The Heart Beat from Africa

Tuesday night at our normal evening service I was worshipping when all of a sudden I saw in the spirit realm and angel. He looked like a tribal man from Africa wearing the colored bans around his arms and legs and he carried a staff. This angel started to dance with a very specific rhythm pounding the ground in very traditional African style. As he pounded his feet on stage dancing away the drums started to match the rhythm of his dance. The beating sounded like a heart beat. As I was watching this whole scene unfold I remember thinking "oh that's nice, we are going to give an impartation to Africa or we should pray for Africa" The Lord quickly spoke to my spirit and said "No, Africa has an impartation for you." He said, "African know the rhythm of my heart beat, you have to learn the rhythm of my heart."

I was suddenly taken back to a word that I had given 2 year ago about elephants. When an elephant smells water in the ground he starts pounding on the ground. The rest of the herd feels the vibration of the pounding and the come to help their fellow elephant. They as a herd pound the ground together until the water springs forth.

The Lord said " If you don't learn the rhythm of my heart beat you can't all be in unison to break open the ground to bring forth the waters of revival."

I knew that the angel that was pounding away on stage was the beginning of the call. He was sent to bring an impartation to the city of LA of the heart beat of heaven and as we learn how to line ourselves up with that heart beat we dance and pound the ground until the water or revival springs forth. In the city of LA where the history of revival is so rich there are rivers and streams that have bee running underground for decades now. It's time to match our dance with the heart beat and pound open the ground and see revival spring forth!

Where is the Covenant?

Here in the last month or so this idea that not many covenant marriages are coming forth is forever seeming to be the topic of singles conversations. Where? When? Maybe? Who? Lists? Standards? Brokenness? God's will? Fantasy? Reality? The best? Compromise?Destiny?Stability?Future?Past?Fear?Failure? All these questions plaguing the minds of singles in the body of Christ. There are more but the gist is confusion. I don't have the answer and I'm not pretending I do but I would like to express my thoughts on some discussion that I experienced earlier this week. First, I felt like we need to divorce the person in our mind because fantasy will always leave you in fantasy and reality will go by without you ever interacting with it until its too late.

This need for men to have all their ducks in a row before committing or this need for women to have the ideal romeo before saying I do to me is not reality. When we negate relationship for material or fantasy we are interacting with the spirit of prostitution. Think about what prostitutes do. They trade false intimacy for money and they play the role of fantasy to have their client escape from reality.

I believe strongly that the single people in the body of Christ need to wake up to reality that their covenant relationship is something to fight for. We struggle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers and spiritual wickedness in high places. This war for covenant isn't for our sake but for the sake of our children. When we understand that our children are going to walk into the Kingdom with thousands of generations of revelations behind them we understand what the enemy is up to. Every time a deliverer was born there was a mass genocide of children.. in Egypt Pharaoh killed all the babies because Moses was to be born, Herod killed all the new born boys because Jesus was to be born. Now the enemy would kill all the covenant relationship, plus abortion, plus broken covenant, plus the growing rate of homosexuality, all that focused on killing a generation that will carry the Glory and revelation of the Kingdom, walking in the fullness of Light.

The fact that we sit and argue about right and wrong and occupy our time with rules and regulations just gives the time to the enemy..I don't know about you but I'm jealous as God is jealous. I'm jealous over my future husband and children and grandchildren and great grandchildren. I'm jealous over the fact that they will live life and live it abundantly and to the fullness of what they were created for. I will not let the enemy steal hopes, dreams, love, faith, and peace. If I don't remain militant protecting my legacy, the sanctity and holiness of it I give free reign for the enemy to release his poison into my life and the life of my children. I am not ready to give the power and authority over to the selfish purposes of the enemy.

Instead I will remain tied in intimacy through Love to my creator in all things pursuing Him!

I do know one thing it's worth it. He's worth it. The Bride of Christ is worth it. My destiny is worth me being 100% present in the moment enjoying the King and His creation. I'm passionate about protecting the sanctity of my future marriage and children. Whatever you do as a single person just remember it's about the One and His name is Jesus!!

The Journey

Where do I begin?

After Thailand I really couldn't write of what I saw because I felt the world wasn't ready for the reality of the clash of dark and light. Fighting so hard to pull humanity. I didn't write because I I am mother protecting her young..Thailand I see as a lost child wondering trying to find her home. Yet there's a light that's dawning and it's coming in the shape of a generation that's only a couple years on this earth. As they forge forth God is pouring into them the encounter of intimacy with Him. In the midst of all their hopeless situation One arises to encounter His children. Jesus the Lover once again pursues His bride.. His Thailand Bride.

Ever more am I feeling the the weight of honor. To be chosen to live in such a time as this and to carry this kind of relationship with God. To me it's an honor and a privilege. I could have been born in the mountains of Ecuador never hearing the name Jesus or in the culture of Thailand where Budah is the god that all turn to. Yet I was chosen to know, love and experience the One that is above every name, the One who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the One who takes my breathe away.

Who am I that you are mindful of me? David cried out this phrase in all humility knowing that the One who created the stars, the galaxies and all the world came down to have intimacy with him this lowly man. I feel the same way..I could have been trapped in the demonic cycle of prostitution, abuse, poverty, hopelessness and yet I was rescued from the mouth of hell and am seated with Christ in heavenly places. If I could weep with thankfulness for eternity I would. Being at the feet of the One who rescued me from all fear, shame, darkness, and even death there I would stay preferring that place of intimacy then the stage of religion.

Why do we stay in this place of confusion when we have tasted of the presence of our King?

Why to we continually agree with this place of striving, competition, fantasy, and religiosity when we know the presence of the One who is Love?

I don't know the answer of when we will get it. I hold out hope and every now and then I have the privilege to see the glimpse of the Glory...the moment where every broken heart is healed, every answer is answered, every fear is encountered with love, every crack is made whole.. there in that place I put my faith. Faith in the one that never is defeated that wins with a redemption that is beyond equal. He doesn't just win He conquers with all consuming Victory!!!

If there's 6 billion people in the world I don't believe just one billion will get saved or encountered I believe that 6 billion will get saved and encountered. That is my God.. He doesn't loose. He wins with crazy amazing victory!

Why am I writing this revelation? I don't know other then I'm consumed with the idea and heart that my God is fullness in life, His Kingdom is a never ending Kingdom, His love is an all consuming love, His pursuit is an all consuming pursuit, God is a never ending God.

He will never be defeated by an inferior foe, we are His wisdom, us a human mortal form containing the Glory and authority of heaven to defeat the enemy..what a picture. The enemy doesn't' win!!! He never wins the story is that He never wins!!! Hahahahah Come on say that with me He doesn't win!!! We need to declare that over ourselves and arise out of the ashes saying He doesn't win!! God is the victor and He's for us not against us, He's a good Father who gives good gifts to His children!! Someone get happy!!!!

Stario types and fish balls

Sawa dee ka...means hello in Thai at least for girls that is. This being my first time in Thailand I didn't know what to expect or what I would encounter. As I walked on the streets smelling the street vendors and seeing the limbless beggars I started being awakened to the charms of Thailand. The culture is alive with honor and respect for one another. They love and laugh and love to laugh...

As we explored on the first couple days there was a sense of settling and peace that came over me. No more was Thailand a mystery for me but there she was in all her beauty, a child with out shoes crawling on the filthy streets. It was more then a human love that I have begin accessing for this country. You can hear the land and people crying out for an enounter with love.

I noticed on the first couple days these older white men with kaki shorts and sunglasses hanging around their neck walking around with young Thai women..young being in my mind early 20's. It wasn't even hidden this thing called prostitution that rips and tears at the very fabric of what we are created for. There they were walking sometimes a step or 2 behind their benefactors..there they were the desire of the Father heart of God.

On the first day I saw so many of these type men with these women I started making stario types in my mind. White Australians, New Zealanders..Americans perpetuating a 3 billion dollar industry for what a few minutes of pleasure? What inside of them is so broken that they spend thousands of dollars to come here to have sex with women and children? The questions and the stario types were pilling up..what are they missing and how will God answer their cries?

As we joined Night Light on outreach one of the first nights we were aware that the atmosphere that we walked into was heavy and serious. You could feel the weight of what we came into, knowing that tonight we were entering the enemies camp and releasing the light it felt like such an honor. We prayed and declared for an hour while upstairs a deliverance happening..I looked around the room at all these women who had been reaching out in the bars some of them for years..their faces told the stories of battles fought and won and battles fought and lost. Their focus was millitant and on the front lines you could feel the flint like focus they had to maintain.

We walked out into the streets after sharing a meal together and walked passed a line and into the territory of the enemy..I kept telling myself I'm here to enforce the victory that has already been won. This is illegal no matter who has agreed with it why because Jesus, His blood is enough. As we walked into the strip club I felt this overwhelming since of love for these beautiful girls. My heart was so full of love and I just wanted to hold them all and tell them how beautiful they were.

There she was a young girl maybe 12 at most 14, dancing away showing most of her body in a culture where modesty and descresion is a high value. I looked from across the room into her eyes and they were lifeless. I thought she should be worrying about the Jonas brothers and how well she's doing in school instead of being here dancing for money..money what was the pull again? Oh yes that's it, go to pooreset of the poor tell them they can have 70,000 baht a month ($2,100) but they have to let you do what ever you want to to their bodies...I would check out too..I don't blame her for loosing the life in her eyes but more and more I'm hating the devil.

Being with the women at Night Light I got why they had millitant heart. One girl came over seeing people who are there weekly gives her a sense of ease knowing we are there just to talk. When I saw her walk over to us I knew instantly she was a leader..Beautiful strong woman, leader what's the word for leader in Thai I don't know but there she was..If she became the gracefilled version of herself she would be unstoppable in the Kingdom. I could see her leading so many into freedom..strong heart yes that what she has a strong heart. My translator said you have a strong heart, she said thank you and then she started coughing and took a shot of vodka. Soar throat? Yes..can we pray for you? Yes..Praying with club music pumping in the back ground..no more sickness! better? yes..thank you..Jesus right here was encountering a girl who had just started her night of dancing for money. She was not ready to hear how Jesus loved her but she will remember he loved her enough to heal her of a soar throat. We were done..hard when you don't speak Thai but we leaked enough glory for tonight. As we walked out more white men came in..My heart towards them turned to over whelming love...Their father in heaven loves them more then they will ever know.

We walked out passing ladyboys and teenagers dressed in pleather and fish nets. Is that fair trade clothing? Ha..not so much I don't think. Random thought as you are walking out of a club. I kept thinking what..what kind of business can we have that would rival the pay that they would make at the club? How can we encourage them to stay in school? What would their dreams be if they were free?

Their dreams now are to marry a white man so that they can come to America and be rich, poor girls they have so much more inside of them. What if they are brilliant scientists but because they don't go to school they don't know they have a passion to discover the world. What if they are amazing musicians but they don't know it because they've never touched a guitar or piano. What if they have inside of them the ability to dream a complicated chemical formula that cures aids? All these questions in my head what can we do what is the stradegy of heaven not just for these women to survive but for them to thrive and walk in the fullness of who they were created to be.

After talking with the head of Night Light I realized that the problem wasn't getting the girls out of the bars it was keeping them out. The finances for their jewelry are at an all time low and this affects the women's salary and prevents Night Light from taking any more women in. Where's the money? Where's the answer to not only sustaining power but growing power? I know Jesus has the answer for this nation and he will give the stradegy but I pray it won't take that long.

In the famines God always blessed the children of Isreal. Jacob was blessed 3 times over with wealth while all the rest of the land was dying...Dear Jesus bless Night Light with the abundance of heaven enough money to put the plans and stradegies they already have into action...release the weath of the nations into the restoration and transformation of this land..

Sons

At the beginning of 2009 the Lord told me that this was a year that the prodigals would start to return. I didn't think much of the word because it seems like it's been happening over the last couple of years seeing as I was once one myself but I didn't consider this word as very profound until I heard Him say. "The prodigal sons are coming home." At the begining of the year I didn't really see the word coming forth but that changed a few weeks ago.

 There are so many soldiers missing in this army of God. There are sons that are lost and broken. Just 2 weeks ago I started noticing this very strange thing I saw the sons of God in a way that I hadn't seen before. They were emerging. As I walked around our congregation I noticed these men I'd never seen before. When I passed them I would see in the Spirit the condition they were in. Many were wounded..some broken..some were just crippled. It looked as if they had returned from a battle. Some I had seen in our congregation before and some I had not. I noticed that there were some who hung on the fringes drawn but not sure what to do about it.

As a woman in ministry it's hard sometimes for me to minister to men, I am not always comfortable especially if I can see their brokeness but I feel there's a word for the women of Christ in this. So here it goes:

This is to the ladies.. Listen ladies we can not be afraid of speaking life over the sons of God. We can't be weird about it or unhealthy, we have to be true to the nature of we are called to be as women. Now is a season where the body of Christ is begining to champion women. As Mary's carrying destiny inside of us we must call the Josephs to a place of honor and life. We can't condem or be scared we must be bold and couragous in this hour. I know if you're a woman it can be scarey being around broken men but you know who you are and nothing that's on them can affect you unless you let it. Ask the Lord how he wants you to partner in this. Even if it's from a far in intercession we must take a stand and say enough is enough! The enemy is no longer allowed to steal the Sons of God!

Now this is for the fathers and the sons who are walking in a healthy place. Call out to the sons that are hanging around the edges. Speak destiny over them. Give them a ring and a robe mark them with honor. Love on them until they become the man that God has called them to be. This is the hour for healing to flow. Sons who have forgotten who they are will start coming back..there wounds are deep but God is an amazing healer. Don't let jealousy, envy, or competetion stand in the way of your love towards them. These sons are not only on the outside but they too are on the inside of the body of Christ lost and loney not knowing who they are.You can champion thier dreams and help them find thier place as a sons of God.

I feel the call in the Spirit to really champion breakthrough over our men. There is such a hold the enemy has over thier lives through sexual brokeness, fear, control, and whatever else he uses to keep them in slavery. They are not slaves but free men, sons of God, carriers of light, protectors of the Kingdom of God and fearless warriors.  It's time for them to come back to their place and join side by side on the battlefield. Women and men again fighting together ruling as orginally intened declaring heaven on earth. Once again subduing and taking dominion over creation. Jesus paid the price so that we can go to that place of relationship with the Father being unashamed and free.

I wrote this declaring what I see happening. The "she" in this writing is the body of Christ. I know that there have been many men hurt by the Bride but it's time to be free of offense and pain. They will be healed and free!!

Oh broken man will you let love in?

Or will you resist temptation to fall?

Oh broken man will your arms wrap around something true again?

Or will all the embraces of the future be hollow reminders of the past?

Oh broken man will your face ever see the smile that is deep inside?

Or did she steal all the faces when she hurt you?

Oh broken man will you ever dance again?

Or did you stop moving to the melodies that once resounded in your core?

Oh broken man will I ever see your face?

Or will the mask you wear be a permanent fixture?

Oh broken man will you ever trust again?

Or has your paranoia taken control?

Oh broken man will you ever share your heart again?

Or has it turned into stone beyond softening?

Oh broken men when will you be healed?

You will be healed when you meet your healer.

Oh Godly man thank you for loving again,

Thank you for embracing again.

Oh Godly man thank you for shining again,

Thank you for dancing again.

Oh Godly man thank you for trusting again,

Thank you for no longer being broken but being free.

"Surely the coastlands will wait for Me; And the shipsof Tarshish will come first, To bring your sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, For the name of the LORD your God, And for the Holy One ofIsrael because He has glorified you.  Isaiah 60:9
 

Love

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love:

 is patient

 is kind

is not jealous

doe not brag

is not arrogant

not act unbecomingly

not seek its own

is not provoked

does not take into account wrongs suffered

does not rejoice in unrighteousness

 

Rejoices in:

truth

bears all things

believes all things

hopes all things

endures all things

 

Love NEVER Fails!!

 

We tend look at the definition of love and read it like we are shopping for groceries and we forgot to get eggs oops! Check, check...right patients check, kindness check.. Then our eyes glaze over as we continue to think of all the other things we have to remember as followers of Jesus. We don't see the keys that are right in front of us!

 

Personal opinion, but I feel we throw the word love around like it’s a kitchy phrase that we picked up as a high school "thing to say." Love...sure I love. "Hmm, dangit, that person is going so slow! Hey buddy move it!" - This is a very common example how bout this one:

“Ring..Ring..(look at the caller ID) man, not her again! She complains for hours about the same stuff over and over..I don't have time I need to get my nails done. Oh, hey yeah I'm a follower of Jesus, He loves you and Oh hey I even love you! 

I'd be happy to love well if it fit my schedule. I don’t' really have time you know I am really popular. So many people want to hang out with me.”

 Hold on a minute! Isn't the first line...Love is patient! Why in the world would that be the first line? Maybe because we need to understand that to love well, patience is the highest core value. I've often heard people say," I love her/him but they really get on my nerves. Oh, but I love them just don't like them. I can't stand this about them it's so annoying but I love them.” This phrase is a save all to all the lack of understanding on what the word love actually requires.

"For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother."1 John 3:11-12 

 

Here’s an example that Cain claimed he loved his brother but the love that Cain said he had for his brother wasn’t the love that was described here in 1Cor.  Is this scripture saying that Cain loved his brother he just didn't like him? I wonder if that was his excuse for why he was so jealous. When we exemplify patience as one of the main values of love we eliminate so many factors. Patience requires self-control. Being able to listen to ourselves and do what we are telling ourselves to do. My grandmother use to say, " Good things come to those who wait." It's true the reward of waiting in love will always out way the consequences of being impatient.

             

Love is kind, boy I think that people should look in the mirror when they say they love the one their yelling at. No matter who it is either their kid, parent, or friend it can be a pretty ugly face and not one of kindness. No matter what you say screaming in my book is not being kind. So if kindness is a required trait then can you actually say you love that person that you're yelling at? If there's no patience or kindness in the relationship can you say that true love really reigns?

"Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart." Proverbs 3:3 

Kindness is a high value in the Kingdom of God. Proverbs describes it here as being apart of you as a person. Binding it to your neck and writing it on your heart speaks of it as being engrained in you as a part of you not only your Spirit but also your body. These values are to be apart of your everyday life you can’t do anything without them playing a role in your actions.

 

 Patience and Kindness are pretty easy values to implement. Patience check...Kindness check.. Now here comes the harder stuff. Love is not jealous! Ouch! That one is sneaky because in the name of love we let jealousy slip in. Most commonly seen in couples, jealousy is used to manipulate the other one in the relationship to gain some sort of stance. One tries to make the other jealous but what they really want is the one they are trying to make jealous. Sounds confusing, well it is. Jealousy in the wrong spirit can not only destroy covenant relationship but can actually trap people in a box that doesn't allow then to be the best that they can be. It also blocks destiny from coming into fruition.

 

For example, Cain slew Able because he was jealous. He partnered with unrighteous jealousy. When we partner with unrighteous jealousy we open the door to a murderous spirit to enter into our lives. We might not go out and physically kill the person we are jealous over but we can kill their hopes, dreams, ambitions, talent, love in the relationship, peace and anything else that can come from having a whole healthy covenant relationship.

Now all that being said God is 100% a jealous God so... you go figure that one out. "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,”Ex.20:5  When we move from an unrighteous jealousy to partnering with a righteous jealousy we are pushed into a place of hunger. Righteous jealousy can push someone to hunger after God in a way that they have never hungered before. Righteous jealousy protects covenant relationships and brings people closer to each other and God. So when we talk about love is not jealous we are talking about the unrighteous jealousy that leads the way to killing anything that is good in others that we claim to love.

        

Love does not brag...hmm now what to say on that? Now , I think that this can be misconstrued. Because false humility is not the opposite of bragging and it’s not what we are going for here. We know who we are and if we don’t know how to receive compliments and honor we will have nothing to give Jesus on the day of His return. So we are going to focus just on the subject of bragging or boasting not humility.

I've met people who name drop like it's a bad habit. One time I was with this person and all they talked about was all the famous Christian people they knew. I thought how sad their life has been reduced to such low levels of insecurity that they have to validate themselves by who they know. Insecurity=identity issue. If we know who we are and whos we are we don't have to speak about what we have or who we know to validate ourselves.

So who are we?

We are children of the most high God who is the creator of the universe big and small. 

You mean we are powerful?

Hot dog! I think you're right!

So what you're trying to say is when I'm insecure and I compensate by telling everyone around me that I know such and such or have such and such they don't feel loved? Bingo!

I love that God's people are so brilliant and smart creatures.

 

Here we go, people feel devalued in your presence when you try and exalt yourself above them by bragging. You don't make people feel like you are including them, actually quite opposite, it becomes all about you..love is not selfish. When you catch yourself or others bragging try and listen to what is being said. Most people just need to feel validated that they are valuable.  It’s important that we rightfully encourage each other. When we speak life over each other, champion each other, and notice the giftings and talents in others we help people feel seen and the bragging is not needed to feel validated.

 

I do want to address one issue with this in that when people around you are talking about what God is doing in their lives and wanting to share their story with you it doesn’t mean they are bragging. If you feel something that’s rising in you other then love then there maybe an issue of the heart that needs to be dealt with. Remember you are only in control of you no one else. Allow people room to express themselves around you.

 

         Love is not arrogant. Arrogance is very unattractive. Again arrogance is selfish in nature. Here’s the definition according to the dictionary: “making claims or pretensions to superior importance or rights; overbearingly assuming; insolently proud: an arrogant public official.”

The definition describes someone in power a public official that this trait can be recognized in. Who are we? We are co-heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:17) It’s easier for someone with influence to act out of a place of arrogance then one who is in a place of no influence. What does that mean for us? It means because we are in a place of influence as children of God we have to be aware that humility is what we operate out of.

 

The Kingdom side of arrogance is confidence. When there's a reality in darkness such as arrogance it is just a perversion (or wrong version) of something that's a reality in the Kingdom of light. These two can be confused for each other quiet easily because on the outside they look similar. There is one big exception and that is arrogant people tend to brag. Confident people hold themselves without a need for recognition because they are stable in who they are. Their identity has been solidified and their confidence is grounded in their relationship with papa God. No need to brag about that. When we act out of a place of arrogance and false pride we tend to push people away from us. Love will always draw people into itself and protect in word and deed those that it's aimed towards.

 

            Love does not act unbecomingly. The definition is:“ not according with the standards appropriate to one's position or condition of life.”

Again notice that in this definition it speaks of someone with influence. It is talking about being royalty, like who we are because our daddy is the King of the universe.

 

I always remember my mom pushing proper social behaviors on us as little kids. 

"Don't talk at the table. Keep your napkin in your lap. Say please, say thank you. " 

This is what unbecoming reminds me of, behavior in a social norm. It maintains a sense of peace and comfort to those around. Being unbecoming feels abrasive and intrusive. As children of the Kingdom of God we are royalty and royalty always knows how to make guest feel comfortable and welcomed. Love helps those who need it desperately to feel safe and comfortable. It acts in a way that makes those around able to be vulnerable, there's no abrasive behavior that comes from love.

 

            Love does not seek its' own. Basically it's not selfish or self-serving. Philippians 2:3 says it like this, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;”

  The reality is that by nature love is sacrificial. When we value self-preservation we effectively alienate ourselves. There has always been this underlying current especially in the United States culture about looking out for number one. This philosophy even though it's not verbalized in so many words basically is all about not caring about those around you and ultimately looking out for yourself. This would be a major violation of love. When we are truly walking in the revelation of the Kingdom love we learn to reflect the one who "Loved us unto death." There was no selfishness in the cross. The Son knew the Father wanted to co-exist once again with His creation and so He paid the ultimate price. Not only giving up His divinity but living a pure, spotless, and blameless life, then dying to bring full restoration. There was no self- preservation with Jesus.

 

            Love is not provoked. The dictionary says this: “to arouse to a feeling or action b: to incite to anger.” We need to understand that anger in any form is not love no matter who says it. Everyone knows those people who you tip-toe around. You can’t say anything about anything or you set them off. They don’t have self-control over their emotions, mindsets, or actions. They are easily put into a state of chaos with something very trivial. You can watch children and the way they act around their parents. You will always know if the parent is a screamer by the way their child acts around them. Making sure that they don’t anger their parent to the point of explosion.

“Like a city that is broken into and without walls Is a man who has no control over his spirit.” Proverbs 25:28.

When someone is hateful towards you our natural reaction is to return the hate. Self-control is a fruit of being in the Kingdom if we don’t learn this value we look like the rest of the world. Our release of love can not ultimately be controlled by anyone but ourselves. No one can dictate to me how much love I want to give them or not give them.  When we realize we are free human beings able to respond to all situations with unconditional love we become empowered to not allow others behaviors to dictate our emotions. When we say, " I don't like them but I love them."  We are operating out of a wrong mindset. Not liking someone means that in some way that person has provoked you. You are re-acting instead of responding. When you re-act, you end up making excuses why you don't pursue relationships. If we stood and held the standard of love to the definition of love we would see the world become a whole different place.

 

            Love does not take into account all the wrongs suffered. Others translations say, "love keeps no record of wrong. Love is in essence forgetful and has a bad case of amnesia. At any rate this aspect of love is absolutely an impossible task without the supernatural ability of Heaven. As humans we love to rack up cases against all those around us. It helps explain away our behavior by blaming the faults and mistakes of others for our poor life choices. Then we end up in tension with the people we "love". We have dates, situations, and times of how they have hurt us. At any moment it's in our arsenal and we can whip it out whenever we want or when they are trying to hurt us again.  This tells the ones that we love, “you will never change and you will never be good enough to deserve my love look I have proof!”

If God did that to us how many of us would actually pass the test?

There was One and they killed Him. Luckily for us He rose from the dead because He was perfect. Death couldn't hold Him because He was perfect in love. There’s a key for us there.

 

Jesus was the one that had no record of wrong and he died so that we can have all our records wiped out. So why is it so hard to forget what people have done to us, against us, or said bad about us?

The big key is knowing you are a free human being. Being able to fully release love over people no matter what they have done to you even going so far as forgetting is the power of heaven on you. This gives no license to be released into an unhealthy situation where you just keep going back to abuse. Love has boundaries because you love yourself and others. This is giving you a way to look at these people who have wronged you through new eyes...the eyes of Jesus. If you can't love someone no matter what they've done to you it means that they still have control over your love. They are telling you how to feel towards them. That means you aren't walking in the complete freedom that's available through the Blood.

 

            Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness. Righteousness means to be in right relationship with God. It also means virtuous and moral one. In the name of freedom we push righteousness aside. Thinking that morality is constricting and that the law is only relevant to the Old Testament. When in reality we must always rejoice with those who are in right standing with God. Violating intimacy by being happy when someone is not in right alignment with God is just being hit with the spirit of stupid. 

 

We may not think that laughing at a cruel joke or being tolerant of someone's sin is a big deal all in the name of personal choice and freedom but it is. Not that we would be a people who would be constantly pointing out sin or problems but when we see a fellow lover of God, violating love, we shouldn't rejoice in that violation. This is a tricky one because in the past it's been so abused in the name of correction we've made major messes and have torn people away from Jesus. Here's the thing if we can't confront in love, correct in love, or bring discipleship in a way that brings people closer to Jesus then we shouldn't do it. Our hearts need to be for everyone to experience and walk in the freedom that being in right standing and right relationship with God brings. We must be intentional in celebrating those who are aligning themselves with the heart of God. “For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face.” Psalms 11:7

 

We never want to violate love by bringing condemnation to those who aren't walking in the fullness but we must bring an awareness of how it hurts our hearts to see them not being who they were created to be. Also we want them to partake in the promises of heaven, those who are in right standing with God will behold His face!

 

            Love rejoices in truth. The truth will set you free! If you have ever lied and been caught you know the reality of this statement. Being under a lie is hard because you are constantly burdened by maintaining the lie. In love we must celebrate the truth always.

Truth always tends to be exposed no matter how long a lie has been perpetuated. We should be focusing on the truth and celebrating the fact that it's in the light. People tend to react funny when the truth comes out. While yes relationship is violated when a lie is said love doesn't punish it takes opportunities to teach and disciple. It states; “oh that hurt my heart that you lied to me but thank you for telling me the truth I'm glad that you were honest.” I think that that's why lies are so common because there's a bad connotation to coming out and telling the truth. There's a fear of punishment but "Perfect love casts out fear." 1 John 4:18

 

            Love bears all things. In other translations it says "endures all things." It's not that we take the burdens of others but that when people open their hearts and become transparent the supernatural love of heaven covers them as they heal. Love is a safe place to be vulnerable, to be protected and where we don't feel exposed. In the past when ministers have fallen in the public eye the body of Christ has done a miserable job at covering. When we learn what true Kingdom revelation is on this topic we will see a lot of shifting in the Bride. We don't condone sin but we cover our own. If one part of our body suffers the whole body feels it. Instead of cover ourselves from someone's failure how bout we cover them in love and deal with their hearts in our body.

 

We are not called to be perfect in our own power but in the power of the cross, Jesus the perfect One is an absolutely obtainable example that we can be transformed into. One way we must do this is to cover those who confide in us. As lovers of God we trust that God doesn't air out all our dirty laundry. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1John 1:9

Then being true to the very nature that He is, He keeps no record of wrong and He bears all things. We walk in this revelation now because God does this for us so we must now in turn extend this definition of love to others. " I will cover in love!" It doesn't mean we tolerate sin, it does mean we seek spiritual authority if the situation is over our capacity to deal with. This brings up another issue something that is very common which is gossip.

 

Gossip has torn churches up all over the world and is very much guised under many different names. Some may call it "processing" others may call it "accountability." When we are talking about anyone other then ourselves in a negative light we run a very high risk of violating love. If we are in a situation where we don't know how to handle the confession of sin from others or violations of any sort we must walk carefully. Usually if there's a spiritual authority that carries wisdom, processing can be done in a manner that brings forth life. It all must be unto freedom. Many times it ends up that if we walk through situations where we feel violated we find out we were not loving well. We must understand that we are not in a competition with each other, we are on the same team! If we do not cover one another we are just hurting ourselves.

 

            Love believes all things. This is something that the world tries to beat out of us. Being skeptical of everyone's heart intentions puts us in a place where we are constantly guarded. When we believe the best about people we automatically are calling them to a higher standard. This is the true version of themselves. They were created for trust and love not only for God but for those around them. Trust is something that shouldn't be so violated. It's hard when we live in a world where everyone seems to have a hidden agenda through their speeches. Love believes the best version of people. Who they were created to be not who they are acting like or pretending to be. Believing all things is not a statement of weakness but a declaration in the Spirit to a re-alignment of ones true self. We must call those around us into a higher place by believing their hearts, words, and actions as valid. Our expectation must never be that there will be a violation of love but that they too have the best of intentions.

 

            Love hopes all things. Hope is the expectation of good things. When we hope for those around us we expect good to come from them. There's this standard set that people will act through and out of goodness. When those in our lives start violating love we start checking things off our list. We can't trust them because of this situation or we can't hope that they will change because they just never change. We start building cases against those around us because of their own brokenness not realizing that they are controlling our love. We must stay in a place where this supernatural love for others always flows. Love is child-like innocence never being violated by unhealthy patterns in others around us. That's why: "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all" Luke 18:17. It takes a continuous child likeness to love. Hope deferred happens all the time. We allow hope to be stolen because our reality isn't grounded in the source of all hope and the definition of all love, Jesus. Hope is a supernatural ability and has to be fed by a supernatural God.

 

            Love endures all things. Sometimes I feel like we don't give credit where credit is do. We live in a society that values the quick and the spontaneous. We are in the fast pace of a changing planet, and we miss the long haul. In a world where the divorce rate is almost as common as the marriage rate we miss the endurance of love. For those rare couples who walk out 50 years of life together we give a golf clap and a smile thinking all the while I wonder how much of themselves they lost? I wonder what dreams they gave up to stay committed? Sometimes we look past the persistence and desire the quick answer. While we love the immediate miracle there is something so powerful to the Abraham that holds on to the promise of heaven for decades.

 

Many parents learn this side of love because no matter how many times their child screws up their life, love endures. It's almost like love is stubborn no matter how much you try and run away or try and beat it down, it still holds on. There have been great tales of enduring love we romanticize it not realizing that it was heavens idea first. While God does live outside of time and space seeing the beginning and the end He is definitely the definition of enduring. He is still waiting for His bride to come into her fullness. He has endured thousands of years of waiting. Knowing the end in some way may help Him but endurance is such a value in love. Will we be a generation that understands what it takes to endure in love?

 

            The last attribute of love is -Love never fails! We can think about all the times in our lives that love has failed. Is love really true love if it fails? Love is truly unfailing. No matter what, love has always been and will always be. This has to bring some reality to what we think love is or what it should really look like. Love is the value and the essence of a supernatural God belonging to a supernatural Kingdom. If we can't tap into and flow out of the very source of this love then we have only but a token of the real thing. Of course this would be the biggest enemy to the kingdom of hell if people truly loved supernaturally. Can you imagine if only 10% of the body of Christ loved according to this definition?

 

God will never fail us. There are so many versions and false fronts called love but the reality the very definition of love is God. We were created in the very likeness of Him and so we are to reflect and walk this out. Love isn't something we have to strive for it's not an emotion we have to conjure up; it's a revelation of God. It's the most powerful source of life that everything we need flows out of. We must be a people surrendered to this supernatural love. This is what will attract the world; the kings of the nations will be drawn to the light of love.

 

When do we become a people who recognize what love is and what it's not? When do we surrender knowing that we know nothing? When do we stop partnering with the false definition of love not only by definition but also by deed? How do we make 1Corinthians 13 a tangible reality that is present in every action of everyday? There's nothing like love. There is no one like love. He will never stop loving, never stop pursuing, never stop chasing, and never stop waiting. He will never fail us!

 

Covenant and Justice

     When we plan on taking on the issue of Justice we have to consider the relational aspect. When we focus on Justice without experiencing the cost of covenant relationship we miss a key value of the Kingdom which is Love above all else.

The Old Testament was the beginning of a journey for restoration. We can look at it even as a issue for Justice. Being that we were created for union with God the act of separation was unjust. This was not only for us but for God Himself who suffered the injustice of separation.

Justice is the restoration of our original place and purpose which was to walk in intimacy with our Creator.

The Old Testament is commonly seen as the law. When Moses had an encounter with God it was a token of what God was inviting the entire children of Israel into. The Israelites were full of fear, fear of death, fear of the unknown..(PS when you bow to fear of death over fear of the Lord you'll always put God in a box) being in that mode of self-preservation they decided that they didn't mind the token (Moses) being the poster child for their people. They wanted laws and rules, a list to be able to check off instead of intimacy. Control of the relationship was their highest priority because if they could control how they related to God then in essence they could predict the behavior of God Himself. Law over relationship will always lead to your god looking just like you.

Imagine the struggle in the heart of the Lord, "How can my people not want to encounter me? 

Why are they so afraid of intimacy with me?"

But in true God fashion the story continues. He met the children of Israel by their rules because the desire to connect with His people outweighed the need to meet them on His terms..Do you think that God wanted to meet His children through rules?

So the pursuit continues..God meeting man on his own terms. Man saying you're too big and too scary so give me rules so that we can control the relationship. God thinking, "I'll take this over having no relationship."

All the while knowing that He has a perfect bridge. The one who would bring Justice through a perfect sacrifice.

Here comes along the New Testament, commonly thought of as the new convenient. Grace over law...Law being truth but Grace being a truer truth. Grace being law perfectly fulfilled that now made way for intimacy. 

Wait! How does law just disappear in the face of this sacrifice? What value is higher than law? Well covenant of course! Covenant relationship will always trump law relationship!

God knew the heart of man before man knew the heart of man. Because God wanted to be vulnerable He allowed humans to dictate the terms on which we would have relationship. There was always the Jesus plan.

After the human race became so law bound God released the covenant plan. Kind of like a secret agent with an undercover mission, He released His son. 

It was this perfect, beautiful sacrifice that would bridge the dark caesium that separate God and man, Jesus the bridge. It introduced a whole new concept, not only for man but all the demonic forces that stood in anxiety, knowing that God was up to something but not sure what. The demonic realm knows that their days are numbered but Jesus wasn't in their plan..so when the son of God showed up they were miffed to say the least..that's why the demons would say "You're the Son of God!" Jesus would basically tell them to shut up..they weren't expecting Him.

They were nervous because they were expecting big booming clouds, lighting's, armies of heaven but instead they got a baby. Now their look on life shifted, why was the son of God here without His entourages?

Here God knew the perfect way to receive justice for mans' separation. It was to give back to us our original authority and to give us a new covenant. Notice that God didn't force us into compliance..He didn't make us come into a relationship after Jesus paid for the law. The first thing that the Lord did was give us choice, He gave us back our glory, authority, and place as co-heirs with Christ. Crazy!! The Lord trusts that this time we will choose love.

Here are the rules of this New Covenant that God gave us...1- Love God, 2- Love People. That's it! Those two rules where in the original 10 but because of the nature of these two rules the rest were wrapped up in the revelation and the walking out of them.

One, love the Lord your God with all your mind, body, soul and emotions...Two, love your neighbor as you love yourself. All the rest are common sense that if you followed those two you would not kill, steal, covet etc. So the issue of justice without relationship is ludicrous. From the beginning of time God had a plan in place.  He obtained Justice by making a way for all of man kind to have the same intimacy with the Creator as Adam and Eve did. God still becomes vulnerable to the choice of man.  He gave us the keys of authority over the earth but it's our decision to use it or not. 

Covenant, being vulnerable to the heart that you have committed to. God believes in us so much that He's willing to let us release Justice ourselves on behalf of Him. The choice to have intimacy with God in and if itself is Justice because the original unjust act was deception in choosing separation from being face to face with God Himself.

Covenant trumps law..we get the choice to trump the enemy by releasing Justice on behalf of God. It's only because of the finished work of the cross which released authority back to us that we get this opportunity. Now is the time, we have the chance..we have the choice! God is releasing revelation in how we walk in this authority. What does it mean to again walk in covenant relationship with God and others. We get to begin to start a new chapter of our lives. Yet, there's no pressure just a decision... what are you going to choose?