"But we are a holy nation" ......a nation within a nation-no matter what nation you are in!

1 Peter 2:9 says it in a nutshell.

This has really been pressing on me especially as we lead up to America's celebration of her independence. As I have already stated prior to this blog, I love America. I really do and it pains me to see her being traumatized as she is. I love my country. Period. BUT...

But the level of admiration and love for America from within the "church" concerns me. I mean, who are we really serving here? Jesus or the U.S.A.? It is sad to say but even our patriotism can become an idol. Even our stand for

everything that is right and just, can become a sacred cow.

Now please don't get me wrong here. There are many things we, the church, should be standing FOR and AGAINST in this nation because if the church will never stand and speak truth, how will this world ever come to KNOW the truth!?!?!? For instance, our stand on abortion HAS to be unwavering and we should do our patriotic duty to vote against it and anyone who stands for it. But, ultimately, that stance is not American patriotism. It is, instead, a KINGDOM STANCE!

Allow me to share another verse with you from Philippians 3:17-21. It says "Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ; whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is their shame- who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself."

Ok, first, if anything the church should be LEADING the rest of the country and world in the things of God but we cannot currently do so as we have argued within ourselves for so long and sinned without repentance for so long that the world disbelieves that there is any longer any power in this sleeping giant. But this blog isn't about that. This blog is about the FACT that our allegiance should not lie with whatever country we are a part of. Our FIRST AND MAIN allegiance should be to the Kingdom of God. Our citizenship, if we are truly a part of the Bride of Christ, is heaven...is God's kingdom.

1 Peter 2:9 says that we are a HOLY NATION. Well, he most certainly isn't talking about America or any other nation on this planet. He is talking about that nation that, as the writer of Hebrews says, cannot be shaken. He is talking about that nation whose foundation is none other than the ROCK that is Jesus the Messiah!

What I fear is that there are are so many who claim citizenship to this unshakable Kingdom of God, who are more tied to their American identity than their "Holy Nation" identity! When we value our American citizenship (or any planetary nation) over that of the Kingdom of God, then we have allowed our love for country to become an idol and we will surely crash when she crashes....and she WILL CRASH.

As Philippians 3 says "But our citizenship is in heaven". A true citizen of heaven, of the unshakable Kingdom of God, will realize and understand that all of these things we see (Matthew 24) must be so that God's kingdom can ultimately be ushered in!

As we draw closer to the end of life as we know it on planet Earth, we will see more and more of a call to be a "global citizen" and to do our part as a "global citizens". You will hear and see more of a move towards globalization as it becomes completely unpopular to be an American or a Brit or African or Indian, Frenchman or Italiano. We WILL see this. Don't be duped, swayed or otherwise bamboozled. But also don't fret or be anxious when you see these things take place. If you are the true church, His remnant, the Bride of Christ, then you are an alien on this Earth anyway. Our identity is not tied to this planet. Don't allow your American patriotism to become an idol because there will be a wind of doctrine moving through this earth that says "if you love your nation, become a global citizen so that we can all be "better together". Also, you may want to be careful of that line...."better together". It isn't a bad thing by itself but there is an agenda behind it that is linked to none other than the anti-christ himself.

I honestly have so much more to say...so much more on my heart and I have a feeling I will blog some more...stay tuned! Meanwhile, I leave you with this place of focus and encouragement....

BE SOBER. BE VIGILANT. BE KINGDOM-MINDED. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE CROSS AND YOUR MIND ON JESUS. RUN THIS LAST LEG OF THE RACE WITH ENDURANCE....LIKE A GOOD SOLDIER. FEAR NOT FOR HE IS WITH YOU ALWAYS....EVEN UNTO THE END OF THE WORLD!!!

A heavy burden for America.....

America. It is safe to say I love her. I love her people. I love the beautiful cultures that make up our tapestry. I am drawn to her history, good and bad. I am a patriotic, flag-waving, soldier-supporting, gun-toting, firecracker-wielding American! I know she has her scars. She has her open wounds. She has her great faults but don't we all? She has been through war and heartbreak, terror and in ways, decimation. She has received pain from others and she has caused pain. She can be a brooding, hurting old woman and yet she can shine as bright as the noonday sun and seem to be as youthful as she ever was. Her faults are easily seen when we look around at the grief which now plagues us. You can see her deeply furrowed, tan brow wrinkle with disdain as her rich history is misunderstood and trampled upon. You can see her face wince in pain as her people deliver to themselves blow after blow, believing their cause is greater than their brother's. We are a hurting people but we are also  a beautiful people. We see ashes but I believe, if we can look with the eyes of our Lord, we can see beauty in the midst of chaos. We currently walk with a spirit of heaviness on us but I believe, if we will heed the voice of God, He will take that heaviness from us and replace it with great praise. I believe the Lord wants to anoint this nation with oil of joy! But I also believe that currently there are not enough of God's people even listening to the voice of God as He painstakingly attempts to get our attention.
As I sat with my bible in prayer time this past Friday morning, June 19, 2020, I believe I heard the Lord begin to speak to me out of His Word- a heavy Word for our nation. I have always had a soft spot for my country. I have always loved her and always maintained a burden for her....a longing to see her salvation. I still long to see that salvation and so it is with a heaviness in my heart that I now expound upon what I believe the Lord showed me in His Word. It concerns the "church" in the United States of America as well as the "remnant" which I believe will arise in these last moments of our time on earth. I know that there currently is and will continue to be great moments of revival sparked around this world during these end times as Joel 2 prophecies but I have long wondered what that meant for America as there has been a decided lack of longing for a true move of His Word and Spirit in the majority of the American church world. A complacency, if you would. Maintain the status quo seems to be the modus operandi. And so, because my family and I ARE "churched Americans" , I believe what the Lord is showing me is for our American church landscape rather than those around the world.
Pray for me.

On June 19, 2020, the Lord led me through my devotions and prayer time and brought me out to Isaiah 30. The Lord says here, "Woe to the rebellious children; who take counsel but not of Me and who devise plans, but not of my Spirit. Who walk down to Egypt and have not asked my advice."

I say this with all caution and prayer but for many years the church in America has basically done as she pleased, never asking what God wanted but always coming up with plans and programs that ended up stanching the very flow of Jesus' blood and Holy Spirit.We have oh so many plans....oh so many ways...devices...programs. The lord says to the church that these things have now failed you and would caution His church not to enter back into such agreements with yourselves. We have , as Is. 30:2 says, "trusted in the shadow of Egypt". We have allowed the world to dictate to us what is culturally advisable...what will work and what won't. The Kingdom of God was NOT MEANT to be in competition with this world but we would not allow ourselves to be truly set apart therefore the strength we relied on has now failed and will continue to fail us. If the "Church" so desires for the ways and vices of this world to lead us in how we should act in these moments, then His Word says we SHALL be humiliated. (Is. 30:3) The church must not continue to ask those of the world what we should do in these moments. We must HEAR AND HEED the voice of the Holy Spirit.

 Isaiah 30:6-7 speaks of great trouble and anguish. It also speaks of a creature that was a legend in Isaiah's day called "Rahab-Hem-Shebeth." You can do a quick study and find out this was a so called sea monster with a huge mouth. A big-mouthed sea monster, if you will. One who is identified with chaos, confusion, noise and powerlessness.  The Lord spoke to my heart that this is identified with the apostate church. That is the church that the Bible speaks of which will have no real power...only form...having denied the power. BECAUSE the church in America won't listen to the voice of God but instead devises plans according to what the culture around her is speaking, then she will be no more than a loud-mouthed chaotic character with zero power. The Lord says "the church" is currently making alot of chaotic noise, causing more confusion and acting in less power than she ever has and that time is drawing to a close.  Mind you, He did not say HIS CHURCH. The gates of hell cannot prevail against HIS CHURCH and He will have a remnant arise in these last days but it will look nothing like anything you and I have ever seen His Church look like. Understand there are TWO "churches". There is the apostate church taking its cues from a secular world and there is God's True Church. I believe the Lord is calling us to come out....to set ourselves apart and make ourselves known as the Remnant...as the true bride of Christ.

Many voices are crying out for a smooth word and many voices are offering that smooth word. The true church will understand that this cannot always be so as we are hurtling towards the redemption of this earth. As we move towards redemption, there WILL be chaos. There WILL be disorder but as the true church of Jesus Christ, we must hold out hope. We must hold the blood-stained banner of Jesus Christ high! The Lord continues to speak to my heart and tells me to LIFT HIS NAME HIGH! He said if He be lifted up from this earth, He will draw all men to Him! Do not let yourself become buried in the chaos. Make sure your grip is firmly place on Christ. Make sure you are standing with Him and IN Him so that when these storms come, you will still be standing! Keep your eyes on the cross and your mind on Christ!

An apostate church will always cry out for smooth talk. We have done this in our churches for oh so many years and we are therefore seeing the fruit of such teaching and preaching. By all means, encourage your congregation. Encourage God's people to press on...keep moving forward....God's grace is enough! But we cannot negate the FACT that God's Word says we must put away sin. We must put away the doctrines of devils. We must come out and be separate. When we ignore the Words of caution in God's Word and only cleave to the sweet stuff, we find ourselves in the exact predicaments we are currently in. Chaos. Confusion. Noise. Powerlessness. God's Word says that because the church has rejected and despised His Word and instead rely on perversion and oppression, then we shall be broken in pieces.

God calls for true repentance. He says in Isaiah 30:15 " In returning and rest shall you be saved. In quietness and confidence shall be your strength, but you would not."
This scripture not only calls for repentance but it calls for quietness and confidence in who your God is. This is why, we the true church, simply cannot be lured into the fight that wreaks havoc around us. We cannot take the enemy's bait and fall for what is happening. It only SEEMS hopeless. It only SEEMS like a lost cause. The enemy would have you lose your peace over all we see. He would have you loose your quietness and confidence.  We cannot walk away from His peace. We cannot say, "No I am going to get on my hobby horse or my soapbox and I am going to ride this thing til the cows come home!" NO! The Lord says this is NOT how we, the true church, are supposed to stand and fight in this moment. If you fight in a way the Lord has said not to, if you fight according to the world's standards or according to the apostate church's standards, you will end up just being a pole on top of a hill with no flag...no banner and no one will ever know what you stood for. Your life in essence, will end up having been wasted.

THE LORD SAYS THERE IS HOPE IN CHAOS!!!
This is how the Lord directs (Is. 30:18) "Therefore the Lord will wait that He may be gracious to you. And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD IS A GOD OF JUSTICE. Blessed are all those who wait for Him!"

We are to lift Him up! Exalt His name above all others!!! He will be merciful and be who He is-A God of Justice- when we wait and worship!!
He says further (Vs.19-21) " For the people shall dwell In Zion at Jerusalem. You shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry!. When He hears it, He will answer you. And thought the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers and your ears shall hear a Word. THIS IS THE WAY-WALK IN IT...whenever you turn to the right hand or the left hand."

In other words, even though we are having to taste affliction in the land, even though there is great adversity, there is still hope! God hears you and no matter which way you turn in life, if you will truly seek Him and His ways, HE WILL SPEAK TO YOU AND SHOW YOU THE RIGHT PATH. There is hope, even in chaos, for those who make that choice to fully obey God's Word.

Make no mistake, God is angry over our sin and disregard for His Holy Word. It is not a 'I am sending you to hell for it" anger. It is righteous, holy indignation. Our ways send us to hell...not God. He reaches out his arm still....He will not draw it back from those who truly come to Him with repentant hearts. He loves us. He loves America. He loves this world, red, yellow black or white, we are precious in His sight.

As I leave this blog, I want to say one last thing from the last few passages of Isaiah 30.
He says we shall have a song! there will be gladness of heart! The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard! He longs to restore us to His heart! He has come that we might be truly free....beauty for ashes, oil of joy for mourning and garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness!

Lay all your junk on Him.....He cares for YOU!

What You Get When You Marry a Hill Girl

This is for all my girls goin' thru and for the one's who have yet to. This is for the men we love!

Let me just break it on down for ya. This is what you get when you marry a woman with Brondell Hill's DNA. Maybe someone without our dna can benefit from this too but this is for my girls.

When you marry a HILL GIRL, you get a strong, wildly independent woman of God. You get a woman with a stubborn streak a mile wide and I will be the first to publicly declare we are not an easy group to be married to. You get a woman who knows what she wants. You probably get a woman who will have early issues with her hormones. You get a woman you will NEVER fully understand. But let's face it, men will never fully understand any woman and we will never fully understand you either.

Let me tell you, it takes a REAL MAN to be married to a Hill woman. It takes a man who knows who He is in His manhood as well as in Christ. It takes a man full of grace. It takes an unselfish man. It takes a man who has a love for His wife just like Christ did for the church...and died for it. Again, we are not easy to be married to, but a REAL MAN can handle us.

Let me tell you what else you get when you marry a Hill girl. You get a woman who is fiercely devoted to YOU. You get a woman who, even in 2017, will still lay aside HER last name and take YOURS....for the rest of her life. You get a woman who will stand by your side through the most hellacious moments and hold  you when you hurt, then tell you to rise above it and move on. You have a woman who, when you think you can handle no more, will tell you to pick yourself up and move forward because, after all, she is by YOUR side....and she won't leave you. You get a woman who will take care of and nurture YOUR children even if they are the ones with fur on them! You have a woman who, even though she has her ideas of what your future is, will ultimately follow you to the ends of the earth if that is what YOU feel like God wants you to do. Yes, she is fiercely independent but she wants YOU to lead.

Nope, we are not a mushy, gushy group of girls. Nope, we probably won't do alot of "babying" when you feel bad. But you know what? We will love you. We will be insanely devoted to you. We may not even like golf, computers, football or hunting but we will go do it because WE LOVE YOU. You won't find another woman like a Hill girl. You won't find another woman who will offer grace and forgiveness the way we do. We offer it with an expectation that you will arise from where you have fallen, wipe the mud off your face and move forward. We don't wallow in grief. So, if it looks like we are moving forward with or without you, it is because we are. But it does not mean we are not hurting and it does not mean we don't want or love you.

So, if ya think you are missing out on something, you might better think again. Ya might better look at what God gave you and celebrate that He loved you enough to give you a HILL GIRL!!!!

And to you men who ARE real men and brave enough to have us stand beside you, thank you. We love you-fiercely.

To those hurting among us, I love you so very much and I pray for you EVERY STINKING DAY of my life. I pray for Godly, amazing, submitted to God, unselfish, whole hearted men to stand and be the men of God they are destined to be. I reject and rebuke selfishness in the name of Jesus. I claim victory over every one of our families. AMEN.

To the love of MY life, Jeff Horne....I know I am not mushy but baby I love you and I thank you for loving me! Til death....

Keys to Emotional Freedom IN CHRIST! Key # 5- Fellowship!

"Here's the story of a lovely lady
Who was bringing up three very lovely girls.
All of them had hair of gold, like their mother,
The youngest one in curls.
Here's the story, of a man named Brady,
Who was busy with three boys of his own,
They were four men, living all together,
Yet they were all alone.
Till the one day when the lady met this fellow

And they knew it was much more than a hunch,
That this group must somehow form a family.
That's the way we all became the Brady Bunch.
The Brady Bunch,
The Brady Bunch, That's the way we became the Brady Bunch!"

The lovely lady and her girls, whatever their situation with not having a Dad, were a family... wounded. The Brady men could also been seen in the same way. The man and woman fall in love, marry and blend their family. They had to work at it and they had ups and downs but when all was said and done, healing came into this family because they allowed themselves to BECOME a family. Whether they were stuck in jail in a fake western town on vacation, or a Hawaiian vacation constantly went wrong; whether Jan was jealous of Marsha, Marsha got hit in the face with a ball, or Peter was crying wolf, the Brady's worked out their issues and resolved their differences. They grew to love one another, care for each other, stick up for their siblings and keep on trying even when they failed. Fact was, they needed each other.

Now I realize it is a silly show but this is just how it is in the family of God. We NEED each other. We need fellowship with other of God's kids. We can draw strength from one another and when one hurts, we all hurt. When one rejoices and has a victory, we ALL celebrate! Fellowship is a KEY element in finding healing and freedom from the mess.


I mentioned in one of these previous blogs how I nearly became a recluse during a very bad time in our lives. I was depressed and discouraged by how things were turning out. Some people had caused some issues and so I no longer wanted to be around people....and yet I was so lonely. There was only two or three people I even trusted. As I said before, the enemy really began to talk to me to convince me nobody gave a care about me, my family, or what was happening to us. I learned during that time that drawing myself AWAY from people was exactly what the devil wanted.


That is what he wants for you too...to become a recluse....draw yourself away from other people. He does this so he can whisper his nasty little plan into your heart. But you have to make a choice to kick him to the curb! Drawing yourself away from God's people is the worst thing you can do when you are going thru hell! We really do need each other! Someone has strength to offer you and YOU have strength to offer someone else!


This is why God's Word tells us this:

Going to church isn't only about faithful attendance or obeying His Word although that is VERY important. It is so much more about the courage and strength we receive AND give when we come together in His name! Fellowship is key to getting free and staying free!

Yes, yes, I totally realize that there can be some wackadoos, even at church. BUT I guarantee you that even in the smallest of churches, there is someone there to whom you can connect. There is someone whom you need and who needs you! Don't neglect getting together with believers! 

Whether you or others are falling flat, making mistakes, crying, laughing or celebrating, work out the issues and resolve the differences. AND ALWAYS CAPITALIZE ON THE VICTORIES!! That is a moment of momentum when you can really pursue the things of God! Grow to love one another, care for each other, stick up for your church family siblings and keep on trying even when you fail. Fact is, we need each other and we can do amazing things for the kingdom of God when we are FREE and work together! Cheesy sounding, I know. But oh so true! So, DON'T GO THIS ALONE!!! Get out there, be free, build something great, celebrate and FELLOWSHIP!

Keys to Emotional Freedom -IN CHRIST- Key # 4- Use It

DC Talk had a song back in the day. It went this way; "Ya got a gift then ya best start usin' it, cause if ya don't ya gonna wind up losin' it. Just like the brotha who buried it deep...the task was simple but the price was steep. We got a mission while we're on this earth. We need to tell others bout our second birth. Get busy like a schoolboy makin' an A cause time, my brotha, is tickin' away!

Let me explain...wait that'll take too long. Let me sum up. (Princess Bride fans will get this!)

If you don't use your gifts then you will lose them!




But Shara! You crazy woman! This is emotional TRAUMA I have experienced! TRAUMA!!! BAD! ROUGH! STORM! NOT A GIFT!

But hang on, we have already talked about changing the way we SEE our baggage. We can see it as a curse...or a blessing. A gift. So, if you have not allowed God to transform your way of thinking, you won't get this blog and you need to go seek God until change takes place.

BUT, if you really are sick of the mess and you are sick of being haunted by the mess that happened to you, and you are ready to go to the next level...the next season, then come on and go with me!

For too long, this emotional trauma has really been a TRAP laid to not only take YOU out but to also effect others around you to the point they never get free either...because they never hear YOUR testimony!

Might I submit to you that God ENTRUSTED this to you!? Trusted you to come out of the fire singing His praise? Trusted you to rise from where you fell and testify of His delivering power!?!?
So much freedom is found in seeing it all differently and once you do you can use it to bless someone else's life!

For too long you have been USED AND ABUSED by a PAST EVENT. Yes. It happened. But you lived. It is time to take it from just surviving to actually living and thriving! It did happen but it isn't currently happening!

(If it is, then I am praying for you and I believe God is able to deliver you from your current storm! Don't stay in abuse. Just don't. Get help. Talk to your pastor/pastor's wife. Find a reliable REAL Christian and GET HELP! You are absolutely worth it!! I love you and Jesus loves you. If you want out...He will MAKE A WAY!)

Back on topic...it DID happen but it is done. But your past is still running over you...still haunting you...still USING you. It has the power. ALL of these blogs are about taking the power BACK...away from the enemy of your soul...your accuser. Take a stand and don't let it run over you anymore. The way to do that is to START a new thing. Start using your testimony to minister to someone else. Don't think for a minute that you have no one who needs your testimony. You do. Start a blog. Testify on facebook. Ask to testify in small group or Sunday School. Talk to your neighbor. When you are at Wal-Mart be on the lookout for hurting people and just stop and speak life to them! If you really WANT to use your gift, God will open a door for you. Knock and the door will be opened to you.

Just like if we don't use gifts and talents the Lord has given, they can be taken away, so must we use what God has given us in life's trials and tribulations, celebrations and excitements, good times and bad. There is always, always purpose. Find your purpose and use it. You will lose ground and people around you will suffer if you never USE the things that have happened to help set somebody FREE!

TIME IS TICKING AWAY.

SO much freedom will come as you begin to use what you have been given! It is time. Declare that it is a NEW season for you. Declare that you are completely free from the old pain...and the current pain. Declare that it no longer holds the power over you but that you have been made MORE than a conqueror through Jesus Christ....He loves you so much!

Keys to Emotional Freedom In Christ---Key # 3- Be transformed!

I remember the old Transformer cartoons from the early 80's. The little opening tune went something like this: "Transformers...robots in disguise. Transformers....more than meets the eye."

I know, I know...I probably didn't get it exactly right but you know what I am talking about! And THAT IS YOU!!! YOU ARE MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE! There is so much in you that people never see. Some of it is pretty serious and you never ever want to rehearse it to anyone. You never want anyone to know what you did...or what was done to you. So you suppress it deeeeeep down where no one could ever find it. But you know it is there. It lurks like salmonella on a kitchen counter. It haunts you and no matter what you try, it keeps coming up.

Well I personally believe you can be totally and completely FREE from the pain those memories cause and that is why I am sharing some keys with you that have helped me through the emotional trauma I have encountered. I hope these few blogs help you and encourage you to press on into freedom!

In my first blog, I talked about having a made up mind. That key is a MUST if you are going to be able to use any of these other keys. You have to daily and adamantly make your mind up that you are DONE being hurt by old wounds. Secondly, I talked about opening your mouth and telling your enemy to get lost! He cannot hear what is in your mind so if you want him to leave you alone, you have to tell him to! Tell him off, shut him down and put him on notice! Then open your mouth and give God every ounce of praise you can muster! It might be weak at first but as you praise, God will give you strength. Again, this has to be a daily choice! Speak life to what needs life...and death to what needs to die off!

Now today, I want to talk about a 3rd key....being transformed. I love His Word!

I know all too well that when the devil brings up past hurts, he brings them up with the intention of making me lose my mind, my sanctification and the victory. If he can ever keep you in a depressed, discouraged, victimized state of mind, he has won. He doesn't really care if you are saved as long as you keep your mouth shut....as long as you stay defeated and never help someone else go free! So when he brings up the hurt, not only do you need to shut him down, but you need to allow God to transform how you see the hurt.

And it starts with you....

Change the way you think about it.

Change the way you talk about it.

Change the way you REACT to it!

Ask the Lord to daily and continually renew your mind. As long as you see the old hurt as current pain, you will stay defeated and you will keep a victim mindset. You have to shake that mess off! That is not God's will for you. His will is that you be free...totally...completely...for the rest of your life! 

Want to know how to begin to change the way you think, feel, talk and react about it? 

You have to finally thank God for it. 

Don't turn me off now....

I am not negating the anguish it caused and I am in no way saying it was right or a thing that God wanted to happen to you. But when you can finally find that place where you can thank the Lord for that moment....you will find great freedom. That kind of thankfulness usually only comes when your pain finds it's purpose and if you always internalize it, yo will never be able to help anyone with your testimony. You won't find purpose until you see it as a way to rescue someone else.

BUT HOW CAN I BE THANKFUL FOR BEING (fill in the blank) ?!?!

You find it in that moment you speak peace into someone's life who has also been______________. You find it in that moment when you no longer let it use you....but you use it! 

But that's another blog.....

Remember: You can do ALL things thru Christ who gives you strength. And as you begin to step out in faith away from the pain...you will find greater strength than you have ever know because when we are weak...He is strong for us!  There is definitely more than meets the eye with you. But maybe it is time to stop seeing the pain and start seeing the purpose and promise. There is alot in you God is wanting to draw out to touch other's lives. Let Him!

Keys to Emotional Freedom---IN CHRIST- key # 2/ Open Your Mouth!

Key # 1...A MADE UP MIND. As I said in my previous blog, you must have a made up mind if your are ever going to move beyond your hurt. I assure you, there IS purpose in what you have been through but you cannot help someone out of a pit you are still in. Freedom through His blood and through His Spirit is freely yours but baby, sometimes you have to FIGHT FOR IT. I can promise you this, the enemy of your soul isn't going to play pretty and he isn't going to back down easily but you just keep remembering that Christ has the keys and wants to hand them to you so you can not only walk out of your own dungeon but unlock all of the other dungeon doors while you're at it!

You see, what you have been through isn't just about you and you getting the total victory. There are so many more people that need to be free. And they need to hear your testimony that you absolutely can come out of hell and walk away from it. You can be free from the torment of it for the rest of your life. God's Word says that we are made overcomers by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. Well, you are His child, so the blood is applied. Now what you need to do is OPEN YOUR MOUTH!!

I see way too many people sit silently and allow the enemy to whisper all kinds of mess into their spirits day after day. And they always wait until Sunday to take authority because they will be with people who can help them in that altar. But guess what!? Sometimes you cannot get to church and sometimes there will be nobody around to help. So what do you do AFTER you attain the victory on Sunday morning but by Tuesday hell is once again at your doorstep and you are right by yourself!?

I remember a very rough time in my life where I had to make a choice right by myself as to whether or not I was going to continue to entertain the lies satan's little imps would bring to me. For years on end, especially since having kids, shower time was me and Jesus time. I could get in there and worship and pray and get lost with God and the door was locked so nobody could bother me! And wow what some times we would have!

 But then suddenly hell was in my face like it had never been before. Everything I had known for years was snatched away in one moment. No home, no church family, no paycheck, a marriage in pain and two kids to feed. HELL I tell ya. And the blood of Jesus. OH thank you Jesus for Your blood! Back to my story....all of a sudden hell was in my face and I was left speechless and crying. And my shower time went silent. I didn't know what to pray or what to sing. Bible verses that I knew by heart and could quote...seemed to do nothing for me. I could barely even say them. I knew the Word. But I couldn't even get it to come out of my mouth. And then the whispering words of the enemy began. "Look at the mess you are in. God could care less about ya'll. Why did God let this happen to you? You were working so well for His kingdom....making headway against the enemy. etc etc etc"  (See, the enemy of your souls will use just enough truth to make you think it ain't him talking to you. And that's why fasting and prayer ahead of turmoil is so important.) The enemy was playing his cards and I began to get very very angry. Things that I knew good and well were under the blood, my enemy began to bring back up to me. He would play my emotions and I would begin to get mad all over again. One day I was standing quietly in the shower, bathing just as quickly as possible because now I hated my shower time. And here he came again...that little imp from hell...playing his cards. I had already been thinking how badly I wanted my Jesus time back in the shower, completely afraid that I'd never have that time back. So this time, when he came whispering, I MADE MYSELF (made up mind) open my mouth and speak to him.

YOU NEED TO TALK TO THE DEVIL!!!!! He cannot hear what is in your mind....only God Almighty knows that so if you want the devil to leave you alone you MUST OPEN YOUR MOUTH!

I did that right then in the shower. I opened my mouth and for about 10 or 15 minutes I absolutely told him off. I told him to shut up, get behind me, get under my feet and leave me alone. I told him he had no authority over my mind and emotions. I told him that NO spirit would rule over me but the Spirit of the Living God! I SHUT HIM DOWN!!! I quoted every verse I could think of to remind him that he was subject to me, that my name was in the book of life and his wasn't, that his weapons would not prosper, that I was covered by the blood and he could never cross that line, that I am the bride of Christ-His daughter-the apple of His eye!

And I didn't stop there. I shut the devil down and then I took my Jesus time in the shower back! I OPENED MY MOUTH and began to praise my Savior! I made sure my enemy HEARD my praise to God. I sounded horrible but I sang to the top of my lungs....JESUS LOVES ME THIS I KNOW FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO..... And then I began to really feel things break for me. The bitterness I was feeling began to die. My hurt began to be made so small in the presence of My SAVIOR! My REDEEMER! He was making all things new! Jesus had never left me and I knew it again. His Spirit came down in that shower in such a real way and I ended up on my face lying in the tub, shower still running, caught up in heavenly places with Him!

So key # 2 is YOU HAVE GOT TO OPEN YOUR MOUTH. Shut your enemy down and give God praise. I promise, I didn't feel it at first but I had gotten to a point where I couldn't stand being somewhere by myself and yet I nearly became a recluse. I was depressed and was coming close to being completely oppressed. But I saw what was happening. When hell came to our doorstep, I stood in front of my bathroom mirror and crying my head off, pointed my finger at myself and shouted...YOU CAN DO THIS!!! It is not by might or power but by the Spirit of God...YOU CAN DO THIS!

So once, you have a made up mind, open your mouth and like Jesus did, rebuke your enemy, then fill the room with praise. It may be weak at first but since He inhabits the praise of His people, as you praise, He will be enthroned and FREEDOM WILL COME!


WHERE THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS, THERE IS FREEDOM!

Run the devil off and invite Jesus into the room! IN JESUS' NAME!

Romans 16:20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.