Uncategorized – Page 115

How to hear God’s voice, without static

Posted on May 17, 2012May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

I was trundling down the driveway to head out for work this morning and on my Christian radio station was Bach’s Gloria in excelsis Deo. I had to stop at the bottom to let a car go by. The instant I stopped, the music changed from the Christian station to a jazz song.

As I pulled forward to go again the song instantly changed back to Gloria.

I laughed, and got to thinking of how it worked that as long as I was moving I was tuned in perfectly to the Godly frequency. It was only when I’d stopped that the worldly song came in. When we keep moving, we stay on God’s frequency. (Romans 6:4; Eph 4:17; 1 Corinthians 9:24; 2 Timothy 4:7)

It’s funny how there are so many radio stations and yet all of them have their own frequency. It’s rare for one to dominate the other suddenly, it is only when we stop in a dead zone or we go out of range that the signals get crossed. When that happens we hear static, and the message gets lost.

It is exactly like that in our walk with God. When we stop our walk with Him, the world encroaches. When we linger in a dead zone (sin) then the world takes over. All radio signals have their own frequency, and so does God.

The apostasy that is rising so quickly is partly due to the Christians who stop tuning in to God’s channel and seek him on a different one. It is pointless to listen to a jazz station and expect to hear “Are You Washed in the Blood?” You can listen until you’re blue in the face but that song will never come on that station.

Christians of late have been trying to find God on a frequency where He doesn’t broadcast. Bill Hybels is on the whispering station but God is not there. Jesse Duplantis been looking for Him on the visions station but he is not there. Beth Moore has been looking for Him on the contemplative prayer station from the pit but He is not there. Henry Blackaby has been tuning into the experiential station but God is not there. God broadcasts strongly on one station and one station only.

THE BIBLE CHANNEL.

Chris Rosebrough wrote about where to find God’s broadcast 100% of the time, with certainty. His essay, “How to Hear God’s Voice 100% of the Time” is wonderful. He wrote in part:

“Are you struggling to figure out if those whispers that your pastor has told you to listen for are really God’s voice or a case of gastrointestinal hallucinations caused by a bad batch of pepperoni pizza?”

“Are you tired of going through the whole rigmarole of filtering those voices in your head through a six point ‘discernment grid’ to try to ascertain if that’s the Holy Spirit speaking to you or proof that you need to make an appointment with a shrink?”

“Have you read and reread Blackaby and still haven’t got the foggiest notion as to how to tell where God is working in the world so that you can join Him?”

“If you’ve answered yes to one or all of these questions then I’ve got great news for you! I have discovered a simple and sure fire way for you to hear God’s voice. The best part is that its 100% guaranteed and totally Biblical. Here it is.”

Click on the link to read more. It is an excellent essay! Needless to say, God broadcasts on the BIBLE CHANNEL 100% of the time. If you read it, study it, pray about it, let the Spirit lead you into truth, your signals will never get crossed!!

image source

Uncategorized

I don’t have to go to church. I can worship anywhere…

Posted on May 13, 2012 by elizabethprata

On the 9Marks blog, Jonathan Leeman write a piece called What is Church Membership? In part, he wrote,

“Church membership is a formal relationship between a local church and a Christian characterized by the church’s affirmation and oversight of a Christian’s discipleship and the Christian’s submission to living out his or her discipleship in the care of the church. Notice that several elements are present: a church body formally affirms an individual’s profession of faith and baptism as credible; it promises to give oversight to that individual’s discipleship; the individual formally submits his or her discipleship to the service and authority of this body and its leaders. The church body says to the individual, “We recognize your profession of faith, baptism, and discipleship to Christ as valid. Therefore, we publicly affirm and acknowledge you before the nations as belonging to Christ, and we extend the oversight of our fellowship.” Principally, the individual says to the church body, “Insofar as I recognize you as a faithful, gospel-declaring church, I submit my presence and my discipleship to your love and oversight.”

Consequently, failure to regularly attend is a rejection of the above. To all those Christians who say “I can worship in the forest, or anywhere…” To all those Christians who say, “I don’t feel led to staying at one church, but will share myself with one and all by hopping around…” To all those Christians who say, “I don’t need a church, Jesus loves me anyway…”

I say HOGWASH.

What you are really saying is… “I refuse to submit to accountability of the brethren in one corporate body.” You’re actually saying, “I reject oversight of my brothers and sisters.” The fact is, you’re telling Jesus “I selfishly refuse to employ the spiritual gifts You gave me for the edification and encouragement of the body.”

How will iron sharpen iron if one part of the process is sitting at home on Sundays? How can you know what your pastor needs in body and in prayer if you don’t see him week after week? How will you encourage others if you’re off in a forest somewhere (like a Druid)?

You need church. Your church brothers and sisters need you. Because we’re all one body, when one part is missing (and all parts are vital to the health of the organism) we feel the loss of you.

Jesus deserves to be celebrated and worshiped in the way HE designed it. He loves the church. (Ephesians 5:25). He gave His blood for it. (Acts 20:28). He gave us pastors for it (Jeremiah 3:15).

Now I understand that technically, the church is each individual believer, we all make up the church as one body with Christ as the Head. But Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us not to give up meeting together. So your attendance is not respectfully requested, but is demanded by the One who died so you could thank Him with the others who make up this great entity we call the BRIDE OF CHRIST. You’d show up on your wedding day, wouldn’t you? So show up on Sundays and celebrate your Groom.

jerusalem, muslim brotherhood, Uncategorized

Egypt Islamist vows global caliphate in Jerusalem

Posted on May 8, 2012May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

From the JPost last night:
“The capital of the United States of the Arabs will be Jerusalem,” preacher tells thousands at Brotherhood rally.

“Egypt’s Islamists aim to install a global Islamic caliphate with its capital in Jerusalem, a radical Muslim preacher told thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters in a clip released Monday. “We can see how the dream of the Islamic caliphate is being realized, God willing, by Dr. Mohamed Mursi,” Safwat Higazi told thousands of Brotherhood supporters at a Cairo soccer stadium as Mursi – the movement’s presidential candidate – and other Brotherhood officials nodded in agreement. The capital of the caliphate – the capital of the United States of the Arabs – will be Jerusalem, God willing,” Higazi said. “Our capital shall not be in Cairo, Mecca or Medina,” he said, before leading the crowd in chants of “Millions of martyrs march toward Jerusalem.” Higazi is an unaffiliated Islamist who is barred from the United Kingdom for making statements endorsing terror attacks against Israelis. The clip, from Egypt’s Islamist-oriented Al-Nas television station, was aired last week and uploaded to YouTube on Monday by the Middle East Media Research Institute.”

(Left, Safwat Higazi, source). Why, oh why do they come against Jerusalem? Why not London or New York or LA or Adelaide or Hong Kong? Why Jerusalem? Well, there is a reason.

“and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24).

So the next question is, “What are the times of the Gentiles? It’s a period of time from 586 B.C. when Israel first went into captivity, until the end of the Tribulation when Christ comes to establish His Kingdom. Through this whole time they have been, to one degree or another, under the attack, the oppression, the influence of Gentiles. But the times of the Gentiles will end. It didn’t end in 70 A.D., so this can’t refer to that. It didn’t end in 160’s, so this can’t refer to that. The end of the times of the Gentiles is concurrent with the day’s vengeance of God, when all things will be finally fulfilled. This is the future of the world.” (Source)

And again, we read in Revelation the Holy City will be trampled upon:
“But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.” (Revelation 11:2).

Photo source- “Folio 26v of the Bamberg Apocalypse”

And again the prophecy of Jerusalem:

“The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, said the LORD, which stretches forth the heavens, and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling to all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. (Zechariah 12:1-3).

Notice verse 1 of the Zechariah prophecy. It opens with a reminder that the One creating the prophecy is LORD, and additionally, there is a reminder that He is sovereign. He stretches the heavens, He laid the foundation of the earth, He formed spirit of man within Him. ONLY the LORD can do that. It is His will, His sovereign will, that Jerusalem become a cup of trembling to all the people and a burdensome stone.

Now here is how it will go, and how it has gone:

“The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.” (Rev 12:4b-6)

“When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. (Revelation 12:13-17).

When satan caught on to Jesus’ plan, satan tried to kill the babe. God instead warned Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt, and while they fled, Herod killed all the boy babies under the age of two. Jesus grew up and ascended into heaven upon His resurrection.

Romans burning Jerusalem, ALEXANDER Master Date: C. 1430

Jesus warned the Jews to flee when they see the antichrist desecrate the Temple during the Tribulation. (Matthew 24:15-20). That is because satan has just been finally kicked out of heaven as per the Revelation verse above, and he pursues Israel (the woman who had given birth to the male child). He persecutes Israel but a remnant escapes and hides at Petra. Frustrated he can’t get at them, satan then turns to pursuing the woman’s children, the Christians, and makes war with them. (We are adopted sons, AKA ‘the woman’s children’ Ephesians 1:5).

Thwarting Jesus’s plans is the center of satan’s plans. Coming after the Israeli people, GOD’S people, and their children is priority #1. Because satan knows he has but a little time, he ramps up the warfare. (Revelation 12:12).

This is God’s sovereign plan. He decided to show Himself Holy through the city’s protection in Ezekiel 38-39, and though He allows the Holy City to be trampled on, though it has been a city of bloodshed and its darkest days are ahead, the city will never be destroyed.

“Then the LORD your God will come, and all the holy ones with him. On that day there shall be neither cold nor frost. And there shall be continuous day (it is known to the LORD), not day and not night, for at evening time there shall be light. On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea; it shall continue in summer as in winter. And the LORD will become king over all the earth; on that day the LORD will be one and his name one. The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft upon its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses.” (Zechariah 14:2-10).

The Muslim priest can spout off all he wants about Jerusalem! We know the end of the story! Though trampled on now, though it will be burdened and occupied by the antichrist, the city is holy and soon we will see reigning from it the LORD Himself, in person, who will be one and His name one! Maranatha!

gog and magog, NATO, prophecy, russia, Uncategorized

Russia threatens pre-emptive strike, yet we plan wargames with them on our soil

Posted on May 4, 2012May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

I’m not catching the military or diplomatic benefit here… On the one hand, we are engaged in joint games with Russia, on our soil.

Russian paratroopers to ‘seize’ US facility on our soil in elaborate war games
“According to reports, the U.S. and Russian military will be engaging in an anti-terrorism exercise that will involve Russian paratroopers using U.S. weapons to “take and hold” the main facilities of the CIA and Denver International Airport in Colorado and the National Security Agency in Utah. … Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Colonel Alexander Kucherenko publically announced this 24-21 May “anti-terror drill” this Friday past noting that this will be the first time Russian airborne forces have held exercises with the US airborne forces on US territory. Colonel Kucherenko stated, “According to the exercise scenario, soldiers of the two countries will hold a tactical airborne operation, including the reconnaissance of imaginary terrorists’ camp and a raid. After the operation, a helicopter will evacuate the soldiers.” He further added that Russian airborne troops would be training with US special service weapons in these drills in Fort Carson, Colorado.”

On the other hand, Russian top officials said they will bomb our NATO troops if plans for a missile defense shield move forward in Eastern Europe…

Russia says it could pre-emptively strike missile shield
“Russia’s top military officer has threatened to carry out a pre-emptive strike on U.S.-led NATO missile defense facilities in Eastern Europe if Washington goes ahead with its controversial plan to build a missile shield.”

Well, isn’t that special. Let’s take a look at Russia in recent political history and then in biblical prophecy.

Remember, Russia was the Mother Bear anchor for the old Soviet Union of Socialist Republics, or USSR. “The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics” (also known as the USSR or Soviet Union for short) consisted of Russia and surrounding countries that today make up Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. The USSR was founded in 1922, five years after the Russian Revolution overthrew the monarchy of the czar, and was dissolved in late 1991.” (source)

The book Petrostate: Putin, Power, and the New Russia summarizes the recent history of that ancient state this way-
“In the aftermath of the financial collapse of August 1998, it looked as if Russia’s day as a superpower had come and gone. That it should recover and reassert itself after less than a decade is nothing short of an economic and political miracle. Based on extensive research, including several interviews with Vladimir Putin, this revealing book chronicles Russia’s dramatic reemergence on the world stage, illuminating the key reason for its rebirth: the use of its ever-expanding energy wealth to reassert its traditional great power ambitions. … The book provides an informative overview of oil in Russia, traces Vladimir Putin’s determined effort to reign in the upstart oil oligarchs who had risen to power in the post-Soviet era … Goldman shows how Russia paid off its international debt and has gone on to accumulate the world’s third largest holdings of foreign currency reserves–all by becoming the world’s largest producer of petroleum and the world’s second largest exporter.”

It IS an economic and political miracle, one that Christians see has God’s fingerprints all over it. Nations rise and fall, they don’t usually rise again, and if they do, like the Roman Empire, there’s a 2000 year gap between iterations. The Olmec civilization fell. Babylon fell. The United Kingdom Empire fell. The Tang dynasty fell. The Anasazi civilization fell and then vanished. So a decade between Russia’s rise to fall to rise again is amazing. Downright miraculous.

Prophetically, Russia plays a major part in upcoming history. Ezekiel 38-39 describes Russia as a strong aggressor with a focus on taking a spoil and plunder. It is one of the main confederates in a dreadful alliance that attacks Israel in the last days. Ezekiel 38 opens with God talking to Gog through Prophet Ezekiel. Gog will get an evil thought to come against Israel like a cloud, her and all her confederates, to take plunder and spoil. They will attack the peaceful and unsuspecting people who dwell in safety in unwalled villages. God allows the attack so that He can show Himself Holy to the world and He protects Israel in so doing.

Look at the geography here. I couldn’t even include all of Russia because it is so big the nation labels become unreadable. And Russia’s allies the “-stans” are both east of the Caspian sea and west of it. And in between there and Israel are the Arab states. All these territories and nations attack Israel in the last 7 years. Israel is so tiny on the map you can’t even see it. God is so amazing to protect her, making her an immovable rock!

“And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth are gathered together against it.” (Zechariah 12:3)

Russia it is believed, is the nation mentioned as the one “from the far north”, who will “…come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land.” (Ezekiel 38:15-16).

It has been speculated that the spoil Russia comes to take is oil. And indeed, Israel has discovered great riches and reserves of natural gas and oil that is easily accessible and quickly converted to usable fuel. One thing that has been historically consistent with Russia is her ambitions. They have always been large, and in this era her ambitions rest on gas and oil. It is one reason the nation is so protective of itself and sees the installation of NATO missiles in Eastern Europe, especially Kaliningrad, which is Russia’s close neighborhood as something they do not want to happen.

Yet we are going to do wargames with Russia. It sure is a crazy world, with shifting alliances and sudden moves, threats, wars and rumors of wars. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but we know what will happen soon, the bible tells of the Isaiah 17 prophecy where Damascus and larger Syria are destroyed, where Israel’s near neighbors are decimated, (Psalm 83), where Ezekiel prophesies the destruction of the alliance of Russia, Iran, Turkey/Armenia, Libya, Sudan etc. by God Himself. We know the last book in the bible, Revelation, speaks of battles of the Kings of the South and of the East marching against Israel. All this and much more is prophesied. And being promises of God, they will not fail.

“Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.” (1 Kings 8:56)

And Russia will be right in the center of these, some of His last promises. God is great, His plans never fail. I am amazed how He uses nations and events to bring to pass His will. After a startling fall and seeming defeat on the world stage, Russia is back, the bear is awakening from her short slumber and beginning to growl her intentions across the pages of prophecy.

“And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.” (Psalms 89:5)

Uncategorized

Just because it’s true

Posted on May 4, 2012 by elizabethprata

Source, used with permission

strange noise, Uncategorized, windsor hum

Strange Hum infuriates Canada, tells US to do something about it

Posted on May 1, 2012May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

An article appeared in the Wall Street Journal today about the strange hum annoying Windsor Ontario. The article notes that the strange hum coming from Windsor is driving nearby Canada crazy. Americans apparently cannot hear it. It has been described as a very sharp, consistent rumble sound. The Canadians want something done, and it is causing a diplomatic fracas. What is noteworthy is not only the fact that the noise exists, and not only that the noise is loud enough to interfere with normal life…but that the article about it appears in America’s most conservative paper. AND that the diplomats are fussing over it. Pretty remarkable.

I have written specifically about the Windsor hum in August 2011, with a follow up in September 2011. I have written about the hums around the world in general many times. I’ll review what they could mean below the news. But first, the WSJ story:

Canadians Make a Racket Over Mysterious ‘Windsor Hum’
Unexplained Noise Spurs Diplomatic Fracas At Detroit Border; Americans Can’t Hear It
Last month, Bob Dechert, a senior aide to Canada’s foreign minister, was dispatched to Detroit with an important diplomatic mission: To stop a highly annoying noise. The so-called Windsor hum, described as a low-frequency rumbling sound, has rattled windows and knocked objects off shelves in this border community just across the Detroit River from the Motor City. Locals have said it sounds like a large diesel truck idling, a loud boom box or the bass vocals of Barry White.”

Barry White? Stop for a LOL moment. The journalists must have had a blast writing this. Ahem. To continue.

“Windsor residents have blamed the hum for causing illness, whipping dogs into frenzies, keeping cats housebound and sending goldfish to the surface in backyard ponds. Many have resorted to switching on their furnace fan all season to drown out the noise. Even weirder, Americans can’t seem to hear it. Canadians find that suspicious—especially since their research suggests the hum is coming from the Yankees’ side—and accuse U.S. officials of staying silent over the noise.”

Those damn Yankees!

“The government of Canada takes this issue seriously,” Mr. Dechert said after his recent fact-finding trip, which included a visit to a heavily industrialized area on the American side of the river that some Canadian scientists believe is to blame for the hum.”

I can’t figure out why the Americans cannot hear the noise.

“The sound has been plaguing Windsor residents on and off for two years. Last May, a particularly loud eruption shook Windsor resident David Robins as he watched the National Basketball Association playoffs. The room began to vibrate with a loud throbbing noise. Mr. Robins hit mute, fearing he had gone overboard on volume. But the noise persisted. Stepping outside, Mr. Robins said he found the “entire neighborhood pulsating.” “To be honest, I was scared,” he said.”

Now that IS scary. There is more at the link.

I explored the concept of the Windsor Ontario strange noise here, from the aspect of spiritual warfare ramping up and showing an example of a verse from the bible.

I explored the strange noises here, from the aspect of the verse in Jeremiah that ‘A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth.’

Now I’ve said before that there will be supernatural events happening in greater visibility as we approach the rapture, because afterwards will be total supernatural, visible, all the time. The inexplicable will occur on a normal, daily basis. In advance of that, the supernatural (or inexplicable, if that makes you more comfortable) will happen more frequently even though we haven’t been raptured yet.

I’ve also said, however, that just because something is currently inexplicable, it doesn’t mean it always will be. The strange noise may turn out to have a normal explanation.

However, there are a few things that speak against that. First, it has been going on for only two years or so. The industrial area across the river has been in existence for so much longer, so one would wonder why the noises began relatively late. Secondly, the officials brought in seismographs and tested for tectonic activity. The noise must be persistent pervasive, and annoying enough to persuade officials to take such an action.

One thing I noticed in the article is that the witnesses say it is getting louder. That is the most interesting thing of all. HuffPo noted back in January that it is escalating.

As for noises, descriptions of them pervade the bible. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16 we read of the rapture, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:”. In that verse we read of a shout, a voice and an instrument. Noise.

In Revelation 4:5 we read, “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” In this verse we read of thunderings and voices.

Isaiah 6:4 we read of Isaiah’s vision of heaven and the voices of the seraphims shouting holy, holy, holy were so loud they moved the posts of the doors.

There are many more such examples of noises heard by the visionaries and apostles throughout the Old Testament and the New. We’re drawing closer to the time of the end. The veil between our physical dimension and God’s physical dimension is lifted bit by bit, waiting for the final moment when it tears and there is an irruption into the world of demons, supernatural events, angels, and spiritual warfare made visible. We praise our Savior for making the word of prophecy sure (2 Peter 1:16-21). We praise Him for alerting us to the times and the events he foretold by His book, written out of time and given to us who dwell inside time. We praise Him who will lift us out of time at His will and bring us to the eternal.

If you are worried about these things coming upon the earth, and there will be worse coming, so much worse that men have heart attacks upon looking at them (Luke 21:26), then be saved now. Believe that Jesus is the man-divine son of God, come to seek and save the lost and by His sacrificial act of shedding blood as the holy and pure sacrifice acceptable to God made the way for us into heaven. Believe He was crucified, was buried and rose on the third day by the power of God. Believe He is the substitution for taking on our sin and God’s wrath. If you understand that your sins are very real and make God very angry, confess them to your Lord, and Jesus will forgive you.

In the WSJ article they said that the noises are “no laughing matter.” They aren’t. The one man said that the noise was scary. They are. Because if they presage something worse, that something is so petrifying that people drop dead on the spot. And if you draw your last breath before you know Jesus as savior you will enter the eternal as His enemy and dwell in the Lake of Fire. Please repent now.

“And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”(Mark 1:15)

Uncategorized

I had a peace about it. Not.

Posted on May 1, 2012 by elizabethprata

How do you make decisions? Someone asked me the other day how I decide things. I realized I have fallen into using the Christian-ese lingo. One of the phrases I caught myself using is “I was led by God to…”.

When I say it I know that I mean that “I decided to…” I should just say that.

Other people wrestle with a decision for a long time, and unable to intuit the correct course of action, they pray and receive an impression. Or they put out a prayer rug or fleece and get a sign via internal urge.

I’ve never done those things (I have prayed but not been led by an impression, or at least when I felt an impression, or had a leading thought, I did not base my decision on it.) A lot of times my internal impressions are likely from satan, lol.

Other times I hear people say, after they ‘were led’, “I know it is from God because I had a peace about it.” I always used to wonder about that, because I rarely have a peace about my big decisions. I have certainty. But not peace. It is scary to move half a country away…to start a new job…to make new friends…to leave your home church. It is nerve-wracking to witness to a hostile person. I rarely have peace about those things. But when the time comes to do them, I am certain, and thus, I do them.

Jonah had peace about his decision to flee God’s will. He actually curled up in the bottom of the boat and went to sleep, while the crew was being tossed and throwing freight and ballast over to save the ship. Having peace about a decision is not a reliable indicator. Ananias and Sapphira likely had peace about their decision to withhold some of the proceeds of the sale of their real estate, at least, they did it without a second thought and Sapphira calmly lied to Peter. But that peace was not the right kind of peace either. (Acts 5)

I was always troubled by these things, fearing maybe I wasn’t ‘doing it right’ with regard to my decision making. Then I heard this question put to John MacArthur- “What is your perspective on the belief that the Holy Spirit leads us by nudging us or whispering to us or giving us dreams, things like that?” and he answered this way:

JOHN: Well, I think the Holy Spirit does lead us but there is no way to perceive that that’s happening. Right? … I don’t have a red light that goes on on my head and it goes around and around and around when the Holy Spirit’s leading. I don’t know when the Holy Spirit’s leading. I don’t know when I’m just following my impulses or my desires or whatever. I have no mechanism to know that. But in retrospect I see that. And I categorize that in the providences of God.”

“I just put that in the providence…my life is just one amazing act of divine providence after another, after another, after another, after another, after another, every single day of my life unfolds in ways that are so well planned by the divine mind that I…I’m in, you know, a sort of exhilaration day after day after day over what happens in my life. So I don’t know when the Spirit is leading at the time. The Spirit is leading…I can say, “You know, I think I ought to go preach over there.” I do that every day, you know. Friday they brought like, I don’t know, a big list of people who want me to come and speak and what did I do? Did I, you know, begin to go into some kind of mantra and say, “Ohm….” And see if I can induce the Holy Spirit to know what to do? No. I just look at it and say, “Well, I can’t do that. I don’t think I can do that. That wouldn’t be a priority. Maybe I should do that. And you know what happens if I just am open and want to do God’s will, it’s amazing how in retrospect I can look back and say, “Wow, it was absolutely critical that I be there because look what happened when I got there, and this happened and that led to this, and this led to that.” That’s how my whole life has unfolded. So there’s no mechanism that we possess that tells us at the moment when the Holy Spirit is leading us and in some supernatural way. But that in retrospect we will be able to discern by the providences of God that unfold.”

Right! In your decisions, do right by Jesus and do right by our family, and moving forward by logically weighing evidence and proceeding with maturity, and God will take care of all the rest. I look back on my decisions and they have all been good. Either they were wrong but made good by God or they were good and He was leading me but I didn’t have the advantage of having whispers or impressions to know that at the time. His providence!

“Divine providence is the means by and through which God governs all things in the universe. The doctrine of divine providence asserts that God is in complete control of all things. This includes the universe as a whole (Psalm 103:19), the physical world (Matthew 5:45), the affairs of nations (Psalm 66:7), human birth and destiny (Galatians 1:15), human successes and failures (Luke 1:52), and the protection of His people (Psalm 4:8).” (source)

Gary Friesen said in his book, Decision Making and the Will of God— “Impressions are real; believers experience them. But impressions are not authoritative. Impressions are impressions. Inner impressions are not a form of revelation, so the bible does not invest impressions with authority to function as indicators of Divine guidance. Impressions are real. Believers experience them. But impressions are not authoritative.”

If a person looks to their impressions, whispers, or nudges, then they are looking to something that is not only NOT authoritative, but is deceitful and corrupt!

Gary Gilley states, “Psalm 19 teaches us there are two sources of revelation, from nature (vv. 1-6) and from Scripture (vv. 7-14). The “general revelation” of nature, while speaking boldly of the glory of God, still has serious limitations. Romans 1:20 confirms that nature is capable of revealing to mankind the eternal power and divine nature of God; therefore even those who know nothing of Jesus Christ are without excuse when they reject God. But general revelation is incapable of exposing a multitude of things including Jesus Christ, the Cross, grace, eternal life and on and on. For such things we need the “specific revelation” of Scripture. …”

There is general revelation by nature and specific revelation by the bible, and nothing in between like impressions, urgings, or whispers.

Even the famous evangelist George Whitefield “mistook fancy for faith and imagination for revelation” when going forward by impression rather than scripture. He had prophesied that his pregnant wife would bear a son, and that the son would grow up to become a famous preacher. Whitefield did have a son, but unfortunately the child died at 4 months old. That is when Whitefield told Jonathan Edwards that he mistook fancy for revelation. (source, book Jonathan Edwards, by Iain Murray, pp. 240-42)

Precious brethren, inner impressions are bubbling up through our fleshly filter of putrid sin, a sin nature, and corruption. Ick! Who would want to make a decision based on that muck! I refute the logic and the method of Bill Hybels’ whispers, especially when Hybels says “Without a hint of exaggeration, the ability to discern divine direction has saved me from a life of sure boredom and self-destruction.’ In [Hybels’ book] The Power of a Whisper, vision is cast for what life can look like when God’s followers choose to hear from heaven as they navigate life on earth. Whispers that arbitrate key decisions, nudges that rescue from dark nights of the soul, promptings that spur on growth, urgings that come by way of another person, inspiration that opens once-glazed-over eyes…”

Mike Feazell said it better, much better when he said,

“Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy the godly freedom to say: “Lord, I’ve got several paths before me, and based on all the facts as I understand them, here’s what I think I should probably do. Please have mercy on me as I enter into this. As you well know Lord I know I am often a moron. I know that in my need You have always been there. And I know you’ll see me through this too. Just please don’t make the bumps If there’s something I’m missing here, would you show me before it’s too late? And if I miss the cue, then please have mercy on me, a sinner and a frequent dumbbell. And one more thing, if this is a trap door instead of an open door, would you mind not letting go of my hand until I get back to where I ought to be? Thanks. Amen.”

Don’t look for a sign or a whisper or a nudge or urgings. Trust God. “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9). Even though you can’t hear or tell He is directing you, He IS. Appealing to your inner impressions is the same as appealing to yourself. His providence has you in the palm of His hand…therefore trust!

“I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” (Psalms 16:8)

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Anti-bullying speaker bullies Christian teens at event

Posted on April 28, 2012 by elizabethprata

Anti-Bullying Speaker Curses Christian Teens
“As many as 100 high school students walked out of a national journalism conference after an anti-bullying speaker began cursing, attacked the Bible and reportedly called those who refused to listen to his rant “pansy assed.” … Savage was supposed to be delivering a speech about anti-bullying at the National High School Journalism Conference sponsored by the Journalism Education Association and the National Scholastic Press Association. But it turned into an episode of Christian-bashing. “I thought this would be about anti-bullying,” Tuttle told Fox news. “It turned into a pointed attack on Christian beliefs.”

It gets worse from there. If you want to read what Mr Savage said and how it was responded to by his sponsoring organizations, click on the link.

What is sad for me is that this was a forum for teen reporters. Teenagers…mocked, bullied, and called names, by an adult. Rather than being ashamed of his behavior in front of children, rather than apologizing for his screed that offended teens, Savage hurled scorn on them as they left and was supported by his organizations, needling the kids as the ones in the wrong and for failing to stay because “it’s important to be able to listen to speech that offends you”…

I know this verse from Ephesians 6:4 is targeted to actual fathers and their biological/adoptive children, but I dare to say we can widen it to apply here, even as a warning in general:

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord”.

“Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.” (Colossians 3:21)

Is Mr Savage a father? An Uncle? Would he feel satisfied knowing someone had entered a place where children were gathered, including his own, and hurled insults directly at them for their beliefs?

“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 18:10

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Morning praise

Posted on April 26, 2012May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

I live in a pretty area, one that the Lord led me to 6 years ago. He asked me to leave all I had ever done, all the people I had ever known, and all the scenery that I had ever seen, and move to Georgia. I said “OK.”

I drive through pretty areas on my way to work. I pass a barn, and pastures, and see cows and colts and foals and lambs. I see green fields with waving hay and eagles and heather and pine trees. It is quiet and there’s little traffic. If there are 4 cars at the four-way stop sign it’s a jam. I sing and pray and praise Him the entire way. Every day.

He chose to re-make my life for me here. It is a better life than I would have had if I had remained, I see that now. He knows what is best. Bless You, Lord. May Your will be done.

This morning, I was thinking the thoughts I write below. I hope you sing and pray and praise Him for all His works in the world and for what He does in your life, too. He is wonderful gracious, and loving. He is our Savior and our God.