Complete in Him

by Tammy Phillips
June 2, 2021
(Repeat and gently tweaked from October 6, 2020)

That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:3 NKJV)

Looking into the depths of Psalm 1:1-3, Jeremiah 17:7-8, and Ezekiel 47:12, this is what it means to me, when God calls us “trees of righteousness:”

Blessed (happy, and fortunate)
is the man who trusts (confident, secure, careless, fearless, runs for refuge)
in the LORD.

Blessed (right, upright, to be straight, level, to be successful, prosper)
is the man whose hope (confidence, security, refuge)
is the LORD.

Blessed is the man who walks not in
the counsel (advice, or plans and purposes)
of the ungodly (wicked, having an unrighteous cause, to be or do wrong, disturb, make trouble, make noise, tumultuous, cause terror, who depart from God)  
nor stands (endures, continues, abides)
in the path (way, road or direction)
of sinners (wander, miss, go the wrong way, miss the goal, miss the mark
nor sits in the seat of the scornful (mouths out, mock by imitating, acts a fool)
We should not be walking in the same direction! 

But his delight (and pleasure) is in the law (instruction, direction, teaching) of the LORD
And in His law he meditates (roars, moans, growls, utters, mutters, speaks)
day and night.  Gods words are life to us. We should be roaring them day and night.  His words and His Word, Jesus, are what keep us upright and walking in the right direction.

He shall be like a tree, (apple, almond, cedars of Lebanon, sweetgum, black mulberry, date palm, palm, sycamore fig, olive, Holly oak, Shittah or acacia, poplar…It takes all kinds of trees!  It takes all kinds of trees to meet all kinds of needs.)  
planted (God plants us, roots us in Love exactly where He needs us.)
along the bank of the river, on this side and that, by the rivers of water,
(God is living water.  He is the fountain of living watering a  constant life-source.  “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb”. -Revelation 22:1 NKJV)
which spreads out its roots by the river. (Firmly fixed, our roots grow, deeper, wider, and longer, in love, in God and in His word, creating a strong, immovable tree.  “The root of the righteous shall not be moved.”  Proverbs 12:3) 

And he will not see (look at, pay attention nor fear)
when heat comes (Heat will come.  Things that cause us to boil…temptation, hurt and offense… will come.)
BUT his leaf will be green (As trees of righteousness, we flourish in Him.  We are rooted into the all sufficient river of living water from the word of God.  The water keeps our leaves green, alive, and thriving. This is why we have to stay planted in the word.)
His leaf  shall not wither. (fade, wilt, fall away, drop down, fail, faint, lose one’s strength, be foolish, disgrace)
The tree will not cease from yielding fruit.  Its fruit will not fail and will bring forth its fruit in its season.    (“The root of the righteous shall yield fruit.”- Proverbs 12: 12.  The roots are plugged into nutrient rich, life giving, fruit yielding water source.  At the right time, God’s time,  we will bear fruit.)
The leaf will be for medicine.  (Our leaves, our experiences, our successes, and failures, shared can bring healing through Christ and bring wholeness to the broken.)
The tree will not be anxious (fear, take care, thought, be concerned nor sorrowful)
in the year of drought (when the rain is scarce and supply has been clipped off or withheld)
And whatever he does shall prosper. (to go over, go through, push forward, break out, break through, advance, succeed, to flow, be poured out, to finish well)

I enCOURAGE you to trust in the Lord always. Believe His word. Believe what He says about you. Meditate on His word day and night, so that You know what He says. Walk in righteousness. Walk in Him. When He says that you are a “tree of righteousness,” believe Him and you will finish well!

Revelation for the day:
“One tree in the garden delivered death and sin. One tree in the garden delivered life and righteousness. Which one do you choose?” -Tammy Phillips

by Tammy Phillips
June 1, 2021

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me because the LORD has anointed… To comfort all who mourn, ³ 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.” (Isa 61:1,2,3 NKJV)

The month of June brings beautiful, big green trees and lots of growth.  Their color alone announces to us, “Let’s go.” They are ready, and willing to cover, protect and produce lots of fruit.  When the Lord first revealed to me that we were called trees of righteousness, I promptly and proudly responded, “Not me!”  I was like Peter when he told the Lord in John 13, “You shall NEVER wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” (John 13:8 NKJV).  At that time, I thought sin had delivered too many ugly gifts to my life for me to be a mighty tree in the kingdom of God.

Sin brought distress and worry. 
Sin brought depression and disturbance.
Sin brought ugliness and offensiveness.
Sin brought pain and sadness.
Sin brought blame and shame.
Sin brought devastation and destruction.

BUT GOD!

He graciously showed me differently.  What we must realize are the exchange words that tell us the good news of the salvation of the Lord.

Jesus overcame:
To comfort and console
To give beauty
To give the oil of joy
To give the garment of praise
That we may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD,
That He may be glorified

We are not called trees of righteousness because of anything we did.  It is all about what Jesus did for us when He was persecuted, put to death on the cross, and rose from the dead.  He paid the price for our wrongs and reconciled us to God.  Our Father sees us and calls us trees of righteousness because of Jesus. The word “call” is important.  It’s the Hebrew word qara’, meaning, to cry out with the idea of accosting someone; proclaim; summon; invite; commission; appoint.  We are not called trees of righteousness because of anything we did.  It is all about what Jesus did for us when He was persecuted, put to death on the cross, and rose from the dead.  He paid the price for our wrongs and reconciled us to God.  Our Father sees us and calls us trees of righteousness because of Jesus.   Do you get the idea?  The Lord is roaring, “Jesus did all this so that YOU can be CALLED  trees of righteousness!  Strong, mighty, supporting, just, straight, upright, aligned and plumb, the way you ought to be.   It is how I see you.”

We are “the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” He calls us, chooses us, and plants us.  We are His plantation. The Hebrew word for planting is a derivative of the word nata’ which means to plant, to place, fasten, establish, and to set anything upright, so that it is fixed in the ground.  We are planted that He may be glorified. We align and reflect His glory. He sees the righteousness, beauty, and strength of His Son in us, and it glorifies Father God.

I enCOURAGE you to accept all the finished work and good news of Jesus.  Be healed. Be whole.  Be complete.  Be free. Be loosed. Be favored. Be comforted. Be consoled. Be crowned. Be beautiful.  Be joyful.  Be clothed in praise.  Arise, throw your shoulders back and declare the word of God over your life.  Repeat: “I am a tree of righteousness!  I am firmly planted and rooted in Christ.  I am His resolute plantation!”

For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. (Psalm 149:4 KJV)

by Tammy Phillips
May 31, 2021

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD [is] upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to [those who are] bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD. (Isaiah 61:1-2 NKJV)

Today,  we remember the brave and courageous American soldiers who gave their lives for our great country.  We remember those who died for us in every war.  We remember those who continue to serve and die for our country.  Over 600,000 to 800,000 died in the Civil War alone and more than a million Americans have given their life for our liberty.

Today, we remember the military who safeguarded our Nation. We say, “THANK YOU” to the courageous men and women warriors who served and made the sacrifice of their lives to protect our freedom.  Freedom that was ultimately purchased for us on the cross by Jesus.

Today and every day, we also thank God and remember His sacrifice.  He sent His only son, Jesus, to fight, die, and win the battle for our eternal freedom in every area of our lives.  Look at the freedoms the prophet prophesied about in the coming Messiah in Isaiah 61:1-2…

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me because the LORD has anointed Me…

To preach good tidings to the poor
To bring cheerful news to the meek
To announce great news to the depressed mind
To show and tell tidings to the afflicted
To message the miserable
To be freshness to the failing
To publish possible to the impossible

To heal the brokenhearted
To bind up the broken in pieces
To wrap up firmly the destroyed
To bandage the burst
To compress the crushed
To gird the wrecked

To proclaim liberty to the captives
To call out freedom to the carried away
To cry out free, abundant flow, to the prisoners
To address swift flight to the caged

To open the prison to the bound
To deliver from jail the yoked
To open wide eyes and ears of the captive
To liberate by opening, anyone who is fastened
To redouble to the taken in war and tied up

To proclaim the acceptable, favorable year of the LORD,
And the day of vengeance of our God; (Isa 61:1-2 NKJV)

Jesus anointed  by Holy Spirit, opened the scrolls in Luke 4, read Isaiah 61:1 and then said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” Jesus in essence said, “I AM is here.  Who you have been waiting for, it is me.  I am the long-awaited Messiah of Israel. This is the ‘acceptable year of the Lord.’”

Remember, this is the age of God’s grace, redemption, and deliverance.  It is now.  All are invited to come to Christ in repentance and, by faith, receive the gift of eternal life and eternal freedom.  “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:17)  

However, there is going to be time where God says enough is enough. The “day of vengeance of God” will come.   “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:18-19 NKJV)

This was the message of the Lord.
This was the message of Jesus.
This is our promise.  This is THE GOOD NEWS. 
This is our message.
Holy Spirit anoints and empowers us, His disciples, His people, to pass on the same message of Jesus.

I enCOURAGE you to open your ears!  Hear the entire message of Jesus, our Savior.  Accept the freedom and every benefit that He paid for with His life.  Then like Jesus and our brothers and sisters in the military who so freely gave, sign up and become a freedom fighter.  It is a much easier road.   Simply, our mission, if accepted ,  stand and publish the good news of Jesus to everybody you know.  THERE IS FREEDOM IN HIM! 

Do not forget to stop and remember as you celebrate today, Jesus died for our freedom and our fellow countrymen have died to help us maintain those freedoms.  (If you do not know, each year on Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time.)  Be free!

by Tammy Phillips
May 30, 2021

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me…” (Isa 61:1 NKJV)

I cannot tell you how much I love God.  I am amazed every day as I sit at the feet of Jesus.  I am amazed to hear what Holy Spirit has to say through the written word and what He softly whispers in my ear.  I just adore when Abba reminds me of something special that He did.  As Father God continued to love me back to full surrender in Him, He spoke this intimate message to my heart on February 14, 2021, the day the rest of the world calls, “Love Day.”  My LORD loved me tender on this day. I read and dug through Isaiah 61:1, I fully understand that the LORD was speaking of the coming Messiah, Jesus.  However, the Lord also passes on the anointing and His ministry to us who believe.  Listen to what He intimately told me, and I am passing on to you:

Close your eyes and just listen to what the spirit of the Lord has to say.
The Spirit of the Lord God is a upon you. 
The breath of His mouth is upon you.
The breath of His nostrils is upon you.
The breath of life is upon you.
The breath of air…
The wind…
The cool breeze…
The creative word of God is upon you.

“All Scripture is God-breathed.”  (2Ti 3:16 NIV)

“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.” (Psalm 33:6 NKJV)

God Himself is upon you.

Think of the breath of God on your skin, so close you can feel His very being.   Let your senses run wild.  Feel Him so close that you feel the warmth and breath of air coming from His nostrils on your face.  God is on you.  God is all over you.  The Lord God, the same God, that Spirit has anointed you.
He has rubbed you with oil.
He has smeared Himself all over you.
He has stroked His hand all over you.
He spread himself all over you.
He has painted you, specifically to lay colors, bright colors all over you.
He has concentrated you to Himself.
The Lord God is all over you.

I hope you are encouraged by these words.  I do not know what one more word added to an “I enCOURAGE you…” statement could add.  Be blessed.

  “The LORD will be to you an everlasting light and your God your glory.” (Isaiah 60:19 NKJV)

The Everlasting Light illuminates the way.
The Everlasting Light iridates knowledge.
The Everlasting Light chases away darkness.
The Everlasting Light gives light.
The Everlasting Light removes the obstacle of darkness.
The Everlasting Light drives out fear.
The Everlasting Light comforts.
The Everlasting Light heals.
The Everlasting Light strengthens.
The Everlasting Light emits peace.
The Everlasting Light brings focus.
The Everlasting Light says, “Don’t worry.”
The Everlasting Light makes us happy.
The Everlasting Light brings us joy.
The Everlasting Light delivers hope.
The Everlasting Light is always with us.
The Everlasting Light is the life of all mankind.

The LORD [is] my light and my salvation; Whom shall, I fear? The LORD [is] the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1 NKJV) 

I enCOURAGE you to turn to the Everlasting Light. Bask in the Everlasting light. Live in the presence of the Everlasting light. “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5 NKJV) There is no one nor nothing to fear in the Light.  His benefits are unlimited and His love unceasing.  Don’t let darkness occupy one part of your life.  Let your God be your glory.  Allow Him to shine in and through you.  Allow His presence and His reflection off you to draw others to Him.  Enjoy the Everlasting Flood Light of the Father.  There is absolutely nothing like it.

by Tammy Phillips
May 28, 2021

Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1 NKJV

In America we are blessed.  Most of us can turn on light by flipping a switch. We rise and shine our lights each morning in our homes.  It is one of the very first things we do to chase away the darkness.  We take the light for granted.   When the power goes out and we must bring out the candles, we realize how good light really is.  Can you imagine how dark, darkness really was 2000 years ago?  Can you imagine how dark things were before electricity? We have a small bathroom that has no windows.  I went into the darkness of that room, closed the door, and did not turn on the light.  It was black.  It was nothingness. I could not see the ground below, nor the sky above.  I could not see my spouse to the right or my child to the left.  It was dark.  I could not wait to turn the light on.

Darkness is the absence of light.   We go through trials in life when it is the darkest dark and the cloud of doom hangs over us.  However, when the Lord and the Light come on the scene, He chases away every atom of darkness.  “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1Jo 1:5 KJV). Light can exist in darkness.  It overtakes darkness, but darkness cannot exist in light. Hallelujah.  His presence chases away the darkness!

When the Light comes and the Light has come, He brings great joy and peace. All we have to do is invite the Light into our lives and He will come faster than we can turn on a light switch.   Think about the last breakthrough you had.  Think about the last time the Lord appeared on the scene, overcame your dark situation, and illuminated you with His salvation. The best thing about the Lord is He will light our path all the way through, if we will allow Him. Didn’t you want to  tell everybody that you had made it through the darkness and could see the light of day?

Isaiah encourages us to do the same in Isaiah 60:1, can you hear him shouting about the coming of the Messiah?

ARISE!
Up!
Get up!
Stand up!
Rise up out of the darkness!

SHINE!
Give light!
Be light!
Be bright!
Be luminous!
Be on fire!
Give the light away that was so freely given to you.

FOR YOUR LIGHT HAS COME! 
AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD IS RISEN UPON YOU!

He has flooded you with Himself and His light, His presence, His glory is all over you.   The prophet says, “For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people…” (Isa 60:2 KJV). Darkness covers whole earth.   Gross darkness covers the people.  “Gross darkness” is the Hebrew word, ʿărāp̄el, meaning dark, thick, gloomy clouds. In reality and spiritually it can be dark and cloudy for days.  What do we yearn for in those times? The Sunshine from on high.

BUT THE LORD …

He is always the Savior of the day!  As Christians, when it is darkest, we have this confidence, that the Lord has come and He will arise, iridate, scatter His rays, shoot forth His beams of light and life upon us, and His glory shall be seen upon us. (Isaiah 60:2 KJV).  How cool is it that God can be seen in, on us and all over us?  

Arise and shine!   You cannot hide the light.  If you had invented the light bulb, would you have wanted to keep it just for yourself?  Wouldn’t you have been so excited to share it with the world?  Wouldn’t you want others to be blessed from what you had found out?  If Jesus is truly your Savior and the Light of your life, why not tell everyone about Him?  One of my favorite deliverers of the word of God boldly stated it like this:

“Have pluck; that is a plain English word, but I do not know how to put my meaning better. Have pluck enough to come out and be a Christian; do not for ever be like a rat behind the wainscotting, but come out, and acknowledge yourself on Jesus Christ’s side, and proclaim the everlasting gospel wherever you have the opportunity.” – C. H. Spurgeon, January 1, 1882,

Pluck is an old English word meaning spirited and determined courage.  So…

I enCOURAGE you to have pluck!  Arise and shine!  Your light has come!  If you need more words of  encouragement, we also have this promise from the mouth of our Savior,  “I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12 NKJV). If you have the light of life, rise and shine!  The rest of the world needs your light!   If you don’t, invite Jesus in.  He will light you up!  You will never be the same.  I promise you, there is an eternal place of darkness and there is an eternal place of light.  Don’t live your life now or forever in the dark.  Jesus is the Only Way and the Light.  If you are not lit up, don’t feel like rising nor shining, you may have your back turned to the Light.  It is time to turn to Him!

 

by Tammy Phillips
May 27, 2021

“The Redeemer will come to Zion and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” says the LORD. (Isa 59:20 NKJV)

Thank God, when there was no way out, He made a way.  When we are in impossible situations, it is no surprise to God.   Jesus says, “but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) He lifted a standard made an escape in Jesus, our Redeemer.  When we are caught in the grips of sin, Jesus is our  answer.  When we are in desperate situations and cannot see our way to the other side, the Lord paid for our escape with the blood of Jesus.

In Israel, “goel ,“ kinsman-redeemer, was do the part of next of kin.  He had certain responsibilities:

• Pay the ransom of a fellow Israelite to set him free from the bonds of slavery (Leviticus 25:48).
• Avenge the blood of a murdered family member (Numbers 35:19).
• Buy back relatives’ property that had been given up. (Leviticus 25:25).
• Carry on the family name by marrying a widow who did not have a child (Deuteronomy 25:5-10).

The “goel,” the kinsman-redeemer, was responsible for preserving and protecting his people, their property, and the future generations of the family.  Jesus did this for us.  He purchased us out of the bonds and hold of sin. He avenges wrongs done to us. He protects our inheritance. He blesses our descendants.

Who does the Redeemer come to?  Isaiah 59:20 says that He comes to those who “to those who turn from transgression?”   He comes to those who repent from rebelling in the way of the Lord.  It is simple.  He comes to those who turn from the slave master to the Redeemer, who turn from wrong to right, who turn from hate to love, who turn from a lie to the truth, and who turn from the destroyer to the Savior. 

I enCOURAGE you to turn to the Lord.  Turn to Him in life and every situation in life.  He is our Redeemer, Avenger, Deliverer and Savior.  He stepped from heaven and bought us back from lack, sickness, sin, and death with His own blood.  He made away when there was no way.   In Him…we are whole, healed complete and free.  To God be the gory for sending us Jesus, our Kinsman Redeemer.

by Tammy Phillips
May 26, 2021

Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: (Isa 59:1 KJV)

How many treasures are found lying on the surface?  Gemstones and precious metals must be mined.  The same is true with the word of God.  We are not going to get the answers we seek by osmosis.  We cannot sit idly by and expect to hear from God.  We turn on the television and radio to hear.  We open our phones and computers to garner the knowledge we seek.  The same is true with God.  We must dig into the word to find the treasures and the answers we seek. 

Sometimes, we need a reality check and the word of God will be the treasure and  eye opener we need. Thank God that He has a sense of humor!  and I love it when the prophets and disciples deliver  reproof with a witty verse.  In Isaiah 58, The Israelites had been whining about why God was not honoring their fast or answering their calls for justice and deliverance.  Have we ever whined to God in our wait?  Have we ever questioned why God has not saved us from our trial?  Have we ever feared and asked, “Can you really God do this?”  Holy Spirit recently posed this question to my sister, “Do you think I am not big enough to handle this?”

God has not changed.  He is the same, today, yesterday, and forever (Malachi 3:6).  He is a good and loving Father.  The prophet Isaiah wittingly gives it to us straight in Isaiah 59:1.  To paraphrase in my own words.  This is what I heard Isaiah say:

Behold! LOOK!  Pay attention!  Come on, man!  The Lord’s hand is not short.  It has not been cut off and it has not lost its power that it cannot save, deliver, set free, preserve, help, avenge, rescue, conquer or be victorious.  And!  The Lord’s ear is not heavy.  He has not lost His hearing.  It is not dull, dimmed, hardened, burdened, or troubled by out requests.  It can bear up under anything and endure everything.  The Lord is not the problem. 

If the Lord is not the problem…He has not lost His strength and His ears are not stopped up… what is?  The prophet tells us in Isaiah 59:2, “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden [His] face from you, so that He will not hear.”   

Remember, the reality check?  God isn’t the problem.  It’s us?  Imagine that?  We like to blame God for everything and take no responsibility for anything.  Our sin is the problem.

 Sin does not keep us from the presence of God.  Jesus bridged that gap and said, “Lo, I am with you always, [even] to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:20 NKJV).  Our sins have separated us.  The Lord did not separate from us.  We separated from Him and turned our back on His ways.  He also did not hide His face from us.  Our sins are a result of us turning our back on the Lord and away from His face.  This makes so much sense.  Who in their right mind is going to answer someone, who has their back turned to them? 

At the point of sin, we are separated from fellowship of God because we are not thinking the same as God and our words are not agreeing with His.  We are also separated from the blessings of God because we are not trusting God that He is big enough to handle our problems.  Furthermore, sin separates us from some of the benefits of God’s love.  God loves us. We are His heirs.  For example, He promises us long life.  However, if we stuff untold sweets in our mouth, continually, we are not exercising self-control and will not reap the benefits of God a given long life.   Sin also kind of separates us from the “protection” of the umbrella of God.  Sometimes, the only way God can get us to turn around and repent is for us to go through a little training for correction.  Perfect example of this is when we speed, see a policeman, pray that we do not get stopped, and issued a ticket.  Sometimes, grace is exercised and sometimes we get a ticket to teach us to slow down.

I enCOURAGE you not to blame “it” on God.  The Lord is not the problem.  Deal with your own sin and God will do the rest.  Sin is not big nor small.  Sin is sin. Know that you are not a problem too big for God.  He created you. He loves you.  No problem is too big for the Lord to hear or handle.  His hand is just as powerful as it has ever been.  Jesus won the battle long ago and paid for our goof ups and turn arounds.  Don’t let sin separate you from God’s best.  It is just not worth it.

With a strong hand and outstretched arm. His faithful love endures forever. (Psa 136:12 CSB)

by Tammy Phillips
May 25, 2021

Those from among you shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. (Isaiah 58:12 NKJV)

JESUS CAME SO THAT WE MAY HAVE LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY!

 In John 10:10, Jesus clearly exposes the strategies of our enemy, Satan, to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  In the powerful words of Isaiah 58, God plainly outlines his better plans, purposes, and our assignment to repair, restore and rebuild where the enemy has destroyed.   God desire is to take our broken-down shells and form them into His glorious temple full of abundant life.   We have an assignment as followers of Christ to build up the broken down.  Jesus was a carpenter by trade and in the Spirit.   He repaired, restored, and rebuilt the lives of the broken.  If we follow Him, we are by default in the same line of work as He, construction works for the Kingdom.

When our hearts are aligned with the Lord, when we have spent time learning His policies and procedures and when Holy Spirit has trained and freely poured into us, our assignment is to freely pour out.  If you accept the kingdom construction position …

1.  You will REBUILD and RESTORE

• the old waste places
• the dry places
• the desolates
• the drought-stricken places
• the place parched by the heat of the breath of the enemy

2.  You shall RAISE UP, erect, help arise, make resolute the foundations of many generations.  We begin by suring up the foundation of the broken.   Jesus is and must be the Cornerstone of any building that will last forever.

 3.  You will be called the REPAIRER OF THE BREACH:
“Repairer,” the Hebrew word, gāḏar, means to wall up, build a wall, hedge in, fence in, mason.  We are to be wall builders in Him where the enemy has attempted to breach and destroy. We are to build people up not tear them down.  “Breach” is the Hebrew word, pereṣ, meaning gap, break, broken, the broken down, the broken in pieces, shattered and scattered.  

How do we repair the gap in the wall? 

We will build up the broken down in Christ.  Fill it with the word of God. We do not tell people where they are broken, they know that. We are to give the broken the gap filling hope in Jesus. Our message to the broken, “You are complete in Him.” (Colossians 2:10).  He is everything they need to fill the vacuum of emptiness.

Be the Repairer of the Breach that stands in the gap, interceding and repelling the enemy.  Jesus did it first and we follow His example.  “This is the act of the bravest soldiers who expose their lives to the most eminent peril.”

“So, I sought for a man among them who would make a wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. (Ezekiel 22:30 NKJV) 

4.  You will be the RESTORER OF THE STREETS TO DWELL IN:

You will be called:

• RESTORER
• Returner
• Refresher
• Renewer
• Bring-backer
• Turn-backer

OF THE STREETS 

• Paths
• Trodden Ways
• Highways

TO DWEEL IN

• To continue
• To abide
• To remain
• To sit

 We are repentance publishers.   We are to tell people the good news.  Our job is to let them know they are going the wrong way and direct them to turn around and go the right way, the only way.    Restorer, share the words of Jesus: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father, except through Me.” (John 14:6 KJV)

I enCOURAGE you to let the Lord heal your brokenness. Allow Him in, to restore, repair and rebuild you broken places.  When you know that you are healed whole and complete in Him, you can begin your construction job as a wall builder, foundation layer, and street repairer.  You can help the next broken building of a  person.  You can begin to fill in the gaps.  Start with yourself and pass it along.  It leads to a glorious, abundant lie. 

by Tammy Phillips
May 24, 2021

To fast means to abstain from food.  The primary idea is the mouth being shut or covered over.  Makes sense that if we keep our mouth shut, we can hear more clearly from God.   God’s fast is a time of reset.  It is a time to be laser focused on His heart and purposes for the individual and for others.   It is a time to break free.  It is a time of freedom.  I do not know what a fast looks like to you, but I encourage you into God’s fast.  According to Isaiah 58:6-7:

THE PURPOSE OF GOD’S FAST

• To loosen, open wide, throw open the bonds of wickedness and wrong that hold us captive.
• To undo, move, loose, set free, unfasten, jump, shake off the heavy, bar of yoke that burdens, binds, and ties in knots. 
  Take the yoke of Jesus.  It is easy and it is light. (Matthew 11:30)
• To let the oppressed, the broken, the cracked in pieces, the bruised, the crushed, and the discourage go free and spread loose. 
  He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3 NKJV)
• To break, to tear off, to break off, lift up, pluck away, pull out, root out every yoke of burden.
• To share, divide, or break bread with the hungry. Physically and spiritually.  Our bread shared can point others to the Bread of Life.
   And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. (John 6:35 NKJV)
• To bring home the poor, depressed, in mind or circumstances, the browbeaten, the downcast, the afflicted, the lowly, and the needy who are cast out and restlessly roam.
• To cover and clothe the naked and exposed.
• Not to hide yourself from your own flesh and blood.

God says in Isaiah 58:9-10, “If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the fingers, and speaking wickedness, if you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul”, then there are;

PROMISED BLESSINGS OF OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S FAST

• Your light shall break forth like the morning.
  Answers and illumination will come.
• Your healing shall spring forth speedily.
  Healing of the hurt and broken will come fast from the Great Physician. 
• And your righteousness shall go before you.
  Only righteousness is Jesus. He leads the way.
• The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
  The glory of the Lord brings up the rear…no worries there.
  God has our back!
• Call, and the LORD will answer; cry, and He will say, “Here I am”
  What comfort. God answers and God is always with us.
  “Fear not, for I [am] with you; Be not dismayed, for I [am] your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'[Isa 41:10 NKJV]
• Your light shall dawn in the darkness.
• Your darkness shall [be] as the noonday.
  “To the repentant, God promises blessing. Not only will we have light, but even our darkness shall be as the noonday!”-David Gusik
• The LORD will guide you continually.
  When you turn to the Lord, He leads you forth. He transports. He shows the way…ALWAYS.
• He will satisfy your soul in drought and in the parched place.
  “But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.” (John 4:14 NKJV)
• He will strengthen your bones.
  Fear the LORD and depart from evil.  It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.(Proverbs 3:7-8 NKJV)
• You shall be like a watered garden (flourishing)
  You will be a flourishing place not a parched place. 
• And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
  “But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14 NKJV)

 I enCOURAGE you into God’s fast.  Take time to shut your mouth.  Cover your mouth in prayer.  Return to the Lord.  Hear what He has to say.  I cannot tell you how the fast helps me refocus and reset to God’s heart.  Freedom from what binds and burdens can be found.  God can be found.  Also, we can never out give God.  When we return to Him with hearts wide open, He always pours, and I mean pours, until I am overflowing with His love, mercy, kindness, and goodness.   This is where I am headed.  Join me?