Are you IMMUNE to ARREST?!

Hello there! I hope you are doing well! I've missed sharing with you for the past few weeks. I've been trying to get caught up with alot of household things - reorganizing, simplifying, etc! But I've missed you!

I just wanted to share some thoughts with you today about what I am reading in Exodus. No - this will not be boring! :) Yes - it looks long . . .but trust me . . . it's easy to read -and well worth it! :) Take a chance! What do you have to lose? 10 minutes out of your day? :)

Great! I'm glad you are joining me for this journey! I love having company! :)

(ps - please excuse any problems with fonts, sizes, etc. . . I was having issues after copying and pasting from a word doc. Thanks!)


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Exodus 15:3 – “The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name.”

*This was part of the song that Moses and the Israelites sang after God delivered them at the Red Sea. I love it! Go Mighty Warrior! :)

Exodus 15: 8 – “By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood firm like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.”

Exodus 15:10-12 – “But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you – majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? You stretched out your right hand and the earth swallowed them.”

*Again – more of the song that was sung after God performed a miracle. What amazed me was the simplicity and ease of what God did versus the outcome that happened. He “blew out his breath” from a “blast from his nostrils” and then He “stretched out” his “right hand”. Stretching and breathing. Not too difficult. But the power that comes from God breathing and stretching – killed a whole army of Egyptians and saved hundreds of thousands (or a million+) Jews!! AWESOME!! I love knowing that God can do that for me as well! Keep breathing and stretching God! :)

Exodus 15:13 &17 – “In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. . . . You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance – the place, O Lord, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, your hands established.”

Wow! God doesn’t just redeem us and that’s it. He wants to lead us, guide us, bring us in and PLANT us ON “the mountain of (His) inheritance”!! HIS PLACE! His temple! His sanctuary – that HE made – HE built, HE established with His own hands. He doesn’t want to leave us in the desert after freeing us and redeeming us from captivity – He has a better place for us to go to . . . HIS place! And it’s not just going to heaven when we die. It’s here – it’s now.

What is His sanctuary? What is His mountain of inheritance? For the Israelites – it was Mount Zion. It was a literal place – a place where the temple was built – where God “resided” – where Jerusalem was. But Mt. Zion (or Zion) is more than just a physical place in history for the Jews. It is a spiritual place – in the present and in the future – for all of God’s children! It is the promised land that He has for each of us – designed and built with His own hands. (Jer. 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you – to give you a hope and a future.”) He has GREAT plans and a wonderful “promised land” for each and every one of His kids (that includes YOU . . . if you are one of His kids)! Don’t you want to go there?! :)

To be planted is not just temporary. It’s (usually) permanent. God isn’t just taking us to His house to show us around – He wants us to live there –to grow there, to flourish and remain there! He has built a “sanctuary” for us! Webster’s Dictionary defines sanctuary as this:

1. a. A sacred place, such as a church, temple, or mosque. b. The holiest part of a sacred place, as the part of a Christian church around the altar.

2. a. A sacred place, such as a church, in which fugitives formerly were immune to arrest.

b. Immunity to arrest afforded by a sanctuary.

3. A place of refuge or asylum.

4. A reserved area in which birds and other animals, especially wild animals, are protected from hunting or molestation.

WOW!! Isn’t that cool?! He’s not just taking us to some stuffy old church or boring religion . . . He’s taking us –first of all – to HIS place – to the most holy and sacred of places – the most intimate of places. And what is the most holy, sacred and intimate place you can think of? Being in a close and intimate relationship! He is bringing us in – holding us close – AND . . . PROTECTING US! Don’t you love that part of the definition? He is bringing us to a place where we are IMMUNE to ARREST! We are protected from “hunting or molestation”! It’s a place of peace. It’s a place where we cannot be touched by the enemy -who is still out to steal, kill and destroy us . . . and would LOVE to arrest us if he could!

He unfortunately convinces many people that they are still under arrest – that they do still need to be in chains or handcuffs – that they are not really free. Yes – they may be walking around the streets “free”, but their hands are cuffed, they are dragging chains behind them – attached to all sorts of things that weigh them down, that keep them from going very far – that keep them attached to what is behind them.

If you are one of those people - I need to say this . . . . STOP IT!! You ARE FREE!!!!

You do NOT have to walk around with those chains or handcuffs anymore. Jesus went to your trial for you! HE took on your crimes. You were exonerated – your record doesn’t show that you’ve been cleared of previously convicted or committed crimes . . . your record shows . . . (get this!) . . . NOTHING!!!

That’s was “justification” means . . . it means just-as-if-I’d never sinned!! So you got to walk out of that courtroom – FREE, while Jesus stayed behind, cuffed and in chains and ready to stand trial for all that you’ve ever done. You look behind as you are walking out and you see his face. It’s not sad. It’s one of peace and love. He is happy to do it for you. He wants you to be free. Don’t be sad. Be HAPPY! He wants you to be HAPPY – to be free! The last thing – no not even the last thing – he NEVER wants you to even touch those handcuffs or chains again! They are not yours! They are His! So STOP IT! Stop putting them on. STOP wearing them. STOP dragging them around. They are NOT yours!! (Do you hear me?!)

ACCEPT the freedom that Jesus bought for you! It is not spiritual or religious to go around dragging your chains and feeling like you are “paying” for your sins. Your sins have already been paid for!! End of story! No questions asked! It’s a done deal! Can you accept that deal? Can you accept that awesome gift?? Just imagine!

Imagine that you were in Jesus’ shoes. You decided to take the place for someone – maybe your son or daughter, a friend or relative. You decided to have their record totally cleared and erased, and YOU would take on all their guilt and punishment. You did it because you love them so much – because you want them to have a better life – you want them to go out of the courtroom – FREE – and enjoy the life they are being given.

What if you saw them leave, but as they left, they picked up a set of handcuffs and chains? What if you saw them outside the window of the courtroom and they had already put on the handcuffs when they ran into an old friend. People around them started saying to them - “Hey – didn’t you commit this crime? Why aren’t you in chains? You should be. I can’t imagine having the audacity to walk around as if you hadn’t committed that crime! Who do you think you are?? You’re not anyone special. You are a criminal. In fact – maybe I need to take you back into the authorities and have you arrested. You don’t have the right to be walking free.”

What if you saw your loved one agreeing with them – falling for the lies that they were saying (because – it did make sense – it was logical and rational)? I know it would break my heart! I would want to scream at the top of my lungs through the windows for them to hear . . . “Run fast!! Don’t listen to them! Drop those chains and handcuffs! They are NOT YOURS!! I have yours on! Don’t you see?! Don’t you remember?! I HAVE YOUR CHAINS AND HANDCUFFS ON!!!”

Then your loved one walks away. He/she walks down the street and gets into the car – with difficulty – having to slowly drag the chains behind them, then load them into the car. It takes so long and is so heavy that they later decide, it’s just too hard to go anywhere.

“It’s too hard to go outside – not only because of the heavy chains – but because of what people will say. There will be those that knew me before – who knew the “real” me – and will see the chains and think nothing about it. They were used to seeing me in chains. In fact – they accept them because they have a lot of their own. They help me add some more links to my chains, add on some heavy balls to weigh it down even more . . . just for the fun of it. ‘Let’s see who can carry around the most weight!’ It’s as if it’s a game to them. But I don’t find it fun. I don’t find it enjoyable any more. I used to – when I didn’t know anything else. But I don’t anymore. I got a taste of freedom. I felt the lightness in my step, the ease at which I could walk, the freedom to go anywhere I wanted, as fast as I wanted, without a care in the world. I could smell the sweet aromas in the air – and follow them to their source. I could feel and enjoy the warmth of the sun, without wanting to curse it because it was making me all the more hot and sweaty as I struggled to drag my chains. It actually warmed me as I ran in the cool breezes. I knew what that was like. So now – this “game” is not so fun. But I am stuck. I don’t know how to get out of these chains now. I don’t know that I will ever be able to get outside and enjoy life again. I also don’t like going out with my chains, because there are those that know I’ve been set free – and now they are looking at my chains – judging me for still having them. Some of them are totally free – and I’m jealous – envious – wondering why I didn’t stay that way. Then there are some that “say” they are free – but I still see the handcuffs – I still see some small and even large chains. Those people seem so hypocritical. Though, some of those people are nice to me. Some of them really do want to help me – but I just think they all want to judge me and send me back to jail. So why bother. How can I really tell which ones really want to help me anyways? And forget about going to church. I can’t go back in there now. What if the people there see my chains?”

Your heart breaks as you see what your loved one is going through. This isn’t what you signed up for. This wasn’t the plan! Why doesn’t your loved one just drop the chains?! They are not really permanently attached – he/she only thinks they are! It’s a lie. It’s a scam! They are really FREE! You ask for a phone call – to be able to talk to your loved one. You dial the number – but no one answers. On the other end, your loved one sees it’s you calling. They are too ashamed to pick up the phone and talk with you. They don’t want you to know that they are not really enjoying this life you paid for them to have. Sometimes you call and they don’t even hear the phone ring. They’ve put the phone away – turned it off possibly – because they just can’t bear any more guilt and shame in knowing that they let you down – that they just “couldn’t” grasp hold and continue to hold onto that life of freedom that you gave them. They occasionally keep trying to come back to the courtroom – to another court – to be tried again for their crimes. The police keep telling your loved one that that’s a good idea –“yes – you should turn yourself in and pay for your crimes.” But each time they bring you before the judge – He looks at your record as says “Why are you here? I don’t understand why you think you need to be here, to be in chains, or to pay for any crimes. You don’t have a record. So take off those chains and handcuffs and leave them here in the courtroom. They are not yours and you do not need them.” The police seemed shocked and surprised – but they encourage you to take off the chains and handcuffs. But you don’t. You choose not to. You just don’t believe that the judge knows what He is talking about.

How long will you keep doing this?

How long will you continue to walk in unbelief and be weighed down by your chains?

Would you like to see your record?

Let me show you.

Romans 5:6-11 "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

⁹Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! ¹⁰For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ¹¹Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

Romans 3:21-26 "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²²This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to ALL who believe. There is NO DIFFERENCE, ²³for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴and are JUSTIFIED FREELY by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate HIS justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— ²⁶he did it to demonstrate HIS justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

YOU (yes YOU!) have been “JUSTIFIED FREELY”! Remember – justified means “just as if I’d never sinned”! No record!! BUT – to attain that freedom – to have those chains fall and stay off – you have to have FAITH – BELIEVE – which means . . . you have a CHOICE! Do you keep the chains on . . . or will you let them go – and believe (no matter what if “feels” like or what people tell you) that you don’t HAVE to wear those chains anymore. They are Jesus’ chains! Let Him have them and carry them. He’s strong enough! In actuality . . . . He already carried them . . . then threw them in the face of the jailer – the one who wants to keep you in chains!!! (Satan)

So – Are you ready to go to Mount Zion today? Are you ready to “be” like Mount Zion today? Make a choice today!

Psalms 125:1&2 -"Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which CANNOT be SHAKEN but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore."

Hebrews 12:22-24 - "But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, ²³to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, ²⁴to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”

Make a choice today – Go deeper (& Higher!) You won't regret it!

L :)

Declare War on Compromise!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Are you ready for a journey with me this year?!

I have signed up to be a part of a School of Supernatural Ministry -locally - but through/with the curriculum from Bethel Church in Redding, CA - Bill Johnson's church. If you haven't read any of his books . . . GO GET ONE! They will change your life - they way you think - the way you live! And the proof of what he teaches in in the pudding . . . . his life, his church, and the students at his school are living it out! They are living radical, transformed, supernatural lives for God - and touching the lives of people where ever they go - even in Walmart!!

So - I wanted to include you in my journey through this school. Part of our "homework" is to read - 3 chapters of the Bible a day, as well as several books. I wanted to share with you what God is showing me. Bear with me. I'm not sure what this will look like - or how theologically "perfect" I will be - but it will be me . . . and God . . . and you! :) My heart's desire is to love God with all my heart, soul, strength and mind - and then love others as I love myself! I can't love others if I don't love myself - and I can't love myself unless I love God and know His love for me! So, in order to reach people with God's love - I need to know it, experience it myself - firsthand. You do too. And one way in which He shows us His love is through His love letters - His word - the Bible. We get to know more about Him - who He is, what He is like, what He is NOT like, and more.

So journey with me this year - and let's see what God has to say to us - to me - to you! Will you? :) Let me know what you think too - what God is saying to you! Read along with me - 3 chapters a day. I even went to the library to get the audio Bible on CD (dramatized version!) to listen to as I read along in my Bible (or online at Biblegateway.com). And if you want - you can also read the books that I am reading. Currently I am reading Bill Johnson's book - "When Heaven invades Earth".

Here we go!! . . .

Genesis 1-3

1:6 – “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”

(Ok – so I have to ask this first . . . though it’s not what I wanted to talk about! Was Adam with her the whole time that Eve and the serpent were having their conversation? Was he just not listening or paying attention? :) Or did he hear it all, but didn’t decide to participate until his wife convinced him? Hmmm . . . . )

I was struck by this verse – mainly because I can see how the enemy still uses this tactic today – in my life and in so many people’s lives.

How many times are we presented with something in our lives that looks good, sounds good, tastes good, seems good for us, etc . . . and yet it goes against what we know God has told us not to do? . . . . And how many times do we “take a bite” after reasoning that it must be good for us . . . just look at it . . .just smell it . . . it will make me smarter . . it will increase my salary to provide for my family (so I can give more to my church too) . . . it will save me money so I don’t have to buy that item – I’ll just copy it . . . it makes me feel good inside when I drink/eat it . . . I feel all happy when I watch/listen to it . . . what could be wrong with that?! Plus – we have something that Eve didn’t have or couldn’t say – “Everyone else is doing it!”

Oh how we are deceived! And oh how sad it is that we don’t realize what we’ve done immediately afterwards like Adam and Eve did. Why not? Why did they? Why did they realize right away that what they had done was wrong? Their “eyes were opened” (vs 7 – “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made covering for themselves.”). How were their eyes opened? Were they blind before? No, of course not. But they now saw something they had never seen before . . .their sin . . their nakedness. This was something that was new to them. However, in the world we live in . . . we see and experience it everyday - don't we? We've become numb/blind to some of it. So how can we become more aware - how can we become more sensitive to our sin and grieving the Holy Spirit?

Spend time with the Lord, in the presence of God - the Holy Spirit. Get to know Him, His ways, His commands, His love, His power and more. It's like wearing a dirty shirt. When you are in a darkened room, you don't - and can't - really see the dirt or stains on your shirt. It might even feel or smell clean. However, start shining a light on it, or step into a room that has better lighting, and you start to notice the stains, the dirt. You are amazed that you never saw them before! You are embarrassed. How could you have walked around with such a dirty shirt on and never know it. When you start walking with the "light" of this world - you will become more aware of the dirt and stains that had been on your shirt. But when you accept Christ and his forgiveness - He gives you a NEW shirt! :) Stay in the light. If you do - you will quickly see and realize if you accidentally (or intentionally) get your new shirt dirty - and you can deal with it quickly then. If you wander back into the darker room - you won't be as aware (you might feel/smell clean there - but it's a false sense of purity.).

Adam and Eve had a life that we all, deep down – in our spirits, desire. We want to walk and talk with our Lord all throughout the day – to have an intimate and personal relationship with God in a tangible way. They lived with Him, ate with Him, talked and laughed with Him – every day. It was all they knew. They wouldn’t have even thought about the tree in the middle of the garden – the forbidden fruit. Why should they? They had all they needed. It wasn’t even a consideration. But the enemy threw a thought in there . . . he planted a seed in their minds. Once he saw that the seed was definitely planted (when Eve responded to him and told him that God said they couldn’t even “touch it” or they would die – which God never said not to touch it) – then Satan watered that seed. “You will not surely die!” He got Eve thinking about it more – allowing that thought to take root and grow. Look how good that fruit looks. Why would such a good God keep something so good from you? He would want you to have it! And it’s not just good to eat, and good to look at – but it will give you wisdom, so you can be more like God! Don’t you think that if God really loved you that He would want you to be more like Him? Why is He keeping that from you?

Satan got her thinking, doubting, analyzing, being introspective and rationalizing . . . which all sound like good things (God gave us a mind didn’t He? So why not use it?!). However – as good as it all sounded, looked, etc . . . it still went against what God had said. And just THAT fact alone – made it “not good” – made it wrong – made it a sin. It doesn’t matter how “good” something looks, feels, tastes, seems, etc in our own rationalizing mind . . . . if it goes against what God has said – then it is wrong – it is sin – and it leads to death.

How many times have you compromised in your life . . . this past year . . . this month . . . today? How many times have you said – “It’s not that big a deal. . . . . It will help us out in the long run. . . . It’s just this once. . . . . It won’t affect me. . . “ etc? How many “little” compromises . . . aka – “bites” have you taken?

I challenge you to DECLARE WAR ON COMPROMISE today. Don’t take a bite. In fact – to make it even easier on you (to not take a bite . . . compromise) – don’t even entertain the idea – the thoughts. Stop it before it starts! Kick the enemy out of your “garden” – out of your mind – and life! Don’t’ let him whisper things to you. Yes – they sound and look good . . . but they are not. They lead to death! The thoughts will come – but we need to take them captive – 2 Cor. 10:5 – ^“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Colossians 2:8 – ^“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”

The enemy has kept us trapped – captive (2 Tim 2:26) – and he starts with our thoughts. Let’s not let him continue to have access and the ability to trap us and keep us captive anymore! DECLARE WAR ON COMPROMISE!

I was asked once –what the difference really was between drinking alcohol to get a buzz – to feel good, relaxed, drunk, happy, etc. . . . and wanting to be “drunk in the Holy Spirit’s presence”? Both of them make you feel good – but you still have to keep going back for more to keep feeling good. So what makes one better than the other? Is there really a difference?

Yes - One leads to life . . . the other leads to death. Plain and simple.

When you are filled with the Holy Spirit and enjoying his presence and power – the feeling is indescribable (actually waaay better than when you are drunk on alcohol!). You are on cloud nine! You are flying high! And it’s not just the nice (drunk) feeling - You are experiencing a love you have never known! It’s beyond anything I could even describe – a love so pure, so holy, so perfect, so safe (which you don’t get from alcohol or drugs). When the experience is over though . . . here’s the difference . . . you don’t wake up with a hangover! You wake up happy (not depressed, lonely, sad, regretful, with a headache) – and feeling totally loved and peaceful!

What does this have to do with compromise? Everything. I’m not saying that if you drink a glass of wine here and there with dinner, or if you go see a movie or listen to “non-christian music” that you are on your way to hell. I’m definitely not anti-wine, anti-media, anit-pleasure. And this isn’t just about drinking – but about all kinds of compromise – financial, work, relationships, physical intimacy, what we watch, listen to, what we say – or don’t say, etc. What I am trying to say is . . . Does what you are doing go against what God has said – to you personally – or through His word – etc? Are you looking to find the real thing – the tree of LIFE – in the alternative – the tree of “death” (sin)? It’s a cheap imitation. It can never be truly the same. It looks, sounds, tastes, smells, seems good and similar . . . but it’s not. It’s the devil’s cheap imitation of the real thing – of what God can give you – of what He has for you. Follow God’s ways – and you will be amazed! His ways are soooo much better! You don’t have to take my word for it . . . listen to God’s . . .

I want to leave you with the words of God spoken to Moses and the Israelites (Deuteronomy 30: 11-20)

The Offer of Life or Death

¹¹ Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. ¹² It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" ¹³ Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" ¹⁴ No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

¹⁵ See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. ¹⁶ For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws, then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

¹⁷ But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, ¹⁸ I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

¹⁹ This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live ²⁰ and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Choose life!

Love (God) . . . Walk (in His ways) . . . Keep (His commands)!

Love (God) . . . Listen (to His voice) . . .Hold fast (to Him)!

THEN you will live and increase!

The Lord IS your LIFE!

No more excuses - DECLARE WAR ON COMPROMISE Today!

Make a decision to go deeper today!

L :)