BE STILL

Have you ever tried to watch a movie and actually hear what is being said while others are talking? It’s almost impossible to hear what is being said. Have you tried to have a conversation with your spouse or friend and they are so consumed with their phone, they haven’t heard a word you’ve said? We must learn to be still and listen for God.

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD. What does that mean? Have you ever heard anyone say, “Be still my heart?” I have heard that phrase repeatedly over the last few weeks. The Hebrew for “be still” can also be translated “let go,” or quit holding on to things that keep you from exalting God and giving Him His proper place in your life.

The power and ability to face adversities and the uncertainties of this life are found in God. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46 expresses trust and confidence in God during a time of insecurity and instability.

“Refuge” pictures a place of shelter away from danger, revealing to us that God is our true security in all the storms of life.

“Strength” refers to God’s might when battling the enemy and includes His power that works in us (Colossians 1:29) and enables us to overcome obstacles in life. You may have received the news you have cancer, your spouse may have abandoned you after thirty years, BUT GOD is with you. He is “a very present help in trouble.”

At other times in life, when you feel all alone, it is time to look inward and experience the amazing love of God and sense His warm embrace. It’s a time to look up to God, for all good things come from Him. Nothing that has happened to you will stop God’s plan for your life. Draw near to God by being still in His Presence. 

God desires that we find a place to be still and reflect upon Him and His amazing love. It is in the quiet where we sense His calming presence and where He gives us divine wisdom and insight. He delights in us when we come to Him with a pure heart and in childlike faith.

“There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.” (Psalm 46:4). God’s river is the continual flow of His amazing grace, glory, and His power in the midst of His faithful people. Keep your trust in God because the river of God, this pure life-giving river flows from God the Father (see Jeremiah 2:13), God the Son (John 4:14), and God the Holy Spirit (John 7:38-39). His river brings refreshing to us as believers in Jesus Christ and we experience a knowing in our hearts that God is with us and will never leave us nor forsake us.

When we are still and surrendered to God, we find peace even with the earth gives way. What an amazing way to live—fully knowing that God cares for you and desires to be in relationship with you. You will experience a relationship with God when you move past religion and experience His great love, fully knowing He will go before you to make every crooked place straight.

Run to Him and fall into His arms. Take time to be still where you can hear the Spirit of God speaking to you. Make it a daily practice—find a place to be still and know God. When you choose to come to Him and leave all the cares of the world each day, you are standing on holy ground. God delivers His own! There is no place so painful, no valley too deep, and no situation too hopeless for God.

It is imperative that we learn to rely on the Holy Spirit’s sustaining power because even though our sins have been forgiven in Christ as believers, our flesh will want to rise up and act out.

God’s goal for us is a lifestyle of sensitivity so we can hear Him in both calm and noisy situations. Practicing a time of being still will help you learn to listen for God’s still small voice and when He speaks through His Word. Since listening is critical for ensuring that our hearts are soft and open to divine guidance in every situation, it is imperative we learn to be still in God’s presence.

We must ask the Lord to teach us to hear Him and then work at having a quiet heart and attitude in life.

“Be still and know that I am God.”

DEBORAH STARCZEWSKI

Halloween is a time for kids and occasionally big kids to walk the streets to receive candy from neighbors. It is a time of festivities and fall festivals, with many having costume parties and a time of visiting friends and family. We have friends that love to decorate for all the holidays throughout the year—they choose to celebrate life! Life must be celebrated on a daily basis—in good times and not so good times.

Arriving at the door of a home for candy dressed in any form of costume can be a trick or a treat. It is not the devil’s day unless we give it to him. Halloween as found on Wikipedia means: a contraction of “All Hallows’ Evening’, also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve, is a yearly celebration observed in a number of countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day.

It is also thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. While I am fully aware there are angelic beings—both good and evil, we must know our authority in God by understanding the power in His Name and not live in fear of familiar spirits and evil.

In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1^st to honor all saints and martyrs; the holiday “All Saints Day” and incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. Over time, Halloween evolved into a secular, community event to bring children together to go to doors and receive candy and say “Trick or Treat.”

Halloween can either be a celebration or superstition. I am sure if you have lived long enough, you know that good and evil exist in life—from bullying, false accusations, false witnesses, to all sort of horrendous crimes. Enough said about that—so let’s get to the funny story.

Something happened that was quite funny a few days ago. Someone we know got caught with his hand in the cookie jar taking a cookie when he was off of sweets for a few days (no it wasn’t my husband), stole his kids donuts, and when trying to snatch his wife’s donut—well, you guessed it. He got caught.

I thought it was a great reminder for parents not to take their kids candy—but definitely check it. By the way, don’t use the excuse you are only checking their candy when you get caught eating a piece or two. Make sure to go to places where you know the people, and that all candy is properly wrapped and has been bought from a store, rather than trusting the lives of our children and grandkids to evil tricks and any unfortunate problems.

A few weeks ago, a group of us were fasting and praying for America and I was sitting in a restaurant when I heard the Holy Spirit speak to me that the man we will not name was wanting sweets right then so I sent a text to his wife to advise. She later called me to share that they were walking out of a local mall and he had just asked her if the cinnamon-sugar pretzels would be considered a dessert.  Too funny, don’t you think? God has amazing ways of letting us all know He sees and reveals all hidden truth. He also goes to extreme measures to teach us that we are hearing Him so that when it is something of great importance, we believe immediately.

The highest form of wisdom comes from God and gives us the capacity to see things from God’s perspective; then we move to obey God through following biblical truths.

The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit reveals all hidden truth and shows us things to come (take time to read John 14-16 chapters.) We need to hear God in the small things and the big things.

God uses daily life to train us to hear Him when we turn to Him to learn—and we choose to live by the Holy Spirit. The Gospel of Jesus Christ works in the time of crisis, when you don’t know what to do, when it seems all hell has been assigned against you, and when you receive that call of a bad medical report. God’s Word works in times of blessings, in peaceful times, in times of war, in all times. The divine guidance of God also works in making sure your kids are safe on Halloween.

Instead of living in fear, remember to honor God and His name. Let His Name be hallowed. What does that mean? It means roughly the same thing “let your kingdom come” and “let your will be done” as the first “Hallowed be thy Name.” God honoring His Name means making the holiness of the name known to the nations. Take time to read Ezekiel 36:22-24:

Therefore, say to the house of Israel, Thus says the LORD GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of My Holy Name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you come. I will sanctify [hallow] My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the LORD GOD, when through you I display My holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. (NRSV).

God’s Word works in the small and great, in your home to the nations!

DEBORAH STARCZEWSKI

The news of Hurricane Patricia headed toward southwestern Mexico Friday as a monster Category 5 storm—the strongest ever in the Western Hemisphere that forecasters said could make a “potentially catastrophic landfall” later in the day were signs that the earth is groaning. It seems like a repeat of what happened off the coast of South Carolina and North Carolina the weekend of October 2^nd and 3^rd.

The Bible says:

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.  (Romans 8:19-22)

The name Patricia is Latin in origin, and means “noble; patrician.” The Romans once were divided socially and politically into two major classes, the plebeians and the patricians. To be patrician meant one was highly ranked, an aristocrat. The name became popular when it was used for one of Queen Victoria’s granddaughters.

Storms have a way of bringing people to the awareness of what really matters in life—people and eternity. As I was researching the meaning of the name chosen for this storm, I found something very interesting. People with this name seem to have a deep inner desire for love and companionship, and want to work with others to achieve peace and harmony.

America is divided and we have a “Trojan Horse” within. What you don’t know in life can harm you. You can be trusting people in positions who are not doing their jobs ethically and morally. Not only can a nation or a group of people be divided, the heart can also be divided. Anyone can be drawn away from God. When we don’t guard our borders, we invite the enemy within. We must choose to guard our hearts as well.

People experience painful relationships and hurts and can oftentimes buy into the lies of Satan about what is right and wrong.

Satan comes to sow division and discord among God’s people because he knows his time is short and he is evil. Jesus came that we might have life!

God Himself has the greatest love for all mankind. He sent His Son Jesus to redeem all. If you don’t receive the gift of salvation, it will be your own fault.

The earth is groaning for the return of Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). We all have difficulties and trials that we are going through, especially if we are Christians. Satan hates Jesus and His followers. We must keep in mind that we are in the last days and things are going to be more difficult as the Word of God says. While many are trying to find God in the midst of life’s challenges, He may be closer than you think.

In the Bible, Romans 8:19 reveals that all of creation cries out and waits for the return of Jesus Christ. What can we do? We can cry out to God for conviction and repentance for all the lost and for all humanity as in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah. We must cry out for God to cleanse our hearts from all filth and seek God with all our hearts.

We find in Isaiah 24:5-6 why the world cries out for the return of Jesus as “the earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant…” and “the world is crying out in labor pains for the return of Jesus” to make all things right. Jesus said in Luke 19:40, “I tell you,” He replied, “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out” and for Jesus to come to them.

We are called to be living stones—and cry out for Jesus! (1 Peter 2:5) Until He comes, the function of the living stones is to “declare the praises of Him” who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light (1 Peter 2:7-9).

Names are important –if you will also reflect on what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah for a moment you will see for yourself. In Genesis 19:4-5 we can understand better when we pay attention to the word “know.” The word “know” is the same word in Genesis 4:1 where Adam “knew” Eve, and she conceived. In the context, Genesis 19:5 clearly reveals that “know” refers to sexual relations. The Sodomites were homosexual rapists as referred to in the Bible.

It became necessary for the angels to act and they pulled Lot into the house and shut the door. The Sodomites had given themselves over to sexual abandon of one kind or another. God’s purpose in destroying Sodom and Gomorrah is a lesson for us all today.

The pre-Flood world was destroyed for the same reason, so this kind of conduct was not new. (See Genesis 6:5, 11) Now we live in a nation who has changed laws to go against God’s Word. In Ephesians 6, the word “powers” is representative of evil in government. What more do we need to recognize the times?

We must pray for God to frustrate ALL EVIL PLOTS and UNGODLY COUNSEL. We bind the spirit of deception and injustice, and loose the Spirit of Truth and Justice from Heaven—in the name of Jesus—the Name above ALL names. It is time we rise up and bring the Kingdom of God to earth! The Christian life is difficult, but is also the most rewarding way of life.

Jesus said society would be similar to Sodom and Gomorrah before His return. The Apostle Paul wrote: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness…Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened…For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet” (Romans 1:18, 21, 26-27).

How long will God wait before He acts again? God desires that none should perish. He is longsuffering and has been sending messages to all to turn to Him. Turning to God in repentance will change your life forever. One day soon, the door will also be shut. Time as we know it will be over. What will you do?

We were recently at a wedding during the storm Joaquin and the flooding. After the rehearsal and dinner the night before the wedding the church was flooded—but the wedding still went on the next day. We must each be flooded with the Word of God and be ready for His return. Our foundation must be in Jesus Christ—the Living Word of God. Nothing else will stand!

The day of the wedding, we all headed to the reception. The storm ceased. What was quite interesting to me was a natural manifestation of things to come. We arrived with the wedding party and had the kids of my best friend in Texas, the Mother of the Groom, and my mom with me. The door had been shut for people to enter at the entrance for quests, so we entered in behind the Bride and Groom.

Just as the door was shut for anyone else to enter, we must keep in mind that the door will be shut for all eternity when Jesus calls us home. It is not enough to be onlookers or simply guests; we must be saved, stay close to Jesus and become part of the family of God.

When we go home to be with Jesus, the storms in our lives will cease forever as well. Like the disciples, we must stay in the boat with Jesus during the storms in this life.

We must stay close to Jesus (The Bridegroom—so that when time is over and He calls us home, we will be swept over the threshold for all eternity to be with Him). What a revelation from God of where we are in these last days! Make sure you are ready.

Christianity offers the best hope in a world that is passing away! He is coming back for His Bride—His Church.

“The One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their King will pass through before them, the LORD at their head.”(Micah 2:13)

After a wedding in the natural, it is customary for the Groom to pick up His bride and carry her over the threshold of their new home. As we stay close to Jesus, we will be swept over with Him. Jesus is the soon coming Bridegroom for His Bride—the Body of Christ (the Church).

God is calling us to share our faith and take as many with us—we must have childlike hearts and stay close to Jesus, watching for His return! Look up—our redemption draws near (see Luke 21:24-28).

GOD, have mercy on America and the nations!