When All You Have Left Is To STAND & Worship

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Sometimes the greatest battle we tend to fight, is not only on our knees but in surrendered worship; praising our way through whatever storm or valley we find ourselves, fortifying our heart in praise as we face opposition. If I can be honest, that can be difficult and many times  it isn’t easy to muster up the courage to execute what God’s grace has already made provision for.

The Lord has called me to be an intercessor and has given me the opportunity to intercede for our nation on many occasions. This, is to turn world events round  so as to enable the lord pour out his mercy, giving lost souls the opportunity to come into his kingdom. Many times as an intercessor you may not see the fruit of your labor immediately, but the small victories seen makes it feel like your prayers really do matter. However, when you have been contending for a long time and not seeing any breakthrough, you can  and may get weary. That is when you STOP, STAND! and just worship, knowing that the Lord is indeed fighting your battle.

I have been contending for my family for a while and many times in battle it seems the fight get fiercest when you get on your knees. Many people become perplexed and start thinking “but Lord I have been praying about this, why has all hell broken loose?”. That’s just the thing, before you weren’t advancing towards the enemy’s camp, but now that your prayers are hitting its mark  and started gaining grounds, then the enemy will always have a retaliatory attack. These retaliatory attacks are used to SHAKE your faith.

Let us ask ourselves a question, what happens when everything you pray against happens, then what? The enemy wants you to believe your prayers aren’t working, there is no point of pressing in, God has forgotten about you or worse,that God is not good. As a believer we must know how to stand. Doing all that we know how to do…………….we must STAND and know that he right there with us.

Ephesians 6: 13

Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.

STAND on the rock, STAND on Gods promises, STAND declaring the goodness of your Father, STAND in prayer, STAND in surrender, STAND in love, and STAND in praise. That  which He said  He will indeed do. Being the oldest girl of 6 girls I’ve come to realize the Lord has set me apart to STAND in the gap for my family and  for the family of Christ. That comes at a cost and it will cost me everything, cost me a life laid down completely dead to self that Christ can live. Oh! how hard it has been carrying this designer cross Jesus made just for me. The many tears I have sown, the many disappointment, the many scars I have acquired to carry this cross and follow Jesus. It can be difficult when you cant see what is ahead but only remembering that God said he would work all things out for our good (Romans 8:28).  He said that those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy (Psalm 126), He said to rejoice in hope, be patience in tribulation and persistent in prayer (Romans 12:12), He said that when you have suffered for a little while he will restore you, establish you and strengthen you. To STAND for Christ is to STAND in the Gap, To STAND for the anointing will cost you everything. Just as Christ in his suffering of carrying cross  was not dismayed, for there was much joy and greater victory set before him. We as his joint heirs should do same. When we give our lives over to the Lord to be a living sacrifice that is indeed worship!

So, what have you been standing for? If you have been weary, tried, cried all that you could cry, discouraged, despondent, frustrated, just feeling like giving up……………….. my friend DON’T! STAND!  God wants to use you to mend what has been broken in your bloodline, in your generation, in your community and in your nation. Don’t give up, stand and when you have done all that you can do to stand…………… worship him for he is working it all out for your good and for his glory!

 

-From Jesus with Love

Powerful testimony had me in tears and encouraged me how the Lord will indeed redeem all things!

 

Living To Die…. Becoming A Laid Down Lover of Jesus

From Jesus With Love2 Comments

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(amazing photo credits: Kevin Carden Photography)

Unfortunately, the christian life especially in our generation has turned into giving your life to Jesus for what you can get rather than laying down your life for Jesus to become just like him. God calls us all as Christians to a higher purpose, a higher standard of living, and a higher standard of love if we would only yield ourselves to it. However, many times we hear the statement…”Christ died so that you may live” when in actuality “Christ died so that YOU may Die and HE may LIVE”.

Matthew 16:25
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

That’s truly is the call of any disciple of Jesus Christ. In scripture there were crowd of people who followed Jesus just for popularity or to follow the latest sign/wonder. Then their were many who called themselves disciples but fell away after his teaching became difficult or he asked more of them then they were willing to give. Hence the rich young ruler, or the young man who wanted to bury his father (Mark 10:17-27). Lastly were the 12 chosen disciples who were chosen by God to follow him all the way to their own crosses. Each giving their lives for the gospel and being martyrdom besides one, John. Interestingly enough when I gave my life to Jesus I told him with such passion and boldness that I was all in, I mean I told him not only would I live for him, give my life to him but I would die for him if it came to it. That I would never leave him and want to give all that their is for the sake of the gospel….pause ( doesn’t this sound exactly like what Peter said to Jesus lol…I am so a Peter I tell you)

Matthew 26:3-34
Peter said to Him, “Even if all fall away on account of You, I never will.” 34 “Truly I tell you, Jesus declared,“- this very night before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 

So I stated this to the Lord boldly really believing I was called to martyrdom in the last days End times army. A soldier who would give her life up for the gospel and die for Jesus!!…sounds so heroic right lol Then the Lord plainly spoke to me last November with such authority and said “Nana I never called you to martyrdom BUT YOU WILL DIE THAT I MAY LIVE”. That statement alone shook me to the core when I heard the Lord speak those words to my heart he really meant it. Not sure which is easier dying in a moment of passion for the sake of the gospel or giving up yourself safe daily and dying to yourself. As you allow the Lord to continue to crush your pride, selfish desires/motives, reactions of the flesh, remove comfortabilities, and call you to a lifestyle of becoming just like him. As Paul stated

 1 Corinthians 15:31
Every day do I die, by the glorying of you that I have in Christ Jesus our Lord:
I have come to realize you can gracefully die that’s by you yielding to the Holy spirit in obedience and holiness or you can fight all the way as the Lord kills your flesh….yup sound about right lol. So what does a crucified life or being a “a laid down lover” look like? Is a bride of Christ who is completely dead to themselves, completely void of their own wants, preferences, opinions and completely abandoned to Gods will. A bride who rejoices in their suffering, trials, inconveniences, pains, tribulation and trials knowing that God has allowed it and if so will turn it for their good. A bride who doesn’t live for the earthly pleasures but lives for the rewards of heaven. A bride who wears a crown of scorn and contempt. Who is criticized, mocked, despised, rejected and persecuted for pursing righteousness, who is judged and misunderstood for walking in obedience. A bride who responds always in love, not defending themselves, not looking for the approval or moved by the criticism of others, one who is meek, lowly and little in their own eyes. A bride who yields his/herself daily in obedience to the Holy Spirit in every decision seeking only what will please the Father and no one else. A bride who is climbing the mountain of holiness with her beloved Jesus Christ picking up their cross daily and following him wherever he leads. That’s how the disciples of old lived their lives not loving it unto death and I believe that is how the Lord is calling his last days remnant church to return back too. Return back to hands not only open to receive from him but hearts that are fully surrendered with hands opened to be pierced to the cross with him.  Am I there yet no, but I have given myself totally to this call by the grace of God that I may be a living sacrifice for our Jesus. I hope you do the same too
(speaking to St. Faustina the stations of the cross)
Jesus:
Do you see these souls? Those who are like Me in the pain and contempt they suffer will be like Me also in glory. And those who resemble Me less in pain and contempt will also bear less resemblance to Me in glory
-From Jesus with Love