Avoiding Idolatry in current times

   

   When we read about idolatry in the Bible, we often see references to the worshiping of statues and manmade figures, like a golden calf. However, idolatry is anything that takes the place of God in our lives. The Lord has opened my eyes more and more to rampant idolatry woven into our times, including within the Christian community. Sometimes these thoughts, words, and actions have become such an integral part of our language that we don’t even think of them as such.

   I love the show Escape to the Country, but if I hear one more presenter tell people searching for a home in the UK that she’ll be ‘crossing her fingers’ for them, I think I will scream at the top of my lungs. Actually, I do renounce it every time I hear it, no matter how tedious it may seem to those watching the show with me. 

   Crossing one’s fingers has two meanings, neither of which is a Biblical action. As children we might have thought it meant we were excused for lying. NOT. This gesture’s other use is to help bring about the seemingly positive outcome one desires. Strike two. It is God to Whom we look, not futile gestures. 

   A similar action is to knock on wood. I have observed so many Christians doing so. The action’s history goes back to worship of the ‘goddess’ Gaia, who was said to dwell in the trees and in other created things. New Age believers of today continue to worship Gaia. (New age is not new.) Once again, it is to our Heavenly Father we should be praying, not knocking on a piece of furniture.

   When I was working in a retail artisan store, I lost track of the number of people who purchased crystals, gems, towers, pyramids, and similar items to give them power to make their lives better. Many carried them in their purses daily. Others, including Christians,  bought sage or ‘evil eye’ jewelry to drive away and protect themselves from evil.

   The idea of Karma has been completely adopted in our language, including by Christian believers. The Hindu concept of Karma is the antithesis of Christianity. As believers in Jesus’ sacrificial death for us, we trust in Him for our salvation. To trust in Karma is to trust that your good actions will outweigh your bad and you’ll be ok. This, of course, isn’t even true according to Scripture. [See Romans, among others. I especially recommend In the Grip of Grace by Max Lucado.] The Bible does present the concept of reaping and sowing; however it is not a balance scale through which we hope to be saved. [FYI The Hindu people believe that those in the lower castes deserve their level  because of past lives, so they will not lift a finger to help them and interfere with their attempts to work themselves up the ladder of salvation.] 

   Have you described, on social media, a challenging situation in your life and had some respond, “I will think positive thoughts for you.”? That and fifty cents won’t buy you a cup of coffee, as the saying [doesn’t] go.. (Obviously a financially out-of-date phrase.) Thinking positive thoughts without praying is a totally powerless action. The statement is idolatrous because it implies that your mind effects* change in someone’s life.

   Hallmark Christmas movies have more ‘sweet’ idolatrous actions than Carter has liver pills”. (Forgive me, younger ones; you won’t know this reference the way my generation will.). My other shouting and renouncing time, in addition to my defying of the cross your fingers references, is Hallmark movies’ continual attribution of life’s direction to the universe and fate. Wherever God used to be referenced in older books and movies, ‘the universe’ has now been substituted. O Christmas Tree has replaced Joy to the World and The Night Before Christmas has replaced The Nativity Story. 

   In a similar way, Destiny (separated from God’s destiny for us) is assigned power and control over us, as are ‘the stars’, horoscopes and other forms of astrology. God’s creation doesn’t have power to direct and affect us, El Shaddai, ADONAI Elohim does. He gave authority over His creation to Adam.. Well, you know how that went… Thankfully, Jesus, the Second Adam, restored it to His Ekklesia when He triumphed over satan. 

   Tarot cards, Ouija boards, and all forms of the occult. This should be an obvious one. However, I just saw a popular show in which a ‘sweet’ girl works for a company which combines the Tarot with the use of ‘natural’ makeup. She even had the t-shirt! Disney, as many of you know,, has woven witchcraft into most everything they create. Be careful what your kids and grandchildren watch..

   To avoid too lengthy a post, I will simply list other common forms of idolatry of the 21st century: Some may be challenging (and you may want to challenge me!)

• Get rich quick schemes, always looking to win the lottery, etc vs trusting God for your provision
• Wishing on on a star or tossing coins in a fountain, 
• Sports superstitions of all kinds (a huge pot of foaming idolatry)
• Theater superstitions
• Superstitions like burying the statue of a saint upside down to sell a house
• Belief in reincarnation. Hmmmm, let’s see…I get to live one miserable life after another on earth until I finally attain perfection? (See Romans again.) Or I repent, ask for forgiveness, and trust in Jesus’s perfect sacrifice for me. Which shallI choose? It’s so hard to decide.
• Buddhas and Hindu goddesses in gardens and homes. I see these in so many house-hunting shows. Believe me, these are not good decorations!
• The term Zen. It’s everywhere! Zen comes from Zen Buddhism. Once again, you work your way to ‘Heaven’. One of many downsides, however, is that this attained state of so-called perfection is ‘Nothingness.’ I rest my case.
• Feng Shui “a traditional form of geomancy that originated in Ancient China and claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment”. ** Do you really want to pursue an idolatrous eastern religion to decorate your home? 
• Reiki  “Reiki practitioners use a technique called palm healing or hands-on healing through which, according to practitioners, a "universal energy" is transferred through the palms of the practitioner to the client, to encourage emotional or physical healing. It is based on qi ("chi"), which practitioners say is a universal life force” (vs GOD as our healer)’
• Other phrases to avoid: in the cards, thank your lucky stars…

Now it gets more subtle and easily missed:

• Intellectual arrogance vs using God’s gift of intelligence for His glory
• Power and influence, as a sort of god in one’s life…vs under God’s favor and direction
• Our own accomplishments and success independent of God
• Entertainment and technology
• Food and drink
• Exercise and body building as a ‘god’ vs stewarding God’s temple. [When one’s whole identity is tied to physical prowess and abilities]
• Unforgiveness/pride, bitterness (Who is on the throne?)
• Fear of what others think about us more than what God thinks
• Our reputations
• Sports (how much time, focus, passion?)
• Our families (ouch). Do we put the family we love above God, more important than what He wants us to do? For example, do we avoid speaking the truth in love He’s prompting us to do, because we don’t want to risk damaging our relationships with them? (Yep, this one’s for me, too.)

Let’s examine our lives, thoughts, words, and deeds. 

Let’s ask Holy Spirit to show us, prompt us, make us aware (Psalm 139)… of not only our own hidden idolatries, but also for help in identifying what we see or hear elsewhere. Let’s help open our friends’ understanding, if we hear them using or pursuing idolatrous philosophies, religions, or language. Let’s speak the truth in love, not just ignore it for concern over what they will think of us. Our speech is very powerful (both positively and negatively). [Reread Proverbs, James, and Psalms. Also search ‘speech’ and ‘words’ and ‘power’ in Bible Hub or an e-version.]  Idolatry is not taken lightly by God. The state of our once-covenanted nation reflects our pursuit of it. Let’s ask Him to purify our hearts in these areas. This will increase our faith and trust in Him, rather than our looking, even unknowingly, to powerless idols for our help. Our sincere faith is so very pleasing to Him+. Let’s ask Him to help us in this sanctification process and see His broad smile in response. 

+(See Hebrews 11:6 and beyond.) 

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* Yes ‘effects’ is correct in this situation, despite what your grammar checker may indicate. 

** Wikipedia .

Insights on staffs and stones

   

  Some of us are blessed to have a spiritual inheritance of faithful ancestors, even if this only applies to one generation before us. Others of us are the first to begin anew... Many of us also have powerful testimonies of God’s Goodness in our lives.. (Everyone has received from His Goodness, although they may not be aware.) Certainly, we all have a history of God’s blessings on our nation, through our covenant roots with Him. Although our nation has wandered far from Him, we have seen a turning back to those roots by hundreds of thousands, along with those of us who never left them. Our efforts have produced much fruit!

   This morning I was rereading a post from Dutch Sheets’ first Give Him 15 devotional (Day 24). He delved into the original meanings behind words used detailing David’s experience fighting Goliath. We have certainly been fighting Goliaths in our time. Many of us, though greatly distressed, have felt insignificant and powerless against them. However, it has been modern day apostles and prophets who have helped many of us to rise up believing, and take a stand against them, both in our outward actions and, most importantly, through spiritual warfare, We have repented of our inaction and also rehearsed God’s past and present faithfulness, declaring and decreeing His will for us and for our nation. We have repented of modern idolatries and poured ourselves into rededicating ourselves and our country to Him, praying that His ‘Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven’, with very specific petitions and decrees concerning what we are facing.

   I found Dutch’s unpacking of particular words in this account very eye opening and encouraging. You’ll remember that  David gave his testimony of faithfulness before he took action against Goliath. According to the Hebrew meaning of testimony, it is more than just remembering. It literally means to repeat an action or do it again, releasing the same power into the present. [I will add that the same idea is communicated by Jesus when He said of what we now call Communion:  Do this in remembrance of Me.]  Neither involve simply ‘remembering’ that something happened, as we use it today.. It means to ‘re-member or put back together in the present. Our testimonies are full of power, affecting the present, building faith and effecting change. 

   Another insight from Dutch was the fact that David’s use of a stone to kill Goliath was symbolically tied to his tribe of Judah, as were both his drawing those from a brook and carrying his staff as he approached him.. In that time, staffs were often carved with symbols of personal history (a sort of testimony, like the killing of a lion and a bear). David also declared the testimony of God’s faithfulness, prior to his attack. Additionally, for the Hebrews a brook symbolized inheritance.. David drew the stones from his inheritance. 

   Finally, Dutch unwraps even more related to David’s tribe of Judah::

     And yet, there is still one more connection to David’s history which played a part in this battle with the giant: his Judah nature, his DNA. Most Christians believe Judah means “praise.” That, however, is a derived meaning. In this pictorial language, the Hebrew word pictures the extending of the hand. It is because of this that it is a word used for “praise,” since raising the hands is a form of praise. However, because Judah means to extend the hand, it also means “one who throws a stone.” In his history, David was from “the tribe that throws stones!”*

   So many nuggets to discover when we dig deeper into God’s unending wealth and layers of understanding. Understanding which informs our prayers, decrees, and declarations for our own families and for our nation. God is speaking through His modern-day prophets that He has more than we can imagine in store for us in 2025 and beyond.. However, He wants to partner with us to see it manifested. Let’s grab our staffs and our stones, drawing from the brook of our spiritual inheritance**, and courageously fight the giants of today, knowing that God wants us free to experience the abundant life*** he has for us, for our nation and for the world.. 

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**Give Him 15; an Appeal to Heaven Devotional, VOLUME 1 by Dutch Sheets

Other guidance in petitions, declarations, and decrees can be found through people like Tim Sheets (Oasis Church), Andrew Whalen, and many others (eg see ElijahStreams.com)

** Ephesians 1: 5: 1 John 2: 27; Romans 8: 17; Ephesians 2: 10; Isaiah 54: 17 (and so many more!) 

***John 10: 10

A different kind of usher

     

     Before I retired from teaching and moved to be near our kids and grandchildren, we belonged to a wonderful, humble, little church on the Space Coast of Florida. Holy Spirit’s sweet and powerful Presence often dwelt there.  I think He came in power so often because we simply loved Him and wanted what He wanted, more than we wanted our own way. To be blessed by His continual outpouring, our pastors had to be willing to step out of the way and gratefully hand over the reins to Him. 

    In this spiritually intimate atmosphere, people needed to only choose to come near the altar, and Holy Spirit did the rest.* One of my job assignments from the Father was simply to get them there. I would listen for His direction, go to the person he designated, silently reach out my hand, and walk the chosen one forward.

    It was a very short walk, but a life-changing one. Whether for healing of body or soul, a resting in His Love, or a first-time surrender and commitment to Him, Holy Spirit’s Presence effected the transformation. Yet the short walk needed to be taken. The Father knew, of course, what was going on in each one’s heart, including who wanted to come forward but was struggling with whether or not to do so. All they needed was a hand outstretched to help usher them forward. 

   Whether we are in church, on a sidewalk, in the grocery store, or having coffee with a friend, we can be an usher. The Lord knows what is happening in each mind and heart. Let’s remain open and sensitive to His prompting. We musn’t be reluctant, for fear of what others will think of us. We can’t read a heart, but He can. 

   Let’s “put our whole trust in His grace and love”…for ourselves as ushers, as well as for our ushees. [On anothe occasion, roles may be reversed.] We may be only one in a long chain of ushers, which culminates in that person’s final walk to the altar. There they will find that His hands are the ones outstretched, ushering them into His very heart.

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* Quiet, anointed soaking worship, as well as our pastors’ tender hearts and sensitivity to Holy Spirit, also served to create this manger of a church.

** “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. —2 Corinthians 13: 14

Rnsmd

 

Have  you forgotten that your body is now the sacred temple of the Spirit of Holiness, who lives in you? You don’t belong to yourself any longer, for the gift of God, the Holy Spirit, lives inside your sanctuary You were God’s expensive purchase, paid for with tears of blood, so by all means, then, use your body to bring glory to God! —1 Corinthians 6: 19-20

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“Go! This guy has paid an astronomical price for you. Come out of your cell and go with him,” my owner barked at me. The ‘guy’ takes my hand, and instantly we are outdoors. He lifts me up onto the saddle of His horse and climbs up behind me. His arms encircle me, securely protecting me from falling, as He urges the steed forward. Our pace increases from a gentle walk to a smooth, loping stride, as we move through the sweetly scented fresh air. I lean back against Him and feel His heartbeat against my back. I can’t believe I am free after all the years of bndge.to my sadistic mstr. Is this a dream? The beauty around me takes my breath away. I tip my head up to look at Him, and He gazes down at me tenderly. His beauty far surpasses the landscape through which we are passing. Embarrassed at my ugly appearance in contrast to His shining purity, I look down at my dirty, stained clothes and discover I am wearing a shimmering, diaphanous gown. My skin is glowing, clean and scrubbed. My hair, now washed and gently flowing, feels soft against my face. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I call to Him above the sound of the horse’s hooves and the breeze rushing past us. As I look up at Him again I notice something I didn’t before: There are scars on his forehead. As I look down, I see that His wrists, which rest in front of me, are scarred as well. I fear there are many more unseen wounds on His body. Signs of His battle to save me? I wonder what He actually endured to set me free. Was it more than money He paid to rescue me? And why would He do this for me? All I know is that I don’t ever want to be separated from Him. I want to serve Him now. Love and gratefulness exude from my whole being. He says I am free to go and do as I please. But I don’t want to leave Him. Ever. 

Grateful astonishment

     Sometimes we know particular passages from Scripture so well that we almost become immune to their impact. We hear them in our heads almost in a singsong voice. New believers can read the same verses and say,

“What? That’s astonishing! Wow!” 

We’re like, 

“That? Oh yeah, sure. I’ve known that since I was a kid. Are you excited about that? Yep…it’s true.”

New believer: 

“So when it says God loves me so much He left the awesomeness of Heaven and came to be brutally tortured and smashed beyond recognition and slowly suffocated in agonizing pain, carrying ever evil thing ever thought, said, or done, on Himself…..This was all to save me here and now and eternally….as into the eternity of eternities……that’s all true?”

“Ummm, yeah. Maybe I better look at that John 3:16 thing again myself. Wooooh…..”

So….this morning I was reading Psalm 139 in The Passion Translation*. I actually almost skipped it, because I know it pretty much by heart. Da, da da, da da, da da.. However, because it was from TPT, it was like hearing it anew. It was astounding, once again.

“You know every step I will take before my journey even begins. You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way, and in kindness you follow behind me to spare me from the harm of my past. You have laid your hand on me! You impart a blessing to me.” ——Psalm 139:5

To sit, to camp, to rest in the bottomless yet rock-solid knowledge that my ADONAI knows every last thought I have…every negative attitude; every lie or omission or crafted retelling; every selfish motive; every bit of pride or vanity. In fact, He endured severe torture and agonizing death because of it. Yet He still loves me and wants me to live an abundant life. Wants to give me more than I can ask or even imagine. How incomprehensible is that? There is nowhere I can hide from Him when shame overcomes me. Nowhere He isn’t. He even descended to Hell to take its keys back for my sake. 

How have we let that knowledge become humdrum in our lives, as we pursue our daily activities and focus on what my mother used to call ‘the tyranny of the urgent’? I know I am guilty of losing my ‘third heaven’ perspective. Not that I think our Heavenly Father wants us to be ‘so heavenly minded we’re no earthly good,’ as the saying goes. However, have we become dulled to the wonder of Who He is and what He is doing and has done? In living years or decades away from our first-found romance with our Bridegroom, have we relegated Him to the background, taking Him for granted, as He supports us every single day and moment of our lives, steadfastly present and aware of our every word and thought? Longing to truly commune with us and have us partner with Him for HIS Kingdom to come on earth as it is in Heaven?

“Do the riches of His extraordinary kindness make you take Him for granted…?” —Romans 2:4 TPT

I know I can be guilty of this. Guilty of jumping into my day, prioritizing both the seemingly urgent and even the mundane over communing with Him; delving into His Word; agreeing with and praying for the things most on His heart; declaring my love for Him and my deep thankfulness for all He has done, is doing, and will do. Sometimes He calls me Jumping Bean, because of all the times I start to pray and listen to Him and then jump up to do ‘just this one thing before I forget’. That one thing can become another and another. Or I just want to check this one text or post or phone call. Sometimes I never even begin my devotional time in the first place. I ‘stand Him up’ in our meeting place. Never even say “Good Morning Father, Good morning, Yeshua, Good Morning, Holy Spirit.” Never even a hug or an “I love You” or a “thankYou”. How is this possible? Though it’s true, I don’t want it to ever to be so.

If you are at times like me, let us both be determined from this day forward never to allow the incredible depth and extent of His love and mercy to excuse the shallowness of our daily devotion to Him. 

So be it.

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“,,,we beg you not to take God’s marvelous grace for granted,”. —-2:Cor 6:1

**Note on TPT: Brian Simmons, by the way, did not just create his own modern paraphrase of ‘the real Scripture’. He is a Bible translator for many languages and a scholar of Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic His is not just an accessible, feel-good retelling of the Word. What it is, however, is a refreshing translation, based on linguistic research and choices from various possible English synonyms, most in keeping with the context, historical background, and heart of the original languages, under the guidance of Holy Spirit.

Kneeling in the sand

    I have once again been reading through the Acts of the Apostles, and, as always, have been struck by something new. This time Holy Spirit stopped me as I read about Peter, Paul, and others kneeling in prayer.. [See Acts 21:5; Acts 9:40; Acts 20:36; Luke 5:8; Luke 7:37] In Acts 21:5, for example, Paul kneels in the sand with all the members of a new church to pray together before he leaves them. I thought about how seldom most of us kneel to pray, individually or corporately, anymore. Why didn’t Paul and crew just stand in a circle praying?

This brought to mind the fact that, in worship, I can tell when Jesus is standing before me, because I find myself on my knees.

Have we lost this type of manifestation of reverence in the church?  I was raised as an Episcopalian.* Humor regarding this denomination (also referred to as ‘the frozen chosen’) often referenced the ‘up and down, up and down’ movements of our congregations. Yet there is meaning behind this practice: Stand to praise; sit to listen (attitude of being teachable); kneel to humbly, reverentially, pray and worship.  There are times at a beloved non-denominational church, where I find myself kneeling down at some point during opening worship. I sense the need to be as close to ‘on my face’ as I can get in my space between the chair in front of me and my seat. I know that I am not doing what everyone else is doing, but I know I must overcome the need to fit in and instead do what I sense Holy Spirit is prompting me to do. [As I get older, it is harder for me to actually kneel, but If I can’t kneel, I at least sit with my knees close to the floor and my head bowed.] 

If Jesus is before me, I don’t think about it at all. I just find myself on my knees.. 

There are a couple churches I’ve attended in which all kinds of people are worshiping all kinds of ways. People don’t seem to be as aware of each other, as much as they are aware of the God they have come to please. Flags, shofars, dance, kneeling, standing, sitting, prostrated on the floor, resting in Holy Spirit on their backs, hands up, hands down…. The freedom to worship ADONAI in sincerity, truth, enthusiasm, loud praise, quietness, or silence. The giving of one’s whole self in various forms at various times, I believe, is pleasing to our Heavenly Father. As is refraining from criticizing or judging others for how they are expressing their worship.

Let’ take a look at ‘the other side of the worship coin’ from what we’re used to in our own churches. Do we always praise loudly and never become quiet in worship? Are we always quiet in worship and never ‘shout with a voice of triumph’? Do we criticize in our hearts (or even forbid) praising with flags or dancing? Do we flag and dance but criticize those who quietly kneel? Are we open to everything God says in His Word is pleasing to Him, both the overt and the hidden? Do we make a place for and encompass it all? 

I personally find it difficult to find a church that intentionally does so. A place with both historicity, lively worship both ancient and modern, a place where you feel free to kneel or jump up and down, sit in reverence without moving, lie facedown on the carpet; dance and wave a flag, or sit cross-legged with head bowed. 

A wonderful trend I see emerging, however, is denominational blindness, with ‘my church’ talk being replaced by ‘Jesus’ Body’ talk. A unification (without compromise on the Word) of the Ekklesia, praying and standing together as one for God’s kingdom to come on earth as it is in Heaven.’ Alleluia! Let’s make our worship, in all its expressions, do the same. 

While we’re at it, let’s not lose the power of reverentially kneeling together before Him. 

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Take a moment to enjoy this song, “Find Me”, from Jonathan and Melissa Heiser): 

https://youtu.be/G_LFvzKsbfw?si=21eVCO5dfINB4gOp

Is this seat saved?

    

We used to joke around sometimes when someone asked if the seat next to us was saved. We would say,

“I’m not sure,” shake the chair, and ask, “Are you saved?” 

The humor was based in a time when people might well have asked you, or any stranger, if you had truly received salvation.

Last Sunday I had an empty seat next to me in a thankfully very full church, where late arrivals were searching for a spot. (I wish all our Bible-believing churches were that full for 4 services.) The one empty seat made me think of our old joke. It also prompted me to think who should have been in it. Who was God calling to take his or her place there? 

The pastor spoke of Lazarus and the fact that Jesus was not the one to actually roll away the stone or even unwrap his grave-cloths. He asked the others to do it. “Unbind him and set him free!” (Luke 11). The pastor’s message had to do with our role in ‘unbinding’ others and the power we have to do so, even though Jesus is the One Who brings the actual resurrection.

He spoke of people ‘being dead to one another.’ Of the binding cloths of unforgiveness and judgment. Of the lonely ones, the hurt ones, to whom we could be reaching out and drawing into our life circle. He spoke especially about the ones who have severely wounded us or continually taken wrong paths until we have finally given up on them. The ones of whom people say, “He’ll never change!” [Never speak a prophetic word that opposes God’s will!] Even those whose prickly personalities cause us to avoid contact with them whenever possible. The ones who often need ‘unbinding’ much more than those vulnerable-seeming, humble ones who are much easier to love.

Whom have we written off?

Whom have we ignored and left in the cold, while cozy in our own warm circles?

Whom do we intensely (or even moderately) dislike and avoid reaching out to, whose presence in our friendship groups could sabotage our comfort levels and pleasant interactions? (Martha: “but Lord, there’ll be an odor!” Luke 11:44)

Whose reserved seat may be empty because we ourselves have fallen short of doing the hard thing? 

Or perhaps we’re the stone-removing forgiver or renouncer of condemning prophecies. (Speak ‘crop failure’ to those spoken words!) Yet God then plans to call someone else to draw that person to his saved seat?  All we need to do is be obedient to our part. 

It seems unfair that we should be considered responsible, especially when we have been the recipient of someone’s unkind, disrespectful, neglectful, or even abusive treatment. It may be a jolt to our self-righteousness that we are even seen by our Lord as having the ‘job’ or the capability of helping to bring that change about. We’re ‘only human,’ right? 

We absolutely need to set boundaries in cases of potentially harmful relationships. However, that is not what I’m referring to above. It’s the large stones blocking the tomb, the boulders of refusal to forgive, the walls of a back turned against another, and even the pebbles of rejection due to our discomfort with those annoying personalities, that make it challenging to reach out to another, whether stranger, acquaintance, or even family member.. 

So many reasons for a seat sacrificially saved by our Savior to remain empty. Sometimes it’s self-loathing masquerading as arrogance. Sometimes it’s straight-forward intellectual arrogance. Sometimes it’s a spirit of rejection that whispers to a mind, “You’re unwanted, unsuccessful, unworthy, unknowledgeable, unloved, unforgiveable.” 

If you find yourself, like me, putting your hands over your ears and saying to the Lord, “I can’t hear You!”…you’re in good company. Hence, so many empty ‘saved’ seats. Let’s determine that the next time there is an empty seat next to us at church, we take our hands off our ears and ask Him for whom it’s reserved….and what He might want us to do to help fill it. We might be one of several on a team or in a series, whom our Father is asking. Yet if no one else answers His call to roll away the stone, let it not be we who refuse.

Accumulated Grief

   

   One of the prophets and apostles I listen to regularly is Tim Sheets. You may be more familiar with his brother, Dutch (“Give Him 15”), whom I also respect greatly. A humble man with profound insights from Scripture and Holy Spirit, Tim has been enduring much that most of us, until recently, were ignorant. He has been battling both cancer and rashes of painful welts from a reaction to medication. All the while we have seen him faithfully preaching, pursuing God’s heart and listening to His messages to share with us. Learning what he has silently been enduring affected me greatly, especially when I considered the way even small irritations and annoyances can cause me to grumble, if only in my mind. 

   For several years, I have been reading and decreeing from several of his books, as well as listening to his sermons at Oasis Church. His knowledge of God’s Logos (Scripture) and his sharing of God’s Rhema Word have kept alive my hope for our chaotic and corrupted times. Neither he nor I believe we are in the end times. So much of God’s Word, including promises to His Son, have yet to be fulfilled. I do believe, however, we need to fight like never before, in partnership with Him, to defeat the enemy’s plans to hasten those End Times. There is a widespread harvest and time of great blessing coming before then.

   We have been fighting, in prayer, decreeS, and actions, for years now. We have been believing and speaking forth both God’s written will and His Rhema promises. These have concernd what He has been doing, is doing, and will do, to rescue us and bring about a massive Revival. This word’s very denotation, He says, is totally insufficient for the magnitude of what He is bringing about. In essence, we can’t even fathom it. This will include worldwide healings, signs, and miracles so great that even the previous individual revivals around the world were merely a presage.. 

   You may not believe it now, as you look about you at the mess we are in, However, I encourage you to listen to GOD’S streaming, instead of that of secular media. Truly believe and declare “His Kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” If that were not possible, why would Jesus have told us to pray it? Was He just messing with us when He said it, as well as declaring “you will do greater works than these…”?

   Proverbs 13:12 says “HOPE DEFERRED makes the heart sick”. It can also encourage us to give up and resign ourselves to ‘whatever’. One prophet describes this as sitting immobile on our Rapture rug, waiting to be taken out of the craziness.. Multiple experiences of GRIEF can also cause us to give up. . The combination of these two (hope deferred and multiple griefs) can be geometrically devastating. Often we aren’t even aware of why we feel so ‘down; why we lack our previous energy and enthusiasm. All the more so if we’ve always been an upbeat, hopeful person. [If we’ve always tended toward “Eeyoreness,” it may not cause us to ponder as much. 😅 🫏]

   This morning, on a repeated journey through a book of prayers, commentary, and decrees by Tim, I read the following. It hit a deep chord within me, and tears came unexpectedly to my eyes. 

“I woke up in the middle of the night with God speaking to me about accumulated grief. I had never thought about the concept of grief accumulating, but the more I thought about it the more I realized it does happen. The older you get, the more grief in life seems to accumulate. This happens, that happens, and you think you’ve laid it down but really it’s still sticking to the soul and you need someone bigger than you to come along and take it away. Thankfully, the promise of our great Lord Jesus is that He came to take away grief that accumulates—the divorce, the loss of a loved one, the bankruptcy, the broken relationship. These things can accumulate in our lives, but Jesus comes to unwrap our soul and set us free, healing our emotions, feelings, and minds.”  —Tim Sheets*

    I thought about ‘hope deferred’ as an additional type of grief and realized how ADONAI is able to heal that also, especially when we ask Him for a a large dose of faithfulness and trust. Everything is healed by looking up into HIS tender countenance. So let’s ask Him to show us the ‘accumulated grief’ that may be weighing us down. Griefs we hadn’t even thought of as such. Griefs we didn’t even think about offering up to Him for healing. He is able. He wants us free to live ‘life abundant.’ According to His Word, that is why He came! 

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it [a]overflows). “ —John 10:10

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Prayers and Decrees That Activate Angel Armies, Tim Sheets

Cleanse and detox…beyond prunes

 

Prunes? Say what?

All right, if you’re not in the ‘senior’ category, this might not exactly be on your mind. Trust me, it will still apply, no matter your age group.

God’s sense of humor never ceases to amaze me. He can take any mundane, so-very-down-to-earth issue and make a lesson out of it. I was struggling with serious constipation, as many seniors do. To the point I’d started praying about it. God knows our bodies inside out, so to speak, since He created them. He also knows when things go awry from His original plan. 

I had begun reading David Herzog’s book, Jumpstart, Your Way to Healthy Living. [FYI David also operates in the prophetic.] He suggested, before attempting a weight loss plan, to pursue a cleanse of parasites from your body. These evidently can be picked up in any number of places

After trying assorted natural remedies, including certain foods, hydration, exercise, etc., all to no avail, I asked God for help. As He often does, He took me beyond the physical realm and opened my eyes to a similar issue of the soul. A deep belly laugh was my response. “Really? You’re going to teach me something theological related to constipation?” 

“Yes, indeed.!”

Here’s the gist of what He shared with me, as best I can summarize. 

• In addition to physical parasites, whose ultimate effect is to clog up and slow down your system and thus begin to poison your body, there are parasites which clog and begin to poison your soul. 
• The ‘unhealthy’ things you watch, listen to, and read for entertainment and distraction
• Resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness, judgment, criticism, condemnation, and a desire for vengeance
• Sometimes we’ve unknowingly picked up parasites from our own family members or friends, who may have long ago taken up an offense and passed it on.
• We may also have received them from lying media sources or even trusted teachers, who served up deception and corrupt attitudes masquerading as truth
• Constipation of the soul blocks His Spirit from flowing freely through us. This hinders blessing both to ourselves and others.
• It makes us uncomfortable, grumpy, irritable, and ‘cranky,’ just as does physical constipation. We take offense easily, as Scripture plainly decries. [1Cor 13:5]
• We become distracted from focusing on what is important, what God is saying to us. We become distracted from DOING what He wants us to do..
• Spiritual constipation poisons our thoughts, as we find ourselves dwelling on hurts, whether recent or long-standing. We rehearse old wounds, even when we have no overt desire to do so. We search for an eraser to cleanse our minds and a brand-new ✏️ to write what is pleasing to God there, instead. Yet the rehearsal keeps starting back at the beginning. A groundhog day unhealthy for the soul. 

God’s CLEANSE can be found in 1 John 1:9“, which most of you know well:

    “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and CLEANSE us from all unrighteousness.”

We’ve heard it so often, it may have lost its profound life-changing effect. Sometimes we think of this verse for ‘sins-in-bulk’ We’re saved! Alleluia! Oh wait, what’s the first part again? “If we confess our sins…” Have we asked God to cleanse us of unforgiveness, of bitterness, of resentment, of judging and criticizing others, of watching things no Christian has any business watching…things that grieve our Lord? Have we confessed arrogance, a Jezebel spirit of spiritual superiority, of knowing better than everyone else, of trying to manipulate others into doing what we want done? Ooohhhh,  now we’re getting down to more deeply impacted bowels of the soul. 

Root it all out, Holy Spirit! I want none of it! Whatever it takes! I want a whistle-clean colon of the soul! Part of me is afraid to ask; afraid to let go; afraid to give up favorite sins; afraid to admit to those thoughts, words, and deeds that will otherwise remain hidden. But You already know it all. There is no hiding anything from You. I want to be clean and pure, pleasing in Your sight more than I want to hang onto unhealthy things. “See if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:24)

How to access all my posts (2015 to the present)

 To see all my Morning Manna posts, you can either:

1) Click “See Web Version” at the bottom of a post viewed on a phone or…

2) Open my blog home page or post on a computer or tablet large enough to show the list of years and related posts on the bottom right-hand side of the screen. Once you click on a year, a list of months will appear, with that month’s posts listed underneath.

3) Direct blog address: TennyandI.blogspot.com (as in Tenny and I). “Tenny” is short for Tennessee, my traveling bear.) 🤓🧸

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My most most recent posts are also available as tabs on the following websites :

* BearfootArtsfortheShepherd.com (my art website)

* TheChapelDowntown.org (Church fellowship in Hillsboro, OR)

* TheRightspot.Life (my friend’s Guest House Retreat in NC, dedicated to encouraging people to draw closer to Jesus)

Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee

Remember, our praise not only glorifies God and lifts us up, it is also spiritual warfare against the enemy of our souls and our land.

 “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee,” (also known as the Ode to Joy). Lyrics written in 1907 by Henry J Van Dyke. Composer, Ludwig Von Beethoven, adapted in 1827 for the hymn version by Edward Hodges. I give you the classic choir version first, and then a variety of joyful options and adaptations. Praise away!

 https://youtu.be/NML640yBoKE?si=8BjhaPNkKe4dmOSd

Tommy Walker: https://youtu.be/OYKP2p6uEkM?si=nuKuADiBZlNqDGi9 

Reawaken Hymns:  https://youtu.be/2yZVweZ2Cvg?si=Hgn_-iLc55F5HLDr

Fun Variations:

• Michael W. Smith: https://youtu.be/NHm_p7xj5uQ?si=1tpdq6iMrzRjEn4U
• Casting Crowns: https://youtu.be/MsBtbCMSY-w?si=TbGloyw3b3IGIDaF
• IHOPU: https://youtu.be/xc8BRReglnc?si=jG8p0tm2l9M0kR4G

1. 
   
2. Take a few minutes to really absorb this amazing poem.
3. 
   
4. Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
   God of glory, Lord of love;
   Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,
   Op’ning to the sun above.
   Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
   Drive the dark of doubt away;
   Giver of immortal gladness,
   Fill us with the light of day!
5. All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
   Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,
   Stars and angels sing around Thee,
   Center of unbroken praise.
   Field and forest, vale and mountain,
   Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
   Singing bird and flowing fountain
   Call us to rejoice in Thee.
6. Thou art giving and forgiving,
   Ever blessing, ever blest,
   Wellspring of the joy of living,
   Ocean depth of happy rest!
   Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,
   All who live in love are Thine;
   Teach us how to love each other,
   Lift us to the joy divine.
7. Mortals, join the happy chorus,
   Which the morning stars began;
   Father love is reigning o’er us,
   Brother love binds man to man.
   Ever singing, march we onward,
   Victors in the midst of strife,
   Joyful music leads us Sunward
   In the triumph song of life.

Great is Thy Faithfulness

 “Great is Thy Faithfulness” (Thomas Chisholm, 1923); music William M. Runyan

Overall playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-2DzbrW5IS1Zc2XOERvYRMq0gqvZbesd&si=yiu-0PurGUcZLIiS

• Chorale” https://youtu.be/r4ox4es1jo8?si=Fbyh3lez70jXdqSU
• Austin Stone: https://youtu.be/8gmrjTnHs3o?si=x1bQ1jx2WWzRgQ4z

21st Century:

• You Are Faithful (Hillsong): https://youtu.be/2GpsOoMPLrA?si=uzu4Jq84_xeQZz8g
• My Redeemer is Faithful and True (Steven Curtis Chapman) https://youtu.be/-pHhfe4tVSo?si=6ELc8uxm0FAf9UlR 

• Do It Again (Elevation Worship) https://youtu.be/scV2Isa1M84?si=946uDcF1isTIXAdm
• You Never Let Go (Matt Redman) https://youtu.be/NM14VZVu0og?si=DYijQLfBSz5ppHxC 

Psalm 115 

Psalm 117 

1Let everyone everywhere shine with praise to Yahweh!a Let it all out! Go ahead and praise him! 2For he has conquered us with his great love, and his kindness has melted our hearts. His faithfulness lasts forever, and he will never fail you. So go ahead, let it all out! Praise Yah!