PSALMS 84:10 - I WOULD RATHER BE A DOOR KEEPER IN THE HOUSE OF MY GOD

Visit www.DoorKeeperMinistries.com


Thursday, March 26, 2009

Abide in Me

We're in the midst of a tremendous blizzard here in Colorado today; it's hard to believe that just a couple of weeks ago a brother and I were out in the sunshine pruning back my grape vines! I am still meditating on that process. We had to cut the vines a long way back, close to the thick, massive root that supports the branches. As we worked, we noticed quite a few dead branches. No matter how far back we cut on those branches, there was no sign of life, no tender green shoots anywhere. These branches would not bear fruit - so we literally cut them off and tossed them into the pile for the fire. I recalled what our Lord said in John 15:

5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
If a man remains in Yahshua, he will bear much fruit; apart from Him we can do nothing. If we do not remain in Him we are like those dead, withered branches that I threw into the pile to be burned. But if we do remain in Him, we will bear much fruit for His Kingdom, giving glory to God.

As I meditated upon all this, I realized that in these verses of John 15 our Messiah has given us the literal key to surviving the difficult days ahead. We are to remain, or abide, in Him. The word abide means literally to dwell in, to endure, or two stay in a place or a state. We are to literally dwell in Messiah, as He dwells in us, becoming one with Him in our thoughts, our actions, and our hearts. What place are we to stay in? That place of listening for His Voice, discerning His thoughts on a matter, with willingness to do only what we see and hear HIM doing. What state are we to abide in? That state of oneness with Him - learning to know His heart and His voice. That is abiding! When we abide with Him in these ways, we learn what Voice to listen to and what other voices to reject and shut off. We begin to correctly discern who is a false prophet and who is a true prophet of God. We glean wisdom and direction, and our spirits are filled with shalom even in the darkest hours.

Abiding in Him, we are tender, green, life-giving vines that begin to produce fruit and make disciples of others! But the only way we will reach the state of producing fruit is to submit to the Master's pruning. As He tells us in John 15:

1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

Yes, we cut those grape branches clear back to the root, and it seemed harsh, even painful to the vines. But I did it last year and the year before, and the lush crop of grapes that burst forth produced 56 pounds of fruit! Every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. When we humble ourselves and submit to the Master's pruning - cutting off everything that distracts us from Him, every sin that separates us from Him - we will be even more fruitful. The pruning is painful. It is flesh-death. It is surrender of my life to my King. But it causes Spirit-life to burst forth within us, and produces an abundance for the Kingdom!

I stared at the pile of dead, brittle branches we had cut off, waiting to be thrown into the fire. I shivered. They would never have an opportunity to produce fruit again. Prune me, Master Yahshua, that I may live to bear more fruit!


Saturday, March 21, 2009

Where Are My Intercessors?

I was awakened abruptly this morning and my digital clock read 2:22. This is not a joke. And Papa made it clear to me that in this season it does not matter if I'm working, or if I got to bed late, or if I'm tired. The 2:22 hour is clearly a call to intercessors to get up and trim their lamps!

I arose and went to my living room, re-lighting the two Shabbat candles. The Spirit began speaking to me and I was told to share it: "Pinpoint obedience. Where are my intercessors? Is your lamp trimmed and ready? These days are rehearsals!

"The unhealed wounds and bitter roots within you must depart. I am revealing these roots of bitterness, rejection and betrayal that you have not released to Me. You cannot hold onto them any longer. Sometimes you cling to them for comfort - the old places where you dwell in self-pity. No longer! The Bride must be spotless! The days are short and these things must depart from you. As you approach the Feast of Unleavened Bread, I will bring these crumbs of yeast to the surface so that you can sweep them out of your house. Be willing and be quick to do so!

"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the LORD. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. (Hebrews 12:14-15)

"'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the Desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD." (Haggai 2:6-7)

Finally, in this night watch, I seek the Healing hand of Yahshua on my dear friends who are on this list, and are battling life-threatening illness. Please join your prayers with mine for complete healing and restoration for Norm, for Bethany, for Pat and for Meredith. Touch them, Yahshua, and heal them in this hour. Amen.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Abba - Papa!

Do you ever have preconceived ideas about how the LORD is going to show up? That's a foolish thing, isn't it? He is a God of surprises, a Father who knows what we need more than we know how to ask!

This past Friday evening my home fellowship group felt that after our Shabbat dinner we should plan to stay late and enter into deep intercession over our nation. During the week several of us had felt a call to repentance. We spoke about how we felt if we repented on behalf of our country, the Holy Spirit would surely come in glory and power, and give us instruction on what we are to do in order to navigate difficult times ahead. We thought there would be much weeping and intercession, and a powerful visitation of the Rock of Ages!

And so we gathered in the living room, beginning with worship. We sang old hymns we have not sung for a long time, giving great glory to God. We prostrated ourselves and we cried out to Yahweh, asking His mercy over our nation that has strayed so far away from Him. Then we made a decree: "O God, we will keep silence before You until You speak through one of us."

After what seemed like a long wait, He did come, and He did speak. He spoke through one of the men, but not with this man's usual voice. The Voice was very still, very small, and as tender as a Daddy comforting his toddler with a scraped knee! Ever so gently the Voice spoke to us: "Little children, what are you worrying about? Why are you afraid? I am your Papa. I am here. Relax. Rest in Me. Don't worry. Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, it will not come near you. I am your Papa. You are my children. Trust Me."

That was it. No lightning. No blast of the trumpet. No angelic visions or shaking or falling! Just a Loving Papa, dandling his little children on his knee, reminding us who we are and Whose we are!

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption. And by Him we cry 'Abba - Papa!' The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Messiah, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory." (Romans 8:15-17)

I believe now that if a day comes when I am attempting to overcome fear and suffering in the midst of calamity, I will recall that still, small Voice in my memory, and once again hear Him say, "I am your Papa. You are my children. Trust Me."

Saturday, March 7, 2009

I Will Send a Famine Through the Land

I woke up ravenous for the Word this morning. This past week was a blur of constant running and activity. I worked my usual job, plus subbing at the high school and caring for three grandchildren. There were no hours left for spending time in God's Word and on this Shabbat morning I woke up as hungry for the Word as a starving person in a third world country, ravenous for a cake of flour or a handfull of rice. Then it came to me - the LORD says such a day is coming! "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine through the land - not a famine of food or thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD." (Amos 8:11)

What I am feeling this morning is prophetic. The Holy Spirit showed me that people are running out to buy guns in greater numbers than at any time in history. Why? Because the news tells us that a time is coming soon when Americans may not be allowed to own guns, or may have their guns confiscated. People are also storing up great quantities of food and water. Why? Because we are keenly aware that with all the weather disasters and calamities occurring there could well be a shortage of food in the near future. Grocery store shelves could be cleared in an hour if transportation is halted, Droughts in California, Florida and the southwest could destroy all the crops. Water could be quickly contaminated by outbreaks of salmonella or other bacteria, as happened in southern Colorado recently.

Guns, food, water, supplies: these things are being stored to preserve life. But Abba Father says, "the days are coming when I will send a famine of HEARING THE WORDS OF THE LORD." What does this mean, and why are we not spending as much time storing up His Words as we are in storing up physical supplies? Food and water will sustain our physical bodies on this earth, but the Word of God will sustain our souls into eternity! As Americans we can scarcely understand what it might mean to have our Bibles taken away from us. We have lived in a blessed nation where persecution against believers in Yahshua does not exist. Yet I believe that in the very near future it will be legally considered a hate crime for us to practice our faith. We will be accused of practicing a false religion that claims it is THE ONLY WAY. But that's what Yahshua said, isn't it? "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).

Gratefully I sit in my big chair in a splash of sunlight this morning, my cherished, tattered Bible in my hands, gobbling the Word of God, storing it in my heart, my mind, and my spirit. I ponder again the Amos 8:11 verse: "The days are coming when I will send a famine of hearing the words of the Lord." That word "hearing" is the word sh'ma in Hebrew, which means hearing and doing. Will there be a day when I no longer HEAR the Word of God? Yes, I believe that day is soon. Will there be a day when I no longer DO the Word of God? Never! I pray I have stored enough of it in my heart so that even when I no longer hear it on radio, TV or in the pulpits of churches, I will still DO it with all my heart, and all my soul and all my strength.

Shabbat Shalom!

Blog Archive