05/20/14

Taking On The Armor of GOD

Taking On The Armor of God

 

 

 We walk in a hurting, disillusioned world where there is so much chaos and pain every day. It takes strength to traverse every twenty-four hour period, and if not for God’s hand in ours, we would be totally lost.

 

 

[The Armor of GOD] Finally, be strong in the LORD and in His mighty power. Put on the full Armor of GOD, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  Ephesians 6:10-11

 

 

We all know how effectively we can do a work with the proper support at hand. In this instance, our greatest support is the Word of GOD, the Bible. In this sacred volume we can find scripture to assist us in overcoming every circumstance; to teach us how to live Godly lives, and to encourage others. We can also find instruction for those circumstances that take us by surprise, such as acute illness or death. GOD designed His Word to give us hope, mercy, and joy (Psalm 30) and we are given example of David, who found peace in Jesus (Psalm 23), yet GOD also gave us David’s example of falling short of  GOD’s grace, repenting, being forgiven, and moving forward in Christ. (2 Samuel 12: 1-24)

 

 King David acts as a role model of a steadfast warrior for GOD, but he also emerges as one who needed grace and forgiveness from GOD for his sinful acts, such as the killing of Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba.  David’s example, and GOD’s way of restoring David’s life because of his true repentance through GOD’s Holy Spirit, should give us hope. If GOD loved David this much; He will also love us. If GOD disciplined David as a Father should; He will also discipline us in a way that will encourage our spiritual growth. This will lead to learning how to apply Godly principles to our lives to become over-comers and victors on earth as in Heaven.

 

 

Let us endure for the Cross those things that are designed to encourage us to love one another, as Christ loves us.  Jesus is always willing to walk by our side. He is able to keep us from falling.

 

 

Have courage in Him, Charlene

 

 

New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

05/20/14

Israel’s Right to the Land Written by John Paul Jackson

 

Article adapted from his teaching at the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem
For Release: January 2014

 

I am intensely interested in what God is doing in Israel. I have visited the Holy Land more than 20 times. Recently, the Lord led me to study the life of Abraham. The Jews say Abraham was born 1,948 years after Adam was created. 1948 is an interesting number. Israel became a nation in 1948 – 1,948 years after the birth of Jesus, the second Adam.

 

 Another interesting parallel is that the Tower of Babel was built in 1996 – 1,996 years from the beginning of creation. In 1996 A.D., The European Union made the Tower of Babel its insignia. I don’t think that’s an accident.

 

The Tower of Babel was in Ur which is where Abraham is from.  God called him to the land of Canaan. Lot went with him and God blessed them. Their flocks multiplied. Soon, there wasn’t enough grassland to feed both of their families. So, they separated. Lot went to the valley of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham stayed in the northern part of Canaan.

 

During that time, God brought in four kings from the east to Israel. One was the king of Babel, which is modern day Iraq. Another was the king over Persia, which is modern day Iran. There were two other kings with them as well.

 

There were five other kings. These were vassal kings. They were the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. There were three other kings with them as well. But, these five vassal kings stopped paying their taxes to the other four kings.

 

The four kings didn’t want to lose all that tax money. So, they came to Israel to fight the five kings who didn’t want to pay their taxes.

 

The four kings conquered the five vassal kings and seized everything in Sodom and Gomorrah including Lot and his family who were taken back to Ur the land they originally came from.

 

Abraham heard about it and took 318 men with him and conquered the four kings who overpowered the five kings that didn’t pay their taxes.  That was a staggering victory, not only by the numbers but by the right of conquest. Abraham now had the rights to all of the land of Israel.

 

After that, a strange individual visited Abraham. It was Melchizedek. If you really believe Melchizedek had no beginning and no end; then, you would have to admit, He wasn’t human. He’s without father, without mother, without beginning, without end.

 

And He was the King of Salem, the King of Righteousness. He’s described in many ways as Yeshua Himself. Whoever He was, He was very powerful. And, He blessed Abraham.

 

Right after that, Abraham had an encounter with God. God gave Abraham a vision of a burning oven. A torch passed between pieces of animals that were cut in half. And God made a covenant with Abraham. He told Abraham, “I will give you every place your foot has trod.” That, literally, goes back to where Abraham came from — the land of Ur.

 

Abraham has a right to the land because God gave it to him and because Abraham conquered it. Parallels also show how God has watched over Israel from the beginning. He is watching over them now.

 

credit: John Paul Jackson

Charlene’s Source: streamsministries.com

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I thought that it would help to include the scriptural reference. Charlene

 

Genesis 14 NIV

Abram Rescues Lot

 

 

14 At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar,[a] Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goyim, these kings went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea Valley). For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

 

In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazezon Tamar.

 

Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. 11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

 

13 A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother[b] of Eshkol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

 

18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying,

 

 

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
    Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And praise be to God Most High,
    who delivered your enemies into your hand.”

 

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

 

21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.”

 

22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ 24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”

 

 

Footnotes:

  1. Genesis 14:1 That is, Babylonia; also in verse 9

  2. Genesis 14:13 Or a relative; or an ally

 

 

New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

 

05/20/14

Dreams & Mysteries – The Mystery of the Blood

Published on Apr 11, 2014

Join author and speaker John Paul Jackson as he reveals some of the spiritual mysteries of the Bible… including how God speaks today through dreams!

Learn more about the show, and even download some study notes at http://dreamsandmysteries.com

credit:Dreams & Mysteries with John Paul Jackson

Charlene’s Source: Dreams & Visions Official Youtube Channel

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