The greatest gift you could give the Lord in 2022 (and forever will be) is your heart. We love the Lord with a devoted heart to Him through our obedience, as Jesus said, “If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments.” John 14:15 AMP.
Success in Heaven is measured by having lived a life of obedience to the Lord on earth. “So, beloved, since you are looking forward to these things, be diligent and make every effort to be found by Him [at His return] spotless and blameless, in peace [that is, inwardly calm with a sense of spiritual well-being and confidence, having lived a life of obedience to Him].” 2 Peter 3:14 AMP
The full measure of the goodness of God can only be experienced while remaining in covenant with Him, and faithfulness in covenant is the key to lasting oneness with Him. You must cherish the Lord’s heart also; it is good for you to draw near to Him that you may first know Him, and then tell of His glorious works.
It is time for you to get your own oil, time for your own personal experience with Him. I see for some that you have had many personal experiences but have become satisfied with the distant flames of others. Second hand experiences and encounters are encouraging to hear and can build our faith, though I believe the Lord is asking for more – particularly in this hour. The Lord is asking more from each one of us, leading us into a greater depth of commitment and maturity. For some your fire in the camp has gone out and you continue to try and relight the fire and you are perplexed why you can not start the fire but the Lord would say it is time to move. Keep climbing higher up the mountian of the Lord, the Spirit will lead you and He will come closer still. 🔥
“But as for me, it is good for me to draw near to God; I have made the Lord God my refuge and placed my trust in Him, that I may tell of all Your works.” Psalm 73:28
We need to know and understand the persons of the Godhead to love Jesus more; their roles, character and attributes will actually lead us to love Jesus.
Under the banner of Love (Song of Solomon 2:4) we are drawn by the Father, wooed by the Spirit, and received by Jesus.
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him [giving him the desire to come to Me].” John 6:44 AMP
Ask the Father to draw you nearer to His heart and His ways, ask the Holy Spirit to lead you Jesus, and ask Jesus to encounter you with Himself.
“Until now you have not asked [the Father] for anything in My name; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy may be full and complete.” John 16:24 AMP
““ Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds, and to him who keeps on knocking, it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8 AMP
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
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
The greatest gift you can give the Lord is your heart. Today I am praying for you, more fire of devotion for your first Love … “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:5 AMPC
“I LOVE You fervently and devotedly, O Lord, my Strength.” Psalm 18:1 AMPC
“Lord, I passionately love you and I’m bonded to you, for now you’ve become my power!” Psalm 18:1 TPT
What a prophetic picture, named the “Caleb cluster”; in the Bible Caleb was willing to face the giants to inherit his promised land! Caleb in Hebrew means ‘whole hearted’, if you want to drink the new wine, you will have to enter the new era with your whole heart, fearless and devoted, captivated by Love to capture what has been sworn to you. When branded by this fiery Love, intimidation is consumed by its flames and giants are slayed! 🔥⚔️
“Fear and intimidation is a trap that holds you back. But when you place your confidence in the Lord, you will be seated in the high place.” Proverbs 29:25 TPT
In the world of the Spirit, dreams are fulfilled through dying to them in the natural world and giving the Spirit precedence in your life. When I graduated Bible college many years ago, the Lord told me to “die to your dreams and visions so I can resurrect them”. And there began my journey as a young woman of dying to myself to learn how to allow Christ to live through me, and one of my founding messages I share often.
Death has become a center point of my testimony because here I have found resurrection life. “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” Revelation 12:11. In my love of word studies, long ago I discovered the word testimony used in this scripture reference in Revelation is the Greek word marturia (evidence given) from the word martus which is where we get the word martyr. So many people want a “testimony”, and while it is good to testify of ones overcoming – the true testament or evidence given of life is of ones dying to self. So if you want a testimony you need to die and ‘let the Overcomer out‘, for it is because of the victory of the cross, we have life.
“Jesus said to all of his followers, “If you truly desire to be my disciple, you must disown your life completely, embrace my ‘cross’ as your own, and surrender to my ways. For if you choose self-sacrifice, giving up your lives for my glory, you will discover true life. But if you choose to keep your lives for yourselves, you will lose what you try to keep.” Luke 9:23-24 TPT
“My old identity has been co-crucified with Christ and no longer lives. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives his life through me— we live in union as one! My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that he gave himself for me, dispensing his life into mine!” Galatians 2:20 TPT
When you allow the life of Christ to flow through you, Heaven and earth align to see His love and powerful works readily move through you. You will be in sync with the Lord’s plans and purposes and divine alignment will become the standard as you walk in the footsteps of the Resurrected King who has gone before you.
What was your first job? You may have not enjoyed it, but I’m sure you remember it’s value to you. I swept the floors along with other janitorial duties at one of my grandfathers Dry Cleaners during my school breaks when I was 11 yrs old and was paid $4.25 an hour. Even a Cleaners needs to be cleaned.
The pay was minimum wage and family was not shown favoritism monetarily. I worked for the business through college, and over the years as I matured my tasks changed and with it pay increases.
In the same way, the Lord is cleansing His Church, and developing His family. He is strengthening and maturing Her so that she can handle more responsibilities. The pay increases can be compared to mature fruit. My last position was helping in the office in accounting. Our last position before the return of Christ we will give an account for the fruit we have developed.
This is a season of divine growth and maturing in the Body if you will yield to it. Some may outgrow you though only because of their surrender. If you want more pay in the Spirit, count the cost and do the work. I guarantee you the Lord will increase whatever you surrender to Him.
“But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, a life full of virtue, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit. Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless. Keep in mind that we who belong to Jesus Christ have already experienced crucifixion. For everything connected with our self-life was put to death on the cross and crucified with Messiah.” Galatians 5:22-24 TPT
The paradox of love and suffering. In love Christ suffered for us, and He still suffers for our love. Our hearts may suffer long on this side of Heaven but we become like Him and know Him in this mysterious realm. Some of us have more prolonged aches than others, and many times we ask, “not this cup, please”. The cup of long suffering. But for love, for union with Him.
“Love suffers long”. 1 Corinthians 13:4
“And just as we experience the abundance of Christ’s own sufferings, even more of God’s comfort will cascade upon us through our union with Christ.” 2 Corinthians 1:5
“And I continually long to know the wonders of Jesus and to experience the overflowing power of his resurrection working in me. I will be one with him in his sufferings and become like him in his death. Only then will I be able to experience complete oneness with him in his resurrection from the realm of death.” Philippians 3:10-11
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