Witness Him Now
I know that life has been tough for many. Even though we belong to God, things have happened that have left us lost and weak. Hopeless. Defenseless. That will not happen anymore. In the coming days, you will see and hear and understand. I want you to soak in the promises. See them. Speak them. Declare them. Sing them. Pray them. Praise God for them. And watch God work. He is leaving the 99 to go after the one. "For this is what the Sovereign LORD says, I Myself will search and find My sheep. I will be like a shepherd looking for His scattered flock. I will find My sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among peoples and nations. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the places where people live. Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in the lush pastures of the hills. I Myself will tend My sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign LORD. I will search for My lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will feed them, yes - feed them justice!" "And as for you, My flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says to His people: I will judge between one animal of the flock and another, separating the sheep from the goats. Isn't it enough for you to keep the best of the pastures for yourselves? Must you also trample down the rest? Isn't it enough for you to drink clear water for yourselves? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? Why must My flock eat what you have trampled down and drink water you have fouled? "Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will surely judge between the fat sheep and the scrawny sheep (this is in the church). For you fat sheep pushed and butted and crowded My sick and hungry flock until you scattered them in distant lands. So I will rescue My flock, and they will no longer be abused. I will judge between one animal of the flock and another. And I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David (Jesus). He will feed them and be a shepherd to them. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be a prince among My people. I, the LORD, have spoken!" "I will make a covenant of peace with My people and drive away the dangerous animals from the land (anxieties, fears, insecurities ). Then they will be able to camp safely in the wildest places and sleep in the woods without fear. I will bless My people and their homes around My holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing. The orchards and fields of My people will yield bumper crops (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control), and everyone will live in safety. When I have broken their chains of slavery and rescued them from those who enslaved them, then they will know that I am the LORD. They will no longer be prey for other nations, and wild animals will no longer devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will frighten them." "And I will make their land famous for its crops, so My people will never again suffer from famines or the insults of foreign nations. In this way, they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them. And they will know that they, the people of Israel, are My people, says the Sovereign LORD. You are my flock, the sheep of My pasture. You are My people, and I am you God. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!" (Ezekiel 34:11-31) OK. So this is God's plan, and HE is going to do it all. When He does, we will know it. We will live in peace and safety. Nothing will frighten us. We will no longer be prey for other nations. We will experience all of the blessings of God. He knows that life has not been fair. He knows it. But this is His plan. He will make all things right, and like Job, we will know Him in ways we never dreamed possible. "For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back. In a burst of anger I turned My face away for a little while. But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you," says the LORD, your Redeemer. "Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth, so now I swear that I will never again be angry and punish you. For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then My faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken." says the LORD, who has mercy on you. "O storm-battered city, troubled and desolate! I will rebuild you with precious jewels and make your foundations from lapis lazuli. I will make your towers of sparkling rubies, your gates of shining gems, and your walls of precious stones. I will teach all your children, and they will enjoy great peace. You will be secure under a government that is just and fair. Your enemies will stay far away. You will live in peace, and terror will not come near. If any nation comes to fight you, it is not because I sent them. Whoever attacks you will go down in defeat." "I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals beneath the forge and makes the weapons of destruction. And I have created the armies that destroy. But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from Me. I, the LORD, have spoken!" (Isaiah 54:9-17) God's faithful love will rebuild us. He will rebuild us with precious stones and sparkling rubies. We will live in peace. Terror will not come near. We will all live under a government (our heart) that is just and fair. Eternal blessings will be ours. The curse will not come near because whoever comes to fight us (principalities and powers) will not be sent from God. God created this destroying army, but it will not come near us any longer. In the coming days we will understand. We will silence every voice in our head that rises to accuse us, that is our vindication. Then God will send us His glory. "The glory of Lebanon will be yours - the forests of cypress, fir, and pine - to beautify My sanctuary. My Temple (that's us) will be glorious! The descendants of your tormentors will come and bow before you. Those who despised you will kiss your feet. They will call you the City of the LORD, and Zion of the Holy One of Israel." "Though you were once despised and hated, with no one traveling through you, I will make you beautiful forever, a joy to all generations. Powerful kings and mighty nations will satisfy your every need, as though you were a child nursing at the breast of a queen. You will know at last that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel." "I will exchange your bronze for gold, your iron for silver, your wood for bronze and your stones for iron. I will make peace your leader and righteousness your ruler. Violence will disappear from your land; the desolation and destruction of war will end. Salvation will surround you like city walls, and praise will be on the lips of all who enter there." (Read this again!) "No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the LORD your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set; your moon will not go down. For the LORD will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end. All your people will be righteous. They will possess their land forever, for I will plant them there with My own hands in order to bring Myself glory. The smallest family will become an thousand people, and the tiniest group will become a mighty nation. AT THE RIGHT TIME, I, THE LORD, WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN." (Isaiah 60:13-32) I know that most of the other posts that I posted on TRUST THE PLAN have been hard words. But God's plan is big and it is good. This is going to be the result. Peace. Righteousness. Salvation. Light. Bright light. Glory. Safety. Beauty forever. This will all be the LORD's work, and it will be our inheritance. Trust it. Trust Him. This is God's big, good plan. In the coming days we will all understand. Terri
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My heart is trembling right now. Most of what I have been writing the last week or two, I have seen for a while. The LORD keeps building on His word. I get a deeper understanding of who God is and what He wants. But this morning I read something that I have never seen before, and I tremble. So I have come to understand the last several years that there are basically two groups of people. First, there are those who do not want anything to do with God, or they want to make up their own idea of who God is and what He does. These people are those who belong to the world. Then there are those who have decided to follow God. These people (we) belong to Christ. When I read the Bible, spiritually speaking, we Christians are called many things: the Temple, the Branch, the City of God - Jerusalem, the Mountain of God - Zion, Judah, Israel, trees, sheep, etc. So even though the Bible is written in a very natural sense, is is also a parable of what happens in the spiritual realm. So when I listen to what God says about Israel (us) or Jerusalem (us) or Judah (us), I find that God is not pleased with His people. In fact, He is coming to judge HIS people. All that is about to come on the whole earth is because God's people have turned their back to Him and have chosen to go their own way. God is not happy, and that is putting it very mildly. However, there is a remnant - not very many - who really want to follow God. Their heart cry is to please Him. They want to do what is right, but oftentimes find that things get in the way. That does not change the fact that their heart is still crying out for "Holy." These few people will experience all the goodness God has promised to His people from the foundation of the earth. Every promise. Glorious freedom. Healing. Safety. Noisy family. Oneness. Peace. Joy. Happiness. JOY! and more JOY! Trees planted by streams of water that bring forth fruit in its season. These people are heart-wide-open to Jesus, and I can see God's big, good plan for this small group of people, and it is all good - even though things may get hard, it is good. That's why I am writing these posts. I want you to understand what God wants from us and how He is going to get it. This morning, however, I saw something I had never seen before. In Isaiah 6, we see that Isaiah has a vision and sees God high and lifted up with angels crying, "Holy, holy, holy!" And he realizes he is doomed. He is a sinful man with filthy lips, and he lives among a people with filthy lips, but the angel brings a coal and touches his lips and his guilt is removed and his sins are forgiven. (That's what happens to us when we ask Jesus to come and save us.). So Isaiah heard the LORD asking, "Whom shall I send as a messenger to My people? Who will go for us?" And Isaiah said, "Here I am. Send me." - When I read this I could see my hand raised. Send me! And He said, "Yes, go and say to this people, "Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing." Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to Me for healing." I have seen this happen. I am telling you. I have seen this happen, so I asked, along with Isaiah, "LORD, how long will this go on? And He replied, "Until their towns are empty, their houses are deserted, and the whole country is a wasteland; until the LORD has sent everyone away, and the entire land of Israel lies deserted. If even a tenth - a remnant - survive, it will be invaded again and burned. But as a terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down, so Israel's stump will be a holy seed." I think that this is the first time that I realized that there will not be anything left of us but a stump. Even the remnant. Read it again. We will be invaded again and burned. But we will be a holy seed. What does that look like? I don't know. What does any of this look like? I don't know. Never did I ever imagine what has happened the last couple of years. This is not how I thought it would play out. I can see it all in the Word. I can see the beginning and the end, but I don't know what the in-between actually will be like. But I do know this. God has a plan. A good plan. A plan to prosper and not to harm. A plan to give us hope and a future. I know, too, that all things are going to work together for our good because we love Him and we are called according to His purpose, and we are being conformed into His image. Pride will disappear. We will faithfully and joyfully worship God and God alone. He will be our God, and we will be His people. Eye has never seen, nor ear has ever heard, nor has it ever entered into the heart of man the good things that God has planned for those who love Him. These light troubles will only be momentary. Trust Him. Whatever happens is going to be good. Terri I am going to say that the root of all sin is pride and lust and selfishness or greed. God is going to deal with them all. But I need for you to hear the heart of our Father. When we are humbled, we will at last be in a position to bring God glory and for God to glorify us. "Human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance will be humbled. ONLY THE LORD WILL BE EXALTED ON THAT DAY OF JUDGMENT. For the LORD of Heaven's Armies has a day of reckoning. He will punish the proud and mighty and bring down everything that is exalted. He will cut down the tall cedars of Lebanon and all the mighty oaks of Bashan. He will level all the high mountains and all the lofty hills. He will break down every high tower and every fortified wall. He will destroy all the great trading ships and every magnificent vessel. Human pride will be humbled, and human arrogance will be brought down. Only the LORD will be exalted on that day of judgment. Idols will completely disappear. When the LORD rises to shake the earth, His enemies will crawl into holes in the ground. They will hide in caves in the rocks for the terror of the LORD and the glory of His majesty. On that day of judgment they will abandon the gold and silver idols they made for themselves to worship. They will leave their gods to the rodents and bats, while they crawl away into caverns and hide among the jagged rocks in the cliffs. They will try to escape the terror of the LORD and the glory of His majesty as He rises to shake the earth. Don't put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?" (Isaiah 2:11-22) America is a proud nation. Her people are a proud people. This passage is meant for us all. In the coming days the things that we did before will not work. The wisdom of the wise will disappear and the strength of the strong will be gone. Human plans will not prosper. We all will be humbled. If you have experienced this already - you realize that you are not that wise or strong or important, that you cannot do this by yourself - you are ahead of the curve. Hallelujah, thank you Jesus. If you have not experienced this humbling, you will. Give it to God. Lay it down. Repent. Give thanks. Trust God!!! God is doing a new thing, and it is wonderful. He is preparing us for something new. This message is for the church! The LORD says, "Beautiful Zion" (that's us) is haughty, craning her elegant neck, flirting with her eyes, walking with dainty steps, tinkling her ankle bracelets. So the LORD will send scabs on her head; the LORD will make beautiful Zion bald." On that day of judgment the LORD will strip away everything that makes her beautiful: ornaments, headbands, crescent necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and veils; scarves, ankle bracelets, sashes, perfumes, and charms; rings, jewels, party clothes, gowns, capes, and purses; mirrors, fine linen garments, head ornaments, and shawls. Instead of smelling of sweet perfume, she will stink. She will wear a rope for a sash, and her elegant hair will fall out. She will wear rough burlap instead of rich robes. Shame will replace her beauty. The men of the city will be killed with the sword, and her warriors will die in battle. The gates of Zion will weep and mourn. The city will be like a ravaged woman, huddled on the ground. (Isaiah 3:16-26) The church is proud and haughty. God is about to take our beauty and our fine things away. But for the remnant, it will be different. "But in that day, the branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious; the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of all who survive in Israel. All who remain in Zion will be a holy people - those who survive the destruction of Jerusalem and are recorded among the living. The LORD will wash the filth from beautiful Zion and cleanse Jerusalem of its bloodstains with the hot breath of fiery judgment. Then the LORD will provide shade for Mount Zion and all who assemble there. He will provide a canopy of cloud during the day and smoke and flaming fire at night, covering the glorious land. It will be a shelter from the daytime heat and a hiding place from storms and rain." (Isaiah 4:2-6) This judgment that is about to happen will cleanse us from our filth and our bloodstains. We will be beautiful. Our fruit will be large - love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and gentleness and faithfulness and self-control. Then God Himself will protect us. We will live under His shelter. We will live Psalm 91. But this will not happen as long as we continue to think we can save ourselves. It is not possible. God and God alone will be exalted in the coming days. No man will. Blessings my friends. May you humble yourself under God's mighty hand so that at the proper time, He will lift you up. Terri I posted this on April 19, 2022. It was the first time I saw this message. I think we all need to pay attention. It feels like this may be already happening.
At the beginning of this year, God told me that I do not have to say "Judgment is coming" anymore. What He wants me to do is to declare His promises so that we can see and hear and understand what is happening. We will be His witnesses. What I found this morning is this promise. "Has not the LORD of Heaven's Armies promised that the wealth of nations will turn to ashes? They work so hard, but all in vain!" (Habakkuk 2:13) He then goes on to say in Habakkuk that He is going to judge those who: * trust in themselves * the arrogant * the greedy * the crooked * extortioners * murderers * thieves "What sorrow awaits you who build big houses with money gained dishonestly! You believe your wealth will buy security, putting your family's nest beyond the reach of danger. But by the murders you committed, you have shamed your name and forfeited your lives. The very stones in the walls cry out against you, and the beams in the ceilings echo the complaint." All money is about to disappear. I know this to be true because it is written. What is wealth right now? The dollar? Bit coin? Property? God says that all of it will turn to ashes. I can see it all burning as I am writing this. "Has not the LORD of Heaven's Armies promised that the wealth of nations will turn to ashes? They all worked so hard, but all in vain! For as the waters fill the sea, the earth will be filled with an awareness of the glory of the LORD." (Habakkuk 2:13-14) When we see this happen, we will see God's glory. We will understand that He does what He pleases. So what do we do? God tells us what to do in Matthew 6. "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where theives break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." (Matthew 6:19-21) There are going to be many needs in the coming days. There are many needs right now. Help others. If someone is hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. If they are naked, cloth them. Whatever you do to the least of these people, you are doing for Jesus. In this way, we "lay up treasure" in heaven. Then Matthew goes on to say, "Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money." (Matthew 6:22-24) Back in 2009, God started to speak to me. When He showed me what was about to happen, I cried out, "LORD, how are we going to make it?" The very first scripture He gave me was Matthew 6:33, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." That scripture is connected with money. When I understood this, I turned my back on money. I didn't look at it. I didn't plan what to do with it. I didn't try to get it or hoard or spend. I still worked, but my eyes were not on money. If our eye is good (fixed on Jesus), our body is full of light. If our eye is bad (fixed on money), our body is full of darkness. And what if we think we are looking at Jesus, but we are really looking at money? How deep is that darkness! We cannot serve both God and money. So I turned my back on money. It is not mine. It is God's. Since I have done that, God has allowed me to enjoy what I have so much more. I don't have to have the biggest or the best. I just want to live and love and laugh, and I do. "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life - whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to Him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today." (Matthew 6:25-34) The wealth of nations is about to disappear. It will happen. So what do we do? Fix our eyes on Jesus, guard our heart, and give thanks. God is always up to something good. He is going to take care of us. Trust Him. Don't worry! Rejoice. Again I say, "Rejoice!" This is all part of God's big, good plan to prosper and not to harm. It is part of God's plan to give hope and a future. This is a kingdom matter. We will serve God and not money. He will make sure this happens. Blessings my friends. Don't worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for what He has done, and the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Terri For the past 13 years God has been telling me that judgment is coming. Last January I was shouting this message as loud as I knew how. Then this January God told me that I never had to give that message again. If you want to know what is about to happen to the world, read Isaiah 24, Isaiah 13, and Zephaniah 1. It will give you an idea. This January God told me that He wanted me to declare His promises. He wants His people to see and hear and understand that He alone is God, and He does whatever He pleases. So now I want to tell you the big, good plan that God has for His people. As you see it play out in your own life, remember that this is a good plan - a plan to prosper and not to harm. It is a plan to give us all a hope and a future.
God is about to take away everything that we depend on. "In that day," says the LORD, "I will slaughter your horses and destroy your chariots (things that get us from one place to another). I will tear down your walls and demolish your defenses (things that protect us). I will put an end to all witchcraft, and there will be no more fortune tellers (places we go to find wisdom or direction). I will destroy all your idols and sacred pillars (things that we worship and want more than we want God), so you will never again worship the work of your own hands. I will abolish your idol shrines with their Asherah poles and destroy your pagan cities. I will pour out My vengeance on all the nations that refuse to obey Me." (Micah 5:10-15) We have no idea how much pride is in our heart. See me. Look what I have done. We think we are wise and strong and capable, but we are not. We worship the work of our own hands. We take pride in our achievements. All of the things that got us here will be taken away. We will all understand that it was because of God's grace and goodness that we had or did anything at all. We will turn our hearts to worship and depend on Him instead of trusting and depending on our own efforts. No one will be able to save himself in the coming days. Only God will be able to save us. But when He does... "Then the remnant left in Israel will take their place among the nations. They will be like dew sent by the LORD or like rain falling on the grass, which no one can hold back and no one can restrain. The remnant left in Israel will take their place among the nations. They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a strong young lion among flocks of sheep and goats, pouncing and tearing as they go with no rescuer in sight. The people of Israel will stand up to their foes (principalities and powers), and all their enemies will be wiped out." (Micah 5:7-9) Oh my! This is a plan! We will be like rain or dew that no one can hold back or stop. Peace. Joy. Hope. Confident expectation. Faith. Love. It will all be ours. God will make it happen. We can't do a thing except let Him. I want to take this a step further. Isaiah 3:1-3 says, "The LORD, the LORD of Heaven's Armies, will take away from Jerusalem and Judah (that's us) everything they depend on: every bit of bread and every drop of water, all their heroes and soldiers, judges and prophets, fortune-tellers and elders, army officers and high officials, advisers, skilled sorcerers, and astrologers." He is going to take away our food and water. Every drop. Oh my! But then in Isaiah 1:16-20, it says, "Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of My sight. Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows." "Come now, let's settle this," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. IF YOU WILL ONLY OBEY ME, YOU WILL HAVE PLENTY TO EAT. But if you refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies. I, the LORD, have spoken. In order to make it in the coming days, we have to turn our hearts toward God to let Him heal us and set us free. We have to lay down our pride and our power and let Him plow up the hard ground of our hearts. We will not be able to do any of this ourselves. God will not let us. He is separating unto Himself a people who love Him and trust Him. "I will not destroy all Israel. For I still have true servants there. I will preserve a remnant of the people of Israel and of Judah to possess My land. Those I choose will inherit it, and My servants will live there. The plain of Sharon will again be filled with flocks for MY PEOPLE WHO HAVE SEARCHED FOR ME, and the valley of Achor will be a place to pasture herds." "But because the rest of you have forsaken the LORD and have forgotten His Temple, and because you have prepared feasts to honor the god of Fate and have offered mixed wine to the god of Destiny now I will "destine" you for the sword. All of you will bow down before the executioner. FOR WHEN I CALLED, YOU DID NOT ANSWER. WHEN I SPOKE, YOU DID NOT LISTEN. You deliberately sinned - before My very eyes - and chose to do what you know I despise." Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: My servants will eat, but you will starve. My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty. My servants will rejoice, but you will be sad and ashamed. My servants will sing for joy, but you will cry in sorrow and despair. Your name will be a curse word among My people, for the Sovereign LORD will destroy you and will call His true servants by another name. All who invoke a blessing or take an oath will do so by the God of truth. For I will put aside My anger and forget the evil of earlier days. "Look! I and creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore. Be glad; rejoice forever in My creation! And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness. Her people will be a source of joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and delight in My people. And the sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more." (Isaiah 65:8-19) Trust in the plan. We are living in the culmination of the fullness of times. God is about to come and do all of the good things He promised His people. In the coming days we will understand. No one will be able to make it without God. But know this - Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved. His name is Jesus. Blessings, my friends. Fix your eyes on Jesus - don't you dare look at anything else, especially not yourself, guard your heart - out of it flows the issues of life, and GIVE THANKS! REJOICE! Again, I say, "Rejoice!" Praise and thanksgiving are the doors that usher in the presence and power of our God and our Father. Let's run and hide in Him. Terri I know that we are traveling right now, and there are pictures of the beautiful places we are getting to go, but can I tell you that there is a knot in my stomach at what I see happening. I know it is here. House prices. Rent prices. Property taxes. Car prices. Gas prices. All of this along with fires, tornadoes, draught, pandemic, etc. Any one of these could take us under, but they are all happening at once. This is by design. From the beginning of time God had a plan for His people, a plan to prosper and not to harm, a plan to give hope and a future. This is what the LORD says: "You will be in Babylon for seventy years. (Babylon is a spirit - I am and there is no other.) But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me. I will be found by you," says the LORD. "I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land." (Jeremiah 29:10-14) Our whole life we have been petitioning God for all the things we wanted. I want what I want, and I want it now. Selfish ambitions, bitter envies, greed and pride guided our every move. God let us go our selfish, pride-filled ways, and He didn't stop us. But now He is about to do things that will turn our wayward hearts back toward Him once again. In the coming days we are going to understand what the LORD is after. He is after our heart, our whole heart, and He will do whatever it takes to get it. So that's what I want to say to you right now. Trust God's plan. He says that all things will work together for good to them who love God and are called according to His purpose because He is conforming us into the image of His dear Son. Think about that. Everything that is about to happen will do a work inside of us to make us look more like Jesus - if we let it. He goes on to say, "My son, do not make light of the LORD's discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the LORD disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son. Endure hardship as discipline, God is treating you as His children." (Hebrews 12:5-7) All of our life we have gotten it wrong. We wanted God to change the circumstances to fit our needs and desires. What God wants is for the circumstances to change us to fit His desires. His desire is for us to be conformed into His image, to be holy, completely set apart to Him. So we are about to be disciplined. The definition of discipline is to train people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience. God disciplines those He loves. This will start at the house of God. But remember, "As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children." (Hebrews 12:7). "No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening - it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong." (Hebrews 12:11-13) So what do we do? "Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the LORD. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. You know that afterward, when he wanted his father's blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears." (Hebrews 12:14-17 You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. They staggered back under God's command: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death. Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, "I am terrified and trembling." "No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God Himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the One who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of FORGIVENESS instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel." (Hebrews 12:18-24) So trust the plan. Don't worry about anything. If worry is in your heart, get it out. Face Jesus with your heart wide open and say, "I am guilty of allowing worry into my heart, LORD. Please forgive me." That spirit will leave. Then tell God what you need and thank Him for what He has done, and the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7) Fix your eyes on Jesus, guard your heart, and give thanks. God is always up to something good. "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." Be blessed, my friends. Look up, for your redemption is drawing near. Terri |
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