Take Me To Post Comment Form My daughter calls me an EXTREMIST, and maybe I am. I've been told, "you think too much" and maybe I do. I've been accused of being zealous concerning spiritual matters, and offending or scaring people, and maybe I have. I've been called ugly names, betrayed by many, rejected, falsely accused, and mocked by those I trusted most... What a pathetic price I've paid to gain the Master's ear, and His mine. How could I deserve such an honorable position, as His servant?

While in prayer about this new year, 2013...I asked God specifically for a word from Him. A "directive" word, one that would give His people "direction" for their futures. Last year the word was "PURGE", to rid ourselves of the baggage we had been carrying; whether it was financial debt or unforgiveness.

This year I heard the spirit of God say, "EDUCATION". I believe with all my heart there will be invaluable LESSONS LEARNED this year. The Holy Spirit will be our teacher. A gift of knowledge, insight, and wisdom will be released, pouring in and out through many. A hunger to "know" more, and inquire the "know-how" to achieve the impossible. From learning new skills of self-sufficiency such as: sowing, gardening, beekeeping, to matters of equipping, training, and preparing for spiritual warfare.

I hear the Lord say, ENRICHMENT, as I pen this post late tonight. Its definition means: "education", a means of adding nutrients. God is calling us to change our diets! Far too long we have fed upon the toxins of this world, when our Father desires to enrich us with His presence and glory.

But, it will take sacrifice, A CHANGE OF MENU!

God desires to move us from a worldly appetite to a spiritual appetite.

I AM MORE THAN CONVINCED...YOUR DIET DETERMINES YOUR DESTINY!!!

WHAT YOU FEED GROWS!

FEED YOUR SPIRIT, AND FAITH GROWS, FEED YOUR FLESH AND FEAR GROWS!

I encourage you to seek His face like never before, as I feel there are very dark days ahead for this country. I've been proclaiming this for several years, and now it is upon us. However, let me remind you...the darker the times, the brighter His GLORY SHINES!

I am reminded of this in the story of Daniel 1: 1-21

Daniel Was Gifted by God

1 1-2 It was the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon declared war on Jerusalem and besieged the city. The Master handed King Jehoiakim of Judah over to him, along with some of the furnishings from the Temple of God. Nebuchadnezzar took king and furnishings to the country of Babylon, the ancient Shinar. He put the furnishings in the sacred treasury.

3-5 The king told Ashpenaz, head of the palace staff, to get some Israelites from the royal family and nobility—young men who were healthy and handsome, intelligent and well-educated, good prospects for leadership positions in the government, perfect specimens!—and indoctrinate them in the Babylonian language and the lore of magic and fortunetelling. The king then ordered that they be served from the same menu as the royal table—the best food, the finest wine. After three years of training they would be given positions in the king’s court.

6-7 Four young men from Judah—Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—were among those selected. The head of the palace staff gave them Babylonian names: Daniel was named Belteshazzar, Hananiah was named Shadrach, Mishael was named Meshach, Azariah was named Abednego.

8-10 But Daniel determined that he would not defile himself by eating the king’s food or drinking his wine, so he asked the head of the palace staff to exempt him from the royal diet. The head of the palace staff, by God’s grace, liked Daniel, but he warned him, “I’m afraid of what my master the king will do. He is the one who assigned this diet and if he sees that you are not as healthy as the rest, he’ll have my head!”

11-13 But Daniel appealed to a steward who had been assigned by the head of the palace staff to be in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: “Try us out for ten days on a simple diet of vegetables and water. Then compare us with the young men who eat from the royal menu. Make your decision on the basis of what you see.”

14-16 The steward agreed to do it and fed them vegetables and water for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked better and more robust than all the others who had been eating from the royal menu. So the steward continued to exempt them from the royal menu of food and drink and served them only vegetables.

17-19 God gave these four young men knowledge and skill in both books and life. In addition, Daniel was gifted in understanding all sorts of visions and dreams. At the end of the time set by the king for their training, the head of the royal staff brought them in to Nebuchadnezzar. When the king interviewed them, he found them far superior to all the other young men. None were a match for Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

19-20 And so they took their place in the king’s service. Whenever the king consulted them on anything, on books or on life, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his kingdom put together.

21 Daniel continued in the king’s service until the first year in the reign of King Cyrus.

I love verse 19...and so they took their place in the King's service.

Thank you, Father for your word of truth. Help us trust you with our futures, and educate us by your Holy Spirit.

Give us a fresh baptism of your LOVE...

In Jesus Name,
Faith