How's Your Circulation? 1 John 1:7 (message)

That scripture says, "But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God's Son, purges all our sin."

Well, I was listening to Mark Hankins again today (I am ON that series right now!), and he talked about the Body of Christ and how as a body, we have to be ASSEMBLED. When we are assembled, as in fellowship with one another, the Blood of Jesus circulates through the body, bringing life to one another. We are all different and we all have something that the Body needs. When we are not in our place, the Body suffers (whether we want to believe we are that relevant or not, it is true).

Don't you think that is why the devil tries so hard to bring offense? IF WE LET HIM bring that offense, it will cut off the blood flow to that part of the body, like a tournaquet, and it will die. Don't just check those offenses at the door, get rid of them! They will kill you!

We have to look outside ourselves at all times - just like Pastor Kevin taught last Sunday. Whenever we start looking to fulfill a corporate vision, God will fulfill your vision. And when we look inside and get selfish, offense is a lot more likely to come!

OK, I'm done for now!

A Whole New Thing - 1 Peter 1:15-16

Since a week or two before Go Deep went to C4C, living a sanctified, set apart life has been the topic of prayer and discussion in our household. And when I was recently listening to a teaching series by Mark Hankins about the Blood of Jesus, it really got my full attention when he started talking about sanctification in one part of the teaching. He said that God cannot fully use us the way He wants to when we let everything else use us.

How do we let everything else use us? We expose our spirits to all kinds of worldly junk that would have made us cringe 20 or 30 years ago and we say, "it's not that bad." (I like the analogy Pastor Kevin used about the poop in the brownies. I've used that with my girls all their lives!)

Then he said, if you were in an operating room about to undergo a surgery, and the surgeon said, "where's my knife?" and one of the nurses said, "oh, it's in the kitchen. We were making ham sandwiches with it." Brother Mark said, you wouldn't want that thing used on you because it is an instrument set apart for a particular use. Just as we are to be for God, to be pure for what He needs.

In the past, I have let sanctification and consecration be a product of my trying to change my own life to be good enough. Then when I really started listening to the Holy Spirit, I realized a few things. In and of myself, I know nothing. In and of myself, I have nothing. In and of myself, I can do nothing. Jack Myers said, "Holiness is not an outward show, but it is a continual working of the Holy Spirit to bring pureness to one's heart." I see now that the only thing I do to make this successful is to submit to the Holy Spirit. When I am trying to figure out how to get "there," I don't hear the Holy Spirit as the Lord is trying to prune me.

For Such A Time As This - by Jordan Baker

This is something that Jordan wrote and she asked me to put it on her Facebook notes while she was at work, but alas, I do not have her password - I probably did and forgot! So, I am posting it on my blog because it is worth reading!


I know this is long, but this Word that God has been showing me has set me straight on some things. So, I figured it might help someone else too!



I am through letting life just happen to me.

In Proverbs 29:18 it says, "If people can't see what God is doing (revelation), they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what He reveals, they are most blessed."

Every individual person has a call or destiny for their life. It's that thing you know in your heart you were made to do. Whether or not you know exactly what that is right now, you know in your heart it's there. We have to see what that is to complete it. It's vital as the body of Christ that we have vision for our lives. Many times I've thought to myself, "How in the world am I ever going to know what I'm really supposed to be doing on this earth?" Well, who better to ask the purpose of something than the creator of it? Think about this. You just created this wonderful invention that you knew would cure every problem for your friend. But, the friend you gave it to didn't listen to your instructions on how to use it or even what it was for! So this amazing thing you made just sits and collects dust...never to be used. Now think back to how God feels about us! He created each of us with a unique purpose and He just wants to show us how to fulfill that. He doesn't want the gifts He's placed inside of us to just sit and collect dust and never be used! God wants so badly for us to know what He made us for and how to fulfill that!! He doesn't want us to be lost and confused wondering if we'll ever reach the end of the race! So, how do you tap into that revelation of your purpose? Spend time with Him. Pray with Him. Converse with Him. Actually get to know Him. When you do, His purposes and desires will become your purposes and desires. And in Psalm 37:4 it says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."

I don't want to spend my whole life like this verse says, stumbling all over myself. I want to know and attend to what He reveals.

Destiny isn't just something that comes up in climactic points in your life and in big decisions you're making. It isn't something that starts up when you're an adult. This is for you and me, here and now. Every step we take in this life leads to somewhere. We're not just going to end up where God has planned for our lives just because it's God's will. It takes that focusing on Him and praying out every step of the plan.

When I think about my whole life this way, it takes away all guessing and haphazard moves. It makes my reliance on the Lord sky rocket because I know that it's in Him and His grace (God's ability) that my whole life will be complete and I will finish my race with joy.

We were born for such a time as this.

This is our time.

This is our generation.

We will take this world for the name of Jesus.

I pray that God is illuminating as much to you as He has been to me along these lines!

by: Jordan Baker

If you will let Him . . .

You know, sometimes I wonder, especially after the class Pastor Susan taught last Thursday night, where I could be if I would have been cooperating more fully with the Holy Spirit. He will grow us up if we will let Him. But, you know, we can't do anything about before, we just have to go forward where we are and do it now!!! So, here's the lesson learned last night:

I sat up last night talking to my girls and one of my girls is having a little problem with someone in her life. Not a bad problem - just someone she is around really seems to have developed an irritation with her and she doesn't really understand it. This person is a lovely person and we love them very much. She knows that she needs to keep her mouth closed, and that is the wisdom of God operating in her life! And of course, speak the Word over the situation.

Well, in the course of talking to her a little, I started on a discourse of "well, maybe you should say this," or "maybe you should do that." Why would I do that if I knew she was operating in wisdom? I was being so noisy that I couldn't even hear fully what the Holy Spirit was saying on the inside of me! Well, I went on to bed at about 12:30 a.m. or so and when I laid down and got quiet, I heard Him! I got up out of bed, went back to my daughter's room and said, "just completely disregard my comments. I apologize for running at the mouth. You are doing the right thing. You know you are anointed to do what you are doing, and your gift will be seen if you continue to be diligent and faithful. It's really easy to be quiet until you know that your children are concerned in a situation." I know the Holy Spirit would tell her if she did need to DO something. So we sat and talked with each other, very aware of what the Holy Spirit was telling us, for almost an hour.

So, learning to fully follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. I'm getting it! I'm getting it! We are all getting it! I am overjoyed that God has set us in a place to be able to learn the things we are learning and to be in a local body that is also hooked into the Word and teachings! I know we are in the right place at the right time and we are DOING what we are learning!

Things that make you go hmmmmmmm . . .

Ok, a while back, Lauren and I were in the Van Buren Super Center and ran across an invention that left me speechless.

It is the amazing Slipper Genie!The package says, "slip them on and they will do the cleaning for you!" Wouldn't you feel a little silly scooting around house like a little 97 year old man? Think about it. Probably some guy invented them after sitting up all night watching old episodes of Carol Burnett. And the functionality! "Can you help me? My legs are stuck!" "Uh, honey, how did that happen?" "I was dusting under the bed." "Oh, of course! How foolish of me to ask!

Either I don't get it or this is simply the laziest cleaning product I have ever seen. And if it is the laziest cleaning product I have ever seen, I still don't get it. O_O

NOW HEAR THIS!

As some of you know, today is Lauren's birthday! You all knew this was coming, huh? So, wish her a happy one, give her a hard time, or whatever you feel appropriate!

I have to say, my heart swells when I see the woman of God you are becoming, Lauren! I love you, sweets! Happy birthday!

Would you really like that?

You know, Lauren and I were talking the other day. She had brought a scripture to me that was like a rhema word for her, and she was so excited! And as we talked about it, we started talking about being used of God. You know, how so many people say (either to others or to themselves), "oh, I would love to be used of God like THAT!" I've said it too and I heard "Well, BE used of God like that!"

Lauren and I talked about how God is no respecter of persons, and how he is not looking for a vessel of a certain make-up, as in silver or gold, but that He is looking for yielded vessels. Someone that will make themselves usable in the hands of God and their hearts pliable toward His Word.

An old pastor of mine used to say, "I can say, I would love to play the piano like the church pianist! I would love to play the guitar like Brother So-and-so!" But they don't really want to enough to take lessons and practice every day. I have thought about that many times over the last several years. And so, it is a checking point for me.

There is a price to pay - however that terminology seems so painful to me. Because as I yield, I find such a joy! Line upon line . . . .

A birthday

Well, if you don't already know, Saturday is Jordan's birthday! So in honor of the occasion, Lauren and I dug out some old photos.

Everyday with the Lord

You know, I have been meditating and pondering the class last Thursday that Marty Blackwelder taught on living in the presence of God. I don't know if that was the actual title, but those of you who were there know what I mean.

That was such a special message. Darlene and I sat in my kitchen the next day and talked about it. We talked about how personal the Lord is. She got so excited when she listened to the message at the prospect of living that way. For me, it was a very gentle and intimate thing. I know that the Lord wants to have such an intimate relationship with us, and when Brother Marty preached that message, (like I told Dar) my heart was so very overwhelmed, I just started to cry. I couldn't hold it back! I told her that if he had not closed when he did, I could feel audible sobbing coming! My heart was just so tender to this.

Anyway, it has stirred my heart to just be alone with the Lord. Just to love on Him and spend time in His presence for no reason except just to be with Him.

I guess that's all I have to say. Amazing huh? :)

Right action, wrong action . . .

Well, here I am, for those of you who wondered if I would ever post again! I do love writing, but sometimes life is so full in the living of it that writing about it does not take priority!

But I digress from the subject on my heart, which is, God is doing so much work in me, it is exciting to me! I love reading the Word, but I also love reading books about the Word that comes from the experience of others in the Body of Christ that I respect. I love to hear what God has revealed to them and sometimes I get such an explosive rhema word as I am reading! That has happened to me lately with a book by Mark Hankins.

When I first bought the book, I started reading it and it really didn't hit the spot at the time. But I picked it back up recently and wow! He goes into great detail about corresponding actions to faith (which is also what PK has been teaching about lately) and I got such a clear picture of something.

A couple of years ago, we were in one of the biggest battles of our life, during which time, my brother went to heaven, so it was tough. I was very careful at that time to not talk about the problem. I mean, I was standing firm, and even avoided people (especially at work) that tended to be negative. I firmly closed my mouth and was faithful to not say the wrong thing. However, the thing did not turn out the way I expected. You see, the part I missed was opening my mouth to say the right thing. I did not understand the part about the corresponding action to my faith. I burned up so much energy trying to keep my mouth closed!

So, God got us through it, and put us in a better spot! And He has taught us more, and praise God, we won't ever go through something like that again! I will not let intimidation have a foothold in my life! I am going forward and I am not looking back!