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What shoes are you wearing?

Job 17:9 (AMP) Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his ways, and he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.

I am in the book of Job right now. Job had gone through some rough days, days I do not know how I would have responded myself. It all stands on how you think. I have hopes that I will be strong. Weakness causes us to make permanent decision in temporary discomforts. God is my strength. God makes you stronger and stronger as you go through things with a godly attitude.

I am also going through a verse-by-verse study of the book of Ephesians. In Ephesians 6:13-18 we are told to put on the full armor of God. In verse 15 is states, “and having strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news].” These shoes were a part of the weaponry of the Roman soldier. They started at the knees and were made of metal and leather. They were vicious weapons. They wrapped around the calves. Why, because the enemy does not fight fair and looks for weak points. The bottom of the shoe was affixed with sharp, dangerous, protruding spikes. They extended beyond the front of the shoe. The spikes were intended to hold the soldier in place during the battle, making him virtually immoveable.

That is what happens when you keep your mind and attitude right. You become less affected by the difficulties and challenges you face. The enemy cannot move you. The peace of God protects and defends you from the hassles and the assaults of the enemy. The peace of God is what holds you in place. If the enemy is foolish enough to get in your way, just keep walking.

We are to be prepared for this. How? Keep the Word of God bound to your mind. You cannot do that if you do not spend time in it. In other translations it says to “shod your feet.” It means to bind. It did not say to slide on the shoes. Most shoes today we wear for comfort, and we tend to pick the ones that are easy to slide on and off. These shoes were formed and bound so that they could not be slid off easily. That is how the Word is supposed to be planted in our minds.

Deuteronomy 11:18 (AMP) Therefore, you shall impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul, and tie them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as bands (frontals, frontlets) on your forehead. 

What is the opposite of peace? Stife, fear, pride…. It all stems from being out of balance with the love of God.

Proverbs 15:18 (AMP) A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger and patient calms disputes.

Proverbs 29:22 (AMP) An angry man stirs up strife, and a hot-tempered and undisciplined man commits many transgressions.

Ephesians 4:31 (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].

Here are some definitions of what some of these words mean:

  • bitterness: a negative attitude that can cause problems with others
  • wrath: a hot, fierce and passionate emotion
  • anger: a worldly type of anger that can result form frustration
  • clamor: noise, commotion and uproar
  • malice: a negative feeling or state of mind.

Ephesians 4:26-27 (NKJV) Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.

The Greek word for wrath here is orgidzo. Meaning someone who’s mood is so upset that they become so upset and bent out of shape over any issue. Someone will hold onto something quietly, slowly allowing it to build up inside of them. It becomes stronger and stronger inside of them until they explode and make permanent decisions in temporary circumstances. Instead of pushing it away and asking for their strength to come from God, they will hold onto it, embracing it, nourishing it. Wrath becomes their companion. They have given up peace and the enemy has their foothold into their mind.

I had a night recently of uneasiness and did not get much sleep. I was not at peace. I was not angry, but there was some strife that wanted to play with my mind. It went on into the next morning. My imaginations were just going, and I had never given the opportunity for the answer to be given, because I did not ask the question. As soon as I asked the question, the answer brought me peace. In Philippians 4:8 we are told, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” I did not use the excuse that I could not find anything virtuous and praiseworthy, so I went searching for it. I asked the question. My imaginations were squashed. No man knows the intentions of another mans because we do not know each other’s hearts. Do you want to? Then ask. Refuse to give the enemy a foothold into your mind. Prepare before hand with the weaponry of footwear, preparation of the gospel of peace.

Abba, Father, Adonai, You are so Marvelous and Wonderful. Your Name we lift up within our hearts and minds. Thank You for Your Son, Love incarnate. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Teacher. Thank You for the revelation and gift of Your Word. We repent for holding onto to wrath and strife as a comfort to us, believing it will give us strength. We understand that it is not a weapon of Your warfare, but of the devil’s. We choose today to bind our minds and our hearts with Your Words. Peace is a position that You gifted to us and anything that tries to rob us of that should be seen as an enemy. We repent for not putting on Your Love and standing out of our position by trying to win the battle on our own. We are not fighting against flesh and blood. We repent for allowing rejection and strife to take a foothold, when that is no longer something we should be receiving. We choose forgiveness today. We choose love today. We choose hope today. We choose joy today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Meeting Place

Ephesians 3:17 (AMP) so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith. And may you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love

About seven years ago I found myself really drawn to this part of Ephesians. Ephesians 3:16-20 began to come alive to me during a part of my life when I was going through something really difficult. I had been fired from my job, and my character had been tarnished. I was made out to look like a villain. What did I do? I went to the Word. I surrounded myself in the Word every day. I sat in the Word as much as I could. It was not about God changing their minds about me, it was about God who I am to You. I was going to be better than fine.

Ephesians 3:17 (MSG) that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite Him in. And I ask Him with both feet planted firmly on love

Ephesians 3:17 (TPT) Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of His love will become the very source and root of your life.

I had a faith growing moment. I had to decide if Christ really had residence. This became a moment of deeper surrender in my life. I explained it this way on Sunday. A guest gets a room and we have prepared a place for them, but we have the expectation that they stay within the boundaries that we have set, because they are our guest. A resident has the ability to move around furniture and to make our place comfortable for living to them. They have unlimited access to the home. When I asked Christ to dwell, He was not there to keep things looking the way they were when He arrived. I gave Him governing authority. It is not me making sure that everything stays clean, we reside together, so we are doing the chores of maintenance together. It is now our home. If I see something that needs to be cleaned up, in my maturity, I know what needs to be done and I do it. I am not saying I am waiting on Christ to do this in my life, He has empowered me when He took up residence in my home (my life).

Which means that I do not have to set a particular place for Him. I have a spot that I like to do my studies and read. My dog knows when I am at my spot and it is her favorite time of day. I will put my worship music on and she will come running. However, that is not the only place that I meet with God. As I am riding in the car I can be meditating on a scripture or a moment and talk to God about it. While I am at the gym I can be meditating on something and receive this amazing revelation, and cannot wait to get back to my Bible to confirm it in His Word. While I am on the walking track and I have someone catch up with me and we start talking. There is always a moment to encourage them to keep going and to point them to Jesus, the Word.

I do not have a prayer closet. I do not pray a certain way every day. I do not have an altar in my home. I can meet with Him anywhere because He has residence. I do pray (in my personal time and corporately). I do speak words of thanksgiving throughout the day. I do turn my thoughts to what the Word says on a situation. I am mindful of my own thoughts. I am mindful of others needs and not just my own. This is what it looks like when He has taken residence. I am rooted in love, which is a result of surrendering to Christ. I love that we have the ability to have the Word at our fingertips with the You Version App. Download it on your phone. You can now carry your Bible with you every where you go.

Hebrews 4:16 (AMP) Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].

There is no certain place or person I have to go through to meet with God. I can come boldly right where I am into His Presence. I do this through my faith in Christ. I do this with reverence and not with religious rituals (man made ideals). We have been given these wonderful imaginations and can create ideals on how God wants us to meet with Him. He just wants us to meet with Him. He has prepared a place for us, so that we do not have to. He wants residence so that our hearts and minds are prepared. That is my altar.

Abba, my Father, You are Marvelous and Holy. Thank You for Your Son to create a home within me. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit as our Teacher as the Word becomes more and more of a revelation of who You are. We repent for trying to create ways to meet with You when all You desire is a heart of surrender. Thank You for Your mercy and grace. Thank You for drawing near to us as we draw near to You. We choose forgiveness today. We choose hope today. We choose joy today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Meet With Me by Ten Shekel Shirt

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Deeper

Colossians 1:9-10 (AMP) For this reason, since the day we heard about it, we have not stopped praying for you, asking [specifically] that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom [with insight into His purposes], and in understanding [of spiritual things], so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord [displaying admirable character, moral courage, and personal integrity], to [fully] please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing in the knowledge of God [with deeper faith, clearer insight and fervent love for His precepts]

My husband and I have been pastoring our church for going on twelve years this January. It has been one of joy and sometimes sorrow. Our joy is seeing the spiritual growth in others. We love it when we see people grab onto the Word of God and start growing in the revelation knowledge. We especially love it that they get in and study it for themselves.

Ephesians 1:18 (AMP) And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God’s people)

There are many precepts in the Bible for us a believers to grab a hold of. It is up to each one of us to discover them. My job as a pastor is to equip you to do so. That means I need to point you back to the Word, the Holy Spirit and Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the one who brings the revelation knowledge, not me. I have been attending church regularly since I was sixteen years old. I have been under some amazing teaching, and took notes, even early on in my journey. The most knowledge I received has been when I got in the Word for myself. When I desired a real knowledge of who God is and not just what He could do for me. Many times we want to know what He can do for us. Paul’s prayer was that we would grow in the knowledge of God, with a deeper faith into who He is and His fervent love for us. That is the same prayer for my church.

This blog is not very long, but I hope it encourages you to depend on the Holy Spirit more. My hope is that we are not so dependent on just one person to do all of the revealing of the Word in our lives. The Bible has been made so available to us that we can now carry it along with us every where we go. It is just as simple as downloading an application with our favorite translations (I recommend reading it in more than one to get the fullness). Do not put all of the pressure to know God’s precepts on your pastor. That would be the your job with the Holy Spirit in partnership. So why do you go to church? How can you put into practice what the Holy Spirit is revealing? How can we know that we are in unity without the body? How can we be challenged for more growth? Also, it was ordained by Christ (read Ephesians).

Matthew 13:44 (AMP) The kingdom of heaven is like a [very precious] treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field [securing the treasure for himself].

Lord, my prayer is that those reading this will have a deeper desire to know You more. Thank You for Your Son, the Word made flesh. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, our Teacher. Thank You for the revelation knowledge that comes when we open up our Bibles. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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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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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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Spirit AND Truth

John 4:23-24 (AMP) But a time is coming and is already here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit [from the heart, the inner self] and in truth; for the Father seeks such people to be His worshipers. God is spirit [the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind], and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

My word for 2023 is “Presence.” There have been many times this year where we have seen in the news the call to prayer. On January 2nd, during the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals game, Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during the game. The game was stopped and everyone knelt in prayer. Then you saw prayer begin to show up in areas where it had previously deemed offensive. Prayer was televised and talked about nationally.

While on our trips this summer. There were two other incidents in the news that people were eliciting prayer for. On June 19, the Titanic tourist submersible went missing with five passengers. Parts of the submersible was found days later. The lives were lost to an implosion. Then, on July 13, a woman went missing in Huntsville, AL. Within hours it was made national news. Two days later she returns and it is discovered to be an elaborate hoax.

Prayer is so very important. We should be praying about such things, no matter the outcome. Ephesians 6:18 says, “With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God’s people.” There is no reason given not to pray for someone. It is not up to us to decide who is worthy.

Can we pray and not worship God? Yes. Can we love Jesus and not worship Him? Yes. How? Jesus said, “spirit and truth.” Truth is not about facts. Truth is knowing the character and nature of God as revealed in His Word. How did Jesus teach us to pray?

‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
‘Give us this day our daily bread.
‘And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment].
‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’ (Matthew 6:9-13)

We can memorize this and recite this or we can use it as our model as Jesus intended. Always start with honor and reverence for the Father. This is what God is seeking after. Why? He is Holy and nothing can do away with that truth. His Kingdom come and His will be done on earth as in heaven. Father, expand Your territory through me. Let me walk in the calling of the ministry of reconciliation. Give me food to eat as I read Your Word. Your revelation is the Bread of Life. I repent for the things that I made foolish. Let me have a heart of forgiveness. I choose not to keep a record of wrongs. I choose not to keep others in bondage to how I was disappointed (that is putting my focus on the created). I choose truth, that is to think on whatever brings peace. Let me not be led into temptation, deliver me from the evil of my imaginations. Nothing will exalt itself above You for Your is the kingdom I serve. You will get the glory forever in my life. My dedication is to You. Amen.

Is this done in spirit? Yes. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Do you not know and understand that you [the church] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells [permanently] in you [collectively and individually]? (1 Corinthians 3:16). When we accepted Christ our spirit was made alive (Ephesians 2:1). That is one part. The truth we worship Him with is not “my truth” but THE TRUTH. How do I know if it is the truth? Does it line up with His character and nature as found in His Word. Not the made up version that get passed down. We cannot define who Jesus is outside of the Word. My Jesus and your Jesus are the same. When we start to define Him outside of the Word then we are out of truth. God is seeking those who worship not only in spirit but also in truth. Am I saying He is chasing after? Maybe. He is definitely looking for them. What happens when I look for Him to? What happens when I seek His Presence over His presents? What happens when I worship Him in spirit and in truth? I don’t have to worry about anything. Perfect peace.

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

Father, You are Holy. You are wonderful and mighty. We do not want to be anywhere You are not. Thank You for Your Son. Thank You for His example. Jesus, there is no way to Life and Truth than through You. Thank You Holy Spirit for the revelation You bring through the Word. We want to focus on the Truth rather than all the distractions. We do not want to rehearse our hurts any longer. We want freedom in every area of our lives. You said that You are the Prince of Wholeness, so we are laying down our rights so that You can be that to us. We take Your Word as literal. This is not a fantasy, so that means we have a part to play. We choose Your Truth instead of our truth. We choose forgiveness instead of holding onto grudges. We choose to bless and not curse. We choose hope and to never give up on Your people. We repent for focusing on people and what their going on more than Your Kingdom. We say ‘yes’ to your calling of the ministry of reconciliation. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Oily Garments

Psalms 133:1-2 (AMP) Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil [of consecration] poured on the head, coming down on the beard, even the beard of Aaron, coming down upon the edge of his [priestly] robes [consecrating the whole body].

While in corporate prayer for my church I opened up my Bible to this verse. I had gone to Psalms 130 to read over us being watchmen, that our souls should be waiting in expectation. Watchmen are on guard and while we are interceding in prayer (Ephesians 6:18) we should have an expectation of change in the spiritual battlefield. Many of us go as we make a contribution, “I showed up, didn’t I?” I remember being taught about prayer that if one of us can put 1,000 to flight and two can put 10,000 to flight (Deut. 32:30) what would happen when the whole church was unified in prayer?

Last week I wrote about being set free. The battle we fight against is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). Arguments, knowledge (anything contrary to that of God) and thoughts can become strongholds and all of these refer to the mind. I had come across Exodus 28:36-38 and how the turban put on Aaron had a signet that said, “Holy to the Lord.” Then I read in Isaiah 61 (also the passage Jesus read in Nazareth) that He was going to give us a turban. Turbans were the head dresses of the priests. We are called in 1 Peter 2:9 a royal priesthood. Jesus said (as quoted from Isaiah 61), “To give them a turban instead of dust [on their heads, a sign of mourning], the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a disheartened spirit.”

John 17:15-23 (AMP) I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but that You keep them and protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth [set them apart for Your purposes, make them holy]; Your word is truth. Just as You commissioned and sent Me into the world, I also have commissioned and sent them (believers) into the world. For their sake I sanctify Myself [to do Your will], so that they also may be sanctified [set apart, dedicated, made holy] in [Your] truth. “I do not pray for these alone [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for [all] those who [will ever] believe and trust in Me through their message, that they all may be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe [without any doubt] that You sent Me. I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected and completed into one, so that the world may know [without any doubt] that You sent Me, and [that You] have loved them, just as You have loved Me.

How does this verse from John go with the opening verse from Psalms 133? The focus is on unity. Jesus desired for us to be one just like the Father and He are one. What is the purpose of our unity? The Great Commission, to go out into all the world and present the Gospel (the ministry of reconciliation). A few things jumped out at me as I was reading this passage. Jesus knew that we would be in a battle (He prays for us to be kept from the evil one). What is the weapon of choice? Look at Ephesians 6:14, the first piece of armor we are to put on is the belt of truth. If we do not know the Word (have revelation knowledge) then we will not have the rest of the weapons against the evil one. The battle starts with our mind. Disunity starts with our minds. We have to be equipped with truth.

Leviticus 19:16-18 (AMP) You shall not go around as a gossip among your people, and you are not to act against the life of your neighbor [with slander or false testimony]; I am the Lord. ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you may most certainly rebuke your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him. You shall not take revenge nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor (acquaintance, associate, companion) as yourself; I am the Lord.

I have to watch how I talk, how I think and how I interact with the family of faith (the body of Christ). What happens when we do not align our thoughts with Philippians 4:8? You cannot think of anything that is true, that is honorable, that is respectful. My thoughts do not bring peace, but make me anxious and angry. I do not repeat things of good repute, but of harm. I cannot center my mind on anything excellent or worthy of praise. Then disunity set in. Why? My heart has become hardened.

Matthew 18:19-20 (AMP) “Again I say to you, that if two believers on earth agree [that is, are of one mind, in harmony] about anything that they ask [within the will of God], it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in My name [meeting together as My followers], I am there among them.”

We need to get together with the body that will build our minds back up into the truth of the Word. We do not prey against one another. We pray, uplift and intercede for one another. Remember, Jesus prayed for us not to be taken out of the world, but to be equipped with truth to withstand the evil one. Why? So that we could go out into the world unified to present the Good News (the message of reconciliation).

What if we looked at the unity in the body as part of the garment? We call it the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). We are His royal priest hood. Our battle armor should be adorned like priestly garments. Remember to keep your mind holy to the Lord. Put on the belt of truth (the revelation knowledge of the Word). When we are unified and do right within our family of believers the anointing flows freely, now covering those garments. What a mighty people we become for the Kingdom!

Father, You are so merciful and good to us. Your Word is a light to our path. Thank You for sending Your Son to light up the Word in my life. I repent for the wrong thinking I have had against the body of Christ. I want to be effective in establishing Your Kingdom here on earth. I repent that I have ever caused another to stumble because of my words or my actions. I repent that I have caused another to not say ‘yes’ to Your Son because of my words against another kingdom family member. Let any word that does not produce from the fruit of the Spirit fall on deaf ears and not take root. God You say that since You are Holy that You desire us to be holy. I thank You that You have given us the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the truth of Your Word. I do not take it for granted. Renew my mind and let me see how You want me to see. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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The baggage that should not be claimed

Philippians 3:13-14 (AMP) Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul was a man with a past. Paul (known as Saul) held the coats of those stoning Stephen. He was responsible for persecuting the early church. Then he was the one who was being persecuted. Why? Jesus became real to him and he could not keep quiet about it. He learned first hand what Stephen was going through physically, and he held the coats of those doing it, while cheering them on.

We often wonder what Paul’s thorn was in 2 Corinthians 12, could it be the hurt he caused those that he is now trying to minister to? How he wished that they would forget like God has forgotten who he was. Paul was not the same man he was holding those coats. He was not the same man who searched the cities with the intent of killing anyone who professed Christ. That did not mean he was trusted by them now.

Paul said that in verse 10 that his determined purpose was to know Him more. That is something you and I have to grow in, just like Paul did. He was humble enough to admit that he did not reach there to completion yet, he had some things he was still working out, but one thing he did know was to forget what lies behind and reach forward.

He had to let go of the baggage of his past. There are some areas that we have to get to the root cause of. Those areas are rejection, hurts, orphan spirit, victim mentality, etc.. The area I am talking about is our mistakes. Like us, Paul had made some mistakes. He could not put his focus there. We can carry it around like baggage and let it way us down. If we try to unpack it, we eventually put it on and identify with it.

Have you ever flown and your luggage was too heavy? Instead of paying the surcharge to check a heavier piece of luggage. you take out items and put them on. So now you are wearing two pairs of pants and three bulky shirts. That is what it is like when we identify with our mistakes because we tried to unpack them and examine them. How comfortable is that flight going to be? The seats are already tight enough. Don’t you think a little bit of anxiety is going to set in? We sit there long enough like that and depression gets a hold of us. Then you do not want to move. You would rather hide in your bed than face the world because you have identified with your mistakes. Relationships start to suffer and now you have isolated yourself.

The biblical word for baggage is strongholds. It is the one area that always stays with us. Always trips us up.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (NIV) For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

The definition of stronghold here is: a prisoner locked by deception. Living life by something that is not true.

This is why Paul said forgetting what lies behind. God chose to forget our sins. We have to choose to forget our past. The Hebrew words for “forget,” shakach and nashah means to cease to care or to ignore. It is has not dropped from the mind, but it has dropped from the equation.

Still think it’s too bad? You have been through too much?

This is when you need to stand on Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Paul fought with his flesh, the human nature to do things with self concern. The inability to walk in forgiveness and not letting go of who we use to be, has to do with us. We need Jesus.

Ephesians 4:22-23 (AMP) 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].

I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

How? By forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead. Drop it. Your mistakes do not have to form your future. There may be consequences. Like Paul, the people had to watch and see the character change that happened. There is not need of convincing. Take off that old self and let them see the true you, the you that was made in His image. Glorify God with where you are right now. We are all still progressively growing. We are going to make more mistakes. None of us have perfected this, not even Paul. Jesus has been the perfect one. Keep going. Keep focused on Jesus. Get to know Him more through the Word, through prayer, through the Holy Spirit and through showing love (the unselfish concern for others). We are His, let Him work through you today.

Father, I thank you that you are the God that sees me. You know my every thought and action. Yet, you sent your Son to die for me. Please help me in the areas that try to weigh down my mind. I know you have forgiven me for my past, please help me not to live there any more. You say we can come boldly before you in your grace and mercy. I know you do not identify me by past and I am not asking you to control the thoughts of others. Please help me to not see them as my enemy and not ones who bring condemnation. Let your love flow through me. I desire to be close to you and glorify you in all that I do. In Jesus Name, Amen.