Category: Uncategorized

by Tammy Phillips
March 11, 2021

Who [is] the man that fears the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. (Psalm 25:12 NKJV)

 Who are those who fear the LORD? He will show them the path they should choose. (Psalm 25:12 NLT)

As I drove to Tuesday morning intercessory prayer, I should have been in a good place,  but I was not!  It was a gray, rainy day and my tears dripped ever so slowly.  My pastor, Mike Burnette, had challenged us during Sunday sermon: “Live in the promise not the pressure.”  I was feeling the pressure and I had let it affect me.  Why had I not immediately claimed the promise?  Why was I not standing on the promise?

Then I read a text encouragement:

“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joy;” (Colossians 1:9-11)

Light bulb! Ding dong! Heller?

It is our choice!  IT IS OUR CHOICE!  Joy or pain.  Sunshine or rain. Choose joy! Choose sunshine!  It might be a stormy day; we may not see the sun.  The sun is always shining.  The sun is not moved by the storms nor by the high or low pressure system.  The sun is there patiently enduring.  It is persevering with joy. It stand unwavering and resolute everyday.

God strengthens us with all might so that we can persevere and be long suffering with JOY.  Storms are going to come.  Pressures are going to come. It’s our choice how we deal with them.

David states in Psalm 25:12: “If we fear him, He will teach us the way to choose.” God took me to school!  He reminded me that it is always my choice.  He reminded me to choose joy every time.  He reminded me to choose to persevere.  He reminded me to choose life and to live in the promise not the pressure.  He reminded me that He has strengthened me with all might according to his power and He is all powerful!  He reminded me that I can endure under all pressure with joy!  (Stand! Stand! Stand!)

I fear Him! I am amazed by Him!  He is so good He teaches us the way to choose and how to live in the promise!

I enCOURAGE you when the pressure comes, and you know it will come, to let His Amazing Self, teach you the way to choose!  Choose life!  Choose His promises!  He is always the right choice.

by Tammy Phillips
March 10, 2021

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17 NKJV)

Adam hit the slip ‘n’ side.  He fell away.  He sinned.  He missed the mark.  God told him he could eat anything in the garden except…. He disobeyed and ate the ONE thing God said he couldn’t.  Death entered the earth and reigned through the one man’s offense.  BUT GOD! Thank God.  He had a better plan!  Life entered through one man’s sacrifice! 

Much more…more than death reigns, more than sickness reigns and more than destruction reigns…

We who received and laid hold of the super abundant grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life!  God super abundantly blessed us with His unmerited favor.  He also gifted us with righteousness.  God through Jesus set us back up.  He sat us upright, the way we ought to be!  Jesus made us acceptable and approved of by God.  When God looks at us, He sees Jesus!

When we take Jesus, death is not allowed to reign over us.  Sickness is not allowed to reign over us.  Destruction is not allowed to reign over us.  We reign in life by the One, Jesus Christ!  We reign.  We take our place by Jesus, as joint heirs in the kingdom of God.  Resolutely, we take our royal office and rule as Kings and Queens.  We exercise our God given authority in our territory, our homes, our cities, our state, and our country!  If we are reigning, we are exercising the highest influence and control in our ‘hood through Jesus, our King of Kings—and King of Queens. 

I enCOURAGE you through Jesus Christ to reign in life.  Exercise your royal power in Him to live and breathe.  Enjoy life to the fullest, active, blessed, endless in the kingdom of God through the One, Jesus!   Sin and death entered in, but Jesus got the win!!! LIVE!

by Tammy Phillips
March 9, 2021

Because you have made the LORD, [who is] my refuge, [Even] the Most-High, your dwelling place, ⁽¹⁰⁾ No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; (Psalm 91:9-10 NKJV)

Remember…stir it up…

God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power.  All the power that raised Jesus from the dead is behind us. He gave us a spirit of love. He gave us a sound mind, sober, self-controlled in the face of fear.  We do not have to fear anything.  Even when we were dead in sins, he has quickened us, made us alive together with Christ.  It is by grace that we are saved.  We are not just saved eternally, but we are saved now.  Saved is the Greek word sō’-zō. It is one of my favorites.  It means to save, deliver, protect, heal, preserve, and to be whole. Saved is the same as saying whole, healed and complete.  Not only has he saved us, He has healed us.  He has completed us.  He has protected us and delivered us. And He has raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.  We are seated in Him. We get to rule and reign in Him.  God also has highly exalted him, and given Him, Jesus, a name which is above every name and at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.  He has given us His name and at the name of Jesus the coronavirus must bow.  Cancer must bow.  High blood pressure must bow.  Need must bow.  Lack must bow.  The spirit of fear must bow.

So, by grace we are saved through faith and no plague can come near our home because we make our home in Jesus.

I enCOURAGE you by the power and authority bestowed upon you in the name of Jesus to occupy your territory.  I enCOURAGE you to join me and say NOT in Clarksville!  Not in Knoxville!  Not in Gallatin!  Not in Memphis!  Not in Nashville!  Not in Fort Myers!  Not in Colorado Springs!  Not in Athens nor Atlanta!  Not in Louisville or Houston!  Not in New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle, nor Detroit City!  Not in any city.   Shall I go on? Not in Tennessee!  Not in Georgia!  Not in Florida.  Not in Colorado!  Not in California!  Not in any state!  Not in any of these UNITED STATES. Not in any country!  Not in this world!  Not in our territory!  We occupy in the name of Jesus. Our territory is covered in the blood of Jesus and you have no business here!  No plague. No disease. No evil…Only Jesus!

The power behind our crown, the God given authority behind our crown is greater!  To God be the glory!   Occupy!

by Tammy Phillips
March 8, 2021

“Set a guard, O Lord, before my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.”  (Psalm 141:3 AMPC)

When I read Psalm 141:3, I envisioned the Queen’s Guard posted at each side of my mouth.  The purpose of the Queen’s Guard at Buckingham Palace is:

• To pay attention to the enemy
• Protection of the Queen
• Protection of the Queen’s home
• Protection of the Queen’s family
• To exemplify discipline.
• Guards do not take a break for anything
• Guards watch the door, entrance and exit.
• Guards allow no one, nor no thing in without permission of the Queen.

Our Lord does the same thing for us, but even better.  

I enCOURAGE you to allow the Lord to set a guard at the corners of your mouth and to watch what you say through the swinging door of your lips.

by Tammy Phillips
March 7, 2021

Take no thought means:

• Don’t be anxious!
• Don’t worry about it!
• Don’t care about it!
• Don’t be troubled with cares!
• Don’t be drawn in different direction!
• Don’t be torn to pieces!
• Don’t even think about…

What you will answer…

• What you will defend.
• What you say.
• What you speak.
• What you write.

The Holy Spirit…

• The Comforter
• The Consoler
• The Advocate
• The Spirit of Truth will…

Will Teach:

• Hold discourse with you
• Explain or expound a thing
• Instill doctrine into one
• Prescribe a thing
• Help you understand

In the same hour…

• The exact time
• The season
• The very instant

…what you need to  say.

The Holy Spirit is the very air that you breathe and speak.

I enCOURAGE you!  Don’t even think about!  Trust Him!  Open your mouth and He will use it to deliver His message. You got this.  Enjoy every minute!

by Tammy Phillips
March 6, 2021

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials^{, (3)} knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁽⁴⁾ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4 NKJV)

I watched, 41-year-old, Nik Wallenda, walk on an 1,800-foot long, one-inch-thick, wire stretched across Nicaragua’s active Masaya Volcano.  He praised God and preached about overcoming fear, as he walked.  When he stepped onto the tightrope, he had a choice to walk by faith in the Spirit or to walk in fear in the flesh and try to do it on his own.  He chose to walk by faith.  He praised God all the way across the mouth of the volcano  He overcame his fear and had a successful walk in which he gave God all glory. 

Temptation knocks at our door daily, if not more often.  IT IS JUST PART OF LIFE!  As temptation knocks and whispers in our ears, we have to decide which path to take, fear or faith, flesh or spirit.

When we choose to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, instead of forging ahead on our own, James states we should do 2 things:

1. Count it all joy.

I don’t know about you, but that is not what MY flesh says.

If we are to count it all joy when temptation comes knocking what does “count” mean?  The Greek word is hēgeomai, which means to be a leader; to rule, to have authority over; a royal Governor, a prince of regal power; to consider and to think.

We are to imitate God!  In Genesis 18:4, I see our Dad laughing back at Sarah and saying, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” He wants us to laugh in the face of trials!

We are to rule with all joy over tribulations. We are to be royal GOVERNORS that should not be a stretch. (Let’s go Govs!) We are to step into our God given authority and reign.  We should think like queens and act like queens.  We should never let our flesh, nor the enemy rattle our crowns.

2. Know our faith is going to be put on trial which will result in patience.

Patience!  Remember?   The Greek word for patience is hypomonē, which means steadfastly waiting; constancy; cheerful and hopeful endurance.  It is the temper which does not easily succumb under suffering.  It is self-restraint which does not hastily retaliate a wrong. It is bearing bravely. Patience is PERSEVERANCE!  Patience is standing under and under-standing in the wait.

The working of patience brings us closer to perfection and closer to looking and acting like our Royal Heavenly Father and King of Kings!

I enCOURAGE you to laugh out loud at your trials and royally reign over them.  Be resolute in your quest for perfection.

by Tammy Phillips
March 5, 2021

Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: ⁽³⁾ Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, ⁽⁴⁾ Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, ⁽⁵⁾ Who satisfies your mouth with good [things], [So that] your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103:2-5 NKJV) 

As a child of God, He clearly defines our benefit package in Psalm 103.  Actually, the word of God, like any good company, tells us not to forget all His benefits.  His package looks like this…

 Compensation:
-Who forgives all your sins and iniquities
(He paid a debt we couldn’t pay)

Health insurance:
-Who heals all your diseases
(He took the wound, bruises & stripes on his back for our healing.)

 Life insurance:
-Who redeems your life from destruction
(He paid and saved us from the pit and trap meant to destroy us)

Additional Compensation:
-who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies
(He surrounds us with love  & pours it out deeply)

Meal plan and Resort Package
-Who satisfies my mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
(He fills our life with so much good that our youth is renewed! )

I enCOURAGE you to read, know, and enjoy all the benefits that our Savior so readily gave His life for.  We have the Greatest Boss. 

by Tammy Phillips
March 4, 2021

Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you^{. (8)} Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁽⁹⁾ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. ⁽¹⁰⁾ But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle [you]. ⁽¹¹⁾ To Him [be] the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:7-11 NKJV) 

Below is a journey I took with the Holy Spirit in expounding the richness and treasures found in the words of 1 Peter 5:7-11.   Like me, stop at the 7-11 and get you a BIG GULP of God’s word today.   Meditate on the fullness of these scriptures. Here we go…

Fling it!  Set it down!  Quick toss!  Throw all your care, anxiety, worry, distractions, the thing that draws you in different directions, what tears you to pieces, on Him. He cares for you.  He is interested in you!

Be sober, calm and collected in spirit.  Be vigilant, watchful and awake.  Give strict attention to, be cautious, be active, take heed lest through remission some destructive calamity suddenly overcome you.  Why? Because your adversary, the devil, your opponent in the lawsuit, the false accuser, the utterer of maliciously false statements, he acts like a loud-mouth, know-it all.  He tries to make use of every opportunity and rise against you, roaring like a lion. He craves and wants to destroy you.  He wants to drown and swallow you down.

Resist steadfast, set yourself against, oppose, be strong, be firm, be immovable, be hard, be rigid, and stubborn in faith.  Be resolute.  Believe in the truth, be confident in and trusting that God is who He says He “was, is, and will always be” and that He will do what He says he will do.

Know that everybody suffers and goes through the same kind of trouble.  Everybody.  BUT GOD…of all grace, unmerited favor Who calls out loud and who invites you by name to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, the Anointed Jehovah is Salvation

After you have suffered and been in a bad way, this same Christ Jesus completes, perfects, mends what has been broken, repairs, frames, restores, perfectly joins you together to completion and makes you like you ought to be. He strengthens you.  He stabilizes you.  He resolutely turns you in one direction. He causes you to stand. He grounds you.  He gives you a foundation.

         HE PEREFECTLY PERFECTS YOU!

To Him be the glory & dominion, authority, power and rule forever and ever! Amen. So be it!

I enCOURAGE you in the expounded word of God.  It is rich and full and priceless.     

by Tammy Phillips
March 3, 2021

Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved. (Philippians 4:1 NKJV)

Paul had real love for the Philippians!  He loved them so much that he told them twice in this short verse that they were his dearly beloved.  I hope you know you are dearly beloved by me, but more importantly you are dearly beloved by God. You are His favorite!    

When the storms come,  I encourage you, dearly beloved, because of Whose you are and because of all He has done for you:

Stand fast in the Lord
Stand firm in the Lord.
Stand balanced in the Lord.
Stand upright in the Lord.
Stand aligned in the Lord.
Stand resolutely in the Lord!
Stand immovable on the Rock!

Never forget, you are the dearly beloved and as Proverbs 3:26 says “…the LORD shall be thy confidence and shall keep thy foot from being taken.”  He is the one who helps you stand and persevere. Goodness, He even guards your feet so you cannot be taken, captured or entrapped!

I enCOURAGE you to PERSEVERE in the Lord. (It is just another meaning for stand.)

by Tammy Phillips
March 2, 2021

For the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. (Proverbs 3:26 NKJV)

The Hebrew word for confidence in this verse is kecel which means loins/flank. This is an interesting choice of words from super wise Solomon.  I know he knew exactly what he was saying in this verse.  My quest was to discover his meaning.

According to Dictionary.com, the loins are the part of the human body on either side of the spinal column, between the false ribs and hipbone. The loins are regarded as the seat of physical strength. The flank is on each side of a person between the ribs and hip.  Together the loins and flank house your internal organs and make up your core.

We all have heard how important it is to have a strong physical core. I asked my physical therapist friend, Gina Suiter, to give me some simple insight on the purpose of the loins and flank.  She said, “They are your core. Your core is your center of gravity. It is where you find your center.  It helps stabilize, support, protect and connect.”  Your core helps you remain aligned.

According to freeletics.com, the better your core muscles the better you perform. The core stabilizes the lower back, helps us run faster, enhances flexibility, improves balance, coordination, posture and brain power. Your core muscles play a huge role in your everyday activities, from getting out of bed, to walking down the street, and bending over to grab your purse-but, most importantly, they literally help you stay upright. “That’s because your core muscles are the base of support for your entire body,” says Meredith McHale, P.T., D.P.T., regional clinical director at Professional Physical Therapy.  She also said, “Think of it like the tree trunk of your body (albeit a lot more mobile): It has to hold its ground so that your branches (arms and legs) can do their thing any which way.”

So, we have learned the purpose of the core in the human body. If we apply the same attributes we learned about our physical body to our spirit body, Proverbs 3:26 says, “God is our confidence,” our loins and flank. God is thus the very core of our being.  He is our center. He helps us run our race. He helps balance us. He gives us a clear mind, the mind of Christ. He is the center of everything we do every day. He stabilizes and protects us. He keeps upright. He is our alignment. He keeps us plumb.  God is the base of our entire existence.  THE LORD IS OUR CONFIDENCE.

I enCOURAGE you to stand up straight on the inside and out. I enCOURGE you to discard the slumped posture that looks weak and defeated.  I enCOURAGE you to walk in the knowledge that the LORD is your confidence and core.