There is beauty unspeakable in your act of surrender. There is refreshing because of your yielding. There is gold to be discovered on the other side of your unknowing. There is favor to be poured in exchange for your sacrifice.
Jesus. He is leading, will you follow?
The Father delights in those who surrender their lives, for they look most like His Son as they offer up their will in exchange for His. In the garden Jesus bled, “Not my will but Yours be done”. A costly dowry later paid, and we now generously reap the unstained blood sown into the earth that untangled humanity’s defeat and former nature. Likewise a garden we now have within, it’s ground holds the Savior’s same life giving blood and when tilled, it is filled with choicest fruits and wine. Death has no sting in this garden. Grave has no power. Sin holds no man captive. Sealed with love and kisses of promise are those who gladly yield their life’s harvest. These are the mature sons and daughters manifesting Heaven’s realm into the earth; they are empowered to revive the earth with hope, water her desolate places, and bring the dead to life.
There is no thing the Lord can not do through a surrendered life; no good thing is withheld for it is how Christ is most glorified in you.
“Your favor will fall like rain upon our surrendered lives, like showers reviving the earth.” Psalms 72:6 TPT
I decree and declare your eyes will see beyond the veil today! May this day be marked with new clarity; with spiritual eyes fully seeing, your mind fully alert and aware, your heart fully awakened with hope – no more despair. The Lord is calling to you, “Come up here” and breathe where the air is clear!
Last evening with not many words left to utter I laid on the grass looking up into the sky through the Crape Myrtle tree (pictured). Pondering wild faith and long suffering, have I done all I know to do? Have I yielded? And then after having done all you know to do – contend and stand and believe … oh it made me tired just pressuring myself. Spent, I laid back into the grass and gazed upward. It’s ok to not have the answers and it’s ok to not understand. But it’s not ok to have doubt and unbelief in my heart, and this is the great wrestle as I want no part of the later. Earlier in the morning I was re-reading out of Hebrews 11, 12 to strengthen my soul in my weakness, “faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses”, and then dialoguing with Lord ‘How do I obtain this type of faith written about of hero’s of old?’. The Bible writes that out of reverence Noah built the ark unto the Lord. Just thinking of his example leaves me speechless.
Physical realities were defied early on for me. I visited heaven before my brother and sister passed away, and I also dreamt of heaven often. I spent time with Jesus, and even after the accident at just newly five years old I had my first out of body encounter with Jesus in the sky. I carried a lot of faith, I even believed years after my siblings passings that they could be raised from the dead. I would say (assuredly) until more recently that I carry the gift of faith. I remind the Lord often what I believe He has spoken to me, the type of person that will hold on until the very end!
Understanding warfare and the Spirit realm is not new to me. I am not an expert, but I have operated in a Seer anointing (see, know and feel) since I can remember. For example, I cried through weddings as a young child because I was grieved, I knew it was not right, and the consequence of those unions I would later experience and see was detrimental, so much so that just weeks after one of the marriages I witnessed the man try to kill his wife and I had to get help. Another example is the night of the accident we made a stop at a home and when I walked through the door I felt a thick blanket of evil (I was not even 5 years old), within minutes of leaving the fatal car accident occurred. Years and years of experiencing the Lord and the spirit realm like this, and yet recently I question myself like never before. I question my ability to hear rightly, to discern, to apply, to steward, and my love for God. Many in the Body of Christ, including seasoned leaders and prophets are experiencing this type of mental warfare as well.
The Body has been assaulted, pushed, pruned, and tested like never before. The mental pressure coming against me recently felt like it was going to break me. Just when you think the air is clear, it’s suddenly muddy and confusing again – another reason we are to bear one another’s burdens and cover each other in prayer. Jesus sent His disciples out two by two, as there is power in agreement and that same power we need now more than ever to make it in this last hour. While there is warfare coming from our adversary, most of (if not all) the pruning and testing is from the Lord! You may be thinking it’s cruel, as I for one recently said to the Lord through hot tears, “why must You test me so harshly?”. I mean for real though, are most of our lives on the line? What feels harsh really isn’t in the scheme of things, though no doubt it may be painful. You may have heard me express some of this over the last nearly two years, though I believe some of the reasons we have been in a long season of intense testing are: 1. “If you don’t make it now, you will not make it later” We are building stamina. 2. In general we have been ‘asleep’ for a very long time, our muscles and movements need to be strengthened within the Body as a whole as we regain power and come back into the awareness of our true identity in Christ. Think endurance and strength training. Our minds are being sharpened as we go deeper into the foundation of the Word of God. 3. The mental warfare is so strong because the Lord is trying to sync us with His systems, and rid us of the patterns of the world. This is a transformation of the mind, which is sometimes the most difficult but the most essential. 4. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken as we are inheriting an unshakable Kingdom, therefore we must also be unshakable! 5. The Lord is returning for a pure and spotless Bride who has made herself ready, she is mature. Mature people bear fruit, and good fruit can only be present when the branches have been pruned. Mature sons and daughters yield to pruning and testing because they trust their Maker’s touch, and know it connects them more closely to His heart. 6. The Lord is preparing us for rulership and authority to inherit nations with Him. 7. Purification is for the glory of our King, that we may become the transformed. And if you endure until the end you will receive a victor’s crown!
It was August 27, 2020 I heard in the Spirit the word, “forbearance”. One of the definitions of forbearance is the exercise of patience; long suffering. More than any other Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5, I believe we need the fruit of patience as we ready ourselves for the return of the Lord. Most people have not endured the wait for this fruit to be developed, however 1 Corinthians 13 writes that love (which also happens to be the first listed fruit of the spirit) suffers long, is patient and kind. Another version writes that love endures with patience and serenity. You see, it’s one thing to be able to carry something for a period of time, but the longer we have been trained to carry the further the distance we can go through the endurance built. From a larger perspective as those called to be carriers of God’s presence we have been training for the fulfillment of the Habakuk 2:14 scripture, “But [the time is coming when] the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” One of the definitions of glory in the Bible is described as weight, the weighty presence of God. Some have misunderstood this season of long suffering as crushing for punishment, but it is crushing for endurance, for oil, for wheat, and new wine. I was reminded of an encounter I had near that time when I heard “forbearance” in 2020, my arms became arms of bronze and my fingers like flames of fire. I was going through such heated testing and training in the summer of 2020 that I had manifestations where my arms from my elbows down were completely red and my face as well, and later started experiencing encounters marked feeling heavy weight over me while sleeping, and in my arms and legs. While the lessons in the testings have shifted, they have not totally dissipated. “Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.” James 1: 2-4 AMP. When I was in my 20’s I had a dream that I gave birth to a toddler. In the dream I named him, and I know by the meaning of the boy’s name what this represents. It is a promise that has yet to come to pass, one of the main reasons for my long suffering and need of endurance, however if we assume how can a woman birth a toddler lest it kill her? Exactly, the Lord is strengthening us to carry His glory, but also to birth His divine will and plans that are bigger than us into the earth realm. We can agree that it is physically impossible for a woman to birth a toddler, which is why we must come into agreement with the Spirit. What the Lord is doing is supernatural, it is not by force or by strength, not by might or by power, but by His Spirit! (Zechariah 4:6).
I’ve often said to myself over this last year, “if you can get through this, you can get through anything”. Giving up on MY ability, last evening while looking through the Crape Myrtle tree I thought how vibrant the flowers were, yet it didn’t seem very appropriate for the autumn season. I asked my friend what type of tree it was, and then looked up characteristics, “The colorful, long-lasting blossoms of crape myrtle make it a showpiece in classic Southern gardens. But it is not a particularly delicate plant and it can thrive in conditions that would be a challenge for other plants.” While I may argue that I am more inwardly delicate than not (insert smile), I agree this is a prophetic picture of beauty in the long suffering; I see a parallel in long-lasting vibrant blossoms and long suffering. Rest in the yielding. An ability to thrive in challenging conditions. You are being made strong, rooted, and destined to overcome. Take a breath, look up, receive grace and mercy.
“Therefore the Lord waits [expectantly] and longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed (happy, fortunate) are all those who long for and wait for Him [since He will never fail them].” Isaiah 30:18 AMP
“For this reason the Lord is still waiting to show his favor to you so he can show you his marvelous love. He waits to be gracious to you. He sits on his throne ready to show mercy to you. For Yahweh is the Lord of justice, faithful to keep his promises. Overwhelmed with bliss are all who will entwine their hearts in him, waiting for him to help them.” Isaiah 30:18 TPT
Today was one of those days I shed a lot of tears. And as much as I love writing, I don’t even think it’s in me to poetically state what the Lord just did! Our adjectives do not suffice to describe Him no matter how eloquent the writer in any regard. So simply said, yet no less powerful; He is Love and He is good.
We know He is faithful and true, yet when we are tested and still contending for a promise with no answer or ‘rain cloud’ in sight, when you desperately need the ‘Red Sea to part’, this is where the great war continues within; aligning allegiance of the soul (mind, will, and emotions) unto all that the Spirit has spoken. Spent from my own wrestle, I ended one of my prayers this evening postrate on my bed uttering aloud, “I know You hear me… but Lord could You please just give me a sign You are listening ?!?”. I then heard clearly “go outside and look in the back of your car”.
Too emotionally tired to put “two and two together”, almost forgetting what I just prayed, I simply went out to the car and started looking around in the backseat. I didn’t find any ‘treasures’, so I asked the Lord why He had me come out there. But He knows me, and knows I’ll keep on looking… so I opened the trunk and was going through some of my things when a gold chain that was out of place caught my eye. I pulled it out and to my surprise it was a favorite necklace that has been missing for over a year! It’s actually the second time this necklace has gone missing, and the time prior the Lord gave me a dream about where it was though I had looked in that same place before (it had fallen out of the jewelry bag). Though I am elated to have it again, more joy than the restoration of the necklace is the meaning of what is inscribed on it, ‘LOVE’.
When I am listened to, I feel love. And so the One who knows my love languages best, speaks to me in such a way that my heart can be revived. And I am in love with Him, even when I don’t understand, even when I don’t have the answers. He is good. He is faithful, He is true. Love will always sustain us. Our spirit knows, but we must remind our soul He is the God who hears.
“The Lord your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.”” Zephaniah 3:17
I heard in the Spirit ‘the Lord is stirring the waters’, and was led to John 5:4, “For an angel of God would periodically descend into the pool to stir the waters, and the first one who stepped into the pool after the waters swirled would instantly be healed.” We are familiar with this pool as ‘the pool of Bethesda’, though in Aramaic it means ‘The House of Loving Kindness’.
I asked the Lord what He was wanting to say, and I heard this is a time of quick obedience and quick response to His presence (angels always bring with them the Kingdom of Heaven and Presence of God). God is Love, and we also need to honor His loving kindness toward us.
Now in verses 5-9 we see a miracle take place with a man sitting by the pool who had been cripppled for 38 years. He complained he had no one to lower him into the waters, but Jesus simply responded to him, “Stand up! Pick up your sleeping mat and you will walk!”. What happens next is key, this is the crippled man’s response to the presence and voice of the Lord “IMMEDIATELY he stood up – he was healed! So he rolled up his mat and walked again!” vs 9.
Think on the connectivity of these words and the domino effect that transpired: “First one” ; “instant healing”; “immediately he stood”.
Your healing – whether spirit, soul, body or circumstance is connected to honoring the Lord’s presence quickly. This is not a time to ponder, figure it out, or delay! Lean not to your understanding but step into His loving, powerful presence that makes you whole!
Today is the first day of the Hebrew month Elul. The four Hebrew letters of the month’s name are an acronym from the verse in Song of Solomon 6:3. “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.”
Elul is also known as a time when “The King is in the field”, meaning this is a special season He is closer to you in proximity, a period of divine closeness and connection.
I pray your heart is awakened to recognize the King; that you would fully embrace Him and grow deeper in your relationship. May your Oneness with the Lord increase in this month of Elul as you draw closer to Him. I encourage you to return to your first love, go away with Him in the field, see Him face to face. He’s looking forward to His encounter with you!
Modern culture has taught us that popularity equals success, when in fact an obedient heart is the measure of success in the Kingdom of Heaven. So many are still fooled by this notion as it has become engraved in our minds as truth. Unfortunately it leaves most with some measure of emptiness as they are double minded desiring the blessing of God while still trying to please the world. Unstable.
James writes that a double-minded man is unstable in all ways (James 1:8). In this place of instability you are more vulnerable to attack from the adversary. Babylon is translated as ‘confusion’. When we desire to please both the world (Babylon) and God it creates confusion because no servant can have two masters. In your desire for more of the Lord, ask Him to renew your mind in this area. Are you desiring Him, Babylon, or both?
The Lord impressed upon my heart to share the tremendous value of oil and trial. He said many in the global Church may not see or understand the value of it yet, though soon will be very thankful for this opportunity and season of reconsecration. In the Spirit I felt a weight on the word value. This season has been misunderstood by many as one of unnecessary trial, though it has actually been one of great value and Mercy. As I was writing this out with the Lord, I heard in the Spirit the word, “apprehend”. Apprehend is defined in the Oxford dictionary as 1) arrest (someone) for a crime 2) understand and perceive, anticipate. The origin is late Middle English, originally in the sense ‘grasp hold of (physically or mentally)’. I believe the Lord is saying He desires to arrest incorrect thinking with an invitation to grasp hold of His mind on the matter.
The Church has been in a prefix storyline of the Matthew 25 parable, The Ten Virgins. Those who were unwise are being made wise. Eyes that could not once see, have vision. What was once dark is now illuminated. Many have not understood the trial and pressing, though the hand of the Lord has allowed it as He knew the Church positionally did not have enough oil. In His mercy He has allowed the pressing because the olive fruit must be crushed and pressed to obtain the oil. We need the extra oil for the journey as it is in the darkest time of night, at midnight, before the Bridegroom appears and this extra oil is essential to see as He leads us to the door of the wedding feast. In this parable the wise virgins trimmed their wicks and had extra oil (in flasks or vessels). Symbolically the Lord has been cutting away from our wicks, removing that which would hinder us from shining brightly that we may know, hear and see Him rightly in this dark hour. Through the crushing we have paid the price and bought oil, and will be prepared to make the journey in the dark night.
There is a global call in the Spirit to awake and meet the Bridegroom, “Now while the bridegroom was delayed, they all began to nod off, and they fell asleep. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! The bridegroom [is coming]! Go out to meet him.’” Matthew 25:5-6 AMP. The Greek noun for meet here means to ‘have a meeting with’ or ‘encounter’. The golden lampstand was in the Tent of Meeting, in the Holy Place – the entrance way to the Holy of Holies or place of encounter and gave light to the entire tent. We are New Testament priests through Christ the Messiah our High Priest and in the order Melchizedek. In the Old Testament it was Aaron who was a representation of the consecrated Levitical priestly line who was instructed to keep the lamps burning CONTINUALLY, and so shall it be unto us as we now have the honor to carry out this priestly order. The Lord once again is removing veils that separate us from encountering Him in the Most Holy Place. “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the children of Israel to bring to you clear oil from beaten olives for the light [of the golden lampstand], to make a lamp burn continually. Outside the veil of the Testimony [between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place] in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron shall always keep the lamps burning before the Lord from evening until morning; it shall be a permanent statute throughout your generations. He shall keep the lamps burning on the pure gold lampstand before the Lord continually.” Leviticus 24:1-4 AMP.
The vessels containing extra oil in Matthew 25 are described in the Greek as having a bend, meaning a container that can be filled. Where is the infilling of oil? The Holy Spirit supernaturally fills and refills these vessels with oil. Money cannot purchase this oil, for it is bought with the reward of pressing and suffering, the reward of abiding and intimacy with the Son, the reward of dying to self; all rewards of spiritual wealth are contained here for the price for buying oil is costly as it is the first fruit offerings from your very life.
In His goodness, the Lord has ‘bought us’ time with Him in this last season; the olive is a fruit and to bear fruit we must abide and remain in Him. ““ I am the true Vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He [repeatedly] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit [even richer and finer fruit]. You are already clean because of the word which I have given you [the teachings which I have discussed with you]. Remain in Me, and I [will remain] in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the vine, neither can you [bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith] unless you remain in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.” John 15:1-5 AMP. Abiding and remaining in Him is a personal choice. Consecration is a choice. Bearing fruit is for all, though some have good fruit while others have bad fruit.
Your daily decisions have never mattered more, as the weight of eternity hinges on them. It is a narrow road to the door, and few find it…
There is still time. Do not despise this pruning but yield to the Spirit as the Lord desires to prepare you for your most glorious and shining hour!
You are the Father’s special treasure, you are as valuable to Him as the Son. You are readily accepted by the Father through the Son and seen through Christ’s preciousness. What a humble position, rightful heirs through childlike faith. “But you are God’s chosen treasure – priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones.” 1 Peter 2:9 TPT
As sons and daughters we are His possession. This word in the Hebrew means “special treasure”, and is used to describe “guarded wealth”.
Arise now in the strength and confidence of Christ who lives in you. It’s a beautiful time to rule and reign with Him! “Arise [from spiritual depression to a new life], shine [be radiant with the glory and brilliance of the LORD]; for your light has come, And the glory and brilliance of the LORD has risen upon you.” Isaiah 60:1 AMP
Today I was feeling disheartened and even hurt for ‘good reason’ ~ and then I thought of Jesus. The One acquainted with many sorrows who poured out His life like a drink offering. The King of Kings humbled himself giving the most honorable sacrifice of love and shed his blood for all mankind.
Yet how often can it be said that the Greatest Act Of Love has been overlooked and gone unseen, has not been honored, received, or even acknowledged. The perfect slain Lamb of God, the Savior Himself despised and rejected by men. And maybe some of those words are familiar to your heart today too…
He received no reward on earth in the eyes of man, He understood His award was prepared and fully awaiting Him in Heaven where He still waits for the fullness of the promise – the promise of reunited hearts turned fully to Him. He fulfilled His own words by saying ““Be [very] careful not to do your good deeds publicly, to be seen by men; otherwise you will have no reward [prepared and awaiting you] with your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 6:1 AMP. (Meaning He could have done so much more publicly to ‘prove’ His authority but in humility He did only what He saw the Father do). The Messiah held the purest of hearts even in dying for humanity, knowing He was the key of liberation He chose to become a lowly King. He gave without taking, and His last words included forgiving His offenders, ‘for they know not what they do’.
Jesus wrapped Himself in flesh to reveal His Kingship and Sonship to us, as fully God and fully man. Jesus fully man had emotion and experienced pain such as rejection, so it is healthy to acknowledge a source of pain; humanity requires it and Jesus created us to feel. But then we set our gaze higher, acknowledging Him, and allowing ourselves to be transformed by the knowledge that this earth and its afflictions are temporary, taking comfort that in every trial there is an opportunity to become more like Him. Each time we react like Jesus reacted, we become transformed looking more and more like Him, and nothing can compare to the eternal glory we will share with Him! In this world we will face suffering, but how we handle pain can truly liberate us!
“But those who embraced him and took hold of his name he gave authority to become the children of God!” John 1:12 TPT
“Therefore we do not become discouraged [spiritless, disappointed, or afraid]. Though our outer self is [progressively] wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day by day. For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory [a fullness] beyond all measure [surpassing all comparisons, a transcendent splendor and an endless blessedness]! So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal [just brief and fleeting], but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 AMP
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