The Ragin River

 During worship this morning, God showed me a picture of this raging river. It was fast and the current was strong but in order to get to the promises He has on the other side, crossing the river was a must. I saw people standing on the bank and instead of focusing on the promises on the other side they focused on the raging river and stood in fear and did not move forward out in faith. Then I watched others who although they saw the river kept their eyes on the promises on the other bank and stepped out in to the river.
  The river would over take those that turned back or looked at the raging water around them but those that stepped out and kept their focus on the promises, the river would become a gentle stream about them and they reached the other side where Jesus and His promises were awaiting them.

Something else God was speaking to my spirit is that...
The river is God's love for us, raging, full of jealousy, powerful. Some people are scared of it, scared to even get close and for some they inch in and stay on the shoreline just getting their feet wet. But for those that launch out into the depths, that raging river is gentle, full of grace and mercy, full of peace and healing. We have to go through His raging river of love to get to the other side to get to the promises He has for us. Not just what is in scripture but what has been spoken over us. The river is all consuming. As is His love for us.

 God seems to speak to me in pictures a lot of the time and I am still trying to take it all in.  I know there is some deep messages here.  I am trusting that He will show me more as I meditate on His word and ask Him to show me more.  I pray that what I have shared thus far is something that has or will encourage you.

Why Did Jesus Fold the Napkin?

 Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? I never noticed this.... The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over... the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed separate from the grave clothes.

 Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, 'They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!' Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see.. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side.

 Was that important? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes! In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it.. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished. Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done'. But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because.......... The folded napkin meant,  'I'm coming back!'

   He is Coming Back!

He's Alive Forever More!