Do YOU Hear What I Hear? (Poem)

Do YOU Hear What I Hear?

Said the night sky to the Wise men three, 

 Do you SEE what I see, 

Way up in the sky, Wise men three?

Do You see what I see, 

A Star, a Star, 

Shining in the night, 

Guiding thee to the Saviour and Light, 

to the place where Faith becomes Sight. (Matt. 2:1-12)

Said the Faithful shepherds to the shepherd fold,

Do you HEAR what I hear, 

Singing through the night, clear and bold,

Do you hear what I hear,

A multitude of the heavenly host, praising Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,

Peace on Earth, Goodwill from coast to coast. (Luke 2:13&14)

Sang the Angels' song to the shepherd men,

Do you KNOW what we know,

On this day, here in Bethlehem,

Do you know what we know,

A child is born, lying in a manger cold, 

Ye shall find Him wrapped in swaddling clothes, 

resting sweetly in peaceful repose. (Luke 2:8-12)

Said the Shepherds to the people known abroad,

LISTEN to what we say,

A Saviour's born, which IS Christ the LORD,

LISTEN to what we say,

We came with haste,  found Him where He lay,

Good tidings of great joy,  angels did say,

He will turn our darkness to day! (Luke 2:14-18)

He is truly GOODNESS AND LIGHT! (Luke 2:32) (M.H.)(FM)

Adam's Christmas Post

My son Adam, has written a new Christmas post on his blog, Bold As A Lion. This is the link. I hope you will check it out, and subscribe to his blog. He's 11 yrs old and it would encourage him greatly!! Here is the link:
                            http://christboldness.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-greatest-christmas-message.html

Sacrifice of Thanksgiving Recipe

As we begin to prepare to cook our Thanksgiving meals this week, may we remember this important recipe. Psalm 107:22 says, " And let them SACRIFICE (surrender) THE SACRIFICES (something special or precious)  OF THANKSGIVING, and declare His works with rejoicing." The Lord considers our giving of thanks to Him PRECIOUS! Here is His recipe for doing so:

A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving Recipe:

(Psalm 100)

1. First we are to : "MAKE a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands." vs 1
2. Then we have to "KNOW ye that the LORD is God: it is HE that hath MADE US, and NOT we ourselves; we are His sheep and the people of His pasture." vs 3
3. Next we "ENTER into His gates with THANKSGIVING , and into His courts with praise: BE THANKFUL UNTO HIM, AND BLESS HIS NAME." vs. 4
4. Finally " SERVE the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing." vs 2 "FOR THE LORD IS GOOD: His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endureth to all generations." vs.5 
5. "O TASTE and see that the LORD IS GOOD..." Psalm 34:8

I pray that all of you have a BLESSED THANKSGIVING in the LORD! May we ever be mindful to give Him the thanks and praise that are DUE unto HIS NAME daily! 

"O that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men." Psalm 107:8 

Handfuls of Purpose

It's that time of year again!!! As a nation we set aside a day to thank the Lord for the blessings HE has bestowed upon us. It is also a reminder of our humble beginning. In 1621 the Pilgrims came to America in search of freedom to worship the Lord. We know that it  was tribulation, sacrifice, and dire straights for them. Many died from disease and  sickness from little food.  At one point, they were on food rations of only 5 kernels of corn a day. When I first learned of this while helping the kids with their school work, the Lord spoke to my heart about these 5 kernels of corn. 5 is the number in the Bible that represents God's grace. They represented Christ Himself, His grace, and our growth in Him. 5 kernels are only a handful. This made me think of a pilgrim in the Bible, that we can compare the Pilgrims to, that also knew something of "handfuls of purpose", or of God's grace for provision: Ruth. 

1. Christ is our Grain: Even though it was only a handful, the Lord didn't leave the Pilgrims without anything. The Lord promised His Seed would NEVER beg for bread (Psalm 37:25) In the Bible, grain and corn are both a type of Jesus Christ Himself. Ruth learned of the Bread of Life ( John 6:35),  when she left Moab with Naomi. She declared herself a pilgrim (Ruth 1:16-18) and went on the journey to Bethlehem, which means "The House of Bread." When they returned there, they found themselves with no bread or food to eat. At one time, the children of Israel were in the same boat, were they not? In the wilderness the Lord provided them with Manna from heaven. Manna is a grain type food, or wafer, and was a type of Christ in His humility here on Earth (John 6:48-51). Just as the Lord provided for the children of Israel, He did for Ruth and Naomi, as when they returned, it was the beginning of barley harvest! (Ruth 1:22). This was NOT by chance but the providence of God. Grain was now ready for them and their provision!!!
2. Christ is our Grace: The Pilgrims didn't sit around and not put feet to their prayers. They prayed without ceasing and kept looking for provision, by hunting and other means daily. We must pray, but the Lord expects us to do our part. He provides the means, but expects us to be "a labourer worthy of his hire." (I Tim 5:17-18). The Lord provided the manna daily for the Israelites, BUT if the people didn't go gather it, it was their own fault if they lacked. God DOES NOT BLESS LAZINESS! (Prov.19:15&24). As a young believer, Ruth learned this early. She determined to go to work in the barley fields to glean ears of corn in the field of "in whose sight I shall find GRACE." (Ruth 2:2). God proved HIS GRACE to her by leading her to the part of land that belonged to Boaz,  that ended up being a near kinsmen. If we put forth the effort and step out on faith, God will ALWAYS provide. "But without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that HE IS, and that HE IS A REWARDER of them that diligently seek HIM." Heb. 11:6. Ruth and Naomi may have gone without if she had not stepped out on faith. Today, we very well could be going without and in bondage, as in other countries of the world, had not our Pilgrim forefathers stepped out in faith, and trusted in the grace of God to give them provision in the new land of promise. "And God is able to make ALL GRACE abound toward you; that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." II Corth 9:8.

3.Lastly, God is our Growth: The Pilgrims grew in their faith in trusting the Lord, living on a daily portion, or daily bread as promised in Matthew 6:11-13. Just as He provided Fresh Manna for Israel daily,(Ps.78:24&25), He was also providing for Ruth and Naomi daily because they were following Him. Boaz took note of Ruth and instructed her to stay in his field, promised protection,and water freely for refreshing (Ruth 2:5-9). She was so overcome with gratitude that she asked WHY she had found GRACE in his eyes (2:10). His response was because of the  testimony of her faith and work for the Lord."The Lord recompense thy WORK and a FULL  REWARD be given thee of THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL, under whose wings thou art come to trust." (2:12). Boaz also brought Ruth to HIS TABLE at meal time, where she ate of bread, and 2:14 says "he reached her PARCHED CORN.." In Scripture, parched corn is a type of Christ crucified, buried, and risen again. John 12:24 says, "....Except a CORN OF WHEAT fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." Parched corn is also what the Israelites ate of when they entered Canaan and the manna ceased. It represented their growth from "milk" to "meat,' from being babes in Christ to growing to maturity (Josh.5:11&12 &Heb. 5:13&14.) Just as the Israelites were growing in faith, the Pilgrims were growing in this trial and Ruth did as well. All were sustained by the Hand of God. Just as the Pilgrims had a handful of corn daily, Boaz instructed "handfuls of purpose" (2:16) to be given specifically for her. 

The Lord ended up abundantly blessing Ruth for her faith. Her end was more blessed than her beginning.The Lord did the same for the Pilgrims. "Handfuls of purpose" became cups that overflowed!!! This Thanksgiving, let's remember the sacrifice of the saints that have gone before us, giving us godly examples to follow. Thank the Lord for our handfuls of purpose and daily bread that He supplies us with. Thank Him for being our "5 kernels of corn", or OUR GRACE!! "Oh the men would praise the Lord for HIS GOODNESS, and for HIS wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of THANKSGIVING, and declare HIS WORKS WITH REJOICING." Ps. 107:21. I pray you all have a Blessed Thanksgiving this year!!!! ~Marcie

                                                                       Barley Grain

                                             

                                                                Parched Corn                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

He Knows My Name #4 Final Part

He Knows My Name For Calling Me Home: What parent doesn't know their child's name? The ONLY way they could forget it would be for medical reasons. BUT,  as the Lord's children, our Heavenly Father NEVER FORGETS our name!! Just as a parent calls their child's name when it's time to come home, our Heavenly Father does the same to us! When the sun of our life goes down, our Abba Father, or "Daddy" calls us home by name!

A child of God mentioned in the Bible, as a REAL EXAMPLE by Jesus, Lazarus, a beggar full of sores in Luke 16, was a child of God afflicted in this life. He was laid at the a CERTAIN rich man's gate. This rich man was KNOWN by the people in his town. He faired sumptuously every day, and clothed himself in purple garments and fine linen. He was the popular "big man" that everyone loved and looked up to. Notice how NO NAME was listed for the rich man. Everyone in TOWN knew his name, but the Lord didn't recognize it. The Lord KNEW and called Lazarus' name in this passage because he was His child! Ish. 62:2 tells us "..thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name," when we believe on Christ. He also writes it in the Lamb's book of Life ( Rev.21:7)  We know this because He was taken by the angels to Abraham's bosom, or Paradise, and comforted when he died. 

The rich man also died, but the results were drastically different. He was buried, but as soon as he died, he opened his eyes in HELL. He was in torments, and could see over the great gulf between Hell and Paradise. Even though he had everything he could ever want in his earthly life, he LACKED the MOST IMPORTANT thing, that could NEVER be purchased by his money : SALVATION! Jesus paid the price for us and all we have to do is believe and receive it as a GIFT from the Lord. "... but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. " Romans 6:23. Since he had not believed, his name was not found in the Lamb's Book of Life. He immediately cried out to "Father" Abraham for mercy, NOT JESUS. He was claiming and trying to appeal to the fact that he was Jewish. He was NOT acknowledging his sin and crying out to God as his father, for forgiveness. He had believed that his lineage and heritage alone could save him. But the Lord didn't know Him. Matthew 7:21-23 tells us that many will stand before the Lord at the Great White Throne judgment and claim that they did things in the name of the Lord. But these are WORKS, and they were trusting in that alone. The Lord will tell them ".. I NEVER KNEW YOU: depart from me ye that work INIQUITY."  Anything that is not of FAITH is sin (Romans 14:23). The Lord did not know this rich man, just as this rich man didn't know the Saviour. Just as a woman  doesn't know a child she hasn't given birth to, the Lord doesn't know a person that hasn't been BORN AGAIN. John 3:7 tells us we must be born again, and Jesus gives us this ETERNAL LIFE (John 3:16). 

You know your name today, but my question to you is DOES THE LORD JESUS CHRIST KNOW YOUR NAME TODAY?? Is it written in His Book of Life??? You can be known by a million people here on Earth, but that means NOTHING to God if HE DOESN'T KNOW IT! Listen to the Lord calling you to be saved! We are not promised another day! Make SURE that the Lord knows your name! Child of God: the Lord knows your name! Do you hear Him calling you to serve Him? Do you hear Him calling you to repent and be restored to fellowship? Are you CLOSE to hearing The Lord calling you home? He will give us help and grace in all of these circumstances of His calling!! Listen to His Still Small Voice calling in love today!! Rejoice that the Lord knows your name! (Luke 10:20).

My "Unshackled" Episode!

It has ALREADY been a year ago since this took place! Can’t believe it!! Resharing for those that may have missed it. Click on the link listed below to hear the program.”
My "Unshackled" Episode is now airing around the world this week! All glory to the Lord for this! I wanted to share the link here so that you can listen to it. Please help me in praying that the Lord will use my testimony for HIS HONOR and GLORY, as it is broadcast around the world in 14 languages. Here is the link:

/https://unshackled.org/listen/browse-all-programs/

I wanted to share some pics of the trip I made to Chicago to Pacific Garden Mission.  

This is the Cast and me!

From Left to Right: 

Rick Dianovsky-played my Daddy, 

Julie Ganey- played my Granny, Mrs. Rita, and Lady church member

Me in the middle, 

Lisa Keefe-played Me

Tom McElroy- the Doctor, AJ, and shoe Clerk

Collin Geraghty- school mates, and my husband Kelly.

LtoR:

Timothy Gregory-"Unshackled" announcer 

Me

Vicky Garcia-"Unshackled" assistant to Mrs.Flossie McNeil ("Unshackled" admin. director)

Me and Blue- works in the mail room for "Unshackled" 

When you write them, he opens it! He got saved at PGM 3 yrs ago,  and is now on the staff full-time! He was a blessing to meet! You could see his love for the Lord!

L to R:

Mrs. Flossie McNeil- "Unshackled" Admin Director, Me, and husband Kelly. 

Bro Martin in the background-works on Sound effects for "Unshackled."

Pics of PGM:

Screen door used for sound effect in my episode

Me recording the re-enactment of my 1st church solo

That is me that you hear in the episode. Had to try to sound as much like a 9 yr old that I could! 

Bro Martin and Sis Nadine Aloisio-Sorenson- Sound Effects

Pics of the Auditorium used for live performance of episodes and church services

Original scripture signs from when the mission opened! 

MAY THE LORD RECEIVE ALL THE GLORY DUE UNTO HIS NAME THIS WEEK! 

PLEASE HELP ME PRAY THE SOULS WILL BE SAVED AND ENCOURAGED THIS WEEK!!

He Knows My Name Part #3

He knows and calls our name for chastisement and rebuke: As the Bible says, there is NOTHING new under the sun. THAT INCLUDES SIN!! It has been on not long after Adam and Eve were created. Because God is a righteous and holy God, and CANNOT bear sin, (Habakkuk 1:13), as His children, He HAS to chastise, rebuke, and address it!

Adam and Eve were created by the Lord and placed in what was the perfect environment, YET they both WILLINGINLY DISOBEYED the Lord. This is proof that our outward circumstances are not really what CAUSES us to sin, but what lies within us- a wicked, sinful nature and heart!!  The Lord said they could eat of ALL of the trees of the garden EXCEPT ONE of the two that were in the midst of the garden: The tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The other tree in the middle was the tree of life. They were side by side. (Gen. 2:8). Something new that the Lord showed me today is that Adam and Eve COULD HAVE EATEN OF THE TREE OF LIFE!!  Gen. 2: 16 says, "And the Lord God commanded THE MAN,  saying, of EVERY TREE of the garden THOU MAYEST FREELY EAT..." BUT, instead, Satan tempted Eve and drew her to the one that was deadly to them both! The Lord also knew from the foundation of the world that Adam and Eve would both sin against the command of the Lord. The reason the Tree of Life didn't appeal to them was because they SAW NO NEED to have to gain eternal life!! They had everything they could have wanted, were well and living happily, so in their eyes it wasn't needed or wanted! Satan KNEW this and appealed to Eve's human nature of lust. He came subtly to Eve, asking her of God's command in a way that made her DOUBT GOD'S WORD, asking if He REALLY said that to them!! He made her believe HIS LIE over God's Word, by making her think that the Lord was holding out on them, and there was SOMETHING BETTER that He was keeping from them (Gen 3: 1-5). Is that not what he does to us as God's children today? He will flash things in front of us, put thoughts in our head, that we NEED something when we really don't, since God has PROMISED to give us what we need (Philp. 4:19), and that we are missing out by obeying the Lord!??! Eve gave in to the great lust of wanting to be wise like God, and could CONTROL her own life!! She knew IMMEDIATELY as she took the bite of the fruit that something had happened!!  She died SPIRITUALLY inside, just as the Lord said they would die ( Gen 2:17). The glory of the Lord that covered her nakedness disappeared as well, and she KNEW she had sinned! The SAME THING happens to us when we sin as a child of the Lord. The power of the Holy Ghost is taken off of us to be used for the Lord because of disobeying, and fellowship is broken. The HOLY GHOST is STILL THERE, as He can never leave us (Heb. 13:5), but He now CONVICTS us of the sin we committed. Our hearts are immediately smitten with the sin ( 2 Sam. 24:10). The joy that was in us is gone.  Since we are now miserable, we want others to be too. Eve KNEW she had sinned, she had died, and THAT her AND ADAM were both naked. She went to him with the fruit, and he INSTANTLY saw she was different. She wanted him to eat too, to make her feel better about about what she had done, because she didn't want to be alone. She was trying to ease the pain. Adam WILLINGLY sinned too, eating the fruit she SHARED WITH HIM, not wanting her to be alone and chosing his wife OVER THE LORD. We are to love our spouses, but the LORD ALWAYS IS TO BE FIRST!
Adam and Eve were both in a mess now! They had fallen from innocence to know good and evil. They were convicted and immediately sewed fig leaves together to try to cover their sin, because they KNEW the Lord was going to see it! Because the Lord never forsakes us, He CAME CALLING BOTH OF THEM BY NAME!!! They heard THE VOICE of the Lord God WALKING in the garden, LOOKING FOR THEM! Praise the Lord, He doesn't leave us in our sinful state, but LOVES US, and comes LOOKING AND CALLING FOR HIS WAYWARD CHILDREN BY NAME!!!! They were hiding from His presence because of their sin. They were HIDING AND RUNNING from Him. He knows exactly where we are and comes asking "Where art thou?" He already knows, but WANTS US TO CONFESS where we are and what we have done! " Come now and let us reason together.... though your sins be as as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.." Ish.1:18.Adam responded and confessed where he was and what he had done. But, he tried to blame what he had done on Eve. Yes, she has brought the temptation before him, BUT he WILLINGLY chose to sin. He knew better and WASN'T DECIEVED like Eve was by the serpent. The Lord then addressed Eve's sin. She not only disobeyed the Lord, but CAUSED someone else to sin! She then admitted to it, but blamed the serpent. Satan did tempt her, but she sinned in CHOSING to believe the lie of Satan over the Truth of God's Word!!
The Lord loved them and WAS NOT going to leave them in this sinful, helpless state. They had confessed their sin and He had forgiven them, (I John 1:9), but they had to be punished. God can't wink at sin. The serpent was cursed above all beasts, Eve would bear children in sorrow and would be in subjection to Adam as the head of the home. Adam would be the leader of the home, and would have to work in hard labor, sweat, and toil all the days of his life. The earth was now under the curse of sin as well. When we sin, it also affects others. There is ALWAYS a snowball effect. BUT now, they BOTH saw their need of the TREE OF LIFE!! Until we see that we have sinned, we won't see our need to be saved from it!! The Lord offered them salvation by killing a sacrifice, and making them coats to cover their nakedness, or sin. This time they WILLINGLY accepted God's forgiveness, and took the coats of salvation and forgiveness, by taking the coats and putting them on. In order to PROTECT Adam and Eve from the temptation of eating of the Tree of Life, that would have made them live FOREVER in this sinful nature, He placed a Cherubim with a flaming sword to block the way to the tree, and forced them to leave the garden of Eden. From then on, Adam LED his home by God's Word and taught his family! He learned from his sin!
When the Lord corrects us as His children, He comes walking and looking for us as He did Adam and Eve BY NAME! He will forgive us when we confess our sin, cleanse us, and put us back into fellowship with Him. We can rejoice even in our chastisement, because it is confirmation that we are His Child.. " For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." Heb.12:6. If we are out of the will of God, or have sinned, may He help us to ANSWER the call of His Voice that is looking for us!
"Pass me not oh gentle Saviour, Hear my humble cry. While on others thou art CALLING, DO NOT PASS ME BY!

He Knows My Name Part 2

2. He calls us by NAME for Fellowship and help:  The Lord calls us personally AFTER salvation, and STILL knows us by name after getting saved, because we are now HIS CHILD! A parent can't forget a child's name!! He knows who we are and what are needs are. "..before they call, I WILL ANSWER; AND WHILE THEY ARE YET SPEAKING, I WILL HEAR." Ish. 65:24 He knows that we need to communicate with Him daily! We need to talk to our Heavenly Father and CALL UPON HIS NAME!! Moses found himself in this area of need. In Exodus 33:12-19 tells the account of the Lord giving direction to Moses on how to the lead the children of Israel and where. Moses KNEW he could NOT do this on his own! He called upon the NAME OF THE LORD for help! Moses called out to God, claiming the PROMISE He had made him, and that God KNEW HIM PERSONALLY. ".. Yet thou hast said, I KNOW THEE BY NAME, and thou hast also found grace in my sight." Ex. 33:12c. Moses remembered the promise God had given him when He called him the first time to lead Israel out of Egypt. When we have a need, we need to REMEMBER THE PROMISES GOD has given to us! He will ALWAYS give us a promise before He gives a job to do for HIM! Since we He knows us as His child, we need to come to Him with EVERY trouble, trial, and need! Moses needed strength and reminding from the Lord that he could do the task at hand. "..shew me now THY WAY, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy  sight: and consider that this nation is thy people." Ex. 33:13. The Lord answered him .."My presence SHALL GO with thee, and I WILL GIVE THEE REST." He gave Moses the reminder and the BLESSED ASSURANCE that HE would give Moses rest from this burden he was carrying. " ..for thou has found grace in my sight, and I KNOW THEE BY NAME." Moses also asked to see the glory of the Lord. (vs 18-23) His prayer was answered. The Lord told Moses, " THERE IS A PLACE BY ME, and thou shalt stand upon a rock. And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by." (vs 21&22). Notice the Lord said THERE IS A PLACE BY ME. THIS IS WHERE HE WANTS US TO STAY-in the safety and shadow of Him! The Lord will ALWAYS hear the cries of fellowship and help from His children, because we ARE HIS. We have a new name now-HIS!!  He has promised to NEVER LEAVE US NOR FORSAKE US!! Heb. 13:5 Thank God that HE KNOWS US BY NAME & that we KNOW HIM BY HIS! It is HIS WILL for us to get to know HIM closer by fellowship in calling HIS NAME!

He Knows My Name Part #1

Ever had trouble remembering someone's name, but knew their face? Or have you ever thought that people don't remember you as they should? The good news is that if both of those are true, and if you are a child of God, you DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT WITH HIM!! He knows ALL of HIS CHILDREN, and calls us by name!!!! He is the ONLY ONE that matters! He does so in many areas of our lives, but these are four that the LORD has shown me in the last few days.

1. He CALLS US BY NAME for Salvation! " ....I have redeemed thee, I HAVE CALLED THEE BY NAME; THOU ART MINE." Ish. 43:1c. When the Lord deals with our heart for repentance, or turning from our sin to Him, HE IS THE ONE CALLING US TO HIM! IT IS A PERSONAL MATTER! We don't find God, HE FINDS US! He knows EXACTLY where we are, and EXACTLY what our need is. Salvation is our greatest need! When we hear Him speaking to us, He is calling us by NAME. That VOICE of the sweet HOLY SPIRIT is that one talking to us. If you have NEVER received Jesus, or trusted Him as your Saviour today, LISTEN TO THAT STILL SMALL VOICE calling you by name! He loves you, died and took OUR punishment on the cross paying for OUR SIN, and ROSE FROM THE DEAD, JUST FOR YOU!! Salvation is PERSONAL!! Answer HIS PERSONAL CALL to be saved and become His child!!  HIS VOICE IS CALLING YOUR NAME to be SAVED!!! Don't you hear it now?? I PLEAD WITH YOU TO BE SAVED TODAY TOO!! YOU WILL NEVER REGRET IT! The LORD will write YOUR NAME DOWN in the LAMB'S BOOK OF LIFE, and your name will be added to the family of God! CALL ON HIS NAME TODAY!!!

 "... and in the day of salvation have I succoured (called or beckoned) thee: behold, NOW  is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2. 

Through the Fire #5

After the PURGING comes the PROGNOSIS!
#5: PROGNOSIS: The Lord has a reason for our fiery trial. We may not know what it is, but HE DOES! He promised us in Romans 8:28 that ALL THINGS work together for our good. He doesn't want the end result to be HURT for us, but HELP! ".....when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."  Ish. 43:2b. How can we not be burned in the fire? The Lord keeps us, but there is one thing we can do to help us withstand the heat: stay wet!!! We can do so by keeping ourselves saturated with THE WORD! The Word is Water!  "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water, by THE WORD." Eph. 5:26. When the heat gets too hot for us, and we feel we can't take it anymore, we need to run to the LORD, rest in HIS SHADE, and surround ourselves with the WET SHIELD OF FAITH. Warriors in ancient times would shoot fiery arrows at the enemy. The soldiers would soak their shields in water to quench the fire on those arrows and protect themselves. We need to do the same spiritually. "ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." Eph. 6:16. We need to defend ourselves against the fiery darts of Satan with the Word! Is this not what the Lord Jesus did in the wilderness when Satan came tempting HIM???   If we keep our hearts and minds wet with the Water of God's Word, we are less likely to get harmed by not keeping close to the Lord. "Great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend (or hurt) them." Psalm 119:165. The Potter has HIS PLAN from start to finish, and He knows what the end result, or prognosis will be. He knows what vessel we will be when our time in the fire is over with. I Peter 1:7 & 8 say, "...though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and hour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Whom having not seen ye love, in whom though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.." The Lord is working in the lives of His children to reveal HIS GLORY AND HONOUR IN US, as trophies of His Grace!! He knows what we DON'T!!!! All of our problems are being used by Him as a testimony to us AND the World that He is the Almighty! He WILL NOT leave us in the fire! There is an END! "MANY are the afflictions of the righteous, BUT THE LORD DELIVERETH HIM OUT OF THEM ALL!' Psalm 34:19. This is my favorite Bible Verse.  Just as Ish. 43:2 says, we will WALK out of the fire. Not sit down, but WALK OUT!!!

Remember today that before the fire starts, the Lord gives us a PROMISE. Then comes the PROBLEM. The POTTER shows up in the fire WITH US! Then the Lord starts PURGING us. He knows the PROGNOSIS from the start. These are five things to remember while in the fire. Five is the number of GRACE in the Bible. Remember that we are surrounded by that Grace while it's hot!!
The Potter knows the Clay! May we let the Potter make us into His Design! The end result: " Being confident of this very thing, that He that hath begun a good work in you WILL PERFORM IT, until the day of Jesus Christ.:"

Through the Fire Part#4

After the POTTER comes the PURGING.
#4: PURGING:
Sometimes it is to correct us for sin. Sometimes it is just to purify us as He is making us into HIS IMAGE! Either way, we should "...despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of His correction. For whom the LORD loveth, He correcteth...." Prov. 3:11. Jesus is teaching us to die to OUR WANTS AND DESIRES, and LIVE for HIS WANTS AND DESIRES FOR OUR LIFE!! "He must increase, but I MUST DECREASE." John 3;30. "But He knoweth the way that I take;when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held HIS STEPS, HIS WAY have I kept, and not declined." Job 23:10&11.Just as gold has imperfections removed,  OUR sins and impurities have to be removed also in order for us to be able to be usable and healed.  Just as an infection has to be dealt with or it will grow worse, making us sick and could eventually lead to death, so are our spiritual infections. When we see that we have a weakness or spiritual impurity, we DON'T need to ignore it! Our spiritual health is at stake! When we let the Potter, and also Great Physician show us our problem and allow Him to treat us for it, we can get cleansed and  become stronger in Him!  ONLY then can we move forward and grow in the Lord. If we keep fighting what HE IS DOING, we are going to come to a halt in our growth and become weak.. Our vessel will not have the strength to stand! We have to die daily!!!!!! Is this easy??? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! BUT, "I can do all things through Christ!!!"  Philp. 4:13. This is the only way to do so!

 May the Potter help us to NOT WASTE OUR TIME IN THE FIRE!!! May WE DIE TO SELF, and find freedom in the fire when we do so!!! The Hebrew young men found freedom when the Lord was seen of them in the fire, because their ropes feel off that they had been bound with! We do not have to feel trapped when we are in troubles and problems. "..where the Spirit of the Lord is, THERE IS LIBERTY." I Corth. 3:17b. When it starts getting too hot for us, WE need to remember " The Lord is they keeper; the LORD is the SHADE upon thy hand." Psalm 121:5. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High, SHALL ABIDE IN THE SHADOW of the Almighty." Ps. 91;1. We can find relief from the heat under the SHADOW OF THE LORD!!!! We have to stay close to Him to be in His shadow! "I have set the LORD always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; my heart shall REST IN HOPE." Ps. 16:8&9.

The Potter has a PLAN!! Today WE need to rest in HIS SHADOW and find liberty while in the fire.  Remember He has given us a GOOD PROGNOSIS!

Through the Fire Part #3

After the PROBLEM comes the POTTER!
3. THE POTTER: Of course the Potter is The Lord Jesus Christ!! Jeremiah 18:6 says ".. saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potters' hand, so are ye in MINE HAND...". The Lord molds and makes us according to His Will. Jeremiah 18:3&4 say, "The vessel that he made of clay was MARRED IN THE HAND OF THE POTTER: so he made it again ANOTHER VESSEL, as seemed GOOD to the POTTER.  When we find ourselves in the fire, it is a direct result of the Potter's doing so. He is the one that is making us into His trophy of GRACE! He can build us up and then change us into a different vessel, ALL FOR HIS GLORY! I Peter 1: 7 says, " ...though it be tried with fire, might be found unto PRAISE AND HONOUR AND GLORY at the appearing of Jesus Christ". This glory is not for us, but for Him! He wants to make us what He sees best to show forth His glory to a lost and dying world, that doesn't know Him! Just as the Lord allowed Job to be put through one of the greatest FIRES ever known to man, He is allowing us to be placed in it for a reason.

If the Potter is the One that placed us, or ALLOWED us to go into the fire, HE is also the One that regulates it! He is in control of all!!! Nothing can touch us that hasn't passed through His hand! Just as He allowed Satan to bring hurt to Job, he could ONLY DO what the Lord ALLOWED HIM TO!!! Hallelujah Satan is on a leash!!! (Job 1). Thousands of years ago, the Lord allowed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Gentile-given names) to be thrown into the fiery furnace, LITERALLY!!!  BUT, THEY WERE NOT ALONE!!. Not only does the Lord control the fire, HE GOES THROUGH IT WITH US!!!! Daniel 3:26 says, " ...I see four men LOOSE, walking in the midst of the fire, and they HAVE NO HURT; and the form of the fourth is like THE SON OF GOD!." Even though the men were bound and couldn't move when they went into the fire, they were FREE WHEN THEY WERE IN IT AND WERE NOT HURT! THEY DIDN'T EVEN SMELL LIKE THE SMOKE!!! (vs 27) The Potter doesn't want to hurt us , but HELP US!!!  Those three Hebrew men definitely NEVER forgot what had happened! They learned through the fire that the Lord will NEVER LEAVE US, AND WILL ALWAYS BE THE ONE IN CONTROL OF OUR SITUATION!!!  The Potter allows this to PURGE us!!
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Through the Fire #2

After the PROMISE comes:
2. The PROBLEM:
 Right around the corner from the promise the Lord has shown you, blessed your heart with, or opened your eyes to, comes the affliction and you find yourself IN THE FIRE! You may have been blind-sighted by it, or had the insight that it was on the way. Either way, you have walked into it or have been thrown into it. You are now in flames and it's hot! When we look around us, we see the flames, feel the heat, and it starts to affect us. WE  wonder what in the world is going on from our view point. BUT,  from the Lord's viewpoint, we shouldn't be looking at it this way. " Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, WHICH IS TO TRY YOU, as though some strange think happened unto you." I Peter 4:12.  The Lord says that our trial is  PRECIOUS. " ...though now for a season, IF NEED BE,  ye are in HEAVINESS through manifold  temptations. That the trial of you faith, being much more PRECIOUS than of gold which perisheth, though it be tried with FIRE, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." I Peter 1:6 & 7.  The Lord has a PURPOSE to our affliction.  When gold is put into the furnace, it is to PURIFY IT! The Lord sees our heart and knows all! He sees the sins that we do not, and our imperfect ways when we don't. As the verse says, the gold may perish, but WE WON'T! "...that whosoever believeth in Him, SHOULD NOT PERISH, but have everlasting life." John 3;16. It takes the fire to move imperfections to the surface where WE CAN SEE THEM!  WE don't need to panic when we are in the fire, but " BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD." Psalm 46:10. Is that easy to do?????? NO, AND I AM THE FIRST TO WANT TO PANIC!!! BUT, thank God for that STILL SMALL VOICE, that comes to us INSTANTLY, to remind us HE IS IN THE FIRE WITH US!!!!!! "...I will NEVER LEAVE THEE, nor forsake thee!." Heb. 13:5. The POTTER  is not only IN THE FIRE WITH US, HE IS THE ONE CONTROLLING IT!!!!

Through the Fire Part #1

I am republishing this devotional series as the Lord has laid on my heart!! I pray you can still read this as my blog was attacked. I would GREATLY appreciate feedback as to HOW your device it SHOWING this! Thanks and yall will NEVER KNOW what it means to me that you even take the time to read these!!

Problems. We ALL have them. Some are more severe or painful than others. BUT the fact remains, "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble." Job 14:1. These last few days, the Lord has been dealing with me about this personally. So, this post is from my heart and I want to share with you what the Lord is teaching me. (I'm going to do a post on each point over the next five days to help each one sink in, as the Lord has been doing with me.)

1. A PROMISE:  The Lord will ALWAYS give us a PROMISE, HIS WORD, before He allows us to go through a trail. He does so to give us help, strength, and encouragement when we are in the affliction. He does so through reading our Bible daily, that still small Voice of the Holy Spirit, or it could be through a friend sharing a verse with you in conversation. He knows what is ahead for us when we don't, and He has promised to give us the grace and mercy that we need daily (Psalm 23:6). He did so for Peter before he denied knowing Jesus. Even though the Lord knew what Peter was about to do, He told him that Satan had desired to sift him as wheat, BUT He had prayed for HIM! (Luke 22:31&32). Anytime God's Word jumps off the page, or we feel He is speaking directly to us, we need to sit up and take note! This is the warning that a trial is coming, and is a PROMISE that will get us through that upcoming PROBLEM.