Psalm 37:4 [NAS]
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart?

What desires are in your heart?

John 15:7-8
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

If we are abiding in the LORD, living in fellowship with him, and making him a part of our decisions, He puts His godly desires into our hearts. It’s a beautiful cycle of abiding, thinking the very thoughts of God, faith being released in our hearts to do the very things the LORD has put in our hearts and minds to do.

I Corinthians 2:16 [NAS]
For who has known the mind of the LORD that he will instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

So as I have made Jesus a part of my life, He continues to show me his heart for people. My thoughts begin to take on a measure of selflessness and I desire to serve humanity. In Nate’s life and mine this is going to involve going to various parts of the world, but also serving where we are for now.

What are the thoughts that are whirling around in your head? I would say, “If they are good, pure, and if they are peaceable they are being put there by the LORD.” Ask Him what you are to do with what he is showing you. I believe He is always showing us something that is good and selfless. It is his great pleasure to give to us what we ask for.

Proverbs 16:3 [Amplified Version]
Roll your works upon the LORD commit and trust them wholly to HIM; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and so shall your plans be established and succeed.

This is a beautiful scripture stating that as we commit our works to the LORD, He in return begins to put his thoughts inside us. We begin thinking the very thoughts of God. Our thoughts are becoming agreeable to His will for us. This brings me such comfort in knowing that I am not going to make a wrong move as long as I include the LORD in my decisions.

I encourage you to listen, and then to step out and do what He asks you to do.

I heard His voice as clearly as my own, saying; “I will walk you through this” Jesus knew the month of October would be a difficult one for me, so He spoke this to me at the beginning of the month before it all began. He was giving me a simple word of encouragement to hold on to. Believe me, I have held on to it through much physical suffering and weakness of body like I have never experienced before. So, I have been meditating as much as my brain would allow on suffering and why God allows it. He does allow it, that I am certain! He is altogether good, loving and wants the best for me, this I am also certain. Wow! They seem to contradict each other. How could God who loves me and wants the best for me allow me to suffer?

I know I have to tread lightly here, because many of us who are part of the Body of Christ would never say,” God caused or gave me this illness.” We would even choke on the words, “God has allowed this illness.” I know having been a cancer survivor of almost 8 years now; you have to be very careful how you testify about God “getting” me through that time.

I studied the Greek meaning of suffering in many of the New Testament passages we are so familiar with.

Romans 8:18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

II Corinthians 1:5
For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.

Philippians 3:10-11
That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings being conformed to His death in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead

I Peter 4:12-13
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.

These all are from the Greek word pathema meaning, something undergone for example a hardship or pain.
It really focuses on the passion of Christ.

Hebrews 12:2
Who for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross despising the shame, and has set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

It also addresses the fellowship of sharing in these sufferings as the disciples of the New Testament often endured. They experienced many afflictions and persecutions for being associated with Christ and proclaiming Him as Lord. Many people throughout the world are enduring painful persecutions, hardships and afflictions for no other reason than because of being a Christian.

So, I have been mulling over all of these scriptures within their contexts. It seems to me we do not suffer the same kinds of persecutions as Jesus or his disciples did, nevertheless we suffer!
Can we make the jump here? I think we can, we do suffer persecutions, and afflictions to some degree here in America.

They are no less troubling and distressing and Jesus doesn’t minimize them in any way! He uses them! He allows these hardships and afflictions so that we will rely on Him and we are strengthened in the end. We will have much more compassion for our friends, family and acquaintances who are suffering.

Hebrews 12:11
All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

We are being trained by Jesus through various trials and testings and this is also to produce in us more of His nature. Yes, I want to be more like Jesus, but do I have to endure this suffering? Jesus, please deliver me from this weakness and suffering. He responds, “Be strengthened in me my child, for when you are weak my strength is being perfected in you.”

This is a word from Jesus that I received last night. I was listening to Mike Bickle and forerunner worship out of Missouri last evening and during the worship Jesus spoke so sweetly to me.

I am so near to you.

I am training you in patient endurance. I am equipping you for service in my Kingdom. Take courage, take heart! You are strong and I am teaching you how to patiently endure to the end. I am giving you joy, in the midst of the pain and weakness. Cultivate these, patience in suffering, endurance in the midst of the testing, and joy! Rejoice always, Joy always!

Matthew 10:22
And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

This is such an amazing scripture in its Greek meaning.

To endure means to suffer, to be long suffering, to persevere, to abide, to stay under, to put up with.

To endure to the end is an interesting phrase. The end actually means the conclusion of an act or state, the sum total, the end the final purpose, a limit, a boundary.

Will be saved actually means to make whole, to preserve or deliver out of physical death, to heal, to restore to health, to be healed, to recover.

How many of you in the American church are suffering because of the Name of Jesus? Maybe a few, but many are suffering discouragement, just hanging on for a better day, living below the poverty line, struggling to put food on your table, stuck in a job you hate, working below your ability and having to submit to someone less qualified, working a job that is demoralizing because it pays better than the burger joint, suffering with fatigue and maladies of all sorts?

There are testing’s that come our way as believers and they have come to strengthen our reliance on Jesus. He is committed to help you through these difficult times. I believe we are to commit these situations whatever they may truly be to Jesus. He says,” There is an appointed time for this to cease.” There is a boundary, a limit to the testing. In the end the word says you will be saved. He will deliver you out of the situation, change the circumstances so they are more agreeable. He is able to make all grace abound to you in your testing.

You know we live in a fallen world with moral decay all around us, but we are here to be a light reflecting the glory of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:10-12
Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God that you may be able to stand firm against then schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

So, we live in a fallen world and have an enemy the devil who is out to steal, kill and destroy us. What is the good news here?

Jesus of course is the answer! He is more than able to defeat the enemy harassing you. He is able to strengthen you through the battle, to give you hope for you and your families future. He is your provider. He is your glory and the lifter of your head! He also has the ability at any given time to miraculously heal and deliver you instantly. I am not saying that we should not pray in faith believing for this. We always do this and continue to believe for our miracle or deliverance. In the times He chooses to wait, He has a purpose, an end result which is always motivated by a love that is so perfect and good!

A word to you from Jesus:

I am with you my child. I am very near to you. Can you feel me strengthening you? I am near, blowing my life into you. I will be for you exactly what you need. Grace to you my child, a strengthening grace is covering you, making provision for you. Don’t fret, I will provide all you need. Take time to rest and recover completely. It will be good in the end. Grace, grace is all you need right now. It will see you through to the end result. Take any worrisome thoughts captive in Jesus Name. Do not meditate on them. Release love and peace to those who have not quite understood what you are going through. Do not take up offense! I will see you through this time. I am forever with you, Jesus

You are loved and cherished by Jesus!

Good Morning! It is Sunday, August 28, 2011. Nate is at our Vineyard church and I am at home today; recovering from a road trip and a virus. I was quieting myself before the Lord and He spoke this to me.

Rest assured that you and Nate will be together a long time, till death parts you. I want you to rest in knowing that he loves you and prefers you to all others. Don’t struggle, rest, and rest. Find your place of complete peace and assurance in Me. Life is sweet for you and Nate. I have made it this way as a reward to you both. You both are so faithful, to the cause of the Kingdom and to each other. My blessings are on you, and you will serve with joy. My boundaries for you have fallen in pleasant places. Rejoice, rejoice, this is all very good!

Wow! This was completely unexpected and so sweet! I wasn’t praying about Nate and me although this has been on my heart for quite some time. Holy Spirit zeroed in on my vulnerability and spoke truth to it. The scripture reference for, “My boundaries for you have fallen in pleasant places” is found in Psalm 16.

Psalm 16:6
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.

These boundary lines are representative of our lot in life. I know you have probably heard people say, “This is my lot in life” typically in a negative connotation. The believer, one who has put their trust in Jesus has a different “lot” in life!

These boundary lines, or our lot in life, have fallen in pleasant places. In the Hebrew lexicon it describes the word pleasant as being, delightful, sweet, lovely, and agreeable.

I had to smile when Holy Spirit spoke to me that, “life is sweet for you and Nate” I typically use the word sweet to describe something I like. So, it is not uncommon to hear Holy Spirit speak to me in my common language, but when I was doing the search in the Hebrew on pleasant places and saw the word sweet it made me so happy.

Life is amazingly sweet when you are sharing it with someone who loves and cares for you. Kingdom living is so much fun; it is filled with delights as you follow the paths the Lord has for you. I am not discounting “real life” if you have read my past Cassias you know that I have been brutally honest about life. It is difficult at times, but is always manageable with Jesus! He makes it delightful even when we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death.

So, let me tell you how this Kingdom living is coming forth in our lives. Recently, Nate and I have prayed and received clearer direction on what will be our next step in serving in missions. We know we are called to the nations of the world, to go and share our joy in Christ, to disciple and to love.

We are currently part of a Vineyard Church here in Albuquerque. We are helping this new church plant by leading worship. We are learning from our pastor how to build a church. He is a church planter and has successfully planted a vineyard church, which he and his wife pastored for ten years before coming to Albuquerque. We indeed have a lot to learn and it is a joy to be part of this new plant.

In January, Nate and I will be flying to The Netherlands to spend a month with our daughter Rebekah, Martijn her husband and Isa our granddaughter. Our purpose is two-fold as there is a Vineyard church in Amsterdam. We are very interested in helping with this church on a long term basis. We do not know whether this will eventually be an opportunity for Nate and I to church plant also in Amsterdam or in another part of Europe. We are going to scout things out in January, with the hope of returning later that year to live there. Nate and I are learning the Dutch language through internet studies, CDs and computer programs.

This is quite the adventure at our age … yet, Jesus! He says, “Go and help, go and be about building my Kingdom in Amsterdam.” We are so excited to be able to do this. The Dutch language is actually coming pretty easy to Nate and me, for which I know is God enabling us.

Psalm 2:8
Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Thy inheritance and the very ends of the earth as Thy possession.

I love this psalm. God is speaking through David about the coming Messiah, who before going to the cross for the redemption of the world was filled with joy in his heart because he knew many would receive this great salvation!

I also believe this is my spiritual inheritance, to see many come to know Jesus as their Lord! We asked God for the nations and He has responded by leading us to The Netherlands to be part of sharing our hope in Jesus and serving the Body of Christ there. This is His boundary lines falling for us in pleasant places. We do have a delightful inheritance.

Holy Spirit, I am seeking you today. Speak to me of your great love.

I loved you long before you knew my Name or my character. I fashioned you to be the person you are today. I made you and desired that you would love me in return, but I gave you the choice. Love is only love when given freely without coercion. I loved you while you were still in your sin. I was hoping that one day you would see the emptiness in your soul that could only be filled with me. That’s my hope, my strong desire for all mankind; to love and fill the void inside of them. Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life, no man can come to the Father except he goes through the Son, Jesus Christ.

There is a story in the gospel of Luke that tells the story of a Father with two sons. The younger one asked his Father to give him his share of the estate. The Father divided his estate between the brothers. Not long after the younger son left home for a far distant land, he squandered his inheritance on wild living. There was a famine in that part of the country and he fell on very hard times. He found work tending pigs for a citizen of that country. He was starving and desired even to fill his stomach with the pig’s food.

The word of God says that he came to his senses, and said to himself, “My father’s hired men have more than enough to eat. I will go back to my father and repent saying, “I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be your son, make me one of your hired men.” So, he got up and went to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. He ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son repented to his father just as he said he would do. The father quickly called the servants to bring the best robe and put it on him, put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. He said, “Let’s have a feast and celebrate! For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost but now is found!” So, they began to celebrate!

What a beautiful picture of our Father’s unconditional love for his children. In the parable the son chose to leave the family and go out into the world. The father allowed him to go, even though it grieved his heart. The father would not force the son to stay for that would not have been love. Love does not demand its way, even though it may be the right way. Repentance is turning from sin and turning to the One who has the power to forgive. The father was ready, waiting, and able to receive back the repentant son. The father restored the son back to his original position. The enemy of our souls would keep us in the pigpen eating slop; but our Father says, “You are a son.” and honors us with an embrace, a kiss, a royal robe, a ring, and a celebratory feast!

Hosea 2: 14-16
Therefore, I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

This is one of my favorite scriptures and one of my most favorite books of the Bible. It is about an unfaithful Israel who prostituted herself with other nations; and a very faithful God who is betrothed to her. God loves and woos Israel back to himself. The allegory is concerning the Prophet Hosea and his unfaithful wife Gomer. Some believe this is factual and that God actually spoke to Hosea to marry Gomer who was a prostitute, others believe it is strictly allegorical; nevertheless it is filled with so much hope for us! We can insert ourselves in the place of Israel and or Gomer in this story. We have all from time to time run after other gods, and have committed spiritual adultery with the things of the world. God does not give up on us; he continues to draw us back to himself through his unconditional love and mercy. He quickly forgives as we come with truly repentant hearts. He longs to show us compassion. He leads us to a place where we hunger and thirst for him; where nothing else can fill the emptiness.

A desert place is where we come to the end of ourselves; our self sufficiency falling miserably short. Then our Father speaks tenderly to us; we listen now because we are at a place of humility. We are holding fast to every word spoken. Our damaged souls are raw from harsh words spoken, people using us and tossing us aside. This is where our Father applies ointment to our wounds and says to us as He did many thousands of years ago to Israel and Gomer, “I will give you back your vineyards.” He restores back to us what is rightfully ours and that my friends is sonship. The enemy of our souls has torn at us and tried to destroy our identities. He wants to strip us of all honor and dignity. God says, “Enough! No more!”

The Valley of Achor means the Valley of trouble. How many of us can say, “Yes, I have seen some trouble in my life!” I surely can say that! Some of the trouble has come to me by my own volition. I have chosen to walk away from the precepts of God and walk into sin. Other times it has come my way by no choice of my own. I have an enemy called the devil who would love to see me destroyed. The very least he wants to steal from me my peace, my joy, my sanity, and my reputation. He ultimately wants me dead to God, to lose my passion for the Kingdom of God, and then physically kill me.

I will make the Valley of Achor (trouble) a door of hope!

God himself will do this for the child of God. He loves us more than we can ever imagine. He is the Restorer of your soul; your mind, your will, and your emotions. He is the One who speaks tenderly to you of your amazing future!

Isaiah 42:3
A bruised reed he will not break a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

He is a gentle and loving Father who knows each of us intimately. He has a tailor made plan for each of our futures.

Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

Many in the Body of Christ suffer with depression because of disappointments over and again. Many times it is of our own making, because we put unattainable goals on ourselves. These are goals that God has not and will not ever yoke us with. Disappointments often lead to feelings of hopelessness and giving up. We give up on God as we say to ourselves, “What’s the use in trying anymore?” This kind of negative self talk leads to depression or oppression. We must take negative self talk captive and make it obedient to what Christ says about us. His desire for us is the latter part to that verse.

A longing fulfilled is a tree of life!

Our Father does put godly passions inside of us, those desires we all have to do great things in our lives. The aspiration to do great things in His Kingdom and in your life is an obtainable goal. Those dreams in your heart that only you and God know about are good. When they come to pass, it brings life to your spirit man, to your soul and to your body! When we walk out our God given destinies we are full of life and the people around us take notice.

What will be the fruit of our lives yielded completely to our Father? We will sing as in the days of our youth. Joy will fill us to overflowing as in the early days of our salvation. Do you remember how sweet those early days were after coming into Christ? I remember feeling so peaceful and contented. My life had great hope because of Jesus living inside of me by the Holy Spirit. We will have renewed passion for God and His Kingdom as we walk with a repentant and humble heart.

The last sentence within this scripture says, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. This also speaks of the day of your salvation. Egypt represents “the old man” or “the sin nature.”

Coming up out of Egypt speaks of the day we said yes to our God and came out of our sin. This is a continual process of yielding to our Father. Our salvation is guaranteed through the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross. We are not working in any way for it. We must however keep ourselves from spiritual adultery, flirting with the world and its systems can be very dangerous. This can strip you of your energy, your joy, your peace and can ultimately cause you to lose all your passion for life and for Jesus!

As I was seeking the LORD during a prayer time with our daughter Stephanie’s house church, I heard Holy Spirit say,” The strength of your church is the unity amongst those who attend. There is community and a sense of family. This is pleasing to me. My blessing is on your fellowship.”

Psalm 133:1-3
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like the precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard down the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mt. Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing even life forevermore.

God is saying very clearly here, He blesses his children when they walk in unity with one another. He is not speaking here of the world, he is addressing “brothers” or the church. We are instructed to live at peace with one another, to live in community with each other. If you are part of the body of Christ then you should be actively in fellowship with one another; this involves sharing meals, caring for one another, worshipping together, helping each other as help is needed, bearing one another’s burdens as we are all part of the same body.

Psalm 68:5-6A
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families

God is relational. He enjoys having fellowship with his children. He loves community and all which that includes. The beautiful thing about the Kingdom of God is there is an open invitation for “all” to come in. No one needs to be excluded from the family of God. He sets the lonely in families; that is having a sense of belonging. It means people take notice of you. They care. I am not speaking of control or what we referred to as “shepherding” years ago. The community of the church body should not be meddlesome or dictating. It is a genuine love and concern for each other.

Exodus 1:21
Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them.

This is in response to the Egyptian King giving a mandate to the midwives helping the Hebrew women to give birth. He told them if it is a boy child to put him to death. The midwives feared God and did not do as the King of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live. So, God was good to the midwives and multiplied the people and they became mighty. He also established households for the midwives for they walked in the fear of the LORD. One of the Hebrew meanings of this word household is family.

God loves and takes great delight in family. Our biological and adopted families are important to Him. It was his purpose from the beginning of time to “Go forth and multiply!” He loves having children.

I was thinking about the many homeless in our city recently. They are out on the streets without shelter, without a community who really cares for them. I began thinking of the scripture in Psalm 37:25 which says, I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread.

There is so much truth in this scripture. When you become born into the family of God through believing in Jesus Christ, you are in a family. There are countless churches to become connected with. I am not ignorant of the plight of the homeless. I realize many are suffering from mental illness, drug and alcohol addictions. Yet, it is God’s will and His good pleasure to see his children in relationships within the Body of Christ; to see them prospering in community and in a family.

Going back to the original scripture in Psalm 133

There is blessing from the LORD when his children live in unity and harmony with each other. The oil was used to anoint the priests for service; to consecrate them and make them holy. God is saying that when we live in harmony with one another it also makes us holy, set apart.

The dew of Hermon speaks of watering the land. In a well watered area it produces fruit. Likewise in a community of believers living in unity there is much fruit. God commands his blessing! Life forevermore!

2 Chronicles 30:1-2, 12
Now Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover to the LORD God of Israel. For the King and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and princes commanded by the word of the LORD.

Hezekiah was a righteous king who took the reign after a very unrighteous king. This King Ahaz promoted idol worship in Jerusalem. So, when Hezekiah took the reign he reinstated temple worship and the Passover feast. Hezekiah sent out letters to invite all to the Passover feast. Many mocked and scorned the couriers. Nevertheless, some men came to Jerusalem for the feast. It says the hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and princes commanded by the word of the LORD.

God gave them unity of heart and mind. It is possible to live in peace and like-mindedness with our brother and sisters in the LORD. Prayer, humility, and walking in the fear of the LORD bring unity to the Body of Christ. We can accomplish a great deal and bear much fruit as we walk in unity. God will command his blessing and life forevermore!

To walk in the fear of the LORD is to hate what is evil. Stirring up discord and disunity among the brethren is evil; it is sin! God hates it, and it grieves his heart!

A word from the LORD in my quiet time on February 24, 2011

I am imparting more grace to you; Jan. Grace and peace are yours. Seasonal changes are coming. I will make provision for you in every way. Don’t fret or worry; I have more than enough to sustain you and Nate. Continue to seek me with all of your heart. You will find me and hear my heart. Jan, you won’t be care giving for the elderly any longer. This will be your last client. I have a new season for you. Doors will open to you and Nate. Watch for them to begin right away; this will include a season of fasting your evening meals. In doing this it will open up more kingdom mysteries to you, and will also defeat your insecurities and fear. Step into this and I promise to meet you. I will sustain you through this season.

So, a week went by and I received a phone call in regards to a very good care giving job. I didn’t turn it down right away; as I was battling this decision. I was thinking about all the medical bills that were pouring in from my husbands nine day hospital stay. I really need to do my part in caring for our family. There was much turmoil in my spirit and my soul during this time; as they were battling each other. An interview was set up and I had planned on going, somehow justifying my thoughts. Four hours prior to going I still had little peace and could no longer rationalize going. I knew I would be in disobedience. So, I called the client and backed out gracefully. Wow, immediately my peace and joy returned.

The Holy Sprit asked me a question during my quiet time.

Who do you see yourself as? Then He answered it Himself.
A caregiver
A person who cleans houses
A child care provider
These are all honorable professions, but no longer for you.

Then He spoke this to me.

I have your times in my hands. I will provide for you. I will open the right doors very soon. These things were all the things you were pondering as possibilities for employment. I don’t want you doing any of these. I have so much more confidence in you. I see your grand potential. You are a writer, a speaker; you carry the weightiness of my glory. My glory resonates from you and will touch many. Step into these things I have for you, Jan.

Jeremiah 29:11-13
For I know the thoughts and plans I have for you, says the LORD, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Then you will call upon Me, inquire for, and require Me (as a vital necessity) and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

March 16, 2011
I awoke around 2:30 AM
Praying in the Spirit, and interceding for Japan. I heard Holy Spirit ask me this question.
Will you go?
My response without hesitation was, “Yes Lord, yes Lord.
Then He said, “Go feed my sheep; you and Nate will go as my ambassadors of love, the provision has already been made.”

Nate and I have always known we would do foreign missions. We have been yielded to Holy Spirit over the years; and were willing to go. We spent many years doing urban missions and other kingdom work. We knew it would be when our children were grown and out of the house. Our first trip was to Amsterdam, The Netherlands in 2008. We were there for two months serving as mission builders with Youth With A Mission.

I can tell you that I know very little in regards to our plans. I would like a detailed agenda, but as of now we do not have one. We are seeking the Lord daily as to the next steps to take. We are waiting for the right connection. We are using wisdom as to going to Japan because of the radiation leaks. If this door opens to us and we have a yes from the Lord, then we will go. We are also looking into going to India. This appears to be a more likely trip for us; although we are only going where Holy Spirit leads us. We are excited about our future in missions. We desire to impart the things we have learned over the years. The things we are passionate for are; seeing God’s people whole, we love the Body of Christ. We would love the opportunity to share on repentance, forgiveness, intimacy with God, and emotional healing.

Our son Micah, is in the process of creating a web page for the ministry updates. The web address is PerfectLoveofGod.com. This page will also have a link to my cassia offerings and our Cedars of God intercessory page. We have spoken with our pastor and his wife in regards to our vision for missions. We will be under the umbrella of our church, Global Destiny. They are very supportive and have encouraged us to pursue this. So, in the near future we hope, we will be going on a short term mission trip. We think we will stay for one or two months and then return to Albuquerque, New Mexico where we are presently living. Again, we are not sure of the length of time until we are connected and partnering with a ministry.

We are also developing a young adult group in our church. We will begin meeting with them on a weekly basis starting in May. We hope to raise up a group of young adults passionate for Jesus and the Nations. Our desire is to lead teams of young people to do kingdom work wherever Holy Spirit leads us.

Jeremiah 33:3
Call to Me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

I began reading in Jeremiah 33 and ended up in Jeremiah 35, which is the story of the Recabites. It is an amazing story about the importance of Obedience! I will not take the time to type it in completion, but please go to Jeremiah 35 and read this amazing account of the Recabites.

Jeremiah was prompted by the Lord to invite the Recabite family to one of the side rooms of the house of the LORD. The LORD specifically said to give them wine to drink. So, Jeremiah did just that. He brought the whole family to the house of the LORD. He set bowls full of wine and cups before them. He then told them to drink the wine. But, they replied, “we do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command; neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads. WE HAVE OBEYED EVERYTHING!

This was an example to the Israelites to do as the Recabites had done for many years, walk in obedience! Jeremiah made a distinction between the Israelites and the Recabites. One has walked in obedience since receiving the command, and the other Nation has rebelled against the God of Israel.

The LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel says: Listen! I am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem every disaster I pronounced against them. I spoke to them, but they did not listen; I called to them but they did not answer. This is a very strong rebuke to Israel.

The LORD made a declaration to the Recabites that they would never fail to have a man to serve Him. God takes obedience very seriously!

There is a blessing on all who are obedient.

I will close this cassia with a word from the LORD regarding obedience.

As the Recabites were obedient to their forefathers command; you have been obedient to Me. I will bless your life with goodness, with honor and wealth. Your children and your children’s children will always serve Me the God of Abraham. It is their spiritual heritage. Great peace will be found in their homes; they will be delightful dwellings. So, when people ask you, “How is it that all your children serve the LORD?” Tell them, it is because of our obedience to God. Always remember the story of the Recabites.

The Lord is our banner. He is Jehovah Nissi. His banner is an identifying flag that represents His LOVE. God is Love! His very nature is love. God lives, moves and has his being in love. He responds to his children through a heart of love.

A word of the LORD came to me a few days prior to writing this cassia.

I have set my banner of love over you. For I say the Victory is yours. I say today, I am the Victor! The battle has been one! Open your eyes! Look up; look up, your redemption is drawing close. Do not fear what is going on in the world, walk only in the Fear of the LORD.

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

The Amalekites were a nomadic people who came against the Israelites to destroy them. Moses called for Joshua and told him to choose some men and go out and fight the Amelkites. Moses would stand on top of the hill with his staff raised to God. As long as Moses kept his hands raised the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered them the Amalekites were winning. So, when Moses tired he sat on a rock and Aaron and Hur held his arms up. Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

The battle and the victory is the LORD’s. He shows us through this amazing story of His plan to defeat the enemy in our life. We do not fight with swords as they did. Our battles are against the enemy of our soul, the devil.

Ephesians 6:12
For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Our battle is against the evil one. The earth was handed over to his control and dominion at the fall of man. He was defeated through the cross, but we still struggle against him in this world. So, we have an adversary much like Israel’s enemy the Amalekites. He wants to destroy our lives. Jesus is Jehovah Nissi. The LORD is our banner. We fight under that banner. It is recognized by our enemy and he hates it. It represents “For God so loved the world that He gave his Son to atone for our sin.” We overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony.

God defeated the enemy through giving his Son, because He deeply loved His creation. We are not to walk in fear of the enemy. We are only to walk in a holy reverence or the fear of the LORD. God has called his children to walk in this same kind of selfless love we see being poured out by our Father in giving Jesus Christ as our atonement. We are to love the world into relationship with Jesus.

We walk under this banner of love. We personify the love of Christ!

Song of Songs 2:3-6
Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. He has taken me to his banquet hall and his banner over me is love. Strengthen me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love. His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.

The above reference is a beautiful picture of Christ and His bride, the church. Jesus stands out among all created. He is above every name. He is beautiful and I love to sit at his feet and learn from him. The revelation we receive and the words he speaks over us in our quiet times is sweet to our taste. A banquet was a formal meal held in honor of a person or a special occasion. So, when we see Christ taking his bride to his banquet hall, it signifies a celebration in her honor. Jesus loves his church so much he wants to lavish on her finery. He has prepared this special meal with meat and wine in her honor. To make this gathering even more special, He says, His banner over us is his love. He has not only set us apart to honor us, He declares His love for us! It is his pleasure to raise high the banner, the flag declaring, “My love is over my church, my bride.” He upholds us with His righteousness! He will not let us fall. He embraces us as a gesture of his everlasting love.

Isaiah 25:6-7
On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine- the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations.

The LORD himself will prepare the feast for his bride. The best meats and wines will be served to his beloved. All people are invited to this banquet. He is the manna from Heaven; he is the Bread of life, he satisfies the hunger and thirst within all people. This is an invitation to the Nations to come and feast. He will remove the veil that has hidden the mysteries of the times; Christ in you the hope of glory. Jesus will be LORD over the Nations. He is the Desire of the Nations.

Haggai 2:7
I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty

Mankind is created and formed in God’s image; we have an innate desire to be like him. We hunger for love but can only be satisfied with God’s perfect love. Men thirst for greatness, purpose and destiny but even with the very best the world can offer they still feel empty. God wants to come into our lives and take up residence. When this happens we become the temple or house for Holy Spirit. He says,” I will fill this house with my glory! “

Glory in this passage actually means to, honor, glorious, abundance,riches, splendor, dignity, reputation. I would like to be filled with all of those amazing things. To be honored for whom you are. To be so God filled that we radiate glory and splendor. We are transformed by the renewing of our minds. The fruit of this is honor, dignity and good reputation. The abundance of riches comes in many ways; monetarily, spiritually, relationally, and emotionally. In all aspects of my life, I feel blessed!

This past Sunday as Nate and I led worship; I looked out at the congregation and I saw many flags waving as the people worshiped. It was so beautiful. It actually imparted courage to me. I know what those flags represent. They are banners of love, and freedom in Christ. They are being waved before their King. His banner over us is love!

Quieting myself before the Lord:

Pray against a spirit of intimidation that has infiltrated my body, my church. This spirit is in the church to keep destinies from being birthed. There are many men and women who are amazingly gifted and you are not aware of it. You are missing out on their gifts that bring impartation to my body.

I would like to share an encounter I had recently. I was speaking with an acquaintance who is quickly becoming a dear friend. While praying at our intercessory prayer meeting she received a scripture that she felt was from the Lord. She didn’t share it because of a lack of confidence. Later that evening the same scripture was prayed over and declared by someone else. She felt like she had missed her opportunity to share. I searched my heart right away, because I never want to make anyone feel unqualified. At our intercession group we try to walk in humility, love and acceptance. I discerned a spirit of intimidation from the evil one.

I John 3:8B The Son of God appeared for this purpose to destroy the works of the devil.

Jesus defeated the evil one through the cross! He has come to bring us life more abundantly, and freedom!

If you are a child of God, born again through the shed blood of Jesus, you are given authority to come against the evil one!

You can stop the harassment now, by taking authority over those spirits that keep you from walking in your complete destiny.

I believe that when we are in a situation like my friend found herself in, we presume to think, this is not from the Lord, or my gifting is small and insignificant. Both of these are wrong thinking. I am not being critical of my friend. I am speaking experientially! I have been there recently and continue to stand against this erroneous thinking. To presume something is typically wrong because we filter our thoughts through our soul. We are not perfected yet, many of us are filtering our thoughts through rejection, insecurities, and wounds from our past.

Let’s look at the definition of presume.

Presume means to take for granted, assume, or suppose.

Do you see how dangerous this kind of thinking can be to us? The evil one does not want us to prosper in any way. He wants to destroy our destinies. At the very least he wants to make us feel inferior to our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is a lie that your gifting is not important, or that it is a lesser gift. There is victory for the born again believer. We can stand against these wrong mind sets. I already said that we have authority as joint-heirs with Christ. We must take the initiative to rebuke, bind, and cast down evil imaginations as we are led by Holy Spirit. He will show you the way to rid yourselves of these tormenting spirits.

Now to the Body of Christ who are confident in their gifting. I commend you in Christ! We need a stronger measure of assurance. So be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might! I would add to this a spirit of humility, love and acceptance. This will bring a unity to the Body of Christ that will be an unstoppable force!

This is a word from the Lord I received today as I was interceding for the Body of Christ:

Yes, this spirit will be put to flight as you stand in unity! The unified church will defeat it! There is strength in numbers and even more strength, multiplied strength in a unified people.

Leviticus 26: 3, 6-13
If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out, then…. I shall also grant peace in the land, so that you may lie down with no one making you tremble. I shall also eliminate harmful beasts from the land, and no sword will pass through your land. But you will chase your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword; five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword. So, I will turn toward you and make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will confirm My covenant with you. You will eat the old supply and clear out the old because of the new. Moreover, I will make My dwelling among you and my soul will not reject you. I will also walk among you and you shall be my people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so that you would not be their slaves, and I broke the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.

This scripture is incredibly informative! I love the word of God. It is as relevant for us in the twenty first century as it was for the children of Israel. God was giving a word to the children of Israel then and at the same time His present day Church. He commands a blessing over us if we walk in obedience to Him.

• Peace in the land
• Lack of fear
• Peaceful sleep
• Eliminating harmful beasts. The Hebrew translation for beast is age, alive, and appetite. Therefore we can say God will eliminate any living creature or thing that is harmful to us, God will eliminate our appetites for harmful things or fleshly lusts, God will eliminate any harmful thing of this present age that is coming against us.
• No violence
• Unity in coming against the evil one. There is strength in numbers and unity!
• Strength to defeat the enemy of our souls.
• Presumptions and poor mindsets are going. Destinies are being fulfilled!
• We will run to the battle!
• You will bear fruit and our numbers in the church will multiply.
• God will confirm His covenant with his children through: the bearing of fruit, people coming to Christ, signs and wonders, workings of miracles, healings and deliverances.
• We will leave the old wine skins behind. We are not satisfied with the way things used to be done. We are tired of religious formulas and regulations taught by man.
• We will take hold of the new wine, being led only by the Spirit of God. Jesus only did what He saw His Father do. He was led completely through his prayer and fellowship with His Father. We must do the same!
• We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. He made His dwelling among men.
• He calls us His own. We are the children of God. He is our Father.
• God brought us out of Egypt (a representation of sin and slavery).
• He set us free, never again to be yoked with sin and bondage. Jesus’ yoke is easy and delightful.
• We now walk upright! We walk in righteousness, as joint-heirs with Jesus Christ.

I want to reiterate a few things in closing. Jesus is calling His Body to a spirit of humility, love and acceptance! We are not to judge. We are about to witness the largest outpouring of Holy Spirit that we have ever seen. We must be ready to receive the world into our churches. They are going to come in like a flood, and they will not be clean and polished. We must gently lead, instruct, and allow Holy Spirit to do His work in them. He is more than able to do this.

Unity in the Body is a necessity if we want to see the power of God in our midst. We must honor one another above ourselves; clothing ourselves daily in a spirit of humility. Above all else Church, put on love! Love covers a multitude of sin. Love enables others to be themselves without fear of rejection. Love makes room for another’s gifting. My heart is passionate about releasing these; love, humility, acceptance and unity!

John 5:17
Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too, am working.

It may not seem that way as we turn on the news, or pull up the news via the internet. The news is screaming to us disaster, war, human suffering as horrific as we have ever seen or heard. My heart aches for the precious people of Japan and New Zealand, as they have suffered greatly. Next month it will be another nation affected by the throes of what seems to be great injustice. But, who is really behind these natural disasters and wars spinning out of control? Let me say emphatically it is not God. I do believe that because of the fallen world that we live in, we are subject to these intense groanings.

Romans 8:20-22
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

I believe this passage of scripture is referring to the fall of man recorded in Genesis chapter three. God said to Adam, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’, Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you will eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

2 Peter 2:13
But according to his promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells

So, the earth is subjected to futility, which to clarify means the earth is useless, vain, and ineffective. Now, I know that sounds ridiculous, but in a fallen world apart from God our labor is useless, vain and ineffective. Now, that makes perfect sense. The earth will be liberated in the end and will be made new, but until then it suffers! We, who are in Christ, suffer also because we live on earth. Our spirits are redeemed and we live a joy filled, blessed life. Yet, we groan in travail waiting for the redemption of our bodies. This too will occur at the second coming of Jesus Christ, for which we have great hope and expectation!

So, how do we handle such tragedy such suffering as we have witnessed this past month. We pray! We diligently bring these precious people before the LORD. I know the heart of the Father is grieved for them. You say, then why doesn’t he do something to prevent it? This also goes back to the fall of man, Adam relinquished the rights of mankind and the earth was turned over to satan.

Luke 4:5-7
The devil led him (Jesus) up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world, and he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So, if you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Let there be no question here of the omniscience and omnipotence of our God, Jesus Christ. He knows the beginning to the end of what is taking place in our World. He is more than able to change the course of history, and I know that he has through the intercessions of the saints. We have many examples of this through the lives of the Prophets, Disciples and Apostles. I believe armies can be re-routed through the prayers being offered up to God. So, our grief and distress over the things happening on a daily basis are best funneled through prayers of intercession. It relieves and brings comfort knowing that God is hearing us and Jesus is also interceding on their behalf.

Isaiah 60:1-5
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up you eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.

The past few months have been truly amazing times spent in the presence of the LORD. He is visiting His church, the body of Christ. I am not just speaking of the church I attend. He is visiting His church globally and doing several things.

• Purifying her through revelation of hidden sin. Bringing what has been in the darkness into the light. He is not exposing publicly, but as we are before Him in prayer, he is bringing conviction of sin.

• Clothing her with a spirit of humility, and compassion. He is increasing our passion to pray for the church and for the lost nations.

• He is filling us with His Glory! God’s glory is manifested to us through the Spirit of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes for the LORD, who is the Spirit.

He is filling us with his glory which is changing us into the likeness of Jesus. We are becoming more filled with love, humility, compassion, gentleness, goodness, faith. The word says in Isaiah that darkness, thick darkness is covering the earth, but the glory is rising upon us! The Nations will stream to us because of this glory. We have the good news! Jesus is still the answer! Jesus in his church is the answer! Prepare yourself church for the great end-time harvest. People are desperate and fearful because of all the shakings going on in the world. Be ready to receive these who will be coming in. Prepare your heart! That is the word I keep hearing the Spirit saying. These are indeed sorrowful times and wonderful times. Sorrow for the world apart from Christ, wonderful for His church doing the kingdom work!

So, the Father and Jesus are at work to this very day and we also should be about our Father’s work!

My grace is covering you completely. You are clothed in my glory. Everything that concerns you my daughter is covered with my goodness. Favor, favor, favor; you walk in great favor and honor. Queen Esther walked in my favor, because I clothed her in my glory. She stood out among the other virgins, because I clothed her. I was her radiance and I am yours. You are filled with grace, and honor will be bestowed on you. Walk with strength and dignity my daughter.




Proverbs 31:25-31
Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure; she rejoices over the future. She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness she will not eat. Her children rise up and call her blessed and her husband boasts of and praises her. Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly and well with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness, but you excel them all. Charm and grace are deceptive and beauty is vain, because it is not lasting, but the woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the LORD, she shall be praised! Giver her of the fruit of her own works, praise her in the gates of the city!

My heart is grieved for your daughters my Father. They struggle to fit into what society says is beautiful. They clothe themselves to allure; to find the affirming words their souls desire. They are taking it beyond their clothing as they are still not satisfied with how they look; they are permanently changing their bodies and faces with surgery. They are saying to God, “I do not like the way you created and fashioned me, so I am going to make it better.” Where are these girls’ identities after all of this surgery? I know, they are broken and pieced together, having altered not just their physical bodies but their souls as well. They are modeling themselves after a perfect look that is hollow and empty. The enemy of our souls, the devil is behind this façade. He is lying not only to our young but to the mothers and grandmothers as well. He is saying the perfect face and the perfect body will bring you happiness and fulfillment. To be young and beautiful is the answer to your yearnings, to your emptiness. He is the Enemy of you soul! He is not speaking truth to you. He is the father of all lies. There will always be someone who is more beautiful, younger, and more energetic. Your yearnings for fulfillment will never be satisfied with how you look or how you dress. Only in Christ can you be truly satisfied and fulfilled.

Father God desires to clothe you permanently with his beauty. Let’s take a look at the above scripture and we will see the beautiful plan our Father has for his daughters. He wants to clothe you in strength and dignity; to give you vitality and power. To walk with poise and distinction is to walk with self confidence and peculiarity. You see, God has made you distinct; you were not made with a cookie cutter. You are you. I struggled for years with the size of my nose, thinking it was just too large. In the 90’s I began to accept who I was and how God fashioned me for his pleasure. He loved my nose. I truly began to thank the Lord for my ethnic heritage and embraced it completely.

Father God gives us hope for our future. We should not be preoccupied with the way we look. This is vanity. I can look to my future and rejoice, because I know it will be fulfilling and rewarding. The enemy would like to preoccupy us with many things. He is out to destroy our destinies. He will do this in many ways, but in this discussion I have only focused on the obsession with beauty and a quest for youthfulness.

Jesus says to you, “Your beauty dwells in me.”
Jesus says to you, “Your glory dwells in me.”

Isaiah 61:10
I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

He has clothed us with garments of deliverance, and has brought us into covenant relationship with Jesus. He has brought morality to us, and equipped us to do good works. He has clothed us with virtue, justice, and honesty. He sees us as priests and as the very Bride of Christ adorned with beautiful jewels. We need this perspective of ourselves. We would walk a little differently I suspect if we saw ourselves as He sees us. This is walking in the knowledge of who we really are. Wow! Can you see yourself clothed in regal attire as beautiful as Queen Esther? You are the apple of God’s eye.

Godly Wisdom comes forth out of our mouths; because we are spending time in the presence of the King. We are leaning in and tuning our ears to hear what he says. He imparts wisdom through Holy Spirit to us his daughters. We then walk in the wisdom of the Lord. We are motivated to do good. This is moving away from an inward, self serving mindset to being filled with the goodness of God. This is the true beauty that comes from within and radiates strength.

You are not idle in your home life. You are busy keeping your house in order. Another way the enemy waylays us, is by laziness and disorder in our homes. It is hard to focus and be efficient when we live in chaos. Strengthen yourself in the Lord and get busy! He will give you the strength and plan to get your house in order.

Our children, the ones we bore naturally, and the ones we have labored for in the faith, will take notice of our lives. They will take the initiative and call us blessed. There is an amazing beauty in godliness. It comes forth like pure gold. People will be attracted to the glory that resides in you. The scientific community may scorn this notion but I am certain that the Glory of God keeps us looking good. To be youthful, peaceful and fulfilled is the fruit of His presence abiding in you. In the past few years we have experienced the fruit of our children rising up and calling us blessed. It is an amazing feeling to be honored by your children.

Our husbands have full confidence in us. They are in no doubt of our character. How are they certain we are strong, godly, beautiful women? They have witnessed our ins and outs, and the fruit of our lives speak volumes. They are more in love with us than when we first took our vows, because godly character breeds more love and passion. I am not in any way giving license to “let your physical self go.” We are responsible before God and our spouses to keep our temple in good order. I desire to be as beautiful for my husband as possible. I want him to look my way and be pleased I am his. The more I spend time with the lover of my soul the more my lover notices. I reflect God’s glory in many ways. Some of those ways are intimate and just for my husband. Probably King Xerxes was not taken by Esther’s godliness; it was her outward beauty that attracted his attention. Even so God directs the paths of kings and rulers. There is definitely a perfect balance here. You are the only one who can determine that for yourself.

I want to close with this last portion of scripture.

Proverbs 31:30
Charm and grace is deceptive, and beauty is vain, because it is not lasting, but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

Charisma and attractiveness can be deceptive in women as in men, but typically women use these traits more. The enemy has loosed a seducing spirit into the world in a much greater degree since the advent of the internet and in advertising. We are bombarded with seductive commercials and billboards. This is dangerous to many who do not guard their eyes and their hearts. Women are being pressured to look like models, and men are being snared through the lust of their flesh. It is all a trap of the enemy, the devil. He wants to steal, kill, and destroy you and your God given destinies. It is all a façade; it is not what it appears to be. Guard your hearts for it is the wellspring of life.

Proverbs 8:13
To fear the LORD is to hate evil

Women of God, I invoke you to walk in godly fear. To walk in such a holy reverence in all you do. Let’s be aware of how we dress, and how we carry ourselves. Let’s be cautious in the way we speak. We should always have a word mixed with wisdom and prudence. Be beautiful in your appearance and amazingly godly in your actions and speech. I am not presuming to tell you how you should appropriate this; this is between you and Holy Spirit. Blessings and glory to God

We are called to act locally as part of the Body of Christ, but we are to think globally! I am asking the LORD for an expanded vision and heart for the world. Why? It is the Father’s heart that all come to repentance and share in the inheritance bought and paid for by the blood of His Son Jesus Christ.

This is God’s beautiful plan for his church worldwide.

Isaiah 58:6-7
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter, when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

God hates injustice! He brings judgment upon those who oppress the poor, the widow the orphan.

Matthew 18:6
But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

We are to advocate for the least of these. We are being shaken out of our complacent mindsets and world views. It is Holy Spirit doing this shaking. Wake up church! Wake up! It is time to call sin and injustice what it is - evil! God our Father will not stand for this attitude in his church. His people who are called by his Name should have his heart!

We are to take up the causes of the poor and needy, to provide for the widows and those who are without parents; this would include those who have an orphaned spirit. This comes through the neglect of their biological parents. When we quiet ourselves before God Almighty he begins sharing his heart for the world. We have the option of turning a deaf ear to these calls or acting.

Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

The Lord requires this of us. It is not an option for God’s people. We are required to be just in our actions towards all people. We are required to be merciful towards all people. We are to walk in humility towards all people. Clothe yourselves in the humility that comes from walking in intimate fellowship with Christ. We are to bear one another’s burdens. Let’s open our eyes to the world’s plight. It is not going to get any better and we the church will be required to do something to lessen the burden of others.

Holy Spirit is shaking us out of our selfishness. My house, my possessions, my car, mine, mine, mine! Stop it! You probably have an abundance of things that could bless someone else. There should be a definitive distinction between the world and God’s people. We should be carriers of the light, the promise of a better life with Christ.

Isaiah 1:10-11
Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah! The multitude of your sacrifices- what are they to me? Says the Lord, I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

God is saying in this passage above, that he is tired of our sacrifices. You come with your tithe and offering but you are overlooking your neighbor who is addicted. You offer praise and worship to Him, but you haven’t spent yourselves on behalf of the poor man who is unemployed struggling to make ends meet for his family. Tithing, offerings, praise and worship are all good but don’t forsake the other things as well. Jesus spoke of this to the Pharisees in the book of Luke.

Luke 11:39-42
Then the Lord said to him, Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But give what is inside the dish to the poor and everything will be clean for you. Woe to you Pharisees because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue, and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

Isaiah 1:17
Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

It is recorded in the Old Testament and the New Testament; a common theme, God defends the least of these, and we should be doing the same!

God our Father loves his children so very much. He is love and His very character exudes love. He knows that by expressing love we will be perfected more in love. When we withhold and become selfish we become more inward and self serving. His desires are for us to become more and more like Jesus. Let’s become more aware of our surroundings and begin to act on what we see. Be led of Holy Spirit in which areas you should spend your time and resources. Do not become overburdened. There is enough oppression and plight to consume us. Be wise and be led always by Holy Spirit in everything you do.

I am beginning an intercessory prayer time beginning on January 24, 2011. I would say a lot of prayer has gone into this decision. This is a culmination of many years seeking the Lord and praying what he tells me to. I have never stepped out to actually lead a prayer group, so in that sense it is new and quite malleable. I am not going into this with a set agenda or formula. I will say that my only agenda is to be led of Holy Spirit into prayer. He searches the deep things of God and reveals them to us his children.

Romans 8:26-27
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

We are in a great position in regards to prayer. We only need to train ourselves to wait quietly before the Lord. He gives the objective for that particular time. It could be our city, our Nation, or a people group. I have an anticipation of impacting and changing history. We will do this as we humble ourselves and pray according to the Father’s will! In 2011 there seems to be a prayer initiative going forth in the United States. I know in our city of Albuquerque there is a new thrust of seeking the Lord for our city and our churches. Our cry is the same, “Bring unity and love to the Body of Christ, and then it will spread into our city streets.” How will they know of the love of Jesus unless we love one another?

I John 3:1
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God!

Heavenly Father has a vast love for his humanity! He created us, we are his dear children; created in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit’s image. He wants to pour out salvation. He has a plan of complete restoration of our spirit, soul, and body. The soul includes the mind, will and emotions. He created each one of us with a uniqueness; we have distinct personalities that become evident at birth and even in the womb. I know Father’s desire is to see us mature into sons and daughters of the King. He knows each of our destinies and it is his great pleasure to see us begin to walk in them.

So, can you imagine how he feels about people that have never known him? They are created in his image just like you and I, but have never stepped into their God given destinies. This must grieve his heart. There is much intercession coming forth from Heaven.

Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I, send me!”

This has been a favorite verse of mine for twenty years. Each time I read it or heard it read it has gone into the depths of my heart. It is a plea from our Father, “Who can I send?” “Who will go for us? The Father’s heart was crying out for someone to stand in the gap. In this context it was for Israel. We are his voice here on the earth. He needs us to show and speak his love and his plan for humanity. I also like the Father saying, “Who will go for us?” God has a father’s heart for his children. Jesus the Son is always interceding for us to know him. Holy Spirit is actively bringing the Kingdom of God into our midst. He abides in the born again believer prompting him to go into all the world and preach the good news of the Kingdom. Holy Spirit also empowers, and emboldens us to do the work of the Kingdom.

Ephesians 1:17
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Let’s ask God to give us greater vision, greater perspective for our city and state, our Nation and all other Nations as well. I want a global perspective of the Body of Christ and a global burden to pray. This I believe is the Kingdom of God inside of us praying, “Come in! Come in!” Our Father through the Holy Spirit wants to bring more and more wisdom and revelation if we would just take the time to quiet ourselves, listen and pray what we hear.

I want to close this article out with a word from the Lord on December 30, 2010

You will shake the mountains, (strongholds, principalities) and the atmosphere of your city will change. Step out and pray my will over your city, over your nation and over the nations. I re-route armies as my people pray. You were called for such a time; to bring my Kingdom to the earth. I will do great exploits through this group. My blessing is on this. Go in the confidence the Lord, and in the power of the Holy Ghost!

Cedars of God Intercessory Prayer
Monday evenings at 7 P.M.

• Humbling ourselves through repentance
• Worship
• Holy Communion
• Quieting ourselves and waiting
• Listening to Holy Spirit
• Praying His thoughts
• Obeying His directives

All my fountains are in you

That was my prayer today, as I am in the process of learning how to depend completely and wholly on the LORD. He holds my world in his hands is a lyric from a song that has ministered to me the past few weeks. It is amazing to me how Holy Spirit uses one line from one song to prompt heart change in me. I gladly surrender to His Lordship. Jesus is everything I need!

So, I began pondering the cry of my heart, “all my fountains are in you.” I asked Holy Spirit to give me understanding of this statement. This is His response to me.

Everything that pertains to life is flowing from the spring of life, who is Jesus. All of your comings and goings, all of your desires, all of your writings, prayers, intercessions come from this well of living water. Jesus is your source of everything. As you have humbled yourself, submitting completely to his Lordship you are walking in the fountain more and more. There is an unceasing supply of living, clear water flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb. It is always available to you. It is when you make decisions on your own, stepping into things I have yet to ordain, then you have made for yourself your own cistern. You fill these vessels with your own waters of good deeds, decisions and plans. The word of God says they are broken cisterns, unable to hold what you have put into them.

Revelation 22:1
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb

Can you imagine the purity of this water flowing from Jesus himself? Purity of heart comes to those who look to God; and infusion of the water of life. I know there are medicinal properties in these waters. There are trees that line this river with leaves for the healing of the nations. It is a nourishing flow straight from the Father’s heart available to all who will call on him; imagine being completely satisfied! I think of the Strength we gain by wading into this river. It begins in our feet and then into our calves and up to our thighs. I believe we can scale a mountain and take on an army!

Colossians 1:19
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him.

Colossians 2:9-10
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

This is where we go to receive fountains of living water. We have access to Jesus who is filled to overflowing with everything we have need of. He has all the love, the forgiveness, the strength, the humility, the power. What is it you are lacking today? Jesus has the provision. I am beginning to see myself through the character of Jesus. I have only the strength he gives to me. I wake up in the morning breathing only because he has blown his breath into my lungs. I have desire to be the best companion to my husband only because of Jesus perfecting his love in me. He makes me a better person. I am solely dependent on him.

John 7:37-38
If a man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me as the Scriptures has said, steams of living water will flow from within him. By this he meant the Spirit

I remember how thirsty I was prior to coming into Christ in fullness. I was hungry for so many things, only to not be satisfied. We as humans have insatiable appetites if left unchecked by Holy Spirit. I longed to be loved and yet, I found myself yearning for more. This desire was never met in me until I came into the fullness of knowing Jesus! I wanted so badly to have a life that was good and productive, but was so dissatisfied with college, and being a waitress. I was living in Pensacola at the time; this was very close to the beaches. I walked off my college campus knowing I would not return. I drove to the beach and set out on the sand writing. I didn’t have a clue what I was supposed to do. I felt alone in my confusion. I knew what my parents wanted for me, but what was this desire stirring inside of me? I had a God hole that was gaping. I met my husband shortly after leaving college. He was filled with the Spirit and full of life! I felt as if I was breathing in fresh air when I was around him. He offered me living water that I had never experienced before. It was only when I was introduced to Jesus, that I was filled and no longer thirsty for the waters of the world. I certainly am not saying that college is evil; my husband has a degree and is in school right now. It was not the will of the Lord for me, even though I had access to a free education. So, the cistern that I had tried to fill was replaced with a beautiful river flowing through me. I am a channel of God’s blessings flowing out to the world. No longer do I house stagnant waters.

John 4:13-14
Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

The water Jesus was speaking about to the Samaritan woman would give her eternal life. She knew of God by her statement to Jesus that she and her people were waiting for the Messiah; she did not have him living in her, infusing life into her. She was so thirsty for love, as she had been married many times and was presently living with a man. Jesus didn’t condemn her, he accepted and loved her. He revealed himself to her as the Messiah, he led her in the truth that quickly set her free and filled her to overflowing. We have eternity set in our hearts. His name is Jesus. He is offering to us an unfathomable gift of eternal life with Him. This includes great gifts right now. Complete wholeness in your spirit, soul and body. Peace that flows in and through us. He has given us a sweet relationship with himself, and he placed us in a beautiful body of believers that we call the family of God.

Jeremiah 2:13
My people have committed two sins; they have forsaken me the spring of living water and have dug their own cisterns that cannot hold water.

I was like the Samaritan woman many years ago. I did not know that I had access to the spring of living water. I believed in Jesus, but did not know he was my source of living water. I did not know he held the key to my future. I was seeking what to do in my life without allowing him to direct me. Oh, how things could have been different. Yet, I have no regrets. I embrace the hard times of my past, because it is partly who I am. I have better understanding of people in their search for life. Jesus makes all things beautiful in time; and he has made me beautiful in him. That day so many years ago when I was confused and searching, he was there silently directing me. I can imagine him saying to me, “Don’t give up Jan, I have an amazing plan for your life. It involves a handsome young man who will love you as I have loved my church.” Wow! I have no use for broken cisterns. I want Jesus in his fullness!