2 Thessalonians 3:1 (AMP) Finally, brothers and sisters, pray continually for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be honored [triumphantly celebrated and glorified], just as it was with you
Why would you not want others to have this great gift that you received? If you really read the Bible you will find lots of calls to action. Did you ever think that you would be the answer to someone’s prayer for their loved one?
Luke 10:2 (AMP) He was saying to them, “The harvest is abundant [for there are many who need to hear the good news about salvation], but the workers [those available to proclaim the message of salvation] are few. Therefore, [prayerfully] ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.
One of the things that I pray over my family and myself is that we will seek out opportunities to share the gospel with someone today. I pray for our safety, for our needs being met, but above all that His gospel is spread and we get to be a part of that. I think that is what these petitions for prayer were intended for. Not that you pray for God to send someone else to do it. Prayer without intent to be sent out yourself is just rooted in self-centeredness. We have become like tombs, whitewashed on the outside, but full of dead mens bones.
I was talking with our prayer team and made this statement that good people are still selfish if they are not willing to lay down their perceptions to His. “If you, then, being evil [that is, sinful by nature], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him! (Luke 11:13)” The Holy Spirit is going to urge you to go.
Philippians 2:3-5 (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]
I know of no other individual with a bigger prayer life that Jesus. Prayer is not just something that a select few are called to do. Intercession has been planted in all of our hearts (Ephesians 6:18). Some of us need to be more intentional in our prayer lives. Like worship, the more we enter in the more we enjoy it. However, be warned we can turn it into our self worship if we are not careful. Jesus taught us how to pray and I like to stick with that model. I do not parrot the words, but I do stay with how He wanted us to focus our prayers. I am by no means perfect in this, but I do want my motives to be right. I want you to have the fullness that God desires for you. I want you to be free in Christ. I want you to rooted and grounded in His love.
Mark 16:15 (AMP) And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.“
There is not an individual that you will come in contact with that is not His created. What is the gospel? Turn or burn? Your future is hell you sinner? Here is how I present the gospel…Love came down and lived, died and rose again for me. I talked about my changed life and the fullness I have now that I live in Christ. Then I ask, do you want that for yourself? I lead them in a prayer of receiving, repentance and thankfulness. That is the gospel. That is my prayer for you this Christmas, that you seek out opportunities to give the best gift this season. I pray that you answer the prayer of the Lord of the harvest, that you bring in the harvest too.
God, Holy is Your Name. We thank You for Your Mercy and Loving Kindness. Thank You for the Gift of Your Son to put us back in right standing with You. Love truly came down. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, for which we would not have been made complete and full in Your Knowledge. Above all to empower us to fulfill everything that you called us to, the ministry of reconciliation. We desire for Your Kingdom to be here on earth just as You intended at creation. We repent for our hardened hearts and making life about ourselves. We should not have limited to what we like above what You desire. Give us this day our daily revelation through Your Word. Feed us so that we can go feed others about Your goodness. Search our hearts Lord for any unforgiveness that we may be holding onto. We want to love freely like You love. We do not want to hinder the growth in the body of Christ. Give us opportunities today to share Your Good News, the Gospel of Your Son. Let us live in grace and boldness. We choose love today. We choose joy today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose hope today. In Jesus Name, Amen.
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.
Acts 8:1 (AMP) Saul wholeheartedly approved of Stephen’s death. And on that day a great and relentless persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem; and the believers were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles.
We read in Acts 6 and 7 about the life (in Christ) and the death of Stephen. Saul is still a young man and is witnessing this. What a moment in the history of the early church. A man (innocent) said to have the face of an angel (Acts 6:15) is stoned to death for telling the group before him that they were stiff necked and stubborn just like their fathers before them for resisting the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51). Saul (later Paul) witnesses all of this and later becomes a persecutor of Christians. We see in the above verse that the believers were scattered.
Where did they scatter to? Did they go in hiding? A relentless persecution had broken out against the church in Jerusalem. If we look to the past, what did they do in the past? Moses ran (Exodus 2:11-15). David ran (1 Samuel 21-24). Elijah ran (1 Kings 19). Should they run and hide?
Acts 8:4 (AMP) Now those [believers] who had been scattered went from place to place preaching the word [the good news of salvation through Christ].
Caves were no longer an option for those in Christ. When I was fired nearly three years ago, and told that I was a criminal for the unintentional mistake, my first reaction was to hide. I could have shrunk away from all things ministry. Instead, it propelled me into a deeper relationship with my Father and a deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit. We have to remember, although the angel led Elijah to the cave, it was God constantly calling him out of it.
Why did the persecution come? Why do hardships come? Before the Holy Spirit was released, Jesus gave a great commission, Matthew 28:18-20 (TLB), He told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and earth.Therefore go and make disciples in all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,and then teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you; and be sure of this—that I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” We have two choices, we can either hide (and use God as our crutch) or we can follow these instructions and GO!
We have not been hidden for later use. There is a great need for Christ in our world. It is in our comfort that we seek the cave. Depression is a real issue. If this is an issue with you and you cannot come out of the cave because of it, it may be time to seek help. It would not be choosing a plan B (other than God). You are not a failure for seeing a counselor, therapist and/or doctor. That was a dangerous and destructive theology…why is it okay to send doctors to the mission field, but not okay for you to see one?
In the last three years I have preached more in my local church, not to say I have not had to fight rejection. I have not had thoughts that I was not enough for people. However, I have stepped out and mentored anyone who has allowed me to. I am not ashamed of the Word and how it changed me.
Acts 1:8 (AMP) But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.
This is what they were missing and why they hid. We have the Holy Spirit. This is why we do not hide! He has not hidden us for later use. It is time for the Body of Christ to come out of hiding and proclaim the word (the good news of salvation through Christ)!
Mark 10:27 (AMP) Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people [as far as it depends on them] it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”
On Sundays I get to spend a few moments exhorting the people of our church right before I do the declaration. I have been reading about stewardship and God having unlimited resources. The above scripture says a lot of what our faith should be lined up with. I presented to them the excuse that we do not want to create a lot of “Ishmaels.” (Ishmael is the son of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah handmaiden. Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham because they had no children and they thought they would help God out with the promise of a son. Ishmael’s lineage eventually becoming the Muslim nation). I presented to them this question: “Do you not think God can redeem Ishmael?”
Matthew 24:14 (AMP) This good news of the kingdom [the gospel] will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end [of the age] will come.
No people group will be exempt. Therefore, no action that you take cannot be turned around for His good. Yes we will have consequences, but we are not living if we are not learning. We would just be going through the motions of life, and that would just be miserable.
It is often focused that Abraham only had two sons, Ishmael (from Hagar) and Isaac (from Sarah). In Genesis 25 it tells of Abraham taking another wife, Keturah, and she gave him six more kids. Isaac is said to be the son of promise and the nation of Israel ties it’s lineage back to him, that does not mean that Abraham did not bestow gifts on the others while he was still alive. There are so many messages that we can take away from all of this, but I took away that Abraham had more than one gift to give. We want ours to be the one of the promise (the perfect one).
2 Corinthians 12:9 (AMP) But He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me.
It is not required to be perfect, His grace paid the price for that. I love that is says that His mercy is more than enough and always available, regardless of the situation. I sure do need His mercy right now. In my disappointment, in my desire to see things grow, I need His mercy right now. He makes things perfect, not me. I want the power of Christ to dwell in me. I want to be led by the Holy Spirit in everything I do. I just have to keep His mercy before me. It is okay that it is not perfect.
It is not required to be perfect, His grace paid the price for that.
Colossians 3:17 (AMP) Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him], giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Deuteronomy 15:10 (AMP) You shall freely and generously give to him, and your heart shall not be resentful when you give to him, because for this [generous] thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings.
Above are a couple of verses that encourage me when I step out in faith. I give myself freely to Him in everything that I do and say. Such a great promise of Him taking it and blessing it. Notice He is not asking for perfection. I want to drive that point home. He makes them perfect, I just have to give Him something to work with.
What about excellence? I googled perfection versus excellence ad this is what it says, “Perfectionism is about the fear of failure, while striving for excellence is the urge for success. Excellence is superior performance, persistence, and the commitment to do something exceptionally well. Excellence requires risk, effort, spontaneity, hard work, and extending yourself to reach your full potential.” Excellence is a heart motive, perfection is in Him.
Praying blessings on everything you say and do today!
What does a life look like that has come alive to God? It’s not going to be the same.The Gospel message is more than reciting a prayer to accept Jesus as your Savior.
We all desire something. The thing we desire was placed in us by God; and He has given us the choice to walk in it, but without His Son we cannot be full in it.
What is this thing that we desire?
Matthew 22:37-38 (NIV) Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a]38 This is the first and greatest commandment.”
That’s not the only place you will find that either.
Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV) Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Do you know what those next verses say?6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.
We do the first, but lack confidence in the second part.
Acts 4:10-14 (TPT) Peter states: “you and everyone else in Israel should know that it is by the power of the name of Jesus that the crippled man stands here today completely healed! You crucified Jesus Christ of Nazareth,[a] but God raised him from the dead. 11 This Jesus is ‘the stone that you, the builders, have rejected, and now he has become the cornerstone!’[b] 12 There is no one else[c] who has the power to save us, for there is only one name to whom God has given authority by which we must experience salvation:[d] the name of Jesus.”
Here is what I want to put inside of you: 13 The council members were astonished as they witnessed the bold courage[e] of Peter and John, especially when they discovered that they were just ordinary men who had never had religious training.[f] Then they began to understand the effect Jesus had on them simply by spending time with him.14 Standing there with them was the healed man, and there was nothing further they could say.
Do you remember the feeling of when you first accepted Christ?
Matthew 13:44 (NLT) The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.
Now I know some of you are like, ‘now you are asking too much of me’. Really? He has not asked for all of us to sell all of our belongings. He did not tell me that.
What does Paul tell us? Philippians 3:7-16 (NKJV) But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain[b] to the resurrection from the dead.
Let me tell you, I haven’t gotten all there yet, but like Paul: 12 Not that I have already attained,[c] or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have [d]apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already [e]attained, let us walk by the same [f]rule, let us be of the same mind.
One thing that I can say about myself, I am not the same person I was a year ago. I am not the same person I was 5 years ago and I sure am not the same person I was 22 years ago when I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior.
We get to a place in our thoughts and we think we are “okay” because we have a balanced life. That’s our goal right? To have a balanced life, to raise my kids in a safe environment, where none of us are suffering. Do you know how strange that is to the rest of the Christian world? American Christianity is so different from the rest of the world. They are willing to die just by admitting they are a Christian and here we are not being bold about the divinity of Jesus so that we do not offend. We are willing to deny His power to placate someone’s feelings because that’s “Love.”
We are willing to deny His power to placate someone’s feelings because that’s “Love.”
This is the fullness of the Gospel: Luke 14:25-27 (MSG) 25-27 One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple. Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple.
God has really been pointing out this word “refuse” to me this year. It started when I read about Solomon. God spoke to him about marrying all the women from different nations and Solomon refused to listen, that was the beginning of the end of the lineage of David as kings.
Definition of refuse: verb. Indictes that one is not willing to accept or grant (something offered or requested). Fails to perform a required action.
Luke 14:33 (MSG) Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple. This was Jesus speaking.
I know that is not a popular place to be in this day in age. We could not be true pastors if we do not take this to heart.
Acts 20:26-27 (TPT) If any of you should be lost, I will not be blamed, for my conscience is clean, because I have taught you everything I could about God’s eternal plan and I’ve held nothing back.
I have been hurt in the church. I know what it is like to have people say things about me that are not true. That does not mean I have a right not to do what I am gifted in.
In March of this year, right when Covid had caused the nation to go into Stay at Home Orders, I decided that since I could not go to the gym that I would start to hike. It would help me keep in shape. Now I am heavy in the bottom area. I have not had a thigh gap since I got pregnant with my oldest. My body is just not made that way. So I over compensated for the weight displacement and pulled my calf muscle (the top part). In turn that caused my knee to become inflamed and I could not bend it. I had to let it rest and apply ice and heat intermittently. My goal was not just to get it to feel better, but to get it to where I could exercise again.
The same is when we get hurt in the body of Christ. I cannot allow it to stop me. The Word of God is there to cool my spirit man to bring healing. The Holy Spirit gets my spirit man on fire to do the works of the ministry. I need both in my life. If I do not allow both to work, then I am in danger of becoming lukewarm and then I refuse to move.
A refusal to be moved!
Let’s look some dangers that we can be in:
“I like hearing stories of those who do radical things for Christ, but that’s too extreme for me to do.”
“I do not want to be rejected or thought of as weird, so I am not going to share my faith.”
“I am willing to give only when I know I have enough to meet my standard of living.”
“I love God, but that kind of devotion is asking too much. That is only for pastors, missionaries and radicals.”
Ask yourself: Has your relationship with God actually changed the way you live? Do you see evidence of God’s kingdom in your life? If not make up your mind right now that you are going to allow God more access to your life.
My husband was using these next scriptures in a recent sermon, I was leaping with excitement in my heart for these Words for the church. I believe they were prophetic in more ways that you could even know:
Ezekiel 37:1-3 (AMP) The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 He caused me to pass all around them, and behold, there were very many [human bones] in the open valley; and lo, they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”
These dry bones could be you and I when we do not proclaim the Word of God in our lives. When we refuse to get in His Presence. When we refuse to get in His Word. When we refuse to speak His Word only. They were not always dry bones.
Ezekiel 37:4-6 (AMPC) Again He said to me, Prophesy to these bones and say to them, O you dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath and spirit to enter you, and you shall live; 6 And I will lay sinews upon you and bring up flesh upon you and cover you with skin, and I will put breath and spirit in you, and you [dry bones] shall live; and you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service].
Hear my heart: 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!
God is not the one fencing us in.
Lisa Bevere in Lioness Arising writes, “But the lioness did not move outside their enclosure until their hunger exceeded their desire to be safe. In the same way, our lack of vision or hunger for something more can limit and restrain us from stepping out into the wild. We are emboldened and held captive by how we see ourselves, our world, and our God. The world ‘out there’ can look daunting if you imagine it a dark, scary place.”
1 John 4:4 (NIV) You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
What is stopping your from stepping out into desiring more for God in your life?
Do not let these things keep you from having freedom:
Lack
Fear
Shame
Sickness
Hopelessness
Anxiety
Anger
Hurt
Offense
Disappointment
Ezekiel 37:10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath and spirit came into [the bones], and they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceedingly great host.
Know His Word, Speak His Word. Desire everything that God has for you! He wants to give it to you!! He wants you to be full in Him. He wants you to be made whole. The power to do it is still on earth today.
Desiring for More 