Friday, February 20, 2015

The Lord Weeps    Meri Ford   February 20, 2015

How often do folks wonder what the Lord is doing in a time like we are in when hundreds are being killed, beheaded and made a public spectacle by insolent rebels who kill and destroy in the name of a god unlike the Lord God?  Today as I was reading I came across this scripture that stirred my heart.

Jeremiah 13:15---

Listen and pay attention;don't be proud!
For Adonai has spoken:
Give Glory to Adonai your God
before the darkness falls,
before your feet stumble
on the mountains in the twilight
and, while you are seeking light,
he turns it into deathlike shadows 
and makes it completely dark.
But if you will not hear this warning,
I will weep secretly because of your pride:
my eyes will weep bitterly, streaming with tears,
because Adonai's  flock is carried away captive........
When he sets over you as rulers
those you trained to be allies,
what will you say?  Won't pains seize you
like those of a woman in labor?
And if you ask yourself
"Why have these things happened to me?"
It is because of your many sins
that your skirts are pulled up and you have been violated.
....
This is....the portion I measure out to you 
because you have forgotten me
and trusted in the lie.
I myself will lift your skirts above your face
and your privates will be exposed. 

On the hills and in the fields,
I have seen your abominations,----
your adulteries, your lustful neighings
your shameless prostitutions.
Woe to you................
You refuse to be purified!
Won't you ever allow it?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many aspects of this seem so pertinent to the day we live in....
When he sets over you as rulers, those you trained to be allies?  
How often must we see this played out
in the Middle East before we realize something is amiss in these United States of America? How many more 
and questionable behaviors must be exposed before we realize and repent of our wicked and evil ways? We 
whine a complain about the corruptness and lies that come from government but have you looked on the
streets of any city today to see the corruption in the hearts and minds of the people?  Look at the movies, at the book
stores, at the pot shops and liquor stores and the porn stores?  Do we think that the Lord God doesn't see our
idolatries and our lustful behaviors.  It is true, we can no more change our wickedness than a leopard can change its spots as Jeremiah 13: 23 says, but the Lord God can work change in our lives through Holy Spirit as we are willing to give Him the praise and honor due the creator of the Universe, the one who holds the stars in place, the one who controls the four winds and sets boundaries for the sea that it cannot cross.  
We whine and fuss over health care and advertise our idolatries, one of which in America is our health and our lives. We are fitness and health food junkies thinking we can live one more day and fight the battle against inevitable death. As a result we have put into place the most primitive, abusive, controlling legislation to replace God as Jehovah Rapha, the Lord our Healer. He is our Life and in Him we have no fear of death. Yet we in America are so afraid of death and the dying process that we have opened the door for oppressive legislation that is in many ways is becoming the undoing of Americans.  Yes,,,,our skirts are being pulled up and we are being violated...and the Lord God says, I myself will lift your skirts above your face and your privates will be exposed.  
Prophetic word after prophetic word have gone forth the last ten years saying that He was going to bring to the surface hidden sins and the rottenness that is buried in the lives of this nation and the corruptness that is in the halls of our legislature and halls of justice and in the houses of worship. And we read about it daily in the paper and point our fingers at those "wicked" people. Yet they are just a mirror of the condition that we all find ourselves in apart from Himself, Adonai, Jehovah Jesus!!
And why? They would not give the honor and respect to the Lord God that belongs to Him, but chose to use their energies to meet the needs of their own pride and lusts.  And so it is with all of us apart from living and having our dwelling IN CHRIST.
He welcomes all who come to Him, who believe that because of the blood of Jesus, The Lord God sees us as His Sons, the object of His eternal love.  He longs to pour out the greatness of His love and power upon His people. But to those who choose not to honor Him, they will receive the fruit of their worship, the benefits of the gods they serve, which is nothing less than death and destruction.
 And what with the Eternal wise God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ be doing while all this is happening?
He will be weeping "secretly because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, streaming with tears, because Adonai's flock is carried away captive."
We are the sheep of His pasture and He cares for us, but He also gave us a choice to either recognize the greatness of His love and provision and guidance or to operate out of our own lusts and pride and run our own lives, even when it means running them into the ground, exposing ourselves to unseen enemies. And while He is weeping over the condition of His people, He will at the same time be  lifting our skits over our faces and exposing our private parts, that we might turn to Him and be restored and set free to be the sons of God that we were created to be and walk in the fullness of everlasting love that never fails.  Our shortcomings don't change God any more than seeing our young children fall while taking their first steps would turn our hearts against our young children. So our Father God, is a God of mercy...not giving us what we deserve, and of grace, giving us the fullness of His love that we don't deserve because of the sacrifice of His own begotten Son Jesus whose blood serves as a covering for our sins once and for all, that we might be seen as the perfect son of His Love!!
As the day grows dim and we continue to enter the darkness of this day, may we be reminded that He is Light, in Him is Light and in Him is no darkness. All the darkness that is in our souls and lives will flee as the Light of His Eternal Love shines into our hearts as we are willing to receive Him and honor Him...as the All Mighty, All knowing,seeing, Eternal, Every present God!
Meri Ford   February 20, 2015

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Who is Israel depending upon?

Who is Israel depending upon?   February 18, 2015


I read this quote tonight made by the prime minister of Israel.  I don't question the importance of his coming to the US but as I read this my heart was stirred by something that had come to my understanding many years ago.  

 "I'm going to Washington because [as] the prime minister of Israel it's my obligation to do everything in my power to prevent the conclusion of a bad deal that could threaten the survival of Israel."

One of the problems that the US will be facing as will Israel is the fact that Israel has looked to the US. What the US does or doesn't do isn't the key to the survival of Israel.  In much of the years past  the USA has been one of the great supporters financially and militarily of Israel, a lot due to the fact that for many years there were more Jewish people living in New York City than lived in the nation of Israel. As the USA due to the direction the leadership of this nation is taking, is less and less of the "saviour of Israel" it may be seen in retrospect that while we were indeed supporters of Israel, we actually were taking the Lord God's place in that nation and causing them to be dependent upon the USA instead of the Lord God.  This is seen somewhat in Netanyahu's statement above.  

It is the time when we in the USA, as much as we want this nation to stand behind Israel and be a part of the blessing that comes from blessing Israel, we know from the prophetic words recorded in scripture that before the day of the Lord's return, all the nations of the world will abandon Israel and THEN the Lord God will show the world that He indeed is the Lord God. 

I urge those who read this to be very thoughtful in the way you speak about the lack of support that appears evident for Israel that is growing in this nation as more and more of various religious persuasions move into this country.  It is true that those who bless Israel will be bless as is the reality that those who come against Israel will see the hand of the Lord come against that nation.  Yet we know that the Lord God is in charge..he is the one that rules the hearts of kings and presidents, men like Obama and Putin, even as he ruled the heart of Pharaoh in such a way to eventually release the Children of Abraham to move on towards the Promised Land.

These are times  that are increasingly like any in history, though in many ways a repeat of the way God has dealt with many nations throughout the history of mankind.  Our thinking presets from days gone by will not work the same righteousness that they might have even 5 years ago. It is a time when we are called above all else to "be in Rest" and have the intimacy with Him that allows us to speak what we hear Him saying and respond to what HE is doing.....not what we think and see with our own understanding that was valid in days past.

Meri Ford

Monday, February 2, 2015

Destiny

February 2, 2015

Just a real quick sharing of a thought that went through my mind that seemed powerful to me.

I was reading an advertisement for a tape on destiny...what is your destiny?  And the thought dropped into my mind that said,

Your destiny is NOW.

WOW....it brought to mind how often we are looking to accomplish something tomorrow....when in God's way of thinking there is just NOW.
Now is the day of salvation. Now faith is....

Be encouraged. You have the choice today to welcome Him and hear His voice and enter into his Rest today, now!! Now while the Rest is 
still available, that Rest that the Israelites didn't enter into. For indeed, it is Christ in us our hope of being like Him!!


Meri