Wednesday Writings.....5/15/16

Good morning...
   It is my joy to let you know that my son's stress test told the doctor that he in fact did not have heart issues.  He is still experiencing some chest pain, and the doctor is saying that could have an acid reflux problem. Thank you for  your prayers against heart disease. I would ask you to continue praying that whatever it is can be corrected. God has been good to us and I thank Him for prayers answered.
     
Have a wonderful Wednesday.

God bless from
Corinne


The Devotional component in the Wednesday Writings of Women's Focus Ministries is titled, "And He WILL Flee!"  and was written by Sandy Billingham. Based the scripture verse James 4:7 she showed in her devotional believe Jesus and walk in His word that Jesus will fulfill His word in us. that if we . Sandy wrote, ""Submit to God, resist the devil and he WILL flee!!  Then ask for a fresh infilling of His joy. Then bask in it, for the Lord is your joy!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Today's Devotional   

"And He WILL Flee!" 

written by
Sandy Billingham

The enemy loves to rob our joy from us in any way he can. It may be through multiple, various circumstances, but the bottom line is.... he is out to steal your joy.

God's Word tells us...

"Therefore submit to God.
Resist the devil and he will flee from you."

James 4:7 

When a situation arises that we know the devil is in the midst of.... we can be fully prepared and equipped. As a believer, God's Word instructs us to first of all be obedient  onto the Lord. Secondly, He tells us to resist the devil. Right then and there we are to stand against him and all his tactics. We can let him know that he will not rob us of the joy the Lord wants us to have. And lastly as we do those two things the enemy will flee from us. It does not say he might or maybe flee from us, but it says that he WILL flee from you!

God has empowered me with His Word. My job is to believe His Word and walk in His Word. As I do my part, Jesus will fulfill His Word in us.

We can experience the Lord's joy in the middle of difficult times!! That  is good news to me! God's Word is powerful and alive. His promises are Yes and Amen!

The next time the enemy comes against you to rob your joy, "Submit to God, resist the devil and he WILL flee!!  Then ask for a fresh infilling of His joy. Then bask in it, for the Lord is your joy!!! 

In His Joy, 

Sandy Billingham 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   Snippets of Spiritual Insights  from Beverley   

I believe that the heart of a true friend should celebrate the other friendships of those they care for. Friendship was never meant to be selfish, self promoting or self centered. It was meant to be shared. By all.

I am grateful that my friends have other deep and meaningful friendships. I am thankful that they have others who love them- just as much as I do. 

I pray they will always find a friend by their side. Someone they can talk to. Someone whom they can trust. Someone who will not only pray for them, but celebrate them as well.

One who will cover their weaknesses and encourage their strengths. One who will remind them of just how truly special they are. And of how deeply they are loved. 

One who will wipe their tears away and share in their sorrows. One who will make them laugh and laugh and laugh. Until they cry. And clutch their sides. In joyful agony. And then make them laugh and laugh and laugh- even more.   

written by Beverley A. Napier (c)

                

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   Prophetic  Statements and Texts

   From the Bible or  Current Prophets   

Ten Bible prophecies fulfilled recently

#5-10 Continued from Tuesday Writings

6. Jerusalem would become the world's most important religious site

Bible passage: Micah 4:1

Written: sometime between 750-686 BC

Fulfilled: Today

In Micah 4:1, the prophet said that the Temple mount in Jerusalem would become the focal point of the world. This prophecy has not yet been fulfilled. But, it is interesting to note that Jerusalem is, and has been for centuries, the world's most important religious site. Christians and Jews regard the city as the world's most important, and Christians and Jews comprise about one-third of the world's population. No other city in the world is a religious focal point to as many people.

Here is Micah 4:1

In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.

7. Egypt would never again rule over other nations

Bible passage: Ezekiel 29:15

Written: between 593-571 BC

Fulfilled: 1967, etc.

In Ezekiel 29:15, the prophet says that Egypt would recover from a desolation (perhaps Babylon's attack about 2600 years ago), but that it would never again rule over other nations. Up until the time of Ezekiel, Egypt had been a world power for centuries, dominating many nations, including Israel. But for most of the past 2500 years, Egypt has been controlled by foreign powers, including the Romans, Ottomans and Europeans. Today, Egypt is an independent nation again. In 1948, 1967 and 1973, Egypt tried to dominate Israel but was unsuccessful each time, despite the fact that Egypt is 10 times larger than Israel. Since the time of Ezekiel, Egypt no longer rules over other nations.

Here is Ezekiel 29:15

It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations. I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations.

8. Zechariah prophesied the Jews return to Jerusalem

Bible passage: Zechariah 8:7-8

Written: between 520 and 518 BC

Fulfilled: 1967, etc.

In Zechariah 8:7-8, the prophet said God would bring the Jews back from the east and the west to their homeland (Israel) and that they would be able to live in the city of Jerusalem again. This prophecy has been fulfilled more than once. About 2600 years ago, Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and took many Jews as captives to Babylon. But many Jews later returned from Babylon. The Jews rebuilt Jerusalem but the city was destroyed about 1900 years ago by the Romans. The Romans killed more than 1 million Jews and forced many more into exile. The Jews did not have control of Jerusalem again until 1967 when the Jews recaptured the city during the Six Day War.

Here is Zechariah 8:7-8

This is what the Lord Almighty says: "I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west. I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God."

9. Israel's deserts will become like the Garden of Eden

Bible passage: Isaiah 51:3

Written: perhaps between 701-681 BC

Fulfilled: Being fulfilled now

In Isaiah 51:3, the prophet said that God will restore Israel and make it a paradise, like the garden of Eden. This foreshadows what is currently happening in Israel. The Jews have been irrigating, cultivating and reconditioning the land during much of the 1900s. Many of the country's swamps, which had been infested with malaria, have been converted into farmland. And water from the Sea of Galilee has been channeled through portions of the deserts, allowing some of the deserts to bloom. Much work remains, but parts of Israel are blooming again. Although it was described as a wasteland as recently as the late 1800s, Israel is now a food source for many countries. And at least 200 million of trees have been planted there during the past century.

Here is Isaiah 51:3

The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

10. Isaiah foretold of the worldwide return of Jews to Israel.

Bible passage: Isaiah 43:5-6

Written: perhaps between 701-681 BC

Fulfilled: late 1900's

In Isaiah 43:5-6, the prophet Isaiah said that the Jews would return to their homeland from the east, the west, the north and the south. Isaiah lived about 2700 years ago. At that time, the Assyrians had forced many Jews in the northern kingdom of Israel into exile. Those Jews were taken to other areas in the Middle East. Then, about 1900 years ago, the Romans destroyed the city of Jerusalem and killed and exiled hundreds of thousands of Jews. Since then, the Jews have been scattered to virtually every country in the world. But, during the past century, millions of Jews have returned to Israel, from the east, the west, the north and the south.

From the east: Many Jews living in the Middle East moved to Israel by the early 1900s.

From the west: During mid-1900s, hundreds of thousands of Jews living in the West (Europe and the United States) began moving to Israel.

From the north: The former Soviet Union (Russia) is north of Israel. It refused to allow its Jewish residents to move to Israel. But, after years of pressure from other countries, Russia finally began to allow Jews to return to Israel during the 1980s. So far, hundreds of thousands of Russian Jews have moved to Israel.

From the south: Ethiopia, which is south of Israel, also refused to allow its Jews to return to Israel. But, in 1985, Israel struck a deal with Ethiopia's communist government to allow the Jews of Ethiopia to move to Israel. On the weekend of May 25, 1991, 14,500 Ethiopian Jews were airlifted to Israel.

Isaiah's prophecy was also correct in saying that the north (Russia) and the south (Ethiopia) would have to be persuaded to give up their Jews. Many countries pressured Russia for years before it began to allow its Jews to leave. And Ethiopia had to be paid a ransom to allow its Jews to leave.

Isaiah's prophecy was also correct in saying that the Jews would return "from the ends of the earth," and Isaiah said that many centuries before the Jews had been scattered to the ends of the earth. During the past 100 years, Jews living as far east as China, as far west as the West Coast of the United States, as far north as Scandinavia, and as far south as South Africa, have moved to Israel.

Here is Isaiah 43:5-6

"Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, `Give them up!' and to the south, `Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   Today's Inspiring Graphic   

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive

those who trespass against us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prayers are lifted up daily for 

you by the Devotional Writers 

and the Monthly Writing Staff

of Women's Focus Ministries.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~