Just a thought….. March 28, 2008

I THANK YOU, LORDJust this once, Lord,
I want to come to You without problems,
Without asking for anything,
without telling you how to run my day,
Just simply to say: Thank You!
For Your forgiveness when we fall…
For the sheer joy of sleep when I’m terribly tired…
For the silent strength of humility when pride over takes me…
For the justice of Your laws when men are cruel…
For the remedies for sickness when I am ill…
For the simplicity of orderliness when I face confusion…
For the assurance that You have made a place especially for me when I feel inadequate among my peers…
For the joy of helping others when I see people in need…
For the earthly evidences of Your Will when I’m trying to find out what life is all about…
For the reality of Your world when I stray too far into fantasy…
For the rightness of reasonableness
when I panic too quickly…
For the fun that refreshes
when everything gets too serious…
For the renewal in moments of silence when
I’m dizzy from being busy in a hectic world…
Thank You, Lord for all these things.
But most of all, Thank You for Your Abiding Presence
that makes every day I live, a day of thanks.
I THANK YOU LORD.
AMEN

Our healing comes when we behold how He loves us.” - Francis Frangipane March 25, 2008

Our capacity to actually dwell in Christ’s presence is based upon knowing the true nature of God. If we see Him as a loving Father, we will draw near; if He seems to be a harsh judge, we will withdraw. Indeed, everything that defines us is influenced by our perception of God.If we do not believe God cares about us, we will be overly focused on caring for ourselves. If we feel insignificant or ignored by God, we will exhaust ourselves by seeking significance from men. However, once we realize that God truly loves us, that He desires we draw near to Him, a door opens before us into His presence. Here, in the shelter of the Most High, we can find rest and renewed power for our souls.God’s love is not a reality distant from our needs. The Bible reveals that the Lord is touched with the feeling of our infirmities (Hebrews 4:15). He feels the pain of what we experience on earth. He participates in the life we live, for “in Him we live, and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). He is not removed from our need; we are His Body. He is one with us.The truth is, we are not alone in our battles. However, if we believe we are alone–if we accept the lie that God does not care–our darkened thinking will isolate us from the loving commitment of God.Beloved, even in our times of rebellion, the heart of God is not far. Consider the Lord’s relationship with Israel. Though Israel had sinned and was suffering oppressive consequences, the Lord wasn’t far. We read that when the Lord could bear the misery of Israel no longer (Judges 10:16), He raised up deliverers. God wasn’t distant; He was with them, actually bearing their very misery!At Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus wept. Jesus knew He was going to raise Lazarus; He knew it six days before He called Lazarus back from death. He wept because they were weeping.Do you know that the Spirit of God actually feels our heartache? He is with us in our conflicts and near us in our fears. At the tomb of Lazarus, some would suggest that Christ’s weeping was really over the unbelief of His disciples. I think not. When the Lord wept over Lazarus, those who saw Christ saw a man touched by the sorrows of others. They remarked, “Behold how He loved him!” (John 11:36).Our healing comes when we behold how He loves us. We are raised from the dead when He comes to our tomb and calls us by name out of death.We must personalize God’s love. He gave His Son for my sins, His word for my guidance, and His Spirit for my strength. If the Almighty is for me, who can be against me?Dear friend, with wide-eyed wonder, let us behold how He loves us, and be healed of our isolation.

Intimacy is the key to unlock the Harvest - by Catherine Brown March 19, 2008

We are called as apostolic ambassadors to carry His heart of love to the nations so that the nations may experience the love of His heart.““I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! For they are ripe for harvest.” John 4:35b

In a recent vision I received, some people approached the Lord and reached out to touch the hem of Jesus, in much the same way as the sick woman who had bled for twelve years (Mark 5:25). It struck me how these dear ones were so heavily burdened and how much the Lord wanted to heal them with just one look of love from His eyes. Have you ever been in that place of being bent over and reaching out in desperation to the Lord for help? It is so important to know He is always willing and always able to lift up our heads and flood our beings with His healing power. As if in affirmation, the Lord spoke in the vision, “See My hands, see My face.” As more people approached the Lord, they held onto His hands, but nonetheless, they seemed unable to look into His loving face. So often, we read how Jesus took others by the hand and healed them. His look of love shattered chains of sickness, bondage and oppression from sin and compelled even the dead to respond with resurrection life. As I pondered how our hands are used for works, the Lord said, “All fruitfulness flows from holy intimacy with Me.”We are healed for harvest, and each one of God’s children has a testimony to the Risen Christ that will bless others as it is shared. The Lord Jesus desires for us to have a worship mindset that embraces holy works. From this place of relational security, the Holy Spirit will produce His witness to Christ through us. If we try to approach the harvest from any other perspective than His love, we are in danger of running on empty. Intimacy with God is everything, and without this, we have nothing of any worth to offer to the world. We cannot hope to be Jesus’ hands if we have never seen His face, and yet we cannot see His face unless we receive His pierced hands. In this, we find the paradox of grace. Seeing the Cross is about first believing, and in believing, we perceive and see Him more clearly. In gazing upon the loveliness of Christ, we are blessed to receive the Father. Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen Me, has seen the Father” (John 14:9b). 

“Chaotic Randomness of Pure Experience–Revelation Comes Upon Us with the Chaos of Life” - Kim Clement March 17, 2008

I was recently being interviewed on a national television show and was asked the question,   “Why would we need prophets to speak to us today?” My answer was simple and to the point. As Christians, we are to be “fed and led” to become His voice–fed by the Word and led by the Spirit, because unless the Spirit alights (settles) on the Word, there is no voice. Let me tell you why I believe this. There are many lazy people in the Church and, for them, the easiest way to hear God is to be fed by someone who is “close” to God. Psychics are extremely popular in the world because people don’t know how to hear for themselves, and so they hope the psychics will deliver a message about their present state or their future. Unfortunately, this mindset has crept into the Church and, actually, the prophet has been demoted to a spiritual psychic. The fact is, the only reason that it is important that you hear God speaking to you is so that you can become a voice yourself–an expression, NOT an opinion. Don’t be hasty to speak on God’s behalf, for there is always time to utter a word but never time to take it back. Secrecy has the feel of divinity. There are times when silence is deafening and speaks more than a thousand words. We often waste time giving words and truth to the ignorant. Even our Lord taught us that there were times to share parables with the masses, and then there were times to share deeper truths with the few that had an ear to hear. Luis de Gongora, Spain’s great Baroque poet, defended his “Solitudes” with these words: “It has been a matter of honor to me to make myself obscure to the ignorant, for that is what distinguishes the learned; to speak in a style that seems Greek to the ignorant, for precious pearls should not be cast before swine. “How many times have I been asked,  “So what is God telling you about me?” and I’ve answered, “I don’t know, but I know what He’s telling me about me.”  The Word, as we know, is Jesus Christ. John the Baptist was doing his work as a prophet and, while baptizing many, Jesus approached him and told him that it was time for him to baptize Jesus. When John baptized Jesus (the Word), the Spirit lightened upon Him like a dove, and once this happened there was a Voice that came from Heaven that they heard clearly. This gives us a clear lesson about God’s expression under the reign of Christ. The only way that you can be fed and then led is to feed on God’s Word. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” It doesn’t say “proceeded,” but “proceeds,” which is ongoing or present.

The Three Steps of Truth:

Having the Word in you is not enough. Only when the Spirit lightened upon the Word (Christ), did the Voice come from Heaven. The Spirit has to connect with the Word inside of you in order to become a voice, and depending on how much of the Word you have inside of you determines the depth of expression. Let’s talk about truth. The Bible states, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” Truth requires three steps:

1. Revelation
2. Illumination
3. Inspiration

Revelation is the discovery of the truth. Illumination is the understanding of the discovered truth. Inspiration is the communication of the discovered, understood truth. These three steps have to connect; otherwise, you will have a voice that utters truth without understanding or truth without inspiration. Truth, without Spirit, is “Truth in the Tomb” The Bible also says, “Your Word is truth.” When God gives you truth, it is impossible to communicate the truth without having illumination, which is what the Spirit does with the Word that is inside of you. The discovery of truth is such an exciting experience and yet, for some, it is literally soul-destroying because it usually does not fit into their staple diet and daily routine. Revelation comes upon us with the chaos of life itself, reproducing the chaotic randomness of pure experience. It is unpredictable and will cause chaos in your regular, stagnant life. In the Spirit world, it is our enemy who watches us to trip us up, and the only way that he can do this is if we lack truth and understanding. Knowledge is power, but it is not attained through the senses. It is only attained by the Spirit. Remember these words from an old teacher: “It is easy to kill a bird in a straight line, but not the one that changes its line of flight.” The discovery of truth will change your line of flight a few times and completely stump your adversary who is seeking whom he may devour. Becoming the Voice of God requires that you consume the Word. What does this mean? Many people think that reading the Bible is adequate and that nothing else is required. While there may be some truth to this, I want to take you to John 4 where Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well drawing water. During the course of their conversation, she starts making a statement that places a question about territories. She says in verses 20: “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” In verses 21-24, Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father…but the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth…God is Spirit.”What I understand about this is that there are two dimensions of communication with God that ought to be applied to the issue of being “fed” by the Word: Truth and spirit. Truth without spirit is truth in “the tomb.” Truth with spirit is truth in “the womb.” Truth in the tomb is still truth, but it is buried, established and dead. It is historical truth. It can be resurrected, but then it still takes Spirit to resurrect it. Truth in the womb is creative truth, and at the right time will be born and will breathe and grow. So to become the voice of God, you should read the Word, indeed, but God is also a Spirit and will also speak to you. This is commonly known as “rhema,” the spoken word. Following Jesus means you are going to have to HEAR HIS VOICE from HEAVEN, not ONLY FROM PAGES.A Voice on Earth to Agree with the Voice in HeavenHere is something very interesting. In Hebrews 1:1-3 it says, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things…and upholding all things by the word of His power…”Acts 9:3-19 says that Saul of Tarsus was traveling to Damascus and was struck and blinded by the light, and he heard the voice of Jesus speaking to him directly. Saul calls Him “Lord” and then Jesus instructs him to go into the city to a certain house on Straight Street, to await further instruction. Why didn’t Jesus just tell Saul everything at that point? Why did He withhold certain information about his future? Instead, Jesus seeks out a man by the name of Ananias and instructs him to go to Straight Street, where Saul is, and deliver a word to him. Jesus will speak truth from Heaven and from the Earth; from the Spirit and through the flesh. Read this to understand a little further: “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from Heaven… Therefore, since we are receiving a Kingdom, which cannot be shaken, let us have grace…” Hebrews 12:25-28When Jesus spoke to Saul on the road, He spoke to him from Heaven, but when Ananias spoke to Saul, it was from the Earth. Hebrews simply says that we are “receiving” a Kingdom, which cannot be shaken. Saul of Tarsus was receiving the Kingdom, as the appointed heir of all things spoken to him, and established it on earth by speaking to him through one of his joint-heirs–Ananias.You have the power to become the voice of God. What you need to understand is that long before Ananias spoke to Saul in the House of Judas on Straight Street, Jesus had already spoken it from Heaven. Someone on the Earth has to have a voice to AGREE with the VOICE IN HEAVEN. I want it to be you.I am a firm believer that God blesses obedience before sacrifice. The prophet Samuel told King Saul that “to obey is greater than to sacrifice.” This tells me that obedience is the key to everything we do in our walk with God. Over the years, I have discovered that when you obey God and it requires a sacrifice AS WELL, that you receive a double blessing–one for obedience and another for sacrifice. We have been told by God that this year is a season of unique and unusual miracles, and I firmly believe it. Do something unusual so that God can do something unusual for you. In your giving, allow God to speak to you–and obey Him–even if what He told you to do seems challenging, because if you obey Him and act, so will He!I anticipate something beautiful and wonderful to happen to you!

Kim Clement
Prophetic Image Expressions   

“DARKEST BEFORE DAWN” - Ching Co March 12, 2008

 ”Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.” Matthew 2:16

In the days succeeding Jesus’ birth, King Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the magi. He was furious and gave orders to kill all the boys who were two years old and under in Bethlehem and its vicinity, with the intention of stopping Jesus’ destiny from being fulfilled. So the same is happening today. Satan, sensing that God is planning out something GREAT AND AWESOME, is bent on stopping the realization of this great event. Just like Herod, he is on a rampage and is now unleashing his blind rage against God’s people. Our Heavenly Father is reminding us today NOT TO FOCUS ON WHAT IS SEEN. There is a great spiritual Heavenly battle going on and we who are God’s warriors and watchmen are in the forefront of this battle. Just like during the times of Job, there is a greater drama unfolding in the Heavenly realm and just as God allowed Job to be tested, so we, His children, have been tested in the same measure. 

 God’s children may experience different spheres of attacks and we may be affected on different levels and in different manners. Some who used to be active in ministry, but because of various circumstances happening in your midst (change of job, physical ailments, family troubles, financial difficulties), may find themselves having to stop doing what they love most, and at times will find themselves holding an empty bag, so to speak. Others may experience great emotional attack. In the past, you have been moving in such strong anointing and now you may feel empty, detached, uncertain, and wonder if something is wrong with you and wonder if God has removed His protection from over your life. What His children will experience will parallel what Job had experienced in his time. The area of attack and the intensity of the attack will be such that outwardly, it will appear to be very devastating to the affected ones.

This Is Not the End! Our Heavenly Father is reminding us today that this is not the end. In fact, compared to the degree of suffering that we have been facing today, the blessing that He is preparing for us is FAR GREATER IN MAGNITUDE AND INTENSITY. This is the reason why the enemy is panicking and unleashing his wrath in such manner and intensity as well.

Beware Of the Spirit of Condemnation This is the season to fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is faithful and He will not allow us to be tested beyond what we can bear. We must be careful not to pass judgment and to not make conclusions based on outward appearances. Things will not be as they seem. Those suffering the most today are not “deserted children,” but are the “favored beloved” of the Most High. For truly to whom much is given, much too will be required. And as people of God, when we see others suffering greatly, we are to ask for great wisdom and discernment on how to comfort each other. We must be aware of the enemy’s tactics this season–he will be TWISTING the meaning of much of what we hear and see from one another. Those believers who are experiencing the fullness of God’s blessings in this season must be extra careful with their words, as most times instead of bringing comfort to the suffering ones, it can cause them to feel more insecure, unsure, and even depressed, especially when hearing the words, “You need to have more faith,” or “Just believe, etc. ” We must be careful not to act like Job’s friends. Their well-meaning exhortation of “the causes of Job’s difficulties” were useless then in ministering to Job.

My dear friend, take heart for your labour is not in vain. The Father sees all and He is not a respecter of man and will reward you according to His riches and glory!

Have a blessed day.

In His love.

T

Betrayal. March 7, 2008

We all at some stage of our life, feel betrayed, very often by those we love and trust. As I read the article below the other day, I was again, for a fleeting moment, reminded of the pain of betrayal in my life….molestation as a young child, the very core of my youth ripped away by a relative, the general betrayal of relationships in life, gang raped by a ‘boyfriend’ and his two friends and later the ulimate betrayal, to be left by the father of one’s child! The pain cuts through one’s very being leaving no nerve and cell untouched! You think that you will never recover from this ache in your body and heart that has been shackled to you for years..As an unmarried mother, living in a time where people turn away from you and even those in the church snub you, you consider all kinds of alternatives to the situation. Your heart screaming in pain as you fight the battle between your love for this unborn child and the the fear of people. God is His great love and mercy is faithful even when you are unfaithful. He covers you with His hand and remembers the covenant He made with you and your seed! Truly, we serve an amazing God and the betrayal in my life has not overcome me, but by His grace and love has made me an overcomer and the mother of a wonderful young man who serves the Lord -

Remember, God will never leave you nor forsake you!!

In His love

Theresa

“God’s Hidden Purpose in Betrayal is for Victory on Both Sides” by Garris Elkins March 6, 2008

“Embedded somewhere, in each act of betrayal, is the purpose of God waiting to be discovered.”

As you read the following list of names, what would they have in common: Benedict Arnold, Alger Hiss, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg and Judas Iscariot. They were all traitors or betrayers. The words “betray” and “traitor” each come from the same Latin word. This word means to “lead someone to their enemy by treachery.” A traitor is someone who betrays a trust. One of the most graphic betrayals in human history took place during the Last Supper. Judas betrayed Jesus in the midst of a very intimate setting. If you are familiar with the section of Scripture, you know that Jesus is taking time with His disciples to give them His last instructions before His arrest and crucifixion. Luke’s account of the Last Supper reveals just how deep this betrayal was when Luke describes the betrayer as “one who sits among us as a friend.” Betrayal hurts because it takes us by surprise. The Last Supper was an intimate and safe environment. We don’t expect betrayal to happen in that context. In John 13 the disciples asked, “Who’s He talking about?” in reference to the identity of the betrayer. It didn’t make sense to the disciples that a betrayer was in their midst. Long-term relationships are places where we assume we will experience intimacy and safety. In these relationships we can let our guard down and be ourselves. This is why it is so painful and difficult to recover from this kind of betrayal. One of the deepest wounds of betrayal is that many times it takes us by surprise. Even when it is happening we are not sure we understand fully what is taking place. The disciples didn’t understand either. In Matthew’s account of the Lord’s betrayal the disciples asked as a group, “Is it me?” Even Judas asked this question fully knowing that he was the betrayer. Judas was a deceiver. He was so good in this role that he would steal from the ministry fund and no one had a clue. Judas was the one who criticized Mary for pouring the anointing oil on Jesus. He had plans for that valuable oil. Judas did not become a full-blown betrayer in a single day. He got to that place by living a life of step-by-step and day-by-day compromise. Betrayal can come in many forms. It can be a spouse who betrays a marriage bed. It can be an employee who steals company funds that were entrusted to him. It can happen to a child who is abused by someone who should have protected them. It can be a friend who betrays a confidence and shares a secret. In order to deal with betrayal we have to understand one important truth — embedded somewhere, in each act of betrayal, is the purpose of God waiting to be discovered. Without the hope of this discovery, we will be devastated by the betrayal and stop living and engaging life as God intended. God is never taken by surprise with betrayal. His plan for our lives and ministries is never derailed by betrayal. God’s plan for our lives only becomes derailed when we let the effects of betrayal rule and reign in our lives. The Betrayer and the Betrayed There are two groups of people who are affected by betrayal–the betrayer and the betrayed. If you are the betrayer, you need to know that the sin of betrayal plans to take you somewhere. For Judas, John 13:30 tells us that betrayal took him “out into the night.” Betrayal will reposition you into a dark place. The only way back into a lighted place is through confession and repentance. Confession is agreeing with God that something is sin and repentance is that shift in our thinking that produces a new direction for our life. If you have betrayed someone and have truly repented, the moment you confessed your sin to God, you were taken out of that dark place and put back into the light. It may not feel like it though. In the natural you may have to live with the label of betrayer the rest of your life in certain circles of fellowship, but to God you have been relabeled and repositioned. Restored betrayers need to listen to God more than the words of those they have wronged. The pain of betrayal can shout loud and hurtful things at a restored betrayer. Words that flow out of hurt and sorrow are not what define us–only God defines us. For the victims of betrayal, the spirit of vengeance that wants to attach itself to you will try to lure you into the betrayer’s dark place. For the victims of betrayal there is a strong desire to see the betrayer punished. Vengeance wants a piece of someone. Hell wants to help you tailor a plan to punish your betrayer. Darkness wants to lure you into the hardness of heart where an unwillingness to forgive exists. You don’t have to go there. The choice is yours to make. What can you as a victim of betrayal do? You can bring that betrayal to Jesus and give it to Him. Let Him own it. Tell Him how much it hurts. He knows the pain of betrayal. Confess your plans of vengeance, punishment and separation. You are the only one who can make the choice about which direction your life will take. Will you follow the pain of betrayal into a dark place or will you follow the Spirit’s leading into the light of God’s mercy and grace? Betrayal will lead you somewhere. The choice is yours. The victory over betrayal is found in the response of the betrayed. Surviving Betrayal with Praise In one season of our ministry, my wife Jan and I had been terribly wronged by another believer. I remember the night we got the phone call telling us what this person was doing and saying about us publicly. We were hundreds of miles away. We felt helpless. We had entrusted this person with the lives of people we dearly loved. The words of betrayal wounded us deeply. I remember hanging up the phone that night and taking Jan by the hand and saying, “We need to pray.” We got down on our knees and began to tell God all the pain we felt in that moment. It felt like our lives were caving in on us. It felt like someone had impaled us with a poisoned spear. Our guts ached. In one of those moments of supernatural impartation God gave us one of the greatest spiritual survival gifts we had ever received. He gave us the gift of praise and blessing in the face of betrayal. As we continued to pray, our prayers shifted into praise. We began to praise God for who He is. We thanked Him for this opportunity to trust Him in our helplessness. We thanked Jesus for this hurtful moment because it was taking us deeper into our dependence on Him. Then we began to bless our betrayer. Over the next few months more phone calls would come from confused saints about how this person continued to say horrible things about our lives and ministry. Every time we thought of our betrayer we made the choice to bless instead of curse. This went on for eight years! I remember the night we were invited over to our betrayer’s home for dinner and, after eight years, he asked for our forgiveness. With great joy I was able to look him in the eye and tell him that we forgave him eight years ago and had spent the last eight years blessing him. How we choose to respond to the pain of betrayal will determine the direction our lives and ministries will take. Betrayal can be a beginning or it can be an end. There are many gifted and called saints who have been betrayed, but are now lying in the enemy’s gutter of bitterness and it is breaking the Father’s heart. God is calling both the betrayers and the betrayed out of the dark places where the pain and sorrow of betrayal has led them. He is calling people out with His voice of hope and restoration. If you have suffered through a place of betrayal, now is the time to begin to follow His voice. In the end, you will experience the same resurrection power and new life that followed the Lord in His betrayal. Remember: Embedded somewhere, in each act of betrayal, is the purpose of God waiting to be discovered.