GLOBAL AWARENESS 101 - Let your VOICE be heard and get involved. OUR future depends on it!
We can do the right thing to create positive change within ourselves and the world around us! I have created this blog with the intention of keeping you informed of news that is affecting humanity and nature throughout the world! There is no better time than the present to become a global participant and not just an innocent bystander. I have provided you with several websites to help empower yourself and a list of global organizations that you can choose from to make a difference.
The next time you feel like GOD can't use YOU, just remember....
written by Elder S.D. Ashe
* Noah was a drunk * Abraham was too old * Isaac was a daydreamer * Jacob was a liar * Leah was ugly * Joseph was abused * Moses had a stuttering problem * Gideon was afraid * Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer * Rahab was a prostitute * Jeremiah and Timothy were too young * David had an affair and was a murderer * Elijah was suicidal * Isaiah preached naked * Jonah ran from God * Naomi was a widow * Job went bankrupt * John the Baptist ate bugs * Peter denied Christ * The Disciples fell asleep while praying * Martha worried about everything * The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once * Zaccheus was too small * Paul was too religious * Timothy had an ulcer * Lazarus was dead!
Jesus Christ does not pick the qualified; He qualifies those He picks.
A great man of God once said that miracles pass us by every day.
Well, I’m here to say it’s time for that to stop!
It’s time for miracles to stop passing us by, and it’s time for them to start manifesting in our lives—in our homes, our families, our businesses and jobs, our churches and communities. It’s time for us to expect miracles all the time, to expect God to do the extraordinary...to overrule perverted nature.
In Judges 6:13, Gideon said it like this: “If the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of?”
That question is still valid today. In the Church, at large, people don’t see many miracles happening. And they certainly don’t see them happening in their normal, day-to-day living.
So, where are all the miracles? Do they really exist? Isn’t God willing to intervene in our lives anymore?
God Is Still God
Miracles don’t just happen, my brother and sister. In part, you and I have to make them happen. We have to activate them by cooperating with God. Only by our yielding to God can His Supernatural power manifest on our behalf and override the natural circumstances we face in this life.
Galatians 3:5 says, “He therefore that ministereth [or supplies] to you the (Holy) Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”
In other words, God, the One Who supplies us with His Spirit—or with Supernatural power—is still in the business of working miracles among us.
If you think about it, the word god itself means “one who must be worshiped as having supernatural abilities.” Take that a step further, and we find that the word supernatural means “that which goes beyond the law and power of nature.”
So we’re talking about the One Who must be worshiped as having abilities that go beyond the law and power of this natural world in which we live.
That’s why the Bible is full of scriptures such as Matthew 19:26 which say, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”
Luke 1:37—“For with God nothing shall be impossible.”
Mark 9:23—“All things are possible to him that believeth.”
Still, the majority of people in our world today choose to live by their own limited resources and go their own way rather than depend upon God and go His way.
For us as believers, however, the moment we became Christians we were called to live in the realm of “all things are possible.” We took a step from impossible with man (the natural realm) to possible with Almighty God (the supernatural realm).
Now, it’s wonderful that we took that step, but as we’re about to see, there are some things we must know, and continually remind ourselves of, if we are to walk further in that miraculous arena with God—and let Him be God in our lives.
Don’t Hold Your Peace!
You’ll recall we saw in Galatians 3:5 that God supplies us with His Spirit and works miracles among us. He does it by our faith in what He says. So, we do have a vital role in the miraculous.
To understand just how vital our part is, however, I want us to examine a miracle recorded in Luke 18. Let’s begin with verses 35-39:
And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
First, notice that the blind man was begging.
If we do not learn to yield to the power of God, Satan will have us begging through life—and, all the while, our Father has made every provision in heaven and earth so we shouldn’t have to beg a day in our lives.
Truthfully, I see this blind man as those Christians who do not know their covenant rights and, as a result, they have been placed in a beggarly position.
“Oh, God, won’t You please heal me?”
No, that’s not our position in the blood covenant. God, Himself, told us to put Him in remembrance of the covenant (Isaiah 43:26), and make a demand on His power. We have every right to be healed, every right to be prosperous, every right for our children to walk with the Lord—because we have a covenant!
Next, notice that when the blind man heard all the commotion of the crowd passing by he called out to find out what was happening.
What did the people tell him?
Jesus of Nazareth is passing by!
My friend, Jesus is passing by us every day. Moment by moment, He passes near us. In fact if you’re a Christian, He is in you right now. Still, if we want our miracle, we will have to take action. We will have to do our part.
In this case, the blind man started hollering.
Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!
Now, once this man started making his demand on Jesus, notice what the people around him did. Verse 39 says they rebuked him and told him to shut up.
Today, as then, organized religion tries to keep us from our miracles. I know, because it kept me from them. Religious traditions kept me from the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, healing, and so on. They may have kept me out of hell, but they also kept me from so much of heaven.
So, here we have a blind man who was able to see his miracle passing by, yet the religious people around him couldn’t. His natural eye couldn’t see a thing, but he saw clearly with the eyes of his spirit, with the eyes of revelation—and what he saw, the religious folks rebuked. But that didn’t stop him. He just cried out louder, and with more intensity.
When Faith Talks...
Now that we’ve seen the blind man’s part in this press toward a miracle, let’s examine God’s part. We find it in Luke 18:40-43.
And Jesus stood, and commanded [the blind man] to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.
In the middle of a noisy crowd, Jesus heard a distinct voice. It was the voice of faith. When He heard that voice, The Amplified Bible says He “stood still” (verse 40). He stopped.
Jesus hasn’t changed. He’s still the same (Hebrews 13:8). Any time He hears the voice of faith, He stops. When anyone speaks words of faith, it’s like calling Him to attention. He must stop, because He is under divine orders. The voice of faith places a demand on His power.
So once we make that demand on God’s power, and once Jesus stops...then notice what He does—verse 40 says, “Jesus stood, and commanded … ”
When we make a demand, God makes a command. He makes a command on our behalf. He releases supernatural power to change natural, perverted situations, and causes them to line up with what we are believing. His power submits to our faith.
You see, God has placed Himself in a situation where our faith controls Him, as well as all of His resources in heaven. You and I have the ability to move God and all of heaven at any given time—in the supermarket, in the car, in the house, in the yard, on the job.
So, on the road that day, Jesus could not go anywhere or do anything until He answered the voice of faith that cried out to Him.
Just Receive
After Jesus commanded the blind man be brought to Him, He asked the man, “What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?” Notice He didn’t say, “Let me see what I can do for you,” or “Sure, I want to help you, but let’s don’t get carried away.”
No, Jesus placed no limits on the man’s request. Actually, the limits were up to the blind man. So he told Jesus, “Lord, that I may receive my sight” (verse 41). With that, Jesus replied, “Receive thy sight; thy faith hath saved thee” (verse 42). Receive. All the man had to do was just receive.
Today, Christians lack a lot because they don’t receive—and that shouldn’t be.
As believers, we should have such a lifestyle of deliverance that people are constantly attracted to us. And why not? We have something that can stop Jesus, the Miracle Worker, at any time...and for any reason!
My brother and sister, Jesus stopped on His way to Jericho that day because He heard the voice of faith. That voice stopped Him in His tracks. He didn’t have to think about it or pray it. He had no choice. He had to respond. But the key was faith.
Jesus doesn’t just drop in with miracle-working power. As with anything, He must have a faith invitation. If He doesn’t, He will pass us by.
A lot of miracles have been getting away from us because, even though Jesus shows up, we let Him pass by. We don’t call out with the voice of faith necessary to stop Him.
So, stop Him! Don’t let Jesus pass you by! Speak words of faith—cry, shout, use greater intensity if you have to, but do it with the voice of faith!
And once Jesus stops, don’t back off. Don’t limit Him, or yourself! Go ahead and tell Him what you would have Him do for you. Then receive.
Yes, we serve a miracle-working God, and heaven has come down to us. But, your miracle is up to you. So, don’t let it pass you by. Stop Jesus!
Pastor Sean Pinder published Oct 16, 2016: DON'T GIVE UP YOU'RE ON THE BRINK OF A MIRACLE (Urgent Prophetic Word)
Have you noticed that every time you are about to get a breakthrough, there is always an obstacle to overcome? When you feel like giving up, it is a sign that you are real close to a breakthrough. You must take authority right now and declare that you are not giving up. Once you overcome the obstacle, the miracle will happen. Refuse to surrender. It is at this point that the Holy Ghost opens your spiritual eyes to unnoticed opportunities. You must not, you cannot, do not give up, because you’re on the brink of a miracle.
On the radio today, the Christian radio host spoke. The host said, “Remember, God is the potter and you are the clay. It isn’t up to us to worry about finishing His work.” This spoke to me. Self-criticism can be a problem for many of us.
I often try to “complete the product.” I analyze myself as I try to figure out what I will look like when God is finished with His process. Often, I even look at myself through my own eyes as a work not completed.
Self-Criticism
The view I have of myself is a negative one or at least neutral at best. God sent his son Jesus to die for me. Because Jesus died, his blood paid for my sins. Therefore, when I accept this forgiveness, God no longer sees me as a sinner. Instead, He views me through Christ’s righteousness.
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10
God sees me as His bride. I am someone He rejoices over!
“For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.” Isaiah 62:5
Not only does He rejoice over me, He sings over me!
“The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17
When we are followers of Christ, God doesn’t look at us as sinners.
“He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalms 103:10-12
I am an heir of God through Christ!
“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Galatians 4:6-7
He is preparing a mansion for me!
“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:2-3
He wants to give me the kingdom
“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32
God delights in me and sees me through the righteousness of His son. His still small voice reminded me it is not my job to critique His unfinished work (me). He will do a good work in me. I am not the master. I am only the clay. He is working out the imperfections. My job is to be someone He is able to mold by ensuring my heart is soft and pliable. I do not have the right to judge His unfinished work as good or bad.
I have spent my life looking over His shoulder as the master created His work in me. “Hmmm….I don’t think I am very good. I’m certainly not presentable to the master.”
Am I the Master or the Clay?
What God taught me today is:
“Who am I to critique?”
“Am I the master or the clay?”
“Does the clay get to determine how to create the finished product?” (Isaiah 29:16, Romans 9:20)
The answers are obvious. I can relax. My critique of myself is not needed or wanted from the Master. In fact, my criticism is often lies from the enemy. I do not want my kids telling themselves they are not good enough or believing they do not please me. (Because they do please me immensely!) In the same way, God does not take my view of myself into consideration when He decides whether or not my life pleases Him.
By accepting the forgiveness offered through Christ’s death, I am a new creation. The old me is gone and I am new. Therefore, God sees me as this new creation. He rejoices over me as His virgin bride. He sings over me and he is preparing me a mansion! Wow. Even as I write this, it amazes me. God would love me this much? He does. The scripture clearly teaches us God’s love for us is so overwhelmingly good.
One of the first steps I need to take to discover God’s will for my life is simply for me to understand God’s love for me. It is hard for me to remember I am the clay and I am not responsible for the quality of His finished work in me.
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” Philippians 1:6
(Scriptures above are quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.)
Additional scripture references:
“Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?” Isaiah 29:16 KJV
“Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?” Romans 9:20 KJV
The Lord said to me, "Go down to the potter's house, where I will give you my message." So I went there and saw the potter working at his wheel. Whenever a piece of pottery turned out imperfect, he would take the clay and make it into something else. Then the Lord said to me, "Don't I have the right to do with you people of Israel what the potter did with the clay? You are in my hands just like clay in the potter's hands. If at any time I say that I am going to uproot, break down, or destroy any nation or kingdom, but then that nation turns from its evil, I will not do what I said I would.
Jeremiah was called to be a prophet of God at an early age. He was a sensitive man who loved God and who loved his people but hated to speak God's word of judgement on his people. Regardless of his feelings the Word of God was like a fire in his heart and he could not hold it back.
The Old Testament prophets use some wonderful imagery to get across God's Word to his people. The Book of Jeremiah is no exception to this. Let’s try to imagine what is happening in our text today.
We aren’t told what Jeremiah was doing at the time God spoke to him but good chances are he is on his knees in prayer. He’s not the most popular guy in town because his preaching has upset so many people including the king. His message is blunt about the sin of the people and the judgement of God on their sin. Because of his unpopularity his bank account is meagre. So we find him in a simple, one roomed, dirt floor house, with a narrow cot in one corner of the room, a low table and a mat in the other. Even though he copped a fair bit of abuse and bad treatment from the locals as he delivered God's message, he was cut deeply when they rejected God's warning. He witnessed God's chosen people being led as captives from the ruins of Jerusalem.
As Jeremiah was praying, he felt a finger poking him in the shoulder. "Jeremiah, Jeremiah, listen to me carefully. I've got a job for you... Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you a message. Off your knees, Jeremiah, get going".
And so Jeremiah heads off down the street to the potter’s workshop. I’m sure the potter must have wondered what Jeremiah was doing in his workshop. He knows who Jeremiah is and the reputation he has. But business is business. He knows Jeremiah doesn’t have much money but there’s no harm in letting him watch as he made another pot. Who knows? Maybe others will come in and buy something.
He sits at his potter’s wheel and takes a lump of clay. He works the clay to get rid of any lumps and unwanted bits. He plonks it on the wheel as the wheel goes round and round the pot takes shape. The scraps are thrown into a bucket. But as the pot takes shape something goes wrong. The pot collapses.
The potter is faced with two choices - to curse and swear at this unruly lump of clay, or to mash it down and start all over again. This sort of thing was a part of a normal day’s work so he squashed the clay down and remoulded it into a fine pot for the kiln. The extra pieces in the scrap bucket are not garbage to be thrown away. They are mixed together and put on the wheel to make another pot.
Nothing is ultimately a failure, nothing is wasted.
Jesus used parables/stories to get across to his listeners important truths they needed to know about God and his kingdom. Here Jeremiah witnesses a parable that explained to him God’s attitude toward his people. The message of this parable is as much for us as it was for Israel in the time of Jeremiah.
God is a master craftsman when it comes to making people. In God’s hand common clay can be transformed into something truly remarkable.
Even though God is a master craftsman the task of moulding humanity is a particularly difficult one. In moulding humanity God has granted the clay free will. Think about it? Think about making a pot from clay that has a will of its own! In the hands of the inexperienced potter it might seem that clay does have a will of its own but that is just an allusion. Clay in the hands of God, the master craftsman, is given a will of its own. God wants us to become beautiful and useful vessels, not to carry water or hold food, but to carry the good news of his love, forgiveness, care and purpose for humanity. He gives his creation a will that is designed to do just that.
Sometimes things go wrong.
sometimes it is those around us and worldly attitudes that mould us into shapes that are not the shape God wants us to be,
sometimes it is because of a conscious choice we have made and we refuse to allow God to mould us,
sometimes it is because events and disasters in our lives have overwhelmed us and we no longer feel the hands of God around us,
sometimes it is because we have lost our way as disciples of Christ and no longer believe that Jesus has a total claim on our lives and that loyalty to him takes priority over everything else as we heard in the Gospel reading today.
However, regardless of the reason we go astray, God is always there wishing to reshape and remake and renew us; to make us into the beautiful people he intended us to be.
Sometimes the only thing God can do is to break the clay down into a lump and start again.
This is what Jeremiah warned his people about.
Because of their willfulness and greediness, because of their arrogance and tolerance of injustice and idolatry, God would need to break them down; otherwise they would never reach their potential as his chosen people. God would demolish them, not to throw them on the rubbish heap but to start once more from the beginning.
It is okay to be broken down by God.
It’s not a comfortable experience, even in such loving hands. It had to happen to Israel as a nation and it happens to many of us as individuals. We do need to be broken down by God, and to let the master start again remoulding us.
God does this through speaking his clear Word to us that defines what kind of people we ought to be. It could be an application of the Ten Commandments or Jesus’ radical interpretation of God's will for our lives that brings to our attention our brokenness in our relationship with God and the people in our lives.
It could be that our hearts have been hardened by a lack of forgiveness. God smashes us down with "Lord, if my brother keeps on sinning against me, how many times do I have to forgive him? Seven times?" "No, not seven times, but seventy times seven". These words remind us how stingy we have been with our forgiveness and let self-righteousness and indignation dictate how we treat those who have offended us.
Or maybe our speech has been anything but kind and caring and God smashes us down with "Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed" (Eph 4:29).
Or it could be that we have let other things or people or activities come between us and our worship of our God and Saviour or we have let our loyalty and commitment to Jesus be compromised and God smashes us down with the words we heard in the Gospel reading, "None of you can be my disciple unless you give up everything you have" (Luke 14:33) or with the words of biblical command to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind.
Or maybe we have become self-centred and selfish and refuse to offer help to those in need. We hear God smash us down with "Help carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will obey the law of Christ" (Gal 6:2).
Like the wobbly pot on the potter’s wheel we are imperfect and not the beautiful creation the potter intends us to be. Our flaws are clear, our blemishes are exposed, our weaknesses and defects are laid bare by the Word of the Lord. It’s clear that the potter needs to start again.
This starting again begins with trusting in God and turning to him in repentance. Repentance is a painful business. It strikes not just at our comfort but at our pride. It is admitting that what we have made of ourselves is not good enough. It is letting go of the familiar, the distorted shape of our lives, and going back into almost obscurity (like a shapeless lump of clay). It is becoming a nobody that we might, by the mercy of God, become really somebody - a somebody who is made a joint heir with Jesus Christ – a somebody who in God's eyes is about as perfect as anyone can be because of the blood of Jesus.
Our repentance is really a work of the potter as he begins to reshape us and mould us into something beautiful and new and perfect. It’s not just a matter of patching up the old pot and trying to make it good enough to sell but it’s a matter of smashing down the clay and with careful strong fingers God takes our rough clay and makes something new.
Our God is an incredibly patient potter. I would imagine that if any of us were to have a go at making a clay pot and the clay didn’t do what we expected it to do or because it was too wet or too dry or too crumbly we would lose patience, throw the whole lot in the garbage and get a fresh lot that might be more successful at being what we intend it to be.
Our God is not a throw away God but one who seeks to redeem that which has gone badly wrong. God does not give up on us but tragically, some people use their free will to give up on God. God does not discard them, they discard God. They choose a misshapen existence. They prefer to be anything but perfect (like the people to whom Jeremiah was sent). Our God is our Saviour who is always willing to start again and again as many times as necessary and gladly makes us into perfect pots.
This message of the potter and of the clay is a beautiful message because it tells us that we always have another chance;
that when we have failed; 👈
that when we have lost the beauty that we should have; 👈
that when we have gone off on a path that is not helpful; 👈
that when we have become discouraged and dejected; 👈
that God can rework us; 💖
that God can salvage us, and make us beautiful; 💖
and that it is God's purpose to do so. 💖
In fact, so intense is God in his plan to remould and remake us that he sent Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to renew, remould and remake us. He forgives our weaknesses and flaws. In Jesus Christ he even takes on the form of a lump of clay and becomes one with us and makes it possible for us to repent, to turn around, to be remade into what God intended us to be. It is the Holy Spirit who awakens in us the need to be remade and remoulded and leads us to look to Jesus Christ (Yahshua ha-Mashiach) as the only one who can do it.
No matter what our age may be, or what the cause of our variety of ugliness might be, God wants to save us. God is a not a throw away God, but a God full of grace, a redeeming God, a God of love and power. ❤
ShareFaith published Feb 20, 2018: Potter's Hand: The Potter And The Clay - Jeremiah 18. When we face trials and challenges in our lives, holding on to the truth that God has a plan for our lives is what sees us through to the other side. Based on the book of Jeremiah, this mini movie shows a potter carefully molding and shaping clay into a gorgeous vase as depiction of how God the Father is the potter, and we are the clay as He molds our lives to align with His perfect plan!
I added the video and picture above to the message below.
Summary: We are a creation of God for a specific purpose.
God Is The Potter We Are The Clay
Isaiah 64:8 (King James Version)
8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
1. We are a creation of God designed for a specific purpose.
Jeremiah 1:5 (King James Version)
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations
Many people today are searching for the meaning of their life .
We are created for God’s plan.
2. Jeremiah 18:1-6 (King James Version)
Jeremiah 18
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
2 Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
4 And 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 to make it.
5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
In the days of Jeremiah all pottery was for some specific use. The clay was shaped and formed into vessels . All vessels were not alike. Each vessel was unique in some way and were designed according to need. Each vessel was important . No vessels were created that were not useful or needed.
Today each one of us is created to serve God. We are all unique in some way. We are all needed and important to God.
A potter is patient . Sometimes the vessel becomes marred. The potter reshapes it again and again and works out the marred places in the vessel. The clay is never thrown away by the potter.
God loves us and never throws us away.
No matter how bad we are marred we still have the opportunity with God to be what he created us to be. As long as breath is within our body we can allow Jesus Christ to form us and shape us into his will.
3. The clay is totally submitted to the potter. Completely at the will of the potter.
Jesus even prayed to God the father the following in Luke 22:42:
nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
We are all clay.
I submit to you today that no one is their own potter.
We have an enemy who desires to see us marred.
We live in a world where circumstance and situations tend to creep in and determine our direction.
God was telling Jeremiah that Israel could have a new beginning if they would submit to him and obey his word and will.
We too this morning can have a new beginning in Jesus Christ.
We will close this morning with three scriptures that we need to remind ourselves daily .
Romans 8:38-39 (King James Version)
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (King James Version)
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
"How priceless is Your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge under the shadow of Your wings!" Psalm 36:7
Some of the most expressive illustrations of the divine love and care employed in the Bible, are taken from the ways of birds. For example, this beautiful figure of a bird sheltering her young under her wings, runs through all the Scriptures, as a picture of God's sheltering love.
We find it often. Boaz welcomed Ruth from her heathen home to the land of Israel, "The Lord recompense your work, and a full reward be given you of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you are come to trust." In one of the Psalms we find the words, "My soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed." In another Psalm is the prayer, "Hide me under the shadow of your wings, from the wicked that oppress me." In still another Psalm is this word of confidence, "He shall cover you with his feathers, and under his wings shall you trust." Then, in the New Testament, our Lord gives the picture yet added beauty and sweeter and more sacred meaning, by His wonderful adaptation of it to Himself. Addressing those who had resisted His love, He said, with a great pain at His heart," O Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . . how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings!"
Thus the image is a favorite one in the Bible. Here it is expressed in words of great beauty: "How priceless is Your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge under the shadow of Your wings!" While a picture of a bird sheltering her young beneath her wings is before us, let us think of the wings of God and what is beneath them.
They are wings of mercy. "How priceless is Your unfailing love!" This is mercy—kindness to the undeserving. Under God's wings is a place for penitent sinners. If it were a place only for good people, sinless people—it would have little comfort for us. The angels might go in there—but we could not. But it is a place for sinners.
When you look closely, you see that the wings of God are stained with blood. Some birds, when defending their young, put their own bodies between them and the danger, themselves receiving the stroke that was meant to destroy their offspring. Open your Bible and you find that Jesus has been wounded. Up there, amid the bright glory of heaven, He appears as One that has been slain. Look at His hands, those hands that always were so gentle—and there are great wounds upon them! Look at His feet, those sacred feet that bore Him on so many errands of love, that the penitent woman kissed and wetted with her tears, and there are wound-prints in them! Look at His side, over His heart, that heart which throbbed with so much tenderness and love and compassion; and there you see a spear-wound! You ask how Jesus received these five wounds, and you are pointed to the answer, "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities . . . with His stripes we are healed." Then you understand it. Jesus interposed His own blessed body to receive the woundings that would have fallen upon us. That is the meaning of the blood upon the wings of God. The wounds were received in saving us. Beneath these wings is mercy, because LOVE has suffered for us!
The wings of God are wide-spreading. You have seen a hen stretch out her wings to cover her brood; yet hers are not broad wings. They can shelter only her own little family. God's wings are infinitely broader. For six thousand years they have been gathering human souls under their blessed shelter—and yet there is room!
In Malachi, there is a wonderful word which speaks of the coming Messiah as a Sun, the Sun of Righteousness, whose spreading beams are likened to wings, under which there is healing. Think how widely the sun's radiant beams reach, when that orb is in the zenith. God's wings spread over every spot on earth, in which is a penitent soul. We know how the invitations ring out to the weary, the sinful, the lost. The God of the Bible—is the God of the sinning and the sorrowing and of those who have failed and fallen. His love is as wide as the human race—and as free as the sunshine. No sinner has fallen so low—but that the wings of God can reach out over him. There is room beneath these wings for all classes—for the happy children, for the strong young people, for the feeble old people.
Sometimes there seems to be no place on earth for the aged. They cannot keep pace any more with the hurrying ranks, and drop behind. Sometimes even the children, whom they sheltered in infancy, for whom they toiled, suffered, and sacrificed; appear to forget to keep a warm nest for their parents in their old age. But there is one place where aged Christians are never in the way. There is one home from whose door they are never turned away. There is room under the wings of God for the aged. God's voice is heard saying: "I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you!" How many dear aged people, has God folded to sleep as gently as ever a mother folded her babe to her bosom!
So there is room for all—the wise man and the ignorant, the strong and the weak, the healthy and the trembling invalid, life's victors and the defeated, the pure and gentle and innocent, and the worst sinners. These wings of God are wide-spreading.
God's wings are gentle. The warmest nests in this world, are those which human love prepares for its dear ones. We know how the mothers tuck their babes away in their little cribs, with pillow of down and soft blankets. We know how warm and gentle a place every true and happy home is for children to rest in and grow up in. We know what tenderness a noble, manly husband prepares for the wife he loves and takes into the shelter of his strength. We know what tenderness many a friendship makes for the life that it enfolds, throwing about it life's fondest gentleness, blessing it with all delicate thoughtfulness and attentive ministry, and sheltering it from life's rude storms and harsh contacts.
We all long for tenderness. To live without it—is dreary indeed. It is a blessed thing that it comes to us in so many sweet ways in life. But the love of God is gentler than the fondest human gentleness. Have you ever thought how suggestive of tenderness, warmth, and softness—the wings of a bird are? There is something almost human in the way the mother-bird cares for her young. What is softer than the downy feathers she spreads over them?
Some birds build their nests on a rock. Underneath it is bare, cold, and hard. But what do the young birds care, so long as over them they feel the warm covering of the mother-bird's feathers? Some of God's children find the earthly nest under them bare and cold. They have to endure the experiences of poverty. Their lot has in it many hardships. They have trials. At times afflictions are their portion. Not all have human love's tenderness about them.
Not every heart's nest in this world—is lined with down. There are homes that are not gentle. There are lives with fine feelings and sensibilities, which move as amid briars and thorns and are hurt every day! There are many whose relations with others are not of the kind to give comfort. There are children who do not know what the refinements of gentle home-love are. There are hearts that are hurt by ingratitude, by coldness, by rudeness, by incessant unkindness, by unfaithfulness, by betrayal, by wrong and injustice. But the gentleness of God is over all who will nestle beneath it—and it never fails, never lacks in tenderness.
What a warm place this is—to which to flee in time of sorrow! Some of us do not yet understand this. We cannot see the stars—until the sun goes down and night comes. We cannot know the marvelous tenderness of God, while yet we are surrounded and overshadowed and blessed by rich and unbroken human tenderness. There are many things about the love of God—which we cannot learn until we lose earth's good things.
Again and again people say in their times of bereavement and sore trial: "I cannot understand the experience I am having. I felt as the sorrow approached, that I could not possibly endure it, that my heart would break. But when it came, there seemed to be something enfolding me, so that I was not crushed—but could even sing in my grief and loss." A friend wrote once, when he was watching beside his brother's deathbed, that he was learning not so much the meaning of sorrow—as he was learning the meaning of God's comfort. Some of us understand this from our own experience. As we entered the valley of grief, and the darkness deepened about us—we felt a Presence we could not see; the darkness seemed to be struck through with a soft, heavenly light. There was something we could not describe, which strangely comforted us, keeping us calm and quiet.
We call sorrow a shadow, and we talk about it falling upon us, and deepening, until sometimes all the light of earth is obscured. But it is the shadow of God's wings. What seems darkness—is only the darkening of earth's dim lights, that heaven's light may shine about us. Sorrow, for a Christian, is not God's withdrawal; it is His nearer coming. We shall never know how warm and soft a place there is beneath the wings of love—until we creep there out of earth's nights and blasts of storm.
In this world we nestle only, as it were, under the outer edge of this broad shadow. We do not, therefore, experience the fullness, the best, the blessedness which lies up nearer the divine heart. Then, what we call dying is, for a Christian—only going in deeper beneath these wings. God's grace is very sweet, even on the earth—but heaven is far better.
There is a great comfort for us in this lesson, when we stand by the bedside of our believing friends and watch them pass into the shadow which we call death. It is painful for us to have them go out of our arms—into the strange mystery. Yet they only nestled up closer up under God's wings! That is the true meaning of dying.
Notice what this Psalm tells us is under these wings of God. There are four things.
Satisfaction is the first. "They shall be abundantly satisfied!"
Joy is the second. "You give them drink from your river of delights."
Life, larger, fuller life, is the third. "With you is the fountain of life."
Light is the fourth. "In your light—we shall see light."
These four great blessings are found beneath the wings of God—satisfaction, joy, life, light.
When we are dwelling beneath the wings of God, and under these wings have such marvelous blessings—why should we ever be afraid? Why should we dread to see our Christian friends pass out of this life! To depart and be with Christ—is very far better!
God's wings are also wings of refuge. "How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings!" When the storm comes, the mother-bird gathers her young beneath her wings and shelters them, bearing herself the pelting of the hail—but keeping them safe and warm. So Christ gathers His people beneath the wings of His love—when the tempest breaks upon them.
"What tempest? From what do we need a refuge?" Does anyone ask the question! Have you never felt the need of a refuge for your own life? Have you never felt yourself driven by fears, by dangers, by alarms, by the wild tempests of sorrow or of doubt—needing some refuge, some secure place to hide, where you would be safe from the angry strifes?
In all such times and experiences, there is a refuge beneath the wings of God! There is a refuge there, because it is mercy's place. Under the wings of the cherubim, was the mercy seat. We have sinned. We need atonement. Those who flee beneath God's wings, beneath the outstretched arms of the cross—have nothing to fear from their sins. They are forgiven. "There is now no condemnation."
But this is not the only sense in which the wings of God give a refuge to men. You know the restful feeling that steals over one when after a day out in the world, amid its strifes, cares, and competitions, its babble of tongues, its insincerities, its disappointments; he enters his own sweet and happy home and shuts his door. Home is a refuge to his heart. He finds love there, sincerity, no enmity, no competition, no sharp dealing. God is home to the human soul that trusts in Him, "Lord, you have been our dwelling-place from all generations!"
There is a sense in which a noble, true, and faithful human life—is a refuge to many others. But the best human refuges are only frail and temporary. You turn some day for shelter—and find your friend dead. Then when the shock comes, the temptation, the sorrow, the fear, the danger—-and you want to fly to him, he is not there, and you are left to fall. Human refuges are well in their place, as gifts of God, as shelters for an hour; but you need to have the Rock of Ages for your refuge! Then you will never find your hiding place removed, when you need to flee into it. In any hour you can creep into that shelter, and sing:
God doesn’t want you to hold onto the past but rather He wants you to move forward in your future. Your human nature will make you focus on all your shortcomings and mistakes. But God’s will is that you would forget your mess-ups and push forward to what He has in store for your future. Even if your life was a real mess right now that doesn’t really matter. What’s important is not so much how you started but rather how you finish the race. “…forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead” Phil 3:13
2. God wants generations to be positively affected through you
There are purposes that your parents may have missed in their life and God has graciously passed them onto you so that the blessings contained in those purposes would work for you. “The counsel of the Lord stands forever. The plans of His heart to all generations.” Psalm 33:11 There are even gifts that God passes down through generations that can work for you “I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother” 2 Tim 1:5
3. God wants you to know and understand Him
God doesn’t just want you to wonder about Him. He wants you to know and understand Him. “…let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:24 The more you get to know God, the more you will put your trust in Him. You get to know God by seeking Him in prayer and action and putting His word and commands to the test.
4. God wants you to live life to the full
Jesus came so that you could live a life free from shame and regret and walk empowered by His wisdom, principles and God’s Spirit. “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 It’s almost a really simple equation if not for the deception of Satan. Listen to Jesus and everything will be ok! God wants us to enjoy life. “…who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” 1 Timothy 6:17
5. God wants you to know that He is on your side
When you genuinely go to God for assistance and help He will truly be on your side to help. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 6:14 The Father is a God of love and mercy and would much rather pour His grace on your life rather than get angry. God is a patient, loving, caring and compassionate God. He wants the best for you and is daily trying to get your attention through creation, through people and in circumstances. ”The heavens declare the glory of God. The skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.” Psalm 19:1-2
6. God wants you to have a future of peace and prosperity
God’s thoughts towards you are that of peace and not of evil. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 When God gives you instructions and commands for your life it’s not to hurt you but to prosper you. Always ask yourself “This thing I believe God wants from me, what could be the possibilities for the future?”
7. God wants your body and mind to be in good health
Does God want you to be in good health and have a sound mind? You bet He does. He also wants you to prosper in ALL things. That means your endeavours in life and your relationships. That includes your finances and your career. God loves you. “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”3 John 1-2
God bless and protect
Chidi
Quote of the week:
“May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose.” - Psalm 20:14
This documentary looks deeper into the evidence of an organized pedophilia ring in DC which came to light during the Obama admin.
These networks have been in existence prior to this, still continue to this day. 27 minute video worth watching. It will help you understand how the children are trafficked worldwide without getting caught.😢🚨
WARNING: GRAPHIC SUBJECT MATTER Harrowing stories of sexual abuse are among some of what Oscar Escamilla, a U.S. Border Patrol official, says ‘hit hard’ as he details what some of the unaccompanied migrant children at the U.S.-Mexico border have told him https://t.co/aLb7eV7Crzpic.twitter.com/QZg0Eo27Zw
Oh #Wayfair confirmed the conspiracy theories are untrue? Snopes debunked it too? Well good enough for me. Case closed. Back to selling throw pillows with names of missing children for 10k. Business as usual.
Bhad Bhabie published March 19, 2021: Breaking Code Silence - Turn About Ranch abuse Dr. Phil | Danielle Bregoli
SL04N published March 4, 2021: Breaking Code Silence is all about calling out the Troubled Teen Industry. Today we are exploring Dr. Phil's connection to this industry and its damaging effects.
Out Of Shadows has been removed from YouTube. The content is being censored heavily. Find out why by watching it.
Help spread the truth by downloading this video off of website and reposting it, share it on social media.
Mouthy Buddha's PedoGate 2020 Documentary.
This documentary looks deeper into the evidence of an organized pedophilia ring in DC which came to light during the Obama admin.
These networks have been in existence prior to this, still continue to this day. 27 minute video.
The Fall of The Cabal part 5: Children, Art, and Pizza
You need to see for yourself with your own eyes. 19 minute video.
Once you see this, you can't unsee it.
Hillary/Huma FBI files
Almost as if they wanted it to happen. Facebook completely scrubbed his account to censored evidence. Like Hillary Clinton smashing her cell phones, deleted 33,000 subpoenaed emails, bleachbit her server.
[John Brennan at] the CIA wrote a highly classified three-page memo to FBI Director James Comey and Agent Peter Strzok telling them candidate Hillary Clinton had approved a plan to blame Russian computer-hacking on Donald Trump. https://t.co/o8rCTCYJay
FBI agents also went out of their way to harass the US postal workers and truck driver whistleblower's who came forward about massive election fraud committed by USPS at management direction. USPS endorsed Joe Biden.
How about FBI using manpower to help Lady Gaga find her kidnapped dogs?
— Global Awareness 101 (@Mononoke__Hime) April 2, 2021
Michael Aquino, satanic pedophile involved in ritual abuse sacrifices, heads the NSA. He was an army general, his specialty was mind control. He worked for MK Ultra and other mind control operations.
800 victims came forward from 8 states. FBI shutdown all investigations. This is not a theory. It's real. 9 minute video.
Doug Millar has been an investigator for 21 years for violent crimes against children in 20 states. 36 minute video.
He discusses Satanic ritual abuse, Satanic child sex slaves, Michael Aquino, mind control etc, and in this interview with Trevor Coppola tells some of his findings.
Police in San Francisco raided Michael Aquino's home with search warrant in 1987 and found homes videos of Aquino torturing and murdering children. SF police had all the evidence against him but because he is a CIA officer they couldn't arrest him. They had to notify the FBI. Then the FBI came in and told the SF Chief of police destroy all records on Aquino because this involves national security.
John Sullivan's Adapoted father is retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Kevin J. Sullivan.
So Olympic hopeful and actor who starred in TV commercials goes from a conservative family to a radical left-wing extremist in just months?
The man in charge of the Capitol police in this scene at 40 secs 👇 tells this Antifa actor they bused in, "I'm just like you. I'm one of you." They all hate Trump and all hate American Patriots because... Trump was raining on their pedo haven. These are not Trump supporters. They are paid Antifa actors dressed up to look and act like Trump supporters. This was a set-up. (emphasis mine)
A play on 4 acts : Act I : Infiltration :
watch as a “crazy” guy appears from behind the secure part of the Capitol from behind police lines : Inserted pic.twitter.com/cZ1Rv76Z14
— ⏳ Prof. Zhuang Zhou’s Crooked Yet SteadFast Tree (@politicalwilli) January 12, 2021
In this thread here I show how the FBI just put out the wanted posted 4 hours ago and FAKED the date to show it was released 7 days ago. https://t.co/X0gjwBaFeP
📺Watch: Jade Sacker, currently working for CNN & previously NBC and NPR, says “We did it!” after storming the capitol with Antifa Provocateur John Sullivan.
She then asks if he was filming. He says he'll delete it but lied. CNN is now a co-conspirator.pic.twitter.com/OKlrKgAM8u
CNN apparently has paid travel expenses for domestic terrorist and far-left Antifa / Black Lives Matter violent rioter John Sullivan to engage in protests.
REPORT: The @nytimes Has Now Confirmed A Story First Reported By @OANN That The Barricades Around The Capitol Building Were First Breached 20+ Minutes BEFORE President Trump Finished His Speech.
Antifa wearing a military grade gas mask and wearing a nipple helmet.
This was staged by BLM Antifa Resistance paramilitary wing for the Communist Democrat party to frame President Trump and his supporters who love America.
I love to travel and get away from it all whether it's 1st class, 2nd class or 3rd class makes no difference to me. I simply love to visit new places and meet new people. I really enjoy extreme sports. I started blogging 13 years ago and love to be able to express and share thoughts with others.
Most recently a Mortgage Professional prior to implosion. Earned a living in my previous career as an Institutional Equity Trader (sell side). I have a bachelor's degree in finance with special emphasis in economics.
❤ May my heart be kind, my mind fierce and my spirit brave. ❤
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