Flourishing

God loved us first. Before we were born, He initiated, He wrote down all our days in His book. We choose to receive His plan for us, then we proceed with the Holy Spirit leading us. If we want to flourish in the call of God, we must depend on Him. NOT on our wit, or our premium personality or skill. We can do nothing on our own to please God. Without God, we are nothing. What God wants to do through us, requires our surrender. We can start well and finish empty if we revert back to our ways. Who was the king who lost his anointing? Why? Saul chose to consult a medium then he committed suicide on the battlefield.

A testimony about a dried out stick flourishing in the Presence of God. Our treasured inheritance is His ever-present Spirit. We were adopted into the family of God, and we are His chosen royal priesthood. As His set apart Ambassadors, our glowing countenance is what attracts others to Himself. Like Ruben and Levi, we were not chosen because of our character, or our ability, God chose us out of His great love and His ability to transform our old stubborn ways takes time. We flourish and bloom with the fruit of the Spirit as we spend more time in His presence. We are in process until we meet Him in glory. 1 Samuel 10 “The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will be changed into a different person.” God supernaturally changed Saul, but he chose his old ways over God, and the anointing was withdrawn.

1 Samuel 28:5-7 “When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams. Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.”

David had the chance to kill Saul, but the Spirit led David. 1 Samuel 26 David said, “the Lord himself will strike Saul, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s ANOINTED….Now let my lord king Saul listen to his servant’s words. If the Lord God has incited you against me, then may He accept an offering. If, however, PEOPLE have done it, may they be CURSED before the Lord! They have driven me today from MY SHARE in the Lord’s INHERITANCE (God’s Presence). Saul said, “I have sinned. Surely, I have acted like a fool and have been terribly wrong.” The Lord rewards everyone for their loyalty and faithfulness. David said, “As surely as I VALUED your LIFE today, so may the LORD VALUE MY LIFE and DELIVER me from ALL trouble.”

I believe that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21 “Jesus said, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?’” JOHN 14:9 These words were not spoken as a rebuke, Jesus was actually encouraging Philip to draw CLOSER. Get intimate with Jesus. Before Pentecost, the disciples knew Jesus as the One who gave them power to conquer demons and to bring about a revival. Luke 10:18–20. It was a wonderful intimacy, but there was a much closer intimacy to come: “I have called you friends ” John 15:15. True friendship is rare on earth. It means identifying with someone in thought, heart, and spirit. The whole experience of life is designed to enable us to enter into this closest relationship with Jesus through His Spirit. We receive His blessings and know His Word, but do we really know Him? Jesus said, “It is to your advantage that I go away” John 16:7. He left that relationship to lead them even closer. It is a joy to Jesus when a disciple takes spend time in the Presence of God. Bearing of fruit is a visible result of a relationship with Jesus.

Saul held the office of king, and all the machinery of governing the people was his. God in His sovereignty selected Saul and David. Saul was anointed by the Seer Samuel and Saul prophesied. 1 Samuel chapter 10. Later after David was anointed, David was led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness. The cave of Adullam represents the answer to David’s spiritual need for protection. The cave became David’s headquarters. A band of weary soldiers of king Saul found refuge in the cave and David became their captain. David was rejected by the ruling king Saul, just as the Lord Jesus was rejected by the rulers of Israel. Today, multitudes seek retreat, like weary soldiers, we crave direction and protection by God’s Way and we submit to the Spirit’s rule. We surrender our thinking to His. We seek refuge while we stand in opposition to man-made ways. We are His, and so when we are rejected and persecuted, we share in His suffering. We are dear to He who rules us from His throne. Be fruitful!

Keep your ears open to the Spirit, keep both eyes on the Word of God, and trust in the finished work of Jesus. In a 3 a.m. waking moment I felt the weight of His glory on me. The face of an angel looked up into the blazing light of God with me. The angel’s face was shining, with eyes closed by a grey putty, the word goven was “do NOT be discouraged, look up!” The enemy is using psychological warfare, deception, and lies to try and get us feeling defeated. Choose NOT to FEEL defeated! Trust God, not your feelings. We WIN as we remain “in Him”. Rise above the seen, tune out the noise and tune into the SPIRIT of TRUTH. Press-into the Lord more than ever. Encourage yourself by reciting the promises of God. Jesus is our portion and He is more than enough. He will never leave us or forsake us. He is the strong tower that makes the righteous SAFE!

I have a strong heart. Every heart beat floods my body with life and cleanses me of all disease and pain. My blood pressure is 120/80. The life-giving blood of Jesus restores and cleanses my arteries. With authority, I command my blood cells to be normal in Jesus’ name. Redeemed from the curse, my heart beats with the rhythm of life in Christ. God’s Word restores my body, mind, soul, and spirit.

In Jesus’ name, I speak to my bones, muscles, nerves, and arteries. You are strong, clean, elastic, and function as God created all parts of me in His glorious image. Jesus is the Lord of my life. Sickness or disease has zero power over me. I am free from unforgiveness and strife. The love of God flows in and out of my lungs with every breath. Jesus bore my sin in His Body on the cross. He did this for me to set me free in Him. By His stripes I am healed. My Father calls me His, and He gave me new life in Him. I am His beloved overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony. Revelation 12:11

My testimony is that I am a child of God and I walk in the Spirit and in health. My Father has given me abundant life and I do my part by feeding on God’s Word. Obediently I strive to maintain a pure heart, by confession. I thank You Father for all You have done for me. I declare the words You gave me over my whole body. Thy precious Word is stored in my heart and Thy Spirit flows to every organ in my body. I believe in the living and active Word of God and with great faith I speak words of healing and my body responds gladly.

Abba Father, I attend to Your Word, and I incline my ears to Your sayings. I speak life-giving words of promise from God Almighty. As God was with Moses, He is with me. My eyes are not dim, my eyes are blessed for they see, and my ears hear what the Spirit is saying. My body is a temple of the Holy Ghost, and I demand that my body release the perfect balance of chemicals. My heart, brain, lungs, asphogas, pancreas, digestive trac, eyes, ears, and kidneys work together like a finely tuned symphony. Every organ, tissue, bone, nerve, and vessel in my body functions according to God’s original design. Heavenly Father, as I give voice to these decrees that have been carefully personalized from Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit restores whatever is not working as designed. AMEN. More Confessions

Philippians 4:6-9 “Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in every SITUATION, by PRAYER and petition, with THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God. And the PEACE of God, which TRANSCENDS all understanding, will GUARD your HEARTS and your MINDS in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is TRUE, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is PURE, whatever is LOVELY, whatever is admirable—if anything is EXCELLENT or PRAISE WORTHY —THINK about such things. Whatever you have LEARNED or RECEIVED or HEARD from me, or seen in me—put it into PRACTICE. And the God of PEACE will be with you.” Sunday Aug 4, 2024 at Abundant Life Church, Mexico. The dried stick of the priest actually grew almonds while in His presence. I flourish in His Presence as I remain faithful to Jesus in every test or trial. Thank You, Jesus, AMEN

Thank You, Father, for breathing new life into me. I walk, sit, stand, kneel, and arise to discover that You never left me. Your blood redeemed, restored, healed, and continues to cover me. You have anointed my head with the oil of gladness and my heart sings Your praises. Your will is done on earth as it is in heaven, and it is very good. Proclaiming promises as if they already were, I believe as though I already received. Thank You, Father, for the angels that surround me. I declare healing, peace, protection, provision, unspeakable joy, and strength as mine. You are my guiding force. Holy Spirit lead me into a place of intimacy with You.

Life on earth can be a pit, a threshing floor where bones still break, and we cry out. When the tests of our flesh meet the weight of His glory, any hardness is crushed. My beloved Jesus, I linger in Thy holy Presence. Split wide open by Your weight, the Spirit rushes in to revive my dry bones. Waiting on You, I am anxious for nothing. Your Spirit activates LIFE and renews HOPE in me. You are delighted to show me Your glory each day as I bask in Your holiness. “A person who strays from home is like a bird that strays from its nest. The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. Never abandon a friend— When disaster strikes, you won’t have to ask your brother for assistance. Be wise, my child, and make your Father’s heart glad.” Proverbs 27 ❤️ Spend time in God’s Presence for only He can fill the emptiness.

“The people of God are a people of the “second wind,” the recovery of breath after the loss of breath. The Almighty God who gave the first breath in Genesis is the God who gives a second wind to those who are willing and able to inhale the goodness of God that yields courage, stamina, and steadfastness.” Walter Brueggmann

That “second Breath” is the “goodness of God” it is the wind that filled the upper room on that special day of Pentecost. It is the second wind of the Spirit that gives spiritual life to what before was mere dry bones. His Spirit is the wind that does indeed give us courage in the face of opposition. The Spirit gives us stamina when too weary to take another step. His steadfastness is given to wield a sword like Eleazar, who fought till his hand froze to the sword! Yes, in these last days, such warriors are needed. Men and women of the “SECOND BREATH! Breath it in my friends.” Firm Heart, John Whitener