Fear

God was talking to me today about fear and I wasn't surprised with all the fear present in the world as of late.

He hasn’t of course given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.

—2 Timothy 1:7  For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. AMPC

Living in fear is worshiping the devil because he is fear, he torments and harasses for satisfaction.  He enjoys his success in his ploy to bombard God’s children with worry —leaving the manifestation of his presence, which is undoubtedly everywhere these days.  His presence is anxiety which leads to oppression. 

Jesus was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and went about doing good in particular curing all who were harassed and oppressed by the power of the devil.

—Acts 10:38  How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him. AMPC

Jesus went about telling the truth to those who were being controlled by the enemy.  Obviously it is a thought process the enemy uses. All we have to do to consider this truth, is to look at the Word. In Corinthians we are told to take captive our thoughts.  The reason to take captive our thoughts is because the enemy comes into our thought life, that is entrance in our lives, in our thoughts. 

—2 Corinthians 10:5 [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), AMPC

Either we will control the enemy by not thinking his thoughts, or we will go along with him by allowing him to control our thoughts.  

 Most don't know this truth so they just tag along (cooperate) on that leash Satan has on them. Because they are ignorant of the fact that they are being controlled by Satan they go along with him.   

If we don't know God we live in ignorance to God and His ways. Without God we don't have the understanding we need to live victorious in the Kingdom of God, right here on the earth. 

When we are in agreement with God and know His ways of living we will make it our quest to stay in agreement with Him by changing what we think to be in-sync with His thinking. 

We will purposefully think His thoughts knowing His thoughts are true and His thoughts will free us from the bondage of fear (the lies of the enemy).  

We can be free of the lie and live the truth, free of those harassing and oppressive thoughts he is trying to control us with by staying updated with the thoughts of God.

—John 8:44 You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false. AMP

So the way to be free from fear is to resist it, then receive the truth of who God is by filling your mind with God's thoughts.  

Resist the enemy and he will run.

James 4:7 So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you.

If you never asked Jesus to be your Lord, all you have to do is ask. 

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he [will eat] with Me. AMPC

Romans 10:9 Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation. 11 The Scripture says, No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed.

Now if you want to we can ask, pray with me —dear Jesus, we are asking that You come live on the inside of us, fill us with Your Spirit, give us Your peace as we rely on You.  We believe and we confess with our mouths that You are Lord and we commit to live well in Your Kingdom right here on the earth as Your true disciple!

Now open the Word of God ,that is how you will know Jesus.

John 1:1 Tells  He is His Word—so that is how we begin our journey with knowing Him is by knowing the Word (Him).

Then as you do the Word, don't just hear it, but do it —apply it to your life (James 1:22), He will manifest Himself to you (John 14:21).

FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO

Having an understanding of the ways of God makes it much easier to live His way, in His Kingdom.  Like forgiveness —it is not always so easy to forgive because when we get hurt, it hurts. What someone did to us hurts, which is why we hold a grudge. The grudge is like having a bandaid to protect ourselves from that hurt again.

But, in the kingdom of God there are no bandaids to be had.  God's way is to love, thus we have to resolve to love.  

God showed me this just a few days ago.  That what Jesus said was exactly what He meant and why we as His, should forgive just as fast as He did that day.

Luke 23:34 And Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they divided His garments and distributed them by casting lots for them. AMPC

If someone is not God’s they really don't know what they are doing, and they don't know they are being used by the enemy.  That person without God does know what they are doing so if confronted, you will even hear them reply, I didn't do anything.  

God was showing me in this kind of situation, that we can know ahead of time not to confront, but to love instead.  Love as in let it go, let it drop, because they don't know Jesus thus they just don't get it.

If we confront a person who does not know Jesus, that person won’t get the love thing we have with Jesus.  Thus we are to just forgive, drop it, and let it go as the amplified Bible describes (Mark 11:25-26). The only return we owe them is —to love them (Romans 13:8).

Before a few days ago I just forgave because God tells us to forgive.  Each time I was hurt and decided to forgive —God healed me. As well, with that healing He gave me insight as to why the person did what they did —which helped me to have compassion for them as well as forgive.  

It is the most painful when the person who hurts you is someone you love and have trusted all your life — then suddenly has betrayed you.  It is a hard thing to do on our own. We need God to be healed of that pain and then to forgive. In that, He has always been there for me to heal me and help me to go on.

Recently in being hurt again by someone close to me, God showed me that because of their not knowing Him the situation doesn't need confronting words —but love.  What He said to me was that I didn't need to confront the person, just love the person. He said in fact that person should never even know that you were hurt by you showing bitterness toward them—but that I should come up to His level of forgiveness and just know they don’t get it.

Corinthians tells us that our warfare is not against flesh and blood but that spiritual darkness (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).  The person is not the one trying to hurt you—the enemy is. It is his ploy to bring evil upon you, to try to get you in un-forgiveness so that you are in disagreement with God. God's law is love and so being  in un- —is disagreement with God

The person hurting you maybe doesn't know that they have hurt you, and that they are being used by the enemy.  As a Christian —unlike a non-believer, we should be aware of the enemies ploys and be sure we are sensitive to other's feelings being sure —not to offend.

I liked what I heard God say to me because with that comes not only healing, but the fact that God thinks that much of me to correct me and expect—that I can be like Him. 

What I mean is if I am told to forgive others because they don't know what they are doing, then I am at the place of spiritual maturity where God is showing me more than I could see before.  Understanding that my warfare is not with that person I love —but that the enemy has butted in to my business to mess up my relationships is a revelation I need.

I was thinking if we had this revelation in our marriage relationships, our warfare would not be against each other.  If we would grow up spiritually we wouldn't be arguing back and forth, but we would be loving each other. In our revelation knowledge of knowing the enemies ploy, thus in our love actions, we would be taking authority over the enemy if we loved with purpose. In that —showing the world that God's way of love indeed does not fail (1 Corinthians 13:8).

Knowing what the enemy is up to, that revelation knowledge —is the defense we need to overcome his wiles.  

So, remember the next time you are hurt, it is not the person, it is the enemy using the person to get to you.  He is trying to not only mess up your relationships, but he is trying to keep you in un-forgiveness. If we don't forgive, God does not forgive us (Mark 11:26).

lovelee<3

The New Year — Him In You

In the beginning of the year many plan to make a New Year's Resolution. Resolution is actually a resolve for things that are an issue in their lives. For many it is their weight, but for others it’s loneliness, depression, sickness, poverty, and so much more.  Without Jesus those issues are lifelong and never resolved. But unknowingly and still determined, many start over each year to try again to independently resolve that problem.  

Let me help you this year to succeed by telling you something that Jesus said. He plainly said, you can't do anything apart from Me.

John 15:4 I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. AMPC

Pretty simply; what we try and do on our own will amount to nothing.

Let's look at this in its whole context.

John 15 I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. 2 Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. 3 You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you]. 4Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. 5I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. 6 If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned.7 If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. 8 When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine. AMPC 
 
Jesus said He is our Source. A vine is the source for the nutrition of the branch and the branches then, can bring forth fruit.  Therefore Jesus as the Vine who is dressed by the Vine Dresser, whom is the Father, enables us the branches. What we cant do without Him -we can do with Him. He is our Source to bring forth fruit. What is fruit? Fruit is the manifestation of His Kingdom blessings. The fruit is your healing, your victory of weight loss, or whatever it is that you struggle with. That thing you can't do on your own.

Therefore, the key to your resolution is that relationship with Jesus, allowing Him to do that work in you to the place where you can bear fruit. Being in agreement with Him by letting Him prune the world’s way from you, will bring you your resolve. Letting Jesus teach you His way of living so that you can have that abundant, full life He promised. Finally that problem resolved once and for all! A life of happiness, peace, and joy is promised when you let Jesus be your source.

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

Jesus said I have come to give you life to the fullest; until it overflows. That's the plan, that is His plan for you. Not to struggle from one year to the next, but to be your Source and to put an end your struggles (Matthew 11:28-29).

The other part of that verse reveals to us the enemy is out to kill, steal, and destroy. That means by not choosing Jesus, we are interacting with the enemy. I know you probably don't know that, but that is the blindness that comes without the choice of making Jesus your Lord.   

Just like that old familiar song, Amazing Grace, when we sing I once was blind and now I see. That actually happens when you choose Jesus, you can now see what you couldn't before. Suddenly, you have the revelation of knowing you need Jesus to live life to the full.

What Jesus is telling us in this scripture is that we have to make a choice. We can choose to live that full life; which comes by choosing Jesus. Or, we can choose the enemy who is going to steal our life, happiness, peace, joy, and contentment from us.
If I am not fed and cared for by Jesus, I am going to live frustrated. If I don't choose Jesus, I am living in a place where I have to fight to survive. Living in damnation apart from the One who wants to be my source of life, hope, and happiness is a choice only I can make for myself.

Just like a broken off branch withers and dies, so will we without Hm.

Therefore as we choose Him and cling to Him, and let Him prune us —we will bear fruit. We will have that good life He intended for us. We will have happiness, peace, and joy. We will have victory as we stay connected to the Vine, He as our Source.
There is to diet, no formula, not a book or a theory in heaven for anything, only God. Only He is our Source, none other. Therefore as we prepare to live in heaven now with Jesus as our Source we will see that no outside help from a decaying world will suffice.  You won't satisfy for anything but Him. Life has to be his way for you.

As it should be then you proving to be a true disciple of His, as you represent Him.  Him living in you, as you bring glory to His name by your success In Him, Now drawing others to Jesus through the truth you now live in.To make Him your Lord, all you have to do is ask. He is a real Person whom you can have a conversation with anytime. He is waiting for you to ask Him to come live on the inside of you.   

Revelation 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he [will eat] with Me. AMPC

NOT AS USUAL - DIRECTION TO YOUR HEALING

I heard the Lord tell me today to share with you His wisdom to receive from Him, your healing.   

Aside from having to make the decision to live in His Kingdom, there is making the decision to actually live there—by living His way. Many times we say a prayer and think it is the magic prayer to get us to heaven and nothing else. With that mindset, no change is made in our lives. For a lack of knowledge we remain the same.  We call ourselves Christians but we are un-like Him, not like Him.

Another thing we think is that we are not perfect and that is our excuse to live conformed to the world.  As we live conformed to the world we live not only unchanged, but sick, and distressed like the world. Jesus actually said be perfect. What He meant was grow up and be like Him.

Matthew 5:48 You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete  maturity of godliness in mind and character, ]having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect. AMPC

Let me tell you what is suppose to happen when you ask Jesus to come live on the inside of you. When you invite Him to live in you, you consent to His leading. As you consent to Him being your guide, your life will drastically change. If you are following His lead then nothing will be as it was. Him living in you isn't life as usual. No, not at all. If you let Him tell you what to do, He is going to lead you right into that healing you need, or whatever else it is you need. 

Not as you usually do—will be done, but His will, will be done when you follow Him. Therefore, when you unite with Him, you decide to follow Him. You stop all you were doing before and change your direction.

God is particular, if you miss one law you have missed them all (James 2:10).  Why? Because if you missed a law you have stepped out of His Kingdom back into the world. If you leave His Palace —He can't do anything.  If you leave Him, you left Him, that simple. God does not leave His place of residence because He does not mingle with evil. Well, you may be thinking that's harsh.  If you knew what God considered evil, you wouldn't think so.  

His idea of evil is anything opposed to love. If He is Love and love is kind and we are not kind, we have stepped out of His realm.  If He is the Healer and He is, but we doubt that He is; we have again stepped out of His Kingdom.

Can you see the truth here? God does not change He is always good. Always the same, always the Healer and He is always right there. He never moves from His position. He is grounded in His Word. He said what His Kingdom is and how it will revolve around love, and that is that. 

Therefore, the first direction is to move into His Kingdom and stay there by obeying Him. Keep following His direction no matter how things may seem.  

Reading His Word is reading Him, He is His Word (John 1:1). Taking time to hear Him is vital to following Him. He said My sheep know My voice.

John 10:27 The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me. AMPC

Many say they don't hear Jesus and that is because they are not following Him.  If you stay close and not wander off, His voice will be strong, as if you are right next to Him.  But, when you wander His voice will become distant. Second then, is to hear Him give you that personal direction you need. You can't follow Him if you can't hear Him.  

No one else can guide you in your healing. I can't give you seven steps to your healing, only Jesus can. Fact is, there are only seven steps if Jesus tells you there you have seven steps to take to get there. You may very well have seven things in the way, whatever the number He will show you.

What I mean is, sometimes we have things —sin in the way of our receiving from Him. Usually we have no idea, or sometimes we have heard that correction but haven't tended to it. If you sit with Jesus daily and let Him get those dead branches off of you, He will show you your sin and give you the direction you need to fix it.

Sometimes many get offended at this point and quit and give up. That is very sad because if one would take the correction, he would be set free.  Anything dead in our lives that we let Jesus eliminate, will bring life to the full until it overflows. 

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

His purpose for us is life to the fullest, until we can hardly stand it. Have we been there yet? Do you know anyone too happy? Do you know anyone who is so blessed they can't take anymore? I think that is what Jesus is saying here. Let me be your God and I will give you that life where you have so much joy, so much peace, and so much happiness you won't be able to contain it. You won't be able to not get on your face everyday to thank Him for all HIs good. You won't be able to wait to meet with Him.

The last thing is - agree. In fact, the first two directions are nonexistent unless we agree.

If we don't agree with the Word, then we won't do the Word or hear the Word or follow the Word.

If we are in disagreement with by His stripes we were healed, then we will not be following Jesus or hearing Him. If we disagree with forgiving seven times seventy-seven times a day, we are not in agreement with the Kingdom of God principles. We are not in agreement with Jesus if we disagree with Him and if we disagree, we will not be able to receive from Him. 

John 15:15 I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. 2 Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. 3 You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you]. 4 Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. 6 If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. 8 When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine. AMPC

In summation then, what Jesus is teaching us today is to be willing to be changed, to come in agreement with Him so we can receive from Him. When we receive from Him, we glorify Him, and prove to be a be a real Christian, a true disciple of His.

Bring It Into Existence

God said this to me, “Faith action is applying the Word To Your Life.”  He then showed me another way to look at it when He said, “Faith action is how to bring into existence what you are wanting to happen.” 

James 2:17 So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead). AMPC

He said applying the Word to our lives, actually doing the Word of God, is faith. It’s proof that we believe and what we have to do to bring what we are wanting —into existence. 

We can always refer back to John 15 —when we do the Word, when we apply it to our lives we are in agreement with Jesus. If we are in agreement with Jesus, then His percepts will work for us. 

If we disagree, we can’t do anything. If we are not connected to the vine, apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). So we can call those things to be not as though they were, but if we have not love, we are just a sounding gong (1 Corinthians 13:1). If we talk to mountains they won’t move. 

If we are not connected to the vine we won’t have the knowledge we need to do what needs to be done because we are disconnected from the vine. Just as an unbeliever isn’t connected to Jesus, we can disconnect from Him by letting go of the vine and when we let go of that vine, we are on our own.

If we’er are not acting on the Word, not doing the Word, we still have dead branches in our lives. If we have dead branches those are branches are of unbelief and those branches need pruning. Those branches need to be removed so that we can be in one hundred percent agreement with Jesus.

If we are not in agreement with Him, we are in agreement with the enemy - we cant live in both kingdoms, Jesus said, either you are for Me or against Me.

If I agree with by His stripes I was healed, then I will act healed. If I don’t agree with by His stripes I was healed (Isaiah 53:5), I won’t act as though I am healed. Many live by what they see, and believe only what they can see. The reason is a lack of understanding. When we believe the Word over what we can see —our faith is what makes what is unseen come into the seen realm. So first we have to believe it, and our believing it will bring it into existence. 

When we look at what is, we disagree with the Word because the Word tells us the promise and our part is to believe it into existence. So if you haven’t got it here yet with your faith, then you didn’t look at what wasn’t and believe here. What you did do is you looked at what is and you doubted it, keeping it from coming into existence.

Imagine with me what it would have been like if God didn’t say light be. It would still be dark, and you and I wouldn’t be here. He brought the light into existence with His faith He acted when He said, light be.

I remember when I was teaching my son to receive healing from pain in his back. God told me to have him walk —as a faith action. As we walked down the road behind our house, he had definite pain and he made it known. He complained the whole walk. I understood the pain and I knew what the pain was from, but I also understood faith action. I wanted him to receive his healing thus I was teaching him to call those things to be not as though they were. Calling himself healed, pain free in the name of Jesus because Jesus already bore his pain for him. I was teaching him to bring his healing into existence. As he complained, my faith was weakening and then to make things worse, I heard the enemy tell me what a terrible Mom I was, but the very next second I heard God tell me to tell my son to stop—saying what is. 

That was so faith confirming and encouraging to me— and it ministered to my son. We kept up that walking every day and he spoke to the pain and eventually —and to this day he walks pain free.

You can’t live in faith without living it out. I have never been healed or have received from God without acting out my faith. So many people think God is saying no, but He is saying act. Act it out, live like it is true, have faith enough to bring it into existence.

HAVING DONE ALL—REST

Ephesians 6:13 Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].

I was beckoning God saying, “Come on God when are You going to do something in this situation? And do you know what He said to me about what I thought I should be responsible in? I thought I should be making sure that this thing needed to happen, but I was wrong. He clearly said, “Don’t worry about it!” It was funny because He sounded like a person on the earth. It just sounded I guess like He fit in to our expressions, our jargon. Then later in our conversation He said it another way, “Having done all, rest.” That sounded more like Him.

Isn’t He amazing? I love Him so much; He is so at rest and confident, wise and encouraging, shall I go on?. He has just the right answer, and just at the right time to encourage us. So I did that, I decided not to check in on it (the thing I was worrying about) and just gave Him my care of it.

He also reminded me that when I worry about something, it is my god. Therefore in the midst of me serving something else, I tie God’s hands so to say. He doesn’t move in faith or doubt, but He moves in faith. If I worry, I am doubting and fearing that He won’t do what He said He would, and then He can’t.

So doing all that needs being done in our situations we call “crisis‘s“, we then firmly stand —by resting. That is what He is saying to me and to you today. Having done all; you got faith from hearing—so you heard, you said it, you had faith action, you asked, you forgave anything you had against someone, so now you rest in that you did your part and God will do His.

Then if —if you missed something you need to do, and you should ask (James 1:5), He is faithful and He will tell you. If you did indeed miss something and then you do what He revealed to you, do it and do it quickly so you qualify for the manifestation of what you asked for.

Pretty cool I think. I was doing all that the crisis demanded I thought, but then in what I thought was faith, God corrected me and told me I was worrying.

I love it when He talks to me and tells me my problem. I love it because He is revealing my answer to me and giving me more faith at the same time. You see it is not Him scolding but Him working on our behalf to get us our answer. He is so in love with us.

It could have been —forgive, it could have been you need a faith action, or you need to sow a seed. Whatever ingredient that is missing from His faith potion, He will tell you and then it is your part to do. The thing is, is when He tells you, you have more faith to believe because you heard Him. Faith comes from hearing Him.

Don’t Worry About It!

Philippians 4:6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. 7 And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 8 For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. AMPC

I want you to know the peace to believe comes from the answer He gives you. When He said not to worry about it, I got peace. Now when the worry tries to come on me I just thank Him for taking care of it for me. I rest, even though I don’t get how He is going to do it (although sometimes He does tell me and I still worry), but either way that is His part (to make it happen), not mine or yours.

So may I encourage you from the Word of God today? Don’t worry about it! Just trust that if you need to do something He will let you know, otherwise just rest in knowing He is God and He is in love with you and He’s got this!

YOUR WEIGHT MATTERS TO GOD

You might think your weight is a personal thing, one that God won’t get involved in, but contrary to our less than higher way of thinking, God does care about our weight and He is compassionate about giving us the answers we need to be free. 

You may also think being overweight is okay with God, and have even convinced yourself it is okay with you, but neither are truths that will set you free from being in bondage. Being in bondage is being held captive and Jesus didn’t give His life for us to be imprisoned, but He gave His life to set us free from anything that is not good, anything that would take away from our well-being.

Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy]. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.
(Isa. 53:4-5 AMP)

God cares deeply for us and has made provision for our health, happiness, peace, and our well-being. It’s clear when looking at the Word of God we are important to God and He wants to be a part of our lives.

God cares about our weight because it is not only a bondage; it also influences our health and well-being. In my own difficulty, I asked God to help me to lose the weight. His answer as usual was full of compassion and revelation. He said I should desire to be healthy rather than to be thin, and as I changed my eating habits to be as He intended, the weight would no longer be an issue.

Besides our health and well-being mattering to God, how we represent God in our appearance also matters to Him. When we call ourselves Christians, yet we are sick, overweight, distressed, and in bondage to food—when we don’t like ourselves—we are not representing God accurately.

So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.
(Gen. 1:27)

We were created to be a reflection of our Father and it’s important to Him that we live in His likeness.

Can you imagine how the Father would look if He were standing before you? Do you think He would be overweight, sick with heart disease, diabetes, or have high blood pressure? What about having to take medications because of His eating habits? Do you think He would overeat, or eat food (man-made food) designed by Satan to kill, steal, and destroy?

Truly, take a moment and imagine with me how our Father would look. I imagine He would not only be beautiful inside, but outside. I imagine He would look healthy, strong, thin, and fit—a perfect image of Man, as Jesus was when He was here.

We were created in the likeness of our Father, a perfect image of a Man. We were created to be like God and to live in His likeness, to imitate Him (Eph. 5:1).

We have to make the choice to honor and esteem God by choosing to stay true to His intentions for us. We have to choose to be a strong representative of His, and when we make that choice He will empower us to do His will.

God wants to empower us with His wisdom. He wants us to know His intentions for our eating, which will also reflect His intentions for our health. When we live as God intended, we will represent Him in our health, well-being, and our vitality. When we are happy and have a zest for life we will be living the good life God intended - simultaneously proving God is good.

Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it. But the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure) and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it.
(Matt. 7:13-14)

Satan’s goal is to keep us miserable and on the path to destruction, using anything he can to accomplish his goal. His desire is to control us just as he controlled Adam and Eve when he convinced them to eat off the tree (disregarding God's command). Satan’s suggestive thoughts are controlling many of God’s children and have them in bondage to many things, one being food. It is one of Satan’s ploys to control us using food which causes obesity, sickness, distress, and misery. It is His plan to keep us downtrodden on that path to destruction.

The narrow path is God’s way and is full of His wisdom and revelation knowledge which will empower us to see clearly, living free from Satan’s control. When we walk the narrow path doing the will of the Father we will live happy and blessed as our Father intended. We will live free from being controlled by anything or anyone because we are committed to the Father.

I would like to encourage you today to be that representative God is calling you to be, not only in character, but in health and well-being. God wants us to show who He is, so that others can see His goodness and His compassion.

When we live as God intended we will be showing the Father’s true character, representing Him for who He is, concurrently helping others to make a clear choice for their life here and now, and for eternity.

FAST DOUBT — Living On The Word

God spoke this Word to me, fast doubt. I knew right away He meant instead of going without faith, the Word we need to have faith —go without the World’s opinion.

How often do we head straight for the Word of God rather than someone else’s opinion? How often do we seek God in His opinion instead of doing what everyone else is doing?

So many live on the world’s way of doing and fast God’s Word then wonder why they haven’t any faith, any hope, and they’re feeling down and out. It is clearly because they are following the wrong advice—the wrong instruction.

Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led (guided) by the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness (desert) to be tempted (tested and tried) by the devil. 2 And He went without food for forty days and forty nights, and later He was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to Him, If You are God’s Son, command these stones to be made [loaves of] bread. 4 But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. AMPC

This is the same thing that happened in the garden. God said don’t eat off the tree but, Adam and Eve ate off the tree anyway. They made a decision to compromise the Word of God instead of doing the Word —the instruction God gave them.

The enemy tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread. That means Jesus can turn stones into bread. That also means He could have ate off the tree instead of doing the will of God, but He didn’t.

He could have made it about Him; after all it had been over a month since He last ate food. He was hungry so it seemed to make sense or it would for us, to turn those stones into bread. It made sense to Adam and Eve to eat off that tree. I am sure it looked good, and they would know what God knew, so it made sense to take it upon themselves to do what made sense.

We do the same thing when don’t have the Word or consider the Word of God. We do what makes sense instead of doing what God said. On the other hand if we do what God tells us to do everything will work out for our good.

Jesus clearly said food isn’t all we need, we need God. We need to feed on His Word and apply His Word to our lives. Doing the Word brings the Word to life. When we do those instructions that is when God can make good happen in our lives.

Also when we follow His directions that is when we take our authority over the enemy. If we live our lives dictated by the enemy then we have given him our authority and live in depression, sickness, disease, poverty and all the other things that come under the curse.

If we just hear the Word and don’t do it as James says we live in deception thinking we are right with God, but we’re not. But, when we apply the Word by doing it, the Word comes to life, it comes to pass, those promises come true.

If I am not into the Word of God, if I won’t do the Word or give it primacy then what I do is turn God into a flesh thing, a religious thing to satisfy my flesh as Satan convinced Adam and Eve to do.

If I disregard His commands and still think I am right with Him, I am just religious. If we disregard His command then we are without faith and the promises won’t come to pass in our lives.

Faith happens when we do the Word, when we live on the Word of God and turn to it as truth, that’s faith. Faith is opposed to doubt which is another factor. If we fast doubt, if we resist doubt rather than the Word of God we will live in faith, but we can’t live in faith if we are living the world’s way.

To fast doubt is to fast thinking as the world thinks - that which is sensible. Instead of doing what makes sense do the instruction from God — not what seems to be right. Jesus said in the world there is a false peace, that is what seems right. But the real peace is in Him and doing His Word.

It didn’t make sense for the ten lepers to go tell the priests they were healed when they weren’t healed —but they did and when they did they were healed

It didn’t make sense to for the man with the crippled arm to stretch out his arm in front of the Pharisee’s when he could be persecuted for it, but he did and he was healed.

Did it make sense for Jesus to lay down His life to suffer for us when He didn’t have to? It didn’t, but He did because He loves us.

Don’t live in doubt, fast doubt and live in faith. God is not trying to take from you, but Give to you. His instructions are so He can give to you.

Nothing Will Happen — If You Don’t Believe

Matthew 14:28 And Peter answered Him, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. 29 He said, Come! So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus. AMPC

Did you ever think about this? If you don’t believe —nothing is going to happen. If Peter didn’t believe he would not have stepped out of the boat onto the water. If he didn’t believe he would have never walked on the water. As well, he would have never had that experience of walking on water. That experience of walking on water gave him the confidence to know the impossibilities he could conquer in the power of God in his future.

Walking on the water gave him needed experience to tuck under his belt to believe God further in his ministry. The experiences he had with Jesus I believe had everything to do with his confidence in walking in the power of God even after Jesus left.

The same is true for us, if we never put our foot out there and trust Him —we will never have any experiences to have tucked away to look back to, to think upon — and to go forward in doing His work.

My very first adventure in trusting God gave me great confidence in Him to believe —I could through Him conquer more and more.

The thing I learned though —the thing that stops us along the way— is looking away. As did Peter, if we look away from Jesus we will fail. Peter looked away from Jesus, at his circumstances and then he started to sink.

Matthew 14:30 But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me [from death]! AMPC

But — even though he looked away, the next right thing he did is call out to Jesus to save him. Of course Jesus was there for him as He will be there for us when we fail at keeping our eyes on Him.

Matthew 14:31 Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and caught and held him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? AMPC

To be of little faith is to look away from Jesus, but when we keep our eyes on Him then we can stay in faith. Don’t look away but keeping your eyes on Him means to be in constant fellowship with Him.

In receiving my first huge miracle there was absolutely no effort on my part in believing Jesus —because I spent day and night devouring Him and His Word. Because I took the time to constantly hang out with Him, it just seemed natural to do what He does. And when you do the same, take that time to hang out with Him, you will find yourself doing what He does as well. But, when you look away you will find yourself sinking just like Peter did.

Like Peter we have to get out on the water to make that thing change we are looking to change. Sadly though many never make it to that step. The reason is they don’t, is they don’t accept the importance in spending that time with Him needed to gain their confidence in Him. Peter spent all of his time with Jesus and that is why he didn’t think twice to do what his Lord was doing. He didn’t hesitate to get out on the water, but he hesitated only when he looked away.

If we don’t take the time to know Jesus and keep in fellowship with Him, we won’t have faith in Him. If we don’t have faith in Him then we don’t believe —and then nothing will happen.

Sometimes we think we believe something when we really don’t and the proof of that is in our outcome. If nothing you think you believe is happening then, really you don’t believe or it would have happened.

Peter got out on the water. Many don’t take that faith action as to get out there on the water, they just say it. If I say I am healed, but don’t act it out that I am, then I didn’t get on the water and if I didn’t get out on the water, nothing will happen.

If I say I believe but I act opposed to what I say I believe I am not really in faith but I am just saying I am. If I didn’t get out on the water, if I just said I did, it was because I was afraid to. If I am afraid to it is because I am not hanging out with Jesus.

We can’t expect something to happen when we don’t hang out with that Someone we need to trust who can make it happen. If we believe it is because we know Him and then we will step out on the water. Our faith to step out on the water will be in our relationship with Jesus.

You're Not Alone

Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He replied to them by saying, The kingdom of God does not come with signs to be observed or with visible display, 21 Nor will people say, Look! Here [it is]! or, See, [it is] there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]. AMPC

Since the Kingdom of God is within us then God is always with us. That means when we believe and call upon Him we know He always there for us, we will know we’re not alone but that He lives within us.

I watched a movie the other night and a guy was calling out to God in desperation. It was a starry night, a beautiful moment as he went to God pouring his heart out to God. He was looking up to the stars looking for God, a gorgeous picture.

I love it when people turn to God because I know God is their answer. He is there and He does care. It was beautiful moment until this other guy showed up. He ruined the atmosphere of faith when he said —hey because you’re not going to hear anything from up there I decided to butt in. What a terrible thing to do I thought, but that is the world some live in.

It was upsetting to me to see that unbeliever not only display his doubt in God but transfer his doubt to the person who just started to trust God.

When we’re the most desperate we turn to God in hope and faith, and that is when God can do something. That’s when we find out we are not alone, that God is always there and always has been.

The thing is, is we can’t see Him except by faith and that is why when we are desperate, when we are looking, we can see Him.

Hebrews 10:38 But the just shall live by faith [My righteous servant shall live by his conviction respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, and holy fervor born of faith and conjoined with it]; and if he draws back and shrinks in fear, My soul has no delight or pleasure in him. AMPC

The opposed to that is doubt and in doubt we can’t see Him or have faith in Him and we will think we are alone with no answers.

That said God is pleased when we have faith in Him because we can see Him and He can actually do something in our lives when we have faith in Him.

I love this in the Message translation; it shows us how God is moved by our faith in Him.

Romans 1:16-17 It’s news I’m most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God’s powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else! God’s way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what Scripture has said all along: “The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives.” Message

I like the word rescue because just as we talked about yesterday He is ready to rescue us, His will is to do good, change our lives from bad or okay to good, to His higher standards of excellence! That is God’s plan to do good in our lives and to be with us but, He can do that only as we have faith in Him.

What I can see in this translation is that in the midst of our faith God’s way of making things good happens —then confirming scripture that says the person in right standing with God is the one who really lives. In other words in the midst of your faith you will see God move.

The just shall live by faith, the one that has faith will live that abundant, good life Jesus said we would. That life is lived by faith in Jesus. Therefore when we have faith in Him we are not alone, we always have Him to count on in every circumstance whatever the need. He is there as we acknowledge that He is and is a rewarded of those who seek Him out.

When I talk to Him or about Him I can feel Him. When I call out to Him He answers me. Why? Because I have faith in Him that He is in me. He is inside of me because I invited Him to be. So by faith, by my belief in His Word, I know I am never alone.

To hear Him and feel Him is amazing, and as well it is amazing it when He shows up and does that miracle. When the thing happens that I had been asking Him for.

Having faith in Him makes that miracle happen and we know that because Jesus said over and again, your faith has made you well, your faith...

In that moment of faith the desired thing we hope for will manifest!

James 2:17 So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead). AMPC

Faith means you have to do something. Whatever that action might be it has to happen in the midst of you believing you have faith in God.

One thing for sure you have to do is get faith, increase your faith by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). If we believe we will live by the instructions in the Book.

If we believe then we will talk and act what we believe. If we believe God is taking care of us we will have His presence and peace because we paid attention, we took heed of His Word.

I need to know God is there, I need to feel Him, hear Him and have His way in my life. I am so grateful for His presence in my life and that happens in our lives by determining to have faith in Him. Determine to take time to build our relationship with Him.

That is where most miss it; they don’t want to take the time to know God. To me it makes so much sense. You can’t trust someone you don’t know. Yet many want that Someone they don’t know to make provision for them. That Someone they don’t know or have time for, or even agree with, to be there for them all the time.

That isn’t practical in a natural relationship so why would it be with God? If you want a relationship with someone you have to take time for that person and get to know that person.

Because people don’t know God they mistake Him for who He is not, they lack wisdom, they feel alone, and live short of His blessings.

Just yesterday I heard the news of another Pastor killing himself. They called it mental illness. Mental illness is the same as to say in my knowledge of the truth from the Word of God, that he was harassed and oppressed by the enemy.

The Word of God is truth and the Word tells us that we need Jesus to heal us from the oppression of the enemy.

Acts 10:38 How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him. AMPC

Anyone who doesn’t know, have the knowledge of the truth, the enemy can harass. He comes dressed up, not as himself but of something or someone that appears to be good. As Peter said looking for someone he can devour.

That person that he can swallow up in self pity, offence, guilt, condemnation excreta, he will. He will make that person feel alone, worthless and eventually get that person to the place of suicide.

Why? Because then he has another one out of the way of him doing his work. Especially a Minister of the Gospel, that one would be a great threat to him.

The thing we need to know is he is our enemy and we have to resist him. Submit to God resist the enemy and he will flee (James 4:7). When he comes to judge you, to condemn you and tell you how worthless you are, your part is to resist him and go to God. Don’t take on his lies as to fellowship with him and disagree with God.

In the midst of an attack and even before go to God and worship Him. Get in His presence and let Him love you. Read His Word and remind yourself of His goodness and the good plan He has for you. Fellowship with Him so He can prepare you and tell you things to come.

If you submit to God the enemy will be gone before you know it. But, you have to stay filled up with the Word. Get faith (Romans 10:17) so you can stay high and lifted up, above his criticisms. He will keep trying, he will come back again and again to try and harass us, but as we stay in faith, in the presence of God there is nothing he can do.

We are never alone if we don’t want to be. If you are sitting home by yourself it is because you want to be. If you didn’t want to be alone you would go and find someone to spend time with, someone to bless, or serve.

The same is true with God, if you don’t want to be alone, just reach out to Him and He will be there! Jesus said He is knocking at the door of your heart and if you open the door He will hang out with you (Revelation 3:20). All you have to do is open the door and let Him in.

Faith without action is dead because without faith there can be no provision, no console in fact no relationship. If you don’t open the door to Jesus there is no faith, in the fact that you can have a relationship with Him and He can be there for you.

If that man would have reached out to God instead of let the enemy pounce on him, he would be here today. Why? Because faith comes by hearing the Word, hearing God confirms we are not alone and when we are not alone, but with God, comes faith, revelation knowledge, guidance from the Holy Spirit comes and Joy comes!

Satan can’t take out a happy Christian that is why he tries so to hard to harass and oppress us!

God told me one day, He is not looking to take people to heaven, but He is looking for workers on the earth (Luke 10:2). God didn’t need that man in heaven but that man had an assignment and Satan stole it from him by getting him to take himself out!

We have to know Satan is lurking around in our thinking to try and control us and we are to resist him, yes in our thinking!

Instead of thinking his thoughts we have to think God’s thoughts. Think on these things, whatever is pure and lovely and of good report (Philippines 4:6-8). That is having our trust in God.

We truly are not alone when we commit to Jesus. When you ask Him to come and live on the inside of you, He really does. He really is there and is He is all you need for every need.

Everything Can Be Fixed!

2 Corinthians 4:18 Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting. AMPC

What we see is only there until we change it. That’s the plan, that’s it! God’s plan is for us is to change things to good. Just like He did when He said light be and it was, and it was good, God wants us to change things in our lives that are not good, to good. And— He has allowed us His authority, His power to do so (Matthew 16:19).

God has also given us all the same measure of faith (Romans 12:3) and a way to also get more faith (Romans 10:17). God has given us the keys to the Kingdom and His power to make us limitless in our endeavors to do His will.

In the Kingdom of God there are no limits to what you can do, and no limits to what God can do for you, and what God wants to do through you.

No matter what God loves you. No matter how many times you and I mess up God has a plan to fix what we messed up. There are NO limits to His love for us and He yearns to make things good in our lives. He has a plan through your faith to fix whatever you need to be fixed.

The plan starts as we believe. Believe and then anything can happen. Everything is possible when you believe. Jesus said so, there is nothing that is impossible for him who believes, therefore anything can be fixed!

All you have to do is believe and then anything can change! That is good news, and as good as news gets!

That means, whatever crisis you may be in, whatever needs changing in your life, it is possible for you to change it to good. There are no, no answers in the Kingdom of God. We can have things change from bad to good, or even not so good to good— everything is possible for you if you believe!

That is exciting; love it so when I hear God encourages us.

Love this scenario and want to share some thoughts with you in it.

—Mark 9:17 And one of the throng replied to Him, Teacher, I brought my son to You, for he has a dumb spirit. 18 And wherever it lays hold of him [so as to make him its own], it dashes him down and convulses him, and he foams [at the mouth] and grinds his teeth, and he [falls into a motionless stupor and] is wasting away. And I asked Your disciples to drive it out, and they were not able [to do it]. 19 And He answered them, O unbelieving generation [without any faith]! How long [shall I [have to do] with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to Me. 20 So they brought [the boy] to Him, and when the spirit saw Him, at once it completely convulsed the boy, and he fell to the ground and kept rolling about, foaming [at the mouth]. 21 And [Jesus] asked his father, How long has he had this? And he answered, From the time he was a little boy. 22 And it has often thrown him both into fire and into water, intending to kill him. But if You can do anything, do have pity on us and help us. AMPC

Okay here is one thing, the major thing I want to talk about —keep reading.

—Mark 9:23 And Jesus said, [You say to Me], If You can do anything? [Why,] all things can be (are possible) to him who believes! 24 At once the father of the boy gave [an eager, piercing, inarticulate] cry with tears, and he said, Lord, I believe! [Constantly] help my weakness of faith! AMPC

I love this Jesus said, you are asking Me if I can do anything? Haven’t you heard? The Kingdom of God is here! I Am here! Of course I can do something!

Then the father upon hearing Jesus tell him, yes of course I can do something — freaks out. The man can’t even talk he is so in awe of Jesus’ words, finally an answer to his son’s imprisonment! Finally he can live again, rest, breath again! He can’t talk but he can cry. Then after the shock, words form again and he can talk. He said to Jesus —I do, I do believe what you’re saying I do believe you can do this—help me though in my weakness of faith.

Obviously he had faith now, now that he heard Jesus. What relief, this can be fixed! Finally, finally an end to his son’s suffering!

My son was born with a birth defect and so I personally know what this man was feeling, the relief of hearing Jesus say Yes, of course I can do something is the most wonderful feeling ever!

So here is the result!

—Mark 9:25 But when Jesus noticed that a crowd [of people] came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, You dumb and deaf spirit, I charge you to come out of him and never go into him again. 26 And after giving a [hoarse, clamoring, fear-stricken] shriek of anguish and convulsing him terribly, it came out; and the boy lay [pale and motionless] like a corpse, so that many of them said, He is dead. 27 But Jesus took [a strong grip of] his hand and began lifting him up, and he stood. AMPC

There Are No Ifs —it reads in the Message Bible

—Mark 9: 22 If you can do anything, do it. Have a heart and help us!” 23 Jesus said, “If? There are no ‘ifs’ among believers. Anything can happen.”24 No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, “Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!” MSG

There should be no question if we are a believer, anything can happen if we believe! Let this encourage you now. Anything can be fixed! Jesus is saying yes, of course I can do something!

The other thing in this I want to point out is when the father brought his son to the disciples and they couldn’t do anything. Two things I want to mention.

One, we often bring our kids or ourselves to a preacher and if he can’t do anything we assume all hope is lost and we have to accept our condition. Jesus is lied about by many, and if we receive that lie —is when we walk away hopeless.

I have witnessed this way to often. I have watched people make choices to accept sickness and disease, and accept Satan harassing their children when they don’t have to. Because they have such confidence in a man they miss out on Jesus! Don’t accept the word of man but go to Jesus!

This man though didn’t stop there; he took it a step further and went to Jesus. He went to Jesus, not a man! He didn’t take no for an answer but he went straight to Jesus!

That is where I want to encourage you today. Go to Jesus, get His Word and receive from Him. Don’t let man dictate to you his opinion, but go to Jesus Himself and get the true opinion, the one that will change your life from bad to good!

Second —As His disciples we have to be in the place where those in need can come to us to get help. A place where a man who isn’t sure of Jesus can bring his son and receive healing from Jesus through us. His power, Him in us. A place where many can come and depend upon God’s workers in their need.

To Us Who Believe

Jesus was saying to that man, are you kidding, If I can do something? You haven’t heard? The kingdom of God is here! I Am here and you are asking Me, God, if I can do something?

Is it IF, has it come to that word, if? If He can? Yes the Kingdom of God is within us. I Am is here, in us who believe and yes He can!

God is about making good happen, He is about fixing things and His plan is to do it through us, His disciples! Will you be one? Will you do His greater expectations and be like Him? Will you say good, and expect good to happen? Will you receive His power and do His work?

He is counting on you to be a part of Him fixing things. Also if you need fixing He is waiting on you to come to Him and get fixed.

No Pain In Jesus Name!

Yesterday I had a sudden pain, and then I had no pain because I believe that Jesus already bore my pain for me a long time ago. Today I want to tell you what happened so I can brag on Him and how faithful He is, He was, and how faithful He will always be!

—Isaiah 53:4 Surely He has borne our grief’s (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy]. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole. AMPC

The pain started suddenly and as it did I went straight into my regular faith routine. I immediately put my faith into motion as I have always done and said out loud, “by His stripes I was healed, He bore my pain, my sorrow, my sickness and disease, no pain in Jesus name!” I cried in pain, as I continued to confess my well practiced phrase, —“No pain in Jesus name!”

When the pain didn’t leave soon enough, I asked God what was happening. I expected it to go because He said what I say will happen if I believe (Mark 11:23-24). It has always worked for me —ever since I started trusting Him. Therefore I fully expected the pain to cease!

God also said if I lack wisdom I can go to Him, and —He gives to all liberally without fault finding (James 1:5).

After I asked Him what the problem was He told me. He immediately brought to mind something I recently heard a minister of the gospel say about pain. The person said the pain is in our mind and that is why when the medical professionals put us out, we have no pain. Then God told me to go to bed and go to sleep and in doing so the pain would leave. God gave me the impression it was not a big deal, even as though it was all in my head —and I guess it was!

I went to bed and as I lay my head on the pillow, I had a vain imagination that made me tense. Just like Jesus said as soon as you hear the Word Satan comes, and he did come (Mark 4:14). Now I could picture in my mind rushing off to the doctor as if God’s Word wasn’t enough, as if those stripes did nothing!

“God!” I called out to Him in desperation! He knew I needed to hear Him again —and at once He reminded me of something He had said to me before, that I am fully sufficient in Him (Philippians 4:13).

At that I rested my head deep down into the pillow, feeling at peace and woke up with absolutely no pain! Isn’t He wonderful? Yes He is!

In the new day as God always does —He started talking to me. Today it was about His people. About how many are not rooted and grounded in Him. In a crisis as I had how most get anxious and hope they can find some help. Then in that panic state of mind they run off to find an answer not knowing that the answer they need, is Him and —He is right there on the inside of them. All the while God is there waiting for us to come to Him.

God showed me that He is saddened by this. That is when I knew I was to share this with you today. So you can know what I have —and that you can have it as well.

If we would just trust Him life could be easy and abundant as He designed it to be.

I love this new life I have found in Him and I am bragging to you about Him —not me. Personally, to me it is so much easier to climb in bed at bedtime than it is to get dressed, run to the doctor, and then to wait on the doctor. Maybe or maybe not get a correct diagnosis and then have to wait for the pain relief they decide on. As well, maybe having to come home in the same or in a worse condition than before.

Besides, Jesus bore my sickness, disease, my pain, and my sorrow, so why should I go to a doctor and pay a doctor to try and do what Jesus already did. Jesus already paid a high price for my healing. Why wouldn’t I take it, rather than struggle?

Now I didn’t get to the place in my relationship with God overnight, therefore I am in no way suggesting to you to do what I did without God guiding you. But, I am suggesting you come to a place where you fully trust and rely on Him. To the place where the price He paid for you —you can actually see and acknowledge. Otherwise, it seems to me, if we don’t acknowledge what He did, why did He even do it? If it was for nothing, if we won’t receive it —than why did He bother?

That is not me; I am going to acknowledge what He did for me. He bore my pain for me so I don’t have to, so I will declare that truth and receive, what is to me —such a precious gift.

How can you get to such a place? Seems like a hard thing for many, but the answer is simple. Spend time to get to know Him. You can’t trust the Someone you can’t hear —the Someone you don’t know.

You Got The Wrong Coffee

I had a dream from God. In the dream I saw myself tell my son he bought the wrong coffee. Then suddenly as I was telling him he bought the wrong coffee, I got confused with which was which. Did he get the wrong coffee? Which one do I usually get now I forgot?

Once I got to the kitchen in real life where the dream took place, I found myself looking for the right answer. I looked at the name of the coffee in the same moment I remembered the dream. I asked God what the dream meant and He said we rarely look at His Word to find out what He said which is why we get so confused and forget.

Then He led me to this context of our reality of how we live.

Isaiah 29:11 And the vision of all this has become for you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, Read this, I pray you, he says, I cannot, for it is sealed. 12 And when the book is given to him who is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray you, he says, I cannot read. 13 And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips but remove their hearts and minds far from Me, and their fear and reverence for Me are a commandment of men that is learned by repetition [without any thought as to the meaning], AMPC

Notice the excuses we have for not looking at the Word. I have heard these excuses from individuals I know who don’t know God, and at times I have my own excuses. Yes their lives are a mess only because of laziness, and in some cases the reality of them not wanting God to tell them what to do. The same is true with us who say we believe. We’re no different, sometimes we just want to do things another way.

The day before I asked God a question I knew the answer to. The Word tells me, I have looked. But, I wanted a different one, one that would suffice my flesh.

That was the purpose of the dream. I know the answer, it’s in the Book. But, am I too lazy to look, or don’t I like what I know to be true? Yes it is true; I wanted a different answer, one other than that was in the Book because I was lazy.

It takes work to look at the Book and commit to God to do it when there are so many lazy lanes to take. But, to take a lazy lane brings consequences we don’t like. Then those consequence we don’t like, the results of our laziness we turn the blame to God.

I felt I was to share this dream, this answer to our mass confusion with you today. Many of us tend to look to the wide path and do what seems easier, avoiding the Book. God wants us to know when we make this choice it is our choice, and we are headed then toward destruction.

God desires that we be with Him here and now and when we leave here. It is His desire we live that abundant life here and that happens when we live by the Book. He desires we not be lazy and look away. God wants us to know that the Book saves us from the second death and yes is our eternity.

Avoiding the Book is avoiding God and avoiding God is avoiding eternity with Him. His Book is not too hard as the enemy would have us think. God is saying open the seal and read it, it is life for us.

I hope that I have encouraged you today with this Word, to commit to God and follow the Book so that you can live in that good abundant life He intended for you today. God desires that you and I be that light that represents Him to those who won’t open the Book for themselves.

Let’s be the light we were called to be. Let’s free from confusion, live by the Book and in His presence!

If Your Son Asks For An Egg

Did you know God is unhappy that we blame Him for our mishaps, for our lack, and misfortune? Even though many truly believe God does bad things to them the Word does not tell us that.

Luke 11:11 What father among you, if his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts [gifts [i]that are to their advantage] to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him! AMPC

If we don’t understand God and His way of doing, if we haven’t accepted His love, His Spirit, we are going to think wrong thoughts about God because we don’t know Him.

We may even have walked with God for a while and still at times think wrong thoughts of Him. The reason being is we have to stay in constant fellowship with Him to know Him and for Him to reveal Himself to us. Just like in a natural relationship if we separate for a while we begin to think thoughts of each other that may not be true.

I watch this happen often, a person knew someone, had spent time with that person and they were friends. Then in a time of separation from that person and hearing some gossip, that one quickly changes their mind about that person, and without question. Now that person they were once friends with was no longer their friend just because of what someone else told them.

I personally don’t live by hearsay, but some people do and in doing so don’t know the truth, only someone else’s opinion.

With God the same thing happens, one stops hanging out with Him and then they hear something about Him, or don’t see something happen they were expecting to happen and turn away from Him, without question.

Today I would like to challenge you to live another way.

Each time something isn’t right with me and God it has been that I became distracted and each time then I have to go back to Him because I get some wrong thoughts I need cleared up. I don’t turn on Him— but I question Him.

The last time this happened God said the same thing He always says to me. “I haven’t changed, I Am still here, I Am still the same. You are the one who left Me, not Me you."

Even though He was saying this same thing this time —He said it with more of His feelings showing. He said, “If your son asks for an egg would you give him a scorpion?” I felt sad that I was thinking wrong and feeling sorry for myself because I could see His sadness in that I forgot who He was —and I was just being selfish.

I knew there must be a reason He didn’t use the other phrase recorded in the Word; if your son asks for bread would you give him a stone.

Wondering, I looked up the characteristics of a scorpion. It has a venomous sting and some species can kill humans. It can make you very sick and cause convulsions. Now I know the reason He said scorpion. He was clearly saying I Am not the one making these bad things happen in your life. I am not about to sting you and send you into convulsions, or kill you.

Even before I knew what a scorpion did I could note God’s feelings in the tone I heard, and in His hurt feelings I could sense, Thus a scorpion defined—confirmed God’s feelings to me.

Here I am complaining to Him in my stupor state, and all the while I was the one who left Him. I was the one that gave something else my attention causing me to forget who I knew, what I knew —and who I am in Him.

I wouldn’t blame Him if He didn’t answer me, but as kind and gracious—as mature as He is He did, and He does, and He always will, thank God!

He was the same, He was still there, never changed His mind, but instead of what I thought, He had been waiting for me to come back to Him.

Did you ever leave someone in the car while you did a quick run in the store? You didn’t plan on taking that long, but you ended up in the store for an hour. The person you left in the car had no choice but to wait. You felt bad that you made that person wait so long and might not have been to sure of what you would find when you got back to the car. Unless of course that person is texting you as they are waiting. “Where are you, how long yet? Are you coming now? It’s late I want to go home!”

We do that same thing to God constantly. He tells us His love for us. He sets us up for His good plan, we’re on this adventure, we have this awesome relationship —and then suddenly we’re distracted.

Kind of like this errand. Be right back, just gonna quick run in, leaving God in the car to wait. Making Him wait, and wait and wait, until you get back.

While you’re in there you forgot about Him, so God started texting you. “Waiting, don‘t, um, I Am here, where are you going? It’s late, oh, the time is near!”

When you finally get back to the car you start blaming God for all the things that happened while you were away from Him. Wow, and all this time He was wanting to look out for you, but you left Him in the car and ignored His messages.

I didn’t realize I was offended at God, that I started looking at my circumstances rather than at Him. The only way to know that is to go to Him and I am so glad I did. I wouldn’t have known He was hurt, and I wouldn’t have heard Him, if I hadn’t gone to Him.

I already know I am to call those things into existence that are not. I know the will of God and that He already did all He needs to do for me. So why was I looking at God and judging Him rather than judging myself?

I got weary in well doing and that happened because I was off doing errands without Him, which caused me to look at my circumstances. I left Him in the car while I did my thing, never having the time to converse —only complain.

But God never changes. We get off track and run around in circles worrying, while He is the same —waiting right where we left Him, patiently, for us to return.

God has given us the keys to the Kingdom and whatever we allow He has to allow. He made the rule and can’t change that rule —so now it is up to me to change things with His keys.

He gave me the keys to my own car, now He doesn’t have to take me anywhere anymore I do. Once I know how to drive why would I expect Him to drive me around? Why would I give His keys back to Him and tell Him that what I was once was doing was now too hard to do?

We get off track because we are not hearing God, but instead paying attention to the thing, listening to our circumstances speak to us —rather than us speaking to our circumstances.

We get off track because we leave God in the car too long and don’t take enough time to talk with Him but only complain to Him.

I would like to encourage you today to take God with you everywhere, don’t leave Him in the car, don’t leave Him home, but be talking to Him all the time and then you will know that He isn’t about to sting you and send you into convulsions, or kill you. But, rather —He is about to overtake you with blessings just as He tells you in His Word.

Faith Is Your Slave

God spoke this Word to me this morning. I was seeking Him for revelation in a situation I was in when He took me to Luke 17.

Luke 17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith (that trust and confidence that spring from our belief in God). 6 And the Lord answered, If you had faith (trust and confidence in God) even [so small] like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, Be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you. 7 Will any man of you who has a servant plowing or tending sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, Come at once and take your place at the table? 8 Will he not instead tell him, Get my supper ready and gird yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; then afterward you yourself shall eat and drink? 9 Is he grateful and does he praise the servant because he did what he was ordered to do? 10 Even so on your part, when you have done everything that was assigned and commanded you, say, We are unworthy servants [possessing no merit, for we have not gone beyond our obligation]; we have [merely] done what was our duty to do. AMPC

I didn’t get it so of course I said, “Lord I don’t get it, what are you saying to me?” He said clearly, “Faith is Your Slave!” What I did I just hear? I was astonished of what I heard and so I rushed to my computer to study this thing out!

Yes just as I heard Him say that faith is my slave, Luke tells us Jesus said faith is your servant.

So what is God saying? He is saying it is one thing to get faith but it is another to send our faith out to do it’s work. God was telling me that as I get faith by hearing the Word, I have to not just have coffee with my faith, not just believe, but I have to put my faith to work.

Paying attention to the Word, hearing it and getting it in our hearts is a major work we have to do to get faith. We should always be increasing in faith because and we need faith (it’s our substance) to activate the Word of God. Then after we have that faith —we have to go that extra mile and put it to work!

James 2:17 So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).

Faith is the substance

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. AMPC

Thus we have to get faith and Romans 10:17 tells us we get faith by hearing the Word of God. The Word is God and so when we look at the Word we are getting faith. Faith also comes from hearing God Himself, as I did this morning when He spoke His Word to me. As soon as I heard I got excited because I had faith from hearing Him talk to me. My hope was without delay — as soon as I heard God speak hope to me faith came. Now all I have to do is follow those instructions God gave me to make my faith work for me by making it my slave!

What does that look like? As we keep reading we can see Jesus demonstrate as He put His faith to work. As soon as He finished explaining to the disciples how to make faith our slave, He put His faith to work.

Luke 17:14 And when He saw them, He said to them, Go [at once] and show yourselves to the priests. And as they went, they were cured and made clean. AMPC

Faith works as you order it to do what you believe. Jesus said go at once; show yourselves to the priests. He used His faith and gave them a faith action. By doing what Jesus said they had faith action (James 2:17) and were healed on the way. They put their faith to work by going to show what they hadn’t seen yet, but they believed — the priests.

Jesus taught us how to make our faith work.

Mark 11:14 And He said to it, No one ever again shall eat fruit from you. And His disciples were listening [to what He said]. AMPC

Mark 11:20 In the morning, when they were passing along, they noticed that the fig tree was withered [completely] away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to Him, Master, look! The fig tree which You doomed has withered away! 22 And Jesus, replying, said to them, Have faith in God [constantly]. 23 Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. 24 For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it]. 25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings. AMPC

Jesus clearly explains that first we have to have faith. Then we have to put it to work by saying it, and then believing what we say, and of course then expecting it. Expecting that our slave which is our faith in action will manifest our results.

The only stipulation is love, — of course

Entertaining Doubt

2 Peter2:20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through [the full, personal] knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they again become entangled in them and are overcome, their last condition is worse [for them] than the first. AMPC

God spoke this phrase to me this morning —entangled in sin. I had been concerned about someone in my life because I have been feeling rejected by that person. As I write I will refer to this person as Zoe.

God was showing me that when things get tough many turn away from Him —the very One they need. He said their condition after knowing Him and then turning from Him would be worse than their former state. The reason is that when we know what, Who we had — and then turn away from Him, we are fully aware of what we are doing. Actually the very words I heard from Zoe. Zoe knew, but Zoe had an opinion which Zoe exalted above God.

Someone like Zoe in the last moments before we stand before Jesus will hear the Words, you disregarded My commands, away from Me I never knew you (Matthew 7:21).

How does this dangerous place happen? God showed me that it happens, starts out when we entertain doubt. We are called to resist doubt but, if we entertain it instead we are resisting Jesus.

How does a simply doubtful thought get so dangerous? Doubt may seem as if it is a simply thought and one we look at as harmless, but, that doubt is just as much as a sin as when a man looks at women with lust (Matthew 5:28). Why? Because thoughts manifest into actions and actions then turn into sin.

Sin is opposed to the will of God and being opposed to the will of God is a result of blatantly rejecting God. What does that look like even is we call ourselves Christians? It looks like us blending in with the world, acting as though we haven’t been saved from our sins. It looks like saying one thing and doing another.

We can say we are Christians but if we don’t oblige God, really we’re not, we’re just liars.

Looking like the world and living in ignorance to God is opposed to looking like God. As His, if we are His we will look like Him—not the world. We will look different and even peculiar as we take on His will that transforms us.

In asking God about Zoe, I also had a dream and in the dream I was talking with a lady in my garage that sparkled. Her eyes glistened as she said —I think I know you from somewhere, is it church? I was in awe of her eyes and how they sparkled and it drew me to speechlessness because she illuminated Jesus. Why the garage and why was she in my garage? Even though my garage walls are white, to me a garage is usually a dark yucky place and the lady was visiting me in that place I was in, a dark yucky place in my life.

God was showing me through this dream that when we doubt and stay there we forget who we were in Him. I knew I was Zoe in this dream and I forgot what God looked like —and I was as well —forgotten. God was showing me through Zoe’s eyes where Zoe was at.

Jesus said that would happen in mark 4. He said if we don’t pay attention to the Word, even what we had is going to be taken from us. He said when we reject hearing we will forget what we knew was right. When we forget righteousness, and don’t pay attention to the Word, we invite sin. Getting entangled in sin — left unchecked will cause us to forget our salvation.

Entangled means twist, jumble, knot, snarl, or scramble. When we‘re entangled with sin, we don‘t know right from wrong anymore. That unclear state of mind, ones thinking without God has no surety or peace in it. Everything becomes messed up first in our thinking, then in our life.

When we’re entangled in sin, and as we doubt we won’t be recognized anymore as God‘s own. When we doubt we display confusion and act out confusion as we can’t sort right from wrong anymore.

After that God showed me the other side to the dream. Now in the dream He switched roles. Now I was the lady illuminating Jesus, I was who I am in real life to Zoe. God was showing me how Zoe sees me and how I am illuminating Jesus to Zoe.

When I was Zoe I was convicted by the lady and now I can see both sides. The conviction is meant to bring change and to draw God’s own to Him, but the choice it up to the person whether they come or not.

In the case of Zoe God showed me the enemy took that conviction and converted it to condemnation, then into offence, and then of course into sin.

Obviously sin is the result because we try to cover our pain, our self-condemnation with something, with a thing rather than go to God. Sin is a lot of things, but summed up sin is unbelief and unbelief is separation from God which ultimately causes us to run from God - and to sin instead.

The answer? If we are faithful to put Jesus first and have a close relationship with Him, then we will prosper in every area of our lives.

Nothing can overtake us when we allow Him in us. When we choose Jesus, He will empower us to be whole.

3 John 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers. AMPC

The answer then -avoid entanglement with sin, resist doubt and submit to be committed to Jesus -stay with Him, prosper by giving Him your attention. Let Him do in you what is too hard for you to do without Him. It’s that simple, you can’t without Him. You can’t do anything without Him (John 15:1-11).

Jesus is He is looking for those who will commit to Him, those who won’t turn on Him. Jesus is looking for someone who won’t doubt someone who won’t allow doubt to separate them from Him.

In this last day as we are divided, know that the division is doubt, or belief! Which line will you be in?

Difficult To Teach

Matthew 17:15 Lord, do pity and have mercy on my son, for he has epilepsy (is moonstruck) and he suffers terribly; for frequently he falls into the fire and many times into the water. 16 And I brought him to Your disciples, and they were not able to cure him. 17 And Jesus answered, O you unbelieving (warped, wayward, rebellious) and thoroughly perverse generation! How long am I to remain with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to Me.18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. AMPC

Jesus said to His disciples, and He is saying to us, we are unbelieving. We are warped (twisted), wayward (disobedient) and rebellious (disloyal) and a thoroughly perverse (difficult) generation! Wow Jesus just called us out. What is He saying to us? I think it is clear He is saying we are warped, we are twisted in our thinking and it makes us disobedient, and actually disloyal to Him.

Because we are not really listening to Him and have our minds set already on what we believe, I think we are difficult to teach.

Jesus said in Luke 10, I give you power, and authority to cast out demons, lay hands on the sick, and yet we become the sick.

Luke 10:19 Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you. AMPC

No wonder Jesus became frustrated, He is teaching us how to live, giving us His power and authority to do His work, but, instead of receiving it we become the sick.

God showed me His frustration of us through a card game. I was trying to teach my son a new card game. He kept arguing with me about the card game telling me the order of the cards didn’t make sense to him and so it was wrong. I was truly frustrated with him.

God told me to get the game out again and to re-explain the order of the game. Through me reiterating the game God showed me my son was trying to use logic to fix the game, and that was why he couldn’t catch on to the game.

I confronted him and told him to put his logic aside and just except the theory that man who invented the card game used.

His logic made the game hard for him to play as well as remember and recall the order of the cards because he didn’t agree with the arrangement of the cards. All he could really think about was that it was wrong.

God then showed me we do the same thing with His Word. We try and fix His Word to the way we think it should be. With our logic we change the meaning of His Word. Inevitably we don’t get His revelation of His way working because we are so focused on what we think.

We can’t hear, we hear but we don’t hear.

That is why Jesus was frustrated. He was telling them they are difficult to teach. How long should I put up with you is a pretty harsh rebuke!

I believe He was saying to them and, He is saying to us today, you are difficult to teach. Because you won’t believe Me, you are trying to figure it out yourself, without Me, making it too hard to teach you. I am pretty sure Jesus was feeling like giving up! I am pretty sure He was convinced that we are pretty dense. And, I am pretty sure that is why He gets quiet sometimes.

He pours out His wisdom, His principles of the way His Kingdom operates but we get logical about it and argue it, instead of just do it. Instead of doing it we look for another way out. We are a pretty prideful people.

Finally as I laid out the cards and explained to my son that what seems to be right is changed, and now this is right because of the way the person set up the game, logical to him or not -he caught on. Because he took my correction and gave into what he thought, after some practice he caught on to the game.

God is saying that to us today. In His Kingdom it isn’t going to be like we think. He is the designer of His Kingdom and the operations and things will work the way He said they will.

He said His power when we believe is on the inside of us and when we lay hands on the sick they will recover. But if we are logical about it and think well, I can’t do that, or in this case this person must be taken to the hospital, we are thinking logical and logic has nothing to do with faith working.

If we would just let go of what we think, and do what we were told to do, then, we could catch on to faith working. Then, we can catch on to faith and laying hands on the sick and watching them recover. Then, we can even be the healed rather than the sick.

Ashamed

Imagine Your Life Without Trying To Fix It

Acts 10:38 How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, [in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him.

Jesus went around healing all who were oppressed by the enemy. Yet we still live oppressed, we still live with the enemy constantly harassing us. Even though Jesus already healed us, even though He gave us authority over the enemy, we let the enemy control us with guilt and shame.

Today Jesus wants to set you free from shame, from that oppression the enemy has you imprisoned with, with the truth — with His truth.

How much of our lives have we lived in shame over something we did or something we keep doing? How much of our lives have we lived sinning over and over again with no control? Maybe its food: over eating. Or maybe it is buying more than you have money for? Maybe it’s jealousy? Maybe your temper is out of control? Maybe trying to prove something? Whatever it is, the truth of it stems from how you see yourself. Your sin, what you practice —is the result of the enemy oppressing you and harassing you with his distorted images of you. He plants in your thinking broken images of you that cause you try and fix them.

The reason most of us stay in that place is because we don’t know. We don’t know it is the enemy oppressing us. We don’t know that his attempts to steal, kill and destroy, in our lives is in the power we give him in our thinking. Yes the power we give him because we don’t know.

When we know the truth that Satan harasses and oppresses us in our sub consciousness with his lies —then can be set free. When we know his power in controlling us is with his distorted images we’re thinking, then we can take authority over him with that truth by changing those images.

Jesus said the truth will set you free (John 8:32).

Today if this is you, you can be set free from his oppression by knowing the truth. Just having the revelation knowledge, the truth will set you free.

2 Corinthians 10:5 [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), AMPC

Take captive every thought and make it come into agreement with the Word of God. Thinking what God thinks and not thinking the lies of the enemy gives you the power to be set free from his oppression.

Coming into agreement with God and asking Him to help you to see you the way He sees you, and asking Him to help you to take captive your thoughts will empower you and heal you of that wrong thinking you have had.

Thinking in agreement with how God thinks is our instruction and when we do that the enemy isn’t able to control us any longer.

Looking at yourself through God’s eyes will set you free from the bondage of the enemy. The truth will set you free (John 8:32).

Living in a lie, living in agreement with the enemies suggestions —will keep you in bondage to that lie.

Whatever we did or keep doing is sin, which actually stems from the wrong image we have of ourselves.

Let me say it again, whatever sin you live in, you live in it because of that wrong image you carry of yourself. Thus you have to be set free of that lie (the wrong image) to be set free of the sin your practice.

Yes all we have to do is repent and ask for forgiveness. But how do we repent which is to go and sin no more with that distorted image of ourselves?

The answer is— decide to get rid of that image. Decide that whatever you look like is okay because God made us the way we are and in His likeness.

So much of the time we don’t see ourselves as God made us (like Him) but a broken image of who we are through not His eyes but the eyes of the enemy. Don’t look at yourself through the enemies eyes (which is a distorted lie) but through the eyes of God who said you are fearfully and wonderfully made. I love the Message translation —look at it with me. Take in every Word from God to you!

Psalm 139:13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; You formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body. You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day. MSG

He, God —is breath taking and He has made us like Him. He has intentionally put you together the way you are. Therefore there is nothing wrong with you. You don’t have to be ashamed of how you look and even where you are in your life.

Growing up has many stages and takes time. Appreciate where you are, enjoy you new adventures now because in time they will be past adventures. Past adventures are more fun if you can look to as happy memories that you may even be able to laugh about. It doesn’t matter your age but that you are free to mature without the mistaken thinking of there being something wrong with you.

Enjoy yourself, who God made you to be. Enjoy others and who God made them to be. If you like who you are, it will be easy to like who they are.

God is in love with you and wants you to know the truth that will set you from the bondage’s you live in. Let Him heal you and let Him show you how He sees you so you can love and be in awe of who you are. So you can see you how He sees you and then love you life and live free!

Imagine your life without trying to fix it!

As Soon As You Hear

Today I want to tell you as soon as you hear your assignment from God the enemy will come and try to steal that direction from you.

Mark 4:15 The ones along the path are those who have the Word sown [in their hearts], but when they hear, Satan comes at once and [by force] takes away the message which is sown in them. AMPC

If he can’t keep you from starting he will try to get you to quit once you start. If he can’t get you to quit right away after you have started he will come up with another strategy, and another one.

He will work to keep the pressure on you to quit, by trying to get you offended or frustrated. He will use offence or distractions whatever will work to try to get you off of your assignment from God.

Mark 4:17 And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are offended (become displeased, indignant, resentful) and they stumble and fall away. 18 And the ones sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word; 19 Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless. AMPC

He won’t try once or twice but constantly. He is always working to get you to quit, because when you do the will of God you have lived the purpose of life. The enemy knows your gift will make room for you, that all those unanswered prayers he has you focusing on are tied into your obedience to God.

Jesus said to seek God’s way of doing and being right, then those things we need will be added to us. He said those who don’t know God seek things and spend their lives doing so. We though should be doing our assignment with things needed and the things we want —added to us.

We can wisely estimate the simple concept that the direction Satan has in mind for us and the trap he sets for us over and over is to seek stuff —to live in self gratification.

Satan is not creative, but uses the same old things over and over to keep us in a trap, his trap of stagnancy. Living in the same place, in the same trap over and over never going anywhere.

Satan uses our feelings, our flesh, and circumstances to try and control us. Therefore those things are the things we can’t let move us. We have to be aware of his tactics and resist him.

In Action

So often we start out all excited about what God has called us to do but then when we start and nothing seems to be happening, we quit and slow down in our assignment —because we‘re not feeling it.

Sometimes before we become proficient in our assignment we have to practice it and while were practicing it there often times comes discouragement in the sometimes long time frame of preparing for our ministry —circumstance.

I want to encourage you today that even though you don’t feel it or see it, it is happening. In the spirit it is happening, what you are doing is purposeful and God is evaluating your work. He is watching to perform His Word, His work in you that He called you to do.

The enemy will try and get you and me to stop doing that assignment because he knows where it’s going. He often times will use those around you to discourage you by suggesting you are off track. Don’t let that happen, don’t let Satan use his methods to get you off of what you know God has called you to do. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. You know what you heard God tell you to do, don’t let distractions of the age, opinions, lusts of the flesh or anything else get in your way of doing the Word, what God has called you to do. Don’t let your flesh dominate you, don’t compare yourself to those we are flesh ruled, but be led by the Spirit!

Do what God has called you to do and keep doing it because when you do, you have won! You are the over comer you were called to be and then you will be living that somewhere over the rainbow kind of life! You will be living a life of purpose rather than a life only about you.

Mark 4:20 And those sown on the good (well-adapted) soil are the ones who hear the Word and receive and accept and welcome it and bear fruit—some thirty times as much as was sown, some sixty times as much, and some [even] a hundred times as much. AMPC

Follow The Leader

Did you know it is a greater work to follow Jesus? It is, He is our role model and He said He only imitates His Father. He said He only does and says what the Father tells Him to do and say.

John 5:19 So Jesus answered them by saying, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the Son is able to do nothing of Himself (of His own accord); but He is able to do only what He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does is what the Son does in the same way [in His turn and He told us to do the same.] AMPC

John 12:9 This is because I have never spoken on My own authority or of My own accord or as self-appointed, but the Father Who sent Me has Himself given Me orders [concerning] what to say and what to tell. 50 And I know that His commandment is (means) eternal life. So whatever I speak, I am saying [exactly] what My Father has told Me to say and in accordance with His instructions. AMPC

As doing the greater work, as one who believes we are to imitate God.

Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]. AMPC

2 And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance. AMPC

So much of the time we stay baby Christians and it is because we lack relationship with God. If we were true to constant fellowship with God we would be growing up into doing and saying, thinking as He thinks. We would grow from constantly asking of Him to serving Him.

A relationship with God is loving God and is caring about what He cares about. Being concerned with Him and what He feels is a true relationship with Him. That relationship then continually grows to the place where God will show us His heart more and more, and in that place we will find the tremendous love He has for us —His children.

Jesus came to show us the love of God, His passion was to fulfill the Fathers heart of love to us. When Jesus left He told the disciples (us) to carry on His work. To go about doing good, healing all who were oppressed by the devil. Being a witness for Him. Yet, even though we have been chosen to do His work, we let the devil oppress us. Instead of taking our rightful place of authority we give it up just as Adam and Eve did.

God wants us to know today that He longs for us to grow up in Him. He longs for us to be able to put on our boots and walk right on through the enemies traps not fulfilling the enemies dreams but God’s.

How do we do that? We submit to God and plain old just believe Him. When we do, when we make a decision to believe, then He can work with us and get us to the place where we belong —living the good life and doing that greater work we were called to.

One day when I was complaining about in being in the company of unbelievers, I heard God say to me “Follow the Leader.“ He explained, if you follow Me they will follow you.

What was He saying to me? Not what I wanted to hear. What I wanted to hear was I will rescue you and set you on your perfect mountain in your perfect castle, with those perfect people. Which one day that will be, but here and now we are in a war, we are on a quest, His quest to rule in love, conquering over evil.

That day He was telling me I have you in a great place to do a greater work for Me. Would you serve Me as you committed to do? Will you love this person, those persons in your life instead of escape (for yourself) leaving that person, those who don’t know any better —stranded? Will you go after those lost sheep with Me?

Will you just keep following Me, because if you follow me then that person, those persons in your life will see life, Me in you —and they will follow you.

I see that happening in my life now. Those who I thought were lost with no hope, because I stayed with it are imitating me. I feel so honored that God would use me. I am so happy and excited that I stayed with it. I feel as though I am a part of what God is doing. Doing those greater works, living a life that matters rather than just living my life for me.

When it didn’t feel like anything was happening God empowered, He encourage me to keep following Him. Now I can see the fruit. Me growing up to be like my Dad and those following me have met Him and some are just about ready to meet Him.

God is so good, He is so faithful. He has a plan that will not only perfect you, change you to be like Him, but a plan to bless you beyond even the blessing of being like Him. And of course He has a plan through you to save those who follow you!

May I encourage you today to Follow The Leader!