Cultivate a Place for Me to Dwell

Exodus 20:20 (VOICE) Moses: Don’t be afraid. These powerful manifestations are God’s way of instilling awe and fear in you so that you will not sin; He is testing you for your own good.

Beloved, be mindful not to allow familiarity to breed contempt. I AM still God. I love you and cherish intimacy with you, I’ve provided grace for you and granted you forgiveness, but at no point have I relaxed My standards on what is good and what is evil.

The enemy will tempt you to flirt with the line between sin and what is permissible, but if your heart truly knows who I AM and you love Me, you will not want to grieve Me by following the letter of the law rather than the spirit. Know My heart and strive to be like Me. Cultivate a place for Me to dwell within you.

Move Others as You Have Moved Me

Matthew 20:34 (VOICE) Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and so they followed Him.

Beloved, I love you. Therefore My heart is easily moved with compassion toward you. You don’t need to beg or plead or bargain – I cannot be controlled or manipulated – but I love you, and I love you deeply. You move Me deeply.

So expect My touch of compassion in your life and on your heart, beloved, and then respond. When I touch you, you are changed – and that change moves you (just as you moved Me). When you are rightly aligned, you reflect Me and My heart of compassion, and so in turn you will touch others. Freely you have received, freely give.

It is worth the cost to extend your hand and bless another. Do not withhold. Reflect Me and My heart to give freely and generously on the kind and the cruel. Be My light, shining forth and move others as you have moved Me. Continue reading “Move Others as You Have Moved Me”

Priestly Role, a Surrendered Life

Numbers 4:16 (GW) “Eleazar, son of the priest Aaron, will be in charge of the oil for the lamps, the sweet-smelling incense, the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil. He is in charge of the whole tent and everything in it, the holy place and its contents.”

Beloved, you are called to be a priest – one who surrenders their life in service to Me – and part of a priest’s role is to facilitate My presence – the oil of My anointing – that My glory might burn brightly. Another part is that you lead worship by example, not just in praise, but in lifestyles of worship – heart fixed on Me – sacrificial particularly in the sense of surrendering control to Me (a holy offering).

As you release the reins of your life to Me, you demonstrate to others I AM trustworthy. No word need be spoken – I assure you, people see. Not only do they see, but they watch to see how I will respond. It is then they see My love and the inner strength, peace, and joy I bring. So live well, beloved, and walk in the priestly role you’ve been called to. Continue reading “Priestly Role, a Surrendered Life”

Be a Conduit of Blessing and Grace

Psalm 112:5 (VOICE) Good comes to all who are gracious and share freely; they conduct their affairs with sound judgment.

Beloved, just as I have extended grace to you, you (being made in My image) should be intentional about extending grace to others. Freely you’ve received, freely give. Withholding grace speaks more to your character than to the recipient’s worth, so be known as one who is gracious and generous in spirit.

If it is within your power to be a blessing, resist the temptation to withhold it. Trust My leading and operate as a conduit for Me to bless others through. Closing down that pipeline doesn’t actually give you more, but rather it stagnates the flow. So open wide – holding everything loosely – what I prompt you to give won’t feel like a loss because of the magnitude of blessings on their way down the pipeline for you and for you to generously share. Continue reading “Be a Conduit of Blessing and Grace”

Love Well

Ephesians 4:2 (TLB) Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

Beloved, I AM glorified as you accurately reflect My character and nature – you who were created in My image. As you walk in grace, loving one another well – being patient and kind; never jealous or proud, haughty or unkind, selfish or rude; being mindful to seek other’s wellbeing and promotion above your own; rejoicing in each other’s victories and comforting in losses; and ever being loyal and steadfast – beloved, that kind of love honors Me. It demonstrates My character without a word. Those actions testify to My goodness simply by moving in the hearts of those it touches.

Actions like that bring Me glory, a glory that radiates in the spiritual realm like fireworks would in the natural. And even those who may not “see” it in the spirit can feel and respond to it – often without even realizing what they are responding to. So continue to love well, beloved, and bring Me glory. Continue reading “Love Well”

Kindness is Contagious 

Galatians 5:22-23 (AMP) But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is…kindness,

Beloved, as My fruit multiplies within you, let it pour forth from your heart in the form of kindness. Be known for being one who is gracious and generous of spirit, full of mercy and overflowing with compassion. Let kindness be your trademark.

Nurture others’ wellbeing, making their interests your focus trusting that I will make yours My own. Encourage those around you to operate in joy and love simply by doing so yourself. Kindness is contagious. Spread it liberally!

Lead by Example and Pray

Proverbs 14:34 (VOICE) Living according to God’s instructions makes a nation great, but sin colors those who commit it with disgrace.

Beloved, lead by example. Walk in freedom unhindered by sinful pursuits. Keep your mind – thoughts and actions – fixed on Me. Operate in love rather than being tempted to pride or judgment. Encourage others to be their best selves by being your best self. Show them what it looks like. Let them ask you how to walk that way rather then judging their ungodly behavior as they are still in the world.

Pray for them. Pray for your nation. Pray for your leaders. I AM sovereign. I lift men up and make them great. Trust that My will can be accomplished and pray that it would be. Ultimately you are in My hands and that is a good place to be. Continue reading “Lead by Example and Pray”

Greater is the Light Within You 

John 1:5 (AMPC) And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it].

Beloved, darkness cannot resist the light. It must surrender to it. I AM light. Everything is darkness compared to the light of My glory. But you, beloved, made in My image, are a carrier of My presence – My glory – therefore you also shine brightly, drawing those in darkness to the brilliance of your glow.

Do not be afraid of the darkness, for far greater is the Light within you. You have nothing to fear, the darkness merely highlights the splendor of your radiance. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Joy and salvation. Shine brightly and unashamedly. Like a prism bursting forth into beaming rays of opalescent light, so My children burst forth in facets of My beauty – glorious and splendid, a feast for My heart.

Accurately Reflect Me 

Luke 17:1-3 (GW) …how horrible it will be for the person who causes someone to lose his faith! It would be best for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large stone hung around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to lose his faith. So watch yourselves!…

Beloved, be mindful of your actions and how they affect others. Yes, you each have personal responsibility for your choices, but you do not want to be the one to cause someone to stumble or fall away just as you don’t want someone to cause you to stumble or fall away.

Therefore it is vital you be like Me. Love like Me. Accurately reflect Me. This cannot be stressed enough. I see the full impact of careless words and thoughtless actions, and if you could fully grasp the effect they have you would feel the weight of them. They are not to be taken lightly.

My Word is there to instruct you in how to live. Beloved, eat it as though you were a starving man. It is good and nourishing to your soul. It brings forth life and teaches you to be like Me. So immerse yourself. Be saturated by the water of My word that you might pour out that living water in a dry and thirsty land.

Let Love Supersede All

Matthew 18:13-14 (GW) I can guarantee this truth: If he finds it, he is happier about it than about the 99 that have not strayed. In the same way, your Father in heaven does not want one of these little ones to be lost.

Beloved, I desire that not one would be lost. I AM not angry at those who have wandered away, I only long for their return. Will you walk in love and accurately reflect My heart so My beloveds know I ache for them? Will you withhold judgment, instead extending mercy and understanding? Will you resist the urge to indulge in self-righteousness and pride and instead be humble, long-suffering, compassionate, and full of grace? You are made in My image, reflect Me accurately.

Refuse to be the prodigal’s older brother – resentful of the Father’s love for the one who’d gone astray. Love in no way excuses sin, it simply says the person and their heart is more important. Be known by your love. Draw them home by your love. Let love change them. Let love change you. Let love supersede all.