Can I Get A Witness?

Posted on 21 Nov 2017 by Kathie Whitestone Thompson

^{John 8: 10}Straightening up, Yeshua said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?”

¹¹“No one, Sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Yeshua said. “Go, and sin no more.” source

We know the story, right? The woman was brought to Jesus by the Pharisees; not because they cared about her or her sins; they were there on an entrapment mission. Read again what happened when they all dropped their stones, from the oldest to the youngest, and walked away.

I think she was scared. Don’t you? I think she was waiting for the stinging and the bleeding to begin. It didn’t. Can we imagine her relief? Can we imagine her breathless, barely audible voice as she said: “No one, Sir.”?

Can we identify?

Yeshua stood between she and the stones. Is Jesus standing between you and a stoning? He is willing to, you know.

Chazaq!

Pictures

Posted on 8 Dec 2016 by Kathie Whitestone Thompson

GOD had said to Abraham take your only son, the son you love to the place I will show you and sacrifice him there. Genesis 22

Sacrificing is hard. Laying it down. Placing the knife to the throat of our desires is a hard, hard thing. Some times I do it better than others; perhaps you do too. Perhaps the deciding factor is how much do we love what we are sacrificing, and for Whom and to Whom are we offering the sacrifice.

³So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. He split wood for the burnt offering, and got up and went to the place about which God had told him.  source

That’s what obedience looks like. The hardest thing Abraham had ever done in all his over 100 years, he did!

This passage, Genesis 22, is rich with allegory. May I share with you a few of those I see?

A Father – Abraham picturing GOD
A Son – Issac picturing JESUS
Wood – Issac carried the wood; JESUS carried the Cross.
Fire – picturing judgment (our judgment fell on JESUS) and Who controls that fire? The Father.
Knife – the shedding of blood (without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin)
Three days – And on the third day JESUS arose from death

There is more but I did say a few, didn’t I?

One more and I appreciate it so much: Substitution. On that fateful day in the life of Abraham and Issac, a SUBSTITUTION was made. A ram for Issac.

And for you and me a substitution was made: JESUS!

Romans 6:23 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
²³For sin’s payment is death, but God’s gracious gift is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua our Lord.

Isaiah 53:6 New King James Version (NKJV)
 ⁶All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Ephesians 2:8 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
⁸For you have been delivered by grace through trusting, and even this is not your accomplishment but God’s gift.

Have you trusted JESUS? Have you trusted this Substitution is enough to save you?

HOLY SPIRIT, I ask that the heart of every soul who comes to this page who has not trusted JESUS will know Your Voice and will say Yes today.

Revelation 3:20 New International Version (NIV)
²⁰Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

In response Abraham said: Here I am.

In response to our need for a Savior, JESUS said and still says to us: Here I am!

And we say?

Daily Grind

Posted on 16 Mar 2016 by Kathie Whitestone Thompson

Probably not a lot to write today; just some I’ve been thinking stuff.

This daily grind also known as this day-to-day stuff we do when we drag (or jump) ourselves out of bed to do breakfast (or not), out the door to work or not (but work at home); gas in the vehicle, a few things from the store, on and on you know the drill: life! The stuff we do because we live here on planet earth – it’s for our survival, yours mine and ours. Is that it? Is there more to this it, than that?

Yep. There is! For sure there is for those who have entered the family of GOD. It occurred to me again yesterday that when the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD convicted me and I agreed with Him that I needed a Savior and that JESUS the Christ (YESHUA) was the only Savior and I said yes, that there was no reason after that for Him to leave me here to do this daily grind. I mean it was a done deal. I said yes. Heaven was home. Lets go. But that did not happen. And after these what, 4 decades plus since then, I’m still here.

Why? What’s the point? I believe I got it!

Obviously, this human experience has requirements. See paragraph 2.

The daily grind.

But what if. What if our daily grind and even our play time and our play time toys; what if all that is designed and provided to be tools? Tools to connect us with people. People looking for answers. People wondering is this it! People needing a Savior but not sure there is One or how to connect with Him.

Our daily grinds are the perfect springboard connectors. Our daily grinds are the way DADDY GOD intends for us to share His Good News. That’s the only reason He has left us here. I’m convinced He’d much rather have us at home with Him!

But . . .

¹⁸Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [source] Matthew 28: 18-20 NLT

Heaven is a big place . . . there needs to be lots and lots of people there.

2 Peter 3:9 (KJV) ⁹The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. [source]

1 Corinthians 3:9 (CJB) ⁹For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. [source]

I was wordier than I expected. 🙂

Until Next Time ~ ~ ~ Kathie
Your Prayer requests welcomed

Day 76
290 days remaining after today.

Pause Button

Posted on 24 Nov 2015 by Kathie Whitestone Thompson

The four horsemen are coming. [See Revelation 6:1-8 for their descriptions) That is as certain as the sun came up this morning. The end of things as we know them will play out. The end of the beginning will be exactly as GOD has revealed in His Word. And so for some the attitude is well the end is set, let it play out, there is nothing for me to do or that I can do about it. I am here to challenge that.

Did not YESHUA say, Occupy till I come? Luke 19:13 Occupy means; well, don’t take my word for it.

oc·cu·py (ŏk′yə-pī′). To fill up (time or space). 2. To dwell or reside in 3. To hold or fill 4. To seize possession of and maintain control 5. To engage or employ the attention or concentration of Source: Occupy – definition of occupy by The Free Dictionary

Does that sound like sit around and do nothing and wait for the end? Nope. Not to me either. But that still leaves us with a set end. A set way that this old world system is going to play out. And leading up to that set end the peoples of this world devolve into deeper and more abundant depravity. We see it happening now.

Matthew 24:12 (NASB)

¹²Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (CJB)

¹⁴then, if my people, who bear my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn from their evil ways, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.

Revelation 2:⁴But I have this against you: you have lost the love you had at first. ⁵Therefore, remember where you were before you fell, turn from this sin, and do what you used to do before. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your menorah from its place — if you don’t turn from your sin! [source]

Notice if repentance comes, His Hand is stayed.

Revelation 2:¹⁶Therefore repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God’s will]; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war and fight against them with the sword of My mouth [in judgment]. [source]

Again. Repentance. Stays His Judgment.

Revelation 3: ³So remember and take to heart the lessons you have received and heard. Keep and obey them, and repent [change your sinful way of thinking, and demonstrate your repentance with new behavior that proves a conscious decision to turn away from sin]. So then, if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. [source]

Again. wake up or . . .

See GOD has a pause button!

Destruction does not have to come on OUR WATCH! And perhaps it won’t, perhaps my generation will all die out before the Horsemen arrive. But what of our children, our grandchildren even our great-grandchildren – is that what we want for them? Wouldn’t revival, an awakening to the GOD of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and you and me be much better? Wouldn’t our welcome home be much better if we occupied til then? 2 Timothy 4:8

Think about it. Pray about it. Will you?

Until Next Time ~ ~ ~ Kathie

Springboard

Posted on 13 Oct 2015 by Kathie Whitestone Thompson

A quick word today. I think. You may know that rarely when I come to this screen with a thought to write is it more than just a springboard and I am as surprised as you where it lands. Today is the same. 🙂

Contained in one of my devotional materials for today was the suggestion that I read Matthew 20:20-28 which I did. Click HERE and you can too. I read all eight verses but I am still paused at this:

²⁵But Yeshua called them and said, “You know that among the Goyim, those who are supposed to rule them become tyrants, and their superiors become dictators.

The exact place of pausing was But JESUS (Yeshua) called them. In the preceding verses I read that ten of the disciples were outraged at the two brothers. Why? Because James and John with their mother had made a request of JESUS: She replied, “Promise that when you become king, these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right and the other on your left.”

I am so impressed with JESUS. The request that was made of Him was shall we say at the least inappropriate. There are more spiritual applications to be made than we are making today. So leaving that right there, my point here is they made a request, a request that outraged the others. Outraged. That’s not just a little miffed. No. Outraged!

But. What did JESUS do?
What did He do with these outraged disciples? These jealous, fearful, bent out of shape disciples?
Was He outraged with them for being outraged? Did He rail on them? Did He berate them? Did He scowl at them? No. He CALLED them to Himself!

Called them to Himself. Oh that is soothing and healing to me. Here I see that when I am outraged. Jealous. Irritated. Fearful. Feeling threatened. Feeling put upon and put aside, He CALLS me to Himself. To mentor me. To correct me, yes; but to love me and instruct me in a better way. A better way to react. A better way to relate. A better way to achieve the greatness we are really seeking — His Kingdom.

Have you been outraged at someone?
Have you ever believed the lie that when you have fallen prey to some outrageous behavior that HE is outraged with you? That He has nothing more to say to you? That He wants nothing more to do with you? That you have out sinned your welcome with Him?

NOT SO!

Today. He is calling YOU to Himself. For healing. For instruction. For Strength. For forgiveness. For restoration. For whatever it is that will make you great in His Kingdom.

1 John 1:9 (AMP)

⁹If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].

ABBA, thank You. Thank You HOLY SPIRIT for highlighting Your Word and teaching us. Thank You LORD YESHUA for calling. And I ask You HOLY SPIRIT if You will to use this offering of words to help someone know they are loved and that they have been called. I pray we all will respond with yes. Yes I will come to You. And, ABBA, for every Reader who comes to this page I pray for them. I don’t know their needs, I don’t know their specific struggles or doubts or questions or burdens or fears but I pray they will be encouraged here and they will know You are trustworthy and You are faithful to them to supply everything they need. Help them receive, help me receive. Thank You ABBA.