Kissed Him Ministries

Author: Veronica

  • The Threshold of Extraordinary Love

    The Threshold of Extraordinary Love

    Isaiah 60:2-3 says, For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the people. But the Lord will arise upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

    We, the body of Christ, are on the brink of the greatest move of God the world has EVER seen! There are pockets of revival starting and stirring all over the world. Now is the time, today is the day for our hearts to be ready and right before God. Revival, lasting revival flows from a place of intimacy. What can’t God do with a devoted lover? The bible says love is as strong as death. (Song of Solomon 8:6) Truly, Love Himself has conquered the grave. He is a consuming fire. His desire for us is unyielding. In Song of Solomon God asks us to set Him as a seal upon our hearts (commitment of love) and a seal upon our arms (commitment of service).  

    Only those who hold the heart of the King will have the character to sustain the anointing He is pouring on His sons and daughters for the end times.

    God’s end time army is His bride.

    She has made herself ready (Revelation 19:7). She is pure, spotless before God. She has a heart only for Him, eyes only for Him. Even in the midst of deepest darkness, she is resolute, steadfast. Her yes means yes (Matthew 5:37). Why? Because she has crossed the threshold of extraordinary love and entered the Kings heart. She has made Him her dwelling place.

    Psalm 27:4-5 says, One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. To gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple. For He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble. He will conceal me under the cover of His tent. He will lift me high upon the rock.

    So how do we, as His Bride, get to the threshold of extraordinary love? This is what I will unpack in the coming weeks. 😊

    2 Kings 20:12-18

    12 At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 13 And Hezekiah welcomed them, and he showed them all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them. 14 Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?” And Hezekiah said, “They have come from a far country, from Babylon.” 15 He said, “What have they seen in your house?” And Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them.”

    16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: 17 Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. 18 And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” 

    We see here that Hezekiah became vulnerable to strangers. He revealed everything in the kingdom to them because they were friendly. He believed they were safe. But obviously they were not. In the same way, God won’t reveal the deep things of His kingdom to everyone.

    Once, when I was spending time with God. Jesus asked me to turn to this passage of scripture. I read it out loud and then He told me, “It is the same with Me Veronica. This is why I don’t show the deep things within My kingdom to everyone who shows my kindness. There are many who come and go, who settle on the outskirts. Who love and delight because they receive something in return. I desire a Bride that will love Me simply because of who I am.”

    This is why hearts are tested. The refiner’s fire is for gold and silver. Jesus doesn’t want His house, His kingdom to be turned into a den of thieves. There is a secret place reserved for the lovers of God. A place of rest and safety within Him. The fire turns you into treasure, does it not? If you are His, then you are His forever. God will hide you in the shelter of His wings and keep you safe from corruption. He will tether, bind your heart to His through the trials you endure. What can’t He do with a sold out, laid down, surrendered lover? He can trust them, and He will protect them. You are one such treasure. He calls you a treasured possession in all the earth.

    Deuteronomy 7:6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

    Matthew 21:13He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

    Malachi 3:2-3 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord

    Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

    There is a secret place reserved for the lovers of God, where they sit and receive the revelation secrets of His promises. Psalm 25:14

  • Don’t Go Back to The Old Yoke

    Don’t Go Back to The Old Yoke

    “So Elijah departed and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve teams of oxen, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah passed by him and threw his cloak (mantle) around him. So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” Elijah replied, “for what have I done to you?” So Elisha turned back from him, took his pair of oxen, and slaughtered them. Using the oxen’s equipment for fuel (their yokes), he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow and serve Elijah” (1 Kings 19:19-21).

    In these scriptures Elisha is found as a farmer, plowing with twelve teams of oxen, and he was with the twelfth team. The number twelve signifies perfect government. This is a prophetic picture of Elijah mastering a season of his life. He was at the tail end of this season as he was with the twelfth team of oxen. Who knows how many years he spent in the dirt…plowing and digging up the ground.  No matter how long that season was, he had completely resigned himself to the assignment God had for him. When Elijah showed up, he threw his mantle on Elisha, signifying the beginning of a new season for Elisha. This is a prophetic picture of God’s “suddenly” in our lives. Elisha was faithful with what God had given him in the previous season of his life. Now God was about to do something very different, something much bigger and quite unimaginable with him. This transition was not gradual. There was a requirement – a demand that was placed on Elisha to leave it all behind, to permanently break away from the old yoke, and never go back.  This is indicated by saying goodbye to his mother and father. The next thing he did severed his connection to his last season forever: he took his pair of oxen and slaughtered them. Using the oxen’s equipment (yokes) for fuel, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people.  He utterly destroyed the old yoke.

    This is a new season allotted for the children of God, the body of Christ. With this season there is also a requirement: it’s all or nothing. There is no room for lack of faith or hesitation. I am speaking to those who have gone through the fire. God has revealed Himself. You know Him and are known by Him. You are for Him, not against Him. It is time to grab hold of that which He has shown you, promised you, imparted to you, and opened up to you.

    I hear Jesus saying this, “In quiet I have prepared you, not only to receive My love, but to make war with the enemy. He can no longer steal the promises. He can no longer set traps or cause delays.”

    You have been transformed. The door to the old life has closed, and there is no going back. Going back means disobedience. Going back is an act of the flesh, not a scheme of the enemy. What bound you in the last season is broken. That yoke has been removed by the mighty hand of God. He was always for you, in all your training. He chose the difficult trials for you because they were the quickest path to His heart. He knows you through and through. He knows the tough stuff you are made of! In the last season He taught you to endure. He taught you how to find rest in the lion’s den. He taught you to resist the devil and He prepared a table for you in the enemy’s presence. You learned how to press in and draw near to God in the midst of chaos, depression, confusion, unfulfilled promises, shame, and hopelessness.  Under the old yoke He formed you into the warrior you are now. He strengthened you and armed you. In this season it’s time to call down fire from heaven and utterly destroy the works of darkness! The weapons He gave you are mighty in God!

    I hear Him saying this, “You are able to grasp by faith that which is reality. In this last season the word of God was choked, stolen from you. But it was not the enemy who stole it. I took it  from you. I am the God who gives and takes away. What I took, I have stored safely away for the new yoke, this new season. I give it all back! Do not look back, not in your mind nor in your heart. Keep your gaze transfixed on Me, towards the hills where your help comes from.”

    When He says “don’t go back to the old yoke”, He is saying that you are too mature to let the enemy steal what He has for you. There is no longer any residue on you. The anointing rests on you and it is in operation. He has peeled back the veil and now it’s time to have fun! We are warriors, weapons of destruction against the kingdom of darkness, forged in the hottest fire. God used the enemy’s attacks to create you into a weapon of mass destruction! In Psalm 2 it says God sits and laughs at the wickedness of the nations. He laughs at those who believe they can dethrone Him.

    I hear Him saying this, “Do you not know you are the temple of the living God? Did I not promise My glory would cover the Earth? And now see what I have done. I am speaking to you my warriors, My chosen ones who have allowed Me to do the deep work within you. The nations plot in vain against Me. Deep darkness covers the Earth. There is a special inheritance for you, My kings and queens. There is a wall of fire around you, and My glory is within you. In the last season You have set Me as a seal upon your heart. Now you set Me as a seal upon your arm. Glory and fire go with you. This yoke is one of glory, fire and resurrection life! Will I not quicken your mortal bodies? Who am I? Am I not Creator of the universe? The greatest of all. The One true living God. It is a very small and easy thing for Me to accomplish what I want through you. I have created vessels of the greatest honor. Vessels that will not say no, vessels that will not say, “I’m too scared, or it’s too hard”. I have given you eyes to see, and nothing is impossible with Me. Crazy, wild faith beloved! (I can hear Him laughing wildly!) As the scripture says, Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man the things I have prepared for those who love Me.”

    If this word resonated with you, then please pray this prayer with me!

    Dearest Heavenly Father, what wonders to behold with Your heart! Confront Me Lord, take away everything that comes between You and I. Give me grace to walk with You in this next season, to leave the old yoke behind and never look back. Pour Yourself into me Lord, Your goodness, Your love, Your instruction, Your glory.  I want You to have Your way. Glorify Yourself within me. Thank You Father for the deep work You have done. Truly, You will complete what You started. Your ways are unsearchable. There is none so beautiful Jesus. Thank You for loving me the way You do. In Jesus name, amen.

    Thank you for taking the time to read these messages! If they have encouraged or helped you, please consider sharing with someone. Want to receive new messages directly in your inbox? Just fill out the contact form on our (Contact Page). If you’d like to support the growth of this ministry, we invite you to consider making a donation. Have a wonderful day – and remember, Jesus loves you deeply. He is for you, not against you!

  • For The Shining Ones 

    For The Shining Ones 

    “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” – Proverbs 4:18 

    As believers we are on the path of life, walking towards Jesus, walking towards… the Son. One foot in front of the other, we devote our lives to Him, moving forward with purpose in our hearts.  As we keep our gaze transfixed, He shines brighter within us. Transforming us, we begin to look like Him, reflecting His glory. We become shining ones.  

    There is a metamorphosis taking place in the body of Christ. His sons and daughters are becoming better beings. The old form, or nature we have lived under for so long, is breaking away. It’s time now to take those promises off the shelf and dust them off! In this last season hope differed made your heart sick. Still, you pressed on, and God has seen your faithfulness. Now it’s time for promises to be fulfilled. The radiance and glory of God shines upon you!  

    This is what I hear Him saying… 

    “This is for the Shining Ones says the Lord. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give Me glory. My light shines on you and it shines within you. I am speaking to the ones I raised eating manna. I fed you from My own hand in the secret place. I raised you in the valley of trouble and offered you a door of hope. I taught you to lean upon Me, to hear My voice. I showed you that true rest can only be found in Me. I have taken responsibility for you. I pulled you in with cords of kindness and love. When the world system and the religious crowd rejected you, I accepted you and revealed Myself to you.  

    My shining ones, have I not prepared you for such a time as this? You are oak trees of righteousness, which I have preserved in My greenhouse. How you flourish! You are true treasure to Me! And you know it. You have opened up your heart and become vulnerable before Me, and so I have revealed Myself to you in the deepest and most gentle way. You are Esthers, orphans, having no spiritual mothers or fathers to raise you. Yet I have raised you. I have given you the spirit of adoption, and now you cry out, “Abba Father!” It is because I raised you in the secret place that you truly know Me. Nothing man-made will ever snatch you out of My hand! 

    To you I say arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness the people. But the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” 

    If you felt like this word was for you, please say this prayer with me- 

    Father, My King and My closest Friend, teach me to love You! Give me a heart that belongs to You alone. Allow me to long for, hurt for what hurts You. I want to give You my all. Make me completely Yours. Renew my strength, so I can live out my days for You. You are my heart’s desire. Have Your way in my life. I love You Jesus. Make me like You. I want to reflect Your glory and shine Your Light. I want to give You Your reward, Your inheritance, Your Bride. You are My King forever- 

    In Jesus name I pray, Amen.  

    Thank you for taking the time to read these messages! If they have encouraged or helped you, please consider sharing with someone. Want to receive new messages directly in your inbox? Just fill out the contact form on our (Contact Page). If you’d like to support the growth of this ministry, we invite you to consider making a donation. Have a wonderful day – and remember, Jesus loves you deeply. He is for you, not against you!  

    Other scriptures from this word you might want to look up! 

    Isaiah 60:1-3, 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, Matthew 5:16, Hosea 11:4, Romans 8:15, Hosea 2:15, Proverbs 13:12 

  • The Unimaginable Waits For Us

    The Unimaginable Waits For Us

    “Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.   Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off,   and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.   So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.   But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”  Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”   Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”  She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”  (John 11:17-27)

    There are two very important truths in this passage of scripture that I believe are a now word for the body of Christ.

    Keep your eyes on Jesus and, the unimaginable waits for you.

    Martha was a woman of faith. She believed Jesus was who He said He was: “the Christ, the son of God, who is coming into the world.” She knew Jesus could have healed her brother Lazarus. But now He was dead. Her faith didn’t go beyond this, but only because she didn’t imagine it could happen, even though she knew whatever He asked from God, God would give Him. You see, her eyes were focused on an event – Jesus resurrecting her brother on the last day. When Jesus said “I am the Resurrection and the life”, He was telling her to put her faith in Him, to keep her eyes on Him, because He is the event.

    It is time…

    The martyrdom of Charlie Kirk was put on display for America to see.  It was a shot fired into the realm of eternity, like the pistol that goes off before an Olympic race. The sight of the pistol and the sound it makes gives runners a visual and audio signal simultaneously.   It is a sign to all runners that it’s time to go!  It was a sign to us.

    What the enemy meant for evil, God is using for His glory. Instead of the church cowering and hiding behind closed curtains, revival has begun. People are running to God instead of running away from Him, and this is absolutely incredible! Paul encouraged us to run our race, to finish it, looking unto Jesus as the author and perfector of our faith. He said we run the race to obtain the crown of righteousness, and we keep running until the race is finished.

    We are in a season of surprise as a body. The heavens feel open, don’t they? Is your strength renewed? Do you feel hungrier for God than usual? Are you having more dreams?   I have felt such an increase in His presence, and it’s wonderful! He has worked on us, positioned us and now He is calling our names.

    I once had a dream about the last day revival. In this dream, everywhere I went I felt the glory of God. The glory of God was inside buildings and outside in the streets. It was so heavy that all I could do was weep under the weight of it. I remember walking up to a post office drop box that was painted red, and the lid was ajar. I walked up to it and saw an aborted dead baby in the box. As soon as I picked up the baby it came back to life! I didn’t even get a chance to ask God to raise it up. That’s how powerful the presence of God was.

    Then I was asked to preach at a church, but I was reluctant because I didn’t want to have to take my focus off of the presence of God in order to study His word and produce a sermon. Then God spoke to me in the dream and said, “The key to this next revival is to respond to Me. If all you can do is stand at the pulpit and weep, that is what I will use. If you respond to Me, then I will have My way.” I didn’t need to take my focus off of Him in order to study the word and prepare a sermon. His presence was the sermon!

    The unimaginable awaits. Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man the things God has prepared for those who love Him. But we must keep our eyes on Jesus. We are in a new season. We can’t put all our faith in past revivals or even… doctrines. God will perform His Word!  Don’t misunderstand me – there are those who put all their faith in their system of belief, a doctrine they have adopted in order to feel safe. And in so doing they have missed Jesus, and they will continue to miss Him.  He is the Word, and He is the Light shining in the darkness. Don’t take your eyes off of Jesus.

    If this word speaks to your heart, then say this prayer with me…

    Father, In Jesus name I ask You to reveal Yourself to me. Use me for Your glory. Make me bold as a lion. I want to run this race with You, and for You. The Spirit and the Bride say come Lord Jesus! We want You to have Your way. Do what only You can do. Show us Your glory. Come down upon us and change us. Heal us. Restore our lives. Save us, we pray! We need You to rescue this nation. We need You to rescue us and set our hearts on fire. Give us the strength and boldness we need to finish this race, to please Your heart.

    In Jesus name we pray, amen.

    Thank you for taking the time to read these messages! If they have encouraged or helped you, please consider sharing with someone. Want to receive new messages directly in your inbox? Just fill out the contact form on our (Contact Page). If you’d like to support the growth of this ministry, we invite you to consider making a donation. Have a wonderful day – and remember, Jesus loves you deeply. He is for you, not against you!

    Other scriptures from this word you might want to look up!

    1 Corinthians 9:24-26, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 1 Corinthians 2:9, John 1:1-5,

  • Your Anointing is Costly

    Your Anointing is Costly

    “One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”  (Luke 7:36-39).

    This woman is a picture of what love looks like. The deep surrendering of the soul at such a great price. She had to face darkness to get to Jesus. She faced shame, persecution, and rejection. When she walked into the Pharisee’s house, she had to literally walk into a room full of religious leaders who would accuse her, remind her of her past, and in so doing, disqualify her to her face, to reach Jesus… let that sink in. 

    But it was a small price for her to pay compared to the amount of overwhelming love she felt for Him, for her King. She was willing to surrender her pride, her shame, and her heart. The oil itself cost a lot of money, a whole year’s wage! But the real anointing wasn’t in the oil, it was in her heart. For the sake of love, she wholeheartedly handed herself over to Jesus no matter the cost.

    No one in that room knew who she truly was but Jesus. She was hidden, like treasure. That is the real cost of the anointing. We fast, we pray and we study our Bibles. We get teachers and mentors and go to Bible colleges but that isn’t where the anointing grows. The anointing comes from a much more costly place. It comes from sanctification, from being set apart and made holy. The anointing will cost you everything. It will cost you your career, your reputation, relationships, and even family members. It will cost you your time as well. Being set apart, sanctified and used for His purposes is costly. Being chosen by God to carry a mantle is a life of sacrifice. Paul called himself a prisoner of the Lord, a bond servant of Christ. He said his chains were in Christ. When he was locked up in prison, he considered himself chained to Jesus, not the Romans… again, let that sink in.

    But the anointing is not without reward. This woman’s love for Jesus compelled her to face her fears in an instant to approach Him. She had to go alone, no one went with her! Imagine loving Jesus so much you would endure through the greatest darkness the world has ever known because your love and desire for Him is so much greater than your fear of persecution, suffering or even death.

    She had one goal, to get to the one her soul loved. The One who freed her from her past, the One who speaks truth. His words burned in her heart I am certain of it. And when she got to Him, she bowed at His feet. Have you ever been in a church service where the presence of God is so strong you bow and weep? I have! I have felt the weight of His love and glory pulling on my heart. It wrecks me. In those moments I can’t understand why He would choose me for such perfect love. It’s so past my understanding, so overwhelming and more beautiful than I have words for.

    I imagine this is what she felt while she wept at his feet and gave Him her whole heart. The translation in the Greek suggests she was weeping like rain. Her tears came from deep within her soul. She became vulnerable before Jesus, she emptied herself. Deeply humbled by His love, she poured the very best of all she had at His feet. The alabaster oil was very expensive, but her tears, more so.

    Her tears were costly only to her and to Jesus though. He understood her. She was seen by Him. And He completely accepted her for who she was. He brought forth her identity because of this.

    God is building an army of end time warriors who have paid a heavy price for the anointing they now carry. They have walked the rugged road through wind, rain, sleet, high mountain ranges, and the deepest valleys! They walked through fire, and they have done it in hiddenness, and in silence, often being misunderstood, lonely and left with deep longing. They have suffered at the hand of God. Their trials have been so hard they questioned God’s love for them at times. They have felt cut off from the body of Christ. But they never gave up. These warriors have stayed the course, determined to walk as closely with Jesus as possible because they have never known a love like His. They have been very weary yet repeatedly refreshed by God’s love. In the secret place they have known Jesus. He has come out of hiding and revealed His heart to them, giving them love and purifying their hearts. They have been given revelation knowledge and downloads from heaven. These end time anointed vessels of honor have paid a costly price for their anointing and now they wait on God to release them. They are pure before God and have oil in their lamps.

    I believe we are in a season of the hidden ones coming forth. No longer will you be a message tucked away in a bottle. But the word that burns in you will come forth. Like Jesus resurrecting Lazarus from the dead, He is resurrecting the revelation He put in you. It is time to preach Jesus. You have been given a paint brush anointed with that costly oil, and it is time to paint a picture of the One your soul loves. It’s time to reveal Jesus as the Bridegroom King.

    If this message is for you then say this prayer with me…

    Father, prepare me, search my heart and my mind and reveal Yourself to me. I want to know You and I want to represent You rightly in this world. Help me paint a perfect picture of Jesus as the Bridegroom King. I want to partner with You to wake up and prepare Your Bride. I want Jesus to have His inheritance. I have set Your love, King Jesus as a seal upon my heart. My life is Yours. Do what You want with it. You are everything to me. Use my life for Your pleasure and Your glory. You are the One whom my soul loves. Give your life to me so that I can give it to others. I am your servant… In Jesus’ name, amen.

    Thank you for taking the time to read these messages! If they have encouraged or helped you, please consider sharing with someone. Want to receive new messages directly in your inbox? Just fill out the contact form on our (Contact Page). If you’d like to support the growth of this ministry, we invite you to consider making a donation. Have a wonderful day – and remember, Jesus loves you deeply. He is for you, not against you!

  • Push the Baby Out!

    Push the Baby Out!

    Have you been experiencing intense warfare lately? Do you feel like giving up? It has been intense for me, and I know I can’t be the only one. I am talking about feeling exhausted, done, fantasizing about a better life and looking for a way-out kind of warfare. The “Lord, I can’t handle this anymore!” kind of warfare.

    In the midst of me breaking down and crying out to Jesus I keep seeing myself in labor, specifically remembering giving birth to my son Noah. Then I realized that God was speaking to me, and this is what He showed me.

    When I gave birth to my son Noah, I was unmedicated. The pain was so intense for me. I felt exhausted, done and just wanted a way out. I was literally screaming, “Jesus, help me! I can’t do this!”  My doctor kept yelling at me, “Just push him out! You’ve just got to push him out!” 

    That is exactly what God is saying to me and to some of you right now. I hear Him saying, “The heat has been turned up and the fire is hot! Do you not know My promises for you? Have I not spoken to you for years now? Of course the enemy is assailing you! This is a full-scale attack! He wants to stop you from giving birth to your promise. You and I have walked together for years now, and for years I have been molding you and preparing you for this next great chapter of your life. And do you want to give up now?? After all the labor and tears, and stretching, and building of your faith, and after all the sacrifices? Do not give up My beloved, it is time to push this baby out!”

    When I was delivering my son, I was angry with the doctor. I was in a vulnerable state, and he showed no compassion. What I didn’t know was that my son had his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck three times and his heart rate was dropping. My doctor was trying to save my son’s life! My son’s name is Noah, which means peace and rest.

    In the same way God showed me that I and some of you are going through the same thing. The enemy is trying to get us to give up and stop fighting so he can destroy our soon coming and promised place of rest. He wants us to give up on the promise God has given us. He wants us to be angry with God for making us go through the toughest battles. He wants our weariness to overwhelm us into an artificial rest (giving up), when everything God has trained us for is in sight!

    I hear Him saying this, “I know this has felt like forever. I know it has. But you know I am real, and so are My promises. You know your gifts and calling by now because you walk with Me and serve me with your whole heart. Do not doubt or let your faith waver. I see the end, even though you do not. Trust Me, keep trusting Me and listen to the sound of My voice. I will see you through to the end. I have given you My life and I have given you, My heart. Press on, lay hold of Me, tether yourself to Me. The time has come for your light to shine.”

    If you feel like this word is for you, please say this prayer with me; Father, give me strength for this battle. Strengthen me with power through your Spirit from the inside out. Tether me to You, ground me in Your love. Reveal Yourself to me in this situation. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear. I want to see, and I want to hear what You’re saying. Thank You for Your love and thank You for guiding me. I believe You will see me through to the end. In Jesus’ name, amen.

    Thank you for taking the time to read these messages! If they have encouraged or helped you, please consider sharing with someone. Want to receive new messages directly in your inbox? Just fill out the contact form on our (Contact Page). If you’d like to support the growth of this ministry, we invite you to consider making a donation. Have a wonderful day – and remember, Jesus loves you deeply. He is for you, not against you!

  • Is God Good?

    Is God Good?

    There is something I know about pain and that is this: it is hard to carry. Pain, whether it is physical, mental or emotional, is weighty.  It bears down on you like a great burden that slows you down and takes away your quality of life. It demands your attention and brings about this tiredness you feel deep down in your soul. It can be very hard to find relief from pain. Pain can draw you into a different reality, a place of darkness and despair, like you’re lost at the bottom of the ocean. You can’t breathe, you can’t see. This is when hopelessness takes root.

    I had a dream once

    In this dream I was aware of great suffering. I saw pain and grief as a plague that bound and connected us all. People were standing in rows, with arms linked like a chain. Suffering was what connected us, and each person was used in bringing the next person down. When a “chain” was completed, I saw another one form, and the cycle would start over again.  This was a grand attack from the enemy of our souls, and it was evil. In this dream I broke away from the chain and collapsed to the ground on my back. I believed God was with us and He loved us, so I began to cry out for mercy. I wept and wept and begged Him for help and deliverance. In my heart the pain was so intense that I wanted to scream, “why don’t you save us from this?!!” I was tempted to be angry towards God for the suffering, but I knew others were looking at me as an example, so I kept it in. After some time, I got up and looked around. I could see that this evil that had come upon us was now coming out of us. The enemy’s plan was to destroy our faith, and it was working. I ran around looking into everyone’s hearts and saw that there was no more faith. Astonished, I would point at a person’s heart and yell, “you have no faith”!  Or “you have no hope!” The evil in our hearts caused the evil in this world to spread. 

    There is no doubt that times have gotten more difficult. Everyone, everywhere, is struggling deeply with something. This is part of a great shaking, the greatest shaking the world has ever known! God is preparing us for the end time battle between light and darkness. This battle was promised to us in scripture. Let us not sit on the sidelines waiting for this shaking to end, because it will not. Instead, let’s rise and fight the good fight of faith!

    The enemy of your soul is trying to convince you that God is not good. It is the enemy who comes to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus comes to give life. Yes, God is allowing us to go through this. Yes, God is not instantly delivering us from pain. He is still good. God is still good. You cannot take my word for it though. Every person’s faith will be tested; every person must decide for themselves if God is good. God knows there is gold inside of us and He alone knows how to purify that gold and use it for His glory. We must always remember that His ways are much higher than ours.

    God tells us in His word that our faith will be tested by fire. He said we will have great tribulation in this world. He tells us peace will be taken from us. But He also said that He will be by our side, and that He will be our peace. He said He will teach us, lead us, heal us and deliver us. He said He would give us rest. He is the author and perfector of our faith. He is faithful and He will complete the work He started in us.   

    An absolute must for healing – to grow stronger in faith and closer to God – is a deep surrendering to Him in the things we don’t understand. There is a cry inside of us for justice – justice for all that the enemy has taken, and justice for the things God has allowed. In the depth of my pain, I have felt my will cry out against Him, but I have learned that He requires me to surrender it all. He requires me to let go of the very things I have against Him: all my reasons for not feeling safe, my reasons for not feeling strong enough, and my long overdue unanswered prayers. The very things that cause me to put up a “wall” of protection from Him. The things that cause me to feel abandoned by Him. The thought that He loves His other children more than me because He has delivered them and not me.

    When I’m hurting and I come to Him, I want answers. I want Him to address my distress; I want healing now. But there are times when He won’t say a word. His presence is there for comfort if I want it, but I must be willing to lay aside my needs, which are great. In that moment, that’s when I must decide if He is worth it. Do I trust Him? Does He love me? Is He who He says He is? Do I believe in His promises? Even if I never get my answer or healing until I am in Heaven, am I still willing to walk with Him?

    This is the process He takes us through to build up our faith. If I choose to trust Him, then I make room for Him. He can do the deep work He needs to do to form me into who He wants me to be. When I make room for Him, I receive His love. His love for me and His kindness and gentleness towards me renew my strength. He gives me faith to hold on a little longer. He becomes more tangible in my life, the reality of Him. He really is so beautiful. There is no one like Jesus. There is no love like His.

    I understand struggle. I have been walking as close as I can with God for twenty years now. I have suffered because of the choices I made before I knew Him, and I have suffered at the cost of walking with Him. My faith has been tested. I have walked through the dark night of the soul. I still believe He is good. I wouldn’t know Him the way I do without the pain. So, I am thankful for it. Therefore, I will do as the scriptures say and “lift my drooping hands and strengthen my weak knees, and make straight paths for my feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather healed” (Heb12: 12-13).    I will “press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:14) because I know that “after a little while, the God of all grace, who has called me to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself, restore, confirm, strengthen and establish me.” (1 Pet 5:10).

    Look up these verses to study: 1 Timothy, 6:12, Revelation 16:16, Hebrews 12, Hebrews 11:6, Proverbs 17:3, Isaiah 55:8-9, 1Peter 4:12, John 16:33, John 14:27, John 10:7-18, Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 40:31, Philippians 1:6, 1 Peter 5:6-11, Romans 9:20, Philippians 3:7-14

    Thank you for taking the time to read these messages! If they have encouraged or helped you, please consider sharing with someone. Want to receive new messages directly in your inbox? Just fill out the contact form on our (Contact Page). If you’d like to support the growth of this ministry, we invite you to consider making a donation. Have a wonderful day – and remember, Jesus loves you deeply. He is for you, not against you!

  • The Beauty Standard of God

    The Beauty Standard of God

    In the book of Esther, Esther was one of many women taken through a process for a year to become beautiful. This process included six months of oil and six months of perfume. The women would then get to spend one night with the King. This King wanted the women to look beautiful, feel nice for touching, and to smell good. The Bible says the King found Esther the most pleasing. She had more grace and more favor with him than all the other women, and he fell in love with her. He married Esther and made her queen.

    We as followers of Jesus go through the same sort of process during our lifetime. The Holy Spirit metaphorically can be compared to the King’s Eunuch. He devotes His life to us, to prepare us to meet Jesus. He is our oil and perfume. He is the One who makes us look beautiful, feel nice and smell good to the King.

    Jesus spoke to me once about beauty. I was in my car, going to pick up my children from school, just thinking about Him. I was thinking about how much I love Him and how beautiful He is, when His presence flooded into my car in a special way. He began to show me what He saw, how beautiful I am to Him. It was like that of a husband taking great pride in His wife’s beauty. He was showing me that He knows He is responsible for that beauty. In the same way, Jesus recognizes that His love for her, the Bride of Christ – the way He has treated her and the gifts He has given to her have been special to her. Who He is and how He has loved her has formed the beauty within her. She carries that beauty with so much grace and fortitude. He has given her life. She in turn touches the world around her with the life she has been given.

    Yes! He showed me all that and it was so beautiful! My heart became mush. But what is it that makes us so beautiful to Him? What is the beauty standard of God? The short answer is that we live this life in pursuit of Him, which causes us to become like Him. What He really wants to see is Himself in us.

    Have you ever met an old married couple that looks like they can be brother and sister? It’s like they are two halves of a whole. They can finish each other’s sandwiches (just kidding). Very often, they begin to think alike and find they were thinking the same thing at the same time. They dress alike, they know just by looking how each other is feeling. They know each other’s likes and dislikes and they make room for each other.  They have lived their lives for each other for so long that they are one. I believe walking with Jesus is similar. We become increasingly molded to His image over time and we start to look like Him.

    Jesus is pleased by our beauty within. A beauty that is outwardly reflected to the world around us. The Bible calls praise a garment and wisdom a beautiful crown. Faith in Him and believing He is who He says He is pleasing to Him. I would even say brokenness is a beauty mark because when we are weak, then He can become strong in us. The greater our need for Him, the more He will give us of Himself. Jesus is gentle and humble, quick to forgive. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. This is what Jesus longs to produce in us because this is the beauty standard of God.

    This is one of my favorite scriptures.

    Song of Solomon 6:10 says, “Who is she who looks forth as the morning, Fair as the moon, Clear as the sun, Awesome as an army of banners?”

    This scripture is poetic and prophetic. From a prophetic perspective this is King Jesus making a statement about His Bride.

    Who is she who looks forth as the morning, this is a picture of His bride walking in the way of righteousness and bringing hope to others.

    Fair as the moon, is a picture of her reflecting the light of Jesus (because the moon doesn’t have its own light).

    Clear as the son, is a picture of God’s glory surrounding her.

    Awesome as an army of banners, is a picture of Her leading God’s people to victory.

    Esther 2:12-18, 2 Corinthains 2:15, Isaiah 61:3, Proverbs 4:8, Hebrews 11:6, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Matthew 11:28-30, 1John 1:9, Galatians 5:22-23, Proverbs 4:18, Zechariah 2:5