ONE MESSAGE. ONE FAITH.

Whether subconscious or deliberate, many stand at the fulcrum of the old and new years and look back and ahead. I ushered in the new year with fellowship and prayer with friends. As the day progressed it was apparent to me that even though the year just renewed, my plans for 2017 were well under way before it had begun. There were events to plan, classes to take, goals to achieve, and budgets to make. As I knelt in prayer the other morning talking with the Lord about the things ahead, I realized how just a little over a year ago, many of my present plans would not exist. A little over a year ago I wanted to go a different direction, but if I had gone in that direction, (of which I was so sure of at the time), it would have prevented me from my present future. Had I taken it upon myself, to do what I was convinced made sense at the time, I would be facing a different reality. God knew. Jeremiah 29:11.  I recall being upset that I was unable to continue my educatio...

PRESS. image from web My desire for God must  drive  me to the throne of God. I must press, like the woman with the issue of blood-- I must persevere. There has to be an inner desperation, a dire thirst in my soul that longs for God. O God, You  are  my God; Early will I seek You; My  soul  thirsts for You; My flesh  longs  for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.- Psalm 63:1 My  soul   longs , yes, even faints For the courts of the  Lord ; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.- Psalm 84:2   I spread out my hands to You; My  soul   longs  for You like a thirsty land. Selah- Psalm 143:6 What brought David to the point of his flesh - his flesh(!)- longing for the Lord? Well the flesh [ basar]  used here is in context of the tangible body- rather than the carnal nature of man as we'd normally translate it in the new testament. So David was saying his soul and his physi...

image from www.davidmbn.com In prayer this morning  I was humbled as I marveled at  the turning of God's attention to me the minute I called his name. The fact that I can call on his name and he respond- for I can sense the wafting in of the ever-presence of God- astounds me.  It overwhelmed me to recognize his loving kindness. I relate to David when he poses the question, "What is man that you are mindful of him?" The song that declares "OH! how he loves us" reverberates in my thoughts and I double over smitten by the undeserved affection and attention the Lord gives me. Again, in David's words, " these thoughts are too wonderful for me." But it did not begin there. Before the the presence of God was able to overtake me I was overtaken by the pursuit of HEBEL. You know, the HEBEL that Solomon writes about in Ecclesiastes 2:1. I said [ amar] in my heart [ leb] , “Come now [ yalak] , I will test [ nacah] you with mirth[ simchah ]; ther...

Luke 16:16-17 The Word: One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the  mouth   of  two  witnesses , or at the  mouth   of  three  witnesses , shall the matter be established .- Deuteronomy 19:15 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, t hat in the  mouth   of  two or three  witnesses  every word may be established. - Matthew 18:15 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the  mouth   of  two or three  witnesses  shall every word be established. - 2 Corinthians 13:1 Well I'd consider that an established Word, wouldn't you. There it is, not one, not two, but three times. ESTABLISHED.   The Application: If we want to confirm new testament doctrinal truths, consider the amount of times it has been repeated in the Word. Wait, does this mean if it is written only once, we are n...

Isaiah 30:21 Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, "This is the way you should go," whether to the right hand or to the left. Have you ever asked the Lord for specific direction? I have. I've said the prayer once or twice, Lord it would be nice if you could just tell me  exactly what to do right now, and I'll do it. As I came across this verse I realized that God,  He does speak to us. The question is, are we listening? (C) Chantel Dillard, 2014 God speaks to us through his Word. Are you listening? When we listen we respond through change. Isaiah 30:22 Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious images. You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, "Good riddance!" God is speaking. Will you hear him? - Chantel

2 Kings 5:10-11, 13-15 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.    But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the  Lord  his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.    And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?    Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.    And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the ear...

Numbers 7:1-2 We  must  be careful about having the attitude of coming to God on our terms, practically daring Him to not accept us. When incense was offered to the Lord in utter defiance and disregard for God's orders,  those who offered this "strangeness" were consumed by fire. Leviticus 10:1-2. The Word declares our God is a consuming fire, and he does not change.  Hebrews 12:29, Deuteronomy 4:24. God's specifications  are safety measures put in place to protect us from being harmed by his fiery nature.  Just think,  like a fire protection suit,  our obedience clothes us. If  one's fire protection suit is not up to specs, he can count on being not fully protected. In the same manner, the tabernacle and everything in it was ready for sacrifice only after it was fully set up, ; AND  anointed, AND sanctified. It had to be up God's specifications. It's not good enough to just have the set up but no anointing.  It's not e...

The reading for December 19 is Genesis 12 and Genesis 13.  Read my notes here: http://bible.com/n/1DEGb Full blessing with full obedience "Read your bible pray everyday,  and you'll grow,  grow,  grow." Warmest thoughts and prayers,  Chantel