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Showing posts from February, 2016

Living Under an Open Heaven

Malachi 3:10 – “ Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.”             This passage of Scripture teaches that it is possible to live under an open heaven.   In Bethel, Jacob, who was on the run from his brother Esau, stopped in a place named Luz.   While he slept he dreamed of an open heaven.   The events of the night are recorded in Genesis 28:12, “ Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” Jacob was so impacted by this experience He changed the name Luz to Bethel.             Every believer should desire to live under an open heaven.   What happens when the heavens are opened? God promises to pour out blessings beyond measure (Malachi 3:1

Matters of the Heart

It is impossible to know someone’s heart unless he or she tells what it conceals. Sometimes we can’t even predict what our own heart may do. Only God truly knows a heart and knows how to deal with a heart. Psalms 86:11-12 says, “Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk and live in Your truth; direct and unite my heart to fear and honor Your name. I will confess and praise You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart; and I will glorify Your name forevermore.” In this psalm David is revealing the contradiction of a divided heart seeking wholeness. He sees his need to be made whole from the trauma he has suffered. He recognizes that he is devoid of truth and has allowed his will to be divided. Anytime we are in a place of lack there is some truth we are missing. Worship positions us to come into that truth and to be healed. We are transformed in the presence of God. It is there that God unites the heart. A united heart knows true love and devotion. There is something inexpr

The Tent Peg of Jael

Judges 4:21-22 – “Then Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went down into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died. And then, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, “Come, I will show you the man whom you seek.” And when he went into her  tent,  there lay Sisera, dead with the peg in his temple.”             The book of Judges covered a chaotic time in Israel’s history.   A key Scripture for Judges in found in Judges 21:25, “Every man did was right in his own eyes.” There were seven cycles of apostasy, where the covenant children of God would turn away from the principles of the Word of God.             When they had godly leadership they would serve the Lord.   When that leader would die they would turn from God to idolatry. This resulted in servitude and bondage.   In their oppression they would cry out to God and He would raise up a j