21June2014 - The Need for Jesus

How you doin?  It's something to see the tremendous need for Jesus.  When we look around we can see  an uncountable amount of needs.  Sickness, disease, sin, fear, religion, unbelief, human tradition, financial insecurity, addiction (to more then just drugs and alcohol), and much more.  Stacey and I find ourselves praying some specific prayers, but mostly general prayers due to the massive amount of prayer request we receive during our time in the morning.  Throughout the day we pray for individual people.  A lot of time our prayers are for heaven's rain to fall on the earth.  For the glory of the Lord to rain down and cover us. 

As I was reading Job 23 today, I felt overwhelming gratitude for Jesus and the ongoing process of walking out my identity/destiny in Him and the new covenant that he established for me/us.  Verses 8-12,
“Behold, I go forward but He is not there,
And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;
⁹ When He acts on the left, I cannot behold Him;
He turns on the right, I cannot see Him.
¹⁰ “But He knows the ^[e]way I take;
When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
¹¹ “My foot has held fast to His path;
I have kept His way and not turned aside.
¹² “I have not departed from the command of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth ^[f]more than my ^[g]necessary food.

Job's afflictions, which are from the devil, are causing him to respond to God poorly throughout this entire book.  Job doesn't have the benefit of the Bride Groom's pursuit.  Job is searching for God based on his level of understanding.  He doesn't have the Counselor teaching him and reminding him of the things Jesus said and did.  I/we are certainly not exempt from falling into this trap.  That's why I feel such gratitude toward Jesus and the Holy Ghost this morning.  It's Jesus' acts on the cross that made it possible for me/us to receive God's glory through His Holy Spirit.  The very same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me/you.  I wonder how Job's story would read if the Holy Ghost lived in him.  What a gift we have to live in such a great age of spirituality.  I love and am very thankful for knowing that I need Jesus like I need air.  Understanding that I need Jesus in this way makes it possible for me to yield myself to Him.  COME ON!!!!!!!  A yielded heart is a mold-able or shape-able heart.  A transformable heart.  WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!  Tell Jesus how much you need Him today.

PS  I left about 2 pages worth of stuff out of this email.  The Holy Ghost is again pouring out into me and our home.  AWESOME!!!!!!!  I keep thinking of the importance of keeping our feet on the right path.  Verses 10-12 pretty much wrecked me this morning.  When I don't understand why things occur in life it makes stay the path even more.  I keep thinking of the song by Petra that asks "When will the world see that we need Jesus".  That's not condemnation... I'm in the world as well.  Praise God that when I/we can't see God due to life's circumstances that "He knows the way I take".

20June2014- I'm Back!

How you doin?  I had a tremendous time with God.  He's really AWESOME!!!!!!!  I don't think the training is ever over, but for now I made it through this session.  I don't know if sharing what happen is a good idea or not, but I will say that the Holy Ghost changed my perspective.  That's what He does.  He changes me/us.

Stacey and I had a wonderful experience last night.  We've always envisioned our home as some place that was luring to people who needed/wanted to be in the Presences of God.  So last night we had 3 very dear friends come over.  1 was invited and was over in 20 minutes after the invitation and another couple (the husband of the couple is my unofficial spiritual mentor) asked if we were home so they could come over and talk & get hugs.  Now as much as I would love to think and take credit for people being lured to our home due to my incredible attitude and personality, I saw clearly that it was the Presence of God that was drawing them in.  That's not to say that we have nothing to do with it.  We pray everyday without fail for awareness of His Presence.  We pray for His Presence to be known in our home and in our lives.  We pray faithfully and in belief that we will be transformed into His likeness from glory to glory.  Last night was an answer to prayer and a reward for our obedience.  God gave us a glimpse of what it looks like to live in Him and to welcome Him in us.  PRAISE JESUS!!!!!!!...  for everything. 

John 4:45, "So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast."

John 6:20-21, "But He *said to them, “It is I; ^[h]do not be afraid.” ²¹ So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going."

Luke 10:38, "Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home."

Luke 8:40, "And as Jesus returned, the ^[k]people welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him."

These are few of so many verses that tell us of the importance of welcoming Him and others as though they were Him.  Welcome Him and receive Him, and others, today.

12June2014- Testing Training

How you doin?  This is going to be lightning fast since I'm at work.  I'm sure you can hear some struggle over the last few days.  I was "listening" for/to God on my way to work this morning.  Meaning, I wasn't praying.  I was listening.  I heard something that I've never heard before.  I heard, "I'm testing you and training you for a new glory".  This rocked me.  I don't have time to get into many details about this, but there is a lot more.  I still feel relatively unhappy here in the natural, but I can't say that I've ever had so much joy.  Please pray for the Holy Ghost to teach me to trust myself enough for this new glory/season.

My emails may look a little different and a lot less.  I know that this training and testing is very personal between God and I.  He is waiting on me to pull back and spend time Him and only Him.  If anyone would like to still receive daily emails for encouragement and fellowship please let me know.  I have had some people tell me that they count on and look forward to the email each morning.  I don't want to stop that ministry.  Please let me know if you want an email daily.  Otherwise it will be as the Holy Ghost leads.  I have no idea how long this will be.  Please be praying for me to trust myself and to yield myself to God completely.  WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!  I'm a wreck.  AWESOME!!!!!!!

While I'm going through this training/testing, I don't want to neglect this call to ministry.  So the Holy Ghost gave me strategy this morning to do both.  I'll be copying and pasting a devotional email that I receive.  THIS WILL NOT BE MY WRITING.  This devotional has been instrumental in my spiritual growth.  I don't now how long God will have me in this training/testing but I will email you my writings as I'm lead by the Spirit.  These devotionals are written by various writers.  I hope and pray they serve you well.  One thing that always stands out to me is the numerous times God says in the Old Testament, "Hear me, listen to me, and pay attention to me".  I pray that you are able to not only do that, but be patient with me as I do that.  I hope you enjoy this until I'm through this process.  I do know this is leading me into a new glory.  Please keep praying for me/us and I'll be praying for you. 

11June2014 - 4th Day

How you doin?  I'm a little better today.  I feel a bit more rested.  I'm still having trouble coming out of the state that organizing conferences puts me in.  I still feel like I need time with Him and only Him.  My relationship with Him is the most important thing.  When I'm in right relationship with Him my life produces fruit.  I did make the mistake and asked someone how they liked the message on Sunday.  He ripped the message apart and basically said it was worthless.  Ouch!!!!!!!  Take that for asking.  One of these days I'll learn NOT to ask.  I'm still struggling with the book of Job.  I'm not sure why God has us here reading this book.  It seems extremely redundant. 

In the first five verses Job rips his friend a new one.  That part I get.  It's the rest of the verses that I don't get.  In the NASB verses 6-22 are titled "Job Says God Shattered Him".  As I've said before, we have the benefit of reading about God and Satan's dialog in the beginning of the book.  Though God allowed this to happen, it's Satan's hand that's causing the damage.  God still put restrictions on Satan both times He allowed Satan to afflict Job.  Here's where it feels redundant.  I'm not sure what I'm missing.  There are 22 more chapters of this.  I'm praying that I get it.  Whenever there's an issue with understanding or making sense of the Scripture, I always look at myself. 

I've heard from Doug Addison via text message Sun, Mon, & Tues.  More is being revealed about the weekend.  For those of you who read this email and attended the conference, please email me any testimony you have.  Healing, deliverance, revelation, understanding, etc.  Stacey and I, along with Doug, would love to hear about it.  I know some people that were in attendance aren't on this email list.  If you talk to them, please ask them to email me as well. 

I do feel as though I could burst.  I know that God has a great work in me and in us as a couple.  The anticipation is at a boiling point.  Know that God is good today.

PS   After talking with Stacey this morning, we both feel that the conference released freedom and acceptance for us.  Freedom to be in our identity and destiny in Christ.  Acceptance by God.  Acceptance by God to be His children.  I think that I'm dealing with some 4th day stuff.  I feel like the heavy weight of rejection is on me.  The rejection of those who didn't attend the conference.  The email I received about the message on Sun. and more.  I know that Satan can only counterfeit or do the opposite of what God does.  So it makes sense.  I received acceptance and now Satan is hitting me with rejection.  I keep thinking of Dan Mohler's message.  If I'm being hurt by other people it's my problem not theirs.  Rejection from people has NO business speaking louder then acceptance from God.

10June2014 Maintaining STewardship

How you doin?  I'm really exhausted.  We spent the day in Widwood yesterday with Stacey's family.  It was very fun, but very full.  I feel like I need a day of recovery.  I heard God say "stewardship" this morning while praying.  Stewardship of myself, my marriage, the kids, my house, and most of all my relationship with Him.  God can only pour out of me what He fills me with and what I can retain or hold.  My thoughts are some what tiring right now.  I have had a ton poured in and not much time to let it set in.  I love the fact that I received text message from Doug Addison Sunday and yesterday.  WOW!!!!!!!  What a blessing that would be to maintain communication and to develop friendship with him.  We did read Job 14 this morning.  I didn't get much out of it, except for more of the same.  Job's "friend" has a major case of identity theft.  Not just his identity, but all believers.  He also shows how he doesn't know God at all.  Sorry for such a short email today.  I feel like I'm jipping you this morning.  I'm just really exhausted.  Be good stewards of what God has given you today.

PS   Not only do I hear "stewardship", I'm hearing "rest".  "Rest in the Lord".

9June2014 Dust Settling

How you doin?  Whatta weekend.  The entire weekend was a huge set up by God.  Doug Addison brought a freedom impartation with him like I've never experienced.  Praise God!!!  Doug's message was refreshing, uplifting, and inspiring, but wasn't a pep rally.  AWESOME!!!!!!!  It will take some time for the dust settle.  It will take some time for the anointing to become a reality and part of my everyday.

One day last week I had written that I could feel God pouring into me what He wants to pour out of me.  That really became a reality yesterday as I gave the message at all three of our church services.  The message was on the transformational power of the Holy Ghost.  I can't really preach on or testify to something I haven't experienced.  The time I spent with Doug was such a divine set up.  It's amazing to come into right relationship with Him.  Not based on what I've been traditionally taught.  That actually leads to spiritual death and separation.  Right relationship with Him based on His heart.  COME ON!!!!!!!  It's more then a thrill to step into my identity and destiny in Christ. 

I was certainly stretched over the weekend.  At the conference as well as giving the message at church.  New wine taste wonderful.  I'm praying to be a new wine skin.  I so want to hold on to this glory and not let it fade away because of everyday life.  I don't ever want to go back to "normal".  I'm praying that my "normal" becomes Christ like and reflects His image. 

Those of you who attended the conference, pray about being a new wine skin so you can hold the new wine that was poured in.  Those of you who heard the message that I was fortunate enough to speak out on Sunday, yield yourself to the Holy Ghost and let Him transform you into His likeness and image.  The second greatest commandment is to love you neighbor as you you love yourself.  It's easy to love yourself if you see how God sees you.  If you love yourself, it's easy to love your neighbor.  COME ON!!!!!!!  Don't let the devil steal your identity today.

PS   Sorry if I'm all over the place today.  The dust will settle and my "normal" will become different, but better.  This weekend wasn't a mountain top experience... it was transformation.  COME ON!!!!!!! 

7June2014 Like Minded

How you doin?  WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!  It's amazing to watch the power of God overcome prejudice, religion, and human tradition.  Watching people being touched by the anointing that's on Doug is a blessing.  Not only experiencing the freedom for myself, but watching others experience the release of their captivity.  It's the best watching those who don't believe they are in captivity.  Looking into a the face of a person that encountered the Holy Ghost makes all the effort, rebuke, and perseverance well more then worth it. 

For me personally, I just can't get over the similarities in Doug and I.  Our desire for identity, destiny, and freedom in Christ is uncanny.  The way he speaks of identity theft sounds as though I wrote his material.  The way he speaks about religion and human tradition again sounds identical to what I write in these emails.  The way he desires an intimate relationship with the Father, feels as though I'm looking in the mirror.  Most of all, his heart for the lost and the captives here in our country and more then that in our churches.  Last night's session taught me to understand the benefit of the freedom that the Holy Ghost offers to the unlovable.  The folks that "just don't get it".  I received an impartation of ministering to those who are unlovable.  I very well may not be making much sense.  Bare with me through this weekend of extreme doses of the Kingdom message.  Bare with me as I sort through the mega doses of Kingdom resources.  This conference is is SO up my ally.  PRAISE JESUS!!!!!!!  His grace and peace surpasses all my understanding.  I wanted to through in the towel several times in the past 3 months.  Praise God for His refuge.  I need/want Doug's anointing and impartation like I need air.  I want to destroy the works of the devil and set the captives free.

I did read Job 14 this morning, but I'm reeling from last night and can't really remember what it said.  I remember reading verse 6 and thinking "oof... that's wrong".  Anyway, please keep praying and more importantly keep coming out the the sessions today.  Stacey and I were so blessed by the support of those who attended from our church as well as our friends from other churches.  Actions speak louder then words and our friends that came out to support us last night and again today are a blessing to us.  Thanks for showing us that you love us and trust us.  We love you and trust you back.  Praise God for Christian community.  That in itself is an answer to prayer.  We're finding that our friends are the Spirit filled or the unchurched.  Hmm!!!!!  Love you guys... you know who you are.  Come to the meetings with an open heart/mind and receive today.

PS   I didn't even get into the thrill of being around like minded followers of Jesus.  Like minded in the desire to be transformed into His likeness.

6June2014 Heavenly Resources

How you doin?  I had the opportunity to spend 4 hours with Doug Addison yesterday.  3 of which were just he and I.  He's very prophetic.  We had such a great time.  He lives a life that is extremely luring to me.  I've mentioned several times about practicing or being practiced in the gifts of the Spirit.  Training in them as though training for the Olympics.  Doug and I spoke a lot about that.  We also spoke about praying for strategy in ministry and in our own life.  He's a regular guy.  Which is amazing for me to say.  6 years ago I would have said he's "out there".  My anticipation of a move of the Holy Ghost in tonight's meeting has peaked beyond believe.  It's an expectation.  It's so thrilling to be around someone like Doug Addison.  Exchanging text messages and even if just for this weekend partnering with him to usher in the Kingdom.  It's amazing to be around someone this prophetic, knowledgeable about the Presence, and practiced in the gifts of the Spirit.  The impartation I received from him last night was incredible.  I can't imagine what tonight is going to be like. 

I was up at 4:25am praying.  Stacey is getting some much needed sleep.  She gets a little upset when she over sleeps our devotional time, but I really think her rest is more important today.  We have been getting worn out this week. 

I haven't read anything in the Bible yet today because I was called to just spend some private time in prayer with Him.  I will read something today, but I'm not sure what or when.  So today's email is a response to the grace and blessing that God offers me during these times of ministering to our Christian community and area of Cape May County by organizing these events.  The blessing it is to serve along side of a spiritual giant like Doug Addison.  The gift of having some of his anointing imparted to me.  WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!  What an experience of having God work through me.  I can literally feel Him pouring into me what He wants to pour out of me.  COME ON!!!!!!!  Spend time with Him and talk with Him today. 

PS   Come out tonight and receive the gift of impartation from this extremely anointed man.  This is an extraordinary opportunity to be around this type of prophetic gifting.  This conference with Doug Addison is indeed a resource of heaven.

5June2014 Stand in your righteousness

How you doin?  It's here.  We will pick Doug up in Philly today at 4:30.  I hardly slept at all last night.  We did go to the prayer meeting last night in an attempt to receive grace for both Stacey's healing and mine.  We often find ourselves staying away from the important things like prayer meetings, Bible study, prayer, and devotional time when life turns up the heat or volume.  We don't do it on purpose we just tend to fall back on human/natural resources instead of relying on the One that sustains us, protects us, nurtures us, and brings us to the place that stirs the hornets nest.  It's silly to be led to a place that puts us on Satan's radar and then leave the refuge of the One who brought us there.  It's only in His refuge that Satan has NO affect.   

​I haven't been talking much about our morning reading.  I have been reading the Bible a lot.  Stacey and I have stayed with our chronological Bible.  We're still in Job.  Apparently not all chronological Bible's are in the same order.  Not even one's from the same translation.  Very interesting if you ask me.  We tend to read the Bible as a story and ask the Holy Ghost to open our minds and hearts to receive the message that He has for us in each reading.  So it doesn't really matter about translation differences.  The Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Ghost and the truth of the Scriptures are revealed by the Holy Ghost.  So it all works for good.  Job 13 today.

What has stood out the most in this story so far is that Job and his friends are letting life's circumstances speak louder then God's truth.  They are also blaming or giving God credit for Satan's affliction.  God allows this to go on because He knows who He has in Job.  Meaning, He knows that Job will stand his ground through this temptation to turn away from God.  In today's reading Job stands on his righteousness and defends himself to one the friends.  Verses 1-2,  “Behold, my eye has seen all this,
                                                                                            My ear has heard and understood it.
                                                                                                                      ² “What you know I also know;
                                                                                             I am not inferior to you.
Job and his friends don't have the same benefit of knowing that God and Satan dialoged about this entire thing in heaven.  They don't know anything about spiritual warfare.  Verses 3-5,  “But I would speak to ^[a]the Almighty,
                                                                                And I desire to argue with God.
                                                                                                      ⁴ “But you smear with lies;
                                                                                You are all worthless physicians.
                                                                                                      ⁵ “O that you would be completely silent,
                                                                                And that it would become your wisdom! 

OUCH!!!!!  This continues on for a few more verses and then Job goes back to giving God credit for Satan's stuff. ​ God refers to Job as "upright", "righteous", and that he turns from evil.  I pointed out in earlier emails that Job and his boys are seriously rebuked and corrected by God.  Job repents and is reconciled with God.  I think that all this goes on because they don't have Jesus to reconcile them to God.  Praise Jesus that He reconciled us to God.  Praise the Holy Ghost that we have Him to teach us.  Praise God for His love.  Stand in/on your righteousness in Christ today.

PS   On our way home last night we had a miracle happen.  This car came rippin out of one of the campgrounds and never stopped.  They came so close to t-boning use that I braced for impact.  I have NO IDEA how they didn't nail us.  Praise God!!!!!!!  I looked back and their car's headlights were directed toward the woods.  They made the hardest right I've ever seen.  I thank God that He's so willing to prove to me that He's "got me". 

29May2014 - Thanksgiving

How you doin?  We attend the "Dwelling Place" prayer meeting last night at Abundant Life and it was AWESOME!!!!!!!  It's so addictive to be in the presence of God.  I felt a tremendous amount of gratitude toward God.  I couldn't stop thanking Him and feeling love for Him.  Being in His Presence will do that.  Psalm 100:4, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name."  1 Thessalonians 5:16-22, "Rejoice always; ¹⁷ pray without ceasing; ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit; ²⁰ do not despise prophetic ^[l]utterances. ²¹ But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; ²² abstain from every ^[m]form of evil."  These a few of hundreds of verses that speak about the importance of thanksgiving.  I can't say that I'm thankful all the time.  Last night as the Presence of God made Himself known to me, all I could feel was grateful.  COME ON!!!!!!!  I found myself praying for more.  Praying for more desire to know Him, to love Him, more understanding, revelations, grace, a renewed mind, fresh fire, and most of all love.  As I was praying, thanksgiving was on my lips more then anything.  AWESOME!!!!!!!  I felt a tremendous amount of fellowship with Him last night and this morning.

Job 9 today.  As I'm reading this horrific description of what God does, I found myself feeling sad or sorry for Job.  He was making determinations about God based on his life's experience, which at this time is really bad.  As I'm reading this chapter, I couldn't recognize God based on Jobs description of what God does.  Verse 24,  “The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
                                                                                                             He covers the faces of its judges.
                                                                                                             If it is not He, then who is it?

Is it possible that Job doesn't know that Satan is on the earth?  Is it possible that Job didn't know about spiritual warfare?  I know we're all guilty of giving God credit for stuff that's not His, but Job straight out says, "If it is not He, then who is it".  Bill Johnson said "God is good.  Satan is bad.  Cancer is bad.  Where do you think that came from?".  This statement does not over simplify a basic truth about the nature of God and the nature of Satan.  Job seems to be well deceived by the works of the Devil.  The very thing that Jesus came to destroy.  COME ON!!!!!!!  Is it possible that the work of the Devil is deceiving "Christians" right into unbelief?  Of course it is.  That's what Satan does.  Followers of Jesus are not exempt, but they are certainly less likely to be deceived.  Job's life's circumstances, which were from the hand of Satan (not God), skewed his knowledge of God's goodness. 

After last night, I can't see or hear anything but God's love and goodness.  At the end of the prayer meeting, we formed a circle to pray together.  I was asked to come to the center of the circle to be prayed for since it was my birthday.  The prayer over me was that God grant me whatever I desire in the upcoming year.  As this was spoken over me, all I could think of was "to know Him".  Not to know Him through study and in my mind, but to know Him intimately and in my heart.  It was a "Solomon" moment for me.  As I was receiving this prophetic prayer over me I searched my heart to see what my desire is.  I asked God to search my heart to see what my desire is.  I knew God was asking me what my desire was like he asked Solomon.  Solomon asked for wisdom, which is a really cool choice.  As I stood there last night raw from the Presence of God, all I wanted was "to know Him".  I truly want to have an intimate relationship with Him.  I want to know Him with my heart and my head will be forced to come along.  In boxing they have a saying, "take the body down and the head will follow".  My spirit (heart) will lead my soul and body.  Be thankful for the fact that God is good today.   

PS   Audrey and Paulie are AWESOME!!!!!!!  We were praying for a women with stage 4 lung cancer last night.  Both Audrey and Paulie bent over backwards trying to get to this women to lay hands on her.  They both did get to her and laid their hands on her.  After praying for this women, she was asked if she felt anything different in her body.  She said that she felt a tingling feeling and tremendous heat from Audrey's hand on her leg.  Stacey reported that she felt like Audrey needed to hug the women.  Audrey did hug the women and prayed that she "receives new lungs that will last forever".  There was a print of Audrey's hand on the women's pants.  It was at least sweat.  Stacey was trying to see if there was gold dust, but there were too many people around the women to see close.   WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!  There's so much to learn from these kids.  I'm so proud of them.

28May2014 - The spirit of slavery or the spirit of adoption

How you doin?  So I'm 43 years old today.  Stacey left for work around 5:30am and I work today as well.  We celebrated my b-day on Mon.  As I was laying in bed praying this morning I heard Romans 8.  I tried to convince God that He want me to read 2 Corinthians 3, but He wouldn't see it my way.  So now I'm sitting here totally wrecked because of Romans 8.  39 verses of complete AWESOMENESS!!!!!!!  As you may notice, one of my favorite subject matters is the new covenant.  Understanding and living under the new covenant makes it possible for me/us to receive the fullness of "Christ in us, the hope of glory".  It allows me/us to step into are identity and destiny in Christ.  It allows me/us to be transformed into His likeness and His image.  WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!  I would love to just copy and paste the entire chapter, but I won't.

Verses 1-4, "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life ^[a]in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. ³ For what the Law could not do, ^[b]weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of ^[c]sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."  So this is what gets me the most.  I've been taught most of my live that I'm a "sinner saved by grace" and that there are a list of do's and don'ts that I need to perform in order to stay on God's good side.  That list is of do's and don'ts is the old covenant or the law.  The law of sin and of death.  The Spirit of God that dwells in us is the Spirit of life.  It doesn't seem like it should be a hard choice to make here.  Life or death.  Let's move on.  There's too many gems in this chapter.

Verse 9-11, "However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. ¹⁰ If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is ^[d]alive because of righteousness. ¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies ^[e]through His Spirit who dwells in you."  I hope you just gave God a shout of praise.  The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us who believe in Him.  "Believe" is the key word.  Yielding myself to the Spirit of truth is the only way I can push through the false or old covenant teaching I've received for so many years.  Unbelief is a problem.  Admitting I had a problem with drugs and alcohol freed me from it.  The same is true for unbelief.  I belief that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me.  COME ON!!!!!!!

Here's the best part.  Verses 12-16, "So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— ¹³ for if you are living according to the flesh, you ^[f]must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.¹⁴ For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you have not received a spirit of slavery ^[g]leading to fear again, but you have received ^[h]a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him."  HOLY MAC A LOLY!!!!!!!  Verses 15-17 just blow me out of the water.  These promises are overwhelming.  These verses are truth which makes them promises.  We still have a role in all of this.  "We are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-".  We have a choice to live according to the flesh or according to the Spirit.  When thinking about it, it doesn't seem like a hard choice.  For some reason I find myself choosing poorly.  These verses have everything to do with our identity in Christ.  If I'm aware of who I am in Christ then the choice is easy.  If I'm dealing with identity theft then it gets hard again.  Almost there.

Verses 37-39, "But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  The love of God is in Jesus and Jesus is in us through the Holy Ghost.  COME ON!!!!!!!  Now obviously there is a lot more in this chapter that I'm skipping over in the interest of time.  Please read the entire chapter on your own.  Before you do, ask the Holy Ghost to open your mind and heart to what He has to say to you.  Rebuke the spirit of slavery and receive the Spirit of adoption today.    

27May2014 - Love has defeated fear

How you doin?  Stacey throws one amazing party.  Yesterday was my one day off sandwiched between 11 work days.  So Stacey planned a very small birthday party for me with a few family members.  It was very small, but very fun.  Stacey did a wonderful job at making it possible for me to still rest and relax.  The party seemed like it was more for the kids.  They're a blessing beyond belief.  Stacey and the kids are a gift that keeps on giving.  I'm very LU.C.K.y (Living Under Christ's Kindness). 

Job 8 this morning was more of the same.  Another of Job's "friends" suggesting that Job has done something sinful or against God.  I heard an incredible message from Bill Johnson yesterday about "the renewed mind".  The mind that can understand the spiritual realm.  The mind that is in tune with and is like Christ's mind.  The mind that isn't fixed on life's experiences.  I'm a bit jealous of this person with the renewed mind.  It's a huge prayer for me.  Transformation is more important to me then air.  The Holy Ghost is trying to wash me with regeneration and renewal (Titus 3:5).  It's me who struggles letting go and letting God.  I pray to become fasted from my "self" and to have the manifest love of God flowing out of me.  As Bill Johnson said "The renewed mind knows that sometimes God wants to do things through us as well as for us".  In the song "Scandal of Grace" by Hillsong United they sing, "O to be like You".  COME ON!!!!!!!  Why does it fell scary to become like Him.  It feels like I'm standing at a closed door with my hand on the door knob and I can't open it because I'm scared.  Help me God.  Join me in praying that we know in our hearts and minds that love has defeated fear today.