In His Presence

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 06:21:56 PST

Episode 185
Dream A Dream

“This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.” Daniel 4:18

Open your heart and dream again. Allow that dream to grow and develop Ask God to bring your dream to fruition. Dream big, Dream faithfully Dream with God and watch your dream come true.

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 06:21:56 PST

Episode 184

Dare To Be A Daniel

There are choices to be made. Daniel was faced with the choice of a lifetime. His job was high profile in the kingdom but his faith was not just talk, it was a life style reflected in how he lived and worked every day.

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 06:21:56 PST

Episode 183

Lord When?

Again, someone has set a date for Christ’s return and the day has come and gone. The earth and its people are still here. 89 year old Harold Camping, founder of Family Radio, which airs on 66 U.S. stations, was in his own words, “flabbergasted.”

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Sat, 07 May 2011 12:13:35 PDT

The Question

Episode 182

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise is to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” Daniel 3:28-29

Nebuchadnezzar’s failure to submit himself to a God he acknowledged and respected might have saved him from some of the experiences to come but now he comes face to face with the reality of God and will not ask the critical question, what must I do? How can I become a servant to this great God?

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Sat, 07 May 2011 12:07:12 PDT

Not Too Late

Episode 181

One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”Luke 23:39-43 (New Living Translation)

The voice of the second criminal was softer and kinder. He did not deny his guilt. This repentant criminal knew in his heart that this Jesus was different. And Jesus stopped and saw what no man could see, a repentant soul ready for the kingdom.
(image courtesy of http://clipart.ochristian.com/)

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 19:02:24 PDT

God Can

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18 (New Living Translation)

Three young men respectfully and without hesitation refused to bow down to an idol god and were sent to what should have been certain destruction. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego teach us much about faith and courage. (image courtesy of La Vista Church of Christ).

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 20:12:51 PDT

Praying Friends

Episode 179

Daniel went and asked the king to give him some time so that he could explain the dream’s meaning. Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah about this matter. He told them to ask the God of heaven to be merciful and to explain this secret to them so that they would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise advisers in Babylon.
Daniel 2:16-18.

Drinking buddies are a type of friendship. Some use a euphemism,
friends with benefits to describe a relationship that exist only for mutual
convenience and gratification. We have shopping friends, workplace friends,
and sports buddies but in times like these we all need praying friends.

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 20:02:50 PDT

Revealer of mysteries

Episode 178

(image courtesy of http://karenswhimsy.com/)
The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.” Daniel 2:47

God revealed the dream and the interpretation to Daniel. When he shares this with the king the king willingly acknowledges the greatness of Daniel’s God. Daniel was promoted and at Daniel’s request the king also elevated Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:29:28 PDT

Faithful

Episode 177

At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. Daniel 1:15-16

Nebuchadnezzar understood the importance of surrounding himself with the best and brightest. He also understood that if he could win the allegiance of the youth they would be a powerful addition in his government. The captive Hebrew youth would be taught everything they needed to know to be successful but would they remember their God or take on the gods of the Babylonians?

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 20:09:48 PST

The Lord Is There

Episode 176

... “And the name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE.” Ezekiel 48:35

Do we think God will continue to overlook our sins and forgiven them when we choose to live a life of spiritual adultery? We too must repent and return to God. When we do we can live in that city, The Lord Is There.

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 08:53:34 PST

Shepherd With Justice

Episode 174

I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice. Exekiel 34:16

To be a shepherd is to be a leader. It is an opportunity to help others. It is a calling not to personal gain and well being but to protect the flock. It is the joy of knowing that through your actions the flock has been preserved.

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:40:30 PST

Showers of Blessings

Episode 173

I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34: 26 There shall be showers of blessings in your life, in your ministry, in your place of sorry, in your days of want and need, in your time of loneliness. There shall be showers of blessings. The Lord has promised and he cannot lie.

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 08:20:04 PST

Change!

Episode 172

But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. Ezekiel 18:21-22

God, who knows all things, can and does choose to forget. God does not remember our sins when we turn to him. Does he fail to recall the wrongs we have done? Is there a lapse in one who knows what has been, what is, and what will be? That is not the case at all. God chooses not to reference or to entertain these pass events.

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:43:24 PST

Episode 171

Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!”Ezekiel 16:6

The world celebrates the second chance given to Ted Williams, a native of New York who was living in Columbus, Ohio. A chance meeting of the formerly homeless man with a reporter from the local paper gave him the second chance he had prayed for. In today’s lesson Ezekiel retells the story of our rescue. How will we use our new opportunity?

http://74.52.133.2/~jeanmarc/Live!.mp3

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 18:41:00 PST

A New Heart

Episode 170

I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. Ezekiel 11:19-20

The prophet reminds the people in our passage for today that God can and will restore. The rebellion, the sins against him can be forgiven. If His people would obey His commandments and keep his law they will indeed be restored.

http://74.52.133.2/~jeanmarc/A%20New%20Heart.mp3

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:43:42 PST

Episode 168

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

God’s tomorrow is a day that is fresh and new with hope and joy, pregnant with the promise of the Lord, ready to be born anew in the lives of believers. These are promises, not only for then but for now, for us in our dark night of suffering, of pain and except for the Lord’s words, despair.

http://74.52.133.2/~jeanmarc/Great%20is%20Thy%20Faithfulness.mp3

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:35:45 PST

Episode 169

And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 New King James

The season is about love, love of family, love of friends and most of all the love of a Heavenly Father who offered his only Son for a world hopelessly lost in sin.

http://74.52.133.2/~jeanmarc/mary%20did%20you%20know.mp3

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 20:03:16 PST

The Obligation of Love

Episode 166
We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm. The women added, “When we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands know that we were making cakes impressed with her image and pouring out drink offerings to her?” Jeremiah 44:17; 19
Bernie Madoff, financial advisor and others who have cheated people of billions surely had some lovely days when things were doing very well for them. God frequently does not cut us off instantly but allows repeated opportunities for repentance. The absence of swift punishment is not a blessing on wrong behavior. The women of Israel didn’t understand that God was allowing time for them to repent.

http://74.52.133.2/~jeanmarc/The%20Obligation%20of%20Love.mp3

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 06:19:37 PST

Plant and Not Uproot

Episode 165
If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you. Jeremiah 42:10
We sometimes find ourselves in situations of our own making. Jeremiah knew that some wanted to try and return home but he counseled them according to the Word of the Lord. You are not in a place where you want to be but the Lord can bring you through this. If you will allow the Lord to use you in your situation he will restore you, build you up and you can be great again.

http://74.52.133.2/~jeanmarc/plant%20and%20not%20uprooted.mp3

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 21:19:11 PDT

Fire

Episode 162

But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,"
his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. Jeremiah 20:9

Jeremiah was the prophet least likely to succeed. He was an outcast, among his own people. His life was at risk, his ministry mocked and if the reward of good preaching is converts well one can understand how he felt.
What kept him going? He could only describe it as a fire. No, not a fire from which one could escape but a fire down in the pit of his bones that drove him on.

http://74.52.133.2/~jeanmarc/fire.mp3

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 21:07:23 PDT

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 20:22:56 PDT

Be Careful Llittle Hands

Episode 161

My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes. Jeremiah 16:17

The prophet warns, he pleads, he weeps for the people but they continue on their own chosen path.
Are we like they, worshiping the gods to numerous to count, the gods of money, position, status, or even fame? Have we built our altars not to the living God but the gods of this world? Let us examine ourselves, our lives and our commitment today.

http://74.52.133.2/~jeanmarc/Be%20Careful%20Little%20Hands.mp3

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 20:07:04 PDT

Episode 160

"Then break the jar while those who go with you are watching, and say to them, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I will smash this nation and this city just as this potter's jar is smashed and cannot be repaired...
Jeremiah 19:10-11a

Jeremiah illustrated a simple truth with the potter’s jar. One jar was still soft and pliable. It could be reshaped but the other was hardened and could only be broken but it could not be remolded. How important it is that we keep our hearts open to the will of God. When our heart is tender and open to Him it is then that the Lord can use us.

http://74.52.133.2/~jeanmarc/No%20Repairs.mp3

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 19:07:40 PDT

The Sure Cure

Episode 159

Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people? Jeremiah 8:22

Jeremiah raised the question to which everyone already knew the answer at least they thought they did.
Is there no balm, no healing medicine in Gilead? My people suffer from an illness to which there is a cure and from which they need deliverance. The answer is so close and somehow it is missed as they continue on their journey to hurt and destruction.

http://74.52.133.2/~jeanmarc/The%20Sure%20Cure.mp3

In His Presence @nonelikehimanywhere.org (Essie Johnson) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:57:41 PDT

Episode 158

The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved." Jeremiah 8:20

As we see the work of God in our lives we begin to realize how great His love is for us and we pause. Like a child who hears the voice of a parent calling them home in the evening, we turn and follow the voice that represents the one who loves us more than anyone. It is the voice that can always be recognized even in a crowd of competing sounds.

http://74.52.133.2/~jeanmarc/Seasons.mp3