Where There is Smoke There is Fire

"Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain," Exodus 19:18-20

Moses met God in a bush of fire {his first encounter with God's fiery presence} and here, 3 months later, the whole nation of Israel has gathered at the foot of the same mountain to hear the Words of the Lord. What is the scene? Smoke, darkness, fire, smoke ascending, a trumpet sounding, a quaking mountain, God's voice thundering..... all of heaven's attention is on this scene. This is the beginning of a chosen people, a nation separated unto God. They will be called God's treasured possessions; His chosen ones....and it all begins with an experience in fire.

The fiery encounters with God are life-changing; transforming. The first encounter Moses had with God Almighty was when God spoke to him in fire releasing destiny and purpose into Moses' life. Moses was never the same after that experience. He left the shepherding occupation to become God's Deliverer of the Israelite nation; to release them from the oppression of the Egyptians.

Have you ever been to a bonfire? The eye-catching fire, heat that radiates from the fire, smoke that ascends....what happens to your clothing when you are near a bonfire? The smell of fire (smoke) seeps into the clothes and your hair. After a bonfire, I strip off my clothes in the laundry room and head for the shower~ the smell is everywhere....and others can smell it! When my son comes home from a bonfire, I know it the moment he walks in the door. The smell of the fire permeates the atmosphere! That is similar to the fiery encounters we have with God. We leave His presence with the smell of fire on us and others notice....it permeates the atmosphere! Have you experienced that kind of fire? Have you had an encounter with the God of consuming fire? God desires that everyone would come close to the fire, but not everyone chooses to draw near to His fire.

The Israelites had seen God move in mighty miraculous power: the 10 plagues, the Red Sea parted, God's leading by a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day; God's provision of water and manna. The Israelites knew God's ways {the things He did}, but they did not know God intimately. At this mountain, the Israelites had an opportunity for their own "fiery encounter" with God, but they refused. "When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leading men of your tribes and your elders came to me. And you said, 'This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer...Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says..." (Deut. 5:23-25)

Are you willing to draw near to the fire? Ask the Lord to encounter you? Moses spoke first in this encounter with God....He longs to hear your voice; He longs that you would know Him face-t0-face as a friend; He longs for you to move closer so He can impart destiny, truth, love, peace, joy, purpose...that you would be covered in the smell of God's fire.

10 Commandments of Fatherhood

Happy Father's Day!!!!!

10 Commandments of Fatherhood:

1) Character Counts~ "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity," Proverbs 11:13

2) Love God~ "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength," Mark 12:30

3) Love Your Children

4) Love Your Wife

5) Love Others

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, does not boast; it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails..." I Corinthians 13:4-8a

6) Discipline Your Kids~ "For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons...no discipline seems pleasant at teh time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it," Hebrews 12:7-8,11.

7) Pray for Your Family~ Pray these scriptures back to the Lord concerning your family (Ephesians 3:14-19, Ephesians 1:15-23 and Colossians 1:9-12)

8) Heart of Purity ~ "He who loves purity of heart and has grace on his lips, the king will be his friend," Proverbs 22:11

9) Play with your Family~ Vacations, weekend-get aways, investing time in the relationships is a key to a lifetime of memories

10) Courage to Lead ~"Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend to your herds," Proverbs 27:23

Faith Affirmations for Husbands and Wives

Affirm your love and commitment to one another this wedding season with these faith affirmations. All marriages go through seasons (summer, fall, winter and spring)....be faithful in all seasons. Boldly declare to one another your covenant:

Faith Affirmations for a Wife:

I will stand beside my husband.

I will be trustworthy.

I will enrich his life.

I will appreciate him and all he does.

I will take care of his needs.

I will yearn deeply for him.

I will share my body with him.

I will cooperate and work with him.

I will love and respect him.

I will hate divorce.

Faith Affirmations for a Husband:

I will hold my wife close to my heart.

I will protect her.

I will praise her publicly.

I will compliment her.

I will trust her and treasure her.

I will listen to her.

I will always be faithful.

I will never abuse or abandon her.

I will love her day and night.

I will grow old with her.

I will hate divorce.