sheep and wolves... what are we to do?

WE are in a time of decision like never before!

What then shall we choose? What is the way that may seem right to a man and lead us to a place of destruction?

How will we know?

A test question from Mark 10

13-15a Later they sent some of the Pharisees and some of the Herod-party to trap him in an argument. They came up and said to him, “Master, we know that you are an honest man and that you are not swayed by men’s opinion of you. Obviously you don’t care for human approval but teach the way of God with the strictest regard for truth—is it right to pay tribute to Caesar or not: are we to pay or not to pay?”

15b But Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said to them, “Why try this trick on me? Bring me a coin and let me look at it.”

16 So they brought one to him. “Whose face is this?” asked Jesus, “and whose name is in the inscription?”

17 “Caesar’s,” they replied. And Jesus said, “Then give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God!”—a reply which staggered them.

We have a small community group that meets on occasion and when we do the time is electric with words of knowledge, wisdom and understanding beyond the flesh. (at least that is my description of our times… iron sharpening iron on all levels and generations)

These times in which we live… election 2016 upon us in less than 70 days… a time when it seems there is no “righteous” choice… a time when I feel as if the Lord is removing His hand from this land that I love so dearly and feel blessed to be a citizen. (Yes, I know my full citizenship is beyond this earthly realm… and I keep that in mind always as I consider where I am planted for the moment.)

I read an article recently that said it really doesn’t matter what you vote, because either win will send this country into chaos. Is that true? Maybe… so where do I stand firm?

I stand on “soil” not seen with the physical eyes, but known with the spiritual.

We’ve been asking some very pointed questions in our community of late and when I saw the plumb line which had been drawn without our even knowing it (I compiled 2 months of notes)… I was amazed at the provision of directives. Clearly the Lord is telling us before it happens so that we are not caught unaware. I see it!!! Dreams, visions, prophecies, and just simply the WORD of GOD revealed to eyes that are willing to see.

I was taken to a Scripture besides the one I opened with by the aforementioned article…. The one about brother against brother… you remember that one? Well I decided I needed more context so I looked up the passage. Matthew 10… Jesus telling his disciples not to worry… telling them what to expect … and even telling them that HE WAS SENDING them out as sheep among wolves for HIS purposes…. Strange talk for a shepherd… right?... unless you read it all and listen without your 2 ears. Check this out…. Maybe you’ll hear what I hear and be comforted as were the disciples who had the opportunity of looking directly into My Jesus’ eyes as He walked among them… I’m still thinking and may add more… but had to get this out today! Be blessed my precious precious friends and family… HE WILL TELL US!!! And has already.

Persecution Will Come

16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant[e] above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign[f] those of his household.

Have No Fear

26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.[g] 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?[h] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Not Peace, but a Sword

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Rewards

40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

PRAISING THE LORD FOR EACH OF YOU RIGHT NOW!!!

7/3/16 asked:

“if ww3 were today what would you be called to do?

~keep my family safe

~Decide for what we are fighting and “comfort”

~minister in the arena to which you are called outside as well as inside

~Figure priorities, know how I am equipped (spiritually and physically)

~know who can be trusted because I’ve tested the relationship

~Ask for wisdom and “circle up the wagons”

~understand that we’ve been safe for so long that we may not know for what we are looking… contingencies

~know what is important at this point

~no time to be afraid… get it done

~know the WORD of GOD in your heart, voice of Truth

~know the gifts of yourself and those around you and understand that the gifts of God are irrevocable

 (Romans 11:29)

~circumstance will not change the call on your life

~Discernment is imperative… knowing beyond the world

~testify to hope

Then it was L turn 7/10/16

“How do you hear from God?” (personally how do you hear)

~Different today (as we mature) than from the past… and yet some things remain constant.

~1 Samuel 3… Samuel didn’t recognize… Eli knew and had to mentor and guide to understand “WHO” was speaking.

~3 voices: God/ours/enemy

~1 John 4:1, John 10:27

~dreams will be important … Joel 2:28 “…daughters shall prophesy, old men shall dream dreams and your young men shall see visions….”

~time proves.. feel through what you “hear”…test… practice of listening… settling of my spirit in communion and acknowledgment that I know what I am hearing and from Whom.

~God’s Word

~maturity…. Trust… discern (KG dream… had to “mature” quickly)

Then 7/23/16 J and A close this section of our time together

“What is the next step for us as a group… our part of the Body?”

~A’s dream: do we only respond when it is on our doorstep? I feel like we talk a lot about “being together”… what does that mean?

~Training? For what?

~Something is “afoot”… change is being pushed

~Institutions are under attack.. family, schools, churches

we need fellowship, accountability, encouragement and strength in this place

~There comes a time to stand

~I need to know how to plan and then I can do it

~We need each other and what only you bring to complete our efforts… do we understand at what level of “alert” we are?

~We are past the point of being comfortable

~there must be “safeguards” in place… the plan of what if this happens what do you do? Know how we each one operate so we trust that part in this circumstance

~FAITH… that God knows and will tell us

~corporate prayer for same thing

~Amos 3:7 God will tell us

~the world is fear mongering… be beyond and unaffected by that tactic

~Let go of doubt…

WORD: sometimes we need to be aware that we will be attacked even through the things we love (not as obvious)

~We must be awake AND aware for such a time as this so we respond and not react

I had a dream on the Thursday after this meeting:

~I needed the color purple

~I heard “The enemy wants to assault “togetherness’”

~What divides? Firey darts raining down…

~researched on awakening: What were firey darts in Jesus day?

“firey darts in the 1^st century warfare were not to kill but to DISTRACT!!!... They were to set something on fire (supplies, living quarters, anything that was important to opposition’s survival and success). If something important was on fire, then they would have to leave the ranks of fighting to attend the fire… created a weakness in the battle front.

Set fire to a roof and you remove the authority of that house.

Isaiah 21:5

… bowed so I cannot hear

… dismayed so I cannot see

…heart staggers so I tremble

…ARISE OH PRINCES AND ANOINT THE SHIELD!”

(shield of FAITH!!!)

-shields back then were layers (6 deep) of skins… warriors had to maintain suppleness of the shields so they OILED the shield every day or the shield was useless.

WORD: Firey darts =distractions to call warriors from the battle formation

7/23/16 Ks bear, hay bale, old lady dream.. (see previous email)

WORD: “because the playing field has been anointed with your prayers”

J group time 2 Corinthians 5-7

~separate ourselves

~yoked together… “amongst is not yoked”… partnership with who/what?

~Know who you are PAST what the world says

~Godly sorrow produces repentance, worldly sorrow bring death

~If we keep taking back the thing from which we repent (Godly sorrow)… then it can become worldly sorrow

~My life says Who God is

~Reconciliation… take what you know is right… Banks do not err with their numbers… when there is not a matchup.. you look in your numbers and “reconcile” the error

WORD: know who you are and do not lower the bar

8/14/16

K does wisdom Proverbs 2-4

~Wisdom is knowing what is right and doing it

WORD: runners will lose ground if they look around instead of looking towards the goal… looking around makes us lose focus, confidence, direction, momentum and our goal. If Satan catches us looking… he exploits the weakness.

~Knowledge… Wisdom… Discernment (3 different things)

S’s bear dream:

See previous email… Bear left her alone

8/21/16

W takes us to James 1

Why are we here?

What is the good and perfect gift?

What is our image of ourselves? Is it important? How do we see ourselves?

~Pure religion.. Visit orphans and widows (the afflicted and lonely)

~What would a stain from the world look like for each of us?

~What does God want from me? You? All of us?

~How do we reach the potential God has for us?...

~What would be a trial for you?

~At what point to I pay attention?

~Wisdom is asking and believing… “as a child”

~ask then stay the course

~God’s not into making us happy, He’s making us HOLY

~temptation does not define you, your response to it does

E’s dream:

Bear chasing him and a group of children into WW1 type trenches with railroad tie siding… he distracts bear with light from flashlight.

WORD: Hears the words… “Orphans need a home”…. (W reminds us of James 1… pure religion passage)

8/28/16

James 2 and words from J

Yeah… Ds back with us!!! Glad you finally put on your running shoes!

~How do we provide AND protect?

~Faith and works… somehow to live fully means there is something beyond simply believing in faith… action follows the belief

~What does response look like?

~deception is rampant in all the systems (institutions) of the world

WORD: Preserve the body

There are wolves clothed as sheep

The devils are in the walls (the enclosures)

The Bridgroom is coming but the bride is NOT ready.

(A’s encouragement card… bride preparing)

~Remember the word KG gave… Run the race and do not look to right or left

WORD: We are being called to do something corporately. WE will not be all we can be until we do something together.

~knowing of God is not just in talk, but in power

~we don’t have to “make up” something to do.. it will be clear to all of us

Closing prayer words:

Lord.. You have taken us again to another level… teach us, move us and we acknowledge that we want YOU to lead us to Your Truth and our place in that.

Overcomer

Overcomers must have had something to overcome.

This keeps ringing in my hears this morning…All 5 of my grandchildren skied (learned on the first day out) this season… August 3, 2016.

All 5 had to meet the challenge of never having done this before and how will I respond when it’s my turn out there to learn in front of everyone….???

What was it that each had to overcome?

Did some have more to overcome than others even though the task was the same for all?

I think mostly what we have to overcome is what do we believe? It is said that success breeds success. Why is that? Do I believe I can do this? Is it an unrealistic belief or one that I have considered and found possible?

What about the seemingly “impossible”… the places where God says “with man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible”?

Does that apply to things I want to do or things I’m called to do only?

During this political season there is an unusual circumstance… what is happening in political rallies is not being presented in the polls presented by the media. What is the truth?

Can what we believe become what is true? How does that happen?

If my mind (my belief ) is so stubborn that I refuse to see, will what I see become my belief even though it is a lie?  A self fulfilling prophecy?

Truth cannot be dependent on our belief… otherwise it is always subjective right? But are there some truths that become forged by our belief?

I think perhaps this is the legacy of our father Adam who ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The eyes that were open were the physical as our spiritual eyes became veiled.

Is this what we must OVERCOME?

1 John 5:4-5

“4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Have you ever considered what this woman had to overcome to step into the house with her “gift”? My goodness what a story… on so many levels.

What did she “believe” when she walked in?

What did she “believe” when she left?

Luke 7

A Sinful Woman Forgiven

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among[h] themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
I'm wondering this... if we have more to overcome, do we have more to share with others who need to overcome? I've found that often the best coaches are not the ones who naturally played the sport, but the ones who had to struggle to reach the point of their successes. These coaches understand what it takes, they know how to encourage and they know HOW TO OVERCOME! Coaches should always be encouragers as well as teachers... at least I think the best ones are.

It is my prayer that whatever my family, my children, my grandchildren and on and on… whatever they set their minds to will be done… but it is my prayer first that they have the “mind of God”… and that this is the filter for what they choose. I believe this will BE!

Oh JESUS… thank YOU for TRUTH beyond my belief… Thank You for NEVER EVER CHANGING… and Thank you for the precious treasures who call me mom, Tahtee and even those who call me Carla or KatyJ I love them all!

BTW... the Rio Olympics this year are sure fun to watch... just heard Steele Johnson and David Boudia say... "my identity is not on the platform... not dependent on what I do from that platform... my identity is rooted in Christ and NEVER changes!"  

YES LORD JESUS!!! thank you for men with testimonies for the world to see. 

They took silver!