Tag: Holy Spirit

Peace by Beth Fredricksen

Peace by Beth Fredricksen

As I was talking to the Lord one day I asked Him for a word. The word He put in my mind was “peace.” I said, “Lord, how does that look?”

I realized I was experiencing some grief over Tom’s death, even after seven years. I was feeling alone as a widow in the midst of the craziness going on in the world.  It was exacerbated by some physical pain in my body.  Chronic pain can be a distraction to carrying out simple daily life activities.

My best friend was gone. The person with whom I had a lifetime, personal relationship. We could talk about anything. Going from “till death do you part” in wedding vows at the age of 19 to “I don’t love you” at 25 years of marriage to feeling like a bride at 53 years finally understanding the word “cherished.”

He revealed that “peace” is a choice. You can be in a peaceful setting and still be in chaos in you’re mind. You can be in a peaceful setting and listen to the birds or watch the wind blowing gently through the trees and be at peace, but in either case it’s still a choice.

You can be in the midst of a storm, as Jesus and the disciples experienced when they were crossing the Sea of Galilee in an open boat. Jesus stood up and said, “Be quiet; be still!” They were amazed.

External effects of the storm brought chaos and fear to the disciples. They were acquainted with the destructive consequences of that kind of storm over water. It usually did not produce a good outcome.

Chaos in the elements has to stop because you have more power than that physical storm does. The same holds true for the storm of chaotic, fearful, negative thoughts that you dwell on or allow to control you.

Jesus knew from where His authority came. He had a personal, intimate relationship with Holy Spirit. He knew His given authority was to give Holy Spirit permissoin to release His power through Him. They were like minded with one accord. Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We have been given the same opportunity to experience a relationship with Holy Spirit who comes with power. When we choose to abide in that place of peace, we come with power and authority given to us that has more power than any darkness or chaos.

We are the representatives who have the power and authority to declare the “good news”. To participate with Holy Spirit as He releases His power over the captives and uses us to declare them free through us.

[2 Cor. 5:20 NKJ Version] “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”

As I spent time with the Lord asking ” How does peace look?”, I saw a picture in my mind of a child sitting on the floor playing with blocks. A child can have fun playing on the floor with blocks when he knows he’s safe. He’s at peace . He has no concern for food or being protected from the outside elements. He trusts in his parents or caregiver, to keep him safe without even consciously thinking about it. It’s been his experience in that place.

I was in a ministry zoom call recently and it was a great call. We were talking about the goodness of God and what he was doing. I had a picture of being in the “Throne Room” on the floor playing with blocks.

It was a surprise because I’ve never thought of the “Throne Room” in that way. I could hear the worship, I knew there was dancing around with everyone rejoicing, praising and honoring God. I could hear, in a part of my mind, the zoom call — giving God glory. I had the awareness that as God was listening to His children having a “family call”, He was smiling. They were in His “Throne Room”, His presence, and He was delighted.

A few days later I saw myself in the “Throne Room”again on the floor and I still had that same sense of praise, worship and dancing. I was in the sweet, awesome, reverential presence of God.

As I was sitting there just looking up in peace, with my blocks in front of me, I was enjoying being in that place. I looked up to my right and saw a fearsome looking angel with fire in his eyes. I still felt the peace and love of God. What came to me was that the fire in the eyes of the angel (not sure if it was Michael or one of his Warriors, also called the Host) represented the *”glory of God” but it also represented the awe and **”terror of God.”

What I felt being revealed to me was this is the terror that will be unleashed on the earth that people aren’t expecting. I heard the Father reaching out in assurance, “I’ve got you. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

I am not alone.

NOTE:

*According to Teen Challenge, when the glory of God is upon you, you experience salvation, separation from sin, and the presence of God. You may also feel a sense of awe and reverence, guidance, direction, healing, and restoration, both physically and spiritually. You may also feel peace and joy, knowing that you are in the presence of the Almighty.

**In Genesis 35:5, the Bible says, “As they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob”. This passage shows how God rewards Jacob’s repentance with a supernatural terror that falls on the cities around him. The terror prevents the people of the cities from pursuing Jacob’s company.

I share this to encourage you to go before the Lord yourself and ask the questions on your heart:

How does this _____  look?

What does this ______ mean?

What do I need to do?

Do you know the intimate, unconditional love of God?

Do you know that He will do what He says — that He will keep His word?

That with that relationship, you, too, can sit on the floor of His Throne Room and play with your blocks?

He is waiting.

FATTY, FATTY, 2 X 4 . . .

FATTY, FATTY, 2 X 4 . . .

Today, July 26, 2023, I was set free from a negative body image I’ve dealt with all my life. When I received this picture from my dear sister in Christ, Kathi Frye (taken at Jesus Culture Sacramento), I immediately said to myself, “you look like an old, fat lady with a perm!”

Was I smiling? YES! Do I enjoy greeting people at Jesus Culture? YES!

I love people and enjoy meeting and greeting people with a smile; possibly being that first impression or representation of the love of God. Sometimes I see the broken hearted, hurting, precious ones walking through the doors. Many are looking for hope and an answer to life’s challenges. If I’m hurting inside, it will only be a mask they see. When I realized how I saw myself, how could I honestly help or love others unconditionally when I was unloving and judging myself.

Mark 12:30 – 31 “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”

With the prayer support of my adopted sister, Pattie, we addressed that “little girl (me)” who had been judged and taunted for being overweight. [“Fatty, fatty, two by four; can’t get through the bathroom door . . . .” It’s actually on the internet. ]

We released “her” to appreciate how God made “her” and uses “her”. She looks just like “her” Father (don’t you think?). The very spitting image! [Genesis 1:26 – We, (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) will make them after our image and likeness.]

Can you see Him in “her”? Do you see Him in yourself?

She is the delight of “her” Father. Created to have intimacy with Him in a physical body that was created to host both soul (mind, will and emotions) and spirit where only they exist as one (thank you Julie Miller AFF). God invites us through the cross to be one with Him. It’s not size, mental intellect, or any external attributes that make us acceptable. We are created by Him, unique and perfect in His eyes, accepted by Him. John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Ephesians 1:3-6 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”

I invite you to do a “heart check” and look at yourself in the mirror. What do you see? What do you want to say about yourself that no one else can hear but the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? How would you describe yourself? Are you saying what God says about you or what the world or others have told you?

God loves you. Like me, you may not realize the judgments you have placed on yourself until you are confronted with them through “sudden” thoughts or memories.

I invite you to pray with me:

“Father, I have judged myself (physically? emotionally? spiritually? mentally?) as being deficient and not measuring up to a standard that was set for me or that I perceived myself to be.

I give you my life and thank you that you accept me just the way I am. I invite you to be not just a guest in my house (mind), but the partner who talks with me in my thoughts, encourages me, challenges me, stays in conversation with me even when I want to quit. I can only love you, because you first loved me. Teach me how to receive that unconditional love. Amen”

As a side note: I shared this with Kathi and this was her response:

“Thank you for sharing. When I saw this picture of you the words that came to mind: Unconditional love, Kindness, Compassion, Welcoming, Jesus heart, Inspiring, Faithful, Strong, Beautiful.

I am glad you are able to see what truly is in the picture and break old lies off – because it is an amazing reflection of our Father right there!!!”

Suddenly

Suddenly

God has been speaking to me about the word “suddenly.” It is when something happens abruptly, quickly, unexpectedly and without warning. How would you react to a “suddenly” in your life?

I’m sure most people experience a “suddenly” at sometime in their life – accident, unexpected death of someone they know, a financial gift they didn’t expect, reconciliation with a friend or family member, etc.

Can you remember how you reacted in that moment? Did you give thanks to God as you experienced that emotion or event? Did you recall, through your personal experience with Him, that He is faithful? Did it produce good fruit in your life? Are you suffering any trauma from that “suddenly”?

Father, I pray for anyone reading this BLOG who has experienced an unpleasant “suddenly” in their life that created trauma. I ask You to go back to that moment with them and show them where You were with them at that moment and how You were present with them in their experience. Let them see with Your eyes and understand with Your heart.

Say with me, “I forgive anyone who may have been associated with my experience (and quite possibly yourself). I release all trauma that I experienced at that moment in time and ask Father that Your Holy Spirit remove any painful emotions that may be trapped in my body and soul from that experience. I now receive Your peace and healing. In Jesus Name!”

I will be sharing some events that have happened in my life due to a “suddenly.”

Praising the Lord and giving thanks always, will be the best remedy for staying in the “present” to a “suddenly” that comes your way.

Take a couple of minutes to bless the Lord. You don’t have to use these suggestions; use your own words to speak praises to the Lord.

“I break agreement with every negative word I’ve heard, accepted and repeated. I now declare and decree:” [Include others by name, if possible, as an act of faith – speaking those things that are not as though they are.]

Psalm 145:1-3: “We (use family names, neighbors, city, state, country, world) will extol You, our God, our King; and we will bless Your name forever and ever.

Today we bless You and we praise Your name forever and ever. Great are you Lord, and highly to be praised; and Your greatness is unsearchable.”

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Watch “Secretariat — “It’s Who You Are” Music Video” on YouTube

Watch “Secretariat — “It’s Who You Are” Music Video” on YouTube

RUN YOUR RACE

https://youtu.be/xjJ0J1bQ76A

A couple of years ago, we were doing a spiritual exercise with Agape Freedom Fighters. We were asked to think about “What horse represents who you are and how you see yourself?”

The first name that came to me was “Hildago”. Hildago was the movie about a wild mustang that was captured and trained by a rugged cowboy, Frank Hopkins – played by Viggo Mortensen. An affluent Sheik, played by Omar Sharif, challenges the notoriety of Frank Hopkins and invites him and his horse to participate in a 3,000 mile race in the Middle East.

Frank accepted the challenge and went to the Arabian Peninsula to run against top thoroughbreds and the best riders in the world. During the race, he is faced with several attempts to slow him down and potentially to kill him. It portrays a courageous horse and rider facing danger, requiring endurance and perseverance to eventually end up winning the race.

Click on the website below to see the short movie trailer for Hildago. Hit back arrow to return to the BLOG.

https://m.imdb.com/video/vi3772645657?playlistId=tt0317648?ref_=e.xt_shr_lnkhttps://m.imdb.com/video/vi3772645657?playlistId=tt0317648?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

In my mind, when I saw a picture of “Hildago”, I saw a horse that persevered against all odds. Never giving up when it would have been easy. He won his race. That seemed to represent how I felt about myself. Somehow now at the latter days of my life, after Tom’s passing in May of 2017, I was at the end of my race. My dreams of ministering with my husband no longer possible.

As I was meditating on this, quietly Holy Spirit said, “That’s who you saw yourself and that’s how you lived. You were born to be ‘Secretariat’.”

Yes, my season had changed. My circumstances different. My paint pallet now fresh with new color choices and a fresh canvas. Oh the possibilities. How do I begin? What does that mean?

I was recently prompted by Holy Spirit to view the movie Secretariat again and cried as I saw myself with the “heart of a champion” — a daughter of the God of the universe, King of Glory. Important enough that He would shut down an entire highway to keep me safe when my car broke down on the freeway in June of 2021. Loved enough to provide a new car, new opportunities for ministry, deeper intimacy with Him and new levels of trust, blessings and miracles. The key words spoken by the father to his daughter when she presented the horse to him was — “let him run his race.”

God is pouring out His glory on the earth in a “fresh” way.

Are you ready to “run your race” and see what God has for you?

Are you stuck in an old mindset of who you think you are because of changed circumstances?

Have you lost your dreams or desires that God has put in your heart because you have not seen them come to pass yet?

Are you ready to give any false beliefs over to God? What is it that God wants to give you in exchange?

Ask the Lord Jesus to stir His Holy Spirit afresh in you if you know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Let Him stir the embers of your heart to receive His “glory.”

If you have never invited Jesus Christ into your heart as your Lord and Savior, do it now!

“Jesus, I choose by an act of my will to receive all that you have done for me by taking my sin on the cross and paying the price for my salvation. I give you control of my life this day.”

Then for the best part, ask “Holy Spirit” to fill you and reveal Himself to you.

Run your race! Fulfill the destiny that God has for you. Give Him all you’ve got and don’t look back.

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AFTER, AFTER THE BREAKDOWN!

AFTER, AFTER THE BREAKDOWN!

READ “BREAKDOWN” AND THEN “AFTER THE BREAKDOWN” TO UNDERSTAND

When my car stopped running on the freeway last year, I faced the challenge of having no car. As I prayed, people began giving money to me to get it fixed or possibly buy another car. WOW! My mind swirled with thoughts and questions, “What do I do Lord?” I’m thinking I can’t afford a monthly payment. I may have to pay more for insurance if I buy a newer car that is more expensive, even if given to me. Car registration may be higher. My thought was an ideal car would be one that was used, [preferably that I knew the owner], in good condition and reasonably priced.

With all that, the Lord said, “Step 1 — fix it up. I will reveal the next step once it is fixed.” My son-in-law, Jamie, offered to work on the car (had done some car repair). He felt the Lord encouraging him; and, I had confidence that he could do it because I knew God would guide him. He attempted this difficult challenge on a large luxury vehicle with a service manual and a willingness to go for it.

After five months (Oct. 2021) due to delays in getting parts and other work he was doing, I had my car returned in great condition. He was even able to do more. A spark plug blew; a new “head” would be needed; once everything was taken apart more might need to be repaired. Fortunately it did not harm the transmission or engine. What was given as gifts, paid for repairing my car. [SEE AFTER THE BREAKDOWN]

This past month (March 2022), I knew I was ready to let go of my car. At my family’s urging I drove a car that they were doing some work on for a friend who thought she had a buyer. The potential buyer changed their mind. At first I was hesitant as it was smaller. Once I drove it, I knew it was mine. Now the price? The price was lowered and my kids called and said they would loan the money until my car was sold.

On my way to pick up the car, my friend came with me who really wanted my car. It fit her needs and was a desire on her heart. That morning, a family member called and gave her money toward the purchase of my car. I still didn’t know what I needed, but once an amount was settled, I let her know. She knew she could sell her car. It turned out that another family member needed her car as they were moving here from another state and it provided the complete price I was asking.

Early this morning, March 28, the Lord began to talk to me about what He was doing. “The money from the sale of your car is My blessing. The money to fix it up came from Me through people I used as a part of your blessing.” [I was selling it to her for less than “Private Sale” suggested price, which means those who contributed are also part of the blessing.]

“You are in turn being used as a part of My blessing for ______ as her blessing is coming from her family member.” [This member had been estranged for several years and God was restoring the relationship. She never said she needed money to buy it, they openly asked and offered financial help.]

“The ways I work are a mystery to men, but economical for Me. I waste nothing because in it I am able to do many things. In the world, people are only focused on certain things. In that tunnel vision, much gets missed. I see the whole picture, you only see part. While it may appear nothing is changing, it is the momentary light affliction that causes the most growth.”

There are so many things at work right now, that many people are walking in fear and uncertainty. Jesus is our certainty! He is our constant! He is our provider and only reliable source.

I invite you to ask Him to enter into any circumstance you may be facing at this moment that seems insurmountable to you in your life.

Invite Him into your life by saying:

“Lord Jesus, things are out of control. I can’t see the solution, but I can see what I think is a problem. I give you my life and my problem and ask that you bring your solution. I release it into your hands and excited to see what you will do. You were faithful to Beth. I know you will be faithful to me.”

Please feel free to “Comment” below or let me know how I can pray for you.

Cells

Cells

How do you pray thy Kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven?

Recently I had an opportunity to pray with someone who was very sick. While I had prayed for that person and shared the word with them, they were still experiencing really dramatic swings in their symptoms. No fever to high fever; nausea to no nausea; body aches, ear pain, etc.

I prayed in tongues (spiritual language of the Holy Spirit) for a few minutes and then in English seeking wisdom on what to pray. “Jesus said what He heard the Father say and did what He saw the Father do.” The Lord gave me a picture in my mind of cells in the body listening to the words He was giving me to speak. 🤒🤕🤧🤮🥵

He was reminding them of the covenant He made on the cross 👑 that included healing. Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords.

I could see some of the cell faces with wide eyes 😳 as if confused listening to such authority. The command was spoken to do the job they were created to do and they then went on their way to bring healing throughout the body 😊.

The individual felt the fever leave and symptoms begin to subside. I later asked the person how they were doing. This is text conversation that followed:

“Half-and-half _ _ _😏 Nights are always harder”🤧

My Holy Spirit led reply:

[🙄 Cells]

[🔥 Holy Spirit]

🔥 – “Hello cells!”

🥴 – “Yes”

🔥 – “Are you doing your job?”

🤔 – “What am I suppose to do again?”

🔥 – “We talked about this. Do the job you were created to do and stop listening to the enemy.

I have plans for _ _ _ life. Plans for good and not destruction. Stop whining and procrastinating and do your job. No excuses!”

I sent the text and was told later it set that person free. The Lord revealed a picture to them of cells in a prison and the door was open and they were set free. They could feel their strength and energy returning as the cells were responding.

“WHAT KIND OF VESSEL . . .” – Song

“WHAT KIND OF VESSEL . . .” – Song

The Holy Spirit was around one day
Looking for a vessel made of clay.
One was full and the other cracked;
He said, "I guess I'll have to come back."

He was looking for an empty one
That He could fill and overrun;
Filling it freely with power and love
So it could be used by God above.

What kind of vessel should we be
To let God's love flow so free?
What kind of vessel should we be
To let God's love flow so free?

If we're always busy doing good works
But never have time for people who hurt;
We block the flow of his love for them
And yet they think He's our best friend.

He wants to use us on His own
But often we're busy on the phone;
Telling Him what He should do
And He just says, "I wish you were through."

What kind of vessel should we be
To let God's love flow so free?
What kind of vessel should we be
To let God's love flow so free?

If we were open and waiting on Him
He'd be delighted to fill us within
So His love could pour out on all around
For no greater love could ever be found.

Original Song, “What Kind of Vessel Should We Be” by Beth Fredricksen

Drawing courtesy of Julie Banks Design. For more information, call her at 805-680-8122 or jbsbca@hotmail.com