Over the last number of years the Lord has been putting us through the “MAMMON CHALLENGE”. Simply put, God is changing us to be like Him, to be useful for the masters house, to be ready for the next revival and every other good work. One of the preparations is to remove our idols and repent. First we need to see them. Remember, Israel did not see that her idols were a problem, despite the prophets warnings. God pressured them until there was repentance.

Idols In The Heart

Even though we belong to the Lord, our natural man inclines to the idolatry of the land. In the west we don’t bow down to a graven image, but we do take our idols into our hearts.

Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
(Ezekiel 14:3)

How does an idol in the heart work? Very simple. It is an image or picture in our heart, of something what we want. We serve the idol with our flesh. This comes forth as desire, depression, happiness, anger, you name it, depending on how things compare with the picture in our heart. We feel that life will be good and right if the little god or image is satisfied. We are serving an idol, even a Christian religious one. They are hard to see when they are religious, but the Lord dealt with several of these in my life.

The Idol Of Ministry

One idol in my life was the idol of ministry. This is served throughout the church and I was no exception. I had an image of what my ministry should be like. (In fact some teach that we should create such images!) Success, the love of the crowd, power, big meetings etc.. The problem was I was serving a picture, not the Lord. When things went according to the picture I was very happy. When things went the other way, I was depressed. That’s the flesh serving my idol.

The Lord was trying to reveal my “idol of ministry”. He showed me how I didn’t really love the people in the congregation. I was using them for their positive response and support. OUCH! Even though I could see it was true and I confessed my sin, I didn’t change. The Lord had to put me through a death of ministry experience. It’s the only way. The idol must be destroyed.

NO MORE LUST FOR RICHES IN THE HOUSE OF GOD

In this season the Lord is dealing with the idol of mammon in the hearts of his people. He wants to prepare you to have REAL FAITH to walk with Him and trust Him for everything in the days ahead. He wants a people prepared for the revival that is coming. He wants the church free of the idolatry of riches that has so ruined His work in the past. This will take some radical work and only some of tyhe church will respond. Will you?

It’s easy to preach about faith and trusting God for your supply. It’s harder to actually walk it out and deal with the idols in the way..
Here are four simple steps

1. You are put into a difficult financial situation.
2. You watch what comes out of your heart.
3.YOU DIE !
4. Return to number 1 until Christ is formed in you.

Blessings

Terry Somerville
www.totalchange.org

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The Five Signs of Worshiping Mammon
By James Ryle
http://www.truthworks.org

“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Luke 16:13)

One thing is certain – we show our love by our worship. Whoever or whatever we worship – we love. If we love God, we will worship and serve Him. If we love money; we will worship and serve Money. Jesus said that we cannot do both.

David wrote, “One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4).

What is your Life’s “ONE THING?” Some bow in God’s Presence; others bow at the Altar of Mammon. Where might we find you worshiping today?

Here are the Five Signs of Worshiping Mammon:

#1 – Anxiety over Unmet Needs
Money promises much, but delivers little. The digger is forever digging, only to get deeper and deeper in the hole! Consequently, when we worship Mammon there is increasing anxiety over our mounting unmet needs. But, by contrast, when we bow in the Lord’s presence we rise knowing that the Lord is our Shepherd; we know that we shall not want, for He loves and cares for us, supplying all our needs according to His riches in glory.
Mammon cannot produce this peace in our soul; and the absence of this peace is a telling sign that we are bowing in the presence of Mammon. Worshiping the Lord gives us peace; worshiping Mammon gives us anxiety. Who are you worshiping today?

#2 -Fear about the Future

“GOLD!” Have you noticed how many advertisements there are these days on why you need to buy gold? You need it for your security, they say. “The future is uncertain, the economy is unstable – get yourself some GOLD!” Bowing at the Altar of Mammon fills our hearts with fear about the future, because Mammon cannot control the future, cannot guarantee our security, cannot offer us that which will never fail. Only the Lord can do that, for He holds the future in His hands. And He extends His hands to you. Let me ask – “Are you in good hands?”

Fear about the future will cause you to live a diminished life in the present; it will make you tight and selfish. And this, in turn, will cause you to lose even that which you think you have. “I have seen a great evil under the sun,” Solomon wrote, “wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner.” Fear about the future will ruin your present world.

#3 – Unbelief in God’s Love and Faithfulness

They say that Money Talks. That’s true; it says, “Bye-bye!” It also says a bunch of other things, especially against the Lord. Mammon will tell you that the Lord’s ways are foolish, and that those who follow them are fools. Mammon will mock you for tithing; or it will soothe your conscience with clever arguments convincing you that as a Christian you really do need to tithe anyway, ’cause you’re not under the Law — but grace.

Mammon will cause your heart to envy those who are rich, and to begin to fudge here and there, to lie a little over there, and cheat a little over here — all so that you can gain more and more money. Mammon will increase unbelief in your heart which will cause ruin in your finances.

Mammon will try and convince you that God does not love you, and is not faithful to you. And it will use your own lack of resources as the proof of its lies.

One thing is certain – we show our love by our worship. Whoever or whatever we worship – we love. If we love God, we will worship and serve Him. If we love money; we will worship and serve Money. Jesus said that we cannot do both.

David wrote, “One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4).

What is your Life’s “ONE THING?” Some bow in God’s Presence; others bow at the Altar of Mammon. Where might we find you worshiping today?

Anxiety, fear, and unbelief — these are three of the effects that come to the soul of those who worship at the Altar of Mammon.

#4 – Disobedience to God’s Word

Inasmuch as we seek to be stewards in God’s House, living in His world and having access to His things, then it behooves us to find out what it is He wants us to do with that which is rightfully His. And the only way we can discover His will is by reading His Word.

God wants us to be generous, and to give; Mammon wants us to be selfish, and to hoard. God wants to prosper us; Mammon want to possess us. God will bless us if we obey His Word; Mammon will curse us if it can lure us into disobedience.

A man complained to Will Rogers, “There’s things in the Bible that I just don’t understand; and that bothers me!” Rogers responded, “Maybe so. But there are things in the Bible that I DO understand – and that’s what bothers me!” Few things in the Bible bother us more than when God goes and starts meddling with our money!

And why does He do this? Simple – He touches what matters most to us (i.e., money) to show us how much hold it has on our hearts. And He also wants to teach us to trust Him with that which matters to us. The reason is pointed — if we cannot trust God with that which we treasure; then how can we expect Him to trust us with that which He values?

Listen — If we cannot place the riches of this world into His capable hands; then how we ever expect Him to entrust the true riches of the Kingdom into our grasping, clutching, squeezing selfish hands?
“C’mon, man!”

And (drum roll, please) the fifth and final sign that a person is bowing at the Altar of Mammon is…..

#5 – Cynicism Whenever You Hear or Read Something Like What I Just Wrote!

The Bible tells us after Jesus finished a story about stewardship, that “the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.” (Luke 16:14). The word “derided” means they “turned up their noses and scoffed at Him with mockery; they laugh at Him with scorn.”

A cynical sneer always appears on the face of those who worship Money anytime a preacher starts talking about it. It a self-defense mechanism built in by Mammon to keep its servants under its control.

It takes a real man and woman of faith to defy that mocking spirit and step forth in bold freedom to love and obey the Lord. How about becoming a man or woman like that today! You just might be used by God to start a resource revolution!

Episode 1:

Episode 2:

these are, hands down, the best peanut-butter cookies EVER.

they are crispy, crunchy, crumbly and yummy.
and best of all, they don’t have ANY flour! (No grains whatsoever, completely gluten free!)

Recipe:

1 cup of peanut-butter
1 egg
1/2 to 1 cup of a dry sweetener (I use coconut sugar)
1 tsp of baking soda

bake at 350 for 10-12 mins.

thats it! yum!

side note: I put 1/2 cup of coconut sugar last time I made them, they were not quite sweet enough so, then I added some cacao truffle ‘butter’ on top.. Taste like chocolate chip cookies!! yummy!

*pours a big glass of raw sheep milk* ENJOY!

soon I will try it with some other nut butters. not sure if they will work as well..
but we’ll see! I’ll keep you posted.

I looked out the window and it was dramatically laid out, Knocked out cold.

So I went outside to fetch it.

Once I was outside the little robin bird was sitting up and panting so I got a shoe box and put the robin in it,  So it wouldn’t become a snack for the cat.

5-10 mins later I hear it jumping around in the box, A sign it was ready to go, So I took it and the shoe box outside.
I then opened the lid. The little robin bird (happy it was out of that dark shoe box) jumped up onto the side of the box, then launched its self into a near by palm tree.

Letting off its signature sound. “Chirp, Chirp, Chirp.” gives this sound no justice..

I looked it up. and its a ‘Tut Call’

[media id=7 width=400 height=40]

Peek and Tut Calls (Two or three sharp “Peek!” calls alternating with softer “Tut” calls) Given by males and females, especially during the nesting season. This is a low-grade alarm call, given when potential, but unlikely, predators have been spotted. (“Hey–check out that person! He probably doesn’t mean any harm, but you never know.“)

(info from: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/robin/Dictionary.html)

is it right to follow the law? whats wrong with the law?

when does it make it right to follow the law and when does it make it wrong to follow the law?

I have a hunch at where this is going. but I shall not say until its confirmed by the word.

Let the Digging Begin!

First off… word search in the plain english translations of scripture.. (next.. Hebrew and Greek word searches.)

(http://www.drawneartogod.com)

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Deuteronomy 30:10

The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and laws written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.

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2 Kings 23:3

The king took his place of authority beside the pillar and renewed the covenant in the Lord’s presence. He pledged to obey the Lord by keeping all his commands, regulations, and laws with all his heart and soul. In this way, he confirmed all the terms of the covenant that were written in the scroll, and all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.

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2 Kings 23:25

Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since.

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Psalms 37:31

They fill their hearts with God’s law, so they will never slip from his path.

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Psalms 40:8

I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your law is written on my heart.“

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Psalms 119:34

Give me understanding and I will obey your law; I will put it into practice with all my heart.

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Psalms 119:70

Their hearts are dull and stupid, but I delight in your law.

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Isaiah 29:13

And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. And their worship of me amounts to nothing more than human laws learned by rote.

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Isaiah 51:7

“Listen to me, you who know right from wrong and cherish my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid of people’s scorn or their slanderous talk.

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Jeremiah 17:1

The Lord says, “My people act as though their evil ways are laws to be obeyed, inscribed with a diamond point on their stony hearts, or with an iron chisel on the corners of their altars.

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Jeremiah 31:33

“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the Lord. “I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

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Zechariah 7:12

They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the law or the messages that the Lord Almighty had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why the Lord Almighty was so angry with them.

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Matthew 23:27

You try to look like upright people outwardly, but inside your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

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Mark 12:33

And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbors as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”

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Romans 2:14

Even when Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, instinctively follow what the law says, they show that in their hearts they know right from wrong.

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Romans 7:22

I love God’s law with all my heart.

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Hebrews 8:10

But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds so they will understand them, and I will write them on their hearts so they will obey them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

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Hebrews 10:16

“This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts so they will understand them, and I will write them on their minds so they will obey them.“

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Romans 7:21-25

21 It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin?* 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

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Romans 3:19

Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses and to bring the entire world into judgment before God.

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Romans 4:15

But the law brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)

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Romans 7:13

But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my doom? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commandment for its own evil purposes.

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Romans 8:4

He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

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Matthew 23:23

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

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Romans 7:12

Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

heres a link if you want to add it to your website!:

http://www.google.com/friendconnect/

The Time of Trial Is Over

Mary Ellen Gilliland
December 4, 2009

Be pleased. Be satisfied. Be oh, so rejoiced, for the time of trial is past and the time of blessing begins. I chose the darkest time of year to celebrate My Light, and I will cause My face to shine upon you. I am smiling at you, and you will receive blessing – in your family, in your body, in your life.

Relax and enjoy it. Let every nuance be noticed and relished. Let every act of God be observed with anticipation and joy. Live the life of a child during this period, a life of unfolding joy, day by day, never seeking your own blessing but being “surprised by joy.” Therefore I rejoice. I also rejoice because this satisfies, deeply satisfies, My heart. Amen.

http://www.zoebooks.com

EXHORTATIONS FROM THE FATHER
[Reflections Of The Father's Heart]

January 17th 2010

JESUS:

+ The “spirit of ecumenism” promotes “peace” [one accord - agreement and unity] at all cost to My Word [Will] and Spirit through “compromise” – and it has made subtle [and not so subtle] inroads into the lives and ministries of some who “claim” to be truly seeking first the Kingdom. All things must be ordered by My Spirit, alone, in the midst of My people – for truly I say to you I did not come to bring peace [the false unity and one accord that is born of pride - and the self-serving "good intentions" that are its spontaneous fruit] but rather a “fiery” Sword wielded by a holy people that continually divides between that which is of the s[S]pirit and that which has its origin in the soul [old nature]. These are the days wherein ALL things shall become evident [1 Corinthians 3:10-15] and, thus, it is truly a time of perfect preparation for all those who love Me. It is a time when “pressures” [spiritual and otherwise] shall begin to increase greatly but truly I say to you, as the pressures increase so shall My Presence in the midst of My faithful ones, and they will ride the wave of My Glory right through to the end of the age [Isaiah 58:10-14] – far above the deep darkness [although they will continually "penetrate" that darkness in great power] that is even now encompassing the world [Isaiah 60:2].

“compromise” - a settlement of differences by mutual concessions; an agreement reached by adjustment [modification] of conflicting or opposing principles;

….”Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword”…. Matthew 10:34 NASB

….”For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart”…. Hebrews 4:12 The Amplified Translation

http://jtlmin.com/