INTIMACY WITH GOD JOURNAL

Written by Linda Schreurs

JULY 2011

Mike and Linda Schreurs

CLOUDS IN MY COFFEE

   Have you ever had something happen to you that you just couldn’t explain?  Things do happen for a reason and it’s up to us to glean lessons from the Lord through those experiences.   Nothing is ever wasted in the Kingdom of God.  “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter,’ as we’re told in Proverbs 25:2.   So let us be wise enough to search out incidences in our lives that sometimes just don’t make sense.  We need to use our trials, as well as our blessings to glorify God.  Both of these things ought to birth humility in us.  How we operate in our lives determines whose control we’re under – God’s or His adversary.

   All this came to the forefront to me again, as I drove 100 miles north to visit my parents for Father’s Day.  We had a wonderful day together with other family members as well and I left with a full and happy heart, extremely grateful for the parents God gave me.  You ought to meet them, they are so much fun!

Strange Clouds 

   As I set out driving to my parent’s home that day almost immediately upon leaving the drive-way of our home, I began to encounter clouds…lots of them, many low lying to the ground.  Some we’re dark, foreboding and appeared to hold a ton of rain in them.  Iowa has seen record breaking rainfalls this year and flooding has been statewide.

   But the clouds that morning looked a bit unusual.  I wasn’t driving through fog, mist or rain…just these strange looking poofy, swirling odd looking clouds.  I couldn’t figure it out.  I didn’t know if these things were good or bad.  The more I drove, the stranger they became and I began to pray more than ever!   I didn’t know how or what to pray, but did feel in my spirit there was obviously something I needed to know about this strange experience.

   At one point I pulled off the road to get my ‘bearings.’  I tried to photograph those strange clouds, but it just didn’t take.  Hmm…?  This was all so unusual that I called back home to tell my husband.  I began to discern the clouds really looked more like billows of grey smoke! 

   The recent wildfires of Arizona having reached across the country even to the skies of Iowa, may have certainly been a part of those strange looking clouds.   However, I knew if I continued to ‘search out the matter,’ the Holy Spirit would bring much needed revelation ‘for a time such as this.’  And He did!  May I share them with you?

   Now, it seems the insights and revelations are flowing so fast I can’t write them all down, so I will share only key aspects.

   Most notably however, is that I sense a dichotomy going on here; it truly is a two-sided coin with good on one side, bad on the other.  Let’s look at the adverse things first.

   I suppose almost every generation has thought they were in the Last Days.   However, with all the earth groaning (Rom. 8:22) at record levels for tornadoes, tsunamis, earthquakes, fires, hail, rain, snow, floods, etc., not to mention many nations in rebellious uprisings and wars, and morality being lost en masse, is it any wonder that one would think we’re truly closing in on the End?  However, we must realize we’re actually always living in the LAST DAYS because none of us knows when OUR LAST DAY on earth will be!  We need to be alert and live each day to its fullest potential in Christ Jesus with a pure, simple and humble heart like that of a child. 

   Nevertheless Joel 2:30 may now be approaching, “And I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, blood, fire and columns of smoke.  The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.  And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered.”  Wouldn’t NOW be a good time to call on the Name of the Lord?!  As they say, ‘timing is everything,’ and there’s no time to lose.   Get right with Jesus NOW and begin walking in holiness, purity and righteousness before the Eternal Judge comes with His rewards and His edicts!  

   With all these thoughts swirling around in my mind that day, I thought of an old 1970’s song by Carly Simon called, “You’re So Vain.”  Many residents of earth are filled with pride refusing to bow to the Savior of their souls.   Pride always comes before a fall.  This seems more prevalent than ever as we see politicians, pastors and many others ‘falling from grace.’  (Prv. 11:2; 16:18; 29:23)  Here are some lyrics to that old song:

You walked into the party

Like you were walking onto a yacht

Your hat strategically dipped below one eye

Your scarf it was apricot

You had one eye in the mirror

As you watched yourself gavotte

And all the girls dreamed that they’d be your partner

They’d be your partner, and

You’re so vain

You probably think this song is about you

You’re so vain

I’ll bet you think this song is about you

Don’t you?  Don’t you?

…

Well, you said we made such a pretty pair

And that you would never leave

But you gave away the things you loved

And one of them was me

I had some dreams they were clouds in my coffee

Clouds in my coffee…

   As this song indicates, some think the world revolves around one person – ME!  It’s all about ME!   We all need to check the ‘clouds in our coffee’ that need to be dealt with.  Let’s not be self-serving any longer.  The Holy Spirit is looking for hearts who will say, “It’s all about HIM!  It’s all about the Lord of lords, and King of all kings!  It’s all about Jesus!  He’s coming again!”    

   Our Savior is looking for those who will bow before Him asking for help to clean up their lives and live righteously so they can spend eternity with the true lover of their souls. “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”  (2 Chron. 16:9a)  So where is your focus these days?  Is it on yourself or can you say with all your heart that your gaze is truly fixed 100% on the One who died for you at Calvary’s Cross?   Now is the time to decide.   Choose this day whom you will serve - yourself or HIM?  (Joshua 24:15)

-          Luke 12:54 states how we can tell the weather by looking at the clouds, but we’d better learn to discern the times.  We don’t need clouds in our coffee.  We need clear vision!

-          Psalm 74.  Psalm 37:20.  2 Chron. 29:10, 30:8.  Church!  God’s anger will SMOKE against the sheep of His pasture!   Beware of all your compromises, lukewarmness, lifeless rituals and traditions, political correctness rather than Biblical correctness – it’s not godly!  In fact, in these passages of scripture it shows how one may actually be sowing condemnation to oneself by ‘setting their own standards.’  Beware of smokescreens because nothing is hidden from God, He will not be mocked. (Gal. 6:7)

-          1 Kings 18, especially verse 38 about the fire, and verse 44 regarding the cloud.  This is like a two-sided coin.  One side was bad – fire that destroyed the false prophets of Baal and the other, the lush rain ending drought.  Which do we choose?   Both are on the horizon right now.  Talk about holy smoke!  Distinction is coming in this hour for those who serve Jehovah God and those who do not.  Keep in mind Leviticus 9 and 10 where the righteous fires of God brought holiness, and the strange fire offered by two of Aaron’s sons brought death.  (Matt. 13; Ezek. 34)  Which fire is in your camp?

-          Remember the Ten Commandments were delivered through thick clouds, fire, thunder, lightning, trumpet blasts and smoke.  (Ex. 19; Deut. 4:11)   We are about to be TESTED to see whether or not we are keeping covenant with God.  Be ready.  Get set.  Go!  

-          Psalm 97:3, “Fire goes before Him, and burns up His adversaries round about.”  Obey God’s laws and you won’t get hurt!  It’s as simple as that.

-          Exodus 24.  The seventy elders of Israel saw the glory cloud of the Lord along with Moses.  What a privilege!  This is still available today.  God’s in the same business as He was back then and as I wrote last month, ‘He wants to show off’!  He loves to display His glory.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  Many do not see this cloud because of obstacles in their lives through unrighteous living that comes by way of compromise, lukewarmness and lack of on-fire commitment to Him. 

-          Psalm 36:5, “Thy lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Thy faithfulness reaches to the skies.”  Psalm 57:10-11. “For Thy lovingkindness is great to the heavens, and Thy truth to the clouds.  Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Thy glory be above all the earth.”  Awesome!   If you’re looking for faithfulness in your life, turn to God.  He’s the only one who has it fully and forever!  Isn’t that comforting?  Truly it is.

-          Song of Songs 3:6, “What is this coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all scented powders of the merchant?”  Of course this refers to King Solomon in all his glory, which was a prototype of our mighty King of glory, Jesus!  Have you been in a wilderness?  Do you realize the Lord wants you to turn to Him so He can bring you up from it?   Isn’t it time to enter the clouds of God’s glory where the sweet fragrance of His Presence will catapult you into His realm of heavenly riches?  Nothing of this world compares to it.  In that cloud, there is a refreshing holy mist that revives your soul.   Who wouldn’t want that?!

-          2 Chron. 5:13; 7:1-3.  Many are familiar with these verses where God’s glory filled the tabernacle with a cloud, so much so, that no one could stand.   Our hearts are His tabernacles and I believe the Lord is searching for those who will fall on their faces and cry, “Holy. Holy.  Holy.”  A bended knee and heart brings in God’s glory more than anything else.  Let’s humble ourselves and pray.

-          Zech. 10:1 relates how the Lord brings the spring rains through the storm clouds and waters the vegetation that brings forth harvest/provision.  It’s interesting how the Lord gave me this ‘cloud’ experience the day before Father’s Day in the springtime, just days before the official start of summer.  Our Papa Abba is in the business of taking care of His children, physically and spiritually.  Pray for His glory clouds to fall upon you!

-          Isaiah 4:4-5.  Verse 4 speaks of the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning.  Yikes!  Learn to discern unholy fire and holy fire.   Again, be on alert for smoke screens.  Verse 5 is powerful as it prophesies about the cloud by day, and the smoke and brightness of a flaming fire that will be like a canopy of glory over Mt. Zion and her assemblies.  That hour is very near!

   Perhaps you could use these points as discussions for your Bible Study group.  Then have a time of prayer over these things.  The Lord didn’t show me those odd, smokey clouds that day for nothing.  It was so that we could learn something quite vital for survival.  Which kind of cloud are you in?  The Lord will return at some given moment and we must always be ready.      

END WELL

   Choose your destiny now.  Live worthy of your calling.  END WELL!   Even though Jehoshaphat started out being a good guy, serving God and doing many good things, he ended up ‘doing evil in the sight of God.’  (2 Chron. 20:35).  Let us END WELL as did Jehoiada, the priest, in 2 Chronicles 24:15-16.  He lived to be 130 years old and even though he was not a king they buried him ‘among the kings,’ because he had done well in Israel, to God and His house.’ There you go!  What a way to end.  Leave a good legacy!

   It doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what you’ve done, what garbage may have been in your past, if you’ve truly repented, live for the Lord unabashedly in your every day life - you’re saved and going to heaven!  Many people start out good in their Christian life, but end badly because they allow self-reliance, defeat, depression, impurity, compromise and a host of other things from the enemy to drag them down.  Stand up for Jesus, and look yonder at those lovely clouds in the sky.  They’re about to change!

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Go to www.intimacy-with-God.com and click ‘Iowa Map’!

Spiritual CPR Meetings

Christ Performing Resuscitation - Revival!

(Copy the announcement below and send to your own e-lists so everyone can know!)

FULFILLMENT OF GOD’S PROPHETIC PROMISES IS NOW!

Therefore we are calling churches, prayer groups, ministries, intercessors – all those concerned about the fulfillment of God’s purposes and plans in your area of Iowa to gather for a one night spiritual CPR meeting!  Attend all the meetings if you can.  The Lord is about to fulfill some amazing things that Iowa has never seen before!  Go to our website at www.intimacy-with-God.com to see the schedule.  Click onto the current ‘Journal’ for more information. Then click the ‘Iowa Map Tab’ to register to be an intercessor for your county.  Please pass this information on to your own lists!  See you soon!

Come to all of them if you can!

1)  NW Quadrant of Iowa was held on April 29^th.   

2)  NE Quadrant of Iowa was held on May 20^th. 

3)  Sept. 24^th.  PLEASE NOTE THE DATE CHANGE from Friday to Saturday! – Counties

      from the SE Quadrant will meet at Trinity Friend's Church, Richland, Ia. 

      Host: Rev. Tim Hadley.   Speaker Randy Bixby from KHOP, Des Moines.

4)  Oct. 14 - Counties from the SW Quadrant will meet at HHOP in Council Bluffs, Ia.

     Hosts: Jim and Teri Kohl,

     Resuscitation) Revival Meetings!  This last one will be held at the Foxboro Conference

     Center on 86th St. in Johnston, Iowa.

     * More details will be forthcoming upon each upcoming meeting.           

Quad State Tour:  For more information see the current issue of IWG Journal at:  www.intimacy-with-God.com

Women’s Fall Hermitage:  Oct. 6-9^th.  This is an anointed time alone with God in your own private, one-room cabin in the woods.  Please begin to make plans now to join us on this holy adventure into solitude and silence by contacting us today to reserve your place.   It’s life changing! 

LINDA’S BOOKS should be a part of everyone’s library as they are highly anointed for the hour in which we live:  

 is more pertinent than ever as the fight for true covenantal intimacy of marriage will be the fight at the End of the Age!   Endorsed by Lou Engle, the late Jill Austin and others, it speaks of the moral issues of our day that are playing havoc in many societies globally.  Who is the true Bride of Christ?  Will she stand up for truth at all costs?  ($14, plus shipping & handling).  Order from web site or address below. 

  Words Aptly Spoken was the precursor for the Quad State Meetings currently being held in Iowa.  This key Midwestern state has a divine destiny that the Lord desires to fulfill!  Endorsed by Francis Frangipane, Randy Bixby and others, it is about IWG Ministry’s prophetic prayer journey to Iowa’s county courthouses declaring righteousness and truth to come into these places of governmental decisions on various issues.  All the states of America ought to do this very thing for the area in which they live.  May our prayers shake America for revival!  ($20, plus $4 shipping & handling)  Order from web site or address below.