"What foundation are you on?"

"You hear me, but don't listen" That was my mom's favorite catch phrase with me while I was growing up. This saying reminds me a lot of one of the disciples, Judas Iscariot. He heard Yeshua but didn't really listen. He had hardened his heart. He was set on Yeshua becoming king. All of the disciples thought He was to reign as king. Even Paul thought Yeshua was coming back again soon. So soon, He was telling us it would be better if we didn't marry. On the night of Yeshua's capture, All 12 were together eating the Pesach meal. I can only wonder what Judas was thinking at that moment and why He would betray his Lord and what he said that night.
What Judas might have said that night thinking to himself "Why all this tradition? He says, he is the messiah, then why doesn't he rule as king and smite our enemies! Yet he does nothing while we are persecuted. The Pharisees want him, they can have him. Should it be tonight? yes, tonight should be good. He says he will be going away and then coming back. Let’s see if it is true. They won’t be able to kill him anyway with all his magic and I can make a quick a denarii out of it. I‘ve been wanting that piece of land for a while and now I’ll be able to have it. This is my money for me and I’m taking back what is mine & more. I deserve it, this is mine and not theirs to give it away.” Yeshua begins to speak and says “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.” Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Yeshua, “Surely not I, LORD?” and He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” Judas said, “Surely it is not I, RABBI?” Yeshua said “You have said it yourself.” Judas thinking to himself “How did he know? Did they follow me or did the Pharisees send another? It doesn’t matter he can’t do anything to me, I’m protected by God.”
Did Judas think Yeshua was just a good rabbi? It seems he never had that relationship that Peter had. He heard He was the messiah but probably never believed it deep down in his nefesh. He never had that strong foundation (relationship) with Him. People say they are close to Abba, how close are you? If you died, would your nefesh cry out to Abba or think Yeshua was just a good rabbi? What foundation are you on?

"The Silversmith"

My mom gave this to me from GodVine enjoy ;O)

There was a group of women in a Bible Study on the book of Malachi. As they were studying chapter three, they came across verse three which says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled the women and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the group a their next Bible study. That week this woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest or her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot- then she thought again about the verse, that he sits as a refiner and purifier of silver. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered "yes," he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eye on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh that's easy. When I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of this world's fire, just remember that God has his eyes on you.

Ambulance chasers

     I was driving to work today and saw a Colonie ambulance in front of me. I saw a daughter with her elderly mom who was on the stretcher and a paramedic by her side. They were on route to St. Peters hospital. The hospital is known for their cardiac care. I then started to think about the children of God becoming ambulance chasers. The name by itself made me laugh because the saying has such a bad association from lawyers. But what if God's people changed it for good and we become the “ambulance chasers.” In Acts 5:12-16 “At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s portico. But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem. And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.” 

     Can you imagine what would happen today if we were just walking thru a hospital and Abba would have our shadow’s heal people? People would be just getting up and walking out. The hospitals would be in utter chaos. That would be totally awesome! in a good way anyway. The hospitals would probably ban His kids from even coming in, armed guards would probably be stationed at the front door. So what would it take for us to be able to be in the Spirit 24/7? A lot of concentration but it would be totally worth it. It is so hard for us now with the cares of this world. In Acts 9v40 Peter had to get everyone out to concentrate for a moment before he could hear The Spirit and pray. He always had his nefesh open to what The Holy Spirit said to him. Like Peter we need to empty ourselves and not quench the Spirit so we can become the “Ambulance Chasers”