree was the instrument used to curse man, and a tree was used to break the curse over man.
Everything the enemy took away from you, God is going to give it back.
Everything you have, God gave it to you, because you are blessed, and his mercy endures forever!
Genesis 14:12 - Melchizedek represents Jesus
God wouldn't teach you how to be blessed if you weren't going to make it!
When God's house is full, your house is full!
5-Fold Promise to Tithers:
1. I will give you a gift that keeps on giving. One blessing, that is pregnant with blessings. God's word is prenatal care to your blessing, so you can deliver. Once you identify your blessing, multiply! Wear that blessing out!! You and your children's children can live and die before that blessing will wear out! That's why God gives us children, so we have a overflow catcher. God's going to pour into our cup so much that it spills over into our children's lives, our grandchildren's lives...our great-great-great grand children's lives!
2.I will protect your blessing. He will stop the enemy that is after your blessing. He will stop the circumstances from stealing of freezing your season. He'll fight for you, so you don't have to stop sowing and harvesting. "The battle is mine, saith the Lord"! People and circumstances will distract, so listen to God's voice. Because you are tithing and honoring Him, He will make a way for you!
"I'll make a place for you, and wait for you to grow up enough to receive it."
3. I will bring dreams to fruition. He will control the atmosphere so your vine will not cast it's fruit early. He will not allow the freeze to come and steal your almost ready fruit. In Jesus name, miscarriages are rebuked! You will carry this blessing full term! Do not be frustrated with timing and blessing. Being held back is a blessing, it would kill you to constantly bear fruit! God's timing is perfect, He gives rest when you need it and runs with you when it's time. Down time is prep time!
4. I will restore your reputation. He'll restore your name. He'll change the way people see you. It's like when people are jealous of what they think others have. People on the outside will see that you are blessed!
5. I will restore your realities. I will bring your realities up to wear your reputation is. Your reputation comes before your reality. In other words, you look stronger before you actually become stronger. You will rise to the reality of your reputation.
So take a look at who you are surrounding yourself with.
God's tools keep working through any circumstance no matter if it's a recession, depression - do not stop your process/dreams because a temporary situation.
Keep moving. Keep moving because you are going to make it. God's promise is strong.
Hebrews 7:1-4 - Abraham paid a tenth to the representation of Christ, before the covenant was made! When Abraham paid them, Levi paid them too. In other words, when you are faithful to God, you are storing up blessings for your family in the future! God takes tithe seriously!
Whenever you get blessed, people will always be there to try to bring you down. People who will bring up the past, people who will distract - you've got to be ready for that, you've got to be strong enough to just lean on God because the opportunities you missed in the past are coming back. The Father can't wait to bless you!
Be blessed! And once you are, make room because God gives very very good gifts (:
10...test me in this," says the Lord Almighty. "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have enough room for it."
God has established a bilateral covenant with his people - which means both sides have responsibility.
Malachi 3:10-12
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. 12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.
Tithe: ten; tenth percentage of your wages; act of worship
The key to tithing is to tithe consistently and with a joyful heart
It is more blessed to give than to receive
example: it is better to give a loan than to need one
Give God the very best, because your gifts say a lot about you. 2,000 years ago, they would have given things like sheep and grains because that's what they used for money and the Israelites would give God one for every ten. So one sheep for every ten born. But instead of giving God the best lamb, they'd give Him the crippled one or the sick one, because they couldn't use it anyways. That's like saying to God "this is what I think of you". If you give good, He will return good. If you give bad, He will return what you gave.
Tithers have a security in God, He's got an umbrella of protection around you, God will always make a way for his faithful tithers.
10: number of completion; finality; the whole
Giving the tenth represents the whole. God is big on representations-
example: Jesus' sacrifice was accepted to bless the whole. Jesus was the tithe that represented the whole.
The 10% blesses the 90% because the 10% represents the 100% - make sense?
Do NOT spend God's tithe money, its like in the Garden with Adam and Eve, they could have the WHOLE garden, except one tree. The tithe, the holy part, set aside for God. The serpent persuaded Eve to eat of the tithe, set apart for God.
Genesis 3:5
5"..ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil."
It's true, they would be like God, eating God's glory. Eating what God should have had - God said He would not share in His glory
As a tither, you are blessed, and the enemy cannot curse what God has blessed. The enemy has to seduce you into cursing yourself, like he did with Adam and Eve.
Disobedience caused the fall of man.
A tree was the instrument used to curse man, and a tree was used to break the curse over man.
Everything the enemy took away from you, God is going to give it back.
Everything you have, God gave it to you, because you are blessed, and his mercy endures forever!
Genesis 14:12 - Melchizedek represents Jesus
God wouldn't teach you how to be blessed if you weren't going to make it!
When God's house is full, your house is full!
5-Fold Promise to Tithers:
1. I will give you a gift that keeps on giving. One blessing, that is pregnant with blessings. God's word is prenatal care to your blessing, so you can deliver. Once you identify your blessing, multiply! Wear that blessing out!! You and your children's children can live and die before that blessing will wear out! That's why God gives us children, so we have a overflow catcher. God's going to pour into our cup so much that it spills over into our children's lives, our grandchildren's lives...our great-great-great grand children's lives!
2.I will protect your blessing. He will stop the enemy that is after your blessing. He will stop the circumstances from stealing of freezing your season. He'll fight for you, so you don't have to stop sowing and harvesting. "The battle is mine, saith the Lord"! People and circumstances will distract, so listen to God's voice. Because you are tithing and honoring Him, He will make a way for you!
"I'll make a place for you, and wait for you to grow up enough to receive it."
3. I will bring dreams to fruition. He will control the atmosphere so your vine will not cast it's fruit early. He will not allow the freeze to come and steal your almost ready fruit. In Jesus name, miscarriages are rebuked! You will carry this blessing full term! Do not be frustrated with timing and blessing. Being held back is a blessing, it would kill you to constantly bear fruit! God's timing is perfect, He gives rest when you need it and runs with you when it's time. Down time is prep time!
4. I will restore your reputation. He'll restore your name. He'll change the way people see you. It's like when people are jealous of what they think others have. People on the outside will see that you are blessed!
5. I will restore your realities. I will bring your realities up to wear your reputation is. Your reputation comes before your reality. In other words, you look stronger before you actually become stronger. You will rise to the reality of your reputation.
So take a look at who you are surrounding yourself with.
God's tools keep working through any circumstance no matter if it's a recession, depression - do not stop your process/dreams because a temporary situation.
Keep moving. Keep moving because you are going to make it. God's promise is strong.
Hebrews 7:1-4 - Abraham paid a tenth to the representation of Christ, before the covenant was made! When Abraham paid them, Levi paid them too. In other words, when you are faithful to God, you are storing up blessings for your family in the future! God takes tithe seriously!
Whenever you get blessed, people will always be there to try to bring you down. People who will bring up the past, people who will distract - you've got to be ready for that, you've got to be strong enough to just lean on God because the opportunities you missed in the past are coming back. The Father can't wait to bless you!
Be blessed! And once you are, make room because God gives very very good gifts (:
10...test me in this," says the Lord Almighty. "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have enough room for it."
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Praise The Lord!
I was flipping through channels and I felt like God was like "turn on Praise The Lord", this show on TBN, like God really compelled me to watch, and I just caught on the end of a man named Therman Evans. He was talking about how when you worship you are getting smarter intellectually, through response to music and physically moving to a beat during worship! How cool! Then he went on to start explaining the importance of giving, and being a blessing to others. He said that when everyone in the church body gives, everyone receives. To also, look for opportunities to give to others.
God makes us prosperous to give to others, He blesses us so we can bless others. He fills us up to empty us, so we may go from glory to glory, while also being a blessing to others, and furthering them on in their journey.
When everyone gives, it's like a little slice of heaven down here on earth.
"...on earth as it is in Heaven..."
Helping yourself always involves helping someone else.
Therman, and the TV host were talking about his book, and all of the sudden the conversation turned to the economy, and how people in the Body of Christ were worried about "provisions" in hard times. Therman stops and says
"First of all, God is our source..." And I was like YES! God is our source! You walk by faith with Me. Just like in church Sunday: if you want to walk on water you have to get out of the boat! Sow and plant where you are, God told Isaac!
If you take care of God's program, He'll take care of yours. He knows your heart. You can count on the promises of God.
Then right at the end and some at the beginning Therman talked about this program he was doing, he was on the plane from Detroit to somewhere in a different time zone (sorry, I don't remember) and he looked at the itinerary. It said leave Detroit: 4:30 p.m., Arrive: 4:25 p.m.
It's like, once he left, he was already there.
BUT he still had to make the journey.
And that is totally how God works! You've already got the victory, you just have to make the journey and receive it.
This is the temporary end, I want to do more study on this. So stay tuned!
Get up and Go, do things for Jesus! Because your work will not be in vain!
God makes us prosperous to give to others, He blesses us so we can bless others. He fills us up to empty us, so we may go from glory to glory, while also being a blessing to others, and furthering them on in their journey.
When everyone gives, it's like a little slice of heaven down here on earth.
"...on earth as it is in Heaven..."
Helping yourself always involves helping someone else.
Therman, and the TV host were talking about his book, and all of the sudden the conversation turned to the economy, and how people in the Body of Christ were worried about "provisions" in hard times. Therman stops and says
"First of all, God is our source..." And I was like YES! God is our source! You walk by faith with Me. Just like in church Sunday: if you want to walk on water you have to get out of the boat! Sow and plant where you are, God told Isaac!
If you take care of God's program, He'll take care of yours. He knows your heart. You can count on the promises of God.
Then right at the end and some at the beginning Therman talked about this program he was doing, he was on the plane from Detroit to somewhere in a different time zone (sorry, I don't remember) and he looked at the itinerary. It said leave Detroit: 4:30 p.m., Arrive: 4:25 p.m.
It's like, once he left, he was already there.
BUT he still had to make the journey.
And that is totally how God works! You've already got the victory, you just have to make the journey and receive it.
This is the temporary end, I want to do more study on this. So stay tuned!
Get up and Go, do things for Jesus! Because your work will not be in vain!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Gifts & Love
So today I was at a different church then where I normally go, and the church was doing this series they named "Streetwise: 1 Corinthians", which is very cool, because as you know from past entries I am in 1 Corinthians! Anyways, they were on chapter 12, and they were focusing on verse 27
27"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is part of it.".
I decided to go an reread the whole chapter, and it was really cool how Paul is just like "you are important!" the whole way through. I mean, if you are in the Body of Christ, you have so much meaning, and people don't understand how important every part of the Body is.
22"On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,"
Then Paul goes on to talk about the importance of unity.
Unity: the state of being one; oneness.
25"so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."
Being together in every situation is obviously God's heart for the church right now, I keep hearing message after message about unity and relationship. Because hard times are coming and isolation is the worst thing to do when you are going through a season of threshing or just of hardship.
At the end of this chapter Paul says to lust after greater gifts, so you are supposed to passionately ask God, and go after gifts, especially prophecy. But then all of the sudden in chapter 13, Paul the proceeds to tell everyone how worthless the gifts are, without love! He says you could fathom all mysteries, have mountain moving faith but its all worth nothing without love, basically you could be the coolest, most Christian-y person out there and your heart is without love, you gain nothing and you give nothing to the Body. All of these gifts are going to end when perfection comes (Jesus), all of the things we are supposed to lust after are going to cease, all of them except faith, hope, and LOVE.
8"...Love never fails...."
In verse 11, he then talks about how you need maturity in the gifts God's given you. Maturity to walk in love, to share your gifts.
11"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me."
12"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face."
When Christ comes back, we will see Him, face to face. How amazing that will be! Right now, we are just experiencing, the reflection of God's greatness. We are just in part, our knowledge is just part but we will be full. Jesus will return and we will fully know the greatness and goodness of God.
In closing, I want to reiterate the importance of every single person of the Body of Christ, if He didn't need your specific gifts and talents -- he wouldn't have made you. He is waiting for you to seek His gifts so you can grow and become mature. He wants to show you love and fullness.
13"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
Life without Love = :'(
27"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is part of it.".
I decided to go an reread the whole chapter, and it was really cool how Paul is just like "you are important!" the whole way through. I mean, if you are in the Body of Christ, you have so much meaning, and people don't understand how important every part of the Body is.
22"On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,"
Then Paul goes on to talk about the importance of unity.
Unity: the state of being one; oneness.
25"so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."
Being together in every situation is obviously God's heart for the church right now, I keep hearing message after message about unity and relationship. Because hard times are coming and isolation is the worst thing to do when you are going through a season of threshing or just of hardship.
At the end of this chapter Paul says to lust after greater gifts, so you are supposed to passionately ask God, and go after gifts, especially prophecy. But then all of the sudden in chapter 13, Paul the proceeds to tell everyone how worthless the gifts are, without love! He says you could fathom all mysteries, have mountain moving faith but its all worth nothing without love, basically you could be the coolest, most Christian-y person out there and your heart is without love, you gain nothing and you give nothing to the Body. All of these gifts are going to end when perfection comes (Jesus), all of the things we are supposed to lust after are going to cease, all of them except faith, hope, and LOVE.
8"...Love never fails...."
In verse 11, he then talks about how you need maturity in the gifts God's given you. Maturity to walk in love, to share your gifts.
11"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me."
12"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face."
When Christ comes back, we will see Him, face to face. How amazing that will be! Right now, we are just experiencing, the reflection of God's greatness. We are just in part, our knowledge is just part but we will be full. Jesus will return and we will fully know the greatness and goodness of God.
In closing, I want to reiterate the importance of every single person of the Body of Christ, if He didn't need your specific gifts and talents -- he wouldn't have made you. He is waiting for you to seek His gifts so you can grow and become mature. He wants to show you love and fullness.
13"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
Life without Love = :'(
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Stop. Build an Alter & Pray.
I was listening to T.D. Jakes the other day and he was talking about King David in 1 Chronicles 21. David was provoked by the enemy to take a census of Israel, which was wrong in God's eyes because it led David to pride. So God had to punish David and Israel. David realized how he sinned and humbly went to God and asked to be forgiven. God forgave David, but He still punished Israel. He gave David a choice of famine for 3 years, 3 months of being handed over to the sword of his enemy or 3 days of the sword of God (plague), David chose 3 days of plague.
14" So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. 15And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the Lord saw it and was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, 'Enough! Withdraw your hand.' The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite."
Okay, the threshing floor, was both physical and spiritual. Physically it's where the farmer people would get the grain and put it on the floor and stomp, and press down, then the grain would be thrown into the air, and the wind would carry away the chaff (the useless stuff). Spiritually, the threshing floor is a season when God pushes and pounds onto you, then lets the windstorm come through your life, to carry away the chaff - the light, superficial things about you that He can't use in His Divine Plan. Out of love, God destroys you, basically. Even in these verses you can see the love God has for His people, His heart was grieved was the angel was destroying Jerusalem. Like a parent who has to discipline their child.
16"David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell face down."
And REPENTED, and pleaded with God, to have the plague only affect him and his family not the entire kingdom of Israel.
18"Then the angel of the Lord ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an alter to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 19 So David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the Lord."
So David physically goes to the threshing floor to build an alter to God.
He went in the midst of all his problems and strife, built and alter and cried out to God. He didn't run away in the midst of the storm! Right then God was letting the winds blow on David. David was being torn up and he physically went to build and alter. He knew God was doing this for a reason. David bought the threshing floor for full price, used his own cattle and stuff to burn offerings, he would not burn an offering that cost him nothing.
25"So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels of gold for the site. 26David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering."
Then God spoke to the angel, and the angel put his sword back into its sheath. That's when David saw that God has answered his prayer at the threshing floor.
Wow. God is so good. God made a covenant with Israel and used David's sin to turn them back to God. God's grace just fills this chapter.
If you are ever going through a season in your life that is difficult and God is just really beating on you, it's for your good. God is always for your good! He's taking those things about you that He can't use, and you shouldn't use and throwing them out the window!
15"Though He slay me, yet I will trust in Him. . ."
Job 13:15
24"Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord."
Psalm 31:24
When life is too much, stop looking at your problem, build an altar, look to God, and cry out
14" So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. 15And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the Lord saw it and was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, 'Enough! Withdraw your hand.' The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite."
Okay, the threshing floor, was both physical and spiritual. Physically it's where the farmer people would get the grain and put it on the floor and stomp, and press down, then the grain would be thrown into the air, and the wind would carry away the chaff (the useless stuff). Spiritually, the threshing floor is a season when God pushes and pounds onto you, then lets the windstorm come through your life, to carry away the chaff - the light, superficial things about you that He can't use in His Divine Plan. Out of love, God destroys you, basically. Even in these verses you can see the love God has for His people, His heart was grieved was the angel was destroying Jerusalem. Like a parent who has to discipline their child.
16"David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell face down."
And REPENTED, and pleaded with God, to have the plague only affect him and his family not the entire kingdom of Israel.
18"Then the angel of the Lord ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an alter to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 19 So David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the Lord."
So David physically goes to the threshing floor to build an alter to God.
He went in the midst of all his problems and strife, built and alter and cried out to God. He didn't run away in the midst of the storm! Right then God was letting the winds blow on David. David was being torn up and he physically went to build and alter. He knew God was doing this for a reason. David bought the threshing floor for full price, used his own cattle and stuff to burn offerings, he would not burn an offering that cost him nothing.
25"So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels of gold for the site. 26David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering."
Then God spoke to the angel, and the angel put his sword back into its sheath. That's when David saw that God has answered his prayer at the threshing floor.
Wow. God is so good. God made a covenant with Israel and used David's sin to turn them back to God. God's grace just fills this chapter.
If you are ever going through a season in your life that is difficult and God is just really beating on you, it's for your good. God is always for your good! He's taking those things about you that He can't use, and you shouldn't use and throwing them out the window!
15"Though He slay me, yet I will trust in Him. . ."
Job 13:15
24"Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord."
Psalm 31:24
When life is too much, stop looking at your problem, build an altar, look to God, and cry out
My Soul Cries, My Soul Cries Out!
I've been listening to the Fling Wide CD by Misty Edwards. And the first song on there is Soul Cry. As I was listening I grew more and more confused! I wanted to know why she said certain things, and where in the Bible the lyrics were at, I just wanted to see how it all fit together. I was especially confused on this part:
"They may say, 'Come on, get over it. Drink, be merry, for tomorrow we die'"
I couldn't figure it out, out of my own understanding. The VERY next morning at 5 a.m. God woke me up and led me to 1 Corinthians 15:32
"If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,
'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die,'"
Again, I was puzzled, so I read the whole chapter, only to confuse myself more about resurrection and all of this stuff! Until I looked down at the references for the verse 32 - Isaiah 22:13 and Luke 12:19. On the way to finding Luke 12:19, I found another part of the song in Isaiah 32. I also found another verse to back this up in Ecclesiastes 7:4-5
lryics: "That's why I'd rather sit in the house of mourning than at the table with fools"
". . .yes, mourn for all houses of merriment and for this city of revelry."
Isaiah 32:13
"4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of pleasure. 5 It is better to heed a wise man's rebuke than to listen to the song of fools." Ecclesiastes 7:4-5
Back to Luke 12:19-21,
19"And I'll say to myself, 'You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.' 20 But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
21'This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.'"
At first I didn't get it, and I really wanted to know, I spent the next couple of days, waking up at crazy hours of the morning to fellowship with God, and learn what my Father was saying to me. Eventually, I got the message:
This man, in Luke, has all these worldly possessions, all these things for his life now, and then nothing stored in heaven, nothing to look forward to. So he has to have his pleasures now, and God is like "you fool!!" what happens when you die tonight? What happens when all of your stuff is given to someone else because you are dead?? Then in 1 Corinthians Paul is talking about the promise of resurrection in spirit. He's like, why would I risk my life everyday if I knew it was just for human pleasures, just to make myself feel good? I do these things for God, I'm storing up treasures in heaven, so I can have them for eternity! Jesus has promised us that when we die, we will be resurrected in spirit, imperishable, in glory and power! Jesus is not a man that He should lie!
58"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that you labor in the Lord is not in vain."
How glorious!
Thank you Lord for your revelations! How my soul cries out for more! Thank you Jesus!
Stay tuned for the next question I have about these lyrics
"Spring up, O well; spring up, O well; spring up, O well, within me"
and
"All my tears You hold in a bottle; You will pour them out like rain"
"They may say, 'Come on, get over it. Drink, be merry, for tomorrow we die'"
I couldn't figure it out, out of my own understanding. The VERY next morning at 5 a.m. God woke me up and led me to 1 Corinthians 15:32
"If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,
'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die,'"
Again, I was puzzled, so I read the whole chapter, only to confuse myself more about resurrection and all of this stuff! Until I looked down at the references for the verse 32 - Isaiah 22:13 and Luke 12:19. On the way to finding Luke 12:19, I found another part of the song in Isaiah 32. I also found another verse to back this up in Ecclesiastes 7:4-5
lryics: "That's why I'd rather sit in the house of mourning than at the table with fools"
". . .yes, mourn for all houses of merriment and for this city of revelry."
Isaiah 32:13
"4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of pleasure. 5 It is better to heed a wise man's rebuke than to listen to the song of fools." Ecclesiastes 7:4-5
Back to Luke 12:19-21,
19"And I'll say to myself, 'You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.' 20 But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
21'This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.'"
At first I didn't get it, and I really wanted to know, I spent the next couple of days, waking up at crazy hours of the morning to fellowship with God, and learn what my Father was saying to me. Eventually, I got the message:
This man, in Luke, has all these worldly possessions, all these things for his life now, and then nothing stored in heaven, nothing to look forward to. So he has to have his pleasures now, and God is like "you fool!!" what happens when you die tonight? What happens when all of your stuff is given to someone else because you are dead?? Then in 1 Corinthians Paul is talking about the promise of resurrection in spirit. He's like, why would I risk my life everyday if I knew it was just for human pleasures, just to make myself feel good? I do these things for God, I'm storing up treasures in heaven, so I can have them for eternity! Jesus has promised us that when we die, we will be resurrected in spirit, imperishable, in glory and power! Jesus is not a man that He should lie!
58"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that you labor in the Lord is not in vain."
How glorious!
Thank you Lord for your revelations! How my soul cries out for more! Thank you Jesus!
Stay tuned for the next question I have about these lyrics
"Spring up, O well; spring up, O well; spring up, O well, within me"
and
"All my tears You hold in a bottle; You will pour them out like rain"
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