Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Message from John Mulinde - Very Important!
This was probably the purest preaching I have heard in over ten years. I strongly implore you to take an hour of your time and listen.
God Bless
JEB
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
An Intricate Plan
"I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion." Proverbs 8:12Wisdom is clear direction. The Greek word used most often in the scriptures to denote "wisdom" is sophia. Sophia is derived from the Greek word Saphes which means clarity.
In the old testament, in Proverbs chapters 2,3,4 and 8, the word "wisdom" is often associated with the words "way", "path", or "direction." So taken together, we see that in it's purest form, wisdom is a clear way, path or direction from God. And per Proverbs 8:12 above, wisdom is always accompanied by prudence, knowledge and discretion.
Prudence in this verse is derived from the Hebrew word Ormah. Ormah comes from the word Orem which means strategy. Discretion in the same verse is derived from the Hebrew word Mezimmah. Mezimmah means a plan. Mezimmah is further derived from the Hebrew word Zamam. Zamam is defined as a plan, a plot, or a purpose.
In all of this together, if we were to write our own amplified version of Proverbs 8:12, we could say the following:
"I, clear direction, dwell together with strategy; I possess knowledge and plans within an overall plot and purpose."God is a God of plans and strategies. And this planning and strategizing extends throughout all of creation. From the very numbers of the hairs on your head (Matthew 10:30) to the time when you are to be born and the places you are to live (Acts 17:26). Everything is determined and intended by a Master Planner. And these plans express themselves in Ergons, in works that we are called to be a part of from day to day, week to week, year in and year out.
From faith to faith (Romans 1:17) we go from one work to another according to his plans and strategies for our lives.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Ergon
The words "work" or "works" occur 185 times in scripture. Of those 185, the Greek word Ergon or a one of its primary derivitaves (ergasia, ergates, ergazomai) is used 176 times in the original Greek.
Strongs Concordance defines ergon as: to work, to labor or toil at an occupation.
When we look at the dynamics of "works" in scripture we will focus on the passages that use the word Ergon. Works are a really big deal to God. And I might emphasize that they are not optional if one wants to hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
Strongs Concordance defines ergon as: to work, to labor or toil at an occupation.
When we look at the dynamics of "works" in scripture we will focus on the passages that use the word Ergon. Works are a really big deal to God. And I might emphasize that they are not optional if one wants to hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
Saturday, July 7, 2012
An Unrepentant Generation
Dear Jesus,
Sorry for not talking in so long a time, but Your love being compulsory, You’ll just have to understand. We the people of planet earth have gotten together and have agreed upon some things, which we thought fitting to pass along.
We think it only right we have a say, and even if You disagree, we demand it, and as such You have to do it.
First off, we believe there has been some sort of miscommunication, because a handful of your representatives still seem to think we are in need of forgiveness, and keep throwing around words like repentance, self-denial, and self-renunciation. We are not looking for forgiveness since forgiveness implies wrongdoing, what we are looking for from You is validation more than anything.
We don’t believe we’ve done anything wrong since sin is relative and subject to individual interpretation. As such, we no longer believe in the existence of sin, or consequence, justice, or hell for that matter.
Just tell us we’re okay and heaven-bound no matter what we do and no matter what we allow to nest in our hearts, and we can continue having as amicable a coexistence as we have enjoyed thus far.
Since certain things in Your Book were offensive to us, we decided to change the parts we didn’t like. At first we thought you might disapprove, but what You have to understand is that by changing a few things, and tweaking a few others, coming to church has become attractive to more people, and this translates into more revenue. In the end, isn’t revenue what it’s all about?
Trust us, we know business, and keeping the Book the way it was, was cutting into the bottom line. Make people feel at ease, make them feel comfortable, do not challenge their lifestyle, and you’ll have faithful and loyal givers that will put you over the top with every offering.
When you really think about it, it was only a matter of time anyway. Can You really expect those of this generation to prefer You over their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, wives and husbands, when they don’t even prefer You over their possessions, positions, and proclivities?
Since you’ve likely seen what is happening on this planet, we were also wondering why you were late in returning. What’s keeping you? By our estimation You should have been here by now, and we should all be in heaven feasting and attending a wedding…at least that’s what our guest speaker said last Sunday.
Need we remind you this isn’t what we signed up for? The Apostles of old, and those of the primary church might have been foolish enough to sign on the dotted line, but we read the fine print, and made our own amendments before signing. We hope you honor those amendments, even though we didn’t run them by you.
So just to set the record straight, our amendments include but are not limited to, no persecution, no hardship, and no tribulation. We’ve all agreed we don’t have what it takes to endure to the end, so please come sooner than you’d intended, just to make sure we’re not scarred – emotionally or otherwise – by what we’re starting to see taking shape all around us.
Although we do not intend any offense, we are firm concerning the aforementioned issues, and even most preachers, evangelists, and pastors agree with us on our points.
Sincerely,
An Unrepentant Generation
Thank you Brother Michael Boldea for allowing the reprint
Sorry for not talking in so long a time, but Your love being compulsory, You’ll just have to understand. We the people of planet earth have gotten together and have agreed upon some things, which we thought fitting to pass along.
We think it only right we have a say, and even if You disagree, we demand it, and as such You have to do it.
First off, we believe there has been some sort of miscommunication, because a handful of your representatives still seem to think we are in need of forgiveness, and keep throwing around words like repentance, self-denial, and self-renunciation. We are not looking for forgiveness since forgiveness implies wrongdoing, what we are looking for from You is validation more than anything.
We don’t believe we’ve done anything wrong since sin is relative and subject to individual interpretation. As such, we no longer believe in the existence of sin, or consequence, justice, or hell for that matter.
Just tell us we’re okay and heaven-bound no matter what we do and no matter what we allow to nest in our hearts, and we can continue having as amicable a coexistence as we have enjoyed thus far.
Since certain things in Your Book were offensive to us, we decided to change the parts we didn’t like. At first we thought you might disapprove, but what You have to understand is that by changing a few things, and tweaking a few others, coming to church has become attractive to more people, and this translates into more revenue. In the end, isn’t revenue what it’s all about?
Trust us, we know business, and keeping the Book the way it was, was cutting into the bottom line. Make people feel at ease, make them feel comfortable, do not challenge their lifestyle, and you’ll have faithful and loyal givers that will put you over the top with every offering.
When you really think about it, it was only a matter of time anyway. Can You really expect those of this generation to prefer You over their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, wives and husbands, when they don’t even prefer You over their possessions, positions, and proclivities?
Since you’ve likely seen what is happening on this planet, we were also wondering why you were late in returning. What’s keeping you? By our estimation You should have been here by now, and we should all be in heaven feasting and attending a wedding…at least that’s what our guest speaker said last Sunday.
Need we remind you this isn’t what we signed up for? The Apostles of old, and those of the primary church might have been foolish enough to sign on the dotted line, but we read the fine print, and made our own amendments before signing. We hope you honor those amendments, even though we didn’t run them by you.
So just to set the record straight, our amendments include but are not limited to, no persecution, no hardship, and no tribulation. We’ve all agreed we don’t have what it takes to endure to the end, so please come sooner than you’d intended, just to make sure we’re not scarred – emotionally or otherwise – by what we’re starting to see taking shape all around us.
Although we do not intend any offense, we are firm concerning the aforementioned issues, and even most preachers, evangelists, and pastors agree with us on our points.
Sincerely,
An Unrepentant Generation
Thank you Brother Michael Boldea for allowing the reprint
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Aligned
Hello All,
This is a theme that is reverberating through my wife's heart right now. She wrote this out and wanted to share with all. We hope it blesses you and your marriage.
God Bless
J.E. and family
*********************************************************************************
As I watch the 2 beautiful, soon-to-be mom and dad Canadian geese that have adopted the back of our lake property, I am struck not only by their beauty, but also by their bond to each other. She eats to her heart’s content while he stands at attention, watching over her.
Is this how your relationship to Jesus is? How about your marriage? Can it really be that simple?
Before you start conjuring up images of doormats and what you think “submission” means, give me a chance to show you what I have learned over the years about the freedom that comes from a Christ- Aligned marriage.
I came to the Lord and subsequently became my husband’s wife in a very supernatural way. If you know our story, there is no denying that the lord brought us together.
Is that how your marriage feels to you?
Oh I know what you are thinking now. Of course it has not all been a bed of roses. In the last part of 1 Corinthians 7:28, Paul says, “But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this”.
Even when Godly people marry, they stilll need to run the race which includes a need for deliverance from our past, character defects, generational curses, pride, and all of the sin still in our lives. The person closest to you can sometimes feel like sandpaper on your skin. Then the Lord comes in and throws a few curve balls to see how committed you are to Him and your husband. Oh, and don’t forget about the ways of the evil one and how much Satan would love to see you divorce like many professing Christians have chosen.
If you are struggling with what I have already said here because of things in your marriage, go here first before continuing to read further.
Be devoted and give preference to one another. (Romans 12:10)
“Get to the point!”….. My husband will sometimes say this when he wants to hear the end from the beginning of my long story.
Here is my point. What I mainly see in the “Church” these days among married couples, young and old, is usually the same: Christian Wives not recognizing the freedom of yielding to their husbands natural desire to be the protector and leader of their family in Christ. Hopefully he married you because he loves you and God showed him to marry you.
1 Corinthians 13:7 says this about love; “It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
Do you let your husband lead with Christ’s authority in your home? Or, do you get in the way?
I know many women that do not know the Lord. I have watched them over the years lead their families and watched their husbands cower behind them. The shocking part to me, however, is that I see the same things in many Christian marriages. In Christ, our lives should reflect something different from the marriages of the world.
Now this does not mean that you do not have any say in your life or marriage. Good, Godly marriages have a place in them for mutual discussion and prayer. It also does not mean that you will not ever have anything of your own to manage. Feel free to read Proverbs 31 again. The Lord gave me the beginnings of a business in 2004 to build and manage on my own. The Lord has prospered us in this business! Periodically I ask my husband for advice or to pray with me about something, but he encourages me in my work and acknowledges what the Lord has done through me while my husband continues in his full time Ministry.
My Husband has made many very difficult decisions for our family, including a move to a 3rd world Country. I have been blessed to see how the Lord speaks to my husband in supernatural ways. I had once been told by a elder in a Church that the reason I was so prophetic was due to the covering of my husband and my natural desire to have that and submit to that covering.
How many Ishmael’s have you created in your marriage?
You see it a few times in scripture, women getting impatient for something to happen so they take matters into their own hands and create an Ishmael in their marriage. Sarah finally got her Isaac and then recognized the significance of what she had done with Hagar, so she told Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away. Women have not changed; after all we still have a sinful nature. Eve convinced Adam to taste of the fruit.
Why do Christian wives want to get in the way sometimes? In my observations, in part based on fellowship and conversations with other women, it is usually because they feel a need to control their environment. They do not trust the Lord and they do not trust their husbands to make the right decisions and think they can do a better job. This is usually done through manipulation. This is what the Bible says about manipulation which is rebellion.
Ouch! Did that hurt for some of you? I hope so, because it is time to get it right ladies!! Time is short and having a godly, prayerful husband that wants to lead is a blessing that should be encouraged by all wives. A blessing to behold!
So now what do you do? Repent! Ask the Lord and your husband to forgive you. Tell him you want him to be the Godly husband and leader of your household.
What is the significance of the story of Esther? Jesus is coming back for a spotless Bride! Esther could not go to the King until she had gone through much cleansing. Are you going to be that spotless bride when Jesus shows up?
Now back to your husband. What if he does not seem to respond? You have probably emasculated him through your desire to control and manipulate. Or it may be deeper than that; you can read about the Jezebel Spirit. http://knowingthelord.blogspot.com/2011/10/who-is-she.html
Did your husband talk a lot more when you first got married?.... And now he just tends to go along with what you say?
Do you talk down to him in front of other people? Do you correct him in front of other people?....or do you speak life giving words over him privately and publicly?
Does he agree with pretty much everything you say so he won’t have to deal with you anymore?
Pray to the Lord for your husband’s restoration to his rightful place. Show your husband through your repentance and godly behavior that you mean it!
In these end days, having a godly protector in the spiritual and the natural is very important! Count your blessings!
I pray this message will open eyes and be a blessing to you
Christine Blackshear
http://knowingthelord.blogspot.com/
This is a theme that is reverberating through my wife's heart right now. She wrote this out and wanted to share with all. We hope it blesses you and your marriage.
God Bless
J.E. and family
*********************************************************************************
March 2012
I believe this is a Now Word for Women that The Lord has given me as we come into very crucial times.
As I watch the 2 beautiful, soon-to-be mom and dad Canadian geese that have adopted the back of our lake property, I am struck not only by their beauty, but also by their bond to each other. She eats to her heart’s content while he stands at attention, watching over her. Is this how your relationship to Jesus is? How about your marriage? Can it really be that simple?
As a woman, if you have come to the Father through his Son Jesus, he promises to watch over you while you in turn profess to love and obey him.
Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. John 14:24
For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live! Ezekiel 18:32As a woman, wife and mother, your first responsibility is to The Lord, then to your husband
But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 1 Corinthians 11:13
Before you start conjuring up images of doormats and what you think “submission” means, give me a chance to show you what I have learned over the years about the freedom that comes from a Christ- Aligned marriage.
I came to the Lord and subsequently became my husband’s wife in a very supernatural way. If you know our story, there is no denying that the lord brought us together.
I had been a single mom for 9 years, did not know the Lord and was very accustomed to making my own decisions and running the ship by myself. Much of the time things were poorly guided yet in hindsight I can tell you the Lord was right there with me even though I denied him . Months before I met my husband to be, I started noticing a change in my heart and a desire to want to be married again and have a whole family. I wanted a good husband! Over the next few months, as the Lord was wooing me in and working on my heart, I came to the Lord through the ministry of my husband, J.E.
My heart was fully ready to let someone else run that ship. I can’t tell you the freedom I felt, the relief of burden in my life to finally have the Lord and a Godly man to guide me. It felt like a huge weight came off my shoulders.
My heart was fully ready to let someone else run that ship. I can’t tell you the freedom I felt, the relief of burden in my life to finally have the Lord and a Godly man to guide me. It felt like a huge weight came off my shoulders.
Is that how your marriage feels to you?
Oh I know what you are thinking now. Of course it has not all been a bed of roses. In the last part of 1 Corinthians 7:28, Paul says, “But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this”.
Even when Godly people marry, they stilll need to run the race which includes a need for deliverance from our past, character defects, generational curses, pride, and all of the sin still in our lives. The person closest to you can sometimes feel like sandpaper on your skin. Then the Lord comes in and throws a few curve balls to see how committed you are to Him and your husband. Oh, and don’t forget about the ways of the evil one and how much Satan would love to see you divorce like many professing Christians have chosen.
I once looked over that stress test. You know, the one where you check off all the things you have gone through in your marriage. I believe our total points told me that most people have gotten divorced if they have gone through what we have. Death of our daughter, moving 10 times in 14 years, loss of income, loss of job, loss of house, loss of friends and family for what you believe.
Are you truly committed? Do you want to finish this race?However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. Acts 20:24
If you are struggling with what I have already said here because of things in your marriage, go here first before continuing to read further.
Be devoted and give preference to one another. (Romans 12:10)
• Accept one another. (Romans 15:7)
• Care for one another. (1 Corinthians 12:25)
• Carry each other’s burdens. (Galatians 6:2)
• Forgive one another. (Ephesians 4:32)
• Encourage, build up one another. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
• Spur one another on to love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24)
• Confess your sins to one another. (James 5:16)
• Pray for one another. (James 5:16)
• Care for one another. (1 Corinthians 12:25)
• Carry each other’s burdens. (Galatians 6:2)
• Forgive one another. (Ephesians 4:32)
• Encourage, build up one another. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
• Spur one another on to love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24)
• Confess your sins to one another. (James 5:16)
• Pray for one another. (James 5:16)
“Get to the point!”….. My husband will sometimes say this when he wants to hear the end from the beginning of my long story.
Here is my point. What I mainly see in the “Church” these days among married couples, young and old, is usually the same: Christian Wives not recognizing the freedom of yielding to their husbands natural desire to be the protector and leader of their family in Christ. Hopefully he married you because he loves you and God showed him to marry you.
1 Corinthians 13:7 says this about love; “It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
Do you let your husband lead with Christ’s authority in your home? Or, do you get in the way?
I know many women that do not know the Lord. I have watched them over the years lead their families and watched their husbands cower behind them. The shocking part to me, however, is that I see the same things in many Christian marriages. In Christ, our lives should reflect something different from the marriages of the world.
Now this does not mean that you do not have any say in your life or marriage. Good, Godly marriages have a place in them for mutual discussion and prayer. It also does not mean that you will not ever have anything of your own to manage. Feel free to read Proverbs 31 again. The Lord gave me the beginnings of a business in 2004 to build and manage on my own. The Lord has prospered us in this business! Periodically I ask my husband for advice or to pray with me about something, but he encourages me in my work and acknowledges what the Lord has done through me while my husband continues in his full time Ministry.
My Husband has made many very difficult decisions for our family, including a move to a 3rd world Country. I have been blessed to see how the Lord speaks to my husband in supernatural ways. I had once been told by a elder in a Church that the reason I was so prophetic was due to the covering of my husband and my natural desire to have that and submit to that covering.
How many Ishmael’s have you created in your marriage?
You see it a few times in scripture, women getting impatient for something to happen so they take matters into their own hands and create an Ishmael in their marriage. Sarah finally got her Isaac and then recognized the significance of what she had done with Hagar, so she told Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away. Women have not changed; after all we still have a sinful nature. Eve convinced Adam to taste of the fruit.
Why do Christian wives want to get in the way sometimes? In my observations, in part based on fellowship and conversations with other women, it is usually because they feel a need to control their environment. They do not trust the Lord and they do not trust their husbands to make the right decisions and think they can do a better job. This is usually done through manipulation. This is what the Bible says about manipulation which is rebellion.
In 1 Samuel 15:23 it is said “For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and presumption is like the evil of idolatry.
Ouch! Did that hurt for some of you? I hope so, because it is time to get it right ladies!! Time is short and having a godly, prayerful husband that wants to lead is a blessing that should be encouraged by all wives. A blessing to behold!
So now what do you do? Repent! Ask the Lord and your husband to forgive you. Tell him you want him to be the Godly husband and leader of your household.
What is the significance of the story of Esther? Jesus is coming back for a spotless Bride! Esther could not go to the King until she had gone through much cleansing. Are you going to be that spotless bride when Jesus shows up?
Now back to your husband. What if he does not seem to respond? You have probably emasculated him through your desire to control and manipulate. Or it may be deeper than that; you can read about the Jezebel Spirit. http://knowingthelord.blogspot.com/2011/10/who-is-she.html
Have you emasculated your husband?
Did your husband talk a lot more when you first got married?.... And now he just tends to go along with what you say?
Do you talk down to him in front of other people? Do you correct him in front of other people?....or do you speak life giving words over him privately and publicly?
Does he agree with pretty much everything you say so he won’t have to deal with you anymore?
Pray to the Lord for your husband’s restoration to his rightful place. Show your husband through your repentance and godly behavior that you mean it!
In these end days, having a godly protector in the spiritual and the natural is very important! Count your blessings!
I pray this message will open eyes and be a blessing to you
Christine Blackshear
http://knowingthelord.blogspot.com/
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Twenty Two
For those of you who prayed for us to have a safe journey back to the U.S. in early February, Thank you. Your prayers bore fruit in more ways than one. The three day drive took me from Merida, through Villahemosa, through Queretero and back to the U.S.. Day three of the drive was the final leg from Queretero back up to San Antonio, TX where I reunited with the family. It was on that day that something interesting happened.
About 5 hours into my drive on Sunday I looked down at my odometer and noticed that I had traveled 307 miles since I left the hotel in Queretero that morning. I also noticed that I still had a half of a tank of gas. That is not normal. A 2001 Ford F150 Supercab only gets, at best, 19 mpg on the highway (See Here). I have tracked my gas mileage in the past so I know these figures are accurate.
I had gassed up that morning in Queretero and reset my odometer for the day's driving so my fuel gauge should have shown me sitting on roughly a quarter of a tank after 300 miles. Plus, the truck was filled with miscellaneous items we were bringing back (clothes, a bunk bed frame, books, file boxes, toys, a dog)....just enough stuff to weigh the truck down a little bit. This added cargo combined with all of the mountain driving on the interior highway routes in Mexico should have had a negative impact on my fuel efficiency. Plus I was driving at speeds of 75 MPH or higher because I was taking one toll road after another with no posted speed limits. 75MPH was driving slow. All three factors combined should have have drastically lowered the fuel efficiency on the truck. But it didn't.
Shortly after noticing this I found a gas station and refilled my tank. I looked at how many gallons I had put in the truck, noted the odometers reading, called Christine and asked her to pull out a calculator. After plugging in the numbers I realized I was getting a whopping 22.5 mpg...with all of the added weight, with all of the high-speed driving, with all of the downshifting in the mountains I was still getting 22+ miles per gallon.
................................
We grew close to several families while in Mexico. One of those couples, Andres and Talia, became friends of ours last summer. Andres was one of Josephs teachers at Calvary Christian Academy and Talia was Christine's hairdresser. This couple had legally immigrated to the U.S. back in the late 80's and after over two decades, God led them back to their hometown of Merida. In November I asked Talia how long they lived in the U.S. and she told me 22 years.
On December 27th Christine and I were taking a walk at the park in our neighborhood in Merida and while doing so I smelled a scent on the breeze that really stood out to me. It was the exact smell of the laundry room at the dorms in Midwestern State University where I had first attended college 22 years earlier. I left home in January, 1990 and the one scent that stood out in the dorms the most was the scent of the laundry room. It was very noticeable as I had smelled that aroma for the first time 22 years earlier.
The day before we started making the trip back to the U.S. I helped deliver our washer and dryer to the house of the lady that had purchased them from us in Merida. When heading over to her place we found ourselves driving through the Colonia Nora Quintana. The main road that cuts through this Colonia (Subdivision) is Calle 22. Calle 22 cuts through the heart of other adjoining subdivisions in that area of the city. Nora is my grandmothers name. Quintana is of Spanish and Greek origin and means "country home." We are renting my grandmother Nora's home from her in a country town outside of Ft. Worth.
Coincidences? Not at all. Supernatural gas mileage. Moving back to the area where I grew up in our home state 22 years after I left the area and went on a long journey that has taken me/us through several cities (Wichita Falls, Dallas, McKinney, Midland, Albuquerque, San Antonio, Merida). Christine moving away from her family for the first time and heading to Taos, NM in 1990, 22 years ago. Calle 22 in the heart of Nora Quintana. The unique aroma that first entered my senses exactly 22 years earlier.
One of the meanings of the number 22 in scripture is "flesh-cutting." Two of the most wicked kings in all of the history of Judah and Israel were cut off and removed after reigning 22 years.
The number 22 denotes the cutting off of wickedness and that which is of the flesh. The purpose of these last 22 years for Christine and I has been flesh-cutting. Deep flesh cutting. No, we are not yet made perfect. As the apostle Paul says...
In ancient Israel servants were to be set free after six years of servitude. If the slave wanted to stay with his master at the time he was to be set "Free" he was to first be taken before the city judges to publicly confirm his desire. Then he was to go with his master to the doorway of his master's home where he would have an awl pushed through his earlobe into the door frame. See Exodus 21 and Deuteronomy 15.
In October the Lord spoke the word "Free" to me and my wife four times in less than 48 hours. I believe in effect that the Lord was telling me that I was allowed to go free if I so chose, that I was no longer bound to follow him but that I was Free to choose to follow or not follow him.
Coincidentally, in January, about two weeks before we moved back to the U.S., I was outside changing a light bulb next to an outdoor closet on our back porch. I thought I had turned off the light switch so I wouldn't be electrocuted. The glass portion of the bulb had broken out of it's metal threaded base and I had to get a pair of metal needle-nose pliers to pry the sleeve out of the socket where you screw in the light bulb. When I touched the pliers to the bulb area on the wall about a foot above my head I received an electric shock. When I drew back my hand I dropped the pliers as my arm was extended above my head.
On the way down the pliers landed with the handle pressed into my collarbone area and the needle nose end coincidentally extended into the back of my right earlobe, piercing part of the skin on my lower earlobe and drawing blood. This happened with me standing next to the doorway of the backporches outside closet.
That very same morning, before all of this happened, I had just been reading in Deuteronomy 15 about freed slaves choosing to go back and serve their masters for life, having their ears pierced to the door.
In Psalm 40:6, the Spirit of Christ speaking through David said:
Ask the Lord to bring you into this flow of prophetic symbolism in your life if he hasn't already. And if he has, ask for a double portion of what you already know and have learned and experienced.
Blessings
J.E.
About 5 hours into my drive on Sunday I looked down at my odometer and noticed that I had traveled 307 miles since I left the hotel in Queretero that morning. I also noticed that I still had a half of a tank of gas. That is not normal. A 2001 Ford F150 Supercab only gets, at best, 19 mpg on the highway (See Here). I have tracked my gas mileage in the past so I know these figures are accurate.
I had gassed up that morning in Queretero and reset my odometer for the day's driving so my fuel gauge should have shown me sitting on roughly a quarter of a tank after 300 miles. Plus, the truck was filled with miscellaneous items we were bringing back (clothes, a bunk bed frame, books, file boxes, toys, a dog)....just enough stuff to weigh the truck down a little bit. This added cargo combined with all of the mountain driving on the interior highway routes in Mexico should have had a negative impact on my fuel efficiency. Plus I was driving at speeds of 75 MPH or higher because I was taking one toll road after another with no posted speed limits. 75MPH was driving slow. All three factors combined should have have drastically lowered the fuel efficiency on the truck. But it didn't.
Shortly after noticing this I found a gas station and refilled my tank. I looked at how many gallons I had put in the truck, noted the odometers reading, called Christine and asked her to pull out a calculator. After plugging in the numbers I realized I was getting a whopping 22.5 mpg...with all of the added weight, with all of the high-speed driving, with all of the downshifting in the mountains I was still getting 22+ miles per gallon.
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We grew close to several families while in Mexico. One of those couples, Andres and Talia, became friends of ours last summer. Andres was one of Josephs teachers at Calvary Christian Academy and Talia was Christine's hairdresser. This couple had legally immigrated to the U.S. back in the late 80's and after over two decades, God led them back to their hometown of Merida. In November I asked Talia how long they lived in the U.S. and she told me 22 years.
On December 27th Christine and I were taking a walk at the park in our neighborhood in Merida and while doing so I smelled a scent on the breeze that really stood out to me. It was the exact smell of the laundry room at the dorms in Midwestern State University where I had first attended college 22 years earlier. I left home in January, 1990 and the one scent that stood out in the dorms the most was the scent of the laundry room. It was very noticeable as I had smelled that aroma for the first time 22 years earlier.
The day before we started making the trip back to the U.S. I helped deliver our washer and dryer to the house of the lady that had purchased them from us in Merida. When heading over to her place we found ourselves driving through the Colonia Nora Quintana. The main road that cuts through this Colonia (Subdivision) is Calle 22. Calle 22 cuts through the heart of other adjoining subdivisions in that area of the city. Nora is my grandmothers name. Quintana is of Spanish and Greek origin and means "country home." We are renting my grandmother Nora's home from her in a country town outside of Ft. Worth.
Coincidences? Not at all. Supernatural gas mileage. Moving back to the area where I grew up in our home state 22 years after I left the area and went on a long journey that has taken me/us through several cities (Wichita Falls, Dallas, McKinney, Midland, Albuquerque, San Antonio, Merida). Christine moving away from her family for the first time and heading to Taos, NM in 1990, 22 years ago. Calle 22 in the heart of Nora Quintana. The unique aroma that first entered my senses exactly 22 years earlier.
One of the meanings of the number 22 in scripture is "flesh-cutting." Two of the most wicked kings in all of the history of Judah and Israel were cut off and removed after reigning 22 years.
"Jeroboam reigned for twenty-two years and then rested with his fathers." 1 Kings 14:20
"...Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him." 1 Kings 16:29,30Jeroboam took over the ten northern tribes after the breakup of Israel in the Post-Solomon era. His faithless heart led him to introduce golden-calf worship in Dan and Bethel. Ahab's greatest sin was introducing Baal worship in Israel after marrying Jezebel daughter of Ethbal king of the Sidonians. Both of these men were cut off in their wickedness after 22 year reigns.
The number 22 denotes the cutting off of wickedness and that which is of the flesh. The purpose of these last 22 years for Christine and I has been flesh-cutting. Deep flesh cutting. No, we are not yet made perfect. As the apostle Paul says...
"Not that I have already obtained all of this, or have already been made perfect, bit I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.....All of us who are mature should take such a view on things." Philippians 3:12-15But this has been a purposeful 22 years of discipline, of distress and development. In July 1996 I received a word that I had a tremendous amount of spiritual discipline ahead of me. In October, 1996 I received a prophetic word that the Lord had me hanging on a cross, undergoing a process of cruxificion. I was told to stay on the cross until the Lord took me down. Less than a year later in May of 1997 I received another prophetic word while in Midland, TX that the Lord had me undergoing a process of deep humbling.
In ancient Israel servants were to be set free after six years of servitude. If the slave wanted to stay with his master at the time he was to be set "Free" he was to first be taken before the city judges to publicly confirm his desire. Then he was to go with his master to the doorway of his master's home where he would have an awl pushed through his earlobe into the door frame. See Exodus 21 and Deuteronomy 15.
In October the Lord spoke the word "Free" to me and my wife four times in less than 48 hours. I believe in effect that the Lord was telling me that I was allowed to go free if I so chose, that I was no longer bound to follow him but that I was Free to choose to follow or not follow him.
Coincidentally, in January, about two weeks before we moved back to the U.S., I was outside changing a light bulb next to an outdoor closet on our back porch. I thought I had turned off the light switch so I wouldn't be electrocuted. The glass portion of the bulb had broken out of it's metal threaded base and I had to get a pair of metal needle-nose pliers to pry the sleeve out of the socket where you screw in the light bulb. When I touched the pliers to the bulb area on the wall about a foot above my head I received an electric shock. When I drew back my hand I dropped the pliers as my arm was extended above my head.
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| He chooses us that we might choose Him. |
That very same morning, before all of this happened, I had just been reading in Deuteronomy 15 about freed slaves choosing to go back and serve their masters for life, having their ears pierced to the door.
In Psalm 40:6, the Spirit of Christ speaking through David said:
"Sacrifice and offerings you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced;..."Have you had your ear pierced yet? I know all of this seems intricate, but we serve an intricate God who counts the numbers of hairs on our heads. The Lord can and does speak intricately at times. He speaks in proverbs and riddles, in prophetic symbols and similitudes (Hosea 12:10). This isn't just for the prophets but for a prophetic church as well.
Ask the Lord to bring you into this flow of prophetic symbolism in your life if he hasn't already. And if he has, ask for a double portion of what you already know and have learned and experienced.
Blessings
J.E.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Riddles
When Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses the Lord quickly called the three of them before him and said the following:
The Hebrew word for riddle in the previous passage is Chiydah. It means a puzzle, a hard question, a proverb or a riddle. A proverb or a riddle. What does the scriptures say about proverbs and riddles? It says they must be understood, not just heard.
Waiting for and ultimately receiving answers to the prophetic riddles we receive from Jesus is simply a way of walking out the glorious path that has been set before us. It helps to keep us occupied in our thought-life so that we can more easily pull away from the impure distractions of the world. It is part of the process of overcoming (See 1 John).
In my walk over the past 17 years I have found many riddles set before me by the Lord. The red cardinal, the ram, the hawk, "Durango", the #15, the #9, dry eyes, a shoulder stinger, the Spanish word Mariposa ...All of these things and more have been shown to our family, either in outward physical form or within the happenings of our own physical bodies. This has been for the purpose of both our our own relationships with the Lord and, at times, what the Lord was doing in the lives of people and circumstances around us.
At the beginning of October, 2011, the Lord began to show us that we would be returning to the United States. Truthfully, this caught us somewhat off guard. We were under the impression that we might never return. Part of this unveiling process included a few riddles. In the next post I would like to share a three-sided riddle that the Lord set before me in the following sequence of numbers: #17, #22, and the #40. Each number had a somewhat distinct yet slightly overlapping meaning in relation to the others.
In sharing this I hope it bears witness with the process that others find themselves in. I am specifically referring to the process of cleansing, discipline and preparation and how prophetic riddles guide us through all of that. I will share more on this in the next post.
God Bless,
J.E. and family
"When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord." Numbers 12:6-8"Clearly and not in riddles." Moses had ascended to a measure of constant, clear speech from the Lord. But the prophets who were working their way towards Moses' level of humility found their paths littered with riddles. This is much the same for God's people today. As we walk towards greater intimacy with the Lord we find many of God's leadings at various points in our lives emerging in "riddle" form.
The Hebrew word for riddle in the previous passage is Chiydah. It means a puzzle, a hard question, a proverb or a riddle. A proverb or a riddle. What does the scriptures say about proverbs and riddles? It says they must be understood, not just heard.
"...for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles (Chiydah) of the wise." Proverbs 1:6Why does the Lord do this among his people? I believe it is to simply give us things to focus on and draw us away from the world into a humble and dependent state. As we tarry with the Lord in prayer and throughout our day we find our minds more easily set on him when we are searching out a matter.
"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, to search out a matter is the glory of kings." Proverbs 25:2Peter experienced this in Acts 9 when he saw a sheet let down by it's four corners full of all types of unclean animals. It wasn't until he was at Cornelius's house in Acts 10 that he understood what the vision applied to. He wrestled with this riddle for 3 days. Seeing this vision/riddle and not immediately understanding it put him in a humble state of mind to seek the Lord. Through this he was prepared to be a conduit for the grace of God. He was in a suspended state of humility simply due to the fact that he did not understand the vision. In this stance of meakness and searching out the matter he was ready to serve God before Cornelius' household.
Waiting for and ultimately receiving answers to the prophetic riddles we receive from Jesus is simply a way of walking out the glorious path that has been set before us. It helps to keep us occupied in our thought-life so that we can more easily pull away from the impure distractions of the world. It is part of the process of overcoming (See 1 John).
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| Stand Firm - Ephesians 6:13 |
At the beginning of October, 2011, the Lord began to show us that we would be returning to the United States. Truthfully, this caught us somewhat off guard. We were under the impression that we might never return. Part of this unveiling process included a few riddles. In the next post I would like to share a three-sided riddle that the Lord set before me in the following sequence of numbers: #17, #22, and the #40. Each number had a somewhat distinct yet slightly overlapping meaning in relation to the others.
In sharing this I hope it bears witness with the process that others find themselves in. I am specifically referring to the process of cleansing, discipline and preparation and how prophetic riddles guide us through all of that. I will share more on this in the next post.
God Bless,
J.E. and family
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