Like You

I was tempted just like you, yet I did not sin. People tend to idolize me, creating false images of me. When you read My Word, you miss much of my earthly nature. I was fully God and fully man. From my daily interactions with the disciples and loved ones like Martha and Mary, you see that I didn’t shine with a bright light. Before my ministry, I worked and even had business dealings. People treated me as a regular man—cheating, lying, and interacting with me as they do with you. Often, they broke promises or negotiated unfairly. The temptation was not their bad behavior but the pressure I felt to respond. I felt what you feel when people lie or cheat, but I did not sin. Whenever these feelings arose, I turned to Abba. I was always with My Father and knew I had to stay close to Him—it was a matter of life and death. It was through Him that I gained the strength to resist temptation. You must stay with Me always. No one understands you as I do. I know your struggles because I understand the pressure of temptation. I love you, forgive you, marry you, wash you, provide for you, and uphold you. I am your Life. Stay connected to Me.

Walk Forward Into Your Past

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. The quickest way to find peace and order is by taking your next step with Me today. Dwelling on past failures won't help; there's no reconciliation in dwelling on them. In My world, the only way to bring order to the past and redeem the time is to walk with Me today. Regret resides in the house of past failures, filled with condemnation, making it hard to find Me there. But I am right here, right now. I hold your plan for today because I AM your plan. My purpose for you today encompasses your past and future. Remember, every act of obedience to My Voice while walking with Me today permits Me to bring order to your past, present, and future.

Life on Mars

Obedience has a practical purpose: your life hinges on the choices you make about the world. My life is the sum of decisions I make from another realm. When Mark Watney arrives on Mars, he encounters the hostile environment, which relentlessly threatens his survival. However, Mark brings life with him, aiming to live independently of Mars's deadly conditions. Outside his suit and pod, Mars is deadly; inside, there is life. Therefore, first and foremost, the goal is to survive. All other goals depend on this. The next goal is to expand life. I came so that you might have life, and to know that you have it abundantly. Every decision Mark makes revolves around sustaining life. Every thought, word, and movement is driven by this purpose. Routine habits are maintained to preserve life, making natural interaction outside impossible. Shedding the suit to bask in the sun on a nearby rock would mean instant death. No contact with native life is permitted, as communication occurs only between the supernatural life within and the natural death outside. Manuals and checklists serve as guides, reinforcing that Life Steps are non-negotiable—deviation leads to death. Rebellion in this context is foolish, as only the one who strays from the Routine of Life suffers death.

But life is more than just survival, and living does not equate to abundance. Mark relies on the Life support system, allowing Life to expand. Watney's life leads to an abundant existence on Mars. Initially, it might not seem that way—the terrain, temperature, and atmosphere are so severe and challenging. Yet, there is a strategy to bring Life to Mars.

I often give instructions that may seem odd or illogical to Martians. For example, telling Joshua to walk around a city seven times, Naaman to wash in muddy water, Peter how to fish, or Noah to build a boat away from water—all of these seem unreasonable because Martians do not act that way. To live the Martian way, one must fight, fish, and combat disease as Martians do. However, My Words are not intended for living death the Martian way; they are meant for living Life on Mars My Way. Life on Mars is dead; you are alive. My instructions aim to teach you how to live and expand life. My Way offers new directions for a being on a hostile planet. Every word I give maintains and amplifies Life.

Are you attempting to live My Life by Martian standards? You cannot live My Life through your intellect; obedience is what sustains my Life.

Cocoon

I place a cocoon around you as we walk together.

I do not eliminate the storm, the shouting winds, and waves.

What changes are perception and feeling. In the cocoon of the spirit, sight and sound changes.

If a tree fall's in the forest and there is no one to hear it did it make a sound? To complete a transaction there must be a receiver for the offer.

The storm offers up its bluster, roughness, and chaos. But does it exist if there is no one the receive it?

One of the beautiful things about watching a movie is that it places you in an alternate reality that you enjoy while safe in bed eating popcorn. When you are with me in the spirit it's that way. We can eat popcorn while watching a movie about a storm. We can laugh and enjoy ourselves within the tumult. We are in the bed of the spirit eating the food prepared for us in the midst of our enemies. They growl and scream but it's like watching a movie. Our reality together is another.

I welcome you to the cocoon of my love. I welcome you to the bed of the spirit. I welcome you to loving relationship and interaction with me.

Abide in my love. Abide in my presence. In my presence, there is love and joy and peace in the spirit. In my presence, there are words of life…. Always. Always. Always.

It's from this spiritual cocoon that you interact with the outside world on my terms and not the worlds. It's from the cocoon that you dictate reality. It's from the cocoon that you walk calm through wind or waves or you tell the wind and waves to be still.

Perfect authority operates from a position of perfect rest and peace: From the cocoon.

Singular Scaled

Your soul is a singular, unique manifestation in a world of time and space.

There has never been, nor is, nor ever will, be another person that can manifest into the earth that unique blend of the Father that was placed in you. When you, by the Spirit, fulfill your eternal destiny in the earth, then your singularity is on display for all of the world to see and to never forget.

One of the unfortunate effects of sin is to dampen, dilute and dissipate your God given singularity into a mass of unrecognizable mediocrity where the lowest common denominator is the norm. But when you come into Christ and yield to the Spirit, He begins to flow through your soul empowering that unique spiritual genetic mixture that was placed in you before time began.

The extent of the impact of your singular life cannot be measured, nor even comprehended, for it not only has unlimited potential to shine alone. Its most far-reaching effect is not in individuality but in the power of the one to strengthen and empower those that come into your sphere of influence.

For the singularity is empowered exponentially as the Life of Christ in you, that has been freely given to you, begins to be freely given by you.... to others.

Trouble

In this world you will have trouble. There is never a time when you will not encounter it. You live in a world of conflict and chaos. A world of darkness and sin. 

There is no escaping trouble but that is what many seem to spend their lives attempting; avoiding trouble, falling into trouble or getting out of trouble. 

But be of good cheer I say. I have overcome the world. A truth of prime importance for if I have not conquered you have no chance of overcoming. 

I didn’t say I avoided trouble I said I overcame it. I subdued it. I didn’t perfect the art of trouble avoidance but learned how to exit triumphant from all trouble I encountered. 

Think of trouble as a place on the path that you have been directed to walk on. 

If you are Mine and you are following Me then I will take you on a path. It’s a good path chosen by Me for you before the foundation of the world that you should walk in it, but on that path there is trouble. 

Why are you surprised? I never told you that the path would be trouble free. The path might be a good one but the world it passes through is not.

In this world your good path will run through trouble. What do you do? If you shrink back in fear My soul will have no pleasure in you. The path never goes backward only forward. 

You can’t just stand there paralyzed. I said follow Me, which means I am walking ahead of you on the path and I never stop. 

So your only option is to walk into the trouble with Me and trust that My Presence, Wisdom and Power will overcome the care and take you victoriously to the other side. 

Oh, and don’t think for a moment that you can simply take another path or a detour because narrow is the path that leads to life. Narrow meaning exclusive. I am the Way and I am walking ahead of you on this path. If you take another path, you will be in disobedience and you'll find yourself on another path with trouble and without Me. 

This is what so many of My children do. Seeking to avoid conflict and alleviate pressure, they take detours from the right path only to encounter a new distress filled place in the detour necessitating yet another adjustment until they are hopelessly lost and alone in a dark maze and overwhelmed by confusion and fear.

Never be dismayed by the trouble you encounter on your path of life for you are not an orphan but a son. Orphans spend their lives running on paths defined by trouble avoidance because they have never had anyone in their lives to walk with them through it. They are incapable of overcoming because they have never met He who has overcome.  

But you My son are learning to trust in Me, the One that lives in you and walks with you. You are taking less detours and I am pleased. You are learning to trust me, knowing that I am right here with you and willing and able to cause you to be more than an overcomer. 

You are seeing that My ability is endless in its creativity to take any trouble and make it work together for good in your life as you walk confidently with Him who overcame the world and its trouble.

Wandering Mind

Your mind does not wander because I am not here. It wanders because its accustomed to wandering.

Your mind seeks Me not, finds Me not and then, in frustration, seeks fulfillment elsewhere.

I say seek (love) Me with all your heart (spirit) but I also say seek me with your mind.

Your mind accustoms to bouncing like a ping-pong ball from desire to desire; ever focusing on the fear or thrill of the moment.

If you are to seek Me I say bring your mind along in the quest and, when you spirit finds Me, your mind will also.

Don't let your mind pull your spirit but let them both join in the relentless pursuit of Me.

From Duty to Desire

Your discovery of My Presence changes everything.

Who wants to spend time on their knees for an image, even if that images name is Jesus.

You have you achieved? Callouses on your knees, eyes that fight to stay open, and mind and body resentful of lost slumber.

I never meant your time with Me to be defined by duty and
discipline, but desire and fulfillment.

Duty to the discipline of prayer only finds its fulfillment in the actual activity of seeking. Real fulfillment is in the finding.

The thrill of hide-and-go-seek is in the finding. No one ever wins if the person hides so well that they are never discovered. Everyone just gets bored and moves on to something else.

Cast your discipline and duty aside and come seek Me with expectation. I am waiting to be found.

No Soup For You

You're always trying to get something that you feel like you need. You come to Me for need. You give to others, but because you need. It’s always about your need. Your heart seeks fulfillment. It’s willing to seek, willing to give (grudgingly) if it will lead to a fulfilling of need. 

Come to me and I will give you what you are really desire: Rest. Rest that comes from the realization of a revelation: I have given you it all. It’s yours. You never ever have to think any more about getting. You got it all when you got Me. 

Stop returning to the dry wells of temporary fleshly fulfillment. Stop selling your eternal inheritance for a daily bowl of soup. Bask in the knowledge that you have it all. Revel in the vastness of the Kingdom I have given you. Know that daily need in this world is always provided. 

Adjust your perspective. See the Real. 

I've got you and you've got Me. 

Don’t Think About It

I awoke every morning of every day without thinking about finances. I never thought about resources the same way you do. My present was so busy I had no thoughts of the future. All thoughts concerning resources require future thinking. I was a present doer.

When I was on the hill that day I didn't think about how I was going to feed all of those people. How many times, when you are teaching, do you all of sudden stop and think, “How am I going to feed all of these people?” It doesn't even enter your mind. You are thinking about the task at hand. Well I was attending to the task at hand as shown to Me by my Father.

It would have been totally understandable to send everyone home. That was the expected thing to do. It was physically impossible to feed all those people. It doesn't even say that I had enough food for myself. Also, this miracle had never been done before so there were no expectations from the disciples, the multitude or even Myself.

I was not thinking about what I was going to do next.

When the disciples asked me to send the people away, My Fathers will was revealed to Me by The Spirit. Once I knew that He wanted to feed the multitude, My expectation of provision was activated. Within the atmosphere of rest, of knowing that He always provides, I could hear The Spirit telling Me how it was to be done.

Peter didn't think about walking on the water. He walked on the water. All of the provision was at the right place at the right time. Looking around was evidence that Peter had begun to contemplate the future; how the wind and the waves might affect him. Future and Past reflections are not conducive to Present provision. Peter sank.

You can’t think about it.

Go back and read how My day unfolded. I hear the news of the death of John, I retreat, the multitudes come, I am moved with compassion, I teach, I heal, the disciples comment that the people need to go home, My Father comments that He wants to feed people, I believed Him instead of the disciples, He gives further instructions, I obey, 10-15000 people + some loaves and fishes = full stomachs for all, I send the disciples away, My Father wants to talk, I go to the mountain to talk, He says it’s time to go, I walk down the mountain to the water’s edge, He says, “Keep walking”, I walk on water.

Hear, believe, obey…stuff happens.

I didn't think about it.

For you to receive perfect present provision in whatever form that it might take, it is necessary to obey the immediate will of the Father.

Also, if you are going to believe My Word, you are going to have to believe it on its face. You are going to have to believe it without placing it into any logical context.

You are going to have to believe it without thinking about it.

When I told Peter to come to me walking on the water it was impossible to place that Word into a logical framework because walking on the water is physically impossible.

Peter was in a situation where the only two actors on the stage were My Word and Peter’s belief. He had to accept My Word as stated and understood. Come. At this point, mental speculation on the details would be lethal because it would (and did) hinder the supply of Present Provision by the Spirit. Also, speculate on what? Peter had no context within to place My Word. He was operating in unknown territory. Thus is the nature of faith.

You can’t think about it.

I speak My Word that you might believe. I reveal My thoughts that you might believe; not so that you can think about it. Bring your thoughts under subjection. Believe what I say. Obey what I say. Have what I say.

The Lie of Penance

The enemy of your soul is very real and very astute. He knows that you are weak, imperfect, and that, although righteous, you are far from holy. He knows that residual strongholds of deception within your belief system are the fertile ground of sin.  

When you were born of Me, the enemy lost all legal right to dominate and coerce you because his only inroad into your life was through your own disobedience. I’m using disobedience as a positional term: You were a “Son of Disobedience”. That was your nature. What father doesn’t have the right to influence and guide a son in the world in which he lives? Thus your father, the enemy, guided you in this dark world. 

Once you were born anew of My Spirit, the enemy’s legal rights were revoked. A spiritual wall was erected. You are a child of light, the enemy is the father of darkness, and nary shall the two have communion.

When you are disobedient to Me, My Words, and your nature, a door in the wall is opened through which the enemy can enter and you have no legal right to stop him. 

The only action that will close this door is repentance. The minute you repent that open door can be shut. You can order the enemy out of your life and he must obey because he no longer has a spiritual right to be where he is.

Since the door that allows the enemies influence can be slammed shut so quickly through repentance, don’t think that the enemy hasn't thought of a way to keep the door open. 

He has, and it’s a good one: Condemnation.

The minute you feel remorse and wish to repent of your disobedience the enemy launches an all-out attack of condemnation. He wants you to feel that you cannot come to your Father and receive my forgiveness. But you can.

The enemy knows that that when you repent that My forgiveness is complete and he has no legal right to be in your life. But he also knows (better than you I might add) that the authority to remove him from your life resides in you. If you can be convinced some way, after having repented, to not use your authority, to take no action to drive the enemy from your sphere of influence, he will remain and continue to disturb you.

To strengthen his position and prolong this unlawful period of influence, the enemy uses a very simple line of deception. 

He tells you that even though that you have been forgiven, that the damage has been done. That, because you did decide to disobey Me (and make no mistake about it, you are disobedient because you decide to be), that for a certain season you should expect a harvesting of the seeds of disobedience that you planted. He even will use My Word against you: what you sow you will reap. And, because you believe the enemy, you step back from your use of authority thus giving tacit permission to continue to bring his destructive influence into your life. 

You are duped into laying your authority aside for a “certain season” because you believe that you must pay penance for your disobedience in the natural even though the bill has been cancelled in the spiritual.

Of course the enemy never tells you just how long this “certain season” is: one week, one month, one year… your whole life. He cleverly lures you into thinking that you can, and should, pay for your disobedience in the natural by letting him walk on you for an indefinite period of time. 

Nonsense.

The price I paid for your disobedience is enough. I don’t need, or want your help in paying it. You aren't getting any brownie points letting the enemy kick you around in the name of penance. My willingness to forgive you is everlasting. 

If you disobey, repent. Fast. Then tell the enemy to get out of your life and slam the door behind him.

Fill The Earth With Glory

In order to fully understand, appreciate and develop your unique expression of Me you must understand that I AM the limitless well of all that is beauty and perfectness with My Glory being the pure reflection of that beauty and perfectness.

I created the earth to be filled with the maximum expression of My Glory; which is in and through man.

I´m As Close As I´m Going To Get

I am as close to you as I am going to get.

Immanuel is Me with you. The finished work of the cross is me in you.

So don’t expect me to get any closer to you than I am.

You ask why I seem so far away. Maybe it´s I that should be asking that question. I feel like the stranger within. So close, yet so far from you.

The progressive move toward intimacy is what defines a vibrant relationship.

The cross brought me as close as I can come to you. I did absolutely everything that can be done to heal the broken relationship between you and Me. I have wholly bridged the gap with you as it pertains to Me.

From Time to Eternity

You focus on the hourglass of physical reality observing the mass of your life momentarily highlighted as it free falls though the tiny chasm of today; adding to the growing mountain of your past while relentlessly excavating what remains of your future.

Physical life is that commodity of which I have given every man his measure, and more equally than you might suppose, but it is an asset of decreasing value. It has an expiration date. Eventually the last crystallized grain of days will pass through the narrow break of present and you will be no more on this earth.

Spiritual Pizza

You want to be spiritual during your “spiritual time” and then go to Pizza Hut and eat. 

The fact that you don’t see Pizza Hut as a spiritual event is not due to the fact that there is a separation, but because you are not spiritual enough to see the spiritual in the Pizza Hut experience. 

Figuring It Out

So many of My children spend their lives attempting to “figure it out”. They think that if they can solve the puzzle, crack the code, or find the missing piece, then their spiritual lives will fall into place making their physical lives fuller.

You will never figure it out.

Need

Need is an abomination. Need is a manifestation of sin and the evil one and did not exist on the planet when I made it. Need is created first by mans position in sin and the enemy’s ability to move within the sin construct to create barriers of selfishness resulting in mass need. The evil one cares not that there is need nor is he capable of doing so; he only thinks of himself.

Levels of Understanding

The ability of My children to move in My Word in a way that brings about visible change into the world, is dependent on the level of transformation that exist in each one. In the spirit a baby, a child, a youth and a man can receive the exact same information (revelation). To the infant that valuable information is only gibberish, to the child its recognizable words but with no meaning, to the youth the revelation will be limited to carnally applied theory, and to the man, words that can be effectively applied to alter the environment in which he operates.

Peace is a Weapon

There is nothing better than to meet each day in My Peace and there is nothing more fearful than to meet the day in your own strength. It is not for you to decide whether you will meet trials and opposition. Trials and opposition are a given. The storm always comes. But if you meet the storm in My peace then I will bring peace to the storm. If you meet the storm in your own strength then fear will be you constant companion and you will drown.

Uncertainty In Paradise

You must think it’s much more enjoyable to be an angel than a man. They have the freedom to think so strategically; never getting trapped in the mire of the day to day. They fly around doing their orders, clothed in immortality. The battles in which they are enjoined are not real battles, not like yours. They see the world differently; from the point of view of eternity. They know that I always win so it makes their jobs mere exercises with assured outcomes. Not like you, wondering if what you’re doing is right and if the whole ball of string is going to come unwound. Yeah, you’re thinking that it must be pretty cushy being an angel.