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Sunday, August 25, 2013

Mark Four - The emphasis of Gods Word

If you are following along with Turn the Tide on the reading schedule, this past Friday you read the Gospel of Mark chapter 4.  

Did you notice verse 1 by any chance?  I remember the first time I read it AND QUESTIONED what it said.  No, not questioned the validity or truth of it.  Questioned with a desire to understand.  Let's take a look so I can share with you what I mean.

I wonder how many "a great multitude" is??
Mark 4: 1  And again He (Jesus) began to teach by the sea.  A a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. 

One of the principles I teach in my Bible Study "How to Read and Study the Word" is to constantly be asking questions, such as "Why did they do that, or say that or act that way?" to bring clarity and to bring what you are reading to LIFE so you grasp how it relates to your life more fully.

I asked that question here at this scripture.  Back then, they certainly didn't PA systems with speakers and sound boards and amplifiers.  Jesus didn't have a headset, or hands free or even a microphone on a stand.

His intention was to share the principles of Gods word, and His desire was that all the GREAT MULTITUDE that had gathered would hear every word He said, because every word was of such great importance to their lives and their understanding of God and what He, God was planning for their lives.

Their HEARING the Word was IMPORTANT.  It was life changing, life sustaining, life giving word they needed desperately.  Jesus knew that, and He wanted to make sure THEY GOT IT.

So why did He get in a boat and go a little way off shore?  Why didn't He stay right there with them?

I'll tell you why.  Jesus knew that the WORD He was going to share with them was of such consequence that He didn't want anyone on the shore to miss a single word, or misunderstand a single word that He was saying.  Being God incarnate, He also knew all the laws of physics and sound waves and things I don't even know the names for.  But He knew that being out on the sea, at just precisely a certain distance, with the land formation and the water and the wind, that His voice would carry to the greatest degree, so that each and every soul that had gathered would not miss, but would hear, every single word He was saying.

He knew how deep and wide an impact His words could have if those hearing did them.  He told them so plainly in Luke 11:28  Blessed are those who hear the word of God and do it. (or "keep it" the King James translates)

That's why we are so adamant about daily reading Gods word.  Once in a while, one time through the bible just won't do.  You'll read, and you will promptly forget.  The Word is ALIVE and speaks into every different situation in our hearts.  Hebrews 4: 12  For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Every situation, every single day of your life is different and changing.  In order to remain constant in faith and trust and actions based on Gods truth, you've got to remain constantly feeding on Gods Word!  It is OUR DAILY BREAD!  

Reading Gods Word - daily
Praying - daily

If Jesus, the Son of God, indeed God incarnate found it important that He prayed daily and He did whatever it took to ensure people heard the Word of God, how much more so is it important in our daily lives?

Join us, won't you, and let's read Gods word, daily, together.  I'll post a schedule every week if you want to follow along with us.  That way, if you have questions or comments, we can explore Gods Word together and grow in unity and in our personal spiritual lives.

Or read according to your own schedule.

JUST READ GODS WORD EVERY DAY and watch Him move in your life!
(Have you heard our latest song?  It's just at the end of Malchus; an Easter Miracle.  Watch here - you might even want to watch from the beginning - there are 4 15 minute parts.

God bless you and have a wonderful week in His word!

We welcome your comments, questions and prayer requests.


Monday, August 19, 2013

Jesus, the same yesterday, today and forever!

This video to the left of this post shows our sister in law, Ann, at a healing conference.  Our God is Jehovah Rophi, our HEALER!  Praise God!

People will tell you that God no longer heals, that tongues have ceased, that God doesn't speak to people anymore.

Gods own Holy Word tells you that He NEVER CHANGES.

Which report will YOU believe?  People - or GOD?!?!?

WE SHALL BELIEVE THE REPORT OF THE LORD!

Father in Heaven, we thank you for your healing power and your grace that continues to manifest that power on our behalf, through the gift of healing as a manifestation of Your Holy Spirit.  We praise your name and pray our hearts remain humble, obedient and full of believing Faith toward You and Your Word, in Jesus Name, AMEN!

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Speaking up, speaking out, speaking truth

Open the Eyes of my Heart, Lord.  Open the eyes of my heart, I want to see You, I want to see You.


So goes a popular worship song, sang in many of our Evangelical churches.  We often sing without paying any attention to the words, being moved, greatly moved in our hearts even, by the melody or the feeling evoked.  Yet never really grasping the very words our lips are forming.  

Imagine if we actually received what we said, or sang.  Imagine if your eyes were truly opened to the Spiritual realm and you "saw" the Almighty God!  Would He be smiling benevolently?  Would the countenance of His face indicate that He was pleased with you, with what occurs in our world today?

I read recently that California passed a law which allows children, young children under the age of 18, to decide for themselves what "gender" they would like to emulate.  Boys are free to experiment, as are the girls, with behaviors and activities of either gender, in their dress, manner of action and usage of restrooms in the public schools.

WHAT?!?!  I hardly even know what to say to this.  In fact, my heart wants to shut my eyes to this and other abhorrent behaviors I see happening all around me.  I want to wrap myself in Gods truth and pretend these things don't affect me.  In essence, I fear this is what the Church of God, the Body of Christ, the fellowship of believers has done.  We've squeezed our eyes shut, as if, in not seeing, we don't have to acknowledge it, so we don't have to be concerned about it.

The Apostle Paul wrote in the book of Romans chapter 4 verse 15 that "whatsoever was written aforetime, was written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scripture might have hope."  The Old Testament has a lot to say to our world right now, today.  Though we do not live under Law, we can certainly learn from the Law.

Deuteronomy 28:67
In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” and in the evening, “If only it were morning!”—because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see.
This scripture refers of course to the Jews, under the Law, who were suffering persecution from all around them.  But read those words.  When things are going SO WRONG, we find our hearts filled with dread and we wish that it were different than it is, that we wouldn't have to see the things we are seeing, experience what we are experiencing.

I find this is how I'm feeling, as I take a good look around me, and really SEE how the "way of the world" is going.  False idols, laws declaring sin is "legal", people deciding that snuffing out the life of other people is the humane thing to do, because they are in pain or their lives when compared to others is somehow less desirable.  Despicable acts of sin like adultery, fornication and lieing being tolerated in the lives of our leaders as if the consequences of these acts are of no more importance than squashing a bug.

Deuteronomy 4:9
Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them to thy sons, and thy sons' sons

Matthew 7:3-4
And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?
Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?

Verses like these can make us keep our mouths shut about speaking out,  for which of us has led a perfect life, that gives us ability to point at any other?  Not me, I can assure you.  My past is littered with my sin and error and foolishness.  For all my attempt to teach my own sons, the example of my life may keep them from repeating my mistakes, but it won't stop them from making their own.

We are a fallen world.  Many soften this by saying, "we live in a fallen world".  I prefer to state the obvious.  We ARE this fallen world.  I thank God that through Jesus, I am saved and delivered and have the opportunity to yield to Him in obedience and make every attempt to submit this sinful flesh to righteousness because I am washed in His blood and made clean.  The great sin I committed in ignorance and more often in arrogance is forgiven by God, and I am thankful.  By His grace, I am an overcomer.

But am I only responsible for myself?  Once set free, do I have an obligation to make this freedom known to others?Even others beyond just my family?  To more than just my friends?  I see from scripture that I am most certainly not original in my struggle.

Isaiah 6:10
Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

To make the heart "fat" indicates make it unteachable.  Heavy ears so they won't hear the truth, understand the need for salvation, ask for forgiveness, and BE HEALED.  Now there is a selfish and unloving attitude, not wanting to share what has so freely been given to us.

But that is exactly what we are commanded to do.  Preach the Gospel.  The good news of salvation through Jesus, by His sacrifice in giving His very life, allowing Himself to be nailed to a cross to pay the penalty for OUR SIN, the penalty of death, so you and I can be forgiven, healed and set free.  

And once free ourselves, we are to share that same gift of salvation with others.  What others?  ALL OTHERS.  Whoever you come in contact with.  My boss?  My neighbor?  The stranger out in public?  As you have opportunity - yes, yes and YES.  Begin by sharing with your own family, your friends and then all around you.  Tell them of the reason you have HOPE, though this world is gravely sick and depraved.  Tell why you, though once a slave to sin as they are, have the strength, and peace, and joy of salvation.  That even now, when you stumble, when you fall to sins temptations, you are healed and delivered and forgiven.  Whether they choose to hear, to believe or to receive Gods great gift is between them and the Lord.  But Jesus commanded us (Acts 1:8) to tell it.

TELL THE WORLD THAT GOD LOVES THEM AND MADE A WAY OUT OF SIN FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

The Planting of Seeds

The Daily Bread of Life - Gods Word
If you plant marigold seeds, what will spring up out of the ground?  Daffodils?  Roses? NO!  You planted a marigold seed and a marigold is what will grow.  There is a verse of scripture truth that tells us...God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.  Galatians 6:7  

The seeds planted will absolutely determine the harvest. Two weeks ago we began to share a testimony of one persons life change as the Word of God was planted in the heart.  Change such as this is not unusual or miraculous, but the result of planting the good seed of Gods word into your heart on a daily, regular basis. 
Listen in as the story continues....

"Prior to giving my life over to Jesus I lived my life like most people, trying to fulfill the lust of my flesh, but the flesh is never satisfied.  It never has enough alcohol or drugs or sex.  No matter how hard I tried to live a “good” life (according to my own interpretation of morality) bad things kept happening.   I was going about my routines, sowing seeds of destruction without even realizing it, and then scratching my head and wondering why destructive things kept happening in every situation.

On my first encounter with Gods Word, as I read and believed what I was reading, I didn't know it then, but good seeds began to be planted into my thinking.  Those seeds then began growing and they were growing a good crop.   I did not understand that there is a law of sowing and reaping.  My actions were changing as my thinking was changing and the circumstances of my life began to change.  Prior to coming to understand spiritual things I went about my life sowing bad seeds and then reaping bad results and I was always left wondering why.

I thought about the parable Jesus spoke in Matthew 13:24 - 30   
Another parable He put forth to them, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’
He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’

The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 
But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat 
with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of 
harvest I will say to the reapers,   First gather together the tares and bind 
them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.'

The pendulum had shifted in my favor as I was planting good seeds by reading the WORD.  The bad crop was still coming to harvest in between the good harvests and the Enemy, the devil,  was trying to fool me into thinking that I was wasting my time, that my daily dose of the WORD was not benefiting me.  But I had the testimony of the PEACE of God that passes all understanding in my heart."

ARE YOU TIRED OF LOSING THE SAME BATTLES
OVER AND OVER IN YOUR LIFE?


From our own experience we encourage you to TAKE UP THE SWORD OF SALVATION.  Gods precious Words of life found in the Bible.  Daily reading of His word will supply what you need to overcome the daily battles we find ourselves in the midst of.  We are in a spiritual war and only spiritual weapons will have the necessary affect to deliver us. Consider these words Jesus spoke in prayer as He taught His disciples while with them on this earth.  


OUR FATHER, WHO IS IN HEAVEN
HALLOWED BE THY NAME
THY KINGDOM COME
THY WILL BE DONE
ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN

AND GIVE US THIS DAY
OUR DAILY BREAD

Join us as we daily read the Words of Life that heal, deliver and encourage!  A schedule will be posted in the left panel weekly, or follow us on Twitter @TTTMinistries for daily updates.
We would be so pleased to hear from you, answer questions, honor prayer requests or if you'd just like to share what God is doing in your life.




Sunday, August 4, 2013

Trusting God when all the evidence is to the contrary

trusting our senses
Can we always trust what our senses indicate?
Born into this world with several ways to relate, interact and experience life, we learn to rely on what we see, what we hear, what we smell, what we touch and what we taste.  What we trust is built on what we experience through these senses until a pattern develops and our thoughts and feelings begin to follow that pattern.  Sin having entered the world in the Garden of Eden and having successfully severed the spiritual sense we were originally created with (See Genesis 1:26), we learn to rely on the five senses we have left to operate with.  If you've wondered why at times it can be such a struggle to TRUST GOD, now you know.

That sixth sense having been severed from all mankind when an act of sin was committed by Adam and Eve is why Jesus had to sacrifice Himself as the unblemished Lamb.  To reconnect with our Creator required we have this sense of spirit.  This sense is regained when we are born again (John 3:1-3 & Col 1:27), but unlike the other senses, patterns in our thoughts and feelings were not established from birth and haven't developed the needed paths to follow for it to become our normal reaction to the things around us.

Trust is defined by the dictionary as reliance in the integrity, strength, ability of a person or thing; to have confidence in; a confident expectation of something; HOPE.

Now, right here I could easily go into great and lengthy detail about the psychological factors and the scientific evidences and even the Scriptural references of why we should trust God.  Those of you who follow our Sunday Sermons know two things. 
1.  We focus on practical application  
2.  We keep it short and readable.  

We'll do that here.  So why SHOULD we TRUST GOD when all the evidence of our senses indicate we should do the exact opposite?  When our circumstances are hard, or painful, or shameful, or hurtful, or overwhelming and overwhelmingly negative?  Why should we trust and have HOPE that God will work all things together for good for US?!?!?

Simply because our trust and hope isn't built on us, on what our senses tell us, on what the situations and circumstances look like to us.  And this is why it is so vital that we read our Bible every single day of our lives.  Remember the testimony from last week?  Trust comes when we are certain of the integrity and ability of someone outside ourselves.  We may not trust ourselves, what we see, hear, smell, taste or touch, but if we have digested the Word of God then we have a sure knowing that He, GOD, IS TRUSTWORTHY.  And we'll know what His promises to us are because we've read them and remember what we read. Daily we will be reminded what so easily we forget.  We will have an inkling of His integrity. And His word instructs us, so we'll always know just what to do. 

Our trust is built on that 7th sense - His Spirit that lives in us since we were born again!  Our trust must NEVER be about what we want or think is best or selfishly desire.  When we have digested His word and are born again of His Spirit, our trust and hope is built on the truth that HE WILL ALWAYS GIVE US WHAT IS RIGHT AND BEST FOR US, within the realm of understanding that this world is temporary, these bodies are born to decay, but we have Eternal Life through Christ Jesus who died for us and lives evermore making intercession for us. We often talk of Heaven, how wonderful it will be!  Do we believe what we speak of?  (Well, that is a subject for another day.)

I know I have seen amazing things transpire because I held on to who I know God is and let go of the faulty information my senses were feeding me.  I might easily forget, especially right in the midst of troubles, why God is so trustworthy, unless I read about Him and His promises on a daily basis to remind me, over and over that He is Faithful who has promised.  

We encourage you to join us in daily reading the words of life that will absolutely transform your life as you digest them.  Morning, noon and night.  As often as we feed our physical bodies, so we feed our spirit. One Psalm or Proverb each morning.  One chapter from the Old Testament for wisdom. Then one chapter from the New Testament each evening.  We'd love to hear how you progress in this Great Adventure so please be sure to stay in touch!  

Getting started and staying the course until a habit is formed can be difficult.  DON'T GIVE UP!  We're praying for you, and would be honored to pray specifically for your needs.   Drop us a line and let us know how we can pray for you!