Strengthen Faltering Knees

If you spent any time watching the news the past two weeks you were in danger of entering into a time and place of fear.  Keeping our eyes and ears fixed on the world right now is a dangerous thing to do, for the enemy sets snares for us to fall into great fear, anxiety and depression as we watch economies collapse, children executed, and riots across our cities.

This past week was the first time I can remember being ensnared by this fear; but I switched off the TV and the voices of the world, and got into the Shadow of El Shaddai where I could hear the ONLY voice that matters -- and he spoke three words to me.  I heard only these three words, and so I have spent the last few days letting those words reverberate in my spirit and quiet my heart.  He said:
ESTABLISH
STRENGTHEN
SETTLE

These are good words, words of strength and shalom.  This morning I went into Scripture and asked the Spirit to guide me to the passages that contain these words, and so I offer them to you as one flowing prayer of His promises that we can pray and believe in as the world reels out of control. If we stay close to Him and in His Word, we will be established, strengthened and settled.

 He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. (Micah 4:3)

 For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. (2 Chronicles 16:9)

Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us. (Isaiah 26:12)

 Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees. (Job 4:4)

And I pray that we, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Messiah. (Ephesians 3:17-18)

 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

Can Kohl's Save Christmas?

It's that time again; the time of great struggle between the world of retail and commercialism (men's traditions) and the Truth of the Scriptures.  Truth or tradition?  As believers, which are we to embrace? And does it really matter? 

I am ever more convinced that to God it matters greatly.  So, I am impressed to re-publish a blog I sent out five years ago, in December 2009.  Pray about it.  This time look up the biblical references. We are drawing so close to the Return of our Lord and Savior Yeshua (Jesus), that there is an urgency for His people to come "out of Babylon" (the world) and come to KNOW Him and who He really is, and make decisions now to line up our lives with His Word. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is NOT speaking and operating on our Gregorian calendar!  He is still on the calendar of the ancient Hebrews, and in this year and next He is placing His signs in the heavens (blood-red moons and blackened suns, meaning lunar and solar eclipses) on the feasts of Passover and Tabernacles. He has never changed His mind - He is the same yesterday today and forever - and these are still HIS holy, appointed feast days.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Can Kohl's Save Christmas?

Driving to the airport yesterday I was listening to a commentator on an economic radio program give the dismal report on "Black Friday's" statistics. "Target was down 10%, while the average store reported sales 17-18% below last year's," he lamented. "However, Nordstrom was up 2% and Kohl's alone reached a 3% increase over last year. Can Kohl's save Christmas?"

I am making the obvious assumption that this commentator's definition of Christmas is the commercial season between Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays when retailers hope to get their yearly profit margins in the black. It seems to have become the definition of Christmas for our nation. And so he asks, "CAN KOHL'S SAVE CHRISTMAS?"

Let's go a step further. Even if we are a people who don't define Christmas as a commercial retail phenomenon, how do we define it? And does our definition agree with Scripture and the ways YHVH defines it? Ask any child to define Christmas. Most will tell you, "It's when Santa comes and brings presents!" Why do parents lie to their children and tell them there is a magical, mystical man who flies through the universe and who rewards the good and punishes the bad? Why did I lie to my children and why did my parents lie to me? Santa, reindeer, sparkly trees, yule logs...it all seems so fun, so innocent. For many of us they were cherished family traditions. But look up the history of these traditions. Search an encyclopedia to see what a yule log was; and please read Jeremiah 10:3-4. Yeshua reminds us, "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." (Mark 7:8) It is hard to let go of traditions that were so much a part of our childhoods. But it is the pagan traditions that led to the lies of our forefathers and still profane the celebrations that Christians keep today.

December 25 was the birthday of Sol, the sun god - and so it was conveniently selected as the day to celebrate the Messiah's birth. The holy was mixed with the profane - and YHVH hates that! (See Ezekiel 44:23). What Scripture commands that we celebrate the day of His birth? What writer of the Gospels gives us the date and the way in which we are to keep this "feast"? Search it out! It is not there. If Yeshua had thought it important, He would have told us so. But He seems about as interested in a birthday party with presents and nativity pageants and decorated trees as He would be in the results of Kohls profit margin! That is because He continually tried to focus the people on His Kingdom. He is a King and a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek, who has no geneaology, no father or mother, no beginning and no end (Hebrews 7:3) "He is the image of the invisble God, the firstborn over all creation, for by Him all things were created" (Colossians 1:15). In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God; He was with God in the beginning (John 1:1). He is the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). He is the same yesterday, today and forever! (Hebrews 13:8). He is called Emmanuel - which means "God with us." He was most certainly conceived in the womb of a Jewish woman during the feast of Hanukkah as His Light  came into the world - and then born as a child at the Feast of Tabernacles (which means God dwells with us) and is returning again at the Feast of Tabernacles when He will establish His Kingdom reign forever. HalleluYah! How marvelously the feasts of the LORD fulfill all the prophecies about Him!

Can Kohl's save Christmas? Does Yeshua want it saved? Ask Him yourself. This year instead of us saying, "Oh well, He knows my heart" - let us earnestly seek to know His heart.

Tips for Great Gifts

Dear friends,

We are out in Hershey, PA visiting my son and his family.  What a joyful time, celebrating my grandson's 8th birthday and bonding with our two-year-old great-granddaughter!  These are the times of which great memories are made.

I have had it on my heart, though, to write and suggest to you some places to visit for your own health and for possible gifts (if you do that in this season).  This year it seems more uppermost in our minds than ever to try to guard our health and our immune systems in all the ways we can.

We have a dear friend in Missouri who has, over the last four years, been developing her own small, home-based company by making pure essential oils, soaps and healing balms.  She knows many of us struggle with being able to afford these wonderful healing products, and so she is making and packaging them herself, keeping her prices very low.  I personally bought several of her products and find them to be of superior quality.  Please visit her website and let me offer a few personal testimonies:
The "My Aching Balm" rub for sore muscles and joints has worked better for John's painful back, knees and arthritic joints than anything on the market.  I have a problem right now with tendonitis in my ankle and this balm has been an amazing help to me also, as it really takes away pain and soreness very quickly.  We love it!
The "Protect" oil is similar to Thieves and is wonderful for staving off sore throats and protecting our immune systems.  We are using it lots during our times in airplanes and airports, and John has been successful in stopping night time coughs with it.
My daughter purchased the "Inhale" oil and all three of her children are getting over winter colds and flu really fast with that wonderful oil.
And last, but definitely not least, her STAIN-OUT soap is nothing short of amazing!!  I've used every kind of stain-remover there is on the grocery store shelves with no luck at all in really getting stains out. Her STAIN-OUT bars are made of pure coconut and other oils, AND THEY REALLY WORK!  At only $1.50 per bar, they will last a long, long time.

VISIT www.joyfulmountain.com

I also want to remind you about my friend Rosemary's awesome linen products.  Sleeping on her finely crafted linen sheets and in our linen sleep garments has been a huge blessing to us, and with Rosemary's lower prices, it's affordable.  The 5000 frequency of linen proves that it is "God's fabric"; even the fabric He chose for His High Priest to wear!  The high frequency protects from germs and keeps you wonderfully warm in winter and cool in summer (only God could invent that, right?!)

VISIT www.linen4life.net

Lastly, I want to again recommend a product called VIRATTACK I found a couple of years ago on vitacost.com that brings healing from viruses extremely quickly.  So much better than the terrible HOT concoction I've made before, these little drops dissolve into a glass of water without much taste, and go to work very quickly to fight some of the worst viruses.

May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob keep you safe and healthy this winter season, and may you be blessed and bless others with some of these wonderful, healing products.

AND DON'T FORGET TO VISIT MY WEBSITE FOR INSPIRING CDs and BOOKS as you look for gifts that will uplift and edify friends and family in the faith!!  My prices are also very low and you will bless this ministry greatly with your orders.

VISIT www.doorkeeperministries.com and click on the STORE page

HAPPY HANUKKAH AND BLESSINGS IN OUR SOON-COMING KING AND DELIVERER!
Kelly