Spirit and Truth

God is not looking for those who are fighting like there is no tomorrow.  The Bible says that he is looking for those who will worship him in spirit and in truth. (ref. John 4:24)

So the next time you think you are getting God's attention by warring till you are tired... stand and rest with the promises you have spoken in the air waves around you and worship the Lord.

That is the real warfare!   We labor to enter into his rest. (Heb. 4:10) We fight through our attitudes and hurts to focus on Him... as we praise him by choice -- by faith we are exalting him-- not our issues. After all, he is the only one that can change us and our situations.

That's the heart of praise and worship-- Him, not you.   When we have a problem praising him or worshiping him it's because the focus is on us-- not on Him.

Thank You Lord for help to lay down all the stuff and problems that get in the way of our devotion to you.  Thank You Lord for prompting us with a song to sing as we work today and let us bless your heart today.  Let us be your hands and feet in the world today and please flow through us for your glory.  Thank You Lord that we have your love shed abroad in our hearts and that we have sound minds that are not full of fear.  (ref. Rom. 5:5,  2Tim. 1:7) Amen!

Bless you!
Big hugs,
Brenda Gale Thompson

Every Day Is Important!

Every day is important when you are on the winning side.   It doesn't matter if you are at work or at home cleaning, every day counts for something in God's eyes.

Do not let the enemy lull you into complacency by telling you, it doesn't matter what you do today,  Or perhaps you have been putting off something God has asked you to do. Let me advise you that  these are tricks.  You can't go to step B without doing step A.

Every time you read your bible or talk to others about God there is a Heavenly record made.  That shows you that Heaven thinks it's important what you do every day.

Also,  every time you praise the Lord and give him the adoration he's due, he's promised to inhabit your praises. That means that the Creator of all the universe is visiting you.  What would you ask Him if you knew you could?  What would you say?  And we get lulled into watching reruns on tv instead of seeking God. Yeesh!  Have we been deceived or what?

The bible says that we are changed from glory to glory in HIS presence. (2Cor. 3:18) I guess we don't believe this word here in North America because way too many people are complacent in the musical part of our church services. Perhaps there has been an over emphasis on the word to the exclusion of the praise and worship.

In some church services the atmosphere is so heavy that you need a half an hour of good exhortative singing to get the people involved.  Then you can think about singing some worship songs.  All of this praise and worship has to be led by Holy Spirit of course and not 'man' orchestrated, which is probably why some churches hardly ever experience the glory of God.  Sad isn't it?  I used to belong to a church like that and I would often wonder why, when things were just starting to warm up,  the leader would shut it down.  It is very tragic.  Lord help these precious people to burn again with passion for you.

I don't know about you but I want to be changed. My face isn't shining like Moses' face did.  I don't see people getting healed by my shadow, so I know that there is more to be had.  God is no respecter of persons so if these fellows (Moses and Peter) can be changed from cowards to champions, then so can I.

I am going after God today, not tomorrow,  because I don't know if I even have tomorrow. (ref. James 4: 13-15)

If God thinks it's important to seek him... then it is, plain and simple.  If God could anoint Brother Lawrence as he did the dishes in the monastery... then he can anoint me as I putter around my house.  I am choosing to keep my ears open and to sing the words or songs He gives me.

I desperately need him today. He's promised to work on my behalf while I wait on him.  That's the best deal in the whole world! (Is 64:4)

May the Good Lord bless you today as you pursue Him for more glory and answers in your life.
Big hugs,
Brenda Gale

New Song Impact

I was reading my old journals tonight and I came across some notes I had made about new songs from Ray Hughes.  You see, I got some dvd's on a course he taught, called "The Sound of Breakthrough"  and he shared about music and song -- his passion.

Ray's statement, "that we become what our song is or our song becomes us" got me thinking.  I wish I had been in the class to ask him some questions. I have songs to grow in character traits, I have songs that are to heal the past, I have prophetic songs that I sing over areas and people.  I also have songs of worship and praise and adoration, I have songs of war and triumph... so I really don’t know if I have any particular song.  All of these songs are mine in one respect, gifts from the Lord.  Some of them have brought such healing to my heart, and many of these songs have helped me change the way I think about God.

It has happened that I get a song as I read a page in a book or see a scripture verse. Sometimes  I hear someone preach and come away with a song about it... that is a part of who I am in the Lord.

For the last couple of years Holy Spirit has been having me sing the song of the Lord during the worship times at church. Usually it’s a harmony to the song the congregation is singing and it’s what God wants said or declared over the congregation. I haven’t been on the worship team for years, so I have freedom to sing and not interrupt the service. 

Ray’s words about how the song changes and rearranges the Heavens and the earth really blessed me.  It is confirmation that I am moving mountains as I sing and declare God’s heart.  The Lord even gave me a little chorus about moving mountains.  Hallelujah!

I highly recommend Ray's teaching.  I got so much encouragement about my little songs.  You know he has an exercise to get you started singing a new song.  Every morning you write down as many attributes of God as you can think of. Then you pick three of them and sing them to God in any melody you choose.  It's a quick way to open the Heavens over you and your life.  Have fun! I declare that Holy Spirit is helping you to sing a new song to the Lord today! 

http://youtu.be/VCgL-gUMvCE

Let me bless you now. "Lord, the anointing I've received to sing the song of the Lord I give to them.  Let them sing songs that will bless Your heart too. Amen!"
Big hugs,
Brenda Gale Thompson

P.S.   'New Song' occurs 9 times in the KJV.  Psalm 33:3. 40:3, 96:1, 98:1, 144:9, 149:1, Isaiah 42:10, Rev. 5:9, 14:3.
-Ray Hughes is on you tube teaching about the Symphony of Heaven.  Here's the link...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-tYXUSVy64

Breakthrough!

I got a desperate call today from a friend going through some huge warfare. She has been ministering a lot of deliverance to people and the devil's mad. I am glad for all the people that she is ministering too but I don't like to see a friend beaten down.

I am going to give you the best solution I know for anyone going through warfare. I have tested so many things over the last 25 years as a prophetic intercessor and a street preacher and this works.

You can shout, claim and decree all you want and most times you will break through. But when the going gets tough and the normal stuff is not working, this always works for me.

I ask the Lord for a song to sing to Him. I choose to forget about my problems and I offer up the sacrifice of praise.(Hebrews 13:15) The first song that comes to my mind I sing to Him. Only for Him, with no instruments or music. Usually by the second or third song I am marching, clapping or dancing around my kitchen. If there is any situation that comes to mind that needs cleansing, I repent, plead the blood of Jesus over me and KEEP SINGING!

By the fifth song, I am usually singing a new song that the Lord gives to me.
If it's not a prophetic song then He will gives me a prophetic word, a knowing of what to do or say, or sometimes He wants to waltz for a bit. He leads and I follow. When He says stop--I stop. When He says write-- I write. When He asks me what do I see, I tell him what I am seeing in the Spirit and He helps me clarify the vision.

There are times when it takes me 5 songs to breakthrough and times it takes me 20 songs to breakthrough, depending on the day etc. However, I have to emphasize that when the devil knows I won't quit--I ALWAYS Breakthrough... always. It will be the same for you.

When God's manifest presence shows up the enemy disappears. LOL! Sometimes God shows up like a heavy, comforting blanket, sometimes He's the mighty warrior, sometimes He's the all knowing seer who has read your mail and still loves you. I love all the different ways He comes.

Why does Praise always work? Because God won't let us out give Him. He is the greatest giver of them all, bar none!

Also, He is always seeking worshipers who are worshiping Him in Spirit and in truth. (John 4:23) As you sing the song Holy Spirit prompts you with, you are blessing Him, acknowledging His greatness and your need of Him. No good Daddy can resist the gift of His child, how much less Father God?

In addition, when we praise Him, we are not saying that the problem does not exist, we are just going for the quickest solution available. Nobody messes with our Dad!

In conclusion, I exhort you to give this praise idea a try. Ask the Lord for a song to sing to Him. You do not have to be a singer to do this. God has amazing ears. It's like He doesn't hear the mistakes. I'm all choked up and hoarse and He's loving it. Go figure!

So, how about we pray for a minute? I want to bless you.

"Lord I ask that you would bless the precious person reading this article. And I ask that You would protect their times with You Lord. May they be so rich and fulfilling that they never forget them. Show them how to get breakthroughs even greater than I have gotten. Show them how to live in Your manifest presence, day by day. In Jesus' name I ask. Amen."

You are blessed and Highly favored by the greatest King of all!
Big hugs,
Brenda Gale Thompson

New Songs!

Thank You Lord for new songs of praise and worship to lift up and Magnify your Awesome, Majestic Name!

The last few months I've been in a war and as I was praying Holy Spirit showed me how the enemy was distracting me from worship by all the negative circumstances, accidents and negative news going on around me. The devil wants to be magnified and this is how he gets us to take our eyes off of Jesus.

We are in a war of worship. We all worship something. It can be our kids, our husbands, our hobbies or our jobs. Whatever takes our focus gets our worship. It's dawning on me that the enemy is trying to beat us down by keeping us busy and distracted so we don't make time to magnify the Lord. Without God's input daily, our spiritual gas tanks soon run on empty and then we have nothing to help others with, never mind ourselves.

I am going to make a conscious effort to magnify the Lord at least 7 times a day. I remember King David doing that and the Glory of the Lord was in his life in a great way.

Discernment is required to recognize the attack of the enemy to steal our time and our worship.

For a few weeks I had a hard time singing, there was such an attack of oppression on me and I was asking the Lord what was going on. It is not normal for me to not be able to praise and worship. The Lord led me to the article I wrote about "filling your spiritual gas tank" and said that because I was helping so many others by giving them keys for breakthrough the enemy had launched a counterattack. I immediately asked the Lord what to do and He said to bind the spirit of backlash and retaliation. The next day was much better. Hallelujah!!! It's been getting better every day.

This is a battle we are destined to win! We have been equipped with Heaven's arsenal. Holy Spirit wants to help us and God has Angels to help you and I.

Let's press on to know Him more.

Bless You in Jesus' name as you sing the cry of your heart to Him!