DID I RECEIVE PROPHETIC WORDS THIS MORNING?

"Suddenly, the glory of the God of Israel appeared from the east. The sound of His coming was like the roar of rushing waters, and the whole landscape shone with His glory."  (Ezekiel 43:2, NLT)

This was in my heart and mind as I woke up this morning.  Of all things:

"Yea, Lord, we greet Thee

Born this happy morning

Jesus, to Thee be all glory given

Word of the Father now in flesh appearing

I worship and adore Thee,

I worship and adore Thee,

I worship and adore Thee, 

Christ the Lord.

(I obviously tweaked the chorus.)

Our text, however, really grabbed my heart and mind today in prayer, "....and the earth shone with His glory," or, "the land was radiant with His glory."  I prayed a long time this AM for this to happen to the United States.  Revival?  Awakening?  Whatever we wish to call it, you and I and our nations need this "visitation."  I wonder if the carol and the text are a "prophetic word."

"Jesus, to Thee be a glory given." Father, in Jesus' Name, may the whole, "....earth sh[i]ne with [Your] Glory."  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

ARE YOU DISTRAUGHT?

"I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth; I suffer Your terrors; I am distraught."  (Psalm 88:15)

This is a most sad utterance.  Now maybe you cannot identify with the first part of today's text, but many can identify with, "I am distraught."  I feel bad when I hear that word describing a person's state.  

Here are some synonyms for the word: "agitated, anxious, confused, distressed, tormented."  Yet somehow for me the word, "distraught," is the most sad.  One site says, "If someone is distraught, they are so upset and worried that they cannot think clearly."  They are in, "mental conflict or pain."  

The Latin word means, "pulled apart."  Sorry if I labored this, but I can't help but think of people whom I have known over the years who were in such a state.  What comes to me today is our King and Savior Jesus Christ saying His Words of Matthew 11, "'Come to Me, all you who labor and are heaven laden (distraught), and I will give you rest....You will find rest for your souls', in Me alone." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray now for any who are reading this who are distraught.  Only You can deal with this.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

THE VOICE OF OUR SHEPHERD

"Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."  (John 10:5)

During my first year in seminary, a professor mentioned, "The Gospel According Nicodemus."  I remember going to the library stacks after class to look up the book; I found it.  After a few pages, I remember thinking, "Something's wrong here."  

It was not the Shepherd's Voice.  The professor may have said that it was a gnostic work, but I apparently had not heard that.   I just remember thinking how neat it would be to read something which Nicodemus wrote.

As you and I daily surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, we have His very Being and voice in our very beings.  May we trust His voice at all times, viz., the "witness" in the Holy Spirit, and equally, or perhaps mostly, keep Jesus' Words (the Bible) as "the Master's Voice."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You for Your Voice in Your, "God-Breathed," Words, the Scriptures.  Amen. 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2"To