This poetic sermon
will be my final version
of what is interpreted
from the Book of Luke.

I feel some grief in this process,
because I've spent so much time
following Jesus.

But starting tomorrow,
I turn to Daniel.  
Daniel is the book
the Lord is leading me to write from.

But for today,
let me ask you this question,
Can you imagine talking to a friend
about another person,
whom you both loved
that is now dead?

And all of a sudden,
the dead friend appears,
not as a ghost,
but as the real thing?

In flesh and blood,
he walks right up to you,
as if his death never even happened.

I think I would faint,
or run away.
At the very least,
I would question everything
I had learned up to that day!

Anyway, I pray
that these verses
will blow your mind -
they certainly did mine!

“Now that same day two of them
were going to a village called Emmaus,
about seven miles from Jerusalem.
They were talking with each other
about everything that had happened.
As they talked and discussed
these things with each other,
Jesus himself came up
and walked along with them;
but they were kept from recognizing him.”
He asked them,
“What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, asked him,
“Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem
who does not know the things
that have happened there in these days?”

What things?” Jesus asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.
“He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed
before God and all the people.
The chief priests and our rulers
handed him over to be sentenced to death,
and they crucified him; 
but we had hoped that he was the one
who was going to redeem Israel.
And what is more,
it is the third day
since all this took place.
In addition, some of our women amazed us.
They went to the tomb early this morning
but didn’t find his body.
They came and told us
that they had seen a vision of angels,
who said he was alive.
Then some of our companions went to the tomb
and found it just as the women had said,
but they did not see Jesus.”

He said to them,
“How foolish you are, and how slow to believe
all that the prophets have spoken!
Did not the Messiah
have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”
And beginning with Moses
and all the Prophets,
he explained to them what was said
in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”

“As they approached the village
to which they were going,
Jesus continued on as if he were going farther.
But they urged him strongly,
“Stay with us, for it is nearly evening;
the day is almost over.”
So he went in to stay with them.
When he was at the table with them,
he took bread, gave thanks,
broke it and began to give it to them.
Then their eyes were opened
and they recognized him,
and he disappeared from their sight.

They asked each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he talked with us on the road
and opened the Scriptures to us?”

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem.
There they found the Eleven and those with them,
assembled together and saying,
“It is true!
The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.”

Then the two told what had happened
and how they recognized Jesus when He broke the bread.
While they were still talking about this,
Jesus himself stood among them and said to them,
“Peace be with you.”

They were startled and frightened,
thinking they saw a ghost.
He said to them,
“Why are you troubled, and why do doubts
rise in your minds?”
“Look at my hands and my feet.
It is I myself!
Touch me and see; a ghost does not have
flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

“When he had said this,
he showed them his hands and feet.
And while they still did not believe it
because of joy and amazement,
he asked them,
“Do you have anything here to eat?”
He took the food
and ate it in their presence.

He said to them,
“This is what I told you while I was still with you:
Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me
in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

Then he opened their minds 
so they could understand the Scriptures.

He told them,
“This is what is written:
The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead
on the third day,
and repentance for the forgiveness of sins
will be preached in his name
to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

“You are witnesses of these things.
I am going to send you what my Father has promised;
but stay in the city until you have been clothed
with power from on high.”

“When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany,
He lifted up his hands and blessed them.”

“While he was blessing them,
he left them and was taken up into heaven.”

“Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem
with great joy and expectation!
And they stayed continually at the temple,
praising God.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭24:13-53 NIV

If I had witnessed this, there would be no way
I would ever again question my faith.
But for now, I will draw in and learn more about
all the things that Jesus said must take place
before He comes again.

I will wait patiently
as my Lord and Savior makes intercession for me.
I will declare "Lord, Come"
as I wait for Him to bring Heaven to earth.

“Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me
in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.
Then he opened their minds 
so they could understand the Scriptures.”

As I close the gospel of Luke,
my final prayer is this,
“Jesus, open my mind
​to have more faith in you.”

I can not believe
I’ve been writing poetry
since December 14th of 2019.

And now, here I am
wrapping up Luke 24 -
a 2 part sermon
on “Christ is Risen.”

After Jesus was taken down
from the cross,
and wrapped in linen cloth,
He was placed in a tomb,
that was cut in a rock.

And the women followed Joseph -
the rich owner - of the tomb
to the place where Jesus
would be buried.

Then went home to prepare
spices and perfumes,
but they rested for a day,
because it was the Sabbath.

Early in the morning,
the women got up
and swiftly went
to prepare the body of Jesus.

But when they got there,
they were left in awe,
because the stone was rolled away
and Jesus was not there.

While they were wondering
where His body could have went,
two angels descended upon them.

Two men appeared, quite suddenly
dressed in shiny clothes 
that gleamed like lightning.

Instead of speaking,
and asking where Jesus was,
the women became frightened
and bowed their heads.

Without asking questions -
the angels knew their thoughts,
and this is how
they responded to them,
“Why do you look
for the living among the dead?
He is not here; He has risen!”

Can you imagine
this happening to you?
The body of your loved one,
mysteriously disappearing
and two shining men,
suddenly appearing -
only to pronounce
that your loved one has resurrected?

It’s no wonder
so many people
think Christians
are crazy and dumb!

Without faith,
it does not make sense!

From Adam and Eve
being made from clay
to God giving life
through his own breath;
from frolicking in the garden,
being totally content,
to falling into temptation
and accepting Satan’s request;
from living in the blessing
to enduring the curse,
from suffering and hardship 
to eternal life through Jesus Christ;
from bondage to freedom;
and wilderness to blessed;
from Genesis and Revelation
and creation and death.

None of it makes any sense!

From the pouring of blood
through animal sacrifice
to the outpouring of blood
through Jesus Christ

From Noah’s Ark
to Peter leaving the boat;
from the staff and rod,
to the Master and servant;
from two by two
to Holy Spirit in you;
from the lost sheep
to the multitudes;
from Judges and Kings
to prophets and priests,
from Jews to Gentiles
to angels and demons -
I tell you all,
it now makes perfect sense.

From hearing in the Spirit
to seeing visions and dreams,
from casting our cares 
to raising His banner, victorious;
from altars and bricks,
and branches and trees,
to sacrifice and dominion,
and the burning of wheat;
from hope and heaven
to despair and hell;
from God with us to the bell toll.
From highway to Heaven,
and great escapes
to miracles abounding
and the opening of gates.
From Abraham and Sara
to Ahab and Jezebel,
from Sampson and Delilah
to Boaz and Ruth;
from Cain and Abel
to mercy and grace.

None of it makes sense...
until you have faith.

Jesus said,
“Why do you look for the living
among the dead?
He is not here;
he has risen!”

These words only make sense
to those who believe
and have been given the ability
to understand divine revelation.

We have been taught
that everyone goes to heaven,
but the truth is,
without Christ,
we are already dead.

God’s mercy and grace
is provided purely from love.
His heart’s desire
is for His Bride to come home.

He gave us His Son,
as His mouthpiece-
and its only Jesus
that provides the key.

He gave us His Spirit,
to guide us into the truth,
so that we could understand
the difference between life and death.

The truth is,
we should read the Bible backwards.

If we start with the end,
maybe then we could get out of our heads.
Maranatha
would be everyone's motto.

The truth is Heaven is coming -
down to the earth,
and when it happens,
the saints will be resurrected.

We will have new bodies,
and our spirits will live.
We will rejoice and worship
our King and our Priest,
Jesus Christ.

We will be citizens of Heaven
and we will never look back
because the promise is abundance,
and no longer lack.

God will establish
His Kingdom on earth,
and no wickedness will exist
to play tricks on us.

All of the harvest will have been picked,
and the fruit of the trees will never rot.

Maranatha,
My heart rejoices!
Maranatha,
The Lord is coming back!

“Remember how he told you,
while he was still with you in Galilee:
‘The Son of Man must be delivered
over to the hands of sinners,
be crucified and on the third day
be raised again.’ ”
“Then they remembered his words.”
“When they came back
from the tomb,
they told all these things
to the Eleven and to all the others.
It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna,
Mary the mother of James,
and the others with them
who told this to the apostles.
But they did not believe the women,
because their words seemed to them
like nonsense.
Peter, however, got up
and ran to the tomb.
Bending over, he saw the strips
of linen lying by themselves,
and he went away,
wondering to himself
what had happened.”
‭Luke 24:6-12

What will you do
with the words
that you have heard?
Will you think
they are nonsense,
​or will you respond in faith?

Part 2 of Luke 23
brings us closer to the end,
or should I say - the beginning.
And while it’s sad to acknowledge
the crucifixion, death
and burial of Jesus,
I now know the end of the story,
and meaning behind "Maranatha."

Let us begin -
“As the soldiers led him (Jesus) away,
they seized Simon from Cyrene,
who was on his way
in from the country,
and put the cross on him
and made him carry it
behind Jesus.”

Simon was a man
who came from Cyrene,
which was a Greek-colonized town
in northeast Libya.
He was ordered by the Romans,
to carry the cross,
when Jesus was exhausted
and could barely walk.
He took the cross
when Jesus could not,
and walked closely behind Jesus
following His footsteps.
And behind them,
walked the daughters of Jerusalem,
saddened by what was happening.

“A large number of people
followed him, including women
who mourned and wailed for him.”
I sometimes wonder
who exactly was in the crowd,
was it the same people
who betrayed him
and casted Him out?
Or was it the ones
whose voices weren’t heard,
when the leaders of Jerusalem shouted,
“Crucify Him!”
“Jesus turned and said to them,
“Daughters of Jerusalem,
do not weep for me;
weep for yourselves
and for your children.”

Jesus called them,
‘Daughters of Jerusalem’ -
the same title
found seven times
in the Song of Solomon.
This must be a term for the beloved.

“For the time will come
when you will say,
‘Blessed are the childless women,
the wombs that never bore
and the breasts that never nursed!’

This is a warning
to the Children of God.

"They will say
to the mountains, “Fall on us!”
and to the hills, “Cover us!”
“For if people do these things
when the tree is green,
what will happen when it is dry?”

Jesus could have said thank you,
or I love you for following me,
so I wonder why
these are the words
He chose to speak?

This says to me
that Jesus continued warn 
the daughters of Jerusalem
for what would come.

Perhaps we should stop whining and crying,
and put away our thoughts and feelings,
and instead, listen
to what scripture is telling us!

There will be a second coming
of the Righteous King,
but before that day arrives,
Jesus tells us that the land
will be barren and full of dry bones.

He says women will hope
they have NO children -
perhaps He is speaking
to the time of Great Tribulation?

People will plead with the mountains,
to fall on them!
They will pray for covering,
and wish the hills would roll up 
and envelope them.

“Two other men, both criminals,
were also led out with him -
to be executed.”

“When they came to the place
called the Skull,
they crucified him there,
along with the criminals -
one on his right,
the other on his left.”

The place called Skull
is actually a bald-headed hill
close to Jerusalem
that is called Calvary.

This is where Jesus
declared victory,
fulfilling the prophecy
of Genesis 3:15 -
“And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.”

Amazing! Is it not?
The whole Bible,
from Genesis to Revelation,
is the unfolding and disclosing
of God’s glorious WORD -
Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

And with a great love for humanity,
Jesus said,
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know
what they are doing.”

Can you imagine the compassion?
To pray for their forgiveness
of your very own murderers!

“And they divided up his clothes
by casting lots.
The people stood watching,
and the rulers even sneered at him.”
They said,
“He saved others; let him save himself
if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One."

Let Him Save Himself -
This is what they said!
Strike One!

“The soldiers also came up
and mocked him.
They offered him wine vinegar and said,
“If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

Again - Let Him Save Himself -
This is what they said!
Strike Two!

“There was a written notice
above him, which read:
THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
“One of the criminals who hung there
hurled insults at him:
“Aren’t you the Messiah?
Save yourself and us!”

Let Him Save Himself -
This is what he said.
Strike Three! You’re out!

Can you believe it?
Everyone around Him was mocking
and criticizing Him,
even though He was bleeding profusely
and barely conscious.
Yet, in the middle of the persecution,
Jesus continued to be a Fisher of Men.

Next to Him, hung a repentant heart.
“The other criminal rebuked him.
“Don’t you fear God since you
are under the same sentence?
We are punished justly, for we are getting
what our deeds deserve.
But this man has done nothing wrong.”

Wow!
This thief on the cross recognized Jesus
as the Son of God! And all because
he experienced the fear of the Lord!
With a repentant heart,
and a desire to be close,
the man said,
“Jesus, remember me
when you come into your kingdom. ”

Jesus answered him,
“Truly I tell you, today you
will be with me in paradise.”

Can you imagine?
Living a life totally wrong,
and then in the end,
with your very last breath -
experiencing God,
having it all turn around?

For some of humanity,
it’s not until we are facing death,
square in the face,
that we gain humility
and come to the end of of ourselves!

For some, this is when
hard hearted pride begins to slide off,
this is when the masks of rebellion
and stubbornness begin to pop off.

“It was now about noon,
and darkness came
over the whole land
until three in the afternoon,
for the sun stopped shining.
And the curtain of the temple
was torn in two.”

Finally we see,
the destruction of the temple
that no longer held the truth!

Jesus called out with a loud voice,
“Father, into your hands
I commit my spirit,
and when he had said this,
he breathed his last breath.”

I wonder, where did Jesus go
when his mortal body died?

And how is that three days later,
His body became alive?

The centurion,
seeing what had happened,
praised God and said,
“Surely this was a righteous man.”

Again, in the midst of His death,
Jesus was still turning the hearts of men.

“When all the people who had gathered
to witness this sight saw what took place,
they beat their breasts and went away.”

What exactly does this mean?

At first I thought it was
their form of mourning.
But in the next sentence,
it says all who knew Him,
stayed, and stood at a distance.

“But all those who knew him,
including the women
who had followed him from Galilee,
stood at a distance, watching these things.”
“Now there was a man named Joseph,
a member of the Council,
a good and upright man,
who had not consented
to their decision and action.”

“He came from the Judean town of Arimathea,
and he himself was waiting
for the kingdom of God.”

“Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body.
Then he took it down,
wrapped it in linen cloth
and placed it in a tomb
cut in the rock, one in which
no one had yet been laid.”


“It was Preparation Day,
and the Sabbath was about to begin.
The women who had come
with Jesus from Galilee
followed Joseph and saw the tomb
and how his body was laid in it.”

“Then they went home
and prepared spices and perfumes.
But they rested on the Sabbath
in obedience to the commandment.”
Luke 23:26-56

Isaiah 53:9-10 says this about Jesus,
the suffering servant,
“He was assigned a grave
with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the Lord’s will
to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life
an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring
and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord
will prosper in his hand.”

​Praise God for His Prophets

Have you ever been
thrown under the bus -
unexpectedly condemned by a friend;
or been stabbed in the back
by someone you trust,
without warning or expectation.

Unfortunately, I think we all have been.
And it really sucks, and it really hurts.

This had to be how Jesus felt
when Judas betrayed Him
with the kiss of death,
and when one of His best friends,
Peter, denied him, over and over again.

Yet, that was not even the worst of it.

We are going to see
in Luke Chapter 23
the torture that was initiated
by God's chosen people
who come from the branch
of His family tree.

“Then the whole assembly
(Jewish leaders) rose
and led him off to Pilate
(Roman leader), and they began
to accuse him, saying,
“We have found this man
subverting our nation.
He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar
and claims to be Messiah, a king.”

Subverting our nation?
Are you kidding me?
Can you imagine what Jesus
must have thought
when His own kinsmen
called Him corrupt?

It’s just another example
of how the world is turned
upside down, and inside out!

So Pilate asked Jesus,
“Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

Then Pilate announced
to the chief priests and the crowd,
“I find no basis for a charge
against this man.”

But they insisted,
“He stirs up the people
all over Judea by his teaching.
He started in Galilee
and has come all the way here.”

“On hearing this, Pilate asked
if the man was a Galilean.
When he learned that Jesus
was under Herod’s jurisdiction,
he sent him to Herod,
who was also in Jerusalem
at that time.”

“When Herod saw Jesus,
he was greatly pleased,
because for a long time
he had been wanting to see him.”

I immediately thought
of baby Jesus
when the order was given
by Herod himself,
to kill all the male children,
two years and younger,
was put out.

I remember baby Jesus
born in Bethlehem
and God giving Joseph a dream
- a warning to get out!

I remember Joseph and Mary
and baby Jesus
escaping the wrath of Herod,
by hiding in Egypt
until it was safe to come back.

And yet,
here we see Jesus,
as an adult,
being delivered to Herod's doorstep,
just like a cat brings back a mouse
to the door of his master!

And there was Herod,
comically pleased,
that the Messiah
was nothing like a king!

“From what he had heard about him,
he hoped to see him perform
a sign of some sort.
He plied him with many questions,
but Jesus gave him no answer. “

“The chief priests and
the teachers of the law
were standing there,
vehemently accusing him.”

“Then Herod and his soldiers
ridiculed and mocked him.
Dressing him in an elegant robe,
they sent him back to Pilate.”

Can you imagine the humiliation?
Being mocked and ridiculed
by your own?

“That day Herod and Pilate
became friends -
before this
they had been enemies.”

Wow! I didn’t know this.
The killing of Jesus is what brought
the Jews and Gentiles together.

How incredibly sad is this!

“Pilate called together
the chief priests,
the rulers and the people,
and said to them,
“You brought me this man
as one who was inciting
the people to rebellion.
I have examined him
in your presence
and have found no basis
for your charges against him.
Neither has Herod,
for he sent him back to us;
as you can see,
he has done nothing
to deserve death.
Therefore, I will punish him
and then release him.”

But the whole crowd of Jews shouted,
“Away with this man!
Release Barabbas to us!”
(Barabbas had been
thrown into prison
for an insurrection in the city,
and for murder.)”

“Wanting to release Jesus,
Pilate appealed to them again.
But they kept shouting,
“Crucify him! Crucify him!”

“For the third time he spoke to them:
“Why? What crime
has this man committed?
I have found in him no grounds
for the death penalty.
Therefore I will have him punished
and then release him.”

“But with loud shouts
they insistently demanded
that he be crucified,
and their shouts prevailed."

"So Pilate decided
to grant their demand.
He released the man
who had been thrown into prison
for insurrection and murder,
the one they asked for,
and surrendered Jesus to their will.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭23:1-25

I will return tomorrow
with the culmination to all of this,
because just writing about this
makes me sick to my stomach!

To release a man
who actually killed someone,
yet hand over an innocent man,
to be judged and condemned to death
is beyond excuse -
it's ridiculous!

God help us!
What is wrong with them?
It makes me wonder,
have we learned anything from this?

Are we choosing the curse,
instead of new life through Jesus?

The same men
who listened in the temple,
the same men
who laid down garments for Him,
the same men
who traveled from distant lands,
the same men
who gave up their lives for Him,
the same men
who followed the Law -
never really saw Him at all!

The WORD was spoken
but very few heard.
The WORD was sent
but very few responded to it.

I ask you this -
are you the bride of a Christ?
Are you impregnated
with God’s WORD?

Are you sanctified?
Have you been set apart?
Are you purified
by the precious blood of Christ?

Are you willing to lay down your life?
Are you willing to be a living sacrifice?
Are you ready
to stop following the world?
Are you ready to stand alone?

Are you ready to go to Heaven, 
when Jesus comes again?

Can you feel Holy Spirit
steering His body
find His head?

Spoken Word at No Limits Women's Conference
Friday, 10/23/20

Good evening.  The theme is Walk Empowered – Into Your God Ordained Destiny.
I spent many hours preparing several different messages, contemplating which would best.  I weighed each option, considering the content, and tried to decide on what WORD was the most important!
 
Should I speak about my blog, Breaking Strongholds, which is a collection of over 100 poems, all that have been written over the last 10 months?  I wondered if I should share the poem that God gave me, on the first day of January, called “2020: The Year of Clarity.”
 
What I’ve decided is to share a couple passages from the poems, before moving on to encourage and edify you.  In the poem, ‘2020 – The Year of Clarity” I was told that we must remember in this season of great strife, it’s not by force or by power, but by His Spirit that brings forth life.  He asked if we would have laborious goals forced by our own hand, or selfish ambition, vanity-on-demand.  He asked if we would try to move forward with foolish motives behind our plan, and an arrogance by trying to stand on sand.  He said the year of 2020 will bring clarity to some, to those who seek His Kingdom and realize that the harvest has already begun.
 
And then there’s the poem “HIS SPIRIT SPOKE” which I wrote on June 3rd after hearing the Lion of Judah ROAR.  It was FULL and FEARLESS and FEROCIOUS.  It was DEEP and DEAFENING, POWERFUL and PROFOUND.  MIGHTY and MAJESTIC.  It came from the BOTTOM of the BELLY and the HEART of the HEALER.  It was GUTTERAL and GRAND, WIDE and WORTHY, and without words His Spirit Spoke – and this is what I heard, “I am dismantling and driving out witchcraft and idolatry.  I am disarming the demons that have attempted to steal MY Sword.  And this is when I heard the Lord say, reread My words from March 26th and speak them out with My authority.
 
On March 26, this is what I heard and wrote about the United States of America:
America is Division of the dead who choose their pride instead of ME.  Divided we fall, no unity at all, and when they call on MY name, it’s only for their gain, they have not been slain in my Spirit at all.  Hope is found in ME alone.  Stop the show!  Let my people go!  They need to know that I alone am God!  They have nothing to gain by calling MY name when they do not claim who I am!  They believe in themselves - they sit on their shelves of self-righteousness.  When I take them down, they will fumble and fall because they do not know ME at all.  There is no stickiness in their bones.  They will slither, and slide, and nothing will reside in MY hands.  They will shatter, and scatter and for some it won’t matter - they will run like cockroaches and hide.  But MY beautifully broken, will be MY token and in their hearts I reside.  They are the ones who have spoken in MY name.
 
So you see, there is so much more that I want to share.  The Lord has so many warnings and blessings to declare - to prepare His bride for His second coming.
 
In March of 2019, the Lord gave me a vision of reaching out and grabbing the hem of His robe, and then He gave me the words, “I am wringing out my remnant, for one drop of My blood covers a multitude of sin.” 
 
But it wasn't until 2020 that He gave me the meaning.  We are being wrung out because we have been given a watered-down gospel from the American pulpit.  I saw limbs from the sacrificial lamb, being torn apart, extracted and sugar-coated into a prosperity gospel based on false doctrine.  I saw only the announcement of the blessing, and not the warning or the teaching of God’s correction or His wrath. 
 
But most importantly, I heard His voice, on March 25th, calling on the wind, softly whispering, “Faith, Do you Hear me?”  He said,
 “Faith, do you hear me? It is time to come home.  
I know you’re entranced, by what the world has shown.
Turn, Turn, Turn - Turn your ear to Me.
Do not look back, it is time to take heed! 
I am turning My children, by the direction of the wind.
I am igniting the wicks of those who have oil within.
Fire is coming!  It will burn down all the fields,
The only fruit that will be left is what My harvest yields.
Receive My Holy Spirit, and He will give you eyes to see. 
I have sent angels to protect you, and I have ALL My eyes on thee!
Faith, do you hear Me?  Do you hear My call?
Faith, do you hear Me?  Are you listening at all?
Faith, do you hear Me?  It's time attune your ear to Me.
Faith, stop and listen, I am calling you home.”
 
Women of God, the Lord is calling to you.  Will you draw in closer, and visualize with me?
Close your eyes, and pay close attention, to the words I am about to read. Take a deep breath, and get ready to inhale God’s refreshing breath.
 
Psalm 23 says,
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.”
 
Now before you open your eyes to take in the physical world,
take a moment to meditate on the Spirit of the Lord...
See the wool of the sheep who are not lost, but found;
See the richness in the green grass where they lay down their heads;
Consider the stillness of calm waters, before and after a storm has passed.
Imagine your soul, being at rest, despite the difficulty of the circumstances.
Remember that nothing is given for free.
Consider the cost that Jesus has paid for thee;
Acknowledge the curse that God declared over the earth,
until the set time when our Lord and Savior is coming back. 
And though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
we shall fear no evil because Holy Spirit guiding and protecting us;
Jesus Christ laid down his life as our final living sacrifice,
and our blessing is in His promise that we will live again in His Kingdom.
He is our priest, our prophet and our King,
His glory is displayed for all the earth to see. 
His rod and his staff they comfort me,
because they represent that I am free.
The table of the Lord is where we eat His bread,
and it’s where we drink of His blood that has been poured out for us.
He anoints our heads with oil, and sets us apart to do the work of the Father;
and as we prepare to take a deep breath,
before opening our eyes back to our guests,
let us remember the suffering that the Creator of the World endured for us.
Let us have a desire to pick up His cross
and become spiritually mature – which is His desire for us. 
Let us grow wings like eagles and rise above the mountains that stand in front of us. 
And let us have a desire to give God our very best.
 Let us always remember that it’s not by power or by might,
but by His Spirit that we have life. 
Now, please, I invite you to open your eyes and see. 
Take a deep breath in as you transition.
 
Women of God,
Walking empowered means to endure long suffering through constant correction in the process of sanctification after being justified through Him and being yoked to Him.
It means humbling ourselves before the Lord and allowing ourselves to be pruned by His Sword.  It means putting on the armor of God as we walk through this wilderness which is not our home!  And when we understand that we are not citizens of this world, we will let go of the fear that has been hurled.  Fear of man.  Fear of finances.  Fear of illness or the coronavirus.  Fear of government or politics.  Fear of our outer appearance, and Fear of death or difficult circumstances.  None of this is the will of the Father.  Faith over Fear is what He honors. 
Instead let us grow deep roots so that we can grow up to produce spiritual fruit – love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  This is the fruit produced through confident hope and patient endurance as we courageously walk through the wilderness. 
We do not need to worry or scurry along, trying to appease everyone.  Instead we fall to our knees and bow our heads to the Creator of the Universe, the Ancient of Days.
And it’s in this place of humility that the Lord will shine His face upon thee.

This is the Christian position of empowerment – hearts on the ground, fully submitted to Him.  This is how the Bride of Christ walks boldly and confidently upon this earth.
 
Walking Empowered into our God ordained destiny is to grab hold of the blessing - Jesus Christ, is our righteous king who gave have his life as THE final living sacrifice.  He was despised and rejected and pierced for our rebellion.  He was beaten and whipped and crushed for our sin.  He was led like a lamb, to be brutally slaughtered, but not once did He try to open His mouth.  The Lord laid on Him all of our sins, and He was unjustly condemned and finally murdered. 
 
Our God did all of this, so that we could live again with Him someday.  Listen, there is nothing in you that can justify yourself.  He is the plumb line that leads to Heaven.  All good on this earth is still an abomination to Him unless we are sanctified and purified by Him.  At the same time, there is nothing so bad that you have done, or could ever do, that will keep the love of God from finding you.  He came to wash away the stains that fill our lives; and His Spirit convicts instead of condemning you.  
 
So, if you believe that Jesus came, as the Son of God, the righteous king - then you are no longer a citizen of the World, you are now a citizen of Heaven just passing through.  And while you are here, there is a great a work to be done.  Earth is the place where souls are to be won.  The harvest is ripe but the workers are few.  I ask you, what job has the Lord given you to do?

Women of God,
Are you willing to offer yourself as a virgin bride to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?
Are you ready to be a light in the dark, offering hope to a lost, a lonely and broken world?   Will you care for orphans and widows?  Will you invite them into your home?  Are you willing to sacrifice, your time and money to care for the poor?  Are you willing to sit and pray, with a person who needs you this very day?  Will you go out and spread the good news of everything that Jesus has done for you?
 
Women of God,
 I am pleading with you.  The Lord is in need of you.  People are the harvest that God has entrusted to you.   Are you willing to stand in the gap, to build a bridge between life and death?  Do you not know that you are the Temple of God – and in your heart and your mind is where Holy Spirit lives?
 
This message is for the Church – the barefoot and pregnant Bride of Christ.
Inside of her grows the Word of God, to be declared to all the world.  It’s time to kick off your heels and take off your makeup.   Take off your masks and show yourselves.
Put down your fig leaves and stop hiding your sin.  He already sees the filthy rags you’re living in.   He has not come to point or to condemn.  He has come to love, to correct, to convict, to purify, to save and to give us a final rest.  His sole desire is to wash you clean, to purify and penetrate your inner most being. 
 
The year of 2020 has been an opportunity - to rest, to repent and to remember Him.  It’s been a year of constant reflection – to show the world how good He is.  Remember this – we overcome Satan by the blood of the lamb, and the word of our testimony?  As you finish out the year 2020, and you consider the rest of your journey, Women of God, I ask you this question.  Where is your faith, and what are you doing and saying?  My prayer is that you are willing to work on the harvest, and reconciling men back to Him. 

Luke 22 Part 3
is about the first, and the last thing
that Jesus said to His disciples
when He wept
in the Garden of Gethsemane.

This happened right before Judas
entered into the garden
to betray Jesus
with the kiss of death.

It kind of reminds me
of what happened in Genesis 3
when the serpent entered
the Garden of Eden
to tempt Adam and Eve.
 
Jesus said,
“Pray that you
will not fall into temptation.”

It's true,
these are the words
that came out of Jesus’s mouth,
twice, before the prince of demons 
entered in.

Just listen to this ...
“Jesus went out as usual
to the Mount of Olives,
and his disciples followed him.
On reaching the place,
he said to them,
“Pray that you will not fall
into temptation.”
Luke 22:40

“Jesus withdrew
about a stone’s throw beyond them,
knelt down and prayed,
“Father, if you are willing,
take this cup from me;
yet not my will,
but yours be done.”
Luke 22:41-42

Just then ...
“An angel from heaven
appeared to him
and strengthened him.
And being in anguish,
he prayed more earnestly,
and his sweat was like
drops of blood falling to the ground.”
Luke 22:43-44

Can you imagine being so distraught
that your body would produce blood
instead of sweat?
We don’t even see that
with the worst kind of panic attack!

Yet, scripture tells us
that Jesus did just that - 
He dripped blood instead of sweat.
Now that I'm thinking of it,
it's just a taste
of the blood that He poured out.
 
It's hard to believe an angel was near,
to encourage Jesus to endure
with faith over fear.

What a great reminder 
of the strength of God - 
whose patient endurance
and long suffering
is more than we could ever ask 
or imagine.

“When he rose from prayer
and went back to the disciples,
he found them asleep,
exhausted from sorrow."

“Why are you sleeping?”
he asked them.
“Get up and pray
so that you will not fall into temptation.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭22:39-46‬ ‭NIV‬‬

When I asked the Lord
why He said this,
He whispered in my ear, 
“It’s about having discernment.”

Just then,
God opened my eyes,
to the mystery of why
these are the words
that Jesus had to say.

He gave them warning 
to pray to God, 
because only God's Word 
could protect them 
from falling into temptation.

Isn't this what Deuteronomy 4:2 says,
"You shall not add to the word
which I am commanding you,
nor take away from it,
that you may keep the commandments
of the Lord your God
which I command you."

Jesus knew that Satan 
was ready to pounce, 
if their faith
did not outweigh their doubt. 

And if you read just a little more, 
you will see exactly 
how Satan shows himself.

Judas Iscariot, 
known as the traitor, 
walked right up to Jesus 
and gave Him a kiss.
And all of this,
was done because Judas himself
had left an opening
for temptation to come in.
 
His love for money
surpassed his love for God,
He left an opening
for Satan to come in.

And it's in this moment,
that Satan sees an opportunity
to attack Jesus,
which is truly all that He wants.
And he does this, not with a gun,
but rather,
through an adulterous kiss.

Adultery -
it's the ultimate betrayal of marriage,
and it's the opposite of 
unfailing love and faithfulness.

And in this scene,
we see a faithful servant of Jesus,
betraying Him.
Truly,
it's the whole story of the Israelites
told throughout the Old Testament;
and it's the whole reason why
God shows himself to be
more faithful than us.

On the outside,
a kiss of betrayal can look harmless;
but to the receiver it's obvious -
there is nothing healthy about it.

“The Kiss of Death” 
we know the expression well, 
it’s a term that helps us to know 
a betrayal has happened 
and that we should run like hell!
 
So I believe
that this is why 
Jesus tells the ones that He loves, 
to pray and not fall into temptation.
It’s a warning of love. 

Jesus gave
the command to pray
because 
because He knew
that Satan was coming soon.

He wanted them to prepare
their minds and their hearts,
for what was about to ensue.

And I believe
we should take heed too,
because while Satan rules this world,
the Jezebel spirit
is currently possessing America.
The gates have been opened,
and God has given warning
to his prophets,
but no one wants to listen to them.

Every day I pray
for discernment;
more than anything else,
I desire the ability to judge
various spiritual agents
for their moral influence.

Our world is turned inside out
and upside down,
and nothing makes sense anymore.

I used to make excuses,
and I rationalized my liberalism.
I decided what was right or wrong,
and I based my decision
off my thoughts and feelings.

But I have learned to fear God.
I have learned to trust Him.
I have experienced the truth in love,
and that my friend,
that has made all the difference.

So as I get ready to end this poem,
let us take heed
and believe what God says,
“Pray that you 
will not fall into temptation.”

Remember this ...
God knows best.
He is full of knowledge and wisdom.

Be careful when emotion
drives your behavior,
and be careful not to let circumstances
drive your faith.
Do not trip over your thoughts.
Do not be anxious and do not worry.
Be careful not to become weary.
Because Satan is eagerly waiting,
for an opening to come in.

Have you ever been accused
of something that you did not do?
I don’t know about you,
but when it has happened to me,
I just want to scream!

I mean...
All I want to do,
is open my mouth to defend myself!
I want to prove my innocence,
at any cost!
But typically when I have done this,
too many words come out,
and instead of justifying myself,
I look guilty as hell!

This is what I felt
when reading the communication exchanged
between Jesus and the 12 disciples
during their Last Supper.

After passing two cups of wine,
one before dinner and the other after,
Jesus looked at His men and said,
“Here at this table,
sitting among us as a friend,
is the man who will betray me.
For it has been determined
that the Son of Man must die.
But what sorrow awaits
the one who betrays him.”
Luke 22:21-22

At first, the disciples were stunned.
They looked around and wondered
who was the wolf among them.

The disciples began to ask each other
which of them would ever do such a thing.
Then they began to argue among themselves
about who would be the greatest among them.
Luke 22:23-24

I’m sure they had many thoughts
and many feelings,
they had given up everything to follow Jesus,
and now He would be leaving?
He is the risen king -
if He dies,
how would they be redeemed?
And who is the wolf in sheep’s clothing?
Who among my friends
would betray Jesus,
and do such a horrible thing?

From the outside,
you can see the yeast of sin
begin to grow in them;
you can see the pride set in
as their chests begin to puff out.

The calm discussion became an argument, 
as they focused on who was the greatest -
who was the most righteous disciple among them.

I wonder what would have happened
if Jesus wasn’t there to redirect them,
and remind them of who He is is.
I wonder if the argument would have grown
into something much worse?
Could a fist fight have broken out?
Could a sword be drawn or a knife brought out?

Jesus broke them by saying,
“In this world the kings and great men
lord it over their people,
yet they are called ‘friends of men’
But among you it will be different.”
Those who are the greatest among you,
should take the lowest rank,
and the leader should be like a servant.
Who is more important,
the one who sits at the table
or the one who serves?
The one who sits at the table, of course.
BUT NOT HERE!
For I am among you as one who serves.
‘You have stayed with me
in my time of trial.
And just as my Father has granted me
a Kingdom,
I now grant you the right
to eat and drink at my table
in my Kingdom.
And you will sit on thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭22:21-30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I love how Jesus responded -
He deflated their proud hearts
by puncturing them with humility words.

Instead of focusing on who is best,
He reminded them
they are foreigners in this world,
and because of this,
they should do the opposite.
 
He emphasized that discipleship
is about suffering servants,
just like Him.

He spoke about the true meaning of friendship,
which is about enduring the trial together.

He did not get angry or condemn,
He did not blame or belittle or shame.

He merely said that his death was predicted,
and it would happen through
the betrayal of a friend
who sat among them.

Then, at the end of their conversation,
Jesus promised each of them
a seat on a throne in His Kingdom.
My question is, what about Judas?
Did he repent?  Did he return?

I can only imagine how stupid
and stupendous they must have felt;
the combined feeling of deflated pride
and the inhalation of wonderment
must have been overwhelming.

As I step back and look
at the communication exchanged between the disciples,
I realize they responded no different than most humans.

We all are bent to defend ourselves,
especially when a false accusation is done.
A calm conversation can quickly become
a heated debate when pride sets in.

Instead of offering a gentle approach to sin,
self-righteous thoughts typically creep in;
and they are usually accompanied
by mixed feelings of fear and pride.

I wonder what would have happened,
if the disciples acted out of love
and instead of focusing on
their own perspectives or comparisons, 
they offered a safe place for the truth to be exposed.

Since the betrayal was predestined,
I am positive the conversation happened
exactly as expected;
but for just a moment,
imagine what could have happened
if Judas was provided a safe place
to think about what he done,
perhaps the dark in his heart
would have come out,
and the light of God would have come in.

What if the disciples had faith?
What if they had sat quietly,
confidently knowing
that they did not betray Jesus.
Maybe they would have shut their mouths
to prevent the stones of judgment
from coming out?

Is it possible that Judas’s heart could have softened?
Is it possible that his own guilt
could have caused remorse,
leading to an act of repentance?

Human beings are very good at blaming others, 
because it takes the judgement off ourselves.
I suppose this is why
Jesus tells us to take the log out of own eye
before pointing out the sins of someone else.

There is a message
behind every word in the Bible!
This is where truth and wisdom unfolds.
I am so thankful for the lesson I learned,
by reading Chapter 22 in the Book of Luke.
​

The Last Supper in Luke 22
is the perfect representation
of what happens with Christians
when they are pursued.

Listen,
In the past,
when reading this passage,
I only paid attention
to the cup and the bread -
but today I zoned in,
and saw the preparation,
the second cup, and difficult discussion
that turned into an argument about who was best.

What helps me pay attention
when reading scripture,
is to focus in on the direct quotes
and the exclamation marks!

Jesus sent Peter and John to
“Go and prepare the Passover meal,
so we can eat it together.”
And they asked Him,
Where do you want us to prepare it?”
Jesus replied,
“As soon as you enter Jerusalem,
a man carrying a pitcher of water
will meet you. Follow him.
At the house he enters,
say to the owner, “
The Teacher asks:
Where is the guest room
where I can eat the Passover meal
with my disciples?’
He will take you upstairs
to a large room
that is already set up.
That is where
you should prepare our meal.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭22:8-12‬ ‭
When I read this,
I immediately thought
the man carrying the pitcher
could be the Holy Spirit leading us.
And the room that is prepared could be our mind and our hearts, where the Temple of the Lord
brings Heaven to earth.
Isn’t this the concept
of the living stones,
who are being built up
as a spiritual house
for a holy priesthood,
found in 1 Peter 2:5?
Isn’t this the place
where we offer up
spiritual sacrifices
that are acceptable to God -
A room predestined to partake
in the feast of the Lord?
The disciples, Peter and John,
went off to the city
and found everything
just as Jesus had said.
They prepared the Passover meal
and when the time came,
Jesus and the apostles
came to the table and sat down.
Jesus said, “I have been very eager
to eat this Passover meal with you
before my suffering begins.
For I tell you now
that I won’t eat this meal again
until its meaning is fulfilled
in the Kingdom of God.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭22:13-16‬ ‭
Isn’t it amazing
that Jesus gave His promise
that He will return
when the meaning of
the Passover meal is fulfilled?
Then Jesus took a cup of wine
and gave thanks to God for it.
Then he said, “Take this
and share it among yourselves.
For I will not drink wine again
until the Kingdom of God has come.”
Then He took some bread
and gave thanks to God for it.
Then he broke it in pieces
and gave it to the disciples, and said,
“This is my body,
which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
This reminds me
of the communion we receive
when the pastor or the priest gives remembrance over the blood
and the bread.
But it’s the next verse,
that came out of Jesus’s mouth,
that I never noticed before.
And it’s this verse
that makes all the difference
to our spiritual inheritance.
After supper,
Jesus took another cup
of wine and said,
“This cup is the new covenant
between God and his people -
an agreement confirmed
with my blood,
which is poured out as a sacrifice
for you.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭22:17-20‬
I wonder why I never noticed
the second cup?
It was not the old container,
but a new one!
There is so much more,
that I learned in this passage,
but I will wait until tomorrow
to share the discussion
and the arguments that broke out among the disciples,
the followers of Christ.
For now, let us dwell
in the house of the Lord;
let us mediate
on what Jesus just said.
“This cup is the New covenant
between God and his people -
an agreement confirmed
with my blood,
which is poured out
as a sacrifice for you.”