Daily Word – Page 18 – Daughters of Z

Ears to Hear

Good Morning,

There is a heightened sensitivity to offense, to giving offense
and to being offended. The words of your mouth are powerful weapons and
mighty tools. They can be used to build something or someone up as well
as to destroy something or someone in your life. Death and life are in
the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit
of it. (Prov.18:21) The link to offenses
and the love of God
'waxing cold' is very strong. If you use your mouth as an extension of
the love of God, (even when speaking truth that may hurt), it will be
housed in love. I'm not saying truth won't offend us, but it will carry a
healing with it to restore. The Bible says, "that a brother offended is
harder to be won than a strong city and their contentions separate them
like the bars of the castle." (Prov. 18:19) This kind of offense comes when words spoken come from
a place of anger, hatred, bitterness, unforgiveness, jealousy and the
list of fleshly and sensual emotions not under the control of the
Spirit. On the other hand, when words are spoken from the place of the
love of God, it may tear down but the purpose is to build and repair.

The season that we are in now, the enemy, the prince of the
power of the air has turned up the notch to twist and mix the words that
you are sending out into the atmosphere. (Ephes. 2:2) The caution for us then is to live truly, deal truly
and to love truly. We must learn to study before we speak or answer
anyone, be slow to speak and let your words be seasoned as with salt. (Prov. 15:28; Jas.1:19) Do battle in
the Spirit to shield yourself against offense, stay in the Word. Keep
yourself covered with the armor
of God. When you are hearing, filter everything said through My
Word. Don't be easily offended because it is attached to the root of
bitterness that enters into your heart and begins to eat away at what
you have built up in the Word. This root of bitterness has the ability
to
spread like cancer from the offended one and the offender and infect
all those around. (Heb. 12:15) This root left unchecked grows into sicknesses and
diseases. It produces fear to receive and give love, which in turns
produces a paranoia of others. So, let's stop it now! It is a trap, a
snare set by the enemy to make you fall in it. This time let the enemy
fall into his own pit that he set. Walk on by it, by walking in love.
Forgive and let others go, but don't be foolish enough to keep poking
your head into the snare.

Get wisdom and apply this to your life. God will reveal to you
the necessary steps of love, to keep you and preserve you from
bitterness and unforgiveness. This kind of bitterness leads to
'spiritual cataracts.' Your vision becomes blurred, you see things that
are not quite clear. You end up in a state of deception, where you
perceive things wrong. Your comprehension becomes dull, and you are not
able to see things afar off. You become spiritual near-sighted. And we
as Christians need to be able to see from afar, otherwise we end up
stumbling over truth. This offense has opened the door to
the enemy to steal right before your eyes. Do not let him divide and
destroy My house. Do not allow the enemy to cause you to sow the wrong
kind of seeds, to cause you to have an unwanted harvest. Do not let this
continue in My house.

Love,

Pastor D.

Ears to Hear

Good Morning,

Today I was thinking about emotions and how we all have them and feel them operating in our lives. Even people who say that they are not moved by emotions are usually the ones that experience deep emotions and don't know how to deal with them. Sadness, hurt, anger, shame, grieve, happiness, excitement, pleasure, etc., and the list goes on and on. God gave us these emotions as a way to learn to yield to the supremacy of His Word in our hearts. There is nowhere in His Word where He tells us not to feel anything, but He does tell us to bring everything under the control of Holy Spirit by our own human spirit. We are told not to surrender ourselves to the emotion of fear. Every time that He would reveal Himself to anyone He would say, "fear not". Why? Because fear has torment and fear keeps one from perfect love. (I John 4:18) Fear inflicts punishment. "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but He has given us a spirit of power, and of love and of a sound mind." (II Timothy 1:7) So we know that we are not to yield to fear in any form, but resist it. We must not give voice to the spirit of fear, but give voice to love, power and soundness of mind. Anyway, I am not really dealing with the emotion of fear today, but some of the other emotions that we mentioned.

God's desire is for us to learn how to control our emotions, and not let them control us. One of the fruit of the Spirit is 'self-control', it is the character that we are to grow in and develop as Christians. Self control is simply controlling yourself, restraining your emotions and attitudes. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, faith, goodness, meekness, temperance (self-control): against such there is no law." (Gal. 5:22-23) Let's look at a few verses that tell us how to deal with our emotions. Here in the Amplified Bible and in the New Living Translation is Ephesians 4:26-27. "And don't sin by letting anger control you. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil."

(NLT) "When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down. Leave no such room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him]. So here we see we can be angry, but we must control it and not let anger control us. We learn to yield to the Word. Here is another example in the Word. "Now we would not have you ignorant, brethren, about those who fall asleep {in death}, that you may not grieve [for them] as the rest do who have no hope [beyond the grave]." (I Thess. 4:13) Here we see that sorrow most be yielded to the Word of God, we must not be overwhelmed with sorrow or grieving. Read II Corinthian 2:9-11, godly sorrow works repentance in the heart. Sorrow in and of itself is not bad if we yield our emotions to the Word, and we control and restrain ourselves from being controlled by emotions. So don't be afraid to feel, just control yourself in light of the Word. When we decree God's way of thinking then we bring every thought captive and our feelings will follow.

Love,

Pastor D.

Ears to Hear

Good Morning,

Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]." (James 5:16) I have been meditating on this scripture and begin realizing the power that we have as we pray. When we pray with the understanding that the answers to our prayers flow through us before they come to us. We, in fact hold the key to our own answers. The verse says, "pray for one another, that you may be healed." Your healing comes as you pray for another. It brings to mind the scripture in Galatians 6:7-9; "Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.'' The King James version of the underlined words read, "for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Of course all of this can be harvested from our prayer life, by the seeds we sow in others life. If we pray for healing for ourselves or our loved ones, then we must give healing to others. If you pray for peace, then you must let peace flow through you to others. You become the vessel that your prayers are fulfilled through, then your answered prayer will come to you. Do you see it? "Give, and [gifts] will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will they pour into [the pouch formed by] the bosom [of your robe and used as a bag]. For with the measure you deal out [with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others], it will be measured back to you." (Luke 6:38) Benefits means advantage, profit, assistance, betterment, blessing, favor, gain, godsend, help, prosperity, welfare, and use. We are the answer or we carry the answer for someones prayer, or at least the part that we play in answered prayer. What measure or benefits of kindness, goodness, healing, peace, or blessing have you been to others? Do you not see your healing (of body, mind, soul, and finances) lies in the measure that you are willing to give to others? This kind of heartfelt, earnest and fervent prayer makes tremendous power available in our prayer life and turns to multiplied blessings in answered prayer. When we pray, let's pay attention to our requests and then be ready to be that to others who are asking for the same. Let's pray with the knowledge that we will receive from the Lord whatever we ask for, because we are seeding into other people's lives the harvest we are expecting. Pray, confer benefits to others, and expect the answer!

"Harvested from prayer"

Love,

Pastor D.

Ear to Hear

Good Morning,

Spring cleaning, anyone? This is the time of year when we begin to discard old clothing and trinkets that hold no heart value, yet clutter our shelves. We sweep the cobwebs out of the corners and wash windows to let the sunshine in. We clean and rearrange closets and drawers, to make room for the new. That's only the beginning for me! I shampoo my carpet, clean the blinds, scrub the base-boards, wash and iron all curtains and window treatments. I turn my mattresses over and vacuum them, I move all furniture and clean behind them. I clean the vents and finally I clean the pantry out and every cabinet is washed down inside and out. From top to bottom, every light fixture, every bathroom cabinet is washed, and then six months later the process begins all over again. Wow, I am exhausted writing and thinking about what lies ahead! It has been like clock work for me since I was a little girl. My grandmother trained me in this fashion, and here I am, some fifty odd years later, still doing the same thing. My grandmother is at home with the Lord now, yet what she has trained me to do has become a part of me. I don't have to think to much about it, I just do it. Though I have to admit, I have to speak to myself to do it, but I do it, no matter what.

I said all that to say, that we must yield to the training of the Lord. Every Sunday, every mid-week service, every time we read, meditate, and confess the Word, we are being trained by the Father. Year after year, the training is working itself in us. I didn't know how deeply my grandmother's training in keeping a clean house would affect me. Yet, look at how something so simply done, has become a part of my makeup. I know that our Father has used something as simple as reading, hearing and doing His Word, over and over again to eventually have the Word become a part of who we are. For me, 33 years of being born-again and regularly reading, hearing, confessing, studying, and hopefully doing His Word, is intermingled in all I am. I am still amazed at how deep the Word has weaved itself in my heart. I see the majority of daily living through the eyes of the Word. All the while the Lord is still at work in all of us, until we see, think, and behave like He does. Psalms 138:8 says, "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord endure forever – forsake not the works of your own hands." The Lord is continually bringing us to completion, if we allow and let Him, through and by His training. He is cleansing us with His Word to get rid of all the cobwebs and dust and dirt that has our vents not working to its highest potential. John 15:2-3, says, "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now you are clean through the Word, which I have spoken unto you." Let's read Ephesians 5:26, "That He might sanctify and cleanse it (the believing church) with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such things; but that it should be holy and without blemish." There it is! We are washed, cleansed by the Word, His Word that removes every spot, wrinkle, or blemish. He is more diligent and more committed to us than My grandmother's training. He is digging deeper into our hearts and cleaning out the closets, scrubbing off the filth of the world from the windows of our eyes. Throwing out the cluttered and hoarded thoughts, shampooing away stored up generational weaknesses. To cleanse means, washing, purifying, purging; to free from matter that contaminates or pollutes; free from dirt, filth or disease; to free from whatever diminishes the distinctive quality or essential character.

We are working together with our Lord to be cleansed from all unrighteousness. Bring on the washing Lord! We yield, because we know that you are completing everything that concerns us, for You are faithful! Freeing us from anything and everything that diminishes our quality and our essential character from being like You.

"Spring Cleaning"

Love,

Pastor D.

Ears to Hear

Good Morning,

Isaiah 43:19, "Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Our Father God has been preparing us for the last year or two for this 'new' thing. He does all things well, and He is not rushed about His masterpieces. Yet, the enemy realizes that something is up and he has sent strong delusions and many side distractions to occupy our thought processes. Lies, to get us to think that our Father is not bringing about change. In the midst of all this God has raised up a generation of children that have developed the ability to see through the smoke screen of the enemy. They have been able to ascend to the high places of heaven and receive inside information. These forerunners are bringing to us the ability to open our eyes and see that there are 'more for us than against us'. Heaven's armies are at our assistance, so that we can do what is needed in the days that lie ahead. Springing forth is to be flexible, resilient. It also means fountain; beginning, source, wellspring, and root. This represents our call to be active and be resilient, in the sense that we never give up or drop the torch. We may have to regroup and restore, but we never give up. This is one of the keys during the times that we are in, 'waiting on God'. In other words, don't take any unnecessary misguided steps. For if we don't pay attention right now, we could end up going down the wrong road that will lead us astray. Prolonging our destiny and its fulfillment. God has made a road in the wilderness. God has the route or the way to the destination, the course to lead us out; the way to an end, conclusion, or circumstance; the direction out of the wilderness.

Our change has come! Father God is leading us out of the places of barren, uncultivated fields into plush fields of promises. He is moving us from the middle of nowhere and setting us right in the center of our destiny. Listen to one of His promises concerning us and His continual intervention and preservation in our lives. "Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See,I have written your names on the palms of My hands. Always your walls are continually before Me." (Isa. 49:15-16) We are forever on His mind!!

"I am forever on His mind"

Love,

Pastor D.

Ears to Hear

Good Morning,

I would like to share a few thoughts on pursuing a greater relationship with our Father. I believe our lives are always reflecting and speaking louder than most of our words will ever accomplish. Quite often as believers, we forget the daily aspect of the power of influence that God has given to each one of us. I don't want to appear to get down on us as Christians, for I realize that we all have our own set of issues that we are being delivered from. Yet, God's plan for each of us is so much higher than just assimilating or conforming in order to fit into this world and be like everyone else. This is not God's way for He is so 'unlike any other'. His desire is for us to be unlike any other. Now is the time to decide to imitate our Father, we can not halt between two opinions any longer. We can't say we belong to heaven and act earthly, now can we? Listen to God's Word, "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us:.." (II Corin. 5:20) An Ambassador is a representative; a minister of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his own government or sovereign; a minister of the highest rank appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment. We are on a temporary diplomatic assignment from heaven, from our great King and God. We are the resident representatives for our Sovereign. Represent means for us to clearly make known (our government) to present by description; to depict or portray dramatically ( our sovereignty); to set forth (our Kingdom), by statement, account or to give a clear picture. Now as ambassadors of Christ we are to live our lives according to our Kingdom and always represent the way our government operates and behaves. God has fully equipped us to carry out our assignment, we have His Word, Holy Spirit, and every gift and ability needed. Listen, "For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue)." (II Peter 1:3) Really, we are suited to behave according to God's likeness. We are partakers of God's divine nature. Have you been acting 'divinely' lately? "And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature (godlike), so that you can escape the moral decay and corruption that is in the world." (II Peter 1:4)

Now, I know that you have grown since you have first come to Christ. I rejoice with you! There is so much more for us to aspire to in Him. We are to continue growing from one level of glory to the next, so let's be about representing our Sovereign God. We must be diligent about it. "And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:23-24) Represent the Kingdom, imitate God!

This is Ambassador Lowe, reminding you of your divine assignment, to set forth dramatically our Kingdom assignment, in word and in deed. Be about our Father's business!

"Ambassador for Christ"

Love,

Pastor D.

Ears to Hear

Good Morning,

If you are like me, you have faced numerous tests and trials this past year. Your faith has been tried, hopefully, gold was brought forth from these fires of testings. If not, God is a finisher. In other words you will get to take the test over again. He wants us to succeed in all that we put our hands to do. Therefore you can be sure that he will complete the work He has started in you. Remember, Psalms 138:8; "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord endures forever, forsake not the works of Your own hands." That is the precision work that is going on in us now, and it is becoming more intense. Our spiritual training has been turned up a notch. "Train yourself toward godliness (piety), [keeping yourself spiritually fit]. For physical training is of some value (useful for a little), but godliness (spiritual training) is useful and of value in everything and in every way, for it holds promise for the present life and also for the life which is to come." (I Timothy 4:7-8) Those things that have tried to take us under have been turned around to bring forth a stronger more disciplined and spiritually trained god-like child of God. "For the time being (while you are going through) no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterward it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it [a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness — in conformity to God's will in purpose, thought, and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God]" (Heb. 12:11) Training is to instruct or drill in habits of thoughts and actions; to shape or develop character by discipline or precepts; to exercise or teach; to direct in attaining a skill. Exercise is regular repeated use of a faculty, exertion for the sake of developing and maintaining fitness; something performed or practiced in order to develop, improve or display a specific skill; a maneuver, operation, or drill carried out for training and discipline. Discipline is training that corrects, molds or perfects the mental faculties or moral character; self control.

We are being matured for our ultimate responsibility, reigning with our King. That is why these things are fading, but we are eternal beings. The training we are enduring is preparing us for an exceeding, eternal weight of glory, that is beyond this world. "For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!]" (II Corin. 4:17) Our Father is preparing us and most are unaware of the great discipline that is going on. It has been a hidden wisdom. "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Hidden is concealed or kept away from human understanding. This hidden wisdom has not been kept from us but for us, but it is still hidden from those who do not love our Father. Yet God has revealed it to us.

Revealed means to take off the covers; to disclose; to divulge information; to open up to view; to make known what has been concealed; to make known truths beyond the range of ordinary human reason or vision. Get ready, revelations into the deep things of God are being made known to those whom, He has kept them ready for. We are being conformed to God's will in purpose, thought, and action. Be a ready listener!!

"Disciplined and Trained"

Love,

Pastor D.

Ears to Hear

Good Morning,

The Spirit of the Lord says;

I have placed My deep in you, in earthen vessels. I have hidden My profound wisdom in you. Now in this set time I Am taking the cover off of all that lies within you. This world will come to see and get a glimpse of how deep I really am. This generation will walk in a higher revelation as I disclose to them in more intimate details My plans. My deep is calling to the deep in you. No one, including you has seen the real you, but I will give you a preview of what I have invested in you. Hidden riches in secret places, I have placed in you and now you will discover the realms and levels of My deepness in you. Treasures that will bring deliverance's, wholeness and insight. First, you must yield to My pruning, for I Am cutting away the weeds and clutter of living in this world from you. Next, you must open yourself up, so that you can dispense the heavenly glory to this earth. My will being done on earth is the greatest move for this set time. Signs and wonders following you as you yield to My Word and to staying in heavenly places. You must demonstrate the power of My highest wisdom to this world. I Am popping the top off of the vast deepness in My yielded ones. Removing the spiritual cataracts, the cloudiness and obscurity that has kept your feet from swiftly running. KNOW THIS, THAT THOSE WHO ARE TRULY HEAVENLY MINDED ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE TO THIS EARTH. For you will be the ones that use all that is given from heaven, all the power, all the wisdom, all of the insight and the ability to advance the kingdom in EVERY WAY, spiritually, physically, financially and in their souls. Staying heavenly-minded will cause you to accomplish all that is beyond the earth, man's ability, it is godliness. Everything that causes heaven to kiss the earth, then you will see My will being done on earth.

Remember this is the season of completed transition. Yes, many will make enormous changes that will spare their lives as well as their families. Don't despair and fall into the trap of laying down. Stand up and stay connected with the heavenly promises that I have given to you. I will cause reforms in areas that have laid dormant, look I Am blowing a fresh breeze over them. Stand in the gap for your nation, stand in the gap for your family. Heaven has sent you aid from on high, angels to assist in this high assignment. Each step will bring you closer to destiny. Your steps taken during this season will be multiplied and intensified. Don't be bullied or harassed by the spirit of Rab-shake to come down from your assignment, stay on the wall. For I Am shaking all that is in My house and in this world, so that My glory will be multiplied in you!

This prophetic word came after a teaching from I Corinthians 2:6-9, we will discuss this next time we meet. But just meditate on this fact, for all who can not wrap their minds around this weighty thinking. God's thoughts are higher than ours, yet He will reveal them to His servants, His sons and daughters. Those who want to know and inquire and listen. To be heavenly-minded does not mean that your earthly needs will be abandoned, no, this is to think small of heaven. My dear brothers and sisters, in heaven there is no lack or want, for in His Presence there is fullness of joy. You will not lack for housing, transportation, food, or clothing, these are super abundantly supplied by our heavenly Father. Mansions, streets of gold, rivers of life, trees with twelve manner of fruit on them, with healing for the nations, these sound like a caring Father that provides well. So, don't be narrow minded in thinking that to be heavenly-minded is to squeeze out the time that you are here on earth. This is so much higher than only being preoccupied with your earthly existence. It includes being the head in this life as well. If you were heavenly-minded you would be thinking and acting as Father does in heaven, concerning the things on this earth. "(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek): for your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." To quote a verse in I Corinthians 2:7; "But rather what we are setting forth is a wisdom of God once hidden [from the human understanding] and now revealed to us to us by God—[that wisdom]which God devised and decreed before the ages for our glorification [to lift us into the glory of His Presence]. These things that were at one time concealed and kept secret is now being revealed. Revealed meaning to, to take the covers off of; to disclose and uncover. What is going on in the heavens is now being revealed in greater details and in sharper vision. We will begin here next time. Have days of heaven on earth!

"Deep calls to Deep"

Love,

Pastor D.

Ears to Hear

Good Morning,

As we keep our minds stayed on our heavenly home and our eternal destiny we can keep our perspective about what is going on around us and in this temporary place. John 14:1-3; says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me. In My Father's house there are many mansions (dwelling places, home). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I Am going to prepare a place for you. And when I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and I will take you to Myself, that where I Am there you may be also." We are occupying in a state of preparation. We are lovesick for the Lover of our soul. He is coming for His Bride, the purified Church. Philippians 3:20-21; "But we are citizens of the state (commonwealth, homeland) which is in heaven and from it we earnestly and patiently await the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, Who will transform and fashion anew the body of His glory and majesty by exerting that power which enables Him even to subject everything to Himself." Look at this great and glorious promise and hope that we have, to live eternally with our Father and our Lord. Well we must keep ourselves stirred up and getting ready. Our citizenship is in our homeland. Soon we will be going home. All of us believers are on the journey toward home. Every test, trial, and temptation are the light momentary affliction, that we must obtain the victory over, as we keep our eyes eternally minded. Earnestly means to be serious in intention, purpose or effort; sincerely zealous; showing depth and sincerity of feeling; seriously important, demanding or receiving serious attention. We need to give serious attention and be zealous about looking and preparing for our Lord's return and heaven.

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will vanish (pass away) with a thunderous crash, and the material elements [of the universe] will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up. Since all these things are thus in the process of being dissolved, what kind of person ought each of you to be [in the meanwhile] in consecrated and holy behavior and devout and godly qualities. While you earnestly long for (expect and hasten) the coming of the day of God by reason of which the flaming heavens will be dissolved, and the [material] elements [of the universe] will flare and melt with fire? But we look for new heavens and a new earth according to His promise, in which righteousness (uprightness, freedom from sin, and right standing with God) is to abide." (II Peter 3:9-13) Now you can see why we must position ourselves to holiness, godliness and uprightness. Are you expecting and hastening His coming? We do this by our diligence, consistency and persistence in the Presence of God and in His Word. The more that you spend time in His Presence there arises a longing and yearning to be with the One who loves you so perfectly. The more that you spend time in His Word, it reveals to us the times and the seasons that we are in, and awakens our longing even greater. "So beloved, since you are expecting these things, be eager to be found by Him [at His coming] without spot or blemish and at peace [in serene confidence, free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts]. (II Peter 3:14) This is the reason that we must walk holy in our behavior and our conduct as we see the day approaching. This is not the time to quit, but to stir up the flames and burn even more in love with our Lord and Savior. We can have serene confidence and remain free from fears and all the agitation that the world is experiencing. Eager is being keen or ardent in desire or effort. We must be eager to without spot or blemish, we must put forth an effort to be continuously washed by the Word. He is coming! We have our covenant to live in holiness, so no matter what comes keep your eyes heavenly-minded. "For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease. Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting." (II Corinthians 4:17-18)

"Lovesick"

Love,

Pastor D.

Ears to Hear

Good Morning,

Keeping our mind stayed on Him, will keep us in perfect peace. Again the Lord has encouraged us to remember who we are and Who He is. Father God wants us to stay heavenly-minded in order to make us more profitable to earth. Truly, this will only be accomplished by out of this world encounters. We as sons and daughters of God, must be about imitating Him here on earth, while desiring to be Home with our Lord and Savior. This is when we actually demonstrate the glories of heaven. "For instance, we know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven, God-made, not handmade—- and we'll never have to relocate our 'tents' again. Sometimes we can hardly wait to move———and so we cry out in frustration. Compared to what's coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we're tired of it! We've been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home and our resurrection bodies! The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what's ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we'll never settle for less". (II Corinthian 5:1-5; The Message Bible) We must continue to stir ourselves up and rekindle the flames towards our God, the lover of our soul. If we keep our eyes on this temporary dwelling place, we will become faint. Stir means to rekindle, to cause the slightest movement or condition; to change position of; to excite to activity or strong feelings; to call forth; to incite, to flame up; to arouse and awaken. No matter the conditions or the times that we are living in, we must stir ourselves to love and remembrance of our home. This is what Paul was telling young Timothy. Timothy was in ministry, yet it was in the midst of great trials, testings and persecutions. "I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know the same faith continues strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into the flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid hands on you." (II Timothy 1:5-6) The KJV says, "Wherefore I put you in remembrance that you stir up the gift of God." We must rekindle, ignite anew, stir up the fire that was beginning to go out.

Most of us have loved another person. Do you remember when that love was fresh, new and young? Do you remember that you placed that person, first in time, thoughts, and in every other position? Well allow me a little liberty here, as you read the next verses, place your name where Israel or Jerusalem is. "And the Word of the Lord came to me saying, Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem (your name) saying, Thus says the Lord; I (earnestly) remember the kindness and devotion of your youth, your love after your betrothal (in Egypt) and marriage (at Sinai) when you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Israel (your name) was holiness (something set apart from ordinary purposes, dedicated) to the Lord, the firstfruits of His harvest (of which no stranger was allowed to partake) all who ate of it (injuring you, offended and became guilty) evil came upon them says the Lord." (Jeremiah 2:1-3) Our holiness is loving God enough to obey Him with our life. Trusting God with our life. This causes us to be extra-ordinary, set apart for God. Are you still trusting God through any wilderness experiences? God still desires us to love Him as the young bride lives her husband. Young, meaning in the first stages of growth, life and development; an immature state dependent upon a mature and experienced one. In other words we should never out-grow God or our dependency upon Him. Let us remind ourselves daily of the love that we have and our home that awaits us both in heaven and in the new earth and new Jerusalem. It will cause our time here to be in proper balance. "That's why we live with such good cheer. You won't see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don't get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going. Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we'll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming. But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing. Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that's what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions." (II Corin. 5:6-9)

"Stir up the fire"

Love,

Pastor D.