It’s a new season! God is doing a new thing! It shall spring forth— shall you not see it? (ref. Isaiah 43:19)
…Well, maybe not…because if you are looking for God to do the same thing, the same way, in the same time frame, chances are that you are going to miss it. New means fresh, not old. Old paradigms are shifting. Acceleration is taking place in this season. What may have taken a long time before is accelerating in this new season. Don’t miss your entrance into the Promised Land because you are taking the previous season’s instructions and efforts into the new season.
In Exodus 17, Moses and the children of Israel were camped in the wilderness at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink (vs 1). When Moses inquired of the Lord as to how to solve the water shortage issue, the Lord instructs Moses to take the staff and strike the rock at Horeb and water will come out so that the people may have something to drink (vs 6).
In Numbers 20, Moses and the children of Israel are in the 40th and final year of their wilderness journey. They are living in Kadesh. Next stop… the Promised Land! Once again, there was a problem with a water shortage. The congregation went into the same complaints and laments, instead of remembering that God had provided a solution once before.
Even though the children of Israel were physically facing the same situation, their season had changed!
New season…New instructions
God tells Moses to speak to the rock this time before the congregation ad water would begin to flow. However, in frustration and anger, Moses goes off on the people and while in the throngs of a soapbox rant, Moses strikes the rock with the rod twice, instead of speaking to the rock as the Lord had commanded (vs 11).
Last season’s instructions did
work and water came out of the rock to bless the Lord’s people. Moses, however,
was not blessed for his disobedience, becoming disqualified to enter the
Promised Land. His actions produced water, but it didn’t produce the glory of
God.
It’s a new season and God wants to display His glory in the earth through new avenues, new mediums, and new flows. Even though you may be standing at the same rock, facing the same situation again, don’t try what you did before. Solicit God for new instructions on how to make the water flow again.
For example, if you are in a financial drought, the second job, garage sales, or temporary loans may not be the answer in this new season. God may be speaking to you about praying in the Spirit or seeking Him at an unusual time of day.
Performing the same task or process expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. We would be insane to take our same effort, our same commitment, and our last set of instructions into this new season and expect a different result. God is ready to do bigger, better, and faster- for His glory. Don’t allow frustration, anger, laziness, complacency, or complaint to disqualify you from your Promised Land.
Stop and seek God for what He would have you to do in this season as you stand at Meribah…so His glory can be seen in you and through you.
“Through your glorious name and your awesome power, we can push through to any victory and defeat every enemy.”
– Psalm 44:5 (The Passion Translation)
After 3 years of controversial ministry, Jesus was
officially recognized as the Son of God during His triumphal entry into
Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. People rejoiced because they believed guaranteed
victory was imminent. The long-awaited king that Isaiah had prophesied was now
on the scene. The multitudes created a pathway of palm leaves and clothing
while shouting, “Hosanna!” The Passion Translation records it as:
“Bring the victory, Lord, Son of David! He comes with the blessings of being sent from the Lord Yahweh! We celebrate with praises to God in the highest!”
– Matthew 21:9b
They expected for Jesus to overthrow Roman rule and establish another kingdom where the Jewish people thrived without oppression. Imagine their anger & frustration when their deliverance did not appear the way they had imagined.
Sound familiar? How is your temperance when God doesn’t show up on
your timetable? How do you feel when deliverance doesn’t look the way you had
designed it in your head?
In just a few days, the people got mad at God… just like us.
The crowd went from singing His praises to shouting, “Crucify Him!” all in the
same week. The disgruntled crowd did not understand the process to guaranteed
victory.
So, don’t get mad at the haters or the obstacles in your
life, they are needed to press you forward to victory!
It Doesn’t Look Like Victory
Although the people cried for Jesus to bring them the victory, the process was totally unexpected. The cross didn’t look like victory, it looked like finality. It didn’t look like triumph, it looked like travail. Even Christ, who came in human form so that He could identify, feel, and conquer the same trials and temptations as us, thought at some point during His agony that His suffering didn’t look like victory…
“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? Which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
– Mark 15:34 (KJV)
During the process of the crucifixion, Jesus makes this
fourth saying from the cross. Even though His power and deity were never in
question, his flesh cried out because the process felt more like pain and
punishment. The path to victory looked like defeat. Victory was starting to
look like frustration, perhaps even loneliness. What do you do when victory
looks like persecution…like a constant attack…like a fight you can’t win?
Jesus cried out because He could no longer feel the Father’s
presence. Even though He knew God was still there, He still felt isolated from
the Father’s reach.
“Yet I am never alone, for the Father is always with me. And everything I’ve taught you is so the peace which is in Me will be in you and will give you great confidences as you rest in Me. For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world.”
– John 16:32b-33 (The Passion Translation)
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinctively different
and yet inherently one. The Son could in no way be separated from His Father
because they were still one. On the pathway to victory, we may feel as though
we are alone and absent from our Father. His voice may be still and His
presence withdrawn. Like Jesus, who bore all our sins on the cross, our
unconfessed blemishes may keep His glorious holiness from coming close.
When God feels far away and calling on the name of the Lord
seems futile, we must remember that Holy Spirit lives on the inside of us.
Whereas the three members of the Godhead are distinctively different, they are
inherently one. He is still with us on the rugged path to victory.
“It Is Finished”
This sixth saying of Jesus from the cross brought despair to onlookers. It obviously looked like the enemy was the victor. Jesus was dead—the leader of the reformation was gone and certainly the movement was dead…finished…kaput…. fine’…done…. complete…
Right?
However, what appeared to be the end was just the beginning.
It’s time to shift our perspective and stop viewing the end
of some assignments, relationships, and routines as defeat.
It is finished was a statement of victory!
Jesus had accomplished the mission. The sacrifice was complete. His assignment was complete. He had won the battle over sin, death, and ultimately satan. Three days later, He claimed victory over the grave as He walked out of the tomb leaving His grave clothes folded neatly behind.
The veil in the temple was torn, access was granted, and His
kingdom was established with a regenerated access point for you and me.
Where is your victory? It’s in the Blood of Jesus!
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
– Isaiah 53:5 (KJV)”
Jesus’ blood ran down the outside of his body for our
transgressions, or sins that we would commit in action or deed. He was bruised,
meaning that blood was trapped under the skin’s surface, for iniquities that
would be hidden in our hearts, feelings/emotions, or bloodlines. Because of the
blood of Jesus, we are forgiven, healed, and set free!
Adoption, peace, love, joy, healing, prosperity, protection, divine intervention, access, authority, inheritance and may other benefits were purchased with the blood. Our Passover lamb was slain that we might have victory over every situation and circumstance that we might incur.
We do not contend for victory, we fight from a position of victory.
That’s Not All Folks!
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever…” – John 14:16 (KJV)
“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”- John 14:18 (KJV)
An arisen Jesus tells His followers to wait in the upper
room for more. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, there was
more!
Just to make sure that we had the victory, He would endow
every believer with a part of Himself, the Holy Spirit. The presence of Holy
Spirit is a constant reminder that we are victorious. The blood of Jesus grants
us authority and Holy Spirit backs it up with power.
The lawmakers and critics thought they were stopping the
movement of Christianity by killing Jesus. Apparently, they had never listened
to any of His teachings about seed time and harvest.
“Let me make this clear: A single grain of wheat will never be more than a single grain of wheat unless it drops into the ground and dies. Because then it sprouts and produces a great harvest of wheat—all because one graindied.”
– John 12:24 (The Passion Translation)
Jesus was the seed that had to die for a harvest of many who
would carry on the movement.
On the Day of Pentecost, Holy Spirit fell and 3,000 souls
were added to the church that day. The church grew from being one person, in
one location, representing one nation to a movement that multiplied through
each and every believer that was filled.
The process of the cross was ultimately the multiplication
factor of victory!
Be encouraged friend. Yes, the process may be uncomfortable.
Some things, traits, habits, mindsets, and attachments must die. The previous
season must end. It may feel like a cold, lonely grave. Darkness may have
limited your sight, quenched your fire, and made you doubt. But take heart my
friend —- say it with me…
My Name is Victory!
Not only is Jesus victorious, but the same victory has been
imputed on to you! YOUR name is victory! You walk in victory. Victory is your
portion. You have guaranteed victory through Jesus Christ.
“Yes, God raised Jesus to life! And since God’s Spirit of Resurrection lives in you, he will also raise your dying body to life by the same Spirit that breathes life into you!”
– Romans 8:11 (The Passion Translation)
Reframe your perspective and speak to your situation. With
holy boldness, remind the enemy that your name is victory through the blood of
Jesus Christ.
“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
– 1 Corinthians 15:57 (KJV)
The plan is not for us to live in victory alone, but to
share our story of victory with someone who is still walking in the bondage of
darkness. Let others know through the power of Holy Spirit that Jesus died for
them to be victorious as well. Also, walking in victory helps other believers
as well. If you have victory in a certain area, your testimony increases the
faith of others to believe they can win in that same area.
Through the powerful, glorious name of Jesus, we can push
through to any victory and defeat any enemy!
In what area of your life do you need to see victory? Let me
know in the comments…I’d love to pray with you 😊
Is it almost May already? We are well into the 2nd quarter of 2019. I pray most of you have been faithful to begin the assignment that the Lord has given you in this new year. I also pray that momentum is still moving you forward- even if you have had some challenges with consistency along the way. Don’t get discouraged – transition in any form can be challenging.
For example, during childbirth, the
third stage of labor is called transition. It is the most intense part of the
childbirth process. The intensity of the contractions is harder, the frequency
more furious, and the pain becomes more intense. It’s the final phase before
the pushing begins.
I have noticed that this time of
transition from the old season into the new mimics the transition phase of
childbirth A LOT! Why shouldn’t it? We are about to birth something new!
God is doing a new thing!
We speak that phrase almost as a
colloquialism. It’s a phrase that builds hope, excitement, and an increase in
faith…however, it does require a transition.
Out with the old…in with the new
Just like
the birth of a new baby changes the lives of the parents, the new thing requires
the same demand for change. It’s hard to do a new thing while you’re still
doing the old thing. More time and effort are required due to the learning
curve. Money and a different set of skills and resources may also be required
to birth the new thing. The children of Israel found themselves in a transition
period as they left Egypt and journeyed to the Promised Land.
The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. -Numbers 11:4-5 (NIV)
They began to complain about the wonderful food they had
while they were enslaved…at no cost.
EXCUSE ME? While the Israelites may not have paid an observable or quantifiable cost, they paid a high imputed cost…the cost was their FREEDOM!
The Israelites entered Egypt fruitful, prosperous, mighty,
and strong in numbers. The new Pharaoh saw how blessed they were and became
threatened. He enslaved the Israelites and made their lives bitter with hard
bondage. The Egyptians were ruthless in their dealings with the Israelites
(Exodus 1:6-13). Yet, when faced with the beginning of a new thing, they longed
for the more comfortable and familiar place, even if it was bondage.
What bondage are you craving?
Is it a high-stress job that required long hours, made you
work overtime and on the weekends, but paid more than your current gig?
Is it a bad relationship that you exited, but now you are
reminiscing on the good times and willing to overlook the toxicity, just to
fill a void?
Perhaps you are craving a place of routine and safety while
God is stretching you and calling you out of your comfort zone.
The cravings stem from an often-overlooked place of change
and transition…your mindset.
The Israelites, a once prosperous people were now enslaved —not
by taskmasters anymore, but by a poverty mentality. They were ready to trade their
new-found freedom for the meat of old.
Remember, it’s a NEW thing!
Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. – Isaiah 42:9 (KJV)
Like us, the Israelites didn’t focus on the first part of the
verse. Before the new thing can be established, the former things must “come to
pass”. This means that something must end, cease, or modify from its original
state. Former things are just that – former.
They have fulfilled their purpose, manifested in their season, and transpired
to bring you into the next place on your journey. Conflict arises when we try
to bring former things into the season of the new thing.
God takes the Israelites on a journey
through the wilderness to shed the former paradigms of Egypt before they enter
the Promised Land. Instead of meat and vegetables at the cost of their freedom,
God shows himself as provider and sustainer by providing them fresh manna from
heaven and water from a rock. Instead of looking to their slave masters as
lords, God wants to redirect the Israelites to trust to him as Lord.
God is doing the same thing as He
calls you to leave safe, familiar territory and trust Him for the new thing. It
is imperative to shed the restrictive mindset of old to embrace the download of
new plans and strategies. And, although you can’t see the Promised Land, it is
vital to believe He is faithful to lead you to the new thing which He promised.
Change is good and necessary!
In this new season, you may have to release some people, places, and things. Let me tell you from experience- God has challenged me to leave some places & things in this new season that were good…no, great….even wonderful! In all their splendor, they were still former things. I had to release them to follow God into the new thing, believing what He had for me was greater.
God may
even be calling you to leave a physical or geographical location. Some of your
relationships may even end or modify in nature. Look for new people to come
into your life with keys and resources for the next stage of your journey.
Divine shifts and realignments are occurring during this time. Pray and ask God
for wisdom and instruction so you may be able to have balance and steward the
transition well.
Just like
the mother who gives birth to her child after 14 hours of labor, 2 epidurals,
and an inevitable C-section, the pain of the journey is all erased when you
stare face to face with the awesome new gift that God has given you!
“Hope
will fall like rain when you speak life with the words you say.” – TobyMac
Walk it Like I Talk It is a 2018 release by Migos,
nominated by BET for Video of the Year. As I watched their performance on the
BET awards, the hook of the song stood out to me. (Probably because I couldn’t
understand anything else that they were saying 😉)
Walk it like I talk it…walk it like I talk it….
I heard God say, “So, how is that working out for
you?”
I realized it was time to have a conversation
with the Lord.
Made in His Image
When God
made man, there was no creature in existence like him. He was a unique
creation…the only one that had a prototype.
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male
and female He created them. Genesis 1:27 (NKJV)
Being made in the image of God means that we are
like Him. We are carriers of His DNA…carriers of His Spirit…carriers of His
power and authority (Luke 10:19). God created the world in 6 days, not with the
labor of his hands, but with the power of His words. Whatever He spoke
manifested into reality. “Let there be”…and it was…”and it was good.”
If we are made in His image and carriers of His
power, we have the same ability to speak and watch it manifest before our very
eyes!
I realized that my current life position was
directly related to the atmosphere I had created with my words.
Walk it like I talk it…
What Are You Talking About?
After my revelation, I became intentional to listen to my words during daily conversations:
“I seem to catch every germ and virus that comes along.”
“We can’t afford that!”
“I am just so tired and overwhelmed.”
“Yes, but…”
I listened to the words of others as well.
“I think I’m losing my mind.”
“Girl, come on and join the broke club.”
“It is what it is.”
Ironically enough, the situations we were all complaining about had a lot to do with the manifestation of our confession. We were eating the fruit of our words.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. – Proverbs 18:24 (KJV)
We can either speak words of life or death,
negativity or positivity. Creating a different atmosphere or trajectory for
your life can start with the simple task of changing your words. Your words
create thoughts, thoughts produce feelings, feelings inspire choices, choices
generate actions, and actions determine habits.
Therefore…negative thoughts produce negative
feelings. Negative feelings inspire poor choices. Continual negative actions
arise and become habits, leaving us in a downward spiral of despair.
What is the solution? A pity party, new hair style, or a pint of
Ben & Jerry’s?
No- Watch your mouth and change what you are talking
about!
(Side note: You may also need to watch who you are talking with because misery
loves company 😉)
Return to Sender
Sound
produces movement. Just as God spoke the world into existence and Jesus spoke
healing for many, our words produce movement in the spiritual realm. For
example, Daniel fasted and prayed for 21 days. On the first day that he prayed,
angels were dispatched on his behalf. Daniel’s words caused movement in the
heavenlies!
Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. – Daniel 10:12 (KJV)
We often speak idly not realizing that our words, just like Daniel’s, cause movement in the heavenlies. How many times has an angel been on its way to your location with a blessing in hand, but your negative, faithless words marked the package, “Return to Sender?”
You Will Have What You Say
It is interesting how many people will underestimate the power of a positive confession. If the natural world can utilize the concept and create changes in their outlook, how much more can a vessel of the Holy Spirit achieve with a consistent, faith-filled confession?
For truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says. -Mark 11:23 (MEV)
The Word
of God tells us that we can have whatever we say, we just need to make sure
that we are saying and believing the correct confession. How do you know if
what you are speaking is correct? Go back and look at the prototype.
…the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. – John 6:63b (KJV)
You don’t
have to come up with something new…name it & claim it, blab it & grab
it, and any other gimmicky catch phrase. You just need to speak the Word! His
Word is filled with promises for you – and they are life giving. It’s hard to
go wrong with speaking what He has already said.
The joy of the Lord is my strength
(Nehemiah 8:10).
I can do all things through Christ
which strengthens me (Philippians 4:19).
Let this mind be in me that is in
Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5).
When we
speak negative and faithless words, we make God’s Word of non-effect. You must
be able to see past the natural and speak from the spiritual. Abraham gives us
a great example:
He is our example and father, for in God’s presence he believed that God can raise the dead and call into being things that don’t even exist yet. Romans 4:17 (TPT)
God said
that Abraham would be the father of many nations when his wife was barren and
there was no apparent heir. He stood on that promise by faith and “called those
things which be not as though they were.” By speaking what God said, he saw what God said.
Speak It By Faith!
Think about the situation that is causing you frustration right now.
What have
you been saying about that situation? Have you been magnifying it with your
words? Have you been using hopeless, defeated, self-sabotaging language when
you talk about it?
Make a
conscious effort to change your outcome by changing how you speak about your
situation. Grab a promise from God’s Word pertaining to your situation to
declare & decree over your life. Keep speaking the words by faith and
thanking God in advance for the manifestation. Be patient, your package may
need heavenly rerouting from Grumbling Boulevard to Praise Parkway.😊
I’d love
to know how you plan to “Walk It Like I Talk It”. Post your decree in the
comments below.
“Hope never abandons you, you abandon it” – George Weinberg
According to a news report a few nights ago, this week ended the “honeymoon” period after New Year’s. During this week, most people lose hope, abandon their New Year’s resolution, and slip back into their old habits.
Fitness centers that were full the first week of January have already reduced in volume. Dietary restrictions have already been breached. People who set out to turn their lives around at the beginning of the year are already back on the couch, in line at KFC, or smoking on their lunch break.
Why? Because they didn’t see results fast enough. The one small change in their routine activity did not bring overwhelming transformation and gratification, so they gave up and returned to their past behaviors. 3 weeks into the new year and people have already given up hope on reaching their personal goals.
Even though the date on the calendar changed, their
hope level remained the same.
Is This Your Story?
The past season was filled with struggle, heavy
warfare, disappointment, stagnation, things not working out, loss, and
discouragement for many. Hope was deferred and many became heart sick on the
journey. Dreams sat on the backburner as obstacle after obstacle arose.
Even though you might have been able to implement
some plans or take some steps, they didn’t yield their maximum result.
Frustration began to cancel faith and soon many of God’s people became weary from
the fight and sat on the sidelines tending to their wounds.
Do not let previous failure cause you to become
content with “normal” and familiar with mediocre!
Some have resigned themselves to think that
things will never change. Others have been tempted to give up on the business
and settle into the 9 to 5 scene. There are even a few who have even given up
on prayer because change is not happening fast enough.
For many, picking up the shield of faith again
sounds like getting your hopes up for another let down. Don’t let past failure
hinder your hope!
It’s a new year and the season has changed! To
believe that declaration, hope needs to spring eternal again.
It’s Time to Hope Again
Don’t beat yourself up if you have lost hope from a
prolonged battle season. You are not alone! Jeremiah found himself in a similar
position where he had to stir himself to hope again.
Lamentations 3:18-26 (NKJV)
18 And I said, “My
strength and my hope
Have perished from the Lord.”
19 Remember my affliction
and roaming,
The wormwood and the gall. 20 My soul still remembers
And sinks within me. 21 This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not
consumed,
Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your
faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,”
says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”
25 The Lord is good to those who wait
for Him,
To the soul who seeks
Him. 26 It is good that one should hope and
wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord.
Jeremiah looked at all that he had been through and became
despondent and discouraged. His battle scars and afflictions had created a
gloomy outlook with the natural eye. Yet, he stirred himself in the area of
hope by shifting his focus from his personal win/loss record to the track
record of God.
He had hope because in every situation, win or lose, God was
still there. God was still in control of the outcome.
My friend, we should be able to do the same. As we look back
over the past season, no- everything may not have gone our way, but God was
still consistent. He was ever-present and faithful. In the valley, God was a
keeper and protector in the storm. When the battle raged toward us, God was our
shield and buckler. When we felt alone and forgotten, Holy Spirit was a
reliable comforter. In times of lack, Jehovah-Jireh
provided in a miraculous way.
If you look at God’s track record for the past season, we
can see not only did we survive, but we thrived through His amazing love.
He was merciful to us even through the trials and the
afflictions. God was faithful to navigate us through the trying times even when
we were double minded, doubtful, and faithless.
His great mercy did not give us what we deserved – but he strengthened
us to be able to go through!
Therefore, we can say like Jeremiah, “The Lord is my portion…therefore I hope in Him!”
He is the God of Hope!
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy
and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy
Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 (NKJV)
Are you lacking hope in the new
year? Are you afraid to start again? Is it hard to raise your expectation level
to dream bigger or try harder? If so, it’s time to spend time praying to the
God of hope!
God of hope, heal our hearts from
wounds of the previous season! Fill us with Your unspeakable joy and peace that
surpasses all understanding. Help us to keep our minds stayed on You so that we
can have peace in every situation. Holy Spirit, stir in us a new well of hope,
that we may abound in hope. We decree that we walk in an abundance of hope. Our
hope is multiplied along with our joy and peace. Let us move in power through
the Holy Ghost as the God of hope propels us into this new season with new
results!
