Jewels from Judy: “Will You War Over My Promises?”
By Judy A Bauman
The Lord is asking, “Will you war over My promises?”
This morning the Lord asked me, “Will you war over My promises?” I knew this question was not meant for my benefit alone but was also intended for the Body of Christ. I asked the Father to help me understand our part in the battle because I know we are much more motivated to fight for something when we understand what is at stake. This was His response:
“When I give a promise, it is not a ‘done deal’ as some would make it out to be. It is My desire that you partner with My plans. When Esther was taken to the palace, she was told perhaps she was there ‘for such a time as this.’ However, prior to that, Mordechai let her know that if she didn’t approach the king, even at the peril of her own life, she would not escape destruction. He said that deliverance of the Jews would come from someone else if she didn’t speak up for them.
“You, beloved, have been brought into My kingdom for such a time as this. You are not just here for beauty treatments and notoriety. You are in My kingdom and you do have favor with Me but you mustn’t take your position with Me lightly.
“When I give a promise, know that the enemy will do everything to fight against it. Don’t allow him the victory! I tell you it is a new era, a season for a great harvest. Your enemy says it’s a season of death. Do you see what he’s doing? The devil will work to bring about the opposite of what I say, but the question I have for you is simple. Who will you believe? Whose words will you align yourself with and who will you choose to follow? There is power in agreement! Remember, faith is believing what you can’t see. Fear is constantly being shoved in your face, but you do not have to consume it. You can dine at My table or the devil’s, but you can’t partake of both. You have a choice.
“Many personal promises given to My beloved ones go unfulfilled because there is more belief in what is seen than faith in what I have said. What will it be for you? I ask again, will you war over My promises?” ~ end
Reflection: When I first heard the Lord ask if we would war over His promises, I could hear Christian voices that passively say, “If God said it, He’ll do it.” While this is commonly believed, I felt His disapproval to this type of passive thinking. It doesn’t require us to engage with what He is doing in the earth. He says “Yes,” to His promises, but we are to respond to the glory of God and say, “Amen!” (2 Corinthians 1:20)
It is His good pleasure that we take part in His plans as we are His ambassadors, his representatives, for a reason. His call for us to war over His promises is the call to stop the enemy from stealing from us! God’s promises will be fulfilled, but if we don’t participate with His plans, He will look for another who will value His promises.
Jesus said in John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.” It is His good pleasure to give us an abundant life, but we need to examine our part in the process. Think about how the persistent widow relentlessly fought for justice in Jesus’ parable in Luke 18:1-8. Be assured that your Father is the Righteous Judge and He hears you! Will He find faith on the earth when He returns? I pray He does!
Dear Friends of The Father's Love Int'l Ministries,
Many of us have had church services canceled today because of the reported pandemic. Perhaps you are in a forced or self-imposed 14-day quarantine. You could even have been tested and found positive. There is no better time than now to press into the Lord of hosts and pray for God to take what the enemy has meant for our harm and use it for His good! (See John 10:10)
I want to encourage you to join our voices together today and pray as President Trump has declared March 15, 2020, a National Day of Prayer. I am asking you to take this further, much further and continue to press into Jesus in the days and weeks to come. Reach for the hem of His garment! Seek God's face, study Scriptures on what it means to be IN CHRIST and ABIDE in the Vine! We live and move and have our being in Christ Jesus and there is no better time to BE THE LIGHT and SHINE into the darkness. God has not given us a spirit of timid fear, but He's given us: God's dynamic power (dunamis), the love of the Father, and a sound and well-balanced mind - the mind of Christ.
Let us not forget who we are IN CHRIST. We are God Almighty's ambassadors. We are His hands and feet on earth. We are the ones He's called to bring the Good News. The media wants people to be in fear and stay tuned in their narrative, but we need to tune into the voice of our Father and seek His face! Let God's light shine in the darkness! May the Lord be high and lifted up and let Him be seen through you!
If you realize that you have been reacting to this in a spirit of fear, the Father is calling you to repent and turn to Him for comfort and He will restore you. Jesus will calm your heart and the storm that rages around you. He will give you His peace that surpasses all understanding to guard your heart and mind (see Phil 4:4-9).
Below is the link to the prayer directive for today from the White House. I would suggest we pray this through daily. Let's also pray for the prodigals to come to themselves and come home. If you have been diagnosed with Covid19, please reply and let me know so I can pray for you! I write to encourage you in the name of Jesus. Amen!
Have you ever had a date repeatedly be a blessing? I have shared the testimony of when I surrendered to the Lord (February 12, 1997) a few times in a post called “A Valentine from Heaven;” however, it is not the only significant thing to happen to me on this date.
Thirty-one years ago, tonight my husband and I had finished packing two U-Haul trailers and left Colorado for California in a blinding blizzard! Along with our two children and all our belongings, we moved with a dog, a fish, and the back of a truck filled with houseplants. We had no way to know what kind of life we were embarking on, but we were excited about the new adventure.
That night, February 12, 1989, it took us over 2 hours to drive 45 miles to Cheyenne, Wyoming! We didn’t know that I-25 was shut down moments after we got onto it, but we realized ours were the only two vehicles on the road! Three days later, through some very harsh driving conditions, we arrived in California. I will never forget coming down the Sierra Nevada Mountains into the Sacramento Valley and seeing palm trees! Just like that, there was no snow, no black ice, no sub-zero temps, no blinding blizzards. Whoo-hoo! We had what I called, “Decided Summer!” Though we moved 12 times in 18 years, we’ve happily settled in Georgia. As the (edited) testimony that follows reveals, it’s amazing what God can do when you say “yes” to Him! It can be scary, but His ways are so much better than ours!
A Valentine from Heaven
It was two days before Valentine’s Day 1997, and though my life looked wonderful from every angle, deep down I was miserable. I tried ‘to be a good person’ and live my life in a way that would be pleasing to my fellowman, but all the community works I was juggling did not fill the void in my soul. At the end of the day, I was exhausted and empty. Occasionally, I would get a glimpse of why I was so unhappy and what I needed – I needed the Lord! Sadly, I would quickly reject this notion because it wasn’t convenient to my lifestyle. Rejecting God was justifiable in my mind because I knew I couldn’t live up to His standards. Though I looked to the world for acceptance and comfort, I never seemed fulfilled. I was in a frightening and unwinnable battle.
The void began when my father suddenly passed away. He was only 43 years old and left behind a wife and three children, as well as his parents who daily relied on his help. Well-meaning clergy told us, “God must have needed him,” and that “he was in a better place.” This didn’t bring consolation to my grief-stricken heart. My sister, brother, and I were sent to live with relatives, supposedly for the summer, but it ended up being for 3 years. Night after night I would earnestly cry out to God, “Why my dad, why me?” I agonized over the loss of my dad and listened for an answer, but none came.
My brother and I moved back with our mother when I was 14 and he was 11, our sister had married. There were hostile undercurrents between my mother and me for not only sending us off but for uprooting us once we had settled in at our relative’s. Then the unthinkable happened. Doctors diagnosed my mother with breast cancer! I never doubted that she would recover (because surely God would not ‘take’ her too). However, after a few years, and much suffering, she succumbed to the ravages of the disease.
At her funeral I again heard from well-meaning folks, “She’s in a better place,” and “God must have needed her.” Really, I thought? More than her children? This did not sit well, and it really damaged my view of our heavenly Father. Deeply dismayed, my confusion turned to anger that burned hot against God. He seemed selfish and more like a big bully who was no different from Greek gods who threw lightning bolts or hit people with a huge hammer. I decided if God was so selfish that He needed my parents more than their three children did, I didn’t want anything to do with Him. I would live my life my way, not His! Anytime the subject of God came up, I was like a cornered cat ready to fight; my cynicism towards Christianity and disdain for Christians grew. Some would try to explain to me how the Lord was loving, kind, and good. I reasoned, if God were truly loving, why wouldn’t He have kept my parents from dying? If He were kind and good, why wouldn’t He just put an end to all the suffering and evil in the world?
Although I had a profound salvation experience in 1982, I loved reading the Word of God, and truly enjoyed fellowship with other believers – all that was stripped away three years later when I divorced my first husband. I knew God hated divorce, but I just could not stay with him. The worse part of our estrangement was his twisting of Scripture to manipulate me. I assumed that the Lord hated me for getting the divorce, so I quietly stepped away from Him and the church. I tried to live life the best I could as a ‘regular nice person’.
Twelve years went by from that time to where I found myself on the morning of February 12, 1997. I was so miserable when I woke up that day, but I happened to notice that it was the first day of Lent. I’d never observed it before, but oddly, something went off inside me when I saw it on the calendar. It was HOPE! Jesus had been drawing me to Himself for months, and though I had been keeping Him at arm’s length, I could ignore Him no longer. My fear of His rejection was being overwritten. God was throwing a lifeline into my Pit of Despair, and I prayed that if I clung onto it, He would be merciful and pull me out.
I found my old Bible packed away and began to read in Psalm 107:10-16, 19-22. The passage was personal. It spoke to me where I was at that exact moment! As was written there: I cried to the Lord in my trouble and He saved me from my distress; He sent forth His word and healed me and saved me from destruction! I fell to my knees and thanked Him for His goodness. I repented of sinning against Him. I laughed and cried! I was HOME!!! In that moment, the Holy Spirit gave me great freedom, and peace flooded my soul. I knew Jesus didn’t condemn me but filled my emptiness with joy. He adopted me! As a child of God, I had a profound sense of belonging. I began reading and truly studying the Bible. I began to see that Scripture is like a beautiful tapestry that, through many authors over thousands of years, God wove together His story and heart for us. I could have never imagined it, but I found the Bible to be wonderful and freeing.
You do not have to be an orphan to experience the debilitating wounds from being abandoned or rejected. We each have our own story of how we’ve been beaten and battered. We have fought with discouragement, doubt, and unbelief. At some point, all of us have been or will be, wounded by different tragedies and heartbreaks. Our heavenly Father’s desire is for all mankind to experience His forgiveness and abiding love. The most wonderful gift anyone could ever receive is to be adopted by the King of kings! Being reconciled to God is a gift that anyone can accept at any time.
As John 3:16 states, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” He gave His best so we can live abundantly. I pray in Jesus’ mighty name that all chains holding you captive be broken and any iron bars be cut in two! Amen!
In the Father’s Love,
Judy A Bauman
“Valentine from Heaven” edited 2020
Ps 107:
10 Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
Bound in affliction and irons—
11 Because they rebelled against the words of God,
And despised the counsel of the Most High,
12 Therefore He brought down their heart with labor;
They fell down, and there was none to help.
13 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
And broke their chains in pieces.
15 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
16 For He has broken the gates of bronze,
And cut the bars of iron in two.
19 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
20 He sent His word and healed them,
And delivered them from their destructions.
21 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
22 Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And declare His works with rejoicing.
~
AMEN!!!
~
Posted by: Judy A Bauman AT 11:21 pm
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God proclaimed 50 as the Biblical number of Jubilee. This is when liberty is proclaimed! (See Leviticus 25) Today I am writing because I want to share something personal with you.
The reason this is significant to me at this very moment, on this date 50 years ago, I suffered a great loss. My dad died. It was a very traumatic event because just before he collapsed, he had strictly punished me for not doing the evening dishes. I later learned that the type of hidden heart condition he suffered from often produces outbursts of anger. Unfortunately, that specific night, I bore the brunt of it. That being his last conscious act haunted me and I suffered from tremendous guilt. What I didn’t know for years is the ‘replaying’ of events is not an uncommon thing for someone who has suffered a trauma. This is what Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is and how it interferes with a person’s life.
Surprisingly, I learned about PTSD while watching an episode of West Wing (Noel). A character in the show was having strange reactions and was told he had to sit with a psychologist to keep his job. In the show, the character was diagnosed with PTSD but argued that he had never been in the military, so he couldn’t have it. The doctor explained that it can happen to anyone suffering a trauma. What really hit me was when he said, “You know you are cured when you can remember the incident without reliving it.” Remembering an incident is one thing, seeing it and experiencing the emotions as if the event is happening at that moment is another. This is what was happening to me and I was unable to stop the memories from replaying in my mind. For years, I had episodes where I relived both the night my dad died and his funeral, so any healing I gained would be weakened when that memory would be relived. This is what had been occurring since that fateful night, and just knowing what I was dealing with made a huge difference.
God is so good because He healed me in stages. How the Holy Spirit explained it to me was that I would need multiple surgeries, but that when He was done, I wouldn’t even know where the wound had been. This was unimaginable to me, but I am here to tell you that there is no scar! What I am also here to tell you is that you do not have to suffer for years before God heals and makes you whole.
Perhaps you see yourself (or someone you love) in my story. The fact is, we don’t have to suffer alone. The MASTER SURGEON is on duty. Allow the Lord to show you the first step to freedom. His word is full of direction, counsel and healing. Reach out for prayer. Honestly, I had more issues than just my dad’s death that were fortifying the enemy’s stranglehold.
Praise God that the weapons of our warfare are not natural, but they are MIGHTY in the pulling down of strongholds. Studying the word, prayer, fasting, praise and worship, acts of kindness, acts of obedience, developing the fruit and gifts of the Spirit, as well as putting on the armor of God are all effective weapons! I hope this encourages you. Please let me know how I can pray for you if you cannot break free from the trauma you have suffered. When God’s healing is complete, there will be no scar.
In the Father’s love
Judy A Bauman
Another testimony on this subject can be found here:
~One thing God did on this date that I could have in no way planned, my second book was published! (I had sent it in at the end of November, but Jewels from the Harvest was published February 5, 2018!) I have a number of really sweet things the Lord has done for me on this date. Perhaps that will be for another post.
Posted by: Judy A Bauman AT 10:27 pm
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Dear Friends of The Father’s Love Int’l Ministries,
As my husband would say, “If it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would get done,” and that is exactly how it’s been to send out this year’s contribution receipts! It didn’t help that I’ve been fighting a hacking cough and had developed a fever. I had put a prayer request out on Facebook last night and was so blessed to see the number of people who wrote to say they were praying. There was good advice as many friends warned not to wait to see a doctor. They had made that mistake and suffered for it!
I decided to sign up for a video doctor’s call through my new Medishare program and had my first online doctor’s appointment. I loved it! I was in and out in minutes! Haha! 😊
No doubt, the prayers and meds are working together, as I was able to sit long enough to get the receipts sent. I’m so thankful to be already feeling better.
If you gave a donation in 2019 and did not get an emailed receipt, or if it is incorrect, please let me know as soon as possible and I will rectify it. It is my hope that we will continue doing the work of the ministry together in 2020. There is something special God is doing in our day, and I believe being prepared for it is going to be essential.
Many blessings to you in the Father’s love,
Judy A Bauman
A Glimpse at the Life and Times of Saul, David, and Absalom
Judy A Bauman
Israel Demands That Samuel Appoint A King to Rule Them
To better understand how the “kingdoms” of Israel were first established, we need to look briefly at the man who gave Saul the right and the power to be the first king of Israel. This task fell to Samuel, who was the last of the Judges of Israel and the first one referred to in Scripture as a prophet of God. We pick up this story in 1 Samuel 8 when the Israelites demanded Samuel give them a king “to judge us like all the nations.” Even with a dire warning of what life would be like under the king and all he would demand of them, they cried out for a king to judge them and to fight their battles!
The Lord made it clear to Samuel that they were not rejecting him, but they were rejecting God as their King and had turned to idols. The Lord said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and make them a king.” Doesn’t this speak of the mercy of God? His people, the ones He brought out of Egypt, the ones the Lord repeatedly delivered, rejected Him for what is promised to be a rough ride. Sadly, the need to be like others and to be admired is a common thread that is laced throughout this historical account.
Saul – The First King of Israel
Saul had no idea what was in store for him when his father sent him and a servant to look for some missing donkeys. (Let that sink in a minute. Sometimes we think we are meandering around, when in reality, God is setting us up for a life-changing event!) The Lord had told Samuel that He was sending a man from the tribe of Benjamin and that he was to anoint him as Israel’s commander. When Samuel saw him, the Lord told him that this was the man to be king. While Saul was handsome and taller than any of the Israelites, he didn’t see himself as one worthy of being king. Saul was from the least of the families of the smallest tribe of Benjamin. His confidence was so weak that when Samuel planned to introduce him, he was hiding! When he stood before the people, they saw his height and good looks and shouted, “Long live the king!”
Saul went home and tried to live life as usual but then heard a wicked report and was moved to act. King Saul took his rightful place as commander, and he had his first successful campaign against the Ammonites who were threatening the Israelites. Even so, Samuel reminded the people that by demanding a king, they had greatly sinned against God.
King Saul seemed to be doing well, but when faced with war against the Philistines, Saul took the role of the prophet and foolishly usurped Samuel’s authority and made a sacrifice to God. Because of this Samuel told Saul, “The Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart.” Sadly, this was not the only impetuous act that led God to reject Saul as king, and though Samuel continued to pray for him, the Lord commanded him to anoint another.
David – The Second King of Israel
Samuel was sent to Bethlehem to the house of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah, to anoint Israel’s next ruler. However, none of his sons, as promising as they looked to the eye, were to be king. Jesse had not even bothered to call his youngest son, David, who was out tending sheep, to meet Samuel for consideration. David was a skilled musician, and commonly lifted a psalm of worship to the Lord God of Israel. He was courageous and fast to swing his sling to protect his father’s sheep and lambs from lions and bears. The moment Samuel saw him, God told him that David was His choice! Samuel anointed David as king with his father and brothers as witnesses, but interestingly, Jesse’s youngest son did not immediately take the throne. Though Saul had sinned against God two years after being anointed king, he reigned for forty-two.
David’s life first intertwined with Saul’s because the king’s disobedience had opened a door for a wicked spirit to torment him. Remarkably, David was chosen to play and sing for the king not only because he was skilled, but because his anointed music drove away the evil spirit from the king’s mind. At the time, it seems Saul was unaware that God had chosen David as his replacement. After David saved Israel from Goliath, Saul appointed him the commander over his army. This pleased all the people. David greatly loved Saul. One day minstrels joyfully greeted the king singing, “Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands.” Saul became consumed with jealousy! Much to his dismay, everything David did he did wisely. Saul was terrified of David because he knew the Spirit of God was with him. In his deranged thinking, he plotted to have David killed by the Philistines. The king didn’t ask David for a dowry for his daughter’s hand in marriage, instead, he asked for 100 Philistine foreskins! Would you believe he brought back 200? Saul could not win! None of his plots worked. The deep-seated jealousy toward David took over, and in his crazed state, Saul threw his spear at him at least twice. Fortunately, David was fast enough to avoid being hit.
Those who loved David helped him escape and he fled from Saul. The king became so incensed against his son Jonathan for siding with David, he threw a spear at him too! When Saul learned that the priest Ahimeleck had provided shelter and given David provisions, along with the sword of Goliath, Saul ordered not only Ahimeleck and his family’s death, but 85 priests in the village, along with men, women, children, babies, cattle, donkeys, and sheep were all slaughtered! Fortunately, one son of Ahimeleck survived and got word to David. There, David and his family, Ahimeleck’s son, and about 400 men stayed in caves and hid from Saul. The king’s men were commanded to hunt him like a dog, but David would not lay a finger on Saul to harm him.
There was a very fierce battle with the Philistine’s, and Jonathan and his two brothers were killed. In the same battle, King Saul is badly injured, knowing what the Philistines might do to him, he fell on his sword and died. David, being the man after God’s own heart that he was, grieved for his king and for his friend who perished. Normally the new king would kill all those who were hunting them, but not David. He sought to reunite Israel. There are many things David did well, and there were sinful mistakes he made; however, throughout all eternity, David will not only be known as the man after God’s own heart but is the king in the lineage of Jesus!
Absalom – A Self-Appointed Ruler
Earlier, when King David sinned with Bathsheba and ordered her husband to be killed, the judgment from the Lord was, “…the sword will never depart from your house… Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.”
This came about when Absalom, who was one of the king’s children by Maakah, was deeply offended with his father for not defending his sister’s honor when another of David’s sons forced himself upon her. David was very angry about the incident, but no real punishment came. Two years later, Absalom had his half-brother killed for this act and then fled. David grieved for his murdered son, but he loved Absalom and after three years he had him brought back into the kingdom. David was not repaid in kind, as his son had set his mind to usurp his father’s authority as king. Absalom went out early, standing at the gate of the city, and would greet the people with a kiss and listen to their grievances. He won their favor by promising if he were the ruler over the land, they would receive justice. This won the hearts of the people. It was said that there was no one more handsome than Absalom and he loved hearing the people’s praise. After four years, his support grew in power. He sent out secret messages to have his father overthrown, and again, Israel was divided.
King David had the choice to go to war with his son or leave. He trusted God to either return the kingdom to him or give it to Absalom, so he left Jerusalem with all his loyal people, but 10 of his concubines were to stay and take care of the palace. Once outside the city, he commanded Zadok the priest and his sons to take the ark to return to Jerusalem. When Absalom came into the city, he set up a tent in plain sight of all Israel and went into all the concubines. In this, he fulfilled the prophecy and defiled his father. At one point, Absalom went out to search for David to kill him but was caught by his hair in a mighty oak-like tree. David had given orders to bring Absalom back to him, but Joab and his men killed Absalom. He was deeply grieved, so grieved that David almost lost his army and faithful followers. They all knew Absalom would have gladly killed them! This shook the rightful king out of his grief.
David, a man after God’s own heart, refused to kill the anointed of God or any of Saul’s family or clan – even when taunted! He chose to live in caves for an undetermined amount of time not knowing if he would ever be free. He grieved when that king died and when the one who sought to kill and usurp his kingdom was killed. He didn’t treat Absalom as Saul had treated him. David trusted God and cared more about what the Lord thought of him than what people thought of him. Will we follow his example and be one that is known as a person “after God’s own heart”?
Posted by: Judy A Bauman AT 10:05 pm
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As of late, I’ve had to wrestle to “be still” in order to settle my mind when seeking the Lord. Honestly, the distractions have been overwhelming, and I’ve felt that I must be a disappointment to God. A couple of days ago, I asked the Father in prayer how to deal with not only my attitude but the continual disruptions (internally as well as externally) while waiting to receive His direction.
I closed my eyes as I prayed and suddenly got a picture myself on a beach. No one else was around. I threw a rock into the ocean, then sat down and hung my head in discouragement. I felt the Lord’s comforting arm came around me and He said, “Sometimes waiting for the Father’s orders can be stressful, even vexing.” I sensed His kind, compassionate eyes upon me and knew He wouldn’t try to placate me or say that everything is fine the way it is – because it isn’t! I knew that Jesus, by His Spirit, would tell me what I needed to hear.
The Scriptures tell us that Jesus also had to wait, and I imagine it would have been frustrating for Him too, so I asked, “How did you deal with it, Lord?” He simply stated, “I had a lot of hidden years. Abba Father will wait for at least these two reasons: His perfect timing and your preparation. The prep work is the most important thing you can do as you wait. If it is not done correctly, then the project fails.”
I thought about prep work for a meal or a home-fix-it project. Preparation usually takes the longest time for either, but it is vital to a successful outcome. I also thought about the five foolish virgins in Matthew 25 that failed to prepare for the anticipated bridegroom. Because they hadn’t invested in what was needed, the door to the kingdom was closed to them! The Lord allows me to ponder these scenarios before continuing.
“You are in a different season in life, so don’t get down on yourself that things are not like they once were. I am not upset or disappointed in you. There were some doors of opportunity that you missed, but I am not disappointed in you. Do not allow yourself to be discouraged by the season you are in now. It has been a season of disjointedness for many, but that is ending. Seasons change, and just like in the natural where there are physical signs of that occurring, there are also signs when there are spiritual shifts.” He then prompts me saying, “Come on, I have something to show you!”
I stand up and brush the sand off my clothes and the Lord points and directs my attention up the beach. He asks, “Do you see that?” I squint and ask Him if He means the birds, but He instructs me to look past them. Unfortunately, I don’t see anything but fog, beach, and the sandpipers running to avoid the waves. We walk in the direction He pointed and suddenly, the tip of a cargo ship begins to come out of the fog and into view! It looks to be traveling toward a nearby harbor.
The Lord explains, “Be encouraged! The cargo this ship carries is provision for My church (ekklesia). Long-awaited provision is coming in and with it a plan for reformation. The Body is disjointed in many ways. That is what you have been sensing and experiencing. It’s painful! It has been a season of disjointedness, but that season is coming to a close. Often, seasonal changes linger like the warm days in fall and winter and the cold days of spring and summer. Sometimes changes are abrupt, but most times there are subtle changes like the position of the sun as the seasons' change or watching the hour hand on a clock move. It can be unperceivable like watching hair grow. In time, you do see a big change, but the change itself is a slow process. You will look back on this season and say, ‘I didn’t realize just how much was going on, but now I see it!’”
The large ship is now in full view, and I see it is moored and workers are bustling around unloading the cargo. I understand that it is the Lord’s good pleasure to give us the provision needed (the tools, the resources, other believers to gather around one another) to complete the tasks He’s given us. ~
I pray this short encounter blesses and encourages you.
In the Father’s Love
Judy A Bauman
Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.Gotherefore andmake disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I amwith you always, even to the end of the age.”Amen. ~
Other Scriptures to ponder:
Galatians 4:4; Luke Romans 5:3-5; 1 Peter 1:6-8; James 1:2-5; Hebrews 4:15
Dear Friends of the Father’s Love Int’l Ministries,
With Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas and New Years 2020 in front of us, the time to tell you how grateful I am for you is NOW! Can you believe we are only one month away from a new decade? We are not just entering a new season, both physically and spiritually, but we are entering a new era!
I pray you find time to seek the Lord between now and the first of the year. He has new assignments and direction for many of us and our part is to be prepared. We want to be able to say “YES, ABBA!” when He calls. I will be sharing more in the days to come, but in the meantime, be ready!
In the Father’s Love
Judy A Bauman
Posted by: Judy A Bauman AT 07:41 pm
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A friend recently asked this thought-provoking question, and as I read it, I thought of when the attacks happened here in the USA on 9-11-01. Churches far and wide were flooded with people seeking answers, but within a month, many of those seeking them had left. Why? There was little preparation for such an event, few answers were found to important questions, and sadly, in too many cases the faithful became known as the faithless.
We, as the Body of Christ, need to know why we believe what we believe and be able to rightly divide truth from error. If we just hear and then parrot what we've heard without true understanding, we will not have the roots within ourselves to be able to endure the heat of tribulation or persecution when it arises. We will wither back and cause others to stumble with us because the word of God has not taken root in our hearts.
We must get our heads around this because it is also reflected in the parable of the 10 sleeping virgins in Matthew 25. Five were wise and did whatever it took to procure extra oil. The other five were foolish. They did not take the time or use their resources to make sure they had enough oil while they waited for the bridegroom's return. They assumed he would come before their oil ran out; however, they sadly learned too late that their thinking was flawed. Jesus stated the door was shut and they were not allowed to enter the wedding! Think about this – the virgins had kept themselves pure, and not once but twice they called Him, "Lord!" Yet Jesus stated that they were unknown to the bridegroom. Their presumption left them out in the dark!
It is my hope that we are intimately known by Jesus and do whatever it takes to procure the oil. We need to understand that in order to have the oil, we must have His Holy Spirit. He is the oil! How we use our time and resources is paramount in these days so that we can be readied for the harvest, the huge harvest that we have heard about for a long time. Let us not lose heart now!
As Peter wrote this instruction to the Body of Christ, the Ekklesia, and I paraphrase:
Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. Do so with meekness, being courteous and respectful to the hearer even if they accuse you of evil.
Keep in mind, it is your heavenly Father that you are representing. He has called you to reflect His light and love to the influx of new converts and returning prodigals. God’s light requires oil and oil requires time, patience, and effort to procure, but it is worth it! Will you be ready for the influx of new believers?
In the Father's Love,
Judy A Bauman
Posted by: Judy A Bauman AT 08:40 pm
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Jewels from Judy: Strike the Ground and Blow the Shofar!
Judy A Bauman
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:4 ESV
The other day I read a word by Lana Vawser about striking the ground, and I've been praying about what it means, why to do it, and what exactly the Lord wanted me to use if I were to strike the ground. Honestly, I kept thinking to hit the ground with my shofar (ram’s horn), but also knew I needed to strike the ground hard and didn’t want to break my cherished instrument! Something didn’t seem right, and I wasn’t going to go forward with this action until I had clarity.
This morning I found myself praying about this again, and in my mind’s eye, I saw a bristle brush I had put on an extension handle. I constructed it specifically to clean off a hard to reach section of my roof where leaves get caught. I got this tool and struck the floor in my living room hard three times with it. It was interesting that I was to use this instrument because it isn't something I would have considered; but then again, God's ways are not our ways!
After I struck the floor, the Lord had me take my shofar and then blow it three times in my house and declare His will over my family and bloodline, and then come against the antichrist spirit that is trying to win the minds of the next generation. He had me pray against the things that have drawn them into the enemy’s lair and prayed that those sins and distractions drawing people away from God’s purposes to become distasteful and uninteresting to them. I prayed that loved ones who have refused to follow Jesus would lose interest in those things that have, by their own freewill, held them captive. I prayed for encounters with God that would change everything! I prayed for a deeper revelation of the Father’s love for us and that we would serve him with a greater sense of purpose and direction. I am a novice at blowing the shofar, so I am never sure how it is going to sound. Each time I blew the shofar it seemed high-pitched and there was a desperation in its sound – like that of an animal caught in a trap.
Then the Lord had me go outside and blow the shofar three times. The first was a high sound, like in the house, but the next two were low and long. It sounded like mournful moaning for the prodigals to come home.
As I walked inside, I saw the bristle brush and thought about how aggressive it is for cleaning. This brush is not one you would ever use on floors but on concrete or decking. I thought of David asking the Lord to purge (purify) him with hyssop and he would be clean. This plant has medicinal properties and was also used in ceremonial cleansing. Interestingly, hyssop is what the Lord instructed Moses to dip in the Passover blood and apply to the lintel and doorposts! (See Exodus 12:21-23)
The extension rod reminded me of God’s far-reaching mercy and how He extends His love and grace when we stray. He is so good to listen for us, even if it is a moan from a far distance! Where can we go from Your Spirit, Lord? Thank You, Abba Father!
The Shofar is the trumpet referenced throughout Scripture and is used in many Hebraic ceremonies. Consider these historical accounts shared in the Bible about the shofar. After the trumpet was blasted long and loud, Moses spoke, and God answered with voice (Exodus 19:19). The Day of Atonement is followed by and celebrated with The Feast of Trumpets. When the priests blew the ram’s horns in Joshua 6 as instructed, the people shouted, and the walls of Jericho fell to the ground! I love the story in Judges 7 where the Lord had Gideon’s army use it to confuse the enemy (whose number was so vast they are described as being like locust and their camels being like sand on the seashore)! God brought victory through the unlikely instrument! The shofar is used to signal warning or to advance in war, declare victory, worship God, and no doubt many more things. The amazing thing is what God does in the enemy’s camp with what may seem a silly thing. Strike the ground, blow the shofar was my directive this morning and I share it with you because there is something He will do with it for you that is beyond me. His ways are not our ways! Selah!
Photo Credit: Sue Minns taken of Haddon Minns blowing his shofar over Israel.
Posted by: Judy A Bauman AT 10:12 pm
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