DIET, EXERCISE, AND HOLY SPIRIT

A great many incredible things have been happening in my life lately, and from them, deep revelation is springing up. One of the things that have happened in the last several months is that I felt this overwhelming urge to get healthy. It all began in a seemingly ridiculous way. This past summer, the mission (www.purusamor.com) took my children and I to southern California. While there, we stayed with a beautiful, godly family in Oceanside. One morning, while using the restroom, I glanced over at their bathtub and noticed a daddy long legs spider climbing quickly across the bottom of the basin, in my direction. Without a second thought, I reached over to turn the water on full blast. As it gushed forth from the spout, I noticed the spider struggling and straining to maintain it's life. The words that came from my mouth next echoed in my mind..., "Just die already!" I immediately heard the loving voice of Holy Spirit respond,"Die?" Something clicked in my mind and spirit in that very instant...if the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, why was I sitting here impatiently ushering in death? As silly as it may sound to those of you reading this now, it was a very real lesson to me in that moment. I slammed the nozzle closed on the tub, plucked the spider from it's watery grave, laid it on the edge of the tub, and commanded that arachnid to live in Jesus' name! I did this for probably close to five minutes! Convinced at this point that the deceased was not going to be resurrected, I washed my hands and left the restroom...devastated! "I don't understand Lord! What just happened in there? How far does this go? Oh...my...goodness.....will I stop eating meat? *GASP*" To my initial dismay, Holy Spirit was no longer playing the role of Teacher in that moment, but had switched to the role of Comforter. I felt an extreme peace come over me, and left that scene behind. A week or two later we were blessed to stay at a hotel in beautiful Cardiff by the Sea. While there, I received a call from my friend in Wisconsin. She expressed to me that while she is so glad we live victoriously in every area of our lives, why is it that food cravings control us in such a way that we mindlessly devour bags of popcorn or chocolate bars against our better judgement and wishes. I concurred with her dilemma, and asked what she proposed we do about it. She suggested that even though we were separated by half the country, we could support and encourage one another in bringing our bodies into submission to the Spirit by eating only fruits and vegetables for two weeks. I was stoked and agreed right away. Now anyone who knew me at that time would have agreed that Amber going without meats, cheese, and carbs for any length of time was a miracle in and of itself. I'm not going to lie, it was a battle in the beginning. The second week of the challenge we ended up in a small town called Buttonwillow that had next to no population, which leads to very limited selection for produce at the local convenience/liquor store/gas station. Not to mention that I only had a hotel microwave and an electric griddle for food prep. At times I felt as though I was going to starve, but I persevered and did the full two weeks with not a single cheat! By the end of the two weeks I felt so great, I didn't want to stop! I had more energy! I could breathe easier! I could keep up with my kids! I decided right then and there, this challenge from my friend was a kick start to the new life Holy Spirit had prompted in that Oceanside restroom a few weeks earlier. I was never going to eat meat again! Fast forward about a month or so, and we had made our way to Sacramento. The man at our host home decided he was going to teach me to make smoothies. These smoothies were strictly for nutritional value, not taste. After choking down the first one, I asked him what it was spiked with! I was severely jittery as if I had slammed too much espresso. He assured me that it was just a nutrient overload because my body was not accustomed to so many vegetables at one time. Once I realized this, I prompted the production of smoothies daily. I didn't want to ever live without the correct vitamins and minerals in my body ever again! I felt even better than I did eating only fruits and veggies straight! I thought to myself,"it would be so nice to have an emulsifier like theirs while we're on the road, so I can drink smoothies everyday." Wouldn't you know it, when we arrived in Wisconsin, my mother gave me an emulsifier! Jesus is Lord! After a few days I was exposed to a video on YouTube about the meat and dairy industry. It was one of the most disturbing things I had ever seen, and it was official...I was full on vegan! Now that I had so much more energy, I began to be more active. I'm not real big on "working out", so I incorporated physical activity into nearly every non-physical activity that I participate in. When I am standing still to cook dinner, I might be doing leg lifts. When I am in worship, I might be twisting at my core. When I am reading, I might be doing crunches. Now, I'm so used to staying active and in motion that I rarely have to consciously choose to do it! Since the beginning of all these life changes, I have lost 4 pants sizes and about 35 pounds! I'm not saying that everyone should all of a sudden become vegan, but....everyone should become vegan! lol

Seriously though people, we eat to live not live to eat! Our bodies were created to ingest vegetation only! It wasn't until after the fall that the first animal was killed, and eating animals and their by-products was introduced! Not to mention what kind of garbage the food industry is passing off as edible! Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit! Would you feed God something that is known to cause health problems? Of course not! It doesn't matter that all things are permissible...not all things are beneficial! We need to beat our bodies into submission that we can run this race with perseverance, and while that scripture is not literal in the physical, it might as well be! How effective of a witness can you be when you are too tired to get off your couch? Christ died and rose to give us total victory in every aspect of life! He died and rose so we could be fully restored...justified...just as if the tree of the knowledge of good and evil had never been eaten! Why allow the enemy to have control in any part of your life? Why willingly allow him to destroy your body with poisons and contaminates and diseases? It's time to take a stand! It's time to say that we declare Christianity to be disease and illness free! It's time to love God not only with our time and our resources, but also with our bodies! I mean come on, we are the body of Christ! Can you picture Jesus obese with high cholesterol and high blood pressure? Of course you can't because it's ridiculous, and it should be equally ridiculous for us! No more separation in this life! Let Holy Spirit infiltrate your entire being! Let Him lead you into a better life, and a better you!
Run with me church!
*www.purusamor.com*

Miraculous Provision

By popular demand, here's the Jesus story behind the RV...
As many of you know, God gave me a vision one year ago, possibly to the day, that the kids and I would get rid of all our worldly possessions, leave our home, and travel the country feeding the houseless and encouraging the bride! In the vision we were traveling in an RV. By faith we gave everything away by putting an event on FB asking anyone to come to our home and take whatever they needed! In two days time our home was empty of everything but the bare necessities for life and ministry. The morning came when the Lord told us we should leave and there was not an RV in our parking lot! By faith we quickly rethought our necessities, packed my 2000 Kia Sephia with mostly ministry supplies, and headed south to Alabama. Throughout this past year we have been blessed to go to 24 states and touch thousands of lives for the kingdom by His strength and favor! God has been totally faithful every step of the way with hotels, host homes, food for both us and those we feed, gas for the car, every other need you can possibly think of, and occasionally even the desires of our hearts that weren't needs! At the Kentucky School of Power and Love I was praying with a woman when the Lord told me, "She needs to see the tangible depth of My love." I continued talking with this beautiful new friend, pressing in for more information. After a while I found out that her need was for a vehicle. Without hesitation I said that I believed I was to give her our car! A few days later we delivered the car to her home and drove a loaner from a friend for two weeks! When it was time to return the loaned vehicle we had people volunteering to give us rides every where we needed to be! When it was time to leave Kentucky and head to Missouri, the Lord provided us with the cash for a rental, and we got a cross country mini van at local full size car cost! After the  School Power and Love in Kansas City, Missouri I asked the Lord if a trip to WI would be in His will so I could honor my earthly father by surprising him with an annual tradition. Jesus provided a way, once again! We got a rental SUV at full size cost! My dad was totally beside himself when we surprised him, and our annual autumn walk was amazing! This past week we have been staying at my mom's home, and she has been sooooo gracious to loan us her car every day while she's at work! On Saturday we went with a friend, Shannon, to Holy Hill for another autumn walk, and when she learned that we had given our car away she felt an overwhelming yearning in her heart to find our RV. She set out yesterday morning to visit a dealership. She shared the vision with an employee and left our information. On her way home she saw an RV for sale roadside. She looked it over, called the owner, and didn't get a response. Last night I got slammed with the worst spiritual warfare physically, I've ever experienced (shooting pain up my spine and into my neck, tight aching upper legs, numbness from my knees down through my toes, and cramping in my abdomen not much less than labor pains!) I barely slept the whole night, but had incredible peace through it all! This morning Shannon called the owner again, he said this was his day off, and she should come take a look. She called me, and I rejected the call...I was exhausted! She text, and I didn't even check it! She called a second time, and I answered! She was so excited! She strongly believed this was the RV God had for us! I hesitantly crawled out of bed and got ready...bare minimum energy equaling bare minimum effort until I realized the pain was almost completely gone! Shannon picked me up and started explaining everything and I started getting a little bit excited, but stayed very mellow. We looked at the RV, and I stayed very mellow. We took the RV to my mechanic friend Jason at Millers Auto, who always gives it to me straight. He said it was a great deal, only needing a new exhaust and generator which we should deduct from our offer. Now I was getting excited! The asking price was $6,900 and he instructed me to begin the offer at $4,200 going no higher than $5,500. Shannon piped up saying she really felt she should offer $3,000. Jason said the man may get offended, and I didn't want to take advantage of anyone, but Shannon was convinced. When we drove back to the original location Shannon bartered while I checked out my funds. As I hung up the phone the man approached me with a big smile, "I have good news for you! I want to give it to you for $4,000! Almost half my asking price! I wanted it to go to a good cause, and yours is the best I know of!" What?! Jesus!!! We prayed blessings over the man, ran to get the money, and here I am...home and vehicle owner for $4,000! Not to mention it comes complete with exterior storage and an outdoor shower that we can use for our houseless ministry! Jesus is Lord!!! Tomorrow we will gas it up, switch the title and plates, and schedule to get the exhaust and generator fixed! Kingdom living is the best life ever!!! I can't wait to see what He has planned for us next!
Run with me church!
*purusamor.com*

My Testimony at the 2013 Kansas City School of Power and Love

The Sovereignty of God by Andrew Wommack

My heart was really stirred this last month. I attended a meeting where an old friend of mine was ministering. He had been through some terrible things that nearly destroyed his faith. He became bitter and angry at God for the things that had happened. When I heard him, he had humbled himself and was again loving the Lord and excited about the future. Praise the Lord! However, in the process, he had come to believe that it was the Lord that caused all his problems. He had resigned himself to the "sovereignty of God."

I believe this is the worst doctrine in the church today. I know that this is a shocking statement and is near blasphemy to some people, but the way sovereignty" is taught today is a real faith killer. The belief that God controls everything that happens to us is one of the devil's biggest inroads into our lives. If this belief is true, then our actions are irrelevant, and our efforts are meaningless. What will be will be.

If we believe that God wills everything, good or bad, to happen to us, it gives us some temporary relief from confusion and condemnation, but in the long-term, it slanders God, hinders our trust in God, and leads to passiveness.

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

The word "sovereign" is not used in the King James Version of the Bible. It is used 303 times in the Old Testament of the New International Version, but it is always used in association with the word "LORD" and is the equivalent of the King James Version's "LORD God." Not a single one of those times is the word "sovereign" used in the manner that it has come to be used in religion in our day and time.

Religion has resulted in the invention of a new meaning for the word "sovereign," which basically means God controls everything. Nothing can happen but what He wills or allows. However, there is nothing in the actual definition that states that. The dictionary defines "sovereign" as, "1. Paramount; supreme. 2. Having supreme rank or power. 3. Independent: a sovereign state. 4. Excellent." None of these definitions means that God controls everything.

It is assumed that since God is paramount or supreme that nothing can happen without His approval. That is not what the Scriptures teach. In 2 Peter 3:9, Peter said, "The Lord is...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." This clearly states that it is not the Lord's will for anyone to perish, but people are perishing. Jesus said, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat" (Matt. 7:13). Relatively few people are saved compared to the number that are lost. God's will for people concerning salvation is not being accomplished.

This is because the Lord gave us the freedom to choose. He doesn't will anyone into hell. He paid for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2; 1 Tim. 4:10), but we must choose to put our faith in Christ and receive His salvation. People are the ones choosing hell by not choosing Jesus as their Savior. It is the free will of man that damns them, not God.

People virtually have to climb over the roadblocks that God puts in their way to continue on their course to hell. The cross of Christ and the drawing power of the Holy Spirit are obstacles that every sinner encounters. No one will ever stand before God and be able to fault Him for withholding the opportunity to be saved. The Lord woos every person to Him, but we have to cooperate. Ultimately, the Lord simply enforces the consequences of people's own choices.

God has a perfect plan for every person's life (Jer. 29:11), but He doesn't make us walk that path. We are free moral agents with the ability to choose. He has told us what the right choices are (Deut. 30:19), but He doesn't make those choices for us. God gave us the power to control our destinies.

Typical teaching on the sovereignty of God puts Jesus in the driver's seat with us as passengers. On the surface that looks good. All of us have encountered the disastrous results of doing our own thing. We desire to be led of the Lord, and teaching that nothing happens but what God wills fits that nicely. However, the Scriptures paint a picture of each of us being behind the wheel of our own lives. We are the one doing the driving. We are supposed to take directions from the Lord, but He doesn't do the driving for us.

Man has been given the authority over his own life, but he must have the Lord's direction to succeed. Jeremiah 10:23 says, "O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." God created us to be dependent upon Him and our independence is at the root of all our problems. As if it wasn't bad enough for man to try to run his affairs independently of God and His standards, it has been made even worse by religion teaching us that all our problems are actually blessings from God. That is a faith killer. It makes people totally passive.

James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." This verse makes it clear that some things are from God, and some from the devil. We must submit to the things that are of God and resist the things that are from the devil. The word "resist" means, "Actively fight against." Saying "Whatever will be will be" is not actively fighting against the devil.

If a person really believed that God is the one who put sickness on them because He is trying to work something for good in their life, then they should not go to the doctor or take any medicine. That would be resisting God's plans. They should let the sickness run its course and thereby get the full benefit of God's correction. Of course, no one advocates that. That is absurd. It is even more absurd to believe that God is the one behind the tragedy.

Acts 10:38 says that Jesus healed all those who were oppressed OF THE DEVIL. It was not God who oppressed them with sickness. It was the devil. It's the same today. Sickness is from the devil, not from God. We need to resist sickness and, by faith, submit ourselves to healing, which is from God through the atonement of Christ.

I know someone is thinking, What about the Old Testament instances where God smote people with sickness and plagues? There is a lot I could say about that if I had the space, but a simplified answer to that question is that none of those instances were blessings. They were curses. God did use sickness in the Old Testament as punishment, but in the New Testament, Jesus bore our curse for us (Gal. 3:13). The Lord would no more put sickness on a New Testament believer than He would make us commit a sin. Both forgiveness of sin and healing are a part of the atonement Jesus provided for us.

Deuteronomy, chapter 28, should forever settle this question for all who believe the Word of God. The first 14 verses of Deuteronomy 28 list the blessings of God and the last 53 verses list the curses of God. Healing is listed as a blessing (Deut. 28:4). Sickness is listed as a curse (Deut. 28:22, 27-28, 35, 59-61). God called sickness a curse. We should not call it a blessing.

Knowing that God is not the author of my problems is one of the most important revelations the Lord has ever given me. If I thought it was God who killed my father when I was twelve, and some of my best friends before I was 20, if it was God who had people kidnap me, slander me, threaten to kill me, and turn loved ones against me, then I would have a hard time trusting God, if He was like that.

On the contrary, it is very comforting to know that God only has good things in store for me. Any problems in my life are from the devil, of my own making, or just the results of life on a fallen planet. My heavenly Father has never done me any harm and never will. I KNOW that.

I am not saying that there is nothing to learn from hardships. Most of you reading this article have come to the Lord because of something in your life that overwhelmed you and caused you to turn to the Lord for help. That situation was not from God regardless of the results. It was you turning to the Lord and the faith you placed in Him that turned your life around, not the hardship.

If hardships and problems made us better, then everyone who has had problems would be better for them. Those who have the most trouble would be the best. That simply is not so.

Let me illustrate this with a story about my son, Joshua. When he was only a year old, I was loading lumber on a large truck in the heat of a Texas summer. I had Joshua with me, and he was having a big time playing in the lumber yard. By mid-afternoon, he was tired and sleepy and started to lie down in the dirt for a nap. I knew his mother wouldn't like that, so I put him in the cab of the truck to lie down and take his nap.

He had been wanting to get into that truck all day, and when I put him in there, he revived. I had to roll the windows down because it was hot, and Joshua was leaning out the windows and waving at me in the side view mirrors. I told him to lie down and even gave him a spanking, but he didn't take heed. He leaned out the window too far, fell out of the cab, hit his eye on the running board and landed on his head.

I ran up to him, prayed over him, and held him until he quit crying. Then I told him that was why I told him to lie down and go to sleep and not lean out the window. I used that situation which caused him pain, to teach him, but if Joshua would have been like the sovereignty teachers of today, he would have gone out and told all his friends that his father made him fall out of that truck to teach him to obey. That's not so. I did what I could to restrain him. I would be very hurt if that's the way Joshua thought I was.

Likewise, I don't believe it blesses our heavenly Father for us to blame Him for all the problems that come into our lives. Sure, He will comfort us when we turn to Him in the midst of our problems, but He doesn't create the negative circumstances that hurt our lives.

God is sovereign in the sense that He is paramount and supreme. There is no one higher in authority or power, but that does not mean He exercises His power by controlling everything in our lives. God has given us the freedom to choose. He has a plan for us. He seeks to reveal that plan to us and urge us in that direction, but we choose. He doesn't make our choices for us.

In many instances, it is our wrong choices that bring disaster upon us. In other cases, our problems are nothing but an attack from the devil. In some cases, natural forces of an imperfect world cause us pain. Our tragedies are never the judgment or correction of God. Jesus came to give us abundant life. The devil came to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). Don't ever get that confused. If it's good, it's God. If it's bad, it's the devil.

This is a fundamental doctrine of Christianity that must be understood properly if you want victory in your life. Believing that God controls everything renders a person passive. Why pray and believe for something better? Whatever God wants will come to pass. That simply is not true.

The Lord is the answer to all our problems. He is not the problem.

If you would like more ministry on this pivotal point, please order my teaching entitled, "The Sovereignty of God." There is much more detail on the teaching than I was able to put into this article. This teaching will change your life.

I suggest that after you listen to it that you share it with someone else. I really believe that confusion on this subject is how Satan pushes his will off on most people. This teaching could change someone's life.

WHAT IS FAITH???

Hebrews 11:1
KJV "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
NIV "Now faith is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
GNT "To have faith is to be sure of things we hope for, to be certain of the things we can not see."
AMP "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation; the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

If faith is believing in things that are unseen, then where do our limits lie? I can "not see" just about anything! The only limitations to faith are between our ears! The mind is the only battlefield for the born again Christian! Let's break off some of those lies and "limitations" today, shall we?! I have italicized the blockers I hear on a regular basis.
"What about spiritual warfare?"
The Truth is...there is no war! Revelation has been written, the war is over, we won! Just because we are still walking out time, does not change the outcome! We see that Jesus told us in Luke 10 that we have been given ALL authority to overcome the enemy! If we have all the authority, then the enemy obviously has none! The only way the enemy gets any power what-so-ever is when we give it to him! When Jesus died on the cross He said, "It is finished!" He did not say, "To be continued" or "We're almost there"! He said it's finished! Well, what does "it" mean? EVERYTHING!!! He died to take our sin, our shame, our guilt, our condemnation, our works, our sickness, our disease, our pain, even our death! He tacked everything that wasn't part of the original, Garden of Eden, plan for our lives, and destroyed it! He destroyed the works of the devil! He payed our ransom! He set us free! Free from the world, free from the enemy, and free from ourselves!
"So then why am I not living in total victory?" 
Because you don't believe that you can! The Lord told us that in order to receive the kingdom, we have to be child-like! Read the Word, and believe what it says, the way it says it! No interpretations! No breaking it down! No analyzing! Children read, and they believe! If I read a fantasy book about fairies or superheroes to a small child, they would immediately start picturing it in their mind, creating vivid descriptions of what it would be like, and begin acting it out! They instantly believe that it can be real in their lives too! So why is it when we read the bible, we suppress the modern day reality of it? The gospel is the living Word! It is not meant to merely encourage or entertain us, it is meant to instruct and define us!
"Yeah, well I've tried that before." 
So when did our experiences become the authority? When did our circumstances become our god? The validity of the Word is not determined by our life's experiences! Rather, our identity is determined by the Word, and out of true identity comes victorious life experiences! The Word says we are children of God! We are pure, righteous, holy, sinless, Christ-like, supernatural, powerful, spotless, blameless, free from guilt,shame,and condemnation, perfect (not lacking anything), confident, patient, kind, generous, loving, gentle, humble, compassionate, honoring, selfless, trusting, hopeful, determined, justified, glorified, worthy, chosen, and on, and on, and on! If God says that we are all these things, who are we to argue with Him?!
"No one is righteous, not even one...blah blah blah...why do I do what I don't want to do...ugh ugh ugh...if we claim to be without sin we deceive ourselves...yap yap yap..."
Do not mistake this for being disrespectful to the Word! I live and breathe Jesus, and have no existence outside of Him! My mockery is toward the religious spirit that keeps believers in unbelief! Romans 3, Romans 7, and 1 John 1 are the most misquoted chapters of the bible, in my experiences with struggling Christians! I'm not even gonna get started on Job! That's a whole separate blog! Let's kill these lies starting with Romans 3. Verse 10 starts out with "As it is written.." and goes on to quote from Psalms and Ecclesiastes. Then in verse 19 it says, "...whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law..."! WE ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW! Alright, one life sucking lie broken off... next! Romans 7. The entire chapter is talking about man's state under the law and why we were in desperate need of a Savior! Verse 1, "...the law has authority over someone, only as long as that person lives...". Verse 4, "...you also died to the law through the body of Christ...". Verse 5, "For when we WERE in the realm of the flesh...the sinful passions...WERE at work in us...". Verse 14-25, " ...I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin...what I want to do I do not do...sin living in me...good itself does not dwell...in my sinful nature...I want to do good, evil is right there with me...I delight in God's law...law of sin at work in me...wretched man...WHO WILL RESCUE ME?...THANKS BE TO GOD, WHO DELIVERS ME THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD! To finish making "my" point I will continue into Romans 8, because after all, Paul did not write to the church of Rome in chapter and verse, but one whole letter. Romans 8:2, "...through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death." Verse 5, "Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." Verse 9, "You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ." Any questions? This is so rock solid! The religious spirit is gonna kick rocks with this one! LOL!
Last one I mentioned was 1 John 1, verses 5-10, "...God is light. In Him there is no darkness at all...if we walk in the light...His Son, purifies us from ALL sin....if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves...If we confess....He is faithful...and WILL...purify us from ALL unrighteousness. If we claim to HAVE NOT sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His Word is not in us." Continuing on to chapter 2, because once again John wrote this as one solid letter without chapter and verse. 1 John 2:1-2, "...I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin..." John would not say, "...so that you will not sin." if it wasn't possible, and "But if..." if it was a given! We have had a blood transfusion with Christ, people! We, by our new nature, do not have to sin!...at all! ...ever! Isn't that fantastic? Jesus is Lord!
"If signs and miracles are for today, why isn't everyone healed?"
With faith as small as a mustard seed we can move mountains! It doesn't require great amounts of faith! The mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds on earth, yet grows to be huge! Here's the dilemma...it must be planted to grow! People aren't all getting healed because believers aren't all stepping out in faith to release the healing! If more Christians would get over themselves (myself included at times), and love like Christ, everyone would be healed!
"I do pray for people, but they're not all getting healed."
#1. Awesome! Great job! Keep going! Don't give up!
#2. Do not, I repeat, do not, for any reason, make up theologies or excuses for why someone didn't get healed! Jesus is Lord! He wishes for all to be saved and live abundantly! The enemy is a jerk, and sometimes we have to stomp his face several times! I don't know why...just do it! If someone that we pray for does not get healed, they need to leave us feeling as though they just had an amazing encounter with our loving Father, and not feel worse than when we found them! (Do not make yourself feel better at another's expense...their eternal destiny may depend on this one chance encounter!)
Here are some related lies...
A. It is never about the other person's lack of faith! (Lazarus had no faith to be raised from the dead!)
B. It's not about the amount of faith you have! (All it takes is a mustard seed, and you wouldn't have stepped out to pray if you didn't at least think maybe this could work!)
C. It's not about God's timing! ( He lives outside of time, and today is the day of salvation!)
D. It's not part of God's plan that they suffer to learn a lesson! (Yuck! How could anyone love a Father that would inflict them to teach them. Matthew 7:11 If you who are wicked know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him.)
E. It is not like Paul's thorn in the flesh! (Jesus did not tell the disciples to heal the sick, unless of course their ailment is a thorn they have been denied removal! The thorn was a messenger of Satan, not God! In verse 10 Paul explains in detail what his weaknesses were...insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties! Throughout the Word we see that we are all promised these things as believers! God wants us all healed...period!)
F. It's not about the way you prayed! (Be healed, Get up, Open, Go Wash....These are all the words that Jesus and the disciples used, and they all worked! It doesn't matter what you say as long it's in love and in Jesus' name! You could say Shaka baba in Jesus' name, and someone could get healed! *I know, I've done it!* It's not us doing the healing anyways, it's Holy Spirit! Step out and make straight paths for the Lord aka a landing strip for Holy Spirit! LOL!)
"It's too hard to have faith."
My only answer for this is...NO IT'S NOT! IT'S FUN!!! I spent my entire life trying to be cool and fit in, and it was exhausting! Just be who you were created to be...be yourself! Get loose, have fun, and....
Run with me church!
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THE VISION

I see the church moving with laser point precision, to cut to the heart of every individual in their passing. I see entire cities being set free from every chain and bondage, just by the faithful and righteous walking through, radiating freedom and glory. I see hearts ablaze for Christ from a single encounter with those who walk in the fiery passion. I see light pouring out from the children of God and washing over people, homes, buildings, cities, and even nations, engulfing them and relentlessly defeating every darkness that tries to stand up against it. I see mobs of warriors marching into lands that have been consumed with the demonic presence so long that people turn their heads when injustice takes place. They are grabbing the victims by the hand, and empowering them with a mere touch. I see armor being put on small children that were the victims of abuse, sex trade, and religious rituals. I see these children becoming the most mighty army the earth has ever seen. 

I see demons shuttering at the innocent authority of five year olds. 

I see the elderly taking a stand...literally climbing out of their sofas, hospital beds, and wheelchairs to march with the youth. 

I see a generation rising. 

This generation knows no age. It knows no race. It knows no gender. 

All it knows is Jesus. Is. Lord. 

This generation does not slink back from a challenge. They do not step down. 

Love is who they are. 

Everywhere they venture, love abounds. Every person they touch is instantly changed. The world is shaken. The kingdom advances forcefully. The forceful take hold of it. 

Are you a part of this generation? 

Are you laying siege to your inheritance? To your rightful position? To your identity? 

The kingdom will advance. 

Will you take part, or sit back and watch it pass you by? 

Run with me church!

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Keeping It Simple

I started writing a Facebook post this morning when I realized the need for a blog on the topic of simplicity. I began my FB post as such..."Whenever your circumstances seem grim, dark, and hopeless look to the One and for the one! Greatness can come out of every situation! Look to Jesus and then look outside of yourself for a person hurting or in need! No situation need be in vain! Revelation 12:11 tells the ways we overcome the enemy. One of those ways is to love not your own life so much as to shrink from death! Oooo I feel a blog comin on! Jesus Is Lord!"
Truth is, not loving our lives so much as to shrink from death, sounds like anything but simple. It really is though! All it means is to turn your focus outward. If we stop looking at everything in life from the viewpoint of "how does this affect me?" or "how does this make me feel?", but instead look at it from the viewpoint of "I know that ALL things are spiritual, how can I stomp hell with the hand I've been dealt?" We know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love Him1. So if our situation looks dark, how much more will Light abound. The only way to resolve an issue of darkness is to turn up the Light. The only way to turn up the Light is to not love our lives so much as to shrink from death. Christ-like mentality! Having the willingness to stop at nothing for the love of Christ to shine! Always looking to Jesus as the Author and Perfecter of our faith2, drawing our strength from Him3, finding our purpose in His life's example4, and loving our neighbor AS ourselves5 are the ways that this becomes possible. Remember the Lord has prepared every good work in advance for us6! He goes with us, before us, for us, and upholds us7.  The Word is not meant to trip us up, it is the perfect instruction manual on how to make it through this life most joyfully and effectively! Seek Him in the secret place and He WILL reward you in the open8. Read every word as though your life depended upon it...because it does! Thank the Lord for making you exactly what the Word says you are! Ask Him for greater revelation of what you already possess! Seek Holy Spirit's guidance in every situation as if the world depended upon it...because it does! Don't plan your life so much that you leave no room for His perfect plan! Let the Spirit flow through you like a mighty rushing wind9! Run with me church!
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Scripture References
1 Romans 8:28
2 Hebrews 12:2
3 Philippians 4:13
4 1 John 2:6
5 Matthew 22:39
6 Ephesians 2:10
7 Deuteronomy 20:1
                       31:8
   Joshua 1:9
   Isaiah 41:10
            43:1-2
   Psalm 37:17
            41:12
            46:11
            63:8
            145:14 
   Romans 8:31 ....and many more!
8 Matthew 6:6
9 Acts 2:2

CHILD-LIKE

And He said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." 
Matthew 18:3

The longer I walk in my kingdom identity, the more I see great importance in the above verse. The biggest thing facing the church today is the religious spirit. The religious spirit is grounded in complexity. If we read the scriptures for what they say outright, instead of trying to interpret them, we would see more of the kingdom, more salvations, more freedom in the church, and less division in the body. 
For example, check out Ephesians 2:6-7...

"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus."

The religious spirit reads this as once we arrive in heaven, but read it again like little children and see it for what it actually says...

"And God RAISED us up with Christ and SEATED us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus."

The actions of God in this scripture are past tense! We are seated with God the Father in heavenly realms in Christ Jesus RIGHT NOW! Now some will say, "Oh I know that already, but it's just symbolic." NO! We are called to be child-like! What child would read that verse and say that it is symbolic of something else, and come up with a totally different meaning?! Some others will say, "Now that's just silly! I am quite obviously not in the heavenly realms because I am sitting at my computer on the earth reading this right now." Of course you're on the earth right now, but the Word also tells us that God lives outside of time...

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." 2 Peter 3:8

and that He is Spirit...

"God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:24

So if we read all these scriptures with child-like faith, we see that we are indeed on the earth, right now, inside of time, but we are also seated in heavenly realms, with God, outside of time, in Spirit! 

Okay, that's cool, but what's the point?! There are several points, but I'll just touch on a couple...
1. We don't need to pray toward heaven, we need to pray from it! When we are praying for healing, provision, revelation, or whatever, we need to remember that it is all within our grasp! We are not reaching for straws, trying to scale the enormous stairway to heaven (which is not biblical either, but that's for another blog), or begging of God to move! We have total access to everything in the heavenly realms! "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." Ephesians 1:3 Whoa! There it is again! We are in the heavenly realms in Christ, but this time we find that God the Father has blessed us with ... how many spiritual blessings? EVERY spiritual blessing! It's all ours! It has always been all ours! We need to lay siege to our portion, to our inheritance, and walk in the fullness that God says we possess!
2. We can stop focusing on when we get to "go home", and just walk with kingdom mentality right now. After all, we are already there, whether or not we choose to see it. We don't need to live miserable lives with the hope of a better place! We have been given inexpressible and glorious joy (1 Peter 1:8), the peace of God which transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:7), freedom from the yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1), a new life (Romans 6:4)! Let's bring heaven with us everywhere we go, and give it to everyone we meet, instead of being eager to leave everyone who doesn't know the Truth behind to burn!!! 

Let's receive the Word with child-like faith, realize the access we have to heaven right now, and be a heavenly manifestation for the world to see! 
Run with me church!
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Eye Opening III

Continuing on with the revelation given to me regarding Matthew chapter 3.

The question kept rising up in my Spirit, "Why did You go into so much description of John the Baptist in verse 4?"
                 "John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, 
                 and he had a leather belt around his waist. 
                     His food was locusts and wild honey." 
I read it over and over again pondering His divine reason. The Word does not describe many people with such specifics. The first words He spoke to me were "pure, humble, and modest". He then explained to me that He uses the simple things of this world to confound the wise, and that extravagance distracts us from achieving all He has for our lives. 
     "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 
                                     (Matthew 5:3) 
This does not mean that God wants every person completely stripped of every comfort and possession. It simply means, if your desire for relationship with Him isn't a burning fiery passion that far surpasses your desire for any other person or thing in this world, you're missing the fullness that He has for you. John the Baptist used meagerness to walk in fullness. He didn't allow the distractions of this world to hinder his purpose of making straight paths for the Messiah. He also kept himself pure. Pure in mind and body. He wasn't going to allow anything to slow his walk and hinder his purpose. What did this lead to? He paved the way and ushered in the movement from the ministry of condemnation to the ministry of reconciliation. Due to John's obedience and willingness, the era of God's wrath has been put to rest until judgement day. Please don't mistake me here! I am fully aware that righteousness was fulfilled by Jesus and He is the One that deserves all the praise, however, look at verses 13-15...
                       "Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan 
                                     to be baptized by John. 
                             But John tried to deter Him saying, 
                'I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?' 
                      Jesus replied, 'Let it be so now; it is proper 
                       for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.' 
                                     Then John consented." 
Jesus was not going to baptize Himself! He needed John to comply, and John did, thus assisting Jesus in His task. 

How many times has God asked us to assist Him in a life-giving task, and we were too distracted by our comforts or possessions? Maybe we were afraid of what it would do to our image or reputation?! Maybe we were hesitant because our property could be in jeopardy?! There are many excuses why people don't step out when God needs them to comply, but none of them are valid! I challenge each and every one of you, friends, to rid your lives of the unnecessary distractions and 
    "...press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of you."
                                        (Philippians 3:12)
Run with me church!
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Eye Opening II

As I promised yesterday...more of the revelation I received during my intense One on one with the Lord about Matthew 3.
Verse 1-3..."In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.' This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: ''A voice of one calling in the wilderness,‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.''”
John was a crazy guy, by the world's standards, but he simply would not back down! He was determined to usher in the New Covenant with an amazingly bold introduction! We should be the same way in bringing release to those in bondage! "...the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners" (Isaiah 61:1) We need to call the world to repentance, but this does not mean getting in people's faces and pointing out their sin like John did! We are under the covenant of love! “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40) If we live our lives completely engulfed in the love Jesus described, people will witness and experience it. This gives the Holy Spirit the "in" to bring personal repentance. Repentance simply meaning to turn and go the other way. This can be a very simple and painless process. If our focus remains on Him, then it can't be on ourselves. If it's not on ourselves, then it's a natural process. (By process, I do not mean a long extended period of time! It can be quite fast! Take it from a 7 month old in the Lord!)
The Lord also brought my attention to a very interesting detail, "preaching in the wilderness". By definition, wilderness is a wild, uncultivated, uninhabited region. Interesting! So what the Lord showed me here, is that upon Jesus' arrival, paths were made straight. This has amazing application! Jesus says in Matthew 17:20,"...Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” John was not only proclaiming the coming of the Lord to mankind, but to ALL of creation, just as Jesus instructs us to do with the gospel in Matthew 16:15. That may seem silly to some, but if we look at Genesis 3:17, we find that the curse affected the land as well as mankind. All of creation is groaning in expectation for it's liberation from the bondage to decay. There was no death and decay in the garden, and there sure isn't any in the kingdom! Every mountain has been brought low and every valley has been brought high...straight paths. Likewise in the Christian walk there are no excuses for highs and lows! We move from glory to glory!(2 Corinthians 3:18) If we, as born again Christians, are experiencing highs and lows, we need to question what our beliefs are, and where our faith lies! Even in the midst of trial, my hope comes from the Lord! No one and nothing can ever take that away from us! We can proclaim that freedom to ALL of creation, and watch in awe as our surroundings completely change! Run with me church!
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BRING IT

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
If what Jesus spoke is true, then how is it that the church is walking around powerless and struggling? The answer...a lack of identity! 2,000+ years of religion and cover-up have castrated the church! We no longer know who we are and the exponential authority that we possess! Heaven went bankrupt to restore us, not to get us to heaven, but to get heaven into us! The kingdom lives inside believers and it's roaring to be let out! Man up, church, we have a job to do! There are people dying! People in bondage by the lies of depression, anxiety, addiction, aggression, disease...and I say,"NO MORE!" It's fire time! We need to bring "it" with such fiery passion that the enemy doesn't know what to do with himself! I don't care if the enemy is described as cunning, sly, and sneaky! He's also described as under my heal! Let's rise up, know what we possess, and kick the hell out of this world! Run with me church!
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Eye Opening

The other morning, the Lord and I had some extreme bonding time! I sat down with His word and began reading Matthew 3. I'd love to share the experience with all of you, a couple verses at a time. I had read the chapter once through and reflected. I read it a second time through and reflected. He then had me read just the last verse over several times. "And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” His voice echoed in my heart, "You, my daughter, are a co-heir with Christ, and all I have ever said to Him in the natural, I say also to you! You are my child, whom I love! I am so pleased with you!" Whoa! Okay Lord, now You have my undivided attention. He then had me read verses 16 and 17 repeatedly. What are you trying to show me Lord? I'm listening! He had me look at the first part of verse 16..."As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water." Then He explained to me that Jesus could not remain in John's baptism. Jesus was washed clean of the law and left it to receive the water of the Spirit. He had to receive the Living Water that flows within Him, the fountain that gushes with overflow inside of Him. Likewise, we can't remain in any remnant of the law, whatsoever. Just as Romans 6:3-14 states, "Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him. The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to Him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace." He then lead me to the second part of verse 16..."At that moment heaven was opened..." The heavens were opened and they never shut again! The law had been fulfilled and righteousness had been attained! Every spiritual blessing under heaven was now readily available! The third part of verse 16..."..., and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove..." The Lord revealed to me that He is opening the spiritual eyes of a number of His children, myself included, to really see into the spiritual realms. This will allow a number of His children to be able to call out infirmities, bondages, and strongholds, and cast them out in Jesus' name, due to the fact that they will have the ability to see the darkness that is plaguing a person or an area, and be proactive in bringing freedom. It will also allow His children to see areas that are populated with angelic hosts to bring encouragement to others, or to bring worship to that area. Joining in worship with the angelic hosts, will break down strongholds in entire areas! The end of verse 16..."...and alighting on Him." gave me a little confusion until He encouraged me to look up the definition of alighting. This word means to stay or settle. He told me that His Spirit is perfectly content to stay and settle upon His children. It is only when we blaspheme the Holy Spirit that He removes His covering. He showed it to me in a vision as the Holy Spirit coating us like thick, sticky annointing oil. If we live our lives deeply rooted in that reality, then we realize the power of coming into contact with others. When we touch others, we leave our "peace" with them. (Matthew 10:13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.") This brings a whole new level of identity! We are distributors of the Spirit of God! Let's get smearing!!! Run with me church!
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Focus on the Victory

It's really been on my heart to blog on the importance of where we keep our focus. It seems the enemy has planted the seed of distraction in the church. I hear discussion of controversial distractions more often than discussion of victorious identity and the goodness of Holy Spirit working in and through our lives. It's time we start focusing on the importance of the gospel, church! We don't need to spend our lives in debate over end times, doctrine, theology, and the like! Our focus needs to be on the life of Christ alone! In His life we learn everything we need to know about our lives! He showed us how to love one another, how to move in conjunction with the Holy Spirit, and how to remain in complete submission and communion with the Father. Anything else is of less importance! We are called to live like Jesus! Jesus never debated about pre-trib or post-trib! He never studied apologetics to argue someone into the kingdom! He never judged sinners for their struggles, and pointed fingers. The only people He ever rebuked were the religious spirits that tried to elevate religion over love, truth, and relationship! Come on church, if the Word says we can walk like Christ, then why would we make up so many excuses as to why we can't! Why do we spend so much time knitpicking other denominations instead of coming together with a common purpose and common goal...sharing the love of Christ! I would dare to challenge you, church, to leave all the politics behind and run with perseverence the race marked out for you! Live lives of love, without judgements or debates! Be the change you wish to see in this world! Run with me church!
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The Simplicity of the Gospel

Lately I have had the extreme pleasure of seeing multitudes of people being set free from the confusion of religion. The fact is, Jesus said unless we become childlike we won't receive the kingdom! Since when did children understand and behave in all of the theology that plagues our world today! If receiving the kingdom were complicated then the childlike could not comprehend it! The truth is quite simple...we were made in the image of God, sin veiled that identity, Jesus came to remove the veil, now we are righteous! Yayyyy! We are no longer sinners, but spotless sons and daughters! Isn't that awesome?!
But wouldn't you know, the enemy has spent centuries concocting lies to keep us from coming to that reality. We think that giving our life to Jesus means giving up control. HA! As if we ever had any control, over any aspect of our lives anyhow! Take for example the man that worked hard for the same company for 30 years, climbing the corporate ladder, creating a cushy nest egg, got laid off with no warning, and lost it all! Or the woman who loved her husband with all her heart, poured her life out for him, and out of no where got served divorce papers! How about the man who exercised every day, ate healthy, never put anything foul like drugs, cigarettes, or alcohol in his body, and died of a heart attack at the age of 40! How much control do we honestly think we have?!
Then there's the lie of God being in control! If God is in control of all things in this world, then He is severely out of control! The truth is that God is a gentleman, and He only controls those areas that you allow Him control! Sure He holds the universe together in the palm of His hands, but when it comes to you and I, He waits patiently for permission!
So who is in control? Answer...the world! Picture this...you are running late for work, the kids have been playing around instead of getting ready, your spouse left without doing their part, and now you can't find your car keys. What do you do? If your answer involves anything besides peaceful prayer and thankful worship, then the world is in control! Once you allow the kids to "rattle your cage", they become your god! Once you allow your lost keys to "get a rise out of you", they become your god! If anything can move you from a place of secure identity in peace, joy, and love, it then becomes your god! We must find our identity solely in the One who created us in His image!
Here's another big one people are being freed from..."it's a struggle". No it's not! The word says that we are new creations! It says that we are free from every chain and bondage! It says that we have died to sin and can not live in it any longer! It says that in our weakness, He is strong! It says that we can do all things through Him, because He gives us strength! The word says that when we are tempted, He provides a way out! It says we are more than conquerors! I just can't seem to find anywhere in His word that life is a struggle! The only struggle in life is between our ears, and this is why we are called to be born again! If your life is a struggle, might I dare to say...just die to self already! Die to self and be alive to Christ! It's really not that complicated! We were created to live exactly as Jesus did, so let's stop making excuses for why we can't! We can, and we will! Run with me church!
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No Worries

God is so faithful! There have been so many times on this journey that things have looked grim, but God has surprised me every single time! He always knows exactly what we need, and He provides right on time! This past Friday, while we were serving with a church in Arizona, I had a young girl ask what we hand out in our "love bags". I proceeded to tell her of all the goodies we fill the bag with, and as soon as I said,"...and of course a bible!", she got this look of deep desire in her eyes. I asked her,"Have you ever read the bible before?" She told me that she has heard it read before, but never owned one of her own! She wanted one so badly! As we were discussing it, some other children overheard. None of them owned a bible, and they all wanted one! I was so surprised that all these kids, who live such meager lives, desired so strongly to own a copy of the Lord's Word! These kids ranged from about twelve years old down to about three! I was stoked! "I have bibles in my trunk, friends!" The caravan of children excitedly followed me to my car, waving their hands, "Can I have one too? Can I have one too?" As they lined up at my trunk I felt a lump grow in my throat. I thought to myself, "I don't have enough for all these kids! Oh, Jesus help me! I can't bare to disappoint these beautiful children, and deny them your Word!" I started handing them out, one by one. The kids kept coming, and so did the bibles! Finally the last boy walked up and asked for one, and I smiled, "Here you go friend, my last one!" His little sister, maybe 3 years old, stood in front of him with the saddest look on her face. The boy said, "My sister wanted her own too." My heart broke! "Please Lord, let me have one more!" I dug in between all the rubbish of the trunk. I knew the bibles weren't there, they were in the duffel bag, but....wait....I feel something! I pulled up one cute little book of John! It was so perfect for her! She stared at it, flashed a huge smile my way, and then ran toward her home!
Whether it be seemingly simple things or more complex things, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I can trust God with every aspect of my life! I know full well that my Daddy God will not leave me or forsake me! He would not have called me, if He wasn't going to provide for me! He wouldn't have chosen me, if He didn't want me! And He wouldn't have brought me all the way across the country with absolutely nothing but the clothes on my back and a beat up run down car, if He didn't have amazingly huge plans for me! So as I look at our current situation that appears hopeless, my fire burns hotter! Let's do this!!!
Run with me church!
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What does it mean to "be saved"?

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9
This scripture seems pretty straight forward and simple, but what exactly does it mean? It seems the western world has softened it to the point that people think if you pray a salvation prayer and say your a Christian, then you are saved. Is this really all there is to it? What does it mean to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord? Paul's second letter to Timothy says this..."Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and, 'Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness1.'" Well that's not so bad. How many of us would actually consider ourselves wicked to begin with? Ah, but that's because we don't think of wickedness the same way as the Lord does. The Word describes wicked people as those who complain, rebel against authorities, put themselves first, or sin against God in any way! Man, that completely changes our look at wickedness, doesn't it? So when Paul says that those who are saved turn away from wickedness that must mean we now live lives of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control2. It must mean that if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here3! It must mean that the Lamb of God really did take away the sin of the world4! Maybe, just maybe, God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God5. What if being saved meant that we didn't only believe in Jesus, which by the way even the demons do that, but it meant that we give our lives in exchange for His6!?! What if when we read the bible we didn't have difficulty understanding it because we are the embodiment of it7!?! What if we didn't read the Word because we felt we had to "put in our due time", but we read it because we enjoyed it... because it is a love letter to us!?! What if when we read the Word we realized that it isn't broken up into chapter and verse, but that each letter, each book, each gospel, was written as a whole and should not be separated? What if when a born again Christian read the book of Romans they realized that chapter 7 wasn't a way to excuse the fleshly nature of humans, but instead was Paul describing the condition of those under the law before coming to grace!?! What if every time someone was inflicted with an illness they didn't chalk it up as a trial from the Lord and reference Job, but saw it as it really is...an attack from the enemy8?! And what if every time a born again Christian recognized that they were under attack, they claimed the fact that they have been given all authority to overcome all the power of the enemy9!?! Let's suppose for just a moment that every word in the bible is God breathed10and can be accepted as complete truth, thus meaning that once we are saved, we are free11! We are free from a life of bondage to sin12, free from excuses, free from ourselves, and free from everyone else! We are no longer a slave to sin13 and no longer have any desire14 to do anything that would compromise the clear conscience that we have before God and others! Let's not minimize the sacrifice of our Savior!!! Instead, let's live the lives that we've been promised!
Run with me church!
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1. 2 Timothy 2:19
2. Galatians 5:22-23
3. 2 Corinthians 5:17
4. John 1:29 
5. 2 Corinthians 5:21
6. Galatians 2:20
7. John 1:1-4
8. John 10:10
9. Luke 10:19
10. 2 Timothy 3:16
11.  2 Corinthians 3:17
12. Romans 8:21
13. Romans 6:6
14. Galatians 5:24

Times of Trust

Being fully surrendered to Christ is easy when things are all lined up, but it's when things look grim that the real test comes. When times are tough and it looks like real trouble ahead, do we continue to trust or do we freak out and try to control the situation?! When all the bills are due, there's no gas in the car, and you have no where to lay your head...what do you do?! Personally, I choose to praise God for all that I KNOW He is about to do! If we worry, do the bills get paid? If we panic, does it gas the car? Of course not! If we stress, all we get is high blood pressure, headaches, and wrinkles...not solutions! The Word says, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matthew 6:27) It's so very true! Worrying does nothing but give the enemy the upper hand! However, if we choose to praise and give God glory through the trial, regardless of the outcome, we win! Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus! (Philippians 4:6-7) We are His children, and we need not worry for anything! Whatever it is that's causing you stress and anxiety today, give it up! Some may say, "easier said than done", but I say, "easier done than undone!"
Run with me church!
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WE ARE THE DIVINE APPOINTMENT

I love how God always brings us to the right place at the right time even when its perceived we're in the wrong place! Today we were scheduled to meet our new friends from New Mexico at a local McDonald's at noon. When we had discussed meeting, I was certain I knew where to go. When we arrived (on time, which is a miracle in itself if you know me), our friends were no where to be found. I called to see if they were running late, and it turned out we were at the "the wrong McDonald's"! At least that's how it would have seemed! However, while we were there we prayed with four people who got radically touched and healed by Jesus! A man with a bandaged up head from an accident, a woman in a wheelchair, a woman with an arm brace, and a woman on crutches! He healed them all because we were in "the wrong place"! When we got to "the right place" He healed a man with a cane and a woman with a sling! Not to mention the houseless friend that we got to bless and pray for, the soldiers we got to bless and encourage, the workers we got to love on and encourage, and my new friend, Sophia, who is turning three "Alakazam"! By the way, our new friends were running late so all our encounters did not disrespect their time either! I love Jesus! What I'm trying to say is, don't feel like you need to be "lead" to the right place or the right person for the divine appointment.

We are a walking, talking, living, breathing, divine appointment!

Where ever we are, the Spirit of the Lord is ready to be released! Whoever is around us has the potential of receiving an abundant display of His love and power. Don't keep it to yourselves! Run with me church!
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PRAISE CHANGES THE ATMOSPHERE

Despite my many tentative plans for today, the Lord urged me to stay in our room and soak in His presence. Along with staying in the room comes the knocking of heads and the trying of patience. I am extremely blessed to have two of the most well behaved children, however we all get a little stir crazy locked in a small room together for the entire day. Just when I felt I was at my wits end, I began to give glory to God. Singing songs of praise and worship is the exact opposite of what I felt like doing at the time, but I knew it was exactly what I needed to do. Wouldn't you know it, the entire atmosphere of the room changed almost immediately. The kids were laughing and playing, and even at times singing along! The enemy knew that the Lord had set this day aside for the kids and I to commune with Him, and that snake was determined to put us off track. Problem for the devil is I know my Daddy, and He is worthy of my praise no matter my mood or situation. If we are willing to stop in the midst of a trial, put things into perspective, and praise God for who He is, He will fill the room with His presence, driving darkness far away! The enemy does not want to be in a room full of the Lord's praises, and will flee immediately! James 4 tells us to "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." The definition of submit is to give over or yield to the power or authority of another. When we have totally submitted ourselves to the praise and power of the Lord, the devil IS resisted, and in turn must flee. So, next time you feel yourself getting angry, frustrated, worried, anxious, depressed, weak, etc.... Get your praise on!!! Giving glory to the Lord for He is worthy, regardless of what your life looks like. Your circumstances do not dictate how much God loves you! Jesus dying on the cross to restore you was enough! There will never be anything in your life bigger than that! 
Run with me church!
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The Approval of One

As the Christian race is run, more and more people will disapprove of our words and actions. The persecution increases and people try to give advice more often. This kind of devotion makes people very uncomfortable. With this crossroads comes a very important balance. How does one show love and appreciation to man, while still following the instructions received from the Lord? For this answer we look solely to the life of Jesus! When people screamed at Him, He held His ground. When people tried to stone Him, He continued to be love. When people falsely accused Him, He did not defend Himself but only spoke truth. When people disagreed with His words and actions, He only listened to and sought the approval of the Father. Because the world is completely upside down from the kingdom it can be a mental struggle for balance, but I am here to tell you that peace in these trials is completely attainable. Man will try to judge and question your motives. They will disagree with the way you speak and live your life. The most important thing to remember is we are called to seek the approval of only One...Jesus! Although it is human nature to want to be accepted by man, fight it! There is such a way to walk in love so as to not trample on people, but there will be times when people get offended! People will get upset! People will disagree! None of this matters! We need to press into our Father, hear His voice, and follow His instruction no matter the cost! Even if it ends up that we are completely isolated and seemingly alone, we know that our Father has promised to never leave us or forsake us. We will not always be the most popular. We will not always be accepted, but we ARE accepted in the beloved! Take courage brothers and sisters! The victory has been won and you are victorious!
Run with me church!
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WHAT DOES THE CROSS SAY ABOUT YOU?

This morning I was having a conversation with my mother about my last blog, and I became very passionate about the meaning behind the cross. She requested that I do a blog on the topic, so here it is!
A great multitude of religious teachings would suggest that the cross is symbolic of Christ's sacrifice because we are sinners. They teach that Christ had to die because our horrible nature is completely incapable of ever getting it right. He had to die for us because we are hopeless failures, sinners saved by grace or undeserved favor. While this does have some truth, I would like to elaborate on the Father's heart. John 3:16 says, "God so LOVED the world that He GAVE His one and ONLY SON, that whoever should believe in Him would not perish, but have ETERNAL LIFE." I capitalized some of the words in that well known scripture to make a point. First of all, God loved.
1 Corinthians 13:7 tells us that love always protects, trusts, and hopes. If we plug that definition of love into John 3:16 we find that God so protected, trusted in, and hoped for the world that He gave. When someone gives a gift, they expect nothing in return. They do it out of generosity and love. God didn't give His Son so that we would give good works back. He gave so we could receive. He wanted us to receive eternal life. John 17:3 tells us that eternal life is that we would know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. "It's not about praying a prayer and going to heaven, otherwise you would have prayed a prayer and *POOF* you would have disappeared."(Todd White) Jesus came so that we may know the Father and have a relationship with Him, but God couldn't have a relationship with us while we were covered in sin. Jesus came to take away the sin of the world(John 1:29). He didn't come to mask it, or cover it up. He came to TAKE SIN AWAY! Once we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord we are saved.(Romans 10:9). Saved from what? A life of bondage and sin.

We are no longer sinners, but sons!

We have been restored to our original created value as co-heirs with Christ. The old has passed away, the new has come.(2 Corinthians 5:17) When something passes away we don't battle with it. The old man is dead! We are brand new creations, created in the image of God! God is without sin! Jesus came to demonstrate what it looks like to walk the earth without sin, so we would know what we are capable of with His Spirit.  We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.(Philippians 4:13) This includes righteous living! If it were not possible to live righteously (in right standing with God) then God the Father would not have sent His most prized possession, Jesus! In the western world we can completely understand the love of a child and how insanely sacrificial it is to give them up for others. In Israel, in bible times a man's success was based upon having a male heir. If a man had only one son, he would spend thirty years pouring everything he had into that son. At thirty years of age the son would inherit the father's kingdom in all of it's entirety. A son wasn't only his father's "pride and joy", but his most prized possession that would take over all his affairs. This was a very strong message to the Israelites, as it should be to us today! God the Father gave His heir to redeem the rest of His children. I'm sure everyone would agree that we are only willing to pay what we believe something is worth. If I were to offer my rusty 2000 Kia Sephia for $40,000 no one would buy it, because it's not worth that much. So why would heaven go bankrupt of it's most prized possession to redeem us, if we weren't worth it?! The truth is we are worth it!

The cross is a symbol of your amazing value!

It's also symbolic of our inheritance! Once we were redeemed we became co-heirs. This means that everything Jesus did while on the earth, (the sin-free life, the healings, the words of knowledge, the prophesies, the selfless love) we are capable of doing, and even greater.(John 14:12-14) By His Spirit we are restored to our original created purpose! It is not blasphemy! It's the Gospel!

Run with me church!

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