911 Emergency! Who Ya Gonna Call?

El Shaddai is our 911 Emergency Rescue God!

Psalm 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Yes, God has a 911 emergency number to call when you need help. To abide (Strong's H3885 "lûn lîyn" stay permanently; hence lie all night, lodge, remain, tarry all night.) under His shadow is to be under His protection, but to get there, we must learn how to dwell in the secret place.

Psalm 91 continues: I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust. 3 Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Psalms 91:2-8

That is all awesome protection; so how do we “dwell in the secret place?”

The word dwell is Strong’s H3427 “yâshab” [yaw-shab'] meaning: to sit down (in quiet); to remain; to settle, to marry: abide, continue, endure, establish, habitation, inhabit (make to keep house), lurking, marry, (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, settle, sit, still, tarry.

The word secret is Strong’s H5643 “sêther” [say'-ther] meaning: a cover (in a good or a bad, literal or figurative sense); covering, covert, disguise , hiding place, privily, protection and comes from Strong’s H5641 “sâthar” [saw-thar] meaning to hide (by covering), literally or figuratively: be absent, keep close, conceal, hide (self), (keep) secret.

From these definitions we can see the secret place is establishing a habitation or abiding place apart from our public worship, church attendance or fellowship with Brethren where we spend time; it is often described as "the prayer closet" which is taken from Matthew 6:6.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6

Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the ‘pride of man’: (NASB says ‘conspiracies of man’) thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. Psalms 31:20

And I will give you the treasures of darkness, And hidden wealth of secret places, In order that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. Isaiah 45:3

We know of the multitude of promises God has promised us when we seek Him including protection; yet as a counselor, I have encountered many individuals who have problems developing a consistent practice of daily time with Him. They tell me they don’t know how to do it or they are not disciplined enough to keep it up. “I get bored studying my Bible” or “I don’t feel His presence and get discouraged”, etc. etc.

I like to say, 'don’t tell me what you can’t do, tell me what you can do.' Together we make a list of ways to seek God and here are some ideas:

1. Make a list of your blessings and take it before the throne and thank God for each one.

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Ephesians 5:20

2. Make a list of the attributes of God that you appreciate (Mercy, Grace, Compassion, beauty of nature, etc.) take it before the throne and thank him.

Psalm 100:4 tells us Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. It is amazing how a simple act of thanks can bring down the presence of God.

3. Sing little songs or melodies to the Lord; anyone can do this, you don’t need to be able to sing. I sing little variations of scripture that I want to be implanted in my heart such as “thank you for your perfect love, all fear must go.”

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Ephesians 5:19

4. Read your Bible and ask Him to speak to you. And I don’t mean just once in the beginning but throughout the text, you can read a passage out loud and ask Him to show you the depths of meaning hidden there. The Jewish custom of Midrash (interpretation) is a discussion of the scripture; you can have your own Midrash with God by asking His Spirit to teach you.

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 1 John 2:27

5. Putting on Worship Music and lifting up your hands or dancing.

Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy. Psalms 99:5

Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Psalms 150:4

6. For those with extreme difficulties establishing a discipline like me, cry out to Him for help to seek his face. Remember you are His workmanship:

The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. Psalms 34:17

When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me. Psalms 56:9

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:5

7. After reading your Bible or worshiping spend 10 minutes just listening.

Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. Proverbs 22:17

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Isaiah 55:3

8. Praying in the Holy Spirit; Often I will take a walk and I will pray in tongues; sometimes I will pray over a certain problem or scripture I want insight on.

(A devotional is not meant to be controversial; I would be remiss if I did not mention one of my most common ways to seek God; however, if you find this offensive or don’t believe in it, I ask you to skip it out of a respect for other’s beliefs rather than writing antagonistic responses to me.)

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Jude 1:20

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Ephesians 6:18

9. Fasting so your voice will be heard on high.

 

While fasting is difficult it shows God our seriousness in finding Him.  However like all things there are many variations I won't go into here, but I would like to encourage people to consider what they can do and the options are limitless:  Fasting television, Internet, categories of food such as sweets, grains or meats are types of Daniel fasts in which pleasant foods are omitted.  Fasting one meal a day or even fasting snacks is one way to start. I know someone who fasts coffee because it is one of her great pleasures. I encourage you to ask God, what would You have me fast?

 

And when you fast remember the goal of the fasting is to find God, so use the time to seek Him and examine your life through His light:

 

³ Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. ⁴ Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. ⁵ Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? ⁶ Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? ⁷ Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Isaiah 58:3-7

 

10. Soaking in His Presence by listening to worship music, online streams from the Houses of Prayer or the revivals now available on the Internet.  I know a lady who once a week lays on the floor before the altar at her church for 3-6 hours a week, sometimes twice.  Sometimes she has a walkman and sometimes she just lays in His presence and waits on Him.  This lady has a very dynamic relationship with the Lord and hears Him well. 

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. James 4:8 

11. Finally, a time tested way to seek the Lord was described in a classic book by Brother Laurence called, “Practicing the Presence of God.” By consciously acknowledging the presence of God in all your actions and throughout the day you begin to build a deeper relationship and intimacy as you learn to know Him as a friend who sticks closer than a brother. It is a discipline in itself but over time and effort you will find it gets easier and has great rewards.

While I do not necessarily advocate a prescribed routine since each person must discover what works best for them, I want to suggest a simple idea that has helped me: 20 minutes Bible study, 20 minutes Praise and Worship and 20 minutes Prayer and Listening.

But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. Deuteronomy 4:29

Is America Babylon?

It was many years ago when I first heard that America was Babylon. At the time, I thought, we are bad but we are not Babylon and dismissed it.

Over the years I would hear it a bit more here and there and began to consider it more seriously as I saw the revealing way people dress, the sex and violence in popular music, the occasional redeeming television show that was interspersed with blatant, perverse and sexually enticing commercials pushing their regular line up. So when I bought a prophecy book several months ago and the author said America is Babylon I realized, I had not only changed my mind, I truly believed it.

But what of mainstream America? Do they have a clue we are headed for destruction as foretold in Isaiah 13, Jeremiah 51 and Revelation 18? You cannot drive very far without seeing a church but how many of the people who worship across the land believe or imagine America is headed for judgment? Did 911 change anything in the hearts and minds of most people?

Ancient Babylon was a city in Mesopotamia between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers and the capital of the Babylonian Empire, the area now called Iraq. Most people will agree it is also a false religious system with numerous speculations pointing to Roman Catholic Church or the one world religion that unites all faiths, etc.

How many believe it is also a geographic place and the United States poised for destruction through the judgment of God?

Share your opinion and tell why you think so.

My son, Andrew

Andrew my oldest son, was interested in military stuff ever since high school at least when he took ROTC. He scored in the 99th percentile across the board when he took the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) revealing that he was highly suited for practically any job he wanted in the entire Armed Services. However, neither his father nor I was thrilled about him enlisting so we discouraged him from joining when he turned 18. He was very intelligent, in the gifted program in school, expressing an interest in journalism and we tried to steer him towards more intellectual pursuits.

Over the next few years, he did several things, mudjacking and welding, along with a couple of years in college, but he always wanted to join the Marines. So finally he joined in the fall of 2006, at 24. I attended his graduation from Boot Camp in February 2007. It was at this time Bush was escalating the war and a recruiter came up to me and Nathan, his brother, (as if one of my sons wasn't enough) and told us due to extreme demand, any position a person wanted was available.

That was encouraging as I naively thought maybe my son would be interested in one of the technical jobs or even special ops or intelligence. So I asked Andrew what the job he was interested in and my heart fell when he told me infantry.

I started crying right there and we had this conversation:
"Infantry? Why not intelligence or special ops or any of the technical jobs that are open?"
"This is what I feel I am supposed to do."
'Kill people?' You feel you are supposed to kill people?"
"Mom, they have attacked us and are trying to kill us and someone needs to defend our country."
"Yes son, but taking a life. a life is a sacred thing . . ."
"Mom that is God's problem, not mine. You just have to believe that God gets to them before I do."

So my son had more faith than I did at that point, that God was working in his life. It seemed he has made peace with his decision, but I had a ways to go to find mine. that night back at the hotel room I was again crying on my bed. Even before birth I had given my children to Yahweh and this did not seem like a example of a life dedicated to God.

Even lying there crying in my bed I had a small picture come into my head. It was a picture of my son on the battle field leaning over wounded soldiers and leading them to Christ. Just a flash image but there nonetheless. Though I could not rest in it, a sliver of hope crept in.

Yet a couple of weeks later, I have this tiny dream:
A girl watches from the window of a house, two brothers. As one comes in, the other one dies.

My youngest son has entered a Christian discipleship program and clearly I think he is coming into the house of God but my oldest son still seems to be dying to me.

Learning to love Kansas City

I moved here over 2 years ago from Tampa and I am still learning about this city. I moved to Tampa in college and it was a great place to live, no doubt about it, however in August 2003 Yah told me I had two years to find the geographical location of His Will.

I had no idea where that was but in October of that year through a series of events He took me to Nashville for a Prophetic Destiny conference (Jim Goll) and then over to Kansas City, MO to the International House of Prayer (IHOP). During that visit it seemed like every other person I met came up to me and told me I was called to be here. At first I thought they must say that to everybody; maybe they were desperate to get people, I wasn't sure. But I continued to get lots of signs and wonders that proved I was supposed to move here and so I loaded up a moving van and my youngest son and I arrived in May 2005.

What a first year! Living arrangements were tense as I came by faith with no money or job and several health issues preventing me from most work. But Yah was faithful to meet my needs month after month. Then in January of 2006 my Toyota Forerunner was stolen from my apartment parking lot. This was my car of destiny as Yah told me in 2002 I had the spirit of Elijah and was sent to prepare the way for the return of Yahshua. It even had gold trim despite being one of the basic models with no frills but that was another sign as Yah told me I was to be a carrier of His Glory.

So it seemed devastating to me to be here with no money and no car yet after 100 days (and an insurance payment combined with a little money dropped from heaven), I found a Honda FIT and bought it on its Release Date. (First Fruits) When the salesman gave me the keys he said I was "Fit to Go" and Yah whispered to my heart that was what He was going to do in this next season.

But my Forerunner was special to me I replied, still mourning my loss. "I have already made you a Forerunner," He said, "Now I am going to heal you." There are all kinds of sicknesses and all kinds of healings and that is the part of the journey I have been on in the last year and a half since I got the FIT.

True to His Word, Yah has done some miracles in that area. For years I suffered from bright lights with an oversensitivity. The past months I have found that problem decreasing which has allowed me to go out more and see the city.

Today I went to the River Market http://www.kansascityrivermarket.com/ with a friend. If you live here and like fruits and veggies, that is a great place to go as they have a farmer's market on the weekend. Wow, how did I live here all this time and just find this out? Not only nice produce but some cute shops and restaurants, even a flea market with great bargains. And the November weather is grand, I pray it will hold. Fall has always been my favorite season and I love to explore. I guess I better go now because I have all this great food and I have to rearrange my fridge so I will have a place to put it all.

Beauty of Creation

Tonight night I went to the Plaza for an open house of photographic artist Thomas Mangelsen. If there ever was someone who is able to capture the awe inspiring beauty and magnificence of Yah's glorious creation, it is Mangelsen.

It is not hard to understand that one of ha-satan's devices is to deceive people into worshiping nature and miss the intimacy and love of the Elohim who created it. Yet throughout life there are many distractions that keep us away from our true purpose for being here: to find our father and learn to know Him. What if we actually make it to heaven and find that a record of all our time on earth spent seeking Him has been made and that is how much time we get to spend with the King in his heavenly realm. A lot of us will regret that we did not spend every waking moment seeking His face.

So it is my constant prayer that Yah will help me look past all the distractions in life and invest my time in that which will not pass away - relationship with my Father and Savior. I know my eternal destiny is greater than any temporary thing that might draw me away. And even though life can be ugly at times, I am so grateful for the beauty of His creation where ever I may find it.