Can you not discern this new day of destiny breaking forth around you? The early signs of my purposes and plans are bursting forth. The budding vines of new life are now blooming everywhere. The fragrance of their flowers whispers, “There is change in the air.” Arise, my love, my beautiful companion, and run with me to the higher place. For now is the time to arise and come away with me. Song of Songs 2:13

Do you hear the invitation of the bridegroom beckoning his beloved bride? Come and run with me to a higher place. Gain my perspective. Gaze upon the beauty I created for you to enjoy. This is a new day, a new place and I have new purpose for you in this hour.

It’s a whisper in the ear of my spirit, “Come. Come. Come away with me so that we may speak freely and I can express my deep affection out of the hearing of others. For I long to share the deep things with you. To satisfy the longings of your heart. To assure you of my love for you and cause you to understand my ways and thoughts are so much higher than yours.”

Do you hear it? Do you feel the tug on your heart as He pulls you to the secret place? Yield to it. Say yes to Him. Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfall. All your waves and breakers crash over me. Father, take me. Every part of me is Yours and Yours alone. I will give of my love to others so that You may know how much I love You. For Your glory. That all may know how much You love. How You ARE Love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Therefore say to them: ‘The Lord God says: All delay has ended! I will do it now!’” Ezekiel 12:28 TLB

What sweet words to hear from the Lord. It seems to boom out in my spirit this morning, “ALL DELAY HAS ENDED! I WILL DO IT NOW!” How very exciting. What have you been waiting on that hasn’t manifested yet?

Sickness-THE END! Disease-THE END! Lack-THE END!

Let me break it down for you-NOW! Not tomorrow, not next week or next month. No more wondering when it’s going to happen or if it’s going to happen or how it’s going to happen. God says emphatically, “I WILL DO IT NOW!”

The wait time has been shortened. Now means without further delay; immediately; at once: at the present time or moment. Are you seeing it as God sees it? The delay has ended.

You can expect to see your debt canceled immediately. You can expect the answer you’ve been crying out for immediately. Oh my goodness! I’m so excited. You can expect the pain in your body to be gone now. The love of the Father has spoken and His Words are the final say to everything you face today.

Oh Father! Thank You with all my heart! You have spoken an end to my suffering, an end to my pain, an end to my debt. Your grace showed up and washed it all away and I’m so grateful. You’ve satisfied my lien and I’m thankful for Your provision. It’s in Jesus’ name I agree with Your Word. THE END!

“And who would mend worn-out clothing with new fabric? When the new cloth shrinks, it will rip, making the tear worse than before.  And who would pour fresh, new wine into an old wineskin? Eventually the wine will ferment and make the wineskin burst, losing everything—the wine will be spilled and the wineskin ruined. Instead, new wine is always poured into new wineskins.” Mark 2:20-22

Rip! Thats the sound that comes from placing new wine in old wineskins. We ask God for more of Him, more of His spirit, more of His presence but we fail to understand that the old mindset can’t handle what the Spirit of God is doing. We keep looking for the old, the old time revival, the old rugged cross, the way it used to be. Those things had value for what they accomplished in their day, but our focus can’t be there anymore.

Luke 5:39, Jesus said, “No one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine!’, they say.” I cannot tell you how many churches have remained in a state of limbo because they refuse to change out the old with the new. It’s sad to see people my age and older who are content with what was. They refuse to get out of the comfort of their pews in search of new music, new worship, new wine.

Yesterday morning I awoke to a snapshot of a state map with all the highways and cities and the Lord spoke this to me: “You become so consumed with the journey that you forget your destination.” Don’t get hung up on the journey to heaven that you forget what the journey should be about.

Keep your focus on Jesus. We’ve been blood bought, yet we live our lives as if we owe no one. We’re so busy doing our own thing, going after our own goals and dreams. We buy because we want, not because we need. We don’t seek the Lord because we don’t really want to do what he asks of us. We are the rich young ruler who turns away sadly cause the Lord has asked too much.

ARE YOU KIDDING? My life is not about me! My old life has been ripped from me. THANKFULLY! If it hadn’t been, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Was it painful? Every tear, every rip! If I’m not willing to let God rip the old from me, I will never have room to contain the new that He has to put in me. My agenda doesn’t matter. I must surrender and not look back. I’ve surrendered my marriage for a new and better one. I’ve surrendered my children so that God could do the same in them as He has in me. I’ve surrendered my old church, my old friends, my old job, my old home because I realized that unless I leave the old, I won’t be ready for the new.

“Never going back! Never going back! Never going back to the way it was!” Let me be empty and poured out, made new, when the ripping is over, may I stand in Your presence ready to be filled with the new wine of Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

In the very beginning the Living Expression was already there. And the Living Expression was with God, yet fully God. They were together—face-to-face, in the very beginning. And through his creative inspiration this Living Expression made all things, for nothing has existence apart from him! Life came into being because of him, for his life is light for all humanity. And this Living Expression is the Light that bursts through gloom—the Light that darkness could not diminish. John 1:1-5 TPT

When I read this in this particular translation and looked up the word expression, I found: a particular word, phrase, or form of words. Interesting. Most of us know this verse as, “In the beginning was the Word…” but how descriptive to use this particular definition, Living Expression.

Jesus, the Living Expression of the Father. All of Gods personality was placed on Jesus and brought to earth to show us what the Father was really like. No wonder in 1 John 4:8 we read; The one who doesn’t love has yet to know God, for God is love. He was literally the Love of the Father sent to earth to demonstrate how much God loves.

If you’re seeking to know God in a deeper sense today, go back and read the story of Jesus as he walked the earth, demonstrating the Love of God. Read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and when you read their accounts of what they saw, try to imagine what that kind of love would look like today.

Truth be told, each one of us who have received the Spirit of God, have been adopted as sons of God. If we will surrender our spirits to His Spirit and operate in submission (sub-under, His mission), others will see His love in us because the signs, wonders and miracles we’re desiring to see will follow those who believe.

Father, let me be a supporter of Your great mission today. That all around me may see Your love through me in all I say and do. I can’t be all about me and all about You. I must lay down my needs and wants so that Your Kingdom may come and Your will may be done in the earth. Express Yourself through me today. It’s because I’ve experienced this Love and want others to be free to experience it as well. In Jesus’ name and for Your glory. Amen

“But things have changed. I’m taking the side of my core of surviving people: Sowing and harvesting will resume, vines will grow grapes, gardens will flourish, dew and rain will make everything green.” Zechariah 8:11-12 MSG

Have you ever driven a car with manual transmission? I’ve always loved the sense of power and control as the car went from a standing position to 4th gear or overdrive. I’m pretty sure I missed my calling because there are moments when speed is all I need! Some people are content to just go the speed limit or under but not me! If I could break the sound barrier, I would!

Today I hear the Lord say, “But things have changed!” More than ever, I sense things have shifted to a higher gear, that the place the Spirit is driving us to is a place we’ve never been. Some of us are very uncomfortable because we no longer feel in control, where some of us are like children, giddy with excitement on this new amusement ride.

Can I just take a moment and encourage you? Before you say out loud what you feel inside, remember that your Father sees beyond where you are and He’s planned this from the beginning. Don’t fear what you hear. Don’t fear what you see. Trust who you know.

God is changing your dry and barrenness to lush and green pastures. Every place where death has threatened you, life will spring up. Instead of lack, you’ll know plenty. Instead of sadness, joy is springing up. All who come to you will partake of what’s in you as you share the goodness and faithfulness of God.

Your trust in God has not gone unnoticed. He has not overlooked you, He’s merely saved the best for last. Just as Jesus turned the water into wine at the wedding feast, He has placed His new wine in you that people may drink and be satisfied.

For here is what the Lord has spoken to me:
    “Because you have delighted in me as my great lover,
    I will greatly protect you.
    I will set you in a high place, safe and secure before my face.
 I will answer your cry for help every time you pray,
    and you will find and feel my presence
    even in your time of pressure and trouble.
    I will be your glorious hero and give you a feast.
 You will be satisfied with a full life and with all that I do for you.
    For you will enjoy the fullness of my salvation!” Psalm 91:14-16 TPT  AMEN!

Since we have this confidence, we can also have great boldness before him, for if we present any request agreeable to his will, he will hear us.  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we also know that we have obtained the requests we ask of him.  1 John 5:14-15 TPT

How do we know if what we’re asking is a part of His will? We find it in His Word. Perhaps you have a financial need and you’re not sure if what you’re praying is correct. Philippians 4:19 tells us; And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Perhaps you’re unsure if the disease you’ve been diagnosed with Gods will for you. 1 Peter 2:24 says; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.  And lets not forget the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:11; If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

It’s important to know what the Word says about the things that you pray about. Once you know, you can confidently pray about them and when you pray, know that He hears you! And if He hears you, it’s a done deal! Once you’ve prayed, thank Him. Just as you would thank someone who gave you a billion dollars, thank the Lord for taking care of what you just prayed about.

Oh Jesus! Thank You for hearing me when I prayed this morning. I place my confidence in You and You alone. You always keep Your Word to me and I am grateful. It’s in Your name and by Your blood I’m forgiven, healed, saved and delivered. Amen!

Delightfully loved ones, if he loved us with such tremendous love, then “loving one another” should be our way of life! 1 John 4:11 TPT

How would you describe your life style? Is it all about others or all about you? Are you an observer or a participant? Do you spend more time thinking about doing something or do you actually do it?

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to be kind or show Gods love to others. Simply being courteous and letting another car in front of you would be a stretch for some of us. Hey, the struggle is real! There are times when where I’m going or what I’m doing takes precedence over what I should be doing.

As I read this verse I realized that if I’m to make loving others my way of life, I must constantly remind myself of how much God loves me and what He gave to show that love.  I must remember that if the Spirit of God is in me, the Love of God is in me and if the Love of God is in me, His very nature to love is in me. If it’s His nature to love, it’s my nature to love.

Verses 20-21 says; Anyone can say, “I love God,” yet have hatred toward another believer. This makes him a phony, because if you don’t love a brother or sister, whom you can see, how can you truly love God, whom you can’t see?  For he has given us this command: whoever loves God must also demonstrate love to others.

Perhaps you’re not feeling loved right now, I would encourage you to sow a seed of love today. How will you demonstrate love to others? In the way you need it yourself. It could be as simple as offering to take someone who too is lonely out to lunch. Not to talk about your loneliness, but to talk about how good God is to have put them in your life.

Let the love of God create a life style change in you. Be so filled with His love that you can’t help but love others. When you struggle to love or be kind, remind yourself of how much the Father loved you and gave His Son to die so that He could restore fellowship with you again.

Father, may I look for ways to show love today and every day. To reflect Your love to others is the only way this world will change. Such love, such wondrous love! May it overflow out of me to change the atmosphere around me. It’s in Jesus’ name, Amen.

This morning as I sat reading an Elijah List post by Cindy Stewart, something she wrote caught my attention. “Jesus is inviting us to sit with Him and discuss what will happen next. He is looking for close companions, not a casual engagement.” God will not share deep secrets with casual friends. You can wish for it, but if you want to experience deep intimate relationship, it will cost you your time.

Did you know that it’s always been the Fathers desire to commune with you? Remember how He visited with Adam each day? How He spoke with Abraham? How He communed with Moses. His constant exchange with David even before he was king? And Jesus, who only did what He saw the Father do and only said what He heard the Father say.

Romans 12:12 TPT says; Let this hope burst forth within you, releasing a continual joy. Don’t give up in a time of trouble, but commune with God at all times.

I love it when God speaks to me! I can just be wondering about something I saw or heard and He will explain the reason to me. He will never withhold things from those who love Him. NEVER! It could be a dream that I wonder about and soon He will show me the meaning of the dream and why He showed it to me. Sometimes I share and sometimes I don’t.

The closer I get to Jesus, the fewer friends I have. I make religious people extremely uncomfortable. They just can’t pick up what I’m laying down. It’s ok, for I have a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He intercedes for me always. His Holy Spirit leads me into all truth and gives me wise counsel. When I stand on His covenant promise and connect with His Word, reminding Him of His promises, His great love overwhelms me.

To have relationship with this awesome God, you must not allow time to get in the way. So often I hear people say, “I just don’t have time!” My friend, if you don’t have time for God then you’re spending your time doing the wrong things. There is nothing more valuable! Proverbs 3:32 TPT says; Every violent thug is despised by the Lord, but every tender lover finds friendship with God and will hear his intimate secrets.

Are you a tender lover? If so, you will find nothing else satisfies but being full of Him. God is Love and only those who have received His Love know how to Love with His Love. His Love covers a multitude of sin. You can easily turn a deaf ear to hate when Love is your filter. You won’t allow opinions to frustrate you when Love shows you the truth.

Father, I will not leave this place until I’m so full of You that it’s obvious who I belong to. You alone are my hearts desire and my time belongs to You. All for You. All for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. Ephesians 5:1

As I sat reading this morning, the thought occurred to me, ‘You become who you hang around with.’ This was something I used to tell the girls when they were young. Any time they would come home with bad habits, I would question who they were hanging around with. It’s not that their friends were bad, well some of them…., it was perhaps more that they weren’t raised with the same values as we had.

I’m extremely watchful as to who influences me on a regular basis. I have few close friends, but those I have love the Lord like I do and love to talk about His Word. We constantly share with one another and build each other up by using what we know and love the most-The Word of God.

If in talking with someone I constantly hear negative and discouraging news, I know they’ve been influenced by the world more than the Word. If after attempting to change the subject or shift the focus onto God and His promises they walk away, I’m not offended, I’m simply aware of God stepping in and guarding me from wrong influences.

When I was about 9 or 10 years old, a family moved into an old house close by us. She was about my age and we began playing together each day. I’d never had any close friends because I was painfully shy and withdrawn due to constantly being made fun of for being chubby. She had a horrible habit of lying about everything and I quickly picked that up. When I was caught lying, my dad asked me, “Who have you been playing with?” When I answered, he immediately said, “You are not to play with her anymore!”

Why would he say that? Because he knew that bad influences corrupt good people and he didn’t want that for me. It took years for the ‘rod of correction’ to drive that lying spirit out of me. In fact it wasn’t until I surrendered my heart to the Lord at 15 and was filled with the Holy Spirit that I was free of lying. To this day there are times I do something stupid and am tempted to lie to get out of it, but the Spirit of God convinces me that is not the way.

So how do we imitate God? Lets read on to verse 2;  And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

My dear friends, we cannot imitate who we do not know. We can’t hang around with the world, be friends with the world and walk in love. It’s impossible to be like Jesus if we don’t follow his example. You can’t talk like Him if you don’t fill yourself up with the Word. You can’t walk in His love if the love of the Father isn’t in you.

Do an inventory today of what you spend time doing, hearing and saying. Allow the Holy Spirit to reveal where the weeds are and how to get rid of them. You don’t have to tell your friends, “My daddy told me I can’t hang around with you anymore because you’re a bad influence!” AWKWARD! No, the more you change from the inside out, the more the Love of God influence you, they will either be hungry to change too or they just won’t want to be around you anymore. It’s all good! God will bring new influences to you so you’ll grow be more like Him.

Oh Father, thanks for the reminder. Acts 17:28 tells me that it is through You that I live and function and have my identity; just as Your own poets have said, ‘Our lineage comes from Him.’  As I sit and soak in Your sweet presence today, infuse me with Your Spirit to a greater degree so that when I open my mouth to speak, others my be set ablaze with Your love. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God. 1 John 4:13-16 MSG

Have you embraced the love that God has planted in your heart? It’s deep, rich and so thick it covers things that others would try to expose. Christians who truly love don’t seem to notice the wrongs people do. They simply do what the Spirit prompts us to do, love.

I always thought I embraced it. That is until I sat before the Lord, pouring out my love to Him and He quietly said, “If you really want to convey your love to me, actions speak louder than words. I would rather you show it to others because that shows the world you are Mine.”

My mind automatically went to the many times I saw my girls ministering to others, hugging and loving on them, helping someone with a need, being a listener and just being kind and how proud I was of them. I felt it was a reflection of how we raised them and in a very small way it was. But seriously, we only reflect what we know and if we don’t know Love, we can never show Love to others.

I capitalized the word Love for a reason. Love isn’t a feeling or emotion, Love is God and God is Love. If we don’t allow His Love to be planted in our hearts, we cannot grow and reflect His Love to others. If the love we demonstrate is selfish, unkind, jealous, petty, boastful, proud, etc., it’s not Gods love that’s growing in our hearts but rather a perverted and perhaps religious kind of love.

If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both. 1 John 4:20-21 MSG

So embrace it! If you don’t, there’s no hope for this world. We MUST love people to show Gods love, period, end of story! THE POWER IS IN LOVE!!!!! Nothing else but Love!

Change us Lord, conform us in the image of Your Son, the one who was truly a reflection of You. The only way I can reflect You is to spend time in Your presence and go out into the world and be Love. Fill me up so that I can spill out. I embrace it with every fiber of my being. I embrace the great commission of Love. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.