Lisa Scott's Blog

 

Hello All,

The Scott family is at the land continuing to make the land more livable.  Things are coming together very quickly!  The Lord seems to have made everything run smooth and continues giving us signs that this is the land He has for us and His Saints!  We are very excited about this land because we know it is from the Lord and also that it will be a place of provision for the the Saints who are led by the Lord to come here during the great storms that will be coming to America soon.  Yea, it has been a real wilderness for the Scott family this week.  No bathroom...before a couple days ago we hadn't shower for 5 days.  But, it didn't bother us.  India broke us to where we don't mind being dirty if need be.  Our kids surely didn't mind :).  Its amazing that we have gotten use to the cold here too.  Being on the mountain does bring lots of chills.  But, we've gotten use to working in the cold.  I know colder days are ahead so please pray for us during those times!

Thank the Lord we haven't been alone.  We've been spending time with the couple that sold us the land.  They live in Colorado but decided to stay a little longer here to finish some work on some land they own here.  Sean had 2 great opportunitie to sit down with them and share the gospel.  They profess to be believers but its very obvious that they do not know what true Christianity is.  The husband admit that he hasn't read the bible for a long while and his wife was quick to say he didn't follow the word either.  You could tell they were really humbled after Sean shared with them.  His wife shared with us how she wanted to know more.  Its been great spending time with them and not only sharing the gospel with them but also showing Christ love.  I love to cook for others so I had the opportunity to cook for them and the construction workers thats helping us.  One of the construction workers told Sean that he wanted to hang out with him more.  He just got divorced and sounds like he needs a friend.  His name is Nico.  Please pray for him and also the times that Sean will get together with him.  The people here are super friendly and their hearts seem really open.  Most of the people are Mexicans and Indians.  Please pray that the Lord conntinue to give us favor with the small community here.  Though we are not in a foreign country sharing the gospel there are ALWAYS people around to preach to and share Christ love!  Even in this small little town!  Its amazing to see God draw people to us with no effort of our own, to try to get them, but they come to us.  Praise the Lord!  May God continue to give us those hearts who are ready to hear His wonderful truth!

Saints, I just wanted to keep you updated on the things we are doing and that you may know better on how to pray for us.  I'm quite busy with work around the land and watching four kids so I have to make it short.  I hardly have time to check my emails!  But, God has been good and given me much grace here, as long as I seek Him first that is.  Pray that we do not get so busy here that we forget to put the Lord first. 

Sean and I want to also remind you of our great love for His people and that we feel very privlidge that God has chosen us to help His Saints and to build a refuge for them in times of great darkness thats coming upon the world.  And may the couple who also are helping with this land be blessed for providing for God's people!  To God be all the glory!

Saints, remember to shine that awesome light that is in you that the world will know that the God we serve is a Mighty and Awesome God!!!! 

I wanted to share a testimony from a brother in Christ.  I just found his blog not too long ago.  I do believe the Lord lead me to his blog to encourage me and to know that we aren't the only family God has called to live without a permanent home.  His testimony is very similar to ours.  It's a great joy to find others who understand there is really a great joy and peace to have NOTHING( just mainly the things you really need that is) , but Christ! Although, I do not agree with this brother in some of his doctrine, but it is not doctrine that unites brethren, but Christ and His cross. Oh, if we could learn this simple truth in being united in His cross there would be revival !  It is easier to stand up for doctrines(that has not much to do with the cross) than the cross that will cost your whole life and teach you deep love for God and the brethren!

I pray that this testimony would be an encouragement to you too!  Life is short and all will perish, but eternity is forever!  May we be hard pressed to run after eternal treasures that will not fade away.

God bless you, brethren and may God enlighten you more in these last days!

The Island Experience Joseph Herrin (10-23-09)

Occasionally someone will write to me expressing concern that I do not have a home, but spend my days camping. I suppose that to many people, living in a tent, a van, or a small camper appears as a hardship, but I have found a great contentment and peace in following the leading of the Spirit down these paths.

In 1999 the Spirit indicated that I was to leave my job as a computer professional and follow Him. He led me to begin a ministry of writing, and I found that my former manner of living had to be laid aside in order to follow Christ.

While working as a computer professional I earned a good salary. I had a home, furnishings, and many material goods. I considered these things to be the blessings of God, though many of them were actually obtained by pursuing the desires of my soul, rather than at the direction of the Spirit of Christ.

Christ spoke much on the topic of our relationship to the goods of this world. He stated the following to His disciples.

Matthew 6:19-21
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Christ knows that we have certain needs while we live on this earth. We need our daily bread to survive. We also need some cover from the elements, for mankind is not a particularly hardy creature. Man was not born with a fur coat, or a shell on his back. We do have some basic needs.

God wants us to be satisfied to have these basic needs met. He wants us to be content with the necessities, while pursuing the true riches that are in Christ. This was also the testimony of the apostles.

I Timothy 6:6-8
Godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

I am not only content with the food and covering the Father has provided for me, I consider myself greatly blessed.


The material things we possess in this world are not our true riches. I find that when I have less of the goods of this world, I appreciate more the things that are truly important. Time spent with a loved one, a conversation with a friend, and especially fellowship with God who created all things. I do desire that I would grow more and more in a loving dependence upon, and joyful relationship to, the One who created me and then purchased me back from the dominion of sin and Satan at the cost of the precious blood of His Son.

Having much of this world’s goods can impede the development of relationship to God. We find ourselves devoting much time to work to pay for all our possessions. We become enslaved to safeguarding what we have, maintaining all we possess lest it deteriorate, and spending much time focused upon things of the earth. If we had fewer possessions, we would have much greater freedom.

Luke 12:15
And He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."

True life is not found in the accumulation of things. Indeed, this accumulation can keep us from discovering the riches of the one true source of life. Christ declared that He was the life, and in Him was the life of men. I once thought that Christ was asking much of the young man who had great possessions when He spoke to him the following words:

Luke 18:22
"One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess, and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

It seemed to me for many years that Christ was asking this man to sacrifice much. Lately, I have considered that Christ was actually seeking to lead this young man to the discovery of something much greater; treasures in heaven that his earthly possessions were hindering him from attaining. Yahweh is our great treasure. King David understood this. He wrote:

Psalms 16:5-6
Yahweh is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
Thou dost support my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

David compares his inheritance in God to the earthly inheritance of Israel when they cast lots to see which tribe would receive the various portions of the land. David is declaring that when his lot was cast, he received the chief portion, for Yahweh was his inheritance. David’s inheritance is altogether pleasant. Indeed, it is beautiful to him.

I once owned a house on an acre of land in town. I had some measure of fellowship with God, but not to the degree that I experience today. As I have released the things of this world, I have found that my attention is drawn more and more to the presence of God. I have fewer things to distract my devotion.

Day by day, I thank God for His blessing. I am free to awake in the morning and spend time with the One who created the heavens and the earth. I have much liberty to attend to that ministry He has appointed to me. As I travel about the island on my bicycle I find myself expressing praise to God for the beauty He has revealed in His creation. I am grateful for simple pleasures, such as a bike ride along a shady path.

When we spend less time hidden inside of our possessions, we are able to observe more of that which is around us.

I observed the hidden path pictured above as I rode my bike down a deserted stretch of beach. I was drawn in, and walked down to the gate, turned around, and took the following photo.

We serve an awesome God. I do not always get to spend time in such idyllic surroundings. I recently spent three years at an inner city rescue mission. An entire year of this time was spent living in a dorm with more than 30 men who were in an alcohol and drug recovery program. Yet, there is peace and contentment to be found even in such a place as that. The joy is knowing that we are where our Father desires us to be, and we are doing what He has called us to do. The channels of fellowship are open, for we are surrendered vessels before Him, looking to Yahweh to fill us up with His presence.

Some may wonder at the cost of living as I do, staying in campgrounds. It is the off-season here on the island, and the cost of a month’s stay is $450. This includes electricity, water, sewer, cable, and free Wi-Fi. I don’t have a television, so I don’t use the cable, and I have my own Wi-Fi account with my phone provider, so these features are not used. When I am in Middle Georgia I am able to camp with the same accommodations for $325 a month.

There was a scribe who came to Yahshua one day saying that he wanted to be His disciple. Yahshua responded as follows:

Matthew 8:20
"The foxes have holes , and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

When Christ called me to a ministry of writing, He too led me away from the security and comfort of having my own home. There have been some truly difficult places that I have had to pass through. There has been a cross to bear, and much loss to be borne, but my heart is at peace. I am a blessed man. I know where my treasure is, and neither thief nor moth nor rust can touch it.

May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days.

This morning my husband was sharing with me the headline on Drudge Report.  The headline read "New Push For Global Currency".  My husband shared this with me because the dream I shared with him a few months ago.  I had this dream back to back with the recession  dream I shared on my blog.  I was going to also share this dream too, and was urged to, but ended up procrastinating.

I saw in this dream two planes.  The first one was flying in the sky.  And it seems like it was flying like it should.  Then I saw the second plane and this plane started out flying normal than I saw that their was some kind of problem underneath the plane, but it wasn't shown clearly to me what the problem was.  I just knew that their was a problem right at the bottom of the plane.  Then after I saw this problem the plane started descending downward.  I saw that many others with me was watching the plane go down.  As the plane was coming down closer to us we knew it was going to crash very hard, but we couldn't do anything but just watch it crash.  When it crashed it was a very AWESOME crash that it made me afraid.  Then I heard a voice say"This has to happen for one world currency".  Then I remember seeing people in groups.  I remember seeing one group of people who were lead by a woman that was dress in harlot attire.  Then I remember getting into this certain group and a man lead this group I was in.  The man looked very kind and was dress in normal proper clothes.  I knew he wanted me and the others in the group to share with him what we learned about what we just read in the bible.  So I was preparing myself to share with him.  I remember that I just read about Hannah in the bible and that I was about to share with him and the dream ended.  I remember waking up thinking about Hannah and how I love that Hannah was committed in fulfilling her promised to the Lord.  She was firm and did not waver in fulfilling her promise to God!

I don't understand all of this dream, and maybe someone has been given the gift of interpretation for the rest of the dream.  I'm not sure what the plane symbolises.  It could symbolise the economy crashing soon and how it will be use to bring one world currency.  I find it interesting though that the Lord gave me a dream about recession getting worse and the next night I had a dream about one world currency and in both dreams I heard a voice clearly speak to me.  I do believe that the Lord will bring these two things to pass, that He is in control, and that these things are happening and made known so that His people will be prepared and that such things as the recession are used to bring His people closer to Him, to refine and humble them and break them away from the things of this world.

 

Now, I don't get many dreams from the Lord about current events, the things that's going on in the world that the Lord is bringing to pass.  The Lord normally shows me more about the condition of the church and His people. Those that I have fellowship with and have met, to encourage, pray for, and exhort.  Now, some of you may not believe that God speaks to us through dreams, but it is very evident in the bible that He does.  It is obvious in Old Testament that He spoke through dreams like with Joseph. Even Saul who was very disobedient toward the Lord knew that God spoke through dreams (1Samuel 28:6). He even waited on the Lord to lead him by speaking to him through dreams.  God spoke to Gideon's enemies in a dream and even they believe the God of Israel spoke to them in dreams!  I sometime wonder how Elisha saw the hearts of men, How the Lord showed Him such things.  I wouldn't doubt it if the Lord not only uses open visions for that, but dreams.  God even uses dreams to correct us, but many do not perceive this (Job 33:14-18)  And today we can see from the New Testament through the prophecy of Joel that Peter shared that the Lord will speak to them in visions and dreams (Acts2:17-21). I do believe that those who are more gifted in the prophetic receive more dreams and visions because that is one sure way that God speaks to them concerning prophesy.  Now, I know that there are many false prophesy going out, but because there are much falsehood in one area we should not forsake the gift all together.   Satan always like to imitate the real so that God's people would fall in delusion or get turned off by the true things of God because they see so much falsehood in one area.  The best way to know if prophesy is spoken true is to know that person, to see if other things have come to pass from that person or what they have spoken concerning the heart is true.  Or to look at the whole man, and I say whole because God's people aren't perfect, they stumble at times.  But if you look at the whole man and can discern, you can see if they they love the truth and their intent is not to deceive.  We should never stop people from prophesying.  Paul encourages them to share and that WE, not just the pastor, judge the prophesy.  Paul encouraged all gifts to be shared!

I have a deep concern that I feel compel to voice out.  I’ve been grieved tremendously in what I’ve seen among many Christian men.  Much that can be seen in churches and Christian forums.

So many men want to rise up quickly and be teachers of the Word.  They will spend much time studying the bible and reading other men’s teachings so that they can learn to expound on scriptures and teach others.  They have much zeal, an earnest desire to teach others.  You may ask, “what is wrong with that?”

My brethren , should we not first have an earnest desire to imitate Christ?  To be found blameless before God and men?  That there would be no hypocrisy in our teachings to others.  Where is the earnest desire of wanting to make my life an example for the flocks to follow?

Paul says, “imitate me”(1Cor.11:1), I urged you to imitate me (1 Cor.4:16), You became imitators of us and of the Lord…(1Thess.1:6).  He was not being boastful, but confident that he was obeying God, taking heed to His commands.  He knew he was obeying the Lord in all His commands that he could say with confident, "follow me".  There was no hypocrisy in his teachings.  What he commands of others to follow Christ in, he has done already.  Paul says:

Rom 15:18  For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—

That is a very sobering verse.  Paul’s life was not about sharing doctrine through mere words, but what God has worked in him.  A holy life lived for God was Paul’s doctrine.  Christ living through Him was what he believe will help the gentiles be obedient to God.  It wasn’t mainly about teaching His sheep through word, but more about  being an example of the power of His word living in him.  “Christ in you, the hope of glory!”  It is Christ living and moving through you that will bring hope to others!   It seems that so many Christians are more focus about teaching doctrine to others instead of being an example for the flocks to follow.  Its very easy to share your belief than it is to obey what you believe.  It will take the death of you to be an example for the sheep to follow.  Paul says he dies daily that others may have life.  Wow!  Now that’s real love for His people.

If we say we love God’s people, that we care about their growth then we would be like Paul and die daily so that others may have life.  We would want to be an example to the sheep, showing forth our obedience to His word, that the sheep see Christ in us, giving them hope.  It is what God has accomplished through me that will help others to be obedient to His teachings.   Not just in word, but in deed.  May I be found blameless in all that I teach to others!

Let us not be like the Pharisees who teach and command others to obey God, but we are not doing it ourselves.  That’s hypocrisy!  We are not fit to be teachers if we are not obeying His word.

There is so much teaching and preaching going on, but hardly anyone is showing the life of what they believe and teach.  Let us first, desire to be examples of obeying His word, before we want to be teachers.  Let us desire to be found blameless and not with hypocrisy, in obedience in what we desire to teach.

Remember what James says about teachers.



Jas 3:1Let not many of you become teachers,  my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.

Teachers receive stricter judgement.  Teachers should not tell others to do something that they have not done themselves.  
It is a fearful thing to be entrusted with the gospel.  It should not be taken lightly as so many Christians have been  careless in handling His Word.  

Power and authority does not come by merely teaching His word.  It comes by our obedience to His word.  No one can easily rise up and be entrusted with the gospel to preach with power and authority.  God will first test you, just like He tested Paul before he was approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel (1Thess.2:1-6).

Many men fear to go through trials, but they do not realize that God test them with those trials.  That the trials are there to help us learn to stand firm and not waver on the truth no matter what.

Do you really believe what you preach and teach to others?  If you do, it will show in your life.  Do you fear God above men?  Paul says that if he still pleases man he could not be a bondservant to Christ.  If we still please man we will easily add to God’s word, fearing persecution from others.  We will compromise His word so that the sword of His word will not come down and bring sepreration with our family, friends, ect…How can we be a bondservant of Christ, to be entrusted with the gospel, if we can allow family, friends, religious people bring doubts about God’s commands, hearing the lie of the evil one say,”did God really say that?”

Think about how heavy that is to proclaim to be a teacher of His word.  If Paul had to go though much testing before He was approved by God to be entrusted with His word, what about us?  There is nothing wrong with sharing His word with others through bible study and encouraging and exhorting one another with His Word.  However, let us not be quick to rise ourselves up to be teachers of His word while at the same time avoiding the trials that will help us to grow mature and stand firm no matter what.  There is an order that God takes us through before He approves us to be teachers and preachers of His Word.  Let us fear God in this.

I wish to see men desire more to be examples of what they believe before they teach and command others to obey his Word.  There is a seriousness in teaching and preaching God’s Word.  It comes with a great cost that I believe many cannot handle because they have not allow the Lord to have His way with them and go through many trials that are needed to refine and conform them to Jesus, instead many run away from trials, not understanding that trials are the very thing God uses to make us more genuine in the faith.

If you really care about God’s sheep and desire to see them come to maturity and obey all His commands then first, be an example for them to follow.  Not by words only, but  by a life of obedience to His commands.

The Spirit Of Prophecy

When God is present in our midst, we will hear Him speaking to us powerfully in the meetings. That is the meaning of prophecy. In old covenant times, prophecy was meant for foretelling the future and for guiding people as to what they should do. But now, in the new covenant, prophecy is for exhortation (challenging, rebuking and correcting people), consolation (comforting and encouraging people) and edification (building up the church) (1 Cor.14:3). Prophecy is the main gift of the Spirit by which the church is built. The prophetic word is "a lamp shining in a dark place" (2 Pet.1:19). Without this light constantly burning in the church, it will be impossible to escape the wiles of the prince of darkness. The church itself will sink into darkness. The main reason why many Christian groups that started out well degenerated over a period of time was because the gift of prophecy gradually disappeared. Whenever God's presence departed from Israel in Old Testament times, one mark of His forsaking them was that "there was no longer any prophet" among them (Psa.74:1,9).

Israel always degenerated whenever they did not have a prophet, as in the days of Eli (See 1 Sam.3:1). But Israel rose into a place of eminence when they had a prophet, as in the days of Samuel (1 Sam.3:20). It was through Samuel that David was anointed as the king of Israel. And that began a glorious new era in Israel's history. When Samuel prophesied, "the Lord did not allow any of his words to fall to the ground" (1 Sam.3:19 - KJV). We too must pray earnestly for such a powerful ministry of prophecy in the church that every word we speak goes straight home to people's hearts like an arrow to its mark. Through the gift of prophecy, "the secrets of people's hearts are disclosed" (1 Cor.14:25). Thus everyone in the church will get light on the deceitfulness of sin.

We are commanded to "exhort one another daily (in the church), lest we be hardened through the DECEITFULNESS of sin" (Heb.3:13). There are sins that are obvious and there are sins that are subtle and hidden. But the spirit of prophecy will expose both the deceitfulness of sin as well as the schemes of Satan, so that we are protected. We see an illustration of this in the Old Testament. When the king of Aram was warring against Israel, every time he and his generals planned in secret to attack Israel at a certain point, his plans were revealed to the king of Israel by Elisha, through prophecy (2 Kings 6:8-12). Thus the king of Israel knew exactly where to place his army to defend the country, and saved his nation again and again. That is how the Lord, through prophecy in the church-meetings, warns us in advance of the areas where Satan is going to attack us in the coming days. So we can be on our guard in those areas.

Paul exhorted Timothy to fight the good fight (against Satan) by paying attention to the prophecies made concerning him (1 Tim.1:18). Proverbs 24:3,4 says, "By WISDOM a house is built, and by KNOWLEDGE the rooms are filled with pleasant and precious riches". There is a place for knowledge in the church - God's Word taught by anointed teachers. But knowledge is like the furniture, with which a house is furnished after it has been built by WISDOM. So if we only have Bible-knowledge in our churches, we will be like a family living on an empty plot of ground with a lot of expensive furniture around us, but with no house - no walls, no roof and not even a floor!! That's why we are exhorted in the New Testament to pursue after WISDOM first of all. "If anyone lacks wisdom let him ask God who gives liberally to all" (Jas.1:4). It is through wisdom that the church is built. And God's wisdom comes to the church through the gift of prophecy. That is why we must "earnestly seek to prophesy" (1 Cor.14:1,5), in every meeting of the church. Meetings for Bible-study and evangelism are good. But if we are to build the church as a pure testimony for Christ, then the gift of prophecy must be given the FIRST place.

I found this article today while searching for some good articles to read from Mr. Sparks. I thought this was an interesting article.  I've read different teachings on Deborah and really wasn't sure about it.  Many leaders have used Deborah as an example that woman are able to teach and be a Pastor. But, I think this article about Deborah sounds about right.

Deborah

Judges 4-5

It is a fairly far cry from Joshua to the Judges, and there is a terrible lapse from those days of triumph and conquest, as there was at the close of the apostolic days. The book of Judges is perhaps the most tragic book in the Bible.

We are going to look at two of the breaks in the darkness of those times which give us some light on this matter of leadership; that is, in the cases of Deborah and Gideon.

That those were times of spiritual declension needs no arguing. That a primary reason for the declension was the absence of authority is definitely stated four times (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). It is as though the narrator focused all the trouble upon this absence of an authoritative leadership.

There seems to be more than the statement of a fact. The suggestion or implication is that it was more than an absence of leadership; it was a disposition. When it says that “every man did that which was right in his own eyes”, it seems to imply that that was how they were disposed to have it. They did not like the restraints of authority. They felt that leadership implied limitation; they made their own judgment the final authority. As they saw was the “right” way — “right in his own eyes”. It was independence run amok.

Possibly the loss of true spirituality and the enthronement of the natural mind had resulted, as it usually does, in an inability to see the difference between spiritual and anointed leadership on the one hand, and of autocracy on the other. The dislike for and resentment anything autocratic or in the nature of dictatorship makes people throw over and utterly repudiate law and authority and become a law unto themselves. The unspiritual Corinthians gave this “autocratic” interpretation to the authority which Paul said had been given him in Christ. To read his letters to that church is to see how he claimed and used that authority, but it is also to see that it was absolutely necessary to their salvation as a church. But it certainly was not autocratic domination.

It is only lack of the spiritual discernment as to “things that differ”, although they may appear alike — about which Paul said much to the Corinthians — that confuses things, and loses the values of what is God-given. On the one side it was disastrous for Israel, and meant four hundred years of confusion, weakness, and impotence. On the other hand the salvation and periods of improvement were because the Lord raised up leaders.

When we come to Deborah, we have a significant and impressive thing. There is first Deborah herself, and then there are those to whom she refers when she says: “For that the leaders took the lead...” (5:2).

Deborah overshadows the whole story, therefore she must be seen for what she is. Being a woman in such a position, she must represent a sovereign activity of God.

Deborah and divine sovereignty

The Bible is quite clear that, in the normal order of God, women are not given authority over men. Normally it would be disorder if they were. We state the Bible fact without staying to expound it. In God’s first order man is given the position of authority. But here in the case of Deborah we have a woman by divine consent and approval in that place. It has often been argued that it was because there were no men available or suitable. Much importance has been given to the argument in the evident coercion which Deborah had to use in order to get Barak on his feet. That may be but a feature of abnormal times and conditions, and it may lend force to the statement that, when things are not normal, God acts sovereignly. That is, He transcends His own rules and acts as the One who has the right to do exactly as He wills. That argument may be allowed to stand in this and in other instances, but it does not dispose of the whole matter.

The context of this record, and the fact that not Deborah but Barak is mentioned in the list in the letter to the Hebrews carries with it another explanation. Why is Deborah left out of the list of heroes of faith in Hebrews 11? The answer surely has to be found in a wider context and one which, after all, upholds rather than violates divine principles. If you look into the Bible, and not merely on it, you will see that

Women represent principles

— good or bad. The first woman, Eve, is definitely pointed to as a representation of the church’s relationship to Christ, its Head, and she is shown to have embodied the principle of subjection in honour and glory. Out of that honourable subjection the first Adam and the last Adam realize their destiny by “being fruitful and multiplying”. The violation of that principle, whether in Eve or the church, has been most disastrous for the race and the world. If Mary, the mother of Jesus, is to receive honour, not homage, it is because she recovered and embodied this primal principle of exalted submission — “Be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38). There may be humility in that, but there is certainly no humiliation in it. This is a supreme example of the truth to which we are pointing. This truth can more or less easily be traced in a host of women in the Bible: Sarah, Rebekah, Asenath, etc.

In the same way evil principles are represented by another line of women until the great harlot, the scarlet woman of the Apocalypse is reached; and the very term “harlot” betrays the principle. Having established the fact that women represent principles in the Bible, we can return to Deborah.

Deborah, while being a real person, is, in effect, the spirit or principle of leadership. This is borne out in that she is called a prophetess. What is the supreme characteristic of prophetic ministry? It is inspiration. So we see that leadership in Deborah’s case was her power to inspire. Both Barak and the leaders who took the lead fulfilled their leadership by reason of the inspiration received through Deborah. Leadership is a matter of inspiration.

It is an endowment. Not all who take the position can fulfil it. It is a pathetic thing to observe someone in the position without the inspiration or anointing. That is why it is so wrong and dangerous for anyone either to assume the position or be put into it by vote or human influence.

Let our godly women realize that their function is not to rule and govern, but to inspire. Deborah said to Barak: “Hath not the Lord commanded...” She knew the Lord, and out of that knowledge she was the spirit of inspiration.

It is no small thing to see the purpose of God and to inspire to leadership in it. This can be done, as in the case of Deborah, without personally going into the forefront of the battle.

Our lesson, then, from Deborah, is that, whether officially in the office of a leader or not, leadership is essentially a matter of the gift and power of inspiration: a contagious influence, an emanating spiritual energy, and a potent example.

A mother in Israel

How often is leadership regarded as an official thing. The leader must have a title, an office, an appointment. Deborah teaches us that leadership is the expansion of the mother-spirit to embrace the whole of God’s people. “Until that I Deborah arose... a mother in Israel” (5:7). Not “Till I a leader, a prophetess, a divinely-chosen instrument arose”, but “a mother”. Hers was evidently a heart-concern, an affectional-concern for the Lord’s people.

We have earlier referred to the revolt against Paul’s spiritual authority, but his answer to that was his love, even “as of a nursing mother” (1 Thess. 2:7,11), and any seeming severity was born of his very deep paternal or — spiritually — maternal concern for them.

This element must be in all leadership; the element of a jealous yearning over the spiritual interests of those concerned. “I arose a mother”, said Deborah. The incentive of her inspiring leadership was the mother-passion for a spiritual family.

Back of all that appears and sounds otherwise in the Prophets of Israel, there can always be detected this sigh and sob of a heart-relationship with a wayward family, in trouble because of its waywardness.

Now we're back in New Mexico, and "I think" we can settle a bit longer here.  Our family has been moving around a lot for the last 6 months.  The Lord surely gave Sean and I much grace to handle so much traveling with 4 kids!  It's been an adventure.  Following the Lord has not been boring at all!  Lots of testings, trials, learning to wait and walk by faith.

People must wonder how we know when to leave a place and where to go next.  Brethren, when you totally abandon your life for God do you think He is just going to leave you clueless?!  Actually, once Sean and I obeyed God's voice to sell our house and all our stuff, not even knowing where we would go after we sell our house, that's when His voice became clearer.  So clear to our spirit that we were able to walk in confidence(faith) in each step we took!  We have learned to obey God quickly without asking Him why and trying to reason everything out.  If He says go there, we go without wanting to know ahead of time all the details and plan He has for us there.  Just like how a real soldier would obey quickly his commander's instruction.  Or else, if we wanted to know all the details ahead of time before we go, that shows that we are not trusting in God and are lead by sight.  God is not please with that.  Faith is what pleases Him, not our reasoning and trying to understand it all before we take that step.  Sean and I definitely do not pick the places to go or else half of the places we've been too, we would not have gone.  Some places are just not desirable to the flesh, but following the Lord is not about what our flesh like and are comfortable at or else we would never take the call or be able to follow Him all the way.  Brethren, if I really had a choice where to go, I would go back to India!  I love the simplicity there and the people are so relational, not scared to get close to you.  Sean and I have to try hard not to think about going back to India so we would stay more focus in what God has for us here right now.

You may wonder how's it been living in a trailer with 4 kids.  Its really not so bad.  It can get challenging at times.  Imagine being in a travel trailer with 5 other people.  Just say, we spend a lot of time outside :).  And, if you looked at my pictures on my blog you will notice we've gotten darker.  Yea, it would be nice to have a small house or apartment, but I'm content with a trailer, if that's what the Lord wants for us right now.  He knows if we are going to keep traveling, and if we are then there's no point to settle in a small house.  Its interesting though, looking back, it's now making sense. I had the same dream many times starting a few years ago that Sean and I were traveling in a big rig and meeting with different brethren, and seeing myself take babies from some harlot churches, and taking care of a few of them.  Vehicle symbolises ministry and rigs are never at one place, but always traveling to different places.  For the longest time I did not understand the dreams, but now it makes sense to me after much was already accomplished.  The Lord caused me to look back and see how those dreams have been fullfilled and now still going.  Sean and I have been concerned much for the out of church people and there need for true discipleship.  Of course, the harlot churches do not know how to disciple right, so many brethren have lacked in getting true discipleship which is so important for maturity.  Seeing all the out of church people all spread out in the "wilderness" with no true father of the faith like Paul the apostle to help lead, and mature them, especially young ones remind me of the verses in Ezekiel 34.  The passages speaks of how the irresponsible shepards did not take care of the sheep, but instead fed themselves, the weak were not strengthened and healed.  So they were scattered all over the world and they became food for the beast (being easily influenced by different spirits.  Tossed here and there with all sorts of stuff, like sin, false teachings...because their faith are weak, their wounds were not made fully well by false shepherds)  But, thank God, He has promised that He will search for His scattered sheep, He will seek them out and shepherd them, He will bind up the broken and feed the sick!

I keep hearing the word restoration.  I believe that those who are truly sent by God will have a spirit of restoration.

Here's a defination for Restorationres⋅to⋅ra⋅tion  /ˌrɛstəˈreɪʃən/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [res-tuh-rey-shuhn]–noun 1. the act of restoring; renewal, revival, or reestablishment. 2. the state or fact of being restored. 3. a return of something to a former, original, normal, or unimpaired condition. 4. restitution of something taken away or lost. 5. something that is restored, as by renovating. 6. a reconstruction or reproduction of an ancient building, extinct animal, or the like, showing it in its original state. 7. a putting back into a former position, dignity, etc. :

God is faithful.  He will restore HIS PEOPLE back to the simple truth of His word, New Testament living.  He will restore His church (Saints) to biblical relationships for one another.  He will soon be truly glorified in His Church (Saints) worldwide.  And, if it takes persecution, so let it be so that God's people will be ready for His Coming. 

Be encouraged Saints, you are not forsaken by Him.  He promised that those who are truly born of Him shall overcome (1John5:4)!  Receive that and believe it!  That is His promise to those who are truly His!

Do continue to pray for us, Saints.  We are always in need of your prayers!

I would like to make some clarification as I feel some of my readers think Sean and I are telling them that they should find any church to go too so they can have fellowship.  That is far from what I am wanting to say about fellowshipping with other saints and it is my fault for not being clear.  I know it is VERY hard to find a church that preaches the truth.  Especially one that believes in the 5 main gifting's found in Ephesians 4:11 which is ordained by God to help mature the body of Christ.  Instead many churches today are set up like Old Testament structure while others are harlot churches who despise the true word of God.

What I am wanting to encourage the many out of church saints is to at least find one or two saints that they can meet with regularly.  I know many Saints I've met can at least find one or two brethren to fellowship with regularly.  Even though all their doctrine may not be completely agreeable with one another they have this one thing in common, THE CROSS.  Even with our differences with the Cross in common, many Saints can unite together with and be like minded, to help each other by exhorting and encouraging one another to live all for Jesus, to pray with each other, to study the bible together, and learn to serve each other for real.  It is hard to do these things through the internet.  You cannot have real fellowship through the internet.  Believe me when you start to physically meet with Saints daily it is humbling.  You really see how you are really like.  We like to think that we really love the Saints of God,  that we are very holy like, but I have seen many who have been out of church for awhile and when they do get together with Saints there's a lot of disagreements that have very little to do with the cross. Many can't handle their disagreements and want to quit on each other quickly, having little patient for each other.  And when God shows them something about themselves through the body, many Saints just want to run and hide.  I find that many Saints can't handle Body life because they have been alone for awhile without real relationships with other Saints.  Brethren, Jesus died for the Church (Saints) and I find He uses His Saints to help each other be true to Him. Paul encourages us not forsake the assembly of the Saints and to exhort each other daily (Heb.10:25)!  Yes, many can't find a big assembly of saints to fellowship with regularly, but I know many can at least find one or two.

I also want you all to know that I truly love you all, and many I have not met, but my love goes deep for all His people.  God knows how much my heart and mind is daily upon His people.  And I know of myself that I am weak in many ways.  I tell you the truth, when I am around other Saints, the Lord always humbles me and I see where I need to improve.  I try to examine my ways after I meet with Saints and see where I have come short with God and how I can better serve the brethren. The Lord is always faithful to rebuke me in times of not wanting to see my own faults when it comes to having bad attitudes, being impatient.....He has given me many dreams about myself where I have come short and I have learn to take His rebukes through dreams, so He gives me more :) .  My earnest desire is to be an example for the Saints of God, that I not be found hypocritical, and that all I have shared and encourage the Saints to do, I have done so myself.  I do not want to be like the pharisee who commands others to something that they will not do or have done themselves. 

Rom 15:18  For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—

God Bless You, Saints and Peace and Grace be multiplied to you!

There is something I see very much in Christianity that tells me that many Christians do not understand  the importance of the Body of Christ.  I have seen too many times how many Christians serve their physical family more than they serve their spiritual family which is their real family according to the Bible.  But, many Christians have not come to the revelation that God’s children are indeed their real family and the ones that they should lay their life down for.  However, many are laying their life down for the unconverted family.  

Many members of the Body of Christ play favoritism with their physical family.  They treat them more special than their spiritual family and see their unconverted family different than their lost neighbors or those unconverted out on the streets!   There is a special favoritism (which really is the fear of man)  toward their unconverted family members that causes them to stumble greatly when preaching and being a witness of Christ’s truth.  I find that many do not preach the whole counsel of the word of God to their family (many who are professing believers) and shrink back from being a witness because they fear the sword may come between them.  Brethren, I can tell you many times that sword will come down in your family because what does light and darkness have in common?  I find that many brethren do not share boldly (in grace, of course)  the word of God with their unconverted family as they do with the unconverted on the streets.  Does that not sound like special favoritism toward one group?  Does that not sound like putting your family above Christ?  You do not see Jesus doing that with His mother and brothers, but He put the spiritual family above the unconverted:


Luk 8:19  Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.
Luk 8:20  And it was told Him by some, who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.”

Luk 8:21  But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

I’m not saying just to forsake your physical family, but please don’t put them above your spiritual family which is really your family.

See, when we put family or anyone above God, we cannot be a true bondservant and be entrusted with His word.  We will add to His word because we still please and fear man.  And many have become ineffective in preaching to their unconverted families because they fear man and loosing their relationships with them.

Gal 1:10  For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.


(Actually, that can go both ways.  Many also fear to speak boldly the truth of God in the church also, especially when it comes to the lifestyles of the lukewarm.  I say lifestyle because so many can preach a forthright biblical preaching or talk the holiness talk, but I find many who preach the truth do not live it.  Be careful, that you are not among the hypocrites)


Jesus warned us that the sword would come down between the unconverted family members.

Mat 10:34  “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.
Mat 10:35  For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’;
Mat 10:36  and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’[e]
Mat 10:37  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
Mat 10:38  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

It grieves my heart when I see Christians would rather spend more time with their lost family members trying to convert them than desiring to see their spiritual family come to maturity by real discipleship.   How sad that many will drive long distance to visit and serve their unconverted family, but when it comes to true brethren it just seems like too much work.  Then we wonder why there is no revival, no unity……..where is the love for the true brethren?  There is a problem when we are more comfortable with our unconverted family than our spiritual family, when we rather spend time with them more than the Body of Christ.

Paul evangelized more than anybody I know, but you can tell clearly that  he had a fervent love for the body of Christ more than the lost.  It is clear in scriptures that he would die for the brethren and was very fervent in desiring to see them grow to maturity.  I find that many Christians seem scared to know each other intimately, to get into each others lives so that they would be better at ministering to one another, seeing more clearly one another’s lifestyle in order that we would know how to exhort and encourage, and get right down to the root of any problems. This is important, if you care about bringing brethren into true discipleship.  Now, I’m not saying that this is an easy thing to do, because its really not and that’s why many brethren stray from true discipleship, and those who are mature and capable of discipling see the cost and aren’t willing right now to loose their life over this one.  Truthfully, discipling can get ugly because brethren are at different stages, sometimes dealing with false converts, but if we truly love and want to see revival, unity, the glory of God, ect… than we would gladly die, like Paul, in order that others may have life and be ready on that Day.   Remember, how the Corinthians thought Paul was too hard and unloving.  They did not realize how much Paul labored for them, but that did not stop Paul from ministering right to their hearts, and through such labors brought the Corinthians to repentance!

My heart’s desire is to see the brethren have more love for the body no matter the cost.  To put His body above the lost and to see each member come to maturity.  Remember, that pure desires from above, like unity, revival…..have a great cost, it is not just by prayer, but also, by you laying your life down for the brethren.

Peace, and may the Lord give us much grace to love the brethren IN His truth.