Power of Knowing Your Enemy  

Key Scripture: “I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves.”  Matthew 5:44, The Message

Power Point: Love your enemies? That’s our battle plan to defeat the enemy? You've got to be kidding. I thought I could explain to the devil how bad things were for me and he would just apologize and stop attacking me. Actually no where in scripture can I find the words ,”Just talk to the devil. Tell him your sad story. Explain to him how bad things are and he will have mercy on you and stop his attacks.” If you’ve found that one, would you let me know?

One very important thing I have learned in my life, in fact, probably one of the top three things is this:  The enemy is not that person you are dealing with; The Enemy is the enemy!

Did you ever wonder why God says, “Bless your enemies?” That was really a hard one for me until He spoke that truth about the enemy into my life.

If the Enemy is indeed the “enemy", then he is trying to “steal, kill and destroy” from everyone he meets.  If that’s the case, then the person you are having the most problems with is a person who is losing their battle with him. That’s why God says, “Bless them.  Pray for grace in their lives so that THEY can defeat the enemy.”  If they are continually angry, or mean, or vindictive, or maybe just get on your last nerve, guess who’s in charge of their life? My prayer for my “enemies” is that God will send His Holy Spirit to them to bless them and lead them to an encounter with Him.” I’m so thankful for the corrective lenses that Papa God has given me to see them from His perspective.  Everything looks different from heavenly places.   Everything is different when you sit beside Him on the mercy seat. You pray with Mercy, from mercy, for mercy.

God does the work, and their lives are changed from that encounter. And so is yours.You no longer see people as an enemy. You KNOW that you KNOW that you KNOW that The Enemy is the enemy.

Your job is to withstand and resist the ENEMY, not that person. You may need to “withdraw” from them for a time and raise fervent prayers on their behalf, but you are never told to withstand and resist a person.  In Romans 14:19 Paul says, “Let us therefore, (because of Holy Spirit in us), pursue the things that make for peace and the things by which one may edify one another.” The ultimate outcome? God is glorified, and people see Jesus. Come on! Let’s try His strategy. I know it sounds crazy, but it just might work!

Power Talk: I will love my enemies.  I will bless them and not curse them. I will love my enemies. I will bless them and not curse them. I will…

I am SO blessed by your comments!

Power of Stepping OUT!

Key Scripture:  “With men this is impossible but with God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:26

“Lord, if it’s You, command me to come to You on the water.  COME! Matthew 14:28,29

Power Point: About ten years or so ago, my prayer partner, extraordinaire, Julie and I really began to dip our toes in the water of the kingdom of God. We had begun to see and believe many of the things I share with you. Our hearts burned so brightly to be able to bring healing to others and so we began to do everything we could to make that happen. We read everything we could get our hands on and went everywhere we could to see people who had learned how to bring the kingdom of God here. One of our first big events was a conference held by Charisma magazine. It was amazing.  We had been placed on the prayer team and we were in that prayer room every minute we could manage. People were being healed as others prayed for them. It was an electric atmosphere that charged our hearts, and changed them forever.

When we returned home, I called my friend Rebekah.   She is a pastor’s wife and their family had been totally devastated for two years by her diagnosis of Fibromyalgia. I had spent many wonderful hours with her over the previous year, just introducing her to Holy Spirit and the kingdom of God (the little that I knew!) I called her a few days after we had gotten home, and in my excitement I shared every thing that had happened.  Suddenly, I realized there was dead silence on the other end of the phone. “What do you think we should do?” I asked. “Pray”, she responded.  I was at her house in 20 minutes.  First I had to call Julie and Donna and tell them to “PRAY!"

This is the funny part. I had no idea what I was doing. I grabbed my “Handbook for Healing” by Frances and Charles Hunter and took off in my car. When I arrived, I sat in the driveway, thumbing frantically through the book, trying to find out how to heal people of Fibromyalgia. As it happened of course, I didn’t need the book. I put on some music, sat with her on the floor and took her hands in mine. That’s pretty much all I did. She began to shake, I began to worry. I asked her what was happening and she said, “It’s going out the same way it came in.” And it did. She has never had another symptom.

He said, “Come!” I came. He did what He had wanted to do all along. And I got to watch!  I still get to watch. I love partnering with Holy Spirit, He does all the work and I just show up, reach out, and touch!

Power Talk:  When Jesus says, “Come!” I’m going! I don’t care if I get a little wet.  Why don’t you come too?  Come on!

Surrender

Power of Surrender

Key Scripture; “Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him…Fix your attention on God, you’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you...God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” Romans 12, 1,2 The Message

Power Point: Okay, we’ve all been there. It was a powerful meeting. The music was wonderful, the sermon tore right at your heart and convicted you of things you hadn’t even thought of doing yet. And then they play, “I Surrender All”. Here come the tears, and here come the vows to do better and to give everything to Him. Everything. Right. And you really mean it at the time; until the cold light of morning. You sit down and open your Bible and the first thing the ladies see is ‘Wives submit to your husbands as unto the Lord.” WHAT? Hold on, I’m certainly not submitting to that guy. Have you seen how ____ he can be at times? I am so much more spiritual than he is Lord. Anything but that! And guys? “Live with your wife in an understanding way.” Lord, we all know that is impossible! She is WAY past understanding.

Get the picture? Yes, Lord, I surrender all. Except that. And that. Oh, my goodness, certainly not that! Lord you couldn’t expect me to give up THAT, it would be very uncomfortable. I know you don’t want me to be uncomfortable.

You want me to give up my right to be right? Argh! You want me to walk in faith not fear? You want me to step out into the unknown and follow you without a road map and clear directions?

Okay, see the bad thing is God heard your vows to surrender “all”. And He immediately starts working from that perspective. And believe it or not, He is not at all concerned with your comfort. In fact, getting you OUT of your comfort zone is one of His greatest pleasures. Trust me on this one. After years of long drawn out tugs-of war over my surrendered items, I always lost in the end. And after my surrender, I always knew I would have been much better off if I had given in earlier.

You already know what the next thing is He’s working on to free you from. How about just saying “yes”? He knows exactly how to bring out the best in you, and grow you up at the same time. Give it a try.

Oh, and by the way, the next time they start singing “I surrender all”. I suggest you zip your lip!

Power Talk: Papa God, I really do want transformation in my life. I know there are so many ways that I am conformed to this world. So, I will yield up the next thing you ask of me, with joy, and expect you to set me free from myself, and all that pertains to the old man in me. I am a new creation. I intend to live like it.

Always or Never

Power of Always or Never

Key Scripture: “I urge (you) to iron out your differences and make up. God doesn’t want His children holding grudges.” Philippians 4:1 The Message

“You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly.” Ephesians 4:3,4, The Message

Power Point: At my house, there are just two PEOPLE, my daughter Stefanie and myself. We are accompanied by SIX POODLES. Yep. Six! Actually the poodles allow us to live here as long as we provide cuddles, cushions and beef liver. I digress.

A while ago, Stefanie and I found ourselves in the middle of a conversation that went something like this: “Mom, you ALWAYS…”To which I responded, ”Stefanie you NEVER…. One day we started thinking about what we were saying. Always? Never? The truth is that nobody does something “ALL the time or “Never” NOT does something, but it sure puts a cramp in your thought life toward them when you are thinking that way. So-short story long-we decided that we would never (whoops,) I mean STOP, using those two words with each other. And actually we do pretty well at it. In the hands of the flesh, "always' and "never" can be lethal to a relationship. When the Spirit gets involved “ALL things work together for good.” and” I will NEVER leave you or forsake you” are pretty good places to hang your hat.

Once, when Stefanie was out of town, I found some sort of mess in the kitchen. I thought to myself, “Well, she ALWAYS does that. She should be more careful!” Then, to my GREAT chagrin, I realized that I was the only “SHE” there. Really embarrassing! But it taught me a lesson. I hadn’t realized how important it was to me to blame someone else. Thankfully, I’m learning that it’s a whole lot better to take ownership for my slip-ups right from the “get-go”. It saves a lot of emotional energy.

So are you ready to remove “always” and “never” from your vocabulary? The person who lives with you will be very happy. And you know what? The person you see in the mirror every day will be happier too.

Power Talk: I will always think twice before I use the word “always” in a sentence with “you”. I will never lock someone into a negative position by using the word “never” concerning them. I ALWAYS walk in the Spirit and I am NEVER led by the flesh. Help Holy Spirit!

I am So blessed by your comments!

Honor

Power of Honor

Key Scripture: ‘God’s wisdom is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.” James 3:17, The Message

Hono“Watch the way you talk! “ Ephesians 4:29, The Message

Power Point: When my children were little we taught them the importance of saying, “Please” and “Thank You”. Living in the south, we also stressed “Yes Sir”, or “No Ma’am”. We were teaching them to be respectful of other people, especially those in authority over them. It has served them well.

If you watch TV programs or political news updates today, I think you would agree that there are very few words of respect. As we launch the country into election mode, I dread the onslaught of disrespectful and dishonoring commercials and sound bites. What happened? How did we lose that ability to separate the person from what he has said or done, and still treat them with respect?

What I understand is, God always honors us. Therefore, His Spirit in us is always honoring of someone else. Remember yesterday when you spoke harshly to that person, or you said something that really hurt their feelings? I would imagine that you felt a twinge of regret from Holy Spirit in you. Maybe today would be a good day to ask Him to show you how to “honor” at all times. If we want to BE honored, we have to SOW honor. Hmm!

Power Talk: I honor Jesus when I honor others through Him. I honor Papa God when I honor Jesus and Holy Spirit. I honor others by seeing them as He sees them and then making sure that each word I speak to them is helpful, each word a “gift”.

I am So blessed by your comments!

Power UP!

The Power of POWER!

Key Scripture: “He climbed a mountain and invited those he wanted with Him. They climbed together. The plan was that they would be with him, and he would send them out to proclaim the Word and give them authority to banish demons.” Mark 3:15, The Message

“And the disciples went everywhere preaching, the Master working right with them, validating the Message with indisputable evidence.” Mark 16:20, The Message.

Power Point: Okay guys, let’s get “Powered UP!” When Jesus sends out His disciples He says to them, “Go preach, go heal, and cast out the devil.” He says it again and again. There are two words for power in the New Testament. You may be familiar with “dunamis” power. That’s the explosive miracle working power of Holy Spirit in us. Then there is the “exousia” power of Holy Spirit. That is the power that gives you the capacity, and the authority to act out the “dunamis”, through the power

Of THE NAME, (that destroys chaos). “Exousia” is the privilege and the right to use the ability He has given you.

Do you need a few miracles in your life today? Guess what, YOU have the ability and the privilege and the power of Holy Spirit to make it happen. Not so sure? Well, Jesus’ assignment was to walk in the Anointing power, (the dunamis power: energy, GREAT force, GREAT ability and strength) of the Holy Spirit and do good, and heal all who were oppressed by the devil. (That’s Acts 10:38). Why? Because God was with Him, and for us. And guess what Beloved? He is WITH you, and IN you, and FOR you to anoint you to do the work of the kingdom. Stop selling yourself short. This is your assignment. And you have the same power, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead living in YOU!. He’s excited about the “greater works” you have ahead of you. He’s thrilled that you don’t have to live “under the circumstances” any more. He’s over the moon because He knows He has left you with the Power, Power, Power: the Power of His Name, the Power of His blood, and the Power of Holy Spirit.

Sometimes I’ve received gifts and tucked them away and forgotten them. Then one day, I’ll remember and go and take them out and “receive” them again. Have you tucked away the gift of the power of Holy Spirit until a later time? Well, today’s the day to unwrap it. RUN do not walk to where you left it and Power UP! Come on!

Power Talk: I am with Him, He is for me, He is in me, and I have power, power, power. I refuse to live “under the circumstances” anymore. I’m taking that “exousia” and releasing the “dunamis”. Let’s GO Holy Spirit! I Love Your Anointing, that equips me with the power to do good, and heal all who are oppressed by the devil, because You are with me. “There is power, power, wonder working power…

I am SO blessed by your comments!

Keeping On

Power of Keeping On

Key Scripture: “Now thanks be to God, who always leads us in His Triumph in Christ Jesus and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” II Corinthians 2:14

Power Point: There are times when the attacks and the pressures of the enemy are so powerful. You’ve prayed, you’ve stood on the Word, but the battle remains.

I’ve got a word for you today. Keep on Keeping ON! The intensity of the battle simply means you’re close to a breakthrough and satan knows it and doesn’t like it. Because the battle remains does NOT mean you’re not doing the right thing. It doesn’t mean you don’t have enough faith or you’re not worthy of the victory. It means it’s time to keep on keeping on. Check your gear. Got your sword and shield? Are you standing in your spot under Papa God’s arm where you can see from His point of view? Are you standing on the promises? Are you guarding your heart? Are you capturing your thoughts? Well then. Keep on keeping on.

Is your problem physical? Keep on keeping on.

Is it emotional? Keep on keeping on.

Is it financial? Keep on keeping on.

Is it a relationship? Keep on keeping on.

As you continue, as you persevere, God has promised a royal victory parade for you. It is called a “triumph”. You WILL be marching in HIS triumph. Visualize that if you can. In biblical times the victor would march all the captives in a parade through his city. The warriors who had fought and won got to march right behind the Captain of the Army. There were certain spices that were burned to accompany the parade. To the captives they meant death; to the victors they were a fragrance of life.

Keep on doing what you know to do. Keep on being who you know you are.

Keep on believing God is Who He says He is and He will do what He says He will do.

What’s that I smell? Smells like victory to me! Keep on keeping on.

Power Talk: I can smell the sweet smell of success. I am getting my boots shined up to march in His Triumph. I will not give up, give out, or give in. God is on my side and by my side. Victory is assured; Jesus is Lord!

I am SO blessed by your comments.

The Promise Keeper

Power of the Promise Keeper

Key Scripture: “Don’t drag your feet. Be like those who stay with the course with committed faith, and then get everything promised to them. Hebrews 6:12, The Message

"The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams." Matthew 13, The Message

Power Point: Imagine, if you will, that it is Christmas and there are several gifts for you under the tree. They are all wrapped in beautiful silver paper with silver ribbon. As you open them, however, it appears that they are all empty. At first glance all you see is tissue paper. What a disappointment! Why do the boxes appear to be empty?

Those gifts represent your promises from God. If you look very carefully, you will see tiny seeds hidden under all that tissue. The boxes appear empty at first because Papa God is waiting for you to provide the faith and patience necessary for the seeds of His Words to begin to grow into reality, for each promise-gift to come alive. He has given you the promises, “exceedingly great and precious promises, concerning everything necessary for your life. Don't drag your feet. Get started now!

Wouldn’t it be great if we could just choose one, put in our order and have it delivered by “next day delivery”? Alas, that is not how it works. Bummer!

The fulfillment of a promise will always require something of you. Abraham had been given a glorious promise, but in order to see it come to pass, he had to “patiently endure”. In fact, he had to wait “in faith, believing”. Romans 4 says, that as he waited, “he became fully convinced that what God had promised, He was also able to perform.” It’s kind of like a chia pet. The foundation is there, the seeds have been planted, you just have to add the water and watch it grow. Papa God is not giving you “empty promises". They're big enough to change your world. He's done His part. The next part is up to you.

What will you put in your silver boxes? Promises for your family or your health, or your finances,or your future, or all of the above? Remember, for every need there is a promise and a provision, and a Promise Keeper.

I’ve got a lot of promises in my treasure trove of silver boxes. Periodically, just like “Mary, Mary, quite contrary” I open them up to see “how they grow”. Sometimes I am very encouraged, because I can see the seeds sprouting. At other times, I realize I need a little more faith and patience before I will see results. That never discourages me. I’ve learned to trust the Promise Keeper no matter what. There will be no “empty boxes” or “empty promises”. Not on my watch. I can say that because I know that "all the promises of God through Jesus are "YES!" and "AMEN!"

Power Talk: Jesus promised me an abundant life, filled with hope. I’m watching over my treasure trove of the gift of His promises to me, and I am fully convinced that He will keep each and every one, as He enables me to add faith and patience. I will not drag my feet. I am adding my Yes to His Yes. Can I hear an Amen?!

I am SO blessed by your comments!

Faithfulness

Power of His Faithfulness:

Key Scripture: “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed ONE WORD of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.” I Kings 8:56

Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed ONE WORD of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.

Power Point:

I was reading this yesterday and was so blessed. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that !

In v. 54, Solomon is the perfect picture of the intercessor. He is “kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up toward heaven.”

He is reminding God of His promises through Moses, and then he moves to remind the people that God is to be blessed because “There has not failed ONE WORD of all His good promises.” That is exactly what a real intercessor does today as well. He remembers what God has promised and He reminds others that not one of His promises has ever failed. He expresses faith in God,

In ‘Love Came Down”, Brian sings, “I’ll remind myself of all that You’ve done and the life I have because of Your Son.” That’s your job today; remind yourself of all that He’s done, and then remember how different your life is because of His Son.” Then tell someone else. Remind them that “There has not failed, ONE WORD of all His good promises.” Ever. Yea God!

Power Talk: I can trust God. I really, really can. He has given me a promise for everything in my life, and NOT ONE WORD HAS FAILED. Why would He start now? Faithful and True- He is faithful to me, I will be faithful to Him. I can rest .

Thanks!

Power of Thanks in Advance

Key Scripture: “It is impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 The Message

Power Point: I was meditating this morning on how important it is for us to give thanks in advance. Sometimes we think of prayer as simply coming and begging God for an answer, but what if you simply began to thank Him in advance for the answer that He has promised? For example this morning I awoke to find myself saying “Thank You for awakening my ear to wisdom today Papa”. “Thank You that You have already called this day blessed”.

“Thank You for going before me and making twisted places straight”. “Thank You for what You are doing in my family.” “Thank You for a fresh supply of lovingkindness and tender mercy today”. “Thank you for perfect health, abundant provision and protection.” You get the idea.

I’m not begging for those things, I’m thanking Him in advance for what He has already promised. Can you feel a difference in your spirit in that kind of prayer? It’s called faith and it begins with knowing that He exists for you and that He cares enough to respond to you.

Why not give it a try? Thanks! In advance.

Power Talk: I Cor. 2:16

Thank You that I have the wisdom of God today. I will think the right thoughts, say the right words, and make the right decisions in every situation I face.

II Peter 1:2-4, Mark 11:23,24

Thank You that as I speak God’s promises, they come to pass. They STOP ALL attacks, assaults, oppression, and fear from my life. They move every mountain.

I am getting a jump start on praise, by thanking You ahead of time for what I know to be a "sure thing". I'm exercising my faith muscles and thanking You for what I know You are in the process of doing for me.

I am SO blessed by your comments!

Stupid!

Power of Stupid

Key Scripture: “I realize I don’t have what it takes. I can will it but I can’t do it. I decide to do good but I don’t really do it. I decide not to do bad but I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep inside me and gets the better of me every time.” Romans 7,The Message.

Power point. The spirit of Stupid. Okay, it really does get on me sometimes, that stupid spirit of Stupid. (And don’t let my grandchildren hear this please, “stupid” is a bad word at their house!) Have you ever had a moment, when you absolutely know the right thing to do or say, and the spirit of Stupid comes on you and you totally do the wrong thing? Afterwards you say, “why on earth did I do that?” Remember Flip Wilson’s tag line-“The devil made me do it!” Well the devil can’t make you do anything but he sends the spirit of Stupid to encourage you in the wrong direction.

The spirit of Stupid helps you to continue to do things you know you shouldn’t do and expect different results. The spirit of Stupid says, “God will allow me this little indiscretion without allowing me to suffer the consequences”. The spirit of Stupid says, “It’s all their fault!” The spirit of Stupid says “I need to show people that I AM RIGHT!” and “This is where YOU are wrong!”. The spirit of Stupid says, “Go ahead buy it, you really need it! What does it matter if you can’t pay for it right now.? Credit is good, right?”

So-has the spirit of Stupid been seen in your vicinity recently? Well, FYI, the best way to shut him up is to remember you have a better way. If you get that twinge inside, that’s Holy Spirit telling you to “STOP! LOOK! and LISTEN!”; that’s His hint that you are about to do something “stupid”.

Better “think again.” The Spirit of Wisdom is as close as your next breath. Inhale.

Power talk: I know the right thing to do and I am equipped to do it. I have the spirit of self-control living in me. Right now. Thank you Lord, for the ability and the power to be led by Your Spirit and bring Your wisdom into everything in my life today.

I am SO blessed by your comments!

Boring

Power of Boring

Key Scripture "I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn't fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way...Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively. II Corinthians 6, The Message

Power Point: I know most of you have seen the movie, “Groundhog Day’ with Bill Murray. He ends up in quite a pickle. He’s stuck in a place he doesn’t want to be in and time stands still. Literally. Every morning he awakens to the same radio announcer, the same things happen over and over and over again. His whole life becomes very predictable.

Have you ever been in that situation? Boy, I have. I’ve gotten SO stuck in my comfort zone that I thought nothing would ever be fun again. I had all the same things, all the same people, all the same thoughts, all the same plans and just like poor Mr. Murray, the same voice in my ear every morning saying the same words. Then one day, Holy Spirit decided He’d had enough. He was bored, bored, bored. There was nothing going on in my life that I couldn't do on my own.

He began pushing me from behind, pulling me from the front, and just generally making my life miserable. Finally, I said, “Okay, I’ll try something new.” That was my first mistake. He always takes a mile if you give Him an inch. I keep reminding Him that I am older, and He says, “Take vitamins and take better care of yourself.” No more excuses1 As a result my days are so filled with opportunities that I would never have dreamed of 10 years ago and I’m loving every minute of it. I’m actually a little concerned that He hasn’t even got started yet.

How about you? Is it time to change some habits, add some new people to your life and get involved in some activities that might lead you to stretch the boundaries of your comfort zone a little? Where did we ever get the idea that Holy Spirit likes boring? He really is a great people person and that means He likes to be with new people. He’s given you all those gifts and they’re not just for you. Hel-lo! They’re there to let people see what God is really like and how much He has done to make their lives whole. He likes to tell them about His world and show them how awesome it really is. And He wants to use you to help. Why not give Him a chance? You might be surprised at how much fun it can be. Have a different thought. Try a new food. Make a new friend. I have a sign that says: “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” The truth is-you never know what He can do until you give Him a chance to do it. And honey, boring He’s NOT!

Power Talk: Variety is becoming the spice in my life. As I’m dipping my toe in the supernatural flow of the kingdom of heaven, I’m so excited to see that Holy Spirit is even MORE excited than I am. He’s been saving up all these wonderful opportunities for me, just waiting for me to take the plunge. Let’s go Holy Spirit! I’m not afraid of nothin’! Hear that sound? That’s the sound of my comfort zone being s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d!

I am So blessed by your comments!

The Name

Power of The Name

Key Scripture: “God’s name is a place of protection-good people can run there and be safe.” Proverbs 18:10, the Message

Power Point: I’ve had the privilege of traveling to many foreign countries. One of my most memorable times was when I visited Italy with my friend Janet. When we arrived in Rome, we had to show our passports in order to get in. Even though we were visiting there, we were still protected by the fact that we carried a passport of our home country. It gave us special privileges although we were in a strange land. At the end of our trip, we arrived at the airport to find soldiers with their weapons drawn everywhere. It was pretty intimidating. (okay, we were scared spitless). We arrived at the security point and I showed the guard my passport and was allowed to pass through. Suddenly I hear a frantic yell from Janet, “I don’t have my passport, I packed it by mistake!” Somehow, she jumped up and pulled her suitcase off of the belt and was able to retrieve the “blessed document”. Thankfully, no one shot her in the process.

The thing is, we are strangers in this land. Our passports identify us as citizens of the kingdom of God. Though we have “walking around rights” here, we are not subject to the hurtful things here. We have dominion over them through Christ, through “the Name” that is above ALL other names. We bring OUR world here. I think sometimes we forget that we are “strangers” here, just like Abraham. When the disciples asked Jesus to show them how to pray, Jesus said, “Make holy “The Name”. Let your kingdom come. As above, so below.

“The Name” , "Hashem", means one who destroys chaos. “Peace” means, to destroy the authority that establishes chaos. It includes wholeness in every area of life whether it is health, finances, relationships, EVERY area. So Papa God, The Name who destroys Chaos, sent the Prince of Peace to destroy the authority that establishes Chaos. Are you getting the picture here. Okay, hang on. It gets even better! Next He says that He has given Jesus “The Name” that is above every name that is named” not only in this world, but in the world to come. Cancer is a name. Poverty is a name. Addiction is a name. And who carries His Name? That would be you! So stand up a little taller and walk with a little more confidence! You are the one to whom He was speaking when He said, “Whatever you ask the Father In My Name, He will give it to you.

Is it time for you to unpack your kingdom passport and start showing it at all the checkpoints in your life? Do you need to remember that “The Name (that destroys chaos) is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and are safe? Carry “The Name” proudly, Beloved. It is your passport to freedom. It is GOOD News! It destroys the chaos of illness, poverty, strife and confusion. As above, so below. Thank You Jesus!

Power Talk: I am a citizen of heaven. I carry the Name of Jesus, which destroys chaos wherever I go. I have authority and I have instructions from the King of Kings to use “The Name” to bring His kingdom here. As above, so below.

Blessed be The Name of the Lord

Time for Refreshment

I thought this might bless you. It's from Graham Cooke.

"I place all that I hope to become, all the dreams of my future into Your hands. I can live a life of celebration knowing that you are powerful, faithful and wonderful on my behalf. I give you my heart again today. I put my life into your safe keeping. I love You and I trust You-all that You are and do. I want Your plans and purposes not just my own. Take mine and correct them. Change them so that my life is aligned with Your desire. I want to dance my way through life, hearing the music that comes from the rhythm of Your own passion for me. I trust You, I love you, I celebrate You. I want to walk in

unbroken fellowship with You. Play my heart like a violin. Let me resonate with the sound of Your heart. Thank you that sorrow and sighing are fleeing away. My life will be marked by laughter. Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Let my joy be full as I drink in Your words. I choose to be present future with you. I step away from my past and embrace the joy of a new day, a new time; a fresh season of Your grace and laughter. I see the smile on Your Face. Lift up your smile and let Your quiet joy radiate down onto my life, bringing an abundance of laughter. Lift my heart by your smile. And in the atmosphere of your happy heart, my joy will be unbounded. The joy of the Lord is set before me. How can I be sad?

This is no longer a time of sadness. Grief must leave early. Sadness must run to escape the radiance of Your smile. I choose this place.

The brightness of Your smiling, the beauty of Your grin, the power of Your laughter."

Love Expressed, Increases

This is an article from Graham Cooke. Blessings!

LOVE EXPRESSED, INCREASES

by Graham Cooke

When the Gospel came to the Greek people, they had no language for unconditional love. No word could adequately represent the magnitude for the concept. They had to make up a word that defines God's loving nature. That word is Agape. The most important thing about love is what we do with it.

Agape is unselfish love which expects no return. We love for the sake of loving. Love begets love as surely as hate produces hatred. Love grows when given but diminishes when withheld. Agape is the unconditional love that God give us because of Who He is in Himself. He absolutely loves His enemies. The absolute proof of which is John 3:16 and Ephesians 2:1-10.

We love those who have lost sight of themselves and as a result have no clear idea of how to behave around people. The selfish, the arrogant, the abuser, and the miserly; people who are stingy, narrow-minded, and ungenerous. Love catches all and touches everyone. The difficult people are the proof of love since they need the most to be changed by it. Loving the nice is good practice; loving the unlovely is a sure sign that we know that we ourselves are the Beloved.

Love is feeling good about ourselves in the eyes of the Father and seeing what He sees in other people. It takes patience to love some people. Time is required for us to get over our prejudice, open our heart to God, and make life decisions about who we are going to be for the people who get on our last nerve. Christians are not renowned for thinking patiently. We preach about love but practice the worldly kind. We do not set people free with God's love; we imprison them with our own fleshly habits of anger, judgment and blame. Love does not make people pay. We confuse judgment with justice. Judgment revolves around blame, punishment, and condemnation. Justice is the mix of righteousness with integrity and dignity. It is about fair treatment and impartiality. Love enable people to be advantaged even in ways they least deserve.

Such love is not weak. It is powerful but meek, kind but firm, generous and righteous. Meekness is not weakness; it is strength under control. Love will not abandon others to their fate. Love changes the course of life. It does not wash its hands of people. Agape love will never diminish another human being, but will make a point to enhance their quality of life.

When we love as God loves we are most connected to our truest identity. We discover ourselves in God. We are always more free when practicing love and always more bound when we imprison other people by guilt. Agape love is not self-conscious, overly sensitive or self-righteous. We must expect to be criticized for real love. The sure sign that we are manifesting God's Presence in Agape is revealed in our vilification by the super-spiritual and the religious minded.

We cannot pretend to love people; that is unreality. however we can practice the nature of God on everyone, and in so doing, be transformed ourselves. Agape is a very deliberate choice. It cannot be merely spontaneous — it must be consciously planned. Such love is not simply a feeling but a definitive act of the will. We choose love regardless of how we feel. We love because of who we are now and because of who we want to become in Jesus.

Love expressed increases. Love withheld declines. Love is not about having the right person in front of us, who can see us in the right way. If God has loved us first (1 John 4:19) then we must look inward, not outward, for Agape. Love, like the Kingdom, is within us now! Accept it, receive it, and rejoice in it. Love being loved. The best way to express love is to do it.

Giving love demonstrates Jesus. Agape is not contrived and it is not selfish. Love always returns to us by use. We have love now - give it! nothing makes people more dependent, self-pitying, bitter, cynical and emotionally crippled than thinking they don't have love unless someone gives it to them.

We must start where we are slowly. It is vital to let love be a conscious act that defines who we want to become in our own identity. Love needs no reward. It does not keep score. It bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things. It needs no fanfares, grandiose statements, promises or resolutions. We do not need to draw attention to ourselves. Love from within the shadow of God's wings. Quietly, unannounced, in secret. The Father who sees in secret will multiply Agape to us. When we love, we bless ourselves. Just do it, quietly, for God's sake!

-Graham Cooke