Amanuensis

1 Samuel 8:19-20 But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”

And so my children….you always want to be like everyone else. Yet, you are not like everyone else. You are my chosen children. You have chosen to believe in me, you have chosen to follow me, and so you have chosen to be different from the rest of the world. Why do you look to the world for advice, for examples, for guidance?  Why do you want to fit in? Why do you want the world’s admiration, the world’s attention? You have the best advice available- my Spirit living inside of you. You have the best example of all time – my Son. You have the best guidance – my Word. You do fit in – where it matters – you are my children, my family.  You do have the admiration that counts – the admiration of those who also love and follow me. You do have the only attention that matters – mine. Why do you seek anything else?  Do you not see that nothing else satisfies? Do you not see that, while any or all of what you seek from the world may satisfy for a moment, that it is only for a moment? Do you not yet understand what is important – what is lasting – what is eternal? (2022)

2 Kings 5:9-15 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.  Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant.”

Does it seem so much that I, who created all, can multiply food supplies? Or that I, through my prophet, can bring back the dead to life? Or that I can cure leprosy? And really, don’t you see that Elisha’s actions, and Naaman’s actions – none of that was really necessary for me to do what I wanted. I could raise the dead without anyone’s help. I can cure leprosy without the person dipping in a river. But I do that so people will see and understand and believe. So now, you profess to believe in me. Can I not do anything in your life that I choose? Trust me. I will help you to change your life for the better. I will honor all your attempts at obedience. Just trust me. Naaman almost forfeited being cured because of his pride and his expectations as to how I would do things. He expected Elisha to meet with him in person, to waive his hand and Naaman would be cured. Don’t make the same mistakes. You don’t have any idea how I will do the things I will do in your life. And, I don’t have to appear before you to do them. Do you believe? Really believe?  (2005)

2 Kings 1:15-16 The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king. He told the king, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!”

Just as I had Elijah ask King Ahab, “Is there no God in Israel?” I ask you – have you no God? Why do you turn to things, events, the world for your answers? Do I not still exist? If you wish the right answers, if you wish your life to really work, turn to Me. No one but Me. I am the way, the truth and the life. You need nothing and no one else. You have lost your first love. Return to Me, and you will be restored. I haven’t gone anywhere, I am not going anywhere. I’m right here waiting for you to return. I do love you, my child. Nothing will change that, no matter what you do. I love you. Simple. Unchanging. Eternal truth. So stop letting your brain run wild. Submit your thoughts to Me and I will make them healthy and uplifting. I can and I will. (2005)

Romans 4:2-3 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

Everyone has specific gifts, specific tasks to perform. I have created you for certain things. Just learn to stay close to me and listen to me, and you will know what I have for you. Salvation comes by My grace, because of your faith in me. It has nothing to do with what you do or do not do. Yes, I want you to take better care of yourself. But, you will not lose my love or your salvation if you don’t do it. You will not enjoy as close a relationship with me as you could, but I will not leave you, will not forsake you, will not punish you. I love you. That will not change. You have my presence in your life purely by your faith in me. Nothing else. You can’t earn it other than by virtue of your faith.  (2005)

2 Kings 17:15  They worshiped worthless idols and became worthless themselves. They followed the example of the nations around them disobeying the Lord’s command not to imitate them. 

Watch yourself, see how much you follow those of the world. How much are you obeying me? How much of your life is patterned after my Word, and how much after what is around you on this earth? Watch you don’t become as worthless as the Israelites were to me at this point. Just as I allowed my people to be conquered and carried off to Assyria, so you, too, will be carried off by whatever it is that you follow. How far away from me are you right now? How much farther do you wish to go? You have strayed from me, from my path. You have allowed the sinful desires and practices of this world to distract and mislead you. Be careful. Take note of what happens after time. Are you not afraid of becoming even more enslaved to your lusts and desires, to this world? You should be. Just as wrong as it was for the new settlers in Israel to worship idols in my towns, so is it wrong for you to worship me in my Church, while bowing to idols in your life. (2005)

Judges 19:19-47

v. 19-21  So the Israelites left early the next morning and camped near Gibeah. Then they advanced toward Gibeah to attack the men of Benjamin. But Benjamin’s warriors, who were defending the town, came out and killed 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day. 

v. 24-25 So the next day they went out again to fight against the men of Benjamin, but the man of Benjamin killed another 18,000 Israelites, all of whom were experienced with the sword. 

v. 28-29 The Israelites asked the Lord, “Should we fight against Benjamin again, or should we stop?” The Lord said, “Go! Tomorrow I will hand them over to you.”

v. 46-47 So that day the tribe of Benjamin lost 25,000 strong warriors armed with swords, leaving only 600 men who escaped to the rock of Rimmon, where they lived for four months.

You see don’t you? And it makes your heart sad. I understand. Battling evil requires loss. Battling evil cannot be done without losing lives. Warriors die. Today’s warriors do not necessarily hold conventional weapons. All of my warriors, however, do hold one weapon – Truth. I am the weapon. I am what they seek to destroy. I am everything they hate in you. You have my strength. You have my wisdom. You have my discernment – all available to you through the Holy Spirit who lives inside of you. I cannot say your human life is protected fully. But I can say that what is truly important – your eternal soul – that is protected and cannot be defeated or taken from you. For I hold it in my care. You turned it over to me when you accepted me as your God, as your Lord, as your Savior. It is mine. And that is why you are at war. Your enemy – my enemy – wants your souls. And I will not give them over. (2022)

Judges 17:6 In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

That is exactly what always happens when man has no king. When I am ignored, when I am not established on the throne of your hearts, when there are no objective standards nor moral rules, man can only follow his “heart”. Remember, the heart is wicked all by itself. Yet, your world lives by the standard that one should “follow your heart”. That everyone should be free to fulfill their desires. That everyone should be supported in their choices, no matter how evil. So long as I am rejected, so long as I am not present in your daily lives, so long as you choose not to have relationship with me, this is what you will get. Chaos. Crime. Hatred. Self-pleasure. Self-seeking. Addiction. Broken relationships. Decimated families. Governments that do not work to protect or serve their citizens, but themselves. War. Famine. Destruction. When the only ruling factor for lives is self-seeking and feeling good and personal “fulfillment”, you are doomed to destroy yourselves and everything around you. There is yet time, but very very little. Fight, child. Fight the evil that has taken almost complete control of your world. I am with you. I will be by your side. It will not be easy, it is dangerous, but it is necessary. (2022)

Ezekiel 7:1-3, 19 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to the land of Israel: The end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land! The end is now upon you, and I will unleash my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices” “They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be treated as a thing unclean. Their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath. It will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs, for it has caused them to stumble into sin.”

Do you see how Ezekiel’s warning to the Israelites pertains to you, also. Your “things” will not help you in the end. It is worthless trash compared to your salvation, your relationship with me. You have much, and I have given it to you. But you are so wrapped up in the things of life on this earth that you are forgetting what is really real – eternity. You are forgetting and forsaking what is important – knowing me, obeying me, being my child. When will you remember that everything you have been focusing on for the last few years is perishable – is in truth nothing. I am eternal. Your time with me – or without me – will be forever, endless. What do you want to obtain – what do you want to attain during these years that I will give you? Do you want to have a perfect house? A nice car? A job that will make you feel good, useful, etc.? Or do you want to know me? To understand what is important? To live a life of righteousness, where you are always comfortable around me? Do you want to prepare for an eternity spent with me – or just a few “comfortable” years spent on earth? Decide child. Though I will always be here, you are losing opportunity. And your time could end at any moment. 

Your level of maturity has slipped. It can be restored, but it does not just appear. You will have to work for it. I want you to be mature in my word. Mature in your thought processes. Mature in your decisions. Mature enough to overcome your emotions and make good choices. I will give you wisdom and maturity. But you must seek me in order to avail yourself of these gifts.  (2005)

Psalm 13:1-6 

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
    lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
    because he has dealt bountifully with me.

This psalm should be the cry of your heart. You “enemy” does defeat you – whenever you listen to him and do what is wrong. Or allow yourself to continue to get less and less well. Or when you don’t start your day with me, as you are today. Cry out to me. I hear you. I will answer. Continue to cry out. You have allowed patterns to be established in your life. They will take work to be gone. I will help you. Trust me. Ask me. Then stay close to me so you can benefit from my answers. I do love you, child. (2005)

2 Kings 4:42-44  One day a man from Baal-shalishah brought the man of God a sack of fresh grain and twenty loaves of barley bread made from the first grain of his harvest. Elisha said, “Give it to the people so they can eat.”

“What?” his servant exclaimed. “Feed a hundred people with only this?” But Elisha repeated, “Give it to the people so they can eat, for this is what the Lord says: Everyone will eat, and there will even be some left over!” And when they gave it to the people, there was plenty for all and some left over, just as the Lord had promised.

As was true for Elisha, so it is true for you. I will provide for You always. There will be plenty for you, and some left over – so that you can share with others less fortunate. Do not worry. Have I not said I would not leave nor forsake you? Have I not promised to care for you? So it will be. Stay peaceful. (2005)