His Presence

One of the greatest lessons I have ever learned in my life is that God is my best Friend, and a close relationship with Him is vital to my existence in this world. He cares for me and loves me in ways no one else ever has been able to love me. There is nothing that I do or don’t do that affects the quality of our relationship. He loves me unconditionally. What I do or don’t do may affect what happens in my life here on this earth, but it does not affect God. He is always the same.

As a Christian, I have not done bad stuff, but there are areas of my life that need great change. God wants me to change my mindset about certain ways I think. He wants me to think the way He thinks. It is of great benefit to me to think God’s thoughts. His thoughts produce positive results in my life and the lives of those for whom I pray.

This morning, in my prayer time, I understood how to pray for people. So many of us are praying from the vantage point of the person we see, the outward man and what he does. God is telling us that we are to pray from the vantage point of the spirit. What is controlling that person? What causes them to do what they do? People are subject to the spirits that govern their lives. For example, if a person is serving satan, they do not recognize truth. They lie without even knowing they are lying because satan is the father of liars. Instead of condemning these people, we must pray that the eyes of their understanding will be open to the truth and they will recognize the need for coming to the Lord and serving Him.

God’s presence is so needed in our lives. We need Him to direct our attitudes and our understandings of ourselves and others. In His presence, there is understanding of the spiritual realm. We have discernment and recognition of what is happening in someone’s life. We then have the ammunition to shoot down the devil’s schemes to control them.

It is not about coming against a person. It is about taking authority over the spirit that is controlling that person. It is about praying in God’s presence in that person’s life. With our prayers, we must give the Lord an open door to come and minister to that person. Then that person has the option of accepting or rejecting the Lord and His advances toward them. Ultimately, it is about their choice. Once we have completed the assignment in prayer for someone, it is their choice to accept or reject what they are seeing.

Ah, the presence of the Lord! Don’t you love to spend time with Him. He is like a breath of fresh air in the middle of the pollution of life here on this earth. He is a refreshing stream of the water of life. He is a drink in the desert. He is the way in the wilderness. He is the One Who leads us beside the still waters of peace, when the storm is raging around us. He is Lord! Yes, He is still Lord of all.

Regardless of how we feel or what we think that is contrary to God’s Kingdom of Love, He is still Love Himself. He is still joy and peace and goodness and kindness and love. When we walk in this life in His presence, we walk free from the outward circumstances of this fleshly world in which we find ourselves living as His ambassadors. The only way we can remain untouched by evil and its consequences is to remain sheltered under the canopy of God’s Love, which is His presence, which is His glory. We are protected in Him.

Today, wherever you are and whatever you are doing when you read this Pearl, stop and enjoy and be thankful for God’s presence in you. You are one with Him. He is One with you. In that unity, there is great power. Don’t ever forget that. That’s why the devil attempts to bring strife, resentment, enmity, jealousy, envy, anger, irritability, and finally division. Divided, we fall; united, we stand. Let’s stand with Him and thus stand in His presence all the days of our lives.

We will be noticed in our position of unity because His presence will be felt by those around us. The fragrance of Him will be sensed. There are two reactions to His presence----people either embrace Him or they reject Him. He will do all that He can to help them walk through the open door of His presence, but ultimately, it is their choice.

Rejoice in our Lord God today and enjoy the beauty of His presence which clothes us with a sense of well-being and protection. Breathe in the perfume of His presence. He loves you so dearly.

God Is Full of Goodness

Today I am going to let scripture speak for itself. God’s Word is His voice in the earth. Take this as God speaking to you. Give forth declaration of His Word in agreement with Him and His declarations over you. Consider what each one of these verses is saying to you. Ask God to reveal Himself to you in His fullness in these scripture verses. Ask Him to teach you His ways. He waits for each one of us to ask Him to teach us and prepare us or train us that we may fulfill the plan God has for our lives. Our dear Heavenly Father delights in expanding our capacity that we may take in more of His goodness and mercy. What a truly wonderful God we serve! He loves each of us as if we were His only child. Hold that truth in your heart today as you read these verses and meditate on them.

Psalm 85:9-13 and Psalm 86:5,8-13, 15, Amplified Bible

"Surely His salvation is near to those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, [and is ready to be appropriated] that [the manifest presence of God, His] glory may tabernacle and abide in our land."

Remember that salvation is an all-inclusive word meaning deliverance, security, safety, health, wealth, and prosperity in every area of our lives. It includes being born again and being made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

"Mercy and loving-kindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other."

We have available to us God’s powerful love which has placed us in the position of righteousness. We are in Him, and He is righteous. When we know our rights in this position of righteousness, we have peace or wholeness.

"Truth shall spring up from the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

"Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase."

God is a good God and gives us good things. When He is in our lives, increase is in our lives.

"Righteousness shall go before Him and shall make His footsteps a way in which to walk."

I love this verse. Righteousness goes before Him. I am following in His footsteps. Therefore, I am walking in righteousness, when I am following Him. I am in the right position when I am following Him. I am walking in my rights, that He has given to me. I didn’t deserve these rights nor was I worthy of them, but He loves me so much He wants to lavish His goodness on me.

"For You, O Lord, are good, and ready to forgive [our trespasses, sending them away, letting them go completely and forever]; and You are abundant in mercy and loving-kindness to all those who call upon You."

God is so good. He readily forgives us and abundantly blesses us.

"There is none like unto You among the gods, O Lord, neither are their works like unto Yours."

"All nations whom You have made shall come and fall down before You, O Lord; and they shall glorify Your name."

"For You are great and work wonders! You alone are God."

"Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk and live in Your truth; direct and unite my heart [solely, reverently] to fear and honor Your name."

"I will confess and praise You, O Lord my God, with my whole (united) heart; and I will glorify Your name forevermore."

"For great is Your mercy and loving-kindness toward me; and You have delivered me from the depths of Sheol [from the exceeding depths of affliction]."

"But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness and truth."

God is merciful toward all of us and delivers us from afflictions. He is a great God. We bow down before Him and worship Him with our whole hearts and glorify His name forever. We ask Him to teach us His ways, that we may live in His Truth all the days of our lives.

Identified

In Him you also who have heard the Word of Truth, the glad tidings (Gospel) of your salvation, and have believed in and adhered to and relied on Him, were stamped with the seal of the long-promised Holy Spirit. That [Spirit] is the guarantee of our inheritance [the first-fruits, the pledge and foretaste, the down payment on our heritage], in anticipation of its full redemption and our acquiring [complete] possession of it----to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13,14 Amplified Bible).

And how you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God (Ephesians 1:13,14, NLT).

I am identified as God’s own child by the fact that the Holy Spirit is dwelling me. He is the marker of my being God’s child. In the Spirit realm I am identified by the indwelling Holy Spirit Who appears as Light for all to see. He is the One Whose indwelling points me out as one of God’s own chosen children.

The Holy Spirit is our identity. You can spot us anywhere by the Light of His Presence. I compare this identity to a human identity. If you are looking for someone in the airport whom you have never met, they tell you that you can identify them by the yellow shirt that they will be wearing. That is a very definite marker that will tell you the individual is the person for whom you are looking. Likewise, the Light of the Presence of the Holy Spirit is a very definite marker in the spirit realm that points out the person as a carrier of the Holy Spirit.

On this very earth, I am identified by the angelic beings in both satan’s realm and God’s realm by the Light, Love and Life of the Holy Spirit of God emanating from me. He has marked me as His own.

I am not only identified by the angelic beings. I am also identified by my dear Heavenly Father as His own. Within that identification is His pledge to me by the power of the Holy Spirit that He gives me everything He has promised. I have a Bible that tells me everything He has promised. It is mine. The Holy Spirit is my guarantee that I have what God has promised me.

If satan comes to question the promises God has made to me, I point Him to the Holy Spirit and tell satan to talk to Him about it. It is the delight and desire of God through His precious Holy Spirit to show satan the guarantee, the pledge, the down payment of my heritage. It is there for all to see. I am an heir of the Kingdom of God and all of its benefits of love, joy, peace, faith, health, wealth, happiness, well-being, protection and safety. I have access to all of my Father’s household. But the best part of all is that I have full freedom to be my Father’s child and have an intimate love relationship with Him. What a joy that brings to my heart.

Identified----He identified with us that we might become like Him. Now we are identified with Him forever.

Holy

Long ago, even before He made the world, God loved you and chose you in Christ to be holy (set apart in agreement with Him) and without fault in His eyes (Ephesians 1:4, NLT).

Make me pure and holy by teaching me Your words of Truth (John 17:17, NLT). Sanctify me through Your Truth; Your Word is Truth (John 17:17, KJV).

Ephesians 6:11-18 and Romans 13:12
Put on God’s whole armor, the armor of light, the armor of God….loins girt with the Truth of His Word----having on the breastplate of righteousness----feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace----shield of faith to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked----helmet of salvation on head----sword of the spirit in hand----praying always with all manner of prayer and supplication in the Spirit, interceding in behalf of all God’s people.

God’s Word, His Truth, makes me holy (sets me apart in agreement with Him). That’s my armor of Light----His Word of Truth. His Word of Truth is His protection for me. It is like an armor that a soldier wears in the physical realm. It is my protection against the enemy in the spiritual realm. When I embrace God’s Word as the Truth of my life, I am embracing my protection. I am in agreement with God, and that sets me apart to Him, where no enemy can touch me. I am in His Presence. His Word places me in that secret place of His Presence.

The armor of Light covers all of me. It covers my walk of life, my mind, and my creative place (my spirit). God’s Word of Truth shows me I am righteous (have His nature and rights in His Kingdom). I have peace in my walk of life (whole, with nothing missing or broken, burdens removed, yokes destroyed). That which is created (loins----spirit----heart is the place of creation) comes out of His Word of Truth which is active in my life. Whatever my life is today has been created by words I spoke yesterday, whether it was the Word of God's life or the words of the death of the world. I create my own world. I am saved (delivered, protected, healed, prosperous, set free).

I use God’s Word also as my offensive weapon. It divides asunder my soul and my spirit, and discerns the thoughts and intents of my heart. His Word of Truth keeps me in that place of discernment, so that the enemy comes and finds nothing in me because the Word has already shined on that dark area in me and removed it. That is a true offensive position, where there is no vulnerability to the enemy. There is nothing in you for him to attach himself to. He cannot hold you back from the fullness of God’s Truth operating in your life and setting you apart unto God. God’s Truth is my place of agreement. As long as I agree with God, I am set apart from this world and its dictates to my flesh man. That is true holiness.

Finally, then as I pray, I yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to take the Truth of God’s Word which I have been given and use it as the bondage breaker, the barrier remover, and the wall destroyer in people’s lives. My instruction is to pray at all times and in every season on behalf of God’s people. I am instructed to intercede and stand in the gap for people. I can do it effectively as I know who I am in the Word of Truth. I am instructed to be holy even as my God is holy. I become holy through the Word of God’s Truth. The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man or woman makes tremendous power available which works like dynamite to blow away the obstacles that satan has placed in the pathway of people’s lives (James 5:16Amplified Bible and KJV).

God has set you and me apart to Himself to be just like Him. His Word of Truth will work to develop the holiness of God in us every day. “For it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy” 1 Peter 1:16, KJV).

Bless

As I read James 3 yesterday, I realized the impact words we speak have on other people and situations in their lives. We can speak and think words of encouragement over them, or we can speak words of criticism and judgment. Regardless of what another person is doing that we may think is wrong, we must find positive words to bless them. This is not always easy, especially if we see things that people are doing wrong. However, I am reminded of what Jesus told us to do. Don’t look at the small splinter in someone else’s eye when you have a beam in yours.

I have been pondering much lately about our effect on people around us. Even our thoughts can affect them. What a power God has given us as humans to affect the world in which we live.

Today, I want you to do an exercise in being doers of the Word of God. Who is the person who “bugs” you the most? Who is the person you think needs changing the most? Who is the person about whom you find yourself thinking critical and judgmental thoughts? This doing of the Word of God that I am about to ask each of you to do is not for weaklings. And by the way, I am doing it myself, and have been doing so for quite a while.

I am sure that the Lord by the end of the last paragraph had already placed the person’s face in front of you. Today and as many days and weeks and months as it takes, find positive things to think about them. Speak positive words regarding them, even if they are “in your face” all the time. Yes, bless them, even if you don’t agree with the way they are doing things. Yes, bless them, even if you think they are wrong. Yes, bless them, even if they don’t like you and find every opportunity to let you know that. Yes, bless them, even if you don’t like them and want to tell them as much.

Our mind and our tongue can be used either to bless someone or to curse them. We as God’s children have an even more powerful mind and tongue, because the power of God is in us. We must be watchful over what we say and think. We can do much damage or we can do much good. We can be responsible for a person’s demise or we can be responsible for their turnaround. We make a tremendous difference in the world.

Here are some scriptures for all of us to meditate as we choose to bless others who don’t deserve it (or at least we think they don’t deserve our blessing).

Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength (firm, impenetrable Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 49:3
My mouth shall speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

James 1:19
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, Let every man be quick to hear (a ready listener), slow to speak, slow to take offence and to get angry.

Confess:
I choose to love _______ and do only good for _______. I choose to bless _______ with the goodness of God today. I choose to think pleasant thoughts toward ______. Set a watch over my lips that I will speak only that which is lovely and of a good report. I choose to think only thoughts which are true, lovely, and of a good report. I choose to see others through the eyes of Jesus.

As we practice returning good for evil, we are like our Heavenly Father. And there will be so much more peace and joy in our lives personally.

We all can do this. Come, follow Jesus!

God's Pleasure

What a beautiful day to be alive! The Lord is good to us! His mercy endures forever!

Our God is pleased when we praise Him. We give Him pleasure when we succeed and enjoy life. Regardless of what we encounter, we please Him when we look to Him and say: “I know you will take care of this for me. If there is anything I have to do, let me know.” It gives Him such pleasure to be a Father. He enjoys hearing you say: “I love You, Father. I love You, Papa.” Yes, He is a Papa. He has a household. His household is called the household of faith. And you and I are a part of that household, if we have been born again. If we have accepted what Jesus did for us on the cross, we are also sons and daughters of Almighty God, just as Jesus is His Son. Jesus is His first-born. We are the second and third and fourth and fifth, etc. to all eternity. Think about it. You are a child of the Almighty God. He chose you as His own. He adopted you into the family. You are His!

Look at Psalm 35:27,28. This is what we as God’s children are to do continually.

Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause; yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.

We are to shout for joy. We are to be glad. Why are we to be happy and joyful and glad? We take pleasure in God’s righteousness. We are joyful that He has included us in the family and given us family rights and privileges. Some of the rights and privileges are health, peace, love, joy, safety, shelter, security, wealth, and prosperity or success in every area of our lives. Then look what gives God pleasure. As we magnify Him and His prosperity instead of the lack in this world that attempts to hold us back, He takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant. Actually, this was Old Testament. In the New Testament we are called sons and daughters. We are members of the household.

Look at that. God takes pleasure in our prosperity. Don’t you love that? God Himself takes pleasure in my success. He enjoys seeing me happy and blessed and living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for me to live (Ephesians 2:10).

We Are Blessed

We are going to confess some scriptures today for the building up of our faith and confidence.

Jeremiah 17:7,8, Amplified Bible

I am blessed as a man/woman who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and my hope and confidence are in the Lord.

I shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and I shall not see and fear when heat comes; but my leaf shall be green. I shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall I cease yielding fruit.

Psalm 1:1,2,3

I am blessed, happy, fortunate, prosperous and enviable as a man/woman who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly, following their advice, their plans and purposes, nor do I stand submissive and inactive in the path where sinners walk, not do I sit down to relax and rest where the scornful and the mockers gather.

But my delight and desire are in the Word of the Lord and on His Word I habitually meditate, ponder, and study by day and by night.

I shall be like a tree firmly planted and tended by the streams of water, ready to bring forth my fruit in its season; my leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything I do shall prosper and come to maturity.

Joshua 1:8

God’s Word shall not depart out of my mouth; but I shall meditate in it day and night, that I may do according to all that is written in God’s Word; for then I shall make my way prosperous and then I shall have good success.

Yes, we are blessed and prosper or succeed, even in the time of drought and dry conditions, whether those conditions are dry in our finances, in our bodies, in our marriages, in our children or anywhere else in our lives. We are blessed. We prosper. We succeed. Everything prospers which we set out hands to. We delight in God’s Word, and His Word causes us to prosper. His Word is His wisdom to us. If we lack wisdom, we go to Him. He will show us the way out of any situation or circumstance which we may encounter.

We are blessed!

He Loves You; He Chose You

Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes (Ephesians 1:4, New Living Translation).

I have been focusing on this scripture for months. It speaks volumes to me about God’s desire to be my Heavenly Father. Before He even made the world, which was thousands of years ago, God loved me. My mind sometimes finds difficulty wrapping itself around this truth. God loved me before He ever created me or the world. His love for me reaches beyond time and space. Before I was even created in my mother’s womb, God loved me. He created me to love me. What an awesome thought!

Then, as if that was not enough to love me, He chose me in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. Now that is a big thought. God Himself chose me in Christ. What was His purpose for choosing me? He chose me that I would be holy (like Him, in agreement with Him) and without fault in His sight. He chooses to see me as perfect, blameless, and without spot or blemish. What a God! What a choice!

Look at Ephesians 2:4-10 in the New Living Translation. I enjoy reading this passage. It gives me such assurance of my Heavenly Father’s love for me.

“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s special favor that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms----all because we are one with Christ Jesus. And so God can always point to us as examples of the incredible wealth of his favor and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us through Christ Jesus.

God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

Isn’t it wonderful to be loved and chosen!

Change

I enjoy spring when the flowers explode into brilliant colors and the little green leaves appear on the trees. I enjoy the weather, which brings warmth where there was cold air. There is a vibrancy and newness of life that makes me feel alive and vigorous. Winter is past and what appeared to be dead is now showing forth new life. People’s lives are like that sometimes. There is a season of winter, where everything appears to be dead, with no possibility of life. Then comes the dawn of new life. Winter is past and the spring has come.

If you are in a time of your life where it seems that your prayers have not been answered and your dreams will never come true, stand steady. Believe God and His Word is true in your life. The life-producing energy of the Holy Spirit of God is in you if you are born again. Stir up that life of God in you. Deliberately, on purpose, speak the opposite of what is happening. Speak God’s Word to your situation. Think the opposite of what things look like. Do these things deliberately. Speak, think, and act as if you have what you are praying for. Act as if the results are already there. Thank God and rejoice in the victory. This action is contrary to everything we as people want to do. But it is what we must do. In Romans we see God calling those things that be not as though they were. We are His children, and as His dear children, we are to imitate Him and do what He does.

Even when we don’t feel like it and even if it looks like everything is getting worse and even if it looks like we will not get our prayers answered----yes, and even if it looks like we are “going down for the third time” and there is no one to rescue us, we still put our trust in God and His Word of Love.

It’s time for change! It’s time for breakthrough for God’s children! It’s time for a new thing! God wants to put a new song in your mouth. He wants to change your heart from one of fear and doubt to one of faith and belief. Oh, He wants to do so much for you and me. It is time we believe Him. He will make all things new and beautiful. We must believe Him!

Here are some scriptures for all of us to meditate upon until we see ourselves coming forth into a new land of God’s prosperity, dressed in the many colors of His Kingdom (white for righteousness, blue for royalty, red for the blood of the covenant, gold for the glory of God).

Isaiah 43:19, Amplified Bible
Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Colossians 2:10
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Ephesians 4:22-24
That ye put off concerning the former conversation (lifestyle) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Here in these verses, God is telling us that we have put off our old way of thinking and acting (fear, doubt, unbelief, anger, lying, etc) and have put on His way of thinking and acting (faith, belief, love, joy, peace, etc.). Daily we must renew our minds to this way of thinking and acting. How do we do that? We read and study and meditate His Word every day. We pray in the spirit every day. We focus on the Lord all the time. It takes practice and diligence but the results are worth it all.

Colossians 3:10
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.

This verse shows the results of a new life. We are molded and conformed to the image of God Who created us.

Wake up! Rejoice! Spring has come! You are a new creation in Christ Jesus! See yourself that way! Act that way! A new day has come!