CAN YOU IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT THE SUN?

Faith Filled Thoughts
August 1st, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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CAN YOU IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT THE SUN?



Scripture: Luke 1:78 "Through the tender mercy of our God; ... the Dayspring from high has visited us."

"The term "dayspring" means "the springing up of light." It is the dawning of the morning as the sun rises to give light to a darkened earth. This glorious light at dawn brings with it a freshness of new life and all of nature rejoices. The birds sing and the roosters crow, welcoming the sun and the birth of a new day. The dawning of the sun's light causes hope for all of the earth as it brings forth the promise of growth. We seldom give thanks to our Father God for the wonders of this phenomenon or the beauty of the sunrise, which is breathtaking. Instead we take the sunrise for granted and assume that it will be provided for us each and every day. It only takes a few days of dreary weather to cause us to appreciate the sun at dawn. Can you imagine life without the sun?

Luke said that Jesus is our Dayspring from on high. When Jesus visited us, He brought us life and translated us out of the kingdom of darkness into His marvelous light. John 1:4 says, "In Him was Life and that Life was the Light to men." He was sent to this earth like the rising of the sun because of the great love and the mercy of our Father God. He is the dawn that shines eternal light into the darkest places of our lives and causes all evil to flee. The night cannot overtake the day once the sun has risen, for physical darkness cannot absorb physical light. In fact, the greater the darkness, the greater the light seems to shine. Light a candle in a dark room and watch the darkness put it out. It can't, for that is an impossible challenge.

Likewise, spiritual darkness can never overtake the light of Jesus in our lives. The kingdom of darkness and evil cannot overcome, put out, or absorb His eternal light and life once the Dayspring has come to live within us. Verse seventy-nine tells us that Jesus will "shine and give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct and guide our feet in a straight line into the way of peace." We were sitting in Satan's kingdom of darkness waiting to die an eternal death until Jesus rose like the dawning of the day. His birth was a glorious sunrise. He became our Dayspring as He began to shine His light into our path and guide us into peace and eternal life. He said, "I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12)." Jesus is the "true light that lights every man" (John 1:9). We are forever blessed because Jesus, the Dayspring from on high, has visited us!!!


May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

LOOK INTO THE CHAMBER ROOMS OF YOUR HEART

Faith Filled Thoughts
July 31st, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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LOOK INTO THE CHAMBER ROOMS OF YOUR HEART

Scripture: II Corinthians 10:5 "Casting down imaginations ..."

Have you ever tried to clean a room, closet, or garage but found that your determination to do so was met with conflict by your own desires and actions? Your efforts were met with struggle, as you found it hard to get rid of the old junk. You looked at your broken items, declared that you still intended to fix them, and dreamed of having the time to master this feat. Even though you had items that were taking valuable space and that you had not used in years, you were afraid to throw them away because you thought that you might need them later. You didn't want to get rid of the clothes in your closet that are too small because you had hopes of getting back down to that size again. By the time you had finished your cleaning project, you ended up only discarding a few items and straightening the rest of the clutter. Everything left will continue to irritate you and eventually will have to be dealt with again.

Like our physical spaces, we have spaces within our hearts that desperately need to be cleaned out. I had some hurtful things in the past that I found hard to give up. My mind continually wanted to dwell on these disturbing thoughts that only revived the pain. One day when I began to recall the events and talk about the bitter pain of those days, my friend Erin said, don't go to that room." When she said those words, I began to realize that I had a spiritual room within my soul where I was harboring all the evil memories from the days gone by. Most of the time, I would visit this room alone, but sometimes I would invite a close friend to look inside my heart as I expressed my hurt. The therapy did help and their words usually comforted me, but my heart stayed cluttered. My soul was in total disarray, for I was surrounded by mental darkness and confusion because I could not understand why? As I began to look into this chamber within my heart, I saw that there was a spirit of bitterness on one shelf because I felt that part of my life had been stolen from me. On another shelf there was pain because I had been deceived by someone who I thought cared for me, and for that reason, I found it hard to trust others. There was a space that was full of hopelessness because I could not let go of the past and move towards the future. All of the other feelings such as self-pity, anger, and shame were also crammed into this space that should have been storing the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Just like the clutter in my physical closet, all of this spiritual baggage and junk was my stuff and I had to deal with it personally. No one could let go of the past for me or resist the spirit of anger or self-pity that was inside of me. I had to repent and seek God's forgiveness. I had to forgive those who had wronged me and also forgive myself for being deceived and making bad choices. I had to learn to consciously let go and cast down all of the painful memories of the past. I realized that if I wanted total deliverance, I couldn't just shut the door to the room, I needed to clean it thoroughly and then replace every negative thought with God's word or something good and peaceable. Memories remain, but I do not allow them to surround me with pain. I choose instead to learn from them and I look to the future with hope and trust God to restore the years that were stolen from me. I disallow myself to store up spiritual clutter. This is a continuing process in my life, for things are still being revealed to me.

I encourage you today to allow God to shine His light upon your heart and show you the things that you are harboring within your spirit that are contrary to His will and then begin to work towards removing them. If it is too heavy, the Lord will help you lift it. If it is too high, He will help you reach it. If it is too difficult to bear, He will carry it for you. If it is too hard for you to let go, then allow Him to take it from you. Allow the winds of His Holy Spirit to sweep through your spirit and let His precious blood wash you clean. Begin to cast down all of the imaginations that keep you from walking in the freedom and towards the destiny that God has ordained for you. The Lord is eager to help you get rid of weights that hinder you from being able to run the race that He has set before you. He is waiting for you to ask Him to help you clean your spiritual closet. Make a commitment to work with Him and enjoy your new day of beginnings!

LOOK INTO THE CHAMBER ROOMS OF YOUR HEART

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

OUR DEFENSE IS THE LORD

Faith Filled Thoughts
July 30th, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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OUR DEFENSE IS THE LORD


Scripture: I John 4:4 "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world."

There is not a day that goes by for any of us that we are not challenged in some way by our adversary, the devil. He works in many ways and is very persistent, roaming about twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week seeking whom he may devour. He creates irritating circumstances and brings fear and defeat into our lives. He causes discouragement, heartache, sickness, and pain, and his goal is to kill, steal, and destroy. The devil is a master gardener when it comes to planting seeds of doubt and unbelief in the hearts of men. He is also very cunning, for he knows that if he can cut off our spiritual life support, he can defeat us. So he begins by attacking our faith, which is our link to God and the blessings of Heaven.

Even though we are vulnerable for attack, we must understand that we have nothing to fear because, Our defense is the Lord, Himself. God is our only hope in the time of adversity, for the battle belongs to Him. He dwells within us and He is greater than the spirit that is in the world. We must simply position ourselves in faith and believe in His word. The devil may be bigger than you, but he is not bigger than the God that is within you. The disease that is attacking your body may be too big for you or your physician to handle, but it is not too big for the God who made your body and is inside of you. The devil may make your financial situation look hopeless. God, who is within us, is greater than any evil and negative report. He is larger than any raging storm and stronger than the fiercest enemy.

There is nothing and no one greater than our God. Harbor this secret in your heart so that whenever battles come your way, you can maintain your peace and joy. In the midst of your adversity, seek God and pray that His will be done in every area of your life here on Earth as He has planned it in Heaven. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and do not lean upon your own strength. Victory will then spring up within your spirit as you delight in the knowledge that "Greater is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit who is within you than the devil that is in the world.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

HIS LOVE

Faith Filled Thoughts
July 29, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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HIS LOVE



Scripture: Isaiah 30:18 (Living Bible) "Yet the Lord still waits for you to come to Him, so He can show you His love."

The Lord is a wonderful counselor, yet Israel consulted with everyone except God when they needed help and then ended up rebelling against Him. They yoked themselves with unbelievers and made a decision to go against the desires of God. Instead of depending upon God to help them in their battle, they went to Egypt to find aid and they put their trust in Pharaoh and his swift horses. Yet, God was still gracious to them and waited for them to return to Him so that He could show them His love.

This is a picture of a loving Father who never gives up on His children. Just as the Lord watched Israel, He sees us as we gather unwise counsel, and He warns us that our hearts are deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:19). The Lord sees us when we join ourselves with those who are not our equal and His heart aches as He watches us being subtly led astray by their words and deeds. God knows that our enemy seeks to devour us, but God is limited by our own attitudes and actions. Yet, in the midst of our rebellion, He continues to leave the door wide open and waits for us to repent and return to Him because He is faithful and He loves us so much.

When we leave God's path and begin to experience the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, He still hears our cries and He answers us. He never leaves us without comfort. In the midst of hardship and pain, verse twenty tells us that He allows us to see Him as Teacher with our own eyes. Some of the most important lessons of life are learned in the hardest of places. The psalmist said, "Before I was afflicted, I went astray" (Psalms 119:67). The psalmist was saying that affliction brings us back to the feet of our Master. In the most difficult times, we discover that God is there to tell us whether we should go to the left or to the right. We don't have to second-guess the situation. All we have to do is depend upon Him for directions. He said that we would hear His Voice behind us saying, "This is the way; walk in it." It is comforting to know that God is on our side; that He is for us, not against us. He is patiently waiting for us to return so that He can show us His love."


May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

THE EARTH WILL BECOME A SEED OF HARVEST

Faith Filled Thoughts
July 28, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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THE EARTH WILL BECOME A SEED OF HARVEST

Scripture: Deuteronomy 8:18 "But you shall remember the Lord your God: for it is He that gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant ...."

These words spoken by Moses make two things very clear concerning finances and blessings. First, Moses identifies the Lord our God as being the source of our wealth. He instructs us to remember the Lord, for He is the One who gives us the power to gain wealth. We have nothing that did not come from His gracious hands. We may think that we earned it all but the truth is that He gave us the abilities and He placed us in positions to gain our wealth. If you think about it, the power to get wealth is worth more than the wealth itself, for wealth in itself can be lost in a moment's time. We have witnessed this truth recently throughout the world as the tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and fires have suddenly destroyed the possessions of many. Their wealth failed as they lost their possessions, but the power to get wealth will enable them to regain everything that they lost, for God is able to restore all things and cause all things to work together for good in their lives.

Second, Moses states the purpose for our wealth and blessings is so that God can establish His covenant with His people. This is much the same as the unspoken covenant that we have with our own children. When they are born, we become committed to provide their food, clothing, allow them their special place at the family table, and meet their emotional needs. As they grow and continue to mature, we allow them other special opportunities such as the privilege of driving the car. As the parent, we are the source of their blessings and we share those blessings with them simply because they are our children and we love them.

God feels the same towards us. Yet our prosperity is never about us, but about what God wants to do with us, for we are only stewards of the material blessings that God bestows upon us. Remember that God's wish is that you prosper and be in health and this will happen as you first seek God's kingdom. As your soul prospers, God's blessings will come upon you so that He can use you to establish His covenant in the Earth. That means sharing with those who have nothing and who are not gifted with the power to gain wealth for themselves. God is never limited by our circumstances, but we must understand that contrary to everyone's wishes, not everyone is going to be rich in this world's goods, for Jesus, Himself, said that you will have the poor with you always. If you really want to be blessed with the power to gain wealth, then begin to be a blessing to those about you and seek to meet the needs of others. God will see your compassion and faithfulness. Even the smallest gift that you share to establish His covenant in the Earth will become a seed that will reap a harvest in your own life so that He can give you more to share.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

IF WE HAVE FAITH

Faith Filled Thoughts
July 25, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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Faith Filled thoughts released (mon –fri )

IF WE HAVE FAITH


Scripture: John 14:14 "If you will ask anything in My Name, I will do it" (John 14:14).

"If" is such a small word yet it holds within itself great potential, for much of what happens to us depends upon our response to this tiny word. The word "if" is like the small hinge that allows a big door to open and shut. Our simple response to God's "if" opens up enormous possibilities, for many promises in the scriptures are conditional upon our acts of obedience. God gives us a binding contract in His Word and says, "If you will, then I will." He then waits for our participation in this agreement and when we act in faith upon His word, He watches over it to perform it.

We all need redemption for our souls and God stands on the other side of "if" and declares, "If you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved" (Romans 10:9). We grope around in darkness searching for light, and God says, "If you will draw out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall your light rise in obscurity, and your darkness be as the noonday" (Isaiah 58:10). When we need answers to prayer, God is sitting on the other side of "if' in Heaven waiting for us to call out to Him, for He says, "If My people, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (II Chronicles 7:14). On the other side of "if" the Lord listens for our prayers of agreement and promises that, "If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father, which is in Heaven" (Matthew 18:19). We experience weariness in our labor, but God encourages us with the words "If you faint not, you will reap in due season." We desire to be used by God and from the other side of 'if", we hear Him say, "If you purge yourself, you will be a vessel of honor and fit for the Master's use" (II Timothy 2:21). We desperately need forgiveness, and He says, "If we confess our sins, He will be faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9).

We stand on this side of 'If" with many needs while the Lord is on the other side ready and able to meet those needs. He is waiting for us. If we seek the Lord, we will find Him. If we have faith, we can speak to mountains to be removed. If we serve God, He will honor us. If we love one another, all men shall know that we are His disciples. There is an endless list of what awaits for us on the other side of this challenging word "if." Our help and deliverance comes from God, but we have a large part in the outcome. If we want to see God's word completed in our life, we must focus not only on the potential blessing that God has stored up for us but also meet the requirements that are needed to receive His promise.
If we have faith!!!!
May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

Allow Him To Lead Us By His Spirit

Faith Filled Thoughts
July 24, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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ALLOW HIM TO LEAD US BY HIS SPIRIT

Scripture: Psalms 1:1 (NIV) "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, or stand in the way of the sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful."

This psalm gives us the characteristics of the man that is blessed and speaks of his righteous behavior and of his fruitfulness. A blessed man "does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly." In other words, he doesn't lean upon the world's system, but instead looks to God for wisdom (James 1:5). The blessed man makes Jesus his Wonderful Counselor, for the Spirit of wisdom and understanding rests upon Jesus (Isaiah 9:6). We are blessed when we are able to trust the One who has these attributes and when we allow Him to lead us by His Spirit. As we listen to His still small voice, we will hear Him speak words of wisdom concerning all the matters that we do not understand.

Second, the blessed man "does not stand in the way of sinners." He doesn't visit or hang out in the places where sinners go so that he doesn't put himself in the position to compromise his convictions in a moment of pressure. George Washington warned us that, "Bad company corrupts good behavior." We often become whom we are with, so we must turn ourselves away from enticing situations.

Third, the man who is blessed "does not sit in the seat of the scornful." David refused to sit with the wicked (Psalms 26:5) and Jeremiah, the prophet, chose to sit alone because the hand of the Lord was upon him. He had rather be by himself than to sit in the assembly of the mockers (Jeremiah 15:17). There are times we must choose to separate ourselves from negative influences if we want to be blessed by God. Notice that the scorner or the mocker was listed with the wicked and sinner.

And fourth, the blessed man "delights in the law of the Lord and meditates in God's word day and night." He continually thinks on the word, rolling it over and over in his mind and spirit until it speaks God's wisdom to him. One of David's prayers was that the meditations of his heart would be acceptable to God. This should also be our prayer if we desire to fall into the category of the blessed. When the psalmist spoke of the blessed man, he listed four results that would occur in our lives when we meditate upon God's Word and allow it to rule our heart.

"1) Stability - "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.)

"2) Fruitfulness - "He shall bring forth fruit in his season.

"3) Beauty - "His leaf shall not wither.

"4) Prosperity - "Whatever he does shall prosper."

If you want to be blessed in this manner then stay planted by the rivers of water.
Draw your strength from the Lord and do not walk,
stand, or sit in places or with people that will distort God's Word
and draw you away from the Living Water.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

HE CAN FREE YOUR BRUISES FROM THE PAST

Faith Filled Thoughts
July 23, 2008
By Connie Ciccone

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HE CAN FREE YOUR BRUISES FROM THE PAST

Scripture: Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to ... set at liberty those that are bruised.

"The word "bruise" has two meanings. A physical bruise is an injury in which the skin is not broken, but the blood vessels underneath are ruptured and are hemorrhaging. The second definition of bruise refers to a psychological injury. The Greek translation of "bruise" in this scripture refers to the second definition. It means the injury of one's feelings, to crush, or to hurt psychologically by pounding into minute fragments. Both of these type of bruises hurt, but most often the second one is most painful.

At some point in your life, you most likely have experienced an emotional injury that has left you feeling totally crushed. Emotional bruising and crushing come through various circumstances such as death, divorce, financial disappointments, or debilitating illness. Adverse circumstances and situations such as these pound and shatter us into minute fragments until we reach the point of hopelessness. Life seems unfair and we are stripped of the desire to go on. Like a physical bruise, our emotions suffer much pain, and long after the injury, this emotional bruising is still visible in our lives. We may try very hard to hide our feelings from others like we try to hide a bad physical bruise, but the tenderness in our hearts, minds, and emotions remain and it can be sensed by others who are close to us.

Bruised emotions are a form of captivity, but there is a release, for Jesus was anointed to set at liberty those who have been injured in this way. Galatians 5:1 says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty where with Christ has made you free, and don't be entangled again with the yoke of bondage." If you have been bruised emotionally, Jesus came to proclaim liberty to you and to set you free and He wants you to stay free. He opened the door for you to leave your captivity, but you must not allow yourself to be entangled with the yoke of bondage.

When you leave your bruised emotions behind, you must not go back to your place of captivity. Obey the scriptures that say, "Think on the things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of virtue, or of praise" (Philippians 4:8). In other words, refuse to allow your mind to dwell on the things that bruised and crushed you in the past. Don't keep hitting your bruise. Allow yourself to heal and allow God to set you free. He is able to restore you and put you back together again if you give Him all the pieces!!! amen
May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

THE PRUNING EXPERIENCE

Faith Filled Thoughts
July 22, 2008
By Connie Ciccone
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THE PRUNING EXPERIENCE

Scripture: John 15:2 "Every branch that beareth fruit, He purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

"Jesus spoke comforting words to us concerning the purging and pruning process that happens in our lives. When God begins to purge or prune you, it is a sign of two things. First, it is a sign that you are already a fruit-bearing branch because Jesus said, "Every branch that is bearing fruit He purges it." Second, it is a sign that He is preparing you to "bring forth more fruit." God is not happy with just "fruit," He wants "more fruit." As we watch the gardener prune the shrubs just before Spring we often wonder if the shrubs will be able to return, for it seems they are left hopeless and bare. But it is all a part of God's plan, for it is only in the pruning that new strength and life can be gained. So it is with your spiritual life. God cuts away and separates you from the things that are unnecessary. Sometimes it's things that you really enjoy or friendships that you don't want to give up. But the convicting power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God leads you to lay those relationships aside and follow God in a closer walk. Other times you feel the pain of His pruning shears through trials and tribulations that separate you from your own selfish desires.

God sees your future and knows the work that He wants to produce in your life. He also knows just how much to cut away so that you can produce more fruit. Verse three says that He convicts and cleanses you through the Word that He speaks to you. Hebrews 4:12 says, "The word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." His word goes right to your spirit and heart and prunes away all that would leave you stunted.

You are only left to yourself and not pruned when God does not expect you to bear any more fruit. Sometimes you may see your hopes and dreams fade away as He prunes your life, but "His ways and thoughts are much higher than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9). He has a good plan in mind and He wants to enlarge your borders. At the moment, all that you can see is the purging, and all that you can feel is the pain, but God sees a productive season and a fuller life ahead for you. He envisions the fruit that you will bear so don't be discouraged. Remember that in every pruning experience, you have this assurance that your loving Father is the one who is holding the pruning shears!

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

IT TAKES FAITH TO FORGIVE

Scripture: Luke 17:4-5 "If your brother trespass against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turns again to you saying, I repent; you shall forgive him. And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith."

As Jesus was teaching about forgiveness and the necessity to forgive again and again, His disciples asked Him to increase their faith. The two main things in this context of scripture is faith and forgiveness, for it takes faith to forgive. Jesus responded by telling them that they only needed a little faith as a grain of a mustard seed. He said that with a small amount of faith, they could tell the sycamine tree to be plucked up and cast into the sea, and it would obey. The sycamine tree was known for its particularly strong roots and was regarded as almost impossible to be uprooted. Yet with just a little faith, even the roots of bitterness and unforgiveness could be uprooted and cast into the sea.

In verse one, Jesus says that it is impossible for offenses to never come. We live in an imperfect world and at some point in time, we will offend others as well as be offended by them. Misunderstandings will happen, views and opinions will clash, and actions will be disappointing. Time and time again, our feelings will be hurt and our hearts will be broken by those we love. Jesus let us know that even though repeated offenses are frustrating, we must always forgive. In another scripture, Jesus told Peter to forgive seventy times seven, which equals four hundred and ninety times (Matthew 18:22). Four hundred and ninety times is a lot of forgiving, but Jesus was stressing the point that regardless of what is happening, we can't allow offenses to take root in our heart. If offenses take root, they will become like the roots of a sycamine tree, strong and almost impossible to deal with.

Matthew 6:15 says, "If we do not forgive others, we also cannot be forgiven by our Father in Heaven." The unforgiving spirit and bitterness caused by the offenses that we harbor in our hearts will make it impossible for us to receive forgiveness from God. It does take faith to forgive in the manner that Jesus described, but forgiveness is a choice. It is also God's law and it works. You must trust that your offender's repentance is true and you must forgive them, and forgive them, and forgive them, and then continue to forgive. You must exercise your faith to forgive, seventy times seven if necessary. So at the first sign of offense, use the little faith that you have and forgive.

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

BE OF A CLEAR SOUND

Scripture: I Corinthians 14:8 "For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

The ancient Hebrews used an instrument that was called a shofar, which was a trumpet that was made from a ram's horn. It was used to sound an alarm, to summon the people together, or in various rituals. It dictated to the people what their response should be, for it made certain and clear sounds with a specific purpose in mind, which was to call the people to war, celebration, or worship. It is still used today by the Jewish people at their New Year's celebration of Rosh Hashanah and their most holy day of Yon Kippur.

The shofar was put under much pressure before it became the instrument that could be used in such a manner. It had to be cut from the ram and the inside of it had to be totally gutted and made clean. It then had to be boiled until it was soft and pliable and put under fire so that it could be shaped. After this process was complete, the shofar had to be sanded until it became smooth. Only after this enduring process was it ready to fulfill its purpose and its destiny, which was to make a clarion call to battle, celebration, or worship.

The Apostle Paul encouraged us to be like a trumpet that gives forth a certain sound. We all want to fulfill that call and purpose, but not many of us want to go through the process of becoming the instrument that God can work through, for it is much like the process of refining the shofar. Our souls must be cut away from everything that would hinder our freedom in Christ and we must allow ourselves to be totally cleaned within by God's Holy Spirit. This is not an easy process because God offends our minds in order to test our hearts. Often we do not understand His works of righteousness, for there is much pain that is involved to affect His purposes in our lives. He allows us to experience the fire so that we become soft and pliable enough to be shaped in His hands. Then just about the time that we think He is finished and we are ready, He begins the sanding process. We must remember God is not trying to be cruel to us. He just wants to make sure that our words and lives are making a clear and certain sound to those about us. We are the hope of His glory and His kingdom depends upon our testimony. We are epistles read of all men and we are not to be confusing to those about us. Our lives are to be sure and our sound is to be certain, whether it is a call to battle, celebration, or worship!
May He Bless You and Keep You Today!

With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie