Category: Sanctification

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Light—The Other Armor: A Daylight Saving Time Reminder You May Not Have Expected

Is your armor complete?

When we think of armor, Ephesians 6 often comes to mind. But what about Romans 13:12? The MEV reveals, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us take off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.”

Could it be that our armor, as described in various versions of Ephesians 6:11, 13, is not full, whole or complete without the radiant light of Romans 13:12?

Jesus is the “light of the world,” and so are we (Jn. 8:12, Mt. 5:14). There is no darkness in Him at all, and the enemy cannot comprehend light (1 Jn. 1:5, Jn. 1:5). So when we don the wrap-around light of Christ, the enemy is confounded (Ps. 104:2, Da. 2:22, Jo. 10:10).

What a position of strength!

Evil can’t get in (Ps. 91:7)!

As armor, light is about stripping off our sinful flesh and putting on the sinless character of Jesus (Light) for a faith-filled lifestyle of holy worship, honor, and strength by grace.

That’s victorious living.

Ephesians 6:10 TPT reveals, “Now my beloved ones, I have saved these most important truths for last: Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through you.”

2 Corinthians 4:6 TPT reveals, “For God, who said, ‘Let brilliant light shine out of darkness,’ is the one who has cascaded his light into us—the brilliant dawning light of the glorious knowledge of God as we gaze into the face of Jesus Christ.”

March 10, the beginning of Daylight Saving Time this year, is a great time to remind us of these truths.

Consider these metaphors for Daylight Saving Time, a kind of first fruit shift, remembering ten (Eph. 10, Jo. 10:10, March 10) as the Biblical number for restoration. (I believe this year can prove out double-portion victory.):

  1. Light saves us.
  2. Our flesh sacrifices sleep.
  3. It forces us to wake up sooner.
  4. This shift in time causes an inner reset.
  5. Only a remnant of people are in the zone.
  6. At the end of the day, we experience more light.

Song of Songs 2:13 TPT reveals, “Can you not discern this new day of destiny breaking forth around you? The early signs of my purposes and plans are bursting forth. The budding vines of new life are now blooming everywhere. The fragrance of their flowers whispers, ‘There is change in the air.’ Arise, my love, my beautiful companion, and run with me to the higher place. For now is the time to arise and come away with me.”

God is the igniter of both consuming fire and glory. Because He loves us, His consuming fire burns off the dross in us that hinders our destiny with Him. His glorious and tangible Presence visits us in worship, to fill us and surround us with His peace, love and revelation. Both flames of passion can burn simultaneously during trials and tribulation.

He’s that smart.

He’s that powerful.

He’s that big.

2 Corinthians 3:18 TPT reveals, “We can all draw close to him with the veil removed from our faces. And with no veil we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus. We are being transfigured into his very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. And this glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

Psalms 50:23 TPT reveals, “The life that pleases me is a life lived in the gratitude of grace, always choosing to walk with me in what is right. This is the sacrifice I desire from you. If you do this, more of my salvation will unfold for you.”

God is calling us to awaken and accelerate with Him at this time. Are you willing to sync with Him as your accelerant, as He brings darkness to light (Ps. 18:28, 2 Sam. 22:29)? Are you willing to trust Him and be clothed in His greater anointing (Gal 3:27)?

With whom will you choose to align yourself? The Father of lights (Ja. 1:17)? Or the father of lies (Jn. 8:44)?

Psalm 105:4 TPT directs us to “Seek more of his strength! Seek more of him! Let’s always be seeking the light of his face.”

Romans 50:1-2 TPT reveals, “The God of gods, the mighty Lord himself, has spoken! He shouts out over all the people of the earth in every brilliant sunrise and every beautiful sunset, saying, ‘Listen to me!’ God’s glory-light shines out of the Zion-realm with the radiance of perfect beauty.

Although longer days are upon us, our time on earth gets shorter every day. It’s time to step up, show gratitude to God and keep our promises to Him (Ps. 50:14). It’s time to come into more of His light of salvation … and sanctification, for His glory.

This article graciously appeared on Charisma.com March 8, 2019.

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Bitter or Sweet

Recently, I cozied in on this season’s first cold day with a cup of tea and a favorite gingerbread cookie from a local specialty store. As I bit into the soft decadent dessert, the flavors of bitter and sweet seemed more pronounced than when I had eaten them before.

The molasses was sweet. The baking soda or powder was bitter.

I did not like the bitter.

I had a distinct sense that God was expressing something to me.

I flipped on the TV to watch Pastor Jentezen Franklin. No accident, he shared a message about how the Israelites had eaten bitter herbs in Egypt and, as a result, they were difficult to be around.

He described their words as having “stunk bitterly.”

Later, I flipped through a stack of books a friend had borrowed and returned to me. One of them was John Eckhardt’s Destroying the Spirit of Rejection: Receive Love and Acceptance and Find Healing. A nugget on one of the pages leapt out at me: Provoke is rooted in bitterness.

This brought to mind someone I know who, from a very young age, seemed to have made an art of controlling others through antagonistic provoke–stirring up trouble (instead of Holy Spirit). It reminded me of the deep “unprovokable” work The Lord did in me over the years and continues to do.

The next day, I picked up my Bible reading in the book of “Proverbs,” where I had left off. I discovered even more clues to this message The Lord was building . . .

“There’s only one kind of person who is worse than a fool: the impetuous one who speaks without thinking first” (Proverbs 29:20 TPT).

I felt led to look up “impetuous.” Webster’s defines it as “marked by impulsive vehemence or passion (temperament).”

I felt led to look up “vehemence.” Webster’s defines it as “forceful energy, powerful wind, intensely emotional, fervid, deeply felt (suspicion), forceably expressed (denunciations), bitterly antagonistic (debate).”

I noticed that on page (267) of my TPT Bible is the study note: “Wind is an emblem of the Holy Spirit bringing new life” (John 3:6-8).

Then the Word of The Lord was made clear:

Bitterness can be a false establishment of a driving force behind provoke, antagonism, intensely emotional temperaments. Do not tolerate the false shield of provoke (rooted in bitterness) from others or yourself. Extend the true shield of faith for grace to come to know the Presence of God more than any familiar spirit of provoke. Remain in faith.

Bitterness works against the Holy Spirit on your behalf. It can hinder new life through Christ. Do not accept the false wind of bitterness over the Holy Spirit’s wind of change for new life. A sweet countenance is required for where God desires to lead you and with whom He desires to align you in His promised land. Choose to receive His big fruit (abundant) blessings. Remain in His Word of truth.

 I prayed . . .

Dear Lord, Regarding bitterness, please pluck up any root and rid me of all residue. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit of light, life and truth, in Jesus’ Mighty Name. Let me be a flourishing branch, a good tree with flourishing branches. Let my heart be Your beautiful garden that produces and attracts a sweet harvest of good fruit—Your goodness demonstrated—as I abide in You at the root level. As You water me with Your Word, continue to make me “a woman of strength and mighty valor, a radiant woman” (Proverbs 31:10, 31). One who “lives in the wonder, awe, and fear of The Lord” (Proverbs 31:30). An anointed cloud “carried by the wind of the Holy Spirit [to] bring refreshing truths to [Your] people” (Proverbs 25:14 TPT Note).

Funny thing, I don’t think I like those gingerbread cookies as much as I used to. God offered me something better: more authenticity in my relationship with Him.

He enabled me to receive more gratitude and true intimacy.

“For the natural realm can only give birth to things that are natural, but the spiritual realm gives birth to supernatural life! You shouldn’t be amazed by my statement, ‘You all must be born from above!’ For the Spirit-wind blows as it chooses. You can hear its sound, but you don’t know where it came from or where it’s going. So it is within the hearts of those who are Spirit-born” (John 3:6-8 TPT)!

“But when the truth-giving Spirit comes, he will unveil the reality of every truth within you. He won’t speak on his own, but only what he hears from the Father, and he will reveal prophetically to you what is to come” (John 16:13 TPT).

“As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us” (Hebrews 12:1 TPT).

“You must catch the troubling foxes, those sly little foxes that hinder our relationship. For they raid our budding vineyard of love to ruin what I’ve planted within you. Will you catch them and remove them for me? We will do it together” (Song of Songs 2:15 TPT).

“These ‘foxes’ are the compromises that are hidden deep in our hearts. These are areas of our lives where we have not yet allowed the victory of Christ to shine into. The foxes keep the fruit of his Spirit from growing within us” (TPT Bible note for Song of Songs 2:15).

“And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power” (Ephesians 3:16 TPT).

“Now my beloved ones, I have saved these most important truths for last: Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through you” (Ephesians 6:10 TPT).