But the angel said to Him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” Luke 1:13

Luke is the only gospel to record Elizabeth’s story, and in this first mention of her Luke includes the mention of Zacharias’ prayers for Elizabeth to conceive, giving strong evidence of the long years he prayed and the long years he and Elizabeth endured together, childless. We can only imagine the depths of Elizabeth’s disappointment and long-suffering in waiting for a child that never came as her life was measured out month by month by month. But then comes this day of breakthrough, yet unknown to Elizabeth and peculiar in the use of language. For Gabriel doesn’t say, “your prayers ‘have been’ heard.” Rather, he speaks in the present tense – “your prayer is heard.” This may merely reflect the Hebrew language use of ongoing present tense, as later in the New Testament, translated from the Greek, it’s recorded/translated into English that an angel spoke to Ananias saying “your prayer has been heard, but it may also signify Zacharias’ faith to continue to pray and God’s ever-present work in our lives, as He is always doing a present work in our lives. At any rate we cannot possibly imagine the grief Elizabeth endured in the years of her ongoing barrenness.

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36 Signposts You Might Be A Prophet

You’re Passionate. Ever so passionate. Not because you’re Italian.

You hold Strong opinions.

You communicate with vivid hand gestures.

You’re an intercessor. (Not all intercessors are prophets, but all prophets are intercessors.)

You tend to see things as black and white. There are no areas of gray for you.

You’re lower on the spectrum of mercy (unless you’re a mercy prophet).

You’re lower on the spectrum of sensitivity (unless you’re highly pastoral).

You easily takes charge. Because you see what needs to be done and you know how to do it. You may even have a “commando mode” style of operating.

You welcome and embrace change; you even initiates change.

You imagine the future. You live in/from the future (to the present). You’re forward thinking and forward looking.

You sees the hand of God in situations. You notice what God is highlighting.

You see patterns and connections; in the Word and in everyday life.

You like to see people set free.

You like to see people advance. See people get to their “next level.”

You see the problems, the cracks in the foundations, and you carry a desire to address them, whether in the Church or the business world. You see these things either through discernment or words of knowledge which you may not recognize as words of knowledge.

You see solutions. And relatedly, you’re may already successfully operate as a consultant in an area of expertise. The most successful consultants are prophets or carry a strong prophetic gift. This trait operates in connection with the one listed above.

You see what the enemy is attempting to do (if you’re a watchman prophet) whether through internal pictures that flash across your mind (internal visions), external visions, or “knowings.” This enable you to pray in a way that takes out the plans of the enemy.

You have a clear sense/knowing of what the Lord wants to do. You’re able to facilitate what the Lord wants to do. This may happen through prayer (you’ll know heaven’s blueprint) or successfully guiding a business or church (that the Kingdom of God be expanded).

You may be a loner. You value you’re alone time. Your tendency is to want to stay in your “cave.”

You experience a greater degree of rejection, betrayal, and misunderstanding than most. You also experience a greater degree of trials than most.

You have a strong wiring to overcome. In and through the trials.

The enemy has tried to take you out. Perhaps more than once. He’s not just opposed to what you carry/who you are, he fears it.

You’re warrior, even if it merely outworks in the prayer closet. All believers are called to be soldiers of Christ, but warriors are called to be strong and courageous. Warriors are willing to run to the front lines of a battle. Warriors are willing to take the “hits.”

You’re called to lead, to be a leader.

If you’re employed, you rise to positions of management and authority.

You’re self-employed and you’ve built something from the ground up. Particularly if you carry an apostolic anointing/edge. This pertains to ministry and non-profit organizations as well.

You’re a pioneer, a forerunner, a trailblazer; you’ve plowed ground where no one else has plowed. And if you’re a trailblazer, you’re forging a path that others may follow. This is apostolic; you are called as an apostolic prophet or a prophet apostle.

You have a heart for the outcasts. A heart for those who are “down and out.” You’re willing to go to the byways, where others are not willing to go, in order to reach these ones.

You just want to talk about God. You don’t want to talk about the weather. You don’t want to have shallow conversations; these conversations frustrate or bore you. You want to talk about God and you want to go deep.

You are a “feeler.” Highly sensitive to peoples’ emotions. This is why it’s easier to be alone.

You simply perceive, sense, and know things. It’s obvious to you, simply a matter of 2+2=4, but others don’t see the equation you see. You’re intuitive. And it’s God-given. Intuitive: perceived by the mind immediately, without the intervention of argument or testimony; having the power of discovering truth without reasoning (Websters 1828 app)

You’re highly sensitive and discerning to the spiritual atmospheres of people, rooms, cities, and regions. You can also sense an evil or very dark person, simply by their “atmosphere.” Or you see something on a person, by the spirit, but in this case it’s more likely you know you’re a called prophet.

You have a high level of discernment. You know what spirits are in operation. You can discern whether something is of God, the flesh, or the enemy.

You are highly dedicated/consecrated/devoted to God. Worship is a strong component in your life.

You’ve had dreams from God, even as a child and even before you knew the LORD. Or you’ve had spiritual/supernatural experiences throughout your life.

You’re created and called to influence a certain demographic of people, a particular industry, or a social justice issue. You’re called to stand before the “kings” and leaders the earth. And some of these “kings” are not literal, but “kings” of industries.

Conclusion

If you resonate with the majority of these traits, it’s likely you were created and wired as a prophet. This does not mean you sit in the office, as it’s come to be termed, according to the five-fold ministry gifts listed in Ephesians 4. This simply means you are called to be a prophet and it requires first that you answer the call. Then after answering the call, you must endure the process. And it’s a long process, averaging 15 years, even longer, but potentially made shorter through mentoring and prophet training. If you haven’t yet recognized this, here are two of the reasons why:

* The mainstream church has taught that prophets don’t exist today.

* The Church has a skewed view of prophets; sees prophets only inside the church walls and behind pulpits. God however, is currently developing and deploying prophets to influence all spheres of society. Discovery comes first however.

If you don’t resonate with these traits, perhaps you know someone who does align with these specific prophet tendencies. Feel free to share this free resource with that person. And if this has impacted you in any way, please share in the comments and please be specific. Please know also - I’m not here to defend or debate the matter. In Christ’s Love and Lordship…

Setting goals is one thing, but accomplishing them is another thing entirely. For there has to be a sustainable means of accomplishment, otherwise goals remain “wishful thinking” with no anchor in any type of practical and physical reality. These wishes remain as a list of intangible “I need to’s” that have no power to hold one accountable. Without a manageable means of apprehending goals, failure rates are high. But alas, there is hope! There’s always hope, because there’s always a solution. Because in the Kingdom of God there are always solutions, but perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself.

Because what I want to do is something a bit different - write about goal setting while I myself am in the process of mapping out mine, and share a testimonial of how my life was changed the first time I set goals. The practical and the personal combined.

And this requires I begin in 2008. The year I came out of complacency. The year I was mentored by a quirky older Messianic Jewish woman, well-liked by all in our church. We studied the Biblical feasts as well as chapters in Isaiah, but the most beneficial tool I obtained during the course of our year together was her method for setting and accomplishing goals. It was the first year of my life that I ever set goals and it was absolutely transformational. It set me on a course I could not have imagined, enhanced by the fact that the Lord breathed on me.

Accordingly, the first key, as I was taught, is to set a goal (or two, if you’re willing to do the work) pertaining to each facet of our tri-part being. To engage the whole of our being - our spirit, soul, and body. And a quick side-note and reminder - we are not physical beings housing a spirit and/or having a spiritual experience here on earth. Rather, we are spiritual beings having a temporal earthly experience. And this is why the emphasis is on setting goals pertaining to our whole being, not overlooking any one aspect of our being.

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We’re going to hit the ground running for part two:

Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at the time. Judges 4:4

Here we have the Hebrew word (H802) “Ishshah ”(ish-shaw) translated as “wife” in this verse. It is “ishshah” in the singular and “nashiym” (naw-sheem) in the plural. It’s the derivative and the feminine form of i…

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WATER is powerful and prevalent throughout Scripture, yet here’s a curious thing about it: In the creation account, after Light was created, water was already there; it merely had to be separated – the heavenly waters divided from the earthly waters – a precursor to when God would divide the waters of the Red Sea. God worked again with water on Day three of creation, this time gathering the waters into seas (and by implication rivers as well, as four rivers are mentioned in Genesis One).

And progressing through the book of Genesis we find wells being dug, then Abraham’s servant finding a wife for Isaac at one of these wells. Even in the book of Isaiah we’re told how we will draw water from the wells of salvation. We also see water flowing from a rock to quench the thirst of a great multitude of people, not once but twice. Additionally, God Himself is referred to as a Fountain of Life in Psalm 36:9 and He is the One who orchestrated that water is the building block for life. Therefore it cannot be surprising that the composition of water in our physical bodies matches the composition of the earth’s waters.

Still yet in the Old Testament, Naaman is told to dip in the Jordan River seven times for the healing of his leprosy, and that same river parts for Elisha as he strikes the water with Elijah’s mantle, as it also did for the children of Israel when it was time for them to enter the promised land. It was also the Jordan River that supernaturally brought forth the prophet’s borrowed ax head after Elisha threw a stick into its waters to cause the ax head to float to the surface.

And Elisha’s precursor Elijah was supernaturally provided for at a brook named Cherith. Elijah also, after first hearing the sound of an abundance of rain, prayed for the rain that came and broke the drought that had been over the land. And Progressing to the New Testament, Jesus performs his first miracle of turning gallons of water into wine. His water miracles progress however. Not only does Jesus walk on water, He also calms the sea causing his disciples to declare, “even the wind and the waves obey him.”

Additionally, Jesus meets a woman at the well (historical records indicate her name was Photini) and causes her to become whole which results in her becoming an evangelist throughout Samaria. And through his conversation with her Jesus reveals, “whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” And then there’s the pool of Bethesda, the place where Jesus heals a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years. There’s also the pool of Siloam, the place where the blind man’s eyes were opened after Jesus told him to go wash in those waters.

Ezekiel also was brought to and shown waters, waters that flowed progressively deeper from the temple, so deep that the waters became a river. The Lord then brought Ezekiel to the bank of the river and told him, “and it shall be that that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes” (Ezekiel 47:9). And finally we find a River of Life, where the Tree of Life is found, and “the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2).

So we see waters prevalent throughout Scripture, as a life-giving element and an element connected to healing. Oh the power of the waters! This is why we are admonished to “come to the waters and drink” and this is why we are told “with joy you will draw water from the wells of Salvation.” Jesus himself said, “If anyone thirsts, let Him come to me and drink” because Jesus was God personified on the earth, and God revealed Himself to the children of Israel as our Healer, and then spoke through Moses when He said, “So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your WATER. AND I WILL TAKE SICKNESS AWAY FROM YOU (emphasis added).

The Living waters have always been available to us, as well as “the washing by the water of the word.” But something greater is coming . Far greater. (And is here). Jesus spoke of it when he said, “he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” Yes, something far greater is coming. A tsunami wave of healing is coming. Encompassed in a tsunami wave of God’s glory. I have seen this vision and so have others. And when it comes, the knowledge of the glory of the LORD will be made known.

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, AS THE WATERS COVER THE SEA. Habakkuk 2:14 NKJ emphasis added

Genesis 1:6-10, 2:10-14, Exodus 14:26, Isaiah 12:3, Exodus 17:6 & Numbers 20:11, Genesis 24:13-20, 2 Kings 5:14, 1 Kings 17:4, 2 Kings 2:13-14, Joshua 3:13-17, 1 Kings 18:41-45, John 6:19, Luke 8:24-25, John 4:14, John 5:8-9, 9:7. Ezekiel 47, Isaiah 55:1, John 7:37. Exodus 15:26, 23:25, Ephesians 5:26, Hebrews 11:25, John 14:12

I was the “the woman at the well” when I encountered Jesus. I was no longer living with the father of my six-month old baby girl, and already I’d been through a string of unhealthy relationships with men, and I would continue on in this way for a few more years because I did not surrender my desire for a husband to the Lord to God. Rather, I thought I’d help God out on that one – “Surely He’s wants me to be married now that I’m a Christian.” This was the single biggest mistake of my young Christian life. It resulted in another baby with my daughter’s father after a failed attempt at reconciliation. Then afterward, the unholiest of soul-ties with a man who was a wolf in sheep’s clothing; a man who was a convicted felon newly released from prison after serving his time for attempted manslaughter. I didn’t know either of these things when I ran into him on the street on that fateful day, but I’d known him from a few years before, and before I met Jesus. And he was the only man who didn’t keep walking when I shared about my encounter and how I’d heard Jesus’ voice telling me, “I’m cleansing you of your sins.” Because isn’t it interesting how immediately after my salvation, each and every one of my local boyfriends made an appearance at my door? But this was one mission I accomplished before I completely capsized in my new-found faith – I got to share my testimony with each one who came to my door, much like the woman at the well - “let me tell you about the man who told me everything I ever did.”

And then I made the decision to stop going to church Because I allowed shame to get the best of me when my pregnancy started showing, when the religious gatekeepers kept asking about the husband I didn’t have, rather than warmly welcome me into the house of God. It was also pride that got the better of me (I share a lot more details in the book “Broken Chapters” published by 100x – “21 Testimonies of How God Re-Writes Our Life Stories.) Because time doesn’t allow (in this particular story) to share how God got my attention and got me back on track in my relationship with Him after my daughter and her father almost died. She – from a bone infection that went undiagnosed for too long a time, and he from being intentionally run over by a car (by the convicted felon) while I was living in the hospital with my daughter. Sadly, God had to shout rather loudly as I went on my willful way, looking for a husband in all the wrong places. But thankfully, God also saved my life. Because what the enemy meant for evil (my daughter’s hip-bone infection that spread to her spinal cord and might have put her in a wheelchair for life had not God intervened and supernaturally healed her) God used for good. And that good was – when the mafia guy came to my door a second and third time – to settle a score and send a message to my daughters’ father – I was nowhere to be found. God was shielding me through the unique circumstance of living at the hospital with my daughter. The runaway living in my home would later convey all of this to me. So yes, God had to SHOUT rather loudly to get me back into alignment with the plan He had for my life.

And this is what it took to bring me back to church and ultimately back to Him. For I had finally found a church that accepted and loved me as I was – a single mom with two children. And this was the pastor who had anointed my daughter with oil at the hospital the evening before her scheduled surgery; the pastor who surprised me by showing up with his wife within hours of my phone call: “hello, you don’t know me but I’ve been going to church for three weeks now, and I’m at the hospital with my daughter and I’m calling to ask for prayer…” This was that church that extended the mercy I needed, instead of judgment. And they even let me assist working with the children, which quite surprised me. But as I continued with personal struggles, sometimes the only reason I showed up was because of the responsibility I had committed to. At any rate, I was content with my new church family, and I was growing spiritually despite continued mis-steps.

Then came another move and another church of the same denomination that also accepted me. And I would have happily stayed there… But God. An announcement came one Sunday – a new building and location for Church. And when the time came, I couldn’t find the church (pre GPS days). Two Sundays I tried and failed. But God was in it. This was the beginning of the re-direct He had for me. An later that week, my mom took me out to lunch, and in the process of doing a long-winded U-turn into a business parking lot, I saw a sign in a window. A little store-front church. Yet another “brand” I was familiar with, as when I had lived in yet another city, kind people made sure I had no excuse to not attend church and picked up both my girlfriend and I and our six children and took us to church. Well, here was a church of the same name. Here was where I would go come Sunday! But it was not to be. Although it was off a major street – Third Avenue – I drove up and down the strip, expecting to see, but not finding a sign for the church that I knew was on this strip somewhere.

But God. Once again. That very week, someone temporarily living in our large household, while out pan-handling in front of the grocery store (being in a wheelchair will elicit sympathy) had received a flyer for a special church event. This person took the flyer, knowing I’d be interested. And it was this same church, and now I had an address. So off I went that Sunday. And for the next Sunday and the next, while I began to truly get discipled for the first time in my walk with Christ. And if I didn’t show up one week, they’d come visit me that week to find out why. It was the accountability I needed. We also had church Saturday nights and weekly altar calls, and it was exactly what I needed. And one particular altar call I rededicated my life back to God. God had a full grip on my life now, and over the course of the year to come, I would learn more and more what it meant to surrender to God.

But it was only one month later that I heard some powerful testimonies of answered prayer. These were the twice-a-year “big testimonies” that served to inspire us in our faith. And one woman shared how she was no longer collecting welfare checks because she’d secured a good-paying a government job. I thought, “That’s what I need.” So when the time came I went forward, thinking this would be my ASK. But the Holy Spirit knew the true desire of my heart. Because when the pastor asked what I wanted prayer for, I heard myself say “I want to pray for a husband.” This was the first time in my life the Holy spirit “took” my tongue. I was shocked and the pastor was a bit taken aback, but he recovered quickly and said, “that’s a good thing to pray for” before launching into a prayer.

And this was the moment I finally, fully, gave this desire to God. Finally, I laid down this desire that had so completely shipwrecked my life. And for the first time in my life, I prayed daily about my desire for marriage. It was the first time I ever prayed daily for or about anything. But something in me was ignited at that altar, even though I was still in recovery mode regarding the mess I had made of my life looking for a husband. So I prayed and I prayed and I prayed, and eventually I began to mention three things I would like to see in a husband although I always made sure to add my version of “nevertheless, not my will but Yours.” And I didn’t think God was moving, but I kept praying. I certainly didn’t see God moving, but I kept praying. I had stopped looking outside the church walls for this husband to appear, but I kept looking at the church door, waiting for the brutally handsome guy to appear. The reality however, was that my future husband was already in my midst. The man God was preparing me for was right under my nose the whole time. The quiet unassuming guy who played guitar. The man I worked with on the drama team. The man I went on outreaches with. The man I simply could not see. Because I was still holding on to my own understanding and my own vision for a husband.

But God had a better plan, as He always does, and the answer to my prayers finally began to manifest – the man I least suspected at the start, but hadn’t I always had a thing for musicians anyway? And unbeknownst to me, this man had been undergoing his own personal transformation as a relatively new believer, and God had been preparing Him as well. After all, I was a “ready-made family” package and there were other issues that had to be addressed, which shall not be mentioned here.

But God had been moving all along, albeit unbeknownst to me, because when the pastor’s brother finally revealed his heart, I could hardly keep up with what God was doing, and what He had been doing all along. And when he finally professed his love for me – that’s when we had our first kiss. And the day after that first kiss is when he proposed. And when I said “yes” we stepped into a whirlwind seven-week engagement.

I can’t say I married my soul mate or my best friend or anything I hear many speak of these days. But I can say I married the man who was very clearly God’s choice for me, after so many of my own poor choices and three other men who had asked the same question. And it was God’s choice that led us to the altar only nine months after I laid the whole thing down at the altar. This is what God and God alone can do.

And this is the story of God choosing my husband for me. I pray it’s encouraged you; or perhaps you’ve been entertained. Either way, my tale is done. And I’ve been married to that man for almost 38 years now. And yes, we have walked through some stuff. But this man was God’s choice for me. He was the gentle spirit I needed after too many relationships with men and the consequences that attach to such relationships. He was the missing puzzle piece to my life – the one that fit perfectly. And he has been my stability who eventually also became my biggest supporter.

And this is why I can encourage you with faith and full confidence - if this is your heart’s desire – do not grow weary in the well-doing of asking. But also, don’t think you can picture the man God has for you. He may come in an entirely different package than the one you expect Also, God’s requirements might be different than yours. But He knows what you need, and it’s better than what you want or what you think you want. And as long as you’ve surrendered the matter fully to God and you are seeking God first, this thing and other things, will be added unto you. In God’s perfect time.

Thank you for staying connected. It’s my heart to inspire and instruct, as well as encourage, enlarge, equip and empower, as I am graced to do so.

I am an itinerant Minister and writing is my means of support. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to receive continued testimony and slices of my life which I will continue to write for paid subscribers. Or consider a one-time donation to support a ministry trip to Texas at the end of this month. Godspeed and God Bless.

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I was an obedient and compliant child. At least as a younger child. My mom once told me that she only had to tell slap my hand once and tell me not to touch the telephone. Whereas she had to tell my younger brother multiple times not to do the same. However, when life continued “lifing” it was as if a flip was switched in my teen years and I swung to the other side of the pendulum – disobedience unto rebelliousness, and beyond, and it’s only by God’s sovereign and protective hand lived to tell the tale…

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“Neither do I condemn you.” Jesus, John 8:11

This is how Jesus responded to the prevailing religious spirit of his day when the religious leaders brought before him the woman caught in the act of adultery, and would I say unjustly accused because she was only half of the equation of the act of adultery. (You hypocrites – it takes two to “adult” in that manner!) And previously, Jesus had already said:

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:17

It’s abundantly clear therefore, that condemnation was not a tool Jesus used, whether to gather or restore lost souls back to the Father or to welcome new ones into God’s Kingdom. Rather, condemnation and judgment, particularly unjust judgment, were tools of the religious spirit. And Jesus saved his harshest words for the religious folk of his day - not those he was welcoming in to become his brothers and sisters in the Kingdom of God. So why does the church still fall into the snare of operating in a religious spirit?

For here we are two-thousand plus years later, and the religious spirit is alive and well. Unjust accusations flying here and there in social media, as members of the Body of Christ put one another under the microscope of unrighteous and unjust examination instead of examining the unrighteous flecks in their own eyes. How is that we are so quick to give ourselves the benefit of our intentions and not our actual actions, but not extended the same grace of courtesy to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Do we need to be reminded again of the words Jesus spoke to his disciples as part of an intimate conversation he had with them right after He washed their feet? And told them of a new commandment he had for them? – to love one another as He had loved each one of them?

By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35

I understand there are things coming to light in the Body of Christ that need to come to the light and be dealt with. I understand “judgment begins in the house of God.” I also understand the need for accountability, correction, tough love even, but the mud-slinging, over the smallest of disagreements and differences of opinion has become so prevalent that the mud has gone from our feet to our faces. I say “we” because in Christ we are one body, and one body in process of becoming One New Man if we believe the Word of God (Galatians 2:15).

“She should not have said this” and “he should not have done that” – the world is watching and it’s not an enticement “that the world might know Him.” Rather, it’s a repulsion. How can the world be reconciled to Jesus if we can’t be reconciled to one another? So let’s stop “shoulding” all over one another and let’s learn to prefer one another. “How shall we then live? Frances Schaeffer once asked. I propose we learn to mind our own business well and purpose in our hearts to defeat the religious spirit instead of one another.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. Romans 8:31

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another. Romans 12:9-10

Post-Script:

Things continue to come to light since I first wrote this in the fall of 2025, but t’s only as things come to light they can be dealt with. And as I see it, the continued shaking of the Church and the dismantling of ministries is that the Church may be reformed, restructured, and re-mantled according to the proper foundation of apostles and prophets and through those who seek to build God’s Kingdom, not their own. And let’s remember, when our faith is anchored in Jesus, it will not be shaken by any failure on man’s part. Man will always disappoint, but God will not.

I’m not against righteous judgment, but the world is watching how we handle both our failures and our disagreements. And speaking only for myself, it’s my aim to make sure I’ve always got eye-salve properly applied to my own eye first, before I attempt to remark about or attempt to remove and splinter or beam in anyone else’s eyes. There’s a Scripture about each day having trouble enough of its own so as not to worry about tomorrow. I see a parallel principle in my own life – I have enough on my one plate not to be excessively concerned about what’s on everyone else’s plate. And if I am biased, and it’s likely I am, my perspective is that of one who was forgiven much. If it wasn’t for God’s mercy I would have been stoned in my twenties.

Imagine a man coming to your door. You’ve met him once, he’s a friend of a friend, and he’s got important paperwork in his possession that someone’s taken from you. You invite him in as it’s a Friday night anyway and you have nothing better to do. Now imagine that he begins telling you about a Jesus, this Jesus you don’t know much about. It’s in such a non-confrontative and curious way that He talks about Jesus, so you don’t shut him down as you did not more than three months ago. Rather, you lean in to listen.

Now imagine a conversation that lasts for hours and someone who asks you questions, then responds to the answers still inside your head that you haven’t yet given a voice to. Imagine also, he tells things about you that only God could know. He’s got your attention.

He tells you now to pick up that Bible you used to read as a teen (but as you mostly read from the book of revelation and without revelation it terrified you, so you stopped reading). He gives you selected chapters of the New Testament for you to read, and while you read he sits quietly. When you finish reading he makes comments you have no understanding of (about the keys of David) and questions you don’t have the answers to (where is your altar, where is your prayer altar?) This cycle repeat itself throughout the course of the evening.

Now imagine the unthinkable. At 11PM this man leaves your home without leading you in a prayer of salvation, without leading you to Jesus. You’re upset. Extremely upset. You broadcast some mean message to him from inside your head and from across the parking lot, for you’ve followed him outside. And although the message was never spoken, he hears it and responds accordingly, then drives off.

You’re irritated. How could this man leave in the midst of such personal turmoil and unsettledness and agitation? These things ought not to be!!!

But here’s what this man did do. He left me with a gift. A gift that would lead to the ultimate Gift. For he left me with a keen awareness that I was not the “pretty good person” I thought I was (oh how spiritually blind I was, comparing myself to IV drug users and such as my plumb line) but he left me with the hammering truth that I was a sinner in need of salvation. Like, right now! I knew I wanted, and more importantly, needed to be become a Christian, but how? And how could he leave me in such a state?!

After he left I did the only thing I knew to do. I went back to that Bible and I read through the night. I don’t know how much of the New Testament I read, but I read with an insatiable hunger, for I knew this book contained the answer. I knew I needed to pray, but I didn’t know how to pray. And in the morning I drove to my mom’s to retrieve the large family Bible I knew contained a “dictionary” in the back. When I returned I looked up every verse on prayer and all the other strange things he had mentioned and I read and I read and I read throughout the day and into the night, stopping to take breaks to for care for my baby daughter and to eat.

And after 11pm that Saturday night, after I had put my daughter to bed, I made the decision I knew enough to pray and was ready to pray to become a Christian. I took everything literally. I went into my bedroom, into my closet, and I knelt on my knees and covered my head with the only thing I had – a red bandana (God knew my heart). And thinking I needed to confess every. single. sin. to become a Christian, I was led to use the Ten Commandments as my guide, to guide me through all the sins I would need to repent from, for the list was long. For in deed I had been a good student of the world.

And so I began working down the list, often going back up the list as another remembrance came to mind, confessing that missed sin then moving on again. And two things happened in the midst of this process. First, I didn’t just experience God’s forgiveness; it was as if I was having an encounter with forgiveness as a real and tangible substance. And as I encountered this profound forgiveness for all my sins, I began extending forgiveness to all those who had trespassed against me. It was if I had entered a supernatural flow of simultaneously receiving and releasing forgiveness. This itself took some time. Also, the more I confessed my sins, the more my heart broke for what a sinful life I had lived and how I had broken all of God’s commandments. I was fully aware for the first time in my life of the extent and the ugliness of my sins. I don’t know when the tears began or how long they lasted. I only know they flowed as strong as my words, for my sins were many.

And then the moment came. I knew I was finished. I don’t know how I knew, I just knew. I wiped away my tears, stood up, looked up, and declared aloud – operating in what I believe was my first official instance of the gift of faith (apart from saving faith) – “God, I’m ready for whatever you would have for me.” Little did I know what was set in motion with those words and how quickly it would begin.

But what I knew was that it was 5:30 am Sunday morning because I happened to glance at the clock. I then decided it would be a good idea to lie down with my baby daughter and get a couple of hours rest before she woke up (as the next day I’d be getting on a bus to go cross-country to visit her father). So my head hit the pillow and I closed my eyes. And immediately, the brightest flash of light flashed in my room. I could see it with my eyes closed and I think it was a good thing my eyes were closed. It was the most brilliant blinding flash of white light I had ever seen. Then it flashed a second time. And without another second’s passing a jolt of electricity entered my body through the tips of my toes and coursed upward to my head. And in that moment, for it all happened in a moment, my first thought formed, “What is this?” And I was answered with an audible voice, gentle yet authoritative, “I am cleansing you of your sins.” That was it. One simple sentence. And this is how I encountered Jesus as the Light of the World. And I suppose it’s why that man didn’t lead me in a sinner’s prayer.

And it’s why I’m compelled to preach, publish, and proclaim the goodness of God and His saving grace, and to see His Kingdom expanded. One prayer at a time, one person at at time, and one story at a time, if that’s what it takes and for as long as it takes. (I go to Texas in April and I have an opportunity to go to Kenya in July!)

And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched Him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed. Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Matthew 8:2-3

I am willing. Three powerful words, spoken by the Master. And contained in this phrase is the acknowledgment: “I can and I will.” For as this leper seems to have understood, it is one thing to believe God can, and another degree of believing that God will.

For it is far easier to believe God can; it takes another degree of belief that He will. Especially when it comes to ourselves, but the best assurance of knowing God’s will for us is to pay close attention to His “I will” statements recorded throughout Scripture for our benefit. For it’s through these “I will” statements in Scripture we’re given great insight into God’s heart and will toward us. Once these powerful truths reside in us, all doubt eventually gets kicked out.

And Jesus’ statement to the leper was merely a continuation of the heart of God that had already begun to be revealed through the old covenant prophets; and He Himself had a series of “I will” statements granting us further insight into the heart of God, which we’ll look at on a separate occasion. For we do well to take heed of these powerful truths, for these truths are promises which cannot be broken. For God is not only a Promise Maker, He is also a Promise Keeper, as He is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19), and the word that has gone forth out of His mouth cannot be altered.

So let’s encourage ourselves in the Lord today and fill our spirit man with these twelve powerful revelations of God’s will toward us, spoken by God Himself. Let’s also allow God to highlight His particular truth to us for the season we’re in. Whether or not you already have a verse for your current season, allow God’s Holy Spirit to highlight one of these verses – perhaps one of these verses can ride shotgun with a verse you’re already holding in your heart. (Isaiah 48:17 has been a long-standing verse for me and a newer one is Isaiah 41:10 as it’s a '“triple hitter” promise! Godspeed and God Bless.

Twelve Powerful Promises

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will guide you with My eye. Psalm 32:8

Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10

My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that is gone out of My lips. Psalm 89:34

Fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will hold you with my righteous right hand (3x) Isaiah 41:10

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you... Isaiah 43:2 (continue reading!)

Behold I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19

I will go before you and make the crooked places straight. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel. Isaiah 45:2-3

I am the LORD Your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go. Isaiah 48:17

Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for me with all of your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord…” Jeremiah 29:11-12

“For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 30:17

“For I am the Lord. I speak and the word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and perform it,” says the Lord. Ezekiel 12:25 (& v28)

So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten…Joel 2:25

Our Response back to God:

You may also want to meditate on your “I will” response back to God, Here are two examples:

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth… Psalm 34:1

(and keep reading!)

While I live I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Psalm 146:2

Deborah carries the distinction of being one who broke out of tradition and became the only female judge in a time when the hearts of the children of Israel see-sawed between serving the One True God and the Baal and the Asherahs of the land. She carries further distinction in that she is one of only two judges identified also as a prophet. And she carried such authority that people came up to see her, up into the mountains of Ephraim where she sat to judge, to settle their disputes. Coming up the mountain to see Deborah likely wasn’t an easy task, but the people were willing.

And Deborah sat under a palm tree. The prophetic symbolism here is that she sat and ruled from a place of joyful victory. And the palm tree was known as “the palm tree of Deborah” further signifying the level of authority she carried in the land.

By the time Deborah’s story begins, the LORD, in His displeasure with their behavior, had sold the children of Israel into the hand of King Jabin, a king who harshly oppressed them for twenty years, with nine hundred chariots of iron under the command of Sisera. It' is in this harsh climate that Deborah rises up as a prophet to judge a nation - until the Day everything changed, as all things must eventually change.

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O my soul, march on in strength, Deborah, Judges 5:21 NKJ

Here we have a curious word translated as “march” in English. It’s the Hebrew word “darak” - often translated as “tread” as in the following verses:

Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given you, as I said unto Moses. Joshua 1:3 KJ

Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours….no man shall be able to stand against you….Deuteronomy 11:24-25

Happy are you, O Israel! Your enemies shall submit to you, and you shall tread down their high places. Deuteronomy 33:29

By implication, the word march – the word tread - is connected to taking dominion and taking authority. And this is what Deborah is modeling for us. Not only is she taking physical dominion over the land, she is also taking authority and dominion over her soul. She is proclaiming over herself that she will be strong. She will be resolute. She will not be subdued by any enemies, whether those enemies be external – the “ites” of the land - or whether those enemies be internal, such as a lack of fortitude, a lack of emotional strength, fear, doubt, the list could continue. She is taking governance over her own self, her mind, will, and emotions.

And although Deborah didn’t pen the words, she has known by experience “it is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect” (Psalm 18:32). And this is why she can declare, according the NIV translation, March on, my soul; be strong! She uses her words wisely, she governs her mind, will, and emotion, and this is our example. What will we proclaim over ourselves on a daily basis and especially in times of crisis.

The King James translates Deborah’s 5:21 proclamation as “oh my soul, thou has trodden down in strength, and more accurately captures the strength of the word darak. For the word is also used to explain the strength of a bowstring being pulled back. By bending the bowstring back, the bowstring is being tread upon.” This is the power of the “march” of the army of the Lord, the “march” of good soldiers for Christ who endure hardship well and don’t bend or bow down under the weight of affliction. For in this world we have tribulation, but as Christ overcame the world, we too overcome, by His blood and by the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11).

We don’t overcome by complaint! We overcome by a resolute heart, willing to tread. Willing to tread upon our circumstances when the situation calls for it. For we overcome when we realize our strength doesn’t have to be small in the day of adversity (Proverbs 24:10), when accept it’s our circumstances that allow our strength to be forged, and not the soft life of abounding comfort. But we can take heart with Deborah and with David, for indeed “It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect.” We can proclaim it, and then we can live by it.

Darak (H1869): to tread; by implication to walk; also to string a bow (by treading on it by bending): - archer, bend, come draw, go (over) guide, lead (forth), thresh, tread (down)

Finally, there is a supernatural force and power in the Word. This is why reading the word, knowing the word, meditating on the word, and declaring the word is invaluable. The more you know the word, the more powerful you become in your spirit-man. Also, meditating on the word makes your way prosperous and gives you much success. (see Joshua 1:8) Accordingly,

here are some promises from the word (NKJ version unless otherwise noted) to meditate on that will strengthen your inner man. May the Holy Spirit highlight one of these verses for you to hold in your heart:

Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! Psalm 27:14

The LORD will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace. Psalm 29:11

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24

You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed (fixed) on You. Isaiah 26:3

Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Ephesians 6:10 The Passion Translation

But the Lord is faithful, and He will give you strength and guard you from the evil one…may the Lord turn your hearts toward the love of God and the fortitude of Christ.

2 Thessalonians 3:3-5 excerpt The Jerusalem Bible

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The Backstory

This Thursday I’ll be part of a conversation on Identity, geared toward Gen Z, and I thought I’d simply be sharing off the cuff, but this morning the Holy Spirit interrupted that plan as I hit a chord of revelation reading from the Weymouth Bible.

The Message

Have you no answer to make? What is the meaning of all this that these witnesses allege against you? Mark 14:60

The Holy Spirit impressed upon me this morning the silence Jesus kept until the High Priest asked Him another question:

Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?

And here is the question Jesus chose to respond to – the question that spoke to His identity, and thus the more important question. And Jesus responded accordingly:

“I am” replied Jesus…

Two potent words that spoke directly to his connection and identification with the One who had first revealed Himself to His people as the great “I am” thus furthering the anger of the religious scribes and pharisees who heard and understood the meaning of the words, even as Jesus quietly but boldly concluded, “and you and others will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the divine Power, and coming amid the clouds of the sky.”

This response so infuriated the High Priest that he rent his garments and called the words blasphemous. But this was the heart of the matter – who Jesus claimed to be and who He claimed God to be - He claimed God not just as a “Father” but as His Father. Today we take this concept for granted, but it was a radical and revolutionary idea at the time - to address God in heaven as “Father.” And this is how He’d taught His disciples to address God when they prayed.

And in the next chapter, immediately after Jesus’ crucifixion, Mark went on to record:

Over His head was the notice in writing of the charge against Him: THE KING OF THE JEWS (Mark 15:26) NKJ

A direct statement regarding Jesus identity. Written above his head while he hung on the cross. All who saw Him would also see these words aptly describing Jesus as a king. For He is in truth the King of kings. And it’s by divine design his identity was first spoken aloud from the heavens by His Father in Heaven, immediately after he arose from his baptismal waters:

This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:17 NKJ

First it was spoken, then it was written. A foreshadowing of the written word, the testimony the four disciples would later write. And although not all four disciples recorded the Father’s voice from heaven, they all took note of the sign placed above Jesus head signifying His identity. And Luke gives us further insight about that sign:

And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS

Written in all three languages of the day, that everyone who could read would see it written as their eyes gazed upon Jesus. A notice that could not be overlooked -especially as it’s written in caps - John also gives us another piece of testimony:

Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS… Therefore, the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The king of the Jews,’ but only, ‘He said, “I am king of the Jews.” ’ ” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” (John 19:19-22 excerpt) NKJ

“What I have written, I have written.” Pilate did not back down. Just as his word stood then, God’s word stands today. God’s word is written, it is established, it cannot be altered.

My covenant will I not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of my lips. Psalm 89:34

Jesus was and is a King. The King of all kings. This was his identity, and it was recorded. In the same way our identity has been recorded, and it cannot be altered. We are sons and daughters of the Most High God. Male and female, created in God’s image and likeness. Dearly loved and accepted in the beloved. There is no mistake too grand to detract from our identity as beloved sons and daughters of God. There is no failure that makes null and void the love of God toward us. He created us in His image and that image stands, despite the stink of any pigpen our waywardness might bring us into.

The Conclusion Of The Matter

You may have muddied that image, but the image can never be permanently marred. It is a holy and sacred image that stands the test of every mishap. Your Creator ordained it to be so. You sins are removable. Each and every one. Your image remains intact. All you have to do is come back to the Father, come back to your true identity. You are a son, not a servant. And though you made a mistake you are not a mistake. And you are worthy of the extravagant love your Father has for you. Step back into the Father’s open arms and receive His embrace. He’s been waiting. He will clean you up and restore you to your original image. This is His gift to you.

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3:1)

Postscript

I may have veered off my primary topic at the end, the evangelist in me often makes an appearance in this way, and I may change things still yet, but I thought I’d share here and now, without overthinking it and while I continue to process this message.

And writing and preaching is my work, my means of provision, if you are led to sow a seed. And for what it’s worth I make my coffee at home, unless I’m traveling. For me it’s a matter of stewardship….

Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.” Joshua 15:19.

In all of Achsah’s story, these are her only recorded words. But in these few short words, we can clearly hear and sense the boldness in her request, bordering on “demand” even, for she knew who she was. She knew she was her father’s daughter and she knew could not let the opportunity pass her by to ask her father for more. She grew up watching her father wait for his inheritance and she knew this was her moment to ask for more. Because she had learned a thing or two about inheritance after watching a generation wander in the wilderness and lose their inheritance. And she was determined by all means not to lose out on any measure of inheritance that could be hers for the asking.

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And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at Him (Mark 12:17)

The conclusions the Church has drawn from this story have been limited. We’ve either focused on the fact that the Pharisees were trying to trick Jesus, which they were, or we’ve focused on “we should pay our taxes” and “don’t cheat on your taxes.” But there’s far more here, and to uncover a deeper meaning we’ll go back to the beginning of the story:

When the Pharisees approach Jesus, they’ve already been offended yet again, this time by His parable of The Wicked Vinedressers, for they know Jesus was referring to them. So they approach Him, and though the opening words they speak are true, it’s flattery. Their words don’t come from love, they come from their insincere hearts. Their words are unadulterated flattery (another lesson here – learn to discern flattery) - “Teacher we know that You are true…You teach the way of God in truth…” etc. And then the Pharisees get to the real heart of the matter - they pose their question, designed to trap Him:

“Is it lawful to pay taxes or Caesar, or not? Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test Me?” Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.” So they brought it. And then He said, “Whose image and inscription is this?” they said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at Him. (Mark 12:15-17)

And perhaps the ones who marveled were the ones who understand the deeper truth here. Because Jesus had direct access, even oneness with the Spirit of Truth that came to Him the moment He came up out of the baptismal waters, He could have used any number of ways to give His response. And He could have used any other object to make His point, but He chose a coin as an object for a very important lesson. He could have evaded their question, as He did when He was asked, “by what authority do you do these things?” But He knew this was a teachable moment for those who had ears to hear. And a perfect opportunity.

Because Jesus had a greater purpose, and Caesar’s image was a launching point to speak of something far more important. “In whose image are you created?” Jesus is reminding those who have ears to hear. Just as the coin bore an image, we too bear an image and a likeness that we must be mindful of at all times. Because Jesus always gives and speaks far more than what we initially think, imagine, or understand. And some truth must be mined on a deeper level. Jesus answered a surface level question here, but He also used the opportunity to speak a deeper truth. A truth that holds far more eternal value than the earthly question that was posed.

In essence, Jesus is reminding us - we are created in God’s image, and just as He said “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s” He’s also saying, “Give to God a life lived in His image” or “live your life in God’s image and give that back to Him.” And this was the heart of the matter. For when we bear His image well, when our lives reflect Him well, we give Him the glory that is due His name. And our lives become well pleasing unto Him. He gives us life and we give our lives back to Him. We are called to be honest and just because He is honest. We are called to speak truth because He is Truth. We are called to be givers because He is a Giver. We are called to love our neighbors because He loves our neighbors. And when we do these things we become more like Him, more conformed to His image.

Know this also: No one else can express God’s image the way you can, with your uniquely designed gift mix of talents. And God has a purpose for each one of those gifts and each one of the skills He’s given you the ability to develop. And when you live your life in accordance and in unity with who He is, when you live your life as “unto Him,” you are living a life conformed to His image. This is His desire. This is His admonition, as referenced in Romans 12:1-2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

And there are limitless ways to bear God’s image. Exhibiting “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17) is a good starting place, as well as the holy fruit of His Spirit you allow Him to cultivate in your life, which starts with love and ends with self-control. Then there are the virtues listed in 2 Peter 1: 5-7, but all of this requires a yieldedness on our part, for we are the ones who choose our level of willingness in how we allow Him to form and fashion us that we may reflect him well:

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance Godliness, to Godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love.

We have ample opportunity to bear God’s image and represent Him well. Some of us are truth-bearers, some of us are Shulamites, some of us are Faith-walkers, some of us are His appointed mouth-pieces, but all of us are expected to be bear His image well. At least it’s the opportunity that’s been presented to us - to be Love and to be the Light in a dark world. Because the ultimate triumph is that light prevails and love wins. To God be the glory.

Love Him well and you will bear His image well.

Scriptures

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27

Love had been perfected among us in this: we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 1 John 4:17

New Covenant Triumphant is a Kingdom business which preaches, publishes, and proclaims the Good News to all who have ears to hear. Please consider sowing a seed of support for an upcoming “distributing-bibles-and-helping-local churches” trip to Kenya July 3-20. Thank you for your support. And may you stand in the overflow of God’s Kingdom.

Separating The Boys From The Men

When I was 16 I asked my boyfriend at the time, “What happens if I get pregnant?” and immediately he made some sweet gesture and answered, “Well then, we’d get married.”

And of course we had no business sleeping together, we also had no business getting high together or a number of other things, but we were a couple of “in love” sixteen-year-olds with not enough parental supervision who dreamed for a short while of a life together, till circumstances caused us to drift apart. He eventually joined the army or marines and life went on.

Fast forward a year or so later, I was still yet 17 when I brought the news to my then 22-year-old boyfriend (who I had no business being with whatsoever) that I was pregnant. And my expectation, perhaps based on this previous relationship, was that we would get married. Oh my naivete! For without any hesitation he responded, “That’s O.K. you can get an abortion and I’ll pay for it.” How magnanimous! But not magnanimous enough to come into the abortion clinic with me. Rather a quick drop off, then a pick up at the appointed time as if he was dropping me off for a salon appointment. And as if he had done this before.

And I wasn’t the only girl alone in that clinic that day. Many of us were left to face our fate alone. And terrified we were. In my case, my boyfriend hung out with his best friend rather than sit by my side to face together the consequence of our actions. And I am by no means condoning abortion and this is actually not my abortion story, I have another purpose entirely for writing this. I’ll just say I walked in that day as much a victim as the baby in my womb. And it wasn’t till I walked out and climbed into the backseat of my boyfriend’s truck - (And how ridiculous it was that I sat in the backseat, while my boyfriend’s “boyfriend” sat in front seat) -that the flood of emotional pain swept over me at the realization that two lives walked into the clinic, but only one life was walking out. I was coerced by my boyfriend and lied to by a host of professionals, not to mention this abortion was performed without parental consent.

But why am I sharing this abortion story? This abortion that swept me into a vicious cycle that would repeat itself, starting with this very boyfriend, but with a much uglier beginning and ending. (And in case you’re freaking out, no, I didn’t yet know the Lord) I share this to make the clear distinction between these two boyfriends, and I’m deliberate in my choice of words. For one, though only sixteen, was very much a man, both physically (he easily passed as 21) and emotionally, and he treated me well. While the other, although more advanced in years, was very much still a boy. Yes, a boy who never became a man. A boy who still lived with his mom. A boy whose mom helped to support him by paying his truck payments when he was unable to do so. And for all I know paid his rent as well. And this boy, unladen with responsibility, lived accordingly. Lived for himself. And during the time we were together I watched him transition from an unwillingness to accept responsibility (for his life choices) to an unwillingness combined with an utter inability to shoulder any responsibility whatsoever. He was trapped in boy-land. It was a profound learn. Learned when his ugly actions reared their head after he impregnated me a second time. And I say “he” because the sex wasn’t consensual.

But every lesson has a blessing if one can dig deeply enough. And this is why I raised my son to be a man (and the life experience of being raised till age ten with the discipline of a military father was also a factor). I didn’t coddle my son. I could have been a bit softer, but I had dated too many boys and experienced the full measure of the ridiculousness of it. And I knew my son’s destiny was to be a man. Only twice did I actually have to tell him to “buck up” and buck up he did. He bucked up all the way through post graduate work and he paid and worked his way through it. But he could have been a landscaper as my husband was when he bravely married me (he took on raising another man’s two children – that’s the man I married) or he could have been a sanitation truck driver, as one of my sons-in law is, and that would be O.K. because my over-riding concern for my son was that he become a man. (And he became a man the summer he spent working in Alaska as a very young 18-year-old unloading cargo planes. And if that wasn’t enough to make him a man, the situation also required that he had to cook all his own meals. This prepared him well, for shortly after that he was on his own, making his own decisions.

And my purpose in sharing this slice of my story is to undergird the need that we raise our boys to be men. That we resist the world’s view that masculinity is toxic, that we safeguard, nurture, and honor a healthy blueprint for masculinity that boys could become men who honor and treat women well, rather than men who mock women, men who bully women, or men who are afraid of women or worse yet, afraid to become men. I know the problem is multi-faceted and the solutions are many. I’m suggesting a simple starting place – that we raise our boys to be men. That we don’t do for them what they need to learn to do for themselves. That they learn the skills of taking care of themselves and basic household matters, so that the weight of these matters doesn’t fall squarely on the shoulders of their wives or girlfriends. In essence, that men would learn to place enough expectations on themselves, that their expectations of women would become more reasonable.

For I am now a mother of four adult children and a grandmother of eight, six of which are females. And I see a sea of marriageable and marriage-minded women looking for a few good men to step up to the plate. We have more than enough boys to go around (just as we did in my day) and an increase in pretty boys, the likes of which are not so pretty if you catch my drift. What we need now are strong men. Strong men who are ready to stand alongside strong women, who aren’t intimidated by or scornful of or aggressive toward strong women. I know these men exist, but it appears their numbers have been decreasing since the days of my youth. So let there be a revival of real men, strong men. And boys who are raised to be men. And in the meantime, will the real men please step forth? The world is waiting. And the women especially are waiting.

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13 KJV

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13 NKJ

If this has given you food for thought, consider sowing a seed of support for New Covenant Triumphant. It is Kingdom Business, taking the Good News To The Nations (next stop - Kenya)

And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, You can make me clean. Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed. Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Matthew 8:2-3

The foundation for confident (and effective) prayer begins with the simple knowing that God is willing to heal us, cleanse us, deliver us, and make us whole. And although I don’t claim to know why everyone doesn’t receive an immediate healing, I do know this - that God’s will has always been to see His children be made whole. Even when He brought forth the children of Israel out of Egypt God made sure it was noted “and there was none feeble among them.” And I stand in theological agreement with Bill Johnson, who said, God forbid that I should bring my theology down to the level of my experience.” And there’s the rub. Too many in the church today pray as if they were “hedging their bets” rather than raise their faith, hope, and expectation up out of the level of their as of yet experience. To protect themselves from hope deferred perhaps, but then their mustard seed measure of faith is never given room to grow, as it was always intended.

May we stop releasing the wrong “seeds” (via our prayers) that God cannot water; wrong words born of wrong thoughts and beliefs. Because out of the abundance of our hearts our mouths do speak. At best, we are healed by the words we speak; at worst we remain in discomfort, disorder and dis-ease. Therefore may we begin to align our prayers with the realities of abundant life, to speak and pray those “things that are not as though they were.” May we only speak forth those sweet words that bless, heal, and deliver. May we shift our hearts, our thoughts, and our words, so that we might “declare a thing and see it established” and enter into the abundant life God intends for us.

To conclude, God makes a razor sharp distinction in regard to the will of the enemy of our souls and the will of the One who is the lover of our souls. John 10:10 is the summary of two opposing resumes; one brings death, the other, life. Church, we must choose this day which side our words will serve, especially as we pray. May it be forever settled in your heart today that it’s God’s will for you and everyone you encounter and pray for to be healed and whole in spirit, soul and body, regardless of what you currently see - for as children of the Kingdom of light we are all called to walk by faith, not by our limited sight.

Meditative Scriptures

But I say to you, that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. Matthew 6:36-37

(As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed - God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did… Romans 4:17

The thief does not come except to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 2

Prayer:

Father, may we pray according to heaven’s blueprint, not our own. May we pray not according to our own understanding or anxieties, but according to Your perfect will, as modeled by Jesus when He walked the earth. Forgive us, Lord, for every instance of a faith that wavers. and grant us Your grace empowerment to pray with an ever-increasing measure of faith, and may we pray the desired outcome, the solution, just as Jesus did. In Jesus Name, Amen

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