IRAQ - and the Bible

 Read all of this one, it is interesting!!

VERY INTERESTING-

1. The Garden of Eden was in Iraq . 

2. Mesopotamia, which is now Iraq, was the cradle of civilization!

3. Noah built the ark in Iraq ... 

4. The Tower of Babel was in Iraq .. 

5. Abraham was from Ur, which is in Southern Iraq ...

6. Isaac's wife Rebekah is from Nahor, which is in Iraq ...
7. Jacob met Rachel in Iraq . 

8. Jonah preached in Nineveh - which is in Iraq ...

9. Assyria, which is in Iraq, conquered the ten tribes of Israel .. 

10. Amos cried out in Iraq .. 

11 Babylon , which is in Iraq , destroyed Jerusalem .. 

12. Daniel was in the lion's den in Iraq .

13. The three Hebrew children were in the fire in Iraq (Jesus had been in Iraq also as the fourth person in the Fiery Furnace!). 

14. Belshazzar, the King of Babylon saw the 'writing on the wall' in Iraq . 

15. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, carried the Jews captive into Iraq ... 

16. Ezekiel preached in Iraq ...   

17. The wise men were from Iraq ... 

18. Peter preached in Iraq ...

19. The 'Empire of Man' described in Revelation is called Babylon --which was a cityin Iraq.  And you have probably seen this one: Israel is hte nation most often mentioned in the Bible.
 
But do you know which nation is second?

It is Iraq !

However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible.

The names used in the Bible are Babylon , Land of Shinar , and Mesopotamia ... The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, more exactly between the Tigris And Euphrates Rivers .

The name Iraq means country with deep roots.

Indeed Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible. 

No other nation, except Israel , has more history and prophecy associated
with it than Iraq ..

Taken from Sigler.org

No Effort Needed!

Question: Do we need to do anything for salvation?

When we were still sinners, CHRIST died for us. Romans 5:8

Not when we got 'good', but while we were at our worst.

Also, there is no boasting in HIS presence, (1 Cor 1:29)nothing we can say or do that qualifies us for GRACE. If you could 'qualify', then you did something to 'earn it', and thus it is NOT GRACE then.

In fact when JESUS came, HE kept 'disqualifying' everyone.
HE tells Nicodemus to be 'born again' but never tells anyone else that. (John 3)
HE tells another to 'sell all they have' but never tells that message to anyone else. Luke 18:22
HE tells the demoniac that wants to follow HIM, JESUS tells him "NO, but go home and to your friends, and tell everyone what GOD has done". Mark 5:19

Why doesn't HE tell the demoniac that wants to follow him to 'sell all he has to follow him' and do so? But wouldn't allow him to even follow?

How many preachers do you know, that when someone asks the preacher that they want to follow JESUS. That the preacher would say "NO, just simply go home and tell people what GOD has done".

NO preacher dares to say the things GRACE (JESUS is GRACE) says.
They would tell the guy, go to this church, get under the teaching of 'so & so', get a bible, read these chapters, pray everyday, and serve in the church.

JESUS said "go home".

To another group HE says "Be perfect"

Why doesn't HE tell Nicodemus to sell all he has?
Or tell the woman at the well that she must be 'born again'?

No wonder the disciples asked "who can be saved then?"
This whole thing is impossible.

Here is the scripture in GRACE.

Paul said it like this in more than one of his letters.

"HE (GOD) has locked us all (mankind) under sin, so that HE can have mercy on us all". Romans 11:32

They all didn't qualify.
News Flash:  Either do you...
No one does!

All locked up under the sin, under law (which increases trespass) .

Why?

So that HE can have mercy on some? A few? The elect? The Church?

NO

So that HE can have mercy on them all!

Everyone has sinned, we all have missed the mark.
We all like sheep have gone astray, every man has turned his own way.

All fell under Adam - Oh, I know you believe that - you can see that as you judge by your own eyes and understanding.

But

You don't' believe that all shall be made alive in JESUS...1 Corinthians 15:22

Wonderful, unstoppable GRACE.
Imagine a LOVE that doesn't fail - not once!

Does GOD treat us all the same - answer "yes" and "no".

Does GOD show favouritism?

Answer: "For God does not show favoritism." Romans 2:11
and also Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism." Acts 10:34

And JESUS is the WAY - right?

But here is the key, so we don't judge incorrectly.

There is only ONE way, JESUS is that WAY.
But the LORD (your and my DAD) like any good DAD (and HE is the best), treats HIS kids all differently - to get the end result.

I have 2 boys, whom I love dearly.  Both have the same access to me, and both are deeply loved by myself and my wife but they are brought up or 'handled' differently.  Some need 'pulling' the others need a little 'push'.

When I was younger, our friends had 2 children a couple years apart and they were playing on a swing set but were getting (in my own estimation) potentially rowdy and perhaps dangerous and could fall. After watching them for a few moments I told them both to "STOP IT" with a firm tone as I was the only adult in the yard at the time, the rest were getting drinks from inside.

The point is this, after I ordered them to stop, one started to cry, the other laughed and shrugged me off!  I didn't know what to do.

When you have children of your own, you should get to the point where you (as Dad or Mom) know what you have to do, to get your kids to follow the rules (what is best for them/ best for the family) so they can grow up to be responsible, loving leaders - that this world desperately needs.

Anyway, back to the main point.

We as people tend to judge others, when they are going through a tough time instead of knowing that they all have a FATHER in the Heavenlies (the heavens are all around us, its the Spirit world, or the Kingdom that JESUS referred to all the time).  And this FATHER knows how to 'pull' one and 'push' the other, to get them to be mature, loving sons and daughters.
Doesn't the bible tell us that we should be joyful in suffering, because it is working for our own good? James 1:2

When you learn to live in LOVE and TRUST even in the times of testing, you are maturing fast.
Complaining and fighting is not the way through it, that way only slows you down.
Not my will, but your will be done is our prayer.

Isn't that what any good parent wants?
The child to say 'ok mom' or 'you are right dad'.

Isn't that the same thing with GOD?
And it doesn't matter how far you've gone, remember HE doesn't show favouritism.
We all can come, and enjoy LIFE (HIMSELF - JESUS is LIFE) the way it was intended all along!

Don't let the enemy (devil) give you thoughts that make you feel that you can't come to JESUS.
Take HIM up on HIS offer, that there are no favourites...simply come.
Only a lie would keep you from coming to HIM.

What praying in "JESUS" name really means.

I had (as many of you know already) a vision a few years back about a kid breaking into my house and although I had a 'gun' and 'my title deed to my house' in both hands, he (which represented a weak but cunning devil) tried to get that gun and title deed from me.

The gun represented power.
The title deed represented authority.
I had both.

That is what praying in JESUS name is all about.
It is NOT a way to end a prayer, although you can say it, it doesn't guarantee that your prayers will be more successful by ending it "in JESUS name ...amen".

What it really means, is that you understand or our conscience of the fact that JESUS is in you and HE is you.  It is no longer "I" but CHRIST that dwells in me.

When HIS life (because HE is LIFE) becomes 'you' then you are starting to pray 'in the SPIRIT' and that prayer is 'in HIS name'.  That prayer is in HIS nature, HIS authority - that is what praying in HIS name is all about.  It is using the power and authority that HE is in you.  Not what you have, or try to get psyched up to get, but who you actually are.

CHRIST who is your Life - the bible says.

And it always has to do with LOVE (which is what is best for others).
Which is DADDY'S will (FATHER'S will). JESUS only wanted to do or say what HE was shown by the FATHER who was 'in HIM'.  That is no different then us - what the FATHER says (HIS will) is what we want.  That is the 'nature' of JESUS, that is praying in HIS name, HIS nature and then using HIS power and HIS authority over evil.

IN HIS NAME

IN HIS POWER

IN HIS AUTHORITY

As HIM

Hockey cards and 11 year old boys.

The other day my son Timothy and his good friend Josh, wanted me to take them to the dollar store to see about getting some packs of Hockey Cards, which they collect.

Part of the excitement is of course opening each package and seeing if you get that special card, or unique card that you knew about, but never had.

So of course their eyes large with rack upon rack of hockey cards...hmm...which ones do we choose?

Josh says "why don't we pray to the LORD for it?" Timothy agrees and the 2 of them are praying out loud to the LORD to first give them certain cards and then they changed their prayer to 'show them, which card packs to buy'.

Right there, loud and clear as two 11 years olds could be, they were praying! In the store!

Our boys call prayer "cheating", because you are relying on the help of another (not on your own ability).

At then end, Josh was contemplating about finally this 'box' or 'that one'.  "Timothy" he asks, "you know about these things, you chose for me".

Note: know about these things, meaning spiritually see, not visually see.  Because all the cards are in wrapped packages and some inside even larger boxes (with packs inside), nobody can tell which has what.

Josh grabbed the small box, there were like 7 others he could have chosen, but he chose this one, but looking at Timothy he gestured "you show me, which one". Re-emphasizing what he just asked him.

Timothy quickly said "not this one, but that one".

Note: some hockey cards come in individual packs, others in small boxes of multiple packs.

So they make their choices (after prayer) and we go for ice-cream and go home.
I mentioned some caution, as we walked out of the store, about GOD not being a 'Santa Clause', careful not wanting any hearts to be disappointed.

Boy was I in for a surprise!

All that trust in ME will never be disappointed is the scripture. Psalm 25:3

They got what they were looking for and more! They were surprised as well as my older son, who wasn't there at the time, but just as much, I was surprised!  Not that the LORD answered prayer, because we've seen HIM come through for all kinds of things - everything is small to our BIG GOD!

Surprising, because of the audacity of what the kids were asking for!  The Boldness for that thing and the joy in it all!  The whole thing was fun and exciting.

5:40 I wake up the next morning to the LORD asking me

DAD/PAPA :  "When did you get so serious, that you weren't free enough to pray like the boys did?"
HE continued, "When has life for you got to be so stringent, that prayer can't be fun and frivolous?"

"Frivolous?" I protested, here I was trying to protect GOD's reputation, or was it the reputation I had built about HIM?

DAD/PAPA: "Where is the spontaneous joy? The childlike faith so expecting, so simple?  Not the badgering, not the demanding, not the crying but the joy of it all?"

DAD/PAPA:  "and one more thing about your theology son.  You are right, I AM not Santa, I AM way better than Santa.  Santa only got where he got, following me, and so will you".

Ask anything in MY name and I will give it to you!
Come before MY throne with boldness!

-eric

Heart Disease Heart Problems - what the LORD showed me.

Heart disease is not part of the Christian Life and its not part of the blessings, we would call it a curse wouldn't we?

But why? Why is this attacker everywhere?  Is there any answer from our DAD (the LORD)?

Hope deferred makes the heart sick.
But when desire is fulfilled it is a tree of life!  Proverbs 13:12


Let us look at the word "sick" first.


This word in Hebrew is clearly our word 'sick' or more closely 'disease'.


Thus you get "heart disease'.


Once I was helping a brother on the telephone, and he, a young man, was telling me
about his heart trouble.  These same heart troubles plagued his parents and his grandparents as well.


I asked the LORD (in my SPIRIT) about it and the LORD asked me this:
"Who broke his heart?"


So I asked him: "who broke your heart?" And he was partially stunned and was giving it thought.
We then prayed together on the phone and hung up. I don't know what happened since, but that made
me think, 'who broke it'....why is his heart broken?


Heart Sick is Heart Disease.


What is this "Hope" anyway?


Hope is what 'you think is certain expectation' in your life.
You may feel fairly certain you were going to marry, or go to this school or travel to a certain place.


So you are really expecting something, maybe a dream of yours. It's not a maybe 'iffy' thing but more
than that, more like confident expectation.


Ok, but it's deferred?  What does that mean?


The same word in Hebrew is used when Joseph is 'dragged away' by the Midianites and sold into
slavery by his brothers.  Being taken away at such a young age (he was the youngest) from his
family, from the father that he adored.


That is deferred in Hebrew.


You can read the story in Genesis 37.


This 'deferred' means that your hope is snuffed out, or taken away (dragged away) right before
your eyes!  You see it but you can't have it, its the most evil 'tease', as you think its yours but it isn't!


The LORD talks about this exact thing in Deuteronomy 28:30. HE says that you will plant an orchard
but not eat of the grapes.  You will be pledged to marry but she will be taken by another and ravished 
(strong words). You will build a house but someone else will take it (repossess it) and live in it, but
you will only watch.  Your dreams and certain expectations are right there but you won't enjoy it, instead
it will be happily taken from your grasp and used.


Are you starting to get the idea?


Can I let you in on a little secret?


Joseph, sold into slavery, seemingly had all his hopes taken (dragged) away when he saw his home
life and family removed and watched it go, as he was chained in a slave caravan of the evil
Midianites.  But Joseph was hearing something deep down in his SPIRIT (inside himself).  About 
another dream, reminding him about his real dream.  The dream where the big wheat (himself) had
all these other wheats bowing to him.  Showing him one day that all his brothers, and yes even these
Midianites would all bow to him and 'serve him'.


Here is the secret the LORD showed me once.


DAD said this to me: "Why when I give you a promise (a dream) the very first thing you want to do
is go out and try to fulfill it?"


You see it is only DAD (your LORD) that can fulfill Joseph's dreams and yours too.
Let that anchor you, when it may seem like everything is unraveling around you.


Because if you allow it, it will kill your heart - give you heart trouble, Real HEART DISEASE!
I can't get any plainer than that!


But here is the good part.


"A desire fulfilled is like a tree of life."


The 'tree of life' was first mentioned in the garden of Eden.
The 'Tree of LIFE' represents the LORD JESUS and all that HE is; LOVE, LIFE, JOY, TRUTH.
That LIFE is real healthy LIFE. You coming fully alive! The opposite of heart problems isn't it?
You know when we are hoping for a certain outcome, maybe in your children and they may not 
'turn out' the way expected.  Well we don't need to be a medical scientist to know that that
causes stress and worry.


When you worry, you forget that you have a DAD that LOVES YOU!


But those stresses, are the beginning stages of hope deferred, giving the heart trouble.
Instead seeing (by your SPIRIT) what GOD is doing and how HE is leading you and then
praying into all that (like Joseph as we discussed) starts to put our hope into something 
(yes SOMEONE) greater, and keep our hearts, protect our hearts.


Guard your heart is the command.
These commands are not for GOD'S good, but for your good.
GOD your DADDY, doesn't need help, or need anything - but you do, and I do!


So, what are you hoping for?


Don't let the lies and people nor the devil steal these deep down desires and good dreams.
Because they will if you let them.  Why do you let them?


Keep looking to JESUS to fulfill them trusting your situation and dreams to HIM and thus not
allowing for hope to be dragged away from you - so close but so far!


There is an entire study on people's dreams and desires that become crushed and destroyed.


Can I pray with you right now my friend? About your dreams?





DAD, I thank you for my friend, your child, reading this right now. YOU'VE given them dreams,
real ones, big ones, and they have allowed demons of lies, and people they trust that tell them
that it isn't going to happen, that it isn't so.


LORD, I know those are YOUR dreams that have been given them.  Would YOU right now and
I thank YOU and can see YOU doing it, restoring their broken dreams and desires they have that
have been suppressed and pushed down that they've almost forgotten them. But YOU LORD put
those hopes and dreams and expectations in them, and I can see YOU dusting them off and
restoring them and then let them be fulfilled in them like Joseph.  Encourage the reader right now,
give them a hope a real revelation and understanding that it will be done -but not by their ability
less they boast in themselves, but YOU doing it through them, giving them the desires of their heart.


"Delight yourself in the LORD, and HE will give you the desires of your heart". Psalm 37:4


Blessing: (spoken over you).


"May HE give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed" Psalm 20:4

If you are NOT happy today – you will never be happy!

No Joy In Your Salvation?

Now I know that some of you walk in joy almost daily.  My good friend Emmanuel has talked about GOD’S Joy on numerous occasions.

It was the joy of the LORD that freed some of those in our home fellowship from drugs and addictions.

Hopefully I can show you a trick/ or trap of the enemy that has been used on me (and
all of you) countless times before – robbing you of joy and fulfillment.

Let me say it again, that if you have no (or little) joy today – you will never have more.

It won’t get better! Because you need a revelation of Joy – now!

Why is that? And I thought this was going to be good news? I hear some of you ask.

Hang in there – it gets better - way better! Remember we are talking about Joy and the solution to your joyless problem.

You see, many of you have been hoodwinked (tricked) into a lie that the devil has used millions of times and you are his next victim

Here is the normal Christian life according to Romans 5 : 2-4 (AMP – which means Amplified Version)

2Through Him (JESUS) also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God's favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God.

3Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.

4And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation.

Breaking it all down:

We enter into this state of GOD’S favor (GRACE) and walking in this LOVE we firmly and safely stand. (See verse 2). Eric’s thoughts: “That’s good, I want to safely stand!”

Because we (experience and understand) this great GRACE we are full of Joy now – exulting and triumphing and rejoicing in our sufferings. (Verse 3)

Eric’s thoughts: “Hmm, full of Joy now”.

This pressure we are experiencing, if we see JESUS only does something good for us (not for the world) but for us.

Here it is:

It produces in us HIS Character and puts us in habitual joy and confidence (in our GOD who gives us HIS LIFE every day, not death but LIFE).(verse 4)

Ok so that is all nice and good, but how where is this trap? And how does it play out in my life? I’m still depressed and cranky!

Note: depressed and cranky is not a fruit of the SPIRIT (see Galatians 5).

In the Garden of Eden when the enemy tempted Eve (remember it says that Eve was deceived not Adam).

For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.  1 Timothy 2: 13-14

There are 2 things I wish to point out, hopefully you get it and perhaps by the SPIRIT HE can bring us all further into it.

One is a minor point (sidebar thought) the other is the main point. Note: this sidebar point I need more revelation on this all just came to me as I write, but there is meat here.

Minor (Sidebar) Point:

(new revelation I just received as I’m writing this main message to you)

First Eve was deceived not Adam. So Adam didn’t sin at first and not by deception but willingly. Do you remember the Bible talks about willful sin?

She was deceived (not him), he couldn’t live without her (they were part of each other) and so willingly sinned to be with her.

Adam wasn’t tricked here or deceived but he still sinned but in a different way.

(more on this later). .

There is a difference between being deceived in sin and willful sin, I don’t know more to say about this yet, (as this is new to me) but the SPIRIT teaches us all things. John 14:26

Boy I can hear this discussion already started.

Back to the Main point:

The devil’s trap is to deceive and tell you what you think you are lacking. “if you eat this fruit you will become like GOD, knowing good and evil”. He says. Genesis 3:5

She was already made as a daughter of GOD and she had everything and lacked nothing in the garden – which is now you (inside you) the secret kingdom.

“No”, came the lie, you need this revelation and your eyes will be opened and will become like GOD. The implication is that you are not all there yet, you are not truly fulfilled – lacking so, no real joy.

But we know that when we have HIM (JESUS) we have access to DAD (GOD) for everything. We are in the same place as Adam and Eve.

Romans 8:32 says “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

Here is the trap.

If you see only what you lack, then you are looking with natural (carnal minded eyes), eyes of flesh and that has nothing to do with faith.

Faith only sees what GOD has said, and promised and it trusts that this JESUS who loves me, heard my prayer and is working all this for my good.

But if you are looking to something (longing for something) and want it so bad, you are not seeing that all things are yours already. You believe a lie that only if I had this ________________ (you name it) thing/person, then I will be happy, you say to yourself.

It is all future happiness, joy someday when this ___________(something) happens.

WRONG and you are chasing a lie!

You then make wrong, rash decisions – suffering the consequences. You get hurt over and over again.

You are allowing your carnal mind (flesh) to dictate to you what you need, and not the SPIRIT which delights in GOD and puts to death the carnal mind.

Once you get the thing, (if you even get it at all) it doesn’t satisfy (like the forbidden fruit) and you fall further from the provision of GOD and certainly are not operating in any faith. Its crushing you.

Without Faith it is impossible to please GOD. Hebrews 11:6

Adam and Eve took the forbidden fruit.

Abraham went another way to have children – not trusting GOD.

Only Joshua and Caleb saw the Promised Land the way GOD saw it – the other 10 spies died on the spot of a plaque. Numbers 14:36-37

Peter took his eyes off JESUS and to the wind and waves and started to drown.

Get it?

Always wanting and never taking by faith what is already yours.

One state will leave you dry and frustrated and zero answers to prayer.

The other place will leave you refreshed, and full of joy with all your prayers answered.

Always lacking never satisfied.

Or Always satisfied never lacking?

Stop being hoodwinked.

Start recognizing that all things are yours, and that you are blessed NOW! (see 1 Corinthians 3:21 and John 17:10)

Godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6

Who wants fullness of Joy in their life? Psalm 16:11

Who wants some Great Gain in their life?

I for one do!

You won’t get abundant life in the Kingdom listening to lies and telling GOD you are not happy with this GIFT of LIFE that HE has given you.

Let me close by this question to you:

How many of you feel real good, when you give someone else a gift (or a child a gift) and they open it and toss it aside?

How does that make you feel?

Your life is a gift.

This Christian LIFE is a gift – JESUS LIFE is a gift!

Prayer:

Thank you DAD that I have YOU, and that you never leave me, and you are in me, working through me in your great LOVE.

Pour Your LOVE through me, that I can refresh others today – thus refreshing YOU (giving to you, through giving to the least).

Thank you that I have a home and food and family and friends and all your promises that are IN JESUS who is IN me and I in HIM.

I choose to see YOU at work here, and rejoice that this is working for my good, as only good comes from you and I have you – amen.