Archive | February 2021

Purim Blessings

Feb26

Sweetness in overcoming joy! Celebrate Purim.

The Feast of Purim is in the month of Adar and is the happiest, most joyous celebration time in the Hebraic calendar. This is definitely a month for those who have prevailed with us on the “Quest of the Overcomers” to experience fullness of  joy!

   “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” Galatians 5:22 NKJV

     Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 NKJV

 The Feast of Esther is on the 13th of Adar, which celebrates the story in the book of Esther about the beautiful Jewish girl that became the queen of king Ahasuerus in ancient Persia. The Feast of Purim, on Adar 14, is remembrance of when the wicked schemes of Haman’s bitterness towards the Jew, Mordecai, (Esther’s uncle) to destroy all the Jews in the land, were overthrown and turned into sweetness of joy!

     “When Haman saw that Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, Haman was filled with rage. But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were; therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.” Esther 3:5-6 NASB

   “…In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king’s signet ring. And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions.” Esther 3:12-13

     And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:13-14

Esther trusted in the wise counsel of her uncle Mordecai and submitted herself and the eminent destruction of her Jewish people to God. She relied totally on Him alone as she instructed all her handmaidens and the Jews in the city to fast and pray with her. With clear instructions, requiring her trust and obedience, she was not disappointed to see the salvation of God. In the end it was Haman and his entire family that were destroyed and the Jewish people were saved!

   “By these letters the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives—to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them, both little children and women, and to plunder their possessions, on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.

     The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor. And in every province and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday.” Esther 8:11-12, 16-17a NKJV

What is our Spiritual warfare assignment in this month of Adar? Pray about this.

 

Blessings and Shalom, Love Beyond Measure

Beth Auman and JoBeth Kested

Scripture of the Week by JoBeth Kested

Feb21

Scripture for the week of February 21, 2021

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV

Have you ever had a need beyond your ability to take care of it yourself and had to ask others for help? In times of sickness, financial lack, emotional crisis or overwhelming circumstances it is extremely humbling and difficult to acknowledge that we cannot always do everything for ourselves. We would all agree that it is far more enjoyable to provide help for someone else than facing the inadequacy of having to depend upon others to meet our needs. We may find it even more difficult to ask God to help us. When we find ourselves in situations over our head we are encouraged in this scripture to humbly look to the all powerful, mighty hand of God to lift us up at the appropriate, due time. Not only in our desperate times of need, we are invited to caste ALL our cares on the LORD with the assurance that He cares about EVERYTHING about us! (1 Peter 5:7) Praise the LORD!

By JoBeth Kested

Agreement – Weapon of Our Warfare by Beth Auman

Feb18

Do not be deceived. Do not listen to 2nd heaven revelation from the prince of the power of the air. God’s plan is for our good, not for our harm and He gave us 66 Books in the Bible so that we would know how to maneuver during these very difficult times. There are going to be things that happen but God’s plan is for our good, not for our doom.

When we hear someone prophecy doom and gloom, we are to know that God’s plan is always for our good. We are to go to Him and ask Him what is Your Plan Father God and He will lead, guide, guard, protect and provide for you.

Our agreement is one of the most important weapons that we have against the demonic forces that are trying to take over right now. We are either going to agree with the devils plan or agree with God’s plan. Which do you choose? Are you a part of the solution or a part of the problem? Evaluate yourself. Come into agreement with God’s plan. If you hear doom and gloom , go straight to Father God and ask Him what your part is in declaring and decreeing against whatever the devils plan is. Ask Him how  you can pray, who you can speak life into.

Do not come into agreement with the devil’s plan!

Read the Word of God and ask Him about His plan. Perhaps when we all begin doing this together, this world will experience Jesus.

Jeremiah 29:11  (CJB)11 For I know what plans I have in mind for you,’ says Adonai,‘plans for well-being, not for bad things; so that you can have hope and a future.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5  (CJB) 3 For although we do live in the world, we do not wage war in a worldly way; 4 because the weapons we use to wage war are not worldly. On the contrary, they have God’s power for demolishing strongholds. We demolish arguments 5 and every arrogance that raises itself up against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey the Messiah.

Matthew 24:1-8 (CJB) 24 As Yeshua left the Temple and was going away, his talmidim came and called his attention to its buildings. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these? Yes! I tell you, they will be totally destroyed — not a single stone will be left standing!”

3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the talmidim came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that you are coming, and that the ‘olam hazeh is ending?”

4 Yeshua replied: “Watch out! Don’t let anyone fool you! 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah!’ and they will lead many astray. 6 You will hear the noise of wars nearby and the news of wars far off; see to it that you don’t become frightened. Such things must happen, but the end is yet to come. 7 For peoples will fight each other, nations will fight each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various parts of the world; 8 all this is but the beginning of the ‘birth-pains.’

 

Scripture of the Week by JoBeth Kested

Feb16

Scripture for the week of February 14, 2021
By JoBeth Kested

“I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Psalms 16:8,11 (NASB)

Have you ever wondered how to find joy through any circumstance? Biblically, joy goes beyond emotional happiness, which is temporary and is dependent on whatever makes us feel good. Joy is primarily a choice that is dependent upon trusting in the sovereign goodness of God and that He is Who He says He is in His Word; even when we don’t feel like it! God’s place at the Psalmist’s right hand, implies giving Him the highest place of honor in our lives with dependence upon His strength and power. We can learn in this verse that when we choose to abide in God’s presence, we can know the security of safety, overflowing joy and enduring pleasures forevermore. HIs right hand holds all power and all authority in heaven and on earth to defend, provide and bless each one of us as the Psalmist has declared. Thank You, Lord, that in Your presence we find the path of abundant life and the fullness of joy we all long for. Amen!

Scripture of the Week by JoBeth Kested

Feb7

Scripture for the Week of February 7, 2021

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV)

Have you ever tried to find your way in the dark without a light? Are you aware that darkness flees at the speed of light at 186,000 miles per second? In Genesis chapter one, God said, “Let there be light” and He created light to break out of the darkness. This verse reveals that God is also able to shine the light of His extravagant love into the dark places of woundedness, fear or shame in our hearts. He sheds the dawning light of His glory to know the perfection, beauty and resurrection power we can each find in our personal relationship with Jesus face to face. Jesus proclaimed in John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Let the light of Jesus’ love be shed into your heart (Romans 4:5) and through you to others as you follow Him. Grace, grace, Lord!

By JoBeth Kested

 

Scripture of the Week by JoBeth Kested

Feb1

Scripture for the week of January 31, 2021

“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.” Isaiah 42:16 (NIV) 

Have you ever been blinded by the sun or by a winter snow storm where you couldn’t see the road ahead or the next step in front of you? Sometimes we can feel so blindsided by sudden unexpected circumstances that we have no idea how to find our way out of lonely and fearful dark places. What comfort to find God’s promises to us that even when we are lost and can’t see, He will help us find the way. The Lord declares that He will turn the oppressive darkness into glorious light and that He will even make the rough places smooth before us. With such assurance that our God will never abandon us nor give up on us, be encouraged to call upon the Lord, reaching out to Him, to lead and guide you out of the fearful darkness into the light of His presence along the path of His peace.

By JoBeth Kested