I Love You (With the Love of Christ)

 I did as I said I would do and I asked my mom what she prayed for when she prayed for me. I also told my children what I prayed when I prayed for them and how they could prophecy those prayers that had already been established in the heavens. When I began telling them about my prayer for them I realized I hadn't actually blessed and prayed over them in a while. I pray for them daily but I had not blessed them or prayed over their physical bodies in quite some time so it is something that I need to start doing again. This week I am moving on from Hebrews Chapter 11 and on to 1 Corinthians Chapter 13, the chapter that talks about Charity (Love). I think this chapter of scripture is well needed in my life right now. I never want Gods love to grow cold in me but I know that I can grow indifferent easily; for me it is a coping mechanism but in this hour I cannot afford to not concern myself with others. God recently brought people to mind that I thought I had forgiven; when he did I responded "no I have forgiven them". His question to me was "why don't you pray for them then?" He was right as always so I prayed for them and since then I pray for them often. Even though I had purposed to forgive them and verbalized that forgiveness there was still something there that kept record of the offense. There is one person in particular that God brings to my mind more frequently than others. It was hard to even get to the place of saying that I forgave them because the wrong done against me was great; but I got there with God's help and I am grateful because I want to experience God in all of his fulness and holding on to unforgiveness even when it seems justified could never be worth not receiving all God has for me. I haven't been given any details as to why I am being prompted to pray for the person so often...it may just be something God is doing in me and if so I am grateful for that too...I will obey and pray!

1 Corinthians 13 (The Passion Translation)

Love, the Motivation of Our Lives

If I were to speak with eloquence in earth’s many languages, and in the heavenly tongues of angels, yet I didn’t express myself with love, my words would be reduced to the hollow sound of nothing more than a clanging cymbal.

And if I were to have the gift of prophecy with a profound understanding of God’s hidden secrets, and if I possessed unending supernatural knowledge, and if I had the greatest gift of faith that could move mountains, but have never learned to love, then I am nothing.

And if I were to be so generous as to give away everything I owned to feed the poor, and to offer my body to be burned as a martyr, without the pure motive of love, I would 

gain nothing of value.

Love is large and incredibly patient.  Love is gentle and consistently kind to all.  It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else.  Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance.  Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor.  Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense.  Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong.  Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others.  Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up.

Perfect Love

Love never stops loving.  It extends beyond the gift of prophecy, which eventually fades away.  It is more enduring than tongues, which will one day fall silent.  Love remains long after words of knowledge are forgotten.  Our present knowledge and our prophecies are but partial, but when love’s perfection arrives, the partial will fade away.  When I was a child, I spoke about childish matters, for I saw things like a child and reasoned like a child.  But the day came when I matured, and I set aside my childish ways.

For now we see but a faint reflection of riddles and mysteries as though reflected in a mirror, but one day we will see face-to-face.  My understanding is incomplete now, but one day I will understand everything, just as everything about me has been fully understood.  Until then, there are three things that remain: faith, hope, and love – yet love surpasses them all.  So above all else, let love be the beautiful prize for which you run.

Be Blessed

 I listened to a message by Robert Heidler of Glory of Zion this morning. In the message he referenced the first three verses of Hebrew chapter 11...I will be reading Hebrew Chpt. 11 again this week. Yesterday I started listened to the Aaronic Blessing and I decided to listen to it daily this week; now I understand why I felt that prompting. The First 3 verses of Hebrews 11 talk about faith being the substance of things hoped for and how faith caused creation the come into the realm of existence or into a realm that we are able to perceive. Robert Heidler said that prayers are already answered in the invisible realm and they are waiting to be downloaded. This made me think of the prayers that have been prayed by our forefathers and how we can prophecy those prayers into manifestation. I am going to make it a point to ask my mother what she prays when she prays for me and I am also going to make sure that I tell my children what I pray for when I pray for them and how to declare those things. Prayer is powerful and there is something extra special about prayers from our parents and our spiritual leaders. Pray blessings over your children, your family and everyone in your life. God tells us in Luke 6:28 to bless even those who curse us and to pray for those who mistreat us; it not only benefits them it benefits us as they draw nearer to Christ. Be blessed in Jesus Christ on today an everyday; I pray that your week is filled with God's presence and it is prosperous.

Hebrews 11

1. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

2. For by it the elders obtained a good report.

3. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

God is is Faithful/Personal Halls of Faith

Last week I read Hebrews 11; I  read it and listened to it being read daily. At the end of the week I was all set to read another chapter in the Bible but God led me to continue reading it for another week. This week I also worshiped daily. Today as I was singing God called my attention to the fact that I was singing quietly. I tried to sing louder and found that there was some resistance there. Upon that realization I was determined to sing louder. I had been worshipping for 6 days and felt the presence of God but I hadn't realized that I was doing it quietly. It reminded me of the Battle of Jericho. Today was my seventh day and it was time for me to lift up my voice like a trumpet to breakthrough to victory. I sang a few songs and reflected on the fact that they were older songs. I turned on YouTube and began to sing along to various videos all of which were older songs. I knew the fact that I was singing songs that I had song over the years was significant. For one older songs were clear about who they were about...the name of Jesus was mentioned in most of the songs that I listened to and sang. I also thought about things that were going on while the songs were new and how the songs had helped me through some difficult times; times where my faith was tested.  I am grateful for the goodness of God. He has brought me through so many things...God is faithful.

Hebrews 12

1. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay said every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 

2. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith: who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Remember

 This week I have been thinking about patterns and repetition as they relate to breakthrough and other aspects of life. God told me something about 20 years ago that he has continually repeated. I did not understand it at the time but over the years the statement he has been making has become clearer. I won't share what he said but I will share that it was a bit of an instruction. I also thought about things that have caused me to miss breakthroughs and blessings in the past and it tends to be one thing in particular. So as I wait for the manifestation of what God is doing I will be careful to remember instruction and I will also remember to not let old patterns cause me to forfeit what God has for me. Has God repeated something to you over and over? if so do not take it lightly. Is there an old pattern that you seem to get caught up in that affects your life negatively? Take a moment to identify those things and then pray and ask God to give you more insight on them...keep them in remembrance so that when they come up you will know how to proceed.

John 14:26

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?

 I was talking with my son earlier this week and I told him about how I could make myself dream about anything that I wanted to dream about when I was a child. I could even make myself dream in cartoons if I wanted to. Before I went to sleep I would just say to myself "I am going to dream about _____..." and I did. I could also change my dream if I was dreaming and I didn't like something about that dream. I lost that ability when I was around 7 years old.What changed? My innocence. As I got older my experiences and environment shifted my perception. The frontal cortex, the part of the brain that controls reasoning developed more and more as I got older and as it did my ability to reason and the way I saw the world changed. There are countless scriptures about being childlike in the Bible. What characteristics do children have that we lose as we get older? trust, faith, concern for others, love, not being aware of the differences between other people etc. There is so much that we can learn from children. Life can change you; it can make you cold, judgmental, selfish and it can do it slowly over time so that we don't notice the shifts. God tells us to renew our mind; to bring it back to an original condition of freshness and vigor..this will transform us; it will completely change our appearance or character causing us to become more like Jesus Christ. I am on a quest to regain those childlike qualities and I am going to have fun along the way by doing things that I enjoyed while I was a child like blowing bubbles, having dance parties, when it gets warmer walking barefoot etc. Will you join me?

Romans 12:2

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

Mark 10:15 

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

Matthew 18:

At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.