Power in His Name/Correlations

"Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.)  When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground."
John 18:4-6

There is power in the name of Jesus! In this scripture the soldiers, officials, priests, and others came looking to arrest Jesus, I am uncertain exactly how many gathered to take one "man" into custody, but there was quite a crowd, and they got much more than they bargained for.
At the mere proclamation of Jesus revealing Himself,  "I am He", there was a supernatural shock wave that radiated outwards from Him, and they were literally blown off their feet!
As Christians, imitators of Jesus, we have been given authority to preach the Gospel, and over all m
"I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.  However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Luke 10:18-20
Jesus tells us, encourages us, to use His name when we pray, as we work, as we live:
"And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.
You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."
John 14:13, 14
It's His power, not ours; it's by His Spirit, not by our strength or might, beloved, that Kingdom work is done. There is an inverse correlation regarding our weakness/ strength quotient: we are most likely to call on the name above all names when we realize how powerless and weak we really are. It is in the place of weakness that pride and arrogance have vanished and the heart cries are uttered...
"In the name of Jesus..."

A Valuable Lesson 206

"King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.  They were from nations about which the  Lord  had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.  As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the  Lord  his God, as the heart of David his father had been.  He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites.  So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the  Lord ; he did not follow the  Lord  completely, as David his father had done. The  Lord  became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the  Lord , the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.  Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the  Lord 's command.  So the  Lord  said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates."
1 Kings 11:1, 2, 4-6, 9-11

King Solomon was visited twice by God Himself, you'd think that would be enough to keep him on the path of righteousness, right?  Wrong. Solomon, known as the wisest man to ever rule a nation, was warned, over and over again, not to take foreign wives, not to intermarry,  because his heart would be turned away from God, but he didn't listen. The very heavy price paid was his loss of godly wisdom, and on his descendants his sins were visited: the splintering of the kingdom and a legacy of heartbreak and disaster, as the descendants of Solomon did evil, following idols instead of El Shaddai, who had delivered them, loved them, cut a covenant with them, and performed so many miracles.
Are so many of us not like Solomon? God Himself has delivered us from our own slaveries, loved us furiously, provided for us, healed us, sent His Comforter and Helper, the Holy Spirit, and yet...many follow Solomon's path embracing the world.
God's eyes roam the earth looking for those with lovesick hearts, those who hunger and thirst for Him;  He desires relationship with us, but yet so many in the  Eklesia have been diluted and polluted spiritually, loving the things of this present darkness, having opened doors that should never have been opened.  A floodgate of evil then is released- the equivalent of Solomon embracing and fusing himself with unholy things, even after hearing the voice of The Lord. Conscience and discernment becomes dull, hearts become hardened and cold, and before you realize it, you are so far away from God, just like the Prodigal Son, or Solomon here in 1Kings 11:11.
But there is hope! The Lord says, " Return to Me and I will return to you" Zech. 1:3
No matter where you are beloved, God is still waiting with arms outstretched towards you!
As you run towards Him you will find that He meets you-with even greater vigor.

The Miracle of Grace 207

Pride  goes  before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18

There is a way that seems  right to a man,
But its end is the way of  death.
Proverbs 16:25

Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
through the fear of the  Lord  a man avoids evil.
Proverbs 16:6

As a new believer reading the holy scriptures, I remember the shock and surprise I felt when I read about the fallings of  people in the Bible. I am talking about the fallings of many, who had the blessings of the Lord on their lives, ministries and kingdoms: Saul, David, Solomon, Samson,  and so many others, from days of old right up till today. Somehow I expected them, because of legend, to be flawless and perfect heroes, not to actually have been real people who had to deal with lust, anger, jealousy, and the corrupting impact of wielding absolute power. They all had confidence and pride in themselves- the result of forgetting that it is God alone who is our everything.
I remember thinking, even saying to the Lord, just as Peter said, reflecting the opinions of ten of the other disciples -"Jesus, I will never deny you, never turn my back on you, never be one of the fallen that I've read about in yout Word.  How naive of me, as I did not know what lay ahead of me, wasn't aware of the trials and temptations that would present themselves. I, like us all, would (and will) be tried, sifted, and refined, and as the storms swirl about the only safe place is found in Jesus, through the amazing grace He affords us.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– Ephesians 2:8 
All of us-all of us-sin and fall short (Rom.3:23),  and in these days as even the elect fall like flies,  my goal is simple:
Cling to Jesus as tightly as I can, thanking Him for His abundant grace, mercy, and redemption because of His finished work on the cross and strive to abide in Him.
I share the lyrical sentiments of the late Rich Mullins:"So hold me Jesus, I'm shaking like a leaf..."
Beloved, let us be ever mindful, never prideful...maintain our straight ahead focus, and not turn to the left or right.
As John Bradford said," There but for the Grace of God go I".

The Value of A Life 202

"In the beginning  was the Word, and the Word was  with God, and the Word was  God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and  the life was the light of men."
John 1:1-4

My daughter and I watched the classic 1946 movie, It's A Wonderful Life tonight.
Normally a holiday staple for us, the busy-ness of the season delayed its viewing until tonight.
This viewing  was a bit different for my daughter because she is at an age now of increased understanding, and asked a lot of questions.
In the movie, the main character, George Bailey, in the throes of feeling sorry for himself,
wants to end it all by committing suicide, but he  has an opportunity to see what the the impact of his life would be, and as most of us know, his never being born changed everything-for the worst.
He momentarily had taken his eyes off the prize, and when faced with the most seemingly difficult debacle of his life, he considered ending it all by suicide, but of course the movie has a very happy ending. Clarence the angel showed George the truth about the value and impact of his life on so many around him, even from a young age. In one scene, George saves his brother, Harry, from drowning in an icy pond, which cost him some of his hearing in his left ear. Harry grows up, thrives, joins the Air Force as WWII breaks out, and as a fighter pilot, shoots down two enemy planes that were about to attack an Allied troop transport. If George had never lived, Harry would've drowned in that pond, would not have been there to shoot down those enemy planes to keep them from sinking the troop transport and all those on board, hundreds of men, would've died, dramatically impacting the lives of countless others.

Jesus tells us to walk the narrow path as we imitate Him, to love God with all we've got, and to love  each other. We are to pick up our crosses daily, crucifying and denying our "selves", all the while understanding how valuable we are to our Creator God.
The path is narrow and it not level, no, it is rife with hills, steep dips, potholes, and all manner of "hazards".
Jesus tells us that "in this world we will have trouble, but we can take heart, because He has overcome the world."  In other words, it ain't easy!
This life is all about intimacy: knowing and loving God our Father,  the people that God has placed in our lives, and developing an understanding that however sometimes mysterious,
we all impact each other.
Beloved, you are so valuable! Think on these things today, as you as live, move, and have your being, reflecting His love and light, fulfilling God's purposes for your life, and being used to impact others.

Shining and Salty 196

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Matthew 5:13-16

Are you salty and shiny?
I was just at a conference where there was more than 25,000 fiery believers,
the ONETHING 2012 conference at International House of  Prayer Kansas City
(www.ihopkc.org ).
As a believer, it is so great to be in that environment where we are surrounded by others of similar mind and spirit. We are not made to remain in the "salt-shaker", however; Jesus calls us,
commands us, to go into all the world and preach the Good News and to make disciples.
We are all missionaries...have you ever thought of yourself in this way?
We often think this means a missions trip to Africa, India, China, the Middle East, the farthestmost parts of  the world-but the reality is that the mission field is immediately around us...from right inside the four walls of our own homes, that we would be most excellent examples, in word and more importantly, in deed, first to our own children and families. We are to be reflections of Jesus, and to radiate outwards...in every place we go, at our jobs and in the marketplace, every relationship,
God is arranging divine appointments.

Remember: We are in the world, but not of it, beloved! We are the ones that are called to "overcome the world", to be people of  the Jesus culture in these last days that will affect changes in our culture. We are to counter the pagan post-modern culture, by being imitators of Jesus and not to losing our "saltiness"-  having our witness diluted and polluted, thereby becoming ineffective for the Kingdom.

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything in the world–the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does–comes not from the Father but from the world." 
1 John 2:15, 16 

Contenders

Behold,  children are a heritage from the  Lord , 
the fruit of the womb a reward. 
Like arrows in the hand of  a warrior 
are the children  of one's youth. 
Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! 
He shall not be put to shame when 
he contends with his enemies  in the gate. 
Psalms 127:3-5

Yesterday I bid my 19 year old daughter goodbye, at least for the time being.
It is difficult as a parent to let go, and yet is so necessary
She has begun a new phase of her life at university 600 miles away,
she has a new residence, and is an adult now,
stepping into all the privileges and responsibilities that go along with that.
There is separation anxiety, to be sure, mostly on my part I think,
but my anxiety is mitigated by what I know to be so true about her:
she loves the Lord Jesus, and mercy, grace, and lovingkindness
will follow her all the days of her life,
she has within her the spirit of Deborah...
wisdom, bravery, and a warrior's heart.
She is learning to be a contender for the Kingdom of God.

"Praise be to the  Lord  my Rock, who trains my hands for war,  my fingers for battle.
He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge"
Psalms 144:1,2a

Trials & Triumphs 199

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:2-4

It is by trial that we are strengthened; in the furnace of tribulation our faith is forged.
There are situations and times of testing that are necessary.

However uncomfortable, it is under pressure and fires of affliction,
that in the Lord makes us bright and shiny.
Rough edges are burnished off and impurities burned out,
just as a diamond is created from common coal.
Rare and precious perfumes are created by the crushing of petals.

Let us cling tightly to the great promises, provision, and protection of a sovereign God who is our Abba-Father, for He purposes ALL THINGS, especially trials, for our good- and our growth.

How Far/ Lengths 106

One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick.  Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.  When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. 
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” 
Luke 5:17-20 

 In this passage it is clear that these men's belief systems combined so powerfully with their trust in the Lord Jesus that they will go to any lengths to get to Him with their paralytic friend.
Every normal entrance way was blocked, but they did not just walk away with a shrug of their  shoulders, saying, "Hey man, we tried, but it wasn't possible to get to Jesus."
The Scriptures tell us that these believers would not be dissuaded by any obstacles,
climbing to the roof with great effort, they broke through the outer roof and ceiling, working furiously with debris flying off as they worked, lowering their sick friend into the immediate proximity of Jesus. Often times we are in a place where we have a roof over us,
where we feel our prayers are "bouncing off the ceiling" and we are not being heard by God,
but this is not true beloved!
We can have what has already been afforded us: when belief, faith and trust combine together-
and we are enabled to tear through the ceiling and we are face to face with Jesus, our healer when we are sick, provider for all our needs, protector from every threat, lover of our souls, shelter when storms are all around us, and so much more.
How far will you go, beloved, what lengths are you willing to go to-to be in His Presence?

Compliance v. Defiance 196

"Now the serpent was  more cunning than any beast of the field which the  Lord  God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the  fruit of the trees of the garden;  but of the fruit of the tree which  is  in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you  touch it, lest you die.’ ” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.  For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 
Genesis 3:1-5

I once saw a bumper sticker that read, "GOD SAID IT, I BELIEVE IT, THAT SETTLES IT."
What a different world we would be living in if Eve-and Adam-would've trusted the Father and had been compliant, instead of defiant! In speaking to His Chosen People Israel,  God said repeatedly: "I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD, YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME."
What is it about human nature, about me, that is so innately defiant?
Why is it that the only way for most of us to learn compliance is by God allowing us to exhaust ourselves, exhaust our flawed human strivings, until we are broken and shattered?
I had to learn this the hard way, and am still learning compliance and obedience,
as defiance is worked out of, and broken off of, me.
I am a work in progress, basking in my Father's love, as His Holy Spirit whispers to me:
"Keep going, fix your eyes on Me, do not listen to those other voices, 
forge straight ahead as you focus on Me. 
As you do I promise to make all things possible."

Seeking 141

On most news stands and at check out counters at retail stores everywhere there are publications prominently displaying filth and gossip, championing self-worship,  while exploiting and exposing the dysfunction of so many pitiful celebrities, and every other vile worldly thing,  while a small discount rack off in a corner of the stores sits God's Holy Word  on a dusty shelf, or the bottom rack of some unlikely place.
 It is often not easily located , but in it is found the greatest of treasures. 

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem  and asked, “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. "
Matthew 2:1, 2, 10, 11 

The Magi went to great lengths and great expenses to find the King of Kings. 
They didn't listen to the voice or bidding of  the evil King Herod, 
the predominant voice of the natural world, whom they recognized as worthless and vile. These "wise men" were looking for the One foretold of,  whose coming advent had been revealed to their hearts and minds, but not to the high priests of Israel, 
Caiphas and Ananias, nor the Pharisees, whose hearts had become cold and hard.
God doesn't do things off in a corner, but the world we are passing through will try to obscure the Light of the World. 
Counterfeits and shiny things abound everywhere, but nothing can satisfy us, answer our longings for wisdom, meaning, and purpose except for Jesus, 
His Holy Spirit, and the power found in God's living and active Word.
In this season remember: Wise men still seek Him.

Prosperity 201

"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health,
 just as your soul prospers."
III John 1:2

There is a direct correlation between the condition of the soul and the condition of the other facets of our existence. I have read this scripture many times,  as many of us have, and I have a confession to make: there have been many times in my Christian life whereas I have shuddered deep inside upon reading these words-because of the poor and reprobate condition of the core of my being, my very soul. These words are a double edged sword; a soul that is well fed and familiar with the Holy Spirit is the guiding force of a life centered on our magnificent Obsession, Jesus,
but a soul that is broken down, and guided by a seared conscience and hardened heart is in desperate straits, and when in this place we cannot deny it.
Prosperity of soul can only come when we seek the sovereign LORD with all our heart-trust, 
it doesn't necessarily mean material wealth, but a type of prosperity where the knowledge of God's Word and His promises is in perfect synchronicity with our trusting Him, even when the world we live in is turned upside down and tremendous shakings are tearing the natural world asunder, and our every need is met.
So I pray for you, beloved, for the prospering of your soul, as you experience real life and abundance   found only in Jesus.

Overboard 200

"I  would    have    lost    heart,  unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the  Lord
 in the land of the living."
Psalms 27:13

The Christmas season is meant to be celebrated with great joy, but this is also the season where more people suffer from depression than any other season. At times when I've grown depressed, cold, suffered from illness, or simply not am not feeling the Holy Presence of The Lord
I feel like Jonah-thrown overboard in stormy seas.
Sinking fast and reaching out for something, anything, but sinking anyways...
but then as my soul faints within me, I remember the LORD
and from the depths of my brokenness my prayers break forth,
going upwards towards the LORD and into His holy temple.
The LORD brings me up, bringing me back to life from the miry pit of depression,
loneliness, and darkness...
"e en though You cast me out of your sight, yet I will look again towards Your holy temple."
Beloved, Salvation is of the LORD,
Sacrifice to Him today with your voice and heart of thanksgiving.

He said: “In my distress I called to the  Lord , and he answered me.
From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.
 You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas,  and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers  swept over me.
 I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight;
yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’
The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.  To the roots of the mountains
I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you brought my life up from the pit,  O  Lord  my God.
“When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you,  Lord ,
and my prayer rose to you,  to your holy temple.
 “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
 But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you.
 What I have vowed I will make good.  Salvation comes from the  Lord .”
Jonah 2:2-9 

Illumination 203

Again therefore Jesus spake unto them, saying, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life. "
John 8:12

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;  on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. "
Isaiah 9:2

Yeshua is The Light.
Chanukah begins  tonight, and we will kindle the Chanukiah
( the special Chanukah menorah) lights.
The eight candles are lit off of one special candle,
the Shamash or servant,  that is positioned higher than the others:
"See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted."
Isaiah 52:13
The metaphor is clear: the shamash is Yeshua, the One who is the illuminator of our lives,
both to bring us out of the darkness of sin, and to light the paths of our hearts, minds,
and souls, and the Holy Spirit is the oil that keeps that light burning brightly.
 Without Him our "candles" would never be ignited, we would be doomed to darkness,
both in this life and the eternity that awaits us all.
Walk in His light beloved...

Sure Foundations

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,
his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light.
It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.
If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.
If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames."
1 Corinthians 3:11-15

My daughter is 19 and not quite sure what she plans on for a profession, and I'm fine with that.
What she is doing at International House of Prayer University is building a firm foundation with Jesus as the chief cornerstone of her life.
Parents often are solely concerned with what their children will become vocationally, which is often a source of pride to the parents. The most important concern we should have as parents is that the real inheritance being passed to the children is eternal life only found by being born again, surrendered and sold out to Jesus our Messiah, and the revelation of the knowledge of God which only the Holy Spirit can give.

One of the founders of Harvard had said that "the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which all other knowledge is built.". Indeed Harvard was created to spread the Gospel. In the world we live in most people decide what they want to do for a living, without actually having any relationship with the Father whatsoever, and this vocation becomes their identity, when the truth is that the only identity we really have is we are either children of God and co-heirs with Jesus-or we are not.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27 

Fixed 230

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. "
2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Recently we had the opportunity to visit dear friends.
In the course of conversation and asking about others
that we knew in common we were told that, sadly, many of them had walked away from the faith.
They had fixed their eyes on men, and were not prepared for the fact that our lives, our walk with Jesus, will bring trials and difficulties.
There will be heartaches and a great deal of shaking and breaking,
and none will escape it.
Somehow many never understand that God can't use us
until all the garbage and rubbish is removed from us,
that at some point(s) we will be sifted and shaken like rag dolls in the mouths of wolves,
and we must go through the furnaces of affliction to burn off the dross of self .
Unless our eyes are fixated on Christ alone we will be offended, hurt and injured.
Instead of pressing into He who is our Hiding Place
we will revert to attempting to find peace, solace, and contentment in the world,
but it will bring only emptiness, darkness,  and pain.
Beloved,  if you find yourself far away, in such a place it's time to come home.
God, who is both your Father and Bridegroom,  awaits you!

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” "
John 8:12 

Telling Me So 1

"Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so..."
A famous theologian, towards the end of his life, was asked by students, what the most important  thing he had learned in his Christian walk was.
His simple and profound answer is what was stated above:
JESUS LOVES ME.
Of all the wisdom and knowledge imparted, throughout the seasons, and the weathering of life's storms, this one thing remains, and is the core paradigm that all of my thoughts about God, who is my Father and Bridegroom, my Cornerstone, my beginning and my end, and everything in between.
Jesus loves me, and I can love because He loved me first, and the realization/ revelation of this changes everything, how I think, feel, act, He is the greatest love of my life, of our lives, beloved.
Today embrace this one thing, cling to it, and never release your hold on it.
JESUS LOVES US.

Give Thanks

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.    
Let those who fear the Lord say: “His love endures forever.”  
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.    
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.    
The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.  
 I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.    
The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;  
 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.    
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.    
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.    
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Psalm 118:1, 4, 8, 9, 14, 17, 22-24, 26, 29 NIV84)

On our Thanksgiving holiday we can easily get wrapped up in the process.
There is food to prepare, and people coming and going; football games,
Black Friday sales, the reason we gather can be lost.
We have a God who delights in us, whose mind is always on us.
He desires, more than anything, for us to love Him as furiously as He loves us,
and to fear Him as a child fears a good father.
His goodness surrounds us, and we may be aware of so many things to thank our Abba for, and  barely scratch the surface, never knowing the depth, height, width, or length of  His love.
Beloved, make everyday, every moment of each day, Thanksgiving.
He is more than Worthy.

Reminders/ No Separation

"What, then, shall we say in response to this?
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–
how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?
 It is God who justifies.  Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”   No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. "
Romans 8:31-39

Life can, at times, bring us down when our flesh gets the better of us.
Anxiety and depression are at all-time highs, with mental health care professionals counseling record numbers of people, with record numbers of anti-depressants being prescribed.
People seek peace, comfort, counsel, and joy in things other than the only source- God Almighty, the One and only, but there is none! Nothing can separate us from His love-nothing! Remember that we are always on His mind, beloved, and how He loves us! He is for us, not against us,  He didn't spare His one and only Son -for us!  Jesus is at the right hand of our Father, interceding for us!
Today, remember that we are more than conquerors, and what our inheritance is- because of the work He finished on the cross. 

Words 290

"If a man makes a vow to the  Lord , or  swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall  do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. "
Numbers 30:2

"But  whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected  in him. By this we know that we are in Him.  He who says he abides in Him  ought himself also to walk just as He walked. "
I John 2:5, 6

If it's not in writing, it's not..."

Ever heard this before? One of the most basic principles taught in law schools, is this very concept, the ideology that the spoken word, (hearsay) "doesn't count". In this post-post-modern culture we live in, many believe that lies don't count. They say:"it's negotiation", or "everybody does it".
But this is not how the Lord wants us to operate; we are to let or "yes" be yes, and our "no" be no, and promises made verbally are meant to bind! Such things are recorded in the heavenlies and forces moving in our lives are affected by how we respond to the things we say, and promises made or even implied with the intent to make another person believe we were promising something.
My father who was not a believer taught me that when you shake hands and commit yourself verbally- technically what lawyers call hearsay- that you have committed yourself .
Beloved, as believers, let us not be part of this world, operating duplicitously,
Let your word be your bond.

Divine Protection

"For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;  
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him,
for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.  
With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.” "
Psalm 91:11, 14-16

On November 12, I was traveling during a dreary and stormy morning with my wife and one of my daughters on a Tennessee highway. It is our habit to always pray for the Lord's traveling mercies and His protection all around us. The traffic was fairly heavy in both directions, when all of a sudden  a car going the other way hydroplaned, doing a "NASCAR" spin, and left the road, crossing the median - headed right towards our car! As that spinning car careened towards us, Lisa shouted "JESUS JESUS JESUS!" and suddenly the out of control car collided with a wire cabled fence. Pieces of that car and other debris were flying towards us and a few small pieces glanced off our vehicle, but we had been spared! Praise Him!
There are so many forces operating, both in the natural-and the supernatural. Jesus tells us that whatever we bind on earth is bound or loosed  in the heavenlies- the supernatural, and vice versa . Matt.18:18
We each have been afforded so many situations where our Abba has extended His divine protection,  more than we can count or realize...today beloved, call on Him who is our divine Protector !