Recount Your Blessings

As Joshua led the children of Israel into the promised land it seemed that God had given them an impossible assignment to conquer a foreign and hostile land with fortified cities and armies greater than their own. They had to go forth only on the basis of God’s promise. They had to walk by faith and not by sight!

How did Joshua lead them to walk by faith? He reminded them that God has never failed them. And he encouraged them to them focus on the promises of God!

You too can rely on God’s faithfulness today! Are you in the midst of a crisis? Are high mountains facing you today? If so, we want to remind you of all the miraculous ways God has worked in your life in the past! Though we often forget our promises to Him, He will never forget His promises to us! Let’s spend the day recounting God’s victories and determine to exercise faith for the trials we face today!

[George Whitten]

Joshua 23:14 ... And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.


Psalm 36:5 ... Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.


1 Peter 4:12-13 ... Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. ❤

Are You on Rocky Ground?

I came across an old legend about three cowboys crossing the desert on horseback by night. Suddenly, as they reached a rocky spot, a voice came from heaven and commanded them: “Friends, pick up some pebbles, put them in your pockets and do not look at them till morning.” The men looked at each other in astonishment and began to do as they were told. The voice went on to promise that if they obeyed, they would be both glad and sad. The perplexed men put a few pebbles each in their pockets and went on their way.

As the very first sign of dawn arrived, the cowboys pulled out their pebbles. To their amazement, the ordinary pebbles they had picked up the night before, had all been transformed into diamonds, rubies, and other precious gems. At that moment, they realized the significance of the promise that they would be both glad and sad. They were happy to see their beautiful treasure, but sorry, oh so sorry, that they had not collected more.

All of us were once ordinary looking pebbles, shabby, discolored pebbles among many others of the like seemingly nothing special. But we were so mercifully picked out of the dust and gently placed for safekeeping into the pocket of the faithful saints who loved us or prayed for us or shared the Gospel with us and took us along on their journey. And God continues to refine us that we would become precious gems when morning comes. Thank God for His great mercy!

It is yet dark and the pebbles are many. We still have a little more time to pocket as many as we can. But morning is drawing near! We don’t want to regret that we didn’t get more! Love, share, pray in faith! There’s so much work to be done!

[George Whitten]

Matthew 6:19-21 ... Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ❤

Are You Wrestling With God?

In the most extreme moment of his life, when his entire household was threatened with annihilation, the Patriarch Jacob wrestled with a Man through an entire sleepless night. Somehow, after this astounding encounter, Jacob came to the realization that he had been wrestling with God, and face to face! Once again, the Lord God of heaven showed Himself as a human being to a man He loved; this time, for the purpose of rescuing, blessing, and preserving the man’s destiny.

Jacob was relentless during this struggle and his perseverance changed him profoundly, forever, in several ways: he was wounded and walked with a limp for the rest of his life, a sign of human weakness and dependence on the Lord; he was given a new name and with it a new identity, as a prince with God, and one whose struggle with the Almighty saved his life, his family, and his God given inheritance and posterity; and finally, Jacob received the long-awaited relief and closure with the brother whom he had deceived and enraged so many years before.

So this wrestling match with God was a massive turning point in Jacob’s life, and though it must have taken every ounce of human effort he could muster, the victory he won affected every human being in history, since, of course, the Man that Jacob wrestled with was almost certainly the same Man who became his most important descendant, the Savior of the world, Yeshua, the Messiah; (Jesus the Christ).

How often difficulties and crises are used by the Lord to bring us closer and to develop intimacy with Him. It is sometimes the Lord’s will to draw us to Himself through extreme and even terrible circumstances or threats. The inner transformation that can take place when we pass through these intense prayer battles, cannot perhaps, be accomplished any other way. But consider the fruit and the blessing which can result from these mighty wrestling's. And consider how being that close to God Himself may change you forever. So, you who are gutting out that anguishing trial don’t let go until you receive the blessing, the change, the victory. I believe the Lord also wants to say to you that you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed!

[George Whitten]

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Genesis 32:24-30 ... And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.   And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.  And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.  And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.  And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.  And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.   And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.❤

Show Me

There are so many stony ground hearers, who receive the Word with joy, that I have determined to suspend my judgment till I know the tree by its fruits. I cannot believe they are converts till I see fruit brought back; it will never do a sincere soul any harm.

[George Whitten]

Luke 6:43 ... For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Matthew 7:16 ... Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

John 15:4 ... Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.❤

This Fight Ain't Got Any Rear

Historian Shelby Foote tells of a soldier who was wounded at the battle of Shiloh during the American Civil War and was ordered to go to the rear. The fighting was fierce and within minutes he returned to his commanding officer. “Captain, give me a gun!” he shouted. “This fight ain’t got any rear!”

In Ephesians, Paul describes the armor that we should put on daily. Have you ever noticed that every part of the body is covered except for one? The back! The Lord didn’t want us to run away and turn our back toward our enemy it would leave us vulnerable, with no armor to protect us against his attack! And just as a dog would when he senses fear, if we run from the enemy, he will relentlessly chase us until we are broken. But if we take courage and stand strong in the power of God’s might, then the battle will be the Lord’s and He has already won the victory!

The battle is raging! It’s time to take up our armor and face the enemy head-on! There’s no turning back! We’re in this together! There’s so much work to be done!

[George Whitten]

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Ephesians 6:10 ... Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Ephesians 6:11-13 ... Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

Ephesians 6:14-18 ... Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;❤

Dying To Be Free

Once upon a time, there was a prince who received a very rare and beautiful bird. He named her Goldie and placed her in a lovely, 14K gold cage. But the poor creature was not impressed by the gold at all. She pleaded for her freedom but the prince loved her much too much to part with her. Still, she continued to beg. In final desperation, she asked that he at least allow her go to her relatives and tell them that, though captive, she was still alive.

The prince was not certain she would return if he allowed her to go, so he decided to go and inform them himself. He went into the forest, where Goldie directed him and he found her sister. When she heard the awful news of Goldie’s capture, she immediately fell to the ground and died.

Sorrowful, he returned to his castle and told Goldie the sad news that her sister had died. Immediately Goldie collapsed and died in the same manner.

Perplexed, but a tear rolling down his cheek, the prince then took the poor bird out of the cage, gently wrapped her in a cloth and placed her on his window sill in order to bury her. Suddenly, to the prince’s amazement, the cloth began to move and Goldie fluttered out. She quickly flew out the window and landed in the nearest tree.

“You don’t understand, fine prince” called the bird from the nearby, “by pretending to die, my sister taught me the way to escape.”

The moral of the story is simply this. If we want to truly be free, we have to die!

If we want to truly live a life of freedom, a life full of peace and joy, a life which provokes others to jealousy, we must learn to die to our flesh and give our all to the One who has given His all for us! Let’s take up our cross once again today.

[George Whitten]

Romans 8:13-14 ... For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.   For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.



1 Peter 3:18 ... For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:



John 6:63 ... It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.❤

Prepare For War

A United States Army officer who trained pupils at Fort Still for over 20 years once described the different qualities of the students during the two decades of his tenure. During the 1950’s, he observed the students’ attitude as being so lax that the instructors had trouble keeping their students awake during their lectures. This drastically changed in the mid 1960’s. The students began taking meticulous notes and absorbing every word of instruction. So, what changed? The lectures weren’t any different. Were mid 60s students somehow more diligent? No, but the circumstances had changed. The pupils of the 1950’s weren’t expecting to be sent to war, but the men in the 1960’s were being prepared to go to Vietnam.

We are already at war and the battle is raging. We cannot afford to be unprepared, as though we were at peace. Each of has a post or a position to occupy, or a battlefront to advance upon. So let us stay awake, alert and in constant preparation, feeding and abiding in the Word of God, continuing instant in prayer and growing mighty in it. There’s so much work to be done, and our Commander in Chief is looking for eager volunteers who are well prepared to serve. Honoring Him in the battles ahead will bring great joy through the exploits He will enable us to do.

[George Whitten]

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Psalm 27:3-4 ... Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.  One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; 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 enquire in his temple.

Ephesians 6:12 ... For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

1 Timothy 6:12 ... Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.❤

Mourning Turned Into Dancing

This is one of my favorite promises in the Bible: that God turns mourning into dancing!  He takes away the anguish of being clothed in sadness and replaces it with gladness. However, notice what God doesn’t do: simply stop your mourning and make it disappear. No, He transforms it into joy!  He turns your sorrow into gladness.  He takes your failure and creates success!

Let’s take time to dwell on this promise. Our sorrows, disappointments, tragedies and failures are very real but they are also “raw material” for a divine transformation that our Lord will accomplish in His time for His glory. And we WILL dance!  God will do it.  Our part is simply to wait, believe, and cling tightly to this wonderful promise!

[George Whitten]

Psalm 30:11-12 ... Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;  To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

Isaiah 61:3 ... To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.


Romans 8:28 ... And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.❤

Don't Look Back!!

The modern Hebrew word for repent is ‘shoov’, spelled “sheen”-“beit” (“vet”, the secondary form of “beit”) In ancient Hebrew script the letter “sheen” is represented by teeth and means “to destroy”. The “beit” in Hebrew represents a tent or a house. So a literal reading of “sheen”-“beit” would be “to destroy the house”!

The word picture of the original Hebrew portrays the meaning of the word, which is, “to be taken captive”. In the ancient world, conquerors wanted their captives to become part of their kingdoms, and this could only happen if they destroyed homes. So in horror, those who were taken captive would witness their houses being completely destroyed by the conquering kings, so they could never return. From this understanding of being taken captive we grasp the true meaning of “returning” and “repentance”: you have left no house behind!

Real repentance means “no turning back” (as the song says). It means that the house you lived in before has been destroyed and you have “died” to living there. Don’t look back, in futility, at what has ended forever. Live in the choice you have made to love and serve the resurrected King, Yeshua (Jesus). Remember Lot’s wife. She escaped Sodom, but became a statue of salt, an eternal monument to half-hearted repentance. Don’t let your only testimony be a longing for a house you can never return to.

[George Whitten]

Genesis 19:6 ... But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

Luke 17:32 ... Remember Lot's wife.

Philippians 3:13 ... Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,❤

Shoe Shine

I came across this very powerful story about one of the most influential men of God in my life, D.L. Moody, in a book named A Call to Excellence by Gary Inrig.

A large group of European pastors came to one of D. L. Moody’s Northfield Bible Conferences in Massachusetts in the late 1800s. Following the European custom of the time, each guest put his shoes outside his room to be cleaned by the hall servants overnight. But of course this was America and there were no hall servants.

Walking the dormitory halls that night, Moody saw the shoes and determined not to embarrass his brothers. He mentioned the need to some ministerial students who were there, but met with only silence or pious excuses. Moody returned to the dorm, gathered up the shoes, and, alone in his room, the world’s only famous evangelist began to clean and polish the shoes. Only the unexpected arrival of a friend in the midst of the work revealed the secret.

When the foreign visitors opened their doors the next morning, their shoes were shined. They never knew by whom. Moody told no one, but his friend told a few people, and during the rest of the conference, different men volunteered to shine the shoes in secret.

Wow. I’m humbled, how about you? Many of us want to be great ministers for the Lord. We want our names and our works to be remembered. But let’s never forget the true ministry of the Lord. Not only would have Jesus shined those shoes in secret, He would have returned to wash their feet too!

Have you been asking the Lord to use you? Here you have it! Shine some one’s dingy shoes, give a gift to someone in need, love on someone hard to love but don’t tell the world; do it in secret! You can be sure that the Lord sees these things! And He will open up more opportunities for you to do even greater things for Him!

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[George Whitten]

Matthew 6:4 ... That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

Zechariah 4:10 ...  For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth. ❤

Don't Lose The Wonder

When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt I’m sure several million people were wondering, “How am I going to be fed? How am I going to survive in this wilderness?” Imagine the logistical nightmare. An incalculable quantity of food and water were needed to survive in the desert. Where would it come from? Yet, in this seemingly impossible situation, God provided!

He provided Manna from heaven. When the people first saw the Manna on the ground, they wondered in amazement saying to each other, “What is this?”, which is exactly what “Manna” means in Hebrew “What is it?” They were receiving the food of angels, which sustained them the entire time in the desert.

But we know what happened as time passed, the people got used to this miraculous provision, began to take it for granted, and even be bored with it, and, of course, the wonder of God’s supernatural provision evaporated. Israel lost sight of the miracle that God was doing in their lives each and every day.

Each and every day is a miracle from God. Each day of our lives we walk through a world filled with the wonders and glory of the Lord. But we, too, can become dull and lose the wonder of all that He has done and provided for us, even our very salvation. We need to awaken to the daily miracles of life, and to the never ending opportunities the Lord is opening, to pour His love into us, and through us. As we do, may we always be saying to ourselves, “Wow, what amazing love is this that’s been given to me!”

[George Whitten]

Psalm 78:24-25 ... And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.  Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.

Exodus 16:15 ... And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.

John 6:31 ... Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.❤

Don't Lose Sight

In ancient times, lepers were social outcasts because of their highly contagious disease. In this passage, ten lepers came to Jesus begging for mercy and He graciously healed them.

Can you imagine? These lepers had an awful disease. Their bodies were slowly deteriorating and worse, they were shunned from their friends and family and forced to live in a community of only those who were too withering away. Suddenly merciful Jesus comes along and “poof!” the sickness leaves them! How life changing! These people must have been overjoyed! Now they could go back to their families, their homes, their communities and live normal lives!

But as I reread this story today something struck me. Only one of them returned to thank the Lord! But how often do we do the same? We get so focused on our blessing and forget about the One who gave it!

Just as the Samaritan returned to Jesus to thank and worship Him who had redeemed his life, we too must thank God for every good and perfect gift comes from Him and He deserves all the honor and the glory! And as a matter of fact, one of the cornerstones of effective prayer is entering His gates with thanksgiving and praise. Let’s start thanking God for all His goodness toward us!

It’s easy to get caught up in the blessing God has given us so much! But let’s be sure that we make daily habit of thanking God first!

[George Whitten]

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Luke 17:15-16 ... And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ... In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Psalm 50:14 ... Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:❤

By The Power of His Spirit

Samson is a powerful example of a man of God who won his battles over and over again because the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. Yet when he was finally defeated by Delilah’s temptations he didn’t realize that the Lord had left him, so effective was the woman’s spell.

The enemy is subtle and the temptations of the flesh can so quickly quench the presence and power of God’s spirit that we may not even realize it has happened. But this anointing of the Holy Spirit is our Life and our victory. Opposition can be destroyed and burdens can be lifted when His wonderful Presence fills and rests upon us. Our greatest battle is maintaining that internal communion with Him by His Spirit. Temptations, bad habits, our sinful nature, demonic attacks, all these collaborate to rob us of this holy anointing, our communion with God, and our only real power over every enemy!

Samson’s victories vividly demonstrate the tremendous power of the anointing. His power over the Philistines was legendary and truly heroic. But when he lost his anointing, they nearly destroyed him. How critical it is in these days to keep our lamps burning with the holy “oil” of Yeshua’s (Jesus’) anointing. His goodness will defeat the evils around us, His light will banish darkness, His joy will annihilate our depression, His forgiveness will root out all bitterness, His love will overcome our natural hatred, and every subtle deception will be exposed by His excellent TRUTH! Seek HIS ANOINTING, the fullness of the Holy Spirit. He will equip you to break every yoke of bondage and defeat every internal and external enemy.

Please don’t find yourself in the condition of Samson, in the arms of his lust, not even realizing that the anointing had left him. The cost was enormous, even though he was restored. Instead, guard yourself against the subtle temptations of this world seeking more and more of His indwelling Presence. That anointing will produce one victory after another. Amen.

[George Whitten]

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Judges 14:5-6 ... Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.  And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

Judges 16:20 ... And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.

1 John 2:16 ... For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.



1 Corinthians 10:13 ... There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.❤

Harder and Harder

I don’t know about you, but it seems that the tests we’re going through are getting harder and harder. Do you remember when you took tests in high school? At the time they may have seemed hard. But imagine if you had to take an elementary school test when you were in high school. You’d probably think: oh this is so simple.

 

So if it seems that the testing of your faith is more intense, it simply means that you’re graduating to new levels of faith! Our faith is being tested, and as we pass each “faith” test, we’re finding different means of being tested. I suppose in a few years, we’ll look back and think to ourselves: wow that was a hard test, but now it doesn’t look so difficult!

 

If you’re going through a tough time right now, be encouraged because it simply means that God is graduating you to new levels of faith! The harder the tests, the greater difficulty, the greater the reward, an increased blessing awaits you! Stay focused, stay alert and remember that God is trying to stretch your faith so that you can accomplish even more for His Kingdom!

 

[George Whitten]

 

 

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Acts 14:22 ...  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

 

 

 

James 1:2-3 ... My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

 

 

1 Peter 4:12-13 ... Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.❤

What is God's Will?

A woman once asked John Wesley what he would do if he knew that he would die at midnight the next day. “Why, Madam,” he replied, “just as I intend to spend it now. I would preach this evening at Gloucester, and again at five tomorrow morning, after that I would ride to Tewkesbury, preach in the afternoon, and meet the societies in the evening. I would then go to Martin’s house talk and pray with the family as usual, retire myself to my room at 10 o’clock, commend myself to my Heavenly Father, lie down to rest, and wake up in glory.”

So many people wonder what God’s will is for their lives. John Wesley seemed to be quite confident that He was already walking in it!

We all need to work on offering our bodies as Living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God and no longer conforming to the pattern of this world but being transformed by the renewing of our minds. THIS, before anything else, is God’s will for our lives! THEN, the Word says, we WILL be able to test and approve what His good pleasing and perfect will is!

Let’s offer our bodies, minds and hearts again to the Lord today and commit ourselves wholeheartedly to His perfect plan for our lives. There is so much work to be done!

[George Whitten]

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Romans 12:1-2 ...  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 ... For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:  That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

Hebrews 13:16 ... But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

1 John 2:17 ... And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.❤

Rejoice ~ Celebration Awaits Us

The God-ordained Feast of Tabernacles is a prophetic feast, and one which will be kept by all the people of the world in the coming age. In resurrected bodies, we will be celebrating this feast, year to year in Jerusalem during the millennial reign of Yeshua (Jesus)! Can you imagine it: celebrating with the King of Kings! If that’s not something to anticipate, I’m not sure what is!

Right now, there’s quite a bit of turmoil in the world, which is producing a level of uncertainty and anxiety that I’ve not witnessed as a believer. Yet despite all of these scary situations, we have something wonderful to look forward to  and if you’re like me, you can’t wait!

Don’t let the times we’re living in control your life; instead, use these turbulent times as an opportunity to display the goodness and grace of God in your life! As Yeshua (Jesus) said, when you see these things begin to take place lift your heads high because your redemption draws near!

[George Whitten]

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Zechariah 14:16-17 ... And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.  And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.

Luke 21:28 ... And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Revelation 19:9 ... And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.❤

How Hungry Are You?

I love fishing, but sadly, I haven't been able to fish for quite a while. There's the Mediterranean, but other than that, the few good fishing spots in Israel are not really available to the public. So sad. Nevertheless, fishing gives me a chance to get a break from the world and just relax and meditate, and on a good day, maybe catch a fish or two. But there are different kinds of fishermen, and different ways of fishing.

 

I recently saw a fishing cartoon that spoke to me and illustrated something about expectations. Pictured were two Eskimos fishing through holes in the ice. One of them had his line in a normal size hole maybe two or three feet across. But the guy sitting next to him had his line in an enormous hole, in the shape of a whale! This guy was hungry! He didn't want some dinky little fish! He was fishing for whales!

 

What I like about this illustration is how appetite creates expectation. What is our appetite for affecting the world around us for the Lord's sake? How much do we hunger to change things in peoples' lives through the gospel and through the ministry in Messiah? And how does that affect our expectations? He said "Blessed are those who HUNGER AND THIRST for righteousness."

 

 

How would you compare your hunger to your expectation? If your hunger is great and genuine then it's likely that God will move you to carve out a "whale-sized" hole in this icy world and expect a corresponding catch!

 

[George Whitten]

 

 

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Matthew 5:6 ... Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

 

 

Luke 6:21 ... Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

 

 

Mark 1:17 ... And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.❤

Bloom Where You're Planted

An ancient legend tells of a king who walked into his garden one day to find almost everything withered and dying. After speaking to an oak near the gate, the king learned that he was troubled because he was not tall and beautiful like the pine.  The pine overheard their conversation and added that she, too, was upset, for she could not bear delicious fruit like the pear tree.  The pear tree heard his name and began to complain that he did not have the lovely odor of the spruce.  And so it went throughout the entire garden.
 

Near the very edge of the garden grew a little daisy. As the king approached, he noticed her bright little face, full of life.  "Well, little flower," said the monarch, "I'm glad to find that there is at least one happy face in my garden."   "Oh king," she said, "I know I'm little, and not many people notice me, but one day I realized that you if planted me here, you must have had a good reason.  So, your majesty, I've determined to be the best little flower I can be!"
 

Our King has planted a beautiful garden.  Not one of us is greater than the next. It is his His perfection.   We must come to a place where we trust that God has a reason for creating us the way He has and has planted us in just the place he desired. Comparing ourselves with one another will only make us wither.  When we become satisfied in His creation (that is us), that's when we'll find true happiness and we will shine.   Let's give God our all our disappointments and be determined to be the best that we can be for Him!

[George Whitten]

Isaiah 60:21 ... Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.

Isaiah 61:3 ... To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

2 Corinthians 10:12 ... For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

Romans 6:5 ... For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Romans 8:18 ... For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.❤

Feeling Itchy?

In her book “The Hiding Place” Corrie ten Boom relates an incident that taught her always to be thankful. She and her sister Betsy had just been transferred to the worst German prison camp they had seen yet, called Ravensbruck. The barracks were extremely overcrowded and horribly flea-infested.
 

 

After their scripture reading in 1st Thessalonians that morning, where the Lord reminded them to rejoice always, pray constantly, and give thanks in all circumstances,  Betsy suggested they stop and thank the Lord for every detail of their new living quarters. At first, Corrie was appalled by the idea. She flatly refused to give thanks for that smelly, dirty, flea-ridden place. But Betsy persisted — and Corrie finally succumbed to her pleadings.
 

 

It was by a miracle of God that Corrie and Betsy were able to smuggle their Bible into the camp. If the guards found out that the women were holding nightly Bible studies in their barracks, they surely would have been punished harshly, maybe even killed. During the months they spent at that camp, however, no guard ever said one word.
 

 

 

It was not until several months later that they learned the reason why the guards would hardly ever come into their barracks. They wouldn’t enter the barracks because of the fleas!!
 

 

 

Perhaps you’re dealing with some difficult circumstances today. But who knows? There may be a purpose beyond our understanding! Let’s choose trust the Lord and maintain an attitude of thankfulness in every situation.
 

 

[George Whitten]

 

 

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1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ... Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing.  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.



Psalm 106:1 ... Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
 


Colossians 3:15 ... And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.❤