- Your Thoughts Are Not My Thoughts
Your thoughts are not My thoughts and your ways are not My ways, saith the Lord.
In 1974, Betsy and I were blessed to go to Israel for the 2000-year celebration of the Feast of Pentecost, the outpouring of the Holy Ghost. We had the privilege of eating a meal with Hogn Vanderboven, the keeper of the garden tomb, nephew of Corrie Ten Boom. I remember going into the tomb and while we were coming out you could see Golgotha, the place of the skull.
Many scholars believe that after David killed Goliath he paraded Goliath’s head throughout Israel and brought it to Jerusalem and placed it there. The name of Goliath of Gath is a name derived from the two words “Gola Gatha.” One can say fairly confidently that David took the head of Goliath (the head of the serpent) and after displaying it on the highest hill in Jerusalem for all to see, buried it in a place called Golgotha. It is still known today as “the place of the skull.” Seeing the rock formation with two hollow eyes — resembling eye sockets in the skull of man.
This so illustrates to us how, in juxtaposition, man’s thoughts and man’s ways are not our Lord’s thoughts and our Lord’s ways. This was the fall of man, who was deceived and disobeyed by thinking there was a better way. The lies of the evil one mixed with Adam and Eve’s choice to believe the Satanic discord caused the mind of man to fall from the fellowship and ability to know God. His soul died, separating himself from God. No longer to be a living soul, bringing death, and the Adamic, inspired by the Satanic, mindset of man. Humanity was lost.
When I looked upon the hill, I saw so clearly the cross as a sword thrust into the place of the skull. Our thoughts are eternally opposed to His thoughts and so are our ways. As Isaiah said, they are so much higher as the heavens are higher than the earth. Only the cross of the Son of God, God’s lamb could take away our sin and redeem us to become the children of God. Jesus redeemed us from the curse.
Jesus, lover of my soul. He Is Lord.
- Nothing But the Blood
1 What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Refrain: O precious is the flow
that makes me white as snow;
no other fount I know;
nothing but the blood of Jesus.
2 For my pardon this I see:
nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my cleansing this my plea:
nothing but the blood of Jesus. [Refrain]
3 Nothing can for sin atone:
nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Naught of good that I have done:
nothing but the blood of Jesus. [Refrain]
4 This is all my hope and peace:
nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This is all my righteousness:
nothing but the blood of Jesus. [Refrain]”And they sang a new song [of glorious redemption], saying, “Worthy and deserving are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slain (sacrificed), and with Your blood You purchased people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom [of royal subjects] and priests to our God; and they will reign on the earth.”“ Revelation 5:9-10 AMP
Worthy Worthy is the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world and cleanses me from all unrighteousness for His Name Sake.
Hallelujah! Good Passover to all!
*Art: Psalm 124 by Kari Langford.
- Renovations in Lebanon
Excited to have an update video on all the renovations happening at the Tent of Praise in Lebanon. Blessed to support and be a part of the work the Lord is doing in Beirut and the Middle East. Praise the Lord!
- “Come” is the command of Jesus always
How do you see Jesus in the storm? The disciples thought they saw a ghost, a spirit, and were troubled. It says they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke, “It is I, the Lord.” The storm cannot hide Him nor muffle His voice. Peter cried, “If it is you, bid me to come.”
Jesus responded, “Come.”
In this time, no matter the storm we find ourselves in, we are in the same boat and the same storm. Jesus walks in and on the storm. His call is to come, for He is here.
He says, “It is I.”
Jesus is in the midst of whatever we are going through as He walks on the water at the height of the storm. He demonstrates, “Nothing is too difficult for Me.” The Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost call to us, “Come.”
Keep on coming to them. Glory to God! Hallelujah! Jesus!!!
-KC
- The Anointed (Mind) Head
David, in this great passage, identifies his relationship as one of the Lord’s sheep. The Lord is his shepherd. Jesus, speaking in His time, identifies His followers as sheep. He says, “My sheep hear My voice, another they will not follow.” David, during his years as a shepherd, received this revelation of God, the Shepherd of His sheep.
This morning, pray and receive your Shepherd. Ask Jesus, the Good Shepherd, to anoint your head with oil. A Shepherd anointed the sheep with oil not once, but many times, to keep flies from constantly tormenting them as they followed. We think of the anointing for ministry only, but how effective can we be with tormented thinking? This is for our daily protection. This was to keep the flies from laying eggs in the sheep’s mouth, where they get small cuts from blades of grass.
Jesus called Satan Beelzebub, lord of the flies, tormenters. Flies would lay eggs in the cuts and maggots would hatch and bring infection. The anointing is what keeps the evil one’s lies from tormenting our soul (mind, will, and emotions), where our thinking and decisions take place. David says God anointed his head with oil, and his cup runneth over with the anointing of spiritual thoughts and truth. Our cup spills over from us into our lives with His anointing renewing our minds. Without this, the devil and his lies begin to attack our heads and make us vulnerable to the world around us. It spills over into our marriage, family, friends, brothers and sisters, and the world.
The continued anointing, and sanctification of spirit, soul, and body will keep our hearts and minds. In this time we need our heads anointed. Our Good Shepherd, Jesus, the lover of our souls, is faithful to do it as we follow Him. We are the sheep of His pasture and we hear His voice.
Hallelujah! -KC
- Blessed Valentine’s Day
Blessed Valentine’s Day to all. This is one of my favorite celebrations. Of course, honoring the love of my life Betsy, but also because I am reminded of this word of the Lord:
I am thankful for how wonderful our God’s mercy and truth are to us. Jesus told us to love God with all of our hearts. ♥️ We are not to be as men and women who see people by their appearances or circumstances. Love to all. -KC
- Israel’s Resolve
As we see in this passage, God refers to Jacob and Israel as His servants, He made them: “You are MY Servant Israel.” He has chosen Israel to serve His purposes in the earth. It is the epicenter and focus of the only wise God as the gap between history and the prophetic is narrowing in time. It is vital that Israel’s resolve to eliminate Hamas, which in Hebrew means violence, continues to victory.
Hamas started this war, massacring some 1400 innocent civilians. The narrative of the media, fueled by the Islamic proxies of Iran and the United Nations, under the guise of humanitarian issues, is illustrated in Secretary Blinken’s statement regarding Israel “dehumanizing Palestinians.” Even the narrative of denial that October 7 did not happen.
The continuing evidence that the IDF is discovering is revealing the darkness that has been hidden in those tunnels of darkness. Armories of weapons, manufacturing of rockets — all that have rained down on Israel — and an underground system of tunnels and rooms. It is now coming to pass as Jesus said: “That which is being done is being shouted from the housetops.” The fact is Israel, for years, has been in a war declared by Islam. Their Jihad, holy war, for the genocide and extermination of Israel and the Jews.
The Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement was issued on August 18, 1988. The Islamic Resistance Movement, also known as the HAMAS, is an extremist fundamentalist Islamic organization operating in the territories under Israeli control. Its Covenant is a comprehensive manifesto comprised of 36 separate articles, all of which promote the basic HAMAS goal of destroying the State of Israel through Jihad (Islamic Holy War). The following are excerpts of the HAMAS Covenant:
We have ourselves, the United States, during Ayatollah Khoemene’s reign of terror, were held hostage during the Carter administration. The hostages, 52, were held for 444 days, from November 4, 1979, to their release on January 20, 1981. Not to mention the terrorist attack on the Marines on October 23, 1983. 220 Marines, 18 U.S. Navy sailors, and 3 U.S. Army soldiers lost their lives in the Marine Barracks at the Beirut Airport. Since then Iran has continued to be emboldened and has continued in Jihad directed at Israel and the United States. They have not ceased one day since then.
In the early 1950s, the Arab governments organized paramilitary commando groups — fedayeen — which undertook raiding and sabotage missions into Israel. In our lifetime we have seen Hamas, Hezbollah, Isis, and the Houthis, to name a few. All of these, proxies of Iran, carry the declaration and vision of Jihad, their Holy War, aimed primarily at Israel and any allies, especially the United States. It has never ceased, but has gained more and more momentum, and exploded on October the 7th of last year.
This is Islam’s eschatology and world view, to bring the nations under Shariah Law. These events, nations, and terrorists are all part of the prophecies concerning the end times in which we live. May Israel continue to stand in its resolve. Not only in its resistance but its goal to eradicate Hamas from its borders. Remember Israel out of all its trouble, let Israel not be ashamed, let not its enemies triumph.
Hallelujah!
- The New Year
As I was watching New Year’s Eve celebrations across time zones, I was struck by the continual spiraling down of the world’s approach to the New Year. I was reminded of Jesus’s words, “As in the days of Noah.” The contrast of the two calendars in terms of the approach of the people of the world and the people of God is telling. The Jewish calendar begins with, “Rosh Hashanah,” which means, “head of the year” in Hebrew. The two-day holiday is considered a time to reflect and repent in anticipation of the coming year versus the revelry and merriment displayed in most of the world at the New Year. The time of introspection according to the Hebrew calendar, Tishri, has a different spirit. It brings to mind God’s time in contrast to man’s.
In this post, I want to address the attitudinal approach, not the issue of the two calendars. Although the Church’s lack of celebrating the Feasts, which mark God’s calendar, is lamentable. I want to address our attitude toward our plans and strategies. Our labor in this could be called dead works: labor done in vain.
Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and about the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits.
Hebrews 6:1-3 NASBThe beginning of the Hebrew year calls for introspection and repentance, which are elementary principles and foundations for maturity. It is receiving, without condemnation, the truth brought to us by the Holy Ghost. Our thoughts that are not His and seeing where we went our way and not His — these produced dead works in the year. The saying that is often used, “How is that working for you?” minimizes sin and repentance. Sins cannot be called just “mistakes.”
In dealing with situations put before me, minimizing missing the mark and continuing to go our own way, rather than receiving correction, is labeled judgmental. Only in this course correction will enable us to go on into maturity, which can only be done in repentance.
All the New Year celebrations, good intentions, resolutions, and our will, cannot produce a happy New Year. So many resolutions and good intentions are verbalized yet lack a repentant attitude, which keeps us from pressing on to maturity.
For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.“ ”For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
2 Corinthians 7:10-11 NASBThe contrast of godly sorrow and the sorrow of the world is night and day, life and death, maturity and immaturity. Paul refers to them as points of reference:
For [you can look back and] see what an earnestness and authentic concern this godly sorrow has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves [against charges that you tolerate sin], what indignation [at sin], what fear [of offending God], what longing [for righteousness and justice], what passion [to do what is right], what readiness to punish [those who sin and those who tolerate sin]! At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in the matter.“
2 Corinthians 7:11 AMPPaul tells them to look back, to see what true repentance and godly sorrow have produced in us. Vindication, free from accusation, indignation at sin, fear of the Lord, not offending Him, longing for righteousness and justice, a passion for doing right — not just being right, readiness to call ourselves and one another into account, not tolerating sin. He goes on to say that in every one of these points they have proved to be innocent. One free from guilt or harm. I am not saying whatsoever that I am innocent in any of these points, only that I see my lack of maturity and a desire to press on to turn from that which hinders me in my relationship to Jesus and His Body.
There is no Happy New Year without our repentance and renewed faith toward God.
Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2 NASBIn closing, be sure that as you look into your heart with introspection, you finish by looking up and only to Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. He has made a way for us to continually be made new.
Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!
-KC
- What Determines a Happy New Year
He is faithful to His plan — not man’s plans and strategies. They are set in His heart and no circumstances or ideas will change this. The plans of man are what dead works are made of and our only response is to repent.
Onward and upward into His plans in 2024.
Praying for all of us. He is faithful to the one and only plan: His! Jesus!
-KC
- O Holy Night and O Little Town of Bethlehem – Worship and the Word
Join us in this series with Keith Curlee and Ben Ward discussing classic Christmas carols and their amazing, deep theology. Today we are looking into “O Holy Night” and “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”
Previous episodes:
“O Come, O Come Emmanuel”
“Come Thou Long Expected Jesus”
“Hark the Herald Angels Sing”Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Listen to Ben’s podcast: https://benwardmusic.com/morningprayer
- Hark the Herald Angels Sing – Worship and the Word
Join us in this series with Keith Curlee and Ben Ward discussing classic Christmas carols and their amazing, deep theology. Today we are exploring “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” by Charles Wesley.
Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Listen to Ben’s podcast: https://benwardmusic.com/morningprayer
- Come Thou Long Expected Jesus – Worship and the Word
Join us in this series with Keith Curlee and Ben Ward discussing classic Christmas carols and their amazing, deep theology. Today we are delving into “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus” by Charles Wesley.
Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Listen to Ben’s podcast: https://benwardmusic.com/morningprayer
- O Come O Come Emmanuel – Worship and the Word
Join us in this new podcast series with Keith Curlee and Ben Ward discussing classic Christmas carols and their amazing, deep theology. This is the first of five episodes, O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Listen to Ben’s podcast: https://benwardmusic.com/morningprayer
- Hanukkah, the Celebration of Light – Day Eight
We come to the last day of Hanukkah with the Spirit, anointed oil, and the word of God, His light, returning to the Holy Place. The supernatural sign to Israel of His promise of His mercy and the end to His anger. He is slow to anger, but when angered it is not without end.
The number eight is significant in scripture, meaning new beginnings. For Israel, this time in their history will bring a greater light than creation has ever seen. The true light that will never be darkened and will shine for all eternity. Jesus, God’s light, shining forth, into the very hearts of men.
Our response to His light is to “Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.“ (Isaiah 60:1)
This is not just His Light, but now has become our Light to shine We are His Light, shining for His Glory, so that men will see and also glorify God. His light risen on us and shining through us. This is not a reflection of Him, but it is refracted light, which is like a prism. It is called bent light. That which comes into us and then is bent out of us. Thus we are to let our light shine.
On this last day let us set our hearts on Yeshua (Jesus), encouraged and returning to God. He spoke of knowing His sheep and following His voice on a day that celebrated the return to the Torah.
From its inception, Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication, is a time and season for rededication to God. It could refer to the rededication of the Temple at the time of the Maccabean revolt. But what started the revolt was dedication to the Torah and to the God of Israel.
God loves responding to those who take the time to dedicate and rededicate themselves to His ways, regardless of personal cost.
- Hanukkah, the Celebration of Light – Day Seven
After all the Great I Am had done for them, once again, they were sent into captivity. Heaven went silent.
Assimilation and annihilation seem to be Israel’s end. But God is faithful to His Word. He is the Covenant God and will not relent. He does not leave—we are the ones who go astray.The light had gone out in the Temple and they once again found themselves oppressed and ruled by that which cannot comprehend the light: the world. The result of this loss of light was a darkened condition:
- Listening but no understanding
- Looking but no perception
- The heart becomes dull, no response
- Ears barely can hear
- Eyes become closed
This is what happens when the world begins to make its way into our lives, as we begin to be assimilated and stray from the path God has set for us. When the word does not light our way we begin to wander and lose our way. Once again, It takes the light of Heaven, God’s great mercy, to bring the conviction of the Holy Ghost touching our dull hearts.
More of Jesus is more light. The more of His light brings forth the fountain of life and life more abundant. A spring, not a well, but a continual, everlasting flow. Not running out.
Eternal Life!
- Hanukkah, the Celebration of Light – Day Six
The word that came to the Maccabees that brought light.
“Who is Like You, O Lord, Among the Mighty!” I believe that this word that became their cry brought forth light, not only in the Holy Place but illumined their hearts to believe this confession. They answered this eternal question—there is no one like the Lord. This brings to my mind a chorus we sang in the 70s from Isaiah 44:8:
There is none Holy as the Lord,
There is none beside Thee,
Neither is there any Rock like our God,
there is none Holy as the Lord.Again this great confession: THERE IS NONE! May we proclaim on this sixth night as the light of this truth illumines us, “There is none, no one, no mighty, no not one like the Lord our God.” We celebrate His might this day. Hallelujah!
- Hanukkah, the Celebration of Light – Day Five
Who is Like You, O Lord, Among the Mighty!
The fifth day of Chanukah is the day before Rosh Chodesh Tevet. The day before every Rosh Chodesh is known as Yom Kippur Katan (“Mini Yom Kippur”) and is a day of introspection and repentance for any wrongdoings during the past month.
As believers, we are known as children of light. Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:19, ”And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil.“ John begins by writing that Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, came to Jesus by night. I am sure that Nicodemus wished he would have come earlier in the day.
God’s light is very intentional, exposing and driving out the darkness in our lives. It is the light of the word that brings conviction and introspection to our hearts. The conviction of the Holy Ghost calling us to righteousness and right relationship to God brings repentance with regret. David refers to the word of God and its illumination of His soul and its cleansing power. “Create in me a clean heart Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.” This continual cry of our hearts brings truth to our lives.
Jesus speaks of Himself,
May we become lovers of His light and continue to pursue Him and walk in His light.
Draw near to Me, the Lord, and I will draw near to you.
- Hanukkah, the Celebration of Light – Day Four
As we continue in the celebration of light, we can not underestimate the silence and the darkness engulfing Israel in the time between Malachi and the gospel of Matthew, some 400 years. The miracle of the one-day supply of anointing oil and the faith of the Maccabees in lighting the candlestick in the inner court resulted in the intervention of the supernatural power of heaven, which continued burning brightly for 8 days. We see that the zeal for the House of the Lord moved Heaven to come down to earth and intervene on behalf of Israel. Light returned and would begin ushering in the Light of the world prophesied by the prophets.
When Jesus came to earth, the world was trapped in spiritual darkness. His people’s hopes lay shattered in the darkness of their own failure and inability to throw off the yoke of hundreds of years of dominating nations.
Matthew says,
How important is light to we as believers. To walk in the light, to continue let our light shine. This remembrance of the miracle and celebration of light coming back into Israel cannot be minimized by the Church. We as Gentiles were darkened in our understanding and far from the promises of God and without hope.
But now—but God has sent His light
The call still goes out to the House:
- Hanukkah, the Celebration of Light – Day Three
Light it up!
The Word of the Lord came and changed the hearts of this group of Jews who were moved with zeal for the house of the Lord. Their confession was, “Who is Like You, O Lord, Among the Mighty!” Surrounded by the darkness of idolatry and pagan worship, they refused to continue to remain idolatrous and rebellious. God always has a remnant in every generation who believes there is no one like the Lord. The word of God always brings light with it.
”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.“
John 1:1-5John declares it so in the beginning of his gospel, his witness and testimony of Jesus. The Holy Ghost inspired John to write, “In the beginning was the word and He was the light of mankind.” All life must have light—it is sustained by it. There is no darkness in Him.
As they began the process to repair, restore, cleanse, and rededicate the Temple to the Lord, the necessity of the word and the oil—Spirit—brought light.
”For You light my lamp; The Lord my God illumines my darkness.“
Psalms 18:28”For the fountain of life is with You; In Your light we see light.“
Psalms 36:9As we celebrate this time once again, as it was in the beginning, God the Father said, “Let there be light.” Jesus was born, the light of the world.
”for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),“
Ephesians 5:8-9Light it up!
- Hanukkah, the Celebration of Light – Day Two
Once the Maccabees evicted the pagan, removing a statue of Zeus, driving the idolaters from their Holy Temple, they began the process to repair, restore, cleanse, and rededicate it to the Lord. The dedication was an eight-day process and required the use of sanctified oil for the Lampstand—the seven-candlestick menorah that stood in the first room of the sanctuary. But they only had a one-day supply of holy oil, and it would take eight days to make more. Nevertheless, they lit the menorah and began the sanctification process. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days! This is the essence of the eight-day celebration. The miracle of the anointed oil with the lighting of the Lampstand in the Holy Place, restored the light of the Word of God again. 400 years of silence and darkness was now going to be broken.
Jerusalem was ablaze in light, as each family burned candles at the doors of their houses. Today they celebrate this festival with a nine-candlestick menorah—one for each day the oil burned, and the center candlestick is the “servant candle” which is used to light the others. God spoke through His prophet Isaiah: “My servant shall bring light to the Gentiles.” John, the disciple of Messiah, said, “Jesus is the true Light that lights everyone who comes into the world” (Isa. 42:1, Jn.1:9). Jesus Himself declared two months earlier, at the close of the Feast of Tabernacles, “I am the light of the world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (Jn. 8:12). Every day for eight days the candles are lit: one on the first day, two on the second, etc., until on the last day all eight candles are lit. This is why it is also called the Festival of Lights. Unlike other feasts, there is no fasting or mourning. It is a celebration of joy.
Joy to the world!
*See this article by Sharon Hardy Knots and R. G. Hardy for more background.