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The Manifest Presence of God Cannot Be Faked
This morning I was so encouraged to read a dream that Rick Joyner had a couple of weeks ago. It is the same thing the Lord has been stirring in my heart.
Here are some excerpts of his dream:
What I saw in the dream of December 5, 2025, eclipsed everything I have experienced or seen in any previous dreams or visions. In this dream, I had been asked to speak in a small Sunday school class about revival. This was at a modest church, and at a class that was usually attended by about a dozen people.
I had learned to measure the spiritual hunger in a crowd rather than its size to judge its importance. So, in this dream, when I entered the class, I was expecting to find about a dozen spiritually hungry people. I was not disappointed by their hunger, as this class was electric with their hunger for God. But it was far more than the dozen people I had expected.
They had packed in every person they could possibly fit into this small classroom. There was not a seat left, nor any place to stand in the room. I could hear more gathering outside, and the people in the back started opening the windows so those outside could hear.
I don’t think I had finished the first sentence when the presence of the Lord entered the room so powerfully we did not need to see Him with our physical eyes to know He was there. Those who could find room on the floor poured out of their seats onto it. The rest who were in their seats or standing were bowing over to get as low as they could. I wanted to do the same and could not imagine talking in His presence like that.
Rick describes a second scene in the dream where even more people came together and again, God’s manifest presence poured in and people were overcome. Leaders assembled to discuss how to host more meetings like it.
He closes by saying, The dream ended with people expecting revival to break out at any time in any place, but I knew it was soon going to be happening all of the time in every place. I have experienced the manifest presence of the Lord many times, personally and in meetings, and even a couple of times when the glory of the Lord appeared. What I experienced in this dream was stronger than any of these, by far. This manifest presence of the Lord is going to be the hallmark of what is coming. This is something that cannot be duplicated. Once you experience His presence, I don’t think we will be fooled by any substitute.
& & & & & & & & & & & & & &
I recently spoke to a local leader who was describing a program he was praying about putting together to help people go deeper in their relationship with God. Immediately I sensed from the Holy Spirit that what was needed was not more teaching or classes, but encounters with God’s manifest presence – like what Rick described happening in his dream. I have felt this stirring for some time and I have wondered what it will look like. Rick’s dream describes what I imagine. People gathering for what they expect will be another teaching or class and instead of hearing a great speaker, they will be overwhelmed by the manifest presence of God.
If you have never been in a meeting where this has occurred, you may not realize what a HUGE impact it has on you. When God’s presence is SO strong in a meeting, no one wants to move or speak. The air feels charged. Every movement feels significant – you don’t want to be foolish or act on your own will. All you want is for God to do whatever it is He wants. There is a deep holy hush or sometimes an explosion of worship – depending on what God is doing. Often people immediately fall to their knees or get on their face and begin to repent. It impacts you deeply and you are never the same.
The Lord recently showed me a vision of what His Tsunami of Love will look like. I was surprised and delighted. For years, He has been showing many people this Tsunami of God’s Love that is coming. But I had no idea what it would look like.
What He showed me was this HUGE wave of people full of the love of God with joy and peace in their hearts loving everyone everywhere they went. It wasn’t just an outpouring of His Spirit in a meeting, it was people consumed with His love and letting it flow out to all those around them. It was amazing to see! Here’s a picture to give you an idea of the image I saw:
Can you imagine what an effect that would have on the world?! It would bring Heaven to Earth – just like Jesus’s prayer: Your Kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9-13)
One of the things Rick mentioned was people trying to fake this experience of God’s presence. God’s presence will be so popular and will attract such large crowds that there may be those who try to duplicate or “fake” the experience in order to gain attention. But the Manifest Presence of God cannot be faked.
I have been in charismatic church meetings where the leader has said, “Oh, I feel God’s presence. It is really here. Pay attention – God is here!” But I did not sense anything – instead, it felt like emotional manipulation. I am VERY sensitive to God’s manifest presence – I have been in many meetings where it was tangibly felt. You can’t fake it. And people are tired of being duped by leaders who are trying to stir something up that God is not doing. This generation craves authenticity.
If you’d like to read the full post where Rick Joyner shared his dream, it is here. He talks about his previous Vision of the Harvest and how that is being fulfilled. These are exciting days to be alive!
Have YOU ever experienced God’s manifest presence? The kind of experience that is undeniable and very tangible. Please describe it for us – I love to hear stories about God’s presence!
Your kingdom come! Your will be done! We are looking forward to having YOU overwhelm us with Your goodness in the coming days – yes, Lord!! 🔥❤️😊
Receive God’s Love – It Will Change Your Life!
Receiving the love of God changed my life and it still does every single day. For years I wanted to experience it but it seemed elusive. I knew the Bible verse that said God so loved the world that He gave His only son that whoever believed in Him would not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). But I could not tangibly feel that love. Have you ever felt it?
I also noticed that no one I knew ever talked about feeling God’s love for them. I heard stories of answers to prayer and good things happening to people. But no one ever said, “Wow, I just feel so loved by God right now.” Have you ever heard anyone say something like that?
I wrestled with these questions for years as a practicing Christian. How could I ever learn to love another person if I did not feel loved by God? Love is not meant to be theoretical – it’s meant to be tangible and personal.
Maybe you’ve also struggled with this idea. Why does God feel so far away, up in heaven somewhere? Why don’t I feel loved by God? What does that even mean? What does it look like or feel like?
Lots of people explained that Jesus came as God’s Son to show me how much God loved me. Many preachers spoke about my need to accept Jesus as my savior. But that did not translate to my heart as being loved or feeling the love of God. The emphasis was always on something I had to do – I had to pray to accept Christ into my heart and life. I had to obey God’s commands or else suffer the consequences. The emphasis was on my response to what God did for me by sending Jesus.
But where was the tangible love?
I kept searching – I knew there had to be more. My heart was hungry for God’s love.
The good news is God’s love is real and now I’ve learned how to receive it. It is tangible. You can receive it and FEEL it inside of you. It will change your whole life – how you see everything around you. It gives you a HUGE shift in perspective and in the way you feel about yourself and others. It has certainly done that for me!
And it is for YOU. Not just everyone else – YOU too.
You can receive it personally. You can feel loved by God. You can know that you know that you know that God loves you, really loves you and won’t leave you, no matter what.
This is possible, even for you. Yes, I know you may feel disqualified … but please keep reading. Don’t give up now.
There’s a new little book that explains how to receive God’s tangible love so that your heart can feel it. It also gives you tools to help you overcome barriers to receiving that love – like not feeling worthy. The practical exercises in the book really helped me receive God’s love.
I hope you check it out – it’s a free download. Just click the button:
Do you know how to receive God’s tangible love into your heart? If so, how did you learn this? Please share below – that’s how we learn from each other! 😊
Thank you for reading this post – it means a lot! God bless you today! ❤️
P.S. Many people focus on the verse that says, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2) and they think that just means your head. But the Greek word used for mind in that verse includes the feelings – it comes from the root word that means to know God by experience, intimately, not just to know in your head intellectually.
Related Posts:
What Is A Seer?
This came to my attention recently – what exactly IS a Seer? The Bible refers to Seers, but doesn’t define or describe them. Often people use this term interchangeably with the word prophet, but there seems to be a difference. What do you think?
Here is an article from Bob Jones, a famous Seer who is now with Jesus. I like what he says about Seers.
What is a Seer?
by Bob Jones
What is a seer? A seer is everything. Prophets are the eyes, but seers are the entire head: eyes, ears, nose, mouth and feelings. That is what Isaiah 29:10 says: He has shut your eyes, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, the seers.
As a seer, you can move in all five realms, and because of that, you are more discerning. The enemy is never able to fully shut you down. The prophet can be momentarily blinded, but if the enemy blinds you, you will still be able to hear, smell, taste and feel. If the enemy comes against your feelings, you’ll still be able to see, hear, smell and taste. A seer prophecies by all five senses, and so the seers move in stronger discernment.
God communicates with you through your senses. It takes longer to become a mature seer than to become a mature prophet, because all five senses are involved. You have to learn how to discern your feelings, because there will be times when feelings come to you in ministry and they’re not your feelings. And if you take them personally, you won’t be active.
The one thing the Church has been taught against is feelings. But that’s where you, as a seer, are the most accurate. You can take on how other people are feeling and know exactly how to minister to them. You can move right into their “living room” (their minds) and see what the problem is. You can feel what the person is feeling: depression, self-rejection, joy, anger, happiness. You can feel where they’re coming from and know exactly what to go for as you pray for them. So the seer is really strong in deliverance ministry.
The prophet can speak the future, but the seer can see what the people need to let go of in the past, tell them what the Lord is saying to them today, and declare what the Lord is offering them tomorrow. You can go right into their minds and see where the pain is coming from and what is still affecting and controlling their lives. Seers can help people forgive – usually themselves, help clean their minds out, and invite the Lord there.
A seer can feel the strongholds of a town. If you enter a town and feel lust, lust owns that town. If you feel depression, it’s a depressed place. As you come in there, you’ll take on the feelings of that town, country, or person, whether they are good or bad. You’ll know where there is self-rejection, because of what you feel. If you’re ministering to somebody who has self-rejection, you’ll feel it coming at yourself, and you must never take any of these things personally. So you need to have all these senses sanctified and be able to tell, This is not me. I am not in self-rejection. I love myself.
Seers are kicked out of a lot of churches, because you are the least understood of all the gifts. You are one who feels like you don’t fit any place except with other seers. Because of your revelation and dreams and the way God communicates with you, people think you’re loony. But when churches reject you, they’re bidding good-bye to their own mercy. As a seer, you are there for mercy. You are there to help bring healing to the people and show them what God is doing.
It’s time for the seer to come forth. The Church needs you.
Timing Is Key in God’s Kingdom
You’ll know what you need to do WHEN you need to do it.
The Lord has emphasized this statement to me over the last few days. It’s a nice reminder. It takes some of the pressure off of me to anticipate things ahead of time.
The Lord taught me that truth many years ago when I took a professional sabbatical. There were so many unknowns – I had left my stable corporate career and was launching out into the great unknown of untapped possibilities lying before me. I was afraid I wouldn’t know how to make good decisions because I didn’t know what to anticipate. Making wise choices is often based on anticipating what will be needed and planning ahead. I had no idea what to expect. I just knew He was asking me to step away from my comfort zone and trust Him with the next step.
He encouraged me to make decisions based on all the information I had at the time. If I later encountered new information, I was not responsible for how I should have acted if I had known this information because I did not have it at the time the decision was made.
It seems pretty simple or obvious now but at the time I was putting a lot of pressure on myself and this simple principle brought great relief. I could let go of all the “what ifs” and simple wait for His timing. When a decision needed to be made, I did my best based on my current awareness of what was needed. I have never regretted this and it taught me not to look back and wonder if I should have done things differently.
It takes a lot of trust in God to let go of control – that’s basically what is at stake here. When we plan our future, we think we are in control of the variables: I will study at this school, I will get this kind of job and I will live in this house in this city, etc. Or whatever plan we think we have.
But following Jesus does not involve this kind of certainty. He asks us to trust Him and follow HIM. Not our ideas or our plans, even if they are good ones.
When I left my secure, corporate job that paid well, I was also choosing to trust God financially. He said to me,
You will have all that you need WHEN you need it.
And I have! I have never lacked for anything I needed.
Timing is KEY in God’s kingdom and often He doesn’t share things with us too far ahead of time. I think it’s like when children are small. If you tell them, “We are going to the park later”, they get so excited that they drive the adults crazy asking over and over, “Is it time to go now?” He knows how we are – we tend to run ahead and try to plan things out. That gives us a sense of control.
Instead He waits to share what we need to know WHEN we need to know it. And often the timing of the information (or provision) is important as well. If you had known ahead of time, you might have made different decisions and it would have impacted the ultimate outcome. By not knowing, and by trusting God instead, you were right where you were supposed to be. Just like a child, trusting a good parent to take care of everything they need.
It takes a deeper level of surrender to simply live life not knowing what is next. To trust God to prompt you to do things when they need to be done. To trust God to provide what you need at the right time.
But I can tell you that He is faithful. I’ve always had all that I needed and I haven’t made bad decisions by trusting Him. Things have worked out beautifully, often miraculously.
What about you? Are you ready to let go of control and let Him lead you into the unknown? Can God be trusted? Can you rely on His certainty instead of your own plans? Share your thoughts or experiences below – that’s how we learn from each other. 😊
Thanks for reading. God bless you today! 💗
P.S. Sometimes God does tell us something ahead of time and we tend to drive ourselves crazy wondering about it, trying to prepare for it, etc. Then we get discouraged when we don’t see it happening the way we think it should or WHEN we think it should. I’ve found it’s actually easier NOT knowing! Ha! 😂 What do you think?
Book Review: The Girl Who Sees Angels
I just found this new series of books that I have fallen in love with! If you’re a seer or you want to be a seer, these books will really encourage you. It’s a fictionalized story of a girl who has the gift of seeing, but doesn’t understand what she sees. The Girl Who Sees Angels by Jeffrey McClain Jones is the first book in the Sophie Ramos series.
Her mother takes her to doctors, psychiatrists and even a priest, trying to figure out how she can see things that nobody else can see. They think she’s very troubled, but instead she’s very gifted.
During the course of the first book, she meets some Pentecostal Christians that help to validate her gift. That’s really cool! If you’ve ever questioned your sanity because of the things that you see or hear or feel – this book will definitely encourage you! 😊
One of the things I really appreciated about these books was that the author writes from a place of authenticity. Some supernatural fiction that I’ve read (actually most) make gifts of the Spirit so unbelievable and they exaggerate things to such a degree that it detracts from the story. This author doesn’t do that.
Many of the things he writes about, I’ve experienced. The reaction of charismatic Christians to her gifts, I have seen. They encouraged her. They nurtured her. They taught her and helped her to understand what she was seeing. During the first book, she has an experience that shows her how she can help people with her gift. That amazes her and inspires her to learn how to use the gift with greater clarity in order to help others. She’s excited to unpack it and learn more – we get to follow her on that journey.
I’ve only read the first 2 books so far, but I was enjoying them so much that I didn’t want to wait until I finished them all to share them with you. There’s 4 books in the series. I encourage you to check them out. They are a lot of fun. I would call them “deliverance fiction”, a category I’ve never heard of but I wish existed. 😁 We get to see how her ability to see the unseen realm impacts her job, her relationships and every day life. If you are a seer, you will definitely relate!
This author has a lot of books and many of them have piqued my interest. You can check them out here. I’m especially curious about his series, Seeing Jesus. I’m hoping to read some of those next! (Update: I did a review of Seeing Jesus here.)
I love reading supernatural fiction that draws my heart closer to experiencing God in the here and now. Have you read any books that are like that? Please share the titles with us in the comments.
I love finding new authors and books that draw me closer to Jesus, don’t you? 🙂
Thanks for reading. I really appreciate it. God bless you richly today. 💗
Spirits of Chaos & Control – Can You Recognize Them?
Chaos cannot control you unless you let it.
This week, a cloud of the Spirit of Control came over my region. I sensed it – it felt like witchcraft, a means of controlling people’s choices by manipulating their thoughts.
The next day I felt the Spirit of Chaos in the atmosphere. It also affects your mind and tries to keep you distracted from what you need to do.
Chaos is the feeling you get when you are trying to multi-task and you keep being interrupted by others so that you cannot finish anything you are trying to do. It’s kind of like having extreme ADD come over you.
You can’t focus on what you are doing and you feel frustrated. Your thinking may feel foggy. It might also interfere with your sleep, which can also affect your ability to think clearly.
Chaos tries to overwhelm your thinking because then you become vulnerable to being manipulated. I hate that!
I started to feel overwhelmed so I stopped what I was doing and began focusing on the Holy Spirit within me. As I did, peace and clarity came back almost immediately. It was awesome!
That’s when the gift of discernment kicked in. Holy Spirit showed me it was the Spirit of Chaos that was operating in the atmosphere and that’s why I couldn’t think and was feeling overwhelmed.
Thank you, Father, for sending us the Holy Spirit! What a wonderful, desperately needed gift!!
Where would we be without the Holy Spirit? 🙂
Holy Spirit reminded me that the Spirits of Chaos and Control often work together. Chaos creates fear because of the uncertainty of what is going on. Then Control comes in reaction to the fear, trying to restore certainty and security.
For instance, when the pandemic came, fear was most people’s response to the chaos and uncertainty brought by this unknown virus and its consequences. Then that was immediately followed by a strong desire to control everything in order to restore a sense of security. We saw this both on a personal level as well as on a social and even national level. First there was Chaos, fear was the reaction and then Control sought to stop the chaos.
I’m not sure whether these spirits work together as a team or whether they are fighting with each other for authority over the affairs of men. If you have any insight on this, please feel free to share your thoughts so we can learn from each other.
I discovered that there was a cloud of dust traveling from Africa and it was over my region in the United States. It arrived the same time I began experiencing the Spirits of Chaos and Control. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.
What do you think? When weird things start happening to you, do you immediately turn to the Holy Spirit to help you figure out what is going on? What helps you deal with regional spirits of darkness?
Thank you for reading. I really appreciate it. God bless you! 💗
P.S. I’ve also seen Spirits of Chaos and Confusion work together but only on a personal level. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Chaos and Confusion work together on a regional or societal level. Have you?
Low & Slow = Divine Flow
There’s another dimension – much slower than our earthly dimension (which is fast and busy). We have to slow down and pay attention. Be still and silent and you’ll notice it.
This other dimension is in control of our earthly dimension. There’s peace and joy there. There’s resources there for whatever is needed. There’s help and support there.
- Slow Down
- Let go of control
- Pay attention to the other dimension – shift your focus, slow down your breathing and even your thinking
- It takes practice
- Stay in the present
There’s grace (divine enablement) in the moment. Not before or after.
Our time is being stolen by thinking about the future or the past – it’s a distraction from this present moment.
When you have nothing left, you are forced to receive from this other dimension and help comes. As long as you are trying to “save” yourself, you tell the other dimension, “I don’t need your help.” So you struggle and things are hard.
So remain consciously dependent, radically dependent, and “helpless” or powerless in the earthly dimension and you will have divine help constantly. It’s an internal shift inside of you. Oneness with Him. Resting and receiving His goodness, whatever that looks like in the moment.
My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in weakness. My power is demonstrated in your powerlessness. Therefore I will boast about my powerlessness that the power of Christ may rest upon me! 2 Corinthians 12:9, paraphrase
Are you willing to let go of your power in order to have His power? It’s not easy – it requires vulnerability.
He told me, “It’s not Me helping you, as though We are separate. It’s Us doing it together, through your surrender.”
HE is not worried. We are the ones who are worried.
Detach from the ego that wants control and likes to worry, especially after midnight when you are trying to sleep. 😴
It’s not comfortable for ego to detach and live from a place of letting go. It doesn’t know what to do with itself. What role does it play?
The ego’s purpose is to be subject. To learn submission, moment by moment.
The ego is transformed through conscious awareness of Oneness with the Lord. It is the channel through which the other dimension comes into this dimension. This is very powerful and beautiful. This is God’s order – the way He created it. Ego is merely a channel for the other dimension, if it submits willingly.
Are you willing?
This is a revelation I received while a friend and I were talking recently. Does it resonate with you? 😊
It is very hard to slow down and pay attention to this other dimension – the kingdom realm of God’s rule and reign. To see what He’s doing, to hear what He’s saying. Yet it is SO worth it! And when we let go, surrender and just rest in Him, everything flows so much more smoothly. That’s what we were created to do – to live in union with Him all day every day.
What are your thought about this? Do you have any specific practices that help you to stay in tune with this other dimension? Please share your comments, questions or ideas below. That’s how we learn from each other – we each share our piece of the peace! God bless you today and thanks for reading! 😊💗
Door of Heaven Opened 🌈
A few nights ago as I was getting ready to go to bed something unusual happened during my bedtime prayers.
I normally pray before I go to sleep, “I close every open door to the enemy’s realm and I seal them shut with the blood of Jesus. I command every spirit not sent here by Jesus Christ to leave now.”
At the end of that prayer, I suddenly felt impressed to say, “And I open the door of heaven over us.” I had never done that before. It had never even occurred to me to do that before.
Immediately I could sense all kinds of goodness ready to be poured out on us. How fun! 😊
I could sense a bright colorful opening above me – kind of like when you open the attic door in your house. There’s a sense of space above you and unidentifiable objects piled up in there. Most attics are dark but this was full of light.
I was reminded of something a close friend said to me one night when we were praying at my house. She saw over herself a portal to heaven and the Lord showed her that wherever she went, she had this portal. She laughed and said, “It’s like a porta-portal!”
The next day I woke up with sore throat. I was miserable all day and when I went to bed that night, I desperately needed to rest. I thought of the open door and I sensed that I could receive from it so I thought of what I needed on a practical level. I asked for my sinuses to clear so I could breathe freely and I asked to be able to fall asleep peacefully. And I did! When I’m sick that rarely happens – I usually really struggle to sleep when my body hurts. And yes, I prayed for healing but didn’t sense that was being released yet.
What the Lord showed me was that this portal required a different kind of attitude of heart – one of resting and receiving instead of standing and declaring. This is preparing us to receive God’s goodness in ways we cannot imagine. In the past we learned how to reach into heaven and pull down what was needed by standing on His word and declaring His promises. It was a type of spiritual warfare and required a lot of courage and determination.
It reminded me of when the Israelites came out of the wilderness into the promised land. They had spent years fighting and conquering in battle. But when they finally entered the promised land, everything was already done for them – vineyards were ripe with grapes, houses were already built and furnished, fields were ready for harvest (Deuteronomy 6:10-12). It required a mindset shift to simply relax and receive.
Over the next week whenever I prayed before bed I could sense that open door. I tried to look into it to see if I could perceive anything specific but it was more of a general impression of goodness. It felt as though it was bursting with resources and assistance, ready to come down from heaven to earth for me. I could see or sense smiles too.
Imagine a well lit child’s playroom with smiling stuffed animals, toys, games, etc. in bright, happy colors.
Or like a beautiful bookstore full of curious objects, big comfy chairs and a delectable cafe full of smiling servers ready to help you.
Some scriptures came to mind regarding this open door of heaven.
Therefore since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28-29
I’m receiving God’s unshakable kingdom!
I will open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. Malachi 3:10
I saw light, fluffy pink blessings falling out of the open door onto me the night I asked for specific help with my cold symptoms. It reminded me of the tsunami dream I had awhile back – it looked like bad things were going to happen but instead blessings were released.
Have you ever opened a door of heaven over yourself and your family? If so, please share what happened. If not, why not do that now? (if you feel the Lord’s leading) We are in transition to a new season of God’s favor and blessing being poured out without measure. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Thorn of Unbelief – Do You Have Any?
Did you know you can have a thorn in your heart and not even know it? This was a BIG surprise to me.
The other night we were praying for someone in our small group who was in pain. As we waited on the Lord, I saw the outline of a human body with a ball of conflict in one spot. It was like an angry ball of light trapped in the soul. Immediately the Lord showed me that disease or dysfunction in the body starts in the soul. It doesn’t start in the body.
He showed me that the way to expedite healing was to find the root of the conflict in the soul, minister to it, remove the thorn, receive His healing for the wound and it will manifest in the body as health and healing. Then what He said next blew my mind – Unbelief in God’s goodness is the number one root. Pull that out, resolve that wound and all the others will be minor by comparison.
Wow! Suddenly this Scripture made so much more sense: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 1:2 Look at that – I pray that you be in health just as your soul prospers.
After our small group was over, I spent some time pondering what the Lord showed me and He showed me more (isn’t He wonderful?). This is the original sin from Eve – unbelief in God’s goodness. This is the thorn in the flesh that each man and woman gets to overcome during their lifetime – to break the power of Unbelief, which is the root of all deception. When you remove this root of unbelief, this thorn in your soul, everything else falls into place. You are able to walk as Jesus walked; He never doubted the Father’s goodness. It was never in question.
So I immediately asked the Lord, How can I become convinced of God’s goodness on a deep soul level? What is the key? Holy Spirit, please show me.
I meditated on several scriptures about God’s goodness, to wash my mind with the water of the word. I personalized the verses to help me connect with the truth.
- God’s great goodness is prepared for me because I trust in Him. Psalm 31:19
- The goodness of God leads me to repentance, a changed mind and heart. Romans 2:4
- I see God’s goodness in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13
- The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Psalm 33:5
- We are satisfied with the goodness of God. Psalm 65:4, Jeremiah 31:14
- God will fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness toward me that Jesus Christ may be glorified. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
After I meditated on these scriptures, I was led by the Lord to find and remove the thorn of unbelief in my own heart. He highlighted four specific times in my life where this thorn pierced my heart. As Holy Spirit showed me each one, we processed it to remove the thorn and pain of unbelief. Then I received what I should have received during that time. It was a very deep and powerful healing experience. I had prayed through each of these painful life experiences previously, but this was a different focus and I could feel the positive effect in my heart.
After removing the thorns from my heart, I had such joy! I’ve always been an upbeat person but there was also a shadow of “what if” lurking underneath – a dread of bad things that might happen. That is now GONE! 😊
A few days later, just as I was getting ready to go to sleep, my stomach started bothering me with indigestion. That has prevented me from being able to go to sleep many times in the past. So I prayed for my digestion. I soon fell asleep with no problem and was not bothered by indigestion at all! Hallelujah!! 😊 That’s breakthrough! I’ve prayed for that many times in the past and still suffered – so this proves to my mind that something has definitely changed in my heart! Thank you, Lord!! ❤️ My soul is prospering and so is my body!
Unbelief in God’s goodness toward you is such a deep heart issue. I had never realized this until the Lord showed me. So many things happen in our lives that put that thorn in our hearts – disappointment, disillusionment, rejection and failure to name a few. And we don’t even realize those thorns are there.
Scripture talks about the power of unbelief:
- Jesus did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Matthew 13:58
- Jesus marveled because of their unbelief. Mark 6:6
- Jesus rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart. Mark 16:14
- Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. Hebrews 3:12
- But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6
Would you be willing to ask the Lord to show you if you have any thorns of Unbelief in your heart? He asked me to share this very personal experience with you so I trust that He wants to do this for you too. I am so happy that I went through the process of removing those thorns! My life is changed! 😊💗
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Illusions of Earth – Ready to Be Removed!
On earth certain aspects of life seem solid and unchangeable – gravity, for instance. We can depend on gravity to keep us grounded while we are here. I never worry about floating out of bed in the morning, do you? 🙂
However there are several aspects of life that are actually illusions – things that seem to be solid and reliable, but as you grow and learn more about God’s eternal kingdom, you see them as flimsy veils that have no real substance. The more you walk with God, the less influence they have on your daily life. That’s really good news! 😊
Here are several illusions about life on earth versus the truth about God’s eternal kingdom.
The Illusion of Worth
On earth we measure worth based on accomplishments, talent or even wealth accumulation. If you are poor, unskilled or considered undesirable for some reason then you may feel you are not worthy. Not worthy of love, attention, acknowledgment or respect.
But in the eternal realm of God’s kingdom, you are already worthy. God made you – you are not junk (Genesis 1:27). You are not undesirable. You are not rejected or unwanted. God loves you and He is excited to see what you will do with what He gave you (Ephesians 2:10). He smiles when He looks at you (Zephaniah 3:17).
The Illusion of Separation
Sometimes we feel far away from God. We wonder if our prayers matter. Does He hear us? Does He care? Many times people feel alone in their troubles, like God has abandoned them. God is “up there” in heaven and we are “down here” on earth and it feels like a very far distance between the two places.
But in the eternal realm of God’s kingdom, you are never alone. In fact, it is impossible to be alone! We are one with Him. He is in us and we are in Him. Scripture says “in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28) and “he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him” (I Corinthians 6:17). “By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” (I John 4:13)
The Illusion of Death
This illusion of separation makes many people afraid of death. There are a lot of questions surrounding the act of dying. What happens next? Will we still be ourselves? Will we see other people we know? Or do we just cease to exist? The sense of separation people feel during their life tends to influence their fears about death and what to expect afterwards.
But in the eternal realm of God’s kingdom, you don’t die. Your spirit continues eternally. You retain your sense of self, your identity and other people will recognize you (I Samuel 28). You will see people you knew on earth. Just like you can’t be separate from God while on earth, you cannot be separated from Him afterwards either. You are one spirit with Him. He lives eternally and so do you. Death is not the end – it’s simply a transition to another way of living. Our body stops functioning but who we really are lives on (John 3:16).
The Illusion of Time
Often on earth we feel limited by time. We don’t seem to have enough time to accomplish all that we would like to do. We fear running out of time or of being late or left behind because we didn’t do what we needed to in time to meet a deadline.
But in the eternal realm of God’s kingdom, you have all the time you need. You are eternal (see previous point). You don’t run out of time. All your steps are ordered of the Lord (Psalm 37:23). You are right on time. You’re not late. Many Christians experience time as something fluid and bendable. Have you ever been in the presence of God and it seemed like only a few minutes, but when you look at the earthly clock hours have gone by? We think life is dictated by earthly time, but in reality God’s time table rules over all. You will never be late when you are following God’s direction (Joshua 10).
The Illusion of Lack
Another big illusion we experience and often fear is Lack. We compare ourselves to others who have “more” of something we wish we had – whatever it is – and that makes us think we don’t have enough. What if we run out? What if we don’t have enough? What will happen then?
But in the eternal realm of God’s kingdom, you have all that you need when you need it. God takes very good care of us. Jesus said, Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ These things are what unbelievers seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33)
The Illusion of Fear
Fear seems SO REAL when you are experiencing it. It feels paralyzing. You don’t know what to do. You can’t think straight and you feel weak or unable to take action. But time and again, we have learned that FEAR is actually False Evidence Appearing Real. Most of the time, if you look for proof that your fears are real, you can’t find any verifiable proof. Fear seems very powerful and people often use it to manipulate us to do things – or we use it to manipulate others because of our fear.
But in the eternal realm of God’s kingdom, there is nothing to fear. God is love and His love removes all fear (I John 4:18). As we live and abide in Him, we have nothing to fear. We are taken care of – we don’t fear lack, we don’t fear running out of time and we don’t fear death. We know we are not separated from Him and we accept that we are valued and loved by Him. What is there to fear? (Psalm 27)
The Illusion of Control
Control causes us a lot of stress in this earthly realm. We want control – we think being in control will keep us safe. We want to manage/control everything around us – our time, our resources, the people we love (and those we don’t). When we are not in control, we get stressed and fearful. It’s a lousy way to live!
But in the eternal realm of God’s kingdom, we find freedom in giving up control! We can rest in the Father’s timing, His ability to provide resources and take care of the people we love (and those we don’t). Surrender is the way to enter God’s kingdom and it frees us from so much stress! We don’t have to be in charge of it all – we can give it over to the Lord and He will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6, 16:9). What an awesome promise!
As I am writing this list of illusions, I can hear people thinking, “Yes, but what about …”
Instead of arguing, try this – ask Holy Spirit to reveal the truth to you that you are concerned about. That’s what I have done. I have experienced these illusions personally and over time, He has taught me what the truth is about God’s kingdom. How things work in the eternal realm.
I used to think that my worth was defined by how society judged me – whether I had talent, prestige or wealth. God showed me what true success was – being loved by Him! Living in the reality of His judgment of me as His beloved daughter set me free from anyone else’s opinion. I am worthy and I am enough!
I used to feel separated from God and abandoned by His goodness. It was a HUGE revelation when He showed me that it is impossible for me to ever be alone! Hallelujah!
I used to think that death was the end. It was so encouraging to discover that I will live forever and I’ll see my loved ones again, including my beloved pets! What a relief!
I used to feel time was my master and I was always fighting with it. But when I realized that I will live forever and that I’ll never run out of time, it was so freeing! Learning to trust that God is ordering all my steps gave me the peace to relax and simply enjoy the process.
I used to fear lack – having things taken from me or losing things I needed. It was a big fear, often on my mind. But the more I have depended on God to be my Provider, I have never lacked anything I needed. In fact, one time when I was grumbling to Him about something, He very strongly said to me, You don’t need it or else I would be providing it! I immediately realized my mistake – He WAS providing all that I needed, not necessarily everything I wanted.
I used to feel fear every day – it pushed me around and told me what I could and could not do. I hated it. It was such a BIG relief when I realized it was an illusion. God is love and His love never fails. Sometimes I still have to remind myself – I have a poster on my wall that says, “Have no fear. I AM here.”
I used to be under the illusion that control would save me. If I could just stay in control, everything would be okay. But the more I’ve learned how to surrender to God’s control and timing in my life, the freer I have felt. I don’t have to be in control – what a relief! I can let go and He will take care of everything that concerns me.
Wouldn’t you like to have that peace and freedom too? Ask Him to show you what truth you need today to help you pierce through the illusion.
You are not rejected or unwanted. You are loved by God and worthy. You are enough.
You are never alone. It’s impossible to be alone – you are one with Him.
You are eternal – death is not the end.
You have all the time you need. You are not behind. You are right on time.
You have all that you need when you need it.
You have nothing to fear.
You don’t have to be in control – you can let go and let God take care of you.
So what do you think? Did any of these illusions surprise you? Or did something inside your heart say, Yes, that’s true! I never thought of it that way before.
Do you have any other illusions you would add to this list? Please comment and share your insight with us – that’s how we learn from each other. Thank you to Terry Spencer for sharing Zachary Fisher’s thoughts which got me thinking about this topic. God bless you and thanks for reading! 😊❤️
Discernment of the Supernatural Realm 