What Defines Us?

on Tuesday, March 27, 2007

When God breathed a soul into human flesh, He separated us from all other beings, giving us a sense of destiny, a need for meaning in our existence. In so doing, He guaranteed we would be drawn to something greater, more inimitable than our humanity affords.

Almighty God, who was and is and is to come, instills in each of us a longing that can only be fulfilled in seeking first His kingdom. He promises one day we'll hear Him say: "Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34).

But the pride of life compels us to conclude that we are our own destiny. Slogans are every where that reflect this attitude: Just Do It, Have it Your Way, Break All the Rules. As self-made women and men, we glory in our achievements, and take comfort in our status in mans eye on this earth. And most of that achievement and status is measured by what we possess.

Eternity is not in our vocabulary as we determine to prove ourselves, and obtain the applause of men.

Messages from the media assure us hundreds of times a day that we can be a little better than we are. The lie that our homes, our cars, our careers, our clothes, and even our physical appearance defines our destiny, keeps many of us restless

We must consider our ways.


When the Israelites were settled safely back in their homeland after years of captivity, they began to enjoy unique prosperity. But all was not well. Through the prophet Haggai, God painted a graphic picture of their real condition:
"Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?" Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways! You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes." (Haggai 1:4-6, NASB)

As with the Israelites who neglected the temple, we may be starving our souls while stuffing our selves with the treasures of this world. We must consider our ways.

What do our deepest longings and daily drives tell us about the condition of our souls? Are we settling for toys and empty experiences when the unfathomable, God bids us taste and see that He is good? Are we building a kingdom destined for destruction, when a city awaits us whose architect and builder is God Himself?

God has been dealing with me concerning loosing weight. My mother was diagnosed with diabetes a couple of years ago and she told me to be careful of what I ate. I was addicted to the candy, DOTS. I would eat them morning noon and night. I also would use 7 packs of sugar in my coffee every day. Every where I turned someone would say, you need to cut back on your sugar intake. Of course this irritated me to no end because I needed that sugar. I relied on that sugar as a booster to my emotions.

One morning I was lead to read Jeremiah 2:12-13. What in the world did I do that for? When I read that scripture there wasn't any excuse left for me.

God was calling the heavens (the stars, suns, moons, planets, and galaxies)to be appalled and desolate because His people (Me) have forsaken Him, the Fountain of Living Waters, hew out for ourselves (Me), cisterns. Not just any kind of old cisterns but broken ones that can hold no water.

Now if that is not enough to give us pause I don't know what is.

Broken cisterns are the idols of our heart that we use to feed our starving souls.

He led me to another scripture, Psalms 81:10 " I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the Land of Egypt;
OPEN YOUR MOUTH WIDE AND I WILL FILL IT".

He said in the next verse " But My people would not heed My voice"

What might be the broken cisterns we run to? What are we feeding our souls?

It could be reading several hours a day, hours upon hours of television, listening to music, shopping, sports, volunteering, church ministry, working long hours,or just plain busyness.

Whatever it might be we need to determine for a time to give it up. Instead of rushing to fill up the empty places we need to wait on the voice of the Lord.
We are desperately needy and may not even know it. We have turned to broken cisterns instead of turning to our Father and the only way out of this bondage is through repentance.

There is only one guarantee of fulfillment and that is our all-satisfying God who ever live to fill us with the knowledge of Himself.
Because He is our Shepherd, we shall not want. Daily He sets before us the bounty of His goodness. He promises we'll never hunger or thirst again. This is the secret of being content with what we have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU" (Hebrews 13:5).

So let us not settle for anything else!!


Candace House

www.ruachchayah.org
2007 Candace House, All Rights reserved

When Is Religion A Hinderance?

on Sunday, March 18, 2007

In Need Of Prayer

Okay guys I need prayer. Seriously. I was so MAD yesterday I couldn’t think straight. A friend of mine called me concerning a young woman that is battling anorexia in her church. She has been battling this disease for close to 4 yrs. While going through this process she has been an active member in this particular church which calls itself a healing and deliverance ministry.

People come from all over to be in these healing services. The Pastor teaches the Word concerning healing first. He then ask those who are in need to come and get prayed for.
There are miraculous testimonies that come in concerning people’s healing. Doctor reports are authenticated to give credence to these events. There is no doubt that some of the people are healed there.

There is a problem here. After a certain period of time, people who haven’t been healed, are asked to sign a waiver concerning the church’s liability in their healing process.
The pastor refuses to speak words of healing concerning them. And would rather they leave the church because the people become too much of a burden on them.

He will preach from the pulpit concerning healing, but not speak healing scriptures over an individual person. I understand in a lawsuit happy society that people are more conscious about what they say. However, when it spills over into the church and preachers are afraid of getting sued because they speak the Word of God, Words that bring Life, then we have a problem.

The tragedy is no one has ever threatened a lawsuit. He is just trying to prevent one.
Since when do we as Saints of God and Ministers of the Gospel, walk around in fear of saying what “Thus Saith the Lord?”

The thought of people not feeling welcome in a church because they are not measuring up to an image, is despicable to me. This young woman is crying out for help!!! She has eating disorder counselors that she is working with as well. But she still needs the church!!

The minister that called me concerning the young woman, was in tears. She had been told by the senior intercessor, the pastor’s mother, that they were tired of dealing with this girls issues and they wished she left. She had become too much of a burden for them. This young girl was made aware of how the church felt about her. They felt she should have been over her issues by now.

Did not the Bible teach us to “Go and make disciples of men?” Not just witness to them.
A disciple is one that is mentored. Mentoring is a long process. It involves coaching, guiding, advising, training, tutoring, counseling, sharing confidences with another.

This young woman is not only battling this disease, she has been raped by uncles and her father’s friends for years. Her Grandmother, who is a witch, wants her to be her successor. This young girl has been marked as one for the enemy. But God is saying , “NOT SO!!

The Scripture says “ The thief cometh not but for to steal, kill and destroy. I Am come that they may have Life and have it more abundantly!” ( John 10:10)

“The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity], To proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord [the day [a]when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound.(A) ( Luke 4:18-19 )Amp.

The I AM has come and made His abode in us as believers. He is saying, “ I AM what ever you need me to be in your life.” If we need strength, then I Am is Jehovah Tsur. If we need healing, then I Am is Johovah Raphe. If we are in need of provisions, then I Am is Jehovah Jireh. If we are in need of peace, then I Am is Jehovah Shalom. If we are in need of victory , then I Am is Jehovah Nissi. If we are in need of a Shepherd then I AM is Jehovah Rohi. If we are in need of sanctification, then the I Am is Jehovah M’Kaddesh.

It is only when we lean to our own understanding that we get weary. If we allow I AM to work through us we can do so much more in the Lord and people wouldn’t fall to the wayside.

Jesus implored us, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will [a]ease and relieve and [b]refresh [c]your souls.] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest ([d]relief and ease and refreshment and [e]recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.(A) For My yoke is wholesome (useful, [f]good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne. (Matt 11:28-30) Amp.

There is a prophet in every Spirit -filled Christian. Not all are called to the Office of a Prophet, but there is an prophetic anointing in the hearts of God’s people. A prophet is God’s mouthpiece, one who speaks for another. There is an anointing, an ability within you to declare God unto men.

There is also a priest in every Spirit-filled Believer. A priest is one who brings men unto God. There is a priestly anointing, an ability within you to release the mercy and compassion of the Lord, to love people and to bring them unto Jesus.

There is also a king in every Spirit-filled Christian. A king is one who rules in the Name of the Lord. Where the word of a king is, there is power. There is a kingly anointing , an ability within you to rise up and take authority over your circumstances and your surroundings in the Name of Jesus!

God has poured the Spirit of His Son into our hearts that we might become containers and then dispensers of the life of God.

[It is He] Who has qualified us [making us to be fit and worthy and sufficient] as ministers and dispensers of a new covenant [of salvation through Christ], not [ministers] of the letter (of legally written code) but of the Spirit; for the code [of the Law] kills, but the [Holy] Spirit makes alive.(A) ( 2 Cor 3:6 ) Amp

Are rivers of Living Waters coming out of our bellies? Or are we producing bitter springs of death? When the Holy Spirit comes in, out of man’s belly would flow Devine rhetoric, Faith filled words! “He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water.”(John 7:38) Amp.

The Ministry of the Son of God is ministry without condemnation. He has come to release all of the ; Beggars(the poor), Brokenhearted, Bound(captives), Blind and the Bruised.

This is the call. This is the invitation. There is enough of the nature of God to swallow up all of that death! And all with out fear of contamination. Oh Lord God give us Your grace!

You as Saints of the Most High God, Please Pray for Jessica. Because God said “Not So!” I am standing on His Promises. Won’t you stand with me?

Candace
www.ruachchayah.org © 2007 Candace House, All Rights Reserved

THE SEED THAT CANNOT DIE

on Saturday, March 17, 2007

The Seed That Cannot Die

In Genesis God promised Eve a seed,

“And I will put enmity between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” Gen:3:15

This verse was dealing with the birth of the promised Seed which is Jesus.
Matthew Henry Commentary says
15. thy seed--not only evil spirits, but wicked men. seed of the woman--the Messiah, or His Church I will put enmity between thee and the woman--God can only be said to do so by leaving "the serpent and his seed to the influence of their own corruption; and by those measures which, pursued for the salvation of men, fill Satan and his angels with envy and rage." thou shalt bruise his heel--The serpent wounds the heel that crushes him; and so Satan would be permitted to afflict the humanity of Christ and bring suffering and persecution on His people. it shall bruise thy head--The serpent's poison is lodged in its head; and a bruise on that part is fatal. Thus, fatal shall be the stroke which Satan shall receive from Christ, though it is probable he did not at first understand the nature and extent of his doom.
And Christ's sufferings are continued in the sufferings of the saints for his name. The devil tempts them, persecutes and slays them; and so bruises the heel of Christ, who is afflicted in their afflictions. But while the heel is bruised on earth, the Head is in heaven. 3. His victory over Satan thereby. Christ baffled Satan's temptations, rescued souls out of his hands. By his death he gave a fatal blow to the devil's kingdom, a wound to the head of this serpent that cannot be healed. As the gospel gains ground, Satan falls.

Eve conceived what she thought was going to be the seed which turned out to be Cain who was evil. Then she produced Able who ended up dead.

Cain killed Abel in a fit of jealousy.

Can you imagine how she felt?
The promise that she would have seed seemed impossible.
She was supposed to be the mother of all living.

But her seed was dead.

One son was on the Lam and the other was Dead

I am sure she wondered if the promise did not come because of what she had done in the Garden.

There are times in our lives when all hell breaks loose, and we don’t see the promises of God being made manifest. And we question is the promise delayed because of my past?


I stopped by to tell you that no matter what you are going through:

Your children could be acting crazy.

You could have lost a love one.

Your health or the health of someone you know may be at risk.

Your marriage may be over or is in serious trouble.

Your job situation or business is not in the best shape.

Your finances may be affected.

Your friends might have left you.

Your ministry is not advancing like you wanted it to or it is in trouble.

You could be in a situation and you don’t know how you got there.

But God who is Sovereign knows and sees all!!
He will bring to past what He has decreed!!

“And Adam knew His wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel whom Cain slew” Genesis 4:25

God’s plan was not aborted when Cain killed Abel. His plan for your life has not been aborted either.

That doesn’t stop the evil one from trying to delay the fulfillment of what God has said about your life.

However he can’t stop it!!!!!!!

The name Seth means substituted.


It may not come like how you thought it would, or through the person you thought it would.
Eve realized that if God made a promise to bless someone, He will find a way!!!!!!
Even if it means appointing a substitute.

Candace
www.ruachchayah.org
© 2006 Candace House