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Vinegar in a Wound
I recall attending church with my mother a few times several years ago before I came to know the Lord. I was always eager to hear the message that the pastor had to deliver, but what made me the most uncomfortable, the thing that made me want to get up and run out of the building was the fact that they were singing all those cheerful songs. How could they be so happy? I remember even being condemned by some and asked why I was not shouting and praising God. It made me feel guilty and very much out of place.
It was only years later, after the love of God had penetrated my heart, that I came to understand how much we can bless God when we sing His praises. I truly believe that when we sing heartfelt songs unto the Lord it blesses Him. It brings Him joy and in return we are strengthened by that.
The Joy of the Lord is your Strength
The reason I mention this today is to ask how you react when you see someone in in your church, who during praise & worship, just stands there? Maybe they squirm around with hands in their pockets or maybe even just sit down. Do you look at them and wonder how they can stand in the presence of the Lord and not rejoice? Do you look upon them as being cold, hard-hearted, or hypocritical? Do you make comments to them that make them feel out of place? Has the thought ever occurred to you that the person may not be hard-hearted, but yet heavy-hearted? The bible says this:
Proverbs 25:20 Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound.
Now that I look back on those frustrating times, and now that I am filled with the love of the Father, and now that my old heavy heart has been circumcised, I can read the above verse and have complete compassion for those that are burdened with a heavy heart. This verse is real to me because it reflects previous experiences. I have known what it is like to feel cold in church. I have known the feeling of having vinegar poured in a wound.
Hopefully this verse will stick with you for a while. I encourage you to take a look around the body with whom you may be worshiping with this weekend, or whenever. Seek out those that are not clapping. Seek out those that are not singing and dancing. Look for that one guy standing with his family but has his hands in his pockets and cannot wait to sit back down.
Those very people want to worship God. They need to worship God. Their strength has been zapped from not worshiping God. The body of Christ needs all the strength we can get in times such as these. They need your encouragement. I exhort you to do something to help lift that heavy heart. Take them to lunch. Ask for their number. Give them a compliment. Put some cash in their hand. Don't just go to church, be the church!
In love,
Michael
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Hello all,
Wow.....once again it's been a long while since I have popped in to see how everyone is doing. I pray above all else that this little note finds you all clinging to that life-giving vine, Jesus!
I don't have a lot to report right now. I am staying attached to the vine which means the spirit part of me, and the part of my mind that has already been renewed, is the same yesterday, today, and forever! Praise God!
Forgive me for not being more social. I am finding that the more I draw closer to the Lord, the more he desires for me to spend quiet time with him. I am still, and I know that I know that I know He is God!
I just finished attending a 3-day, 5-part seminar by Andrew Wommack on Hardness of Heart. I have heard his message on that topic before but this time I really spent some time letting it soak in. Wow!
I hope to be able to come back and share a little of what has been revealed to me in that area. In the meantime, consider this:
Whatever you disregard, ignore, or neglect, your heart will become hardened towards, and whatever you focus on, think about, and are attentive to, your heart will become softened towards.
It's not only sin that hardens our hearts towards God. Cares of this world, our jobs, our families, or even church can have the same effect.
Forget not the miracle of the loaves!
6:52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
May your roots continue to grow down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love!
Michael
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Who Made Satan?
Recently I have been listening to an interesting message about who made Satan. I want to try and explain the basic concepts of this message in hopes of getting some input and or feedback from the body. I like this message. If this is true, it only proves even further that we serve a loving, caring God.
Before I begin to try and relay this theory, let me explain that the author of this message does in fact admit that some of his idea is speculatory. But it seemed to strike a chord of truth with me and I want to see if others have heard teachings along this same line.
Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.
Most of us have grown to believe that Satan rebelled against God in Heaven and was thrown to earth along with one-third of the angels, right? While this has certainly been my belief according to Revelations chapter twelve, that story has never sat real well with me. Why would God place two innocent creatures in the middle of the Garden with this evil, demonic being? Just to see what their chances of survival would be? I don't think so. That's not The True Nature of God.
There is so much about about God's Word that I have yet to gain an understanding of. The book of Revelations especially. Like the author of the message I am speaking of says, he is not certain whether this passage is speaking in symbolism or not. One thing that strikes me about the verses posted above is the fact that Satan is described as being the one already deceiving the whole world. According to the way I was taught, and if Satan was cast out of Heaven before mankind was created, then how could he have been deceiving the world already? The "world" did not yet exist. I don't know. Maybe I am just reading that wrong. But anyway, for the purposes of discussion, let's put these verses aside for a moment and let me continue with these thoughts according to the message. By the way, I am posting a link to this audio message at the end of this blog for those of you who would like to listen to it for yourselves.
Here's the basic concept:
God didn't create Satan. God created Lucifer. Man made Satan.
Lucifer was created as an angelic being. He was the anointed cherub.
And God never said to any of the angels, “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.” Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.
Angels were created to care for people.
So what if Lucifer was still in his perfect anointed state when God sent him to the earth? Is it possible that the transgression did not happen until after the creation of Adam? Could it be that God's plan was to send Lucifer as a ministering spirit for them?
Some people believe that the following passages found in Ezekiel are actually speaking about Lucifer. Let's take a look:
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created.
14 “ You were the anointed cherub who covers;
I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,
Till iniquity was found in you.
He was in Eden, the Garden of God. Who else was in the Garden? Timbrels and pipes? Wasn't Lucifer the worship leader? Could this be speaking of musical instruments built into this angelic being? Was Lucifer in the Garden in his perfect created state? Was he there to minister to Adam and Eve?
Is it possible that the transgression against God happened after the creation of man?
1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 1:27 And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 1:28 And God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
As we see in these verses God granted great authority to mankind. We were created to be the gods of this world:
82:6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
Isn't it possible that Lucifer became jealous of man? Did he see this as an opportunity to finally gain the power and recognition that he had always wanted? Angelic power is a designated power. In other words, God could remove that power anytime he saw fit. But the power and authority He gave to man was irrevocable. He gave mankind dominion over this earthly realm and He would not go back on that promise. It became a law of God. (That's why Jesus had to come as a man by the way) Because man had authority over this earth it took a human body to house God's spirit and regain control. But that's another blog.
Is it possible that Lucifer saw the innocence of Adam and Eve and recognized their vulnerability and it was at this point that he rebelled against God?
And if this is so, could it not be said that because man fell for his deception that at this point we turned over our earthly authority to him unknowingly and, because of this it was actually man that made Satan?
Satan is operating on human authority only. He has no supernatural powers. The only power Satan has is that which we allow him. He cannot do anything without our cooperation. The old saying "the devil made me do it" is nothing but a cop-out.
The devil is a punk!
Anyway, that's all I have time to write for now. I thought this was a very interesting concept. How about you? What do you think? I would love to hear your thoughts, beliefs, arguments, or any other comments.
Here's the link to the audio file. I would suggest right-clicking it then choose "save as". Once it downloads it will open right up in Media Player.
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A few days ago I wrote a blog about how much the enemy is trying to use my current state of solitude to convince me that I am lonely. He's such a punk!
That's not exactly what I want to blog about here tonight, but before I get to the topic that I really want to talk about let me share something with you.
Sunday, when I was in prayer over what happened Saturday night, asking the Lord about finding a wife, He spoke to me the way He usually does,He pointed me to His Word. He led me straight back to the Garden and told me to meditate on the following passage. So I typed up the passage and printed it on a pocket-sized piece of paper and have read it, and spoke it, like a hundred times this week. It's a very familiar passage. Here it is:
The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the L ord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.
“At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone,
and flesh from my flesh!
She will be called ‘woman,’
because she was taken from ‘man.’” This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.
There is so very much contained in these verses. There are several things I could talk about that God has been speaking to me, but in context with my loneliness, this is what God said to me:
See, I have been in Atlanta for over two years now. I have been alone this entire time. And, as some of you know, I am currently not attending church, for various reasons, but that's another blog. In fact, I am really not serving the Lord with the exception of trying to encourage people when the opportunity presents itself. Well, this week God said, "I have placed you in the Garden, but you have yet to tend and watch over it" Ouch!
To some that may not sound like a great revelation, but it is what God clearly spoke to me about why He has not introduced me to my wife yet. He says I need to get involved and begin to tell people about how he delivered me from a rotten life that resulted in becoming a homeless, helpless, and hopeless drug addict. Ouch again! It's time to get busy.
So what I also get from this is that I have been in a deep sleep. Not only a deep sleep, but I am also missing a rib and that piece of my flesh is currently wide open! So he said:
But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”
Wow. The divine alarm clock has been ringing and I pushed snooze-control one too many times already!
I am wide awake now! Things are about to change! Praise God! His Word will not return void!
And now here's what I really wanted to talk to you about. It's about the lost and revealing the truth to those that are in complete darkness.
In my lonely state last week, I stumbled upon a free site called JustSayHi. This site is like a free dating site, but it's not all about dating. There are several discussion forums and one of them happens to be Religion. Wow. What I discovered is that there are some very seriously lost and confused people out there. Of course this really wasn't news, but after spending so much time here on MyChurch and the believers, I had forgotten just how much darkness was lurking on the rest of the Internet.
I have added comments to a few of the conversations, but alone I do not stand a chance. If you are serious about reaching the lost, and being the salt of this earth, and reaching out to a group of people who need to hear the truth about God, I encourage you to spend a little bit of time trying to reach some of these people. MyChurch is great, don't get me wrong. I am not suggesting this other site as a replacement. There is a plethora of wisdom and Godly knowledge here on MyChurch, and I am asking that you share a little bit of that love and truth on this other site once in a while. I have included a link below for those of you willing to help counter some of the extreme unbelief that is lurking on this one forum alone.
Here's the link:
Just Say Hi Religion Chat
Thanks family! I love you dearly!
Michael
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It's that time of year again - time for some spring cleaning!
****See Update at Bottom of Blog*****
I am not here today to talk about cleaning your closets, your garage, or you attic. I am not even here to talk about cleaning your house. But I am here to talk about cleaning the temple. Amen.
I am here today to invite you to join me in a 10 day cleansing fast!
Even if you choose not to fast, please join us in praying for those requests listed on The Prayer Chain.
Last year I discovered a cleansing fast known as
The Master Cleanser or The Lemonade Diet. I fasted using this plan for the last 10 days of 2007 and the results were incredible. I lost 10 pounds during the 10 days and my metabolism sky-rocketed. Since that time I have dropped an additional 20 pounds and I am proud to say that I am in better shape today than I was 20 years ago! That's awesome.
The purpose of this fast however is not solely to lose weight. There are many, many health benefits that result from allowing your body to rid all of the toxins and other junk that it stores. The links above will give you more information as to the additional benefits. All I can say is "this plan really works wonders, especially when mixed with prayer, praise & worship!"
The founder of this diet recommends fasting in this manor 3 to 4 times a year. I have opted for the 3 times a year plan. It's a trinity thing I suppose. So, nonetheless, it's time for my second round of this 10 day fast and I would like to extend an offer to anyone who would like to participate. I already have one of the girls in my office joining me. It would be great if we could have several people all fasting and praying during the same time.
It's a great way to begin spring. This diet WILL get your metabolism going and put you on track for a healthier you. It is also a great way to get ready for swimsuit season. You know you want to look good at the pool and on the beach!
So here are the dates:
Begin Fast: April 26th.
Break Fast: May 6th.
What do you say? If you are interested feel free to drop me a message here or you can email me directly at michaelsav2004@yahoo.com
HERE is a link to a previous blog from my first fast. I also have some documentation explaining in more detail what this is all about and I would be more than happy to send it to you!
Spring has Sprung - Why not start out fresh on the inside?
Jesus said, "First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too."
Yes, I realize he was speaking about our hearts, but the same principle can apply to our bodies!
Looking forward to your reply!
Michael
UPDATE 04/18/08: So far we have 8 people who have verbally committed to participate. It would be great to get as many people as possible involved. We could make this a MyChurch Fast! If enough people show interest I will start a Prayer Request Blog for us to lift up to the Lord during the fast!
Purpose
To dissolve and eliminate toxins and congestion that have formed inany part of the body.
To cleanse the kidneys and the digestive system.
To purify the glands and cells throughout the entire body.
To eliminate all unusable waste and hardened material in the jointsand muscles.
To relieve pressure and irritation in the nerves, arteries, and bloodvessels.
To build a healthy blood stream.
To keep youth and elasticity regardless of our years.
When to Use It
When sickness has developed ‑ for all acute and chronic conditions. When the digestive system needs a rest and a cleansing. When overweight has become a problem. When better assimilation and building of body tissue is needed.
And How Often?
Follow the diet for a minimum of 10 days or more ‑ up to 40 days and beyond may be safely followed for extremely serious cases. The diet has all the nutrition needed during this time. Three to four times a year will do wonders for keeping the body in a normal healthy condition. The diet may be undertaken more frequently for serious conditions.
How to Make It
2 Tbsp. lemon or limes juices (approx. 1/2 lemon)
2 Tbsp. genuine maple syrup (not maple flavored sugar syrup)
1/10 Tsp cayenne pepper (red pepper) or to taste
Water, medium hot (spring or purified water)
Combine the juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper in a 10-oz. glass and fill with medium hot water. (Cold water may be used if preferred.) Use fresh lemons or limes only, never canned lemon or lime juice nor frozen lemonade or frozen juice. Use organic lemons when possible.
Important Update - 04-30-08:
It has come to my attention that a couple of people who are following this fast are experiencing some discomfort. Please, please know that not everyone is going to react the same. Some of you may have had no previous experience with fasting. I apologize for not questioning that fact before posting this blog and suggesting that you join me.
Fasting is very serious business. While this fast does in fact provide your body with adequate nutrition, there are some strict guidelines that need to be followed. I believe that the links I provided above spell those guidelines out in detail.
If you are experiencing any sort of negative reaction, you may want to strongly consider breaking this fast. This fast is designed to make you feel better, not worse. It does take time for the cleanse to take effect, and sometimes that cleansing is of itself what is causing the discomfort. You will have to be the judge of that for yourself. Like I said, everybody is different.
If you do decide to break fast, you need to start the first day with some fresh orange juice. Drink a few glasses throughout the first day. On the second day, you may eat some fresh vegetables and or a light salad. By the third day your body should be ready for regular food intake.
Friends, please don't get me wrong. This cleanse does work. Every ingredient is designed to perform a certain function and it is all natural. If I had not personally fasted before using this plan I would have never suggested it.
Fasting is a biblical principle. The bible has much to say about fasting and when I gather all the scriptures together and compile to the best of my ability this biblical principle, I will post that on a separate blog. If you are reading this and have further information on fasting, please feel free to post it here in a comment.
I love you brothers and sisters, and the very last thing I want to do is see any of you experiencing problems as a result of following my advice. If you are currently following this fast, please know that there is absolutely no obligation to see it through. By all means, eat!
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