Hello all. I know it has been quite some time since I have posted here. If you still receive notifications when I post, I invite you to visit my new blog at http://stevenpauljohnson.wordpress.com. This blog has served me well for a few years but in my efforts to write and publish, it has become more important for me to have a blog with my name on it. Unless I change my name to ProphecyNotes, I should probably just start over. Please visit the new blog with the new format and follow me. Thanks for keeping track of me!
Monday, November 19, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Check Out My New Book!
It has been a long time since I have last posted. I've been writing and finalizing my first book: Digging Through - A Guide to Biblical Discovery. God has really uploaded a lot of good stuff to me through this experience, and I hope you will read it and be blessed by it!
It's now available on Kindle as well. If you like it, please give me a review on one of the sites! Thanks all and blessings!
Steve
Amazon
Kindle Edition (with preview)
Amazon Kindle Edition
Paperback (with preview)
Amazon Paperback
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble Paperback
CreateSpace
https://www.createspace.com/3798236
It's now available on Kindle as well. If you like it, please give me a review on one of the sites! Thanks all and blessings!
Steve
Amazon
Kindle Edition (with preview)
Amazon Kindle Edition
Paperback (with preview)
Amazon Paperback
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble Paperback
CreateSpace
https://www.createspace.com/3798236
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Life Isn't Fair - Fortunately
Exo 12:41-42 ESV
(41) At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.
(42) It was a night of watching by the LORD, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the LORD by all the people of Israel throughout their generations.
Mat 26:38 ESV
(38) Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me."
Mat 26:41 ESV
(41) Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Jesus stayed up and watched… but it did Him no good. He was not delivered. The death angel did not pass Him by.
Those who slept… they were delivered. We should probably never mention the word ‘fair’ to Jesus as we go down our complaint list.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Kingdom Responsibility
The Kingdom of Heaven was exemplified in the Garden of Eden. Adam's job was to maintain the garden and have dominion over all of it. But Adam was also commanded to have children. Pretty soon... that garden was going to get crowded. That's because the intent of God was that the garden would fill the earth. In the book of Numbers, God told Moses:
Num 14:21 MKJV
(21) But truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of Jehovah.
Know that this was the plan from the very first. God will fill the earth with His glory. How? Through the spreading of His Kingdom.
Our goal as Kingdom subjects - kings, heirs, brothers, children, are to be expansionistic. Adam was commanded to go forth and multiply. What were we commanded?
Mar 16:15 MKJV
(15) And He said to them, Go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to all the creation.
Expand! In order to expand, you have to possess where you are now. Start small. Joshua said, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." As you know, Joshua was responsible for leading a nation into new territory - the Promised Land. But he 'started' in his own house. God's instruction to him was first to possess and occupy, and expand with growth. For that reason, God did not give Israel the entirety of the land all at once, but allowed enemies to possess it until Joshua was ready to take possession.
This is the parable of the talents. In Matthew 25, we see on man given 5 talents of gold, one 2, and one 1, each according to their ability. The man with 5 made 5 more. The man with 2 made 2 more, but the man with 1 buried it in order to preserve it. This is illegal in the Kingdom. The Kingdom is expansionistic - remember!
The weight of making a statement - "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" is not light. If you are the leader of your home and you can't start spreading the Kingdom there, then you are burying your talent.
Whatever the Age to Come looks like, it will not be static. It will resemble in some form the Garden, where the goal is to push the boundary out.
Isa 9:7 MKJV
(7) There is no end of the increase of His government and peace on the throne of David, and on His kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from now on, even forever. The zeal of Jehovah of Hosts will do this.
Num 14:21 MKJV
(21) But truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of Jehovah.
Know that this was the plan from the very first. God will fill the earth with His glory. How? Through the spreading of His Kingdom.
Our goal as Kingdom subjects - kings, heirs, brothers, children, are to be expansionistic. Adam was commanded to go forth and multiply. What were we commanded?
Mar 16:15 MKJV
(15) And He said to them, Go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to all the creation.
Expand! In order to expand, you have to possess where you are now. Start small. Joshua said, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." As you know, Joshua was responsible for leading a nation into new territory - the Promised Land. But he 'started' in his own house. God's instruction to him was first to possess and occupy, and expand with growth. For that reason, God did not give Israel the entirety of the land all at once, but allowed enemies to possess it until Joshua was ready to take possession.
This is the parable of the talents. In Matthew 25, we see on man given 5 talents of gold, one 2, and one 1, each according to their ability. The man with 5 made 5 more. The man with 2 made 2 more, but the man with 1 buried it in order to preserve it. This is illegal in the Kingdom. The Kingdom is expansionistic - remember!
The weight of making a statement - "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" is not light. If you are the leader of your home and you can't start spreading the Kingdom there, then you are burying your talent.
Whatever the Age to Come looks like, it will not be static. It will resemble in some form the Garden, where the goal is to push the boundary out.
Isa 9:7 MKJV
(7) There is no end of the increase of His government and peace on the throne of David, and on His kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from now on, even forever. The zeal of Jehovah of Hosts will do this.
Friday, September 02, 2011
Heavenly Growth
Like most Christians, I have pondered the mysteries of Heaven and what it means to live there. Most of us have heard stories of people who have visited Heaven. While some may not be credible, it would be be unwise based on scripture to totally discount the testimonies of those who claimed to make a heavenly visit and return to tell of it. In nearly every one of these accounts, there are children in Heaven - doing what kids do. This is certainly one of the mysteries I'm talking about. If Heaven is outside of time, then what constitutes growth in Heaven?
I believe the Spirit has given me the answer to this one. It is the very same thing that facilitates spiritual growth here, and it has nothing to do with time. It has everything to do with investment from spiritual fathers and mothers.
Am I saying that there is a lack of spiritual nourishment in Heaven? No, naturally not. But at the same time, while time here on earth creates physical growth (whether we like it or not), God in His infinite kindness and wisdom might choose to preserve the honor for a child in His realm to be raised by the child's parents who may not yet be present. Conjecture... yes... but comforting at the same time. Nevertheless, it is easy to see why we have so many spiritual infants here on earth who biologically are in their late adult years. It isn't a matter of time or physical maturity - it's a matter of spiritual parenting and submission on our part, as children.
I believe the Spirit has given me the answer to this one. It is the very same thing that facilitates spiritual growth here, and it has nothing to do with time. It has everything to do with investment from spiritual fathers and mothers.
Am I saying that there is a lack of spiritual nourishment in Heaven? No, naturally not. But at the same time, while time here on earth creates physical growth (whether we like it or not), God in His infinite kindness and wisdom might choose to preserve the honor for a child in His realm to be raised by the child's parents who may not yet be present. Conjecture... yes... but comforting at the same time. Nevertheless, it is easy to see why we have so many spiritual infants here on earth who biologically are in their late adult years. It isn't a matter of time or physical maturity - it's a matter of spiritual parenting and submission on our part, as children.
Monday, August 29, 2011
On the Warpath
The season has not been a dry season. That's what I call it when I cannot figure out what to write - a dry season. I've been focusing on my book - which I do hope to complete soon. We are also about to begin the Adullam School for Warriors, which is leading me down some different paths of thought. What does it mean to be a 'warrior' in the Kingdom?
Yes we know the verses of Ephesians 6:12 and 2 Corinthians 10:4 - the enemy we fight is spiritual. But there is something else. There is also the precept of casting stumbling blocks before others (1 Cor 8:9). I think that is a fairly easy concept: do not do anything that might create a reason for others to question God's goodness or that might lead them down a path of spiritual compromise. Where it gets difficult is when you tackle the tendency to throw stumbling blocks in front of yourself.
We do it all the time. In the battle against our own fleshly tendencies, we set ourselves up to fail - on purpose. If our battle is gluttony, why do we find ourselves at the all-you-can-eat restaurant? If the war is against lust, how is it that we have every adult cable channel available in our cable subscription? For some, the conflict is against isolation - and yet every effort is made to remain alone.
What can you war against today? It probably isn't against the principality controlling hurricane Irene, or the dark forces embedded in government positions. Most-likely, it's the demonic tendencies we embrace that keep us feeling powerless, weak, and condemned. Battle these, first. When they are beaten, then we look for a bigger giant.
Yes we know the verses of Ephesians 6:12 and 2 Corinthians 10:4 - the enemy we fight is spiritual. But there is something else. There is also the precept of casting stumbling blocks before others (1 Cor 8:9). I think that is a fairly easy concept: do not do anything that might create a reason for others to question God's goodness or that might lead them down a path of spiritual compromise. Where it gets difficult is when you tackle the tendency to throw stumbling blocks in front of yourself.
We do it all the time. In the battle against our own fleshly tendencies, we set ourselves up to fail - on purpose. If our battle is gluttony, why do we find ourselves at the all-you-can-eat restaurant? If the war is against lust, how is it that we have every adult cable channel available in our cable subscription? For some, the conflict is against isolation - and yet every effort is made to remain alone.
What can you war against today? It probably isn't against the principality controlling hurricane Irene, or the dark forces embedded in government positions. Most-likely, it's the demonic tendencies we embrace that keep us feeling powerless, weak, and condemned. Battle these, first. When they are beaten, then we look for a bigger giant.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Darkness - Not Always an Enemy
Are you going through a dark time? Take comfort - it will not always be this way. Life is about seasons. Seasons of darkness can be very painful and otherwise unpleasant. But realize that God has a plan for you to prosper 'while' you are traveling through.
Isa 45:3 MKJV
(3) And I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I am Jehovah, who calls you by your name, the God of Israel.
Darkness is where treasures lay. Gold and diamonds are rarely found laying out in broad daylight. To obtain that which really has value, you have to be willing to brave the dark places. If you have been curled up in the fetal position waiting for the dawn, I would encourage you to straighten up, grab a lamp and a shovel, and make the most of where you are. For me personally, I am still living off the interest of the treasures I found in the darkest times of my life.
Isa 45:3 MKJV
(3) And I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I am Jehovah, who calls you by your name, the God of Israel.
Darkness is where treasures lay. Gold and diamonds are rarely found laying out in broad daylight. To obtain that which really has value, you have to be willing to brave the dark places. If you have been curled up in the fetal position waiting for the dawn, I would encourage you to straighten up, grab a lamp and a shovel, and make the most of where you are. For me personally, I am still living off the interest of the treasures I found in the darkest times of my life.
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