Positioning for a miracle?
Lessons from Hannah & others whom Jesus healed.

How many years do you think Hannah was barren?  One clue we have is in verse 7 of 1 Samuel:

This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.

10 years?
15 years?
20 years?

Another clue is there was enough time for her rival Peninnah to have many sons and daughters,
​1 Samuel 1:

4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb.

The account of Hannah's suffering reveals it took a toll.  She became emotionally distressed and embittered, 

1 Samuel 1:10- And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.

It's reasonable to assume Hannah had an extended season of waiting.  A season that seriously tried her soul, made her especially sorrowful during annual worship feasts, and caused her to reject the kindness of her husband.  

Maybe you relate.

Are you in a season of waiting that is deeply affecting your worship, your closest relationships?  Do you need healing?  What is or who is a thorn in your side during the waiting?

What did Hannah do?  How did she position?  What did she say to God?  How can we glean wisdom and hope from her account?  

In the 2nd episode of my new podcast (Knowing Jesus with Gina), I'm looking at Hannah, and also noticing similar details in a majority of healing miracles from Jesus.  

What can you learn?  Are you to reposition?  What things can you open up to that you've not tried before?  How can you soften and open up to the LORD, to deepen in trust and His love?  

I pray that you listen to the episode.  Try taking notes.  Try pausing to write down  interactive questions that I present to you.  Have your bible.  Become familiar with the her story.  Go beyond what I present to you, and read the full account of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1 and 2:1-10.  

And notice the New Testament healings of Jesus.  We're to observe that what she did is also found in the behavior and words of others who received miracles from Jesus.  You'll hear me review some of them.  I counted 34 instances within 23 miracles of common behaviors and actions of the one receiving the miracle.

Be wise, slow down, pursue, and position the way they did.  

Hebrews 11:6- But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

I'll keep going with the healing theme in the next episode!

Have you thought about the fact that some of the most painful things Christ endured happened to His face?

Would you ever slap your parent?  Spit in their face?  Has anyone ever spit in your face?  Has anyone ever blindfolded you and beaten you and mocked you?  

Matthew 22:67-68 Then they spit in His face and struck Him. Others slapped Him and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who hit You?”

The WORD of God repeatedly calls for us to seek His face.

Psalm 27: 7-9 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me. When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O LORD, I shall seek.”  Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation!…

Psalm 105:4- Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually.

Being able to see God’s face is blessing not accessible via any other religions!  

❤️ Christ is the only God who put on flesh so we could know God’s face; and not be afraid when gazing upon Him!  
​ 
When in the presence of God, looking at His face, we are to be without fear of punishment and unashamed of our humble and vulnerable reliance upon Him for our salvation.  

He willingly laid Himself down!  Now we have the PRIVILEGE of drawing close to God to talk, whisper, weep, confess, sing, gaze upon, and focus on Him and him alone!     
 
This is the heart of the first commandment which says, “You shall have no other gods before me.”  The literal translation of Exodus 20:3 in original Hebrew is- No other god powers will exist for you “upon my face” or “in My presence”.   

No other powers will exist when we are so consumed with gazing upon the face of Jesus!!!!!!!   

So as we consider His suffering... is it any wonder there is such abuse of His face in His walk to the cross?

Do you think that spitting in Christ's face is one of the most obviously disrespectful things that happened to Him?

What part(s) of His walk to the cross makes you wince in disgust or horror?  I wince in thinking that He was beaten repeatedly over the head.

Can you imagine beating your parent over the head?

It's horrifying to consider!!!

Yet this is what happened to our precious and Holy Savior!

What meditation will be fresh in your spirit to maybe share with a family member or a friend on Easter?  How can you help someone understand the cost of Christ's suffering?  

❓ Maybe ask them, "Can you ever imagine blindfolding and then beating (y)our parent(s) over the head while mocking and spitting upon them?"  

🤔. Shock value might open the door for a challenging conversation about Jesus' suffering that they can connect with.

Otherwise, it is upon this Good Friday that we can take a bit of time to remember the Messiah’s walk to the cross.  Enter the difficult moments.  Look at Jesus' face as he suffered and took upon himself the full wrath of God. 
 
1 Peter 4:1- Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,

If you try, it's not hard to imagine His face feeling the disgusting spit of mockers as it landed and dripped down.  Especially with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can work up in ourselves seeing his face writhing in pain as it was repeatedly struck with a reed, perhaps a nose broken or a cheek bone split from blows, a head pierced with thorns, blood dripping down, blurring his vision.  We can imagine the sounds of his cries from the repeated blows to his head; and his ears taking in the sounds of it all, especially public mocking.  His beard pulled out, his mouth dried with his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth, no water to quench desperate thirst, only his own blood to swallow.    

Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted. 

​Matthew 27: 27-31 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s residence and gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe  around him, and after braiding a crown of thorns, they put it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand, and kneeling down before him, they mocked him: “Hail, king of the Jews!” They  spat on him and took the staff and struck him repeatedly on the head. When they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

As the Good Shepherd was struck, his sheep scattered (John 10:11, Zechariah 13;7, Matthew 26:31).

While at the time of his crucifixion his followers scattered, that no longer has to be true.  

Now that we know death did not hold him, we can stay with him in that walk and look at His glorious face!  We can whisper sweet things to him and praise him!  His face is the place to undo our own words of mocking and unbelief that has reached his ears.  His grace is sufficient! 

May you be willing to meditate on aspects of Christ’s suffering.  May you be willing to admit you are one of multitude who put him on the cross, Romans 5:8.  Walk with him to the cross, see the depth of His love.  Let your heart be softened by breaking as an eye-witness, share in his grief, grieve with Him and then celebrate His glory displayed in the face of the risen Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6- For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ. 

✨. BLESSINGS BE UPON YOU AND YOURS AS YOU CELEBRATE THE RESURRECTION LIFE OF JESUS!  

LUKE 24:6-7- He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’

The ARGUMENT- JESUS NEVER DECLARED HIMSELF TO BE GOD IN THE SCRIPTURES...

✅ TRUE
OR
❌ FALSE?

If true, do you know how to prove Jesus never declared Himself as God?  

If you have confidence in the Bible, you can easily prove it as false.  You can push back on anyone who says that Jesus never declared to be God in the scriptures.  You gently push back and say, "Prove it."  They will most likely stumble over themselves or point to some false teacher like Bart Ehrman.  They will not have strong argument.  They will not be able to prove it, because the scriptures don't support their lie!  

You can prove their lie as false if you know the scriptures!

We must approach the Bible as ancient Eastern text.   We must read it in context of those ancient times and cultural relevance of those times.  

You can only do that with the help and guidance of the Spirit of truth... promised to those who humble themselves like little children.  

John 14:26- But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

In fact, the very first words Jesus preached were a declaration of Him as King bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to earth! 

When Jesus used the word "gospel" or "good news", he was saying... "turn from worshipping Caesar as the gift given... I am the son who was born, I am the King of All, the gift that brings peace to all the world..."

That one word "gospel" was only used for the worship of Caesar Augustus.  It was a false gospel, and Jesus called it out right away!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the Gospel.”- Mark 1:15
 
What time has come?  How is the kingdom of God near?  Repent and believe the Gospel?
 
Mark 1:14 clearly says he began his ministry by preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.  
 
Do you think it wild that Romans, Greeks, and Jews would have immediately recognized the word “Gospel” before Jesus?  It's pretty clever of God to have that word as common language BEFORE He began preaching!  
 
- Gospel- (Greek #2098 Bible lexicon) - euaggelion: Gospel, Good News
 
Here is THE GOSPEL OF CAESAR AUGUSTUS- verified by archaeological discovery of an ancient Priene calendar inscription found from 6BC-.

‘It seemed good to the Greeks of Asia, in the opinion of the high priest Apollonius of Menophilus Azanitus: “Since Providence, which has ordered all things and is deeply interested in our life, has set in most perfect order by giving us Augustus, whom she filled with virtue that he might benefit humankind, sending him as a savior, both for us and for our descendants, that he might end war and arrange all things, and since he, Caesar, by his appearance (excelled even our anticipations), surpassing all previous benefactors, and not even leaving to posterity any hope of surpassing what he has done, and since the birthday of the god Augustus was the beginning [arxen] of the good tidings [evangelion] for the world that came by reason of him,” which Asia resolved in Smyrna.’- https://read-scripture.com/mark-1-1-and-priene-inscription/
 
Note the false gospel- Providence is feminized… “whom she filled with virtue…”

Providence sends a savior, i.e Augustus.  

Augustus is for them and their descendants to be worshiped as god.

On the birth of Augustus, he was to be known as the “beginning of the good tidings” (beginning of the gospel) for the whole world.

It was used to announce military victories of Caesar Augustus also!  The King was to be worshipped as Victor!!!

OBSERVE:  👀 That is a lot to be said and understood by the masses, just by using one word- GOSPEL.

Meditate upon that.  Get it inside you.  Share it with doubters.  Before Jesus, 1st century hearers knew the Gospel as worship of a King!  It was royal declaration of Caesar Augustus as god and good news for the whole world.
 
Yet, here comes Jesus starting His ministry boldly declaring that He was the real Gospel!  
 
Jesus' first words to "...repent and believe the Gospel" was His bold declaration to turn from the false gospel of Augustus to the true gospel of Himself!  He was announcing he was the King bringing His heavenly kingdom.  Jesus was boldly declaring that He was the Son given who had come to bring peace on earth to all! 
 
Mark (Book of Mark), intentionally and boldly starts his gospel the same way Jesus started his preaching, declaring Jesus' royalty and heavenly victory as Messiah and Son of God.  
 
Mark 1:1- The beginning of the good news (gospel) about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God,

Point unbelievers to that scripture and Mark 1:15 and explain to them that Jesus declared Himself as God right out of the gate.  As did His disciple Mark.   
 
Mark starting his gospel that way would have been understood as bold declarations AGAINST the Roman empire. This is believed to be why Mark was dragged through the streets of Egypt shortly after releasing his gospel account!  He died a terrible death!  He didn't succumb to death in the first public dragging through the streets, but was dragged again the following day and died!  Who would endure this unless they experienced the resurrected Savior?  

When you know the cultural details of the day, the words of Jesus and the accounts of His life come alive in powerful ways!

These are the hidden details that treasure hunters seek and find!

Mark and Matthew and John were very clear who Jesus was as God, and to their deaths... proclaimed Him that way!

Don't believe lazy doubters who have never scrutinized scripture with the help of the Holy Spirit.  Never give in to those who casually say- "Jesus never declared Himself to be God in the bible".  

FALSSSSSSSSSSE!!! 
 
The full Gospel is that Jesus' birth was a royal birth through a virgin named Mary who was impregnated by the Holy Spirit. Christ was the Son who was given as the perfect sacrifice and atonement for sin.  He was the good news for all who call upon His Name.  He is Peace and Forgiveness for all men who believe.  He was the gift sent from God who suffered and paid for your sin and mine, dying a shameful death on the cross! He willingly gave Himself as payment for all of your mistakes so that you can stand perfect before God the Father and be welcomed into Heaven! It’s Good News that His Father didn’t abandon Him to the grave, but instead, exerted His power and raised Him from the dead.  Jesus ascended to His heavenly throne, to be permanently installed as King of Heaven and earth.  He was given power, authority, and glory that all people of all nations and languages would worship Him as God, Daniel 7:13-14.  His Kingdom is now an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion one that will never pass away.  He will reign and rule forever and those who call upon His Name as Savior will experience His eternal life and joy forever!  Amen! 
 
So be clear... the "Gospel" of Jesus trumps Caesar’s fake gospel by a long shot, by incalculable strata.  Jesus was, is, always will be God.  Caesar, just a man.  Jesus, was the child born with the government resting on his shoulders.  

Caesar Augustus, just a man who had to call for a census to count the people, Luke 2:1.  

Whereas Jesus can weigh the mountains on the scales and calculate the dust of the earth in a measure, Isaiah 40:12.  

Caesar wouldn't be able to accurately count the dust fallen in a square inch! 

The scripture can be scrutinized!  Who can you share this with?  Who doubts that Jesus clearly declared Himself as God in the scriptures?  Who doubts the Word of God as infallible?  Talk about the Word as true!  Defend the Gospels!

Thank you to those who are giving!  Jesus is taking me month-to-month!  He is so faithful!  Even though I lost my largest donor, He is rescuing me!  May great favor and blessing be upon those giving!  I walk by faith!  All the ministry I do is freely given!  Pay it forward and seed into this ministry of the Spirit!  Many people I minister to are without resources, like young adults or women on the brink of life!  I'm still preaching and teaching 2x per month at 2 women's shelters!  I'm led by the Spirit!  Thank you to those who pray for me and for giving cheerfully!  You can donate by clicking on my Donate page!

Are fears and anxieties overwhelming you?  Do you wonder if sudden loss due to fires, hurricanes, floods, and storms of life will take you out?  Jesus wants to give you peace, but you have to draw near.

It is NOT enough to have a casual relationship with Jesus...

You must spend time BEFORE HIM.
 
In Hebrew that word also means face and presence. Strong’s Concordance #6440.

So, when you are “before” something you are also in close proximity. 

If you are across the room from someone, you are not “before” them.  Their face and presence are not near.  Additionally, it's very possible that objects are blocking your view, in the way, or maybe people are blocking access.
 
You would have to take deliberate steps and actions to move yourself from across the room, and put yourself in front of the person you want to know and experience.  Only then would you be able to look into their eyes, feel their breath, and be front and center, in their personal space. You’d be “before” them.

Did you know there was an experiment done where men and women were paired to talk about life and values through a series of 36 increasingly personal questions, and then ended by staring into each other's eyes for 4 straight minutes?  It was found that people fell in love.  Some got married!

A Japanese study looked into why that would be the case.  They discovered that brain activity synchronized!  Mutual eye-gazing bound people's brain waves into a singular connected system.  Reference this article.

Does your marriage need invigorating?  Gaze into each other's eyes!  

Do your thoughts needs to be transformed?  Gaze into the eyes of Jesus!  His Word!  His promises!  His presence!

• Exodus 23:20- Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. 

• Exodus 33:13- The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

• Psalm 27:8- My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”

                                Your face, Lord, I will seek.

• Exodus 20:3- You shall have no other gods before me.

 
To have God going before you is to have Him very close.  “I will send an Angel before you…”
He is in your personal space to keep you and bring you to His intended destination that is full of provision and safety and hope, a place He has prepared in advance.
 
To have His presence going with you is to give you rest.  My presence will go with you… It is to have Him so close as to even carry you.  Isaiah 63:9- In all their affliction He was afflicted,
And the angel of His presence saved them;
In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them,
And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.
 
To seek His face means that you are so close to Him that His joy is yours.  It is contagious and you have His joy.  In His presence is fullness of joy, Psalm 16:11. 
 
To not have other "litte g" gods “before” Him, is looking so intently at Jesus that there are no other powers that block your intimacy with Him.  Fear cannot also be present.  Lust cannot also be present.  Being consumed with other relationships cannot be present.  Pride can not be present.  God resists the proud.  Religion and striving can not be consuming you.  It is impossible to be in God's presence when you are so consumed with other things.  The presence and power of God destroys those distractions!  You have to let go.  You have to unburden.  You have to make strategic decisions to remove what is blocking your attention on the LORD. There is rest in His presence. ❤️
 
In Greek, prayer tells the same story.  It is a compound of 2 words:

1. Pros- preposition of direction- toward
2. Euchomai- pray to God

🤕 Consider... How are you positioned?  What are you "facing" towards?  What is blocking your view of Jesus?  What are your eyes gazing upon?  

• Take time to confess to Jesus.  Admit what is consuming you, what you are obsessing over.

🙏 Consider... Do you have peace?  Do you have joy? Are you striving and consumed with earthly things?  Are you grieving over relationships and longing for them instead of God?  You must get in front of His face so that His breath gives you new life.

• 💯 Find a bible promise to meditate upon, to memorize.  Get it hidden in your heart!  Tell Jesus you want the promise!  Believe!  Confess any unbelief!  Repeat the promise to yourself throughout coming days and weeks!

 
👤 What is blocking God’s presence?  What steps do YOU need to take to have nothing interfering with gazing upon His face? 

• Begin your day in His Word.  Tell Him your spirit is weak, that you need help to make new habits in His presence!

 
⏳ What are you waiting for?  He has everything you need!

• If you don't know Jesus yet, go to my home page and scroll to 3 steps to start the journey.
• If you are a follower of Jesus, but are very weak and don't know what to pray... by faith... ask the Holy Spirit to pray for you.  Sit quietly with open hands and just thank Jesus and BELIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT is interceding.  Romans 8:26- 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ​

👑 Hebrews 4:16- Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
 
He is waiting for you to draw near. 
 
Seek Him so that He can give you peace that surpasses understanding,
 
Seek Him that He can hold you and wipe your tears.
 
Be before Him so that He can counsel you privately.  He will give you His thoughts.  He will root out lies and heal shame infested wounds.  He will console and comfort and strengthen and encourage and teach you the way you should go.
 
Follow so closely behind Jesus that He is the one leading you, instead of wandering in the wilderness, trying to figure life out on your own. 
 
Get to know Jesus!

#lafires #whereisGod #losteverything #Jesussaves #hurricanehelene #hurricanemilton #flooding #homeloss #faithinJesus #repent #returntoGod

✨Blessed New Year!✨

Yet, will it be? How are you positioning? Have you started on your knees? It is the state of your soul that launches your year. I encourage you to meditate upon Ephesians 3:14-21 as you begin the year. Meditate and reflect BEFORE you pray it. It will give you some counsel on the state of your soul and help form your prayer language.

Consider:

• Do I use my body to humble myself in prayer? Kneeling? Raising my hands? Looking up?
• Is my heart joyful and at peace as I address God as Father? He holds me? He loves me? He calls me His own?
• Is Jesus my LORD? Is my desire His will and way? Does His Word form my thoughts? Am I crucified with Christ, my flesh saying "no" to the world?
• Do I know what it means to ask for the riches of His glory? Did you know that "glory" here means His views, His opinions, His judgments? Are your thoughts aligned with His views, His opinions, His judgments?
• Are you comfortable with the Holy Spirit, to be strengthened by Him? Are you striving or daily relying on the power of Holy Spirit to raise you and strengthen you within?
• Are you standing by faith or human reason? What are you positioning by faith on as the year begins?
• Are you rooted deeply in His love, not letting any any man or circumstance undermine your joy and peace within?
• Are you in a community with the saints (church family) to challenge each other to go deeper into His love that surpasses human understanding?
• Are you regularly asking for "more", wanting His fullness?
• How invested are you in the belief that His power within the church body can take us above and beyond all we ask or think... for HIS glory?
• Is your life invested in His glory? He gets the credit?  Your life is a living sacrifice for His glory? People clearly see that Jesus embodies your life goals and pursuits?

Don't just pray the words. Take them deeper into your soul for examination, counsel, sanctification, and surrender.
​
Blessings dear ones! Go deeper into His love! Riches of His glory awaits!

#NewYear #2025goals #2025reflection #Godswill2025 #lessofmemoreofHim

Advent 2024!  Prepare your hearts for Jesus! #miracles #christmasblog

Did you know that God used a Muslim shepherd teenage boy to discover one of the greatest scripture treasures of all time? 

Did you know that discovery happened in our lifetime, in the winter of 1946/7!? 

The ancient scriptures the Muslim shepherd teenager found are THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS.  Did you know that Gentile shepherd boy was from a Bedouin tribe that resided in Bethlehem?  Helloooo, that’s the birthplace of Jesus!!!?
 
Romans 3:29- Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
 
Muhammed edh-Dhib was his name, and he noticed some caves while looking for one of his flock that had wandered away!  Hello…….. a shepherd looking for a wandering sheep…
 
In the search, he threw a rock into a cave to see if the lost one was hiding in it.  Instead, he heard shattering of pottery, and left to get his cousin to explore further together.  “Upon return Dhib retrieved broken and whole jars and fragments of scrolls. Of the intact jars, edh-Dhib found all but two empty; one was filled with reddish earth, and the other with a parchment scroll (later found to be the Great Isaiah Scroll)… (others found but you didn’t grab that quote)” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaiah_Scroll
 
Think about that… God used a 16-year-old Muslim shepherd boy from Bethlehem to uncover ancient Jewish scrolls, 2k years after he died and rose, that pre-date the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem! Through the eyes of many experts, those scrolls have been verified.  The scriptures match our current Old Testament scriptures in modern day bibles! 
 
God is still proving His Word true and still choosing the humble to find the hidden treasure!
 
There are over 300 prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament, which is made up of 39 books.  Some of the best-known prophecies are within the book of Isaiah.  Isaiah received 20 something major prophecies about the coming Jewish Messiah, which includes God sending a sign…
 
Isaiah 7:14-  Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and[c] will call him Immanuel.
 
Prior to their discovery, the earliest surviving copies of the Hebrew Bible dated to around 1000 C.E. Compare that to NT manuscripts which number over 5K and date as far back as a fragment from 125AD.  The Old Testament needed some verification!
 
So in 1947, it is significant that the first 7 Dead Sea scrolls were found by the teen Bedouin shepherd, one year by the way before Israel was recognized as a nation once again. And, it just so happens that one of those 7 was the complete Book of Isaiah!  Through carbon dating of the animal skin parchment and paleographic scribal dating (handwriting analysis), experts agree… let me repeat… experts agree that the date of the Isaiah scroll ranged between 356 and 103 BCE and 150–100 BCE respectively.  This would be up to almost 350 years before Jesus was born!
 
Why am I emphasizing that?  Because it verifies our current Bible.  Dr. Norman Geisler, a renowned philosopher, theologian, apologist, in his book “When Skeptics Ask”, he addresses the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls.  He writes, “One scholar observed that the two copies of Isaiah found in the Qumran caves, ‘proved to be word-for-word identical with our standard Hebrew bible in more than 95% of the text.  The 5 percent variation consisted chiefly of obvious slips of the pen and variations in spelling.’”
 
God cannot lie. God preserved His Word! 
 
Hebrews 6:18- so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.
 
As mentioned, in Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah foretells that God would send a miraculous sign… the promised Son would be born of a virgin and he would be named Emmanuel. 
 
Matthew and Luke record the prophecy coming true.  They tell the account of Mary as a virgin impregnated by the Holy Spirit.  See Matthew 1:18...-
 
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
 
You can also read a longer account by Luke who represents Mary’s lineage and her account.  See 1:26-38.
 
People argue against the virgin birth, saying it’s impossible to prove.  It's not a strong argument since Isaiah has amazing prophecies beyond the virgin birth!  You have to look at the whole picture.  Here are just a few more prophecies…
 
Isaiah 40, God himself is speaking.  He declares that He’s coming.  He reveals there would be a prophetic forerunner,
 
A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
    the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
    a highway for our God
 
Who’s the forerunner? John the Baptist.  He is the other miracle baby born through the old, barren couple Zechariah and Elizabeth, relatives of Mary, not Joseph.  See Luke 1:5-25, 57-80. 
 
In Isaiah 40:6- Isaiah captures the beginning conversation of God and John the Baptist…
 
A voice says, “Cry out.”
    And I said, “What shall I cry?”
 
Luke 1:80- And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.
 
Luke, Matthew and Mark reference Isaiah’s forerunner prophecy of John the Baptist.  God speaking in Isaiah 40… John the Baptist is to declare that God was coming, Isaiah 40:3! 
 
 Isaiah 40:9 “Here is your God!”
 
And what is the famous line of John the Baptist?  "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
 
John 1:29- The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
 
He was told to say that in Isaiah chapter 40.
 
You also hear the voice of Jesus in Isaiah 40.  He says there is no other god to whom you can compare me, Isaiah 40:25-26.
 
 25“To whom will you compare me?
    Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
    Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
    and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
    not one of them is missing.
 
Colossians 1:15-16- The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 
 
John 1:1-3- In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
 
The One who spoke all things into being by His powerful breath, Isaiah chapter 40, God says “I’m coming”!
 
Here are more descriptions in Isaiah chapter 40 of the God who was coming- Your God (v1), The LORD (v3), our God (v3), glory of the Lord will be revealed (v5), breath of the Lord (v7), your God (v9), Sovereign LORD coming in power (v10), Good Shepherd (v11), Creator (v12), Spirit of the Lord (v13), All Knowing One (v15), Creator & Ruler of all (v15), Everything (v17), The Enthroned One who is the Creator (v22), King of All (v23), the Holy One (v25), Creator of the starry host and heavens (v26), the Lord, the Everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth (v28), the Helper of the weak (v29-30).
 
Isaiah also prophecies the exact geographic location of the Messiah’s home which would be in Galilee, Isaiah 9:1-2. 
 
1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan--
2 The people walking in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
    a light has dawned.
 
Isaiah prophecies that the Messiah would perform miracles.  Isaiah 35:4-6.
 
4 say to those with fearful hearts,
    “Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
    he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
    he will come to save you.”                 (NT fulfillment- Matthew 1:21)
5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened.   (See John 9:1-41, Mark 8:22-26)
    and the ears of the deaf unstopped.            (See Mark 7:31-37)
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,                (See Luke 5:17-26)
    and the mute tongue shout for joy.             (See Mark 9:25)
 
Matthew 15:29-31 Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.

And the last part of Isaiah 35:6… Water will gush forth in the wilderness
    and streams in the desert.
 
Fulfillment- John 7:38- Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.
 
Let’s keep going!  Here is another famous, mind blowing prophecy by Isaiah- Isaiah 9:6-7.
 
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.
 
Isaiah tells us in chapter 52 that The Servant sent is “marred, beyond human semblance” (Is. 52:14). 
 
Isaiah chapter 53, Isaiah receives revelation that the Messiah would be despised, rejected, persecuted, silent before his accusers, spit upon, beaten, hated without reason, numbered as a transgressor, but without sin, taking upon himself your sins, my sins, the sins of all people.  Isaiah prophesied that this was the will of God for His Son to bear the sins of all people.  He prophesied Jesus being raised from the dead, that he would see the labour of His soul and be satisfied. 
 
How anointed was Isaiah?  And how amazing is it that in our lifetime God sends a teenage, Gentile, Bedouin Muslim shepherd from Bethlehem to discover the Great Isaiah scroll, as he is looking for one of his lost goats? 
 
Pay attention to that last detail.  He wasn’t seeking a lost sheep, but a lost goat.  Goats in scripture represent Gentiles!
 
Isaiah 56:6-7 “Also the sons of the foreigner
Who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him,
And to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants--
Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And holds fast My covenant--
7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain,
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
Will be accepted on My altar;
For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (did you know that 50K of 75K mosques have closed in Iran because of the explosion of Christianity?). https://www.crosswalk.com/headlines/contributors/michael-foust/1-million-muslims-in-iran-have-turned-to-christ-as-50000-mosques-closed.html
 
Unbelievers like to boldly say things like “Jesus was a myth.”  “You can’t prove Jesus lived.”  “The bible is made-up.”  “The bible is full of errors.”  “Jesus was a cult leader.”  “Christians are blind fools believing in a fairy-tale.” 
 
Foolish, foolish, foolish, foolish, foolish.
 
Psalm 14:1- Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!
 
The truth is, the Bible can be scrutinized.  Don’t listen to corrupt, heretical teachers like Bart Ehrman.  His ridiculous arguments can be overcome pretty easily.
 
It just takes concentrated intellectual rigour over the scriptures like I’m doing with you right now.  But I didn’t start here.  I started with a childlike approach.  I humbled myself and prayed, “Jesus show me who you are.”  It’s the simple ones with childlike questions, those with a desire to know God’s will that the LORD will answer, and reveal deep mysteries.
 
John 7:17- Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.  – JESUS
 
The false… argue and deny.  The true… seek and find Him.
 
This is Day 1 of 7 days of preparing your hearts for Jesus.  I hope helps you approach the biblical account of Jesus’ birth with great awe and reverence for our Everlasting Father who watches over His word to perform it, through all ages! 
 
Maranatha!  Come Lord Jesus!!!

I've been trying to get AI to create an image for me of Judas kissing the blood stained face of Jesus. AI programs stop me and say there is something wrong or offensive with my request. Maybe this post will find someone who has a suggestion around the blocks. But in the meantime...

Consider that Jesus was laboring in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane for HOURS. Consider the following for a picture to form in your mind of what Jesus would have looked like when Judas approached to kiss his cheek. Scripture accounts reveal this:

- After the last supper, Jesus and his disciples go to the garden on the Mount of Olives, Matthew 26:36 Luke 22:39.
- His shares with his closest companions that his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of DEATH, Matthew 26:38
- He fell. He fell with his face to the ground, Matthew 26:39, Mark 14:35. Does a calm, composed person fall with their face to the ground and pray?
- To be sustained in his weakness, He needed to be strengthened by an angel, Luke 22:43.
- He was still in anguish after the angel strengthened him. He prayed more earnestly, to a point of sweating. Have you ever sweat in prayer? His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
- He cries out in this state, 3 separate times.
- Jesus is brought to the elders and chief priests in early morning hours. So how long was his distress in the garden if it began after the last supper?

When scripture records that Jesus sweat blood, that means he had been enduring trauma. And note that it is trauma without physical abuse at this point. Hematidrosis (sweating blood) has only ever been documented on rare occasions to be experienced by people who have endured terrifying physical abuse. Jesus was stirred up within to that level of trauma and wrestling with God through extreme mental and emotional strain.

"Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." Mark 14:36.

So what state was the face of Jesus in when Judas approached?

I think it was clammy. I think his face was gaunt looking, deep distress in his eyes, and bracing for the moment his closest companions would scatter. I think he was at beginning stages of uncomfortable thirst. I think his cheek was lined with drip lines from the sweat stained with blood, specks of blood on his cheeks.

I think Judas tasted the blood of Jesus in the kiss of betrayal because he mentions, great regret that he betrayed innocent blood, Matthew 27:4. He is perhaps the only person who ever lived to physically taste the blood of Jesus.

People like to emphasize that Jesus called Judas "friend", Matthew 26:50. It does seem to reveal an amazing amount of grace. Jesus was also wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove. Jesus gave grave warning about the fate of Judas and called him "his betrayer" more than once, Luke 22:21-22 & Luke 22:48 & Matthew 26:46.

What did the blood of Jesus make Judas realize? He was seized with remorse, openly confessed, returned the blood money, and then hung himself, Matthew 27:1-5.

Do you slow down with the scripture accounts? Do you read the accounts and compare them to notice additional details? Do you visualize what is happening? What state do you think Jesus would have been in when Judas approached with a kiss?

How does that change your understanding and knowledge of Jesus? I pray it makes you fall more deeply in love with a Savior who poured himself out in traumatizing ways just for you! Confess to Him, in prayer, any ways you feel like you've been dishonoring to him. He is gracious and longs for time with you! Share any comments below!
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#betrayal #betrayaltrauma #JesusIsLord #GardenofGethsemane #hematidrosis #Judas #judasthebetrayer #mountofolives #spiritualcoach #kissofbetrayal #BloodOfJesus #confession #repentance #Repent

This blog ends with a meditation that includes this type of prayer... does it speak to you?  

• "Jesus I keep distant from you and others, because I think I'm a failure in your eyes and in eyes of others.  I am constantly thinking that I am not living up to the standards or expectations of you or others.  I do not handle criticism well; and don't know how to separate the voices of others from yours.  I have the voice of an accuser in my soul.  Please help me separate the voice of the liar from the voice of the Father.  Heal my soul.  Help me acknowledge the voice of the liar.  Helm me acknowledge my mistakes in honest and redeeming ways that reveal you are at work in me, to redeem, to save, to love.  Thank you Jesus.  Amen."

(It also ends with a free resource you can learn more about on the WONDERFUL COUNSELOR website tab.)
​
This week, I was told by someone who has known me my entire life that...

1. I'm forming my own God.
2. That I don't really pay attention to God's words or hold them in my heart for them to change me. 
3. That I've come up with my own rules and beliefs that are radically different from any other Christian they’ve known.
4. That my actions don't line up with the Christian message.
5. That they’ve received many confirmations of these things about me, and that I give myself excuses for not bettering my behavior and changing my actions.

 
Those are hard words; and without God’s help, they would have great power to influence me to respond from guilt and shame, and would have great power to crush me.
 
And in fact, the words did hurt me deeply and brought some confusion.
 
They brought confusion because I did get upset in a situation.  I did end a conversation in anger and frustration.  And I haven’t been interested in reconnecting, so they sent an email to give opinion of me and my behaviors.
 
Was it deserved?  Was I wrong in my anger, in shutting down, and not being willing to engage any longer?
 
I turned to the Lord for counsel.  I prayed, and I asked God to give me a scripture that would give me wisdom and insight.  What was reasonable criticism, i.e. deserved?  Was there anything I needed to see about myself?  How was I to receive the harsh words?
 
Galatians 3:13 is what came... Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”
 
What was God telling me?  What is the “curse of the law?
 
First, Jesus took the curse I rightfully deserved. 
 
The curse of the law carries with it an expectation of perfection.  You cannot keep just one part of the law, but you must keep the entire law. James 2:10- For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 
 
The curse of the law is demanding.  Who is perfect?  No one!  Only Jesus!  Christ became a curse for me through His death on the cross, taking the curse expecting my perfection!   
 
I know I am not perfect; and praise God I do not have to be!  Jesus does not GUILT TRIP ME that I prove myself, or tell me I’m not living up to his standards.  That is not His tone of voice.  His corrections are gentle.  The Holy Spirit impresses upon me when I need to redirect and soften or handle a situation better or apologize, etc.

Also brought to mind were 2 situations that happened this week.  I was able to listen for extended time to 2 different people with deep burdens.  In those times, I heard clearly from the LORD and shared love from the Spirit and truth about who they were in Christ.  God was reminding me that I'm a good listener and that I will stay in difficult conversations to be a representative of Him.
 
So with scriptural guidance and through meditating on the promises and truths of God and reflections of who I am through His Spirit, I was clearly able to see that the cutting words weren’t from Him.  They weren’t for me to own. Hallelujah!!! 
 
In further prayer, I felt the Lord affirming that I was not to expect that I wouldn’t get upset in the situation that prompted the email.  I had righteous anger, and yes impatience, but I was rightly choosing not re-engage in the situation without healthy boundaries in place. 
 
The words sent by email were spoken in an ill manner without grace and were meant to accuse and control.  That is not the law I am under any longer!
 
The curse of the law comes to punish and hold to exacting standards and keep under control…
 
Galatians 3:23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
 
The law always points out what is wrong, Romans 7:7-9.
 
For the Christian, the law is no longer my accuser.  For Christians, the law is good, as it is to be used for redemptive purposes, not corrupt judgment. 

For the non-Christian, unfortunately, you are still under the curse of the law and the expectation on you is perfection!  But it doesn't have to end that way!
 
You can be set free from that law of condemnation by coming under the law of the Spirit…
 
If you want to be set free from the curse of the law... pray...
“Jesus, I don’t want to strive any longer.  I give up trying to be good enough for you, for me, or for anyone.  I want to be set free from the curse of the Law, from control and demands of others expectations.  Thank you for becoming the curse for me, for being slaughtered for my sins on the cross.  I receive healing in your Name Jesus, set me free from the law of sin and death.  Justify me in your sight through my faith in your saving grace.  Grant me soul peace. Raise me up to eternal life.  Amen.”

Those under Christ are no longer condemned! You are now under the Law of the Spirit who gives you life!!!  Jesus knows we are weak!  So He became our weakness!  He took our condemnation!
Romans 8:1-4 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
    
Christ has come that we would no longer be under a guardian that demands perfection.  No longer under custody and locked up by an accuser!  Faith in Jesus brings a Good Father who lovingly corrects, offers promise of forgiveness, mercy, and grace and unconditional love!
 
Galatians 3   23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. 26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
 
See His garments of purity upon you!  His voice is not harsh and condemning, accusatory and inflammatory!   His voice is one of a Good Shepherd who leads, guides, lovingly corrects, binds up, heals, strengthens, loves, is gracious, etc.
 --------------
Meditation Exercise- Here are some things to talk to God about, and evaluate about how you handle criticism...  Which ones speak to you?  Process the answers with God.  Speak your answers to God.  Admit where you are weak.  Admit what is hard.  Admit where you need to learn more about His love and mercy.

• When you are harshly criticized, how do you process it? 
• Do you just shut down immediately, refusing to assess the situation with God’s help?
• Are you able to separate yourself from the harsh tone and language of others?  Are you able to ask the Lord if there is any truth coming from the messenger (your loved one, your friend, your employer, your teacher, your coach, etc) , even if it comes in a hard and demanding way?
• Are you able to hear the LORD’s heart through His covenant of grace and mercy?  Are you able to hear His interpretation and assessment of situations? 
• Are you able to hear Him affirm you and show you how He is being formed in you?
• Are you able to hear words of correction and receive them as love from God meant for your good?
• Or do you perceive the voice of God have a demanding tone?  Do you have expectation of “living up” to God’s standards and laws?  When others talk to you in harsh ways do you think God sent them?
• Do you have a harsh way with others and expect perfection?  Do you expect others to meet your standards and if they don't you harshly criticize them?  If so, turn from that and ask God to heal you. 

 
Know this… Laws, rules, and demands to live up to standards of others have no power to impart life.  The only thing that laws and rules and demands for standards do is condemn and bring punishment. 
 
The curse of the law comes with punishment. But Christ has come to set you free!
 
God is a Good Father with a loving, gracious, and affirming voice.  Yes, sometimes there is a serious tone when correction is necessary, but it is meant for your good and to prosper your soul!  He has no expectation of perfection, but is merciful towards you and willing to transform your in His power through your reliance and confession that you need Him!  Christ is your greatest defender!!!

• Finish in prayer... If you have a hard time hearing God's voice as affirming, comforting, and gentle, tell Him. 
  • Example:  "Jesus I keep distant from you and others, because I think I'm a failure in your eyes and in eyes of others.  I am constantly thinking that I am not living up to the standards or expectations of you or others.  I do not handle criticism well; and don't know how to separate the voices of others from yours.  I have the voice of an accuser in my soul.  Please help me separate the voice of the liar from the voice of the Father.  Heal my soul.  Help me acknowledge the voice of the liar.  Help me acknowledge my mistakes in honest and redeeming ways that reveal you are at work in me, to redeem, to save, to love.  Thank you Jesus.  Amen."
• Finally, if there are words people have spoken or hurtful things they have done, judgments that have not been fair, redemptive, or have traumatized you... forgive.  Release that person to God.  Try praying something along these lines- "Jesus I need you to help me forgive.  I want to forgive because you have forgiven me.  I want to let the pain go.  I want to give it all to you to carry so it doesn't destroy me.  Though they have hurt me deeply, help me pray for them, and forgive as you God have forgiven me.  I let go Jesus; I let you take care of it.  I ask you help me heal and find joy, even in the loss or conflict.  Help me be like you by granting undeserved grace; and to love them by praying for them.  Show me where I am wrong and if I need to ask for forgiveness.  I choose not to destroy my family or others with my words or bitter actions, but to give you all of my hurt and believe you for healing and redemption. Amen.  Your kingdom come God, your will be done God, on earth as it is in Heaven.  Amen."

Romans 3: 21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses  and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

Give thanks for Jesus!  Be willing to go deeper with Wonderful Counselor!  Visit this tab on my website that tells you about a one hour session you can process in contemplative ways with Jesus via iaudio recording!
 
Isaiah 9:6- For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

YOU CAN CLICK ON THE PICTURE ABOVE FOR MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE 68 MINUTE AUDIO MEDITATION SESSION I'M OFFERING TO FOLLOWERS OF THE MINISTRY.

I greatly encourage you to take time to go deeper with Jesus right now.  Consider it a mini-retreat with the LORD.  The session will help you process current feelings, thoughts, actions, and words in His presence and invite His counsel and supernatural transformation.

God wants to counsel you; and set you free from all strongholds of flesh!  He wants to do a deeper work of healing in your life!  He wants you to be a demonstration of the power of His Spirit!!! Jesus is to be witnessed by others as being alive in you!!!

He wants an end-time army of believers who know who they are in Him! 

God wants the Body of Christ to embrace the fullness of the 3rd person of the Trinity for transformation, Romans 12:2!  Holy Spirit is to lead us!  We are to be living a Spirit-filled life, not one of the flesh. 

Romans 8:5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

What are some examples of Holy Spirit leading me?  Of living a Spirit-filled life?

First, I have given myself to serve Him.  The gifts of the Spirit are given to each one and are meant for the building up of the Body, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.

Ephesians 2:10- For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

If you want God to heal you, if you want God to do great things in your life, are you positioned to receive it through serving Him?

I was an absolute mess of emotions when I rededicated my life to the LORD after falling away in a season of great disobedience.  As part of repentance, despite my deep depression, I signed up for children's ministry. 

I will never forget the moment I was sitting at a child table with a little child coloring.  He had bright red hair, his face covered in adorable freckles.  He put his little hand on mine and he said, "Teacher, Jesus loves you very much."  I broke under his discernment, tender touch, and words.  It was a moment of great healing that I would NOT have experienced if I had NOT been willing to serve God in the midst of my own chaos.  I didn't lead the class, I just signed up to be a helper.  It was one of the best decisions I could have made at that time.

Many layers of healing happened from there.  God continued to do deep and wonder-filled things in me for my healing.  Over the years, this has led to receiving "words of knowledge".  He has done some amazing things that continually leave me speechless and in awe of Him!  He gives me prayer images and insight that lead people to great breakthroughs for healing! 

These are not human gifts, they are clearly supernatural and they are meant to strengthen, encourage, and comfort God's people, as stated in 1 Corinthians 14:1 and 3.  

Before I share some of them, I should preface to say that the LORD has prepared me to know how to handle what I receive. If there is a primary message about the Spirit and gifts, God takes time to mature us, test us, transform us through suffering and calls to obedience.  With our cooperation, He takes time to mature us and teach us how to discern what we receive.

2 Timothy 2:15- Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

The Apostle Paul urged believers to follow the way of love AND eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially that we would prophecy, 1 Corinthians 14:1.  You can see that he qualifies that gift is for the purpose of building up others throughs words that strengthen, encourage, and comfort, 1 Corinthians 14:3.

Operating in love is huge!!!  Many times over my walk, I've observed that Christians want to just disappear without addressing what is bothering them with another Christian.  That is not love.  I myself have experienced this many times.  If we are to love one another deeply, we don't just disappear.  We don't talk behind the backs of others.  We address our concerns in love, speaking hard things where we need to.  

We should NEVER expect God to do big things for the Kingdom through us if we are not operating in love...

1 Corinthians 13: 1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 

Does that bring up any situations to you?  Is there anyone you need to forgive?  Is there anyone you need to go to and talk about something that has hurt you or that you are confused about?  Is there any difficult feedback you need to give someone to help them understand why you have drawn away from them?  

I urge you to do this.  

1 Peter 1:22- Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.

My main growing experience and exposure to the gift of prophecy was during my time in Southern CA while attending Calvary Chapel in Capo Beach, CA.  (I had previous experience witnessing it at Jubilee Christian center in San Jose, CA and Word of Grace church in Mesa, AZ)

God healed me in many ways through people who operated in the gifts of prophecy and prayer at those 2 former churches.  He did further healing work in my 3rd church.  This is where He began to train me as an intercessor and introduce me to gifts of the Spirit .  This was during my time at Capo Beach Calvary.  

On Sunday evenings at Capo Beach, one of the pastors led an inductive bible study.  It was held in a café setting opposite the sanctuary.  Before starting, he would always announce we would spend time in worship and give time for others to pray out loud.  He gave people time to say out loud what God was impressing on their hearts.  He always gave warning that whatever was spoken would be evaluated by the elders present in the room; and that if the elders felt it was not of God, that person would be addressed in love during or after.  No one was to speak divisively, and it all had to be scripturally sound.  After the time of worship and prayer, he taught from scripture. 

I grew by leaps and bounds in this setting!  It was safe.  He had a godly structure that was spiritually protected with authority in the room.  People spoke freely with God’s love, and the Holy Spirit's presence was palpable, very powerful!!!  The whole setting was extremely edifying, healing, and comforting!

I remember one woman in particular who clearly had a special gift to speak what the Spirit of the Lord was saying.  Countless, countless times what she said deeply ministered to broken places within me.  Because of Roma modeling how to receive and speak words of prophesy, I began to trust the whispers of God and the creative ways that God speaks.  Her words were closely matching with loving words I was beginning to hear in my spirit!  Roma was a true gift and mentor!  She was the first person who encouraged me to speak out loud what God was impressing on my heart.  Praying out loud is one of the most critical aspects of growing in courage and maturing in intercessory prayer with prophetic encouragements! 

Through that experience, and ever since, He has taught me to test the spirits; and at the same time not to grieve the spirit through unbelief or disobedience.  I have learned through experience that the activity of the Holy Spirit will stop, especially due to unbelief and disobedience.   

Lately, the LORD has taken me to each of the Gospel accounts that point out how unbelief hindered the power of Jesus.

Mark 6: 4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith. 

What a terrible commentary that Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith!!!  I do not want to be included in that crowd!  What about you?

Yet I see a lot of limiting belief in the church body (wide sense).  And in my own world, I have noticed there are certain circumstances where I’m gathered with believers of limited belief, and the LORD doesn’t speak to me as He does when I’m free from that influence.  It’s been interesting to observe and take notice of it.

If we reject Him; or treat prophecies with contempt, we quench the spirit, i.e. extinguish and put Him out.

1 Thessalonians 5: 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.

Not long ago I had a prayer appointment with a man who has a very strained marriage.  One of the things he shared before we started praying is that he loathed himself.  He had terrible descriptions of who he was.  He also noted he couldn’t remember much from childhood.  He wanted prayer for his wife.  As I started praying the LORD immediately moved our conversation and prayer away from his wife and over to him.  I asked some questions, and shared a “word” the LORD put on my heart.  He didn’t understand it at first, but I’ve learned to press in and encourage the person to keep asking God for insight. 

The Holy Spirit helped him connect; and very quickly, he was remembering a traumatic event from his childhood.  The LORD was taking him back to when fear took root in him.  He was just a young boy.  After we processed that first memory in prayer, the Lord then led to the next memories that came in detail like a flood.  He was shocked.  But the revelations of going back to those memories unlocked deep, hidden things that showed him how fear gripped him in critical moments of fear and loss.  God clearly showed him how a stronghold took over when he was just a little boy.  The Father affirmed his love and helped him see how the enemy entered. 

Wonderful Counselor brought up that memory because it was a critical moment that established a strong root of shame that has been crippling him all these many years later!  It’s the reason why he has spoken so terribly about himself.  The LORD was beginning to address the lies and the shame, in order to set him on a path of healing and freedom!  

The LORD kept taking him deeper in our prayer appointment.  He showed him another significant moment in his childhood where Jesus was clearly present to establish his future in hope and godly identity.  He showed him that he was there with him, guiding his path, establishing his life purpose. 

The memory, vision, and images the LORD gave this man were filled with light, power, clarity, and unexplainable beauty!  It was very powerful, deeply moving!

After we went through these memories, I asked him to go back to one of the most painful ones.  I asked him if he still felt that overwhelming fear and dread.  He didn’t!  It was gone!  The LORD took hold of that root in him and removed it!

Jeremiah 17:14- Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.

Hallelujah!  Woot!  Woot!

Through the time, the LORD opened up the place in his soul that helped him access and grieve… things he said he hasn’t been able to do on his own!!! God was so sweet to show him hope in the midst of all the grief, connecting him with the greater reality that God was with him as a little boy, and didn’t define him through his weaknesses, but defines him under the covering of Jesus, the perfect One.  The Father sees him as perfect because of Jesus.  He blesses him, surrounding him with songs and promises of deliverance!  

Psalm 34:5- Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

Jesus is Wonder-filled, wonderful Counselor!  Isaiah 9:6! 

The lesson for you in the testimony I just shared is this... You are NOT meant to process your deep soul issues on your own.

Proverbs 20:5- Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water,
But a man of understanding will draw it out.

Deep waters in that scripture are overwhelming waters, unsearchable waters, mysterious waters of unknown depths.

You DO NOT have the power to go into these places on your own. 

You need counsel and help from the Holy Spirit. 

He prevents those waters from overwhelming you.  He lifts you up and rescues you from those waters!  He takes your hand and delivers you!

Psalm 18:16- He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.

What does this testimony stir in you?  Do you long for deeper healing?

If so, I have a new resource to share with you related to Jesus as Wonderful Counselor!

It’s a new page of my website.  Take a look.

In the testimony I just shared, take notice that the LORD wanted him to work on his unresolved brokenness, instead of focusing on praying that his wife change.  That is not to say the man isn’t to pray for his wife, but the bigger lesson is that Jesus longs we are transformed by the Spirit.  Our transformation will mean dynamics shift in our relationships.  People in our lives will take note that the light of Christ shines through us, that we are secured in the love of Christ.  His wife is meant to see that he is not self-condemning, that roots of shame and fear are being healed through his abiding relationship with Jesus.

May their marriage and other strained marriages be healed in the Name of Jesus!  Do the deeper work in yourself with Christ to save yourself and your families!!!

Our transformation in Christ will be challenging to those in our lives who witness our healing under God’s power and counsel.  Sometimes we lose relationships when we heal because others will not give in to the same thing.  But that is not to stop us from making choices that lead us to wholeness in Christ! 

Do people see that Christ has done a deep work of healing in you? 

Is it clear the LORD has healed and set you free? 

We all need to continue pressing in for more.  Are you pressing in for more? 

The times require you to be strong and whole in the LORD.  He needs you as a witness for the many who are not strong; who do not believe, but will because of the transformative work that is made clear through you!

If you eagerly desire spiritual gifts as scripture encourages, ask God to put people in your path to be with you as you step out in faith.   Go to your pastoral leaders and ask them to pray for you.  I did this at my current church many years ago, asking the 2 head pastors to pray for me as I was being asked by God to step out and teach.  They willingly prayed for me; and I am confident their anointing and authority has covered me, as has my obedience to follow God and serve.

In any gift, it should be evident you’ve spent time with God.  You must be grounded in scripture to discern or interpret.  If you don’t know the Word of God, asking for gifts is not what you should do.  First, know the Word of God.  You test spirits through the Word of God and His voice.  A healthy fear of God is required as is time in His presence.  Jesus spent extended time with His Father in prayer. 

Time equals intimacy of knowing.  I’ve heard people say Jesus’ public prayers were short, so ours can be short too.  This is wrong.  Short prayers of Jesus may have been captured in scripture, while his long nights and early mornings with God were not captured in words. 

Yet it is clear that Jesus carved out regular time for prayer with His Father and labored in prayer, Mark 1:35 & Luke 6:12.

“The short prevailing prayer cannot be prayed by one who has not prevailed with God in a mightier struggle of long continuance.”- E M Bounds

Jesus had prevailing in prayer on the mountains, in the temple, in the wilderness, in the garden, of being in Heaven with the Father in eternity before praying on earth.  He is still praying!

Romans 8:34- Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Jesus does NOT want us to be overwhelmed in self-condemnation.  He has been interceding for you.  Are you working with Him?  He wants to step in to heal, redeem, and raise up!

Here are some more examples of strengthening, encouragement, and comfort the Spirit has given me when I intercede for people.  May they encourage you of the awesome Sovereignty of our Mighty God!  (Note how the interpretations are tied to biblical truth and an inner knowing the Spirit reveals about the state of God's child.)
 
And if you are interested in a prayer appointment, please reply to this email and inquire!  I’ll get back to you with details!

- One time I became aware of a prayer request about severe panic attacks someone was experiencing.  After praying at home, God gave me an image of this person in an anorexic state.  I did not get an idea it was physical; but spiritual.  It took us awhile to connect via email; and we kept missing each other’s phone calls.  I reached out via email as she came to mind again.  She shared an update.  I had not yet shared the image; but she described an anorexic state regarding a recent relationship conflict.  I shared the image that came to me.  It ministered deeply to her.  After hearing what she was experiencing, I had interpretation for the image.   Her opening up to me was critical for interpretation.  It put in the context her recent experience.  She felt affirmed in the steps she had already been taking for healing, and comforted that she was seen by God.

- Before a meeting, I received a picture of a man holding an ancient spear, the kind that is taller than the warrior.  He was steady on his feet, with a strong stance, body language in a resolved state of assurance and knowing.  I shared it with interpretation that he was grounded as a man of God, aware of surroundings, a calm and a seasoned warrior whom God has established to war on his behalf and represent him in difficult situations. It ministered to him.

- Several years ago, while asking God for wisdom on whether or not I should talk to someone, I received a picture of that man on the ice in a hockey rink.  He was swift and sure on his feet with a hockey stick in hand, moving a puck with great accuracy down the ice.  The interpretation being he was a man who is on solid ground of the Word of God, clear headed, steady and sure on his feet, knowing a path, receptive to coaching, and executing his life with godly skill and training.  Being in a very calm state on the ice, Jesus affirmed his gentleness of heart.  Yes, I was to talk to him.  Yes, I was to share how God perceives him!  It was a word to strengthen, encourage, and comfort!

- Another time, God gave a picture of a woman I know working underneath a car, but her feet were sticking out from the side door indicating she wasn’t working where she should have been, i.e. under the engine.  I got a vague sense of her having skill to work on a project but didn’t understand why her legs were sticking out from the side of the car.  It wasn’t until I spoke to her a couple hours later that I understood how to interpret.  Just that morning, she was left out of a meeting she should have attended for her expertise.  This is why she was misplaced under the car in the image.  She later found out it was a mistake she was left out of the meeting, so the image was just a reminder God was sending to her that He is absolutely in tune with every waking moment she experiences.  Nothing escapes his notice with His children.

- Once I got an image of a person sweeping the floor.  The LORD put on my heart that his heart was like that of the psalmist in Psalm 84, preferring to be a doorkeeper in the house of God versus dwelling in the tents of wickedness.  I held on to it before I shared because I wanted to hear what he might say in our conversation.  He told me he wanted to hear God’s voice better.  He wanted a passion that he had in an earlier career situation.  He wanted to have impact for God.  I was able to tell him that not hearing God’s voice can be a protection against the snare of pride.  It also seasons the man and keeps spiritual hunger alive, like it did with God’s servant Joseph. I told him I’ve heard the Lord’s voice speak through him many times, that he has a clear gift to mentor and speak testimony for God.  I told him not be discouraged because God has used him mightily many times without him realizing it, and will continue to do so.  I encouraged him not to seek another project passion, but to seek the LORD.  I see him as a free flowing evidence of the Holy Spirit not tied to a project but to people God sends in his path, John 3:8.  After I shared, he told me he was speaking to a group that morning, giving testimony of God’s grace in his life.  He is exactly where God wants him! Finally, I shared the image and it touched him deeply.  

Do you see the power of the gift of prophecy to strengthen, encourage, and comfort?

- One image I’ve never forgotten is that of a little girl eating a bag of candy.  She was alone resting against a door.  Suddenly the door swings open; and Jesus is there with a bright smile on his face, arms flung open to receive her!  She throws the bag aside, and jumps into his arms.  After sharing this with her, she told me that as a little girl she would eat bags of candy to calm her anxiety over feeling disappointment from a parent.  At that particular time, God was working on her to see show her a tie to sugar as a way to calm herself when she felt heaviness of condemnation.  He wanted her to come to Him first in her anxiety, not sugar.  He wants her to see He always approaches her with His arms open to love her unconditionally.  This ministered to her deeply, clear that God was speaking to her about an area He wanted to heal from childhood.  God is so sweet!

I hope these have ministered to you!  The Spirit is given for the building up of the Body!  I hope they encourage you to stir up your gifts and to go deeper in healing with WONDERFUL COUNSELOR! 

God wants HIS children to be healed in every area!  He is Wonderful Counselor!  Are you open to His counseling?  Be open to start the process with the WONDERFUL COUNSELOR audio session I’ve put together. 

Who is this meditation best suited for?

• Spirit-filled Christians who...
• are willing to be honest and transparent with the LORD
• are open to the Holy Spirit searching the deep waters of their soul
• seek His counsel and abide regularly in His Word
• are open to receiving redirection from the LORD
• want to be set free and experience greater levels of supernatural transformation and healing

Who is this meditation NOT for?

• those who only want to hear "whispers", without interpreting those whispers through the Word of God.  God DOES NOT speak separately or contrary to His Word.
  • ​​— "I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them."  -"Answers to Prayer" by George Muller
• Christians unwilling to be redirected by the LORD
• those who limit Him through unbelief
• non-Christians, i.e. not Spirit-filled, not born-again. 

Some of you may want to go even deeper after you do the session on your own.  God will give some of you some things that will not be resolved in one session.  He will want you to go deeper.  If you are interested in going deeper, I can help you through a prayer appointment.  Sign up to do the meditation first.  Then after, see if you need help going deeper for breakthrough!