TAP INTO THE POWER SOURCE

Picture of eagle's head with text, "Bible studies"

TAP INTO THE POWER SOURCE
Part 1

BIBLE STUDIES (Newest ones are last)
	Our Strength
	Get God's Power
	Are You an Overcomer?
	Angels Protect Us
	The Enemy is Not Sleeping!
	Respecting God's Word
	God's Opinions
	Beat It Satan!
	What Power?
	God Wants You to Love
	Take Up Your Sword
	There Are No Limits
	Don't Be Unwise
	God Goes Before You
	The Word is ALIVE!
	God's Glory
	The Temple of God
	Give Praise Your All
	Are We Too Logical?
	Cast Your Burdens on God
	Submission to God
	Renew Your Mind
	Practice Waiting
	Thinking BIG!
	I'm NOT a Squashed Bug!
	Part 2: Bible Studies on Tap into the Power Source

1/20/98 Our Strength

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Philippians 4:13

As shown last week, Jesus overcame the world. Through him we have power! Through him we have strength! We can do the things that are difficult or impossible for us to do alone. Those things may still look like huge mountains to climb, but we won't be climbing alone. When we slip, there will be someone there to catch us. It is possible to quit smoking, quit doing drugs, quit being a nag, quit being lazy, quit biting your fingernails, or quit doing whatever it is that you should quit doing and immediately begin changing your habits and/or life.

Get tuned in to the one who loves you the most. Get tuned in to the one who allowed His son to die for you. Get tuned in to the one who has the strength you lack. "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." (Philippians 1:9-11)

You can do it!!

I neglected to save the 1/20/98 welcome message

3/30/98 Get God's Power

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
Ephesians 6:10-17

Want God's power? You'll need it. Without it you can be swallowed up by the problems you will face day by day. Satan is working full time to keep Christians from having God's power. He doesn't want them spreading the gospel. He doesn't want them encouraging and strengthening other Christians to enable them to walk closer with God. Each person that becomes saved is yanked away from satan. Each Christian that walks close to God is no longer a pawn in satan's game.

To receive the power you need the articles of armor named in Ephesians. Where do you find the truth? How do you become righteous with God? How do you spread the gospel of peace? How do you get more faith? The answers are in the Bible. If you are seeking the Kingdom of God, you will find those things. You will read about them and God will cause them to live in your heart.

Ask Him for those things. He wants you to have them. The only way to have them is for you to have a personal relationship with the Lord. Jesus died on the cross to enable us to enter the holy place that only Levite priests could enter before. We can meet God face to face. We can commune with Him without a middleman. God is a personal God. He desires a personal relationship with you. Now it is up to you to desire one with Him and develop one. The ball is in your court.

Link to 3/30/98 welcome message

5/18/98 Are You an Overcomer?

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"
1John 5:4-5

Because of Jesus, I am an overcomer! Hallelujah! So, what's so great about being an overcomer?
Jesus said, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star." Revelation 2:7, 11, 26-28
"He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." Revelation 3:5,12,21
"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." Revelation 21:7
That's what's so great about being an overcomer! Weeds are persistent and strong. They grow anywhere and everywhere. Like a weed, I can be bold and strong. I can lift up my head and forge ahead with the things God wants me to do. Unlike a weed, however, I cannot be brought down by a squirt of weed killer. There is no weed killer that is stronger than the blood of Jesus. Praise His holy name!!

Link to 5/18/98 welcome message

6/7/99 Angels Protect Us

"The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them."Psalm 34:7

Oh, wow, stop and think about that!! God's angels camping all about us to protect us!!
I prayed that prayer this morning for myself and anyone and anything that is important to me. As I told you in my welcome message, satan has been throwing quite a bit at me. He wouldn't bother messing with me unless I was doing something he didn't like! I've been growing in the Lord in a tremendous way lately and I know that has satan worried. He doesn't want me being effective in the Body of Christ!!
I have some friends who have a powerful ministry and I prayed Psalm 34:7 for them, too. Hey, how much more powerful of a prayer can you pray than one that is strictly scripture? When the Word of God says something then we can be sure that it is the truth! We can be sure that it is in God's will. The Word of God is a two-edged sword; it cuts no matter which way it moves. There is power in the Word of God. When we pray the scriptures we are praying with power and with strength!!
Notice that the scripture also says that the angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that FEAR Him! To fear God is to revere, be in awe of, be in wonder of, honor humbly, venerate, and have esteem for God.
Get into your Bible and search for scriptures that apply to your situation. Use those scriptures in your prayers. What do you need? Do you need peace, wisdom, financial assistance, or love? What is it that you need? Find scriptures that are your answer or solution and stand on them. Pray them until they happen!!

Link to 6/7/99 welcome message

8/23/99 The Enemy is Not Sleeping

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1Peter 5:8

Satan has spread a rumor around that many Christians believe. The rumor is that once you are saved then he has no power over you.
The scripture in 1John 4:4 is true that states, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." The Holy Spirit in a Christian is greater than satan. However, unless we draw upon that power and authority within us, satan will be trying to keep us from doing the job God intends us to be doing.
If you are seeking God's will in your life then satan is definitely going to try to stop you. He will spend more effort trying to slow down or stop people active in the Body of Christ than those who are only hearing the Word and not doing anything with it. He will attempt to go after the leaders because once he has brought down a leader then he affects many people who are following that leader.
If satan finds he cannot remove someone from their position in the Body then he will try to distract or confuse them. He will bring "necessary" worldly concerns to the forefront so there is not enough time to spend in the Word or in prayer. So many times I have found myself so busy with phone calls, laundry, small emergencies, and other things that "can't wait" that the day passes and I haven't opened my Bible. That's one of satan's tricks. It usually works!
Satan uses many doors to enter into our lives. One of those is television. If you are watching television then you are not reading your Bible. Another is tradition. So many churches don't allow the Holy Spirit to enter into their services. They have placed tradition above God. "We must have three hymns in specific places during the service." The sermon must be no longer than 30 minutes." Humans make choices about the services rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to lead.
I could go on and on about ways that satan has entered the lives of Christians and has set up residence in seemingly Godly churches. He is not only a roaring lion, he is sneaky. Lions sneak up on their prey and once they catch them......
Satan has had many many years to perfect his tricks. We don't recognize all of them. That is why the scripture says to be sober and vigilant. We need to be prepared continuously. We need to be aware that anything that takes our mind off God is probably of satan.
Nobody is exempt from satan's attack! Like I said, the ones in higher positions of authority and influence will be under harder attack than the rest! So, what can you do besides be sober and vigilant?
"...be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." (Ephesians 6:11-18)
What can you do when you see satan attacking? Use the authority and power that is within you and rebuke him! Remind him that Jesus has already won the war and that you claim that particular battle in Jesus' name! You need to be full of the scripture (the sword) and you need to have strong faith (your shield) to do battle with satan! Remember, he's had lots and lots of time to perfect his schemes. He knows your weak points.
Keep your armor in shape. Don't allow any holes to develop in it. Be vigilant. Be ready.

Link to 8/23/99 welcome message

1/3/00 Respecting God's Word

"And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up." Nehemiah 8:5

What kind of attitude do you have about your Bible? What kind of respect do you feel toward the Word of God? Think about it a little. It is the WORD OF GOD!
The people in this week's scripture had not been together as a nation in a long time. They had been taken into captivity by their enemy and had become scattered throughout different lands. They had not heard the Word of God read in quite some time.
What did they do when the book was opened?
They STOOD UP!

They had so much respect for God's Word that they stood up and REMAINED STANDING the entire time it was being read!
The Word of God was all it took to speak the entire world into existence. There is power in the Word. Your Bible is not just another story book. It is full of power!
Open your Bible and imagine that God is in the Words. When you touch the pages you are touching the Word of God; you are touching God. When you read you are inhaling the Word of God.
I have a friend who told me that he took his Bible to bed and slept with his arms around it. There have been times when I have rubbed my fingers over the Words and times when I have placed my face on the open pages. What kind of respect do you feel toward the Word of God?

Link to 1/3/00 welcome message

3/20/00 God's Opinions

"This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind."
Ephesians 4:17

There is something that almost everyone does that hinders us from being able to know the truth. We push our own opinions on other people.
Some of our opinions are based on fact, more of our opinions are based on only a portion of fact, and the majority are just based on what sounds good to us. Too many times we present something that is only a tiny bit based on fact as 100% factual. We sound important if we know a lot about lots of things.
The worst part about having lots of opinions is that we alienate other people. We don't cause people to love us by being opinionated.
Paul encourages us to not walk as other people walk in the vanity of their minds. Most opinions are nothing but vanity. It is us trying to make ourselves special. What we should be doing is seeking God's opinion. Then, once we have God's opinion, we need to find out whether we are to share it or to keep it inside.
Our mind and what is in it is worthless without God's touch. Our opinions are like dust in the wind. God's opinions are the stuff of which this earth and everything in it is made. Now that is the power source we should be seeking.

Link to 3/20/00 welcome message

4/24/00 Beat It Satan!

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."James 4:7

Don't underestimate the power that satan has. He is a master of lies and of disguise. He has free reign in the world. He has been perfecting his ways for a very long time. He finds our weaknesses and attacks.
He wants to keep us ineffective members of the Body of Christ. He wants to keep us from doing what God wants us to do because, as a result, less people get saved. Each person that does not get saved becomes his property. If you are being attacked in a big way that probably means that you have some important work to do in the Kingdom of God! He's not going to waste his time on you if you don't threaten him and his kingdom.
Resist and he will flee. It is not your strength that causes him to flee. It is because you have submitted yourself to God as it says in the first part of our scripture. The only thing that causes him to flee comes from God, Himself. As it says in 1John 4:4, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." satan is the prince of the world. The Holy Spirit in you is greater than satan.
You have the right and the power to resist. However, if you become mentally defeated then he wins the battle. As we discussed a few weeks ago (Using the Armor of God), you need to renew your spiritual armor. If you keep your armor on and refreshed then satan won't get a foothold in your life. You can just tell him where to get off your boat (in Jesus' name, of course) and he will flee!

Link to 4/24/00 welcome message

7/10/00 What Power?

"Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."Zechariah 4:6

Might and power are what we tend to use to get along in this world. Other things we might think are necessary are brains and brawn. We feel the need to "pull ourselves up by our bootstraps." We often rely on our common sense to get through situations. We are taught to be self-sufficient. You can add the things you've been taught and the ways you've learned to rely on your self to solve problems and to get by from day to day.
Those attitudes are what keeps us from having a closer relationship with the Lord. We get so self-sufficient that we don't seek His help and His guidance the way we should. We rely upon our own talents and abilities. The thing we tend to forget is that God is the One who gave us those talents and abilities in the first place. He gave them to us with the expectation that we would seek His will on how they would be used.

He already knows everything that is going to happen to you day by day. He already knows what He wants you to do in each situation that arises. He doesn't expect you to have to handle even one thing on your own! He already has a plan!
He wants you doing everything through Him by His Spirit! The Holy Spirit in you is God in you. Listen to what He is saying. How does He want you to resolve each problem? What does He want you to say? How will you know unless you seek His will? How will you know unless you pay attention to what He is saying to you?
Are you ready to be responsible for the results of your actions? What if you make the wrong decision. Sometimes decisions are a life or death matter or even a life-changing matter. Wouldn't you rather find out what God wants you to do? Wouldn't you rather allow Him to make the decision and then rest in the fact that you did the very best thing?
I can't emphasize enough how important it is for you to develop your own personal, private, one-on-one relationship with God! It isn't enough to listen to teachers and preachers telling you about God. It isn't enough to just read about the relationships that God had with people in the Bible. It isn't anywhere near enough!!
Get serious! Read about His attributes and the things He has done and will do in your Bible. Spend time in prayer. Prayer is communication with God. If you haven't done so you might want to go read the page Praying More Effectively.
Do you need Him? You may say, "No," but the answer is a definite, "Yes!" Your own power and might is not even as big as a speck compared to God's power and might. After all, He only had to SPEAK the world into existence. Think about it!

Link to 7/10/00 welcome message

8/17/00 God Wants You to Love

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."Matthew 5:44-45

Jesus gave these instructions. At first glance my reaction was, "Impossible." Those people are diligently working to hurt me, hinder me, and destroy me. I have every right to defend myself and to hate them. Some of them are Christians, even. If they can be that way, so can I! It is not humanly possible!
There it is...that's the key word...HUMANLY. It actually isn't humanly possible. We have to tap into the love that God has for those people and then it is DIVINELY possible for us to do it. God created every person with loving care. He created each of us exactly as He planned for us to be. He didn't make any mistakes.
Well, what causes some people to do evil or mean things? God loves us so much that He gives us free will. We can choose whether we do what we want to do or whether we do what we should do.
So, you have a choice of what to do about your enemies. You can love them, with God's help. Who knows, if they find out you are loving them then they may just become loveable.
Your mental and physical health will be better if you love. You know what I mean. You know it is the right thing to do. It just isn't easy. We can't do it without God's help.
I saw a marvelous thing on TV. A crow had made friends with a kitten. The kitten apparently had been abandoned by its mother and it appeared the crow had adopted it. The crow was feeding the kitten and protecting it.
The kitten would pounce on the crow and they would roll on the ground and play. They would play little games with each other.
Cats and crows are natural enemies. Birds are chased by cats. Crows eat small animals. That crow could very easily have killed and eaten that kitten. Apparently those animals chose to be friends. You can choose to love your enemy. God won't force you to do what He wants you to do. The choice is yours.

Link to 8/17/00 welcome message

9/18/00 Take Up Your Sword

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."Hebrews 4:12

There is power in the Word of God. Picture a two-edged sword in your mind. It cuts no matter which way it swings. The Word of God is razor sharp. It cuts with precision. It is a powerful tool. That tool is available to you. It can't be used, however, until it is ingested into your mind and heart. You HAVE to absorb it by reading it. There are no short cuts.
God's Word is truth (John 17:17) and will enable you to discern what is truth and what is not. Without the Word in you then you are able to be deceived by the enemy. By the enemy, I am talking about satan. Satan is alive and well and working diligently to destroy the Kingdom of God. 1Peter 5:8 warns us, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
Don't rely on other people to tell you what the Bible says. Why do you think there are so many Bible translations and so many different denominations? It is because satan has convinced people that they have a correct interpretation of the Word or he has convinced them that there is money to be made by breaking away from the rest. We have one God. He sent one Christ.

We are all to be members of the Body of Christ. There is only one Body. Satan is trying to divide and conquer. Don't be fooled. Read your Bible for yourself and ask God, the one who wrote it, to tell you what it means.
Then, when you go to church and hear something being taught you will be able to use that two-edged sword for yourself and discern the truth of what is being taught.
Don't listen to satan when he tells you the Bible is too hard to understand. If you are convinced of that then you will find that it will be too hard to understand because your mind has already been set.

Read the Bible EXPECTING God to open your eyes and open your understanding. When you struggle through a section and find it difficult to understand, you may find the understanding in another section as it reveals the content of the first. God's hands are not tied. He can and will help you understand.
I cannot emphasize enough to READ READ READ your Bible. SOAK IT UP! Read it again! and again!! and again!!! Let it become part of you. Absorb that tool, that weapon and the power will be within you.

Link to 9/18/00 welcome message

2/26/01 There Are No Limits

"And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened"Matthew 9:27-30

This scripture shows us that the blind men were healed because they had the faith to believe that Jesus could give them their sight. Had one of them doubted then, according to this scripture, the doubter would have remained blind.
In Matthew chapter 15 Jesus heals the Canaanite woman's daughter saying, "Great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt."
In chapter 9 of Matthew Jesus heals a man whose friends brought him to Jesus. Jesus didn't say that the man was healed due to his own faith. The scripture says Jesus saw the faith of the friends and healed the man.
In Chapter 5 of Mark Jesus said to the woman who touched his clothing seeking a healing, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole."
Jesus said in John 14:12, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." How is it that Christians are not doing greater works than Jesus did? What did you think when you read this scripture? Did you dismiss it? If we dismiss this scripture then we are calling Jesus a liar. If we believe this scripture and aren't seeking to be able to do greater works then perhaps that makes us fools.
Faith, faith, faith. That's all it takes. Is that like saying, "All it takes is a million dollars?" No, the million dollars may be unattainable, but faith is available to us.
How do we increase our faith? We need to be able to believe what God says. We need to be able to believe everything we read in the Bible. We have to allow God to fill our minds and hearts. If you have been told that God won't do something then find out if the Bible says He won't. Ask, seek, and knock!
We need to read read read our Bibles with an open mind and heart. We need to remember everything that God has done in the past. God wasn't limited by the laws of physics. God created the laws of physics. God is the great I AM! Think about Him this way: I Am physics. I Am the Creator. I Am Capable. I Am Wisdom. I Am Knowledge. I Am EVERYTHING!
Have any questions? Ask the One who has all the answers!

Link to 2/26/01 welcome message

3/5/01 Don't Be Unwise

"Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is."Ephesians 5:17

Don't be unwise, this scripture says. So what, exactly, constitutes being unwise? If we apply the last half of the verse to the first half then we see that not understanding God's will would be unwise. So, in other words, doing things in our own wisdom is unwise.
To be wise we need to understand the will of the Lord. That sounds easy enough. However, if you followed the thought presented in this week's welcome message you saw that it isn't all that easy.
In order to understand God's will we have to make every attempt to get to know as much about God as we possibly can. That means reading and re-reading our Bibles. That means spending some quality time in prayer with God. That means asking detailed questions about what His will actually is.
It doesn't seem like we will ever be able to get to the point where we always know God's will. That doesn't mean that we just give up when we aren't sure of His will. Let's look at the example Jesus gave us on how to pray:
"...Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10 We can, with absolute certainty pray those words. When we aren't sure if we are praying in God's will, then we can ask for the things we want and then pray that His will be done in those matters.
He wants you to know His will. He will help you to find out what it is. You have to keep seeking, however. It is an ongoing process as you can never know all there is to know about God. There is work involved, but it really isn't work. If you like chocolate you will understand when I tell you that there is as much work involved in learning more about God as there is work involved in unwrapping your favorite chocolate bar. It takes effort, but the end results are surely worth it!

Link to 3/5/01 welcome message

4/9/01 God Goes Before You

"I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel."Isaiah 45:2-3

God is speaking to His anointed (vs. 1) in this scripture. That's you! So, lets look at it and see what He is saying to you.
He will go before you and make the crooked places straight! You are not encountering the things that you would if you weren't His anointed! He has already handled them! He will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut apart the bars of iron of the things that would hurt you and hinder you.
He has treasures and riches for you. He has blessings for you. He has peace and joy for you. He has some very wonderful things for you. He has HIDDEN RICHES for you! You can't even imagine the things He has for you!
Here's the best part... He calls you by name! You are not just a statistic to God. You are not just one of His many children. You are someone He calls by name. He knows how many hairs you have on your head (Matt 10:30). You are special and you are precious to Him.
You can choose to place God on a shelf in your life or you can choose to get to know Him better. You don't have to pay any attention to Him. You don't have to read your Bible. You don't have to think about Him. You don't even have to pray.

He won't force you to do any of those things. He will back away and let you do things your way. He loves you enough that He will let you choose how you want to do things. He won't force you to do anything.
To make it simple, look at it this way. Do you want to find out what God, the Creator of the universe, has for you? Do you think your life could be better if you sought God's wisdom in everything you do? God designed the universe. Do you think He might have the wisdom and other things you need? God is GOD. Don't you think that it is worth the effort to get to know Him better?

Link to 4/9/01 welcome message

12/19/01 The Word is ALIVE!

"And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God."Nehemiah 9:3

To find out what took place just before this portion of scripture go read a previous study and then come back: Nehemiah 8:5
The people had been away from hearing the Word of God as they had been in captivity in Babylon. At first they wept when they were to be hearing the Word again. They were probably weeping because of not having the Word read to them in the past and also because they knew they had disobeyed the things in the Word.

Nehemiah told them not to weep, but to rejoice, "for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength." God, Himself, was full of joy that the people were wanting to hear His Word again!
Should we treat the Word of God any differently? Is it any less important to us? They read the Word for 1/4 of each day and for another 1/4 of the day they confessed and worshipped God. Verse 2 says, "And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers." They were cleansing themselves of the effects of their own sins and the sins of their ancestors.
In order to worship God with pure hearts and minds it is important to confess our sins to God and allow Him to deal with them and with us. We can also confess on behalf of others. In Nehemiah 1:6 Nehemiah prayed for the sins of all the people.
God desires for us to worship Him. He wants to hear us tell Him how wonderful He is. He wants us to give Him the respect He deserves. We don't worship Him enough! Worship is all about Him! It isn't about us. It isn't about asking Him for things. It isn't about singing about how good He makes us feel. It is ALL about Him!
The Word of God deserves much more respect and reverence than we afford it. It is so very very important to get the Word into our hearts and minds. It isn't like reading a regular book. The Words of God have a life of their own. I'm going to try to describe what happens when you read the Bible, but you will have to let the Holy Spirit give meaning to this because it is often difficult to put spiritual things into words that can be understood.
The Word of God is written like any other book, on pages of paper. Yet, when we read it we find certain areas of it almost jumping up and slapping us in the face. We might want to cry out, "Yes, that is exactly how I feel!" We might ask, "How is it that I am reading about my own inner feelings?"
Sometimes it is hard going, especially the first time through the Bible. It is difficult to understand and sometimes boring. However, believe it or not, as you read it the second, third, or fourth time you start finding nuggets of gold scattered throughout. Every time you read it again you find more and more.

(Yes, it is certainly possible to read it through more than once. Yes, it is a big book, but as you continue to plod your way through it you will find an excitement building. You will almost hear your Bible calling you, "Come read meeeeee.")
You won't realize it at first, but the Word begins to penetrate through every fiber of your being. The more you read it, the more understanding you get. The more you read it, the more it takes shape as something solid and tangible inside you. It actually comes to life and becomes a living, breathing thing inside you. (I told you it is difficult to put it into words.)
When the world around you is crumbling the Word inside you actually becomes like a solid foundation of rock or cement underneath you and keeps you from sinking into a pit of despair. The Word forms around you like a shelter and softens the blows of disaster and protects you from feeling fear and hopelessness.
Other times the Word moves gently throughout your mind giving comfort, joy, and peace without your even actually thinking of specific scriptures.
The Words of God are more than mere words. They are life, they are alive, and they give life. They are more real than you are. They are everlasting and they never change.
It is worth every minute that you spend reading the Bible. You will have to find out what my crazy ramblings actually mean as you read the Word of God for yourself.
Other ways to get the Word of God into your heart and mind:
Buy the Bible on cassettes or cd's and listen instead of read.
Get into a church and/or Bible study that feeds you the Word of God. Some only touch lightly on the Word and others dive right in and swim around in the Word. Be careful, though, when you are being taught the meaning of scriptures by people. People can be wrong. Make sure you spend time in the Word on your own with just God interpreting for you to make sure you will recognize any false teaching.

Link to 12/19/01 welcome message

2/19/02 God's Glory

"And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD's house."2Chron 7:2

To think that the glory of the Lord was so strong that you could not physically get close to it! The glory of the Lord must truly be an awesome and wonderful thing!
The people back then had God's presence in the temple in Jerusalem and yet they (off and on) chose to worship other gods. It seems so strange and idiotic that they could, on purpose, ignore God who dwelt among them. Yet there is an example of the same thing today. God lives in us in the form of the Holy Spirit. How many Christians do you know that ignore the Holy Spirit within them?
Christian businessmen often choose to do business the worldly way. They lie to make more money or they use people to advance themselves. The majority of Christians choose to serve themselves rather than serve God. They choose to ignore the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
There are even pastors and ministers who choose to ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit and instead follow traditions set by man. I've seen church leaders who run churches as if it were a secular business. I've seen church leaders who seek only recognition or more money. God is in their midst and yet they choose to ignore Him.
Let's give God back what is rightfully His. What is rightfully His? What existed before God created the earth and everything on it? EVERY SINGLE THING THAT YOU SEE, FEEL, TOUCH, SMELL, AND TASTE IS RIGHTFULLY GOD'S!
We have to place our faith in God that He knows what is best and we have to turn back to Him. Let's work together to raise God back up to the position of reverence and respect that He deserves. Let's seek God's glory. Let's welcome Him back into our homes, our churches, our neighborhoods, and our countries. Let's begin with ourselves. Fan the flames of revival within yourself and you will begin passing it on to others.

Link to 2/19/02 welcome message

3/12/02 The Temple of God

"For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually." 2Chron 7:16

This was what God said about the temple that Solomon built for Him. This was after the glory of the Lord filled that temple in a glorious and magnificent way.
"Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD's house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever." (2Chron 7:1-3)
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1Cor 3:16) We are now the temple of God! We have the same God in us that entered Solomon's temple!
He chose us! ("For now have I chosen...this house") ~~Eph:1:4 "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love"
He sanctified us! ("For now have I chosen and sanctified this house")~~1Cor:6:11 "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
He put His name on us! ("For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever:")~~Acts 15:17 "That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things."
His eyes are in us! ("For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes...shall be there perpetually.")You perceive the world through your eyes and can get a spiritual viewpoint of what is taking place in the natural because you can look at it through God's eyes!
His heart is in us! ("For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.")We can love with the unconditional charity/love that is only from God. We can have His compassion, forgiveness, joy, etc!
Apply this to your life! The God who created the universe is IN YOU! Is there ever a reason to walk in defeat? Is there ever a reason to fear anything? Stir up the things that are in you! Open your mind and let God take it over. Look at the world through His eyes! Look at circumstances through His eyes! Don't put limitations on what you can do through Him!
Remember what Jesus said in John 14:12, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."

Link to 3/12/02 welcome message

4/30/02 Give Praise Your All

"Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name."Psalm 103:1

I love the way this scripture reads... "and all that is within me...." There is a song that uses these same words and it just makes me want to turn myself inside out while I am singing it because of the passion I feel. I don't know if that was very descriptive for you, it sounds funny.... turning myself inside out.... I don't know how else to describe it.
Verses 3-18 give us reasons to bless His name:
"Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.

"The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

"Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

"But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them."
If you understand only a few of those reasons it is enough to make you want to praise God with all that is within you! He is worthy of all our praise. He deserves to hear us praising Him from the rising of the sun to the setting of the sun!
He has been impressing on me more and more that I need to praise Him. If God wants it then I guess I better give it! The bad news is that the enemy hates to hear us praising God! He doesn't just hate to hear it, he frantically tries to stop it! The more that I praise God the more the enemy tries to stop me. He's tried to distract me with keeping my mind occupied with other things. He's used my health, he's used other people, and he's used lies.
I don't know the full implications of what praise accomplishes. I do know one thing.... satan has been around long enough to observe what praise can do. The fact that he tries so desperately to stop it tells me that I need to keep doing it. After all, why would he waste his time and energy on something that doesn't accomplish anything in the Kingdom of God? Think about it.

Link to 4/30/02 welcome message

6/17/02 Are We Too Logical?

"And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz."
2Kings 20:11

God caused the sun to back up ten degrees in the sky. Well, the sun didn't move, the earth had to do something differently. Think about it. God pushes the planets around like they are rubber balls! It seems so impossible. Wait a minute, He created them in the first place!

We know the same God today that performed that amazing feat way back then! Why do we tend to get so narrow minded about miracles? I have to keep reminding myself that nothing is impossible for God. I have to keep my mind open to the possibility that God may choose to perform a miracle through me or in front of me.

I wonder how many times our unbelief has hindered God from doing the miraculous. How many times has He wanted to use us to do a miracle, like the disciples did in the book of Acts, and we were closed-minded to it?

The world has worked on finding scientific reasons for everything from how the universe was created to why the sun went dark when Jesus died. We have become used to the "laws of physics" and the "laws of nature." We don't question gravity. We assume that when we let go of something it will fall to the ground. We expect to see all the mountains and hills in the exact same place day in and day out. Our brains are stuck in "logic" mode.

I'm trying to add anticipation of the miraculous to my daily thoughts. I'm trying to not look at things in the same way. When I see an interesting looking bird zoom by I ask God to bring it back and then wait in expectant anticipation that He will. Does it always work? No. But, it does happen often enough that I know there is no coincidence involved!

Let's find out what God wants to do every minute of every day. We need to include Him in everything. Let's not get so locked into our routines and our thoughts that we leave Him behind!

The thought entered my mind that churches, especially, need to let God in. Too many go week in and week out plodding along in automatic pilot, doing what they've always done. Is that what God wants? Who is asking Him about what songs He would like to hear? Who is alert to His wants and needs during the sermon? Who is sitting at His feet and signaling the church leadership what God wants? Why aren't there miraculous things taking place in churches where many believers are gathered in one accord? Are they in one accord? Which accord?

If the churches don't seek God's will moment by moment, how will they teach the congregation to do that day in and day out?

The fact is, we serve a living, breathing God. We serve an omnipotent and powerful God. He is capable of doing anything! He has wants just as we do. Are we sensitive to those wants? Maybe He wants to take care of your every need. Maybe it takes some action on your part. Are you listening? Are you prepared? Is your mind open enough?

Link to 6/17/02 welcome message

7/29/02 Cast Your Burdens on God

"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."
Psalm 55:22

Why why why why why do we continue to try to solve problems on our own? I am making myself crazy because I am so thick headed! God is capable of fixing problems much faster and much better than I ever could!

Sometimes I think I don't want to let God handle something because He won't punish the guilty parties as much as I feel they deserve. Wow, that's a Jonah thing, isn't it?

Other times I just don't think. I just react. I jump in and start using the gifts God gave me, like writing good letters, without consulting Him to see if that is what I should do.

Then there are the times when I have been wounded. Perhaps my pride has been wounded. I instantly feel the need to make myself look good and begin building myself back up. At least that is what I think I am doing. Usually though, as I build myself back up in men's eyes I am tearing myself down in God's eyes. Sometimes God requires me to look bad so He can look good!
Then there is the love issue. How can I love anyone when they have done something wrong? I know that is what God will want me to do, so sometimes I just don't listen to what He is telling me. Oh, that is bad! I am being a disobedient child!

There are lots of reasons why I purposely don't consult God and there is one main reason why I don't think about consulting Him. When I am not spending time in the Word and in prayer I am much more likely to not think of Him first, but think of myself. That is the main difficulty I have. If I was spending more time with Him then He would be at the forefront of my mind. I would be continuously listening for His still, small voice.

I am the problem. My choices are bad choices. I must quit putting so much emphasis on worldly things and give Him the place of priority He so richly deserves. He can put everything in the proper perspective and save me a ton of grief!

When will I ever learn?

Link to 7/29/02 welcome message

10/2/02 Submission to God

"Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him."
1John 3:6

I've heard a lot of people struggle over this scripture. It seems that everyone continues to sin now and again even after they have become Christians. I suppose I would have struggled over it as well had I attempted to understand it in the flesh. I don't get stuck on the scriptures that are unclear to me. I just read them and leave them on the back burner in my mind until God takes me back to them with understanding.

Yesterday I got some understanding. I was praising the Lord with my Internet prayer partner/friend and the Lord began speaking to both of us. He showed us that we have been going about trying to abide in Him in the wrong way. We've been working and striving to be "good" and to walk in His will. Striving is not the way. We must submit to Him.

This is taking "Let Go and Let God" to a whole new level. To totally submit to God we must have complete trust in Him. We have to actually offer our bodies (AND minds) to God as "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God." (Rom 12:1) We have to submit completely to Him with no reservations.

When I am afraid that God will want me to do things I don't want to do then I cannot submit fully. We need to love God so much that we would do anything for Him. He is already in us in the form of the Holy Spirit, so all we have to do is let go. That's it. No striving involved.

I was hung up on the striving part. I kept thinking that there was something I needed to do to fight sin. I felt I needed more will power to do the right things and to do what God wanted me to do. What happens is when I sin it is because I really don't know Him well enough to trust Him. The scripture doesn't mean I don't know God at all, just that I don't know Him well enough. When I sin I choose to ignore Him completely. I push Him and what He is telling me out of my mind and virtually out of my life until I choose to let Him back in.

I can hear Him speaking to me when I am about to sin. When I open my mouth to give a defensive response to my husband God warns me not to speak. If I am submitted to Him it is EASY to obey. If I am only partially submitted I manage to obey only some of the time.

It is so difficult to put spiritual things into words that are easily understood! I hope you are following me so far.

The first step in submitting is to know the one to whom you are submitting. You need to know God well enough that you love Him beyond measure. If you don't love Him with all your heart, soul, and mind (Matt 22:37) then you will not be able to trust Him enough to totally submit.

Spend time getting to know Him. Find out His attributes by reading the Bible. Spend time alone with Him and allow Him to communicate with you. Remember, He is not the God who is way off in heaven somewhere. He is in you.

I thought I had already submitted to God. However, like I said, I was striving to do as He wanted me to do. When I relax and submit totally then I am in constant communication with Him. I am in touch with the love, joy, strength, peace, and all the rest of the things He offers. There is no worry here. There is no confusion here. I am actually resting in Him and allowing Him to direct every word out of my mouth and every action I take.

Will I be able to stay in this submissive state? I don't know. I sure hope so. If I do then people will truly see Him through me. The best part is that it makes "being good" so much easier!

Link to 10/2/02 welcome message

11/25/02 Renew Your Mind

" And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness"
Ephesians 4:23-24

How do we get renewed in the spirit of our mind? Renewing takes something fresh. What could be fresher than the Word of God? The Word of God is truth and it is light. In it there is strength, wisdom, guidance, peace, assurance, and so much more.

Also, by strengthening our relationship and our communication with God we will be continually refreshed and renewed.

Just reading the Word is not enough. We must choose to allow it to work in us. We must allow God to work in our minds. We must choose to let Him point out the areas that hinder our renewal. We must choose to get rid of them. There are a lot of choices we must make in order to truly be renewed in the spirit of our minds.

We must also put on the new man. It doesn't say the new man will take over, it says we must PUT ON the new man. We must, once again, make a choice. The new man seeks to do God's will irregardless of what the world thinks, what we have been taught, or what we feel is the right thing.

Then, once we put on the new man it takes a continuous conscious effort to keep him on. The old man underneath wants to be seen and be recognized. The world looks at the new man as something strange. It isn't natural to love the unlovable people, it isn't natural to turn the other cheek for the sake of peace, it isn't natural to separate oneself from the world. It isn't easy, but the rewards are great!

Link to 11/25/02 welcome message

6/3/03 Practice Waiting

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31

Waiting on God is a good thing. This scripture, alone, gives us four reasons why waiting is good. Backing up to verse 28 we see, "there is no searching of His understanding." That tells me that, if we don't wait to find out what God wants us to do, then we may very well be out of His will in what we do. We can never assume that we should do something just because it seems the right thing to do. We can very easily mess up what God wants to do if we jump headlong into something without checking with Him first.

I was pondering the fact that most churches do not demonstrate nor do they teach waiting on God. I've seen where churches automatically do things just because they've always done them. I've seen where people were plugged into teaching positions just because a teacher was needed. Churches, too, need to wait on God. They need to seek Him and find out what He wants them to do. A church marching along in its own power is a powerless church.

Just because something seems right doesn't mean it is. What if we step in and fill a vacant teaching position when God wanted someone else to fill it? What if we witness to a person who is sick and tired of people witnessing to them and our attempt at witnessing turns their heart to stone and they never get saved? There are some things that are the right things to do but the wrong time to do them. Only God knows exactly what is needed to fulfill His plan. We must learn how to wait on Him.

Unfortunately, we will often encounter opposition if we wait. I was told by a pastor that it was a cop-out to say I was going to pray about doing something. He told me that I was not supposed to pray about doing something that needed to be done in the church. He was making the assumption that God always approves of our efforts when we are doing something "for Him."

When I say I am waiting to get further instructions from God I often get disapproving looks from people. It doesn't matter. I must focus on being a God-pleaser and not a man-pleaser.

I often have to fight against myself in some cases. I sometimes get frustrated and want to take action. Other times I want to take action because it seems the logical thing to do. If I step out and do something without God's direction then I might not get the strength I need from Him. He may even try to hinder my progress because I might be messing up what He wanted to accomplish. I don't see the future results from my actions, but He does.

The world frowns on sitting and waiting when they can't see why we are waiting. We won't be popular if we say, "No," to something that seems to be the right thing. We must walk in the Spirit, listening for God's voice. We must be looking for His direction all the time. We must also NEVER make assumptions about what God wants us to do.

Waiting is often not easy. It takes practice to learn how to wait. The more we purposely wait on God before we act, the easier it gets.

Link to 6/3/03 welcome message

12/17/03 Thinking BIG!

"Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance."
Psalm 32:7

COMMENTS: God is God. There just is no way to describe Him adequately. There are no words that are suitable for describing God. Plus, we are not capable of understanding everything about God. We can't learn enough about God from other people to have a close relationship with Him. It takes God, Himself, to reveal Himself to each one of us.

Looking at the scriptures we can get ideas about Who God is. Our scripture for this week describes Him as our hiding place and says He preserves us from trouble. A hiding place is somewhere we can go when we are in danger or when we need to get away from a situation. How can we understand how God hides us? How can we, in our human minds, imagine God hiding us? I can't, can you? All I know is that when I need comfort and peace I can ask God for help and He does.

Another scripture describes Him as, "For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall." Is 25:4 He is strength and a refuge. So God protects us. Let's think on a larger scale:

"The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them." Deut 33:27 He is a refuge as well as arms. He can put His arms around us to comfort us while He destroys our enemies. (Keep in mind that enemies are not necessarily people. Our enemy can be money, pride, fear, or any number of things.) God helps us to conquer our enemies. Let's think even bigger:

"Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people." Ps 77:14 Our God does wonders. We read about wonders He has done in the Bible. Let's not just rest in His arms and let Him comfort us. Let's look to Him for wonders. You have any wonders you need? How about a physical or mental healing? How about fixing your car? How about providing you with a home? Let's continue to think BIGGER because God said, "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?" Jer 32:27

Let's not decide what God can and can't, will and won't do! "He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still." Ps 107:29 He controls weather conditions.
THINK BIGGER YET!

"For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding." Ps 47:7 The King of the earth commands the earth! It doesn't just say the people of the earth, it says the earth! He's the King of EVERYTHING!
KEEP THINKING BIGGER!

"The north and the south thou hast created them...." Ps 89:12 He created the north and the south!
BIGGER BIGGER!!

"But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." Mt 19:26 Let's pause and reflect: with God all things are possible.

Never never never never never never never think small about your God! NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER put Him in a box of your own understanding! Keep your mind open to the things He wants to do in your life and in the lives of those around you. Read your Bible and learn about what He has done in the past. Remember that He is the same God as the God in the Bible. He does not work within the framework of your understanding. However, you will miss out on the things He wants to do through you and in you if you refuse to be used in any way He sees fit. You will miss seeing the miraculous if your mind is set against it.

Keep an open mind. Let God fill it with understanding. Let Him have the things you have been taught by narrow minded people. Let Him teach you about Himself. Let every day be a new and fresh experience with Him. Be expecting wonders from the King of everything!

Link to 12/17/03 welcome message

10/12/04 I'm NOT a Squashed Bug!

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might."
Ephesians 6:10

If you've been reading my welcome messages the past few weeks you will have noticed that I was getting beat up. Bad things were happening around here one right after the other. I felt like I was getting punched and knocked down to the ground every single day, sometimes more than once a day. I felt like as soon as I could gather the strength to stand back up... POW! I was knocked down again.

Last week, as I was reading my morning devotional out of my Smith Wigglesworth Devotional he was talking about power. Over and over he mentioned power. Power of the anointing... power of the knowledge of Jesus... power in the knowledge of His blood and of His perfect holiness... over and over power, power power.

As I meditated on what I had read God began to remind me of who He is. He reminded me of who I am in Him. He reminded me that I have the Holy Spirit residing in me. He reminded me that He desired to have His will be done here on earth and that I was one of the vessels He wanted to use to do that. He reminded me that I am an OVERCOMER! He reminded me that I was a CONQUEROR!

The things that were happening in my life and in the lives of my family members and friends were not His desire. By allowing myself to feel like a squashed bug I was not acting like a child of the Most High God. I was not acting like the betrothed of Christ. My Daddy is GOD ALMIGHTY! What the heck was wrong with me??? My God is my source of everything I need. He is my shelter and my fortress. He is my comfort and my joy. He is my SOURCE!

A while ago I asked God for scriptures and visions I could pray over my sons. He gave them to me. Well, that morning I pulled out that paper with the scriptures and visions on it and I meditated on how God, my Daddy, personally chose those things for my sons. The same God that created the entire universe was surely able to see that those visions came true!! I began to claim them, with force and authority. As I spoke with mounting assurance I could sense the spiritual realm shaking and cracking. As I claimed the blood of Jesus over all the things that have been going wrong and over my family and friends I could feel a powerful moving in the spiritual realm!

God doesn't intend for us to be victims. He expects us to be conquerors! We have the Holy Spirit in us! Is there anything we can't do? Is there any reason we shouldn't be rising up and stepping into the place set aside for the children of God?

I am crossing over. I am now going to be walking in the spiritual. No longer will what my eyes see sway me. No longer will what my ears hear nor what I smell nor touch be reason to be dismayed. All those things are things of this world. They are subject to change by the power of God.

I am not going to play the part of someone who is defeated. When my mind begins to think that way I will raise my voice in praise to the God who is my Rock. When my mouth begins to speak negatively or in anger I will use it instead to raise my voice in praise to God who is my Fortress.

The world around me is falling apart, but I am NOT of this world. I am going to rise up each morning in expectation of seeing God's will being done all around me. I will use my smaller than mustard sized faith and apply it to situations and to people so they WILL be moved, they WILL be changed to conform to God's will.

By walking in the spiritual realm I will be making a difference in this world, one tiny bit at a time. I am the daughter of the KING. I am a ROYAL PRINCESS. I have authority that has been given to me by God. I am not going to roll over and play dead when the world kicks me. I am a duck and those things are water rolling off my back.

This started as a small flame. The more I pondered it, the more I fanned it, the larger and more frenzied it became. I shared it with my prayer partners and they took the small flame I handed them and have fanned theirs into bonfires.

I hand it to you. What will you do with it? Do you feel it burning within you? Let it out! Claim those things in your life for God. Take those promises He has given you and pull them out of the closet. Place them in front of your eyes and begin to see them materializing! They are yours!

We are not squashed bugs, we are children of the MOST HIGH GOD! Those things that have defeated you in the past will no longer have any strength. They will become insignificant and disappear altogether as the power of God is applied to them!

Here are just a few scriptures mentioning the power that we have. As you read your Bible you will find over and over where we are not to act like whipped puppies. We are not to live in defeat and helplessness.

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
Acts 1:8

"To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."
Acts 26:18

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."
2Cor 4:7

"By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left"
2Cor 6:7

"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power"
Eph 1:18-19

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us"
Eph 3:20

"Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness"
Col 1:11

Are you feeling it? Is it burning in you? It's time to take a stand and step into the role that God intends for us! We are peculiar people! We are not of this world! We are not ruled by the laws of physics! We are not ruled by what our senses tell us! We are OVERCOMERS!

Here are two powerful things that ministered and encouraged me in my new walk on the spiritual side:

Smith Wigglesworth Devotional for October 11Scripture reading: Eph 6:10-20

There is a power in you that is greater than any other power. By the help of the Spirit, may you come into a place of deliverance, a place of holy sanctification, where you dare to stand against the Devil's' schemings, drive them back, and cast them out. May the Lord help us!

I want God to give you an inward awakening, a revelation of truth within you, an audacity, a flaming indignation against the powers of satan.

Lot had a righteous indignation-- temporarily-- but it came too late. He ought to have had it when he went into Sodom, not when he was coming out. But I don't want any one of you to be dejected because you didn't take a step in the right direction sooner. Always be thankful that you are alive to hear and to change the situation.

You must gain an inward knowledge that God is Lord over the power of satan. I don't doubt your sincerity about being saved, about having been justified in Christ. It is not for me to question a man's sincerity regarding his righteousness. Yet I feel I have a right to say that there is a deeper sincerity to reach for; there is a greater audacity of faith and fact to attain.

There is something that you have to wake up to where you will never allow disease to have you or sin to have you or a weak heart or a pain in your back to have you. You will never allow anything that isn't perfect life to have anything to do with you. Those who try to serve two masters always lose (Matt 6:24). If you try to join up with two things-- the Lord and the Devil-- the Devil will get you in the end. Allow Christ to be the Lord of your life today.

Thought for today: You are not going to oppose devils if you cannot master yourself, because you will soon find the devils to be bigger than yourself.

An excerpt from Come Away My Beloved by Frances J. Roberts
"Faith and Action"

My promises are of no avail to thee except as ye apply and appropriate them by faith. In thy daily walk, ye shall be victorious only to the degree that ye trust Me. I can help thee only as ye ask. I shall meet you at every point where ye put action alongside thy prayers. Only as ye WALK shall the waters of adversity be parted before thee.

Overburdened as the world is with trouble and sickness, I need those who have proved My sufficiency in everyday, personal experience to lead the suffering to the fountains of life. I need those who have found Me as burden-bearer to help bring deliverance to the oppressed.

Never begrudge time given to chronic complainers, but recognize in each encounter the opportunity to speak a word that may lead to their liberation. No case is too hard for Me. Never be taken by surprise when I use you to change a pattern. Do not judge a man by what he appears to be, but see him as what he CAN BE if he give himself unreservedly to Me.

Link to 10/12/04 welcome message

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