To them that love God!

Romans 8:28 “And we know all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

Who is it that all things work together for the good? Those who love God. That’s you and I friend, as children of God and followers of Christ. I was reading in this chapter and it speaks of two different loves. God’s love toward us and our’s toward Him. It’s our love for God that fuels an agreement that produces good in our life. And that word love can actually be translated in the Greek to mean to breathe after. Breath represents the sustenance of life. And those that love God, placing their dependence on Him, breathing after and having their lives sustained only by Him, shall see all things work together for their good!

The second translation that I discovered was  to dote upon. And to dote implies a foolish indulgence or overindulgence for somebody, being unable to tell them no. It speaks of going beyond moderation! It’s a radical love for a radical God and this is the love that you and I are capable of. When was the last time you were improper in your demonstration of love toward Him? When was the last time someone told you that you were just over the edge for God…giving too much of yourself, your time, your money, your life to meet His desires? That’s a question all of us should be asking. Do something unusual for God. Go ahead and release all things to work together for your good!

Perhaps you find yourself reading this and wondering, what if I don’t love God enough for all things to work together for my good? How can I ever possibly love Him enough when truthfully, I don’t always feel loving? Well, how many times have you heard that love is a choice? It is and in this particular passage, another translation for that same word love is choice. It literally means a deliberate, intentional acceptance or agreement of our thinking with His thinking, our doing with His doing and our being with His being. The greatest demonstration of our love toward God is in the choices we make. Literally, when we chose Him and prefer Him over every other option, that my friend is to love Him.

Thank you Lord that we have this honor and privilege of knowing you and especially loving you. Thank you that we can love because you first loved us and thank you for the benefits of loving you. You love us and it amazes me that it’s our love for you turns your head. You are worthy of all of my love and all of my adoration and I offer it to you, even when it seems broken. I chose you Lord! Amen.

 

 

The “Am I?” Delimma

I was doing some studying and did a quick reference on the word characteristics. It means defining feature: a feature or quality that makes somebody or something recognizable.

I heard Father ask this question. Will they even recognize Me?  

I have been searching myself on this one. My thoughts, my heart, my desires, my actions, behaviors and even my “look”. What are my defining features? What defines Stacey? For years now God has been working on my identity crisis. Delivering me from a works mentality to a grace mentality.   I thought I knew who I was and really didn’t. Doing and being are two very different things and life has been a true reality check for me as of late.  I thought I was making progress on this.  I hadn’t heard from Father on this subject for a while and then He pops the question.  So, it’s back to the drawing book.  (Or maybe just the Book!)

It should come as no surprise that pastor is leading us in this direction. That Father’s voice is being heard clearly through her. That once again, He is saying to us, I AM.

Father told Moses, “I AM that I AM” and Jesus in John 8:58, said these words, “Before Abraham was, I AM.”  What statement am I making? I have a dilemma. Father’s life makes a statement like that and I’ve been walking around and seemingly, the only statement I ‘m conveying is “Am I?” 

The I AM…He is this….

I am the Alpha and the Omega. The First and the Last. The Beginning and the End. The One who Was and Is and Is to come! Yes and Amen. The same yesterday, today and forever.

I am love and I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have set my love upon you. I am your friend.

I am Savior, Redeemer, Deliverer.

I am Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of paths to dwell in.

I am the Way the Truth and the Life. I am the way of escape!

I am My children’s bread. I am the Healer.

I am Peace. I am Mercy. I am Grace. I am the forgiveness of your sins. I am Compassion.

I am Salt. I am Light.

I am your life and the length of your days.

I am the Great Shepherd. I lead you and guide you into all truth.

I am Righteous. I am Holy!

I am your Refuge. Your strong tower! The righteous run into Me and they are safe.

I am your exceedingly great reward!

I am Hope. I am your expected end! .

Now, with characteristics like that (and this short list doesn’t even begin to describe all that He is),  I have to ask the question,  Am I?

Yes.

John 17:17-23

Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth. Just as You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.  And so for their sake and on their behalf I sanctify (dedicate, consecrate) Myself, that they also may be sanctified (dedicated, consecrated, made holy) in the Truth.  Neither for these alone do I pray [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for all those who will ever come to believe in (trust in, cling to, rely on) Me through their word and teaching,  That they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me.  I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one:  I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me.

 

HoneyCombing

  Recently during a time of personal supplication, I was reading from Proverbs 16:24 (NCV).  “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, making people happy and healthy.”

Word by word I studied and ended up just hung up on one word.  Ever been there?  That word was honeycomb.  We all know what a honeycomb is, or we think we do but there’s more.  

To make a long story short,  I spent alot of time declaring that I am a “honeycomber” that week, as well as praying it over my pastor and the leaders at World Lightouse and had forgotten about it until I spoke with Pastor Sharon this morning.  Then it all came flooding back and so here I am.  I couldn’t take the swell…I’m just overflowing with honey…again!

What is a honeycomber? you might ask.  Well, to honeycomb is to to penetrate into every part, fill, subvert or weaken.  “Honeycombers” are  agents sent in to penetrate, breakthrough and infiltrate for the purpose of weakening and subverting the plan of the enemy.  I love, love, love that word subvert.  It means to overturn or overthrow from the foundation.  And what is the honeycomb according to Proverbs 16:24?  Pleasant words or in my interpretation, good words! The Good News! The Gospel of Jesus Christ!  And just like He was the word that became flesh and dwelt among us…we are as He is.  We remain in this earth with the same assignment and that’s to get the Word out!

Anytime we declare the word, whether by prayer, warfare (saying to the mountain), deliverance (addressing & casting out demons), edification, or even by demonstration of the Word’s presence in our lives, it will penetrate, infiltrate and change things.  It will overturn and overthrow, subverting the plans of the enemy.   

As I came upon this new revelation, Father showed me a picture of the honeycomb.  I don’t ordinarily post pictures but today I did because I want you to see what I saw.  There are six sides to the honeycomb ( that little “pod” that holds the honey). It’s a six sided container to hold the gold!  Not only that but it protects what has been conceived because that honeycomb also serves as the womb of the Queen bee.  

The number six represents man.  You and I are created to hold that precious, life giving honey.  We set the flow in the land.  And as intercessors, we should be the spiritual womb for our pastor’s  vision.  We should pray until we see it birthed out. 

Could it  even be a possibility that that honeycomb can’t be filled with sweet honey until the incubator is empty?  Perhaps the sweet flow of honey  that we so often experience comes from an emptying of ourselves as we , as armorbearers, see another mans vision come to pass.  It would seem that it’s almost simultaneous.  Just a thought.  A Holy Ghost interjection as I write!

So go…honeycomb!

 

PAY ATTENTION

Recently, I caught sight of a commercial and I couldn’t really even tell you what it was about. But what caught my eye were the words, “PAY ATTENTION” in big red letters. Immediately, Father began speaking to me about this and said to me, “attention is very costly”.

I began to investigate.

To pay. What does that mean?

1. IN THE PAY OF SOMEBODY EMPLOYED BY SOMEBODY

Do we employ attention? If to pay is to invest in someone for the purposes of employment, to give what is due to them for the services they have rendered us; shouldn’t we then be employing attention? Shouldn’t we be investing in it or investing it? Attention should work for us. So many times recently, God has been saying “focus” and we think that distraction is a lack of focus. But it is not. Distraction is attention redirected. Distraction simply interferes with or diverts our concentration.

In order for something to be from “concentrate”, it means that it is a pure substance. There is a strength in the concentrate because it has not been diluted. In fact, it has been made separate from all other substances…making it pure.

To concentrate also means to “think intensely”. To do this, all thoughts and mental activity are focused on one subject, usually in silence. All attention, time and resources are directed to that one thing and only that thing and of course, the one I am talking about is our Lord Jesus Christ and the Word.

In terms of education, when one majors in any subject, that is what they are “concentrating” on or investing themselves in to the fullest degree. To major in Jesus and to minor in everything else. That’s true focus. We should all be majoring on the Word of God.

2. PAY THE PRICE FOR OR TO SUFFER CONSEQUENCES OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE DONE

I read this definition and what comes to mind is that every “attention” brings a consequence. It has everything to do with cause and effect!

3. PUT PAID TO

Attention is key to receiving, when something is “paid”, it is in our possession. Whatever we pay attention to, we own and what’s even more dangerously…it could own us!

4. “PAY THROUGH THE NOSE” OR TO PAY AN EXORBITANT SUM FOR GOODS OR SERVICES

 

A while back I had a dream about someone and in this dream, they had a very long nose. I had forgotten about this dream until this moment but to me, it speaks of this very thing. The person in this dream is someone I esteem very highly. A true leader who had done just what this speaks of. She has paid an exorbitant amount, a great price, going beyond what many would think to be “proper”, not to be served but in order to serve. She has paid a price in her “focus” but what she has received in return is evident! You can see God’s favor on her life and in her ministry. Countless lives have been changed because of her willingness to pay attention.

5. Something else I unearthed as I was studying this was the term “PAY DIRT”.

 a. potentially profitable discovery: a discovery or idea that is likely to be useful or profitable

b. deposit worth mining: gravel, sand, earth, or ore that is worth mining

Reading this, Father lovingly told me that I am pay dirt. You are pay dirt! We all are! And He has placed great worth in each of us!　

6. Attention speaks of formal military posture: a formal standing attitude assumed by members of the armed forces in drill and often when receiving orders, with feet together, eyes forward, and arms at the sides.

We see this same “standing attitude” described in the Word.

 

1Kings 10: 4,5 & 8

When the Queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom and skill, the house he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his officials, the standing at attention of his servants and their apparel, his cup bearers, his ascent by which he went up to the house of the Lord for the burnt offerings he sacrificed, she was breathless and overcome. Happy are your men! Happy are these your servants who stand continually before you, hearing your wisdom.

There is an apparel that comes from standing at attention and posturing ourselves continually before the Lord. Happy are those who hear His wisdom!

 

In Subjection

It’s been snowing and while it was piling up by the foot, seemingly, there came a “stand still”.  During my time of study, the Lord brought me to this passage in Job.  I wasn’t looking for the words “snow” or “severe weather” but nothing happens by coincidence. 

God is saying something…

Job 37:1-7

INDEED, [at His thunderings] my heart also trembles and leaps out of its place.

Hear, oh, hear the roar of His voice and the sound of rumbling that goes out of His mouth!

Under the whole heaven He lets it loose, and His lightning to the ends of the earth.

After it His voice roars; He thunders with the voice of His majesty, and He restrains not [His lightnings against His adversaries] when His voice is heard.

God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend.

For He says to the snow, Fall on the earth; likewise He speaks to the showers and to the downpour of His mighty rains.

God seals up (stops, brings to a standstill by severe weather) the hand of every man [and now under His seal their hands are forced to inactivity], that all men whom He has made may know His doings (His sovereign power and their subjection to it).

 

Perish the Thought!

PERISH THE THOUGHT! 

This is a term used to indicate that something is too terrible to be thought of!

I think that we need to use this term way more often than we do! How often do we despise thoughts that are in obvious opposition to God’s will for our lives?  Thoughts that can be defined as condemnation and damnation that would minister death to us once again. How about thoughts of sickness, poverty or even torment that would seek to rob of us our health, prosperity and peace? Or perhaps depressive or oppressive, tormenting thoughts, sent to suppress and diminish our God given joy!

We often don’t deal with thoughts as we should.   Because you see, if we consider it in only terms of ourselves, a thought would seem minute. But in truth, thoughts are not just an attack on us individually. On a much larger scale, they are an army dispatched against the Kingdom of God.  If given dominion in one life, they can take ground.  But if we do our part individually, to keep enemy thoughts at bay, as a body, we can go much further. His Kingdom can come and His will be done!

2 Corinthians 10:4 & 5 says that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (PHYSICAL) but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.”

What the enemy doesn’t want us to know is that our thoughts are a severe weapon! They are impressive in size…so much bigger than his! We’ve got the big guns!

And we are to use those thoughts (vs. 5) “Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”

In Luke 10:18, Jesus describes the moment that Satan brought his imaginations and high thoughts before God. He saw him fall “as lightning” from heaven! He was “cast down” and was subject to God. That same power has been given to us friend!  When Satan brings thoughts to us, he is once again bringing them to God.

Luke 10:19 says, Behold (see it!), I give unto you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall be any means hurt you.

See, the very same power has been given to us. To cast Satan down again and again as he presents imaginations and thoughts that, if received, can harm us.

It’s interesting to note here that the word scorpion is related to skeptic or skepticism. Doubting the truth.

And serpent refers to cunning or malicious. Cunning is deceitfulness but is dangerous because it is “attractive” or almost “pleasant” but with malicious intent. These are subtle thoughts that are deliberately harmful to us.

We are to tread these down. And tread has a two fold meaning. If we are to tread on something, that means that we are moving forward and unhindered in proceeding in the things of God.  A tread also is the horizontal part of the staircase. We have been given the power to come up higher in the things of God!

Now for Luke 10:20, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

What I believe the Lord was saying here was not to rejoice or find our happiness in the fact that the demons are subject to us but to rejoice that we are in position! We only have this authority from a place of salvation. The place that only He can provide for us! You can’t cast something down when you are on the same level!

Thank you Father that my name is written in heaven. That you have brought me up higher in You. Thank you that every thought can be taken care of and from this place, nothing can hurt me! You are great and greatly to be praised! There is none like in you. Everything in heaven and earth and under this earth must declare your Lordship and your majesty and is subject to only you! I love you Lord! Thank you for loving me! In Jesus name! Amen!

　

　

　

 

Fainting Spells

For weeks now, God has been speaking to me about being faint. I had thought I recently blogged on this but didn’t. A bit of a blogging haze, if you will but then I remembered that I shared with a friend what God had been saying…commenting on her blog. I’ve copied and pasted to help you know where I am coming from.

 If I may as well. Since last week, I was pressing into God concerning this very thing. Joy…where is it? Many times, it is insuppressible when I am in the word, studying and spending time with Father. So daily, we should experience that. But recently, I find that lid placed on it, as you have so beautifully stated and also asked why and this is the passage that Father gave me. Romans 15:13, “Now the God of hope fill you with joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

I realized that, just as you said, there comes a time when we begin to lose our joy and peace in believing. “Disappointment” and just as God stated yesterday…”weariness” becomes a tare. I never even considered that weariness would “grow up” in our harvest fields until that point, but it does. It’s the cares of life…choking out and at best, delaying or diminishing our harvest. So, I have made this my prayer recently, “Father, you are my hope. Fill me with joy and peace in believing that I may abound in hope through the power of Holy Ghost!”

I began searching, wanting Holy Spirit to reveal any thing to me that may cause me to become faint. You see, being faint is not a physical ailment. It’s a mental ailment and it can be fatal, especially to God’s dreams and desires for us.

Hebrews 12:3 “For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds.”

God took me to an account that all of us are familiar with to help me to understand just how lethal a “fainting spell” can be. I’ll ask you the question Father asked me.

WHY DID ESAU TRADE HIS BIRTHRIGHT FOR THE CHILI?

 He was not hungry! I know that could be controversial and we have certainly heard it preached that way but the Word says nothing of hunger. Nothing. He was faint.

Read for yourself.

Genesis 25:21-34

And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them. And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob. And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

And why was he faint? The answer is in what was going through his mind. Read verse 34 again.   “…thus Esau despised his birthright.”

He literally hated what was to be for him. He despised his destiny. His contempt was with his Maker. His qualm was with the Word…the prophecy.

Just take yourself there for a moment. Rebekah had two children within her and one day, there they were, writhing inside of her. She could sense the internal war and it was a fight she couldn’t intervene. And then the word came and what a magnificent word it was!

“Rebekah, two nations are in your womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from they bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger.”

They came forth and the first was named Esau and the younger, Jacob because he grasped the heel of the first born.

Can’t you just see them? At bedtime, their mother would call them to her knees. “Come my boys, hear what God has said about you.” And when they lay in their beds recalling the words, Esau had heard, “You, you’re the weak one. You are faint! The second rate servant.” And as he lay there, he said, “What good is a birthright anyway? What’s so special about Jacob anyway? Why am I not? There is nothing for me!” And when he awoke, those words continued to speak with him.

And Jacob, “I knew I should have been first! I’m the strong one! Just wait and see. It’s gonna happen.” And he imagined how and contrived, until his heart was content.

Finally the day came. Esau had admitted that he was faint. That’s what the prophesy said right? One people shall be stronger than the other? This must be it!

“Hey Esau, you said you want some stew? Let’s just take care of this thing here and now. You been thinking any more about what Mama said? How about a birth right? It’s time to serve it up to me! It’s pay time.”

And Esau, “Might as well. There is no promise for me anyway.”

My question is this. How had they interpreted the prophecy given to their mother to mean that all of the inheritance that was to be given to the first born would be given to the second? It didn’t say that at all but that is what they believed. Maybe there was another interpretation.

There are two nations in your womb. Two promise lands. Two manner of people and when they come forth, they will be unique in their gifting and callings. One of them shall be stronger than the other and the older shall serve the younger.

(I don’t know but maybe they could have entertained that the reason that one must be stronger is because that would be what it would take for the older to truly serve the younger. Just an idea.)

God didn’t say who was the stronger or who was the weaker. God didn’t say anything about favorites. He didn’t say he preferred the stronger to the weaker or the younger over the oldest. He just said, “this is the order”.

God has put order in all of our lives. And like it or not, that is the divine plan for each of us, whether we are the stronger or the weaker, the older or younger.

If we are fainting, what then is the solution?

Well, taking one more look at the word faint. It means to lose consciousness briefly: to become unconscious, especially for a short time because of a reduction in the flow of blood to the brain.

It’s good to continually renew our mind, allowing the blood flow over our minds.  It’s also good to note that Jesus bled for the faint..

Luke 22:44 says, “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

Just what questions were coming to Jesus about his birthright? Was he not the stronger sent to serve the weaker?

And we see here that even his disciples were found having a “fainting spell”. Take a look at Luke 22:45-46. “And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow (fainting?), And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.”

#1. Rise and pray!

We can also look to 2 Corinthians for help as well.

2 Corinthians 4:13, “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed and therefore have I spoken. We also believe, and therefore we speak…”

2 Corinthians 4:15 & 16, “For all these things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many may redound to the glory of God. For this cause we faint not. For though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”

#2. As we continue to believe and speak what God has said belongs to us, the abundant grace through thanksgiving, will redound to the glory of God! Thanksgiving is key and grace will cause us to redound to the glory of God!

That word redound is amazing! It means to recover from a setback and move back to a previous or higher level or position.

Grace will never fail us friend! It will cause always cause us to recover from every setback or fainting spell and will restore us to our rightful place in God‘s plan for our life and to His glory! All we need do is repent.

I see several things on the prophetic horizon.

1. There is coming a repentance of despising the birthright. Jacob & Esau are about to be reunited.

2. I see the older gaining strength in the coming season and the younger taking rank.

3. I see true servanthood returning to the church.

4. Religious dysfunctional favoritism is about to be exposed and dealt with and Father’s favoritism is about to be revealed and restored to the church.

5. Birthrights are about to be restored on a personal level, in the church and on national level as well.

 

I’m In Unfailing Love

© Stacey Blubaugh

 

I don’t know where I was when He found me

I was lost in my own world

Spending my time, my strength, my all

Wasting precious love on only me.

 

I’d married lies, lust, greed and pride

My very sin, my greatest friend

But when I felt His gaze upon me

He brought me to my end.

 

I’m in unfailing love

And it happened at first sight

At the sound of His voice

I gave my heart, my soul, my might

 

I’m in unfailing love

It was always meant to be.

For before I ever knew Him

His every thought was of me.

 

We walked along the seashore

He said these sands are here for you.

My thoughts of you…these grains combined

Eternally yours, these sands of time.

 

Yes, I’m in unfailing love.

He’ll love me for all time.

I’m in unfailing love.

For evermore He’s mine.

 

Teach me how to love like You.

Make my heart wholly Yours.

I’ll yield my every thought, my words and all I’ll ever do

Just in this unfailing love, make me more like You!

 

Make my life like sands of time.

Give me a heart that’s true.

Let every thought, word, deed combine

And be my unfailing love for You.