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Confidence

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.] 

Every Tuesday and Thursday morning I take a class at the gym called Body Pump. I stand towards the front of the class, because that is where a fan is. So that means quite of bit of the class are behind me and can see me in the mirror. I like the mirror, because I can check my form while I am exercising. We are often afraid of mirrors because we do not like certain parts of ourselves. Mirrors are needed. They help us keep the correct form, so that we do not cause an injury.

James 1:23-25 (AMP) 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. But he who looks carefully into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and faithfully abides by it, not having become a [careless] listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he will be blessed and favored by God in what he does [in his life of obedience].

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.

Comparison is very crippling in the body of Christ. The mirror I am looking into is not to see a reflection of anyone else, other than Christ in my life. I should be an encouragement for others to continue, not a hinderance to stall growth in their life. Authenticity and real change are what people are wanting to hope in. Peace and stability in Christ are real. Being rooted and grounded in the love of Christ is possible.

A lady stopped me yesterday as I was putting away my equipment. She said, “I admire your confidence.” She told me she had been watching me and that she admired how confident I am in this class. In this class, I am the big girl. I will not be the small girl; there will not be a huge transformation about from big to small. Very little is known about lipedema, other than there is no cure. That is not why I go to the gym. I go so that I can be healthy. Mobility is health. Skinny does not mean healthy. We all grow older. What matters is that we do not quit because we do not see a change. Others see the consistency.

We are called into the body of Christ. What happens when we think that it does not matter if we show up on Sunday? Who are we really thinking of? I love my gym community. We watch out for each other and look for each other. That is called being the church. It is through the obedience of the Word in my every day that He reveals Himself more to me. I have to get outside of myself. When we think we do not matter, it is because we are still rooted in self. There is no peace in self-reliance.

John 14:21 (AMP) The person who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him [I will make Myself real to him].

John 15:12 (AMP) This is My commandment, that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another, just as I have loved you.

I ask that of myself daily. I pray for opportunities daily to show others His grace, mercy and love. I also have not attachment as to whether I receive it back from them or not. That is called keeping score, and love keeps no account of suffered wrongs. Jesus never looked to received back; He continually gave. How does He show me that He loves me? In the moments that I do not expect it. From the stranger that told me they see the confidence in me. That confidence does not come natural to me. It is from a surrendered life that confidence came. It was where being rooted and grounded in the love of Christ came from. It is where my peace is found. I grieve for those who look for it any other place than in Him. I hear the resentment in their voices. I hear the lack of love for others when they speak of what others were willing to do for them, yet they will not do something small for someone else. Yet I continue to serve, not that they deserve it, but because I love Jesus.

Peace is so important, that He said He would leave it with us. Peace brings courage. Peace brings confidence. Peace opens the door to wholeness. Worry is an enemy of peace. Depression is not resting in peace. Afraid of being uprooted from what you think is safe is not peace. Peace comes because we are confident in who Christ is in our lives. Others should see that confidence. Jesus will not turn away from confidence (Matthew 15:28).

Abba, Father, our Banner, You are Mighty and Wonderful. You Name is Holy. Thank You for Your Son, that we may have Peace. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, that we may know Comfort and Confidence. We repent for the times we made our days about just us. We repent that we approach Your church the same way. We love You. Jesus said that if we loved Him that we would obey His commandment. We are sorry that we have fallen short in seeking the best for others. We repent for keeping score and only serving those that we thought deserved it or would return it. We did not deserve the Love You so freely gave when you sent Your Son. Let us look for the best in each other. Let us no longer keep accounts. Let us love like You love. We choose forgiveness today. We choose joy today. We choose hope today. We stand in Your Perfect Peace today. We choose love 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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Now what?

Hebrews 10:18 (AMP) Now where there is [absolute] forgiveness and complete cancellation of the penalty of these things, there is no longer any offering [to be made to atone] for sin.

It is finished! Atonement has been made. Now what? What happens now. Jesus rose, He lives. He continued the work. It did not stop at the cross, it continued through His resurrected life. That is the message to us now. Right after this ‘now’ statement comes my favorite word in the Bible, “Therefore.”

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.

How do you think the life of the disciples changed after that moment. The day Jesus appeared on the road to Emmaus, two disciples (not of the main 12) were discussing their brokenness of what had happened the previous days (Luke 24). They talked about His body not being in the tomb. They were talking to Jesus, but not being able to recognize Him. Jesus starts to talk to them about Moses and the scriptures of the prophets, referring to Himself (not knowing He was Him) as the fulfillment, encouraging them. Just when they realized, and their eyes were opened to the reality, His physical form left them again. What now?

Did they need Jesus’s physical presence for the hope to be alive? Did they need to hear Him speak the words for them to be true? My faith in Him, as He paid the price for my sins and rose in victory of death, is the confidence of my freedom. I am now free in Christ so let us…get back on focus!

Let us approach God with a true and sincere heart. I do not have to fear Him of punishment, but I am still in awe of Him. His Son ensured my cleanliness. His Son presents me to the Father as blemish free. My heart is true and sincere because it is not longer hardened. In Christ is all I need!

Let us hope again. There is a world out there hurting. Believers are hurting. Depression is at an all time high, inside and outside of the church. I recently came across this discussion on the depression triad: they have a negative self image, negative thoughts about their current circumstances and a hopeless view of the future. How do we hope again? Renew your mind in the Word of God. Confess it with your mouth and rehearse it. Trust God that He fulfilled everything through His Son.

Let us thoughtfully encourage each other to love and do good works. One of the biggest issues in our society today is depression, because it is self focused. Here me out before you get mad at that. The enemy is out to halt every part of you from getting the benefits of heaven. Why do you not think he would keep you bound if he could by centering it on your feelings? Do you have someone in your life that encourages you to pray for those outside of yourself? Do you have people in your life that talks about how you can help when something is noticed? Do you belong to a church, but actually take the time to talk with an get to know each other? My church attendance is not just because that is what you are suppose to do on Sundays. I am not in a hurry to leave when it is over, not even when we were not the pastors. Why? People matter. You matter! By keeping away you are rehearsing the lie that you do not matter. Let us gather with purpose.

Now we have access to every part of the heavenly Kingdom because of Christ…so let us act like it!!

Lord, we thank You for Redemption. You are mighty, powerful, just and merciful. Your goodness far surpasses our expectations. You are Holy. Your desire is for us to be holy. We know that starts in our minds, but would not be possible without Your Son. Now we stand in righteousness, now we stand in cleanliness, now we stand in fullness. Our trust and our hope is focused on You, not in what You can give us, but in who You are. You are Love so therefore we are love. You are Light so therefore we are light. Thank You for putting me among others to establish Your Kingdom here on earth. You unselfishly gave Your Son for us and we are choosing to see ourselves and others as worthy. Thank You for providing opportunities to show Your love in practical ways with the purpose for drawing others close to You. Lord, check our hearts, we surrender it to You. We desire You today! Our hope is in You today! We will share Your love today! In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Confident

Psalms 27:13-14 (AMP) I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord.

I am currently reading a book by Joyce Meyer called Confidently You. There are many good points in it and I highly recommend it, especially if you lack confidence. The root for the lack of confidence is fear. Fear can be such a stumbling block that it will cause you to be defensive, stagnant and harbor resentment to those who walk in confidence. She wrote something on stagnation that I want to share:

Stagnation is an enemy of confidence, because where stagnation is, lethargy, despair, discouragement, and even depression can follow. Stagnation takes place for many reasons – stress, laziness, becoming too busy, increased responsibilities, or simply losing interest in activities that were once exciting and fun. One of the major causes of stagnation is fear. People often refuse to move forward because they are afraid they will make a mistake, afraid they will fall, afraid others will ridicule or reject them, afraid their friends and families won’t understand and support them. Or they are afraid they will be out of God’s will, or perhaps they are afraid of all the unknowns that lie ahead of them if they take a confident step of faith. They are so afraid of negative possibilities involved in moving forward that they do not even consider the positive potential of stepping out and trying something. Confidence is the opposite of fear, and that’s why confident people do all they can do to avoid stagnation.

Joyce Meyer Confidently You

Here I am standing in awe of how far along I have come these past 11 years. Eleven years ago I took a group of women on a trip to see Joyce in Atlanta. This was the first trip that I had taken the lead on. In the past I had planned events and sat in the background allowing someone else to take the lead. Someone else would do all the speaking…I just made sure the chairs and tables were arranged, the food was prepared, there were drinks, napkins, plates and cutlery. I would be there early to set up and the last to leave for clean up. I never wanted to be the person to speak. I could organize the activities, but speak, that was not me. Eleven years ago as I was sitting in that auditorium I asked God to help me with my fear. I no longer wanted to live a narrow life that only had room for me and my fears. I decided that I wanted to live a confident life. I no longer wanted fear to rule me. I realized that I could not sit around and wait for fear to go away. I may still feel fear, but I have to take action anyways. The Word says to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9). Courage is not the absence of fear. It is taking action in the presence of fear. I could no longer be led by my feelings. I needed to stand confident in the Lord. That Sunday, I took the microphone and did my first presentation to the church. My confidence comes from the Lord.

Ephesians 6:13 (NIV) Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Here is what I learned about waiting. If I waited until I no longer felt fear, I would have never moved. If I waited on God to remove the fear to stand in my calling, I would never have moved. The word wait does not mean to not take action. The word wait means to stand firm, however, I cannot stand firm until I do my part. When I stand firm (wait) I am confidently expecting the Lord to be my strength. I do not have the confidence to preach a message that will bring correction and to bring you closer to Jesus without His strength.

What is it that is keeping you from moving? Is it the lack of confidence? Is it because fear has made you stagnant? We all should know who we are in Christ, should grow in the knowledge of His Word, but it is when we start to pour into someone else that true freedom occurs.

Father, I thank you for the person reading this today. I thank you that they are growing more and more each day to reflect your glory. You are such an awesome God. Your Name is above ever other name, including fear. Thank you for bringing boldness to me when fear tries to take over. I thank you for being the voice the propels me to keep my focus on what is pure and lovely. I thank you for your Word. Your character and nature is to comfort us, but it is to stretch us. We know that we can walk boldly into the throne room of grace. I thank you for sending your Son and the Holy Spirit. I choose today to stand firm with the belt of truth, with righteousness on my heart and my feet ready to go because they are clothed in your peace. I stand in faith today that whatever trial may come at me, you are there. I thank you for the people you have placed in my life, even those in authority over me, so that I am made stronger. I choose today the mind of Christ and to test everything against the character and nature that is found in your Word so that I will not stumble when the enemy comes as a voice of light. I have spent time in your Word and will not listen to the voice of a stranger. I thank you for opportunities to show your goodness today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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I have never been here

Numbers 13:1-3 (AMP) Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,“Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel. From each of their fathers’ tribes you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.” So Moses sent spies from the Wilderness of Paran at the command of the Lord, all of them men who were heads of the Israelites.

My oldest son will be returning from his first ever solo trip today. He got to the airport before ten this morning and his flight out does not take place until after six this evening. He is ready to come home. This trip was a gift for his high school graduation from us (mom and dad). He flew eight hundred miles, to a city he had never been before, to meet people he had only had a relationship with online. This was not a hook up. This was suppose to be an in person meeting because they play games online with each other nightly.

The Lord told Moses to send out leaders to spy out the land. One from every tribe. They were to be gone for forty days, longer than the trip took to reach their destination.

Numbers 13:17-20 (AMP) Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way into the Negev (the South country); then go up into the hill country.  See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many,  and whether the land in which they live is good or bad, and whether the cities in which they live are [open] camps or fortifications,  and what the land is, whether it is fat (productive) or lean, whether there is timber on it or not. Make an effort to get some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes.

Before my son’s trip I encouraged him to research the area. What are some places you can go? Find out how you will get around? Let’s just say, he was clueless when he arrived. The person who was suppose to stay with him backed out at the last minute, because he was not good with talking to people in person. The others that he was suppose to meet up with did not want to leave their hotel rooms and the ones that lived in the city had their car towed the night before. It took my son until the third day to leave the little place we rented him for the week. He had to learn to get out for himself and go.

Eventually he made it to the beach, which was three miles from where he was staying. He took an Uber to an island, that a couple of the people were working, so he could meet them. He made an effort. He did not just order in all week and not leave until it was time to fly home. He got out. An effort is a serious attempt, it is not just showing up.

When the Israelites got back to the camp they were excited for the land. Verses 17-18, “We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. But the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified (walled) and very large…” They had never been there before. They could not move forward because of fear of who they might come in contact with. This is the same group of people that witness God stop an army with the Red Sea. These were heads of the camps. They were leaders. They were men Moses trusted. Did they carry the vision? Could they walk in trust that God would deliver them into the Promised Land? Unfortunately, they could not and wandered in the wilderness for an other forty years. They were so close. However, since they had never been there before they did not have confidence and wanted to go back (under new leadership) to what they knew even though it would not be a land of milk and honey.

Right now we are navigating through areas we have never been before. Gas prices are at an all time high. It takes over a hundred dollars to fill up our tanks. Food costs are at an all time high. We are having to get creative with what we cook. Businesses do not have the man power to keep open and are cutting their hours short.

Refuse to let fear make the decisions for you. Do not let fear be how you raise your kids. We are raising them to GO. Raise them for the Great Commission. Do not let fear of someone else’s views be why you do not want to listen to them. Be an example of the New Commandment (love that unselfishly seeks the best for others). Do not let the fear of circumstances halt your generosity. We are to encourage each other to do good works. Do not let fear of never being here cause you to go back to where you are familiar.

My prayer for you: I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (Ephesians 3:15-21 MSG)

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31 Days in…now what?

Proverbs 1:7 (AMP) The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence];
But arrogant fools despise [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction and self-discipline.

January is the time of year when we often make New Year’s Resolutions or begin a new Bible reading plan (often starting with Proverbs), or we participate in the 21 Day Daniel Fast, or we simply live like nothing has changed. It is either because we think that something magical resets in us on the first day of the new year, or we simply don’t care. In all honesty, nothing happens unless you are intentional. Only when you put God first will lasting change occur.   

When I think of reverentially fearing the Lord, I often think of the parable of the talents. This is what Jesus had to say:

Matthew 25:14-30 (MSG) “It’s also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master’s investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master’s money. After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’ The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master’s investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’ The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’ “The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’”

Reverentially fearing the Lord means not taking His love for granted. The gifting and the light He has given them will not be hidden away. However, the fear that the third servant displayed was not grounded in His love. It was grounded in the fear of punishment. This love is twisted and perverse.

1 John 4:18 (AMP) There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love].

I find it amusing that when you point back to the Word and point out what the character and nature of God is, you are labelled as judgmental or callous. I want to help you rethink the issue with compassion. The rejection I feel resembles digging out a deep root that is part of my self-worth. It’s digging up the roots of “not being wanted.” I have to remember the second part of the top verse: “arrogant fools despise [skillful and godly] wisdom, instruction, and self-discipline.” I never want to be associated with arrogance, but confidence is sometimes mistaken for arrogance. Where does the differentiation occur? Pride! Confident people are humble. In contrast to an arrogant person, a humble one will accept correction. Arrogant people believe that self-control restricts freedom. In humility, self-control is understood to be the fruit of love that is rooted in reverent fear of the Lord.

Where did you decide to begin in 2022? My goal is to increase my knowledge of the Word of God, not just attain, but also put it into practice. When I am not a doer of His Word, what good is knowing the Word? I let the apathy around me keep me from being Christ’s hands and feet. In my reading of Matthew 24, verse 43, the scripture says, “But understand this: If the head of the household knew when the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.” I had to repent and tell God that I was sorry that I had let the thief rob me of what I desired. As a result of allowing the thief to steal away my joy in serving, I had to repent. God’s Kingdom is too important for that.

Let’s welcome the second month of 2022. If you didn’t start it with intention, you don’t have to wait until January 1, 2023 to do so. You can start right now. If you fall down, get back up. The intent is what matters, not the perfection. Let’s be intentional this year!

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Deeper Worship

Last night I was talking to our youth about going deeper about the things of the Holy Spirit. We talked about God not being bound to our three dimensional world. That there is so much more to this life that we cannot see because we like to confine ourselves to feelings. However, God did create us as a tri-une beings like He is. We are made up of body, soul (mind, will and emotions) and spirit. He is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Deuteronomy 6:5 (AMP) You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and with all your soul and with all your strength [your entire being].

We got in the discussion about loving God and out of that love for God is why we worship. I explained that I had to grow and mature in why and how I worship. This type of love that Deuteronomy talks about, and what Jesus talked about in Mark 12:30, is grown out of a relationship with God. Relationships take work. Unfortunately, when relationships do not go our way or we feel like the effort is not worth the relationship. We can “fall out of love” with that individual. Some people “fall out of love” with God. Couples use that excuse all the time why they divorce, they just “fell out of love” with each other. As I have grown in my relationship, the type of growth like it talks about John 15, my love for God has also grown. My worship in turn has gotten deeper. My care about who is standing in the room during corporate worship, what I look like, has also matured. This is not about them, this is about Him!

Some people “fall out of love” with God.

John 4:24-25 (TPT) From here on, worshiping the Father will not be a matter of the right place but with the right heart. For God is a Spirit, and he longs to have sincere worshipers who worship and adore him in the realm of the Spirit and in truth.

There is a difference in what happens when you worship in the spirit. We can sing songs, we can read our Word, but we also have the gift, a gift that has to be received of the Holy Spirit (different from the spirit that is drawn to Christ, but of the same). Jesus says in Acts 1:8a (NKJV), “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” Then in Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV) “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Romans 8:26-27 (NKJV) Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

1 Corinthians 14:3-4 (NKJV) But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.

When we speak forth the Word of God we prophesy. Prophesying is not this spooky things about telling of future events, that is prophecy. That is a whole other gift of the spirit that we can dive into later, because some have abused this gift and made the things of God look foolish. But to prophesy is grounded in the Word of God. When I pray in tongues, or worship in the spirit, that is for me. It says in verse two that God hears what I say in the spirit directly. It says my prayer language is heard by God’s ears Himself. So when I worship in the spirit, oh there is fire that runs through my bones! I cannot get that until the Holy Spirit has come “upon me.” There is a different level out there if you are open to it.

I like to explain it this way about the power of what the Holy Spirit that can come upon you can do. I take the story from 2 Kings 6:15-17 (AMP) The servant of the man of God got up early and went out, and behold, there was an army with horses and chariots encircling the city. Elisha’s servant said to him, “Oh no, my master! What are we to do?”  Elisha answered, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”  Then Elisha prayed and said, “Lord, please, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servants eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha. There is more going on than our three dimensional view can understand.

When I had the Holy Spirit come upon me, the power was confidence. Confidence in who I was as a child of God. I no longer had to be in extreme highs and extreme lows with my relationship with God. This does not mean I understand all things. No, and I am not meant to. It does mean that I can now worship Him on a different level. I worship in Spirit and in truth. The truth being grounded in His Word and no longer my feelings. Oh, how I wish you could feel my passion for this type of worship! This kind fills you with joy all the day long. This gets you excited to be up in the morning. This gives you a passion to prophesy, exhorting and edifying His church! I will leave you with one verse, it is one of my favorites to use when we get scared to step a little deeper with God: 2 Corinthians 6:11-13 (MSG) Dear, dear Corinthians, I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’re living them in a small way. I’m speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!

Take advantage of your prayer language, use it in worship. If you do not have one and you want to know more about this Holy Spirit that comes upon us I would love to help. You can email me at amanda@desiringformore.org. Go deeper this year!