Growing and Living in Faith

None of us are islands to ourselves, and no matter how mature we become physically, emotionally, and spiritually, we all still struggle at times.

I woke up and remembered 40 yrs ago my baby girl Meggie was born, and she was so sleepy, but a joy to raise.

None of us are islands to ourselves, and no matter how mature we become physically, emotionally, and spiritually, we all still struggle at times.

I find a lot of people as they get older, are not as open to share things with others, often because of the stigma attached, and how it can be taken wrongly, or be used against us with the twisting of words, that affect others to make us feel so alone.

It is sad, yet we are not alone.  God knows the rest of the our story, and there are those who are observers on how things are happening.

We know people by their fruit of The Spirit, and we know them by their Character.

When we have close relationships we are not quick to judge… we are to take it before The LORD and not make hasty decisions.

After knowing someone for a while, you have tested and seen how The LORD uses them, and we are not hasty to miss the way!

When we feel like accusing, we need to be sure.  We know them by the consistency of their character and lives.

How can we rightly discern by one incident that comes?

Why are we so quick to hear?

I notice at times a wonderful relationship can get disqualified quickly when the other person is ready to check out and block over a little issue — but it becomes a royal battle.

What I believe, is that we should pull away and seek The LORD before we make majors decisions, especially godly decisions about people, those who are in our lives.

It is my Hope and Prayer that I always remain kind, truthful, generous, transparent, loyal to God and those whom I trust.

Being honest and true must come from the heart, because God knows all things, even the things of the heart that we don’t see about ourselves!

As we grow in Faith, that doesn’t mean we are always up in our Faith, and we see the external things instead of what is in the Spirit.

It is important that we understand the realms we are in, and be sure to always be spiritually minded AND earthly good.

If we sin, discredit, accuse, and outcast or cut off a sister or brother, this is a heinous crime to the great Body of Believers in Christ.

Why?  We want the natural realm to take preeminence.  Flesh and blood cannot inherit The Kingdom of God.

We read about Miracles, Signs of Wonders and Words, but then maybe a day later after killing the prophets of Baal — Elijah wanted to die!

Depression, fear and failure, discouragement — we can see what is happening.

God left these people in the Bible for our benefit, so that we can learn from them!

They were very human — just like we are — and these things happen in The Body, even  with the very mature.

We are to always be advancing and continuing to grow more and more — and to help other people to move forward in The LORD.

Elijah was fearful and running from Jezebel’s threatening words after such Signs and Wonders for Elijah became fearful when he heard about Jezebel and her words and threats to kill him.

The people said that “Jezebel is going to kill you!”  I try to look beyond that.  I try to look beyond the people and look beyond the person, into the spiritual motive and see how I would respond to that.

I hope I never get into a situation like that, but it does happen to people and seasoned believers.  It doesn’t matter how old or how anointed, we all have imperfect ways, lots of attitudes, words, and all that we allow in our lives.

Forgiveness is mandatory — for if we will not forgive, The LORD will not forgive us.

There are no options!  Either the person will be forgiven — or won’t be.  We must learn that, even if we have legal grounds, or did not do what they thought or its in the wrong spirit.

Something all we learn is to be accused and punished, even when we are innocent and right.  Thus, sometimes a very difficult situation.

But we cannot hold a grudge or unforgiveness!  Be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath!

“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. After all, God is in heaven and you are on earth.  So let your words be few.”   Ecclesiastes 5:1-2.

Being quick to “Accuse” — isn’t a work of The Holy Spirit!  God sides with The Truth, based and founded on The Holy Bible.

I know I fail, but I try to be as real, respectful, and very transparent with people, because that’s protection.

If we are found in the pit on our way to our destiny in Egypt, we must remain the best in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.

The devil uses whatever he can to stop, hinder, and ruin relationships.  The Body of Christ needs to learn how to love and be a family of believers — not those who hide thinking we know more!

I have nothing to hide, and The LORD still has me, and I’m still moving forward, but what the enemy wants is to keep me running from everyone and everything — and then once far enough away — I will burn out and sit down and I will get tired and depressed and say I’m no greater than my forefathers — so take me home!

There’s a lot of good reasons — but God wants us to see our own heart!

Personal Request

I want to ask if those who know me well, would pray for me.

I’m going through a lot right now, and I need Intercession.

I’m in need of true Spiritual Intercession from those who are Warriors in The Kingdom of God.

The LORD is King and He’s my God!

I ask prayerfully to please pray for me, in The Name of Jesus Christ,

 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey


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The Depth Into the Heart of Change

When The LORD anoints a vessel, there’s a very serious process they go through before they will ever fulfill the Word of The LORD.

When The LORD anoints a vessel, there’s a very serious process they go through before they will ever fulfill the Word of The LORD.

There are Prophets today, however, of whom The Church has become so afraid, due to the false, these Churches won’t accept any of Prophets at all!

Prophets pay a heavy price of down time with The LORD in that place.

For instance, you may think that a Prophetic Word is ‘hard,’ giving no hope of redemption.

However, by the time that a godly Prophet gives the Word of The LORD, that Word has been made thoroughly clear and serious, because Prophets are held accountable for every word they speak.

Their faces must be set like flint, and do you think a prophet is nonstop giving words?  (Isaiah 50:7)

Before any Words of Wisdom, Words of Knowledge, Words of Discerning of Spirits, Words in Church or Fellowships, through pastors, teachers, evangelist, prophets and apostles from God, there is labor that goes into speaking, writing, and in saying something is from God.

We all — but especially leadership — are not to take things lightly.  We serve a Holy God!

What God is saying takes time to develop, and to be sure The Word is purely from The LORD — and not man.

Speaking for God is not for a title or any establishments or benefits, except the only benefit I yearn for is to know HIM intimately.

If you are seeking gifts, talents, or offices over God’s People, it needs to be said and taught that service to God will cost your whole life.

Service isn’t popular, and when we lay our lives down, it has the potential to wreck your whole life!

Following The LORD, by picking up our cross and following HIM, will cost your life!

“Then the word of The LORD came to Samuel, saying, “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to The LORD all that night. Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel, and behold, he has set up “a monument for himself” and has turned and gone down to Gilgal.”   1 Samuel 15:10-12.

“Now The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.” And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” But The LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to The LORD.’ Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”  1 Samuel 16:1-3 NKJV.

The LORD told the prophet Samuel to take a horn of oil and go.  This is the same prophet that mourned over King Saul and God had to tell him enough!

Why?  Because The LORD had rejected Saul as King.  Yet the prophet went through a lot of emotional upheavals because of all he felt and then the prophet feared and was concerned that, “Saul will kill me!”

People read a lot into the Bible, and see the people as ‘elevated,’ and above all we feel here today!

Beloved, we will still feel the burden of the people, because they choose to go against God’s Will.

Samuel was very human, and went through all kinds of unstable emotions!  He felt all of it!

God spoke to Samuel, “go take a heifer to Bethlehem for sacrifice.”  And the people of the community of Bethlehem were concerned if Samuel came in peace!

Why?  Because the people knew it was a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

Where is The Fear of The LORD today, to reverence Him and be Respectful and Holy, as HE is Holy?

There is a very serious time coming to the people of God, to Return and be Restored to the reverence and the Holiness of God!

“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” Since you call on a Father who judges each one’s work impartially, conduct yourselves in reverent fear during your stay as foreigners.…”   1 Peter 1:16-17 BSB

Samuel was led to Jesse’s family and see all of Jesse’s sons.  Samuel was told that he would anoint the one whom God had chosen as King — yet it wasn’t about the looks of the son!

The choice of God, was about the heart of the one who was ‘after the heart of God.’  [after = aligned with]

The Bible gives us a spiritual view into the heart of Samuel, for it was emotionally and spiritually hard for the Prophet Samuel, as he mourned over King Saul.

The LORD told the Prophet Samuel to stop grieving over Saul, as it was God’s rejection over King Saul.

“Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?  Fill your horn with oil, and go; I AM sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite.  For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.” ”   1 Samuel 16:1.

The heart of a true Prophet doesn’t wish anything bad on people, and weeps and mourns over the people.

When God reveals a difficult Word to the Prophet, a true Prophet must labor over the word, and must grieve over the words, and mourn over the people.

Part Two soon!

 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey


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From the Red, to Walking Out the White Scroll

Words are everlasting, they are eternal, creative, and very important.  That is why there is so much Scripture that speaks of Words.

While in prayer today, I realized something; I saw an abundant number of words swirling about my head — and they were words that were not true — but at the time I believed them for a while!

I wasn’t getting it yet, because the reason those words were there, was because I allowed them to stay!

Words are everlasting, they are eternal, creative, and very important.  That is why there is so much Scripture that speaks of Words.

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us!  The Word has creative power when we are in alignment with The LORD.

Even when you pass over, the words you spoke continue to move forward in your family.

For example, there are those who hate me, and they believe things about me that happened twenty-four years or more ago — and are stuck — and cannot get past that.

I was enlightened today by several people whom I trust.

I repented for believing the lies that were spoken against me. (My “Door”!)  The Door represents what I allow into my life — an entrance, or exit.

While praying, I saw a person saying all sorts of words about people, and those words afterwards were swirling around them, and because there was never repentance and turning away from that sin and forgiving, the words were linked together like a long chain that they pulled behind them.

If we never repent of all sin, that sin will continue to follow and you….

I failed to remember how the words of man can be sappy sweet but laced with a curse.

I failed to remember that God so graciously had others pray and contact me with almost verbatim answers, who did not know the other friends!

However, since I was enlightened by several people I trust today, I did repent for believing those lying words.

Yes, we must repent for those lying words!

God doesn’t lie and he didn’t send them.

We can be our worst enemy and agree with demons!  We must know who we are and be at peace with ourselves.

You have got to know and believe who you are, or others will try to tell you their version of who you are!

It is so important who is in your inner circle.  There is either good or evil, the gray area does not apply anymore.  Let your yes be yes — and your no be no!

“But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No.  For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us — by me, Silvanus, and Timothy — was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes.  For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”   2 Corinthians 1:18-20 KJV.

Whoever digs a pit for the righteous, himself shall fall into it. In the hour that we live in, we are going to begin to see the word quickly respond to the effect.  (Proverbs 26:27)

Vision:

While I was in prayer, I suddenly saw a person who had a long wagging tongue and it seemed animated.

This person was all over the place like drunk, but finally came to the door, cursing at God’s people at the door!  The person tried to open the door to get in while they were cursing!

At the door, I suddenly saw an arrow hit the person’s tongue, that was suddenly slammed into the door!

But wow, the door is old wood and has a half-crescent top.  When the tongue was shot with the arrow, I saw up close what seemed to be the same kind of wood as the arrow.

It was a message from God that he is not happy about those words.

I heard The LORD remind me of the day we live in — how people will be in love with themselves.

The person at the door I witnessed had a long red tongue, and it was attached to the door with the arrow, and I saw and heard all the words that were spoken from this person.

God revealed to me also that the words were written on their heart, but blasted out of their mouth on the door.  For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.  (Matthew 12:34)

There are words that go on and on and on for they are creative; good and evil!  That person’s tongue was stuck at that place, and it was why they never could go further in God.

A lot of people don’t understand that we can get stuck from an offense or grudge, by harboring those sins in our heart, and won’t repent from the sin and they ensnare us even if they originated from another person.

Satan only needs us to receive an offense or grudge in our heart.  He knows, instead of forgiving; they will keep adding more and more and the same tongue got longer, but it was never released from that arrow, for there was never any forgiveness and repentance.

Do you realize that the person never went any further, because of those words and became stuck and locked into a moment in history when you could not forgive or repent. In one offense we can ruin our lives and go no further?

Words are powerful and can be weapons, but the weapons can turn on them — for whoever speaks words against a child of God are judged by what they say, express.

And just as we had to learn from our parents not to touch the hot stove, we MUST realize how serious it is if we hurt a person, physically, soul and emotions.

Paul learned not to touch an anointed vessel of God. (Acts 9:1-6)

God created the earth with HIS Words. The Bible says that death and life are in the power of the tongue.  (Proverbs 18:21)

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.  And from such people turn away!”   2 Timothy 3:1-5 KJV

I saw one person who repented and their tongue, it was long, but The LORD redeemed him and when his tongue rolled out on what looked to be a Red Carpet, the tongue began going long distances with words that are not pleasing to God.

The LORD wanted the pure Word of The LORD written there.

Then I saw what the tongue turned into, and it rolled out and as far as the eye could see, was the White Scroll, as far as looking at the horizon, as far as the eye could see — but it went even beyond our lives.

The pure Word of The LORD!

I could see the words becoming flesh and I began to walk out the pure Word of The LORD.

Our words are not just idle sounds we make.

Our words are powerful, but it depends on what the words do.

As believers we want to follow The LORD and speak things that be not as though they are.

“Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!  And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.”  James 3:5-12 KJV.

 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey


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Laboring in Coffins and Caskets

We all go through memories in the library of the mind and the quick snapshots of photos taken back to remind us of days gone by and all that had lasting effects.

We all go through memories in the library of the mind and the quick snapshots of photos taken back to remind us of days gone by and all that had lasting effects.

For some it is gut-wrenching pain, for others it’s just another snapshot to keep them hammering the nails into the coffin they are building.

How can you be forgiven if you will not forgive?  There is nothing left for you!

“Then his master, having called him, says to him, ‘Evil servant, I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Did it not behoove you also to have pitied your fellow servant, as I also had pitied you?’  And having been angry, his master delivered him to the jailers, until that he should pay all being owed to him Thus also My Heavenly Father will do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from your heart.”   Matthew 18:32-34.

You are building a casket made with every word and action you speak and do.

You hold that hammer, and you keep building that coffin with the root of pride, bitterness, hatred, malice, cares of this life, the love of money and all that it buys, nothing no nothing fulfills you!

You think you are so right that you have elevated yourself to the same status as God, who knows all good and evil! You think you have joined with God to gossip, slander, curse, while doing so you are releasing a hail of all sorts of arrows, but what you don’t realize is the more you say, the coffin gets deeper, and it is almost closed just waiting for the author of the words….

For with each nail, and every word has prepared for death. If we don’t repent, what we build with our words will shroud us and encase us in the coffin of our own words and actions.

The deepest roots of pride and bitterness doesn’t only destroy you, but the root of bitterness defiles many and those who hear it over and over, you are building it into those others you like or love, and you are there and there is no immunity for what you carry, no shot to take.

You defile them, and they catch your words, and they are now infected.

Nothing will satisfy ultimately, and idolatry is alive and well in this ME, MYSELF, AND I generation.

The more dissatisfied you become the more desperate you try to find something to point at or you twist the language to make it mean something that it is not.

Your case against this person’s life became a judgement over the same case from many years ago!

You have been spiritually stuck and the more you fight and fit and try to find substance to play with toys but you cannot find relief!

You are bored, so you must find something else wrong with this person.  Or another person!  Perfection in this life?

Oh, mistakes are made over and events that had Satan laughing with glee cause he knows he’s got you!

You do not realize you are the person this speaks of for you prophesied your own case and nothing ever changes, you have all the time you want and every toy and everything money can buy but yet you’re miserable!  Oh, how a little fire kindled!

You take upon yourself to instill fear of your absolute power and control, manipulation, and you are the true essence of a true male Jezebel, and you seek to intimidate those who are afraid of you!

I tell you this day I will speak and yes you shall hear me!  And YES, I AM able to debase!

You are just like my adversary that I cast out of heaven with a third of the angels in rebellion and idolatry.  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as idolatry (1 Samuel 13:23).

“The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.” So He told them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you.…”   Luke 10:18-19.

So, you use your tongue as a weapon and oh what a little member in our body but boy what a fire it kindles!

A person who is consumed with bringing another person down, is assumed as a judge, jury, but no advocate but themselves.

Because of every scheme, conspiracy, every plot, plan you blatantly speak and every word, action, every curse you speak about the snapshot of this person’s life, you have judged forever what that person did in one snapshot of a photograph.

It stirs your demonized mind to think of how you will present this person in the casket of wood, hay, and stubble.

It is a dangerous place to be when we take a snapshot of a person and for the rest of their life and you consider them null and void and shouldn’t live!

You are guilty of judging another man’s servant?  YES, God’s servant!

You measure everything by what happened many years ago and that person has moved on and started their life over with a NEW BEGINNING!  And you are left behind!

In God’s eyes they are loved and living the life given to them by God with all they are and all they have! For when you have been forgiven of much you love much!

Did you know that when we earnestly pray for those that are jealous and hate us and wish for our death and if we refuse to forgive them, it isn’t on them… IT IS ON US!!!

Do you realize that if you hate and hold unforgiveness and will not forgive do you think your opinion is the only one that counts, you are highly mistaken.

God sits on His throne, and He is the only righteous judge that has the power to give life.  And you are on borrowed time, tomorrow may never happen.

We cannot go back through the pictures and they are so vivid.  Going through life with its ups and downs can make for a very curvy and untimely route.

However, it is much better to go through than to camp out in the spot of offense that breeds conflict of hatred held for a very long time.

If we think we will advance in God with a spirit of offense, hate, bitterness, jealousy, malice, pride, we have departed from the will of The LORD.

A snapshot in time of what we call happiness has segments missing that can only bring pain to the heart.

God knew the root of everything, why things were passed down.  He knew why the thief was able to steal your most precious memories

. I thank God that I survived to see this day though I made some bad decisions and I thank God he knew the reasons and why.

Beloved, God knows why we had to go through such hard things in our lives.   Why?  Because just like Joseph was carried away from his family sold to the Egyptians by all his jealous brothers, it wasn’t the end of the story.

The original plan was to murder their brother but the eldest said NO, let us sell him.  Can you imagine how deceitful the lies the brothers came to their father to break his heart!

They willingly wanted his memory of Joseph to be dead and gone!

Jealousy is a wicked spirit, and the bible says it’s as cruel as a grave! Jealousy leads to death, and it is good to catch it now and truly repent from your sin!

SOS 6:8 Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy as cruel as the grave; Its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame.

So, Joseph’s brothers conspired, and they were jealous, full of hate, murder in their heart but God had a plan!

Even after they took his coat of many colors and sold him, they conjured up a lie to be kept within the brothers.

For their father to believe, they had to lie and make it look real, so they dipped it in the blood of an animal to take to his father’s house and it broke his father’s heart when he was told Joseph was dead.  Giving him the coat dipped in blood.

I sense there are many now that are reading this, and you have been in limbo for a long time.

I thank God for what I have, and I cherish all the days and segments I have been given, and I hope to experience much more now.

If you have lost much time with those you really love, God can redeem the time.  Ephesians 5:16 says, “redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

But not all snapshots in the lives of God’s children are often happy.  God has given us allotted space of time but also given us our free will and choice.

I thank The LORD though I missed some very precious time, I am thankful of what time I did have, and I appreciate it so much more.

Life is short, why hang on to petty, childish, jealousy behaviors? Why do we hold on to things that bear no lasting value and only seek to bring division and hurt. The Bible says that wherever there is strife and contention there is every evil work.

“For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.”   James 3:16.

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.  It is better to be lowly in spirit among the humble than to divide the spoil with the proud.…”   Proverbs 16:18-19.

In closing, God used a special son with a coat of many colors to speak out the visions and his ministry was responded to with jealousy, hatred and ultimately the desire of murder.

Yet everything that Joseph went through prepared him to rule and reign over Egypt only second to Pharaoh.

God indeed turned it all around for His good.

When his family came, he wept openly as he said what God wanted is here.  Joseph forgave all of them and there was restoration of his entire family.

 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey


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