Pondering
As I put on my robe I was wondering if the dream was tied to the Olympics I’ve been watching or perhaps to our pastor’s sermon yesterday. He began his sermon by sharing his joy in leading a long-time friend to the Lord. Pastor has been preaching on hearing the Lord since the first of the year and quoted Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel. Pastor focused on the “do it” part yesterday. There were joyful tears at the end of service as I watched 5 precious souls give their hearts to the Lord yesterday as a result of his sermon.

Watching the Olympics has been an amazing experience and I’ve especially enjoyed the interviews afterwards. Over and over the medal winners would say things like, “I’ve worked so hard.” “I’ve trained so hard for this.” “I sacrificed everything.” “I wanted to beat my personal best.” “I just had to relax and do what I trained to do.” So many of these winners had come from behind, from loss, from accidents, surgeries, and against incredible odds. There was one young man who was drug and alcohol-free for three years and he was so excited about his performance although he didn’t medal. It’s been a powerful program for me to watch… especially in my weight and exercise challenge this year.

What have I learned?
Talk is easy. It’s the commitment to DO IT and STICK TO IT that takes guts and determination. As I’ve learned on my nature walks this year, the more you do it, the easier it is to do it!

Have you ever been on the highway behind an 18-wheeler? If you place your car “just so,” behind the semi, their draft picks you up in their wake and pulls you along with it. I was thinking about this experience in light of the Lord.

The down-hills aren’t that bad. In fact, they’re a breeze. It’s the up-hills that take extra effort, concentration, and determination. When the Lord gives me a hard task, I find the only way I can accomplish it is to stay focused on Him, keep the goal in my mind, set my heart to it, and will my body to cooperate. Resting on THE ROCK helps me gain strength to reach the top. Holy Spirit companionship gives me “the draft” where I flow with Him with less personal effort.

Breath of Life strengthen me.
In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.
Overtake my everthing.
Conquer my flesh.
Increase my heart capacity.
Fill me up. Fill me more.
Until I’m in Your perfect flow.
Less of me. More of You.
Purpose Divine.
Purpose aligned.

… back to Isaiah 59: ¹⁵ Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked. The Lord looked and was displeased to find there was no justice. ¹⁶ He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So he himself stepped in to save them with his strong arm, and his justice sustained him. ¹⁷ He put on righteousness as his body armor  and placed the helmet of salvation on his head. He clothed himself with a robe of vengeance and wrapped himself in a cloak of divine passion.

[WOW!!! How amazing that the Lord looked for an intercessor and not finding one, He Himself put on His divine armor to go to battle for righteousness' sake.]

Isaiah 59: ¹⁹ In the west, people will respect the name of the Lord; in the east, they will glorify him. For he will come like a raging flood tide driven by the breath of the Lord.

[Recently I heard a statement that blew my mind. We all know Psalm 103:12 and quote it often. "He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west." Think about this. If David had written "north" and "south" there would have been a demarcation line. We know it as the equator. BUT, east and west do not have a defining line. It's like forgiveness just goes on and on and on. So, when I read verse 19, it impacted me powerfully. All the earth and all it's people will glorify Him and there will be no end.]

Isaiah 59: ²⁰ “The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem to buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins,” says the Lord. ²¹ “And this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children’s children forever. I, the Lord, have spoken! {Isaiah 60:} ¹ “Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you. ² Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you.

GLORY! I believe with all my heart that the Lord is arising in power in these days. AND I believe we are going to see such a powerful awakening especially in our youth. So many pastors, teachers, prophets and evangelists have been declaring Isaiah 60 over the church these past couple of years. I believe we’re almost there.

Onward with my Scripture Study and landed on Psalm 59: ¹⁶ But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. ⁷ O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.

I believe Isaiah 59:21 is a companion to a scripture given by our children’s ministry leader at prayer on Wednesday night. Isaiah 44:³ For I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children. ⁴ They will thrive like watered grass, like willows on a riverbank.

The Lord God Almighty is arising. He is clothing Himself in His divine armor. We, as individuals, have an armor according to Ephesians 6:10-18. I believe with all my heart that there is also a CORPORATE ARMOR for the Body of Christ. It could be our worship, our prayers, our meeting the needs of the Body, ministering to the lost, and living the ministry of reconciliation. Whatever it is, I believe we are being clothed in it now. AND it’s for ALL generations. Oh, Glory!!!! The river is rising and the wind is beginning to blow. Fire is coming into our hearts and assemblies. We will shine according to Isaiah 60:1 and 2!

Note: all scriptures in New Living Translation

You’re the Man
Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Ezekiel distinguished corporate expression from an individual one—the entire nation is responsible before God for its call to perform uniquely among the nations; in the same way, a family expresses itself corporately yet the individual within a family is responsible on a personal level and is personally accountable to the Lord. The Son of God comes first to the individual, then to family or nation; He comes to the individual first, thereby gaining voice and entrance to the entire circle.

Who are you that the Lord would consider you? Why would He hear your prayer or consider your situation? What is the position He would give you to appeal to Him on any matter? These questions appear in Job, Hebrews and two psalms of David: What significance do you have as only one that heaven would consider you?

The answer—focusing upon YOU the Lord comes to deliver, to lift you up and out. Like a pebble breaking the water’s surface the ripple effect for those around you is significant but His focus begins with you. God created you for high purposes and is not keen on sharing you with anyone, though once He has you – really has you – He sends you to everyone. [Emphasis added.]

May HIS circle be unbroken! Hallelujah.  Amen. Ezekiel 18  , Luke 12 , You’re the man - Jeremiah 24:7
Ref: What is man? – Job 7:17; 15:14. Psalm 8:4; 144:3, Hebrews 2:7

“Risk is the bridge between Heaven’s realities to earth’s possibilities.”
A bridge has to connect two parts. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are that bridge that connects Heaven to our earth. He finds that once we discover our gifts, they only develop because of taking a risk. We can’t play it safe with Christianity. Risk is the price tag for the gift. In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul exhorts us to “pursue” and “desire earnestly.” The anointing of God knows no limits.

We need to understand that sometimes God only gives us the first part. It’s our part to enter in. Sean gave the example where Israel was to meet and hear God at the base of Mt. Sinai. The people were frightened of the thundering and ran from Him, but Moses drew into the dark. Exodus 20:21 So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was. He pointed out that up to this point, the whole nation of Israel were called a kingdom of priests. [Ex. 19:6] After this rejection, only the Levites were allowed to be priests. [Although Sean didn't highlight this scripture, I was reminded of Revelation 1: 5 & 6 ...To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.] Risk it! It’s all about faith. You’ve got to mix revelation and risk. God is calling us as risk-takers. Don’t let fear or the devil talk us out of our destiny. Sean said to shake up the “etch-a-sketch” in your mind.

“The devil only respects greater force.”
David’s Three Mightiest Men
Sean took us to 2 Samuel 23:8-13 and David’s mighty men. The first fought 800, the second fought so hard his sword stuck to his hand, and the third held his ground against an army in the middle of a lentil field. David’s men embodied a mindset. Recall that they were the distressed, discontented and debtors when we first meet them in 1 Samuel 22 at the cave. ”Kingdom risk is acting from the willingness of losing my life and my agenda with the expectation of gaining His.” Don’t play it safe. Cross the line. Don’t back up.

How did David train his men? “To unleash exploits, you must first unlearn fears.” The longer you tolerate something, the longer it becomes an oppression. Be careful of the mindset you believe. “The inner controls outer manifestation.” “If you listen to fear, you’re being discipled by a demon.” WOA! Think about this… what if the spirit of fear was gone from our world? “Don’t draw back when God is attempting to draw you out to draw you up.” Get over your fears. We’ve GOT to leave a testimony for our kids.

“If you don’t turn your adversity into ministry, then your pain remains your pain.”
Your adverstity reminds you of your past. Leave it. Flip your script. Risk to make yourself vulnerable and you’ll be invulnerable to the devil. He shared a story of how he shared his painful early years with a group. Many were saved.

“Faith doesn’t eliminate uncertainties, it embraces them.”
“Uncertainties, unknown territories, and unanswered mysteries are the seed bed of the supernatural.” When it’s God, you’re willing to go out on a limb. “Extreme risk will release extreme makeovers.” Risk is the price tag. Sean wants to tell our stories.

“The Holy Spirit’s assignment in 2010: He wants to blow you away.”
Sean’s talk was peppered with phenominal stories of young people of faith, who took a risk. The Lord came through in a big way… salvations, healings, miracles and people raised from the dead for those who crossed the line and took a risk. I’m challenged by his talk. I hope you are too.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Testimony of Regret by Mary Puplava
I gave my heart to the Lord when I was 40 years old. A couple years into my walk, I was in Sunday service with my family and we were joined by friends. During worship, I thought I heard the Lord say, “Pray for her feet.” I looked to my left and a young lady stood next to me. She didn’t look like there was anything wrong. So I ignored it and went back to worshipping. At the end of service, our group was chattering with the families around us. I happened to look up and saw that young woman and her husband leaving the church… she was LIMPING! I sat down in my chair and immediately asked for forgiveness. What might have happened had I “risked it” and asked the woman if I could pray for her feet? Think about it. I’ve never forgotten it.

Basic Conditions to meet for us to hear from Jesus, the Head of the Church.

1. Recognize your need to hear from Him.
2. Present your body as a living sacrifice and you will be renewed in your mind to find the will of God. He further states that our body must be presented on the altar. [Ref: Romans 12:1,2]
3. Align ourselves with God’s purpose–His Kingdom. At the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6, Jesus said, “Pray this way.” Our Father, who are in heaven, hallowed by Thy Name. In otherwords, we worship You!
4. Submit your will to God’s will. Remember, it’s not our plan, but His plan, His Kingdom. We can’t get our prayers answered without aligning with His will: THY will be done!
5. Make friends with the Holy Spirit. As many as are led by the Spirit are God’s mature sons. The Holy Spirit is a person. Be sensitive. “He’s not a dictator. He’s a dove. He’s easily frightened. You can scare Him away.” [Ref: Romans 8:14]
6. Check against Scripture. The revelation and leading we receive should line up with the Scriptures He wrote!

What are some common hindrances to hearing from Jesus?

Human Arrogance
Derek believes this is the greatest problem we have. Mr. Prince told a story about his own early ministry, where he got himself into some trouble thinking he’d heard from God. He now believes the root cause of his difficulty was his own arrogance. “All deception has one lever to get in and that is pride.” Therefore, if we aren’t proud, we’ll never be deceived. To Derek, the “pride of life” is a desire to be independent of God. That’s why the enemy tempted Jesus in this area when He was in the wilderness. Jesus refused to show His power independent of God, the Father.

Habit or Tradition
Derek calls tradition a “collective habit”. If we simply follow tradition, we’ll more than likely miss God. We get used to the way we’ve always been doing a thing. He stated that in studying the Church, he found that it takes about 5 years to lose the Spirit after a move of God.

Fear
Derek finds that this is a very powerful hindrance and categorizes three areas:

1. fear of man: What will people say? “Too many Christians are more fearful of man’s opinion than God’s.”
2. fear of the unfamiliar: We’ve never done it this way before. How do we know what to do?
3. fear of being dependent: “This is perhaps the strongest as we don’t want to depend on God. “The essence of sin is the desire to be independent of God and was the original motivation in the Garden of Eden.” The key here is to be free of sin and temptation.

Open-Ended Worship is being in the presence of God, worshipping Him and not setting a time limit. This isn’t like a prayer meeting where you have a start and finish time. It’s an “attitude” of worship, focusing on God, turning away from distractions and staying there until you hear from Him. “It is time to seek the Lord until He rains righteousness upon us,” The time limit is set by God’s sovereign action.

Mr. Prince calls Psalm 95 a “pattern psalm.” To Derek, this is how to hear from God.

A Call to Worship and Obedience

 ¹ Oh come, let us sing to the LORD!
         Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
 ² Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
         Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
 ³ For the LORD is the great God,
         And the great King above all gods.
 ⁴ In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
         The heights of the hills are His also.
 ⁵ The sea is His, for He made it;
         And His hands formed the dry land.
 ⁶ Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
         Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
 ⁷ For He is our God,
         And we are the people of His pasture,
         And the sheep of His hand.
         
         Today, if you will hear His voice:

Derek points out that we enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. [Psalm 100:4] Derek doesn’t believe we can get into His presence without thanksgiving and praise. He gave an example of the 10 lepers in Luke’s gospel who were healed. Only one returned to give thanks. The word for his healing was also “saved.” He had direct access to Jesus by giving thanks.

Why do we give thanks and praise? Verses 3 and 4!

I love what Derek says…
We thank God for His goodness,
We praise God for His greatness, but
We worship God for His holiness.

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised! Praise is our response to His greatness. Notice that the mood changes in verse 6 siince thanksgiving and praise have come first: “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.”

Every word in the Bible that describes worship is an attitude of the body. It’s bending the knee, other parts of the body bowing, bowing down, kneeling, or prostrating yourself before God. Worship is primarily an attitude and not an utterance. Praise is an utterance and leads us into worship.

verse 7: For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand.

What is uniquely due to God that acknowledges Him? WORSHIP! When we worship Him, we are declaring that He is our God. Whatever you worship becomes your god. (ex. money, stomach)

Notice something very curious here… Verse 7 continues, BUT, it is a new paragraph… a new thought rather than a new verse. This emphasizes that it’s very important. ”Today, if you will hear His voice:” WHEN do you hear God’s voice? When you have been worshipping! As an aside, Derek shared that he never accepts prophecy or tongues and interpretation straight out. He always checks his spirit. But, if it comes during a period of worship, he fells you can be pretty sure it is from God. This is just a safeguard.

90% of the time when Derek and his wife, Ruth, get a word of direction, encouragement, or warning, they are in an attitude of worship. Generally, it’s not the first 1/2 hour! It’s open-ended. God is sovereign. Worship and hearing God is not like being on a time clock.

The trouble is, I believed the lie. They believed the lie. And since that tender age I have always felt ashamed that I was overweight and couldn’t control my eating urges. Praise God I have been set free! I am now at liberty to be exactly who I was meant to be without any shame or remorse. I can have self-control, I can control my urges, I can do something to take this weight off! I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me! [Phil. 4:13]

Within a few days of that revelation, my sister and I attended a small group meeting with our associate pastor. Imagine our shock when he said, “Satan will come early in your life to plant a lie and take you out. Once planted, he doesn’t have to worry about you so much, because the lie does his job for him. He can move on to someone else.” Since that meeting, I have been asking the Lord to reveal other lies planted in my life. Two more lies have been revealed this year. I recently posted a book report on Beni Johnson’s book, The Happy Intercessor. She had this same revelation in her life.

This morning I had an urge to read Isaiah and came across a verse that blew me away. What sorrow for those who drag their sins behind them with ropes made of lies, who drag wickedness behind them like a cart! [Isaiah 5:18] Of course, the Lord is talking about Judah’s guilt and judgment, but this could also be the lie(s) the enemy planted early in our lives. It could be the accusation or false truth we accepted as truth. It’s the lie that binds like a rope.

Our Little Red Wagons
In my margin notes on Isaiah 5, I had written “red wagon” on this verse. My mother-in-law once shared a story with me that has never left me. Unforgiveness, grudges, bad thoughts about ourselves, and negativism are like things we carry around with us, as adults, in our little red wagon. We are to take them to the CROSS and leave them there. Those who can’t forgive, can’t forget, and can’t receive forgiveness and healing are doomed to drag their childish red wagon with them the rest of their lives.

What We Can Do

• Spend quiet time with the Lord and ask the Spirit of Trutch to reveal the lies in your life.
• Repent for believing the lie.
• Forgive those who may have implanted the lie.
• Forgive those who confirmed the lie.
• Apply the Blood of Jesus to those lies.
• Receive healing in those areas.
• Confess healing.
• Look up Scriptures to declare His truth.
• Don’t ever feed into the lie by agreeing with it again!

I found my heart joining those who serve–plumbers, cleaning maids, landscapers, delivery people–busy about their day. When I said a cherry “Good morning!” they were always happy to reply the same. I asked the Lord to bless the work of their hands and to provide work for those who are willing to labor, but can’t find jobs. I found myself praying for our residents, who have such abundant “things” in their lives. What they need most is an experience with an awesome God… a vision, a dream, a purpose, a reason to be and have wealth for His Kingdom purposes.

PS. You might enjoy reviewing my Handmaiden issue on SERVICE.