How Did You Get So FRESH?

But you have made me as strong as a wild bull. How refreshed I am by your power!

—Psalm 92:10 NLT

How would you like to receive a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit on your life today? If your answer is yes, why haven't you gone before the Great Anointer and allowed Him to give you that freshening anointing? This is precisely what David was referring to when he said, "I shall be anointed with fresh oil" (Psalm 92:10 KJV).

Have you ever had a deep skin massage? Better still, have you had achy muscles and you or your loved one rubbed you down with some deep heat cream? This massaging of cream/oil would have penetrated the pours of your skin. You were able to feel not only relief but a refreshing and a renewal of strength! So technically speaking, the word "anoint" has to do with the rubbing or smearing of oil upon someone else.

When someone speaks of anointing, I think of someone laying hands on another with the oil. It is much deeper than that. God Himself anoints our lives, for He is the Great Anointer. From the very throne room of God comes the essence of the Holy Spirit to be upon our lives. Our heavenly Father smears the Spirit's power, an anointing that goes deep into our very beings.. Therefore, when we speak of someone being anointed we are recognizing that the Holy Spirit is personally resting on that individual's life.

You may think you have to go to Lakeland, Florida to "Get Some". Or you might think you need to get to your church for the pastor to anoint you.. Better still, you might go directly to the Anointer Himself. Present yourself before the King of Kings. Humbly go forth and make your request. Do not forget to wait until He comes! And He will come with the anointing you need for your present time in life!

Do not get me wrong, it is not that the other ways are wrong. But it is the source we are after. Yes! God Himself living within us victoriously! Life can bring on it tolls and trials. We need a fresh touch, an inspiriting, invigorating touch from the One above! The method does not matter as much as knowing who the ANOINTER is.

Therefore, if you would like a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit upon your life, you must come before the Great Anointer! He alone can give you what you need. Open your heart to God, and allow Him to lay His hand upon your life in a new way. I guarantee you a strong anointing will follow!

Today I pray for you:

Lord, I am asking You to lay Your hand upon my friends in a brand-new way today. Rub the oil of Your Spirit deep into their lives, and let the powerful fragrance of the anointing be felt, sensed, and seen by others who are near them. Have them carry Your power and demonstrate the aroma of Your Presence. Please lay Your hand on them today and let the anointing deeply penetrate their very souls, bodies and minds!

Pray this for yourself:

I confess that God's hand is on my life. Because of this, the Spirit of the Lord rests mightily upon me. Just as He anointed Jesus, I am also anointed to preach the Gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, to give recovery of sight to the blind, and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. I carry the power of Jesus Christ, and I give off the aroma of God's Presence! I declare this by faith in Jesus. Amen.

Being Confident of God’s Plan

And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
— Matthew 27:2

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you felt you were surrounded and besieged by control freaks who were obsessed with keeping everything that moved under their monitoring control? If you have been in a situation like this, you know how hard it is to function in that kind of environment. It could happen at work, at church, at home, or at school. Think on that!

Well, Jesus' walk in life overwhelmed and rocked the boats of the leaders in the political realm and in the leadership within the Pharisees! Those two realms wanted to hold on to the reins of power they felt they had and the mere presence of Jesus' power and authority threatened them. They were loosing control. They were paranoid that Jesus was gaining popularity.

There is no difference today. The institutional Church leaders are threatened when people begin to find out who they really are in Christ and begin taking His teachings seriously. Jesus left us all with His power and authority to be used, functioning in our lives and the lives of those we reach for Christ.

Because the Pharisees at that time could not contain Jesus, they decided to turn him over to the political leaders. Pilate knew the Jews were jealous of Jesus. (Read Luke 23:2) They knew exactly what political strings to pull to get Pilate to do what they wanted — and they were pulling every string they held in their hands.

How often do Christian leaders turn people away to be judged by lawyers or doctors before they turn to the Lord for showing us His righteousness and allowing the Lord to heal? How often do religious leaders tell people if you do not like what is done or said here, LEAVE.  The Jesus in you is no different then the Jesus who walked this earth.  He –Jesus is still being scrutinized and most often being scrutinized through us!

The word "bound" makes me think of a rodeo. You know when the cowboy hog ties the cattle? They bound Jesus so He could not make a move or escape them. I am confident this was what Matthew had in mind by that word. Oh yea, if you have ever been to a circus, you know circus horses are tied with some sort of harness so the caretakers can lead them around the ring. I do believe there is no freedom in those harnesses! That is how Jesus was led off. Little did they know that what they did to Jesus in the physical fulfilled His purpose on earth.. The only harness we should have is the yoke of Christ!

Just as the soldiers had led Jesus to Caiaphas, now they slipped a rope about His neck and walked our "King" to Pontius Pilate. Jesus was just handed over to Pilate. Humiliating wouldn't you think? Little did they know that Jesus was above them all yet at the same time committed to fulfill the will of the Father. He submitted to this human cruelty so He could set us free. Pilate's roll in this was to find Him guilty and crucify Him! I believe we are not to wear the harness of man, yet together be in agreement according to the Word of God.

 Read Matthew 27:1-14

 Notice the Bible says Pilate "marveled greatly or was greatly surprised" at Jesus' silence. I believe that Pilate was at a loss for words;  shocked and amazed.

Mat 27: 11, 12, 14 Jesus had opportunities to respond and clarify who He was and what He was doing here on earth. Yet He remained silent. Finally Pilate asked "Art thou the King of the Jews? And He answered him and said, Thou sayest it" (Luke 23:3).

There are many times I have wanted to defend myself and the work the Lord has given me. As the days go by it becomes easier and easier to let others speak whatever they so believe. I know the truth and that truth will someday become real to them also. I stand confident in what the Lord has placed within me. Like Jesus, I stand before judges and critics and so will you!

When Jesus finally answered Pilate's question, He still did not defend Himself, knowing it was the appointed time for Him to be slain as the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. Timing in our lives is just as important to the Father. But Pilate did not want to crucify Him. In fact, the Roman governor began looking for a loophole — for some way out of putting this man to death.

There might be those in our lives who are looking for a loophole—an out so they do not have to face the truth we stand for. See your plan and mine is not vain; the plan of Jesus could not be changed because it was time for the Son of God to offer the permanent sacrifice for sin. As Hebrews 9:12 says, "Once for all time he took blood into that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves. He took his own blood, and with it he secured our salvation forever". And so with your plan and mine, the Lord has a purpose for the call placed upon our lives and it will not come back void!

Are you certain of God's plan for your life? Consider whether or not you are able to say with conviction: "I know what God has called me to do, and I am willing to go where He tells me to go and pay any price I have to pay.. My greatest priority and obsession is to do the will of the Father!"

 If you are not able to say this yet, ask the Holy Spirit to help you grow to the point where doing God's will, regardless of the cost, becomes the most important thing in your life. Even if a life of obedience takes you through hard places as it did with Jesus, the end result will be resurrection and victory!

So until that day, press forward, press onward, press inward, press upward! There is a victory dance for s all as we join with the Father and the Lover of our souls in the things He has prepared for us!

A little dab will do ya!

 Have you ever had the flu?  You ache all over, with a headache that will not quit, and your nose is so stuffed up you cannot breathe.  You are feeling so rotten that nothing soothes the pain or quiets your body; you just toss and turn and hibernate.  Interaction with those you love is not on your priority list.  When you do try to have conversation you feel alone and isolated!  I even remember saying, "Just leave me alone with my misery!"  Your head bangs so loud the only thing that begins to make you feel better is to hide in the darkness with a cold compress on your head. You could say this is the flu all right.  And the Lord wants to heal you. Yes, He wants to heal me too.  But I am so miserable that I cannot even be bothered to pray, never alone read or watch TV.  Nothing satisfies.  Nothing comforts.

It is the same when we are in sin.  All those same symptoms run rapid in our spirit man--wanting to hide away from the light, feeling alone and miserable!  Then along comes Jesus, the light, and you run and hide.  Wonder what life is going to be like after the sin is gone?  Will my friends still like me?  Will I be accepted at the group I belong to at Church?  How about my employer, my family?  If those things come to mind, I guess Satan is doing his job already.  Go for the GOLD!  Cling to the ROCK! It is the only way out of the darkness. 

The One and only is out for our eternal life.  His methods may vary according to the individual, yet the result is the same.  CHANGE…  This change can be physical, spiritual, or emotional!  Maybe it is all three.  Body, Mind, Soul–the Lord is after it all.  No matter where He finds you today, He wants more of you and more of me.  The challenge is if we are willing to step where we have not stepped before.  Are we willing to be led where we think there is no end?  Walk by faith, not by sight.  Be willing to let the Lord lead you into all truth. That is what it is about. 

If you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then you have begun that walk.  Go into deeper waters with Him.  Trust more, it will increase your faith! Step into realm's you do not see the end!  If you do not know the Lord as your Healer, then let Him lead you there!  If you do not know the Lord as your provider, let Him show Himself there in your life-by leading you to a new place, a new venture of employment!  Maybe you have never endured hardship before. Let the Lord comfort you through that journey. Our God is the God above all and of all.  Allow Him to be who He is too you. 

If you step out in faith, knowing He will provide exactly what you need, your life will never be the same!   His love endures forever and His provision for your need is there!

Blessings, dianne

There is a Time for You to Be Inflexible and Unmoving!

Maybe you have been muttering to yourself, "Come on! I have waited and waited for my dream to come to pass. God has not done anything I thought He was going to do. I have seen others blessed; I have seen others healed.. But, I am still sitting here with the same old unanswered prayers. I am sick of it all! I am not going to believe and wait any longer. Forget it — I am letting it all go!"

If this sounds like you, I want to encourage you to read Hebrews 10:23.
"Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise." (NLT)

To hold fast—is like fastening yourself like superglue to the word He has promised. Waver is a powerful word in this verse of Scripture. You could say the palm trees "waver" or sway in the pleasant summer breeze. When I arrived here in Florida the day after hurricane Charlie hit it in August of 2004, it was evident that even the steel utility poles had wavered! They were bent over as if they melted; they had bowed and given up under the pressure of the winds.

Those were strong, heavy-duty poles that had wavered and given into the power of Charlie. It has been my experience that even in God when we feel we are the strongest we might be weak in our faith. This scripture tells us to profess, confess, and testify to our faith without wavering. Therefore, be stable and enduring at all times in your walk with God.

We can also become so tired we can barely stand under the pressure of this world and its unbelief. Some ultimately become so exhausted they throw in the towel and give up. Have you ever heard of the term couch potato? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couch_potato) That "give-up" attitude can cause one to become just that. Do not let people or circumstances affect you so you become so weary you choose to lay it all down and become depressed!

God is telling us to be the opposite. Do not be lazy. Instead, your attitude should become unbending, unchanging, fixed, stable, and unmoving. In other words, we have too much invested to give up. We must refuse to budge an inch on what we are believing to see or to receive by the spirit!

Many years ago now, Dr. Robert Schuller, made a statement and I believe he even wrote a book about Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do! Let's get tough.

Let us confess together:

"Lord I am clung to You and Your Word like super-glue. I am embracing Your move and taking hold of who You made me to be. I am rejecting all things contrary to Your Word. I am marching forth rejecting all attempts of anyone or any circumstance that tries to steal it from me. Lord allow me NOT to be fickle in my commitment but determined to be inflexible and unmoving from that which I believe and confess."

 As long as you are energized by faith, you will keep moving in a forward direction. However, the day you let loose of your faith and back off your position, it will not be too long until a spiritual sadness will come over your life. Spiritually speaking, your shoulders will slope, your head will drop, and you will feel like someone pulled the plug on your energy level. Your eyes will drift toward being that couch potato and soon you will end up completely giving up on your faith!

Do not let that happen to you! What God promises, He will perform. It may take a while for that promise to manifest, but eventually it will come. In the meantime, you must choose to believe He will do what He has promised. That is the key! You must set your heart and commit your will, making an irrevocable decision to believe His Word regardless of how you feel, what you think in your natural mind, what others say, or how circumstances look.

It is time for you to realize you have too much to lose! Dig in your heels, widen your tent of faith and drive down your stakes, and tell the devil you are not going to move from your position of faith! Aggressively choose to believe that what God has promised, He will always do. Once you have made that kind of life changing decision, it is only a matter of time before you will be rejoicing!

When you finally put your foot down, the devil will stop uttering his lying accusations and he will flee from you. You will be mightily blessed and very thankful that you did not give up when you see the confession of your faith finally manifest!

When our children were growing up, it was so easy just to give in to their whims and desires. Just keep the peace Dianne. Yet somehow, for their own good, Dick and I dug in our heels and remain unmovable about some issues. (for example: on manners, eating habits, even attending Church on Sunday-no matter what was happening in their lives). Hindsight tells us we did the right thing. All our children put God first in their lives and are rearing their children, to some extent, as we reared them.

I am telling you we must be the same with our own relationship with the Lord. Get stubborn and fixated on what the Lord has promised and He will come through for you! May the joy of the Lord be your strength!

 

Payday Is on the Way!

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  Hebrews 10:35

If you have ever invested time, money, energy, and commitment into God's Kingdom that no one knew about except you and the Lord, it did not go unnoticed. The Lord saw it all. And according to Hebrews 10:35, He plans on reimbursing you in full!

To me this scripture tells the idea of being reimbursed for an expense that a person has paid out of his own pocket in order to get his job done.  Have you ever used your own money to get a job done then another reimbursed you when you turned in your receipts? 

The word "confidence"  refers to bold, frank, forthright speech. This bold kind of speech is often translated in the New Testament as the word "confidence." Indeed, it does depict a confident kind of speaking - a daring to speak exactly what one believes or thinks with no hesitation or intimidation. Because this kind of speech is so bold, it frequently incites a volatile reaction.

An example of this can be found in First Thessalonians 2:2, where Paul writes, "But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention."  To me this means that Paul and others including ourselves speak in such an  outspoken and forthright way that caused  a serious fight with opposing forces that were and are very hostile to what we were doing and saying.

In the same manner, the word "confidence" used in Hebrews 10:35 also refers to very bold, frank speech - communication that is so strong, listeners may perceive the speaker to be arrogant, haughty, or overconfident. So apparently the believers to whom Hebrews 10:35 was written were speaking something that was very bold and extraordinarily frank. What words were they speaking? They were speaking words of faith!

Apparently these Hebrew Christians had been speaking those words a long time - and they had been waiting and waiting for those faith-filled words to come to pass. After investing their lives, their time, their energy, and their faith into their walk with God, they wanted to see some action! Because their answers hadn't come yet, they were tempted to throw it all away as though the manifestation was never going to come to pass. That's why the verse screams at them, "Do not throw your confidence away." God was saying to them, "Don't throw away your bold confessions of faith!"

Today many Christians believe that Jesus healed when he walked the earth, some believe the apostles carried out His command to them.  There are few today that believe we also have the power and authority through Jesus Christ.  Even others who do not believe Jesus can and will heal them today.  This could be a word of Faith that screams at them!  Jesus loves you and He wants to heal you TODAY!  If you were like some –ready to throw the towel in on healing—reconsider your beliefs.  Allow the Holy Spirit fill you to new depths.  Allow the Holy Spirit to revive within you the completeness of life!  Your complete Salvation is here today.

Why did they need to hang on and continue believing and speaking words of faith? The verse tells us why: because their confidence - their bold confessions of faith - had great recompense of reward.  God promised that they will receive their reward.  For me is the reward of seeing people with His heart following after Him and those who will receive their manifest healing in their lives today! in this life time.

This scripture is an encouragement to me and others like me who bring the full message of healing.  God wants us to know: "because of our time, energy, effort, work, and money we have spent to do the job I. He will be faithful to produce the fruit of our labor.  Come boldly declare that you will be reimbursed. I will see to it that you recoup everything you spent along the way. You'll get everything that you've spent and that you've been declaring by faith will happen!"

You may be tempted to feel like you've wasted years waiting for your calling or your dream to come to pass. The devil may try to beguile you into thinking your bold confessions of faith are mere fantasies that are never going to happen. But God's Word promises He will reward you for all you've sacrificed and invested along the way. He has heard every faith declaration you have made, and He will reward you and reimburse you for all the time, energy, commitment, and money you've given over the years!

Declaration before the Lord:

I boldly declare that God is going to reward me! God's Word promises that He sees what I have done and that He will see to it that I am fully recompensed for all I have done in His name. Because I am convinced that God will care for me, I boldly, frankly, and confidently declare that my payday is on the way! He knows about everything I have done in faith, and He will reward and reimburse me for all the time, energy, commitment, and money I've given to His work over the years!

Let God Breathe Into Your Life!

Would you be interested in getting plugged into a power source that will permeate you with extraordinary energy, vitality, strength, and wisdom to assist you in overcoming any challenge that comes against you?

Of course you would like to have that kind of help! The amazing thing is that you already have it at your disposal! However, you may not have learned yet how to tap into this power source to receive its full benefit. Right there in your home is a source of power beyond your wildest imagination.

It is probably sitting on a shelf, situated nicely on a table, or perhaps even kept in the magazine rack in the bathroom. Or maybe you keep this source of power in the drawer of your desk at work or on the back seat of your car.

You may have guessed by now that I'm talking about your Bible, which is one of the greatest sources of power on earth! If you learn how to tap into God's Word and let its power flow into you, it will equip you with wisdom, answers, and the power to overcome in every single situation in life.

When Timothy felt attacked on every side by difficult situations he was facing in the city of Ephesus, he wrote to Paul, seeking answers and help to his various dilemmas. Expecting counsel and advice from Paul, he received a letter from Paul that contained these precious words:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. - 2 Timothy 3:16

Inspiration is given by God's breath. I is the projection of emotions, such as anger, courage, or goodwill, love, strength. The real secret to this power source is the actual BREATH OF GOD. You must do a study of the word "pneuma" or the root "pneu" in the Greek. It was the breath of God that spoke the earth into existence – that dynamic movement of air.

I believe in this scripture it includes life-force, energy, and dynamic power–the power to do supernatural feats for the Lord.

The Bible is God's message delivered through human writers to you and me. This message is delivered to us so we can experience the life of God and the heart of our Father God. Now if this life is living it carries with it the emotions of God's love to us His people. Not only do we know by our intellect, but we also know with our senses and our heart (our spirit beings)

This power, the same power it took to create the universe and everything in it, is in the Word of God for us to carry within us! It is the authority and power Jesus left for us to use!

Today the same breath of God that caused the Word to materialize in written form is now held inside the Bible. It was God's own breath that caused this Word to manifest in the first place, and now His own Presence, His breath –His "molecules," if you will - are permanently held inside the Word of God itself. In other words, God did not just inspire the writing of the Bible. God Himself - His life, His life-force, His essence, power, energy, dynamism, and power - is contained inside the Word.

It is my belief that just as we are called by the Great Commission to speak of testimonies of the Lord to others, His power is also in our breath as we speak! That Holy Spirit power will come out of us and reach others for Christ's sake!

Think about it. The Bible you own that is sitting on a shelf, stored away in your desk drawer, sitting on the back seat of your automobile, situated nicely on your coffee table, or placed on the nightstand next to your bed contains the very life, essence, energy, and dynamism of God Himself ! If you will get hungry for more of God and determine to meditate on this truth long enough to tap into it, God Himself will come pouring out of the Bible into your life and situation.

That is what happened to Todd Bentley and all the others carrying the authority and power to lay hands on the sick and watch them recover. That is the power that sets the captives free, allows us to live peaceful lives in the midst of chaos, and provides us with all our needs!

The supernatural breath and life of God held within His written Word is the reason Paul went on to say that the Word is "profitable." The Word is beneficial to us in all of life's circumstances. God's Word brings benefit to the one who reads it, meditates on it, and taps into its power.

So when Paul wrote to Timothy, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God," he was reminding the younger man that because Timothy had the Word, he possessed the greatest source of power and energy that exists! If he would get into the Word, tapping deeply into its internal resource and allowing the life of God in that Word to flow up, out, and into his life, enough power would be released to change every difficult situation he was facing.

I encourage you to participate in this move of God. Do not let it be as a concert you visit once or twice. Allow the Breath of God to permeate you and change you. Allow the Holy Spirit to cause a hunger and thirst you have never had before–A hunger and thirst for His Word, for His manifest Authority and Power in your life, and the lives of others!

Tap in today to your inheritance! Walk like Jesus and listen to the Father's voice! Act upon the instructions the Lord is whispering to you!

Love to all, Dianne in Florida

My Character is always behind God’s Goodness

We went to the Florida Healing Outpouring with Todd Bentley last evening (http://freshfire.ca/). As I sat and participated in this awesome outpouring of God's Goodness—His Grace! I felt sooo small in comparison to the gifts and calling He has for me in my life time.

Miracles were happening all around us! The multitudes were crying out—"Send me, Lord. Send me." Then I was captivated and taken up at that very moment. I was the 'perfect' choice for the Lord. There was none of me left and all of God within me. I could hardly stand the weight of His presence that was so weighing me down! He confirmed what I have known that He continues to call me this day and this time once again to fulfill my purpose. I like God has chosen me. Here I am take the coal burn my lips, here I am!"

The open gates of 2008 have continued to flood over us. Revival, refreshing, and restoring are here like we have never experienced before. SALVATION is here! The magnitude of this outpouring is incredible! It is as if the Lord is saying, "Look ye here! Here I am! Come join Me!"  Friday night I was watching on the live Internet feed. It was like standing at the ocean's edge and seeing no end to the ocean. That is how it was with people! They were out there as far as the eye could see about 15,000.

There is no time like the present to rededicate your life to Christ. Allow Him, once again, to light the fires and passion for His will in your life!  

The Lord has chosen me and you to continue to bring fresh fire in the lives of those we are in contact with. Dick and I pray the open gates will continue in New England when we return. We will be in Tennessee sometime soon and we release angels of the Lord to go before us to open the gates of His river to flow through us and through the people we meet and have the opportunity to minister!

When we returned to our room after the meeting last night Dick and I were tired and yet still wired with excitement! As I slept , I felt that icy hot tingling feeling in my feet. When I awoke, as if I had a fever, I began pealing layers of skin off the inside of my lips and the roof of my mouth! Praise God those hot coals touched my lips and once again consecrated my divine purpose!

All I can say is, "Come and get some! BAM—POWER of the Holy Ghost is upon you! Come and Experience for yourself the Goodness of the Lord!"