Jesus

In The Pit – Shelia Burrier

Whirlwind Devotional, Hearing the voice of the Lord , , , , , , , , ,

If, lately, it feels like you’re trying to climb out of a pit while getting knocked back down, here’s what you need to know.
•
Though you’re at a point of desperation, you are in a position to know your surroundings. So, look around.
•
Examine everything. Look for the claw marks on the sides of the wall from your attempts to escape, the puddles of tears you’ve released during this hard + holy process, the hole of freedom at the top of the pit taunting you with all of what could be.
•
But more than anything, when you look down, may you find the imprint of your knees in the dirt ground. It’s where you’ll remember that “His arm is not too short or weak to save, nor his ear too dull to hear”. I pray you’ll recall the faithful hand of a Father who doesn’t abandon His children. He’s been good for a long time, friend. He’s right here with you.
•
As you find yourself disoriented and absolutely exhausted, I pray you’ll muster up enough strength not for an attempted escape, but to lean into these surroundings and kneel. Get familiar with this place and disarm the enemy with the posture of surrender + prayer. Kneel.
•
And kneel again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
•
If you’re gonna be in the pit, it might as well be for His glory. And at just the right time, He will place your feet on solid ground again. You WILL come out of this.

Jesus Is Our Rest – Sheila Burrier

Whirlwind Devotional, Random Thoughts , , , , , , ,

Matthew 11:28-30 New Living Translation

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

May we bow to nothing and no one, but the Father Himself.
•
Not to feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, depression, or addiction.
Not to the opinions or approval of others.
Not to the ways or the weight of this world.
Not to the stagnant or victim mindset.
Not to toxic generational behavior.
•
Nothing.
Let all that we are be a posture of complete surrender to the One who is truly worthy.
•
If you’re feeling weak these days, check your posture. You might be bowing to the wrong things and our shoulders aren’t big enough to carry the burdens that God has asked us to lay down.

How to Battle the Wolves – Karen Austin

Whirlwind Prophetic Teaching , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Today I want to address something that is very important for the days that we live. This subject was spoken of as a warning repeatedly in the Scripture. What I want to address today is the wolves in sheep’s clothing infiltrating the church and social media. I came across this very subject three times today so I know it is on the heart of the Father.

1 Peter 5:8 “Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack.”

As believers, we inherently want to think the best of everyone and that everyone else who claims to be a Christian has the same character qualities that we work to reflect. It is actually difficult to even write about anyone who would pretend to be a Christian so as to influence others’ lives, decisions and morals negatively. I remember when I was first saved, I believed every Christian was as passionate about Jesus and wanted to reflect His character as I did. I was so disheartened when I found out that wasn’t always the case.

Some of these wolves are very easy to pick out. The mistruths they slyly speak are so out of line with Scripture, that if you read the Word at all, you will quickly recognize them as false. Religion is quick to quote the Word in situations, but it is absent of the heart of the Father. Love always overcomes law. This is another excellent example of why it is so very important to read and study the Word. Here you will not only read about His will, but you will get to know His character. This makes it quicker to discern the true followers of Christ from the false.

The enemy will stop at nothing to get his agenda accomplished…even deceiving well-meaning Christians. For many, many years he has been quoting scripture with a twisted application. This is what is hard for immature believers to discern. They reason, “Well yes, the scripture does say that so it must be true.” His goal is to mislead and manipulate the Word to lead many astray. The problem is, many wolves know the scriptures better than most would think. Their goal is to get us to question ourselves and what we really believe.

When we begin to see the miraculous, signs and wonders, we must look at the fruit of the one ministering. Who do they associate with? I have witnessed so many humble ministers who that are so easy to know they walk in purity and the fear of the Lord. I’m not speaking of false humility…that is another subject. We know even the enemy performs signs and wonders. Remember the miracles the magicians of Pharaoh performed at the time of Moses.

2 Thessalonians 2:9 “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,”

Matthew 24:23-25 “…false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time.”

~~to be continued

Heed the Lord’s Invitation – Karen Austin

Whirlwind Hearing the voice of the Lord , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“My Spirit that is upon you and within you shall be your constant companion – revealing hidden truths that shall be as stepping stones to guide you in this season. Heed His voice in even the smallest of matters because, unbeknownst to you, it could mean life or death. As you well know, the enemy of your soul comes to steal, kill and destroy. But remember, I came to give you life! These are crucial times but you need not fear.

I knew of these days and have prepared for these days long ago. I have been and am even now preparing for you to be victorious in this hour. I see you as an overcomer! There shall rise from your very midst giants of faith who shall lead and gather My troops.

The invitation is given to all, but not all will chose to take up this last day’s mantle. Remember David as he could not wear Saul’s armor? I have a mantle prepared just for you – not another man’s mantle. Upon the breastplate of your mantle shall be tokens of your previous victories. These tokens are not only to cause you to remember My faithfulness, but also will serve as tokens to remind the enemy of his defeat!

I say that victory is Mine! I have procured this as I led captivity captive and made a show of the enemy openly. Your victory is in the Blood! Your assurance is in the resurrection!”

Human GMO’s – Frank Work

Whirlwind Teaching and Equipping , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Every day we allow and even encourage people to dump garbage into our minds and into our lives. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t just consume nutrients from food through your mouth. You also consume through your eyes and through your ears. Have you ever wondered why you’re feeling negative or angry? It’s because your input determines your output. You reap what you sow. The garbage that you listen to and watch on the radio or television, the ridiculous words that you hear from people you hang out with, it rubs off on you. Soon, before you know it, you have become just like them. Everybody talks about “GMO’s” ,”stay away from GMO’s”.

Well stay away from human GMO’s.

The greedy

The miserable

The obnoxious

Those who constantly blame others

The ones who run in a victim mentality

These people are toxic. They drain you. They complain. They remind you of your mistakes. They tear you down, they gossip. They aren’t there for you when you need them, and some of these people may even be in your family.

But these aren’t necessarily evil people, they are just trapped in a vicious cycle. You can pray for them. You can ask the Lord what is driving them to be who they are so you can properly pray for them, but you can’t fix them. We have to allow the Lord to work on the wounding in our lives so we can become an example for them. So politely just give yourself some space from them. Give the Holy Spirit a chance to heal your wounds, to stop the bleeding of the emotional, spiritual, and yes sometimes physical wounds of your past. Boundaries are not only welcome, they are needed. If people don’t know what your boundaries are, don’t blame them when they are crossed. Establish your boundaries. Let the Lord heal you and strengthen you. If we take an honest look in the mirror, who do we see? Do we see them or do you see the person God has created you to be?

You can’t minister to those you are becoming yourself.

The Obstacle Can Become the Blessing – Karen Austin

Whirlwind Teaching and Equipping , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

We know the story of Moses in Exodus where he was given the assignment to set God’s people free. He was well aware of his shortcomings and bravely stated them to God, as if God didn’t already know. Moses was given an assignment that was so big, that it would have to take the supernatural to fulfill it. Time after time, God showed Himself greater than any acts the magicians of Pharaoh could perform. He allowed calamity and even death upon the Egyptian’s first born, yet all the while keeping His people safe. He even caused the Egyptians to give them gold, silver and clothing as they exited that place of slavery. All was looking good to the Israelites. After over 400 years, they were finally being set free from slavery.

We read that Moses and his people set out from Egypt and came to the place where they knew they had to cross. All they saw was an obstacle in front of them…the Red Sea. I would say that is quite the obstacle. Then they heard the hoof beats of the Egyptian army horses coming up behind them! Six hundred of the finest warriors were now coming in from behind. Once again, the Israelites forgot the bigness of their God.

Exodus 14:21 “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided,”

That body of water was holding them back from crossing over into what God had promised them. But God dried up what was holding them back. The Israelites had to make a decision to cross over as Moses held his staff over the sea. God made a way where there was absolutely no way, but it took faith for them to make the step.

Another place we read of water being an obstacle is in 1 Kings 17. Ahab was the most evil of the kings of the land. Elijah was told by God to flee after he pronounced a drought in Israel until the Lord instructed him to decree the drought be lifted. He was instructed to go and remain by the Brook Cherith. At this place the ravens would feed him and he was to drink water from the brook. But after a while, the brook dried up.

God told Elijah to camp there. The ravens were feeding him, but the brook dried up. Elijah had not been disobedient. But God had a purpose in drying up the brook. He had another assignment for him. Elijah was told to go to the home of a widow in Zarephath. There the widow had food. Elijah had a roof over his head.

Some of you may have recently experienced that which was going well in your life or ministry just dry up. You were obeying God and kept your heart pure. It could very well be that God is drying up that which is holding you back. There may be something even better that before you, a Zarephath, but you have to release that which was and step out into that which will be.

All of us will face obstacles before us as the Israelite’s and Elijah. But as we put our faith in the One who knows our destiny, we will be given a way to cross over and enter in, regardless of what we are facing. The Father knows how to dry up that which is holding you bank and He knows when to dry up that which has been your sustenance so you will go on to your next place of assignment

The Consistency of God – Karen Austin

Whirlwind Teaching and Equipping , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Life is filled with so many twists and turns. Even those who love to plan believe things will go on as they are if they remain diligent in our efforts. But things happen we never imagine happening…the job ending, a spouse wanting a divorce after many years of marriage, family moving, unexpected illness, Covid. Each of us can all fill in the ____ of life events you did not expect.

None of us know how many “new beginnings” we will have in our lives. We can reason, pray, plan or be stubborn and try to hold onto what was. Although, if we do this, we may very well miss the next step in this journey called life.

One thing I have found in life, the only thing that is consistent is God. His love for us never changes no matter what we do. There is nothing you can do that would make Him love you any less. His Word is always true. When people failed me, when jobs transitioned out, when a health crisis in our family lingered on, when my child and my father passed within twenty-two months, when I didn’t know how I could make it…through every one, He was faithful. That is who He is, faithful.

When you have relationship with Him, you know He will be there for you, even when others are not. He will make a way when there seems to be none. If we choose to yield our lives to Him, He will orchestrate all things to the counsel of His will. Which is always better (even though it may not look like at the time). There is not one thing, not one thing that has happened or will happen that He is now aware of and has a way for you to come out on the other side. Things may not look the same as they did, but you will see a stronger, more resilient you facing your next “new beginning”.

Isaiah 40:2-3 “When you pass through the deep, stormy sea, you can count on me to be there with you.When you pass through raging rivers,You will not drown. When you walk through persecution like fiery flames, you will not be burned; the flames will not harm you, for I am your Savior, Yahweh, your mighty God, the Holy One of Israel!”

Destiny – Karen Austin

Whirlwind Prophetic Teaching , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Time marks the realm of man. Eternity marks the realm of God. We are always in a state of transition, ever changing, ever growing. Your destiny is not far away in your future. You are living in the present, which includes your past, as you are entering your future. You see glimpses of your future, even as you live in the present, and have stones of remembrance from your past. Can you look back and see where your past has thrust you to where you are now? Are there places in your life that seemed impassable, but you overcame which placed you in an area where you may never have dared otherwise?

Our lives may look like a patchwork. But as we trust Him, the Father will take every part of our lives and sow them together to make something beautiful. He desires to redeem every pain and every failure and turn them into our greatest testimonies. His design for our lives are originals and are so very precious to Him.

His timetable is not like ours. Forty years is not a long time to Him. We are the ones with a microwave mentality. We call it delay. He calls it perfect timing. We call it slow. He calls it just right. Your journey will last your lifetime. There is always something going on in the spiritual realm. We do not always see this in the natural. This is a faith journey. If we try to make it happen in our own strength and in our timing, our dreams may suffer.

When we allow others to squelch our dreams or determine what we can do, it is like a slow poisoning, We are not being who we are created to be. No one benefits from this. We are not being who we were created to be. The measuring rod for our life is God’s Word and His intent for our lives…not anyone else. If we really knew how much our Father loves us, our lives would be dramatically different. We would know who we are and what our purpose is. This is why He desires for us to spend time with Him, so He may tell us who we really are.

God once told Jill Austin, “Your dreams are like a cup of water, but My dreams for you are like the vastness of an ocean.”

These are the days of dreams and destinies coming to pass. God wants to partner with you in your dream. He gives you the ability to imagine, to create, and then He speaks with gentle whispers in His still small voice – all the while teaching you to trust His perfect timing.

Jesus is calling you to come forth, to take off the grave clothes as He did Lazarus. He is saying to put on your running shoes. It is time for the adventure to begin. This is the hour for the adventurous and not the faint of heart. Come and run with your Heavenly Daddy.

Psalm 20:4 “May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose.”

Reality of Spiritual Influence in Our Lives – Karen Austin

Whirlwind Prophetic Teaching , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Most of us go through our day-to-day lives not giving much thought to the spiritual influence in our lives. We tend to just go along with daily events and not think of taking authority over what is disrupting our day. We may think we just are having a bad day or so-and-so was in a bad mood. While these things are true, a lot of them are affected by spiritual influences. We can affect our atmosphere by what we choose to think upon or say. You have probably walked into a room after the ones in the room had an argument. You could sense the heaviness without them saying a word about their disagreement.

During the time of our son’s illness, I was shown and experienced the effects of yielding to His Spirit and the effects of when I yielded to the enemy. The difference in the atmosphere in our son’s hospital room was evident when I came into agreement with the enemy and began to grumble and complain. I learned real quick that I could not afford to allow my emotions to agree with the lies of the enemy! Even though there was truth to what the enemy was saying and in the natural I had every right to get bitter, I had to release the situation to the Father. It was a lesson in dying to self. I could not afford to yield to my feelings or my “rights” if I wanted the atmosphere of heaven, the atmosphere of healing in his room.

I’m sharing these things so you will understand, as I came to understand and am still learning, the reality of how darkness in our attitudes, moods and words that are spoken affect the atmosphere around us. They attract light or darkness to us and those around us. They hinder our going deeper in the spirit to work in coordination with heaven.

It was during a time when I was frustrated and grumbling that I heard Him say, “You must not allow the external (world) to become internal. But instead, you must allow the internal (spirit) to become external.” The inner force of His love, light and power to change our outer world is within us. We must understand that as a news commentator says. “I’m Walter and this is my world.” We must say “I’m God’s agent and this is my world.” We have Holy Spirit influence in us to change our outer world. We must become conscious of what we are releasing.

We must guard our hearts and create a place to be a holy womb for His Spirit to possess. Even in Charismatic circles, we tend to think we only need to guard our actions, words and flow in the spiritual gifts….these are what is important. We can confess and preach the Word, but if we have envy, jealousy, rage or bitterness in our hearts, our spiritual power is diluted. We are coming into a time that our spiritual power cannot be diluted!

It truly is a time of “coming up” as spoken of in Revelation 4:1, to learn what He desires to show us. But this “coming up” is more than that. It is a coming higher to walk in holiness of mind, imaginations, thoughts and beliefs. It is a time to come up out of fear, self-pity and negative speech. So it is not just word and deed, but also, it is what we allow to rule in our heart. It’s being aware of our moods and attitudes that are affecting our spiritual atmosphere…that weaken us spiritually and can also affect us physically. Proverbs 4:23 “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.”

Realize it is in the times when you are tempted to get an attitude, to think evil of another, that God is wanting to use you to bring heaven into the situation. I remember Kenneth Copeland told of a story of him seeing a swarm of flies in the area where he had a freezer of meat. The freezer that had gone bad along with the food in it. The rotten meat released the smell of death and attracted the flies, even though the lid was closed. We are instruments of attracting heaven’s fragrance or hell’s stench. We are partnering with light or with darkness.

So I ask myself and I invite you to ask yourself, “What have I been releasing this week?” If we sow into heaven, we receive heavenly rewards. We are constantly attracting one of two kingdoms. Our spiritual weapons against darkness are prayer, worship, thanksgiving and the Word of God. These keep us wrapped in a protective garment of light….the Kingdom of Light.

The Overshadowing – Karen Austin

Whirlwind Prophetic Teaching , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In the book of Luke, we read of Holy Spirit coming upon and overshadowing Mary which resulted in the God seed of Jesus deposited into her womb. “The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35

It is only through intimacy that anything is birthed. Within our spirit is the womb of heaven. It is where eternal seeds of destiny have been sown in our spiritual womb. It was the same Holy Spirit that hovered over Mary and impregnated her with spiritual seed that has impregnated you with your dreams and destiny. It is this dream that you hold onto, even though it may not have yet manifested. It is this dream that serves as a compass to your destiny. It is not too late. You are not disqualified because of your gender or your age. You are not disqualified if your family is not walking with your spiritually. Your dream and desires have not been cancelled. In the realm of eternity, His promises are eternal.

So what gets in our way of seeing heaven manifest? He once said to me that the enemy wants to entangle you with the world, while I want to intertwine you with the heavenly. I wasn’t aware there was much of a difference between the two words and had to the difference between entangle and intertwine. Here is what I found:

ENTANGLE: A tangled, twisted mess, not easily separated, to make confused, caught in a net, cause to get involved in something in a way that makes it difficult to escape, conflicts, examples: stress, conflicts with others, impatience, anything that takes you out of peace and joy.

Can you see how the enemy does this in your life?

INTERTWINE: Twisted together like threads of cotton, lover’s limbs interwoven together, closely related as family; a metaphor – getting married, thread of life tangled together, very closely involved.

Truth be told, we are so much more intertwined with the things of the spirit than we imagine!

2 Corinthians 4:18 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

I am sure all of us have experienced cooking something too long and the food became crusty and stuck to the pan. If we then filled the pan with water and let it sit awhile, the food that was stuck and hard became soft and easily removed. This was my life many years ago before I yielded to the wooing of Holy Spirit to come and spend time in His Presence.

I was crusty and shut down emotionally. I had endured many hurts, disappointments, rejection and had hardened my heart to everything…even receiving love…even to God. It was in this place of intimacy, many tears of healing were shed. Much of the time, not a word was said…but He read my tears and knew my desperation to be healed emotionally. It is so vital to spend intimate time in His presence for it is the place of transformation.

Holy Spirit began to woo me, in that place of intimacy to learn of Him, of His goodness, His tenderness and His fiery love for me. This was not only my journey to healing but also began my journey in becoming more aware of the spirit realm interacting in my life.

He is inviting every one of us on a journey to learn how we can more cooperate with Holy Spirit. There is so much that He desires to share with us. Let’s choose to yield to Him and become atmosphere changes for the Kingdom! Light truly does overcome darkness!