I was chatting with a student who was attending my class on Your Identity and the Heart when I suggested that she might also benefit from Sam’s class on the book of Revelation. I was shocked by her panicky response. No way was she EVER going near the book of Revelation!
Scary end times and fire-breathing false prophets are the stuff of nightmares, but please know that John’s visions were given to encourage believers. Not terrify them.
By comparing the symbols found in Revelation with how they are used in the rest of the Bible, Sam cracks the code of this book, revealing the encouraging message hidden within the symbolic language.
If you have any fears or questions about the message of Revelation, please please please watch the video series and study the book. You will be blessed and set free.
A Bible-based Interpretation Symbolism and Visions Symbolism and Numbers The Seals, Trumpets, Bowls The 144,000 and The Great Multitude The Two Witnesses The Two Women Satan Exposed Is There a Millennium? The New Jerusalem
I pray that you find the teachings helpful. If you do, please subscribe, like and click notifications.
We are happy to answer questions, or try to, if you shoot us an email at thepool@thepoolministries.org.
Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near. Revelation 1:3
If you call the ministry, you must leave a message and I will call you back. I am happy to answer questions or schedule prayer ministry over the phone, but because of robo calls we do not answer the landline unless you have an appointment.
That number is 205.556.4555, country code 01. Remember to leave a message.
If The Pool is a blessing to you, please consider blessing The Pool with your prayers and donations.
One of the saddest things happened during a recent visit to Children’s Church. I was attending with my grandson who, because he lives out-of-town and isn’t a regular, requires the support of his grandmother. One of the older girls, maybe 11 years old, sat next to me and, after chatting, told me that she wished she could hear God talking to her. Under the circumstances there was little I could to do to help her.
But I can help others who desire to hear God for themselves. The series Hearing God is finished and available on YouTube. Here is the link and the topics in the series.
God Enjoys a Good Conversation The Speaking Word The Inside Guide Prophesy Thoughts and Voices Voices of the Self The Enemy’s Voice Dreams Dream Language Visions Creation Communication and Prophetic Actions
God wants to talk with you. It is His desire. And He isn’t counting your sin against you. How do I know that you may be asking. Because He sought out Adam and Eve. He sought out Cain, and it was Cain who walked away. Not God. And there is this:
… God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their wrongdoings against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:19
I pray that you find the teachings helpful. If you do, please subscribe, like and comment. I am happy to answer questions, or try to, if you shoot me an email at thepool@thepoolministries.org.
God bless, Susan
Please visit the website and look over our products page. Sam’s book, My Birding Adventures with God, contains many examples of God speaking through His creation.
In case you haven’t noticed, Jesus said some things that might sound a little … ah … scary. Take for example Matthew 5:48. Therefore you shall be perfect, as your Father is perfect.
Here is my question. Did not one person listening to the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount raise a hand and ask, “Really, Jesus? Did you just tell us to be as perfect as Father God?”
I had it explained to me from the pulpit that what Jesus meant by perfect was mature. Of course, being as mature as God sounds just as impossible, so that explanation wasn’t helpful.
Since I’m better at being an abysmal failure than at being as perfect (or mature) as God, I decided to do a bit of research on my own. Here is what I found. Verse 48 is surrounded by other verses! WHAT! Yup. That means we should consider the context. I started at vs. 20 which reads thus: For I say to you that unless your righteousness far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
The people of Jesus’ day would have considered the scribes and Pharisees as ultimate examples of religious perfection. The scribes and Pharisees certainly considered themselves in that light. But the list of dos and don’ts that Jesus launches into next is rather comprehensive, leaving no one out, even religious people who are trying really hard to be perfectly perfect. Kind of a gotcha list.
To be perfect, we can’t sin in any of the categories the Lord listed, except we all do. We have to love our stinking enemies. (Did I say that?) And he winds up with this: Love people, even wicked ones, like God does with perfect justice and kindness, then — drum roll, please — you shall be perfect as God your Father is perfect because you have perfectly fulfilled, with the right attitude, all of God’s requirements.
Oh! One more thing. Don’t do any of your righteous acts for attention (Matthew 6:1).
I don’t feel any better. Do you? Looks like we really, really need a savior. And I think that is the point that Jesus was making, because there is only One whose righteousness far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees.
When I read the Sermon on the Mount, I see myself as that confused lady in the back who raises her hand and says, “Really? Perfect? That’s impossible!”
And I imagine Jesus turning his beautiful eyes to me, smiling and saying, “Exactly.”
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
The best way to contact The Pool is by email at thepool@thepoolministries.org.
If you would rather call, you must leave a message and I will call you back. I am happy to answer questions or schedule prayer ministry over the phone, but because of robo calls we do not answer the landline unless you have an appointment.
That number is 205.556.4555, country code 01. Remember to leave a message.
If The Pool is a blessing to you, please consider blessing The Pool with your prayers and donations.
During Sunday’s meeting a reminder came forth that the Lord is the Prince of Peace; that in the aftermath of the recent political cycle, which has left many upset and shaken, His peace is our sanctuary.
We were told that His peace flowing through us touches those who do not know Jesus as Lord. It is His peace flowing through His followers that reassures those who are afraid. Now, more than ever, His peace sets us apart from the chaos of the world.
Do you recall that Jesus raised the subject of peace with His disciples shortly before facing the cross and His subsequent resurrection? He said:
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. John 14:27
Can you imagine trying to remain in the peace of God while your beloved Lord is being tried and crucified as a criminal?
I used to believe that I was in trouble with God whenever I was anxious and fearful. Now I know that He cares deeply about my well-being, and He knows that remaining in a place of peace is important for that well-being. So I am not in trouble when I am afraid. I’m in need of His help.
Let’s face it. The world isn’t a peaceful place for the believer. The current state of affairs has upset many. Our peace has been severely tested. So, with your permission, I am going to pray for you.
Dearest Father,
I pray for these reading this. Please restore their peace in You and in Your Son. May they rest, knowing that they are not of this world. That they are citizens of Your kingdom. Help them rest confidently in You, not looking at the fallen world as a measure of anything. Help them set their minds on whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, commendable, any excellence and anything worthy of praise. Help them think about these things.
And may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Lots of interesting and knowledgeable speakers at this soon-to-happen, online healing summit.
I will be speaking December 4th at 7 p.m. (CST) about neurocardiology – the science of the heart – and how the heart controls what we believe and, thus, controls our life. I will also offer tools to help you instruct your heart so that it learns to believe God’s truth.
Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23
You are invited. It’s free. I know some of the speakers personally and others by reputation. I think any time you invest in this will be worth it.
The first speaker is scheduled at 12:30 p.m. (CST) on Friday. I’ll speak at 7 pm that evening. Saturday’s speakers will begin at 12:30 until 8 p.m.
More information is available when you sign up. Here is the link to register.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly. John 10:10
Do you feel like a kid confined to the back seat of a car, packed in with your bored and restless siblings, traveling toward an unknown destination? A destination that keeps getting further away? That’s how I have been feeling during these challenging times. Up until recently, my strategy has been to pray and keep my head down. But I’m rethinking that strategy. Here is one reason why.
✔ An acquaintance posted a warning on social media from our local Department of Public Health, advising us to stay home this Thanksgiving because we might unknowingly have Covid. And wouldn’t you feel terrible if you gave Covid to grandma?
When I retorted that this grandma was planning on enjoying a gloriously crowded Thanksgiving with friends, family and a number of other enthusiastic grandmas, she shot back with this: Every person is to be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore, whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. Romans 13:1-2
When I replied that the Nazi regime used that very scripture to secure obedience from Christians, she became offended, protesting that my comparison wasn’t just. But I think it is a fair comparison, because many of the oppressive mandates we currently suffer under carry not only a bizarre political agenda, but also a spirit of death.
Here are some more reasons why I’m rethinking my strategy.
✔ Yesterday, I listened in on a conversation my husband had with the president of one of his clubs. He was making some suggestions on what could be done to keep the club from dying. This president was profoundly uninterested, admitting that she hadn’t left her home since March! In my opinion, she has already died of Covid, because she has stopped living.
✔ A friend reported that his elderly father-in-law, who was isolated in hospital and expected to die of Covid, began to recover when his family was allowed to visit and to touch him.
✔ According to Dr. Douglas G. Frank, noted scientist and statistician, “The total number of deaths is approaching what we NORMALLY see this time of the year.” He writes that “non-Covid deaths … exceeded what the CDC would consider ‘normal.’ These non-Covid deaths are primarily due to large waves of additional Alzheimer’s deaths … due to the poor care we gave to this particularly needy group of our elderly. In other words, we sacrificed these people due to our mitigation strategies.”
✔ Did you know that suicides and death from drug overdoses are up sharply according to the CDC? Here is the headline from the Christian Post:
“More youth are dying of suicide, overdose than COVID-19 during pandemic: CDC director: COVID-19 has put country in ‘state of chronic stress,’ suicide prevention advocate says”
Are you feeling the stress? Have you noticed an increased desire to escape the challenges of this present darkness? Are you longing more than usual to just go on home to Jesus? Is a spirit of death operating in your life? It certainly is operating in the atmosphere.
Historically, Christians have faced disease and plague with courage, nursing the sick at the risk of their lives. Read this. It’s from Biblemesh.com.
“Famine and war had recently afflicted the city of Caesarea, so when the plague hit in the early fourth-century, the populace was already weakened and unable to withstand this additional blow. The populace began fleeing the city, one of the larger ones of the Roman Empire, for safety in the countryside. However, in the midst of the fleeing inhabitants, at least one group was staying behind, the Christians. As bishop of the city and a historian of the early church, Eusebius, recorded in “The Church History” that during the plague,
All day long some of them [the Christians] tended to the dying and to their burial, countless numbers with no one to care for them. Others gathered together from all parts of the city a multitude of those withered from famine and distributed bread to them all.
Eusebius goes on to state that because of their compassion in the midst of the plague, the Christians’ ‘deeds were on everyone’s lips, and they glorified the God of the Christians.'”
This is who we are. Not fear-filled, hiding-in-our-homes, face-covered cowards. We are God’s hands and feet. We are the expression of His mercy and compassion. We are without fear, because no disease, no government, no one—not even the devil—can take our Jesus away from us. And if we die? To quote Paul “to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21.
Let’s make a choice to stop serving a spirit of fear and death. We are better than that.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
Let’s pray: Father God, stir up our courage. Stir up our confidence in you, our Creator. Make of your people an example of fearless living no matter the threat of death. For what is death to your people but birth into a new and better life? Surely, we can walk confidently through any and every valley of the shadow of death, because you are with us.
Forgive us, Father, for bowing the knee to the spirit of fear and death. We reject those evil spirits, in the name of Jesus.
Lord, lift up our heads and make your light so shine within us that the world glorifies the God of the Christians!
In the name of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
God bless you and may God bless America.
Susan
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It has been a serious challenge to remain in the joy of the Lord or even to maintain my focus on Him and His goodness during this time of toxic politics.
I was grieving over America recently and the Lord pointed something out that has helped me. He said: “I love America more than you do.”
That lifted a load off of my shoulders, because it helped me shift my focus away from beseeching the Lord to DO Something! ANYTHING! to asking Him to show me how I could help Him achieveHis goals for America.
I prayed like this: Lord? How can I help You achieve Your purposes for America?
The next morning the Lord spoke Psalm 46:10 to me, using King James language because that is how I had learned the verse many years ago. He said: “Be still, and know that I am God.”
I looked up Psalm 46:10 in the NAS and found it translated this way: “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.”
Being me, I checked out the Hebrew for the meaning of “cease striving” and found that it means to let go and relax.
Sometimes our greatest act of faith is to simply let go, relax and know that God is God.
The best way to contact me is by email at thepool@thepoolministries.org. If you would rather call, you must leave a message and I will call you back. I am happy to answer questions or schedule prayer ministry over the phone, but because of robo calls we do not answer the landline unless a call is scheduled.
That number is 205.556.4555, country code 01. Remember to leave a message.
If The Pool is a blessing to you, please consider blessing The Pool with your prayers and donations.
Sorry I have been so silent lately, at least on this medium of communication. There are lots of good things happening at The Pool. So much so that my attention has been given to those things and not to blogging. Soooo … what is up with us you ask?
First, I have been teaching a group via Zoom. You can find the course on YouTube. It is composed of ten lessons and is called Your Identity and the Heart. It makes an excellent accompaniment to The Quiet Heart: A Foundational Guide to Inner Healing and Deliverance. Please watch them in order because they build upon one another.
I am starting to write a new book titled A Believing Heart: How to Teach Your Heart to Believe. And I am teaching a course via Zoom called Hearing God. I will be videoing that course also for YouTube eventually. If you follow the ministry’s channel, you will get updates when a new video is posted.
On Tuesday, Sam starts a Zoom class on the symbols in Revelation. This class is mind-blowing. No one teaches Revelation in this thoroughly researched and encouraging way. If you struggle with Revelation, are afraid of it or know someone who is, shoot me an email letting me know that you want to be a part of this teaching. You will be sent the first lessons in a study guide and a Zoom link that lets you join. The ministry email is at the bottom of this.
Our Bible School is moving forward slowly as the building comes together. A Christian literacy ministry has offered us space, but the renovation on their building came to a halt during the worst of COVID-19. They are raising funds for a new HVAC system for the historic building that will eventually house their wonderful ministry.
Sam’s book My Birding Adventures with God makes a great Christmas gift. From funny to profound, these thought-provoking, real-life stories gently remind us that the Lord is with us in all things.
One thing, dear ones, to mediate on: The Lord Jesus does not want YOU to bear your sins. He asks if you will let Him bear them for you. Beating yourself up and living in regret doesn’t accomplish a thing.
Why does He want you to LET Him bear your sins for you? Because He knows our frame—that we are but dust (Psalm 103:14).
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21
God Bless!
Susan
The best way to contact me is by email at thepool@thepoolministries.org.
If you would rather call, you must leave a message and I will call you back. I am happy to answer questions or schedule prayer ministry over the phone, but because of robo calls we do not answer the landline.
That number is 205.556.4555, country code 01. Remember to leave a message.
If The Pool is a blessing to you, please consider blessing The Pool with your prayers and donations.
This morning I woke up to a text from my friend, Annica. Annica didn’t know that the Facebook posts I have boosted to the UK have received many violent and obscene curses from atheists living there.
(If you would like to see what I am writing about, go to The Pool Ministries’ Facebook page and scroll down to the post Judging Bites Back. I have been deleting the nastiest comments since then).
Because of this, I have been grieving over the UK, and—honestly—curses hurt. They are meant to hurt. But I put it all away, because what can I do?
The blessing she sent was a reminder from the Lord that He doesn’t put away my sorrows. He sees my tears and is concerned about my hurts. That it is personal with Him.
Your sorrows and joys are also very personal to Him.
I pray over you that the Lord will show you just how important you are to Him; that He will prove to you that He is with you and He is for you. That He cares about your children and your children’s children. That He is giving you hope and a future.
Please listen to the blessing Annica sent to me. I pray you are also blessed and encouraged.
Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Proverbs 23:18
The best way to contact me is by email at thepool@thepoolministries.org.
If you would rather call, you must leave a message and I will call you back. I am happy to answer questions or schedule prayer ministry over the phone, but because of robo calls we do not answer the landline.
That number is 205.556.4555, country code 01. Remember to leave a message.
If The Pool is a blessing to you, please consider blessing The Pool with your prayers and donations.
My newest book, The Quiet Heart: A Foundational Guide to Inner Healing an Deliverance, is on sale as an eBook at Smashwords through May 31, 2020.
Here is what readers are saying about The Quiet Heart.
This book has been a life changer for me. It has opened my eyes to how God designed me and how sin has distorted that design. The book showed me how to get back on track spiritually through prayer, being in touch with my spirit, and the Holy Spirit. Having a quiet heart is priceless. Pamela
Even if you have been a Christian for years, The Quiet Heart reveals Biblical truths that you have most likely never heard from a pastor. If you are not a Christian, this book will lead you into an understanding of what can await you if you give your heart to Christ. This is not a book of opinion. Every point that the author makes is referenced to Scripture, book, chapter and verse. These Biblical truths are nothing new, but to most Christians they will be, because for various reasons it is rare to hear them preached or even talked about. The Quiet Heart will teach you how to have your spirit and soul work in harmony, and bring you closer to the Father as you walk with him. Joe
This book is wonderful. Because becoming a Christian doesn’t mean your life will automatically become perfect. We struggle – with circumstances, with God, and with ourselves. With our perceptions and thoughts. With cycles of behavior we don’t like, but can’t seem to shake. This book explains why and outlines steps you can take to break free from the cycle. And most importantly, it explains the ways that God communicates with you, so you can hear what He has for you when you ask the questions that weigh on your heart. Heather
This book has given me the knowledge and tools I need to help me be free from self-criticism. It also pointed out that the reason for wrong in the world is because of the fall, not because of me. James
Click the link below to purchase The Quiet Heart at a very low we-are-all-tired-of-being-quarantined sale price! (The sale price is only good at Smashwords).
