WET SEEDS

There are no accidents, only divinely timed appointments! In 1975 God placed Nancy Eller in my life for His purpose. As His beloved ~ unique creation, God used Nancy's simple heart to encourage me when I was going through my divorce. She is a gifted teacher who continues to delight in all things new. We reunite gleefully with an intention to drop all layers of the world's troubles and dip into a refreshing pool. Lounging about we allowed the sun to dry us. As loyal girl friends we have lived a life full of good. With reflection, any growth affirmed was a result of pulling out the weeds of doubt, and the watering of our tears gave us new life and hope for the coming years. Before church Nancita worked her charm and fussed over each strand of my sun bleached hair. After she had lovingly fluffed, perked and teased she twinkled "You look marvelous my dear!" "The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in need, He saved me. Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you." Psalm 115:5 ~ Tenderly and with wide eyes Nancy listened to my tale of all that God has done to provide His best in Stockton, and in Chapala. His plan is always to expand us and to prosper us, AMEN! God's word is the truth: "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But IF it dies, it produces many seeds...Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I AM, My servant also will be." John 12:24-26 ~ AHA and HALLELUIAH for we are God's finest thinking creations! Our God of wonder, power and love, with purpose filled holy intention, and unbending justice, our heavenly Dad personally placed within each of us a conscious, a divine awareness of right and wrong, good and evil. Our Father allows His children to experience His living presence in the "knowingness" of when we are gossiping, lying, or stealing the blameless reputation away from God. "The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." Who was it that created the cucumber, tomatoe, apple, daffodil, sequoia, or lily seed? Who placed the intelligence within the seed to send its roots down and its branches up to the sun? The fruit of the vine comes from the Vine Dresser who created all things for His pleasure and our benefit. We are His field workers who bring in a harvest of lost souls, for His glory, in His way, by His power, that His will - that none should be lost, be done. AMEN. God's message for Nancy and Barbara on Sunday June 26, 2011 was delivered by a missionary from Indonesia. ~ Steve and his wife Patty were at Quail Lakes Church to update us on all that the Lord has done in their hearts and in the souls that dwell in this muslim country. Steve grew up in Stockton in a family that did not believe in Jesus. Steve accepted the truth that life without God's word, will and plans was an empty life so he accepted Jesus as Lord in high school. God gave Steve a new heart that yearned to serve and he chose to follow Jesus to Indonesia. This young couple returned to their home church in Stockton to share all the wonder of God in His ways. Steve announced his fascination when his wife Patty began saving papaya seeds. Steve was accostomed to tossing them out, like water melon seeds and his bride intervened with "we must allow the seeds to die and dry so we can plant them and share our harvest." A local woman commented on the papaya forest on their property and asked "Every time I plant a seed it does not grow. What is your method?" Patty asked do you let the seeds dry and die before you plant them? AHA God tells us the truth: "Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed."
ONE WILLING OBEDIENT APPLICATION in 2011: UNLESS we fall to our knees and admit that we lie, steal and sin - UNLESS we admit that we are helpless to produce anything of lasting value, UNLESS we admit that we need grace, mercy and forgiveness to come before a perfect holy God, UNLESS we are willing to die to our ways, UNLESS we admit that it is impossible to always behave perfectly and to do the right thing always, UNLESS we admit that we need a Savior - we shall remain only a single seed that cannot produce a legacy that will feed this hungry lost society. The word of God is His unaltered, unchanging truth: "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." John 12:24 ---

ONE WET SEED LESSON: ONLY when we die to our selfish ways, and allow the wet seed of our hopes to dry up and die, will the cracked seed of truth flourish in us. We reap what we sow, so let us prepare the soil of soul with kindness, and when the dry, dead seed falls to the ground, let us water it tenderly with the truth and watch God produce a vast harvest of souls for His kingdom, and His glory. AMEN

ROSH HASHANAH

Both solemn and joyful Rosh Hashanah ushers in the ten days of repentance leading up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It is solemn because of the Awe of judgment. It is joyful because it represents the hope of the future redemption of Israel. The beginning of the High Holy Days, Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew: ראש השנה‎), literally means "head of the year". It is the celebration of the Jewish New Year. First of the High Holidays or "Days of Awe" which begin ten days before Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah is observed as it is described in the Torah as יום תרועה a day of sounding the Shofar as pictured herein. Rosh Hashanah represents either figuratively or literally the creation of the World, or Universe according to the Jew. In the Talmud, Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of man. "The Holy One said, 'on Rosh Hashanah recite before Me verses of Sovereignty, and Remembrance as the Shofar blasts so that you should make Me your King. Remember your captivity and freedom so that your remembrance should rise up before Me. This is reflected in the prayers composed by the classical rabbinic sages for Rosh Hashanah. The theme is the "coronation" of God as King of the universe in preparation for the acceptance of judgments that will follow on that day. Believers of God and His word hang in the balance for ten days waiting for all to repent, then they will be "sealed" on Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur (Hebrew: יוֹם כִּפּוּר or יום הכיפורים‎, also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year for the Jews. This holy day is preceeded with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services. Yom Kippur completes the annual period known in Judaism as the High Holy Days, or sometimes "the Days of Awe". The assumption is that everyone was sealed for life and therefore the next festival is Sukkot ~Tabernacles ~ is referred to as "the time of our joy"! JEREMIAH 2-3 "That you have forsaken the Lord your God, and the fear of Me is not in you." Says the Lord of God of hosts....As the thief is ashamed when he is found out, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they and their kings and their princes, and their priests and their prophets, saying to a tree 'You are my father, and to a stone, 'You gave birth to me.' For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face. But in their time of trouble they will say, 'Arise and save us.'...Why will you plead with Me? You all have transgressed against Me,' says the Lord. In vain I have chastened your children; they received no correction. O generation, see the word of the Lord! Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of darkness? Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? And I said, after she had done all these things, 'Return to Me', but she did not return. "Return, O backsliding children,' says the Lord; 'for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I bring you to Zion. And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding." A day of JOY, a day to REMEMBER all that God has provided! The Good Shepherd Jesus, the Son of God came, was sacrificed as the Lamb of God, and rose again so that those who BELIEVE would be filled with His Holy Spirit. Reflect, repent and be washed ANEW in His Spirit! Unlike Passover, the Bible does not clearly identify Rosh Hashanah with a historical event, so we must look to tradition to discover its significance. According to Talmudic tradition, the Ten Days of Awe which begin at Rosh Hashanah are the time in which God determines the fate of each human being. On Rosh Hashanah, the wholly righteous are supposedly inscribed in the Sefer ha-Hayyim, or Book of Life, while the wholly wicked are inscribed in the Book of Death. The fate of all others hangs in the balance until Yom Kippur. ROSH HASHANAH is a time for introspection, to be honest and admit that which does not reflect God's best in the last year, to make amends, and then to accept God's grace and His promised abiding JOY and walk free of condemnation in the Holy Spirit! This is the day the Lord hath made, let us REJOICE!RITUALS OF ROSH HASHANAH - Ritual helps us pay attention. From the joy of a recovery to the grief of a funeral, ritual helps us inhabit the breadth of human experience. When we engage in ritual, we leave the everyday and enter a space that touches and transforms us in profound and important ways. During Shabbat dinner, guests are asked to share what they are leaving behind from the week, year that has past ~ AND what they are taking with them into the holy days ahead. The ritual of Shabbat is a time to share what GOOD God has provided, and what we can celebrate has past! Halleluiah!ISRAEL, the land of milk and honey! God fulfills His promise, His word! Dates and palms were important in the scriptures, and the fruit from Judea was known throughout the ancient world. The Romans had nothing nice to say about the Jews except that they had good dates. Roman emperors ordered Judean dates to eat. A 2,000 year old seed planted on Jan 25, 2005 is thriving in 2011 at a kibbutz in Israel's Arava desert. It is the oldest seed ever known to produce a viable young tree. The seed grew into a date palm called Methuselah. The seed was discovered during archaeological excavations at King Herod's palace on Mount Masada, near the Dead Sea. Its age confirmed by carbon dating. God has delivered on His promise that Israel would flow with milk and honey. In 2011, despite the heat, humidity and limited resources, Israel produces more milk per year than cows in the USA, Europe and Australia. Praise God for His prophetic word fulfilled! God desires that we know Him and that we love Him above all else. His living Word is the truth, and accepting His word sets us free. God loves, God forgives, and God provides for His people! ROSH HASHANAH are days to celebrate His plan, His purpose, and His holy, undisputed astounding ways with HIGH praise!

SHIFTING GROUND

CHIEF SEATTLE wrote to the President of the USA in 1852. With complete humilty and submission, he honored the authority of the President, the man God had placed in charge of the land of his forefathers. Prophetic words spoken long ago ~ seem to be coming to pass in the City of Stockton: Its verdant valleys, its flowing rivers, its magnificent mountains, sequestered vales and lush lined lakes and bays, we remember with tender fond affection over the lonely hearted living. Day and night cannot dwell together. The Red Man has ever fled the approach of the White Man, as the morning mist flees before the morning sun. However, your proposition seems fair and I think that my people will accept it and will retire to the reservation you offer them. Then we will dwell apart in peace, for the way of the Great White Chief (GOD) shows us the coming of constant change. The Winter season's dense darkness, is followed by an eternal trip into the light of Spring. It matters little where we spend the remnant of our days. They will not be many. The Indian's night promises to be dark on this plain. Not a single star of hope hovers above his horizon. Sad-voiced winds moan in the distance. Grim fate seems to be on the Red Man's trail, and wherever he will hear the approaching footsteps of the evil hunter, we are destined to meet his doom, as like the wounded doe that hears the approaching footsteps lays down, so do we. A few more moons, a few more winters, and we shall perish into the mist, like a pond dries up. We mourn the loss of our freedom to care for the land we were given by the Great White Spirit. But why should we regret the untimely fate of my people? Tribe follows tribe, and nation follows nation, like the waves of the sea. It is the order of nature, and regret is useless. Your time of decay may be distant, but it will surely come, for even the White Man whose God walked and talked with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We will see. In all the earth there is no place dedicated to solitude. At night when the streets of your cities and villages are silent and you think them deserted, they will throng with the returning hosts that once filled them and still love this beautiful land." Father God, I pray a CIRCLE of the blood of Jesus around the City of Stockton ~ that the darkness shall be destroyed and the City delivered. The City is being re-organized, filing bankruptcy, and knowing that the way of the world does not work. I reclaim the City and all its inhabitants in the name of Jesus. AMEN

PRAY, PRAISE, PERSEVERE

Take care, be a GOOD STEWARD of the BODY you were given, be an OBEDIENT servant and share the GOOD NEWS with others and LIVE LONG and PROSPER! I am AMAZED by the intricate design of my body! The ability to see, smell, hear, think, touch and taste ~ WOW! To the Creator of all that is, I thank Jesus and the Holy Spirit who hath flooded my body, mind and soul. I was baptized, submerged, drenched, immersed into a willing death, buried with Christ, then raised from the dead into a NEW life in Him! Halleluiah and once again, in front of a crowd of local witnesses, I choose to begin again, with a fresh baptism of commitment to walk by faith in Jesus. Lord I acknowledge Thy holy presence and ruling Authority in each beat of my heart, in every word I utter and I PRAY that You are blessed in my PRAISE of who You are. I persevere in Your purpose in order that I bless Your name and bring You glory. I understand and accept that I am a divine soul living in a human body. I choose to DETOX my SOUL by claiming Your holy presence, and the cleansing blood of Jesus that redeemed me from the pit. I remember my emptiness without the Word, and the Spirit of God. I am ready Lord and I willingly respond to Your grace, mercy and transforming power with obedience. I choose to no longer be an armchair quarterback who accomplishes nothing by my passivity. I ask for courage to get up, speak out, and walk through the doors that You open. The City of Stockton's wall of faith has fallen as the gates to our minds have been burned up by the fires set by the Liar. The enemy's plan to shame and destroy the City of Stockton has been interrupted by God's plan to rebuild and restore His people. We are spirit filled, equipped and ready in Stockton to heed God's call. Implementing prayer, courage, careful planning, teamwork and tremendous faith, the City of Stockton has been restored by the saints who are called to pray for it's deliverance. Together we come together, united in our request that God move into the center of our hearts and that His presence be felt in this place. O Lord, God of heaven, our great and awesome God, our Father who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and obey His commands, let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer Your servant Barbara's prayer.Your chosen remnant stands fully dressed to slay all doubt and fear as we fight the good fight and run the race set before us. We are Your chosen Avengers of the Faith! In the name of our Lord Jesus, I confess the sins of the inhabitants of the City of Stockton, including myself and the house of Alley and Newell, and the dishonor we have committed against You. We choose to tear down the idols we have worshipped above You, our Father, the One and only true God. We admit to spending more time watching sports or seeking pleasure for ourselves than time acting on the faith You have given us, for Your purpose, in Righteousness, Peace and Joy for Your kingdom work. We admit that the dominating thoughts and conversations have been about things that shall all pass away. We have chosen not to obey Your commands, decrees and laws and we ask for Your forgiveness. Lord we recall the instruction You gave Moses 'If you return to Me and obey My commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.' God, You are good all the time and we trust the PATH you have revealed and we listen and respond to our good Shepherd's voice. "Walk this way" and "BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD". We take time to be stilled, to listen and to respond with action that is empowered by Your Presence. Your creation, Your people, Your redeemed, Your chosen, Your beloved, Your uniquely gifted servants REJOICE in the privilege to serve You as we bring glory to Your name. O Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer contained in this written post and to the desire of my heart to rebuild faith and hope in You, in Stockton through the Immunotec opportunity. Lord I ask that You place words in our mouths that will inspire faith, that will encourage reliance on Your mighty power, that will encourage people to take hold of the HOPE You offer. I approach You with confidence Lord and I boldly ask for Your strength and courage to face certain opposition to our promotion of the welfare of those who live in San Joaquin County. In every generation there are those who hate God's people and who will try to block God's purpose to prosper those He loves. We ask for Your wisdom when we face opposition that we be prepared, not surprised by their slander and attack. We know that You are always n charge, always present, and our confidence is grounded in the truth that we are engaged in an intimate relationship with God, the Father, Jesus the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit who strives to make Your name respected and honored by humble submission. When they mock You God, You decide what to do with them. We are in Your apt hands and we ask that You specifically make Yourself known in the midst of our trembling. AMEN

HIS PERFECT PLEASURE

" I wish I had the same feeling, the same faith that I had when I first received the holy spirit!" It was God's greatest purpose and pleasure to fill us with His presence, we are never alone. We are constantly filled with His presence, regardless of our feelings, or what we see. Walking by faith is to KNOW that we possess the full amount of the Holy Spirit ALWAYS. His whole presence, His whole body, mind, soul and purpose completely are within us. We cannot lose a foot, a hand, or a share of the person of the Holy Spirit. There are no words to express whatever is not material and not perceptible to our sense of sight. If we do not feel His presence, if we do not see or feel His touch, that does not mean He left us. When we hold onto sin, the light is yet inside the darkness, we just need to release it's POWER and the dark departs. There are no words to communicate His virtue, His presence, His quality, His true friendship, purpose and desire to make Jesus the throne within our hearts upon which no other idol sits. The pleassure of a luxury spa day in an expensive spa does not last. The cost does nothing to purify and cleanse the soul. We were chosen by God and regarded as His treasure, not for our exterior appearance, but because our interior soul is His precious dwelling place. Going to His word, is to take a free trip to God's spa. Last night I watched "One night with the King" A movie that vividly brings the story of Queen Esther alive. Esther was required to stay in a spa for an entire year before she was chosen. She was bathed for six months with oils of myrrh and another six months with perfumes(Esther 2:12). Preparing her to come into the presence of the King, she was made to wait an entire year while seven ministering attendants took care of her every need. Over a year Esther had time to think of what whe would say, and what she would wear when she was called before the King. In the movie it was clear that the King found her mind, body and soul attractive. Her true beauty, her captivating essence was deeper than her appearance. Esther was a Jew that recited God's word to the King and His choosing of her as his queen was a testimony to what she treasured most, her relationship with God. Becoming the beauty that God recognizes as a personal treasure is to discover the hidden treasures of His word. Inner beauty glistens in the presence of the Holy Spirit, who delights to find a soul willing to seek God's word as if it were rubies and gold. God chooses us as we were found, covered in fear, doubt, shame and He makes us new creatures in Christ. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, (she) is a new creation," Paul wrote, "the old is gone, and the new has come!"
2 Corinthians 5:17 - Amazing Makeovers occur when we choose to spend a spa day with the indwelt Master makeover artist, the Holy Spirit - the one sent by our Father, as Jesus promised. Open 24 hours a day, the price of admission has been paid in full. Thank you Father! AMEN