The Question of Obama's Religious Beliefs

on Sunday, November 2, 2008

The best speech Obama has ever given was not his famous 2004 convention address, but a June 2007 speech in Connecticut. In it, he described his religious conversion:

"One Sunday, I put on one of the few clean jackets I had, and went over to Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th Street on the South Side of Chicago. And I heard Reverend Jeremiah A. Wright deliver a sermon called “The Audacity of Hope.” And during the course of that sermon, he introduced me to someone named Jesus Christ. I learned that my sins could be redeemed. I learned that those things I was too weak to accomplish myself, he would accomplish with me if I placed my trust in him. And in time, I came to see faith as more than just a comfort to the weary or a hedge against death, but rather as an active, palpable agent in the world and in my own life.

It was because of these newfound understandings that I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity one day and affirm my Christian faith. It came about as a choice and not an epiphany. I didn’t fall out in church, as folks sometimes do. The questions I had didn’t magically disappear. The skeptical bent of my mind didn’t suddenly vanish. But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side, I felt I heard God’s spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to his will, and dedicated myself to discovering his truth and carrying out his works."

For any one still thinking that Obama is a Muslim really is willingly ignorant!

www.candacehouse.org

© Candace House 2007, All Rights reserved.

You Have Skirted This Mountain Too Long!

on Thursday, November 8, 2007



Zerubbabel was a descendant of King David (1 Chronicles 3:1,19 - see also Israelite Dynasties) who led a large group of Jews back to Jerusalem after their seventy years exile in Babylon.

Zerubbabel was given the task of doing what could not be stopped because The Lord cannot be stopped: He was given the commission to re-build the temple.

So he answered and said to me:
“ This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘ Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. ‘ Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone. With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying: “ The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple;His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.” Zech 4:6-10


Is there a mountain before you this day? Does it appear insurmountable? Like the children of Israel, have you taken your journey into the wilderness and skirted Mount Seir for many days? Hear the word of God to Moses, saying: "You have skirted this mountain long enough, turn northward.

To Zerubbabel He said : "Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit says the Lord of hosts. Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"

Let that be a word for you today! God will cause us to triumph. With God, there is always a way out, a way around, or a way through the wilderness and a way into His promises. He is the way, the truth and the life; He is the door. He's the how, the when and the where of it all!

Despise not the day of small things, for even as the eyes of the Lord rejoiced to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel, He will rejoice over you when he sees you holding that thing you have believe for.





© Candace House 2007, All Rights reserved.

The Testimony of Jesus

on Tuesday, October 9, 2007

“And I fell at his feet to worship him. But [the angel] said to me,See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10)

A prophet, or prophetic ministry will be known by what it does, not by what it says it is. He or she will use the prophetic gift to speak forth the mind and counsel of God for repentance to be taught and righteousness to be preached in order to bring restoration and a return back to God and healing of broken bodies, souls and spirits.

What is written and said will be a testimony of the truth of Jesus—as revealed from Genesis to Revelation. They will communicate God’s priorities, the present day utility of God’s power and His purposes as He speaks.

Paul states that Jesus Christ is the only foundation to be laid: 1 Corinthians 3:11: “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

The modern day prophetic ministry will speak words of exhortation, comfort and revelation. There will also be individual and corporate edification, learning and comfort. In public usage exercise of the prophetic gift will prove to be a sign for believers.

This ministry will covet to exercise the prophetic gift for the purpose of edifying the Church of God whether it be in writings or in speaking.

Maturing the saints by preparing them for works of public service, or ministry, and teaching them how to build up the body of Christ is the mandate of the prophetic. Its purpose is to bring about unity of the faith that comes with the knowledge of the Son of God so that the body of Christ will mature into the full measure of Christ Himself.

Unity in the body of Christ is emphasized and must be based upon the truth of scripture, not other devices which overlook or ignore the truth of the Bible. All must be based upon the knowledge of the Son of God, which comes from the truth of the Word of God which teaches us of Christ.

A true prophetic ministry, just like the true Christian prophet, understands that their influence over others only comes when and if others voluntarily and willingly follow their example of personal holiness and servanthood to others by their public service, freely given.




© 2007 Candace House. All Rights Reserve
www.ruachchayah.org

© Candace House 2007, All Rights reserved.

When The Word Of God Isn't enough

on Friday, September 14, 2007




There is an interesting passage of scripture I overlooked in Luke 16. I was reading the story that involves Abraham, Lazarus the beggar, and the rich man. This morning I had a things that make you go hum moment.

Everyone that is saved for any length of time has heard this story or read it. Well sometimes we can read the Word or hear it numerous times that it becomes too familiar. We already go into reading or hearing a particular scripture with preconceived notions of what that passage is saying.

This morning the Lord showed me something that I hadn’t paid attention to even though I had it highlighted! So my spirit grasped it then. But there was an appointed time for me to consciously lay hold of it.

According to this story, there was a certain rich man who had more than he ever wanted Or needed. He lived his life for himself, in selfish indulgence, not caring at all about the poor. Lazarus was a poor beggar who like a dog desired to be fed the crumbs from the masters table, though it is not clear if he ever was fed by the rich man.

After they both die, we get a glimpse of their situations in eternity. Lazarus is with Abraham, symbolizing that he is grafted into the family of God by faith in Christ. He is in heaven. The rich man is in agony in the burning flames of hell. Between the two a great divide which cannot be crossed is fixed.

A conversation is said to take place between Lazarus, the rich man, and Abraham. The rich man knows that his five brothers are as wicked as he was and without a doubt end up in torment as he is, so he begs Abraham to send somebody, even Lazarus, to his brothers. He thinks that if his brothers see a person raised from the dead that they will repent and put their faith in God.

Yet Abraham explains that unless they hear the law and the prophets, which they already have available to them, they will not repent.

Abraham’s statement, told by Christ as He gives this story, is emphasizing that the Scripture is sufficient.

Unless a person hears what they already have in the Word of God, they cannot and will not be saved. Even if some miraculous sign happened for the rich man’s brothers or for any man for that matter, they would still not believe.

We can deceive ourselves into thinking that if only Jesus came and appeared
to all men that they would trust Him. We can think that we can come up with some other means to woo somebody to church or to Christ. The reality is that the greatest sign of all time has already taken place. Jesus Himself rose from the dead and people reject that, despite the overwhelming evidence of its historicity.

The Lord knew this and was foretelling in this story that even His death burial and resurrection would not be sufficient to bring some people to repentance. Christ Himself knew that only the Word of God could change a person’s heart. If Christ even by performing the greatest miracle of all time couldn’t convince a person to believe, what really do we have to come up with?

The Church has so many programs and works that they perform all to bring people to Christ. They are working themselves to death trying to come up with ways that will attract people into the household of the Lord.

Programs, skits, musicals, bazaars, fairs, workshops, auctions, giveaways, you name it the Church tries it. I look at all of the churches with theatre props, book stores, coffee houses, gyms, empowerment & business centers, soup kitchens, credit unions, colleges, schools, daycares, restaurants and so forth and so on. We here in America have made the Word of God secondary in comparison to all of the wonderful things we are doing for Him. Churches are not willing to preach the full counsel of the Word for fear of losing members. They have listened to polls that say people’s attention spans cannot absorb a sermon over 15 minutes. So the Word becomes secondary and the programs are first.

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against a lot of this stuff as long as it is in its proper place. What has me concerned is the mindset that the Word of God is not enough to get people saved.

The Word of God can stand on it’s on. It doesn’t need any help. The only thing God put His full backing on is His Word. The Scripture is the Power of God in written form. It is only through hearing and appropriating the Scriptures can sanctification take place.
Good works, community service, and theatrics can have their place. The issue is whether they are sufficient to be able to stand on their own apart from the Word of God.

The Body of Christ needs to study, memorize and meditate on the Word of God. I am very concerned for the Church here in America because of what is coming down the pipeline for this country. The scripture says “Who have believed our report?” Isaiah 53:1. You have to first know the report in order to believe it.

Remember man cannot live apart from taking in the Word of God. He cannot be saved apart from hearing the gospel, and he cannot be a mature Christian without instruction from the Scripture. We already know from Romans 1:16 that the “gospel is the power of God unto salvation.” We know from 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” Romans 10:16 says that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them in the word; your word is truth.”

All of our progress in being sanctified into the image of Christ is due to our being immersed in the truth of the Word of God. There is no short cut to this thing called Sanctification.





2007 Candace House, All Rights reserved. Email info@candacehouse.org for permission to use.

Domestic Violence Has A New Face - Juanita Bynum

on Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Last night I watched a True Lady. This woman displayed so much grace and integrity it was such an joy to watch her. I am talking about Juanita Bynum. This is truly a woman of character. I watched her last night on TBN and the one thing that struck me was her grace under fire.


I have always admired this woman of God and have prayed for her over the years. But I have never witnessed what I did last night. There is a pliableness for lack of a better word to her.

There is a different type of anointing on her. It is the anointing of a warrior and and a defender of the weak. A champion.


When she was abused so horribly I was enraged! Why? Because this should not have happened. I personally wanted to go and tear Bishop Weeks from limb to limb. Instead I sat down and wrote about it. Juanita Bynum exemplified every woman, every where that was dealing with being abused. Surely now something would be done about this!


One of the things that struck me was, the enemy had no idea what he set in motion. Because of this public display of humiliation out the ash heap rises a victor and not a victim. Last night I saw a Champion. I wait in anticipation to see how the Lord uses her in this next dimension of ministry.


Go to TBN and watch the archive of the two hour talk show with Juanita Bynum and guest which aired Tues, Sept 04, 2007.


The Atlanta Journal Constitution has some excerpts from the show;


Bynum appeared Tuesday night as a special guest on TBN’s “Praise The Lord” program, a Christian talk show featuring ministers, gospel artists and other newsmakers.


On the show, Bynum said she had no bitterness toward her husband.


She would not say anything negative about Weeks. “Nobody could give me enough money,” she said. “As long as he’s my husband I won’t break that covenant.”


Also on the show, she said the church would help people by preaching more about personal experiences such as her own.


While interviews other guests, an emotional Bynum said, “I came here tonight to declare that I can bear it, I can bear it, I can bear it.”


Before the television appearance, in a room with flashing cameras, Bynum said she has forgiven Weeks for the alleged attack and that her ministry will take a new twist because of the pain she has suffered.


“Today, domestic violence has a face and a name and it is Juanita Bynum,” said the pastor.
“This is such a difficult moment for me,” Bynum said. “First, I want to go on record and say I forgive my husband and I wish him all of the best.”


The pastor said while some of her supporters have kept quiet about the incident, she does not intend to move on with her ministry as if the attack never happened.


“Relationships are what they are, [they] have their difficult moments,” she said. “… This has changed my life forever.”


Bynum said that after the alleged attack she was holed up with family feeling “weak and helpless.”


But Tuesday she said she won’t keep quiet on the issue of domestic violence.


“This isn’t a religious issue, it’s a social issue,” she said.


Bynum would not say whether she would participate in the prosecution of her husband or discuss her feelings about him. She said she is focusing on her new ministry. “Instead of a victim,



I want to become an advocate,” she said.


Let us continue to lift Prophetess Bynum in prayer as well as Bishop Weeks.




2007 Candace House, All Rights reserved.

No Unsung Heroes

on Tuesday, September 4, 2007


This morning I started thinking about an incident that happened to me. I was reading a verse of scripture when this came to mind.

“God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them.”
—Hebrews 6:10

I remember when I implemented a program in a former church years ago to have a variety store for the poor. I went and set up an account with Second Harvest, a food warehouse where you pay pennies on the dollar for items. I solicited the help of my best friend who was a minister in the church as well. We asked the pastor for space in an industrial park the church owned to set up a free store. He said yes.

We stocked it with food, medicine, personal hygiene products, clothes, furniture and toys. My girlfriend and I were the ones who went and picked the items up and unloaded them. Furniture and heavier items we had delivered.

We worked the store 2 days a week. We also traveled 2 hours one way to pick up food for a couple of years before they would send a truck our way. Never asked for gas money, and half the time paid for the food. We did this at least twice a month.

We made these items available to people that had fallen on hard times for free. People that came in for assistance traded time working in the store for items given. It made them feel good to be able to contribute. During this time we had the opportunity to share the Love of the Lord with them.

Many came to the Lord through this outreach, and joined the church as well. After a year the pastor wanted to re-evaluate whether we needed to continue with this project and if it brought "any value" to the ministry. After fighting with him on this issue, at the end of two years we handed it back over to him to do with as he wished.

Someone else joined the church a little later with like vision and went to him and said how the church could get publicity for the store. He went for it. Mind you the church had been getting publicity all along on a local level. He wanted "his" "name" recognized regionally.

When it was all said and done, the pastor credited this person to the media for piloting the program and doing all of the work. My girlfriend and I were never mentioned.

I don't know if you have ever experienced this before: you do the work and turn in a great performance someone else gets the credit. They may not have done all that much to earn it, they were just there at the right time or simply knew how to "suck up" to the “people that matter.” They get the credit deserved by others who end up forgotten.

As Christians, this leaves us in a tough position. We don’t want to be selfish and egotistically toot our own horn. But it hurts. It’s not fair. It can lead to discouragement, anger, and resentment. I know it did with me for about a year I held on this.

When we find ourselves in this situation, I believe it is helpful to remember two things. First, we don’t work for our employer, teacher, manager, or boss or pastor: we ultimately work for the Lord. (see Ephesians 5:6-8)

If He is pleased, then we should be proud of our work and feel our goal has been accomplished even when we are not pat on the back. Yes, we all need some affirmation for a job well done, but sometimes it doesn’t come until the Father says, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

Second, God who sees will not forget what we have done. He knows who really did the hard work and who deserves the credit. He will be the one to reward us for doing His work for His Glory even if no one else knows or cares. So if you’ve found yourself in this situation, IN GOD’S FAMILY, THERE ARE NO UNSONG HEROES!


Shalom,
Candace



2007 Candace House, All Rights reserved. Email info@candacehouse.org for permission to use.

Sleeping Through The Storm

on Sunday, September 2, 2007




Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.


As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man. Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.


Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!" The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."


Enraged by the old man's response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, and he returned to bed to also sleep while the wind blew.


Where to take it from here......


When you're prepared, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. We secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves firmly in the Word of God.


Author Unknown




2007 Candace House, All Rights reserved. Email info@candacehouse.org for permission to use.

LIVING ON BORROWED TIME!

on Monday, August 27, 2007




We need to be cognizant of the times we are living in. Truly it is the last days.
We have heard this said from days of old and many have grown immune to the
clarion call to be aware of the times. Twice we see in scripture a story concerning the usefulness of the fig tree.


First we see Him Matthew 21:18-19

“Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.
And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing
on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.”
Immediately the fig tree withered away.”


In verse 19 Jesus cursed the tree. Why would He do this? The scripture gives no explanation of this. However, it is a fact that a fig tree should have figs by the time the leaves are evident. The fig tree actually produces green figs before the leaves appear and if no figs are produced by that time, then that tree will not have any figs that year. Therefore, this fig tree was professing something that it didn't have even though it was still too early for figs.

And again in Luke 13:6-9


6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that[a] you can cut it down.”

The fig tree represents the nation of Israel. The Lord planted the nation to bring forth the fruits of righteousness unto Him (Mt. 7:16-20), but they had been barren. The whole nation was worthy of judgment ("cut it down"--Lk. 13:7) just as we would cut down an unproductive tree and replace it with a good one. However, Jesus, who is represented by the dresser of the vineyard, interceded for the nation and gained an extension of God's mercy to see if the nation would bring forth the fruits of repentance (Mt. 3:8). They did not and therefore were "cut down" in A.D. 70 when the Roman army under Titus destroyed Jerusalem.


WHAT IS THE LESSON?:

Let us take a lesson from the children of Israel yet once again. Note thatat the end of Luke 12, Jesus reminded his disciples to always be readyand live with a sense of urgency about his return. Jesus began the nextchapter by calling on people to repent. Now Jesus is basically reminding usthat we are on borrowed time. We need to repent now. We've beenextended a season of grace to become fruitful, so we've got to befruitful. No more playing “church”. It’s time to BE the CHURCH! No more hypocritical living. No more operating in dead works. No more religious talk without living spiritual. He said to walk in the light as He is in the light. It's time to put up or shut up! And I am talking about producing fruit unto righteousness, not unto unrighteousness.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:


Father, Please help us to bear fruit unto righteousness. Please let it be fruit that remains. Prick our hearts by your Holy Spirit to be cognizant of the time and to live lives that are laid down for you. Let passion burn in our hearts for the things of you. Let our souls be set on fire for those that do not know you. Today let us not harden our hearts to Your voice but hearken unto your call when you say “come up hither.” We want to be sold out for you and not concerned about the trappings of this world. Help us to not procrastinate but do all for you with a sense of urgency knowing our time is short and there a more souls to be saved. This we ask in the precious name of our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach. Amen

Candace House

http://www.candacehouse.org/


2007 Candace House, All Rights reserved. Email info@candacehouse.org for permission to use.

Birthing The Wind

on Wednesday, August 22, 2007




“As a woman with child and about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain, so were we in your presence, O Lord. We were with child, we writhed in pain, but we gave birth to wind.” (Isaiah 26:17-18, NIV).


Has God given you a spiritual vision that you seem to not be able to bring forth? While talking with Marilynn Griffith yesterday on Today’s Breathing Room I was reminded of my opening text. We were discussing among other things, people who were trying to make their visions come forth before time. There are a lot of people that are keenly aware of the vision but yet in still are not able to execute the vision God has given them.

God wants to give each of us a spiritual vision. He not only wants to give the vision but the purpose and objectives of it. He doesn’t stop there but also wants to reveal the plan on how to bring it to past. First you have to become pregnant with vision and it follows a natural process just like child birth. As you experience the "birth of a vision" you will become a co-creator with Him instead of a spectator.

The natural birthing process which brings a human baby into the world is similar to the process of the birth of a vision in the spirit world. You will experience the following stages as you give birth to spiritual vision."Conception" means to create. A spiritual vision is first created in your spirit by God.

When we first receive a spiritual vision, it is in "embryo" stage. Remember the embryo is a basic cell of life. God develops our spiritual vision as we grow in Him, just like the development of the human embryo. The basic cell of life in the human baby is the embryo, from it all the basic human features are developed. If you try to change the embryo, deformity or death can occur to the child. The same as in the spirit.The vision will grow and develop as you mature spiritually. Its features will not be the same as yesterday, last week, or last month. The same as the child growing within the mother. However never forget the basic vision which is the divine purpose for which you are called.

As the body of a pregnant woman stretches in the natural, so does your spirit house the vision . If the vision does not develop within you it will die. The vision is with you constantly. It becomes a vital, living part of you. It draws from your own life source as well as from the divine source which conceived it.

There are certain things a pregnant woman will deny herself of. These are things that would be detrimental to the development of her child. So to must you do the same as your vision develops. You may have to deny yourself of your own plans and ambitions. You will have to sacrifice time to fast and pray.Ecclesiastes 5:3 says, “For a dream cometh through the multitude of business.” The meaning of the word "multitude" is great. "Business", according to one Hebrew meaning, is travail [difficulty]. So a dream or vision can be seen to come through "great travail.” In natural birth there are facts about travail that parallel the spiritual travail which births a vision. Natural travail is a time of intense, concentrated effort to birth the child. This time of travail is also called "labor.” As in the delivery of a child, a spiritual vision is birthed by intense mental, physical, and spiritual concentration. As you are reading this concentrate on what God wants to birth in your spirit.

I remember with my middle child I was so tired of being pregnant. It was August, the hottest month of the year. I wanted Bryant out by any means necessary! I started thinking like a crazy woman! I created all kinds of scenarios in my mind of how I can get him out NOW! The craziest thought I had was to throw myself down the stairs and that would surly make him come. I told my doctor what I was thinking and she wanted me to be treated for depression. She said plenty of women fell into a depressed state when they were only weeks away from giving birth.
So too are we when the vision the Father has given us is taking to long. By any means necessary becomes our motto. We start rehearsing in our minds ways to bring it to past because we are tired.

We know that physically forcing the child into the birth canal before it opens can kill the child. The same is true in the spirit world. Let God take control of your life. If you try to birth the vision in your own strength it will abort the plan of God. Everything within you may cry out to push and bring the spiritual vision forth with natural abilities. But by self-effort you can destroy the vision. Peter cried out to Christ, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man," (Luke 5:8, NIV) when he realized what Christ was calling him to do. He knew the vision was too great for him to fulfill by his natural strength and abilities.

The Time of Transition

In the natural birth process there is a time during labor known as the time of "transition.” It is the most difficult time of travail right before the birth canal is open to permit the birth of the child. Also when God births in you a spiritual vision you will experience a time of transition. All transition means is change. The vision God gives you is going to require change in your life.

It will call for new commitment and dedication. It will call for strength and fortitude. During this time you must remember where your help comes from. We know that it comes from the Lord.

Why should you remember this? Because you will experience pressure in every area of your life. The heat will be turned up 7 times hotter. Everything within you may cry out for relief from the spiritual birth pangs of what God is bringing forth. This is the point where many fail to receive the vision. Over and over again God has brought His people to the time of transition to birth His vision within them. But because this transition was too difficult many have turned back.

They just couldn’t take the pressure. The heat was on! It required changes in their thought patterns and lifestyle, which they were not willing to make. They could not abandon self-effort and the traditional way of doing things. They could not set aside their own ambitions and desires to embrace the plan of God. This is the same thing that happened to the nation of Israel in my opening text.

We are told in Isaiah 53:11 that God witnessed the travail of Jesus Christ and was satisfied. A vision was fulfilled that day on Calvary ... a vision that had been promised since the fall of man into sin (Genesis 3:15). Through travail, the vision of redemption from sin became a reality.Travail is a painful experience, but it is only through travail that the vision can be birthed: “... yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children. Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery? Says the Lord. Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery? Says your God?” (Isaiah 66:8-9, NIV).

The Birth

The end of the travail is birth. We must guard against going into labor prematurely as well as a delayed birth. Both of which can result in death, Both in the natural birth process and in the birth of spiritual vision.

After birth in the natural world the child continues to grow and develop. After the birth of your spiritual vision it will continue to grow and develop. It will have new features and form, but they all must develop from that basic cell of spiritual life which is called the vision.

http://www.candacehouse.org/
2007 Candace House, All Rights reserved. Email candace@ruachchayah.org for permission to use.

Can You Bless Me Please?

on Monday, August 20, 2007



One of the things we do not do that is vital to our well being and the well being of others is to speak blessings over other's lives. We are to Bless and not Curse. We Curse our own lives and the lives of those we come in contact with by the words of our mouths. On the other hand we also Bless others and our selves with same mouth.

A lot of us are not aware that we are doing so, becuse we take words so lightly. Anything you say that is negative ends up being a curse. We need to be deligent to watch what we say.

The Power of Words: Guard Yours! The New Testament is rich with examples of Jesus speaking with power?and things changing because of His words. Then He gives us a stunning bit of information about our words:

Matt 12:36-37 "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Jesus is making the point that words are so much more powerful that we have ever realized. They are a power source that has almost been overlooked.

I read where Neuroscience is beginning to come up with explanations of why this is true! As we look at this, you and I, we start waking! What you and I have been saying is actually shaping our worlds.

We are given the opportunity and privilege to speak out words of power and life in the Spirit of Prayer?. To speak out words that originated in the heart of God and carry his life-force in them. To speak light into the darkness, to speak order in the chaos.

Ps 33:6 By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made and all their host by the breath of his mouth. (Ampl)

Heb 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the Word of God so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible. (Ampl)

We have the opportunity, as God did in the beginning. The world awaits our stepping up to the plate. Therefore my brothers and sisters I thank my God for this opportunity to bless you;
Dear One, listen with your spirit to Colossians 1:12-13 "?giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of Light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves?"
.

I bless you with sharing in and with a family of faith who lives in the light. I bless your spirits with being flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future He has promised you.

I bless you with knowing your dominion over all the power of darkness. I bless you with the eyes of your heart being enlightened to know your Father's incredibly great power for you, the same working of His mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms.

I bless you with knowing with certainty that He is far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given in this present age. Dear friends, you are blessed that God has put all things under the authority of Christ and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church., which is His body. You are blessed in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, Yeshua Ha Machiah, who fills everything everywhere with His presence. Amen.



www.candacehouse.org
2007 Candace House, All Rights reserved. Email candace@ruachchayah.org for permission to use.

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