this is no ordinary LOVE.

You will set me high upon a rock; my head shall be lifted up above my enemies and i will sing praise the Lord.

(psalm 27:5 &6)

i see Jesus. He reaches to me, my head hung low and my spirit crushed. He places His hand tenderly under my chin and gently lifts my up my head while looking at me, eyes full of Love and Mercy. He raises my head up high above my enemies because i cannot muster the unction i need to do it myself. i look at Him and begin to sing the song rising up from my deep--from my soul--to His.

at first no words come, and i just sing the melody of my heart that has been changed by His beauty from sorrow unto joy. as i look at Him, feel His hands around my face, my head still raised far above adversity, His Love teaches me the words to the song: You are my shield, my exceedingly great reward (gen. 3:15); You, my God, are my Light and my Salvation; whom then shall i fear? for You are the Strength of my life (psalm 27:1). i will rejoice, my soul is filled with joy, for You have clothed me with garments of salvation (isaiah 61:10). my soul will be at rest and hold its peace for You fight for me, my Lord (exodus 14:14) and Your banner over me is Love (song of solomon 2:4).

He says to me, "just give me your burdens. cast your cares on Me, for I care for you (1 Peter 5:7). it's still My promise--and remember--My mercies are NEW every day (Lamentations 3:22-23)--because I know each day holds new challenges for you and you need Me new every morning. cast your cares on Me DAILY; it's My gift to you to receive your brokenness and give you My fullness. I LOVE you."

just one sentence like that from Him, and i am undone.

He says, "just lean into Me; I love to hear you breathe. I desire intimacy with you, just as you desire it with Me. you are My beloved and I am Yours (song of solomon 2:16); you are My beloved and My desire is toward you (song of solomon 7:10)."

overwhelmed, i say to Him, "...You're REALLY in love with me?!"

He answers, "yes! I AM Love! how can I not be in love with you?! even still, it is My choice to love you. you are not a burden to Me--even your burdens do not burden Me. I am your voluntary Lover and it ravishes My heart when you give up your entire life just to be with Me."

i am changed. i am made new. He has prepared a table for me in the presence of my enemies (psalm 23:5). i am VICTORY.

and it's all because of LOVE.

Healing :)

The RIHOP and Legacy Fellowship communities have been studying gifts of the Spirit for the past few months and recently we have found the Spirit putting a lot of emphasis on restoration ministry, particularly in the form of physical healing.

We have been listening to teachings by Curry Blake, the inheritor of the John G. Lake healing ministries (to listen to these teachings, follow this link and download:

http://spiritlessons.com/Documents/Healing/JGL/JGL_Ministries.htm)

We have had many testimonies of healing occurring within our community from backs being healed, knee injuries, even food allergies being healed (a friend of mine who had a severe allergy to eggs was prayed for and has been eating eggs almost every day since!)

In 2006 while I was doing missions work in Ecuador, I stepped on a large piece of glass that fully penetrated my right foot and tore the muscle off of the bone. There has been a load of scar tissue in my foot ever since causing me a large amount of pain every time I stepped down too hard, bent my foot at certain angles or stepped on anything that put pressure in that spot.

As Shawn and I were sitting in RIHOP this afternoon he laid his hand on my foot and commanded the muscle to re-attach and my foot to be healed. I've never felt anything like what I felt as he prayed and commanded my foot to be healed...there was a large amount of heat radiating inside my foot and a tingling feeling, not like that of pins and needles...more like a large rush of blood and life welling up within. I took my finger and put a LARGE amount of pressure directly on the spot and felt nothing...Shawn did the same and still...no pain. I rolled my foot in the manner that used to cause my foot to lock up because of the torn muscle...no pain...Jesus healed my foot!!

We are called to heal. We are called to bring life into this world because Jesus has overcome death and all sickness. He is erupting into this community with the truth of our call to heal as people are being freed from sickness, addictions and doubt daily.

right where You are, that's where i left my heart.

"it was as though he (king david) literally boasted aloud, 'look at who my Shepherd is--my Owner, my Manager!' the Lord!"

--phillip keller a shepherd's look at psalm 23

i read an article yesterday of a girl in middle school whose mother worked as a high-profile supreme court correspondent for CNN. she would say to her friends and to people she met, "MY mom works for CNN; MY mom is on t.v....who is your mom?"

she was finding her identity in who her mother was--in her mother's job. to the girl, who her mom was also defined who she was as a daughter.

the article went on to say that one evening the mother came home to tell her daughter that she had been let go from her job because the network had eliminated the position. the daughter became angry and confused and for months would say things like, "well, my mom USED to work at CNN."

she was still finding her identity in her mother, but without the label of high-profile reporter, her daughter felt she had actually lost her own identity.

i think this sort of thing happens often because we are actually made to find our identities outside of ourselves.

king david boasted in being a part of a flock--the flock of his Shepherd...his God. he found his identity in his Master, the One who cared for him, who he trusted, sought the counsel of, rested in.

the girl from the article did the same, only she found her identity in another human. so when the one she rested in suddenly lost her belonging in her field of work, so did her "flock"--her daughter.

so then, we have to find ourselves and our identities...our rest...in the One who never changes, the only One who can actually give us identity because HIS identity never fails or changes.

He is always God, always Father, always Lover, Friend, Shepherd, Provider, Healer, Counselor...........