Tag: word of god

Depression, faith, God, Healing, Kingdom Authority, Mental Illness, power of words, Religion and Spirituality, Spiritual warfare, Spirituality

Forged in the Fire – the Sword of God

Have you ever seen a Swordsmith forge a new sword? I love those old Medieval movies that show that. The Swordsmith takes that piece of metal and sticks it in the fire and then folds it over again and again repeating the process many times. The blade is shaped and sharpened by the Swordsmith. He takes it in his hand and sticks it into the fire and then beats on to make it sharper and more beautiful. All the impurities of the metal are burned off in the fire.  Then, when it is red hot, the Swordsmith takes the new sword and quenches it in water, all to harden the blade. There is steam everywhere and the sword is born. The sword was forged in the fire.

I looked up the meaning of “forged” (but not like a check, lol):

1.  make or shape (a metal object) by heating it in a fire or furnace and beating or hammering it. More synonyms – hammer out, beat into, shape, found, cast, mold, model

2.  create (a relationship or new conditions). “the two women forged a close bond”  More synonyms: build, build up, construct, form, create, establish, set up, put together

I like swords. They are used in battle. They are beautiful and magnificant. They are sharp – sharper than a knife. The Word of God is like that:

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. – Hebrews 4:12-13 NKJV

Hebrews4

In the Bible, God shares that His Word is our Sword and it is used in battle:

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.  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, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,  for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. – Ephesians 6:10-20NKJV

So just like a warrior holds his sword to defeat his enemies, we are to hold the WORD OF GOD as our sword.

It is God’s Word that will defeat the enemies in our lives, not our own swords or our own effort.

What if we spoke to the enemies in our lives – whether sickness, disease, poverty, lack, depression, etc. and spoke the Word of God to them? Would we then see our enemies sliced and diced and dead?

What if it meant going through the fire first?

 

For You, O God, have tested us;
You have refined us as silver is refined. – Psalm 66″ 10 NKJV

 

For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.  If anyone’s work which he has built on itendures, he will receive a reward.  If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. – 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 NKJV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,  that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,  whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,  receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. – 1 Peter 1: 3-9 NKJV

Would you do it? Like those 3 boys, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego  – would you go in the furnace in order not to bow to the idols or false kings in this world? Remember, Jesus is there with you in that furnace. And you will come out and not even smell like smoke.

It wasn’t until after the boys went through the fire that the king and all of his followers bowed to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego…that’s when the revival took place, after the fire. The reviaval and the promotion came AFTER the fire:

 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel[g] and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!  Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”  Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon. – Daniel 3: 28-30NKJV

remenant

 

The Shepherd Savior

“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd,
Against the Man who is My Companion,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep will be scattered;
Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.

And it shall come to pass in all the land,”
Says the Lord,
“That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die,
But one-third shall be left in it:

I will bring the one-third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ” – Zechariah 13:7-9 NKJV

 

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Frame My World with Your Word

Here is a Bible Study I wrote for our weekly gathering. We are taking turns sharing what God is showing us in our lives and I was up. I did grab a few props – gotta have an application lesson in Ms. D’s class. That’s how we remember. I went to Hobby Lobby and went to the wood department. I found them, two 8 x 10 wood frames and a box of sharpies. That’s all I needed. More to be revealed… Teaching notes in ( ).

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23;7 NKJV

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.“ – Romans 12:2 NKJV

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Think of your home and your pictures. Do you have a wall you keep them on? Or do you put them in scrapbooks? Are they in frames on tables here and there? Are they on your phone? Think of the events and how each one brings to mind a special day. A day to remember. Are they of your friends? Your family? Your children? Your parents?

In each picture you are the same person, right? Only the time and circumstances have changed. Now take a step back, and look at the frame that it is in. Not the actual frame, but the frame of reference it was taken in. Were you younger, older? Who was with you? Why was this day important?

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Let’s face it, times change. People change, we change. The frames in our lives change. We see ourselves differently depending on what we are looking at. Think of a old movie, frame by frame. Each frame tells a part of the whole story. Individually it may not look like much, but put them all together and it is a beautiful story.

What happens when we frame our world by our circumstances?

What happens when we frame ourselves by who is with us at the time?

What happens when we frame our worth with what others think?

What happens when we frame ourselves by what we do or don’t do?

We often frame our world with other things:

(Take frame number 1 and write all these words down in black sharpie on the frame itself)

  • School – What happens when school is over and all of a sudden you are not the popular kid anymore? Some people get stuck there, forever living in what they call the “glory days”. They close their life off to new opportunities because they are not the popular kid anymore.

 

  • Sports – What happens if you fumble the ball or lose the big game? We can’t all be the sports Heroes our whole lives. Many people just quit. Quit the game and quit trying at life.

 

  • Hobbies – What happens if you never finish that project? Many people get lost in their love of this, that, and the other thing. Living a life doing stuff, not really touching others or opening themselves up to give or receive love. Just lost in hobby land.

 

  • Work/Job/Title– What happens if you get laid off, to the company closes, or the job ends? Many people live their whole life saying I’m an XYZ. They define themselves by what they do for a living or by what Title they have. Jobs and Titles are temporary. Positions come and go.

 

  • Money – What happens if you get wiped out, of have a financial emergency? Even the best money managers run into problems. If your frame your world with money, it will crash. The love of money a root of all kinds of evil.

 

  • Appearance – What happens if you worship your body and your body doesn’t cooperate? Let’s face it, we all age here on planet Earth. Stuff happens. If we frame our world with what we look like, it will be disappointing. Aging is a part of life.

 

  • Relationships – What happens if the relationship/marriage ends? If we frame our world with our relationships it will be a bumpy ride. Relationships change, people change. We change.

 

  • Children – What happens when they grow up and move out? That empty nest syndrome is real. Many parents don’t know what to do with themselves after their kids leave the nest.

 

  • Houses, cars, stuff – What happens when catastrophe comes and you lose it? Are we really defined by what we accumulate? What the world defines as rich in this world is often poverty in the Kingdom of God. Idolatry is the worship of stuff, God doesn’t like that one bit.

 

  • Addiction – What happens if you see yourself as an XYZ forever? Didn’t God promise to deliver us and set us free? It may be hard to see yourself beyond an addiction. It may be difficult to see yourself as free. Renew our minds Lord Jesus.

 

  • Words of others – What happens when you get rejected, betrayed, or hurt? When we let others tell us who we are we give them our power. We let them play God. They are not our God. Just because someone says something doesn’t mean it’s true.

 

  • Sickness – What happens if you frame your world with sickness? When Jesus met the man at the pool He had one question, “Do you want to be well.?” There are people that like the attention that comes with illness. There are some that want a Dr. to tell them about their health and what to do next.

 

  • Past – What happens if you frame your world with your past? Can we ever move on to a new thing and let God move in our lives if we are living in yesterday? Many have become bitter instead of better. They have refused to forgive those who offended them and stay trapped living in the past. The root of bitterness grows and they wither in the Kingdom.

(Stop here, pass the frame around the room. Starting with yourself first, share with the group what you are struggling with. For me it was my past. It’s hard for me to see myself as free and strong instead of a victim.)

 What if we took those same pictures, those same circumstances, our same life and framed it with the Word of God?

(Turn frame number 1 over so it is blank again)

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.  By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”- Hebrews 11:1-3 NKJV

 i am his

 

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” – Colossians 3:1-4 NKJV

 

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.  For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” – Colossians 1:15-20 NKJV

 

“For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

 As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

 As a father pities his children,

So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

For He knows our frame;

He remembers that we are dust.

 As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

And its place remembers it no more.

 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting

On those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children’s children,

 To such as keep His covenant,

And to those who remember His commandments to do them.” – Psalm 103:11-18 NKJV

 

psalm 103

 

“For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother’s womb.

 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.

 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!

How great is the sum of them!

 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;

When I awake, I am still with You.” – Psalm 139:13-8 NKJV

 Let us frame our world with the Word of God.

identity

(Take the first frame, turn it over. Take the second frame. Let each person pick a colored sharpie. Pass the 2nd frame around the room and ask each person to pick a word from below that will help them overcome issue they are struggling with on the first frame. Ask them to get out their phones or Bibles and share a Bible verse that goes with that word. This is the verse they will hold on to this week)

The Word of God says we are:

  • Saved
  • Forgiven
  • Free
  • Redeemed
  • Blessed
  • Accepted
  • Born again
  • New
  • Citizen of Heaven
  • Royal Priesthood
  • Anointed
  • Sealed with the Spirit
  • Co-heirs with Christ
  • Appointed
  • Christ’s Ambassadors
  • Loved
  • Called
  • Chosen
  • Holy
  • Righteous
  • Secure
  • Friend
  • Beautiful
  • Justified
  • Sanctified
  • Reconciled
  • Righteous
  • Covered in Grace
  • Protected
  • Strong
  • Unique
  • Virtuous
  • Created for purpose
  • Victorious
  • Favored
  • A Masterpiece
  • Set apart
  • More than a Conqueror
  • Delivered

 Let us renew our minds and live from this place, in Jesus Name!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deliverance, God, Healing, Hope, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, The Blood of Jesus, Word from the Lord, Worship

Break Every Chain – Word from the Lord

This past Sunday God gave us a Word I’d like to share with you. The band was playing “Break Every Chain” and God gave this Word to our friend Laura :

Word from the Lord

11-13-16 

Given to Laura


chains broken 11/13

chains broken all around and laying on an old dirt floor…. like an ancient prision.

 no one moves, they stay where the are not leaving- comfortable where they are.  we have been freed so we must step forward out of the bondage we have been released from to carry out His will in our lives


we need to choose to walk forward from where we were


I have already released the chains ..  what are YOU going to do now….

Anxiety, Deliverance, Depression, Domestic Violence and Abuse, faith, God, Healing, Hope, power of words, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality

The Sickness That God Delivered You From Might Try to Come Back.

Sickness. Illness. We live in a fallen world with sin and sickness everywhere. But our God delivers. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost and He heals them ALL. Now it might be here, or it might be on the other side, but He heals them ALL.

“Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them.” Matthew 15:30 NKJV

I do not believe for one moment that God gives us sickness.

Did Jesus ever say,” Geez, I see that you are sick, come back tomorrow.” NO!

Did Jesus ever say, ” Man you really messed up, you better go get right with God before you come back here for healing?”  NO!

Did Jesus ever see someone sick and NOT heal them? NO!

I don’t believe for one one moment that God wants to”teach us something” with sickness. That is a lie straight from the Religious Spirit that man has put out there. Not God. He never said that.

God is good and He heals ALL.

” [ Behold, My Servant ] But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.” – Matthew 12:15 NKJV

Do we get sick. Yes. We live in a fallen world. We are living in theses bodies which get run down, stressed out, and sometimes sick. But when that happens there is our opportunity go to God and expect his healing. He promised us. There is no sickness in Heaven. So why do we think we have to be sick here?  Like it’s who we are or something. I am not a label. I am not an illness.  I am not going to talk about how bad I feel all day. We have the Spirit of the Living God in us – what we talk about will come to pass!  No wonder God said to be slow to speak. I refuse to agree with the Enemy of my soul. I have spent way too many years agreeing with the wrong guy.

“But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.” – Isaiah 53:5 nkjv

I am tired of the Body Of Christ believing all this stuff. He bore our sickness so we didn’t have to. Do I get sick? Of course I do. I am still human. But I refuse to label myself with this disease or that disease and say “This is me and I am my disease and its who I am.” – and take care of it like it’s a pet. I refuse to feed it. Sickness can shrivel up and die.

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I was home today. I did it not well. About 6 months ago I was hospitalized with ischemic colitis. It was bad – blood, cramps, fever, etc.  The Doctor said I might have this disease and that disease. I said no. My God says I am healed. My husband and kids prayed with me. my Pastors  and their wives came and prayed with me. And we STOOD OUR GROUND. Guess what happened? God healed me. Did I take my medicine- yes. God uses Doctors and Nurses all the time to do His will and heal. Let’s use the help that God gives us and not get all religious about it.

Today, that same sickness tried to come back. I had the same symptoms. I thought.” Great – that same sickness that I had had was trying to come back on me..”  I had the heating  pad on my stomach all day to feel better. I even lost it for a minute and dug out all my hospital paperwork. My first thought was, “Great here we go again.”

Then I got mad. I stood up to that stupid colitis and said, “NO, you are not coming on me again! Get out of here is Jesus Name. I reject you and these demons who brought you to my door. My God healed me and I am standing in that healing.”God is good, Devil is bad. My God heals. He healed me the first time and you are not welcome here.

Stand strong my friends – no matter what the symptoms. Exercise your faith and watch and see what God will do.  This is not the end – only an opportunity to exercise your faith and watch God get the glory in your healing. He promised us healing – either here on earth or in Heaven. And I for one am going to take Him at His WORD!

The Good News? If it has a name it has to bow to Jesus!

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” – Philippians 2:8-11 NKJV

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From Moaning and Groaning to Glory

It’s heck getting older. Sometimes our bodies do not cooperate. Sickness comes and sometimes stays a while. Yes, Jesus can and will heal. I just wish He would do it immediately. I am not a good patient. I admit it. I don’t like being sick. I don’t like not being in control of things. Yes, I have issues, lol!

Sometimes the healing that God promised us takes a while. So here I sit. The Bible says I should rejoice in my troubles. I have to say that is not my first response. I’m the girl texting, “Ugggh!” Moaning and groaning. No particular words. I don’t like to talk about any illness because I don’t want to give it more life. I know we have the power of life and death in our tongues and any kind of illness doesn’t get a stage or a microphone as far as I am concerned.

I pray and receive prayer. I have the Elders at Church anoint me with oil.  I read the Word and speak the Word. God says that by His stripes I am healed. Yes, I may have a few ugly symptoms kicking around in my body – but God’s Word is truth and He says I am healed. My body just doesn’t know it yet.

It brings me comfort to know that I am not the only one going through pain during this journey. Even Apostle Paul had a few issues. He had to remind himself and the Church to not become discouraged. We all age. It’s part of the process of this thing called life. God promised that with the sufferings would come a greater weight of glory. It will be worth it all.

I am determined to praise my way through this pain. I know that God will heal me and you both. I just don’t know when. Guess this is the part where I get to trust Him and take Him at His Word. Uggggh!

 

 

 “Therefore we do not become discouraged [spiritless, disappointed, or afraid]. Though our outer self is [progressively] wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day by day.  For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory [a fullness] beyond all measure [surpassing all comparisons, a transcendent splendor and an endless blessedness]! So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal [just brief and fleeting], but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 AMP

 

 “For I consider [from the standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us!  For [even the whole] creation [all nature] waits eagerly for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration and futility, not willingly [because of some intentional fault on its part], but by the will of Him who subjected it, in hope  that the creation itself will also be freed from its bondage to decay [and gain entrance] into the glorious freedom of the children of God.  

For we know that the whole creation has been moaning together as in the pains of childbirth until now.  And not only this, but we too, who have the first fruits of the Spirit [a joyful indication of the blessings to come], even we groan inwardly, as we wait eagerly for [the sign of] our adoption as sons—the redemption and transformation of our body [at the resurrection].  For in this hope we were saved [by faith]. But hope [the object of] which is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he already sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait eagerly for it with patience and composure.” – Romans 8:18-25 AMP

 

Ambient Healing Music by Diana Rasmussen

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4 Things That Happen When a Christian Doesn’t Read the Bible

Have you ever carried a toolbox? And then forgot one of the most important tools at home? Let’s say you are going to fix a computer. And in order to change the hard drive you need a screwdriver to open up the computer box. You go to your toolbag and it’s not there. You have no way to open up the computer and fix the broken hard drive. You have no access to repair what is broken. You have the new hard drive with the new operating system but you have no power to use it.  That’s exactly what happens when a Christian doesn’t read their Bible. They have no tools. They have no access. They have no power. And the computer stays broken.

 

The same thing happens when a Christian does not read their Bible. If we do not read it, we do not have the promises of God in our heart to pull out when we need them. We are missing our most precious tool – the promises of God. If faith is being sure of what we do not see yet – how can we use it if we don’t know what God promises us?

  • Let’s say a brother or sister gets sick. How do we pray the Word over them if we do not know it?
  • Let’s say you lose your job. How can we pray in faith if we do not know what God says about restoration and provision?
  • Let’s say a friend dies. How can you offer the comfort of the Holy Spirit if you have not received it yourself?

Spiritual Immaturity

 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.  For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.  But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is,those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. -Hebrews 5: 12-14

4 Things That Happen When a Christian Doesn’t Read the Bible:

1.They get lead astray. sad girl 2

Without the Word as our Anchor vain philosophies and worldly ways take over. Christians get lazy and led astray. Worship Teams don’t know the Word to release it. Pastors give up on writing their own sermons and just copy them  from the internet.

Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;  and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. -Colossians 2:4-10

2.They get proud and lifted up.   

pride-bible-verses
From: bibleyp.com

Pride comes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Without the Word in our hearts, God is not magnified. Our flesh is living on the throne – not Jesus. God wants us to read the Word DAILY so we can come to know Him and learn to respect Him. It’s hard to respect someone you won’t talk to. Our hearts will not be lifted up in pride if we read the Word.

Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel. -Deut 17:18-20

 

 3. They have no power.

There is nothing like a weak, wimpy Christian. They are all talk and no results. There is no weight in their words. There is no power in their prayers. It makes you feel icky because you know it’s just talk. We as a people long forthe_power_of_god_ the truth and the genuine. We want to see God magnified in our midst. We want to see the miracles and signs and wonder follow us wherever we go. But without the sword of the spirit – the Word of God, some Christians cannot even hold up their own sword. They insist on having others do the work. It’s sad. It’s criminal. It’s wrong. And I’m sure it is grieving the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not die on the Cross for us to be lazy. Get up!

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,  while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. -2 Corinthians 4: 16-18

 

 4.  Church becomes an Entertaining Performance.worship 2

Our churches are supposed to be hospitals. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. But when they get there what tools are missing from our toolbox? If we do not have the Word out of the Bible and into our hearts how can we release it? Vain words will not work. Empty, hollow promises will not heal. Only the Living Word of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ can heal. If we don’t know it, we can’t use it. God is not glorified. And nobody gets what they came for.

Sermons may become platforms for people seeking to be admired. There are many Preachers who live for applause and fame. There are many Preachers who live to be the money changers and take steal from the sheep. They walk into the anointing from the prayers of the faithful and do amazing things. But they are simply using the power of God for their own purposes. God asks us to test the Spirits. You can tell them by their fruit. They have empty words, empty promises, no change, and no power. There is no weight to their words. Perhaps even Praise and Worship becomes a performance with tons of instruments, guitar licks, and light shows just like the famous pop bands of our culture. All while the Spirit of God is locked out of the building.

We eat everyday. We drink water everyday. Let us read the Living Word everyday. It is our daily bread, our manna from Heaven. Let’s eat with the Lord, sit at His table, and listen to Him speak His Word over our hearts and lives. Fill us Lord with your Living Water – the Word – so we can help our brothers and sisters come to know you more. Help us all Lord, to read your Word DAILY, in Jesus Name.

 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  -John 4:21-24

 

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faith, God, Hope, Religion and Spirituality, Spirituality, Word from the Lord

Carry the Light to the Darkness – Word from the Lord

Word from the Lord 1/24/16 given from the gifts of tongues and interpretations to Janesville Apostolic Ministries:

“Children of Israel, You have heard me say ‘Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world,’ but today I want to say that WE are greater than he who that is in the world because you are my church. You are the hands and the feet. You are the ones who are going who are going to take those who are shackled and set them free – through Me. You are the ones that are going to take the Fatherless and bring them home – to Me – because I AM greater than he that is in the world. And that means that you, the Church, are greater than he that is in the world.

Chains and shackles will fall, but they need something. They need you, take charge my children, to step forward and to trust Me; to hold me close as you go out to the world as the light they see – is Me. But I need you to bring the light to the darkness. I can go there but I ask you to go to that dark place – bring my light, bring my love, change a life. Trust me, trust me, I will never leave you or forsake you. I love you so much. I love you so much. I love you so much.”

 

 

light of the world

(image credit – facebook.com/encouragement)

12 steps, Depression, Domestic Violence and Abuse, Healing, Rejection, Spirituality

Stand Up and Be Strong

It has been said that as a man thinks he is in his heart, so he is. If you think you are a victim, and refuse to take a step forward, you might stay a victim. Overcoming this mentality has taken me years. After living in domestic violence for years I had given away all my power – to the Abuser. It didn’t happen all at once, it was a little at a time. I worshipped him. I did whatever he said, or else I had to “pay the price”. I thought he would change. I was wrong. He didn’t want to change. It was me that neede to change. I had allowed myself to remain in an unsafe situation for too long.

I had to learn a new way to think. My thinker was broken. This was the first step for me in becoming whole. In my “infinite wisdom” I sought out self-help books. I had a whole library! Years later, I had to admit that my self-help was no help. In fact I got even more depressed.

i went to counselor after counselor next. Yes, this helped, but it always keep me living in the past and rehashing everything. I wanted a future! This was not my answer either.

Then I tried the 12 step meetings. Now maybe your experience was different, but mine was a nightmare. I was so naive. I really believed everything people said. Needless to say, after another 10 years of my life passed me by and another failed marriage, I left. Not everyone that goes to those meetings wants to get well. Some want to stay sick and use the meetings to justify their bad behavior. Lesson learned.

It wasn’t until I learned about Jesus and who he truly was the things started to change for me. Reading the Word and memorizing verses literally renewed my mind. Really, it was the only way that I learned how to stand up for myself and my children and be strong.

Today I am no longer a victim. I am victorious in Christ. And I and my kids are free from living in violence. Yes, it took time. But it was worth it. And I am not the same person I used to be. I am not a doormat. I am blessed, and loved, and cherished, and precious – and so are you.

There is a way out if you are living in domestic violence. Take a step and tell someone what is really going on behind closed doors at your house. You are worth it, whether the Abuser thinks so or not. He’s a liar anyway, don’t believe the garbage that comes out of his mouth. God is faithful and true, and He will sing over you!

 

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(All images from Pinterest)
 

Poetry, Spirituality

Brand New Start

Brand New Start

~Copyright 2015 Diana Rasmussen

Meet me in the way
Reveal Yourself as
I walk along my day
Even in silence
I hear You in my heart
Your Word transports me
into a brand new start

 

 

“Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.

(Isaiah 43:18-18 NKJV)

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Spirituality

A Verse in my Head

I woke up this morning and Holy Spirit gave me some breakfast.

“This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Guess He knew I would need that today. Especially after:

  • The coffee pot wouldn’t brew. I am really cranky without my morning coffee – just ask my husband. But my response, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” 
  • The light burns out in the bathroom and you try to pee using your phone for a light. P.S. not a great idea! My response, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” 
  • My son got hit in the head and had to come home early from school. I was an hour away. My response, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” 
  • My husband finished his job early and was able to pick up my son from school. My response, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” 
  • The transmission died on our old van. My response, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” 
  • We got to go pay $121 for new spark plugs on a van that doesn’t work. And just got an oil change and new wipers too. My response, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” 
  • My bank screwed up my insurance payment and I had to switch banks. My response, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” 
  • My stepmom and dad helped us find and buy a car for our family. Hallelujah! My response, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” 
  • My husband and I stress about money and jobs. My response, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” 
  • I acknowledge my fear about a job interview tomorrow after not working for 3 years. My response, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” 
  • My daughter finally got to drive after a month off as we were borrowing cars. My response, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” 
  • I break down into tears from the stress of it all. Life is hard sometimes, but God is good. I know that He has a plan and He promised He would help me and give me strength. My response, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” 

 

Good or bad, God knew I would need that Word today. No matter what happened I reminded myself of that verse. It gave me strength when I had none. Thank you Holy Spirit. And thank you for listening. You all give me such hope to pick myself up and carry on. I know that the Word of God is living. I ate it all day. And thank you Jesus for my manna from Heaven!

 

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Depression, Domestic Violence and Abuse, Healing, Rejection, Spirituality

Love is Messy-deliverance from self-hatred

Love is messy. It’s not for the faint at heart that’s for sure. And it’s not for the fault finders either. We are all still human and how we respond to someone’s mistake or weakness shows others how soft or how hard our heart is. As a parent I am still learning and growing.  I make mistakes. And so do my kids. But I am learning to give them and me the same grace I give others.  It’s so funny, I have bent over backwards helping others, yet I confess, I am not always the best mom. I am not always present in the moment.  I mean, I try, but sometimes I get sidetracked, or take a wrong turn, or just check out.  How about you?

So, this new year I have decided I need to give my family the same love and grace I give to a stranger. I am going to treat myself and my body with a new found love.  No, I am not going new-age on you here. But I have to confess, once a girl is raped and abused – we see ourselves differently. We think we are dirty and trash.  And this spirit of self-loathing sets in. Self-hatred. Destruction. Kill, steal, destroy yourself and your body.  Those thoughts are not from God, and they are not healthy.  They are a lie that the enemy has planted in my soul. And they are not true. It’s time to close this door.

How do you know if you have let this spirit live inside you?  I came across an interesting Bible Study:

THE ANTI-SELF BONDAGES.

Here the Author shares about the anti-self bondages with reference to mental illness and health problems:

 

Henry Wright, who I consider highly knowledgeable and gifted in the area of physical and emotional healing, considers anti-self (self-unforgiveness, self-resentment, self-hate, self-rejection, etc.) issues as one of the major sources of many physical and mental health problems.

Now of course, we’re not saying that Satan and evil spirits don’t run rapid in witchcraft, Satanism, and so forth, but do you know why people get involved in many of those things? Rejection, for example, is one of the main forces that push our youth right into Satanism. Rebellion and insecurity are among the forces that push people into witchcraft (power and manipulation, control, etc.). If you take away the doorways (rejection, insecurity, rebellion, self-hate, unforgiveness, and so forth), then I have to seriously question if Satanism, witchcraft and the ‘heavier’ things would even have a chance!

 

Today I cast off the enemies plans for myself and my body.  I accept God’s plans for me and my family.  All things work together for good, and God says He has thoughts and plans for me, for good and not for evil. And today, I am shutting the door to the enemy! No more self-hatred. No more self-loathing. No more destruction, in Jesus Name.2 Timothy 2

 

Now I do not know Henry Wright – I haven’t really heard anything about him. But I do know that this makes sense.  So I did a little more digging. In this video he says that 80% of all disease has a common problem – and that is lack of love.  It involves separation – separation from God. Especailly from God as Father.  I know I have not really known God as Father.  Lord, show me more…

I am taking back my life. I confess, and I repent.

Self hatred is a DEAD WORK.

I have come to the knowledge of the Truth.

I have come to my senses.

And I know God will help me.

Are you ready to let go of self-hatred?

Jesus is Lord.

 

Here is a video I found:

 

 

I think I might have to get this book:

Cover of "A More Excellent Way : A Teachi...
Cover via Amazon