Why was everyone staring at him?
One man's eyes were bulging out of his head, just as wide and unblinking as locust's eyes. A woman's jaw hug open, and a child had literally screamed loudly before running away. A number of people wouldn't even come close to him, and young woman hide behind their husbands and fathers.
And they were all looking at him.
Odd.
The sun beat against Moses' back, and he waved to Aaron. His brother moved in unison with the people, slowly moving backwards. The shadows of the people jutted out behind them, bobbing up and down on the sandy sea as they moved away from him.
Wait... Where was his shadow?
"Aaron, what is going on with you and the people?"
"Your face?"
"What about my face?" He took a few more steps towards them.
"It's glowing!"
He stopped. That wasn't one he was expecting. The corners of his mouth pulled up, and he started laughing. Now it was their turn to stop.
A man pointed at him. "He's gone mad!" A hum of agreement followed.
"What's so funny?" Aaron said.
"It's the glory of God!" He through his hands into the air. "The glory of God is making my face glow because the Lord spoke with me."
Based on Exodus 34:29-33
You guys know this story. Moses goes up the mountain for the second time to get the Ten Commandments. He comes down the mountain, ready to work, but all the people were scared of him. The Bible says they were afraid to come near him, and that Moses had to call them back. Even after he talked with them, Moses had to wear a veil over his face because it was still so bright.
"Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed." Psalm 34:5
This is one of my new favorite verses, and when I read it, I immediately thought of this story with Moses.
I want a radiant face. Not because of beauty or makeup. Not related to the world's standards. I want a radiant face because of God and His glory. The kind of face Moses had.
Moses looked to God. He trusted in God. God was his source. You could see that on his face. There was no shame from not trusting in God, overpowering sin, or not having a real relationship with God.
If you make anything a spiritual goal this year, it should be this: having a radiant, God-glory face. Moses spoke with God face to face, and had one of the most intimate relationships with God. If you make your relationship with God a priority, then you will have a face glowing from God's glory with no traces of shame.
V. Joy Palmer
"Open my eyes, that I might see Wondrous things things from Your law." Psalm 119:18
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Monday, January 5, 2015
"Taking Care Of Business"
And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He opened the book, He found the place
where it was written:
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me to preach
the gospel to the poor;
the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To preach deliverance to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed,
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord."
Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Luke 4:17-21
Jesus stood up in front of every one and announced to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." He was announcing not only His intent, but was declaring to them that the Spirit of the Sovereign God had equipped Him to 'take care of business' and that it was His intent to fulfill that purpose. Mankind was about to be set free!
Jesus Himself had recently come from His encounter with the Holy Spirit when He descended upon Him while being baptized in the Jordon River and then His time in the wilderness where He easily resisted the temptations that the enemy had put before Him. So, is it any wonder that when He hit Nazareth, His first words were the declaration, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me," and then the purpose for this anointing, "Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To preach deliverance to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." All of which He fulfilled in the lives of everyone He came in contact with as well as in the lives of you and I who are also called by His name in today's generation.
The thing is, you and I have a similar mission in the earth today. No, we don't have to pay for the sins of the world while we die on a cross but we do still need to be able to declare, like Jesus, that the Spirit of the Lord God is upon us and it is still for the same reason. ... God's heart is still the same .... to set men free from the law of sin and death and it is our job as His disciples to still declare to those we meet, "The kingdom of God is at hand." It is our job as His disciples to go forth in the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit and touch every life we can for the kingdom.
In Matthew 10:1 it says ... "And when He called His disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease." Jesus gave them power (anointed them with the Holy Spirit) and sent them out and as He was preparing them to go, He gave them these instructions, "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." Matthew 10:7-8
So, as His disciple, here, now, in the earth today, I'm here to declare to you, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, and He has anointed me to preach the gospel message to all who will listen! As I go, I will preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' I will heal the
sick in His mighty name. I will cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and even cast out demons where necessary. I will go where the Spirit of the Lord God leads and do what the Spirit of God says because ...where the Spirit of the Lord is; there is freedom. Freedom that sets men and women free from anything and everything that keeps them captive; or rather, separated from knowing the love of God!"
Sunday, January 4, 2015
"King Of Glory!"
Psalm 24:7-10
Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O you gates!
And lift them up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts.
He is the King of glory.
O Lord, You are the King of glory! Come in, Lord Jesus! Come in and DO a greater work in and through us who are called by Your name, as we seek to know You more and more. Take us deeper into the realms of Your kingdom. O Lord, our King of glory take us into a deeper revelation of You as we go from gory to glory in Your Presence! Lord, You are the King of glory! Amen
Staff of Snack Time Devotions
Saturday, January 3, 2015
The Not-so-Easy Situation
He shook his head. "I can't do this."
Yet he was walking that way.
"This is insane. He's going to have my head." Nathan looked up into the clear blue sky. "He's going to kill me if I do this. He's the king."
Nothing. Just that stirring in his soul to go, do, and say.
Nathan had been sitting at home, tending to his duties, when it came over him. The tingling sensation started in his heart, and worked it's way to his fingers and toes. Increasing in intensity, the feeling consumed the inside of his soul.
Then the words started to flow.
Whenever Nathan heard from the Lord, he always longed for more.
Not this time.
This time, he wanted nothing to do with the word the Lord had given him. A reprimand is hard enough. Reprimanding the King for his despicable sin was an entirely different story.
If you don't, who will?
"You could, Lord," Nathan mumbled.
I called you.
"Yes. I'm so thankful for that, Lord."
I will be with you.
He had heard this several times from the Lord. He would be with him. So despite the fact that his head said this was a terrible idea, he was going. The Lord had called him to reprimand King David for his sin.
He sucked in a deep breath as the bustling Jerusalem came into view. He wove through the buildings, and he marched up to the soldiers guarding the palace. "I need to see the King. I am Nathan the prophet, and I have a message from the Lord."
The soldiers exchanged a glance. The tall burly one waved him forward with his hand. "Come with me." He led Nathan down several long halls before they arrived at an intricately carved door. The soldier knocked before entering, then bowed low.
"You have a visitor, my lord." King David looked up from the maps he had been studying. Nathan sucked in a deep breath. This was it. King David gave a slight nod to his soldier, indicating that he should leave them alone.
"Nathan," King David started to say, but he held up his hand.
"I've a story to tell you."
Based on 2 Samuel 12:1a
So last blog, we talked about how even leaders screw up in their walk with God. The important part is that they recognize that when they are called on the carpet, and repent.
I didn't feel like we were done talking about this topic. God gave me more.
So, I started thinking/God brought Nathan the prophet back to mind. I started thinking about the difficult situation he had been thrown into with King David.
Nothing. Just that stirring in his soul to go, do, and say.
Nathan had been sitting at home, tending to his duties, when it came over him. The tingling sensation started in his heart, and worked it's way to his fingers and toes. Increasing in intensity, the feeling consumed the inside of his soul.
Then the words started to flow.
Whenever Nathan heard from the Lord, he always longed for more.
Not this time.
This time, he wanted nothing to do with the word the Lord had given him. A reprimand is hard enough. Reprimanding the King for his despicable sin was an entirely different story.
If you don't, who will?
"You could, Lord," Nathan mumbled.
I called you.
"Yes. I'm so thankful for that, Lord."
I will be with you.
He had heard this several times from the Lord. He would be with him. So despite the fact that his head said this was a terrible idea, he was going. The Lord had called him to reprimand King David for his sin.
He sucked in a deep breath as the bustling Jerusalem came into view. He wove through the buildings, and he marched up to the soldiers guarding the palace. "I need to see the King. I am Nathan the prophet, and I have a message from the Lord."
The soldiers exchanged a glance. The tall burly one waved him forward with his hand. "Come with me." He led Nathan down several long halls before they arrived at an intricately carved door. The soldier knocked before entering, then bowed low.
"You have a visitor, my lord." King David looked up from the maps he had been studying. Nathan sucked in a deep breath. This was it. King David gave a slight nod to his soldier, indicating that he should leave them alone.
"Nathan," King David started to say, but he held up his hand.
"I've a story to tell you."
Based on 2 Samuel 12:1a
So last blog, we talked about how even leaders screw up in their walk with God. The important part is that they recognize that when they are called on the carpet, and repent.
I didn't feel like we were done talking about this topic. God gave me more.
So, I started thinking/God brought Nathan the prophet back to mind. I started thinking about the difficult situation he had been thrown into with King David.
It wasn't an easy situation. He had been called to reprimand the King. A holy, God-given reprimand can be hard enough, but to have to deliver such a message to the King, that's absolutely terrifying. David literally had the power to kill Nathan.
My point is, it's not easy to deliver that kind of a reprimand, and it's insanely hard to tell someone in any type of authority over you that they have made a mistake.
"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16
If someone will hear the correction, and realize that God is using the messenger, then that person will grow spiritually.
If that person doesn't hear the correction because they were never given the message, the messenger is also in trouble.
If you take an important phone message for someone, but you never deliver the message about where the other person was supposed to go or what they were supposed to do, then it's not their fault. They didn't know they were supposed to change the dog food or pick up the kids from school. Obviously this is more serious then a missed phone message, but do you see my point? The messenger needs to deliver whatever message God has given to them.
It's not always easy, but you have to be faithful to what God has called you to do. Look at Balaam. He knew God's voice, but he pushed and pushed for his own way, and it almost cost him his life. What about Jonah? When Jonah tried to run away to get out of delivering the message God had given him, he was swallowed by a whale. What about Elijah? He was scared, fed-up, and angry with all the people coming after him for delivering God's word. It is not an easy job!
But if you are not faithful to the call, then who will be? Not only that, you are responsible for the repercussions of not delivering God's message. It's not an easy job, but sometimes you are the one called to do it. You need to be faithful to deliver the message despite who the person is and how they respond.
V. Joy Palmer
My point is, it's not easy to deliver that kind of a reprimand, and it's insanely hard to tell someone in any type of authority over you that they have made a mistake.
"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16
If someone will hear the correction, and realize that God is using the messenger, then that person will grow spiritually.
If that person doesn't hear the correction because they were never given the message, the messenger is also in trouble.
If you take an important phone message for someone, but you never deliver the message about where the other person was supposed to go or what they were supposed to do, then it's not their fault. They didn't know they were supposed to change the dog food or pick up the kids from school. Obviously this is more serious then a missed phone message, but do you see my point? The messenger needs to deliver whatever message God has given to them.
It's not always easy, but you have to be faithful to what God has called you to do. Look at Balaam. He knew God's voice, but he pushed and pushed for his own way, and it almost cost him his life. What about Jonah? When Jonah tried to run away to get out of delivering the message God had given him, he was swallowed by a whale. What about Elijah? He was scared, fed-up, and angry with all the people coming after him for delivering God's word. It is not an easy job!
But if you are not faithful to the call, then who will be? Not only that, you are responsible for the repercussions of not delivering God's message. It's not an easy job, but sometimes you are the one called to do it. You need to be faithful to deliver the message despite who the person is and how they respond.
V. Joy Palmer
Friday, January 2, 2015
"He Has Called You ..."
Today as I prayed about what to share with you two verses have not only come to mind but have firmly implanted themselves in both my mind and my spirit even as I went about the business of my day.
The first is: Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. Psalm 2:8
And the second: "...Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther 5:14
Both verses are well known and quoted often with an intent to inspire the recipient to move out in faith and to pursue obedience in doing the will of God. Today is no different.
The fact is that we are here, in this time, in this day, in this hour and it is not a mistake! For such a time as this He has called us to walk in the authority He has given us. The truth is Easter was the Queen! His queen. His beloved, and when she entered his chamber it was as his queen, but it was also with the attitude that had surrendered the outcome to his will with the words, "if I perish, I perish." In Easter, chapter 5, we see the results of her willingness to surrender and fulfill the purposes of God in her life. It says that she put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace and then --- she waited. She didn't push her way in. She didn't demand anything. She just waited, as his Queen, clothed in her royal garments, surrendered to whatever he decided would happen next. ...So it was, when the king saw Queen Easter standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Easter the golden scepter that was in His hand. Then Easter went near and touched the top of the scepter. And the king said to her, "What do you wish? What is your request? It shall be given to you -- up to half my kingdom!"
Because she hadn't seen him in a while, Easter was unsure, insecure even as to her reception from the king. While his immediate response is one of pleasure at the sight of her. He immediately holds out his scepter to her and she moves forward and touches the top of the scepter indicating her surrender to his authority. His heart is full of favor towards her and realizing she has a need he immediately seeks to reassure her that he desires to meet her need. He asks, "What do you wish?" What is your request? It shall be given to you -- up to half my kingdom!"
We need to understand just like Easter we are in a day and an hour when our surrender to the King's will matters. He has called us to be His Beloved! We need to enter His presence clothed in our garments of praise, our robes of righteousness, and we need to approach Him with an attitude of surrender!
Easter, the woman, was insecure as she approached her king, unsure of his love, his devotion toward her. You and I don't have to be insecure or unsure. He has called us, "His Beloved." He has called us, "His very own." He has called us, "for such a time as this" and we know that it is His heart to bless us!
He has called you to such a time as this, Beloved! His desire is to show you His favor, His pleasure, and He is saying to you, "Ask of Me, and I will give You not only the nations for Your inheritance, And (But) the ends of the earth for Your possession as well!"
Beloved, live surrendered to the King! Know that, "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon He has given you!" Joshua 1:3
Walk confidently knowing that where you go, He goes! You are His Beloved and He will never leave you nor forsake you!
The first is: Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. Psalm 2:8
And the second: "...Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther 5:14
Both verses are well known and quoted often with an intent to inspire the recipient to move out in faith and to pursue obedience in doing the will of God. Today is no different.
The fact is that we are here, in this time, in this day, in this hour and it is not a mistake! For such a time as this He has called us to walk in the authority He has given us. The truth is Easter was the Queen! His queen. His beloved, and when she entered his chamber it was as his queen, but it was also with the attitude that had surrendered the outcome to his will with the words, "if I perish, I perish." In Easter, chapter 5, we see the results of her willingness to surrender and fulfill the purposes of God in her life. It says that she put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace and then --- she waited. She didn't push her way in. She didn't demand anything. She just waited, as his Queen, clothed in her royal garments, surrendered to whatever he decided would happen next. ...So it was, when the king saw Queen Easter standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Easter the golden scepter that was in His hand. Then Easter went near and touched the top of the scepter. And the king said to her, "What do you wish? What is your request? It shall be given to you -- up to half my kingdom!"
Because she hadn't seen him in a while, Easter was unsure, insecure even as to her reception from the king. While his immediate response is one of pleasure at the sight of her. He immediately holds out his scepter to her and she moves forward and touches the top of the scepter indicating her surrender to his authority. His heart is full of favor towards her and realizing she has a need he immediately seeks to reassure her that he desires to meet her need. He asks, "What do you wish?" What is your request? It shall be given to you -- up to half my kingdom!"
We need to understand just like Easter we are in a day and an hour when our surrender to the King's will matters. He has called us to be His Beloved! We need to enter His presence clothed in our garments of praise, our robes of righteousness, and we need to approach Him with an attitude of surrender!
Easter, the woman, was insecure as she approached her king, unsure of his love, his devotion toward her. You and I don't have to be insecure or unsure. He has called us, "His Beloved." He has called us, "His very own." He has called us, "for such a time as this" and we know that it is His heart to bless us!
He has called you to such a time as this, Beloved! His desire is to show you His favor, His pleasure, and He is saying to you, "Ask of Me, and I will give You not only the nations for Your inheritance, And (But) the ends of the earth for Your possession as well!"
Beloved, live surrendered to the King! Know that, "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon He has given you!" Joshua 1:3
Walk confidently knowing that where you go, He goes! You are His Beloved and He will never leave you nor forsake you!
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Hope for the New Year
Today is January 1st, New Year's Day, and we have just started a brand new year. Many of us have just set resolutions for this year. Most of it is stuff like weight and job related issues, but a few of us have resolved things about our relationship with God. Like to be bolder about spreading the Gospel, or to spend more time with God than we do now.
I would like to encourage you in these things. All resolutions are hard, because you are really looking to change established routines in your life. Routines aren't a bad thing, if you have established some good ones. But you must remember not to limit God to your routine.
God shouldn't be limited to the twenty minutes you take in the morning to read your Bible, or the ten minutes where you read off your wish list of prayers. Growth in your relationship with God comes from the time you spend with Him on top of your regular routine. Your free worship, your open dialogues with Him, these are the times when you are allowing Him to move freely in your life. These are the times when you are truly listening.
This year, find the time to be that set apart people that the Bible speaks about.
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."
1st Peter 2:9
God can and will do awesome things in your life this year, if you step out of His way and let Him.
Sam
I would like to encourage you in these things. All resolutions are hard, because you are really looking to change established routines in your life. Routines aren't a bad thing, if you have established some good ones. But you must remember not to limit God to your routine.
God shouldn't be limited to the twenty minutes you take in the morning to read your Bible, or the ten minutes where you read off your wish list of prayers. Growth in your relationship with God comes from the time you spend with Him on top of your regular routine. Your free worship, your open dialogues with Him, these are the times when you are allowing Him to move freely in your life. These are the times when you are truly listening.
This year, find the time to be that set apart people that the Bible speaks about.
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."
1st Peter 2:9
God can and will do awesome things in your life this year, if you step out of His way and let Him.
Sam
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
"His Likeness"
"He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30
With a new year beginning I had a thought that I wanted to share with you. It begins with the following:
I don't know about you but my first reaction when I read this was to find it more than a little bit humorous. But! And I do mean BUT in a big way. It is actually illuminating a very real truth. A truth that I personally want to take into the New Year in a much bigger way than I ever have before....."He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30
One of my favorite verses is Psalm 17:15 and it says "...As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness." To come into that place where my thoughts and deeds look more and more like Jesus is to say the least, my hearts desire. I dare say it is many of yours as well. The truth is, the only way for it to happen is for us to surrender more to His leading, or rather His will in our lives, the same way that Jesus was surrendered to the Father's.
Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. John 5:19
My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. John 4:34
For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 6:38
I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgement is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. John 5:30
I love that Jesus, the Son of Man, is the perfect example of all things for us!
If Jesus was as it says in Hebrews 1:3 (NIV) "...the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being" because He was surrendered not only to the will of the Father but to His working through Him in everything that He said and did then ...?
I'm not making an official New Years Resolution but what I am saying is that personally, I am determined to be more resolute in my resolve to 'awake in His likeness.' I am determined to let His will be done in both my words and my deeds as I surrender to the author and finisher of my faith! Why? Because I KNOW that :
God Bless!!!
With a new year beginning I had a thought that I wanted to share with you. It begins with the following:

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 17:15 and it says "...As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness." To come into that place where my thoughts and deeds look more and more like Jesus is to say the least, my hearts desire. I dare say it is many of yours as well. The truth is, the only way for it to happen is for us to surrender more to His leading, or rather His will in our lives, the same way that Jesus was surrendered to the Father's.
Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. John 5:19
My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. John 4:34
For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 6:38
I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgement is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. John 5:30
I love that Jesus, the Son of Man, is the perfect example of all things for us!
If Jesus was as it says in Hebrews 1:3 (NIV) "...the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being" because He was surrendered not only to the will of the Father but to His working through Him in everything that He said and did then ...?
I'm not making an official New Years Resolution but what I am saying is that personally, I am determined to be more resolute in my resolve to 'awake in His likeness.' I am determined to let His will be done in both my words and my deeds as I surrender to the author and finisher of my faith! Why? Because I KNOW that :
God Bless!!!
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