The Stickman's Understanding...

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. -Psalms 23:3 Good morning and happy Monday to you!  The scripture above is attributed to a required task of shepherds called casting.  If a sheep happens to fall on its back, it is physically impossible for them to get up. The result of falling on their back is called casting.  Their physiological makeup just doesn’t allow them to recover themselves from being casted. This is what is meant by David in the verse above “soul being restored”.  Our Good Shepherd does restore our soul. He puts us back on our feet after we have been casted.    That restoration allows us to be lead in the path of righteousness.  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 

  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. -Psalms 51:10 Good morning and TGIF! King David in his apologetic repentance and confession before the Lord asked for the gift of cleansing and then a solidification of his resolve.  That solidification is a renewed spirit. A renewed spirit goes beyond a hyssop purging, character is added to the spirit.  That character which helps prevent future transgressions.  Holy Spirit takes up residence inside each believer and as the believer allows works within us. His operation is limited by our willful sin and empowered when we strive to righteous living.    David knew this and wanted the restoration because through Holy Spirit our access remains intact.  Go fellowship this weekend, 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 Christian Center (ICC) using our...

  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. -Psalms 51:17 Good morning and terrific Thursday to you!  The first step on a path to restoration is called brokenness. You find brokenness at the end of your valley of despair. Sin of course, being the first step into that valley. King David expressed it this way, I was shaped in iniquity, and iniquity being a sin of generations means that his family environment is what helped to shape him for the valley of despair.  He continued saying, I was conceived by sin and born into sin. So that place of comfort for sin was in place when he came forth from the womb.  Lastly in this scripture he owned the penalty of his sins by identifying a true sacrifice. If the sacrifice of righteousness is ever before us, then the sacrifice of brokenness will not be required.  God bless you and command your day!!! Your comments and questions are welcome. Contact me at drschaeffer...

  And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: -Mark 13:5 Good morning and happy hump day to you!  The scripture above began a specific prophetic activities list that started unfolding in 70AD when the Romans marched on Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple. No stone remained upon another and even the trees were uprooted.  Today as more and more of these prophecies unfold it seems we get further away from the warning of verse 5 above.  Taking heed to none of the Lords warning is a sure walk to destruction, but the beginning of that walk is heeding to false prophets.  Beloved make sure you listen with your spiritual ears and that what is said comes from the spirit of the Lord and not emotions and personal preferences. 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 

  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. -Mark 10:47 Good morning and tremendous Tuesday to you! In the scripture above we find a man who had never met Jesus only having heard but yet had faith. His faith is shown by his reaction to hearing Jesus was passing.  When you react, react with true abandonment, as the deer panted; so should we with hopeful insistence.  Do not allow family, friends, acquaintances, or any other naysayers to dissuade you. Persistence will always result in blessing. Your persistence equates to faith and faith draws the Lords attention.   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 

  1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. -Romans 12 Good morning and TGIF! What does it mean to conform? Conforming is when more than one object become so close that a place to distinguish between the items no longer exists.  The previous scripture (verse 6) contains an exhortation    by Apostle Paul because and by reason of God’s mercy that we allow ourselves to be subject to being reshaped by the gospel.  Verse 7 is a follow on to verse 6 beginning with the conjunction “And”. The most dangerous thing a new Christian can do is studying by themselves. It is at this essential junction of “new birth”, the enemy will try to shape you. AND leads us to look and heed be...

  Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. -1 Peter 2:17 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. -Romans 13:8 Good morning and terrific Thursday to you!  I believe that rejection is everyone’s deepest fear. Children strive for acceptance of their parents. Teenagers strive for acceptance of their peers, husbands, and wives, both strive for acceptance of each other.  I also believe that what confuses people more than anything is when they mix up acceptance with agreement. I could accept something about you that I don’t necessarily agree with, but yet fully, I am accepting.  Acceptance, of course could be skewed by lack of understanding or filters, such as past hurt.    In the scriptures above, which helps us to understand the difference between acceptance and agreement is how we should love everyone and pay proper respect to those it is due.  Accepting is hearing fully what...

  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: -Matthew 7:24 Good morning and happy hump day to you! The scripture above is known for the lesson that follows. In a nutshell any building done on sand will shift as the sand will most certainly and often shift.  A lesson taught here goes beyond the almost clique’ advice not to build on unstable ground, to learn this lesson consider chapters 5, 6, and 7 in content and context.  The scripture above expressed by the Lord refers to the preceding three chapters as He taught foundational truths for holy living.  To benefit from the truths, we must simply and faithfully apply them in our daily living. Note that hearing isn’t enough as the truth is heard by many but rejected. The Lord made clear that hearing and doing what is heard is a must.   God bless you and command your day!!! Your comments and questions are welcome. Contac...

  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. -1 Peter 4:13 Good morning and tremendous Tuesday to you! Beloved be not be deceived and think that once you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior, the enemy will give up and throw in the proverbial towel.  As it rains on the just and the unjust, in this present world the redeemed of the Lord will share in the suffering of Christ and will get just as wet if not more so than those who have not committed to Christ.  Yet we are told to rejoice! The Apostles counted it a joy to suffer for the sake of the name of Christ. As they were beaten, tortured, shamed, and killed they counted it a joy and privilege to suffer.  As they suffered and as we will also suffer a question should enrapture the minds of those who see us. Their attention will reflect how you represent Christ. If you react as an Ambassador of Christ it will draw th...

  The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. -Psalms 28:7 Good morning and happy Monday to you! The declaration above is a call to strength, not our own, but the very strength found only in God. It is a call clearly speaking in faith.  But even in that take note of how praise was before the declaration and praise followed. The Psalmist spoke of his strength being based in what the Lord allotted and that strength being protected by the provider.  It is our profession of faith and the actions spurred forth from that faith that brings our help. If you trust in Him, your actions as well as reactions result in His providing help.  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 

  And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. -1 Samuel 17:2 Good morning and TGIF! While re-reading the story the scripture above comes from, I took note of how the opposing armies lined themselves into positions to battle.  Both Israel and the Philistines were camping in valleys and would meet at a high place to do battle. It was at this high place that their (Philistines) champion Goliath would come and challenge Israel.  As Israel trembled in fear, along comes a lowly shepherd who came from a lowly venue of life but had been anointed to ascend to the throne of Israel.  Beloved from the thought comes the realization of how the enemy will attack your faith. The mass of the giant blocked David’s vision, but not his faith. Goliath would go up from the place in the valley and stand at a high place. Israel would flee from the high place to a place in a separate valley....

  7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. -1 Corinthians 13 Good morning and terrific Thursday to you! As Christians we are often accused of intolerance, and often by others who profess Christ.  Some will take you to the scripture above. Right here is where I say, do not piecemeal the word of God. That is using it to justify selfish shortcomings. We grow in our relationship by learning and applying precept upon precept.  Some will tell you to “bear all things” literally is saying become a door mat. Your humility is meant to draw to Christ whomever will open their heart.   So “bearing all things” is to bear criticisms, despise-ments, going the extra mile to give explanation of your faith, fasting, praying, sacrificing, service to others, studying to show yourself approved…   Bearing is not the same as rejoicing. So we are called to have the fruit of the Spirit and the fruit does not rejoice in sinfulness....

  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; -1 Corinthians 13:6 Good morning and happy hump day to you! Recently I was watching a news story about a Pastor who gleefully exclaimed he would perform same sex weddings.  His announcement came to the joyous cheers of a crowd most carrying rainbow insignia but some not, denoting that they were “heterosexual Christians” who supported the desecration of God defined unions.  The scripture above comes from the Apostle’s writing identifying true love. True love doesn’t rejoice in iniquity.  As I consider the condition of the body today and pundits who profess but deny Christ, what comes to mind is do they understand true love? True love rejoices in truth, whether they agree or understand that truth, they still desire it.  To rejoice in condemning sinfulness is to celebrate the sinners entrance into damnation. This scripture should prove to convict those who claim love means to value the sin as an acceptable, u...