Blind Old Eli

1 Samuel 3:1-5

"3 Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And THE WORD OF THE LORD WAS RARE IN THOSE DAYS; there was NO WIDESPREAD REVELATION. 2 And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when HIS EYES HAD BEGUN TO GROW SO DIM that HE COULD NOT SEE, 3 and BEFORE THE LAMP OF GOD WENT OUT IN THE TABERNACLE of the Lord where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, 4 that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!” 5 So he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.”

(Samuel and Eli)

Eli, the high priest, was getting old.  He was high priest during a time when it was rare to get a word from the LORD.  

The Holy Spirit records that "his eyes had begun to grow so dim he could not see."  He was literally quite BLIND. Then, He seems to switch gears.  In the second part of the very same verse He starts talking about the lamp in the tabernacle.  He says, and I quote, "before THE LAMP in the tabernacle went out completely, God raised up the young boy, SAMUEL."  

Why did He jump from talking about Eli to the lamp?   He's painting pictures for us again.  You see, Eli wasn't just physically blind but spiritually as well.  He no longer heard from God.  The young boy Samuel, however, was listening.  His name in Hebrew comes from the root word, "Shemá," which means "hear." 

In addition to his blindness, old Eli was also a corrupt and fleshly priest high priest.  His two sons, "Hophni and Phinehas," we're a couple of unprincipled scoundrels who cheated, defrauded and abused the people who came to the temple to offer their sacrifices to God.  It got so bad that the people began to despise the offerings to the LORD.  God was NOT PLEASED!

Hophni comes from the root word, "chophen," which means, "fists." Phinehas means, "mouth of brass."  Brass, just like bronze in the bible, means, "judgment."  A related name is, "Nahash," which means "serpent."  Their names paint quite a picture, don't they?  They were "beating" the people by painting God as "judgmental, angry and vengeful."

(Hophni and Phinehas defraud the people of God)

"Nachash" is an apt description, isn't it?  These two young men were a couple of snakes:  Contentious, judgmental with no love for anyone but themselves.  They even went so far as to commit adultery with many of the women who came to the temple.  Most definitely GOD WAS NOT PLEASED!

Was old Eli aware of their wickedness?  Oh, yes.  Their father heard of all their evil deeds BUT DID NOTHING ABOUT IT.  He typifies the kinds of outer court ministries in the Church today that dish out judgment.  They paint God as angry and vengeful.  Like Levites of the old Covenant, they disqualify and abuse the sheep of Jesus' flock with all their self-righteous "judgments."  

Like Eli, they are also blind--no vision, and deaf--no fresh revelation--because they, too, no longer hear from God.  How can you tell?  They spout the same, tired, old doctrines that are still being taught in seminary, like so much dry, stale bread.  They just keep dishing out the same old stuff year after year.  

That's what the law produces:  DEATH.  Dead eyes and dead ears.  It is why many people today, particularly the young generation, don't even want to come to the "temple" any more.  Frankly, I don't blame them.

Samuel, on the other hand, is a picture of the new Covenent, the young Melchizedek priesthood that God is raising up in these final hours before His return.  The third time God called to Samuel he said, "Speak, LORD, for your servant heareth."  THE NEW KIDS LISTEN.

( Hannah brings Samuel to the temple.) 

Samuel's mother, you recall, was barren.  Her name was "Hannah," which means, " grace."  The fact that she named her son, Samuel, is quite significant because it shows that "GRACE PRODUCES HEARING," just as surely as the law produces blindness, deafness and death.

The Bible says old Eli was very heavy.  In other words, "obese."  When he heard the news that the Philistines had "captured" the Ark, fell over backwards, broke his neck and died.  I put captured in quotation marks because the truth is Israel lost the privilege of having it in their midst.  God allowed it to be taken captive which is another story in and of itself. 

(For more on what happened to the Ark, follow this link:  

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2015/01/why-did-oxen-stumble.html)

Notice that the news of the Ark's "capture" was delivered to him "by the mouth of a Benjamite."  THIS IS NO ACCIDENT!  Why?  

(Joseph and Benjamin reunited.) 

Remember when Benjamin, the younger brother of Joseph, was restored at last to his brother?  Though he blessed the other ten brothers, Benjamin, the youngest of all, Joseph blessed with FIVE TIMES MORE THAN ALL THE OTHERS.  Five is the number of grace.  Ben-jamin means "son of the right hand."  The right hand is what they in that culture used to dispense the FIRST BORN BLESSING!

The other ten received far less.  They are a picture of the law and the law-centric of today.  They, like the other ten brothers, have far less favor on their lives because they are too busy trying to obey the law, causing them to fall from grace.  (See Galatians 5:4)".  

Both Joseph and Benjamin had the same mother, Rachael, whose name means, "Ewe:  Sheep," a picture of grace.  At the time Benjamin was reunited with Joseph, Simeon, whom Joseph previously ordered bound and held captive, was then set free.  

Ever wonder why he had this particular brother not only held captive but ordered him bound in the first place?  The answer is found in the meaning of his name!  Simeon, like Samuel, both come from the same root word, "Shemá: hear."  

In His first coming, Jesus, the greater Joseph, wasn't recognized by His brothers, the Jewish people, as the Messish.  He was crucified and rejected.  After a 40-year grace period, God allowed the temple to be destroyed in 70A.D. by General Titus.  Afterward the Jewish people were scattered into all the nations of the world.  But in 1948, EVERYTHING CHANGED.   

For 2,000 years they were scattered, bothe "blind and deaf" to the truth about their brother and Messiah, Jesus.  Simeon was bound, painting a picture of that blindness and deafness.  It began to be lifted when they came back as a nation in 1948.  From that day to this, more and more of Jesus' earthly family have come to know Jesus as their Messiah than ever before in history!

Concurrently in these last days, the Benjamin company:  The grace generation, US, have come on the scene.  We're the new kids in the block, not necessarily young in age, but new and fresh with fresh revelation.  Just as HEARING is being restored to Israel, so HEARING is at last is being restored to the Church!  SIMEON IS UNBOUND AT LAST!

It's a new day!  No more will Abba allow the old priesthood to beat His flock instead of feeding them.  

No more will they be made to fear and tremble, thinking that there is something they can do that will cause them to lose their salvation.  AS IF!

NO!  They are coming to know that they are the righteousness of God in Christ and that all the sins of their entire life are forgiven, even the ones they will commit tomorrow, next week, next year: forever put away!  There is therefore, NOW, NO CONDEMNATION of any kind at any time!  Never was; never will be.  

These fired up, head-over-heels, in love with Jesus, people are living holy lives EFFORTLESSLY....without their pastor's works or strivings to "birth Christ in people," (whatever that means--as if He wasn't there all along).  They're reaching the lost with the REAL Gospel, not the "Do good, get good; Do bad, get bad" nonsense they've heard for years but the "you-get-the-good-you-DON'T-deserve-because-Another-got-the-bad-you-do-deserve" message!

The LIGHT of the world!

Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:5b-9

"5...giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

9 FOR HE WHO LACKS THESE THINGS IS SHORTSIGHTED, EVEN TO BLINDNESS, AND HAS FORGOTTEN THAT HE WAS CLEANSED FROM HIS OLD SINS."

There is no more blindness; no more short-sightedness, no more tired, old Eli. There is no more lack of true revelation or of fresh bread and the water of the word.  The new priesthood is FEEDING the sheep because they understand THAT'S HOW THEY GROW.  That's the secret to holy living:  FEEDING.  

The more well-watered with revelations of Jesus' beauty and glory, the more the pastor points TO the Shepherd instead of AT the people, the more Jesus is lifted up and glorified and the stronger the Church becomes!  This message is bringing the so-called "hopeless" young generation back to the "temple" in droves!

Death to the old order has come at last from the most unlikely source:   

The word of a Benjamite as told to Blind old Eli.

Eutychus: The Story behind The Words

Acts 20:7-12

7"Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together. 9 And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. 10 But Paul went down, fell {epepesen} on him, and embracing him said, “Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.” 11 Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed. 12 And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted."

The Holy Spirit is quite a story teller, isn't He?  He has structured the Bible so it is multi-layered storehouse of treasure.  Peel it back, layer by layer, like an onion, and you find the most amazing things!   It is full of stories about every facet of Jesus' beauty, glory, majesty and humanity!

There are basically four levels of Bible study:  Parshat, Remez, D’rash & Sod."  Each layer is deeper than the one before.

#1:  The first level is called "P’shat"  (pronounced peh-shaht’).  It means “simple."  Basic truths and principles are learned by their study. All believers start out here.  But God doesn't intend that we stay here but progress in the grace and the knowledge of the aloud Jesus Christ; that we move on to deeper levels.  

Deeper meanings and understandings do not change the Bible in any way, of course.  They are not "new revelations."  They were always there. But just as your understanding of any other subject grows deeper and more detailed, so too our understanding of God's amazing book!

#2:  The next level of study the rabbis call, "Remez"  (pronounced reh-mez’) meaning “hint."  This is where another (implied) meaning is alluded to in the text, usually revealling a deeper meaning. There may still be a p’shat  meaning as well as another meaning as any verse can have multiple  levels of meaning.

An example of implied Remez is Proverbs 20:10 – Different weights, and different measures, both of them are alike an abomination to the  Lord. The p’shat would be concerned  with a merchant using the same scale to weigh goods for all of his customers.  The remez implies that this goes beyond this into aspects of fairness and honesty in anyone’s life.

#3: D'rash ( pronounced "deh-rash) is also called "Midrash." It is the third level of study.  A Drash understanding can not be used to strip a passage of its p’shat meaning, nor may any such understanding contradict the p’shat meaning of any other scripture passage. As the Talmud states, “No passage loses its p’shat.”   It uses scripture to interpret itself which it does very well.

This teaching, exposition or application of the P’shat and/or Remez, in some cases, could be considered comparable to a “sermon.”  For instance, Biblical writers may take two or more unrelated verses and combine them to create a verse(s) with a third meaning.

A perfect example of "Midrash" is John 3 & 4.  In Chapter 3, Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, came to Jesus by night.  He had questions, as most religious people do, and he was afraid of other religious leaders finding out that he sought Jesus out for a private audience.

In the very next chapter, Jesus sought out a woman who was living in sin, a Gentile AND a Samaritan at that, a race of people hated by the Jews.  HE CAME TO HER IN BROAD DAYLIGHT;  high noon in fact!  He also revealed Who He really was to her:  The Promised Messiah.  He didn't do that the the ruler, Nicodemus, notice.  Amazing!

One came to Him in the dark; the other He purposely went looking for in broad daylight.  Compare and contrasting chapters.  The book of Luke is full of chapters compared side by side, demonstrating Grace contrasted with Law.

It is important to note that no layer contradicts or changes any other in any way.

#4:  The 4th layer of Bible study is called the "Sod"  (pronounced sewd or sood)  It Means “hidden”. Im this layer of Bible study are found the  hidden, secret or mystic meanings of the text. Some examples of this would be the dragon, whore of Babylon, and number “666,” all from the book of Revelation.  Any meaning that is prophetic in nature would be a "Sod" interpretation.  

It is down in the "sod," where you find what I like to call, "the story behind the words."  Include a study of the Greek and Hebrew and you find that even the letters themselves reveal wonderful truths that warm and bless us with beautiful pictures of Jesus.  That's how we are transformed, after all:  By beholding His glory and beauty!  

Eutychus.

On the surface, this is a story about a young man who sat in a window, presumably to get some fresh air.  It's a hot climate, after all, and they were on the third floor.  One could come away simply with a lesson about the dangers of falling asleep in Church.  Remember, they were meeting together "on the first day do the week:  Sunday."

If you've ever had anyone fall asleep during your sermon, don't feel too bad.  This was the most famous preacher of all time, who wrote three fourths of the New Testament:  The Apostle Paul himself!  But, to be fair, he did talk a "bit" long; all evening in fact, up untill midnight!  I'd be tired, too!

But our favorite story teller had more than that on His mind.  He has a revelation that applies to us here in the 21stcentury. It's hidden in this story behind the words.  Let's dig a little deeper and see what else He wants us to know.

Throughout scripture, there are typologies, meanings in numbers and in names, places and things.  Our famous preacher, Paul, was in a THIRD-STORY room.  He was preaching for a very lo-o-o-ong time, on the "THIRD HEAVEN."   That's why the young man in the story, Eutychus, fell asleep in the first place.  

His name in Hebrew means "good fortune."  You wouldn't think he was having such good fortune, would you though, since he fell out of that very same THIRD STORY to his death!

You noticed the bold, capitalized words?  The meanings of numbers in the Bible is called by the rabbis, "gematria:  meaning of numbers."  (For more on this topic, follow the link below:

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2015/11/bible-numerics.html

 "3," is the number of "resurrection."  Jesus was resurrected on the third day.  Eutychus fell out of a "3rd" floor window while Paul was preaching on the "3rd" heaven.  He came down to where the fallen young man lay dead, fell on him and raised him from the dead!

The word in Greek here for fell is "epepesén," the same word as used in Acts 10:44 when the Holy Spirit "fell" on the Gentiles for the first time; He literally gave them a Holy Spirit "bear hug!"  After
being brought back to life, Paul led the young man back upstairs and they "broke bread."  In other words, they had communion. 

The mention of the "third story and third heaven," is a reference to events that will happen that will bless the church on the "third day." 

2 Peter 3:8 "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."

 You see, as God reckons time, a thousand years is as, or like, one day TO HIM.  Doesn't say it's "exactly" a thousand years, but more or less that time frame.  By that reckoning, Jesus has been gone from this earth only two days.  When the year 2,000 dawned, we crossed over into the early dawn hours of the THIRD DAY.

It is noteworthy that he was a "young man."  Why?  Through this story of Eutychus, the Holy Spirit is painting a picture of today's youth.  

Have you ever heard anyone express that the young generation seems so lost that they appear to be beyond hope---you know, DEAD---for all intents and purposes, as dead as this young man, Eutychus?  Well guess what?  THEY'RE NOT DEAD--not really.  They're only "sleeping," like Jairus' daughter.

(For more on that topic, follow this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2015/12/talitha-cumi.html)

What will bring them back to life?  THE PREACHING OF THE REAL GOSPEL:  "GRACE."

It is being restored to the Church in these last days!   Like young Josiah who found the book of the law, read and began to follow it, commanding his people to do likewise, so the Real Gospel has been found and restored to us!  It is spreading across the globe like so much Holy fire
accompanied by signs, wonders and people of all ages getting saved right, left, center!  

The importance of taking communion weekly, even daily, is also being restored to the Church.  It is being given it's rightful place and effecting the blessings it was intended to bestow on God's people.

Ministers who are preaching mixture, trying to "balance" grace with the law--WHICH GOD HATES--don't understand they are doing so; that they are actually harming the sheep. To be blunt:  THEY ARE KILLING THEM.  If they knew they were not preaching the true gospel, I'm sure they would cease.  But thank God He is opening more and more eyes of those godly, well-meaning pastors. 

In our day, thankfully, we are coming out of Babylon, meaning out of confusion. The stone--the law--is being rolled away, Halleluia!  It will finally be rooted out and it's preachers replaced by shepherds who will feed the sheep, not beat them.

So, keep on keepin' on, people of grace.  Keep on teaching the truth.  A great true gospel revival is coming your way.  And keep on looking and listening for the story behind the words.

Psalm 91 Part 7 of 7: With Long Life Will I Satisfy You

Psalms 91:14-16

“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;

I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; 

I will be with him in trouble; 

I will deliver him and honor him. 

With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.

When you understand how much God loves His Son, you begin to understand how MUCH He loves you!  When you understand that, you won't have to work or strive to set your love upon Jesus: YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SET YOUR LOVE ON ANYONE OR ANYTHING ELSE!  You'll become head-over-heels intoxicated with His love without even trying.  We love because He first loved us and gave Himself for us.  Amazing!

.....THEREFORE, since your love is now (effortlessly) set on Him, God WILL--not maybe, not could be, not probably--HE WILL, most assuredly, most definitely deliver you!  You can count on it.

God says He WILL set you on high.  That means that whatever you do He WILL give you good success and prominence.  If you own a company, He WILL cause it to have greater visibility. If you are a minister, He WILL enlarge your ministry.  If you have a job, He WILL see to it that you're elevated to a position, like Joseph in Egypt.  You WILL have a greater sphere of influence.  

All this is not to inflate your ego but so that you can share the truth of this wonderful Jesus with as many people as possible! 

Why does Jesus have a Name that is higher than any other name?  Phillipians 2:5-10 says,

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but:

#1. MADE HIMSELF OF NO REPUTATION, taking the form of a... 

#2. BONDSERVANT, and  coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a... 

#3. MAN...

#4. He HUMBLED HIMSELF and...

#5. Became OBEDIENT to the  point  of... 

#6. DEATH, even... 

#7. The DEATH OF THE CROSS.

THEREFORE.....

God also has HIGHLY EXALTED Him and given Him a NAME WHICH IS ABOVE EVERY NAME, that at the name of JESUS EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those in heaven...ANGELS, and of those on earth...PEOPLE, DISEASES, LACK, 

and of those under the earth...DEMONS, 

and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

The Father did not give Jesus that NAME just because He was His Son, which, of course, He is always.

The Father didn’t give Jesus that NAME because of all the signs and wonders He performed while on earth, which He did.  AMEN!

HE HIGHLY EXALTED HIM BECAUSE HE TOTALLY HUMBLED HIMSELF MORE THAN ANY OTHER.  

He went down seven times.  Seven is the number of completeness!

#1.  He went one step down by making Himself of NO REPUTATION. Divested Himself of His Diety.

#2.  He went another step down by becoming a man.  But not just any man.  He was born as a tiny, helpless infant, dependent on His Mother.

#3. Being found in fashion as a man, He further humbled Himself to that of a servant.  But not just any servant...

#4.  A bondservant.

#5. But not just any bondservant, the most obedient one.

#6.  He died a physical death.  But not just any death for there are many forms of death.

#7.  He died the worst, most shameful kind of death:  the death of the cross.

Seven steps dow.  Perfectly complete submission!.....THEREFORE GOD HIGHLY EXALTED HIM!!!

.....THEREFORE, because He humbled Himself more than anyone, has God given Him THE NAME THAT IS ABOVE EVERY NAME, that at The NAME OF JESUS, every knee should bow. Of things in heaven:  Angels.  

Of things on earth.  His Name is above the name of cancer, heart disease, Ebola, of A.I.D.S., S.A.R.S., even death, financial lack.  His NAME is above the name of every problem or situation you can name.  

JESUS' NAME is the answer.  The only NAME you need to know!

It doesn't say, please note, that at the Name of God every knee shall bow but at the NAME OF JESUS!  

"Of things under the earth."  Demons.  

Remind me:  Where are we, Church?  Seated right next to Jesus in heavenly places! 

Just as our Father has put every problem beneath Jesus' feet, so He had made all those things our footstool.  

When you go to address your problem, remember where you are.  Don't look up as if it or the devil is above you. Don't point around you as if he is on the same level as you.  NO!  

Look down...he is UNDER YOUR FEET!!!  It will remind you of your position in Christ.

We will call upon Him, and He WILL answer him!  He WILL be with us in trouble.  He WILL not only deliver bur honor us!  He says "I WILL, I WILL, I WILL," several times meaning most assuredly, most definitely, without a doubt l will deliver you!

If you are already in trouble, even if your problems are of your own making, He is there to redeem you out of it. 

Psalm 23 says, "Yea though I WALK..." 

I was walking along with the Lord.  Then at some point "I walked" my own way and "I" got into trouble.  But because my Father never leaves or forsakes me, He's with me, even in the valley of the shadow.  

Fortunately, it was just the shadow of death and not death itself. Good thing! The shadow of a snake never killed anyone; and neither will the "shadow" of death. 

Our Father not only delivers us but, in spite of ourselves, He honors us!  What a God!  What a Father!

And finally......"With long life WILL I satisfy him and show him My salvation."

If you read part 1 you know that there are 5 Names of God mentioned in this one Psalm and 5 is the number of grace!  In case you missed that article, here's the link:

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2015/05/psalm-91-part-1-secret-place.html?m=1

 

The fifth and final Name of God in this Psalm is here in the very last word of the very last verse:  

Y'shua.....JESUS!  

It literally ends in "Jesus' Name."  

Y'shua means "salvation" in Hebrew.

Jesus paid for our complete salvation, not just spiritually, but soul and body as well.  In Isaiah 53 it says "the chastisement of our peace--our shalom--was upon Him and by His stripes (literally stripe--singular) we are healed."  The Hebrew text shows us this healing refers to physical healing.

The word Shalom in Hebrew does not merely mean peace like we in the West think of it but complete health and wholeness.  For a more in-depth look at the meaning of the word, follow this link:

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/07/shalom.html?m=1 

You may be wondering about the use of the singular word for "stripes."  That is a whole other article in and of itself.  Understanding why the Holy Spirit used the singular form of the word not fills me with awe, it makes me fall on my face!  You'll want to do the same when you read the article. 

If you wish to do so, follow this link but I warn you:  It is not for the faint of heart and I'm not kidding.  
Here is the link if you'd like to proceed:

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/07/by-his-stripe-we-are-healed.html?m=1

God says finally that He will SATISFY you with LONG LIFE.  He didn't say He'll give you a specific number of years.  The criteria used to determine how long your life will be is subjective, individual to every person.  It is dependent on YOUR SATISFACTION.

What will satisfy you?  Is 80 years OK? How about 90?  100?  What is it that will meet with your satisfaction?

Am I saying that God has not appointed a time for us to die?  NO; but there is a verse in Hebrews that is often misquoted and misunderstood which says,  "...it is appointed for men to die ONCE, but after this the judgment," 

This is a general statement of fact that man will only die once not twice.  You realize, of course, that Lazarus actually died twice,  right? The entire end-time or rapture generation, in fact, will not die at all!  But as a general rule, man  dies only one time.  However, it is not an APPOINTED time.

Now, there are many Christians who have filled their heads with the sayings of the world like, "When it's your time to go, you go.  It's your fate."  

NEWS FLASH:  Fate is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible.  Not one reference.  Go ahead.  Try and find it if you like.  IT ISN'T THERE.

There are verses which tell you things which will either lengthen or shorten your days like,

"The fear of the Lord prolongeth days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened."  Proverbs 10:27

What does it mean to "fear the LORD?"  

Jesus defined it for us as "worship."  

(For more on this topic, see my article entitled "Fear = Worship at this link:  

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/07/fear-worship_9.html?m=1)

Ah!  So the more you worship God, the longer you live!  

By the same token, some things you do can shorten your life like dishonoring parents.  

The majority of Christians love the Lord and occasionally fall into sin.  They don't seek to sin on purpose or to live in sin.  They love Jesus and just want to please Him. But from time to time, you can lose your temper, worry or complain.  That's what I'm talking about.

But there are people who are living in sin to the point they don't even know what's right anymore.  Sin as defined in the Bible is still sin. Your heavenly Father, though He always loves you, does not accept you in that state, just as you do not accept bad behavior from your children.  He loves you too much to let you stay in that condition.  He wants to see you live right because He wants to see you thrive and succeed. 

But rather than leave you like that, if you persist, He'd prefer to bring you home earlier than to see you destroy yourself, your life decay further and infect others. 

MUCH BETTER to listen to the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit leading you in the paths of righteousness, to live long, see to more of Jesus and tell others about Him!

What a God!  What a Father we have Who so completely surrounds, protects us with legions of angels and delivers us.  Beyond that, He gives us both long life, position and influence so that we can spread the good news about His Beloved Son and our wonderful Savior, JESUS! 

AMEN! 

Psalm 91 Part 6 of 7: Protected From Attacks Of The Enemy

Psalms 91:13
"You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.”

Jesus CRUSHED the head of the serpent!  HALLELUJAH!...and just like our Master, we too, can tread upon serpents!  That roaring old lion has no more teeth because Jesus' finished work.  He has given us sure defenses against ALL the attacks of the devil.

The Secret Place of the Most High has every benefit and every protection from EVERY kind of danger, every kind of disaster, every kind of illness.  There are even legions of angels to watch over us as you saw in part 5.  

(In case you missed it, follow this link:
http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2015/05/psalm-91-part-5-angels-watching-over-us.html?m=1).

Our most dedicated enemy is the devil. He hates God, and he hates mankind because we are made in His image.  Since he cannot strike at God directly, he tries to strike at God's beloved ones:  Us.

He comes against us in two ways:  Like a lion and like a snake. A lion is loud, visually terrifying and destructive while a snake moves stealthy, unseen and strikes suddenly without warning.

Whether large and fearsome or a small and inconvenient, be it overt or covert, our God is there to guard, guide and protect us or to rescue us out of trouble if we're already in it.  All we need to do is rest in Him, to rest in the secret place of the Most High, remain in faith and speak out God's word.

The area in which the devil's attacks is our faith.  We don't actually fight the devil himself.  We are no match for him.  Besides, Jesus defeated him, remember?  However, although he is bound, he isn't gagged.  He whispers in our ears trying to get us to focus on our problems or on the multitudes of problems and bad news in the world instead of on The Problem Solver, Jesus!  He gets a lot of help from the "Media-nites,"too.  (Midian in Hebrew means "strife.")

That's about all you hear from our modern-day media:  STRIFE!  They showcase all the bad stuff that happen everywhere; plane crashes, terror attacks, murders, earthquakes and wild, destructive weather, you name it.

Listen:  Thousands and thousands of airplanes landed safely today and thousands and thousands more will land safety tomorrow.  More good things and good weather happened today than bad.  Good news outnumbers bad news by far.

Whether it be the trials or troubles common to man that we experience in life, things that the devil throws at us or troubles of our own making, we can walk right through their midst and come out on the other side in safety.  

Psalm 23 says, "Yea, though I walk THROUGH..." You are going THROUGH, not staying in your troubles.  Confessing this Psalm and others over ourselves and our families lovingly provided by our Father is our best weapon.

Now, just because it says we will tread upon serpents doesn't mean you can go playing around with venomous snakes thinking God will protect you.  It means as you walk through life and come upon unseen or unexpected dangers, there is protection or deliverance from them.  Don't put God to a foolish test unless you'd like this epitaph on your tombstone: "I WAS WRONG."

God’s answer to every problem and every situation is always the cross.  Through Jesus and the power of His finished work we can safely weather any storm, make it through problems both large and small and big attacks that would otherwise be insurmountable.  We trample them underfoot.  Thank you, Jesus!  

When we rest, He works!  

Oh, yes:  We are protected from ALL the attacks of the enemy.

Psalm 91 Part 4 of 7: Fear Not

Psalms 91:5-8 NKJV

"You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.
Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked."

This portion of Psalm 91 is probably the best known and most quoted of all the Psalms.  What comfort and assurance it has offered believers down through history.  No matter where we are, no matter what is happening, Jesus is there, blessing, protecting, preserving, delivering. 

How blessed we are that we can walk through life without fear, even though we live in an increasingly dangerous world.  

What kind of threats are there and how good is our protection?   Only THE BEST!  

Here's a list.

#1.  "You shall not he afraid of the TERROR by night."  

Terror is not a new thing in the world but in these last days it has escalated to a fever pitch.  There are militant followers of Mohammed on the rampage, beheading innocent victims; terror attacks by so-called "lone wolves;" Iran threatening to build nuclear weapons (yeah, like they haven't already). Conflicts and riots between ethnic groups, policemen ambushed by cowardly criminals. 

Our God protects His covenant people from all of it. "COVENANT" is the operative word here.  Believe it or not, God is not in control of this world.  Not everyone is under His protection, which can also include Christians.  

Rather than elaborating further on this topic, please see part 2 of this series for more information by following this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2015/05/psalm-91-part-2-i-will-say-of-lord.html

God says we do need not be afraid of ANY terror attacks!

#2.  "Nor the arrow that flies by day."

No, God is not really referring to a stick with feathers on one end and and an arrowhead on the other here.  Think of "MISSILES," not arrows.  Many countries today have ICBMs that can even reach America.  Though they are an all too real threat God says to "FEAR NOT."

#3.  "Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness."  

Ever hear stories of people who eat right, exercise regularly, who appear strong and healthy, then they drop dead of a sudden heart attack!?  Or maybe, someone who went to their doctor thinking everything is okay only to learn he has 6 months to live.  They were both harboring a silent killer in their bodies, a "pestilence that walks in darkness."  It was a disease process that went undetected.   

God says we have no need to fear that either!

#4.  "The destruction that lays waste at noonday."

This is complete blanket protection.  It covers every kind of danger, every kind of attack or accident, be it physical, emotional or spiritual.  God tells us, "Do not be afraid."

#5.  "A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand but it will not come near you."  

Just like Rahab, who trusted in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to save her, we can trust in our God to do the same for us.  

When the walls of Jericho fell, HER HOUSE WAS THE ONLY ONE LEFT STANDING.

There have been told miraculous stories of deliverance because of believers have trusted in the protection of God found in Psalm 91. 

Below are two utterly amazing stories of our God's deliverance and preservation. 

Have you heard of the MIRACLE OF DUNKIRK?  Probably. But I'll bet you never heard this part of the story.

The German Army was advancing on British and French troops trapped on the beaches around Dunkirk. The 330,000 men were like sitting ducks.

The beach there has a very shallow slope so no large boats with a deep draft could get near enough to the actual beaches where the men were.  Lots of smaller boats were needed to take them on board.  They could then be transferred to larger ships waiting further off shore. 

800 of these now legendary "little ships" were used. It is believed that the smallest of these boats to make the journey across the English Channel was the Tamzine, an 18-foot long, open topped fishing boat!  Incredible!

That's the story everyone knows.  What most do not know is that many of these men were Christians.  They called on God their to rescue them by reciting Psalm 91 over and over.  But they didn't merely recite it.....THEY SHOUTED IT AT THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS!!!  

Well, our awesome HEARD AND ANSWERED! 

All 330,000 men were safely evacuated.  Not ONE was lost.  

Seemingly out of nowhere, those small boats--fishing boats, pleasure boats, crafts of all sizes and descriptions--appeared and all were brought to safety!!!

Oh yeah.....OUR GOD DELIVERS!

Another very curious story of protection happened in the second World War during the bombing of London.  

There was an elderly lady who also trusted in her God.  She, too, believed in this Psalm of protection.  She told God, "Since You watch over me day AND night, there is no sense in both of us staying awake.  So I'll sleep; You watch."  

She stayed in her own house, went to sleep that night.  There was a bombing raid by the German Luftwafe .  

In the morning, every other house in her neighborhood was destroyed.  Like Rahab's house on the wall of Jericho, hers was THE ONLY ONE LEFT STANDING!

Her neighbors, fearing the worst, came to see how she was the morning after only to find her safe and well-rested.  

THAT’S MY GOD!  HALLELUJAH!

Destruction does not come near those in covenant with our Daddy, who put their trust in Him.  A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand BUT IT WILL NOT COME NEAR YOU.  

Only with your EYES shall you look and see the reward of the wicked!!  

THAT'S WHY WE FEAR NOT.

Psalm 91 Part 3 of 7: The Snare Of The Fowler

Psalm 91:3-4

"Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. 

He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; 

His truth shall be your shield and buckler." 

God provides for us comprehensive protection all in this one Psalm.  We are protected from very kind of danger from every direction at every hour, night or day:  24/7/365, 360°. That's our God! 

He delivers us from " the snare of the fowler." This is a bird trap, one of the the devil's many pathetic devices.  All he can do is try to deceive, disguise, distract and misdirect in an effort to ensnare people by making sin look attractive.

For example he'll say: "Oh, it's ok to look up your horoscope."  Or perhaps he whispers, "There's no harm in playing with a ouiju board really"  Or..."Don't be afraid to go see that horror movie;" stupid stuff like that, trying to make dangerous or sinful pursuits appear harmless and inviting.  He often trys to add his lying wonders into the mix; anything to steal, kill and destroy what God loves, namely US.

"...Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works." (II Corinthians 11:14-15 NKJV)

That old liar doesn't just come up to you and announce, "Hey, I'm the devil!  Come worship me."  Nope.  He appears as an "angel of light."  I seriously doubt that most people would follow him if they knew that's what they were doing, hence all the tactics, distraction and disguising danger so that it appears benign.  

But our God gives us both discernment of protection from all such things.  He likens us to birds.  He says we need not fear the deceiver and his bird traps and shields us from anything that ol' liar tries to throw at us.  

The fowler isn't going to snare those who have put their trust in Jesus.  GOD HIMSELF PROTECTS US!  Like a mother eagle, He covers us with His feathers.  Under His wings we are completely safe.

We need to do likewise, Church, and look out for one another because, in general, we don't exactly have the best track record in this area. Down through history we have often been guilty of shooting our wounded--those caught the devil's snare.  The last thing they need is more judgment heaped on them.  

Don't you understand that they've already heaped a whole lot of that on themselves? They're under a crushing load of guilt!  A drowning person does not need a swimming lesson or a lecture on staying away from the water.  RIGHT NOW THEY NEED A SAVIOR! 

But what happens all too often?  We tell them "Oh, you fell into sin? Tisk, tisk.  Shame, shame.  You should have known better;" and they are written off as one less worry.

Remember when you were caught in one of his traps?  It can happen to anyone; and I mean ANYONE, no matter what position you hold or how many theological degrees you have.  

Let's help hurting people, not throw them away like so much garbage.  This battle we are in is the fight to remain in faith.  It isn't somewhere "up there" in the heavenlies and no, our fight is not against the devil directly.  We are NO match for him. THAT IS JESUS' JOB.  It's to fight the fight of faith. 

The best way to do that is by making use of the word of God.  Our enemy can only whisper lies, we shout at his EMPTY words THE WORD OF GOD.....just like Jesus did.

When our Lord Jesus Himself faced the devil in the wilderness He demonstrated just what we need to do.  There He was; God in human flesh!  He could have said or done anything He wanted because He is God.  But what did He do?  HE USED THE WORD OF GOD AGAINST HIM EVERY TIME.   

"Surely He shall deliver us from the perilous pestilence."  

These are open pestilences that affect multitudes of people like S.A.R.S., Ebola, incurable diseases like A.I.D.S., biological weapons of mass destruction, you name it.  

His truth--His Word--is our SHIELD AND BUCKLER.  We use it to defeat all the devil's devices:  Every kind of sickness, every evil occurrence.  

(Roman soldier's shield)

A shield covers our front like the kind Goliath had.  It was big enough to hide behind like the shields carried by the Roman soldiers in the picture above.

(Buckler)

  

But a buckler is a small round shield used for close combat like that pictured above.  

Big or small, near or far, whatever the disease or danger, we have our Daddy's word that He protects us from them or delivers us out of it if we're already in trouble.  

We are safe in the secret place of the Most High.  That's our God protecting His people 24/7/365 and from the snare of the fowler.