The Great Consummation 4: This Side of the Whirlwind

Tags

God, God is Great!, Hearing God's Voice, Love, Prophecy, The Beast, The End Times, The Great Consummation, The Great Tribulation, The Latter Days, The Mark of the Beast, This Side of the Whirlwind

The Great Consummation 4

Time is shorter than ever before. When the Great Consummation hits Salvation will no longer be accessible to anyone not currently saved.  I’ll explain later.   It is however time to commit to God’s Word; compel ourselves to serve our fellow Believers (you know, our family in Christ) and set our jaws, becoming determined to endure the trials of the Tribulation Period to the end of our days, whether that end is the result of our death or flight in the skies with Jesus Christ at His second coming, you know, the Rapture. We need to know the event is real and that until it is over we can make a difference in the lives of many Christians.  And yet… we must personally prepare for the Tribulation Period to come!  Remember, the Tribulation Period is not the Wrath of God.  We need to sink our teeth into His will for our lives and the lives of our family and friends and prepare for the coming storm.

Praying: Hey There Good Buddy

Tags

God, Hearing God's Voice, Love, Meaning of Life, This Side of the Whirlwind

Praying!~

What does praying mean to you?

Is prayer just a duty or discipline?

Is prayer just a litany of your needs, wants and or fears to be relieved?

Or is prayer for you more like a letter to an old friend, a mentor, a father or brother, sister, mother?

Turning a Blind Eye?

Tags

God, God is Great!, Hearing God's Voice, Love, Meaning of Life, This Side of the Whirlwind

Men and women of God, where do you walk, on what path do you truly live, to whom are you “in truth” devoted?

I sat with the Lord this morning, in prayer, reading from the book of 1 Samuel chapters 2 and 3 when the Lord in His mercy and kindness deigned to touched my heart and soul. I’ll tell you what He revealed to me in a minute.

Anyways…

I read about Eli the Priest, a man committed to serving the LORD; however, Eli let his feelings for his sons cloud his judgment and take precedence over his love and duty for God. Though many may think so or have forgotten such behavior is not acceptable then or now for men and women of God.

It Could Happen, Right?

Tags

God, God is Great!, Meaning of Life, Miracle, This Side of the Whirlwind

Okay, who do you know that would believe the following concept?
One day thirty years ago a Bi-Plane crashed into a car and a home in the middle of a jungle in Africa resulting in all three elements exploding into millions upon millions of parts and pieces, gizmos and gadgets.

During this accident’s explosive and excited state, you know, the parts, pieces, gizmos and gadgets flying together up and into the sky – smashing and colliding and crashing into one another until they are spread over a quarter mile or so; all the parts, pieces, gizmos and gadgets which were part of the plane, car and home amazingly fell to earth “together” organizing, blending and amazingly conjoining until, “Bingo – Bango – Roboto” fell to earth coalescing into an amazing piece of robotic technology which included all the requisite robotic engineering and  programming you witness in the video below.

Play it again SAM!

It could happen, right?

You know, all the pieces were in motion and in the same vicinity being propelled through the sky as they mixed and mingled by the forces of nature with the explosive energies of the cosmos (or at least the accident) gravity, magnetism, common space and the limitless possibilities within the known universe, you know, whatever it takes to make a robot spontaneously amalgamate wondrously into a fully functional artificial-intelligence capable of moving and working and sustaining its existence.

It could happen, right!

Think about it…

Who would believe such drivel, unadulterated imaginative nonsense?

Would you?

Because, in order for that gobbledygook to be true; leastwise, when it comes to humans, animals, plants, insect, fishes in the sea, birds in the air, bacteria, viruses and the list goes and goes and goes and goes to the Nth degree “THAT” type of an accidental conjoining “WITHOUT” intelligent design would have to have taken place to accidentally generate humans, and that twice, once for each gender, AND would have to be repeated over a million different species, genomes and phylum covering every species the world over and over.

That would be absurd!

Okay, who is for intelligent design?  Raise you hands, come on, you know you want to!

I do, I do!

Smart kid, right?

I was inspired by a video I watched a couple of days ago. I’ll leave you with it at this time.  It’s a fun video unless you’re an atheist.

Oops, not so smart a kid, huh?

You decide!

Wait, was that a little condescending?

I didn’t notice either.  My naughty!

 

 

 

Admonition or Recrimination?

Tags

God is Great!, Hearing God's Voice, Love, Meaning of Life, This Side of the Whirlwind

Admonition or Recrimination?

Not long ago I spoke/wrote to an old friend who pulled away from her walk with God; leastwise, her walk with Christ. That specific conversation ended with her saying, “I tried the Christian faith and it didn’t really work for me.

Well, believe it or not, I’m not one to cram anything down another person’s proverbial throat, most of all, my faith. I choose to live my walk with Jesus as much as I talk or write about it but that is my choice; leastwise, I do the best I can and leave God to handle all my sins, you know, all the rest my life’s issues.  Thank You Jesus!  Glad I’m saved by the blood of the Lamb (sacrifice of Christ) and not by my own righteousness.

Reason for these thoughts: If God gave me the freedom of choice to accept or reject the sacrifice His Son made for my eternal soul and life who am I to deny that same freedom of choice to anyone else, period, exclamation point “?”

As far as I’m concerned that attitude should reside in every Christian’s way of thinking and looking at the salvation message for another. We are to plant the seeds and let God produce the increase.  Even in that process God is at the head of the curve. If we are free to choose why aren’t they?

Aaron’s Dad

Tags

God is Great!, Hearing God's Voice, Love, Meaning of Life, This Side of the Whirlwind

Sometime back I asked my son to write an honest review, this is what he wrote.

My dad’s integrity is like something out of an old western

By Aaron D. Harrel

Full disclosure: Steven R. Harrel is my dad. At a cursory glance, one might consider my opinion biased. And it is but from this proximity comes a review that only I could write- a review of the author’s character. My earliest memories of my dad are him singing praise and worship and to this day that’s what you’re going to get if you spend even a day with him. His life goal is to see God’s Name lifted high. My dad’s integrity is like something out of an old western: say it like it is and prize honor over saving face. He will tell the truth without pulling punches and he will be the first to tell you how he is a sinner saved by grace. With that intensity comes a few more exclamation points then I would have liked in this book : ) He’s a passionate man and that carries over into his writing style : ) About 12-13 years ago I remember my dad buying a gigantic white board and plotting out all the references in the Bible to the “End Times”. It was a staple fixture in our home through my teenage years. He’s spent all these years digging through the Word to pull out the truths that only God could have mapped out for its sheer grandness. He includes this chart in the book in a graph and it’s mind-blowing seeing all the “fore thought” God put into the latter days. Thankfully, my dad helped make it much easier to follow along then having to do this yourself. Something that struck me about this book was the volume of Scripture included throughout. My dad will challenge you time and time again to look at the Word for yourself and see if his conclusions hold up to the Word. One thing my dad instilled in me is that I also have the ability to say it like it is and after reading this book, I feel that it is sound with the Word. The End is coming and as Jesus and Paul said (Luke 12:56/Romans 11:25/1 Thessalonians 4:13) we are to be informed about the times in which we live. Are you? -Aaron Harrel

Thank You Lord

and thank you, Aaron.

The Lord bless you all. 😎

 

 

Peace!

Tags

God is Great!, Hearing God's Voice, Love, Meaning of Life, This Side of the Whirlwind

From where does your soul find its peace?

Not a lack of nervousness, or a sense of general harmony; rather, true, deep down, inner peace which transcends all the struggles of life, the sorrows of failure the pains of being undone in our everyday relationships.

In other words, real deep in the bone-marrow peace!  Do YOU know that peace? Have you found that place to be a part of your everyday?

Can you feel such true peace in your soul even when the world around you collides with chaos?

Would you like to know that peace if you haven’t found it so far?  Well, let me share…

Garden of My Soul

Tags

God, God is Great!, Hearing God's Voice, Love, Meaning of Life, This Side of the Whirlwind

Are you called to feed His sheep?

If your answer is yes, then from where do you get your resources?

If you have not been fed by the Word of God or walked with the Lord in prayer this day from where do you bring that genuine food of the Lord?

We are neither the source nor the well-spring of the Spirit; rather, we are merely the conduit of His wisdom, mercy, grace, power and forgiveness.

Unless we are being, have been fed in the Lord, from where do we feed others spiritual food and nourishment?  After all, we are sent to feed but not from ourselves but from the source?

We are also not the great river of life.

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. (Revelation 22:1 NKJV)

Out of our bellies can flow great and abundant waters which wash clean and satisfy the human soul; but once again, we are not the source.

“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38 NKJV)

We must take the time for refreshing, restoring, refilling.

The three “R” can only be truly accomplished when we take time to be in the presence of the Lord, Jesus and fill up on His Word. The Holy Spirit fills us to overflowing and from the overflow we spill God’s love, joy, goodness, mercy and salvation into, onto, through the hearts and lives of Men.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, (Ephesians 5:25-26 NKJV)

Oh to be in the ever lifting, healing and saving presence of our God.

When we experience the presence of God and His love the multitude of our shame in sin is washed away.

When we revel in the presence of our God, true hope and purpose is made clear to our vision and life’s dreams.

What greater, happier place is there to kneel than in the kind presence of our God.

Oh precious Lord, embrace my soul.

For no other can actually, truly touch your soul; not the love of your life, nor your children, or your parents or your closest friend. They may come close, but none but the risen Savior can genuinely commune with you through your deepest soul and being.

Lord, that I and my soul may walk with You in the garden of my heart.

Blessed be the name of the Lord!

If you do not know the Lord, Jesus in a similar fashion to the way I’ve described Him, please contact me and I will be happy to introduce you to our Master and King!

Steven R. Harrel

 

In Whom is My Sufficiency?

Tags

Creation, God is Great!, Love, Meaning of Life

My Sufficiency is in Whom?

Then

For nearly 40 years of marriage I have watched other couples begin the wonderful journey of marriage only to fall prey to a misplaced desire to be completed by that other person’s relationship or approval or need. We are not completed in married; rather, we become twice in need to become whole and sufficient, because now we have a partner in need too.

Like a love story without a great love or a wick lantern without oil, we are missing a key element, that which brings life and light and warmth and meaning, those thing which are woefully in short supply. We need to know we can never be complete or whole on our own.

More Recent

Why? We were created by God to “need” a relationship with Him; we cannot be whole without His love and interaction.  God is that missing piece to our puzzle of life.

When we find our sufficiency through a relationship with another person we become akin to an oil-lamp with a wick but no oil. Our sense of completeness burns bright and hot for a short while but before long it simply burns out, sorrowfully leaving us wanting.  This is because our need is greater than simple physical need and without the Spirit of God (the oil) fueling our sufficiency we cannot maintain a true state of completeness or wholeness.  Like the lamp, we are lacking the key element which makes it possible to perpetuate the burn of love, joy, peace, life in its fullest measure.  We are not designed to be whole without a relationship with our Creator.   Such is the nature of our human soul.

A Song of Obedience?

Tags

God is Great!, Hearing God's Voice, Love, Meaning of Life, Prophecy

Rent the Veil

Several years ago the Lord gave me a song which I titled, Rent the Veil.  The song spoke about God removing the veil of partition between God and Man and allowing His creation to see beyond this natural world and into the spiritual, into the heart of God perceivably.

Well, I had no idea just how attached I became to my music until that day when the Lord told me to give the song and all its rights to an Evangelist named Vivien Hibbert. I had not met her, this “Evangelist” prior.  That infamous (to me) Sunday morning, I struggled almost hopelessly towards the instructed goal.  I was practically refusing to hand over the song, its recordings or any of its rights to Ms. Hibbert.  I don’t know exactly why, I just couldn’t let go!

AS the first meeting at Grace Chapel, Tucson Arizona began that morning I sat struggling over the idea.

Prior to this date, the Lord had not asked me to give away any of the songs He had previously imparted to me. How could I release it?

That weekend however, as I kept hearing the Lord’s voice in my spirit telling me to give Ms. Hibbert “my” song, the premise of the song continued to resound in my heart.

I sat in derision that morning until the opening of her first prayer. Ms. Vivien Hibbert began praying, “Lord, rent the veils of our hearts and draw us near to You.”

The very title of the song and it foundational idea uttered in her opening words of prayer!

Vivien Hibbert uttered that very expression eight times in the span of five minutes.

Later that morning I approached Ms. Hibbert and gave her the song and its rights.

I was hoping for a move of the Spirit as she understood the sacrifice I was making! Haw, boy was I mistaken.

Ms. Hibbert could not have appeared less impressed with the song, my presentation of it or the song and her message’s spiritual connection.

Sadly, in retrospect, I realize I had recorded a truly poor rendition of the song and then presented Ms. Hibbert with a lackluster performance along with a hand written affidavit for the Song’s rights. Sorry Ms. Hibbert.

Ms. Hibbert was not at all moved or impressed even by my testimony or the amazing coincidence and connection to her sermon.

Truthfully, she did not need to be impressed, God had given me instructions and I fought being obedient the entire time; leastwise until I heard her opening prayer.

Why would the Lord bless me with her approval? It is God’s approval I should have sought.  Rather, I needed to stop acting like a child and obey the Lord regardless the cost.

Oh well, we grow, we learn – hopefully?

I have yet to hear whether or not Ms. Hibbert ever recorded or used that piece of music or its lyrics. It was and is a beautiful song whether she uses the music or not.  I finally obeyed.  Finally.

The song also belongs to Vivien Hibbert and Ministries and it is no longer my business.

However the Lord chooses to use His music is His business.

Oddly, I still find it difficult to let go. Sadly even after all these years.

That foolish will of man.

Songs can be like kids to the singer/songwriter sometimes.

Whatever else happens…

To God be the glory, power and praise both now and forever, amen!

Just one man’s struggle with obedience.

Thank You Lord for Your mercy.

For a copy of my book, “This Side of the Whirlwind”

http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Products/SKU-001016204/This-Side-of-the-Whirlwind.aspx,

http://www.amazon.com/This-Side-Whirlwind-Steven-Harrel/dp/1512734063/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464582881&sr=8-1&keywords=This+Side+of+the+Whirlwind,

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/this-side-of-the-whirlwind-steven-r-harrel/1123688752?ean=9781512734065,

http://www.thissideofthewhirlwind.com , www.Borders.com