I love You back

Death to self…

I never quite knew what that meant until I moved to Orlando. What exactly does “dying to yourself” mean? I would hear people say that this is the beginning of death to self and then there’s a continual dying. I’m like, what? That sounds awful. I had no idea what they were talking about, but…let me tell you, I soon found out. Everything that I esteemed higher than God in my life was revealed and I was given the beautiful opportunity to surrender it back to Him and die to my expectations, my timelines, and what I thought was best. They became idols. No matter how taboo the word idol is nowadays, I’m gonna call it as it is. Anything that takes the throne of our heart over God is an idol. God must have preeminence as it says in Colossians 1:18.

Oh, almost forgot! Happy New Year!! It’s 2024. Wowzers. For some reason as I’m typing this I’m preventing tears from falling. 2023 was a grandiose year for sure. I don’t have the capacity to share in detail but trust me when I say that with everything that happened, Jesus revealed Himself as my Savior. We truly serve a faithful God.

Now to the meat. 😊 Every year, as I always write, the Lord will give me a word for the year. So as the new year was approaching and I spent time with the Lord, He didn’t say anything about it. He would continue to lead me through the Word. Afterwards I’m like, ok I’m patient. Maybe You will just wait to speak something specific as I’m reading or highlight a verse. Nada. A couple days went by and as I’m on my knees the morning of the new year, I ask. I say, Lord, what are You speaking to me this year? He then flashed through my memory the past few years. Then He reminded me what He spoke and revealed for 2023. This is your comeback. As I’m pondering all these things, I’m like, wow. You’ve done so much in my life, especially this past year. How can I thank You for it all? He is truly my Savior! He is Messiah! As I’m thanking Him, these words came out of my mouth, “I LOVE YOU BACK!” Jesus, I love You back.” And then it became the cry of my heart. Jesus, I love You back!! You already displayed the greatest love of all. You gave Your life. You left heaven to die for me. It is already finished. Love is a person and it’s You, Jesus. Love came and died and rose again for me. John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God is love. Jesus is God. Love did. Love does. Love died so that we can have eternal life. So I said to Him, this year Jesus and for the rest of my life, I love You back. I surrender my all. I die to myself. I surrender everything. I will live the First and Greatest Commandment to the max. I love You with all my heart, my soul, my mind and my strength. I’ll love You with everything that I am. Life is meaningless without You. I can’t live without Your love. So 2024, I love You back. Instead of waiting to anticipate what You will do in my life, I offer You my life. I’m sorry that I ever strayed from the simplicity of just loving You. You are enough. Jesus, You gave Your life so I give You mine in return. Again and again. This is what I will do for You. I was then reminded of the Scriptures the Lord would continue to lead me to read every day. He would lead me to Genesis to read about Abraham and Sarah. In Genesis 12:1-3 God speaks to Abraham promises over his life. At that time, he was called Abram. “Now the Lord had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’” Abram obeyed the Lord and did as He asked. Once he left, the Lord came to Abram in a vision and said in Genesis 15:1-6, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” Abram knew he was childless, and the Lord said, “but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir. Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” The Lord spoke to Abram twice what He would fulfill through his life. God made it so clear, and Abraham believed. Now here comes the process and testing of time. Ten years after the Lord spoke to Abram, his wife Sarai had still not yet given birth to a child. So Sarai suggested Abram have a son through her maidservant, Hagar. The Scripture says, “Abram heeded the voice of Sarai.” Mistake? Yes! Remember what I just mentioned…God already spoke to Abram about his heir. Why did he listen to the voice of his wife instead? I have to mention one example where this happened before. Does Adam and Eve ring a bell? Remember when the Lord spoke to Adam about not eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and who did the serpent convince? Eve, his wife. Eve gave the fruit to Adam to eat and then came the fall of man. Abram listened to the voice of Sarai, and out comes Ishmael. No bueno! Remember what God has said to you. Now in Genesis 17, Ishmael is 13 years old and Abram is 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” Abraham asks if Ishmael would live under God’s blessing, but in verse 19 God said, “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.” Again, in chapter 18 the Lord spoke of Abraham’s promised son. Sarah laughs and God calls her out. Haha. God is funny, ya’ll! He’s legit. Verse 14 says, “Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” Fast forward to chapter 21:1-2, “And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.” Look at God! I love that it says, “the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken”. God is faithful and keeps His promises. This is one attribute of God that has caused me to cling to Him when I have nothing else but His Word. It’s so important to know His voice, to know what He is saying, and to remember what He has said. His words will stand the test of time. Above all else! Matthew 24:35 says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My WORDS will by no means pass away.” You can trust what Jesus says. What blows my mind is that Isaac’s name means laughter. Genesis 21:5-7 reads, “Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, ‘God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.’ She also said, ‘Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.” Who has the final say?! God! Yes! This makes me want to run. Sarah knew the statistics. People don’t have children in their old age. BUT who has the final say? The Creator of the universe. The One who forms you in the womb. This God makes the impossible, possible. Nothing is too hard for Him!

Now its time for the dessert. Go to Genesis 22. This section is titled “Abraham’s Faith Confirmed” in my NKJV, and in NLT it is “Abraham’s Faith Tested”. Hmmm. Interesting right? It’s amazing that the testing of our faith also confirms our faith. I’m going to get scholastic on y’all just because it just came to me, but when you take a test in school, doesn’t the test confirm the knowledge that you have about the material that’s being tested? The same goes with our faith. It’s often, well almost always tested to confirm the faith that we have or lack thereof. Yep. For some that may be hard to swallow. Ok. Verse 1. “Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” I’m going to paraphrase until verse 8, but Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled the donkey, took two young men, Isaac, the wood for the offering and left. On the third day Abraham saw the place from afar off and then left the two young men behind. He told them to stay while he and Isaac went up to worship and they will come back. So they continued and Isaac asks Abraham a question. Isaac says, Father, here is the wood and the fire but where’s the lamb for the offering? Verse 8. “And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering. So the two of them went together.“ Paraphrasing again here. They came to the place, Abraham built the altar, laid Isaac on the altar, stretched out his hand with the knife to kill his son, and then the Angel of the Lord calls out, “Abraham, Abraham!” Abraham answers and in verse 12, He said, “Do not lay a hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” This is so amazing to me. There are a couple things I want to point out about Abraham and God. I’ve loved studying Abraham’s life because it’s provoked me in a way that I never expected. God spoke to Abraham about His promise to make him a great nation, the descendants that will come from him, and the land that his descendants will possess. Abraham believed every word God said. Abraham’s faith was tested through time and though he bore Ishmael, God’s promise of Isaac still came. After Isaac was born, God then tested Abraham’s heart. Does Abraham love the Lord more than what the Lord promised him, his son? Also, does Abraham believe what the Lord spoke to him about his heir? Let’s go back to when God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. In that moment did Abraham question what God said about the covenant made between him and his descendants after him? When he told the two young men to stay behind because he and Isaac were going to go up to worship and come back, Abraham had to believe one thing. Abraham had to stake his son’s life on the words that God spoke to him. That yes, I know the Lord asked me to sacrifice my son, but He also said that through this promised son would come many nations. I know from my past that I can trust God to provide a lamb for sacrifice instead of my son. God does not lie. So instead of worrying or standing in fear, I’m going to believe in the Lord. I remember Sodom and how the Lord did not hide from me His plan to destroy the city, but spared my nephew. Even more so, I’m going to believe in the Lord. I believe when God said, is anything too hard for the Lord? I believe in the Lord, so I’m going to take my son and worship. Wow. Abraham’s love and trust in the Lord withstood his circumstances. Abraham loved God more than anything in the world, even if that meant losing his promised son. God is still good. Abraham loved God back. Abraham knew that his only option was to obey what God had said. Because of his faith and obedience, Abraham became the father of many nations and the generational line through whom our Savior was born. King Jesus!

Remember what God has spoken to you. Bind His words continually on your heart and tie them around your neck. His words will stand the test of time. Love the Lord without restraint. Climb the mountain of surrender. You must first die to yourself in order to experience true life. Life is found in Love, Jesus.

Wait for the voice of God

I can’t believe the end of summer has come. I look back at these past few months and see so much that has happened in my life. It has been the most challenging yet rewarding. Trials and heartache kept coming and Jesus kept drawing me nearer. Since the end of the school year and summer began, I started to go over the words the Lord had spoken to me regarding last year and this year, which were “Breakthrough” and “the Comeback”. I’m one who when the Lord says something to me, if He allows me to, I will shout it from the rooftops. I know from my past that when God speaks, He will do it. His voice is life. It’s everything. Plus, it’s in His written Word. God is not a man that He should lie. He who promised is faithful. It’s who He is. The Lord then reminded me of the life of Noah. Noah probably seemed like a fool to many. Claiming that there would be a flood when no one had ever even seen rain. Building a boat and facing the laughs, mockery, you name it. I told the Lord, I don’t care if I sound crazy because I know You are faithful. Come what may. So since the beginning of the summer I have been studying the life of Noah and taking notes. There’s a lot the Holy Spirit revealed to me, but what I will focus on right now is the scripture that stood out the most to me and keeps coming to the forefront of my mind with every question that I present to the Lord in prayer. Before I get there I have to give some context on the life of Noah.

When Noah was born, his father Lamech in Genesis 5:29 said, “This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord has cursed.” I love that his father heard from the Lord and spoke into his son’s life as soon as Noah was born. Reading this led me on a side study in Genesis 3 when the serpent tempted Eve and God cursed the ground because of sin. Like I’ve mentioned before, the Word has become a treasure hunt for me. It’s so fun to be led throughout the Bible. Anyways, back to Noah. There was wickedness in the earth and it says in Genesis 6:5-6 “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” Wow. I read that and can’t imagine the Lord’s grief. Just like in the garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, sin separated them from God. Sin grieves Him. But Genesis 6:8 says, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Listen to what the Bible says about Noah in verse 9, “Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.” Noah was just, perfect and take hold of this…he walked with God. Adam and Eve also walked with God in the garden. In the days of Noah, it says all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. Because of that, God asked Noah to build an ark and gave him instructions on how to do it. May we never build without the leading and instruction of the Lord. God said in Genesis 6:18 “But I will establish My covenant with you”. Noah was to bring in his wife and sons and every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort to keep them alive, male and female. Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him. Noah got on the boat with his family and the animals, and the rain came and the flood waters destroyed all living things. Life on the boat began. I got to Genesis 7:24 that reads “And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days. Ok. I don’t know about you, but this is the first time I read that and actually realized and was shocked by how long Noah and his family were on the boat with a bunch of animals. I’ve read this a million times. I learned about Noah and the Ark when I was a little child, but never have I thought about living conditions on that boat. I’m sure it was far from comfortable. It was not the life they were used to living, PLUS everyone they ever knew had died from the flood. Take a moment to think about that. They just watched everyone they knew die and were the only ones to survive. Then they had to move their living situation to be with tons of animals and do everything they could to keep them alive! How could I ever complain?? Another thing, the waters prevailed for one hundred and fifty days, which is about 5 months. I went on a cruise for a week and though it was amazing, I could not imagine staying on that boat for 5 months with animals. Even after the waters subsided Noah and his family had to be still and wait inside the ark for the earth to dry and further instruction from God.

Alright, let’s go to Genesis 8:14-16. And in the second month on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dried. Then God spoke to Noah, saying, “Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you.” This was a little over a year later! I’ll just say that Noah is a man of the voice of the Lord. Noah waited until the Lord said to exit the boat, when he could’ve seen dry ground and rushed to get his family and every animal off. Learn to trust and wait on the Lord. Noah made an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings using every clean animal that he kept alive. Then the Lord made a covenant with Noah that never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth, and the rainbow will be a sign of the covenant between God and the earth. Next is the scripture that marked me. Noah’s sons went out of the ark, and from them the whole earth was populated. Genesis 9:20 says, “And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard.” This! Noah became a farmer! When God spoke to Noah to exit the ark, He commanded him to be fruitful and multiply on the earth(Genesis 8:17). Noah began to be a farmer! Noah became what was needed to obey the Lord. He did what he had never done before. This may sound small and simple, but this is everything to me. Noah had new land and new ground to cover. When you step into a new place with the Lord, it requires something of you. That may look like something new. Something you weren’t expecting. Learning to farm is not easy! New life and new land meant a new assignment. It was time to put his hands to the plow! Noah becoming a farmer has been on repeat and I believe that’s what the Lord is doing. Wherever the Lord plants you, do whatever is needed to be fruitful and multiply. Break up the fallow ground, it’s time to seek the Lord! Seek Him. Fallow ground is ground that has yet to be cultivated. Break up the fallow ground and seek the Lord! Put your hand to the plow. Don’t get out of the boat until God says. Wait for the voice of God, and do what is needed to obey.

This Is Your Comeback!

It’s a new year, y’all! Welcome to 2023! This year started off with a bang for sure. I was eager to write this because the Lord started speaking to me around mid-December and over the past month the Holy Spirit kept showing me more. I woke up one morning and started reflecting on the past year with the Lord and then began to think about 2023. As I was lying in bed I immediately heard Danny Gokey’s voice singing “This is the comeback!” I chuckled and was like, ok. That’s pretty funny. I love how the Holy Spirit will just drop songs like that to me. Mind you, I haven’t heard or listened to this song in years. Then I thought, wow. The Comeback! So, I looked up the lyrics.

“This is your time your moment. The fire, the fight, you’re golden.

You’ve come so far keep going. Oh. Here comes the comeback.

There is no mountain you can’t face. There is no giant you can’t take.

All of your tears were not a waste. You’re one step away.

Just when they think they got you game set match.

Oh. Here comes the comeback.”

I’m like, YES! Especially the part that goes “There is no mountain you can’t face. There is no giant you can’t take. All of your tears were not a waste. You’re one step away.” You’re one step away! Just go do yourself a favor and give that song a listen. Ok 😊

So, after that I asked the Lord to reveal this in Scripture. I open my Bible and get ready to turn to the Old Testament where I am currently reading in my Bible, but I hear the Holy Spirit say, “Read the book of Matthew.” With the biggest smile on my face, I’m like, here we go! I love it when the Holy Spirit directs me to a specific place to read because reading becomes a treasure hunt and that’s where He reveals more and more and leads me throughout the Bible. It’s my favorite! Ok. So, I start reading Matthew. In Matthew we get the genealogy and birth of Jesus, then we jump to John the Baptist preparing the way for the Lord. Jesus appears to John at the Jordan River to be baptized by him. This is where the Holy Spirit had me camp out. In Matthew 3:16-17 it reads,

Alright, so we have Jesus seeing the Holy Spirit descend like a dove upon Him. What stood out to me first was that Jesus saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove. That has never jumped off the page before. Jesus saw the Holy Spirit coming over Him. His eyes were opened to it. That’s saying something, right? May our eyes be opened to what the Lord is doing, and our ears hear what He is saying. Then suddenly the Father spoke of Him. The word “suddenly” also was highlighted. I kept saying suddenly..suddenly..suddenly a voice from heaven. Then I was reminded of the Upper Room in the book of Acts. Acts 2:1-4 reads,

“When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Here we have suddenly again. What the Holy Spirit showed me while I was reading, was that clear up until this point in Matthew where Jesus was baptized, mankind was waiting for the Messiah to be revealed. Yes, when Jesus was born the Messiah had come, but there was a period of preparation and waiting for His ministry. It’s almost like, ok…now what? John the Baptist was there to prepare the way of the Lord. John the Baptist preached, “He who is coming after me is mightier than I….He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. There was a waiting for Jesus to start His ministry and fulfill what He was sent to do. Then came the suddenly when Jesus appeared at the Jordan and was baptized. Also, before the disciples all went to the Upper Room, Jesus had commanded them to wait for the Promise of the Father. After 40 days when they were all together in one accord, suddenly the Holy Spirit filled them. There appeared to them tongues of fire that sat upon them as they were filled. In the same way that the Holy Spirit rested upon Jesus at His baptism! Such parallels in Scripture. The details are so specific. That is the Word of God for you. I love it! What was Promised had come. Suddenly! Mankind waited thousands of years and suddenly the Promised Messiah, the Savior of the world came. Jesus did say, “Wait for the promise.” Wow! The Promise!!! Ahh, this is where the dots really connected and it all began to make sense! I remembered last year, for 2022, the word that I got for the year had to do with Breakthrough. How the Israelites crossed the Jordan River to the Promised Land! I was thinking then that in 2022 we would step into our promises. Haha. I laugh, now. I am a witness to promises being fulfilled, especially some of my close friendships, so I’m not negating it for all if it’s come. But, the Lord eventually showed me through the testing that I was soon after facing, that in order to have a breakthrough something has to break. I had to break. Sounds harsh but it’s true. 2022 was really a year of strengthening, refining and pruning in preparation for the promise. That’s why it was a “battle”. Remember in Numbers 32, the Gadites and Reubenites were to cross over in battle formation to help the Israelites cross the Jordan River into their inheritance. As I meditated on all of this, I saw a turning point in Scripture and now. I saw how the Israelites after leaving Egypt crossed the Red Sea by the mighty hand of the Lord, but they didn’t cross the Jordan River into Canaan until 40 years after. They weren’t ready for it. They were ungrateful, they complained and couldn’t receive yet what the Lord wanted to give them. The suddenly came when they crossed the Jordan River and stepped into the land of Canaan. Even then that promise didn’t come without the help of their brothers to battle together in unity. Side note on unity…can you see how much we need each other as a body?

After all of that, I began to see a shift happening with us now. That last year was an important year. It set the course for what this next season will look like for many. A turning point is happening where, yes there will still be testing, refining, pruning and what I’ll lightly call a battle, but you’ll find yourself carrying new strength to endure. You’ll have armor and strength from this past season to help you with an ease to see it through. You have new facets of Jesus. Just like Jesus saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove, you will see the hand of the Lord upon you, guiding you along the way.

About a week after this was all given to me, I was in conversation with a couple of friends at school about it and one highlighted the Jordan River. How Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River and that the Israelites crossed the Jordan River before stepping into the Promised Land! Mind. Blown!! I can’t get over the fact that the Holy Spirit connected all of this starting with a song. Then He’s like, now the treasure hunt begins! The Jordan River was such a significant place! Can you imagine when Jesus was baptized, thinking to Himself how He was redeeming His chosen ones in those waters? The Israelites crossed this river to their land of milk and honey and then Jesus comes and is baptized in that same river like He was signifying and sealing the

new covenant of crossing over to the true Promised Land through Him. His land of abundance, wealth, and prosperity. He is the Promise! He is life more abundantly. He is true wealth. There’s so much more I could elaborate on, but I believe this speaks for itself. I gotta say that this was probably the hardest blog I have written because I am speaking to myself as I write every word. There is a waiting. Don’t grow weary, but just like John the Baptist and the disciples did, stand in obedience to the voice of the Lord and the suddenly will come. Stay the course. We can’t miss it when the promise comes by and through Jesus. It’s always when we least expect it! This is your comeback!

Put your game face on and watch the Lord fight for you!

      It’s Summer, y’all! There is so much I want to say, but I know I can’t write a book. Or can I? Lol. Seriously, there is a lot that the Lord has been doing in my life this year already. One thing to celebrate is that I graduated from my 3rd year at Jesus School on May 4th!!! Even writing those words brought tears to my eyes just now. Wow. I was not expecting that. I will share about my Jesus School experience soon. I promise. I just still can’t speak about it without the floodgates bursting forth. Anyways, I want to touch on a few things that I really feel the Lord prompting me to. Back in January I shared from Numbers 32, what the Lord had spoken to me about “Year of Breakthrough”. I mentioned how the Israelites were getting ready to cross the Jordan River to the Promised Land. That the Reubenites and Gadites said in Numbers 32:18, “We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has taken possession of his inheritance.” After that, Moses replied, “If you do this—if you arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, and every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies from his presence, and the land is subdued before the Lord—afterward you may return and be free from obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the Lord.” Alrighty. What I heard the Lord speaking to me immediately after I posted that is pivotal. I remember just being so excited about the breakthrough that God was revealing to me that the breakthrough was all that consumed my thoughts. Like finally, everything God spoke to me will finally happen! Yippee! Ok, Taja. Yes, but there’s more. Very soon after I shared that I immediately felt like things suddenly got harder. Like I was treading through mud and the struggle was real. I can’t explain it other than I just felt that things spiritually in my life was a battle. Without going into too much detail, a lot was happening that I had to face and walk through that I knew that if I did not allow myself to face these things, I would be stuck. It was then that I remembered this passage about the Israelites being equipped for war. They had to arm themselves for battle! Then as you may guess, the lightbulb started to flash in my head. When there’s a breakthrough in anything, something has to break! It doesn’t come easily. You have to break in order to get through! In that breaking there’s a battle. There’s warfare. That’s what I was and still am experiencing. I’m sure many of you may have been or are still currently experiencing the warfare. One thing that was repeated multiple times by Moses that I couldn’t escape was in verse 21, “and every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the Lord until he has driven his enemies from his presence...” Again, all of the men were armed for battle to drive out the enemy. It wasn’t an “I’m fighting on my own”, it’s “God is with us. We’re an army fighting together until the enemy is defeated.” Is there warfare? Yes. Are you alone in this battle? No.

My favorite scripture for encouragement is from John 16:33 which says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus has overcome the world! Yes we will face battles and things will try to weigh us down, but we keep our gaze fixed on the Overcomer! We are not alone. Also, thankfully we can read scripture and look at the outcome of the Israelites. Did they make it to the Promised Land. Yep. The battle is already won with the Lord! Take heart in that. Hold on to Jesus. Just don’t give up!

I also want to share what the Holy Spirit reminded me of as I was writing. It was of a vision I had during an encounter in worship at Jesus School. In this vision I bowed my head and Jesus placed a crown on my head. Once I received the crown, He handed me a sword and then I immediately did this martial arts karate spin move like from Xena Warrior Princess and chopped off the head of a giant! It was insane! Jesus crowned me and gave me the weapons to fight and kill giants! I will break down as much as I can. First, Jesus placed the crown on my head after I bowed to receive. In that speaks identity. He is saying, “You are My daughter. You are royalty. I give you authority.” All I had to do was accept it and receive it. Then once I accepted who I am, He handed me a sword. Jesus gave me the weapon I needed in that moment to fight. Then once I was handed the weapon, it was game over. I was filled with the power to kill the giant! That Xena Warrior Princess move came from Him! Even I was shocked at what I was able to do! Lol. Seriously I remember in that vision being amazed at what I was capable of. When I think of scripture, I am reminded of King David. David embraced who he was. He already killed a lion and a bear! In David’s words, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37) David knew it was the Lord who would fight for him against the Philistine. He just put on what he had, picked up the weapons in front of him and stepped up to the plate to fight. God took care of the rest. Lastly, one of my recent favorites is Gideon. The Israelites were oppressed and impoverished because of the Midianites. The Lord appeared to Gideon and said, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor.” (Judges 6:12) God spoke identity to Gideon and then said that He is with him. God is all we need. He empowers us. Look at the areas you may be facing a challenge in. That just may be where you experience your breakthrough! Put your game face on and watch the Lord fight for you!

Year of Breakthrough

Happy 2022!!! I’m so excited for this year! Let me just say that I’m very expectant that it’s going to be a memorable year. Praise Jesus, Hallelujah! Guys. January is almost over! What?! I don’t know about you, but it’s felt like a whole year squeezed into 26 daaayssss. Anywho. Towards the end of December, the Holy Spirit took me to scripture and showed me while I was reading a little piece of what this year would look like. He also revealed my word for 2022. Side note, I must mention that I never wanted to take part in the “word” for the New Year thing that started happening. Back in 2018 though, the Lord spoke my word for 2019 and blew my mind with how that word was truly the definition of that year. The word for the year has continued ever since. For 2022, the Lord said that this is the year of “BREAKTHROUGH”. That word can mean a lot of things and pertain to multiple areas of my life, so my hands are up, and I am ready for breakthrough in it all! Ok, let’s get started! I am referencing Numbers 32. For context, here, the Israelites were on their way to Canaan, the Promised Land with Moses. The Gadites and Reubenites found land good for their livestock and did not want to cross the Jordan River to Canaan with everyone, they wanted to stay. Starting in verse 5 it reads:

     “If we have found favor with you, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Don’t make us cross the Jordan. But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your brothers go to war while you stay here? Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land the Lord has given them? That’s what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. After they went up as far as Eschol Valley and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. So the Lord’s anger burned that day, and he swore an oath: ‘Because they did not remain loyal to me, none of the men twenty years old or more who came up from Egypt will see the land I swore to give Abraham, Isaac and Jacob--- none except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, because they did remain loyal to the Lord.”

      What stood out to me was “Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land the Lord has given them?” That’s what their fathers did, and they were about to repeat history! Moses further says:

     “If you turn back from following him, he will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will destroy all of them. Then they approached him and said, ‘We want to build sheep pens here for our livestock and cities for our dependents. But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our dependents will remain in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has taken possession of his inheritance.”

      The Holy Spirit showed me in reading that there will be breakthrough. Many that may have discouraged the plan that God has to take me to my Promised Land will suddenly not rest until I’ve received my inheritance. I just saw this shift that will take place where there is a fresh wind pushing to fulfill the promises and plans that the Lord has spoken for His people. I realized then that this wasn’t just for me. This is for the whole body of Christ. The body will band together as brothers and sisters and fight for the inheritance of God’s people. People that used to fight against you will fight for you to get what God has promised. He is redeeming the past. The generational patters will end. Now starts something new! The body of believers are there to help, who by love and fear of the Lord will not settle until your promise is fulfilled. Further, in Joshua 1: 14-15, after Moses had died, reads:

      “Your wives, dependents, and livestock may remain in the land Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But your best soldiers must cross over in battle formation ahead of your brothers and help them until the Lord gives your brothers rest, as he has given you, and they too possess the land the Lord your God is giving them. You may then return to the land of your inheritance and take possession of what Moses the Lord’s servant gave you on the east side of the Jordan. “

     I love how scripture says, “as he has given you, and they too possess the land the Lord your God is giving them.” That shows me that there’s plenty of blessings, inheritance, rest, peace, joy, etc. for everyone! God does not lack. In Deuteronomy 7:9 it reads, “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.” And lastly, from Deuteronomy 1:21, “See, the Lord your God has set the land before you. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.” As you get to your inheritance, know that God has set it before you. It’s yours. Take it. Don’t let fear, intimidation, lack, false humility, or discouragement keep you from taking what is rightfully yours. You see, the previous tendency of being discouraged, which was a pattern and cycle from their ancestors tried to creep its little head into the picture. It is GOD who set it before you!

      You can see why I’m so excited for 2022, right?! I can’t wait to see how God’s glory will be revealed through my life and my brothers and sisters in Christ. Breakthrough is coming! Hold on to the promises of the Lord! He will take you to the Promised Land, the land of your inheritance.