Setting the Hostages Free!

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. — 1 John 3:8

 

Multitudes of people in this world today are held hostage in their minds by the devil. They are incarcerated, locked up, and caged in their minds and emotions, held like slaves, prisoners, or detainees who are under arrest and live at the mercy of their conqueror.

 

In my lifetime, I have met many who fit that description. Although they might belong to Jesus and legally have every right to freedom, they remain in spiritual bondage, at least in some measure, in certain areas of their lives. Whether they persisted in a particular sin or failed to do something they should have done (such as read the Word, pray, or stay in fellowship with other saints), their minds were pried open wide enough for satan to find an open door and take that part of their mind captive.

 

Many years ago now, we began having small gatherings at our home. One evening during a time when we were singing to the Lord, a very disturbed young man was thrown to the kitchen floor. There he was squirming, foaming from the mouth, and shouting who knows what. No one, not one of us knew what to do! People looked to me and said, "Dianne do something". I sat on the young man's legs to try to stop him from banging and flaying on the tile floor. Pray, I said, Pray in tongues! Then I shouted, "Get out of him in the name of Jesus." All became silent; the young man stood up and thanked us for praying! A troubled young man bound in satan's camp was set free that night! Praise God.

 

I believe the mind is the primary area satan seeks to attack. He knows once he succeeds in planting a stronghold of deception in some area of a person's mind, from that lofty position he can then begin to control and manipulate that person. The Bible calls this kind of deception in the mind a "stronghold" (2 Corinthians 10:4). It is a "stronghold" because once a lie is planted in someone's head it is very hard to remove!

 

However, 1 John 3:8 says that Jesus came into the world "that he might destroy the works of the devil"! I want you to notice the word "destroy" in this verse meaning being delivered, released, or freed from difficulties, burdens, or needs.

 

Luke 3:16, when John the Baptist says, "I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire

 

In other words, 1 John 3:8 tells us that when Jesus Christ came into the world, He came to untie and unloose satan's binding power over us. His objective was to disentangle us from satan's control; to unfasten us from the demonic shackles that held us captive; to unravel the chains satan used to keep us in his grip; and to break and destroy all the fetters satan had used to hold us hostage. This is the purpose the Son of God, Jesus, came to earth. If it was Jesus' purpose, should it be ours also?

 

So many people in this world today are incarcerated, locked up, and caged in their minds and emotions. They are held like slaves or prisoners, living at the mercy of their conqueror. Therefore, it is time for you to learn how to recognize the devil's strategies in other people's minds and lives. Jesus came to set people free, and God wants to use you (us) to take the delivering power of the resurrection to them so the works of the devil can be destroyed in their lives.

 

The mind may be the devil's preferred battlefield, but you can make sure he loses every skirmish! Just determine today to be a willing vessel. God can use all of us to free spiritual hostages from demonic oppression!

 

Hellion or Holy Terror

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. 2 Corinthians 10:3

 

You have been delivered from satan's power through the victorious, redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Make sure you keep that awesome, mind-blowing truth in mind the next time you have to deal with the devil's attack on your life. Do not try to defeat a spiritual enemy with fleshly weapons and techniques because fleshly weapons are for fighting fleshly adversaries; they were never intended to defeat a spiritual foe. Spiritual adversaries must be fought with spiritual weapons!

 

I have walked this earth for umpteen years now.  I am going to take a liberty and say everything we do we do in the flesh.  We eat, we sleep, we think, we study--our lives are primarily lived in this earthly place.  This is why we are required to spend time thinking about how wonderful and lovely is our Father and lover of our soul, Jesus. Although we know we are spiritual beings, we still are very much earthly bound in most ways!  Yes?  So here it goes, an earthly comparison:

 

When I was a young girl living at home with my other siblings, we had these cousins.  Oh, we had some real great girl cousin friends. We loved to sleep over their house and play with all their toys.  Then we had these other cousins.  Our Memere called them this French word that sounds like "tuck son" (trouble makers!) 

 

Man, when they came around you wanted to hide all your favorite toys and then some!  You might even want to hide yourself. I can remember one specific time when we were visiting our girl cousins and the "tuck sons" stopped by.  They were little tornados running into furniture, biting, and breaking everything in sight.  We all ran into the girls bedroom and began hiding all we could find, closed the door, and hoped we were not called out to play with them. They had no respect for others nor did they respect other's possessions.  To this day, I often think of them and ask, "Lord, have you transformed the hellions into holy terrors ?" 

 

I do know that we live here in this world and we are so familiar with our surrounding we can almost perform our day blindfolded.  We are locked into our fleshly bodies and cannot get out of it — nor can we trade it for another!

 

If I could have, I would have traded positions with another when my cousins showed up. Having broken toys and emotional wounds seemed like a horrific prospect to us growing up.  Needless to say, had that happened, I would not be writing this today! 

 

You and I might feel like we are small and unimposing in the flesh.  Yet, we are spiritual giants filled with the powerful love of Christ that defeats every whim of the devil.

 

As I think of those boy cousins of mine from childhood, I think about how we are to be in the spirit.  We are to be filled to overflowing with the love of our Father God.  As we come into the presence of those things of the world, those things filled with evil, we become like God-tornadoes.  Those things will flee from us hiding in the corners of the earth, hoping we will never return.  The light we carry chases out all darkness.  We do not have to say a word, yet be ye filled with the Holy Ghost.

 

Do not judge yourself according to what you know or the appearance of your body.  Paul was but a wee bit of a man; yet he carried an authority and power that came from our heavenly Father.  That is the same message we have hidden within us!   Remember, our physical shape does not win a spiritual battle; it is our spiritual shape that counts.

 

Our greatest weapons do not lie in our mind, our talents, or our flesh, but in spiritual weapons that exist in the realm of God's Spirit.

 

In Acts 19, a group of exorcists, whom the Bible identifies as the seven sons of a man named Sceva, attempted to cast an evil spirit out of a demon-possessed man. When they commanded the evil spirit to come out of him, the spirit answered them: "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?" (Acts 19:14-15).

 

Think of it! That evil spirit knew who Jesus was and who Paul was! Even though Paul lived in a small body that had been mercilessly beaten and abused, he was so powerful in the spiritual realm that hell knew his name! Perhaps the limitations of Paul's flesh turned out to be to his advantage! For where we are weak, He is strong! Because he could not lean on his flesh, he had to learn to function in the realm of the Spirit — and that is the reason the evil spirits knew who he was!

 

Yes, we all may live in fleshly bodies that have all kinds of limitations, but we can go forth with spiritual weapons to do warfare in the Spirit! Regardless of what you look like in the natural realm, you can be a holy terror to the devil in the spiritual realm. Yes, we may all have hellions in our lives; we may be or may have been one.  Now we are Holy Terrors in the sight of Satan.

  

Today's Proclamation:

 

I proclaim that regardless of what I look like in the natural realm, I am a menace to the devil in the spiritual realm. In that sphere, I am anointed and powerful, with the ability to pull down strongholds from peoples' lives and minds. I am so mighty in the Spirit that the devil and his forces flee when I lean unto God and resist them!  I proclaim today that although once a hellion, I am now a Holy Terror taking back the territory the Lord has given me and expanding my spiritual tent.

 

I declare this by faith in Jesus' name!

 

 

 

Gathering

Some people collect cars, elephants, stamps, coins, cook books!  There must be hundreds of hobbies that have to do with collecting "things."

 

I was at the beech with my 8 yr old niece.  She and I began collecting shells.  It was exciting to see her face glow as she began the collection.  Man, every shell she saw… she collected.  She loved them all! 

 

Now, of course, I was the mature collector of shells.  I have my favorites—oyster shells, conk shells and then the ultimate sea gathering, sharks teeth!  

 

One young, one old yet both collectors!  As young believers, we go about here there and every where collecting teachings on all topics and impartations and anointing of the Lord.  We just want it all.  Small, Large it does not matter.  We want it all. If it is of God we want it.  Reading, praying, writing might not come right away; but the thirst and hunger of the "things of God" is in us! Then as we become more mature we begin to pick and choose—search out for those things that the Spirit is leading to.  I pray that is true!  We begin to weed out those things we have collected.  We remove that is of man and not of God.  Good for us!

 

Oh yea, let us not rule this out:  We begin to get selective about the gifts the Lord has for us!  We like the BLING.  (Those gifts that are flashy and eye catching.)  To prophecy without relationship with God doesn't work—Words of Wisdom and Knowledge—Understanding can comes out of our relationship--knowing Him.  That is only when we spend that private time leaning, gleaning and obeying Him.  Well to some, that is not the BLING.  

 

No matter where we are or think we are—we are still His little children.  No matter how seasoned in Him we become we remain His children.  May we never get too big for our britches!

 

Today, I pray for myself and you too!  Lord, lead us in the ways of righteousness.  Holy Spirit, keep our minds and hearts steadfast on Christ Jesus.  Help us gather up all things of God our Father has for us!  Not only gather and collect but apply them to our very minds, bodies and souls.  The BLING and the not soooo BLING in Jesus name!

 

The Looking Glass

Colossians 2:13-15 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ's cross. In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross of Christ.

 

Sometimes life's circumstances can bring about memories from our past. Some are good, some are bad, and some are just memories. When those memories flood our conscience mind, we choose how to appropriate them. They can either help us to be an over comer (victor) or (victim) further solidifying our pain from the past that hinders us from the Father's loving freedom.

 

This time in Florida has been new and exciting for me. The Lord has guided my pen to produce a deeper freedom in my life. It is my desire that He would use these writings to entice you to a brighter and freeing presence.

 

Jmes 1:23 For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance.

 

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?"

 

That is from an old nursery rhyme and was used by a wicked person who used a demonic being in the looking glass. This demon promoted judgment, hatred, and revenge! You can figure out the rest!

 

As I see it, the Word is our looking glass. Not to compare us to another, nor for judgment of others. The Word reflects who we are in Christ and how our character measures up to Christ Jesus. How are you measuring up lately?

 

Romans 7:4-6 So this is the point: The law no longer holds you in its power, because you died to its power when you died with Christ on the cross. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, you can produce good fruit, that is, good deeds for God. When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced sinful deeds, resulting in death. But now we have been released from the law, for we died with Christ, and we are no longer captive to its power. Now we can really serve God, not in the old way by obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way, by the Spirit.

 

Acts 4:11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, 'The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.'

 

So if the Lord gives you a memory, a scripture, or a dream, measure it up with the cornerstone, your measuring rod! Have the Holy Spirit flush out things not of Him and infuse us with those mysteries He has stored up with our welfare in mind!

 

Ephesians 1:3-14 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ F2 before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.

 

Next time you look in the mirror, ask yourself, "Lord what do you see in me? How am I being a reflection of Your Son, my friend, and brother, Jesus?"

 

Simon Says

Simon Says was always fun to play making kids do silly things and trick them into doing an action that would make then feel dumb, have others laugh at them and ultimately cause them to loose.

 

I came to this definition of Simon Says by thinking how it made me feel. The teachers told us it was good to teach us listening skills and expand our attention span. Well maybe they were right; but it was negative reinforcement.  Negativity we can do without, especially at such vulnerable ages.

 

WOW! What a terrible game to play as a child.  Little did I know how debilitating that game could be on my siblings or other children in the schoolyard.  It took all these years to come to this conclusion.  How many other things did we all experience in our lifetime that caused us to be stymied and give the enemy a door into our emotions and spiritual man? 

 

Mister or Miss Simon was a total dictator without benevolence, mercy or grace!  Benevolence is, according to Wikipedia--characterizes the true goodness of the mind and spirit, the unbiased kindness to do good. It is the expression of agape love.  Just in case, you did not know.  The person playing Simon, was not Simon at all.  He or she was pretending to be… Simon.  The whole purpose for that person who took Simon's position, was to trip us up setting traps that we would be lured into.  Sometimes even the other players tag team the weaker players.  They would begin an action fooling others by making it appear they were complying and then we would be in that web of wrong.

 

As I grew into my teen-age years, I hung around with friends that encouraged me in doing wrong things. Yes, they were good kids too.  They came from God fearing homes, went to Catholic schools, looked good and smelt good too!  It seemed to me they had it all together, how could they be doing wrong?  Well they all were doing it—drinking, smoking, not to mention the sex and acquiring an alluring dress style.  Yap, even though I was uncomfortable in those mini skirts, I soon got over it.  Just like the drinking, I took pride in the fact I could out drink guys twice my weight.  Well it was the 70s, I would try anything once and if it felt good, I did it and did it again--great way to seer your conscience?  

 

Can you see where I am going?  That person taking on the role of Simon and satan have the same job.  Have you ever experienced a man or woman of God quoting scripture, teaching us the golden rule then out of their mouths and actions comes something not of the Spirit? They are looking good, sounding good, and even being good then some slanted teaching comes out or a slanted lifestyle is revealed.  Do we comply and agree?  How do we know if it is off track?  They did not say, do it. Be it. Take this as truth. 

 

But we have the secret weapon, Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us into all truth.  If we stay in His Word (Jesus) and be willing for the Spirit to mold our character into the image and likeness of Christ on the outside as He has done for us on the inside, we are on our way. 

 

My advice to you is to never accept a person as quoting gospel truths.  Take in what you hear, what you see and what you experience and try it against the Holy Word of God! 

 

We do not live by bread alone, but our soul flourishes from every Word from the Mouth of God!  Therefore, I challenge you today to search out the scriptures and stand on His words alone.    Don't take any one's words as Gospel....  Listen to the Holy Spirit and let Him lead you to the truth for your life!

 

NO VICTIM HERE

And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. — Colossians 2:15

 

We can count on the fact that there are unseen evil forces assigned to kill, steal, and destroy everything good in our lives. The Bible clearly teaches that these devilish forces band together to commit acts of aggression against the saints — and that includes you and me!

Paul wrote many verses about spiritual weapons, spiritual armor. He also told us how we are to resist these unseen, demonic forces. Yet it is very important that we approach this subject with the right attitude!

 

Because of Jesus' death on the Cross and His resurrection from the dead, the forces of hell are already defeated. However, even though they have been legally stripped of their authority and power, they continue to roam around this earth, carrying out evil deeds like criminals, bandits, hooligans, and thugs trying to convince us that they rule. And just like criminals who refuse to submit to the law, these evil spirits will continue to operate in this world until some believer stands for who he is and uses his God- given authority to enforce their defeat!

The TRUTH is: These demonic forces are legally stripped of their authority and are defeated! We are not puny, struggling believers who are somehow trying to learn how to cope with the devil's attacks against us. We are not merely trying to learn how to scrape by or survive. Jesus' death and resurrection gave us the legal authority to keep Satan under our feet, so we must always make sure we approach spiritual warfare as victors and not victims.

 

Shew is a very tiny mouse like yet very aggressive mammals. Tiny foxes spoil the vine? Yes? Remember that Jesus has already accomplished the victory for us on the cross? Yes but it was the POWER of His resurrection that allows us to take possession! Right in plain sight, how bold and confident can we be in Jesus? Bold enough to lead people to the Lord, confident enough to know when we lay hands on the sick they are recovered!

Think about the night when Jesus took his last breath. There was an earthquake, lightening, probably winds and rains, and dead rooming the streets! Woo. The victory we have in Jesus was no quiet affair. Jesus boldly, confidently, and loudly exposed and displayed this now-defunct foe to Heaven's hosts. Make no mistake! When Jesus "made a shew of them openly," it was quite a spectacular show!

 

So let us "triumph" over the schemes of satan. For me, I say let us party and celebrate what Jesus has done for us all. Let us put aside our gloomy faces and trials of this time and celebrate JESUS! Celebrate the victory in our lives. Go tell of this great life we have hidden with Christ in God! Colossians 3: 2, 3

With every victory we get to parade around with that "thing in chains" displayed for all to see that satan is defeated and Jesus rules! So when God is faithful in your home flaunt it! When the Lord heals a loved one, tell all. When a neighbor receives Jesus make sure you welcome him into the victory of Jesus.. For the ruler of this world has lost and we have him beaten and bound him in chains for all to see. He is forced to walk in disgrace, shame, dishonor, embarrassment, and humiliation as crowds of believers come to celebrate his defeat and to get a "peek" at a once-powerful but now totally defeated opponent. For the Glory is the Lords.

Satan is not a force we are trying to defeat; he is already defeated. But because very few believers know how to effectively use their God-given authority to resist Satan, he tries to continue illegally operating and doing damage to the souls of men and even to the creation itself.

No matter what demonic strategy may come against you this day or how many demons are assembled together for your destruction, you never have to go down defeated. Jesus plundered the enemy when He rose from the dead. So when you look into the mirror, you need to learn to see yourself as one who already has the victory. You already possess the authority necessary to keep satan under your feet where he belongs. Remember, you are no longer a victim — you are a victor!

 

 

Famous last Words!

Do Not Ignore the Last Words!

 

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

— Ephesians 6:10

 

Finally, last but not least, is the most important issue of being strong in the Lord. Not only to know who we are in Christ but to live in such a way we are strong in Him. This is an incredible statement!

 

Do you not think this is a practical instruction to living our lives?  Ephesians is all about relationship!!!!  Yea, that is what I thought we want--relationships. I am fine, just me and my Jesus!  I really do badly with all the other stuff.

 

It is a good thing I am not tested on relationships; because I would flunk. As I look over my shoulder, I can see all my blunders. Rebellious and a sometimes disrespectful child to my parents and authority figures, a judge of other believers according to the stand in which I live my life—so no one measures up to what I think, then of course my husband always gets slam dunked by my quick responses and whiny attitude!   I could go on but I will not!  Well it is all not that bad these days; but I can still slip into that old man of mine from time to time.

 

Read through these and see how you score:

 

• The relationship between believers (Ephesians 4:25-5:2)
• The relationship between believers and the world (Ephesians 5:3-16)
• The relationship between husbands and wives (Ephesians 5:22-33)
• The relationship between parents and children (Ephesians 6:1-4)
• The relationship between employers and employees (Ephesians 6:5-9)

 

Man, it is a good thing our heavenly Father does not keep score on us. That is why the ending words are sooooo important!  Paul says, "Finally." and then begins to speak to us about spiritual warfare!

 

See it is not about what we know—our spiritual accumulated knowledge, information,  because this alone is not enough to keep the devil under our feet where he belongs. Living like Christ and acquiring more of His nature is what it is about. No one should have to tell us to not lie, steal no more, let no corrupt communication out of their mouths, grieve not the Holy Spirit, and put aside all anger and malice (Ephesians 4:25-31).

 

It has nothing to do with the size of the church building you attend and how many believers attend on Sunday. It has to do with experiencing the overcoming, abundant life that Jesus Christ had come to offer us.

 

I have come to evaluate my own life, and consider my fruit. How about you? Are you experiencing victory in most areas of your life, or are you suffering defeat in key areas? Have you ignored the fact that spiritual warfare is real? Have you gathered lots of spiritual information, knowledge, and facts, yet forgotten to put on the whole armor of God?

 

Praise God for all the knowledge you have gained, but now it is time to turn your intellectual knowledge of God's Word into the sword of the Spirit. Use it to combat the schemes of Satan and to overcome your judgments and ungodly mindsets. Then raise the Word of God high and strike the onslaughts the enemy has been trying to bring against you. It is also time for you to turn your knowledge about faith into a shield that withstands every demonic attack! That includes people who unjustly accuse you, or speak cruelly towards you.

 

See when things of this nature happen they are attacking Jesus, not you! That is why Paul said, "Finally." In case we missed any of the teachings, we can remember those last words: Be strong in God—know who we are in Christ. Use our spiritual weapons of warfare to keep satin under our feet!—in the power of His might!

 

How about you? Are you dressed in the whole armor of God today?  Are you able to use your armor to fight the good fight of faith? 

 

Let us bond together, lift each other up, and walk shoulder to shoulder in this journey of Faith!  Blessings to all!  Dianne

 

Natural Circrumstances / Spiritual Truths

 

Applying Spiritual Truth to Natural Circumstances!

   

1. Do you ever start a project knowing you do not have what it takes to finish, but begin it just the same?

 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me – and not without results. For I have worked harder than all the other apostles, yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

 

When our son, Todd and his wife, Missy were engaged and wedding plans were on all of our minds, I found a great wedding cake.  It was just perfect; not too frilly, unique and tailored. I thought Miss might like it so I showed her the picture!  To make a long story short, I ended up making that fondant cake, white chocolate ribbon and all.  I made several practice runs and we loved trying them all.  However, when it came time for the final cake, I asked my mom how to make the frosting rosettes.  With some instruction, I carried it off. By the grace of God the cake was beautiful!   I have never attempted a project like that before, and believe me, never will again! 

 

When the Lord first delivered me from Crohn's disease, I was told not to keep it to myself.  "Go Tell!" Frances told us—So that we did.  "Lay hands on the sick and they will recover!"  And we did that, also.  This new lifestyle was very odd and strange to us.  Sometimes we felt that we did not have it in us.  Yet we knew what the Word said and we began to do things that were uncomfortable and weird to us at the time.  The Lord met us on the way out of our comfort zone! It was no different than making that cake!  His grace continues to see us through.

 

2. The Lord has imparted many gifts and talents within us! We need to put them to use!
   
   

Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they give you the confidence to fight well in the Lord's battles. (1 Timothy 1:18)

 

Keeping busy is something I do not have a problem doing.  Our little place in Florida is really shaping up nicely; however, I always manage to find little odds and ends that need to be finished.  It has been a joy finding out how handy I really am!

 

This week it was time to finish some small tiling jobs.  So I proceeded to measure and tile the front entryway!    Then I came to a screeching halt!  What I thought was going to be easy—no need for a wet saw or cuts–– turned out to be something else.  So I had to call on an expert (my neighbor John) with a wet saw. Now I wait patiently for his kindly advice and experienced hand in tiling!

 

It is also true with the Lord.  He has given us gifts and talents to use for His glory.  Sometimes we think we have what it takes to complete the task.  Alas! We are human and discover we do not have it all!  God may use several people to mature us into His character. He used one to draw us to salvation then perhaps another to bring a loving corrective word.  We are on the God Team and we are just one of the players.  There is a time to hand off to another who is anointed in other areas or possible just a fresh face with a different approach.

This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally. (1 Corinthians 12:25)

Here is a list of some of the members that God has placed in the body of Christ: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who can get others to work together, those who speak in unknown languages. (1 Corinthians 12:28)

 

3. Do you make new friends when it feels uncomfortable, conquering the fear of rejection?

 

If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also.  (Luke 6:29)

 

Here I am in Florida !  Since 1989, Dick and I have had a home in Port Charlotte ; yet we have not made many friends except with our neighbors John and Ina.  I believe part of the reason was we were never here long enough (good excuse) and we are really loners.

 

But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me. (Luke 22:21)

 

Then it began with a friend telling us that a friend of ours from years back lives in Port Charlotte. We called on him and did not connect.  Then it finally happened we connected with Barry and his bride Cheryl.  Would Cheryl except me as a friend?  I surly did not know.  As we continued to reach out to one another our friendship grew.  Today I can say that the Lord has orchestrated the reunion with Barry so that I could have another sister in Florida.

 

This last year God has been very gracious to us.  He has given us strength and the boldness to step out and be friendly.  Last May we met a wonderful, loving couple, Randy and Marie.  They are becoming very close friends of ours. It is great to be here and have friends to share not only spiritual things but natural fun loving things as well.  So you might think we got over being gun shy and were not fearful of being rejected.  No not so, I still had those feelings.  I thought that maybe we would get hurt again.  Yet I pressed past those ungodly beliefs and opened myself up to a wonderful relationship.

 

And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: "Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous." He was even called "the friend of God." (James 2:23)

 

Just as Abraham believed in God, so do I..  I do believe that He would have us not be alone.  He wants us not only to be His friend but to have friends in the world.  People who are believers and people who are not believers are potential friends to Dick and Dianne.  And it is for that reason I have begun seeking friends in other circles in the community.  I cannot keep this little light of mine in a barrel.  The only way God can continue to use me in extraordinary places is if I am in those places.  That takes time, patience, and the love of the Father in me and in you!

 

Anyone who does God's will is my brother and sister and mother. (Mark 3:35)

 

These words of Jesus ring clear in my heart.  I so want to be in my Father's will!  How about you?  I know we are called to be Jesus' brother and sister.  And I believe as we go about with extending the hand of fellowship and friendship to others, we will find others to be our sisters and brothers in Christ as well..

 

Now that you get the gist of this, keep your eyes open wide to the Spiritual Truths the Lord is leading you into.  May the Lord Bless you and keep you on the path of Spiritual Truths Daily.

 

When you pray and God instills something for you to do in your heart and you believe it is beyond your expertise or knowledge, be confident in Him, who is all knowing in everything to give you the wisdom to complete His task or someone will come along and team-up with you.  The Lord will send you the wisdom, and all you need to finish His project.  Just seek and never give up.

Everything but You is Mere Sand

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O lord, my rock and my redeemer.  (Psalm 19:14 NAS)

 

My mouth will speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart {will be} understanding. (Psalm 49:3 NAS)

 

Consulting the Lord:

 

Lord, I am standing on You and all else is sand.  Lord, I am believing in You and all else is erroneous.  Lord, I am trusting in You and all else is deception.

 

As I confessed these things to you Lord, I saw a vision:

 

It was myself standing—confidently standing and thinking—assuming I am standing on Jesus in faith…  Then the sand began to give away around the outside of my right foot.  I am losing my balance, I thought to myself.  (Have you ever gone to the beach and stood at the seashore; standing there feeling the sand erode around your feet?  Erie feeling isn't it? Well, that is how it felt to me in this vision.)

 

Lord, what is this and what does this mean?  As the earth slips away from under my foot, I realize that beneath my foot I could clearly see what I was standing on. The inner part of my right foot and the total left foot was standing on a solid GOLD rock…  A piece of Jesus!

 

Lord I am standing on You, for sure! For sure, I am on solid ground when I am on You.  You are allowing life and life's circumstances to erode all that is not of You. For sure, You will wash away whatever is not You and then I will be able to stand on You ALONE!

 

Do not let a day go by without applying spiritual principles and truths to your life!  I will be sharing some of the everyday living the Lord has shown me about myself. He is allowing me to see what He is changing in me!  Maybe in you too!

Learning To ‘Follow the Leader

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Romans 8:14)

 

When I was a young child, my siblings and I used to play games called "Follow the Leader" and "Simon Says." As leader, I had the upper hand and could get my siblings to do what I wanted!  (Clean the house, take out the trash, vacuum, and so on)  Otherwise I was stuck doing all the work myself..  Making a game out of some household chores was fun for them and me. Then of course, there was Simon Says.  It was always fun to make them do silly things; to trick them into doing an action that would cause them to loose.

 

 As the scripture says, we are led by the Holy Spirit, placed behind Him — just as children stay behind the leader as they play "Follow the Leader"!

 

When I think of the word led, I think of how I walk our dog, Tuffy.  When I attach her harness and begin our walk, I literally lead her with the leash.  Most times, she can be slightly pig headed wanting to lead me.  Then she gives in knowing that I am the leader. 

 

Scripture tells us we should be willing to let the Holy Spirit lead us in every part of our lives. We should be so surrendered to Him that wherever He tells us to go or whatever He tells us to do, we should simply be obedient and follow.  More times then not, I am like my dog, slightly pig headed, wanting to go my way.

 

There is an intense conflict, such as a struggle in a wrestling match or a struggle of the human will. The Holy Spirit wants to lead us, yet my human will does not like the idea of no leading. You see, it is our fleshly nature to want to go our own way, so when we choose to walk in the Spirit and let Him dictate our lives, His leadership over us creates a struggle between our will and our flesh.  Have you felt a struggle?

 

Man, I will tell you that growing up was a struggle for me.  I just love to do my own thing.  I could not wait until I was old enough to live on my own.  I disliked it when teachers nagged me into getting assignments finished on time. This list goes on…  Just for a moment, think of how many times our flesh has rebelled against exercise or a diet that we have imposed on ourselves. There is no doubt about it — the human will and the flesh are strong. These parts of us have a very difficult time surrendering control to someone else — and that includes the Holy Spirit!

 

As a youngster, I did not like to "Follow the Leader" but BE the leader.  I did not like being led by my sisters or brother, nor did I like being told what to do. I wanted to be in charge myself so I could call the shots as I saw them! Maybe that is how you have been feeling about your own life. However, as a child of God, you have to learn to stay in your place — behind the Holy Spirit, following His lead.

 

Maybe the scripture could be best said this way:

Following the leadership of the Holy Spirit is one of our privileges of being a child of God, although it might aggravate us to learn how to defer to Him and to really let Him be our Leader.

 

If we want to learn to live a Spirit-led life, there is no getting around it — we have to deal with our fleshly need to be top dog. The flesh wants control, so we must mortify or kill that animal and allow the Holy Spirit to have His way. The struggle may seem great, but it is the only way to live a supernatural Christian life!  Moreover, the benefits are eternal!

 

Make it your goal to learn how to discern the Holy Spirit's leading. Become His constant "shadow," watching to see what He is doing, where He is going, and how He is leading. Stay sensitive to Him so you can pick up His "nudge" in your heart. Then once you know what He wants you to do, just fall in step behind Him and "follow the Leader"!

 

 

 

Untangled from the World

 No man engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.  II Timothy 2:4

 

How do I know when I am becoming too materialistic?  How do I recognize when those natural possessions have become too important to me?

 

Entangled is to be caught up in or twisted in some type of vine.  Believe me it is not the grapevine of God.  Entangled to me means something woven tightly together so that one is inhibited from moving about freely.

 

Ok, so what about materialism? There is nothing wrong with owning nice things. In fact, God wants us to obtain nice things. But we are not to allow those material possessions to become so ingrained in our hearts they become the central focus of our lives.

 

Our souls, emotions, and desires are not to become so ensnared, entangled, and caught up in the things of the world that we become meshed together with them.  When someone thinks of me (Dianne), I hope they do not think of me and the car I drive or the clothes I wear or the house I live in as being part of me.  Likewise, I hope I do not think that those things make up myself.

 

How do you know if you've become materialistic? How do you know if natural possessions mean too much to you?

 

Well, I remember a few years back, Dick and I felt God wanted us to move to Florida --lock, stock and barrel.  We packed up our personal possessions, loaded a truck, and headed to our Florida home.  The most difficult decision for Dick to make was to let our Rhode Island home go.  It was the home we reared a family, other family members resided in Rhode Island , and so did long loved friends.  There were lots of tears,  joys, memorable moments in that home.  Could we let it all go?

 

Needless to say, we placed the house on the market and said, Lord, if it is your desire for us to move the house will sell.  This was a TEST.  Doors of ministry seemed to open up, opportunity seem to present itself as the Lord would bless this move.  The decision was made and plans began.  Then all doors closed and the house did not sell.  A big TEST… I believed we passed. 

 

There was another time when I invited a young Christian woman and her children over for some lunch.  During the cause of their visit, I was scurrying around the kitchen preparing lunch, talking, laughing and enjoying their company.  Her small children were just themselves, giggling and eating. Then an accident occurred.  A glass tipped over and smashed to the floor. At the same time, I proceeded to drop a very nice glass picture!  SMASH  *@#&*  WOW, what a sound.  I turned around and said," Woops, an accident!"  Her young child was startled; there was no cussing and no reprimanding.  It was an accident. 

 

I did not think much of it until she told me, "WOW,  you are great.  You did not even get upset.  That was an expensive vase and my child was very unruly causing an accident."  "It was just an accident, I replied, and no one got hurt from the broken glass..  The glass is replaceable." 

 

Could you give your treasured possession up if the Lord asked you to? Or have they become so woven into the very fabric of your life that you are now entangled in them? Only you and the Holy Spirit know the answers to these questions.

Do everything in your power to keep the temporal things of this world in the right perspective. Keep them in your hands, but out of your heart.

 

Believe me we are in a war!  It is a war with principalities and powers of demonic forces of this world!  If we are so caught up with things, satan will use the things of this world to bind us and hold us hostage so we will be hindered to carry out the mission the Lord has given us! 

 

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you areas of your life that need to be "untangled" and brought back into balance. Then, after He speaks to you, it is up to you to STAY untangled from those natural affairs of life!

You are A Millionaire

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Colossians 3:16

 

When I was a young adult I joined the Amway Business. We would go to meetings and the people there would get us to thinking and dreaming about what it would be like to be a Millionaire!

 

Needless to say we joined the business and proceeded to give the same dream sessions. Unfortunately it was not a get rich scheme; we had to work hard for the levels we achieved!

 

I loved to listen to people when they fantasized about paying off bills, purchasing a new house, cars, giving huge sums of money to people and organizations, and of course leaving their children and grandchildren the rest. Just think about it for a minute; what your supreme dream would be if you suddenly struck it rich!

 

If you can stretch beyond your most wildest dreams what could life be like? Well I want to tell you that you do not have to fantasize about being rich anymore! If you are a child of God, you have already struck it rich! You have been given a treasure that will make boundless wealth accessible to you for the rest of your life. You are a spiritual millionaire. However, for you to derive benefit from what God has provided, you have to learn how to tap into your Daddy God's treasure chest.

 

If we give the Word of God the right away in our lives and give it a warm reception and make it our own, it will enrich us spiritually. Therefore, the word of God can make us spiritual millionaires. The Word of God will come to us and those things the Father has for us will be drawn to us like a magnet.

 

If you open your heart and mind and let the Word penetrate deep within your soul, the world around you will swing open its doors and greet you with a grand reception. If you let the Word live in you in this manner it will produce much spiritual "fruit" in your life.

 

Colossians 3:6 tells us to allow the Word to dwell richly in wisdom; teaching and admonishing each other in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with GRACE in our hearts to the Lord.

 

These words describe people who are so full of the Word of God their entire being is affected. Their hearts are full of joy; their minds are flooded with wisdom and understanding, and their mouths are singing songs to the Lord. They are giving testimony on how "Great Thou Art". They have struck it RICH!

 

When we consume the Word of God in this way, it is at home within us it and producing the wisdom, gifts, and the power, we need for today. You become so rich with God that you automatically find yourself admonishing an encouraging others in their faith. When the Word enriches you, doors of opportunity swing open for you to witness, to prosper, and to easily flow in the things God has for people around you.

 

So if your are tired of striving with no results—if you are tired of feeling spiritually bankrupt and worn out with nothing to offer—stop right where you are. Do not take another step without making the decision to let God's Word play a more important role in your life.

 

As you do, the Word of God will enrich you with His wisdom and insight. It will put victory in your heart and a new message on your tongue. It will turn you into a spiritual millionaire. It will enrich your life so much that you will always have something spiritually to donate, to bequeath or to freely share with someone else! 

 

Does The Word Feel at Home in Your Life?

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly". (Colossians 3:16)

 

Years ago when Dick and I got ready to visit Florida, friends and family would call and encourage us to come down. They kept saying things like, "can't wait 'til you get here", "we will have a cookout, go out to dinner, or spend time together!" Then when the time came and we arrived, I called expecting great times to happen with us and them . More often than not---there were no such gatherings or meetings. Sometimes we did not see them at all.

There were occasions when we actually received invitations to family holiday parties. We would mix and mingle with friends and relatives, but felt out of place and not accepted. If I asked the family members a question, most times they pretended not to hear me.

 

Words cannot describe how uncomfortable I was in their presence! It seemed no one wanted our company and wished we were not there. I was so happy to move out of that predicament! I pledged I would never let myself be put in that kind of situation again. (In my case, this meant I had to grow up spiritually and see life through Christ's eyes.)

How about you? Have you ever been invited to be a guest in a home where people made you feel very unwelcome and unwanted?

I remember this happened when I was reading Colossians 3:16, where it says, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." The chilly reception I felt caused me to look at my own heart and ask, What kind of reception have I given the Word in my life? I wanted to know:

 

• Have I given the Word the kind of reception He deserves, or have I ignored Him and given it the "cold shoulder"?
• Does the Word feel at home in my life, or does He feel unwanted?
• Have I rolled out the red carpet and given the Word a grand reception, making it clear that I love the Word and I am privileged to have it dwelling in my heart?

 

In Colossians 3:16, Paul tells us that the word of Christ should "dwell" in us richly. Dwell means to take up permanent residency in a home. The person is so at home and contented in the new location that he has chosen to make it his permanent dwelling place for the rest of his life.

 

So I hear the words Christ "dwell" in us. He is beckoning us to give God's Word such a grand, welcoming reception that it literally feels at home in us and therefore the Word, the living Word, Jesus comes to take up permanent residency!

Does the Word have this kind of place in your life? Does He really "dwell" in you richly? Does He feel at home and comfortable in your life? On the other hand, is the Living Word of God treated like a stranger only occasionally welcomed into your life as a visitor? Be honest!

 

Why not make today that day? The day the Living Word of God comes to take up permanent residency in your life.

 

Throw the door open, roll out the red carpet, and welcome the Word of God as a new, permanent resident in your heart! Let it make a difference in your life and as a result cause others to want to welcome the Guest also!

Can I just HATE?

And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.  — Jude 1:23

 

I don't know about you, but I believe the word "hate" is a very strong word that should only rarely be used. When our children were young, Dick and I told our children not to use this word. Even if we strongly disliked something or someone, we never allowed ourselves or our children to use the word "hate" to describe our feeling. It was simply too harsh of an expression to describe how we felt about something or someone.  Besides, we talked about maybe the action or words of someone are wrong; yet the person is good.

 

But there is a proper time and place for hate! Jude 1:23 gives us an example of one of those times. It says, "Hating even the garment spotted by the flesh."

 

Hatred can turn to violence. So when Jude tells us to "hate" the garments spotted by the flesh, he isn't talking about a mere dislike of something; he is talking about a radical, violent aversion to something.  He did not say hate the person.

 

In Revelation 2:6 and 2:15, Jesus declares that He "hates" the deeds of the Nicolaitans. In Jesus' opinion, their deeds and teachings were repugnant, disgusting, revolting, repulsive, and nauseating. The Lord Jesus possessed a deep-seated aversion to their activities and found their deeds abhorrent.

 

"Hating even the garment spotted by the flesh."  As I understand it, flesh is meaning our sinful nature.  There is no doubt about it. Jude is letting us know that we should have a strong aversion to sin — so strong that it allows absolutely no tolerance for sin in our lives or in the lives of other believers.

 

When we are in relationship with people we love dearly, it is our responsibility to approach them in love even when there is sin keeping them, and possibility us, away from the Lord Himself.  Hate the sin and love the sinner.  Thank God for that statement.  For where would I be if God hated me because of my sin?  We too are to cover each other in love and love others back to the cross. 

 

Our aversion to sin should be so fierce that Jude says we are to hate "...even the garment spotted by the flesh."

 

Remember, we can look good and smell good yet underneath it all there could be sin lurking.  So we can wear a mask of righteousness and that is not reality.  A new, clean robe (or happy face) may hide the truth that a person's undergarment is filthy — but this disguise doesn't alter the fact that he has a deeper problem to deal with!

Sin isn't just a superficial, outward problem. If we allow wrong attitudes and behavior to continue in our lives, this moral decay will eventually permeate deeper than the surface and penetrate even to the deepest, most hidden parts of our souls keeping us from the lover of our soul, Jesus.

 

The defilement may begin as an outward problem, the same way loose dirt can soil a man's outer garment. But if this filth is never dealt with, it will begin to work its way through every area of a person's life until he is completely defiled.

 

Don't let neglect be allowed. That filth can contaminate our entire life.  Therefore, don't just deal with superficial issues either, by hiding them, allow the Holy Spirit in so the deeper part of our lives can be infiltrated with the mercy, grace and love of the Father.

 

It is imperative we understand the consequences of sin and learn to hate even the smallest hint of its presence in our lives. If we don't deal with sin while it's still a small, superficial problem, it will become a much deeper problem — and much more difficult to deal with!

 

So before we do anything else today, ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to those areas of our lives needing attention and correction. He will lovingly point them out and either show us how to change or miraculously allow change to happen within us today!

 

Holy Spirit Love us all back to the Cross!  nailing our ugly sin, (hatred, jelously,violent nature...)  Setting us free in your love and grace!