FREEDOM IN THE SPIRIT - by Diane Jung

2 Corinthians 3:16-18 NLT But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. NLT   Holy Spirit has a way of removing veils in my life. Veils are hinderances and separate us from God’s loving truths. As I prepared my message, I could feel insecurities creeping in my mind. All week, thoughts of “ Who am I to give this message, and I don’t have anything to offer” ruminated like a hamster spinning on a wheel. I felt alone and anxious.  I asked Holy Spirit for His insight and He lovingly took me to my past to places I believed I wasn’t worthy. In each place, I saw Jesus holding me tenderly, saying “ You are number one in my heart.” I started crying, and felt a shift in my heart as Holy Spirit was removing these veils of lies. My spirit was awakening, where His truth was illuminating that I am never separated from Jesus, the object of His affection, and becoming His image bearer, reflecting His glory. This happened because of Holy Spirit’s guidance and I didn’t have to do anything!!!   Holy Spirit is the ultimate helper because He matures us into God’s truth, revealing our authentic selves where we mirror Jesus! It is His job to move us from our veiled, distorted reality towards God’s truthful, eternal reality. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom!!   I encourage you in spending time with Holy Spirit, asking him in revealing any veils, and allowing Him to bring His truths, so you can live freely from God’s deep love. It may take time, but He is with you every step of the way.    Prayer: Holy Spirit, come and blow your revelation light upon our veils. We declare your breakthrough as you part the seas of lies, crush hinderances, and break us free of illusions. Let your abiding love dwell deeper within us.  We are grateful that you are transforming us, where we are blossoming into the glorious image of our sweet Jesus. Amen

POTTER & FRIEND - by Todd Benjamin Lout

GENESIS 2:7 One day the Eternal God scooped dirt out of the ground, sculpted it into the shape we call human, breathed the breath that gives life into the nostrils of the human, and the human became a living soul. When human body meets divine spirit, soul is born. Divine breath and sculpted earth come together to make up the living soul. For thousands of years, philosophers and theologians have posed the question: what is a human being? Here God gives the answer. From the very start it looks like the Potter has been at work, fashioning for Himself friends with whom He shares His breath, His life, His nature, His creativity and so on. ISAIAH 64:8 says, "Still, Eternal One, You are our Father. We are just clay, and You are the potter. We are the product of Your creative action, shaped and formed into something of worth."  There is intimacy (into me you see) between the Potter and His creation. It begins in His heart and moves through His hands.  He knows every little part and loves what He's making, willing to get his hands dirty and take as long as it takes to see the result that He loves.  Each piece is unique. Some are made for common use. Some are extra shiny for other purposes, but each one just as valuable as the other.  We are His workmanship, created for good works in Christ, in the Anointed One and His anointing. -EPHESIANS 2:10 We're made so personally and with purpose. How easily we forget this when we focus on our "flaws and imperfections".  But the Potter has something in mind as ROMANS 9:19 - 26 talks about. It even let's us know that it's not good to have attitude, asking "Why did you make me this way!?"  This passage tells us that He knows what He's doing and there's a plan and to trust Him.  Yes, we're going to mess things up. We're going to do things that cause cracks and such. But in our trusting the Potter to continue to lay hold of us, He can and will heal us. Some scars (cracks / blemishes) He will completely cover with new clay. Some He's allowed to be seen as He knows that it is in these aspects of the vessel that more beauty is created. (think of vases, bowls and mugs you've seen that you love that have "imperfections") Ultimately, no matter the style of jar or pot, God has it in mind to fill it (us) with His treasure: CORINTHIANS 4:7 - 10 But this beautiful treasure is contained in us—cracked pots made of earth and clay—so that the transcendent character of this power will be clearly seen as coming from God and not from us. We are cracked and chipped from our afflictions on all sides, but we are not crushed by them. We are bewildered at times, but we do not give in to despair. We are persecuted, but we have not been abandoned. We have been knocked down, but we are not destroyed.  We always carry around in our bodies the reality of the brutal death and suffering of Jesus. As a result, His resurrection life rises and reveals its wondrous power in our bodies as well.  I encourage you to meditate on this analogy God has given us. It all makes sense and it's all beautiful, from the gathering of the dust all the way to the purifying fire.

I shared this song on Saturday night. It has been ministering to my heart for some years now. I encourage you to click and close your eyes.

RAISED TO NEW LIFE - by Brent Lokker

After celebrating the glorious resurrection of Jesus last weekend, what does his resurrection mean for you personally?   Most importantly, Jesus’ resurrection means you were raised too!   Colossians 3:1-3 (TPT) “Christ’s resurrection is your resurrection too. This is why we are to yearn for all that is above, for that’s where Christ sits enthroned at the place of all power, honor, and authority!  Yes, feast on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm. Your crucifixion with Christ has severed the tie to this life, and now your true life is hidden away in God in Christ.”    That’s double-wrapped goodness, right there! “In God in Christ!” As you just read, your being included in Christ’s resurrection means you have a new life to live…his life in you.   Romans 6:4 (Mirror) “Baptism pictures how we were co-buried together with Christ in his death; then it powerfully illustrates how in God’s mind we were co-raised with Christ into a new lifestyle.”   And what does that new life look like?   Colossians 3:12-14 (TPT) “You are always and dearly loved by God! So robe yourself with virtues of God, since you have been divinely chosen to be holy. Be merciful as you endeavor to understand others, and be compassionate, showing kindness toward all. Be gentle and humble, unoffendable in your patience with others. Tolerate the weaknesses of those in the family of faith, forgiving one another in the same way you have been graciously forgiven by Jesus Christ. If you find fault with someone, release this same gift of forgiveness to them. For love is supreme and must flow through each of these virtues. Love becomes the mark of true maturity.”    Your new life—your Jesus life—looks like love. Mature love. This doesn’t come by trying harder to love. It comes by enjoying the relationship you have with the living Jesus who has made his home inside of you. Sink your roots deeper in trusting your beautiful Savior and look for every reason to express a heart of gratitude. This will bear more fruit than you can possibly imagine!   Colossians 2:6-7 (NLT) “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”   So, as you fall deeper in love with the one who included you in his death and resurrection and who has fully accepted and loved you, keep going! Don’t lose heart! Keep trusting Jesus even when circumstances are hard and let his love flow through you to a world of people around you who need to see what the bright light of Jesus in you looks like.   With Love,   Pastor Brent

AM I TRUSTING? - by Aleta Pollard

Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on Him to guide you, and He will lead you in every decision you make. Proverbs 3:5 TPT Have you ever found yourself not trusting in the Lord even though He’s been faithful to you time and time again? Well, I have. Many times. We have gone through being a one income family buried in debt to becoming debt free – during the pandemic. And if that’s not enough for you to trust God for finances, then I don’t know what could change your mind. But guess what - I still find myself from time to time stressing that I don’t have enough or wondering how I’m going to pay the surmounting stack of bills. Yet time and time again, God works it all out.  But something had to change. And you know how and what happened? 4 years ago, I had an experience as I was driving – as I got out of the Caldecott Tunnel, the sky seemed to be so blue and the sun so bright. And in a moment, I realized something changed. A breakthrough happened. My mindset started to shift.  Things that I thought were expensive, didn’t seem so expensive after all.  Fast forward a year and our world is in a pandemic. But we then followed a season of reading prophetic declarations over our family and finances by reading Provision by Shawn Bolz: “It was never My intention to keep you here just to survive, but to actually overcome. When you allow yourself to have the overcomer’s mindset that My Son demonstrated, you will begin to access the riches of My provision so you can treasure the riches of My glory. Everything that I have designed for you to do is so that My Son can inherit the fullness of His reward that He paid for on the cross. I will spare no expense in giving Him everything He died for.” Does this mean I fully trust? No. But I love how Psalm 37:5 says it in the Passion Translation – Give God the right to direct your life, and as you trust Him along the way you’ll find He pulled it off perfectly! We go from glory to glory and in between there are valleys. So yes, I still worry and stress sometimes.  But I can tell you one thing – when I look back, I know I’m not where I was. And I know I can always come back to the Father with all my stress, doubt and worry and as I trust Him along the way, He will pull it off perfectly!