False prophets

False prophets are everywhere on Facebook, writing their "words from the Lord". God led me to scripture this morning after I saw another false "word from the Lord" last night on FB. The second time I see a similar word from the Lord from two different "prophetesses" in 18 days.

It seems like the message they want to get out there is for us to not pray so much, because one "word from the Lord" said to stop asking God for things, He already knows what we need, so stop asking (I wrote about that in my previous blog entry, click the link to read it) and the other "word from the Lord" from another "prophetess" said that God says we do not have faith and we show it by our actions and our words, because we keep asking for the same thing over and over again.

Well that contradicts scripture because in Matthew 7:7-12 Jesus tells us to keep on asking, keep on knocking and to keep on searching and the door will be opened. Also the parable of the judge and the persistant widow tells us to keep on asking, to basically pester God in prayer! :)

The Bible also tells us to pray unceasingly!

There seems to be a common thread in certain "words from the Lord"...to pray less, stop asking.

So this morning after prayer, God led me to Jeremiah 8:8 and the last part of that scripture jumped at me.

Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood.

 

These "prophetesses" are writing false words from the Lord.

Stay in prayer and keep on reading your Bibles saints! How else will we discern the lies from the truth? The devil is sending a message through these false prophets that we should cut down on prayer. If he could have his way he would prefer we do not pray at all! God bless you who read this. ♥

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’”

Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

Luke 18:1-8 

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"How can you say, 'We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us'?

Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood.

Jeremiah 8:8

Keep asking

Someone has a "word from the Lord" that says we should stop asking for things, He has already taken care of everything concerning us.

Jesus said we should keep knocking, keep searching, keep asking and the door will be opened for us, God will answer our prayers. I know God knows our needs before we even ask, but will He tell us to stop asking for things when Jesus said to keep on asking?

Whose report shall we believe? We shall believe the Report of the Lord!

“Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them—this is the Law and the Prophets.
~•Matthew 7:7-12

In the Name of Jesus Christ

I've heard it preached that you cannot just go up to someone and cast out devils, that you need that person's permission first, because the spirit in operation has legal rights to possessing that person because of the sins in their life.

Well when I read in Acts 16, I see a totally different thing happening.

A woman was following Paul and the others around.  She was a fortune-teller and possessed by a spirit of divination.  She kept on crying out that these men were servants of the Most High God proclaiming to them the way to salvation.  Now imagine yourself in Paul's position...here you are proclaiming the good news to the people and there is this woman constantly shouting, being a distraction, a disturbance.  See how the devil tries to hinder God's work?

Paul was greatly annoyed and turned around and commanded the devil to leave her!  He did not first ask her if she wanted to be delivered, he just cast that devil out!  There is power in the Name of Jesus.

In the Name of Jesus Christ!

Hallelujah!  Amen.

When God punishes a nation

God led me in His word these last couple of days, even bringing me back to the same passage in Ezekiel 21...I knew God wanted to show me something, so I read and I re-read and it dawned on me...when God punishes a nation, he punishes both the righteous and the wicked. The Lord's sword comes against everyone when He punishes a nation.

"and say to it: This is what the Lord says: I am against you. I will draw My sword from its sheath and cut off both the righteous and the wicked from you." 

~•Ezekiel 21:3

That's why I believe we should pray fervently for our nations, our leaders.

Abba Yahweh is a merciful God, that is why He relents His punishment when the nation repents of their sin.  God's word tells us to pray for our leaders.  Even if you don't agree with the leader of your country or don't even like him, that does not matter, what matters is that you pray for him.  If the leader of your country is your enemy, Jesus says love them, pray for them, bless them!
Not curse them like I see so many doing online and then I'm speaking about Christians!  Are they not reading the Word of God or are they reading, but ignoring some of the Word of God?

Folks, if we don't love our enemies, we're in trouble.  We can't even love those in our family, how then can we love our enemies?  We seriously need to check our hearts and get right with God.  Pray and ask Him to clean up our hearts and to fill it with His love for all people.  He will do it!
We are to be a LIGHT to this dark world, not part of the darkness.

Abba

The word Abba in Hebrew means Father.  In my first language, Afrikaans, the word abba means to piggyback, to be carried on someone's back and shoulders.

That is just so much like our Heavenly Father, our Abba, carrying us through all our troubles in life.  It reminds me of Footprints in the Sand.

And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"

~•Galatians 4:6

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."

~•Romans 8:15

~•Footprints in the Sand•~

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,
"You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during
the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one
set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied,
"The times when you have seen only one set of footprints,
is when I carried you."

Copyright © 1984 Mary Stevenson

~

 

Bless and be blessed

Christians, when your enemies revile you, do not revile back.  Rather bless them!  Bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that persecute you.  And if we must do this for our enemies, how much more when the reviling is coming from Christians.  We have been called to be a blessing, so that we can receive the blessings of God.  (When I wrote that on a Christian page, a meanie Christian 'yelled' at me that it is not in the Bible, that I must have gotten that line from a prosperity pastor's book! lol ;) ) That verse (1 Peter 3:9) I was gleaning that from, is talking about temporal and spiritual blessings.

God promises us in His word that He will provide our needs.  God blesses us also spiritually with peace of mind, our sins forgiven and assurance that we have everlasting life!  Our God is a good God.  He thinks good thoughts toward us. 
When we fear Him and walk in His ways, He blesses us.  I am not talking prosperity gospel here, but God does want to bless us.
The Bible says to delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

I know I'm stuck on this topic of praying for our enemies, blessing them, but I am just so in awe of the love of our God and I want to walk in obedience to Him.  It was just such an eye-opener when God led me to these scriptures the first time.  So many Christians are not doing what Jesus said, to pray for, love and bless all people, even our enemies.  They get mad at me when I write about it. :(  And it's not my words!  It's the word of God!  I also never used to pray for my enemies, but that all changed when I got saved and God started working on my heart.
So forgive me if I keep talking about this topic. :)

John Gill writes the following commentary on "that you may inherit a blessing":

Referring either to what goes before being called by grace to the discharge of all the above duties exhorted to, and particularly to suffer patiently all injuries and affronts; and instead of making returns in the same way, to bless and pray for those that have hurt us, either by words or deeds; see ( 1 Peter 2:20 1 Peter 2:21 ) or to what follows, that ye should inherit a blessing; temporal blessing or blessings; for godliness has the promise of this life and godly persons shall not want any good thing; and even while the blessings of others are cursed they have their outward mercies with a blessing, and they are blessings indeed to them; wherefore, the little they may have is better than the large affluence of others: and also spiritual blessing, or blessings; such as peace of conscience, the pardon of all their sins a justifying righteousness adopting grace, all supplies of grace from Christ, his presence and communion with him: and also an eternal one, even life for evermore; called so, because it springs from the free favour, good will, and blessing of God, and which its being an inheritance also shows; and because such that enjoy it are eternally and unspeakably happy.

"not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing."
~•1 Peter 3:9

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
~•Jeremiah 29:11

Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
~•Psalm 37:4

Wait on God's counsel

Israel provoked God to anger in the wilderness.  They forgot about all the wonderful things He did for them.  They did not wait on His counsel.  They were ungrateful for the manna He provided.  They demanded meat.  He gave them what they wanted, but God also punished them!  

It is actually a sin not to wait on God.  God has His timing, His way of doing things.  God knows best.  Yet we tend to want to decide things and do things in a hurry, instead of waiting on God's counsel.

May we never forget what God has done for us.  I am sure God has done many good things in your life.  He sure has in mine!  I am also one who wants God to answer as soon as possible, but God is teaching me to be patient, to wait on Him!  God wants us to wait on Him, to trust in Him.  When we do, we can never go wrong.  While to us it may feel like nothing is happening or changing, God is working behind the scenes.  So never give up hope.  Have faith when you pray about something, ask God for something.  God is faithful and will come through for you.

John Gill writes the following commentary about this verse:

They did not ask counsel of God, though it belongs to him, and he is wonderful in it, and does all things after the counsel of his own will; nor would they take it when given by Moses and Joshua; they did not choose to wait his time and way of working; they were for limiting the Holy One of Israel to their time and way; they were for being in the land of Canaan before his time; and were for eating flesh, when it was his counsel to feed on manna he provided for them every day.

They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel, 

~•Psalm 106:13