"More Than Enough"

As I was reading Luke 15 this morning I ran across a word that I would like to take a look at. It can be found in Verse 17 ...But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my Father's hired servants have bread enough to spare, and I perish with hunger!' 

I know that people usually are looking at the two sons or the Father when reading the parable of the prodigal son but today the Lord brought my attention to the 'hired servants' and how good even they had it under this particular Father.

Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into the fields to feed the swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself...' The young man realized that he didn't even have it as good as the swine he was feeding and in that moment he remembered how good even the hired servants in his Father's house had it. He said to himself, 'How many of my Father's hired servants have bread enough to spare, and I perish with hunger!' Did you catch this phrase...'have bread enough to spare?'

The word I want to share with you today is the word enough. Enough; (4052) to superabound (in quantity or quality) to be in excess, be superfluous, to cause to superabound or excel. You know what that tells me? This Father is one generous employer! The son remembered how generous his Father had been even with the hired servants. He knew that they didn't have just what they needed to get by but that they even had an excess amount, or as he put it, 'bread to spare!'

When I was looking the word enough up I also noticed that it was used twice in Genesis 33 by 2 different people and that it had 2 different meanings. The first was in verse 9 and it is Esau talking to Jacob ...But Esau said, "I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself." It is the word rab; 7227; it means abundance (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality) So basically Esau was telling his brother, "I have an abundance or a lot go ahead and keep it. I don't have a need for it."

The second time it is used is in verse 11 by Jacob when he responds and says, "Please, take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough." And he urged him, and he took it. This time the word is kwol; 3605; and it means the whole; hence all, any or every. It comes from a root word 3634 that simply means; to complete and is translated as (make) perfect. So while Esau is saying he has an abundance or a lot; Jacob is claiming that God has dealt so graciously with him that he has the complete, right perfect amount. He has it all.

We, as His people need to know, beyond a shadow of doubt that, He is "Enough!"  He is my all in all! He is the abundance that provides all my needs. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you! isn't just empty words. Its a promise that we can depend on the fact that He is the 'enough' we need! He is the enough that completes us!

The young man had it right. Its better to be a hired servant in the house of his Father than to spend one more moment attached to a citizen of the world struggling to get by. Why? Because in the Father's house there is always ENOUGH!

O Lord God, a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in Your house, O God, than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For You, O Lord God are a sun and a shield; You give grace and glory; No good thing will You withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, Blessed am I as I trust in You! Psalm 84:10-12

Check out http://snackpackdevotionsforkidz.blogspot.com

Following us on Facebook  or Twitter options are now available!

The Distractions at Hand

"My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" King Joash wept openly. It was mid-afternoon, and Joash was with Elisha. He was kneeling beside Elisha's sick bed. Joash knew that he wasn't going to make it. He probably wouldn't live through the night.

The old man patted his shoulder, and Joash lifted his head, looking at him through bleary eyes. "Take a bow and arrows." Elisha lifted one finger, and pointed past his head.

Really? He's dying, and he's going to do this now? Nevertheless, Joash retrieved the bow and arrows at Elisha's biding. He laid them on the bed beside Elisha.

Elisha placed his gray hand over Joash's hand. "Open the window eastward."

Sighing, Joash opened the window. He turned back to Elisha. The older man was laying on the bed very still. He should be resting. Instead, he met Joash's gaze with a fiery look of his own.

"Shoot."

He turned back to the window. Stretched before him was the courtyard for Elisha's home. Beyond that, the land ran to meet the horizon in an endless game of tag. He raised the bow, and gripping it tightly, he pulled the arrow back. He stretched the string taunt, and for just a moment, he held it there. Then he let go.

"The Lord's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them." Elisha's voice was strong, even though his body was weak. "Take the arrows." Joash picked up a handful of arrows. "Now, strike the ground with them."

He sighed again. His heart wasn't really in whatever prophecy Elisha was spouting. He struck the ground three times with them, and feeling foolish, stopped. He look at Elisha expectantly.

But Elisha was angry. "Why did you stop? You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times."

Tossing the arrows aside, he went back to Elisha's bedside. A word from God was great, but he just couldn't focus on that right now.

Based on 2 Kings 13:14-19

Joash was clearly very upset about Elisha passing away. His heart and his mind were focused on that, rather then on the last message from God that Elisha was trying to deliver.

Why do you think that Joash stopped striking the ground?

When I was in youth group, and we were told to do something crazy, I was never the kid who did it without ceasing. I was the one who stood awkwardly to the side, doing just enough. If I had been Joash, I probably would have done the same thing. One, two, maybe three strikes before I would have felt completely ridiculous. I would have said, "Can I stop now?"

"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." Colossians 3:2

"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:31-34

"For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit." Romans 8:5

"Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you." Proverbs 4:25

Joash was focused on the physical. Elisha. Death. The ridiculous thing he had to do. He was not focused on God. There are a lot of distractions in our world. We can be distracted about how silly we look jumping and dancing. We can be distracted by hard situations in our lives. We can be distracted by trying to put food on the table.

I had something completely different planned for this message, but when I read threw it again, all I could see was the distractions. The natural, everyday distractions the enemy was using to draw Joash's eye away from the message at hand.

If Joash had been more focused on God's message, then maybe he would have kept striking the ground. Elisha said if only Joash had kept striking the ground, then they would have rid themselves of Syria forever. However, his focus was set on earthly things. God's words may come to us at inconvenient times   it certainly did for Joash   but we need to be so set on God, that we are able to hear Him speak at any time. Look past everything, and look forward to God. Set your sights on His words, His will.

Only then will we be able to let go of everything around us, and strike the ground, and bring forth victory.

V. Joy Palmer

Check out http://snackpackdevotionsforkidz.blogspot.com

Following us on Facebook  or Twitter options are now available!

"Your 34,000 Promises"

For I know the thoughts that I think towards you says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the lord... Jeremiah 29:11-14b
     ---------------------------------------------
I heard a preacher say two nights ago that there were 34,000 promises in the word. 34,000! To be honest, I don't know if that is true or not. I personally haven't counted them all. He seemed to know what he was talking about the way the word poured out of him; one verse after another as he preached. It seemed like he had memorized the whole Bible! Every once in a while throughout his message he would randomly quote a verse to someone in the audience and tell them, "This is for you," like he was handing them an amazing gift and judging by their reactions, you could tell it was the right word for them!

I loved it! I love watching the word do its thing in the hearts of man. It has been two days and I can still hear him saying, "Did you know that there are 34,000 promises in the word of God?" The answer is, "No. No, I didn't know." 34,000 Promises! Say it out loud and let your ears and your heart hear it. 34,000 Promises! Can you imagine what an amazing, incredible, awesome life we would be living if we grabbed a hold of 34,000 promises and lived in the fullness of them! I think too often we tend to treat His promises like they are just empty words, spoken to try and make us feel better, instead of the words that He is speaking to inform and assure us that He has a plan and will DO for us and through us. God doesn't make empty promises! That which He speaks; He will do!

The word Promise; 1860 in the Greek gives the following definition; From 1861; an announcement, for information, assent or pledge; especially a divine assurance of good. 1861; to announce upon. i.e. (by implication) to engage to do something, to assert something respecting one self. That means we have 34,000 divine assurances of good. God takes the opportunity 34,000 times to announce, declare, and assert His divine assurances of good toward us. He is forever giving us words or rather promises that are meant to comfort lead, guide and help us to know that the thoughts He thinks toward us are only good and that He has a plan for us, to bless us, and to shower us with His love and provision!

34,000 times He has spoken a word just for us so that we would know that He is with us and cares about us and every one of those 34,000 promises is the lifeline that we can hold onto to overcome whatever the need.  He promises and that means He is engaged in bringing about the outcome in and through us both in our lives and in the lives of those that pertain to us. Every time He says, "I Will..." and what that means is, "He will!!!"

All 34,000 promises are set before you. Will you believe? Here is just one that could make all the difference!

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statues, and you will keep My judgements and do them." Ezekiel 36:26-27

What a promise! And consider this thought ...It says, " I will put MY SPIRIT within you..." In Luke 24:49 it says, " Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." Jesus, here in this verse refers to the Holy Spirit as 'the Promise' of the Father. Again in Acts 1:4 he again tells them ...not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which" He said, "you have heard from Me;

Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the Promise of the Father. In John 14:16,26 and 15:26 He also refers to Him as The Helper. So here in Ezekiel 36 when it says, "I will put MY SPIRIT(My Promise) within you and (My Helper will) cause you to walk in My statues, and you will keep My judgements and do them." Amazing! Not only is this verse a promise it is about the Promise that will totally and completely make all the difference in our ability to walk righteously and according to His perfect will! 

All 34,000 promises are set before us. He spoke them as a divine assurance for good! However the question remains. Will we say, "Yes, to them, to Him?"

O Lord God, help us to lay claim to each and every one of your 34,000 promises. And Lord help us to surrender to the leadings of The Promise as He goes to work bringing them to pass in our lives?

Check out http://snackpackdevotionsforkidz.blogspot.com

Following us on Facebook  or Twitter options are now available!

Receiving Your Heavenly Air Support

Asa stared out the palace window. The sun was setting, casting a warm, golden glow over the kingdom. Those people rested peacefully, comforted by the fact that Israel was no longer besieging them. Asa smiled. That was because of him.

He had thought of the perfect solution. He had sent the King of Syria silver and gold, and bribed him to break his treaty with Baasha. He listened to Asa, and sent his armies against the cities of Israel. With Syria's betrayal, Baasha eventually had no choice   he had to abandon his post against Judah. Asa chuckled to himself. He had saved his people himself, without having to rely on anyone.

Many people in the nation of Judah had followed him, and did their part in removing every stone and piece of timber they could carry, the stones and timber forming Ramah. The stronghold had been used by Baasha, King of Israel, to stop anyone from coming into or leaving Judah. With those supplies, Judah would build their own strongholds.

"My King."

Asa turned around. Three men had come into the room.Two soldiers flanked an older man. Asa stared for a moment before the memory returned to him. Hanani, the seer... Asa sat at the table, and picked at the plate of figs sitting there.

"The seer wishes to speak with you, my King." The soldier on the right of Hanani looked at him expectantly, awaiting his command.

He nodded at the soldiers, and Hanani stepped forward.

"King Asa. The Lord has a message for you." Asa nodded for him to continue. "Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet you relied on the Lord, and he delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this. For now on, you will have wars."

Asa felt his blood boil within him. Who was this seer, to speak to him in such a way? He had saved them all! Who cared if he relied on God if the problem was fixed? He spoke through clenched teeth, "Take this man, and put him in the stocks in the prison. Leave him there."

The soldiers each grabbed one of Hanani's arms, but the old seer didn't struggle. He looked like he had expected this. That knowledge only made Asa angrier. "I fixed the problem!" He picked up the plate of figs, and launched it at their backs. Hanani didn't even turn around. He flipped the table onto its side. "I fixed the problem!" He screamed it over and over, but Hanani and God didn't listen to him.

Based on 2 Chronicles 16:1-10

What is your first instinct when you see a problem? Fix it. What if I told you, your instinct was wrong?

You see, Asa had a big problem. Israel had them trapped, and they couldn't get out, and no one could get into Judah. It was only a matter of time before everyone starved. Asa took matters into his own hands. He relied on his solution, and relied on the king of Syria, and not on God.

In my Bible, 2 Chronicles 16 is titled 'Asa's Last Years.' It's heartbreaking to know that this man who relied on God to deliver the Ethiopians and Libyans into his hand, turned away so drastically, and he didn't repent after this. 2 Chronicles 16:12 says, "In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but sought help form physicians." His heart completely changed. Instead of trusting in God for the solution, he tried to think of answers, and he went to men to deliver him.

Our hearts and minds have been trained to rely on no one but ourselves. That's not the way it's supposed to be. We are supposed to rely on God.

"Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." Isaiah 26:4

"Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known." Jeremiah 33:3

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

There is a big difference between trusting God and trusting men. If we look into our hearts, we know who we really trust. But how often is that someone God? Our God is an everlasting rock. He has great and hidden things to tell us. He will supply all of our needs. You do not need to rely on yourself or anyone else. 

2 Chronicles 16:9 says, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him."

God is ready and waiting to give you strong, Heavenly air support. He is ready to fight your battles, fix your problems, and put food on your table. He is ready. But your heart, and who you really trust, makes all the difference.

V. Joy Palmer

Check out http://snackpackdevotionsforkidz.blogspot.com

Following us on Facebook  or Twitter options are now available!

"Surrendered To His Harvest" Part 10

And He said to me, "Son of man can these bones live?" So I answered, "O Lord God, You know." Ezekiel 37:3
     -----------------------------------------------------------------
This scene with Ezekiel standing in the midst of a valley of dry bones is where (I think) we will be ending our series on the Harvest. So, for a moment I would like to stop and think about what it must have been like for Ezekiel to have been put here in this place. It says that the hand of the Lord brought him out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set him down in the midst of a valley; and it was full of bones.

Bones. Everywhere he looked, in every direction, bones, bones, and more bones. The sense that he was a little overwhelmed by being surrounded on every side and everywhere he looked by bones is pretty clear as he tells us 'Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry.' If its not clear to you than stop and think about how you would feel if this was you. What if? What if you found yourself in the Spirit and He dropped you into the middle of a valley with a fallen armies dried bones. Everywhere you looked bones? Surrounded on every side by all that death. You would be feeling it and so was Ezekiel. He was a man with a passion for God and a passion for the people.  Remember he was an anointed prophet that was accustomed to speaking words that were meant to proclaim the means to salvation and life; words that were intended to save people and suddenly, here he is in a place where its too late. It is just bones everywhere he looks. Bones, usually means dead a while, and dry bones (his description) means dead a long time!

I think he is feeling pretty overwhelmed by a sense of hopelessness and grief when God speaks and asks him, "Son of man can these bones live?" So I answered, "O Lord God, You know." Ezekiel 37:3 God asked him, "Can these bones live." and Ezekiel, out of that place responds in way that you and I need to take note of. He doesn't tell God its to late, they are dry bones (long time dead.) He doesn't focus on the scene at all; instead he does what we all need to do more often; he puts it in God's hands. He understands that it is all about letting God's plan take place and he responds with, "You know." because the truth is, Only God knows and only God can bring life to 'long time dead dry bones!'

God then tells him to prophesy to the bones and say, "O dry bones, hear the word of the  Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: 'Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord." Ezekiel did exactly what God told him to do and prophesied to the whole valley of dry bones. He spoke each word that God gave him to speak and the result was ...'and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. The sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.'

Then God speaks again and tells Ezekiel to "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, "Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live." Again Ezekiel does exactly what God says and he speaks exactly what God tells him to speak and again the result is perfectly amazingly! The breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

Did you catch that phrase. Ezekiel's description of what now lay before him; an exceedingly great army! It was no longer an army of dead dry bones but a valley with an exceedingly great army standing before him. Can you imagine what he must have been feeling now. Going from a place of hopelessness to this place of? The only word that comes to mind is 'wonder.' I think this is more than a sign, but a 'wonder!' God bringing an army to life by His word and by the breath of His Spirit! Did you catch that? It wasn't by anything Ezekiel did in and of himself, but instead it was by the word of God and by the breath of His Spirit that and exceedingly great army came to life out of a place of death and hopelessness. By His word and by His Spirit anything and everything is possible!

God then speaks to Ezekiel again and says, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, "Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!" Prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God:"Behold, O My People, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, When I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I the Lord, have spoken it and performed it."

Did you see the description that He said His people used to describe themselves? 'Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off." There are the words 'cut off' again. When the Lord brought me to Ezekiel 37 and this section on the valley of dry bones I didn't know that He was still showing me more about the harvest until I saw this verse and I saw the words 'cut off' once again. The enemy cut us off from God and into sin, death, and a dry bone like existence with him. The word dry; from 3001, is a primitive root; and it means to be ashamed, confused or disappointed; (Sound like Adam and Eve's response to sin?) also (as failing) to dry up (as water) or wither (as herbage). Wither as herbage - to rot away and be wasted. The enemy brings only shame, confusion, hopelessness, and a sense of failure. In the world there will always be that feeling of being thirsty, a seeking for what is missing.

But God, by his word (Jesus) and by his spirit (Holy Spirit) changed all that. He is in the process of harvesting man back to Himself and back to life in Him! We no longer need to be thirsty and dry. We no longer need to be ashamed, disappointed, hopeless or cut off from Him. We no longer need to experience anything that would make us feel like we are fit only for the compost pile - you know - withered herbage! That is the enemies plan for us not God's. God's heart is to give us sinews and muscle and flesh and the breath of life! 

God ended this encounter with these words, "I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I the Lord, have spoken it and performed it." Did you catch it again? "...have spoken it,(the Word) and performed it (the Spirit)"

Do you want to be effective in these days of the harvest? I know that I do! If so than, like Ezekiel, we need to understand its about His will, and His plan. Only God sees the whole picture and only God can see a living breathing exceedingly great army instead of a valley of wasted, dead, dried up old bones long past there usefulness. Like Ezekiel our daily cry needs to be surrendered to His knowing! We must trust Him! We must go where He leads, say what He gives us to say, and do what he says to do. Only then, as we share about the love of God, about the price that Jesus paid for our sins, and about the power of the Spirit that raised Jesus from death to life will we be effective in leading those he loves into life and the fullness of His Amazing Presence!

And He said to me, "Son of man can these bones live?" So I answered, "O Lord God, You know." Ezekiel 37:3

Check out http://snackpackdevotionsforkidz.blogspot.com

Following us on Facebook  or Twitter options are now available!

The Seven Letters, Part 7: The Knocking

"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of you nakedness may not be see, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'" Revelation 3:14-22

                                                                                               

They were almost to Damascus.

The thrill of anticipation surged through him. He was eager to get to Damascus, and start the Lord's work.

"What is our mission in Damascus?" The young man traveling with him looked eager to do, to work.

"A dangerous group of radicals has formed. They are threatening the religious orders of Jehovah." But if he had anything to do with it, the radical group would soon all be dead or thrown into prison.

He would make sure of that. He clenched his fists tightly around the reigns.

Saul shielded his eye's from the sun's glare. The men didn't ask anymore questions. Saul  really didn't know much about this group. They claimed a man named Jesus as God's son, claiming he died and rose again. Saul didn't know when he had developed such a hatred for them, it was just something all the Pharisees' said. They all hated the Jesus group. They all said he and his followers were evil. So one day, Saul started fighting back.

Until a couple of months ago, he had felt justified in his righteous warpath. Holy in his vengeance. Faithful in his persecution.

That is, until he saw Stephen.

The memory still haunted Saul's dreams and unguarded thoughts. The peaceful look amid the rain of stones...

That day, something started to change inside Saul. But instead of acknowledging it, Saul helped in Stephen's stoning.

Now he was almost to Damascus, where he would start weeding out the corrupt Jesus radicals, and be rid of them once and for all.

The sun's glare seemed to be getting stronger. That's strange. The glare shouldn't be coming from this direction this late in the day...

Suddenly, everything was golden. The light had gotten so strong, Saul felt like the sun was sitting in the road, shinning and blinding him and his traveling companions.

Foolishly, Saul had tried to keep his eyes open. The light burned them, and amid the cries of him and his men, Saul fell to the ground.

"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

Saul went completely cold. He cried out into the golden abyss, hoping the voice would answer, "Who are you, Lord?"

"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what to do."

Jesus! That was Jesus? How? Saul could hardly even think straight, but the voice and light from Heaven could only mean one thing.... He rolled over, and retched on the side of the road.

He had been persecuting not just Jesus, but Jesus, Son of God, his God.

The men around him help him. He kept his eyes closed, trying to avoid the truth. The men bombarded him with questions about the voice, but Saul had no answers.

What should he do?

Should he go and do what Jesus had said, or would he continue with his plans. If he suddenly turned aside and started following Jesus, all would be lost. He would lose his title as a Pharisee.

Saul tried to open his eyes. He blinked several times, trying to clear his vision. I can't see. The encounter with Jesus had left him blind. Panic squeezed his heart, and for a moment, Saul thought he might retch again. He knew what he must do.

Taking a rattled breath, he spoke to the men, "We will go to Damascus, and do as Jesus commands us."

Based on Acts 9:1-8

Everyone sits there for a moment in stunned silence. The messenger has finished reading the letter. He folds it up, and places it into the open hand of the pastor. You wonder, could all of this be because our hearts are lukewarm towards God? Have we been ignoring God, and denying Him? Is Jesus still standing at the door of our hearts, knocking to come into our lives?

I wrote about Saul today, because this man was so far away from God, there was no doubt, he was cold. His goal was to destroy Jesus and everything related to Him. When Jesus blinded Saul with Heavenly light and spoke to him, that was His subtle way on knocking on the door of Saul's heart.

In verses 10-19 of Acts 9, when Ananias came to pray with Saul, Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit, and scales fell off his eyes, and he regained his sight.

"I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of you nakedness may not be see, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see." Revelation 3:18

Do your spirit eyes need salve so you can see? So many are still lost in this world. Many are lost in the church body. They think they are serving God, Jesus, or someone, but somehow, they were deceived. Today, Jesus is saying He has miracle salve. He can take the scales from your eyes. He can give you holiness to wear like a cloak, and a golden heart, refined by fire, but altogether beautiful as an end result.

If anyone has been been on the fence about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, know this   by being lukewarm, by pretending, you are doing the same as those who are cold. You are fighting against the kingdom.

"Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters." Matthew 12:30

It is fitting that the end of these mighty messages, these letters to the church, there would be a call to true salvation.

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

Jesus stands at the door of each and every heart. Day in and day out, He knocks. Will we let Him inside our hearts? Will we choose to follow the Light, the Voice, the Way? Or will we live with scales always covering our spiritual eyes.

Today, right now, Jesus can change everything. If you will open the door, and believe.

Amen.

V. Joy Palmer


Check out http://snackpackdevotionsforkidz.blogspot.com

Following us on Facebook  or Twitter options are now available!

"Obstacles Of The Harvest" Part 9

And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.

Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. And when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.

When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." But some of the scribes were sitting there reasoning in their hearts, "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

And immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk?' But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins'--He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go your way to your house."

And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!" Mark 2:1-12
     --------------------------------------------------------
Now you may be wondering right now how this account of the healing of the paralytic has anything to do with "The Harvest?" I know I was since I had thought 'The Choice Made Clear' Part 8 was the last in this series on the harvest but He has shown me two more things, so it looks like nine and ten are in the works.

And the point of today's message is actually pretty simple and it will be made clear pretty quickly because we are going to take a quick look at the four men who carried the paralytic. They had obviously decide that Jesus was the answer to their friends need and they also took steps to get him to Him. I'm going to say it again because this is key to the harvest. They knew that Jesus could meet their friends need and took steps to get Him in front of Jesus.

The first thing to note is they worked as a team. It took more than one of them to carry him the distance it took to get him to Jesus. As you contemplate the harvest in your life realize its not always about just you. Sometimes it takes the help of others to see your loved ones harvested and cut off from the works of the enemy. Don't feel like its a burden you need to carry alone! Get two or three to stand in agreement with you and carry the load together in prayer!

The next step after (1) coming together in agreement that Jesus could meet their friends need and (2) actually carrying him to where Jesus was located was (3) to not be discouraged by the crowd! They get to the house where they know Jesus can be found, and in the way is a huge crowd of people who, like them, are seeking for one reason or another, to see Jesus face to face. They must have, at least for a moment, felt that sinking feeling in the pit of their stomachs that it was all for nothing. Or at the very least they must have experienced a moment of, "AAAAAAHHHHH! What are we going to do?"

The thing is there are always going to be the possibilities of obstacles to the harvest taking place in the lives of those you love. In the natural it could be a bad storm, or even a drought that can effect the harvest. The possibility of obstacles is always there but that doesn't stop the the farmer who sows the seed from planting his crop in the spring. We can't judge the outcome ahead of time. We can't look at a person, and decide they are too far from God, or that they have strayed too far, or that they are too lost to reach. It is our job, no matter the obstacle, to keep planting faith in the lives of those we love or come in contact with. The crowd was a momentary obstacle to their plan of a 'Jesus encounter' for their friend. We can't let the crowd or rather peoples opinion, including our own, determine whether we bother with sharing Jesus with those around us.

They didn't throw up their hands, give up and take him home. They opened their eyes and came up with another way. It was harder than simply going through the door but they got him onto the roof, broke through, and let him down, bed and all, till he was laid before Jesus. They hadn't let the obstacles stop them. They hadn't let the crowd make a difference to their belief that Jesus was the answer!

Usually at this point you get to read 'that Jesus, filled with compassion' did whatever miracle comes next. In this case we don't see that. What we see instead is, 'When Jesus saw their faith," he acted. It was the four men's faith and belief that caused this man's encounter with Jesus to take place! It was because of their faith that this paralytic was set free from his sins and healed. It was their pressing in; keeping the faith, despite the obstacles that caused him harvested (Cut off from) the works of the enemy in his life, and to be added to the kingdom. It was because of their faith on behalf of the paralytic that the crowd or rather the obstacle ended up 'amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

Jesus is the 'Lord of the Harvest' and it is up to him to send the laborers into the field were He deems best. He may give you a paralytic or two to get before Him. We know that He is the way, the truth, and the life. We know that if we can get them face to face with Him that it will make all the difference. So don't give up, despite the obstacles, there will be a way. There will be a time when your faithfulness on their behalf will reap its reward.  A life restored!