Friends,

Today, let’s visit another aspect of Jesus that most of us find very relatable. Jesus, the Shepherd.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. —John 10:27-28

Most believers who come to Christ read the Gospels and this passage in John is familiar and comforting. But, what I also find interesting is that Jesus tells us that we hear His voice. My question is this, why don’t we then?

So many believers have difficulty hearing the voice of their Savior, outside of the Bible. And let me be clear here. We DO indeed, hear His voice in the Word of God. But, I also know that as followers of Christ, and children of God, we can hear the Lord speak to us in our heart.

We struggle to hear the voice of Jesus for a number of reasons. There is vast and differing teaching regarding this topic among the Church. This creates confusion in the Body and leaves many people with a life-time of hearing God only one dimensionally, through the Bible. Jesus desires and intimate relationship with each of us. Thus it’s essential that we learn to perceive His voice.

Today, I want to assert that we are designed to hear Jesus speak to us. We can learn to tune into His voice. We must eliminate all things that create a block to His voice. And we also must learn to discern what voice we are hearing. And discernment becomes a challenge as we must determine if it is God speaking, our own voice or that of others or the enemy.

What I want to make clear today is that every believer CAN hear the voice of Jesus. That is what He assures us in the book of John. Working through all the blockages, confusion and lies into correct discernment is the path to listening and hearing our Lord speak.

Okay, in the comments, I would love to hear about your story of when you heard the Lord speak. I can’t wait to meet you there.

Next up, another aspect of Jesus. Let’s keep learning as our knowledge leads us into intimacy and understanding. Hugs, Lynn

For more videos like this one, visit: Marching Around Jericho - Equipping Warriors.

Jesus! It Is Finished

Today, and perhaps for several post, let’s talk about the aspects of Jesus. Let’s discover some of His personality traits, how He interacts with humanity. Let’s discover how our intimacy with Christ brings into our lives His part of the personality of God.

I know that I’m representing my personal relationship with Jesus as I’m writing. I honor and respect that others will perceive Jesus with differing views and experiences. I’m hoping to just land on a few parts of Jesus that we all, as believers, can develop and relate.

Today, I want to talk about Jesus as Savior.

Literally every single believer over a vast differing denominations and expressions of faith can unite together under the truth that Jesus is our personal Savior. And my friends, so many things divide the body of Christ, but this tenant is our undeniable truth. AND NO MAN CAN TAKE THIS FROM US! Hallelujah.

We all come into the Kingdom through the invitation of Jesus. His love, forgiveness, and the hope He offers draws upon our hearts.

He is Salvation!

sal·va·tion

/salˈvāSH(ə)n/ noun 1. preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss.

Can I just get a HALLELUJAH!

But my friends, salvation is not a one-time event! Listen to this:

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. — Philippians 2:12

Our salvation is actually and ongoing and continual process of deliverance, preservation, healing and a journey into holiness. It’s our lifetime!

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times, God is much more interested in our day-to-day than merely the end result. Our arrival in heaven is the grand event but my friends, I dare to say that our daily life is just as important.

Jesus wants to interact with us every.single.day. The Trinity wants to interact with us every day. Our salvation event was and is a beautiful dance with Jesus that one day will take us to the greatest day in history:

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah!

For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory,

for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;

it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” —Revelation 19:6-9

This is merely one single aspect of Jesus. When you think of salvation and Jesus, what comes to your mind? See you in the comments. Hugs, Lynn

By Martha Bush

I accepted Lynn’s 30-day Blessing Challenge as she suggested in her book, Marching Around Jericho. I have shared parts of my journey here with you the past couple of weeks.

As the 30 days were drawing to a close, I thanked the Lord for what I had learned, and was anxious to move forward to a new learning tool. But, then the Holy Spirit spoke gently to me and said, “You are not quite finished; you have one more person to bless.”

“Who could that possibly be, Lord?  I have blessed everyone I know, even strangers in Walmart.”

His reply stunned me, “Your Mother! She came to live with me in 2017, and she is still waiting for one blessing that you never gave her. I want you to know I am well pleased with the honor you showed her - you gave her birthday parties, took her on trips, and you traveled many miles taking care of her in her old age.”

“But, there is one thing she always wanted from you that you never fulfilled the way she wanted you to.”

“What in the world is it, Lord”?

“A hug!  She desperately wanted you to hug her tightly.”

I tried arguing with Him by saying: “Well, Lord, you know I am not good at showing affection;  it’s not my love language. I prefer quality time to sit and talk for hours.”

“Sorry, Martha, but “touching” was her love language. Your heart was in the right place when you wrote her a blessing journal but-------

(Pause in my conversation with the Lord)

My mind flashed back to the time period the Lord was referring to about the blessing journal. I had just read a book entitled, The Blessing.  For a brief concept outlined in this book, let’s take a look at the Old Testament story of Isaac giving the blessing to his son in Genesis 27.

 This blessing was supposed to be given to Isaac’s first-born son, Esau, but Jacob deceived his half-blind father and Isaac gave him the blessing instead of Esau. It was the custom that once a blessing was given, it could not be revoked. Though deception was taking place, the author suggested that there were elements involved as Isaac gave the blessing that should be practiced in our society today.

1. Meaningful Touch: Isaac began by kissing Jacob. (Gen. 27: 26)
2. Spoke Words of Value: The smell of my son is the good smell of the earth and fields that Jehovah has blessed. May God always give you plenty of rain for your crops, and good harvest and grapes. (Gen. 27:27-28)
3. Pictured a Special Future: May many nations be your slaves. Be the master of your brothers. May all your relatives bow low before you. Cursed are all who curse you, and blessed are all who bless you. (Gen: 27:29)

As you know, when Esau realized that his father had given the blessing to his brother, he wept and cried out,  

“Don’t you have just one blessing for me, Father?”

What is Esau really saying? I think he is saying, "I want to know you value me! Please Father, don’t you have just one blessing for me?”

Right then and there, I was determined to bless my immediate family, so I bought 4 journals—one for my husband, one for each of my two daughters, and one for my mother. I filled it with qualities I saw in each of them, expressed how much I valued them, and even painted a special picture of their future. I presented it to each of them as a gift at Easter.

My mother was overcome with joy after she read hers: “That was the best gift you could have ever have given me.”

(Conversation with the Lord continued)

“Martha, it was a great blessing journal you wrote, but you failed to carry out the one thing she wanted most - A Meaningful Touch.  How many times did you hear your mother say to you, ‘Please give me a tight hug; not just a little pat on my back.’”

Big tears rolled down my face. It was as though I could hear her crying out to me the same way Esau cried out to his father:

“Don’t you have just one hug for me, Martha?”

And so, I had a talk with the Lord. “Father God, in the name of Jesus, forgive me for withholding a meaningful touch from my mother. Would You do me a favor?  Please walk down to her mansion and say, ‘I have a message from Martha. She wanted me to tell you that she is so sorry she didn’t hug you tightly, and wanted me to give you a big hug from her.’”

I just know when Jesus did that, her old osteoporosis bones that were now healed since reaching heaven, danced a little jig right there in front of Jesus.

As for me, a healing took place inside of me.

********

If there is someone deceased you feel you should have blessed, it is not too late to talk to Jesus about it. As Lynn says: "There is Power in Blessing."

The Trinity

I’ve come to realize that a great number of God’s people struggle to truly understand the Trinity. And I’ll be honest, for many years, I was one of them. It blew my mind to consider God as three people. I mean, come on, how is that possible. So, for the next several posts I want to unpack the Trinity.

Our highest and best life is that of intimacy with God. Without understanding the different aspects of the Trinity, it’s impossible to live in intimacy and trust with God. I’ll also be up front here. I don’t have everything figured out. I’m of the opinion we never will. We will always be discovering new characteristics of the Lord for all eternity. That truth excites me. How about you?

I’m going to share my understanding and perceptions of the Triune God. My observations are based upon the Word and my experience. I admit up front, how I view the Trinity will differ from you and others. Remember, I’m still learning. Yet, what I do know is absolutely amazing and if I’m able to help one other person to gain understanding and lead them closer to God, then I’m going to share what I know.

Let’s get started.

The Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God on earth came to the church as a gift from Jesus as He ascended into heaven.

If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. —John 14:15-18 (NKJV)

The Holy spirit is the abiding Spirit of the Living God who dwells upon the earth to point the sons and daughters of God continually to Jesus.

The Holy Spirit has many functions. And let me be forthwith, I’m still discovering aspects of the Holy Spirit so I may not have a full understanding of every aspect of the Spirit, but this is what I do know. The Holy Spirit is a comforter. Read this passage:

But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you. — John 14:26 (AMP)

There are times when we are in sorrow, fear, uncertainty and asking the Holy Spirit to come and be present allows the Lord to offer us strength, counsel, to comfort, to advocate and intercede for us. In this passage Jesus instructs that the Holy Spirit is His representation. The Holy Spirit also teaches and aids us to remember and learn how to live out what we are discovering in the Bible.

Wow!

And although I know the Holy Spirit is my comforter and encourager to seek Jesus, the Spirit is also my empowerment and my spiritual might.

“But you shall receive power (“dunamis”) - ability, efficiency and might - when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends - the very bounds - of the earth” (Acts 1:8, AMP.)

The Greek word Dunamis, meaning power, is where we derive our English word, dynamite. I truly see the Holy Spirit as the power source behind my prayers. This is clearly evident as I come into agreement with God’s will and am praying in partnership with the Holy Spirit. Also, I’m convinced that successful deliverance ministry and supernatural healing occurs through our partnership with the Holy Spirit. (I also believe the angelic assist in this as well.)

The Holy Spirit is our constant earthly contact that is available for us to lean into. The Spirit will always point us toward Jesus. He will remind us our power and authority that is available because of Jesus and our blood covenant with Him.

The Holy Spirit offers a plethora of gifts (Galatians 5:22). And our God is not stingy, we are able to walk in any gifting of the Kingdom as long as we are willing to do the hard work and learn to steward that gift in a mature manner in order that we won’t harm ourselves or others.

The Spirit also offers a unique prayer language (1 Corinthians 14). Of which, I’m still unpacking all the aspects of what occurs when we speak in tongues. I’m of the opinion we barely understand the depth of power and position we have available to us when we unlock that gift from our Lord God, Holy Spirit.

Okay, I’ve run long in this post. Next post, Jesus.

What are other verses in the Word that describe what is available to us through the Holy Spirit. What aspects of the Spirit do you relate easily to, what’s difficult?

I have an activation for you this week. Each day this week when you begin your quiet time with God, I want you to start by welcoming the Holy Spirit. Say aloud, “You are welcome here Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit come and speak to me.” Speak in tongues if you are able. Give it a good 15-30 minutes. Watch how the atmosphere will shift. And when it does, ask the Lord questions.

This morning I received such a profound revelation about souls and the devil. It was wild.

Okay, see you in the comments. Love you my Freedom Marching friends. Let’s keep marching. There is a broken and lost world that is desperate to me the sons and daughters of God. Hugs, Lynn

I really never have a script and love a lively and interesting interview. This interview with Rabbi Eric Walker was just that, lively and unscripted. Hope you are encouraged. I love you Marching Warriors. 

Let me remind you........ WE WIN!  In Jesus name. Hallelujah!