PJP2 PROLOG 160324 PROLOG Focus - Deuteronomy 13:1-3....

Psalm 79:13 (ESV/emphasis added/jaj)...."BUT we Your people, The Sheep of Your Pasture, Will Give Thanks To You Forever; From generation to generation we Will Recount Your Praise."....

PJP2 PROLOG POST 160324 - Deuteronomy 13:1-3 (ESV/emphasis added/jaj)...."(And God Said)....'If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, AND If he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ Which you Have NOT Known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you Shall NOT Listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams.  For The Lord your God Is Testing you, To Know Whether you LOVE The Lord your God With ALL your Heart And With ALL your Soul.'"....

I am consistently Amazed at how our Lord Jesus employs events within our day to make a Point with regards to our Following In Step with Him.....Yesterday I was chatting with one of our visiting Pharmacy Students about a variety of topics.  We were talking about taking tests.  She made the comment, "I really hate taking tests.  I know I suffer from test anxiety."  I concurred with her general premise.  I detest taking tests as well.  Like our AF/Physical Fitness Assessment {AF/PFA} (we stopped calling it a 'test' due to folks getting so wound up about it).....My Lovely Bride of 38 years can readily share with you I am a bear to live with during the week of having to take my AF/PFA.  Now, I full-well Know I will be fine, and I'll score well on the AF/PFA, BUT that doesn't eliminate my angst at going in to complete it.

So, here's The Point I Hear The Holy Spirit Sharing with regards to Deuteronomy 13:1-3....What I am picking up on through these POWS is This is God's Open Book Test (OBT) for us.  Now unlike our OBTs that we've taken before (e.g. Teacher gives you a set of questions and you have to 'search' The Book to Find the Answer).....God, as He Always Does, Goes One Better - He Both GIVES us The Question He is Going to Ask AND He Gives us His Answer that He's Looking For.

The old adage, "If IT Sounds To GOOD to be True...." Comes to mind as well.....Snake Oil and Medicine Show Barkers have been using the 'bait/switch' tactic for years.  The enemy of all mankind, the evil one, he is a master at this as well.

Well be not dismayed for The Holy Spirit, via His Inspired Word to John the Beloved Apostle Shares with us another OBT scenario.....1 John 2:18-25...."Children, It Is The Last Hour, And As you Have Heard that antichrist is coming, So NOW many antichrists have come.  Therefore we Know That It Is The Last Hour.  They went out from us, BUT they were NOT Of us; For If they had Been Of us, they Would Have Continued with us.  BUT they went out, That It Might Become Plain That they all Are NOT Of us.  BUT you Have Been Anointed By The Holy One, AND you All Have Knowledge.  I write to you, NOT Because you Do NOT Know The TRUTH, BUT Because you KNOW IT, And Because NO lie Is Of The TRUTH.  Who is the liar BUT he who Denies That Jesus Is The Christ?  This is the antichrist, he who Denies The Father And The Son.  No one who Denies The Son Has The Father.  Whoever Confesses The Son Has The Father Also.  Let What you Heard From The Beginning Abide In you.  If What you Heard From The Beginning Abides In you, THEN you too Will Abide In The Son And In The Father.  And This Is The Promise That He Made To us—Eternal LIFE."....

Thus my Prayer for us today would be....O Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, Father God, we Worship and Praise Your Holy Name.  Lord Jesus, first we would Ask You to be with and send Your Comfort to those in Belgium who are dealing with the aftermath of the recent attacks.  Holy Spirit, Be With us as each day we face anew the OBT of Life.  Father God, Thank You that You Consistently Provide us Your Answer.  Help us, Lord, to be Strong in You and to Allow Your Truth to Flow into, around and through us to others.  May we, Lord Jesus, Be Your Reflection of Light and Love, Your Mercy and Grace, Being a Help to others who Do Not Yet Know You as Lord and Savior.  O Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, Father God, May Your Truth of Forgiveness and Salvation continue to Seep Into The Soil of Every Heart.  We Ask These Prayers in Your Holy Name....Amen/Amen....jaj