God's Take on the Water Crisis in Flint, Michigan

       Folks this is what the Lord has been stirring in my heart since the beginning of the Flint water crisis and our church's involvement in helping to ease some of the burden. It is not just a "coincidence" that the water issue was discovered in Flint and now fills the national news.

God's Take on Flint, Michigan's Water Situation:
The words which the Lord spoke were:
Fresh water = Rivers of Living water from the Holy Spirit.
Flint = It takes a flint to serve as a means of starting a fire.
Corrosive leeching into the water over a long period of the church = Defines the problem in many churches today. Corrosive, impure teaching has been leeching into the mainstream churches for a long time.
National Press = This is a national problem.
Smaller cities discovering same problem = This includes the smaller churches as well as larger churches.
Gov. Snyder said, "The buck stops here." = Pastors need to take full accountability for the state in which they find themselves and their congregants. The HEAD is the AUTHORITY. JESUS IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH. But many pastors have made the assumption that they are the head.

God is saying through all of this that He wants the leaders of churches all over this nation to come before Him with humble hearts and repent for all of the ways in which they have personally fallen and how far astray they have led their sheep. The Lord says that if we will repent and drink the pure water which flows from the River of the Holy Spirit, the pure water will be the "flint" to start the fire of Holy Spirit revival in our country.

By it's very definition a flint is used with steel to produce an igniting spark. Therefore the pure word combined with the steel sword of the Word will produce to spark revival fire.

God said there are many who will dismiss this prophetic word out of their own selfish ambitions to even consider that God is speaking to HIS CHURCH OF TODAY IN AMERICA. But when they humble themselves and search their hearts and repent of false doctrine, teachings, underlying motivations, selfish ambitions, using the Gospel for their own personal gain, wanting to be idolized as the only one in the church fully capable of praying for anyone, etc., then God Himself will pour the Oil of the Holy Spirit over the pastor when pure rivers of living water flow out of his mouth. And the oil of the Holy Spirit will flow as the Lord states in Psalm 133:2 "It is like the precious oil [of consecration] poured on the head, Coming down on the beard, Even the beard of Aaron, Coming down upon the edge of his [priestly] robes [consecrating the whole body]." Amplified version

It is the little foxes which spoil the vine...and after awhile, like the frog in water on the stove....nobody notices anymore the slow death from which they are dying. Lead is being leeched into the homes of those who are serviced by corrosive pipes. Lead is a very strong poison.

Here is what MedlinePlus has to say about lead poisoning: "However, it is more common for lead poisoning to build up slowly over time....Lead is much more harmful to children than adults, because it can affect children's developing nerves and brains. The younger the child, the more harmful lead can be. Unborn children are the most vulnerable."

Now, let's apply this same principle to the church. Think of the unsaved whom you know are "turned off and hardened" to the church for many reasons. Think of the babes in Christ who are in need of pure milk before they get to the meat stage. And how are we to approach the Kingdom of God? As a little child.

Ezekiel 33New International Version (NIV)
Renewal of Ezekiel’s Call as Watchman

33 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, 4 then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. 5 Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’
7 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 9 But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.
10 “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of[b] them. How then can we live?”’ 11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’
12 “Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’ 13 If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done. 14 And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right— 15 if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die. 16 None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.
17 “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just. 18 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, they will die for it. 19 And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so. 20 Yet you Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to your own ways.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

The word of the Lord has been given, now it is up to each of us reading this admonishment to seek the Lord and ask Him what we are to do from here.  We can humble our hearts before the Lord and ask Him to root out every evil thing which is contrary to His heart and His word....or we can ignore it.

"Dear Father, I acknowledge that through my fleshly interpretation of Your Word and Who You Are that I have made some errors along the way.  Father, please illuminate my heart with the light of Your Holy Spirit and root out every thought, idea, action and emotion which do not come from You. I choose to submit myself to You for Your ways are higher than my ways and Your thoughts are higher than my thoughts.  In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen"

God bless you, 
Crista 

There Is No Pit So Deep

I don't know about you, but I often lean toward "pondering"....it tends to go along with being a writer I suppose. But I was pondering this statement by Corrie ten Boom. Corrie knew about pits. She had seen the Jews have to dig pits for their own corpses and/or those they loved. She knew what a pit was and how deep they had to be in order to bury or burn so many bodies.

Years ago, syndicated columnist, Erma Bombeck, wrote a book entitled, "If Life is a Bowl of Cherries, Why Am I in the Pits?" I think Erma was referring to the down days of life out of which we're able to "pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps".

Corrie, I believe, was referring to the pit of the muck and mire of death and destruction. The place where it is black as pitch. The place from which we think we shall be "dead" forever, never to experience life in a joyous manner ever again. Just dead. But Corrie is reminding us that it is God who will resurrect us up out of the ashes of despair. He shall lift us up out of the miry clay. We shall see the sun shine again. But we shall also experience Him in a way we had never known Him before in our lives.

Corrie ten Boom in whose prison quadrant was so filled with lice that even the guards dared not go near. And what did she and her sister do while in these confinements? They spoke of Jesus. They shared the Gospel, in the dark, in the pits. Corrie's sister died in the concentration camp, but one day, Corrie was released to reveal to the world all the Lord had taught her while she went through her entire experience from "The Hiding Place".

I'm sure there were times when all hope seemed like this elusive butterfly to even Corrie....and this is why she could write what she did to encourage us all when we're in the miry pit.

That's why we're all here together; both to the Body of Christ and the one who does not know Him yet; to offer hope to the one who has fallen. Our prayers to uphold one another. Our hugs which say, "I love and accept you for who you are". The Eeyore days, but we're invited to the party anyways.

I don't want to throw out any trite, pat answers, but I will tell you that at one point in my life, when my hope was ripped to shreds and I hid alone in the dark, He sent me to Isaiah 50:10 ....my version....Let him who walks in darkness and has no light, trust in the name of the Lord, his God.

And when your trust is shaken to the core and you can't find it, just know that The Holy Spirit, The Comforter, is standing right next to you trusting for you.

Trusting God to throw out the line called Hope to you this day.
Blessings in Christ,
Crista

GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN YOU!!!!

I believe this scripture which the Lord has given me for 2016 applies to many of us. 
Be encouraged. 

God has not forgotten you.

Isaiah 43:18-19 (Amplified) "Do not remember the former things, or ponder the things of the past. 'Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even put a road in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.'"

Many of us have been to hell and back through the season in which God has taken us through by His grace. But I tell you the truth, He is giving us a brand new beginning. Some of it was to burn up the past. Did you know there is a pine/spruce/fir which will only reproduce if its pine cones are burned? It's a bit like popcorn. It feels horrible to be peeled like a potato and then split in half!

But God, in His lavish love for us will not separate Himself from us; no matter what, through Christ Jesus. And just as the pine cone, He has burned up our tree to make the new seed drop into the soil of our hearts where He shall create new life. Get ready! Get ready!
WORD FOR 2016

Ever yours in His love and mine,
Crista

INTO HIS IMAGE

INTO HIS IMAGE (Col. 3:10)

I see myself with Jesus;
We’re walking Hand in hand,
Along the paths and trails of life;
Across the green field land.
He is the Shepherd of my heart
Who leads me every day;
To pastures green and waters still;
Because, He Is The Way.
He knows when to hold me close,
Or let me run so free;
For this one thing I know for sure:
He’s never forsaken me.
Oh yes, there’s times I feel alone;
Times I feel afraid;
Yet, this one thing I know for sure;
He’s never forsaken me.
The enemy, he has pounded -
Against my mind and soul,
But Jesus ever held me close;
In Him, I am made whole.
At times I falter, at times I fail,
And the enemy seeks his gain;
Yet he has never conquered,
No matter how intense my pain.
For Jesus Is My Refuge;
My Anchor in the storm;
He Is My Precious Savior;
When I am weak and worn;
Who walks beside me in the fire
As He forms this piece of clay;
Into His Image made with His Hands;
He’s with me all the way.
~So, no matter the storms of life
And trials which ensue;
For it’s the narrow gate
And straitened path
Which make me look like You.
~To yield to You, and You, Alone,
Is the least that I can do.
~Crista Simmons 4/4/07

Dearly Beloved....as the Lord gave me this poem, it occurred to me that the word "trial" and "trail" are so similar in spelling, yet so very different in meaning. Reverse the ai-ia combination and voila!...a different word. But it is on the trails of life that we experience the trials, also. The "straitened" path means compressed by pressure...."The Winepress of Heaven"....to squeeze the flesh out of us...so that He may fill us with His new wine. Wine is only produced through pressure. Through the pressures on the trails of our lives, may we be filled with His new wine....the image of Christ....for His Glory. We must decrease....He must increase....Be blessed today.

A Rose in Winter

"A Rose in Winter"

Crista Simmons 9/24/15

"Come with Me as we make our way through the waist deep, soft, fluffy snow."

The air is crisp; our breath hanging like lace curtains against a backdrop of sunlit blue sky.

"Come with Me, for I have a surprise for you; something you would never think you would ever see during a season such as this."

"Come over here, My love.  I know the fierce winter winds which have howled against your soul like a pack of hyenas closing in for their kill.

I know it is difficult to find food in the frozen earth below,

yet your body was not ready for such a hearty fill.

So I opened My hand to allow you to eat the tiny grains of mustard seed ;

cupped and protected for you only.

You have felt helpless and alone, with no where to go.

But I tell you the truth, I have never left your side; even when you thought I wasn't there.

Look before you, My love.

Do you see this gorgeous pink rose?

Roses don't normally grow in winter, do they.

See how tender it's petals are.

Look at its diamonds sparkling in the sun."

"This is IMPOSSIBLE!," you exclaim.

"I want you to look very closely, My love; for this is how I see you. 

The tender, soft petals represent your heart.

The diamonds are the tears which I've seen you cry when you thought no one was watching.

You are a beautiful, radiant rose who has endured this winter of your life.

For you are far more beautiful to Me than you think you are.

Yet it is My loving and never-ending thoughts of you

 which consume Me with every beat of My heart.

I AM your Faithful and True Lover of your heart and soul.

I hold your heart as tenderly in My hands as you would a fallen bird.

You look upon the beauty of this rose in disbelief.

You are astounded, and with tears softly trailing down your cheeks,

you can only wonder how this can be.

It is because nothing is impossible with Me.

I AM THE ONE who makes you whole.

I AM THE ONE who gives you beauty for your ashes.

I AM THE ONE who tenderly wraps you in My garment of praise for your spirit of heaviness.

I AM THE ONE who has delivered you.

I AM THE ONE who loves you with an everlasting love, and nothing, absolutely nothing, separates you from My love; both for now and forever.

You My Precious child are My Rose in Winter."
Your Forever Love,
Jesus

THE VITAL IMPORTANCE OF LOVE IN AND THROUGH THE LIFE OF EVERY BELIEVER IN CHRIST!

Bob Jones, a true prophet of God, passed away this year on Valentine's Day. I have had the privilege of seeing him in person and hearing Bob speak. He was an unassuming man with a quiet, humble, loving and gentle demeanor.

I encourage you to read the following posting in how Bob Jones described his time in heaven in 2006. While there, Jesus asked Bob, "Did you learn to love?" This is a very sobering message and wake-up call to THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST. The Lord took Bob to Heaven to show him the importance of love and choosing various gods which professing Believers served.

James 3:20-21 "For if our hearts condemns us, God is greater than our hearts and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God." (NKJV)

And at the end of 1 Cor. 12 where the Apostle Paul was speaking to them about spiritual gifts and being one in Christ in His Body, He wrote at the end of Chap. 12:31 "But earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts and graces (the highest gifts and the choicest graces). And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one that is better by far and the highest of them all -- love]. Then he writes the "love chapter" in 1 Cor. 13 and ends it by stating, "And so faith, hope , love abide [faith-conviction and belief respecting man's relation to God and divine things; hope--joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love-true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us], these three; but the greatest is love." (Amp.)

Gal. 5:6 "For [if we are] in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accounts for anything, but only faith activated and expressed and working through love."

The two greatest commandments are to love God first and to love our neighbor as ourselves. And that INCLUDES blessing those who curse us and loving our enemies.

Matt. 6:44-45 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for thosse who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;...."

"Dear Father God, Please change me into the image of Your Son who shines with the glory of Your love so that You may be glorified on the earth.  Amen"

2006 Bob Jones Prophecy Still Stirs Many

charismamag.com

Prophet Bob Jones passed away earlier this month, but some of his prophetic words are still impacting those who followed his ministry.

Herald of His Kingdom

Saints, 
This is the website link of my dear and precious friend, Clo DiPilato. I pray you are blessed by what you "taste and see". Oh, that I had all the time I wanted to chew on every morsel offered here. Be sure that Clo, who is especially gifted in the prophetic, has gone through the fire and emerged in the declarative power of the Holy Ghost. 
Blessings always,
Crista 

http://www.heraldofhiskingdom.com/index.html