Have You Been Truly Baptized?

     "I have a baptism to be baptized with and I am distressed until it's accomplished"-this loose quote of Scripture came to me this morning when I was seeing clearly how much of my putrid flesh was still present within me. Seeing how I am still struggling with fears, jealousies, control, and a critical attitude to name a few, I am sore distressed. With that distress, comes a cry from my spirit to "continue with Your baptism of fire, Jesus" and burn away the dross in me. It intensified the desire in me to let Christ arise and take dominion in every square inch of my being, to the praise of His glory.   

Prayer for God's Protection from the World

     Oh Lord-Please don't let me slip into the abyss of the world and it's pleasures! You said that in the last days people will be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, and I don't want to be that. All around me are people getting manicures, pedicures, massages, new things, new cars, going on vacation after vacation, buying new fine clothes, indulging in the finest eating places, adding field to field, and house to house, buying more and more and more, and in my mind's eye, it appears to all be for "heaping it on oneself." Help me from being sucked into this picture of indulgence, Lord. I want to do what You want me to do with what is remaining of my life. Use me for Your glory! That is what You want. This is what I want. My life is not my own; I was bought with a price. The price of Your life for mine. I let You have it;  protect me from the evil one who tempts and tries to take what isn't his. Protect my mind, will and emotions from his schemes of appealing to the lust of my flesh. God, lead me and guide me today, and make me strong in You to do Your Will only for the praise of Your glory. In Jesus' Name.


If you sense the tremendous pull of the world's riches and entanglements in your own life, pray this prayer with me, your sister. Together we can put 10,000 demons to flight. Remember, he not only tempts to do evil, but also so subtlety to  love the world and the things of the world. He slowly wants to work in our minds in justifying "our pleasures and delights" telling us "we deserve it" or "everyone needs a little fun in their lives," of whatever tiny little fox lie he comes with to work a little yeast in the dough of our being. Especially in these last days, when we are tempted to pacify the fear and tension of these evil times, he comes with his offers. Resist him.

Breaking UnGodly Soul Ties

     The need to break ungodly soul ties in our relationships is more important to our relationship with God than we might think. When we are tied to others in these ways it not only brings destructive connections which harm us and the ones we are tied to, but also it gives away parts of ourselves that only belong to God. God is jealous for our complete devotion and hearts.
     How can we identify if we have these soul ties? Are you connected to someone by fear, living up to their expectations, control, guilt, or any other self-protective means? Do you feel superior to someone because you are supplying emotionally what you believe they are getting from you? Do you believe in any way that another person couldn't survive without you? Is there manipulation involved in the relationship that you respond to, fearing if you didn't, the relationship would no longer exist? Do you believe you have to be someone else or act in a certain way or the relationship would end? These are just a few examples of how soul-ties affect our behavior.
     How do I break these connections if I see that I am tied to others in these ways? Well, first of all, the connections are of the soul, or invisible. So, they must be broken before God in proclamation. When we honestly want any and all things that prevent our total consecration with God to be removed, this declaration before Him will come to pass. How He does this on the inside of us is a mystery, as is all of His unseen work. Somehow, someway, He begins to disassemble and disarm those things in us that have created those connections with others, and overtime, we will begin to see the manifestation of this in our actions and in new ways we are relating with them. Sometimes, this will mean a break in the relationship, and other times it will be a drastic change in how we relate to them. However His working in us is displayed, it will be good, as He rearranges and makes new and in balance "us" first on the inside, and then the relationships we are involved with. In the process, we then become more and more "ONE" with Him, as we desire to be and as He desires.
     Praying with sincerity for God to search us and know us and letting Him see if there is any wicked ways in us, opens the door to Him to come in and show us these soul-ties which have held us back from giving ourselves totally to Him. "Our God is a consuming fire," and it's a good thing He is, as He consumes our flesh and all the damage our flesh does, such as in establishing destructive soul-ties. It's an illness that interferes with Him being the only God that is before us. Heal me, O God, and I will be healed.

The Righteousness of God

      As far as our identity and growth, "Christ in us" answers all questions. How can we be "the righteousness of God" and of course, the Scriptures answer that by saying it is "through Christ Jesus." Because He mysteriously lives in us, it is Him who is righteous, and so God sees that righteousness when He looks at us. It is His righteousness and nothing to do with us.
    That is the reason we need to let Him take dominion in and over us, by letting Him crucify us daily. In our flesh dwells no good thing, but in Him dwells all of the Godhead bodily, which is His righteousness. "Nevertheless, not I, but Christ" if we let Him have that dominion. If not, will the righteousness of God be applied to us? Or would God see "no good thing"?