When we look at the great prophets of the Bible before they walked in the true power of the Spirit, they all went down into the depths of repentance. The closer they moved toward God, the more they sensed His holiness and saw how unworthy they really were. They felt inadequate for the job and the need for a spiritual cleansing. Becky Dvorak
Scripture
“The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.”
Observation
Samuel takes a flask of oil and pours it on Saul’s head. He tells Saul that there will be three signs of Gods favour:
1. He will meet two men who tell him the donkeys have been found.
2. At the Great Tree at Tabor, he will meet two men, one of them will give him two loaves of bread.
3. He will meet some prophets, and the Spirit of the Lord will come on him and he will prophesy.
So Saul goes away, and the three signs are fulfilled that day.
Later, Saul summons the elders of Israel and presents Saul to them as their King.
Application
The three signs that Samuel describes a very specific and a little out of the ordinary. They could not have been pre-planned by Samuel, and they could not have been coincidences or chance events.
Unusual but specific signs were given so that saul would know that God had chosen him, and so that the whole nation would know that God was leading them into a new era.
When God is it work, He does not always give us confirmation signs, but the signs He does give are often unusual and beyond the realms of normal expectations.
We should not ask God for a sign in the normal daily decisions that we make. But we should have eyes of faith that see where God is at work.
Prayer
Father, I thank you for the signs that you sometimes give to confirm my direction. Please increase my ability to see your deeds. Amen
From Forbes
A new study from the Danish Road Directorate shows that less than 5% of cyclists break traffic laws while riding yet 66% of motorists do so when driving. The Danish Cycling Embassy, a privately-funded NGO, puts this down to visibility: law breaking by cyclists is “easy to notice for everyone” but transgressions by motorists, such as speeding, are harder to spot.
The study was carried out for the Danish government by consulting firm Rambøll using video cameras sited at major junctions in Danish cities, including Copenhagen. It was found that just 4.9% of cyclists broke road rules when they were riding on cycleways. This rose to 14% of cyclists when there was no cycling infrastructure present. ( Want fewer scofflaw cyclists in your city? Install cycleways. )
The video cameras counted 28,579 cyclists crossing at intersections. The most frequently recorded transgression was bicycling on the sidewalk. Rule breaking by cyclists was twice as numerous in smaller cities which, in Denmark, have fewer cycleways. The new study had almost identical results to an earlier one carried out by the consulting firm Copenhagenize. This was also a video study and analysed the behaviour of 80,000 cyclists: it found that 5% broke traffic laws.
Read the full article here
am not suggesting that we put on a religious spirit and become legalistic about how we worship—rather that we get real with God and authentic with our worship. I don’t believe we are to separate our worship from our daily living. Our lives need to become a living expression of worship to God. Becky Dvorak
From the Compassion blog, comes a powerful article about how clean water transforms communities.
In northern Uganda, young Betty once faced a frustrating choice: walk nearly 4 miles to fetch water that cows and pigs also drank from, or drink from the nearby well, which was wriggling with worms. She was one of the 2.2 billion — or 1 in 3 — people around the world who do not have access to safe drinking water, according to UNICEF. The impact means hundreds of thousands of children under 5 die each year from preventable waterborne diseases.
For Betty, a safe water point changed everything. No longer is she one of the shocking statistics — she has clean drinking water at the turn of a tap. Access to safe water changes more than just a child’s health. It can improve their education outcomes and even their family’s financial situation.
See for yourself! Meet Betty and other children whose lives changed after they gained access to safe drinking water.
Read the rest of the article here
Mark Virkler gives a powerful method of using Scripture to receive healing from the Lord.
Submitted by Mark Virkler on November 23, 2022 – 14:47
Doctors give us a prescription to take their medicine two or three times a day. Derek Prince spoke healing promises over himself three times a day and within a few months was healed of an infirmity that had been with him for years. Read his powerful testimony here.
Prayerfully speak these verses aloud over yourself morning and evening as your daily medicine from Almighty God. Ask the Holy Spirit to illumine these Scriptures as heart revelations.
Read the full article here
I decided to ride along Yarrie Lake Rd this morning. Unfortunately Narrabri Shire seems to think that dumping a few tonnes of loose gravel is a road repair. After I walked through the quagmire I discovered a few km on that Bohena Creek is still over the road. A shorter ride than planned.
To be a cheerful giver unto the Lord, we have to first love God and value what He values; and even more so, is the need to recognise all we have comes from the Lord. When we have these three points in order, we can be that cheerful giver who sows bountifully, generously. Becky Dvorak
Scripture
In those days if people wanted a message from God, they would say, “Let’s go and ask the seer,” for prophets used to be called seers.
Observation
A wealthy and influential man named Kish finds that his donkeys have strayed. He sends his son Saul with a servant to find them.
After many days of searching, they cannot find them, so they go to ask Samuel for directions from the Lord.
The previous day the Lord had told Samuel that he would send a man whom Samuel was to anoint as King. When they meet, the Lord tell Samuel that this is the man.
Samuel invites Saul and the servant to a feast and then has them stay the night at his house. The next morning, Samuel sends the servant away while he shares a message from the Lord for Saul.
Application
In the Old Testament era, very few people had the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was given for specific offices – king, prophet, and priest.
While it was always God’s intention that people lived in close relationship with Him, this was not common in Israel. As a result, people would seek the advice of a seer or prophet if they needed a word from the Lord.
In the New Covenant. all believers have access to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit dwells in each one of us. We all have the opportunity to hear the voice of the Lord.
There may be times when we might need a special word from a prophet or other godly person, but any disciple who is walking with the Lord should be able to discern God’s will most of the time.
We should not be too eager to “get a word” from a prophet. This is a misuse of the New Covenant gift of prophecy.
Prayer
Thank you Holy Spirit for being my Counsellor and Advocate. Please help me to listen for your voice. Amen
Another cool morning. Nice riding weather.
New Life Narrabri 