MIRACLES STILL DO HAPPEN...BECAUSE OF THE CHRISTMAS MIRACLE - PART 3

The definition of a miracle is “an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs, (such as) the healing miracles described in the Gospels of the New Testament (Webster’s Dictionary).  A miracle is also a surprising (or expected due to prayer/fasting) event which is NOT explicable by natural, medical, scientific or any kind of physical matter which we can see and study with our eyes, in laboratories or classrooms. In short, a miracle is from God.

Is God still in the miracle business? Yes, He is. I have seen miracles personally, in the lives of loved ones and friends and even people who do not trust in the Lord. Each time, those miracles were preceded by prayer and in many cases, fasting as well.

A close friend of our family was healed of Stage 4 colon cancer as the man of God prayed, at a prayer meeting/dinner, which I attended. A close loved one had a lump in her chest disappear because we prayed and fasted. Then a woman with serious heart condition, with back-up x-rays and tests to prove it, was released by doctors almost as immediately as they got in to determine if to put a stent in her heart and found nothing as seen in the x-rays, we know for a guaranteed fact – God is on the move, hallelujah.

Miracles are nothing new to our miracle working God, Whose timing is not just impeccable, but means something. There is another Christmas related miracle which appears immediately after the one with Simeon, who we had examined in Part 2 of this series.

Luke 2:36-38 tells us the story of the prophetess Anna. We read here:

And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

We key in like a laser beam on one phrase in this passage and note that Anna “never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers”!

Note the progression of the walk with the Lord of this righteous-living octegenarian:

- Anna never left the temple. In other words, she was constantly around God's people seeking fellowship with other believers, in the Holy Presence of the Almighty. For us, under the dispensation of Grace in the Church Age, we are to be like her in following Scripture's command in Hebrews 10:25. Here the Holy Spirit commands us to NOT forsake "our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near". Do not be like a growing number of professing Christians who say they are "spiritual" and "do not need to go to Church to believe in God"....or whatever other excuses they have. Church attendance for the Christian is not just recommended, it should be second nature.

- Anna "served night and day". This literally means worship in both praise and worship (prayer and singing) as well as being QUALIFIED to be doing this! How was she qualified? Just as you and I are approved by God when He saved us, Anna's heart was made right or she was justified by Faith, just as Abraham was. She was qualified by her Faith to be an authentic worshiper in God's House by obedience and trusting the God of Israel, even though Christ had not yet gone to the Cross to die for her sins, and those of all Old Testament saints. How about that, huh?! Amen.

- Anna fasted and prayed. A fast is not giving up social media or quitting Netflix for a week. A fast is literally, as the Bible teaches - giving up food. A fast does several things spiritually when it is done with the proper attitude. The best way for the Christian to fast is to try it for one day only, after checking with your doctor, and then, not eating anything after supper that night. Then when you wake up next morning, you will not be hungry. Then set your mind to READING a Psalm like say, Psalm 51- the Psalm of Repentance, first and then moving on to Psalm 1 and Psalm 37 to being praise of the Lord. After reading the Scriptures, adopt an attitude of prayer for as long as you wish, or as short as you are able, and then stay in that attitude of prayer all day long. Drink water or coffee and do not think about food until supper later on that same day. This is a 24 hour fast and prayer day which will benefit you so much, it will be incredible! Do this once, twice or more per month and watch not just your spiritual life grow, but your ability to pray like Anna - interceding for others, bringing requests before God and just praising Him, will grow by leaps and bounds.

This is YET another miracle of Christmas, via the example of Anna, who saw the entire incident go down between Jesus, Mary, Joseph and Simeon. God gave her this incredible one time experience, as a reward for her faithfulness and then she responded magnificently. What a Christmas gift!. 

How can we use a supernatural Christmas gift similar to Anna's? We respond like she did. Again, we read in Luke 2:38 that Anna "continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem". The Bible says that Anna went around speaking about Jesus to anyone who would listen, about His saving and chain-breaking power!! Let us therefore, go forth and do likewise, in constant praise and thanksgiving for our own Christmas gift of Salvation!

"ACTIVATE" BOOK REVIEW FROM TWINAS FAMILY MAGAZINE

ZACHARIAS' SONG: JOHN THE BAPTIST IS BORN, PART 1

Over the centuries, much has been made of the great praise song of Jesus’ earthly mother – Mary (or the Magnificat).  However another song/Poem or praise Psalm which is relevant to not just the Christmas story, but the entire prophetic plan of God is not as “famous” (for lack of a better word).

It is Zacharias' Prophesy or Song from Luke chapter 1, verses 67-79.  To recap Zacharias the Priest’s background, he was the great father of John the Baptist and the husband of Elizabeth. Elizabeth was Mary much older relative, who was past her time of natural child bearing. The Angel Gabriel was sent by God to inform Zacharias that Elizabeth would have a son named John, while he was attending to his priestly duties in the Temple. Because  Zacharias did not believe Gabriel’s words of John the Baptist’s birth, as spoken directly from the Throne of God,  Gabriel rendered him literally speechless. Zacharias remained unable to speak until the appointed time of the birth of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ.

Can you imagine the thoughts going through the priest’s mind, after he was disciplined by God for unbelief, not being able to minister in the Temple?! Here is a man who is supposed to not just do the daily temple duties, but to proclaim Torah, read the prophets and speak of the Messiah, yet when God sent His main angel Gabriel, Zacharias doubted! Before we get too high and mighty and look down on this great man, we should look in the mirror. We should be very careful because we can  not only be doubters like Zacharias when he got the good news, but we have also done the same thing literally dozens and dozens of times.

Zacharias' voice only returned to him after Elizabeth gave birth and he repeated the words of Gabriel, by writing on the tablet “His name is John” (Luke 1:63). This simple action underscored his belief in the words of Gabriel, who was sent directly by God to give him these instructions. Zacharias' ability to speak immediately returned when he showed his obedience to God’s commands. He promptly broke out in effusive praise and worship of the one True God of Heaven.

He said here in part, in Luke 1:67-79:
67             And his father Zacharias' was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
    for he has visited and redeemed his people
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers
    and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74     that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75     in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
    in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
    whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Footnotes:

PART 2: WHAT ZACHARIAS' PROPHESY MEANS

LORD, I AM AMAZED BY YOU - SCRIPTURE

Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet, Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! (Psalm 119:1 ESV)
This torn and tattered book ran with me for my early years as a truly converted and regenerated believer and disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. This old King James Bible is now on my shelf to remind me of those days - so I will never forget what the Lord has done for me. I have since worn out other Bibles...dirty pages which are sanctifying and cleansing my soul, in Spirit and in Truth.

For me, the words of this book and all the others, are not just for comfort and direction. For me, these words are LIFE! They LIVE in me. They SPEAK to me. They FUEL me in everything I say, think and do. They are more than LIFE to me! They are the Eternal Oracles of God. My love for this Word will never die. On the contrary, my love for these Words, which are the LOGOS of God, the Rhema of God and the Ruach Elohim - inspire me to give more of it away in book form, in love and in action.

Lord, Oh, Lord, I am amazed by You and Your Word, which goeth forth from the timeless Halls of Heaven to such a lowly sinner, saved by Grace, such as I.

PSALM 19: 7-10
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
PSALM 119:33-40
Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared. Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good. Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!
Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet

BELIEVE! CREATION DECLARES HIS MAJESTY!

Psalm 19: 1-6

The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
Its rising is from one end of heaven,
And its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

Psalm 104: 5-10 and 30-33
You who laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever,
You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
The waters stood above the mountains.
At Your rebuke they fled;
At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.
They went up over the mountains;
They went down into the valleys,
To the place which You founded for them.
You have set a boundary that they may not pass over,
That they may not return to cover the earth.
He sends the springs into the valleys;
They flow among the hills.

You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the earth.
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord rejoice in His works.
He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

Psalm 8
O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
For You have made him a little lower than the angels,

And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

USE YOUR FAITH!

Do you ever wish you had more faith? I have good news for you. Your faith is beautiful. It is a gift from God. You don’t need more faith. What? That’s what Jesus said.

The apostles came up and said to the Master, “Give us more faith.” But the Master said, “You don’t need more faith. There is no ‘more’ or ‘less’ in faith. If you have a bare kernel of faith, say the size of a poppy seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, ‘Go jump in the lake,’ and it would do it. (Luke 17:5-6, MSG)

Faith is a gift from God.

There’s no ‘more’ or ‘less’ in faith.

Faith is faith.

What we need to do is to use our faith.

Believe, pray, trust.

Put it in practice.

What we need to do is to take care of our faith.
Nourish, water, tend.
Grow in grace.

What we need to do is to live out our faith.
Share, embrace, celebrate.
Live in grace. 

Gracious God,

Thank you for the gift of faith!
Thank you that you’ve prepared everything for us.
Show us how to embrace faith for real.
Enable us to believe without hesitation.
Help us to take care of our faith.
Empower us to practice our faith
and live it it out loud.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: How do you grow in your faith?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you put your beautiful faith in practice!

Written by by Mari-Anna Stålnacke ( TWITTER - @flowingfaith)

Website: CLICK HERE

Image courtesy of Brandon Johnson.  Linking up today with Thought-Provoking Thursdays and  Faith Filled Friday.

A FORTNIGHT OF PRAYER

DAY 7

DON'T BELIEVE THE FATHER OF LIES 

But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. (Genesis 3:4 ESV)

Before the woman bought the first-ever deception from the serpent of old - Lucifer - in the Garden of Eden, she had to buy the first-ever lie ever told. Thus began the greatest war of all times - the War between Good and Evil.  That lie has had the biggest impact on the history of mankind and reverberated through History. It is a war which will culminate in the Reappearance of the Creator - Jesus Christ - as He lands on Mount Zion, one day soon, to reclaim that which is lost.


In the mean time "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12 ESV)  By the way, if you go back to late August-early September 2011 (HERE), you will find a complete explanation of this hierarchy of hell as laid out in the Bible in Ephesians 6:12. This is important as we wind up Week 1 of A Fortnight of Prayer - 14 Days or Prayer and Fasting by both Catholic and Evangelical churches in, and for America, as well as prayer by saints worldwide from Canada to South Africa - for the entire Body of Christ. We have shown, in this site, that our Prayers are for everyone and everything the Spirit leads us to - from Marriages to Salvation of the Lost.


Let us recap briefly what we have done in the past week:
1. Recognize the Calling and Commission to Pray and Fast, from Jesus Christ Himself.
2. Realized our helplessness before the Lord, unless we live a FULLY repentant lifestyle.
3. Revived our walk with our Best Friend - Jesus - as He has rejuvenated and restored us.
As a result of all of this, we are ready now for the hard work of pressing in for Freedom, through Intercession - praying for others; for Christian Liberty, for Religious Freedom and for the Return of the King!


It used to be there were only two things certain in life, according to Mark Twain - death and taxes. Add higher fuel and food prices to that! Add higher costs of education and the American Dream to that! Add anything you can think of, which make our daily lives easier than it had to be for our ancestors, even less than 100 years ago. Now, look at the lie we have bought about this so-called Dream rather than BELIEVE the Word of God "and all these things will be added unto you"!


We are now seeing the House of Cards starting to collapse with no foundation under it. The quiet desperation of many is so obvious it is mind boggling. The hopelessness because of the lies of man and his politicians, who sold multiple generations a bag of fake pearls is palpable. The lie that there is a free lunch, served up on expensive china, while living life in a hammock (under a coconut tree) has not only been sold to Americans, but in Europe, as well, which is collapsing under heavy debt, unemployment and taxes. The lie was that we can have all of this and somebody else would pay for it. The only gift that we really never had to work for and which Someone else paid for, is the Free Gift of Eternal life through Christ's Sacrifice on the Cross!


Yes, my friends, we bought the Big Lie because, as Jesus told His Disciples, we neglected His Words here: "do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? (Mark 8:17-18 ESV) So, therefore, please pray with me right now:


Father, in Jesus' Holy Name, we are so sorry we have deceived ourselves into something which we may have known deep inside to be questionable. Father, week after week, we sat in Your churches around the country and globe and thought if we followed the formula, we too could have the successful and prosperous life which we see others having or which our forefathers may have had. Lord, with each successive generation, the expectations of more and more people are for big salaries, faster cars, sleeker condos, more high-tech electronic toys and the paid vacation-time off to enjoy all of this in the resort town of our own choosing. Lord, yes, we bought the lie of the inappropriate commercials on TV and the brainwashing of the culture.


As is now obvious, oh God, finally more and more are coming to the realization it was all a pipe dream. As more and more of our young people and children move back home with broken dreams and broken bank accounts due to high college debts, put upon them by a parasitic college system, help us to learn from this deception....and to see through many of the fake solutions now being proposed by those who got us into this horrible estate in the first place! To make it worse, my God and my King, when we need You and Your Word more and more in the marketplace, in our schools, in our combat zones in Afghanistan and in the lonely aircraft carries and army bases, we are being told that YOU - the Creator of the Universe and the Father of ALL things....the Owner of  all the Cattle on 10,000 Hills, the One Who hung the moon and the stars....Lord, we are being told and expected to bow down to, the increasingly harsh philosophy that we not only DO NOT NEED You, oh God my Savior, but that we had better not talk about You or Pray in the Name of Jesus if we are military chaplains or opening a session of the local Town Council! And Lord, to make it worse, many in Your so-called church, are compromising with this Deception to show that they too are tolerant, and "in tune with the times"!!!


Father, I reject that in Jesus' Name. Lord, help us to reject the lies of the enemy that we should keep our "Faith" behind the four walls of our church and not walk it out the other six days of the week. This is the same deception from Genesis 3 because it leads to spiritual death and separation from You. Lord, give us the boldness, courage, fortitude and ability to live through these evil times, when we are constantly told to hide our Bible; not pray in public and to not mention the Name of Jesus...so we can be seen to be "tolerant", when this is PRECISELY what this dying world needs now to get through these trying times, before the man of sin is revealed and events lead to Jesus returning to reclaim His Creation. Father God, I bow down and surrender all my mind, body and soul to Your control that this may be accomplished and that I will see, along with Your saints worldwide, that ALL GOOD THINGS COME FROM THE FATHER OF LIGHTS - YOU, and that nothing eternal or precious comes from following the powers and principalities of darkness, in the Strong and Mighty Name of Jesus the Lord, amen and amen!

(image by google)

A NEW SONG.....

I don't know much in this life, but this one thing I know:
If you think God is not in hearing distance
If you think He does not care about you
If you think He is not mindful of your circumstances
If you think He does not even know you exist
If you think all of these things - THINK AGAIN!

At some point in our lives we were all guilty, to some degree of another of not just thinking all of the above, but that and more...and then walking away from Him after letting Your Creator have a piece of your puny mind. This is not just not very wise or courteous to Holy God, but demonstrates a certain lack of Faith. Christians are the ones most guilty of this, because they/we do not know the Word of God, nor walk in its Truth.


What we need to do is, this, the moment you and I awake...and try this tomorrow morning - just thank the Good Lord for seeing another day! Before you ask for this or that blessing or protection, just plain old thank Him! Nothing fires me up than the many times I wake up with a worship song in my heart! This morning it was GLORY TO GOD (see video below). It then led me to these words from Psalm 40.


These words are my prayer for you today. Let it soak into your consciousness, then pray it back to Him, in whatever form, then click PLAY on this video. Then watch your day take on a brand new look as He puts a brand NEW SONG IN YOUR HEART! As He puts a HYMN OF PRAISE TO OUR GOD! In Jesus' Name, amen.
I waited patiently for the LORD;

he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the LORD.....(Psalm 40:1-3 ESV)

A MOTHER'S HEART...UNMET NEEDS

Harried from too many tasks on her day’s schedule, she stumbled into bed, falling asleep almost before her head hit the pillow.

BY LYNN MOSHER

Rising in the morning, she had a strange feeling something wasn’t right, but she could not put her finger on it. Dismissing it, she hurriedly dressed and mumbled a few quick prayers.


With four kids, one husband, a slew of pets, and a busy calendar, she had plenty to do each day.


Throughout her day, thoughts of her weaknesses filled her head: 


I wish I could handle my time better.
I wish I had more strength to meet all the challenges that pop up every day.  
Why can’t I forgive my best friend?
I wish I had more patience with the children.
I wish I had more joy and love.
Why can’t I ever be at peace?
I wish I knew how to handle my in-laws.
I don’t understand why I’m so agitated with my husband.
I wish I knew what to do about...


The thoughts hounded her all day. As she trudged through each hour mumbling her wish list, the uncomfortable feeling that something was wrong hung over her head like a black shroud.


Late that afternoon, she died. Upon entering heaven, she stood before Jesus Who greeted her with open arms. After falling at His feet, she felt His loving hand on her shoulder.


Helping her up, He took her hand and said, “Come with Me.”


“Where are we going?”


“I want to show you something.”


He led her to a beautiful building. Entering, they strolled down a long, endless hallway with innumerable doors on each side. Each door had a wooden plaque on it engraved with someone’s name. Jesus stopped at the door with her name on it and opened the door.


To her amazement, she saw row after row of stacked boxes, piled higher than she could see. Each box was stamped with a date of her life. She noticed that a few dates were missing.


“What...”


Jesus interrupted her. Knowing her unspoken questions, He answered, “Each box contains the necessities you needed for each day of your life, but you rarely claimed them. All you needed – strength, power, love, joy, patience, guidance – they were here all along.


“My Father and I would have given you everything that was missing, but you did not believe you could receive from Us. All was planned for you in advance of your need. If only you would have believed, you would have received and your days would have gone much smoother.


“A mother has many needs throughout her day. Most of all, she needs someone who knows her struggles, her frustrations, her weaknesses, and her tears. And that one is Me. I would be all to a wanting mother’s heart, filling her every need and every desire.


“If mothers would only call on Me more often, I would soothe their hearts and gladly fill them with My love, joy, peace, and patience. But they must come to Me and claim My help, otherwise the answers sit on the shelf, just as you see here.


“Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God?”*


She awoke. Dazed, she shook her head as if that would help to clear it. I’ve been dreaming. It was all a dream! But it was so real.


In the early hours of the morning while still dark and the family slept, she went straight to her Bible and spent time with the Lord. As the sun birthed the day, the family arose and the daily schedule rolled on.


She went about all her chores with the Scripture echoing in her heart and mind, “Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe...”* She praised the Lord, claiming all He had for her every need.


“For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].” (Mark 11:24 Amp)

VISIT LYNN'S WEBSITE HERE

A WALK THROUGH ROMANS 15 (Verse 2)

LIFT UP TO BUILD UP

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up...Romans 15:2 (ESV)

Have you ever been asked by someone the following questions:
"Why should I believe you?"

"Why should I believe your Jesus?"

"Why should I go to church, all they want is my money?"

"Why should I go where all the hypocrites go?"

All good questions these are, and for some reason, most professing Christians cannot answer even one of them!

I will attempt to answer each of the above in one short paragraph each:

"Why believe me" - Don't believe me, believe God! If you wish to live Romans 15:2 to your "neighbor" tell them your story through HIS story! Tell what God has done in your life!

"Why believe your Jesus" - Because I know He is real, He is my Savior and the King of the World! Every prophesy from Genesis 3 to the end of the Book of the Revelation, written over 1500 by 40 different authors, point to Jesus!

"Why go to church...all they want is my money" - Do not confuse crooked TV evangelists and their jets and Bentleys with the local corner pastor, who works harder than most men about 8 days a week. When someone is sick, guess who they call! Most people who go to church do not even tithe or give even close to the expected 10%...it is more like between 1%-2% in America! Most people spend more at McDonald's than they give to the church.

"Why should I go where the hypocrites go" - Are you sure you want to go there? Not all people are hypocrites. If someone has been treated rudely, unchristian-like or just plain inhuman by 'church' people, do you blame God for that? If one day, you drink a warm cup of milk from your broken fridge, do you give up drinking milk for life?

These are just some of the examples of things thrown at us all the time, by those we wish to reach out to, both with kindness in their time of need and/or the Gospel. The above attempted responses are equal to the second part of Verse 2 where he says "to build him up" for his own good.

The first part, when actually translated in the spirit of the message from the Lord is "do all you can to "aresketo" or meet with someone's or gain their approval, in order to do what I just said - build them up, lift them up, be an encouragement to them ....and therefore, love them to Jesus! This is the Spirit of the Great Commission!

TOMORROW: VERSE 3

(image courtesy google images)

THIRTY DAY PRAYER CHALLENGE - DAY 22

PRAY THE NAMES OF GOD

DAY 22


GOD IS FAITHFUL


There was once a king, who grew up in the presence of a family who bowed down to both pagan gods and Jehovah God Himself. This king remained faithful. In the midst of the enemies of God, he drew a line and never crossed it.


When the enemy surrounded him, he and his spiritual advisor cried out to God and reassured their people that they should "be strong and courageous, because the Lord our God will go before us and fight their battles"! This occurred during Year 14 of his reign.


This leader, King Hezekiah,  prayed a childlike prayer which both you and I should remember. He prayed the following: 2 Kings 19:14-19 Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: “O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. 
“It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by men’s hands. Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.”


This leader, King Hezekiah, remained faithful to the Lord. God sent His Angel, who killed 185,000 of the enemy in their tents over that same night. When the enemy's leader, Sennacharib, woke up that morning and saw all his men dead, he retreated to Assyria.


Now here is where it got interesting. Right at that time, Faithful King Hezekiah became deathly ill with what many of us believe to be an extreme form of skin cancer (or the Bible calls is a boil on the skin). God sent His prophet Isaiah to tell King Hezekiah to put his house in order, because he was going to die!


Hezekiah again prayed another child-like prayer in tears and supplication! He prayed this simple prayer: "Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, and said, “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.(Isaiah 38:2-3 ESV)


God proved Himself FAITHFUL to those who are faithful to Him! In the very next two verses of Isaiah 38, Jehovah Rapha - God Who Heals, sent a message to King Hezekiah via Isaiah "Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life". (Isaiah 38:5 ESV)


Scripture and secular history books from both Egypt and Assyrian, confirmed that Hezekiah lived another 15 years after it was well known, the king had a deadly disease, from Judah to Babylon!

God's Name is Faithful!


So Father, in the Name of Jesus, Numbers 23:19 says God is not man, that he should lie,  or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it?  Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? God You proved that when You fought the battles for King Hezekiah. 


You not only fought the battle against Sennacharib and Rabshakah and destroyed evil, but You fought the battle against cancer and delivered Your Faithful servant Hezekiah from it. Because You gave him 15 more years to live, many in the ancient world came to Jerusalem to visit him and saw Your Glory and witness Your Sovereign will and power.

Father, today, that Faithfulness to Your promises to never leave and/or forsake us, no matter what battles in life we face, stands. You are Eternal Father, All Creation worships You. I do. I will. I always will. Even if you never add 15 or 20 or 30 years to my mortal life, I will. Even if you never destroy those who persecute me, I will. Even if You heal the enemy and cause me to fail, I will.


I will adore You. I will glorify You. I will magnify Your Name through all the Earth.


Psalm 145:13 says "The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made". Father God, I believe that. I know You love me, because You sent Your own son to die for me and then called me to His Salvation.


2 Corinthians 1:20 says "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "YES" in Christ. And through Him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the Glory of God"!


Wow, Father! Thank you for that Precious Precious Word.  


You, oh God are Faithful! Your mercy endureth forever, oh God! Because Your promises are Yes and Amen, I can rest secure in my Faith in Christ and my faithfulness to You, just as Your servant Abraham! Father, I count on Your promises because when You say it, I believe it.


Lord, I believe that, right now, in the Name of Jesus, there is someone reading this who is going through a major health or relationship issue. Father, I pray right now...right now, that they will turn to You in tears and supplication and pray this same prayer King Hezekiah prayed “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” 


Father, may they pray that prayer, with all submission of a heart committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and may they believe, in His Name, that You will never leave or forsake them in their marriage, their health, their parenting (if a parent) or their relationship with peers (in school, business or community).


God Your Name is Faithful. When the Lord Jesus returns on His Great white horse of Heaven, Revelation 19:11 says "Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True"...Faithful and True! And it is in this Only One True Faithful and Wonderful Son of God I believe, pray and obey, Jesus Christ NOW AND FOREVER.....Jesus Christ - YES AND AMEN, amen and amen!!!!

TOMORROW: GOD IS WRATHFUL

(image by google images)