Occupation

    

   Many of you know well of the time when Daniel prayed fervently for his people near the end of their exile to Babylon* (Daniel 10). Nothing seemed to be happening in response to his prayers and fasting, until finally Gabriel appeared before him and told him how God had responded immediately to Daniel’s prayers before he had even finished speaking, but demonic intervention had waylaid his arrival. 

   This morning as I was rereading this section of Daniel, I heard God promoting me to stop and see something new. In this passage. The word occupation came strongly to mind. Gabriel was kept occupied by the enemy so he couldn’t get to Daniel. Holy Spirit pointed out to me that the enemy of our souls does the same thing today in our minds and in our lives. If he can keep us otherwise occupied and distracted from connecting with Him, we won’t hear His messages of direction and encouragement or receive the strengthening He is sending us. 

   It isn’t that He hasn’t immediately responded to our prayers. His help has gone forth, but we haven’t put ourselves in battle position to receive it. Yes, thankfully we have angels to help us, but we must do battle, also, in order to receive what the Father wants us to have.

   Sometimes this means, in addition to intercession, the putting aside of various activities, entertainment, all-consuming worry, self-pity, lack of trust, or the demand to understand….to have answers to the ‘whys’. Occupation can take so many forms. The Lord wants us aware that these can all be ‘spiritual battles in the heavenlies’. We must treat them as such and fight accordingly, knowing that He is on our side. He doesn’t want us to be passive victims of attacks masquerading as busyness, soundbites, escapism, or simple distractions. Our very lifeblood, our very breath come from our connection with and trust in The Lover of our Souls. 

   He has also given us authority to fight powerfully, to fight effectively, and to win. To stand up, to decree, to declare what His Word says. Yes! But also to be still and commune with Him. To speak to Him of our abiding trust and love, and even more, to listen. I know this word just now was for me, but I share it because it may well speak to you, also.

   Yes, “the battle belongs to Him,” but it also belongs to us. Let’s ponder our part and not find ourselves passive victims by being ‘otherwise occupied’.  Let’s make it our first priority to be occupied by Him.

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 “You man so greatly loved, don’t be afraid. Shalom to you; and be strong, yes, truly strong.” His speaking to me strengthened me, and I said, “My lord, keep speaking; because you’ve given me strength.” —Daniel 10: 19

“Don’t be afraid, Dani’el; because since the first day that you determined to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words have been heard; and I have come because of what you said. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia prevented me from coming for twenty-one days; but Mikha’el, one of the chief princes, came to assist me; so that I was no longer needed there with the kings of Persia. —Daniel 10: 12-13

“Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world..”** [1John 4:4]

“For we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.” Ephesians 6:12 

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+after the Persian takeover from the Babylonians

What is Ruling Us?

 

   I try to pray to God each day that my family and I would please Him in thought, word and deed. Recently, He stopped me and said,

 “You need to add one more thing to that list.” 

“What else is there, Lord?” 

“Your soul. Please me in soul.”

“Isn’t my soul covered in thought, word, and deed?”

I rehearsed in my mind the elements of the soul:  mind, will, and emotions. “Lord, my thoughts are part of my mind. What I say and do comes out of my will, right?  Doesn’t that about cover it?

“Take a look at your emotions and see how greatly they affect what you think, say, and do.”

   As I focused on His question, I pondered the truth that our spirits, created by and joined with God’s, are to rule over both our souls and bodies. The problem is, they rarely do. For some of us, it is our bodies that take the lead, but for most I believe it is our souls: our mind, will, and emotions. Most assuredly, it is our emotions that often dictate our thoughts and what comes out of our mouths, as well as the actions we take.  

   I thought about how often emotions like anger, unforgiveness frustration, resentment, fear, discouragement, sorrow, pride, as well as positive ones like thankfulness, joy, and elation affect our thoughts, words, and actions. When we allow our emotions to rule us, even when they are not dark ones but stem from sincere compassion and empathy, we are not listening to Holy Spirit. We jump in, often without God’s wisdom or direction, to ‘rescue’ others. It all seems so right and good, but it may not be. We may actually be interfering in plans He has for others. He may be calling another of His children, for example, to step up to the plate and get involved, resulting in blessing for both parties. He may have an even bigger solution than we are trying to provide. We should never stop being compassionate or helping others, but taking time to pray for His direction beforehand is wisdom He prizes.

   Our souls; our emotions, our wills, our beliefs of all kinds; can lead us into prolonged thoughts, words and deeds which can be life or death-giving. Letting our emotions direct us, instead of our spirits submitted to God’s, can get us in a world of trouble, or even derail situations in ways we may never know.

   The Father made us all so different. Yet the principle still applies. Some of us are wildly empathetic, some of us are more reserved, more cerebral, or more reticent to interact or intervene. Because we are so different, we are often bewildered by the attitudes, words, and actions (or inactions) of others. God appears to love variety in His creation, whether it be human, animal, plant, or mineral. Yet all of us are to be submitted to the guidance of His loving Spirit. Some of His creation has no choice, but we do. And therein is the rub. 

   There we can find people screaming at one another and spouting all kinds of hateful things in the name of ‘right’. Or we can see cold, calculated, intellectual evisceration. Both are deadly. We can even see twisted compassion (see 8/12 post) spouting both of the above. 

   When we do not take time to lay our emotional and intellectual responses to situations at the feet of Jesus for direction, we can grieve Him deeply by our thoughts, words and deeds. Like Paul, we may be so sure we are right and yet be deadly wrong, even in doing something seemingly altruistic His planning, His timing, His chosen cast of participants, His resources, His truth , His ways spoken in His way….bring Life, Freedom, and Transformation. 

   Take time today and every day to ask Him about His perspective, whether it be concerning world situations or your very personal ones. Let’s ask Him daily to help us submit our personalities, our thought life, our words, our actions, our entire souls to His Spirit so that we please Him by bearing good fruit (instead of unknowingly bearing the outwardly beautiful but internally rotten kind.)

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Hebrews 4:12 (NIV): “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” —-Hebrews 4: 12

Here is a song that reflects the heart of my post:

https://youtu.be/ABWnLjXer10?si=mCBg8V6D2-oXqH4m

The Signet Ring

  

   I was recently reading in Tim Sheet’s book, Planting the Heavens, about the concept of the signet ring:

   Tim: “In those days, the king would wear a very special ring upon his hand—a signet ring. The seal of the king’s kingdom was engraved on the face of the ring. It was a governing ring. When important documents were brought to the king, he would stamp the document with it, leaving behind the seal of his kingdom. He would press his seal on it….”

   Julie: When I read this, I immediately saw a picture of God handing me His ring and saying, “I am giving this to you so that you can represent me on the earth.” I put the huge, heavy ring on my finger, and it spun around, looking as if I was trying to wear my dad’s ring (which indeed I was). I had to hold it on with my other hand. How ridiculous it looked. I was like a kid in a costume. But my Father said, “You’ll grow into it.”

   The complex symbol extending from the top of the ring stood ready for imprinting His authority on any document or impressionable object. Even on an open heart. But I said, “You can’t entrust me with this!,” 

   “Indeed I can,” He countered. “You are to boldly represent Me not only in speaking My Words but with My heart.”

   An image from the movie of Prince Caspian (from The Chronicles of Narnia) suddenly appeared in my mind. Lucy, the youngest of the children, walks out on a bridge, which the huge enemy army is about to storm. She carries only a tiny dagger. The enemy leader stops abruptly in consternation and then in derision, rather like Goliath at the sight of the scrappy, scrawny David. What is this ridiculousness? However, slowly appearing behind Lucy is the great Lion, Aslan. Ahhh….

   Despite how insignificant Lucy first appeared, she stood on that bridge in the authority of the King, the Lion of Judah. As do we when, as ambassadors of the King of Kings, we declare and decree His Will from His Word,  from His true heart. He wants us to represent Him. He has chosen to partner with us. (See The Huddle* post.) He wants us to represent Him sincerely. Represent Him well. Represent Him in truth. 

   More from Tim:

   “The Hebrew idea is that words do the same thing. They leave impressions and they seal God’s words. God’s words are always right words. When we meditate upon God’s Word, when we roll it around and around in our minds until we are renewed by what He said, it begins to penetrate our hearts and our spirits. God’s Word leaves an impression. It leaves its seal in us. Then out of our hearts, Jesus said, our mouths speak and agree with the impression God’s Word has left there. The right words will be forcible and change situations, activating the promises of God and stamping the seal of God’s promise on the problem.”

   Julie: To the world, we may appear to be too young, too old, too simple-minded, too insignificant. We certainly don't feel dressed for the task. But Elohim begs to differ. We are just the kind through whom He loves to work. (I seem to remember a young girl, a poor carpenter, and an animal feeding trough…as well as some uneducated fishermen.) Yet we need to do what He asks of us with the confidence and authority only He can give. No wimpy, half-hearted prayers and declarations allowed. No qualified, uncertain, pathetic whimperings and whinings. Rather, bold declarations of our King’s will and intentions. We say what He says. We decree what He commands. We speak what He desires done, as an accomplished fact, as any great ambassador would. We’ve known Him well and long. We know His will.  We are growing in the knowledge of His heart. We double-check our understanding of these things against His Word, both Logos and Rhema. Then we speak it with the authority He has given us.****

Our qualifications are these:

• a belief and trust in His power and saving grace, 
• a willingness to partner with Elohim, the Creator and Sustainer of the Cosmos,
• a sincere desire to see His Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven, 
• a will to serve Him, 
• a continuing deep-dive knowledge of His Word
• a sincere love for Him, in all three of His Persons:  Elohim, Yeshua, and Ruah Hakodesh….Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit

   It is not arrogance in which we represent Him, but humility. We represent Him In the desire to please Him, to respond to and obey Him. To commit to taking whatever time is required to speak forth, to decree, to bring life out of dead bones, light from darkness, truth instead of deception. 

   The church on the whole has abnegated its responsibility to preach and teach a huge portion of these truths from the Bible, from testaments both new and old, for fear of stirring up controversy and in trying to keep people comfortable and happy. However, Jesus didn’t say we are meant to be comfortable, did He? He does want us to have ‘life abundant,’ but He also said He didn’t come to bring peace, but rather a sword.****

  Are we adrift** in comfort without facing challenges to grow in wisdom, word, and action? Are we ignoring Holy Spirit’s proddings to MOVE? Yes, let’s enjoy the life abundant He desires for us, but let us also examine what our Father would have us be up and doing, believing and SPEAKING in His Name.

   If any of you are gardeners, you will especially love this book, which is full of analogies on the theme of planting and growing things. In this case, for our families, for our nation, and for the Kingdom of God. Let’s plunge our hands in the earth, wearing God’s signet ring, and become the Master Gardener’s ambassadors.

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*The Huddle: https://tennyandi.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-huddle.html

**Adrift: https://tennyandi.blogspot.com/2025/08/adrift.html

***Luke 12:51

“You will also decide and decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And the light [of God’s favor] will shine upon your ways. —Job 22:28.  AMP

“Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” —Proverbs 18:21

“For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart. —1Corinthians 2:16

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth [a]must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth [b]must be what is already loosed in heaven.” —Matthew 16:19

****Jesus replied, “Have faith in God [constantly]. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and does not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power], but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will]. Mark 11:22-

   Tim: “If you are born again, this statement [above] is about you. It is also a timeless word because it is an eternal word—-it will always be true. So this verse is for you right now. Do not dispensationalize this. You are one of the “whosoevers” who can command mountains to be moved. You may not feel like it, you may not think so, you may not believe this, you may never put this promise into practice, but it is a word for all heirs and it is potential Christian living for everyone who believes it.”……. 

Later he says, “I began to see faith as a seed that could grow and meet the challenge of a mountain.”  “You move mountains by faith that is maintained, nurtured, and guarded. Faith grows to maturity and produces what is decreed. You change circumstances and situations, not by a faith that is moved by what it sees or how it feels, but by a faith that is moved by the Word of the Living God.” 

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More from Tim on Mark 11: “Jesus said it, so God definitely meant for you to know this. This was not a slip of the tongue or a divine oops. He wants you to rule and reign with Him (see Rom. 5:17). He wants you releasing authority language, you exercising your dominion as an heir, and understanding that in His name you can summon to you what does not exist yet. You can also command things to go from you that do exist. You are authorized to use authority language. Mountain, go there and go there now. Hindrance, get away from me.”

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“Tim: “In Romans 5:17, the Apostle Paul said that we are to reign in life through Jesus Christ. Clearly, God wanted the earth filled with those made in His image who would bring the earth under the influence of His Kingdom. He wanted His sons and His daughters ruling with Him, walking in right relationship with Him and exercising their delegated authority on the earth.. Earth, not some spiritual dimension only. Not something in the heavens only. It’s vital that we understand what is being said here because we are losing the soul of a nation due to lack of understanding” — Tim Sheets, Planting the Heavens

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Interested in more? 

““We can plant words filled with life—-words that when believed, decreed, and acted upon become the very thing they describe. Word seeds have the innate ability to become what they are describing. They are seeds releasing their inner codes to reproduce in the soil in which they are planted.”  “What possibilities has God given to man? What opportunities has He given us when we understand the principle that words are seeds? Plant words of life. Plant them in the heavens. Plant them on the earth. Plant them in your life, business, and children. Plant purpose-filled seeds.” —Tim Sheets

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I also found this research very interesting: 

“ Dr. Cho spoke to us on a fascinating topic. He had recently met with a neurosurgeon who was explaining to him new breakthroughs they had discovered concerning the mind and the power of words. The neurosurgeon told him that they had discovered that the speech center of the brain affects all the other parts of the body. It even helps control the nervous system of an individual. Words affect you. The doctor said that human beings can manipulate their entire bodies by simply speaking and declaring words. He gave some examples and said that if someone keeps saying, “I’m weak and insignificant,” every cell in the body receives the message, “It’s time to be weak.” The entire nervous system and all of the cells begin to prepare themselves to become weak because that is what was communicated from central control and that’s what happens. They begin to adjust their attitude for weakness and weakness actually begins to flow throughout the body. If someone says, “I’m a nobody. I just don’t have any abilities,” their entire being receives the message that they are a nobody and have no ability. So they don’t act properly; they don’t respond to situations like they could because they think they’re a nobody. When things happen in their life they say, “I can’t handle this. I’m a nobody.” Their entire being begins to submit to the words they have declared and live out wrong words.” —-Tim, ibid

Woooooh, that’s life-changing ‘scientific’ knowledge.’ 

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Misplaced Compassion

    

      “Misplaced compassion,” the Lord answered me recently. 

   “Hmmm?” I said. 

   “You asked me how so many loving, compassionate people with good hearts could get things so wrong. That’s the answer.” 

   “Would you explain more, Lord? I’m still confused.”

   Here is a summary of His response, as best I can express it. Humanistic compassion that originates with man, rather than with the Lord—-His heart, His guidance, His direction, His perspective, His wisdom—-leads people off into deception. It can seem so right yet be so wrong. There is also pride in this compassion which is tied only to human understanding and logic.

   He brought to mind an example:  a person can be horrified at the mistreatment of one of His creatures (as He is), yet support the torturous death of His children in their mothers’ wombs. Or they are righteously indignant about the treatment of someone who has committed a crime, yet remain less concerned about the criminal’s past or future victims.

   This is ‘human’ compassion without reference to His wisdom and will. In this way, we have put ourselves on His Throne, seeing ourselves as righteous residents there. We judge others who believe differently and even judge those whom He has sent to help us, without knowing the truth about them.

  Yet our hearts are responding to the situations and feelings of others, as does God’s own heart. How, then, can it lead to so much anger and virulent, vitriolic rage against others? So much deception, so many wrong attitudes, thoughts, words and actions. So much hatred, wicked speech, and even demonic doctrines.?

   Human logic (which I have heard expressed) says, for example, “This baby growing in her mother’s womb may have a very hard life or may cause the mother hardship, so let’s encourage her to kill her baby before she is born. This will protect this child (whom God created)  and her mother (whom God also loves) from a potentially difficult future.*

   Compassion, twisted. 

   It also negates any faith in the Lord to redeem and restore, to make ‘beauty from ashes, give the oil of joy for mourning, or the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.’* No looking to Him for His plans, His will, His destiny for both mother and child. No ‘graves into gardens,’ no ‘bones into armies,’ no death into resurrection. No provision where there seems none, no hope to replace despair, no mercy from those around them responding to His call. 

   “My mercy doesn’t always look like man’s,” He said. “My mercy is bigger and wider and higher than man’s mite or understanding of it.”

   “The mercy of My children who are daily connected to Me, however…….those who are studying My word, spending time with Me and humbly listening to my Holy Spirit, never assuming they are always right, will more often truly reflect My heart and truth. None on earth will see things perfectly. Yet they are more likely to avoid twisted compassion. Those who say they believe in Me, yet remain disconnected from My church, My Word, and My Holy Spirit, are easy prey for the Liar who “prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”** As I have said before,*** Satan is a liar and the father of lies. He hasn’t changed his spots. He loves to “masquerade as an angel of light”****. Hence, what seems right and beautiful can actually be grotesquely ugly and lead to death.”

   If we find ourselves hating, judging, speaking fouly, and refusing to interact with others who believe differently than we about circumstances in the world today, it’s time to examine ourselves and ask the Lord, according to Psalm 139, “Search me, O God….and see if there be any wicked way in me…”  He may even show us that we need to step down from our thrones of self-righteousness.

   Let’s be continually praying for freedom from deception for all of God’s people, as well as the whole world, including ourselves. One Scripture I like to pray daily is from John 17: 17: “Your Word is Truth. Make [us] holy by Your Truth.” Lord, fill us with Your compassion, Your mercy, and Your Truth. Grant us discernment and spiritual eyes to expose twisted truths, in ourselves and in the culture around us. So be it.

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*Read Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal, in which human-based compassion and logic lead to a horrific but right-sounding solution.

** 1 Peter 5:8

*** John 8:44

**** 2 Corinthians 7:14

Overboard: Is it fear or wisdom?

   

  A friend recently shared her dream with me. (I am deliberately keeping any identities vague.) She and a loved one were on a cruise, but the ship was traveling not in a warm climate but in a colder one, with waves fomenting around them. Somehow (as one can in dreams) they were high on the ship above these waters, almost as if in a crow’s nest of a sailing ship.  Her loved one was wearing a backpack 🎒 chocked full, which she suddenly removed from her shoulders and hurled into the churning sea. In the dream, my friend was at first totally aghast, because the backpack’s contents had included a large number of provisions. However, she then began to wonder….

   As soon as she described the dream, I knew the hurling of the backpack was a good thing, despite the provisions it carried. I knew that backpacks often represent burdens weighing us down. But provisions? How do they fit in the picture?

   Obvious candidates for burdens include: unforgiveness, hurts, offenses, financial worries, concerns about our families, health issues, anxieties about the future, unshakable guilt, old mistakes and outright sins. We could all generate a list of more backpack items which need to be thrown overboard to free us from their weight. We know the Lord does not want us carrying these things wherever we go, especially since He suffered so to deliver us from them. 

   But back to my question: why “provisions”? Aren’t they good? Doesn’t God promise to provide for us? Doesn’t He declare Himself our Yahweh Yireh?* Yes, indeed! However, suddenly it hit me that we don’t carry His provision around on our backs. He is our ongoing  Provider. Are the provisions we’re lugging around on our own shoulders jammed in there out of fear that He won’t provide? Is the rock of anxiety in our packs, for example, our reason for trying to supply our own protection from loss? Ouch, Lord. Do we ‘hedge our bets’ just in case You don’t come through? Like Sarah+, do we try with our own human solutions to make Your Word come to pass? Help You along a bit since things might not take place as You said? 

  I know He wants us to be good stewards of what He has given us++, to ‘be wise as serpents and innocent as doves’, to plan ahead and not to be spendthrifts, to refrain from wasting what He is providing for us. He wants us to work hard ‘as unto Him’ in our jobs. Yet we are to do these things not out of fear but out of heeding His Scriptural truth for us, out of our thankfulness and duty to be responsible in using His gifts. 

   When we truly examine our hearts, what motivates us to carry around our own provision on our backs, whether comprised of our own solutions, our own ‘bootstraps,’ our own righteousness, our own wealth, the filling of our own barns+++? 

   Is it fear that God will disappoint us, that His Word (Logos or Rhema) is not reliable, that it might indeed ‘come back void,’? That He may love others that way but us, not so much? Do we in our heart of hearts trust more in the non-Biblical adage that ‘God helps those who help themselves’ than we do in Jesus’ promises regarding the lilies and the sparrows or the loaves and fishes? Yes, we offer our little fishes and some paltry loaves of bread, and He does not sneer at them.. He’s delighted with our offering. But we both know it is He that feeds us, body and soul.

   Let’s ask Him to show us if we have in our packs things of which we may be unaware, things which need to be not just tossed but hurled overboard. These may even be  as subtle as our backup provisions, cleverly disguised as proverbial wisdom. 

   Go ahead and hurl that thing, Feel the lightness on your shoulders and the wind in your hair!

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+Genesis 16

++Matthew 25

+++Luke 12

++++Matthew 6

*Genesis 22:4 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

*Colossians 3: 23-24Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

When it’s ok to be gluttonous

      

   Recently a friend recommended a devotional entitled The Names of God, a rich, slow dive into Who He is.* This week’s Name was Artos Zoes, The Bread of Life. As I read through the various familiar passages in which Jesus refers to Himself in this way, I was suddenly struck by the thought that this is the one time that gluttony is not only recommended, but encouraged! It also symbolizes a paradoxical situation in which the more you eat, the hungrier you become. 

   I am greatlY blessed to be retired now, having an abundance of time to truly settle in to soak both in the Scriptures and in the Holy Spirit. Abba referred to it the other day as soul and spirit hydration. However, I also remember working full time while trying to be a wife and good parent to three wonderful children. It was a lot more difficult then to carve out time to ‘soak in Holy Spirit’s tub’. Yet the Lord honored my desire with His grace, even though the time was certainly shorter.

   In the Temple, the Bread of the Presence served to remind the Israelites of ADONAI’s provision for them, that He was ADONAI Shemah/Shammah….the God Who is Here…much like His name Immanu-El, God-With-us. We can feast on His Presence with is, experience His Holy Spirit near, around, and within us. In our typical 2025 existence, however, we have to be intentional in seeking after this sustenance. 

   Many of us (especially in my age bracket) struggle with our weight. It seems we are constantly battling the desire to eat things (and amounts) we shouldn’t…or sometimes even eating modestly yet still seeing fat seemingly glued onto our bodies. When I was young and small for my age, my parents and grandmother would encourage me to ‘eat….eat!’. I didn’t have much interest in food and would just wait to survive and escape meal times. Now I say to myself, “Oh for the days!”  Now I struggle to disassociate myself from the lure of (unhealthy) food. I never met a donut I didn’t like. I can pass up many forms of candy**, but don’t set down a box of Dunkin’s (or a freshly made loaf of bread) in front of me. 

   This morning, as I was reading about Yeshua as Artos Zoes, I saw a vivid image of The Feast our Abba has set before us, which He encourages us, like an Italian grandmother, to “Eat! Eat! Put some flesh, I mean Spirit, on those bones! Eat and enjoy and grow! But always remain hungry for more….never be fully satisfied. ‘Further up and further in!’ as My son Clive once penned. Feast on Me and be greatly blessed, yet always desire more. Here, gluttony is good!” 

   As we steward our bodies with healthy foods, let’s steward our souls and spirits by running joyfully to the Father’s Feast of His true Bread from Heaven. Let’s soak up His Presence and devour the nutrients with which He enriches those willing to search deeper. Those hungry for more satisfying understanding, insight, and knowledge of His character and His truth…those who will take the time, over other activities, to pursue His scavenger hunts and discover the treats He has hidden for us. Treasure awaits If we ‘choose to accept this mission (not) impossible,’ As does our delight in seeing the gleam in our Abba’s eye as He says’ “Well done! On to the next! Farther up and further in! More feasts await! Eat! Eat!”

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*The Names of God, written by Ann Spangler (May 2023)

**except maybe caramel M&Ms Jelly Bellies, and Molasses Mint Chews

***So many Scriptures of note, but begin with John 6

“Teach me more about you, how you work and how you move, so that I can walk onward in your truth until everything within me brings honor to your name. 12With all my heart and passion I will thank you, my God! I will give glory to your name, always and forever!  —Psalm 86: 11-12

“He humbled you, allowing you to become hungry, and then fed you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had ever known, to make you understand that a person does not live on food alone but on everything that comes from the mouth of ADONAI.” —Deuteronomy 8:3

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

The main thing

   This morning as I was praying, decreeing, and listening to Father’s Holy Spirit, He said (at least the gist, if not word perfect):

    “This is the main thing.” 

    “Which is the main thing, Lord?

    “This time in your day…each morning. It is not what  you do so you can move on in your day. This IS the focus of your day.”

    “Aaahhhhh.”

    “The other tasks and activities are incidentals. This is the heart, the main thing. Keep returning to the main thing. Every other part of your day should be subsumed under this NOW time with me. Once you understand this more fully, you won’t be checking off your ‘prayer time to-do list’ so you can get to your other seemingly important responsibilities. There is NOTHING more important than this.

   I do not deny you the rest, or even dislike or discourage you from accomplishing them. Just remember that they can be a distraction from what is truly important in My eyes, especially at this critical time in your world’s history. This is it. This is that time foretold, the time of spectacular fulfillment of My promises, recent and ancient. Bigger than ever before. You will be astounded. The earth’s mouth will hang open. Understand that you, My Child and all My church, must be on it. Armed and battling, not just ready for battle. The battle is NOW. Fight on your knees. Fight standing up. Fight sitting down with your Ekklesia staff in your right hand. Fight with your mouth, fight with your actions, fight with praise, fight with prayer, fight with decrees in My Name, fight in thankfulness, fight with My angels, fight with great celebration of all I have done, am doing, will do. Fight with rejoicing, My Child, My Children, My Warriors. Fight from my place of Rest.

   Do not be distracted, vulnerable and ineffective. Rather stand in confidence and assurance that I AM your Deliverer. I lead My army to Victory. Make sure your eyes are on Me, alert to every command, and you will reap the spoils of the Great Harvest ahead. You will hear Me say to you, My children, My Church: ‘Well done!’……and we will celebrate together as One.”

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Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.” Joshua 6:2-5

When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. — Joshua 6:20

"His Truth is marching on..."

 After 'praying 15' with Dutch Sheets today* https://youtu.be/fhqhRakLKuo (1/11/20), take a look at these two lesser known verses in Julia Howe's original poem:

 “ I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel:
As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel, 

Since God is marching on

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is Wisdom to the mighty, He is Succour to the brave,
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of Time His slave,
Our God is marching on!”

Glory, Glory Hallelujah; Glory, Glory Hallelujah

Glory, Glory Hallelujah, His Truth is marching on!”

Sing it out, my friends!

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See also the update God had me add to the 'Stand' post from Jan 9. From the sublime to the ridiculous. I love His humor. 🤣

"All Praise to Thee My God This Night"

I first created the post below in 2015,* after several younger friends said they would like to learn about worship music from the past. Instead of searching Youtube for the song, as I do now, I recorded my own little video with one of the sweet pictures I own. It’s obviously unprofessionally done, but it’s a little offering to the Lord. 

“All praise to Thee My God this night for all the blessings of the light.
Keep me, O keep me, King of kings, beneath Thine own almighty wings.

Forgive me, Lord, for Thy dear Son, the ill that I this day have done;
That with the world, myself, and Thee, I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.

O may my soul on Thee repose, and with sweet sleep mine eyelids close,
Sleep that shall me more vigorous make to serve my God when I awake.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow; praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.   Amen.”

--Thomas Ken* 1709
[tune: Thomas Tallis, 1567 (the Tallis Canon)

*Thomas Ken , the writer of what we commonly refer to as The Doxology, wrote these lines in 1674, as the last verse for another hymn ("Awake, my soul, and with the sun") and later used them in this hymn, also.  Sung to the Tallis Canon (which can be sung in a round), it's not only lovely, but evokes the sweet peace of God. I have loved it since I was a child.

*To see posts from years past (2015 to the present), open my blog at TennyandI.blogspot.com [ Morning Manna ]on a computer or tablet, with a larger screen than your phone,, and you will see the listings by year on the right. As you choose a year, the names of the various posts will appear underneath.  In His Love, Julie