Posted on 08/04/2023 4:42:51 AM PDT by left that other site


Let all that has been Concealed
Be Revealed.
Father, We Pray For The Peace Of Jerusalem,
According To Your Will and Promise.
We Pray That You Will Forgive The Sins
of Our Own Nation,
and Lead us all to Godly Repentance.
Create in Us Clean Hearts, Oh LORD,
and Renew a Right Spirit Within Us.
This we Pray Together,
As We Await Your Messiah,
Blessed Be He,
To Set Up His Kingdom,
And Make All Things Right.
God Bless America.
ML/LTOS

Today's story is true and somewhat recent, so I am changing some of the "particulars", and hope that anyone who remembers the event will keep the characters anonymous for the purpose of today's study! Thanks! :-)
The Pastor of the large, popular, Evangelical Church was a bit concerned. Several members of his congregation had been speaking ecstatically about the Revival Tent that had been set up right across the street, and the powerful "anointing" and "miracles" that were going on. Now, the Pastor was not against the modern manifestations of the Gifts of the Spirit, and he wasn't worried about losing members to this transient tent preacher, but he felt it was his duty as a shepherd to check it out and make sure that his flock were not being exposed to error. So he decided to go to a meeting.
The music was great and he enjoyed worshiping with the folks in the tent. Then the preacher came out, and she immediately recognized the well-known pastor in the audience. She called him to come up to the podium so she could pray for him. The pastor went up, expecting a nice prayer of encouragement, or maybe a word from God, if He was indeed using this lady to minister His Word.
She laid hands on him (inappropriate in the situation!) and began "prophesying" all kinds of effusive, flattering stuff over the patient minster who endured quietly her loud pronouncements. Then she asked him if he had anything to say. He went up to the microphone, thanked her for praying for him, and then turned to the audience and said she was a false prophet and that they should not listen to her.
At that point, she grabbed the microphone from his hand and accused him of being possessed by the devil! (Right after she flattered him for being anointed of God). The minister walked out, and the members of his congregation walked out with him.
Some would say that the Pastor was rude to the woman. Others would say that he did the right thing. Today's story is not to debate that point, but to look at our own credulity and naivete' when talking about "spiritual" things. Nathaniel was impressed that Jesus said He "saw him sitting under the fig tree". Jesus saw his gentle, guile-less spirit and cautioned Nathaniel that that was just a tiny little miracle compared to what he WOULD be seeing. Jesus' tone seems even a little bit (can I say this?) sarcastic. "You believe in me because of THAT?" He seems to be saying.
The Pastor in today's story was concerned that members of his congregation could be led astray by the Tent Preacher across the street. Indeed, members of his church had RECOMMENDED her. Like Nathaniel, they were impressed by some little thing that she had said. It may have been the music, or the passion in her voice, or key words like "anointing". Or maybe, like a fortune teller, she had zeroed in on a person and discerned something about them, and pronounced it as prophecy. (That is always impressive. "She said something about me and it was TRUE!")
Jesus warned us to be "Wise as Serpents and as Innocent (harmless) as doves. We all need to have the gentle faith of Nathaniel, an honest innocence in order to receive the Kingdom of Heaven like a little child. But we also need to guard against wolves in sheep's clothing, especially if we are in positions of leadership.
Good morning. Blessings and Prayers up.

My prayers always. God bless.

Amen, left that other site
Joining in prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem and for our beloved America.
I recall the hand sign for the Hebrew word SHIN is Mr. Spock’s Vulcan greeting—Live Long and Prosper (right out of the Old Testament.)

Amen !!! <><
Psalm 22
To the leader: according to The Deer of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
and by night, but find no rest.
3 Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our ancestors trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried, and were saved;
in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm, and not human;
scorned by others, and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock at me;
they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;
8 ‘Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver—
let him rescue the one in whom he delights!’
9 Yet it was you who took me from the womb;
you kept me safe on my mother’s breast.
10 On you I was cast from my birth,
and since my mother bore me you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls encircle me,
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13 they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
15 my mouth* is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16 For dogs are all around me;
a company of evildoers encircles me.
My hands and feet have shrivelled;*
17 I can count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my clothes among themselves,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
19 But you, O Lord, do not be far away!
O my help, come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword,
my life* from the power of the dog!
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!
From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued* me.
22 I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters;*
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;
stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he did not despise or abhor
the affliction of the afflicted;
he did not hide his face from me,*
but heard when I* cried to him.
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
26 The poor* shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord.
May your hearts live for ever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord;
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before him.*
28 For dominion belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.
29 To him,* indeed, shall all who sleep in* the earth bow down;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
and I shall live for him.*
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord,
31 and* proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,
saying that he has done it.

AMEN! thank you. Joining in prayer.

Amen

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