There is a wonderful verse that I love.
When we shall see Him we shall be like Him (2 Cor 3:18). We must see God. Look at the responses of people who saw God or his Angels.
In Daniel 10:1-12.Daniel fasts and prays and God answers and He is on his face, out cold. In Acts 9:3-4 Paul has an encounter with Jesus and, Boom, down on the ground. John has a similar encounter in Revelations 1:17. Bam, and he's out of there. Moses, Gideon and Jeremiah suddenly are the great I can'ts in the face of the Great I am. Peter simply tells Jesus to depart for he is a sinful man.(Luke 5:8)
These are the responses that the Bible's greatest men had when they met God or His Incredible Messengers. Total Humility, Total Conviction, Total Devotion. Why must we encounter our Lord in a similar way?
It seems that the very standard to be an Apostle was to have seen the risen Christ and look at what these men were able to do.
In John 14:19 the Lord begins to explain that His disciples will see Him but the world will not be able to see Him. The Disciples are curious and the Lord, in His amazing way, expounds on this incredible relationship that we will have with God by the Holy Spirit.
Do you believe that you can see God or hear His voice? Imagine the empowering available to those of us who see Visions. The birth of the Church is declared by Joel through Peter on Pentecost as "Your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams (night visions) not to mention your hand maidens (women).These are prophetic revelations and they are available to us all.
We each have the Spirit in our own measure but I find it hard to believe that we cannot all have a deeper relationship with Jesus and God by the Holy Spirit. Whether it is having your ears suddenly stand up, or the hairs on your arm or neck.
Pray and seek God and learn His still small loving voice. You will never be the same.
Does your heart burn as Jesus walks with you, opening the scriptures, or is it when He breaks bread that you suddenly realize his presence. Does it take seeing Him walk through a wall, maybe your personal wall, to let you physically put your hand in His wounds. Or is it when you seek Him, with tears, crying for His presence in the garden that the gentle voice calls your name (Mary) You may dance, (David), sing, fast and pray or prophecy, but you must know where you meet Him.
How your life will be changed! No rule, no law can keep you on the straight and narrow but the Spirit is always right. To be spiritually minded is Life and Peace. Only Christ, in you, accomplishes the task at hand. For it is Christ in you working His good pleasure. In the end the name of the City of God is called The Lord is There (Ezekiel 48:35). We all long to simply be where He is. Where do you meet Him and hear His Voice? That's where the transforming power of God is. by Michael Tiemann
FRIENDS:
Father, We want to see you and know you better. We ask you to help us see Jesus and to deepen our faith upon seeing him more clearly. May we see the joy that is before us. Would you pull back the eternal curtain and give us a glimpse into the everlasting? Please keep us close to you this day. In Jesus' name, Amen.
DAILY BIBLE CHALLENGE ~JUNE~
13. Luke 4:31-37; Ephesians 6:10-24; Psalms 119:97-104; 1 Kings 21-22
14. Luke 4:38-44; Philippians 1:1-11; Psalms 119:105-112; 2 Kings 1-3
~2 Kings~
The tone for the book is set in the first two verses.
After Ahab died, Moab broke away from Israel's rule. Ahaziah fell down through the wooden bars in his upstairs room in Samaria and was badly hurt. He sent messengers and told them, "Go, ask Baal-Zebub, god of Ekron, if I will recover from my injuries" (1:1-2)
In those inaugural words you find death (Ahab died), rebellion (Moab broke away), calamity (Ahaziah fell down), and superstition (Go ask...the god of Ekron).
What a beginning. It doesn't get any better. Second Kings is not a book for the faint of heart. But it is a book for the serious disciple. Its message is embossed at the top of every page: "The way of transgressors is hard."
Remember what Paul said about the wages of sin being death? This book proves his point. Twenty-five chapters of people reaping the harvest of sin. Story after story of people learning firsthand the eternal truth: The consequence of persistent sin is pain. Pain, not just in your life but in the lives of those you love.
The book relates the decline of two powers.
The Northern Kingdom, Israel, was headquartered in Samaria. Nineteen kings led this nation. Not one was godly. Not one! In spite of strong prophets like Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Elijah, and Elisha, the kings didn't listen.
The Southern Kingdom, Judah, used Jerusalem as it's capital. Of its twenty sovereigns, only eight walked with God. Again powerful prophets challenged them. Obadiah, Joel Isaiah, and Jeremiah were just a few of the men who proclaimed God's message.
But the people didn't listen. They slipped from conviction to compromise into captivity. The book ends with the battered nations of Israel and Judah dragged behind the horses of their conquerors. God will leave them in captivity for seventy years. Plenty of time for them to ponder the lesson: Do not be fooled: You cannot cheat God. People harvest only what they plant (Gal 6:7).
It took these people several decades to get the point. I hope we are better listeners.
FOOD:
Skip the iceberg lettuce and go for the dark leafy greens on your next trip to the salad bar.
Turns out the vitamin K in greens like kale and spinach may reduce your chances of developing insulin resistance -- a major risk factor for diabetes.
Roasted Red Peppers Stuffed with Kale & Rice
Makes 6 serving
Peppers
3 medium red bell peppers
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Filling
8 ounces kale (6 cups lightly packed), trimmed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup cooked short-grain brown rice (see Tip)
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup toasted pine nuts, divided (see Tip)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1. To prepare peppers: Preheat oven to 400°F. Halve peppers lengthwise through the stems, leaving them attached. Remove the seeds. Lightly brush the peppers outside and inside with oil; sprinkle the insides with salt and pepper. Place, cut-side down, in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake until peppers are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly. Turn cut-side up.
2. To prepare filling: Bring 2 cups salted water to a boil in a large wide pan. Stir in kale, cover and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water; squeeze dry. Finely chop.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and chopped bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until onion is golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in the kale. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Stir in rice, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons pine nuts and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the filling among the pepper halves. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons pine nuts.
4. Add 2 tablespoons water to the baking dish. Cover the peppers with foil and bake until heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 minutes more. Serve hot.
Tips: You may Prepare through step 3, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Tips: To cook brown rice: Place 1 cup brown rice, 21/2 cups water and a pinch of salt, if desired, in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer. Cover; cook over low heat until rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes. Makes 3 cups.
To toast pine nuts: Heat a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add pine nuts and cook, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. (Or spread in a small baking pan and bake at 400°F for about 5 minutes.)
Per serving: 171 calories; 11 g fat (2 g sat, 5 g mono); 6 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 3 g fiber; 304 mg sodium; 285 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (210% daily value), Vitamin A (20% dv) 1 Carbohydrate Serving
FUN:
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