Resurrected into Eternity

Yahshua said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies."

~John 11:25

Everyone who believes has already been born again.  Born from where?  Born from above, into God's family, into the Heavenly realms.  Anyone who believes is, spiritually speaking, existing in two places at once - both here and in Heaven.  

We've been instructed to pray that way: "on earth as it is in Heaven".  Our new birth is a reason for that!  Don't you know who you are?  You are a perfected, forgiven child of God.

From the first moment of belief onward, you've been hidden away.  You've been hidden with Messiah, hidden within God - hidden in a place of shelter and peace.  You've been born into the most secure place possible. From the moment you first believed, you've been resurrected.  

Every believer has entered into resurrection life.  You have entered into an inescapable God.  The evil one, the accuser, "touches you not". And he can't touch you, because there's endless amounts of God between the two of you!  There's no more pain for you after this new birth, only the appearance of punishment.  

In this new life, the passing of time loses much of it's meaning.  We're free to live in the now.  We're free to be instead of do; being instead of doing.  The past doesn't hold us down, and the future doesn't worry us.  Instead, both the past and the present and the future give us hope.  

Life becomes timeless, and we find ourselves on a very "ancient path" without really knowing how we got there.  We find ourselves in a place that feels at once very old and very new - a place that's being renewed daily.  Eternity is now.  

Sometimes we forget that Yahshua was our bridge into, well, everything, in this new life that He payed the price to provide.  Yet it is the Son of God Himself that becomes our marker of events, and all of time is bound up in a single moment where we realize that we know Him.  The passing of time grows strangely dim, and we may no longer perceive it like we once did.  

"To live" ceases to become measurable by our cosmic props of times and seasons.  "To live" becomes a person - Jesus.  To live is Christ, and to die is even better.   Time becomes swallowed up by the limitless, unchanging essence of God.  

Heavenly Father, set us free from the perceived constraints of time, from the constraints of our habits and schedules, and let us enter in to unbroken fellowship with You today. 

"Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent."

John 17:3

Freedom: It's Contagious

"...That the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."  

Romans 8:21

Based on this verse, our freedom goes out from us.  It begins within, in Yah's presence, and is released through us.  Freedom is contagious,more contagious than sin or disease.  Our Freedom has the ability to purify our natural environment.

When we are experience fullness of freedom as children of God, when we are celebrating who we really are -- that's when the Kingdom advances.  It's just like the implanted word (James 1:21) and the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31). Your Heavenly Father wants this presence within you to grow and grow and grow until others find shelter with you!  He wants to expand your tents and increase your authority (Isaiah 54:2).

The truth is that we are so free that our freedom liberates our surrounding -- even nature.  The creation itself will be set free from the natural order of things by coming into contact with His offspring.  By coming into contact with YOU!  This is the "Kingdom Leaven" that Yahshua spoke about (Matthew 13:33).  He wants to bless others through you.  He wants purity, holiness, and conviction to flow out through you.  He wants you to cause atmosphere shifts. Like a peacemaker (Matthew 5:9)

How many of us have really experienced this?  Vanessa and I have experienced weather miracles many times now.  We've seen how our Father is is control of the climate and the wind and even all the creatures He's made.  We've seen how animals respond to the good news of Messiah (Mark 16:15)-- it's fun talking to birds and cats and bunnies!  But have we made this confidence in God a way of life?

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Yahshua Messiah took hold of me."

~Philippians 3:12

FREEDOOOOMMM!

Last night God gave me a dream where I was undergoing a teaching.  It was on freedom.  In the dream, the Holy Spirit showed me Romans 8:21:

"...that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."  

Glorious freedom.  Thank you Father.  Do any of us really know what that's like?  Do we understand what it means to possess glorious freedom?  I don't think so, not yet.  Not with a full measure, yet this is exactly what Yahshua has promised (Luke 6:38).  He wants us to know; we're His family, kings in His kingdom (Proverbs 25:2)!

In my dream, there was such a liberation.  I instantly knew that God had just given me a key to abide. When I heard Romans 8:21, it was written on my heart in a new way.  It was so powerful, and the power was there to effortlessly provide.

That's what our Heavenly Father gives us power for -- to get closer to Him.  It's not for our giftings or callings so much as it was for Him.  From Him for me for Him!

It was an awesome experience of peace and contentment.  If you haven't already, ask Elohim to give you heavenly dreams!  He is faithful, and He will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24).  Let's all taste and see that Yahweh is good (Psalms 34:8).

Obligations

"Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do..."

~Romans 8:12

Today I've been looking over my own life and realizing that I do more things than I should under the power of obligation.  Meaning I feel obligated to do mundane, day to day stuff...instead of feeling freedom, I've been feeling pressured to compulsively perform.

The truth in Christ though, is that there is no obligatory work.  There is no obligation to sin and mess up; you've been set free from sin!  You don't have to do it anymore.  Sin is not your nature.  Why not?  Well, look at the preceding verses and you'll see that it's because Christ is in you.  And His work in you overcame the world and all of it's sin along with it.

The only obligatory work we need to do is believe.  We must believe at all times; we must not fall out of faith.   Paul instructed the Corinthians to inspect themselves, by their fruit, to determine if they really believed.  Having the faith of God is important.  It's His faith that binds us together and raises us with Him.

The only obligation we have is to enter His rest.  Many Christians miss this -- the book of Hebrews says that so did the Ancient Israelites.  And until we really believe, there will be warfare, there will be ups and down, and there will be very difficult points.  It's in focusing on Him that these kinds of battles are won.

"...For if you live according to flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."

~Romans 8:13

The only way to stay in belief is to remain in the Spirit.  If you set up your tent with God, if you give Him your heart, He'll give you His feelings towards you and inspire you to trust Him.  It's the Holy Spirit who inspires belief and points us towards Yahshua, the Son of God.

When we believe, we pave the way for the reality of God to become greater, in our lives, than anything else.  Our activities get drowned out.  Our attentions and distractions get forgotten.  Our obligations get burned away.  We don't have to do a thing but believe in what Messiah's done!

This is a belief that will make you joyful and give you energy.  It will quicken and electrify your physical bodies.  It will cause you to do stuff because you want to...not because you're scared of man. There will be no fears and no thoughts of feelings in the things you do, because you've made God the most important thing.

The only obligation we have is to live for God.  And living for God flows out of belief in His goodness and love!  The only fight we fight is the fight of faith.  And when faith comes, we are no longer supervised and micromanaged by the law.  We are free to do everything, or free to do nothing! The nature of self-worth through what you're doing will be gone; you'll be set free from yourself.  It feels good to follow God; it feels good to have a light burden and have Hims simplify your life.

How to never be Annoyed

Wherever God is, there's peace.  So why does it sometimes (oftentimes?) not seem like it?  

The key in all this is realizing that God is everywhere, all the time; in everything, for every reason. That's what brings peace.  Peace like a river is where it's at (Isaiah 66:12)!  Peace like an all consuming fire works too (Hebrews 12:29).  

The thing is, you can view anything as annoying if you work at it.  But when we see all events, whether they appear good or bad, in the light of Messiah, we can get past minor annoyances.  When every inconvenient thing is drowned out by His light, we can remain in peace.  

If you lose your peace, that's OK. We all do; we're only human.  There's grace for that.

On the other hand, never forget that God has in mind something more.  Paul criticized the Corinthians for acting like "mere humans" (1 Corinthians 3:3).  There's something about our inner Divinity -- not ours, but His -- that wants to swallow up the negative aspects of our outward humanity (1 Cor. 15:54).  And that something, of course, is the burning, cleansing nature of the Ruach, the Holy Spirit.  

You're not who you used to be; you're not who you don't want to be (Romans 7:15).  You're who Jesus wants you to be (Ephesians 1:4).  And really, that's who you want to be, too!  You never have to get annoyed.  You never have to do anything that's not convenient (Romans 1:28); you have the mind of Christ!  He has your best interests in mind. He holds the keys to freedom and peace.  

What Is Truth? It's Not Sin and Sickness

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.                        John 14:6

What is truth?  I feel that God wants us to know that Truth goes beyond our own feelings and experiences.  Truth transcends what our present life is like, and it transcends what we think is possible.

What is truth?  Jesus is Truth!  And we need to remember that Jesus took captivity captive.  We need to remember that He paid it ALL.  Jesus made a way for us to escape the burdens of the world and be living in the heavenly realms.

What is truth?  Truth is God's perspective--His perfect will.  Truth is a higher vibration.  Truth is a place that we can and should access--but only because Jesus is Lord, only because He is our mediator.  Truth is not sin, and truth is not sickness.

No, f you are sick, you may feel it, you may be affected by it...and consequently, you may believe it. But ultimately, as a Christian, sickness is a lie.  Remember that Jesus came to give us life-- it's the enemy that comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  IF we are operating in truth, IF we are where God would have us, then we will be experiencing His Life.  And if we are experiencing life, then we will be experiencing truth, and the truth will set us free.

It's time to put theory into practice.  It's time to accept the truth.  It's time to await it's manifestation. The manifestation will be health and freedom and deliverance from sin.  The manifestation will be a closer walk with the Lord and a deeper experience of all of His benefits.  The manifestation will be a realization that God is love, and that this love is the force of God.

If we are not seeing the truth in our lives, in our families, and in our situations, then it's time to pray. It's time to usher in the presence of the Holy Spirit and have him bring the Kingdom changes down. All we need to do is say the word--to speak the truth in love--and then God does the rest!  When the presence of Jesus becomes greater than the presence of the world, then we will be able to walk in truth.

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."   3 John 1:4

Word: Trust Leads to Freedom

Yesterday the Lord spoke to me and said,

"I am taking you to a new level of freedom. Yes, I am giving you liberty and freedom in the Spirit, because I trust you, because you belong to me"

We belong to Him. And when we walk in that, that's why He trusts us! And that's why He gives us life to the fullest where we can be free and liberated from sin. Praise God for freedom. Praise Him for liberty, and praise Him for the law that His Spirit lives by. Praise Him that He gives trust to those whom He first entrusted with His Holy Spirit. And finally, praise God that we belong to Him! He is so intent on showing us that. He is so pleased when we realize all that He's done for us. Every promise in the Word has been given to us. And every word He's given will come to pass.

"And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God's promise to Abraham belongs to you."
Galatians 3:29

A little later yesterday, I went into the garage from outside just in time to hear Christian radio for a minute or so. And They were describing how Jesus reveals His secrets to those He trusts. Although the world does not know or recognize Him, they said, He has taken us in and entrusted us with Himself. He spoke in parables so often, but to His own, He occasionally revealed more.

I was so thankful to hear this little segment of radio...and then it was time for me to head back outside. God's timing was so perfect! It perfectly confirmed the word from earlier that morning -- "...because I trust you..." And I realized that because He trusts me, that's why He's going to be revealing more to me! This is something I've been praying for recently--that God would reveal more unknowable knowledge to me, more prophetic insight, more deep things. And that morning, He had comforted me in saying that He trusted me. After you have the trust, only then can Jesus reveal the secrets. Awesome!

"I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name."
Isaiah 45:3

Snapshot: Liberty in Giving

As I mentioned in our 1st Street Ministry Update, Vanessa and I went back to Grace Church last Sunday.  Grace has been a big part of our walk together, and it was so nice to see friends and mentors again.  When they took up the offering, the Lord showed me that there was liberty in giving.  He actually showed me the statue of liberty, with purses hung around it's upraised arm.  I understood that giving in tithes and offerings is a display of liberty.  It's a testament to it--to our freedom in the Lord. God can be creative sometimes.

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it."         Malachi 3:10

Now in general we shouldn't test God.  If there is an area where reckless faith is permissible, though, it's in the area of giving.  God wants us to show Him what He means to us.  He, in turn, wants to show us that our trust will be rewarded.  He wants us to trust that He is able--able to take care of us, protect us, bless us, even reward us.  He can be trusted even to give us liberty and freedom.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."     2 Corinthians 3:17

If we are in the Spirit, walking in it, living in it, full of it, then we will experience freedom.  Freedom, not to concede to the flesh or to sin (Galatians 5:16), but to give ourselves away.  We can boldly, maybe even recklessly, give ourselves to God.  We can give away our bodies, our careers, our finances, and our families as thanks offerings to God (Psalms 50:23).  We can lay everything up for God to have.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship"                Romans 12:1

We need to give everything we have to God.  We need to spiritually give it all to Him,  Any area that is not His is in danger of being used by the enemy.  Anything we withhold will get in God's way and to an extent limit how we are used for Him.  Anything we don't hand over will only be a snare for us (Exodus 23:33). There is freedom in sacrifice.  There is freedom in giving.  There is liberty in devoting our possessions to the Lord.

"Do This, Do That" Versus Freedom

He who said to them, "Here is rest, give rest to the weary," And, "Here is repose," but they would not

listen. So the word of the LORD to them will be, "Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line 

on line, A little here, a little there," That they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and 

taken captive.              --Isaiah 28:12-13--

The Lord led me here a few days ago....this is an interesting passage.  For me, it was a call to change. God doesn't desire to give us rule after rule; He doesn't want to make us stumble.  He doesn't want to take away all of our freedoms or surround us with impossible regulations (Lamentations 3:5).  As I said in a previous post, God doesn't desire to hand us over to a reprobate mind.  And He doesn't want to cause us to stumble.

But sometimes we need to change and return to God, and He causes us to stumble.  He does this so that we can hit rock bottom, and then turn and be healed!  He does this out of Love.  God Himself may become to us an oppressor if He knows that trials and testing will cause an eventual return.

"If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you."                 Jeremiah 42:10

God can and does change His mind.  God can and does change the way He interacts with people.  He does this based on our actions.  God wants to give freedom, but He will not give it if the receivers use it for their own glory.  For the worldly minded, God gives rules, regulations, and incessant demands.   This is what Isaiah 28:13 is talking about.  

I witness this in my own life.  When I have strayed from focusing on God, God strays from talking about Himself to me.  Instead, His direction takes a practical, even oppressive, turn.  The Lord may prompt me to do some chores or talk to someone.  He may instruct me in a way that takes away my freedom (Jeremiah 34:17).  What we are to Him, that He will become to us (Psalms 18:26).

If we are not thinking about Him, God will add to the yoke on our shoulders until it becomes to much for us to bear.  He wants us to ask for help!  He wants us to fix our minds on Him.  This is the better way.  If we are loving God, all else will be added to us.  If we are abiding by His Spirit, that's when there is freedom.  That's when there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17).  

If we are in the Spirit, then we will be instructed in spiritual things and be pointed towards God.  That is God's desire.  If we are in the Spirit, then we will have freedom to think anything good about God. We will be free to do anything God for God.  We will not be subjected by God to "order upon order", because Jesus in us has already fulfilled all of the law.  Once we are operating in the Kingdom, then can we have other things, too (Matthew 6:33).

We can be free to sing, free to express joy, free to worship God in everything we do.  Why persist in subtle rebellion?  God wants to make us slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:18); He wants to give us a light yoke (Matthew 11:30).  Let's allow God to approve of us, so that He can give us freedom.  Let's show Him that the gifts He's given us are able to shine through and glorify Him alone.

Victory and Overcoming

As believers, we are in a battle.  We are living in a land that is not our own.  We are living in a constant battle, constantly warring and battling against the powers of this world.  If we are not growing in our walk with the Lord, then we are at risk of missing out.  We are opening the door to the enemy coming in and taking the Word out of our hearts.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
Ephesians 6:12

We are fighting in this battle against the attempts of the enemy, which are meant to take us away from God.  Satan is always at work trying to make us slip back to where we were.  He is constantly trying to make us doubt God and believe a lie.  He tries to wreck our bodies and our peace of mind--to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10).

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."  John 16:33

We are not immune from the sins of others or the schemes of the enemy.  We are, in fact, destined to have trouble in this world.  We are going to be fighting the enemy until the day we die.  We won't be completely out of his reach until we die and get to heaven.  Satan is intent on trying to cause even the strongest believers to fall away.

But Jesus has won the victory.  He was tempted by the devil, but he came through it.  He achieved the victory by living a sinless life, giving up Himself and conquering the grave.  He embodied love and truth in everything He did.

Yesterday I received a vision where I placed a signet ring on my finger.  The Father has often given me visions of signet rings as a form of encouragement as seen in Haggai 2:23.  In this vision, though, there was a unique twist.  I saw that on the top of the ring there was a small human figure with arms raised.  I was given the 'knowing' to understand that this vision symbolized the Lord's opportunity to LIVE in victory.

Jesus was the first to be victorious, and He was the first to live life to the fullest.  He came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45), but He still came out on the upside of everything He did.  He lived with joy that couldn't be disrupted by chaos, and He lived through so much, yet never lost His peace (John 14:27).

And He died for our freedom.  His sacrifices defeated the enemy once and for all.  He set a template of perfection and showed us a way that we could respond to the world.  He showed us how to make the most of every opportunity.  Jesus Himself gave His authority to us, if we are indeed sons of God.  Satan tried to make Him stumble again and again, but Jesus always came out victorious.  And we now have a life to aspire to.  We can commit our actions to the firstborn of many brethren (Romans 8:29), then observe as He takes us to that place of being His friend.

Thanks to Jesus, we've been made overcomers.  The same Holy Spirit that animated Him is waiting inside us to respond perfectly to any and every situation.  The sinless being that lived His life is living in us, too.  So we can be victorious in every moment of our day!  We can be victorious within our areas of influence and our families, and together form a band of overcomers.

There is power in numbers.  A cord of three strands is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12).Within a band of believers is all the power that Jesus ever had. This was His doing--it was His choice to give us authority.  King David loved to see believers band together (Psalms 133:1).  He had experienced such a revelation of what happened in that type of meeting.  He realized that overcoming could be found there.  He realized that's when God comes in (Matthew 18:20), and that's when we wage war victoriously.  He understood from experience that the body is where the Kingdom is built.  This authority in Jesus is what causes us to overcome Hades and this world.

"I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."  Matthew 6:18-19

Confirmed:  Later on in the day yesterday, a new word was released from the Elijah list--"Overcoming all in 2015"  Below is an excerpt , in italics...with bolded parts for emphasis, of course.


Whether applied to our personal or corporate lives, there is a need for us to receive of the prophetic anointing to live overcoming lives. In this year be encouraged that God has only good plans in store.

God has called His people to ascend into the high places of His Presence. The enemy would have us stay "earth-bound" keeping us from soaring as eagles in prophetic vision and purpose, seeing from Heaven's view. Worship causes us to ascend in the Spirit experiencing the glory and Presence of God, also simultaneously filling out spiritual tanks to walk in victory.

I recently had a dream where a prophet was singing "Eagles fly and walk the earth" over and over again. The truth is we live in two different realms of existence. In the natural we walk the earth, and in the Spirit we soar and fly with a view being seated with Christ in heavenly realms. With this understanding, we must also arm ourselves with the truth that we need to fight through worship-warfare to take ground in the Spirit.


Here is an added dimension.  Together as one body we can overcome, and we can use our spiritual gifts to do so.  So let's eagerly desire the greater gifts and the spirit of prophecy(1 Corinthians 14:1)!  Let's join together, with each living in His Victory.  Let's do this until the point that we can testify that He's overcome the world.  Let's be victorious in every moment over the enemy and his wishes for us to follow the flesh.  Let's allow His Spirit to work through us and be achieve victory and peace in every single moment of our daily lives.  In the midst of confusion and trouble,  let's make overcoming our lifestyle.

Snapshot: Water onto the Path

Yesterday God gave me a vision where I saw water being poured from a glass.  In past visions this has represented being "poured out" for the good of others.  But this time, there was another element added to the message.  I saw that the water was being poured out along a path, forming a pathway.

I realized that He was showing me His will for me.  He was teaching me the way I should go (Psalms 32:8).  This path was designed to bring me to my spiritual inheritance--which is abundant life, everlasting life.  It is rivers of living water, found firstly within us, and then within the city of God.

"There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High."  Psalm 46:4

In the meantime, though, He is pouring out streams of water step by step (Isaiah 41:18).  These streams lead us onto the fulfillment of all the blessings we first received.   They lead us on towards Zion's river, towards Heaven itself.  He is faithful to guide us there!

The water poured out is the Spirit.  The water distributes itself and widens once poured out, because where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17).  There is so much freedom found in walking with God and going where He wants you to go.  The feeling of pleasing Him awakens us to the freedom that He gives us.  Like Bill Johnson says, the Kingdom of Heaven is bigger on the inside than it appears from the outside.

So I saw from the vision that He's taking me towards my destiny.  He's pouring out a path, which I can then follow by the Spirit.  He's equipping me with every spiritual blessing along the way!

"And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God."  Deuteronomy 28:2

When you're on that path, that well-watered path, you can't help but pour out abundance to others.  We give because He first gave to us.  And God is always enough.  You can't help but overflow with the Spirit and impact others with the Love of God.  You can't help but be bold for Him.  This is where God wants to take us--not to physical abundance, but to spiritual overflow.  

Snapshot: Heavenly Downloads

"Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning."  James 1:17

When I became saved in the Spring of 2013 the Lord gave me many dreams that helped me understand who He is.  He was my main teacher during those amazing first few months.  Spring was a time of rebirth and growing in trust and childlike faith.  And as I've said in a recent post, now I am thankful to receive beautiful songs in my dreams from the Lord.

"That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him."  But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets"  
1 Corinthians 2:9-10

God has so many things in His storehouse.  He has so many things awaiting us way up in Heaven.  And we are instructed to test Him, and see if He doesn't give to us!

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it."  Malachi 3:10

Bill Johnson said that the Kingdom of Heaven is bigger  on the inside than it is on the outside.  How true!  To outsiders Jesus says, "narrow is the path" (Matthew 7:14).  But David, a friend of God, praised the Lord for broadening the path for his sake (Psalms 18:36).  Once inside the Kingdom, once you have sought God, that's when He gives you the desires of your heart.  That's when He can redeem your creativity!  That's when you can embrace a download from Heaven.

This download may be a dream.  It may be a vision.  It may mean making artwork, or a song, or a writing.  It will come surrounded by a gift of wisdom--more on this in a future post.  God wants to give each of us a portion of His imagination to apply to our respective fields.  Seek first His Kingdom, and see if He doesn't transform your life.

Snapshot: His Finger

In Church last week the Lord showed me a vision of a pointer finger.  I saw that the tip of the finger had been covered but was now being unveiled.  I felt it was the hand of God, representing His arm working salvation.  I new it represented a manifestation of His presence entering the room.

I saw this vision, and it was filled up with light.  It was beaming and full of love.  I didn't think much more of this until we opened up the Word during the Church sermon.  As I glanced over at Vanessa's Bible, the first thing I saw was this:

"He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites."  Leviticus 16:19

That really struck me, and I realized what God was showing me.  By the Law, many high priests made many consecrations on behalf of the Israelite's sins.  These consecrations took blood, more than once.  They took a series of painful sacrifices that were created to atone for sins.  They helped people conceptualize the impact of sin and show that it needed to be paid for, one way or the other.  God Himself commanded these regulations for the priests, as a way to prove His Holiness.  Those who would come into His sanctuary needed to be pure.  They needed to believe they were pure, so that they would be able to worship a pure God.

"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin."  Romans 3:20

But thanks to Jesus we have a better way.  We have a savior who makes us conscious of His righteousness, and the fact that He is more than willing to share it.  What the Lord showed me in that vision was that HIS finger was revealed through Jesus to make us pure.  By His sacrifice, that of His Son, He brings the tabernacle to us.  No longer do we need ritual after ritual to enter near to Him.  Now all we need is a spiritual hunger that causes His Love to draw near to us.  Glory to God!!

I remember that Smith Wigglesworth said in His books, "you only need a touch from Jesus to have a good time".  How true.  What I saw in that vision was a divine touch.  It only took one!  One was enough to bring purity and light.  The Father of Lights does not need to make consecration again and again.  Praise Him that Jesus died to take our sins, once and for eternity!

"But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction..."  Romans 3:21-22

Apart from the Law.  Apart from the finger of a priest dipped in blood.  God has given us a better way. We have righteousness caused by just a touch of His presence.  We have purity given by just a taste of His power.  And we have faith in Jesus that He is able, and that He is willing, to come into our surroundings and set up a sanctuary wherever we are at.  There is wonderful freedom in knowing the purifying power of God.

Confirmed:  At the ending of the Church service, I was beginning to sit down when I happened to touch just my pointer finger on the back of the chair in front of me.  I touched this finger to the metal on the chair and was zapped!  This was quickened to me because of this "finger" vision, and well as the "electrified cross" vision described in the previous post.

God's given to us a cleansing power that can then be imparted to others (2 Timothy 1:6).  He is faithful to empower those He calls, and to show His hand through their own.

Snapshot: True Fasting

I have been seeing lots about fasting recently.  Seeking the Lord about it, I turned to this passage:

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice

    and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free

    and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry

    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—

when you see the naked, to clothe them,

    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

    and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness will go before you,

    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I..."

Isaiah 58:6-9

This is fasting.  Fasting is denying oneself and satisfying the needs of others.  Fasting is to be spent on behalf of others.  Fasting is a journey onwards to being "moved with compassion" (Matthew 14:14).  On a spiritual level, fasting in itself cannot leverage us closer to God.  It cannot automatically push us into His presence.  We must be receptive and hungry for God...regardless of what we do, let's follow this command:

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."  1 Corinthians 10:31

Neither feasting nor fasting is much in itself; God is Spirit and the flesh profits nothing.  The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Overcoming Doubt: The Octopus

Over the past three weeks or so, I've got several visions of octopuses.  To me they represent the damaged ways of this world, widespread evil, and schemes of the enemy.  Not good.  (Keep in mind that symbolic visions may mean different things to different people.  God gives each person a vision, and an accompanying meaning, that they can understand.)

In this case, I felt that octopus represents widespread, pervasive doubt.  This unbelief is dangerous.  If the enemy has His way, doubt will be sent into our lives and constrict the Spirit's work in our lives.  Let's not doubt!  We have been truly set free by the Lord of freedom!

The sword of the Spirit is needed to cut off these areas of doubt.  The tentacles of Satan's schemes need to be eliminated by belief in God's Word.  We need to believe that He has overcome the world.  Doubt wants to uproot the Spirit's words implanted in our heart.  This implanted Word has the power to save  our souls (James 1:21), and the enemy wants to steal it away.

Praise God that He gives us warnings about such things.  The Spirit of truth will give us direction that keeps us safe and "not ignorant of his devices" (2 Corinthians 2:11).  We can be wise about that which is good, and ready to war against things that would take us from God.

Snapshot: "Your Sons Hasten Back"

This is from yesterday morning, November 4th:

I heard, "Isaiah. Your sons hasten back"

I believed this was a Word from the Lord, so I turned my Bible to Ezekiel. The first thing I saw was, "your sons hasten back"! God is so faithful to confirm His voice. So I kept reading this passage.

"Your sons hasten back, and those who laid you waste depart from you. Lift up your eyes and look around; all your sons gather and come to you." Isaiah 49:17-18

To me, this passage spoke so strongly about freedom from oppression. Look up; you've been set free! Wow. I felt so thankful to get a confirmation like that. God gives us peace. Thanks to His Word, I was able to enjoy His rest yesterday, in a way that I don't always. There has been a lot about peace recently.

Confirmed: At Wal-Mart yesterday, one song played over and over nearly the entire time we were there. It went, "peace to the world..."

Dream: Spirit of Doubt

About a week ago, I had some bad dreams. In these dreams, I discovered I had cancer in my brain. The tumor was the left side of my forehead. In the dream, I was confused about why God allowed me to get cancer. I felt let down and didn't understand why this has happened to me. This was particularly sad for me because I've really trusted God for my health in the past.

I woke up from the dream a few times, with a throbbing headache on the top left corner of my forehead. Right where this imagined cancer had been...after waking up a few times, I finally realized what was happening. Everything began the night before, when there was a lot of talk about people who had cancer, holistic cures for cancer, etc. These ideas manifested in my cancer dream, and a tangible headache!

In thinking so much about cancer, I opened myself up to a false manifestation of it. I find that physical symptoms follow spiritual battle. The tangible, physical patterns we observe are usually only effects of an unseen spiritual battle. In this case, the ideas I'd let in prior developed into tangible pain.

So I began to pray. Often just thinking, "Jesus", is enough to have Him heal me. I did this twice, and the pain eased, then came back, twice. So, I said the same thing out loud. This seems to be more effective. The Lord can discern our thoughts, but adversarial forces cannot. So I believe it benefits us to have the enemy hear us call upon the Lord.

I fell asleep again, free from pain. Praise God! However, bad dreams resumed and when I woke up for good, the headache was back. I got anxious and began praying pretty blindly. The Lord halted me, and told me to what to say. He told me to command a "spirit of doubt" to leave. I did so verbally, and the pain left for good. I instantly felt a force lift off me. I was opened up to God's love! Truly, the burden Jesus gives us is light.

In hindsight, doubt is a very dangerous thing. I went wrong in fearing the power and prevalence of cancer today. By thinking of things like this, my faith was hurt and I began to doubt the unconditional promises of God. His WORD is greater than cancer. His name is the name above all names, and when I began to doubt this I got into trouble. Praise God that the blood of His Son keeps us free from oppression! Sometimes, though, we need to pray against the enemy as God directs us. We also need to stay transformed, with renewed minds. Seeds of doubt and fear can be sown even through ordinary conversations. This is why God wants us to guard our speech and stay sanctified. Let's be pure, just as He is pure!

Law of Liberty

"But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."  James 1:25

A few mornings ago I received a vision where the Lord gave me a spoon, which I then used as a mirror to look into my face.  He brought to mind this verse pretty quickly after that.  Then today, I really did happen to look into a spoon, and immediately was reminded of that vision!

We need to look into the liberty the Lord gives us, and respond by doing God's will.  We need to be blessed in our doing!  We need to look into the perfect look at this law and behold Jesus, and then we need to persevere.  It all starts with focusing on Jesus and the resurrection life that He offers us.

To stay in a state of remembrance, of doing, means we need to intentionally live out our worship.  Worship is a place where we recharge our spiritual batteries and really open ourselves up to the Father's all-consuming love.  Just let Him love you!  Know that it is in yielding to His jealousy that we can persevere in using His freedom for His purposes.  This is important...the freedom that God gives was bought at a price, and it shouldn't be used for selfish desires.  The Holy Spirit wants to use this freedom to magnify Jesus in us and through us.

When in worship today I saw the Lord hand me a small tablet, made of stone.  I believe it had the number '1' on it and some writing.  Immediately I was reminded of Jesus saying, "a new command I give you, that you love one another".  This is the law of liberty, this is the love of the Father giving us freedom to express Himself through us in whatever way He wants.  Old rules and regulations are gone, and in their place is freedom to act out His will!