What do you hear?

Oh I want to hear from the Lord, don't you? To hear the audible voice of God Almighty. The very voice that spoke the world into being. The Voice that calmed the sea. The great and mighty voice of the I AM. And the tender voice of the one calling me home and saying "Well, done....". As I was thinking about this I began noticing something interesting about how people heard the audible voice of God in the stories of the bible. Some heard a still small voice, others the voice of an angel, and yet others heard a terrifying sound that they begged to stop.

John 12:28-29 says...
" Father Glorify your Name! Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.' the crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered, others said an angel had spoken to him."

 Exodus 20:18 says...
" When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, 'Speak to us yourself and we will listen, but do not have God speak to us or we will die"

Hebrews 12 :19 says...
"...such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them..."

1Kings 19:12 says...
"After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper."

What was the difference? Why did some hear terrifying thunder and others hear a gentle whisper? Why does Moses hear the Lord calling him up the mountain yet the people hear a terrifying loud trumpet blast and thunder?

Could it be that it depends on our positioning? The same voice speaks, The same words are written on the pages of scripture, but perhaps our ability to hear is different depending on the condition of our heart. The same words speak peace and restoration to one person, and offend, frighten, and convict another.

The simple truth is this. We will all hear the voice of God someday. Whether you are a Christian or not you will hear the voice of God. And you will stand before his throne. The question remains, do you want to be terrified? Or comforted? When we repent and turn to him we can hear him as the gentle whisper that brings hope and healing into our heart, rather than the terrifying voice we wish would stop speaking. I hope you will spend some time today learning how to hear his gentle voice. The Lord is faithful and just and His greatest desire is to be reconciled with his people.

Blessings today as you listen to what God has to say to you today.

Give Me a Revelation

Give me a revelation has been the cry of my heart for the last few weeks. I have been going through the Beth Moore Study on Revelation and she has encouraged us to wake each morning and ask God to reveal himself to us. I have been amazed and astounded by what the Lord is revealing to me.

Do we have a revelation of him in this generation? Do we know how awesome in power and splendor he is?

The one who spoke all creation into existence with just a word is a more awesome and powerful God than what I think we make him to be. We like to think of him as our friend ~ and he is~ but we forget that while he loves us and is gentle with us, that he is also holy. Immensely Holy. We need to have a revelation of that.

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being” Revelation 4:11

If you search the scriptures you will find that there are a few amazing glimpses into what the very throne of God looks like. Try to picture this scene in your mind and then draw it out on paper to get an idea of the positioning of the elements around the throne.

“…and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God, Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures…” Revelation 4:2-6

I don’t know about you, but I can’t read this description of the throne of God Almighty without the spirit within me crying out:

 “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, is the Lord God Almighty who was, and is, and is to come.” Revelation 4: 8b

Ask God to reveal himself to you. Tell him you want a revelation of how Holy He is. Then watch and listen, you will be overtaken with awe.

Blessings friends!

Kari

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Basil Soup

The Lord gave me a bounty of Tomatoes and Basil one year. I wanted to be resourceful and really use all that the Lord gave, so I decided to make soup. I looked through tons of recipes, and nothing was exactly what I wanted, so I made one up!! And this is my creation. It has a few extra steps, but the steps really pay off in flavor! This also makes an amazing sauce for Tortellini (Yummm-O!) Hope you like it.

Kari's Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato-Basil Soup

12-14 Medium to Large Tomatoes

1 Whole Head of Garlic

6 Red Peppers

1 Cup Diced Onion

2 Cups Packed fresh basil leaves 

3-4 Cups Chicken Stock 

1 Cup Half and Half

1/3 Cup Sour Cream

1 tsp Sugar

2Tbs Olive Oil

1Tbs Butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1 The Roasting process! Roasting really brings out an amazing rich flavor!

12-14 Tomatoes (medium to large) cut into 1/4 wedges
1 whole head of Garlic unpeeled

Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet  and roast at 450 for about 40-50 minutes or until all the moisture is evaporated. Roast the garlic till soft, remove from oven and cool, then squeeze out garlic pulp

I would NOT recommend separating the garlic like I have here in this Picture. It is much better to roast the whole head of garlic.  

Roast 6 Red Peppers till black but not burned through.

Cool slightly and remove skin and seeds.

Step 2  All together in the pot!

Saute 1 cup Onion in 2Tbs Olive oil and 1 Tbs butter till soft. Add a pinch of salt and 2 Cups Fresh Basil. Continue to saute till very soft. Add 1tsp sugar and coarse black pepper to taste.

Add Tomato, pepper, garlic, and chicken stock to pot and simmer for approx. 1/2 hour over medium heat.

Step 3 Blend!

Blend in a food processor till smooth and strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds and tomato skins. 

Step 4 BLING!!

Return soup to the pot.  Add half and half and sour cream, warm through, adjust for salt and pepper and enjoy!

Now I must tell you at this point that you don't really have to add the half and half and sour cream. It is so good with out it, but it becomes extra special with this touch of cream and richness. I love this as a soup or as a sauce for pasta. I hope you all enjoy this soup as much as me! It's a great way to use up some of your tomato bounty. Enjoy!

Blessings!

Kari