Chasing Ishmael

Chasing Ishmael blogposts will be on my biblical finances blog:

http://biblicalfinances.blogspot.com/

Day Six- Chasing Ishmael

ONE OF the seven angels who had the seven bowls then came and spoke to me, saying, Come with me! I will show you the doom (sentence, judgment) of the great harlot (idolatress) who is seated on many waters, And [the angel] bore me away [rapt] in the Spirit into a desert (wilderness), and I saw a woman seated on a scarlet beast that was all covered with blasphemous titles (names), and he had seven heads and ten horns.[She] with whom the rulers of the earth have joined in prostitution (idolatry) and with the wine of whose immorality (idolatry) the inhabitants of the earth have become intoxicated. Revelations 17:1-3 AMP

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Revelations 3:17-19 KJV

“Neither hot nor cold. Is that how you want to look to Me? My judgments are swift and sure. Revelations was written at the end of My book and is meant to reveal to the reader what happens when you choose not to obey My word. My word is secure. My Holy Spirit has been given to help. Do you seek My counsel? I AM the Holy Spirit. I AM the Word of God. Are you seeking Me for direction? Don’t be deceived, don’t listen to teaching that will demean the meaning of my book of Revelations. Every word is true, and I meant every word. If you are neither hot nor cold I WILL vomit you out of My mouth. You will not care what people think of you when you face judgment. You will only care about how you look to Me. Whether or not your obeyed Me with all of your heart, mind, body and soul. Do not be deceived, a teaching is coming, and has already arrived that demeans the meaning of Revelations. It will run rampant in My church, but don’t believe a word of it. It is a doctrine of Satan and meant to bring My already lukewarm church into judgment. Because if Satan cannot get you to renounce service to Me, he will look for ways to pull you into My punishment. Don’t believe any teachings that do not point you to Me. Don’t believe any doctrines that disqualify My word, that allow for sin to rule and reign instead of holiness. A sure sign of a false teaching is when ungodly behavior is excused.”

Scriptures to study:

Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand! Galatians 6:6-11 NKJV

 A watchman on the tower in Jezreel spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Send a horseman to meet them and have him ask, Do you come in peace?So one on horseback went to meet him and said, Thus says the king: Is it peace? And Jehu said, What have you to do with peace? Rein in behind me. And the watchman reported, The messenger came to them, but he does not return.Then Joram sent out a second man on horseback, who came to them and said, Thus says the king: Is it peace? Jehu replied, What have you to do with peace? Ride behind me.And the watchman reported, He came to them, but does not return; also the driving is like the driving of Jehu son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously.Joram said, Make ready. When his chariot was made ready, Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot. Thus they went out to meet Jehu and met him in the field of Naboth the Jezreelite.When Joram saw Jehu, he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, How can peace exist as long as the fornications of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? 2 Kings 9:17-22 AMP

Day Five-Chasing Ishmael

HE WHO dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust! For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. Psalm 91:1-3 AMP

You will destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors [and rejects] the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. Psalm 5:6 AMP

“If you remain in the secret place of the Most High, deception will have a hard time sticking to you. Wise decisions come from dwelling in the secret place of the Most High. In My throne lies truth. How do you dwell with Me permanently? It is a step of faith. By faith see yourself dwelling permanently with Me. When you need a decision, spend time with Me seeing yourself with Me in My secret place. Then the answers will come. There is no reason to be deceived on this earth. My throne is for ALL who wish to be near Me. My resources are unlimited. I love My children, I want them to dwell with Me in heart and mind. Your flesh may be on this earth, but you can permanently dwell with Me in heart and mind while walking this earth. I am yours. Won’t you be mine? Dwell with Me today and everyday. I love you and long to be with you. I created a garden for My people which was ruined because they chose not to be happy with dwelling in My presence. I have a garden for you. I have an Eden for everyone. Won’t you come and live with Me? No need to seek Me for wisdom when you dwell in My secret place, because you will automatically have it as you need it. Come to Me today. Choose to dwell with Me permanently. Choose life. Your destiny, you birthing Isaac’s instead of Ishmael’s is based entirely on your walk with Me. Isaac’s come out of you dwelling with Me. Only good can come out of you dwelling in My secret place. Does a TV show take you out of My secret place? Then don’t watch it. Does a phone call take you out of My secret place? Then don’t talk to that person. Let go of anything in your life that would fight to take you out of My secret place. Cherish My presence over everything else in life and I will bless you. Life will go right for you. You will have unlimited choices and wisdom that glorify Me. Life will be full of joy and peace. Choose Me.”

Day Four-Chasing Ishmael

Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path 
because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations. I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Psalm 27:11-13 NIV

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life; 
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever. Psalm 23:6 NKJV

“Is mercy and goodness following you? Command it to be so. Expect goodness and mercy to follow you around. Negative thoughts are not My will for believers. It is not My will you dwell on thoughts that produce unkind, unfruitful remarks, comments, complaints and heart cries. What do you think about? My goodness and mercy? Today take inventory of your thought life. If the thought does not produce righteousness, if it doesn’t bring joy, peace and love, then take that thought captive and submit it to me. Your thoughts are what ultimately bring to fruition successful living. On the next few pages, write down your main thought patterns and examine them. Do they line up with My word? Do they bring goodness and mercy or death and destruction? What you dwell on will come to pass. I have called My people to see goodness in the land of the living. To be productive with joy and peace. Not negative, bitter and full of contempt. Live the way I have called you to live, and you will see a greater measure of success is every area of your life. But it starts with your thought life. Ishmael started as a thought in Sarah’s mind. That thought not examined to see if it lined up with My commands, caused years of pain and an entire nation to rise against My church. How many Ishmael’s in your life began with a single thought?”

Scriptures to study:

for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:4-7 NASB

Day Three-Chasing Ishmael

*This is Day Three of the 60 day devotional called "Chasing Ishmael" I am spending time in prayer with God, hearing from Him and writing down what He speaks to my spirit. The purpose of this is to get rid of all "Ishmael's" that may be operating in your life.

For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it [a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness--in conformity to God's will in purpose, thought, and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God]. So then, brace up and reinvigorate and set right your slackened and weakened and drooping hands and strengthen your feeble and palsied and tottering knees, And cut through and make firm and plain and smooth, straight paths for your feet [yes, make them safe and upright and happy paths that go in the right direction], so that the lame and halting [limbs] may not be put out of joint, but rather may be cured. Hebrews 12:11-13 AMP

“No discipline is joyous when done through Me, but it will produce the fruit of righteousness and keep you on the path I have for you. However, if you refuse the path of discipline, in the end you will not fulfill the perfect plan I have for you. Do you endure discipline in other areas of your life? Then have a good attitude when I care about you enough to discipline you. Endure like a good soldier, the temporary pain you may feel will produce fruit for my Kingdom. There is a pruning process that My people must go through, and sometimes that hurts. When you are born with, and line yourself with unholy attitudes, wrong ways of thinking and insist on adopting a culture around you that doesn’t serve Me, then I must take you through a process so your life lines up with My word. My word says that you work out your own salvation through fear and trembling (Phil 2:12). This does not mean My Son did not finish the work of salvation, it means your walk with Me is a continuous work bringing you towards the goal of a spotless bride. A season of discipline is coming your way, when it does, embrace it and allow My Holy Spirit to do a perfect work. Spend time with Me today asking Me to make corrections in your life concerning attitudes, belief systems, ideals, and cultural concepts.”  

 Scriptures to Study:

And the [instructions] which you have heard from me along with many witnesses, transmit and entrust [as a deposit] to reliable and faithful men who will be competent and qualified to teach others also.Take [with me] your share of the hardships and suffering [which you are called to endure] as a good (first-class) soldier of Christ Jesus.No soldier when in service gets entangled in the enterprises of [civilian] life; his aim is to satisfy and please the one who enlisted him. 2 Timothy 2:2-4 AMP

                                   

For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it [a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness--in conformity to God's will in purpose, thought, and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God]. Hebrews 12:11 AMP

Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ). [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.  Philippians 2:12-13 AMP

Day Two-Chasing Ishmael

It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead. It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau. Hebrews 11:17-20 NLT

“Many people think they are offering up Isaac to Me, when in reality they are giving Me Ishmael. They go on with their own plans and ask Me to reward them accordingly. Then they balk when the reward never comes. I said I was a rewarder of those who diligently seek Me (Hebrews 11:6). Not a rewarder of those who seek their own purpose. Man’s ways are NOT My ways. All these charities, all these fundraisers, whose plans are they? Are they really producing everlasting life? My Kingdom, My gospel, should lead every non-profit/ministry effort. Food, shelter, clothing given away should only come second to this. Ask Me today to show you where you have been offering Me Ishmael instead of Isaac and I will.”

Scriptures to study:

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

                                     

By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.Matthew 7:16-20 NIV

Day One- Chasing Ishmael

*This is Day One of the 60 day devotional called "Chasing Ishmael" I am spending time in prayer with God, hearing from Him and writing down what He speaks to my spirit. The purpose of this is to get rid of all "Ishmael's" that may be operating in your life. 

This morning the Lord led me to these two sections of scriptures, then He spoke to my spirit:

And He spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven other persons, when He brought a flood upon the world of ungodly [people].And He condemned to ruin and extinction the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, reducing them to ashes [and thus] set them forth as an example to those who would be ungodly; And He rescued righteous Lot, greatly worn out and distressed by the wanton ways of the ungodly and lawless--For that just man, living [there] among them, tortured his righteous soul every day with what he saw and heard of [their] unlawful and wicked deeds--2 Peter 2:5-8 AMP

[Prompted] by faith Noah, being forewarned by God concerning events of which as yet there was no visible sign, took heed and diligently and reverently constructed and prepared an ark for the deliverance of his own family. By this [his faith which relied on God] he passed judgment and sentence on the world's unbelief and became an heir and possessor of righteousness (that relation of being right into which God puts the person who has faith).[Urged on] by faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went forth to a place which he was destined to receive as an inheritance; and he went, although he did not know or trouble his mind about where he was to go.[Prompted] by faith he dwelt as a temporary resident in the land which was designated in the promise [of God, though he was like a stranger] in a strange country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs with him of the same promise .For he was [waiting expectantly and confidently] looking forward to the city which has fixed and firm foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God. Because of faith also Sarah herself received physical power to conceive a child, even when she was long past the age for it, because she considered [God] Who had given her the promise to be reliable and trustworthy and true to His word. Hebrews 11:7-11 AMP

                              

“Like a flood is when My Son is coming. Like a thief in the night he will bring back with him everyone who is serving him. And when he does, it will be too late. All through the Bible I have foreshadowed My Son’s return. I haven’t revealed all details in My Word because it is meant to be a mystery to all mankind. The Day of My Son’s return is to be a mystery so that people cannot prepare the day of, but are prompted to be constantly ready. Don’t delay in getting ready, for I AM returning. Teach bible studies, witness for Me, spread the gospel for the time is short and repentance is a MUST to enter into My kingdom. Witness to your family members, witness to your friends, witness to your coworkers, and those in your neighborhood. If you don’t, when you get to heaven you will regret not telling more people about My glorious name. About My Son who gave it all so we could be together. I love you with an everlasting love. Not like the world loves do I love you. Love others, the time is short. Love others with My word, preaching, praying, prophesying, encouraging others to serve My Son Jesus Christ.

I have called most people to some form of ministry preaching the gospel. It may not look like your current culture’s version of ministry where you stand on a stage and preach, but MOST of my people are called in to some form of ministry. Only in rare circumstances will I not call a believer into ministry. There is a call on your life. Seek Me for direction. Seek Me today for the direction I have called you to go. If you do not have some form of ministry operating in your life, you are more than likely OUT of My perfect will. Ask Me today what ministry I have for you and I will tell you. Ask Me what I have called you to do to promote My gospel and I will reveal it to you. Remember the time is short and at the appointed time, He will return.”