When you feel that the day brings anything that moves you out of My peace and into turmoil, or your mind is bombarded with thoughts that steal My peace from you, centre yourself on Me and come back. My peace can and will change the atmosphere that you are in. If you feel My peace slipping away from you, remember to meditate on My word, ask Me for wisdom, and call upon your spirit to rise.
Do not listen to the lies of the enemy that would suck you into an endless web of exhaustion. Speak My Word into the atmosphere and with My Word and My Power given to you, silence the loud, lying words of the enemy.
My peace I give to you!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I declare your peace over me right now. I call every spirit not in alignment with you to be silenced! I centre my thoughts and my being on your peace and ask you Holy Spirit to give me wisdom, peace, and courage. I declare every fear and lie of the enemy in my thoughts and my life broken off as I centre myself on you and your word.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]
John 14:27 (AMP)
And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].
My child, sometimes you view your life as nothing but a heap of ashes but I see opportunity! Opportunity to mark your life with a crown of beauty, flooded with a downpour of joy. I see opportunity to give you garments of joyful worship, causing you to reach out and take hold of the blessings I’ve already poured out on you, rejoicing in your journey.
This crown of beauty I am talking about looks like light, displaying the truth of who I am. This crown draws people to Me and changes nations. I love to see you wearing this crown. I love to see you using it – the authority I have given you, delightful and strong, sharp and well-formed.
This is the moment I have chosen to call you to attention, to focus on the situation you are in: see every particle of that pile of ash. Count them. Encounter the brokenness: don’t hold back! Mourn it, pouring out all your ashes to Me.
And this I have promised, that I will give you the crown of beauty for those ashes. Therefore, give each one of those ashes to Me! Leave nothing out! Hand every one of them over.
Activation: Sometimes we don’t believe that God will really give us a glorious crown of beauty. So, we hide that ash – the painful and disappointing results of the past – and move on to a new day. Instead, we must give those ashes to God. We have to experience our real situation fully in order to encounter our real God fully. So get on your knees before Him and mourn that which has gone wrong and is not fixed yet. Open up to God. Write down the three things that are the greatest ash heaps in your life and talk them out with Him, telling Him all the emotions that you feel about them and why. This is giving the ashes to Him. And the crown will follow – His promise.
To grant to those who mourn in Zion the following: to give them a [a]turban instead of dust [on their heads, a sign of mourning], the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a disheartened spirit. So they will be called the trees of righteousness [strong and magnificent, distinguished for integrity, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
Isaiah 61:3 (AMP) Footnotes [a] Isaiah 61:3 In the Hebrew there is a kind of wordplay here as “turban” (Heb pe’er) and dust (epher) have the same consonants and similar vowels.
3 You will also be [considered] a crown of glory and splendor in the hand of the Lord, and a royal [a]diadem [exceedingly beautiful] in the hand of your God.
4 It will no longer be said of you [Judah], “Azubah (Abandoned),”nor will it any longer be said of your land, “Shemamah (Desolate)”; But you will be called, “Hephzibah (My Delight is in Her),” and your land, “[b]Married”; for the Lord delights in you, and to Him your land will be married [owned and protected by the Lord].
My people, your gaze is too earthbound. Lift your eyes, not just occasionally or when reminded. It is because of My strength and perfection that I am the only God that you need. Allow your eyes to hold My gaze, adoring Me in humbleness, pouring out your trembling hope at My feet. It’s the best place to be.
Choose the real Me; the ‘joy in sorrows deliverer’, the one who wants you even when you don’t desire Me. Serve knowing I do test people: remember Abraham and Isaac, whilst reminding yourself that My everlasting arms are underneath you. Grasp and hold Me as I dwell in and among you who believe through My son’s sacrifice. All powers are under My feet.
Your voice is sweetness to Me, your seeking eyes delight Me and I long to carry your wounds and cares. Though I am far above all that you face, never forget that I choose to inhabit you by My strong, sensitive Holy Spirit, beyond all human understanding.
How can others see who I am? Show them over and over. Demonstrate, vigorously and powerfully, the utter mystery of healing, miracles and My Kingdom. You have been admitted into My vast Kingdom and are My army agents on earth.
Activation: In John 6 the disciples could not accept that Jesus had come down from heaven. Are there parts of the bible that you do not accept? Ask God if or where you have a view of Him that attempts to humanise Him, before repenting and choosing to accept what He says.
The Words of Eternal Life
60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?”
61 But Jesus, being aware that His disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you?
62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?
63 It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
John 6:60-63 (NRSVUE)
“Can you discover the depths of God? Can you [by searching] discover the limits of the Almighty [ascend to His heights, extend to His widths, and comprehend His infinite perfection]?
60 When many of His disciples heard it, they said, ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?’
61 But Jesus, being aware that His disciples were complaining about it, said to them, ‘Does this offend you?
62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?
63 It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
64 But among you there are some who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray Him.
65 And He said, ‘For this reason I have told you that no one can come to Me unless it is granted by the Father.’
66 Because of this many of His disciples turned back and no longer went about with Him.
67 So Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’
68 Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.
69 We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’[a]
70 Jesus answered them, ‘Did I not choose you, the twelve? Yet one of you is a devil.’
71 He was speaking of Judas son of Simon Iscariot,[b] for he, though one of the twelve, was going to betray him.
John 6:60-63 (NRSVUE) Footnotes [a] John 6:69 Other ancient authorities read the Christ, the Son of the living God [b] John 6:71 Other ancient authorities read Judas Iscariot son of Simon; others, Judas son of Simon from Karyot (Kerioth)
There is an imminent call to pursue Me in worship! Get up and praise, praise, praise! Worship, worship, worship! Clothe yourself with praise. Do not be slack in this. Don’t just listen to worship music. Sing out loud. Pray fervently. Worship extravagantly.
As we move into a new epoch in history, your worship will become deeply significant. This is a call to stand firm and praise in every circumstance. To take extended time alone with Me and give praise with all your heart, mind, and soul.
Remove the external rituals and come before Me exactly as you are. Linger. Stay in My presence a while longer.
As you worship, you will hear My heartbeat more clearly. My presence will be released and bring deep transformation. Your focus will steer away from yourself. It will slow you down and remind you of what truly matters. It will feed your soul. Align your heart with the true nature of My Spirit.
Activation:
Think of ways you can express sincere and heartfelt worship to God. It may not be through song, but can include things like:
Adoring His majesty
Revering His power
Take a posture of humble respect before His holiness
Declaring His mercy
Praising Him for His benefits
Thanking Him for His unspeakable love
Enter His gates with a song of thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, bless and praise His name.
Psalm 100:4 (AMP)
23 But a time is coming and is already here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit[from the heart, the inner self] and in truth; for the Father seeks such people to be His worshipers.
24 God is spirit [the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind], and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
The Lord is my strength and my [impenetrable] shield; My heart trusts [with unwavering confidence] in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I shall thank Him and praise Him.
Psalm 28:7 (AMP)
We wait [expectantly] for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.
Psalm 33:20 (AMP)
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord bestows grace and favor and honor; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Psalm 84:11 (AMP)
“As for God, His way is blameless and perfect; The word of the Lord is tested. He is a shield to all those who take refuge and trust in Him.
2 Samuel 22:31 (AMP)
6 in purity and sincerity, in knowledge and spiritual insight, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love,
7 in [speaking] the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand [like holding the sword to attack] and for the left [like holding the shield to defend],
8 amid glory and dishonor; by evil report and good report; branded as deceivers and yet [vindicated as] truthful;
2 Corinthians 6:6-8 (AMP)
Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Do you not know that the blood of My precious Son was shed for you, so that you can walk with your head held high?
The veil is removed that separated you and I, so that you can come freely into My presence. Do not let satan’s fear and lies fill the space where it once hung, for it was torn down at great cost. My heart’s desire is for greater intimacy with you. Do not be afraid to come to Me, for I am faithful and just, and if you confess your sins to Me, I will forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.
Approach the holy ground of My presence, knowing that you will be fully received and are fully loved! Let Me show you My glory that you may display it to the nations. For My Son died that all might know Me. Today, take time, remain in My presence, and be transformed by more Glory!
37 But Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed out His last [voluntarily, sovereignly dismissing and releasing His spirit from His body in submission to His Father’s plan].
38 And the veil [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two from [a]top to bottom.
39 When the centurion, who was standing opposite Him, saw the way He breathed His last [being fully in control],he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
Mark 15:37-38 (AMP) Footnotes [a] Mark 15:38 This act of God signified that the death of Jesus ended the need for temple sacrifices and intermediaries, and opened the way for free and direct access to God.
But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,my glory [and my honor], and the One who lifts my head.
Psalm 3:3 (AMP)
18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,[a] are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.[b] For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
This was written in December 2019 (keep that in mind as you read), but reading it this morning, I felt inspired and I hope you will be too. Allow the words to be understood, received and push you to YOUR new season. You don’t have to wait until the New Year to make a change; any day, month or hour can be used to turn things around! Be blessed. Be encouraged.
From my previous posts, you may have gathered that I have a belief. I believe in The Most High God, I’m a Christian and have been baptised. When setting up this blog, I thought that I wouldn’t let my Christianity be my main focus or that, maybe, I wouldn’t even mention it. HOWEVER, it’s very hard not to have it creeping in. As the song from The Greatest Showman goes…’This is me!’
The title of this post is from the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. The Book of Ecclesiastes happens to be another of my favourites. As well as having the knowledge that scripture is God breathed and/or inspired, it amazes me that it’s possible to one day come across a verse or chapter that speaks directly to your life, body and soul, then on another occasion you may be reading it, with a little more information from previous verses or chapters, and it will take on a completely new meaning. It is the same with life. Things happen, but when thought about in the future, it can sometimes take on a new meaning. We can usually gain a new understanding. Occasionally, we are even able to laugh, after initially crying, pulling out our hair and being distraught.
The year’s last loveliest smile – John Howard Bryant
My aim was to get this post out whilst we were still within November but, unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. Three days late isn’t too bad! Above is a beautiful autumnal scene. Autumn is the transitionary period from summer to winter, which is September to November. The view of that same area can differ greatly, depending on what time of year it’s being looked at. It will, on most occasions, be the same trees in that area, unless something drastic has happened to alter it, i.e death, disease, drought, fire or the birth or planting of a new tree, amongst other things. However, sometimes, all that glitters is not gold. At a first glance a tree may seem beautiful, but at a closer look there may be evidence of rot or wear and tear. There can even be things that cannot be seen by the naked eye. Our persona can also be affected by these same things, mentally, physically and spiritually. Our needs can or will change because of internal and external factors. The same can be said for family and friends, even strangers that we come across. We do not have a clue of exactly what each person is dealing with and also what coping mechanisms, if any, they may have. But by being given a little (or a lot of) love and attention, they can be transformed.
He can make everything beautiful in its time…
In the Book of Ecclesiastes, the third chapter tells us there is ATimeforEverything. The very first verse says ‘Thereisatimeforeverythingandaseasonforeveryactivityunderheaven’. Everyday we can take a walk and see how wonderful this earth is, that we have been blessed with. This is no matter what the weather is like or the season we’re in. Beauty can be found in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Likewise in people.
In every change, in every falling leaf there is some pain, some beauty. And that’s the way new leaves grow – Amit Ray
Deciduous means tending to fall off. In Autumn, the deciduous trees or shrubs no longer need their leaves for survival in the forthcoming season, so it loses them. The leaves fall to the soil, which then enables its decomposition to provide soil bacteria and fungi. This soil bacteria then gives important nutrients to the roots. There is no longer a requirement for so much photosynthesis to take place in order for it to survive and this process provides food for other life forms, such as other organisms present in the soil below. This is a prime example of the cycle of life. The tree or shrub will then create a leaf scar, so that the water that has been collated before does not freeze over. Isn’t that amazing! I know I learnt about this stuff when I was at school but had to refresh my memory. The shrubs I have at the front of my home need not fear, they are here to stay! What a wonderful God we serve! Not everyone reading this will realise this, but my prayer is that you soon will! Before I get sidetracked, I will proceed. Yesterday I looked out of the window and the ground was covered with leaves. Prior to this, I was wondering why they were still hanging on, which is when I started reading about the cycle.
Everything has its season.
When the spring arrives, the weather begins to warm up and the sun provides the warmth they will all need to give birth to new leaves and photosynthesis will reoccur.
Give that a thought for a minute…in the midst of the beauty of God’s creation
Give that a thought for a moment…take yourself away and think about it. What is it that you require for your ‘next season’? What is it that needs to ‘fall off’ your life. What is it that would be good for you not to take through to the new year approaching? What do you need to attract and overcome? What are you waiting to give birth to?
The point is that your thoughts on a particular thing can change from day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month and so on, but that doesn’t matter because as you go through different things; receive different information and meet different people…it can change your view; the way you feel and think about something can alter. It doesn’t necessarily mean that your thoughts were wrong at a particular time but just that you’ve learnt more. You’ve grown. You now see things from a different perspective.
Leave yourself open to new experiences and challenges. Be willing to eat new foods, go to new places, try a course and/or meet new people. Be willing to do things that you never would have done before. Do things that YOU have always wanted to do but never had the guts to. Make changes in your personal life or work. You never know what situation is waiting for a Project Manager (YOU) to take it in hand! Let the spring of 2020 mark a year of adjustment, improvement, renewal, transformation and the manifestation of anything else that is positive. Be like a caterpillar, inside its cocoon, waiting to reveal all its glory when it emerges. For He has made EVERYTHING beautiful in it’s time. Whatever you choose to do ensure you are just the way you want to be; exactly as you were meant to be. Prepare yourself by meditation, prayer and supplication. Let 2020 find you being unapologeticallyyou…
Book of Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 3 v 1-8
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace…
Unapologetically Marcia 