Customs

I have been so saddened lately when seeing online how Christians accuse others in Christ of disobedience and punishment in hellfire for having short hair.  I have short hair!  I was the one being accused by another brother in Christ of being disobedient to scripture and that I will be punished for it, basically saying I will go to hell because of my short hair.  No one will know how that made me feel.  It broke my heart.  Here I am, a born again Christian and I always thought that Christ was the one who did it all on the cross to set us free, give us liberty.  My response was that if God was unhappy with my short hair and that I pray to Him with my head uncovered, why has He answered my prayers so many times?  Why has He showered me with His love, comforted me so many times?  I believe it was a custom in Paul's day, that's how they did things then.  He was laying down a guideline for others to do it the same way.  I was told by this Christian that no, it was not a custom and that I am twisting and adding on to the word of God.   Now all this had me very upset.  I cried out to God in prayer about it.  No, I did not cover my head.  Today, after I don't know how many days of asking Him, God leads me in His word to Galatians 5.  One of my favourite books in the Bible. :)   God led me to where Paul talks about circumcision.  The Jewish Christians were trying to drag the Gentile Christians back under the law, under the yoke of slavery, when Christ has set us all free!  So I was reading this and it just became as clear as daylight....women having long hair and having their heads covered when praying, was their custom.  That was how they were used to doing it, how they were accustomed to doing it.  Then Holy Spirit confirmed to me in Galatians 5....that it's not what we do on the outside that matters, it is what Jesus has done for us on the cross and that all we have to do is love God with all our heart, mind and soul and love our neighbour as ourself, meaning love all people, even our enemies! :)  You will never know how much peace I had after this.This does not mean that Paul was wrong!  No, not at all!  That was their custom, it is not a salvation issue!  God led me to Galatians just to show me not to worry so much, to show me that He set us free and that He is not mad at me with my short hair.  It's my heart He cares about.  Please do not take my word for the truth, take this to God in prayer.  This is how I interpret that scripture.  If I am wrong, it is between God and I.  I don't want to lead anyone astray.  I am also just forever learning.
Precious people, enjoy your freedom in Christ, not to sin and indulge the flesh, but just enjoy and do not worry.  Trust in Jesus!  He finished it all for us!  Thank you Jesus for all that you did for us. ♥  Look here what the greek word for custom means in the Concordance: 

Strong's Number:   4914
Original Word Word Origin sunhvqeia from a compound of (4862) and (2239) Transliterated Word TDNT Entry Sunetheia None Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech soon-ay'-thi-ah    Noun Feminine
Definition
intercourse (with one), intimacy custom a being used to, accustomed

http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/kjv/sunetheia.html   13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her as a covering. 16 But if anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God.•~1 Corinthians 11:13-16   1 Christ has liberated us into freedom. Therefore stand firm and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Take note! I, Paul, tell you that if you get circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all. 3 Again I testify to every man who gets circumcised that he is obligated to keep the entire law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace! 5 For by the Spirit we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness from faith. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love.   13 For you are called to freedom, brothers; only don't use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. •~Galatians 5:1-6, 13-14

The Lord my stronghold

The LORD is my stronghold, not the devil, not any demon, but the LORD Yahweh!  The Lord keeps my going out and my coming in.  Thank you Lord Jesus for being my deliverer, my fortress, my strong tower, my stronghold, my refuge, my ROCK!  Yes people can have strongholds other than the Lord, but not I.  The Lord said about me: "You are mine!"  Thank you Abba. ♥   The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my mountain where I seek refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. •~Psalm 18:2

His Banner over me is Love

He brings me to the banquet hall;
his banner over me is love.
•~Song of Solomon 2:4

                                                                                  ©LisaMDSkinnerArt

God's Protection

I wanted to share with you how God works in my life.

The devil loves to attack me with fear, but with God's help I have learned to discern when the enemy is playing his games with me, attacking me.  I do not fear anymore.  God is faithful and gives me His peace that surpasses all understanding, because I prayed about all of this.  God is so kind, so loving, so good.

Well where I live we have a lot of crime, many burglaries.  We've had burglaries where they've broken into our garage twice and burglary attempts into the garage and an attempt to break into our house the night before we even moved into this home 25 years ago!  But God has been good to us.

The other night my husband was working night shift and I was home alone and someone triggered our security light on the side of our house.  The person must have gotten a fright and ran off, because the neighbours' dogs started barking and I heard a noise.
The reason I'm telling you this is to show you how the devil operates.  My husband and I are going away for 2 days sometime in the future and I was concerned leaving the house alone for 2 days.  The criminals will notice.  So I repented of that and gave all my fears and worries about that to our Mighty God, because ultimately He is in control and God does not like that I worry because that is a sign of unbelief, not trusting that He will keep our home safe.  I repented of that and totally put my trust in the Lord my God Yahweh in Jesus' Name!

The devil will try anything to make you doubt or worry because he hates you and He hates that you trust in God.  So I am here to tell you do not worry about anything!  Trust in Jesus!  Is anything impossible for our God?  Nothing is impossible for God!!  He loves you and He looks after His righteous ones!  The Bible says that the righteous will have many troubles, but the Lord will deliver us from them all!

But the best part with God is how He leads me in His word.  The next morning He led me to Isaiah 52:12

For you shall not go out with haste, Nor go by flight; For the Lord will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

That evening God confirmed His word through a sister in Christ who operates in the prophetic, who knows nothing about me and I read her status which said this:

I hear the Lord say, I have intercepted your enemies, cause your enemies are My enemies too. It's all over now. The path is clear now. No more looking over your shoulders. Because your Lord is protecting your front, back & all your sides. Now walk down My road where bandits, thieves, robbers & murderers are banned from touching you, the anointed in this season. Rest my servants for your Lord has your back, cause your enemies are My enemies too.

Do you see how God speaks?  Isn't He just so precious, amazingly loving, kind, protective of us who belong to Him.  He bought us with a price!...His blood!  We are His!
Hallelujah!  Bless the Lord oh my soul!  I love you Jesus, bless Your Holy Name Lord! † ♥

False Apostles

The other day I saw how quickly someone gets promoted from prophet to apostle.
It seems nowadays every Tom, Dick and Harry is an apostle, mostly self-appointed.  You shall know them by their fruits!

So this morning God led me to 2 Corinthians 11 where Paul speaks about false apostles.  Then later today God brought my attention back to something I shared yesterday about Revelation 2.
He's just confirming what I think and discern.  God knows our every thought!

We must be vigilant, pray to God for wisdom and discernment in these last days that are so full of deception.  He will give to you liberally without reproach, but you must ask in faith, without doubting.  For if you doubt, don't expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Thank you Jesus my King. † ♥

And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows!
12 But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast.
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
•~2 Corinthians 11:9-15

I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;
•~Revelation 2:2

God Will Supply

There was a drought and a famine in Israel.  It was punishment because of king Ahab committing more evil than all who were before him.

So God sent Elijah to Ahab to tell him about this.  Then God sent Elijah to hide from persecution at a brook where He said He would send ravens to feed Elijah.  Well because of the drought, the brook dried up.  So God sent Elijah to another place where God had commanded a widow to provide for Elijah.
Elijah asked the widow for some water and as she was about to get it, he asked her for some bread, but she did not have any bread.  She was actually getting ready to die with her son because she was about to use the last flour and oil that she had and then they had nothing, so they were going to die.

So Elijah told her not to fear, but to bake him a small cake and bring to him and then to make for her and her son for God said that the bin of flour shall not be used up and the jar of oil shall not run dry until the Lord let it rain again!  Everything happened according to the word which the Lord spoke.

Then the woman's son became deathly ill and he died.  Elijah cried out to God and God brought him back to life.

This just shows how our God provides for us, our Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our Provider!  We can see Elijah's obedience to God, his trust in God.  There was a drought!  God provided him with water.  There was a famine and God provided him food in a miraculous way!  There was death, God gave life!  Our God is so awesome, so loving, so kind to His faithful ones.

Let us never forget to remain true to God and trust in Him no matter what our situation may be.  God always has a plan and He will supply all our needs.  Look how He clothes the flowers in the field, He feeds the birds of the air.  You are much more valuable than they are!

6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.  14 For thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.' "  21 And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and said, "O Lord my God, I pray, let this child's soul come back to him." 22 Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived. •~1 Kings 17:6,14,21-22

The Mystery Revealed

What is this mystery that Paul speaks of in Colossians 1? 
The mystery is a blessing to the nations!The mystery is Christ in us!  Christ is our hope of glory.  Is that not wonderful?  Think about it people, come to Jesus, you who do not know Him.  The day you repent, Jesus comes to live inside your heart.  Absolutely wonderful!  Our loving and merciful God.Hallelujah!  Praise our Lord Jesus Christ!  Thank you Abba!   the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. 27 God wanted to make known to those among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.•~Colossians 1:26-27  

 

Art:  Scott Yardley