Category Archives: Devotionals

Bible studies, sermons, and preaching genres

Columns, Devotionals

Increasing Your Faith (Part One)

If we're following Christ, most of us want to increase our faith. Faith is active. Faith does action. Faith does works. Faith lays hands on the sick and sees them healed.  Faith shares with others and sees them born again.  Faith transforms lives.

Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith is the substance that God created the universe from.  Faith is a substance that goes out from us and changes the world. Our faith, based in God's truth, changes our environment for righteousness.

So, how do we increase our faith?  The Word says that 'Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.'  Romans 10:17




The first step is to renew your mind in the Word of God.  This takes an act of your will.

When I rededicated my life to Christ in my 20's and was filled with the Holy Spirit, I spent every available minute in the Word of God.  I worked full-time and commuted on the bus a half hour into Denver. I would read my Bible on the way to work and on the way home every day. I carried my Bible everywhere I went. I spent my evenings reading the Word and praying.

I spent my lunch hours reading if I didn't have other plans.  I formed a Bible study with a small group at work so that we could talk about God.  I was in love with Jesus. And when you're in love with someone, you want to spend every minute getting to know 'your love.'  God/Jesus/Holy Spirit is a being and I wanted to KNOW Him!

I ended every day with 'Prayers That Avail Much', meditating and speaking scripture over myself.  I began to think like God.  I began to get an image of God and to establish a 'boundary' of Who He is. I began to see myself in the light of His Word.

I attacked every doubt and worry, every thought that I had that was contrary to the truth of God's Word, with His Word - the Sword of His Word.  Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."  This means that the Word of God will show us clearly the difference between our perfect spirit of God that lives in us and our soul/thought life, which is imperfect.  We want our soul (our mind, will, and emotions) to line up with our spirit (the Holy Spirit which lives in us).

2 Corinthians 10 says that we are to take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ.  We examine every thought against the plumb line of God's Word and destroy every thought that is in opposition with the Word of God.  You have to work at it.  You have to set your will to think like God. And you can't think like God if you don't know His Word.  He and His Word are one.

When outside ideas and philosophies come to you, you begin to recognize that they disagree with God and you reject them. You give them no place. Again, this is an act of your will. You set your heart to think like God.

There is a principle in God's Kingdom that says 'to get something into your heart, first you have to speak it.'  In other words, to get faith on the inside, you need to meditate on the Word of God by speaking it out loud.  When I read the Word, I will often pause and turn it around to first person and speak it over myself.

For example, 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "He made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."  I speak out loud, "Thank You, God, that you made Jesus, who knew no sin, to become sin for me, so that I might become the righteousness of God!"  Then I spend a while saying, "I am the righteousness of God, through Christ Jesus!"  A mind-boggling thought!  But that's what the Word says.  And as you do this, you begin to see yourself differently.

And the Word gets down inside of you, to your inner-man, and faith is born!

You can't fake faith. True faith quiets your soul. It gives you confidence. It can't be shaken. Once faith is born, it takes no effort to believe God for something. As you begin to know the character of God, it's easy to believe that He wants to bless you and strengthen you and heal you.

When lies from the world and the enemy come to you, they never touch you. Your shield of faith causes them to bounce off.  They are never even considered.

I believe it slanders the Name of God to say that He would ever want someone to be sick or hurting. It's not His character.  He is good, all the time!

If you had good parents, you trusted them to always love you, always receive you, always help you, always want the best for you.  As you get to know the character of God, you know that He always wants you to have 'LIFE and LIFE more abundant!'  Your faith rests in that knowledge.

God wants us to know Him intimately.  He does not want us to have faith that He is real.  He wants us to be established and fixed in Him and His Word and to use our faith to change the things around us for His glory.

Next post - Increasing Your Faith (Part Two)

love and blessings~




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Devotionals, Letters

Finding God’s Will God’s Way

I was talking with a friend recently about “finding our life’s purpose in God.”
That’s a tricky one, isn’t it? We want to know what our calling is for, so we can spend our energy where it’s useful, and where it’s not. And fairly often, for example when we read the parables of the talents or the minas, we feel a real urgency about the topic. Sometimes, it feels like we’re just bumbling around in the fog, instead of actually changing the world. And all of us, whether we admit it or not, want to have an impact on the world.
I’ve been battering this topic around rather a lot. I grew up reading stories like God’s Smuggler, where the heroes heard God say, “Go do this!” and they went and did it, and there were miracles. I want to be that guy: the one that gets to walk confidently in God’s leading and in God’s miraculous provision.
I know other folks who have had a prophetic word that’s way bigger than them, or a vision of something big and effective, or just a longing for “more” in a particular area of working with God.
We want God to make that happen. Here’s the problem: I’m not sure that’s a realistic expectation.
I’ve watched folks around me for some decades as they matured in Christ, and I think I’ve discovered some trends. Obviously, there are some folks who are not really attentive to their purpose in God; they just bumble around in one degree of contentment or another, attending conferences, complaining about difficult things, consuming resources and not really impacting the world around them. I’m not talking about them today.
But among those of us who are concerned for what God is planning for us, I think I see three broad categories:
a) Servants: These are the ones to whom God gives a good roadmap, and leads them along the way to the end of the line, sometimes step-by-step. These people often have amazing stories to tell of God’s leading.
Frankly, I suspect that some of these folks are asking out of immaturity (servants ask permission, sons not so much). But some seem to be mature in it, though I myself don’t see many of mature saints in this category.
b) Sons: These people have a rough idea of their calling, and they know their Father, so they just run off and do the things that are consistent with that calling. Most of the time, they learn more about their calling along the way.
The apostle Paul was in this category. Occasionally, God would give him a dream (“Go there!”), but most of the time, he just went. And he planted churches everywhere he went, because that’s who he is. I know an apostle who’s planted churches and Bible schools on three contents, and he says that God hasn’t told him to start any of them. That’s just his calling, and so he’s started hundreds of churches and dozens of schools by now, just being who God made him to be.
c) Useful: There are a lot of folks who would have a terrible time describing their calling, but instead are big on “do what’s right in front of you.” Is there a need to meet? Then meet that need! There are ALWAYS needs right in front of us; which ones we see, which ones we’re drawn to, may be a clue to our calling, but knowing the calling is less important than just “taking care of business” with the things around us. These people make “bumbling around in the fog” a means to being effective in ministry!
I’ve spent decades as one of these people, and it has seemed to work out pretty well. Over the course of meeting those needs right in front of me, I’ve discovered that the needs that I see, the needs that I’m most comfortable meeting, fit into categories, so I’ve moved from a category c) guy to a category b) guy, just by virtue of continually bumbling along.
It’s easy to pooh-pooh the Bumbling Around Method of Finding Your Calling. A lot of us want the kind of direction from God that we’re used to with the matters of this world: a clear email, or an owner’s manual, or even a quick-start guide. We want clear, easy-to-follow directions. Bumbling around in the fog is uncomfortable, darn it!
But God doesn’t very often do that. Even his specific instructions to Paul (Acts 9) were pretty fuzzy: “This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” That’s pretty vague.
Sometimes God gives us a vision or an understanding of something really cool, really mature, and very often it’s a lot of our heart’s desires.  For me, it involved Brother Andrew and God’s Smuggler, and it involved Corrie Ten Boom and The Hiding Place. For others, he speaks to them, like he did with Paul, about the end game:  This is who you’ll be when we’re all done. Sometimes it’s just a vision or a dream, or a longing that’s hard to get rid of.
And we want God to wave his magic wand and make that happen. Or at the very least, to make the Treasure Map appear, with the great big X that marks the spot.
Yeah, no. I’ve never once - not in my life, not in the life of anyone I’ve ever known or heard about, and not in the life of anyone in Scripture - ever seen God wave his wand and make people into the thing they see in the vision, the experience. I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone for whom God gave them any Quick Start guide that was more than that initial prophecy or vision or longing.
Even the apostle Paul! God knocked him off his ass and blinded him for 3 days, but then he took him into the wilderness for perhaps as many as seventeen years, where he trained and mentored him.
He gives the glimpse (prophetic word, vision, longing, whatever) of the end of the process for three key reasons that I can tell about:
1) That glimpse is a target, it’s to help us make choices to aim at that end result, rather than aiming for something that’s not consistent with the way he’s built and accessorized our lives. For example, my glimpse, my longing, is always about equipping saints, and that helps me not try to focus my life on interpreting tongues or mercy ministries. Those are important and valuable, and they are not my area of calling.
2) It’s to give hope: this is where he’ll take you, provided that you’ll walk with him. I’m of the opinion that hope is under-valued in our world today. Some years ago, God spoke to me about a “worldwide ministry of teaching about the Kingdom of God.” The internet had not even been invented then, so it was hard to imagine a worldwide influence, but the hope of being able to influence saints in favor of participating in God’s Kingdom kept me moving through some times where it would have been easy to crawl home and hide under a rock. (“I can’t do that, there’s this vision out there for me!”) That illustrates a key principle: what the end result looks like will probably be remarkably different than what we thought it would look like, what we still think it should look like. I think God does that on purpose, because if we saw the end result too clearly, we'd likely rely on our own skills to get there, rather than relying on walking with him to get there.
3) I think he’s just so excited about our future that he just wants to share it with you! Like any good daddy, he’s terrifically excited about sharing his secrets with his kids, particularly the kids that are going to grow up and inherit the family business.
Paul says, in Romans, “... whatever is not from faith is sin.” So if God just handed us the Complete Guide to Your Eventual Ministry Once You’ve Grown Into Maturity, we wouldn’t need it. And we might not even grow into maturity. If we saw our path to that goal so clearly that we knew every step of the process, then our faith would be superfluous; we’d walking by sight, not by faith. And “Faith,” it has been said, “is spelled R-I-S-K.”
The process of getting from where we  are now to the place of mature ministry of our vision or prophecy will involve risk. It will involve asking ourselves, “Did God really say that?” and “Is God really leading me in this direction?” And every step of the way - whether we get it right or get it wrong - is moving us to that goal, as long as our heart is set on following Him!
Besides, once we’ve read the last book of the Bible, we get a good understanding of how important it is (to Father and to ourselves) to be an “Overcomer.” And how shall we ever become overcomers if we don’t have doubts, questions, obstacles, enemies to overcome?
Maybe bumbling around in the fog isn’t such a bad thing. Maybe that’s the best way, the fastest way, to reach our goal after all.
Onward! Through the fog!
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Devotionals

Mindsets

The Lord first spoke the word “mindset” to me several years ago.  (I wrote this ‘note’ in 2012)
A friend had died of sickness.  We had gone to the hospital to pray for her and I had seen the light of Jesus shine on her and bring wholeness.  I had spoken the things I saw in the Spirit over her.  She felt heat. Others had come and prayed for her, spending hours worshipping in her room. She was recovering.
Then I got a call two days later that she’d gone home to be with the Lord.  I asked God, “Why?”  And He said, “mindsets.”
In the last few years, God’s been talking to me about this a lot. The free online dictionary defines a mindset as:
1. A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person’s responses to and interpretations of situations.
2. An inclination or a habit.
I googled “mindsets” and found out that there’s a book out called, “Mindset” by psychologist Carol Dweck.  
 · · · →
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Devotionals, Letters

Finding God’s Will God’s Way

I was talking with a friend recently about “finding our life’s purpose in God.” 

That’s a tricky one, isn’t it? We want to know what our calling is for, so we can spend our energy where it’s useful, and where it’s not. And fairly often, for example when we read the parables of the talents or the minas, we feel a real urgency about the topic. Sometimes, it feels like we’re just bumbling around in the fog, instead of actually changing the world. And all of us, whether we admit it or not, want to have an impact on the world.
 
I’ve been battering this topic around rather a lot. I grew up reading stories like God’s Smuggler, where the heroes heard God say, “Go do this!” and they went and did it, and there were miracles. I want to be that guy: the one that gets to walk confidently in God’s leading and in God’s miraculous provision.

I know other folks who have had a prophetic word that’s way bigger than them, or a vision of something big and effective, or just a longing for “more” in a particular area of working with God.

We want God to make that happen. Here’s the problem: I’m not sure that’s a realistic expectation.

I’ve watched folks around me for some decades as they matured in Christ, and I think I’ve discovered some trends. Obviously, there are some folks who are not really attentive to their purpose in God; they just bumble around in one degree of contentment or another, attending conferences, complaining about difficult things, consuming resources and not really impacting the world around them. I’m not talking about them today.

But among those of us who are concerned for what God is planning for us, I think I see three broad categories:

a) Servants: These are the ones to whom God gives a good roadmap, and leads them along the way to the end of the line, sometimes step-by-step. These people often have amazing stories to tell of God’s leading.

Frankly, I suspect that some of these folks are asking out of immaturity (servants ask permission, sons not so much). But some seem to be mature in it, though I myself don’t see many of mature saints in this category.

b) Sons: These people have a rough idea of their calling, and they know their Father, so they just run off and do the things that are consistent with that calling. Most of the time, they learn more about their calling along the way.

The apostle Paul was in this category. Occasionally, God would give him a dream (“Go there!”), but most of the time, he just went. And he planted churches everywhere he went, because that’s who he is. I know an apostle who’s planted churches and Bible schools on three contents, and he says that God hasn’t told him to start any of them. That’s just his calling, and so he’s started hundreds of churches and dozens of schools by now, just being who God made him to be.

c) Useful: There are a lot of folks who would have a terrible time describing their calling, but instead are big on “do what’s right in front of you.” Is there a need to meet? Then meet that need! There are ALWAYS needs right in front of us; which ones we see, which ones we’re drawn to, may be a clue to our calling, but knowing the calling is less important than just “taking care of business” with the things around us. These people make “bumbling around in the fog” a means to being effective in ministry!

I’ve spent decades as one of these people, and it has seemed to work out pretty well. Over the course of meeting those needs right in front of me, I’ve discovered that the needs that I see, the needs that I’m most comfortable meeting, fit into categories, so I’ve moved from a category c) guy to a category b) guy, just by virtue of continually bumbling along.

It’s easy to pooh-pooh the Bumbling Around Method of Finding Your Calling. A lot of us want the kind of direction from God that we’re used to with the matters of this world: a clear email, or an owner’s manual, or even a quick-start guide. We want clear, easy-to-follow directions. Bumbling around in the fog is uncomfortable, darn it!

But God doesn’t very often do that. Even his specific instructions to Paul (Acts 9) were pretty fuzzy: “This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” That’s pretty vague.

Sometimes God gives us a vision or an understanding of something really cool, really mature, and very often it’s a lot of our heart’s desires.  For me, it involved Brother Andrew and God’s Smuggler, and it involved Corrie Ten Boom and The Hiding Place. For others, he speaks to them, like he did with Paul, about the end game:  This is who you’ll be when we’re all done. Sometimes it’s just a vision or a dream, or a longing that’s hard to get rid of.

And we want God to wave his magic wand and make that happen. Or at the very least, to make the Treasure Map appear, with the great big X that marks the spot.

Yeah, no. I’ve never once - not in my life, not in the life of anyone I’ve ever known or heard about, and not in the life of anyone in Scripture - ever seen God wave his wand and make people into the thing they see in the vision, the experience. I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone for whom God gave them any Quick Start guide that was more than that initial prophecy or vision or longing.

Even the apostle Paul! God knocked him off his ass and blinded him for 3 days, but then he took him into the wilderness for perhaps as many as seventeen years, where he trained and mentored him.

He gives the glimpse (prophetic word, vision, longing, whatever) of the end of the process for three key reasons that I can tell about:

1) That glimpse is a target, it’s to help us make choices to aim at that end result, rather than aiming for something that’s not consistent with the way he’s built and accessorized our lives. For example, my glimpse, my longing, is always about equipping saints, and that helps me not try to focus my life on interpreting tongues or mercy ministries. Those are important and valuable, and they are not my area of calling.  

2) It’s to give hope: this is where he’ll take you, provided that you’ll walk with him. I’m of the opinion that hope is under-valued in our world today. Some years ago, God spoke to me about a “worldwide ministry of teaching about the Kingdom of God.” The internet had not even been invented then, so it was hard to imagine a worldwide influence, but the hope of being able to influence saints in favor of participating in God’s Kingdom kept me moving through some times where it would have been easy to crawl home and hide under a rock. (“I can’t do that, there’s this vision out there for me!”)

That illustrates a key principle: what the end result looks like will probably be remarkably different than what we thought it would look like, what we still think it should look like. I think God does that on purpose, because if we saw the end result too clearly, we'd likely rely on our own skills to get there, rather than relying on walking with him to get there. 

3) I think he’s just so excited about our future that he just wants to share it with you! Like any good daddy, he’s terrifically excited about sharing his secrets with his kids, particularly the kids that are going to grow up and inherit the family business.

Paul says, in Romans, “... whatever is not from faith is sin.” So if God just handed us the Complete Guide to Your Eventual Ministry Once You’ve Grown Into Maturity, we wouldn’t need it. And we might not even grow into maturity. If we saw our path to that goal so clearly that we knew every step of the process, then our faith would be superfluous; we’d walking by sight, not by faith.

And “Faith,” it has been said, “is spelled R-I-S-K.”

The process of getting from where we  are now to the place of mature ministry of our vision or prophecy will involve risk. It will involve asking ourselves, “Did God really say that?” and “Is God really leading me in this direction?” And every step of the way - whether we get it right or get it wrong - is moving us to that goal, as long as our heart is set on following Him!

Besides, once we’ve read the last book of the Bible, we get a good understanding of how important it is (to Father and to ourselves) to be an “Overcomer.” And how shall we ever become overcomers if we don’t have doubts, questions, obstacles, enemies to overcome? 

Maybe bumbling around in the fog isn’t such a bad thing. Maybe that’s the best way, the fastest way, to reach our goal after all.

Onward! Through the fog!

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Columns, Devotionals

Mindsets

The Lord first spoke the word “mindset” to me several years ago.  (I wrote this 'note' in 2012)

A friend had died of sickness.  We had gone to the hospital to pray for her and I had seen the light of Jesus shine on her and bring wholeness.  I had spoken the things I saw in the Spirit over her.  She felt heat. Others had come and prayed for her, spending hours worshiping in her room. She was recovering.  




Then I got a call two days later that she’d gone home to be with the Lord.  I asked God, “Why?”  And He said, “mindsets.”

In the last few years, God’s been talking to me about this a lot. The free online dictionary defines a mindset as: 
1. A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person's responses to and interpretations of situations.
2. An inclination or a habit.

I googled “mindsets” and found out that there’s a book out called, “Mindset” by psychologist Carol Dweck.  Here’s an excerpt from it. 

 “For twenty years, my research has shown that the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.  It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you commit to and accomplish the things you value.  How does this happen?  How can a simple belief have the power to transform your psychology and, as a result, your life?“

Now I don’t like psychology for a very simple reason.   It does not acknowledge that man is a spiritual being that needs salvation.  It is ‘humanism’ at its worse; man trying to fix himself without Jesus.   And once again, I’m sure this book will tell us how to fix our thinking through positive affirmations.  But this understanding of our thinking is profound.

The online dictionary also talks about “collective mindsets.”  A story is told that in 1974, psychologists were trying to reorient the American Indians to have ”correct goals” such as a house and a full bank account.  But their historical viewpoint of success was so different that it was impossible to get them to think ‘correctly.’ 

The term ‘apostle’, which we see in scripture, is a secular term that was first used in Roman/Greek culture.  The Romans were conquering vast territories and claiming them as part of the Roman Empire.  But when the conquerors  would return to these regions, they found that the culture of the original country had not changed.  The people were not becoming “Romans.”  So they left ‘apostles’ in the area to change the culture!  These people were to be an influence and infiltrate the culture with Roman/Greek thinking! http://www.impactnetwork.net/pdf/apostle.pdf   They were sent out to these regions to transform the culture!

This is the reference point that Paul would have been using when writing.  He was charging us to be apostles to this world.  We have been ‘sent out’ by Christ to affect our culture, to change men’s  thinking, to tell the world that there is access to God through Jesus Christ.  But instead, many of us have been indoctrinated into the world’s thinking.  We are salt that has lost its ‘saltiness.’   Salt is a natural preservative that people used to keep their meat from spoiling.  Jesus wants us to be salt and light to this world.

We say more with our actions than we say with our words.  Especially when we are parents, we have a huge influence on the mindsets of our children.  If we eat dinner together every night and then spend time as a family in God’s Word and in prayer, we are establishing a truth in our children; that we cannot go a day without the Word of God; that we value the principles of God’s Word; that God is our first priority.

If our children see us up every morning before they are, praying and seeking God, it sends a message.  If our Bible is always open and we know what it says, and we quote it, it sends a message.   If the first thing we do when our children are sick is to lay hands on them and pray, we establish that we believe God’s Word regarding healing.  It becomes established in them that God heals.  They begin to experience healing through faith and when they are sick again, they do what works; pray, repent of sin and receive healing.

Our culture and society has an understood "truth."  When you are sick, you go to a doctor.  Medicine heals you.  Some things cannot be healed; they are chronic or worse yet, terminal.  Some pharmaceuticals will help the symptoms but you will always be sick.  When medication causes negative side effects, you can take another medication to get rid of that side effect.  Everyone needs health insurance.  Getting sick without health insurance might mean that you could be refused medical care.  If you are given medical care without insurance, your bills could destroy your finances.  Doctors have the final authority on your health.

This becomes a deep routed fear in people.  It becomes a mindset. 

Many times believers in Christ believe that they have right thinking based on truth because they believe Jesus is the Son of God Who died for their sins never realizing that they are still believing lies from the enemy in every area of their lives.  They have deep routed mindsets well established from their childhood.

Then consider the ‘collective mindset.’  Nothing reassures us that we are ‘right’ better than having a group that agrees with us.  We find comfort in that; that everyone thinks like we do.  We pass this thinking down from generation to generation; from church to church.

Jesus talks about mankind as ‘sheep that need a shepherd.’  Without a shepherd, sheep don’t know where to go or what to think.  They are known for flocking together and not separating from their flock.  It is very hard for us to think independently and risk the rejection of others.  We are much more comfortable getting into the center of a group of like believers and hiding there;  approved of and accepted.

When Jesus was on the earth, He spoke the most harshly to the religious of that day: the Pharisees.  The Pharisees religiously observed the Sabbath, they tithed and fasted and prayed.   But Jesus condemned them saying that unless we become more righteous than they, we will not see the Kingdom of Heaven.  He called them hypocrites and told them that they invalidated the Word of God by their traditions; teaching their own traditions as the doctrines of God. (Matthew 15)

A few years ago, I heard about Heidi and Rolland Baker’s ministry in Mozambique, Africa. www.irisministries.com   At that time, it was reported that they had raised over 70 people from the dead.  Heidi was going into the villages there and calling the people to come and hear about Jesus.  She was especially having success in the deaf receiving  hearing  and I always think it’s so wonderful that the first thing these people heard was the Name of Jesus!

When I first heard about this, my mind sort of did a little overload –“ What?!  Over 70 people raised from the dead?!”  I could not comprehend this!  As the years have progressed, I’ve listened to her on line.  In one session, she was speaking to a large group of pastors in Africa.  She asked them how many of them had raised people from the dead and every single one of them raised their hand!

One pastor told the story of a woman who was the people’s leader in witchcraft.  She died and the Lord told him to go raise her from the dead.  He didn’t want to -LOL.  When he obeyed, the woman came to life praising Jesus and now serves Him with all her heart.  Many of the villagers have committed their lives to Christ because of her testimony and the transformation God has done in her life!

Bill Johnson, pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, CA, and the author of, “When Heaven Invades Earth” says that when we share testimonies of the wonderful things that God has done, it creates an atmosphere for miracles.  People need to hear the wonderful things that God is doing.  It expands their thinking and they begin to think outside their mindsets.

Pastor Johnson’s  church has been experiencing miracles for years.  They are pressing into God that their territory, Redding, California, be a cancer-free zone.  They are seeing tumors fall off, deformities from birth corrected, cancer healed and many other healings and miracles.  They are breaking the mindset that God does not operate today the way He operated in the New Testament.

God’s mercies are new every day.  He will help us today.  But, He tells ‘US’ to renew our minds in His Truth.  He tells us not to be conformed to this world in our thinking.  He’s not going to do it for us.  He has given us His Word and His Spirit and it is our choice to renew our mind and seek Him or to continue to believe things contrary to His Word, just because we’ve found a group that will agree with us. 

We like to tell ourselves that if Jesus had come to the earth today, we would have recognized Him.  We would have followed Him and honored Him.  But He’s on this earth today.  He’s omnipresent in the form of the Holy Spirit and many ‘believers’ have not recognized Him. 

God gave us free will.  We can choose.  We can decide to follow God with our whole hearts or we can stay where we are.  There is always more.  He is infinite love; infinite mercy; infinite truth.

Jesus’ last commission to us was this: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel (The Good News!) to all creation.  He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.  THESE SIGNS WILL ACCOMPANY THOSE WHO BELIEVE: In My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them;  THEY WILL LAY HANDS ON THE SICK AND THEY WILL RECOVER.”

We have to start with a new mindset.  We have to start by believing.

Mindset –  A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person's responses to and interpretations of situations. 2. An inclination or a habit.

blessings and love~

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2

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Columns, Devotionals

The Gospel in the Stars

Imagine it’s twenty years from now and you’ve never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Imagine you’re living in a society where the ‘rainbow’ means ‘gay pride’.  Since you’ve never been to Sunday school, you’ve never heard the story of Noah and his ark and that the rainbow was a sign of covenant that God put in the sky to promise He would never again destroy the earth with water.

Imagine your surprise to find out that the rainbow has a meaning from God for mankind that has nothing to do with homosexual beliefs.

Well, that’s how I felt when I read, “The Gospel in the Stars.”

When I was a teen in the 70’s, astrology was huge. I was not serving God during these years and I knew the Zodiac, and its signs, inside out. If I met a cute guy, I instantly found out what his sign was to see if we were compatible.  · · · →

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Yes, LORD!

I asked the Lord several years ago why He doesn’t just show His glory to all of mankind?

Why He didn’t make His Presence known on the earth so that people would be bowled over by the knowledge that He is real – He is God?

Maybe you’ve asked Him that, too.  It seems so simple to me.  Show them that You are God.

He didn’t answer me until a couple of years ago.

He told me that when He reveals Himself to us that people have one of two responses; they can say, “Yes”or they can say, “No.”  When they say, “No,” their hearts become hardened.  And God, Who knows all things, withholds His glory with mercy, for those He knows are not ready.

Bill Johnson, www.ibethel.org, tells a story that has always amazed me.  While he was pastoring a church in Weaverville, CA, the Lord touched him in a wonderful way.    · · · →

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Keys to the Kingdom – Praise

The Judah Company
I'm a little over whelmed as I write this.  It is an amazing season in God and I am praising Him with all my heart.



Because I teach a Bible study, I can't remember if I shared a dream with you that I had or I just shared it with my Bible study/prayer partners - so I will share it again.





I dreamed I was handed a bunch of ancient keys.  I saw them be put into my hands.  Then I saw myself put one of the keys into an ancient, heavy wooden door.  The key slid into the hole in the lock and then the dream ended.

Last week, I felt the Lord impress upon me to talk with my Bible study group about 'praise.'  I was surprised, I guess, because praise has always been my favorite thing and anyone who knows me, knows that.  I feel like over the years I had really talked about it a lot.  But I obeyed the Lord and defined 'praise.'  

The following is a note I posted on my Facebook page several years ago and usually include in any Bible study I teach.  As you can see, we've lost a lot in translation and with every type of praise that is mentioned, praise is an 'action!'  And God is very specific about how He wants to be praise.

Seven Hebrew Words for Praise

1.YADAH - yaw-daw - to worship with the extended hand. The giving of oneself in worship and adoration. To lift your hands unto the Lord. It carries the meaning of absoulute surrender as a young child does to a parent - "pick me up, I'm all yours". Scriptures: Gen. 29:35, 2 Chron. 7:6, 20:21, Psalms 9:1, 28:7, Psalms 33:2, 42:5,11, 49:18, Isaiah 12:1 
3034 yadah (yaw-daw'); a primitive root; used only as denominative from 3027; literally, to use (i.e. hold out) the hand; physically, to throw (a stone, an arrow) at or away; especially to revere or worship (with extended hands); intensively, to bemoan (by wringing the hands):
KJV-- cast (out), (make) confess (-ion), praise, shoot, (give) thank (-ful, -s, -sgiving).
to throw, to shoot, to cast
a) (Qal) to shoot (arrows)
b) (Piel) to cast, to cast down, to throw down
c) (Hiphil)
1) to give thanks, to laud, praise
2) to confess, to confess (the name of God)
d) (Hithpael)
1) to confess (sin)
2) to give thanks
Yadah in practice - Lift my hands to Him and say how I am surrendering myself to Him. List the ways that I am surrendering to Him. Be diligent. Be disciplined. Be specific. Take the discipline and SAY to the Lord how I am surrendering to Him. With my hands uplifted - surrender unto my God - spirit, soul & body. Totally commit myself to my father.

2.TEHILLAH -teh-hil-law- to sing, to laud. A spontaneous new song. Singing from a melody in your heart by adding words to it. This refers to a special kind of singing-it is singing unprepared, unrehearsed songs. Brings tremendous unity to the body of Christ. Singing straight to God. Can move into tehilah anytime. Singing it the second time would be ZAMAR. It is the praise that God inhabits (sits enthroned on)(Psalm 22:3) God manifests Himself in the mids of exuberant singing.
Scripture: Psalms 22:3, 34:1, 40:3, 66:2, 2 Chronicles 20:22
8416 tehillah (teh-hil-law'); from 1984; laudation; specifically (concretely) a hymn: KJV-- praise.
praise, a song or a hymn of praise
a) praise, adoration, thanksgiving (paid to God)
b) the act of general or public praise
c) a praise-song (as a Hebrew title)
d) praise (demanded by qualities or deeds or attributes of God)
e) renown, fame, glory
1) used of Damascus , God
2) an object of praise, a possessor of renown (figurative)

3.BARAK - baw-rak - To kneel or to bow. To give reverence to God as an act of adoration. It implies to continual conscious giving place to God. Blessing the Lord, extolling virtue. There is a sense of kneeling and blessing God as an act of adoration in the word BARAK. Physical application - To bow, kneel or to do this with the intent in my heart that He is my KING and I yield to HIM. I am acknowledging Him as KING and GOD. SONG: BLESS THE LORD Scripture: Psalm 103 tells us how to bless the Lord and then goes on to enumerate those blessings: loving kindness, satisfaction redemption, honor, renewal. We bless the Lord by remembering all of these things.
1288 barak (baw-rak'); a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason):
KJV-- X abundantly, X altogether, X at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, X greatly, X indeed, kneel (down), praise, salute, X still, thank.
1) to bless, to kneel
a) (Qal)
1) to kneel
2) to bless
b) (Niphal) to be blessed, to bless oneself
c) (Piel) to bless
d) (Pual) to be blessed, to be adored
e) (Hiphil) to cause to kneel
f) (Hithpael) to bless oneself
2) Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament: to praise, to salute, to curse

4.HALAL
Scripture: 1 Chron. 16:4, 23:5,30, 25:3, 29:13, Neh. 12:24 (this word appears over 110 times in the OT)
1984 halal (haw-lal'); a primitive root; to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence, to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causatively, to celebrate; also to stultify:
KJV-- (make) boast (self), celebrate, commend, (deal, make), fool (-ish, -ly), glory, give [light], be (make, feignself) mad (against), give in marriage, [sing, be worthy of] praise, rage, renowned, shine.
1) to shine
a) (Qal) to shine (figurative of God's favor)
b) (Hiphil) to flash forth light
2) to praise, to boast, to be boastful
a) (Qal)
1) to be boastful
2) boastful ones, boasters (participle)
b) (Piel)
1) to praise
2) to boast, to make a boast
c) (Pual) to be praised, to be made praiseworthy, to be commended, to be worthy of praise
d) (Hithpael) to boast, to glory, to make one's boast
e) (Poel) to make a fool of, to make into a fool
f) (Hithpoel) to act madly, to act like a madman

5.TOWDAH -to-daw -To give worship by the extension of the hand in adoration or agreeing with what has been done or will be. This word is common- ly found in connection with sacrifice-applying the giving of thanks or praise as a sacrifice before reception or manifestation. Thanking God for something that I don't have in the natural. Agreeing with His Word - faith in His Word. This form of praise goes in operation just because His Word is true. "Father, I thank YOU that YOUR WORD is TRUE. As we raise our hearts and hands in praise to the Lord, it involves a sacrifice, especially if one is very sick in body. The carnal mind would fight and ridicule this particular action, but there is great faith in TOWDAH as praise. The lifting of the hand symbolizes agreement. The right hand symbolizes my covenant with my my Father. As I go through the scriptures, God is seen extending His Right Hand to me. That's the covenant. When He extends His right hand to me, He's saying to me - ALL THAT I AM IS YOURS, and when I extend my right hand to Him, I am saying "All that I am is yours and I agree with what You're saying. It is the sacrifice that God honors by His performing of miracles.
The ATTITUDE for TOWDAH is: I'm thanking God. I'm agreeing with God that it is as He says. I don't care what it looks like. I'm agreeing with what His Word says. Example: Father, I thank You that I am healed.
Scripture: Psalm 42:4, 50:23, Jer. 17:26
8426 towdah (to-daw'); from 3034; properly, an extension of the hand, i.e. (by implication) avowal, or (usually) adoration; specifically, a choir of worshippers: KJV-- confession, (sacrifice of) praise, thanks (-giving, offering).
confession, praise, thanksgiving
a) give praise to God
b) thanksgiving in songs of liturgical worship, a hymn of praise
c) a thanksgiving choir or a procession or a line or a company
d) a thank-offering, a sacrifice of thanksgiving
e) confession

6.ZAMAR - zaw-mar - To sing with instruments. To make music accompanied by the voice. One of the musical verbs for praise in the book of psalms. It carries the idea of making music in praise to God as in Psalm 92:1. The word ZAMAR also means to touch the strings, and refers to praise that involves instrumental worship as in Psalm 150. The one word is usually translated "sing praises".
2167 zamar (zaw-mar'); a primitive root [perhaps ident. with 2168 through the idea of striking with the fingers]; properly, to touch the strings or parts of a musical instrument, i.e. play upon it; to make music, accompanied by the voice; hence to celebrate in song and music: KJV-- give praise, sing forth praises, psalms.
to sing, to sing praise, to make music; (Piel)
1) to make music, to sing
2) to play a musical instrument

7.SHABACH - shaw-bakh - to address in a loud tone, a loud adoration, a shout! Proclaim with a loud voice, unashamed, the GLORY, TRIUMPH, POWER, MERCY, LOVE OF GOD. This word implies that testimony is praise. The phrase "shout unto the Lord" can be understood as the action of SHABACH. It is not just being loud. You should have the attitude of putting your whole being into it, an attitude of being totally uninhibited. Scripture: Psalm 117:1, 63:3-4
7623 shabach (shaw-bakh'); a primitive root; properly, to address in a loud tone, i.e. (specifically) loud; figuratively, to pacify (as if by words): KJV-- commend, glory, keep in, praise, still, triumph.
1) to soothe, to still, to stroke
a) (Piel) to soothe, to still
b) (Hiphil) stilling (participle)
2) to laud, to praise, to commend
a) (Piel)
1) to laud, to praise (God)
2) to commend, to congratulate (the dead)
b) (Hithpael) to boast

This morning, I was continuing to read, "Ladies of Gold - volume one" and was so blessed that Frances Metcalf began to talk about praise.  I learned new things I had not known and was so blessed to hear her revelation on 'praise.'

And the Lord spoke to me and told me that the first key - the key I saw go into the door - was PRAISE!

love and blessings~


"Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious." Psalm 66:2




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Columns, Devotionals

Keys to the Kingdom – Praise

I’m a little over whelmed as I write this. It is an amazing season in God and I am praising Him with all my heart.

Because I teach a Bible study, I can’t remember if I shared a dream with you that I had or I just shared it with my Bible study/prayer partners – so I will share it again.

I dreamed I was handed a bunch of ancient keys. I saw them be put into my hands. Then I saw myself put one of the keys into an ancient, heavy wooden door. The key slid into the hole in the lock and then the dream ended.

Last week, I felt the Lord impress upon me to talk with my Bible study group about ‘praise.’ I was surprised, I guess, because praise has always been my favorite thing and anyone who knows me, knows that. I feel like over the years I had really talked about it a lot.  · · · →

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Columns, Devotionals

Super Heroes

Our sweet grandson, Levi, turns five today.  He is so excited and it's a joy to see what simple things make a child happy.

He has talked about nothing but his upcoming birthday for weeks and was up early this morning, eating his birthday breakfast dressed as Iron Man.  

His room has been decorated in pirates since he was a baby but he has fallen in love with Super Heroes lately and wanted his room to reflect his new love.

His party today is also a Super Hero theme and all the children are coming over in costumes.  This is even more fun as my daughter doesn't celebrate Halloween. (I am going as "GLAMMA!!")  ha!

And I got thinking...

Every little child loves super heroes.  Could it be something in our DNA that draws us to the idea of having super powers?  Could it be that we were supposed to have super powers?

Could it be that we were never supposed to be sick?  Could it be that deep down in our memory is that feeling of being invincible?  Of destroying every evil thing that comes against us?  Could it be that God put a warrior spirit in us at creation when He commanded, "Be fruitful and multiply and take dominion over the earth"?

God created us to live forever.  God intended that Adam and Eve and their descendants would live forever in perfect, intimate fellowship with Him.  And we will live forever - but because of sin, some of us will live eternally separated from our loving God.

I believe in de-evolution.  In other words, I believe that Adam and Eve were created in the image of God and most likely had super powers.  Sin destroys and corrupts and I believe that when the Glory of God left them and they realized they were naked, it was even more than that.  I think that their super powers were gone also.

But I also believe that Jesus restored us to our original intent and being.  I believe that we are truly a 'new creature' in Christ and our super powers have been restored.  I believe that we are to lay hands on the sick and they will be healed.  I believe that we have authority over the demonic through the name of Jesus Christ.  I believe that through the power of the blood of Jesus, we raise the dead.

I believe that "greater is HE that's in me than he that's in the world."  I believe that I'll do even greater things in His Name than He did, because HE said it!  And I know that my faith is the key that opens the door.  I want to be all that He has called me to be and see His Power on the earth!

The other day at breakfast, Levi told his sister, Rhynn, (who's 3) that his foot hurt.  Rhynn asked him if she could pray for it.  My daughter was standing at the sink rinsing dishes and she said she stayed quiet and just listened.  Rhynn prayed for Levi's foot.  Then she paused and asked, "Does it still hurt?"  He said "Yes,"...

and she prayed again.

I think they're both going to be super heroes - in Jesus' Name!

Happy birthday, Levi!!

love and blessings~






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Super Heroes

Our sweet grandson, Levi, turns five today.  He is so excited and it's a joy to see what simple things make a child happy.

He has talked about nothing but his upcoming birthday for weeks and was up early this morning, eating his birthday breakfast dressed as Iron Man.  

His room has been decorated in pirates since he was a baby but he has fallen in love with Super Heroes lately and wanted his room to reflect his new love.

His party today is also a Super Hero theme and all the children are coming over in costumes.  This is even more fun as my daughter doesn't celebrate Halloween. (I am going as "GLAMMA!!")  ha!

And I got thinking...

Every little child loves super heroes.  Could it be something in our DNA that draws us to the idea of having super powers?  Could it be that we were supposed to have super powers?

Could it be that we were never supposed to be sick?  Could it be that deep down in our memory is that feeling of being invincible?  Of destroying every evil thing that comes against us?  Could it be that God put a warrior spirit in us at creation when He commanded, "Be fruitful and multiply and take dominion over the earth"?

God created us to live forever.  God intended that Adam and Eve and their descendants would live forever in perfect, intimate fellowship with Him.  And we will live forever - but because of sin, some of us will live eternally separated from our loving God.

I believe in de-evolution.  In other words, I believe that Adam and Eve were created in the image of God and most likely had super powers.  Sin destroys and corrupts and I believe that when the Glory of God left them and they realized they were naked, it was even more than that.  I think that their super powers were gone also.

But I also believe that Jesus restored us to our original intent and being.  I believe that we are truly a 'new creature' in Christ and our super powers have been restored.  I believe that we are to lay hands on the sick and they will be healed.  I believe that we have authority over the demonic through the name of Jesus Christ.  I believe that through the power of the blood of Jesus, we raise the dead.

I believe that "greater is HE that's in me than he that's in the world."  I believe that I'll do even greater things in His Name than He did, because HE said it!  And I know that my faith is the key that opens the door.  I want to be all that He has called me to be and see His Power on the earth!

The other day at breakfast, Levi told his sister, Rhynn, (who's 3) that his foot hurt.  Rhynn asked him if she could pray for it.  My daughter was standing at the sink rinsing dishes and she said she stayed quiet and just listened.  Rhynn prayed for Levi's foot.  Then she paused and asked, "Does it still hurt?"  He said "Yes,"...

and she prayed again.

I think they're both going to be super heroes - in Jesus' Name!

Happy birthday, Levi!!

love and blessings~






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Columns, Devotionals

Distractions

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a distraction as:

: something that makes it difficult to think or pay   attention

: something that amuses or entertains you so that   you do not think about   problems, work, etc.

: a state in which you are very annoyed or upset





The Lord talked to me about distractions many years ago. We may tend to think of a distraction as a minor thing. But what if we spend our entire life...distracted; distracted from the things of God.

God has set before us a 'things-to-do' list.  Each one of us has a calling on our lives to fulfill.  We each have a role to fill in this war against evil.  

I read a wonderful revelation recently in "The Dancing Hand of God."  I've loaned the book to another one of my prayer partners so I'm going to have to paraphrase.

There is no 'time' with God. God is omnipresent and is not confined to 'time.'  He knows the end of the story and lives in that place even while He's bringing things to that end.  He knows the end of the story even as He is setting things in motion in our lives to bring us to His victory. Our gifts and callings are without repentance and our place in the story is set. God will not change this.  He knew our place in His-story even before He created us. He has created us to fill that place in His-story.

The enemy wants to keep us distracted.  He doesn't want us to pay attention to the important things in life.  He wants to keep us entertained and not let us focus on the important things - the things of God. And the saddest thing is that we can spend our entire lives being distracted.

We are about half way through our 40 day Word fast.  The amazing thing to me is that I did this 40 day Word fast almost 30 years ago  - to the day!  The sad thing to me is...I have wanted to do it again for 30 years...and didn't.

Because it's too hard to turn the television off.

My parents both worked full time when I was a child.  I was raised by babysitters who put me in front of a TV. When I was twelve years old, I refused to go to the babysitter anymore.  I came home alone every day after school. And watched TV.  

The Lord brought to mind yesterday a tree that grows around a pole. It becomes almost impossible to separate the tree from the pole. The only way would be to cut the tree down and hope the roots are strong enough for the tree to grow again.

I was ashamed to confess this weakness to others and I've found that the more I did, the more I found out that others live this way too.

Something in me began to cry out to God. I began to realize that I did not want to die and not fulfill what God has called me to do. And I am getting older and time is running out. And I am living my life distracted.

I called Monday and turned off our cable. We no longer have television in our home. My husband has been fully supportive of this change. We moved the TV out of our bedroom - it's no longer attached to anything. Our TV in our family room will still have Netflix.

And here's the honest truth:

I have these moments of utter joy and such freedom - like I've broken loose of something that has held me down my whole life.  I can see the wonderful light at the end of the tunnel and know I'm on the right track.

And then I have these moments of darkness - thoughts of endless evenings that stretch ahead of me with no entertainment.  Endless days of a silent house while I'm home alone.   

I never knew my house could be so quiet.  The quiet is almost heavy.

And I am sleeping like a baby at night.  My mind is so quiet and peaceful and it's so easy to connect with God the moment I wake up in the morning.  And I lie down at night in the quiet and talk to God.
  
The thoughts that are running through my mind are not replays of the last show I watched but instead I hear worship songs and scripture and most precious of all, God's voice.

When I have the bad moments, I remember the 30 years I couldn't do this.  I remember how a distraction can have such a hold on you that you can waste your whole life.  And I declare to God that I will learn to live the way He wants me to live.  I will learn to be a tree without that pole.  

love and blessings~













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Columns, Devotionals

Distractions

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a distraction as:

: something that makes it difficult to think or pay   attention

: something that amuses or entertains you so that   you do not think about   problems, work, etc.

: a state in which you are very annoyed or upset





The Lord talked to me about distractions many years ago. We may tend to think of a distraction as a minor thing. But what if we spend our entire life...distracted; distracted from the things of God.

God has set before us a 'things-to-do' list.  Each one of us has a calling on our lives to fulfill.  We each have a role to fill in this war against evil.  

I read a wonderful revelation recently in "The Dancing Hand of God."  I've loaned the book to another one of my prayer partners so I'm going to have to paraphrase.

There is no 'time' with God. God is omnipresent and is not confined to 'time.'  He knows the end of the story and lives in that place even while He's bringing things to that end.  He knows the end of the story even as He is setting things in motion in our lives to bring us to His victory. Our gifts and callings are without repentance and our place in the story is set. God will not change this.  He knew our place in His-story even before He created us. He has created us to fill that place in His-story.

The enemy wants to keep us distracted.  He doesn't want us to pay attention to the important things in life.  He wants to keep us entertained and not let us focus on the important things - the things of God. And the saddest thing is that we can spend our entire lives being distracted.

We are about half way through our 40 day Word fast.  The amazing thing to me is that I did this 40 day Word fast almost 30 years ago  - to the day!  The sad thing to me is...I have wanted to do it again for 30 years...and didn't.

Because it's too hard to turn the television off.

My parents both worked full time when I was a child.  I was raised by babysitters who put me in front of a TV. When I was twelve years old, I refused to go to the babysitter anymore.  I came home alone every day after school. And watched TV.  

The Lord brought to mind yesterday a tree that grows around a pole. It becomes almost impossible to separate the tree from the pole. The only way would be to cut the tree down and hope the roots are strong enough for the tree to grow again.

I was ashamed to confess this weakness to others and I've found that the more I did, the more I found out that others live this way too.

Something in me began to cry out to God. I began to realize that I did not want to die and not fulfill what God has called me to do. And I am getting older and time is running out. And I am living my life distracted.

I called Monday and turned off our cable. We no longer have television in our home. My husband has been fully supportive of this change. We moved the TV out of our bedroom - it's no longer attached to anything. Our TV in our family room will still have Netflix.

And here's the honest truth:

I have these moments of utter joy and such freedom - like I've broken loose of something that has held me down my whole life.  I can see the wonderful light at the end of the tunnel and know I'm on the right track.

And then I have these moments of darkness - thoughts of endless evenings that stretch ahead of me with no entertainment.  Endless days of a silent house while I'm home alone.   

I never knew my house could be so quiet.  The quiet is almost heavy.

And I am sleeping like a baby at night.  My mind is so quiet and peaceful and it's so easy to connect with God the moment I wake up in the morning.  And I lie down at night in the quiet and talk to God.
  
The thoughts that are running through my mind are not replays of the last show I watched but instead I hear worship songs and scripture and most precious of all, God's voice.

When I have the bad moments, I remember the 30 years I couldn't do this.  I remember how a distraction can have such a hold on you that you can waste your whole life.  And I declare to God that I will learn to live the way He wants me to live.  I will learn to be a tree without that pole.  

love and blessings~













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Columns, Devotionals

We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know

Over the years, the Lord has led me down an amazing journey of knowledge. My friends chuckle at all the books I've read, but I believe the Lord is leading me to the things He wants me to know. "Without knowledge, the people perish." Hosea 4:6

Our God is infinite. We will be in His Presence for all eternity and still not know all of Him!  The more I study, the more I am compelled to study. One glimpse of knowledge opens another door - a door I didn't even know existed!

I dreamed the other night that I was handed a whole bunch of rusty, ancient keys and in the dream, I put one of the keys into a heavy, wooden door.  Then the dream ended.

I want to open that door.




Recently God lead me to an amazing book called, "The Dancing Hand of God," by James Maloney. This book is an inspiring account of James' life, from poverty and abuse to the 'dancing hand of God.'

James had had some life-changing encounters with God but his life really changed when he was chosen by a group called "The Golden Candlesticks."  Sound a little weird, right?  I thought so too but after reading his account, I was fascinated and ordered the book, "Ladies of Gold."

This book is a compilation of writings by Frances Metcalfe, the leader of The Golden Candlesticks and as I read her writings, I recognized My God.  She has gone to Glory but in her lifetime she  had encounters with Jesus that most of us will never have and she has touched the heart of God in ways that stretch my imagination.

The Golden Candlesticks was a group that varied in number over the years.  There were between 30 and 80 people, mostly women, that met 6 nights a week.  They worshiped and prayed from 6pm until 3am in the morning!  They built a special house to meet in - in James Maloney's home town.

They gave up all opportunities for public ministry to minister nightly to the Lord but they asked one thing of God - that they would be allowed one person to pour all their hopes and anointing into.  That person was James Maloney!

And the miracles and healings and encounters that James has experienced are mind-boggling!  The Lord released him a couple of years ago to share all these things and I am so thankful that I read this book.  Dear Lord, please stretch me to reach for Your Presence, to KNOW You and the power of Your resurrection!

I have spent hours (days) reading these books and asking God to teach me and let me know Him more. And surprisingly (ha!) "Golden Ladies" led me to another book!  God willing, I'll share on that later!

love and blessings~

"Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;" Genesis 1:14


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