CSN Sunday LightWing Messages – Discerning God’s Way from My Way – 9/29/24
Jesus Promises to Send the Holy Spirit
Jesus replied, “I have been with all of you for a long time. Don’t you know me yet, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? What I’m telling you doesn’t come from me. The Father, who lives in me, does what He wants. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me. Otherwise, believe me because of the things I do.
“I can guarantee this truth: Those who believe in me will do the things that I am doing. They will do even greater things because I am going to the Father. I will do anything you ask the Father in my name so that the Father will be given glory because of the Son.
If you ask me to do something, I will do it.
“If you love me, you will obey my commandments. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper who will be with you forever. That helper is the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him, because it doesn’t see or know him. You know him, because he lives with you and will be in you.
“I will not leave you all alone. I will come back to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. You will live because I live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father and that you are in me and that I am in you. Whoever knows and obeys my commandments is the person who loves me. Those who love me will have my Father’s love, and I, too, will love them and show myself to them.”
Judas (not Iscariot) asked Jesus, “Lord, what has happened that you are going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?”
Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will go to them and make our home with them. A person who doesn’t love me doesn’t do what I say. I don’t make up what you hear me say. What I say comes from the Father who sent me.
“I have told you this while I’m still with you. 26 However, the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything. He will remind you of everything that I have ever told you. John 14:1-18 (NIV)
FOUNDER’S MESSAGE:
This week, the LightWing Messages was on course to offer a message from our brother Jack LaValley, but there were some last minute edits that needed attention, so the promise made in Saturday’s CPR Lifeline Advisory about Mr. LaValley’s message will be fulfilled at a later date. The article, which had already been published in Spiritual Health Magazine, apparently needed revisions per Mr. LaValley. Nevertheless, we have another incredible message being reprinted with permission from the Strike Force of Prayer website. Readers may remember the powerful message from Maria Tonello last week entitled: “The Glory & Graces of Carrying your Cross.”
That message blends well with the message we offer today from Ms. Tonello, which is titled: “DISCERNING GOD’S CHOICE POINTS.” The message moves well from the passages in the Old Testament to the quotes from the New Testament in an effort to demonstrate how integrated the Bible is in guiding people to discern God’s Will in our own lives in our world today. It is also quite clear that, for those with eyes to see and ears to hear, God’s messages to us are capable of being deciphered. Yet, it requires responsibility on the part of the disciple to invest fully in the seeing or the hearing of those Divine messages. It links to the essence of one’s responsibility to take up one’s cross. Both messages are timely messages for such a time as this; yet it is quite clear that many in our nation would prefer to not receive instructions from our Heavenly Father because it comes with responsibility.
It also hearkens back to the message from Rev. Charles Finney, “The Folly of Refusing to be Saved,” It seems that many in our nation and in the world would rather shirk responsibility that comes with being “saved,” or to do the right thing, or to help in God’s Providence.
CSN Sunday LightWing Messages – The Folly of Forfeiting Our Freedoms
It may seem easier to carve out a comfort zone to hide in rather than to accept responsibility to fix the mess of this world, or simply to actively allow God to maintain dominion over our own households, or even our individual lives. Such responsibility has much to do with God’s children accepting their position as His children and being accountable as His children in a meaningful manner, and not just self-identifying as a person of faith or believing that belonging to a particular religion would suffice as a substitute for having genuine relationship with our Father in Heaven.
The featured message today, helps us discern more clearly some of the basic fundamentals we need to get to this better relationship with God. If we truly have eyes to see, then we should be able to see our way clear to behave properly as God’s children and to treat our brothers and sisters accordingly.
So, how do people of faith discern God’s guidance and then obey the directions? Unfortunately. we are not attempting this endeavor in a pure and ideal environment but the toxic environment we have created over many years. Discernment to get above the secular realms and swamps that mislead us, divert us, or imprison us is a fundamental requirement. The first step to start
Learning how to get better at this is by reading Maria Tonello’s message, though it may be long. It is quite long, so we will abbreviate our normal newsletter to save space and to maintain our compliance with Google and other Social Media dictates. An avid reader reminded me the other day that our Sunday messages are quite long, but we do not seek to hold back or skimp when it may come to messages of Light. We will forgo our aggregate feature today due to length.
In reality, we are not able to determine or demand what people read or do not. We only hope…
Yet again in this edition, we reiterate the words Jesus expressed: “If you love me, keep my commands.” We do hope our leaders of faith would keep his commands – even more than we would hope readers could read all of our featured messages. Of course there are higher levels of responsibilities, and it is wise to keep Jesus’ commands – not just out of sheer obedience, but out of love for Him and for the Father. And in this light, we still strongly suggest all read Maria Tonello’s message and pray over it. God needs His children to enter into a genuine relationship with Him and that means seeking understanding of His guidance as much as possible.
The second entry today is not an article, but an announcement of a program being offered in Sarasota Springs in upstate New York. We offered this last Sunday as well, so we believe it is important. Pastor Earl Wallace, who helped found the Coalition for a Principled Republic will be hosting: “The Government Shall Rest On His Shoulders Conference.” Check out the lineup, as it is a good group who will make presentations next Saturday on October 5th.
Please remember that our LightWing “Meetn” calls are held on Monday evenings. Readers who are able to join us Monday evenings may participate in our call (or just listen). For those wanting to join the call, it is very simple to access the online meeting because the link information stays the same each week – no need to request a link to the Meetn call. The link is below.
Editor’s note: There was a mistake in the previous CSN newsletter on the start time. An astute reader was able to catch the time change, but the only time change was made by a layout error. We apologize for any confusion as it was a mistake, and the correct start time is stated below.
Join us for the MeetN call on Monday (9/30/24)!
Normally => Mondays at 5pm PDT (6pm MDT; 7pm CDT; 8pm EDT)
To join these meetings click this url: https://meetn.com/vroom (The room name is vroom)
For questions about the discussion group, please connect here: d.jamzon@gmail.com
We hope our readers will enjoy this edition and take in as many of the features that may interest you. But, don’t get greedy - only absorb what you can easily digest! Then be sure and share the articles and links to aggregates with those whom you believe would benefit from intelligent perspectives throughout this 2024 election year.
These words are being freely offered to you – intended to shine light unto our paths, as written: “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Proverbs 29:18 - KJV
Read, absorb and share, and practice what is within you. Become a force for goodness! Become the light!
May God bless our readers & all of their loved ones. May God bless All His Children!
May we humble yourselves, seek God’s face, seek His Heart and Mind, to know His Will. May we repent for our wicked ways - even for those of our leaders at whatever level or position who pursue a course of evil. May we also turn away from the temptations and tolerance of evil. May we seek to take responsibility for discerning God’s guidance and in obeying His guidance to put into practice Jesus’ commands on a daily basis.
DISCERNING GOD’S CHOICE POINTS
By Maria T. Tonello StrikeForceofPrayer.com © 2024
"Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, Be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure positions.” 2 Peter 3:17
What is a “Choice Point”?
A “Choice Point” is a critical juncture, a life-altering, direction-changing decision point. It is invariably a test of our moral character and our moral spine. Which choice we make decides the trajectory of a significant time or area of our life. A man I know was shown how one fateful decision he made when he was 30 has deleteriously affected the 20 years since. Making the right choice, choosing the right way to go, requires discernment along with the moral courage and desire to do only God’s Will. We pray for that discernment, moral backbone and integrity.
Prayer Petitions to Discern God’s Choice Points
Do Only What Our Father Wants
Dear Heavenly Father, your Son Yeshua, Jesus the Christ, only did your Will. He modeled living as Divine Will, that we may follow suit. Though He was presented with difficult choice points, He always passed his tests: 40 days and tested three times in the desert with satan, facing his destiny with anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane. This tells me that if I am truly committed to doing ONLY your Divine Will, I shall pass all of my tests, I shall make the right choice at every choice point in my life, and You will provide me the strength, resources and support to make the right choice.
I proclaim as Jesus did in John 14:31, that I shall “do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.” For indeed Jesus taught in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.”
Father God, I repent for the spirit of rebelliousness and other spirits that have caused me to not do your Will, but my own, or the will of another who unduly influenced or influences me. For your Word in Hosea 14:9 says: “Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.”
Living God’s Will Gives Strength to Choose Rightly
Lord God, your Son Yeshua, Jesus the Christ, demonstrated that the strength and ability to do difficult things come from You. This is a deeper understanding of and possession of Faith — to choose the tough road, the hard choices, with faith that You will work things out, that You will see me through it. I repent for all the times and ways I have not done this, have not truly trusted in You to make a way with more difficult choices. God forgive me.
As Jesus proclaimed in John 5:30, “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.” Jesus did all of his works as the Son of Man to demonstrate that we can possess his same depth and breadth of faith; in this way, I can do nothing on my own, yet through You, I do all things. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” according Philippians 4:13.
Even if I do not have confidence in my own clarity or ability to make the highest, best decisions, your Word provides me the solution in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
The Joshua Deception
Dear Heavenly Father, we learn a hard lesson from your great warrior Joshua, who had impeccable obedience to your commands. He was deceived into entering into a covenant with wicked people, which was not your will.
God forgive me for making these same kinds of mistakes. Barreling ahead on something, an agreement, a business dealing, a partnering arrangement, without checking in to make sure it was truly from You, was truly an answer to my prayers that came from You, that was actually your Will.
Truly, 2 Corinthians 5:10 forewarns: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” Sometimes evil is not a great overt act of wickedness, but a pattern and character of taking the wrong turns, making the wrong choices, not discerning or heeding your voice; and thereby opposing your Will. God, forgive me.
I Cry Out for Discernment
Heavenly Father, give me greater, better, deeper spiritual discernment, as Proverbs 2:3-5 promises: "For if I cry for discernment, lift my voice for understanding; if I seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; then I will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.”
I petition Psalm 119:66-67, “Teach me good judgement and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments. Before I was humbled I went astray, but now I keep your word.” Lord God, I commit more deeply every day in every way, to keep Your Word; to check in for your revelation for every situation and decision, every choice point.
I say to You Heavenly Father from Psalm 119:125 that, “I am your servant, give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.”
Lord God, I commit to having my powers of discernment constantly trained and I ask for the Holy Spirit to guide me and keep me on track, as Hebrews 5:14 says: “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”
Loyalty & Courage
Heavenly Father, Apostle Peter was presented three choice points to stand for and with Jesus Christ the night before He was betrayed. Yet he chose safety and cowardice. God forgive me for any and all times I have done the same; whether in betrayal of You or a loved one. Lord God, I rely on your Holy Spirit to build me up in the most holy of faith, loyalty and courage as I proclaim 1 John 3:24, “The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: we know it by the Spirit he gave us.”
King Saul’s Folly
Dear Heavenly Father, I understand through your Word that your choice points may also come in the form of an instruction, a detailed directive to carry out your Will. I repent for all the times and ways I was only partially obedient, for a variety of reasons, such as fear, laziness, fear of what others would think or say, personal comfort or rebelliousness. It is not possible for my flesh mind to conceive ahead of time all the reasons and purposes to your instructions and Will. God forgive me.
You presented King Saul a choice point in the form of a command in 1 Samuel 15:1-3: “Samuel also said to Saul, ‘The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
Yet King Saul choked; he did not carry out the entirety of your command, as we see in Samuel 15:8 & 9, “He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them.” Saul talked himself into believing in his own cleverness. Would that he had heeded Proverbs 12:15, “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.”
We now know that the villain Haman was an Amalekite descendant; the very villain that tricked King Xerxes into making a decree to wipe out all the Jews. Actions have consequences. Wrong decisions and flawed discernment at choice points have grave consequences that go far beyond my own life and destiny. Lord God, put in me a steel spine, fortitude, courage, selflessness, to always fulfill your directives completely to your purposes and Will.
Choice Points Contain Your Will
Heavenly Father Abba, it is clear that choice points in my life always contain an option that is your Will. It is my responsibility to seek out, discern and carry out THAT option, THAT choice, that is YOUR Will; not my will, not my spouse’s will or child’s will or friend’s will, not the world’s will. All choices have consequences. I commit to always seeking out and discerning YOUR Will in every circumstance, in every crossroads and choice point where there are options as to how to move forward, what to do, where, with whom, how and when.
Indeed, Romans 12:2 advises: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Choice Points Maintain Respect for YOU
Lord God, the fickle human heart and unsteady human mind blur discernment and compromise fidelity. But David demonstrated that having true love for You enables me to maintain respect for your anointed ones, in spite of disagreements and strife. Though he was hunted down by King Saul (Your anointed) for years, David maintained his respect for You by respecting King Saul.
In 1 Samuel 24:6, King David “said to his men, ‘The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.’” David spoke to King Saul in 1 Samuel 24:10, “This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the LORD’s anointed.’”
Lord God, I repent for all the times and ways I chose my own ego, my pridefulness and vanity, engaged in strife with someone who You chose to be in my life for certain purposes.
1 Samuel 26:9-11 teaches me that your anointed can go astray but it is up to You to bring judgment and justice upon them: “But David said to Abishai, ‘Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless? As surely as the LORD lives,’ he said, ‘the LORD himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let’s go.’”
From this story I understand that a choice point decision may require me to do nothing when I want to do something. That the right and righteous choice in the choice point may be to possess restraint and discipline, and allow YOU to enter in to dispense justice.
Humility Cultivates Discernment
Dear Father God, this discipline at choice points also calls for humility, so that I am not seeking my own vengeance, my own sense of justice; but submit to YOUR justice. I commit to cultivating deeper humility and ask for your help in doing so.
For Romans 12:16-19 exhorts me: “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’”
Trust in You Deepens Discernment
Dear Heavenly Father, time and again I must learn and remember that I cannot and should not trust in my own understanding, my own cleverness, my own worldview. This is a trap. The adversary can always find a way in through a sliver in my ego. My discernment comes from deepening my trust in You.
For Proverbs 3:5-8 instructs me: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be a healing for your flesh and a refreshment for your body.”
Proverbs 3:21-24 underscores this: “My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”
Choice Points are Tests
Dear Heavenly Father, I’ve learned the hard way that constantly there are tests in life and nothing is set in stone, even my salvation; until I draw my last breath.
2 Peter 3:17 warns me: “Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.” I commit to being “wise as a serpent, gentle as a dove”, to discern tests and make the right and righteous choices.
A Nation’s Discernment
Dear Heavenly Father, Proverbs 11:14 makes clear that a nation’s destiny rises or falls based on the discernment of its leaders: “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.”
Therefore Lord God, we pray for your servants in governance and those running for office, that You will give Your servants, therefore, an understanding mind to govern your people, that they may discern between good and evil, according to 1 Kings 3:9.
The Holy Spirit Brings Discernment
Dear Heavenly Father, the Spirit of Truth leads us into ALL truth. For truly John 16:13 instructs me: “But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own initiative, but He will speak whatever He hears [from the Father — the message regarding the Son], and He will disclose to you what is to come."
Come Holy Spirit, come, and fill me with the knowledge of God the Father’s Will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, according to Colossians 1:9.
Help me Lord God, to be wise as a serpent and innocent as a dove, according to Matthew 10:16. That I am strong in discerning truth and making the right choices at every choice point, yet maintaining a purity, goodness, gentleness, humility of heart in the process.
And finally, this is my prayer, from Philippians 1:9-11, that my love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help me to determine what is best, so that on the day of Christ I may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God. Amen!
Lord God, I ask You for the opportunity to right my wrongs, repair my mistakes and redeem my errors.
Thanks and Gratitude
✦ Thank you Heavenly Father for receiving my petitions to cultivate greater, better, keener discernment of your choice points in my life and to make only the right choices in all my future choice points.
✦ To You alone be all the glory in Heaven and Earth forever and ever! Amen!
Sealing Prayer: We Have the Mind of Christ
These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual. Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are discerned spiritually. Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else’s scrutiny. ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’
But we have the mind of Christ. Amen. 1 Corinthians 2:10-16
STRIKE FORCE OF PRAYER MISSION STATEMENT
We are an Army of God committed to restoring America to its God Covenant; and growing, learning and strengthening as a unified body of spiritual warriors.
OUR PRAYER FOCUS: The warriors specifically focus on our nation, America, in the following ways:
Preserve and protect our Freedoms as outlined in the Bill of Rights & the Constitution!
Stop the march of Communism and fascism.
Secure all of our borders and stop the invasion.
Restore election, voter and ballot integrity in all 50 states, all territories at the local, county, state and federal levels.
Remove all corrupt media operations, organizations, people and entities; and replace with true integrous journalism, news and media.
Remove all corrupt officeholders and bureaucrats and replace with all and only godly men and women.
New feature for the Bulletin!
Local Saratoga Springs, New York – Event Announcement…
Here are the details on our upcoming conference. Our local Mayor, with whom we meet in a weekly strategy meeting will also say a few words to encourage the audience to link up with like-minded local politicians, who think like we think and feel like we feel.
The Government Shall Rest On His Shoulders Conference
Our Liberty Christian Fellowship LCF motto is: We participate in Christ’s great Commission by making disciples who can apply the Bible to every aspect of life, including civics. Since the Bible shows that God doesn’t separate Himself from nations, but either blesses or judges them, let’s look to Him to use us in such a time as this. Let’s Take Positive Steps To Restore Our Beloved USA to the Christian nation God gave us. Attend the "Government Shall Rest On His Shoulders" Conference in Saratoga Springs, NY Saturday, Oct 5, 2024!
The Battle of Saratoga was the turning point in America's original Revolution.
On Oct 5, 2024 we again converge there to learn how God can use us to confront the enemies of our Republic on the spiritual and civic battle grounds of such a time as this! Instead of just reciting the problems, we can take Biblical action to stand in the gap!
Here’s the order the speakers will be presenting — as their presentations build a narrative for the Bible-based civic action to restore this nation.
Pastor Earl Wallace Emcee (The Biblical Basis of The Bill of Rights)
1. Denise Edwards — Strategic Prayer Network — Prayer To Heal Our Nation
2. Ron Edwards — The American Experience Radio Show (Detroit, MI) Alternatives To
False News Media
3. Ivan Raj — Overcoming Occult Practices That Create cultural Chaos & Destroy Nations
4. Alex Newman, Journalist for The New American “Save Our Children To Restore Our Nation”
5. Pastor Artur Pawlowski, Standing Trial In Canada For Standing On God’s Truth
6. Larry Mayo, Institute On The Constitution & The Values That Administer It!
7. Ron Bouchard, Common Law, Tactical Civics To Compel Constitutional Compliance
8. Joe Vitollo, Congressional Candidate, Beat Planned Parenthood Lawsuit Pro Se — Individuals Can Make A Difference
Video highlights of last year’s conference: Restore USA Conference 10/7/23 3/3
Additional information: This conference offers enlightening presentations and training sessions on “How America’s Founders Anchored the Government in Biblical Principles To:
Improve our understanding of the Bible as the living, relevant Word of God that speaks to us every day and applies to all aspects of life, including our rights and duties as citizens.
Equip us as disciples who can explain and apply how America’s founding documents employ the Bible’s natural, common law, “unalienable rights” referenced in The Declaration of Independence as “self-evident truths,” which are enumerated in the Ten Commandments!
Send us out proficient in ministering how our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ still receives repentant sinners, and we fulfill His Great Commission by making disciples who live the Bible in every circumstance of life, including our civic duties!
To register: Complete the secure online payment and via the registration link below:Registration form Contact LCF at: Phone: 518-545-7744 Email: office@libertycfchurch.org
From Liberty Christian Fellowship: Restore USA Conference 10/7/23