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Back To School – God Is Faithful To Protect

It’s back to school time for many—a flurry of school supplies, schedule adjustments and, sadly, safety anxieties.

Will it be like last year?

Will be better?

In the midst of chaos, God’s promises are our best protection—His fidelity of faithfulness as armor—that surrounds us like a large shield, firmly affixed.

Psalm 91:4 TPT assures us, “His massive arms are wrapped around you, protecting you. You can run under his covering of majesty and hide. His arms of faithfulness are a shield keeping you from harm.”

Therefore, back to school is a time of grace to pray, believe, and receive God’s promises.

Mark 11:24 TPT reveals, “This is the reason I urge you to boldly believe for whatever you ask for in prayer—be convinced that you have received it and it will be yours.”

“And now out of his fullness we are fulfilled! And from him we receive grace heaped upon more grace” (John 1:16 TPT)!

As we head into our new assignments of learning and growing, it’s good to know that we can experience God’s faithful assurance continually in our journey, beyond a single object or event … as we learn to trust Him at more of His truth.

This is where we grow our shield of faith.

So what’s to worry?

“Jesus replied, ‘You don’t understand yet the meaning of what I’m doing, but soon it will be clear to you’” (John 13:7 TPT).

We can always trust Him in this next-level of opportunity-process whereby He trains us, develops us, tests us, and establishes us.

Stronger in Him.

Knowing Him more.

To better equip us to do what He called us to do in this life as our classroom, where our commitment to His character and ways are proven.

Therefore, God’s faithfulness is necessary for our victory.

“Keep trusting in the Lord and do what is right in his eyes. Fix your heart on the promises of God and you will be secure, feasting on his faithfulness” (Psalm 37:3 TPT).

Found in the armor of His blood covenant, God’s faithfulness is a battle strategy of running to Him, hiding in Him, and receiving from Him to progress and finish our race by His strength, not ours.

His faithfulness is a post of revelation for reformation, perpetual truth that travels with us, and a marker for excellence-in-the-making. It is a place of support, a respite in our marathon, and a divine task and object that guards us.

God’s faithfulness is always available as the armor that sustains us completely. When we believe and walk in the Spirit of truth, faith, and grace, we can hold to our shield and watch His love for us unfold.

Beautifully.

No matter what.

It’s worth going back to.

Amen.

This article graciously appeared on Charisma Magazine and SpiritLed Woman Magazine August 19, 2019 under the title, God’s Powerful Promises for Your Family’s Back-to-School Days.

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Black Friday In July – Second To None

We’ve heard of Christmas in July. But Black Friday in July?

This was something new to me when I first saw the department store circular delivered to my door earlier this week.

Black Friday sales officially begin tomorrow (with a couple of pre-sale days added).

Yes, right now!

Who doesn’t like free shipping and deeply discounted prices?

But like all other activities (or habits), shopping needs to be done in submission to Christ.

For me, among other things, this meant not purchasing anymore “seconds.” The Lord had spoken to me about this months ago.

“What’s the big deal?” I initially thought. “I’ve been doing this for decades.”

After all, there were only a couple of items I had consistently purchased as second quality over the years: paperback books with nary a mark or crease that would probably get more messed up anyway, and holiday china from my favorite outlet with only the tiniest of imperfections, usually on the bottom, that would, perhaps, get broken over the years.

At first thought, books and dishes seemed like small things to me.

But not to God.

Books and dishes were just His beginning for me in the shopping arena.

When I asked Him for understanding, He helped me realize it’s about a new mindset that He desires to establish in me: The expectation of first-rate, top-quality, best, flawless, heirloom, legacy—His character outwardly reflected as manifestations of my inward inheritance.

God has fine stuff that He desires to give.

But old mindsets can feel like self-entitlement.

Still, it has to go to receive God’s best.

Galatians 5:16 TPT encourages us, “As you yield freely and fully to the dynamic life and power of the Holy Spirit, you will abandon the cravings of your self-life.”

So what are you expecting?

First-rate or second-best?

God’s finest strategy is to release the settling for seconds to Him and advance to top choice.

When we have the mind of Christ, victory can happen like lightning in God’s promised land. We need only to see clearly, having the blinders of our way removed.

Black Friday in July sale?

Doorbusters galore?

Free shipping?

1 John 2:16 TPT warns us, “For all that the world can offer us—the gratification of our flesh, the allurement of the things of the world, and the obsession with status and importance—none of these things come from the Father but from the world.”

But for me, it’s not about status.

It’s about beauty.

I’m drawn to beautiful things.

I’ve learned He’s the most beautiful thing.

And everything else is just second.

“Your pleasant path leads me to pleasant places. I’m overwhelmed by the privileges that come with following you, for you have given me the best” (Psalm 16:6, TPT)!

“So above all, constantly chase after the realm of God’s kingdom and the righteousness that proceeds from him. Then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly” (Matthew 6:33, TPT).

“…For the Lord sees not as man sees. For man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7, MEV).

This article graciously appeared on Black Friday in July at Charisma.com under the title “Why God Has More For You Than Second Best.”

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God’s Glory On Flag Day

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed a resolution that allowed the country to adopt its first official flag: the 13-star and stripe banner. Later, an act of Congress, signed by President Harry Truman in 1949, designated the anniversary of this resolution as National Flag Day. 

This act was signed 70 years ago this year. 

Also, three years before President Truman signed this act of Congress, President Trump was born … yes, on National Flag Day 1946. 

God birthed both an act and a promise—signs of opportunity for complete restoration—victory through unity in Christ for our nation.

Song of Songs 2:4 assures us that God’s banner over us is love. 

According to Strong’s Concordance, banner can mean sign, signal or standard. 

Moses experienced God raising up a standard of authoritative triumph in Exodus 17:15 as he surrendered to divine victory to rule over a nation of wandering Amalekites at Rephidim. As a sacrifice and a remembrance to God, Moses built an altar there, naming it “The Lord Is My Banner.” 

Prominent Episcopalian, lawyer and poet, Francis Scott Key, knew Jehovah-Nissi’s miraculous victory too.

Anchored eight miles away from Ft. McHenry, on a sloop, during the Battle of Baltimore in September 1814, Key wrote the poem that became our national anthem. 

Key witnessed local commissioned seamstress Mary Pickersgill’s two wool 15-star-and-stripe banners reign over the fort—a small “storm” flag, which measured 17 by 25 feet and flew during the bombardment by the British, and a larger garrison flag, which measured 30 by 42 feet and was raised the morning of Sept. 14, 1814, when the British retreated.

Key saw the battle from darkness to “the dawn’s early light.” 

Moses saw the battle from morning to sunset, when a new day begins, according to the Hebrew calendar (Ex. 17:12). 

Jesus is the standard Father has raised up for our new beginning (Isa. 11:10). What is Jesus, our miracle-sign, birthing through you to co-rule and co-reign over in this new day? Do you also see His victory as your co-labor with Him?

When we surrender to God, we surrender to divine victory.  Have you seen His greater victory after your storm?

Prayer

Lord Our Banner (Jehovah-Nissi), Thank You for Your banner strategy of victorious love for me. Help me to be brave like Moses and Joshua in prayer and Word. Help me to trade in my stones of hindrance (Isa. 62:10) for Your stone-of-treasure foundation (Isa. 54:11). Open my eyes to see Your compassionate banner of love and victory over me during and after my storms—the resurrection of new life evangelism that flows from You, through me and beyond me for Your glory, honor and greater good of nations. Thank You for making me into a glory carrier for Your Great Name. Amen. 

Scriptures

Lamentations 3:22-24 MEV – “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed; His compassions do not fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in Him.'”

Isaiah 11:10 TPT – “On that day, the root of Jesse will be lifted up as a miracle-sign to rally the people. Gentiles will diligently seek him, and his resting place will be glorious!”

Psalm 37:6 TPT – “He will appear as your righteousness, as sure as the dawning of a new day. He will manifest as your justice, as sure and strong as the noonday sun.”

Psalm 37:20 TPT – “All the enemies of God will perish. For the wicked have only a momentary value, a fading glory.”

Proverbs 4:18 TPT – “But the lovers of God walk on the highway of light, and their way shines brighter and brighter until they bring forth the perfect day.”

Isaiah 54:11 TPT – “You unhappy one, storm-tossed and troubled, I am ready to rebuild you with precious stones and embed your foundation with sapphires.”

Ephesians 6:10, 13 TPT – ” . . . 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…you must wear all the armor that God provides so you’re protected as you confront the slanderer, for you are destined for all things and will rise victorious.”

Isaiah 62:10 TPT – “Pass through, pass through the gates, and go from old to new. Prepare a new path for the people. Build! Build up a highway for them to come to me! Remove every hindrance and unfurl a banner for the nations!”

Psalm 36:5 TPT – “But you, O Lord, your mercy-seat love is limitless, reaching higher than the highest heavens. Your great faithfulness is infinite, stretching over the whole earth. 

The Star-Spangled Banner excerpts by Francis Scott Key

“Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
‘Tis the star-spangled banner, O long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.’
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!”

Twenty-two years ago, God enabled me to write my first cover story for a major city newspaper on the topic of Flag Day. At the time, it was the 220thanniversary of the flag resolution. This article was re-published on CharismaNews.com at 2:00 pm. Rabbi Jonathan Cahn says the number 2 in Hebrew can mean change, especially in regards to newness of life. So change for the better is what I’m believing. How about you? Scroll down and comment below.

This article graciously appeared online at SpiritLed Woman Magazine and Charisma News on Flag Day, June 14, 2019 under the title “How God Birthed a Prophetic Act and Promise on June 14.”

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The Door To Life: My Near-Death Experience

With Memorial Day upon us, I am thoughtful of those who served well—the best they knew how—before passing into eternity. I am reminded that standing in the threshold between life and death is Jesus, the Door of life over death. 

Love. 

The Spirit of Grace for resurrection. 

New life.

I am reminded that the Door who saves lives for eternity is the same Door who guards them on earth, leading us deeper to take us higher.

Deeper to know Him more as Treasure. Higher to share Him more as Glory.

With honor.

And praise.

To nations.

1 Peter 2:9 TPT reveals, “But you are God’s chosen treasure—priests who are kings, a spiritual ‘nation’ set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, and now he claims you as his very own. He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world.”

I recall a near-death experience in my life, where I saw Jesus in three consecutive dreams early one morning. The reality was that I had endured excruciating abdominal pain for months. Surgery had been scheduled later the same day as my dreams to remove a rare tumor that had been undetectable until it had grown to the size of a golf ball.

I was physically weak.

Drained.

But His grace was sufficient.

In all three of my dreams that morning, Jesus appeared out of darkness to come to my bedside. He never said a word to me but, instead, took hold of my left hand and led me onto a moving sidewalk that was inclined, like an escalator. 

Jesus was beside me the whole time. 

Perfect peace.

Perfect love.

Power of God.

I felt new life.

When we arrived at the top of the walkway, we stepped off and over to a narrow, open doorway. We turned around to look down at my body in bed as we stood in this threshold. 

Darkness still surrounded us. There was only enough light to see each other and my body in bed, which was spotlighted. 

I had seen only total darkness through the other side of the threshold in which we stood. And I distinctly noticed there was no door attached to this threshold. 

It later dawned on me that Jesus, alone, was my Door between the threshold of life and death. 

From the moment He arrived in my dreams, there was nowhere else I would have rather been. 

Only with Him. 

Alone with Him.

I had no concern for my body in bed or anything else on earth. 

Still, it wasn’t time for me to pass through the threshold with Jesus. 

There were more purposes to fulfill on earth.

So He turned me toward my life here.

And I awakened more convinced.

It was a Philippians 4:19 moment: “I am convinced that my God will fully satisfy every need you have, for I have seen the abundant riches of glory revealed to me through the Anointed One, Jesus Christ!” (TPT).

Jesus, the Door of final authority, the Light of the world, lifted me out of pain, healed my body through surgery and resurrected my life at the doorway of darkness to be a light to others. 

He is the Glorious Door to abundant life, on earth as it is in Heaven (John 10:10). 

On this Memorial Day, may you be reminded of our life-giving Lord, who stands in the gap for you and your loved ones daily. 

As a believer in Christ, may you always remember that, because of Him, you will see your saved loved ones again in Heaven. Until then, may your eyes be set upon Him. As you worship Him, may you experience a touch of the same glorious peace, love and power as do those who have gone before you. And as His treasure, may you share your Treasure freely as richness of life . . . to affect nations. 

Amen.

Has Jesus rescued you? If so, please scroll down and share your testimony in the comments section below. To Him be the glory!

“Our God reigns over every nation. He reigns on his holy throne over all” (Psalms 47:8 TPT).

“I have come as a light to shine in this dark world so that all who trust in me will no longer wander in darkness” (John 12:46 TPT)

“Yes, God raised Jesus to life! And since God’s Spirit of Resurrection lives in you, he will also raise your dying body to life by the same Spirit that breathes life into you” (Romans 8:11 TPT)!

“So I, Yahweh, will assign him a portion among a great multitude, and he will triumph and divide the spoils of victory with his mighty ones—all because he poured out his life-blood to death . . . ” (Isaiah 53:12 TPT).

“I have glorified you on the earth by faithfully doing everything you’ve told me to do” (John 17:4 TPT).

This photo was taken on the beautiful grounds of a local hospital, where Glynn and I frequently prayer walk.

This article graciously appeared on Charisma.com Memorial Day, May 27, 2019 under the title, “The Ultimate One You Should Remember This Memorial Day.”

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Your Spirit-Filled Strategy for Ultimate Victory

Proverbs 21:31b TPT makes it clear: “…ultimate victory comes from the Lord God.” 

We alone cannot discover it, accomplish it or sustain it, because ultimate victory is not only a win against overwhelming opposition, it’s also a divine gift.

Defined & Delineated

The gracious gift of ultimate victory Jesus offers to us is the complete establishment of mastery over darkness by Love. It includes the foundational elements of deliverance and salvation. 

Ultimate victory was accomplished once and for all time by Jesus’ finished work of redemption at the cross for our sins and His resurrected life in Heaven, on earth, and in the believer’s spirit. 

Ultimate victory is never subject to change (James 1:17). 

We Need Him 

We receive the gift of ultimate victory by our Savior’s triumphant grace and faith. 

Whether we believers reign truly victorious in life on earth is based on God’s power of grace and our humble obedience to live out The Lord’s finished work, even though we go to Heaven afterwards.

2 Peter 1:2-4 TPT reminds us: 

May grace and perfect peace cascade over you as you live in the rich knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Everything we could ever need for life and godliness has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness. As a result of this, he has given you magnificent promises that are beyond all price, so that through the power of these tremendous promises you can experience partnership with the divine nature, by which you have escaped the corrupt desires that are of the world.

To Sustain Ultimate Victory

Hebrews 10:36 TPT forewarns us, “You need the strength of endurance to reveal the poetry of God’s will and then you receive the promise in full.”

We need His resurrected life in us. Since there is life in His Word and in the blood of the Lamb, we need both His truth of Word and Spirit (see Rev. 12:11, 1 Peter 1:22-23, 25).

This means hindrances in the heart have to go to grow (3 John 1:2). 

This means yieldingness must rise: We must surrender to His will, His ways to produce the greatest yield of fruit of The Spirit in and through us.

Merciful love toward others forms the highest rung on the ladder of fruitfulness (foreshadowed by the spies’ pole of fruit from their promised land in Num. 13:23, 26-27, Gal. 5:22-23). Truly extending authentic mercy and divine love is our final step of obedience before we see the resurrection life of God’s manifest promises (foreshadowed by Jesus’ declaration on the cross in Luke 23:34):

So devote yourselves to lavishly supplementing your faith with goodness, and to goodness add understanding, and to understanding add the strength of self-control, and to self-control add patient endurance, and to patient endurance add godliness, and to godliness add mercy toward your brothers and sisters, and to mercy toward others add unending love. Since these virtues are already planted deep within, and you possess them in abundant supply, they will keep you from being inactive or fruitless in your pursuit of knowing Jesus Christ more intimately. But if anyone lacks these things, he is blind, constantly closing his eyes to the mysteries of our faith, and forgetting his innocence—for his past sins have been washed away. For this reason, beloved ones, be eager to confirm and validate that God has invited you to salvation and claimed you as his own. If you do these things, you will never stumble. As a result, the kingdom’s gates will open wide to you as God choreographs your triumphant entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Messiah (2 Pet. 1:5-11 TPT).

Jonah’s Story

In studying the topic of victory during the month of April, The Lord particularly highlighted the story of the prophet Jonah to me. 

We know Jonah spent three days in a fish’s belly, because he ran from God’s assignment to deliver a warning of repentance to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria (modern day northern Iraq). We know Jonah finally delivered God’s message and that the people of Nineveh took God’s Word to heart, believing Him and repenting for their sins. 

This resulted in a revival of over 120,000 people.

God proved faithful, even when Jonah did not.

These pagans and longstanding enemies of the Israelites were destined for victory, regardless of Jonah’s ungodly attitude and behavior.

Psalm 98:2 NLT assures us, “The LORD has announced his victory and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!”

The Ninevites humbled themselves unto God and extended overcoming faith to believe Him for their victory of salvation, even though Jonah did not value them.

Since one of the elements of faith is value, this reveals that Jonah lacked faith, hence his depression. His soul was not right (see Matt. 6:21, Hab. 2:4). He had trouble believing God would rescue Israel’s abusive enemies (see Is. 14:27). God’s strategy was to send one of His covenant people (Jonah) to do a work of outreach and, in the process, convict him of his own limitation to lead him through his own deliverance into greater maturity.

But Jonah got stuck in his lack of faith, the victorious power that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4).

Jonah was commanded to go where he didn’t want to go to, in part, to confront his own attitude of prideful self-justification for the purpose of breaking through to love on a higher level of true justice: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34b MEV).

Is this not our daily commandment and standard?

To love our enemies beyond ourselves (Matt. 5:44, Luke 6:27)?

Grudge-holding is a sin that hinders blessing. 

God calls us up higher.

How can we prevail or ascend by superior power (to be victorious) above petty grudges if we are not synced with God’s ways of faith and grace?

As submitted followers of Christ, who are we to pick who we minister to? After all, Jesus died for us while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:6, 8).

“Is it right for you to be angry?” God asked Jonah twice (Jonah 4:4b, 9a).

This rhetorical question reveals that we are not entitled to self-justify our ways. If we desire to see maximum fruit in our lives, we must maximize our yield to God to see God’s maximum yield through us.

Mercy Over Judgment Is Critical

“…Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13b). 

Both Jonah and the Ninevites were desperate for God’s mercy. 

God desired to give all of them life over death. 

Victory to not be overthrown by evil came to Nineveh through God’s prevailing mercy and grace. But there was no victory coming or going in Jonah’s prideful self-justification. 

Jonah stumbled to go the distance as he ran a false race fromGod before he reluctantly showed up to finish the task he was sent to do (Jonah 1:3, 10; 1 Cor. 9:24-27; Ps. 119:32), all because he did not believe the Assyrians deserved mercy and love since they had been abusive to Israel—God’s covenant people. 

By the end of Jonah’s story, he still hadn’t come around in his heart. 

Everyone was faithful, except Jonah.

What would you do if you were in Jonah’s position?

Would you decide to value what God values? Even your enemies? Would you humble yourself and ask God to help you receive a new perspective through His eyes of mercy? Would you ask our Lord to fill your heart with His love for them? 

Would you decide to break through prideful self-justification? Or would you make it all about you, your pain and your opinions, ending up depressed with your false pride exalted, like Jonah?

Do you desire to live a powerful life?

Submission to God is our greatest position of power.

We all know it’s easy to devalue our enemies. But also know this: God’s will is to use them to provoke us to come up higher. We may be the only one praying righteously for them. God will bring reformation to them, often after we have done our part. He will use all of it to build His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven (1 Chron. 29:11, Matt. 6:10). 

Everyone will be better off.

Our greatest victories await on the other side of our obedience to receive and pour out His resurrection life. 

God’s Strategy for Ascension

“This gospel unveils a continual revelation of God’s righteousness—a perfect righteousness given to us when we believe. And it moves us from receiving life through faith, to the power of living by faith. This is what the Scripture means when it says: ‘We are right with God through life-giving faith!'” -Romans 1:17 TPT

“You see, every child of God overcomes the world, for our faith is the victorious power that triumphs over the world.”  -1 John 5:4 TPT

“But we thank God for giving us the victory as conquerors through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One.”  -1 Corinthians 15:57 TPT

“And God has made all things new, and reconciled us to himself, and given us the ministry of reconciling others to God. In other words, it was through the Anointed One that God was shepherding the world, not even keeping records of their transgressions, and he has entrusted to us the ministry of opening the door of reconciliation to God.”  -2 Corinthians 5:18-19 TPT

“However, I say to you, love your enemy, bless the one who curses you, do something wonderful for the one who hates you, and respond to the very ones who persecute you by praying for them.”  -Matthew 5:44 TPT

“For your heart will always pursue what you value as your treasure.” -Matthew 6:21 TPT

“Now, because of your obedience to the truth, you have purified your very souls, and this empowers you to be full of love for your fellow believers…And this seed that He planted within you can never be destroyed but will live and grow inside of you forever. For the Word of The Lord endures forever.” -1 Peter 1:22-23, 25 TPT

“You love him passionately although you did not see him, but through believing in him you are saturated with an ecstatic joy, indescribably sublime and immersed in glory. For you are reaping the harvest of your faith—the full salvation promised you—your souls’ victory!  -1 Peter 1:8-9 TPT

“In your glory and grandeur go forth in victory! Through your faithfulness and meekness the cause of truth and justice will stand. Awe-inspiring miracles are accomplished by your power, leaving everyone dazed and astonished!” -Psalm 45:4 TPT

“For you bring me a continual revelation of resurrection life, the path to the bliss that brings me face-to-face with you.” -Psalm 16:11 TPT

“To everyone who is victorious and continues to do my works to the very end I will give you authority over the nations to shepherd them with a royal scepter. And the rebellious will be shattered as clay pots—even as I also received authority from the presence of my Father. I will give the morning star to the one who experiences victory.” -Revelation 2:26-28 TPT

“For he enjoys his faithful lovers. He adorns the humble with his beauty and he loves to give them the victory.” -Psalm 149:4 TPT

This article graciously appeared on Charisma.com May 1, 2019.