Contentment

"But godliness with contentment is great gain."  

~1 Timothy 6:6

There is a contentment out there that only comes from God.  This expression of contentment comes when we live in the reality that Jesus is enough, when we live in peaceful union with Him.  Godliness and contentment go hand in hand, because being like God means being with God.  And being with God is always enough!

Contentment is knowing that there is always something to be thankful for.  There are so many precious promises that God has made known to us.  We may not know the future, we may only see in part (1 Cor. 13:12), but we do know that the word of Yahweh stands forever (Isaiah 40:8).  

"He will cover you with His feathers; you will take refuge under His wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield."          ~Psalm 91:4

It's worth being knit to God.  It's worth constantly feeling His peace, His presence.  He's the Comforter, and He makes everything easier.  He makes it easy for us to draw near and experience Him.  He makes it easy to feel safe and secure.  

We were made to crave this sense of togetherness, where the Holy Spirit has hemmed us in on every side (Psalms 139:5).  We were created to feel swaddled!  This is what our Heavenly Father wants us to want.  He wants us to experience true security.     

Contentment is eternal life, and eternal life is to know Yahshua (John 17:3), to enjoy His protection. He'll give you just as much joy as you want, and He'll give you peace along with it.    

You are on the ancient path (Jer. 6:16); you have arrived in the promised land (Hebrews 4:9); you were known since before the world began (2 Tim 1:9).  Isn't that wonderful?  Enjoy it today.  

In Yahweh's Presence is Fullness of Joy

"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."                       Psalm 16:11

From the moment we've first believed, we've became aware of the presence of the Lord.  We're always in His presence.  We're always belonging in Him.  So why don't we always feel joyful?

It's because of our unbelief.  See, Jesus needs to be real to us right now, in 2 minutes, in 2 hours, and in 2 days.  He needs to be continually sanctified in our hearts (1 Peter 3:15)--continually adored.

Our work and our choice is to believe in Jesus (John 6:29).

Constant joy is real--it's not too good to be true!  We as believers accept the gospel, so we should also accept every piece of 'good news' that flows from it.

We can't give ourselves God's joy, but we can yield to it.  We can yield to the cleansing truth of the word.  We can yield to the hope of glory.  We can yield to the love of the Holy Spirit, and be joyful no matter what.

What About The "Outer Witness"?

In the book of Revelation, we have described to us two witnesses.  Now, this reference may be symbolic, it may be literal, it may be both.  Either way, I think that we can apply this concept to our own personal walk, too.  Recently the Lord has been speaking to us about what I'll call the 'outer witness' of the Holy Spirit.

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."           Isaiah 30:21

We all know about the inner witness that God gives us.  It may come as a still, small voice.  It may come as a strong unction, or a supernatural knowing.  It may come as a conviction.  Now, keep in mind that God confirms Himself by two or three witnesses (2 Corinthians 13:1). So then, what about external witnesses?  What about confirmations and promptings outside of ourselves?  That's where the outer witness comes in.

"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."         John 3:8

Remember that the Holy Spirit can be likened to a strong wind--a ruach (Hebrew).  And I find that the wind is a medium through which God's Spirit often shows Himself.  Many times, I'll be outside and God will use the natural wind to speak to me.  I'll get the inner witness--the Lord will prompt me to head inside, for example.  Then, just a few seconds later, the wind direction will change, and gently push me towards where God's word already had me headed.  This is an external confirmation, and it establishes what God has already set into motion.  It's the outer witness.

Other times, the Holy Spirit may manifest as wind--inside! This is more rare (at least in my experience).
But sometimes, there comes into a room a supernatural and completely unexplainable wind.  What is it?  It's a sign!  It's a sign that the presence of the Spirit has come in.  I've noticed this happens must often in church.  But the Lord may do this anywhere!

Beyond wind, there are many other ways that God speaks through nature.  All creation serves to praise Him! And beyond that, there are many other ways that He gives an outer witness.  He my confirm Himself through another Christian, through a close friend, or even through something that an unsaved stranger says.  He may 'establish a matter' through a billboard's message, through a license plate, or through a street sign.  The possibilities are endless!  And all of these things are gifts from above, sent down from the Father to confirm His word.

We who are near God are commanded to acknowledge His power (Isaiah 33:13).  As believers, God wants us to have out faith built up by His outer witness.  He wants His Spirit within us to be communing, to be one, with His Spirit's working around us.  He wants us to grow from faith to faith.  The Lord wants to accomplish in us what He's already done among us.  He wants to have us walk into the establishment of His word.

When The Power of God is Present

"And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them."      Luke 5:17

How does the power of God show up today?  It shows up when people are desperate.  It shows up when people turn their desperation into expectation.  It shows up when faith is activated and people expect the Holy Spirit to work miracles!

Ministry becomes so much easier when the power of the Lord is present to heal.  Everything is easier when the power of God is there!  The Spirit of love comes in, and things start happening.  Events start aligning.  People start aligning.  Ministry breaks out, and so does the miraculous.

I remember about a year ago, Vanessa and I were praying for a man with back pain.  We were right outside our favorite restaurant, and a few people were beginning to take notice.  The Lord healed this man pretty dramatically.  Wonderful!  And then another man, an easygoing catholic guy, came up.  He wanted to know what was going on.

And then this second guy remarked that he, too, had back pain.  Vanessa and I knew what to do.  Faith had already been activated!  So, the guy talks about his back hurting, and continues walking up to us.  When he got close, I asked him how he was feeling now.  He said all the pain was gone!  Nobody prayed for him.  See, Jesus was there all along.  The Holy Spirit had already set up shop among us.  The power of the Lord overshadowed us.  The power of the Lord was present to heal.

This is what we need today, and it needs to begin within the Church.  We as Christians need His power enveloping us! We as believers need to be ministered to!

Once we ourselves are within God's power, then we can minister out of it!  Those not yet saved need to be exposed to the power.  They need to be exposed to the manifest presence of Jesus.  Those not yet convicted will only be convicted when the power of the Lord is present.  They'll only be saved when the supernatural power of God begins to flow.  This is a place of ministry.  This is a place of love.  This is a place of being inhabited by the Holy Spirit.  We need to have the Spirit, and we need to have His power.  We need to have been so touched by Him that wherever we go, the power of the Lord is present to heal.


"...And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power"         1 Corinthians 2:4

"Denominationalism": When The Little Foxes Creep In

This all started when Vanessa and I were talking about John McArthur and other cessationalists while doing some errands a few days ago. We were driving along and pondering how and why some people go wrong in their teaching, and we saw a custom license plate that said, "LIL'FOXS"

"Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom."
Song of Solomon 2:15

First, we need to realize that Song of Solomon is a parable.  The Lover in that book can be likened to Jesus, and the Beloved can be likened to His bride, the Church!

The true Church, the sons and daughters of Father God, will be able to look across various churches and discern that some things may have went wrong.  Little foxes have crept in.   Left untouched in the vineyard, they can ruin it's plants and spoiled it's fruit.

I've read parts of Arthur Burt's "There Shall Be No Ebb", and he stated that every denomination was formed right where the Holy Spirit first began a new move of God.  John Wesley began a revival and holiness movement that, once plateaued, became known as Methodism.  The Salvation Army was once a group of powerful evangelists that did just what their name entailed.  And the Baptist Church also started off with more passion and Spirit-given life than they generally have now.  You can go on and on.

And it's been this way since the start.  Even the Azusa street revival was split by theological differences into various subsets and denominations. A newly introduced 'Finished Work' doctrine divided the movement and caused the largest revival ever to ebb.  Six year after it started, Azusa was finished, because the pride and tradition of man opened the door for some little foxes to come in.

And we can gather from the past a pattern.  It starts off with God's Spirit and ends with divisions:

1) Revival starts!  The Church is taken back to the Book of Acts.  Awesome!
...Mass salvations, signs and wonders, and Holy Spirit fire follow.

2) With revival comes the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.
...The Word comes alive as God teaches the revived how to walk in it.

3) Those involved receive a key revelation to the scriptures
...A Kingdom mystery is revealed, and people realize just what they've been missing.  So they start walking in this or that newfound truth.  Good!

4) Pride creeps in.
...Usually, this begins in the person whom God has been using the most.  And a measure of the glory goes, because God gives grace to the humble.

5)  People who have received revelation become presumptuous.
...And they assume that the scriptural key they received is THE key. They stress their new revelation above all others.  They broaden the scope of their revelation by using out of context scripture to support it.  And they begin to look down on others.  The attitude of a revival shifts from welcoming to competitive.  And what really counts is then overlooked!

...Oneness Pentecostals claim that speaking in tongues in critical to salvation.
...Baptists may believe that baptism in water is essential to salvation.
...Holiness preachers stress the importance of works and perfectionism
...Catholics talk about penance, purgatory and prayer to saints.
...Cessationalists claim that tongues and healings are of the devil (hmm, doesn't that sound familiar?  Jesus was accused of such things by the pharisees).

At this point, revival is over, having been stifled by the pride of us people.  And the need surfaces to start a new denomination!

And the end result of all these errors is that church congregations lose their good fruit.  With that, they lose members.  And worst of all, they lose the favor of God.  All they have is a memory of what the Lord used to do.  All they have is a watered-down testimony.  All they can do to retain some measure of hope is look back.

Those who look back become more and more deadened to the present reality of God.  They create denominations that become increasingly watered down.  Some even discount the present work of God almost entirely, stripping the Gospel of everything but salvation.  That's where cessationalism (the belief that spiritual gifts have ceased) comes in. That's where pride, even an actual spirit of pride, can take over.  People fall deeper and deeper into err, because they understand neither the scripture nor the power of God.  They respond by lashing out at those who are still moving, still operating, and still loving by the Holy Spirit.  This is a vicious cycle, as people fall further and further from the actual, scriptural truth.

At this point, a once fruitful vineyard has become bitter and barren.  A church does not have the presence of the Holy Spirit, so much as they have a man-made template signifying who He seemed in the past to be.  Moves of God are stifled.  Gifts from God are discounted.  Conversely, a church may become hyper-charismatic and try to replicate God's gift with an effort out of the flesh.  The church becomes overrun with little foxes--spirits of pride, envy, hatred, mockery, 'pharisee spirits', and spirits that bear false witness.  The fruit of the Spirit is gone because the Spirit itself is gone, save for the measure that God, in His grace, retains so that there is still the reality of salvation.

The above is a sad reality in many churches today.  What is the solution?

...To welcome the Holy Spirit
...To humbly accept the implanted word
...To walk in love--from which all else flows:  kindness and patience and humility and meekness and           peace and hope and faith and joy
...To acknowledge that we see in part--therefore, our insight is not the only insight, nor is it the most critical one.  We need to remain teachable
--To fulfill the law, not through this or that theology, but for an overwhelming love for God and others

Let's address this by looking to the Word:


"So be careful how you live; be mindful of your steps. Don’t run around like idiotsas the rest of the world does. Instead, walk as the wise! Make the most of every living and breathing moment because these are evil times. So understand and be confident in God’s will, and don’t live thoughtlessly. Don’t drink wine excessively. The drunken path is a reckless path. It leads nowhere. Instead, let God fill you with the Holy Spirit. When you are filled with the Spirit, you are empowered to speak to each other inthe soulful words of pious songs, hymns, and spiritual songs; to sing and make music with your hearts attuned to God; and to give thanks to God the Father every day through the name of our Lord Jesus the Anointed for all He has done.  And the Spirit makes it possible to submit humbly to one another out of respect for the Anointed."       Ephesians 5:16-21


*thank you Angel S. for the timely scripture (:*

This is what we need to do.  We need to keep in tune and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit in order to keep any bond of peace.  We need to stay sensitive, patient, and humble.  We need to give all the glory to God, so that all the discernment can be with Him, as well.  We need to steward His Spirit and His works in love and power.

Snapshot: A Dwelling on the Mountaintop

Recently, the Lord gave me a vision where I saw a house being built atop a mountain.

"Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?
    Who may stand in his holy place?
Only those whose hands and hearts are pure,
    who do not worship idols
    and never tell lies.
They will receive the Lord’s blessing
    and have a right relationship with God their savior.
Such people may seek you
    and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob."

Psalm 24:4-6

We all need to get into this holy place, this mountaintop visitation with God.  We each need to be touched by Him, be transformed by Him, be changed by Him--and this happens on the mountaintop. We climb the mountain to meet the Lord--to get away from people and distractions, and to seek His face.  That's why we make the climb.  That why we put in our part and allow Him to uplift us.

Now, Peter and John wanted to build a house on the mountaintop--that's human--and they were told no. (Matthew 17:4) That's not what I'm talking about.  The Lord knows that trials will come, and we need to respond by knowing that He will still make all things work for the good. (Romans 8:28)  We need to come on down from that higher place and interact with others--we have work to do!

What the Lord was showing me was the possibility of really abiding.  He was relaying the importance of getting creativity, inspiration, and life from that mountaintop time.  And most importantly--He was showing me the importance of receiving from that place His Love.  We need to remain in this love--figuratively speaking, to remain on that mountaintop.  We need to remain in with Him, in Him, and for Him.

The only things worth building are those things that came from that mountaintop time.  We need to have an elevated foundation--Jesus--and only build on that.  We need our thoughts, actions, and efforts to flow from the secret place.  We need to be raised up by Him, and then stay there.  That's what really counts--entering into His bliss and applying it to our lives.

"He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, He who rejects unjust gain And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; He will dwell on the heights, His refuge will be the impregnable rock; His bread will be given him, His water will be sure."

Isaiah 58:14

Song: Place of Worship

One of my favorite songs right now, maybe my top favorite, is "Place of Worship" by William McDowell.  It's so beautiful, so anointed, so passionate--it points to the savior.

I wanted to know what the Lord thought of this type of music, and so I asked Him.  And He led me to pause the song as the 7:03 mark.  I then entered that into the online lexicon.  Praise the Lord!

Hebrew #703:
A virtuous course of thought, feeling and action;
Any particular moral excellence, as modesty, purity

Praise Him for songs that convey His virtue, His excellence, and His purity.  That's exactly what these William McDowell songs do.  They do what praise music should! They magnify the Lord, and brings His likeness near.   Such music pleased Him--it's acceptable worship in His eyes.  I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do.  It really ushers you into the presence of the Lord.

"Worship the LORD with joy! Enter his presence with joyful singing!"                Psalm 100:2

Dream: Repentance with Jesus; Winds of Change

Last night I had an interesting experience.  I was dreaming and the Lord Jesus came in.  I did not quite see Him in this dream, that I can remember. However, He seemed very close by and I did really feel His presence.  Once this presence came into my awareness--wow,  what love!  I was pretty taken aback with admiration and bliss.  I felt His love surround me and was left in adoration.

And I also felt the need to repent.  I realized how far from perfection, how far from Him, I'd been living.  I repented and repented and repented--I had to in order to withstand His nearness.  I became acutely aware of the degrees of pride, impurity, and unbelief I had let into my daily life.  For every 'good' work I had done, I understood that He had the ability to just burn it up.  At the same time, I did not really feel a worldly guilt.  My sense of unworthiness was refreshing, not condemning.

So I did repent.  With each confession, and every time I turned back from something, I felt Jesus come nearer.  I felt Him begin to penetrate my heart.  I felt His Love in a new way.  His presence got so, so thick.  I was crying, and then sobbing.  I had repented, and I finally felt clean!  And I could let Him in.  Praise the Lord!  This experience did not take very long, but resulted in so much heart change.

After this, I woke up.  I think it was about midnight.  And I heard this roaring wind in my ears.  I felt like it was from God--but it still frightened me.  It was a loud, intimidating sound, and I was hearing it almost internally,  not sensing that I had over it any amount of control.  It would pick up and then withdraw a little.  I asked the Lord if He would make it more bearable, and He did.  It became quieter, and then I went back to sleep.

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”                                  John 3:8

I've had the above verse in my head for a couple days now.  It's clearer now that it'd been preparation for what happened last night.  This morning I did some research.    This year, according to the Hebrew calendar year 5775, is a year for the Winds of Change to manifest on the earth.  This is a time when God will blow away our impurities and usher in a new thing.   The Holy Spirit will usher in a time of greater purity and longing for Jesus.

Here is an article on the Elijahlist about the winds of change and their multitudes of purpose.  There are many winds, because there are many changes that can take place for the better.  We are cleansed by these changes--our own shortcomings are blown away and a spiritual shift takes place.

"When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses."              Jeremiah 10:13

Snapshot: Seeing God

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God"    Matthew 5:8

When I began reading and meditating on the Word, I used to think that verses like the one above were more figurative than literal.  Then, I began thinking that such descriptions only described what we'll experience in Heaven.  But now, I believe that God wants us to know that these promised can be applicable to our every day.  They can be lived out and enjoyed in this life, and even more so in the life to come.  If we meet the conditions, we realize God's pleasure in us based on how He treats us.  If we are pure in His sight, we'll discover that He's worth it.  We will become unable to forget all His benefits:

We really can taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalms 34:8).

We can see God's Glory (John 11:40).

We can ascend to the mountaintop with the Lord.  We can live in a Holy place, and God's holiness can go before us and after us.  We can be hemmed in by Him and His grace.   (Psalms 24:4 and context).

We can enter into God's presence in a new way.  There is always more of God that we have not yet seen, heard, or even imagined (1 Corinthians 2:9 and context).

There is always a new revelation, a new promise, a new understanding of His Love.  God is so far beyond searching out--we only experience tastes of Him because He let's us (Romans 11:33).

There is always so much knowledge stored up in God's Word.  Enough to keep us learning, both day and night (Psalm 119:96).

These are His benefits (Psalms 103:2).  These are our earthly foretastes of Heaven. These are results of our inheritance in the Lord--residence in His Kingdom.  And these things are worth counting the cost.  They are worth any cost!  God makes life fun, but more than that, He makes it count.  Let's commit our ways to Him.  Let's allow Him to make us pure, from the inside out.  Let's seek Him so we can see Him, and let's see Him and become more like Him.

Healing vs. Perfect Health

Nearly a week ago I was thinking about the subject of healing.  Divine Healing has become such a wonderful part of my walk with God.  I believe, according to the word of God, that healing is a gift given for every believer.  It is part of our daily bread.

But what about perfect health--continually being renewed to the point of never feeling any bodily imperfections?  Is that always God's will?  For some, that's a hard question to answer.  I don't think it is.

Let's look at the story of Job, and accept what happened to him.  After all, every bit of scripture is useful for exhortation and teaching (2 Timothy 3:16).  So Job was willing to accept evil from the Lord as well as good. I'd say it's clear that the Lord willed for Job to experience much less than divine health.  We can't discount this story in trying to understand the gifts that we're entitled to in Christ.

He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.  Job 2:10

I myself have have been given healings by the Lord--from Achilles tendonitis, anemia, gout, and several other things.  And of course I've seen many more healings in the lives of others. The Holy Spirit has made it clear to me that He is willing to heal all my diseases(Psalms 103:3) and deliver me from all evils.

But there is an even better way.  Just like there is a time for mountaintop experiences with God (see this post), there is also a time to enjoy divine health from the Lord.  Remember, He is not slow in keeping His promises, and He cannot fail (2 Peter 3:9).  There is a place of constant regeneration that God has reserved for us.  And He is giving this blessing of to those who ask Him for it.

I remember that nearly a year ago now God told me something interesting:

"Perfect Health will come with perfect peace".  

So He revealed to me such a precious truth there.  He gave me a promise to look to and a standard to strive for.  To this day, my health is still not perfect.  Sometimes I begin to develop colds or congestion.  Now, can I reach perfection?  Of course not.  But the Holy Spirit within me is already perfect, and if I yield to Him, He will lead us to the inheritance we've already been given in Christ!

If we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), we are able to receiving the body of Christ.  We are able, according to God's Will, to receive perfect health.  God won't turn us away from asking.  He wants to give us His peace, and so transform us that our bodies experience peace, too.  Ask Him to take you to that place.

For the time being, we have received our treasures in jars of clay.  God has allowed this. He's done this so we realise the full extent of His power!  (2 Corinthians 4:7)  The next step is to ask accordingly for a portion of that Life.  It's time to believe that He gives without finding fault! (James 1:5)  Now is the time to accept the gift of faith and the gift of healing, and with them, an inheritance of perfect health.

Confirmed:  Last week there was a Word on the Quickened Word website.  It said that many would be brought new life by the quickening power of the Holy Spirit.  Below is a short excerpt.  Hereis the rest of the article.

The Holy Spirit will give...spiritual power that will invigorate you so that divine healing will flow.  Spending time with the One who has the gift of healing  will bring the "times of refreshing" that is needed by the body of Christ. "

Glory to God!  Spiritual healing will flow.  This is the gift of healing applied continually.  This is faith to see the gift of healing constantly poured out.  This is a place where the presence of God is faithful to heal.  He knows what to do.  He knows what our bodies need!

 Now is the time to receive new wineskins, and inherit the incoming gift of God.  We need to empty ourselves so that the gift of healing can flow into us.  We need to spend time with Him and receive, receive, receive!  It's time for refreshing, and it's time to do more than survive.  It's time to begin to thrive.

"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."  Romans 8:11

Snapshot: Power Like Lightening

Jesus came set people free.  He came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).  How does He do it?  By the power of the Holy Spirit.  By power like lightening.  God's power is mighty beyond our comprehension, and used for the pulling down of strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4).  It is used for setting the oppressed free.  God is the only person entitled to put on a show.

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free..."  Luke 4:18

Many people out there are just looking for a flash of light.  They are looking for the power of Jesus, they just don't know it yet.  So many are led astray by false religions.  And so many are led astray by their own pride...they have a form of godliness, but deny it's power (2 Timothy 3:5). Thankfully, though, there are many who will be saved who have not yet been taken to that point.  These people are in need of a demonstration of God's power.   They need to find the truth, and they need the One true God to take them there.  Only the force of God can break through the powers of darkness that exist between us and God.


The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on 

snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.  However, 

do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Luke 10:17-20



As Christians, we are responsible to play a part in this.  We have been given the power and authority of God.  And we need to use it to destroy whatever might get between others and God.  Are you willing to do God's work and release others from the enemy's oppression? Then you need God's power and the full force of His Spirit.  Are you willing to pay the price for it?  There was a wonderful confirmation of this thematic message on the Quickened Word recently.  I won't link to it here.  Just know that if you haven't already, you really should check this website out!

"I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."  Luke 24:49

Jesus told His disciples to stay within themselves until they received power from Heaven.  This is so telling--we need His power to accomplish anything meaningful for Him.  No amount of our hard work can meaningfully touch others.  Our effort cannot heal hearts or bodies.  But God within us can.  He wants to give us power like lightening.  

Snapshot: A Divine Exchange

Two mornings ago, God distinctly told me something in my quiet time:

"...It's a divine exchange; your flesh for My Love."

And this hit me.  I realized God wasn't saying I had to earn His Love--no, that was a free gift at salvation.  But I knew that in order to realize His Love again, I had to die to my fleshly desires.  I had to die to myself.  God's taken me to a place of warfare where He requires my drawing closer before He reveals Himself.  He's taken me to a place where I realize that He is so pure.  If I come to Him and want to abide in Him, I need to be pure, also.  So He told me that I needed to give up some things to live in an awareness of His Love.

"For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live."  Romans 8:13

This is the exchange.  We give up our lives in order to find life.  But He allows us--by the Spirit, He helps us!  And again,

"For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it."  Matthew 16:25

Confirmed:  Later on that very same day (1/3/2015), I was reading a book by Bill Johnson --"The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind"--that I got for Christmas.  Below is the very last sentence in the book:

"Any price you pay in claiming territory for God is well worth the exchange."

He even bolded it!  The word "exchange" struck me, and I realized that this really went along with thw word God had just given me.  Let's claim the territory of God's Love, first, so that we can be taken onto greater heights and greater victories!

Experiencing and walking in God's Love is worth anything.  It is worth counting any cost for.  Is there an exchange that God's waiting on you to make?  If so, give Him that desire today.  Allow the Holy Spirit to put that thing to death.  Allow God to eliminate any distraction.  The rewards will be divine (Matthew 19:29).

When You're on the Mountain

A few days ago the Lord gave me a vision of a tall mountain, encircled by a road that led to the top.  At the summit there was a gigantic cross.  There was such power in the vision, and such significance in the cross.  It's appearance on the mountain top was almost otherworldly.

There's also been a lot of talk about mountaintop experiences recently.  From Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest to the Quickened Word, these mountain top encounters with God have been a common theme.

Then this morning, I was reading about Jesus's transfiguration beginning in Luke 9.  He spent intimate time with His Father, and He was changed.  He was changed through prayer! God chose to reveal His Glory, and the disciples saw Him as He really is (1 John 3:2).

And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings, that he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up into the mountain to pray.

And as he was praying, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became white and dazzling.

And behold, there talked with him two men, who were Moses and Elijah;

who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

Now Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.

And it came to pass, as they were parting from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah: not knowing what he said.

And while he said these things, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.

And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my Son, my chosen: hear ye him.

And when the voice came, Jesus was found alone. And they held their peace, and told no man in those days any of the things which they had seen.

And a few interesting things happened.  These details tell us a lot about the nature of mountain top experiences with God.

1)  The disciples got very sleepy.  They were overwhelmed by the manifest presence of God, and it drained their strength.  Similar things happened to Daniel when He encounters an angel (Daniel 8:18) .  I had a dream once where the Love of God overcame me to the extent that I fell into a deep, spiritual sleep.  You would think encountering God would give you strength and life, and it often does, but this passage describes a very different response.  Our bodies are not capable of handling such a measure of God--after all, we're only jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7)!

2)  The disciples wanted to stay on that mountain top forever.  In fact, they seemed to want to live there with Elijah, Moses and Jesus.  But that wasn't God's will!  And it's often the same way today.  God is pleased to reveal to us new things, and He is so pleased to show us His character in a new way.  God wants to shower down His Love until we feel really, really good.

But there is also work to do.  There are also things to get done--like ministering to others. We cannot spend all of our time alone and meditating for the sake of spreading the gospel! An exception here would be times of solitude and intercession, but usually we need to get out into the world and share Him with others.  Like Chamber's devotional said, it's when in the valley that we have times of testing and character development.  This life is a training grounds for our future in Heaven, after all--it wouldn't be complete without some problems to overcome.

3)  The disciples were told not to tell their experience to others.  This is sometimes the case--I believe that God wants to keep some things just between Him and us.  Some things are just too precious to share.  There is a sort of joy in keeping God encounters private. The joy of His knowing is always enough.  Now, I share a lot on this blog, but there is also things that I do not.  What I do share I write to build up the body.

Have you been on the mountaintop recently?  If not, then ask in faith, and let Him take you there.  If you have, praise God!  I like to be there everyday.  Why?  Because Christ's Love compels us (2 Corinthians 5:14).  The mountain top is where we get equipped.  The mountain top is where we experience the hope of Glory.  The mountain top is where we know God.  We need these experiences to get us through tougher times.  We need to be built up in our "most holy faith" (Jude 1:20), and then sow those seeds out into the world.  Asking is receiving...so ask Him to come.

Snapshot: In a Bubble

There Lord has been speaking to me about His protection and His presence surrounding us recently.  There have been many thematic events about bubbles.  This all began at Christmas, when we got a gift of "durable bubbles" for our cat, Fearless, to play with.  These bubbles were advertised as being able to touch the ground and not pop.  The idea is that cats chase them as they roll around on the floor, until the cat actually has to touch the bubble to pop it.

"But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you"  Job 12:7

Anyways, bubbles have been a recurring theme since then.  For me, they represent God's indwelling presence exceeding our own bodies.  They represent the Holy Spirit in us coming through and creating a manifestation of God all around us.  They represent the "hedge of protection" that the Lord had placed around Job  (Job 1:10).  This bubble is God's territory.  The enemy cannot enter, and we are shielded by God's power and Love.  Disease cannot enter, neither can spiritual darkness or despair.

If we yield to God's Spirit within us, we will find it is soon all around us, too.  We will find that the Holy Spirit will surround us with peace, love, and joy.  Those around us will be positively affected, too (but some will be cut to the heart).  This is what we are called to--Christ in us, with us and through us--until we are manifesting His presence here on the earth.

"Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again."  Isaiah 52:1

This is God's command to us as believers.  In other words, put on your bubble!  Be separated and sanctified and set apart from the rest.  Be clothed with His strength.  It's already within--just let His Light and His character shine through.  His Light is Love and strength.  And if we yield and come into agreement with Him, His strong hand will come upon us  (Isaiah 8:11).  We will be displaying the nature of our savior to all the world, and we will achieve victory over the enemy, who will not be able to touch us.

"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city."  Revelation 22:14

When we are within His bubble, we are seen by all as we rightfully are--sons and daughters of the King!  Adverse situations will not steal our joy.  We will have the right to the tree of life and be allowed through the gates of His Kingdom.  The enemy will see the Spirit of God within us, and he will not be able to touch us.  We will walk out our identity as the Lord's anointed, as He cleans us from the inside out (Psalms 105:15).

Glory to God!  Yield to Him, focus on Him, preoccupy yourself with His goodness, and watch as it bubbles up through you.  You will be within His bubble, and His presence around you will make you clean.  Watch as His presence then shines out, and watch as you become totally untouched by outside circumstances.  His Joy will surround you wherever you go!

Snapshot: Prophetic Praise

If we draw near to God, we will be consumed in His Love.  We will Praise Him, we will worship Him, and maybe we'll even dance to Him.  This is what King David did, and this is what God wants from those who would express themselves this way.  Music is a powerful thing, and a force that can align us with either Jesus or evil.  God wants us to glorify Him through music.  He wants us to know that "for Him are all things" (Romans 11:36).

In the last month I've been reading about King David and his team of musicians in my new Bible commentary books.  I've been realizing in a new way that David was a very musically- oriented man.  Music was a means of life for David, because David lived for God.  He had such a heart for God's people coming together in worship.  God wants to give all of us a heart like that. 

"How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!"  Psalm 133:1

When the hungry come together, they come to worship and experience true Life.  They live in His presence, and they live for their relationship with Him.  When the hunger is there, the Holy Spirit is there.

So Worship elevates us to a place where we better understand Jesus.  And worship music helps with this.  Worship music is a holiness tool.  It elevates us to a place where our thoughts and our actions bring us to the King.  It gives a testimony to Jesus.

This is where prophecy comes in.  This is where we can give a revelation of Jesus through our speech and through song.  This is where music brings in a message from God that testifies to forgiveness and love.  This message testifies to Jesus.  It tells us that God is doing a new thing; that He is making a way where there was only hopelessness before.

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."  Isaiah 43:19

It tells us to change in accordance with His will.  And it speaks of a future hope and a future calling that far exceeds past doubts and failures.  This message comes as the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10) And music helps us get to that place.  When God's people come in unity and seek Him in song, God is pleased.  When the music and the worship please Him, the atmosphere becomes prophetically charged.

This is one thing King David loved about the body.  This is why David surrounded himself by a team of worshippers and musicians.  It allowed Him to come closer to God.

"Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation."

Let's praise Him vocally.  Let's sing and praise and shout as we become the hope of God.  Let's sing a new song, let's sing in the Spirit, let's sing as we are led.  Let's worship with all of our spirit, as His Spirit leads into all truth (John 4:24).

But don't sing out of obligation--God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).  Sing because there is no other way to express His character.  Sing, because when His Love comes, it's often hard to be quiet.  Make a joyful noise, as He fills you to overflowing with His Love.  Wigglesworth said that you're in a terrible place if you can't shout.  Now, to each their own.  But we need to be passionate about our God.  We need to be passionate about what He's done, and we need to be passionate about giving Him all the glory we can.

"He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed."   Psalm 40:3

God gave this.  God is still doing this.  By the Spirit, He will give you all the songs you want.  Let Him inspire you.  Let Him renew your mind and give you music that glorifies Him.  Sing to Him, and sing to Him a new song.    Sing by His leading to glorify what He's done, to share your testimony.  That's what King Hezekiah did after God healed Him (Hezekiah's Song).  So sing praises, and allow Him to uplift you and spread His glory.

Confirmed:  As I was writing the last paragraph, seen above, Vanessa came in with a testimony.  She was singing to God in the other room, singing praise as she felt led and thanking Him for His goodness.   All of a sudden, she was prompted to file down her fingernails, so she left the room and found a new nail file in the next room over .  As she filed,  she turned it over and read the back--sometimes God will lead you towards apparently random things--and it said, "ENCORE!".

Glory to God!  He likes our music.  God is pleased by our worship.  He wants us to continue in it!  He wants us to give Him an encore!  He wants us to stay in praise, abide in Him, and let Him take our fears away.  He wants to surround us with His Love and with a sense of His presence.

Snapshot: When He Sends His Spirit

Wonderful things happen when God sends us more of His Spirit.  Wonderful things happen when He gives us a double portion.  Wonderful things happen when we have received new wineskins that are ready to accommodate Him.

When God sends us more, it fills His people with joy.  It fills us with supernatural Love and bubbles over us with streams of living water.  When God sends us this gift, we partake of His Glory.  We see a portion of His beauty.  And we become changed into a new creation that is modeled after Him.  When God sends His Spirit, He heals all the earth.

"When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground."  Psalm 104:30

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  Thank you Jesus.  He came and brought in the Spirit's outpouring, He came and started the commission.  What is the commission?  It is God's idea, it is God's master plan of Redemption and Salvation.

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."  Matthew 16:15

This is what we've been called to.  We've been called to magnify His Presence and show His deliverance to all the earth.  Every creature needs God.  All creation needs salvation.  And we are the ones who have been anointed for this very purpose.  Jesus came and set the precedent, now He is with us to empower us to do the same.  Glory to God!

When He send His Spirit, we are changed.  He transforms us and places within us the every creature commission.  He puts in our heart the great commission.  This commission should be our major passion.  We need to identify the beauty in His Will.  We need to understand the nature of His Love.  We need to realize how wonderful His commands are.

"They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb."  Psalm 19:10

If you do not have this heart for His commands, then you are stifling the Spirit.  Allow Him to bring you to conviction and then to repentance!  Allow Him to send His Spirit!  Allow Him to give you a new wineskin.

This is where revival starts.  God is sending His Spirit, and He is renewing all the earth.  He is renewing the earth, one mind at a time!  Allow your mind to be next.  Let's awaken to Him, and let's awaken to the Kingdom that has been birthed within us.  Let's allow Him to take us from strength to strength as we fulfill His commission.  Let's allow Him to make a new way.

Spiritual Ecstasy

There is something supernatural that happens when we worship God.  We feel more of the Holy Spirit! Often this results in deep conviction, repentance, or Love.  There is a more excellent way.  There is another level to attain.  Once God get's our sinfulness out of the way, once we get ourselves out of the way, that's when there is a breakthrough to happen.

Now our faith in God shouldn't be built on our feelings alone.  His facts are greater than how we feel when in worship.  But if we are seen as perfect by the Lord, that's when He can really touch us.  That's when we can worship in Spirit and in truth (see John 4:24 and context).  When we praise Him in this way, that's what pleases Him.  And pleasing God usually feels really, really good.  Worship like this can be spiritual ecstasy.

There are times in worship when I God so fills me that I am about ready to burst.  And that's what He wants.  He wants us to know the depth of His Love.  The awesomeness of His Presence. The weight of His Glory!  He wants me to become so aware, that the treasure He's given is so from Him, so enormous that I alone cannot contain.

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."  2 Corinthians 4:7


Praises to God.  This is how every worship experience should feel.  If I worship Him and do not feel like this, I take it as a problem.  I may have become distracted; my heart may have hardened a little bit; I probably sinned.  All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23).  But that doesn't mean I am justified.  No, it means I need to get right and repent and allow the Spirit to unstop the release of His Love and His Glory.

Once this happens we have accepted His Love.  We have accepted such a gift of Love.  We should feel like we're in Heaven whenever we worship Him.  We should be Singing With All The Saints in Glory.  And if we are pleasing God, this is how worship will always feel.  No good gift will He withhold from us.

We will feel rivers of living water coming out from within us (John 7:38).  We will feel at one with the Father (John 17:22).  We will become flames as fire for Him (Psalms 104:4) and testify to His Joy and His Glory.  And so much more!!  Once again, it's spiritual ecstasy.  And we will do all this through the Holy Spirit, who works with us to fan into flames the gifts that we've already received from God.

Sidenote:  I was reading a new Bible commentary (it was a Birthday present) and there was a long sidenote about the callings of the OT prophets.  Many received their calling, the book said, in a state of ecstasy.  There were some cool facts about Isaiah the prophet.  I thought it interesting that Isaiah often used Spiritual music to induce an 'ecstatic' state, from which He could then prophecy accurately.  The closer we get to God, the more we will become Spirit and Truth, as opposed to flesh and lies.  Therefore, the more truthfully we can access details for prophecy.

Confirmed:  I thought the above book's use of the word, 'ecstatic' was interesting.  In the next few days I was reading a different book, and it was talking about the spiritual level that some of the New Testament Apostles attained.  Just look at His book of Revelation for some clues to this.

And I realized that spiritual ecstasy is totally biblical.  It's a good thing!  Let's hope that God takes us to new levels in the Spirit so that we can take all our delight in Him.  And let's allow Him to make us as undignified as He wants, (2 Samuel 6:22) so that He can pour His greatness into our human bodies.  Let's yield to Him today, and expect that He will show us His pleasure.  Let's ask Him to show us His Love in a new way.

Snapshot: Respond to God

Yesterday morning in my quiet time the Lord showed gave me a visual that showed me how we as
Christians should respond to Him. This whole teaching helped me understand how God wants us to react to His presence.

Picture yourself in Church. You and your churchmembers are in a time of worship and God is present and bringing comfort and conviction. Those hungry for Him are being satisfied and He is showing Himself Love on behalf of His many promises:

"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."

"Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

So, the people are seeking God, and He is showing up. The Kingdom of Heaven is being taken by God's mercy. God's arm and His Spirit have been brought into the room on behalf of those who seek Him. The Church responds in worship and repentance, and whatever other things the Spirit prompts the people to do. Everybody praises God and has been maneuvered to a state of thankfulness.

But what happens after the music stops? What happens when the people go home and go about with their lives? This is exactly what I've been thinking about recently. And this is what God was speaking to me about beginning yesterday.

How do we respond to His Love? By changing our ways. By "bearing fruits worthy of repentance" (Matthew 3:8). In other words, by showing our change of heart by putting out greater effort to emulate Him. Those who change their ways can and WILL live in the Kingdom long after being affected by the Lord in the Church service. Those who are willing to follow Him wherever He takes us, wherever He goes, are the ones who are able to stay in the Kingdom.

And so many things distract us from Him. So many things block out our Heavenly Home. We need to think about Him. We need to purify our hearts. We even may need to give up our things if we are wanting to truly follow Him. Let's not be like the rich young ruler. Nothing among our own possessions is worth keeping if that means being unwilling to enter the Kingdom of God.

So, we need to be passionate for Him. And we need to be flexible enough to stay with Him long after the worship ends. We need to be flexible enough that He causes us to bend our wills, and even our perceptions of His. The passionate and flexible--the hungry and thirsty--are those who will see God.

He desires to have us remain in His presence all day. Will you yield? It's only after yielding that we can abide in Him. This is the way to part from the world and become best friends with God. It's not by power or by might, but by His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6). And it's by a humble and desperate heart.

Confirmed: Today Vanessa was reading Hosea and came across a great passage. Let's LIVE in His presence:

"After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence." Hosea 6:2

Let's be revived through worship, live our life in His presence, and the press on to know Him. If we press in, He will allow it. If we search for Him, He will reveal Himself. Glory to God!

"So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth." Hosea 6:3

Snapshot: Unstuck

In church last week I saw the word, "Unstuck" written in a vision.  I felt an increase in His presence being poured into the church after that.  But we had to want it first!  This happened partway through worship.

Through this small experience I became more aware of the spiritual warfare that attempts to get between us and God.  In this case, there was a stoppage in place that we were allowed to break through.  Keep in mind there is a lot of spirituality between God and ourselves.  There is violence that interferes with us receiving the Kingdom of Heaven, and the violent take His Kingdom by force (Matthew 11:12).

Our confidence is important here.  When we press in to God we need to know and take courage in His ability to allow a breakthrough.  We need to be hopeful that He will give the Victory and send His Kingdom down to earth.   Those who hope in Him will not be disappointed. (Isaiah 49:23).  So we hope in Him, and He meets us where we are.  Without faith, we cannot please God, nor can we be sure of His presence.

But when we have faith, we come into alignment with God.  We come into alignment with the light, and we join in battle with Him and His angels.  We can use the sword of His Spirit to cut through any interferences that Satan would try to give us.  This is exactly what happened in Church.  Glory broke through, and the oil of His Spirit was poured out.

Confirmed:  A few days later I was listening to Christian radio.  They were talking about a new Christian book called, "Unstuck".  It's about forgetting past failures and trusting God for a brighter future.  It's about stepping out of spiritual darkness and walking into a new season of trust in God.  There are references to Elijah's cave experience.

So God is continually breaking through and giving of Himself.  And we often misuse this.  We don't always live in the Kingdom.  But let's step out of our past.  Let's forget what's behind so that our guilt does not keep us from pressing on towards the prize (Philippians 3:13).  Let's allow His presence and His VOICE to come down to us and change us.  Let's then walk into that new season and cling to Him so that we do not return to past mistakes.

Let's be clothed with His might.  He is counseling us to buy from Him clean garments (Revelation 3:18)  He wants to live within His Presence, where the wells of the Spirit are not delayed or blocked up.  He wants us to become more than conquerors and enter a place of abiding where we do not get stuck.  Let's seek Him to get "unstuck" right now.  And if God has done deliverance already, then let's cling to that and continue intimately walking with Him.

Snapshot: The Consuming Fire

"For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God."  Deuteronomy 4:24

I've had this brought to my attention recently.  God wants to burn up the things that we might be tempted to idolize.  He wants to separate us from our distractions so that we ourselves do more than just escape "as through fire"  (1 Corinthians 3:15).  He wants to begin testing us now, so that we can begin passing now!  Why wait until a day of rebuke?  I don't want to, and God doesn't want me to either.  If we let Him consume us and destroy our idols, we can have assurance that our works will be done for His Glory alone.  The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love (Galatians 5:6).  And if we love Him, we will obey His Will and our works will stand the test of His judgement.

Confirmed:

A few days ago I was reading an article on the Happy Hunters, a husband and wife team who ministered in healings and miracles starting in the 1970's.  They talked about the fire of God, and how a hunger for Him was necessary for an outpouring of the Spirit to take place.  Charles Hunter was mentioned as commanding healing on those in the audience.  When he did this, some watching saw fire come out of his hands.  This fire is the power and character of God.  It is joy unspeakable and full of Glory.   Often during healings we see that the person being healed gets a warm, tingling, or even burning sensation in the part of them that was afflicted.  God is at work when the fire of His presence is there.

Confirmed:

I was on the Quickened Word Forum and there was a topic on the purification that God gives us, and how it is a process of fire.  This post was pretty much matching what God had started speaking to me a few days prior.

Confirmed:

My Father in law just bought a sealant called "Fire Seal".  This happened after the two confirmations above.    Sealants to me always remind me that God has sealed me as His own.  In this case, this means that He allows us to go through fire so that we can be purified and remain in Him!


If we are not desperate for Him, it's only because we've been yoked with the world and do not know just what we are missing.  Friendship with the world is more than a turnoff to God.  Draw near to Him, and He will come in like a fire and consume you.  There is always a redemption when we die to ourselves.  Let's be purified before Him today.