Drum the Message Home

'Humans are like a passing breath; their time on earth is like a shadow that passes over us during the day and soon is gone.' Psalm 144:4 (VOICE) Humans compared. Only a passing breath? A vapor! Breathe on a mirror and watch how quickly your breath fades away. Why? How can this be? My life. A life lived moment by moment with little substance. Then why do I care so deeply about so many things? Why do I think and over-think all my decisions? A shadow. I can see it all so clearly now. My eternal soul is passionate about so many things in life while I am trapped in this poor as a shadow dying body that will soon pass away. So I must decide to live differently and to hold onto the things that will stand. Then God. God's timing is flawless, He saves me from myself, my self-importance and my disrespectful behaviors by sending His Helper to me. When all else fails, I know where to turn.  Dear Father. Thank you for giving me life. Thank you for breathing Your perfect br

Today I focus my morning prayer on the oppressed and the persecuted Church. This blog has had 3,863 views to date and for that I am grateful. I do not take that amount of support for granted. I cannot ignore my brothers and sisters that find themselves living in hostile countries. Based on my own research I have found that many of my readers live in the most dangerous places on earth. So this day, I pray for God's peace and protection to surround them. I pray that God guide and direct them through their own storms. I pray that God give them power to overcome their abusers and enemies. I pray that God covers them with His feathers and comforts them with His Word. I pray that God reveals Himself to them in a personal way today. I pray that seeds of righteousness be planted in these regions. I pray that workers be sent to plant the seeds of goodness and truth. I pray that workers be sent to harvest the fields of souls. I pray for a huge harvest to be gathered for God's Glory

'You may think that the situation is hopeless, but God gives us more grace when we turn away from our own interests. That’s why Scripture says, God opposes the proud,      but He pours out grace on the humble. '    James 4:6 (VOICE) In their own way, they corrupt the very nature of God and resist Him. The proud resist God. In their understanding they resist the truths of God. The proud resist God. In their will they resist the Laws of God. The proud resist God. In their passions they resist the providence of God. In their own words they are an enemy of God. In their own way they are at enmity with Him. Is there any wonder then why God opposes the proud? God opposes the proud but to the humble He gives them more grace. They are given more grace because they need it and they ask for it. In a culture where the spirits that oppose God have infiltrated every area of life, God's favor is critical for survival. Even though the times they may seem hopeless

'Day and night, night and day, let incense arise Day and night, night and day, let incense arise Day and night, night and day, let incense arise Day and night, night and day, let incense arise' David Brymer, 'Worthy of it All',  2012 ' My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.' Malachi 1:11 (NIV) Incense shall rise to You each morning and evening which signifies prayer and praise. Dear Father. Fear has a name and today it's coronavirus. Common to bats and snakes and rare in humans and apparently because some unknowingly eat these animals raw, it has jumped the species barrier. Similar to SARS and MERS, it resembles the common cold.  The CDC says the risk to Americans is low. They say 100 people in China have died from the virus. We are told to avoid nonessent

' Don’t be fooled by those who speak their empty words and deceptive teachings telling you otherwise. This is what brings God’s anger upon the rebellious!  Don’t listen to them or live like them at all . Once your life was full of sin’s darkness, but now you have the very light of our Lord shining through you because of your union with him. Your mission is to live as children flooded with his revelation-light ! And the supernatural fruits of his light will be seen in you—goodness, righteousness, and truth.  Then you will learn to choose what is beautiful to our Lord.   And don’t even associate with the servants of darkness because they have no fruit in them; instead, reveal truth to them.' Ephesians 5:6-11 (TPT) God prefers that I be hot or cold, not lukewarm. Not lovers of the flesh. With the likes of those I am not to associate. Shake our foundations. Filthy lusts must be rooted out. When the creator of the universe is called Truth, then those that speak emp

' For it was only through this wonderful grace that we believed in him. Nothing we did could ever earn this salvation, for it was the gracious gift from God that brought us to Christ!  So no one will ever be able to boast, for salvation is never a reward for good works or human striving.' Ephesians 2:8-9 (TPT) No flesh can glory in the presence of God. No man can boast. It is only by His wonderful grace that I am saved! My salvation is not a reward for any good works. I should stop my striving. It was for His purposes that I was given the knowledge of His Will. It was by the power of His Holy Spirit that I was changed so that I might glorify God with my good conversation. I am not of this world. Christ did it all. He paid the price. He balanced the books. He redeemed my soul. So that I might be able to persevere with Him in holiness until the day that He returns to take me home. Amen! Source: Biblegateway.com; Biblehub.com; google.com.

'But now I’m writing to you so that you would exclude from your fellowship anyone who calls himself a fellow believer and practices sexual immorality, or is consumed with greed, or is an idolater, or is verbally abusive or a drunkard or a swindler. Don’t mingle with them or even have a meal with someone like that. What right do I have to pronounce judgment on unbelievers? That’s God’s responsibility. But those who are inside the church family are our responsibility to discern and judge. So it’s your duty to remove that wicked one from among you.' 1 Corinthians 5:11-13 (TPT)   If it is written in the Word by Paul, then we should consider what he is saying and do it.  Don't these words appear to contradict what we are called by God to do? Love the sinner and hate the sin! And yet, Paul writes these words to warn us, that we are not to mingle with or even have a meal with a fellow believer that is a practicing sinner. We all sin, yet, it is our duty to discern and judge an

' Yours, O Lord , are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O Lord , and you are exalted as head above all.' 1 Chroncles 29:11 (NRSV) Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,   and let your glory be over all the earth.' Psalm 108:5 (NRSV) Dear Father. I am so thankful for Your Word and the power of those words that helped me with this daily devotional. When my heart is set on You Lord, with humble adoration, then my tongue, in grateful praises, is my glory. Continue to use me I pray. Your gifts, as the freshly fallen snow has done for me this morning, honors me, and so I use the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit to win the victory and in turn to bring You Glory. Expand them. Through You, I find my hope and in You gain in all things. Wake me up every morning to see the potential and the possibilities and to the glory of You. To God be the Glory. Let Your Glory fal

' This time the dove came back to him in the evening, and there, in its beak, was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew then that the waters had begun to retreat from the land.  For good measure, Noah waited another seven days. Once more, he sent out the dove. This time, it didn’t return.' Genesis 8:11-12 (VOICE) 'John the Baptist: Look! This man is more than He seems! He is the Lamb sent from God, the sacrifice to erase the sins of the world!  He is the One I have been saying will come after me, who existed long before me and is much greater than I am.  No one recognized Him—myself included. But I came baptizing with water so that He might be revealed to Israel.  As I watched, the Spirit came down like a dove from heaven and rested on Him.  I didn’t recognize Him at first, but the One who sent me to baptize told me, “The One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit will be the person you see the Spirit come down and rest upon.”  I have seen this with

' But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.' Ruth 1:16 (NIV) My mind is made up and it was one clear example of what love and dedication brings to a relationship. I love the Biblical story of Ruth. Ruth was a woman of faith. She loved her mother-in-law Naomi enough to prove it. Naomi had just lost her husband and her sons and Ruth had suffered in the loss as well. Though the journey that Naomi had set before them was going to be long and hard, Ruth would not withdraw from the course that lay before her. Ruth would not leave Naomi by herself. Ruth loved Naomi. Her love was strong and self-less. She would not break Naomi's heart again by walking away from her. Many may love, but not as deeply as this. This love requires commitment enough to leave the familiar. Many may be tested in this and fail, but not this one. Same with my love f

' “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.' John 15:18 (NIV) It is alarming to read that the rate of Christian persecutions in the world rose 14% in 2019, to 4,136 souls. Dear Father. We pray to You, please end this evil trend. We see the cost of freedom is very high indeed and the Way is always covered in the blood of the innocent martyrs. Just as You were innocent and You died and Your Blood was shed for all. May all Christian persecution around the world cease in Your name.  Please intervene and bind the spirits in the demonic realm, those same spirits that hated You first, and now set their sights on Your very own followers. Confuse their plans of destruction. End the senseless killing. Interrupt their plots of darkness. Release Your Guardian Angels. We pray for our brothers and sisters that live by faith in majority-muslim countries. Give them peace in Your Name. Let their deaths be not in vain as thousands and thousands in these very same cou

'In their hearts humans plan their course,   but the Lord establishes their steps.' Proverbs 16:9 (NIV) I don't even have one collectible souvenir plate of the states. So, here the planning starts. Here is where it begins. Here's the humans planning their course part. Here, look here, I have charted out a direct route to the east. Here is where I could take a 15 hour, 1000 miles times 2, trip to see the Capitol! It's a place we've always wanted to visit. The Museum of the Bible is definitely a must see.  In our hopes to collect a plate from each state, we might consider a visit, rather than just a drive through. Vacations are good for your health they say. We wouldn't want to miss catching up with friends and family along the way, so giving it a day per state sounds doable. I can see absolutely no reason to rush through this vacation if it is God's Will. If it is God's Will He will make a way and make it a mission field. Five states here, five s

'Basic elemental Instinct to survive Stirs the higher passions Thrill to be alive Alternating currents In a tidewater surge Rational resistance To an unwise urge Anything can happen From the point of conception To the moment of truth At the point of surrender To the burden of proof   From the point of ignition To the final drive The point of the journey Is not to arrive Anything can happen   Basic temperamental Filters on our eyes Alter our perceptions Lenses polarize Alternating currents Force a show of hands Rational responses Force a change of plans Anything can happen From a point on the compass To magnetic north The point of the needle Moving back and forth   From the point of entry Until the candle is burned The point of departure Is not to return Anything can happen   I set the wheels in motion Turn up all the machines Activate the programs And run behind the scene   I set the clouds in motion Turn up light and sound Activate the w

'You are the body of the Anointed One, and each of you is a unique and vital part of it' 1 Corinthians 12:27 (TPT)  I need to know who I am in order to effectively meet the needs of those that I have been called to serve. If I know who I am in Christ, then I could identify the things of this world that are unnatural spirits such as the unhealthy sins of greed, envy and strife. Then I can pray against those things. But Gods ways are higher. He has equipped His body to be the hands and feet of Christ.  Haven't you noticed? God has given us a place in small groups and He has given us each other and equipped us all with the gifts that are natural spirits in the heavenly realm. We are vital to the Kingdom. God has given us all exactly what we need. Our needs in the body of Christ are many and they are all supplied by the Anointed One. In Him there are gifts differing. When I look around me, I see that God has blessed us with hearts to encourage: One to teach with a word of

  ' Go to God’s teaching and His testimony to guide your thoughts and behavior ! If any response disagrees with the word of God, then it’s muddling and wrong and not the least bit illuminating. ' Isaiah 8:20 (VOICE)   In a sort of battle cry of the Redeemed, we sing, we seek and knock as we know where our allegiances lie and in whom we trust. We give a shout of victory as we seek the Light of His Word. We give our testimonies as to what God is up to in our lives every day! He is Good! When the enemy attacks us, it will be to God's Word and His Testimony that we will turn to. Not to the words of men, not the government, not the health care industry, not the eastern or western philosophers or anything else that only offers material solutions to a spiritual problem. We pray for God to put an end to their muddling and wrong thoughts and deeds. We see fear will arise whenever we seek the familiar spirits. Only death and misery follow the words of the enemy that operates

A place with a view. Its mine. I look at it as my sanctuary. The lake house. It is a healing place. It consumes all of my thoughts and takes a lot of my time. We bought it after months of house hunting. We bought it on a whim. We've built two houses already, so why not a third? We could only afford it because of all the work that needed to be done to it. But, we both fell in love with the view and could see the potential in the investment. Downsizing? No. Closer to grandsons? Yes. That place gave us a project. It brought unity. Cursing, maybe, but never a curse. She still had some glory left in her. Oh, the stories she could tell. We could add our own stories too. What more could we bring to the new thing than our own stories, our own time, our own treasures and our own lives? And we did.  A God thing? Perhaps! A place with a view for sure. Water therapy. On the road, again. We are busy people. The miles between where we had built our lives and where this thing was taking us we

' But blessed is the one who trusts in Me alone ;          the Eternal will be his confidence.         He is like a tree planted by water,          sending out its roots beside the stream.      It does not fear the heat or even drought.          Its leaves stay green and its fruit is dependable, no matter what it faces.'  Jeremiah 17:7-8 (VOICE)

' “Because you have stood with me through all my trials and ordeals,   I give you your destiny : I am promising you the kingdom realm that the Father has promised me.   We will celebrate in this kingdom and you will feast with me at my table. And each of you will be given a throne, twelve thrones in all, and you will be made rulers on thrones to judge the tribes of Israel.”' Luke 22:28-30 (TPT) Dear Father. From a few hundred followers then to millions and millions today. Look at how Your Kingdom has grown! You forecast a prediction, as to coming events or conditions for all eternal beings. Sonshine today. Cloudy skies tomorrow. This is the hour for the power and glory of the Lord to be revealed. Rain down on us Holy Spirit, rain down on us. Revive us as only You can. We are ready to receive Your fresh anointing. Bring forth the day of the greatest harvest of souls in human history. Lord Jesus, for centuries the story from the civilized nations has been the story of Your

'doing all things in a beautiful and orderly way.' 1 Corinthians 14:49 (TPT) The rule is simple, in worship and in life, all things should be done in a decent and orderly manner to build up the church family. Why question the method, detailing life, it's a proven way if the apostles condone it. If it works, then it is a good way in which to keep the peace, to tell the truth and to be orderly in church. Believing families ought to go to church to grow and learn spiritual things. A beautiful and orderly environment is a good one for growth and learning. Rule of thumb: if it is good for the church, and keeps up good behavior, order and decency among its members, then it should work in the same way at home as well. The way to spiritual health is through the physical. I feel what I see. A mess makes its way into my spirit. I need a clear space to have a clear mind. My space brings me peace and clarity when I have dealt with the clutter. Seeing beautiful things and feeling the

' “So above all, constantly chase after the realm of God’s kingdom and the righteousness that proceeds from him. Then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly. ' Matthew 6:33 (TPT) Dear Father. Your kingdom is in me, so I must seek You and Your righteousness, the internal, spiritual, greater things first, in order to live according to Your Will and Your Way. You came for me, so that I might live my life full of hope and peace and be a blessing to others and have life and have it more abundantly.  You died for me and redeemed me from the curse and I must place You above all things and make You the head over all things, even before the external things. You love me and want me to prosper. You promised to make me plenteous and good. I am Your child. All that I have is a gift from You. I place my trust in You. You supply all of my needs according to Your riches in Glory through Christ. Thank you Father. In Lord Jesus's name. Amen.   Source: Biblegatew

' Now when Joshua was traveling near the city of Jericho, he saw a man standing in front of him with a sword drawn and ready. Joshua (stepping toward him) : Are you one of us, or are you one of our enemies? The Man:   Neither; I am here now as commander of the Eternal’s army. Joshua (falling to the ground) : What is your command for your servant, my lord? The Man:   Take off your sandals, for you are on holy ground. So Joshua did.' Joshua 5:13-15 (VOICE) Whenever you are in God's Will the Glory of the Lord will shine through your efforts.  ' Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.   Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.   For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.   Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that w