PSALM 103 VERSE 19: "SOVEREIGN GOD, RULER OF THE HEAVENS"

The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all (Psalm 103:19)
“God is in control” is the most popular catchphrase among us Christians, when we come to the realization that there is no way to explain why this, or that, happened.  This is just another way of saying – God is Sovereign, knows all and is in all. In the first 18 verses of Psalm 103, we are given powerful details of the unfathomable, powerful Mind of God. We are told so many things by the Holy Spirit about just a few blessings we should be more than thankful for, it should draw us to our knees…or faces, in sheer gratitude of what He has done for us.

For 18 verses, the amazing list builds on itself, each being a result of the Sovereignty of God. Because God is self-existent, Eternal and sees the end from the beginning, He does what He does. He sits on His Throne in Heaven, from whence He has dispensed both grace and justice from eternity past. That very fact that we are not punished and sent away from Him, to begin with,  is too due to His love, mercy, and compassion. Please reread verses 1-18 of Psalm 103.

Now, we transition from receiving and acknowledging His blessings to full-fledged praise and worship of the Almighty. But first, we must know not just what the Heavens are, but, the meaning of the Sovereignty of God.

We know there are three heavens, from Scripture. The Apostle Paul describes the time He was drawn up to the Throne (just like Isaiah was in Isaiah Chapter 6) and was in the Third Heaven. Paul says “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago-- whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows-- such a man was caught up to the third heaven. (2 Corinthians 12:2).

The Third Heaven is where God resides, with Jesus Christ on His Right Hand, all the Angels and all the saints who have left this earthly life from Adam until the present. Those who are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, as shed on the Cross – both the Old Testament and since Calvary, are in the Presence of the Father at this very time. This is the Third Heaven where the Timeless Temple of God resides. This is the Third Heaven where the ministering angels and Michael and Gabriel wait on the Lord and His commands. This is the Third Heaven where our Heavenly Father is always working to will and to purpose. He did not create Heaven, Earth and the Stars etc…and then walked away. God is on the move, hallelujah! 

The Second Heaven is the constellation of the Universe we can see with our own eyes and all kinds of telescopes. These are the created galaxies, stars, moons and other planets.  This is commonly called “outer space” and what the Psalms (and other scripture) speak about when the Word declares “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1). All Creation worships Him. There are planets and moons yet unknown and created all the time. Who can count the stars in the Heavens? No one can. Yet, He knows them by name – all the billions of stars. How Great is Our God? We can only imagine!

The First Heaven is planet earth and our Atmosphere which goes up 20 miles and stops. Outside of this 20-mile radius is the stratosphere and the Second Heaven. The First Heaven is the only one of the three heavens which support life – AS WE KNOW IT. The birds of the air; the fish of the sea; every living animal on the physical ground of earth and all human beings are supported by the God of the Third Heaven and the Power of His Word. One tiny fraction of one degree off, on this hanging ball called Earth, and the earth will disintegrate. God is so sovereign, His mathematical calculations and technical skills are perfect. All life on this earth, human, and mammal have a relatively brief lifespan, as we well know.

All three heavenly places, as ordained by God, are in complete alignment and harmony with their Creator. The very fact of these Three Heavens illustrates His Sovereignty, His Control, His Management over the affairs of all the universe and His Reign as King of all.  In the dictionary, the word “Sovereign” includes the following words in its definition: Supreme Power; Supreme Authority; Ruler of All and independent of all others.  God is all that and more as we studied in some of His attributes, from Psalm 139.  In Psalm 103: 1-18, so far, we note everything He has done for, given or purposed for us. 

God is Sovereign and the Sole Authority because:
-  Only God can create life and all we see around us
-  Only God can control the life He creates, ordaining the time of birth to the time of death
-  Only God can grant His grace and favor to those who hate Him and even reject Him
-  Only God grants Free Will, yet has set the boundaries across which human will can never cross
-  Only God makes a way, where there is no way. He is the God of miracles in healing and rescues the perishing
-  Only God can create circumstances where are disconnected, only to flow seamlessly into one continuous stream, which can be accomplished according to His planned purposes, at the appointed time
-  Only God can  call the unlikely, equip the illiterate, confound the elitists and raise up the ordinary...to do extraordinary things in His Name
-  Only God gives good things which will not harm, but build up, will not destroy but give life and will not deviate from Truth, but confirm His Sovereignty. "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow" (James 1:17)
-  Only God could create human beings, who while enemies until conversion, still loved us enough to come up the plan for the Greatest Story Ever Told - the Story of God leaving the Throne of Heaven to give His life on a Cross, as payment for all sins, of all times.
-  Only God can come up with the best offer, which only the very foolish refuse - that if we believe in our heart, and confess with our mouths, that Jesus Christ is LORD, we will be saved. This offer is for all people, of all times, in all countries, of all races and all phases of life. From the young to the old and the rich to the very poor, the offer is the same, repent, believe the Gospel and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is so simple, many cast it aside. But it is the Hallmark of the Sovereignty of God
-  Only God can forgive sins, any sins. No man, no priest, nobody but God, through Jesus Christ can forgive our sins if we call out to Him in humility and repentance
-  Only God, Who came up with the Plan of Salvation and Redemption, then gave us His Bible to instruct us for a lifetime, in His Ways can do this - because He is Supreme...because He is in charge....because He always existed and because He has a big heart and loves all His people.
-  Only God, the Sovereign King, and Ruler of Heaven would prepare an eternal home for former rebels against Him, who are now born-again, sanctified in the Holy Ghost sons and daughters of Jesus Christ. He has not just prepared a home for us, but a work for us to do, first in the Millennial Kingdom and then the Eternal Kingdom.
-  Only God can see the End from the Beginning, and that End of the current age is not too far away, as time, as we know it, is drawing rapidly to a close.

PRAYER:
Sovereign God, You alone are good. You are created man a little lower than the angels. What are we, that You, the King of the Universe, would be mindful of us, oh God. You sit in the Heavens, on the Eternal Throne, surrounded by worship, clothed in righteousness, defined by Holiness, covered in an unapproachable light where no man can approach. However, if we come to the end of ourselves, ask forgiveness and accept Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary, as the fulfillment of the Gospel, we will live in the eternal kingdom in Your Presence for all Eternity. Sovereign God, we thank You that You alone are God, and there is NO other.  You rule the affairs of all mankind of all time. You have set a time for Judgment. You have set a Day of Reckoning and in Your Authority, You have set in motion, the coming day of the Eternal Kingdom. We look forward to that coming day, oh most Worthy Father. Thank You, for Jesus Christ, Your Son, and my Savior and Lord of all who have surrendered their lives to Him, Who gave His Life to make life here on earth more meaningful, thereby giving us the Hope for Eternal Life, that we too can one day be in the Eternal Kingdom with You. It is in Your most Holy and Precious Name we pray and look forward to that coming day, in Jesus Strong Name, Amen.

THE 3:16 VERSES OF THE BIBLE, PART 10: "GENERAL GRACE, SAVING GRACE"

He said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’  For thus says the Lord, ‘You shall not see wind nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, both you and your cattle and your beasts. (2 Kings 3:16-17a)
The incredible thing about our loving Heavenly Father is how long He will put up with rebellion and rejection and then turn around and help those who hate Him with a passion. The Bible tells us that God "causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous". (Matthew 5:45b. 

You know the routine - the majority of the richest, wealthiest and most powerful people in the world are atheist. The biggest persecutors, dictators and rulers of God's people all through Judeo-Christian history lived well and prospered. This continues, regardless of the lessons of history. Their children lived high on the hog and on and on. While they do not acknowledge the God Who gave them breadth, the ability to gain and hold on to their temporal wealth and property, He still grants them His general Grace. He did send God the Son - Jesus - to give His life for ALL (John 3:16), so He knows no one is beyond redemption. They just choose to reject God's gift.

This general Grace however, is only for this short lifespan on earth. This is because, while God is really so good to ALL people at ALL times, His Saving Grace is only for those whose sins are forgiven and put their complete Faith and Trust in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as Lord and Master. Those who are reap the rewards of the good life reap them now. Like the rich man in Hell, who Jesus talked about, he enjoyed the good things only in his life on earth. The Saved, Redeemed and the Elect of God's reward is laid up ahead as we persevere and keep Godly perspectives while the wicked reign on this earth.

In this passage of 2 Kings Chapter 3, we see the three regional kings - the king of Edom (descendants of Esau), the King of Israel (the pagan northern kingdom) and the King of Judah - Jehoshaphat coming together to fight against the King of Moab, a powerful and rich man. Of these three kings, only Jehoshaphat was a follower of Yahweh, everyone else in this picture is full of pagan idolatry. After a while, the army and supplies of this combined army ran out of water for all their horses and were suddenly in dire straits.

Jesoshaphat knew enough of the Ways of the Lord and sought a minister who could approach the Lord for His help. The spiritual son of the great Elijah, Elisha, was now the main prophet of Israel. So Elisha was sent for and he was not amused. This tells me that this joint venture was not the Will of the Lord. Elisha was hesitant about going to meet with the three kings until he heard that the well-regarded Jehoshaphat, who lived in Jerusalem, was one of them. 

It was at this point, as we come to this 3:16 verse, as Elisha approached the Lord God of Heaven Who responded mightily, because His prophet Elisha asked. What God did was miraculous. He did not send rain to fill up creeks and rivers with running water. He told Elisha to have the kings dig trenches and wide areas which were then miraculously filled with literal pools of water from the springs out of the direction of Edom! The water was so plentiful coming out of the East that it looked like a lake....and led eventually to the victory of three allied kings.

What we see here  the following in this wonderful passage from John's 19th.- the General Grace of God on display...for the Glory of God! The enemy who all three kings went up against - the King of Moab- misread the sun shining off the brand new "lake" and thought it looked like blood and rode straight to his and his army's defeat. The Lord made the victory again. The question of us, who are reading this - are we under this General Grace of God only or have we been saved by Grace alone, through Faith in Christ alone for the Glory of God enough? The choice is entirely up to each one of us!

THE 3:16 VERSES OF THE BIBLE, PART 4: "....ON DRY LAND"

14 So when the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant before the people, 15 and when those who carried the ark came into the Jordan, and the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest), 16 the waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those which were flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. So the people crossed opposite Jericho. 17 And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan. (Joshua 3:16)

Forty years after God parted the Red Sea so that two million former Israealite slaves could walk away from Egypt, He did it again. In His Sovereign Power, He backed up the swollen, flooded Jordan River almost twelve miles (in ONE HEAP) so that His people could enter the Promised Land of Canaan! This was on downstream side, then He cut off the River - which He created - from the exit into the Dead (or Salt) Sea. As an aside, the minerals and salt products from this Sea are premium cosmetic items used far and wide!

On both Partings of Major Bodies of Water (Red Sea and the Jordan), the complete Sovereignty of God were on full display for not just Israel, but those they were about to conquer and replace, in the Promised Land.

The Crossing at this point on the River Jordan was strategic. Led by God's General Joshua, the Exodus was complete right outside the City of Jericho where the conquest began almost immediately. The Mighty Power of God's Hand was again immediately obvious here. Jericho was almost like a sanctuary city for those who had heard what the God of the Israelites was doing to clear the path for His plans and purposes. The King of Jericho, a city of around 40,000, had to have seen the multitudes across the flooding River from his city one day.  Then the very next day - the River bed is clear and all the water backed up as high as small mountain upstream. We all know what happened when Joshua led a crack military unit around the double walled city with shofars and rams horns - the secure, tough city of Jericho fell. The Lord can break down the ramparts of despair around us, when trouble comes, when we too release the sound of worship from our hearts.

TRUTH: All of this history, now confirmed by archaelogists,  is contained in the accounts surrounding Joshua 3:16. This verse, like ALL the other 3:16 verses we are looking at, is pivotal. It is here where God made a way, where there was no other way. It is another example of the Mighty One showing His Power and Majesty as King of all things.

LESSONS: Like the River Jordan, overflowing during the flood season here in Joshua 3:16,  sometimes we get run over by life. When the semi truck of sadness and sorrow beset us and more troubles pile on than we could ever imagine, this is the perfect opportunity for the Sovereign Hand of God to make a way, where there is no way. Here is where God rolls back the stone.....or sends the water that's drowning us so far back upstream that we cannot see it.  It is here we see God do His best work. 

There is a caveat - we must believe three things - that He alone is God; that He is Sovereign and thirdly, that He loves YOU.  Yes YOU and I. He loves us so much He gave His Life for us. That is already done. The rest is easy for Him. The rest is resting in Him. For the rest of it, He is full of mercy, grace and long suffering and will bring it to fruition. Breakthrough can be had, until it is our time to go, if we give EVERYTHING to Him, holding nothing back...no hidden sin, no disbelief....holding nothing back from Him. Trusting Christ in the Flood, with Godly perseverance and Faith, can lead to crossing over....on dry land.

(Bible Image Credit Here) 

JESUS IS THE REAL CLIMATE CHANGER - NOT MERE MORTALS

In these last days, where every man (and woman) does what is right in their own eyes, we see increasing tendencies in people, including even somereligious leaders, to assume God's power unto themselves. Some do it without knowledge. They lack knowledge because they know not the One Who gives true knowledge. 

The Bible says at the beginning of the Wisdom Book of Proverbs that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Knowledge". The reason we have no knowledge in the world today is there is absolutely no Fear and Awe of God. Even with some of today's Christian "leaders", you can see it in their secular TV interviews where they fail to defend the Truth of the Word of God and the Gospel and weasel around the topics of sin, salvation and Satan.  In the religion of Climate Change (formerly known as Global Warming), more and more of professing Christians are falling for an untruth because they do not know the Scriptures of the One Who inspired and wrote it. Those of us who are followers of Yahweh, the Great I am, know that only He can change the climate, the winds, the weather because He created them all.

When Jesus rebuked the winds after the disciples woke Him up in the middle of the storm as He slept on a pillow, those winds feared Him and stopped. "They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. And He said to them, "Where is your faith?" They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?" (Luke 8:24).

All creation worships Him. Yet, increasingly and unfortunately, are dismissing His claims as Creator and Sovereign God over all. This mindset of "man-made climate change" leaves the Creator completely out of the picture and creates a god out of mortal men who now think they have the solutions to things they know nothing of, hereby overruling the Sovereignty of Holy God. 

Which person today can create a snowflake, a rain drop or an apple on a tree? Who can create a mountain and the elk or mountain goat to inhabit it, thereof? Who can fill the sea with fish, and even when natural fossil fuels (called oil) seeps out of the ocean bed, those same seas cleans and restores themselves? Who can describe how every part of the human eye was created and who create sight in the blind? No one can. There is no one.  Even the god of the lost - Charles Darwin doubted his own theory of evolution when he said "to suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I confess, absurd in the highest degree...The difficulty of believing that a perfect and complex eye could be formed by natural selection, though insuperable by our imagination, should not be considered subversive of the theory.” (A broken clock is right twice a day).

While we expect non-believers to act, sound and behave like unbelievers, what is really troubling are today's celebrity preachers - are not even speaking the Truth about any of this. Their silence is acquiesence to it, in a way.  
There are so many Bible passages from Genesis and through the New Testament that these preachers have no excuse for not proclaiming Truth and standing ON the Truth. The Truth is as plain as day. What Creation does not explain in Genesis Chapters 1 and 2 on Creation, the first book of the Bible ever written – the Book of Job – explains in Job chapters 38-41. (Watch the video below on Creation). God is very clear as He tells Job about the storehouses of the snow and hail; the lightning and winds. God fills in more details on dinosaurs; the great Leviathan fish; the entire Galaxy of stars and their names and more. Yet, most, if not all of these modern American and western celebrity speakers; preachers and pastors would say nothing about that as young children are brainwashed into thinking that they came from an ape or some non-existent “Big Bang” as being responsible for them being here.  These same western church leaders then complain that young people are walking away from Christianity as, they lose members.  Instead of looking at their own modus operandi, they proceed to hire marketing gurus to develop more useless programs which end up creating MORE unbelievers! This is more than a travesty. This is unforgiveable. It reminds me of millstones and neckties. But that is another story.

This is the foundation for the confusion about who controls the Climate. Born-again, spirit-led believers and students of the Bible instinctively know who is owns, controls and directs all the affairs of mankind – GOD. Almighty God, King of the Universe Who will show His Mighty Hand one day soon, is Lord of EVERYTHING. HE IS LORD OF EVERYTHING, NOW. He is Lord not then but NOW. He owns the back 40 in Odessa, Texas and the frozen tundra north of Alaska. He owns the land some Saudi king has his worldly palace on and the majestic snows of Kilimanjaro. He owns the ice that stops foolish ships in Antarctica and the heights of Mount Everest. He owns Vatican City; New York City and Diverse City, USA. He owns it all. What is mere man, whether he is a priest, politician, CEO or scientist, before the Power and Majesty of Holy God? 

Those who question the Creator and His Sovereignty would do well to see where this "man-made climate change" movement is heading - doubting the Power and Role of God in Creation. It is so dangerous that it can lead to so many people doubting their faith and eventually walking away from Jesus as we see in increasing numbers daily. It all started when mortal men first started promoting earth worship and worship of the Creation rather than the Creator Jesus. Here is what God has to say about this: For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. (Romans 1:20-23)

In all of this, one thing is constant - Jesus (Yahweh) is the King. He created all things and all things were created by and for Him. He controls that which He has created and that includes - the Wind, the Rain, the Snow, the Storms and all thereof. He controls the Climate and changes it as He pleases. It was so, IS SO, and will always be.

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER TODAY - DAY 5 of 5 DAYS OF PRAYER

FIVE DAYS OF PRAYER (SUNDAY MAY 3- THURSDAY MAY 7, 2015)

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;

Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

9 For He spoke, and it was done;

He commanded, and it stood fast.

10 The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations;

He frustrates the plans of the peoples.

11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,

The plans of His heart from generation to generation.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance. (Psalm 33:8-12)

Oh Most Heavenly, Kind, Gracious and ever-loving Father, we have lost our fear of You, no longer stand in awe of You and disrespect You at every turn. In fact, Great God of Heaven, we are more in awe of ourselves and who we think we are, how good and powerful we are when we are nothing but dust dressed in filthy rags, on our way to perdition as a people, who have completely lost our minds and our ways.

Father, our Families have failed You. We have become just like the world inside as well as outside. We have allowed garbage into our homes via the television sets instead of turning it off. We get caught up in the latest crazes and waste money on them. We have let family hour go where we cease to communicate with our children about what is going on in our schools and their lives. We no longer train up a child in the way he or she should go, so they will not depart from it. We don't do those things because we are lax in our personal prayer and devotional lives to You, Almighty God. We now longer make the Bible the cornerstone on which we build the foundation of our homes, still we call ourselves Christians and drive up to Starbucks on the way to church so we can put on a nice show on Sunday mornings. There is no shame anymore as the inside of some of these youth groups are no different than what goes on inside a secular malt shop or drive-in movie. Lord have mercy on our families! Christ and His Righteousness no longer seems to be the Master of our Homes. We repent of that and it stops today. We return to our first love and the original mission of the family, which is to be united in Christ and Godly, missional and focused on You, in Jesus' Strong Name, amen.

Sovereign God, King of the Universe, why do these nations rage and the corrupt evil people of this world imagine a vain thing. Like Lucifer in Isaiah 14, they have assumed unto themselves at the United Nations, in presidential palaces and houses of power, in media halls and colleges, the vain deception that it is NOT YOU Who are in control but man. This is the same deception which led to the evil one's fall with one third of the angels that You are not sovereign over anything at all, in fact they shove the lie of evolution and climate change into the minds of children, turning them from you, hour after hour, day after day until our young people can find no purpose in their lives and seek it in the man-made systems and pleasures which leadeth to destruction. We know You said it would be better if a millstone were put around the necks of those miscreants and they be cast to the bottom of the sea for misleading Your little ones, but they have no respect for You as they blaspheme Your Name and in fact, worship other pagan non-existent gods, protect those idols and then persecute and kill Your saints in the Middle East and everywhere else. They brainwash even small children now, with sensual matters of the flesh which Thou hast ordained for married adults. Lord, have mercy on our children and the generations to come, if You tarry.

Lord, this nation was built on religious freedom by authentic women and men of God who risked their lives in their former homes, to sail the deep blue and create the greatest country which ever was. America was synonymous with Christianity for a century, and was blessed with untold riches in resources, people and ingenuity. But now, we have lost our way, as our religious leaders are hiding in their posh caves, behind their BMW's and $65 million dollar aircraft and ministries, pretending to speak for You, while the nation is heading straight into hell. Father, oh Most Powerful and Great God, we repent and submit to the Judgment of drought, famine and disease which are coming our way, and is already here in California and elsewhere, and seek to return to You. On behalf of the remnant of our fellow believers, we ask forgiveness for turning away from You and following after this seedy culture when Christ is all we need, and all sufficient for us. Even if they say we cannot say His Name in public, He lives in our hearts and the hearts of all who are saved by Him, so let us live in such a manner than they will know we are Christians by our love, in Jesus' Name, amen.

Lord Your bride the church has failed You. We let others do what you called us to do, and they made slaves to men for their meager bread and row paneled houses instead of making servants for the King. We have developed programs to feed our egos and grow men's kingdoms instead of telling of the Kingdom of God. We have preached fell good messages so people giving money won't go to the other "tickle-your-ears" church with the fancy coffee and pastry down the street and then put it on TV for other people to be misled. We have ceased making disciples and holding prayer services to instead have fancy conferences and seminars to tell ourselves how smart we are. We have ceased from proclaiming the urgency and evil of the times and instead are telling people, who sit in comfortable pew chairs, that Jesus is coming any minute, so we can just keep sitting there. There is no love for the lost, no passion or hunger to help the hurting and the hopeless and most times not even a prayer for the persecuted. Lord, we are completely ashamed and embarassed to even look to Heaven  and cry out to you, because we are part of churches who do all of the above and more. We repent, right now, in the Mighty Name of Jesus, for all our short-comings. May this insane and purposeful failure to obey You, cease this day and may we according to Your Will, Word and Statutes, now and always remain, abide and walk with You, surrendering our lives to You, in the Name of the Messiah, Jesus the King, amen. 

THIRTY ONE DAYS OF PRAYER AND THE WORD:JANUARY 1-31, 2015 THEME: "ABIDE"

DAY ONE:

Beginning anything with Prayer and Praise, in gratitude for what God has done for us, is imperative. It is also always wise, in the Sight of the Lord, to begin each new calendar year humbly submitted to the Father, Who always existed and is always gracious to us, His Children.

The theme which the Lord gave me for this first month's focus - whether it is prayer, fasting, praise and sometimes, all three is ABIDE. The literal meaning of ABIDE in the New Covenant (or Testament) with Christ is "to remain in; to dwell and to live in Christ until death"! Christ is literally called the Branch in Prophesy (Zechariah 3:8 and others). There is no other way but to remain in Christ. He said that NO ONE can snatch HIS sheep out of His Hands, So eternity is secure to the born-again, converted and regenerated forer son/daughter of perdition. 

But just like the vine must remain connected to the Source to produce fruit. We must also remain connected with the Spirit of God. We know when we are saved that the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of the Branch - indwells us until death. Therefore, to live the full life, we must allow the Source of Everything to work in and through us. There is no other way - to be happy in Jesus - but to trust, obey and pray.

To start 2015 off as we should and in order to get to where we can function with an unction, this January, the focus is abiding in the Word with a verse and a prayer...and when the Spirit guides - a song. So here is Day 1 of 31:

VERSE: "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. (John 15:4).

PRAYER: Father God, Abba, Almighty God, Ruler of the Universe and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we thank Thee for all You are. We thank Thee for giving life, sustaining life and being the Author of Eternal Life. This is Life, that we may know You, that we may know Jesus Christ, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith, Who for the Joy set before Him endured the Cross, even unto death, that we may be saved. 

Father we accept, I accept, that glorious gift and accept Your Sovereignty, Your Majesty, Your Kingdom Authority, Your Power and Your Passion for Holiness which You exude in everything sent from Heaven, via Your Word. Your Word is confirmed by Your Holy Spirit Who lives in Your children. Father I attest to that Truth and pledge my days, the days and minutes of this new year, of this new paradigm, of this new season, to living in that Truth, to loving in that Truth, to triumphing in Your Testing, to persevering in the trials that come my way and to declaring Your Goodness.

Lord, You are MY GOD- You are MY KING, You are my Source, You are all that I need, all that I seek, all that I desire, all that I live for, all that I work for in the long run. I abide in the shadow of Your Mighty Wings, I dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High, I rest in the Blessed Assurance that Jesus is mine, oh what a foretaste of Your divine glory, majesty, worthiness, excellence, purity and amazing awesomeness. I depend solely on You for my sustenance, in the spirit man and in the temporal. You are my all in all and I worship You, Abba Father.  Thank You for opening the portals of Heaven that we may seek and come before Thy Mighty Throne minute by minute if we so desire, and You listen. Lord, what manner of God is this - that You know my name....that of the billions, You know ALL Your creation to the smallest detail...that the Eyes of the Lord runneth to and fro and seeketh those whose hearts are set on Thee! Thank You for taking me as I was, so I can be like the Great I am, Your Son - YHWH - Who spake to Moses through the Burning Bush and led Israel through the Pillar of Fire and the Cloud.

Your Shalom is more precious than anything ever created, now and in the future and I rest and abide in this as we begin 31 days of precious, anointed, humble and submitted worship to You, oh Glorious King and Commander in Chief of the Universe, through Christ our Lord, amen.  

THIRTY DAYS OF PRAYER - DAY 26

PRAY THE NAMES OF GOD

DAY 26
GOD IS EL SHADDAI


Whenever you see the word "EL" used as a prefix before another Hebrew word in the Bible, it is there for a reason. Those two letters mean God and come from a root word whose meaning is "power, might and strength"!


God is saying this about His Own Name: "you in the world have all your pagan gods but I AM THE ALL POWERFUL, THE ALL MIGHTY and THE ALMIGHTY GOD....and I can and will do anything I want!" When you read through the Old Testament, this is how the way it was....and still continues today...and will be through eternity!


Some examples of how the letter EL are:
El Echad - THE ONE TRUE GOD
EL Hanne'eman - THE FAITHFUL GOD
El Emet - THE GOD OF TRUTH and so one.


Just briefly, today EL SHADDAI means "The All-Sufficient God ALMIGHTY"! In Genesis 17:1 God says to Abraham " When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty (El SHADDAI); walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly".


The word Shaddai is a combination of "Sha" (who) and "DAI" (enough). In other words, God is saying He, and He along is sufficiently powerful enough set up the system for Abram (Abraham), in the passage above. He is saying "I am all powerful" but I can do just whatever I want...and I am choosing to make this Abrahamic Covenant with you, Abram".


This Almighty God can do the same for you and I today as He did for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob 4000 years ago! He is still in the business of Salvation, Protection, Provision and Nourishing us - those who believe in Him, through His Son Jesus Christ. 


El Shaddai has given us the past 2000 years and until He comes, to get things in order, not just for our souls if we repent, make peace and are saved by Him. But He also gives us our Daily Bread and health and everything we have. We did not get this on our own. We may be the ones who earn the paycheck. But He got us that job. The house we live in, did not get here accident or the safe travel on the highway to and from work. That was all God. So pray with me right now....


Father in the Name of Jesus, what do I have that You, in Your Power and Strength did not give to me?  The very clothes that I wear...the very food that I eat...the very car that I drive...the very home I live in...the very job I work at...the very spouse and children in our home... they are ALL from You, Abba Father.


You are the Maker, Provider and Sustainer of all things.  You ordain, create and then nourish all things and all people. You gave Grace to the humble, but You also give good things to the entire world and especially those who do not believe in You and may even blaspheme You! In Your Power and Grace, You have mercy on the World, prospering and blessing them with good things, that some may be saved. Lord, they continue to deny Your very existence, but I know You, oh Lord!


The time is coming soon, when all this will end, when the world systems will be destroyed under the Power and Might of Your Word and when the Lamb returns to deal with those who have misused Your gifts of life and temporal happiness.


But Lord, I, choose to thank You, knowing where my very existence and provision come from - You...and You did because You could and wanted to. So this day, I bless You, in the Name of Jesus. 

May I bless others as well, from my own family and our children and if You allow it, my children's children. I bless them like the blessing of Jacob in Genesis 49. I bless that mightily - "up to the bounties of the everlasting hills" (verse 26) and may that blessing be upon their brow....and may this blessing extend to all who read this and all my extended family.

Lord, I only do this because I have been touched by You, called by You and loved by You to serve and anoint others with Your Goodness. El Shaddai, oh God Most High, I love You, worship and I adore You, now and forever more, in Jesus' Name, amen.

TOMORROW: GOD IS FATHER (ABBA)