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May 11, 2015

Where’s our Linen Belt?

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In Jeremiah 13:1 the Lord instructs Jeremiah, “Go buy a linen belt and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch the water.”  Now isn’t that kind of a strange request? Put on a linen belt but hey, don’t get it wet. Maybe because linen is a type of material that when wet will squeeze the daylights out of Jeremiah or become really itchy like wool. After all it was considered an “intimate” garment. It was worn like our underwear. But on the other hand maybe not. Maybe He had some other reason.

Jeremiah does as he’s told and then the Lord tells him to take the belt off and go bury it in Perath. Jeremiah had to be wondering what in the world is the Lord doing! First He has Jeremiah put the belt on, then take it off, and then go hide it! What? But Jeremiah again does as he’s told and carries the belt to Perath and buries it. Now you have to wonder what Jeremiah is thinking on his treak to Perath.

As the days pass Jeremiah forgets about it and goes about his business when the Lord shows up again some time later and says, “Hey Jer. go get the belt you buried.” (my translation) He goes all the way back to Perath and digs up the belt only to find it is ruined and absolutely useless! Now what? Jeremiah must be really wondering if the Lord has imbibed on a little too much wine.

God knows what Jeremiah is thinking so explains as Jeremiah stands holding the ruined and dirty belt looking puzzled, I’m sure.  “In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah (Let’s replace that with America) and the great pride of Jerusalem. (America) These wicked people, who refuse to listen to My words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt – completely useless!” (v.10)

Ohhh that had to be back then. We don’t serve other gods! Is that what you’re thinking? What about the god that we place above our family and children that we leave at 6:00 or 7:00  every morning to go to? The job! What about the god of being independant and “I can’t have this kid! It will interfere with my plans?” What about the god of lust, for the same sex or for my neighbors wife or husband? The love of money? The need to be better than the Jones? Oh America, we have a whole bunch of god’s and sadly the gods of the world have attracted us so much and so fervently that we are turning our back on the one True God. The Almighty God that created heaven and earth and everything in it.

God told Jeremiah, “For as a belt is bound around a man’s waist, so I have bound the whole house of Israel (America) to me,’ to be My people for My renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.” (v.11)

God has called the Jewish people His people for many, many years but He has called the gentiles, too. (That’s non-Jewish people) He has offered the same redemption and the same blessings as He offered, and still offers, the Jewish people to us. He took America under His wings because we are a Nation under God. We looked to Him, we prayed, we sought His wisdom, and even made our Constitution from His decrees.

He had His linen belt around our waist, holding us close, but we have removed that belt and thrown it in the dirt, replacing it with pride! Pride has thrown prayer out of schools, “Gay Pride,” “We don’t need the Ten Commandments,” “It’s my body,” say the name of Jesus and see how mouths start screaming, we have elected government officials that say they are a Christian and in the same breath condemn and mock Christ followers, and the list goes on. Until America wakes up we are as dirty and as useless as the belt Jeremiah dug up and the Lord cast aside!

America may be pushing God out of the picture but God still loves us in spite of our stupidity and has been sending His warnings; Katrina, 9-11, earthquakes, Sunami’s, AIDS, Ebola, ISIS!

“But they have not listened.”  

~~~~~~~

http://www.elahministries.com   http://www.facebook.com/elahministries

elah501c@bellsouth.net

Blessings to you.

May 7, 2015

Creating a Helpmate Wasn’t as Easy as it Sounds.

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When God was creating mothers He was into His sixth day of overtime, when an angel appeared and said, “You’re doing a lot of fiddling around with this one.”

And the Lord said, “Have you read the specs on this order? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic; have 180 movable parts, all replaceable. She has to run on black coffee and leftovers. She has to have a lap that disappears when she stands up. A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair, and she has to have six pairs of hands.”

The angel shook her head slowly and said, “Six pairs of hands. No way!”

“Well, it’s not the hands that are causing Me problems,” said the Lord. “It’s the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have.”

“That’s on the standard model? the angel asked.

The Lord nodded, “One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, ‘What are you kids doing in there?’ when she already knows. Another in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn’t, but what she has to know. And, of course, the ones here in front so that she can look at a child when he goofs and say, ‘I understand, and I love you,’ without so much as uttering a word.”

“Lord,” said the angel touching His sleeve gently, “Come to bed. Tomorrow is another day.”

“I can’t,” said the Lord, “I’m so close to creating something so close to Myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she’s sick, can feed a family of six on a pound of hamburger, and get a nine year old to stand under a shower.”

The angel circled the model of the mother very slowly, “It’s too soft,” she sighed.

“Ah, but tough!” said the Lord excitedly. “You can’t imagine what this mother can endure.”

“Can it think?”

“Not only can she think, but she can reason and compromise,” said the Creator.

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. “Aha, there’s a leak,” she pronounced. I told You we’re trying to put too much into this model.”

“It’s not a leak,” said the Lord. “It’s a tear.”

“What’s it for?”

“It’s for joy and sadness and disappointment and pain and loneliness and pride.”

“You’re a genius,” said the angel.

The Lord looked somber. “I didn’t put the tear there.”

And so it was that God created a mother.

Author Unknown.

~~~~~~

http://www.elahministries.com  www.facebook.com/elahministries

http://www.suespen2paper.com   http://www.cybersupportgroup.org

elah501c@bellsouth.net

Blessings to you.

April 30, 2015

I Never Thought of Myself as a Farmer.

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Growing up in the country I always loved to play in the dirt. My sister always laughed and said, “You can plant a dead stick and it would grow.” As an adult, I still love to play in the dirt and even have a T-shirt that says so.

There are times though that I get frustrated because I don’t always see the results of my labors. The seed takes too long to sprout or for some reason it just dies in the dirt. Did I do something wrong? Did I not water it enough or did I water it too much drowning what was suppose to produce?

The seed is an interesting little thing. The Lord says that if we have the faith of a mustard seed we can move mountains. (Matt. 17:20) A mustard seed? Wow, that’s the smallest of small seeds! He also said that the various types of soil we plant seed in also makes a difference. (Matt. 13:1-9) Maybe that’s where I’ve messed up. I’ve been planting my seeds in the wrong kind of soil. Instead of fertile ground I’ve been planting in rocks or hardened ground that won’t grow anything.

But wait, how can I know where the seeds of encouragement, faith, giving God glory is going when the seeds I plant through 2 blogs, 2 Facebook accounts, 2 websites, and 5 books are going?  Is my labor of love going into rocky ground, good soil, or just laying on top of the ground where the sun burns them up? That’s where the frustration comes in!

I think at some time, even if its only a quick thought that darts through our mind, “Is anything I’m writing about having any positive impact on anyone?” gives us a moment of pause. I don’t know about anyone else but there are times that I spend praying and writing and hoping upon hope that what the Lord has led me to say has helped someone else on their journey or led someone to seek Christ with a new and different attitude, or even better yet, led someone to ask Christ into their heart.

I never thought of Christians, and particularly me, as being a farmer. But we are farmers in a Kingdom kind of sense. We share what the Lord has revealed to us. It may be a tiny seed, like the mustard seed. But think about this. Every single thing that is needed to produce fruit is within the confounds of that thin shell within that tiny seed. The root system, the trunk, the leaves, the blossom, and finally the fruit. Everything is there! But a seed will not grow if it is left laying on the shelf. It must be planted to take root.

My frustration comes in not knowing if my seeds are going into furtile ground but as scripture says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.…” 1Cor. 3:6-7

I plant the seed and it’s up to Him to grow it.

Little Suzie planted a seed.

She ran into the house,

Filled with glee.

*

The days came and went.

Rain,

Sun,

Clouds.

*

Years later she

returned home,

And found a tree.

~~~~~~

http://www.elahministriesinc.com

http://www.SuesPen2Paper.com

http://www.awriterscorner.blog

http://www.cybersupportgroup.org

http://www.facebook.com/elahministries

elah501c@bellsouth.net

Blessings to you.

April 28, 2015

What’s REALLY going on in America?

Here are 2 books I HIGHLY recommend for they tell the truth, using scripture to back up all they say. If you never read anything else I suggest reading, praying, and looking to the Lord for how we can repent.

Both are available at: http://www.amazon.com

51eYqy+cwPL._AA160_ 9-11 was a travesty but you’ll be shocked at how much more there is to it. A must read by every Christian and non-believer.

61sBJhXmcSL._AA160_They say, “what goes around, comes around.” What America is facing is self inflicted suicide! A must read.

http://www.elahministries.com   http://www.facebook.com/elahministries

elah501c@bellsouth.net

Blessings to you.

April 23, 2015

Bible Emergency Numbers!!

Christ’s line is never busy!

Kristi's avatarKristi Ann's Haven

❤✝✡Bible Emergency Numbers✡✝❤

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“My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest“

When in sorrow, call John 14
When men fail you, call Psalms 27
When you have sinned, call: Psalms 51
When you worry, call: Matthew 6:19-34
In danger, call: Psalms 91
When God seems far away, call: Psalms 139
When your faith needs stirring, call: Hebrews 11
When you are lonely and fearful, call: Psalms 23
When you grow bitter and critical, call: 1 Corinthians 13
You feel down and out, call: Romans 8:31-39
You want peace and rest, call: Matthew 11:25-30
When the world seems bigger than God, call: Psalms 90
When you want Christian assurance, call: Romans 8:1-30
When you leave home for labor or travel, call: Psalms 121
When your prayers grow narrow or selfish, call: Psalms 67
When you want courage for a task, call: Joshua 1

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April 14, 2015

My God Box

This goes along with my previous post, “What Size Box do you Have God in?” (Jan 20, 2015)

Leah Ness's avatarIsaiah 43:1

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I have put God in a box; I put limits on Him, on His power and His goodness.

But I think everyone has God in a box. It’s not necessarily on purpose or out of pride, but because our human minds cannot even begin to contemplate the unfathomable existence of God.

It bothers me a little when people say their reason for not believing in God is because He seems contradictory to them. The argument that God can’t be good and allow suffering at the same time is backed up with the statement, “I just can’t reconcile these two traits in my mind.”

Another argument is how a loving God can send people to hell. I know this pain acutely; three of my favorite people in the world do not know the Lord, as well as many of my own flesh and blood family members.

Does that mean God isn’t…

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