WHEN JESUS BECAME THE ARK OF THE COVENANT

Did you realize when Jesus became the visible ark of the covenant? The ark resided in the holy of Holies. It was wood over laid with gold with an angel on each side and the law resting within with two other articles. Only the high priest went in once a year. The people were not allowed to view it. God resided there. Separated from the people. Jesus was sealed in a tomb separated from the people. Love (Jesus) laid on a cold hard stone with an angel on each side representing the ark of the covenant. The stone was rolled away. The separation between God and the people removed. The law lay inside the ark. Jesus spoke the law for He was the word and said I have not come to destroy the law but to fullfill it. On that resurrection day Jesus became the visible ark of the covenant.

JUDAS DID NOT HAVE TO HANG

Judas did not have to hang. If he had waited a few hours Jesus hung for him. His sin was no worse than Peter's and Peter was forgiven, but because of Judas's pride, self righteousness, and self condemnation he hung himself. If we live in the emotions Judas lived in we also will hang ourselves when we have one who hung for us and WE CAN BE FORGIVEN.

THE STONE WAS NOT ROLLED AWAY SO JESUS COULD GET OUT

I was thinking about the resurrection and how the stone was rolled away. The stone was not rolled away so Jesus could walk out but rather that others could look in. The resurrected body is indeed flesh and bone for he told doubting Thomas to feel His flesh and bones to handle Him but at the same time He could walk through walls. I also noticed when Mary ran back and got Paul and John when they looked in they saw nothing but the empty grave clothes and left but when Mary looked in she saw two angels one at the head and one at the foot. It is the only place in scripture you will find angels sitting. Why? Because the work was finished. Mary was the only one sensitive enough to see the angels and the first to see Jesus. Isn't that amazing?

THE HEART IS THE COMPARTMENT OF CHANGE

When God wants your heart to say yes you have no choice. The heart is the compartment of change. Pharoah said no, but God plagued him until he said yes. I like what Proverbs 21:1 says......the Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord, as are the water courses; He turns it which ever way He wills.......no matter how anxious we get about our leaders even if God has to plague them He can change their heart as He wills. That is a comforting thought, beloved. The heart is the compartment of change.

LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil........a famous word from the Lord's prayer..... The Bible not only outlines the plan of salvation beloved but it also outlines the plan of the enemy to lead us into temptation. I often feel pain in my heart when I hear someone whooing an unsaved person into the kingdom with promises that if you just accept Jesus as Savior your life will become a pleasant, trouble free place. That is not the truth friends. The first thing that happened to Jesus was he was led into the wilderness to face the temptation of the enemy. If the enemy did it to Jesus he will do it to you, but the Bible sheds light on the enemies plan .......it always starts with the stimulation of the senses. The plan can be found in James 1:14-15.....but every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed, baited by his own evil desire,lust, passions. Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully matured brings forth death. What a revelation beloved. Evil is first a thought.....what if I did this or that until it begins to manifest.....then the evil is practiced and brings about death. The enemy plants a seed in the imagination and stimulates your senses and emotions. He weakens your will....then you surrender to that will. Remember whatever the devil offers is a counterfeit. God will always make a better offer. Life and that more abundantly. Do you remember what the devil offered Jesus? The kingdoms of the earth...you know why Jesus did not accept the offer other than the ovious one He already owns the kingdoms of the earth. He made a like offer to Eve...you will be like God, she was already like God made in His image. He did not accept because Jesus was sold out. You can not buy someone who is sold out. The Bible says cast down vain imaginations. Be aware of the enemies plan and be sold out for Jesus and be not led into temptation. God bless Linda

6 THINGS GOD HATES...7 ARE AN ABOMINTION

I am sure most of you are aware there are six things God hates and 7 are an abomination, but it is good to bring them to mind occasionally. They are found in Proverbs 6:17-19..... A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that sheds innocent blood. A heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift to run to evil, a false witness that breathes out lies and he who sows discord among his brethren. Just a bit of wisdom.

EXERCISING DOMINION

One of the first commands God gives man in the Bible is to have dominion over the cattle, etc. In the old days cattle was a sign of wealth or money. The size of your herd determined your wealth. Today instead of herds of cattle we have finances. God said take dominion over finances but as usual we have turned it upside down and our finances have dominion over our selves. A famous preacher once said..... we buy things we do not need with money we do not have to impress people we do not like. I remember my mom and dad would save up for special items before they bought them. Today our kids bow to the credit card and have to have what it took their folks 40 years to have. They agree with strangers to pay for the item with interest sometimes mounting to more than the cost of the item. My brother bought a house. 30 year mortgage.......by the time he paid it off with 30 years of his life the bank had took in enough interest to buy 3 houses. Who has dominion here saints of God? I bought an old house in need of repairs with no interest and paid it off in one year. I am still resurrecting the home with frequent repairs but I haven't made any rent or house payments in 15 years. I paid my car off in 3 months. I never make car payments. I save for other necessary expendertures. I am not bragging just giving you an example. Solomon was a wise man and told how to get dominion over finances in Proverbs 6.....my son if you have become security for your neighbor, if you have given your pledge for a stranger or another. You are snared by the words of your lips, you are caught by the speech of your mouth. Do this now and deliver yourself when you have put yourself into the power of your neighbor; go bestir yourself, and beg your neighbor to pay his debt and thereby release you. Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids. Deliver yourself as the gazelle from the hand of the hunter. God says debt is a prison you have casually walked into with the words of your mouth. God says don't even sleep but run from debt as a gazelle. The hunter of a gazelle is the cheetah who can run up to 70 miles an hour. When a gazelle scents a cheetah, the hunter, it runs as if it's life depended on it..... for it does. Get dominion over your finances do not let your finances have dominion over you. EXERCISE DOMINION AS A WISE MAN GOD BLESS, LINDA

STUBBORNESS...A LITTLE KNOWN FACT

Have you ever been stubborn in something whether you were wrong or right? We have all had those times in our lives. I have watched my grandchildren do inappropriate behavior and been banished to the time out corner to consider their actions. Every few minutes Dad would ask, have you changed your mind? I have seen the child answer no in stubbornness in up to two hours or heard them say yes and get up and do it again to be banished to the time out corner again. A test of wills and Dad would be more stubborn than them and not give up until they changed their mind. The Bible says .....stubbornness is as a sin of witchcraft......wow that statement amazed me the first time I heard it. I had never thought of stubbornness being connected with witchcraft. But reflecting on the three tools Satan uses isolation, intimidation and manipulation of course it is a sin of witchcraft or if you will a sign of witchcraft. A little known fact. A sermon seldom preached. Think about it. I love you, Linda

THE 5TH GOSPEL

Isaiah has often been referred to as the fifth gospel because Isaiah speaks as if he knew the Christ personally. He says , unto us a child is born. He speaks as if it had already happened. He says, he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniqitities. He saw the lamb who was slain since the foundations of the world. He saw the glory of the Christ. He knew the power of the lamb of God in an intimate way. Try reading Isaiah again as the fifth gospel. Amazing. Love you, Linda

PREACH IT AGAIN SISTER

I know I have taught this before but H.G. won't leave me alone so I'll preach it again. There was a time in David's life when he was wore out from fleeing from Saul who was trying to kill him. He was tired of running, he was weary with surviving the attacks and running some more. He failed to consult God which is always a recipe for failure, so he made a pack with the enemy king to hang out in his land. He forgot God had other enemies. When he and his men got home they found complete devastation. Their wives and children had been kidnapped, their goods stolen and their houses burned to the ground, nothing left. They cried until they could cry no more. Have you ever been in a place of devastation where you cried until you could cry no more? So alone so tired of the war, so defeated, death would be a step up? After they weeped they decided to kill David. It is always easier to blame someone else and after all he was the leader who had failed them. The world calls what they were going through HIGH IMPACT STRESS. 7 things happen then....years ago I wrote a book called don't feed the demons and that is what high impact stress does....
1. It hinders the ability to focus
2. It hinders the ability to concentrate
3. It decreases the ability to even think about how to move forward
4. It decreases self-confidence
5. It decreases morale
6. It decreases the readiness to maintain the mission
7. It increases irrational thinking

The mob wanted his blood but David got a brilliant idea. Why not consult God? He did and God said in 1 Samuel 30:8 pursue for you shall surely overtake them and you will surely recover all. God always over answers prayer. They recovered wives, children, their goods and the spoils of war from other battles. When you are in that place of high impact stress saints and too wore out to fight just consult God, my friends and pursue, overtake and recover all. Mike Murdock says...when you have nothing left but God you have enough to start over again AMEN!!!!!

GOD'S RECIPE FOR PROSPEROUS SUCESS

HERE I AM WITH 5 BIBLES SPREAD BEFORE ME. I have chosen the amplified to quote from. God's recipe to succeed and prosper. If you need a plumber you do not consult a physician. If you want to succeed and prosper you do not consult a homeless man for advise. If someone were to ask you what is God's recipe for success in one word, could you tell them? I thought of David the man after God's own heart who had great success and prosperity in battle and financially. He wrote most of the Psalms and gave God's recipe for success in the first chapter the first few verses. How is that for getting to the point? Psalms 1:1-3 says..... Blessed,happy, fortunate, prosperous and enviable is the man who walks and lives not in the council of the ungodly following their advise, their plans and purposes, nor stands submissive and inactive in the paths where sinners walk, nor sits down to relax and rest where the scornful and the mockers gather. But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God. He habitually MEDITATES ponders, studies by day and by night. And he shall be like a tree firmly planted and tended by the streams of water, ready to bring forth it's fruit in season; it's leaf also shall not fade or wither and EVERYTHING he does shall prosper and come to maturity. This is a familiar scripture which I am sure some of you have memorized but did you ever get it? God's recipe for success is to MEDITATE. Meditate means to mutter....mutter God's word under your breath.... Fascinating. People feed at church but meditation comes at home and is at the mercy of our own dedication to do the word. This is good teaching friends you ought to say amen. There was another prosperous successful man named Joshua and like David, he gave God's recipe for success in the first chapter of the book in the 7-8verses.....only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do all according to the law which Moses my servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall MEDITATE on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous and then you shall deal wisely and have good success. Wow I'll say it backwards wow. MEDITATE.... GOD'S RECIPE FOR PROSPEROUS SUCCESS. God bless...Linda

TRAINED TO SETTLE

During tea with Him this am my thoughts began to ramble. My grandsons are playing soccer. They are being taught to be competitive team players. Not to be obnoxious winners and to be good losers. Sounds good doesn't it. Then I thought about the word of God. We have trained our children to settle if they lose a battle and try again. Sounds good but I realized God never tells us to settle. He does tell us to try again until we succeed and win the battle against the enemy. He tells us to plan to win...succeed. The enemy was already defeated 2000 years ago by Jesus. The battle is His we just have to show up. We never have to settle for anything less than victory. In these spiritual wars I am determined to be a sore loser and war until I see victory. As the world says it ain't over till the fat lady sings and I intend to sing and praise my way to victory. God bless Linda

EXTRAORDINARY MOVES OF GOD BEGIN WITH ORDINARY ACTS OF OBEDIENCE

Extraordinary moves of God begin with ordinary acts of obedience. That's it beloved, the word of wisdom for today. We tend to get discouraged as Christians because we listen to the testimonies of mega-word preachers telling how God is doing extraordinary things in their lives and their ministries...church growth from 7 families to 10,000 in one year. Two thousand declaring Christ as their savior in one service and we think wow what an awesome move of God. We hear faith healers telling how they are raising brain dead people to life and missing limbs are growing back and they are raising the dead... Wow what a powerful move of God. Maybe you are only a Christian woman writing a devotional blog every day or a dad trying to provide for your family and pay the mortgage. Seems like all you get is one ordinary day after another. It seems you are missing the move of God everyone else is excited about. I say remember Moses . He was on the back side of the desert, taking care of the sheep. They were not even his sheep they belonged to his father-in-law. It was another mundane day for him. Boring........ Then he saw a burning bush and went over to check it out. That began an extraordinary move of God that changed the course of two nations. It changed the faith of the world forever. They impacted the world for God. I repeat...... beloved.... this simple word......Extraordinary moves of God start by ordinary acts of obedience...God bless, Linda

SATAN'S NEW BATTLE PLAN TO DEFEAT CHRISTIANS

Satan's new battle plan to defeat Christians has been revealed. It can be summed up in one word...COMMUNICATIONS. We live in a world centered around communication. We have T.V., radio, I-phones, Internet, text messages,e-mail, CNN, home phones. We are so busy talking to each other, texting each other. If the enemy can keep us busy advising each other we don't have time for prayer, our communication with God to build a relationship with him to get the answers of truth we seek. Sometimes prayer takes time and God makes us wait for the answer, but we are a generation of instant gratification and do not practice patience. If I e-mail you and do not get an answer I can text you again and tell you I need you to text me back but you can not text God and order him to respond. Beware the battle plan of the enemy, beloved.....God bless Linda

SEND OUT THE SINGERS

Music is powerful saints. Words put to music can have life altering effects on all our lives. It can cause life and that more abundantly or it can cause thoughts of suicide and destruction. Did you know Satan was the music minister in heaven. He perverted that gift when he fell. The world pictures him as a devil in a red suit, pointy ears and a forked tail with a sinister scowl on his face when God describes him as the most beautiful of all his creations. He was created with pipes in his sides. Imagine this beautiful creature with organ music radiating out of him. A very differently picture than the world gives. That is why the beat of the music and the words are so powerful. Did you ever notice how some of the biggest battles fought against the enemy were won when God instructed them to send out the singers first. They went out with songs of praise and adoration to the Holy One of Israel. The enemy was defeated. The enemy can not stay where praise and worship live. I learned early on two words that will make the enemy flee is the name of Jesus and the word blood. When the enemy backs me into a corner I come out singing every song I know that has the name of Jesus and the blood in it. The Bible says we overcome the enemy with the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. . The demons left when David played and sang. They have to go, they can not stay. If you are in a battle beloved, SEND OUT THE SINGERS.

CHILD LIKE FAITH

WHAT CHILD LIKE FAITH CAN DO!!!!!!!!
Most of you have heard my testimony of many things but for those of you who have not....I will give it again. If any of you had told me ten years ago I would be a poet, a songwriter or an author of books, if any had told me I would win national and international poetry contests and fly to Reno twice, if any had said I would have my songs recorded by professional artists and sent to the boys in Iraq, if any had told me I would recite my poems on two T.V. Shows, if any had said two of my songs would be made into video's and shown on cable in Hollywood, if any had said I would have a blog on the Internet and reach people for Jesus, if you had said I would be published in national magazines and write 6 articles a week for a newspaper, I would have been like Sarah and laughed in your face. But all these things have come to pass and I am not through yet. I heard a preacher teach on believer's meetings. He asked if we knew what a believers meeting was? He said believers meeting only had believers attending, no one unsaved was there. That we should spend enough time in prayer that when we attended we should not be spectators,but participators having something from God to share with the body...a song, a prophesy, a psalm or a spiritual song. If we wanted God to give us a song we should get in our prayer closet and start praising him with the spirit and with the understanding. We should ask him to give us a song and he would. I went home inspired with child like faith and did as he said and although I prayed that God give me a song I was surprised when he did and so filled with joy. I sang that song from 10 at night till 3 in the morning and I was satisfied. I thought if God never gave me another I had my moment with the SON. But God did give me more... Ten years later I have now written 250 poems songs, and articles, plus over 200 blog devotions. You see, beloved my vision for my life was so small, I could not imagine into God's greater vision for my life. My vision was to serve God and my family. Be a good mother, grandmother, great grandmother and share the faith with those who walked through my life. God had bigger plans for my destiny. Plans I could never imagine. I remember once asking God how I could write and get published? You see I live in a small farming community with no opportunities. His reply was you have everything you need in your own backyard. What a concept to me. God saw endless opportunities while I saw none. I challenge you to see with child like faith beyond your limited vision into God's vision for your life. Every thing you need is in your own backyard in your child like faith. God bless Linda

A MAN OF AUDACIOUS FAITH

If I were to ask you to tell me something you know about Joshua, most of you would answer...Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down...some of you would answer he was one of 12 spies sent into the promise land. Let us review Joshua's life for a moment. He was born into slavery and delivered by God into the wilderness where he developed a relationship with God over 40 year period of time. He was one of the spies who came back with a good report. God told him when he entered the promised land he would give him the land every where his foot touched and named the boundaries and he would deliver his enemies into his hands for the rest of his life. When he was fighting mighty enemies the sun was about to go down and the enemy was about to escape into the shadows to torment them another day and this man of audacious faith prayed that God would make the SUN STAND STILL. Can you imagine that kind of faith. God honored his request and the SUN STOOD STILL for almost 24 hours until the enemy was utterly destroyed. I remember reading an article about the space scientists in Houston, Texas having a problem with the computers. They had a missing day in history and all the scholars could not find it and then a man of faith reminded them of the Biblical day when Joshua asked God to make...THE SUN STAND STILL. They found their missing day and then the computer program worked. We have many prayer requests in our life where we need to pray a ...SUN STAND STILL PRAYER. A time where the enemy is about to slip into the shadows to return and rend us again. We too can be men and women of God with the audacious faith of Joshua and command the SUN TO STAND STILL IN OUR SITUATION. If he did it for Joshua he can do it for you!

EVERY KING NEEDS A PROPHET

Every King needs a prophet, every leader needs a prophet who tells the truth. It is up to the King to decide if he will listen to the man of God. Ever since I heard this word... Every King needs a prophet.... My prayer life has changed. We are instructed to pray for the leaders of our government. The Bible says God has appointed those in power. He appointed a pharaoh to set his people free after much affliction. The King's had prophets, the church had prophets. Obedience to the word of the prophet brought victory and blessings to the nations. Disobedience could cause the death of a King. My prayer for the leadership in our churches, cities and nation are Lord send a prophet to those in leadership who will speak the words of truth and light. God bless, Linda




The Good Shepherd
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w5/March 07

AN ILLEGITIMATE SON CAN LIFT YOU OUT OF THE PIT

An illegitimate son can lift you out of the pit. We all know the story of Ismael the illegitimate son of Abraham and Issac the legitimate son of Abraham. The two son have been at war with each other for generations unto this day. I think of how Joesph and his brothers were legitimate sons. The brothers were jealous and had murder on their hearts. They threw Joseph in a pit intending to murder him and a caravan of Ismaelites came by. They bought Joseph, lifted him out of the pit. Of course it was strictly business to them. They resold him on the slave market for a profit never realizing they had saved the promise of God on a journey to his destiny. He became the 2nd in command over Egypt, a country of illegitimate sons who became blessed because Joesph the living word of God's vision was there. Every thing he set his hand to was blessed. Several nations in fact. He impacted the world and saved ligimate and illegitimate sons. My point being if you are on your way to the destiny God has appointed to your life, God's word can not return void. If he has to use an illegitimate son to bring you out of the pit, he will. Sooooo rejoice an be glad beloved.

BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

How many times have you been between a rock and a hard place? A place you can not get out of in your own power. A place of desolation. A place without hope. It occurred to me the other day that place is a lie. That place does not exist as long as your rock is Jesus. Then there is hope. Then that hopeless place becomes a place where faith is. Then that rock becomes a victory and the hard place becomes a testimony. I love you guys....God bless, Linda

A LIFE CHANGING WORD

Through out the Bible we are given examples of men and women of audacious faith who dared to believe God could perform the impossible. I want to give you a word today that will change your life and increase your vision. If your vision does not intimidate you there is a good chance it is insulting to God.....let me repeat....if your vision does not intimidate you there is a good chance it is insulting to God....let me repeat.... If your vision does not intimidate you there is a good chance it is insulting to God!!!. I have made this statement three times because if these words are repeated three times it is more likely they will be engraved on your heart and moved by audacious faith to change your life. I remember one time God said your harvest is coming in, Linda. I said, oh goody, I'll get my wheelbarrow and God said you're thinking too small, get a dump truck. I was thinking home garden wheel barrow harvest to benefit my household but God was thinking truck garden harvest to benefit the world....I repeat... If your vision does not intimidate you it is probably insulting to God.

HERO'S OF FAITH

The 11th chapter of Hebrews is called the faith chapter of the Bible. I call it the hall of faith. Only two of the hero's of faith were women. Not women you would think to chose. One was Sarah. Sarah had to be forced into her faith. She was 90 years old and the time of women was over. Her womb was dead. When she first heard the promise of God that she would bear a man child she laughed. She knew it was impossible. A few years passed and her womb was still barren so she decided to help God and sent her husband to her handmaid to bear a son through her and then the impossible became possible and she bore her son, yet the faith chapter calls her a hero of the faith.....through faith Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed..... The other woman was Rahab, the harlot. She is always referred to as Rahab the harlot. She was called by name with her profession tacked on behind. There was no escaping who she was. She lived in Jericho. She hid the spy's, asked for her family to be saved and asked that they remember her. They told her to hang a red rope out her window and her and her family would be saved on the day of battle. She told the spy's that she had heard of the mighty works of their God and believed. She had never seen his works only heard of them. In those days harlots had to paint their windows red so every one would know this was a harlots house. Picture this... The window is painted red and a red rope is hanging down and she has applied the sign of the bloody cross of salvation. Yes! The rope was made of flax from the roof. The other place in the Bible flax is mentioned is in Proverbs 31 the virtuous woman. Her community calls her harlot and God labels her a virtuous woman of faith. I also find it interesting that James mentions only two heroes of faith...Abraham the father of faith and Rahab the harlot. My point being no matter what the world labels us God can make the impossible possible due to audacious faith.



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