💥 Warned by God of unseen danger

 

Barbara Preston, member of the body of Christ

 

One day recently, for some reason, I found myself thinking about babies and remembered something that happened about 15 years before I was born again.

I had put my infant daughter in her bassinet in the bedroom while I was in the kitchen, starting to work on dinner.

As I was doing this, the following thought kept coming to me ... Go check on Amy ... go check on Amy.

So I stopped what I was doing and went back to where she was and was shocked to see that she had done something that I had never seen her do before. She had grabbed hold of the material covering the bassinet with her little fists and somehow managed to pull it completely over her face.

Of course, it scared me when I saw this and thought that she might have suffocated if I hadn't been warned to go and check on her.

At that time in my life, I had no relationship with God so I wasn't sure why this had occurred, as it had.

But after I was born again, much later in my life, I knew it was the mercy of God, shown to both me and my daughter and I have never forgotten it. 

 

 

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💥 Podcast: The apostle Paul said, "Let your women keep silence in the churches." I asked God about this.

(This podcast was previously published on, October 28, 2021)  

 

I Corinthians 14  (The apostle Paul said)  

34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.

35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

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After I was born again in 1975,  I was transported into heaven twice (on two nights, the same week).  I was with God and Christ and the Holy Spirit.  

On both of those nights, I was merged into the body of Jesus, made one with the Word of God, God and Holy Spirit witnessing.  

(I saw no physical type images.  It was an experience in spirit.)

After that, God began teaching me sections of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments.

When God revealed to me that I was called to be a minister, I asked God what about the above scripture concerning women speaking in the church.

I heard:  "Look at what these women were doing."

I reread I Corinthians 14:34-35.

Immediately I noticed these women were disrupting the gathering of the church by asking questions.

It would be out of order for women to do this at the gathering of the church.

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Then God took me to the following scripture:

Acts 21

8 And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.

9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.

Prophesy is for the church.  To prophesy these 4 daughters would have to be able to speak to the church.

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I was convinced by these things that women were free to share the spiritual gifts that God gave them with the gathering of the church.

God also took me to the scripture showing the work Deborah, the prophetess did in the church.

Deborah was not only a prophetess but she was also a "judge".

Judges 4

1 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.

2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.

3 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.

4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.

5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?

7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.

8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.

9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.

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God gave me a spiritual gift of exhortation (Romans 12:8) whereby I was to share certain things as shown me by God with the church.

exhort:  urge earnestly by advice and warning

God also called the following instruction to my attention:

Hebrews 3

13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Hebrews 10

25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

I have been very diligent to share with the church everything that I believe God showed me, thereby bringing exhortations on various issues to the gathering of the church.

What is the church?

Jesus said:  Matthew 18:20   For where two or three are gathered together in MY name, there am I in the midst of them.

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I attended a church named Word of Faith during the years of approximately 1977-1982.  

The teacher of our Sunday Bible class never failed to say at each class:  "If anyone has a Word from the Lord, please share that Word now."

I often shared words God had given me.

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At the weekly prayer group which I attended, I often shared words which I believed to be from God.

I owned a small business in Dallas, Texas, during those years and I would share words that I believed to be from God with some of the customers who came to my business, exhorting them in the ways of God.

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On January 10, 1980, I was asleep in the night, and was awakened by a very loud trumpet-like voice speaking 3 words into my ear:  "Hartford, Seattle, KWJS"

That same morning, I found KWJS to be a radio station where Christians ministers presented exhortations to the church.

I said to God, "Are YOU showing me to go on radio?  I wouldn't know how to do that."

Immediately I had this brought to my mind by the Holy Spirit.  "Call the radio station manager."

I did that this same morning.  I told the station manager that God might be showing me to go on radio.  I asked, "How would you do that?"

The station manger said to make an audition tape 29-1/2 minutes long and sent it to him and if my exhortation fit their broadcasting they would offer me a contract.

I recorded an exhortation that same morning and put it into the mail that same day.

Within 5 days, I was broadcasting exhortations to the church on radio station KWJS.

In approximately 1 year, I was on radio from Hartford to Seattle, as I was told by the loud trumpet-like voice on the night of January 10, 1980.  I believe this was an instruction from an angel of God.

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During those years from 1975 to 1980, I never told anyone that I was called by God to be a minister.

I just kept presenting words of exhortation and gifts of the Holy Spirit as appropriate in those places where I went.

When I did that, individuals would often say, "We know the hand of God is upon you."

One Sunday morning at Word of Faith, the pastor, Robert Tilton, said to all the congregation, "Joan is not called to be a teacher.  She is a prophetess."

I had certainly never told that to anyone although I knew God was training me to do the work of a prophet.

At the time Bob announced this to the church, I was already exhorting the church on radio station KWJS.

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On March 27, 2012, God gave me the following dream:  A woman was singing to a group of people.  I said, "She has a little voice but it is a nice little voice."  She continued singing.  Then in the dream, I realized it was somehow a blog and it was a way to communicate with people in the church."

Pam Padgett had been a computer programmer with FedEx in Colorado Springs.  I called Pam and asked her if she could set up a blog for Jesus Ministries.  Pam said she didn't know anything about blogs, but she probably could.  She began praying and God showed her to keep this simple.  In a day or two Pam had set up a blog for us and we were publishing by approximately March 30, 2012.  We publish daily and have done such since we began the blog.

In 2015 we began writing ministry books on Amazon in both e-book and paperback format.  Amazon has a free book program whereby people can get e-books without charge and we especially like this program.  To date, we have published approximately 35 ministry books on Amazon.

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The first week of February, 2020, God gave me a dream showing me kittens waiting outside the front door of my house.  There were many kittens.  They were waiting to be fed.  Some of the kittens were at the point of death.  When I went into my garage, there were also many kittens who were starving, waiting for me to feed them.

I asked God what this dream meant.  "How could I feed all these starving kittens?"

Immediately the word, "Podcast", came into my mind.

Within two or three days, we had purchased recording equipment and had set up a Podcast host and had begun publishing Podcasts to exhort the church daily in scriptures and concepts of following God  by HIS Spirit,  Since beginning that first week in February 2020, we have published daily fresh exhortations on various subjects from the Old and New Testaments.  These are available on Internet all over the world.

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The important thing for each of us to consider when we do a work is this:

"Did God tell me to do this work?" 

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💥 Scriptures shared by members of the body of Christ:

 

Malachi 3:16  Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before HIM for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon HIS name.

 

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Isaiah 57:15  For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, WHOSE name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

 

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Isaiah 40:8  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

 

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Ephesians 1:3-6  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

 

4 According as HE hath chosen us in HIM before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before HIM in love:

 

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to HIMSELF according to the good pleasure of HIS will, 

 

6 To the praise of the glory of HIS grace, wherein HE hath made us accepted in the beloved.
 

 

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💥 Luke 7 (Reading through the Bible)

 

Now when He had ended all His sayings in the audience of the people, He entered into Capernaum.

² And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.
³ And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto Him the elders of the Jews, beseeching Him that He would come and heal his servant.

⁴ And when they came to Jesus, they besought Him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom He should do this:  ⁵ For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.

⁶ Then Jesus went with them. And when He was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying unto Him, Lord, trouble not Thyself: for I am not worthy that Thou shouldest enter under my roof: 

⁷ Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto Thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.

⁸ For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

⁹ When Jesus heard these things, He marvelled at him, and turned Him about, and said unto the people that followed Him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

¹⁰ And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.

¹¹ And it came to pass the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and much people.

¹² Now when He came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.

¹³ And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

¹⁴ And He came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And He said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.

¹⁵ And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And He delivered him to his mother.

¹⁶ And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited His people.

¹⁷ And this rumour of Him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.

¹⁸ And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things.

¹⁹ And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou He that should come? or look we for another?

²⁰ When the men were come unto Him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto Thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?

²¹ And in that same hour He cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind He gave sight.

²² Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

(By their fruits you will know them.)  Is that minister of God?  Is that person of God?  Does he speak of God and tell what God says to him?

²³ And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in ME.

²⁴ And when the messengers of John were departed, He began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
²⁵ But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.

²⁶ But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.
²⁷ This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before Thy face, which shall prepare Thy way before Thee.
²⁸ For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

²⁹ And all the people that heard Him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.
³⁰ But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of HIM.

³¹ And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?

³² They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.

(They always react in an inappropriate way.)

³³ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.

³⁴ The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!

³⁵ But wisdom is justified of all her children.

³⁶ And one of the Pharisees desired Him that He would eat with him. And He went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
³⁷ And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
³⁸ And stood at His feet behind Him weeping, and began to wash His feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed His feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

³⁹ Now when the Pharisee which had bidden Him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

⁴⁰ And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee.

And he saith, Master, say on.

⁴¹ There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
⁴² And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

⁴³ Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most.

And He said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

⁴⁴ And He turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest Me no water for My feet: but she hath washed My feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. (Making Jesus, the Word, very personal to her.)

⁴⁵ Thou gavest Me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss My feet.

⁴⁶ My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed My feet with ointment.

⁴⁷ Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

⁴⁸ And He said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

⁴⁹ And they that sat at meat with Him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

⁵⁰ And He said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

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💥 Podcast: The judges appointed by God are used by God to deliver the children of Israel from the nations of this world

 

(This podcast was previously published on, October 31, 2021)  

 

The judges in the Old Testament who were raised up by God, administered justice in the sight of God, destroying the enemies of the children of God of the nation of Israel, and delivering the children of Israel from various bondages.

In the Bible, the book of Judges tells us of the work of those judges appointed by God.

We see many Judges named in the book of Judges.  

And the following pattern recurs through those decades. 

The children of Israel did evil in the sight of God.  God would then turn them over to the nations of men to rule over them with hard bondages, often for many years. 

The children of Israel went into evil because they would not fully obey God.

Judges 2

1 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break MY covenant with you.

2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed MY voice: why have ye done this?

3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.

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Judges 2

11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:

12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.

13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and HE delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and HE sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.

15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.

18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.

19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

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Then after years in service to the nations of men and after they suffered hard bondages, they would turn to God and cry out to God for help and God would raise up a judge to deliver them and often to destroy the enemy.

Judges 3

5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:

6 And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.

8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.

9 And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

10 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.

11 And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.

13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.

14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.

18 And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.

19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.

20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he (the king) arose out of his seat.

21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:

22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

23 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.

24 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.

25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.

26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.

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27 And it came to pass, when he (Ehud) was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.

(A trumpet is a call to arms or attention.)

28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.

29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.

(God did not allow the children of Israel to mingle with the people of other nations, for God said they would end up pulling them away to "their gods".  

Numbers 33

50 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,

51 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan;

52 Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places:

(These nations had set up idols whereby they worshipped their gods and God had HIS people pull down these idols and destroy that which the nations worshipped.)

53 And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.

54 And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man's inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit.

55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.

56 Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.

They would not listen to God.  They tried to "be friends" with the nations of men.  They intermarried with these nations.  And these nations influenced the children of Israel in worldly ways and they did not wholly follow God when that happened.  And they could no longer stand against their enemies and went into various sins and bondages of those nations around them.

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Judges 3

30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years. (80-years)

31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.

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Many times we see the children of Israel disobey God and do that which is evil in the sight of God and turn from the God of Israel.

When they do evil in the sight of God, they can no longer overcome their enemies.

Revelation 3:5  Jesus says:  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

When a person of God tries to be friends and associates with the nations of this world, he does what he thinks to be good, but in the sight of God he does evil because he will end up weakening the word of God in order to keep the association.

The world goes one way and the person of God is completely opposite from the world.  

The people who are not of God will end up tormenting the person of God.  The world will be like a thorn in his flesh and pricks in his eyes and the world will vex the person of God continually.

Light and darkness cannot co-exist.

So God tell us the following in the New Testament church:

2 Corinthians 6

14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be MY people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean; and I will receive you,

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

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James 4:4  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

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💥 Scriptures shared by members of the body of Christ:

Revelations 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

 

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Isaiah 65:17  God says...For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

 

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1 Corinthians 13:4-8  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

 

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

 

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

 

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

 

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

 

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Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

 

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Philippians 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

 

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Titus 3:10-11  A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;

 

11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

 

 

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💥 Luke 6 (Reading through the Bible)

 

And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that He went through the corn fields; and His disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.

² And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?

³ And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;
⁴ How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?
⁵ And He said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

⁶ And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that He entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.

⁷ And the scribes and Pharisees watched Him, whether He would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against Him.

⁸ But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.

⁹ Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?

¹⁰ And looking round about upon them all, He said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand.

And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

¹¹ And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.

¹² And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

¹³ And when it was day, He called unto Him His disciples: and of them He chose twelve, whom also He named apostles;

¹⁴ Simon, (whom He also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
¹⁵ Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,
¹⁶ And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

¹⁷ And He came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of His disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear Him, and to be healed of their diseases;

¹⁸ And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.

¹⁹ And the whole multitude sought to touch Him: for there went virtue out of Him, and healed them all.

²⁰ And He lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said, 

Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

²¹ Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

²² Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

²³ Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

²⁴ But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.

²⁵ Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

²⁶ Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

²⁷ But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
²⁸ Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
²⁹ And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.

³⁰ Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

³¹ And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

³² For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
³³ And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
³⁴ And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

³⁵ But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for HE is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

³⁶ Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

³⁷ Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

³⁸ Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

³⁹ And He spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?

⁴⁰ The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

⁴¹ And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

⁴² Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

⁴³ For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

⁴⁴ For every tree is known by his own fruit. 

For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

⁴⁵ A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

⁴⁶ And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

⁴⁷ Whosoever cometh to Me, and heareth My sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

⁴⁸ He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

⁴⁹ But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

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💥 Who is our companion?

 

Pam Padgett, member of the body of Christ

 
Late one afternoon recently a woman who calls herself a Christian and says religious-sounding words stopped by my house. In the past I have shared scripture with her as brought to my mind by the Holy Spirit, and knew she would be helped with problems she is facing if she meditated in those scriptures and did them.  I encouraged her to do this.  I have also shared many things God has done in my life when I have turned to HIM for help.

But as she spoke this day, it was obvious she is going her own way, showing no fear of God nor care for HIS word and what is right in the sight of God.  

Nothing at all was brought to my mind to share with her. And, although she was here only about 10 minutes, I was very glad when she left.

I was so grieved by this woman and turned to God with all of this after she left.  During the night I woke, being reminded of what we're told in Psalm 119:63

 

I am a companion of all them that fear THEE (God), and of them that keep THY precepts.

companion: someone we spend time with, share with, travel with  

 
I cannot be a companion with this woman, for we are not traveling the same path.

I am a companion with others who fear God and obey HIM. We "travel" together as strangers and pilgrims in this world, seeking to please God rather than ourselves or those of the world. These are my companions.
 

 

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💥 Podcast: God raises up judges to fight against the enemies of Israel and to show the way of God to the children of Israel

 

(This podcast was previously published on, October 30, 2021)  

 

In the days of the Old Testament, for a season, God raised up HIS judges and gave the judges HIS Spirit to lead the children of Israel.

Later the people demanded a king like the other nations had to rule over them.

But for a period of time God appointed judges.

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Judges 3  (Othniel)

5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:

6 And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.

8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and HE sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.

9 And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

10 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.

11 And the land had rest forty years.  And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

And after the death of Othniel who was the judge of Israel appointed by God, the people stopped following God and mingled again with the nations of the worlds and intermarried and God turned HIS people over to the bondage of this world.

We see this pattern over and over in reading about the children of Israel in the Old Testament.

Church people today often think they are stronger than this world and that they can co-mingle with the world and perhaps lead people to God by being "friends" and "associates."  And they actually end up showing approval for various sins of the world to keep from offending the worldly people who are around them.

James 4:4   Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

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Today, Jesus from heaven, gives to the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to turn the church to ways of God.

Ephesians 4

11 And HE (Jesus) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into HIM in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

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I Corinthians 1

18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29 That no flesh should glory in HIS presence.

30 But of HIM are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

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And in the New Testament church, God gives every born again person HIS own Spirit to enable each person to follow God.

I Corinthians 3:16   Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

It was not like this in the Old Testament for the children of Israel in the Old Testament had to go to a prophet to inquire of God.

Hebrews 1

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by HIS Son, whom HE hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also HE made the worlds;

By the Holy Spirit, we know the heart of God and the will of God on the issues pertaining to this present life for it is the Spirit of God who shows us the heart of God.

I Corinthians 2

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

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So today we have a few people in each church group who are born again by God having the Spirit of God ... and we have many in each church group who put themselves into the church by their own works without having the Spirit of God.

Havoc results in the churches and doctrines end up being changed from the Holy Bible and people who do have the Spirit of God often hold back and never wholly end up following God.

And those who put themselves into the church group by their own will and their own works without having the Spirit of God end up being thorns in the eyes and pricks in the sides of the ones who are truly born again by the Spirit of God and often the ones who are born again try to follow God with those in the church group who do not really believe in all the word of God and do not have the Spirit of God and this becomes a terrible problem.

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