Secrets Revealed in the Book of Numbers.

Secrets Revealed in the Book of Numbers.

Wisdom and revelation aren’t there to make you smarter but to open your eyes to the unseen realities and knowledge of God. The bible is like a locked file in your computer; you can’t open it unless you have the right key. You’re only given the right key as you study more deeply into the word of God. The more you study the word, the greater your appetite becomes, as it leads you to search out the hidden matters of God. 

Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, to search out a matter is the glory of kings. 

As we are king’s and priests in the order of Melchizedekian, it’s up to us to search the scriptures for those concealed gems.  

Supernatural reality further opens itself up to you in greater measure when you take the time to be with God. If you’re inconsistent, the bible won’t reveal the hidden secrets. For those close to God’s heart, you will know divine encounters as they open up to you. To someone else, a divine encounter may appear as a wisp of smoke, blown away by the breeze. To you though, it will be chariots of fire on the hillside. 

The other day as I read my bible a new word opened up to me as I questioned the relevance of Numbers. It’s quite a boring book; the son of… who is the son of… who is the son of… and X amount of people in the tribe, who offered this and that to the Lord; on repeat.

I questioned why it was here but didn’t ponder on it too long. I thought it was just about genealogy, so we know who came from where and when. I started Numbers 4 days ago and questioned it at this time. Questions come to mind when reading the bible but often without any substantial thought behind them and often those questions are quickly forgotten. At the time I questioned it, I answered my own question; “Oh, it’s just to show genealogy.” I didn’t think anything more of it. 

Today I was listening to a message on Melchizedek and right at the end of the clip the teacher spoke on why the book of Numbers was written as it was. This brought back to me my questioning of why Numbers was written. He concedes it can be a boring book, that is, until you realise for every name and number there’s spiritual meaning behind it. 

Knowing this, Numbers has now become one of the most fascinating and favourite books of the bible that I’ll read. Take Issachar for instance; Issachar meaning rewarded, or recompense. The sons of Issachar; understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do. Reuben; son of vision. Gershon; to drive out. The list goes on.

And with numbers; 6 carts and 12 oxen for example, where 6 relates to human weakness, whereas 12 symbolises God’s power and authority. 

If one could take the time to learn the meaning behind every name and every number in the Book of Numbers, one could glean a lot of information. My point being; I just found another hidden gem in the word of God, another key to seeing what was shrouded as He opened up more of His secret world to me and I found it completely fascinating. 

Forgiveness.

We often doubt that God loves us, or we feel God is angry with us, however God extends the gift of forgiveness the moment we confess and repent and He does so because He loves us so. There are times we ask for forgiveness over and over again, but God’s not deaf. He heard us the first time we asked. It’s the enemy who tries to steal our identity and we have to block his tactics.

We’re not perfect. We're never going to be perfect. We are going to make mistakes and we are going to need to ask God’s forgiveness; many times over, for we will need Hs forgiveness right throughout our lives.

Every morning is a new day; a new day to love, a new day to stand in His presence and a new day to move forward should we have messed up yesterday. If you’re constantly feeling guilty for past sins that you’ve repented of, you’re not giving God His right and just place. 

Jesus died for you and to not accept His forgiveness, He may as well not have gone through that tragic and painful ordeal. It’s a slap in the face to Him when you don’t allow His healing balm of forgiveness to work in your life. 

You’ll never be able to fully live within God’s plan for your life while you’re rejecting His forgiveness. Constantly reliving past sins keeps you locked within them. God’s mercy and grace is extended to all. It is unearned merit and favour. 

Just as God extends mercy and grace to us, we too must extend the same to those who’ve hurt and mistreated us. Does that mean we have to stay and endure more of the same? No. We can forgive and sometimes we must move on and let go. What we must not do, is harbour resentment, for resentment leads to bitterness and bitterness causes illness to the mind, body and soul. 

Jesus spoke often of the need to forgive and that’s because it’s just as important to us is it is to the one who hurt us. Forgiveness is an unnatural act, after all, you never see other animals doing it and in the act of forgiveness prison doors open, so ask Jesus to help you attain forgiveness. 

We’re not perfect. No one around us is perfect and the mark of a man/woman of God is the speed at which they forgive. If you’re finding it difficult to forgive, ask God to extend His grace that you may do so.

The New Commandment.

The New Commandment.

Love; one of the greatest qualities in the world and one which is impossible to adequately express in words.

God is love. He can be nothing but love. As God is perfect and perfect love casts out fear. God pours out His love upon us, flooding us in the liquid sweetness of His embrace; His affection, devotion and adoration. In this He is showing us to live in courageous love, perfect love, love that knows no bounds.

The devil would like nothing more than to separate us from the love of God and he strives diligently to achieve that end. The devil confuses and deceives us into believing we have to strive to attain God’s love. He tells us we aren’t doing enough, being enough, giving enough. He points out each mistake we make and engulfs us in guilt and condemnation and I believe, these feelings of guilt and condemnation are greatly enhanced through the devil and his wily ways.

Because we are imperfect beings, we will make mistakes. God, in His love, will correct us. He will bring a check to our spirit. At this time we must repent and ask forgiveness. In not doing so we open the door to the devil and his schemes.

God doesn’t hold our transgressions before us. He casts them into the sea and remembers them no more. It’s only through the work of the devil that our faults are carried before us, slinging them as mud to dirty the connection we have between ourselves and the Father.

God doesn’t love you because you are perfect and good. He loves you because He is love and He can do nothing but love.

We all carry scars in life and with those scars come deep chasms of pain. When transplanted in God’s love, when rooted and grounded in Him the burnt ashes of satan’s condemnation drift away on the breeze. Then we’re able to heal, become whole and help others in similar situations heal and become whole, as we become the hands of Christ in this hurting world extending that love to all.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3; Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand the mysteries and all knowledge, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Life isn’t about what we accomplish or what we own. Life is; who did you love? There is nothing greater to the unchurched world than that we show God’s love. Without love, people can’t hear your message, the message of salvation. A meal for a homeless man, a pair of socks on a cold day, a gentle touch in a time of need; that is the hand of love at work.

In fact, Jesus commanded us to love one another. John 13:35; A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Love is a universal language that everyone understands. Freely we have received and so freely we give. Everyone desires to be loved and so love lavishly, love unconditionally, for it is the nature of love to do so.

People today are impatient. The everyday pressures of life impinging on our peace, contentment and joy, but love is patient; patient with family, friends and frailness. Patient, even with oneself. Love also forgives. It’s not vindictive, grouchy or resentful.

God gives us the choice; forget the offence it and let it go or hang onto it and let it fester. Forgive quickly, before the offence takes root and grows. Don’t try to manipulate or control others. There’s no personal satisfaction in forcing someone to bend to your will.

In love is respect and freedom, peace, joy and happiness. Add a sprinkle of love to everything you do and to everyone you meet every day. Give a smile, or a kind word, drop a dollar in the busker’s hat, have a conversation with an elderly person. Be the hand of God in a world full of pain.

Depression!

Depression!

I’ve heard it said that there’s as many depressed Christian’s as non-Christians in the world today. Now some may have good reason to be depressed, however if you’ve been battling depression for a long while, perhaps it’s telling you something.

Depression is an indicator that things aren’t going the way you’d like. Being depressed during a major upheaval is one thing, carrying depression year after year; that’s something else entirely. The bible tells us in Psalm 147:3 “He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds.” If you’ve not recovered from something which broke you, I’d imagine you haven’t been reading your bible. You can’t read your bible and still be depressed, because all the hope you wish for is in there.

Enjoying life is a decision made outside of our circumstances and the bible explains how to do it. It’s called faith. When you tap into faith without wavering your hope is stirred up as you look forward to better days and your spirit and soul are lifted. The heaviness you carry will fall away but only if you’re consistent. You can’t be hit and miss with bible study and expect great results.

Doubt, unbelief, sadness, pain, are all present in life and we can choose to fight against those or fall in a heap. While the gospel is easy, it does come at a cost and that cost is the time it takes for you to read and understand what it is you’re to do.

We all make mistakes and regret transpires because you’re looking behind, rather than looking ahead. Regret is the thief of joy. There’s not one thing you can do to change the past, so let it go and begin to focus on a brighter future. It was Paul who said we are all pressing toward the mark. What mark? The mark of excellence. We all fall short of excellence, but that doesn’t mean we can’t strive towards it every day.

Paul made major mistakes in life, killing Christians while believing it was the right thing to do, but he was able to let his past go and move forward, becoming one of the main authors of the new testament. How well do you think he could have done if he’d have held onto his past failures rather than moving forward and leaving them behind?

Make a decision today that you’re not going to allow any further depression in your life. Make that decision. Commit to it and as you look forward to the new day, look in anticipation of wonderful events emerging. And you might be asking right about now; “How?” How do you commit to not falling into depression? Apart from the bible itself, there’s many books on the topic of overcoming depression. Both are a great place to start. Don’t listen to depressing music or watch depressing movies. Look for humour. Proverbs 17:22 says; “A merry heart does good, like medicine.” You see, these bible verses, they’re all there for a reason and we can draw from them at any time.

Allowing negative thoughts and feelings into your life will fill you with dread. You get to choose. God always give us the choice. We can choose good or evil. The devil has no power over the Christian life, unless we hand it to him, unless we choose darkness over light.

When in a negative state, stay calm, let go of frustration, think thoughts of peace and joy. Philippians 4:8; “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good regard, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things.”

There will always be a new obstacle to overcome and your job is to get beside God, work out with Him what it is you need to be doing and then do it. God wants you to turn to Him. He wants to hear from you and He wants you to hear from Him. It’s called conversation and you can only have dialogue if you have relationship. Spend time with Him. Get to know Him. And if you can’t think of anything to say to Him, just sit beside Him. He longs to spend time with you.

The lack of joy and peace in the world today shows just how many people aren’t turning to God to allay their fears. When your priorities align with His, your life will run much smoother. One of the greatest benefits to spending time with God is a satisfied life. When you dwell in His presence and your priorities are straight, you’ll find worldly possessions aren’t what’s needed. What’s needed is righteousness. When you see righteous isn’t the result of what you do, but what Jesus has done, a burden is lifted and peace is gathered. Peace, joy and laughter is greatly beneficial to our health and it extends through not only the physical but also the mental.

The bible speaks of a peace that surpasses our understanding, because when we’re in tune with God, it doesn’t matter what’s going on in our lives’ or with the world itself, that peace will sit with us and we shall be content.

The Representative Ruler.

The Representative Ruler.

After a lifetime of organisation, I’ve come to the conclusion having a scattered mind isn’t such a bad thing. I’m so focused and driven, when God talks to me, at times I don’t hear it or act on it. I don’t easily become side-tracked. I have a plan in my head and nothing deters me from the plan. For those of you with erratic, choppy, random thinking, knowing a scattered mind isn’t such a bad thing might be a wonderful relief.

Today, as I was working through my daily to-do-list a whimsical thought drifted across the forefront of my mind; to look up dogs in the bible. I’ve had this thought before. God – dog, the inverse of one to the other. What’s the connection? At this point, I wasn’t going to be side-tracked from the work I was undertaking, especially as I’d already done a study on the matter presented. Still, I kept the thought in my head and as soon as I finished what I was doing, I turned my attention to dogs.

The reason I kept the thought in my head was because I’ve obviously not learned the lesson, or God wouldn’t be bringing it before me a second time. Rather than allow it to rest and continue on with what I was doing, I made a mental note to come back to it.

There are a number of inverse actions in our sphere of influence in this world in which we live. Hot planets in the universe are noted as blue while cold planets are red, whereas here on earth, we use red for hot and blue for cold.

When a polarized lens is placed over certain stones, such the type used on the Aaronic breastplate, they sparkle exquisitely with different lights and colours, whereas diamonds go black under a polarised lens and yet people place more value on diamonds than other gem stones.

So, to have dog a reverse order of the spelling of God, there has to be a connection and I’ve missed that connection in my earlier study. Now we are looking at the English translation of the word dog. Other nations call dogs by a different name so they aren’t going to have that reverse order of the word. Italians say ‘cane’ for dog. French use the word ‘chien’ and the list go on for all the different nations. The biblical meaning of the word dog, however, doesn’t change.

Job 12:7 But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you…

Dog’s teach us humility, bonding, faith, obedience, loyalty and companionship, compassion and caring. Known for their unwavering devotion, faithfulness and vigilance, protecting owners and property, all of which align with the biblical ideas of steadfastness and commitment.

And while the bible does impart negative connotations around the animal, this too is used. It’s to teach us to be discerning, avoiding contrary biblical behaviours. Moreover, dogs in the old testament were seen as unclean. As we move into the new testament, dogs are depicted as more friendly and loving, perhaps showing a change in the way dogs and people interacted over the generations.

We are here as stewards of God’s creation and dogs are a reflection of the responsibility of that stewardship. As we commit ourselves to a pet, we need to ensure we’re taking good care of that pet. Genesis 1:26 tells us we have dominion over the fish, birds and the cattle. We have dominion over all living things, but we are not to make God’s of them. And that’s the trap we can fall into, as we worship the animal more than the God who created it.

I do believe it’s reasonable to assume God made dogs to work alongside us, to be our friend and a companion to the lonely. Dogs sense when we’re down and are a great comfort at this time. Dogs help calm us and centre us, lifting our depressed mood or anxious state. And I believe, God’s showing us; what a dog is to their owner, God can be for you and for me.

Dogs accept us, whether rich or poor, pretty or pretty ugly, dogs accept us just as we are. Whether high flyers in society or the outcast, I believe God’s showing us through our beautiful canine friend; what a dog can be to you and me, is just what God wants to be for us - if we’ll only open our hearts and let Him in.

Jesus said the last will be first and the first will be last. Another inversion to worldly views. He askes that we humble ourselves and repent, which means to turn around, to turn from your evil ways; a reversal of one’s thinking, or a change of mind.

The message highlights a serious point - one of ethical thinking – the value we place on both humans and animals. On what it means to be human and how to treat other human beings, the duties, the obligations of taking care of that which we own. It highlights the differences between not only people, but also animals, as thinking caring beings. And most importantly, a special dignity towards a relationship with God, through Christ.

Mankind, under the Headship of the Great God Almighty. Mankind, bearing Christ’s image and likeness; a representative ruler over all of creation.

Holy, is the Lord God Almighty.

Holy, is the Lord God Almighty.

I was listening to you tube. It was a clip called ‘Dethroning Principalities,’ by The Deep End and I was 57 minutes into the clip of 147 minutes long. So, I'd reached around about half way point of the clip. I was listening to one man relate a true story, with two commentators listening and asking questions. I was thinking how bright these three men are. They have an enormous amount of experience between them and I fall so far short.

As the talk progressed, I became drowsy and just as I started to nod off a thought came to mind; “Watch Mark Overview.” By now all I wanted to do was stay comfortable and drift into slumber. I fought it for a moment and then had to do it. I had to be obedient to the prompting of God. I turned on my light, grabbed my phone and computer and opened the internet search browser to; The Gospel of Mark Summary - A Complete Animated Overview.

Have you ever seen the Overview series? 7 to 10 minutes of cartoon-like depictions on each book in the bible; just an overview, or a summary, if you will. A quick capping of an overall story.

With much effort I pulled myself out of my sleepy state and switched from the you tube clip to the Overview clip and I was blown away. How could I have come up with that comparison? I could never have put two and two together. This was definitely a prompt from God. The story the man told; it was like listening to a rerun of Mark - only in today’s time-frame.

When God speaks to you, it’s only a moment in time. To try to rewrite what He’s said, sometimes it would take hours. I wish I could convey what I learnt in this moment. I wish I could convey what God was showing me but it’s too detailed and too extensive. In not writing it down, I still hope to never forget this teaching and this short note is the reminder to the whole incident. An incident of a moment in time, which took the man giving the talk a life-time to process and one in which I was made aware in a twinkling by comparison.

And as I was contemplating how I fall way short of their experience, as I was thinking “how could I myself come up with this comparison,” it just goes to show; when God wants to reveal something, when you have a revelation from God – it’s never you but always God! And even the man giving the talk discussed his weakness in being able to handle the situation put before him. We all fall so far short in our perceptions of ourselves, of life and of God Himself.

When the angels in heaven cry, “Holy. Holy. Holy, is the Lord God Almighty,” they do so because every time they look up, they see a different facet of God. Tonight, God showed me yet another facet of Himself, in the revealing of the biblical over the mundane and normal.

I’ve already written two blog pieces called “The Many Facets of God.” Dare I add a third? One so incomplete as this and yet so full of meaning to me? Facet, being defined in the dictionary as; one part of a subject, situation, etc. that has many parts. Perhaps not. Perhaps I shall title it; Holy, is the Lord God Almighty!

Where I finished with the clip at the 57-minute mark, is also where the overview clip finished. I later continued watching Dethroning Principalities and it went on to discuss other matters. I can’t emphasise strongly enough how I would never have put two and two together without a prompt from the Holy Spirit. There was nothing in the clip to lead you to that conclusion.

One other thing I did learn through this was; the best knowledge you can gain is knowledge that comes with experience. All of this was given to me in the form of a scene played before my eyes and that’s the experience I gained. I didn’t have to go through it myself. Holy Spirit took me through it, as though I was in it and I have a deeper revelation and understanding of compassion, empathy, walking in the spirit, hearing and seeing in the spirit through the leading of the Lord.

My bible study today was Revelation 19:8-10

This passage speaks of being clothed in fine linen (8). It talks about the preceding words (8) being ‘true’ sayings of God (9). And finishes up speaking about Jesus; the spirit of prophecy pointing the way to God (10).

The fine linen in this passage is not clothing but the righteous acts of His bride; acts done in correlation with the invisible faith to the outworking righteous acts of that faith. Jesus is the source and the common theme pointing the way to the Father, in whom we are to worship, just as Jesus did.

That God will take His word and sit you at the cusp of His revelation for your life, then enter you into a deeper relationship with Him through that very word, as He leads you with aim and purpose in the right direction - this is truly a thing of magnificent excellence and one we should marvel before as we give all honour to the Father, through the Son, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Worry and Anxiety Serve No Purpose.

Worry and Anxiety Serve No Purpose.

Anxiety and worry accomplish nothing in life except to make you stop and assess your circumstances. In actuality, anxiety and worry are detrimental to our health. It has been said that stress will eventually cause Alzheimer’s. Instead of carrying the weight of tension, we should give God all of our worries and let Him ease our burden. 

God’s message is straightforward; grace. If you have fellowship with God, He will grant you His grace. Grace can take many different forms. The greatest act of grace, in my opinion, was when Jesus brought our freedom by spilling His blood. This grace cannot be purchased. This grace is not ours to earn. It is God’s unmerited gift. We are powerless to alter the situation.

God’s grace is necessary since we cannot change things on our own. Since we all have bad tendencies, our weak attempts to effect change frequently result in dissatisfaction. However, if you cannot triumph on your own, you can approach God in prayer, humility, and gratitude for a change in your circumstances. You must have the King of kings working for you. Our souls shift from resentment and despair to thankfulness and love when we depend on the blood of Jesus. The law, not grace, is the source of principles and formulas. Moses never entered the promised land. He viewed it from afar off, because the law is too difficult to keep, too hard to follow. It was completed and abolished once the Israelites entered the promised land.

Grace is given freely. The adversary wants to trick you into believing that you may earn what you desire by doing good works, praying more, worshipping more, studying the bible more, etc. Grace lies in our relationship with the All-Powerful Great God, not in the act of accomplishing more. Be mindful of your motives. They must be pure. Spend time with the Lord just because you want to have a relationship with Him. God will grant your heart’s desires when you have a right relationship with Him.

Give Him all of your affection. Prioritise seeking Him and His righteousness. When God sees you as one of His close confidants, doors will open for you if you’re wanting breakthrough. God does not grant your every want like a magician brandishing a magic wand. As the King of kings, He longs for a connection with you to Himself that is pure. When you seek Him and His righteousness first, everything else will be added to you. Everybody has mountains to climb, obstacles to conquer and overcome. Our mountain can appear so enormous at times that we believe we’ll never be able to move them on our own. The mountain is moved on our behalf by God. God isn’t searching for complete individuals. He’s seeking companions with whom He may spend time. People who will step out in faith and act on His behalf, after learning what He wants for them.

God doesn’t choose the most intelligent, wise or well-educated person. Those who are available to listen to Him and carry out His work are the ones He selects to minister to His people. God cares about every aspect of your life. You can talk to God about anything and He can help you get better in every way. But you have to be receptive, open, willing and eager to hear what He has to say.

Trust in Jesus.

Trust in Jesus.

Many believers don’t enjoy life and that includes Christian’s. God has given us life and it’s our job to ensure we enjoy it. 

There are many ways to enjoy life; take up a new hobby, one which interests and excites you. Work towards a long-term goal, even if you don’t yet have the skills. Begin to learn and apply those skills. And if you don’t have the money, try to generate money making ideas, or find an area in which you can save. It might surprise you when you put your mind to it.

Sometimes we have to wait; wait for a better opportunity, wait for the children to be a little older, wait as we save for what we’re after, but if you commit yourself to it, you’ll find a way to have it.

Sometimes enjoyment is as simple as a relaxing soak in the bath with bubbles and candles. Whatever it takes, work towards it. I started with small goals until I attained the confidence and ability to go further. I also started out very depressed and now I love my life every day.

Life can be complicated. Ah, if we’d only take the time to sit at Jesus’s feet as Mary did. Sit with Jesus and soak in the lessons He teaches. With the simplicity of faith and trust, we could see a huge change in our situation. We will not see a change in our life, however, without the instigation of a change; the changing of something we routinely do every day.

Also, we ought to have the trust, faith and forgiveness of a child, for it is only in child-like living that we can have faith enough to trust enough. Children aren’t gullible as we’ve been led to believe, but trusting; that is, until their trust is broken.

We are precious to the Father and He wants to embrace us in His love. He wants to lead and to guide us. Do you have enough trust to allow Him to do so?

Jesus spoke of trust. Mark 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”

Let’s not look for complicated answers, but look to Jesus for an answer of simplicity. Leave doubt and confusion at the door, else you become depressed. Make your request known in prayer and leave it to God to work out the details; that’s what faith is and the devil will eventually give up when he sees you’re not going to give in.

The Cross and The Blood.

The Cross and The Blood.

A number of years ago, Louie Giglio gave a talk on Laminin. Laminin joins one DNA strand to another and the join comes in the form of a cross. Laminin is clearly visible under magnification.

I read a post recently. I don’t know who the original writer was and so I can’t give credit here, however the post states something along the lines of; We have 33 vertebrae in our spine. Jesus lived for 33 years. There’s a natural oil that runs up our spine called “Christos.” It runs for 28 days, until it hits the “Vegas Nerve.” The Vegas Nerve is shaped like a cross. At the end of the 28 days the Christos fluid dies before being resurrected again at around the third day.

Note; The Vegas Nerves are the main nerves of the body, controlling digestion, heart rate and the immune system.

The bible tells us the life is in the blood. It tells us Christ lives in us. Science can prove the reality of this, as the development of the microscope becomes more refined and we begin to see the cross in our DNA, Christos of our spine and in the death and resurrection of Christos after almost 3 days. What more proof do we need?

Leviticus speaks on the sacrifice of animals, bringing to light the most holiness of God. In Leviticus, God requested that man not drink of the blood of the sacrificial animal. Why? Because the life is in the blood, because the blood is sacred and the only blood worthy of drinking is the Blood of the Lamb who hadn’t as yet entered the scene.

We are the most fortunate of generations in these latter days, as we have the resurrected Christ with us. People of the Old Testament didn’t have that luxury. While the Laminin and Christos were present, at that time science hadn't evolved enough for them to see or to know it, nor had the Holy Spirit come.

In their day, for the ancients of old, just one sacrifice wouldn’t do. One sacrificial animal wasn't enough. It was a constant work to remain approved under God. We, today, have that One sacrificial Lamb and that Lamb lives within us. I’m think perhaps the patriarchs of old might envy us a little in this regard.

The Blood of the Lamb overcomes all. The Blood of the Lamb is the greater power and no lesser power can stand before Him. The Blood of the Lamb is the conquering weapon under which no enemy can win. And the Blood of the Lamb resides with us. How wonderful is that!

Let us now honour the Lord, as we take of the Blood of the Lamb and of the Bread of His Body, shed and broken for us that we may have life and have life abundantly.

Lord, we praise You, honour You and thank You, for Your great and wonderful sacrifice. Amen.

Voices from the Heavenly Realm.

Voices from the Heavenly Realm.

All voices are significant. None without meaning. The voices we hear are the prophetic realm from the spiritual realm. We fall short here. We think of spiritual in the same way as the natural and it’s not.

You don’t walk in the spirit in the same way that you walk in the natural. Every symbol is a voice in the spiritual.

To be baptised is a different action than bathing in water. The spirit is not the same as the natural. Blood stains, it does not wash. Water baptism has a voice based on an act.

Jesus didn’t say if you can be baptised. His word says; “He who believes and is baptised will be saved... (Mark 16:16) John 3:5 also states …unless one is born of water and the Spirit…

Your confession and your immersion are two different symbolic types from two different worlds. Each one a declaration in the physical world, the other a declaration in the spiritual world.

There are those who operate in the dark arts, who identify you by what you do in the spirit. They can see and hear in the spirit. If you’re acting on behalf of God, evil will know about it.

You have a voice in the spirit. Thanks is said both with the mouth or with an offering. You must understand the act of giving. Yes, help those in need, but that’s no substitute to your tithe. God will not ignore spiritual language. Giving is a form of prayer in the spirit.

You need to ensure you have that memorial to God which comes through giving. If you don’t give, your prayer will never move God. God has set up a way which you should go.

There are three that bear witness in the earth. These are the Spirit, the water and the blood and you also need someone present, someone who can testify that this is what happened. Spirit is a voice, water is a voice and blood is a voice.

Water is in heaven and in earth. It bears witness and it speaks. Blood speaks. We learnt that very early in the book, right at the start in Genesis, where God says; “Your brother’s blood is crying out from the ground.” Spirit is God and also three, Father, Son, Holy Spirit. The three always agree.

All these are the witnesses of the event, coming at it from different perspectives. Blood is the youngest of the witnesses. The witness of God is greater than the witness of man. God has His witnesses in the Spirit, water and blood.

The people perish because of lack of knowledge, not lack of prayer. You don’t know what you don’t know. The bible doesn’t say prayer answers everything. Prayer is important and necessary, but if you don’t know how to engage with God, your prayers won’t move God. Prayer needs to be heartfelt and compassionate to move God into action. It can’t be flippant.

You can’t fake faith either. True faith was framed by the word of God. It is a knowing. Faith only operates because you believe in the outcome. If you fail it’s because you were hoping, not because you were in faith. Hope doesn’t move the mountain, faith does.

There’s a witness beyond lips, beyond sight. It’s a knowing. You know God will deliver. There is no room for the thought that God is incapable, or that perhaps it isn’t in God’s time, that God will do it for someone else but not you. Your faith will move the mountain, not your hope.

We live out of the Spirit life, out of the soul life and the life of the flesh. It’s the Spirit of God that moves. The Spirit of God always inhabits your spirit, not your flesh – nowhere does it say in the bible that God inhabits your flesh.

God has influence over your spirit. The devil has influence over your body and soul. There is no spirit in hell. Souls are in hell.

The soul can never be satisfied. Don’t confuse the flesh and the body. Your body isn’t bad. The human body is a mystery. Your body is a temple. The life of the flesh is in the blood. When spirits come (good or bad), they don’t track you by face, voice or look, they’re tracking you by your blood.

If God makes a deal with me, that deal is to be fulfilled. As long as my blood continues, God has to deal with me. Spirits are dealing with you because of what’s in your veins.

They can hear your voice, but they follow your blood. God did not use the spirit because the spirit comes back to God. It was His to begin with and it still is, but when someone’s life is cut short, God hears the blood cry out from the ground. There is a voice from the blood that is calling God to come down.

The blood is the one calling demons because of what someone else started (generational) long ago and did not finish. That’s why we have generational curses. You may not even know the generation it’s come from, but it’s still there. If you feel you have a generational curse, go to a trusted source, read God’s word on the matter and find out how to deal with it.

There are two witnesses fighting against each other. You speak with your lips but your blood tells a different story. All the affirmations and declarations won’t shift the battle. The battle is the Lord’s. The life of the flesh is in the blood and the blood makes an atonement.

Breakthrough, joy and happiness is in the blood and when you accept salvation your DNA changes. The blood no longer cries for revenge but for redemption.

You can have fasting praying Christians who are miserable, that’s because their blood is fighting them. Do your due diligence and work on the areas that are causing you pain; don’t bury them, work out how to overcome them. For we are overcomer’s in Christ Jesus.

The Many Facets of God.

The Many Facets of God.

I considered recently how angels see different facets of the Lord. They bow down and worship, look up and see a different facet, then sing holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, as each facet is something new and magnificent. How, after billions of years, do they still see different facets? How many facets of the Lord can there be?

Yesterday I drew a picture of a hand. I’ve never drawn a hand before. I’ve always considered it too difficult a subject, but I wanted to see if I could. I’ve not been drawing all that long and I don’t consider myself a fabulous sketch artist but I am doing so much better than I knew I could and I do believe this is a gift from God; one which I can develop further. So, I gave it a go and drew a hand squeezing olives, or grapes. I couldn’t tell what they were. In my drawing, they looked like jellybeans to me, but it was more about the hand than what was in it, or so I thought.

I thought it was just a random sketch. I was sent the most beautiful painting of a woman on her knees, a large bible open underneath her. She was bowing down as a huge hand above squeezed grapes over her and the juices (oil) dripped on her head, pouring down from her hair and into a lamp in which a light was emanating brightly. If there was a signature to the painting, I couldn’t see it from the photo I was sent.

Anyway, I wasn’t thinking I could do the whole scene. I just thought to myself, I’ll work on the hand. I’ll give it a go. Let’s see if I can do it. And it may not be the best sketch you’ve ever seen, but the story behind it made it all worthwhile.

So, here’s me, thinking it’s a random sketch (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - there are no coincidences with God). That was yesterday. Today, as I was doing my bible study, I listened to a you tube clip on angels. Nothing at all to do with squeezing grapes. I wasn’t even thinking along those lines. Of course, there was mention of it and my ears picked up. I listened intently.

The speaker was explaining how he saw people who looked like bunches of grapes; juicy, juicy grapes being squeezed out, releasing mystic clusters. He said those clusters are like the government of peace, sent out to all the word in order to crush satan. (Wow! I could have listened to any arbitrary clip, but this was the one.)

So, I thought my sketch was just a novel idea to experiment on. I wasn’t going to do anything with it, especially since the conception came from another person’s work. What I learnt however was; no matter how many times we box the Lord in, He just blows it out of the water and it showed me a different facet of God.

Is this what the angels see? I expect so because the awe of the realization of just what God can do is mind-blowing. Plus, it was an answer to my earlier question; how, after billions of years, do angels still see different facets? God is showing me His world with Him, showing me one of His many, many facets, for the order of Melchizedek is to know the Father's business. We are His response to a bigger story.

I’ve said this before too; If you’re just going through the motions, putting in your allotted Sunday morning at church and nothing more, don’t envisage too much to happen. However, if you’re diligently seeking the Lord, life’s gunna be a blast.

How God Works on Your Inner Life. Part 2.

How God Works on Your Inner Life. Part 2.

Conviction is called a guilt complex. When you feel guilty about something you’ve done, it’s a conviction from God. This is the time for you to repent and ask forgiveness. You’ll find repentance solves a number of issues. Take it seriously.

We need to be calling things as they are. The wording for crimes against nature is now called ‘lifestyle choice.’ Paedophiles now wish to be called ‘minor attracted people’. Narcissism is now seen as self-centred or a user. With any of these; STOP. It could save your marriage or your career.

Every known sin must be named aloud. Call it for what it is; addiction, gluttony, perversion, pornography, drugs, alcohol, affairs and many more.

Sometimes we’re deceived into believing there is no sin in our lives. We’ve watered down the meaning of sin to such an extent that we don’t see the sin anymore. This creates a separation between you and God. Deal with it and stop making excuses for it. Call it for what it is - jealousy, pity, resentfulness, bitterness, temper.

If you want God’s power you must take a hold of the sins you carry and turn them around.

Another area to work on is idol worship. Never be so attached to anything that it owns you, that you can’t let it go. Not homes, cars, money, jobs, children, pets. God needs to be first in your life. Not that we want to give away our children or our pets; just know that they are borrowed for a time.

Your righteousness must exceed that of scribe and pharisee. Yes, they followed the law more than the Lord, but they were diligent to that law. We need to be diligent to the Lord God Almighty, working with Him every day, not half-heartedly, but fully immersed.

When you fail, because try as you might you will fail at some point and when you do, ask for grace and then move on. None of us are perfect. We all do and say things we regret. Our job at this point is to ask God’s forgiveness as soon as we see we need it.

Be the type of Christian which honours what you own and who you spend your time with. Take care of your household, pay your bills on time, be prudent and wise and look to the interests of others. Work at something useful so you can share it when needed.

Never defend yourself, allow God to do it. When suffering unjustly, be mindful of God throughout. And no, it’s not easy to do. We want to shout the lack of justice from the rooftops, but wait. God will work it to your benefit in time.

We might endure sorrow and difficulty and unjustly and un-rightly so at times. If, when you do good and suffer for it, to this you have been called; so you can follow in His footsteps. Jesus did not threaten when He suffered, in fact He blessed. Don’t be surprised at the fiery trial but rejoice, for the spirit of the glory of God rests upon you.

If hardship comes through you doing the wrong thing, so be it, but if you suffer because of obeying the gospel, can you still trust God? If so, you are blessed. Let God defend you. We don’t need to defend ourselves. He will oppose those who oppose you. Exodus 23:22 But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to you adversaries.

We most commonly try to defend our talent and our reputation. The Lord’s defending may take a lot longer than you anticipate, but He will be faithful. It’s better to let things go and allow God to work on it in His own time. It’s better to let false charges die on their own than you declare your own righteousness. In other words; shut up and let it die, as I heard mention by one minister. Let your example show the truth of who you are. When you die to your reputation, you’ll be useful to God.

Never speak about someone if it will hurt them. If you can’t say it to their face, don’t say it. Abuse aside (for this should never be acceptable); anger, wrath, malice, slander, quarrelling, conceit, jealousy, hostility and disorder, whether spoken or written it needs to stop.

There’s another deeper level, one not quite so obvious; one in which people are more likely to accept. Anger, obscene talk, malice, hypocrisy, envy and slander. The thing these all have in common is; slander and gossip. If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.

Love covers a multitude of sins. Gossip and tale bearers have no place in God’s arena. Even if wrapped in the form of intercessory prayer. Gossip takes you out of Gods plan for your life. The biggest thing that destroys ministries is people not being comfortable sharing due to the fact that they can’t trust you won’t repeat what they’ve told you in confidence. When this happens, the power will shut down, for no one will come forward for any ministry.

Life under God means we don’t get to say anything we want. Be guarded about what you say, who you say it to and who you say it about. Fear God for His grace empowers you; gossip stops the flow. Refuse to be party to slander and gossip.

Another area which will reduce the power of God’s flow in your life is when you take credit for what God has done. Never accept any glory. The glory is God’s and He will not share it, nor give it to another.

Vain glory is what we’re talking about here. Talent and skills are given to you by God. They were never yours to start with. They’re given to glorify God. Jesus gave up His own reputation, shouldn’t we do the same.

A prayer we might consider in this moment is; Lord glorify Yourself at my expense. Let the consequences be as they may.

How God Works on Your Inner Life. Part 1.

How God Works on Your Inner Life.

In Ecclesiastes 5:1 Solomon writes to guard your steps. When you go to the temple of the Lord try not to say things that are ill considered for a vow will place you under obligation, even at the cost of your own life. We must take vows seriously. Don't rashly make a vow for hinderances come from not acting on a vow you’ve taken.

If you have made a vow to the Lord, don’t delay paying that vow. After taking a vow, don’t then say it was a mistake. It’s important that you fulfil any vow you've made to God. God honours His vows to you and He expects you to honour your vows to Him.

What happens when you fail to fulfil a vow? This can cause you to feel stuck in an area of life. It can leave you feeling you’re not moving forward, as if your life is on hold and it is, for God will not act until you move on your vow.

If you can’t fulfil the vow straight away, repent. Let God know you’re sorry for the vow you can’t now fulfil. If you break a vow, name it specifically and ask God’s forgiveness and ask that He give you the grace and power to do better. You’re not perfect. You’ll never be perfect, but God will work with you any time you find yourself out of step with Him.

Because the church has been operating under hyper grace, that anything goes and God will forgive, this causes people to do what's right in their own eyes. You tell yourself; It’s all good. God will forgive me. That’s not what the bible says. God is a God of judgement. He will allow you to go so far and then no further, so be very considered when you make promises you can’t keep.

Back in the day, traditional wedding vows were ordained by God. They still are and they’re not to be entered upon lightly. These days people write their own vows and hope all goes well. That’s not what God sees. He sees the bride and groom as united together under a vow, sworn before Himself. He takes it very seriously.

As we walk with God, we want to see spiritual advancement and power over sin. We want to see balance and joy in our life, plus revival of all the dead areas, the areas that aren’t working for us. And sometimes we’ll fail in some areas. Don't let failure cause you to stop. Dust yourself off, repent and keep going.

If you have made a vow, review it often. Don’t let it escape your grasp. Harmonise your heart with His power and He will honour the vow, if you honour the vow. Repent quickly if you fail. Repent as soon as you notice.

There are two types of Christians; carnal Christians and spiritual Christians and the carnal Christian often doesn't know they're carnal. Our hearts and minds deceive us and sometimes we don't know we've crossed the line.

The spiritual Christian will voluntarily honour Jesus; they’ll go to church, worship, take communion, give of their tithes, talent and time. They make the effort to do what Jesus requires of them. The carnal Christians refuse to make that effort, going to church only when it pleases them.

Of course, if you work on Sunday’s, it can be impossible to go to church, but that shouldn’t stop you from finding a bible study group, or going to a Friday night service and the like. There should be a consistency and predictability in the practice of our faith.

Carnal Christians detest legalism. They're dismissive of those who are walking in an honourable fashion. They don't attend church, they don’t marry, they don't like religion to the point they don't discipline themselves in any way.

You should have strong scruples about your faith. It matters! Many in leadership make sacrifices in order to increase their effectiveness, whereas carnal Christians don’t accept responsibility. If you assume a role that matters, you need to sacrifice some of your freedom in order to be effective in the role you’ve undertaken.

Vows are a challenge and if you can't fulfil them, don't take them, but consider to work towards them in the future. All things are permitted but not all things are good. It’s better to say no to certain things than to fall into disobedience and lose power.

You want power; the power to have dominion over storms or nature or other people and when your earthly nature is corrupted and you refuse to yield to it, you will lose power. You want the power so you can lead, to shape and restore people, to heal minds and bodies. The power of God is not necessarily monetary.

What are your priorities? Have a clear form of those priorities in your mind? Your iniquities have caused a separation between you and God. Sometimes something we do gets in the way and our sins have hidden our face from Him. Sin will shut down the power of God. Deal with your sin. Our indiscretions, our improper and immoral behaviour will be our downfall. Call it what it is…sin…and deal with it.

There is so much more I could add, but I need to stop here. Just know; if you sin – repent. If you make a vow to God – honour it. If you don’t know where to start or what to do, read the bible for it will show you the way.

You do Your Bit. God will do His.

You do Your Bit. God will do His.

Close fellowship with God takes time to develop. He will speak to us only through our patience. The Lord wasn’t in the wind, earthquake or fire but in the gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:11-12). When we listen more, we hear more. Wait, meditate, consider and enquire. Often, it’s in the power of silence that God moves mightily. Listen to that whisper; the one which is easy to fob off. Listen closely and act on what the whisper says.

God tells us all things but the one thing God loves is when we head out to catch fish. To catch fish, we must go where the fish are. Jesus didn’t avoid the culture. He engages himself in it. Speak with gentleness and respect when fishing for souls. What sinners need is the power to change. They already know they’re sinners. They just don’t know what to do about it. You can teach them how to be free.

It’s also not our job to remove the ungodly from the godly. We cultivate the wheat and God removes the tares – the true believers from the false. You do your bit. God will do His.

True believers fight and hold their ground until the battle is won. True believers act on the Word of God. True believers know God loves them and know their identity in Christ. True believers will work on becoming better in their walk with God, on forming a closer relationship to Him.

False believers believe there are other ways to God than Jesus. Jesus said; “Most assuredly I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.”

False believers take bits out of the bible that suit them but don’t follow the whole Word of God. Ungodly people pervert the Word of God and deny Christ. They invade church, ministries and leadership and they teach counterfeit false doctrines. They pretend to follow Jesus. They love to be noticed and want to be in authority; in the church but against Christ.

False believers are unsaved. Determined and destined for destruction. They don’t, wont and didn’t love Jesus. Just because someone says they’re Christian, doesn’t mean they are. False believers try to trick God’s people. They deny Jesus Christ as Lord and Master. They don’t mind Jesus forgiving them their wrongdoings, but they don’t want Him leading them; happy to have Him as Saviour but not as the Lord of their life.

In following God, the devil will bring contention. We all go through battles and you may still feel some hurt and resentment after your battle is done. It’s the act of forgiveness that God is well pleased. God will heal your hurt and restore your peace to you, once you have acted out of forgiveness. You do your bit. God will do His.

Having zeal for God is like tending a fire. A fire requires constant refuelling. Your fuel is the Word of God. Keep reading. Keep studying God’s Word. Keep asking forgiveness. Keep a repentant and humble heart. You do your bit. God will do His.

Follow God with your whole heart. David made many mistakes, but he had a heart for God and continually turned to the Lord. Amaziah never repented, instead he turned away from the Lord. Amaziah was the ninth king of Judah. He was a double-minded man; swayed this way and that.

King David’s repentant heart was a joy to the Lord and the Lord blessed him through his generations. David did his bit. God did His.

Amaziah’s lack of loyalty was his downfall and his walk did not end well as his own people murdered him while he was fleeing. His body was returned so he could be buried with his ancestors. If only he’d repented as David did. There’s a lesson in that, for all of us.

Follow God’s Word. Keep Jesus close to your heart. When we put on the robe of righteousness, we can be sure we’re dressed in the splendour of Jesus. You do your bit and God will do His.

Redemption.

Redemption.

For a little while now I’ve been hand copying books of the bible. In hand copying books of the bible I’ve found I take more notice of what’s written there. Things jump out that I hadn’t noticed before. 

I just spent an hour and a half on one page of the bible. Thirty minutes of which was directed towards a semicolon.

I got an awful lot out of it and it all started when I questioned that said semicolon. Who does that? Question a semicolon from a book completed 2,000 years ago? It’s such a little thing; a semicolon. Ah, the joys of being a writer.

Now, explaining what I learnt is the hard part. Putting it all into words is the challenge, but here goes.

The semicolon first…

Ex 12:50 Thus all the children of Israel did; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

It could also be written as – Thus all the children of Israel did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. A slight variation with the self-same meaning. A prerogative of the author at the time.

Then we move down to Ex 13:4 On this day you are going out in the month of Abib, which is March and April. Further study revealed March/April to be the connection between Passover and Easter. Also, that the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt with a strong hand (Ex 13:9), denoting the futility of resisting God, as Pharaoh had tried to do when God sent various plagues upon his nation.

Having struck down the first born of Egypt, the Lord then exacts a return with the redeeming of the first born of Israel (Ex 13:13). This is a foreshadow of the redemption of God’s one and only Son, His sacrificial Lamb.

The first-born son to be given to the Lord. The first-born animal, sacrificed. The donkey, viewed as unclean, could be redeemed by a lamb. That Jesus (the Redeeming Lamb) rode on a donkey, shows an example of humility. A horse was considered an animal of war, a donkey; meekness.

The whole purpose of these passages are to show us how God will deliver His people from the curse of the Law, our prior condition being one of slavery, and what is entailed to set us free. From Genesis to Revelation God’s hand points us to Jesus, moving us out of sin and slavery and into our King/Priest inheritance.

One more thing today; in looking all this up, God showed/reminded me to enjoy where I’m at as I live my dream. We are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and the devil cannot defeat us if we’re resolute in our faith, although we’re not guaranteed earthly success or prosperity. 

I do believe we are overcomers in the Lord, that success and prosperity are within our reach, for God promises to meet our needs and desires. He doesn’t promise wealth as we know it, but peace, joy and longevity. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? Mark 8:36.

We need to be chasing God and not our own prosperity because following God leads to true satisfaction. Psalm 37:4 says; May He grant you the desires of your heart, not He will grant you. If we make God our focal point, rather than riches, it will point us to God and our desire of love towards Him. Delight yourself in the Lord and you won't be disappointed with the outcome. 

Disaster Action Plan.

Disaster Action Plan.

When disaster strikes you have three directions you can take; regress, stagnate or rebirth. The decisions you make following disaster cause you to either turn back, shut down and withdraw, or move you to action.

Disaster is a lesson to learn, to grow and to move through, like a birth canal. Once you get to the other side, you’re stronger and wiser. Don’t let disaster break you. Instead, use it as a spring board to move you forward at a greater pace.

The school or hard knocks are difficult to go through. Better is an action plan, an intention of where you want to head and when you get off course, reset your dials towards your desired destination. It’s better that you decide what you want and need for your life, than to let the disasters of life toss you like a small ship in a large ocean.

Be intentional about who you want to become, where you want to go, who you hang out with, how much money you want to earn. Set goals, make a list and take action every day, for that is the only way you’re going to arrive at your destination. You’ll never get where you’re going sitting in your rocking chair, for you can rock as hard as you like, but you won’t go anywhere. It’s never too late and there’s nothing like today to get started.

You don’t need to be ready; you just need to take one action today which will move you towards your goal. And another action tomorrow and keep going. Don’t quit until you reach your destination. Will you have difficult days to traverse? Absolutely. Pick up the pieces as soon as you can and keep plugging away.

You need to be intentional every day. We’re all busy and some days are busier than others. Write up a schedule which will incorporate your dreams and desires and continue to work towards your action plan. Don’t ever stop. Keep asking the question; “What’s next?” and your world will open up to you.

God is Willing. Are You?

God’s Willing. Are You?

When Elijah arose into the clouds, he dropped his mantle. Elisha had to stoop over and pick it up. When Samson attacked the Philistine’s, he had to stoop down to pick up the donkey jawbone, which then killed a thousand men.

We need to stoop, to bend to the Father, as we pick up what we need in order to defeat our enemies. There’s much trouble and distraction in the world today and we cannot allow ourselves to be railroaded into what isn’t our concern. Yes, pray over matters but don’t worry over them.

Neither Elisha nor Samson had to go looking for what they needed. Both found what was needed close by their side. What we need is also close to us. We don’t have to go looking. Keep your focus on God and He will direct you to the right pathways.

There’s your perceived truth and then there’s God’s truth. Who are you going to believe? The devil is not in charge – God is! And if you’re not liking your journey so far, start to live from a place of joy, for it’s only from a place of joy that we shall hear the Father speak.

God will make you aware of His plan for your life. God will transform your life, as long as you give Him praise, honour and glory. As you praise, honour and glorify God it will also rub off on you for what you behold you become.

God has chosen you to reflect His glory. You are an army of 1. No matter how you feel, God has confidence in you.

Seize God’s power; seize the power of Jesus. You are not the problem but part of the solution. You were born for a time such as this. You are here at the right time and in the right place to make a difference in the lives of others.

The nation of Ester was spared, because of one person, one story. One person can make all the difference. You are that person. Realise: You’ve been chosen!

Billy Graham was just one person and yet he reached over 2 billion people. Billy Graham started because of his Sunday school teacher, who was just one person.

Are you willing to go forth in Jesus name? God’s willing to lead if you are willing to go.

I Am that I Am.

I Am that I Am. I Am the Living God.

Lightning and thunder - fireworks in the sky.

A living light for all the world to see.

I bring you that light.

With it comes joy and wonder.

Awe and majesty.

A showcase of My glory.

The stars in the night sky.

The comeliness of a splendid sunrise.

The marvel of all creation.

The rainbow, the northern lights, the southern aurora.

The magnificent colours of the true and living God.

From My throne these emanate perpetually.

A display of My greatness reflected upon this planet.

A bursting forth from the heavenly realm to the earthly.

That you shall know; I Am that I Am.

I am the living God!

The Hidden Manna.

The Hidden Manna.

What is manna? Manna is substance, bread from heaven, heavenly food. It’s akin to a pool of water, a respite from the midday sun. It’s both worldly and heavenly in form, still being found today in the Sinai Peninsula.

The hidden manna – a reward for those who help Jesus carry out His plan to return the world to its original state. Hidden manna is the help you receive from the prayer you sent out; it’s nourishment to the soul from on high.

Did you know there are rich rewards for those who say ‘yes’ to Jesus and overcome sin? The more you struggle, the greater and more noble the reward, but only if you continue and don’t quit during a tough season.

Your testimony and spiritual truths are the foundations of the Christian life. They are hidden – a hidden hand pours in secret the food and the fuel needed for success.

The abundance of life is in the moral qualities, vitality and energy, not in what we possess.

We come to God spent and weary from the battles we’ve fought. As we enter into God, we enter into peace. In the place of peace, a table is set with a spread to absolute satisfaction of all who hunger.

The wider the heart expands, the more we’re able to receive a sustenance of the Spirit. The tree of life becomes the crown of life, the hidden manna, the bread of life; sweet, fragrant, flavour, sustenance.

Feed on Him. Trust in Him. Give your heart to Him. Obey Him. Think about Him. Tread in His footsteps. Taste, touch, feel, hear and see the angelic food given by Christ. It’s there for all who desire it.

The pot of manna, hidden in the ark; a sacred treasure of the temple which had not perished, but buried in secret spot on the mountain Moses climbed.

The ark, the oil, the stone, the rod, the manna and Jesus himself – hidden and then restored.

The above writing has been sitting in the computer for a few weeks now. I’d forgotten it was there. Today I had a vision, after which I came across this small body of work and I realised how well the two married up.

As I was writing, I got that overwhelming sense of tiredness, the one which tells me God is about to speak. I closed my eyes and a vision came to mind; two hands coming together, forming a circle between arm, heart and chest, converging into prayer. God’s very large hand, wiping away all our troubles.

In this vision, all the troubles were represented within a speech bubble as lots of unrelated chattels, and with one swipe of the Lord’s enormous hand it was all gone.

The circle; the symbol of eternity and never-ending existence. Totality, wholeness, perfection, infinite, timelessness. God; the circle whose centre is everywhere and circumference is nowhere. Zero in number yet full of potential.

I felt God to be saying, when we bring our hands together in conjunction with our heart (the connection to Him), one swipe of His hand will cast aside all our fears.

Who knew I’d get all that out of a quick snapshot of two hands coming together and a speech bubble? It made sense too, as I’d written a snippet only yesterday, called “Praying in the Spirit.” This piece spoke of a greater anointing when we see the Spirit in Him; the complete wholeness of the Trinity together with each of us.

As we open our heart to the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ and the Holy Spirit, the convergence between them and you, the hidden manna stored for this day is revealed; then shall our troubles fade into oblivion.

Praying in the Spirit.

Praying Always in the Spirit.

Before you begin to read this piece, I'd like to point out that God is always with us. As born-again believer's, the Holy Spirit lives in us, whether we feel Holy Spirit there or not, whether or not we are aware of His presence, Holy Spirit resides in us. 

There are things we can do, however, which bring a stronger anointing of that presence, a special endowment from the Holy Spirit. This piece is hopefully going to do that for you; bring in a strong anointing presence, with a greater capacity towards answered prayer.

Ephesians 6:10-11 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

There’s a tremendous spiritual battle with unseen powers. We live in a material world but our citizenship is that of the eternal. Without the strength of the Lord, the devil will pit against us.

Once we realise the reality of the unseen spiritual life and the powers held there, we can then work towards winning our battles, taking captive the unseen and bringing it to the seen.

To overcome and not be cast down is to put on the full armour of God, provided by God, that we may stand in the evil day. We must also pray. And we must know Who we are praying to. To conquer the might and power of the enemy means knowing where to go and what to do and Who to do it with.

So, then, how do we pray?

The disciples asked; “Lord teach us to pray...” (Luke 11:1) It was important enough for them to want to know how to do it correctly. Prayer is not effective so much in general principles but by exactness.

The most essential thing about prayer is that we are to pray in the Spirit.

There’s time and methods for prayer. But it is useless to spend our time on those other things without knowing this first principle …. How to pray in the Spirit.

After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples met together in the upper room and the Spirit filled them. The great baptism into one body, the body of believers. Let’s not look at this in the wrong way. We’re impressed by the manifestation of power displayed on that day, but the ultimate point is that of salvation. Salvation is simply to bring us to know God.

Christ died in order to bring us to God. That’s the importance of salvation. God’s Son died so we would have it.

The primary function of the Holy Spirit is to bring us to God, worked out by the Son of God; that we know God and have fellowship and communion with Him.

The more excellent way than just prayer alone, is communion, love, knowledge and certainty. We are to pray in the Holy Spirit. Worship isn’t worship unless we pray in Spirit and in Truth. That is to pray with heartfelt sincerity and in accordance with God’s word. A heart motivated by love and gratitude, conforming to the revelation of scripture. And we can’t pray according to the scripture unless we’re reading our scripture.

The partition was torn by the death of Christ and we now have direct access to the Father because of the Son. It is this one and only Holy Spirit, brought through the death and resurrection of Christ that we are to pray. We are to worship God, in or by the Holy Spirit and rejoice in Christ with no confidence in the flesh.

The only true way to pray is in the Spirit. The Spirit is of Jesus and the only way for intercession to occur is through the Spirit in Jesus name.

Prayer isn’t because of a place. It’s not in the rushed and flurry of our morning routine. It occurs in the warm and compassionate centre of the heart. It’s in the reverence and holy fear of the Lord. Know Who you are praying to! Revere Him.

Prayer isn’t in the monotonous repetition of routine. It’s not in the time or the date that you pray, or even the place. Yes, it’s disciplined and directed, but it’s in the Spirit. Mechanical prayer is better than no prayer but it’s not in the mechanical, not in the quiet time but in the heartfelt prayer brought before God through the Spirit.

True prayer comes from the heart, from compassion, from love. To Whom are you praying? Vain repetitions, counting beads, or numbering your prayers aren’t the answer. Being mechanical isn’t the answer. Frantic prayers in crisis, while better than none, is not the answer. Anxious and fear filled prayer won’t move God.

Praying in composure, led by the Holy Spirit, guided by the Spirit, taught and directed by the Spirit. Seeing God as Spirit, seeing Him, really seeing Him as He is in Spirit. Stop and look at Who you’re addressing. The essence of prayer is to know the Eternal Holy God. Pure Spirit, who is in all, above all, through all, below all, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent. The Holy Father. That’s a prayer in the Spirit.

Pray with reverence and Godly fear; with awe, wonder and amazement. If we don’t start with that, surely it isn’t prayer.

Whom are you addressing? It is the One for whom the blood of the Lamb was sacrificed. God needs to be great in our mind, with Jesus at the centre and the Holy Spirit at the helm, directing the believer in the way they should walk.

In honouring the Lord, we will have forgotten our supplications and be worshiping the great and mighty God. Realising we’re in the very presence of God, we are then in the full assurance of faith and in boldness and knowledge of the Father.

We’ve been unsure, desperate, not quiet, restless, uncertain, unhappy, with no peace, and feverish, on the off-chance God will hear and that’s not the way to pray.

Prayer in the Spirit realizes the presence of God. We know and feel that Thou art here. Never be content in your prayer life until you know and feel God is there. A living and vital prayer, free, warm and loving.

Not mechanical, not stilted, but with an open heart we come to Our Father, as a child to his daddy. Confident, assured, a prayer which realises the presence of God. Knowing and feeling the He is here. Never rest content until we know and feel that God is here, face to face with us.

Prayer will always be in accordance with His will, when done in the name of Jesus Christ, according to the mind of Christ and His will. A prayer of faith and divine expectation. A prayer led and directed of the Spirit, looking for answers. Not double minded like James, but in faith, believing and expecting answers. Always looking forward with peace and joy.

James 1:7- 8 “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”

Now I don’t want to complicate this any more than it has to be. There’s a place for discipline, for discipline brings healing. There’s a place for the mechanical; doing everything we can to do in order to bring us before the Father. Some days all we have time for is a quick “help me" in the morning and “thank You” in the evening, for life can get busy. As it says in Romans 8:28 And we know at all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

If we pray in the Spirit the rest will look after itself. Pray on all occasions. Never give up praying. Methods are not the concern. It isn’t in the way we do it or the order we do it in, as long as it’s done in the Spirit. All prayer and supplication, done as we ought in boldness and assurance, but always in the Spirit. Then we shall stand in the evil day.

Resist the Devil and he will Flee.

Resist the Devil and he will Flee.

Some weeks ago, I mentioned to a friend how lonely it can be going to church by myself week after week. My children have grown, now living their own lives and my husband isn’t a believer. More recently, I also mentioned to laugh at the devil and say; “Is this all you got!”

I remember I also wrote to her describing when 26 years ago, I learned to feel the fear and do it anyway and where only recently did I learn not to feel the fear, but to cast it out. For all these years I’ve been stepping out in ‘fearful faith.’ Stepping out in faith, but with anxiety attached to the hip.

Even though I’ve read my bible through, cover to cover 7 times, I still didn’t connect ‘cast out fear’ to what I was doing. Once I hit on it, I could then walk in courage, leaving sin on the sidewalk, so to speak. No longer in fear filled faith, but in courage and with a sound mind, I now march into my day ready for any battle.

Coming back to feeling lonely; it hit on occasion. Or it did. Not now, as now things have changed. Recently, when I had a terrible loneliness three weeks in a row (funnily enough – only ever at church), I saw it was a ploy of the devil. Him thinking he could stop me attending church, although he never did. I felt the loneliness and went anyway, in spite of my feelings.

Once I realised this, once I realised this was a ploy, I said to the devil; “Is this all you got?” and laughed. I haven’t been lonely at church since.

Now that I have this in hand, the devil thought he’d try a new thing today. While worshipping I got an overwhelming sadness for our beautiful dog, Soxx, as her days are coming to a close (she’s 17 years old now, arthritic, stiff and slow). And who knows, she may go another 2 or 3 years but for whatever reason, today I got teary and again only at church.

Straight away I realised it to be another ploy of the devil. Satan can no longer get me in the loneliness department and so, ever the optimist, he’s trying a new thing. “Ha, ha, ha; is this all you got?” I went right on worshipping and didn’t think of Soxx again throughout the service.

It’s a new tool for the tool kit on battling the enemy, don’t you think? New to me anyway.

When in condemnation; Is this all you got!

When in pain; Is this all you got!

When in poverty; Is this all you got!

When in fear; Is this all you got!

When in illness; Is this all you got!

The list is endless, but I guarantee, when you laugh (a form of resistance) the devil will flee, for as it says in James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Now I’m not saying we should poke the bear. That’s never a good idea. We need to be “prayed up” before we attempt this kind of thing. There are two forces at work in our world; good and evil (Christ and satan). Unprepared, it’s not so easy to laugh at the devil.

We need to be tapped into the wisdom of God, for to laugh at the devil is no simple thing. In this instance, it’s not to be taken lightly. Done the right way the devil’s plans are brought to nought, as we break the chains holding us back, under the guiding hand of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As we look through Christ’s eyes and pray for wisdom and understanding, as we ask for the strength and courage to take us where we need to go, as we hear the Lord’s prompting over our situation, then with His leading and guiding can we overcome the evil one.

Laughter transmutes our perspective on an issue, be it a form of evil, or the mundane of modern living. Proverbs 17:22 states a merry heart does good, like medicine. But a broken spirit dries the bones.

Laughter is good for us. A crushed spirit is the opposite of a cheerful heart. If you would rather joy than sadness, take a moment to laugh. Force it if you have to. Even forced laughter causes the mind to react in a positive manner, lifting our pleasure endorphins.

God’s word says in Job 5:22; You shall laugh at destruction and famine and you shall not be afraid the beasts of the earth.

Laugh at destruction and famine – not an easy thing to do when you’re in the midst of the situation. But God can change situations. Beasts of the earth - satan is a beast and one of whom we should not fear, for God is our strength.

Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, pray, study God’s word, take Communion, worship and stand your ground, have faith, testify to all and you will resist the devil and overcome your battles, in Jesus mighty name.

Remember Baal-Perazim; the God of multiple breakthroughs. He can do what you can’t. Amen.

Mamlaka.

Mamlaka.

Shantelle spoke at church on Sunday night about mamlaka (the Hebrew word for dominion, reign, sovereignty). God gave us the authority to rule and reign on the earth. We are told to take that authority, engaging creation in order to bring about our victory.

Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Shantelle spoke of decreeing to the fish of the waters and the birds of the air, declaring what we want to see happen in our lives. Her main point being this one aspect; to engage creation’s help in bringing that victory to us.

Shantelle had lost her sunglasses. Eight months they were missing. To her they were an expensive pair and she didn’t want to buy another set. One day she took her authority and spoke that creation bring her glasses back to her. The very next day, there they were, sitting on the entry table at church. Eight months missing and returned the day after enlisting creation’s help.

Stepping outside one day, a white cockatoo landed in a tree nearby and actually said ‘hello’ to Shantelle. More than just a little surprised by this, Shantelle replied hello back to the cocky. Shantelle had been thinking about the need for a front fence. She lives on a highway and now has a newly walking toddler. She was also thinking about a problem with a leaking shower.

The bird says hello and Shantelle said to the bird; “I declare my dominion over this earth and I need you to bring me enough money for a front fence and have the bathroom fixed.” As soon as she’d finished speaking the phone rang. And there it happened; enough money for both a fence and bathroom repair.

This is not to take anything away from God. It’s to do as He requested; have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and over every living creature that moves on the earth.

Dalby in Queensland is eminently flat however I live in a mountainous region. I often walk or cycle around the area, decreeing and declaring as I go. Where my caravan resides is on the fringes of Mares Forest National Park and as I hike the mountains of the reserve, I decree and declare my vision for my life and for those I’m praying for. I sing hymns and recite bible passages, taking the word of God into all creation as God’s asked us to do. Mark 16:15 …Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature…

One day as I was doing this, I heard clapping, lots and lots of clapping. So vivid was this sound, so real, I actually turned around to see who was behind me. I’m out in the bush, miles from anywhere and I’m looking to see who’s clapping. My theory is, in speaking the word of God to His creation, the leaves on the trees clapped their hands; either that or the cloud of witnesses who watch from above were cheering me on. (I’ve also had this happen a second time, as I cycled the streets around town.) It wasn’t a small number of clapping hands, not by any means. It was like a huge auditorium full of people both times.

But; I have never thought to engage creation’s help in bringing my victory. I was decreeing and declaring my outcome, but wasn’t enlisting my mamlaka over the situation. I wasn’t calling out my dominion over creation.

The very next night it was time to put Shantelle’s word to the test. This stay at Lizzie’s I’ve felt my photos have been a little ordinary, a little lacklustre. After hearing Shantelle’s words I went for an evening stroll. I declared my dominion, my mamlaka over the wildlife in the area, stating I wanted them to aid me in getting a ‘most extraordinary shot.’

I was not disappointed as I snapped the setting sun over the golf course with the trees lit up as if in a golden fire. A perfect reflection upon the dam used for watering the course. And the cheekiest juvenile galah at feeding time, plus a well camouflaged Tawny frogmouth with two nestlings.

It was almost dark by now and I was heading for home when I noticed a brown lump in the tree. I felt truly blessed to capture an image of Tawny and babes. However, the light wasn’t the best and I went back the next day, where I felt I got the perfect image.

In taking hold of my authority in greater measure, in enlisting the help of creation, I feel more confident now in bringing about my victory over any and all situations. You might be just as surprised as Shantelle was and as I was at the outcome should you attempt to do the same.

On a little side note; our dog will turn 17 soon. She's become a tad incontinent. The night before Shantelle’s talk, Soxx had me up seven times in eight hours. The night after Shantelle’s talk I decreed my authority over the situation and for the following two nights I only got up to Soxx once each night. Let's pray that continues. 

I feel to add here, one week on and I still haven't had to get up more than once a night for Soxx. Also, as a push-bike rider for pleasure, I've used my mamlaka against swooping magpies, with fantastic results.