Daily Steps To Him

The Seven Days of Miriam

2012-01-19T09:02:00.000-08:00

Miriam, adoring sister who watched from the reeds... would baby Moses fall into safe arms.... the arms of the Pharaoh's daughter...

Exodus 2:4
And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

...did you fear the arms of the Cushite wife of your brother... did you fear to let him go again or did you resent giving him again to someone different than Israel.

Exodus 12:37-39
... And a mixed multitude went up also with them; ...

Numbers 12:1-4
And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.
(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.

Miriam, older sister and prophetess...

Exodus 15:20
And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron...

... did you not see the light in your brothers face, who spoke with God face to face and not in dreams and visions only ?

Exodus 34:30
And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

... did you understand when God called you out with Aaron and Moses ?
Numbers 12:5-9
And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.
And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.

Miriam, the Lord chastened you alone, made you white as snow. Was it to remind you of the glory in Moses face ? Was it to show you that in Gods eyes, your fair skin was a curse, if it caused you to misjudge the wife of your brother ? Did He choose your rebuke over Aaron's for a unique purpose ?

Numbers 12:10
And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.

In your shame, did you also hear 'daughter' in His rebuke... ?

Numbers 12:14
And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.

The entire nation waited for you while you quietly humbled yourself ...

Numbers 12:15
And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.

In that time, did you discover a paradox ?... riches, honour and life come from humility before the Lord's will. As Christ subjected Himself to Gods will, so must we all.

Proverbs 22:4
By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.

Was the wisdom learned, passed down through the ages to your sisters ? The "weaker vessel" contains the greater strength, when it is wrought in humility. Did the men who waited for you in camp, understand that it was Moses' meekness that brought him face to face with God, and caused him to be "faithful in all mine house"? Did it teach them how to honor their wives as fellow heirs ? May the opportunity to speak with God never be hindered by anything less.

2 Corinthians 12:9
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

Psalm 18:32
It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.

1 Peter 3:7
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Revelation 3:19
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten

~The love of a sister~

Moses marries an Ethiopian woman (Zipporah, or possibly a second wife). This event set off a firestorm in the heart of Miriam and also Aaron. Miriam was a prophetess (Exodus 15:20) so felt justified in challenging Moses's decision to do this ("hath he not spoken also by us"). Moses it appears was pressured by the verbal onslaught ("the man Moses was very meek"). That prompted God to act.

Miriam was the older sister of Moses and Aaron. Perhaps there are two lessons here to consider.

The fact that Moses' wife was Ethiopian, is mentioned twice in Numbers 12:1. That is an intentional emphasis. It's clear from Exodus 12:37-39 that other groups of people left Egypt along with Israel. Miriam it appears, took issue with Moses decision because he was marrying outside of the tribes of Israel (so, she thought, outside of Gods will). As a typical loving older sister, she was willing to actively dominate him and that would hinder God's plan. As a prophetess, God spoke to Miriam in visions and dreams, but He spoke with Moses face to face. There is no comparison, and she was not privy to the full picture as Moses was. God chooses the terrifying whiteness of leprosy, to emphasize to her that the Ethiopian woman was within His will for Moses.

There are few things in life stronger than the love of an older sister for her younger brother, but to follow the Lord we must let go. Miriam, let go of Moses to the arms of the Pharaoh's daughter and the Ethiopian wife. The former led to the freedom of his people Israel, the latter, well we can only speculate. Perhaps, though we will someday know clearly the incredible story that surely followed her. Did you ever wonder how the Ethiopian eunuch mentioned in Acts 8:26-36 came to have the writing of Isaiah the prophet in his possession ?... or how Ebedmelech the Ethiopian was in a position to speak for Jeremiah the prophet, to the king (Jeremiah 38:9). Did you ever consider why the Queen of the south (Sheba) would seek a Hebrew king in a far off land (Solomon) for wisdom? 1 Kings 10:1 shows she already knew about the name of the Lord and wanted Solomon to answer her "hard questions" concerning Him. How did she come to know Him? Beloved, as we walk today in the Lords love, lets remember to set aside our will for his. We ourselves see him darkly, we only know in part.... but someday... we will see Him face to face.

~Chris
(the similitude of the LORD shall we also behold)

1 Corinthians 13:12
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

The Treasure of the Kandake

2011-12-05T12:37:00.001-08:00


The old flag of Ethiopia

Acts 8:26-36
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”

The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.

One Mans Walk

Philip learned to listen to the Holy Spirit when He spoke. The Holy Spirit told Philip to "go", and Philip was in the right place at the right time to change the future of a nation.

"Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza"
"Go to that chariot and stay near it"

Tradition has it that the old monarchy of Ethiopia had its roots in the union of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.

A look at the old Ethiopian flag, reveals the lion of Judah (as you would expect from King Solomon's influence) but interestingly holding the cross of Christ. Philip's obedience that day to the Holy Spirit's simple request, changed Ethiopia forever. The true treasure entrusted to the Ethiopian eunuch, was Christ.

When we say "yes" to God's Spirit, we change the world.

~ Chris

Look to the sanctuary

2011-08-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

The Lord is our sanctuary
Isaiah 8:13-15 (Old Testament)
Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Our paths are found in Him
Psalm 77:13 (Old Testament)
Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary:

When He dwells in His people, nothing can withstand them
Psalm 114 (Old Testament)
When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.
The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.

An everlasting peace to His people, in the midst of them.
Ezekiel 37:25-27 (Old Testament)
And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.
Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.
My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

God of His own hand will provide the sanctuary
Hebrews 8:1-3 (New Testament)
Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

Genesis 22:8 (Old Testament)
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering:

Jesus in our hearts, a sanctuary within as the days grow short.
Daniel 8:13-15 (Old Testament)
Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.

Ezekiel 11:15-17 (Old Testament)
Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.
Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

This Generation

2011-07-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

The American age, a generation reborn of old ?(It has been 40 years (August 1971) since the "Nixon Shock" occurred, which established a fiat currency system)

Psalm 95:10
Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
There are those who suffered the weight of this system. The poor. They are vexed in soul by it (2 Peter 2:8). He will rise for the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy.

Psalm 12
Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.
They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.
The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

They (Israel) were blessed by Him and yet they rejected Him. America, God has given you much, as He promised the sons of Israel, and men have committed much to you. Would you steal from the poor ? Are you not the most generous people in the world, or are you generous only with other peoples wealth ? Follow Him and be great, or follow the lusts of the world and perish.
Luke 12:47-49
For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?
Luke 17:20-25
And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.
For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.
But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.
Luke 12:56
Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

Teaching babes a form of knowledge and truth devoid of wisdom. Stealing from the world through fiat currency distributed worldwide ... only to default when the bill is due ? Stand on your principals America, even if it means poverty. Remember, Jesus did not have a roof to call His own.
Romans 2:20-21
An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

America, come to the light of His love, it's the only way home.
Deuteronomy 32:39
See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.

John 3:16-21
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

LEARNED WAYS
This American generation does err in their heart. While the days of the Son of man are still here, come home to Him. Pull yourself out of the trap of "entitlement", which only plunges your children into slavery. Wrest yourself away from the grip of the desolation of dept. Those who throw you further in dept, put your very children under the whip of the task-master.

Lawlessness

2011-06-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 28:4
They that forsake the law praise the wicked; but such as keep the law contend with them.

2 Thessalonians 2:3

Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for (that day will not come) until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-8

And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.

2 Peter 2:7-9

...and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.

Jeremiah 12:1-3
Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously? Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins. But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee:

In a day where seemingly wickedness and lawlessness prosper, we ask the age old question, why does God allow it ("yet let me talk with thee of thy judgements"). Remember that your walk with Him is personal, ("But thou, O LORD, knowest me"). He knows how to rescue us from the trials. Rest in this knowledge and trust Him in all the things we do and do not understand. Let us walk uprightly, obeying the laws of God and man. If we don't, we will surely find ourselves embracing and praising the wicked rather than contending with them.
~Chris

The Morning Star rises

2011-03-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

Look for the morning

Job 7:4 (Old Testament)
When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise, And the night be ended?’ For I have had my fill of tossing till dawn.

Psalm 119:146-148 (Old Testament)
I cry out to You;
Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies.
I rise before the dawning of the morning,
And cry for help;
I hope in Your word.

It is the break of dawn, awake, God is our refuge, put on the Armor of light.
Romans 13:11-12 (New Testament)
And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

Psalm 46:1-7 (Old Testament)
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Jesus is our bright and morning star
Matthew 4:16-17 (New Testament)
The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.”

2 Peter 1:19 (New Testament)
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

Revelation 22:16
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN
Beloved, put your trust in Him. He is our Rock and Strong tower (Psalm 61:3) and even the wind and waves obey Him. (Job 38:11 When I said, ‘This far you may come, but no farther, And here your proud waves must stop! Mark 41:4 “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”). Lord we step toward You with our prayers for the Japanese people. Heal their soul and spirit of the damages from earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown. Comfort them with the knowledge that though "waters roar ", "the mountains shake", and "the earth melted", you have always loved them. Let the dawn of the true Bright and Morning Star forever rise in their hearts.
~Chris

A perched eagle with long pinions watches over Japan
The floating torii (lit. bird perch) at Itsukushima Shrine

Japan, His desire is to cover you with His wings.

Deuteronomy 32:7-11 (Old Testament)

Remember the days of old;
consider the generations long past.
Ask your father and he will tell you,
your elders, and they will explain to you.
When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance,
when he divided all mankind,
he set up boundaries for the peoples
according to the number of the sons of Israel.
For the LORD’s portion is his people,
Jacob his allotted inheritance.
In a desert land he found him,
in a barren and howling waste.
He shielded him and cared for him;
he guarded him as the apple of his eye,
like an eagle that stirs up its nest
and hovers over its young,
that spreads its wings to catch them
and carries them aloft.
The LORD alone led him;
no foreign god was with him.

Japan, be of good courage
Isaiah 41:5-6 (Old Testament)
The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.
They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.

Japan, consider your part in this riddle.
Ezekiel 17:1-10 (Old Testament)
The Eagles and the Vine
And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, pose a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:
“ A great eagle with large wings and long pinions,
Full of feathers of various colors,
Came to Lebanon
And took from the cedar the highest branch.
He cropped off its topmost young twig
And carried it to a land of trade;
He set it in a city of merchants.
Then he took some of the seed of the land
And planted it in a fertile field;
He placed it by abundant waters
And set it like a willow tree.
And it grew and became a spreading vine of low stature;
Its branches turned toward him,
But its roots were under it.
So it became a vine,
Brought forth branches,
And put forth shoots.
“ But there was another great eagle with large wings and many feathers;
And behold, this vine bent its roots toward him,
And stretched its branches toward him,
From the garden terrace where it had been planted,
That he might water it.
It was planted in good soil by many waters,
To bring forth branches, bear fruit,
And become a majestic vine.”’
“Say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:
“ Will it thrive?
Will he not pull up its roots,
Cut off its fruit,
And leave it to wither?
All of its spring leaves will wither,
And no great power or many people
Will be needed to pluck it up by its roots.
Behold, it is planted,
Will it thrive?
Will it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it?
It will wither in the garden terrace where it grew.”’”

Japan, You have been planted by the Eagle with long pinions. He planted you as seeds. You reach toward Him with branches but not root.
Likewise, the other great eagle, carried it's vine to another land by many waters.
That vine once stretched both branches and root toward Him.
The Emperor (Mikado) is the heavenly sovereign of Shinto.
The British monarch is the supreme governor of the Church of England.
These are the twigs that became vines that were carried by the two eagles.
One vine became the land of the rising sun, the other the empire where the sun never set.
Will the plantings thrive or will they wither ? Will they both consider again their Bright and Morning Star?

Be not offended, but with duration receive with joy, that you may revive again and bear fruit to Him.
Matthew 13:4-6 (New Testament)
And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
Matthew 13:20-21 (New Testament)
But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
You have been planted in a fertile field. Won't you bear fruit ?
Matthew 13:23 (New Testament)
But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Japan, come to the Lord Jesus He is your Bright and Morning Star.
Isaiah 24:14-15 (Old Testament)
They raise their voices, they shout for joy;
from the west they acclaim the LORD’s majesty.
Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD;
exalt the name of the LORD, the God of Israel,
in the islands of the sea.
Consider, the first island east "toward the sunrising" from the Jordan river... is Japan
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Notes from NOVA series, on the lost tribes of Israel.
The first known king of Japan, who was named Osee, ruled around 730 BC. This king has been identified with the last king of Israel, Hoshea, who died around the same time, at the time of the Assyrian exile of the ten tribes from Israel. 'Mikado' (the Japanese) recalls the Hebrew word for 'his majesty the king,' 'Malchuto'.

Daber: in Hebrew, to speak.
Daberu: Japanese for chatting.

Goi: a non-Hebrew or foreigner.
Gai'Jeen: prefix for a foreigner, a non-Japanese.

Kor: cold in Hebrew.
Koru: to freeze in Japanese.

Knesset: Parliament in Hebrew.
Kensei: Constitutional government in Japanese.

There are thousands of words and names of places with no real etymological meaning in Japanese. And they all correspond with Hebrew words. The holy Japanese shinto temple strongly recalls the ancient holy Isrealite temple, which housed a holy of holies section and several gates (see below). Several artifacts in Japan have been traced to Assyrian and Jewish sources, among them, a well in Koryugi with the words "well of Israel" inscribed on its side.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/israel/losttribes3.html

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The two and an half tribes of Japan. The Old Testament Bible reveals, that the Jewish people are Israeli (of Jacob) but not all Israeli people are Jewish (who are generally of Judah, Benjamin, Levi and only a remnant of the others).
Joshua 14:2-4 (Old Testament)
By lot was their inheritance, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half tribe.
For Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes and an half tribe on the other side Jordan:

Numbers 34:14-16 (Old Testament)
For the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the house of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to the house of their fathers, have received their inheritance; and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance:
The two tribes and the half tribe have received their inheritance on this side Jordan near Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising.

The holy Japanese shinto temple is patterned after the alter of the Lord (as spoke of in Joshua 22) as a witness to us of who the Japanese people truely are. Listen to how the tribe of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh explain to Israel why they built another alter to the Lord. The pattern of the alter is the witness of who they are.
Joshua 22: 25-28 (Old Testament)
And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?
For the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the LORD: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD.
Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:
But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD.
Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you.

In the Israeli temple, there were two pillars used as a gate (1 Kings 7:21). And in the Aramaic language which the ancient Israelites used, the word for gate was "taraa." This word might have changed slightly and become the Japanese "torii". Some "torii"s, especially of old shrines, are painted red. Is this a picture of the two door posts and the lintel on which the blood of the lamb was put the night before the exodus from Egypt ?

Located near the entrance of a Japanese shrine, there is "temizuya" which is a place for worshipers to wash their hands and mouth. This is the same custom as found in Jewish synagogues, using the laver (we get the word lavatory from this). The ancient tabernacle and temple of Israel also had a laver for washing and sanctification near the entrances well.Notice what is missing from the pattern of the Shinto shrine. The sacrificial alter is missing, as you would expect reading Joshua again, read what the new alter was not to be used for... "not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice".

The pattern of the alter was to be a witness of who they (Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh) are to future generations. We are the future generations, and as planned thousands of years ago, the pattern of the Shinto temple is telling us the story.

Among the Samurai sect, there is a tradition that their ancient ancestors came to Japan from western Asia around 660 BC.The name 'Samurai' recalls 'Samaria'. And to which tribe do the Japanese belong? There are those who claim that the Mikado, the Japanese emperor, is a descendant of the Hebrew tribe of Gad.

Hosea 14:1 (Old Testament)
O israel, return unto the LORD thy God;
Hosea 14:3 (Old Testament)
Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
Hosea 14:5-7 (Old Testament)
I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

The other half tribe of Manasseh settled in the United States. Who's emblem and seal is an eagle carrying a twig. One of the fruit of the vine of Great Britian.
http://www.ensignmessage.com/archives/manasseh3.html

The blessing given to Manasseh. Consider that Japan became the second largest economy on the planet, America became the largest. Ephraim, his brother became a company of nations (The British empire), and was once also the largest economy.

Deuteronomy 33:16-18 (Old Testament)
And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren.
His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

Jeremiah 31:10 (Old Testament)
Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.

When Jesus writes

2011-02-16T06:46:00.000-08:00

What did Jesus write with His finger ?
John 8:3-6
Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”. This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.

Jesus always follows the initiative of His father.
John 12:49
"For I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me commandment, what to say and what to speak...

John 5:19
Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.

What did the father write with his finger ?
Exodus 31:18
And when He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone written by the finger of God.

Daniel 5:4-5
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

Daniel 5:27
TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

~ MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN ~
~ It is not recorded what Jesus wrote on the ground that day when the Scribes and Pharisees brought the adulteress woman before Him. However, what the Father wrote with His fingers is recorded. Maybe, Jesus wrote what He saw His Father's fingers write before Him. TEKEL was writted by God on the wall (Dan 5: 27) concerning Belshazzar. That one small word, would have frozen the shouts of the Scribes and Pharisees on their very lips. After writing, Jesus rose and said,"He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her". He stooped and wrote again, while the accusers faded away. Did Jesus the second time, again following His fathers lead, write what was written on the two tablets by His Fathers finger ? (Exodus 20:14) "Thou shall not commit adultery." (John 8: 10 - 11) And straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they ? Did no one condemn you ? And she said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, (John 8: 10 - 11) "Neither do I condemn you; go your way; from now on sin no more.". Our God shows perfect Love, Compassion, and Mercy and yet is perfectly Just and Righteous also. Something impossible, but you see, with God all things are posible.
~ Chris

The Ark of the Covenant

2011-02-03T07:47:00.000-08:00

John 20:11-14 (New Testament)
But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there..

Exodus 25:18-20 (Old Testament)
And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.

God meets us at the mercy seat.
Exodus 25:22 (Old Testament)
And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.

What was inside of the Ark ?
Hebrews 9:3-5 (New Testament)
and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

Fallen man is east of the tree of life, precisely where God waits for us to come to Him.
Leviticus 16:14 (Old Testament)
He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side.
Genesis 3:24 (Old Testament)
So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

The Ark is a copy of a heavenly thing.
Hebrews 8:5 (New Testament)
...who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”
Revelation 11:19 (New Testament)
Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

Touch me not.John 20:16-17 (New Testament)
Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Exodus 29:37 (Old Testament)
Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and sanctify it. And the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar must be holy.
1 Chronicles 13:10 (Old Testament)
Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzza, and He struck him because he put his hand to the ark; and he died there before God.

HEAVEN'S MERCY SEAT
Mary looked and saw. She saw two angels, one at the head, one at the feet where the body of Jesus had laid. The stone between them, stained with His blood. This is the Mercy seat, where God meets us, through the death and resurrection of His son. Through the wilderness of their history, Israel carried a depiction of what Mary was to witness centuries later. "The Ark of the Covenant", was a copy and shadow of a heavenly thing. It was a reflection forward through time to the resurrection of Jesus. God's Judgement seat became His Mercy seat with the New Covenant forever. Let our eyes be opened to the sacrifice of our redeemer Jesus Christ, and may we meet Him there, at the Mercy seat, to bring Him praise and thanksgiving.
~Chris

The Ark contained:
Manna - Jesus, the Bread of Life. His body broken for us.
The tablets of the covenant - Jesus fulfilled the law. He will write the law on our hearts (Heb 8:10).
Aaron’s rod that budded - The resurrection of Jesus. Resurrection to a new life everlasting, the tree of life.

There is no longer a need for the ancient Ark. Jesus has fulfilled all that it stood for.

Jeremiah 3:15-17 (Old Testament)
And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.
“Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days,” says the LORD, “that they will say no more, ‘The ark of the covenant of the LORD.’ It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore.
“At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts.

Hebrews 9:22-24 (New Testament)
And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these...

~Thank you for the insight John MacArthur~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL0nDrEYDnk

Peace or Pieces

2011-01-09T14:05:00.000-08:00

Genesis 33:4-6

And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, "Who are these with you ?" So he said, "the children whom God has graciously given your servant."

Psalm 127:3
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Isaiah 11:6
“ The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them.

Isaiah 54:13
All your children shall be taught by the LORD, And great shall be the peace of your children.

Matthew 19:14
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Jeremiah 32:38-39
They shall be My people, and I will be their God; then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them.

2 Corinthains 12:13-15
And I will not be burdensome to you; for I do not seek yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls;

Luke 7:31-33
And the Lord said, “To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:
       ‘We played the flute for you,
            And you did not dance;
        We mourned to you,
            And you did not weep.’

THE PRICE OF UNITY ?
This post is dedicated to the memory of Christina-Taylor Green born on Americas darkest day, a glimmer of light, on a day that once united America (9/11/2001). She lost her life 9 years later during an attack on congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Even in darkness, the path of truth is there, if we have the courage to follow it. Our children are a blessing, they are precious, and they are a reflection of heaven itself. They are our heritage and not the other way around. Beloved, the path He gives us is of "one heart, and one way", for the good of our children. Have the love to "spend" and "be spent" for their souls, and remember, "the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children." Work for the peace of our children, let them be "taught by the Lord". May these steps of sorrow lead to our lasting unity, civility toward one another, and wisdom.
~Chris

Baruch 3:12-14
Thou hast forsaken the fountain of wisdom; for if thou hadst walked in the way of God, thou hadst surely dwelt in peace for ever. Learn where is wisdom, where is strength, were is understanding; that thou mayst know also where is length of days and life, where is light of the eyes and peace.

The story of Briar Rose

2010-12-12T20:16:00.000-08:00

This is the real story of the Sleeping Beauty. Centuries before the time of Jesus, imagine a people, brought low under brutal Assyrian captivity, their culture and faith forbidden, but kept alive, hidden in the stories they passed on to their children. Jesus knew them (Luke 15:8, Matthew 25:5), and so loved them, that He sent His disciples north, on a journey to find them (Matthew 10:5-6). Beyond the Samaritan cities, where they had lived so long before, passing by the Gentile lands. "Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel" (Matthew 10:6).... tell them, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand", He instructed them. The message of good news was received by many of them, with joy and belief, since miracles (Matthew 10:8) happen to those who believe. Ancient Israel was ready for the message of redemption, having preserved their hope through stories like this. So, open your heart as a little child would and meet the real Sleeping Beauty.

______________________________
Genesis 11:29
Now Sarai was barren; she had no children.

A long time ago there were a king and queen who said every day, ah, if only we had a child, but they never had one.....
______________________________
Genesis 18:1
And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

Genesis 18:10
And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son.
But it happened that once when the queen was bathing, a frog crept out of the water on to the land, and said to her, your wish shall be fulfilled, before a year has gone by, you shall have a daughter. What the frog had said came true, and the queen had a little girl who was so pretty that the king could not contain himself for joy, and ordered a great feast.
______________________________
Genesis 49:1
And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
He invited not only his kindred, friends and acquaintances, but also the wise women, in order that they might be kind and well-disposed towards the child. There were thirteen of them in his kingdom, but, as he had only twelve golden plates for them to eat out of, one of them had to be left at home.

______________________________
Genesis 49:28
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.
The feast was held with all manner of splendor and when it came to an end the wise women bestowed their magic gifts upon the baby - one gave virtue, another beauty, a third riches, and so on with everything in the world that one can wish for. When eleven of them had made their promises, suddenly the thirteenth came in.

______________________________
2 Kings 10:26
And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.The king, who would fain keep his dear child from the misfortune, gave orders that every spindle in the whole kingdom should be burnt.
______________________________
Jeremiah 3:7-9
And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not.

It happened that on the very day when she was fifteen years old, the king and queen were not at home, and the maiden was left in the palace quite alone. So she went round into all sorts of places, looked into rooms and bed-chambers just as she liked, and at last came to an old tower.
______________________________
Amos 5:2
The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.

Jeremiah 14:17
"You will say this word to them, 'Let my eyes flow down with tears night and day, And let them not cease; For the virgin daughter of my people has been crushed with a mighty blow, With a sorely infected wound.

And, in the very moment when she felt the prick, she fell down upon the bed that stood there, and lay in a deep sleep.

______________________________
Matthew 25:5
While the bridegroom tarried, they (the ten virgins) all slumbered and slept.

And this sleep extended over the whole palace, the king and queen who had just come home, and had entered the great hall, began to go to sleep, and the whole of the court with them.

______________________________
Isaiah 32:13
Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city:

Isaiah 35:13
And thorns shall come up in its fortified towers.

But round about the castle there began to grow a hedge of thorns, which every year became higher, and at last grew close up round the castle and all over it, so that there was nothing of it to be seen, not even the flag upon the roof.
______________________________
Psalm 130:8
And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
Isaiah 27:4
Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.

Isaiah 10:17
And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;

After long, long years a king's son came again to that country, and heard an old man talking about the thorn-hedge, and that a castle was said to stand behind it in which a wonderfully beautiful princess, named Briar-Rose, had been asleep for a hundred years, and that the king and queen and the whole court were asleep likewise. He had heard, too, from his grandfather, that many kings, sons had already come, and had tried to get through the thorny hedge, but they had remained sticking fast in it, and had died a pitiful death.Then the youth said, I am not afraid, I will go and see the beautiful Briar-Rose.

______________________________
Isaiah 60: 1 - 2
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.

Song of Solomon 2: 1 - 2
I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.

Song of Solomon 2:10
My lover spoke and said to me, "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me.

Then he went on still farther, and all was so quiet that a breath could be heard, and at last he came to the tower, and opened the door into the little room where Briar-Rose was sleeping.There she lay, so beautiful that he could not turn his eyes away, and he stooped down and gave her a kiss. But as soon as he kissed her, Briar-Rose opened her eyes and awoke, and looked at him quite sweetly.

______________________________
Revelation 19:7
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.And then the marriage of the king's son with Briar-Rose was celebrated with all splendor, and they lived contented to the end of their days.

______________________________
Romans 11:1
I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Isaiah 1:3
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

Romans 11: 25
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

~ SLEEPING BEAUTY ~
Sarah who was barren, gave birth to the nations of Israel through her only child. Jehu king of Israel tried to protect the nations by burning the images out of the house of Baal. Israel having rebelled against God wandered, and is lost among the nations, asleep. Romans 11:6 ("God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear"). Many prophets died pitiful deaths trying to reach her. Israel, the ten lost tribes (of the Assyrian captivity), are the ones being redeemed in the sleeping beauty story, and though she sleeps still, her awakening is near.
~ Chris
Who is the Rose of Sharon mentioned in the Song of Solomon 2: 1 - 2 ? A clue can be found in the book of Ruth. The redemption of Ruth by Boaz is a reflection of the redemption of Israel by Jesus. "Ruth" is derived from a Hebrew word for "rose." The Rose of Sharon then are the ones redeemed, as is Briar-Rose in this lovely tale of redemption by the prince. A tale compiled by the Grimm Brothers, based on the ancient oral tradition of a long lost people.

If you have happened upon this story, it is no chance encounter. Jesus has come for all people (Matthew 3:9). He is whispering to you. "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me".... to a new everlasting life of happily ever after. Awake to Him and welcome the Prince of Peace into your life now. Beyond the history, beyond the story, the real Sleeping Beauty is you.... "the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys", and Jesus has become the same for you.

Isaiah 1:18
("Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet" (the rose), "they shall be as white as snow;" (the lily) "though they be red like crimson," (the rose) "they shall be as wool." (the lily) .

Jesus took our place, putting on our sins....

Matthew 27:28 - 29
("And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head,..." (the rose)

that we might put on His righteousness.
Revelation 19:8
("And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white:" (the lily) "for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.").

and none are arrayed like her.

Luke 12:27
("Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.")
Awake, beloved briar rose, listen to His whisper... you are "the lily among thorns". Be transformed by His righteousness, by simply saying yes to His love....
http://grimmsfairytales.us/_wsn/page2.html

Rachel's Tears - Rachel's Joy

2010-11-10T06:59:00.000-08:00

Rachel's Tears
---------------
Jeremiah 31:15
Thus says the LORD:
“ A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation and bitter weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted for her children,
Because they are no more.”

"Just looking at my heart crying about the pain." ~Rachel Joy Scott

Jeremiah 9:1
Oh, that my head were waters, And my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night For the slain of the daughter of my people!

"Please find me a lake, so I may drown in my waters of sorrow." ~ Rachel Joy Scott
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rachel's Joy
------------
Psalm 126:5
Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.

"I am not going to hide the light that God has put into me." ~ Rachel Joy Scott

Isaiah 25:8
He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken.

"Create in me the church, so that wherever I go I will find sanctuary." ~ Rachel Joy Scott

John 16:20
Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.

I lost all my friends at school. Now that I have begun to walk my talk, they make fun of me. I don't even know what I have done. I don't really have to say anything, and they turn me away.
~ Rachel Joy Scott

Luke 6:21
Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh.

"I have a purpose,
I have a dream,
I have a future,
so it seems."
~ Rachel Joy Scott
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THIRTEEN TEARS FOR HER CHILDREN
Rachel along with her sister Leah, was a matriarch of the 13 tribes of Israel. Rachel died in child birth while bearing her second son Benjamin. Rachel's lamentation for her children, children of Israel, has been heard down through the ages. Her 13 tears will forever be remembered.
Beloved, like Rachel, through the sorrow, you shall reap joy, and you shall laugh.

~Chris
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On April 20, 1999 Rachel Joy Scott lost her life along with 12 others, in the Columbine shooting. This post is dedicated to the memory of Rachel Joy Scott and the 13 tears she shed for Columbine, as recorded in her journal.

Jesus come into my life,
Lord come into my heart.
   cause you are the one,
Who will fill the void inside,
   You are the One,
Who will give eternal life,
   You are the One,
Who will give undying love,
   You are the One,
Who is in heaven above.
~ Rachel Joy Scott

Peace and the righteous kiss

2010-10-20T06:58:00.001-07:00

When peace was born to us
Isaiah 9:6 (OT)
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Job 22:21-22 (OT)
Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart.

Proverbs 16:7 (OT)
When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.

----------------
He was chastised for our peace
The deceitful kiss - When strife and envy meet
Proverbs 27:6 (OT)
Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Isaiah 53:5 (OT)
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

Luke 22:48 (NT)
But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

----------------
The holy kiss - When mercy and truth meet
Psalm 85:10 (OT)
Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed.

2 Corinthians 13:12 (NT)
Greet one another with a holy kiss...

Luke 7:45 (NT)
You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.

Romans 13:13 (NT)
Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.

Matthew 5:6 (NT)
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

Isaiah 26:2 (OT)
Open the gates, That the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in.

~WALK AS IN THE DAY
Let us walk the narrow way, properly with eyes open, as in the day, that the nations may follow Him in truth. Hunger and thirst for righteousness and be filled. To those who He has hard won through His merciful grace, receive the kiss of peace. A peace not as the world gives (John 14:27), so let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Beloved, submit to His love and be at peace with him. Receive His holy kiss, the kiss of righteousness and peace.
~Chris

Forgiveness, Sacrifice, Justice

2010-10-09T06:46:00.000-07:00

Romans 12:19
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

2 Corinthians 2:10
Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ,...

1 John 4:9
In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

EVEN WHEN IT HURTS

Forgiveness is a two way street. Do it even when you feel an injustice has been done. Do it even when you must sacrifice for the injustice. Do it even when he's your only begotten son. Do it because He did it for us all, that we might live through Him.... Oh, and in case you missed it beloved... Forgiveness is there for OUR OWN sake.

~ Chris

From the river of His pleasures

2010-09-13T06:12:00.000-07:00

A sober minded people, set apart for us

Numbers 6:2-4 (OT)
“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When either a man or woman consecrates an offering to take the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD, he shall separate himself from wine and similar drink; he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink;

Amos 2:11-13 (OT)
I raised up some of your sons as prophets, And some of your young men as Nazirites. Is it not so, O you children of Israel?” Says the LORD. “ But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink, And commanded the prophets saying, ‘ Do not prophesy!’ “Behold, I am weighed down by you, As a cart full of sheaves is weighed down....

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Jesus, our Nazirite, who we caused to take a strong and bitter drink
Matthew 2:23 (NT)
“He shall be called a Nazarene.”

Luke 22:17-19 (NT)
Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

Proverbs 31:4-6 (OT)
Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to those who are bitter of heart.

Psalm 69:21 (OT)
They also gave me gall for my food, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

John 18:10-12 (NT)
So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”

Psalm 51:6-8 (OT)
Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice

John 19:29-30 (NT)

Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!”

1 Corinthians 11:26 (NT)
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

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the wine of confusion or of peace
Proverbs 4:17 (OT)
For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.

1 Corinthians 10:21 (NT)
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.

Psalm 60:3 (OT)
You have shown Your people hard things; You have made us drink the wine of confusion.

1 Peter 5:8 (NT)
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

1 Corinthians 14:32-34 (NT)
For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

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Who we are in Christ

1 Peter 2:9 (NT)
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

Psalm 135:4 (OT)
For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.

Psalm 36:8 (OT)
They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.

~SOBRIETY OF MIND AND SOUL~

Beloved, you are called to be different. A peculiar people. Jesus, our Nazirite, drank from the cup meant for us, so that we could taste freedom instead of death. If you grasp that truth, you will no longer be under the bondage of evil. Say yes to Jesus, and live life to the fullness of all God desires in you.... come and drink from the river of His pleasures.

~Chris

What meanest thou, O sleeper ?

2010-04-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

Luke 11:30
For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.

Jonah 1:3-6
But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.
Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.
So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”

Jonas 1:11
And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”

Mark 4:1
And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.

Mark 4:35-40
On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

Luke 11:32-33
The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light...

Luke 11:35
Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.

"The evidence of faith is rest" -- David Wilkerson (Author of "The Cross and the Switchblade")
~THE WITNESS~
The story is of a prophet in a boat running from his witness to sinners and also of our savior in a boat because His witness to sinners was magnificently vast. Both could sleep soundly, even as the boat they were in faced certain disaster. Both had a faith that could calm the very sea. Both carried the light of the Holy Spirit. One had His light under a basket to keep a nation in darkness, and the other had His light on a lamp stand to bring the nations into the light.
What about us? Are we truly agents of the light or heaven forbid, of the darkness? Beloved, don't we realize that this great tempest we are now in, is here because of our disobedience in our witness of Him? Wake up; throw off the basket which covers our witness for Christ. Only then, will the sea become calm again. In the end, Jonah ("Dove" in Hebrew), allowed the light of the Holy Spirit to shine and a nation was saved. Being lead by the Holy Spirit in our daily witness of Jesus Christ is our leap into the deep of a great light. That light is truly the hope for our nation and the world.
~Chris

So, we are left asking, why would a person filled with the Holy Spirit choose to leave a nation in darkness ? Perhaps it is because Jonah was a prophet, who understood what the Ninevites meant to the future of Israel. He was looking for God to utterly destroy the Ninevites.... to save Israel. Ninevah, a city so large it took 3 days to walk across it, was the capitol of Assyria. The Assyrians would be responsible for the slaughter, deportation and scattering of the 10 tribes of northern Israel. Jonah must have baulked at the very idea that God could have compassion on such people. But who can know the mind of God ? Jesus came saying love your enemies and do good to those who persecute you. In truth, Israel’s calamity was brought on by her own rebellion... but even in that, God would later use the scattering of His beloved people to spread the gospel of Christ to all the world.

The Lords Home

2010-01-08T04:38:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 66:1-2
Thus says the LORD,
"Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool
Where then is a house you could build for Me?
And where is a place that I may rest?
"For My hand made all these things,
Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD
"But to this one I will look,
To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.

Luke 9:58
Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

1 Peter 2:4-6
As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:
"See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame."

~ THE HEART OF GOD ~
It's been said that home is where the heart is. His love for us is so deep, He gave his only Son that we might have salvation through Him. Today's footprint is to read Isaiah 66:1-2 again. "To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word."... upon such a one will the Spirit of the Lord rest. May His Spirit rest upon His people forever more.
~Chris

Newness

2009-12-31T07:41:00.000-08:00

Revelation 21:5
He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"

Ezekiel 11:19
I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them;

Ezekiel 36:26
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Romans 6:4
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Romans 7:6
But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

~A NEW YOU FOR A NEW YEAR~
A new beginning. What a blessing newness is. Our father offers new beginnings for those who trust in Him. Today's Footprint is to turn our hearts toward the creator of fresh new beginnings. May we once again have an undivided heart in this country and a new spirit.
~Chris~

The Looking Glass

2009-11-11T16:31:00.000-08:00

Job 37:18
Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?

Psalm 97:6
The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.

Psalm 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Psalm 50:6
And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself.

1 Corinthians 13:12
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

James 1:23-24
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

Romans 1:20
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

~AN IMAGE IN STAINED GLASS~
Beloved, God can be seen. His righteousness, glory, and handywork are visable through the magical molten looking glass. It surrounds us and sustains us as we breath in and out every moment of our lives. But do we see Him, or are we hearers only, who merely see ourselves through the glass. Today's footprint is to seek Him. We pray for clearer vision, that the stain might be removed from the glass we peer through.
~Chris

Heavenly Health Insurance

2009-11-06T16:14:00.000-08:00

Romans 7: 22-25
For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Romans 8: 10-16
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

2 Corinthians 11:24-30Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

2 Corinthians 12:8-9
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
~THE SINGLE PAYER SOLUTION~
An insurance policy that does not take into account a pre-existing condition, will never reject the applicant, is a participating plan of the greatest physician ever, covers all aliens by grafting them into the group, never a deductible or co-payment and is fully paid for - forever more. The only requirement, is to trust in the plan, even when things seem lost. Today's footprint, is to sign up today.... family coverage recommended.
~Chris~

Difficulty

2009-10-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

Lamentations 3:24-25
The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

Romans 8:16
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

Romans 8:37
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

Jeremiah 32:27
Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

~TRIALS IN LIFE ~
Though our earthly trials seem severe at times, our Lord loves us and carries us in His hands. Nothing is too difficult for the Lord, and (Romans 8:39) "... nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. "
~Chris

The Might and Power of the Spirit

2009-10-08T17:29:00.000-07:00

Zechariah 4: 5-6
Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be ? And I said, No my Lord
Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.

John 18: 11
Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

Matthew 26: 53
Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?

Psalm 17: 8
Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,...

Psalm 57: 1
Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

Isaiah 40: 31
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Exodus 19:4
Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.

~MEEKNESS IN THE SPIRIT OF GOD~
We are a proud people, who are independent and self reliant. Our personal and national strength have carried us through the centuries. We have taken matters into our own hands, fought our great wars, and earned our freedom. We live in peace, in a land of unwalled cities, secure in knowing that our strength has made it so.... or has it.

Our ways are in fact, disobedient. Yet, God's wings, not ours, have covered this people. Of ourselves, we can do little, our very breath is His gift to us and not of our own doing. (Isaiah 10:17) And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame.

Today's footprint... in God we are light and we can do all things through Christ the flame, who strengthens us. But left to our own strength.... without the flame, the light goes out.... perish the thought.
~Chris

The Threshing Floor

2009-09-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

Genesis 22:2
Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

Genesis 22:7
"The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

Genesis 22:8
Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.

John 1:36
And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
_______________________________________________________
1 Chronicles 21:1
Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.

1 Chronicles 21:16
Then David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. So David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces. And David said to God, “Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered?"

1 Chronicles 21:28
At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there.
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2 Chronicles 3:1
Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
_______________________________________________________
Ruth 3:6-9
So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her. And after Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet. And he said, “Who are you?” So she answered, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative.”
_______________________________________________________
~THE PLACE OF MERCY~
The Threshing floor of Ornan is the place where Abraham would have sacrificed Issac and where God showed mercy, by providing His son for all instead. It is the place where God showed mercy to David, staying His hand against him. It is the place where the mercy seat of God was placed in the holy of holies, and continues as the focal point of three major religions today. Boaz showed mercy to Ruth through her humility on a threshing floor.
The threshing floor is used to separate grain from the chaff. Luke 3:17 (His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn;). Our God is a merciful God. He has given us His Son, who died for us at the very door of Mount Moriah, the threshing floor of Ornan. Our footstep today, is to take stock of our path. Is our life producing the fruit that walking with Jesus brings forth, or chaff which will amount to nothing.
~Chris

The Highway of Holiness

2009-09-09T16:25:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 35: 8
And a highway will be there,
a roadway,
And it will be called, " the highway
of holiness."

~ THE NARROW WAY ~
Jesus tells us, (Luke 13:24) "Strive to enter through the narrow gate". Those who enter the narrow gate, bear all things, hope all things, believe all things, and in the end, put others before themselves. Today's footstep, is to step upon the highway of holiness and walk the narrow way all the days that life offers.
~ Chris

Number Our Days

2009-08-29T17:23:00.000-07:00

Psalm 90:12
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Proverbs 14:33
Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding.

Philippians 4: 8
Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
~ UNDERSTANDING WISDOM ~
Applying our hearts to wisdom requires a heart of understanding.... but can that foundation be set if we close ourselves to the words of our Lord ? It comes down to what we fill our time with, or put another way, how we number our days. He will teach us how to number them to gain wisdom, if we're open to Him. Today's step is to number our days well, so we may gain understanding which forms the foundation of wisdom.
~Chris

Patient Waiting

2009-08-28T18:04:00.000-07:00

2 Thessalonians 3:4-5
And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
~ DIRECT YOUR HEARTS ~
To direct our hearts into the love of God, is an act of our will. We direct our hearts and we wait patiently for the return of Jesus. Today's step is to choose to turn our hearts to Him.
~ Chris

The Goshen Effect

2009-07-20T18:17:00.000-07:00

Exodus 8:22
'But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live;

Exodus 1: 13 - 14
So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.

Exodus 1: 15 - 16
Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; and he said, "When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”

Exodus 14:11-13
Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.” And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.

Exodus 16: 2 - 4
Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.

Numbers 11: 4 - 6
Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”
~IN SERVICE TO PROSPERITY AND COMFORT~When the children of Israel were free, they still looked over their shoulder at what they had in Egypt. Even though it meant the sacrifice of their own children, rigorous toil, bitterness and bondage, they called for a return to Egypt. Why ? Was it some perverse sense of satisfaction, sameness, or even security provided by the Pharaoh. God called them to a new freedom, as He calls us even today. In a world marked by abortion, moral decay, economic collapse, and a false sense of government sponsored "welfare".... do we not choose bondage over freedom still ? Have we turned back to Egypt ? Do we know what real freedom is ? It's not about our comfort or prosperity, it's about trust in Him, no matter what. Oh, how God is calling us to it. (Genesis 6:3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh;...). Today, resolve to walk tall and free. Seek to know true freedom in the Lord.

How should we walk ?

LIFE, LIBERTY and the pursuit of HAPPINESS

LIBERATE LIVES and pursue HOLINESS.
~Chris

Purpose

2009-07-08T18:49:00.000-07:00

Job 33:4
The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

Isaiah 38:18
For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

Psalm 17:14
From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.

Exodus 18:15
Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will.

Deuteronomy 4:29
But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

~ REASON FOR BEING ~
Why are we here at this time in history ? Is there a reason ? Why are we here at all ? Of ourselves there is no answer, but there is provision for finding the answer. Look to the source. If there is a creation, is there not a creator who created it ? Feel the very air you breath. Was it not created for you, for this moment ? Seek Him and you shall find the one who gave you your very life. Give Him thanks, lending your hands to Him here on earth. Do good for others with your life, by leading them also to seek God's will in their lives. Then you will know why now, why at all. You will begin a walk with purpose in your steps. You will find God's propitiation for our lost ways, and through Jesus, His great love for us. You will find your purpose through Him.
~ Chris

Sound Doctrine

2009-06-30T17:23:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 4: 1 - 3
I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

John 14:16-17
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

John 16:13
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.

Luke 24:45
Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

1 Timothy 4:16
Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

Titus 2:1
You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.

John 17:17
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

~ THE FREEDOM ONLY TRUTH GIVES ~
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32 ).
We surround ourselves with what we desire to believe (we tune to either FOX or NBC for a reason). We even teach what we wish to believe. But is it the truth ? To be sure, there is truth, as certainly as there are lies. The truth comes to us through learning, by reproval, rebuking, exhorting, perseverance, teaching and so much more. Truth comes through the Holy Spirit, by guiding, understanding, openness to the scripture. As Timothy says, "pay close attention to yourself", in what you understand to be true and what you teach others to be true. Believe and teach sound doctrine from His Holy Word, and likewise lead others. This is the work of an evangelist and our ministry to others. Todays FootPrint, is to consider this ... if the "The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him", how closely are we alligned with what the world believes, and how closely are we alligned with the truth ? The Holy Spirit will guide you if you open your mind to Him.

~Chris

Polished like Lapis Lazuli - Sapphire

2009-06-21T04:28:00.000-07:00

Exodus 24:9 - 10
Then Moss went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.

Lamentations 4:7 (New American standard)
Her consecrated ones were purer than snow,
They were whiter than milk;
They were more ruddy in body than corals,
Their polishing was like lapis lazuli.
Lamentations 4:7 (King James)
Her Nazarites were purer than snow,
they were whiter than milk,
they were more ruddy in body than rubies,
their polishing was of saphire;

Judges 13: 3
Then the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman, and said to her, "Behold now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son. "Now therefore be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. "For behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel, from the hands of the Philistines."

Acts 24: 2
And after Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying to the governor,....
Acts 24: 5
.... "For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.

Matthew 2: 23
"He shall be called a Nazarene."

Matthew 17: 2
And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.

~ THE WAY OF THE NAZARENE ~
They were the consecrated ones of old,
They were the ruddy ones mourned over in Lamentations,
They were great judges (Samson),
They were polished as saphire (clear as the sky itself),
They were fearless under pressure (Paul),
They were thorns in the side of an unbelieving world,
They were as pure as white hot light,
They were leaders of men,
They were deliverers of Israel,
They were the Nazarenes and,
The way of the Nazarene is the way of Christ.

~Chris

"All In" living

2009-06-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

Luke 1: 38
And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me acording to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Ester 4: 16
"Go assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish."

Genesis 38: 25 - 26
It was while she was being brought out that she sent to her father-in-law, saying, "I am with child by the man to whom these things belong." And she said, "Please examine and see, whose signet ring and cords, and staff are these ?" And Judah recognized them and said, "She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah."

Daniel 6: 16
Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions' den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you."

Matthew 14: 8
And having been prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist"

Mark 14: 36
And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt."

Hebrews 12: 4
You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;

~TOTALLY COMMITTED LIVES, PUT ON THE LINE FOR US~
Mary, all in - (obedience to Gods will) - through which came our savior.
Ester, all in - (saved her people) - through which came our savior.
Tamar, all in - (carried on her deceased husbands name) - through which came our savior.
Daniel, all in - (kept God's people true to Him in exile) - through which came our savior.
John, all in - (prepared the way) - through which came our savior.
Jesus, all in - (our savior, for us) - through which comes our salvation.
Us, ?? - (spreading the good news) - through which our savior is proclaimed to the world.

We are called as Christian people to resist sin even to the point of our very blood being shed. As we set this FootPrint down are we "all in" for Him ?
~Chris

Cultivating the Garden

2009-06-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

Genesis 2: 8
And the Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden....

Song of Solomon 4: 16
"Awake, O north wind,
And come, wind of the south;
Make my garden breath out fragrance,
Let its spices be wafted abroad.
May my beloved come into his garden
And eat its choice fruits!"

Matthew 13: 24 - 25
He presented another parable to them, saying, " The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. "But while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away...

Luke 22: 44
And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. And when He rose from prayer, He came to His disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow.

John 19: 41
Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden;

~ OUR PLACE IN THE GARDEN ~
A place of nurturing,
A place prayer,
A place of comfort,
that requires great care.
Through patient toil
removing the weeds
working with the soil
all while on our knees.

Dare we sleep instead of doing the work in the garden. Todays FootPrint is to give thanks for the garden in our life and to work the soil of it. Through the work of the master gardener, Jesus, we will eat of the tree of life and the goodness of it, that God has waiting for us.~Chris

The Forgiven Ones

2009-06-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

Can He forgive the man whose watchingalways counting those to blamefor not heeding what he saw,until the hour of his own shame ?
Isaiah 58: 6 -
Is this not the fast which I chose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free,
And break every yoke ?
"Is it not to divide your bread
with the hungry,
And bring the homeless poor
into the house;
When you see the naked, to
cover him;
And not to hide yourself from
your own flesh ?
"Then your light will break out
like the dawn.
And your recovery will speedily
spring forth;
And your righteousness will
go before you;
The glory of the Lord will be
your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the
Lord will answer;
You will cry, and He will say,
'Here I am.'
If you remove the yoke from
your midst,
The pointing of the finger, and
speaking wickedness,
And if you give yourself to the
hungry,
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in
darkness,
And your gloom will become
like midday,
"And the Lord will continually
guide you,
And satisfy your desire in
scorched places,
And give strength to your
bones;
And you will be like a watered
garden,
And like a spring of water
whose waters do not fail.

Romans 14: 12 - 13
So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another any more, but rather determine this -- not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way.

Ephesians 4: 32
And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

~ A NEW HEART AND A FRESH START ~
A forgiven heart is a heart that can get back in the race. Todays FootPrint is forgiveness, because it is as we forgive, that we ourselves are also forgiven.
~Chris

Marriage - Two into One

2009-06-09T18:27:00.000-07:00

John 2: 1 - 2
And on the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there; and Jesus also was invited, and His disciples, to the wedding.

Hebrews 13: 4
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled;

1 Thessalonians 4: 7- 8
For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but to sanctification. Consequently, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

Revelation 19: 7
"Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready."

Psalms 46: 10
"Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

~ MARRIAGE, SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW ~
Jesus began His ministry with a marriage, and our eternity begins with a marriage feast. Marriage is divinely structured by God for our societal benefit. Marriage is ordained by God because it is a ministry to the family. Marriage is a reflection of God, in our relationship with Jesus, who gave all He had for our sake. God changes not (Malachi 3:6), let marriage therefore be held in honor unchanged, something as old as time itself, and something as new as a young couple made ready at the alter before our Lord.
~ Chris

Touching the Flame

2009-06-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

Malachi 3: 3
And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness.

Deuteronomy 4: 35 - 36
"To you it was shone that you might know that the Lord, He is God; there is no other besides Him. "Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire...

Isaiah 10: 17
And the light of Israel will become a fire and his Holy One a flame.

Acts 2: 3
And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.

1 Thessalonians 5:19
Do not quench the Spirit;

Habakkuk 2:13
Has not the LORD Almighty determined that the people's labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing ?

Matthew 17: 2
And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.

Revelation 21: 23
And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

~ SHINE LIKE THE SON ~
The glory of God illuminates the truth for our life, and lights our way. The lamp, the light in our life, is to be put on the lampstand (Mat 4:21). Todays FootPrint, is to find the flame that is the passion of our faith in Him, grab hold of it, and pass the tourch to others. May we be refined and purified in the process.
~ Chris

Temptations fall

2009-05-31T18:54:00.000-07:00

Matthew 4: 3 - 4
And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.' "
(No Reserve)

Matthew 4: 5 - 6
Then the devil took Him into the holy city; and he stood Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will give His Angels charge concerning You; And on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.' " Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God.' "
(No Retreat)
Matthew 4: 8 - 9
Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory; and he said to Him, "All these things will I give You, if You fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Begone Satan ! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him alone.' "
(No Regrets)

~ No Reserve, No Retreat, No Regrets
In memory of William Borden (these three word sets from Bordens Bible describing his walk with the Lord, 1887 - 1913). Jesus fought off tempation through a deciplined focus on the Father. William Borden applied a principled live to focus on Jesus. Today's Footprint, is the rememberance of great Christians who blazed the trail before us. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Whiting_Borden
~ Chris

Gods death defying escapes

2009-05-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

Psalms 68: 20
God is to us a God of deliverance; And to God the Lord belong escapes from death.

Hebrews 11: 5
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found because God took him up.

Luke 9: 27
"But I tell you truly, there are some of those standing here who shall not taste death until they see the kingdom of God."

Revelation 11: 3
"And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."

Deuteronomy 34: 5 - 6
So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Bethpeor; But no man knows his burial place to this day.

Romans 5: 8
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Philippians 1: 21
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

~ CHRIST DIED IN OUR PLACE SO WE CAN ESCAPE ~
It's been said that death is a certainty of life's journey. But perhaps our understanding of this certainty, is flawed. The Lord, has swallowed death in victory. Though it has been appointed once for man to die (Heb 9:27), He has allowed a means of escape. Enoch it appears simply stepped off the earth with God.

Is it possible the two end-time witnesses (Rev 11:3), have also eluded death these 2 thousand years, having been here among us all along? Did they witness the very life of Jesus to give the world an eye witness end-time accounting, reserved for that time when all faith seems lost (Luke 9: 27) ?

Moses was buried by Gods own hands, and the place of it has escaped discovery.

Jesus Christ however provides us with the ultimate death defying escape. He took our place and offers us the escape as a gift.

Today's Footprint is the gain of the gift. As Paul says, to die in the Lord is gain... that is because we are going home to Him. Going home to Life! O death where is thy victory (1 Cor 15:55) ?
~ Chris

Building the Temple

2009-05-23T05:30:00.000-07:00

The foundation of this church was dug by hand (by volunteers).

Zechariah 8: 9
"Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'Let your hands be strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the prophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, to the end that the temple might be built...

Ezra 3: 11
And they sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord saying, "For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever." And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.

1 Timothy 6: 18
Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

Isaiah 28: 16
Therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.

John 2: 19
Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

Luke 6: 47 - 48
"Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood arose, the river burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built...

1 Corinthians 3: 16
Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you ? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy and that is what you are.

~ A FOUNDATION TO BUILD YOUR TEMPLE UPON ~
~The people shouted when the foundation of the temple was laid. They understood, it was the foundation their entire national future would be built upon. Do we not all build upon the foundation of our individual lives ? Dig deep, test the stones you lay in your foundation. Build it upon the rock that doesn't move, so that the life built upon it, will not be disturbed. Such a foundation is truely a treasure, so shout as they did, that your foundation is strong. Remember the cornerstone of your life is Jesus, which is a costly stone, paid for dearly. Build the temple of your life, which is a holy offering, and where the Holy Spirit will dwell, with reverence. Build it upon a firm foundation. Give thanks and praise to our Lord, taking hold always of that which is life indeed. Our Lord has done a marvellous thing.
~ Chris

The economy of the Lord

2009-05-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

Deuteronomy 23: 19
You shall not charge interest to your countrymen; interest on money, food, or anything that may be loaned at interest

Prov 28: 16
But he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.

Prov 29: 4
The king gives stability to the land by justice, But a man who takes bribes overthrows it.

Lev 25: 13 - 17
On this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his own property. If you make a sale, moreover, to your friend, or buy from your friend's hand, you shall not wrong one another. Corresponding to the number of years after the jubilee, you shall buy from your friend; he is to sell to you according to the number of years of crops. In proportion to the extent of the years you shall increase its price, and in proportion to the fewness of years, you shall diminish its price; for it is a number of crops he is selling to you. So you shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God. You shall thus observe My statutes, and keep My judgements, so as to carry them out, that you may live securely on the land.

2 Th 3: 10
For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone will not work, neither let him eat. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.

Malachi 3: 10

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the Lord of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until there is no more need....

Acts 3: 6
But Peter said, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you; In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene -- walk!" And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened.

Proverbs 3: 13-15
How blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding. For its profit is better than the profit of silver,
And its gain than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels;
And nothing you desire compares with her.

~ THE ECOMONY THAT HELPS ALL ~
Charge no interest, take no interest, lend for the good of others, return to your property when the year of jubilee arrives, price your land according to the nearness or farness from the year of jubilee. Do no wrong, take no bribes, take only just gain, respect God in every transaction, work and don't waste time. Give back as God has given. With typically one jubilee year in a generation, the result was, no dept (nor passing it to the next generation), no excessive wealth, no inflation, no depression, no class envy, less poverty, living in peace and stability securely on the land. Gods promise comes with this, "blessing until there is no more need", what more could we want ? The Footprint today, money which has the potential for good or much evil, should be kept in perspective. We can't take it with us, and it is better to give than receive.
~ Chris

Them Dry Bones

2009-05-16T20:55:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 17: 22
A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Ezekiel 37: 1 -3
The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. And He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo they were very dry. And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live ?"

Ezekiel 37:11
Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off."

Ezekiel 37: 14
And I will put My Spirit within you, and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land.

Psalm 147 : 2 - 3
The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted, And binds up their wounds.

~ WHEN OUR SPIRIT IS MADE WHOLE AGAIN ~
Can our spirit, once broken, be made whole again ? An entire nation, cut off from God, in the loneliest of places, nothing left at all. This is our condition without Him, our spirit broken. But our God heals the brokenhearted, He stands in our place and puts His spirit within us. He revives an entire rebellious nation back to life. Today's Footprint, is to know that ..... (Psalm 147: 5 - 6) Great is our Lord, and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite. The Lord supports the afflicted, and brings down the wicked to the ground....
Can these bones live ? Rejoice, with His Spirit within us, they can indeed.
~Chris

~ The valley
Psalm 23:4
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Isaiah 22:1-2
The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?
Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.

Isaiah 63:13-15
That led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble?
As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD caused him to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name.
Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained?

Joel 3:14
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

Rest in Him

2009-05-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

1 Cor 3: 16
Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you ?

Mat 6: 26
Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they ?

Mat 11: 28
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.

~YOU WHO ARE WORTH MUCH ~
Heavy laden hearts weary of the race, remember God keeps us, dwells in us, has walked this way before us. There is a rest for our souls, that begins with learning from Him our true value. Todays Footprint is to step in His.
~ Chris

Work that matters to Him

2009-05-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

Colossians 3: 23
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men;

John 5: 16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.

~ GLORIFY YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER ~
No matter what you do for work, doing the job well matters. It brings honor to you before men, and brings glory to God through your good works. Todays Footprint is to have joy in the work you do, as you do it for Him.
~Chris

The great day for Mothers

2009-05-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

Genesis 3: 16
In pain you shall bring forth children.

Genesis 4: 1
Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain...

Genesis 18: 12
And Sarah laughed to herself. saying, "After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also ?" And the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?' "Is anything too difficult for the Lord ?"

Genesis 35: 16 - 18
and when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe labor. And it came about when she was in severe labor that the midwife said to her. "Do not fear, for now you have another son." And it came about as her soul departed (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni;

Luke 1: 38
And Mary said, "Behold , the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Luke 2: 6 - 7
And it came about that while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2: 34 - 35
And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed -- and a sword will pierce even your own soul -- to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."

John 19: 25
... But there were standing by the cross of Jesus His mother...

Isaiah 53: 12
Therefore, I will allot Him a potion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death.

Rev 21: 4
"...and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning , or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

~ BEHOLD YOUR MOTHER ~
First in pain, first in shame, first in doubt, first in labor, first in humility, first in loss, first to be pierced, first in anguish, first in understanding, having poured themselves out for love, even to death, as our Lord Himself has done. Will not their tears be first to be dried and their joy first to be made full on that great day when the first things pass away ?(John 19: 27) Then He said to the disciples, "Behold , your mother!"
~Chris .

National Day of Prayer

2009-05-07T19:24:00.000-07:00

Mathew 7: 24 - 27
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Exodus: 20: 1 - 2
Then God spoke all these words, saying, I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other Gods before Me.

~ In Albany N.Y, the capital city of New York State. During worship on a cloudy National Day of Prayer, at the foot of the capital building, when the song turned to the glory of Gods creation, the sky suddenly opened and the sun shone on the people, several hundred strong. There were gasps and excited exclamations of how God was using the sun to shine blessing on His people.
Later in the program, the organizers set up for the politicians speeches. The American flag was set in place for the pledge of allegiance. Again there was a suddenness, this time from the wind. It blew the American flag flat to the ground. There was momentary stunned silence as the organizers, duck tape in hand rushed to the rescue. No one spoke of God using the wind.
What just happened ? Did the Holy Spirit indeed shine grace on His people gathered there, and later spurn the Country of this people when the flag fell ? Was it such a statement, emanating from New York's capital, the author of many national policies in opposition to Christian values and ethics. Have we as Christians, misplaced our devotion ? Do we really have no other Gods before us ? We love our country, we love our flag, we honor those lost with deep passion. Do we love God more ? Our country, flag and passion for those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, if all are removed, will we still love and show honor to God ? Is it too difficult when God disciplines the country of our birth, that we love so dearly ? Today, did the Spirit Shine the light of His grace and tip the flag, or can we only bear to acknowledge the former but not the later. The difficult Footprint today, is knowing that God is over all other authority. He sets up and tears down. Our founders knew it. On this day of prayer, let us pray that we understand it too and through His grace, the goodness of this country, He will maintain for His glory. May we come to the place where the wind blows and the house stands.
~ Chris

The value of Him

2009-05-05T17:32:00.000-07:00

Zechariah 11: 10-12 (Old Testament)(10) And I took my staff, Favor, and cut it in pieces, to break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples.
(11) So it was broken on that day; and thus the afflicted of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word of the Lord.
(12) And I said to them, "If it is good in your sight, give me my wages, but if not, never mind! " So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages.
(13) Then the Lord said to me, "Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them." So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord.
(14) Then I cut my second staff, Union, in pieces, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

Matthew 27: 5 (New Testament)And he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed;
Matthew 27: 7
And they counseled together and with the money bought the Potter's Field...

~ FAVOR AND UNION ~
How wonderful is the Lord our shepherd, who allows us to find Favor once again in Him, that He may lead us with that Holy staff. Union also, will find her place once again in the Shepherd's hand.

(Hebrews 8: 8 ) "Behold, Days are coming, says the Lord, when I will effect a new covenant with the House of Israel and with the house of Judah."

Our God, who scattered Israel across the earth, will bring brotherhood to the nations through her, and brotherhood with Judah, He will also reestablish. He will remember our sins no more. Our every footstep, purchased by our Lord.
~ Chris

The Angel who has redeemed

2009-05-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

Genesis 48: 15-16
And he blessed Joseph, and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; And may my name live on in them, And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

Isaiah 63: 8-9
For He Said, "Surely, they are My people. Sons who will not deal falsely." So He became their Savior. In all their affliction He was afflicted. And the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them; And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.

~ THE ANGEL OF HIS PRESENCE ~
~ The God of our fathers has redeemed us with His presence here on earth. When we are weak, He is strong. Our Footprints disappear when we are carried by Him, as He carried our ancestors so long ago.
~ Chris

Untroubled Hearts

2009-05-03T18:32:00.000-07:00

Psalm 8: 2
From the mouth of infants and nursing babes Thou hast established strength.

1 Peter 2: 2
like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

Matthew 11: 25
" I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes."

Mark 10: 14
" Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."
~ UNTROUBLED HEARTS - FRESH FROM GOD ~
The greatest gift in my life has been in linking the ancient story and the children's stories to my own. In accepting the linkage, God has ministered to my unsure heart with the gift of hearts untroubled.
~Diane Komp M.D. Pediatric Oncologist, Yale University School of Medicine
(Window to Heaven)

Groanings too deep for words

2009-05-01T19:04:00.000-07:00

Romans 8: 26 - 27
And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Romans 8: 16
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

Luke 22: 41 - 43
And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and began to pray, saying, "Father if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done." Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.

~ INTERCESSION IN PRAYER ~
~ Words unspoken, feelings inexpressible, searching hearts, lonely anguish... such is the condition of human prayer. What a wonderful God who searches our heart, comforts us, strengthens us as His children with heavenly presence, and bears witness of our deepest longings. Footprints of prayer today for you. When we pray, we are never alone, with the Spirit bearing witness with our own.
~ Chris

Hidden Things

2009-04-30T18:35:00.000-07:00

Daniel 2: 20-23
Daniel answered and said, "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him. And it is He who changes the times and epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, And knowledge to men of understanding. "It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him. To Thee, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise.
~ HE CHANGES THE TIMES AND EPOCHS ~
~ God knows the hidden things, the things hidden even in the hearts of people. He can reveal a matter or keep it hidden from men. (see Phil 3: 15). Trust in His ways and lean not on your own understanding. (see Prov 3: 5)

Flee or Faith

2009-04-29T17:42:00.000-07:00

Psalm 138: 8
The Lord will accomplish what concerns me: Thy lovingkindness, O Lord is everlasting.

John 15: 9
Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.

John 15: 13
Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
~ Flee or Faith ~
Come, let us walk in faith. His love for us is everlasting, and He is inviting us to abide with Him in His love. Lifes plan will be accomplished, so turn not from the greatest love humanity has ever know. Todays footprint is the step of faith.
~ Chris

Knit together

2009-04-28T17:47:00.000-07:00

1 Samuel 18: 1
Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself.

1 Samuel 20: 42
And Jonathan said to David, "Go in safety, inasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the Lord, saying, 'The Lord will be between me and you, and between my decendants and your decendants forever'."

Rev 3: 20
'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; If any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me."
~ KNIT TOGETHER - THE LORD BETWEEN THEM ~
~ Jonathan accepted David as heir to the throne of Israel and Judah over even himself. He angered his father Saul to the point where his own father tied to kill him, at the very idea of David on the throne. Jonathan was knit to David, and with the Lord between them, he saw David through the eyes of God. He willingly humbled himself giving up his own throne to his friend so that the will of God could prevail. Shortly thereafter, Jonathan died side by side with his father in battle. While David showed us the greatness of a true king, Jonathan showed us the greatness of a true friend. When Jesus knocks today, let us willing offer to Him the throne of our lives, for His greater purpose. Knit the Lord into our friendships today, so that we may see them as He does.
~ Chris

Complete joy

2009-04-27T17:43:00.000-07:00

1 John 1: 4 - 5
And these things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

3 John 1: 4
I have no greater joy than this, to hear my children walking in the truth.

Nehemiah 8: 10
Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Psalm 66: 1
Shout joyfully to God , all the earth.
~ COMPLETE JOY ~
Lord today, let us walk in Your truth and light. Whatever our trials, utterly overcome our darkness, let us be strong, and complete us, your children, by filling us with joy. The very earth shouts for the joy of You.
~ Chris

Voice of The Lord

2009-04-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

Genesis 3: 8
And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day...
~THE VOICE OF THE LORD GOD ~
~ remember when every breath we drew was Hallelujah ~
~Leonard Cohen

Hearts of Men

2009-04-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

2 Chronicles 6: 29-30
... whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Thy people Israel, each knowing his own affliction, and his own pain, and spreading his hands toward this house, then hear Thou from heaven Thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart Thou knowest for Thou alone dost know the hearts of the sons of men.
~ THE HEARTS OF MEN
~God alone knows the hearts of people. That's why we must leave the judgement of others up to Him. No one knows what's in the heart of another except Him. ~
~ Chris

All Live to Him

2009-04-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

Exodus 3:2
And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blasing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.

Luke 20: 37 -38
But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls, the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to Him.
~ ALL LIVE TO HIM ~
Every breath we breath comes from our living God. He is the God of the living, death has been swallowed up in victory (see - 1 Cor 15: 54). Today, let us live lives of victory, for we are not consumed. We have a redeemer who loves us so much that He even died in our place.
~ Chris

Righteousness

2009-04-21T18:09:00.000-07:00

Genesis 15: 5-6
And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall your decendants be."
Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
~ RIGHTEOUSNESS ~
God reckoned Abrahams belief in His word as righteousness. When we believe in the words He gives us, it is an act of righteousness. (Mat 13:43) - "Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father."
~Chris

Justice

2009-04-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

Amos 5: 14-15

Seek good and not evil, that you may live;
and thus may the Lord God of hosts be with you,
just as you have said!
Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate!
Perhaps the Lord God of hosts may be gracious to the remnant of Joseph."
~JUSTICE~
Our God is a God of love...
but also a God of justice. Rather than a court system, in those days
the elders of the city would sit at the gate to the city and listen
to the people with a grievance with another. They would pass judgment on the matter. The remnant of Joseph are the offspring of Ephraim and Manasseh.
Two names to remember, two names that changed everything. ~Chris

Pruning Hooks

2009-04-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 2:4
And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares,and their spears into pruning hooks, Nations will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.

Ancient of Days

2009-04-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

Daniel 7:13-14

I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like the Son of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him
And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples nations,
and men of every language
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His Kingdom is one
which will not be destroyed.