Christian Hope – It's about Him!

This week marks the biblical festival of Shavuot, also known as the Festival of Weeks and Pentecost. It is the day God gave His people the Torah through Moses and it is the same day God gave his Spirit to His people through Jesus/Yeshua. It is very much a festival believers should know about.

I believe the 7 biblical festivals are prophetic and teach us much about the first and second coming of Messiah.

So here are a few links to learn and study a bit more about one of them, Shavuot.
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal more about it to you as you study the scriptures.

Pentecost/Shavuot

Teaching about Shavuot, Feast of Weeks, Pentecost

PDF study about Shavuot/Pentecost

Be blessed!
-Kath

Today’s readings are:

• 1 Kings 19-20
• John 7
• Proverb 3
• Psalms 99-101

Lately a friend of mine has been going through the sometimes arduous process of purchasing a home. This usually is quite involved and contains a great deal of confusion and chaos (and extra cost) working up to getting everything in order.

Knowing this, we’ve been in agreement that God would take care of working it all out. No strife, no chaos. It would just work out the way it was supposed to for her and her family.

Of course I must add, this is after being sure this was what they were supposed to do. If you don’t do that, anything the enemy throws at you will get you questioning yourself and your decisions and get you into a place of fear instead of faith.

Always keep in mind that even if you make a wrong choice with the right intentions, God can get you back on track, so no panicking!

While my friend and I watched this process and watch God work, something came out in one of our conversations, the phrase “Miraculous Straightenings”. I had no idea where this came from in the scriptures when I wrote it to my friend, but I knew it was from God. So I futzed around a few days trying to figure out where this was in the bible. Knowing in my “knower” that it was Word. I looked up in my concordances the word “Straight” for the KJV and NKJV and nothing was what I was looking for.

Then doing this mornings readings I found it!

First let’s look at it in NKJV since that is what I was reading.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him,  And He shall direct your paths. (NKJV)
I immediately knew this was it when I read it, but no word there says “straighten”.

I remembered a study I did on this proverb and I remember that the word “DIRECT” in verse 6 means “straighten or clear” in the hebrew. So I looked it up again in my Strong’s Concordance and sure enough…..THERE IT WAS!!

Here it is in the Amplified Version.

Proverbs 3:5-6Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

⁶In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. (AMP)

So be looking for “Miraculous Straightenings” in your life in every day things.

He promises them to you and the only thing required is that you press into obeying the standards in verse 5. Trust in HIM! Why? Because HE is going to do the straightening, you just do what you are supposed to and clearing the way is His job! 🙂

Oh and BTW, my friend’s home buying adventure went smoothly with lots of “Miraculous Straightenings”!! Glory!!!

Be blessed!

-Kath

Scripture quotations marked “AMP” are taken from The Amplified Bible, Old Testament copyright � 1965, 1987 by the Zondervan Corporation and The Amplified New Testament copyright � 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked “NKJV” are taken from The New King James Version / Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers., Copyright � 1982. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Today’s readings are:

• 1 Kings 13-14
• John 4
• Proverb 31
• Psalm 94

I’ve been re-meeting a lot of folks from my past recently. At first it was very exciting, and then as the memories came, I realize that while some of the memories were amazingly wonderful, some memories were also the worst of my life. I also realized that I hadn’t remembered most of the worst. Well, I remembered them, but they were not something I had “parked” in and stayed in for years. They weren’t part of my daily life. So while it is amazing to reconnect with folks, it has also been difficult.

Then I pick up my bible to read today’s readings and find in 1 Kings a discussion about not going back when the Lord tells you not to. It doesn’t tell us why, but the prophet was just told not to go back and eat and drink there , but to keep moving forward.

I think the key is “eat and drink there”.

So I pondered this a while, and another few verses about looking back came to mind.

Genesis 19:26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. (KJV)

Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. (KJV)

It is important that we remember to keep moving forward. It is also important that we honor, pray for and care about those folks in our past as well.

Even remembering the good times can lead to us thinking we can recreate them, or want them again. That can never be, it’s not possible. Even if we try, it will only lead to heartache. We are meant to live today, not in tomorrow. And I believe that is what all of these verses are talking about. Your heart motive. Why do we look back?

That is why it is important we remember the painful with the good. It keeps the memories in the realm of reality and not delusion. Looking back and wanting the past more than you want today can lead to sin, heartache and torment.  Don’t go back and “eat and drink ” there. Don’t go live there again.

That’s why Jesus warned us not to do it. It is very easy as we get older to look back and feel like they were “good times”, and I’m sure of them of were. But we mustn’t miss the chance for today to be good times!  Do not long for the past. It’s gone. God has plans for you that are much better than anything you had in the past, but you must be moving forward to get to them.

Enjoy the memories, enjoy re-visiting friends from the past, but be sure your heart motive is moving forward and loving today and not backward and loving what is past more and all will be well!

Be blessed!

-Kath

Scripture quotations marked “NKJV” are taken from The New King James Version / Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers., Copyright � 1982. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Today’s readings are:

• 1 Kings 3-4
• 1 Peter 4-5
• Proverb 26
• Psalms 85-86

As I have been watching the news and events going on here in the US and around the world I found myself plunged into prayer, crying out to God for event after event.

In my local area alone the past few days there were multiple murders, out of control fires, accidents that took several lives, a high-speed chase in which an officer was shot, 4 children were left in a car in 100 degree heat, stabbings, and inmates escaping from work details. As each of these came across my screen I stopped and prayed. It seems that I would just finish praying for one and another would come at me. There were also devastating tornadoes across the mid-section of our country that had destroyed towns ,taken so many lives, and so many are still missing.

This is not a bad thing, mind you, to be called to prayer, but I realized something as a few scriptures kept running through my head.

Luke 21:26a men’s hearts failing them from fear

As I talked to folks, or read their remarks on social media I heard fear. Over and over and over, fear. And this was from believers! How can we assist others or pray effectively when fear is our guide? We can’t. This is the devils goal apparently, to cripple the body of Christ. Set your mind today to have this not be you. If you don’t know how to pray for things like this get into the Word, start in Psalm 91 and pray that. This is the time to build yourself up and be ready to do battle with the Sword of Truth, the WORD. Why? Because we are told to be sober (which means be alert), and vigilant

1Peter 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

If you don’t know what else to pray, the Name of Jesus and the Blood are also a good start!

But do not pray in fear!! Pray in faith that God is completely able to do what He promises and begin to praise Him for it after you have asked and prayed.

Ask God to give you a revelation about the difference between praying in faith and in fear.

But this is what I realized during all this, I must beware that my eyes are not focused on the problems, the horrible events on the news or in my local area. Keep my eyes on HIM! The author and finisher of my faith. If you keep your eyes on the event, fear is the outcome. If you keep your eyes on Him and speak the Word, faith and victory are the outcomes.

Keep my eyes on Him…

My Strong Tower!

My Secret Place!

My Redeemer!

Be blessed!

-Kath

Scripture quotations marked “NKJV” are taken from The New King James Version / Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers., Copyright � 1982. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Hope Notes – May 25, 2011

Today’s readings are:

• 1 Kings 1-2
• 1 Peter 2-3
• Proverbs 25
• Psalms 84

Please continue to pray for and believe for rain for Texas, and for the folks effected by the tornadoes in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

This is a great video teaching on “Taking your authority over the storms” by Pastor George Pearsons. I believe it will bless you. It is approximately 1 hour long.

The earth is crying out for the manifestation of the Sons of God. So let’s manifest! Stand in faith, prayer and authority, and the works that go with faith, in whatever way the Lord leads you. Help these folks effected by the weather events that have been going on for too long.

Be Blessed!
-Kath