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By: Tresa Walker

As Valentine’s Day approaches and store shelves are covered with red hearts and quips of love, I can’t help but reflect on the lack of love displayed daily in our society today. We live in a world that is fostering attitudes of hostility and hatred. It seems that people have become more hostile and less patient, more judgmental and less kind, more selfish and less caring. Proverbs 10:12 says, Hatred stirs up conflicts, but love covers all offenses. In spite of all of the negative influences, God has called His people to influence the world with His love and mercy. Imagine how much better this world would be if we, as Christians, faithfully showed God’s love rather than acting and living like the world.

It is special to have a day to recognize those that we love. But we should also recognize the One who truly and forever loves us and remember the true definition of love which is shown in John 3:16: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Relationships are complicated, and many do not survive the test of time. Whether you are single, married, or in a committed relationship, Jesus will always be the perfect Valentine. How can you know that Jesus loves you?

• He gave his life for you. – This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. 1 John 3:16
• The bible tells me so. – Jesus says, As the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. John 15:9
• He offers salvation and hope. –  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. John 10:28
• He cares for you. – Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
• His love never fails. – His faithful love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34
• He never changes. – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8
• He pursues you. – For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Luke 19:10
• He is faithful. –  Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! Lamentations 3:22-24
• He is the only way to heaven. – Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6

The love of Jesus is for all people! 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 defines love: Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited, does not act improperly, is not selfish, is not provoked, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. We may live in a world full of hatred, but we have a perfect love in Jesus!

Because we do live in a negative world, it is important to consider the world’s influence in our personal life as well as that of our churches. We are surrounded by unholy influences every day, so we must be careful that while we are in the world we are not also of the world. Romans 12:2 says, Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. If we are not careful, we may find that we have conformed to the ways of the world, so we must be on guard to keep our attitudes and actions in check. On the flip side, we can also impact those around us, but in order for us to be a godly influence, we must daily renew our mind by reading and studying God’s word and also maintaining an active relationship with Him.

As Christians, we are called to love others because He first loved us. In John 15:12, Jesus says, This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you. Instead of being influenced by the negativity in the world around us and reacting as the world would, we are called to love. We must be sharing the love of Jesus in hopes of giving others the salvation and hope that can only be found in Him. It is not always easy to love people as Jesus does or to avoid reacting as the world does; this is why the renewing of our minds and daily interaction with Him is so important. The more time we spend with Him, the more we will begin to look like Him.

Ephesians 3:17-19 says, I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Valentine’s Day is only one out of 365 days in a year, but there is One who shows us love 365 out of 365 days. There will never be anyone who loves you more than Jesus Christ

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By Rev. Clete Hux

The area of doctrine concerning Christian liberty is known as adiaphora, meaning “things indifferent”– things in personal choices that should not affect an individual’s salvation one way or the other if a person chooses to exercise those choices. These should be things the Bible neither condemns nor approves because they are considered to be non-essentials of salvation. For most believers, these choices have centered around issues like eating and drinking.

Quite often the scriptures, “All things are lawful for me, …” (I Cor. 6:12; 10:23) and, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31), are used to justify a personal choice. As a matter of opinion, the “all things are lawful” statement is often used as a mantra and taken too far by being wrongly applied to things condemned by scripture. When this happens, Christian liberty becomes libertinism that ignores biblical limitations. And, let’s face it, only the naive would believe that professing Christians limit their liberty to the physical appetite alone. That being said, the “all things are lawful” attitude has gone awry, drifted off base, and is leading people into worldviews that are contrary to the Christian faith. This should be a concern for all Christians and a warning that paganism could not only be knocking at the door, but could be camping out in the living room.

It has been said that the road to hell is often paved with good intentions. It can also be said that the road to paganism is often paved with pragmatism, which interprets not just eating and drinking, but all things as being neutrally indifferent and their use to be determined by individual choice. Yes, I know – this borders on the attitude of relativism, “you’ve got your truth and I’ve got mine” and “who are you to interfere with my truth?” We’ve become a society of experience-oriented truth seekers, but only defining and confirming as true that which will correspond to our individual experience. This aligns closely to narcissism with its out of control fixation on self.

The out of control personal experience oriented mindset is manifest in areas too numerous to count. My original intention was to cover four or five areas in this article, but I soon realized that it would be too long. So, the article will be in two parts. For the sake of space, Part One will cover the first two areas that I believe Christians have wrongly deemed “indifferent” and are now fully endorsing.

Yoga

There is a fad floating around on social media right now encouraging people to choose their avatar. All in fun, some are choosing an electronic image of what newly incarnated body they would like to have rather than the one they are presently stuck with. It is doubtful that people using the term this way ever heard of its Hindu roots. Avatar is a Sanskrit word referring to an incarnation of a Hindu deity. When this is pointed out, the response is, “Well I don’t mean it that way”. In other words, “Let me tell you what I think it means.” The implication is that a person can take something out of its original context and redefine it to suit that individual’s likes or dislikes.

Due to applying Christian liberty beyond its Biblically intended boundaries, questionable areas have become like a smorgasbord for the choosing. Sadly, to many it does not seem to matter if such things “ripe for the pickin” represent a worldview that is diametrically opposed to the Christian worldview. This is certainly the case with Yoga. There is no getting around the fact that Yoga is religious by nature and a form of Hindu worship. Yet for years, there have been attempts to distance the practice of Yoga from its religious essence. The Hindu American Foundation knows this well and is upset with pragmatists who try to redefine Yoga as merely physical exercise. The result is not only a redefining of Yoga, but also a covering up of its religious heritage and meaning. (1)

From the Sanskrit word meaning “yoke” or “union,” Yoga defines and promotes a monistic (all is one/one is all) worldview that teaches there are no separations as those recognized in a Biblical worldview such as a personal God who exists apart from His creation. My good friend, Peter Jones, illustrates this difference in what he calls a One-ism versus Two-ism worldview. Two-ism represents the Biblical Creator/creature distinction, while One-ism represents paganism which does away with separations.(2)

Because there is no Yoga without Hinduism, Yoga is consistent with a Hindu pagan worldview that divinizes creation (Rom.1:23-25). As such, it promotes both pantheistic (all is God/God is all) and polytheistic (many gods) worldviews. All the millions of gods in Hinduism are part of the one supreme being called Brahman. All is Brahman and Brahman is all. This is paganism, pure and simple. Yet, this does not seem to bother pragmatists, including Christians, who intentionally or not, are baptizing paganism by redefining Yoga, all the while assuming they have the liberty to do so.

It has become a fad in America to reduce Yoga to what “pop” culture wants it to be. This is exactly what is happening today with Hatha Yoga, based on bodily postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation (dyana). In response to the distortion of Yoga by the commercialization and simplistic use of the asanas, Swami Param, President of the Classical Yoga Hindu Academy, explains that asanas represent a specifically Hindu worldview and the word Hatha refers not only to nature worship (moon; sun:tha) but also to the Hindu deities Siva, Vishnu (Hara:Hari).(3)

These contextual historical understandings of Yoga’s religious history are completely ignored and cast aside. This “pop” culture treatment of Yoga has found its way into many contours of society including public education. Many states are already teaching yoga in their schools. Others may follow. Alabama’s legislature is considering a bill that would lift a ban on practicing Yoga in its K-12 schools. The Alabama Administrative Code (AAC), Rule 290-040-040-.2 that bans the practice of yoga and meditation in its public school system has been in place for twenty-seven years.(4)

Perhaps if school administrators and politicians better understood the religious teachings of Hinduism concerning the practice of Yoga they would uphold the application issue concerning the establishment clause of religion in the First Amendment. Better yet, if they understood that they may be subjecting students to possible spiritual danger they may think it best not to allow Yoga to be taught in schools. This certainly would be the wiser choice.

Dr. Candy Gunther Brown, in an article for Psychology Today, talks about a Christian and former Yoga instructor who makes the argument that simply relabeling Yoga as Christian fails to make it so because “authorship implies ownership”, and “ownership implies right of possession and control.” Yoga is “not just a human invention” but “coauthored” with the “spirit realm.”(5)

Further pointed out was that no matter what Christians call Yoga postures, they are a “moving liturgy, an embodied form of worship, a physical offering to the Hindu gods” who are “attracted to the offering.” By analogy, the owners of a “stolen Lexus” won’t be fooled” if a “thief removes the license plate.” Likewise, the “Hindu spirits” who own Yoga retain the “title deed, so to speak. They’ll get back in the vehicle while you’re driving it.”(6)

Hinduism teaches that there exists in all forms of Yoga something known as Kundalini energy and is, as Hans Rieker puts it, “…the mainstay of all yoga practices.”(7) Taken from kundal (coiled up), kundalini refers to the Hindu belief that a “serpent power” lies coiled up at the base of the spine. It is revered as a goddess who begins to evolve in a person’s first incarnation (in the reincarnation cycle), being fed by the other six chakras on the spine and by the cosmic energy entering through the feet from the earth. Starting at the lowest chakra, she is aroused through yoga practice and travels up through the other chakras, finally reaching the crown. In Tantric Yoga, which is more sexual than other forms of yoga, Kundalini is a part of Shakti, the divine female energy and consort of Shiva (male deity).(8)

There are a number of websites alerting people to dangerous exposure to the demonic spiritual realm that exists in yoga. One website actually quotes the non-Christian renowned psychoanalyst Carl Jung in his warning about yoga:

“One often hears and reads about the dangers of Yoga, particularly of the ill-reputed Kundalini Yoga. The deliberately induced psychotic state, with certain unstable individuals might easily lead to a real psychosis, is a danger that needs to be taken very seriously indeed. These things really are dangerous and ought not be meddled with in our typical Western way. It is a meddling with Fate, which strikes at the very roots of human existence and can let loose a flood of sufferings of which no sane person ever dreamed. These sufferings correspond to the hellish torments of the chönyid state…” (see www.yogadangers.com).

I cannot believe that any politician, administrator, or any school authority, if they really understood the implications of allowing Yoga, would want to open such a “pandora’s box.” Why choose Yoga when there are hundreds if not thousands of other exercise programs that are available? It is not wise to promote a practice that is an inherently religious and spiritual by relabeling it. We must remember that intent does not change meaning. Regardless of intention, there is no Yoga without Hinduism and there is no Hinduism without Yoga. I agree with Swami Param when he says, “If one wants to learn Hinduism/Yoga (and perhaps become a Hindu), do that. If one wants to stretch and relax, be thoughtful and considerate, but don’t call it Yoga!

By: Dawn Hill, The Lovesick Scribe

And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them. Acts 19:11

While thumbing through old notes from years ago, I could not help but to notice things I had written down or had received from an instructor regarding the language of the Spirit. In these notes were true statements intertwined with things I now understood to be unbiblical. I was taught for years that the Spirit is not in charge and that Satan got man’s permission to dominate. This was why Jesus Christ came in man’s form; He came to reclaim the dominion for man. I was taught that the body has permission to be on Earth and that in order for the Holy Spirit to operate in the earth, He had to have us. He was limited in what He could do based upon our level of obedience. I had no idea at the time that this is classic Word of Faith teaching.

I was taught that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was a deeper experience than being born again. Imagine believing that any experience could surpass God raising you from spiritual death into life in Jesus Christ! I cannot even comprehend that thought now. I was taught that when you pray in tongues, you are speaking mysteries and building yourself up. I was taught many things about the prayer language, and I perpetuated these teachings as well. Over the past several years, it has been a blessing to study Scripture and to gain a better understanding of passages I was once taught out of context, now in context. It has also been eye opening to learn more about the history of speaking in tongues, with regards to the belief of a private prayer language.

If you have been a part of the hyper charismatic/ NAR movement, you tend to think you have seen just about everything. I have been proven wrong in this thinking more than I would like to be. I recently came across a video where a professing deliverance minister was teaching a group of people about the power of the anointing in written words on a whiteboard. However, these were not just words in English. On this board was an alleged interpretation of a sentence from Scripture into his prayer language. He invited the people to come up to the board and to touch the area where he had written the alleged prayer language, trusting that the same power in the Word of God would be tangible in this interpretation.

As individuals touched the scribble in dry erase marker, they fell onto the floor, some were crying and shaking, while others were speaking in tongues. This practice was said to have been modeled by another minister who had done the same teaching and application years ago. Talk of tapping into an infinite God was given for the outcome of this gathering and teaching.

When I watch videos like this, my heart goes out to those who attended this meeting and think that this is of God. I am reminded in my own life of how our hearts can be deceived. Our flesh can be manipulated, and our emotions can be heightened. The experiences are real, but are they Biblical? I find myself asking who is truly being glorified. Is it Christ, or is it the man or woman claiming to have a powerful anointing while using the name of Jesus? This particular individual seemed to believe in his questions and statements that his written private prayer language interpretation was as equally anointed as the very Word of God. Was he that powerful, or are these people being given over to strong delusion by God?

Some may ask why this is an issue, and it may seem benign to do such a thing. Some may even reference Acts 19:11 where Paul’s own handkerchiefs or aprons he wore during tent making were placed upon people and miraculous things were taking place among the people. I can recall this passage being referenced numerous times in years past. I can also recall the practice of cutting up cloth napkins, anointing them with oil, and giving them to people to use in desperate situations. There were wild stories told where specific objects in contact with anointed men and women of God were alleged to have supernatural power to heal and to deliver people.

The concern with using this passage prescriptively is the very fact of it being descriptive, not prescriptive. We are never instructed in all the epistles to conduct ourselves in such ways as Christians. There are no other instances, aside from Peter’s shadow. We may do well to take note of the time this occurred and the authentication of the ministry to the apostles by Jesus Christ. We are not instructed to create extrabiblical practices based on personal experience or on one descriptive Bible verse.

I also observed in this practice the potential similarities to New Age practices in believing objects contain spiritual energy or power. According to Pew Research, sixty percent of professing American Christians hold a belief attributed to the New Age, one of which included spiritual energy in objects.

If I can encourage you in anything, as I continue to be encouraged in my walk as a believer in Christ, personal experiences are not the barometer of truth. The standard of truth must be the Word of God rightly divided. Practices such as this should be avoided by us as members of the body of Christ. We are not to walk or to conduct ourselves in such a way that Biblical Christianity is foreign to the claimed beliefs and practices. This is my concern with such teachings as this.

https://lovesickscribe.com/

By: Tresa Walker 

With the new year, we often make a plan for a new start – a resolution for a new or better life. But no matter how hard we try, we often fall right back into old habits, and those New Year’s resolutions are tossed like worn out socks. Instead of resolutions, maybe we need a new perspective. Resolutions focus on what I can “do”; perspective focuses on how I “view” things.

I met a young lady this week who is going through an extremely difficult time after being displaced by a hurricane. Her young children are in Michigan with their grandmother. Her husband is on the road driving a truck trying to make a living. While they wait on FEMA funding, she has relocated to a shelter in our little town and is searching for a job. Everything about her situation could cause bitterness and despair, but she is choosing to praise God through the storm and seeking His will for her life. She has a glass is half full attitude rather than focusing on how much is gone. It is truly all about perspective!

God is bigger than any problems we are currently face or may experience this year! Faith allows us to have a positive perception even in the worst of times. We must be careful to keep our focus on God and not focus on the circumstances, then we can find true peace in the midst of the storms that rage.

So, how do I change my perspective? How do I keep my focus on Him?

Read God’s Word daily to shed some light on His perspective. – “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105 HCSB

Remind yourself that God loves you and His compassion never fails. -“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV

Reflect on God’s deliverance in the past. – “He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.” Psalms 40:2 NLT

Be purposefully thankful and praise Him. – “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.” Psalms 13:5-6 NIV

Pray – “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6 HCSB

Rely on God. – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 HCSB

Unfortunately, there are no guarantees the new year will be perfect or even better than last year, but even when our circumstances are far from what we had hoped, God is faithful and good! Stop worrying about what you can do to fix the situation, and let God. Instead of focusing on the problem, turn your attention to God’s love and those previous times that He rescued you. The situation may not dissipate or even improve, but a new perspective and continued faith can help you survive the storm!

https://strengthrenewed.blog

By: LeeAnn Witzigman

“Beloved, we are God’s children right now; however, it is not yet apparent what we will become. But we do know that when it is finally made visible, we will be just like Him, for we will see Him as He truly is.” 1 John 3:2 TPT

I’ve been on a bit of a kick since last Fall and if you’re in my family or around me enough, I’ve probably given you a card with an olive branch on it that has the biblical meaning of your name written out. I’ve been totally consumed with what God is saying about us through our names and have seen such incredible breakthrough and deliverance in the lives of those I love once they realize who they are in Christ. This all started a few months ago as an activation exercise for the prophetic women’s small group that my mom and I led together. I thought it would be a fun and engaging way to get the group started, but I had no idea God was going to use it as a gateway to release tremendous glory!

As I was researching the Biblical meaning of every woman’s name in our group, I was taken to another dimension of intimately knowing them … and some of them I hadn’t even met yet. I couldn’t believe the power, authority, and dignity God had bestowed upon His daughters with each name, and the variety and uniqueness of each was truly overwhelming to my soul. In an instant, I began to see them with the eyes of my spirit and to understand a heavenly part of their destiny. The last name I looked up was my own … which means radiant, brilliant light and lovely light. A double portion of His glorious light! I felt such a deep confirmation burn in my heart and the rush of every person who has spoken about the “light” in me washed over the room like a holy flood. I’ve never experienced an affirmation from above like that in my life. And though it took 36 years to be exposed, I immediately clutched my identity like I’ve known it for one million lifetimes.

This name revelation from God has been an unleashing of hope and purpose in my home, family, and to everyone whose name I’ve looked up after our introduction. At Christmastime, I sat next to my grandmother who has lived for 82 years not knowing what her name meant. Tears of unspeakable freedom welled up inside of me as she read her card and nodded her head. I’m the third generation to carry her name, so her delight was multiplied in me and my daughter, who also carries this shining light of our family legacy. What ancestral power there is when we know what God has spoken over us!

Tuesday morning, I’m in Genesis reading the creation story and standing in the garden of Eden after the fall of man. As my eyes lingered over the prophecies declared by God as the result of their sin, I felt there was something missing in my understanding of it all. The very next line begins with Adam giving Eve her name. Like a lightning bolt of truth to my heart, it hit me. When the serpent offered death to Eve in the form of a forbidden fruit, she did not yet know her name. The name Eve means “life” or “to breathe.” And she is known as the mother of all. The serpent knows the meaning of our names just like the One who gave them to us. Living out who we are, and who we are called to be is crucial to experience victory in spiritual warfare. It just might be one the most successful weapons of faith we have when the enemy comes against us to attack our God-given likeness. And if you want to completely change the way you read the Bible, start looking up the meaning of every name mentioned in the scripture you’re studying. Sometimes, the meaning of names is the entire message of the passage!

I could keep writing testimonies about how profound God’s heart is even when wrapped around a single name. Only He can speak volumes in singular form. Only He can remind us of who we are as He prompts other people in our lives to speak out our names. When someone says your name, they’re declaring what God says about you to Heaven and Earth and Hell. Everyone who knows it’s meaning is listening and waiting to see if you’ll walk in it. Imagine what kind of world this would be if we all lived out the breath of God swirling within us and we upheld those around us by honoring what the Father has proclaimed about the sons and daughters He loves with an everlasting love. Families would be unified again as they defend these holy confirmations and they would protect what the Lord has established in every bloodline that flows from Heaven.

I pray He uses this article to entice every reader into looking up the Biblical meaning of their name, the names of those they love, and those they need to encourage. May we all become the light that sparks a divine wildfire in the earth that causes an explosion of glory that shakes hell and an eruption of celebration in Heaven!

*To look up your name, just google “bible meaning of the name ________” and search for the Hebrew translation.*

https://www.pearlsandpresence.com

Today, I bring you living understanding, living wisdom, and grace that moves with the rhythm of your breath. These gifts come with bubbling joy—the mercy kiss of my Spirit who guides you.

A new joy is yours! Joy that comes when you know that every step you take, I have planned before you were born. Before you start to speak, I know every sentence that will come from your mouth. Before you go on a journey, I have gone before you to make your steps firm and faithful to my ways. I release to you the joy of being guided by my Spirit. Wait upon me, and I will show you the steps to take. When you turn to the right, you will hear my whisper in your heart saying, “Yes, this is the way you are to walk.” Supernatural guidance will end the pain of the past. Your heart will taste the joys set before you in this season of new beginnings. Your life will bring me praise and show my glory. A new joy is yours today, as you say, “Yes, Lord, lead me into greater glory.”

Psalm 32:8–9
The Passion Translation

“I will stay close to you, instructing and guiding you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide. So don’t make it difficult; don’t be stubborn when I take you where you’ve not been before. Don’t make me tug you and pull you along. Just come with me!”

I Hear His Whisper written by Brian Simmons and Gretchen Rodriguez – Published with permission.

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By: Fran Gardner Mora

Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. Ezekiel 1:20

I was recently immersed in the inaugural vision of Ezekiel and marveling – once again – on how similar it is to the apocalyptic vision of John. The fantastically strange imagery and over-the-top details always make me feel like I’m getting sucked into the vacuum created by the black hole “Ponder.” I could easily spend hours, or even days, considering each item mentioned. This time, however, the Holy Spirit placed His spotlight on something new and directed my attention to an interpretation that held a specific message for me.

In the vision, the four creatures each had four faces: man, lion, ox, and eagle. I immediately understood that this was a reference to the four writers and their gospels in the New Testament. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are often associated with those particular motifs, and there are commentaries that point out this parallel. But what I was seeing for the first time was the holy calling of the writer, and the required commitment that is inherent with this calling.

When I was in college in Munich, I had the opportunity to visit Prague a couple of times. My favorite place in the city was a medieval monastery that housed an incredible library of very old Christian documents. There was a huge room full of small writing desks that had carved out places for ink wells and pens and candles to provide light. That room left a serious impression on me. I could vividly imagine a monk at each desk hunched over his arduous task of precisely copying pages, chapters, and books of the Bible one perfectly penned word at a time. There were incased examples of their work all over the room and the walls were lined top to bottom with bookcases that held volume after volume of religious and sacred offerings. It was difficult for my young mind to grasp a level of reverence for God’s Word that was so deep, a person would spend their entire lifetime working silently in a dark, cold room to ensure that it was preserved and disseminated. It was further beyond my comprehension that this would have been one of hundreds of such places during this time period. Making sure God’s Word was accurate and available was a top priority for the Church during that period in history.

Although it’s true of all the authors of the Bible’s many books, it is particularly true of the New Testament writers, that Holy Spirit inspired writing had to be paired with action. In the Ezekiel vision, each of the four creatures with the four faces had a huge wheel beside them that moved as they moved and the scripture states twice that, “wherever the spirit would go, they would go.” For me, seeing the four gospel writers through the lens of this Ezekiel vision helps me to understand how complex their God-given purpose was and how invested they were in living out God’s will. And this principle was also demonstrated with the other writers of the New Testament. These people not only wrote their witness and testimony down, they strapped on their walking shoes and took their show on the road … for the rest of their lives.

And because of this, the world was so changed and so hungry for the grace of God and the hope of a Savior that other people spent their lives copying, storing, and sharing these records and letters. And still others, carried these writing as far as they could reach. A process that has continued until present times.

While it’s true that the Bible is a finished document and celebrated as the most widely distributed literary work humanity has ever known, it is equally true that there is so much more to write. Because the Holy Spirit gives the gift of revelation, the Bible is a living document. It serves as an applied lesson in countless everyday situations. It becomes a brand new understanding of some aspect of God’s glory. It contains an infinite number of exciting connections and intriguing possibilities. And, it’s a book that can satisfy all your spiritual, emotional, and intellectual needs.

This is great news for me – I am a writer. I have always known that’s who God made me to be. So, when the Holy Spirit illuminates something for me and allows me to watch it unfold and blossom, I know it’s my purpose to write it down…

…And share it.

But I now wonder if I’ve been as obedient to God’s will as my holy writing predecessors. Does my wheel, which contains my spirit, listen to what the Holy Spirit whispers? Is my wheel moving in the direction designated by God without straying from the path He has indicated? In other words, is my spirit fully aligned with The Spirit?

Will I take my offering in whatever direction I’m told – even if it leads me out of a place of comfort and acceptance and into a place of obscurity and challenges? Yes, I will.

Can I be confident in God’s will and His plan for my life when I don’t have any idea what lies at the new destination? Yes, I can.

God is good and faithful in all things. I am a pen in His hand and I will be His voice wherever He sends me.

It doesn’t matter which part you play in the flow and movement of God’s Word – the avid reader, the inspired writer, the missionary traveler, the generous giver, etc. If God’s Word is resting in your hands or passing through your lips, it’s vitally important that your wheel is moving in the direction of the spirit and your heart is beating with the love of Jesus. Every day, new souls are born into the world and they all need to know about Jesus – God knows where they are, and the best way to reach them.

Ezekiel 1:12-21 Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went. 13 The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. 14 The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.

15 As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. 16 This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. 17 As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not change direction as the creatures went. 18 Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.

19 When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. 20 Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

https://www.pearlsandpresence.com

By: Nancy Kilpatrick

Do you recall the scene on crucifixion Day?  There were two criminals that were sentenced to death along with Jesus.  Matthew and Mark both report them ridiculing Jesus along with the crowd.  While one continued to ridicule Jesus and saying that if he was really the Christ then he could save himself for this entire crowd to witness and free them also.

However, Luke records the fact that the other thief recognized that Jesus really was innocent, and he quickly reminded the other thief of their guilt and deserving of their sentence.  He said to Jesus, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus looks on the heart and despite his own pain that he was dealing with he heard the thief make that decisive statement and Jesus immediately focused His attention on him.  He turned his gaze on him, saw into the depths of his soul, and declared that he would meet Him in paradise.  He said, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

I don’t know about you, but when I hear the phrase “remember me” my mind immediately goes to the Last Supper when Jesus is passing out the broken bread and the cup of wine representing his blood.   I wonder how many times, and when, do we remember him?  Is it only when we have communion together at church or when we sometimes do communion at home?  Or is it only when saying ‘grace’ at mealtime?  Or a quick nighttime prayer before going to sleep?  Or are we constantly, during the day, keeping Him in our thoughts and listening for His direction in the choices we make each day?  Or do we ‘make a date’, a special time each day to just sit in His presence and feel His Holy Spirit embrace us and sometimes even thoughts that could only come from Him become real to us?

I was recently reading again the story of Paul in the later part of Acts; he is determined to make a trip to Jerusalem.  There was something that stood out very clearly and I think you will understand what I’m talking about.  In Acts 21:4 he is in Tyre, and the people there loved him very much, so they are seriously warning him not to go to Jerusalem.  They fear that something very dangerous may happen to him there.  But he will not be discouraged from making this trip.  I began to wonder what it was that kept him so determined.

It was one of those days when I was just sitting in His presence in my living room and trying to not think of anything except just to whisper His Name and feel His presence.  But I’d been reading about Paul and the thought just popped in my head and flooded over me, “He was remembering his Damascus experience, when he truly met Jesus on that road to Damascus.  Jesus revealed Himself to Saul, which was his given name at that time, in a real, very dramatic way, that changed Saul’s life forever and is name was changed to Paul.

I went back to Acts and here is what I found:

• He left Tyre and Acts 21:8-14, he had arrived at Caesarea and at Philip’s house where a prophet named Agabus was staying. Agabus took Paul’s belt and bound up his own wrists and feet with Paul’s belt.  Then he told Paul, “This is what is going to happen to the man this belt belongs to if he goes to Jerusalem.”  He was warned again!
• Paul’s response to him was that he was ready to die if that was what was in store for him, but he was not changing his mind. He was going on to Jerusalem.  Still determined.
• Acts 21:27-28, some Jews at the temple started the people to riot against Paul.
• Acts 22:1, Paul got permission to speak to the crowd and he recalled to their remembrance his experience on the Damascus Road. He remembered and shared his testimony.
• Act 23:25, He was put in prison and went before Felix.
• Acts 24:27, two years later Felix left the office and Festus took his place.
• Act 26:1-32, Festus arranged a meeting between him and Agrippa. And again, Paul remembered and repeated his entire story of his life, his education, and his entire meeting with the Christ that he had spent his life fighting against.

So why was he so determined to go to Jerusalem that even the thought of prison or death did not deter him from making that trip?   HE REMEMBERED!!!!

The words to this song are so meaningful that it brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it or try to sing it:

TAKE TIME

Are you living your life in a hurry, Spending each day on the run.

Do you make big decisions without a clear vision, just hoping that God’s will is done?

God has given His Spirit to lead you if you’ll only take time to hear.

By His Word with His wisdom, He’ll feed you, He’s just waiting for you to draw near.

And to take time to sit at His table.  He has a place prepared daily for you.

So, make time to sit in His Presence, to hear His voice whisper, “My child, I love you.”  

I can only say that I believe; I’m absolutely convinced, that our faithful, loving Jesus is so ready to come back after His bride so very soon and there are people all around us every day who are totally unaware of their unpreparedness for His return.  The ten virgins did not know when their groom was coming but they were told to be prepared.  They all thought they were prepared; they had their lamps.  Their lamps were trimmed and glowing but as the night grew long, five of them realized that their oil was beginning to run low so they asked the other virgins to loan them some.  However, the five wise virgins had brought extra oil just to be sure they would not run out and because they could not share what they had the five foolish virgins had to quickly run to purchase some more.

Unfortunately, while they were gone, the groom came and when the foolish virgins made it to the wedding celebration, they found the door locked and they could not get in.  These five foolish virgins were not bad people.  They were not the hateful, the thieves, the murderers, the condemned people.  They were part of the invited people, expected to be at the wedding.  They were the ones who attended church regularly, maybe taught a class, always there to help when the church had an event planned.  But they had not enough oil to last through the night until the groom arrived.

We are now in the middle of the night and the groom, our Groom Jesus Himself, is about to arrive and I challenge everyone reading this article to be prepared.  And to also look around you.  Do you know someone that may need more oil in their lamps, so they are prepared?  Once the groom arrives, it’s too late to go running for more oil.  We must all be prepared now, and we must be about His business to prepare those around us to be prepared as well. Next year, next month, next week, perhaps even tomorrow may be too late.  “Remember, Today is the day of salvation!”

Finish what you started!

By: Eglaide Seiber Barroso

The vision of the Lighthouse Newsletter in 2019 was to provide a platform for Christian writers to honor God with their writing skills and to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The first steps taken for this vision to become a reality, besides the publication name, was the tagline and the picture for the front page. Both came simultaneously as a download from Heaven, followed by a support team dedicated to giving their best to the LORD. The first issue was published in June of 2020, almost a year later, amidst my foot surgery and the COVID-19 world pandemic. During that time, the political arena was becoming a boiling pot here in the US, focusing on the possible re-election of then-President Trump and with the conservative group shouting, “Four more years!” Today, as I sit here to write about the direction that the LORD has given me for this coming season with the publication, some conservative groups are still echoing these same words about the former president. At this point, so many things have changed in the world arena pertaining to family values, freedom of speech, immigration matters, gender equality, and financial and global peace stability that one must wonder why we, as the church, are still placing our faith in a single man or even in a political party. Something must have happened to change the direction we have come thus far as a nation because it is quite clear that going around this same mountain since 2020 has kept us in bondage to the systems that, without a doubt, have failed us.

During these past two years publishing The Lighthouse News in hard copy, we reported on the national presidential campaign and voting challenges, the new administration’s left-wing detrimental public health decisions with mask mandate and vaccine enforcement, the abortion law changes, the supreme court’s new nomination and decisions, the Russia-Ukraine war, the woke harmful education agenda, mass shootings and the big tech companies’ cohorts with the media to sell us lies about everything we knew to be the truth. Because of these things and the actions of extremely corrupted leaders on both sides of the arena, life, as we once knew, will never be the same!

Our publication tagline clearly states who we are. “We are CHRIST Inspired, LOVE Driven, and Followers of GOD’S WORD. But we got into the Trump and politics train, deviating from our Evangelistic mission and becoming newsworthy instead of God-focused. We took a direction of our own instead of following God’s lead. As the founder and publisher of The Lighthouse News, I am the one to blame and the one being called to go back to the missionary field, returning to the publication vision of spreading the good news throughout the four corners of the world. In our last quarter published issue, we celebrated our two years of publishing in hard copy with a beautiful design highlighting that accomplishment. It was not an easy ride by any means because besides the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I had undergone six surgeries, and my husband had many health issues too. Publishing The Lighthouse News quarterly kept my focus on serving others instead of the health hardship we were dealing with daily. Celebrating the second anniversary of the publication came at the same time things were coming back to normal around us, so looking back and seeing how far we had come as a team and as a publication was almost surreal. We gained new writers’ contributions and new nations with possibilities for partnership in the near future. Our website is another reason for our excitement because it was a gift from one of our team members in September 2021. The next issue would also feature this major milestone. But soon after all copies were on the distribution route locally and sent by mail, I began to feel as if we had reached the end of the road. I saw no purpose in continuing to publish, trying to follow the dark cloud covering the country and the world because, in my view, we were too small to try to report on major issues confronting the global community. My experience with world news reporting since 1999 allowed me to see we were neglecting major events and our target audience was becoming lost in the process of trying to be both an evangelical and world news publication. With all these concerns on my mind, praying for God’s direction was the best route to take. “Do I need to walk away from this project and do the next thing you want me to do, LORD?” I knew I had time to set my concerns aside and wait on an answer from the LORD until it was time to start the next issue. Because I didn’t hear anything from the LORD about quitting when the time to start the next issue came, I did what I knew to do in my heart. But this time, the emptiness I felt was distressing me to the point of having agonizing doubt that I was supposed to continue with the publication. When everything was done, with more than 90% of the articles, pictures and layout approved, I became very sick with a hives attack that covered my entire body, including my face, that led me to the emergency room twice in one week. That ordeal kept me from doing any of my work at my regular job and for The Lighthouse News. For over ten days, I had the mindset to completely quit this project. The support I had from everyone to quit if necessary was like a kiss from Heaven. Everyone was praying for my healing and encouraging me to rest and let things unfold as they eventually would. As my healing began to slowly take place, I started to hear the LORD say to me that this situation was not bringing me to the end of The Lighthouse News. That it was the pause needed for me to go back to the beginning of the revelation vision of moving The Lighthouse Writer’s Group into a publication. The Bible says in Romans 8:28, KJV: ALL THINGS work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.Writing and publishing is God’s purpose for my life, and writing about HIS goodness, character, power, joy, miracles, and LOVE is the way the world will know about Him and will come to know Jesus Christ as the only son of God, who gave His own life to save mankind from going to an eternal hell.

This past July, when our family came together for my second granddaughter’s first birthday celebration, I had to stop at a gas station before meeting them at their rented beach house. As I began to fill my gas tank, I was prompted to look down, and when I did, I saw I was stepping onto a large sticker with the number 7 screaming at me. I promptly picked up my phone and took a picture of it with my foot still on it because I had learned in 2015 that the number 7 meant completion, the end of something and that a new beginning was at hand. I had lived through my 2015 transition ordeal and knew how much better my life had become. How the LORD had brought me to become a confident Christian entrepreneur and how everything I had suffered in the past built solid steps to the latter that brought me up from the abyss of despair to be closer and closer to HIM as my Heavenly Father. He walked me through every hardship holding my hand and whispering to me not to give up on my dreams. When I was going through the valley of indecision this time, I remembered hearing from Him so loud in my spirit saying, “FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED!” That prompted me to search for a picture with that phrase online, and when I found it, I used it as my desktop background at work and at home because I knew He was giving me a mandate to finish what I had started with The Lighthouse News. Not knowing exactly what to do, I began to pray for HIS strategies and direction. That’s when we decided to publish the articles from the last unpublished issue online. As we obeyed, we became more focused on the evangelical mission freeing ourselves from the need to report on world events and the political chaos surrounding our nation and families.

Our first women’s group resumed soon after I returned to work from my last health problem, with a new song as the opening of our worship. The song’s name on the YouTube video read “Potter Song X Finish What You Started.” It is needless to say how much His presence invaded our prayer room with joy and confidence that He who had started this beautiful work is faithful to finish. Philippians 1:6, KJV: Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

As new beginnings take place in our lives, the old must die, and its death is truly painful because we don’t understand God’s plans and the ways He completes His purpose in our lives. My prayer today is that we all embrace changes and become teachable to learn that what GOD has for us is so much more than our mind’s preconceived notion of what will bring us success, peace, joy, and life more abundantly.

As the new year arrives, be encouraged regardless of what is going on around you or even with you because the Potter always finishes what He starts. “ Let me tell you what my God does best, what He starts, He finishes!” In quotes is part of the lyrics from the “Potter Song X Finish What You Started” YouTube video.

In 2023, Let the LORD take complete control of your life and direct your dreams and future. May His Mighty hand lead you to fulfill HIS PURPOSE for you and your family. HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!!

“Potter Song X Finish What You Started” YouTube video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq9YsNcREKE