Getting into the Zone

John Belt: "Entering Into THE GOD ZONE"
from Elijah List

Matthew 14:29, "So He said, 'Come.' And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus."


The Gift of Faith

Faith is a gift from God (Romans 12:3). Just like anything that the Lord gives to us, we simply receive it from Him. We cannot work for it. It is all by His grace that we are entrusted with the glories of Heaven. Once this faith is planted in our hearts, it is up to us to do something with it.

He has already made us worthy by His Blood to be ambassadors of His Kingdom (Revelation 1:6). So we can completely rest, trust and rely on His righteousness clothing us and causing us to have victory in every area.

Faithful Servant

Everything and anything good comes down from the Father of lights (James 1:17). All we have been blessed with is from His hand. Our part is to be faithful with what He has given. All who follow Him want to hear the Lord say, "Well done! Good and faithful servant."

Those are the greatest words that we could possibly hear when we meet Him face to face. The Lord entrusts us with certain gifts, talents and callings. When we are faithful with these things, He finds us good stewards of what He has entrusted to us.

Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Yet He has given to each of us that measure of faith. He has also given us His Word, which is the seed that causes faith to be added within our hearts.

In our intimacy with Him, we hear His directive voice for each of our lives - which also adds another layer of faith within us. Our response is to now use the faith that we have been given so that His Kingdom can be established in hearts and in the earth.

Co-Laborers with Jesus

Matthew 28:10, "Then Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.'"

It is true that all we are engaged in is to be to the glory of God. It is all about Him. But God is so good that He really wants us in on the deal. He has made us to be joint heirs, sons and daughters and co-laborers with Christ in the earth (Romans 8:17).

The Lord calls us His "brothers." Wow! He has made us qualified to be the vessels of His glory and power. We have the habitations of the living God here to establish His habitation in the hearts of men and in the earth. God is all about taking dominion. As it has been sung, "Power and glory and honor and DOMINION is Yours, Oh Lord!" (Jude 25).

God wants to take dominion in you and me and everyone else that you see. He loves to take dominion! He is willing, able and ready to establish His Kingdom in the earth. He desires to take dominion in us and through us! So it is all about Him, but we also have a role to play and a part to fulfill. And without us playing our part, the picture is incomplete. It is time to be serious about the role we play and be seriously saturated in His glory so that we may shine!

Divine Expectation

Luke 9:62, "But Jesus said to him, 'No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.'"

In faith, we move forward. There is action associated with true faith. There is movement. There is focus. No one is fit for the Kingdom of God who puts his hand to the plow then looks back. That is not focus. There is a goal and there is a prize. God does have an expectation of us.

Luke 8:25, "But He said to them, 'Where is your faith?' And they were afraid, and marveled..."

Jesus had an expectation of His disciples. We see Him in the boat in Galilee with His disciples when He asked, "Where is your faith?" He had an expectation of them. Faith was that expectation. He said it was "their faith," for it was in their possession to use.

Once a gift is given by the giver, it no longer belongs to him. It is now the receiver's gift. Be it according to "your faith." So while we are not to boast in our faith, we are to use it. Just for the fact that we are created in the image and likeness of God, there is faith in our DNA, even if we don't know the Lord. For every man has been given the measure of faith to believe in God.

God Plus Me

But in this hour, as in every hour, it is time for us to use the faith that God has given to us. Let us be like little children in regard to faith. A child thinks in simple terms. There is no technicality. One plus one equals two. God plus me equals victory! That is the mindset we are called to - sweet and simple victory, even our faith.

Those who know their God will be strong and do great exploits. This is the time for exploits. Move beyond your comfort zone into the God zone! When we move into the God Zone, God is required to overcome in this zone and He gets all the glory!

The Resting Place

Faith is a resting place. Let us enter the rest of faith. May we be like Jesus in regard to knowing the Father's heart. Jesus was sleeping in the boat when the storm came. Take hold of the heart that is found in Jesus - that is found in the Father's rest. It is not about all the things we can do, even though there are things to do. It is about knowing, trusting and believing that God is greater than all.

When we are no longer afraid to fall, we can find rest and peace in the midst of it all. Peace like a river is our inheritance, and victory is the inevitable conclusion to our faith!

1 John 5:4, "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith."

What a time we live in! Let's move out in faith and apprehend the heart of God! He has plans that far exceed what we can imagine.

Ephesians 3:20, "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us."

Power, honor, glory and dominion to Him! Let's worship in the Glory!


John Belt
Live in His Presence Ministries
Email: admin@liveinhispresence.com

- - - - -

ElijahList Publications
310 2nd Ave SE,
Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926-3250

Job's Security

Job 5:8-27 [New Century Version]

"But if I were you, I would call on God and bring my problem before him.
God does wonders that cannot be understood; he does so many miracles they cannot be counted.
He gives rain to the earth and sends water on the fields. He makes the humble person important and lifts the sad to places of safety.
He ruins the plans of those who trick others so they have no success.
He catches the wise in their own clever traps and sweeps away the plans of those who try to trick others.
Darkness covers them up in the daytime; even at noon they feel around in the dark.
God saves the needy from their lies and from the harm done by powerful people.
So the poor have hope, while those who are unfair are silenced.

"The one whom God corrects is happy, so do not hate being corrected by the Almighty.
God hurts, but he also bandages up; he injures, but his hands also heal. He will save you from six troubles; even seven troubles will not harm you.
God will buy you back from death in times of hunger, and in battle he will save you from the sword.
You will be protected from the tongue that strikes like a whip, and you will not be afraid when destruction comes.
You will laugh at destruction and hunger, and you will not fear the wild animals, because you will have an agreement with the stones in the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.
You will know that your tent is safe, because you will check the things you own and find nothing missing.
You will know that you will have many children, and your descendants will be like the grass on the earth.
You will come to the grave with all your strength, like bundles of grain gathered at the right time.

"We have checked this, and it is true, so hear it and decide what it means to you."

Kathi Pelton: "AM I ENOUGH?"

from the ElijahList website:


"I waited patiently for the LORD. He turned to me and heard my cry for help. He pulled me out of a horrible pit, out of the mud and clay. He set my feet on a rock and made my steps secure. He placed a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see this and worship. They will trust the LORD." Psalm 40:1-3

The Rock and the Waves

Living in Northern California near the Pacific Ocean, I am privileged to be able to visit the coast on a regular basis. Our coastline here is quite different than the coastline in Southern California, which has long smooth beaches where a person can walk for miles. Here, we have small secluded beaches, rough surf and rocky cliffs. If you sit on a beach and look out over the water, you will see it crashing and foaming about the tops of many rocks, jutting above the surface.

Recently as I sat and watched one of those rocks as it was hit endlessly by the turbulent waves, I began thinking of the above verses in Psalm 40:1-3: "...He set my feet upon a rock and made my steps secure..." Yet these rocks certainly didn't look as if they would provide secure footing!

In the past couple of years, my life has felt somewhat like I had been placed on one of those small rocks while the waves pounded all around me. At first I would flinch and try to move away from the crashing waves (leaving me worn out and storm tossed) but as time has passed, I find myself more and more at peace in the midst of the storm.

I have found that my Rock is secure and no harm will come to me as long as I stay upon it. There are times that a large wave will come and take me by surprise and cause me to lose my footing a bit, but I quickly remember the lessons that I've learned while upon this Rock and begin to rest again.

The truth is that Jesus, our Rock, is not small and jagged. Instead, I have learned that my trust in Him has been small and jagged. It seems that the more I learn to trust Him, the larger and more level the rock gets beneath my feet, even to the point that I can move around on it without slipping. Actually, the Rock was always spacious and secure—it was merely my perspective that made Him appear smaller than the waves.

He Will Complete the Work in You

For me, these past two years have been all about learning to trust! I thought I had trusted the Lord prior to this season—to the degree that I understood. But the Lord has wanted to take me to a place of unmovable trust so that I will not be swayed by the storms and the waves that this life brings. I have not arrived at the place that He longs for me to be, but I am confident that He will complete the work that He has begun in me.

"I'm convinced that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it through to completion on the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

I am encouraged that God does not begin a work in us unless He intends to complete it. Learning to trust may not come overnight because trust takes time. All of us live in a fallen world and learning to trust has its challenges. We are raised by imperfect parents, we have imperfect relationships, we have never had a perfect day and most of us have even been wounded along the way by someone that we trusted.

So to trust God, even though we know that He is perfect in all His ways, takes time. We have natural reactions to situations, to trauma, to relationships and to life that all plays into our relationship with God. Though we long to trust Him, pushing through the fear of past experiences or natural circumstances can be difficult. We first learned to walk according to what we saw and felt, and we are now learning to walk by His Spirit, often having to ignore what we see and feel with our natural eyes and emotions.

God Does Not Promise that We Will Not Suffer

The difficulty for us is that God does not promise us that we will not suffer. In fact, He promised quite the opposite. Though we will experience some suffering in this life, we are comforted by the promise that His Spirit will always be with us, that we will never be left alone and we are loved. Not even death can separate us from that!

We are placed on this Rock in the midst of a turbulent life that is always shaking and shifting, and it is there that we learn to trust. Though our spirits know the Rock that we live upon is so much more vast and secure than the raging sea around us, still our eyes and emotions sometimes cause us to believe the opposite, giving us the feeling that God is small and we fear that the storm will wash us out to sea.

In my younger years, I often waited for God to stop the waves of circumstances so that I could live my life protected from any pain or opposition. (This will only come with the new Heaven and earth!). But as I have grown through the years, I have learned that God was patiently waiting for me to learn to trust Him in the midst of the waves of life. It is in this place where the work He has begun in us is perfected and matured until the day of Christ.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you are involved in various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But you must let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to everyone generously without a rebuke, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith, without any doubts, for the one who has doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. Such a person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all he undertakes." James 1:2-8

Trusting Him with Our Pain

Whether it is relational difficulties, financial need, loss or sickness, God is always trustworthy. Most of the trials that I face are actually the "trials of doubt and unbelief." These are self-inflicted trials due to a reaction caused by the fear that "He will not come to my aid."

Rarely does God answer or come through in the way I expect, but His ways are always good and right. If only I could not fret, not worry, nor lose my footing, but just take the posture of rest and trust! How easy life would be!

Even when we are faced with our worst fears, it is then that we move into a new realm of trust. This is when we learn to trust God with our pain. The nature of pain is that it hurts, and often hurts badly! Trusting God with our pain—even when He could have prevented the pain, but didn't—can be hard. We must remember that God does not cause bad things to happen. Troubles come because we live in a fallen world; but God is the Healer of our pain and our broken hearts.

"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the LORD delivers him out of them all." Psalm 34:18-19

The Gain of Knowing Him

Recently I was talking with someone who had faced many painful things in his life. His pain was very deep, and although he greatly loves the Lord, he was finding it difficult to see beyond the pain and wondered if his life was defined by "losses." As I began to ponder my talk with him, I realized that in Christ, losses and gains are very different than for those who have not found their life in Christ.

Philippians 3:7-11 states:

"But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."

What losses can be compared with "the gain" of knowing Him and being found in Him? This does not mean that we will not feel pain when losses come, but we can always find comfort in the true perspective that through it all, we have the great gain of knowing Him. Nothing can take this away from us...nothing and no one!

Trust Him With Your Pain

"What can we say about all of this? If God is for us, who can be against us? God didn't spare His own Son but handed Him over to death for all of us. So He will also give us everything along with Him. Who will accuse those whom God has chosen? God has approved of them. Who will condemn them?

Christ has died, and more importantly, He was brought back to life. Christ has the highest position in Heaven. Christ also intercedes for us. What will separate us from the love Christ has for us? Can trouble, distress, persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger, or violent death separate us from his love?

As Scripture says: 'We are being killed all day long because of You. We are thought of as sheep to be slaughtered.'

The One who loves us gives us an overwhelming victory in all these difficulties. I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love which Christ Jesus our Lord shows us. We can't be separated by death or life, by angels or rulers, by anything in the present or anything in the future, by forces or powers in the world above or in the world below, or by anything else in creation." Romans 8:32-39

This is where we put our hope and trust during times of pain. The love of God will carry us through this life, even through the painful times. We can trust Him with our pain because not even pain can separate us from His love. He will meet us in the most painful places and comfort us with His love. I personally find His love to be most keenly felt in the midst of painful times. It is as though He wraps His love around us like a blanket and holds us near. If you are in pain right now, allow Him to wrap you in His love and comfort you. He is very near to you.

Independence or Dependency

God has been speaking to me a lot in this past season regarding the subject of "independence versus dependency." I have personally experienced as well as watched others fight for control over potentially painful circumstances currently before them. In asking the Lord for wisdom as to why we so quickly move into a "default mode" of trying to control the outcome of our lives and relationships, He was quick to answer me, "It is because you demand independence rather than embrace dependency."

In our fear that God will not be enough or will not give us the desired outcome in life's situations, we quickly leave our posture of dependency (trust/intimacy) and run to independence (control).

I have been asking the Lord to change my "default mode" so that I will quickly embrace dependency when life and relationships are unsure and invoke personal fears. We are learning to live in the fear of the Lord rather than the fear of pain. Independence merely ushers us into a place of trying to "control and manipulate" while dependency ushers us into "relationship, intimacy and truth."

"The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?" Hebrews 13:6

The words that the Lord spoke through Moses to the children of Israel before they crossed the Jordan River still ring true today as we cross into the river of independence into the land of dependency:

"The LORD is the One who is going ahead of you. He will be with you. He won't abandon you or leave you. So don't be afraid or terrified." Deuteronomy 31:8

Am I Enough?

One of our dearest friends shared a question with us that the Lord had asked him, "Am I enough?" His initial answer was, "Of course, Lord." But as the days rolled by, he began to be challenged on every side and found that, though his belief is that the Lord is enough, his life was not being lived out that way. This question really challenged me, too.

Do I live as if the Lord is enough? In some ways I do, and I believe in my heart that He is...but in reality I don't live it out as a lifestyle. I often find myself restless if I'm not "doing" something or don't have something that I desire. I still get bored and restless and look for "things" to fill me. Can I really say, as Paul did:

"Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:11-13

Do we trust the Lord to be enough when all else fails? God longs for a people who can enter into the relational dependency that His Son lived in while He walked on this earth. This is the place where all that we need is provided by Him. I have not arrived at this place, but by faith I will continue to allow Him to take me there until my independent will gives way to dependency.

There is a Rock that can be trusted, depended upon and stood on to face times of pain. He never changes and never withholds love. He is faithful and true and always enough! He is inviting us into the land of dependency where we can eat of the fruit of intimacy and relish the bounty of His love.

Pray this prayer with me: "Father, I want to answer the longing of Your heart by entering into true dependency with You. I want to live in the unity that You share as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Forgive me and free me from my independent ways. I want to quickly embrace dependency and trust in both times of joy and times of pain. Usher me into the place of trusting You that frees me from the winds of doubt that have left me double-minded. I want to live what I believe and I want to live in the truth that YOU ARE ENOUGH. Thank You for Your patience with me and that You will complete the work You have begun in me. I love You! Amen"

Kathi Pelton
Light Streams Ministries
Email: jkpelton@sbcglobal.net

- - - - -

ElijahList Publications
310 2nd Ave SE,
Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926-3250

The Spirit of Rejection

by Ron Wood

Alienation, isolation, and rejection are paralyzing the church. Loneliness is like a plague on the land. The ties that knit our lives together seem to have unraveled. Covenant love has grown cold and casual contacts can‚t replace them. The tapestry of society is like a mass of individual threads, no longer woven together. Broken homes from divorces provide a vivid picture of our inability to stay in meaningful relationships. (In Cuba, where I have ministered, the divorce rate is 78%.) Ask any modern school teacher how many children in their classroom still have the same original parents. The answer is always, "Hardly any." The feeling of abandonment hurts. These kids usually suffer from rejection.

Even if you can't explain it, you can describe it. It is a reality in our souls. What is rejection and what does it do to people?

Rejection affects adults as well. Many people have come to full age still carrying the scars of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. These men and women look normal but inside they are filled with terrible insecurity, anger, or fear. Others are sitting on a ticking emotional time-bomb of resentment and rebellion, just waiting to boil over into rage. These scars, if left unhealed, will render a person incapable of entering into committed, wholesome, long-term relationships.

One particular problem is very common. It undermines the confidence of many Christians and interferes with true fellowship between friends. It is a lying spirit from our enemy called a spirit of rejection. Rejection is the worst pain the human spirit can suffer. Anyone who has been abandoned, suffered abuse, or endured discrimination can relate to this kind of anguish. Let‚s examine this assault from Satan so we can recognize this form of mental oppression.

The Mind-Set of Rejection

First, the spirit of rejection refers to the mind-set ingrained into us which tells us that we are unloved, unwanted, or will never be good enough. This may start in childhood. This mind-set makes us strive to earn our acceptance. It makes people feel driven to perform in order to be approved. This mind-set makes people feel they are loved for what they do rather than for who they are. It is demeaning. It robs people of peace. The sad thing is that no amount of achievement is ever enough to satisfy it.

In other people, the injustice of being treated unfairly or rejected or disrespected makes them boil over in anger. They quit trying to fit in, rebel against everyone, and try to break out of the box being forced on them. In refusing to be a victim, they may victimize others. Resentment covers their soul like a dark shroud. They wind up in an emotional prison of their own making.

The mind-set of rejection is the result of having believed a lie. It is a syndrome of self-talk that comes from being programmed with falsehoods. Having been told a lie often enough, victims begin to say, "Yes, it‚s true." The lie becomes accepted when the victim agrees with the accusations. They become their own accuser. They have internalized the venom. The deceit becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The victim begins to expect to be rejected and thus sabotages their own relationships.

This mental stronghold of rejection is powerful. It will be torn down only when we find God‚s Word about our case and choose to believe the truth instead of a lie. Only God‚s truth can set us free. The truth will connect us to God‚s love. God‚s love will cure our wounded souls.

The Wounds of Rejection

The spirit of rejection also refers to the residue within our personality of being deeply wounded. This mental or emotional scarring can occur due to being neglected, abandoned or abused. It can also come from being betrayed, being shamed, or being made to feel unloved. Racial discrimination often leaves scars of rejection. Children who were abused sexually suffer cruelly from this inner hurt. Divorce can also leave a lingering, festering wound. The fear of being rejected can make a person run from relationships. They reject others before they themselves are rejected. They spiritually "stiff-arm" those who try to get close.

Just like you can be injured in your flesh and form a bruise or a scar, so you can be injured in your inner man and develop a sensitive place or perhaps a hardened area like a scab on your feelings. When that irritated place gets touched, a reaction occurs. The Bible speaks of having a "wounded spirit." One symptom of having a wounded spirit is that you feel absolutely nothing, like you are dead inside. Another symptom is that you are hypersensitive in that area and can explode at the slightest provocation. God‚s unconditional love, realized and received, can cure this wound.

A Lying Spirit called Rejection

The spirit of rejection is also a specific lying spirit, a demonic messenger from Satan. This spirit whispers to people that they are unloved, not wanted, or are being ridiculed. The devil inflames insecurities and fears. This demon seeks to undermine the Christian‚s true standing before God as a saved, cleansed, redeemed child of God. He does this by lying and attempting to deceive the believer regarding God‚s love, the atoning work of the cross, and our righteousness before God.

This lying spirit comes between family members and divides brothers and sisters and makes them feel isolated. The spirit of rejection pours gasoline on the fires of racial hatred. This demon is very successful in splitting up marriages, churches, and partnerships. These are vital relationships which the Holy Spirit wants to establish between friends. These relationships are necessary in the Body of Christ in order for God‚s work to be done. Disunity, like divorce, often has this lying spirit as its agent provocateur.

The Spirit of Adoption

To understand the spirit of rejection, we need to understand its opposite, which is the spirit of adoption. In the Bible, Romans chapter eight speaks of God‚s antidote to the spirit of rejection. This cure comes from our Heavenly Father, through the grace of our Lord Jesus, and is born witness to by the Holy Spirit. It is called the spirit of adoption. This is the Holy Spirit telling us that God the Father loves us and Jesus accepts us.

Sin and suffering cause people to be cut off from God and mistreat one another. Many unsaved adults are mad at God or are so deeply hurt that they blame God. This resentment keeps them from feeling God‚s love. Their image of God is wrong so they refuse to accept Him. God‚s grace offers us pardon even while we are angry and sinning. God knows we need to be healed of the consequences of our sins and the injuries of sins committed against us by others, even our parents. The spirit of adoption comes from heaven‚s throne. It can also be mediated by unconditional acceptance through other Christians. When we accept one another in Christ, relationships in Christ‚s body are formed. The Holy Spirit connects us together and affirms our self-worth. We are empowered to appreciate each other.

God‚s merciful provision for our healing comes by Christ‚s atonement on the cross. It is made real and effective in our lives when we confess our sins and receive His forgiveness. Then the Holy Spirit comes into our heart and testifies that we have become God‚s child. He does this by bearing witness in our spirit that we are adopted by God. This is the spirit of adoption.

The spirit of adoption goes beyond believing that God loves us; it is the actual felt love of God, so that we are enabled to know that God loves us. It ends loneliness, literally forever!

This marvelous work of affirming who we are in Christ is the work of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth. He only bears witness to what is true. He testifies in our spirit that we are truly loved by God. The Holy Spirit uses the Scriptures as well as the affirming voice of God to tell us the truth about ourselves. God‚s voice will cause us to know God‚s thoughts toward us. Those thoughts, always in agreement with the Scriptures, will reprove us of our sin and will affirm us as His children, but will never condemn us or drive us away. God will always tell us the truth in a merciful way. Our response is to believe what God says. Believing the truth about what Jesus did for us and believing the truth about who we are in Christ sets us free. We need to believe both aspects of the truthˆ about Jesus and about ourselves.

The truth is, God likes us! His love toward us is tremendous. He wants us to really know Him and He wants to dwell in our hearts. God wants us to have fellowship with Him without condemnation. He accepts us into His family by virtue of Christ‚s work on the cross. He gives us a new identity as His sons and daughters.

Unlike some earthly fathers who failed us, our Heavenly Father will never abandon us. He will not cast away His children. God maintains a relationship with His offspring so that we need never fear being rejected by Him. His love is steadfast. It is covenant love.

Recovering From Rejection

God understands rejection and knows how to remedy its pain. Christ was rejected when He came to His own people and they would not receive Him. "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him." (John 1:11). He endured rejection when He bore our sins. "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not." (Isaiah 53:3).

In other words, he specifically included in His suffering the substitutionary pain which was required to relieve us of our rejection. He bore it so we don‚t have to. On the cross, He felt the pain of being cut off from his heavenly Father. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mt. 27:46).

God understands your feelings. Therefore, He can be touched with your pain and is ready to heal you. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-- yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:15-16).

Diagnosing Rejection

Here‚s how to diagnose if you suffer from the spirit of rejection. Three areas to examine are circumstances, emotions, and thoughts.

Let‚s start with your circumstances. Did you have an alcoholic parent? Were your parents divorced? Were you abused? Have you been abandoned or betrayed in marriage? Have you suffered from discrimination? Have you had to break away from a controlling relationship? Have you been repeatedly de-valued as a person? If you fit any of these categories, then you could be a victim of the rejection syndrome.

Now let‚s consider your emotional hot-buttons. Do you have great difficulty receiving correction? Do you take it personally and get offended? Do you resent all authority? Do you get angry for no apparent reason? Or, Do you have an unnatural need for everyone to like you? Does the need for approval control your decisions? Does insecurity sweep over you? Are you plagued by chronic self-doubt? Do you wrestle with chronic bouts of loneliness? At times, do you despair of life, or are you tempted to take your own life? If so, then you probably battle rejection.

In addition to these diagnostic questions, ask yourself this about your thought life. What kind of thoughts run through your mind when you are with a group of people? Would you characterize these thoughts as mostly negative or positive? The spirit of rejection inserts these kinds of thoughts: "These people don‚t love me." "They won‚t talk to me." I‚m not worthy to be here." "I know they are judging me." "They don‚t really want me here." This is mental torment that typifies the spirit of rejection.

Inner Healing & Deliverance

If these questions point to your problem as the spirit of rejection, then you need to take it to God in prayer. If the problem persists, get someone to pray with you for deliverance. But first, realize this, rejection often carries with it unforgiveness toward those who have offended you. We might have been an innocent victim, but we have to take responsibility now for our reactions. We can‚t do away with our will and our choices or our reactions. We can be sinned against, begin to cherish a grudge, and as a result, begin to sin against our oppressors. Unforgiveness is itself a sin.

God‚s grace will enable you to make a choice, to give forgiveness to all those for whom you hold grudges. This is important! Freedom won‚t come without this vital step of forgiving others. In this case, your forgiveness must be explicit, by name, and it must be spoken aloud even if it is only to God, and even if it is for someone who is now dead. That does not matter. God is the judge of the living and the dead. Don‚t make any exceptions.

Don‚t allow any resentment to remain in your heart. Healing begins with a decision to repent and to give undeserved forgiveness. Give away grace and God will give grace to you. Repent of all bitterness and hatred.

When forgiveness is totally accomplished, it paves the way for successful inner healing. Inner healing is the actual curing of your soul of the wounds and traumas you have suffered and accumulated. The finger of God touches the sore spots and makes them well. This is the transformation of the inner man, the end to unrighteous reactions and automatic defenses. It is being at peace in Christ.

Inner healing must accompany deliverance. The place where damaged emotions have given way to this mind-set of rejection must be torn down, or else deliverance will be merely temporary.

The house of your thought life must be swept and cleaned, then occupied with God‚s reassuring truth and love. Determine to think God‚s thoughts. This is a decision you must make in order to be free. Automatic judgements, racial prejudices, and defensive reactions need to be removed.

Take all negative thoughts captive. Don‚t let them rule over your mind. Replace them with words and images of faith that come from your heavenly Father. Take God‚s thoughts, God‚s attitude, God‚s will as your creed, not the words of this sinful world.

Repeat what the Scriptures say until they replace the lies you‚ve heard. Soak in God‚s word and let it renew your mind. Meditate on the Scriptures until faith, hope, and self-acceptance fills your personality. This takes time but it is something you can do for yourself.

Renounce the spirit of rejection and stand against it. To renounce means to take a stand against something that you had previously been identified with or had claim to. Like renouncing your citizenship, it is a legal action that has power to affect your status. Pray aloud and say with your own words that rejection will not rule over you.

Instead, ask God for His fatherly affirmation. Ask God to give you the spirit of adoption. Every child needs to hear their father‚s voice saying, "You‚re mine and I love you!"

After you‚ve prayed against rejection, read the Scriptures, especially the epistles of the New Testament. They teach us our new identity in Christ, to "lay aside the old self" and "be renewed in the spirit of your mind." (Eph. 4:22) Replace Satan‚s lies with God‚s word. Soak your thoughts in the truth of who God is, what He has done for you, and who you are in Christ. Banish all self-doubts. Tell yourself the truth until you truly believe it. Find new friends in Christ who affirm you and love you with God‚s love. "See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God." I John 3:1.

Recovering in Community

God loves us so much He accepts us just as we are! Yet, He loves us too much to leave us like we are. This tension between acceptance and transformation is the balancing act of divine love. God tells us the truth about ourselves so that He can build us up, not put us down. God‚s love is full of light. It illuminates our hurt areas then it heals them. Having the light hit our injured heart may seem painful at first. But Biblical repentance always leads to restoration. Why? Because that‚s the nature of our wonderful Lord. He is a true redeemer.

Our Father in heaven knows we cannot change ourselves. So, He credits us with the worthiness of Christ while He works in us and on us to conform us to Christ‚s image. Here is where we learn to believe the right thing, and a result, to have the right feelings, and to behave properly. The cross is our exchange post. At the cross of Christ we exchange our sins for His righteousness, our failure for His success, our guilt for His holiness. And all the while, God wants to surround us with other transformed believers who can help us make the journey.

One part of our Father‚s plan is the community of believers. Here is where we learn to belong in the body of Christ. God wants to plant us in a place that will help us stay well. Here, we experience God‚s love through human hands. "Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Rom. 5:5 NAS). God‚s kind of love constantly believes the best. It is always filled with hope and encouragement. God‚s love has a vertical dimension, between God and us. It also has a horizontal dimension between us and others.

The essence of Christian community is our acceptance of and acceptance by our brothers and sisters in Christ. "Wherefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God." (Romans 15:7) Unfortunately, some churches are sick with legalism. Some groups emphasize individualism so much that no one ever thinks to love one another or to build Christian community.

It is important for Christians who are recovering from a spirit of rejection to belong to a church which is not contaminated by an atmosphere of criticism. That error results in an emphasis on law instead of grace. According to Romans 7, this defeats the purpose of grace and aggravates our failures. Instead, we need to walk in the grace that sets us free by virtue of Christ‚s complete atonement and His indwelling presence in our lives. The church should be a place where it is safe to be a sinner on the way to being saved, where we feel loved even when we know we are still weak and imperfect.

God‚s Word prevails over the spirit of rejection. The Father‚s mercy, poured out by the Holy Spirit in the church, affirms for us God‚s love and acceptance.

God wants to heal us of the internal strongholds that have been hidden inside us. Only then, with Christ‚s love and authority and truth, can we be prepared and strengthened to pull down the external or heavenly strongholds that damage society and enslave humanity.


© 1995 by Ron Wood. Visit us at www.touchedbygrace.org. Feel free to duplicate this article for distribution as long as it is unchanged and this byline and attribution of authorship remains complete. Touched by Grace Inc. is a ministry devoted to equipping emerging leaders in the developing church. Write TBG at P. O. Box 12749, Wilmington, NC 28405 USA.

From Above

We should not just look like people going to Heaven but we should look more like people coming from Heaven.
We should go beyond being mere mortals climbing up to God and realize that we are a new creation coming down from God.


from a preaching by Pastor Francis Frangipane

Taking Back What The Enemy Has Stolen

[notes taken by Arlene del Socorro from Pastor Jerry Berenguer’s preaching Tuesday, July 8, 2008]

We had the privilege of still having Pastor Jerry with us to share God's Word in tonights' revival meeting, and we basked in the river that night. It was soul-refreshing and mind-renewing. But so you understand what I mean, I am sharing with you my notes from Pastor Jerry's preaching that night and I pray God's living Word will become a "rhema" to you and bless you.

1 Samuel 30:3-10 When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David's two wives had been captured — Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the ephod." Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?" "Pursue them," he answered. "You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue." David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Ravine, where some stayed behind, for two hundred men were too exhausted to cross the ravine. But David and four hundred men continued the pursuit.

1 Samuel 30:18-19 David recovered everythingthe Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back.

Trouble's EFFECT in our Lives:

1) Troubles in life can wear us out, and it doesn't matter if we are faithfully serving in the ministry or not. When troubles come, they can wear us out. David was a man after God's own heart and yet trouble came upon him. The enemy weighs us down with troubles so that we are unable to move and accomplish what God has called us to do. David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep, much more do what God has called them to do.

2) Troubles can take away our focus and make us blame and fight one another. At every sight of trouble, the Israelites blamed Moses whom God used to lead them out of bondage in Egypt. David's men were bitter for their loss and blamed David who led them in many victorious battles and thought of stoning Him.

3) Some people become bitter in their spirit when troubles come. A lot of couples find themself in this situation and their marriages break because they have allowed the enemy to confuse them into blaming and fighting each other. When we allow bitterness to cloud our decisions, we lose because we cannot fight the enemy in the condition of bitterness.

How do we RECOVER?

1) Don't give up. David did not give up when trouble came upon him. Giving up is easy - staying on is the hard part - it's going to require everything we've got. God has a great plan for you and me (Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.). But we have to be moving on in our journey to discover His plan. If we are to recover everything the enemy took from us, we must not give up. Jesus is seated on the throne beside the Father - we are victorious and more than conquerors in Him.

2) Remain focused on what God wants you to do. David knew who his enemy was, and it wasn't his men who were threatening to stone him. We must get to the source of the problem for the enemy wants to destroy our life. Let us not allow bitterness to settle in our heart like that which happened to David's men. Bitterness ruins relationships and splits them up. We must be focused on our goal and the plan of God in our life. Instead of looking at our troubles, let us look on what God wants us to do at that particular time.

3) Find your strength in the Lord. In the face of trouble, David turned to God, not man. He knew who could restore him.

Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalms 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail ,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Nehemiah 8:10 ...Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength .

We should not go out and try to do something ourself - let us find our strength in the Lord - He is our best encourager. The devil will weigh us down with troubles and will even use loved ones against us but the LORD IS OUR STRENGTH.

4) Pray and seek the Lord. David prayed and sought the Lord instead of taking a position of revenge. When we just run after, we make mistakes and fall because we have not inquired of the Lord. David asked for the ephod (a sacred garment worn by a priest when he comes before the Lord) instead of his armor, and went before God's presence to inquire of the Lord what he should do. Troubles cloud our decision and we make mistakes when we react and just go after. God tells us to call upon Him.

Psalms 50:15 ... and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."
Jeremiah 33:3 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'

When we inquire of the Lord instead of going in our own knowledge, God reveals things to us when we come before Him. We need to hear the Lord because His Word will bring victory, breakthrough and confidence to go and pursue.

5) David pursued. After praying, move - do something. We must focus on what God has called us to do and take back what the enemy has stolen. David fought till evening and recovered everything. When you hear from the Lord, go and pursue and take back everything. God caused David to win even with fewer men, 400 instead of the original 600 with him. David heard from the Lord and he acted on it and God gave him victory.

Have you ever lost something in your life? in your family? Have you lost peace and joy over something? Because I lost them for a time... but praise be to our God and Father who is in the business of restoring everything to us through Jesus Christ. Dominion, power and authority, which have all been stolen from us through Adam, has been restored to us through Christ. If God has restored these to us, how much more is He able and willing to restore whatever was stolen in our life? He has restored to me joy and peace and freedom in worship. He is in the business of restoring and He wants to restore what has been stolen from you. Don't give up - set your eyes on the Lord - strengthen yourself in Him - pray and seek His face - then when you hear from Him, go and pursue! God bless you richly.

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine , according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Being the “Hands Under”

[notes taken by Arlene del Socorro from Pastor Jerry Berenguer’s preaching Sunday, July 6, 2008]

This Sundays' Word spoken through Pastor Jerry Berenguer was such an eye opener, not just as a member of the Maranatha congregation, but as a wife, a manager and as a choir member as well. From the Book of Exodus 17:8-16, Moses lifted his hands up to the throne of the Lord and for as long as his hands were lifted, Joshua and the Israelites were winning against the battle with the Amalekites. But when his hands grew weary and were lowered down, the Amalekites were winning. When this happened, Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one on each side, till sunset, so that Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

1 Samuel 17:47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for THE BATTLE IS THE LORD'S, and He will give all of you into our hands."

Exodus 17:15-16 Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. He said, "For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation."

Hands have to be lifted up to the throne of the Lord if we are to see victory in our home, in our community, in our office, in our city and in our nation. In Exodus, Moses was the one who had his hands lifted up to heaven and for as long as his hands were lifted up, the victory of the Lord was theirs. Moses represents the hands of those today, whose hands are or should be lifted up to the throne of God so that His banner may be over our lives. At home, those are my husbands hands, in Maranatha, those hands are Pastor Joe's hands, in the choir, those are Urduja's hands, in my office where I am the branch manager, those are my hands.

But like the example shown to us in Exodus, Pastor Jerry shares that while some of us are called to be the ones with hands lifted up like Moses, some are called to be like Joshua, with hands on the battle. Some of us are called to do the things that need to be done so that the hands that are to be lifted up are not worn down by these things. I have determined in my heart that I will do what I can do with the giftings that the Lord has given me to bless and honor the man or woman of God.

Some of us are also called to be the hands under the hands that need to be lifted up at all times. God really spoke to me through that Word. As a wife, I am to be like Aaron and Hur, who will serve as the hands under the hands of my husband whom God has placed over me. I am to hold my husband's hands up at all times, specially when he is wearied down, so that he may intercede for our family before the throne of God. As long as my husbands' hands are lifted up and my hands are under his, God will bring the victory.

Take A Stand

Stand Up Against Demonic Influences and Powers
Stand Up for Holiness
Stand Up for the Gospel
Stand Up for Righteousness


from a preaching by Pastor Che Ahn

An Open Letter to the Former Bearer of Light

You can come against me all you want. I will never leave my God. You can tempt me all you please. I’ve decided to set my face like flint. You can try your best to scare me off my wits. I will cling to the promises of my King. You may lure me with the things my wayward heart desires. But my passion for the Uncreated One will overrun and overtake all of me. And I have decided to burn my flesh as an offering to my Lord. You may succeed at silencing my voice. But only for a while for I will break out with shouts of victory and joy.

In case you forgot, I am already victorious in Christ and, at best, all you can do is try. For you have already been defeated. You are loser of all losers. You are failure of all failures.

You think you’ve got the upper hand just because I sometimes fall and falter? No way! “Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy; though I fall I will rise; though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me.” You think you’ve got the better of me just because I am weak? No way! His grace is sufficient for me, for His power is made perfect in my weakness. You think that just because you are still able to taunt me that I will always be cowed? No way! I have not been given a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline; and I am changed from glory to glory in the presence of my God!

Let me give you some perspective: you had your chance. You were made blameless in your ways from the day you were created. You had the best job anyone in heaven could have been given. But you wanted more and wickedness was found in you. Then you decided to ascend to heaven and raise your throne above the stars of God. Big mistake!

You had your shot, man! You had your chance! Guess what. YOU BLEW IT!

So do not come waltzing your way to me, trying to sell your stale pancakes and sweet lies because I’ve had enough of your schemes. You’ve had your fun and now it’s time to kick you butt back to your rightful place – UNDER MY FOOT!

You have already fallen like lightning from heaven. And I have been given the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy – that would be you. Nothing will harm me, for that is what my Lord says. Let me make that plain to you: you do not have authority over me; I HAVE AUTHORITY OVER YOU – you and your minions!

My God is greater than you. My God is greater than anything you can throw at me. My God is greater than your schemes. My God is greater than your plans. My God is greater than the fears that your whisper in my ears. My God is greater than the obstacles that you put in my path. My God is greater! My God is greater! My God is greater!

He is the One who created all things. He is the One who IS IN CONTROL, not you. No matter how much you try conjure an appearance of control over things, you have squat! You can only have as much control as my God allows you. You are limited. My God is unlimited.

So yeah! You wanna tell me I’m weak? I say, yes I am. But my God is strong in me and He is greater in me than you that is in the world. You wanna tell me I’m a sinner? Sure! A sinner, but saved by grace through faith, redeemed by blood of the Lamb and adopted as a son of the Living God.

How about you? Who’s your strength? Who saves you from your sins? Who’s your daddy now?

Me? I got a Daddy in Heaven! He takes good care of me. He provides all that I need. He forgives, saves, heals, rescues, covers, protects, encourages, exalts, gives, blesses and HE LOVES ME!

Thank you for reminding me of my dependence on my God!

Eileen Fisher: "A Fresh Anointing for His Bride"

[from the Elijah List website]


Fullness of Joy

"Can you hear the new sound in the Spirit?" said the Spirit of the Lord. He said, "For this coming year there will be a new sound. It will be the sigh of relief coming from My Bride that is heavily burdened, because she has carried weariness and disappointment." But, He said, "This will be the year where I will be taking off of her shoulders all the things that appear to cause her to walk bent over and in tiredness."

He said, "There is going to come a new, fresh anointing upon My Bride this year. It will be the Bride who will carry the anointing upon her that will be the fresh oil of My Presence. In My Presence, there is a fullness of joy. This fullness of joy is going to fall over and it's going to spill like a cup that has been poured out to overflowing. It will spill upon the Body. It will spill upon the weary. It will spill upon those who have been faithful and faithful, but also have been having the fruit of longsuffering worked out in their life," said the Spirit of the Lord.

Authority of the Bride

For He said, "There is going to come a change. And in that change will be the hour where the Bride will know the authority that I have given her to walk in." For He said, "My own have gotten weary because they have laid aside, unknowingly, the authority that I have given them to walk in, to carry, and to command, according to My written Word."

He said, "There is going to come a new blending over My Bride, and it will be the blending of the promise of the engagement ring and the wedding ring." And He said, "It will be very evident for those I am calling to walk in a separate walk." For He said, "There is going to come a separation, even in My Body," said the Lord.

"It will be a separation of those who are hungry for My Presence and for those who are content sitting very slothfully by as they have not entered in to run the race. They will be ones who will choose to sit on the curb and watch My other ones - even though they be weary and bruised - continue to run the race."

"There will be a calling out of those who have been weary in season. They will be called out and have put upon their shoulders a new responsibility. There will come a new alignment," says the Spirit of the Lord, "for those who I will put on their finger, the engagement ring with the wedding ring - the anointing will come with the authority of the wedding ring and the position of the presence of the authority of My Believers," says the Lord your God.

She Confidently Walks

He said, "For the hour of awakening is coming upon My people. It will come first to My people, stronger and stronger. They will look back and say, 'It has been a year of refreshment.'" For He said, "They will see My Bride throw her head back, and she will throw her head back with joy and confidence, knowing that I have come and that I have answered the long-awaited time where she has been crying out."

He said, "I have heard the weeping of My Bride. She has gone through a time of experiencing My presence, but she has not experienced the joy of My presence, because she has not experienced the privilege of the wedding, but only has been walking in the potential promise of the wedding." And the Lord said, "I have called you My Bride and My Beloved."

And He said, "The Bride is one who has full understanding of what she carries. The Bride is the one who has full understanding of what she is going to walk in. The Bride is the one who knows the position, and the responsibility, and the authority of her Husband, so she simply walks in what is given to her because of the name-change over her."

The Lord said, "This will be the year where those who have been protesting, saying I am a God of smallness, will know not only am I the God of the tiniest babe, but I am also the God of the ancient saints," says the Lord your God. He said, "For I have heard the cries of My people, but I say unto you, that the hour of authority is about to be released upon My people, and it will be that they no longer are desolate, or have the appearance of desolation.

"For My Bride who feels as though she has been disabled, is changing. And I will not have a disabled Bride, but instead I will have a Wife, who will learn to rule and reign in Christ Jesus, from sitting in Heavenly places in My position," said the Lord.

"There will be a time where you will see some people who will cause their faces to be hung in shame and embarrassment because they have been living a life, not as a betrothed, not one of married, but have chosen both to gather to their chest," says the Lord their God.

Pearls of Great Revelation and Discernment

"There is going to come, also, a string of pearls to be put upon My Bride, and it will be the necklace of pearls that will bring forth greater revelation, and will bring forth greater and greater discernment." And He said, "These pearls will be of great value and she will immediately start to gain strength. The strength will show through her tired eyes, because her eyes will really become the windows of the soul, and will no longer carry tiredness, but they will become the discerning eyes that will stomp down and break down the lies that the Bride has believed."

He said, "The Bride is being awakened." And, He said, "There is coming forth over the Bride, a full realization of who she is in Christ Jesus. This is going to be the hour where she is going to come to understand My Presence, and the accuracy and the power of My Word."

He said, "There will come a demanding upon My people this year. Those who come under My influence will become freer than they have ever, ever been free in their entire life. It will be coming - the hour of knowing the true heart of the Bride and the Father. And during the hour of knowing the authority of the Father of the Bride, there is going to come a full realization of the Father's love again." He said He is going to give His own rhema insight into the depths and the authority, into the powerfulness of the security that comes from knowing the Father.

"There will be a great awakening among the youth," He said, "but the fire will spread ablaze in the hearts also of those who have walked for years and years in My Presence, crying for a fresh touch of My Presence," says the Lord your God, "For I am calling those who have already walked in the power of My Spirit, to look back and take on others who are hungry for My Spirit. My presence of My anointing is going to be falling upon My people."

"Wisdom and discernment will guard the minds and the hearts of the youth. Some of the seeds that have been scattered among the youth - the pitfalls where they have misunderstood volume rather than knowing and recognizing the presence of My anointing is going to be brought under submission by My Spirit," says the Lord.

A Battle Cry

"There will be a battle cry. Why will there be a battle cry? It will be a battle cry that will bring forth a pure move filled with My pure power that needs to be revelation in a deeper way in order to guard the walk of peace and power that is going to be poured out on My people."

The Lord said, "I am not looking for a 'goosebump few' that seek after goosebumps, but instead, I am looking for those who will obey My Word. I long for intimacy, but on a pure level, on the truth - with obedience."

He said, "Many bring Me praise, yet withhold their wills - not willing to daily pick up their cross and follow Me. I hunger and thirst for those who seek after My righteousness alone."

He said, "In the natural, it would grieve the about-to-be-married groom if he were to look at his approaching bride walking down the aisle toward him, waiting to pledge her life to him, and him alone - and at the same time, she flirts with other men as she glances to and fro upon those who are there to attend the wedding."

Rediscovery of Who You Are

He said, "It would appear that her heart was not settled. So it will be with My own. Those that have an innocent heart - I am about to give them not only a half-heart full of love, but they are going to move into a Heart that has not been half given, but fully given. And in the fullness of giving a heart to Me, there is going to come a rediscovery of who they are and Who they belong to."

The Lord said, "This will be the year of captivating wholeheartedly the hearts of My people. It is the hour - the same hour as in Peter's life - when I asked him three times, 'Peter, do you love Me?' I didn't need to know because I already knew Peter's heart, but Peter needed to know. So this will be the year of checking into the hearts of My people to where they will cry out and say, 'Lord, how long have we been with You?'"

He said, "This will be a season for those who are holding on to Me, who will let go of some of the pain, and some of the guilt, and some of the shame - and they will put it at the foot of the Cross and know and realize it has been paid for - and they will declare, once again, that Jesus Christ is Lord. They will make a far, far, fuller and deeper commitment to Me. And they are about to encounter the kisses, and experience the understanding that I am a jealous God that is about to scatter His people with kisses, which means the favorable answers to prayer."

I saw a Bride, and as she was sitting there on her bed, waking up slowly - coming fully awake, little did she realize as she was stretching, her arms were upward, and the Father's hand of favor was reaching downward, granting her her heart's desire.

"This will be the year of fulfillment," said the Lord. "The Bride, who is weary from the battle she's been fighting, will be refreshed as she places her feet on the floor. And as she's looking for her combat boots, she will not find her combat boots. Instead, she will find her shoes - pure, white and ready - that will match her bridal gown," says the Lord.

Two Angels Attending the Bride

Then I saw two angels and this beautiful Bride was surprised at receiving such royal treatment. The Bride asked each angel their name. Both angels had serious expressions on their faces and they both said, "Our names are unimportant, but what we do is what is important, for it is all about His business."

One angel was so full of confidence, placing the shoe on the Bride. And suddenly, as the shoe was placed upon the Bride's foot, she began to know - without any understanding of her own - the revelation of who she was in Christ Jesus, the power of her prayers, and how they were answered. The result of the first shoe was the transfer of confidence into the Bride's heart - immediately she felt safe, loved and totally secure.

The second angel picked up the other shoe, and as he was waiting to put it on the Bride's foot, again the Bride wanted to know his name. And he smiled and looked only upward, as though he was listening for Heaven's command. Suddenly, without feeling anything, the Bride realized both shoes were on her feet and she immediately felt the desire to run the race that she had once run.

It seemed for a moment the Bride was about to open a door, but instead of the door leading outside to the world, she was led to a room which was called, "The Sanctuary," where she was being rested and where she was being restored. In the Spirit, I could hear something that was about to change.

The Bride stood still, as though she was waiting for instructions. Both angels simultaneously looked at the small table by the Bride's bed, and they stared intensely at the Bible laying on top of it, next to the Bride. The Bride picked up the Bible and it began to dissolve and melt, changing into the wedding band upon the Bride's finger.

Just like before, both of the angels were staring at a Scripture that was framed on the wall. It had words that said, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." Then I saw the Bride, and as she picked up that Scripture, she began to understand with deeper understanding that the Word of God had dissolved into her flesh. All of a sudden, she began to output the Word of God. Then I heard the Spirit of God say, "I watch over My own Word to perform it."

And her word was so entwined with the Flesh that they become one. Then the Bride began to bend down in worship and adoration, for she began to realize who she was in Christ Jesus.


Eileen Fisher