The Stickman's Understanding...

  And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. -Isaiah 65:24 Good morning and TGIF. When God seems silent is when He is working most. A Boldly profound statement during a time period which I believe many “people of faith” are falling away.  Many who do not know how to stand still also do not know how to hold their tongue. And it is when that reality of an unruly tongue is recognized is when the thing which they had needed has already been done. God has already made a way while you spoke in despair, He has acted on your desire.  I for one do not believe God is ever quiet. He may not be talking to you, but He is speaking to someone, Amos 3:7 says God does nothing without revealing His plan to someone. So it is never a matter of whether He is talking, the question is now are you listening? Beloved please trust that God who knows your thoughts before they are even verbalized. He understands them so well that He...

  Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. -Proverbs 22:6 Good morning and terrific Thursday to you.  The importance of raising children in the church can not be stress enough, but just raising them in the church but not living by those principles yourself is detrimental to their developing a relationship with the Lord.  Growing up I recall many parents sent their children without attending themselves and by God’s grace many of the children grew in the Lord. Yet it is those whose life wasn’t transformed that grieves the Lord. Many reasons a transformation didn’t occur can be assessed.  But I believe the most prevalent reason is their observation of the inner life of the parent.  Do as I say not as I do or I am grown being told to a child is not sufficient.    Children imitate what is emulated and the strongest witness for Christ to a child is a parent/s that serve the Lord.  That service extending b...

  Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. -Psalms 46:10 Good morning and Happy Hump Day. There comes a time to stand still. The scripture above denotes the need to have faith in God at all times.  There are times that we seek to step out on self while stepping off of the faithful perch we should have in the Lord. The still here is not a call to stop work, but a call to believe while working because we all know “Faith without works is dead.” The “still” here also means to subdue fear, hand over what you can’t handle to the Lord. I once heard a person say I am standing still, while still standing.  Beloved standing still is to stand firm and not be moved by the winds of change that constantly seek to move us.  Standing still allows us to really look and discern the times with accuracy and standing still allows the Lord His prescribed time to bring to surrender, submission, or subdue that He ordains.  G...

  For who hath despised the day of small things?  for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth. -Zechariah 4:10 Good morning and tremendous Tuesday to you. The scripture above has taken on a new meaning to me.  I’d known it pre-Covid and throughout its aftermath, but as life continues I am finding small things are often the only thing you have left. But in the faith of our Lord a small seed has more potential than one would know.  Beloved be encouraged as the scripture above asks the question and reminds us that out of small packages come big gifts.  It further implies that if we hold on, we will see “the plummet” in the hands of a skilled craftsman.  *plumb used for accurate measurement.  Finally never hate how far God has trimmed back the bushes for the trimming promotes growth.  God bless you and command your day!!! Your ...

  O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! -Psalms 8:9 Good morning and Happy Monday. The beauty of chapter 8 of Psalms can not be denied. Let’s look deeper.  The poetic flow, the glorious references, and the comparisons are beyond our ability to imagine or even comprehend somewhat due to being tethered to our limited body.  David points out how the young (babes) express faith more readily than those aged. Then the emphasis of God’s glory by saying the name alone is great, how much more is the personage when the Shekinah comes and rest.  Take note that this final verse repeats verse one. Indicating the importance as well as majesty of God, while in between is His creation and the word that He gave stewardship over to mankind.  Beloved when God becomes excellent in your thought and your action, the outcome is simply going to be excellent. God bless you and command your day!!! Your comments and questions are welcome. Contact me at drschaefferin...

  After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. -1 Corinthians 15:7 Good morning and TGIF.    Let’s look at another appearance of the Lord. If you read the scripture above, the appearance of Christ to His brother James was actually before He appeared to Thomas. “Of the twelve in verse five literally means those remaining with the exception of Judas and Thomas.  Fitting as the hardest people to convince is typically those closes to you. The Lord’s appearance was enough to change the trajectory of the life of James. From being a skeptic to a firebrand and even Pastor of the church of Jerusalem.  It seems that skepticism is not just an ailment we suffer with today as in the day of Christ many skeptics were amongst the “faithful”.  Be encouraged as the great falling away happens, it is needed to fulfill prophecy and to separate the wheat from the chaff.      Go fellowship this Sunday, we all need it.  God bless you and command ...

  And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. -John 20:28 Good morning and terrific Thursday to you. As the Lord continued to show He had risen, the disciple Thomas had yet to see the pudding and its fabled proof.  To rectify this the Lord came to him while in the presence of the other disciples and allowed Him “proof of identity and proof of life being proof of victory over death”. It was at this event that a convinced Thomas uttered the words of what I call the great submission. We should all have a great submission. A time where the gloves Come off and the instruments of rebellion are cast aside.  The phrase “My Lord and my God” is Thomas’ great submission and a direct correlation with having Jesus as your Lord and Savior. He is Lord of all as one day every knee…but to those whom He directs enter into the joy of the Lord He is also savior.  Beloved yes Jesus is Lord of all this having the authority given by the father, but is He also your savior, no...

  And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? -Luke 24:32 Good morning and happy hump day. Let’s look at another event on the path to the ascension of Christ.    The event the story above comes from is about two men who were believers as they walked talking about Jesus, the Lord appears to them as just a stranger asking questions.  After He asked them to what they were referring their mouths opened to relay an abbreviated story of Christ. Ending it with a skeptical opinion about the resurrection.  To this the Lord began speaking and though He taught the deeper revelation of His glory they still did not recognize Him.  Then they asked that He sit and take meal with them and it wasn’t until He prayed and distributed bread that they recognized Him.  We often miss the ministration of the Lord until we receive fully that which we prayed for. Beloved know that a...

  Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. -John 20:29 God bless you and tremendous Tuesday to you. As I write this the radio is playing a song whose bridge says “I see you in everything”.  The phrase speaks to what is known as “Emanuelism” or the premise that God is shown in everything.    His power, attribute, authority, and all that is govern by His laws, surely appears.  Unlike brother Thomas who believed only after he touched the Lord with his hands and eyes did he believe.  Despite having 10 trusted associates (Apostles), Mary and Martha, and perhaps 100s more express that they had encountered the Lord, he didn’t believe.  But out of his refusal came a blessing to us all. The Lord is saying that blind belief has its benefits placed in Him.  Beloved we believe in so much sight unseen, so how about believing in Him whose evidence is all around us....

  15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. 16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. -John 20 Good morning and Happy Monday! He lives indeed! On yesterday we celebrated the resurrection of Christ, some began their celebratory hiatus from work on Friday.  The method of celebrations differ vastly among people, many enjoy egg hunts, some party the day through while others celebrate in other ways.  Either way their time is spent in a respite or rest from work. Now compare your celebration immediately following Resurrection Sunday to the way Christ celebrated.  For 40 days the Lord worked showing up to the disciples to include once presenting himself to over 500 witnesses. All this before ascending to the throne room.  P...

  Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. -Matthew 28:10 Good morning and TGIF. Happy Good Friday to you. Beloved the first sighting of the risen savior occurred when the women went to funeralize Him.  But to their unwittingly profound surprise the body didn’t show up or wait for the flowers, resolutions or eulogy, instead Jesus showed up eulogizing death.  Because He lives it proved death ultimately didn’t have the victory over Him nor over us.  His rising gives us the great hope of getting up with and in Him.  Rejoice telling death it’s sting have been removed and victory belongs to Jesus.  Go fellowship and stop being CME, Christmas, Mothers Day and Easter members.  God bless you and command your day!!! 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...

  For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. -Matthew 23:39 Good morning and terrific Thursday. Beloved while studying the path of our Lord from the triumphant entry to the cross, this scripture caught my attention.  It is in a odd place but it correlates to Philippians 2:9-11  (at the name of Jesus every knee…) It is not by chance that this scripture is placed where it is and spoken to who it is spoken. The Lord was in the last hours before the cross but spent it speaking to the leaders of the temple.  After rejection from the leaders the Lord spoke telling them one day they will be compelled by the truth to bow, yes they as we all will have to confess the Lordship of Christ.  Through this scripture the Lord is speaking to all skeptics, heretics, and procrastinators,      saying do not deny my Lordship for too long… God bless you and command your day!!! Your comments a...

  And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. -Matthew 26:15 Good morning and happy hump day. As we walk the path of passion week by this time Judas has surrendered to his greed and betrayed the Lord especially after the events of the prior day.  In that day Jesus had spoke of the hypocritical character of the Scribes and the Pharisees, which would not be anything new as the people often spoke about them but in hushed tones and never so boldly.  As Judas would have reflected on, the cardinal sin was when the Lord had driven the merchants out of their filthy lucre. This act had allied the wealthy with the religious leaders.  So in the mind of any traitor, the time had come to cash in, cut losses and jump ship so Judas had given up so much for so little.  Beloved what seemed to have so little value, a working class Jewish carpenter as compared to access to the wealth of the Hi...

  And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. -Matthew 21:19 Good morning and tremendous Tuesday to you. After Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem the disciples spent the night in Bethany perhaps returning the borrowed donkey.  The next    morning on the return trip to Jerusalem, the Lord spotted a fig tree which He approached expecting it to have produced fruit, a reasonable expectation given it was the figs season.  But instead of doing what it and only it was designed to do, the tree lay dormant and bare. And finding the tree without being tantamount to oil-less virgins, the potter placed the marred vessel back on the wheel.   Leaving Jerusalem that evening Peter marveled that the very tree had dried up. Beloved when you work against your purpose, your effort may result in leaves but no...

And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. -Matthew 21:9 God bless you and happy Monday! We are in the midst of passion week and I am humbled yet again by the sacrifice of Christ.  Christ knew that He would be on the cross within a few days, placed there by those who stood before Him now screaming hosanna, yet He humbly submitted Himself to the plan of God.  It is so easy to become a part of the problem if our relationship isn’t primarily with Christ. The High Priest and Pharisees wielded a significant amount of control over the people.  Like the girl divining through familiar spirits, they tried to give the appearance of praise, it seems that as they couldn’t outshout those around them, they grew jealous and tried to shut them up. This is an obvious thing the enemy does, if he can’t outshout you he attempts to shut you down.  As the cro...

  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. -Colossians 3:2 Good morning and TGIF. In many places during the earthly ministry of Christ the same sentiment as the scripture above was expressed. The Lord during the sermon on the mount in Matthew 6 went further saying where the heart is, is where your treasure resides.  Thus Paul was reflecting on what Jesus taught and as a matter of truth, Paul repeated the same thought in verse 1 as well, and when things are reiterated in a consecutive manner in Hebrew condition their importance is magnified to the utmost.  Beloved when our priorities are misaligned, it isn’t too far a throw till our loyalties are as well. Take some time today to examine where you stand and where your affections lay.  Go fellowship this Sunday we all need it.   God bless you and command your day!!! Your comments and questions are welcome. Contact me at drschaefferinterceding@yahoo.com You can give to Interceding Christi...

  And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? -Acts 16:30 Good     morning and Terrific Thursday to you. The scripture above comes from the story of Paul and Silas being in jail. While singing and praising God their chains were broken and the door to the jail cell opened.   But take note that though the opportunity to escape existed, Paul, Silas nor any prisoner sought to escape but rather remained there.  The atmosphere was so charged that no one considered they were imprisoned. When you bask in God’s presence you literally can forget where you are, the burdens and troubles lose their place of dominance in your life.  While there Paul heard    the jailer seeking to take his own life fearing an escape. Paul then called out to him who came in and counting found all the prisoners there but not bound by physical walls, gates or chains, but by The Presence.  Beloved let me note that the man then asked for that thing which ha...

  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. -Matthew 25:5 God bless you and happy hump day. Are you sleep? If sleep was a sickness many would be really ill as in an all out effort to “go along just to get along” grips the body of Christ.  As a younger Christian I’d often wonder why the phrase sleep was used in such a derogatory way, after all who doesn’t like sleep? But there are two states of sleep, the natural and the spiritual.  Look at the description below of natural sleep.  “a condition of body and mind that typically recurs for several hours every night, in which the nervous system is relatively inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended.” Sounds and is awesome for the natural but even too much natural sleep is harmful.  But imagine if the same description is applied to spiritual.  When wrong is allowed to run amuck calling wrong right and right archaic, irrelevant and inconseque...

  28 Come unto me, all  ye  that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.                   -Matthew 11 Good morning, God bless you, and tremendous Tuesday to you. The scripture above exclaims that sin carries a weight.  The great invite of Christ beckons those who are weighed down in sin to release it and come to Him, who can so easily lift the weight off them.  But to let Him lift the weight we have to first know that we are laden down with sin, hence the importance of our own great confession.  Here we have Jesus telling us that we no longer have to carry the weight of sin, that gives me joy.  This being the real challenge, the admission. Owning up to needing help is hard when you deal with others but shouldn’t be hard when you deal with the Provider of grace, Ch...

  In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. -Psalms 31:1 God bless you and happy Monday. To God be glory. The scripture above is truly an anchor for me. Being transparent I grew up feeling…well insecure.  Not just in the sense of hormones through the teen years but other ways and inclusive in my rending years.  Insecurity is by no means a domain I am the only inhabitant as many have been there, currently there or on your way. One bout of insecurity after another attacks us all. And further get this…it often boomerangs back, biting at our heels.  What I’ve found in my walk is that Insecurity shows there’s a lack of integrity in my own walk. Is that integrity blatant sins, for me I can say no. But in me I’ve notice the closer I get to the Lord the fewer episodes I have with insecurity.    The scripture above has helped me to remember who I am to trust.  Because who or where we put our trust is where our...

  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.                    -Hebrews 11:1  Good morning and TGIF. When the English arrived on Australia the Aborignies were using this strange stick to hunt. THE English looked on with awe as they would cast forth this stick that would go forth and then return.  The Aborigines would then go into the bush and return with collected game. These sticks were called boomerangs.  A boomerang would strike its target and then return to the owner. Faith is like a boomerang.    When you send forth your faith it seems that nothing will happen but faith being substanative goes forth strikes your target and returns with the evidence of your blessing.  In a sense you are casting your bread on the water, that is you are stepping out on faith so when you send your boomerang forth, you trust God that it shall not return to you void.  Think abo...