Reading 1 John 5:14-15

“Lord what you want for me“

“for you let me close to you. For you to let me come and be with you. For you let me rest with you.“

“But Lord, let you? Aren’t you sovereign? I have to let you?“

“I am.”

Immediately revelation begins to flow from the Throne of Grace with great mercy: The Lord is sovereign and He is omnipresent (everywhere) including close to us and with us at all times. Even tho He is resting with His Children, there’s an activation of that in relationship when they acknowledge and focus, believing, these truths. Spending time with Him day after day has taught us that we can spend time with Him moment to moment: arrive here and you’ll find that the peace that passes all understanding will rise up in your heart and remain.
What an awesome and scandalous Love He is! Thank you Lord! Thank You!

The Love of God in Us - Panola County Daily Devotional Extension

When we look at the ABC's of the Christian walk we are looking for a focus, an objective, a goal: something to strive for.  This walk isn't made from works, mind you, but most certainly is evidenced by them.  So what are we looking for?  What can we focus on in our own lives?

Two Sections of scripture come to mind:  II Corinthians 10:3-5 and Romans 12:1 & 2.

This week, We've been taking steps to share what the Lord has give us here.  We pray that it has shed light in your heart and that today we can add to that in the name of Jesus.

Tuesday we looked at Romans 12:1 and saw that Paul was Calling the Roman Believers to do submit to God; "I Beseech you Brethren".  We found out that our submission to God is produced in us "by the mercies of God".  

Wednesday, yesterday, we talked about how real sin is in our own lives and that when dealing with other's we must keep that in mind, "Looking at specks past our planks"

Today we explore in our brief time: The Love of God In Us. For more on today's message click the BLOG link @ ChristCarriesMe.org

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                All of Scripture reveals to us that God’s will in the earth is to be glorified by His creation – you and I as a born-again believer, have the key and the access to grant His requirement: worshipping in Spirit and in Truth.  Don’t let the doctrine of man sway you, dear believer.  If the Lord says you can talk in other languages, believe that, if He says that you can pray in the Spirit without understanding and then pray FOR understanding afterwards then by faith DO THAT!  Trust that you’ll receive what your spirit has spoken in conversation to the Lord.  If you believe that God has said (to do) and it lines up with His word, do it BOLDLY and quickly.  I promise you this, by follow the commands of Jesus to Love God first, you will get to know Him.  Begin loving on God by pouring out in prayer and using His word (the Bible).  He will disciple you in how to approach, with understanding, His character AND you’ll love your neighbor as yourself.

                Following the first commandment of Jesus, to Love God first, is something that increases in us, grows, until we leave this earth.  The increase of our love is by God’s revelation: it happens within our relationship with Him.  It is impossible for man to completely know the depths of the Love of God, for God is Love.  HIS depths are unfathomable to us!  How could our finite minds wrap around the infinite?  Think of it: as a child of God, you have an inheritance that is infinite.  Infinite.  Would you like to hear the good news?  WE HAVE ACCESS TO IT ALL BECAUSE OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD WITHIN US!!!  Let me see if some Word can help us grasp this… 

“We love because He first loved us.” – I John 4:19 MEV

So, the cause of my love for Him is His for me?  What a spark!  Does this mean: My love for Him is full & complete or He doesn’t love me at all?  Well, not exactly: Our love for Him is instant in that we have met someone that Loves us completely but as time goes by and He continues to love us our love for him grows as we discover more of Him. 

First, there is the initial sanctification of man to Him in salvation: A man can “will” a change by putting pressure on his nature.  He’ll even show change but the moment he releases the pressure he’s back to square one.  When God changes our Nature (in salvation [new heart, new mind]), this radically changes our desires to be aligned with His.  Then, the process of continued sanctification excels and we move on from Faith to Faith and from Glory to Glory.  The more revelation and understanding I have of His love FOR me, the more I’m enabled to retain and to share His love – with Him.   Did you see that?  It’s His love shed abroad in our hearts that makes the difference.  We don’t have it in and of ourselves.  Being born again sets us into our access of the things of the spirit realm by our born-again spirit (“inner man” Eph 3).  THEN AND ONLY THEN can we Worship in Spirit and in Truth.  It is our born-again spirit that has access to the Throne Room, it is there we commune with God, it is there that our RELATIONSHIP is: it cannot exist without it – God is a Spirit & God is Love. 

                Hold on, let’s go deeper:  If God is love and we are one with Him, who is it that loves others and how is it that we love others as ourselves if we ourselves can’t even love ourselves?!?! Did you see that?  Praise God for Revelation Knowledge of the workings of the Kingdom!  It is GOD who loves us and it is GOD who loves others – we are a vessel for HIM, not for us.  When we are full of self,   we have NOTHING to give and when we are full of Him we STILL have NOTHING to give – That's why Hebrews calls us to strive to enter His rest! HE loves others through us while we rest in Him.  We simply yield and become a conduit of His “electric” power.  We are the connection from the place where He is in the Throne Room and the place where we are in the earth realm: a true "manifestation of the sons of God."

This is why the ABC's are so important: Romans 12:1,2 and II Corinthians 10:3-5:

Remember: the increase of our love is by God’s revelation in relationship.  Loving others starts with loving God.  You cannot love them without ministering to Him first.  

I thank you for joining me today, I'm JD and I call you Blessed and Highly Favored!
  

miséō Conquered

Miséō is the Greek word for "hate" that we see in I John 2:9:

8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
                                                I John 2:8-11 KJV

Strong's defines it as "to hate, pursue with hatred, detest or to be hated, detested."  That's quite a strong word!
As believers we use the word "hate" way to loosely.  "I hate that!" or "I hate it when you do that!" or "I hate broccoli!" This morning hear the creativity in the words you're speaking. Know that by the Words God spoke creation came to be and think on that for a moment.  Let's ask ourselves: "How much DOES my mouth define my reality?"
So that being said, how many of you have something against another believer?  The Word tells us that he who hates is darkness.  Now, I'm not saying that you aren't saved because of it but I can say this: I wouldn't wander to far from the wall your hand is on..  Have you ever turned the lights out at night in the living room and for a second couldn't see a thing but began to wander towards the hall or bedroom?  How many of you know that those who are blinded are led by their feelings?
But there is a seriousness that needs to be dealt with here.  We, as believers, are called to "make our calling and election sure" and to "work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling" so IF we have hatred towards a brother or sister it's time for a heart check!
"But Bro Pierce, I said the prayer of salvation and I got baptized at the church.  I know I'm saved and that's all there is to that!"    Do you?  Now, I'm not going to question your confession because I'm not qualified to do so; but you should...  We must test ourselves to know that we are in the Faith!  Better to test and find ourselves lacking than to not test and find ourselves, without reprieve, in hell.
If you ever come to a place where you are questioning whether or not you're saved, know that it's not God's Ability that's in question. He is able to save to the Utmost!  When you question, and you should do so, do so with an expectant heart.  Doubt, in this sense, is not your enemy. Unbelief is the enemy, Faith and Believing is the friend, doubt notes a place in between the two.  Wouldn't you rather know that you don't know and be able to search for the answer or would you rather find yourself in an eternal bind?
We've used the example of "hate" here because hate is of a nature that we as believers have been freed from. It is but a portion of iniquity and transgression.  That nature is the old nature and the new man, formed in God's image, born again, new heart, new mind, new you is forged in LOVE.  The strongholds of pain and bitterness of our past is something that, now that we are the Lord's, we have the authority to rip down!  This reminds me of the Promised Land, a biblical type and shadow of salvation: Did Israel gain all of the Promised Land? Yes!   In one day or by battle after battle? That's right, they fought for it, they took ground with effort and it took effort to take the ground and keep it!
Is "hate" a city on the hills of your Promised Land?  Can you name it? Define it?  Know it in and out?  Then strategize in prayer with the One Who gave you the victory over it and DEFEAT IT!  What darkness exposed by light remains?  Darkness cannot exist in the presence of light!  In fact, darkness is but an absence of light!  Turn the light on and let's roll on the the next city!  TAKE THE GROUND AND POSSES IT FOR IT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO YOU BY PROMISE!
Amen!  The moment Jesus was raised from the dead Satan was done!  We have to renew our minds ( from the Word of God) that our source is Jesus and that the Spirit of God is within us!  We declare the glory of the Lord over you today! We believe that we receive the manifested presence of God, the manifested goodness of God, and the manifested power of God!

Be blessed!  We love you!

Ministry Update - June 2017

     We Praise God for you! This past 2 weeks has been crazy with little office time to sit and write.  It is VERY encouraging to us to see fruit of God produced in others and to be a catalyst for that is humbling.  I guess we never really know which moments in our lives count for someone else in an eternal way.

     Ministry is a calling for sure: you have to know that you know or else you’ll let the vision slip from you.  I believe that we received the vision in 2011 for this ministry.  Even the name Christ Carries Me was given then.  It’s easy to see that God is with us because of the connections He’s made in relation to the vision.


     For instance: Hellen and Robert Howell and Anne and Al Sherril, two couples, both were
volunteers at Coffield for over 20 years.  They faithfully, week by week, went to the Coffield Boot Camp.  Even on Christmas day, there they were, it was a Saturday, second nature, no questions!


This has impacted us greatly to see people with hearts of gold that go.  Now we see Bro Robert and Sis Hellen pretty much once a month minimum and we are involved in street ministry together as a band (Vessels of Clay) among other things.  Family ties are made in the Blood of Jesus!

The street ministry is called Jesus Burger.   Yeah,  Jesus Burger!  It’s really simple.  The place it’s held is spotted, prayed and fasted over, cross-walked (with giant crosses these guys go door to door and knock on ‘em to love people), finalized and then the events start in that place and continue month to month.  They are usually held in the neighborhoods where the need is and the ministry is “free clothes, live music, free meal.”   Ministers like us are EVERYWHERE and you have a place wherever you go no matter where you are if you're in the Call.  We go and are present and accounted for.  When the meal is served we eat and fellowship with the people.  In the pictures you see, we’d be overdressed for a Jesus Burger… It's not about show, it's about relationship. Check out that LOGO!
 We’re blessed to be a part of that Ministry – On Mission Ministries out of Treasure Church, Longview Texas.  They multiply them in cities all over this area every weekend… Amazing people.

We went to the Boyd Unit a couple weekends ago too.  We RV’d like a pro!  Anne and Al and Hellen and Robert and I all stayed overnight because the service time is 7 am.  Robert, Hellen and I went to Tenn Colony directly after that, met up with David and went in to the TC @ Coffield for services.

God is good and faithful to supply open doors to us as we go along.  It’s really something to go and testify or to give a word to someone the Lord shows you.  God is SO good.

    Most recently we've connected with Mike Barber Ministries and Bill Glass Behind the Walls.




      We send our love to Mike Barber Ministries. We LOVE Sean and the team over there… Their hearts are for God and His in the jails… it’s a big deal, really.  We've entered in with them twice and look forward to working with them MUCH more in the near future.

     Mickey Webb wrote to us and suggested we touch base with Volunteer James Guerra.  Well we reached out to him through Mercy Heart where he was at last we knew and he called us back.  He’s now the area director for Bill Glass Ministries and he just so happens to have an event in our area coming up and needed help laying the foundations.  It is SO awesome the way God works.  They’re coming to the Henderson area and need over 200 volunteers to come along.  Here’s James and I at our meeting last week.  We’re excited to be a small part of what God is doing state-wide.  Fear not!

     We've been in talks with Kevin Brown.  He and his wife, Debra, are precious to us.  Also Sister Gardner, who is a mighty woman of God and since her husband Anthony passed away, she’s stood strong! She misses him greatly.  The way I figure, he’s missed by many.  Pastor Gardner, was a man you knew to approach well as the Spirit of the Lord was with him.  So, Kevin and I talk regularly.  He gave me a life verse one day in the beginnings of the Ministry vision and didn’t realize it at the time (Genesis 28:15).  That verse stuck with me HARD.  He is doing well and is working to get in to the prisons and volunteer also.  He’s as stout in the Lord as always and he still has a big head! (physically LARGE) 😊



TESTIFY!
        Leaving the old life behind is evidence of a true move of God.  It didn’t happen for me until then and I tried to do it on my own.  We were working in the ministry, laying hands on the sick, casting out devils, all that but so did the people in the book of Matthew BEFORE the Holy Ghost and the Salvation of Man!!!  I read once the verse “...but Lord, didn’t we cast out….  Yes, but depart from Me for I never knew you.”  WOAH! That frightened me to no end when I saw that!!  That was the beginning of what I call my “conversion”.  It was the truest point of my life in that I was able to see God as Holy and me as NOT AT ALL WORTHY.   But praise GOD for His Grace (Luke 11:5-13)!  After that experience, the Word came alive, my prayer life began to matter and the prayers I asked I could see being answered, God got involved…  I told God in that deepest pit, “Father, this is what I can do with my life.  I can’t.  You have to!”  and that, my friend, was it.  But HE had to bring me there, you know?  The thing is, now that I know church is full of messy people (As I was one and still am) I can go without being mad at the “hypocrites”.  Where else you want ‘em to be?  HOLY GHOST SETUP! YEAH!


 Dearest Reader: That's our update.  Know that we’re praying for you.  We Love you.  Peace!


Genuinely,

Rev JD Pierce
Executive Director
Christ Carries Me Ministries
p: +1 903.265.4424  f: +1 903.900.4981
a: Post Office Box 354, Carthage, Texas 75633-0354
w: ChristCarriesMe.org   e: JD@ChristCarriesMe.org

God, We Need You - DailyDevo, 05/18/17

as broadcast on KGAS, recorded live in studio.

https://youtu.be/Wl8pIy7YjuU

...but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.

 

"And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you , even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow." Josh 24:12

Read Joshua 24:1-15

You want to win a war but you don't want to service God?

"It's not my war. The battle is the Lord's!" has become cliche and we've lost the understanding of how our pride and arrogance impact the spirit of our words.

     "It's not my war." should come to mean, 

"How dare I think for a moment that something God has chosen to glorify Himself with, the victory over my enemies, is something I can take credit for." 

     Joshua gathered all of Israel together because what he had to say was important (v1).  He then, with authority, announced and imparted the vision and majesty of Who God is and had been to the people (vv. 2-13) and then brought the responsibility of each person to light with a commission, a plan of action, a call (vv. 14-15).

Today, were is the Spirit of the Lord in Power in our meetings?  What is it that is needed to reveal the fear of the Lord in our congregation? Why, it's the Lord Himself, coming down, being present, holiness manifested!  It's a place we've heard about.  It's a place some of us have experienced a portion of in our lives.  It's a place people talk about.  Where is it right now?

We're so busy and caught up in our phones and computers!  Even now as I type this message I feel His conviction!  We should call facebook and twitter what they really are, "Anti-Social Networks" because what they do is allow us to show a face without action, a mask, the VANITY OF OUR MINDS rather than the evidence of our walk!  Oh Lord help us to seek You!  Lord help us to find You!  Lord, call us into times of prayer and fasting that are unheard of today!  Lord, help!  Come down! Lord, please!

Reader, don't you want to feel the cleansing power of the presence of the Lord corporately?  Would you like to see your husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters flee from sin as if they'd seen the devil himself in it?  THAT is revival, THAT is what happens when God Steps Down.
Have you tried to help them? Have you cried trying to get them to listen?



It's time abandon all our own devices and minister unto the Lord.  "If My people," the Lord said, "which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 


#Commission - Time to pray without ceasing.

When God Stepped Down from Heaven by Duncan Campbell
Topic: Revival History   
Description: Listen to this first-hand account of the Lewis Revival during the early 1950s. Duncan Campbell was God's instrument in this extraordinary awakening. In this tape Campbell recounts point-by-point this three-year movement of the Holy Spirit over the Hebrides Islands. Thousands were converted, conviction overwhelmed villages, outward sin disappeared, and prayer meetings were packed! Your heart will be thrilled as you listen to this tape about this heaven-sent revival in Lewis. 

You mean "always" always?

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

 II Thes 5:16-18 KJV


     How we spend our time in life makes the difference.  The days are passing moment by moment and our life script is being recorded in indelible ink by the very finger of God Almighty.  "Consider the ant..." the Proverb instructs us, consider the ant indeed...


It seems to me that one little ant all alone carrying a grain of sand doesn't constitute much of a threat to humanity, but that's not the only grain he's going to tote!  Fire ants were introduced to the US in the 30's. Little biting critters in the Ports of Alabama and today that little grain of sand has expanded their territory to cover over 1/2 the United States! 

That being said, considering the ant, every thought is as a grain of sand, every moment is a placement or displacement of the ground we're standing on. 

The Word tells us to REJOICE ALWAYS, always is a lot of time and a lot of that time we're disobedient to that command and in doing so we lament, regret, grieve and weep instead!  

To PRAY WITHOUT CEASING is cited: how hard do we struggle to find 2 1/2 hours with God a day in this age?  Even if we mumble "Lord Jesus, guide me." every 15 minutes that's still disobedience!  

GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES: are you thankful reading this right now?  

All of this to prove that man can't do it and if it's to be done that God must! 

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.   Galatians 5

 "Walking in the Spirit" is, I believe, what Jesus was doing when He said, "even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.". and it is what we are commanded to do:

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.   John 4

 Part of our recovery program teaches that we must "turn over our will and our life to Jesus Christ".  It is a teaching on submission.  If we get turned around and start focusing on submitting one to another it gets hard but when we focus on submitting to God and get THAT right the "one another" part comes naturally as that battle is fought and won at the cross rather than on this battlefield called "one another".   There is more here to dig into but another time perhaps.  We'll leave you with this:  You can walk in the anointing of God

Will your harvest come from non-believer kindness?

     I believe that we'd all like to believe in humanity as a people but then it smacks me in the face that left to ourselves we'd revert to bludgeoning one another in the head with clubs.  The Word of God tells us that we are to love one another and that instruction is purposeful.  There is no instruction that I've found for us to love ourselves... obviously, we have that one covered.  Cynicism aside, we all struggle to bring the flesh into subjection to the Spirit if the Lord Jesus is our Lord and Savior.  It is something that we all aspire to, this "being Christ-like" and it is a wonderful thing to see others grow into His likeness.  It is also VERY encouraging to hear that you've grown from someones perspective.  But, what about non-believers?  Can they be kind and love others?  Can they be "Christ-like" without Christ? 
     After reading a blog post today I sat in my office and cried a little:  Someone has taken the time to put together content in a blog that shows acts of love, one for another, in this world in a way that just makes sense, naturally.  It's not performed, it's not staged, it's not "hold on, do that again for the camera!" stuff, but moments.  These moments are people being good people for no real measurable gain.  I don't know that these men, women, and children were all non-believers but I do know that some of them were.  How does this kindness speak?  What does it say?   There's no mention of Jesus, no religious form to it, just an act of kindness or a gift from the heart given.
     What are we doing as believers to act like this?  How is Christ's image being portrayed in your life today?  If we are, and WE ARE, in His image and don't do what He did then we're showing others that Jesus isn't Who He is but something else entirely.  We must become the examples of kindness and love.  We have to become the catalyst for change if a lasting change is to be made.
     Today, stop someone with a grimace and ask if you can pray for them. 

Officer joins prayer unexpectedly...

Tell them that you love Jesus and that Jesus has provided relief and peace for them and ask them if they need or want some of that.  We yelled across a parking lot just the other day to a young man sitting on the curb, "Hey bro! We got coffee, cookies, and some Jesus in here if you want some!" and he laughed and came for the coffee, left with Jesus!  Amazing opportunities await you today.  Relationships that last a lifetime are connected in these moments.  We call you today to service.  We love you

Comments? Questions? Let's talk. We want to hear testimony of your application!

All I have is yours

“All I have is yours, _____________.”
                                              [INSERT YOUR NAME HERE]

     This last month I’ve learned that when God declares something and you stand on it, He confirms it with His power.  I’ve begun to see miracles in ministry.  I’ve seen a woman who after confessing Christ was in shock and awe as she stepped into the baptismal waters because she was able to lift her legs over into the street side water trough without any pain. “My knees don’t hurt anymore.  I couldn’t do this before.”  I’ve heard a missionary in Mexico who tells me he watched creative miracles happen when God spoke the Word, flat-footed to reddened arches perfected in the anointing before their very eyes, a tumor, hardened, in another man’s back, a powerful Word, a fall, and no more tumor.  “It’s not there anymore.”, the man said.  “I know.”, the Pastor whispered back to him.  I watched an old man dance, and I mean old man, and I mean dance because God relieved him from RLS right there in the Bible Study because of prayer.  I’ve watched people go from hardened hearts to weeping for a change and finding one in Christ.  These things have always been there and I’ve asked the Lord to show me again and again because He said I could see them in His Word and now after all this time, I see.  I SEE.  Oh mighty God, Hallelujah to Your name.  I believe faith makes us better.  I believe that faith continues to form me in His image.  I believe that faith will heal my wife of all of the enemy’s devices against her.  I believe faith will unify her and I in a ministry so stout that you’ll be hearing of it across the land.  I believe faith in the name of Jesus and operation in the anointing of His Kingship will usher in a mighty revival.  The beauty of it all is this:  I couldn’t believe for a day’s wage before and now I believe all things are possible if only we believe.

In the midst of trials, I am being taught that it’s my work to maintain trust in His ability and that the battle is not mine but belongs to the LORD.  I am being taught that as I submit myself to Him and wait upon Him in love to that trial, loving that trial in all ways possible from the heart of a man, that He will show you why that’s so crucial in life.  I am becoming a king from the priest without leaving the priestly behind.  Jesus gave us that authority by the power of Christ.  The king commands, the priest ministers.  As I find myself loving the Lord more and more I find, exposed, the devices of the enemy around me.  The light really does expose darkness and to the extent that darkness is destroyed by it.

I’ve learned that all of the perversions in this world are a fruit of fear and all of the bitterness a man (or woman) can produce stems from pride and that these two stem from the increase given to seeds of rejection sown into us throughout our lives by our peers, families, society, and culture.  If we receive what the world has for us then we will produce it’s fruit.  IF we are in Christ, the heavenly things are our fruit.  “All I have is Yours”, we are told to say unto our God but I am now beginning to realize that He answer’s us with the same: “All I have is yours, ______.”

Munch On This: Food For Thought

Once the body realizes that we're not in competition with OTHER CHURCHES, but with THE WORLD then we just might start reaching the lost and broken.

Jesus took men that fished for FISH  and turned them into men that fished for MEN (SOULS).

What if we as believers stopped fishing for other believers, and started fishing for the lost and broken? Where do you think we could take the world? The church? THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST!!?

I challenge EVERY believer to reach out to at least one NON believer and bring them to church with you (no matter what church you attend) every month for a year!

Can you take a second to think of that impact in just a year's time? Let's take 1 SMALL and 1 LARGE  church for a visual. If a small church had, say 100 members, and each member brought one non believer a month in a year that SMALL church will have reached, 1,200 souls! Now add our LARGE church, say 1,000 members, after a year, they will have reached 12,000 souls!! That's 13,200 per year from just 2 churches!

That's only with the MINIMUM effort of EACH believer doing what Christ CALLED US ALL to be doing in the first place!

Can you just imagine what the country would be like if EVERY believer reached just one lost soul and month? Not every church, not every small group, not every family, but EVERY BELIEVER!

I just feel that if we as believers, stopped focusing on the political, racial, terroristic things of this world, and started to seek 1st the Kingdom of God, as His Word says, by obeying Him and following Christ, leading others who are where we once were to where we are now, His PROMISES that the rest of that junk we're so worried about now will handle itself!

And remember... be fruitful and multiply does not only pertain to the reproduction of man but the reproduction of the body of believers we know as the church!

Just something to think about....be blessed church!