Psalm 68 May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;
may his foes flee before him.
May you blow them away like smoke—
as wax melts before the fire,
may the wicked perish before God.
But may the righteous be glad
and rejoice before God may they be happy and joyful.

I am willing to bet this is a Psalm packed with prophetic declaration. Jesus is the God who has risen. Risen from the dead and risen from the earth and ascended above all powers and rulers and dominions. With the rising of the Lord, His enemies have been scattered. Death, sin, hell the devil have all been scattered forever. They will remain scattered forever because Jesus will always and forever be the risen Lord. That work will never ever be diminished or undone in effectiveness and power and importance. He will always be risen ascended even if he descended into the deepest parts of hell or the sea. His status of being risen and ascended always accompanies Him.

When you, God, went out before your people,
when you marched through the wilderness,
the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
You gave abundant showers, O God;
you refreshed your weary inheritance.
Your people settled in it,
and from your bounty, God, you provided for the poor.

The earth shakes because an eternally risen Lord walks in the Land, even through his people. We don't just have the Lord living in us we have the Risen Lord extending His risen reign through us. Which means shock waves of His ascended reality radiates through the earth as his people move on the earth while embracing the result of Jesus' ascended work.

When you ascended on high,
you took many captives;
you received gifts from people,
even from the rebellious that you, LORD God, might dwell there.

This is where Paul gets this revelation for Ephesians 4 wisdom:

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned , this is why it says: “When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.”

What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe. So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

The power and authority of Jesus' ascension scatters His enemies before our feet, because He enforces His risen status through a Church that embraces the result of His work.--gifts. When we embrace and value apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, pastoral, and teaching gifts, our enemies which are His enemies scatter. I will give you every place where you set your foot. He has risen! His enemies are scattered!

m.

The Waters of Life

Matthew 14:22-32

²² Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. ²³ After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

²⁴ Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. ²⁵ About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

²⁷ But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

²⁸ Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

²⁹ “Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

³¹ Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said.“Why did you doubt me?”

³² When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. ³³ Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

With all that has been happening in life for our family over the last couple of months the Lord has been speaking to me a great deal through these verses found in Matthew 14.

I admire and am inspired by Peter's cry to come out of the boat and go walking on the water! I mean he is asking to go walking on the water?? Yet I find that Jesus is in no way whatsoever intimidated or overwhelmed by his request. Jesus responds and grants Peter's crazy request!

Could it be we have not seen that which we believe to be impossible in our lives overcome by the power of God because we have been too timid to ask? Does fear or unbelief win over in your heart every time you consider the things in your life that seem too big or complex for the Lord to work out or provide for?

Is there a cry within you that lifts up to the Father for something more? I am glad that Peter had a cry within him for the impossible! That request could have been made by any of the other 11, but it was Peter that sensed the voice of Jesus and understood that a window of opportunity had opened to experience something miraculous!

Peter walked on the water while the other 11 were satisfied to stay afloat in a structure built by human hands...

At best the other 11 were just going to remain afloat on the water...but that wasn't enough for Peter...are you satisfied with life as you know it to be? Are you okay with just floating along in a life that is being held up by human effort and ability alone?

Peter abandoned his common sense and made up his mind that his time was now! If your next step always has to be one that is logical or one that makes perfect sense to you, then you are going to miss out on some of the most amazing opportunities that the Lord will put before you!

Peter was stepping into something that hadn't been done before...it wasn't supposed to be possible for him...it defied all reason and wisdom...yet he climbed out and walked!

Peter wasn't walking on the certainty of his situation...he was walking upon the certainty of the words of the one that called him to the water top!

What does the water represent for you? What is it that the Lord has been speaking to your heart and tugging at you to trust Him for?

Are you willing to live out the rest of your days to see impossibilities bow to the name of Jesus? There is no limit to what the Father can do through a trusting heart and a submitted life!

Your time is NOW to climb out and begin to walk!

mdow.

Full.

Breath
Word
You
Spoke the empty full
Darkness drowned by light
The void made whole
Breath
Cry
You
Sorrow answered
Child Son Savior
Abounding in favor
Breath
Dying
You
Wore sin clothing
Perfect atonement
Plunged and arising
Breath
Giving
You
Head Priest and King
This love surpassing
Fully filling
Breath
Worshiping
You
A body rising
His Bride maturing
Measure not wanting

Ephesians 1:22 - 23
And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Ephesians 3:17 - 19
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 4:11 - 13
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

r.

Also posted here

11.11

Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)
We can make our plans,
but the Lord determines our steps.

Whenever I see 11:11 on the clock (which tends to be pretty often) I am reminded of a word God spoke to me several years ago after seeking out the reason I was seeing elevens everywhere. He said, in a voice quite not to be mistaken, You are not ready for what I am about to do. And thus followed the most incredible chain of events my 20-some years had ever seen. Boy howdy!

Fast forward about five years...

This morning as I was planning all these steps in my mind to get us moved, and then all the steps that would follow finally setting foot on NC soil, I looked at the clock and, as I once again saw 11:11, heard so clearly, You are not ready for what I am about to do. It was not a rebuke. Not a "pay attention, kid." Not even a fanfare heralding the entrance of a Wonder. No, there was a twinkle. A hint of a smile. A teasing.

And I realized, here I am (albeit using the God-given gifts of administration and planning that I possess), trying my hardest to map out every minute of the next few months so that nothing can take me by surprise. No way do I want to be caught unawares! And yet the whole beautiful mess is that I can plan all I want, but my steps are absolutely directed by YHWH YHWH God. And that should excite me!

Isaiah 40:12-14 (NLT)
The Lord Has No Equal
Who else has held the oceans in his hand?
Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers?
Who else knows the weight of the earth
or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?
Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord?
Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?
Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice?
Does he need instruction about what is good?

It's laughable, really. That I would think I need to advise the God that created me and mapped out my entire life, that I would need to remind Him of this or that...just in case He would forget some important detail!

I would be terribly embarrassed if we weren't enjoying the absurdity of it all together, Him and I.

Oh goodness.

So, I really am not ready for what He is about to do, but I want to be. Spirit of God, make me one who is waiting and watching and aware of Your every move in order to move with You.

And thank You, again, for the reminder.

r.

Also posted here

Holy Spirit -david

new moon Faceless

yet his hand shapes every wave with unyielding gravity and keeps every tide’s time with mathematical perfection.

He sings the song that makes every atom dance their quantum dance

calls the time that sergeants every planet marching elliptical towards the fulfillment of—

All things

Every thing

meanwhile He strives

with the hard hearts of marble eyed men

the wicked hearts of scorn mouthed women

they who have torn-twain lives that quiver out pathetic beats

the ones too dead to know they’re dead

till the Day

the Day when he takes Adam’s discarded crown and rests it light upon Another’s brow.

when the lion no longer feasts upon lamb

when mankind no longer feasts upon each other

when all these lives so recklessly colliding sing in the perfect harmonies He, before all times, composed.

-david

Habits

Saturday, Rachelle, Rael and I went to see our beloved midwives in Hamilton. We just wanted to touch base with them and bless and thank them again for being such an incredible part of our lives. So we took them out to lunch. We love driving to Hamilton Mt. It's a 90 min drive through the snow covered mountains. It's a well traveled road for us. We generally have some blessed revelation and prophecy emerge in our conversation. This trip was no different.

Shell and I had a great conversation about culture. We want to experience a supernatural culture in our family. How do we do that? What does that look like? How is culture created and sustained? Through our conversation the Lord began to breakdown the concept of culture in a way that it works for us (to at least talk about it and get our minds wrapped around such an enormous word). It really breaks down to customs, traditions, habit. If we don't see that our habits are forming a culture now, we won't see the encouragement we should have.

This came to me as I thought about how we put Rael to bed. There's a culture hidden in our habits. My wife and I pray over Rael, sing and pray in tongues over her, and sing worship songs about His Presence and His Name over her. Through our habits, our culture is created. As we repeatedly practice this family custom, we will have created a culture for Rael to pass on to her kids. Really, a culture is a family practice passed down through the generations. When more than just an individual or family operates and functions with a certain custom of habits, and you have those habits influence a greater population, you now have a culture in a specific geographic area.

What's my value of prayer? What's my practice or habit of prayer? What's my value of worship? What's my habit of worship? What's my value for prophecy? What's my habit? Go through the list and ask these questions. What is my habit of speech in all manners of circumstances? If our values are disconnected from our habits, we are not in unity with ourself, and we are prone to deception because we think we are practicing our values when all we've really done is make a statement of them. The value placed on these disciplines are demonstrated by the time and effort we put into practicing them. Now we may say we have these disciplines of the faith and highly value them, but our actions really determine the depth of our belief. In some instances, people think they live by the values defined in a Christian culture, but in practice, at home, their values are really immersed more in the secular culture. We are touched by its emotional energy more so than the godly culture. Our words and our actions tell what culture is really influencing our heart.

Be encouraged, beloved. Your actions, words, habits, and practices are building the culture of your God in your homes this very minute. With focused intentionality, do what you're doing all the more!

m.

The Benefits of Thankfulness, part 1

Thankfulness Releases and Awareness of God’s Presence...

When I am mindful of what he gives and thoughtful enough to pay attention and say thank you, it positions my heart in a place of looking for him.  

My eyes are open to the next thing he might do, the next gift he might quietly leave - while he gazes intently to see if I’ll notice.

As I find these gifts and unwrap them, I feel his nearness, and I realize - he’s here now.

These little gifts are his signature, his “I was here” graffiti.  As I pass throughout the day looking for those trail marks, I find that I’m really looking for him.  And with each one that I take into my heart and return a nod, a prayer, or a sigh of thanksgiving, I think I hear him; the crunch of his stepping on a nearby fallen twig gives him away.  He’s very close.  He’s watching me.  He’s trying to see if I’ll discover all those love notes he posted along the path.  

Below is a song I wrote while pondering these truths...

You Put it There for Me

Something, something’s pulling me forward

Giving me an expectancy

Something, something’s pulling me closer

Opening my eyes to see

Maybe it was just the song of a thousand birds in the trees

Maybe it was just the sun lighting up the sky at sunset

Maybe it was just the voice of child singing so purely

But I know whatever it was

You put it there for me

You put it there for me to see

A gift for me to hold

You did it so that I would know

You’re just that close

And I see your beauty

And I hear your voice

And I feel your presence

All around, all around me

~ Jeana

Also posted here

And This Is Church.

I love watching the Body of Christ, when each member knows what their specific functions are, fill up the space Holy Spirit created just for them. It's like when the square peg fits just right into the square hole, leaving the triangle to fit in where he belongs. Or when you've been searching for that one elusive puzzle piece, and the finding of it brings a greater clarity to the whole picture.

And the best part is that when each one becomes the member they are, all the best is drawn, compelled even, out of the rest. It's beautiful. Perfect. A reflection of the Perfect Beauty.

The temptation to crawl inside oneself when introduced to a new equation is often sadly much more inviting than the discovery of where to fit in order to fill up the whole. At least, it can be for me. And where does that intimidation come from? Who else would love nothing better than to keep the Body from being built up until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ*? Who else is petrified of the Bride becoming everything she is intended to be? Hmmm....

When I keep eternity in perspective, I am truly excited to watch us become the measure of the stature which is the FULLNESS of our Christ. The complete picture. Beautiful.

(From 1 Peter 1:13 - 23)
Gird your minds for action
Keep sober in spirit
Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ
Be obedient children
Do not be conformed to former lusts
Like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior
Purify your souls for a sincere love of the brethren
Fervently love one another from the heart
Conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth, knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood; as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ

(*From Ephesians 4:1 - 16)
Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called
Be humble and gentle and patient
Show tolerance for one another in love
Be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace
Speak the truth in love
Grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love

To each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift...for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

(From Philippians 2:1 - 18)
Be of the same mind (as Christ)
Maintain the same love (as Christ)
Be united in spirit
Be intent on one purpose
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit
Regard one another as more important than yourselves
Look out for the interests of others
Work out your salvation with fear and trembling
Do all things without grumbling or disputing
Be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach
Shine as lights in the world
Hold fast the word of life
r.

Also posted here