There is an identity crisis among the Believers today. We have forgotten who we are and the price that was paid for our redemption. Our state of being has unique characteristics that are found in and through the blood of Jesus Christ. The one time shedding of His blood as our high priest has positioned us far above the world system of the enemy. Even though we were born into the system of sin, initiated by the fall of Adam, but the blood purchase destroyed the bond of the enemy to position us and release us into heavenly places. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:” (Ephesians 1:3 KJV).

Recently I was going through one of the enemy orchestrated situations and read a scripture that I know and quote, Psalm 91:7-8. But in the Amplified version it reads, “A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. Only a spectator shall you be, yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High, as you witness the reward of the wicked.” When I read that I was a spectator who was inaccessible, I immediately thought about the skyboxes of the wealthy at sport events. They are watching the event, but the people on the lower level and the field of play cannot see or approach them. I received the revelation that I was in the wrong seat at this event. A spectator is one who is present but views and looks on as an observer. In other words you are a part of the audience to witness the battle and the victorious outcome. Glory to God!!! If I am inaccessible, that means that the enemy cannot approach, reach or even have any influence where I am through his activities. The secret place is an awesome place to be in God!!!

We are a part of a royal and holy race, picked out and accepted in the beloved by God himself. “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” (Ephesians 2:19 KJV). Planning in love for us, He set us apart for himself. He takes pleasure in fighting for us. “For He foreordained us, destined us, planned in love for us, to be adopted, revealed as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will, because it pleased Him and was His kind intent.” (Ephesians 1:5 AMP). Whenever I read any scripture that says “In Whom”, it reminds me that I am hidden in Him and that “In Him, we live, and move, and have our being.” (Acts 17:28 KJV).

Forgetting my identity allowed the enemy to maneuver to deceive and manipulate to create a wrong position in which I was too low as well as having the wrong image of myself. In any royal activity, the kings and priests are always in the reserved pre-arranged seating. “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:6 KJV).

There are some battles in which we must ask the Lord, “Is this one yours or mine?” It is important that we stand and withstand against the enemy, but we must take the right position. Truthfully, the enemy is after our faith and he makes every attempt to use the element of time against us, all the while spewing his evil chatter through thoughts. That is why we must discern our thoughts and cast down the ones that are contrary to the Word of God. Sometimes the Father may just want to showoff or flex His mighty omnipotence. See, as the Creator of everything, He can do any thing He wants, anytime He pleases. When we call upon Abba Father, we are calling on our Daddy, our Papa for help. Sit back and watch what happens to the one who messes with His children.

“Every God-begotten person conquers the world’s ways. The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith. The person who wins out over the world’s ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God.” ( 1 John 5:4 The Message).

© April 2012

Have you ever thought that because of His great love for you that the Lord is not satisfied with where you are and He wants you to come closer to Him? As He is in the midst of everything that concerns you, He is aware of the obstacles or hindrances that are preventing you from coming deeper into His presence. You may be calling out to Him, but have you heard His call?

Recently, I began to meditate and pray about my sight. There were things that I wanted and needed to see in my walk with the Lord. Continually thinking about sight led to me to the account of Bartimaeus. It is funny that when we speak of Bartimaeus, we always mention his blindness as a part of his identity. Although Jesus healed other blind men, Bartimaeus is the only one who has his name listed in the Bible. Is there something about him that we have not discovered?

There are two accounts concerning Bartimaeus, one in Mark 10:46-52 and the other in Luke 18:35-43. Bartimaeus came into contact with Jesus as Jesus was leaving Jericho on the outskirts of town. He was positioned in a location where beggars where accustomed to beg as people passed by. Can you imagine what Bartimaeus said to people as he sat there daily? Have you ever wondered what his thoughts were as he listened to the people going and coming in and out of the city?

The day that Jesus was leaving, there was a crowd going by that caused Bartimaeus to inquire what was going on. His hearing was already sensitive due to his blindness, but there was something that was unusual in the atmosphere. Surely, he must have heard about all of the miracles of Jesus. As he heard the activity of the crowd and that is was Jesus, he immediately began to shout out, “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.” (Luke 18:38 KJV). Why would he call Jesus the Son of David? Was he one of the residents of Jericho that knew the history of the Israelites and the promises of God to King David or even the prophecy of the Messiah? Did his blindness give him sight that the others failed to have? Did his faith come by hearing the word of God that had been spoken over the centuries and at the point of remembrance cause a transformation in his thinking causing him to call out?

As Bartimaeus called out to Jesus, many in the crowd told him to be quiet. Did they think that he was begging for a handout? Was there not a change this time in his words? Yet in the midst of his call, they attempted to block him from that which he needed, mercy, grace, and deliverance. They looked at his present situation and did not expect a change for his future. But Bartimaeus cried out louder overriding their opinionated thoughts. He called out to Jesus with such passion and fervor that Jesus stood still. The creation called out to the Creator for a change in its existence.

I don’t know about anyone else in the Body of Christ, but I am at a point where I am calling out to Jesus to remove any and everything that is hindering me from the intimacy that I desire on a different level. Calling for this leads one to repentance and acknowledgement of unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, jealousy, and anything else that the enemy has blinded you to. The irony of it all is that He gives you the desires of your heart, but it is He who puts the desire in you. “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.” (Malachi 3:2-3 KJV). So in essence, He wants me to come closer, but knowing the truth my filthy state, there must be a desire for change of the hidden hindrances. Even though he sustained me in this state, He had the plan of the day of my divine appointment for the change.

“And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called, and they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; He calleth thee.” (Mark 10:49 KJV). It is interesting how Jesus rebuked those who thought to issue a rebuke when He commanded them to call Bartimaeus. The same people who were the hindrance were now being used to carry the message of the call from Jesus. The call was the love of the Creator for His Creation. His love overrode everyone and everything and nothing could hinder His love. There is nothing that can compare to Jesus answering your call with His call.

Before Bartimaeus rose up, expecting a change in his position, he threw aside his garment. (Mark 10:50). In ancient times certain garments were used to mark and identify the characteristics of an individual. But faith threw aside that which held him in his present state, knowing that the call was to take him to another dimension in his flesh as well as his spirit.

There is a call for many of us to take another look at ourselves to see and understand what blinds and hinders us from coming into a deeper place with him. The Father is calling and He wants us closer than ever before because of what He is pouring out of His Spirit in the earth. He is moving quickly and He wants to release His power through His vessels so that His glory will be revealed in the earth. Everything of the enemy that has come from the world system must be removed, even our thoughts. We must keep our armor on because this fight is different as it is about us understanding the Father’s love for us on a different level. If you change your thinking, you will change your sight, and then you will change your position. This is the time of the divine appointment and you cannot stay where you are. Knowing your identity will cause you to rise to answer the call of His love.

“O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.”

(Psalm 65:2-4).

© March 2012

A great example of using words to frame and form your future is found in the book of Ruth. The death of the men of the family that she married into causes her to leave her country, her family, and her idolatrous faith behind to go to a new land. Her journey begins with a declaration. “And Ruth said, Urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts me from you.” (Ruth 1:16-17 AMP). Her words laid the foundation and went into her future for the life that was to come. Her eyes had not seen, nor could she even imagine in heart what her words were doing in the atmosphere. Her words were radical for the time in which she lived. Is anyone speaking anything that is radical for this age?

As I was reading the book of Ruth, I was led to meditate on the words that were spoken even though this is considered to be a love story. Shortly after her arrival in Bethlehem, Ruth spoke about going to work in the field and declaring that she would find grace. (Ruth 2:2). She stood in time, her present situation (now) and spoke what shall be (now). Then she acted upon her declaration. “You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light of God’s favor shall shine upon your ways.” (Job 22:28 AMP). She decreed a word that went into places that she had not even been as of yet or even seen. She decided what she wanted to happen. Being a stranger, she did not know that she would happen to end up in the field of a kinsman, Boaz. Did her declaration open up an avenue of position for this coincidence?

One thing I noticed in the conversations of this book was that Boaz, the owner greeted his workers with words of blessing and they did likewise. (Ruth 2:4). It made one think as to whether he was speaking a blessing over his workers for prosperity in his field. Did the words charge and change the atmosphere as well as bless the land?

The manifestation of what Ruth had decreed occurred as she caught the sight of Boaz and his favor. He inquired as to whom she was and was informed by his workers everything concerning her. He told Ruth not to go to any other filed for he had already given instructions for her protection as well as special privileges. There is much that could be said about moving from field to field or church-to-church to glean without divine protection or instruction. Please note that her arrival was just in time for the harvest. She did not have to plant but she reaped the labor of others. Destiny at work!

In verse 10 of chapter 2, Ruth position herself before humbly asking a question, “Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, “Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?” His reply was that he knew everything concerning her past and her present. Then Boaz spoke the blessing of her future. “The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.” (Ruth 2:12 KJV). Boaz was letting her know that the God of Israel sees and knows the sacrifice that you have made to come to this place to trust in Him. But Boaz did not know that the blessing he spoke was over the woman that was to become his wife and the lineage of David and the Messiah that was to come from their union.

The words that Boaz spoke penetrated the heart of Ruth. (Ruth 2:13) A word from God will not only pierce your heart but produce a stronghold of faith to wait and stand with anticipation for the manifestation of the evidence that will produce the change in your life. The key is holding on to the word.

Ruth received favor known and unknown to her. Boaz told her to come and eat with the others at mealtime. What she did not know was that he also instructed the reapers (the ones who are doing the work), to let her come forward and glean among the sheaves, the bundles. “Boaz ordered his servants: “Let her glean where there’s still plenty of grain on the ground—make it easy for her. Better yet, pull some of the good stuff out and leave it for her to glean. Give her special treatment.” (Ruth 2:15-16 MSG).

Did you know that your words could be the catalyst for special treatment? What type of material are you using to build your words? Do not use substandard equipment and material from the world system that is before your natural eyes. If you are speaking death because of lack of knowledge, God has spoken life and given you His word to speak in the earth realm to counteract and change the system that the enemy stole from Adam and perverted.

The Word of God is the most important word that must be read, studied, and meditated upon. Why? Because it is spirit and life. “Every word I’ve spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making.” (John 6:53 MSG). In the beginning God framed the world with His word. And God said. And God saw. Thousands of years later, Ruth said and Ruth saw. Keep speaking the word. The Word of God will demolish the system that the enemy has built against you. God has given you His Word to speak (not seen but heard) to call those things (not seen but hearing and listening) into existence (to be seen).

Therefore, inheriting the promise is the outcome of faith and depends entirely on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace, unmerited favor, to make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all his descendants–not only to the devotees and adherents of the Law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is thus the father of us all. As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. He was appointed our father in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that He has foretold and promised as if they already existed.

(Romans 4:16-17 AMP).

© January 2012

Actually, her friend and partner who lived one floor beneath her took the picture. Little did she know that the picture was a moment in time that would hold and capture the beginning of her journey to freedom. God was in the midst and she didn’t even have a clue.

Of course the day began with shopping for that dress. All day long preparations were made for the party to enter into the new decade. This wasn’t a regular New Year’s party. But God was in the midst. Staring at the picture, she remembers that she had made up in her mind that before she made one step into the party that she would go to church.

Remembering this part of that night seems funny now. It was not even the type of church that she would attend today. But at least she had enough sense of reverence to know that it was important to be in God’s house. On various occasions, she was a regular visitor. There are just some things that we were raised to do that will never leave no matter how far away we stray.

After taking the picture, she went to the church dressed for the party covered with a full-length fur coat. The funny thing is that many people still do that today. It would not be a long service, because she knew that the regular Sunday services on lasted forty-five minutes. After the service, she would just call him and be on her way. Even at this point, God was in the midst.

As she sat there during the service, she began to review her life. The entire decade of the eighty’s, she was high and probably the seventy’s too. You may start out getting high for fun, but it ultimately leads to experimenting with other drugs into the downward spiral to addiction. Truth be told, she had gotten tired of getting high and the feelings that came after the fun was gone. She was determined not to enter into a new decade high.

There are some people who manage getting high taking care of their family and maintaining a professional job very well. It was really a weekend thing. Thinking back now, even the thought of that statement was the deception of the enemy that kept her in bondage.
Driving downtown to the party, she was determined not to get high. After all she had just come out of God’s house. Thinking back to where she was at the entrance of the New Year and a new decade, sitting and praying about her future. This was something that she had never done before. God was in the midst. Now the question was could she really do this tonight? Did she have the strength to resist the temptation? After all, she was accustomed to the best and of course the supply of drugs was not an issue.

She rang the security intercom thinking, ‘here we go.’ She opened the door and stepped into the elevator. There was an unusual peace and calm. God was in the midst. Usually there was anxiousness before entering into that place. As she got off the elevator, there was another buzzer to let her into the hallway that led to her destination. Walking down the hallway, as she got closer, she could hear the noise of the party. She rang the door bell and he opened the door. If she only knew that when she stepped in, she was stepping into the next decade of many changes that were about to occur in her life and they would be happening very soon. As she worked the room greeting all of the participants, the New Year’s hugs and kisses began. Actually she was kissing them goodbye to a life that was over. Within one year, the change would be complete and many of them she would never see again. God was in the midst.

Amazingly she did not touch any drugs that night. There was not even a desire. She just sipped on Moet. There were no cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine, or cognac. Her appetite had changed and she only thought that it was for one night. She did not know that God was in the midst and had answered her prayer.

Looking at the picture, she remembered something that amazed her. God had even sent a witness to confirm what He was doing that night. About three thirty in the morning, one of the guests, Masara was leaving and said something to her about her being different tonight. Masara did not know exactly what it was, but she could see it on her face. No one knew that God was in the midst.

Later in the year she succumbed to the temptations of the drugs. One night as time passed into the early dawn, she was faced down in a drug induced stupor. Crying and tired of being in the cycle of getting high, she called out to her father in heaven. She was so high that she actually thought that she was crying out to her natural father who had died when she was seven. Little did she know that God was in the midst. Thinking back on that night and the days that followed, she realized that God was working and had a plan for her life and it was not what she had planned. Salvation and total deliverance proved that God was in the midst. One of the things that she says in giving her testimony is ‘that God held back the hand of the enemy long enough for her to make a conscious decision to call out to Him.’ God was and still is in the midst.

Every person that is born on this planet, God had and has a great plan for our lives. There is a plan whether you are an unbeliever or Believer in your present state of existence. His plan did not include addiction to anyone or anything. One of the most important things that must always be remembered is that we were not born to be enslaved. As we go through the many changes of life from childhood through early teens and into adulthood, the thought never entered the mind to be addicted to something. When you ask a child about their plans for their future, the question is, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” The response is usually a doctor, lawyer, fireman, policeman, or etc. It is never, “I want to be an addict.”

Many may ask how does one become addicted? The enemy uses various methods to strategically devise an attack. The most common reason of addiction is because of the void or emptiness in one’s life. This void or empty space creates a longing or a need. The problem arises because of what is being used to fill the emptiness.

Another device is scars on the soul. These scars come from many areas of mental and physical abuse, neglect, and even words. If these experiences occur during our childhood years, these scars can be for a lifetime if not dealt with through the understanding of God’s love.
It is the love of God and the realization of how much He loves that will deliver one from addiction. Knowing that He took time to fearfully and wonderfully make you by knitting together every aspect of His grand design is an important key. You are His individual masterpieces formed for great purpose and destiny. There is no one that can take your place because He has never duplicated anyone to be like you.
The hole in your heart, the scar upon the soul, the void and emptiness, can only be filled and healing comes by knowing and understanding the power of the love of God. The love that He wants you so much, that He sent His Son, Jesus to be sacrificed so that you can be reconciled to Him.

The day that I realized the love of God and the power of that love was the beginning of a new and adventurous life. I did not enter into rehab or any type of step counseling program. I took one step and was to Jesus. He cleaned me up and took the taste and desire away. This year , 2011, is my 20th anniversary of being free from bondage.

I realize now that He was there all the time, watching, waiting, and protecting me. His eyes were always upon me. Even though I was broken in bondage and scarred, His grace and mercy covered me while He repaired the damage the enemy inflicted upon me. As He made me over and continues to even today, it is easy to see that God + me= unlimited possibilities!

©
11-11-11

A great example of using words to frame and form your future is found in the book of Ruth. The death of the men of the family that she married into causes her to leave her country, her family, and her idolatrous faith behind to go to a new land. Her journey begins with a declaration.

(Ruth 1:16-17 AMP). Her words laid the foundation and went into her future for the life that was to come. Her eyes had not seen, nor could she even imagine in heart what her words were doing in the atmosphere. Her words were radical for the time in which she lived. Is anyone speaking anything that is radical for this age?
As I was reading the book of Ruth, I was led to meditate on the words that were spoken even though this is considered to be a love story. Shortly after her arrival in Bethlehem, Ruth spoke about going to work in the field and declaring that she would find grace. (Ruth 2:2). She stood in time, her present situation (now) and spoke what shall be (now). Then she acted upon her declaration. “You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light of God’s favor shall shine upon your ways.” (Job 22:28 AMP). She decreed a word that went into places that she had not even been as of yet or even seen. She decided what she wanted to happen. Being a stranger, she did not know that she would happen to end up in the field of a kinsman, Boaz. Did her declaration open up an avenue of position for this coincidence?
One thing I noticed in the conversations of this book was that Boaz, the owner greeted his workers with words of blessing and they did likewise. (Ruth 2:4). It made one think as to whether he was speaking a blessing over his workers for prosperity in his field. Did the words charge and change the atmosphere as well as bless the land?
The manifestation of what Ruth had decreed occurred as she caught the sight of Boaz and his favor. He inquired as to whom she was and was informed by his workers everything concerning her. He told Ruth not to go to any other filed for he had already given instructions for her protection as well as special privileges. There is much that could be said about moving from field to field or church-to-church to glean without divine protection or instruction. Please note that her arrival was just in time for the harvest. She did not have to plant but she reaped the labor of others. Destiny at work!
In verse 10 of chapter 2, Ruth position herself before humbly asking a question, “Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, “Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?” His reply was that he knew everything concerning her past and her present. Then Boaz spoke the blessing of her future. “The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.” (Ruth 2:12 KJV). Boaz was letting her know that the God of Israel sees and knows the sacrifice that you have made to come to this place to trust in Him. But Boaz did not know that the blessing he spoke was over the woman that was to become his wife and the lineage of David and the Messiah that was to come from their union.
The words that Boaz spoke penetrated the heart of Ruth. (Ruth 2:13) A word from God will not only pierce your heart but produce a stronghold of faith to wait and stand with anticipation for the manifestation of the evidence that will produce the change in your life. The key is holding on to the word.
Ruth received favor known and unknown to her. Boaz told her to come and eat with the others at mealtime. What she did not know was that he also instructed the reapers (the ones who are doing the work), to let her come forward and glean among the sheaves, the bundles. “Boaz ordered his servants: “Let her glean where there’s still plenty of grain on the ground—make it easy for her. Better yet, pull some of the good stuff out and leave it for her to glean. Give her special treatment.” (Ruth 2:15-16 MSG).
Did you know that your words could be the catalyst for special treatment? What type of material are you using to build your words? Do not use substandard equipment and material from the world system that is before your natural eyes. If you are speaking death because of lack of knowledge, God has spoken life and given you His word to speak in the earth realm to counteract and change the system that the enemy stole from Adam and perverted.
The Word of God is the most important word that must be read, studied, and meditated upon. Why? Because it is spirit and life. “Every word I’ve spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making.” (John 6:53 MSG). In the beginning God framed the world with His word. And God said. And God saw. Thousands of years later, Ruth said and Ruth saw. Keep speaking the word. The Word of God will demolish the system that the enemy has built against you. God has given you His Word to speak (not seen but heard) to call those things (not seen but hearing and listening) into existence (to be seen).

“Therefore, inheriting the promise is the outcome of faith and depends entirely on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace, unmerited favor, to make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all his descendants–not only to the devotees and adherents of the Law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is thus the father of us all. As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. He was appointed our father in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that He has foretold and promised as if they already existed.”
(Romans 4:16-17 AMP).
© January 2012
Becky DeWitt

The strength of a Believer that is seen is not from that which does appear. It is an inside job. The very second that an unbeliever accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior; there is a change in the spiritual DNA. “Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. “ (Galatians 2:20 MSG). Even though we were born into sin, the born again experience not only reconciles us to the Father, but also activates secret hidden things that are yet to be revealed and understood.

It is not your strength that causes you to stand and press forward despite the satanic activity. The strength that you think that you have comes from the Spirit of the Living God who is on the inside of you. Your born again spirit is hooked up to the power and strength of the Almighty Creator. You are plugged into the eternal! It His strength will cause you to move beyond your limits or expectations and even the temporary outcome.

Recently I had to research the word “strength” as a promise of God for a program at my church. Basically I did not have the time to do the research until the Sunday morning of the program. Using Internet Bible concordance tools, I found that there were just too many scriptures with the word “strength”. So I began to focus on the book of Psalms because David had an unusual relationship with God.  He was always seeking God’s heart for whatever he needed.

I found that God wraps you in strength.  “For who is God except the Lord? Or who is the Rock save our God, The God who girds me with strength and makes my way perfect.” (Psalm 18:31-32). When He girds me, He surrounds, provides, equips and He even invests strength in me. Have you ever thought that because you accepted Jesus and the price that was paid, that God invested much in you that you don’t even know about? There is an investment, but where is the return or profit?

Searching the scriptures can lead you to a word that is new and fresh but also gives a fortified perspective. I found that God gives strength that the enemy cannot penetrate. “The Lord will give unyielding and impenetrable strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace”. (Psalm 29:11 AMP) Now this really blessed me! “The Lord is my Strength and my impenetrable Shield; my heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him, and I am helped;” (Psalm 28:7 a AMP). This means when I have His strength I will not give way under pressure and the enemy cannot break through. God is my shield and the enemy cannot pierce or pass through Him.  The created one (satan) cannot pierce through the Creator. In addition to being a shield, He lifts your head high above the raging circumstances. “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.”  Palm 3:3 AMP).  As your head is lifted to see above the natural and into the spirit to discern the truth of what is happening, you will also see that your help is coming and is very much present. “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” (Psalm 121:1 KJV). “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1 KJV).

God on the inside of you commands His strength upon you to display His power and glory. It is a part of His investment. “Your God has commanded your strength your might in His service and impenetrable hardness to temptation; O God, display Your might and strengthen what You have wrought for us!” (Psalm 68:28 AMP). Notice again, the impenetrable hardness, which describes the quality and degree or extent of His strength.

His strength teaches you strategic movement to outwit the enemy. “Blessed Be the Lord, my Rock and my keen and firm Strength, Who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight” (Psalm 144:1 AMP).  Our hands have a variety of functions are a very important part of who we are and how we see ourselves. Many people talk with their hands using them to communicate expressions. Imagine what your hands are doing in the realm of the spirit.

We must continually seek the Lord for His strength. It is His strength that will not only cause you to outwit the enemy, but also outlast the attack. Instead of the enemy wearing you out, you wear him out so that he has to flee and regroup. “Seek the Lord and His strength; yearn for and seek His face and to be in His presence continually!” (I Chronicles 16:11 AMP).

Trust in Him and in His name for strength. “Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.” (Isaiah 26:4 KJV). We know that there are many names that God has that He wants us to know because of His attributes associated with His names. His names are from Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts, (James 5:4), to Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide, (Genesis 22:14). One name that we sometimes forget is El Roi, the God who sees (Genesis 16:13). He sees your situation, the attack of the enemy, and He sees the level of your strength as well as the outcome that He has ordained, VICTORY!

Rest in Him and in His strength. “With God rests my salvation and my glory; He is my Rock of unyielding strength and impenetrable hardness, and my refuge is in God!”  (Psalm 62:7 AMP). Enter into His rest and strength so that your faith will profit, meaning that there will be an increase. Even though the enemy comes to test your strength, lean and rest in your Father so that which is in you that you are not aware of will manifest.

“He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound]. But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.” (Isaiah 40: 29, 21 AMP)

© December 2011

by

Becky DeWitt

Jesus taught many parables during His time upon the earth. These stories always contained another meaning beneath the surface. The parable of the sower is in Matthew, Chapter 13, where Jesus was speaking to a multitude. Afterwards, the disciples asked why did He speaking in parables. “And He replied to them, To you it has been given to know the secrets and mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has [spiritual knowledge], to him will more be given and he will be furnished richly so that he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is the reason that I speak to them in parables: because having the power of seeing, they do not see; and having the power of hearing, they do not hear, nor do they grasp and understand.” (Matthew 13: 11-13 AMP). Are kingdom secrets a gift just waiting to be released? Have they been reserved in your name? Are you in a place to receive one or many?

Jesus even revealed the state of the minds of the people even as the Prophet Isaiah foretold it. “For this nation’s heart has grown gross (fat and dull), and their ears heavy and difficult of hearing, and their eyes they have tightly closed, lest they see and perceive with their eyes, and hear and comprehend the sense with their ears, and grasp and understand with their heart, and turn and I should heal them.” (Matthew 13:15). Even as I read this scripture, I thought about the state of this nation. This was an ancient prophecy again speaking in modern times.
Actually, there is no secret as to how to make the changes that are necessary for the recovery. It is really very simple, seek the wisdom of God. In the book of Daniel when the king had a dream concerning the future and could not discern what it was about, he asked the Man of God for an interpretation. “Daniel answered the king, “No mere human can solve the king’s mystery, I don’t care who it is—no wise man, enchanter, magician, diviner. But there is a God in heaven who solves mysteries, and he has solved this one.” (Daniel 2:28 MSG). “He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding! He reveals the deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him!” (Daniel 2:21-11 AMP).

Sometimes we need to ask God what is own His mind and heart concerning us. He can give you the hidden truth about your self that needs correction. There could even be a revelation about your destiny that you cannot see or comprehend. Why? Because all you will think is the word ‘how’. We just need to have faith and believe. Take the reasoning out of your mind because it opens the door to doubt. Reasoning is not faith. Reasoning is the thoughts that are an attempt of the enemy to be projected into you mind to make you doubt God’s word. Remember he did that to Eve in the garden. Just take God at His Word. Hold on to the secret which is His thought. Can you even imagine that you would be holding the thought of God in your heart? Whatever He says that is what it is. Remember that with God all things are possible. “Jesus said, “If? There are no ‘ifs’ among believers. Anything can happen.” (Mark 9:23 MSG).

This is a time that we need to press diligently to get into the secret place. Psalm 91: 1 states that “HE WHO dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty ,Whose power no foe can withstand. (AMP). Even though this Psalm is commonly referred to as a Psalm of protection, the secret place is also a place of intimate exchange. It is in that place that those extraordinary secrets that God wants to reveal to you will be released. About three years ago, I was in prayer and God gave me a secret that I could not even utter. At first I did not even understand. In fact I was afraid to even speak about it as I was in awe. In fact the ‘how’ crept in. But as time passed that which He revealed came to pass. The secrets that you are given can also be a test of trustworthiness. Is your heart steadfast to carry the weight of a divine secret? Will you continue to pray about that which is revealed until the manifestation? Can you open your spiritual eyes to see through His eyes? Is it that you do not want this as much as He does? Maybe you forgot that you are peculiar people, vessels chosen for such a time as this.

Is this a new thing that will shift you into another place with God? “You have heard [these things foretold], now you see this fulfillment. And will you not bear witness to it? I show you specified new things from this time forth, even hidden things kept in reserve, which you have not known. They are created now ,called into being by the prophetic word, and not long ago; and before today you have never heard of them, lest you should say, Behold, I knew them!” (Isaiah 48:6-7  AMP). Will you allow Him to develop your spirit in an area that you have not even envisioned?

We are in a time of greater revelation as we are in the end times. Scriptures that we have read and meditated upon are now activated in our spirits with new revelation. Everyone in the Body of Christ quotes the scripture about “calling those things that be not as though they were.” (Romans 4:17 KJV). The Amplified version translates those same words to “speaks of the nonexistent things that He has foretold and promised] as if they already existed.” We know that God is a spirit and He is in the spirit realm. He even speaks to us through His Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit speaks that which He hears. We know that His Word contains power and accomplishes and manifests what it is sent to do. If we speak that which is spoken, (His Word), and read (His Word), those words are spirit filled containers that are invisible. These spirit filled invisible containers of faith are entering into the spirit realm where those things that we are speaking to are not seen but exist, and causing them to become manifested into existence. It is an invisible thing speaking to an invisible thing to make it visible.

The Body of Christ is always mocked for doing this. “But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated.” (I Corinthians 2:14). It is no secret that God has already planned every thing. It just that many of us have not discerned and our eyes are not open because we have not understood our position as a new creation in Christ and a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Many may find that asking Him for secrets is a foolish thing. “This is because the foolish thing that has its source in God is wiser than men, and the weak thing that springs from God is stronger than men. No, for God selected deliberately chose what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame. And God also selected, deliberately chose what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are.” (1 Corinthians 1: 25,27-28). If you are seated in heavenly places next to Christ Jesus, why not lean over and ask Him for something and see what happens. Once you hear Him, you will be in awe.

 “For behold, He Who forms the mountains and creates the wind and declares to man what is His thought, Who makes the morning darkness and treads on the heights of the earth–the Lord, the God of hosts, is His name!” (Amos 4:13 AMP)

©
October 2011
Becky DeWitt

One of the most powerful scriptures in the New Testament is “Love never fails, never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end.” (I Corinthians 13:8 AMP). To say that “love never fails” is to say that love does not stop working or operating properly. Love does not lose its strength to be successful in any endeavor.

Love is a word that is used loosely and thrown into conversation without the full expression of its meaning. Of course one may have deep passionate affection or take great pleasure in another from the yearning of the heart. But there is a problem with our feelings which can be fleeting as well as subject to emotions. So the question is whether love is an emotion or is it a force that is deeper that defies explanation?

Recently, I had to opportunity to witness three young individuals in a born again experience at different times. But there was one who was different. He told me that he felt new and he just wanted to tell everyone in his family that he loved them. As he began to make calls to his family telling them of his experience accepting Jesus, I was overjoyed to experience the fullness of love that Jesus had deposited into him. He was full of love and I thank God for allowing me to be in His timing for this experience. This was a call to me for a love checkup.

We understand that man is a triune being; body (flesh), soul, and spirit. (I Thessalonians 5:23). As I wrote this sentence, I was quickly made aware of the order. It is upside down. A reversal and the correct order would be; spirit, soul, and body (flesh). This is the order that we should be operating in as members of the Kingdom. The spirit is where God resides after the born again experience. The soul is the operation center of the mind, will and emotions and the flesh is connected to the sense (feeling) realm. Has the Body of Christ lacked the knowledge, revelation, and discipline to conqueror the flesh by bringing under subjection to Jesus Christ, so that we can function and operate in the spirit as we were designed to?

Take time to notice where the soul is located in this order, the middle. Actually, there is a fight for the soul because the soul is following whoever is in control, spirit or flesh. If the spirit is in control, we will have the mind of Christ, possessing the thoughts and purpose of His heart. (I Corinthian 2:16). If the flesh is in control, the soul will be subject to be driven by emotions and thoughts that are injected by the enemy, not by the spirit.

We are commanded to love our brethren whether we like them, or feel like it or not. Our brethren include all men, not just those who are in the Body of Christ. Remember the flesh feels. “I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you love one another, if you keep on showing love among yourselves.” (John 13:34 AMP).

Since we have the commandment to love and God is love, and He lives in us, we should be full of His love. Currently, that is not the case in many instances in the Body of Christ. The enemy does not want us to have the mind of Christ and has devised a plan of erosion through time against love. He knows that the love and compassion of the saints will lead many to Jesus Christ. So, he operates through the flesh with this subversion undercurrent activity. Actually, many saints cannot even realize where or even when their love departed.

Jesus gave the commandment, the authoritative order; because He knew that there would be difficult situations for us. It is difficult for us to go out of our way pick up someone that you don’t like to bring them to church. It is difficult to love and forgive someone who has hurt you many times over the years, especially if they are in the Body of Christ. It is difficult to pick up children to come to church whose mother is nowhere to be found continually. Many things that we must do are difficult and that is the reason that we must override our mind, will and emotions with love. “Since by your obedience to the Truth through the Holy Spirit you have purified your hearts for the sincere affection of the brethren,[see that you love one another fervently from a pure heart.” (1 Peter 1:22 AMP). We dare not disappoint the Father as He has given us His only Son to redeem us. Let’s let love be our witness of strength, power, and compassion.

“Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited, arrogant and inflated with pride; it is not rude, unmannerly and does not act unbecomingly. Love, God’s love in us, does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it ,it pays no attention to a suffered wrong. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything, without weakening. And so faith, hope, love abide, faith–conviction and belief respecting man’s relation to God and divine things; hope–joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love–true affection for God and man, growing out of God’s love for and in us, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

(1 Corinthians 13:4-7,13 AMP)
©
September 2011
Becky DeWitt