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Good is a deception

James 1:22 (AMP) But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth].

We live in a time that information is coming at us from all avenues. Less than 100 years ago, we got our information from newspapers and the few channels that we on our television sets. In the past 30 years information has steadily become at a speed that we never had imagined. Now we can stream movies whenever we want. We can watch something going on across town through someone live streaming it on their device. We can even look up different peoples interpretations of the scriptures, without even knowing them as a person (1 Thessalonians 5:12).

Matthew 24:10-14 (AMP) At that time many will be offended and repelled [by their association with Me] and will fall away [from the One whom they should trust] and will betray one another [handing over believers to their persecutors] and will hate one another. Many false prophets will appear and mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold. But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved. This good news of the kingdom [the gospel] will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end [of the age] will come.

Colossians 2:8 (AMP) See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception [pseudo-intellectual babble], according to the tradition [and musings] of mere men, following the elementary principles of this world, rather than following [the truth—the teachings of] Christ.

The world has taken over the interpretation of the scriptures and so many have been deceived. Jesus warned that many false prophets will appear and mislead many. A prophet in this sense is not the office of the prophet, but the speaking of the word of God. Anytime we are speaking the Word (taking scriptures into conversation) we are prophesying. A false prophet twists the Word of God. By a quick google search I found that as of February of this year, TikTok users post 34 million videos per day. There is quite a bit of content out there.

Here is my point. Do not be deceived. There are many voices out there to talk you out of being doers of the Word of God, because you want to be seen as good. We can often get dragged into political causes that take our focus to a person who is not our savior. We can get so entrenched in our kids and their kids that we neglect the call to be ministers of reconciliation. We choose sports over church attendance. I was reading a book and it was talking about the different people in our churches, the author referred to them as sheep, goats and wolves (I know a little outdated but still relevant). A sheep loves their church, loves their pastor and loves the people in their church and cannot be moved from where they are getting fed, they have to be at church every time the doors are open. A goat is constantly looking for something better, they are always questioning the motives of the pastor (draws people to them to do the same) and causes agitation when they are held accountable, they will find every excuse not to be at church. A wolf is seeking out position, cannot be trusted, they will try to keep separation between you and the pastor and will devour anyone they can get alone, they are at church for only what they can gain.

Every one of us wants to be seen as good (Isaiah 5:20). How about obedient to the Word of God? According to Jesus in the book of Matthew, “at that time many will be offended and repelled [by their association with Me] and will fall away [from the One whom they should trust] and will betray one another [handing over believers to their persecutors] and will hate one another.” I believe we are in the times of this. Right now I am in a time of separation, but it is due to standing on the Word. I am not going to compromise what Jesus redeemed me from so that I can be accepted. To do so would be a deception.

Love is not agreeing. Love is wanting the best for people, and He is Jesus. I do not try to indoctrinate, that would be wrong. I really try to do what James 1:22 says, to be a doer of the Word and not just a hearer. The next couple of verses say, “For if anyone only listens to the word without obeying it, he is like a man who looks very carefully at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he immediately forgets what he looked like.” I am a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), a part of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), rooted and grounded in the love of Christ (Ephesians 3:17), created for good works (Ephesians 2:10), placed in a body (Ephesians 2:21) with Christ as our cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). I am a minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18) and an ambassador of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). Which means I cannot compromise this Word or twist it to make things fit that do not belong.

I know it may seem extreme, but radical obedience to the Word is where I want to be. As for as relationships with people, they do not have to accept me, as long as I am accepted by my Jesus. I have a family and I love them, but they are not my salvation. They are not where I get my identity. They should not determine how my emotions are. No one should. So get in the Bible and study it for yourself. Get in a powerful church (with people that are growing in Christ) and submit to grounded pastor (Titus 2:15). Do not be swayed by all the information that is coming at you. Do not be deceived. Stay the course and peace will abound in you (John 14:27).

A simple prayer: Father, help me today to be a doer of your word, and not just a hearer. Help me be obedient, even when it is hard. I do not want to be seen as just good, but as faithful to you. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Acts 20:26-27 (NLT) I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault, for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know.

Acts 20:27 (AMP) For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose and plan of God.

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When no one knows you

2 Timothy 1:8 (AMP) So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord or about me His prisoner, but with me take your share of suffering for the gospel [continue to preach regardless of the circumstances], in accordance with the power of God [for His power is invincible

Mark 8:38 (AMP) For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.

Luke 8:16 (AMP) Now no one lights a lamp and then covers it with a container [to hide it], or puts it under a bed; instead, he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light.

How do you act when you go somewhere that no one knows you and probably will never see you again? How should we act, for those who are in Christ? My husband and I just came back from a six day trip to Peurto Plata, Dominican Republic. We had never been before. The draw was that it was an inexpensive trip for the two of us, and I would not have to worry about having to find our place around. We were staying at an all-inclusive resort. The stay was relaxing and we had beautiful scenery. We also met some wonderful people. We visited the sites with a local we met working at the resort. He brought his wife who spoke English. We also ate meals and talked for hours with another couple from the Washington, D.C. area.

Many years ago there was a slogan to visit a very famous city here in the United States. It was “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” The ideas was to promote freedom and empowerment in a place that has become known as “Sin City.” Would you know it that we met a man from Vegas in the Dominican? We had found us a nice breezy spot to look over the water and relax for the day. For some reason he was drawn to my husband. He shared of his plans for this trip. He did not travel with his wife, because no one was going to tie him down (mind you I am right there listening to this whole conversation). He was talking about the women he was looking at. He talked for hours with my husband and somehow the man brought up church. That was something my husband started to join in on. Then the man started to weep. He knew he was not right with God. Come to find out that when he got up that morning he was asking God for forgiveness. Why was he drawn to our section of the resort? Even though we were far away from home, Christ still dwells in us, He is our true home. We could not hide it. We could not vacation from it. We can try to ignore it, but who we truly are is in Christ will burst out of us. My husband got to pray with this man right there.

Many years ago, I volunteered at a clinic that we got to share the gospel with every person that walked through the doors to receive their services. It grew me in ways that I could never have imagined. One year someone decided to start a count. I had not realized how many people allowed me to lead them in a prayer of salvation. I was not keeping count myself. I still stumbled over my words when speaking publicly. Yet someone was in awe that I had the most in that year, actually they were pretty shocked…not as shocked as I was. However, that showed me that if I could do that, anyone could. Now my role has been moved to the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:11). My primary ministry is the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18).

Do you know the name of Mordecai Ham? I sure did not. In 1934, Mordecai was leading a revival in rural North Carolina. In attendance was Billy Graham. At the age of 16, Billy Graham accepted Christ as his savior and started his journey to become the household name in Christian evangelism. They believe that more than 3.2 million people have responded to the call of salvation through the Billy Graham Crusades. Do you know that the abundance of salvation comes when we are obedient? My number was 15 that year. I do not know the numbers for Mordecai Ham. I do know that he is credited for every one of Billy Graham’s leading.

Matthew 6:19-21 (AMP) Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers] will be also.

There is nothing more gratifying than fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19). Our Father in Heaven loves to hear us talk of His goodness, grace, mercy and loving-kindness. He loves for us to draw each other closer to Him. If I can tell someone about His goodness, it is a good day. Look for the opportunities. Ask Him for the opportunities. You may be the answer to someone’s cry that day. Just like our friend from Vegas, who was persistent in talking to my husband (Luke 11:5-10), he met someone who invited him to a closer walk with Jesus. Jesus cared enough for this man for him to see two people from Alabama who knew of the mercy and grace of our Lord.

What do I pray? How do I lead someone in this prayer? You cannot lead anyone deeper than you are yourself. Do you have a relationship with Jesus as Lord of your life? If not, pray this prayer with me:

Lord Jesus, I invite you fully into my heart. I acknowledge that You were born as a man, died for our sins and rose from the dead, now sitting at the right hand of the Father. I give you full access to my life. I surrender my will to Yours. You are not just my Savior, You are Lord over my life. I will do my best to chase after you. I will submit myself to a pastor for the equipping of the ministry of reconciliation. I will tell others of the goodness, grace, mercy and loving-kindness of our God. I will pull on that grace to keep sin out of my life. I will allow the Holy Spirit to lead me. Thank You for loving me. Thank you for allowing me into this right relationship. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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What can hold us captive?

Isaiah 61:1 (AMP) The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and commissioned me to bring good news to the humble and afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up [the wounds of] the brokenhearted, to proclaim release [from confinement and condemnation] to the [physical and spiritual] captives and freedom to prisoners

This is the verse Jesus read from the scroll in Luke 4. I am in the process of putting all of my notes together for the message this Sunday. For the past six years I have brought the message on Mother’s Day. This year I plan on sharing a little about my past and where I believe the root of abandonment, rejection and feeling unloved came from. Yet Jesus came to set the captives free. How do we get free from things we had no control over from happening in the first place?

As I have been meditating on how to put this all together, my sleep last night was disturbed. I had pictured myself in an old gymnasium. There was a microphone in the middle of the room and I was to share from that point. There were faces that I recognized and some I did not. The funny thing was as I was trying to teach I was also cooking a meal. I started to feel overwhelmed and could not finish. I was trying to do too much. Then fear came upon me.

2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP) For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].

The fear was not of God. It never is when it comes to something like that. To reverentially fear God is completely different from the fear that will try to paralyze you. What God is telling us is to slow down and keep the focus on Him. We can be doing all the right things, teaching and cooking are good, but it took my focus off of what He wanted. When we do that we can start to feel overwhelmed. Why? I am doing things in my own power. I have stepped back into captivity. My mind is not calm, well-balanced and in self-control.

Ephesians 2:1-2 (NKJV) And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience

Ephesians 2:1-2 (AMP) And you [He made alive when you] were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of your transgressions and sins, in which you once walked. You were following the ways of this world [influenced by this present age], in accordance with the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit who is now at work in the disobedient [the unbelieving, who fight against the purposes of God].

When that feeling of being captive comes back up, we have to remember what we have been set free from (Galatians 5:1). A lot of people like to focus on the enemy, the prince of power of the air. How about we also look at the ways we once walked. We cannot forget what we have been set free from. What I have been set free from is different from what the church of Ephesus has been set free from. They did not walk the course of this world like I do. We are from a different time, place and generation. However, the same promise to them is the same to me. I do not have to be a product of the times, customs and societal pressures of this age.

In my generation we had to take care of things ourselves. Our parents worked and we were left home alone for hours at a time. We spent long hours outside. During the summers, we had to make our own breakfast and lunches, we even had to get dinner started. I did not have someone to take me to a friends house, if we wanted to see them we had to ride our bikes. There were no cameras to keep an eye on things. If we called our parents, while they were at work, too much, to ask for permission, we got in trouble. We are the generation that knew what it was like to be in the analog era and what it was like to be in the digital age.

All of this could hold us captive. Why, because it is the ways of the world that influenced us. Once we are in Christ, we have a new way of living. I am to remember where I came from, so that I can press on to where I need to be. When some of those old ways try to hold me captive, knowing where they came from can help me take them off and put on the new way.

Ephesians 4:21-24 (AMP) If in fact you have [really] heard Him and have been taught by Him, just as truth is in Jesus [revealed in His life and personified in Him], that, regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires, and be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation].

So what can hold us captive? Our minds. Our minds reverting to the course of this world that Jesus set us free from. I have to renew my mind and remind myself that just because that is what I came from, does not mean I have to live there. Just because I had to take care of everything on my own, does not mean I have to keep doing it that way. I am a part of the body of Christ. It is no longer MY responsibility, it is OUR responsibility. He has placed me in a family. I no longer have to survive this life, I get to thrive in this life. I do that by functioning according to this new way. I live in a way that expresses my gratitude to God. No longer isolated, but now a part of the Light shining out of the darkness (John 1:5). Recognize what captivity looks like and allow the work of Jesus to take you out of it. We do this in our surrender.

Father, our God and our Creator, we want to honor You today with our thoughts, our words and our actions. You are so Marvelous and Wonderful. All that we have is Yours. Thank You for Your Son. He set the captives free, that means He set us free. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, the seal of our freedom. We repent for going back into captivity, by living the ways from the course of the world set before us. We know now that Your Son set us free from living that way of life. We are choosing to take off that old nature and putting on the new by the renewal of our minds. We thank You for the Word and the revelation of Your Word. Many times we go through this life thinking we are just going through the motions. We recognize that is part of the captivity that the prince of this world set in motion. We are free. As free people we want to see other captives set free. As we walk in our freedom, let us be the light out of the darkness for others. Our desire is not to abuse our freedom. Let no unwholesome talk come out of our mouths. Let us see others with compassion. Let us be the people that tells others of the Way, the Truth and the Life. We choose forgiveness today. We choose hope today. We choose joy today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Why is Corporate Prayer Important?

Acts 2:42 (AMP) They were continually and faithfully devoting themselves to the instruction of the apostles, and to fellowship, to eating meals together and to prayers.

Since the day I received my salvation in the Lord, in 1998, I have been at church every time the doors were opened (except for the few vacations that have been planned over the weekend, and I mean A FEW). The only times that I would not be able to make something was if I was at work. A work day, I was there. Any camp meeting night, any call to prayer on a Saturday or weeknight, just anything. This was way before I got married and it did continue on afterwards. Would it be because my husband’s parents were the pastors? There were times that I was tired. I also had a rebellious streak, and I could have told him to go without me. Here is the thing though, when I started this new way of living, I wanted everything that God had for me, that meant I had to give Him all of me to.

A woman in the church and I started coming together in prayer a few years ago. I had never led prayer meetings, only attended them, and honestly it was intimidating. About a year and a half ago we opened it up to the whole church to accompany us. It is Tuesday mornings at 11 am. There have been a couple of ladies that have been faithful to join us as well. Others do so sporadically. Some want to pray at home. I understand the need for comfort, however, corporate prayer is not about comfort.

The early church gathered for prayer as often as they could. They were so unified and full of the fear of the Lord that miracles and healing were a part of their daily lives. We have grown so accustom to do things our own personal ways that we do not want to sacrifice a couple of hours, in the middle of the week, to gather for nothing else but prayer. We will sit down and scroll on our phones for hours on end, mind-numbingly, but to leave the house to pray with other believers, that is just asking too much.

I understand, I love my time. I love being in control of how I plan my day. I have certain days that I do certain things, but I have made it a point to not plan anything during this time (except for when something has happened with one of my kids). Enough about time, let’s get to the reason of why corporate prayer is important. Have you ever thought about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and His call for corporate prayer on behalf of what was about to take place in the coming days?

Matthew 26:36-41 (AMP) Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane (olive-press), and He told His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee [James and John], He began to be grieved and greatly distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, so that I am almost dying of sorrow. Stay here and stay awake and keep watch with Me.” And after going a little farther, He fell face down and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible [that is, consistent with Your will], let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not stay awake and keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep actively watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

The call to prayer as a group was not first brought to attention in the Book of Acts, as they were waiting for the Day of Pentecost. The call to prayer corporately and to watch has been all through the Bible. How about Esther? How about King David? The beginning of the church found it so important (that as you read more in Acts, to the letters to the Corinthians, Ephesians and in the Book of James) they found every opportunity to gather together in prayer.

I believe this is what made the church so powerful. Jesus was going into battle for us, He requested his closest disciples to pray with Him. Which reminded me of another story found in 2 Chronicles 20.

2 Chronicles 20:12-22 (AMP) O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless against this great multitude which is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” So all Judah stood before the Lord, with their infants, their wives, and their children. Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph. He said, “Listen carefully, all [you people of] Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. The Lord says this to you: ‘Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Go down against them tomorrow. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the river valley, in front of the Wilderness of Jeruel. You need not fight in this battle; take your positions, stand and witness the salvation of the Lord who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.’”  Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping Him. The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel, with a very loud voice. So they got up early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe and trust in the Lord your God and you will be established (secure). Believe and trust in His prophets and succeed.” When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the Lord and those who praised Him in their holy (priestly) attire, as they went out before the army and said, “Praise and give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and lovingkindness endure forever.” When they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were struck down [in defeat].

What happened when the entire nation bowed and revered God? What happened when they sought His face and His guidance? This is the purpose of corporate prayer. It is not about me any longer. This is why I am urging that we understand the importance of corporate prayer. It grows us so much further than we could ever have imagined. Think of what the church can do when she is unified. This is a call to no longer be a passive observer in your church.

I have learned a lot about the people in our church that attend corporate prayer. I have also learned a lot of myself. The best part is when prayers are answered and we get to come back together and rejoice about it. Corporate prayer has also changed the way I have my personal time of prayer. It has also changed the way I receive from the Holy Spirit in my time of prayer. The Words of scripture come to my mind quickly. I am ready to listen more and I am okay being in the silence.

James 5:16 (AMP) Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].

Prayer is an active part of our faith. It should be one of the things that breaths life into your church. Gathering for teaching, worship and fellowship are great in building each other up. However, do not forget about prayer. The early church started in a little room and carried it with them wherever they went. Let us do the same!

Father, our Lord, our Jehovah, You are more precious than anything, there is nothing we can compare with You. Thank You for sending Your Son to restore us. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit that empowers us, comforts us and teaches us. Thank You for Your Word, that we can get to know You more. We repent for not valuing prayer as a part of our faith life. We are sorry for not desiring to gather together to see Your Kingdom established more and more in this earth. We are thankful that You desire us. We are thankful that we have a community, a body that You have joined us together in. Let us not take it for granted any longer. We choose to forgive ourselves and others for being the reason we have just not wanted to gather together. Give us a new heart and a new desire to worship, pray, gather and learn as we grow glory to glory. We choose love today. We choose hope today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose joy today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Only the Truth, and nothing but the Truth

John 15:26 (AMP) But when the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, He will testify and bear witness about Me.

Have you ever had a relationship strained because of a reason that you had no idea of? I personally can tell you that it is the hardest to navigate. I was in prayer yesterday about such, asking for the truth to be revealed. I wanted them to know that I am not against them, that the issue could be so much deeper than me, that it could be an inward conflict taken out on me. The Holy Spirit stopped me and said, ‘the Spirit of Truth’. That was all. So what do you do when you hear a word, you go to your Bible.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (AMP) For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth [and the gospel—the good news of salvation].

What is the Spirit of Truth? The Spirit of Truth is going to reveal the gospel. That even though I did not deserve it, I have been forgiven. Christ paid the price for me. The Spirit of Truth is going to reveal that in us time and again. He is going to remind us that we are now in Christ Jesus. Anything that tries to work against that truth will not stand. The same with others who are in Christ. We are unique, the level of faith we have may all be different, but we are in the Beloved (Christ).

Ephesians 6:11-14 (AMP) Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places. Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. So stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart)

I cannot do anything about anyone else’s thoughts, but I can do something about mine. The scheme of the enemy is to keep us divided. He wants us to think that we are not for each other. He wants us to think that they are mad at us and nothing we do can be right. He wants us to think on anything but the truth. The first part of the armor of God is the belt of truth. Here it talks about personal integrity and moral courage. In the Passion Translation is says to, “Put on truth as a belt to strengthen you to stand in triumph.”

In Greek the word for truth here is aletheia. It means the state of not being hidden, also reality or unforgetting. What is the reality of a believer? What is it that we do not forget? Why are we not hidden and put under a basket (or in a cave)? We are placed on a stand to give light to the whole world (Matthew 5). The Spirit of Truth is going to reveal Jesus. Every day we need to put on the belt of truth, that we are in Christ.

Philippians 4:8 (AMP) Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].

This is my go to verse when my mind starts to go to a place that does not think on things that are lovely. Do you know what happens when we do not get our mind in correct alignment with His Word? Our demeanor and our reactions start to show. We will start to hide, and not in a good way. We just learned that the belt of truth is a state of not being hidden. So that should be a sign to us that if we are wanting to do that, we have not put on that part of the armor of God. Again, I cannot do anything about anyone else’s desire to live this way. I can only do something about myself. When I asked God to increase His love in me so that is all that flows out of me, that gave Him license to change my thinking and to clean up my heart attitude. So when He told me the Spirit of Truth, I am going to listen. The Bible says those that have ears to hear, let them hear. I am not just a listener of the Word, I am a doer.

Everything goes back to the Spirit of Truth, that I am now in Christ. I have a location of residence. The Holy Spirit has empowered me to live a victorious life accepting who I am in Christ. I am never alone. The orphan spirit cannot be attached to me any longer. I know that may be an odd term to you, but I can tell you that it is not from God to feel rejected, alone and insignificant. If you feel that way, there is freedom, and it comes from finding out who you are in Christ and fully accepting it. That is why I am constantly encouraging others to ask God for the revelation of what it is to be rooted and grounded in the love of Christ. What does this have to do with the Spirit of Truth? Everything. How you perceive yourself in relation to the body of Christ has everything to do with the Spirit of Truth, you receiving the fullness of the gospel.

Adonai, our Creator, our Banner, You are so Wonderful and Awesome. We want to honor You with every part of our being. Thank You for Your Son who restored us in every area, but especially in our relationship with You. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, our Counselor, our Intercessor, our Strengthener. Thank You Holy Spirit for being the Spirit of Truth, for revealing the fullness of the Gospel, that we are in Christ. Let us know more and more what that fullness is. We repent for the times we put on identities that do not line up with what it truly means to be in Christ. We are not alone nor insignificant. We forgive those that made up feel that way, and we forgive ourselves for allowing us to take on identities that are not true. We choose love today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose hope today. We choose joy today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Faith Equals Rest

Hebrews 3:19 (AMP) So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest—the promised land] because of unbelief and an unwillingness to trust in God.

I just woke up from a really weird dream. In this dream I was trying my hardest to unlock a code and my fingers just fumbled. What made it worse is that I was surrounded by strangers waiting to get in to wherever I was trying to unlock. I woke up thinking, hopefully I can close my eyes and get more sleep, maybe figure this thing out, but my alarm was set to go off in just 7 minutes. So instead I started my day. As the morning progressed, the thoughts of my dream went away as well. What happened? I got in the Word and built up my faith.

Hebrews 4:1-2 (AMP) Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still remains and is freely offered today, let us fear, in case any one of you may seem to come short of reaching it or think he has come too late. For indeed we have had the good news [of salvation] preached to us, just as the Israelites also [when the good news of the promised land came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not united with faith [in God] by those who heard.

Faith is the difference between rest and unrest. Faith is hard to explain to someone that has to see something in order to believe it. Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses] (Hebrews 11:1 AMP). Hoping for is not wishful thinking according to faith, hope is confident assurance. My hope is not mystical and not wishful, it is confident. When I say love always hopes it means my love is sure and confident that God has already worked things out, because it is rooted and grounded in Christ’s love.

Hebrews 4:10-11 (AMP) For the one who has once entered His rest has also rested from [the weariness and pain of] his [human] labors, just as God rested from [those labors uniquely] His own. Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience [as those who died in the wilderness]. 

Often times this rest is mistaken as the absence of physical labor. We are to sabbath, but like the pharisees we can start to get religious in it. Jesus healed on the Sabbath and they freaked out. The works of the ministry (the ministry of reconciliation) is not something we should be taking a day off from. If that is the case then we are doing it as works to salvation and not works because of salvation. There is a difference. The reason the disobedient Israelites died in the wilderness is because they cared more for their own well being than trusting that God had it already worked out. They wanted their comfort (His presents) instead of His Presence.

When I read, “I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return]” (Philippians 1:6 AMP), this has nothing to do with me gaining anything other than transformation through Christ. This is bringing about the fullness of the ministry of reconciliation. So many are concerned with what they can get instead of realizing that they already got it all when they received Christ. This is the message that Hebrews 4 is trying to convey, if your salvation is still all about what you can get, it is full of unbelief. We are still waiting for God to restore what we lost, when He is the perfect gift. He is all we have need of.

Hebrews 4:12 (AMP) For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. 

John 1:1-4 (AMP) In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being. In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men.

When I read the Word (all of it, not just my favorite parts, and Jesus is not just in the New Testament), I am allowing the work of Christ to do His full work. I cannot be a complete person without Christ. I cannot be a complete person without the Holy Spirit. I definitely cannot be a complete person if I neglect His Word. Now faith is the confident assurance that what God says is true. Therefore, I am whole, I am complete, I am healed, I am redeemed and I am in right standing with Him. That is our promised land, that is our rest. Nothing else matters. Now live like it and go share the gospel.

Psalms 27:8 (AMP) When You said, “Seek My face [in prayer, require My presence as your greatest need],” my heart said to You, “Your face, O Lord, I will seek [on the authority of Your word].”

Matthew 6:33 (AMP) But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.

Jehovah Rapha, God our Healer, You are Marvelous and Wonderful. We want to honor You with our praise today. You said to seek Your face as our greatest need, we are doing that with all of our hearts. We long for You. Thank You for redeeming us with Your Son. Thank You for Your Word and for the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to take the full measure or grace (Your empowerment) to do the good works that You created us to do. The ministry of reconciliation is that good work. That good work has made us complete and whole through Christ Jesus. We repent for thinking that restoration had to do with stuff, that the promised land was material possessions, when it was our relationship with You. When Christ paid the price for our sins and we received Him in faith, we entered into that promised land. We entered into right standing with You. You are enough for us. Thank You for being Jehovah Jireh, God our Provider. We are at rest because of faith. We choose love today. We choose joy today. We choose hope today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose faith today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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It’s not worth it

1 Peter 5:7 (AMP) casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].

I love this verse. We can cast all our cares on Him. I want to put this into context for you. This is a command to holiness. The preceding verse if very much attached to this one, and even all the way back to chapter 4. The reason is because we will all go before the judgement seat, “For it is the time [destined] for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not respect or believe or obey the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17) Also, you can find it in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we [believers will be called to account and] must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be repaid for what has been done in the body, whether good or bad [that is, each will be held responsible for his actions, purposes, goals, motives—the use or misuse of his time, opportunities and abilities].“

Does the fear of judgement cause you to want to run or hide? It causes me to want to do both, but not in the way you would think. I run and hide in Christ, not due to shame or guilt, but because of His great love. If as a believer it makes you angry when you are reminded that you will be called before the judgement seat, discover the why in yourself. Read the full above verse in context.

1 Peter 5:6-11 (AMP) Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.] After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be]. To Him be dominion (power, authority, sovereignty) forever and ever. Amen.

Pride is the root. It’s symptoms are not just anger, but can be fear. How do I rid myself of pride? Just like perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18), His perfect love will also cast out that pride. It takes humility to be rooted and grounded in Christ’s love. It takes humility to cast what is bothering you to His feet. It takes humility to allow the Holy Spirit to dig into your wells and pull out all the contaminates that keep you from running your race well. It takes humility to forgive, even when the other person does not ask for it. It takes humility to see the best for others. None of this can be accomplished without a deep love of Christ. This is not a one time confession either. This is a life long pursuit, and I am not always going to get it right. If I did, then there would not be a need for the Holy Spirit.

Are you questioning your salvation? How can one be assured of their salvation. Do you have a relationship with God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit? ‘Knowledge of’ and ‘relationship with’ are two different things. Our salvation was not to attain knowledge, but to attain His face. He wants a relationship with us. In a relationship it has give and take. If all you want is the gifts, then that is not a real relationship. If you are not willing to give of yourself and not willing to grow into holiness (because that is what His presence will do), then that is not a relationship with our God. When it comes to having more knowledge or having more of His presence, I will choose His presence. Here is the thing, He will give you knowledge when you desire His presence.

Read Hebrews 10:26-31 and Matthew 7:21-23. This is not meant to scare you, but to draw you closer to Him. If you are scared because you deserve punishment, there is still hope. Have the confident assurance that when you make Christ your savior, repent and surrender your life, you are redeemed. You can stand right before God. The rest is up to you. Casting all of my cares has to do with my mind, my will and my emotions. These are the parts that make me unique. They are also the parts that can cause me to not want the things of God. They are the areas that will hold onto pride. I decided, for myself, that holding onto things that did not glorify Him are just not worth it. What do you treasure? I treasure His Presence. I treasure being rooted and grounded in His love (unmovable and unshakable). Nothing is worth more than that. My reverential fear of displeasing God has nothing to do with punishment, it has to do with my great love for Him.

Abba, our Father, our Maker and our Banner, You are so Wonderful. Thank You for sending Your Son to live, die and come back to Your right hand. He is making intercessions for us because of Your great love. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. We receive all that He has for us. We thank You for Your Word and for the Body of Christ. We grow in our relationship with You when we apply what you have gifted us with. We repent for trampling the blood of Christ by holding onto our own ways and by allowing pride to rule and reign in our lives. Nothing in this world is as valuable as You. The fear of the judgement seat was taken away when You sent Your Son. It was not just for the judgement, it was also for the restoration. We desire and long for You. Thank You for Your Presence, let it not depart from us. We desire You. We choose love today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose joy today. We choose hope today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

1 John 4:18 (MEV) There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. Whoever fears is not perfect in love.

There are enough “fear nots” in the Bible to cover every day of the year. According to Quora.com the word “love” appears 310 times in the King James Bible, 348 times in the New American Standard Bible and 551 times in the New International Version and 538 times in the New Revised Standard Version.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (AMP) And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love.

I believe the perfect love that casts out fear is the love that come out of God’s love for me. I also think this love is linked to my faith and hope. That is why God said the greatest of them was love. The opposite of fear is not faith, it is whether I have completely received the love of God. If I have then my faith filled words are not said out of fear, but out of love and the assurance of knowing who my God is.

John 14:1 (AMP) Do not let your heart be troubled (afraid, cowardly). Believe [confidently] in God and trust in Him, [have faith, hold on to it, rely on it, keep going and] believe also in Me.

For my last blog I wrote about the name above all names in “What is in the Name?” If you have not had the chance to read it, I encourage you to do so. The Name of Jesus has been placed above all names. When we call on His Name we do so out of our knowing of who He is. If you have not done so before, I also encourage you to read all of John 14. None of this can be truly revealed to you without the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 3:16-19 (AMP) May He grant you out of the riches of His glory, to be strengthened and spiritually energized with power through His Spirit in your inner self, [indwelling your innermost being and personality], so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith. And may you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love, be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints (God’s people) the width and length and height and depth of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love]; and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].

The biggest change in my life had to do with me receiving this perfect love, not me perfecting my love. Our love walk is something we have to work on, and I still have a lot to go in that area. However, the love of Christ is something we have to receive. It is more than the words I say in receiving my salvation. It has to do with how I think about how much He really does love me. I have to be rooted and grounded in that love, so that nothing else will move me. The rejection of those that I love will not move me because of His perfect love. This perfect love casts out fear. It is not a mere knowledge of the love, it is an immersed experience to be full and complete, that no one can take away from me. It is the richest experience of His Presence.

Romans 8:35, 37-39 (AMP) Who shall ever separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]. For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I looks like this perfect love is the source of our victory. Just confirming to me that perfect love casts out fear. It is not my perfect love, it is His perfect love. Have you received the fullness of that yet? Let us open up our faith filled words, to love filled words. When we speak His Word in faith, do you know the Love of Christ behind it? Are we rooted and grounded in that love. The width and height and depth of that Love. Let it surround you today. We have enough verses of “fear not” in the Bible to cover every day of the year. They are powerless without His love. Let His perfect love envelope you today. Get in His Presence and let His perfect love cast out fear. Do you need more peace, get in that perfect love. Are you having hard time with guilt and shame, get in that perfect love. Do you need help with your anxious thoughts, get in that perfect love.

God, our Father, our Source, our Maker, our Jehovah Nissi, Your Banner over us is Love. We stand in awe of You. You are worthy of praise and honor. We want to magnify and lift up Your Holy Name. Thank You for Your Son, the Word made flesh. Thank You for loving us so much that He died for us. Thank You that now that He sits at Your right hand that we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in and with us. Your Holy Spirit reveals Your Perfect Love. We repent for thinking that it all depended on how we feel. Our feeling will deceive us, but Your Perfect Love will never leave us. Let us get to know with experience the width and height and depth of that Perfect Love. Let us be grounded in the Love of Christ. Search our hearts Lord and let any areas of unforgiveness be rooted out. We choose joy today. We choose hope today. We choose faith today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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What is in the Name?

John 15:7 (AMP) If you remain in Me and My words remain in you [that is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart], ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. 

Prayer is an essential part of being a born again believer (Ephesians 6:18). It is something we have to grow in. I also believe it is the least discipled part of this new life. In order to disciple we must be willing to talk to people, not talk at people. Every Tuesday, before our corporate prayer time, we talk. We will share prayer requests, but we will also share what is going on in our lives. Afterwards we will share about our prayer time. We will encourage each other in our time of devotion and even share a scripture. There may have been a word of knowledge that was received that can be shared. This has strengthen my personal prayer time. As a leader I do not have to do all the talking, most of the time I listen and encourage.

One of the things our prayer group has started doing is praying Ephesians One over our church, Connect Church. A part jumped out at me when I was praying it this week (Ephesians 1:18-23): 

And I pray that the eyes of Connect Church's heart, the very center and core of their being, may be enlightened, flooded with light by the Holy Spirit, so that they will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called us, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the people of Connect Church, and [so that they will begin to know] what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength which He produced in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion [whether angelic or human], and [far above] every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and world but also in the one to come. And He put all things [in every realm] in subjection under Christ’s feet, and appointed Him as [supreme and authoritative] head over all things in the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills and completes all things in all [believers].

As Christians we pray in the name of Jesus. Most of the time we have parroted this without a revelation of how powerful that name really is. God (the Father) put the name of Jesus above every name. In John 15: 7, Jesus instructed us that if we remain in Him and His Word remains in us we can ask anything. Here is the big part about the ask, we have to remain in Him, the name above every name. His name is eternal. Why am I searching for words when He is the the Word? Why am a searching for a formula to pray when He gave us the model to pray (Matthew 6:5-15)? Again, not to be parroted, but to be modeled. There is a story in Acts about some men using the name of Jesus:

Acts 19:13-16 (AMP) Then some of the traveling Jewish exorcists also attempted to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I implore you and solemnly command you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches!” Seven sons of one [named] Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. But the evil spirit retorted, “I know and recognize and acknowledge Jesus, and I know about Paul, but as for you, who are you?” Then the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they ran out of that house [in terror, stripped] naked and wounded.

Why did the name of Jesus not work for these men? They used the name of Jesus, however, they were trying to go off of someone else’s revelation of who Jesus is and not a personal revelation (only the Holy Spirit can do that). Remember Jesus said to remain in Him and we will have what we ask. What was the result of people hearing about what happened to these men? Verse 17 tells us, “This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified and exalted.” The name of Jesus was not common. The name of Jesus is to be revered, just as our relationship with Him should be.

John 8:58 (AMP) Jesus replied, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, before Abraham was born, I Am.

This is the same I Am that sent Moses to Pharaoh to demand His people free. Jesus is saying He is the I Am. A name God called Himself out of a burning bush.

We have been given the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17, Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit will reveal to us Jesus (the Word). That is why we pray that the Holy Spirit fill us up. That is why we should receive the Holy Spirit and know that we are not alone. The Holy Spirit is to be communed with. He reveals to us all that Jesus desires for us. He will reveal the name above every name. You cannot use the name of Jesus apart from the Holy Spirit.

So what is in the name of Jesus? Above all power and authority (above every title). Above all dominion and principalities. The name of Jesus is the Great I Am. The name of Jesus is the name above all names. Through His name we now have authority over the principalities and powers (Matthew 28:18-20). What a beautiful name it is.

Adonai, Our Father, Our Maker, Our Banner, we want to honor and glorify You with everything within us. There is none like You. Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus. He died, rose again and is now at Your Right Hand. Thank You for the Holy Spirit that reveals the power of His Name, Jesus. We repent for using the name as common. We repent for not valuing the name as other than an escape from hell. We want to remain in Your Word (Jesus). We will not shy away from the dominion and power that You have given to us through the name of Jesus. When Jesus said that apart from Him we could do nothing, it was not that He was speaking of something that You did not already put into place. If I am to be effectual in the Kingdom, I need to know who Jesus is, I need a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Fill me up Lord. I choose to walk in forgiveness today. I choose hope today. I choose love today. I choose joy today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Come Closer

Romans 11:36 (AMP)  For from Him [all things originate] and through Him [all things live and exist] and to Him are all things [directed]. To Him be glory and honor forever! Amen.

God is the originator of all. It is because of Him that we live and exist, and it is for Him we live and exist. This is why He is to be honored and glorified. We live in a world that only wants to worship when they receive. How about it is because of who He is. The next verse comes in Romans chapter 12. It is connected to the above scripture.

Romans 12:1 (AMP) Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. 

My act of worship is not a song I sing before the preaching starts. It is not the few minutes I give God in my day to pray. My life is an act of worship. Now this does not mean that I quote scripture ever other breath. This is an invitation from God that I can walk continually in His Presence. When someone is in our presence, do we ignore them? We check in and acknowledge them.

James 4:8 (AMP) Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people].

What does it mean to be double-minded? I look at it that we become self-focused and self-driven. We are double-minded in that we care more for our well being than anyone else’s. Part of my worship is how I treat others. I do not live for other’s approval, but I am to live is such a way that people do matter. This does not mean I subject myself to abuse or put myself in places that people can manipulate me. It does not mean that I only seek out relationships that can benefit me. My prayer this year has been for God to increase His love in me so that it is all that flows out of me. This requires patience, because I am not always going to get it right. This is why I have a deep need for Him.

John 15:7 (AMP)  This [is what] I command you: that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another.

John 15:10 (AMP) If you keep My commandments and obey My teaching, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.

Jesus walked in Oneness with the Father here on earth. Why? He stayed close to Him. In His humanity He showed us how to do this. His life on earth was that of worship to the Father. That is why He could just speak and deliverance, healing and people were raised from the dead. I do not believe Jesus spent so much time with God so that He could do those miracles, the miracles were a by product of His time spent with God. How many of us seek God for the blessings, when the blessings should be an outflow of the time we spend with Him. The Kingdom of God cannot help but to prosper. Your mind cannot help but to be renewed. Your emotions cannot help but to be put back in line. He is desiring us to draw near to Him.

My life matters. My eternity started when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I am not fearful of losing my salvation. That is not the point of this life of worship. The point is that we should not treat His Presence as common (the opposite of Holy). He is still the God of the beginning and the end.

Romans 11: 33-35 (AMP) Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and decisions and how unfathomable and untraceable are His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it would be paid back to him? 

No one is like the Lord. In His Presence is fullness of joy. Why would you not want to be there? He is inviting you to come closer today. Lay it all down. Surrender whatever that you have been holding onto. Surrender the worry. Surrender the doubt. Surrender and let faith draw you near. The width and length and height and depth of His love (Ephesians 3:18), let it surround you. We are learning a new song at church called Surrounded By Holy. I love this part of the song that says, “The more that I enter in, You consume all I am, I lose myself in the One who’s holy.” There is no one more Holy. Come closer.

Father, Elohim, Creator and Lord, You are all that is and all that will ever be. You are Holy. We honor You today in our worship. Thank You for sending Your Son to restore us back to right standing with You. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, the third person of the God head, that dwells within and with us. We thank You for the throne room of grace and mercy. We are no longer bound to the outer courts. We repent for the times we have only sought Your face for when we needed something from You. We do not seek after Your blessings. We seek after You. We are choosing to love like You love. We want to see the best in others and to live unselfishly in love. We surrender our hearts and minds to You. We desire to present our whole selves as a living sacrifice to You, holy, as our act of worship to You. We want to draw closer. We are making a choice to forgive freely. We choose love today. We choose hope today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose joy today. In Jesus Name, Amen.