Category: revival

Let it rain, rain on us

Remove everything that is the way of Your awakening, everything that hinders us from the calling. We Need YOU, Jesus! Open the floodgates of heaven, Lord! Let it rain! Pour Your Spirit upon us!

Eddie James sings it right. We need His rain! God help us, heal our land, turn our hearts back to You. I pray that as you listen to this you will sing, too. I pray your song becomes a prayer. We need an awakening. 

O’ God, forgive us.

These people draw near Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far away from Me.  Matthew 15:8

Call us to repentance, Holy Spirit. Hear our cry!

If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.      2 Chronicles 7:14

Let it be so.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, God declares, that I will pour out of My Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy [telling forth the divine counsels] and your young men shall see visions (divinely granted appearances), and your old men shall dream [divinely suggested] dreams. Acts 2:17

Open the floodgates of heaven! 

What’s Goin’ On?

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I have really been burdened lately, sometimes to the point where an anxiety attack threatens me. This is when I have to sit down, breathe, and remind myself of 1 John 4:4.

Little children (believers, dear ones), you are of God and you belong to Him and have [already] overcome them [the agents of the antichrist]; because He who is in you is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world [of sinful mankind].

I told my husband last night that I feel like the darkness in this world is rising up for its last stand. I read the news, look at social media, listen to people, and I feel evil around me. Thankfully my husband is the voice of reason and he knows the Lord; he reminded me that these things must happen. The Bible says it will happen and it will get worse.

But there is no need to panic or be afraid. Because…

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We are under such a spiritual attack and it is increasing. Do you see it? Do you recognize it? No, you are not imagining things and it is not just because “people are crazy!”

It is happening everywhere; in our homes, our schools, our government, Hollywood, and most disturbing is in the church.

Political Correctness has sucked many Christians into it’s black hole.  Too many are picking and choosing what truth they want to believe. They are not rightly dividing the Word. They hold a form of outward godliness (religion), although they have denied it’s power (for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith). 

Clearly these people do not know the word of God. So I have to ask, do they read the Bible? Do YOU read the Bible?

I could go on and on, but you probably see it in your feeds too.

Lately I have been feeling like I am in a fog. I have been feeling so lethargic, tired, for no reason. I have been struggling to concentrate and I have been feeling the enemy’s arrows flying at me.  It is like the lion is standing outside my door.  Sure sign of a spiritual attack!

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Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

This is no time to slumber! Jesus told His disciples what to look for as a sign of His return and the signs are here. We must be about the Father’s business!  Are you His? Then you have a purpose, a calling, and He has equip you with all you need to fulfill the call.

Do not get sidetracked. Recognize the attack and take your stand.

Will you stand with me? To the glory of God.

But you, beloved, build yourselves up on [the foundation of] your most holy faith [continually progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], pray in the Holy Spirit, and keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously and looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ [which will bring you] to eternal life.  And have mercy on some, who are doubting;  save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy but with fear, loathing even the clothing spotted and polluted by their shameless immoral freedom.

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling or falling into sin, and to present you unblemished [blameless and faultless] in the presence of His glory with triumphant joy and unspeakable delight, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and power, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

-Jude 20-25

Be Free & Stay Free

It’s a mission field out there!

I wish I had something profound or witty to write.

I sit at my laptop and stare…

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…and still nothing.

  It is not that I don’t have thoughts, but I am finding it difficult to convey them. Perhaps the thoughts are meant for me alone? Maybe God is showing me something and I need to wait for Him to take me deeper than the surface.

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I have prayed for God to give me a burden for prayer. You know, for intercession, to actually desire to enter into His throne room and intercede for people, our nation, my children, and my neighborhood. I am in need of revival.

Thoughts are just thoughts until we put them into action. I realize my thoughts have become quite selfish and they are spilling over into my prayers. It has somehow become all about me. How did that happen?

We are living in a time when we can no longer afford to slumber or wait until “the time is right.”  Our world is imploding. People are eating each other with hatred, fear, cynicism, and paranoia.  You only have to look at your FaceBook feed to know this is true.

Young girls are crying out for validation; selfie after selfie, screaming look at me, notice me, love me! Women are more focused on finding a man than knowing Jesus. Our men are falling, becoming hard, confused, and distant. The youth are running amuck and undisciplined. The church is remaining silent on issues of the heart. Yes, it is a heart issue.  black heart

Yesterday I saw an upsetting display of hatred coming from neighborhood children no older than 10 years of age. One of the little boys was yelling racial slurs to two young guys walking down the opposite side of the street. The little boy chased down the street yelling at them and picked something up to throw at them.  I put on my mothers best voice and yelled across the street from our balcony to the little boy  that he better knock it off and go home before I tell his mother.  Thankfully his mother heard the commotion and yelled for him to get his “you know what” home.  Children are not born with this hatred. It is a learned disease, from home or school.

Now, tell me we don’t have a mission field right outside our back yard!

We kid ourselves if we think this is not a spiritual battle. Hostility, hatred and fear fill our streets, airwaves, social media, and homes.

We can speak as eloquent as we want, give the best motivational speech and fill our altars and pack our pews, but if we are not making disciples of Christ we are only creating false converts. We can be 100% PC, never offend anyone, and have friends and likes by the thousands, but if we are not speaking His truth and loving, then we are nothing more than salt to be thrown on a dung hill.

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Sigh, there are so many distractions and attacks. That ol’ devil has us believing we can’t do anything. But God says…

I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.] Philippians 4:13

So, no, I don’t have anything witty or profound to say, just some thoughts that have been weighing on me.

Will you please agree with me in prayer.

God, You have entrusted me with the pen. Help me to write what You say.  My creativity is running low and so is my energy. You have planted me in the center of a mission field, though it is uncomfortable, Holy Spirit I am willing to be outside of my comfort zone if the Father be glorified.

Holy Spirit, stir us to a place of repentance and action so we will rise up and be Your church. Give courage to the fearful, strength to the weak, and a Holy boldness to the introverts. Take control of our mouths and let only Your words come from our lips. Give us new eyes and a new heart so we can see the lost as You see them, someone worth dying for.

Forgive us for our apathy, let us be broken before You so You will build us up. We call Your remanent to come forth, we ask for a fresh infilling of Your Spirit, we speak to things that are not and we know they are, because You said so. We call Your sons and daughters home. Let us not be comfortable where we are, but to be content in where You have placed us, knowing it is for purpose and for Your glory.

Pour out Your Spirit of intercession so we can be Your church, Your body, Your voice. We want to see the lame walk, the blind see, and the dry bones come alive. Let Your love shine through us so we may pierce the darkness that engulfs our nation(s). Revive us, God!

We can do this only through and with You. Lead us and we will follow.

In Jesus Name, the Name above ALL names!

Amen. So be it!

Be Free & Stay Free 

The Violent Take it by Force; an open letter to the church

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Matthew 11:12

Most of us would not hesitate to defend a helpless person. If we see an elderly person fall down we would help them up. Or if we see a small child alone and lost in a city street, we would stop and call the authorities; it would be impossible for us to turn a blind eye to a helpless child. In times of natural and/or unnatural disasters, the supernatural steps in and empowers ordinary people to rise up and help. Wars have been fought to free enslaved people and many have sacrificed their own lives for the life of another.

You see, the world is the person(s) who needs help. Many have fallen and are lost. They are defenseless in a world darkened with deception.

Throughout history, just and unjust, wars have been waged. We are living in a time where there are no longer just rumors of war, but actual wars; in other countries and our own. Conflict is on the rise and people are divided. Division has breached government, friendships, and families. It has given birth to fear, mistrust, selfishness, and paranoia.

Across the globe there are hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and fires. People are suffering from illness and disease. There is a pill for everything; depression, insomnia, weight loss, high blood pressure, heart, constipation, ADD, ADHD, RLS, ED, thyroid, headache… and the list goes on. Those who can’t afford prescribed medication self medicate, opening the door to bondage of addictions. Recently I read an article about a plague taking lives in Madagascar. The plague?

Peoples hearts are failing them. The fear of the future is causing many to check out emotionally or physically through suicide. Families are juggling the bills, choosing between eating, electricity, or rent. The pressures have destroyed families, children are growing up unsupervised and without a parent. The rate of marriage is low as people hop from one relationship to another, our elderly are forgotten in nursing homes, and the transient state of our country has left many without the help and support of family.

Men don’t know if they are women, women want to be men, it is mass confusion! Equal rights now equal domination. To go against the grain is considered hate. Carnality is celebrated and to stand on Gods truth is to be labeled bigot, ignorant, and homophobic.

People are leaving churches, the Gospel message has been watered down across the pulpit, and many are choosing their best life now over God’s truth. Itchy ears are placated with political correctness and pats on the back; because His word doesn’t fit the worlds narrative and it is offensive.

The signs He told us to look for are here. His return is sooner than we think. He IS coming back.  It is time to WAKE UP, Church!

This is not the time for entertainment and to lose ourselves in front of a television or computer screen. We are not called to sit back, scratch our heads and live defeated lives; we are not to roll over dead! We are called to an abundant life! And I am not referring to prosperity preaching. I am talking about the abundant life of expectation. Expect God to move… through us!

But a move can’t happen if we are closed up into our own lives, too afraid to go into the world, and worried about what “others” may think of us.

“Adam and Eve were placed in the garden with a mission. God said, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.” It was God’s intention that as they bore more children, who also lived under God’s rule, they would be extending the boundaries of His garden (His government) through the simplicity of their devotion to Him. The greater the number of people in right relationship to God, the greater the impact of their leadership. This process was to continue until the entire earth was covered with the glorious rule of God through man.”

“But in Genesis chapter 1 we discover it’s not the perfect universe. Satan had rebelled and had been cast out of heaven, and with him a portion of the fallen angels took dominion of the earth. It’s obvious why the rest of the planet needed to be subdued – it was under the influence of darkness. God could have destroyed the devil and his host with a word, but instead He chose to defeat darkness through His delegated authority – those made in His image who were lovers of God by choice.”

“The backbone of Kingdom authority and power is found in the commission.”

– Bill Johnson, When Heaven Invades Earth (I recommend this book!)

Now I will remind you what we, His Church, have been commissioned to do with power and authority:

Jesus came up and said to them,  “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words],baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually, regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of age.”  –Matthew 28:8-20

“These signs will accompany those who have believed; in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well.” -Mark 16:17-18

 If you have read this far then I know this is for you. You are in agreement and His Holy Spirit is prompting you and you know there is more to life than this! You know you have been chosen and called. You feel the sting of conviction to be purposeful and be about His business.

Maybe you don’t know where to begin. You begin right where you are, but you do not stop there.

You begin in your home, with your spouse, children, or parents. If your family does not share your faith in God, then thank God you are there! They are your first mission field. “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified [that is, he receives the blessings granted] through his [Christian] wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be [ceremonially] unclean, but as it is they are holy.” -1 Corinthians 7:14

Then go into the world! Take His light into the schools, workplace, market place, for wherever you go you are carrying His light. “You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp-stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven”. -Matthew 5:14-16

Always be ready to give an answer for the hope that you have!

The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force! Now Go!

Come, let us be His Church together.

Oh, God, help us! Move our hearts with what moves Yours. We believe, help us overcome our unbelief. Create in us a new heart, a strong heart, a heart of flesh, that we may be moved with compassion and action to a lost and dying world. For Your name sake! In Jesus Name, Amen.

Be Free & Stay Free

Come Home

 

 

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I can’t think of a worse place to be than in a backslidden state; to know Jesus and then try to hide from Him.

It is folly to think we, His children, could hide from Him. He promised He would never leave us. Seriously, it is impossible to not be in His sight.

But that doesn’t stop us from trying, does it?

A few years ago I was foolish enough to try hiding from Him. When it seemed everything in my life was coming undone; I grew weary and began to rely on myself instead of trusting Him. In disobedience, I made one bad decision after another. I was on a slippery slope and boy was I sliding back fast. What a mess I made!

imagesYou see, that’s what happens when we give in to “thoughts” and emotions. The enemy uses our injuries to drown out the voice of God and then we find ourselves in a dark place, believing lies, and hiding from the truth.

I was once like Peter. Remember when everyone was running from Jesus and He turned to His disciples and asked them, “Will you also go away? Do you too desire to leave Me?” And Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life!”

After we have tasted and seen that God is good, it is a bitter pill in our bellies when we walk away.

I had mistaken conviction for condemnation. I was living in fear and depression. I opened myself up for all kinds of demonic attacks. Because of my injuries, I injured others and there was nothing I could do in my own strength (or cleverness) to stop it. God’s love for me allowed me to come to the end of myself.

I do not recommend backsliding. But, if you are already there, if your feet have already begun to go in the wrong direction, stop! You can turn around now. You do not have to be afraid or think you have committed the unpardonable sin. God is not angry with you, He is for you, not against you.

He loves us enough to give us a free will to choose. It is not His will or purpose for us that we should be in a position of injury; it is by our own choice.

Even though Peter was so confident he would never leave Jesus; he did. The same Peter who said he would die for Jesus still denied Him; not once, but three times!

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Did Jesus stop loving him? No! Did Jesus know Peter was going to deny Him? Yes!

We can learn much through Peter about the love of Christ.

Can you imagine for a moment? Peter walked with Jesus His entire ministry; side by side with God. He witnessed the miraculous! He watched Jesus heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead! Peter walked on water with Jesus. Now you would think there could never be a way for Peter to deny Jesus, but he did.

Before we can come down so hard on Peter and naively declare, “Well! I would never deny Jesus after seeing all He had done;” take an inventory of how many times God has answered our prayers and still there have been times of doubt in our own mind.

Peter was broken. Strong, boisterous, quick to speak, Peter, was broken. But he didn’t stay broken. He grieved, repented, was forgiven, and then was used mighty by God.

I had finally come to the end of myself. I was so low the only way to go was up.

One night I was awakened by a clear voice, “Romans 8:28.” I tuned on the light, grabbed my Bible and read:

And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.

In brokenness and repentance I cried out to God and in mercy and love He answered. This was the beginning of my restoration. There are no surprises with God, He knows it all, He knows our coming and going, our sitting and standing.  Where can we go that He is not already there? (Psalm 139)

Where could I go from Your Spirit?

Or where could I flee from Your presence?

If I ascend into heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

If I take the wings of the morning,

And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

Even there Your hand shall lead me,

And Your right hand shall hold me.

If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”

Even the night shall be light about me;

Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,

But the night shines as the day;

The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

Psalm 139: 7-14

Beloved, where are you? Are you ready to lay down the guilt and shame? No matter what you have done, there is no sin greater than His forgiveness. Confess your sin, He knows it anyway, repent and turn back to Him. This is the Father’s heart; to leave the 99 and go after the one lost sheep.

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There is no condemnation for those who are in Him. His forgiveness is available; His love is without measure, unfailing, and never ending.

Search me, Father, know my heart and renew a right spirit within me. I confess my sins to You and I thank You for Your forgiveness. Fill me, God, with Your Spirit and steady my feet on Your straight path so that I will not stray away again. Hedge me in so I will know Your borders and boundaries. Thank You for working in me for the good and for Your glory. In Jesus Name, Amen.

And He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Luke 7:48

Be Free & Stay Free

 

 

 

Spiritual Litmus Test

 

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If you want to know where someone is spiritually with their walk with God, you do not have to look at the church pews, you only need to listen and watch.

There is a saying, “an apple does not fall far from the tree.”

Jesus said it this way, “For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit.  For each tree is known and identified by its own fruit. For figs are not picked from thorn bushes, nor is a cluster of grapes picked from a briar bush.  The [intrinsically] good man produces what is good and honorable and moral out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart; and the [intrinsically] evil man produces what is wicked and depraved out of the evil [in his heart]; for his mouth speaks from the overflow of his heart.”

Have you ever noticed married couples begin to look alike, talk alike, and even begin to think alike? Especially those who have been married for a length of time and have cultivated the intimacy through sharing each others hearts and lives. They can be in a crowded room and look into each others eyes and speak a language that needs no words and no one else can hear or understand, because they have an intimate bond that only comes through relationship.  This kind of relationship only comes through investment of time spent together, communicating, talking AND listening, sharing joys and burdens, and trust. It is a well guarded communion that no one or nothing from the outside can penetrate.

You can tell a marriage is in trouble when they begin to seek fulfillment, validation, companionship, etc… outside of the marriage relationship. They begin to esteem other people or things over their spouse. It may start off “innocently,” but I assure you there is nothing innocent about it. Where you direct and invest your time, finances, thoughts, is where your heart is and where your feet will eventually lead you.

This post is not about marriage in the sense of man and wife, it is about the marriage between our Savior and HIs Bride.

We are what we eat. We become what we digest, what we feed our minds eventually makes it’s way into our hearts and our spirits.

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I will use social media as an example, let us imagine it as a spiritual thermometer, OK. Browse through your newsfeed, and if you are brave enough, look through your own posts.

Imagine there are two trees.

dead treeOne tree is dying. It is rotten. Beneath the tree, lying on the ground, are rotten fruits that fell from the tree and the smell from the fruit is not appetizing and the only thing the fruit is good for is for the flies and the maggots.  It no longer produces buds in the spring, the inside is hollow and limbs are falling off. Infact, one of these days a good strong wind is going to come and blow that tree over and possibly cause injury to anyone who is under it.

The other tree is alive with life. Its branches are full of green leaves, the fruit it produces good treeis sweet, the trunk is solid and the roots are deep, no wind or storm will blow this tree over. Birds perch on the branches singing beautiful songs, and small animals play along the branches. Underneath is shelter from the scorching heat of the sun, because the tree is so big and healthy, it’s cool shade offers a place to rest; lovers have picnics under this tree, poets write in their journals, artist paint canvasses of beauty, children play safely, and daydreamers lay back and gaze into the full branches. This tree provides refuge, a place to rest, and inspires.

Now, look at your posts as fruit that fell from one of the two trees. Which tree did it fall from? Because I assure you, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

What is good fruit? Good fruit is: love for others, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. This kind of fruit is produced in us only as a result of His presence within us.

Soon, my friends, Jesus is coming back for His Bride. His Bride is faithful, pure, looks, sounds, thinks, and smells like Him. His Bride looks into His eyes unashamed and without fear, because He is her lover and her friend,  and she has not strayed. While His Bride waited for His return no one could entice her away from Him. She kept her heart and mind focused on Him. She lives a life of submission to Him,  through honor and respect, loyalty and love. All that He gave to her she guarded and nurtured. Her spiritual children have grown and they look just like Him.

What a glorious day it will be when He returns and we gather for the wedding feast He has prepared for us.

Please, my friends, be the good tree, producing good fruit. Because we all know what happens to the bad tree.

Be Free & Stay Free

 

 

We are NOT Slaves! We are His Sons & Daughters!

Click HERE to listen while you read this

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Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior].  For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has set you free from the law of sin and of death.  For what the Law could not do [that is, overcome sin and remove its penalty, its power] being weakened by the flesh [man’s nature without the Holy Spirit], God did: He sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful man as an offering for sin. And He condemned sin in the flesh [subdued it and overcame it in the person of His own Son],  so that the [righteous and just] requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not live our lives in the ways of the flesh [guided by worldliness and our sinful nature], but [live our lives] in the ways of the Spirit [guided by His power].

 For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His will and purpose].  Now the mind of the flesh is death [both now and forever—because it pursues sin]; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace [the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God—both now and forever];  the mind of the flesh [with its sinful pursuits] is actively hostile to God. It does not submit itself to God’s law, since it cannot,  and those who are in the flesh [living a life that caters to sinful appetites and impulses] cannot please God.

However, you are not [living] in the flesh [controlled by the sinful nature] but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God lives in you [directing and guiding you]. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him [and is not a child of God].  If Christ lives in you, though your [natural] body is dead because of sin, your spirit is alive because of righteousness [which He provides]. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.

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So then,  brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but not to our flesh [our human nature, our worldliness, our sinful capacity], to live according to the [impulses of the] flesh [our nature without the Holy Spirit]—  for if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever.  For all who are allowing themselves to be led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.  For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading again to fear [of God’s judgment], but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons [the Spirit producing sonship] by which we [joyfully] cry,

“Abba! Father!”  

The Spirit Himself testifies and confirms together with our spirit [assuring us] that we [believers] are children of God.  And if [we are His] children, [then we are His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His spiritual blessing and inheritance], if indeed we share in His suffering so that we may also share in His glory.

For I consider [from the standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us!  For [even the whole] creation [all nature] waits eagerly for the children of God to be revealed.  For the creation was subjected to frustration and futility, not willingly [because of some intentional fault on its part], but by the will of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will also be freed from its bondage to decay [and gain entrance] into the glorious freedom of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation has been moaning together as in the pains of childbirth until now.  And not only this, but we too, who have the first fruits of the Spirit [a joyful indication of the blessings to come], even we groan inwardly, as we wait eagerly for [the sign of] our adoption as sons—the redemption and transformation of our body [at the resurrection].  For in this hope we were saved [by faith]. But hope [the object of] which is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he already sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait eagerly for it with patience and composure.

Our Victory in Christ

In the same way the Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself [knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf with sighs and groanings too deep for words. And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes [before God] on behalf of God’s people in accordance with God’s will.

And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.  For those whom He foreknew [and loved and chose beforehand], He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son [and ultimately share in His complete sanctification], so that He would be the firstborn [the most beloved and honored] among many believers.  And those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified [declared free of the guilt of sin]; and those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity].

What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us?  He who did not spare [even] His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?  Who will bring any charge against God’s elect (His chosen ones)? It is God who justifies us [declaring us blameless and putting us in a right relationship with Himself].   Who is the one who condemns us? Christ Jesus is the One who died [to pay our penalty], and more than that, who was raised [from the dead], and who is at the right hand of God interceding [with the Father] for us.  Who shall ever separate us from the love of  Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  Just as it is written and forever remains written,

“For Your sake we are put to death all day long;
We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.”

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us].  For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.