Amazing Power

Who was the naked boy in the Garden of Gethsemane?

Mark 14:51 and a young man was following Him, with nothing but a linen cloth (sheet) thrown about [his] naked [body]; and they laid hold of him, 52 But, leaving behind the linen cloth ([j]sheet), he fled from them naked.


Just about the time Jesus was finished healing the ear of the servant of the high priest
named Malchus, the Gospel of Mark tells us a naked young man was found in the
Garden of Gethsemane. Mark 14:51, 52 says, “And there followed him a certain young man, having
A linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: and he left the linen
cloth, and fled from them naked.”

1. Who was this young man?
2. Why was he following Jesus?
3.
4. Why was he draped in a linen cloth instead of wearing normal clothes?
5. Why was the Holy Spirit so careful to include this unique story in Mark’s account of the Gospel?

What is the significance of this event?
The key to identifying this young man lies in the “linen cloth” he had lightly draped about his
body. The particular Greek word that is used for this “linen cloth” is used in only one other event in
the New Testament to depict the “linen cloth” in which the body of Jesus was wrapped for burial
(Matthew 27:59, Mark 15:46, and Luke 23:53). Thus, the only reference we have for this kind
of cloth in the New Testament is that of a burial shroud used for covering a dead body in the grave.

Some scholars say when Mark heard about Jesus’ arrest, he quickly jumped out of bed and dashed to the Garden of Gethsemane. But the Garden was remotely located, and no one could have run there so quickly. It is simply a physical impossibility. Others have speculated that Mark threw off his clothes in an attempt to shock and distract the soldiers so Jesus could escape. This idea is preposterous. Others have tried with similar vain attempts to assert that this naked young man was the apostle John. But why would John be walking naked in the Garden of Gethsemane?

The answer to this naked young man’s identity lies in the cloth he had wrapped around
his body. You see, when a body was prepared for burial, it was washed, ceremonially cleaned, and buried
naked in a linen cloth exactly like the one described here in the Gospel of Mark. Furthermore, the
Garden of Gethsemane was situated on the side of the Mount of Olives. Toward the base of that mount
is a heavily populated cemetery, with many of its graves going back to the time of Jesus.
When Jesus said, “I AM,” the power that was released was so tremendous that it knocked the
soldiers backward (John 18:4-6). But evidently it also caused a rumbling in the local cemetery! When
that blast of power was released, a young boy, draped in a linen burial cloth in accordance with the
tradition of that time, crawled out from his tomb RAISED FROM THE DEAD!

The reason he “followed” Jesus was to get a glimpse of the One who had resurrected him. The
word “followed” here means to continually follow. This tells us that this resurrected young man trailed
the soldiers as they took Jesus through the Garden on the way to His trial. When the soldiers discovered
the young man who was following Jesus, they tried to apprehend him. But when they reached out to
grab him, he broke free from their grip and fled, leaving the linen cloth in their possession.

Today, I want you to reflect again on the amazing power that was active at the time of Jesus’
arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. He later told Pilate, “…Thou couldest have no power at all
against me, except it were given thee from above...” (John 19:11). Indeed, there was so much power
present that NO ONE could have withstood Jesus had He chosen to resist. Jesus was not taken by the
will of man; He was delivered by the will of the Father.

Think how marvelous it is that Jesus freely gave His life for you and me! So much power was at work
in Him even at the time of His arrest that no one had sufficient power to forcibly take Him. The
only reason Jesus was taken was that He chose to willingly lay down His life for you and for me.

In His dust,
Lois

The Passover Lamb

Jesus knew that the Feast of Unleavened Bread was his appointed time, It was therefore necessary, if He was to meet the appointment, that He go up to the appointed place, Jerusalem is the City of God’s Temple. It is the place God chose to put His Name, Jerusalem is the appointed place.
Preparations for the appointed time of Passover and Unleavened Bead began well in advance of the actual festival. This was especially so in Jerusalem, The city needed to prepare for a massive influx of pilgrims. Six weeks prior to the festivals the roads were repaired, wells dug, ritual baths prepared, and graves whitewashed, and host of other details that needed to be attended to. Within the city itself, special ovens for roasting the thousands and thousands of Passover lambs had to be erected. Accommodations and lodging for the pilgrims needed to be made ready. The city was turned upside down.
As the pilgrims approached the city, their multitudes converged until their throngs filled the roads into Jerusalem, their voices rose together singing the psalms of assent as they went up to Jerusalem to keep the appointment at the appointed place.
It is within this context that we must see the Lord and His disciples approaching Jerusalem. They are one group within a multitude of many groups.
In First Century Judaism Messianic expectations were running at an all time high, the expectations only ran higher at Passover for they believed their Messiah would appear at Passover to deliver them from the oppression of the nations which ruled over them.
Word about Jesus had spread. The people were wondering and discussing whether or not this Jesus of Nazareth could possibly be the Messiah. Some said yes because of the miracles He performed others said no because He was from Nazareth and the Messiah was to be from Bethlehem. The Religious people were watching Him closely because of the effect He was having on the people and they were concerned about losing control of the people.
As this throng moved toward Jerusalem they realized that this man Jesus was in their midst and He was riding a colt, presenting Himself as a King of Peace, a conquering King who was coming to rule over them always rode in on a horse, a conquer coming in peace rode on a donkey. As they realized what was happening they began to throw down their cloaks and palm branches down before Him as he entered the city. In doing this they had made their choice. They had chosen Jesus as there King, The Passover lamb had been chosen.
One of the Passover regulations is that all leaven must be removed from the home of the Israelites. To this very day, the regulation is observed with rigor. Before the day of Passover, the observant family spends weeks cleaning house. Every trace of leaven is removed. Breadcrumbs under the refrigerator are sought out and eliminated. Coat pockets are emptied out. Couch cushions overturned and vacuumed. Cupboards are emptied and cleaned. Anything defined as leaven is removed from the house. This is where Spring Cleaning originated, are we thankful?
It is during these days of casting out the leaven that Jesus enters the Temple and casts out the moneychangers. In so doing the He kept the commandment to clean His Father’s house of the leaven.
In God’s timekeeping the day starts at sunset, Jesus and His disciples were settling into the upper room for the Last Seder as the Jerusalem sunset marked the beginning of the 14th day of the first month. In Exodus 12 the Israelites are commanded to kill the Passover lamb on the 14th day of the first month. That meant that the following day the Passover Lambs were being slain as Jesus was nailed to the cross. When the Israelites were eating their Passover the following eve Jesus would be in the tomb.
On that day the Temple was crowded with pilgrims bringing up their lambs for the Passover slaughter. All the priesthood of Israel was also at the temple for this festival. Because of the great number of lambs to be slaughtered.
The Israelite slaughtered his own Passover Lamb and the priest received the blood, hands it to his fellow and his fellow to his fellow each one receiving a full basin and handing back an empty one. The priest nearest the altar tossed the blood in a single act.
Jesus was crucified at the 9th hour at that very time at the Temple a long blast of the shofar signaled the Levites to begin their chanting of the Hallel (Ps 113-118). The gates to the inner court were opened, and the first crowd of Israelites with their lamb’s ready rushed in. within minutes the clean and spotless courtyard around the altar was stained with blood. Gutters flowed with blood. The base of the altar seemed to be bleeding, even gush forth as basin after basin of blood was splashed against it in quick succession.
The dead lambs were hung on hooks, forearms spread in a crucifixion pose as they were skinned and prepared for roasting. They were also inspected for any internal blemish if they were found perfect the priest would declare” I find no fault in him”.
The Levites continued to chant the Hallel. The sound of their voices, joined by the voices of the thousands of pilgrims who had gathered at the temple, filled the entire city of Jerusalem. Indeed, they were heard outside the walls, a short distance away, where Jesus was hanging on the cross for six hours. As they chanted “the cords of death entangle me...precious in the sight of the LORD is the death for His Righteous Ones... Open for me the Gates of Righteousness... The stone the builder’s rejected has become the capstone” Jesus died as the lambs were being slaughtered.
This is why the Creator of all that is came, to sacrifice Himself as a judgment for sin. No other sacrifice would do only the Creator could purchase His precious creation. The Passover Lamb has taken away the sins of the world.
In His dust,
Lois

John the Beloved Disciple

My favorite Gospel: John

Jesus called John the Beloved Disciple,
John had such a revelation of God’s love and the protection that comes from it that they could not kill him. He was boiled in oil and they had to pour him out and he went on to tell others about the love that Jesus would manifest to those who believe and obey Him;
John 14: 21The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let myself be clearly seen by him and make myself real to him.]
I want nothing more than to have Jesus reveal Himself to me and I find a lot of who He is in this book For example the 7 I AMS
Jesus said;
“I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger.” John 6:35
“I am the light of the world; he who fallows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have t he light of life.” John 8:12
“I am the gate; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” John 10:9
“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.” John 10:11
“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies.” John 11:25
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” John 14:6
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser.” John 15:1
I also found my life scripture, the one that is the goal of my life, in this Good News.
John 4:23 A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers. 24 God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality).
I am a worshipper of God and my desire is to become more and more intimate with Him and this brings me to another portion of John that is special to me and has affected my life;
John 14:2 In My Father's house there are many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you. 3 And when (if) I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.
In the ancient Jewish wedding there was two phases. The first was the betroval this time began with the young man’s representative asking the parents of the to be bride to accept this young man in marriage it was totally up to the girl if she accepted then she would put on a veil to show that she was “set apart” and the groom would present her with gifts before, during, and after this period they were at this time legally married and she was his total responsibility, remember Mary and Joseph? They were betrothed and when she became pregnant he “sought to put her away privately” this means he was going to have her stoned because she had committed adultery. After the bride accepts then without any physical contact at all the bridegroom leaves her to “go to his father’s house to prepare a place for her”. This was the room that the bridegroom built onto his father’s house and the purpose of this room was for one thing to consummate the marriage.
What does this mean to us? I’m not sure but as I meditate and study this I am leaning toward the consummation of our marriage to our Lord will take place when we receive our resurrected bodies and go to meet Him in the air and are forever with Him. I can’t prove it but I like to ponder it. For our Bridegroom is right now preparing that special room for us each one of us will consummate our relationship with Him.
Can you take a little more? How about one more reason John is my favorite book.
John 13: 1[NOW] BEFORE the Passover Feast began, Jesus knew (was fully aware) that the time had come for Him to leave this world and return to the Father. And as He had loved those who were His own in the world, He loved them to the last and [a]to the highest degree. 2 So [it was] during supper, Satan having already put the thought of betraying Jesus in the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, 3 [That] Jesus, knowing (fully aware) that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was [now] returning to God, 4 Got up from supper, took off His garments, and taking a [servant's] towel, He fastened it around His waist. 5 Then He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the [servant's] towel with which He was girded.
A true servant;
Knows where He comes from and where He is going, His mission on the earth.
Loves to the highest degree. For the Love of God has been put in his heart.
Knows that everything is in His hands, knows who he is “in Christ.”
Washed Judas feet. Forgive them Father they don’t know what they are doing.
In His dust,
Lois

What Would Jesus Do?

WWJD? WWYD?
John the Baptist was probably the only friend that Jesus had that knew anything about who Jesus was.
His conception was miraculous; He was filled with the spirit in His mother’s womb the scripture as He leapt with joy when He heard the words of Mary. Mary spent 6 months with her cousin Elizabeth and we can only speculate about the conversations they had but I would be willing to say that a lot of them were about the miracle children that both of them were carrying They had to have been devout Jewish women to have been chosen for such a wonderful honor.
The scriptures may be silent about the particulars of Jesus’ boyhood but we know a lot about the customs and culture of the times. I am led to believe that is why there isn’t much said about his childhood because it was very much like the other little Jewish boys. But as he was able to understand more I’m sure that He was told many times about the miracles of his conception and the many Messianic prophecies that His life had already fulfilled. Both He and John were “different” and I’m sure they spent many hours together speculating on their futures
As I stated earlier the particulars of their pre ministry lives can only be guessed at but one thing for sure they were probably very
close if for no other reason than because they knew they were called to something very different from the others around them so they must have had a very special bond.
We can only imagine how Jesus must have felt on that fateful day when His disciples came and told Him about the horrible death of John. How He was beheaded because of a seductive dance that stirred the lust of Herod and His head was presented to the girl on a platter! How gruesome this must have been. Johns disciples went and got His body, placed it in a tomb, then went and told Jesus what had happened ( Matt 14: 1-14)
We are told that Jesus was tempted in every point and this was probably one of those opportunities to become outraged at the perverseness of Herod and His imagination could have gone wild thinking about how hideous the whole thing was. Had He yielded to those thoughts our redemption would have been lost. Instead Our Lord had a better way to fight the injustice that was done to his beloved cousin and friend.
He tried to get away privately, perhaps to calm himself, surely to talk to His Father for He knew that He would carry the punishment for this wicked act that He would take the blame. That He would cry out to the Father to forgive them for they didn’t know what they were doing. For He understood His warfare was not against flesh and blood but against the rulers of darkness in the heavenly sphere.
When He and His disciples reached the shore the crowds were so large and needy that instead of being moved with anger at those who had killed John He was moved with compassion and healed all who were sick. Instead of playing into His flesh He dealt the devil a blow by delivering the people from his power.
What a tremendous lesson for us to learn. What would Jesus do? He would be moved with compassion. What would you do?
In his Dust,
Lois

Increasing Knowledge

Knowledge shall increase;
"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Daniel 12:4A portion of the book of Daniel was not going to be understood "until the time of the end." At the time of the end, many would run too and fro through the scriptures, comparing text with text, and understand these prophecies. We have reached that time,
The Bible also predicts a time when it will be too late to search the scriptures.
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst. Amos 8:11-13
While it is true that the vast majority of the world will be without God and without hope when Jesus returns, the Bible also says that many people will understand, prepare, and be ready. "Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand." Daniel 12:10
The primary application of "knowledge increased" is in reference to people understanding the prophecies of the book of Daniel, however, many Bible scholars believe that this prophecy also applies to an increasing knowledge of science, medicine, travel, and technology.We are living in "The Information Age" making this sign seem even more obvious. Even the most skeptical mind must admit that knowledge is exploding in all directions. It is said that 80% percent of the world's total knowledge has been brought forth in the last decade and that 90% percent of all the scientists who have ever lived are alive today.
Surely the increase in knowledge is an exciting thing but I am determined to be one who increases in the knowledge of the word. This scripture being true, then the hundreds of bible commentaries we now have access to may well become obsolete where the book of Daniel is concerned. The potential of new revelation is staggering and I for one intend to keep myself in the place where I am eligible to receive the revelation of the word that is available to me. I challenge you to make that same determination in your heart. I know you will because you have already started your journey to understanding who our marvelous God is and what He has for us as His Dear Children. So don’t draw back or become discouraged but let us set our faces like flint, put our hands to the plow and be the ones the Holy Spirit can use in these last days.
In His dust,
Lois

Gods Glory Through intercessory Prayer

Daniel the Intercessor;
Intercessory prayer is the act of praying on behalf of others. The role of mediator in prayer was prevalent in the Old Testament, in the cases of Abraham, Moses, David, Samuel, Hezekiah, Elijah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Christ is pictured in the New Testament as the ultimate intercessor, and because of this, all Christian prayer becomes intercession since it is offered to God through and by Christ. Jesus closed the gap between us and God when He died on the cross. Because of Jesus’ mediation, we can now intercede in prayer on behalf of other Christians or for the lost, asking God to grant their requests according to His will. “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5 ). “Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” ( Rom 8:34 ).
Intercessory prayer is found in Daniel 9. It has all the elements of true intercessory prayer. It is in response to the Word (v. 2); characterized by fervency (v. 3) and self-denial (v. 4); identified unselfishly with God’s people (v. 5); strengthened by confession (v. 5-15); dependent on God’s character (vv. 4, 7, 9, 15); and has as its goal God’s glory (vv. 16-19). Like Daniel, Christians are to come to God on behalf of others in a heartbroken and repentant attitude, recognizing their own unworthiness and with a sense of self-denial. Daniel does not say, “I have a right to demand this out of You, God, because I am one of your special, chosen intercessors.” He says, “I'm a sinner,” and, in effect, “I do not have a right to demand anything.” True intercessory prayer seeks not only to know God’s will and see it fulfilled, but to see it fulfilled whether or not it benefits us and regardless of what it costs us. True intercessory prayer seeks God’s glory, not our own.
In His dust,
Lois

I Believe in the Bible

How I know the Bible is true.

Not only can the facts of the bible be proven through biblical archeology but its spiritual power can also be proven because it is a spiritual book written by the Creation Spirit Himself.
I know it is true because I have proven it in my own life.
Years ago when I first began this journey of faith I was a failure, the Word didn’t fail I was deceived and ignorant. As a result I fell into “religion”, My life was full of church and church activities and church people, most of whom were just like me, I was at church every time the doors were open and I did a lot of busy work in the church. Unfortunately I spent no time in the Word for myself and as a result there was no real change in my life. The only change was due to my own will power for it was the only way I knew to do anything. Needless to say my “Christian experience“ ended in dropping out of the full time ministry, dropping of church and also dropping out of my marriage and my morality.
Now things are different. In 1997 I started on an adventure that has truly changed me from the inside out. I am not the same person I used to be. I have been changed by the washing of the water of the word. The new creature that is on the inside of me has become mature enough to change the outside of me. It didn’t happen overnight but it has happened and is continuing to happen more every day. It is entirely because I have committed myself to a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ through His Word and not just through church activities.
I have just recently experienced proof positive that I am not the same person. I have had a potentvrastation occur in my personal life. In the past I would have been a disaster but my faith in the Word and my relationship with the Lord have kept me from doing anything that could have damaged my relationship with the Lord and my position of leadership in my church.
Believe me I know the Word is true and it has the power to save and deliver form a pit o destruction.
Thank You Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!!
In His dust,
Lois

Archeology And The Bible

How does archeology prove the bible is true?
Over the years there have been many criticisms leveled against the Bible concerning its historical reliability. These criticisms are usually based on a lack of evidence from outside sources to confirm the Biblical record. Since the Bible is a religious book, many scholars take the position that it is biased and cannot be trusted unless we have corroborating evidence from extra-Biblical sources. In other words, the Bible is guilty until proven innocent, and a lack of outside evidence places the Biblical account in doubt.
This standard is far different from that applied to other ancient documents, even though many, if not most, have a religious element. They are considered to be accurate, unless there is evidence to show that they are not. Although it is not possible to verify every incident in the Bible, the discoveries of archaeology since the mid-1800s have demonstrated the reliability and plausibility of the Bible narrative.
Here are some examples:
The discovery of the Ebla archive in northern Syria in the 1970s has shown the Biblical writings concerning the Patriarchs to be viable. Documents written on clay tablets from around 2300 B.C. demonstrate that personal and place names in the Patriarchal accounts are genuine. The name “Canaan” was in use in Ebla, a name critics once said was not used at that time and was used incorrectly in the early chapters of the Bible. The word tehom (“the deep”) in Genesis 1:2 was said to be a late word demonstrating the late writing of the creation story. “Tehom” was part of the vocabulary at Ebla, in use some 800 years before Moses. Ancient customs reflected in the stories of the Patriarchs have also been found in clay tablets from Nuzi and Mari.
The Hittites were once thought to be a Biblical legend, until their capital and records were discovered at Bogazkoy, Turkey.
Many thought the Biblical references to Solomon's wealth were greatly exaggerated. Recovered records from the past show that wealth in antiquity was concentrated with the king and Solomon's prosperity was entirely feasible.
It was once claimed there was no Assyrian king named Sargon as recorded in Isaiah 20:1, because this name was not known in any other record. Then, Sargon's palace was discovered in Khorsabad, Iraq. The very event mentioned in Isaiah 20, his capture of Ashdod, was recorded on the palace walls. What is more, fragments of a stela memorializing the victory were found at Ashdod itself.
Another king who was in doubt was Belshazzar, king of Babylon, named in Daniel 5. The last king of Babylon was Nabonidus according to recorded history. Tablets were found showing that Belshazzar was Nabonidus' son who served as coregent in Babylon. Thus, Belshazzar could offer to make Daniel “third highest ruler in the kingdom” (Dan. 5:16) for reading the handwriting on the wall, the highest available position. Here we see the “eye-witness” nature of the Biblical record, as is so often brought out by the discoveries of archaeology.
This is just a small sampling of the information available on this subject. I encourage everyone who believes in the bible to investigate more biblical archeology it is proof beyond a shadow of a doubt that the bible is true.
In His dust,

Lois

What Does Jesus Hate?

Three things Jesus hates;
At the top of my list would be fear because it is the exact opposite of faith as a matter of fact it is faith perverted. It is faith in satans ability to harm you. As you read through the Word notice how many times you hear the words “fear not”or “be not afraid”. It appears over 200 times in the kjv do you think the Lord is trying to tell us something?
2 Tim 1: 7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.
1 John 4: 18There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love [g]turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear [h]brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love's complete perfection].
I think most people will agree with me today that fear and stress is one of the major causes of the health crisis our nation is in today but listen to what Solomon said;
Prov 4: 20My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings 21 Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart.22 For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh.23 Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.
Anything that is not of faith is sin (Rom 14:23) and Jesus hates sin not because He doesn’t want us to have any fun but because sin kills us.
What do you think would cause Love to form a rope into a whip, go to the church and drive out the “money changers”? How about unjust weights and balances. Jesus hates dishonesty in business. It was not that the money changers were in the courtyard of the temple it was because they were cheating the worshipers.
Imagine if you had saved for months or even years to be able to take your family and go to Jerusalem and offer your spotless lamb as a Passover offering. This was one of three times a year every male was supposed to go to Jerusalem to worship, but it must have been difficult especially at this time, with Rome in charge, you could not bring a lamb form home because it was too far so you brought money to purchase your lamb,. First you must exchange your currency for the temple sheckle and they use unjust weights.
You must know that the only place a true jew can worship is in Jerusalem, that is where God commanded them to worship Him. So the people who are stolen from are those who are following the Torah and coming to worship the only way they can.
During this time Ananias and Kafaias were the High Priest in charge of all of these scams and Josephus said they made close to 3 million dollars a year in these frauds.
No wonder Jesus drove them out with such fury and authority that even the temple guards didn’t try to stop Him.
Just a note of interest these same temple guards world come to the garden in just a few days to rrest Him and ther was probably 400 of them with swords and torches to capture one man.
The last thing I will mention that He hates is religious tradition, for it can make His word ineffective. The word that produced all thigs and that holds all things together is made null and void by the religious traditions of man.
Matt 15: 1 THEN FROM Jerusalem came scribes and Pharisees and said,2 Why do Your disciples transgress and violate the rules handed down by the elders of the past? For they do not practice [ceremonially] washing their hands before they eat. 3 He replied to them, And why also do you transgress and violate the commandment of God for the sake of the rules handed down to you by your forefathers (the elders)?4 For God commanded, Honor your father and your mother, and, He who curses or reviles or speaks evil of or abuses or treats improperly his father or mother, let him surely come to his end by death.(A)5 But you say, If anyone tells his father or mother, What you would have gained from me [that is, the money and whatever I have that might be used for helping you] is already dedicated as a gift to God, then he is exempt and no longer under obligation to honor and help his father or his mother.6 So for the sake of your tradition (the rules handed down by your forefathers), you have set aside the Word of God [depriving it of force and authority and making it of no effect].7 You pretenders (hypocrites)! Admirably and truly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said: 8 These people draw near Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far away from Me.9 Uselessly do they worship Me, for they teach as doctrines the commands of men.10 And Jesus called the people to Him and said to them, Listen and grasp and comprehend this: 11 It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that makes him unclean and defiled, but what comes out of the mouth; this makes a man unclean and defiles [him].
I heard a teacher say that the blood running out of the mouth of the whore of Babylon was the blood of the saints that were destroyed because of religious tradition. Lord deliver us from our traditions and help us to understand that this is the reason we must search the scriptures for ourselves to prove what we hear.

In His dust,
Lois

What Does Jesus Love?

List three things that Jesus loves .

In what ways are you following in the dust or your Rabbi concerning the above items?
We are all so firm liar with this verse but I wonder how much of it we really understand.
John 3:16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
We may have some knowledge of the part about God loving the world, but what about Jesus loving the world enough to sacrifice Himself for it. The key is in the word unique Son. Do we know that Jesus coming to the earth forever changed Him? He was the WORD, (John 1:1), which is Spirit and Life ( jn 6:62-63) the flesh counts for nothing. Yet He became flesh and even though that flesh is glorified it is still flesh and it is in heaven. Jesus still carries the scars of His sacrifice on his “body” (Lk 24:29) and He is no longer the unique son of God He is the first born among many brothers (Rom 8:29)
He left who He was so that we can become who He is.
It seems to me that if Jesus loves something it would please Him, don’t you think? So what pleases God? Faith :
Heb 11: 6 But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].
So why does faith please God this way? Because it shows the Father that you believe what He says in His word is truer. That you don’t call God a liar. Can you say I love you Lord but I don’t believe what you say? That you met what you sad when you promised that you would take care of me and meet all of MY need according to YOUR riches in glory (Phill 4:19) or that I am not supposed to worry or have a care because you care for me? ( Matt 6:25-34) So I don’t worry, I will be happy, because Jesus paid an awesome price to put this smile on my face!!!!!!!!
Of course we know Jesus loves His Bride;
Eph 5: 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, 27 That He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy and faultless]
Col 1: 22 Yet now has [Christ, the Messiah] reconciled [you to God] in the body of His flesh through death, in order to present you holy and faultless and irreproachable in His [the Father's] presence
2 Cor 11: 2 For I am zealous for you with a godly eagerness and a divine jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one Husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Hosea 2: 19 And I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. 20 I will even betroth you to Me in stability and in faithfulness, and you shall know (recognize, be acquainted with, appreciate, give heed to, and cherish the Lord.
These verses are too wonderful to wrap my mind around so I receive them by faith knowing that the Word is true and the Father means what He says.

Whenever we talk about what Jesus loves we must mention Jerusalem;
Isa 60; 1 ARISE [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you--rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! 2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and dense darkness [all] peoples, but the Lord shall arise upon you [O Jerusalem], and His glory shall be seen on you. 3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. 4 Lift up your eyes round about you and see! They all gather themselves together, they come to you. Your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried and nursed in the arms. 5 Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart shall thrill and tremble with joy [at the glorious deliverance] and be enlarged; because the abundant wealth of the [Dead] Sea shall be turned to you, unto you shall the nations come with their treasures. 6 A multitude of camels [from the eastern trading tribes] shall cover you [Jerusalem], the young camels of Medina and Ephah; all the men from Sheba [who once came to trade] shall come, bringing gold and frankincense and proclaiming the praises of the Lord. 7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you [as the eastern pastoral tribes join the trading tribes], the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; they shall come up with acceptance on My altar, and My glorious house I will glorify.8 Who are these who fly like a cloud, and like doves to their windows? 9 Surely the isles and distant coastlands shall wait for and expect Me; and the ships of Tarshish [shall come] first, to bring your sons from afar, their silver and gold with them, for the name of the Lord your God, for the Holy One of Israel, because He has beautified and glorified you. 10 Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you; for in My wrath I smote you, but in My favor, pleasure, and goodwill I have had mercy, love, and pity for you. 11 And your gates shall be open continually, they shall not be shut day or night, that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations--and their kings led in procession [your voluntary captives]. 12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you in that day [Jerusalem] shall perish; yes, those nations shall be utterly laid waste.13 The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the plane, and the pine [trees] together, to beautify the place of My sanctuary; and I will make the place of My feet glorious. 14 The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to you, and all those who despised you shall bow down at your feet, and they shall call you the City of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, so that no man passed through you, I will make you [Jerusalem] an eternal glory, a joy from age to age.16 You shall suck the milk of the [Gentile] nations and shall suck the breast of kings; and you shall recognize and know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.17 Instead of bronze I will bring gold, and instead of iron I will bring silver; and instead of wood, bronze, and instead of stones, iron. [Instead of the tyranny of the present] I will appoint peace as your officers and righteousness as your taskmasters.18 Violence shall no more be heard in your land, nor devastation or destruction within your borders, but you shall call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.19 The sun shall no more be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you, but the Lord shall be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory and your beauty. 20 Your sun shall no more go down, nor shall your moon withdraw itself, for the Lord shall be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended.
This entire chapter is so glorious I had to include it all. I will always remember the day I was praying for the Peace of Jerusalem and I found my heart crying out for her as never before so I asked the Lord what that was about and He said to me that I was receiving His heart for Jerusalem, I love that Holy City more every day and I plan to go visit it very so.

What Gifts Has God Given Me?

What gifts has God given you and how are you using them?

I believe the Lord has given me the gifts of His love for others. I know this is from Him because it has not always been a part of my life. I was once a very selfish and self centered person even in the 80’s when my husband, we have since divorced, and I had a ministry in Chicago working with women off the streets, drug addicts, prostitutes, and alcoholics, and whatever other problem they had. I believed at the time I really loved the Lord and was committed to His work. I was dedicated to the girls in the house and also took care of our own children who were small at the time, however when we closed the house to move to Tulsa for another phase of the ministry everything fell apart and my heart became very hurt and hard. So I know the true love of God was not there or it would have sustained me no matter how terrible the circumstances of my life became.

Now things have changed, I have been in the word for myself and the Lord has been faithful to heal me from the bitterness and rebellion of the past years now I am again in the ministry, this time I call it my “mission field.” I now take care of my youngest daughter and her family. Holly works very hard to support her family because Wade, her husband, is chronically ill with asthma, o.p.d, and he also has had cancer twice and he is only 34.
In October of 2006 I left my home in Alabama and came to help out for a few months Wade was having a rough go of it and could not take care of the children. At the time they had Gabriel their 6 yr old boy and 2 other little boys 3 and 4 yrs old. They didn’t want to have to send them to another foster home or a group home so I came for a few months then in November Wade was diagnosed with cancer again this time it was much worse than the first time when he was 22.
Here it is 3 years later and i am still here.

We have had 12 other foster children come through the house and then we also got Gracie. She has just turned 2 .We got her when she was 4 months old, she weighed 5lbs, her birth weight and she had a spiral fracture of her left arm and they also thought she had a broken leg . She was about 1 week away from dying of starvation, her mother was afraid the baby would get too fat so she wouldn’t feed her. When her parents brought her in for her “well baby checkup”the Dr. called police. She was in the hospital for 2 weeks before we got her and she was “up” to 5 lbs. She was so small even “preemie” clothes were too big for her. Her parent were charged with felony abuse and felony neglect and the Case was classed as “hennas and shocking”. The Dept. of human services said it was the worst case of neglect they had ever seen.

We had a rough go of it at first as she was so weak she could only eat about 1 oz of formula at a time and she would be exhausted from trying to eat then she would have an upset stomach because her digestion was not working correctly she would sleep for about 30-40 minutes and then wake up again to eat more. This was our ‘sleepless” schedule for over a year. She would get to where she would sleep for an hour or two by the time she was a year old. Yet she still doesn't sleep all night most of the time.
Because the case was classed as Hanious and shocking the parent rights were terminated and soon Gracie will be ours officially.

Gabe, our 6 yr old boy was also adopted his mother put him in a freezer when he was 6 mo’s old. Thank God his grandmother was there and rescued him before he was injured.

At this time we have Isaiah he is six and has been the the system since he was three. His mothers rights were just terminated so he is going up for adoption and we are praying for his perfect “forever family”.

Sarah is 14 and will probably go back to her mother; this is her 2nd time with us. Her mother attends our church that is why we have her. So I have my own “small group” here in the house with three adults, four children and a dog.
I am also on the prayer ministry team at our church and I teach some on Wednesday nights.
So in all of this I have found the true heart of God; To forgive Gracie's parents because they didn’t know what they were doing.

To always believe the best, because we deal with state agencies with our children and Foster children. Oh yes and let’s not forget that we endure long and are patient……..
We have a lot of people tell us that they don’t see how we do it. How we bring these children into our home, love them, take care of them for months and then they go on to other family members or sometimes back home. To their forever families. My answer always has to be “I don’t do it for the children I do it for the Lord,” everything I say and everything I do is for Him, it is the only way you can truly love. For love isn’t love until you give it away. You can never out give God for He has given us Gabriel and Gracie.

What perfect gifts He has given us.

Lois

The Names of the LORD
1. Elohim; God, Mighty Creator
2. El Roi; The God who sees me
3. El Shaddai; God Almighty
4. El Olan; Everlasting eternal God
5. Yahweh; LORD
6. Adonai; :ORD, The LORD is Peace
7. Yahweh Saboath; The LORD of Host
8. Yahweh Rophe; The lLORD who heals
9. Yaheweh Nissei; The LORD MY Banner
10. Qeddsh Yesrael; Holy One of Israel
11. Yahweh Shalom; The Lord is Peace
12. Yahweh Sabbaoth; The Lord of Host
13. Yahweh Tsuri; The Lordd MY rock
14. Yahweh Roi; The Lord my Shwperd
15. HaShem; The Name
16. Melek; King
17. Ish; Husband
18. ElChay; Living God
19. El Naon; Dwellin Place
20. El Machesh; God is my Refuge
21. El Magen; God is My Shield
22. Miqweh Israel; Hope of Israel
23. Yahweh Tsidqwn; the Lord our rightenouess
24. ElElyon; God Most High
25. Yahweh Shammah; The Lord is there
26. Ab; Father
27. Abba; Daddy

Weapons of Our Warfare

What are the weapons of our warfare?
2 Cor 10:3 For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, 5 [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasoning's and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One
Can you “see” it? Fighting with things you can’t see. what a new concept for those who can only believe what they can see.
2 cor 4: 18 Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting.
What a marvelous promise if we can see it we can change it. So many things we see we think should be change the thing I usually find I shat the one who needs changing is me. I’m the one the Holy Spirit is focusing on. You see the only one you can truly change is yourself. Do you want a change? Then you make a change. The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different result.
Why should you desire to change? If you truly do love others you will allow the Lord to make changes in your life so that you can be a more effective witness in their lives. The scripture in Peter is addressing marriage but it is a spiritual principal that applies to all situations, it is the hidden man of the heart.
1 Pet 3:4 But let it be the inward adorning and beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, which [is not anxious or wrought up, but] is very precious in the sight of God.
This is Just another way of saying that as true disciples of the Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth we must live the life of love before all men and we can do it because that wonderful Rabbi lives in us and is waiting to manifest himself to a lost and dying world through us, His Body.
The most powerful weapon of our warfare may well be our own freedom of choice.
In His dust,
Lois

The Beauty of Holiness

what is the beauty of holiness? What does it mean to be holy?
What is the beauty of holiness? The word beauty means one thing to a western thinker; it means something else to a Hebrew mind.
We in the west who have the Greco-roman way of thinking think that thinking is the most important mode of being an enlightened one. Everything is abstract to them if I ask you to draw a picture of grace, holiness, redemption, or even father could you do it so that I can understand wat you are saying? I doubt it, not if you are a western thinker.
Hebrew, on the other hand, is a language that deals in concert concepts, to see, to hear, to touch, to taste. Hebrews relate to the physical world not one of abstract ideas as a result most western thinkers find the Hebrew concepts of the bible hard to understand or miss the meaning altogether.
The word beauty is such a word. To us beauty is something that is beautiful to see a most common example perhaps is a “beautiful woman” which to us would be one who has desirable physicial featuers , which depend on the fad at the time, I am old enough to remember when the perfect size for a woman was a size 12 then along came Twiggy and the “stick’ was “in.” To the Hebrew mind a “beautiful” woman is one that is functional, one that operates at her highest potential, a proverbs 31 woman.
In light of this fact let’s look at the beauty of holiness as the function of holiness.
So then what is holiness? It is being set-apart for a specific use such as the vessel of honor that Paul tells us about in 2 Tim 2:20 “ in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and of earth and some to honor and some to dishonor “ in other words they are all in the great house but some are holy, set-apart, sanctified and some are not. Holiness is a choice not an automatic result of accepting Jesus. When we accept Him we are justified, but not necessarily holy, sanctified, set-apart for the masters use.
Holiness is a lifestyle change not of the outside but of the inside. It’s not a matter of how you wear your hair, or if you wear makeup or jewelery. In the “olden days” as my grandchildren say, I remember the day of the “holy bun” which was the preferred hair style, no makeup, long sleeves and long skirts, always a solid dark color, for the women but the men world where the fanciest suits, loud ties and huge gold watches and rings. Try to reconcile that in a child’s mind. Some “holiness” also taught that wearing deodorant was a sin, aren’t we all glad that one is past.
Holiness is a matter of the heart, a change from the inside of our hearts and begins with a renewed mind which is cleansed by the washing of the water of the word. The High Priest of the Hebrew scripture wore a miter on his head upon it was writtern “Holy to the Lord” signifying a mind dedicated to the torah and consecrated to the service of his God.
Holiness is dwelling, abiding, staying in the secret place, being covered and hidden by His holliness, being covered by His wings.
In Matt 6:6 Jesus is teaching on prayer and He tells His disciples when you pray go into your closet and pray in secret, I believe He was talking about covering their heads with their tallit, prayer shawls, when they prayed so they were in secret no matter where they were.
On the hem on each corner of the tallit were the zizit or tassels most bible scholars agree that these zizit, tassels were what the woman with the issue of blood touched and drew power from Jesus to heal her (Matt 9) and that this incident is a fulfillment of the prophecy of Mal 4:2 For the Son of Rightenouss shall arise with healing in his wings. These wings are the zizit on the prayer shawl.
In the anchient Hebrew wedding the groom would wear his tallit and at one point would encircle his bride with his arms and pull her to his chest where she would be encircled by his arms which were draped in the tallit and she would be “covered” by his wings. He would declare his covenant of protection and promise to care for her at all times and in all situations. This is the same term that was used of YHVH in Ex 19:4 You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. 5Now therefore, if you will obey My voice in truth and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own peculiar possession and treasure from among and above all peoples; for all the earth is Mine.
The purpose of the zizit was to remind Israel of the commandments to do them. Num 14:39 And it shall be to you a fringe or tassel that you may look upon and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, that you may not spy out and follow after [the desires of] your own heart and your own eyes, after which you used to follow and play the harlot [spiritually, if not physically], 40 That you may remember and do all My commandments and be holy to your God.
In Ez 16 we read vs.8 Now I passed by you again and looked upon you; behold, you were maturing and at the time for love, and I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I plighted My troth to you and entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord, and you became Mine. This skirt is the tallet this same “skirt” is used in the story of Ruth and Boaz when she lays at his feet and covered herself with his skirt which was actually Ruth asking Boaz to be her Kingsman Redeemer.
Perhaps the most accurate picture of this holiness, this secret place, this place of perfection and power is in Ps 91 Where He who dwells in the secret place of the Almighty abides under His wings this is the place where YHVH sings and rejoices over us with songs of deliverance. The place of the truly set apart, concentrated ones the ones who remain vivally and continually in unoin with Him. The one who looks like Jesus. The New Covenant counterpart is, as Paul says so often, to be “in Christ” the place where you are wearing the armor of Light of Romans, the prayer armor of Epheasins, the place where you are the most powerful. Where you are functioning as the body of Christ in this earth. The word of God manifested in you just as it was in Jesus and signs and wonders are following you.
What is the beauty of holiness? To look just like Jesus in the earth.
Now lets litsten to the heart of Jesus as he cries O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who continue to kill the prophets and to stone those who are sent to you! How often I have desired and yearned to gather your children together [around Me], as a hen [gathers] her young under her wings, but you would not! Lk 13:34 .

In His dust,
Lois

Purity of Word

Purity of Word
2 Tim 4: judge the quick and the dead. Preach the word.
Emerging church in 2005
How has today's culture impacted your Church?
Let me preface my comments by saying that I understand the purpose of this lesson and that it has some very valid points. There are, however, some things that are hard sayings for me. I don’t believe I been offended because I refuse to be. Because I refuse to be offended I believe these comments will not offend anyone else. As a matter of fact I am not defending any man but I believe I am defending the message that has so radically changed my life and made it worth living again and has also brought me to KI.
Perhaps I am confused by some of the terms used in this session, I know the same terms can mean different things to different people but the term the emergent church seemed to be a demeaning term. II agree with Pastor Joe and am aghast at some of the quotes He used in this session.
As many of you have commented about my D.Q.’s you say you see the love of God and his hand on my life and I am thankful for that,but according to some of the descriptions given in this session I am a part of the emerging church because two of the names he mentioned have had the biggest influence on my life. It was through their ministries that I have learned to love the word and its integrity was established in my heart and life. I am referring to Kenneth Copeland and Kenneth Hagen, Yes, I am a member of the “name it and claim it” bunch or the “word of Faith” or whatever else we are called. But I must tell you that we love the Lord, are committed to His word and I believe I am a member of the biggest Holy Ghost Gang ever! God is moving in our midst and I believe the awakening that started 100 years ago at Azuza Street is only growing stronger and stronger. God is pouring our His Spirit of Prayer as never before and His people of this nation are humbling themselves and God will be faithful to His Word and heal our great land of America.
As for my church it has a lot of growing to do. The people have not been trained in the Word nor do they understand the laws of the Spirit that govern our lives. I know this is one of the reasons I am there. You see I prayed for this church for 10 years before I started going there. I prayed that my children world find another church instead of this one! Mainly because they didn’t believe the way I thought they should. Needless to say some of my views were immature and have changed. Some of my views I believe were valid and so now I am one of the most requested teachers of the church. It is so marvelous even when the pastor and I don’t agree on an issue He allows me to state my case and then he states his and now the people can think and learn for themselves. The main reason I can do this is because the pastor has seen me live the life of Jesus before him, I mean really see me because my daughter is on his staff and they are personal friends and we see them socially as well as in the church.

Proverbs says there is always two sides to an issue and the first one seems right until you hear the second side. We are all different, thank you Jesus, so we need different aspects of teachings as long as the integrity of the word is upheld. I once heard it stated this way” we are all going up that same mountain some of us are just taking different paths than others”.

I submit this D.Q. very prayerfully and I believe I was led by the Holy Spirit.
Any and all comments are welcomed.
In His dust,
Lois


What is the central message of the Bible and how is it being attacked today?
1 Cor 1: 23 We preach Christ (the Messiah) crucified, [preaching which] to the Jews is a scandal and an offensive stumbling block [that springs a snare or trap], and to the Gentiles it is absurd and utterly unphilosophical nonsense.
1 Cor 2: 2 For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified.
It’s very evident that human nature has not changed. Today as in the days of Paul the main issue is will you be a giver dedicated to others or a taker who keeps what they have and takes away what others have.
We should not be surprised that the “religious” denotations are removing the Cross from their spiritual lives. As Paul so eloquently said it is a stumbling block to the Jews, the idea that their long awaited Messiah would be accursed and the Greeks unphilosophical nonsense, for they were the “thinkers” of the day, the ones who knew what was best for everyone because they were too ignorant to know for themselves, sounds like our secular humanist of today, indeed they are “cut from the same cloth”.
I thank God that where sin abounds there grace much more abounds. As a result today the facts are that the world is in a downward spin and they need one to stand in the gap, today more than ever. The commission to spread the gospel, the news that the Son of God was crucified so you could become a son of God, was given to the church so the church will be held responsible when we stand before the Lord. I keep hearing the words of Jeremiah the Prophet Judah was so vile and corrupt they had been warned over and over again and the end of their evil was close at hand, and still the Lord asked Jeremiah to look everywhere in the city to see if he could find just one man that loved justice if he could then the Lord would spare Jerusalem. Jer 5:1
I believe the saddest day for the Lord is still ahead of Him, when He has to condemn His creation to hell. Then He will look at the church and ask if we did our part to spread the good news. I am determined to hear “Well done good and faithful servant enter into your reward.”
It is amazing what one dedicated life can do.
In His dust,
Lois
P.S. this is my last post for this class and I want to say it has been wonderful to be in class with all of you. It is amazing it seems as though I know all of you, and I I do in the spirit, I will be looking for you in my other classes. See you later.

The Word

The Word


Why is it important to make a deposit? What bib passages nave served you well over the past several months? .
Rom 1:16 tells us that the gospel is the power of God to save us so let’s make some deposits nd develop more in that power.
1 Cor 1:30 But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our Wisdom from God, [revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as] our Righteousness [thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God], and our Consecration [making us pure and holy], and our Redemption [providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin].
John 15:2 Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.3 You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you].4 Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word. 27 That He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy and faultless)
John 1:14 And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacle (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth.
2 Pe1:16 For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes 17 when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”[f] 18 We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines[g] in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding,[h] 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. NLT
So this is my prayer for me and for you;
Eph 1:16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. 17 [For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him,18 By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones),19 And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength, 20 Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places], 21 Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come. 22 And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church], 23 Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself].

Thes are some of the passages that the Lord uses in me to keep the fire and desire of His Word alive in me. Even when I am studying other aspects of His word these scriptures are never far from me.

In His dust.
Lois

All scriptures are from the Amplified Bible unless otherwise noted.

The Longing of My Heart

What does it mean to you to be a disciple?
To look just like the teacher you follow.

This has been the longing of my heart for years. The problem that I have found is what does my teacher, the Lord Jesus Christ, really look like?

I spent years of my life looking at Him through the glasses of religion and when the road got really tough the religion I thought was my teacher failed me.

My fall was hard and long, God by His great mercy, brought me back to Himself, but religion was deeply embedded in my mind and heart. My desire to “know Him” was still a driving force that kept me looking for Him. I knew that if I didn’t quit one day I world find the true Jesus, the one who had birthed a desire in me that nothing else could satisfy.

I started this journey at age 12, unfortunately I was on my own for most of the time and as a result I have taken many detours. I am now 62 and finally on a track of truth that is the “Truth”.

I am still seeking to be a true disciple. I believe His word is true. Heb 11:6 states “Without faith it is impossible to please Him for He is a rewarded of those who diligently seek Him” and also as Paul said in Phil 1:6 “And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ (right to the time of His return), developing that good work) and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.” -Amp bible.

So I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I am “following in His dust” for the Father is seeking me for I am a true worshipper and my destiny is to worship Him in spirit and in truth and I will continue this quest for I am sure there is no end to this journey. This one thing I do know that the journey is as important as the destination.

What an exciting adventure this life is.

One in His dust
Lois Bridgeman

P.S. thank you so very much for such a wonderful teaching. Only the first session and already I am learning things I have questioned. I have always asked, for example why would these men, these followers of Jesus, leave everything and follow a carpenter’s son on just one “follow Me?” Now I know that to them He was not a carpenter’s son but a Rabbi, a teacher one who had the “words of life”.

Comfort That Stirs Your Heart

What theme in the psalms stirs your heart and gives you comfort?

You are my hiding place;

Perhaps it’s the love of childhood games such as hide and seek, or the memories of living on a farm in Ohio and watching the baby chicks run for cover under the wings of mama hen. Or maybe it’s the longing we all have to feel safe and secure, wanted and loved. These are the things that stir in me when I think of a hiding place, a secret place. Perhaps the place in the woods where I went a place where I thought no one would see me, laying on the moist green grass under a tree in the dense woods smelling the smells of nature. Somehow these memories bring me comfort just as these psalms that promise that same safety I felt as a child.

Ps 32:7 You are a hiding place for me; You, Lord, preserve me from trouble, You surround me with songs and shouts of deliverance. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! 8 [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.



Ps 17:8Keep and guard me as the pupil of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings 15 As for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness (rightness, justice, and right standing with You); I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake [to find myself] beholding Your form [and having sweet communion with You].



31:19 Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear, revere, and worship You, goodness which You have wrought for those who trust and take refuge in You before the sons of men! 20 In the secret place of Your presence You hide them from the plots of men; You keep them secretly in Your pavilion from the strife of tongues

I must include the 91st psalm. It is the classic Psalm of protection. We should all memorize this psalm and pray it everyday for ourselves and our loved ones and especially those in our military. Have you noticed this Psalm is written in three persons? Let me show you.



Jesus speaks:

91: 1HE WHO [a]dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].

My declaration;

2. I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!

Jesus declares over you;

3 For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence 4 Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler. 5 You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. 8 Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked.9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, 10 There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent. 11 For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. 12 They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. 13 You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot.

The Father declares over you;

14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness--trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple. 5 For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock. 6 And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me; in His tent I will offer sacrifices and shouting of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. (Ps 27:4-6)



In His dust,

Lois

To Sing Praises to God

Psalms 145-150
I do love the Lord with all of my heart, all of my soul and all of my strength but some days it just seems too hard to find the words to give Him the praise He is so worthy of. On these days I turn to the Psalms, particularly Psalms 145 -150 I read them aloud, I sing them, at first it is still an effort but after just a few minutes my heart is full of praises for Him and it is no longer a struggle.
There is a spiritual law that words cannot take you somewhere they did not come from. These psalms however came straight from the heart of the Holy Spirit and He knows the heart of God and what pleases Him
1 Cor 2:9 But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [[e]who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed]. 10 Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the [f]divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man's scrutiny]. 11 For what person perceives (knows and understands) what passes through a man's thoughts except the man's own spirit within him? Just so no one discerns (comes to know and comprehend) the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the [Holy] Spirit Who is from God, [given to us] that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly] bestowed on us by God. 13 And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit].

So let’s praise the Lord with these Spirit breathed words you will find your spirit filled with the breath of God Himself.

In His dust,
Lois