Tag Archives: deliverance

Devotionals, Letters

When Darkness Comes Into the Light

For a long time, I’ve been praying that the things that have been hidden in darkness would be revealed in the light. Many of you have been praying similar things.

I’m not stopping those prayers (please, don’t you stop either). But I’m adding to it: I’m praying that those that see the things drawn out into the light would recognize them, would understand them, and would take wise action based on what they recognize and understand.

There’s a lot of dark stuff going on in hidden places in our world. It has to: there’s so very much light increasing all around, that the darkness is not just where dark things are most comfortable, but now, that’s the only place where the dark things can survive.

As I pray these prayers, I expect hidden things in governments to be brought into the light and recognized. I expect people to recognize and condemn atrocities in the Middle East and in Asia. I expect that dark things in the medical community and the business world will be revealed, perhaps most especially where those two worlds overlap. As I pray, I expect that hidden things in the education systems will come to light and surprise many.

Demonic strongholds will be uncovered, and – if we’re attentive – torn down. Demonic plans will evaporate to dust. Sins and influences that have been hidden in darkness will be uncovered; some will scurry away to find more darkness, and others, unable to hide, will find their end when a Saint notices them and wields their sword of the Spirit on them.

But it won’t only happen “over there.” This trend toward disclosure will also happen “over here.” And it’s probably good that it does. There’s darkness in the Christian religious system as well, and if we’re violently honest, there’s probably a measure of darkness in most of our lives that we’ve completely lost track of.

I suppose these will come into the light as well.

But I also expect that we’ll see our hopes and desires come to light, and surprise many, even surprising ourselves. And it won’t just be us, it will be many people, shaking their heads, as if awakening from a dream, and marveling at the dreams and visions that are in their own hearts.

I expect that as we pray, we’ll see the “sons of God” emerge from their hidden place, and take their places in the Kingdom of God, and no, I don’t really know what that will look like.

And best of all, our Magnificent Bridegroom, who has been hidden by the weeds and distractions of the world will no longer be hidden. He will be seen as he really is, and as we see him, we’ll be transformed.

I look forward to walking in the fulfillment of these prayers. Would you care to join me? 
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Prophecy

Help! Get Me Outta Here!

Have you ever been stuck in a situation that was really hard to put up with? Maybe it’s a job with long hours, no respect, lousy pay, no growth opportunities. Maybe it’s a relationship you can’t escape: parents, spouse, neighbors, co-workers. Whatever it is, you know things are not like they ought to be, and you seem powerless to change them.

It’s hard in that place. It’s easy to get disgruntled, angry, bitter in that place: why isn’t God changing this? It’s like he doesn’t even hear your prayers on this.
 
Here’s my experience, my testimony: I spent a bunch of years disgruntled in a lousy job, and I surely didn’t thrive. I complained to God and man about legitimate issues, blatantly illegal issues. I ended up doing the job poorly, and the boss noticed. Yikes.
 
I realized that I was letting my job be the thing that determined the state of my soul: my circumstances were the thing that determined whether I had joy or depression, whether I was thankful or ungrateful. Yikes again: I decided I wasn’t OK with somebody else controlling me.

I took positive steps to change my attitude. The job didn’t change; if anything, it got worse. But I looked for places to rejoice (often the people) and ways to excel (one big one came through an on-site accident: weird how that worked). I went out of my way to perform that lousy job to the best of my ability, while submitting to their stupid and unreasonable limitations. More, I went out of my way to be positive and encouraging to the people I worked with, and with myself.
 
Time went by. A couple of years later, my job was pretty much the same, but I was happy and thriving and doing my job well. The boss noticed, and talked about promotion, but even more, Father noticed, and he released me to the next opportunity: I was not released from the prison until I overcame my own soul in the midst of it.
 
It seems that he wasn’t willing to bail me out when I’d given up: he doesn’t reward disgruntled
ingratitude. God’s ways do not include giving in to our petulant temper tantrums and continuous whining. He rewards faithfulness, especially in tough circumstances. He always has.
 
That appears to be his way throughout scripture: he rewards those who are faithful, whether with great gifts or with small ones. This is also his way: he always saves us through the difficulties, never from them.

It’s when we’re faithful in the midst those difficult circumstances that he is free to reward us, not before.

—

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Columns, Devotionals

Seeing Through the Eyes of the Father

 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 

One of my heroes of faith is Shane Claiborne.  He wrote a book called, "Irresistible Revolution" that changed my life.  The Lord spoke to me in a powerful way while reading this book and confirmed many things that I had on my heart.

Shane Claiborne tells a story about being invited to speak at a church but when he arrived he was shunned by the church goers.  They thought he was a homeless man and stared at him and wouldn't speak to him. They were very surprised when they found out he was the guest speaker.

Because Shane Claiborne has dread-locks to his waist!  (I think he's recently cut his hair.)   He typically wears baggy jeans and an old work shirt.  


But I am so blessed and inspired by him because Shane Claiborne is busy 'being Jesus' to his community.  He's feeding the hungry and housing the homeless.  He's sharing Jesus to the lost.  He's 'being the Church!'  And I love him.

I spent my first twenty years of being a believer going to church and believing that I knew what it was all about.  I was preoccupied by what I wore to church and disapproved of those that didn't dress well.  I sang in the choir and led youth groups.  I gave to the building fund and never missed tithing.  

And then Jesus began to do a work in my heart and I realized I had missed the mark.  And that's sin - right?  

Our worship dance ministry had done a 'prayer walk' around our church - circling the church each week and surrounding it with prayer.  The Lord had directed us to do this. 

And then the Lord convicted my daughter, who was in college at the time, to circle Ferris campus in the same way.  About this time she met a young man I'll call Jacob who was on fire for Jesus.  The Lord had given him the same conviction so a group of them began to obey the Lord.  She would tell me about this group with joy and enthusiasm.

One day, she described Jacob - mohawk, piercings, tattoos -  and I was shocked.  Laura told me, "Mom, you have a religious spirit!" and I realized it was true.  I immediately repented and have never made the same mistake again. 

A lot of religious sects get offended by women wearing pants because of the scripture that states that women should not wear men's clothing.  You realize, of course, that when this scripture was written, everyone wore 'robes' and they now make pants for women?

So many of the things Christians stumble over are purely cultural.  And then they fall into judgment and miss God all together.  

A friend told me several years ago after sharing Christ with her son for several years he finally made the decision to visit church.  And no one spoke to him while he was there.  Because of his appearance.  The Word tells us to make the most of every opportunity but we choose to shun people even when they come to church?

Jesus came to seek and save the lost.  We are called to save the lost.  Of course if we never interact with the lost, it's hard to save them.  If we are so offended by appearances, or if we expect every Christian to look the same, wear a three piece suit or a dress, we'll miss God all together.  Because God sees the heart.

Now I'm not saying that people should not dress modestly.  I believe men and women should dress modestly at all times, so please don't misunderstand that.  But I think we've got to change our religious thinking and start realizing what's important.

Where did we get the idea that serving Christ means singing in the choir and baking cookies for the congregation.  Was that Jesus' final commission to us? It means going out into the streets and meeting real people where they live.  It means helping people and sharing the love of Christ.  It means sharing your food and your money and working with your hands.

And we might have to leave our three piece suits at home or they'll get dirty. 

love and blessings~


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Columns, Devotionals

Seeing Through the Eyes of the Father

 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 

One of my heroes of faith is Shane Claiborne.  He wrote a book called, "Irresistible Revolution" that changed my life.  The Lord spoke to me in a powerful way while reading this book and confirmed many things that I had on my heart.

Shane Claiborne tells a story about being invited to speak at a church but when he arrived he was shunned by the church goers.  They thought he was a homeless man and stared at him and wouldn't speak to him. They were very surprised when they found out he was the guest speaker.

Because Shane Claiborne has dread-locks to his waist!  (I think he's recently cut his hair.)   He typically wears baggy jeans and an old work shirt.  


But I am so blessed and inspired by him because Shane Claiborne is busy 'being Jesus' to his community.  He's feeding the hungry and housing the homeless.  He's sharing Jesus to the lost.  He's 'being the Church!'  And I love him.

I spent my first twenty years of being a believer going to church and believing that I knew what it was all about.  I was preoccupied by what I wore to church and disapproved of those that didn't dress well.  I sang in the choir and led youth groups.  I gave to the building fund and never missed tithing.  

And then Jesus began to do a work in my heart and I realized I had missed the mark.  And that's sin - right?  

Our worship dance ministry had done a 'prayer walk' around our church - circling the church each week and surrounding it with prayer.  The Lord had directed us to do this. 

And then the Lord convicted my daughter, who was in college at the time, to circle Ferris campus in the same way.  About this time she met a young man I'll call Jacob who was on fire for Jesus.  The Lord had given him the same conviction so a group of them began to obey the Lord.  She would tell me about this group with joy and enthusiasm.

One day, she described Jacob - mohawk, piercings, tattoos -  and I was shocked.  Laura told me, "Mom, you have a religious spirit!" and I realized it was true.  I immediately repented and have never made the same mistake again. 

A lot of religious sects get offended by women wearing pants because of the scripture that states that women should not wear men's clothing.  You realize, of course, that when this scripture was written, everyone wore 'robes' and they now make pants for women?

So many of the things Christians stumble over are purely cultural.  And then they fall into judgment and miss God all together.  

A friend told me several years ago after sharing Christ with her son for several years he finally made the decision to visit church.  And no one spoke to him while he was there.  Because of his appearance.  The Word tells us to make the most of every opportunity but we choose to shun people even when they come to church?

Jesus came to seek and save the lost.  We are called to save the lost.  Of course if we never interact with the lost, it's hard to save them.  If we are so offended by appearances, or if we expect every Christian to look the same, wear a three piece suit or a dress, we'll miss God all together.  Because God sees the heart.

Now I'm not saying that people should not dress modestly.  I believe men and women should dress modestly at all times, so please don't misunderstand that.  But I think we've got to change our religious thinking and start realizing what's important.

Where did we get the idea that serving Christ means singing in the choir and baking cookies for the congregation.  Was that Jesus' final commission to us? It means going out into the streets and meeting real people where they live.  It means helping people and sharing the love of Christ.  It means sharing your food and your money and working with your hands.

And we might have to leave our three piece suits at home or they'll get dirty. 

love and blessings~


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Columns, Devotionals

The Power of Forgiveness

The book of Ephesians talks about 'our weapons of warfare' but did you ever realize that 'forgiveness' is a powerful weapon of warfare?

In Matthew 18:21, Jesus talks about forgiveness, saying,

"the Kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a King forgiving the debts of His slaves."  

Jesus goes on to tell the story of a king who forgave a man of a very large debt.  The man left the King's presence thankful for this forgiveness but when he encountered a man who owed him a very small debt, had him thrown into prison.

Jesus then explains that when we refuse to forgive others, we ourselves are thrown into prison until all our debts are paid.  Jesus also prays in "The Lord's Prayer" (Matthew 6)

"...forgive us our debts AS we forgive our debtors..." 

When we have unforgiveness towards others, God does not forgive us our sins.  And our sins can destroy us.

We are hurt the deepest by those closest to us.  The deeper the love and intimacy, the more powerful the wound.  And maybe there's someone in your life that hurts you over and over again.  Did you realize that you can set them free, break this pattern in their life, and enable God to change them, by your forgiveness?

The Word tells us that we are to overcome evil with good.  (Romans 12:21)  Anger feeds anger. Unforgiveness feeds unforgiveness.  But love and forgiveness break the pattern, destroy the bondage, and bring the Kingdom of God into the situation.

We've all had to forgive.  And some have had to forgive things that have done great damage in their lives.  God is not without compassion.  Jesus Himself was betrayed and abandoned by those closest to Him.  He experienced the pain of rejection and knows how deeply it can go.

Forgiveness breaks bondage, heals wounds, sets the captive free and brings physical healing.  There is a saying that when you forgive someone, the captive you set free is 'you' but you also set the other person free.

Forgiveness is a decision.  It doesn't mean that the moment we make this decision that our heart will be healed.  But it begins the process.

When my daughter was 3 months old, I worked full time. I came home one day to find her face bruised all around her eyes. Our babysitter explained that she had dropped her face onto her 'baby box.'  (a learning toy that was popular then)  I had no reason to not believe her. I even wrote this injury into her baby book as her 'first.'

About a year later this same babysitter called me, crying. She confessed that Laura's injury had been because she (the babysitter) had hit her repeatedly. I was heart-broken.

I was home by then with Laura but my worst fear was realized. Every mother fears that she will leave her child with someone that will hurt them and I was horrified that the very first person I had chosen had abused my baby.

I not only had to forgive this person - I had to forgive myself.

I grieved for 10 days. I couldn't eat and I made myself sick. I cried and prayed and hugged my daughter and implored God but could find no peace. Finally one day, on my knees in my bedroom, I cried out to God and asked Him if He would please remind me of something horrible I had done so that I might have mercy on this lady and be able to forgive her.

And in that moment God transported me into outer space. I could see that I was in an endless black void. I could see stars all around me that spread into eternity. I experienced how vast and infinite God's universe was. And God spoke to me.

He said,
"I can't remind you because I don't remember."  

And He brought to my mind the scripture, "As far as the East is from the West - so far has He removed our transgressions from us." (Psalms 103:12)

And the anger and hatred in me broke in the face of His immeasurable mercy.

I was overwhelmed as I understood that the God of the Universe CHOSE to completely forget all my sin. As I cried and cried, speaking and declaring my forgiveness and blessing over this lady, God poured out an anointing of Joy and healed my heart.

Wounded people wound people.

Those who have been abused, abuse others.

Praying for those who have hurt you is the quickest way to forgiveness.  As we go to the Father on their behalf, He causes us to understand their weaknesses and have compassion on them.  They have been hurt too. And we may not know how deeply.

And yes, you're doing it for them.  Not just for yourself.  Just like Christ died for your sins, you die to your right 'to be right.'  And in all honestly, none of us is completely 'right.'

I never got a chance to speak to this lady again.  She did not leave me her number or call me again. But I spoke blessings over her life.  I prayed that she was able to forgive herself and be the person God called her to be. It took great courage to call me and confess her sin.  She didn't have to do it. But she did it because the Word commands us to confess our sins.  I know that God will bless her for obeying His Word.

She also had a daughter and both our children are grown now.  My daughter has children.  My daughter is deeply loved by God and I trust that He has healed any wounds that have been done to her.  He is Faithful and True.  He is able to do over and above all that we would think or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20) And as I release these things and the people in my life to Him, He is merciful and loving.

None of us has received what we deserve.  Jesus bore what we each deserve and extends to each of us His forgiveness.  We need to walk in His ways, extending our forgiveness to others.

love and blessings~

"Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions." Mark 11:25

I'm linking up with:
Imparting Grace - Grace at Home
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Columns, Devotionals

The Blessing of Pain

None of us get through this life without emotional pain.  The death of a parent, the loss or rejection of a loved one, emotional or physical abuse - all these things are very common in this world - and can cause deep emotional wounds.  If we let them.

I don't propose that we have the power to overcome these things by ourselves - but 'in Christ' we can. And I think we can actually benefit.

How we handle pain can 'make us or break us.'  The old saying, "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger," can be true but sometimes what doesn't kill us, might just make us bitter.  And then the enemy has gained a strong-hold in our lives.

I have had a very painful situation in my life from a very young age - my dad.  Without going into detail and losing the focus of this post, this hurt in my life has shaped me and has had the potential to destroy the calling on my life.  My dad died this past November and the last few months have been very hard.  So I want to propose a new thought - what if pain can be a blessing?

 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

This is a truth that I remind myself of whenever I am tempted to be discouraged.  And meditating on this thought until it becomes a reality to you can change your perspective on everything.

It's the painful things in our lives that shape us the most.  The Word tells us that Jesus learned obedience through suffering (Hebrews 5:8) and it's always fascinated me that Jesus, Who was perfect and without sin, had to suffer to learn obedience.  And I confess that I don't understand that at all. But if Jesus had to suffer then I can accept that suffering can be a righteous thing and that God can use it to change us for His Glory.

So in this season, I have talked a lot to God.  For me, this is different than 'prayer.'  Prayer, to me, is to get into the Presence of God, receive His direction and declare the things that He is saying.  

But I talk to God all day long.  I give Him my hurts, tell Him what I'm thinking and ask Him to correct me and help me, confess my weaknesses, tell Him how much I need Him and that He is perfect in all His ways.  I depend on God to get through my day.

And in this season, I've submitted to the pain.

I've asked God to use this pain to shape me into the person He's called me to be.  I won't say for one minute that this has been easy.  I have tears in my eyes even as I write this.  And I can't say that I don't 'fear' how deeply this hurt can go.

But I know I have a Saviour.  He is Faithful and True. I know He sees every hurt that's in my heart and He puts every tear in a bottle (Psalm 56:8).  I know He knows me better than I know myself and even more than that, He knows things that I don't know.  He knows what's coming.  He knows what I need.  He knows how to help me and strengthen me.  I yield myself whole-heartedly to His wisdom and love.

This season is still hard but I can't imagine how hard it would be without Him.  Without Him, I would be lost and I would break.  But with Him, I am trusting that I will come out victorious and filled with joy.  I am trusting that someday I will be able to look at this season in my life and see His presence through it all.

"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I have been fulling known." 1 Cor 13:12

love and blessings~


"Behold, I have inscribed YOU on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me." Isaiah 49:16


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Prophecy

Counterfeits in the Kingdom

One of the signs that says to me, “Hell is scared,” is the immense quantity of spiritual forgery going on. 
Nobody in their right mind counterfeits $3 bills. What gets counterfeited are $20 bills and $100 bills. Why? Because they’re the most valuable.
There is more value tied up in US $20 bills than all of the other American bills combined, except the $100 bill. And of course, there is more value tied up in the US $100 bill than all other US bills combined!

When things are valuable, they are counterfeited. When they are meaningless, they are not counterfeited.

And it’s not just the “most valuable” things that are counterfeited. Nobody counterfeits ten-thousand-dollar bills. That’s silly. The bills exist, but they are so very rare, that they stand out. And there are so few of them that all together, they aren’t worth as much as $1 bills.
No, people counterfeit what is valuable, and they counterfeit what the public can regularly expect to use and handle.
In the Kingdom, nobody is counterfeiting God’s work in Genesis 1. That’s too very rare, and let’s be honest: it’s hard to fake that. And nobody is (seriously) counterfeiting the Cross of Christ. Yeah, people have themselves crucified every Good Friday, but nobody believes they’re Jesus: it’s obvious that they’re fakes. Besides, that particular counterfeit leaves the counterfeiters dead, and it’s hard to make a profit when you’re dead.
But the things that Father is releasing, unveiling in this generation, the treasures that he’s giving (has already given) to every single believer: these are getting counterfeited.
God is speaking about sonship, about how we’re legitimately God’s heirs. So the enemy is showing several counterfeits claiming to be Jesus Christ in the flesh. Here’s one: http://nwp.link/1uLEuNa
God is speaking about how hell isn’t what we’ve always thought it was, so these false Christs are denying hell.
God is showing us how weak and helpless the devil really is, so these false Christs are denying the devil himself.
Our response is not to get all excited that there is yet ANOTHER false Christ. They’ve been around for millennia, and there will be more. Yawn. Our response is not to tell everybody about why this false Christ or that false Christ is actually false. Neither is our response to declare that just because there is a false Christ, therefore all Christs are false, and then deny that Jesus came in the flesh. (Don’t laugh: there are many who have done this!)
Our response is the same in this situation as it is any other time the false is declared: we focus on the real.
If the devil is parading false Christs, we fix our eyes on Jesus, the real Christ.
If the devil is raising up false healings and false miracles, we become skilled in wielding the healing gifts, the gifts of miracles that come from the real Holy Spirit.
If there are New Age mystics who talk about being transported to other places, whether spiritual or physical, either in their own spirits or actually in the flesh, then we press into these gifts (all of which are described in Scripture) and we learn what Father is releasing to his children today.
Bottom line: if the devil is leading people astray, we drawer closer to God to be led by Him (and not by our reaction to the devil) into what is true.
What does the Word say?
Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. … But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. – [1 John 2:18-20 NKJV]

Our response to the antichrist spirit that is pretty busy in the culture around us is the anointing from God, to know what he knows, and (since he’s talking about experiential knowledge, not book-learning) to practice what we know from Him.

Let’s follow God, shall we, wherever he shall lead us.

—
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Devotionals, Letters

The Vision of the Wooden Spoon

The vision began with a quiet stream, in a quiet, green meadow; it reminded me of Narnia for some reason: that peaceful. The stream was wider than one could jump across, and deeper than you’d want to wade across, and its flow was smooth and fairly fast. All in all, it was a very peaceful environment. The birds were singing.
Then a giant hand appeared in the sky, holding a giant wooden spoon, the kind of spoon that people use in the kitchen to mix cookie dough. The spoon dipped into the stream and stirred.
For a while, nothing much happened, except the stream became more turbulent from the spoon’s motion. After a minute or two, the stream darkened, and soon I could see things in the muddy stream: old tires, boots, cans, bottles, sticks and stones, jars, bags of rubbish. The hand with the spoon withdrew into the heavens.
I was kind of appalled. This had been a peaceful stream, in a beautiful meadow, and now it was full of trash and garbage and muck and mess. Well, actually, the peaceful stream had always had the trash and muck and garbage and muck and mess, but it had been lying hidden in the mud on the bottom of the stream. Now the stuff was out in the open.
The vision continued, and the stream kept flowing, and then I saw it: the garbage was flowing downstream with the flow of stream. Some of what had been stirred up came to the top of the stream, and was carried far downstream, out of the picture. Other things, heavier things, were carried a little ways downstream but they settled back to the bottom of the stream. Soon the stream was clear and peaceful again, but I knew that old tires, discarded shoes, bottles and cans were still there, lying on the bottom of the stream.
The hand with the spoon appeared again, and stirred the water again, and again the stream darkened with mud, again tires, discarded shoes, bottles, cans, and other detritus were stirred up, and again they floated various distances downstream.
The cycle was repeated several times, until eventually, the stirring from the almighty spoon did not bring up muck and garbage.
The stream returned to peace, but it flowed smoother, faster, than it had before, and I realized that it flowed cleaner than it had before. The garbage on the stream bed had settled under so much mud that the stream flowed smoothly over it, but still the garbage had polluted the stream.
Now the stream was actually clean.
I believe that this is what Father is doing in some of our lives. He’s stirring things up in our lives, and it’s uncomfortable. It’s easy to be appalled or offended at what he’s doing, because he’s good at what he does. Things are being stirred up, memories, habits, relationships that have been in our lives are being stirred up from the dark depths of our lives, and brought into the light.
And the reality is that much of what he’s stirring up is garbage: shame, embarrassment, memories of foolishness, of sin, histories of unwise choices, character weaknesses. It’s easy to resent these coming to the surface after how many years of being hidden in history.
But he’s bringing them up in order to wash them away, in order to remedy the issues. Trust him. Have hope, rest in the confident assurance that he does know what he’s doing, and that he’s working for good in you, for the purity that we really have wanted. He’s answering our prayers.
We can trust the spoon. More specifically, we can trust the hand wielding the spoon.

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