dailywordofdestiny

Procrastination means to defer action; putting off what needs to be done today until a time more convenient for us. I am realizing with increasing clarity that the ONLY TIME we have to live a VICTORIOUS Christian life is right NOW, this very moment! Many of us live in the illusion of immortality; believing that what we have in this moment and where we are in this segment of time will go on forever. There is a pervasive mindset that “what we don’t get done today, we’ll do tomorrow.” Perhaps there are some who can even recall “setting on the shelf” something you knew God wanted you to do for Him right then. My friend, His Word says (Job 7: 7; Psalm 78: 39) “that He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust and that our days are like grass, we flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over us and then we are gone, and our place is remembered no more” (Psalm 103: 14-16). It is wise to remember that your body is a temple (1 Corinthians 6: 19) and it is in a world that is programmed to destroy it (John 10: 10). There is no guarantee for life tomorrow (Proverbs 27: 1). Never underestimate the enemy, but at the same time recognize that you are a “spiritual” being and that Holy Spirit DWELLS within (Psalm 91; Ephesians 2: 22; 3: 17; Colossians 1: 19) and GREATER IS HE than he that rules (for the moment) this physical world (1 John 4: 4-6).

A couple of years ago, I prayed with women each Tuesday evening. We had been meeting faithfully for 11/2 years interceding for the children, youth, family, moral issues, and for unity among the churches in the community. There had been an average of seven women that have persevered in this assignment. It was in January that we felt we needed to let the moms with children know they could bring their kids to these prayer sessions. I felt God wanted the next two generations involved in the recognition of the need for prayer and to see God’s ability and faithfulness in answering prayer. I had noticed an increasing lack of basic Bible knowledge among people of all ages, but particularly in the teens and children. I had gone to many churches of varying denominations and saw very few people carrying a Bible or following along with pastors as they preached and taught God’s Word. Friends, I am NOT talking about a “third world country,” but about the United States of America and about the churches in an area historically known as the “Bible Belt of the U.S.A.!”

I decided to challenge the fifteen – twenty children and teens to memorize Scripture for financial reimbursement. Yes, that’s right; I chose to bless/blackmail them into becoming familiar with God’s Word. The children under twelve years could learn one verse, but that those over twelve years had to do four verses. They had to give the reference and could not use any prompts. I said I would listen to each one of them at the end of the prayer session and that I would pay them if the verses were accurate. It would begin the following week.

Next week arrived and one young girl about ten came to me as soon as I got into the church and told me she wanted to recite John 3:16. Right behind her was another young lady who also wanted to quote John 3:16. During this exchange, two young teens came up and each said, “I forgot; can I use a Bible to learn some verses now?” My response was that no Bible would be opened while we were in prayer. If they could memorize the required verses before we started or before their turn came, I would accept it this time, but in future they would have to have them ready.

I was amazed by the sudden running about to find Bibles and the Scripture about the ten virgins popped into my head. Many of us are like these kids in our relationship with Jesus. We’re busy with day-to-day life and all at once a crisis or situation comes up that we can’t handle all by SELF. We get desperate for His hand of favor and blessing, BUT FIND OUR LAMPS ARE OUT OF OIL! We had intended to keep our lamps filled continually with oil (His presence), but other “things” took priority and we just “put it off.”

Both Moses and Joshua warned the people of Israel about the JEALOUSY of God (Exodus 34: 14; Deuteronomy 4: 23, 24), “Joshua said to the people, ‘You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, He will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after He has been good to you'” (Joshua 4: 19, 20). I am so glad that Jesus came and that when we repent and turn from our sin, He forgives us, aren’t you? That Holy Spirit is available, giving as much of Himself as we desire. We alone are allowed to choose how much of His presence we want.

The rest of the story really blessed me. The first girl came to me and quoted John 3: 16 and I paid her $1. The second girl quoted John 3: 16 and I paid her $1. Then a young girl 7 years old came and said she’d like to quote Psalm 100. I asked her which verse she was going to use and she said, “Miss Judy, I want to do the whole Psalm.” AND SHE DID! I gave her $5 and then there was amazing excitement among not only the children, but the adults as well. Two teen girls came up and did their 4 verses (with effort); I paid them $1. They weren’t happy as they saw I had given the 7 year old $5 and wanted to know why? My response was the parable in Matthew 25: 14-28. Now they have all asked (adults too) if they can be included in the weekly memorizing.

I am looking back on some articles I had written in years past. Sometimes the messages Holy Spirit has us write are as relevant for the time they are written and also for the future. I feel this is the case here. Read for yourself and I pray you hear what the Spirit of the Lord has to say to us right now!

Early Monday, September 23, 2008 God gave me a dream and I have been praying and thinking about it these past few days. I write now in retrospect. I find it interesting that the dream occurred in the early hours of the 23rd which followed the beginning of the Fall Equinox (09-22-08 – 11: 44: 18 EDT) heralding autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. It is when the sun appears to cross the celestial equator, from North to South and it is said that night and day are of approximately the same length.

September, 2008 has been packed with many “stormy days”: September 1st Hurricane Gustav killed 26 in Sothern USA: September 5th tropical storm Hannah kills and injures hundreds in Haiti: September 7th and 8th Hurricane Ike hits Haiti and Cuba and 70 + die, in Turks and Caicos 80% lose their homes: September 12th a metro link train collides with a freight train and 25 die in California: September 13th and 14th Hurricane Ike hits Texas and there is great loss of people and homes: September 14th -16th Midwest USA still feels the effects of Ike with high winds causing death, flooding and 2 million are left without power. There are major issues presently occurring and developing in the political and economic arenas of many of the nations in the world. Basically we are seeing Matthew 24: 1-24 unfolding before our very eyes! As I am writing, Revelation Chapter 18 also comes to mind, particularly verses 8-20. ” …in one day her plagues will overtake her …In one hour your doom has come …In one hour she has been brought to ruin… ”

My dream began in a day of “usual activity” (Matthew 24: 36-44). I remember saying goodbye to my sons as they left for school and I noted in the background that people were getting into their cars heading for work. Then, as dreams go, I found myself standing on a water-front dock and there were many workers around who were busy loading and unloading several moored cargo ships. I walked over to the edge of the pier and looked over the wide expanse of the ocean water and then quickly turned away, shivering as I headed towards home. For some reason, I looked upward into the sky and I saw a huge, hollow, circular shaft beginning to emerge from between the clouds. I remember thinking it was like an old movie where a UFO would send down a beam to suck up the people. Then I saw a wide, curved blade-like surface begin to form at the end of the shaft and I recognized that what was coming through the clouds was, in fact, a HUGE ANCHOR. It seemed to me that it was very old. It was a dull black and it had some rusty areas on it. At the same time, the anchor arm looked like shining, sharp steel. The anchor filled the sky and people were beginning to look up and shout for others to look; all wondering what it was and what it meant.

As I looked, I noted that the anchor was slowly moving to the left and then it would swing to the right; as a pendulum. A sickening feeling rose up inside me when I noticed that with each swing in either direction there was a “rachet-like noise” and the anchor was dropping a little closer to the earth’s surface. Even though I was in a specific place in the dream I KNEW that it had global meaning as well. I KNEW instantly that when the anchor hit the earth, it would actually cut the earth in two and that the cut would be longitudinal, beginning in the North and following through to the South.

Then I was standing with some other people closer to my home and we were watching as the anchor came closer to the earth’s surface. It seemed that it was about 20-30 feet from hitting when a woman (Sylvia) standing beside me said, “I’m going down there to get a closer look.” I said, “No, don’t go because it’s going to hit and if you’re not in a safe place it’ll kill you.” She just ran off and was standing on the dock looking up at the anchor. Suddenly, I was looking through her eyes at the broad base of the anchor’s arm. I saw thousands of faces looking through the anchor’s base at me. I was wondering who they were and why they were inside the anchor just as the anchor hit the earth.

ANCHOR: Hebrew (zrowa, zroah) is the arm (as stretched out), force—arm; help, mighty power, shoulder strength. In Greek (agkura, agkale, agkos) it is a bend, “ache”; an arm (as curved). Youngblood’s Bible Dictionary defines it as a heavy object on a ship cast overboard to hold the vessel in a particular place (see Acts 27: 27-31; 39-41). Oxford’s dictionary describes it as (noun) a heavy metal weight used to moor ship to sea bottom or a balloon to ground; thing affording stability; (verb) secure with anchor; fix firmly. (Luke 1: 46-56; John 12: 37-41, Acts 27: 14-44; Hebrews 6: 18-20)

CUT: Hebrew (karath) to cut (off, down, or asunder); by impl. to destroy or consume; spec. to covenant (i.e. make an alliance or bargain, orig. by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces)…(Genesis 15: 12-21; Matthew 27: 45-54; Hebrews 7: 22-27). In Greek (ekek) origin (point where motion or action proceeds) from, out (of place, time, or cause; direct or remote), by (the means of) exceedingly, (+ abundantly above)… (Ephesians 3: 14-21). Oxford’s defines it (verb) penetrate or wound with sharp instrument; divide (into parts) with knife etc.; trim, detach part of, by cutting; (noun) act of cutting, division or wound made by cutting; stroke of knife, sword, whip, etc. (Hebrews 4: 9-12).

EARTH: Both Hebrew and Greek have nearly identical meanings so I chose to cite the Greek, (ghay) soil; by extension a region, or the solid part of the whole of the terrene globe (incl. the occupants in each application): country, earth (-ly), ground, land, world (Matthew 24: 13, 14; John 3: 16, 17).

NORTH: Throne of God (Ezekiel, Chapters 40-43) Hebrew (tsaphan) to hide (by covering over); to hoard or reserve; to protect, esteem, hide(-den age, self), keep secret (-ly, plan) (Psalm 31: 19-24; Psalm 91).

SOUTH Hebrew (negeb) to be parched; the south (from its drought) (Amos 8: 11-13; John 7: 37, 38).

I believe that this dream has endless interpretations and it is my prayer that it will call forth a “specific Word” from the LORD into your life and situation right NOW, in Jesus name. GLOBALLY, it is a Word from GOD reminding us that HE IS GOD and there IS judgment for not believing HE IS. No one can determine when “enough is enough”; I do know that there are many today who are NOT solidly hidden in the Anchor. I feel in my heart that there is a day of reckoning just around the corner; a time where lives and situations will never again be what they are now; however, this is TRUTH as we really only have this very MOMENT. The dream spoke of a “CUT from North to South”. I believe this means that in the darkest hour His GLORY will flow with tremendous power from His throne of Grace, Mercy, and Love to reach those in the world who are PARCHED (THIRSTY) for Him to give them “LIVING WATER”! I see a promise for a GREAT HARVEST in that I had the dream on September 23rd (Fall Equinox).

The ANCHOR IS JESUS: … “HE (ONLY) is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE” and no man shall come unto the Father, except through Him” (John 14: 6). We who are safely anchored in Him have eyes that see those around us who are lost. All the authority of JESUS CHRIST has been given to us to go and make disciples in all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and to teach them to obey everything that God has written in His WORD. He is anchored in us as we are to be in Him; always together until the end of the age (Matthew 28: 18-20).

I urge each of you to firmly anchor your whole life into Christ NOW!

There is a song I love to sing and it speaks to “this very day and hour.” It is my prayer that each of you reading will be blessed as you keep your eyes focused on JESUS! Hallelujah!

“Our HOPE is built on nothing less than JESUS’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on JESUS’ name.
When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging GRACE;
In every high and stormy gale, my ANCHOR HOLDS within the veil.
His oath, His covenant, His blood support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my HOPE and STAY.
When He SHALL COME with trumpet sound, O may I then IN HIM BE FOUND!
Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne!

Chorus…
IN CHRIST the SOLID ROCK, I stand: All other ground is SINKING SAND, all other ground is sinking sand.”

AMEN.