Counter Culture

Arise & Shine – It’s Time!

Jennifer MorrowLeave a comment

Arise, shine, pray, speak and believe 

together with a spirit of boldness and 

humility.

It’s not for a show;

It’s for the One we know in intimacy.

Break off the fear of man

and step out in obedience to Me.

As you are led by My Spirit in full 

surrender, you will go forth in joy, peace 

and power for My honor, reverence, 

and glory.

Those who are led by My Spirit are those 

who are walking in step with Me.

Arise and shine my covenant sons and 

daughters. 

You were born for such a time 

as this

to shine My light for all to see.

 

September 4, 2018

 

“…so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.” (Philippians 2:15)

 

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Words of Jesus, Matthew 5:14-16)

 

“Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God.  If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.  Galatians 1:10

 

Other References:  Proverbs 28:1; John 10:4; 1 Peter 4:10-11

 

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Who’s “on” FIRST?

Jennifer MorrowLeave a comment

In this new year, do you desire something new? A better you? A better life? A better way of living?

What do you do “first” every day?

Do you PRAY first or WORRY first?

Do you begin your day feasting on FEAR or FAITH?

Do you wake up worshiping God with songs of praise or singing along with the common place seductive & deceptive lyrics of today?

Do you give priority to what the popular voices in our world are saying or what the prophetic promises of God’s Word are eternally speaking?

Do you spend more time on Facebook than in The Greatest Book of all books?

Is your life filled with destructive drama or life giving peace?

Are you seeking a position, power, prestige or self-gratifying pleasure over God’s presence and purpose in your life?

Have you been happy with your previous ways of living your life?

Have your daily choices and habits led you to MORE JOY, FREEDOM, REST and PEACE?

Are your own habits and choices working well for you? Well, this post is not for you.

But if you are tired of your own ways, your own choices, and your same old results, I challenge you to surrender to something NEW.

Only a fool keeps doing the same thing over and over expecting new results.

The GOD who formed you and KNOWS EVERYTHING about you, and LOVES YOU MORE THAN ANYONE YOU’LL EVER KNOW, is able to make ALL THINGS NEW for you.

Take TIME to realign and submit to The Master’s plan and His sovereign design. Let God write your story all for His glory.

Begin fresh and anew today to put God and His Word first in EVERY area of your life. Prioritize prayer – talk to God FIRST every day before anyone else.  WAIT, be still and listen to God to speak to you through His Word FIRST before listening to anyone else.

Seek to obey and do things God’s way. Go higher by going lower. Humble yourself and receive the greatest reward of all.

In God’s presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand, are pleasures that last forever (Psalm 16:11).

In God’s kingdom, surrender leads to success by God’s standards. The kingdom of God is about living life by God’s good and right standards and being filled with the PEACE and JOY of God’s Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).

God’s standards are based on His Word and not our own thoughts, philosophies or ideas.

God’s Word trumps the opinions of men.

So, who’s on FIRST in your daily life?

Is it you, another person, another agenda or is God and His plan really first in your heart and life?

 Jesus told us the FIRST and greatest commandment:

 You must love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 12:29-31).  

Preaching this message to myself too!

A Prayer:

Lord, help us to seek first Your Kingdom, Your will, Your purpose, Your plan, and success according to Your definition. May we FIRST fully surrender our hearts – the place where everything in our lives starts. May we love you FIRST with ALL our hearts. As we keep seeking first to know You more and to promote all that is good, pure and lovely through our lives, may you fulfill Your promise to meet all our needs. Amen.

The Greatest Words of all:

Matthew 24:35; Hebrews 11:6; Romans 5:8, 10:17, 12:1-2, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 4:6-7; Psalm 34:1, 96:1, 139:13-18; John 3:16-17; Isaiah 43:18-19; Revelation 21:5

#WOW #Breakthrough

Jennifer MorrowLeave a comment
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Pic above taken of students bowing in prayer at Sylacauga High School in a student led assembly following a presentation utilizing the spoken word, a powerful story, music and dance.*  The title of the the dance portion of this presentation was “Breakthrough” and breakthrough in the spirit definitely occurred.
Last week was a WOW Week! Another WEEK OF WARFARE and a WEEK OF WITNESSING God pouring out His Spirit in the public schools! First, at Nichols Lawson Middle School on Friday, August 11th, and then again on Wednesday, August 16th, at Sylacauga High School. Mighty warfare always precedes breakthrough in the Spirit. God is moving mightily and He is moving in uncommon places. God is going to use the youth and He is going to use the arts too! Just as He did in this assembly! He is going to use the least likely and the unexpected ALL FOR HIS GLORY!
So shall they fear
The name of the Lord from the west,
And His glory from the rising of the sun;
When the enemy comes in like a flood,
The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. (Isaiah 59:19 NKJV)

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Speak Life

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What was the last thing you said to one of your loved ones? Are you okay if that is the last thing they ever hear you speak? We aren’t guaranteed tomorrow. Speak life today beloved one. 
#Speaklife 

#wordsarepowerful 

#encourageoneanother

#noregrets
“You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It’s your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.” (Words of Jesus, Matthew 12:34-37 The Message)

#wordsofJesus

#outoftheheartthemouthspeaks

#yourheartisspeaking
Prayer:

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a loyal spirit within me. Amen. 

(Psalm 19:14; Psalm 51:10)

It is always good to pray The Word of God over your heart and life.

It is always good to pray before you speak too. Pray, pray, pray, wait, wait, wait…then speak life. Life giving words can be words of correction too, spoken in love from a heart that desires only the best for the person they are spoken to. 

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (Words of Jesus, John 6:63)

Accuser or Advocate?

Jennifer MorrowLeave a comment

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Accusers bring condemnation. Advocates bring liberation.
Don’t be an accuser; be an advocate.  Imitate Christ Jesus. 
Silence the voice of the accuser.  Listen to the voice of your advocate, Jesus, the lover of your soul.  
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.  Romans 8:1
The more you seek your own way, the more you become a slave to sin and to yourself.
The more you seek after God, the more you become a servant of His ways. (see John 8:34)

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Come Away or Come Apart

Jennifer MorrowLeave a comment
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#comeaway #rest #bestill #behealed #befilled by the #Loverofyoursoul #Jesus our Bridegroom
In Song of Songs 2:10, the lover, a spiritual picture of Jesus as the Bridegroom, is calling his  fair one to simply come away with her lover.  We, who belong to Jesus – the church – are the fair ones of Jesus.  We are the bride of Christ; the ones He died to be in a love relationship with.  Jesus is the lover of your soul – in case you didn’t know that.  You know, true lovers love spending time together, and it doesn’t matter what they are doing, as long as they are together.  Just being in the presence of someone you love is pleasurable and brings joy to your heart.
Are you “COMING AWAY” ALONE TO JUST SPEND TIME WITH JESUS?  When we neglect taking time to COME AWAY from our busy schedules and activities for the purpose of spending time to be refilled and refreshed in God’s presence, eventually some type of COMING APART (spiritually, emotionally or even physically) is inevitable.
This is our choice.  We can…
COME AWAY OR COME APART.  TAKE TIME and BE STILL before The Lover of your soul.  Don’t even speak.  Quiet all the thoughts and plans spinning in your head.  Turn off every other voice and sound.  Shut down all social media.  Open God’s Word and meditate on it.  Find a solitary place outside to just observe the beauty of His glorious creation around you.  CEASE FROM ALL YOUR ACTIVITY, WORK, AND BUSYNESS.  Wait and listen.  God desires to fellowship with you and speak to your heart personally.  Sounds like a crazy or impossible idea to some, I know, especially in today’s busy, go go go and always doing something culture, right?  TIME, and seemingly not having enough of it, is the issue or excuse for all of us.  But when we don’t take at least brief, regular times to pull away from everything else and spend time with The One who made us, loves us more than anyone on the planet, and knows us intricately, there’s where the falling apart, backsliding, compromising, and weariness all begin.  EVEN JESUS PULLED AWAY FROM THE CROWDS TO SPEND TIME ALONE WITH THE FATHER. The Biblical principle of the sabbath still applies today; not in a legalistic way, but taking a day of rest and worship every week benefits our minds, spirits and bodies.  God knows us.  He created us with the need to rest in His presence.  Other people, things, or activities never fulfill this need.
Have you been OVERWORKING, OVERSCHEDULED, OVERLY STRESSED, and maybe even OVER SERVING (yes – that’s another topic) for a lengthy period of time?  If so, the Lord might be ordering a long OVERDUE season of REST for you.  Perhaps even an extended sabbatical?  Pray.  Seek His heart for you. He will lead you beside His still waters and He will restore your soul.  That is, if you give Him some time and space to do so.
Yes, there is a time for family, work, corporate worship, serving, connecting and fellowshipping with others, but there is also a time for solitude and one on one fellowship with the Lover of your soul.
Many daughters and sons are awakening, rising up, and uniting together in one voice in worship, and, yes, that is good and pleasing to our Father God.  Many are rising up to serve within the church and in our communities, and that too is an honorable act of obedience as well as a beautiful display of faith with some works.  May we also be sensitive to the Spirit of God’s invitation to COME AWAY from all other loves and lovers in order to draw closer to the greatest Love of all.
Can you hear the voice of your Father and The Lover of your soul?  Come away with me my love.  I’ve been waiting for you.  I long to spend time with you. 
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Revelation 22:17
He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.  They will soar high on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.  Isaiah 40:29-31
The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.  He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.  Psalm 23:1-3
“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” Psalm 46:10
 
Pray this:
Here I am, Lord, waiting in Your presence.  Speak to my heart.  Let me hear Your voice of truth clearly above every other.  Thank You for bringing peace, healing, and restoration to my body, soul, and spirit.

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Let Freedom Reign!

Jennifer MorrowLeave a comment

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Let us declare our independence from fear of man, bondage to self and the strongholds of addiction, materialism, and sin, and celebrate our dependence on the FATHER OF LIBERTY.  
The heart of God is freedom.  Freedom to be the son or daughter of God you were created in His image to be.   The AUTHOR OF ALL TRUE FREEDOM AND LIBERTY, our ALMIGHTY CREATOR, God, not only calls us to a place of freedom, but paid the price for us to live in freedom through Jesus’ laying down His life for us on the cross.  This is AMAZING GRACE THAT LEADS TO AMAZING FREEDOM AND LIFE!  When you live and walk in this place of freedom, you are free to love and honor God and to love and serve others.  
#HappyIndependenceDay #DeclarationofDependenceonGod #Letfreedomreign #celebratefreedom
“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)
 
“So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” (Jesus, John 8:36)
 
Many in our nation sing songs of freedom, but are far removed from truly experiencing it.
They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception. They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.  (2 Peter 2:18-19)
“For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”  (2 Corinthians 3:17)
 
It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows.  Galatians 5:13 (The Message)
#freedom
Let freedom reign!
Part of the American revolution was birthed for the purpose of obtaining freedom “of” religion, not freedom “from” religion.  The spirit of this longing that so propelled the pilgrims was the desire to worship God freely.  Our Heavenly Father desires relationship with us over religion and rituals.  Surrendering completely to the One who made us and designed us to worship, brings ultimate freedom, joy and life everlasting.  It’s the ironic kingdom principle that spiritual freedom begins with surrender.  When we freely choose not to  worship our Creator, inevitably we begin worshiping other people or things, and this ultimately leads us to a place where many other things reign in our lives.  For many, this leads to a place where bondage reigns and rules, and not a spirit of freedom.
Let His freedom reign in your heart and life today!
 
#wheretheSpiritoftheLordisthereisfreedom
#letfreedomreign #letfreedomring 

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