Tag: Israel

Posted in Christmas, Life Inspiration

And God said, “No you won’t”

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Numbers 24:17

I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

I love Bible prophecy, especially that which shows Satan getting his just dues. It doubly sweetens it when God uses Satan’s very own words to further the gospel of Christ! In Isaiah 14:13 God sites Satan’s plan for overthrowing the Kingdom of Heaven. “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:”

And God said, “No you won’t.” That of course was a Shari Quote of verse 15 that reads “Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”

And so on the night that Christ was born, what do we find making its way into the Christmas story? A star!

Matthew 2:1-2 ~ Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

And for generation after generation, every time the story of the coming of the Messiah is told there is also the story of the star that lead the Shepherd’s and Wise men to Christ. The very thing that Satan said he would exalt himself above, God uses to proclaim His Son’s birth and the salvation of earth. The star that Satan would use to lure men into idol worship, God used to light the path to the greatest story ever told.

In Deuteronomy 4:19 God warned ~ And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.

As if to say to Satan, what you believe yourself to have dominion over, I’ll show you Who is in control; and as the Magi were possibly doing something they shouldn’t be doing (looking for signs in the stars) God reveals Himself and they begin their journey for the Creator of the Star. Oh my goodness, how awesome is that! We too forget sometimes Who it is that is in control and that God will use even our mistakes to light the path to His purpose. The wise men followed that star to the Messiah and from their story we find four things that should be in the heart of every believer

Matthew 2:10-13  ~ When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

Joy – It should be evident. (Theirs was great, so should ours be)

Worship – it should be experienced. (They fell down! In awe of His presence)

Giving – it should be earnest. (They were the takers, now they were the givers)

Changed direction – it should be everlasting. (They went another way. There should be some notable changes of direction in our lives when we meet Christ)

I pray this Christmas each time you see a star you’ll be reminded of Christ and experience the great joy that comes in knowing Him!

Posted in Christmas, Life Inspiration

The Wise, the Worried & the Wayward ~ What do you seek?

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I can clearly remember as a child the fear that I had regarding Armageddon. Having very little knowledge about it, only that it was the war to end all wars, and when it happened, horrific things would be about us and the world would be out of control. That fear followed me into adulthood because I still had not learned the scripture as one would have thought I would have being raised in church. Jesus’ return and the end of the earth as we know brought nothing but dread in my heart. I guess I wasn’t alone, nor the first to have experienced it.

Matthew 2:1-3

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Wise men fear and Seek Christ

The wise men were said to be men of great spiritual and philosophical understanding. They knew of the coming Messiah and did not fear it but rather embraced it knowing that God’s plan is the right plan. Their obedience to travel such a great distance speaks volumes of their character. They were invested in this trip with time, money and risk; committed to finding God. That’s what wise men (and women) do. They seek God at all costs knowing that the end result is blessing. But then there was Herod…

Worried men fear and Seek Control

Herod sought Jesus too, but not for worship or wisdom, he sought Him for control. He wanted to destroy anyone he thought would threaten his power as King of Judea, and he didn’t care to kill them young or innocent, calling for the mass murder of all infant boys under the age of two. I somehow block out that part of the Christmas story. The political wickedness that ripped the heart out of mothers. The killing spree that filled Bethlehem’s residents with immeasurable pain was so horrific that Matthew quotes Jeremiah’s mournful words regarding Israel’s pain during the Babylonian Exile in verse 18 ~ In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

Perhaps I block it out because it rings too true in society today. Our government will, it seems at any cost, cater to the wicked to keep control, including forsaking God, murdering babies and joining with allies totally against any Christian principal for the sake of power. They should worry, for try as they might, God’s plan will not fail.

Wayward men fear and Seek Comfort

Those who do not know the comfort of Christ will seek comfort in the world at all costs, even freedom. The scripture in Matthew 2 said “all Jersalem” was worried too. They were troubled because they did not know that Christ was coming to bring peace, they only knew Herod was upset and that wasn’t good. They desired no King other than Herod; him they understood. Therefore Jesus was not a King they cared to know. And so it is with many today, content to stay in the ignorance and controlled by what they’re comfortable with than to relinquish full control to God Who will provide them a peace immeasurable.

It’s not hard to see why the world fights against Christianity, because true, undefiled Christianity shatters the lies and deceit that have been created to control a lost generation. Once you truly understand Who Jesus is, the world’s control is gone and you have the freedom to live without fear. You no longer fear the coming of the Lord, but just like the wise men in Matthew you embrace it. You are willing to go and do at all cost and risk, because you know that His coming again will bring wickedness to an end. Why should we fear? Yes Christ came as a baby, but He’s coming again and this time He’s all grown up! This time there will be no risk or danger for those who know Him as their Savior, but to those who don’t there is much to fear.

Do you know Jesus today? If not, give yourself the gift of Peace this Christmas.

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He is There!

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My emotions have been on every level the past few days with information overload. I look at the blessings in my life and joy floods my soul, I read the news and my heart is burdened for the nonsense that goes on around us, I visit the pages of my friends on social media and my heart breaks for there are so many who are struggling with sickness and loss. But what I discover in my overload of emotions is there is one common denominator in all of the circumstances.

Christ.

Satan would have us believe that in the worst of times God is not found, but oh contraire! Tis a lie from the pits of Hell. The news that burdens my heart is prophecy fulfilled in ways that have me shaking my head and wondering why our leaders who call themselves Christians cannot see it; they appear to go on making decisions that are so far from God’s intended design with little thought to a “payday someday.” R.G. Lee preached a sermon titled “Payday Someday” over 1,000 times in his ministry. And as I listened to a portion of it this morning from the text in 1st Kings 21, the story of Jezebel’s wicked plot to get the property of Naboth for Ahab her husband, I couldn’t help but see the resemblance of what is still occurring to Israel today. But the wicked will not have that land. Israel is not called the Promised Land without reason, and God doesn’t break His promises. It’s their land and it will stay their land. And Heaven help anyone who gets in the way of that promise. Even America. God’s still in the story.

On a personal front, Satan continues the lie that God is not found. I read story and post, one after another of heartbreak and sorrow in the lives of God’s people. Heartache doesn’t take a holiday. If anything there’s likely more heartache in the midst of the Holiday Season than any other. Because it’s a Holy Day. Satan thinks that if he can get the focus off of Christ and onto self he’ll have succeeded on some level of thwarting the Spirit of Christmas. Not true! What I see happening is even through the heartache and sorrow God is glorified in the lives of the Christians. Yes they’re hurting, yes they’re upset, but woven into their stories is that thread of hope that each one holds onto with the knowledge that God has a better day for them.  Go Jesus!!! He is faithful and true.

So to the naysayers I send the challenge from Isaiah 41:21

Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.

Go ahead and show me your reasons that there is no God and I can show you an endless supply of reasons that He is there. The big lie is that you believe there is no God. Because within you, you who God created by the way, is a seed of hope that lies in Him. You may have covered it up with the dirty lies of Satan, but deep within your heart still beats a desire to know your Creator.

Wrote myself happy again today! Let me know where you find God in your season!

 

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The truth about the lies – Media today

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Fixty-six percent (56%) of all voters in a 2013 poll done by http://www.rasmussenreports.com regard the news reported by the media as at least somewhat trustworthy, but that includes just six percent who think it is very trustworthy. Forty-two percent don’t trust the news media with 12% who believe the news it reports is not at all trust worthy.

So what’s real and what’s not?

I was asked last night why I didn’t watch the news. I’m certainly of the 12% who’s jaded by the media’s drive to report news with a political spin, left or right, and the infighting of network staff reminded me too much of churches. I can get opinioned news on the street and as for the fighting it’s readily avaialbe as well. So I turned it off. My husband and coworkers watch the news and if anything is of interest to me generally they bring it up. Or someone in social media gets on a rant about it and I’ll follow it up by an even less trustworthy source, the internet. I do trust my friend Dewey Moede who reports for www.fggam.org, a Christian ministry out of New Mexico and if a major disaster is going on I’ll tune in to a local station, usually WSAZ. For which I received a wonderful email from one my favorite anchors about their relationship with Christ.

I’m not anti media, I’m anti “anti.” The hostility toward views not their own is a real turn off for me and so I turned the off. Their negative views do not change the facts that I know to be true. The Bible reads as a modern day newspaper.

Matthew 24

Vereses 3-5 ~ And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Have we not seen it?

Verses 7-9 ~ For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

It’s reported that greater than 100,000 Christians are killed each year for their faith.

Read on…

Verses 10-14 ~ And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

How many churches are across the world preaching false doctrine? Too many to count. How many denominations spend more time fighting with each other than spreading the gospel? Too many! And because of it people choose to believe nothing. But fear not. The truth is there and look how far it’s traveling. Scripture says it would be preached to all the world, and so we see that unfold today.

Read for yourself the entire chapter of 24 in Matthew and study it out and you’ll discover that it reads in great detail the headlines of today’s news.

So the answer as to why I don’t watch news? I do. It’s the Word of God. And it’s coming to life.

Jesus’s words in verse 33 sum it up quite well  ~ So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

He’s at the door. I’m not saying when, because the Bible is clear to say that no man knows, it’s also clear to say that we need to be ready. So, are you? Have questions or comments, ask them below or email talk2shari@gmail.com.

 

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Grafted & Grateful!

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grafted and grateful copy

Romans 11:19-21 ~ Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

I have very few Jewish friends, and although there are no synagogues close by (only 0.1% of our entire state of West Virginia is Jewish) it does not lessen my burden for the Nation of Israel and my responsibility to pray for them. I do not understand much about the Jewish culture, but that’s okay; I don’t have to understand all there is to know about the modern day Jews to understand there was an olden day plan that’s still in effect. It makes my heart quiver when I see the government leaders of the United States turn their backs on Israel; I may not know a lot, but I know how God feels about His elect and those who fail to help them. I know from a mother’s perspective how I would feel if my children rejected me, it would more painful than I could possibly imagine and I know that God’s hurt is much deeper than that. So, when I think about God grafting the gentiles into the nation of Israel, I don’t take it lightly. He also knew how we’d treat Him, by the way.

It was God’s choosing to cut Israel off for a season because of their rejection of His Son, and it was His choice to allow a rag tag bunch of gentiles to come into His table and sup with Him as one of His own. Israel was, still is and forever will be God’s chosen people. What has changed is that they are no longer “exclusively” His people. Gentile believers are “grafted in” to His Chosen People Israel through the gift of the Holy Spirit upon our acceptance of His Son. It’s an honor, and one that is yet to be fully comprehended on how great it is. But when we gather in glory we’ll get it. Today I’m just grafted and grateful and I know that I don’t want to break my Lord’s heart.

Being a grafted part of the tree makes me want to have my roots by the water’s edge. Psalm 1:1-3 says “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also will not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

A Threefold Promise from being grounded in the Word of God.

Fruit – Strength – Prosperity. They do not come to the slothful or those inattentive of the things of God.

We’re not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Be careful where you get advice. Matthew Henry said that “God knows His people by name, but we must know them by their character.” We’re called to witness to the lost not to walk with them until we look more like them than Christ.

We’re not to sit in the seat of the scornful – those who make light of faith and talk against Heaven. There are some jokes that I’m pretty sure God doesn’t laugh at; such as those that make light of sinful acts or of the holiness of God.

We are to meditate in the Word of God. Not just read it and move on, but mull it around for a spell! Take a verse and consider how it applies to your life, search and see if your life matches up with the Word of God, or are there some areas that can use some work. I know what the answer is in my life.

It’s a privilege to have the Word of God, it is through the Holy Spirit that we have understanding of it. We have the Holy Spirit because God loved us enough to adopt us into His family and graft us into His family tree. Don’t take it for granted…

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The Promise Doesn’t Change

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Exodus 12:25~ And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the Lord will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.

The Promise Doesn’t Change

Genesis 12:1-3  Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

For four hundred and thirty years the Israelites had been enslaved to the Egyptians. I have to wonder how many times they ask the Lord, “But what about the promise?” How many generations died without having seen it? God’s timing is not ours (else my last journey through heartache would have been much shorter!) Abraham, the original receiver of the promised died having not seen the promise fulfilled. Even with Abraham’s death, Israel’s disobedience, and a change in priorities of God’s people, God didn’t change the promise. He promised Abraham he would make of him a great nation and as the 600,000 men, likely over one million people trekked across the dry land of the Red Sea, what a sight it would have been to behold. My heart stirs in me this morning at the thought of what it must have been like to have been in that passel of people! It stirs not only from that promise being fulfilled but from the promises fulfilled in my own life on the countless times God has said “I’ll bring you through” and He did!

Are you going through a struggle in your life? Has heartache knocked upon your door? For Israel to receive that promise they had to do a few things…

The blood had to be applied – Today is no different for the child of God. The blood represented another promise that God would redeem His people, through a greater sacrifice. His Son would be the final sacrifice to end them all, but you must confess Who He is (the Son of God). What He did (He died for you) and Where He is (Risen from the dead and In Heaven at the right hand of God the Father, making intercession for our sins.)

When God said move, they needed to go – If the children had stayed in the corrupt world of Egypt, God’s plan would not have been fulfilled, they needed to go to the Promised Land where the influence of the world would not be. The problem with that was, they took a lot of the influence with them in their minds. They left the country behind, but not the characteristics. And because of that they lived defeated many times. But the promise didn’t change. It just wasn’t as good as it could have been.

Continue to serve – Once they reached the Promised Land God told them they were to “keep this service.”  Somehow or another when people get saved they forget that the journey’s not over. Israel was to continue keeping the Passover as a reminder that God had brought them out. There is much to do for the cause of Christ, and much of it is undone because people have stopped keeping His service. We’re not saved by works. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-9 ~ ”For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” But James 2:18 reminds us that although works will not save you, salvation should give you the desire! “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”

I hope today find you clingin’ to the promise! It did not change!

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A Victorious Chick!

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As I was checking the data on my website one of the top word searches that lead people to my website was “Victorious Chick.” My first thought was, “that’s a cool search;” my second thought was, “Why on earth would that lead them to me?!” I certainly don’t see myself in that light. But I had to wonder… am I? And if so, why? And the greatest question is, if I am, why do I not know? You would think if someone were victorious they would know.

For answers I went back to Israel, I make a trip back there about every day or two because they are the kings and queens of disastrous decisions for which I can identify! So, in a warped way it makes me feel closer to God because His original chosen people likely frustrated Him every bit as much as I do.

Open your mouth and say “Ai”

Joshua 6-8 – the Shari seriously condensed version

After forty years the Israelites had finally made it out of the wilderness! For seven days they marched around the walls of Jericho and when the trumpet blew and the people shouted the walls came down and all but Rahab and her family were destroyed. God had given the orders and they obeyed and it went off without a hitch… until Achan spied a Babylonish garment, some silver and gold and hid it in his tent.  Then Israel went out again to battle and because of the Babylonian britches they got the pants beat off of them. Joshua prayed to God, “Why did we not stay in Jordan Lord, now we are here; our people are chickens and Your good name is ruined.” I told you it was seriously condensed! But then God says “Why are you layin’ on your face. There’s sin in your camp.”

Some of my greatest failures have been because I have had sin in my camp. It doesn’t even have to be great sin, but God’s people are held to a higher accountability. Achan and his family were stoned to death and burnt with fire, guilty by association, and recompense was made. I used to not understand why God took such extreme measures, until I studied the law of Moses. It is not by coincidence that when this event ended Joshua built an altar and wrote the Ten Commandments upon them. God is Holy. He hasn’t changed, but what has changed is that we are no longer under the law, but under grace; which still does not excuse sin, but it covers it with the blood of Christ. The “Thou Shalt Not’s” are still there, but the debt is paid by Christ’s death, not our own, which Achan had to learn the hard way.

After the death of Achan’s family the children of Israel returned to Ai, and beat the pants off of them and God’s great Name was glorified.

So now you say, what does that have to do with you being a victorious chick? I’ve had the victories, I’ve coveted things that were not mine, lost a battle or two and God graciously allowed me to return to the battle field that I’d been beaten on and have victory again.

Over the years I have desired positions and things that God never intended me to have, and when I got them it always lead to disaster. Rather than being satisfied with where God had me at the time or what I had at the time I would move ahead of God’s intended design, and the price was always high. But then I’d repent and settle back into my place and God would slowly but surely bring me back to that place and I’d have the victory. I don’t think it was as sweet as it would have been if I’d have waited on Him.  But it was sweet!

So I guess I am a victorious chick, but not of anything I have done, but as it says in 1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Amen! Vctory comes in obedience. Are you in a rough spot, you’ll have to examne your own life and see where you are. There may be sin (if there is, you know) or it may be a waiting time when God needs to see obedience in the wait. Either way, just hold on! God will bring you through!

Share with me your victories! I’d love to hear