Category Archives: Devotion

The Gospel of the Kingdom

THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM

This good news of the kingdom [the gospel] will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end [of the age] will come. Matthew 24:14 Amplified Bible

Jesus’s disciples were asking Him the same questions we are still asking today…how will we know it’s the end? 

Jesus answered, “Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error]. For many will come in My name [misusing it, and appropriating the strength of the name which belongs to Me], saying, ‘I am the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed),’ and they will mislead many. You will continually hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end [of the age]. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs [of the intolerable anguish and the time of unprecedented trouble].

“Then they will hand you over to [endure] tribulation, and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 At that time many will be offended and repelled [by their association with Me] and will fall away [from the One whom they should trust] and will betray one another [handing over believers to their persecutors] and will hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will appear and mislead many. 12 Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved. 14 This good news of the kingdom [the gospel] will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end [of the age] will come. Matthew 24: 4 – 14 AMP

In this hour, when many false gospels are being preached, it’s more important than ever that we understand  what Jesus meant when He spoke of the Gospel of the Kingdom…or the good news.

Firstly, the good news is a victorious announcement.  Jesus Christ is the conquering general, Who stripped principalities, powers and rules of all their powers.

Colossians 2:15 Amplified Bible

When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having triumphed over them through the cross.

Secondly, the Gospel of the Kingdom is the power unto salvation.  In Romans 1:16 we read… I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation [from His wrath and punishment] to everyone who believes [in Christ as Savior], to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

The word salvation in greek is soteria, which speaks of deliverance, preservation, safety and salvation.  We no longer need to pray for a breakthrough.  Jesus already established the breakthrough.  We need to learn to walk in the breakthrough that He won for us…we declare and enforce breakthrough in every situation.

The gospel of the Kingdom offers us forgiveness of sin (Matt. 1:21), healing from all sickness and disease (James 1: 21 and 5:15), and deliverance from the demonic (Luke 8:36)…soteria for spirit, soul and body.

I am going to finish with this thought…the Gospel of the Kingdom is the reigning over the nations.

The word kingdom means “king’s dominion” and dominion means “the authority and power to govern and exercise control”. 

The prophet Daniel saw Jesus in a night vision, and he writes“And to Him (the Messiah) was given dominion (supreme authority), Glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and speakers of every language should serve and worship Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.   (Dan. 7:14)

We, the church of Jesus Christ, have been given a royal commission to advance the rule of King Jesus to all the nations, so that all nations, peoples and every language shall serve Him.  The gospel of the Kingdom is a mandate to go and make disciples of all the nations…disciples who will believe in, and willingly serve King Jesus

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28; 19 and 20 AMP

Amen, and amen!

Again!

Re- a prefix, occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, used with the meaning “again” or “again and again” to indicate repetition, or with the meaning “back” or “backward” to indicate withdrawal or backward motion

      ***

Like so many of us, I prepared for 2024 by asking the Lord for a word, or a theme for this new year.  Instead of a word, I heard Holy Spirit say “re” as in the prefix.  When you add the prefix ‘re” in front of a word, it indicates having to do something again, to go again or to do again and again and that is what I feel the Lord is saying to us…go again. Do it again, and keep doing it until the job is done.


The Word of God tells us that “It is because of the Lord’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, Because His [tender] compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great and beyond measure is Your faithfulness.”  (Lamentations 3: 22, 23 AMP)

The Word of God is full of promises, and words that council us to not give up, to go again, to try again, do care again, to trust and love again.

Psalm 126:4 says “Now, Lord, do it again!  Restore us to our former glory!  May streams of refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.” (TPT)

Some of us have been knocked down and knocked about in the previous season, but we are not knocked out! 2 Corinthians 4: 8 – 10 tells us that We are pressured in every way [hedged in], but not crushed; perplexed [unsure of finding a way out], but not driven to despair; hunted down and persecuted, but not deserted [to stand alone]; struck down, but never destroyed; always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown in our body.”

The ESV puts it like this: when we are knocked down, we get up again.

Let’s talk practicalities…what does it look like to put this into action?  For some of us it’s a call to take stock of our lives.  Do I have to recommit to the Lord, come back to my first love?  Have I allowed hurt, offense, disappointment or rejection to harden my heart towards the Lord and His body?  Maybe it’s time to repent and rejoint the body in a regular place of worship, instead of being a lone wolf or as my father puts it, being an “extramural” Christian, professing Jesus but totally distancing ourselves from His bride.

Maybe we’re no longer dedicating time to prayer, reading the Word or worship?  Maybe we used to fast and pray, once upon a time, but we have let those disciplines slide?  Maybe we prayed for the sick and disposed of demons, but we don’t do that anymore.

For some of us it might look like reclaiming some territory or rereading a book or two.  For some of us it might mean taking a long overdue holiday to refresh and recalibrate.  For some it might mean having to make hard choices and redefine certain relationships, so that the Lord can realign us with people who have been prepared to impact our new season. 

I also heard the Lord say that it’s time to draw a line under some things, and to put a full stop behind it.  Those feelings of inferiority, of rejection, the fear and frustrations has to be dealt with even if it’s difficult, because our new season depends on it.

This is the year to reposition yourself…to draw close to Jesus.  It’s the year to recalibrate your life, to be restored, recommissioned and rejuvenated.  So let us reset, let us leave everything that’s caused us pain, anguish and destruction in the last season and let us pray that the Lord will strengthen and lead us to a place where we can reclaim everything that we surrendered to the enemy. 

Now may the God of peace [the source of serenity and spiritual well-being] who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood that sealed and ratified the eternal covenant, equip you with every good thing to carry out His will and strengthen you [making you complete and perfect as you ought to be], accomplishing in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.  Hebrews 13: 20, 21 AMP

Fresh Fire

Word from the Lord – The fire around you is now the fire inside you

I was in the shower when I heard the Lord speak to my heart – “the fire around you is now the fire inside of you” and immediately I was reminded of Daniel 3, where we read the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

A few verses in particular came to mind.  Before we read verses 16 to 19 let me recap the story.  The Babylonian king, king Nebuchadnezzar had a golden statue made and issued a decree that at the sound of musical instruments all “peoples, nations, and speakers of every language” would fall down and worship him, and that they would disobey at their own peril.

Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down and worship the statue of the king and of course word got out and the king confronted them.  He warned them that if they continue to refuse to bow down to him, they would be burned alive.  We read their reply in the verses I mention. 

Listen to this…16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you on this point. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up!”

Of course, these godly young men did not bow down to worship Nebuchadnezzar and he, in a rage, commanded the fire be made seven times hotter.  In fact, the fire was so hot that the men who threw them in there burned to death outside the furnace. However, when the king went to look into the furnace there were four men walking around inside the furnace but none of them were burning up!  Miraculously, the only things that were burned were the ties that bound them up.

We read in verse 27 “The satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king’s counsellors gathered around them and saw that in regard to these men the fire had no effect on their bodies—their hair was not singed, their clothes were not scorched or damaged, even the smell of smoke was not on them.

What I am going to share next applies to me, and I am sure to many reading this.  I am here to give you the Word of the Lord.  That fire that was sent by the enemy to consume you, had no effect, other than to burn off the ties that bound you.  The fire that was around you is now the fire that is burning inside of you.

Many of us, like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had been in the fires of affliction because we refused to bow down and worship false gods and idols, we refused to listen to the doctrine of demons, and we refused to be bound up by man-made structures, because the Spirit of God is alive inside of us.  We have been called rebellious, we have been called Jezebel, we have been called insubordinate, but I am here to tell you that while you were in the fire, God was with you.  He allowed the fire to burn restrictions off you and the fire that was supposed to kill you has been the instrument the Lord used to set you free.

The demonic fire that was around you, is now a holy fire burning inside you.  It’s the same fire that burned in Elijah, when he said “I will bow before no-one other than God”.  My friends, being this bold, standing for truth and righteousness in a world that has gone mad, filled with people drunk on their own power, where godlessness is celebrated and evil is called good, just as the Lord has warned us, takes courage.

The Lord promises us that the righteous will be bold as lions and if we look at the example of these three young men, we too can be brave and stand our ground, because we serve the same God.  Our Father is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and He is more than able to keep us, and even prosper us amid the fiery furnace we sometimes find ourselves in.

I want to close with my favourite favourite scripture…Zephaniah 3:17

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty Savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

Kingdom Culture

culture noun (WAY OF LIFE)

The way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people 

The attitudes, behaviour, opinion etc. of a particular group of people within society

In Luke 11 we read the account of Jesus driving out a demon from a man who was mute, and the man spoke.  Immediately there was a kerfuffle and some people in the crowd said “He drives out demons by [the power of] Beelzebul (Satan), the ruler of the demons.” Others, trying to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven. (verses 15 and 16)

Jesus rebuked them with these words, found in verse 20…

“But if I drive out the demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has already come upon you.” 

Here Jesus shows us that Kingdom Culture is a culture of freedom from oppression.  There is no room for oppression, manipulation, or control in the Kingdom of God.  God gives us free will and choice, but the enemy puts us in bondage and controls us by enslaving us in addiction and demonic mindsets, which the Bible refers to as strongholds.  Jesus, on the other hands says to us, in John 8:36 “So if the Son makes you free, then you are unquestionably free.”

Let me ask you this…if you are to be very honest with yourself…how free are you?  If your answer is 100% free, I will stand amazed and I would like you to pray for me because most of us will have to admit that we do not fully walk in the freedom that Jesus bought for us at the cross.

You see, as citizens of the Kingdom of heaven we have tolerated the enemy in our lives, our homes, our churches, our families, and our nations. But I am here to tell you that we need to have our minds washed with the word of God, so that we can have Kingdom thinking, or a Kingdom mindset…we need to think freedom every day.  Every time we are confronted by an enemy, we need to remember who we are, and what authority has been given to us.  We are a new creation in Christ…the old sick, fearful, powerless Nicky is nailed to the cross, and buried and a new Nicky lives with Christ, sits in heavenly places and have all authority delegated to her.  If you are in Christ, you are like me.  If you are not in Christ, there’s only one remedy for your problem…surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Love and honour are the currency of the Kingdom of God.  How can I say I love someone, and I am not deeply offended when I see them oppressed by sickness, or enslaved by the demonic agendas at work in their lives?

James 2:18 (AMP) says “But someone may say, “You have faith and I have [good] works; show me your [alleged] faith without the works [if you can], and I will show you my faith by my works [that is, by what I do].” 

Another scripture that confirms this is Matthew 7:16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

If we are to test ourselves against these scriptures, what does our actions and our fruit tell us?  Do we live with a kingdom mindset or are we a law unto ourselves?  Are we building Kingdom culture into our families and our church families, or are we tearing it down? 

Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 12:30?  He who is not with Me [once and for all on My side] is against Me; and he who does not [unequivocally] gather with Me scatters.

This scripture alone should humble us and scare us into repentance if we are not actively opposing the works of the devil.  Freedom matters, if fact it matters so much to God that He gave His only son to die horrifically on the cross to ensure that we are liberated and delivered.

The first 6 verses of 2 Corinthians 10 says this “I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christbeing ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

This is the mindset of Jesus Christ, and the culture of the Kingdom.  Freedom at any cost and the total annihilation of the works of the enemy and the accuser of the brethren.  Remember this…every time we cast out demons, we are expanding the Kingdom of God.  May the warriors and deliverers arise!

Loose Lips Sink Ships

The words of a whisperer (gossip) are like dainty morsels [to be greedily eaten]; They go down into the innermost chambers of the body [to be remembered and mused upon].    

Proverbs 18: 8 AMP

Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.        

Proverbs 18: 21 AMP

The idiom, loose lips sink ships, is a war time expression, hailing from WW2 and it means to have a big mouth, to talk about everyone and everything.  It implies that if you cannot control your mouth, you will hurt people, usually psychologically or emotionally.

During WW2 sailors on leave from their ships talked about which ship they were on, where they came from and where they were going next and if overheard by an enemy (which was a very real danger) it could lead to their ship being tracked, bombed and sunk…hence the idiom.  In the modern vernacular it can mean that excessive talking might sabotage a project.

In the light of Proverbs 18:21 it also means that, as Christians, we need to be particularly careful about the words we speak, who we speak them to and we need to tread carefully, so as not to cross the line into gossip, which is something the Lord hates.

Proverbs 6: 16 – 19 (AMP) says:

These six things the Lord hates;
Indeed, seven are repulsive to Him:
A proud look [the attitude that makes one overestimate oneself and discount others], a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that creates wicked plans,
Feet that run swiftly to evil,
A false witness who breathes out lies [even half-truths],
And one who spreads discord (rumours) among brothers.

As ones who have all of Jesus’ authority delegated to us, who have the capacity to speak life or death, blessing or curses we also carry a heavy responsibility. 

There’s a portion of scripture in Matthew Chapter 12 that starts with the heading “Words Reveal Character”.  It reads…

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is recognized and judged by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. 35 The good man, from his [inner] good treasure, brings out good things; and the evil man, from his [inner] evil treasure, brings out evil things. 36 But I tell you, on the day of judgment people will have to give an accounting for every careless or useless word they speak. 37 For by your words [reflecting your spiritual condition] you will be justified and acquitted of the guilt of sin; and by your words [rejecting Me] you will be condemned and sentenced.”

Our words reveal our character!  Our words reveal the condition of our hearts, they expose the broken, unhealed places where we need healing and deliverance.  Idle words – the words we speak that accomplish nothing, that does not bless, that does not build up or tear down that which is not of God – are an abuse of our God-given authority. Many people are eating the fruit of the words they spoke without realizing it.  Many of us do not need deliverance or healing, we need repentance.  We need to ask the Lord for forgiveness for cursing ourselves, our loved ones and the body of Christ by our words.

Psalm 24: 3, 4 (AMP) asks us a question and then provides the answer… Who may ascend onto the mountain of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place?  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to what is false, Nor has sworn [oaths] deceitfully.

This morning during the worship, the Lord spoke to me about these things and I came under conviction for my own loose lips, my own idle words.  There was nothing else to do but agree with Him and repent.  Afterwards, as I felt His tremendous love and forgiveness settle on me, as a prophetic act, I went into the restroom and washed my hands.  There is nothing that I want more than to be found washed, clean and ready to meet the Bridegroom when He comes.

The first book of Corinthians, chapter 5, verses 11 to 13 is a sobering piece of scripture.  It reads:   11 But actually, I have written to you not to associate with any so-called [Christian] brother if he is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater [devoted to anything that takes the place of God], or is a reviler [who insults or slanders or otherwise verbally abuses others], or is a drunkard or a swindler—you must not so much as eat with such a person. 12 For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders (non-believers)? Do you not judge those who are within the church [to protect the church as the situation requires]? 13 God alone sits in judgment on those who are outside [the faith]. Remove the wicked one from among you [expel him from your church].

From the few scriptures I have quoted, and many more like them, we can deduct that the Lord is very, very serious about this issue.  From the previous scripture we can deduct that someone really empowered by Holy Spirit will have control of their tongue. We can no longer allow ourselves to be hypocrites….I don’t want the Lord to call me a “so-called” Christian. I want my mouth to be a wellspring of life. God spoke the world into being and Jesus cursed a fig tree to death by His words.  That power and authority is now delegated to us and the Lord will keep us accountable for how we wield that authority.  A sobering thought!

My prayer for us all is this…that we would humble ourselves, confess our sin, make restitution where we need to, search for the log in our own eye and ask the Lord for the grace to speak nothing but life and blessing.

I bless you with powerful, life-giving words that uproot and tear down the works of the enemy and bring life and more life where it’s needed.  In Jesus’ mighty name.

Be still, and know

Psalm 46: 10 says “Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God.  I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.”

In my opinion being still is one of the hardest spiritual disciplines to cultivate.  To exalt someone or something we must raise it or them in rank, power, or character.  It means we elevate, or lift high them by our praise, or we glorify them.

In the recent years, I have had to learn a valuable lesson.  I have been betrayed by a trusted friend and then I was gossiped about and maligned to a whole circle of people.  As is common with most people when they are falsely accused or being lied about, my first reaction was to defend myself and to tell my side of the story.  It hurst when this happens, but Jesus suffered in the same way, He truly identifies with our pain, anger, and disappointment.

The Word gives us wise counsel and countless promises when these things happen.  Let me share some of these scriptures with you:

Jeremiah 51:10

The Lord has brought about our vindication; Come and let us recount in Zion the work of the Lord our God!

Isaiah 54:17

“No weapon that is formed against you will prosper;
And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their vindication is from Me,” declares the Lord.

Luke 18:7

now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?

Psalm 26:1

A Psalm of David.
Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, And I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.

So, when I found myself in this situation, instead of running around town, telling people my side of the story, I chose to be still and to trust the Lord to vindicate me.  I know some of the ways He did, and I am sure He is still vindicating me in ways I do not even know.  It was hard.  I noticed people who have never even met me looking at me funny and I knew why.  It really hurt.

Just the other day, my husband was falsely accused of doing sloppy work by a client.  He knew he had done a good job, and had done everything right and again, we decided to trust the Lord when we were threatened with legal action and when she left a terrible review that hurt our good name.  The client got someone to review the work, who reported that there was no wrongdoing on my husband’s part.  The client stubbornly refused to offer an apology, even though she was proven wrong and again we had to make the choice of pursuing justice for ourselves, or to trust the Lord to vindicate us. 

My friends, understand this…it may seem like the unrighteous, the scheming people who take what does not belong to them or who assassinate our good names with false accusation or blatant lies are getting away with it, but we serve a God Who does not sleep, Who does not lie and Who does not tolerate injustice.  His Name will be exalted in every nation and every knee will bow before King Jesus.

Ephesians 4:26 AMP says:

Be angry [at sin—at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behaviour], yet do not sin; do not let your anger last until the sun goes down.

What does this mean?  It means we do not turn a blind eye to sin, immorality, corruption, abuse, and every other ungodly behaviour but it also means we do not take the law into our own hands, or also commit sin because of our indignation.  Sometimes it seems to me even Christians live by the motto “if you can’t beat them, join them”. 

We are called to live by a higher standard.  If the world sleep with people they are not married to, or cheat in business, or steal from one another or lie and gossip, or do anything that contravenes God’s law we cannot be joining in that.  We need to walk in holiness, and take our concerns to God and above all, pray for the grace to wait patiently for the deliverance of the Lord.

Sometimes it looks like being quiet and sometimes it looks like acting…whatever the case may be, we obey the instructions we receive from the Lord.

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for God’s wrath [and His judicial righteousness]; for it is written [in Scripture], “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. Rom. 12:19 AMP

The Power of Agreement

We can probably all quote the first 3 verses of Psalm 133, which says “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.” (AMP)

What does it mean to be in unity, or to be united?  Let me name a few of the 38 synonyms…agreement, harmony, identity, solidarity, accord, alliance, consent, oneness, sameness, union and undividedness. 

These are all beautiful sentiments when we are together in Christ, and we have set our minds on one purpose…to glorify Jesus Christ and to extend His Kingdome and rule.  However, there is a dark side to being in unity.  When we come into agreement with the works of the enemy, God can no longer command His blessing.

The Word of the Lord is very clear that we should not have anything in common with darkness.  We are called to be like Jesus.  What is Jesus like, you may ask?  He is like the Father and in 1 John 1:15  we read what the Father is like.  It says this:  This is the message [of God’s promised revelation] which we have heard from Him and now announce to you, that God is Light [He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness], and in Him there is no darkness at all [no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection] (AMP)

This is what we are to be like.  2 Corinthians 6:14 goes on to warn us…Do not be unequally bound together with unbelievers [do not make mismatched alliances with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? (AMP)

Let’s talk a little bit about unbelievers.  These are not only those who do not believe in Jesus…James 2:19 is a sobering verse.  It says…You believe that God is one; you do well [to believe that]. The demons also believe [that], and shudder and bristle [in awe-filled terror—they have seen His wrath] (AMP)

Amos 3:3 NIV says two cannot walk together unless they are in agreement… unless they are united in their purpose.  The New Living Translation puts it like this: ”Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?”

Here is the point I want to make…when we come into agreement with one another regarding those things that are in agreement with God’s Word then He commands a blessing on it, but God cannot speak against Himself.  Whenever we align ourselves to something that contravenes God’s law, His words, His directives, or the spirit of His law, He can no longer bless that.

Let me get practical for a moment.  Imagine going to the doctor and receiving a bad report.  The fact is our broken body, that lives in a fallen world is subject to natural laws.  But fact and truth does not always line up, does it.  The truth, according to God’s word is that by the stripes of Jesus I am healed and everything pertaining to life and godliness has been given to us by His divine power. 

So what do we do when we get a bad report?  We decide what we are going to come into agreement with…the bad report, or the truth of God’s word.  Yes, I do everything in my power to take care of myself.  I eat well, I rest, I take the medicine, but I also do not partner with the diagnosis.  I do not call it MY cancer, or MY diabetes.  I call it what it is…from the evil one and not my portion.

Friends, may I suggest that we get radical and militant against the things that we have come into agreement with that is not of God?  Addiction, sickness, anger, hatred, poverty, mental health issues, in fact anything and everything that falls into the category of killing, stealing and destruction?

Jesus says in John 10:10 that “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy, but that He came that we may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]. (AMP)

May I suggest that you take some time to reflect upon your life, your health, your family, your friends and even your nation.  Ask Holy Spirit to help you discern where you are in agreement with anything that does not fall into the category of abundant life, because if it does, God cannot bless that part of your life.  Are there areas in your life where you have partnered with demons by a lack of understanding of these principles, or by not being proactive in opposing the works of darkness?  It’s easily fixed, you know.

 The Lord says to us in 1 John 1:9 “If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].” (AMP)

Quick to forgive

If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose]. 1 John 1:9 AMP

I have just finished reading the book of Hosea. It’s always been a fascinating read…God expects something of Hosea that goes against everything we think a prophet of God should be doing. God instructs Hosea to marry a prostitute, and to take her back every time she strays and commits adultery. The story of Hosea and Gomer becomes a beautiful picture of the lengths God will go to to restore covenant with the people He loves.

For the first 13 chapters of the book we read God’s charge against His people, as spoken through Hosea. It speaks of their depravity, and tells the story of a people chasing after idols to worship them, committing every type of immorality, sinning against God at every turn and a people refusing to let go of their own sinful desires. It also tells the story of God’s righteous anger towards these rebellious children.

Then, in chapter 14, Hosea issues one final call to repentance when he says: “O Israel, return [in repentance] to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled and fallen [visited by tragedy], because of your sin.
Take the words [confessing your guilt] with you and return to the Lord.
Say to Him, “Take away all our wickedness; Accept what is good and receive us graciously, So that we may present the fruit of our lips (gratitude).
“Assyria will not save us; We will not ride on horses [relying on military might], Nor will we say again to [the idols who are] the work of our hands,
‘You are our gods.’ For in You [O Lord] the orphan finds love and compassion and mercy.”
Hosea 14:1 – 3 AMP He then carries on to tell them what their future will look like if they choose to serve the Lord in the rest of chapter 14.

This story has me wondering about us…are we betraying the Lord? Are we guilty of putting our trust in governments, our own strength and wisdom, our financial status, our employers? Are we leaning on structures that will crumble at the first gust of the winds of adversity, or are we placing our trust in the Rock of Ages, the One Who will never fail us?

If we are, can we find it in our hearts to heed the clarion call of the prophetic voices around us, calling us to repentance, calling us up higher? Or are we a bull headed, hardhearted people, still rebellious in our ways? Our Father wants us to be in covenant with Him, and He gives us grace – the power to stay the course – and shows us mercy when we stumble.

We have all these beautiful promises in the Word of God, that reminds us that we have a Father Who is quick to forgive us when we turn to Him in repentance, a Father Who does not keep a record of our wrongs, Who divorces us from our sins and iniquities, buries it in the deepest ocean and never thinks of it again. We have Jesus, Who heals our wounds, Who reconciles us to our Father and we have the gift of Holy Spirit, the One who comforts and teaches us.

Today, let’s pray with David, who said “Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart; Test me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. (Ps 139:23, 24 AMP)

A FATHER TO THE FATHERLESS

“And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.”                                   2 Corinthians 6:18  NIV

During worship on Sunday, I suddenly had an overwhelming urge to hug my brothers and sisters.  I felt waves of love and compassion for them wash over me.  I didn’t act on it…that would have been weird…but I did lean into those emotions to hear what Father would say.  I love how the Lord will speak through our emotions to get our attention, and how eager He is to share His heart with His children.  We serve a God that wants to know us and be known by us!  The worst rebuke we could ever hear from Jesus is to be told “depart from Me, I never knew you”. (Matthew 7:21-23)

As I was listening to hear what the Lord would say, I saw three images…a superimposed photo, a prickly pear plant and a tree stump sprouting a few tender shoots.  I would like to address the significance of each separately.

What I was discerning through my emotions was the Father’s overwhelming love for His children, His creation and the very essence of His being.  He is a Father that embraces us, sometimes tenderly, so as not to break us when we’re a bit bruised, and sometimes fiercely, when we forget how much we’re love and we need to be held.  When my three-year-old grandson gets overwhelmed by emotions to weighty to carry by his little self, he melts down and his mummy scoops him up, kicking and screaming, and holds him until he quiets down and relaxes into her.  It’s such a beautiful picture of those bear hugs the father has for us.  They sooth and comfort us when nothing else will do.

The problem is that many of us have an intellectual grip on the Father’s love for us, but we do not have an experiential revelation of His loving everlasting arms upholding us. The Word is clear: The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’  (Deut. 33:27)

Which brings me to the superimposed photos.  Remember back in the day, when we had to wind the film in a camera in order to get a new exposure.  If you didn’t do it right, two photos would superimposed over each other, making both a bit blurry, sometimes creating very unsettling, eerie images.  Some people see Father God like that…because they still have a picture of another face superimposed over God’s face.  The face of their abuser, betrayer, their neglectful parent, the one who left and the one who spitefully used them covers the face of God. 

I know how painful it is to be misunderstood, falsely accused or treated with suspicion.  So does the Father.  It pains Him to be so misrepresented and misunderstood and He wants to clear up the mistaken identity, so that we would know Him and allow Him to break down the walls around our hearts. 

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He relents from sending calamity.” (Psalm 103:8)

Now for the prickly pear.  It’s a plant covered in a myriad of tiny, fine thorny prickles.  When they penetrate the skin they cause a great deal of discomfort but because they are so fine, they come almost invisible.  You can’t see them to remove them, but boy, can you feel them.  Every time something brushes against that prickle it makes itself known.  However, the fruit of the prickly pear is delicious to eat…if you know how to harvest them and to peel them using a knife and fork.

What do they represent then?  Those of us who can bear much fruit, good-to-eat fruit, but cannot be handled without kid gloves.  When we don’t understand how we are loved by the father, and we cannot let our walls down to receive His love that heals us, we become like the prickly pear…thorny and defensive and very difficult to be around. Can you see how this plays to the enemy’s strength?  He divides to conquer and the body gets robbed of the nourishing fruit of a brother or sister in Christ.

Lastly, the sprouting tree stump, represent those who work so hard to chop down destructive trees in their garden.  They work hard and diligently to chop at the tree, disposing of the green waste, but never getting to the root of the problem.  When the first bit of rains fall, there comes another shoot, and they have to deal with it again…and again…and again until they are worn out and feel defeated.

For many of us its true that we have untended roots of grief, bitterness, trauma and even a bit of rebellion caused by a lifetime of rejection, neglect, and abandonment.  Again, the remedy lies in letting the Father into the deepest parts of our heart, to bring healing and restoration.

Today my prayer is for us to have a fresh encounter with the love of the Father, to lean into His bear hug, to allow His love and compassion to wash over us so that we can be free, whole and productive; bringing life and light to the dark world around us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

                                          Romans 8:38, 39

Courage, dear heart

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7

Some background, for those not familiar with the Kokoda Track, or the Kokoda campaign of WW 2:

The Kokoda Track is a foot track that runs roughly southwest from Kokoda 96 kilometres (60 mi) overland (60 kilometres (37 mi) in a straight line) through the Owen Stanley Range towards Port Moresby in Papua. It was known before the war and had been used as an overland mail route.

The Kokoda Track campaign or Kokoda Trail campaign was part of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign consisted of a series of battles fought between July and November 1942 in what was then the Australian Territory of Papua. It was primarily a land battle, between the Japanese South Seas Detachment under Major General Tomitarō Horii and Australian and Papuan land forces under command of New Guinea Force. The Japanese objective was to seize Port Moresby by an overland advance from the north coast, following the Kokoda Track over the mountains of the Owen Stanley Range, as part of a strategy to isolate Australia from the United States.

From the accounts of those who returned from the campaign, we learned that it was brutal, the soldiers severely impacted by tropical diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, scrub typhus, tropical ulcers, dysentery from a range of causes and fungal infections.

They suffered from enteric infections due to poor field hygiene, contaminated and unpurified water, and a failure to make adequate sanitary provisions along the track during the early part of the campaign. A proportion of diarrhoeal disturbances were attributable to the poor diet (particularly the high-fat content of tinned beef) rather than infection.

Source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokoda_Track_campaign

Yet, in the midst of their own suffering, the native Paua New Guinean carriers served their masters, at great cost to themselves and their families, as women and children left behind suffered great hardship and food shortages on account of the men being away from home for great lengths of time.

“In retrospect the Papuans had little reason to be loyal to their Australian colonial masters, who often treated them as second-class citizens in their own country. Nonetheless many worked until they dropped. It is said that no living soldier was ever abandoned by the carriers, not even during heavy combat. Their compassion for the wounded and sick earned them the eternal gratitude of the Australian soldiers, who called them ‘Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels’”.

Source: http://kokodahistorical.com.au/history/fuzzy-wuzzy-angel

Now that the background has been filled in some, let me get to the reason I am sitting in front of my keyboard on a very hot summer day in Western Australia.

During a time of worship the Lord reminded me of my husband and I embarking on our own campaign to get fit and healthy, hoping to shed a few kilograms in the process. 

We were blessed to live at the bottom of King’s Park and Botanic Garden, one of the world’s largest and most beautiful inner-city parks, here in Perth, western Australia. Our walking route would take us up a steep, uneven, rock hewn staircase, named the Kokoda Memorial steps, through King’s Park and down Jacob’s ladder (a metal staircase), a 43-metre descent, just short of 300 hundred steps. 

One Saturday morning, shortly after we started our new fitness regime, we were huffing and puffing our way up the Kokoda steps, feeling a bit defeated, and a lot more humiliated, as people were running laps up and down the steep and treacherous steps.  We stopped to rest, probably trying to look inconspicuous when a sprightly, fit, elderly gentleman briskly climbed past us. Whilst doing so, he gave Fred a hearty pat on the back and said “Courage!”.

We looked at each other, laughed out loud and started to climb again.  One word of encouragement caused us to gain our momentum back.  We were still tired, still breathing hard, still in pain from various screaming muscles but we were moving again.  I never took my eyes off the man.  I ignored the fit runners, I ignored the scenery…I kept my eyes on his feet and I worked hard to match him step for step. Before I knew it, we arrived at the top step, and we could look down and celebrate the small victory.

We kept at it, and little by little we got lighter, and fitter and before we knew it we were racing each other up those steps.  It still hurt, but we had increased our endurance and we had learned to ignore our aching muscles.  We were able to descend Jacob’s ladder twice as fast and it felt great.

What’s the point, you might wonder.  In some way we are all climbing the Kokoda steps…it’s just how it is.  The apostle Paul speaks of us all running our race and tells us that we are to run for the first prize, for the winner’s crown.  However, many of us are carrying heavy burdens, we are weighed down by worries and cares, by yokes the enemy placed on us as children, we are suffering from infected wounds, and we are bleeding and weak.  Some of us are just fat and lazy from complacency, from feeding our flesh once too often, from a lack of exercising our spiritual muscles and a lack of self-control.

Regardless of this, the Lord walks by us, as we are struggling our way upwards, and He says to us “Courage!” before He marches on, and in our brokenness and pain, we feel abandoned, left behind, unloved, and unprotected.  But the truth is, He has not abandoned us, He has gone before, leading us, making a way for us!  The way to victory on this part of the track, is to forget everything that will try to distract us, we stop comparing ourselves to the other people in the race and we fix our eyes on His feet.  We match His steps, step for step, and before you know it, He had led us to the mountain top.   Victory!

After the climb, the walk through King’s Park is a breeze…flat, even and beautiful.  The gardens are cool and glorious, with water fountains, manicured lawns…a real oasis.  It speaks to me of those seasons where we are acutely aware of the Lord’s nearness, His presence refreshing and when the living’s easy.  After a battle, when breakthrough is won, there’s always a season of wellbeing, tranquillity and peace and it’s our reward for not giving in, not giving up and for following close behind Him.

Then comes the descent down Jacob’s ladder.  No great battle is ever just for our own benefit.  Yes, it hones our skills, it deals with our stuff, it cleanses and strengthens us, but it’s also for the benefit of those who need to learn from us.  We learn the lesson, we get the freedom, we overcome and then we share the testimony that will set others free.

The Word says, in Revelation 12:11:  They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death.

The descent speaks to me of the seasons where we bring “down” that which we learned on the way up, and during the time we walked through the garden with Him.  What a privilege we have to share the testimony of what the Lord has done and see how He uses that which cost us much to bless someone else greatly!

And then we find ourselves at the foot of the Kokoda steps again…  Sometimes we need to feel the hand of the Father on our shoulder, His voice speaking courage to us as we peel sweat off another burden, and sometimes we are the hand of God, used by Him to encourage someone else, to help them through a spot we already negotiated successfully.

So today, I want to be the voice of encouragement to you, regardless of where you are on the journey.  In the words of Aslan to Lucy, I say to you “Courage, dear Heart.”