blog

What is on Your Keyring?

Sat, 29 Jun 2013 16:02:47 +0100

What is on your key ring?

I sat at my kitchen table drinking my coffee. The day was gloomy and overcast and I was feeling a little sorry for myself; wishing I was anywhere but here; somewhere the sun was shining and the day held promises this gloom in Rhode Island just seemed to smother. So, I started a conversation with the Spirit of God. Running my hands through my hair I said, “God, what should I do?” It wasn’t that I didn’t have anything to do; I had my list in front of me of things that I wanted to accomplish by the end of that day. But, I was looking for some guidance in my dreary day. I felt the unction to go for a stroll, not a walk but a stroll around my city. I could see clearly in my mind where I was to go. So, I poured my coffee into a paper cup, snapped on the lid and headed for the door. I looked down into my hand to make sure I had my keys and I locked my deadbolt as I started my stroll. The Spirit of God prompted me, “What is on your key ring?” So, I looked and took stock: I had my house keys, one for the front door to the building and one to my apartment, a key to my son’s house and one to my father’s apartment, a key to the church, my car key, a handy dandy flashlight, and those pesky cards that everyone is forced to carry so you can get the discounted prices at the supermarket, and a card for the gym that I never seem to have time to visit. Each item seemed to represent something important in my life. They also represented something that I had pursued to achieve. The house key and the car key are easy ones. We work our jobs and pay our money so we may drive in reasonable comfort, always seeming to be less and less satisfied with the vehicle that is taking us to our destination. The vehicle grows old and needs repairs. Newer more prestigious vehicles are manufactured every year to make us desire something better, more fuel efficient, nicer to drive and be comfortable driving. But, mine is just an old truck (an SUV actually) and it is not fuel efficient nor is it comfortable driving. My apartment keys are special to me, although I admit I wish I had keys to a nicer apartment in less violent neighborhood. My house keys are not shared; I am the only one who opens this door, and those keys represent a kind of sanctuary for me. My son’s key and my father’s key represent relationships that I share with my family, relationships where their homes and lives are open to me to enter in at my will. My key to the church represents my ministry efforts and the relationship I have fostered with a body of believers here on earth. Those pesky cards are used when I take the money with which God has blessed me and I go shopping for food or just things that I desire. The gym card represents my health, which seems at this time to be in a state of neglect. It then occurred to me that not everyone has a key ring. Ask a person who lives under a bridge what keys are on their key ring. They will probably tell you they have no need for such a ring as they hold no keys to open any locks. My key ring, therefore, also represents my own prosperity, my riches, so to speak. There are locks in my life that I have the key to open and shut at my will. They are all good keys, keys that I have pursued to own. We pursue the ownership of these keys through our jobs, ministry work, and relationships. I could not have the key to my truck if I had not had the means to purchase it in the first place, each month the rent is due for my apartment. If the relationship with my son and father were not cared for and nurtured then those keys would be revoked, just as the key to the church would be revoked or repossessed if I did not continue to work with that body of believers. I would have no need of the discount cards for the stores if I did not have money to purchase items from those establishments. And the gym key, well, my good health is in my own hands. Some of us even have keys on our ring that we have no idea what lock it opens. These keys represent wasted time. Those locks are no longer of any significance to us and are just extra weight carried along until such a time when we choose to clean off the dead weight we are toting .

I walked, or rather strolled, towards the city of Pawtucket, and stopped at a small park that overlooks an historical cemetery. I sat and drank my coffee while having this inspiring conversation with the Spirit of God. I watched as people drove by in their cars going about their weekend chores and pursuits. I then wondered about the people whose bodies were lying dormant in that cemetery. What keys did they pursue to own while they were alive on this earthly plane? Where were those keys now and did they even matter? Their bodies are still and quiet in the grave and their keys were passed on to some friend or relative when they drew their final breath. Did they pursue the right keys? Jesus then reminded me of the verse in scripture that says, "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19) I wondered how many of the people buried in this large historical cemetery had actually left this earth with the proper keys that would open the desirable doors to heaven for them. How many were found standing on a spiritual plane with no keys in their hands? The keys that they had so actively pursued on earth were now taken from their grasp. The key to front door of their earthly home no longer mattered; they did not live there anymore. The only key that mattered was the key to the Kingdom that could only be given to them through the cultivation of a relationship with the Christ himself! Did they leave this earth, this physical plane with the proper keys that would open the doors of heaven to them? I thought to myself how sad it would be to be standing as a spirit man with no keys in my hand! Where would I go? Would the door to heaven be locked to me?

I decided I wanted to “meet” some of these people who were lying still and quiet in this graveyard. First I met William White who died at the age of 63 in 1874. His grave marker states that the dead shall be raised. He was born in Stockport England in 1811 and died a sojourner in the United States. Then I met Joseph Smith who was born in 1798 and died in 1864 at the age of 66. His grave marker says “This mortal man must put on immortality.” Then I saw a small grave stone that had been broken at some point between 1800 something and now. The interesting thing about this marker is that it states that little George lived for 1 year and 10 and 3 days. Each day in his short life was accounted. Each moment was put into memoriam. It was a short life, but really, how long is each life? The scripture tells us, As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more.* (Psalm 103: 15&16) I continued to stroll thought this cemetery with the ancient grave markers and read the inscriptions. Some had old metal stars on the graves showing their service in the civil war, some denoted the death of a soldier on his way home from the war. Others stated that someone was the wife and mother of someone, beloved husband, son or daughter. I wondered if I died today what would be inscribed on my grave marker. What have I accomplished that could be noted for the next generations to read and be inspired by? I decided at that moment that I did not want a grave marker; I wanted to leave a life marker. I wanted to leave an indelible mark on this life on earth that would encourage people to look at their key rings and pursue after a relationship with Christ that would open more doors than any earthly key can represent. I wanted to get a spiritual indelible magic marker and write on a spiritual tablet something that could never be blotted out by the course of history. My life is no different than any other man or woman who has passes though history, unless I pursue righteousness and leave my “mark”. I can pass on my car keys and my house keys and any other keys to my children when I die. The scripture states, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33) The “Keys to the Kingdom” are really the only keys that matter in this life. We must, at all costs, pursue after these spiritual keys. Do you possess those keys? Are these the keys that you will pass on to your next generations when your last breath leaves this mortal body and you, like Mr. Joseph Smith, put on immortality? When you are waiting, like Mr. William White, to be raised from the dead at the long awaited sound of the trumpet, will you be one of the dead in Christ who will rise?

Again, the spirit of God asks us the question, “What is on your key ring?”

THE ARMOR OF GOD

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 02:03:23 +0100

The Armor of God

Part 1

What does it mean to take up the whole armor of God?

In Ephesians 6:13 Paul tells us to “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Most studies will start with the verse ahead of this one explaining what we are fighting against, tell us to put on this whole armor then go on to break down what each piece of the armor represents. I want to approach this from a different angle. Paul has told us to take up this armor, so let’s start with that verse.

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

“Therefore take up” We are here told to pick something up, something that we have not had in our possession until this moment. We see it, we know what it is, we understand what it is used for, but it means nothing unless we act upon that knowledge and reach out and appropriate it for ourselves. So I would like you to imagine this. You, picking up this spiritual armor with the INTENTION of using it! Sometimes we just pick things up and set them back down…pick this up with the explicit intention that you have a purpose and a reason for picking it up.

“the whole armor of God” Although Apostle Paul has equated this armor with a natural Roman soldiers armor we must remember and always keep in mind that this is a SPIRITUAL armor. There is nothing physical about this armor. We will later break down the pieces, but for now I want you to imagine that you are spiritually placing these garments on your spirit self. God is a spirit and thinks in spiritual terms. The pieces of armor, although Paul uses the analogy of soldiers armor are anything but a simple uniform. I want you to keep in mind, throughout this entire lesson, that it is an ANALOGY!! It goes deeper than the physical eyes can see.

Armor is something that was developed to further protect the soldier from the sharp weapons that were sent in his direction to cause maiming or death. The weapons were developed to stop you from advancing against the enemy. The armor was developed as a deterrent from allowing this to happen. It is there to stop the bullet from piercing the skin and touching the vital organs. It stops a knife from cutting through the tender skin and causing bleeding. At all costs blood must be retained in the body! Once the blood is lost, unconsciousness occurs then death. One small puncture can kill a person if it is strategically placed. When we look at this in spiritual terms we see that the devil will set his army of soldiers against you and try to stop you from taking ground in his territory. Like any army, it will do all that it can to retain ground and try to take ground. Territory is vital! Thus, the importance of taking up, and retaining the whole armor of God. The devil has spiritual weapons to use in this spiritual war. If we keep this in mind er will do well in the fight against this enemy of God. He is the enemy of your salvation and the enemy of the salvation of those whom you will share the gospel. Your enemy, God’s enemy, does not want this good news to get out and he will maim or kill you to stop it from happening. He will start by doing this spiritually and when this does not work then he will begin to do things in the natural to stop your progress. When you see a minister of the gospel begin to lose things in the natural then keep this warrior in your constant prayers! The enemy has not been successful in his attack against their spirit, or character, so he has resorted to natural physical attacks. I have experience flat tires, dead batteries and even having my car set on fire by a person who did not even know me. All of these things happen when the person is out of reach of the enemy that has been set on assignment against them. If you have experienced these things yourself, take heart, it is a good sign!

“that you may be able” There is a purpose for you to pick up with intention to use this armor. The purpose is so that you will have the STRENGTH. The Greek word used in this text is dynamai. It means to have power and strength. It also infers that the power and strength you have is actually a state of mind! So this tells us that we must always be strong in our minds! We must never forget that we ARE strong because we have on the spiritual armor of God and nothing can defeat God.

“to withstand in the evil day”

This strength, this dynamai, is what allows you to resist any evil attack against you with POWER! The “evil day” is the day when these oppositions come against you. It includes hardships, harassments, pain and suffering, bad conditions, wickedness and toils. As TRUE Christians we must expect these things to come against us. If you are not experiencing any of these conditions then I would say that you should seriously examine your life. The enemy only attacks those that he sees is a threat to him and his territory. To withstand means that you stand with forceful determination! It means that you successfully resist and stand against an opposing force! Does that mean that the enemy will not deliver a forceful blow to you? No, but it means that you will be able to withstand anything he delivers in your path to try to stop you from advancing the kingdom of God! Does it mean that you won’t get hurt? No, getting hit whether spiritually or physically usually hurts, but you have the strength to resist the enemies’ advancement and attack on you! You have the forcefulness and strength needed to stand strong and powerfully and say, I will not quit and I will not run! There is no retreat in Christianity. We do not give up territory!

“and having done all”

This means that you have done all that you have been instructed to do to render yourself fit to wear the armor. A person does not automatically become a soldier when they have first been enlisted. They must first go through a series of training instruction before they are sent onto the field of battle. You may ask why is this? This is because a soldier must first learn how to take instruction from those who are in the position of command. A seasoned warrior knows the potholes and pitfalls and traps that the enemy sets. They can recognize a spy in the camp and give fair warning to those under their command and care. They understand that the very lives of new soldiers are held in their instruction. They know the way and they know the path. Being a good soldier does not mean we run headlong into the enemies camp. There is protocol and there is rank in any army. Rank must be recognized and instruction must be adhered to. You must be a soldier that is fit, mind and spirit, to wear the soldier’s uniform and armor.

“to stand.”

Once you have achieved this completely you are now equipped to stand firm. You are to be unmovable; unshakable and unwavering, in the face of the attack of the enemy. You are now ready and prepared and you are expected to uphold your authority at all times. (we will study this later in the lesson) A General in the natural army will never act with the limited authority of a private. You will never see him quiver and quake In the face of the attack as a private may be expected to act when first experiencing real battle. As you move from grace to grace and from rank to rank you will learn how to stand in the Christ given authority given to all believers through the cross. As you grow in strength and in faith the attacks may be fiercer and you may find that you have more soldiers depending on you for instruction. Have no fear; you are fully equipped to face any attack of the enemy!

HIS HOLINESS CALLS YOU

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:23:10 +0100

HIS HOLINESS CALLS YOU
GOD IS CALLING YOU INTO A PLACE OF SPIRITUAL INTIMACY WITH HIM
BY EVANGELIST JULIA MATTS FLEMING
And I, brethren, when I came to you, I did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching [were] not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
I Corinthians 2:1-5

As I stood in the pulpit that Sunday morning, for the first time I was trembling; not from fear, but because of the almost tangible presence of God on that altar. I had trouble talking, I opened my mouth and I began to stammer. I felt like there were cotton balls in my throat, my hands shook and my knees knocked. I stood in awe of the Almighty King of kings and Lord of lords. I think I knew at that moment how the Apostle Paul felt. The message that morning was about showing reverence to God. He was calling to His people. I knew how important the message was and my spirit bore witness to what he had told me. I had a talk with God earlier in the week; I had told Him I would like to bring a nice flowery message instead of correction. But He explained that he loved His people and the Lord corrects who He loves. What better message could I ask to bring to God’s chosen? It was a message of love from the Father Himself.
For whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives." If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? Hebrews 12:6,7
God desires us to reverence Him. The word reverence means to have an attitude of deep respect bordering on awe. He has created us for His pleasure. He loves us and only wants the best for us. However, most of us have at one time or another; have totally taken for granted that just because there is church scheduled that He will just show up. We become disrespectful children and come to church late. We are more interested in making sure we are physically presentable than in being sure we show God the proper respect. We skip Sunday school because we just can’t get out of the door in time so we opt for “just” worship service, and even then show up late. In an effort to get to our favorite seat, we interrupt the service that has already started by trying to climb over the person that is already there and in the middle of worship. We want to greet others as we come in and make sure they see how wonderful we look.
And the whole time the angels of the living God; the very same angels who hold court in the very throne room of God and worship Him in His holiness, wait patiently for us to assemble ourselves to worship. Brothers and sisters we need to take hold of this truth.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead [men's] bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23: 25-28
We spend more time on our outward appearance when what really matters is how we look on the inside. God does not look at our clothes, He looks at our hearts.
When I brought this message to the pulpit God did a very special thing that I did not know the full significance of until afterwards when the pastor’s wife began to get feedback from the members. He dressed me that day. Yes, He dressed me. He gave me specific instructions as to what I was to wear and how I was to dress. I balked when He gave me the instructions. It should be stated here that the church I attend dresses formally on Sunday mornings. So, when I received the instructions to wear jeans and an oversized tee shirt to minister the Word, well, you may be able to well understand why I tried to resist. I finally relented to His Will. As I dressed I asked if I could wear a sweatshirt because I get cold; He said no, wear the tee shirt. I asked if I could wear my nice sneakers; He said no, wear the old worn ones. I was told to take off my earrings, wear no makeup, no jewelry and no perfume and to wear my hair back in a plain ponytail. Boy, I looked a mess! I have to say that there are few times when I would even wear that kind of attire just around the house, but that may be why it made such an impact on the members. They knew me to always dress very well. But, the way God instructed me to dress that day illustrated that it did not matter if we came to the Lord beautifully dressed or not. If we did not come with reverence to His Holy Name then how well we were dressed did not make one bit of difference! I was still Evangelist Julia whether I wore jeans or a dress. And it did not matter how well the outside was presented, if the inside was still full of vile then it would continue to look vile to the Lord.
A young woman once gave me a testimony of when she was painting the basement walls in her home. She was trying to beautify the room, but there were rust stains on the wall that she could not get out. So, she began to paint the walls with this rust still present. Unfortunately, each time she applied a fresh coat of paint, the rust would still show through. It is the same with our lives, we can dress it up to look beautiful, but the only one we are fooling is ourself.
The spirit of man [is] the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly. Proverbs 20:27
We cannot hide our true selves from the Lord.

How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. Blessed [are] You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes. With my lips I have declared all the judgments of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As [much as] in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. Psalm 119:9-16
God does not expect you to clean yourself up!! He knows you are unable to do that yourself. If this was possible then we would not have needed Jesus to be sacrificed on the cross. What He does require, though, is that you seek after Him with your whole heart. Anyone who truly desires to see God will have it granted to them, but it comes at a cost; taking time to know Him intimately.
Give to the LORD the glory [due] His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of Holiness! I Chronicles 16:29
That day as I stood before the church in jeans and a tee shirt, no makeup or jewelry or perfume; God told me to tell everyone that I was adorned with His Holiness. The only beauty I possessed was the beauty of Holiness in Christ Jesus. My Father himself had stripped me of anything I might have done to beautify myself on the outside. The only beauty was the beauty that God saw, which was on the inside.

So the LORD said to Moses, "I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name." And he said, "Please, show me Your glory." Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." And the LORD said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. "So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen." Exodus 33:17-23

We sing in church that we want to see the face of God. We call out to Him that we want to know Him more, and God Himself desires that for us. It pleases Him to spend time with us and to reveal Himself to us. But God, in His Holiness, is impossible for us to physically behold and continue to be able live. He is too awesome; too magnificent. Even here He tells Moses that He must first set him in a safe place and then cover him with His hand. Now, our safe place and our covering are under the blood of Jesus. He provided this place for us and this covering that we may be able to come to Him and be in His presence without fear of death and destruction.
Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony [were] in Moses' hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. Exodus 34:29-33
Moses had just spent 40 days on Mount Sinai with God in His presence. But, Moses face had taken on a quality that he did not even realize, but totally amazed and scared the people in the camp. He had just spent 40 days with God and the Glory of His Holiness began to be reflected in the face of Moses so much that people could not bear to look at him. They had to cover his face with a veil until he returned again to the mountain to speak with the Lord. The glory of God actually permeated the very physical body of Moses. How wonderful would it be to live in that state? No sickness would be able to dwell in us, no pain could stay in His presence and no demonic power would try to come close to us! What we do not realize is that today the very same thing that Moses experienced can happen to us. God has made a more excellent way for us to enter into His presence.
Even Jesus, when He was on the mount of transfiguration was able to reveal Himself in His full Glory.
Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. Mark9:2-4
When Jesus stepped away from the disciples and was in the presence of Moses and Elijah, He no longer needed to cover His Holiness and Glory. The very vision of His true Holiness would have been too much for Peter, James and John to behold in their earthly physical bodies. But, He gave us a glimpse from afar of His true Holiness before His resurrection. What a wonderful gift He gave to them at that time! To see Jesus, even from afar in His radiant Holiness and Glory! In His presence is only light. Darkness cannot abide where light is because the light will chase all the darkness away. Think about when you turn on a lamp in a room. The farther away from the lamp, the less light there will be. But, there will never be total darkness in the room because of the light! Jesus is the source of the light in our lives. The farther away from His presence we are then the less he will shine in us and in our situations and circumstances.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8A
God desires to spend time with us. Intimate moments that only we can share with Him. We cannot know God unless we share time with Him. Unless a husband and wife consummate a marriage, they will remain just friends. But, when true intimacy is shared then they have something that can never be shared or understood by anyone else. When we come to a place where we are intimately involved with the Lord then our lives will never be the same.
W cannot miss something we have never experienced. How can you ever “miss” God is you have never experienced the intimacy of being in His presence? Just the two of you; It is a wondrous thing to sit in His presence and listen to Him speak to your heart in such a secret place that you would never want to share that with anyone.
With the blood of Jesus Christ covering us, just as the hand of God covered Moses as He passed by, we may boldly enter into the throne room of God and spend time with Him. This is a place where we can lay our head on His lap and just rest.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16
This is a great honor and privilege that came with a great price and should not be entered into without much reverence. We know what Christ did for us at Calvary, and yet so many of us take it for granted that He will always be there instead of being truly thankful and full of thanksgiving to God the Father for His great sacrifice of His only Son.
If we think of a man whose son may have given his life in the call of duty, we well imagine that if we were to speak to that father about his son that we would speak the son’s name with reverence and show respect.
And yet we do not always do that when we speak of Jesus Christ.

The time of irreverence to God must come to an end now.
If our church bulletin says that church starts at 10AM, believe me in this, the angels are there, assembled and waiting AT 10AM. They are not still trying to get themselves together.

I saw a vision of the angel of the church (every church has one) directing traffic to the ministering angels. I saw him sending out troops to gather in and protect the saints that were on their way to the church. The Lord so cares about us getting to a place of worship that He dispenses His angels to guard us and protect us as we gather ourselves together to meet Him. So, why are we grieving the Holy Spirit so much with our lack of reverence to God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the men and women of God who are there to conduct and lead the worship?
I use the analogy that if the president of the United States told us that he was going to visit our church on Tuesday at 12:00 sharp we would not show up at the church doors at 12:30!! We would most likely be vying for the first seat in the first row that is directly in front of the altar so we would make sure we had a clear view.
Why do we not show God the same respect?
But you [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once [were] not a people but [are] now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. I Peter 2:9,10

We are not the same as we used to be. We are not a “worldly” people, but a generation of priests and princes and princesses. We are children of the Most High King, yet we sometimes act like people who are being dragged off the street to a place that we don’t want to be. Instead of realizing and appreciating the very presence of our Father we see church and bible study as something that is expected of us instead of something we look forward to doing. Yet, even in our bad attitude Christ still meets us at the door with a smile on His face, happy to see us. He meets us with His healing hands and His loving heart; embracing us as we are ushered into His presence..
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18
The choice is ours. We can draw close to Christ and allow the ultimate transformation to happen or we can continue in our disobedience and only allow God just so far into our lives. Do you have the courage to open your heart and allow Him closer to you? He wants to adorn us with the beauty of His Holiness. But, He can only dress us when we allow ourselves to be drawn into His intimate presence.

[The] four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created." Revelation 4:8-11
Let us allow Him into our lives in a more intimate way so we will know when we are “missing” Him. For surely, He misses us.

Evangelist Julia Matts Fleming
www.warriorwomenoftheword.yolasite.com
evangelistjulia@hotmail.com

Evangelist Julia was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island and raised in Seekonk, Massachusetts. She first heard about the saving grace of Jesus Christ at a revival meeting in Pineville, Louisiana, where she gave her life to Him. She was filled with the Holy Spirit that same week when she confessed to the pastor that she was indeed saved!
She was ordained in Christ Miracle Vineyard Church, Providence Rhode Island in June 2002 as an Evangelist.
She has served as a Pastor for the Boston Branch of CMVC and also has served as an Evangelist throughout the United States, but mostly in the New England states.

She has since been mandated by God to serve as an ambassador for the women, believing that women are an untapped resource in the body of Christ. She endeavors to strengthen, and encourage the people of God wherever the Lord sees fit to use her.

OTHER BOOKS BY EVANGELIST JULIA:
DON’T LOSE HEART
THE FAVOR OF GOD
Books may be ordered on her website

To Hear the message as it was presented that day 3/25/2012 please log onto the following url:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOl3bLEQ5c4&feature=g-upl&context=G2e3669bAUAAAAAAAAAA

The Favor of God --Part III

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:35:25 +0100

Psalm 5:11,12

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. 12 For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

Question for this lesson: How do we practically receive, germinate and grow this “Favor” of God in our lives?

Let us first look at the scripture: Romans 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."

Father Abraham stood firm in his belief that what God said he would do! God told him that he would be a Father of many nations. Abraham did not look at his circumstance…he did not take into account that Sarah was past the child bearing age, he did not look at the fact that he was over 100 years old himself. He did not try to FIGURE OUT how God was going to do it. No, he stood firm in his belief that God was not a liar. He had FAITH and was FAITHFUL.

And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Genesis 15:6

The Hebrew word in this text for “believed” is aman. It is a verb and is translated to mean to be faithful, to support, to confirm, to uphold and to nourish. THIS faithfulness of Father Abraham was counted to him as righteousness.

I want to interject here the scripture that tells us that God does not show partiality to one person or another. What he does for me he will do for you; what he did for Moses, Jacob, Paul or Peter he will do for you.

Romans 2:11 reads: For there is no partiality with God. If you have true unwavering faith in God (like Father Abraham) and what He says he will also count this towards you for righteousness. This is the promise of God in this scripture. God does not care about your circumstances. He cares about your faith in Him.

Romans 5:20, 21 The law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly; that as sin reigned in death, even so might grace reign through righteousness to eternal life through Yeshua the Messiah our Lord.

GRACE in this text is translated as that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech; good will, loving-kindness, favor.

The FAVOR of God comes to us through righteousness and righteousness comes through FAITH!! Just as it did with Father Abraham!

This is why the scripture tells us that Faith without works is dead. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. James 2:26

If Faith without works is dead then Faith with works must therefore be alive! When we put our faith into action it brings life. THIS is what determines the amount of favor and grace that will operate in the life of the believer…it all comes down to Faith!

Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. Romans 4:4, 5

But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. James 2:18

Step out in your faith and watch the Favor of God grow and mature in your life!! This must be a practical actual act. Chooose something in your life that requires faith, step out in it and watch the power of God work in your life!

The Favor of God PartII

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:33:12 +0100

Psalm 5:11,12

I have taken the time to study with the Holy Spirit and to research the Hebrew meaning of each word and phrase. The following is a breakdown, according to the lesson from my study time, of the Psalm 5:11,12

Let all those who trust in you, those who run to you for refuge from the attack of the enemy, danger and persecution, rejoice loudly and arrogantly! Let them perpetually, forever and ever shout loudly for JOY! Because you defend them, because you cover and protect them and weave them together with yourself! Because You stop the reproach of the enemy. Because you shut off the attack of the enemy! Let those who love Your Name be Joyful and leap for joy in jubilant triumph in you!!

For You, O Lord will bless the righteous, those who are standing in the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus; With Favor, Ratsown, with acceptance and goodwill, YOU will surround them like a shield. Your acceptance and favor, RATSOWN, will cover them like full body armor!!

Life can sometimes make us feel overwhelmed. I know I am not just talking to myself. We have all heard and sometimes quoted saying such as , when it rains it pours, it always comes in threes, when is it going to stop, I can’t take it anymore, God will never give you more than you can handle…etc. It is a blessing to know that when we call on the Name of the Lord that actual help is on its way! It is not an empty thing we are doing. When we take scripture and plant it into our situation then the situation MUST react to the Word. Isaiah 55:11,12 tells us that the Word of God will not come back without accomplishing what it was sent out to do! The Word is a living entity! When we choose to speak the Word of God into our situation or into our life it will create just as the world was created by the spoken Word of God from His own mouth. Think of yourself as the mouth piece of God. Speak those words and allow the Word of God to do what it does. Stand on it, be rooted and grounded in the Word and allow the seeds of His salvation mature you and prosper you in EVERY situation. God said in Isaiah 50:2 that His arm is not shortened that He cannot save! Hear this….there is not one single situation that can present itself into your life that cannot be defeated by the Word of God.

Presented here are prayers that will deliver you from those overwhelming circumstances in your life.

PRAYER: Start by reciting Psalm 5:11,12….Father, I present to you this situation (name your situation). I put this situation into your hands Lord. I have run to you, O Lord for refuge from this thing (name it). Father, only You can defend me, only you can be my shield. My chacah, (pronounced like HASAH), is in you Lord for you are my refuge and I am a refugee from the enemy! In Your Name I escape from His torment. The tormentor cannot come near You, he cannot touch you, Lord weave me with your Holy Presence so I may be protected from the enemy! Father I pray that You will shut off the attack of the enemy against me in this situation!

I rejoice arrogantly and jubilantly NOW because I know that you have risen me above this situation already! Your Word is true and you deliver the righteous out of the hand of the enemy and his fiery darts. I stand arrogantly on Your Word of salvation and DEFENSE against this tormentor, this enemy which tries to exalt itself above Your Name. Let Your favor, your Ratsoon (pronounce like RATSOWN) cover and protect me like full body, soul and spirit armor for Your Names sake! Let Your acceptance and favor and Goodwill glow with the Light of Your Love that surrounds every area of my Life, for Christ’s Sake in Jesus name!

The Favor of God --Part I

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:31:53 +0100

Psalm 30

A Psalm. A Song at the dedication of the house of David.

1 I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O LORD my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me. 3 O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.[a] 4 Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.[b] 5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning. 6 Now in my prosperity I said, “I shall never be moved.” 7 LORD, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled. 8 I cried out to You, O LORD; And to the LORD I made supplication: 9 “What profit is there in my blood, When I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth? 10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy on me; LORD, be my helper!” 11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

This morning I felt a desire in my heart to learn about the Favor of God. I briefly heard it mentioned on one of the Christian TV shows I was watching and I heard the voice of the Lord say He wanted to teach me about the favor of God. So I began my Lesson in The School of the Spirit.

Grace: We walk in Grace, we live by Faith. We have heard that Grace is the unmerited Favor of God. But I wanted to go further and research this “FAVOR” and see really what it means.

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life;

Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning (Verse 5)

I want to concentrate on the Word Favor in this verse. The Hebrew word is RATSOWN. It means the Goodwill, pleasure, desire, acceptance and delight. In this verse it refers to Our Father. The RATSOWN of God in our lives is for our LIFE. Don’t let it be confused. In this scripture “for life” is not referring to “for the rest of your life” it is referring to action, LIVING, rejuvenation, renewal, revival, maintenance and sustenance!! When the Ratsown of God is exalted in our LIFE it is for our action, LIVING, rejuvenation, renewal, revival, maintenance and sustenance!! David, the Psalmist, goes on to sing that weeping may endure for a night but Joy comes in the morning. We will not all always have joyful times in our lives, but we must learn to call out to God for the RATSOWN of God to manifest itself in our lives so then Joy will come in the morning! Darkness is in the night. Darkness brings confusion. But when the Morning of God’s love ascends, when the daylight breaks and we can clearly see again then that is the time that Joy comes! Rejoicing in the fact that His will has been accomplished in our lives and that our enemy has been vanquished! Morning is when we can see clearly, no more stumbling in the darkness!

Verse 8 says that David cried out to the Lord. Translating this from the Hebrew it goes on to say that from the Lord he sought FAVOR.

Verse 10 reads that David asked God again to hear him and show FAVOR! He asked God to help him, to be his “helper” The Hebrew translates this as support. David was in essence asking God to support him, uphold, to cause an interest to his cause, to defend him. He wanted God to be his foundational prop and to keep him from losing courage!

PRAYER: Father, Let your sun rise on my night of weeping and mourning. Let the light of your love clear away every dark corner and let all things be manifest. Let there be no more darkness in my life, but Father allow the light of your Love to light every dark corner in my life. Let your Favor, your RATSOWN surround me for LIFE. Allow your goodwill, pleasure and delight be and abide and exist in my life, allow me to LIVE. Father, sustain me, revive me and renew me according to your Goodwill. Be my helper Lord! Defend me in your righteousness.

Endurance (Don't Lose Heart-Part II)

Wed, 05 May 2010 03:40:49 +0100

Endurance

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work. That you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4

Let’s start with ENDURANCE. The word in the above text for “Patience” translates as thus:

Steadfastness

Patient continuance

Constancy

Sustaining

Perseverance

Patient waiting

Patient enduring

Let’s recognize that our Father has a bigger plan for you than you can see with your natural eyes! Trials do not enter into your life for no good reason. I hear Christians all the time saying that they do not understand why God would allow such a terrible thing to happen to someone (or ourselves). We look with our natural eyes and do not have the understanding. If a person’s life is in Christ Jesus then that person’s life is protected by the blood of Jesus and NOTHING can happen in that person’s life without the consent of the Father!

The Word of God tells us that,

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose. Hebrew 8:28

Knowing this and taking this into consideration we must also consider and ask ourselves why this thing has been allowed to take place in my life. We may not always get an immediate answer, therefore we must be obedient and to patiently endure what has befallen us. This DOES NOT mean to quietly wait for the situation to pass! I want to emphasis this. However, this is not the time to give up hope. This is the time to dig deep into your Faith pocket and hold on for the ride!

Okay, so let’s be practical here. Sometimes life can deal us some pretty ugly blows and it sometimes seems like there is no end. We find ourselves pushed to our knees with no strength to get up. This is when we MUST continue in our faith, KNOWING that God is still in control of everything that concerns you. This is the time when perseverance must take place. We must be determined and steadfast in our belief that NOTHING can affect our lives without the expressed consent of the Father!

In Hebrew 10:36 we are told that we have need of Patience (endurance and perseverance!) so that after we have done the will of God that we may receive the promise: it is noteworthy to know that promise here also translates to Blessing!

Let me share an incident with you. In 2008 I was instructed by the Lord to go back to the Dominican Republic. This mandate came in April. Later in the month my estranged husband asked to come back into my life. I had opened a small store on e-bay and was saving money to make this trip. The money was coming in steadily and my job was going very well. I was on top of the world! Here I am being sent on a missionary trip, my husband came home, and I was making money hand over fist!! Life was good! In August I was instructed by the Lord to pray for PERSEVERENCE, which, thank God, I was obedient to do.

Strategically, the enemy devised a plan to try to stop me from going on this trip. My job changed my pay scale which caused me to make 30% less than I had been making. E-bay closed my store on a technicality which caused the flow of money to stop. My “husband” decided he was not going to contribute to the financial expenses of the home.

I now was making 30% less from my job, no money coming in from my store and I was now supporting another grown adult. HHMMMM….I continued to pray and believe.

I knew without a doubt that I had been instructed by the Holy Spirit to make this trip.

I traveled on a scheduled trip to Rhode Island to a church I had helped to get established and celebrated their 10 year anniversary with them. Upon arriving back home in Florida I found an eviction notice on my front door; the house I was renting had been foreclosed on by the bank and they were giving me 10 days to vacate. I had experience terrible pain in my body upon having arrived back in Florida. I went to the doctor who told me I had an e-coli infection that had affected my kidneys. He told me to take the medicine and stay home from work. I steadily saw the money I had saved for the trip dwindling. My pastor from Rhode Island informed me he and his wife would be coming for a visit. I was so sick. Then my husband demonstrated that married life was not for him and became physically violent.

Oh boy!! But I KNEW, without a doubt that I had been instructed to go and I recognized the plan of the enemy. I determined within myself that NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENED I was going to the Dominican Republic, as instructed!! I had studied the word PERSEVERENCE. I found where it had been mentioned in the bible. I meditated on it and believed that because I had asked for it that God would supply it!!

Let’s do a recap:

1.) My ability to earn money had been completely stopped

2.) My husband was now violent and would not leave my house, therefore I am supporting him

3.) I have been evicted from my home

4.) I am dreadfully ill

And, I am still determined that in 10 days I am going to the Dominican Republic and I will be effective!

Thank God for my Pastors visit. They prayed with me daily. By the time it was my time to leave I was still sick, but I was more determined than sick. I went on the plane with pain and my bottle of medicine. I had a six hour layover in Miami and most of the time I rested with my head on my suitcase in the terminal. I tried not to think about the trouble I was leaving behind me and only look forward to what was ahead. I had a 10 day stay in the Dominican and I was determined I would accomplish whatever the Lord had prepared for me there.

From the moment I set my foot on the soil in the Dominican Republic the pain in my body left! What a witness to the Power of the Most High!

With the strength of God I had been able to persevere and to endure with enduring faith that I was going on this trip no matter what the enemy threw at me!

I had been able to endure and I received the blessing.

In the Dominican Republic wonderful things happened, the best of which was watching a brother give his life to God right there on the beach. I watched as God proved Himself strong to this young man and later as he brought his family to church. I can still see the brightness in the face of his wife as her faced beamed with the brightness of the Holy Ghost, as she stood next to her husband, her saved born again husband, in the church.

It was all so worth it!! The hardship, the pain, the loss of money meant nothing when I saw their faces. When I got home God had already worked everything out for me and in my home I had peace again.

This all came because of perseverance. Imagine what the outcome may have been if I had decided to give up; throw in the towel, wallow in my pain and suffering and tell God it was all just too much for me to handle!! I do not even want to speculate on what more devastation may have come upon me. But I stood firm in my faith. It was in no way easy, I am not going to come across like I was just not feeling the pain. It was hard! REALLY hard! But Praise God for His promises. He spoke and I clearly heard and I chose to believe.

I want to revisit our original text:

The author here tells us that the testing of our faith produces patience, (endurance, perseverance, patient continuance, steadfastness). He also tells us to let patience have its “perfect “work. He admonishes us to bring ourselves to Completeness. Don’t stop halfway through the task. Hold on even if it is difficult. WHY? That you may be perfect (completed) and complete (complete in all respects and faultless) wanting (lacking or being inferior) nothing.

God has given us a plan for victory; I heard a pastor say once that the battle is already won but it is up to us to sustain the victory! Our lives are not to be lived in defeat. He has given us everything we need to live a victorious life, but it is clearly up to us to choose wisely how we will react when adversity arrives in our life.

Don’t give up!! Don’t lose heart!!

Don't Lose Heart

Wed, 05 May 2010 03:40:15 +0100

Don’t Lose Heart!!

Text: Psalms 27: 13, 14 James 1: 1-3 Hebrews 12: 1-3

I would have lost heart if I had not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27: 13, 14

Don’t give up!! In the world of today the struggles seem unending. When does it ever get easier? We say that by this time in my life I should be running on cruise control. By this time I should have been married for 15 or 20 years; enjoying my impending retirement or my children grown and all well adjusted. Unfortunately for most of us, life happened!! Jobs were lost, careers devastated by a weak economy or even weak economic growth, husband or wives left us or our children have become rebellious and disobedient. This is not a new thing. It has been happening through all of history so don’t be so surprised now that it has also hit your household. But the Word of God tells us not to give up; It tells us to keep believing even when things seems so bleak and darkness seems to be in every corner just waiting for its chance to pounce on us! The Word of the Lord in the above referenced text tells us that the psalmist knows he would have become depressed, given up, and let go if he had not believed in his heart that the Lord would deliver Him out of the mess he found himself in. So, what do we do in such a situation? We WAIT. Ah, but we do not just wait idly!! We strengthen our hearts while we wait for our deliverance to come. The Word goes on to tell us to wait and be of good courage. It’s interesting to know that the translation for the word used for courage in this text means to strengthen; to encourage. Encourage yourself when things look like they are falling into pieces around your feet!

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. James 1:2, 3

So, why in the world should I feel happy that calamity has taken over my life? We need to remember that there is a final destination and a way to reach it successfully. Consider this; a serious athlete will not just get up off the sofa one day and decide he is going to run the Boston marathon and expect that he will successfully reach the finish line. He endures months, maybe even years, of training before he subjects his body to such a task. The word “patience” used here translates from the Greek as “endurance”. We are sometimes so quick to blame the enemy for the “bad” things that are occurring in our lives when in fact it may be the Lord bringing you to a place of enduring faith for a bigger and better task that lies ahead. So, this is the reason we are admonished to “count it all joy” when these things show up in our lives. Encourage yourself in the Lord knowing that He has bigger and better plans for your life, but you have need of endurance. Do not be swerved from the path the Father has set before you. Endure the trials with enduring faith!

Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12: 1

The word “run” in this passage of scripture denotes someone who is currently in great peril and needs to exert all of his/her strength to overcome the circumstance. The “race” that is set before us is actually a phrase used to show a struggle or battle. So, in essence, the author is encouraging us to continue to patiently endure the battles and to use all of our strength to continue in our faith knowing that there is an end!! A battle cannot continue on forever!! There is a season to everything under heaven.

And He was withdrawn from them, about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying “Father, if it is your will take this cup away from Me, nevertheless not my will, but Yours, be done.”

Luke 22: 41

Jesus knows what you are going through is hard. He was saying to the Father here that it was difficult; so difficult that he would have liked to have been released from the assignment at hand if at all possible. But, because Jesus knew that the ‘race” set before Him was for a greater purpose He was able to truthfully say He would endure the humiliation, pain and torture for the sake that the will of God be carried out. Jesus understood that there was a greater purpose for Him in this “mess” that he found himself in.

Therefore, strengthen the hands which hang down and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

The message above is to strengthen the hands that hang down and the feeble knees. It tells YOU to make straight the path for YOUR feet. Here we must recognize that we have a personal responsibility on our own to “pull ourselves up by the boot straps”! It is not our pastor’s responsibility; nor our husbands/wife’s or best friends!! It is our own. Lift your hands to God, there is always a bit of strength left to raise your hands in Praise to Him. If you refuse to do this there is a crooked path you will take that will again cause you to stumble again and fall. Have you ever tried to walk on your leg when it felt like pins and needles? Without realizing it you could find yourself on your face on the floor! You may not be able to walk but you can start with praise or just a simple, quiet thank you. Just stand for a moment and let the blood start to circulate in those weak knees; before you know it you’ll be taking baby steps!

So, let us not lose heart, give up, throw in the towel, become depressed…etc. Now that you know the reason for the trials it will be easier for you to encourage yourself in any situation knowing that it is God preparing you for a greater purpose!