FREEDOM

I was looking back at things the Lord has shared with me over the last year or two and came upon this one from February 2011

“The same power of God that was used to deliver Israel from her bondage destroyed the idols of Egypt. This was because the spiritual yokes and fears that keep us in bondage are often linked to our idols. By this example we also can be sure that the power of God that sets His people free will threaten those who seek to keep people in bondage to them and their idols. They know that when we lose our devotion to their idols they will lose their influence and control over us.
 When I finally pressed through to get into His abiding presence the power of God has made idols that I had useless and as I yearn to set others free, there is a lot of resistance from people who don't want to give up their idols!!”

Wow, this has been really true! When I first started my walk with the Lord in 2001, I remember walking out the door and telling my ex-husband, “Don’t worry, I am not going to go getting religious on you or anything.  I just need to start going to church” Oh boy, did I not have a clue or what?  Haha.  I think back now and laugh, cry, and just plain adore the Lord that brought me to that church that day and took all my burdens off my shoulders, and then proceeded to “clean me up”  It’s truly an amazing story.  Little did I know how I would respond to such an awesome touch from the Lord.  I learned in an instant that those “Jesus Freaks” were really awesome people that had an awesome God.  J From June 17, 2001 until now, I have never turned away from the Lord.  I can’t!!  He is the one who holds me in the palm of His hands. He is the only one who has ever truly understood me and still LOVED me.  He is the one that has taken this broken vessel and has formed and is forming something glorious.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, I have been transformed from a caterpillar to a butterfly.  Amazing!!!  That same power is the one who has caused me to want to destroy all the idols in my life.  I want to make sure that absolutely NOTHING brings me back into a place of bondage to the enemy of my soul.  See, sometimes things look good on the outside and seem to be “right” and “ok” but they lead you into a place of death and torment.  I don’t want anything to do with them.  I thought I had gotten rid of all the world when I was born again, but then, after going through some tough times, I wondered am I just overboard? I began to doubt what I felt the Lord had placed on my heart.  Did He really tell me to get rid of “secular” things? After all, my ex-husband didn’t “stand” with me on this right? Did God really say…..??? Oh what a HORRIBLE TRAP STRAIGHT FROM THE PIT OF HELL.  It took a season of getting the LIFE choked out of me to realize just how dangerous “things” had become to me.  They had become “idols” in my life and my enjoyment of them caused me to spend more time with things that brought “entertainment” than to spend my precious and valuable time with the greatest form of Entertainment ever known to man (the Lord’s ‘Presence’)  Instead of hungering and thirsting after righteousness, I was hungry for things of this “world”.  I was trapped and walking miserably thinking that this was “normal”  after all, I didn’t want to be one of “those” Christians who was out there in whoo whoo land right? OR DO I??? J  Well, I can now say with ABSOLUTE CLARITY (because the Lord delivered my mind) that I would rather stay a zealous and passionate Christian that GETS to give up ALL THE WORLD than to HAVE ALL THE WORLD and not have HIS PRESENCE. He is worth the “sacrifice” (if you can really call it that).  I refuse to go back.  I pray I have a circle of friends that will keep me accountable and that I stay hooked up with people who refuse to stop until they have ALL OF HIS FULLNESS.  We can’t make it without HIM.  Our own understanding fails us!!! We THINK we know the Word and then HE REVEALS the truth and we are blown away once again.  HE IS GOD!!!! WE ARE NOT!!! J  I only want to be LED BY HIS SPIRIT and do everything that He calls me to do in this life.  I want to praise HIM with my HEART and not just my lips.  I want to press forward and not go back.  In order to do this, I have to be willing to lay down ANYTHING HE CALLS AN IDOL IN MY LIFE.  When I do this, RELIGIOUS people get frustrated! There are people that want their “organized” “pretty” “so nice” litte boxes that they try to shove God into, but HE DOESN’T FIT!!!  YOU CAN’T CONTROL GOD!!!! He is TOO BIG and guess what.  HE IS STILL HOLY!!! He will draw you into a life where HE WILL bring you into a HOLINESS that is of HIM and NOT YOU.  HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!!!  Why do people get mad when someone is SET FREE from idols? Because in their heart, they have said “I WILL NOT GIVE THAT UP”.  They are in a religious box and they want to try to get you to stay in that box, too.  God have mercy on their souls! I am FREE and I am REDEEMED and I will SHOUT IT FROM THE HOUSETOPS!!!

Where is your citizenship??

Ephesians chapter 2

He has made us ALIVE unto HIM!!!  We are citizens of the Kingdom of God and not only citizens of this world (v 19) We are not to be comfortable here on earth.  We are walking around as foreigners (WITHOUT RIGHTS) in a land that is not our home.  While we are at home in this body, we are absent from the Lord (2 Cor 5:6) So, therefore, if we are walking in the spirit, we will be content in ALL THINGS as we go through this life living in a land where we have NO RIGHTS.  As long as we are living in a mindset that we DESERVE to be apologized to when wronged, we are not walking in our citizenship of the Kingdom of God, but instead with a mindset that is in citizenship of this WORLD.  We were never meant to walk in the bondage of this world, but instead walk in the freedom of our heavenly citizenship while living as ambassadors for the KING.  We don’t have to wait until the sweet by and by to walk in the Kingdom of God, but instead, we can be CONTENT with ALL THINGS while we are here on earth if we remember that we are citizens of a higher Kingdom already if we have been born of God.  Hallelujah!!!  Even though we have no RIGHTS in this world, we have the right to OCCUPY and bring heaven to earth.  We are AMBASSADORS in a foreign land for OUR KING.  Oh Lord, that we would be so consumed by your LOVE FOR US that we would walk in YOUR MINDSET when we are attacked.  When the very core of our being is attacked, let us walk in the nature of Jesus Christ Himself and not in the nature of Adam who has been crucified with Christ!  Let us walk in the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit and not the resurrection of Adam and his carnal nature.  Thank you Lord that we have NOT DONE THIS OF OURSELVES, but that YOU BOUGHT us with a precious price.  You poured out your precious blood of Jesus and redeemed us from the pit of despair.  Even in the smallest matters, WE CAN NOT CHANGE OURSELVES.  We totally look to you daddy!!! We depend on you for our redemption.  We depend on YOU TO CHANGE US!!! Thank you Lord for bringing us into FREEDOM!!! Thank you for the glorious inheritance of GRACE that you have bestowed upon us!!  Ok, that’s exciting stuff.  Now, as we take time to meditate on the faithfulness of God, we are brought into a place of RECEIVING GRACE from HIM.  We get our hearts into a place that is positioned under the spout of LIVING WATER.  As we allow HIM to penetrate our very beings with HIS LIVING WATER, we then begin to overflow.  THIS, BELOVED, IS HOW WE ARE TO WALK IN THE WORLD.  We are to be walking in overflow of HIS glorious grace.  We should be POURING liquid LOVE on ALL THE WORLD!!!! The world that doesn’t realize that YOU CAN’T FIX YOURSELF!!!! They are in need of a Savior!!! One who comes to dwell and cleanse and set free from sin, NOT SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG!!!!  He loves us enough to SET US FREE!!!! We are then free to not hold anyone captive by our pitiful attitudes because we have had pain and sorrow from them.  NO!!!! IT’S NEVER THE OTHER PERSONS FAULT when we are wounded.  We have not been walking in the Spirit and allowing our flesh to stay crucified if we are offended.  Just get back up and keep walking the walk and fighting the good fight of faith!!!! In HIM, we live, move, and have our being. We have to walk in this precious faith!!! If we begin to walk in the pressures and cares of this life, then we have side stepped somehow and just need to get back on track.  Keep your eyes on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith!!

They didn't even smell like smoke!!!

In Daniel chapter 3, I am reminded of just HOW BIG My God is!!!  As I have allowed my focus to drift from the awesomeness of my God into intercession for what is coming to the earth, I allowed fear to grip me.  So, this week, I was brought to Shadrach, Meshack, and AbedNego.  For those of you who don't know, these are the boys that REFUSED to bow down to an IDOL.  They knew how BIG their God was and they were more than willing to DIE if it meant honoring their God.  They had seen the hand of God in their lives and they had NO ROOM FOR ANY IDOLS in their lives.  Our God is a Holy God and a LOVING God and a PROVIDING God.  He is well able to provide everything that we need in times of Crises.  We run to HIM and HE IS OUR REFUGE!  We need to know this!! These boys knew it and when they refused to bow down to the idol, they were thrown in the fire.  However, even unto apparent death, they REFUSED TO BOW DOWN.  They KNEW who their God was and they KNEW that HE WOULD PROVIDE and that the Idol that they were being told to bow down to had NO POWER and their God did!!! So, when they were thrown into the fire, the LORD was immediately with them.  The fire melted the chains (or whatever they were bound up with) and they were FREE!!!! Where the spirit of the Lord is there is FREEDOM!!!! We may have to go through fire when we REFUSE to bow down to other Gods, but the FIRE brings FREEDOM!!! He says that when we walk through the fire, it shall not burn us (Isa 43:2)  Glory to God MoST HIGH!!! I am so thankful!!! These things that we are getting ready to walk through are nothing compared to the GLORY that shall be revealed in us and through us.  How do we see the miraculous power of God?  We ask because we need!!! If we never need anything, how can we trust God to provide it? We have an UNSHAKABLE GOD and He allows us to LIVE in HIS UNSHAKABLE KINGDOM.  We need to take full advantage to get HIDDEN IN HIM for this world will not be here forever, but HE WILL!! :)

Trials and Testing

So, I was listening to a podcast by Perry Stone and he was talking about 3 types of testing.  He talked about common testing, seasonal testing, and the Hour of testing.

The common testings were things like tempers, slips of the tongue, and various depressions and such.  Most of us get stuck in these types of tesgings.  We fail often times, but thankfully, we get to take a re-test.  I have taken them often, unfortunately. 

Next, there is a seasonal testing.  These things come after you have been set free from something and it hasn't been a temptation and then all of a sudden, you have such a crazving for these things.  They are things like old habits broken, broken addictions, Sicknesses that come every year at the same time, etc.

Then, we all go through an HOUR of testing.  This is the big one.  This is the wham bam slam of testings.  When things come against you one right after the other.  This is the one that nearly brings you down.  This hour can come upon you when you are at your weakest.  Satan tries to take you out with these. 

The enemy shoots these arrows at you to kill, steal, or destroy your life, but God has given us abundant life.  He has given us major weapons that will help us to not only overcome these testings, but actually get on the offensive end against satan.  In Roman times, the shields would be made out of leather and they would have to soak them in WATER and then rub them with OIL so they could repel the fiery darts from the enemy.  Wow!! How neat is that.  When we are washed by the water of the Word and full of the anointing of the Holy Spirit (oil), we are able to go through these testings and still have joy! We are human and will not always be perfect for sure, but the Lord has not left us weak and defenseless against the enemy of our souls.  He wouldn't be a very loving daddy if that were the case.  No, instead, he has given us a wonderful helper that bears us up when we are in a season of testing.  If we have NOT QUENCHED the Holy Spirit, He quickens our mortal bodies so that we are able to come through refined by the testing and not DESTROYED.  Hallelujah!!! 2 Corinthians 4:8 says "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;"  There are COUNTLESS scriptures that give us HOPE that we can get through ANYTHING when we are walking in the Spirit and not after the flesh.  We are to only believe it possible.  ALL THINGS are possible to him who believes.  We need to look up to Him who gives us strength and keep on pressing.  We CAN'T give up!!! We have come too far.  When you have come out of your hour of testing, don't forget those who might be going through theirs and stand in the gap to pray in faith for them.  We should all be united with Jesus when praying for others in their hour's of testing.  I guarantee Jesus isn't praying "Father, don't let them go through pain.  Father, don't let them lose all their worldly "stuff"  No, He is more likely praying Father, keep their faith strong and when they have come through this hour of testing, let them strengthen their brethren in unity against the enemy.  Let this season glorify me in their lives or something to that effect.  :)  I am so thankful that when I am going through "stuff", that Jesus Himself is praying for me.  :)  (Romans 8:34) .

I was less than 4 years old in the Lord when my hour of testing came.  I remember sitting at a service in Cookeville, and the prophet that was speaking came straight to me in a crowd of about 200 people and said "You are getting ready to face Goliath.  You need to get your stones ready"  Ok, now I had no clue what was about to happen, but guess who stuck her face in the scriptures and sought the Lord with everything that she had?  haha.  I did everything I could to get edified and ready for whatever was coming.  I prayed and fasted more than ever.  I didn't really know how to take the word.  Then about a month later, It all started with my 250.00 puppy having seizures and dying.  Then, my brother was sent to IRAQ, my Father got sick and died, I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (which I DON"T HAVE NOW. Thank you Jehovah Rophe), Then, my previous husband, and myself began to have arguments and it became more and more violent until he finally left and wasn't allowed back unless he got help.  I didn't think I would ever have a divorce after I became a Christian.  It was devastating, It stumbled me, but then it wasn't over yet.  My grandma got sick and died.  All this happened within a 2 year period.  I was never really strong before when it came to handling hard things.  I had always been very FRAGILE.  I didn't realize that I could go through all of this and come out stronger than I have ever been.  Through all of this, the Lord held me tight.  I made some stupid mistakes during this time, but I never left the Lord.  I knew that if anyone could help me during all of this, my daddy God could.  Sure enough, even though I didn't handle things the best way, God was faithful and brought me through the fire.  The Water of the Word and the anointing of the Holy Spirit that is on my life was enough!!! Hallelujah!! The Lord gave me a warning before all of this came and I am so greatful.  He has blessed me so dearly.  I have more than I had before I went through my hour of testing.  The Lord is faithful and kind and gracious and altogether LOVELY!!! So, when you are tempted to think of me being a crazy woman who just praises the Lord too much, let me remind you that my "alabastar box" cost me a lot.  I am willing to go through the fire with the Lord if that is what it takes to be able to use me for HIS SERVICE!  :)  Ok, I am getting sleepy so I guess I will wrap this one up.  Have a wonderful evening or day or whatever time you might be reading this.  Just remember, the Lord is faithful and HE IS WORTHY OF SO MUCH PRAISE!!!

God orchestrates our footsteps (sometimes we are unaware)

I love the way that God orchestrates our footsteps even when we are unaware at times.  He sets up all kinds of divine appointments for us to be able to minister HIS love to others.  Sometimes, we don't realize He has done it, but if we are always careful to keep our hearts pure in devotion to Him, we will reach out seemingly naturally.  If it's in our hearts and we are flowing over with love and devotion to our Lord, we can't help but release the Kingdom of God to them.  We are fountains of LIVING WATER meant to be placed in the DRY PLACES so that thirsty people can get a drink.  So, recently, my husband felt a knudge to go visit with a fellow brother in his church with a congregation of about 20 people or so.  I really didn't want to miss my church this Sunday since I knew our pastor was doing a sermon on the Kingdom of God, so I said (begrudgingly and very whiney I hate to admit) "Oh man, ok if we need to go there, we will go." We got up that Sunday morning and secretly, I was hoping that the Lord would give us an out and let us go to our own church, but nope.  Thankfully, I have a wonderful husband that doesn't listen to my "flesh" crying out and knows that when the spirit is leading, we go regardless of what our "flesh" wants to do in these cases.  We went! We got there and it didn't take very long to see that God had been in control the whole time! God orchestrates our footsteps and we may not always get 3 signs and a lightening bolt from Heaven to confirm which direction to go, but HE is faithful and blesses our work when it is our delight to do HIS WILL.  He is so amazing.  He knows exactly who we are going to come into contact with and has already made the paths straight.  Our job is to "seek first the Kingdom of God"!  He has a plan and we need to be willing to lay down our lives and give them to Him.  The old song goes "I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, No turning back, NO turning back.  Though none go with me, still I will follow........"  I love that!! Have you decided?  I have been in all kinds of places from totally disobedient when I didn't know it was him talking to me, to unknowingly disobedient to totally obedient with a grudge and total obedience with a merry heart.  I have to say I was much happier and saw so much more fruit when I obeyed with a merry heart, but that doesn't always happen in me.  I am growing though.  I don't murmur and complain like I used to do.  Now, it just takes thoughts usually.  As soon as I know that it's Him saying it, I am usually very quick to obey.  It shouldn't take Him telling me specifically.  I need to stay crucified and continually "live in the spirit"  Anyway,  I want to say that this day that we went to this church, the Lord moved and we saw some blessings out of it.  Go out and follow your daddy today!!!! He has big plans for you!!!! He will lead your steps even if you don't know it yet!!

I touched it!!!

11/30/11-

So, today I am sitting and pondering on the faithfulness of God.  I was thinking about how great the Lord is and how He has brought me through so many trials and temptations.  He has refined me in ways that I never realized.  I am so thankful that the Lord has brought me so far.  He is so stinking good.  Last September is when I began to “Move Forward”.  Earlier in that month, I saw the angel of the Lord that looked like Abraham Lincoln sitting in the left corner of our sanctuary and then later that month, was the day that there was breakthrough in the spirit for me.  It was the day they first sung “Moving Forward” at church (9/25/11).  It was the Ninth year of my salvation.  June 17, 2001 – Sept 25, 2001 = 9 years.  So, today, I had to look back at my journal because I know that is where I shifted into the new anointing that He told me I would.  I realized that there must be significance to the number 9.  So, I went to my trusted resource and this is what I have found.  The number 9 means this:  Judgment, Finality, End, End of an Age or Era, the Physical Manifestation of the fruit of the understanding (good or bad), Tribulation (Birthing of the Fruit)  WOW WOW WOW!!!!   In the last year since this time, we have had more tribulation, and hardship, but we have had more fuit and it has been lovely.  The BIRTHING of the fruit.  Everything that I had sown in the first 9 years of my born again life were now coming to fruit!!! Hallelujah!!!! I have never been the same!!!! I praise His Holy Name.  This was about the time I came into covenant with AGLOW as well.  It’s amazing how the Lord has orchestrated all my footsteps and caused me to be exactly where I need to be.  He has restored my soul!!! I am so thankful!!! I am excited to go deeper still with my Lord.  You might think I am a little cooky at times, but if you only knew what my alabaster box costed, you wouldn’t judge my cookiness.  You see, I have been delivered from so much bondage to so many things.  The Lord touched me in 2001 and I have been madly in love with Him ever since.  I have had my seasons of frustration and my fair share of mistakes, but for the most part, I have come to know that He is my Rock, Refuge and Fortrress.  I know that “no weapon formed against me will prosper”  I know that I am crucified with Christ and it is now by FAITH in the son of God that I live.  Yet, not I that live, but He that lives IN ME and THROUGH ME.  If you have never been set free, you will never realize the depth of my love for Jesus, but oh BELOVED, if you have ever had a TOUCH from the master’s hand, you know exactly what I am talking about.  You can’t help but talk about the things you have seen and heard (read Acts 4, neither could the disciples).  My Lord is so real to me that I am “ruined for the ordinary”  He is as much in love with me as I am with HIM.  I have truly been rescued.  You have no idea until you have been on this Journey with Jesus!!! When I was first born again, I had this same passion and excitement and through the cares of the world and much tribulation and trials, sometimes it was all I could do to muster up strength to stay in church.  God blessed my life and continued to hold me in the palm of His hand, but it seemed at times, I slipped further and further away and it got scary.  It felt like I was going backwards at times and I could not stand the thought of EVER GOING BACK to my old life.  It was horrible and I was a wretched miserable woman.  I had a spirit of Heaviness that NO MAN could help me with.  I was SUICIDAL at times and if it had NOT BEEN FOR THE LORD, I would NOT BE HERE TODAY.  I KNOW THIS!!! You see, He gives us a garment of Praise for the spirit of heaviness.  I praised God as much as humanly possible during all of my tribulations, but wasn’t always the greatest at it.  I sure didn’t FEEL it most of the time.  I felt miserable, all alone, and like NO ONE loved me the way I knew God loved me.  I DESPERATELY needed to touch the HEM of His garment so I could be made whole and I KNEW IT.  Well, friends, I have touched not only the HEM of His garment, but I have touched my daddy’s heart as well.  He loves me and I am one of His favorites.  YOU CAN BE, TOO!!! How great is that???? WOW!!!  Come with me on this Journey and reach for Jesus.  He wants you more than you realize.  RELIGION has bound people up by trying to make them be what RELIGION says you ought to be, but Jesus has come so that you can be FREE!!!!!!  Free to dance, Free to sing, Free to shout praises to the most High God!!!! JUMP OUT OF THE BOAT and come walk on the WATER!!!! He is the LIVING WATER!!!! If you are afraid of being undignified, I am so sorry for your loss…… You are free to be in bondage to that unfortunately as well.  I will pray that many many people will come to know the FREEDOM that Jesus DIED ON THAT CROSS FOR YOU TO HAVE!!!!  All those who BELIEVE can have the fullness of HIS GRACE!!!! Just ask HIM!!!!  Be blessed today!!!

 

Paul's thorn in the flesh? hmmmm just thinking out loud. :)

So, lately, I have had all sorts of things that my heart has been crying out for right?  Obviously, there have been some really deep times of intercession for this region and different things.  I don't always understand what God is doing in and through me.  I believe if we knew half of the things that he was doing through us, we would be so stinking puffed up with pride that we would be no earthly good right?  So, I think that is why we must glory in our infirmites.  I have been thinking about Paul's thorn in the flesh.  I have heard people say that it must have been a sickness, but I don't believe that is possible. The word used for thorn in this passage (2 Cor 12:7) is skolops, which means "splinter".  Didn't Jesus talk about people having "splinters" in our eyes?  Just a thought.  I believe the thorn Paul might possibly be talking about is indeed the weaknesses of our own stinking "flesh".  Just when I have an abundance of reveleations pouring through me and I go "WHOA, that's deep" If I allow myself to get puffed up because I am some sort of amazing person or something, I am immediately poked back to the reality that I am NOTHING without HIM and that my flesh is still NASTY and ROTTEN and totally SELFISH.  I am reminded that unless I stay crucified with Christ, I CAN DO NOTHING right.  This is why I am able to brag about the stupid things that I have gotten into EVEN WHILE SERVING THE LORD.  I have had so many mistakes, but God has been gracious through them all.  He truly sets the captives FREE and when Christ has set you free, YOU ARE FREE INDEED. He has set us free from this Body of DEATH that we are chained to through HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD.  He gives us the power to overcome this world!!! Hallelujah!!  He is worthy of all our praise if HE never did another thing for you in your life, this would be enough to praise Him for.  I could go on and on, but I was thinking this would just be something short tonight. 

These things that my heart cries out for have been with me for a long time.  I have sat on a lot of things that I felt the Lord was showing me.  I am not some super spiritual, super Christian.  Instead, I am a naturally supernatural creation of the Lord God almighty who is having a "human" experience.  You ever heard "I am not a human having a spiritual experience, but a spirit having a human experience"  That's me!! I didn't know I was a spirit until I was "born of the spirit".  I love it!! The things I say don't always make sense, but I realize that in that aspect of things, Jesus didn't always make sense either huh?  I bet He left a lot of people scratching their heads you know?  God uses the WEAK and FOOLISH things to CoNFOUND the WISE. I just love it!!!!  I, like most of the people that God uses, am not one that is eloquent of speech, but one thing I am is trusting of my Daddy!!! I am NOT AFRAID to JUMP when HE says JUMP.  Therefore, I get to see God moving in people all around me.  We have to realize that we are never going to be so perfect and that GOD USES US IMPERFECT PEOPLE!!! The more we realize how imperfect we are, it seems the more He uses us.  WOW!!! Not sure how biblically sound this all is.  Take it with a grain of salt.  I just know I am so excited to get to operate the KINGDOM OF GOD here on earth and to BE HIS AMBASSADOR.  I have all authority over the enemy in my life and in the lives of the realm of authority He gives to me as an inheritance.  I plan to keep exercising my authority and to remain submitted to His authority. I want to keep staying so full of God's Word and spending so much time with my daddy that I can't help but speak LIFE everywhere I go.  I am getting better everyday.  I am so thankful that the Lord orchestrates our footsteps and that NOTHING that I have been through will have been in vain.  Even my stupid mistakes our covered in the precious blood of the Lamb and are being turned around and used for MY GOOD!!!!  Hallelujah!!!! No other God can do that!!!!  Why would we want any other God besides Jehovah Jireh?  Jehovah Rophe?  Our King of Kings and our Lord of Lords, our lover, and our best friends, our refuge and our strength.  He is so worthy of our Praise!!! Ok, I am getting a little sleepy and need to get some rest.  I just wanted to share some thoughts.  I hope even in my ramblings that I have blessed someone out there in blog world.  Maybe one day, I will know.  Until then, I look at this blog as being a way to share things with anyone who wants to read.  :) 

Suffer the children to come to me, and forbid them not!!!

Luke 18:16-17-They they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them (the hungry ones) BUT JESUS called them to HIM and said "Let the little children come to Me, and DO NOT FORBID THEM, for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.

We WILL not be able to accept the Kingdom of God unless we get as a little child and TOTALLY trust our Father completely.  Kids receive everything AS IS and they don't have the capability to reason things away because they don't agree with them. 
Shortly after I was born again, I was reading Mark 16:17-18- And these signs will follow those who believe.  In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues.  They will take up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it wsill by no means harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover"  I strongly believe that I had a revelation that the harmful poison that he was talking about was the deadly poisons coming from others mouths.  Whether it was a false doctrine or negative things that came against me.  Not that those things don't damage me on some part.  They hurt.  I have been wounded, but ultimately, because I was able to "chew the straw" and learn to "spit the sticks"  I have "received" several different truths of the word of God that I would not have been open to even hearing if I had been "AFRAID" that someone would sidetrack me (GREATER IS HE THAT IS WITHIN ME THAN HE THAT IS WITHIN THE WORLD -1 John 4:4.  I know that!!!)   .  I was gullible and I wasn't afraid.  I have sat under some things that were not truth, but because I have been as a little child when listening to leaders, I HAVE RECEIVED THE KINGDOM OF GOD and it is ALIVE AND ACTIVE WITHIN ME. I am thankful for that revelation.  Granted, I have been through a lot of heartache and it's not been an "easy road"  but my daddy has taken care of me and I totally trust HIM to get me where I need to be.  I just JUMP OUT OF THE BOAT AND ASK QUESTIONS LATER.  :)  I am not going to be bound by religion if I can at all keep from it!! He is cleansing me from all that junk and I am receiving as a little child again.  There are so many frustrations at times though.  I can't understand why we think we can keep going without God's manifest presence coming in power and glory.  How can we sit in congregations where there is no Hope and healing and restoration.  It is up to US to get up and be the KINGDOM in our congregations.  PASTORS ARE JUST RESPONSIBLE TO EQUIP US and then it is UP TO US TO RELEASE THE KINGDOM TO OTHERS. 
He often does not operate in the way that we think He should and a lot of times, we are NOT WILLING to let go of our traditions built by RELIGION and TRADITION and allow HIS KINGDOM to operate within us.  Oh God, deliver us from any religious TRASH that we have accepted as our own thoughts.  Help us to not walk breathing in the carbon monoxide that will put us to sleep and eventually KILL us.  Help us to breathe in the extra breathe of Oxygen that we need to make it Carbon Monoxide!  We are hungry for you and desperate for your touch.  We can not live, move, or have our being without your touch.  We NEED YOUR KINGDOM to COME and YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN!!!  We need to walk in your anointing and power!!! There is a dying world out there and if WE the CHURCH do not rise up and SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND YOUR RIGTEOUSNESS, we will DIE!!!  NO THINGS are worth losing the KINGDOM OF GOD.  We need to walk in the FULLNESS of your GOSPEL!!! We need to Walk in your Spirit and NOT AFTER THIS FLESH.  God grant us a Godly sorrow that will lead us into true repentance for keeping our children from coming to your kingdom.  We have settled for "religion" and it has put us to SLEEP.  There is no healing, and there is no peace, and there is NO SATISFACTION in that place.  We declare wholeness and Healing for your body Lord.  We ask that you cause us to walk as children who see your secrets.  We ask for you to cause us to be exactly what you need us to be Lord.  Lord, our children need to WRAPPED up in YOU!!! Keep us growing to that place of VICTORY Lord.  Deliver your children and draw them to you Lord. Keep us from causing them to stumble.  If we can teach them nothing else, let them LEARN TO BE A PEOPLE OF PRAISE AND NOT MURMURING AND COMPLAINING.  We have failed to do this in ourselves at times and we are so thankful that you are a God of 2nd, 3rd, and infinite chances.

So, anyway, this morning around the breakfast table, we talked about the bronze serpent being lifted up.  As I am thinking about this, it strikes me, "Is this what he meant by 'They shall take up serpents' ?
Anyway, we all took turns praising His Holy name and things that we are thankful for and as we lifted up the name of Jesus, there was joy and my kids received a little teaching because it was God being lifted up and NOT US!! They are hungry for HIM!!! As the children of Israel looked upon the bronze serpent, they were healed and as we look into your eyes Jesus, we are made whole and restored.  Thank you Jesus for allowing us to look into your precious face and see your smile on us.  Thank you for breaking down our PRIDEFUL attitudes and causing us to walk in your statutes.  You are Worthy of All our praise.  We will praise you and even be undignified if we have to be because there is NO GOD LIKE YOU!!!! You are the only one who can work "ALL THINGS TOGETHER FOR OUR GOOD"  You are faithful!!!!  Your promises are Yes and Amen!!  Help us teach our kids to be hungry to sit at your feet and to LOVE YOU Jesus!!!! Help us to never hinder them to come into your presence and to let you LOVE ON THEM!!!  Help us to raise up passionate children for you!!! Children who are on fire and who know the power of walking in your kingdom authority.  Help us to never cause our children to be full of wrath.  We have messed up as a family, but we are repenting as a family and asking that you help us correct anything that we may have messed up. Thank you Jesus!!!!


Thank you all for reading my rants on here.  I hope at times I can encourage others.  I don't always feel like I make sense of half of the things I rattle about, but I feel that I can at least share my heart and hopefully encourage someone who might be just as messed up as I have been to turn their eyes to Jesus as I lift HIM up.  If I can manage to exalt HIM far above myself, then SOMEONE can be drawn to the one who LOVES them deeply, madly, and passionately.  May the Lord Bless you and keep you, and make His face to SHINE upong you!!!

The Kingdom of God is within you!!

This morning, I woke up with "the Kingdom of God is within you" playing in my soul.  As me and my husband did our morning reading, we went to Luke 17.  Luke 17:20-21- Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observations:  nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' for indeed, the kingdom of God is within you. "

Lord we need you to open up our hearts to receive all that you would have us to receive.  We often stop at less than you desire.  The thief has come to "kill, steal, and destroy", but you have come that we would "Have life and have it more abundantly".  We want to walk with you so closely that we no longer live, but that YOU LIVE THROUGH US.  We choose your kingdom and we reject the kingdom of darkness.  In Jesus Name, we will go forth and be YOUR AMBASSADORS. 

Ok, so when I was first born again, the Lord planted this idea of the Kingdom of God being within me.  I didn't fully grasp all that He was doing at that time, but as I have been coming out of a period when I had "fallen asleep" and MY BELOVED came and "woke me up" calling for me.  I look around at the church and I yearn for the day when she KNOWS WHO SHE IS.  We have such a dim look.  We are not shining brightly on the hilltops as we ought to.  We have been in an identity crises and it has caused our lights to be dimly lit.  You see, when we are born again, the Kingdom of God is planted within us and we receive the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out Abba Father and the spirit bears witness that we are children of God(Romans 8:15-16) When we become HIS CHILDREN, it comes with an inheritance (Romans 8:17).  This inheritance isn't just going to heaven someday.  This inheritance is being able to abide in HIS PRESENCE and operate HIS KINGDOM NOW.  We are able to reach up and connect with our Daddy and bring the Kingdom to others.  There are children to be adopted out there and we as a family get to love on all those who are still out there so that God can bring the rest of the family in.  We all play a part.  We are all unique in that our personalities are different and He calls us to do different things in the body.  However, the one thing that should remain the same for all of HIS CHILDREN is that we all have HIS KINGDOM WITHIN US.  What is HIS KINGDOM?  Righteousness, Peace, Joy in the Holy Spirit. 

We have often quoted the "Lord's prayer" and said "On Earth as it is in Heaven".  Why do you think He wanted us to pray that way?  I would like to tell you that it is because He has given us all authority here on Earth to pray this prayer in HIS NAME.  WE CAN BIND AND LOOSE THINGS here on Earth because HE SAID SO.  We just don't know WHO or WHOSE we are.  Most of us have never taken the time to soak in His presence and open up to HIS WORD to allow it to penetrate the very fiber of our being.  He has so many nuggets that people aren't getting because they don't want to spend time with HIM.  He is our teacher and our best friend and if we are going to DO HIS WILL on EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN, we NEED HIM in constant fellowship with us, but I will save that conversation for another time.  If He told us that we are to pray that way when we pray, WHY DO WE NOT BELIEVE IT CAN HAPPEN.  He said that when we pray, we are to believe whole heartedly that the thing we pray is going to happen and if a man is double minded in anything, let that man not receive anything from Him (James 1)

Oh Children of God, if you only knew WHO YOU ARE!!!  You have authority over these things that come to invade earth.  It is NOT HIS WILL for sickness, death, disease to be in control of our lives.  We are to walk in authority over these things.  I am learning and growing in this area now.  I can't say I have "arrived" by no means, but like Paul said "I am forgetting all those things that are behind and I am pressing toward the mark".  I can no longer sit and ignore Him and His word anymore.  He is my LIFE.  In HIM I live, breathe and have my being.  We can't do this without coming to HIM and letting HIM TRANSFORM OUR MINDS.  We in the Bible belt especially have adopted more "religion and traditions of men" than we have "the spirit of God"  My heart cry is that we will walk in the Kingdom of God that is within us and that instead of wanting to go to church to "be spoon fed" we will GROW UP INTO THE MATURITY that we need.  When we are babies, we get the milk, but once we get the milk and grow up, we need solid food.  You know what the meat of the word is?  It is to DO THE WILL OF THE FATHER.  "On EARTH as it is in HEAVEN"  Jesus said "My Food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work" and then goes on to tell us to LOOK AT THE FILEDS, FOR THEY ARE READY FOR HARVEST!"  He died so that we could come into THIS KINGDOM.  What are we doing with it???? We can't just go to church to get filled, WE MUST GO FORTH and spread this KINGDOM OF GOD WITHIN US!!! Go Forth and multiply.  Don't be like the servant who kept the master's money and didn't spend it and cause INCREASE to come.  :)  God will bring the increase.  Just go and plant the Kingdom in others!!

Living in the OVERFLOW of the Love of God

This morning, I sit and seek the Lord's help with my current situation.  I have had some physical issues with my Thyroid and hormones so I haven't been the loveliest of creatures (that's mild I guess).  Anyway, instead of serving with the overflow, everything the last couple of weeks has been more draining.  I have been "doing" all the right things, (spending time in the word, sitting at His feet, worshipping, etc.....)  But it has been the attitude of my heart that has kept me from really receiving God's love that causes me to overflow.  So, it all finally came to a head the last two days (the longest meltdown I have had in FOREVER) I was discontent and dissatisfied with everything it seemed. It seemed that I had poured the life out and there was never any gratitude.  Instead, there was complaining and murmuring and no one wanting to take care of themselves.  *NOTE: this was my skewed perception, but not reality for the most part.  Anyway, because I hadn't been receiving the inflow and I was still trying to outflow, I was getting drained.  So, today, I just want to LOVE Him and let Him heal my heart.  I am needing my daddy to comfort me like only He can.  Only my daddy can give me LIFE and FREEDOM.  He is my Refuge and He is my strength.  If I walk in any bitterness or unforgiveness, I STOP THE FLOW OF THE SPIRIT.  I can't afford to do that.  I have to stay in the LIFE giving flow of the Holy Spirit in order to serve others out of overflow.  No matter what the reactions of the people that I serve, I MUST BE IN RIGHT SPIRIT.  I don't believe I have been!  I have grumbled and complained and allowed this flesh to rise up.  NOT GOOD!!  So, I come this morning because I am truly repenting for the attitude of my heart to my daddy.  You want to know how good HE IS?  Of course, we know that when we come to Him and CONFESS our faults, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST and forgives us and CLEANSES us from all unrighteousness.  He is Righteous in that and Justifies me "just as if" I never sinned. That's worth SHOUTING the praises all day long!!! However, I am thinking He is JUST as well.  Because He is Just, He uses the precious blood of Jesus to cause me to learn in this and grows me up.  Hallelujah!! He is worthy of all our praise!! 
 WOW!! My daddy knows just what I need just when I need it.  I love Him!!! He is going to the very root and healing my innermost parts.  See, HE FLOWS TO US so we can then flow to others.  As we are able to RECEIVE from HIM, we can then flow to others even when they are ungrateful.  This also helps us because when we are ungrateful, we know that there is still a LOVE that flows to us if we take time to receive it.
So, anyway, after all this, I open "Come Away My Beloved" by Frances Roberts and I read this:

"All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant." Psalm 25:10

My children, there is no good thing that I would withhold from you.  I have not left you to fend for yourselves nor to make your way by your own devices.  I am the Lord your God.  I am your provider and your defender.  I care for you with a deep and tender love.  I am all-wise and all-powerful and will be your defense against every onslaught of the enemy.
Anticipate My help.  I will not fail you.  Look down at the path before you.  You will see the print of My feet.  "I will go before you and make the crooked places straight" (Isaiah 45:2).  I will make the path ready for you as you follow.  It is a joy to My heart when My children rely on Me.  I delight in working things out for you, but I delight even more in you yourself than in anything I do to help you.  Even so, I want you to delight in Me just for Myself, rather than in anything you do for Me. 
Service is the salvage of love.  It is like the twelve baskets of bread that were left over.  The bread that was eaten was like the fellowship mutually given; and the excess and overflow was a symbol of service.  I do not expect you to give to others until you have first eaten.  I will provide you with plentiful supply to give if you first come to receive for your own needs. 
This is not selfishness.  It is the Law of Life. Can the stalk of corn produce the ear unless first it receives its own life from the parent seed?  No more can you produce fruit in your ministry unless you are impregnated with divine life from its source in God Himself.  It was from the hands of the Christ that the multitudes received bread.  From His hands you also must receive your nurture, the Bread of Life to sustain your health and your life.
This is His love-covenant with you.  It is the message of John 15:4; "Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the Branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the Vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. " This abiding is a love relationship, and this is why service is the salvage of love.
Service will be futile and burdensome unless it springs from an overflowing heart.  Overflowing not with good intentions and condescending self-righteousness, but overflowing with the love of God.  This you do not have of yourself, nor can you give, however much you might desire to do so.  You will posses this love only as you wait upon Me and take time to absorb it from Me, like a quiet flower takes life from the warm rays of the sun.
Your heart will be cold otherwise.  For your ready ardor and natural sympathy and common kindness will soon be cooled by the chill winds of ingratitude and others' unlovely reactions.  Do you thing the love of Jesus was always well received?  Would He not have brought His ministry to an abrupt end on many an occasion if He had needed the appreciation of people to motivate His loving service?
Have you read the reaction of the religious people to the recital of His miracle-working power in Luke 4?  The exhibition of God's love draws forth emotions in the unregenerate heart that are nothing short of murderous at times.  In other cases, God's love is met by callous indifference and criminal ingratitude, as with the nine lepers who never returned to express so much as a word of thanks for their deliverance from a walking death (see Luke 17:12-19).
In the face of divine love being poured forth on Calvary--The holy, sinless God Himself dying for sinful, depraved, undeserving humanity--what is the reaction?  Gratitude?  Love? Contrition?  No! Hate lashes out in jeers and mocking.  Violence and cruelty flow forth like a river and mingle with the very blood that was spilt for their redemption!
No.  Human kindness will never be enough.  It will never fill the twelve baskets with fragments.  There will never be any crumbs left over for others unless you first eat from your own personal love feast with the Savior.
Let Him fully satisfy your soul-hunger, and then you will go fort with a full basket on your arm.
Twelve baskets there were (see Matthew 14:20).  One for each disciple. There will always be the multitudes to be fed, but the few called to minister.  This is by My own arrangement.  As the Scripture says; "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment" (James 3:1).
Many are called, Few are chosen.

I am going deeper still.....

You know I have been on this journey with Jesus for 10 years now.  He never ceases to amaze me!  I went through a period of about 7 years of this in what I call a wilderness place. I am on the other side of this wilderness now and am victorious!  However, I am going deeper still.  I am determined that MY LIFE will not be in vain.  I will accomplish everything that He calls me to with HIS STRENGTH.  The devil will not get the victory for my life!! So, I am at a place where I am called to go deeper still.  Just when I thought I was getting too deep right?  LOL God has a way of always taking us out of our comfort zones and then bringing us deeper still and then providing HIS COMFORT!  He is so faithful!!!! So, anyway, I am growing in the area of following the spirit and not the flesh.  My mind being the battlefield.  For those who know me, you know I have failed to filter what is in my mind from coming out of my mouth.  I am pretty transparent.  What you see is what you get.  If I am failing inside my mind or my heart, you will know it because I expose myself through my mouth.  :(  This is a double edged sword.  Anyway, this morning, I am sharing my heart with you.  My sister-in-law's mother has been diagnosed with Stage 4 Liver Cancer.  Now, I believe we can see a miracle in this.  I don't believe it is God's will that she has the cancer.  I believe that God says for US TO PRAY "On Earth as it is in Heaven"  There is NO CANCER IN HEAVEN.  I believe that we are here on earth to PRAY and BELIEVE in faith and we have a direct connection to Jehovah Rophe (our healer) So, I am believing for a healing of body, soul, and spirit.  God is already moving in this situation.  Thank you Jesus for your stripes, by which we WERE healed (Isaiah 53:5)  I believe you paid for Dean's healing already and I believe it is up to us to rebuke the cancer.  I might be a little too bold in this, but I am willing to look like a fool to see your glory revealed in this.  We love you Lord!  We thank you for your healing! I praise you for your FAITH that you give to us all liberally.  We will give you all the glory!!! No matter what happens!! We will do our job, and we will wait for you!

This morning's devotional scripture:  SO GOD!!!!

"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him"
1 Corinthians 2:9

Are we taking 1/2 our pills or all of them??

Lately for the past month or so I have been feeling a little sluggish again and even had some moodiness the last few days.  I wondered if being late taking my thyroid medicine would have caused me to be a little off balance.  I didn't see a reason for the mishaps so I went on and assumed I just hadn't allowed myself to be led by the Spirit.  Then, I opened my new prescription bottle and it said, take ONE pill per day and I realized that I had still been splitting my pills in half because my previous dose required it.  Talk about a goof up.  However, I saw that I have been doing that as a Christian many times as well.  You see, when I was first born again, I was ON FIRE and was so touched by the Lord and healed emotionally and physically in such a way that I didn't care who saw me or saw how crazy in love with JESUS I was.  Through the years I LEARNED through other's examples how NOT TO BE TOO STIRRED UP.  I learned how to Fit into the box (Well, as much as I could be anyway)  I even heard people say that when we are first born again, we might need to be locked up for a little bit until we get toned down.  I was a little crazy.  I have to admit.  :)  Anyway, then I had yet another life altering experience and once again, I have become that crazy lady.  I am not as rough as I was before, but the passion is sometimes overwhelming to other people.  I took the WHOLE PILL and now instead of just being crazy, I am crazy for Jesus with purpose!! :) I KNOW that HE is the only way!  I have NO DOUBTS that He LOVES ME and when I just sit and think that He now uses me to help others experience HIM, it BLOWS MY MIND.  He is SO GOOD!!! So stinkin good!!
Anyway, back to my point right?  So, this pill that we take? We come to Jesus and we belong to Him right?  But then what? How many don't go forward to become a "Friend of God"? We have to cultivate any relationship that we have.  We must have the relationship with HIM or we just have RELIGION, which will kill you.  We must LEARN from Him and allow HIM to teach us and LEAD us.  He gives us the Holy Spirit which gives us the boldness to be a witness for HIM.  The Holy Spirit leads us to FOLLOW CHRIST AND NOT THE FLESH if we submit to HIM.  If we want to live a life of Victory in the Lord, we MUST take the WHOLE PILL and not just half.  If we only take half, we are only half made well and we can not serve our purpose in HIM.  I encourage you today, take the WHOLE PILL of God and don't just stop at the altar.  Go on to be all He has called you to be and grow in your relationship with your daddy!! He will not disappoint you.  He will even cause the EVIL that has been done to you to work for YOUR GOOD.  How good is that? WOW!! To know that everything that satan intended to destroy you with is now your weapon against Him?  Only God can cause that to work~!
The Bible says, "they overcame him by the BLOOD OF THE LAMB and the WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY and they did not love their lives unto death"  We get the blood applied to our lives and we speak what God says and we don't love our lives unto death and THEN WE OVERCOME satan.  Whoo Hoo.  Go forth and speak what God has put in you!!! You SHALL OVERCOME.  I will share what I got this morning from "Come Away My Beloved" by Frances Roberts. 

Finally, my brethre, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Ephesians 6:10
Do not be intim idated by anyone, but speak forth My Word as I give it to you.  You have written freely and fearlessly.  now speak in the same way.  Your spoken word must be brought into conformity with the work I have done within you.  This you need for your own strength.  For the house divided against itself cannot stand; neither can you so long as you bear one testimony in your heart and another with your lips.
You are not pleasing Me but trying to please men.  They will detect your inconsistency in spite of your best efforts, for in one way or another, the truth will break through.  You need not say all that is in your heart, but you must either speak the truth or be silent.  If you cannot bring yourself to speak the truth without apology, then speak nothing.
let the life and witness of Jesus Christ be your guide.  If you are willing to attempt to emulate His honesty, I will come to your aid to give you the wisdom also; so that the answer may be not only tru but forceful.  For you wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the unseen opposition of satanic forces.  These may at times be arrayed against your soul even through your dearest friends, so that you may have to reply as Jesus did to Peter on one occasion (Mark 8:33)\
Do not set out to covert the whole world to your convictions but rather to hold your own convictions inviolable against the forces of the oppoistiion.  I will be with your and guard your mouth.  Trust ME.


OK that was a tough one!  Be blessed!

Am I salt or a "quick fix"?

For those of you who know me, I am one that has always wanted to help other people.  I used to be really quick to give answers to every problem (and even now have still been too quick) I have been learning so much and even though it has been helpful to me, I need to remember that there are those that need to seek the Lord for their self and I am not to give away all my OIL, but instead lead them to the giver of OIL and cause them to want to seek for themselves.  I pray that I get better at doing this.  It is never my intention to replace the Holy Spirit in anyone’s life.  If you see me doing this, please I urge you to share with me and allow me to get back on track.  I don’t like Pride, but I don’t know if I would see it if I were under its wicked spell.  Today, I have read a passage from “Come Away My Beloved” by Frances Roberts that has reminded me once again that I NEED TO CAUSE OTHERS TO WANT to seek HIM, not ME.  I pray that this flaw in me does not harm another person and that I learn to walk in TOTAL HUMILITY and when people are around me, either I am so crazy that they feel the need to get in the Word to stay balanced, or that nothing but Truth in God’s timing comes from my mouths. May we all walk in SELF-CONTROL even when it comes to speaking the Truths of God’s Word.  Let us never hinder another’s growth.  This must be why He tells us that we need that “no man teach us” huh?  There are so many teachings out there that can cause us to stumble and we need to be learning how to learn from the Holy Spirit so that we are kept safe in His Wings.  Here is the excerpt from today:

“Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14

O My daughter, will I speak to you as one whose voice is lost in the noise of the crashing surf?  Or as one who calls in vain in the midst of a deep forest, where there is no ear to hear nor voice to respond?  Will you be like an instrument with broken strings from which the musician can bring forth no music?  No, I would have you be as the waterfall whose sound is continuous, as a great river whose flow is not interrupted.  You shall not sing for a time and then be silent for a season.  You shall not praise for a day and then revert to the current topics of everyday life.  You will never exhaust My supply.  The more you give, the more shall be given to you.  You are in a learning process.  I have much to share with you; yes, out of the abundance of My heart I will instruct you.  I want to teach you truths of heavenly wisdom which you cannot learn from human lips.  I will instruct you in the way that you shall go.  From whom else can you inquire?

I will bring My love and My life to you.  From where else have you any such comfort and strength?  The more often you come to Me to draw of this water of Life, the more your life will be enriched in wisdom—yes, but also in many other ways.  You need My grace so that you may share My truth with a right spirit.  You need to keep your channel straight and clear, that My blessing is not hindered as it flows through you, and that the waters may be kept pure. 

You do not indicate presumption by continually seeking My face.  Rather, you show a tendency to trust in the strength of the flesh when you do not come to Me for a gift.  Or have you mistakenly thought that your own mind had become a source of wisdom?

Beware of the snare of flattery, and beware even of well-intended praise.  Take no glory to yourself, nor compliment yourself in your achievement.  I control the waters.  I gathered them up in My fist to allow the passage of the children of Israel.  I flung them forth to down the Egyptian army.  I send forth the river of life now to refresh and bring life to those who thirst after Me.  I dry up the streams of inspiration before the feet of the proud.  Those who glory in their own thoughts shall not drink.  Those who pursue the paths of human reason shall be as a desert. 

I am not to be found there—as I was not found in the wind nor in the earthquake.  These were natural forces.  I was in the still small voice.  I Myself am the direct source and the only source of eternal life.  Every other well is dry.  Every other pursuit is vain. 

But you shall be a fountain flowing forth whose streams shall not fail, for I, the Lord your God, dwell in the midst of you.

Wow!!! For me, this is a lovely reminder to “Be still and know He is God” and to take a moment and remind myself that “I AM SO NOT”  J  Yall have a wonderful Day!

Ever felt that you had been drug into a mess by the Lord?

I am reading Job this morning and I got to this part: (Job speaking to his friend)

5 Why do you insist on putting me down, using my troubles as a stick to beat me?6 Tell it to God-he's the one behind all this, he's the one who dragged me into this mess.

Once Job had been struck, all of the junk that had been hidden deep down came out of his mouth.  He was still a man of God and yet he blamed God for all of this "mess".  Don't we all do that from time to time? Of course, He is almighty and knows how we are going to react in everything, so it's hard not to see it this way.  HOWEVER, I would love to suggest this.  JOB didn't have the Holy Spirit living in him.  We get to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to carry us in the midst of our crises'. I am by no means an expert in this area.  In fact, I feel like the more I learn, the LESS I know and that's OK..... I don't have to be the smartest, or the most knowledgable.  I just want to seek His face in the midst of the trials and then turn around and USE them to help others.  I want to walk out my identity in Jesus Christ and be all that HE has called me to be.  I want the death of the apostles and many others that have died for me to have the freedom not to be in vain.  So, as I step out of the boat and try to excercise my faith muscles, I pray that I walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and NOT MY OWN STRENGTH.  We have a purpose in this life to bring healing, JOY, PEACE, and all that the Kingdom of God has to offer others.  Keep pressing on and realize that even though God is allowing some of this pain that you are going through, it is an opportunity for you to get out of the boat and exercise your FAITH muscles!!! I am just learning to exercise my physical body, and I am having to strengthen my spiritual muscles.  I have not arrived by any means, but I shall forget what is behind and press forward to the calling that HE HAS LAID OUT FOR ME!  Love you all!!!

Renew your vows....

I have been getting a little tired lately and realized I hadn't spent enough time just sitting with the Lord.  I have been soaking His word in, but failed to soak in HIS presence. 

I just wanted to share this morning's excerpt from "Come Away My Beloved" by Frances Roberts

At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.  He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I willl love him and manifest Myself to him" John 14:20-21

There is a day coming when you will say, "I have waited in vain for the Lord."  You will wait for Me to speak, and you will hear only the whistling of the wind.  But I tell you now, I am never silent; you are deaf.  I am always speaking; but I do not find your ear attuned to listen. 
You will sit alone in a desolate place and grieve in your loneliness; but it will not be that I have left you, but that you have become insinsitive to My presence.  Yes, if you ignore My personal nearness and fellowship and if you do not return My overtures, your perceptions will become dull, you will not be able to discern Me even though I am neaar at hand--even thoug My love for you is still as strong as before.  Do not be lukewarm, lest you be among those who are cast out of My fellowship. "How shall we escape, " it is written, "if we neglect so great a salvation?" (Hebrews 2:3).  But I ask you now: How will you survive in your private walk in the Spirit if you pay but faint heed to My nearness and do not respond in kind to the affection I offer you?
You will not be able to meet the needs of others with anything short of this.  There is no cure for the ills of humankind but what is contained in the love of God.  You cannot give to them until after you have taken it from Me.
"I will not leave you orphans" (John 14:18).  It is the intention of My heart to fellowship with you closely, I am turned away by your unresponsiveness; by your preoccupation with things and with people; by your thoughtlessness and indifferenece.
Some have lost Me by the sin of rebellion; but I warn you that you may lose Me by the subtle way of simple inattention.  Confess your coldness, and draw near to Me; and I will make My personal presence real to you again.  I will hold you close to My heart, and you will hear My voice.
Renew your vows and I will revive your minstry.  There is a life ahead for you into which you could not have enetered before.  There is a work ready for you, and I have prepared you for it.  It is too wonderful to miss.  It will be silent but powerful.
I will cause the veil to drop, and you will enter a new area of experience.  You will be given knowledge in My Spirit that is not to be found in books.  I will share with you  My thoughts, and who can tell the sum of them?  YOU will partake the Mind of Christ and of the Holy Spirit of God.  his eyes go throughout the whole earth seeking out the thoughts and intents of the hearts of men.
You will serve Me in ways you have never heard of before.  It is My work.  I have laid it out for you.  Keep clear of man's work.  Stay free to do MINE.  You will not miss it if you keep close to Me and stay sensitive to My Spirit.
No one else can do what I have reserved for you; and be very sure that if you fail., it will remain undone.  Crucify the flesh, and let the Spirit thrive.  Redeem the time, for surely these days abound with evil. 
BLESS ME. I WILL BLESS YOU!

Leaky Vessels?

So, lately I have been thinking about how we have heard it said that we leak and need to be filled and filled and filled right?  Well, it has got me to thinking about how we DON'T leak the Holy Spirit out of us once we have Him right? So what do we need to get filled with?  The Holy Spirit is a person and you either have Him and His infilling or you don't right? So, I have to LOVE Amy O for giving me an analogy the other night that just goes along with so many things that He has been showing me.  She gave me and example of a plant that she has and the water has gotten stagnant because there is no outflow of water coming from the plant.  So, when I think of the "Rivers of Living Water" and how they are in us and flow from us if we believe (John 7:38), what happens if they are not flowing from us.  The water flow stops and we become stagnant.  So, I guess instead of seeing the infilling of the Holy Spirit as a RE-FILLING with what is already there, don't we need to see it as something that needs to be STIRRED up within us (2 Timothy 1:6,7).  He places the fire within us when He comes to indwell in us and we are to keep it stirred up. 
He tells us to sing to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Eph 5:19).  When we speak His praises, we join the heavenly choir that is singing at all times.  Even the creation praises HIM (Isaiah 55:12, 1 Chronicles 16:29-30, Psalm 66, and many more) There is nothing greater than to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with all of creation to the Lord of Lords who has made us all!!! He is Worthy to be praised!  There is no greater God!!! When we begin to sing praises to Him, our rivers down in our belly are stirred up and before you know it, we are in the spirit and will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).  Seriously, I don't think it would be possible to be "sinning" while in this place.  Now, I am no theologian by any means.  I know things that the Lord has revealed to me, but I don't even speak them very eloquently, but one thing I do KNOW that I KNOW that I KNOW is that my daddy would not tell me to do something without equipping me to do it.  He tells me to "go and SIN no more" so then HE EQUIPS me to be able to do this.  I CAN NOT DO THIS IN MY FLESH, it must be IN MY SPIRIT that it is even possible.  If I walk in the spirit, I will not fulfill the lusts of this flesh.  When I get my self out of walking in the spirit, that is when I make dangerous mistakes right?  So, I will sing praises to the Lord as much as possible so that I might not stumble as much.  When I walk after this flesh, it is not pleasing to the Lord and I really mess up things, but when I walk after the spirit, there is joy, and peace, and much LOVE coming from me and all the other fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22). I can NOT conquer the things that He has called me to conquer in my life if I don't walk in this place.
Some of yall have known me long enough to know that I have always had extra weight.  I have never been a small person, but last year around this time, I had a worship experience that changed the way I eat and see food.  I realized this very principal of walking after the spirit and not after the flesh.  I realized that if I was in deep worship of the Lord, that I no longer craved food.  I was satisfied IN HIM.  So, as I had more worship time with Him (a couple hours in church a week is not enough!!!!)  I began to eat less and less.  When I went to Brazil on a mission trip in June, I had a "word" about my weight and I believed that I was healed and restored.  As I began to thank the Lord for my healing and praise Him for all that He was helping me with, the weight has been coming off.  It's a process, but it's not a struggle like it once was.  I have lost 40 lbs so far, and I am curious to see how much ends up coming off.  IT IS POSSIBLE WITH GOD!!!

Now, these things are explained in the Word of God, but can't always be explained in our minds because God has a way of blowing our minds.  I am SO OK with that because I know that His Gospel isn't preached with eloquence always, but it ALWAYS has POWER to CHANGE LIVES!!! Today, I want to encourage you to get in the secret place with God and sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs and walk in the spirit.  REFUSE to walk after the flesh. All it wants is comfort and security and warmth and (me, me, me)  All of that is overrated anyway right? haha.... Let's step out of the boat where it isn't always comfortable and let the River's of Living Water flow out of YOU today!!!  There are so many in the Church waiting for the Holy Spirit to FALL ON THEM!!! He came down over 2,000 years ago and HE DWELLS IN BELIEVERS!!! He flows FROM US!!  Let the Holy Spirit flow and see God work MIRACLES for people today.  If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, YOU HAVE THE POWER OF GOD INSIDE OF YOU! YOU SHALL LAY HANDS ON THE SICK AND THEY SHALL RECOVER (MARK 16:18)  Go and preach the gospel of the Kingdom wherever you are.  Do it all for the Glory of the Lord!!!! Be blessed today and bless others!!

The Mind of Christ ("Come Away My Beloved- Frances Roberts)

Your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.  1 Corinthians 2-5

Oh My Child, give Me your mind, I shall keep it in perfect tranquility.  Give Me your thoughts.  I will keep them in peace.  If you allow other people to do your thinking for you, you will be distressed.  If you try to think for yourself, you may be in error though limited knowledge and misinformation.  But let the Mind of Christ be in you.  Let MY thinking displace and supersede your mind and YOUR reasoning, and you will be kept in peace and order, you will know exactly and precisely what is right, what is true, and what is proper course of action.
As you draw upon My Spirit for physical strength, draw also upon My Mind for wisdome, understanding, and peace of mind.  make this a habit in your life, and you will be astounded at the results, the accomplishments it will bring.  Rather than being motivated by impulse, you will be directed by Divine Intelligence.
Have I not promised that if any of you lack wisdom, you may ask of God who gives liberally and without reproach (James 1:5)? I have not left you to flounder like a rudderless ship.  I will freely share with you all of My thinking powers, just as I share of My grace for the needs of the spirit.
This is a reservoir very nearly untapped.  This is why I commanded Solomon, because he asked the highest gift.  in adding the other benefits, I gave him only things that shall surely always follow after this first. For the life truly directed by My Mind shall enjoy many other blessings in abundance.

He is Faithful!!! (from 10/12/11)

Well, tonight our church didn't have services, so I went to my sister's church so I could worship.  I needed my Daddy tonight.  I was feeling a little bogged down with a teaching that I have been trying to process through and have gotten off focus.  I needed to just take time and sit at His feet and let Him have all that.  He is so faithful to meet me right where I need Him.  I sooooo needed Him and He came near and gave me kisses tonight.  Thank you Jesus for being there when I need you!!! I have been so blessed this last year, but I know I have not seen anything compared to what I will see this year.  My entire family has been touched by the Lord and nearly all of them have decided to follow Jesus.  God, you are so good to me!!  I know it's not all about me and my world, but I am still so stinking thankful that you have allowed me to see you work in my family.  I love you dearly and I can honestly say, it has been worth all the pain!! I am now praying that you reveal the Truth deeper to me so that I don't stray from YOUR plan for my life.  I am so vulnerable right now and I am not sure why, but I am wanting to stand close to you and Hold your hand tightly so I don't sway to the left or to the right.  I want to go the narrow way and I am TRUSTING you to get me where I need to be. You have always been faithful and YOU NEVER CHANGE!! I have to remember that you are giving me the "Peace that passes UNDERSTANDING as I give you my right to understand"  :)

Rivers of Living water....(12 gates to be restored)

How many of us are sitting in pews Sunday after Sunday and never seeing God move and flow through us.  Do we know who we are? Are we really "playing church"???? This weekend has been one of really seeing the body of Christ at work.  His love being poured out and the Rivers of Living Waters flowing.  For the last couple of weeks, every where I turned, He was speaking to me about the Rivers of Living Water that flow from His People.  He has shown me that just like the ancient ruins of Jerusalem had to be rebuilt, so must our spiritual Walls be built back up as a church.  I have shared bits and pieces here and there, but this weekend there has been so many things made clear.  I have had a burden of the Lord for the body of Christ to rise and be who SHE is meant to be.  I can't explain it in words, but here is my best attempt.  I can only pray that the Lord blesses it and that there are people that read this that need to read this and that we stand up and do what we are called to do.  There are so many rivers that are clogged up!!! See, the walls in Jerusalem had 12 gates.  I believe that there has been a heart cry from the Lord and those who are hearing His heart are feeling kind of like Nehemiah and we are crying to the King that we may help rebuild the walls.  Israel (physical and spiritual Israel really) has been laid to ruins and it needs to be rebuilt.  We have the "Sheep Gate" which I believe represents the need for Pastors and leaders who are broken and do not know how to keep the sheep safe from harm.  We have many in the body of Christ that didn't enter through the door.  They have came in thorugh clibing up some other way (PERFORMANCE based instead of GOD BASED) (John 10)  I have a lot of studying to do on all the gates, but the ones that really stand out to me (because I believe I have a part in this gate restoration) is the Dung Gate and the Fountain Gate.  The Dung Gate is where all the trash was taken out and when it was clogged up, then the Fountain Gate couldn't work properly.

Reign or Complain!!! It's OUR CHOICE!!

I am in the middle of some stuff that has been tough on the flesh, but I am recognizing it as what it is….A chinning bar for me to grow up in the Lord.  All the present sufferings and trials are just mere possibilities to stretch my faith and grow up!! He is preparing us to walk totally by Faith and not depend on our finances or people or our own mindsets and to allow the spirit to be in control of our minds and Holy Spirit to be in control of our spirit.  I have to admit, my flesh has had moments where it has been throwing a fit and not liking it one bit, but I consider that the present sufferings shall not even compare to the glory which will be revealed through this.  I have had to rise up in my spirit and determine that I will not allow that flesh to rule this spirit within me.  If the WORD OF GOD says it is possible to have victory over this flesh then by golly, we shall have it! I have waited too long to say “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH” Our worst enemy is SELF!!! We are to reckon the old man DEAD (Romans 6) and that is what I am trying to walk out.  Anyway, in the last few weeks, we have been coming against things that are contrary to the Word that we know to be true.  We have had crazy days, but they have been good days.  We have come against sickness and attacks and stood on the promises of God.  We know that there will be days where we don’t see the evidence right away, but we know this:  GOD IS FAITHFUL even in the midst of an attack.  The Kingdom of God suffers violence, but the violent take it be force!  If Jesus Himself said in Luke 10:19 – 20 that He has given us authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt us, then why do we not believe it with our minds? Hmmm…. Ok, so I have been thinking this is the reason:  I HAVE ALLOWED MY FLESH TO RULE AND REIGN INSTEAD OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD LIVING ON THE INSIDE OF ME! Right?   I am thankful instead that God is rich in Mercy and Loving-kindness that leads me to REPENTANCE.  I am taking back what the enemy has stolen from me!!  I am declaring that Jesus Christ has overcome this world and because HE LIVES IN ME THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, I shall be more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37).  I shall allow my spirit man to be strengthened and be in control through the power of the Holy Spirit! Come what may, I am not giving up!  Ok so anyway, I will share what happened the other day that has got me to thinking about how I view things.  I realize that for a while, I have allowed fear to creep in over things at times.  Last year around this time, my husband lost his really good paying job with benefits and had to go to work at KFC.  Our income (which was already lower middle class) was dropped by 20,000 a year.  We then had to cut out all ideas of having college money saved up or Christmas present money or any other savings for that part and we had to cut costs drastically. So, we were brought low in this perspective and have been reminded that GOD IS FAITHFUL!!  He has always been Jehovah Jireh (the Lord who provides) and HE WILL ALWAYS BE!!! This week was the lowest we had been in a while.  We had went to Cracker Barrel on Friday night and then took a fellow who needed some extra love with us to Burgess Falls and to the Big E’s BBQ in Rickman on Saturday night thinking we had plenty to do what we needed.  Technically, we had it in there, but we got a little lower than I like to see the account get so I was a little concerned.  We haven’t been to faithful to keep up with our register everyday so it was a little scary until I made sure that we had enough to cover the outstanding debits.  So, when fear tried to come and I heard things like “you were so stupid to go out with your family to Cracker Barrel and why did you go out this weekend?” I had to stop and rebuke myself (YES, MYSELF) See I don’t think Satan has authority over my thought life.  I have been set FREE from the power of the enemy and he no longer controls that part of me!! I know that I have been controlled by him (through my own foolish choices to let SELF reign) but not this time!!! I said out loud “Staci, you need to suck it up and go on.  Your God is faithful and He has never depended on your wise choices to bring you provision. You have everything you need to do what you are called to do.  Lord, I praise you for being my Jehovah Jireh.  I thank you that we are the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus and that you will withhold no good thing from those that love you! I thank you that you are teaching us a more disciplined life and I thank you that you are FAITHFUL even if I am not.”  I just began to worship Him for being our provider and remind myself WHO HE IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN.  I began to remind myself of all the times I foolishly spent money when I was married before and that we were making even less back then and God still provided miraculously.  He is still the same God yesterday, today, and FOREVER.  We came through that and we will come through this.  I asked for His wisdom in this situation and let HIM have it.  I thank you Lord that you can be trusted with all that I have because it is ALL YOURS anyway.  All I can do is seek you and do what you call me to do.  That is not changing here!  Well, then about an hour or so later, Tim calls me and tells me that a 300.00 Dr. Bill that we owed is being written off and we don’t owe it!  WOW!!!! Was that God teaching me or what???!!! I believe what He taught me was that it doesn’t depend on my abilities to handle the money as much as it depends on my belonging to HIM.  I am HIS and HE IS MINE.  He provides for HIS OWN.  If He didn’t, He would be a liar and THAT HE IS NOT!!! My daddy owns the cattle on a thousand hills and takes care of me.  Hallelujah!!! I am learning to REIGN WITH HIM and I am starting with my mind and my voice.  We need to declare with our mouths the oracles of the Lord.  We don’t need to be passive against the enemy of our souls.  If someone were coming into your house and robbing everything you had, would you just sit there quietly and not protect your family and all your blessings?  Why do we stand by quietly while the enemy comes in.  When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord raises a standard against him, (WE HAVE THE SPIRIT OF GOD IN US) We, by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT,  need to be raising a standard of the Lord against the enemy when he comes. We need to keep away from grumbling and complaining about our situations and recognize them as opportunities to build faith muscles!!! Amen??  I am going to get there someday.  I may stumble in the process, but I am going to suck it up and go on.  I have been around this mountain once before, and I am determined to get to the top this time with my daddy cheering me on all the way.  He is my greatest cheerleader.  Since Him and the cloud of witnesses that surround us are watching me, I am going to run my race with endurance and keep my eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith.  I am one blessed woman of God.  Oh beloved, that we would search His heart and see that He is a good Father who takes care of HIS babies and His teens, and His adults!!!  We are all precious to Him!!! So, then today, I am reading “Come Away my Beloved” by Frances Roberts and want to share this one.  May you all have a blessed day and may your hearts be drawn to the Father today:

LEARN TO REIGN

Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.  Hebrews 13:15

Call My people to repentance.  Call them to their knees for prayer and fasting, for confession and vigilance—for this is a strategic hour.  The enemy is rejoicing already over his anticipated victories.  You can disappoint him and thwart his evil designs if you lay hold on the throne of God in steadfast, believing prayer. 

Yes, you must do even as the devil has done and anticipate your victories.  You can do MORE than the enemy at this point.  You can claim the victories in the Name of Jesus, and all that you claim in that all powerful Name is sealed in Heaven before it comes to pass on earth.  The enemy is defeated, even before the actual battle.

Lay hold of this, My people.  This is not only a glorious truth in which to rejoice, but it is absolutely vital to your victory.  How do troops go to battle in earthly warfare?  No without preparation, ample ammunition, and intensive training.  I do not expect you to meet your adversary unequipped, unarmed, or undisciplined.  Do not count on Me to deliver you by some kind of magic.  I give you orders and you must obey; otherwise you will suffer intolerable defeat.  You do not face light skirmishes in which you can look for easy victories.  I remind you that you are not contending with flesh and blood and matching wits with me; you are being ambushed and facing open attack from the very enemy of your souls, Satan himself.

He is not out to torment. He is out to destroy; not to hurt you, but to crush you.  Your strength is no match for him.  You must learn how to lay claim to the throne of God.  I have met him and won already as I hung on the cross.  Now YOU must find the way of victory yourselves—each one individually—so that My victory already won can become a present victory in operation for you. 

Do not cry to Me in the hour of crisis and distress as though I would extend some miracle in answer to prayer.  Of course, I do answer prayer, and I can perform miracles and bring deliverance, but if I do this, I have only rescued one of My own out of trouble while you have won no victory at all!  I want to teach you how to circumvent the enemy—to drive him out of the arena; how to subdue kingdoms and how to truly reign in the kingdom of heaven.  I want you to experience Jerichos, not Ais.  You must be over comers if My work is to be accomplished.

You are not qualified to be used for My purposes as long as you are being harassed by the enemy and I  keep needing to rescue you from a constant parade of distressing predicaments.  You are more than conquerors as the apostle Paul said, and it was by My Spirit that Paul was taught this (see Romans 8:37)

Rise up, then, and lay claim to the power that is yours, because I am in you, and you are in Me, and as I was in the world, so are you.  I was victorious, and you too may be victorious.  I withstood every encounter with the devil, and you too can stand against him.  I healed the sick and wrested tortured bodies out of the grip of evil forces, and you too can do the same. 

Learn to reign, for I have made you to become kings and priests.  I have intended that you should come into that place where you share My authority so I will be able to manifest My glory through you.  This is My greatest joy—to lift you out of the enemy territory and seat you in the heavens with Me.  And where am I?  At the right hand of the Father who sits upon the throne.  He has invested in Me all power in upon the throne.  He has invested in Me all power upon the throne.  He has invested in Me all power in heaven and earth and under the earth; and you are seated with Me, far above all principalities and powers.  Through Me you have inherited all.  And you can lay claim to that inheritance now because I have already died.  Because I have already died, you can enter in now.  You do not gain an inheritance when you die, but when the testator dies.  Take it, My people.  It is yours now.  It is yours because of Calvary.  When you think of Calvary you think of My love; and this indeed is the tie—in between Calvary and this sharing of My throne life.  I want you with Me.  I want you seated beside Me because I want you near Me.  Because I love you.

Where do you expect to see a queen?  Beside the king.  I have not spoken of you as a queen, but you are my Bride.  A queen is subordinate to a king, and he reigns while she merely stands nearby.  No, ours is a closer relationship, for I have vested you with authority also.  You reign with Me if you recognize your privilege to do so, and if you move out in the power of the Spirit into that realm where I want you to live and move and, yes, to have your very being.  For I would have a people who live in Me continually, not moving in and out of this place at will.  I would have you live continually in the center of the kingdom of God, just as I have placed the Kingdom within the very center of your being.  You bring this kingdom into operation in your own life by an act of faith, yes, by a constant attitude of faith.  In the last days, I will have a people through whom I can manifest My glory.  There are works I must yet do through My body, the Church, which I could not possibly have accomplished through My own physical body in My earthly ministry.  I am even now bringing this body together, uniting the individual members, breathing My breath into it, empowering it with gifts and ministries in order that through it I may do My work—so that when the time comes for Me to take the Church out of the world, I may be able to say again, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

Know that there are also sufferings yet to be accomplished in the body of the Church that I was not able to suffer on the cross.  Did Paul not write that you fill up “what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ” (Colossians 1:24)? Be patient, hold steady through the days that lie ahead, and know that the trials and suffering are working toward a consuming glory.

Praise Me, O My people, praise Me.  Praise Me out of a heart full of love.  Praise Me for every blessing and every victory.  Yes, praise me when the most difficult thing to do is to praise.  This is the victory that overcomes the world, even your faith, and praise is the voice of faith.  It is faith rejoicing for victories claimed in advance.  The song of praise is made of the very fabric of things hoped for.  It becomes evidence of unseen things.  It is the raw material in My hands from which I fashion your victories.

Give it to Me.  Give Me much.  Give to Me often.  I dwell in the midst of the praises of My people.  I dwell there because I am happiest there.  As surely as you make Me happy with your praising, you will make the enemy most unhappy.  He has no power whatsoever over a praising Christian.  He cannot stand against a praising Church.  This is the most powerful weapon you can use against him.  So praise is like a two-edged sword: One side brings health to your own spirit while the other side cuts down the enemy!