It doesn’t get any plainer than these messages, friends….

“Let all MY KINGDOMS FALL, let all my kingdoms fall, I surrender ALL.”

and

“It’s not about me, all this is for you Jesus.  You alone are God and I surrender to YOUR way…”

As a dear friend of mine told me last week, no matter what you are going through, you must believe that, “It will all be worth it.” 

How quickly would you let go of the temporal things here if you glimpsed forward into eternity and saw the impact?  The impact on your own soul and also the impact on those around you?  What really matters in this world?  What if loss of the things of this world really meant gain in the eyes of God?  It is time.  It is time to let go of your grip on your own kingdom for His Kingdom and live through Him…..He’s worth it and His peace is exactly what you need!  Reignite your passion for the eternal things and see the temporal struggles you’ve been embattled against for so long begin to melt away in His presence.  This world is hard, even Jesus himself said, “In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 

You must believe that the overcoming power He refers to in this scripture is for you.  You can be confident today that surrender to Jesus=overcoming in this world!!!  You are surrendering to The Overcomer!!  That is the beginning of true life!!  SO LIVE!!!!

As my day continued on yesterday and I replayed my post on “Fresh Start” in my head, I began to hear the Lord expand the final words, “Believe the truth, empower Christ”.  He began to help me see exactly how His anointing and attributes specifically play out in our daily lives….

Believe the Truth, empower The Teacher!

Believe the Truth, empower The Healer!

Believe the Truth, empower The Deliverer!

Believe the Truth, empower The Anoint-er!

Believe the Truth, empower The Lover!

Believe the Truth, empower The Creator!

Believe the Truth, empower The Mountain Mover!

Believe the Truth, empower The Leader!

Believe the Truth, empower The Reconciler!

Believe the Truth, empower The Revealer!

Believe the Truth, empower The Empower-er!

What do you need in your life today?  Remember, Jesus is our SUPPLY for all things but we must APPLY Him through believing Him and what He says!

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” 2 Cor. 10:3-5

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe,  all things are possible to him who believes.”  Mark 9:23

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  John 8:31-32

 “No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.  A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.  Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who HOPE in His mercy,  To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine.  Our soul WAITs for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.  For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have TRUSTed in His holy name.  Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.”  Psalm 33:16-22

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we TRUST in the name of the LORD our God.  They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.” Ps. 20:7-8

“It is better to TRUST in the Lord than to put confidence in man.  It is better to TRUST in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.”  Ps. 118:8-9

Hope, wait, and trust, trust, trust, trust my friends.  Sometimes there are no answers, there is no “Why?”, there is no comfort in this world that is sufficient to answer the pain of our hearts.  This is when we hope, this is when we wait, and this is when we trust. 

 Through everything I’ve been through in my life, I know there are many paths one can take in pain;  the path of bitterness, the path of rage, the path of fear, the path of anything else to numb and cope with this horrible feeling  one has in every fiber of their being… I have learned that if you visit those paths, they do help you feel a sense of power for a little while, but they always create new and even more complex pain if  you remain on them over time.  The paths of freedom are truly outlined above….  hope, wait and trust.

Today, if you have visited or are visiting other paths, you can choose His path.  Even in your darkest hour, God reaches down to you and will help you make a choice for His path by His grace in Jesus.  Call on Him today for His help. 

Father, in the Name of Jesus, I call upon you today for your help.  I need you!  I can’t make it without you.  I need your love desperately in my life.  I can’t make sense of anything in my life right now, so I choose to lay it down at your feet as an offering.  I leave it there and I invite your love to fill every void created.  Help me to wait on You.  Help me to hope in You.  Help me to trust You.  Help me to your path of peace today so that even I can proclaim, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” just as your servant Job did.  Thank you God that you are no respecter of persons and that I can call upon you now and that you are big enough, strong enough, and willing to save me.  In Jesus Name.  Amen 

Many of you may not know that Joplin, Missouri is my hometown.  My entire family and many friends live there and have survived this horrific F5 tornado, though some quite narrowly.  Not all can give such a report, I am grieved to say.  Many lives have been lost in this event….  I traveled there first thing Monday morning and what I saw and more importantly experienced has forever changed me. 

In light of this recent catastrophe I couldn’t let another minute go by without acknowledging this historic devastation and the amazing love being released from these mighty people I call family and friends.  I have never witnessed such selflessness, community, and camaraderie as I did while seeing the countless survivors rallying for their community.  The responses I have gotten from far away friends that have journeyed here to help is amazing, as well. 

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” 1John 3:16

I am a puddle of tears most days, as I’m sure are you.  Both over the reports of life lost and in celebration of those found and just in general over the shock, grief and challenges that will linger there for months and even years to come. 

We all grieve for our brothers and sisters and we will stand with them in their darkest hour….

We pray today that God’s love, grace, and strength blanket our friends as a shield.  We ask specifically for renewal of our heroes that work day and night fighting for each life.  May their lives and families be preserved and renewed in strength and hope.  We cry out for God’s revelation to shine forth to reveal loved ones still missing as to give closure desperately needed.   We especially ask for immeasurable grace on parents that have missing children and children with missing parents.  We call forth God’s mighty comfort to surround them on every side and sweetly speak of His love for them.  We acknowledge God’s mighty power in Jesus to consume all of the enemies tactics to bring oppression, hopelessness and discouragement as they begin to move forward in their journey.  We bind all attempts of the enemy to bring fear, guilt and shame in any way.  We declare God’s restoration will be greater than all loss.  We call forth His mighty provision for each and everyone affected.  And we release His warring angelic host to stand guard against any further damage from storms or threats of storms in Jesus Name.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your heartfelt committment to stand in whatever way God leads you.  There are many ways to contribute:  financially, through volunteering your time, talents and/or trades, through prayer, etc.  Your impact and voice is vital to so many in need.  Bless you today.

 “Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?”  Eccl 4:11

“…mourn with those who mourn.”  Romans 12:15

“Two large stones sat on the side of a hill.  Grass and flowers grew there.  ‘This side of the hill is nice,’ said the first stone.  ‘But I wonder what is on the other side of the hill?’  ‘We do not know.  We never will,’ said the second stone.  One day a bird flew down.  ‘Bird, can you tell us what is on the other side of the hill?’ asked the stones.  The bird flew up into the sky.  He flew high over the hill.  He came back and said, ‘I can see towns and castles.  I can see mountains and valleys.  It is a wonderful sight.’  The first stone said, ‘All of those things are on the other side of the hill.’  ‘How sad,’ said the second stone.  ‘We cannot see them.  We never will.’  The two stones sat on the side of the hill.  They felt sad for one hundred years.  One day a mouse walked by.   Mouse, can you tell us what is on the other side of the hill?’ asked the stones.  The mouse climbed up the hill.  He put his nose over the top and looked down.  He came back and said, ‘I can see earth and stones.  I can see grass and flowers.  It is a wonderful sight.’  The first stone said, ‘The bird told us a lie.  That side of the hill looks just the same as this side of the hill.’  ‘Oh good!’ said the second stone.  ‘We feel happy now.  We always will.” 

                    An excerpt from Mouse Soup by Arnold Lovel 1977

I pose these questions to you today…..What lies might you possibly be believing that are robbing you of your happiness?  What birds have you listened to….and allowed your peace to be robbed…or your view of God’s love to be misrepresented? 

I am the Mouse sent here today to tell you, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” 1 Cor. 10:13

What you are going through IS common to man.  The other side of the hill looks exactly like yours.  No, it won’t be the exact same circumstances, but it is the same types of transformations going on.  As believers, we are all being conformed and transformed by our Father.  And, YES, we are all wondering what the other side of the hill looks like….     

We all struggle from time to time with unbelief, feeling like God loves others more than us, wanting to give up, wondering why we’re here, wondering if God really loves us, thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the hill….  However, it is essential that you know what the Word of God says so you don’t ever forget the 3 parts of His supplied promise:

1. He is faithful
2. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear
3. He will provide a way out

Believe the best about God today.  He believes the best about you.  He sent His son to die in your place as His proof.  Be happy today in His faithfulness!  You are loved!

–  “You are what you believe.”  Joyce Meyer

“But now, this is what the LORD says– he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; YOU ARE MINE. When you pass through the waters,  I will be with you;and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…” Is. 43;1-3a

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?  When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell.  Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war should rise against me, In this I will be confident.  One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.  For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.  And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.”  Psalm 27:1-6

The only true and lasting comfort in a world laden with destructions and difficulties is KNOWING that there is a God that is in control, that you are seen by Him, deeply loved by Him, and that He has a plan to turn all things for the good.

As I have stood for years and watched the hand of God fight for my life and the lives of my children, there have been periods of time that I have questioned all of His attributes and so much more.  I do believe that going through that questioning process is normal, expected, and very healthy for the believer but it is usually NOT pretty to watch.  In fact, it is downright painful to watch (so subsequently, it is often condemned by those afraid of it).  I believe those times, however unflattering, can solidify for you a place of complete peace in Jesus.  They can confirm exactly what you might be questioning….. that there is a God, that you do need Him, and that He is trustworthy, loving,  good, capable, and willing.  They can if you allow them to.

Even recently, as He has been working at an even deeper level in me, I have found myself panicking over things “I” thought had been dealt with; only to watch Him using those circumstances to RESET my true north again. Aligning me with His heartbeat, His sufficiency and bringing me back to a heart of worship, need, and expression of gratefulness.  Don’t get me wrong, I still had some very unflattering  “freak out” moments, but I am learning to not be afraid of this valuable human/Divine process and give myself some grace.  I even felt more liberty to reach out to friends that I trust “get it” and wouldn’t condemn me and ask for the desperate support that I needed.

As you walk through the countless hardships of this life, keep in the forefront of your mind that you belong to somebody other than those who raised you.  You belong to the God of the universe and He has called you by name.  Though you may not be able to wrap your brain around what is happening in your life right now, wrap your heart around Him instead.  Embrace Him and cry out to Him with your heart.  Cry out to the One who promises to never leave you and the One who has hidden you in complete victory in Christ.  He will help you.  I am living proof!

You may have times in your life when you lose your footing or loosen your grip on Him, but He will never let go of you.  He even promises….“if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”

2 Tim 13

He will never let go of you; You are His!

I highly recommend the original and full length version of this song by Matt Redmond on www.youtube.com.  Due to copyrighted material, it may be difficult to find.

There was a time in the Old Testament (before Jesus came), when a leader arose in Egypt.  His name was Pharoah.  There, Pharoah made the Jewish or Israelite people into slaves.  God raised up Moses to deliver the Jews from Egypt and Pharoah’s grip.  Pharoah would not listen to Moses and obey the commands of God, so God brought on Egypt the plagues to persuade/punish him.  It took 10 plagues to see Pharoah submit and release his grip on God’s chosen people.  As a part of this process, the final plague needed to ensure submission from Pharoah was the death of the firstborn.  That included everyone’s firstborn…..even Pharoah’s.  God’s instructions to the Israelites were as follows to protect them from this broad sweeping devastation. 

“Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning.  For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.”

Exodus 12:21-23

 When you dissect the word passover, it has multiple definitions to help you understand it’s complexity.  One such definition is an animal victim of the passover or sacrifice of the passover.  The use of the word victim is profound here to me because victim screams, “innocent”.  It portrays the victimization of the lamb as an acceptable sacrifice, and the blood of that innocence as an acceptable stay of the power of the destroyer.  Basically, blood needed to be supplied and the blood God told them to use was a substitution for their own blood so they would not be victimized by this event.  And in the fashion of God, He provided this blood as a foreshadowing of what He was going to do for us through Jesus….

“Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.  For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,  how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”

Hebrews 9:12-15

“For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.  Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” 

1 Cor. 5:7-8

I hear the Lord saying today that though you have been victimized by the enemy and have seen the power of the destroyer in your life He has made a personal way for this to cease for you.  There is an acceptable sacrifice that has been offered in your stead.  He supplied His own sacrifice, Himself, so that you would not be left the victim!  He is the supplied sacrifice.  Now God has supplied His victory for us by Jesus dying on the cross at Calvary.  What is our part in passover or how do we apply passover to our lives today?  It is to apply the blood that was shed to our lives.  God is our SUPPLY and We must APPLY.  Does that mean I need to slaughter a lamb,  get out my hyssop branch, dip it in  blood and get to painting?  No, thank God (or I would be in serious trouble)!!!   I will discuss 3 things that I think it means:

1. Accept Jesus’ sacrifice of obedience for our disobedience freely.  That means to believe that you don’t deserve it and could never work to deserve it, that it is freely given and you accept it as a gift.  It means acknowledging that you need Him and that His sacrifice is enough for you for the salvation and complete freedom of your soul.
2. Labor to enter into His rest.  We do this by reading the Bible and applying what it says to our lives.  It means trusting that when He says something He means it.  This is quite difficult when we live in a world that is so untrustworthy.  But, He is not of this world, He has overcome it.  And so He gives us the power to align ourselves with His thought process through the Word of God.  The Word of God restructures our reasoning and transforms our thinking so that we share in His limitless supply.
3. Take Communion.  In Matthew 26:26-30 Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper during the Passover meal.  He instructs them to take the cup, give thanks and to drink!  As we partake of communion, we proclaim the Lord’s death and His resurrection; we proclaim Him as our supply!  Praise be to God!  Communion is a vital part of the victory in the life of the believer.  It is applying the truth to our lives and proclaiming His victory!!  Eat of the bread and drink of the cup to celebrate and share in this complete victory!

Today, as you accept the supply of our Lord, begin to say or remind everything that has come to bring destruction to your life, “Passover!  You must passover me in Jesus Name!!  I am not  the victim anymore!  God sent His Son just for me!  I am the victory of my Lord Jesus and I am covered in the blood and I tell you to look to the blood shed for me!!”  It will speak!

I am so grateful to be back with you today.  I have been out sick the last few weeks with a very strange virus? or something that sent me to the doctor, ER twice and even into the hospital for a couple of days!  The last few days have been such a relief as I am starting to feel strong again and somewhat back to normal as I believe God for complete restoration….

With all of that said, this song resonates through my mind and heart as an anthem of God’s faithfulness no matter the trial. And the following scripture speaks of His capability as my rescuer and deliverer no  matter the situation.

“I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry.  He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a NEW SONG in my mouth– Praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.  Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.  Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; and Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” Psalm 40:1-5

Thankfulness is a key that unlocks many doors of His Glory.  No matter what you are facing today, refuse to be ungrateful.  God is able.  God is willing.  God is good.  He hears you.  He is giving you a new song.  Let the new song He puts in your heart be that of Thanksgiving and Praise.

What New Song has He given you?  It won’t be anything you’ve heard before….it will be NEW!  It will release His Glory!  Just as the flowers in spring are coming up from the ground, so will be the freshness of His song in your heart!  Receive and release your song today, your anthem of Praise.

It will speak of what is to come for you….

Genesis 3 and Deuteronomy are quite descriptive of the types of curses placed upon us.   We see the curse placed upon Adam and Eve for their sin in the garden and in Deuteronomy we see many different curses played out.  Some of them are really scary and some of them are really quirky.   One example, “If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree,  you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not desecrate the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.”   

From the above passages, I have come to see 2  inherent problems:

#1  A curse is placed upon mankind due to the fall of Adam ( “For since death came through a man… For as in Adam all die… Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—  for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law.  Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. 1 Cor 15:21-22; Romans 5:12-14)

#2  A curse is placed on the individual  for their disobedience to the law introduced in Exodus 20. (” All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”)  

 So, we have a curse, through sin, placed upon WHO we are (our humanness) and WHAT we do or do not do (our obedience).  And in Proverbs, we see this concept carried over… 

Proverbs 26:2 “Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.”

Draw your attention to the word undeserved.  That word really caught my attention.   Another version calls it, “a curse causeless”.  This is defined by the Hebrew lexicon as freely, for nothing, without cause, gratis, gratuitously, for no purpose, in vain, undeservedly.  In other words, the Bible is saying that a curse that is for nothing, without cause, for no purpose, etc. does not come to rest.  I have listed 4 passages below [A, B, C, D ] that should help familiarize you with man’s condition and help you see that sin, is what causes us to deserve the curse.  Romans 3 declares that we have ALL sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  Sin affects me and the outcome of my life, and where there is cause (sin); curses will come to rest.

A.   “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”  Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.  Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.  But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ”  Romans 3:18-25

B.  “But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.  Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.  So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.  Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.” Gal 3:22-25

C.  Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”  The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”  He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” Gal 3:10-14 

D.  “For since death came through a man the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”  1 Cor. 15:21-22

So, to answer the question, “Am I Cursed?”  YES (outside of Christ)!  But the real question that should be asked is ,”Do I have to stay under the curse?”  NO WAY!  When Jesus Christ came to Earth, He died on a tree.  The cross was a tree on a hill called Golgotha.  He redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.  He provided a way for mankind to be free from the curse in the garden by accepting Him as Lord and Savior, and he provided a way for us as individuals to be free from the curse of the law through faith in Him.  Remember above, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.  Jesus didn’t deserve it, but he took it upon Himself, so that we could be undeserving!  He took upon Himself what we deserved and made a way for us to be completely free from the curse!  When in Christ, we no longer have to worry about curses at all!!  In fact, they should never be a thought again for the believer. 

You should walk around all day everyday saying, “I am blessed!  I am so blessed!  Thank you Jesus that you have set me free from the curse of the past, present, and future!  Thank you that you have made me “undeserved” and even if someone speaks a curse on me it will not come to rest.  I am blessed.  I am blessed in the country and blessed in the city.  The fruit of my womb is blessed.  The crops of my fields and the young of my livestock are blessed.  My basket and kneading trough are blessed.  I am blessed when I come in and blessed when I go out.  All of the enemies that rise up against me will be defeated before me.  They will flee from me in seven directions.  There is a blessing on my barns and on everything I put my hands to.  I am blessed as His holy people and all the people of the Earth will see that I am called by the Lord! 

I am blessed!  I am blessed!  I am blessed!” [say this over and over each and everyday until you believe it…..]