Swing Low Sweet Chariot
“…The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41, ESV
One morning I woke up one morning and I notice I did not have a song in my spirit, so I said, “Holy Spirit, I don’t have a song.” Immediately the song “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” came to my mind. I started to hum the words, as many as I could remember, and then I stopped. I said, “God, I am not ready for you to come and get me from earth. Why did you give me that song?”
As I was thinking about the words, I did some research on the song. I found that it was composed by Wallace Willis, a Choctaw freedman in the old Indian Territory in what is now Choctaw County, near the County seat of Hugo, Oklahoma sometime after 1865. He may have been inspired by the sight of the Red River, by which he was toiling, which reminded him of the Jordan River and of the Prophet Elijah being taken to heaven by a chariot (2 Kings 2:11). Some sources claim that this song and "Steal Away" (also sung by Willis) had lyrics that referred to the Underground Railroad, the freedom movement that helped black people escape from Southern slavery to the North and Canada (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_Low,_Sweet_Chariot).
I found myself praying to God, seeking clarity about the song He had put in my spirit. As I was praying, He showed me that we can always say we want His will to be done in our life, but until our faith is tested, we will never know if what we say is the truth of our heart. I found out that my true heart was not ready for death, even if that was God’s will. I began to pray for a heart after His and I thanked God for showing me where I was truly in my spirit. I told Him that I wanted my heart to be ready for whatever He brought before me, and I asked Him to help me with my weak flesh. Because, like scripture says, truly the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41).
God reminded me that we were not meant to get to this place of surrenderance on our own. Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever…” (John 14:16).
Father, thank you for knowing our heart. I love that scripture teaches us that there is not one thought that you are not aware of. I ask that you continue to revel to us our soul so we can lay it before the alter and transformation can take place as we surrender all to you. This I pray in Jesus’s name. Amen!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Brighter Days Are Ahead
Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery... Exodus 6:9, ESV
In the scripture above, the Israelites had received harsh labor from Pharaoh. He had refused to let them go and put an extremely harsh requirement on them. Moses talked to God about what Pharaoh had done and God gave Moses words of encouragement for the people:
“I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord” (Exodus 6:2-8).
But the Israelites were so discouraged because of what they were going through that they did not believe Moses’s message from the Lord.
When our lives get hard and we cry out to God, sometimes things get worse and we easily become dismayed. It reminds me of when my father started to get sick and had to retire from his career. He was discouraged, but we were all glad it led to retirement for him. He got much better and eventually was glad to be free from work. A few years after retirement he was diagnosed with bone cancer. Our family felt like “God, he just retired! You healed him from his sickness. Why this now?” Everything felt hopeless but God brought us confirmation that He was with us.
The same week we all received the news about my dad’s illness my mother and sister went to a restaurant and while standing in line, a lady waiting came up to them and asked if she could pray for my mom. She laid her hands on her and began to pray. In the midst of her prayer, she said, “Your husband is healed of cancer.” God sent words of encouragement immediately to lift our spirits.
My father went through five years of chemo treatments, then one day the doctor said he didn’t have cancer anymore. My dad did not believe him. He told the doctor he wanted to continue to take the medicine. The doctor said, “I don’t know how to explain it, but you do not have cancer anymore.” The journey to healing was not always easy but God healed my father. The brighter days were always ahead - we just had to take the journey to get there. God reminds us in scripture “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” He also reminds us that he will never leave us or forsake us!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Blessed and Assured
I was awakened with the song “Blessed Assurance” on my mind and for several days it lingered. I walked around humming the words while moving through all my daily tasks. But one morning when the song came to me, I began to pray, and the words “blessed” and “assured” grabbed my heart. God had been sending me this song for days and I did not get what He was telling me. In prayer, I finally got it!
I am blessed and I have assurance that Jesus is mine and I am His! I started to repeat the words “blessed and assured, blessed and assured”. The more I repeated them the more God began to open my spiritual mind to see with confidence who I am in Him! When we accept Christ as our personal savior, we have been circumcised, meaning the old person was cut away and died with Christ and we rose anew with Him! That is truly good news!
“In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ” (Colossians 2:11).
When God had Noah build the ark, He put him and his whole family inside. Just like in baptism, they were enveloped in Christ. God closed the door when they walked in, and all their past was gone - they were starting anew! There was absolutely nothing they could do to make themselves more saved from the flood once they stepped into the ark. None of their works would make them any more saved than they already were. It is the same for us! Once we accept Jesus Christ, we are SAVED. Period! We can’t get any more saved! There are no works that will get us more points with Christ. This was already done before we entered to the earth!
Scripture says in 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit…” It was all done by Jesus Christ on the cross. Once saved, we have the blessed assurance, the covenant promise, that we belong to Christ Jesus and we are His. Amen!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Blessed
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12, ESV
When we are headed into a difficult season of life, it usually shows up when we least expect it. Something drastic happens and before we know it things have changed in a way we could never expect. Several years ago, our daughter was 20 weeks pregnant when we were told her baby would not make it. We had just celebrated the gender reveal and learned that her name was Jayla. Everyone was so excited and by the end of the week Jayla was gone. God had taken her home.
I still can’t tell you what my heart actually felt. All I know is there was pure sadness. I had no idea how to be there for my daughter. I had no idea how to help myself. I did not want to speak with anyone, I just wanted to be alone. It was such a hard and difficult season of our lives. I felt like I had failed my daughter because I just could not do it. I searched scripture for answers, but nothing seemed to bring comfort. I just had to stand on what I believed - that God was there with me in those very weak moments.
In the scripture above James says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast…”. In that time of grief, I learned that steadfastness does not mean you have to be strong, you just have to know and believe God is with you. I found out that His grace is sufficient for me in those weak moments. His grace holds and carries me through when I don’t know what to do or how to do it. I learned that even when I don’t understand His ways, when I am angry and have no words, He understands me, and He still loves me. He can handle whatever emotions we bring to Him. Yes - His grace is sufficient.
I now have a better understanding of that scripture in James. God is the one who helps us remain stable in His grace no matter what comes our way. Steadfast means we are firm in our belief and determine to trust God regardless of how we feel. We can rest in Elohim because He holds us. Amen.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Sober Minded
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8, ESV
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2, ESV
In one day, we all have been given 24 hours, which breaks down into 1,440 minutes or 86,400 seconds. In every one of those seconds Satan is strategizing how he can devour each one of us. The Bible teaches us that we have all been born into sin. Listen, when Adam and Eve sinned, they left a template for all of us to come through. We were all stained when we entered our mother’s womb. Once we accepted Jesus Christ as our personal savior and He came to live inside of us. The battle for our mind intensified.
The Bible teaches us that our mind must be renewed and transformed through the Word of God. This happens through testing, because in testing we will learn to discern His will. When we can discern His will, we become sober-minded and know how to watch for the devil who prowls around trying to devour us.
The other day I had a long list of things that needed to be finished. Many of those things were my husband’s responsibility but because I knew that we were on a deadline, I had taken them on to try and get them completed without telling him. When I saw him walk into the room, he was relaxed and resting, listening to one of his favorite shows. My frustrations started to explode, but in the midst of my rant I caught myself and said, “Holy Spirit, I do not want to react this way. I need your help.” Instantly I calmed down and my husband began to ask me how he could help. As I shared what needed to be completed, he wrote them all down and immediately went to work.
In years past when those kinds of things would occur, I could not tell that Satan was setting me up to start war in my own home. I did not have the discernment to notice his attacks and would fall right into his trap. I’d nitpick at my husband, yell at our children, and just be cranky and not really understand why. When scripture says to be watchful, it means to pay attention to those subtle attacks because the strategies of Satan are always working to come after us – especially when we least expect it.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Forgiven
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace… Ephesians 1:7, ESV
My sister and I were sitting in the car deciding if we were ready to walk into the cancer treatment center. We were there to get her infusions, but she did not feel like doing it. So we sat in the car, people watching for a bit. We saw a man blowing leaves away from the front of the doorway, but he was doing a horrible job. He would blow them away but would not move them out of the bushes and trees. He only blew the ones that were right in front of him. We watched him blow them away from the entry doors, then get in his cart and leave. He never picked them up.
My sister and I both sat there and started laughing. We were like, did you see what he did? Then we began to pray. “Father, help us not to serve you in that manner. Help us to serve you with a spirit of excellence, just like it is in heaven.”
Several weeks later, I was up early headed to my prayer room and the Holy Spirit began to show me how I had done a certain task in my garden. I wanted to remove all the lavender plants out of my garden boxes so I could get the soil ready for winter planting. I took some of the lavender and sat them haphazardly in another pot temporarily, as I planned to put them back in the planter box eventually. The Holy Spirit revealed to me that the way I had handled those plants was similar to the way that young man was blowing those leaves.
I could instantly see what God was showing me and a heaviness came over me. That is not how I wanted to serve God. I did not even realize that what I was doing was service in His eyes, but everything we do we are doing for Him. As I sat down, I could feel the heaviness even more and I heard the Holy Spirit say, “When are you going to stop coming in my presence with fear and trepidation when I show you something? You just need to say ‘Father, I agree with you. I repent, please forgive me, and help me so I work with excellence.’” He told me that He had already paid for that sin! He said I cannot change that behavior on my own. When I ask for His help, He will change me as I stay in His Word.
When God brings something that He wants us to correct, it is not for us to take on commendation but to accept the conviction, repent and move on with joy! Amen! That is the loving God we serve! Hallelujah!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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Obedience Moves You
If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; Isaiah 1:19, ESV
Obedience moves you to all the desires of your heart. God said that as long as you are obedient to Him you shall have all the desires of your heart. He showed me how obedience brings us joy, peace and happiness. Think about it: when we are disobedient we feel the tug in our spirit to stop but that flesh will keep moving. Those disobedient actions can lead us into stressful situations and most times, regret.
God will not reward our disobedient behavior because we will continue in that way which is not in agreement with His instructions. When our children are disobedient to our instructions we do not give them blessings but discipline for their negative behavior. We want to correct the behavior and when our children are back in alignment they receive our blessings. The absolutely amazing part is that the blessings for them are always there waiting on them to be obedient.
It is the same with God! When we get in alignment all that we have prayed for is just waiting for us. Our blessings are never lost or taken away; we hold them up by our disobedience. God tells us to do the simple things and we say okay but forget to do it, then we wonder why God has not answered our prayer or why the manifestation has not come. The problem is not God, but us not doing as we were told. Scripture says, …”We must obey God rather than men.” Listen to this promise, but if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. Exodus 23:22, ESV
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Acts of the Flesh
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21
I was doing some study about the fruits of the spirit and went straight to Galatians 5:22. Many times when I have read that scripture in the past I read over the word “but” and moved straight to the rest of the scripture. This time God had me slow down and focused on the word and to understand why it was there. The verse reads, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
When I took a closer look, Paul was actually telling the reader that the acts of our flesh will keep us from inheriting the kingdom of God. In case we don’t know what those behaviors are, Paul makes it plan by listing them out. We live in a body that is fleshy and wants its own way. As long as we are in this body, those who have accepted Christ as their personal savior will war with the flesh. When we accepted Christ, He came to live inside of us and our spirit was immediately changed, but our flesh is a work in progress.
Satan will use our fleshy desires to try and get us to go against the Word of God. He will sneak words in our mind telling us we are not pleasing God, that we are not walking with Christ. That is a lie! We will be in conflict with our flesh until the day we die. But we get our strength from the Spirit of the Lord, and we know His spirit is greater than anything our flesh can bring up. We are not perfect beings, and we will mess up. Remember Christ died for our sins before we were born. He knew everything we would ever do and yet He still loved us.
Paul warns that we should not use our freedom to walk in the flesh, but to serve one another humbly in love. The only way we can do this is to live by the Spirit, keeping in step with Him. In other words, stay connected to the vine which is Jesus Christ. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (John 15:4, ESV).
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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What is Isolation About?
The wilderness seems to come out of nowhere. One moment everything is good and then all of a sudden you find yourself in this place that you never wanted to be in - and you have no control over it.
The Bible gives us plenty examples of how God allowed his people to be in barren lands, lands no one would ever raise their hands and say, “Pick me!” to be in. Many of you may be in those kinds of situations right now. Can’t find a job in the field you desire after getting your degree. Have just come out of a devastating car accident. Your body comes down with an incurable disease. Your child was murdered. You find out that your spouse has cheated on you. Parents died tragically and you are left to raise siblings.
When we find ourselves in those wilderness places of isolation, many of us try to find our way out. We try to figure out how to resolve the situation and get back to life as we knew it. But life has changed and there is no going back - there is only moving forward. The blessing that is sometimes so hard to see is that God already knew that those situations would arise, and He has prepared each of us to be successful in whatever it is we face. He is Jehovah Shammah, He is here and He is there - he is everywhere. He is outside of this universe watching His creation while at the same time being in it because He lives in every believer who has accepted Him as their personal savior.
Although Satan has control over this world and sets up these evil attacks to take us out, God has already gone before us and has given us victory! Hallelujah! Listen, in those moments look deeper for God. Sit quietly in His presence. If crying is all you can do, then cry. Scripture says, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book” (Psalm 56:8, NLT). That is good news!!
When John was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the gospel, God gave him a vision in which he received the whole book of Revelation. John was in a place where God could speak into him His plan. He wrote what God gave him and we can read that Word today.
In the book of Mark, we learn about a woman who was wealthy and enjoying life when her body came down with a blood disorder. For twelve years she suffered with the illness. Scripture says she spent all the money she had going to doctors to get better but she only grew worse. But by the time Jesus came on the scene her faith was so strong that although all kinds of people were touching Jesus and did not receive a healing, when she touched the hem of His garment she was made well. She did not even touch Him, just His clothing! Her time in isolation had drawn her into a new dimension with God that even the priests did not have.
When we are in a wilderness it is not so much about the situation we are in as it is about God drawing us into a new relationship with Him - bring us into greater revelation. I want to encourage you. Although you may not feel at all prepared for what you are facing right now know that God has been preparing you for this very moment. And when you turn to Him in every second of this season, He will guide your every step through the wilderness. You will experience the victory He has already set up for you! To God be the glory!
Father,
We give you praise that you are Jehovah Shammah! You are right here in the midst with us. God, for some, this place seems impossible to bear, to understand, to comprehend…there are no words, just a feeling of emptiness. We seek your face on their behalf and ask for help, comfort, peace, strength, and direction in what to do next. As the Word says - you made us, and you will care for us. You will carry us along and save us. We ask that you carry them in Jesus’s name. Amen.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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Wilderness
I had planned on watching a movie during a recent plane ride, but I realized I had all this time to listen to the Bible. I opened the Bible App and started listening to the book of Luke. I let it play for a while until I heard these words: “The word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness”. I immediately stopped the app. After sitting for a moment, I took out my iPad and began writing.
The word “wilderness” sat in my spirit. John received the Word in the wilderness. I immediately went to Professor Google and looked up all the definitions for “wilderness”.
Wilderness:
Hebrew: wasteland, desolation, wilderness, vast, wild.
Greek: an empty space, a place which is “deserted” and void of people, wasteland where nothing of use to humans may be found, with hardly any flora and next to no fauna.
Webster: an uncultivated, uninhabited, and inhospitable region.
I love how God can give us one word and it takes us on a journey with Him. It does not matter where we are or what state we are in - the word of God can find us. It also brings to mind that a desolate place can sometimes be good for us. Most times we are not anxious to be in the wilderness, but it seems that this is a place where the Word is revealed. Remember, Jesus went into the wilderness full of the Holy Spirit and came out in the Spirit’s power. The wilderness experience may not always be what we want, but if we settle ourselves, we can hear God speaking to us there.
We all want to know how to use the authority that we have been given through the Holy Spirit. John and Jesus received revelation in the wilderness. Most times we are so busy doing things we think are important that we cannot hear God trying to get our attention.
But when we are in that wilderness, when we don’t know what to do, when we feel lost…that’s a good place to be. There, the Holy Spirit comes and settles on us, bringing revelation to meet our need. Remember Job? He sat in the wilderness with no answers. He had lost so much and yet God allowed him sit. In the end, God had great blessings for Job but he had to go through the wilderness to get to the other side.
Father, most times we can be so anxious in our wilderness place that we don’t think to seek you. We ask that you help us to slow down in the place you have us in and seek your face so that we can hear your revelation. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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Treadmill
It had been so hot in our area that I started going to the gym to run on the treadmill rather than outside in the heat. I had actually stopped running entirely for a while because it was just so hot (and I was probably being lazy). I felt the nudge to get back to this form of exercise, and enjoyed running because I could zone out with my earbuds and feed my spirit while my flesh is getting what it needed. One afternoon while on the treadmill I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Every step you take on this treadmill you are doing something good for your body. You are giving your body what it needs.” He said that it’s the same way with the Word. Every time you put the Word in you, it is doing a work. It may not seem like anything at all is happening, but it is making a difference.
He reminded me that when I get off the treadmill, I will still have the results of the work I did on it. Nothing can take away the work that we have done. But when we eat the wrong food and don’t continue the exercise, it looks like all the work is gone. In truth, the work you did never left – it’s just covered so deeply with other stuff that it appears to be gone.
It is the same way with the Word. Once the Word is in us it does not leave, but we may pile so much other stuff on top of it that it does not appear to be there. He reminded me of when I was little and how I learned to ride the bike. After a while I stopped riding and started driving. I never forgot how to ride the bike, I just stopped doing it. Our mind has things stored and tucked away, and when we dig it out again, it will all come rushing back.
Every day when we feed our spirit, even if it is just ten minutes in the day, we are growing in the spirit of God. God can have you meditate on one word for weeks and it will create a change in your soul and bring healing to your body. Day by day, little by little - that is the journey of growing with our Father. Put your spirit on the treadmill, for in that consistent movement you are growing in a relationship with our great God, manifesting all that He has for you!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Taking Thoughts Captive
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8, ESV
I love how our Father loves us and teaches us about himself. We were in New York visiting our son when the Holy Spirit woke me early in the morning. I sat up in the bed seeking His face when He said, “I woke you up early because I missed you.” I was overwhelmed with joy and excited to hear what He wanted to give me.
He said that my thoughts, even those with feelings attached, needed to be taken captive. While He was speaking, I tried to figure out what came first, thoughts or feelings. He told me to look it up in scripture and I found a number of verses that spoke about taking our thoughts captive. Satan prompts us with so many negative thoughts in our heart because our thoughts become our actions. His focus is to steal everything God has given us, to kill us, and to ultimately destroy us (John 10:10, ESV).
The scripture above tells us to focus our thoughts on things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent anything worthy of praise. God had reminded me of thoughts that I had held on to that were far from positive. I asked, “How do I get rid of the feeling in my heart?” He told me that when I focus on praise and being grateful, my feelings will change. The feelings are attached to my thoughts. When experiencing my feelings, I had allowed Satan to penetrate my mind. By the time our thoughts have matured into feelings, we’ve meditated on them long enough to open the door for Satan’s foothold.
Think about it - when you think on the goodness of God and begin to praise Him, immediately the presence of God shows up and you are overwhelmed with His goodness and love. When we allow our focus on Satan’s negativity, his presence does the same thing. Those negative thoughts become our reality! So how do we take captive those negative thoughts and feelings? Speak out loud to that demon! We are told that believers have the power to cast out demons (Mark 16:17, ESV). It may not feel like the demon has left but when you speak in Jesus’s name…it has to leave! It does not matter if the feeling is still there - say it again and then begin to praise God and I guarantee you, change has happened!
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 Christ… (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, ESV).
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Squatters
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ… Ephesians 3:16-18.
The Holy Spirit just spoke to my spirit. This was His message: demons are squatters. They have no legal right over believers of Jesus Christ. Once an individual accepts Jesus as their personal savior, they are no longer controlled by Satan. Jesus now dwells within their heart and spirit.
Squatter: a person who unlawfully occupies an uninhabited building or unused land; a settler with no legal title to the land occupied, typically one on land not yet allocated by a government.
Before a believer accepts Jesus Christ as their savior, they are completely controlled by Satan. They are possessed by his demonic spirit. I found this writing in my research on this subject: “The term possession implies ownership. You own or possess your car and home. The bible teaches us that believers become a child of God with the Holy Spirit in us. A person is demon-possessed, if you like, or belongs to Satan, when the demons are not opposed by the indwelling Holy Spirit.” Because we were all born in sin and shaped in iniquity we were “possessed” by demons until we accepted Jesus Christ as our savior.
A believer can be oppressed by demons. The term “oppressed” means to keep down by severe and unjust use of fear or authority. This type of torment can come from inside of us, outside of us, or from spirits using thoughts in our mind to drive us away from the truth of God.
Squatters go wherever they want and make that place their home until the owner, or someone with authority, comes and kicks them out. Satan’s demonic spirits are the same way. If we allow an opening, they will come into our lives and set up camp as if we are their territory. We must cast these demons out with the Word of God. We’ve been given the power and authority through Jesus Christ to do so. Just like a squatter, the demonic spirits will not want to leave without a fight, and they will come back to see if the place is locked up securely. When they try to come back, we only need to speak the same words - commanding them to leave in Jesus’s name.
Father, thank you for the authority over the demonic spirit. Thank you for giving us the power to walk in freedom. We pray that you will bring revelation to any demonic squatters oppressing our spirit so we can cast them out in the name of Jesus. We give you glory and praise in Jesus’s name. Amen.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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SHINE
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16, KJV
I woke up early one morning just listening to the Holy Spirit. To tell you the truth, I really did not want to get out of my bed. I just laid there for a few minutes to see if I could go back to sleep, but of course I couldn’t. I got up and went down to my prayer room and as God began to minster to me, He gave some instructions on things He wanted me to do.
I was moving through my list when the Holy Spirit said, “Go give the plants in your garden some nitrogen because they need it.” It was a little before 3:00am, but I did not argue - I just moved. I grabbed a light my husband had purchased for me. It’s a headband with a light attached to it so I can see in my garden when it’s dark. I put on my headband and turned on the light, and I also turned on the light right outside our garage door that leads to the garden.
After feeding the plants I decided to just do a little watering as well. I thought “God, I’m in the garden working early this morning. Is there something else you want to say to me?” I did not hear Him say anything, so I finished up and headed back inside. Then He said, “Look around you.” I stopped and looked all around. It was completely dark, except wherever I moved my head - my headband light was lighting the area. He said, “That is who you are in the earth. Everywhere you go, my light is shining through you.”
Then as I headed to the door, I was standing by the outside light that I had turned on. He told me to stop and look around. I stood and looked around, but I could no longer see my light because the light I had turned on was brighter - my light was consumed by it. God said, “This is why each of you have your own place that I send you. Don’t be afraid to go alone. Your light is so impactful in the place that I send you. You are meant to light up the path that is dark, not the path that already has light.”
It can be so comfortable and encouraging to be in the place with other believers but that is not where our work is done for the kingdom. Our work for the kingdom is everyday moving where God sends us, letting the light that He has placed inside of us shine. Do not be afraid to move and go to where our Father is guiding you. Your light is needed to shine in that place. I remember our Bishop once gave a testimony where he said that it is important that we always have our light on. Remember to keep your light shining by staying in the word. God bless you and the work you are doing for the kingdom!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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Submit
Resist the devil and he will flee... James 4:7, ESV
The scripture above says to resist the devil and he will flee, but how do we do that? I was sitting in my backyard meditating on this thought and when I looked closely at the scripture. If you read the whole chapter, it gives specific instructions. James was writing a letter of encouragement and instruction to the twelve tribes of Israel. He was telling them not to chase after the things of the world because it would lead them astray. Worldly things are from Satan, and he has control over this world. This does not mean that God doesn’t want to bless us with the opportunity to enjoy the things in the earth, but that is not to be our focus.
James says that you must first submit yourselves to God. Then you can resist the devil and he will flee. We do not have the authority on our own to resist the demonic forces of Satan. He has been here much longer than us and he is strategic. He knows all too well how to play this game. But when we accepted Christ as our personal savior, we carry all of the authority held in His name on the inside of us. We have all that He is.
At times we may not even recognize that the devil is working in us. With me, it’s lies - the devil is always prompting lies in my head. When I am not paying attention, my mind will have wander off into thoughts of some catastrophe of death for me or one of my family members. That is a lie from the pit of hell and at times, if I am not vigilant, I will feed that thought with my attention. But with the power of God inside of me and His authority I can cancel that thought and tell the demonic forces to flee. Instantly my mind is back on track with the Holy Spirit.
Satan knows that you are aware when he comes with an attack in the physical, but the mind is the true battlefield. God could show you a vacation spot and put it on your heart to go, and before you can talk to God about it, Satan will tell you it’s too expensive. If you are not careful with your mouth, you will cancel the opportunity God has put before you. I know from experience all too well how God moves, and when He prompts you with something that seems impossible…say yes to God! And then seek Him for the next steps because He is the one who put the desire in your heart. We can resist Satan and all of his deception when our heart is submitted to ELOHIM. Amen!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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PURPOSED
These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. Exodus 1:1-5, ESV
Jacob had twelve sons, but the young men did not understand that they would be called the twelve tribes of Israel. God had a plan for them before they were ever born. He had already ordained a nation to come from Abraham before the beginning of the world. These men did nothing to acquire their positions - it was set up before the beginning of time.
It does not matter who they were conceived by. God ordained them to be here. Jacob had two wives and his wives each had a maid servant. Leah was his first wife and Jacob did not love her. He had asked her father for her younger sister, Rachel, and he worked seven years to pay for his marriage to her. But on the night of the wedding Rachel’s father gave Jacob Leah. Jacob was angry with Leah’s father, but he told Jacob they always give the older in marriage first. He told him to stay married to his daughter Leah and he would also give him Rachel if he worked another seven years. So Jacob worked another seven years for Rachel, whom he loved.
God blessed Leah for he knew she was not loved by her husband and she had four sons: Ruben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. Rachel became jealous of her sister’s ability to have children, so she took her maidservant Bilhah and gave her to Jacob to build a family through. Bilhah had two sons: Dan and Naphtali. When Leah saw that Rachel had given her maidservant to Jacob, she did the same thing. Leah’s servant Zilpah had two sons: Gad and Asher, after which Leah also had two other sons: Issachar and Zebulun, then God remembered Rachel and opened her womb. She had two sons: Joseph and Benjamin.
It is so important that we remember - we are here because God has a plan for us. These brothers had different mothers but that did not stop the plan of God. God had built a nation from the twelve tribes of Jacob and his name was changed to Israel. Scripture says the names of the twelve sons of Israel will be inscribed on the twelve gates into the new Jerusalem when Jesus returns. Our purpose is intricately designed, and God is pleased with whom He has made us to be. We must never allow ourselves to believe anything different. You are special, you are chosen, you are handpicked, even with all your flaws, to serve the almighty God, for He made you perfect just the way you are. Embrace the person God designed you to be and walk with Him daily to fulfill the call He has given you! Amen.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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Follow the Instructions
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. Acts 8:26
The Lord sent word to Philip to tell him go to Gaza. Philip was given specific instructions on exactly which road to take. God did not tell Philip why he was to go that specific way, He just said go. As we read further in the chapter, we learn that God has an Ethiopian eunuch who is reading the scriptures but does not understand them. Philip meets him on the road and explains the writings to him. The eunuch gives his life to Christ and gets baptized then and there.
Many times, when God drops a word into our heart to do something we can find ourselves questioning the instructions. As soon as we do that, we open the door to allow the enemy to change our direction.
One Saturday afternoon, I was preparing to go to the gym to get a run in. It was hot outside so I thought I would just do my run at the gym. As I started to prepare to get ready, I heard the Holy Spirit say, “No, I do not want you to run. I want you to take a walk,” and He gave me specific instructions on which way I should go.
Now, it was 92-degrees outside in the high afternoon. My first reaction was to say “Why?” but I held my tongue. Then a thought came to me. If I’m going to take a walk, why not do it in the area where I know I could burn more calories and go further? But I immediately said “No, I am going to do what I believe God is saying”. See, my pause to question opened the door for Satan to throw in another idea. But praise God I obeyed the voice of the Lord.
I went and did exactly as the Holy Spirit directed me to do, down to what drink he said I could bring with me on the walk. I started on the path and there was nobody out there that I could see. I said, “Okay God, I’m just going to listen to you.” As soon as I said that, I passed a young couple talking off the path in the shade. I noticed a moving truck, smiled and said “Hello”, but neither of them responded.
As I headed further down the path, I heard the young lady yelling and crying. God said “Stop,” so I stopped and asked what He wanted me to do. He said “Wait, turn around and look.” When I turned around the gentlemen had got in the moving truck and was leaving. She was still standing there crying. God said, “Go to her.”
I went to her not sure what to say but God gave me the words, telling her that God said everything is going to be alright. She said she had just prayed, giving everything to God, and had asked Him for help. She started to tell me how she had given up everything for this man. She had turned on her family and everyone around her because she trusted him. She started to cry even more and I said, “Listen, God has heard your prayer. He sent me to pray for you.” I then proceed to tell her that I was heading on a run to the gym, but God told me to take a walk in this hot 92-degree weather so He could give her His message. That is how much He loves her. I asked if I could pray for her and she agreed. She received everything God said and by the time the prayer was over she had stopped crying and was praising God.
That day my task was not exactly like Philip’s, but God still had someone on the road who needed to hear His words. God is the same God, still working through his people, and He expects us to follow all that He tells us to do. Amen. You are on assignment for the kingdom!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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Cast the Demon Out
As believers, we do not have to walk around oppressed by the devil - we have the authority to cast him out of our lives. Scripture says that those who are in Christ have the authority to cast out demons in His name (Mark 16:16-18). Now, demonic spirits will try to make you believe you do not have that authority to cast them out and will come back again to tempt you. But all we have to do is speak the Word in Jesus’s name. Just like a squatter takes up residence in a place that is not his own, demonic spirits seek to reside in your life. Before we were believers, demonic spirits could call our bodies their “home”. But once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal savior we are owned by God and our residence belongs to Christ - we are home to ElOHIM.
Jesus taught us how to cast out those demonic spirits, so we must believe we have the authority to do so when we speak in the power of God. Many individuals are weighed down by demonic spirits and may not even know it. You may have thoughts that God does not love you, that you’ll never accomplish your goals, that you are not in alignment with God, that you are bad, or even thoughts of committing suicide. Anything that is not in alignment with what God says about you is an oppressive spirit that has found a way into your life. We have the power from God to command those demons to leave.
In scripture we see how Jesus cast those demons out: “But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be quiet and come out of him!’ And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm.” (Luke 4:35). The devil may resist but he has to come out, because God created him and he must obey his creator. We see again in Matthew 8:32, “And He said to them, ‘Go!’ And they came out and went into the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters.” Jesus also tells us in Luke 11:20 how He cast out demons. He says, “But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you...”
We should never be afraid of a demonic spirit. We are all spirits, just living in a body. Our mind is the battlefield for the devil, and he has been at this game a long time. He can try and convince us that those negative thoughts are our own, but they are not. They are from a squatter who has to be kicked out by us! The next time a negative thought comes to your mind…say “NO, get out of here demonic spirit in the name of Jesus” and it is done! Just remember in the beginning you may have to do it more than once. He needs to know for sure the door is locked! Amen!
Affirmations; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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Proverbs 26
I know I have told you all about how much I love the book of Proverbs! It is a book of wisdom, and because there are 31 chapters I can read a chapter every day of the month! I am so excited to share with you Proverbs 26; which is the chapter I read today. I am going to give you just a little preview of what it is about. The writer is talking about a “fool.” I love the examples and choice of words that were used to describe a fool and their behavior. I wish I could have a conservation with you while you are reading this section. Enjoy the reading and receive some wisdom!
Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool. Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!
Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes. Sending a message by the hands of a fool is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
Like the useless legs of one who is lame is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool. Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. Like an archer who wounds at random is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly. Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them. A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!” As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.
A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who answer discreetly. Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own. Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death is one who deceives their neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”
Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down. As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware are fervent[a] lips with an evil heart.
Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit. Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts. Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them. A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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Land Mine
“Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared Exodus 23:20, ESV
I’ve always known that the mind was the battle field, but when you are going through the battle, it can be hard to recognize that we are in war with the enemy. I find that I can I hear the Holy Spirit saying something to me and immediately the enemy will come after me with an attack.
Here is an example: I had made this agreement in my heart with the Holy Spirit that the first thing I would do in the morning when I woke up would be to sit and listen to what He has to say to me. I would not pray, or put music on or grab my Bible. I would just sit until I felt Him leading me to do something different. Well, immediately when I woke up that morning, I was faced with some obstacles and the only way I knew how to handle them was to pray. So, I got on my knees and began to pray. In the midst of my prayer the Holy Spirit said, “This is a distraction from Satan to stop you from spending personal one on one time with me.”
Instantly, I remembered what I had committed to the Lord and I leaped off the floor and back into my bed. The Holy Spirit told me there was absolutely nothing wrong with me praying for the attack but it was a distraction sent by the enemy to prevent me from doing what I had previously committed to God.
We have to be on the look-out with every move we make. Just like a solider is always watching his back before he moves, we must check in with the Holy Spirit before we move. The actions we take may be good but they may be a distraction to keep us from the best move. The Bible says to seek first the kingdom of God. It does not matter how positive the thing we seek to do may be; we must check in with our most trusted Advisor before we make the leap. We have been so conditioned to just move because we forget the battlefield is right before us and we don’t see the land mines! We are in WAR.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
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