FaithLift

Into The Future

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 19:33:46 GMT

Know Him. Trust Him. Love Him.

One thing is certain, time marches on. Hard to believe we are about to step into 2026! Time is flying and slipping into the future! I am certain it must be speeding up! Some of us are all too happy to say good riddance to 2025. Life can be hard, filled with disappointments, hardships, heartaches, losses, and the like. If we look back closely though, we will see the goodness of God in the midst of those trying times. May we praise God for giving us time to reflect, heal, start anew, and grow. He is teaching us to fly in uncertainty and adversity!

Are you seeking God? Are you placing your life and times in His hands? Then do not worry! God wants the best for you in everything that pertains to you! He truly is working all things together for good for those who love Him. We quote that scripture in Romans, but do we really believe it? I am telling you God is working all your things for good! Of course He is! He is a good God! He is the absolute best. There is none higher. There is no greater love, and you are a part of His grand plan. The plan that was set in motion before time began. He is with you in the valley, and He is with you on the mountain tops. Be at peace. Trust Him when He says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

As His children, made in His image, we are the blessed ones! He chose us while we were still sinners. He loved us before we loved Him. He has everything under control, no matter what it looks like! As our Pastor says, “the kingdom of God is not in trouble!” He commanded us not to fear! Tomorrow will take care of itself. Trust God on the daily! Lean on Him. Even the sparrows He feeds! Do you think He will not take care of His own children?

In the trials and tribulations of life we sometimes think where is God, I cannot take much more! Do not think for a second God has forsaken you! His grace is sufficient. He knows you and loves you. He is the God who sees! You can trust Him when it hurts or does not make sense. You can trust Him when He seems silent because He is good at all times! He warned us saying, "In the world you will have tribulation. But to take heart; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Life is a battlefield physically and spiritually. What we see with our eyes is not all there is. There is an unseen realm where spiritual battles take place. Know God hears you the moment you pray! Remember in Daniel, when the angel sent by God appeared to him saying there was opposition in the heavens, and he was held up 21 days before he could get to him!

Be aware. Know your enemy. Stand against the wiles of the ancient serpent. He does not have new tactics; he plays out of the same playbook he has used for ages. He is not creative. But he is sly, sneaky, and masquerades as light. He mocks God, wants to be like God, and turns the truth of God upside down. In Luke, Jesus said, “Behold I have given you all power to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means harm you!” We must grow to understand the power and authority we have in Him. The enemy must bow to the name of Jesus Christ. The seventy-two disciples that were sent out reported back to Jesus how amazed they were because even the demons submitted to them in His name!

Trust the timing of God. He is a God of order. He works in times and seasons, ages, and dispensations. Even the demons in the Bible understood this. In Matthew 8:29, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” And how can we forget in Ecclesiastes 3, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…” Realize how good your God is, there is no other like Him. He is mighty, sovereign, patient, kind, perfect, holy, just, righteous, pure light and love! How can we question His ways?

God formed you in your mother’s womb. He knew you before you were born. Your name is written in Lamb’s Book of Life. He has great plans for you. Are you thinking it is too late, how could God use me now after the mess I have made of my life? If you are still breathing, it is not too late. Surrender your past, present and future to God and watch Him blow your mind with what He does with it.

God knows our failures, weaknesses, and stubborn hearts. He knew all the detours you were going to make before you did! He is majestic, all-powerful, and all-knowing. He knows how to weave the tapestry of your life together, with all your failures and shortcomings, in such a way to still bring about good. He is the master potter, and we are the clay. Know that God is orchestrating divine appointments as well as divine delays in your life. He is so cool. Trust Him! Talk to Him. He is working. He sees you! He knows you! Never doubt it.

Keep your lamps burning with oil, in anticipation of His coming. We are still to be “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). Have your proper garments on, clothed in white, in His righteousness. Jesus is coming to get His bride without spot or wrinkle! Let us learn to walk in our true identity as born again, new creatures, with the 'spiritual DNA’ of God the Father! Our lineage is no longer Adam but God through Jesus Christ. As He is, so are we in this world! What an amazing gift to be children of God, to have His nature. God loves us so much that He made us part of His family! He chose us first, but we must also choose Him!

Place your trust in Jesus today if you have not already. Time is not endless. It keeps marching on until the fullness of time is complete. When God says times up, time is up! In this age of grace, God made it simple to be made right with Him. He requires that you believe in His son Jesus who died for you so that in Him you are no longer a slave to sin, no longer bound to the sin nature we inherited from Adam. The yoke of sin is loosed! You are set free by the blood of Jesus Christ. “The record of debt… he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame” (Colossians 2:15). "By His own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us" (Hebrews 9:12). He paid the price we could not pay. Sin is removed as far as the east is from the west! In Christ, God no longer sees the stain of our sin, it was placed on His Son, the perfect lamb of God. Hallelujah!

What a time to be alive! We are seeing prophecies unfold before our very eyes. I believe God is going to move powerfully on the earth and the shakings will continue to escalate. The light will become lighter, and the darkness will become darker. We must learn to be strong in the Lord and mighty in His power! Share Jesus with those God places in our path and walk as children of the light! Celebrate this New Year with holy anticipation and consecration to the Lord. As we yield to Him, I believe God is going to move in ways we cannot imagine. He is looking for vessels to move through! Will you be available? Let's go 2026!!!

Mission Accomplished

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 01:15:21 GMT

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

“Look the tabernacle of God is with men and He will dwell with them. They shall be His people and God Himself will dwell with them and be their God. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. There shall be no more death. Neither shall there be any more sorrow nor crying nor pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:3-4)

The Holy City, New Jerusalem, the final dwelling place for those in Jesus Christ, will measure one thousand four hundred miles on each side; its length, breadth, and height equal. The city is made of pure gold… clear as glass and is decorated with precious stones and single pearls as gates! In this kingdom, we shall see God face to face and His name will be on our foreheads. We will serve God and rule with Him forever!

The great divide between teams is becoming increasingly clear as we have recently witnessed a Christian man with young children being gunned down in broad daylight, murdered for all the world to see, and then the celebration and mockery of his death! It is shocking how dark and twisted the world is becoming . As children of the Most High, we should not fear death or tribulations to come. The church age is winding down. At the appointed time, our earthly bodies will be exchanged for glorified bodies! We will finally be with our Lord and even rule over angels if you can imagine that! Let us rejoice knowing the victory over the dragon, the ancient serpent, the adversary, Satan, belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords!

Are you a sinner or a saint? Are you a chosen and faithful one? Saints of God, the bride of Christ, are bought with a high mohar, an extremely high price, the blood of the only son of God! Saints are born again, washed in His blood, and baptized into Jesus Christ. They have received the gift of life. They are ready for the marriage supper, they have the correct garments on, the whole armor of God. They are ready for their groom!

If you have not already, receive Jesus Christ today . This is the great exchange of all time, our sin for His righteousness. You will never be the same again, you will be changed into a new creation, into a brand-new wine skin, raised to life with Jesus.

Eve was deceived by the old serpent in the garden of Eden, she took the bait, and consequently humanity received a sin nature. God already had a plan from before the foundations of the earth to save humans from the consequence of this massive failure. Nothing is a surprise to the Alpha and the Omega . God sent His only Son on a mission trip to earth to save us from death. This is incredibly good news! Jesus came to remove our corrupted sin nature by paying the price for us… a gruesome horrific death. He was the only one who could atone, the only spotless lamb, the only sinless human. The sin of the entire world was placed on Jesus at the cross, and He bore it all! Can you imagine the weight of it?

Satan tried to stop the ‘ one who would crush his head .’ He tried to keep Him from completing His mission. He worked through King Herod, killing all the baby boys in Bethlehem born around Jesus’s birth. Satan tried again with the great temptation of Jesus those 40 days and nights in the desert. In the final attempt, Satan entered Jesus’s disciple Judas, to have Jesus arrested, tortured, and crucified, which backfired big time… big!

Jesus perfectly completed His mission on earth , the redemption of humanity. Satan lost. Jesus Christ won the victory for the Father, and for you and me. May we follow suit and complete the mission the Father has for each of us in our fleeting time on earth. Let us hold fast, as this life is just a vapor considering eternity.

In the ancient Jewish marriage customs, the potential bride is chosen, usually by the father of the groom. T he girl says yes by drinking from the cup of wine offered by the groom. A ketubah, a marriage contract, is signed in which the groom promises to work, provide, support, protect and to live together as husband and wife. A mohar or bridal price was paid for her in money, goods, and/or service.

The betrothal or engagement began up to twelve months before the wedding . During this waiting period, the couple are legally considered husband and wife! Meanwhile, the groom goes back to his father’s house to prepare a place for them, as the bride prepares herself for the wedding. She waits for him to return at an unknown hour .

At the appointed time, the groom’s father announces to his son, today is the day, get your bride. He and his friends then walk the streets to the bride’s house in a parade of sorts, with joy, musical instruments, and celebration. The bride is overjoyed by the realization that her groom has finally come for her! He would then take her and her friends to his father’s house for the ceremony, consummation, and the marriage supper, a spectacular feast that had been prepared. The grand celebration included dancing, singing, the best wine, and of course feasting. It would continue for up to a week!

The Jewish marriage institution in part was to protect, place value, and give security to the bride. In the pagan marriages of the time, a man could spot a woman on the streets and marry her by bringing her to his house, have relations, and then could dispose of her if he wished. There was no protection for the woman who could be discarded so easily. If the Jewish husband wanted a divorce, he would have to give his wife the mohar, what was agreed upon in the ketubah!

Our groom will come to get us, His bride, for the marriage supper of the Lamb where we celebrate the joyful, intimate, and eternal union with Jesus. Jesus said, “I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Mathew 26:29). What a communion, what a glorious celebration it will be!

Believe God. Trust Him. Surrender all and remember Jesus’s words, “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me to give to each one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning, and the End, the First and the Last.” (Revelation 22:12-13)

Do not let this world pull you away from your betrothed. There are too many distractions and deceptions, do not succumb to it. Seek God first. Make Him number one in your life, the one you think about and honor, the one you yearn for, just like the bride preparing herself for her husband. The muslins bow before Allah at least three times a day. The Indians honor their Hindu gods in puja rituals, and the Buddhists live an entire life of service to their god! Doesn’t the one true living God, the Creator, the great I Am deserve more from His people than these false evil gods? Let us proclaim like the line from Lauren Daigle’s song “First,” You are my treasure and my reward, let nothing ever come before I seek You first.

You Can Have My Heart

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 03:10:52 GMT

"Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again’. Ezekiel 11:17

Make no mistake about it, if God said it, it will come to pass. This is one thing we can count on in this world, no matter how unstable it may become. We can count on the truth, the truth of God’s Word. God speaks of gathering His people back from the nations they have been scattered all throughout the Bible.

The people did not heed the warnings of the prophets of God to repent from idol worship, so God allowed them to be taken captive and exiled to Babylon. God had mercy on them however and after 70 years caused the king at that time to have a heart towards the people of ‘the God of Israel’. He let them return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple!

However, after a time, the people again disobeyed God and worshiped idols and other terrible sins. After many warnings, God had to discipline and judge them. He allowed the Romans to conquer them and again they were dispersed. This time, after being scattered to many nations all over the world for centuries, how would it be possible for them to return?

Against all odds, without a homeland, the Jews as a whole did not lose their identity. Why? Because God said they wouldn’t. He tells us in scripture that the sons of Israel from every tribe will return to their land as one nation. They endured many atrocities, like the Holocaust before beginning to return again. In 1948 the State of Israel was established! The Jews have been migrating to their homeland ever since.

We Gentiles (non-Jews) are grafted in as God’s chosen people by believing and professing Jesus Christ is the Son of God who rose from the grave on the third day. We become members of His household! Can you grasp that? We become a part of His family, family of the God who set the stars in place and holds them there by His word!

Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth, just as you are right now! You don’t clean yourself up and then go to Him. Instead, you go to Him and He will clean you up little by little and teach you all things. He will even give you understanding of great mysteries from the Bible as you seek Him.

Ever notice how God deals with His people Israel in the Bible? He disciplines them when needed, usually after much long-suffering towards them and many warnings. At the same time however, nations who wronged His people certainly dealt with His wrath... sooner or later! Similarly, as parents we must discipline our children for their own good but look out when someone else wrongs them! We want to defend, protect and restore them, just like our heavenly Father! Nothing they do could ever make us not love them, it’s unconditional!

Everything is working toward the plans of God to fulfil His purposes. We can take great comfort in that. No matter what is happening or going on in our lives or the world, ultimately God is sovereign and what He has spoken, will come to pass! Remember there are times and seasons for everything in this life and there is nothing new under the sun. If you are going through a rough patch, know it will not last forever! He also promises to never give us more than we can handle, though sometimes it seems God surely is amiss!

This age is winding down. We are experiencing birth pains. One thing we know about birth pains is that they increase. We can expect an increase in sorrows, but as devoted Christians we will not experience the wrath of God as mentioned in the Book of Revelation. However, woe to those who have rejected Him! The tribulation will be a time of wrath poured out like never before! It is a last chance effort to bring the lost to their knees. God wants none to perish but all to come to repentance. He wants all to choose Him, to choose life!

This generation is experiencing poor mental health as a whole. They are confused, full of fear and have lost hope in the future. It is said that this is the most anxiety filled generation of all time.

Being a Christ follower doesn’t mean everything will be easy, but in the midst of trials and tribulations we have an assurance, peace and hope that the world doesn’t have. It is supernatural, not based on circumstances. We must introduce this source of life, this source of joy, this treasure to them!

What does God want from us? He wants our love and devotion, not perfection. God knew we were fallible humans, imperfect, but He chose us anyway to be His people. He made a way for us to be back in relationship with Him.

We are special. You are special. He knows you by name. He knows every hair on your head. He collects your tears. He works all things for your good and His glory. He is a jealous God. He is jealous for you!

Do you feel Him tugging at your heart, knocking at the door? Let Him in, and you will never be the same again. You will be born again spiritually, made new, alive in Christ! When you take your last breath, you will be transferred to another realm, to live forever with your Maker in all of His glory! The Bible tells us that there will be no more tears, sorrow or pain!

If you died tomorrow, do you know where you are going? It is one of two places, heaven or hell, with God or without Him. Have you chosen Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?

When you say yes to Jesus your sin is remembered no more, it is covered by the blood He shed on the cross for you! God made a way to bring you back to Him, the way it was intended to be all along. The way it was all the way back to the garden of Eden before the fall of Adam and Eve. Through one man, all humanity died as sin entered and corrupted us. Likewise, through one man, the Son of God, humanity is saved and brought to life again.

You must choose. God will not force you into His Kingdom. He gave us freewill. Don’t reject Him, He is waiting with open arms to receive you as His child, and He is the very best Father! He takes good care of His children. He is limitless, all powerful, all knowing, and everything good. Call on the name of Jesus today and watch your life change for good. Seek Him while He may be found! He will lift that weight of sin and shame off of you. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light!

All the answers to life are found in the pages of the Bible. It is a supernatural book. Dive into it, don’t neglect it, it is life to your dry bones! Come to know God and stay close to Him by making the Word your ‘daily bread’, speaking to Him throughout the day, and worshipping Him. Set your affections on Him! Take a listen to “Have My Heart” by Maverick City Music and let Him have your heart today!

My heart is Yours completely
My heart is Yours totally

You love with no reservation
You're not looking for perfection
And there's no need in me pretending
I'll give You everything
I'll give You everything

You deserve my full attention
And nothing less than my devotion
Oh, speak to me and I will listen
I'll give You everything
I'll give You everything

Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
You can have my heart
You can have my heart
Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
You can have my heart
You can have my heart…

Already But Not Yet

Fri, 30 May 2025 16:09:10 GMT

Who are you imaging...

Adam at 130 years fathered Seth, “ in his likeness, according to his image ”. I never noticed that part before, but it sure stuck out to me while preparing this Faith Lift! Adam was created in the likeness of God, which we know. In the same way Adam’s son was created in his likeness. It is hard to believe we humans are actually created in the image of God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth… but we are. Begs the question, in what way are we created as His image bearers?

One huge way we image God is, through the miracle of conception, we create little humans in our likeness . We are also spirit beings that live forever, we have freewill, authority over unclean spirits! We have dominion, we rule and rein over the earth, and one day we will even judge the angels! We work, plan, design and build! We enjoy family, communion, and fellowship, just like Him. God is good, merciful, patient, full of light and loving kindness... as we should be! Oh, and He likes pretty things! Just read the descriptions of the New Jerusalem coming down from Heaven… streets of pure gold, gates of pearls. God likes the best of the best!

I don’t know about you, but I look around the world and people do not seem to be bearing much of His image these days. Mankind as a whole is made in His image, so why do we so often look like the opposite? Did we lose it?

After the fall of Adam, our image was tainted by sin, but we are still His image bearers. There is a concept of ‘ already but not yet ’ in the Christian world that I think helps us understand this. God is not bound by our realm or by our time, He created it, and He controls it! He can back it up or speed it up whenever He chooses! He sees the fullness of time. He sees us in our perfected, glorified bodies that Jesus bought back for us on the cross.

Those in Christ will fully bear the likeness and image of our heavenly Father in the sweet by and by. For now, because of the fall, we are not imaging God in full. You know the old saying history repeats itself, well in a way it does. We are all trying to get back to Eden , so to speak, and we will! Ever notice that the tree of life was mentioned in the beginning of the Bible as being in the garden of Eden, and it is also mentioned in the end of the Bible as being in the new Jerusalem…

Remember, we are three-part beings. After we receive Christ, our spirits are made alive, perfected, and Holy Spirit comes to live in us. However, we still have our soul man that is in the process of being sanctified. We are all a work in progress and will be until the day we die. So, the next time someone challenges or tests your image bearing … remember who you are and act accordingly!

Sometimes it seems the closer we are to breakthrough, or about to be taken next level, from glory to glory, all hell seems to break lose. Or perhaps God is testing us before promotion. Maybe it’s both, God works in mysterious ways. If Holy Spirit has revealed some ‘ugly’ in you , praise God for it! Now you can work on that with the Lord. Ask Him to help you, ask Him to burn that dross out... and then brace yourself and hold on!

Trust me, I know how hard it is sometimes to bless your enemy, to love anyway and to shut your mouth! You have to fight for it. You have to fight to have the heart and mind of Christ, to operate from your spirit and not your soul. We want payback, we want revenge, we don’t want to turn the other cheek. I heard this the other day, and it is so true… forgiveness is not a feeling, it is a choice ! Choose wisely!

To be His image bearers that is exactly what we must do. Choose to forgive and extend the love of Christ anyway, no matter what! Not only that, when we have allowed those negative, dark emotions to linger too long, it just feels yucky in your heart! Can I get an amen? Pay attention to that yuck , it is a big red flag you are going off course.

If you have messed up this week… or lately, acknowledge it. It is the goodness of God that brings us to repentance. He wants to forgive you and bring peace back to your heart. It’s what He sent His Son for. Our God is merciful, kind and tender hearted. Run to Him, He is waiting with open arms .

Don’t neglect time with Him or His Word. It is your daily bread. It helps us and changes us. Get alone with God and allow Him to minister to you. Praise Him and lift His name on high! He is your source. Let Him turn that thing around . Give it to Him and thank Him that His mercies are new every morning.

Thank you, Lord! Oh, thank you Father! You alone deserve the praise. Be glorified. Be high and lifted up! We run to you now Lord. We praise you in the storm Lord. We hand these burdens to you, and we thank you for working it all out for our good and your glory. Thy will be done. Help us to reflect you, to image you in all we think, say and do, in Jesus name. Amen and Amen.

A Flower Quickly Fading

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 02:13:40 GMT

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” ( Hebrews 11:1)

How many know the song by Casting Crowns, called “Who Am I”?

…I am a flower quickly fading

Here today and gone tomorrow

A wave tossed in the ocean,

A vapor in the wind

Still, You hear me when I'm calling

Lord, You catch me when I'm falling

And You've told me who I am

I am Yours; I am Yours…

This song is so beautiful. When we remember this life is just like a wave tossed in the ocean, it can help us to see how small our problems and the trials of life are. They are not the end all, be all that they seem to be. It helps us to be eternity minded and remember what is most important… loving Jesus, loving others, obeying Him, worshiping Him and expanding His kingdom!

Remember this life truly is just a vapor in the wind! Our time on earth is just a flicker before we step into eternity. The moment we take our last breath our souls leave our bodies and travel somewhere! They will live on forever in one place or the other, with God or without Him – we are immortal beings! Our body is just a temporary shell for the spirit and soul, the eternal part of us, the part of us made in the image of our Creator!

God breathed life into Adam, the first man, and put him in the Garden of Eden. He put him in paradise! He then gave him a wife. Everything Adam and Eve needed was provided. They were put in charge of this beautiful, harmonious, wonderful place. They enjoyed leisurely working in this garden I imagine. After all, it is good for man to work, produce and create, just like our Father! God was close to Adam and Eve. He walked and talked with them in the cool of the day! Eden had no sin, it was full of light and the goodness of God until one day Eve took the bait of the adversary, the snake, the liar and the thief!

Suddenly they were naked, afraid, fearful and ashamed. These were foreign emotions up until this point! God had to remove them from this glorious place. He even had to put cherubim in the garden with a sword of fire that ‘turned every way’... to guard the tree of life. Fascinating isn’t it! God was shielding them from eating of the tree of life in their fallen state!

If they had eaten of the tree after the fall, they would have continued to live forever, only now in a state of separation from God. They had to be expelled from the living waters, from their daily bread, from the tree of life. They had to live in the fallen world, the temporary world, and experience physical death… which is where we find ourselves!

God was ultimately protecting them even though they had disobeyed Him, even though they had fallen for the lie! He had already devised a plan long before this, to reconcile them and mankind, back to Himself, to make them spiritually alive again. Oh how God is faithful even when we are not!

We know the rest of the story. Man would have to work really hard now to till the land, and woman would have to suffer pain in childbirth. Now there was a necessary divide between the Holy One and man. Man would have to deal with the effects of sin and evil entering the world… man would have to live outside of paradise.

Like apostle Paul, man will at times live with a thorn in his side, but to the glory of God, when we are weak, then we are strong! The thorn keeps us humble, brings us to our knees, and allows God to rise in us and be our strength, courage, healing or whatever it is we need as we depend on Him and allow Him to work!

Because of the fall, all the way back to Adam, man is corrupted by sin and dies physically. Apart from being born again, made alive by faith-belief-trust in Jesus, man remains spiritually dead. God hasn’t deserted us in that horrid condition, He made a way. Jesus is the way back to Eden! The veil is torn! Hallelujah!

Do you know who you are? Are you His? Then whom or what shall you fear? Death has lost its sting! Almighty God, the one whom all glory, honor, power and dominion belong, has you in the palm of His hands. He wants to walk and talk with you! You are sealed, marked, and born again in Christ! Be still and know, God performs His Word. Know that He hears you when you are calling…

Pictures

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 00:20:39 GMT

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” ( Hebrews 11:1)

Many of us are coming out of a two-day intensive ladies retreat our church hosted over the weekend. It was a powerful event. Many lives have been changed forever. Personally, I was filled to overflowing. I don’t think I could get any higher in this earthly vessel! Words were prophesied over me. I was on cloud nine as they say! But before I realized it, the enemy had already swooped in and knocked me down.

Sunday night I felt led by Holy Spirit to get out paper and pen to begin writing. I was about to start but decided to check my phone first. I began responding to a chat with some dear friends, one of whom posted a picture of herself from way back in the day. For kicks I thought I would scroll ‘real quick’ through my phone to find one of my big-hair-day pics from the 80’s to share with them. This led me down a rabbit hole and I’m embarrassed to say that over four hours later I was still going through pictures.

Pictures can be wonderful! They can hold precious memories, but they can also hold painful memories! Pictures can conjure up memories of past hurts, trauma, failures, trials, tribulations and things you wish you could do over or forget! If you’re not careful the enemy can take those thoughts and feelings and have a field day! When the lies start to be whispered in your ear, fight back! Take them captive unto the obedience of Christ. Speak the truth and think on things that are lovely and a good report! You are washed in His blood, forgiven, healed and made whole by the stripes of Jesus!

God redeems and restores us, He heals us and remembers our sin no more, as far as the east is from the west. The blood sacrifice of our Lord Jesus covers all past, present and future sin for all of eternity! Our God brings beauty from ashes and joy for mourning. He turns what the enemy meant for evil for our good and His glory. Our redeemer lives! Amen!

When God looks at us, He sees the end from the beginning. He is outside of our earthly time. God sees how far we have come from where we started. He sees how far we have come from when we got off track! God, along with all of heaven are cheering us on to conquer and prevail in this journey called life. God is for us and not against us! The enemy of your soul, however, would like nothing better than to torment or accuse you again and again, and drag you down to the pit with him.

What if there are things that you have not confessed or acknowledged before God, or things you thought you were healed from but now think… maybe not? God says to run to the mercy seat with boldness! His grace is sufficient. His mercy endures forever! He wants to be our healer and deliverer, so give that thing to Him to heal! Next time the enemy shows up to remind you of wounds, scars, trauma, sin, sickness or things you regret and wish you could do over, you remind him who you are, you remind him of the truth!

You are a child of the most high God, you are chosen and not forsaken, you have a future and a hope, you are the head and not the tail, above and not beneath, you are blessed coming in and you are blessed going out, the fruit of your womb is blessed, your store houses are blessed, the work of your hands are blessed, hallelujah, you are the healed of God, the redeemed of God and you can do all things through Jesus Christ, and one day you will even rule and rein with Him!

We wouldn’t be who we are today if it were not for our past. We learn, grow and become stronger because of our trials and tribulations, our life experiences. Just like our physical muscles, if we are not challenged spiritually or in our inner man, we do not grow. We live and learn… but hopefully it doesn’t take 40 years what should only take 11 days!

Those who have received breakthrough in an area, those going higher in the Lord, about to step into a new season, are on the enemy's radar and must be especially on guard against the snares of the enemy! He doesn't want us to keep our peace and joy! He doesn’t want us to advance the Kingdom, he doesn’t want us to go from faith to faith and glory to glory! He doesn’t want us to conquer our flesh! He doesn’t want us to fulfill our destinies and callings. All hell seems to break lose when you are about to advance. But how many know the victory is ours in Christ, the gates of hell will not prevail against the church! We have been given all power to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy!

Remember who you are! Live victoriously as you keep your eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, our life source, the one seated at the right hand of the Father! No compromise in this season. The battle is the Lords! Ask the Lord for your part and turn the rest over to Him… turn it over! Trust Him. He’s got you in the palm of His hand. He collects every tear! He fights for you. You need only be still...

The Throne Room

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 04:53:29 GMT

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” ( Hebrews 11:1)

As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. (Daniel 7:9-10)

Wow! Can you imagine this divine courtroom scene? I think sometimes we forget the glory and majesty and power of the God we serve. We will stand before this holy, holy, holy God in the sweet by and by! Are you ready to pass over Jordan? Are you ready for your immortal state?

Maybe you are sure about all that, but if you were standing before the Holy One, might you have any regrets? Now is the time to do the things and to live the life that will matter in eternity. What if Jesus calls us home tomorrow and there is no more time. When you think of that fiery courtroom scene described above, are you thinking come Jesus come or oh God I’m not ready! It’s go time, ask Him for the game plan, for specific instructions for your role in the days ahead.

As the church, we won’t go through the great white throne judgement, but we will be judged at the judgement seat of Christ. We will give an account of our actions while in our bodies and be rewarded as such. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians, whether we are here on earth or away with the Lord, we ought to aim at being pleasing to Him!

Jesus told the thief on the cross, this day I will see you in paradise. He was saved minutes from death, with no time to clean up his life. Unlike him, we have had time to grow in the Lord, to live set apart lives, and are expected to until the very end. Paul tells us that since Jesus died for all, we should no longer live for ourselves, but for the one who died for us.

We will see Jesus in paradise and receive our crowns!

Praise God, as Saints of the Most High, one day we will possess the Kingdom forever and ever! Never forget we are in this world, but we are not of it any longer. We belong to another Kingdom. We are to be good ambassadors for that Kingdom. Are we representing it well or do we look just like the world? Our lives are to be living testimonies of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

God’s plan for Jesus from eternity past included life, death, resurrection and return to the Father. We as His children will follow suit! The value God placed on us to make us His very own, should call us to holiness, to righteous living, to honor Him in all we think, say and do. Afterall, we are His special possession, His chosen ones, created in His own image!

Like the metamorphosis of the life of a butterfly, may the Word transform us over time. The beauty of a butterfly is on the outside. However, God looks at the beauty of a person on the inside… the soul of a person. Hence, let us take the advice of Charles Spurgeon and watch what we feed on:

“But I would say to you this morning, feed on Christ, feed on spiritual food, feed on the pure truth of God’s Word, and feed your souls on nothing else. Know the taste of what you eat, and let it be as clear and definite as that of butter and honey, so you may readily refuse the evil and choose the good”.

Let’s pray…

Dear Lord,

May we be lovely in your sight, the apple of your eye. You are the potter, and we are the clay. We are your workmanship. Thank you for transforming us into the image of Your Son, for working it all for good and your glory… every failure, every setback, every heartache! Thank you, Holy Spirit, for the good work you are doing in each of us as we yield our lives and our will to yours. Thank you for the promise to sustain us to the very end. Amen and amen.

Seasons & Cycles

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 04:00:13 GMT

2024 Reflections (originally published 12/31/2024)

For many of us we are all too happy to kiss 2024 goodbye. Personally, I can't wait to ring in the new year. My 2024 began with a very sick husband in the hospital, that lasted for months. During that time my dear mother got diagnosed with “incurable” cancer and then I learned my granddaughter to be was diagnosed with a very rare form of childhood cancer. All of this happened around the same time. Looking back a lot of it is a blur. You do what you have to do to get through and with God's mercy, grace and strength you reach the other side. Never forget or take for granted where God has brought you from or what God has brought you through. It is so easy to forget sometimes.

Things aren't perfect now, we are still dealing with struggles and issues as many of you are, but my God, look what he has brought us through. As they say, we aren't where we want to be but praise God we aren't where we used to be. My husband almost died in the hospital more than once as he suffered through the effects of a long undiagnosed bone infection and the wrath of it as it spread throughout his body. He had two different spinal surgeries, biopsies, many scares and eventually rehab. Now he is walking and is healthy, my mother is in remission and beautiful Adeline is still in the battle but is strong and courageous. She cried with tears of love and joy when she was first introduced to her baby brother, little man Cohen James, my new grand baby, just a couple weeks ago!

In the midst of your trials and tribulations, look for the hand of God working in your life and the lives of your families and loved ones, and you will see it. You will see in the midst of it all, the blessing and tender mercies of our Heavenly Father. It is in these times that we seek His face like never before as we are brought to our knees in prayer!

Sometimes things don't turn out how we had hoped, but we know God is master of bringing beauty from ashes, hope from despair, and joy for mourning. We know we can trust Him in and through it all. God doesn't waste a thing. In the trials we learn, we grow, and we become stronger. We learn to lean on the everlasting arm of the father and to exercise our faith, among other life lessons. You will get through to the other side. God never leaves you or forsakes you, even when He seems silent at times. Remember the story of Job… so many good life lessons there.

We don't know what is around the bend, but in Christ we can endure and even thrive in the midst of the most dire situations. Remember who your Rock is! Stand on Him and you will not be shaken, you will not be moved by whatever life brings. In Christ we have a hope and an assurance that the world doesn't have and can't even understand.

In 2025 let us draw nearer to the Father and let Him take us places we can't even imagine as we walk closely with Him. All our hope is in Jesus. Let us treasure Him and abide in Him, and remember we have the victory in Christ. We always have something to celebrate in Him. Celebrate that tonight… victory in Jesus. We have all of eternity with God almighty, where there will be no more tears or sorrow or pain, but peace and glory we can't even comprehend. Everything will be made right. It will be as it is supposed to be. God bless you and keep you, may His face shine upon you and give you peace, His peace, not as the world gives, but only as He can give.

Let this be our prayer in the new year… we will thrive in 2025, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, in whom all blessings flow! Amen!!

Hear and Obey

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 15:27:17 GMT

“He replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.'” – Luke 11:28

God commands us to hear and obey . Setting time aside to be with the Lord first thing, helps ensure we get that precious time with Him… to hear. Of course, we should be speaking and listening to the Lord all throughout the day as well! It’s a daily walk!

In this time with the Lord, confess, repent and humble yourself. Speak to Jesus, read the scriptures, pray and intercede for others. We should also speak or decree the promises of God , aloud, if possible. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. We also need to wait on the Lord to speak . If we are doing all the talking, how are we going to hear Him? We often forget this very important part!

God made Jesus head over His church, as Paul tells us in Ephesians. Christ is our head, and we are His body. We each have our job or part to do as the body. Each part is important and created for purpose , the hand doesn’t do what the foot is designed to do and vice versa. The parts of the body are all connected and “knit together” to make a whole. Most importantly, each part of the body is connected to the head. Our relationship with Jesus Christ, our Head, should grow stronger during our walk with Him. We should become more tightly knit together and not the other way around.

We all want to hear Jesus speak clearly to us. It is our hearts desire, to be in communion with Him, tightly knit as we are created to be. Jesus communicates with us through the Holy Spirit. We must become sensitive to the whispers of the Holy Spirit as we grow up in the Lord and not let the world around us drown out His voice.

The Holy Spirit was sent after Jesus ascended and sat at the right hand of the Father as King. Remember He said, it is better if I go so that the Comforter may come! When we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit is sent to us as a seal of the promise of our inheritance, our future abode with God Almighty . The Holy Spirit was also sent as our helper, our guide, our comforter, our counselor, our intercessor, and our advocate ! He lives in us and works in us. He empowers us! He also convicts us and leads us to repentance. Jesus tells us in John 16, that the Holy Spirit will tell us things to come! How cool and amazing is that?!!

There are three voices we must decipher… our own, Holy Spirit and the deceiver! Be careful and test what you hear against the Word of God. But make no mistake about it, we are created for communion with God, we are created for relationship with God, we are created to hear our God speak! Never doubt that!

In God’s presence is joy unspeakable. Sing praises to the Lord. Worship Him. Adore Him. In return, He fills our cup to overflowing. He lifts us up out of the funk we sometimes find ourselves in! He is the Living Water and should be our daily bread. He restores our soul.

Especially in this busy and stressful season of the year, let us all the more make precious time to be quiet before the Lord, to hear His voice above all others, and then obey and move forward, in step with the Lord, that it may be well with us…

“Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you”. (Jeremiah 7:23)

Be blessed and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Fill the Water Pots

Sat, 16 Nov 2024 16:04:48 GMT

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. (John 2:7)

Let’s pray and glorify God.. .

Lamb of God we humbly come before you to worship and adore you. In your presence is unspeakable joy. We acknowledge you are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. We exalt your holy name. We exalt you; We exalt you. You are the Almighty God, the Everlasting God, the treasure in our hearts. There is none other like you. We praise you. We invite you to move and have your way, to touch hearts as only you can. We ask you Lord to answer every prayer need in Jesus name, we ask for souls to be saved and surrender to the King. We ask for miracles, signs and wonders through the power of the Holy Spirit and the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. We thank you Lord that you see all, you know all, you are Lord overall, nothing is impossible for you. You are the King, the great I AM, you are Faithful & True. Hallowed be thy name forever and ever amen!

I feel like we are walking into a new hour... a new season, the shift in tides… this is the time to fill the water pots with water! Glory to God! I was in John Chapter 2:6 this morning. Normally I focus on the wine aspect of the story, but today I am more focused on the water!

Jesus was invited to a wedding in Cana. Mary, the mother of Jesus, came to Him, explaining they had run out of wine. This would have been devastating at a Jewish wedding feast. We all know the famous response of Jesus, “Woman, what does this have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come”. Jesus was telling His mother that it wasn’t the time for such a public ministry of miracles just yet.

Mary didn’t listen really and went on to tell the servants to do whatever He says. The faith of Mary… how did she know such power resided in her Son at that moment? Maybe Mary was pondering the things she kept in her heart from so many years ago. Possibly she remembered the words of the angel Gabriel, who told her the son she will bear will be the Son of God, and that with God nothing will be impossible.

Maybe Mary recalled the words of her cousin Elizabeth when she was pregnant with Jesus, “Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a completion to those things which were told her by the Lord”. Or maybe she was pondering the visit from the shepherds so long ago, who had come to see her after the birth of Jesus. They were filled with such excitement, speaking of the heavenly host of angels they had just seen. The angels had the glory of the Lord shone all around them as they were proclaiming the good news to the shepherds!

Whatever the case was, the next thing we know, the water pots were filled to the brim with water, and the rest is history as the old saying goes! It seems that the faith of Mary in that moment combined with glory, moved Jesus and ushered in His first public miracle.

Let’s be ready church, for the outpouring of miracles, signs and wonders. Hold on to your seats, it’s about to get good! Be in faith, be obedient and be in expectation of the Lord to move mightily. Fill the water pots with water!

Blueprints

Sat, 09 Nov 2024 16:15:02 GMT

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. (John 2:7)

Do you think God was too harsh, destroying the earth in the flood, except for Noah and his family? The people had 100 years to repent, think about that, 100 years! It took Noah 100 years or so to build the ark, all the while he was preaching repentance. He was warning the people as he was building the massive ark by the blueprints handed to him by God Almighty Himself! But the people mocked Noah for it and continued on in their evil, pride and rebellion.

Did you know it is believed that the ark has been found in the Ararat mountains range, according to extensive research by Greek scholar Rick Renner? Fascinating, he has seen firsthand and walked the ruins of Noah’s ark!

Just like the grace period given to the people of Noah’s day, the seven-year tribulation is a God given period of grace. A final effort to get people to repent and confess Jesus is Lord. You may say, how can this be grace, with all the horrific suffering that will take place during that time? When for example, demon-locusts will be released and given permission to torment, but not kill, when the 7th seal is opened?!! God is still giving the people opportunity to repent, begging them really as His wrath is poured out. The moment they do they are saved and will even rule and reign with Him in the Millennial Reign! This is grace!

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you in Christ, then the answer is yes! Who wouldn’t want that gift? Who wouldn’t want the gift of righteousness through Christ Jesus? What we are offering, the world truly needs. We are offering something good, more than good, something precious, something worth more than gold and silver.

Why do we sometimes hesitate to share this priceless gift with the world? God help us to be bold in sharing the good news, as the days are short, and help them to receive it! We don’t want any of our family, friends, or anyone for that matter sitting eternally in outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth!

Bible prophecy proves the existence of God! One third of the Bible is prophetic and there are eight thousand verses about Jesus coming back again! Do you realize eighty percent of prophecy in the Bible has been fulfilled so far? We see the rest being fulfilled right before our eyes!

We can trust the word to the letter, in fact every dot and tittle! It is amazing how we are the end time generation. We were created for such a time as this! When we take a step back and see the forest for the trees, when we put it all in perspective, it is mind blowing! It is something to get excited about church!

Isn’t it amazing how God chose to end the Bible, with the book of Revelation? It begins with, “The revelation of Jesus Christ was given to Him to show to His servants things which must soon take place”. It continues with, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy...”.

The fascinating Book of Revelation ends with the last chapter speaking of “a pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its street”. His servants serve Him and see Him face to face. His name is on their foreheads, and they reign with Him forever and ever!

The letters in red continue with, “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me to give to each one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and Last”, and end with, “Surely I am coming soon”. Amen! Come, Lord Jesus, come!

The lost must receive the truth, so they may bear the seal of God, and not the seal of the beast, the serpent, the imitator, the old deceiver! We must be sealed in Christ to enter the New Jerusalem. We must have our robes washed white in the blood of the Lamb. No wicked can enter, only those who believe and worship Jesus Christ alone!

Let’s bring as many into the Kingdom as we can, to be among the multitude from every nation standing before the throne of God, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in our hands crying out, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” and join the angels crying “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever!” Hallelujah!!

Where Were You...

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 16:25:46 GMT

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. (Job 38:4)

‘I need you God to come see about me’… a line from Jonathan Traylor’s song, You Get The Glory From This . How often have we felt this way in life? God, where are you? I need an answer. Why Lord? Why is this happening? What is taking so long? I need you to come see a about me God! I need you now!

Job was about as low as he could go. Everything in his life went very wrong! Everything was taken from him. His friends came and addressed him and basically told him it was all his fault, that he had brought the judgment of God upon himself. Job then started in his final discourse to them with, “When my steps were bathed in butter and the rock poured out rivers of living water for me…”.

He was referring to days of God’s favor upon his life. He continued on about how respected he had been and all the ways he had been a righteous man before his God. He then turned to speak of his current pitiful status. How he now is even taunted by those considered outcasts and vile in his town. Finally, he then turned to the Lord and said, “I cry unto You, but you do not hear me…”

God finally speaks to Job out of a whirlwind… “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth…”. God continued on chapter by chapter, proclaiming His sovereignty, wisdom, majesty, and power over all of his creation, from the constellations above to the fire breathing creatures of the sea, to the glory of the nostrils of a horse!

God then says to Job, “Will he who argues with the Almighty instruct Him? He who rebukes God let him answer it”. Job answers God in shame and humility saying, he will put his hand over his mouth, he will say no more.

As His very own children, we must trust and remember who God is at all times. I think it is natural in some situations to question God, but that didn’t go so well for Job! He was lectured and put in his place by God Almighty Himself.

I believe we all should read Job Chapters 38-41 from time to time, lest we forget whom the God is that we serve. Yes, God has many attributes, and yes many of us call Him friend, even best friend as I do, but let us never forget our God is the glorious one, so glorious in fact there isn’t even any need of a sun in heaven! The God whom the angels cry out holy, holy, holy and must cover their eyes with their wings as they hover around His throne.

Oh let us adore Him Saints! May we fear the Lord God, our creator, our maker, and always give Him the honor and glory He alone deserves. He is never not just and never not sovereign. He is the omnipotent one. He is the omniscient one. He sees all and knows all and is ruler over all! There is none like Him! He never changes and we can put all of our trust in Him alone!

In everything He does, in everything He allows, may we always stand on Romans 8:28, for those that love God, all things work together for good, according to His purpose. Let us remember how big He is, how amazing He is, how He can be nothing but good at all times. He is the definition of good!

We will understand so much more on the other side of heaven, but I’m guessing it will take us all of eternity to learn and comprehend the depth of our God’s wonder, majesty and awesomeness!

Every single creature in this realm and in every other realm in existence, hallelujah, will bow and acknowledge forever more, God is ruler and Lord of all! He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Glory to the God of the universe! Hosanna in the highest! Glory to the one who is coming in the clouds for the final victory, glory to the one and only … the great I AM!!!

Work the Word

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 17:13:47 GMT

Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.” (Jeremiah 1:12)

We will understand so much more on the other side of heaven, but I’m guessing it will take us all of eternity to learn and comprehend the depth of our God’s wonder, majesty and awesomeness!

God Will Turn it for Good

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 17:23:40 GMT

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” ( Isaiah 41:10)

God works in mysterious ways. As His children, we can trust that He is the very best father and takes the very best care of us. We can trust Him in all His ways. When we are going through tuff times, when we are struggling to keep our head above water, when it doesn’t turn out how we had hoped… we must remember to keep our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. We must walk by faith and not by site, knowing God has us in the palm of His hands, and He is working it all for our good and His glory.

Jesus tells us that He came to give us life, and life more abundantly. He also tells us that in this life we will have trouble, but to take heart because He has overcome the world. In Christ we always have hope, the blessed hope, the promise of what is to come… eternal life with the Father and the Son. In the Book of John, Jesus tells the disciples, peace I leave with you, and to let not your heart be troubled or afraid by what must take place, I go to prepare a place for you. He was about to be leaving them, but He was reassuring them you will see me again and it will all be okay.

There is calamity and turmoil all over the world. As the world becomes darker, the more we as Christians do not belong here and long for our true home… our heavenly eternal home. On that day when we reach the pearly gates and walls of precious stones, when we walk the streets of glory and the sea of glass, there will be no more death, no more pain and no more tears. Hallelujah and glory to God!

Remember in your trials and suffering, you have the great comforter, the Holy Spirit living right inside of you. You are not alone, you will never be alone in Christ, and one day we will finally get to meet our Lord face to face… I can only imagine!

Step Out of the Boat

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 17:31:11 GMT

“Come,” he said. (Matthew 14:29)

God loves you with a perfect love. His love never fails. Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ. His love is infinite. His love is unconditional. You don’t have to earn it. God loved you first. His love draws sinners to Himself. His love is patient. His love is self-less. As Jesus lay dying on the cross, with the crowds mocking Him, He cried out, “Father, forgive them”. His love is faithful and true. Out of His love, He wants none to perish. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, to die a gruesome, tortuous death to atone for us.

How do we love God in return? We receive the free gift of salvation. We trust, believe, and obey Him. We spend time with Him and tell others about Him. We do our best to look like Him, to have His attributes, to be holy as He is holy. We use the gifts He has given us to serve Him. We lay our lives down for Him. We put Him first place in our lives. We have a relationship with Him. We come to know and understand Him by studying His word.

Not sure how to serve God? Stay close to Him and He will guide you. He will show you. He will equip you. After coming down from the mountain one day, after speaking with God, Moses tells the Israelites, “God has called Bezalel and He has filled Him with His spirit, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft.” He then inspired Bezalel and Oholiab to teach others. God filled them and others with various skill and intelligence to know how to do any work needed for the tasks. God also stirred up desire in people’s hearts.

You see, the Lord wanted a sanctuary built. He gave specific instructions and called specific people. He anointed them with the skill and gift they needed, and He gave the people the desire to do it, the desire to help and be a part of the process! He will or has already placed everything inside of you that you need to fulfill that task you are called to. You need simply to surrender your will to His, trust Him, and listen carefully for instructions.

God is preparing us. Our suffering and trials produce endurance, character and gives opportunity for the expectation of God to move. He is always working. We are works in progress. We are His workmanship. We will never grow if we are not challenged. Never doubt, if you fall, if you miss it, if you lose faith for a moment, God will catch you as you call on Him. He will reach out His hand to pick you up, to keep you from drowning, as He did for Peter when he stepped out of the boat.

The Lord has work for us to do on earth. He works His Kingdom purposes through us, His vessels. As humans, we can choose to work for the kingdom of light and be used by God Almighty, or we can choose to be used by the kingdom of darkness and be used by Satan. The word says your either for God or you are against Him. No man can serve two masters. Choose wisely.

Do you have a heart’s desire to do something in your life? You know there is something you are supposed to do? Not sure what it is yet? Be patient, keep serving the Lord where you are at. Jennifer LeClaire writes in her book Walking in Your Prophetic Destiny (2019):

“God uses us where we are on the way to where we are going. In other words, He will make good use of our gifts to the level of preparation we have undergone, but we must follow His leading, so our gifts don’t take us somewhere our character won’t keep us”.

You never want to step ahead of God. Trust the process. Surrender all to the Lord. Stay close to Him. Walk and talk with Him. Make Him Lord over every aspect of your life and watch what He will do. Be excited. Keep your eyes on Him. Don’t look back. Keep growing in the Lord. Let Him take you from glory to glory. Let Him amaze you. Remember in your walk, God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to His power that works in us! Give it all to God, listen for Jesus to say come, and then with joy and expectation, take that first step… out of the boat!!

Choose Him

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 18:58:39 GMT

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ( 1 Thessalonians 4:17)

In those moments of suffering, in those moments of weakness, when we have failed, when nothing is going right, when everything is falling apart and we have had about all we can stand, this is when we finally travail in prayer. We are no longer going through the motions. This is when it all gets real. This is when we cry out, oh God, where are you? Oh God, I need you now! Oh God, don’t you see? This is when push comes to shove. This is when we are brought to our knees in desperation. This is when we pray like we have never prayed before. This is when we remind God of His promises to us.

It is at moments like these God breaks through in powerful ways as He did for David, time and time again. It is at these moments when He lifts us up out of the miry clay, out of the quicksand we are sinking in, out of the hot mess we find ourselves in.

At those moments of weakness, when your strength is gone, or when you feel ill equipped for the task and you feel it is too big for you, our Lord breaks through as we call on Him, as we trust Him. He promises to be our strength, our helper, our comforter, our covering, our healer. He promises to be our ever-present help in time of need. Never doubt the Lord is there, the Lord is working, even when He seems silent at times. Just trust Him. Just trust.

Sometimes we have to be brought low or put in uncomfortable positions to exercise this truth. Remember in your weakness, in your struggle, there is always purpose. He wouldn’t allow it unless to fulfill His purposes on earth. He wouldn’t allow it unless to make us more like Him. Jesus Himself, our Lord was brought low, but rose victoriously in glory, in victory. Trust the master plan when walking through the fire. Trust the heart of God. God is love. Pure love. That love never changes. You can count on it. He is rooting for you. He is cheering you on. He is praying for you! He is in control. His plans must come to pass. His Word will be fulfilled.

As His children, our final destination is to live with Him, the God of the universe, the Almighty, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, creator of all things. Keep your eyes on the prize. This life is a testing ground. He wants us to choose Him, choose holiness and righteousness.

Sadly, even in the millennial rein, with Jesus Christ Himself ruling and reining from His throne on earth, with Satan bound in chains, many will still not choose Him in their hearts. How can that be? Those that reject Jesus in that final testing ground will be as the sand of the sea, the Bible tells us. How can it be? How can it be! This proves the sin nature, and its pervasiveness in our genome. How wretched we are apart from the Lord! Without Him, without the Holy Spirit, without being born again, we are truly without hope.

The Lord does everything He can to persuade us to turn to Him, to choose Him, to turn back to Him. If it takes calamity, sometimes, He will allow it. Throughout the Old Testament, the Lord is warning Israel of judgement through the prophets. He gave the fallen, those in rebellion, the idol worshipers, chance after chance to turn back to Him, to forsake their idols, to clean up their lives, to remember Him… to remember Him. Sometimes when we have it too good, we take the Lord for granted and the only way for us to remember Him again is through suffering.

Never doubt the love and patience of the Lord, but there comes a time for righteous judgment. Before the flood, the Lord gave the people of earth 100 years to repent, to turn from their evil ways. What did they do? They mocked Him! They cursed Him. They continued in their evil ways. Sounds a lot like the day we are living in, doesn’t it?

Remember the recent Olympics opening ceremony? The blatant mockery and blasphemy of Jesus Christ during that global event. The whole world was witness to this evil. God will not be mocked on a global stage like that without consequence. Judgment will come for the wicked. The door of the ark will be closed again by the hand of God.

Times are changing. Times are escalating. Events are happening all over the world that point to the days we are heading into. Let the Holy Spirit do His good work in and through us. Let us not hinder or quench Him. May we be willing and available. It will all be worth it in the end. We will be caught up to meet our King in the air and transformed into our glorified bodies. Keep your lamp filled. Choose Him. Be wise. Be ready to meet Him face to face... be ready!

Lazarus Come Forth

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 17:42:43 GMT

And when He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” (John 11:43)

Trial by Fire

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 19:05:48 GMT

Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart. (Proverbs 17:3)

Trial by fire. How can we see the goodness and power of God when everything is going well, when there is no trial? How can we see miracles we can’t explain if there is no need for one in the first place? How can we grow in the Lord if there is nothing that challenges us or if there is nothing to exercise our faith? Fire burns, fire hurts, fire destroys, but fire causes us to rebuild from the ground up. Fires can be devastating, but if you walk through them with the Lord, you build back better than you could ever have imagined. His way is always better, He always knows best. He doesn’t take away without replacing. Our God is a God of increase, a God of multiplication. We know God brings beauty from ashes, joy from mourning, recompense for trials and tribulations. We may be in a season of testing, refining, pruning. But what happens when we are pruned… we grow, and let’s face it, we need a lot of pruning!

Recognize that heaviness in your heart when you have grieved the Holy Spirit. Don’t harden your heart to it. It is the goodness of the Lord that leads us to repentance, to that cleansing, renewing, to that state of glorious peace. There is no peace for the wicked! So, don’t despise the discipline of the Lord, the Lord disciplines those He loves, He disciplines His children.

When we are in the valley, in the storm, remember it will pass and God will turn it for good. We can trust Him in and through it all. God will work it out. He will see you through. The trial will end, it will not last forever. Cling to the hem of His garment. Cling to your lifeline, trust Him, trust in His greater plans. Like Job, David, Moses, Ester, and other great heroes of the faith, we are being prepared for what is ahead. We are being prepared for Kingdom assignments. May we be tested and approved, purified, made ready, and through it all give God glory, even in the midst of the trial… the trial by fire.

Unworthy

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 19:13:00 GMT

“But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” ( Isaiah 64:8 )

Unworthy… ever feel unworthy, guilty, ashamed before God Almighty? God is so very good, kind, full of love, mercy, and is long-suffering towards us. He knew we could never ever be good enough on our own to be reconciled back to Him after the fall. We could never be in right standing before our God ever again on our own accord. Our righteousness is like filthy rags to our holy, holy, holy God. So, what did He do to save us from eternal death and separation from Him? What did He do to save us from our hopeless condition? He made a way where there was no other way.

God didn’t want to destroy us or do away with us once and for all. He had a plan of salvation all along. His love for us is everlasting, it is eternal. The sacrifice and good work of our Lord Jesus stands eternally, He is our forever sacrificial lamb. His blood and wounds speak for our souls forever and ever and ever.

If we feel we need to punish ourselves and are unworthy to receive forgiveness, unworthy to receive atonement, then the work, the mission of Jesus is in vain and the accuser wins. We must receive and accept the forgiveness our Lord Jesus suffered so horrifically to attain for us.

God’s love truly amazes me. The love of the Father to provide the sacrifice of His son, the love of God to send Himself to pay the price for us, knowing in spite of it, so many would reject Him… then and throughout the ages.

The agony of knowing and anticipating the suffering He was about to endure, caused our dear Lord Jesus to sweat drops of blood. Soon after, He suffered persecution and abuse from the Sanhedrin and Temple Guards, and then at the hands of the Roman soldiers as they beat him, mocked Him, and forced the crown of thorns into His head.

How about the betrayal and rejection of His own people as they shouted crucify, crucify, crucify. This was just the beginning of the sufferings He endured for you and me.

Our Lord was then flogged with a whip made with bits of lead and stone that ripped his body to shreds, and in agony was made to carry His own cross until at calvary His hands and feet were nailed to it. He then endured the horrendous hours on the cross fighting for every breath in excruciating pain. Feeling separation from God as Jesus took on the sin of the world, He cried out Abba, Abba, why have you forsaken Me? Can you imagine Jesus in that moment… what He must have felt to cry out like that? Finally, it was finished, the good work was finished.

We know our Lord is long suffering towards us, He understands our fallen state, He understands the sin effect and how it has corrupted our souls.

When we are made right with God, by accepting the blood of Jesus as our atonement, our spirits are made new. The Holy Spirit is sealed with our spirit. We are born again… we are new creations!

However, we still have our soul which includes our mind, will and emotions that are still in process. Our spirit and soul are constantly at odds. This is why there is a continuous struggle and battle within.

The stronger we get in the Lord, the more we surrender, the more we listen to the Holy Spirit who is constantly trying to guide us and help us do the right thing, the more we let His spirit rule and rein in our hearts, the more we will be at peace and the more we will look like our Father, and the more salt and light we will be.

The Word says, if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Talk to the Father, receive His love and sweet tender mercy, and be at peace. We are to work out our salvation. To grow in Christ is a process until the day we die. We are being transformed into His image. He is the potter, and we are the clay. Remember His love for you. Never doubt God is working, and He promises the good work He began in you, He will complete!

FaithLift

Into The Future

Know Him. Trust Him. Love Him.

Mission Accomplished

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

You Can Have My Heart

Already But Not Yet

Who are you imaging...

A Flower Quickly Fading

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” ( Hebrews 11:1)

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Pictures

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” ( Hebrews 11:1)

The Throne Room

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” ( Hebrews 11:1)

Seasons & Cycles

2024 Reflections (originally published 12/31/2024)

Hear and Obey

“He replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.'” – Luke 11:28

Fill the Water Pots

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. (John 2:7)

Blueprints

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. (John 2:7)

Where Were You...

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. (Job 38:4)

Work the Word

Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.” (Jeremiah 1:12)

God Will Turn it for Good

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” ( Isaiah 41:10)

Step Out of the Boat

“Come,” he said. (Matthew 14:29)

Choose Him

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ( 1 Thessalonians 4:17)

Lazarus Come Forth

And when He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” (John 11:43)

Trial by Fire

Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart. (Proverbs 17:3)

Unworthy

“But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” ( Isaiah 64:8 )