Post for May 14, 2012:  Then and Now

Wow!  Hard to believe it’s been almost two months since I last wrote something.  There’s been a lot of stuff going on in and around me.  Fortunately for you, the reader, you get the condensed version!  Rather than try to string things together into a coherent whole, I’ll just lay things out in subject paragraphs.  I hope some of them speak to you.

Compare and Despair:  One of the reasons it has taken me so long to write again is that I found myself comparing my writing and thoughts against the daily inspirational emails I was receiving from Andrew Womack, a Minister/Teacher of the Gospel for over 30 years, (you can check him out at http://www.awmi.net ).  I did not measure up in my estimation and was considering abandoning the blog.  I’d lost sight of my original purpose which was to write about my personal relationship with Christ and the insights I receive as I try to grow in Him.  Each of us has a gift to give this world and no one can give your gift better than you!  This past weekend I had the honor of interceding in prayer during the Windwalkers International “Awakening” Conference here in Anchorage.  I will talk more about that later, but during one of the sessions, I was looking out over the people and thinking about our place and I felt the Lord speak this to me,

“No one in My Kingdom is insignificant and neither is the part I give them in My Plan!”

Remember that you have a destiny and a calling that no one else can fill and when all else fails, remember the value placed upon your life as well as your immortal soul.

Grace, Grace and More Grace!  I finished reading a book by Pastor Joseph Prince last week titled “Destined to Reign”.  Fantastic!  He really opened my eyes to the totality of God’s Grace and I have honestly not felt so spiritually free and uplifted in years!  I urge you to check it out and discover it for yourself.  What really resonated with me was what he called the “Ministry of Disqualification”.  Personally, I have been praying for years for miraculous healing in several areas of my body.  I haven’t received it yet despite receiving prayer from powerful healers.  I kept wondering why, because I know God doesn’t change or fail, and I know His Word is forever true.  The only answer I kept coming back to was that there was something wrong with me.  This led me down a road of internal condemnation and failed attempts at doing something to earn my healing from God.  This was the same sort of teaching Pastor Prince had been doing in his church.  God challenged Pastor Prince on this one day, “Stop disqualifying My people!  My blood has already qualified them.  Stop disqualifying them!” (from Destined to Reign, © 2007, pg 272).  Pastor Prince went on to write that once he stopped pointing out what began pointing out to them what was right with them because of Jesus; healing miracles broke out in the church.  The first time I read these next few words, I broke down and cried because I really needed to hear this.  They still bring tears to my eyes as I write them for you now, (again from pg 272 of Destined to Reign, © 2007).

“There’s nothing wrong with God, nothing wrong with the Word and through the Blood of Jesus, nothing wrong with you!  Receive your miracle!”

Christ's sacrifice has already qualified us for ALL of God's promises.  There is nothing you or I can or need do beyond believing in Him and in His sacrifice.  It's amazing how lighthearted you get once you remove the sel-imposed burden of performance and rest in Christ's completed work!

I was going to write about the Windwalkers’ Awakening Conference today, but will save it for another post.  I need more time to organize my notes and present you with something more than random observations.

Be Blessed!