I spoke to an amazing man today

A man whose words I have long admired, both because of his kindness and because he is a brilliant poet, had offered up his phone # on the DAB.  I had left a message for him when his mother recently passed away, but had the strong urge to speak to him directly.  I had a good timeframe in which to call today, and I did…  and he is, as the title says, AMAZING.  A true man of God, with the spirit in him so powerfully that I could feel it right over the phone.  He said a prayer for me right out loud over the phone;  no one had ever done that for me before.  Tears were pouring down my face, and not for the only time in that conversation;  that’s how deeply touched I was.

I had always thought that the loss of his sight (oh, did I mention that he is not only overflowing with the spirit but BLIND?) might have led to him having greater “true vision”;  he said the same thing about himself in our conversation.  And then, tonight, I watched Reflections a little too long, it went past the top of the hour when I had something else to watch, but this allowed me to non-coincidentally catch the following verse:

2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV)

⁷ (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

The Lord never ceases to astonish me.  This was His conformation that starting up a friendship with this man was the right thing to do…  and it’s not hard to see how it will benefit me to learn from his example.  I ask God that I be able to bring blessings to this man’s life as well.

And something else spiritually powerful happened, too:   I was checking the tracking for an Amazon order, and at the bottom of the page they had a section for “Customers Who Bought Items in Your Recent History Also Bought,” in which, because I’ve been looking at crosses, they had a cross.  It was made of Hawaiian koa wood, which had no connection to any of the crosses I’d looked at, since I hadn’t looked at any wooden ones…  but is powerfully connected to a spiritual experience my mother had a couple of months before her death, that involved some wonderful native Hawaiian people…  a story that I told the man described above in that conversation!!!!!  In what universe is THAT a coincidence?  (On TV, Natalie in Monk just said “that can’t be a coincidence”!!)  So, I guess I’ll be buying a koa wood cross!!

Don’t fight it

from JO’s sermon last night:

we all face situations that we don’t like:  somebody’s not treating us right, business is not growing as fast as we had hoped, we’re single and still haven’t met anyone.  it’s easy to live uptight, all wrought up on the inside;  we don’t understand why it’s taking so long, why this person hasn’t changed, why our prayers haven’t been answered.  we end up frustrated, fighting against everything that we don’t like.  just because it’s uncomfortable doesn’t mean it’s not where we’re supposed to be.  God uses difficulties to do a work in us;  we grow in the tough times, that’s when our character is being developed.  God will not allow a difficulty unless He has a divine purpose for it.  if we’re going to reach our highest potential, we have to make up our mind;  ”I’m not going to live frustrated because I’m uncomfortable. I’m not going to be upset because things are not happening on my timetable.  I’m not going to  fight against everything that I don’t like.”  our attitude should be, “God, I trust You, You’re in complete control, I may not like this situation, but You wouldn’t have me here unless I needed it, so I’m going to keep a good attitude and be my best right where I am.” that’s how you position yourself for promotion.  scripture says:

Exodus 13:17-18 (NIV)

¹⁷ When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” ¹⁸ So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.

He took them the long way on purpose because they were not prepared for war;  God knew if He would have taken them in too quickly, they would have been easily defeated;  their enemies were much bigger, much more experienced.  I’m sure they prayed many times:  ”God, we’re uncomfortable out here in the desert, we’re hot, tired, let us go in sooner.”  but God didn’t answer that prayer, not because God was trying to make their life miserable, but God knew what was up in front of them;  He had to toughen them up and get them prepared so they could step into the fullness of their destiny.  in the same way, God has already laid out the plan for your life;  He knows exactly what you need, when you need it, who you need.  He knows the battles you’re going to face,  the dreams you’re going to accomplish;  He’s got it all figured out.  that’s why we cannot pray away every uncomfortable situation. “God, this person at work, they’re gettin’ on my nerves, you gotta get Him outta my life”;  no, God will use that person like sandpaper to rub the rough edges off of you.  even if you were to pray them away, God would send you 2 more people just like them.  God is more interested in changing us than He is in changing our circumstances;  God loves you too much to let you stay where you are.  it may be uncomfortable, but you have to remind yourself;  ”this is not working against me, this is working for me.  it’s getting me in position for the amazing future God has in store.”  some of the things you may be praying about, if God were to remove them right now, you wouldn’t be prepared for where God is taking you.  you’ve gotta let God do the work in you:  be kind to the people that are not treating you right, keep being your best even though you’re not getting the credit.  pass those tests.  Paul prayed:

Colossians 1:10-11 (CEB)

¹⁰ We’re praying this so that you can live lives that are worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him in every way: by producing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God;¹¹ by being strengthened through his glorious might so that you endure everything and have patience; ¹² and by giving thanks with joy to the Father.

he didn’t pray that God would deliver them instantly, remove the difficulty, he prayed that they would have the strength to go through it with a good attitude.  Paul understood this principle, that God uses the tough times to get us prepared for the next level.  David was chosen to be king, anointed by God to be the next leader of Israel;  surely God would answer all of his prayers, make his life comfortable.  no, David had to go through this same process;  for many years, King Saul made David’s life miserable,.  David had done Saul nothing but good;  he would play music when Saul wasn’t feeling well, treated him with respect, but in return Saul tried to kill David, chased him through the mountainside.  I can hear David praying, “God, you gotta get this man outta my life!!  God, you know I haven’t done anything wrong.”  isn’t it interesting;  God didn’t remove Saul.  He didn’t answer that prayer.  here David was doing the right thing, it was an unfair situation, but God knew what He was doing;  He was getting David prepared.  the longer you do the right thing when the wrong thing’s happening, the longer you keep a good attitude in an unfair situation, the higher God is going to take you. don’t be discouraged by it: “I’ve been doing the right thing in this marriage for years, I’m not seeing any results,” “I’ve been volunteering in the nursery for a long time, nobody every says thank you.”  ”I go to work, do more than I have to, I’m not being promoted.”  you’re right where David was.  keep being faithful, doing the right thing, God is getting you prepared for something amazing.  your future is so big, God has to get your spiritual muscles, character, maturity, to match the level that God is about to thrust you to.

don’t fight it, just keep being your best;  God is closely watching you.  He sees every time you make a sacrifice, overlook a wrong, take the high road, help someone in need;  that doesn’t go unnoticed.  God is keeping the records, and He’s saying, “payday, breakthrough, reward, new level is coming.”  just like David, you’re going to take your throne and become everything God’s created you to be.  we naturally all like things easier, we’d for love God to remove the difficult people, eliminate the hardships, answer our prayers the first time we pray, but that’s not always what’s best. have a new perspective; those difficulties are not happening to you, they’re happening for you.  the people that are hard to get along with, if you’ll have the right attitude, take the high road, be kind, ignore their negative comments, they’re not holding you down, they’re polishing, refining you, making you shine.  don’t be upset.  you couldn’t go where God wants you to go without them.  they’re doing you a favor;  without that sandpaper, you would stay rough. the next time you see them, instead of thinking, “oh man, I don’t feel like dealing with them,” no, just smile and say, “thank you Lord, I’m gonna be polished a little bit more today, I’m gonna shine a little bit brighter.”  could it be that you are fighting what God wants to use?  you’re spending all your time trying to pray away the difficulty, when you should be spending your time honoring God in the midst of your difficulty?  instead of fighting where you are, try a different approach;  embrace where you are.

it may not be where you wanna stay, I’m not saying to settle there and accept mediocrity, I’m saying to accept where you are, knowing that the Creator of the universe has you in the palm of His hand, He’s directing your steps, nothing that’s happened to you is a surprise to Him.  at the right time, God will change it.  in your due season, when you’re ready, when it’s best for you, God will remove the difficulty and take you to a new level.  but in the meantime, one way we can show God we’re trusting Him is by enjoying our life while God is changing the circumstances.  maybe all your friends are married, you’re still single;  ”that’s alright, this is where God has me right now, I’m at peace, happy, I know the right person is already on their way.”  that’s how you pass the test.  not every other minute, “God, I’m begging You, please, send me a man,”  no, “God, I trust you.”  maybe you’re in an apartment, believing for a nicer place to live;  not, “God, I am so sick and tired of this place, I haven’t seen one thing shift in my life,” no, ”God, I trust You, this is where You have me right now, I’m content.  but God I know in my future You’re gonna open the windows of heaven, pour out blessings that I cannot contain.  Lord, I wanna thank You in advance that it’s on the way.”

that’s how you see promises come to pass.  some things you can only learn in the struggle.  you can’t learn in the good times, when it’s easy, everything’s going your way;  that doesn’t take any faith.  you can only learn when you’re in the wilderness, not being treated right.  don’t be frustrated because it’s not happening your way, on your timetable;  God knows what He’s doing, He’s getting you prepared.  your destiny is bigger than you think.  you’re going to go further than you can imagine.  God can see the new levels in front of you, He knows what’s up there.  keep passing those tests, stay in faith even when it’s difficult, keep doing the right thing even when the wrong thing’s happening.  don’t fight it, begging God every other minute, “please, God, You gotta change it,” that’s just going to frustrate you.  learn to embrace where you are.  it’s ok to be honest, and say, “God, I don’t like where I am, I’m uncomfortable, it’s taking longer than I thought, but God, I trust You, I know this is not happening to me, it’s happening for me, it’s all a part of Your divine plan.”  when you learn to embrace where you are, it’s a freeing way to live, it takes all the pressure off.

Hebrews 4:3 (NIV)

³ Now we who have believed enter that rest..

the way to know that you’re really in faith is you’re at rest;  there’s a peace.  you may have a problem, believing for a situation to turn around, it’s taking a long time, you could easily be discouraged, no, the key is to stay in that place of rest, where you know God is in complete control, you’re not moved by what you see, you’re not worried because it’s taking a long time, you’re not disappointed because you went through a setback;  every day you stay in peace, you are one day closer to seeing that situation turn around.  ”I don’t understand why God doesn’t answer my prayers, I’m goin’ to church, I’m faithful, I help others.”  maybe what you’re praying about is too small, maybe God has something much better, and He loves you so much that He won’t answer that prayer.  but until you enter into this rest and quit being sour, thinking that Gods letting you down, it’ll keep the new thing from happening.  a prayer that we should all pray on a regular basis is, “God, not my will, but let Your will be done.”  it’s ok to say,  ”God, this is what I’m believing for, what I want, what I’m dreaming about, but God, if you have something better, I trust you, You know what’s best for me.”  if you’re only going to be happy if God does it your way, then you’re not really trusting.  we can only see little bit down the road;  God can see the big picture, He can see around every curve.  He knows where the dead ends, shortcuts are.  God knows how to get you to your destiny.

why don’t you take your hands off the wheel, and let God take you where He wants you to go?  you gotta trust God even when you don’t get the answer that you were looking for.  you gotta believe that God’s in control, directing your steps, keeping you on the best plan for your life.  God knows what He’s doing;  quit fighting against what doesn’t go your way, being disappointed because your plans didn’t work out.  you may not understand it now, but one day you will thank God for those closed doors.  God’s ways are better than our ways.  don’t try to figure it all out, “why didn’t I get the promotion?  I had the seniority, worked the hardest”;  just as God supernaturally opens doors, God will supernaturally close doors.  we all thank God for the open doors, and that’s good, we should celebrate that;  I’ve learned to thank God just as much for my closed doors. what I used to see as a disappointment, now I see as the hand of God.  if God closed it, He has something better in store.  why don’t you trust Him, enter into that rest, “God, You know what’s best for me. I don’t have to have my way to be happy.  I know Your plans are better than my plans.”  God is so merciful, He loves us so much, if it’s not the right thing, God will keep the door closed even when though we’re trying to pry it open.  we see it as a big disappointment, “God, I can’t believe You let me down, You didn’t answer my prayer”;  the truth is, God was doing us a favor, He was saving us from heartache and pain.

how many things are we upset over, wondering why God didn’t answer that prayer, the situation didn’t change, the door closed?  yet if God were to pull back the curtain, and let us see into the future what He can see, we’d realize God knows exactly what He’s doing, God has our best interests at heart.  that promotion you didn’t get, you were so disappointed;  it’s because God has something better.  that door that closed, we couldn’t understand it, seemed like a perfect fit for us, but seeing the big picture, we realize that road was a dead-end, it was leading to nowhere.  that traffic jam you got caught in, you were so stressed out;  it was saving you from an accident.  that person that walked out on you, it’s very painful;  but if they hadn’t left, you wouldn’t meet the right person God has in your future.  quit fighting against everything you don’t like;  it’s not happening to you, it’s happening for you.  when you’re at rest, you’re passing the test.  don’t fight your delays, inconveniences, when you get caught by that train;  you may not understand it, but God knows what He’s doing, He can see the big picture.  dare to trust Him.

Proverbs 20:24 (TLB)

Since the Lord is directing our steps, why try to understand everything that happens along the way?

you may never know why you had a delay, disappointment, setback, but when you really believe that the Creator of the universe has you in the palm of His hand, then you can stay in peace even when you don’t understand it.  that’s what faith is all about.  some of the very things that we fight against, that frustrate us, God has ordained them to keep us from accident and harm;  they’re called divine delays, your plans are interrupted on purpose.  since the Lord is directing our steps, don’t fight it.  it’s not always going to make sense.  some of you are always fighting, worried, uptight, don’t like where you are, don’t like the job, don’t like the people;  why don’t you try a different approach?  this will save you alot of frustration;  embrace where you are, even when it’s uncomfortable, even when you don’t like it, stay in peace, keep a good attitude.  when you do that, God is using it to your advantage.  you’re growing, developing character, it’s positioning you for the amazing future God has in store.  if you will enter into this rest, and not fight against everything, you’ll not only enjoy your life more, you’re going to step into the fullness of your destiny.  God is gonna take you further than you’ve imagined, opening doors that no man can shut.  you’re going to overcome every obstacle, accomplish every dream, and become everything God created you to be.

God affects the physical to give me a sign

God influences people and events, and gives various kinds of signs, but I don’t often see Him directly affect the physical world.  Today He did!!

There’s someone who’s very dear to my heart that I’ve had faith that God would be bringing back into my life.  There have been many of what have seemed to me to be clear signs about this…  but a fanatical enough skeptic can call anything a coincidence or wishful thinking, and because I know how easy it is to see what you want to see, there’s always that little voice saying “maybe you’re kidding yourself.”

Recently, there has been an eye-popping avalanche of this person’s name appearing everywhere I look.  It’s been going on for weeks, and then it took a mind-blowing turn:  On 5-7, at 8PM, I scanned down my Zap2it page to see what would be on my many TV channels;  there are 29 pages of listings, and I scrolled all the way to the bottom.  I had a flash of thought about maybe doing a search for that name in the listings, but declined;  it feels like cheating if I go looking for it.  I went to a different window (my inbox).  I went back to the Zap2it page a little later, and…  somehow it had gone from the 29th page to the 4th page, and lined up right at my eye level was…  a show with that name in it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There was no other living creature in the house.

I had not consumed any alcohol or other psychoactive substances (then or ever).

There is of course no way to scroll around on a page other than the one that is uppermost, either accidentally or on purpose.

It’s physically impossible for that listing to have been shifted even ONE page, much less 25.

For maybe an hour after this happened, I felt…  I don’t really have words to describe it.  A strong feeling of…  perception.  I was saying out loud, “God, I feel you.”  It was different from any of the other feelings I’d had from Him before.  It was a sort of sensitive, chills, trembling feeling, not literally chilled or trembling, but as if I had very heightened perceptions that were strongly picking up on…  well, some aspect of God, obviously, but…  whatever it was, it was so powerful that if there had been any doubt that His hand was behind this the feeling would have eliminated all doubt.

There’s no confusion as to what happened here;  God, Who is not constrained by the limits of technology, chose this method to show me that, yes, the freaky appearances of the name ARE a sign.  Someone I love and miss is coming back.  SOON.

630 hits!!!!

June 3 was a banner day;  it was only 5 weeks ago that I reported my previous all-time high, 359 hits on April 24, which seemed like it’d be on top for a while, and then today…  well, you read the title, lol.

I don’t have anything profound to say here;  all I can do is keep thanking God.  Google updated Penguin on 5-22, after which my hits started being over 200 per day…  but WHY would that update give this little blog a boost?  Granted that my posts are about the most important topic in the universe, but there are lots of other blogs that can say the same thing, so…?  I’ve gotten more hits from Facebook and Twitter…  maybe that’s the reason? Much as I’d like to know, I have faith that God will reveal it when the time is right.

To all who come here regularly, and/or refer others to visit me;  thank you!!  :-)

Releasing the full you

from JO’s sermon tonight:

on the inside of each one of us is a blessed, prosperous, victorious person.  this person is free from addictions, bad habits.  they’re secure, confident, talented, creative, disciplined, focused.  but just because they’re in you doesn’t mean they’re automatically going to come out;  they have to be released.  Paul said:

Romans 12:2 (NIV)

² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

that word “transformed” in the original language is “metamorpho”;  it’s where we get our word “metamorphose.”  we know how a caterpillar metamorphoses into a butterfly.  this is saying, “if you’ll get your thoughts going in the right direction, and not dwell on negative, condemning, not-able-to thoughts, but program your mind with what God says about you, then a transformation will take place.”  the little caterpillar starts off as one of the most unattractive insects, it’s very plain, nothing really special about it, but God predestined it to go through a transformation. it forms a cocoon, this metamorphosis starts to take place;  it’s a process, little by little it changes.  one day it begins to push out of the cocoon;  a leg, wing, head comes out, before long it’s totally free from the cocoon.  it goes from being one of the most plain insects to being one of the most beautiful, colorful, graceful insects.  instead of having to crawl on the ground, squirm around, now it can fly wherever it wants to go.  we all start off as worms, so to speak;  our thoughts, without being retrained, naturally gravitate toward the negative.  we think, “I can’t take that promotion, I’m not qualified. I’ll never rise much higher, I come from the wrong family.  I’ve made too many mistakes, God could never bless me.”  those are wormy thoughts.

but just because we start that way doesn’t mean that we ‘re supposed to finish that way;  God has predestined us to go through a transformation, from a worm that crawls and barely gets by to a beautiful butterfly that soars.  here’s the key;  it’s not up to God, it’s up to us.  the only way to release your butterfly is to get your thinking in line with God’s word.  what will keep you in your cocoon?  ”I’ll never lose this weight, my business isn’t going to get off the ground, I’m not a good parent”;  those thoughts will keep the full you from coming out.  you have to realize, there is a great parent already in you, just waiting to be released. if you’re going to see your metamorphose take place, you’ve gotta be convinced, “in me right now is a great father, mother, I’m gonna renew my mind to get them out.”  you may be struggling with an addiction, but in you right now is a person that’s totally free.  you may be down in your finances, business is slow, but in you right now is a person that lends and not borrows, the head and not the tail. if you’ll just keep renewing your mind, agreeing with what God says about you, it’s just a matter of time before that person comes out.

when the thoughts tell you, “you’re never going to change, it’s never going to get any better,” no, just remind yourself, “I’m being transformed, my metamorphose has already begun”;  that’s how you release the full you.  some people have incredible talent, so much to offer, the problem is, they’ve never gone through their transformation;  they’re allowing the same negative recording to play in their mind all day long.  your life is going to follow your thoughts;  if you think you’ve reached your limits, then you have.  if you don’t think you can break that addiction, then you won’t.  you have to change your thinking.  some of you have been in your cocoon way too long.  God is ready to take you to a new level;  He’s ready to release a new wave of His favor.  you gotta rise up and say, “that’s it, I’m done thinking these wormy thoughts, it’s my time to be transformed.  I know I am forgiven, redeemed, talented, creative, disciplined, well able.”  that’s not just being positive, that’s renewing your mind. when you do that, part of your wing is coming out of the cocoon;  you keep that up, and before long you’ll release the full you.  you’ll be transformed into a beautiful butterfly, soaring to places that you’ve never dreamed of.

people will try to keep you in your cocoon, tell you what you can’t do, can’t become.  some people are still kinda squirming around, but God has destined you to soar;  there is a butterfly in you, victory, freedom, excellence, it’s all on the inside, but you’ve gotta do your part and go through the transformation.  a lot of us, we were programmed by the people that raised us, or by what somebody has spoken over us;  maybe they were good people, but now that programming is limiting us.  as long as you think that you’ve gone as far as you can, then you’ll stay in your cocoon.  if you think, “I can’t break this addiction, I’ve had it too long, I’ll never get well, I’m not that good of a parent,” that’s going to keep your butterfly from being released.  the transformation takes place when you renew your mind, program your thinking with what God says about you.  God says:

Proverbs 4:18 (HCSB)

¹⁸ The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
shining brighter and brighter until midday.

all through the day, “I’m rising higher, I haven’t seen my best days, something good is going to happen to me.”  as you meditate on that, day in and day out,  you’re breaking out of that cocoon.  people may have spoken negative things over you;  people don’t determine your destiny.  you are not who people say you are, you are who God says you are.  people have told you what you can’t do, what you’re not going to become, no, let me tell you who you really are:  God says you are blessed, talented, valuable, confident, hand-picked by the Creator of the universe.  quit dwelling on what people say you are, and program your mind with who God says you are.  on the inside of you right now is a victorious, successful, not average, not mediocre, world-changer, history-maker, just waiting to break out.  I’m asking you to release the full you.  you are destined to leave your mark on our generation. there is no limit to what God can do in you and through you, when you reprogram your thinking and start believing that you’re blessed, valuable, one of a kind, more than a conqueror.

when you renew your mind, transformations take place.  the enemy doesn’t fight you for where you are, he fights you for where you’re going.  he would love to keep you in your cocoon, thinking these wormy thoughts.  he doesn’t want you break out, soar, live an overcoming life, he wants you to struggle, be insecure, be burdened by addictions and bad habits.  it all starts in our mind;  if he can control your thoughts, he can control your whole life.  what I’m asking you to do is, all through the day, “I can do all things through Christ, I am strong in the Lord, if God be for me, who dare be against me?”  maybe you’re not totally out yet, but don’t get discouraged, God is still working on you.  every day you think the right thoughts, you are breaking out of that cocoon a little bit more.  at the right time, you’re gonna take off, and God is gonna take you places that you could never go on your own. God wanted Gideon to lead the people of Israel against an opposing army, but Gideon had all these wormy thoughts;  he was stuck in his cocoon.  then one day:

Judges 6:12 (AMP)

¹² And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, The Lord is with you, you mighty man of [fearless] courage.

I can imagine Gideon looking around, thinking, “Who is he talking about?  I am not a “mighty man of [fearless] courage.”"   Gideon was afraid, intimidated, insecure.  but notice;  God didn’t call him what he was, God called him what he could become.  God sees your potential, knows what you’re capable of.  you may feel weak, but God calls you strong.  you may be intimidated, but God calls you confident.  you may feel less-than;  God calls you well-able.  if the angel of the Lord were to appear to you today, he would say the same thing he said to Gideon, “hello, you mighty man/woman of fearless courage.”  get in agreement with God;  start believing what He says about you.  Gideon answered the angel back:

Judges 6:15 (AMP)

¹⁵ Gideon said to Him, Oh Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Behold, my clan is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

notice those wormy thoughts;  a lot of times we do the same thing, “I can’t do anything great, I’m not that talented, if I was a different nationality, had a better personality, if I hadn’t made so many mistakes”…  get rid of the excuses.  you are equipped, empowered, you already have everything you need to fulfill your destiny, it’s in you right now. now you gotta do your part to bring it out.  God your Creator can see things in you that other people cannot see.  sometimes, people will try to push you down, make you feel insignificant. sometimes our own thoughts will try to convince us that we don’t measure up. but God looks beyond the surface, mistakes we’ve made, what somebody said about you, and God sees your incredible value.  you may think, “I messed up, I’ve blown it, I failed, I’m all washed up,” no, God still sees the eagle in you.  God doesn’t just see what you are, He sees what you can become.  now you’ve gotta do your part;  get rid of those condemning thoughts, what somebody has spoken over you, and start renewing your mind.  down deep, start believing that you are redeemed, restored, talented, valuable.  even if you have made mistakes, believe that you can still release the full you.  God can still get you to where He wants you to be.

Jacob didn’t have a lot of character, he was dishonest, cheated people, tricked his brother out of his birthright.  he had a lot of flaws, but God doesn’t judge the way we judge, God doesn’t look on the outside, God looks at the heart.  even when we make mistakes, God doesn’t write us off, He doesn’t say, “you had your shot, you’re done,” no, God alway gives us another chance.  why?  because God can see the butterfly in the worm;  He can even see a champion in a failure.  but it’s up to us;  the ony way the transformation will take place is you have to believe that you’re forgiven, there’s mercy for every mistake, you are who God says you are.

Micah 4:9

… Is there not a king in you…

I believe God is saying the same thing to each one of us;  ”there’s a king in you.”  you may have made mistakes, but the king is still in you.  you may have gone through disappointments, people may have treated you unfairly, you missed good opportunities, but let these words sink deep down into your spirit;  ”the king/queen is still in you.”  you need to put your shoulders back, hold your head up high, carry yourself with confidence;  you have royal blood flowing through your veins, you are wearing a crown of favor.  I’m not lookin’ at ordinary people, I’m lookin’ at royalty, children of the most high God.  you’ve gotta start calling out that king, queen, release what God put on the inside.  ”this is not for me today, I’ve made lots of mistakes, I’ve lived a rough life,” no, that didn’t change what God put in you.  you couldn’t be any worse than Jacob;  he failed again and again. but God’s mercy is from everlasting to everlasting, it never runs out;  God will never give up on you.  God kept working on Jacob;  his name literally meant “deceiver,” so:

Genesis 35:10 (NIV)

¹⁰ God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel.

“Israel” means “prince with God”;  he went from being called a cheater to being called a king.  now, when somebody said, “hello, Israel,” they were saying, “hello, king”;  they were calling out his seeds of greatness, prophesying, reminding him who he really was.  some of you, the only thing that’s holding you back is your thoughts towards yourself;  you’re focused on your mistakes, how you blew it, didn’t measure up, you’ve gotta reprogram your thinking, get rid of those wormy thoughts.  all through the day, “I am redeemed, restored, royalty, more than a conqueror.”  today is going to be the start of some transformations;  some metamorphoses are about to take place.  you need to get ready:  talent is going to come out of you that you didn’t know you had, strongholds of inferiority are being broken, you’re going to feel a new boldness, confidence to step into the fullness of your destiny.  some of you have one wing out, and that’s good, but God doesn’t want you to stay in your cocoon;  He didn’t create you to squirm, He created you to soar.  it’s time to get the other wing out;  if you will start renewing your mind, programing it with what God says about you, then you’re going to release the full you.  I’m calling out the confident, successful, blessed, talented, disciplined, excellent you.  the king, eagle, butterfly in you is coming out.  you’re not gonna stay where you are, you’re being transformed, you’re going to soar and go places you could have never gotten to on your own.

The sword is also God

I’d seen previously that the sword that showed up in my dreams and in signs is God’s word, as posted in “The sword is His word!!!!!” from 9-9-12:

 

“Yesterday’s post, “So, what DOES the sword mean?,” was an attempt to collect all the sword references I’d had and figure out what the sword meant;  I failed.  And having failed, I asked God to tell me what it meant.

And today He told me!!

JO says that once you’ve done what you can, God will do what you can’t.  It’s the simple truth.  Here’s the story:

The random Bible generator had given me the following:

Ephesians 6:13 (NIV)

¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

The mention of armor excited me because it seemed entirely possible that a sword reference would be close by.  I looked up the surrounding lines;  no sword.  I had the urge to look up more lines, so I broadened the search again…  but it’s late and I’m tired and I didn’t see it.  I then had the “inexplicable urge” to do a Find for “sword” on the results page…  and there it was:

Ephesians 6:17 (NIV)

¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

 

And then this was the daily Bible verse from dailybibleverse.com

Deuteronomy 33:29 (NIV)

²⁹ Blessed are you, Israel!
    Who is like you,
    a people saved by the Lord?
He is your shield and helper
    and your glorious sword.
Your enemies will cower before you,
    and you will tread on their heights.”

This is probably theological hair-splitting, but especially given yesterday’s post asking what the Spirit is and what it does, it just felt right to record this new bit.

Over 5000 hits for May!!

6 months ago, I 1st broke 1000 hits to this blog in a month.  For May, I just broke *5000*!!  (5414, to be exact, so it was almost halfway to 6000.)  Keep in mind that I only got 128 hits my entire first YEAR!!  I used to check Feedjit once a week to see if I’d gotten a hit.

I also broke the 25,000 hits milestone yesterday.

Last week, I broke 1400 hits in a week for the first time.

I’ve been beating 150 hits/day, and then 200 hits/day, in the past few weeks.

I do absolutely nothing to promote this blog, not even posting other places with this ID.  The content has not changed.  So why am I getting so many more hits?  Not hard to guess.  WHY is He doing this, other than to make me happy?  I dunno, maybe that’s all there is to it…  but He is notoriously efficient with the actions He takes, so it wouldn’t surprise me if there ends up being another, as yet unforeseen, benefit to this very flattering interest in my little PageRank 1 blog.