Exodus 33:19 “Then the Lord answered, “I will show my love and mercy to anyone I want to. So I will cause my perfect goodness to pass by in front of you, and I will speak my name, Yahweh, so that you can hear it.”

Yahweh, the One who is. Last night after we finished our prayer meeting at church, everyone began to shout out who God is to them. I have a picture in my head of God leaning down to listen to the sweet things we said. I could tell it pleased Him, everything that was called out; Healer, Deliverer, King, Peace, Redeemer, Lover, Provider, Protector, Father and so many more. Isn’t it beautiful? As I sit at my desk this morning, my heart is overwhelmed that He is all these things to me each and everyday. 

How can His perfect goodness pass by in front of us if we don’t take the time to sit in his presence and wait upon him? He’s not in our busyness. He’s not in our agenda. He’s not in our T.V. or our radio. He’s in the stillness of your morning before the noise around you threatens your peace. He’s in the quiet cuddle time with your children and grandchildren as you tell them stories of the Good Shepherd. Before your mind gets crowded with what needs to be done, do life with Jesus. You can only give out of what’s inside you, so stop what you’re doing, close your eyes and invite Him in.

Holy Spirit, invade our lives with your great and mighty rushing wind. Fill us with the knowledge of who God is and what your plan is for us.  Cause us to crave you from the very depths of our soul. May we cry out with a loud, bold voice, “This is our God! He is everything to us and we are His people, commissioned to do anything for Him.” May our love and compassion magnify and consume others so that they too may know you through us as Healer, Deliverer, Provider, Protector and Lover. In Jesus’ Mighty Name. Amen

2 Samuel 22:29-31 ESV,  “Lord, you are my lamp. You bring light into my darkness. With your help I can attack a troop of soldiers. With the help of my God I can climb over a wall. “God’s way is perfect. The word of the Lord doesn’t have any flaws. He is like a shield to all who go to him for safety.”

I remember visiting some caverns in Tennessee once and being led deep into the center only to have the lights turned off. Our guide used this time to explain how the earth looked at the beginning of creation. Ok, it was a bit spooky to say the least, but what a great illustration. The recorded voice boomed out, “And God said, ‘Let their be light! and there was light.’ Trust me, when that light came on, there was a collective sigh of relief.

I’ve experienced times in my life when I seem to stand in total darkness, not knowing which way to go and answers seem to allude me. It’s not a comfortable place at all. Should I go left? Should I go right? Should I change jobs?  Sometimes the hardest thing to do is the right thing; wait on the Lord. In the darkest moment, God is waiting for you to say, ‘You are my lamp! You bring light into my darkness!’ Waiting was never meant to be a comfortable place, it’s a place of pressure and fire, a place where our warrior skills are honed. A deciding place, a hiding place, a trusting place. It’s that place we learn where our allegiance lies. Will we fight for ourselves or for God? Will we stay true to His cause or continue walking with the masses?

Psalm 27:1 ERV states, “Lord, you are my Light and my Savior, so why should I be afraid of anyone? The Lord is where my life is safe, so I will be afraid of no one!” So my dear friend, if you find yourself in darkness, wait for the power to come back on. Unplug from your old sources and plug into Jesus, He is the light. Don’t fear the darkness, trust the Light. 

Hebrews 4:12 Amp “For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.”

This morning as I was reading the Word, I saw the words on the page move as if they were alive. I checked my glasses, rubbed my eyes, looked back and they began to dance on the page. This verse popped into my head so I looked it up in the amplified. Wow! Seriously! I did not expect that this morning. Perhaps thats why so little happens in our lives…..we don’t expect.

Everything that lives, moves, thats just a fact of life. Why shouldn’t the Word of God also move since it’s alive. Until we see it as living, we won’t expect it to bring life when we agree with it and speak it. I’m getting very excited in my spirit here. As a child, I was always accused of having an overactive imagination, making things up, some of you know what I’m talking about. What if I wasn’t making it up? What if God had placed in me the ability to see things that weren’t here yet but no one recognized that so it wasn’t encouraged or developed.

How many of you had a dream? Was it something God placed in you and did the enemy try to steal, kill and destroy the dream? Shoot, I still dream. I still have visions of things that haven’t happened yet. Does it mean I’m making it up? I don’t believe so. God is always looking for people who will step outside the boundaries this world places on them, those who will believe for impossible things, those who aren’t afraid to speak the Word over situations and circumstances of life and death with bold expectation of the supernatural appearing. I still see my paralyzed friend leaping out of her wheelchair. Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened.

Time does not restrain God and we would do good to remember that. So the next time you read the Word, let it come alive to you. Let it dance the dance of the supernatural. Dream big! Dream long! Let the Spirit of the Lord work freely in you today. He’s watching for those he can trust with a dream bigger then their own. A dream that He laid out before the world was formed full of children who will believe and trust in His ability and not their own. Are you that dreamer?

Romans 12:2 GW “Don’t become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants—what is good, pleasing, and perfect.”  

I’ve always loved the saying, ‘Think outside the box!’ Walt says I don’t just think outside the box, I live there! Well, I guess I’d rather live in a realm where there are few then in a crowded mess. If I merely want what the world wants all I’d have to do is follow aimlessly and just fit in, but we are admonished to be different or separate from the world. As children of the King, we have purpose that doesn’t fit with the purpose of the world. How do we do that? We can’t just hang around other Christians and be separate. Gods not talking about our dress or physical appearance. It’s not even keeping the big 10. No, it’s not the works we do but the words we say that make us different from the world. It’s not the rules but how we love that makes us unique. It’s being a giver instead of a taker. Being a part of something bigger then myself by finding my part in the body of Christ and acting and speaking like His sister. It’s not my appearance or education, but what I am is someone who dares to be different and who’s purpose is to make a mark on others that can’t be erased (in a good way, I hope!). I want to use my words to bless, not curse and encourage others to live a life of faith as well. I don’t see things like most folk, I try to gain heavens perspective and speak like my Father.

You can’t follow me around and imitate me! That would not be good, one Sandy in the world is MORE then enough. You must read Gods Word and follow after him. There’s no shortcut to being a Christian! You simply state, ‘Jesus, I acknowledge your sacrifice for my sin and make you Lord of my life. Be my teacher, I will be your willing student. Show me how to walk and talk like you.’ Then get out the text book (The Bible) and begin reading. I recommend getting a translation you can easily understand and read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John until you get the picture of who Jesus is, what he did and what he asked us to do. The more you know him, the more like him you’ll become.

Get ready for life outside the box! Lose your old way of thinking and speaking because in the Kingdom of God, we carry our sword (His Word) and know how to use it to change the world, one life at a time.

Psalm 19:14 GW “May the words from my mouth and the thoughts from my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my defender.”
Had me a little talk with my Father this morning about something near and dear to his heart. Words. It’s something we do everyday but don’t generally think about how they affect us, our world or the people around us.

I recently made a short trip to Michigan to visit Stacy and her family. While there, the kids were watching an episode of Dr. Who and although I tried not to watch (I despise sci-fi), there was a part toward the end that God brought back to my attention. It was toward the end and everyone in the world began saying the same thing and suddenly good prevailed.
I just can’t see Jesus saying something he didn’t mean. I’ve never read anywhere in the Bible where Jesus said, ‘Just kidding! Lighten up!’, but I have. I think Jesus had fun with people, but he knew the power of his words and he spoke accordingly. He made sure that what he said measured up with his Fathers Words.

What if everyone began saying what God says? What if our words brought healing to the sick, raised the dead, opened blind eyes and unstopped deaf ears? Not just while we’re praying, but at home, at work, at the store, everywhere we live daily. What if we began speaking to our children and grandchildren, our neighbors what the Word says instead of what we see and feel? What if we stopped agreeing with our feelings and placed our faith in what the Father says?

Words ushered in the world and words will usher in the return of Jesus Christ. I want to my mouth to be a powerful force in the lives of those close to me and far away. I want my prayers to be an effective weapon against the enemy. When I speak and declare a thing, I want my words to be established, set in stone just like my Fathers. So I confidently and boldly decree, I overcome by the word of my testimony! Signs will follow me wherever my words go because they are HIS Words and he brings life.

The difference between just speaking words over declaring a word is the power behind it. Mark 11:22-24 “Jesus answered, “Have faith in God. The truth is, you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, mountain, fall into the sea.’ And if you have no doubts in your mind and believe that what you say will happen, then God will do it for you. So I tell you to ask for what you want in prayer. And if you believe that you have received those things, then they will be yours.” Having faith that God will back you up is the key to this whole concept that Jesus was trying to show us.

We don’t think twice about sitting in a chair. Why? Because we have faith that chair will do what it was made to do, it will hold us up. We have confidence that our power company will provide power to our house as long as we pay our bill. We place our trust in the chef at our favorite restaurant to prepare a fine meal for us. Yet when it comes to trusting God to back us up when we speak his Word, we hesitate.

Trust comes from knowing someone deeply and intimately. I have 37 years of trust built with Walt. I know him deeply and intimately. I trust him completely even though he’s human and makes mistakes, he’s a humble, servant-hearted man who loves and honors God by loving and honoring me. We don’t trust what we don’t know. Do you know God? I know God deeply and intimately, even though I’m not perfect, my Father is and he constantly covers my faults with his great grace and mercy. I trust him when I see and when I don’t see. I trust him with my life. When I get slammed by circumstances I can’t control, I simply do what I’ve always done, trust him. He’s never failed me, never left me alone, always gives me peace and joy in the middle of my mess. He’s stronger then Godzilla. Gentle as a lamb. Mighty defender of the weak. Do you know him?

He gave his only son to die as a one time sacrifice so that I could be restored to fellowship with him. He’s more then a quick fix, he’s a constant presence in my life. There’s no reason for anyone to not know him unless you’re just not doing what he’s called us to do. Be filled with His light so that we can be light to the world. Do you know him? 

Kings 18:41-45 ERV “Then Elijah said to King Ahab, “Now go eat and drink. A heavy rain is coming.” So King Ahab went to eat. At the same time Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel. At the top of the mountain, Elijah bent down. He put his head between his knees. Then Elijah said to his servant, “Go up higher and look toward the sea.”
The servant went and looked. He came back and said, “I saw nothing.” Elijah told him to go look again. This happened seven times. The seventh time, the servant came back and said, “I saw a small cloud the size of a man’s fist that was coming in from the sea.”
Elijah told the servant, “Go tell King Ahab to get his chariot ready and go home now. If he does not leave now, the rain will stop him.” After a short time the sky was covered with dark clouds. The wind began to blow, and a heavy rain began to fall. Ahab got in his chariot and started back to Jezreel.”
     Where are our men and women of faith? Faith to believe that God is a God of his Word and will do what he’s said he will do. We have lost our ability to really see. We look only in the natural and have become lazy in developing our faith. We must not lose hope! Faith is knowing that what’s been promised will without a doubt manifest, not in our timing, but when God gets the most benefit from it. We see only our own needs, He sees the multitudes.
     Lets look at Elijah in the story above; He declared to the king that rain was coming. When we hear from God, we hide it, not speaking of it for fear people will think we’re crazy, but declare it we must. That is the first key to realizing the promise. Secondly, he got on his face before God and prayed. He didn’t send his servant once, then get up and say, well then, guess I missed it. NO, he sent him 7 times until his servant came back with a report of a very small cloud. Last but certainly not least, he sent his servant to declare to the king that he needed to leave before the rain stopped him. He didn’t say, ‘Let’s wait till we see a few more clouds and then tell the king,’ no, he was that sure of the Word God had given him. He declared it in the beginning what would happen, prayed, then declared it again at the end.
     Some of us are holding on to a promise, wondering. Well wonder no more. Scoop up your faith in God, if you’ve lost it, begin to read stories like this one and tell yourself that God doesn’t do for one and not for another. It’s the enemy that tries to steal, kill and destroy. Hold on tight to your confidence in Gods ability to do far more then your tiny mind can imagine. He’s a faithful Father. What He says, He will do!

John 12:23-26 ERV, “ Jesus said to them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to receive his glory. It is a fact that a grain of wheat must fall to the ground and die before it can grow and produce much more wheat. If it never dies, it will never be more than a single seed.  Whoever loves the life they have now will lose it. But whoever is willing to give up their life in this world will keep it. They will have eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me. My servants must be with me everywhere I am. My Father will give honor to anyone who serves me.”

Did you catch that? If it never dies, it won’t ever be more than a single seed. Ever wonder why things don’t work out like you think they should? Ever wonder why your dream has seemingly died? It’s a process to be more than just a single seed. It’s such a huge truth that I almost missed it.

You remember Joseph? You can find his story in Genesis 37. He had a dream, but after he shared it his brothers threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery. He went through a series of detours, accused of rape, imprisoned and forgotten until Gods plan was ready to unfold to save a nation. Sometimes we just think way too small. We’re ready for the big promise to unfold, we just don’t understand why it’s taking so long. We cry, we pray, we quit then repeat the cycle multiple times.  

How many times will we dig up our seed in an effort to see if it’s still there? Don’t we understand we’re only prolonging the end result? We must trust God! He has a plan that we can’t see or understand with our frail human thinking. It’s a matter of time and trust and seriously, we’re not very good at either of these. 

So next time you’re tempted to dig up the seed, perhaps you should look up and say these words: Father, never-the-less, not my will but yours be done. Hey, it’s what Jesus prayed in the garden when his flesh struggled with what he’d have to go through. He knew Gods plan was perfect even though he’d have to endure extreme suffering to bring it about. You haven’t been asked to hang on a cross yet! You’ve only been asked to pick up yours and carry it. 

So if your arm is tired of carrying your cross, look again. It’s a sword (the Word of God) that you can use daily to speak over every situation you face, every enemy you encounter to gain victory in your race. His Word is a seed and a weapon. Those who use it wisely will win.

“You’re thinking too small!” That’s what the Lord spoke to me as we drove home from church on Sunday. I asked for a point of reference and He directed me to look around me. So I looked all around me and again I heard, “You’re thinking too small!” So I asked that He open the eyes of my understanding and help me to see what he was trying to show me. Suddenly I knew it wasn’t what I saw in the natural that he was referring to, it was what I saw in the Spirit realm.

Isaiah 55:8-11 CEV says: “The Lord says, “My thoughts and my ways are not like yours. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours. Rain and snow fall from the sky. But they don’t return without watering the earth that produces seeds to plant and grain to eat. That’s how it is with my words. They don’t return to me without doing everything I send them to do.”

I need to think like God does and not allow the smallness of my natural view to stunt me from all God has for me. Like Elisha, I need to see the fiery angel chariots on the hills of deliverance rather than the natural enemies that surround me. Father, I trade my eye sight for yours. I trade my vantage point for yours. You are indeed higher and mightier than anything that I face in the natural. Everything I need is in your Word and I will focus on what is in your realm and not mine. I trade my words for your Words, for they are life and health to me. Others may not understand me, but I seek to please you by becoming more and more like you each day. You’ve called me to come up higher, to leave the world behind, so I come. Into your arms, I come. Into your Word, I come. Into your deep and everlasting love, I come. In your grace I will make my home. Make me more like you.

I’m on a journey of sorts. Going somewhere to do something that’s bigger then I’ve dreamed of doing before. My ears are open, my heart is set, my direction predetermined. My hope is placed in my God, he knows where we’re going even though I can’t see my destination.  My assignment clearly defined: to be an Ambassador of Hope to fellow travelers, those who’ve signed up to climb.

My name, Sandra or Sandy as my friends know me, means helper of mankind. I don’t just speak to be heard, I use my voice as God intended me to. To build up, encourage, challenge and proclaim. I fully intend to leave my mark on the world in ways I’ve never done before. The time is short, Jesus will return soon and we must be ready, shining bright to the world around us. There’s no way to hide a light for it pushes back the darkness wherever it goes.

Where He leads, I follow if I must go alone, I will. I have left the familiar for the supernatural. I trust God with all my heart, whether I see it or not. He has asked me to step through a door but I can’t see the floor. I trust that as soon as I walk in, the Light will show me the next step. I know that everything I’ve been through till now has prepared me for this. 

Psalm 27:4 “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.”