In the theme of Lambs for this month’s writing “March goes out like a lamb” – we find many scriptures of both the gentleness of lambs and the fierce strength of the perfect Lamb, Jesus.
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain”… “who conquered the grave.” are praise song lyrics that ring TRUE. This is the Easter season and we are to remember that Jesus conquered the Grave and negated Sin and defeated Death – and Jesus is found worthy to finish all the rest of prophecy in the book of Revelation. Here is where Jesus is seen by apostle John in a transported state to a heavenly place – Jesus stood worthy as the Lamb.
“in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain” – Yes Jesus died but rose – the Lamb was slain but standing – and worthy to start the cascade of the remaining steps – with the breaking of the seals – and to complete the work that will then bring about the arrival of the New Jerusalem.
We are not to worry about today, let alone tomorrow or forever. We have been told of the future and that Jesus is worthy of our praise because He came and will come again. And through the Holy Spirit, we can trust God is ever present and Jesus, the Lamb Slain, has been found worthy from before time began – and will be found worthy forever more.
What will we do in Heaven? We will be in Awe – and we will Praise – “Worthy is the Lamb”… “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
Amen
—
Revelation 5 (NKJV) – recorded by John the Apostle
The Lamb Takes the Scroll
And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.
So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”
And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
Worthy Is the Lamb
Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll,And to open its seals;
For You were slain,And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.”
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
“Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.
It is not like the fear of Dorothy going to Oz – “Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!” – but an awe exclamation of the number of inclusions of LIONS in the bible – which is enough to bring us each day to the middle of March when I plan to switch over to include daily scriptures about LAMBS… What a great theme of Lions to Lambs – weather wise and in life. The Lord uses both magnificently in scripture and we are in awe, like David writing his psalms songs of praise: How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures” AND “I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.”
And the Lord uses the wind – David would also sing in Psalm 104: “He makes winds his messengers“. And weather-wise the early March wind has been HOWLING all afternoon night and then again this morning – WOW! I ain’t Lying about the LION of March’s weather roaring in. I shuddered at the sounds but we were safe and sound in the shuttered house, falling asleep counting blessings. I even remembered and praised that the big tree that used to scare us in the wind was taken down a couple years ago. I awoke to sunshine and hope in a new day (and TGIF!!!!)
And wow to know the LIONS of scripture! Of course there are many, and so I did look them up on a bible study tool engine online – which allows the finding all scriptures for a particular word. I LOVE PSALM 104!!! Psalm 104 brings the best of praise for the Lord’s ability to create and take care of His creations – growing and feeding – protecting and directing – including us – including the LIONS: “The Lions Roar for their prey and seek their food from God.“
There is SO much strength to be had in the bible verses to keep us going (and out of the Lion’s mouth). How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
Scriptures are waiting for us to pick them up! Scriptures are worth knowing! YES – Let us be hungry like Lions and seek our good food for thought from the Lord! Let us be Lion around in Wait – for God is Great!
Amen
(and please be pleased with a Psalm 104 read.)
Psalm 104 – Praise the Lord, my soul. Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.
He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them. You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.
He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the sky nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate – bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts. The trees of the Lord are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the junipers. The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.
He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl. The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens. Then people go out to their work, to their labor until evening.
How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number -living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro, and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.
May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works – he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord. But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more.
It’s not going to be THAT fierce of weather today, but enough force of wind this afternoon will remind us that we are in late winter. March ROARS IN like a LION they say, and yet out like a lamb in gentleness…. Hmmmm… We know a Lion that is also a Lamb…
YES, Jesus ROARS in like a Lion too, both Him and His Word. Genesis speaks first of Lions in scripture, and scripture itself is the ROAR into lives, bringing Jesus directly to us. The Rescue is like a Lion Who takes what is His – and WE ARE JESUS’S – we are His.
In Genesis 49:9-12 Jacob is speaking about his sons, specifically JUDAH, who is the namesake of the tribe of Judah (1 of 12) and the land settled including Bethlehem where Jesus was born from. Jacob speaks of Judah as a LION – and speaks of Jesus coming through that Land as the Ruler: “Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.”
Oh yes! Jesus is the ROAR into today and the fierce ruler of today and tomorrow. Jesus is the Lamb Slain who will lead us through today, this month, and always. The Lion of Judah is Jesus, Worthy. The Nations will all be obedient to Him one day – so let us start now with our own obedience and TRUST HIM. No one on earth or in Heaven but Jesus is Worthy.
The Scroll and the Lamb – Revelation 5:1-5 written by John sees this LION of Judah, Jesus, Who is a Lamb slain for the sins of the people of the world. John sees a revelation of Jesus when He comes again: Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Let us take this month of Lions and Lambs and be wary of whom we find worthy – may we find ourselves in Jesus’s Care as He ROARS into our lives.
“We will cross that bridge when we come to it.” – that should be the ever-repeating statement of our lives. To plan some is good, but mostly prepare for something rather than worry about it, like travel and projects and especially illnesses and family situations. And rather than worry now, let tomorrow worry about itself and do the actual activities of the day in the day they occur. Live in the presence and present as God is with us and cross the bridges WITH Jesus in lead, step by step.
“DO NOT FEAR” – the best three words – from the Lord to His people. TO US.
This means take each day as it comes, deal with it, be fair in it, be worshipping Gid for how He has supported us this far! And will in the future.
That even means, the future new city we will dwell in, the newest of life WITH God, as is laid out BY God. And in our worship, we will see the opportunity to build the next opportunities to share, just as the builders in Zechariah’s time rebuilt worship in the temple of Jerusalem.
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east And from the land of the west; I will bring them back, And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people And I will be their God, In truth and righteousness.’
The amazing walk with Jesus now won’t just stop, we can continue walking and working.
So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, Let your hands be strong.’
May we appreciate and approach the day and our project and plans with joy that the Lord has our best interests in His Plan… one step at a time.
Amen
—
Zechariah 8 NKJV
Jerusalem, Holy City of the Future
Again the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; With great fervor I am zealous for her.’
“Thus says the Lord: ‘I will return to Zion, And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, The Mountain of the Lord of hosts, The Holy Mountain.’
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit In the streets of Jerusalem, Each one with his staff in his hand Because of great age. The streets of the city Shall be full of boys and girls Playing in its streets.’
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, Will it also be marvelous in My eyes?’ Says the Lord of hosts.
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east And from the land of the west; I will bring them back, And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people And I will be their God, In truth and righteousness.’
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong, You who have been hearing in these days These words by the mouth of the prophets, Who spoke in the day the foundation was laid For the house of the Lord of hosts, That the temple might be built. For before these days There were no wages for man nor any hire for beast; There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in; For I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor.
But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘For the seed shall be prosperous, The vine shall give its fruit, The ground shall give her increase, And the heavens shall give their dew – I will cause the remnant of this people To possess all these. And it shall come to pass That just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, Let your hands be strong.’
“For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Just as I determined to punish you When your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘And I would not relent, So again in these days I am determined to do good To Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
Do not fear.
These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; And do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,’ Says the Lord.”
Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘The fast of the fourth month, The fast of the fifth, The fast of the seventh, And the fast of the tenth, Shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts For the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.’
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Peoples shall yet come, Inhabitants of many cities; The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, “Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord, And seek the Lord of hosts. I myself will go also.” Yes, many peoples and strong nations Shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, And to pray before the Lord.’
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” ’ “
Please pray for a woman whom I don’t know, the pain and defiance on her face, WOW, she was standing with 2 arm brace type canes in awful pain just entering physical therapy and there was no interaction you could have with her, with the exception that stated she HAD to talk to our physical therapist. I tried to offer her a chair and the PT aide tried to offer her the heat pack, but she stood solid in seriousness unparalleled defiant focus. I still see her face this next morning. Prayers and mercy were my thoughts rather than being put off that I could not interact to distract.
PRAYERS were and are our last resort and FIRST resort, only to be supercede by PRAISE to God that we DO have Him to pray to, for His intercession and mercy. Praying without ceasing is urged to get us through the day, even in our wordless groans. Hopefully those prayers are not always for our pain, but also for good reasons and for each decision we make. Thank God for His forgiveness in those bad decisions we also might make in missteps.
Grace is God’s example to us, we ask forgiveness and Jesus says we must GIVE forgiveness too. Grace given to those suffering in pain without choice must be unparalleled in God’s Hands. God must and is definitely and defiantly and decidedly going to still love those who can not utter praise at the moment. We should too, no matter how awkward or upsetting. When we forgive, it takes the weight off our shoulders. Forgiveness takes a God-sized task off our burdened shoulders weighing us down. Jesus said let me carry that. We really can give up things and people and situations to God for His judgement, and be grateful for His mercy on us. Remember, God goes before us and knows the valley of shadows we encounter, SO KEEP MOVING.
And please pray for MANY friends (and all those we don’t know) who are going through tough times, thanks. I know a few choice scriptures:
1) The Lord put this verse in front of me, on a bracelet: Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”.
2)James 1:2-12 which came to mind in a conversation yesterday for someone a mess:
Trials and Temptations: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. …. Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation–since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business. … Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
3) and the thought that followed- no matter how good we are, amassing treasure in heaven over earth, we WILL cast our crowns down to the feet of the Lord, when we see Him. May we be in spirit, like John, and praise God, for we can approach but never gain His Worthiness of PRAISE. This is Revelation 4 given to John: The Throne in Heaven – After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.””
Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
4) a favorite: Psalm 23 KJV
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
An array of trash and treasures this past weekend… too many thoughts jumbled but they do relate back to counting our blessings – and storing up treasures in Heaven not on earth…. And relating this all back to Ezekiel’s warnings to the King of Tyre…
We are to enjoy our stuff while here on earth as we live. Just don’t get hung up on amassing treasures in earth over those in heaven. A treasure to one is trash to another, and vice versa. There are treasures in little things, like memories, like the smile from 80’s south of the border bumper stickers, still usable, so I stuck one on my “beater car” over a scratch.
Then there are valuable not precious, and precious not valuable…
The precious items we have, are worldly precious and yet the heavens appreciate preciousness too. Heaven’s preciousness is in valuing worshipping God, creator of all. And the gemstones mentioned in the Bible, especially in the New Jerusalem that the Lord will bring for forever *see Book of Revelation*, acknowledges that we are to understand treasures, God has treasures to share. It’s the hoarding to make one seem god-like which becomes the flaunting easily corrupted by evil (like the King of Tyre in Ezekiel). Wealth is wasted if not directed appropriately. There are blessings in good living – and the excess, we can share the rest….
I recently saw a museum for a great collection of gemstones, and yet the burden of these millions of dollars of gems and jewelry requires extra security, resources and what do you do with them, except look! It’s a marvel that they even exist, the world so intricate and vast. Pockets of particular wows. This collection is of broaches and necklaces. No one wears this collection of gems now. There are times that we see in Hollywood that jewelry is lent out for gala events, but this collection likely will stay local. Museums help maintain what normally could be hoarded is displayed. Interesting dilemma that wealth brings, it also corrupts individuals, it’s perhaps our brokenness to NOT hold treasures in collective sharing, but amass them to hold power. Power that is fleeting.
So in Ezekiel’s time, the King of Tyre was known for acting as a god himself, and God, our real and only God, said: ‘because of your wealth your heart has grown proud’. God saw the precious stones were adorned on him as a baby but his arrogance and greed was wickedness. The wickedness did him in, and God will see that the King of Tyre will lose his worldly empire.
The description of the gems and the cherubic existence but influenced by wickedness could certainly be read as if also talking about Satan’s fall from grace, fall from the garden. Satan will also lose his world empire that he meddles in now, won’t it be eternal separation that will finish Satan, and evil will meddle no more. We know this war is won, but we still battle in matches each day, until the Word of God is taken into each heart.
That is the treasure that will grow and appreciate – the treasure of the Word – the blessings of no burdens – the hope of Heaven – the salvation from sins. Evil always will lose, for God and worship is Who we choose…
Amen
—-
Ezekiel 28:1-19
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘In the pride of your heart you say, “I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas.”
But you are a mere mortal and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god. Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you? By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries. By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud.
“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you think you are wise, as wise as a god, I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor. They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die a violent death in the heart of the seas. Will you then say, “I am a god,” in the presence of those who kill you? You will be but a mortal, not a god, in the hands of those who slay you. You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.
Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.’”
The Lord goes in FRONT of us, not just behind… He covers us where we are going BEFORE we get there or even start to go there, and I’m not JUST talking about Salvation, which is the MOST important coverage we have, and which gives one HOPE. On our most harried days, may we continue to remember He has thankfully already GONE AHEAD and has covered us with His Blood.
In addition, He went ahead FOR us and FOR all BEFORE the world was even begun. He went ahead to get us to see the proper path. And He went ahead so we could see the LIGHT that He IS.
So my EARTHLY EXAMPLE of a witness to “GOD KNOWS BEST”, is of God going in FRONT of my finances (we all need this): I SAVED instead of spending my tax refund – not knowing what for, but knowing maybe I needed it set aside. Maybe that’s not unusual for you folks, but it IS unusual for me!!! Especially as I WAS going to get some things fixed around the house and had the quote even. But/and then I just had this INTERESTING weird but PEACEFUL feeling that I should wait… WAIT… not for something bad but for something SHIFTED IN PRIORITIES… Not the want but the need… Oh to always remember we must follow by faith not sight. (Sometimes I do wonder if we prepare more for something bad then we prep for something GOOD… Yet, GOD HAS MORE GOOD PLANNED FOR US THAN BAD).
Anyway, I remember and say that the Lord does NOT drop the other shoe on us, and EVERY DAY with Him by our sides and all around and ESPECIALLY in FRONT, we are told NOT to worry… so I tucked the tax return away and waited.
Well, my tax return spending plan got a changed focus for sure… especially as my daughter’s graduation dinner approached, then to my car’s new tires $ and what-not$… and that normal $tuff, not bad, but $$$ little and big. Like sneaker$ for my son and then grocery $hopping for the returned graduate. And THEN, OH LORD, $omething not terrible, but $till an issue: the “UH-OH” of my paycheck being shorted… WOW… oops… oop$… Shorted monie$… this is the 1ST TIME IN OVER 25 YEARS for me! $hoot! It must have been a glitch – not specifically the sabbatical hours as they got entered, but something glitchy and forgotten coming back from the sabbatical. Ugh…
Yes, I got not paid for the regular hours, over half of them not paid… BIG OOPS… How unusual for me to see this on a Saturday too, but NOT unusual for us to feel this gut feeling that God put a wait on my actions months ago, holding onto the tax return. How could I know, but God was in the know and flow, God is the good and the go… oh…
God FRONTED me the money I needed and before I knew I needed it. The tax return (where I have always put in extra each paycheck as my house-fix savings for the last 20 years) is an earthly way where I have seen my prayers of COVERAGE yield fruit. The tax return became a cover of my back and front… happy earns!
I know they will fix this. I am not worried, I am thankful. Even HR and my boss were emailing on the weekend. I made no stink but just an “uh-oh” email, in which I actually wrote (a work email) of this witness of the Lord. If there’s anything we can do while waiting it is is PRAISE.
I know that not every foible, mine or others, will get fixed in this lifetime. I’m just grateful that the Lord could be giving us a heads up before we’re even looking… If there’s a fronting of blessings, why not be listening to the God who made it all happen.
Well… I will walk in faith today I pray, and watch things go His Way. It’s all going to be OK.
I thank God for bills which means life is happening. I thank God for work which means I can do stuff. I thank God for family I can take care of. And I thank God for Him, for His FRONT COVERAGE of LOVE.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.”
Amen
—
2nd CHRONICLES 20:14-22
Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.
He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”
Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
“Give thanks to the Lord,for his love endures forever.”
As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Yesterday we had an earthquake and an aftershock. Everybody is fine which is great. My phone exploded. A friend texted from Florida, Facebook was crazy, but my favorite event was that my daughter CALLED ME seeing if I was okay. Yay, my daughter was worried about me and reached out. I loved that. God tilted the system just enough for the slide of rocks to worry us and stir up LOVE.
TILT.
Now, a full-blown tilt of a pinball machine is what I have experienced growing up. I rarely have done it, but it’s from shaking it too much and you have to unplug the machine and plug It back in. But in the old days you really had to wait for the manager of the pinball arcade to do that unplugging and plugging back in, AND for them to give you your quarter back. You then could restart. Another example, sometimes bowling alley situations had to get restarted, because the ball would get stuck or the pins just froze. I remember that button often worked, but sometimes the manager had to go back to the back. RESET THE TILT.
Now, personally, sometimes my dreams early in the morning will get stuck. Resetting fruitless dream threads bring God to wake me up to say ‘ick’… reset… TILT the system and restart. Go back to sleep or stay awake, either way it’s the Mastermind of God restarting your system, clearing your mind, and saying ‘whew’ that craziness can stop. TILT, because Love has no evil in mind. God instructs angels, I’m sure, to send a cat to wake you, sometimes lately with a cough or a hot flash I readjust and reset. I’m glad sleep is set for restoration. Naps too. REST THROUGH THE TILT.
One last interesting personal thing about the earthquake, I did not notice until I got home, but Mastermind the game box must have been jostled out of my cabinet, pushing the door open, or more open, slid onto the floor and spilled a couple pieces. That is my only explanation of why it was out. Yes, normal gravity would do that too… Precarious stacking gives way, like sliding plates… ah, where is this in the scripture? NOT this minor inconvenience but a warning of times to come? The whole interesting thing about our world is that the Lord Himself is holding it together and the ‘loosing’ of the forces holding it together is natural prophetic fulfillment… Things are going to get worse – things don’t slip by accident but by design. TILT is prophetic but done in love, and Jesus pretold to us to not let it worry us, but for us to keep working to the last minute that the BIG reset of the system goes on. MORE THAN JUST A TILT.
Did I feel the earthquake yesterday? Nope. I was driving both during the earthquake AND during the aftershock… What timing!!! So I was doing my normal thing and kept going… That’s what our Mastermind Lord wants us to do in life: keep going, keep working… We can keep asking our Manager Lord to reset the system and help us in restoration.
He has. He can. He Will.
God is our All in All. Mastermind yes, but always with LOVE in mind. Don’t let the world distract you – shaken or not shaken – keep working for the Lord.
Amen
Daniel 7 NIV – in a dream
“As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.) In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
Collosians 1:9-23 a letter from Paul to the Collosians
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
The Supremacy of the Son of God
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
Matthew 24 – The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times NIV
Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time.
“So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. Immediately after the distress of those days “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ – “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
The Day and Hour Unknown “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Revelation 4-5 NKJV – The Throne Room of Heaven
After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”
Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
The Lamb Takes the Scroll And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
Worthy Is the Lamb Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.
Debbie Upper 