Author: Tammy Phillips

Photo: Caroline Wistrom, Marco Island, Florida

March 28, 2020

God called the Light. (Genesis 1:3-5)
God called Noah. (Genesis 6:13)
God called Abram. Abraham (Genesis 17)
God called Moses. (Exodus 29)
God called Joshua. (Joshua 1)
God called Samuel. (1 Samuel 3:4)
God called David. (1 Samuel 16:12)
God called Isaiah. (Isaiah 6)
God called Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 1)
Jesus called the 12 disciples (Mathew 10:1, Mark 6:7)
Jesus called Simon Barjona: Peter, the Rock (Matthew 16:17-18)
Jesus called Lazarus forth (John 12:17)
God called Barnabas and Saul (Acts 13:2)
God called Saul, Paul (Acts 13:9, Romans 1:1)
God called all these men. God called us!  Looks like we are in pretty good company.  God called us His people.  God called us by his Name. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Have you answered His call?

God called us to his purpose. (Roman’s 8:28)
God called us to confess with our mouth Jesus is Lord.
God called us to believe with our heart he raised Jesus from the dead. God called us to salvation. (Romans 10:9-10)

Have you answered His call?

God called us unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
(1 Corinthians 1:9)
God has called us to peace. (1 Corinthians 7:15)
God has called everyone (1 Corinthians 7:17)

Have you answered His call?

God called us into the grace of Christ. (Galatians 1:6)
God called us to liberty. (Galatians 5:13)
God called us to walk worthy of the call

Have you answered His call?

God called you unto his kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:12)
God called us to fight the good fight of faith.
God called us to lay hold on eternal life. (1 Timothy 6:12

Have you answered His call?

God called us to be holy in all manner of conversation. (1 Peter 1:15)
God called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.(1 Peter 2:9)
God called to follow Christ’s steps. (1 Peter 2:21)

Have you answered His call?

God of all grace has called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus.
(1 Peter 5:10)
God called has called us the sons of God. (1 John 3:1)
God calls us called, chosen, & faithful. (Revelation 17:14)
God called us Blessed which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. (Revelation 19:9)

All you have to do is answer the call of God who called Jesus, Faithful and True, The Word of God. (Revelation 19:11, 13)

I enCOURAGE you to answer His call!  The tug on your heart that you have been ignoring, it’s God calling.  What has he called you to?  What has he called you to do?  Pick up the call. I promise! You will not regret it.

(Borrowed this hashtag from Tasha Tharpe-Patton. I love it and it hit me hard!)

By Tammy Phillips
March 26, 2020

If each individual person will seek God, then allow God to heal their brokenness “that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:26-27 NKJV)

I know that our faith in the One and only God, and obedience to His word, will turn this world around.

The healing of our land begins with us. We have heard 2 Chronicles 7:14 many times since 9/11.

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV)

Have we done it? We can hear it 1,000,000 times. We must do it! If we want God to listen to us, we need to listen to Him and stop acting like spoiled, entitled, disobedient brats. Simply, we must believe His word and do what he says.

In 2 Chronicles 6, Solomon offered a beautiful sacrificial prayer to God dedicating the Temple. He asked God In verse 14: “Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness” He was asking God to occupy the Temple. And the Glory of God came.

1 Corinthians 3:16 states “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” God has given us a better way! We are His temple. We should offer the sacrifice of prayer to our Lord. We should welcome Him to always occupy our temple! As Christians, we are called by His name. His name is written on us, just like the Temple of old. Welcome God to occupy.

I’ll borrow Solomon’s words: “O LORD God, there is no God like you in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keeps your covenant, and shows mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts: For You are good; for Your mercy endures for ever. You are always welcome here.”

When Solomon prayed to the Lord, the Glory came and filled the temple, but it was a few days later before the Lord answered in 7:12. “I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.” Under the new covenant, He chose us as His house of sacrifice, His temple where He dwells.

The Lord continues His response through verse 22, but let’s look AGAIN at 2 Chronicles 7:14-16, “If my people, 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.”

He is talking to US! We have His name. We have to humble ourselves. The Hebrew word for humble is kana meaning, bow your knees and submit.

What in our lives do we need to submit to the Lord? What are we holding on to? My prayer today is: “Father, I do believe. Help my unbelief in the areas I need to submit to you. Help me to turn to you. Repent means turn. Repent is not… “I am sorry.” Repenting is changing your mind, turning and going in the other direction.

Good news. God has already forgiven us. We just have to accept it. He has heard us and now is the time.

#HealingBeginsWithUS and then spreads across the land.

The Lord promises in 2 Chronicle 7: 15-16, “NOW mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer [that is made] in this place. 16 For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.”

What a promise! I want healing. I want healing in our world. I want healing in our nation. I want healing in our states. I want healing in our communities. I want healing in our cities. I want healing in our schools, churches, marriages, families, and homes. I want healing. I want God’s eyes and heart on me all the time! He is God! Glory to his name.

I enCOURAGE you let the #HealingBeginWithUS. Be called. Humbly bow and submit. Seek. Pray. Turn. Be heard. Be forgiven. Be healed

I know  why the Holy Spirit leads me to focus in November and December. It is easy for me to get caught up in:

• to do’s
• I want to…
• I need to…
• and the the business of the holiday.

Today, all I wanted to do was work on my lists. I was a little anxious. Why? Lists always get completed. I threw the cares right back to God. Really, the to do’s on my list are insignificant in the light of eternity!  This devotion helped me change my focus.

MOVING FORWARD or SLIPPING BACK

 

Hebrews 2:1 (KJV) Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let [them] slip.

It’s happened to all of us. We get a little of the Word of God under our spiritual belts. We have a few victories. Our lives are going great for the first time in years. Then suddenly we slip and it all falls apart. We find ourselves having to start all over again.

That’s what happened to the people the book of Hebrews was written to. They made such great spiritual progress that they got to the place where they should have been teachers. Then they slipped back so much, they needed baby food again. (See Hebrews 5:12.)

What caused them to fall so far? They let other things get in the way of their faith. They let the promises of God slip, so they slipped.

That’s happened to a multitude of believers in the last several years.

“Well, Brother Copeland,” they said, “we’re tired of that faith stuff.” Or, “We just don’t have time to spend that much time in the Word.”

They’ve turned their attention away from the promises of God. It’s not that they didn’t believe them anymore. It’s just that they directed their attention to other things. They let their Word level drop and since low Word level equals low faith level, they soon began suffering defeat in areas where they once had victory.

Don’t let that happen to you. When things are going well, don’t just ride the tide of God’s blessing. Dig deeper into what God has for you. Give more earnest heed to the promises of God. Concentrate on moving ahead, on becoming so strong in the Spirit you can not only get your own needs met, you’ll meet others’ needs as well!

Remember: Low Word Level = Low Faith Level = Slip.

Don’t get so busy enjoying today’s victory that tomorrow ends up in defeat. Look into the things you’ve learned. Give the Word more of your attention—not less. Keep moving from faith to faith. Instead of trying to trip you up, Satan and his bunch will be crying, “Oh no, that faith man is coming after us again.

© 1991 Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc. aka: Kenneth Copeland Publications

For one month and a half, I have struggled to write about “casting your cares.” Hence, the silence.  Yesterday, I was determined.  I spent most of the day at the computer jotting down the word journey the Father has taken me through the last month and a half.  I still had nothing to present to you. I have prayed over this like everything I write.  I finally had to cast my care¹ about writing about casting my cares.  Normally, I am so full and overflowing of what the Holy Spirit has shown me that writing for me is fluid.   I am full, now, but the tap has been blocked.  I believe today will be different. So, here we go!

Last January, I was trying to catch a care and the Holy Spirit told me to hurl it to Him. Then I read: The Joy of the Lord is my strength.² and Look! I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?³ God made me laugh at him and myself. He has it.  His joy gives me the strength to cast the care.

I meditated further on Nehemiah 8.  Here is what I learned.  To hear the Word of God, the people had to ask, Ezra, the priest, the scribe, to bring the Torah to the streets. The Torah was so sacred to them that as soon as it was opened, they lifted their hands, they bowed their heads and the worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. As he read it, they stood in place from morning until midday to hear it.  They had no written Bible. They had no Holy Spirit to teach them. Wow.  We take so much for granted.  Where is your Bible today?  Do you take it for granted? Do you even know where it is?

Then in Nehemiah 8:9-11 they share the good news:

This day is holy unto the LORD your God; do not mourn* (lament and wail), nor weep*(cry bitterly, complain, whine). For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them, Go your way* (walk, move, live, journey) eat the fat, and drink the sweet … for [this] day [is] holy unto our Lord: don’t you be sorry*(worried, grieved, hurt, pained, tortured, wrestled, bent out of shape); for the joy of the LORD is your strength*(place or means of safety, protection, stronghold, harbor, place to run, refuge, fort, rock).  So, the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace*(hush, keep silent, be still) for the day [is] holy; don’t you be sorry either.

Simply,  Don’t worry!  Be happy!  Have My joy!  It is your strength. The Joy of the Lord who sits on the throne and who resides in you laughingly asks, “Is anything too hard for me?⁴

In Nehemiah 8:12, All the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth*(joy, gladness, glee, religious festival) because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.  

This sounds like a party to me.  And why party? They understood the word of God to them!  Don’t worry! Be happy. God has got this.

This is the day the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.⁵   Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God [is] my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ [feet], and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.⁶   It is your choice to rejoice!  The joy of the Lord gives you the strength to cast you cares.

Scripture References:

¹1 Peter 5:7

²Nehemiah 8:10

³Jeremiah 32:27

⁴Genesis 18:14

⁵Psalm 118:24

⁶Habakkuk 3:18-19

*Hebrew definition of word from Strong’s Concordance

Yesterday, I began with devotion time, but I did not dedicate the day to the Lord.“I” wanted to finish editing about 2000 pictures on my computer. “I” had a plan but God had another. Honestly, I was not thrilled about His request. His plan required me to get real and honest with y’all. So, here we go. This story is about some renovations He needed to make in me.

Renovations are costly, hard work and a pain in the side to live through. Some areas of my life have been under reno since late March

March 21, 2018, I had planned a trip to Knoxville to visit a friend during one of Kris’ business trips. However, plans changed. I was led to stay home and pray. Parker was really struggling at the plate. I went to the throne room to have a meeting with God about him and a few other things going on in our family. I came out of the throne with my tail between my legs. I learned that I had been selfish, unkind and proud. Ouch! I received spanking #1.

“MY SON, DO NOT MAKE LIGHT OF THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, AND DO NOT LOSE HEART and GIVE UP WHEN YOU ARE CORRECTED BY HIM; FOR THE LORD DISCIPLINES and CORRECTS THOSE WHOM H E LOVES, AND HE PUNISHES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES and WELCOMES [TO H IS HEART].” You must submit to [correction for the purpose of] discipline; God is dealing with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?”
‭‭HEBREWS‬ ‭12:5-7‬ ‭

Sparking#2 came via a text video. I received it out of the blue. It was about not being judgmental from my one and only niece. She had no clue what I was being taught on that day.

I continued in the presence of the Lord. I asked if I needed to fast about Park’s and the other things I had taken to the throne. Later the same night, I was reading a book and I received my answer. The author suggested fasting from criticism for 24 hours. I knew with out a doubt I was supposed to fast criticism and judgement for the next 100 hours. 😳uch! Spanking #3 for the day.

I decided to go to the Word and pick up some tools to help me fast and with my renovation. Since I had been unkind, proud, and judgmental, I needed to change. Here are the scriptures God gave me:

1. Do not let unwholesome [worthless.] words ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good for building up others, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness] BE KIND to one another, forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.” EPHESIANS‬ ‭4:29, 31-32‬ ‭AMP‬‬
2. …Put on kindness and humbleness. Colossians 3:12
3. God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble. James 4:
4. …Be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:5

The word clothed in this verse means to “gird yourself in service garb.” Slaves back then wore a white apron to serve. Jesus put on a white servants towel before he washed the disciples feet in John 13:4. The Holy Spirit directed me to tie a white hanky to my pretty new bag to remind me of His Word. ( I have humbly witnessed the meaning of the white hanky to a few people, too. Very humbling.)

My prayer became: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.PSALM‬ ‭19:14‬ ‭

People and situations have entered my life that are like finger nails on a chalk board. I havre tried to avoid them, but Jesus did not avoid me. Did he? Well, I ran into these people and situations over and over this last month. I was so blessed practice my lessond:

1. Be kind.
2. Keep your mouth shut.
3. Be humble
4. Don’t judge.
5. Don’t criticize.

Just when I thought I might get to take the servants hanky off my bag, the Holy Spirit added one more project to the renovation of me:  Hold your peace

Peace in itself is another whole blog for another time. However, I understood holding your peace was to:
1. Keep your mouth
2. Don’t get upset.
3. Don’t let anything take your completeness in Him.

Earlier this week, I failed my final exam. I botched up. I dropped a bucket of black paint all over the renovation of me. I did not hold my peace. I was not kind in words. I judged and criticized. Sadly, I lost my witness in about 30 seconds. I awoke the next morning repentant. I called and ask forgiveness. I then got a couple more Holy Ghost whippings during my devotion time.
Reading through Mark 1, Jesus said “Hold your peace!” which means muzzle your mouth! He had just told me that the day before I lost my peace. Then this post came up from 1 year ago:

When we fail to remember what it cost Jesus to save us, we tend to treat our salvation cheaply and with disregard.

Jesus’ naked body was flaunted in humiliation before a watching world. His flesh was ripped to shreds; His body was bruised from head to toe; He had to heave His body upward for every breath He breathed; He was in constant excruciating pain. Blood drenched Jesus’ face and streamed from His hands, His feet and from countless cuts and gaping wounds from the scourging he took. The cross was a humiliating, disgusting, repulsive, nauseating, stomach-turning sight.
-Rick Renner

Think about that before we choose to sin! He chose to take it for you and I. Why do we so so easily not choose Him every time? If we choose sin, we are not choosing Him in that moment. How can we so easily turn our backs on Him?

I sinned! I chose to sin. Thank God for Jesus. His blood poured out for me erased the spill of my black words of sin. I was washed white as snow. See, I am not perfect, but in Him I am whole, healed, complete, forgiven and in peace.

I am now choosing to be kind, to be clothed in humility and to hold my peace. It is costly, hard work and painful to crucify the flesh and to undergo renovations. However, keep up the renovations Holy Spirit. I still have lots to learn. Eventually, I will look just like you! Let’s do this again.

I found this little 99 cent bracelet at Michael’s on the day after I didn’t hold my peace. Just another helpful reminder.

After seeing, “I Can Only Imagine,” the movie, my biggest question to my God:  Why so much pain? Why the children? This song was born of such much pain.  Here is the response I received:

Joyce Meyer-Look at her ministry. She was sexually abused by her father.  She grew out of unimaginable pain.

Kenneth Hagin– Look at his ministry.  He was the modern-day father of faith. He was a teenager on his death bed.  His faith grew out of so much unimaginable physical pain.

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland– Look at their ministry.  They dared to believe God at His word and the grew out of the unimaginable pain of poverty.

Abraham-Look at Abraham. He was the father of faith.  He grew out of the unimaginable pain of being childless at 100 years old.  Abraham dare to believe God. He is the father of many nations.

Mike Burnette-Look at Mike (our pastor).  He grew out of the unimaginable pain of being fatherless. His family was asked to leave a church from a pulpit.   He dared to believe God and look what God is doing now.

Again, I asked.  WHY SO MUCH PAIN?  My answer was Satan meant it for pain. Satan meant it for destruction.  He comes to “steal, kill and destroy.” (John 10:10) That is his plan.  However, I, I AM, the Lord, turned the pain for gain, for life abundantly.

The conversation between the Holy Spirit and I continued.  “Now, Tammy, I have a question for you.” I heard this in my spirit as loud as if Jesus had been sitting right beside me and asking.  The question:

“Has any one person ever endured more pain than Jesus? He was born to die an unimaginable death for you.”

My Bible says that his accusers, the religious of the day, spit in his face. They struck him with their fists. The slapped him with open hands. They tied him to a post and beat him unmercifully. The soldiers stripped him naked and dressed him up like a king and made so much fun of him. The crowned him with a crown of thorns. Come on, think how painful just a splinter is.  They spat in his face again. They took the reed and hit him in the head with the crown of thorn on.  When this group finished making fun of him, they ripped of the robe which had to be excruciating if the blood had begun to dry.  After parading him through the streets, the reached Golgotha and then they nailed him to the cross. They didn’t smooth out the wood of the cross, so all those splinters were poking into his open wounds, too.  However, then the most imaginable and painful thing happened to him.  Jesus took all our sins on Him.  He did nothing wrong, but he took all of this for me and for you.  Why would he take the unimaginable punishment that we deserved? Simply, he loves us.

Thank God he paid the painful price for us. He was tempted with every temptation we would ever encounter but chose to live sinless.  The best news is that he OVERCAME death and was resurrected.  His resurrection tells us, it’s paid, and you are free.

He endured the pain so that we may reign with Him.

All of God’s people that I mentioned above, died to their old selves and were resurrected to their new selves in Christ.  They got a second chance at the life God had always intended for them to live. They exchanged the unimaginable pain for an imaginable reign.  The chose to believe God. Enduring the pain is training for reigning.  If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. 2 Timothy 2:12

If you have experienced unimaginable pain, it is not God.  His plan for your life is better. Choose Jesus.  He died for me.  He died for you. He loves you and you are so very important to him. There is nothing that you have done that he will not forgive. He died for that very mistake.  He gave his life so that you could have life.  If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; Look, all things are new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)