Hey there...
Yes - it is true! I am alive... I can't believe it has been over a month since I have updated... it has been one heck of a month too?! I will write more soon... fill in the gap a bit, and share what the Lord showed me yesterday at my Prayer meeting. (I had been gone from there as well... it was wonderful to be back!)
I'll update soon!
~Karrilee~
August 29, 2007
July 18, 2007
To Be A Bride...
What does it mean to be a Bride? What kind of images come to mind? Are there certain traditions or cultural rituals passed down through your family or religion that often take place during a wedding?
I have to say that after my rough couple of weeks -the one thought that pulled me back out was remembering that I was a Bride... not just any Bride... but HIS Bride! He adores me more than I adore Him... He longs to spend time with me and to bless me, more than I desire to spend time with Him and bless His heart! He is for me... and the things that concern me - the things that consume me, well - He is ALL OVER those things!
So - as I prepared to lead on Tuesday, I knew that He was opening up the floor for me to share a very personal experience I had with Him in regards to being betrothed to Him! I have hinted at it here and there... but I don't know that I had actually talked about it and really dug into much of the study I have done regarding weddings and Scripture! So - it was a lot of fun... and in the end, He did not disappoint! He showed up and loved on us and I believe He is still up to a bit of Romancing this week!
Oh how we women LOVE to talk Weddings!!! We are all over the details and romance of it all! I don't know about you... but I am coming up on my 15th Anniversary this year and when we got engaged - I had less than 3 months to plan and prepare! I crammed a year or more worth of details and touches into those 3 months and what hit me most as I was preparing to walk down the aisle was the realization that none of that stuff mattered... what mattered most to me in that moment was hoping that I had focused enough on my bridegroom and what I needed to do to make him happy! I had a relatively short engagement, which has it's good and bad points! My niece recently got married after a short engagement as well! At the last minute, she called me in to be her unofficial Wedding Planner and photographer... I had been giving hints and offering a hand for weeks and weeks... so as soon as she asked - I was on my way!!!
I have to say that after my rough couple of weeks -the one thought that pulled me back out was remembering that I was a Bride... not just any Bride... but HIS Bride! He adores me more than I adore Him... He longs to spend time with me and to bless me, more than I desire to spend time with Him and bless His heart! He is for me... and the things that concern me - the things that consume me, well - He is ALL OVER those things!
So - as I prepared to lead on Tuesday, I knew that He was opening up the floor for me to share a very personal experience I had with Him in regards to being betrothed to Him! I have hinted at it here and there... but I don't know that I had actually talked about it and really dug into much of the study I have done regarding weddings and Scripture! So - it was a lot of fun... and in the end, He did not disappoint! He showed up and loved on us and I believe He is still up to a bit of Romancing this week!
Oh how we women LOVE to talk Weddings!!! We are all over the details and romance of it all! I don't know about you... but I am coming up on my 15th Anniversary this year and when we got engaged - I had less than 3 months to plan and prepare! I crammed a year or more worth of details and touches into those 3 months and what hit me most as I was preparing to walk down the aisle was the realization that none of that stuff mattered... what mattered most to me in that moment was hoping that I had focused enough on my bridegroom and what I needed to do to make him happy! I had a relatively short engagement, which has it's good and bad points! My niece recently got married after a short engagement as well! At the last minute, she called me in to be her unofficial Wedding Planner and photographer... I had been giving hints and offering a hand for weeks and weeks... so as soon as she asked - I was on my way!!!
We love a good romance… a fairytale ending… a happily ever after! Life doesn’t always turn out that way – but as believers, we are promised a fairytale, happily ever after, romantic never-ending love in the end! Jesus Himself is our betrothed – our Bridegroom… and one day – we will celebrate in the Wedding Feast of the Lamb! One day, He will return for us and we must be ready, waiting, expecting Him – and we must be ready and prepared to go with Him immediately!
In Jewish culture, it is the custom for an engaged couple to seal the engagement with wine and a meal (like Communion!) with the parents of the Bride and then the Groom would leave – to build a house onto his parents home. The engagement could last up to a year or so… but no one except the Grooms' Father knew when the wedding date would be! So – as the year came to an end, and the house was near completion – the Bride had to say her goodbyes, pack, and be ready to leave whenever she heard her Groom and his groomsmen coming down the road.
In fact, let’s open our Bibles and read Matthew 25:1-13 (The Parable of the Ten Virgins)
"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
_____________________________
Also – let’s read Matthew 26:26-29:
“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."
And John 14:1-3
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
These are the Four Phases of the Jewish Marriage in Bible times:
(Now it is condensed into one day by most modern Jews)
1. Matchmaking 2. Betrothal 3. The return of the Groom 4. Week of celebrating
The matchmaker was often a rabbi or scholar and they would seek out eligible mates and work up a fair Bride Price. They would draw up this marriage contract and this was most often brought by the Groom to the prospective Brides' parents home for the Engagement dinner.
For the Betrothal - (this is so cool!) - If the Groom agreed to the contract, he would go to a dinner at the Bride's parents' home. He would then pour a cup of wine and offer it to the woman – this symbolized his offer of marriage. If she drank it, she was accepting proposal! After drinking the wine, the groom gave bride a coin - a token to show that she was spoken for. (During Middle Ages substituted a ring – the engagement ring).
This began an apx. one-year engagement. This is like Joseph and Mary - they were betrothed and for all purposes, it was a legal binding marriage - but the year had not been completed and they had not yet been alone or officially celebrated their union! A betrothal was not entered lightly - it was not something that you could simply break off or change your mind about!
During the year (or so) the husband built a bridal chamber onto his father’s house. During this time – he did not drink wine again until his Wedding day! If someone saw the groom working on the bridal chamber (or the addition to his fathers' house), and they asked him when the wedding would be – he honestly could not tell them - it was his father that made the decision of when bridal chamber was finished. This reminds me of the verse in Matthew. I love how this is drawn out for us when Jesus Himself said: “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom." (Matt 26:28-29)
They KNEW what He was saying when He spoke this… they had a very strong cultural visual of the intimacy and promise He was making!
The next Phase of the Jewish wedding is when the Groom returns for His Bride!
When groom’s father gave the nod, the groom and groomsmen would go to the bride’s house, usually unexpectedly at night. They called out and blew a ram’s horn before entering the house to get the bride and her bridesmaids. The women would be watching and waiting for him – probably for several days, or even weeks, as they saw the bridal chamber completed and the year near or come to an end.
The groom took the bride to the bridal chamber, with wedding party accompanying them through the streets. The Group waited as the bride and groom spent time alone together. The "groom’s friend" and other witnesses wait for a signal from the groom. The couple doesn’t necessarily consummate, they just have the opportunity (as it is their first time alone). After the groom gives the signal, the rest of the group begins celebrating. The bride and groom come out of the bridal chamber seven days later to celebrate with friends and family at the wedding supper.
Lastly, the week of celebrating - a WEEK!? That blows away my reception - in which I was busy getting my photo's taken and I missed most of our guests?! This, for me, stirs up the visual from Revelation 19!
“Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God.”
These basic four phases are still present in Jewish ceremonies today - all taking place within the service... another thing that is often done is when the Bride enters in and walk to the groom - she circles him three times! They site Hosea for this tradition and I love it because it was the Book of Hosea that brought me to the realization that God desired intimacy!
About nine years ago, I had an encounter with the Lord that changed the very way I approach Him and drew me closer to His heart than I thought was even possible! I will try to skim over the details and get to the point here... after a few years of being a Christian and really plugging in and being on fire for God - I began to feel a bit burnt out and drained... I wanted more of God but it seemed those around me who were older in the Lord were not necessarily CLOSER to Him - but just more religious!? I found myself fighting against a spirit of religion - within me, and all around me!
I felt Him telling me to read the book of Hosea... but I was tired... and I wanted a word or something more personal... besides, I had read that book before!? I was thinking, "Yeah yeah yeah... minor prophet... married a prostitute... I've read it...?!" I can be pretty stubborn and I sort of waited for another word from Him for some time... So - I was at a women's conference and somehow found myself up front at the altar and I can't really remember why - but amazingly enough I found myself slain in the Spirit underneath a pew... miraculously uninjured!? I realized that my body was shaking and it seemed as though I would end up with a concussion and a black eye as I kept hitting the pew as I shook. Anyway - at one point I was sort of feeling like a show and was afraid of what others would be thinking! The Lord then told me it didn't matter - He was shaking the religion out of me! After while, He asked if He could hold me hand and I realized that Jesus was lying down beside me. Of course, I said yes and we laid there together talking for it seemed like hours! He was correcting my thinking and revealing things that were true and things that were not... at the end of our conversation, the Lord looked me in the eyes and He said, "Now, Karri, my Beloved, GO READ the Book of Hosea!"
Needless to say - I did go home and read the whole book! The verse that He pointed out to me was Hosea 2:16 which says: “And it shall be, in that day,” Says the LORD, “ That you will call Me ‘My Husband,’ And no longer call Me ‘My Master’.”
It is interesting to note that the original Hebrew word for “Husband” is Ishi & the Hebrew word for “Master” is Baali – a variation of Baal… many people this year have talked about the spirit of Baal and how God is dealing with that in this year!
What I love about Hosea is how much he is a clear picture of our patient and loving Bridegroom! He sacrificed his heart over and over only to be pushed aside and disregarded, again and again… when he had every right to walk away and give up on this harlot – Father God called him back and sent Him to her… three times he pledged to betroth her… even paying a Bride Price to her live-in lover… just as Christ was willing to pay a Bride Price for us – to the one whom we pledged our love. …whether or not we knew that we had aligned ourselves up with the enemy – Jesus knew! And yet – He was willing to pay the price for us… not just because He wants us to pledge allegiance… not just because He wants us to obey and serve Him – but because of His great LOVE for us… Because He desires intimacy and passion… Our Bride Price was the Blood of Jesus – that is what we are Worth to Him!
After that experience, the Lord became more tangible to me... not because I saw Him as much as because He shared with me that He desires and looks forward to spending time together too!
“And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you.” Isaiah 62:5
He is our Bridegroom – the very best example of a husband on earth still pales in comparison to our heavenly Husband.
A few weeks ago, I was battling with what I first thought was a Word from the Lord… I heard a verse in the midst of prayer and it messed me up… I was praying for someone special and all of the sudden I felt the Lord impress a scripture reference on my heart. I was unaware what it was so I looked it up… I didn’t like it – so I decided maybe I had mixed up the numbers – so I looked up the OTHER reference… hmm?! Said the EXACT same thing!? This is not a verse you want to hear… I really struggled with this on my own for days… I told my husband and he sort of shrugged it off, not taking it seriously. Unfortunately – it happened at my weekly Prayer Meeting – in a place where I am expectant to hear from God and I had my guard down against the enemy here… and it was the Word – so it was not so easily disregarded… I actually went through a few days of not praying… not reading the Word… not even really wanting to hear from Him for fear of what ELSE He may ask of me! I ended up being angry with God – not something I am proud of or something that I advise!?
The thing that finally brought breakthrough and the realization that this ‘voice’ was not the Lord was remembering that Jesus is my Husband… His desire is for me and my desires become His desires… now I knew in general – our desires for this person are the same… so of course, this harsh Word was not for her… because He is my Husband – and He is HER Husband …
And then this thought – once again – took my breath away:
As much as I desire and want to be a Good Wife for Him…
He wants to be a Good Husband for me!
Isn’t that an amazing thought?! He is FOR us… He desires to bless us and lavish His love upon us! He loves to surprise us and overwhelm us… He is our Bridegroom… and as much as we put all that time and attention into preparing for our earthly wedding… all the thoughts and details we were obsessed with, we need to remember that one day, we will have another Wedding Day! One day we will Wed again… and we must remember that our preparing now deals more with readying ourselves and learning to call Him “My Husband” rather than merely “My Master”! While the ceremony is already planned for us, what we most want for our wedding day is a romance story with a fairytale ending! For our earthly wedding, we wanted the look of love and adoration in our husband’s eyes as we walked down the aisle, … and don’t we still want that from Jesus too!? Don’t we want to walk down the aisle, pure and spotless in our wedding gown, and let everyone see the love that we have for each other by simply looking at us!
I believe that NOW is the season for intimacy… NOW is the season to be assured of His great love for you… NOW is the season to draw nearer to Him and to have that open communication with Him so that when the enemy comes, you will have the assurance that your Husband is for you and you can trust in Him!
Another one of my favorite scriptures is found in the book of Revelation:
“And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” - Rev 22:17
I believe that in the midst of planning for weddings and watching love stories come to life all around us – the Lord is desiring for us to know and remember that the greatest love story – the great ROMANCE – is the divine romance that we have with Him!
I pray he romances you this week and reminds you of your beauty, your value, your worth!
~Karrilee~
July 8, 2007
Unwritten...
As I sit here, I am 'staring at the blank page before me' and I realize that it has been some time since I last wrote. In fact, it has been some time since I really asked for something to write about... honestly - since I have even talked with God. After struggling with something and wrestling a bit, I finally came to some sort of breakdown this afternoon with my husband and admitted to him that I was angry with God and I had stopped talking with Him. I know, I know... not the most advisable angle to take... This is not my normal edited, polished, pre-planned, pre-written post... this is real, honest, and raw.
This is not something I advise, or something I am proud of. It's not the first time I have sort of stubbornly wrestled with the Lord about something, but it has been a long time - and even in that, this is different.
Luckily, I have the knowledge and assurance that God loves me... no matter what - and I feel like He has asked some difficult things of me in the past - and I know that He always wins out in the end, but this time - if it was in fact the Lord - well - He is going to need to give me a little more... no - a lot more - because honestly - I just can't see me following through with this one!
I am almost on the other side of this - to where I am pretty sure that what I thought I heard from Him - was actually not Him at all - however this unlocks a whole new hallway of OTHER open doors for the enemy! So - I have gone back and forth trying to figure out (or decide) if this was God - or not. Either truth poses confusion and concern.
Let me briefly tell you what has happened... a couple of weeks ago - in the midst of my Tuesday Prayer meeting, I was praying for someone in particular and I felt I heard the Lord give me a Scripture reference. This is a 'safe place'... a place that I regularly hear from and expect to hear from the Lord... and this is a familiar way in which He 'speaks' - by giving me pictures or references of Scripture. Most often, I am not positive what the verse says - and so this leads me on a chase. I was in the midst of declaring some things (as I have discussed in the previous post) over this person and all of the sudden, I heard in my spirit "Jeremiah 11:14"... Hmm!? OK - so I look it up... this is not a scripture you want the Lord to give you... I thought - huh?! Maybe it was Jeremiah 14:11... hmmm?! Says the same thing!? It basically says to stop praying. To give up... because He won't listen... Well, I don't have it in me to stop praying... in fact, I feel this goes against my call and I feel like it simply cannot be from God. Most of the time, since this day, I have had a fairly strong sense that this was not the voice of God - but the enemy himself attempting to silence my declarations and weaken my faith. The person I was praying for - the person I AM praying for - is not wicked... is not a lost cause or rebellious... I know God's heart is FOR her and not against her... and yet - I know the Voice of God! I am His, and His Word says that I will hear Him and know His Voice. So - I struggle with knowing if this was Him- using His own Word to call me to stop... or if it was the enemy, masking his voice and using scripture to confuse and defeat me.
You can see my dilemma, right?! If it was God - then first, why would He seriously ask me to stop praying for this person?! (or for anyone for that matter?!) Am I called to be like Abraham - because, I have to tell you - I just don't feel that in me and I can't see that I can do that... I can't stop. It sounds horrible - but even if it IS God... I can't see stopping. Secondly, if it was Him - what about all the other words and promises that have been spoken over her... are those all null and void now?! No - I know that they are not!
So then...if it was, in fact, Satan - then how is it that he was able to so easily convince me that it was the Voice of God? How can he speak to me in the midst of my intercession... in the midst of my 'safe place' and time spent with the Lord? I mean - I know he is relentless and consistent... he is crafty and he, too, knows the Word. But, while believing that he is the one who spoke to me gives me peace in the long haul - it causes me to doubt that I do, in fact, hear from God clearly... consistently all those other times?!
I was reminded of the scripture in Matthew that talks about how in the end times, even the elect, if it were possible, would be led astray. Am I 'elect'? Yeah, ...yes I am! We all are! We are a holy nation, a royal priesthood... and as much as we may be in tune and know the voice of the Lord - this is a season when the enemy of our souls is raising the level of warfare... he cheats and steals and lies and twists the truth, he is playing dirty, and he is playing for keeps! I encourage you to plead the Blood EVERY day... and to dig into the Word - because the enemy knows enough of the Word to mask his voice and cause us - (yes - even the elect), to be led astray...
As I was typing this out - the Lord led me to Proverbs 11:14 ("Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances." The Message) as well as Proverbs 14:11 ("The house of the wicked shall be overthrown, but the tent of the upright shall flourish." The Amplified)
Isn't God good to be patient with us and shine the Light on us... even as we feel like we are stumbling in darkness. The enemy was attempting to not only cause me to stop praying, but to cause me to question not only if I hear from the Lord, but to question His love... that alone should have tipped me off! But, God the Father, in His Abiding Love, and Abounding Grace - waits patiently for me to come to Him yet again and talk. To be honest, I was hesitant to even try to listen... (another tip off, if ever there was one!) because I didn't want Him to confirm the word... I stopped praying as much, (or with as much faith)... I stopped reading the Word for a little bit, and I stopped my morning devotional times... which of course, explains why it took me so long to break free from the lie! I know better... I have to tell you - this was a STRONG spirit. And if he is speaking lies with false authority to ME... I know he must be speaking them to you, as well!
Even as I wrap this up, I have to say that I am feeling much better! I am seeing things more clearly and while it is unsettling for me to think that I could have attributed this 'word' to the Lord and not recognize it for what it was - it is yet again a strong reminder that we all must be connected and in relationship with one another... because we will need each other - sometimes to decipher some of the most basic of things in the times to come! It is not enough to meet together - we must actually communicate and build relationships so that when... yes, WHEN... the enemy comes to disorient us and confuse us with the Word that we know... we will not hesitate to cry out for help! As much as I talk about being open and honest - pride can cause you to hesitate - and in this crazy busy world we live in now... all the enemy needs is a little hesitation! I am blessed to have friends who pray for me, and a husband who takes time to really look me in the eye when I hesitate... even still - I humble myself and confess that I did not handle this attack the way I should - the way I am encouraging you to do!
I pray you can learn from my mistake and find someone - just one person - with whom you can run to when you feel confused or unsure! I encourage you to stay tuned in, connected, and keep your lines of communication with the Lord and with the Body open...
("There rest is still unwritten...")
~Karrilee~
This is not something I advise, or something I am proud of. It's not the first time I have sort of stubbornly wrestled with the Lord about something, but it has been a long time - and even in that, this is different.
Luckily, I have the knowledge and assurance that God loves me... no matter what - and I feel like He has asked some difficult things of me in the past - and I know that He always wins out in the end, but this time - if it was in fact the Lord - well - He is going to need to give me a little more... no - a lot more - because honestly - I just can't see me following through with this one!
I am almost on the other side of this - to where I am pretty sure that what I thought I heard from Him - was actually not Him at all - however this unlocks a whole new hallway of OTHER open doors for the enemy! So - I have gone back and forth trying to figure out (or decide) if this was God - or not. Either truth poses confusion and concern.
Let me briefly tell you what has happened... a couple of weeks ago - in the midst of my Tuesday Prayer meeting, I was praying for someone in particular and I felt I heard the Lord give me a Scripture reference. This is a 'safe place'... a place that I regularly hear from and expect to hear from the Lord... and this is a familiar way in which He 'speaks' - by giving me pictures or references of Scripture. Most often, I am not positive what the verse says - and so this leads me on a chase. I was in the midst of declaring some things (as I have discussed in the previous post) over this person and all of the sudden, I heard in my spirit "Jeremiah 11:14"... Hmm!? OK - so I look it up... this is not a scripture you want the Lord to give you... I thought - huh?! Maybe it was Jeremiah 14:11... hmmm?! Says the same thing!? It basically says to stop praying. To give up... because He won't listen... Well, I don't have it in me to stop praying... in fact, I feel this goes against my call and I feel like it simply cannot be from God. Most of the time, since this day, I have had a fairly strong sense that this was not the voice of God - but the enemy himself attempting to silence my declarations and weaken my faith. The person I was praying for - the person I AM praying for - is not wicked... is not a lost cause or rebellious... I know God's heart is FOR her and not against her... and yet - I know the Voice of God! I am His, and His Word says that I will hear Him and know His Voice. So - I struggle with knowing if this was Him- using His own Word to call me to stop... or if it was the enemy, masking his voice and using scripture to confuse and defeat me.
You can see my dilemma, right?! If it was God - then first, why would He seriously ask me to stop praying for this person?! (or for anyone for that matter?!) Am I called to be like Abraham - because, I have to tell you - I just don't feel that in me and I can't see that I can do that... I can't stop. It sounds horrible - but even if it IS God... I can't see stopping. Secondly, if it was Him - what about all the other words and promises that have been spoken over her... are those all null and void now?! No - I know that they are not!
So then...if it was, in fact, Satan - then how is it that he was able to so easily convince me that it was the Voice of God? How can he speak to me in the midst of my intercession... in the midst of my 'safe place' and time spent with the Lord? I mean - I know he is relentless and consistent... he is crafty and he, too, knows the Word. But, while believing that he is the one who spoke to me gives me peace in the long haul - it causes me to doubt that I do, in fact, hear from God clearly... consistently all those other times?!
I was reminded of the scripture in Matthew that talks about how in the end times, even the elect, if it were possible, would be led astray. Am I 'elect'? Yeah, ...yes I am! We all are! We are a holy nation, a royal priesthood... and as much as we may be in tune and know the voice of the Lord - this is a season when the enemy of our souls is raising the level of warfare... he cheats and steals and lies and twists the truth, he is playing dirty, and he is playing for keeps! I encourage you to plead the Blood EVERY day... and to dig into the Word - because the enemy knows enough of the Word to mask his voice and cause us - (yes - even the elect), to be led astray...
As I was typing this out - the Lord led me to Proverbs 11:14 ("Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances." The Message) as well as Proverbs 14:11 ("The house of the wicked shall be overthrown, but the tent of the upright shall flourish." The Amplified)
Isn't God good to be patient with us and shine the Light on us... even as we feel like we are stumbling in darkness. The enemy was attempting to not only cause me to stop praying, but to cause me to question not only if I hear from the Lord, but to question His love... that alone should have tipped me off! But, God the Father, in His Abiding Love, and Abounding Grace - waits patiently for me to come to Him yet again and talk. To be honest, I was hesitant to even try to listen... (another tip off, if ever there was one!) because I didn't want Him to confirm the word... I stopped praying as much, (or with as much faith)... I stopped reading the Word for a little bit, and I stopped my morning devotional times... which of course, explains why it took me so long to break free from the lie! I know better... I have to tell you - this was a STRONG spirit. And if he is speaking lies with false authority to ME... I know he must be speaking them to you, as well!
Even as I wrap this up, I have to say that I am feeling much better! I am seeing things more clearly and while it is unsettling for me to think that I could have attributed this 'word' to the Lord and not recognize it for what it was - it is yet again a strong reminder that we all must be connected and in relationship with one another... because we will need each other - sometimes to decipher some of the most basic of things in the times to come! It is not enough to meet together - we must actually communicate and build relationships so that when... yes, WHEN... the enemy comes to disorient us and confuse us with the Word that we know... we will not hesitate to cry out for help! As much as I talk about being open and honest - pride can cause you to hesitate - and in this crazy busy world we live in now... all the enemy needs is a little hesitation! I am blessed to have friends who pray for me, and a husband who takes time to really look me in the eye when I hesitate... even still - I humble myself and confess that I did not handle this attack the way I should - the way I am encouraging you to do!
I pray you can learn from my mistake and find someone - just one person - with whom you can run to when you feel confused or unsure! I encourage you to stay tuned in, connected, and keep your lines of communication with the Lord and with the Body open...
("There rest is still unwritten...")
~Karrilee~
June 13, 2007
Declare & Decree...
Aaah yes... the open door of "stretching"...
Recently, the Lord opened up an opportunity for me to share/lead at the weekly Prayer Meeting that I attend. Without going over too much history - I will just say that I went for a long season of having no open doors for teaching/leading. The desire and love for leading came upon me as a surprise... and it was only a short season before I was called to lay that down. I went for years feeling as if the Lord had placed me on a shelf and forgot about me... I went for years feeling like I was being asked to lay down my 'ministry' and be willing to never do it again... after some time, I was ready - I did lay it down, and I moved on and moved closer to the Lord. So - when He began to call me forth to do a little something here and a little something there... I was almost hesitant, because I had, after all, laid it down. So - several months ago, I had the chance to share at this same meeting and I went about preparing and organizing my thoughts the way I was comfortable with and accustomed to. Even as I was preparing I wondered if this approach was old wine skins and too safe... however I pressed through and delivered the message that the Lord had put on my heart. It was fine... it actually went great... but even as I closed in prayer, I heard the Lord say to my spirit, "That was great... and it was really cute how you did it that way - but next time, you will not be released to over-prepare or write it all down in article-form!" Boy?! Don't you just have a love-hate relationship with the Lord when He so clearly calls you out on the carpet?! I love to write... and I am in the process of working on a project that will hopefully end up in some sort of book form so I was comfortable in writing out my message word for word and delivering it that way. Even back in the day, when I would give a lecture at our Bible Study meetings, I would write it all out and use my photographic memory to enable me to not read the entire thing, while still having it all written out before me. Hmmm?! So - 'next time' was this time!? And Stretching was what He required of me!
I had in my mind what I wanted to talk about... It is a life message that the Lord has given me and I was confident that He knew that this was the direction I was going with! The night before the meeting, the Lord told me that even though I had not written it all out - I had a lot of preplanning done in my mind and He was about to change my topic?! What!? Now, don't get me wrong - He is not all about 'winging' it and not preparing... as a teacher of the Word - we must be prepared and prayed up... however, for me - I find security in that - and He is calling me to a place of relying only on Him! So - luckily, in His Grace - He simply wanted me to talk on Declaring and Decreeing - something He had been speaking to me about for weeks!
I started to wonder what certain words truly meant. When I think of a "Decree" or a "Proclamation" or to "Declare", I think of legal documents! So - I broke out my good ol' Webster's Dictionary and looked up a few key words.
“Declare”
1 : to make known formally, officially, or explicitly; 2 obsolete : to make clear; 3 : to make evident : SHOW; 4 : to state emphatically : AFFIRM5 : to make a full statement of (one's taxable or dutiable property); 6 a : to announce (as a trump suit) in a card game b : MELD
“Decree”
1 : an order usually having the force of law; 2 a : a religious ordinance enacted by council or titular head b : a foreordaining will; 3 a : a judicial decision of the Roman emperor b : a judicial decision especially in an equity or probate court
“Proclaim”
1 a : to declare publicly, typically insistently, proudly, or defiantly and in either speech or writing : ANNOUNCE b : to give outward indication of : SHOW; 2 : to declare or declare to be solemnly, officially, or formally ; 3 : to praise or glorify openly or publicly : EXTOL
While rule by decree is easily susceptible to the whims and corruption of the person in power, it is also highly efficient: a law can take weeks or months to pass in a legislature, but only seconds to create by a leader ruling by decree. This is what makes it valuable in emergency situations.
Most recently, in January of this year, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez was given the power to rule by decree for 18 months. Chávez, who was beginning a fresh six-year term, says the legislation will be the start of a new era of "maximum revolution" during which he will consolidate their transformation into a socialist society. His critics, however, are calling it a radical lurch toward authoritarianism by a leader with unchecked power. This has led to the recent riots in Venezuela due to Hugo taking over the media/TV stations! Of course, our Ruler is the King of kings and Lord of lords... and we have been given His Authority to make and follow through by ruling by decree!
We know that there are several times in Scripture where decrees and proclamations are discussed... the books of Deut and Leviticus both are full of this language as they are establishing the Law. We know that in the book of Jonah, the prophet was called to go to Ninevah and make a decree – a proclamation to the city… he refused at first and we are all familiar with that story! When the Lord came to him a second time, Jonah 3:3-10 shows that the Decree was heeded and the Lord had compassion and did not bring the destruction he had threatened to bring upon the people of Ninevah! So - his call to make a decree was able to save an entire city! Esther decreed a fast among her people and the entire race was saved... Sometimes we are called to decree a private matter, and sometimes, we may be called to proclaim and stand up for the nations!
Before we can Decree and Declare - we must have it settled in our thinking... it is not enough to THINK about God's Promises and His Word - but there is Power in releasing it out loud... speaking it forth and standing firm upon it!
Bill Johnson, in a teaching entitled How to Pray and Decree, says “When you pray and the Lord releases the provision for you – your roll is simply to receive what He’s done and give Him thanks… but when you pray and He responds with a Promise instead of the answer, then your roll has shifted from one who stands silently and watches the salvation of the Lord, into becoming a co-laborer – where you learn to take that which God has put in your heart and make prophetic decrees declaring God’s intention for your life."
Last week, I shared that God spoke a Word about a New Sound and in that Word, He said to WRITE IT DOWN and He would join in with us in the proclamation! I think when He said that, ...I think that he meant it! So, I encourage you to write out a decree... is there something that you have been praying about and have yet to see the answer... or something that you are needing from God and are waiting for the answer to come? One thing that Bill Johnson said that really struck me was that sometimes God drops something into your heart, but the power - the release to action, comes when you speak it out!!!
Below is an example of a Decree that I wrote out... read it out loud with me... speak it out in faith... and then I encourage you to rewrite it... make your own decree... speak it out by faith, and then watch and see! I love the definition of Declare that says it means "to make evident"... "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not (yet) seen." (Heb 11:1)
__________________________
My SAMPLE of a Decree/Proclamation for Gary:
WHEREAS, the Lord values the worth, healing & restoration of Gary; and;
WHEREAS, ALS (Lou Gehrigs Disease) is particularly damaging and slowly taking the life, joy, peace, and the will to live from him; and;
WHEREAS, it is the will of the Most High God to bring about Divine Healing and Miraculous Deliverance and a full restoration to Gary and his family, to his wife, his children, his mother, and extended family and friends, and to establish a powerful testimony that the love of God is sure, and the will of God is healing and wholeness; and:
WHEREAS, the Lord Whom Gary serves is a God of healing and mercy, a God of answered prayers and victories unlimited, a God Who loves him and his family and only wants what is best for them, and;
WHEREAS, this testimony of miraculous healing will go forth around the earth and bring Glory to the Father and will also help to find a cure both in the spiritual and in the physical realms for others bound and suffering from this illness,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED That we, the prayer warriors of this Tuesday Intercessory Prayer Meeting - and the readers of this blog, do hereby proclaim and decree that this day in June 2007 as the day of Gary’s Divine Healing and Deliverance! We notify the enemy of his soul this day that he must loose Gary and release him into the healing hands of Jesus Christ – Who is Lord of All, and by whose stripes, Gary is healed!
__________________________
As I shared this on Tuesday - the Lord would not allow me to write it out beforehand and have it all organized... but it was good... we had a great discussion and enjoyed the idea of writing our own decrees! Later during worship, I heard the Lord say, "It has been Decreed, ...I will hasten my Word to perform it!" (Jeremiah 1:12) Amen!!!
Declare & Decree - Be Bold, Speak Forth by faith...
draw a line in the sand & make it be known
that you have been given all Authority,
in Jesus' Name!
~Karrilee~
Recently, the Lord opened up an opportunity for me to share/lead at the weekly Prayer Meeting that I attend. Without going over too much history - I will just say that I went for a long season of having no open doors for teaching/leading. The desire and love for leading came upon me as a surprise... and it was only a short season before I was called to lay that down. I went for years feeling as if the Lord had placed me on a shelf and forgot about me... I went for years feeling like I was being asked to lay down my 'ministry' and be willing to never do it again... after some time, I was ready - I did lay it down, and I moved on and moved closer to the Lord. So - when He began to call me forth to do a little something here and a little something there... I was almost hesitant, because I had, after all, laid it down. So - several months ago, I had the chance to share at this same meeting and I went about preparing and organizing my thoughts the way I was comfortable with and accustomed to. Even as I was preparing I wondered if this approach was old wine skins and too safe... however I pressed through and delivered the message that the Lord had put on my heart. It was fine... it actually went great... but even as I closed in prayer, I heard the Lord say to my spirit, "That was great... and it was really cute how you did it that way - but next time, you will not be released to over-prepare or write it all down in article-form!" Boy?! Don't you just have a love-hate relationship with the Lord when He so clearly calls you out on the carpet?! I love to write... and I am in the process of working on a project that will hopefully end up in some sort of book form so I was comfortable in writing out my message word for word and delivering it that way. Even back in the day, when I would give a lecture at our Bible Study meetings, I would write it all out and use my photographic memory to enable me to not read the entire thing, while still having it all written out before me. Hmmm?! So - 'next time' was this time!? And Stretching was what He required of me!
I had in my mind what I wanted to talk about... It is a life message that the Lord has given me and I was confident that He knew that this was the direction I was going with! The night before the meeting, the Lord told me that even though I had not written it all out - I had a lot of preplanning done in my mind and He was about to change my topic?! What!? Now, don't get me wrong - He is not all about 'winging' it and not preparing... as a teacher of the Word - we must be prepared and prayed up... however, for me - I find security in that - and He is calling me to a place of relying only on Him! So - luckily, in His Grace - He simply wanted me to talk on Declaring and Decreeing - something He had been speaking to me about for weeks!
I started to wonder what certain words truly meant. When I think of a "Decree" or a "Proclamation" or to "Declare", I think of legal documents! So - I broke out my good ol' Webster's Dictionary and looked up a few key words.
“Declare”
1 : to make known formally, officially, or explicitly; 2 obsolete : to make clear; 3 : to make evident : SHOW; 4 : to state emphatically : AFFIRM
“Decree”
1 : an order usually having the force of law; 2 a : a religious ordinance enacted by council or titular head b : a foreordaining will; 3 a : a judicial decision of the Roman emperor b : a judicial decision especially in an equity or probate court
“Proclaim”
1 a : to declare publicly, typically insistently, proudly, or defiantly and in either speech or writing : ANNOUNCE b : to give outward indication of : SHOW
While rule by decree is easily susceptible to the whims and corruption of the person in power, it is also highly efficient: a law can take weeks or months to pass in a legislature, but only seconds to create by a leader ruling by decree. This is what makes it valuable in emergency situations.
Most recently, in January of this year, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez was given the power to rule by decree for 18 months. Chávez, who was beginning a fresh six-year term, says the legislation will be the start of a new era of "maximum revolution" during which he will consolidate their transformation into a socialist society. His critics, however, are calling it a radical lurch toward authoritarianism by a leader with unchecked power. This has led to the recent riots in Venezuela due to Hugo taking over the media/TV stations! Of course, our Ruler is the King of kings and Lord of lords... and we have been given His Authority to make and follow through by ruling by decree!
We know that there are several times in Scripture where decrees and proclamations are discussed... the books of Deut and Leviticus both are full of this language as they are establishing the Law. We know that in the book of Jonah, the prophet was called to go to Ninevah and make a decree – a proclamation to the city… he refused at first and we are all familiar with that story! When the Lord came to him a second time, Jonah 3:3-10 shows that the Decree was heeded and the Lord had compassion and did not bring the destruction he had threatened to bring upon the people of Ninevah! So - his call to make a decree was able to save an entire city! Esther decreed a fast among her people and the entire race was saved... Sometimes we are called to decree a private matter, and sometimes, we may be called to proclaim and stand up for the nations!
Before we can Decree and Declare - we must have it settled in our thinking... it is not enough to THINK about God's Promises and His Word - but there is Power in releasing it out loud... speaking it forth and standing firm upon it!
Bill Johnson, in a teaching entitled How to Pray and Decree, says “When you pray and the Lord releases the provision for you – your roll is simply to receive what He’s done and give Him thanks… but when you pray and He responds with a Promise instead of the answer, then your roll has shifted from one who stands silently and watches the salvation of the Lord, into becoming a co-laborer – where you learn to take that which God has put in your heart and make prophetic decrees declaring God’s intention for your life."
Last week, I shared that God spoke a Word about a New Sound and in that Word, He said to WRITE IT DOWN and He would join in with us in the proclamation! I think when He said that, ...I think that he meant it! So, I encourage you to write out a decree... is there something that you have been praying about and have yet to see the answer... or something that you are needing from God and are waiting for the answer to come? One thing that Bill Johnson said that really struck me was that sometimes God drops something into your heart, but the power - the release to action, comes when you speak it out!!!
Below is an example of a Decree that I wrote out... read it out loud with me... speak it out in faith... and then I encourage you to rewrite it... make your own decree... speak it out by faith, and then watch and see! I love the definition of Declare that says it means "to make evident"... "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not (yet) seen." (Heb 11:1)
__________________________
My SAMPLE of a Decree/Proclamation for Gary:
WHEREAS, the Lord values the worth, healing & restoration of Gary; and;
WHEREAS, ALS (Lou Gehrigs Disease) is particularly damaging and slowly taking the life, joy, peace, and the will to live from him; and;
WHEREAS, it is the will of the Most High God to bring about Divine Healing and Miraculous Deliverance and a full restoration to Gary and his family, to his wife, his children, his mother, and extended family and friends, and to establish a powerful testimony that the love of God is sure, and the will of God is healing and wholeness; and:
WHEREAS, the Lord Whom Gary serves is a God of healing and mercy, a God of answered prayers and victories unlimited, a God Who loves him and his family and only wants what is best for them, and;
WHEREAS, this testimony of miraculous healing will go forth around the earth and bring Glory to the Father and will also help to find a cure both in the spiritual and in the physical realms for others bound and suffering from this illness,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED That we, the prayer warriors of this Tuesday Intercessory Prayer Meeting - and the readers of this blog, do hereby proclaim and decree that this day in June 2007 as the day of Gary’s Divine Healing and Deliverance! We notify the enemy of his soul this day that he must loose Gary and release him into the healing hands of Jesus Christ – Who is Lord of All, and by whose stripes, Gary is healed!
__________________________
As I shared this on Tuesday - the Lord would not allow me to write it out beforehand and have it all organized... but it was good... we had a great discussion and enjoyed the idea of writing our own decrees! Later during worship, I heard the Lord say, "It has been Decreed, ...I will hasten my Word to perform it!" (Jeremiah 1:12) Amen!!!
Declare & Decree - Be Bold, Speak Forth by faith...
draw a line in the sand & make it be known
that you have been given all Authority,
in Jesus' Name!
~Karrilee~
June 7, 2007
A New Sound!
Isn't it just like the Lord to give us an opportunity to put into use the revelations recently revealed?! I mean - it seems like it would be nice to let it just soak in... but maybe then it would soak too far and be forgotten... He's pretty witty, knowing that if we are not called to use what we've been given - it will more than likely grow dormant!
The Lord, as I have shared, has been talking to me about Speaking OUT... not just reordering our thoughts... but the power of the Spoken Word... I have been talking a LOT more (in the car, and at home, and even {almost unaware} in the grocery store) ...of course - this often gets concerned or frightened glances from strangers. Oops - there is that Fear of man again!? Let's just deal with one issue at a time, shall we, Lord?!
So - these past couple of weeks, I have been battling health issues. First off, I must tell you that I have been blessed with health and I am not very 'good' at being sick. I grew up in a home where we planned for our sickness... being sick was how we got attention and rewards... skipping school, being pampered, the prime couch spot in front of the TV... etc.! So - when I was a young adult, I thought it was normal to preplan for sickness. The Lord graciously renewed my mind and helped me to decide to live in health, rather than in sickness. I know it is not always that easy - but overall - changing the way my MIND worked, helped my flesh to line up! So - we are a healthy house! We pray, we do what we know to do to stay healthy, and we stand on the Word. I know the healing scriptures... I quote them to others when I pray... I listen to them and quote them over myself and my family... so off and on for the past few weeks - I have dealt with this irritating illness. I would take some herbs and pray and rest, and it would go away... for a day or two or even a week, but then it would come back again. When it would come back, the enemy would attach all sorts of tauntings with it... causing me to struggle against the spirit of fear. At one point, I thought I felt the Lord speak to me saying that this 'illness' or infection was a physical sign of a spiritual problem... not just for me, but for the Body... since I felt that in my spirit, I have talked to many who have been dealing with the same issues... (ear related stuff) Therefore, last week during prayer when I heard the Lord give this Word - I knew that not only would I need to Speak out, cry louder, and stand on those healing scriptures that I know - but I also knew that my victory was around the corner...
When we entered in to worship, I immediately saw in my spirit Jesus, standing firm - feet planted on the ground - almost in a Warrior position, His arms outstretched, His head back, with fire in His eyes... and yet, those eyes were full of Love! As He opened His mouth, the Sword of the Spirit came out... then suddenly I saw myself (representing the Body) stepping up and INTO Christ. (Christ in me, the Hope of Glory!) This tied in with the Abiding in Him and He in me verses we had been talking about earlier in the prayer meeting! Anyway - I saw myself stand up and step INTO Jesus...my skin covering His, etc. I saw myself taking on His stance, opening my mouth to boldly speak and the Sword of the Spirit - which is the Word of God - coming forth and being released. (End of vision)
For me, this was just another confirmation that we truly do need to be taking up the Authority Christ has given us, and rise up in the victory for which He battled and won... He has paid the price and we are more than conquerors! We need to be speaking out and standing firm on the Word of God... allow it to be released when we speak. We must hear His Voice and speak whatever it is that He asks or tells us to!
As I was processing this and thinking these thoughts, I heard Him say, "I am releasing now, in this seasons, a New Sound to those who have ears to hear." I saw in the spirit musicians playing various instruments and as the notes or chords were being played, on the very sound waves, were Words of Life... Words of Prophecy, Words of Hope, Faith, & Love. "Even in the natural, for those who have ears to hear, they will hear a new dimension to the music I am now releasing! Many will speak out, some will sing out, and there will be depth and harmony within the sound. It will be like the Sound of Many Waters because I, Myself, am speaking WITH you and FOR you! I will join in with your proclamation and decrees!" says the Lord!
You see, the enemy had been attacking my ears for weeks... I do not have ear problems - even as a child - this was not a 'normal' occurrence. I believe the devil was trying to block my hearing... whether or not you are dealing with physical issues - I believe the enemy of your soul is trying to block your hearing as well - but the Lord is now releasing a New Sound - and His desire is that you would have ears to hear!!!
I don't know about you - but there are a few things that quickly came to my mind when He said He would join with us in our proclamations and decrees! I am decreeing a few things with renewed faith and boldness! I encourage you to pray and ask the Lord what it is that He would desire you to declare and decree over your own life and circumstances!!! Take action, write it out and read it boldly... decree some things of your own this week!
Lord, give us ears to hear, and a boldness to speak out and decree!
In Him,
~Karrilee~
The Lord, as I have shared, has been talking to me about Speaking OUT... not just reordering our thoughts... but the power of the Spoken Word... I have been talking a LOT more (in the car, and at home, and even {almost unaware} in the grocery store) ...of course - this often gets concerned or frightened glances from strangers. Oops - there is that Fear of man again!? Let's just deal with one issue at a time, shall we, Lord?!
So - these past couple of weeks, I have been battling health issues. First off, I must tell you that I have been blessed with health and I am not very 'good' at being sick. I grew up in a home where we planned for our sickness... being sick was how we got attention and rewards... skipping school, being pampered, the prime couch spot in front of the TV... etc.! So - when I was a young adult, I thought it was normal to preplan for sickness. The Lord graciously renewed my mind and helped me to decide to live in health, rather than in sickness. I know it is not always that easy - but overall - changing the way my MIND worked, helped my flesh to line up! So - we are a healthy house! We pray, we do what we know to do to stay healthy, and we stand on the Word. I know the healing scriptures... I quote them to others when I pray... I listen to them and quote them over myself and my family... so off and on for the past few weeks - I have dealt with this irritating illness. I would take some herbs and pray and rest, and it would go away... for a day or two or even a week, but then it would come back again. When it would come back, the enemy would attach all sorts of tauntings with it... causing me to struggle against the spirit of fear. At one point, I thought I felt the Lord speak to me saying that this 'illness' or infection was a physical sign of a spiritual problem... not just for me, but for the Body... since I felt that in my spirit, I have talked to many who have been dealing with the same issues... (ear related stuff) Therefore, last week during prayer when I heard the Lord give this Word - I knew that not only would I need to Speak out, cry louder, and stand on those healing scriptures that I know - but I also knew that my victory was around the corner...
When we entered in to worship, I immediately saw in my spirit Jesus, standing firm - feet planted on the ground - almost in a Warrior position, His arms outstretched, His head back, with fire in His eyes... and yet, those eyes were full of Love! As He opened His mouth, the Sword of the Spirit came out... then suddenly I saw myself (representing the Body) stepping up and INTO Christ. (Christ in me, the Hope of Glory!) This tied in with the Abiding in Him and He in me verses we had been talking about earlier in the prayer meeting! Anyway - I saw myself stand up and step INTO Jesus...my skin covering His, etc. I saw myself taking on His stance, opening my mouth to boldly speak and the Sword of the Spirit - which is the Word of God - coming forth and being released. (End of vision)
For me, this was just another confirmation that we truly do need to be taking up the Authority Christ has given us, and rise up in the victory for which He battled and won... He has paid the price and we are more than conquerors! We need to be speaking out and standing firm on the Word of God... allow it to be released when we speak. We must hear His Voice and speak whatever it is that He asks or tells us to!
As I was processing this and thinking these thoughts, I heard Him say, "I am releasing now, in this seasons, a New Sound to those who have ears to hear." I saw in the spirit musicians playing various instruments and as the notes or chords were being played, on the very sound waves, were Words of Life... Words of Prophecy, Words of Hope, Faith, & Love. "Even in the natural, for those who have ears to hear, they will hear a new dimension to the music I am now releasing! Many will speak out, some will sing out, and there will be depth and harmony within the sound. It will be like the Sound of Many Waters because I, Myself, am speaking WITH you and FOR you! I will join in with your proclamation and decrees!" says the Lord!
You see, the enemy had been attacking my ears for weeks... I do not have ear problems - even as a child - this was not a 'normal' occurrence. I believe the devil was trying to block my hearing... whether or not you are dealing with physical issues - I believe the enemy of your soul is trying to block your hearing as well - but the Lord is now releasing a New Sound - and His desire is that you would have ears to hear!!!
I don't know about you - but there are a few things that quickly came to my mind when He said He would join with us in our proclamations and decrees! I am decreeing a few things with renewed faith and boldness! I encourage you to pray and ask the Lord what it is that He would desire you to declare and decree over your own life and circumstances!!! Take action, write it out and read it boldly... decree some things of your own this week!
Lord, give us ears to hear, and a boldness to speak out and decree!
In Him,
~Karrilee~
May 23, 2007
Power of the SPOKEN Word...
Again, it has been a crazy couple of weeks...
and again, I have a lot to say, but will try to condense my words!
On May 8th, during my weekly Prayer meeting, the Lord put it on my heart to read through Proverbs 12. He told me to pay attention to what is said about the tongue/lips/mouth... basically about what we SPEAK! For your benefit, I will add Proverbs 12 here...
"Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge,
But he who hates correction is stupid.
A good man obtains favor from the LORD,
But a man of wicked intentions He will condemn.
A man is not established by wickedness,
But the root of the righteous cannot be moved.
An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.
The thoughts of the righteous are right,
But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
The words of the wicked are, “Lie in wait for blood,”
But the mouth of the upright will deliver them.
The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
But the house of the righteous will stand.
A man will be commended according to his wisdom,
But he who is of a perverse heart will be despised.
Better is the one who is slighted but has a servant,
Than he who honors himself but lacks bread.
A righteous man regards the life of his animal,
But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread,
But he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding.
The wicked covet the catch of evil men,
But the root of the righteous yields fruit.
The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
But the righteous will come through trouble.
A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth,
And the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But he who heeds counsel is wise.
A fool’s wrath is known at once,
But a prudent man covers shame.
He who speaks truth declares righteousness,
But a false witness, deceit.
There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
The truthful lip shall be established forever,
But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
But counselors of peace have joy.
No grave trouble will overtake the righteous,
But the wicked shall be filled with evil.
Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD,
But those who deal truthfully are His delight.
A prudent man conceals knowledge,
But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.
The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.
Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,
But a good word makes it glad.
The righteous should choose his friends carefully,
For the way of the wicked leads them astray.
The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting,
But diligence is man’s precious possession.
In the way of righteousness is life,
And in its pathway there is no death."
For weeks, no - months, the Lord has been re-emphasizing the power of our words and He has been prodding me to not just mount guard over my MOUTH - but to take authority over my THOUGHTS as well! I think many of us KNOW to do this... but while we remain disciplined in not speaking out some of our negative thoughts, we have failed in taking authority over the endless replaying tape that enters into our thought life and plants seeds for a harvest to come - whether we give it words or not! So - this Proverb is so good to remind me to not only take every thought captive, but to also SPEAK OUT the thoughts that are rooted in the Word and are from God. That same day, during our worship, I saw those of us in that meeting all in a circle, and as we were praying, I could see us using one of those huge parachutes... you know the ones - we used to use them in elementary school and play games with them... as we would pray we would lift our hands up in the air and then we would begin to speak forth the answer to prayer in faith and pull down the parachute. I felt as if this picture was a vision of what happens when we pray... we are literally PULLING DOWN heaven to earth, Pulling Down His glory, Pulling Down favor, healing, provision, etc. when we pray!
The next week at Prayer, our focus was on Communion and the power of the 'Meal that Heals' (as Dr. Miller and Perry Stone teach). We talked about the importance of taking Communion and of doing it daily, or as the Spirit leads you... that it is not just something that needs to be done in church... we then took Communion as a group together and it was very sweet! One thing that was brought up was the fact that Jesus was given 39 stripes and doctors and scientists have now been able to categorize ALL diseases into - yep, you guessed it, 39 groups! The Lord again reminded me of a great book that I refer to often, "The Blood and the Glory" by Billye Brimm... I HIGHLY recommend this book! In it she teaches on the power of the Blood and the importance of pleading the Blood. The Lord reminded me of something in that book - a warning of sorts that was given to a pastor who was teaching on Communion... He told her to "make MUCH of the Blood!" That evening, after she led the service at church and had everyone end the series by taking Communion... an earthquake hit the Northridge area in California. Not one of the members in her congregation experienced damage or loss... while those all around them did. The Blood works! Make much of it!
That brings us up to this week... on Monday, I was able to get together with a few friends for lunch... much ministry took place over our meal and then a few of us went on to a meeting to be ministered to and prayed over. The word that was spoken over me was based in Psalm 145:18-19... basically - the Lord said to Cry Louder... to Ask for more... for bigger things... to not hesitate in my asking... Again... it's all about SPEAKING?! So - I came home and finished up my reading for Bible study this week... (we are studying 'Get out of that Pit' by Beth Moore!) The chapter this week included a 3 step process in getting out of pits... the first step!? CRY OUT!? (and then Confess, & Consent!) Wow?! OK... I think I am getting it?!
I am a quiet person by nature... I am very introspective and 'soft'... so getting loud - even in prayer - doesn't happen very often! I do not believe that you have to shout. I am not of the thinking that the louder you pray that holier you are... (Oh come on, I know you know what I mean!) However, when there is an urgency, or a passion and intensity... sometimes volume is necessary! If only to let the enemy know that you mean business! Let me encourage you to not shy away from times of crying out... loudly! Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God! Speak it out loud - whether you are all on your own, or in a group of people...
Towards the end of our meeting yesterday, I felt the Lord speak to me a Word of warning. I hesitate to share it only because I do not want to encourage or open the door for a spirit of fear. However, I believe the reason He is revealing this is to help us to be prepared and in tune... Several months ago the Lord spoke to us about the importance and being in tune with His voice - because there was coming a time when we would need to have Him direct our steps for Kingdom purposes! Anyway - here is what the Lord spoke to me:
"Even while this supernatural or 'spiritual' shaking is taking place in the Body, there is a natural shaking coming that will require faith to remain standing firm, that will require knowing the Word, & crying out (Loudly, Boldly) to God..." He said we will need to know & be in tune to His Voice to know where to go and what to say and to whom to minister to in any given moment in this coming season! We are not to live and wait in fear, but to enter into His rest and rise up in faith! He said that the shaking will unit two 'sides' of our State (Washington) - the Lord will use this shaking for the good of our State - one State, One Lord. This will release revival & salvation, an abundance of grace & mercy... The Lord said, "Make MUCH of the Blood! Prepare... but do not fret... I will lead you and guide you."
I feel like we are called to pray of course, but that the bigger picture is that on the other side of whatever this shaking is, there will be a greater work and many Kingdom purposes at hand. We can pray - but this is a work of the Lord... It will be a sign of changes that are fast approaching in the natural and in the spiritual realms!!!
I prayerfully submit this to you...
Please do not immerse yourself in the spirit of fear, but allow the Word of God to rise up in you and cause boldness to take root in your spirit! CRY LOUDER... ASK BIGGER... and Make MUCH of the Blood!
Safe In His Arms,
~Karrilee~
and again, I have a lot to say, but will try to condense my words!
On May 8th, during my weekly Prayer meeting, the Lord put it on my heart to read through Proverbs 12. He told me to pay attention to what is said about the tongue/lips/mouth... basically about what we SPEAK! For your benefit, I will add Proverbs 12 here...
"Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge,
But he who hates correction is stupid.
A good man obtains favor from the LORD,
But a man of wicked intentions He will condemn.
A man is not established by wickedness,
But the root of the righteous cannot be moved.
An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.
The thoughts of the righteous are right,
But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
The words of the wicked are, “Lie in wait for blood,”
But the mouth of the upright will deliver them.
The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
But the house of the righteous will stand.
A man will be commended according to his wisdom,
But he who is of a perverse heart will be despised.
Better is the one who is slighted but has a servant,
Than he who honors himself but lacks bread.
A righteous man regards the life of his animal,
But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread,
But he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding.
The wicked covet the catch of evil men,
But the root of the righteous yields fruit.
The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
But the righteous will come through trouble.
A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth,
And the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But he who heeds counsel is wise.
A fool’s wrath is known at once,
But a prudent man covers shame.
He who speaks truth declares righteousness,
But a false witness, deceit.
There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
The truthful lip shall be established forever,
But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
But counselors of peace have joy.
No grave trouble will overtake the righteous,
But the wicked shall be filled with evil.
Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD,
But those who deal truthfully are His delight.
A prudent man conceals knowledge,
But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.
The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.
Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,
But a good word makes it glad.
The righteous should choose his friends carefully,
For the way of the wicked leads them astray.
The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting,
But diligence is man’s precious possession.
In the way of righteousness is life,
And in its pathway there is no death."
For weeks, no - months, the Lord has been re-emphasizing the power of our words and He has been prodding me to not just mount guard over my MOUTH - but to take authority over my THOUGHTS as well! I think many of us KNOW to do this... but while we remain disciplined in not speaking out some of our negative thoughts, we have failed in taking authority over the endless replaying tape that enters into our thought life and plants seeds for a harvest to come - whether we give it words or not! So - this Proverb is so good to remind me to not only take every thought captive, but to also SPEAK OUT the thoughts that are rooted in the Word and are from God. That same day, during our worship, I saw those of us in that meeting all in a circle, and as we were praying, I could see us using one of those huge parachutes... you know the ones - we used to use them in elementary school and play games with them... as we would pray we would lift our hands up in the air and then we would begin to speak forth the answer to prayer in faith and pull down the parachute. I felt as if this picture was a vision of what happens when we pray... we are literally PULLING DOWN heaven to earth, Pulling Down His glory, Pulling Down favor, healing, provision, etc. when we pray!
The next week at Prayer, our focus was on Communion and the power of the 'Meal that Heals' (as Dr. Miller and Perry Stone teach). We talked about the importance of taking Communion and of doing it daily, or as the Spirit leads you... that it is not just something that needs to be done in church... we then took Communion as a group together and it was very sweet! One thing that was brought up was the fact that Jesus was given 39 stripes and doctors and scientists have now been able to categorize ALL diseases into - yep, you guessed it, 39 groups! The Lord again reminded me of a great book that I refer to often, "The Blood and the Glory" by Billye Brimm... I HIGHLY recommend this book! In it she teaches on the power of the Blood and the importance of pleading the Blood. The Lord reminded me of something in that book - a warning of sorts that was given to a pastor who was teaching on Communion... He told her to "make MUCH of the Blood!" That evening, after she led the service at church and had everyone end the series by taking Communion... an earthquake hit the Northridge area in California. Not one of the members in her congregation experienced damage or loss... while those all around them did. The Blood works! Make much of it!
That brings us up to this week... on Monday, I was able to get together with a few friends for lunch... much ministry took place over our meal and then a few of us went on to a meeting to be ministered to and prayed over. The word that was spoken over me was based in Psalm 145:18-19... basically - the Lord said to Cry Louder... to Ask for more... for bigger things... to not hesitate in my asking... Again... it's all about SPEAKING?! So - I came home and finished up my reading for Bible study this week... (we are studying 'Get out of that Pit' by Beth Moore!) The chapter this week included a 3 step process in getting out of pits... the first step!? CRY OUT!? (and then Confess, & Consent!) Wow?! OK... I think I am getting it?!
I am a quiet person by nature... I am very introspective and 'soft'... so getting loud - even in prayer - doesn't happen very often! I do not believe that you have to shout. I am not of the thinking that the louder you pray that holier you are... (Oh come on, I know you know what I mean!) However, when there is an urgency, or a passion and intensity... sometimes volume is necessary! If only to let the enemy know that you mean business! Let me encourage you to not shy away from times of crying out... loudly! Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God! Speak it out loud - whether you are all on your own, or in a group of people...
Towards the end of our meeting yesterday, I felt the Lord speak to me a Word of warning. I hesitate to share it only because I do not want to encourage or open the door for a spirit of fear. However, I believe the reason He is revealing this is to help us to be prepared and in tune... Several months ago the Lord spoke to us about the importance and being in tune with His voice - because there was coming a time when we would need to have Him direct our steps for Kingdom purposes! Anyway - here is what the Lord spoke to me:
"Even while this supernatural or 'spiritual' shaking is taking place in the Body, there is a natural shaking coming that will require faith to remain standing firm, that will require knowing the Word, & crying out (Loudly, Boldly) to God..." He said we will need to know & be in tune to His Voice to know where to go and what to say and to whom to minister to in any given moment in this coming season! We are not to live and wait in fear, but to enter into His rest and rise up in faith! He said that the shaking will unit two 'sides' of our State (Washington) - the Lord will use this shaking for the good of our State - one State, One Lord. This will release revival & salvation, an abundance of grace & mercy... The Lord said, "Make MUCH of the Blood! Prepare... but do not fret... I will lead you and guide you."
I feel like we are called to pray of course, but that the bigger picture is that on the other side of whatever this shaking is, there will be a greater work and many Kingdom purposes at hand. We can pray - but this is a work of the Lord... It will be a sign of changes that are fast approaching in the natural and in the spiritual realms!!!
I prayerfully submit this to you...
Please do not immerse yourself in the spirit of fear, but allow the Word of God to rise up in you and cause boldness to take root in your spirit! CRY LOUDER... ASK BIGGER... and Make MUCH of the Blood!
Safe In His Arms,
~Karrilee~
May 1, 2007
Dry Bones, Rising Up, & the power of your presence!
Well... it has been awhile since I have sat down to write anything here...
and I have so many things I want to say...
I will have to try to limit myself to a few shorter topics today...
I will try to use less words than usual, and still get my point across...
"Dry Bones"
There is a specific situation that I have been praying over for a few months now... when I first met this family, and heard of their situation, I felt deeply in my spirit that this sickness was not unto death... so - I told them, and I told them I was praying. The Lord has tied us together and I have been so focused and intent on praying in faith and believing God for those "Greater Than" miracles that His Word says we will be doing. In the natural, it would be easy to get discouraged and lose faith. One day, God would do a miracle and there would be improvement, movement, increased faith... and on another day, it seems things would be digressing again... Last week as I was praying, I had a vision of a man in a bed... he looked to be thin and weak and pale... and suddenly I heard the Voice of the Lord behind me to the left, and He said, "Can this man live? ...can he even bend his knees?" I immediately recognized this as a play on words from the book of Ezekiel, when the Lord asked the prophet Ezekiel if the Dry Bones could live! Before I could speak to the Lord, or the man, he began to bend his knees and push himself up in the bed, and he looked as if he was going to get up! The vision ended...
Back in August, here on this blog - I wrote a bit about the spirit of Ezekiel and what the Lord was speaking to me then... (You can read that post by clicking on the Archives at the bottom right... it was originally posted on August 1, 2006 and titled, "Getting Back to Center")
Basically, the Lord has said He was raising up the spirit of Ezekiel and He invited me to play along! So - now - we have these 'Dry Bones' that we are speaking Life to! At the end of the vision, the Lord said, "Speak Life - Continue to Speak Life, & Strength, & Healing... Watch & See... Watch & See... Stand Firm & Watch & See!" Wow?! OK... so needless to say, I have been speaking and prophesying once again to this situation and I am expectant to hear and see a miracle... I know God will cause these dry bones to gather together, grow new muscles and flesh, and raise up as a Mighty Man in the army of God! In fact, I'll tell you a little secret... I believe something significant will happen this week... God has stirred me up so much to believe for this miracle... I can't WAIT to see it come to pass!
So - my question to you today is this... what are you doing with your Dry Bones? What things are you speaking out loud over the Bones that lie in front of you and cause you to not be able to look any farther? Put a watch over the words that are coming out of your mouth regarding the 'Dry Bones' you are facing... Speak Life... strength, healing, ...speak Victory, success, overcoming... speak the Word of God! ...and Watch & See!
OK... Next....
"Rising Up"
This one sort of blends together with the Dry Bones... I am reading two books right now - (Get out of That Pit by Beth Moore, and Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado)... wow?! I highly recommend them... we are facing a time and a season where what we SAY and what we focus on will be the key to our success or failure! It has always been the case, but let me say - I feel so strongly in my spirit that the lines will be drawn and the gap will widen... between those who stand on the Word and focus on the Lord, and those who speak doubt, fear, & unbelief, and focus on the problem... (the dry bones, the pit, or the giant, if you will!) Yesterday, I ran across this blog post by Melody Ross. She is in the scrapbook industry and runs a business in Boise, Idaho - I love her company (Chatterbox) and I love her blog - always real and open and compelling... her question yesterday - how do you Rise Above? Wow... I encourage you to read her post and the comments that follow it! It will encourage and inspire you to Rise Up as well!
http://melodyross.typepad.com/my_weblog/
And Finally...
"The power of your presence"
Today during our Prayer meeting, we had some great teaching... filled with scriptures and a reminder that we are to contend - standing firm, trusting in God and His Word... during the worship, I suddenly felt His presence so strongly... and the thought occurred to me, 'does He feel my presence?' So I asked Him! I prayed and asked the Lord, "Father, as much as I love and look forward to being with You and feeling the power of Your Presence, can you feel me the same way!? I know I am small - and You are unfathomably huge... but I also know that You are jealous for me and desire to spend time with me too! Does my presence bless You, Lord? As much as I love to have You bless me... Jesus I just want to pour out and bless You today!" He reminded me that He has promised to be with us always - even to the end of the age... but He did say that it blesses His heart when we turn our attention to Him... especially when it is not out of need - but simply the desire to spend time with Him! He is with us always... but when we turn our face towards His... and our heart is focused on Him and waiting for His Spirit to lead... the power of our obedient, submitted, hungry heart blesses Him to tears! He so loves us... He so desires us... He so wants to have a more intimate relationship with each of us individually! No matter how long you have walked with Him, or how close you are... HE desires MORE... for you, and of you! ...MORE for you - because His will for you and the plans He has for you are GOOD... and MORE of you - because He desires devotion... not more works necessarily - but more of YOU... a transparency, an honesty, an openness to come to Him with everything you are... and for everything you need!
I pray you will determine to Speak Life to your Dry Bones, Rise Above your circumstances, and remember that you - your presence, your heart - is a blessing to Him! Run to Him... He will catch you with open arms!
~Karrilee~
and I have so many things I want to say...
I will have to try to limit myself to a few shorter topics today...
I will try to use less words than usual, and still get my point across...
"Dry Bones"
There is a specific situation that I have been praying over for a few months now... when I first met this family, and heard of their situation, I felt deeply in my spirit that this sickness was not unto death... so - I told them, and I told them I was praying. The Lord has tied us together and I have been so focused and intent on praying in faith and believing God for those "Greater Than" miracles that His Word says we will be doing. In the natural, it would be easy to get discouraged and lose faith. One day, God would do a miracle and there would be improvement, movement, increased faith... and on another day, it seems things would be digressing again... Last week as I was praying, I had a vision of a man in a bed... he looked to be thin and weak and pale... and suddenly I heard the Voice of the Lord behind me to the left, and He said, "Can this man live? ...can he even bend his knees?" I immediately recognized this as a play on words from the book of Ezekiel, when the Lord asked the prophet Ezekiel if the Dry Bones could live! Before I could speak to the Lord, or the man, he began to bend his knees and push himself up in the bed, and he looked as if he was going to get up! The vision ended...
Back in August, here on this blog - I wrote a bit about the spirit of Ezekiel and what the Lord was speaking to me then... (You can read that post by clicking on the Archives at the bottom right... it was originally posted on August 1, 2006 and titled, "Getting Back to Center")
Basically, the Lord has said He was raising up the spirit of Ezekiel and He invited me to play along! So - now - we have these 'Dry Bones' that we are speaking Life to! At the end of the vision, the Lord said, "Speak Life - Continue to Speak Life, & Strength, & Healing... Watch & See... Watch & See... Stand Firm & Watch & See!" Wow?! OK... so needless to say, I have been speaking and prophesying once again to this situation and I am expectant to hear and see a miracle... I know God will cause these dry bones to gather together, grow new muscles and flesh, and raise up as a Mighty Man in the army of God! In fact, I'll tell you a little secret... I believe something significant will happen this week... God has stirred me up so much to believe for this miracle... I can't WAIT to see it come to pass!
So - my question to you today is this... what are you doing with your Dry Bones? What things are you speaking out loud over the Bones that lie in front of you and cause you to not be able to look any farther? Put a watch over the words that are coming out of your mouth regarding the 'Dry Bones' you are facing... Speak Life... strength, healing, ...speak Victory, success, overcoming... speak the Word of God! ...and Watch & See!
OK... Next....
"Rising Up"
This one sort of blends together with the Dry Bones... I am reading two books right now - (Get out of That Pit by Beth Moore, and Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado)... wow?! I highly recommend them... we are facing a time and a season where what we SAY and what we focus on will be the key to our success or failure! It has always been the case, but let me say - I feel so strongly in my spirit that the lines will be drawn and the gap will widen... between those who stand on the Word and focus on the Lord, and those who speak doubt, fear, & unbelief, and focus on the problem... (the dry bones, the pit, or the giant, if you will!) Yesterday, I ran across this blog post by Melody Ross. She is in the scrapbook industry and runs a business in Boise, Idaho - I love her company (Chatterbox) and I love her blog - always real and open and compelling... her question yesterday - how do you Rise Above? Wow... I encourage you to read her post and the comments that follow it! It will encourage and inspire you to Rise Up as well!
http://melodyross.typepad.com/my_weblog/
And Finally...
"The power of your presence"
Today during our Prayer meeting, we had some great teaching... filled with scriptures and a reminder that we are to contend - standing firm, trusting in God and His Word... during the worship, I suddenly felt His presence so strongly... and the thought occurred to me, 'does He feel my presence?' So I asked Him! I prayed and asked the Lord, "Father, as much as I love and look forward to being with You and feeling the power of Your Presence, can you feel me the same way!? I know I am small - and You are unfathomably huge... but I also know that You are jealous for me and desire to spend time with me too! Does my presence bless You, Lord? As much as I love to have You bless me... Jesus I just want to pour out and bless You today!" He reminded me that He has promised to be with us always - even to the end of the age... but He did say that it blesses His heart when we turn our attention to Him... especially when it is not out of need - but simply the desire to spend time with Him! He is with us always... but when we turn our face towards His... and our heart is focused on Him and waiting for His Spirit to lead... the power of our obedient, submitted, hungry heart blesses Him to tears! He so loves us... He so desires us... He so wants to have a more intimate relationship with each of us individually! No matter how long you have walked with Him, or how close you are... HE desires MORE... for you, and of you! ...MORE for you - because His will for you and the plans He has for you are GOOD... and MORE of you - because He desires devotion... not more works necessarily - but more of YOU... a transparency, an honesty, an openness to come to Him with everything you are... and for everything you need!
I pray you will determine to Speak Life to your Dry Bones, Rise Above your circumstances, and remember that you - your presence, your heart - is a blessing to Him! Run to Him... He will catch you with open arms!
~Karrilee~
April 20, 2007
Where do you lay your Burdens?
Do you tend to carry stress & worries along with you through out the day...
or do you pack it up & bring it with you wherever you go for days, weeks, & months at a time?
What are the signs that your body gives out to remind you that you are, once again, carrying a heavy load that you are not called to lug around? For me, it can be simply feeling exhausted, or a headache, or tightness in my chest, neck, & shoulders... when I find I am dealing with these symptoms or signs for more than a day or so... I have to stop & take account of what my thoughts are focused on & what 'tape' has been playing & replaying in my mind. Sometimes, the sound can be so low that you don't even really pick up on it! Ask my daughter, however, - I have miracle ears! I am sure it comes from the combination of being born with poor eyesight & being a waitress, but my hearing capabilities are always in tune!
I have to say, I come from a long line of worriers. As much as we were raised with little plaques that read "yagottawanna" and "If you can Think it, you can Be it!", the power of positive thinking never really overtook the power of fear & worrying in our household growing up! We rarely traveled out of town - & we never left the city limits without some handwritten will & all of our blood types written down. (Seriously!) Negativity & Fear are familiar spirits for me. I want to praise God & give Him all the glory however, because now - as an adult, as a Christian, that is not a familiar battle for me! If the enemy is going to get me to fear or worry - he is going to need to be a bit more creative in the attack. Oh - he is up to it, & he is persistent in his attempted onslaughts, but thank God - I have been taught how to take every thought captive. Do I fail in doing that from time to time - of course. But - overall, God has transformed my life & my bent to that of a positive person. Let me assure you, it CAN be done! (but... you DO 'gottawanna'!)
I am a firm believer in taking your burdens & worries to the Lord! I am firm believer in keeping a 'clean slate' if you will with the Lord, as well! After being involved with Moms In Touch ministries, I began to notice the tangible difference in answered prayers & the connection with staying confessed up & repentant. So, I share all of this to say that when I come to the Lord & offer my worries & burdens to him, I have always envisioned myself coming to His Throne & laying them at His feet! What about you? How do you 'see' it in your mind when you bring your troubles to the Lord?
During Prayer on Tuesday, I began to ask the Lord to show us our 'pits'. Our church is currently going through "Get out of that Pit" by Beth Moore. So often, I believe, we are completely unaware of even being IN a pit, let alone knowing what that Pit is! I also believe that many of our 'pits', if you will, are caused by the same root issue that we have not yet dealt with. The Lord showed me that many times, in many situations, with many people, we stay in our pits because we don't really see them as bondage. They are just our way of life. It's the way it's always been & we do not stop to pray & ask Him WHY it has always been that way. He also reminded me that the one personal issue that I felt I would focus on through out this study was one in which He has been revealing truth to me for years. He has told me that the Pit is not the problem, but the issue that keeps dragging me back INTO the pit is what I need to deal with. I am excited about this study & looking forward for Him to reveal & empower me with tools to get out & stay out - once & for all!
During our Bible study on Wednesday, we listened to a powerful song about Deliverance. As the song played, & we all closed our eyes & drank in the words & worshiped God - I saw, in my mind's eye, myself, approaching the Throne. When I tried to lay my burdens, my worries, my pits down at His feet, the scene shifted & it not only took me by surprise, but it broke my heart.
You see, as I mentioned, I always pictured myself taking my burdens, lifting them up off of my own weary shoulders, & laying them down at the feet of Jesus... clean, holy, manicured feet of a pure & righteous (flowing-garment-wearing-) God. This is how I pictured it for years & years in my walk with the Lord. But what He showed me was as I was trying to place these things that bind me up & steal my peace at His feet... He bent down to catch my eye, & insisted that I placed them on his bloody shoulders, as He hung on the Cross. I couldn't bare the thought of adding weight & pain to him... the burdens He was already taking on while on the Cross were not His to bare. But - that is what He did on the Cross... He took ON our sins... He took ON our burdens... & in exchange, we are to live pure & without the heaviness of sin & oppression from the enemy! That is our call... our right... and our freedom!
When we worry & try to carry burdens that are not ours to carry... it is sin to us. It belittles the work of the Cross. He so desires to see us free, & victorious, & living in the fullness of Joy & abundance... He has done the work... it is finished... we MUST be willing to give it over to Him & trust Him with it enough to lay it on the Cross... & leave it there... let it die with Him so that His resurrection power will bring victory to whatever it is that we are battling! After all - the battle is the Lords, not ours!
One thing that He does seem to be highlighting for the past few months is really remembering that there is Creative Power in our words... so we must remember to take every thought captive that exalts itself against the knowledge of God... we must renew our minds with the Word, & we must remember to speak words of faith, & life, & hope, rather than words of fear, & death, & doubt! It is a discipline in our culture, I know. But if we expect to be victorious... if we expect to be blessed, we simply must learn to follow the Lord's example! In the book of Romans, it says that God spoke those things that are not as though they are, (& they came to be!) We know in Genesis, God SPOKE & creation formed in obedience to His Word... we know that there is power in our words, life & death are in the power of the tongue! But let's not forget, what a man THINKS in his heart, so he is... and out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks! So - what comes out of our mouths - actually starts with our thought life... and when we are allowing ourselves the freedom(?) to worry & fret & let our minds flow over to the worst case scenarios filled with fear & doubt, we are sowing seeds into our own lives to give power to the words that we speak!
So... again, where do you lay your burdens? How long to allow yourself to carry around PITiful thoughts, worries, & fears, before you remember to approach the Lord. (...& - in all honestly - how long do you trust Him with it before you run back to put it back on & carry it yourself again!?) I encourage you to run to the Throne... run to the Cross... put your burdens on the bloodied capable shoulders of your Lord - and allow Him to carry them to the death... and bring the victory and resurrection power to your life! Often times, we simply think we can handle it on our own. After all - it's not THAT bad... however, God has set us free... let's determine to live that way to bring Him glory!
Bowed Down, so that He can lift me up!
~Karrilee~
or do you pack it up & bring it with you wherever you go for days, weeks, & months at a time?
What are the signs that your body gives out to remind you that you are, once again, carrying a heavy load that you are not called to lug around? For me, it can be simply feeling exhausted, or a headache, or tightness in my chest, neck, & shoulders... when I find I am dealing with these symptoms or signs for more than a day or so... I have to stop & take account of what my thoughts are focused on & what 'tape' has been playing & replaying in my mind. Sometimes, the sound can be so low that you don't even really pick up on it! Ask my daughter, however, - I have miracle ears! I am sure it comes from the combination of being born with poor eyesight & being a waitress, but my hearing capabilities are always in tune!
I have to say, I come from a long line of worriers. As much as we were raised with little plaques that read "yagottawanna" and "If you can Think it, you can Be it!", the power of positive thinking never really overtook the power of fear & worrying in our household growing up! We rarely traveled out of town - & we never left the city limits without some handwritten will & all of our blood types written down. (Seriously!) Negativity & Fear are familiar spirits for me. I want to praise God & give Him all the glory however, because now - as an adult, as a Christian, that is not a familiar battle for me! If the enemy is going to get me to fear or worry - he is going to need to be a bit more creative in the attack. Oh - he is up to it, & he is persistent in his attempted onslaughts, but thank God - I have been taught how to take every thought captive. Do I fail in doing that from time to time - of course. But - overall, God has transformed my life & my bent to that of a positive person. Let me assure you, it CAN be done! (but... you DO 'gottawanna'!)
I am a firm believer in taking your burdens & worries to the Lord! I am firm believer in keeping a 'clean slate' if you will with the Lord, as well! After being involved with Moms In Touch ministries, I began to notice the tangible difference in answered prayers & the connection with staying confessed up & repentant. So, I share all of this to say that when I come to the Lord & offer my worries & burdens to him, I have always envisioned myself coming to His Throne & laying them at His feet! What about you? How do you 'see' it in your mind when you bring your troubles to the Lord?
During Prayer on Tuesday, I began to ask the Lord to show us our 'pits'. Our church is currently going through "Get out of that Pit" by Beth Moore. So often, I believe, we are completely unaware of even being IN a pit, let alone knowing what that Pit is! I also believe that many of our 'pits', if you will, are caused by the same root issue that we have not yet dealt with. The Lord showed me that many times, in many situations, with many people, we stay in our pits because we don't really see them as bondage. They are just our way of life. It's the way it's always been & we do not stop to pray & ask Him WHY it has always been that way. He also reminded me that the one personal issue that I felt I would focus on through out this study was one in which He has been revealing truth to me for years. He has told me that the Pit is not the problem, but the issue that keeps dragging me back INTO the pit is what I need to deal with. I am excited about this study & looking forward for Him to reveal & empower me with tools to get out & stay out - once & for all!
During our Bible study on Wednesday, we listened to a powerful song about Deliverance. As the song played, & we all closed our eyes & drank in the words & worshiped God - I saw, in my mind's eye, myself, approaching the Throne. When I tried to lay my burdens, my worries, my pits down at His feet, the scene shifted & it not only took me by surprise, but it broke my heart.
You see, as I mentioned, I always pictured myself taking my burdens, lifting them up off of my own weary shoulders, & laying them down at the feet of Jesus... clean, holy, manicured feet of a pure & righteous (flowing-garment-wearing-) God. This is how I pictured it for years & years in my walk with the Lord. But what He showed me was as I was trying to place these things that bind me up & steal my peace at His feet... He bent down to catch my eye, & insisted that I placed them on his bloody shoulders, as He hung on the Cross. I couldn't bare the thought of adding weight & pain to him... the burdens He was already taking on while on the Cross were not His to bare. But - that is what He did on the Cross... He took ON our sins... He took ON our burdens... & in exchange, we are to live pure & without the heaviness of sin & oppression from the enemy! That is our call... our right... and our freedom!
When we worry & try to carry burdens that are not ours to carry... it is sin to us. It belittles the work of the Cross. He so desires to see us free, & victorious, & living in the fullness of Joy & abundance... He has done the work... it is finished... we MUST be willing to give it over to Him & trust Him with it enough to lay it on the Cross... & leave it there... let it die with Him so that His resurrection power will bring victory to whatever it is that we are battling! After all - the battle is the Lords, not ours!
One thing that He does seem to be highlighting for the past few months is really remembering that there is Creative Power in our words... so we must remember to take every thought captive that exalts itself against the knowledge of God... we must renew our minds with the Word, & we must remember to speak words of faith, & life, & hope, rather than words of fear, & death, & doubt! It is a discipline in our culture, I know. But if we expect to be victorious... if we expect to be blessed, we simply must learn to follow the Lord's example! In the book of Romans, it says that God spoke those things that are not as though they are, (& they came to be!) We know in Genesis, God SPOKE & creation formed in obedience to His Word... we know that there is power in our words, life & death are in the power of the tongue! But let's not forget, what a man THINKS in his heart, so he is... and out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks! So - what comes out of our mouths - actually starts with our thought life... and when we are allowing ourselves the freedom(?) to worry & fret & let our minds flow over to the worst case scenarios filled with fear & doubt, we are sowing seeds into our own lives to give power to the words that we speak!
So... again, where do you lay your burdens? How long to allow yourself to carry around PITiful thoughts, worries, & fears, before you remember to approach the Lord. (...& - in all honestly - how long do you trust Him with it before you run back to put it back on & carry it yourself again!?) I encourage you to run to the Throne... run to the Cross... put your burdens on the bloodied capable shoulders of your Lord - and allow Him to carry them to the death... and bring the victory and resurrection power to your life! Often times, we simply think we can handle it on our own. After all - it's not THAT bad... however, God has set us free... let's determine to live that way to bring Him glory!
Bowed Down, so that He can lift me up!
~Karrilee~
April 10, 2007
High Places and Pits connected!
(Photo above is of the altar "To the Unknown God" located in Rome)
It's been an interesting couple of weeks...
full of Spring & newness & you can feel Change
in the air! I can feel it in the Spirit as well.
I strongly believe that we are now entering a season
of such rapid growth and advancement,
that we will look back over this year in retrospect
& be astounded at all the God has done
in such a short amount of time!
It is an exciting time... and yet,
I am not one that quickly embraces change.
In fact, as I began to sense Change approaching,
I also felt a bit of uneasiness and reluctance.
To be honest, I am really just tired of feeling
unsettled & uprooted - while having really not
relocated or gone very far (at least in the natural?!)
Also, I was just last week reflecting on my life
and was literally just thanking and praising God
for my life and this season. I love my life.
I am blessed beyond measure... beyond reason...
I love the order of my days, the ministries I am involved in,
the relationship I have with my husband, and my daughter...
I am blessed with close family and great friends.
I have been very aware of these things lately.
I am humbled and in awe that He loves me
so much to let me live this life that some may
look at and consider 'small' or 'middle class'
& wonder why I feel so rich!
So... the other night, when I could not sleep
I tossed & turned for longer than I should have
before realizing that the Lord had an assignment for me.
I got up and began to pray.
I prayed in the Spirit for some time...
then, moved on to other prayers for people
& situations that I could think of.
There was not anything specific that I felt burdened to pray for.
In times past, after praying in the Spirit, God would reveal to me
what I was praying for... however, this was not happening...
so - without feeling a release - I pressed through.
It felt like I was actually covering a number of things in prayer.
There would be times of deep intercession & intensity,
times of joy & victory... times of heaviness & urgency...
In the end, God sent me to 2 Chronicles
where it sums up King Jehoshaphat's' reign.
The verse that stood out to me during prayer was
"He walked in the ways of his father Asa & did not stray from them;
he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.
Also, I was just last week reflecting on my life
and was literally just thanking and praising God
for my life and this season. I love my life.
I am blessed beyond measure... beyond reason...
I love the order of my days, the ministries I am involved in,
the relationship I have with my husband, and my daughter...
I am blessed with close family and great friends.
I have been very aware of these things lately.
I am humbled and in awe that He loves me
so much to let me live this life that some may
look at and consider 'small' or 'middle class'
& wonder why I feel so rich!
So... the other night, when I could not sleep
I tossed & turned for longer than I should have
before realizing that the Lord had an assignment for me.
I got up and began to pray.
I prayed in the Spirit for some time...
then, moved on to other prayers for people
& situations that I could think of.
There was not anything specific that I felt burdened to pray for.
In times past, after praying in the Spirit, God would reveal to me
what I was praying for... however, this was not happening...
so - without feeling a release - I pressed through.
It felt like I was actually covering a number of things in prayer.
There would be times of deep intercession & intensity,
times of joy & victory... times of heaviness & urgency...
In the end, God sent me to 2 Chronicles
where it sums up King Jehoshaphat's' reign.
The verse that stood out to me during prayer was
"He walked in the ways of his father Asa & did not stray from them;
he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.
The high places, however, were not removed,
& the people still had not set their hearts
on the God of their fathers." 2 Chronicles 20:32-33
I find it interesting that after it goes on to say that his reign
I find it interesting that after it goes on to say that his reign
is recorded in the book of the kings of Israel,
it talks about how the king aligns himself up with a wicked ruler
& God tells him that because he did that,
the Lord would destroy the works
& not allow their plans to succeed.
The next chapter tells us that King Jehoshaphat
rested with his fathers... he died?!
Hmmm... so - maybe there was a connection
with the high places that were not destroyed,
& his aligning himself with King Ahaziah.
We can so easily forget that there are
unseen forces at work either for us
or against us all the time!
We must pray through & ask God to reveal to us
our own High Places that need to be destroyed!
Basically - the Lord spoke to me the following morning
Basically - the Lord spoke to me the following morning
& said that often times - our 'pits' & the enemies 'high places'
are one & the same! This is cool because, here at home,
we are just beginning Beth Moore's new book
called "Get out of that Pit!"
I believe that the season that we are just now entering into
will be a season of change... a season of rapid growth...
but in order for us to step into all that God has planned for us,
we'll need to take care of those High Places...
we'll need to go back & deal with the pit that we so often
find ourselves at the bottom of again & again.
When I asked the Lord today at Prayer how we were to go about this,
He reminded me again of the Power of the Blood...
the power of PLEADING the Blood - in faith, not fear!
He reminded me that there is power in our words
& we simply must pay attention to what is coming out of our mouths!
I heard a voice ask, "Where do you go to climb out of your pit?
Where do you go to tear down the enemies high places?"
& immediately I knew... we run to The Cross!
It's when we fall again at the foot of the Cross...
when we realize yet again our need for Him
& the greatness of our God...
when we think of His Love and Sacrifice...
& we look up on the Cross...
His Blood flows down and covers us,
and we know that we know
that we are in His hands.
Whatever Changes may come,
we can rest assured that He is aware & at work...
IN us, THROUGH us, & FOR us!!!
May you find the way out of your Pit...
by tearing down the High Places
that the enemy has set up in your life...
& may the Shadow of the Cross be your guide!
And maybe, just maybe...
"a Change is gonna do (us) good"?!
~Karrilee~
March 30, 2007
Broken Hearts
In the midst of Prayer the other day, the Lord reminded me of a vision I had several months ago... it took place in a Ballroom and there were a lot of couples dancing. Each couple included a Divine dance partner - Jesus Himself... and I noticed in the vision that the temptation to watch and compare one another was strong! Each couple had their own dance... their own flow and rhythm... I found myself comparing the steps and flow I was attempting to that of others around me. The basic message of the vision was to show that when we allow the Lord to lead us, we will instinctively learn & know the new steps and dances in His time and for His purpose! I found it interesting to get a reminder of this vision at this time.
I feel that many are just now beginning to enter a new season and are learning new steps. It is crucial that we keep our eyes on Jesus... and allow Him to lead us in the Dance that He has invited us to join Him in. It is easy to look at the others around you... compare and critique... to notice others that seem to be clumsily pushing their way through a dance, or those who seem to have had years and years of training. We are not to judge or compare each other - but to follow His lead and allow Him to teach and train us in His own way! I have come to find that many who seemingly look like they have had professional training - are simply surrendered to the one leading the dance.
This time, as I looked around the room,
I noticed many dancers who
seemed to be broken-hearted!
They were dancing, and allowing Jesus
to show them the way
but they were also saddened
by the dance.
Whether it was because they were just learning it,
or it was harder than they anticipated...
some were frustrated, some were in need of healing,
some were healing as they danced with the Lord!
When I began to wonder about these broken-hearted dancers,
the Lord said "I come in Power & in Might,
but I come with a Gentle Touch!"
He will often reach in & break our hearts
in order to bring Healing
& cause our hearts to beat with His own!
No matter what season you are in,
purpose in your heart to tune in to Him,
and allow Him to lead the dance.
Keep your eyes and your focus on Him
and not those around you...
and He will lead you in Grace...
He will teach you the new steps at the right time,
to help the dance look complete.
If you have experienced broken-heartedness,
please pray it through...
it very may well be an attack of the enemy,
but sometimes, it is the Lord!
Sometimes, He needs to re-break something
in order to set it right!
and in the end,
there is wholeness and healing...
and the dance is
breathtakingly beautiful!
I hope you Dance!
~Karrilee~
March 22, 2007
I'd Like to Buy the World A Coke...
....Perfect Harmony!
Aaah yes...
this is what the Lord has been talking about!
Perfect Harmony... Unity...
Instruments blending together...
A Symphony of Giftings ebbing & flowing...
preferring one another...
He has been speaking this to many personally,
as well as Body-wide!
I want to back up a few days & share something that the Lord spoke to my heart over the weekend! I read a word from the Elijah List talking about how Heaven is coming to Earth & many will have dreams & visions. I sort of talked with God about that, & just wanted Him to know that I am down with that! I would love to see that... I have had experiences in the past... I have faith for it... I just wanted to remind Him of that! He reminded me of a few of those experiences, as well as a strange dream I had back in January. I knew the dream was spiritual, & even as I awoke, I knew I should write it down... I got busy & the next time I thought of it, the dream was already getting a little fuzzy... so I stopped & wrote down what I could remember. I put it aside, & prayed that God would give it to me again, so I could remember in more detail. So far, that hasn't happened!
But - when I told God that I would like to see Heaven coming to Earth, He reminded me of that dream, & a few other visions, He also said, "You already did, now wait for it to come to pass!"
Wow!? That is exciting!
So - my expectancy level is High!
That was on Saturday!
On Sunday, during our worship service,
there was a point that
the manifestation of God's glory
was so strong on my flesh
I could feel myself shaking & trembling
throughout my entire body
& I could not stop it...
at one point, I felt like I could
Spontaneously Combust!
We are studying Daniel
& we are in Daniel Chapter 10
& have been discussing how
Daniel had had visions before,
& yet - he was still so undone...
oh yeah... 'undone' is a good description!
It is sort of like take me with you...
or back off a little
because I can not handle it!
Anyway - at one point during worship,
I heard the rustling of wings,
& the choir suddenly seemed much fuller,
with a lot more voices harmonizing than
were physically present!
Now... flash forward to Tuesday Prayer.
The Topic - Harmony!
Again, in worship, I heard the rustling of Wings,
& saw angelic garment hems of white
passing to & fro
as we worshiped!
The Lord began to speak to me quietly, softly...
He said, "I Am the Good Shepherd!
You know My Voice.
I am your looper, the Sound & the Voice
that lays down the Main Tune.
(My husband uses a Looper
when playing his Guitar.
He can lay down the main track,
& then Harmonize with that
when playing it back!)
He said, "You are called to Harmonize with Me.
I lay down the main track...
& you follow my lead,
& work together with others & with me
to bring in layers of harmony & grace!
Do not get caught up in the Harmony
so much that you lose the Main Sound...
the Main Tune...
stay focused & train your ear
to hear the Sound that I am making,
& work with me to bring forth Heaven's music.
The enemy will come in & begin to sing.
He chimes in, softly at first,
& it is not so obvious that he's out of tune.
His melody calls to you to harmonize with him..."
It can be tempting for us to be drawn to his melody.
Before long, we are harmonizing with the enemy of our souls,
& only then, do we begin to hear the words to his song.
We are called to know the
Voice of our Good Shepherd.
It has been said over and over,
in many different ways,
that it is so important in this Season
to know the Voice of our God!
We must know His Word, His Voice, His Sound...
The Bible tells us that it is in knowing HIS Voice,
that helps us to recognize those that are impostors!
We do not need to learn the sound of any other...
but only tune in to the Lord's Voice...
Hear His Song,
& Sing out in Harmony!
"I'd like to buy the world a home & furnish it with love,
Grow apple trees & honey bees,
& snow white turtle doves.
I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony,
I'd like to buy the world a Coke & keep it company."
And... Oh How He has!!!
Jesus bought us a Home...
He has furnished it with Love...
His desire is for us to sing
in perfect Harmony!
I pray you get a glimpse of Heaven on Earth,
& Hear the Sounds of Heaven!
Harmonize with Him today!
~Karrilee~
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