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Release – Even if there is a Scar

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 have a two inch scar on the front of my left knee. It has been there since I was three years old. The picture is of me is when I was just a little over two. I was a rambunctious child and would slide into my wooden toy-box knees first. This resulted in a chipped knee cap that did not show up on the original x-ray. It got to where I could not put my weight on it and had to be hospitalized for a bone infection. I was there for six weeks. At such a young age, my memories of who was there with me if fuzzy (it has been 40 years). I can tell you how I felt, because that stayed with me into my developmental years and into adulthood (even after receiving Christ as my Savior). I felt alone (even though I wasn’t). Feelings of abandonment and rejection, as a result of so many other things that transpired, like my father not choosing to be a part of my life after the divorce. Here is the thing, I do not blame anyone for how I felt. It was no one’s fault that the memory of me being in the hospital at three resulted in feeling alone. Who’s fault was it?

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

That word course in Greek means aiona – denoting a specific period of time, a specific era or generation. We were trapped, bound to walk that path time and again. I can no longer identify with the course of the world that Christ delivered me from? I had to get free of this thing that was plaguing me and not allowing me to walk in my full freedom that Christ redeemed me from. That may be where I am from and I am not to forget that (so I can show the path of freedom to others), but that does not mean that I have to live there.

I was stuck in a pit of rejection. So much that I even allowed the oppressive spirit of orphan to attach itself to me as a believer. How do we get out of these graves that we did not put ourselves in?

Psalms 40:1-2 (AMP) I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of a horrible pit [of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock, steadying my footsteps and establishing my path.

First thing is that you have to want to get out of the pit, but you cannot do it yourself. This is why Jesus came, not just for fire insurance to keep me from hell. Jesus reads from Isaiah 61 in Luke 4:18-19, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the Messiah), because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent Me to announce release (pardon, forgiveness) to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy), to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the favor of God abound greatly].” (AMP) Are we walking in the fullness of our salvation?

1 Peter 5:6-9 (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.] 

It is our of pride that we will not seek help. It takes great humility to admit of your struggles. It takes greater humility to desire to get out of the pit. That is what I wanted. I had to surrender everything to Him who redeemed me. I had to get to the root of what was going on, and not just treat the symptoms for them to leak out and put me back in bondage again (Galatians 5:1). The second thing you do after you ask God for help is to release it (cast all your cares). After you release you need to fill that void with the Word. Why? Because that enemy of ours, the devil, is looking for an area of entry. We need to fill our minds, our hearts and our mouths with the Word. That’s what Jesus did, how do you think He was able to live such a victorious life? We are to be imitators of Him (Ephesians 5:1). There is more in me that is getting worked on, that is what working out our salvation means (Philippians 2:12).

It is time to release it. It is time to be free from the strongholds that have kept us in the pits for so long. There is still a very noticeable scar, but it is not a symbol of trauma, it is a symbol of victory. I am free of abandonment, rejection and feeling alone.

Ephesians 1:5 (AMP) He predestined and lovingly planned for us to be adopted to Himself as [His own] children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the kind intention and good pleasure of His will—

In the time that this was written, the cost of children being high and average families having very few children, this posed a challenge to the senators. Without a male heir, their title and estate would be forfeited. This was the leading cause for adoption in ancient Rome. They adopted adult male heirs. According to Roman law, an adopted child’s debts were erased and transferred to their adoptive father, and they became the heir to that estate. The adopted person would have new rights and responsibilities and the legal records of their history would be expunged (erased). The adopted son was not required to have an untarnished life. The adopted person would be considered the son of the new father, and their past would have nothing to do with it. They cannot identify as an orphan. Therefore, I should never feel alone, abandoned nor rejected.

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].

Start with the ask, then cast. Do not forget the soberness of your mind because the enemy only wants to keep you in bondage. Release it to Him. Trust that He paid the price for every part of your freedom. The scars may not go away, but the effects you do not have to live in any longer.

Abba Father, You are so Wonderful and Marvelous. Thank You for all that You are. Thank You for sending Your Son so that we could be adopted as Your sons and daughters through Him. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit that brings revelation to Your Word. We repent for not stepping into the fullness of the freedom that Your Son set us free from. We are set free and not longer captives to the course of this world, which includes that ways we were brought up. Let us call upon Your Name. Let us cast those cares and concerns to You and fill them up with Your Word. The devil has no place in our hearts and minds any longer. We choose freedom today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose joy today. We choose hope 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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Faith and Expectation

Psalms 31:24 (AMP) Be strong and let your hearts take courage, all you who wait for and confidently expect the Lord.

Are we showing up to places expecting calamity? Are we expecting a struggle? Are we expecting to walk into confusion? I want to tell you something about this faith life, we cannot pray against something that we have invited. We need to change our mindset and our expectation. God is not going past what we expect and speak with our mouths.

Matthew 15:15, 17-20 (AMP) Peter asked Him, “Explain this parable [about what defiles a person] to us.” Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? But whatever [word] comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what defiles and dishonors the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts and plans, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slanders (verbal abuse, irreverent speech, blaspheming). These are the things which defile and dishonor the man; but eating with [ceremonially] unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

Ephesians 4:29-31 (AMP) Do not let unwholesome [foul, profane, worthless, vulgar] words ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear [you speak]. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [but seek to please Him], by whom you were sealed and marked [branded as God’s own] for the day of redemption [the final deliverance from the consequences of sin]. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence].

I was in prayer yesterday about some of the confusion we have had with setting up on Sunday mornings. It has been effecting our worship and media (which includes the sound) teams. Where is all this confusion coming from? As of right now we are renting from another church. We have a 1:30 in the afternoon service. Their worship and media teams have been doing some changes with the equipment and it is different every week. There is discouragement, and I understand that, it is not easy to figure out when we are not a part of the whole picture. What we cannot do is lose the joy in that we have a place to come to worship together. We cannot allow it to cause discouragement in how we approach worship.

The first thing we have to do is to check our heart attitude. Have we lost the joy? If so, what are we doing to find it again? Psalms 31:24 says, “Be strong and let your hearts take courage.” Discouragement cannot enter our hearts. Out of hearts we will speak what we expect. My prayer was, “God let our hearts remain steadfast to your Word. Let us not grieve the Holy Spirit by our complaining when we come into this place. Holy Spirit, we value You more than any inconvenience we may face. Let our words build up. Let our words be used to bless.”

I am praying against the confusion, but I am also praying for our minds to be in correct alignment with the Word. No matter what, the Holy Spirit is more important than what we sound like or look like on the camera. We are not producing a product, we are ushering in His Presence. We should have excellence, but not at the expense of not sitting at His feet. We can often get into the works of it all, that we forget the most important part, being with Him.

Joshua 6:10 (AMP) But Joshua commanded the people, “You shall not shout [the battle cry] nor let your voice be heard nor let a word come out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout!”

This is the story of how God delivered the city of Jericho into the hands of the Israelites. They marched around the city walls six days with only the trumpets being blown by the priests, and the ark of the covenant being carried behind the priests. On the seventh day, when they had walked around the city seven times, this time when the priests blew the trumpets the people were to give out a shout. I believe it was a shout of praise, it was a shout of victory, it was a shout of expectation. Their faith had lined up with their expectation that God had delivered the victory.

We cannot pray against something we have invited. Change your mindset and change your words. Stop inviting confusion into your life and into your worship. Do not allow discouragement to take root and cause your mouth to curse what God wants to do in that moment. Speak faith, speak expectation, speak to build up. Your faith will meet your expectation.

Our Lord, Our God, Our Banner, You are more precious than the sun you put in the sky. We want to bring glory to Your Name. Thank You for Your Son, for coming to earth to live among us and for restoring us to our rightful place in Your Presence. Thank You for the Holy Spirit. Your Word says that the Holy Spirit is the seal of our redemption. That means we have been inspected and approved. We are no longer broken vessels, Your Son redeemed us. We repent for speaking words that are not uplifting, that we have spoken out of the confusion without going to Your Word and Your Promise. We choose to forgive ourselves and others for having expectations that do not line up with Your Word. Let us choose to remain silent and get our hearts and minds in correct alignment so that we do not dishonor You with our words. We choose hope today. We choose joy today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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A New Way to Live

Hebrews 10:19-25 (AMP) Therefore, believers, since we have confidence and full freedom to enter the Holy Place [the place where God dwells] by [means of] the blood of Jesus, by this new and living way which He initiated and opened for us through the veil [as in the Holy of Holies], that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great and wonderful Priest [Who rules] over the house of God, let us approach [God] with a true and sincere heart in unqualified assurance of faith, having had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us seize and hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is reliable and trustworthy and faithful [to His word]; and let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds, not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching.

In the Chapters leading up to this point, Luke, the author of Hebrews wrote about how Christ fulfilled the law. It is now inscribed on our hearts because Christ paid the price (Romans 2:14-15). The works under the law had to do with the blood. Good deeds, good works, and serving one another was never under the law. It is a part of the new way of doing things. It is a part of the new commandment, “that we love and unselfishly seek the best for one another.” We are to be a part of a church, our church body is to encourage us in our growth in Christ, and to search for ways to do good deeds. We worship together, we serve together and we grow together.

As I was reading through Galatians, chapter 5, verse 13 through chapter 6, verse 10 jumped out at me. The new way to live is not full of self. Many times we will use our freedom in Christ to still live our way if we see that it is good (not harming anyone else). After Tuesday prayer we were discussing why the body of Christ struggles with unity. It all comes down to us loving unselfishly. We often use the permissive will as an excuse to not die to the flesh in those areas. I can be selfish as a believer when I choose to do only what pleases me, especially when I do not consider the needs of others above myself. We may not hate people, we even love our church, we just love what we want more.

Galatians 5:13-14 (AMP) For you, my brothers, were called to freedom; only do not let your freedom become an opportunity for the sinful nature (worldliness, selfishness), but through love serve and seek the best for one another. For the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is fulfilled in one precept, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, you shall have an unselfish concern for others and do things for their benefit].”

In a world that tells us to ‘look at for yourselves’, ‘build for yourself’, ‘to experience life for yourself’, ‘to do what makes you happy’, ‘to choose you’, this is a different way of living. I look at it this way, if my motive is questioned and I am defensive then is it self motivated or was is it Kingdom motivated? My flesh is going to seek preservation and will become defensive, even angry. That is why accountability has left the church today. We feel like it is an attack, when really it is suppose to bring us back to putting His way above seeking our own.

Galatians 5:16, 25-26, 6:10 But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts]. If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit]. We must not become conceited, challenging or provoking one another, envying one another. So then, while we [as individual believers] have the opportunity, let us do good to all people [not only being helpful, but also doing that which promotes their spiritual well-being], and especially [be a blessing] to those of the household of faith (born-again believers).

As I have been listening to teachings about hearing God and really developing a relationship with the Holy Spirit, the one key component is to get yourself in a neutral state. Close off my own desires and really listen to the heart of God. Most of the time we are swayed to make a decision because of our own yearnings, which means our voice is louder. God gives us the desires of our hearts, but I want my heart lined up with His. This is how I can battle my selfish nature. This is how my desires match His desires. This is how my wants do not become idols (coveting creates idols). Dying to self means I let go of the permissible and submit to the perfect will. I want all that God has for me. That means I want God to have all of me. Fill me up Lord! I do not want to live any old way anymore, I want to live Your way, the new way.

I did not include the entire chunk of verses of Galatians 5:13-Galatians 6:10 for the sake of the link of this blog. I do encourage you to go back and read it for yourself. I chose to read it in both the Amplified Bible and the Message Bible. Just a little taste of message for Galatians 5:13-14, “It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use that freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom.” I do not want to destroy my freedom by submitting to my selfish ways. I do not want to be under the bondage of my mind, thinking things that are contrary to the Word. I want to live free, I also want you to be free also.

Abba Father, we want to know You more. We want our lives to be an honor to You. You are all that matters. Thank You for Your Son to restore us back to You. Thank You for the Holy Spirit. Let us listen and be led by Him. Let us hunger and thirst for Your Word. Let us desire to please You, not out of fear of punishment, but because of our deep Love for You. We repent for considering our wants above Your wants. Even things that my look good can become idols in our lives and we do not want to put anything above You. Please search our hearts Lord and correct any way You see in us that is not Your will. Forgive us for the times we have bitten and used divisiveness as a defense to keep doing what we please. Let us give preference to others. Let us love the way You love, unselfishly, not self seeking. We choose forgiveness today. We choose hope today. We choose joy 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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How we treat people matters

Ephesians 5:1-2 (AMP) Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.

How we treat people matters to God. I was in prayer yesterday and God told me to turn to Ephesians 4:30, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [but seek to please Him], by whom you were sealed and marked [branded as God’s own] for the day of redemption [the final deliverance from the consequences of sin].” I am a context girl, so I read the verses around it.

Ephesians 4:29 (AMP) Do not let unwholesome [foul, profane, worthless, vulgar] words ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear [you speak]. 

Ephesians 4:31-32 (AMP) Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence]. Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.

The Book of Ephesians was written to the church of Ephesus, which means it was written to people who had received Christ as their Lord and Savior. At the moment, my husband and I are in a series about Relational Maintenance and we are taking the verses from Ephesians 5 and breaking down how we can apply it to our every day lives. Like I said, I am a context girl and when I see the word “therefore” that means that this is not the starting point of the thought. We grieve the Holy Spirit when we are not becoming imitators of Christ. This is not referring to winning the lost, healing the sick and raising people from the dead. We have been given the authority to do that at sons and daughters, but it is not referring to your position as a child of God. As a child of God, that is an imitation of the Father, an ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20). Does my character reflect His? There are two words in the Greek that are used for son, teknon and huios. Teknon refers to child or heir, huios refers to maturity and the mannerism taken on.

Can I grieve the Holy Spirit as a born again believer? Yes. How? By not maturing into huios, becoming an imitator of my Father. What are some checks in myself? When I am talking are my words building up? Do I take the chance to tell it like it is about someone? Do I repeat a wrong? Do I spread resentment or strife? I had someone do that to me recently and it has taken me a moment to think better about the person they were talking about. They said something to hurt me out of spite and sow a seed of division to another. This was a person in our body of believers doing this. Did I correct them? There would have been no point because of their character (they are known for doing this). Instead I loved them and am choosing to walk in forgiveness.

When we mature we begin to walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance. There are times that I am going to have to work on this more and more. How we treat people matters to God. When I become an imitator of Him I do not have to fear grieving the Holy Spirit. I believe He is a God to be honored. I should honor Him with my full self, that includes my thoughts, words and actions.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (AMP) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom]. And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.

Father, our Creator and Banner, You are so Marvelous. If we do nothing else but to just love You, that is all we need. Thank You for Your Son, for being the Restorer of our authority and fullness. Thank You for the Holy Spirit and the power that You have entrusted us with. We repent for not being imitators of You and for the words we have spoken in vain against Your body. Let our tongues be submitted to You. We are choosing to renew our minds daily in Your Word. Thank You for allowing us to partner with You in Your Kingdom expansion. We choose to see people the way You do. Let us have eternal eyes when we speak and treat Your people. Let us be true children of You and imitate You in all we say and do. We choose forgiveness today. We choose joy today. We choose hope today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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My Treasure

Isaiah 33:6 (AMPC) And there shall be stability in your times, an abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the reverent fear and worship of the Lord is your treasure and His.

I love this verse. This verse has been on the cover of my Facebook page off and on for the past few years. How much do you desire stability? Stability in our lives makes us feel more secure and safe. You may be saying, ‘look at the things going on in the world, do they look stable?’ Right now there is a war in Israel. The United States just launched an air strike against Iran in retaliation for the attack that killed three American soldiers. Let’s not talk about the price of everything going up and the interest rates. Are those the things we look at to gauge stability?

John 14:27 (AMP) Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]

An abundance of salvation. This my heart leaps for because I want to see the captives set free. As I have written before, ‘Sozo’ is the Greek word for salvation. It means to save, deliver, heal, restore, to be made whole. In Hebrew it means deliverance and redemption. We cannot separate salvation from the need of repentance. I grow in my salvation when I realize I have a great need for Christ. I have to remind myself of that daily, because Amanda still likes to live. I so much want to surrender to that Sozo life.

John 10:10 (AMP) The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].

How many of us would like more wisdom and knowledge? I know I would. That is why I read every day, if I am able. Most days I am able to spend a couple of hours to read. I know that it is a something that not everyone is capable of doing. I did not start out with a couple of hours. I started out with maybe five to ten minutes. I had to make it a priority in my life. I make sure that i am at least reading a few verses from my Bible every day. When I am at the gym, I am listening to the Word being taught. I love the Messenger X app. It is completely free and is tool from Messenger International, a ministry of John and Lisa Bevere. Reading without application really is a form of disobedience. I will go further in that in my last point.

Joshua 1:8 (AMP) This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read [and meditate on] it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful.

The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is your treasure and His. This is where i want to sit for a moment. This fear is not of failure nor of punishment. It is ‘God, am I honoring You?’ Once we receive salvation we become new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). I am now called into the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). I am now an ambassador for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). God gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) and the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16). Jesus gifted us with five fold ministry (Ephesians 4:10-11) and the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12-13). The fear of the Lord is also a gift. It is even a treasure. I take the Word very seriously, even the commands that Jesus left us. I am constantly allowing the Holy Spirit to put me in check because of the fear of the Lord. One verse really stood out to me this past week:

Exodus 20:7 (AMP) You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, irreverently, in false affirmations or in ways that impugn the character of God]; for the Lord will not hold guiltless nor leave unpunished the one who takes His name in vain [disregarding its reverence and its power].

Most of us were brought up with warning of not saying ‘oh my God’ or ‘Jesus Christ’ as response to be startled or in the heat of an argument, as in taking the Lord’s name in vain. How about how we live our lives as Christ’s ambassadors. Are we selfish? Are we self seeking? Do we put others down? Are we putting ourselves first? Do we take an account of a suffered wrong? Are we slandering? Do we stir up gossip and strife? All of these are taking the name of the Lord in vain. I have started to take this very serious in my life. I have written before that my prayer this year has been for God to increase His love in me, so that it is all that flows out of me. That requires me to submit to His cleaning some things out of me. Boy has this been an eye opener and stretching of my faith. The love walk is not an easy one. However, with the right training, it can become something we enjoy. I have to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. FYI, those who just talk it and do not live it actually come off unloving. It is truly a humbling thing to go back and apologize. Asking for forgiveness is an essential part of our love walk. I have to continually die to the rights of Amanda.

I go to the gym five days a week, not because it helps me looks good. I go because it gives me strength that I am going to need one day (we all get older). That is why I submit to the Lord. It is not about me looking good. Every day I need that strength to go through some really tough things. I know that I am being watched by people. I know they are writing down my words. That can be a really scary thing. In James it talks about the great weight it is to teach the Word (James 1:1). People hold you to a higher standard. Then it talks about if anyone who does not say the wrong thing then they are perfect (James 1:2). I am not perfect. I do misquote things, not with the intention of twisting their meaning, but in my zeal for the Word. Why do I do it then? Honestly, I would rather not be doing it. Like Paul, I am a bond-servant to it (Galatians 1:10). Even if my words are judged, it is His Word that brings freedom. I am in awe of who He is. I cannot keep it to myself.

When I focused on the reverent fear of the Lord, as my treasure, things began to change in my life. Stability is in my time. I am not afraid for the future or what is going on around me. I am quicker to repent and put into practice what the Word says (James 1:25). I take it seriously. I have an abundance of salvation. I have more life, more hunger, more thirst, more contentment, more wholeness like never before. Wisdom and knowledge started to chase after me. The light bulbs started going off. The way I present the Word changed. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of wisdom [its starting point and its essence], and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding and spiritual insight (AMP).” My relationship with God is so much deeper than I could have ever imagined. He is not some distant God. He is not a God that cannot be reached. He is my secret place. I am surrounded by Him. The more I enter in, the more I am consumed by Him. He desires to meet with us face to face. He desires to commune with us like we read about with Abraham and Moses. We can have that. I do not need anyone to write books about me, when He has written the best one (Psalms 139:16, Ephesians 2:10). His authorship did not do away with my free will, I will still have to give an account (2 Corinthians 5:10). Focus on Him. Honor the Lord. Let Him be your treasure.

Yahweh, Elohim, our Master, our Creator, You are Holy. We do not need anything but You. Thank You for Your Son. Thank You for the Way that You provided, established at the beginning. You are the Author of the beginning and the end. Thank You for the Holy Spirit. We are alive in You because of that great gift. Thank You for the gift of Your Word, of the five fold ministry, of the body of Christ. We are sorry for the times we took these gifts for granted and did not hold them dear. Thank You for the gift of the righteous fear of You. You said that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. We desire Your Wisdom. We desire Your ways. We desire the stability that only You can bring. We repent for seeking out anything or anyone that would take attempt to take Your place. Thank You for the gift of salvation, for restoring us to wholeness. Thank You for forgiveness, let us be courageous in giving it away freely. We choose hope today. We choose love today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose joy today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Do we match?

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (AMP) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom]. And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.

I was talking to the Lord about His many attributes. When I think of this above verse, I often think of Moses and the time he spent with God. Moses asked to see the glory of God (Exodus 33:18), “Show me your glory.” What was our Father’s answer, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before you; for I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion (lovingkindness) on whom I will show compassion (Exodus 33:19).” Other translations use mercy where it says compassion here. This I know the attributes that God showed Moses (the glory) were His grace and mercy (compassion). God is rich in love.

So if I am progressively being transformed into His image, from glory to glory, am I matching these attributes. Have I become rich in mercy and grace? Do I have compassion? When I accepted Christ, my spirit man became alive, the power of Christ now dwells in me. I am free from bondage. Can I put myself back under bondage? If I live according to an unrenewed my mind, will and emotions, I can.

Galatians 5:1 (AMP) It was for this freedom that Christ set us free [completely liberating us]; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery [which you once removed].

My mind, will and emotions (soul) are separate from my made new spirit man (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are spirit beings that have a soul and live in a body. The only one perfect in compassion that walked this earth was Jesus. That does not mean we cannot have these attributes.

Galatians 5:13-14 (AMP) For you, my brothers, were called to freedom; only do not let your freedom become an opportunity for the sinful nature (worldliness, selfishness), but through love serve and seek the best for one another. For the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is fulfilled in one precept, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, you shall have an unselfish concern for others and do things for their benefit].”

Your new found freedom should be reflected in your love walk. Ask ourselves, ‘who is the beneficiary’? Let’s start with things that do not reflect love:

Galatians 5:19-21 (AMP) Now the practices of the sinful nature are clearly evident: they are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control), idolatry, sorcery, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions [that promote heresies], envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, and other things like these. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

These are areas that we have to work out of ourselves. We have to make a conscious decision to not reflect that behavior anymore. Why do I say anymore? The sinful nature is what we have been freed from. How? Through His grace we have been empowered to overcome such. That does not mean it has been omitted from our lives, it means that we have the power to come against it. We can choose love instead. We can choose to walk in the freedom that His love gives. Those have their own attributes:

Galatians 5:22-26 (AMP) But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature together with its passions and appetites. If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit]. We must not become conceited, challenging or provoking one another, envying one another.

If I claim to live new and in the Holy Spirit, then I need to reflect that change. There is a warning, our flesh still lives so we must not become conceited, challenging or provoking one another, envying one another. This is something we can still become. This is the bondage that Paul warns about. We can become self-righteous. We can judge one another in saying we are doing better than the other. We can have factions of separation in the body of Christ due to perceived maturity (head knowledge only). Real maturity in Christ does not do this. Christ warns us:

Luke 6:37-38 (AMP) Do not judge [others self-righteously], and you will not be judged; do not condemn [others when you are guilty and unrepentant], and you will not be condemned [for your hypocrisy]; pardon [others when they truly repent and change], and you will be pardoned [when you truly repent and change]. Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over [with no space left for more]. For with the standard of measurement you use [when you do good to others], it will be measured to you in return.”

I have to recognize that this is a pattern of the flesh, the bondage that I have been set free from. I want to be better than that. The Bible also tells us to judge by our fruits (Matthew 7:15-20). That is true. For what purpose? Can we help with the restoration? Most of the time we like to write people off, but the Word only tells us to separate if there is no repentance and they are trying to pull others to the side of bondage (2 Timothy 3:5).

Galatians 6:1-5 (AMP) Brothers, if anyone is caught in any sin, you who are spiritual [that is, you who are responsive to the guidance of the Spirit] are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness [not with a sense of superiority or self-righteousness], keeping a watchful eye on yourself, so that you are not tempted as well. Carry one another’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the requirements of the law of Christ [that is, the law of Christian love]. For if anyone thinks he is something [special] when [in fact] he is nothing [special except in his own eyes], he deceives himself. But each one must carefully scrutinize his own work [examining his actions, attitudes, and behavior], and then he can have the personal satisfaction and inner joy of doing something commendable without comparing himself to another. For every person will have to bear [with patience] his own burden [of faults and shortcomings for which he alone is responsible].

I know this is a lot of scripture today, but bear with me. Sin is anything that is described in Galatians 5:19-22, to include: hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions [that promote heresies], envy. It is not just the outward things we see. These have to do with our mind, will and emotions. These are areas that I still have allow the Holy Spirit to work out of me. I also need to the body of Christ to help with them as well. It is the times of serving together with others and getting to know people that I can measure up to what I am reflecting. We are a family of believers.

Have you ever scheduled a family photo with a professional photographer? We have. We will pick a location and all dress to match each other. If the majority wore jeans and a button up shirt and one showed up in shorts and an old t-shirt, would you say they matched and looked like they were a part of the family? Probably not. You would probably think they were the so called ‘black sheep’ of the family (the one that does not care about wanting to be a part of the group). We all have those in our own families. Thankfully, my boys have always been agreeable to the matching family photo.

That is what I think about when we grow glory to glory. Am I matching my Father? Am I walking in the love that He gave me? Am I walking in the fruits of the Spirit? Am I looking for what benefits others, rather than what benefits me? When I have fits of anger or envy and jealousy creeps in, can I say that is not what i want to reflect? I have had to go and apologize for comments made against someone. I told them, ‘I am sorry, that that is not who I want to be’. I wanted to be better than that. I want to match the attributes of my Father. Forgiveness is another aspect of who He is. We are called Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). Who am I presenting as a follower of Christ? Do we match?

Our Father, Holy is Your Name. Holy, Holy, Holy are You, God. You are our Maker, our Provider and our Banner. You are more than enough. Thank You for Your Son to be the sacrifice for us. Thank You for the Holy Spirit that has empowered us to overcome the bondage of sin. Thank You for Your Word and the revelation through that Word, to know what we have been set free from. We repent for times of not listening to the Holy Spirit and depending our mind, will and emotions to lead us. We want to be renewed in You daily. We want the mind of Christ that You promised us. We want to reflect Your glory that we were created in. We cast down any vain imagination that has tried to exalt itself above Your knowledge. We desire the fruits of the Spirit to operate in our lives, the first being the unselfish love that You gave us. We do not want to give into the areas of strife, envy and jealousy, as they do not reflect Your glory. We do not want to hold onto bitterness anymore. We choose freedom today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose joy today. We choose hope today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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All About You

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].”

We are officially in 2024. You may have written out your goals or made a resolutions to be a better version of yourself this year. I have seen this statement over and over “A Better Me.” Do you remember when were in grade school and the first week of school we had to do a project called “All About Me?” I do and it still goes on today. It is something that we have done because it is our nature to be self centered and self focused. There is nothing wrong with making goals. There is nothing wrong with wanting to better yourself. My question though is for what reason?

Isaiah 12:5 (AMP) Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done excellent and glorious things; let this be known throughout the earth.

I love reading. I do it to gain knowledge, but also because the written word puts pictures in my head. When I read the account of David bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem, David’s first attempt was failure. Those who he had chosen to help him did not understand the reverence that needed to be held for such a piece. David was grieved that he could place people in a path of destruction by doing something so noble. Was this something that God wanted him to do? If so, how? The second attempt he, and the camp were successful (see 2 Samuel 6 and 1 Chronicles 13:1-16:43). In 1 Chronicles 16 we see a psalm commissioned by King David of which is also recorded in Psalms 105:

Psalms 105: 1-4 (AMP) O give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the people. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; speak of all His wonderful acts and devoutly praise them. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek and require the Lord [as their most essential need] rejoice. Seek and deeply long for the Lord and His strength [His power, His might]; seek and deeply long for His face and His presence continually.

As soon as the Ark is brought in, he has commissioned the task for them to sing a song of thanksgiving. Who received the glory? God did. It is His grace that allows us to do anything whether it is in the marketplace, in our homes or within the church.

Ephesians 2:8 (AMP) For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God

The word for grace in greek is ‘charis’, it is the word that we get charisma from. We often translate it as God’s undeserved favor. What if we looked at it as God’s empowerment? When I say I have been graced for something, I am saying that God has empowered me for this. When Jesus ascended He sent the Holy Spirit to empower us. We now have the charisma of God on this earth moving in and through us. This is a gift. What we do with this gift can either be used to glorify Him or it can be abused.

Philippians 2:3-11 (AMP) Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus [look to Him as your example in selfless humility], who, although He existed in the form and unchanging essence of God [as One with Him, possessing the fullness of all the divine attributes—the entire nature of deity], did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or asserted [as if He did not already possess it, or was afraid of losing it]; but emptied Himself [without renouncing or diminishing His deity, but only temporarily giving up the outward expression of divine equality and His rightful dignity] by assuming the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men [He became completely human but was without sin, being fully God and fully man]. After He was found in [terms of His] outward appearance as a man [for a divinely-appointed time], He humbled Himself [still further] by becoming obedient [to the Father] to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also [because He obeyed and so completely humbled Himself], God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow [in submission], of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess and openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord (sovereign God), to the glory of God the Father.

In the fall of 2018 my ego and spirit had been wounded. I could have retreated and pulled back from everything. I did run into the hiding place of God. That did not mean that I hid from people. Remember, it is through Him that we are empowered. When I shrink back, I am giving power to whatever hurt me. We have instinctively told people that this is okay because it is a natural reaction. 2 Samuel 6:6-7 (AMP) “When they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out [with his hand] to the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen [stumbled and] nearly overturned it. And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God.” It was a noble thing that Uzzah reached out to catch the Ark when it looked like it would fall, but that is not what pleased God. I think when we withdraw and focus on self we are doing the same thing. It may seem noble to encourage this, but ultimately we become so self-focused that we lose sight on what we were graced for. The ministry of reconciliation, that we are called to, get put on the back of our minds. We have been graced for this. The charisma to carry out our calling has been gifted to us. Desiring for More was birthed out of that time. My desire to see spiritual growth in others was birthed out of that.

In a world that tells us to make it all about us, we should be conforming to the model of Christ. He wanted His Father to get the glory, so He served. Christ did not want to make a name for Himself, in doing so God made His Name above every Name. What was the heart motive of Christ? It was for you and me. Seek first His Kingdom and all things will be taken care of (Matthew 6:33). If you want to better yourself, spend more time in His Presence. Get to know the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David and Jesus. Jesus became a man so that He could show us the way to the Father. He did that through selfless humility. He went to the cross.

Abba, Father, You are so Marvelous. We stand in Awe of Your Majesty. You are our Creator and our Banner. Thank You for sending Your Son to bring us back to right standing with You. Thank You for gifting us with the Holy Spirit. We have now been given the grace and power to walk into everything that You have for us. You have gifted us with Comfort, with Peace, with Joy and with Wholeness to just name a few. In our desire to grab a hold of these, we have omitted that we still need You. They are free gifts, but it is You who shows us how to operate in them. We repent for the times we did not walk in Your grace and made it all about us. You have told us not to conform to the world and yet we did. Forgive us as we turn back to You and pull from our place of Redemption. We want to glorify Your Name. We want Your Name to be high and lifted up. We want to speak of Your good works. We choose joy today. We choose hope today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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From the Stack of 2023

Joshua 1:8 (AMP) This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read (and meditate on) it day and night, so that you may be careful to do (everything) in accordance with all this is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful.

At the beginning of the year I pull out a stack of books to read. Often as I read, I will purchase more due to the recommendation of the author. Including in my books are devotions, Bible Studies, and (not pictured) my Bible. I was asked to pull some nuggets from some of my favorites. Here is what I read in 2023:

3 Bible Studies:

  • Ephesians by Joyce Meyer
  • Finding I Am by Lysa Terkeurst
  • Steps to Freedom in Christ by Neil Anderson & Steve Goss

6 Devotionals:

  • Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
  • From Faith to Faith by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland
  • Love Out Loud by Joyce Meyer
  • Jesus Calling for Christmas by Sarah Young
  • Awaken by Priscilla Shirer
  • Live in Grace, Walk in Love by Bob Goff

20 books:

  • The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller
  • Humility, the Joy of Self-Forgetfulness by Gavin Ortlund
  • A Woman’s Walk with God by Elizabeth George
  • The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer
  • The Well Watered Woman by Gretchen Saffles
  • No Back Doors, The Charles Graham Story
  • What Every Believer Should Know About Spiritual Warfare by Marcus Warner
  • The Bondage Breaker by Neil Anderson
  • Understanding the Wounded Heart by Marcus Warner
  • Setting Your Marriage Free by Neil Anderson
  • The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
  • The Nature of God by David Yonggi Cho
  • It’s Not How You Look, It’s What You See by Lisa Bevere
  • Loving God with All Your Mind by Elizabeth George
  • The Awe of God by John Bevere
  • God Still Speaks by John Eckhardt
  • Setting You Church Free by Neil Anderson
  • The Answer to Anxiety by Joyce Meyer
  • Becoming a Discipleship Making Church by Neil Anderson
  • Killing Kryptonite by John Bevere

Finding I Am (How Jesus Fully Satisfies the Cry of Your Heart) by Lysa Terkeurst: Lysa Terkeurst is one of my all time favorite authors. Of all the Lisa’s she is the one I have not seen speak in person. I have seen Lisa Bevere and Lisa Harper, but have yet to make it to a conference to see Lysa Terkeurst. Finding I Am was a study I did in 2020 and I decided to bring it to the ladies of my church for a small group. This study takes you through the seven “I Am” statements of Christ. What I love is that it even shows Christ at the beginning in Genesis. My favorite “I Am” statement is “I Am the Vine”. In John 15, Jesus tells us that we are to be connected to the Vine to bear much fruit. In order to bear fruit, there must be times of pruning, and that is actually when the gardener (or God) is closest to us. The pruned branches of the vine resemble a cross and that is us transforming more into the image of Christ. I have to choose to remain in Him on a daily basis.

Love Out Loud, 365 Devotions for Loving God, Loving Yourself, and Loving Others by Joyce Meyer: Joyce Meyer is another author favorite of mine. Her testimony of overcoming bitterness and anger from her childhood trauma is inspiring. Love Out Loud is a devotion that I have read over and over for the past few years and have decided to retire to start another one of hers. The heart of Loving Out Loud is to be intentional. Matthew 22:37-39 (AMP) And Jesus replied to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].’

Awaken: 90 Days with the God Who Speaks by Priscilla Shirer: This was a recommendation by a friend. Priscilla Shirer also wrote Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When God is Speaking that I read in 2022. This devotion reminds you of the importance of God’s Word. An excerpt with her prompt: “When you’re tempted to put yourself in a better position by bending a biblical principle, stay anchored to the right path. When the Spirit alerts you to a ground rule (which feels in the moment to be unnecessary and inconvenient), don’t recoil in rebellion. Deny yourself and follow Him. Run to win. Trust your Father to keep you on the winning trajectory, the one that leads to hearing ‘well done’ and enjoying the long-lasting satisfaction of eternal accomplishments – the only achievements that really matter anyway.” What are some basic, biblical guidelines you’ve gotten away form prioritizing? Ask the Lord to bring them to mind. “But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22 CSB

The Well-Watered Woman: Rooted in Truth, Growing in Grace, Flourishing in Faith by Gretchen Saffles: This book was recommendation from my Amazon shopping due to the other books I have ordered. Some quotes:

  • The earth that was made to bear fruit would now also bear thorns and thistles, pain and disappointment, suffering and sorrow. In our struggle with jealousy, thorns grow. In your bitterness against the person who betrayed you, thorns grow. In your desire for something that God hasn’t given you, thorns grow.
  • I have learned firsthand that even if the roots are bad, hope is not lost.
  • The gospel uproots the lies buried in our souls and plants truth in their place.
  • Maybe you feel like weeds and worries are the only things growing in the soil of your life.
  • God can take the Babylon of your life and make it into a beautiful place of revival and restoration. But first you must plant a garden. You must surrender you own plans and purposes to exchange for His, which are far greater than anything that you could conjure up in your human nearsightedness.
  • True success begins in total surrender, in exchanging self determination for Spirit-led discipline.

This books encourages you to get closer to Christ through His Word. Allow the seed of the Word to flourish in your life. Allow it to do the work in you to uproot everything that keeps you from the freedom He desires for you. Replace that root system with Him.

The Awe of God: The Astounding Way a Healthy Fear of God Transforms Your Life by John Bevere: John Bevere is another author that I read from every year. I also ready Killing Kryptonite this year. Everyone of His books are going to point back to the topic of reverencing God and honor. John writes, “The person who fears God doesn’t say within themselves, ‘How close can I get to the line of sin and not fall in?’ No her or she says, ‘ I want to be so close to God, and so far away from that line, that I can’t even see it.'” Another great insight was into the three images we hold about ourselves: “Every human being has three images of themselves: a perceived image, a projected image, and an actual image. Our perceived image is how others see us. Our projected image is the way we desire others to see us. Our actual image is who we really are, and while it can be hidden and unnoticed by others, it’s fully visible to God. If I am self-focused, then I’ll seek to project an image that will cover my known inadequacies. If we succumb to the pressure of comparison, we highlight our shortcomings and in turn self-promote or self-protect, and it all begins in our motives and intentions.” When we realize that it is God who we are pleasing, then it changes how we present ourselves. He already knows the real us. My lack of fear puts out our a projections, my holy fear of Him enables me to live who I actually am. There is freedom.

God Still Speaks: How to Hear and Receive Revelation from God for Your Family, Church and Community by John Eckhardt: This was a book I wanted to read because I had read Destroying the Spirit of Rejection from him in 2022. The way God communicates with me is often prophetically. Did you know that when you are speaking out His written Word that you are prophesying? He also gives me vision and dreams. I do not like to draw too much focus on them because I think we have fancied the prophetic anointing that we lose focus on the Word giver Himself. It is important to have a submissive and teachable spirit. John writes, “As they minister spiritual gifts, it is extremely important for all of the saints of the local assembly to truly remain a submissive and teachable spirit toward their pastor and their local leadership. The pastors and other leaders have been given the responsibility to be shepherds for both the people and for those who are ministering in their gifts. Input and correction given by those in authority should be eagerly received by saints, who should desire to manifest their ministry in a way that will compliment the philosophy of the local church. No prophetic team member should ever assume that he or she does not receive direction or correction form the pastor. (See Proverbs 12:15).” The prophetic anointing is often seen as confrontational. Our desire is to see the body of Christ to be fruitful. They truly do love the church.

Understanding the Wounded Heart by Marcus Warner: I also read What Every Believer Should Know About Spiritual Warfare by this author. In both books he uses the acronym for WLVS (wolves). It is a spiritual term of the enemy, satan. WLVS stands for Wounds, Lies, Vows and Strongholds. “Wounds are like plowed soil. Lies are like seeds. Vows are like vines. Strongholds are the fruit that grows on the vines. Strongholds are unwanted fruit such as anger, depression, anxiety, shame and addition.” What we rehearse in our minds become what we believe as truth. Here are some examples: “My father ignored me, so I believe I am worthless.” John also writes, “If people are going to see real transformation, they are going to have to deal with root level issues.” God wants us to be honest, sometimes that reveals things that we don’t like about ourselves. He can work with that. Christ wants to be what we are rooted and grounded in. What does the devil want, “He gets us to fixate on the facts that ‘prove’ his point, and he distracts us from those facts that might give us a different perspective.” The enemy wants to distract us from the truth of God’s Word.

No Back Doors: The Charles Graham Story: Charles is a long time friend of my husband’s family. I first met him as a teenager. Before we married, we would travel to California, and my husband would stay with Charles. He took us to the Six Flags and Universal Studios while we were there. He sang at our wedding and stayed at our apartment when we were on our honeymoon. He spoke at the service that changed leadership from my husband’s parents to us, for the church we now pastor. Charles has always been the model of hospitality. When I read No Back Doors I was more enamored of the love of Christ that Charles really exudes. It is not fake. Charles grew up in rural Arkansas on a farm that his family worked on. He grew up when they desegregated schools. God took him from rural Arkansas to travel the world to minister the gospel, not to mention the tremendous voice he has to sing. He now owns the mansion that farm is on. He really demonstrates the love and forgiveness of Christ.

Becoming a Disciple Making Church: A Proven Method for Growing Spiritually Mature Christians by Neil Anderson: I read four books by Neil Anderson this year. This was my first. In reading his books, it was recommended to read the books by Marcus Warner. Everyone of his books also points to his study, The Steps to Freedom in Christ: A Biblical Guide to Help You Resolve Personal and Spiritual Conflicts and Become a Fruitful Disciple of Jesus, of which I lead small group this year for my church in the spring. Neil writes, “New believers must first become firmly rooted in Christ in order for them to grow in Christ, and live freely in Christ.” There are different levels to growth. They all must point to Christ. Chart on levels of Growth from the book:

The Bondage Breaker: Overcoming Negative Thoughts, Irrational Feelings and Habitual Sins by Neil Anderson: Neil writes, “God never designed the soul to function as its own master.” Denying ourselves and submitting to Christ brings us out of bondage. We are all tempted in three areas: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. “There is no way you can cleverly word a prayer so that God must capitulate your will. That not only distorts the meaning of prayer, it is an attempt to manipulate God. The righteous will live by faith in the written Word of God and not demand that God prove Himself in response to their whims or wishes, no matter how noble they may appear to be.” When we are screaming for God to do something in our lives for change to happen, we must take an inward look. “Whose responsibility is it to submit to God and resist the devil? Whose responsibility is it to put on the armor of God, take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, stand firm in faith, and make no provision for the flesh in regards to its lusts? “ At the end of the book he takes you through the steps to Freedom in Christ as he does in his study. The biggest hurdle for most is that of forgiveness. He spends a lot of time in all of his books on this topic.

It is hard for me to just pick a few books, or just a couple. I love to read. I am sure you can see that. Why read books like this? I glean from others revelations. When I read His Word, He brings back to remembrance other things I have read. It brings a fullness to who God is. What do I do with the books when I am done? I put them on my shelf and pull them out again. I have pulled out The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller and Humility, the Joy of Self-Forgetfulness by Gavin Ortlund to read again this year. I have also pulled out X: Multiply Your God-Given Potential by John Bevere to read for the third time. My prayer is to always grow deeper in His Word, but also be a doer of His Word. People are important. When I grow myself, I desire to see growth in others also. Discipleship is not about making time for people, it is about making yourself available. I do not want to just make time for God, I want to make myself available to Him.

Lord of Lords, Kings of Kings, Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, You are who reigns above it all. You are Worthy of Honor and Praise. No other Name is above Yours. Thank You for sending Your Son to be the Lamb, the Root of David, the Word made flesh. We are walking in righteousness because of You. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit now dwelling in us. We now can walk in the fullness You created us in. We repent for not standing on the truth of Your Word. We have fallen in the trap of lusting after our own gratification. We choose to surrender to Your Word, Your Will and Your Ways. As we read Your Word, let it be a Light and Beacon of Freedom. We choose to walk in Your statutes and precepts. We are casting off any exalted thought that does not line up with forgiveness and has misaligned us to take on jealousy, envy, bitterness, resentment and anger. We choose freedom this year. We choose joy this year. We choose hope this year. We choose love this year. Grow Your Love in us, so that it is all that flows out of us. We choose surrender this year. In Jesus Name, Amen.