Water Walking
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Posted:Feb 20, 2006 9:18 pm
Last Updated:Oct 22, 2010 9:50 am 4832 Views
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I know how Peter felt when he was so full of faith in the LORD, yet the circumstances roaring around him seemed like they were more powerful and threatened to swallow him. It took only one mere moment, one thought of fear thinking about these shreiking demons to get him from atop the water to sinking in gigantic fear.
We hear the LORD speak that we are to fear nothing, yet the mind tries to reason with the heart and say, "do you see what I see?; do you hear what I hear?". The enemy knows how to attack our emotions and give us unrest. We are to let the PEACE of God lead us in all our ways. Especially since we are prone to give into our emotions. Emotions are like quicksand, they will drown you. The Word of the LORD is a solid Rock that will never fail.
The word circumstance gives us a clue of the enemies manuevers to prevent us from overcoming faith. He encircles us with a "bubble thought" that takes our breathe away, a suffocation. Faith can break through that bubble. Pierce it with the sword of the Spirit, Who gives you courage and Peace to stand, unmoveable, unshakeable; knowing fully that the LORD will not forsake the righteous. For the just must live by faith (in the Lord, not in this world).
ABBA Father, I come in the name of the LORD, I pray You strengthen now the inner man(the spirit man) of all Your . Help us to walk in the Spirit and not the soul which leads us into unrest. Cause our inner man to be mighty and strong against the onslaught of the enemy. Thank You for sending us Your Holy LIVING WORD, that powerful mighty word full of Your authority; that conquers, pulls down all strongholds of darkness. At the entrance of Your Word there is light for all and understanding even for the simple. Your word is a flaming sword that pierces all darkness and emblazens all wood, hay and stubble the enemy has laid at our feet. A fire that causes gold to purify and become greater, not destroyed. Great is Your Faithfullness and Your Mercies are new every morning. Blanket us with Your Peace as we take refuge neath Your mighty wings. This storm shall pass and we shall be found in faith at Your return. Thank You for supplying all of our needs. Thank You for daily forgiving us all our inquities; healing us all our diseases; delivering us from the pit of corruption & destruction; crowning us with lovingkindess, beauty and tender mercies; for filling our mouths daily with good things so that our youth is renewed like the eagles; and executing righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. Thank You Father that Your plans for us are for good and not for evil, for a hope and a future and to prosper us. Father, bring us Your Kingdom in this earth as it is in Heaven. I ask these things in the name of Your Yeshua and according to Your word be it done unto us. AMEN †
♫I exalt YOU...I exalt YOU... I exalt YOU...
O LORD .... I exalt YOU....I exalt YOU.... I exalt YOU...O LORD ♫
♫For Thou O LORD art high above all the earth, Thou art exalted far above all gods.♫
♫YOU are exalted, the KING is exalted on high. I will praise YOU. YOU are exalted, forever exalted, and I will praise YOUR name. For YOU are the LORD, forever YOUR Truth shall reign. Heaven and earth rejoice in YOUR Holy name. YOU are exalted, forever exalted on high.♫ AMEN
Your Forever †
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A Nation of Ruths
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Posted:Feb 19, 2006 4:24 am
Last Updated:Nov 16, 2007 5:42 am 3816 Views
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This was sent to me from a Brother member of Big Church 
The Church:
A Nation Of Ruths
In July 1996 I heard a teaching that presented the Book of Ruth as an allegory about the Church and Israel. This teaching was given by
Jonathon
Cahn who leads a Messianic congregation named Beth Israel in Garfield,New Jersey. I believe the Lord gave him insight, which I will share with you.
He has been gracious to allow me to share the heart of his teaching in this book, and I thank him for this permission and his ministry and
unselfish heart for God.
When I first heard this teaching, I was thrilled because I thought it was true, deep, and important, but I did not think of it again until after I had begun writing this book. The Lord had brought it to my mind, as only He can do in those little ‘coincidences’ that leave us wondering if it was another hint from God or something else. I believe this was God. I had
invited a friend, Anthony Voci, to dinner. Anthony is a believing attorney who works with me in my law office. He lives about an hour’s drive from the Messianic congregation I attend in Philadelphia where, on Saturday, October 4,
1997, two buses were going to take about sixty of us to be a part of Promise Keepers’ ‘Stand In The Gap’ rally in Washington, D.C. More than a
million men gathered to praise and worship God and repent for our sins and the sins of America. It was a great event.
Since the buses were leaving at 5.00 A.M. from our congregation’s parking lot in Philadelphia, Anthony stayed at our house to get a little more
sleep and for the convenience of being a few blocks from the departure site. After dinner and before leaving for Friday evening service at
Congregation Beth Yeshua, Anthony was looking through his Bible while I was getting ready for the service.
He had just been reading in the Book of Ruth and asked me what I thought this book was about. I had never studied the Book of Ruth too deeply,
but as I began to think for a moment I remembered the heart of Jonathon Cahn’s
message in the summer of 1996 that the Book of Ruth was an allegory:
Ruth, representing the church, loves Naomi, representing Israel, and clings to her. As I was saying this, it hit me that this Book of the Bible and Jonathon Cahn’s insight were important for what the Lord was trying to get me to understand about Jew and Gentile. And I believe He’s given me further glimpse of this book’s application for today. I’m sure more will be
understood about this book as events unfold.
Ruth, whose name means ‘friendship,’ befriends her mother-in-law, Naomi, in a manner so passionate that this scripture is often used as a wedding vow between loving couples as they express the ideal commitment they hope to have for each other. Ruth said to Naomi, ‘entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die; and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.
(Ruth 1:16-17)
Ruth is pledging her life to Naomi. She says, in effect, ‘If I leave you except for any reason but death, may God abandon me and worse !’ And
she says she will die where Naomi dies, giving of her strength to sustain Naomi. Can you imagine selflessly committing your goals and life purposes so thoroughly? It reminds me of Jesus’ statement, ‘Greater love hath no man
than this, to lay down his life for his friends’ (John 15:13). Ruth was laying down all hope of eternal life except through clinging to Naomi.
The context of this vow of Ruth is that Naomi (Israel), whose name means ‘my pleasantness,’ and her husband, Elimelech, which means ‘my God is king,’ leave Bethlehem for neighbouring Moab because of a famine in Israel.
They escape the scarcity of food in Israel but not God’s judgment as they live in the scarcity of God’s presence in exile in heathen Moab. They take their two sons, Mahlon, which means ‘sick,’ and Chilion, which means ‘pining
away.’ Their names give us a good picture of Jewish exile from the rich spiritual blessings God is longing to pour out on His ancient people.
Mahlon marries the Gentile Ruth, and Chilion marries the Gentile Orpah. During this family’s ten-year stay in Moab, Elimelech, Mahlon, and
Chilion all die, leaving widows respectively in Naomi, Ruth and Orpah.
The family left Bethlehem, which in Hebrew means ‘House of Bread,’ It is the place of Jesus’ birth, the One Who is also the Bread of Life. In effect, we see Naomi (Israel) reject the calling of carrying the gospel (the
Bread of Life) and go into exile for it. It speaks of the dispersion from their land, which Israel has experienced for the last 1900 years.
In this prophetic book, national Israel (Naomi), in rejecting the Messiah’s gospel, has lost all her sense that ‘my God is king’ (Elimelech dies).
She is bereaved of her sons as well. But when she hears that the Lord is visiting His people in the homeland by giving them bread, Naomi desires to return. (Ruth 1:6) Salvation of the Jewish people has begun; God’s blessing again being poured out in Israel signals the end of exile. The Jewish people will soon desire to return to Israel, when their reputation
vanishes after Israel destroys Damascus and they are persecuted, and when the Spirit of God is again poured out in Israel.
The Book of Ruth has much to say to us today. The land of Israel was restored in 1948. Bread of salvation is once again being given to the
Jewish people; God is raising up Jews who believe in their Messiah Yeshua.
Millions of exiled Jewish people have returned from many nations, and more are returning from Russia and soon from all nations because its time for the great harvest. God is regathering His people in these last days from their long scattering in all the nations so He can pour out on them the Spirit of His , the Bread of Life.
Naomi’s daughters-in-law, Ruth and Oprah, both begin the journey to return to Israel with Naomi, but Naomi urges them to find their life’s
fulfilment with their own people and the gods of Moab. Naomi wants her daughters-in-law to be happy, but she cannot imagine what joy could be
theirs in unity with her. She has no spiritual vision beyond a sense that she must return to her homeland. Possibly she is even rejecting them, refusing their company. I believe Orpah (‘stiff neck’ and Ruth (‘friend’ together make up the two parts of the Church. Orpah, who yields to Naomi’s suggestion, returns home to Moab and represents those believers who have no
real heart-burden for the Jewish people. The Orpah segment of the Church identifies more with the unsaved nations than with Israel. She does
not have the grace to yield herself to God’s plan for Naomi (Israel). She does not discern the spiritual significance of clinging to Israel, because she’s blinded to this deep thing of God.
Ruth, on the other hand, will not listen to Naomi. Her love is so strong for Naomi that wild horses, and even Naomi’s rejection, couldn’t pull her away. Why? She has been given grace from the Lord to resist what is
natural and worldly. It is so easy in the world not to identify with the Jew. Almost the entire world is doing it. These days UN votes on
issues concerning Israel are usually landslides against her. It’s hard to believe that just fifty years ago the UN voted for Israel to be a sovereign nation, formed in a single day as Isaiah prophesied (see Isa 66: 8 ). One recent
UN vote as to what to do to Israel for building a settlement of homes in her own capital of Jerusalem resulted in a vote of 172 in favour of
sanctioning Israel, with only three against sanctioning Israel. The United States, Israel, and Micronesia were the only dissenting nations among six billion people on our planet criticising Israel. Where is Micronesia any way ? I wonder how she’s going to be blessed.
But Ruth had a burning zeal that could only come from God. She represents that portion of the Church who has what we Jewish believers call in
Gentile believers ‘a Jewish heart.’ Even more so, she is able, like the apostle Paul and Moses, to wish herself accursed if Israel would only be saved. And she’s not even Jewish as they were!!
This is clearly a supernatural love, and that’s why I’m writing this book. I believe God is pouring out this type of supernatural love on the Church today, and I’m writing to expound on it and encourage it. I have been a believer for approximately twenty-three years now, and I’ve not seen or heard of anything like what has been going on in the last few years in the Church. I have been in worship meetings organised by various Christian groups and heard of many others where spontaneously, without plan or
agenda, Israel or Messianic Jews or something about Jewishness bursts forth onto the
meeting. I have seen, rising among those in the Church, a new and fresh love for Jewish things; love for the Jewish roots of our common faith
in Yeshua, for the ‘Jewish’ festivals, and for Israel. Many of my Messianic Jewish friends and I have been scratching our heads wondering what is going on. For the last twenty-five years or so the Messianic movement has begun to see independent Messianic congregations increase from only a handful to hundreds worldwide. But there has been precious little affirmation
from the Church for our movement. Yes, there have been individuals and churches here and there with a deep love for Jewish people and Israel and Messianic Jews, but not the scale that is presently taking place. It seems that the more God pours out His Spirit in this latter-rain revival, the more He pours out within this revival a love for Israel and the Jewish people.
Is God raising up in the Church a Ruth generation? I believe so. I believe this is the true calling of the Church, to reveal the Messiah and His great love to unbelieving Israel so she can, in turn, be a light back to the
nations.
Upon Naomi’s return to Israel she tells her friends not to call her Naomi (‘my pleasantness’, but to call her Mara (‘bitterness’, because the Lord has dealt bitterly with her in exile (Ruth 1:20). God uses ‘Ruth’ to restore Naomi to be God’s pleasantness in a mutually loving relationship.
And so the Church and Israel together will show the world the love they have for one another. The world will be able to see modelled in this
special love that the prejudices and hatred that separates nations and ethnic groups are wrong. The world will see in this unlikely love affair that God is pouring out love on the Church and Israel, the two folds of His flock. And the world will respond with revival! Ruth’s act of love for Naomi is nothing less than the expression of her love for Naomi’s God, Who has
given her so much grace.
As we continue through the Book of Ruth we see that Ruth and Naomi come back to Bethlehem ‘in the beginning of the barley harvest’ (Ruth 1:22). Barley was the lowliest of the grains. Barley was poor-man’ bread. This harvest
represents Messiah’s harvest of the lowly and humble of heart, and represents our generation in which Israel has been restored at the time
of the great endtime harvest. To make ends meet, Ruth begins to beg for barley for herself and Naomi in the field of a rich and mighty and spiritual man named Boaz. This represents the true Church interceding on behalf of Israel
‒ that God would save her, giving her the precious bread of life.
Boaz’s name means ‘in Him is strength.’ He is a close relative of Naomi and is a type of the Messiah Yeshua. Boaz notices Ruth gleaning in his fields and finds out she is Naomi’s Gentile -in-law who has been good to Naomi. So he tells her she should glean (or pick up food) for herself and Naomi from his field and not from another. He gives her protection and
heaps favours upon her to glean among the sheaves and not the fallen pieces, and to eat and drink with his harvesters. Naturally Ruth asks Boaz, ‘Why have I found grace in your eyes that you should take knowledge of me, seeing
I am a stranger?’ (Ruth 2:10). Boaz answers her:
It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your
father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under Whose wings you have come for
refuge. (Ruth 2:11-12)
Because Ruth (the Church) adopted Naomi (Israel) and her people, Boaz (Messiah) bestows abundant blessings on Ruth. Her love and intercession are greatly rewarded.
When Ruth returns that evening to Naomi and shows her all of the grain she has received from Boaz and the favour he has shown her, they agree that Ruth should stay with Boaz until the end of the harvest. Therefore, because of Naomi, Ruth is directed into a blessing from the God of Israel. Israel has provided the world with the Messiah, though she herself has not yet found
Him. It is so interesting that Naomi does not simply go to Boaz directly, now that Naomi is again living in his town, but Naomi’s only contact with Boaz (Messiah) comes through Ruth. This demonstrates that Israel’s blindness to Messiah is destined to be removed by the Church through prayer and deeds.
Naomi counsels Ruth to seek Boaz as a husband under the Levirate law of the kinsman redeemer , where the nearest relative could redeem a widows
heritage by marrying the widow to raise up and a name for the deceased
relative’s husband. In this case, the lands of Elimelech, Naomi’s deceased husband, could be redeemed; and Ruth, the wife of Mahlon, Naomi’s , could be married. Boaz agrees and married Ruth, and she bears him a named Obed, which means ‘servant,’ ‘service,’ or even ‘worship.’ Obed is the blessing to Ruth from Boaz. Yet when the women in Israel hear of Obed’s birth, they rejoice and say to Naomi:
Blessed be the Lord, Who has not left you this day without a close relative (Boaz who represents Messiah); and may his name be famous in Israel! And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for
your -in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him. (Ruth 4:14-15)
So the relationship of Boaz (Messiah) and Ruth (the true Church) produces an offspring of service to God that becomes the continuation of Naomi’s very name, family line, and heritage in Abraham’s covenant ‒ which was in jeopardy of being extinguished for the lack of an heir. The Obed ‒ symbolically, service to God, borne by Ruth ‒ restores the lineage of Naomi (Israel) who has literally come to life. Naomi has her calling restored. Ruth is better to Naomi than what seven sons could produce in heirs for her,
for Ruth has given Naomi a reintroduction through Obed to Boaz (Messiah). Salvation comes to Naomi (Israel) through the seed (Obed) of the
calling of service to God and grace of Boaz (Messiah) given to and through Ruth (the true Church).
And now for the best part:
And Naomi took the and laid it in her bosom and BECAME NURSE TO IT. And Naomi’s neighbours gave the a name, saying, There is a born to Naomi, and they called his name Obed. (Ruth 4:16-17)
God is supernaturally grafting Israel back into her calling through Ruth’s love. And all Israel approves.
Naomi became nurse to Boaz and Ruth’s ! The neighbours even say the is born to her. Hallelujah! God is awesome! Through the
Church, Israel is saved and has God as her husband again. The service of the Church to Naomi, through God’s grace, even allows Naomi to become ‘nurse’ to Obed. Naomi, an aging woman who was too old to glean with Ruth in Boaz’s
fields, surely without milk in her breasts (having only two grown sons long deceased), is miraculously able to nurse a . Obed is not nursed to health from sickness, but wet-nursed by Naomi, who has become as vibrant as if she herself had given birth to Obed. And the other women say, ‘ a is born to Naomi.’
Are you getting this? This is a prophetic picture of the Church and Israel
supernaturally married to Yeshua, together supernaturally giving service to God, and fulfilling their callings and destinies. The Church will perform its role (which is discussed in Romans 11) of calling Israel back to faith
by intensely loving her. The fullness, or pregnancy, of the gospel of the Gentiles has come in, and Israel is being saved by it (Rom 11:25-26).
I believe Obed represents the gospel of Messiah. Through Naomi and her relationship to God, Ruth has met Boaz (Messiah). Through Naomi’s counsel (the Word of God through the Jewish people), Ruth has received salvation
from Boaz and the precious gospel to preach (Obed). The Church has carried the gospel for many centuries now just as Ruth carried Obed in her womb. He grew and developed there, and now, after these many years, the Church will lay the calling of carrying the gospel onto the
breasts of Israel. The gospel still needs something from Naomi’s heritage. In large measure the gospel will be empowered because Ruth has had the grace to honour Naomi. Without the Church reaching that incredible place in
God, Naomi could not be stirred to a miraculous expression of love for Obed. This ‒ the fullness of the Gentiles and the grace from Boaz ‒ represents a living testimony of how wonderful Messiah is. But now that Naomi (Israel) has again become God’s pleasantness, she is squarely carrying and advancing (nursing) the Kingdom of Yeshua with her own grace
because God has commanded a blessing on her at the place of unity with Ruth (the true Church).
We may wonder why there’s no mention of Ruth nursing Obed. The implication is clear that Ruth is well able to do so, but her love for Naomi has led her to take a step back in her own baby’s (the gospel) development. I believe
Naomi coming to the foreground in the gospel’s life certainly does not mean that Ruth is excluded, but has voluntarily chosen to be in and among the restored Israel. God’s calling for Israel must be recognised by the Church
before Israel will recognise it. The Church must give Israel the idea or revelation through an intense intercession and supernatural love. I can see Ruth even asking herself, ‘Why am I laying my on Naomi like this?’ all the while knowing it was right to do, because it was God’s prophetic urging to Ruth contained within the great love He had given Ruth for Naomi.
I see the Church selflessly desiring and urging Israel (possibly at first the Messianic Jewish movement as the remnant of Israel) to take the
lead in Obed’s life (the gospel). And miracles will flow as they did among the apostles in the Book of Acts. And then all Israel will be enflamed with the gospel and take it as a torch into the nations. They will bring life from the dead as a messenger heralding the coming of her King Messiah, as a corporate John the Baptist for Yeshua’s first coming and as a corporate
Elijah to herald Yeshua’s second coming. They will announce His coming and prepare the people for it.
Though Ruth has sacrificed to help Naomi, Ruth has not been diminished by it. Instead, she has pleased Boaz by loving Naomi. Boaz shall surely
pour out even more grace on Ruth. Likewise, the Church shall be greatly rewarded by God for loving Israel into God’s kingdom and her calling.
I can’t say I see the form that this will take or the inter-play between the saved and the unsaved Jewish people or the government of Israel. But I believe the gospel will become Jewish again, and the Church will not be
jealous but excited about it! (END)
The above was taken from the book: ‘The Last Chance For The Church To
love
The Jewish People’ by Jeffrey Lowenthal
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We Serve A BIG God
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Posted:Feb 11, 2006 4:03 am
Last Updated:Nov 16, 2007 5:40 am 4623 Views
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(This was sent to me by an Aunt who has prayed for me since my birth)
We Are Blessed!
I asked God why I wasn't rich.
He showed me a man with the wealth of a thousand kings, who was lonely, and had no one to share it with.
I asked God why I wasn't beautiful.
He showed me a woman more beautiful than any other, who was ugly because of her vanity.
I asked God why He'd allowed me to become old.
He showed me a boy of 16, who lay dead at the scene of a car accident.
I asked God why I didn't have a bigger house.
He showed me a family of six, who had just been evicted from their tiny shack, and were forced, to live on the street.
I asked God why I had to work.
He showed me a man, who couldn't find a decent job, because he'd never learned to read.
I asked God why I wasn't more popular.
He showed me a socialite with a thousand friends, who all left the moment the money and parties were no longer there.
I asked God why I wasn't smarter.
He showed me a natural born genius, serving life in prison for making ill use of his knowledge.
I asked God why He put up with a thankless sinner like me.
He lead me to His Word...
that told about His
who took my place at the judgment on Calvary.
I knew then just how much He loved me!
What's eating you today?
Are your problems weighing heavy on your heart?
Know that you are loved!
Why not stop telling God how big your storm is.
Instead tell your storm how big your GOD is!
Have a WONDERFUL day!
Then brighten someone else's day, in any way you care to.
Remember, a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.
Just reach out and touch someone's life and brighten up his or her day.
I've Been Through The Storm,
But Look At Me.
By the grace of God, I'm Still Standing;
I'm Still Here........!
Remember: If it doesn't kill you...
God will use it to make you stronger.
"If you see people without a smile today, give them one of yours!"
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First Day Here & It
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Posted:Mar 24, 2005 12:46 am
Last Updated:Nov 21, 2008 7:53 pm 3225 Views
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UPDATE: I have been in BC for more than a year now. I have been so blessed to meet some very wonderful brothers and sisters and make some true friends.
I have prayed for many and ministered to some. That is my passion. The LORD called me and filled me with HIS Word. Yet, daily I grow and learn more of my Wonderful Saviour. I surely don't deserve His Goodness and Mercy, but I need it more than I should require. I am not perfect, but I am forgiven. † Thank YOU, Lord Jesus/ Yeshua.
Many things have changed in my life in just one years time. I currently am unemployed and having to believe by HUGE faith, for my very existence. Water~walking; Grand Canyon leaping FAITH. When I saw the movie "Indiana Jones", (not sure which episode), where he has to step out over open air and a plunging crevice below; my heart felt the sudden fear that would grip a person that was taken by such a surprise. Nonetheless, as he stepped in faith, the bridge formed for him and he crossed over to the other side. HalleluYah ! !
May I be found in faith when the Lord returns.
I am not asking the Lord for world~employment, I asked Him to hire me to work in His vineyards according to the Parable of the Vineyard workers.
"But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." Hebrew 3:13*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Wow, yesterday I was called before the first and second level managers. I had the favour of the Lord, which I have been asking for daily since I heard about this special gift. The furnace is heated and I am alone....isolated from family and friends.......sitting in my tower.....facing fiery dragons....gaining strength through daily joy ......a joy no one but the Lord can see. The years drag on and I am left on the backside of the desert. The jackels howl and torment me, but I hear the Lord in the mighty rushing wind. A wind that is blasting and forming me with heat from a furnace.....forging and strenghtening....
like a brazen wall..prepared to face any type of confrontation that will challenge this woman of God.
Thank you Lord for the gift of grace and favour you have given me.
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