Do You Have An Orphan Spirit? February 25, 2012

We often hear people talk about James 1:27:

James 1:27

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

We also often limit this to what we understand of orphans and widows in the natural. But the reality is that many people fall into this category if we would only have eyes to see.

By looking at the definition of the original Greek, we can see more clearly:

ORPHANS: those of uncertain affinity, parentless, comfortless, fatherless

(To be of uncertain affinity means not being connected on common ground; not belonging anywhere or to anyone specific.)

WIDOWS: those who are deficient, lacking a husband, having a chasm, vacancy, impassable interval, gape or gulf

These definitions in a spiritual sense, include many more people than one would realize.

In pure and undefiled religion, these are the people we are instructed to visit.

VISIT: to inspect; to select; by extending ourselves, go see and bring relief

But too often we don’t recognize them when they are right in front of us.

• They are in your church
• They are on your job
• They live in your neighborhood
• They could be in the mirror
• Many have grown up in two-parent homes
• Many have never been married
• Many have been divorced
• Many have been ostracized for various reasons such as race, social class or gender
• Many have lost loved ones other than a spouse

We cannot identify them by traditional definitions. We must identify them by their FRUIT. This orphan spirit is crippling many inside and outside of the church today… it is like a hidden shard of glass that has the potential to cut them, make them bleed and make them unable to walk in their destiny.

Could you or someone you know be struggling with an orphan spirit?

There is hope!

John 14:18 says:

I will not leave you as orphans (with uncertain affinity, parentless, comfortless, fatherless); I will come to you.

Rom 8:14-17

…those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship (placed into immediate kinship; adoption) And by him we cry, “Abba,  Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ…

John 8:32

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Come and learn the CHARACTERISTICS of the ORPHAN SPIRIT and other HIDDEN SHARDS OF GLASS so you can be FREE to be all God has called you to be.

www.radicalinfusion.org

 

Heed the Watchman November 10, 2011

Ezekiel 33

Renewal of Ezekiel’s Call as Watchman

¹ The word of the LORD came to me: ² “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, ³ and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, ⁴ then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. ⁵ Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. ⁶But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’

⁷ “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. ⁸ When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for^[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. ⁹ But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.

¹⁰ “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of^[b] them. How then can we live?”’ ¹¹ Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’

¹² “Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’ ¹³ If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done. ¹⁴ And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right— ¹⁵ if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die. ¹⁶ None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.

¹⁷ “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just. ¹⁸ If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, they will die for it. ¹⁹ And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so. ²⁰ Yet you Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to your own ways.”

Jerusalem’s Fall Explained

²¹ In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month on the fifth day, a man who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has fallen!” ²²Now the evening before the man arrived, the hand of the LORD was on me, and he opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer silent.

²³ Then the word of the LORD came to me: ²⁴ “Son of man, the people living in those ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many; surely the land has been given to us as our possession.’ ²⁵ Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Since you eat meat with the blood still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then possess the land? ²⁶ You rely on your sword, you do detestable things, and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife. Should you then possess the land?’

²⁷ “Say this to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: As surely as I live, those who are left in the ruins will fall by the sword, those out in the country I will give to the wild animals to be devoured, and those in strongholds and caves will die of a plague. ²⁸ I will make the land a desolate waste, and her proud strength will come to an end, and the mountains of Israel will become desolate so that no one will cross them. ²⁹ Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have made the land a desolate waste because of all the detestable things they have done.’

³⁰ “As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.’ ³¹ My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. ³² Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.

³³ “When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

Better Get Ready… PREPARE: Adjust and Align August 26, 2011

God has been showing me some things about this topic lately through some books He has led me to read, but when I woke up this morning before my feet hit the floor I heard this loud and clear:

In 2012 God is going to realign church government for those who have ears to hear. Proper governmental alignment is necessary for the next release of POWER. Preparation has already begun.

He spoke to me about ALIGNMENT a few weeks ago. (Click here to read that word: http://maryloveslife.wordpress.com/2011/07/21/prophetic-alignment/)

The call for PREPARATION is a call for ALIGNMENT, just as it was before:

A voice of one calling in the desert, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.” Matt 3:3

Let us humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, allowing him to ADJUST and ALIGN us in proper biblical alignment so we the church can be useful vessels to reveal His glory. Tradition, status quo and normal have to go. We must be open to RADICAL ADJUSTMENTS if we want to see RADICAL POWER. (Read more about making adjustments here: http://maryloveslife.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/caution-total-surrender-to-christ-may-cause-controversy/)

“And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the remnant whom the LORD calls.” Joel 2:28-32

Prophetic Alignment July 21, 2011

Luke 3:1-2

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar-when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene- during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.

While many things seem unrelated or unplanned, God is very intentional about PROPHETIC ALIGNMENT. There may be things you are waiting on that just don’t seem to come to pass. There may be various aspects of your life and circumstance that seem unrelated and random. You may even think you missed God on some issues.

But hold tight!

SUDDENLY… one day you will see that ALL ALONG, God was intentionally lining everything up for a manifestation of His greater purpose.

Luke 3:1-2

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar…

…when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea…

…Herod tetrarch of Galilee…

…his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis…

…Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene…

…and during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas…

THEN… the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.

Be patient, my friends. The Lord is at work in your midst, lining everything up for His glory.

Jer 29:10-11

This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

 

I Yield, oh Lord. May 22, 2011

TO YIELD:
to give up possession of on claim or demand: as to give up (as one’s breath) and so die:
to surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another:
to hand over possession of:
to surrender or submit (oneself) to another:
to give (oneself) up to an inclination, temptation, or habit:
to relinquish one’s possession of (as a position of advantage or point of superiority):
to give up and cease resistance or contention:
to give way under physical force (as bending, stretching, or breaking):
to give place or precedence:
to acknowledge the superiority of someone else:
to be inferior:
to give way to or become succeeded by someone or something else:
to bear or bring forth as a natural product especially as a result of:
to produce or furnish as return ..:
to be fruitful or productive:

I YIELD myself to you, Oh Lord my God. I completely surrender myself, my ideas, my plans, my desires and my will to yours. I desire to walk in your ways Oh God and not that of my own. Lead me Oh Lord down ancient paths, that I may know you as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob knew you. May I know you Lord and feel your tangible presence as the disciples did in the upper room. I know Lord that to know you this way requires less and less and less of me, so I YIELD to you Lord!

I know it won’t be easy. I know it won’t always seem fair. I know I won’t always agree. Yet…I YIELD every fiber of my being to YOUR plan. May I hear your voice at every turn and may I have the boldness to obey your every command.

May any command you give that is illogical by human reasoning be boldy obeyed without hesitation. May fear, anxiety, worry, doubt and unbelief be bound up from me and may FAITH overwhelm my being and propel me instantly into bold, radical obedience. May the criticism of man not move me. MAY NOTHING MOVE ME BUT YOU LORD! I YIELD to you Lord! I YIELD! CONSUME ME! IGNITE ME WITH YOUR HOLY FIRE! BURN AWAY THE CHAFF! GIVE ME DOVES EYES MY LORD MY KING!

Lay me on the altar as a burning sacrifice… MAY SAVED SOULS AND SOLD-OUT, COMMITTED CHRISTIANS STAND IN THE WAKE OF THE SMOKE OF MY BURNING FLESH… A RESULT OF THE DEEP, INWARD WORK THAT DRAWS ME CLOSER TO YOU.

I bow humbly before you now, my God, my King.

Have YOUR way.

(originally posted by me on May 13, 2009. ~  always worth revisting )

Seeing the Hand of God… In the Moment May 11, 2011

Many times in hind-sight we can look back and trace the hand of God in a situation. We can see how He was divinely choreographing every step and orchestrating the sequence of events that eventually led to resolution of that circumstance. We also look back and see how we were so diligent to seek Him during that time of uncertainty, and how we felt so helpless without Him.

But too often, while still in the midst of it all, we feel alone or like He has forgotten about our situation. We get upset when things happen differently than we expected, we get impatient when certain doors stay closed and we think they should open, we look for instant gratification and resolution to our situation, and instant answers to our questions/decisions. And we find ourselves saying “Why isn’t anything happening in my situation?”

Truth be told… IT IS. Today, God wants you to begin looking for Him… IN THE MOMENT. He is so busy around you but you may be too preoccupied with the “final outcome” that you’re missing out on journeying with Him in the moment.

He wants you to begin to live “GOD-CONSCIOUS” every moment of the day. How often do you consciously focus on His Presence around you in the midst of your hectic day? HE IS THERE! That interruption to your schedule earlier today… It may have been a divine opportunity sent by God… perhaps to open a door in your life or a “Holy Ghost set up” for you to bless someone else.

So today… begin to look for the Hand of God moving in your midst. Don’t miss the JOY of the JOURNEY. His timing is PERFECT, His ways are HIGHER THAN YOUR WAYS, He is PERFECTING THE THINGS THAT CONCERN YOU….

Stop waiting for Him to “answer your prayer” and recognize that YOUR ANSWER IS IN PROCESS ALL AROUND YOU!

REJOICE IN THE MOMENT for the character, endurance, patience and perseverance that is being built in you through the process! HE MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE ON PURPOSE SO YOU CAN KNOW HIM MORE!

…for in Him we live and move and have our being. Acts 17:28

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret… Ps 37:7

Be still, and know that I am God… Ps 46:10

The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever… Ps 138:8

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deut 31:8

Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isa 30:20-21

Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand… Jer 18:6

Experience Is A Brutal Teacher… February 23, 2011

“Experience is a brutal teacher, but you learn. My God, do you learn.” — C.S. Lewis.

Today I was reminded of an experience that happened to me about this time of year in 2006. I repeatedly had a dream that I was on a roof and Jesus was on the ground. I am terrified of heights but he was telling me to step to the edge and then JUMP…trusting he would catch me. I had no idea how I could possibly obey but THIS WAS GOD asking me! Either I trusted him or I didn’t… the rubber was literally hitting the road.

Just as I got to the edge, he said “Wait, turn around and fall backwards and trust I will catch you EVEN WHEN YOU CANT SEE ME THERE.”… WOW!

At that point my feet left the edge…

I’d love to say I floated effortlessly into my Savior’s arms, but I kicked and grabbed for anything I could hold on to… but there was only His promise. Then I woke up before he caught me.  I had this dream about 5 times over a few months and then finally he told me to quit my job and walk by faith.

So I gave notice on my job and 1 month later on February 28^th, 2006 I did it. I walked by faith for a season whose length I had no idea… daily I had to trust for every need to be met. God met every need and humbled me greatly, as my flesh was burned away at record speeds…lol (I think I recall rug burns on my knees, elbows and forehead from spending so much time on my knees…lol) After 4 (long) months he walked me right into full-time ministry @ a new non-profit where I worked for the next three years.

During that 4 month season I read this from Streams in the Desert devotional, and it has never left me:

Streams in the Desert: June 11^th entry -

“Today many people are attempting to use their mental capacity and logical thinking to obtain sanctification, yet this is nothing but a religious fabrication. They believe that if they just mentally put themselves on the altar and believe the altar provides the gift of sanctification, they can then logically conclude they are fully sanctified. Then they go happily on their way, expressing their flippant, theological babble about the “deep” things of God.
Yet the heartstrings of their old nature have not been broken, and their unyielding character, which they inherited from Adam, has not been grounded to powder. Their soul has not throbbed with the lonely, gushing groans of Gethsemane. Having no scars from their death on Calvary, they will exhibit nothing of the soft, sweet, gentle, restful, victorious, overflowing, and triumphant life that flows like a spring morning from an empty tomb.” G.D.W.

My prayer is that you allow yourself to experience God so that the heartstrings of your old nature can be broken and your unyielding character ground to powder. And while this is one experience in my life there have been many more. I also pray that I will never cease to let Him have His way in me.

I’ll say it again: “Experience is a brutal teacher, but you learn. My God, do you learn.” — C.S. Lewis.

Luke 9:23-24

 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”

Are You Drowning Out the Power of Quietness? January 13, 2011

I started this blog post last week Friday, three days before the ice/snow storm began. I couldn’t seem to finish it that day, but I can see that the delay may have been intentional! Here is what I wrote last week:

Twenty-four hours ago I decided to step back from social media for a bit. Not sure how long it will be, but felt a desire to simplify life for a little while. It amazes me in this short time how strangely quiet life has become.
In the midst of this twenty-four hours God has brought something to my awareness, and it has to do with the POWER of quietness.

Yesterday in a conversation, someone was telling me how they can’t sleep unless the TV is on. This person admittedly struggles with anxiety and even has health complications from it. As we discussed this, I recalled past times when I couldn’t sleep unless the TV was on. That’s when God spoke to me and said, “They’re drowning out the quietness.”

Let’s look at the meaning of “drowning out:”
* for a sound to be so loud that someone or something cannot be heard. [The noise of the passing train drowned out our conversation. The train drowned us out.]
* to make it impossible to hear something [The plane was flying so low, the roar of its engines drowned out our conversation.]

I never got back to writing more until today when God reminded me about it. And interestingly enough, the time in between the initial writing and today includes 3-4 days of Atlanta becoming VERY QUIET.

I was only away from social media for three days, but what a difference indeed. During that time I had shut off my notifications via email and phone, as well as turned off all comments and disabled my wall for public posting. The peace was incredible! The quietness was beautiful! So now, even though I’ve returned to social media, I am leaving these features off. I can post what is on my heart and read friends posts too, but my phone, email and notifications are no longer overwhelming me.

Since Atlanta has been shut down this week, I saw many posts about people being stir-crazy with nowhere to go and unable to take care of business as usual. And I admit to struggling with this myself. But I can’t help but wonder if God didn’t allow this freak storm simply to slow us down and get us to be quiet for a minute.

* It’s during times of quietness that we begin to reflect inwardly.
* It’s during times of quietness that we can hear the still small voice of God within.
* It’s during times of quietness that we must face all the issues of life that we have stuffed down deep inside of us and perhaps continually avoid dealing with.

I believe God wants us to learn to be quiet so we can get to know Him more and quit burying the issues we strive so hard to avoid.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. Ps 23:2-3

Are you avoiding quietness?

Perhaps some of the circumstances of your life are happening right now because God is leading you to be quiet.

When things get quiet do you get uncomfortable? If so, you must learn to take your discomfort to God and ask Him to help you. I begin by saying “Lord, what is this feeling I’m having? What is the root of it?” Sometimes it takes a little time to get clarity, but God is always faithful to reveal the root of my issues. It could be fear, unforgiveness (toward yourself or someone else), guilt, shame, insecurity or any number of things that are spiritual in nature. Getting free from these things is what God desires for us, but we must learn to be quiet. God wants to clean up the “shards of glass” that are deep within us that have the potential to make us bleed. Here is a previous blog post about this: http://maryloveslife.wordpress.com/2009/12/28/shards-of-glass/

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. Rom 12:1-2

Do not rely any longer on the pattern of this world, which is to drown out quietness with the noise of the world. Allow yourself to get quiet with God so He can renew your mind. Pray these scriptures and then be quiet and listen:

Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong. How painful are honest words! Job 6:24-25

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Ps 139:23-24

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You. Ps 51:7-13

Last week (also before the storm) God told me this:

“THESE ARE VOLATILE TIMES: BRACE YOURSELF ON ME. ALL OTHER BRACES WILL BE SHAKEN & WILL FAIL YOU. BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.”

Don’t put your hope, trust and security in people, in systems, your job, the economy, government, your home, your vehicle, your 401K, your bank account, YOUR ABILITY, YOUR SKILLS, or your PLANS…they will all fail you. He is desperate and jealous for you. HE WANTS YOUR HEART.

GOD is 100% in control and we have NO control. This reality must be understood for us to come to a place of ultimate trust in Him.

Too often today, people find their identity in their position, title, job, etc. and even in their busyness. But God wants us to find our ultimate identity in WHOSE WE ARE…to know that our value comes not from what we DO but WHO WE ARE.

He is our portion. He wants to be enough.

Remember:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…” Isa 30:15

Everything else you place your trust in will fail.

Turn off the noise and be quiet today.

Shhhhhhh… QUIET PLEASE: TEACHING AND LEARNING IN PROGRESS.

Depression: Red Sky at Morning: Sailors take Warning, Red Sky at Night: Sailors Delight. January 1, 2011

Ever suffer from depression? Or know someone who does?

Today I saw a facebook status that asked “Is happiness a choice?”  The responses varied and led to a discussion of depression & chemical imbalances and now resulted in this blog post.  Having once suffered from depression myself, I know what it’s like going to counselor after counselor, taking medication after medication, drinking, drugging, and trying to fill the void inside of me in all the wrong ways. I desperately looked for relief from self-help books, people, and doctors.  Here is what I have found to be true and what finally took care of my depression FOR GOOD.

My answer to the question posed in the facebook status “Is happiness a choice?” was this: Happiness is based on what “happens,” JOY is an internal peace and excitement that only comes from Jesus. Therefore, I can have joy unspeakable even when I’m not “happy” about what’s going on around me. Joy changes your perspective on what “happens.”

So yes, I guess it is a choice. The choice lies in our spiritual perspective. If we are looking only to the natural, or attempting to fix our “unhappiness/depression” in only natural ways, the solution will only be temporary. Lasting freedom from depression requires a spiritual approach. Here is a great PDF article that explains it beautifully… click here

So what about depression medications? Medications can be helpful to level out chemical levels, while learning to apply the spiritual principles. But I don’t believe medication is the permanent solution. The Bible teaches that we are spirit, soul and body (1 Thess 5:23). They are interconnected and when we are not trusting God with our circumstances (spirit) it affects our soul (mind, will, emotions – anxiety, worry, etc) and then in it manifests in our body (heart palpitations, high blood pressure, digestive issues, ulcers, chemical imbalances, etc.) So by learning to trust God in our circumstances (spirit), we can stop the corresponding chemical effects on our soul and body.

Is it really that easy?… NO. Learning to trust God takes TIME and EFFORT.

First of all, none of us comes to know God unless He first draws us to Himself (John 6:44.) Perhaps reading this blog post is what God is using to draw you right now? He uses many ways to get our attention. In my own life, I can look back and clearly see God placing certain people, certain mail advertisements (for a new church) in my path as His way of getting my attention to turn toward Him. Once I realized it was Him, I made the choice to give my life to Him. (click here to learn how to do that)

Once you’ve made the choice to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you now must take the responsibility to get to know Him. Just like with any new relationship, you must spend time with Him. You do this by getting in the Word (the Bible) for it tells us in John 1:1 that “… the Word was God.”  You should also get involved in a life-giving church that teaches you how to apply the Word to your life. (not all churches do this. Some are just going through religious motions. Choose wisely.) Being part of a church family will also help you develop Christian friendships which will help you grow. The Bible tells in Proverbs 27:17 that “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Then when you have times of difficulty and have trouble trusting God, you have friends that can encourage you and help you see things from God’s perspective.

This past week, God gave me a vision of a pink sky and I heard Him saying: Red Sky at Morning: Sailors take Warning, Red Sky at Night: Sailors Delight. When I asked Him what He was trying to tell me He said this: The red sky represents difficult circumstances.  And when the circumstance first appears (red sky in the morning) it is frightening and overwhelming. We must heed the warning and recognize the storm, and take responsibility to approach it from God’s perspective.  If we do not, it has the potential to shipwreck us and lead us to sink into the great abyss (deep depression.)  And just like sailors take added precautions when they see the red sky in the morning, we must too. When we trust God, get in the Word, encourage ourselves in the Lord, ask for prayer from others, and give Him praise in spite of the situation, suddenly our perspective will change and AT THE END OF THE DAY (red sky at night,) we will be able to DELIGHT in midst of it, knowing that God is allowing it to do an inward work in us and that He will turn all things to the good for those that love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

I found this description of the “red sky” phrase on-line:  A reddish sunrise, caused by particles suspended in the air, often foreshadows an approaching storm, which will be arriving from the west, within the day. Conversely, a reddish sunset often indicates that a storm system is on the east side (opposite the sunset), travelling away from the viewer.

You can learn to rest assured that the storm shall soon pass, and God is always in control. It’s all about perspective.

So is happiness a choice? I say yes.

He has chosen you and is drawing you to Himself. Will you make the choice to follow Him today?

(Afternote: I understand that the word “choice” can bring controversy. The comments attached to this post bring up some great additional points to this topic. Please be sure to read the comments after this post, and feel free to share your thoughts as well.)

Ode to my friend Beverly Tabor… October 6, 2010

On Wednesday, September 29^th, my friend Bev accidentally took the wrong prescription medication and had a severe reaction that led her to the ICU. Three days later on October 2nd, 2010 she passed way. Everyone who knew her was stunned beyond belief.

Bev has greatly impacted and influenced my life. She…

•  Drew out my gift of prophecy
•  Encouraged me to operate in my gift
•  Spoke life and destiny into me
•  Even influenced me to try red hair! (LOL)

Bev was always so humble, always so sweet (“Hi sweetie”) and always so inspiring.

Bev and I have a very similar gift mix and I think that is one reason we bonded so much in the short year and a half I knew her.  The below description provided by one of the tests really sums up Bev:

I am someone who stirs people up to dream bigger dreams. I encourage and inspire but I also will shake things up in the house of God. I am ready to change the course but as I call for the battle, I do so in a creative way. I am full of vision, and my sights are set on the throne room. From that perspective I clearly see the way forward and challenge others to follow it. I will challenge others until they see God’s will, something that seems to come very naturally to me. People are drawn to me because I challenge them and because I point them to the throne of God and the feet of Jesus. To me, if people only got the intimacy thing right, the Church would be fine!

(If you knew Bev I know you’re saying AMEN right now…lol)

As I wonder to myself why God would take this mighty woman of God at this time, I am reminded that we exist for His purposes. Our lives are intended to be series of assignments and Bev’s life certainly was an example of that. Her and her husband Johnny obediently went from assignment to assignment, faithfully serving wherever God placed them. And all along the way they planted seeds….

I am certain that all of the seed that God intended Bev to plant in the earth was planted. Every divine appointment was met and each life impacted according to God’s perfect plan.  And now it is time for those of us who were sown into to carry that seed to fruition and let Bev’s legacy continue in the earth. I know that she heard those words: “Well done good and faithful servant!”

Bev’s life continues on in the lives of so many of us. She has had a profound effect on many. And Johnny will continue to sow into even more.

 

The picture to the left shows her husband Johnny worshipping with flags to a prophetic song that Bev loved. If you have facebook you can click here to see a video of his worship: http://www.facebook.com/maryloveslife#!/video/video.php?v=1591966089508

 

And here is a video clip of a class I took with Bev in November 2009 (this is part one, see YouTube for the rest.) In the first clip she talks about how the enemy tried to kill her so many times because of the calling on her life. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ublZ8HQeV4  It is true that God protects His own and none of those attempts were successful. God made sure her assignment got done. But when it’s accomplished, it’s time to go home. 

We grieve for ourselves and Bev’s family as we go on without her here. But we rejoice and celebrate as we know she has met the Lover of her soul! So let’s get the five fold ministry in action and do as Bev always said: KICK DEVIL BUTT! (even her business was called KDB…lol) Let’s use our God-given gifts to INTIMIDATE THE ENEMY and EXPOSE HIM!

Bev, I love you and I miss you, but I won’t say good-bye. Thanks to the saving grace of Jesus Christ, I can say “See ya later, Sweetie!”

(If you are not sure where you’ll be when you pass away, click on the links below. It’s important you make sure now, before it’s too late. Like Bev, you may not have any warning of the end.)

http://maryloveslife.wordpress.com/2010/06/26/do-you-have-a-problem/

http://www.maryloveslife.org/A-Gift-for-You.html