(Photo by Austin Shenton @ Boulevard Park, Bellingham, Washington Austin plays for the Seattle Mariners. He was Parker’s roommate in the Cape Cod League)
by Tammy Phillips January 1, 2021
To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:3 NKJV)
To us that mourn, our gracious God has given us a crown of beauty, the oil of gladness and a garment of praise. Why? According to Isaiah 61, so that we may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. He exchanged all our darkness, sadness, grief and colorless days. He adorned and equipped us gloriously. We are thus called trees, mighty and strong, trees of righteousness, planted by the Lord. He does all this that He might be glorified!
I enCOURAGE you, tree of righteousness, strong and mighty in the midst of your “mourning” to glorify our God. He has made us strong. His word says in Joel 3:10, “Let the weak say I am strong.” He has equipped us to joyfully endure like the robust oak. All glory to Him.
To comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, To give them…the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; (Isaiah 61:2-3 NKJV)
What words of comfort. God exchanges the spirit of heaviness for a garment of praise!
Heaviness is the Hebrew word, keheh, it means: Dim; dull; colorless; be dark; faint. It originated from kahah which means: to grow weak; grow dim; grow faint; falter; be darkened; be faint; to be cast down in mind; a lamp about to go out; eyes become dim.
There will be times of heaviness when our world seems so dark. It will seem like we can only see in black and white, all color has been removed. BUT GOD.. Light of the world wants us to see in color again. He wants us to see the vibrancy of life. He wants to lift the heaviness from us that we were never meant to carry and exchange it for a garment of praise. A garment is a covering. He wants us covered in praise. The word for praise in this verse in Hebrew is tĕhillah. It means a song of celebration or what one glories in. It comes from the word, halal, which means to be clear; to shine; to make a show; to boast; to act like a fool; to rave; to act like a madman.
God in his infinite wisdom brought Jesus here to help us throw off darkness and throw on the shine. He brought Jesus to the world to restore color to our dim and dark picture.
I enCOURAGE you to put on the garment of praise in order to shed the shroud of heaviness. After all, this is how
To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn…to give them…the oil of joy instead of mourning… -Isaiah 61:3 NKJV
You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” (Hebrews 1:9 NKJV)
Anointed is the word mashach in Hebrew, meaning to smear; to rub with oil; to consecrate; to paint; to stroke; to draw the hand over; to spread over with anything, specially to lay colors on anything; to paint. I love this word. I picture God doing this to us. I see Him rubbing Himself, pure joy and gladness, all over us where not one inch is missed.
Sadly, there will be mourning. There will be sadness. There will be pain, but it is not a place He intends for us to stay.
I hope this picture is not too much. It is just make-up, but it was how I felt once. I wanted to visually express how beat up I felt inside. I used eyeshadow and lip stain to paint on my pain. (Oops!) When I went to wash it off, it would not come off with soap and water, nor make up remover. Seriously, I called the creator of the lip stain. They advised me to try oil. Of course, they did. (What a picture of the Holy Spirit!) The second photo is after I anointed myself with the Crisco oil of gladness. Pain and scars were removed. I thought I had really messed up. I thought I had stained my face and that I would have to stay in the house until it wore off. My mourning was instantly exchanged for joy. God performs this process so much better for us. When he says joy, he means JOY. The word joy means gladness, exultation, and cheerfulness. It comes from the Hebrew word, suws, which means to be glad, to leap, to spring, to be bright.
I enCOURAGE you to gradually accept the healing Jesus paid for and exchange your mourning for the oil of joy that he has poured all over you. Shine on! Be bright and jump all around. Sing this praise song…
THIS IS HOW WE OVERCOME by Hillsong Worship
Your light broke through my night Restored exceeding joy Your grace fell like the rain And made this desert live
You have turned my mourning into dancing You have turned my sorrow into joy
Your hand lifted me up I stand on higher ground Your praise rose in my heart And made this valley sing
You have turned my mourning into dancing You have turned my sorrow into joy You have turned my mourning into dancing You have turned my sorrow into joy
This is how we overcome This is how we overcome This is how we overcome This is how we overcome
“To comfort those who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes…” -Isaiah 61:2-3
Comfort is the Hebrew word, nacham, which means to forcibly draw breath; to lament; grieve and to ease. Console means to lay hands upon. Jesus understands. He came to comfort and console us through the mourning. Mourning is a place we have to go to sometimes, but it is not a place to stay. Jesus will mourn with us. However, he will also console us by laying his hands upon us to help us through to the other side of our grief.
Ashes used to be thrown on the head of those who mourned. Thank God, when Jesus came, he exchanged the ashes of mourning for a crown of beauty. We who accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord are crowned with glory and beauty because of the great exchange of Jesus on the cross. We do not have to stay in the place of mourning with his help.
I enCOURAGE you to run to the Kings of Kings during your mourning time. He will help you don your crown of beauty.
For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. – Habakkuk 2:14 KJV
God’s word revealed, this sunrise at the beach, and this photo has forever changed my life. It was a huge part of me learning about the glory of God.
When you have the opportunity to sit and look out at the sea, I challenge you to think about its vastness. If you can only travel there in your imagination, then imagine its height and width and depth. It is unimaginable. God wants us to realize that is how much He wants us to know Him. He wants us to experience His presence and His glory, as big as the ocean. We cannot even begin to fathom but try is the assignment.
I enCOURAGE you to bask in HIM. Breathe in as much Jesus ask you can and experience Him, big as the sea! Happy Day!
(Photo: Benjamin Crockett, my nephew, Clarksville, TN, 12/24/2019)
by Tammy Phillips December 27, 2020
“I WILL bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1 AMPC
My niece exhibited strength only given by Holy Spirit, when she gave a tribute to her grandfather at his celebration of life service. It was full of humor but ended tearfully. Kathy, my sister-in-law, was seated beside me and was trying to hold back tears. A praise song followed Kayla’s perfect eulogy. I heard Kat begin to hum along. A thought entered my mind. It would be difficult to hum and weep, simultaneously. I began to hum along. I began to quietly bless God. My spirits were instantly raised. The joy of the Lord became my strength (Nehemiah 8:10) and He aided me in holding back my own tears.
I enCOURAGE you to bless the Lord at all times. It will chase away sadness, sorrow and pain! Praise God!
These pics were from Christmas Eve 2019. I could not possibly choose one. This sun set was the most glorious display I have seen in a long time. I stand amazed at our Daddy. I was and am at a loss for words. I still am a year later .
Thank you God for the Christmas gift! Jesus is still my favorite, but this wa truly amazing. I believe you “set” this painted sky just for me.
And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. -Psalm 72:19
O LORD our Lord, how excellent [is] thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. – Psalm 8:1
Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth. – Psalm 57:5
O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. 3 For the LORD [is] a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4 In his hand [are] the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills [is] his also. 5 The sea [is] his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry [land]. 6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. – Psalm 95:1-6
These pics were from Christmas Eve 2019. I couldn’t possibly choose one. This sun set; It was the most glorious display I have seen in a long time. I stand amazed at our Daddy. I was and am at a loss for words. Still am. Thank you God for the Christmas gift! Jesus is still my favorite. I believe you “set” this painted sky just for me.
I enCOURAGE you to exalt and bless the King of Kings & Lord of Lords. AMEN!
My favorite nativity painted by my two adult sons in 2018.
The 2016 Version of Luke 2 by Tammy Phillips December 25, 2020
Caesar Augustus, the first Emperor of the Roman Empire reigned during a really dark time in Israel. The darkness was a lot like our present day. Caesar was a dude who thought he knew it all. He sent out an Executive Order; big brother wanted to know who and where you were! He wanted money! And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. Everybody went to be taxed, everyone into his own city.
Joe went up to Judea, not to New York City, but to David’s City, Bethlehem… from Galilee from his hometown, Nazareth. He was a descendant of David, you know. He had to drag Mary along with him. She was about to pop because she was so Prego. It wasn’t long after they arrived that she told Joe: “IT’S TIME!” It was probably the 80-100-mile hike, the 4-7 day walk, that put her into labor. You know that girl was worn out. Joe forgot to make reservations at the Holiday Inn-Bethlehem. Everything was sold out. There was a big crowd in Bethlehem to be taxed. You know how crazy the post office is on tax-day. Bethlehem was buzzing just like that. No Vacancy signs were everywhere.
Mary had sweet baby Jesus in the only place they could find…A BARN in the ‘hood. (Light brought into darkness. God Almighty laid aside His Glory and appeared on the scene as a baby.) She had her first son, her first child, away from home. She probably left his onesies in Nazareth, so she wrapped him up like a peanut with what she had. She swaddled him and laid him in a manger hewn out of rock. You know, the things that farm animals ate out of. He came into the earth just like he left the earth, all wrapped up and lying on a stone.
Out in the county there were some farmers minding their business. They were sleeping out in the field taking care of their animals, so no harm would come to them. Out of the darkness, “kabam-shazam,” out of nowhere, a HUGE angel appeared. He had to be at least 20 feet tall. He showed up from nowhere. The mega angel lit up that whole field like sunrise over the ocean. It nearly scared the farmers to death. They were shaking in their boots. Hopefully, a MAGA angel will show up in 2020. The angel roared, “DON’T BE AFRAID!” Look! Listen! I am bringing you GOOD NEWS!!! You have hit the lottery. It is going to make you so HAPPY. It’s good news for everybody. Today. T-O-D-A-Y! In Bethlehem…Are you ready for it? Our Savior has been born, the Savior of the World. He is here! Christ the Lord is here! Our Savior, our deliverer…from Greek word “sozo” which means to save, keep safe, and sound, to rescue from danger, to save from perishing from disease, to make well, heal, restorer, doctor/healer when you need him, restorer to health from the oppressor (you know the one who tries to harm and hurt you, the one who tried to keep you beat down). Our Savior is born!
Feel like you’re missing something? The Savior will complete you. Anxious? He says don’t worry! Sick? God has no big problems! Need something? He is more than enough! Need forgiveness? Ask. Need help? He is the Comforter. Lonely? He will never leave you nor forsake you? Need a constant in your life? He will never change. He always has been, always is and always will be. Want to do well? He has the keys to the kingdom.
His name is I AM, I WAS, I always will be. HIS NAME IS CHRIST, the anointed. He is smeared all over, bathed-in, like suntan oil at the beach…it is all over Him to be who He was and is supposed to be. He is furnished with all necessary powers to perform his position with duties as assigned by God.
The LORD, the man of the hour, has power for decision making. He gets things done. He is Supreme. He has it all under control. He is our Savior for such a time as this! He is our SOZO now. Life is now. He is not a fire policy. He is the Son of God and He is here.
A child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace (the Chief of Completeness) – Isaiah 9:6
Get it? I AM is here!
This is the sign. You can find the Savior of the World wrapped in swaddling clothes and He is lying in a M A N G E R. (A manger? The king is in a manger?) Don’t miss the sign boys.
The heavens could not stand it anymore- the good news!
Bam! The angel’s back-up singers, the Heavenly Host (Heard of them? They were a really popular group with God). I mean I am talking a platoon, a troop of host, showed up and put on a show. They were praising God and rocking the stage saying: “Glory to God in the highest. Peace on Earth. Good will to men!” You could hear them all the way in Nazareth. After the field concert (And Luke Bryan thought this was an original idea?), the Angel of the Lord & the Heavenly Host – poof- they jetted back to heaven in an instant.
The Sheps chatted and thought it might be a good idea to let the flock hang out and for them to head on to Bethlehem. They wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I mean the Lord had dropped a concert in the middle of the field in the middle of the night to let them know the good news. Talk about virtual reality. The Sheps sped to Bethlehem.
Lo and behold! Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! C an you believe it? They found Mare, Joe and sweet lil’ baby Jesus lying in the manger. After they saw BABY JESUS, they went and told everybody about it! Anyone that would listen, heard the story. They didn’t go to bed for days. Everybody they told wandered in AMAZEMENT. You can see them just shaking their heads.
Mary was just blown away. She kept quiet and to herself. She thought…I birthed the King? He is lying in a manger? The Savior of the world? After the long journey, the labor, it was too much. She just kept all this to herself and let her thoughts just circle in her tiny little brain. It was just too much to process.
The Sheps! They just kept on partying. Glorifying, praising, and singing to the top of their lungs to God. What a story, a Glory Story of the Savior of the World!
For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned (encompassed) him with glory and honor. (Pslam 8:5)
Not only has God given us His glory, but He also crowned us with His glory or at least he did in the beginning. The glory of God was Adam’s clothing. Adam’s whole being was glorious and radiated. Sadly, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
Adam chose to take off God’s glory and put on Satan’s lying rags.
BUT GOD!!! He had a different plan. He had a better plan. God himself stepped out of heaven, removed His Glory coat and put-on man. Jesus came as a baby, but as a man at the cross, he bought back our right to don the glory. I discovered that we got new coats for Christmas, too. It’s been ours since salvation. Now, when we choose Jesus as our Savior and Lord, God only sees us through the lens of Jesus in all His glory.
Why did he give us His glory? John 17:23 tells us…”so that we may be perfect, complete, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” We become like our father. People call it a “spitting image.” We reflect the very image of our Father and His glory.
I enCOURAGE you to wear your crown, coat and the very image of your Daddy to draw others to Him for His glory!
The heavens declare His glory from our home in Clarksville, TN, December 23, 2016
By Tammy Phillips December 23, 2020
On December 23, 2016, I sat down at the feet of Jesus to study His word. I chose to be Mary instead of Martha on this day (Luke 10:38-42). I had several devotions that I usually read. The devotions gave me a focus for the day or led me in a direction of study. The Holy Spirit brought me to:
“I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one: I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also whom You have entrusted to Me [as Your gift to Me] may be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory, which You have given Me [Your love gift to Me]; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:22-24 AMPC)
I wrote in my journal: WOW!!! Merry Christmas to me! God has given me His Glory!
I continued to study glory that early December morning. At 6:47 AM, I raised my head just to meditate on these verses and everything that the Holy Spirit was sharing with me about His glory. I caught the faintest pink reflection in the glass of my china cabinet. I looked out my lunette window to see what looked like a cloudy day, but in fact, I glimpsed the faintest smear of vibrant, fiery pink painted in the eastern sky. I could not really see the full sky, so I ran outside to capture this moment in a photo. This was the Masterpiece that God handed me. He spoke to my heart in that moment, “This is just a minuscule example of my glory, my presence.”
December 23rd will forever be remembered as my glory day. It was and is one of my favorite days of the year. Jesus is the greatest gift ever, but that day I learned that as children of God we received his glory for no other reason than His love for us.
I enCOURAGE you to bask in His glory and the love of our Father God. In return throw all the love you have right back at him and forever glorify him.
Complete in Him 