THE CHRISTIAN AND HALLOWEEN: THE NIGHT AROUND THE GOLDEN CALF

“When the people saw that Moses was delayed to come down from the mountain, they gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, Up, make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.  So, Aaron replied, Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives, your sons, and daughters, and bring them to me.  So, all the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron.  And he received the gold at their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it a molten calf; and they said, These are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!  And when Aaron saw the molten calf, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation, and said, Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.  And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.  The Lord said to Moses, Go down, for your people who you brought out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves; They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them/ they have made them a molten calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, These are your gods, O Israel, that brought you up out of the land of Egypt!  And the Lord said to Moses, I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people; Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and that I may destroy them; but I will make of you a great nation.”  (Exodus 32:1-10)

“Take no part in and have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness, but instead let your lives be so in contrast as to expose and reprove and convict them for it is a shame even to speak of or mention the things that such people practice in secret.” (Ephesians 5:11-12)

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About Halloween

Halloween, also known as All Hallows Eve or Sam Hein, has been celebrated for hundreds of years.  It is a celebration of fear and death.  It is called “Satan’s Birthday” by Satanists.  It is a night filled with evil.  Evil words and evil deeds. 

All over the world, thousands of children, adults and animals die on satanic altars in blood rituals to glorify Satan.  It is a night filled with witchcraft spells, hexes, curses and incantations that result in demons rampaging into the lives of the hapless people being cursed that night. 

But in towns and cities around the world, “regular” people celebrate a supposedly innocent and fun holiday.  Christian churches give it a “godly” twist by calling it Trunk or Treat or “Harvest Festival.”  On the surface Halloween is a harmless fun-filled night of costumes and candy for the children.  But Halloween is a celebration of darkness. 

There are three kinds of people who celebrate Halloween.  The first kind are the Satanists, Wiccans and other pagan groups.  The second are the people who are not followers of Jesus Christ.  The third group are those who ARE professed followers of Jesus Christ.  This teaching is not for the Satanists or the non-believers in Jesus Christ.  This teaching is for those who profess that Jesus Christ is Lord of their life and yet one night a year, they choose to celebrate Satan’s birthday disguised as Halloween.

The Violation of the First Commandment in the New Covenant

The first and greatest commandment given to followers of Jesus Christ is this: “And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the most important and first commandment.” (Matthew 22:37)

Verse 40 says “These two commandments sum up and upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets.”  This means that everything in the Law of Moses is summed up in “love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.” 

What does this have to do with Halloween?  Plenty.  What is the first commandment in the Old Testament?  “You shall have no other gods before or beside Me.  You shall not make yourself any graven image to worship it or any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth; You shall not bow down yourself to them or serve them; for I the Lord Your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me.  But showing mercy and steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (Exodus 20:2-7)  The first commandment is the have no other gods before or beside Him.  Whose night is Halloween?  It belongs to the gods of this world.  There is nothing remotely “Christian” about Halloween.  For Christ-followers it is a clear violation of the first commandment in the New Covenant that was forged with the Blood of Jesus Christ.

The New Covenant does NOT do away with the Old Testament.  Jesus Christ fulfilled all the requirements of the Law but what is stated there is nonetheless true for today.  To put it bluntly, the celebration of Halloween is idolatry.  It’s celebrating with the world their god and the Lord said “no gods before Me OR besides Me.” 

When we surrendered our lives to Jesus Christ, we became a Christ-Follower.  We are a people who are peculiar, who are set apart as holy unto the Lord.  Pure and righteous that He might have fellowship with us.  The LORD God Almighty is so holy and pure that sinful man cannot be in His presence in the sinful condition of the fallen nature.  It requires repentance and surrender, and it requires the cleansing blood of Jesus to wash away our sins and make us righteous to Yehovah.

This surrender brought us into a BLOOD COVENANT with God through the blood of Jesus Christ.  Just as surely as God made a blood covenant with Abraham, He has made one with each follower of Jesus Christ.  God is very serious about His covenants.  The price He paid for our redemption was His Son, Jesus Christ.  He expects our total devotion and loyalty in return for this great gift. 

There is a standard of behavior that God requires of His people that separates us from the rest of the world.  That’s why we are peculiar.  “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of HIM Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (I Peter 2:9)  Our primary function as Christ-followers is to show the rest of the world how awesome and wonderful our Great God is!  How can we do that if we are just like the rest of the world?  What kind of power is that to help people find Him?

Every Christ-follower is in this blood covenant and when we participate, however innocently in the pagan holiday of Halloween, we break this covenant and open the door for Satan to operate in our lives. 

Covenant Breakers

One of the traits that marks the end times is the characteristics of the people alive then.  “But understand this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].  For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters.  They will be abusive {blasphemous, scoffing}, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane.  [They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good.  [They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash and inflated with self-conceit.  [They will be] plovers of sensual pleasures more than  rather than lovers of God.  For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession].  Avoid all such people [turn away from them].” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” (Romans 1:28-32)

Reading these scriptures, you can see it’s true by watching the activities of people in the streets of America.  The horrors of pedophilia that is being normalized should concern us all deeply.  The culture of the 21^st century is defined by these two scriptures.  Whatever makes you feel good, it’s okay.  For many Christians it’s “Jesus loves you, and you are just a sinner saved by grace.”  This is the rationale used by so many people who profess to love God.  It’s the form of godliness but they deny the power to transform into His image to display HIS righteousness to the world.

Christ-followers who celebrate and participate in Halloween are breaking the covenant between them and God by having another god beside Him.  The only way back is through repentance and forsaking your “family traditions” of celebrating this pagan holiday.  It’s a hard choice for a lot of people, but Jesus never promised us a rose garden.  He did promise persecution and life on the Narrow Road.

The Narrow Road or the Broad Road: It’s Your Choice

“Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it.  But the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure) and the way is straightened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

When we come to Jesus and surrender our lives to His Lordship, we have entered through the narrow gate and onto the narrow road to walk with Him—to walk in His WAYS.  To obey His commandments.  To forsake the world and all its trappings.  It is a “holy highway” that is indeed a road less traveled.  Few people in comparison are willing to travel this road and those who do, should never compromise and think they can willy nilly go back and forth from the broad road to the narrow road and back again.  And that is exactly what millions of Christ followers do on Halloween. 

The narrow road does NOT celebrate Halloween.  In fact, it isn’t even acknowledged.  The ONLY thing Christ followers should be doing on Halloween is praying for the people who are going to be slaughtered that night to Satan.  The only way for a Christ follower to celebrate Halloween is to leave the narrow road, traverse the valley of Compromise and re-enter the Broad road that leads to destruction. 

In ancient Israel, the Hebrews were held by strict laws on diet and not mingling with pagan nations around them.  God told them their bloodlines would be cursed if they went whoring after other gods, yet that did not stop them.  What is the big draw for them?  Illicit sex.  They would go to the high places and groves and have sex with whoever they wanted.  They celebrated the demon gods along with the Canaanites and participated in the fertility orgies. 

So, imagine the hypocrisy of the Israelites: on Thursday night they go to the groves to get drunk and participate in the orgies.  Friday night they are sitting piously at their Shabbat dinners blessing the Lord and then going to the temple to offer their burnt sacrifices to Yehovah.  How do you think God felt about this?  It was a stench in His nostrils.  Their hearts were not with Him and He knew it.  He watched their drunkenness and adulteries in the grove that night. 

The Israelites left the ways of the Lord to go into that grove and worship at the table of Baal.  The only way back to right standing with God is true, heart-felt repentance.  A changing of the mind and ways.  Make no mistake about it: you cannot eat at the table of Baal and the table of the Lord at the same time.  You cannot serve two masters.

When Christ followers compromise their faith on Halloween, they have gone whoring after the world’s gods.  It’s no different that the Israelites dancing around the golden calf or going out to the grove.  Spiritually, they have opened a portal for Satan to legally operate in their realm of influence.  He can legally bring curses into your life.  Demons can begin to mess with your finances, your health, your marriage, your children, your job but worst of all, there is a separation of fellowship between you and God.  Idolatry opens up the way to hear the wrong voice whispering in your ear.  Deception can enter your life and before you know it, you are justifying all kinds of evil ways.  One compromise leads to another, then another and then another until you have lost sight of the narrow way completely.

Repentance is the Only Way Back to the Narrow Road

“So repent (change your mind and purpose); turn around and return to God, that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of refreshing (of recovering from the effects of heat, of reviving with fresh air) may come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19)

If you are a Christ follower and you celebrate Halloween, know that you have to repent to restore your relationship with the Lord.  You have to make the hard choice to forsake the celebration and even acknowledgment of Halloween.  Otherwise, your life is open to Satan’s influence and attacks and spiritual deception.  True repentance is the only way back to the heart of God.

We are living in the end times where it is critical that Christ followers keep themselves unspotted from the world.  The people on the narrow road who are obedient and faithful and watching for their Bridegroom will hear the trumpet and are considered wise virgins.  Those who are playing on the wide road have sin-stained garments.  People on the broad road will not hear the trumpet and be left behind to face the coming judgments of God on the earth during the Great Tribulation.  Is it really worth it?

We are still living in the age of God’s grace, so repent and let the Lord cleanse you so that times of refreshing can come into your life! 

Blessings everyone…

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The Awesome Faithfulness of God

“For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin, no matter how it comes or where it leads) has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear].  But God is faithful to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation, He will [always] provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place, that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.” (I Corinthians 10:13 AMPC)

“If we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him], He remains true (faithful to His Word, and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13 AMPC)

“So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgment of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His Word.” (Hebrews 10:23 AMPC)

“And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).  Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you].” (I Thessalonians 5:23-24 AMPC)

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This is a testimony of the awesome faithfulness of God in the midst of a harrowing storm of life.  I live in southwest Louisiana and on August 27, 2020, a category 4 hurricane named Laura slammed into the coast near the Texas border.  The storm didn’t lose much steam once it landed but it barreled north right up the highway running by my house.

I confess that I underestimated the power of this storm very much.  Looking at the weather on my phone it wasn’t going to be even 100 mph winds.  How wrong I was!  I did everything I could do to prepare and I prayed over our property and ask for the angels to come and protect our homes and property.  My mother and sister came up from their small town which was further south.  We all settled in for a long night as we claimed Psalm 91 over ourselves.

You might be wondering why didn’t I evacuate?  Well, for one thing, I didn’t have the gas or the money to be gone for an extended period of time.  I made the decision to trust God with my house and possessions.  I had to come to the place where I either believe Psalm 91 and God’s faithfulness or I don’t.  I chose to believe His Word and stand on it.

About 1:30AM the power went out and the winds were steadily increasing.  My sister and I kept decreeing and declaring the Word of God over the property.  Every time the wind would scream and the mobile home would shake, we would shout all the louder.  I’m sure anyone walking in would have thought we were crazy, but I guess you had to be there to appreciate what we were doing.

We fought fear every time a big gust of wind would rage against the mobile home.  This went on for five hours.  The winds were sustained at 120 to 138 mph for five hours.  I kept looking at my phone weather and it kept saying the winds were only 85 mph.  Maybe five hours ago that was true but not at 4:00 AM in the morning.  The eye of the storm went directly over our area so we got the winds coming and going.  It was merciless.  Finally, at 7:00AM or so, the winds died down and it was eerily quiet.

My sister and I cautiously opened the back door and we were shocked at the devastation to the woods and the trees all around us.  My light pole was cracked but hanging on by the PVC pipe of the meter.  My cheap plastic greenhouse was torn up.  My back yard was filled with huge tops of pine trees and the huge limbs of the oak tree fell right by my office window.  My shed was untouched as was my add on washroom.  When we went to the front yard to see a huge oak tree was completely uprooted and fell four inches from my car.  My flimsy little front porch was intact to my amazement.

I looked up and the roof had some shingles missing and my skirting was messed up a little but not that bad.  I stood in awe of what God had done with my home and vehicle!  He preserved everything that was important to me and the things that weren’t was destroyed.  Even my internet dish wasn’t moved nor was my chimney.  It was really amazing to see how God was faithful to keep me in this horrible storm in a mobile home that could have been totally destroyed considering how destructive the winds were.

It’s been two weeks since the storm and I’m still without power, but God supernaturally has provided me a generator to use, He has brought money to me supernaturally to buy things I normally wouldn’t be able to do.  His faithfulness is sure and it is so AWESOME!

When I went out on my porch to sit with Him I realized that the only reason that flimsy porch didn’t blow away (which it should have), is because it is a place of fellowship for us.  I sit with Him every day on that porch just talking, reading His Word, and worship.  He loves that little porch as much as I do.  Throughout this trial, His faithfulness is still being demonstrated to provide favor, provisions, everything I need.  Every day when I meet Him on the porch I must spend ten minutes just thanking Him for everything He has done for me.  Truly Psalm 91 is real in my life.  “A thousand may fall at my side and ten thousand at my right hand, but it shall not come near to me.”  I saw many homes totally destroyed, and yes, good people live there.  I can’t answer and won’t answer the “why” question that some got hit and others didn’t.  All I know is that God is faithful to me and He showed it by the very obvious protection of my mobile home and vehicle.  They both should have been destroyed.

God is faithful to His Word–His promises.  The question is “do I believe it?”  Do I believe in my HEART?  There is a big difference in head knowledge and heart knowledge.  Head knowledge is hope, heart knowledge is faith.  Faith lives in our hearts.  I have learned over the last several years to actually depend on God to be my Husband.  He is my provider.  I really do depend on His provision to live day to day.  And day after day, He has never failed to show Himself faithful to me.

What’s happening now?  Well, the linemen are working down our road and we should have power by the weekend, so we can once again meet in our church.  I’m getting a new light pole just in time for them to turn my power back on.  The insurance adjuster is coming out to assess my roof.  I believe God will grant me favor to receive money to get a new roof!  I was in need of a new one anyway.  It’s true, God turns what the enemy meant for evil, for our GOOD.

I know a lot of people here in Louisiana are hurting and trying to rebuild.  Please keep us all in your prayers.  I just want to encourage you that if you can believe God’s Word, you can trust and depend on God to protect you and take care of you…no matter what.

Don’t know Him?

Meet Jesus Here…

Blessings everyone…

Announcement! New Section coming! ~ Court of Heaven

Hello everyone!  2020 has been quite the year by going by very fast and slow at the same time.  I haven’t posted since May!  I’m working on a new section of the blog called The Courts of Heaven.  The top search criteria that bring people from all over the world to this blog is what I have on the Court of Heaven.  I want to bring it all into one place so people can easily find what they are looking for on the Court of Heaven.  I have teachings on it in the Teaching section and I will leave that there for those who are familiar with that link.  Also, the videos in that section I will leave there.  I currently have resources (books and videos) by Robert Henderson and Dr. Francis Myles loaded into this section.  I am working on some teachings, petition prayers and divine restraining orders prayers to be loaded as I complete them.  I hope to have this section completed very soon.  The goal of this section is to 1) bring you closer to God through intimacy and 2) help you achieve victory in your hard circumstances.  As believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we must take advantage of everything that Jesus purchased for us on the Cross.  These prayers are powerful and they work if you are in the right position with the right motive to pray them.

The Courts of Heaven section

Blessings everyone…

Moses: The Calling

Moses: The Calling

From the Heart of God...

This week we are studying Exodus chapter 3 when Moses was called by God Himself to begin the process of freeing the Israelites from their slavery to Egypt.  What strikes me about this chapter is that from the very start, the relationship between God and Moses was supernatural.  How often do people come across a bush burning but not being consumed and them a voice speaking out of it?  Their relationship was a powerful friendship.

Exodus 3:1 “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the back or west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb or Sinai, the mountain of God.”

Moses leaves the pagan house of Pharoah to the priestly home of his father-in-law.  God led him out of darkness into His marvelous light.  Moses’ profession was as a shepherd to the flocks of his father-in-law…

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Moses: The Calling

This week we are studying Exodus chapter 3 when Moses was called by God Himself to begin the process of freeing the Israelites from their slavery to Egypt.  What strikes me about this chapter is that from the very start, the relationship between God and Moses was supernatural.  How often do people come across a bush burning but not being consumed and them a voice speaking out of it?  Their relationship was a powerful friendship.

Exodus 3:1 “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the back or west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb or Sinai, the mountain of God.”

Moses leaves the pagan house of Pharoah to the priestly home of his father-in-law.  God led him out of darkness into His marvelous light.  Moses’ profession was as a shepherd to the flocks of his father-in-law Jethro.  It was his livelihood.  Notice that Moses was just out doing his job, minding his own business when he ends up at the very mountain of God.  Moses had come to the place of his calling.

Exodus 3:2 “The Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush, and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, yet was not consumed.”

The Lord Himself appeared in the fire to show Moses the supernatural power of God.  It was a sign and a wonder to Moses that drew him closer to the fire of God.  Moses’ birth was supernatural and now as he comes near to his destiny, he discovered the supernatural power of God right in front of his eyes.

Exodus 3:3 “And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”

Moses was stunned at the sight of the fiery bush that wasn’t being consumed.  The supernatural power of God drew him in closer to see it and to understand it.  He drew near to God…and that is all God needs to begin to call us into His purpose for our lives.  Moses had a huge destiny that would impact the whole world.  He was instrumental in bringing the lineage of the Messiah to the next phase of the eternal plan of the great salvation of God.  Moses didn’t have a clue about this yet, all he knew was that a bush was burning supernaturally and he wanted to see how it happened.  People are drawn irresistibly to the supernatural.  IT is here where we discover our destiny in God!

Exodus 3:4 “And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush and said, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here am I.”

God knows our name.  We don’t need to introduce ourselves to Him.  He knew us before we were born.  Moses was known by God before he was born.  Look at the supernatural circumstances of his birth.  As Moses drew near, God called to him and made Himself known to him.  He called him by his name.  He does the same with us when we draw near.  He just needs a little bit of interest to make Himself real in our lives.

Exodus 3:5 “God said, Do not come near; put your shoes off your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground.”

Before Moses can come nearer, he must deal with the filth of the world staining his life.  We can’t come to the Father unless we come through Jesus Christ.  His blood cleanses the filth of the world from us and we are clean and righteous in the sight of God.  God’s presence will not tolerate sin.  If sin is a “thing” with you, you cannot experience the wonderful presence of God.  Holy means clean and spotless.  He dwells in unapproachable light where there is no darkness, or spots or blemishes.  Moses taking off his shoes meant that the filth of the world would be left behind to follow the ways of God.  Think about it, Moses was a shepherd who was probably stepping in sheep dung all day long.  Of course, God would tell him to remove His shoes!

Exodus 3:6 “Also He said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.  And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”

God introduces Himself to Moses because Moses was raised among the heathen; the pagans.  He said, “I am the God of your people Israel.”  Moses hid his face for fear of looking at God.  Notice that Moses acknowledged his sinful past by hiding his face in conviction, but God called him anyway..just like He does with us.

Exodus 3:7-10 “And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters and oppressors; for I know their sorrows and sufferings and trials.  And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand and power of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a land good and large, a land flowing with milk and honey [a land of plenty]–to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.  Now behold, the cry of the Israelites has come to Me, and I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them.  Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharoah, that you may bring forth My people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

God begins to tell Moses of His intentions towards rescuing Israel.  Notice that He chose a man to accomplish this task.  He could have destroyed Egypt in an instant to deliver them.  However, He had a much greater purpose!  He told Moses his part to play in this effort.  Sounds simple right?  Notice that God is totally upfront with Moses.  He tells him of the people who are currently living in the promised land.  Moses knows there will be battles ahead in this long journey to the promises land.  We too will encounter the “ites” in our destiny with God.  God has great promises of abundance for His people that has never changed, nor will it ever change.  But to get to it, we must fight and win against the enemy of our soul.  God has given us the victory, but we must stand and believe God.  Whose report will you believe?  The evil report or God’s promises?

Exodus 3:11-15 “And Moses said to God, Who am I, that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?  God said, I will surely be with you; and this shall be the sign to you that I have sent you; when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain (Horeb or Sinai).  And Moses said to God, Behold, when I come to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they say to me, What is His name?  What shall I say to them?  And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM and WHAT I AM, and I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE; and He said, You shall say this to the Israelites, I AM has sent me to you!  God said to Moses, This shall you say to the Israelites, The Lord, the God of your fathers, of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has sent me to you!  This is My name forever, and by this name, I am to be remembered to all generations.”

God and Moses began a conversation.  One of many they would have in this long journey to the promised land.

• Moses said that he was a nobody–an exile with no people.
• God promised to be with him and then promises that he would be His servant on His mountain.  What a powerful promise!  In God’s Kingdom realm, the greatest is the servant.  A servant is surrendered to the Master to the point where they have no other agenda than HIS.  God is seeking such to be His servants!  This was a great honor to Moses; that God would say “you are My servant.”
• Moses doesn’t even know what to call Him.  At least he’s honest about it.  God doesn’t bat an eye that Moses doesn’t know what to call Him.
• God says “I AM WHO I AM and WHAT I AM, and I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE; I AM sent me!  The all-powerful One!  Notice what God says about His name: “This is My name forever, and by this name, I am to be remembered to all generations.”  What an incredibly powerful statement.

Exodus 3:16-22 “Go, gather the elders of Israel together [the mature teachers and tribal leaders], and say to them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, I have surely visited you and seen that which is done to you in Egypt; and I have declared that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.  And [the elders] shall believe and obey your voice; and you shall go, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt and you shall say to him, The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now let us go, we beseech you, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.  And I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go [unless forced to do so], no, not by a mighty hand.  So I will stretch out My hand and smite Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in it, and after that, he will let you go.  And I will give these people favor and respect in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed.  But every woman shall [insistently] solicit of her neighbor and of her that may be residing at her house jewels and articles of silver and gold, and garments, which you shall put on your sons and daughters; and you shall strip the Egyptians of [belongings due to you].” 

God gives Moses his marching orders, but notice how He prophecies over the entire situation.  God is so detailed with Moses even to the exact words he is to speak and He foretells exactly what Pharoah will do and how they will strip the Egyptians of the belongings that are due them.

• God tells Moses to gather the elders of Israel and tell them that God is ready to deliver them out of Egypt.
• He is to tell them of the promised land and of the people who are currently occupying that land.  He is NOT promising them a bed of roses.  He is letting them know they will have to fight the occupants to take and enjoy the promised land.
• God even prophesies that Moses will be believed by the elders and accepted.
• Moses and the elders are to go to Pharoah and tell him exactly what God told him to say.  They were just going to request a short excursion into the wilderness from Pharoah.
• God tells him exactly what Pharoah is going to do and what He will do to free them from him.  God still wants to give Pharoah a chance to do the right thing.  We too are given chances by God to choose the right path.
• God promises favor, respect, and a wealth transfer to His people.  God restored their wealth due to them for the labor of 400 years of slavery.   They left Egypt wealthy and healthy!

Moses dared to enter God’s Holy realm by removing his old ways.  God’s purpose exploded into his life and propelled him into one of the greatest men of faith in all history.  In fact, God says this about Moses at his death:

Deuteronomy 33:10-12 “And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like Moses, who the Lord knew face to face, [None equal to him] in all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt–to Pharoah and to all his servants and to all his land.  And in all the mighty power and all the great and terrible deeds which Moses wrought in the sight of all Israel.”

What would happen if and when we dare to enter God’s Holy realm by removing our old ways?

Next week, we begin the journey with Moses as he walks into his destiny and into history as the servant who knew God face to face.

Blessings everyone…

 

 

Jennifer Midgett ~ Shame is not Your Name Anymore!

A wonderful word of encouragement and hope!  There is NO condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus!

Shame is not Your Name Anymore!

Jennifer Midgett ~ Alabaster Jar

My friend Jennifer has begun a ministry of sharing the Word of God in a beautiful way that God has anointed.  She is impacting people in an amazing way!  I’m going to share videos as they come out but I encourage you to go and subscribe to her new channel and click the bell to be notified of any new messages.

Be blessed as you watch!

Jennifer Midgett ~ Alabaster Jar

 

Moses: Born into Adversity

A new Word Study series I have started…

His Paradise Garden

“I have gathered from your heart, My equal, My bride, I have gathered fro My garden all My sacred spices—even My myrrh.  I have tasted and enjoyed My wine within you.  I have tasted with pleasure My pure milk, My honeycomb, which you yield to Me.  I delight in gathering My sacred spice, all the fruits of My life I have gathered from within you, My paradise garden.” (Song of Solomon 5:1:1 TPT)

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Our heart is the new Eden.  Instead of the earthly garden that God planted for Adam and Eve; we have a new and better way.  We are part of a spiritual kingdom where we worship God in spirit and in Truth.  The new place He walks in the cool of the day is the paradise garden of our HEART.  And like the earthly Eden, God Himself planted it.  He is the Master Gardener.  Every person who becomes born again through repentance at the Cross is a new garden plot for Him to cultivate.

What does a new plot of land look like before it is cultivated?  It’s hard, it’s full of grass, weeds, and rocks.  The soil needs manure and compost to become rich enough to bear the fruits and spices the Lord is seeking from our lives.  This involves a process that God patiently executes in our lives to bring us to the place where it’s all about Him and there is nothing of us left.  We are that surrendered—that yielded to His will.

Notice at the start of this scripture, the garden of her heart is already bearing fruit and is ready for harvesting.  Ready to fulfill His purpose!  It did not start out at this point though.  The fallow ground had to be broken up.  This involves letting God deal with your past.  Your anger, rage, and bitterness; your pain and shame; your willfulness and rebellion; your stubborn ways.  All of these things are weeds, grass, and rocks that must be removed to begin to enrich the soil.  The bare ground has to be revealed and the rest of the old life thrown away forever.

This process begins the day we are born again and begins our pursuit of Him and following His ways.  There must be a hunger and passion to know Him more and more.  If that is lacking, your ground will not be broken up.  However, at any time we can begin that heartfelt pursuit by just spending time talking with Him, reading His Word, worshipping Him every day.  As time goes on, it becomes an addiction—a true burning hunger to know Him more and to become more like Him!

Let’s look closer at the produce He plants and cultivates in our heart.  Notice that He says “My” before each one.  That is because HE is the Master Gardener.  It is nothing in us that can produce these beautiful things.  It is ONLY His work in our hearts that produces a beautiful life.

His Sacred Spices

In the Tabernacle of Moses there were two things used in the worship of YHWH (God the Father): Sacred Anointing Oil and Sacred Incense.  Each of these spices and resins represents our relationship with God in the Secret Place (our intimate relationship).

The Holy Anointing Oil

This precious and sacred oil is so Holy to God that it was forbidden to be used in a personal way.  It was reserved ONLY for the worship of God.  Why was this important?  God is Holy.  Holy means to be set apart and different.  We are commanded to fear the Lord (to reverently worship Him).  Using the sacred anointing oil lightly brings a curse into our lives, much like taking the Body and the Blood of Jesus Christ brings sickness and even early death if we lightly esteem it.  It is a serious thing to lightly esteem the Lord God Almighty! He highly values us–we should do that same in return.

The Ingredients of the Anointing Oil

• Myrrh ~ Myrrh represents the suffering (the passion) of Jesus Christ for all mankind on that fateful day. He calls it “My myrrh” because He knows the depths of suffering for us He endured and it was indeed His great passion to do so.  Why?  To create His paradise garden within our heart.  Myrrh has many interesting characteristics that parallel our spiritual life with God.  Myrrh is cut to extract the resin, but before that happens there is a time when the sap flows naturally out of the tree without man doing a thing.  It is also called a “tear” because it is just a little bit that flows like this.  It is this myrrh that Jesus is referring to.  That first flowing of the resin is the most precious.  The first fruits of the myrrh harvest.  Just like Jesus Christ is the first-fruits among the dead.  He was the first to bodily resurrect.  The first one to receive the immortal flesh and bone body that is supernatural.  He imparts this precious myrrh into our hearts that we too, will become just as passionate as He is!

 

• Sacred Cinnamon ~ Cinnamon represents holiness to the Lord. It is set apart for His eyes only.  His peculiar treasure.  It is in the Secret Place of intimacy where He sets us apart as holy unto Himself.  Cinnamon smells delicious.  It emits a wonderful aroma that makes your mouth water in anticipation of a treat.  Our lives lived in holiness (set apart) for Him is just as mouth-watering to Him.  Cinnamon represents our sanctification to the Lord—our commitment to the relationship we are in.  Cinnamon has a very strong and distinct aroma.  It can be distinguished easily in a mixture of other oils.  It is one of a kind!

• Calamus ~ Calamus means we are purchased or redeemed. The purpose of the Cross was to redeem us back to the heart of the Father.  The spice of calamus is the mark of the Lamb.  We are the redeemed of the Lord and are marked with His seal.  Because of this, we emit a peculiar odor in the world.  We are a peculiar people; a royal priesthood and a holy nation!

 

• Cassia ~ Cassia is in the same family as Cinnamon with a similar aroma. Cassia is used to repel insects and snakes, among many other uses.  Cassia represents our authority as believers in Jesus Christ.  We have the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions!  While cinnamon represents our life lived in intimacy with Him, Cassia represents our position in God’s heavenly Kingdom!

 

• Olive Oil ~ Olive Oil represents prosperity, joy, stability, and health. Olive oil is a foundational staple in any household, including God’s house.  This oil is what “carried” the spices in the Sacred Holy Anointing Oil of the temple, which was God’s house.

The Sacred Incense

The Sacred Incense, like the Holy Anointing Oil, was set apart for use ONLY in God’s House.  Violation brought a curse.  The incense was carefully blended and processed to function in the Temple on the Altar of Incense.  This could only be performed by a priest of God.  Everything that is brought close to God, must be set apart and consecrated as holy unto Him.  This means it should be used only for His purposes…much like our consecrated lives.  The Bible tells us to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice to Him.  This means the crucifixion of our flesh as an offering to Him.  We must die to our self-life.  It is important for us to dwell in the Holy of Holies, which is the presence of God.  What are the ingredients of the Sacred Incense?

Stacte (Myrrh resin) ~ Myrrh is the foremost of both the Holy Anointing Oil and the Sacred Incense!  This shows that the suffering love of Jesus Christ is central to our lives and our ability to become that paradise garden he is cultivating in our hearts.

Onycha ~ Onycha means to “roar,” to peel off by concussion of sound; to retrieve.  Like Myrrh, Onycha must go through a purification process before it can be blended.  It must surrender its original form to be molded into a vessel of honor ready to be used in the House of the Lord.  We too, must surrender our old life and eagerly embrace the new life He has in store for us with no looking back!

Galbanum ~ Galbanum is also a resinous gum substance and is related to parsley and carrots.  It has an unpleasant odor by itself but becomes fragrant once it is blended with the other spices.  Each of us comes to Jesus in the raw, smelly form.  He is the Master Perfumer and blends us with His characteristics to make us a sweet-smelling incense that pleases the Father.

His Wine

Wine is a fermented drink that takes time to mature into a good tasting drink.  Patience is required when fermenting any foods.  Time and patience is the key to enjoying the best wine!  A vineyard doesn’t produce fermented wine in the first week of planting.  It takes a lot of time and effort for the vineyard master to harvest the finished product.  He walks in the garden of our heart planting His ways there, looking for the sweet wine that will warm His heart.  Wine symbolizes transformation.  Think about it.  Grape juice sits in the cool dark place and ferments into the blessing of wine.  Likewise, we sit in the Secret Place of His presence and transform into His very image.  The New Wine Jesus will only drink on that day, is His fully transformed Bride!

His Pure Milk

Milk is a sign of abundance; of prosperity and plenty.  Milk represents fertility and is the very first food every human being drinks when they enter the earth.  It represents the eternal cycle of life.  Milk represents motherly love or Agape Love as seen in I Corinthians 13.  It is kind, selfless, patient, humble, compassionate and full of self-control.  When Jesus comes to the garden of our heart, will He find love there?  Love for Him and love for others.  These are the only commandments in the New Covenant—Love God and Love people.  Make no mistake, a heart with no milk of love is not pleasing to Him.  We must always check our hearts to make sure that we have no ill will against anyone.

His Honeycomb

Honey, like milk, represents abundance and prosperity.  It represents not just eeking out an existence, rather we are thriving in the things that bring us pleasure.  Who doesn’t love the taste of pure honey?  The sweet things include the deep desires of our hearts that He wants to bring into existence for us simply because of His great love for us!  Honey can be described in one word: DELIGHTFUL.  It has a delightful flavor.  It brings deep satisfaction to our taste buds and our souls.  It satisfies completely our desire for something sweet.  His honey-comb is His delight.  We are the answer to His sweet tooth!  In the garden of our hearts, He comes to partake of our ever-increasing devotion to Him.  He is our delight and we become that wonderful honeycomb He wants to enjoy.

His Delight

He says “I delight in gathering My sacred spice, all the fruits of My life I have gathered from within you, My paradise garden.”  We will transform into His image where the fullness of His character is found in this garden.  He says “My life.”  It is His life lived through us every day of our lives that brings Him the greatest delight.  We become a garden filled with His ways.  We become a mirror image of Him who is our all in all…

Blessings everyone…

 

Living Psalm 91 in the Days of Coronavirus

The days we are living in now are showing us what we are made of AND what we really believe.  I see memes on Psalm 91 flowing through Facebook like a river with people encouraging one another with this comforting Psalm.  But do we really believe it?  Are we living it out as this pandemic invades our nation and our communities?  Psalm 91 is most noted for its promise of God’s protection in terrifying times.  Let’s break down each verse using two versions of the Bible: The Amplified Bible and the Passion Translation Bible.  I believe we can glean even more good news and hope out of Psalm 91 that we can apply to our daily lives as we walk “through the valley of the shadow of death.”

I’m going to take each verse and turn it into a short blessing prayer that you can speak out each day during this time of hardship.  Watch what God does in your life!  I know my life is changing…

Blessings…

Verse 1 (AMP) ~ “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand].”

Verse 1 (TPT) ~ “When you sit enthroned under the shadow of Shaddai, 
you are hidden in the strength of God Most High.”

The Amplified version shows how we live with the Most High, while the Passion Translation shows us our POSITION with God Most High.  This verse alone gives me a warm fuzzy feeling of security and rest!  Let’s put this in a blessing to the Lord.

“Blessed are You, O Most High, King of the Universe, Who has enthroned me under Your shadow; in whose presence I dwell!  For it is in the shelter of God Most High I am secure and I rest in Your shadow, whose power no enemy can withstand!  Blessed are You, O Most High, King of the Universe, who has hidden me in Your might strength and power!”

Verse 2 (AMP) ~ “I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust [with great confidence, and on whom I rely]!”

Verse 2 (TPT) ~ “He’s the hope that holds me and the Stronghold to shelter me,
the only God for me, and my great confidence.”

Here is where your mouth comes into play.  We must SAY what we believe!  Do you believe He is your refuge and fortress?  If so, speak it out!  Do you trust Him?  Do you actually rely on His care for your life?  These are important questions that make a difference in living in fear or faith during times of crisis.

“Blessed are You, O Most High, King of the Universe, Who is my refuge and my fortress, You are my God in whom I trust wholeheartedly!  You are the hope that holds me and the Stronghold that shelters me!”

Verse 3 (AMP) ~ “For He will save you from the trap of the fowler,
And from the deadly pestilence.”

Verse 3 (TPT) ~ “He will rescue you from every hidden trap of the enemy, 
and he will protect you from false accusations and any deadly curse.”

This is a timely verse.  The trap of the fowler can be translated as false accusations.  With the shelter in place orders all over the country, people are experiencing accusations from others for different things they are doing that others don’t agree with.  In Nepal, pastors are being arrested for doing live stream preaching.  A pestilence, of course, can be a virus or a bacteria.  We are living in strange times right now.  Our government has shut down the economy and taken control of our daily movements.  But we have a refuge, a hiding place that we can run into!

“Blessed are You, O Most High, King of the Universe, Who rescues me from every false accusation and who protects me in every way from any deadly pestilence and curse!”

Verse 4 (AMP) ~ He will cover you and completely protect you with His pinions, And under His wings, you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and a wall.”

Verse 4 (TPT) ~ His massive arms are wrapped around you, protecting you.  You can run under his covering of majesty and hide.  His arms of faithfulness are a shield keeping you from harm.”

Notice how in verse one, we are shown what to do and now each verse shows greater and greater promises of protection and care by the Lord.  He promises COMPLETE protection.  His faithfulness is a shield and a wall.  I can’t imagine any devil being able to get to you wrapped in the massive arms of God, can you?  What a promise!

“Blessed are You, O Most High, King of the Universe, Who has wrapped me in Your massive arms and completely covered me in Your protective embrace!  Whose faithfulness is my everlasting shield!”

Verse 5 (AMP) ~ “You will not be afraid of the terror of night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day,”

Verse 5 (TPT) ~ “You will never worry about an attack of demonic forces at night
nor have to fear a spirit of darkness coming against you.”

God has us covered all day and all night. No matter what is happening on the news and in our communities, WE are in the place of faith in God’s ability, faithfulness and willingness to shelter us.  The key is to BELIEVE His promise!

“Blessed are You, O Most High, King of the Universe, Who has delivered me from all fear, Who has caused me to rest in confidence knowing nothing shall by any means harm me!”

Verse 6 (AMP) ~ Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Nor of the destruction (sudden death) that lays waste at noon.”

Verse 6 (TPT) ~ Don’t fear a thing! Whether by night or by day, demonic danger will not trouble you, nor will the powers of evil launched against you.”

Jesus said in the last days there would be perilous times, and we don’t escape them, BUT we do have the authority to apply God’s promises to our realm of influence.  If we are in the Secret Place with God, pestilence can’t stalk us there nor can destruction and sudden death live one second there.  We are commanded to “DON’T FEAR A THING!”  Notice the intensity.  God is serious about us not letting fear grip us.  If you are full of fear, snap out of it and back into faith!  Your God is bigger than pestilence.  Day or night, any demonic power cannot touch you when you are hidden with Him.

“Blessed are You, O Most High, King of the Universe, Whose promises are true!  I will not fear anything the enemy tries to do because I live with You, hidden from his view!”

Verse 7 (AMP) ~ A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, But danger will not come near you.”

Verse 7 (TPT) ~ Even in a time of disaster, with thousands and thousands being killed, you will remain unscathed and unharmed.”

The ultimate confidence in God is to trust Him when everything around you is falling apart.  When it seems like you are in a sifter and no solid ground is around you…EXCEPT that you are standing on the Rock of Ages.  We can move through this pandemic in confidence that God has us and we will remain unscathed and unharmed…IF WE BELIEVE.

“Blessed are You, O Most High, King of the Universe, Who keeps me from the danger, death, and destruction that lays waste all around me.  It shall not come near to me because You are my shield and buckler!”

Verse 8 (AMP) ~ “You will only [be a spectator as you] look on with your eyes
And witness the [divine] repayment of the wicked [as you watch safely from the shelter of the Most High.]” 

Verse 8 (TPT) ~ “You will be a spectator as the wicked perish in judgment,
for they will be paid back for what they have done!”

Christians should live in a place of safety and victory through our faith in Jesus Christ.  We should be exhibiting supernatural peace to those around us.  This will help them cope better, but if we are just as fearful as they are, how can they see a big God if we don’t display Him?  We are seated with Christ in heavenly places and we need to act like it during this pandemic.

“Blessed are You, O Most High, King of the Universe, Who has caused me to be a spectator only as Your judgments come to the wicked.  Like Noah, I am sheltered in the billows of Your robes!”

Verse 9-10  (AMP) ~ Because you have made the Lord, [who is] my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent.”

Verse 9-10 (TPT) ~ “When we live our lives within the shadow of God Most High,
our secret hiding place, we will always be shielded from harm. How then could evil prevail against us or disease infect us?”

A lot of times people like to quote these verses without considering their lifestyles and level of relationship with Him.  He is clear in these verses.  Psalm 91 is only for those who live in the shadow of God Most High; who have made Him their secret hiding place.  People who have no passion for God, won’t experience these promises.  I’m sorry but that is just the way it is.  Running to God when a crisis hits is being like the foolish virgins who didn’t have enough oil to get through the night.  It’s those who live with Him in the good times who have the confidence to weather the storms in the bad times.  But we can all begin today to start getting to know Him!  You draw near, and He will draw near.

“Blessed are You, O Most High, King of the Universe, Who is my secret hiding place!  Who shields me from all evil and all diseases; they will never prevail against me nor any disease infect me!”

Verse 11-12 (AMP) ~ “For He will command His angels in regard to you,
To protect and defend and guard you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. They will lift you up in their hands, So that you do not [even] strike your foot against a stone.”

Verse 11-12 (TPT) ~ “God sends angels with special orders to protect you wherever you go, defending you from all harm. If you walk into a trap, they’ll be there for you and keep you from stumbling.”

This is getting better and better!  When we dwell with Him, it activates the angels into our realm of influence to help us during these crises.  How are they activated?  Through our steadfast faith that God is faithful to us.  We have to believe Him and we can’t do that unless we KNOW HIM INTIMATELY.  This pandemic is a perfect time for people to really seek God’s face…not His hand.  Just start talking to Him.  It’s that simple.  I promise you, He will answer you.

“Blessed are You, O Most High, King of the Universe, who sends Your angels to help me and rescue me if I make a mistake!” 

Verse 13 (AMP) ~ “You will tread upon the lion and cobra; The young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.”

Verse 13 (TPT) ~ “You’ll even walk unharmed among the fiercest powers of darkness,
trampling every one of them beneath your feet!”

Jesus said in Luke 10:19 that He has given us authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy.  Psalm 91 is the promise that He fulfilled.  Look at the power of this verse!  We will walk unharmed among the fiercest powers of darkness in total victory!

“Blessed are You, O Most High, King of the Universe, Who has given me all authority to destroy the works of the devil!  They are all under my feet by Your great Name!”

Verse 14 (AMP) ~ Because he set his love on Me, therefore I will save him;
I will set him [securely] on high, because he knows My name [he confidently trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never abandon him, no, never].”

Verse 14 (TPT) ~ For here is what the Lord has spoken to me: “Because you have delighted in Me as My great lover, I will greatly protect you. I will set you in a high place, safe and secure before my face.”

Here we can see how God feels about our pursuit of Him.  Look at these promises!  God Himself promises to save you, to set you on high, He will greatly protect you.  He acknowledges your pursuit of Him.  He sees your devotion.  He is your delight; even His great lover!  You will ever be before His face…who can harm you there?

“Blessed are You, O Most High, King of the Universe, Who has set me in a high place, safe and secure ever before Your face.  I am Your great delight and your great lover now and forevermore.”

Verses 15-16 (AMP) ~ “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. “With long life, I will satisfy him and I will let him see My salvation.”

Verses 15-16 (TPT) ~” I will answer your cry for help every time you pray, and you will find and feel my presence even in your time of pressure and trouble.  I will be your glorious hero and give you a feast.  You will be satisfied with a full life and with all that I do for you.  For you will enjoy the fullness of my salvation!”

The secret place of fellowship with Him brings such an intimate friendship, that when we call upon Him, we KNOW He will help us.  It’s not hard to believe Him!  And that is the key to living Psalm 91 in the middle of a crisis like we are in now with this virus.  No matter how far away from God you may feel at this moment, just taking the first step towards Him will bring His presence.  Believe me, I know…

“Blessed are You, O Most High, King of the Universe, Who hears my cries and answers right away!  Who is an ever-present help in my time of trouble and hardship.  You will always satisfy my life with good things!  You have given me your great salvation and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever!”