GOD IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF ME!!!

I just had to write this today!!!


You know, there are times in our lives when it seems that everyone and everything is coming against us!!!  I don’t mean just one thing, or one person.  I mean that it seems that we are being attacked from all sides!!! 


It is at times like these that we must know who we serve!!!  And we must know that our GOD will take care of us!!!!


Yesterday, as I was thinking about ALL that is happening, God showed me these verses. 


Jeremiah 17:7-8 (KJV)

⁷ Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

⁸ For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.


You know, I trust the LORD, but sometimes just like everyone else, I get overwhelmed.  My mother has been sick, and she even had to go to the hospital.  She is home and we are all helping to take care of her.  As if that wasn’t enough, we are now being audited by the IRS for 2012.  And to top it off, my truck has been acting up!!! 


I know that some folks would say when it rains it pours, but even though ALL these things have been happening, I know to TRUST GOD to take care of me and my folks!!!! 


Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.


And so last night on the way home from my parents’ house I began to pray over my truck!!!   


I commanded that truck to run right in Jesus’ name.  I commanded every wire, every sensor, every valve, and every other part to run as it is supposed to run in Jesus’ name!!! 


In the midst of my prayer, fear tried to creep in and make me believe that it was useless to pray over that ole truck!!! 


But I rebuked that fear and I told GOD that I was scared, but that I believed in HIM and that I knew that I could command that truck to run like it was supposed to run in Jesus’ name.  And I knew that that ole truck had to obey!!!  Now that may seem crazy to some folks, but it works!!!    


I want you to know that my truck did NOT die on the way home and I did NOT have even one bit of trouble!!!  It drove perfectly!!!  And I PRAISE and THANK The LORD for it!!!  GOD is so good to me!!!


And you know, GOD is going to fix everything else!!!  HE IS MY PROVIDER and MY PROTECTOR, and MY PLACE OF SAFETY!!! 


Philippians 4:19 (KJV) And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 


Psalm 18:1-2 (NKJV)

18 I will love You, O Lord, my strength.

² The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.


Psalm 91:2 (CEV)

² Then you will say to the Lord,
“You are my fortress,
    my place of safety;
    you are my God,
    and I trust you.”


Psalm 46:1 (KJV) God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

So, today, when my problems wanted to close in on me again and upset me, I opened my Bible and I began to read!!!


And these are the verses that GOD showed me. 


Isaiah 54:14-17 (KJV)

¹⁴ In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

¹⁵ Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

¹⁶ Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

¹⁷ No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.


Do you see that??? 

Isaiah 54:14 (NKJV)

¹⁴ In righteousness you shall be established;
You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
And from terror, for it shall not come near you.

God says that HE is establishing me in righteousness!!!  HE says that I will NOT be oppressed AND I SHALL NOT FEAR!!!  TERROR shall NOT come near me!!!    
   
That means that I can rebuke fear and terror.  They have NO RIGHT to come near me, because I am HIS CHILD!!! 

Isaiah 54:15 (NKJV)
 
¹⁵ Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me.
Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.


And look, GOD even says that folks are going come againstme because I am one of HIS KIDS, but HE is NOT part of it.  HE is NOT the one coming against me and my family.  And HE will FIGHT FOR ME!!!  HE WILL FIGHT ANYONE that comes against ME!!!! 


So, look out IRS!!!  You cannot win against us!!!! 


I truly believe that they cannot win against us because GOD will fight our battles!!!


Here is another wonderful promise from GOD!!!  I love this verse!!!  I trust GOD to bring ALL of HIS PROMISES to pass!!!


Isaiah 54:10 (NKJV)

“For the mountains shall depart
And the hills be removed,
But My kindness shall not depart from you,
Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,”
Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.


HIS KINDNESS SHALL NEVER DEPART FROM ME!!! 


HIS COVENANT OF PEACE SHALL NOT BE REMOVED FROM ME. 


Nothing anyone can do will ever cause HIS KINDNESS to leave me, nor can anyone cause HIS COVENANT OF PEACE to be destroyed or removed from me because HE is MY MERCIFUL GOD!!!


I trust HIM!!!  And I know that HE will always take care of me!!!   

 

Don’t Blame GOD!!!

I was speaking with a friend this morning and she was telling me how she gets mad when folks blame God for their problems. 


It is funny how folks act like GOD doesn’t even exist until they start having problems!!!  And then they think they have the right to blame HIM. 


As you can tell, I totally agree with my friend and yes, it makes me mad to hear folks blaming GOD for everything that goes wrong!


So, let’s see if we can get this straight. 


Don’t get me wrong, I know that I cannot change everyone nor is everyone going to listen to me, but if just one person reads this and realizes the TRUTH, I have written a successful post!


Here is the scripture that I shared with my friend this morning. 


John 10:10-11 (AMP)

¹⁰ The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

¹¹ I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd risks and lays down His [own] life for the sheep.


THE LORD tells us in this scripture exactly who (the devil) does bad things, and HE tells us that HE (GOD, HIMSELF) is OUR GOOD SHEPHERD!!! 


So, let’s think about what a shepherd does. 


A shepherd tends to his flock and in doing so he opens the gates and rounds up the flock.  He takes the flock out to drink water and graze on good green grass.  He watches over them during the day and throughout the night to keep them safe.


David wrote this psalm.


Psalm 23:1-5 (AMP)

¹ The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.

² He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.

³ He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake.

⁴ Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.


As the Amplified says, the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place forever.


Psalm 23:6 (NKJV)

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.


Now that we know that THE LORD IS OUR SHEPHERD and we know that HE WATCHES OVER US, I have a question for you. 


If the shepherd is trying to guide us down the right path and we run away and fall in a ditch, whose fault is it?


NOT GOD!!!!  HE DIDN’T DO IT!!!


So, I say to you now, STOP BLAMING GOD FOR YOUR MISTAKES AND YOUR PROBLEMS!!!


We cause ourselves a lot of grief.


Every person I know wants to do things his or her own way.  Everyone has ideas about how things should work and what should go on.


So, from now on, let’s just be honest and own up to the TRUTH!!!  Either we caused our problems or we let the devil fool us and lead us off the path that we were supposed to be following!!!


If we can remember that GOD TRULY LOVES US and HE WANTS THE BEST FOR US, then life will get a whole lot more simple. 


Life can be very simple because GOD HAS ALL THE ANSWERS!!!  And with that in mind, there are 3 things we NEED to do!!!


Listen closely to GOD and DO WHAT HE SAYS!!!! 


Take ALL OUR FEARS AND CONCERNS to HIM (that includes problems) and ask HIM what to do!!!


And FOLLOW HIM because HE KNOWS where each one of us is supposed to be going and how to get that person there!!!

It’s Just My Opinion!!!

I’ve heard that excuse before. 

And yes, I said excuse. 

Everyone has an opinion and every one says that they have a right to express their opinion.  And most folks truly believe that they have the right to say whatever they want to about whoever they want.  

   
Do you know that when you talk about others and give your opinion, you are gossiping?  

You are telling the truth???

So, that makes it okay?

Well, that’s what I used to think, too. 

Then THE LORD had me look up the word, “gossip.” 

Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossip) says, gossip is idle talk or rumor, especially about personal or private affairs of others.

So, according to this definition, even if you are telling the truth, when you are talking about other folks’ private business, you are gossiping!!!


Do you see the word, “idle?” 

Vocabulary.com explains the word, “idle” very well.

Something idle is not active. If your car is idling, it's running but not moving. If someone calls you idle, it either means they think you don't have enough to do or that you're just plain lazy.

Idle can also mean having no value or purpose: idle rumors are rumors that people make up when they're bored, but have no grounding in fact. As a verb, idle can also refer to a car engine that is running while the vehicle is not moving. The adjective descends from Middle English idel, from Old English īdel "empty."


GOD’S WORD has something to say about “idle talk.”


Matthew 12:36 (NKJV) But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.


Here is what GOD says about those who say they love THE LORD, but continue to gossip and run their mouths about other folks. 


James 1:26 (CEB) If those who claim devotion to God don’t control what they say, they mislead themselves. Their devotion is worthless.


Now, that is pretty plain.  So, if you are gossiping and you think that GOD just overlooks it because you are supposed to be saved, then you are deceiving your own self. 


James 1:26 (ESV) If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.


Can you imagine what folks must think about you, if you go to church ALL the time and claim that you are saved, sanctified and filled with the HOLY GHOST?  Then they hear you telling ALL of Sister Sally’s and Brother Fred’s business. 


And you wonder why they won’t go to church with you when you invite them.


Why would anyone want to come to a church full of gossip-a place where folks act just like those people out in the world?  Folks can go anywhere and find that kind of behavior, but they shouldn’t find it in church.


1 Timothy 5:13 (NKJV) And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.


I know that some folks would say that I am making a big deal out of ALL this, but I must tell you that God wants us to keep our mouths off of others and HE wants us to stay out of other people’s business.


2 Thessalonians 3:11 (CEB) We hear that some of you are living an undisciplined life. They aren’t working, but they are meddling in other people’s business.


THE LORD dealt with me about talking about folks-about gossiping-which as you can see HE says is sin.  GOD told me to mind my own business.  And HE also told me NOT to tell everyone my business.    


Proverbs 21:23 (NCV) Those who are careful about what they say keep themselves out of trouble.

Proverbs 10:19 (NCV) If you talk a lot, you are sure to sin; if you are wise, you will keep quiet.


GOD also told me NOT to listen to gossip or repeat what I hear others telling.


Proverbs 26:20 (NCV) Without wood, a fire will go out, and without gossip, quarreling will stop.


Proverbs 26:20 (ESV) For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.


Do you see where it talks about the whisperer in that last verse?  Most folks whisper when they tell gossip because they know that they shouldn’t be talking about other people.  They know they are wrong!!!


Proverbs 16:28 (KJV) A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.


I looked up the word, “forward.”  It means willful and contrary.


So, Proverbs 16:28 is actually saying, A willful and contrary man stirs up trouble and causes conflict: and a whisperer separates close friends. 


That is why the Common English Bible says it this way. 


Proverbs 16:28 (CEB) Destructive people produce conflict; gossips alienate close friends.


If you know that someone is always telling other folks’ business, then you need to stay away from that person.


Proverbs 20:19 (CEB) Gossips reveal secrets; don’t associate with those who talk too much.


2 Timothy 2:16 (CEB) Avoid their godless discussions, because they will lead many people into ungodly behavior.


If a person will talk about someone else, they will talk about you.  You cannot trust someone who gossips.


Proverbs 11:13 (NCV) Gossips can’t keep secrets, but a trustworthy person can. 


Proverbs 11:13 (NKJV) A talebearer reveals secrets,
But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.

Proverbs 17:9 (NKJV) He who covers a transgression seeks love,
But he who repeats a matter separates friends.


As you can see, God does NOT like gossips and talebearers!!!  And if you have ever been on the other end of the tales that are being told, neither would you!!!  Folks are hurt by gossip, even when they don’t tell you that it is hurting them. 


But GOD reassures us that talebearers and gossips will get theirs.  HE tells us that NO ONE that comes against us shall prosper.


Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV)

¹⁷ No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.


So, if we can’t talk about others, what are we supposed to talk and think about? 


Philippians 4:6-7 (NCV)

⁶ Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks.

⁷ And God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:8-9 (NKJV)

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

⁹ The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.


That’s all well and good, but we can’t just sit around and think all day.  What are we supposed to do with our lives??? 


1 Thessalonians 4:11 (NCV) Do all you can to live a peaceful life. Take care of your own business, and do your own work as we have already told you.


Ephesians 4:29  New American Standard Bible (NASB) Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.


In case you don’t know what edification means, it means to build up a person and help them make themselves better, but as GOD reminds us, we have to speak in love!!!


Ephesians 4:15-16 (CEB) ¹⁵ Instead, by speaking the truth with love, let’s grow in every way into Christ, ¹⁶ who is the head.


If we truly want to be like CHRIST, we have to speak and teach GOD’S WORD in LOVE, so that we build others up and help them to be strong.  Then they can go out and spread GOD’S WORD by showing and telling others about the LOVE OF CHRIST!!! 


In the end, it ALL comes back to LOVE!!!  If you want to be more like JESUS, then you must love others and try to help build them up!!!  If you truly LOVE them, you won’t talk about them behind their backs.  And when you are trying to help build others up, you can ONLY do it effectively, if YOU DO IT IN LOVE!!! 

So You Want to Come Against God’s Anointed

Before you decide to come against THE LORD’S ANOINTED, you ought to do some praying, reading and studying because this is a very important decision. 


Coming against God’s anointed man or woman is a very serious matter and if you do so, GOD will NOT be pleased with you.  You need to know that when you come against THE LORD’S ANOINTED, you are coming AGAINST GOD, HIMSELF!!!


THE LORD tells us plainly in HIS WORD, do NOT come against HIS ANOINTED!!! 


1 Chronicles 16: 22 (ESV) …“Touch not my anointed ones,
    do my prophets no harm!”


I think that part of the problem is that sometimes we begin to think or feel that someone is either NOT ANOINTED or maybe they are NO LONGER GOD’S ANOINTED!!!  And because of that, we don’t think that we are actually coming against GOD!!!  However, we are NOT GOD!!!  ONLY GOD can see a person’s heart and ONLY HE has the right to judge another person. 


On that note, let’s go to THE WORD!!!  Let’s look at King Saul.  Almost everyone knows that GOD rejected Saul from being king over Israel and had the prophet Samuel anoint David to be king. 


1 Samuel 16:1 (NKJV) Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”


Saul saw that THE LORD was with David and he became jealous.  Saul began trying to kill David, but David refused to lift a hand against Saul. 


1 Samuel 18:10-11 (CEV)

¹⁰ …the Lord let an evil spirit take control of Saul, and he began acting like a crazy man inside his house. David came to play the harp for Saul as usual, but this time Saul had a spear in his hand. ¹¹ Saul thought, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” He threw the spear at David twice, but David dodged and got away both times.


THE WORD tells us again that GOD had left Saul, but still David refused to lay a hand on him.  David behaved wisely and that is what each of us needs to make sure that we do.


1 Samuel 18:12-16 (NKJV)

¹² Now Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, but had departed from Saul. ¹³ Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. ¹⁴ And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him. ¹⁵ Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him. ¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.


We must be careful, oh, so careful in speaking or coming against a person who is THE ANOINTED OF THE LORD!!! 


GOD uses HIS servant, David, to show us this!!!  As we can see by reading about David and how he treated Saul, even David realized that ONLY GOD can judge a person, even when that person is coming against us and trying to destroy us!!! 


1 Samuel 24:1-12 (NKJV)

24 Now it happened, when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, “Take note! David is in the Wilderness of En Gedi.” ² Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats. ³ So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to attend to his needs. (David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.)

⁴ Then the men of David said to him, “This is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you.’” And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.

⁵ Now it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe.

⁶ And he said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.”

⁷ So David restrained his servants with these words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way.

⁸ David also arose afterward, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed down. ⁹ And David said to Saul: “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Indeed David seeks your harm’?

¹⁰ Look, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’

¹¹ Moreover, my father, see! Yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you hunt my life to take it.

¹² Let the Lord judge between you and me, and let the Lord avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you.


David was an honorable man and he refused to kill Saul even though he had many opportunities.  You will never find a place in the scriptures when David speaks evil of Saul to someone else.  Even after Saul had been killed, David did NOT rejoice!!!


2 Samuel 1:5-16 (NKJV)

⁵ So David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?”

⁶ Then the young man who told him said, “As I happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboa, there was Saul, leaning on his spear; and indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. ⁷ Now when he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ ⁸ And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ So I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’

⁹ He said to me again, ‘Please stand over me and kill me, for anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me.’ ¹⁰ So I stood over him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.”
¹¹ Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. ¹² And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
¹³ Then David said to the young man who told him, “Where are you from?”
And he answered, “I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite.”

¹⁴ So David said to him, “How was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” ¹⁵ Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go near, and execute him!” And he struck him so that he died. ¹⁶ So David said to him, “Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord’s anointed.’”


Instead of coming against Saul as most people would have, David left Israel and did NOT return until GOD told him to come back.  David returned so that he could be anointed King of Judah. 


2 Samuel 2:1-4 (NKJV)

¹ It happened after this that David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?”

And the Lord said to him, “Go up.”
David said, “Where shall I go up?”
And He said, “To Hebron.”
² So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. ³ And David brought up the men who were with him, every man with his household. So they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
⁴ Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.


David honored and spoke well of Saul even after his death and burial.


2 Samuel 2:1-4, con’t. (NKJV)

…And they told David, saying, “The men of Jabesh Gilead were the ones who buried Saul.”

⁵ So David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, “You are blessed of the Lord, for you have shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him. ⁶ And now may the Lord show kindness and truth to you. I also will repay you this kindness, because you have done this thing. ⁷ Now therefore, let your hands be strengthened, and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.”


I wonder how many of us are as honorable as David?  I wonder if we would be as merciful to our enemy as David was or if we would destroy him or her, if GOD gave us the opportunity. 


It is so easy to run a person down, and tell ALL the bad things we know.  Instead, we need to pray for that person and ask God to direct our steps, so that HE can show us what to do. 


If each and every one of us would pray for God’s guidance, and truly listen to what HE tells us and follow HIM, I would NOT be writing this post today. 


However, GOD gave us FREE WILL, and we often choose to go down our own path rather than to enquire of GOD!!!  And choosing our own path instead of seeking GOD’S WILL, always leads to trouble.  God wants HIS children to be merciful to others and we will never succeed when we come against another person.  


Have you ever read about Korah and how he and his followers came against Moses, GOD’S ANOINTED MAN?  Do you know what GOD happened to these men? 


Numbers 16:1-2 (NCV)

¹ Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On turned against Moses. (Korah was the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi; Dathan and Abiram were brothers, the sons of Eliab; and On was the son of Peleth; Dathan, Abiram, and On were from the tribe of Reuben.)

² These men gathered two hundred fifty other Israelite men, well-known leaders chosen by the community, and challenged Moses.


These men NOT only came against Moses, but they also came against Aaron, the priest. 


Numbers 16:3-11 (NKJV)

³ They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?”

⁴ So when Moses heard it, he fell on his face; ⁵ and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is His and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to Him. That one whom He chooses He will cause to come near to Him.

⁶ Do this: Take censers, Korah and all your company; ⁷ put fire in them and put incense in them before the Lord tomorrow, and it shall be that the man whom the Lord chooses is the holy one. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!”
⁸ Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi: ⁹ Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to serve them; ¹⁰ and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking the priesthood also?

¹¹ Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the Lord. And what is Aaron that you complain against him?”


You cannot come against GOD and succeed.  GOD will defend those who are HIS every time!!!


Numbers 16:16-18 (NKJV)
¹⁶ And Moses said to Korah, “Tomorrow, you and all your company be present before the Lord—you and they, as well as Aaron. ¹⁷ Let each take his censer and put incense in it, and each of you bring his censer before the Lord, two hundred and fifty censers; both you and Aaron, each with his censer.”

¹⁸ So every man took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the tabernacle of meeting with Moses and Aaron.


In ALL honesty, we should never come against anyone, because we will reap what we sow.  It is foolish to think that we will escape unscathed when coming against GOD’S ANOINTED!!! 


Numbers 16:19-21 (NKJV)

¹⁹ And Korah gathered all the congregation against them at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation.

²⁰ And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ²¹ “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”


Moses and Aaron were truly wise and merciful Men of GOD.  And as we can see, they loved God’s people as TRUE leaders should. 


Numbers 16:22-35 (NKJV)

²² Then they fell on their faces, and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with all the congregation?”
²³ So the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁴ “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’”
²⁵ Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. ²⁶ And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.” ²⁷ So they got away from around the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little children.
²⁸ And Moses said: “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. ²⁹ If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. ³⁰ But if the Lord creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord.”

³¹ Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, ³² and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. ³³ So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.

³⁴ Then all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up also!”
³⁵ And a fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.


God showed me the passage above.  HE had me read about Korah and the men that came against Moses and Aaron.  HE had me read about the people in the congregation and how they didn’t learn from what happened to Korah and the men that came against Moses and Aaron. 


Numbers 16:36-40 (NKJV)

³⁶ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ³⁷ “Tell Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, to pick up the censers out of the blaze, for they are holy, and scatter the fire some distance away. ³⁸ The censers of these men who sinned against their own souls, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar. Because they presented them before the Lord, therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”

³⁹ So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned up had presented, and they were hammered out as a covering on the altar, ⁴⁰ to be a memorial to the children of Israel that no outsider, who is not a descendant of Aaron, should come near to offer incense before the Lord, that he might not become like Korah and his companions, just as the Lord had said to him through Moses.


Some people are so deceived and so evil minded that they refuse to learn by example.  They are hardheaded and they refuse to listen to GOD and see what HE is trying to show them.  And they refuse to obey those that GOD has appointed as leaders over them.  Unfortunately and sadly, these folks seem to have to learn the hard way. 


Numbers 16:41-43 (NKJV)

⁴¹ On the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the Lord.”

⁴² Now it happened, when the congregation had gathered against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tabernacle of meeting; and suddenly the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared. ⁴³ Then Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of meeting.



As I read about this congregation of people and how they continued to come against GOD and those called to do HIS service, it was hard for me to understand why they has no respect for those that GOD had placed over them.  I truly do NOT understand, except to say that they were greatly deceived.   


As I read, I also saw how much Moses and Aaron must have loved the children of Israel and how they continued to try to save them by interceding for them time after time and pleading with the LORD to be merciful.  This is what true leaders do. 


Numbers 16:44-50 (NKJV)


⁴⁴ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ⁴⁵ “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”
And they fell on their faces.
⁴⁶ So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the Lord. The plague has begun.”

⁴⁷ Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people. ⁴⁸ And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped.

⁴⁹ Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the Korah incident.

⁵⁰ So Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, for the plague had stopped.

THE LORD touched my heart and impressed upon me how very important it is that we know and teach that no one should EVER, EVER think that it is okay to come against HIS PEOPLE; HIS ANOINTED ONES!!! 


Psalm 105:12-15 (ESV)

¹² When they were few in number,
    of little account, and sojourners in it,
¹³ wandering from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another people,
¹⁴ he allowed no one to oppress them;
    he rebuked kings on their account,
¹⁵ saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,
    do my prophets no harm!”

God was with David wherever he went!!!

I love to read about the saints in the Old Testament. 


And King David is my favorite!!!  I love to read about David and how God blessed him and showed him favor in ALL that he did.   


David found favor with the LORD.  God called David, “A man after MY OWN HEART.”


Acts 13:22 (NKJV) …He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’


And God was with David wherever he went.  No matter where David went or what David did, THE LORD was there with him.  


2 Samuel 7:8-9 (NKJV)

⁸ Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel.

⁹ And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth.



Reading about David inspires and encourages me.  You see, I know that if God will do it for David, HE WILL IT FOR ME!!!


I want to know that GOD is with me no matter where I go and no matter what I do!!!  I want HIM to be with me ALWAYS!!!


And I know that HE WILL because I trust in HIM!!! 


Twice in the same chapter, THE WORD OF GOD tells us that THE LORD PRESERVED David wherever David went. 


2 Samuel 8:6, 14 (NKJV)

⁶ …So the Lord preserved David wherever he went.

¹⁴ …And the Lord preserved David wherever he went.


PRESERVED means to be watched over.    


Dictionary.com says preserve means to keep safe from harm or injury; protect or spare.


As I was writing, these words came to me, “Well kept!!!” 


When God is watching over you, you can be assured that you will be WELL KEPT!!!


I know that just as God preserved David, HE WILL PRESERVE ME!!!  I know that GOD watches over me wherever I go. 


David was NOT ONLY called by GOD, but HE was chosen to rule over Israel by THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!!!  David was called and chosen to do THE LORD’S WILL!!!    


And just as THE LORD had promised, HE established David as King over Israel.  THE LORD gave David victory over ALL his enemies, and HE gave him PEACE and REST!!!  


2 Samuel 7:1-2 (NKJV)

7 Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, ² that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.”


THE LORD had done so much for David and HE had blessed David so much that David wanted to honor HIM.  David wanted to build GOD a house.   


2 Samuel 7:3-7 (NKJV)

³ Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, ⁵ “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? ⁶ For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle. 

⁷ Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’


GOD saw David’s Heart and HE knew how much David loved HIM.  And because GOD loved David so much, HE made a covenant with David. 


Who would have thought that GOD would take a young shepherd boy and make him King over Israel!!! 


2 Samuel 7:8-15 (NKJV)

⁸ Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. ⁹ And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth. 

 ¹⁰ Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, ¹¹ since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord tells you that He will make you a house.

¹² “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴ I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. ¹⁵ But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.


Who would have thought that GOD would LOVE this man so much that HE would bring HIS ONLY JESUS CHRIST through Mary who was one of David descendants!!!  So, that David’s seed would indeed live forever!!!


2 Samuel 7:16-17 (NKJV)

¹⁶ And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.”’”
¹⁷ According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.


And I am sure that David never thought that Paul, a disciple of Christ would one day stand up in the synagogue and reminded the men of Israel of how GOD had chosen him to be KING over Israel.  I bet that David could NOT have imagined how God would choose to fulfill ALL HIS PROMISES to him!!!    


Acts 13:16-22 (NKJV)
¹⁶ Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: ¹⁷ The God of this people Israel^[b] chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He brought them out of it. ¹⁸ Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness. ¹⁹ And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land to them by allotment.
²⁰ “After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. ²¹ And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

²² And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’

²³ From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior—Jesus

Great God Almighty, HE Done Changed Me!!!

Have you heard MercyMe’s new song, SHAKE?

If NOT, just click on the title of this post.  I have linked the official video and it is really great.  I hope you will enjoy it!!

I first heard part of this song one day on my way home.  I had stopped and when I got back in the truck, it was playing on the radio.  The only words that I remembered are the ones below.    

Great God Almighty done changed me
Great God Almighty, He done changed me

So, I googled them and I found the song, and of course, several videos.  If you have read my previous post, then you have probably already seen a couple of the videos that I found. 

This song isn’t just a really good song.  It’s a TRUTHFUL song!!

What do I mean?

When you get saved, you are changed.  You just can’t meet GOD without being changed!!!  There is just no way to truly get to know the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY and remain the same as you once were.


Some folks seem to take longer, but I have seen folks that are immediately and drastically changed forever.  And I do mean changed for life.     

I think in ALL truth, folks don’t really realize how broken their lives are, until they meet Jesus. 

And although I doubt that most folks would admit it, they need Jesus to heal their broken hearts and repair their broken lives. 

I know that a lot of folks will tell you that they have found THE LORD, but in ALL TRUTH, it is Jesus who finds us!  HE meets you wherever you are.  HE finds you when you need HIM the most!!! 

And when HE saves you from the mess you were in, you don’t ever want to go back.   Cause if you truly allow GOD to save you from your mess, then you do NOT want to get back into it.

YOU ARE CHANGED!!!  YOU ARE TRANSFORMED!!! 

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.


And because you are a new creation in Christ Jesus, you don’t act the same.  You don’t live the same way.  You don’t hang around the same people, mostly because you have been changed and you don’t fit in with the same crowd. 


Folks ought to be able to tell that you have changed. 


Your old friends ought to be able to see that you are different, and even the folks at work ought to be able to see that you aren’t the same person you once were. 


If you act the same as you always did, then something is wrong.  Because there is no way that you can meet The Great God Almighty and NOT be changed!!!  It just can’t be done. 


When you know that JESUS loves you and that HE died so that you can be forgiven and live eternally, the whole world looks different. 


And because JESUS LOVES US, HE doesn’t condemn us or try to make us feel guilty.  HE doesn’t want us to feel ashamed or embarrassed about who we once were.  HE knows that we aren’t the person we used to be because HE HAS CHANGED OUR HEARTS!!!     


And just as the song says, it doesn’t matter how old you are, “Brand New” looks good on you. 


When people see that JESUS has changed you, they will make remarks.  They will let you know that they can see a change in you!!! 

 
Folks will admit that they can tell that you have been transformed.  They will say that they can tell that you are different.  Some will ask you what happened.

And you can tell them as this song says, GOD HAS CHANGED ME!!!  HE HAS SET ME FREE!!! 

Great God Almighty done changed me

Great God Almighty, HE done changed me

Great God Almighty done changed me

Great God Almighty, HE done changed me