The Stickman's Understanding...

  Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? -John 4:29 God bless you and….TGIF. Ever felt as if your seeding is in vain? I feel you; but think on the story of the Samaritan woman. This woman had her initial contact with Jesus in John chapter 4 but did not have any other outside Christian influence until Acts 8.  The Lord Himself began the process and left, I think purposely work to be done by future generations.  His leaving work undone served two purposes. The first, being the Holy Spirit had not returned fully to the earth so the in dwelling/in filling wasn’t possible and the second, a lesson; one plants, one seeds, but only the Lord gives increase.  So quite some time had passed between the books and chapters before the seed planted by Jesus had mature fruit, but yet the fire continued to burn until increase arrived.  Be encouraged and do not be negligent in planting seeds. In due season… Go fellowship somewhere this w...

  Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. -Matthew 9:29 Good morning all. Jesus in His healing ministry often emphasized repentance and faith as keys to being made whole.  Being made whole is more encompassing than just sickness, injury, demonic torture, etc. The very essence of being made whole is to be in receipt of the promises of God.  He promised both health and wealth.    Our faith works towards those ends or lack of, delays or destroys our hope.   Whatever that promise is, it will be unto you by your faithfulness.    Hold fast so it will be unto you.  Your comments and questions are welcome. Contact me at drschaefferinterceding@yahoo.com You can give to Interceding Christian Center (ICC) using our cash app $intercedingcc  God bless you and command your day!!!

  And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts. -Matthew 8:34 God is good and happy hump day. While reading the Bible this morning I found myself in the story of the demons asking to be allowed possession of a herd of hogs. The Lord was casting them out and not wanting to be without a physical body they made a request.  The request proved to be futile as the herd committed sooweecide (lol).    Though I know this story well, what always strikes me as strange is the town asking Jesus to leave.  A little background; the people of the city of Gergesenes originated from the Greek isles. They had settled east of the Sea of Galilee and still kept all their pagan practices of idol worship. Though some adopted Judaism they only did somewhat incorporating pagan beliefs.  Their pagan ways are similar to Christians today who still dabble with Ouija boards or horoscopes. Accepting C...

  All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth. -Psalms 138:4 God bless you and welcome to Thankful Tuesday! Ever felt that your words have no influence? There is the story of a man who was walking in the park praying and pouring out his heart to the Lord.  He had become discouraged because everyone he encountered    rejected the gospel. Family, friends, acquaintances, and total strangers dismissed his presentation of Christ as the hope of the world.  The final straw had been that day when a homeless man whom he had fed often said there was no need to share anything but food or money.  As he strolled through the park he heard a muffled sigh or was it a cry, he thought. That evening he had went to a baseball game where his favorite player was being highlighted. He had so admired the athlete as celebrities lauded on him were great accolades.  His thoughts were shaken when he heard the muffled cry again....

  I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. -Psalms 139:14 God bless you, good morning and Happy Monday. My granddaughter came to me recently asking what could she do when a bug is in her eye.  Thinking rather theologically and not naturally practical, I took it as an opportunity to teach her about the Lord’s crowning achievement, humanity.  I asked her “what happens when a bug flies in your eye?” Of course hoping she would draw on previous experiences because surely this was not her first bug incident, she said with an indignant look, “it hurts”.  Knowing I’d better quit while I explained how the eye waters to wash out foreign things. That begs the question how often do we take the fearfully and wonderfully made body that God has given us for granted? Guilty is my plea as is the plea of many. The workings of this marvel has barely been understood, yet we scoff at it.  When we take...

  While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. -Genesis 8:22 God bless you, good morning and bless you. I am so encouraged by the scripture above. In a world where a major topic is climate change, we    have to go back to the basics of what God has said about the world.  In it the Lord addressed not only the truth that seed in time becomes harvest, but also the weather changes, seasons may be strange but seasons will come.  Further no matter how many day light saving times we have will still have day and night.  It is our seed, our faith that is planted and faith planted consistently in time has been commanded to become harvest.  Your comments and questions are welcome. Contact me at drschaefferinterceding@yahoo.com You can give to Interceding Christian Center (ICC) using our cash app $intercedingcc  God bless you and command your day!!!

  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. -Romans 8:18 God bless you and good morning. The scripture above really speaks to those who suffer, present day suffering for the cause of Christ is not without purpose.  Often times it seems staying in the fire is futile. But rest assured beloved that a purpose is waiting to meet you.  How many times have we asked of God, why so much pain? And why is that pain concentrated on me?  One day you will meet the WHY!!! As the ant carried the load of the heavy contact lens, it wondered why, but above him was a frantic woman who needed her lens to see. She stepped over a procession of worker ants dutifully moving bounty towards their hill. She cried Lord why?  As she sat devastated, a glimmer of light caught her eye. The glimmer came from the ground and was in the procession. The ant said why, not knowing why, she was it’s WHY and WHY lumb...

  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. -Galatians 6:9 God bless you on this beautiful day. Hey it’s Wednesday. Wednesday is notorious as a day many give up on what they have been working towards.  Goals such as work projects, higher education aspiration and more can count Wednesday as their day of demise.  Well intentioned people throw in the towel from the good work they have been working towards due to weariness.  The scripture above is such an encouragement to us edging us on. The thought that comes to my mind is anything worth having will cost, ask the Father what it cost Him for our salvation.  That said let’s keep striving and in due season you shall reap!  Your comments and questions are welcome. Contact me at drschaefferinterceding@yahoo.com You can give to Interceding Christian Center (ICC) using our cash app $intercedingcc  God bless you and command your day!!!

  Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. -Joshua 1:7 God bless you and welcome to a new day. One of my favorite characters is Joshua and in one of my favorite books is the scripture above, and of course it’s a favorite.  In the verse above the Lord God expresses to Joshua and by proxy us to be strong and of good courage. Ever thought that being strong and of good courage are one in the same? Actually there is a reason that the Lord spoke the two part phrase to Joshua. There are plenty of strong people who aren’t courageous. They are able to endure things but will not act on their convictions.  In the story Joshua was informed that Moses was dead. In life the Lord will tell you things you may not want to hear. Then the Lord encouraged him to be strong.  It took strength t...

  It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. -Lamentations 3:22 God bless you, good morning and happy Monday.    The scripture above is a most needed spoon full of sugar for today. His all encompassing mercy as enumerated by the prophet Jeremiah reveals His great love for us everyday and without exception Monday.  Monday has been identified as the most stressful day of the week. Perhaps because it carries the burden of early Friday departures and Saturday/ Sunday work stoppages.    Statistically more health crises occur on Monday. Heart attacks, strokes, aneurisms and other stress related ailments are likely to surface on Mondays.   Hence another reason we should be thankful His mercies are not limited by the day of the week that we need it. His mercy is new every morning to    include Mondays.  Your comments and questions are welcome. Contact me at drschaefferinterceding@yahoo.com You ca...

  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) -Hebrews 10:23 Good morning, God bless you and of course TGIF. I remember once a bluebird nest that was perched in a lower flowerbed holder.  Which in itself would not have been a problem, but the bed was right next to the main entrance/exit of the house, so it had to be relocated.  Before I could carefully move the nest, one of my granddaughters reached inside the nest and grabbed an egg and in her mind, the safest thing to do was to squeeze it tight to protect it.  What you just assumed happened did, and she was both grossed out and remorseful.  At that point I had to explain the difference between lego blocks and eggs and made a case of the similar features of the eggs in the fridge and the bluebird eggs.  I think she stopped eating eggs for a little while as she sorted through that part of the circle of life.  Simply put you can’t hold onto what is ...

  The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. -Psalms 19:7 God bless you beloved. Oh what joy it is to know the Lord. One may ask how is the joy of the Saint fulfilled, it is found in following the law of the Lord.  The most important law is without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. Meaning without Perfect blood being shed by the Perfect lamb following the Perfect law, all would be lost.  With certainty we can follow and rest assured that the truth of God will always be affirmed. That affirmation is tangible, not just ovations towards, but action.  Actions such as healing, strength, and wisdom which is shown in the scripture above. The beginning of which is fear of (reverence, appreciation, honoring, worshipping) the Lord.  The psalmist wrote wisely of wisdom and it would do the body of Christ well to be wise in these last days, not drunk with emotions, taken by fear, but wise...

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. -Ephesians 4:32 God bless you and happy hump day. The scripture above is so appropriate when talking about the reciprocal nature of forgiveness.  There are some who are afraid of self forgiveness, though self forgiveness is next in line to God’s forgiveness.  I often consider the Peanuts character Linus and his…blanket. When challenged for his blanket, he would shape it as a whip or club to beat back those who would dare find contempt with his security.   Winter, summer, rain, shine because his sense of well being is in the possession of the blanket. Even washing the blanket is met with resistance, and though it may carry…germs, that are life threatening  Linus still refuses to let go.  Perhaps it is the fear of losing self if the warmth of the blanket is no longer felt? Some take their past hurt and use it to insulate themselves from…presen...

  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. -Matthew 6:12 Good morning and Happy Tuesday. On this past Sunday I found some notes I’d read some time ago about forgiveness and self acceptance. On yesterday I shared a note on self acceptance and the importance of self realization, and I touched on forgiveness. Let’s continue with forgiveness.  The importance of forgiveness. Living life in a perpetual state of un-forgiveness is emotionally draining. It draws on even the strongest requiring a lot of energy. Anger, self rejection, uncertainty of worth, ability and future successes are suspended as unnecessary self evaluations are repeatedly performed.   You feel vulnerable, consumed with anger and not realizing the source of pain and sadness is the inability to forgive. The draw on limited resources aren’t worth the return. Putting that same energy to use feeds creativity, helping you value self and others. Feed your creativity while starving your negativity....

  Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour AS THYSELF: I am the LORD. -Leviticus 19:18 Good morning,    God Bless you and happy Monday. The instructions found above destroys the thought that we were allowed vengeance in the Old Testament.  There were God’s main laws, the Ten Commandments, then laws on diets and morality. These laws though required a legal system to punish offenders and not allow personal vengeance.  As the scripture continues it addresses self worth and treatment of others. Yes we are told to love ourselves and to treat others how we would want to be treated.  One school of thought in some Christian circles is the false doctrine that promotes self hate. No we may not be considered the strongest, the tallest, the smartest, but being fearfully and wonderfully made speaks of the uniqueness God has given each of us.   We are called to love ourselves and to learn t...

  Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. -Matthew 16:6 God bless you and…TGIF!!! In the 70s’ I remember a song called backstabbers. The song addressed phony people. Let’s face it we have all been around and been the victim of fair weather friends.  You know the ones who come close enough in the sun to steal your umbrella, knowing a storm is coming. They spend most of their time gaslighting.  Jesus warned us of the type…He called out the Pharisees and the Sadducees in essence saying they were full of gas, puffed up, only seeking what would directly benefit themselves with no concern for others.  I would venture to say we all have some of those folks in our circle, in the spear of our influence and that influence can be ours over them or theirs over us.  Too much leaven will destroy the loaf as will unchecked access to you by your Pharisees and Sadducees will destroy self esteem and faith in God. Mind t...

  The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. -Psalms 16:6 Good morning and bless you. One of the most famous scriptures known to prayer warriors is found in 1 Chronicles 4:10.  In it Jabez makes a bold request to the Lord asking for great possessions and that his territory be enlarged.  In an answering scripture, the writer of this Psalms testifies that indeed his boundaries have been enlarged and further it has not hurt them as the enlargement fell upon pleasant places.  Beloved the Lords blessing has the characteristics of being attached to your righteousness and associated with hard work. Therefore your desire to be blessed is intricately tied into your desire to honor God. If you honor Him, the lines will fall pleasantly for you.  Your comments and questions are welcome. Contact me at drschaefferinterceding@yahoo.com You can give to Interceding Christian Center (ICC) using our cash app $intercedingcc  God bless you a...

  O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. -Psalms 31:23 Good morning and happy hump day!  The psalmist description here calls us to love the Lord, and some love the Lord only because He is faithful.  Faithful in a sense that if He said He would do it, faithfully He will. The question that comes to mind is can we love the Lord    and it not be based only on His power?  I once saw a cartoon that had slugs and snails bowing before a giant salt shaker. The caption beneath them said “they served their god out of fear.” Feigned love is one based on fear and is similar to a circle of fair weather friends. In the case of the Lord His awesomeness is a reason to love Him, the fear if it keeps you focused is fine.   But our love of Him in the purest form should be: even if He doesn’t do what I think is right or if He doesn’t do anything else, He has already done more than enough....

  Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. -Habakkuk 2:4 Good morning, God bless you and welcome to Tuesday. Another day in which He has kept you. The prophet Habakkuk gives us some much needed advice. Admonishing the downward trajectory of those who are vain and then following up by saying contrary to how vain people live, their portion in life, the just trust God and through that trust they live by faith.  So asking you a question this morning, do you consider yourself a baller, shot caller or do you live by faith?  In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul was correcting false teaching that had crept into the place of doctrine. Jewish converts were teaching that the gentile Christians had to follow all the requirements as placed on them by the Mosaic law.  Living by the law was the burdensome yet necessary way God prescribed for the chosen people. As taught yesterday, the Jews were a bed of preparation for t...

  6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)                                               -2 Corinthians 5:5-6 Good morning, happy Monday and God bless you. Happy after Independence Day!  The scripture above is very familiar to us but unknown to most we all walk by faith in the natural but not as much as we should in the spirit.  Ever consider the size of your feet as compared to your height. Engineering thought would have our feet at least half our height in order for the ability to be mobile is granted.  But every wobbly child that has ever walked challenges that assumption and makes a mockery of such arrogance. Yet when we do walk naturally, the fearfully and wonderfully made body in order to keep us upright and steady does some amazing ...

  My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. -Psalms 121:2 God bless you, Good morning and TGIF!!! How is your faith? No really, how is your faith? Do you know, where your help comes from?  In the scripture above David expresses that he knows the source. In the previous scripture we are encouraged to look up, not down, under, around,left or right, but upward.   We must stop looking inward unless we are looking for the infilled power of Holy Spirit, don’t look to your friends, sibs, spouse, nor parents though they may be willing and can help with somethings, there will be many God sized helps we need in life.  A companion scripture found in 2 King indicates that the help of the Lord comes from on high. “and he saw: and, behold, the MOUNTAIN  was  full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” The help of the Lord comes from on high. David went further in the scripture to brag on just who his Help was. The source of blessings is...

  Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. -John 7:24 God bless you and good morning.    Ok here is a touchy subject. When all the world defense of sin is “you can’t judge me, only God can”, I stand to say why else would we have judges unless there is a reason that the model of heaven is being emulated. Up front the truth isn’t judgment, an apple is an apple and being called one should not offend it. The Lord Jesus never said not to judge; he said that the area we judge, we better measure up. Judging has morphed from a means of correcting wrong to a opportunity to make spectacle of, a time of ridicule, showmanship, and hateful dispositions on display.  Hence Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown and Judge “Jerry Springer” have become popular shows, because of the showmanship and the depraved heart entertained and loving others misery.  To further proof Jesus didn’t forbid judging    the scripture above directs judgment be not shallow,...