Count the Stars - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Count the Stars

Steve Martin

“Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." (Genesis 15:5, NKJV)

Have you ever tried counting the stars? If you live in a city or suburban area, you can hardly see any stars at all due to the bright night lights that light up the sky, which prevent the heavenly lights from shining through to your eyes. You must get out into the country, away from the glow of mankind’s rays, to see the ultimate canopy of the Lord God, Creator of the universe. Then you will experience His awesomeness.

In the summer of 1973, fresh out of the Catholic high school in Waterloo, Iowa, (Columbus High, home of the Sailors!) I went on a mission trip to the hill country of northern Georgia. Blairsville, Georgia to be exact. Northeast of Atlanta, somewhat near the North Carolina state line. A group of older teenagers went on the six-week adventure to lead a summer Bible youth camp for underprovided kids, sponsored by a Catholic mission.

Being 18, I loved it! Quite the adventure driving my two-door, metallic blue 1963 Mercury Cougar all the way from Iowa, through Cincinnati, OH. It was a great time, forever stored in my memory banks. (Read the full story in my book, The Promise – One Man’s Journey to See God Revealed).

One thing I very much remember to this day were the nights, both black and white. At those late times of the finishing day (or the beginning of the new day, as with the Jews, as written in the Torah when God created each day), if the clouds covered all above you, you could raise your hand in front of your face and not even see it. It was that so utterly dark. Midnight blackness!

But if it was a clear night, looking up from these northeastern mountains in Georgia, the Lord God Almighty revealed Himself in glory, for the stars were fantastically brilliant. The heavens were filled with His creation in one of His very vast realms. Because of the sheer numbers, you could not count the stars. Wow!

Imagine the promise the Lord had given Abraham, beginning in Genesis 12, of the immense number of descendants that was coming forth of his lineage, if he obeyed. Once he had heard the Lord’s word to “leave your country and go to the place I will show you”, the promise for Abram (later changed to Abraham) was beginning to unfold. His reward would be great.

“Now Adonai said to Avram, “Get yourself out of your country, away from your kinsmen and away from your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you are to be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, but I will curse anyone who curses you; and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

So Avram (Abram) went, as Adonai (the Lord) had said to him, and Lot went with him. Avram was 75 years old when he left Haran. Avram took his wife Sarai, his brother’s son Lot, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, as well as the people they had acquired in Haran; then they set out for the land of Kena‘an (Canaan) and entered the land of Kena‘an.” (Genesis 12:1-5, Complete Jewish Bible)

Obedience to the word of the Lord, written in His Word the Torah, the Prophets and the Psalms (and all of the Bible), will always bring a reward. Abraham believed, and it was rewarded to him. And not only to him but “…all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)

“By trusting, Avraham obeyed, after being called to go out to a place which God would give him as a possession; indeed, he went out without knowing where he was going. By trusting, he lived as a temporary resident in the Land of the promise, as if it were not his, staying in tents with Yitz’chak (Isaac) and Ya‘akov (Jacob), who were to receive what was promised along with him. For he was looking forward to the city with permanent foundations, of which the architect and builder is God.

By trusting, he received potency to father a child, even when he was past the age for it, as was Sarah herself; because he regarded the One who had made the promise as trustworthy. Therefore this one man, who was virtually dead, fathered descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and as countless as the grains of the sand on the seashore.” (Hebrews 11:8-12, Complete Jewish Bible)

In Genesis 215:1, the Lord even says to him that it would be an “exceedingly great reward.”

When we hear and obey the Lord, He honors our faith we have thus demonstrated. He will then allow His favor to come upon us, and He will provide covering and protection for not only us, but also for those whom He has given under our care and watch – our families, our churches, our cities, our nation.

Next time there is a clear night, drive out from the city lights, and look up. Try counting the multitude of stars if you can. When Abraham saw those very same heavenly creations centuries ago, he believed that the Creator would keep His promise. And He certainly did. Not even the hatred and anti-Semitism of all these past centuries could keep the Lord from fulfilling His promise to the chosen people the Jews, and all believers who call upon His name and were martyred for their faith.

Just look at the state of Israel today, and you know that the Living God, the Lord God of Israel, has indeed kept His promises. As Luke wrote in Acts 3:21, it is now the “times of restoration of everything which God spoke through the mouths of His holy prophets from eternity.”

Have you ever received a word from the Lord? You most certainly have! The Bible itself is His guaranteed Word to you. Believe it! Walk in His promises! See Him move in your life, your family, and even in this nation, the very one you live in.

Go out and try counting the stars some night. Sense the ever-living Holy Spirit’s presence lift your spirit to the eternal heavens. Have even more faith and believe our God the Father for even more of Himself!

Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. Listen to this encouraging word the Lord gave me on March 3, 2019, during our church meeting: "Resurrection After Decades"



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Now Think On This #396 - in the year of our Lord 03.05.19 – “Count the Stars” – Tuesday 3:55 am

Irma Is Being Described As A ‘Nuclear Hurricane’ That Has Left One Island ‘Practically Uninhabitable’ - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

Irma Is Being Described As A ‘Nuclear Hurricane’ That Has Left One Island ‘Practically Uninhabitable’ Posted: 07 Sep 2017 Michael Snyder  THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG Irma is not just another hurricane – it is a history making storm that is going to cause up to a quarter of a trillion dollars in damage once it makes landfall in the United States.  In fact, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine used the term “nuclear hurricane” to describe this storm to the media.  I would never use that term personally, but I am in agreement that it would be exceedingly difficult to overstate the danger that this storm represents.  According to the National Hurricane Center, Irma has been a category 5 storm for more than 50 hours, and that is already one of the longest stretches on record. Of course if you were to extrapolate the Saffir-Simpson scale, Irma would have been considered a category 6 storm when it had sustained winds of 185 miles per hour.  This is a point that I made in my article entitled “Hurricane Irma: If There Was Such A Thing As A Category 6 Hurricane, This Would Be It”. And just a day later, MSNBC published an article with a suspiciously similar headline: “If there were a category 6 hurricane, Irma would be it”. So will the rest of the mainstream media attack MSNBC for saying the exact same thing that I did? Of course not. And will the mainstream media attack Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine for calling Irma “a nuclear hurricane”?… “We have talked to people in your city who say, ‘We ain’t going,’” CBS4’s Hank Tester told Levine. “I hate to hear that. I’ll do anything in my power to convince them this is a very serious storm. This is a nuclear hurricane. They should leave the beach, they must leave the beach,” he said. Of course not. I am certainly not criticizing Levine.  Once again, it is not terminology that I would have used, but if it helps get more people to safety that is a good thing. Just look at what has happened to Barbuda.  According to Antigua Prime Minister Gaston Browne, 95 percent of the buildings on Barbuda have been damaged or destroyed… “As it stands, Barbuda is practically uninhabitable,” Antigua Prime Minister Gaston Browne told Antigua/Barbuda Broadcasting Services. He added that the destruction on the island, which is home to about 1,800 people was “heart-wrenching” and most of it is now completely underwater. “A significant number of the houses have been totally destroyed,” his chief of staff Lionel Hurst said. At least one of the eight deaths caused by Irma was confirmed on the island of Barbuda.  Originally, Browne’s optimistic Facebook post claimed that Barbuda and Antigua had both stood up to Irma’s wrath.  Antigua, which is home to around 80,000 people was not hit nearly as hard as Barbuda. “It is clear that Antigua and Barbuda has stood up to a mighty test,” he wrote in the statement posted to Facebook. But he revised his opinion after taking a helicopter ride to survey the damage to Barbuda, which is just 30 miles north of Antigua. “I never contemplated any possibility that you could have such a contrast,” he said of the relative destruction. Browne also said that 95% of the buildings on Barbuda were damaged and 30% percent of the buildings on the island completely demolished when the core of the Category 5 hurricane crossed almost directly over the island early Wednesday. “Barbuda now is literally rubble,” Browne said. And Browne put an exclamation point on things when he told Anderson Cooper the following… “I have never seen any such destruction on a per capita basis compared to what I saw in Barbuda this afternoon,” Browne told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. Could we see similar devastation in our country? We shall see.  Right now, millions are holding their breath as they wait to see where Irma will go.  According to the Washington Post there are a couple of key factors that meteorologists are watching… The first is a ridge of high pressure over the Atlantic, dubbed the “Bermuda High.” This system, around which winds flow clockwise, acts as a guardrail to Irma, shunting it farther south and west like a pinball, and preventing it from heading out to sea. The stronger the ridge, the greater the probability that its westward movement will continue. The second is what’s known as an upper-level shortwave trough. This is a zone of low pressure spinning away over the southern Tennessee Valley within a dip in the jet stream, that spins counterclockwise. This will eventually capture Irma into its overall circulation, but the strength and forward speed of that feature will determine Irma’s propensity to move inland. But of course authorities can’t wait until the last minute, and coastal communities are already being evacuated.  And we are not just talking about Florida.  Earlier today, we learned that an evacuation order had been issued for Savannah, Georgia… Georgia’s governor has ordered a mandatory evacuation starting on Saturday from the state’s Atlantic coast ahead of Hurricane Irma. That includes the city of Savannah, home to nearly 150,000 people. Gov. Nathan Deal issued the evacuation Thursday for all areas east of Interstate 95, all of Chatham County and some areas west of the interstate. He also expanded a state of emergency to 30 counties. Down in Florida, the clock is ticking for those that would still like to get out.  There is extremely heavy traffic on the major highways, and many gas stations down in Florida have already completely run out of gasoline… Several gas stations in Florida ran out of gas Thursday as Hurricane Irma approached the state. Supplies fell as people heeded evacuation orders for some southern parts of the state. Last week, Hurricane Harvey crippled oil refineries in Texas, creating shortages even before Irma made landfall in the Caribbean. As I have been saying all along, you don’t want to be there when this storm makes landfall. There are going to be some people that figure that since they were able to “ride out” other hurricanes that they will be able to do the same thing with Irma. Those that choose to do that will be making a tragic mistake, and it may cost some of them their lives. Michael Snyder is a Republican candidate for Congress in Idaho’s First Congressional District, and you can learn how you can get involved in the campaign on his official website. His new book entitled “Living A Life That Really Matters” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.

"Wave of Healing Hitting the East and West Coast" - Brian Britton

"Wave of Healing Hitting the East and West Coast"

Brian Britton, Williamsburg, VA

The Elijah List

As we are in a time of great acceleration, I sense an urgent call on this word for the Body of Christ to engage with Heaven, to pray and move in Him, to see this come to pass. These are great days of revival, open heavens and Kingdom advancement. As things seem to be getting darker, His great light is shining brighter!

Acts 4:29-30 "...and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy servant Jesus."

Over the last 13 years, while ministering as a missionary revivalist in the nations and leading revival churches here in the States, I have been blessed to see God heal thousands of people and draw many unto Himself as the Good News of Jesus is preached. At times in Africa and Asia, we have seen God heal over 1000 people in a single meeting. But gone are the days where these reports only come from the mission field.

In the last 8 years here at home, we have seen many miracles in our churches in Virginia and in other places as we have seen on the foreign mission field. From people being healed of everything from cancer to headaches and more, we have been blessed to see God move in this generation like never before! I say all this to glorify God, but also to say that recently I have been overwhelmed by the great truth that God is about to do even more than we can imagine for His glory.

A Wave of Healing From Coast to Coast

Recently, while ministering in Switzerland, I had a powerful vision of a move of God intensifying on the East Coast of the United States of America. In the vision I saw a huge wave hitting the coast, and instead of diminishing when it hit, it began to slowly swell and grow in size. It was made clear to me that this was a wave of healing that will be a catalyst for revival and outpouring in the land. I saw key areas along the coast being impacted first, but over time all of the East Coast was engulfed by the wave. (Photo via Wikimedia)

The states that were highlighted to me were Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. In some of these I saw specific cities and even people I knew who were a part. For instance not mentioned above was New York but I specifically saw New York City being key, especially Long Island and Manhattan. Other cities of note were Boston, Harrisburg, Richmond, Raleigh, and Atlanta.

This wave will surpass previous moves of healing in the country, as it is not being carried out by one or even several men and women, but literally thousands of sons and daughters of the King. I saw people gathering in homes and in arenas to celebrate and witness the power of the Gospel and many were swept into the Kingdom as a result.

As I mentioned previously, instead of the wave diminishing when it hit the coast, it actually began to slowly swell and rise up over the land. At about this time I noticed a great wave already approaching from the West Coast as well, and California, Oregon and Washington were similarly engulfed. Both of these waves seemed to be moving towards each other and meeting over the center of our nation where I saw cities like Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Tulsa, Austin and Dallas being washed in the great tide of glory.

I felt I was being shown this to agree with the Holy Spirit and others for this to come to pass and also to encourage this generation of sons and daughters to step out with boldness and proclaim the truth of the Good News, expecting signs and wonders to follow. Freedom, healing and life will follow in the wake of the children of the King in this great hour. (Photo via Pixabay)

So this is a call to action for all who read this article: Awaken, Arise, Pray and Go in boldness believing that as you do, the Lord will surely stretch forth His hand to heal, and that signs and wonders will be done through the name of Jesus.

Brian Britton
Senior Leader and Pastor, The Dwelling Place

Email: brittoneagle72@gmail.com
Website: dwellingplacewilliamsburg.com | dwellingplacerichmond.com |crossworksinternational.com

Since 2002, Brian Britton has been taking the love and power of Jesus to the nations and the local church. He serves as the Senior Leader and Pastor of The Dwelling Place Churches in Williamsburg and Richmond, Virginia, and has planted churches in Pakistan. His life's message is one marrying extreme intimacy and the Father's love with the fire and glory of revival. 

Brian ministers the love and power of God with strong prophetic and healing gifts and has ministered as a revivalist, evangelist, pastor, and teacher in Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, and the Middle East. He and his wife Valerie reside in Williamsburg, Virginia, with their daughter Anastasia. Brian, Valerie, and The Dwelling Place are affiliates of Iris Global and consider Rolland and Heidi Baker their spiritual parents.