PowerUp! Jonathan Cahn Unlocks the Miracle of Specificity | The Hidden Key to Genuine Intimacy With Your Spouse - SpiritLed Woman

Monday, December 18, 2017

Jonathan Cahn Unlocks the Miracle of Specificity This miracle is astounding. (Pexels/Katii Bishop) From our vantage point on a small hill near the school, we observed a young family of tent dwellers, a father, a mother and their newborn baby, sitting outside a solitary tent in the middle of a large plain in the desert night. "A poor family," said the teacher, "holding their newborn baby out in the elements, under the stars. It could almost be a scene from Scripture, from Bethlehem. Can you fathom the miracle of it? The God who created the universe now a helpless baby inside the universe He created...the Almighty become the weakest of beings ... the hands that stretched out the heavens now too weak to even grasp the hand of His mother...the eyes that see all things now can barely focus...the mouth that spoke the universe into existence now can only offer up the cry of a helpless baby. How amazing is that? It is the miracle of love ... the humility of love ... and the miracle of specificity." "Specificity?" "God is omnipresent, everywhere at once. But in the Incarnation, He becomes specific to time and space, to only one point of space and to only one moment of time. God is universal, the light of the world, the spring of all existence. Yet now He becomes specific to one culture, one people, one tribe, one house, one genealogy, one family, one life. The universal God of all existence becomes a Jewish baby, a Jewish boy, then a Jewish rabbi, walking in sandals on the ground and dust of first-century Judea. Everything He does is now contained in one specific place and one specific moment of time. He forgives specific sinners, embraces specific outcasts, multiplies specific loaves of bread and touches specific people and heals them of their infirmities." "How does one apply that?" I asked. read more  — LOVING GOD by Mike BickleDaily Devotionals — DAILY BREAKTHROUGH by Rod Parsley — BY LOVE TRANSFORMED by R.T. Kendall — AROUND THE WORD IN 365 DAYS by Linda Sommer — LIVE EXTRAORDINARILY by John Bevere More from SpiritLed Woman The Hidden Key to Genuine Intimacy With Your Spouse Part of the redemption God offers us is the restoration of intimacy. And as with every aspect of salvation, that intimacy is a choice. Candace Cameron Bure: How to Respond to Haters Who Want to Take You Down Hate is all around us, but we're called to go above. ADVERTISEMENT Holy Healing for the Soul-Crushing Agony of Marital Betrayal There is a way through the adversity and through the pain. The Life-Changing Power of God's Holy Anointing The anointing is far from a church thing. It is how God helps us in our everyday lives to complete the assignments He has given us.

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Are You Looking for Love in the Right Places? - RUTH LOPEZ WHITFIELD CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Where are you looking for love? (iStock photo )

Are You Looking for Love in the Right Places?

 2/7/2016 RUTH LOPEZ WHITFIELD  charisma magazine

Hardly a day goes by that I don't see a TV commercial advertising a site where you can meet Mr. or Mrs. Right. Some cater to young singles, others to the more mature and still others to those of like faith or ethnic background.

I know of a few couples that actually met and courted their spouse online and have successful marriages. I'm not sure of the percentage of failed ones.

Valentine's Day is coming up, and we are bombarded with hearts, flowers, decorations, candy and sweet recipes. Restaurants and jewelry stores gear up for what will be a busy and lucrative time, while children exchange "Valentines" in school or other functions, and even "Charlie Brown" gets in on the act with a TV special.

Invariably there will be the surprise proposal with man on bended knee being photographed as he pops the question to his intended amid sighs of "Aw" and cheers from onlookers.

For some, it's an exciting time and, for others, not so much. There are those who may not hear the words "I love you" or "Be My Valentine," and for them it may be a very long and tedious day.

All of us are born with a need for love and acceptance. God made us this way. Studies show that babies who are held and loved do far better than those who are not.

Because of this innate need, many of us spend our lives looking for love—sometimes in all the wrong places. We want to belong, to be part of something or someone. We seek acceptance and a sense of belonging wherever we go.

Being driven by this need can cause all kinds of problems. It might lead us to cling to our children, smothering rather than loving them and stifling their growth and development. Or it might tempt us to live in a fantasy world, dreaming of a knight in shining armor who will fill the void in our lives.

This need may cause us to look to others for affirmation: family members, friends, co-workers and so on. We rely on their esteem to convince ourselves we are worthy of esteem.

The truth is that as Christians, we are already fully accepted in the Beloved. We are members of God's family, precious daughters and sons of the King who are totally and unconditionally loved!

There isn't anything we can do to earn this love and acceptance. Jesus assures us, "All whom the Father gives Me will come to Me, and he who comes to Me I will never cast out" (John 6:37, MEV). We are secure in Him.

We have no need to look for satisfaction anywhere else. Yet there were times I had sought affirmation from others—and felt unloved and rejected when I didn't receive it. Has that ever happened to you?

When I asked the Lord about my actions and responses, He said: "Whenever you look to others for love or acceptance, you will be disappointed. You are already loved; you are already accepted by Me. Come to Me and receive your fill, then you will be able to be a giver of love. Share My love with others rather than looking to receive it from them. As you give, you will receive because you will reap what you sow. Accept others even as I have accepted and continue to accept you—not because you're perfect but because I love you and count you worthy of the price of My blood. You are a gift to me, bought and cherished. Cherish others as I cherish you. Love others as I love you."

Wow! That gave me a new perspective, and it was very liberating. Because I am already accepted and loved beyond measure, I don't need others to love me. I can love them without any expectation of reciprocity. I can release them to be who they are without placing demands upon them.

I can set them free not to do something for me just because I did something for them. In fact, Jesus told us it is better for us to invite those to dinner who can't repay us. What He meant is that we actually receive a greater reward when we do something for people who can't or don't pay us back—it is a greater indicator of our love.

Make a decision today to stop looking for love in all the wrong places and find it in God. Then you will be a vessel through which His love can flow out to others. Receive it from Him that you may give it out—and watch how you reap what you sow!

Prayer Power for the Week of Feb. 7, 2016

As you pray this week, embrace God's unconditional love for you, let it fill you heart, express it back to Him and share it with others. Ask Him to direct your steps to those who desperately need to know they are loved so that you can be a vessel of reconciliation and acceptance. Pray for those struggling through personal and economic loss as well as the ravages of winter weather. Continue to pray for worldwide revival and the soon return of our Lord. Lift up our nation and its leaders, the upcoming elections, more laborers for His harvest fields, Israel and the persecuted church (Jer. 31:3; John 6:37; 1 John 1:4; 1 John 4:19).

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Say Goodbye to Bride and Groom in Florida - Dr. Michael Brown, In The Line of Fire

In keeping with this social madness, the state of Florida recently changed its marriage certificates, removing the terms "bride" and "groom" and replacing them with "spouse." (Flickr)

Say Goodbye to Bride and Groom in Florida

9/28/2015 MICHAEL BROWN  charisma news

N.T. Wright is one of the most world's foremost New Testament scholars, a sober-minded man not given to extreme rhetoric. Yet when it came to the question of redefining marriage, Wright did not hold back, explaining how dangerous it is to change the fundamental meaning of words:

"When anybody—pressure groups, governments, civilizations—suddenly change the meaning of key words, you really should watch out. If you go to a German dictionary and just open at random, you may well see several German words which have a little square bracket saying 'N.S.,' meaning National Socialist or Nazi. The Nazis gave those words a certain meaning. In post-1917 Russia, there were whole categories of people who were called 'former persons,' because by the Communist diktat they had ceased to be relevant for the state, and once you call them former persons it was extremely easy to ship them off somewhere and have them killed."

He continued, "It's like a government voting that black should be white. Sorry, you can vote that if you like, you can pass it by a total majority, but it isn't actually going to change the reality."

That's why I have often said that once you redefine marriage, you render it meaningless.

It would be like saying a couple can now consist of five people, or a pair can refer to one item, or a tricycle can have two wheels.

Redefining those terms doesn't change reality, and when it comes to marriage, if you don't have the two essential components, namely a husband and a wife, you don't have marriage.

Consequently, if you change the fundamental meaning of marriage, you change the meaning of husband and wife as well.

As I pointed out last year in an article titled "I Now Pronounce You Spouse and Spouse," as England began to move toward redefining marriage, the Daily Telegraph reported, "The word 'husband' will in future be applied to women and the word 'wife' will refer to men, the Government has decided."

According to John Bingham, "Civil servants have overruled the Oxford English Dictionary and hundreds years of common usage effectively abolishing the traditional meaning of the words for spouses."

In the government's proposed guidelines, "'husband' here will include a man or a woman in a same-sex marriage, as well as a man married to a woman. In a similar way, 'wife' will include a woman married to another woman or a man married to a man."

So, a man could be a wife if married to another man (or not), while a woman could be a husband if married to another woman (or not), all of which begs the question: Why use words at all if they have utterly lost their meaning? It's like saying that up is down (or up) and down is up (or down), while north is south (or north) and south is north (or south).

In the same article, I cited the Huffington Post, which reported that "California's same-sex couples may now be pronounced spouse and spouse after Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed a bill (last) Monday eliminating outdated 'husband and wife' references from state laws."

Not surprisingly, according to California bill AB 1951, birth certificates will have three options: "mother," "father" or simply "parent," meaning that, in the case of two lesbians, one could be designated "father," while in the case of two gay men, one could be designated "mother." (The bill would also allow for three parents to be listed on the birth certificate, since there's obviously a missing third party in the event of two men or two women "having" a baby.)

This means that we've come to a place of semantic insanity, a place where you can have male wives, female husbands, male mothers, and female fathers.

Do people really think you can just turn the world upside down without having any adverse effects?

In keeping with this social madness, the state of Florida recently changed its marriage certificates, removing the terms "bride" and "groom" and replacing them with "spouse."

This goes hand in hand with other international trends. As I pointed out in 2011, "In Ontario, Canada, as a result of the legalization of same-sex marriage, all references to terms like husband, wife and widow were removed from the law books in 2005. In Spain, birth certificates were changed from 'Father' and 'Mother' to 'Progenitor A' and 'Progenitor B.'"

But of course!

That's why principle No. 4 in my new book is: Refuse to Redefine Marriage, since, to repeat, once you redefine marriage, you render it meaningless.

The Supreme Court can give its ruling; laws can be passed; public opinion can shift and turn, but that doesn't mean we have to affirm it, participate in it or, God forbid, celebrate it.

But all is not lost. True marriage—natural marriage, marriage the way God intended it from the beginning (see Jesus' words in Matt. 19:4-6)—will endure, while radically redefined marriage will undo itself.

I was reminded of this as I watched some baby dedications at a church service on Sunday, with the proud moms and dads holding their precious little ones in their arms: There's no substitute for marriage and family the way God set it up, regardless of what Florida, California, England, Spain or Canada might say.

Michael Brown is the host of the nationally syndicated talk radio show The Line of Fire and is the president of FIRE School of Ministry. His newest book is Outlasting the Gay Revolution: Where Homosexual Activism Is Really Going and How to Turn the Tide. Connect with him on Facebook at AskDrBrown or on Twitter @drmichaellbrown.

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How to Win the Battle of Sexual Temptation

How do you fight the battle of sexual temptation? (iStock photo )

How to Win the Battle of Sexual Temptation

 9/24/2015 BJ FOSTER/ALLPRODAD.COM  charisma magazine

When World War I broke out, new military technologies were brought to the battlefields. Tragically, military leaders continued to use outdated strategies leading to catastrophic outcomes.

Open-field charges of enemy position may have worked in the 19th century, but in the new era of the machine gun, it was a disaster. War became more complex and new fighting techniques needed to be adopted.

Our world continues to change every day requiring us to adapt, particularly with technology. One of the biggest dangers to marriages is in the area of sexual temptation. It leads to relational issues and, too often, failed marriages.

This has been true throughout history. However, changing definitions of appropriate clothing and the emerging media-saturated culture filled with sexually charged images have made the battlefield more complex.

Recently, All Pro Dad Founder Mark Merrill spoke with Steve Arterburn, author of Every Man's Battle: Winning the War on Sexual Temptation One Victory at a Time. Mr. Arterburn has counseled numerous men and women on this issue on the front lines. He shared with us some important ways of fighting temptation that will lead to more fulfilling relationships.

Here's how to win the battle:

Building Restraint

Fighting temptation starts by building the discipline of restraint. Those who desire to resist sexual temptation must possess the ability to deny themselves instant pleasures. That ability doesn't just appear, it needs to be built. Think about it like training for a marathon. No one can run twenty-six miles without doing many smaller distance runs that lead up to it. Eventually, muscles and endurance are strengthened for the longer runs. Building up the ability to resist sexual temptation starts with practicing small denials.

Consistent small acts of discipline become habits that form strong character.

Control Your Eyes

Images you view will form a photo album or video library in your brain. The more time you spend looking at something the more those pictures become vividly clear and permanent. That library profoundly affects our feelings and attitudes, particularly about our spouses. It becomes easy to compare them to the images we house. Practice the discipline of bouncing your eyes away from things that awaken sexual desire apart from your spouse. Reserve those looks for what belongs to you—your wife. Looking solely to her to awaken those desires will increase your wife's attractiveness in your mind make it easier to connect.

Protect the Mind

There are thoughts, images, and ideas that will enter our minds. When they do, we have a decision to make. We can either continue to think about them or escort them out. The problem occurs when we get a tempting or potentially destructive thought that we nurture rather than eliminate. If there are things that enter your mind that don't belong there, practice the discipline of stopping the thought process and changing it to something else. Perhaps shift the focus again to your spouse, God, or other things that are right to think about.

Be Open and Honest

Finally, it's easy to justify something that is happening inside your head. The problem is that those attitudes never stop in the inside. They eventually find their way to the surface in attitudes of discontentment and coldness with a spouse. Even if those attitudes are ever so slight, they push couples in a direction of disconnection. First, be honest with yourself about the impact of giving in to sexual temptation.

Next, find a friend or group of guys that you can be open with about how you are doing in building these disciplines. Give them authority to hold you accountable to living a higher standard and provide them with the same encouragement. We were never meant to do this alone.

If you would like to listen to the interview of Steve Arterburn by All Pro Dad Founder Mark Merrill, click here.

BJ Foster is the Content Manager for All Pro Dad and a married father of two. For the original article, visit allprodad.com.

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

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How to Stay 50 Miles Away From a Moral Failure - J. Lee Brady

How to Stay 50 Miles Away From a Moral Failure

10/8/2014 J. LEE GRADY  CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Do you keep your distance from compromising situations? (iStock photo)

Last week, late-night comics joked about the fact that yet another Christian broadcaster had gone down in flames because of a moral failure. This time it was Rory Alec, the British founder of God TV, who announced on Oct. 2 that he was stepping down from the network he co-founded in 1995 and putting his wife, Wendy, in charge.

Despite the giddy reaction from secular pundits, this is no laughing matter. When the world looks at us they think we are just a bunch of greedy hypocrites who can't keep our pants zipped. The embarrassment that started in the 1980s with Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart continues today. We are now experiencing an epidemic of sexual failure in the church that threatens to discredit us.

Wendy Alec has promised to explain the details of her husband's resignation in a statement this week, and the least we can do for our fallen brother is pray for his restoration. But beyond that, I'm also eager to help Christians who might be tempted to think that the failure of yet another high-profile minister means it's impossible to stay sexually pure in a world full of temptation.

The truth is: Jesus can keep you from falling if you trust Him and use biblical common sense. Here's the most honest advice I could give any sincere believer, male or female, who wants to avoid becoming a statistic in this struggle.

1. Maintain an intimate relationship with God. I can offer a 100 percent guarantee that no man or woman who prays regularly, worships God intimately, reads the Bible consistently and knows God's grace personally will fall into sexual sin. When we are full of God's Spirit, His fire will keep us far away from the edge of moral failure. It's only when a person loses his first love for Jesus that he drifts toward sinful desires.

2. Never get in a sexually compromising situation with a person who is not your spouse. It's never wise to play next to the edge of a cliff. Yet Christians today seem to think it's spiritual to flirt, literally, with danger. The Bible says: "Flee from youthful lusts" (2 Tim. 2:22). "Flee" does not mean linger, loiter or dawdle, nor does it mean wink to see if you get a wink back. It means run for your life!

If you are guilty of making suggestive come-ons, counseling people of the opposite sex with no precautions in place, sexting or letting friendships become romantic entanglements, you are well on your way to a full-blown moral failure. You need to repeat this over and over: "Don't be stupid. Don't be stupid." Stop compromising. Draw boundaries, and live as far from the edge of sexual sin as possible.

3. Be on your guard for traps. In Proverbs, Solomon gave his son the address of the adulteress and told him never to go anywhere near her house. He also said of her: "For the lips of an adulteress drip honey and smoother than oil is her speech" (Prov. 5:3). The reason so many great Christians fall into sexual sin is that they don't realize the deceptive power it has.

Immoral sexual attraction clouds judgment and makes men and women do really dumb things that mess up their lives. (Consider King David, who murdered a man to hide his sin after he caught sight of the guy's wife nude then got her pregnant!) The best way to steer clear of a potential marital affair is to stay 50 miles away from the person who is sending the subtle hints. Don't be fooled by another person's seduction or by your seductive urges.

4. Keep your mind cleared of sexual debris. I counsel many Christian guys who battle with pornography. Technology has made it more accessible than ever, but that doesn't change the fact that porn works like a computer virus to destroy your moral resistance. A man with "porn on the brain" is much more likely to end up in bed with someone who is not his wife. If you have this problem, get your brain debugged as soon as possible.

5. Don't live in spiritual isolation. Almost every minister I know who fell into sexual scandal was living in a private world with no accountability. If you study the habit patterns of adulterers you find that after they start going down the path of sin they become distant and secretive. God has called us to live in the light (see 1 John 1:7), and that means we should give our close Christian friends the right to confront us and ask hard questions. Choose to be transparent.

6. Keep your own marriage exciting. If you are married, one sure way to stay out of someone else's bed is to be satisfied with your own. Solomon told his son: "Rejoice in the wife of your youth...be exhilarated with her love" (Prov. 5:18b, 19b). Never talk yourself into believing that you have a "right" to adultery because the sizzle went out of your marriage. Your selfish attitude is probably the reason the sizzle died.

Moral failures are going to continue to scandalize the church, and we will continue to extend grace and forgiveness to those who have fallen. But with Jesus, sexual purity is possible. Let's do a better job of teaching Christians to walk in it.

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. His newest book, The Truth Sets Women Free, was released this month from Charisma House. You can learn more about his ministry, The Mordecai Project,at themordecaiproject.org.

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