1 Kings 13

1 Kings 13

English Standard Version (ESV)

A Man of God Confronts Jeroboam

13 And behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel. Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make offerings. ²  And the man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’” ³ And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign that the Lord has spoken: ‘Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.’” ⁴ And when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him.” And his hand, which he stretched out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself. ⁵ The altar also was torn down, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. ⁶ And the king said to the man of God, “Entreat now the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” And the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king's hand was restored to him and became as it was before. ⁷ And the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me, and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.” ⁸ And the man of God said to the king, “If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you. And I will not eat bread or drink water in this place, ⁹ for so was it commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came.’” ¹⁰ So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel.

The Prophet's Disobedience

¹¹ Now an old prophet lived in Bethel. And his sons^[a] came and told him all that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. They also told to their father the words that he had spoken to the king. ¹² And their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” And his sons showed him the way that the man of God who came from Judah had gone. ¹³ And he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him and he mounted it. ¹⁴ And he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak. And he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.” ¹⁵ Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.” ¹⁶ And he said, “I may not return with you, or go in with you, neither will I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place, ¹⁷ for it was said to me by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by the way that you came.’” ¹⁸ And he said to him, “I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But he lied to him. ¹⁹ So he went back with him and ate bread in his house and drank water.
²⁰ And as they sat at the table, the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back. ²¹ And he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord and have not kept the command that the Lord your God commanded you, ²² but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water,” your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’” ²³ And after he had eaten bread and drunk, he saddled the donkey for the prophet whom he had brought back. ²⁴ And as he went away a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his body was thrown in the road, and the donkey stood beside it; the lion also stood beside the body. ²⁵ And behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown in the road and the lion standing by the body. And they came and told it in the city where the old prophet lived.
²⁶ And when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard of it, he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the word of the Lord; therefore the Lord has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word that the Lord spoke to him.” ²⁷ And he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled it. ²⁸ And he went and found his body thrown in the road, and the donkey and the lion standing beside the body. The lion had not eaten the body or torn the donkey. ²⁹ And the prophet took up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back to the city^[b] to mourn and to bury him. ³⁰ And he laid the body in his own grave. And they mourned over him, saying, “Alas, my brother!” ³¹ And after he had buried him, he said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. ³²  For the saying that he called out by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses of the high places that are in the cities of Samaria shall surely come to pass.”
³³ After this thing Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but made priests for the high places again from among all the people. Any who would, he ordained to be priests of the high places. ³⁴  And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, so as to cut it off and to destroy it from the face of the earth.

YHWH,
Your words not mine. Open eyes and ears and melt hearts. InYeshua's name, amen.

Not your typical seminary.

I took some extra time to really let God percolate all the material He has been giving me. I feel so blown away by His wisdom and knowledge, but I know that He has me standing upright and grounded. A baby limb grafted into the natural olive tree.

Last post, I spoke of possibly moving forward with a pseudo book review series thing. I've prayed so much since I visited last, trying to discern what I'm supposed to be doing with the time He has given me, and I will admit there are still so many unanswered prayers.

As much as we have botched up and stumbled through the celebrations, the Feasts of God have become our timeline of importance. A memorial. During Passover, sister commented on the smell of the lamb as we burned all that remained. She said, "No wonder God talks about how He liked the sweet smells of the sacrifice from Israel." I agreed, it smelled so good. The peace and joy that night was another something to be remembered. This is where I mention seminary. Not many people know this, but I prayed for direction about seminary or secular schooling back in 2007. I was finishing my bachelor's in psychology and wanted to be a Biblical counselor. God put me in a secular institution, and I never could answer why... until I got this book, 5 years later. God enrolled me in His seminary, learning of Him and His word the way He wanted. :)

The Feast of Weeks approaches in May. I need to say right here that this change in view of the Bible, Torah and Tenach, is not about legalism. This is not about finding any form of salvation. Jesus, the son of God is my sacrifice for salvation and atonement. Only He can make me white as snow. This acknowledging of God's instruction is deeper.

I know I've said so many times, and I have even told YHWH in prayer, "He knows my heart; You know my heart, Lord."

Psalm 119 reveals why David was a man after God's heart. Pick a verse. Any of them, and you will find a reference go YHWH's instruction. I want to make my life, not about what is in my heart, but what is in God's heart. My Elohim.

Russ Houck begins his novel, Epidemic: Examining the Infected Roots of Judaism and Christianity, with a definition of covenant as:

A vehicle created BY GOD to define both His relationship with man and the rules man must abide by to maintain that relationship. Covenant - not religion - was the vehicle God chose to define His relationship with, and to, man. (Man-made covenants were patterned after God's design.)

He then presents what he calls, "UNTHINKABLE POSSIBILITIES That We Need To Think About:"

• What if you found out that... both Judaism and Christianity were not actually Biblically based religions - that is, that neither were birthed in Jerusalem - but rather had their origins in Babylon and Rome? I'll clearly show you this in historical record.
• 
  
• How would you feel if... you discovered that many of their major doctrines and practices were of man-made paganism and not from the Holy Scriptures? I'll show you where.
• What if you discovered that... much - if not all - of the New Testament was originally written not in Greek, as popularly believed, but in Aramaic and Hebrew? And that several scriptures were added to the Greek text to "help" prove certain Roman Catholic doctrines that Protestants never removed? We will cover many of these.
• What if you learned that...Protestant denominations were really just Roman Catholic sects?
• What would you think if... you discovered that all religion, including yours, was an infection and that Judaism and Christianity are just varying strains and degrees of it?
• What would you do if... you learned that there is a diabolical conspiracy to keep you from knowing and understanding the truth? And that this conspiracy makes the Illuminati, the Tri-Lateral Commission, and the CFR look like the Cub Scouts?

Why all the deception? Hasn't that been our enemies mo for thousands of years?
I want to allow one more week to pass before I continue sharing the research within the book. Even as I type this, a fear rises in my belly about not having enough information, but if this information and study is of YWHW, I ask that He make Himself known. The only way to truly test the spirits is knowing YHWH's voice.

I will purchase 3 copies of this book for anyone wishing to join but without means to acquire the book. Please contact me via comment or email: kaynight1202@yahoo.com.
After putting this together and adding links, preparing to purchase, I discovered the link provided is sold out. I have searched other places finding no other purchase options, so I will hold off again before the series starts. :)


Father God,
I ask that You be with all eyes on this space. I ask that You continue to reveal Yourself and make Yourself known to the young, old, and in between. You have amazed me into speechlessness, so I ask that You provide the words needed. Your truth needs to be heard in the land! The land is in need of repentance, God. I ask that You extend Your truth because Your people perish from lack of knowledge!! Tear down the Ashteroth poles, God! Wipe away all those ensnared by Baal! The nations think its a joke, a myth, a fictitious science fiction blockbuster hit! God, open their eyes and ears! Melt their hearts within them, as well as mine! May Your Torah be in me like a fire in my bones as well, that I must get it out for ears and eyes to understand. Be with us all. Please show us, your sheep, mercy for lack of a shepard. Shepard us to You.
In Yeshua's (Jesus) Name, amen.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/revolutionaryradio/2012/03/22/epidemic-the-infected-roots-of-judaism-christianity

A Book Review

I've been doing so much research lately. I want to share many things. I finally decided to begin with a book. This book has been one of the wildest nonfiction rides I have ever been on, excluding my experience with YHWH's Word.

My introduction to this book began through Rob Skiba's March 21, 2012 airing of Revolutionary Radio:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/revolutionaryradio/2012/03/22/epidemic-the-infected-roots-of-judaism-christianity

If you want to check out more of Rob's work: www.seedtheseries.com/blog

The book, Epidemic: Examining the Infected Roots of Judaism and Christianity by Russ Houck, Ph.D.; Th. has been more than just an eye opener. This journey is a heart racing, nail biting roller coaster grumbling underneath my foundation of faith like an earthquake. I can only thank our Father for His Son, Yeshua (Jesus) and his authoring of my faith.

I ask you journey through with me this amazing source of information. I will say, this is not an easy read, and I'm not talking reading grade level. I would suggest prayerfully considering this journey, asking God to cover you with His Spirit as you not only prepare to read but also discern the knowledge you are given.

Here is a link to purchase the book, if you are interested: http://shop.twofaithfulbeachbums.com/EPIDEMIC-Examining-the-Infected-Roots-of-Judaism-Christianity-9781616231231.htm

I have yet to find an abundance of sources entailing the book's contents, so I hope to add some promotional light to this work. People need to know these facts concerning the faith and God that they love and worship.

Although I have felt an urgency to share and write about this book, I will post this introductory blog and wait 7 days to begin the actual review. I am currently through half of the information, and it is more than evident that the review will be a series of blogs; therefore, I'm allowing myself this last week to not only finish the book but also allow YHWH to speak to me about how this material presentation should take share.

Father God,

Thank You for all that You have given me, especially knowledge. It is better than gold. I know nothing compared to You and Your annointed ones. I ask that You grace me with the wisdom You want shared. Thank You for giving this opportunity to serve, and I ask that You guide my steps though this so that anyone reading this sees You and Your truth.

I ask these things in the name of Yeshua,

Amen.

Why I Want to Celebrate Passover & The Feast of Unleavened Bread

God has been speaking to me. I've been absent as I've been studying some of the radical things God has shown me. I am not Jewish, but one of these things shown is the importance of His 7 ordained feasts. Of those, the first is Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

I know without a shadow of a doubt God is leading me to worship Him in the manner written to us through Moses. Jesus worshiped then became the passover sacrificial lamb in this same manner. As I prepare to share the scripture behind my desire to celebrate these feasts, I will mention Easter only this one time in saying I will not participate in traditions once upheld. It has been hard to let go and grasp a celebration I knew nothing about, but God has been patient and merciful in revealing His will to me.

With that said, here is some scriptural references God revealed to me as He prepares my heart to celebrate His passover and feast.

James 4:10

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

I went back to the original story in Egypt. God let loose the Angel of Death, and His people were protected because of God's specified blood sacrifice. He ordained this sacrifice a memorial feast to be kept by Hebrew generations for ever, explaining to children the reasoning behind the celebration.

Exodus 12:14

And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

Forever. That's a long time. I can't see God saying "Do this forever" and being happy with a people not celebrating the way he commanded. So I dug further. I wanted to find instances of the people celebrating the Passover and what it looked like for them.

2 Kings 23:21, 22

And the king [Josiah] commanded all the people, saying, "Keep the Passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the Book of this Covenant." Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;

King Josiah of Judah in the south wanted to lead his people back to serving Yahweh. He put away the poles, idols, and alters to other gods and directed the cleansing of the priests and temple to worship God and celebrate passover as He commanded. After practicing the traditions of other gods set up by his grandfather, Josiah found courage to get the nation back on track with Yahweh. I loved the verse speaking about a passover never been or not celebrated like that one under the kings. It spoke to me about God's important role in our personal and national spiritual healing.

Another story of man's courage to fulfill God's commandment and His abundant mercy: the king [Hezekiah] directed the people to celebrate the passover at a time not commanded of God; however, because the temple was not ready in the first month on the fourteenth day, the day passover is celebrated, the people took the time to prepare the temple and themselves to celebrate this important memorial.

2 Chronicles 30:18-20

For a multitude of the people, even many from Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "The good LORD pardon every one who prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary." And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.

What spoke to me most about this story is that God accepted and healed them even though they didn't get the specifics of the feast perfect. This gave me hope as a novice trying to celebrate in a manner pleasing to God.

I found this deeper explanation involving sin offerings very interesting.

Ezekiel 45:21,22

In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin offering.

The 45th chapter of Ezekiel continues in describing daily sin offerings for the nation throughout passover and the week of the feast of unleavened bread. This knowledge of sin offering reminded me of Jesus. God began putting the spiritual puzzle in my heart together. This was a memorial of our Christ's sacrifice put in place thousands of years before His birth.

Then, I began exploring the New Testament's passover experiences.

Jesus had his disciples go before him and prepare the feast. This is what they were eating when Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper. "Do this in remembrance of me." So, in the middle of a memorial feast, he breaks bread and shares wine, providing his own body and blood as a sin offering to God for believers so that death will "pass over" them...

Matthew 26:26-29

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

Mark and Luke give confirming points of view about this Passover, Lord's Supper memorial celebration.

Luke 2:32

[Describing Jesus] A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

vs. 41

Now his [Jesus] parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.

So celebrating passover was a tradition practiced and taught by his own parents. When Jesus was twelve years old, Jesus went with parents again to Jerusalem for the passover celebration and stayed behind until his parents found him 3 days later, still in the temple.

There were so many references in John, I wanted to give all that were in my Strong's Concordance. If I missed any or do not mention all, please feel free to share anything extra talked about in scripture. :)

John 2:13,23
And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.

6:4

And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.

11:55-57

And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves. Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, what think ye, that he will not come to the feast? Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that , if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.

Those that sought to kill Jesus knew he would be near the temple for the feast, and this is God's will since Jesus would become the passover sacrifice.

12:1
Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. [A precursor to his own death, burial, and resurrection?]

13:1
Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto to end.

18:28.29

Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. Pilate then went out unto them, and said, "What accusation bring ye against this man?"

[The irony behind the high priests paying Judas for Jesus' blood but wouldn't come into Pilate's judgment hall for fear of being defiled and unclean for passover.]

19:14

And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he [Pilate] brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgement seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.

During the night of passover for Jesus and his disciples, Jesus taught them more than just the Lord's Supper. He taught them about the Holy Spirit, the end of days, the purpose of his ministry, and the necessity of his betrayal and death. A memorial celebration feast filled with instruction for the church.

I Corinthians 3:21

Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours.

5:6-8

Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Hebrews 11 - "The Hall of Faith"

vs. 23-29 [7 verses describing Moses, leading up to passover]

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

Isaiah 51 - reference to God's miracles and power shown around the time of passover and exodus out of Egypt. Every time the prophets urge the people to remember their Lord God, YHWH, there are usually accompanying references to Him forgiving their sins AND bringing them out of captivity. There are many more biblical references, and I would be interested in anything you feel called to share.

Interested in Hebrew books no longer a part of the canonized bible, I dug further for passover scripture.

Book of Jubilees 49 - Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread
vs. 8
For it is an eternal ordinance, and engraven on the heavenly tablets regarding all the children of Israel that they should observe it every year on its day once a year, throughout all their generations; and there is no limit of days, for this is ordained for ever.

I want to end with another scripture.

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

I would say our land is in serious need of healing. I want this healing, understanding, blessing, and spiritual empowerment. I do not put limits on God, but I want to put His limits on me and my worship and allow Him to align me with His will and commandments. For an in depth look at the pagan roots of current tradition, please take the time for this 2 hour video by Jim Staley: Truth or Tradition - Should Christians Celebrate Christmas and Easter?

My 2012 verse: Joshua 1:9
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

a prayer

Father,

Thank You for the unconditional love You pour out onto those that love and believe You. Thank You for calling my name to service. I ask that You guide me in the decisions before me. I am at a crossroads, and I am not sure what the right decision is. I ask that You reveal Yourself to me that I may know the right path to choose. I want to glorify Your name in my choice. I don't want to become complacent with things that are not real and endanger my calling and Your powerful agent of change. I don't want to neglect my relationship with You. Lord, You have the power and the desire to give me the things of my heart, but I'm not sure what is in my heart anymore. You warned of the negative spiritual powers that seek to destroy and scatter Your elect. I have let fear of the unknown and man's power to enter my heart, distracting me from Your truth. I ask that You realign me to Your will and reveal this to my entire being. You give wisdom and understanding to those that diligently seek You. If we ask, You will answer. If we seek, You reveal what we find. If we knock, You open the door. Here I am on hands and knees, knocking and crying out to You, my God and Savior. Please open the door to the path I am to take. Help me be pleasing to You. Thank You for always protecting me. Thank You for making me feel worthy of Your love and presence. Thank You for Your favor. Thank You for the gifts You entrusted to me, especially my children. I want to be better for You and them. I acknowledge my weaknesses and strive not to hide them away but rather let them shine to reveal Your power, grace, and glory. I admit my fear to You, knowing that You take it and fill me with love and peace. Thank You for Your healing. I ask for those healing powers to come over the people that send negativity my way. I am filled with rage as I first think of these people, but I want to act in love, Your love, and the only way that is possible is if I be still and let You fill my being with the most perfect love known in the universe. Your love. Thank You for listening to my prayer. Thank You for moving in the lives of those we lift up to You, daily. I'm sorry for doubting this work. Instead of seeking out Your will and aligning my prayers and actions to that will, I've selfishly stood by wanting to see changes that I think should be made. Continue to guide me back to Your will, knowing that You are in control and working for my benefit and Your glory. Thank You again for listening to me and loving me. In Jesus Name, Amen.

I understood...

a new concept of time.

A broken hearted friend has intimately shared his pain of lost love for some months.

I remember early in the sharing and redirecting to positive thoughts, he said, "I just need to get my bike done, and then, I'll be ready to get out there again." I always thought and even asked him, "What does that have to do with finding someone? Why do you need the bike?"

I'm not so certain I received a "sufficient" answer until today.

Without knowing, he taught me that "finishing my bike" is another term for time. He needs time to refocus, recenter, recalculate who he was, his goals, other definitions he was attaching to concepts of love, loyalty, nurturing, communication, motivations, hurt, insecurity... I could go on.

It made me understand even more the work's importance I am doing NOW for Him. How important it is that I allow Him to define me through whatever moment. He taught me about time and refocus. Recenter.

Lord,

Thank You for your constant patience with me. I am such a stubborn child at times, not listening well. Thank You for always listening to me. Thank You for whispering in my ear the things You would have me know and understand. Thank You for the hard moments and the success You give me through them. Thank You for blessing me so much and the eyes and heart to see and acknowledge these blessings. Thank You for Your presence. You have so much to give and invite us to take freely! God, be with those that we talked about all week. Be with those whose eyes fall here. Be with those that do not know You and bring them true advocates of Your Son and Glory!!! Help us to be that advocate in our weakness. You know my heart and the thoughts in my mind. You know the spirit You gave to me. Thank You for the things you bless in my heart. I serve the living God! In Jesus Name, Amen.

shootin' from the hip

That's what I'm going to do in the post.

Its been a while since I've had opportunity to update or share. I have even been limited on reading and posting on other blogs that I love.

I'm so proud of you for following God's lead as He speaks to and through you. Thank you for your obedience to Him.

I've picked a 2012 verse mantra. (Thank you for the inspiration to do so, Tracy.)

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

I have lost friends and gained friends.

The first day back to work from the holiday season, we were blessed with over $50,000 in grant money and donations. Because my hands helped with some of that work, I was personally blessed with an unexpected raise. And as hard as it is to say goodbye, I've moved to do termination with 6 of my clients. (I'm so proud of the work and growth they have accomplished!)

I've served on a disciplinary action committee and recommended saving a person's job. I will serve on another before the week's end.

I have watched a friend grow spiritually as she begins to listen for and answer God's calling in her life. And I was humbled as she shared some of the changes she is making in her life... changes in behavior that match my own yet had taken for granted.

God is also giving me a greater understanding of this gift He has given me. I honed in on this gift through my training as a counselor, but as my spirit excersises its faith muscles, He broadens my understanding of His discernment of spiritual knowledge. He has given me an ability to connect dots that are miles away with no apparent connection. I'm not sure that I would call it "prophecy," but I've been given knowledge or the ability to draw conclusions about situations that can ONLY come from above.

Something is coming. Something BIG. As believers, we see small miracles happen everyday. When a woman decides to keep her unborn child, it is a miracle to us. We acknowledge Him, but nonbelievers do not see these miracles as we do... but something BIG is coming. Some undeniable miracle from God is going to impact a lot of unbelievers in such a way that they will not be able to deny Him.

Believer and follower of Christ:
Do you have your armor on? Is it out of the closet, polished and ready for battle?! If not, you need to be ready. Something BIG is coming. And because our God is bringing the big guns of love, you can garuantee that our enemy will be lashing out full force.

There are groups that operate soley for the destruction of God and the exhaltation of our enemy. Are you ready? Are you loving? Are you praying? Are you building your armor from His Word?! We serve the living God. Something BIG is coming. Are you prepared to do battle? Are you ready for the frontlines of faith?

Look among the nations and watch. Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told to you. -Habakkuk 1:5