Exuberant for Life

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

2016 Presidential Election: What's an American Christian to DO? Part 1

With the U.S. Presidential elections drawing near, there is a lot to do. Plus, it's autumn and life is happening everywhere, right?!?! What can we DO to make a difference in our culture right now? I'm sure there are oodles more; here are some ideas:

1) BOAST about the right thing.

"...but let the one who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me [and acknowledges Me and honors Me as God and recognizes without any doubt], that I am the Lord who practices lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on the earth, for in these things I delight,” says the Lord." Jeremiah 9:24

“Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 10:17

"...so then, as it is written [in Scripture], “He who boasts and glories, let him boast and glory in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:31

2) Submit ourselves to the God of Abraham.

“Now yield and submit yourself to Him [agree with God and be conformed to His will] and be at peace; In this way [you will prosper and great] good will come to you." Job 22:21

“If you return to the Almighty [and submit and humble yourself before Him], you will be built up [and restored]; If you remove unrighteousness far from your tents.." Job 22:23

"For God alone my soul waits in silence and quietly submits to Him, For my hope is from Him." Psalm 62:5

"Commit your works to the Lord [submit and trust them to Him], And your plans will succeed [if you respond to His will and guidance]." Proverbs 16:3

3) Resist the devil and he will flee.

This one stumped me for a long time. As I learn more I will share. :)

4) Give honor where honor is due.

We need to honor God who has appointed leaders in our lives. If we give honor to those who act dishonorably, we authorize a spirit which is NO good and which we see in our media these days. We then have a hard time seeing what is real. I will share more about this later for anyone who's interested. I wrote about it briefly here.

5) Pray for our leaders.

In our homes, churches, work places, local governing jurisdictions including Police, Fire, Schools, etc. I have an app on my phone which I set to a daily alarm to pray over all these and many more things. I am so grateful for technology which helps me do my Kingdom work.

Fresh out of words to pray? Sometimes a boost is helpful. I have very much appreciated, "Praying for Leaders", a free audio download by the SLG based on the Apostle Paul's prayer in Colossians. I then created a PDF to pin up in a prominent place and have used it for years! I share it here.

Please feel free to share, print, copy and distribute it.

For more information on developing a prayer strategy, I highly recommend this immediate download from Sapphire Austria.

6) Bless even those leaders who curse us.

Even if we're not happy with our leaders, it's imperative we pray for them. I share why here.

Here's more proof:

"..bless and show kindness to those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
Luke 6:28

From Paul, the ex-murderer, I read, "Bless those who persecute you [who cause you harm or hardship]; bless and do not curse [them]." Romans 12:14:

“But I say to you, love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, " Matthew 5:44 says,

7) Walk in the authority we've been given and which we have earned; and earn more!!!

If you're like me, you KNOW how to walk in the the authority we're given because we have faith in Christ and are grafted into the faith of Abraham.

A little different authority comes from doing little things which are right. I think Blessings of Job nails it.

As you might know, "Yada" is the Hebrew word for knowledge based on experience. Knowledge without experience is often empty. The Pharisees "knew it all" but when the God who created them stood before them, they could not see Him for who He was. Yet the man who was blind and healed on the Sabbath 'knew' by experience His power and was forever changed and shouting from the roof tops. What do we KNOW about our God because we've experienced Him?

Intimacy is certainly an issue. I'll write a lot more about that later, too if I can. It's something I'm really passionate about. In the mean time, check out this and see if it looks good to you.

8) Intercede and help during the voting process.

Bind the enemy and ask God to shine His light on whatever He wants to and to hold His light there for as long as He wants to until He's done. If you've not begun to do that in your own life, I recommend starting there first. Once the dust settles there, go on and pray it over everyone in your circles. For more on this, you might like the free immediate download called "Spiritual Warfare" which has been very helpful for many.

9) Vote.

I hope you'll share more ideas and comment in the section below!

Your donation is SO appreciated! It helps me keep the hot tea coming while I take breaks from house and home, children and hubby in order to write for you! Oh, and it's not tax deductible.

Sunday, October 9, 2016

What Kind of Leader Does God Choose?

What kind of leader does the God of Abraham choose?

Looking at the scriptures, here is what I see:

David of Bethlehem was His chosen leader. He led a rebel army of down-and-outers. He had a heart after God and yet his life consisted of lust, adultery, deceit and then authorizing murder to save his own reputation, just to name a few of his failures. I see him as a man's man who was as red blooded as the next. I think his life shows us that God chooses imperfect people to govern and sometimes they say and do things which are very un-god like. YET, they are still His choice.

I see God appoints leaders:

"For there is no authority except from God...and those which exist have been put in place by God." ~Romans 13:1

Looking at our culture, here is what I see:

We cannot necessarily trust what we see and hear over the various broadcasting media networks.

At the risk of boring you, I will share a bit of my own story.

I spent several presidential election processes pouring out my guts in prayer and listening to every media outlet I felt I could trust. Eventually, I decided to steer away from the media outlets, even the ones claiming they upheld similar beliefs. I saw they (the outlets) spent inordinate hours poking at the other side rather than reporting facts. While I didn't follow through on my dream to become a journalist, I appreciate facts nonetheless. Their diversion into name calling and belittling the other side seemed no less childish than what frustrated me by the other side.

I had stopped listening to main stream news media in the 80's, offended by the way they used their influence to attempt to affect my decision making. To me they were NOT reporting news but offering slanted editorials which seemed heavily persuaded by something I could not name which seemed to lurk behind the scenes. Now, I like a good commentary, but that is not the same as news reporting. I remember peeking in many years later during a presidential debate where the commentators afterward said, in essence, "Now we will explain to you what was just said." Baffled, I recoiled. I had heard with my own very capable ears the words of the two men as they debated.

Too, I possessed every ability to comprehend English (it is, after all, my first language). Adding to those qualities, I watched with keen attention to the men's body language and observed one who seemed to be working the crowd saying whatever he felt would be popular and avoided answering with bold and firm statements when issues which were generally contested came up. I noticed the other presidential candidate answered based on his own convictions, which I respected. I might not agree with everything he decided but I could plainly see he acted based on his own inner sense of right and wrong rather than looking outside of him to determine how he ought to answer. As the debate ended, I had confidence in the latter as a person of principle, though I knew either candidate would be bound to fail. I felt one was more trustworthy than the other based on character and doing what they believed was right rather than building approval, which in an of itself is dangerous and fickle.

I wondered why I would need a news reporter to "help" me comprehend what had been said. I muted the television set and pondered who among my fellow American's would need to hand over their thinking ability to someone who worked for a t.v. station. Dumbfounded, I concluded there was some sort of reason behind their offer to do my thinking for me and went back to my continued media fast being content to grab brief snippets on occasion and happily digging for facts and evidence myself. I had long since decided what was news worthy to me was not to the media outlets and vice versa.

I learned I needed to be in tune with God's word and His Holy Spirit. Eventually, I learned about something which apparently works to hide some of what we need to know and expose what isn't important, focusing our attention away from the real issues. Confronted with the reality of an enemy who, as Paul of Tarsus put it, isn't flesh and blood, I spent a long season working to understand and came out with an ability to sift through information to get to what was important to me as a bible believing follower of Jesus.

Ephesians 6:12 AMP "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places."

Looking for people to speak honestly of the real struggles relating to this election, one man's recent speech cured me of the feeling of hopelessness I had felt and gave me the courage to begin digging into facts relating to the two contenders for President of the United States. I have since dug well beyond what the media is putting out and have decided to vote based on my own research as wisdom has, I believe, led me.

My opinion? For what it's worth I wrote this. Simply put, I believe in government by the people and for the people but not OVER the people. Period. I think one candidate is in favor of this while another shows by their decisions, attitudes and life style that government OVER the people is their idea of a good thing. I could not disagree more.

To give three examples, I want to be free to grow and provide healthy, wholesome food for my children without massive regulation, to expand small businesses and develop entrepreneurial endeavors without massive regulation, and decide on what academics matter for each of my children's unique design while instructing them accordingly without massive regulation. In my opinion, massive regulation infers I am not capable of making "good" decisions without being "overseen" by some entity who can best decide for me. In my opinion, that is absolutely NOT American.

To learn more about my thoughts on overreaching governance, you can read "We the Who?" where I go into more detail.

Does this mean I think the leader for whom I cast my vote will be perfect? Um, nope. Jesus of Nazareth isn't ruling from Jerusalem yet and until He is, all leadership will be imperfect.

Do I think the leader for whom I vote will choose godly ways as they lead? I do not know. I do know this: if they choose biblical principles as they govern and surround themselves with people who know and apply those principles, we will better off than with a leader who does not.

Which leader will follow biblical principles? I simply don't know.

To look at biblical leadership again, Saul of Tarsus oversaw the murdering of Christians while believing he was serving well the God of Abraham. When Jesus revealed Himself to Saul, he was forever changed and altered the world as we know it. See Acts 9.

For me the question remains a simple one: which person who is now running for President of the United States is the type of person I want leading? When I look at the bible and then at what other wise men describe as qualities of a leader, I ask myself, "Which person can I trust to accomplish the goals which are important to me over the next four years?" What qualities are important in a leader? I appreciate Dr. Ben Carson's perspective. He spells out five qualities of a good leader and because I think he HAS BEEN a good leader, I trust his facts based approach to opinion. Because I think clear, biblical thinking is so vital to our decision making process today more than ever, I share his candid thoughts here.

To be truthful, I have specific goals I want to see accomplished over the next four years and I will make my choice for POTUS based on my own values, research and fact-finding. I have long asked God for wisdom and understanding and know He gives the former liberally to all who ask. I personally think wisdom is more important than anything as this election draws near. I am glad to read, "If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him." James 1:5

Finally, here is what I see:

I see is is God who puts leaders into place.

Romans 13:1 "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God [granted by His permission and sanction], and those which exist have been put in place by God."

I see He requires me to give thanks for the POTUS for the past 8 years.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 "..in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus."

I see who He asks me to treat those who curse me:

Luke 6:28 "..bless and show kindness to those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."

From Paul, the ex-murderer, I read in Romans 12:14: "Bless those who persecute you [who cause you harm or hardship]; bless and do not curse [them]."

Matthew 5:44 says, “But I say to you, ^[a]love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, "

I see it is He who turns the hearts of leaders:

Proverbs 21:1 "The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord;He turns it whichever way He wishes."

I see boasting isn't terribly profitable unless it's boasting in the Lord:

"...but let the one who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me [and acknowledges Me and honors Me as God and recognizes without any doubt], that I am the Lord who practices lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on the earth, for in these things I delight,” says the Lord." Jeremiah 9:24

“Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 10:17

"...so then, as it is written [in Scripture], “He who boasts and glories, let him boast and glory in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:31

May we be blessed as we seek God alone for wisdom and as we seek to walk and live as He instructs. May we have eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart that understands what He is saying to us today and over the next days, weeks and months. Matthew 13:15

Exuberant for God's life ~which abounds,
Kate

Your donation is SO appreciated! It helps me keep the hot tea coming while I take breaks from house and home, children and hubby in order to write for you! Oh, and it's not tax deductible.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Suggested Criteria for Choosing an American/ World Leader

Suggested Criteria for Choosing an American/ World Leader:

Based on Dr. Ben Carson’s CPAC speech in March 2016.

1) They should demonstrate significant accomplishment throughout their lifetime.

2) Their ideas and policies should be clear and easy to find so that we can evaluate them with our God given intellect using the amazing brain He gave us.

3) We should think about how they treat those close to them: family, co-workers, those around them. That's how they will treat those they lead.

4) Consider what have they done for America? They should have substantial accomplishments demonstrating in their life that they're working trying to improve LIFE for American's.

5) Look at the people they work with. Who are those people? How do they collaborate? Are they effective in getting along with others to make good results?

Anyone who is faithful in all five of those areas is going to make an incredible leader.

He emphatically adds:

*We also need people to lead us who are ETHICAL. We need trickle down ethics very much in America....it's very important.

*We should also NOT be afraid of capitalism, which has created the highest quality of life ever, but which must be coupled with compassion. We need to develop ALL of our 330 million Americans. Patting them on the head and saying, "Poor you," while making them dependent on the system is NOT compassion; it’s actually the exact opposite.

*We need to understand, “We the People” are not each others’ enemies. Our enemy is big government.

*We can't think when we're fighting and afraid; we make poor choices. Our brains are not able to think or reason well when we're in either fighting or fear mode. It can't be done and in that state we cannot reason to solve problems. We need to talk together to work out answers to our problems; the government cannot solve our problems. It's not the evil rich people creating our problems; it's the government creating the problems since the 1920's as secular progressivists seek to create government policies to destroy the two pillars holding up our society: faith and family. A strong family unit is the strength of America.

*We need to recognize and identify those in our society who are always trying to splinter and divide us.

*We need to think about the next generation. “It’s immoral to borrow from the next generation.” ~Thomas Jefferson

Watch the entire speech below:

Your donation is SO appreciated! It helps me keep the hot tea coming while I take breaks from house and home, children and hubby in order to write for you! Oh, and it's not tax deductible.

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Prayers for Change Part One

The Nitty Gritty

There is a very effective little prayer tool which I have seen cause results in my own life and those of others who have focused.

After spending a half decade testing out this man's theory, I am convinced much of what is offered as prayer in the world of christiandom is actually witchcraft. To put a fast halt on that in my own life, I began praying, "God bind the enemy in and around me and shine Your light on whatever You want to shine it on and hold Your light there for as long as You want to until You're done." WOW. Talk about a catalyzing agent.

I was encouraged through SLG to pray this every day for a month, with a warning to tighten my seat belt as stuff might get crazy. IT SURE DID.

Wisely, they stress the importance of praying this for others once the dust settles in our own world.

If you're not familiar with the concept, you might like this 10 minute video clip, "Entrance for the Mesmerizing Spirit" from SLG.

It is very effective. I believe the enemy of God is a wordsmith in his own right and is able to do much with the prayers which do not match the heart and mind and will of God. Being able to adjust ourselves so we can prepare to see and know what God wants is something worth all the investment in the world.

To learn more, there is an exceptionally excellent album available free for immediate download called, "Life, Dominion and Honor." It does a great job of laying out the sequence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and the work they each do.

As I have sought to see change in my nation, I believe having authority over this in our own lives allows us to begin to tackle it in our families, neighborhoods, townships, counties, states and national governments as well. Standing in the gap takes on an entirely new meaning. Once we've gotten a handle on this in our own lives we can stand in the gap wherever our God-given circles of influence take us.

Have you worked on this in your own life? I am so eager to hear your successes!

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Who Are You? Part 1

Discovering God-placed treasures within us is one of my favorite life studies. Whether old or new to the topic, there is a lot to discuss within the Body of Christ.

First off, some of my favorite sparkly bits come from an off the beaten path group of folks roughly associated with SLG. Their album, The Redemptive Gifts of Individuals, has sparked quite a glimmer of hope in the hearts and minds of many who have been trying to understand who they are within the Body and how they were created to fit.

Those conversations are happening in greater abundance around the world now that more people have access to the information.

The Redemptive Gifts of Individuals is a great place to start if you're wanting to step in slowly.

If you like audio blurbs, you might like to start here with a free Introduction.

There are also youtube video's available.
Here is a playlist with 21 clips.

If that has you intrigued, you can click HERE to get a much bigger picture.

Once you've gotten your juices flowing there, I recommend NOT stopping there as there are more vital components.

Often times people are unable to make traction in their lives until they understand the principles associated with their gift. While listening to the Seven Principles, my blind spots were abruptly pointed out!!! Since I felt like I had hard core road rash, I spent a long time letting the Holy Spirit help me get a grasp on what pitfalls are commonly associated with my gift. Ouch it hurt, yet over time I have appreciated SO MUCH feeling like I have lines painted on the sides of the road as I go now. I know where the ditches are and can often avoid them. Letting those who care about me know what they are is helpful too, and the language I have now, thanks to SLG, is priceless.

I remember someone once said the devil doesn't care which side of the ditch you're in as long as you're in the ditch. Even several years later, the Seven Princples still helps keep me going along on the road of my life's' journey. It's free to listen to now and might just help you gain traction if you're feeling stuck.

Still want more??

Here's a probing thought for you.

"Why do you care about the redemptive gifts? Most people want to know how they work for personal benefit. Imagine what you would see if you studied the gifts to serve the King."
Click here to download immediately.

If you thought it couldn't get any richer or deeper, think about this: "Your spirit is designed to be able to heal your body. This teaching on fractals will help you coach your spirit to use the redemptive gifts in healing." Click here to download immediately.

If the idea of spirit is a new one to you, you might like this.

Below are more resources to get further into the topic of Romans 12 gifts.

"The best way to learn the redemptive gifts is through seeing them in action. This book profiles 21 people who lived out their redemptive gift dramatically. As you read their stories, you will recognize many of your friends through the way these people responded to the circumstances around them."

Click below for the Kindle version:

Click here for one physical Book.

Click here for a 10 pack of books - great for family or group studies!

Free to read immediately:

Redemptive Gifts Grid with Principles 2015 pdf

Redemptive Gifts of Some Nations 2015 pdf

The City As A Symbol - article

Free audio to download immediately:

Redemptive Gift of Cities

Redemptive Gift of England

Redemptive Gift of Hungary

Redemptive Gift of New York

Redemptive Gift of Nigeria

Redemptive Gift of Scotland

That's My King! A very special free audio message for the Teachers among us.

Majesty of His Artistry
"The true beauty of the redemptive gifts is only seen in the context of their interaction. And no one can weave them together like the King!"

Blessings on your journey as you appreciate more and more the One who made you and as you experience His liberty to be your unique and wonderful self.

Stay tuned for part two, someday.
~Exuberant Kate

Your donation is SO appreciated! It helps me keep the hot tea coming while I take breaks from house and home, children and hubby in order to write for you! While your donation will completely make my day, it's not tax deductible.

Friday, July 8, 2016

Heart Missing Theology

This post is dedicated to my friend Arthur Burk and may contain affiliate links. All ideas expressed here are my own unless otherwise noted. Read my official affiliate disclosure here.

THE QUESTION
"What's all this spirit stuff?" you might ask. Great question.

The struggle between spirit and soul isn't new. The apostle Paul wrote much about it. Though I have been very drawn to the topic since I first started reading the bible twenty years ago, I felt nudged to stay away from the popular teaching out there. What I did hear made very little sense as I looked at the entirety of scripture. THEN IT HIT ME.

Our theology has missed a huge key.

Sometimes without meaning to we ignore gigantic concepts in the scriptures. I don't think we mean to. Take a look at this:

"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength..." ~Mark 12: 30-31

Notice the sequence.

What's first? Do you see it???

As far as I understand from looking at scripture, the spirit, inner man and heart can refer to the same thing. Hebrew is a spectrum language; if your heart is fond of God, the Hebrew text shows He feels and responds a certain way; whereas if someone's heart is not for Him, He responds differently.

In our culture we tend to have a horrible struggle with letting spirit/heart/inner man get ahead and lead the soul. I think Scott Phillips tells of it well in his song, FLEECE.

Since Jesus agrees with the Old Testament sequence with heart in the lead, I think it's safe to say the order matters to Him. In our western world of theology-loving people who exalt each other for soul knowledge, there exists a terrible ignorance of the heart.

Yes, I know about that one verse people often quote but I won't give it attention here. I will try to cover it later since it has successfully deterred an entire generation from honoring God's most important item on His TO DO LIST. In the mean time, you can take a look at all the verses about the heart while you wait at the edge of your seat for me to write that. ;)

AN ANSWER
My favorite explanation comes from Arthur Burk who sent me Nurturing Your Spirit Basic Seminar Level 1 DVD's.

Click here for more information and to order.

As I watched and listened, I felt the entirety of my whole world shift. To begin, he shares scientific studies and evidence of our spirits working in our midst. Eventually covering how to engage the human spirit, he tells of being challenged to believe God could heal from the chin up.

As I went through the seminar, I recalled to mind an observation I had made over the years as I mingled with God's people from various bodies and backgrounds: some in this culture are NOT yet comfortable talking about certain biblical stuff which is very obvious to some in other parts of the world: namely, the unseen realm.

Wanting to implement quickly, we continued to fill our home with the scriptures on audio 24/7 and learned all we could. I had the privilege to connect with a beautiful person who worked with my spirit. It was strange and wonderful. I devoured Arthur Burk's other materials and listened to everything I could get my hands on.

After a few years progress, here's what I conclude: I am certain God intends our spirit (inner man/heart) to LEAD our soul and that our body helps it all happen. Period.

Getting our spirit to lead in this culture where we ignore it is a challenge. It's like finding an atrophied muscle and learning to work it...not that fun -but so worth the effort! I am a pretty big spirited person and still my soul had to learn the ridiculously difficult work of learning to take orders from my spirit who connects with the Holy Spirit. This entire blog site is the fruit of my soul taking a back seat to my spirit leading. The fruit is juicy.

While I certainly don't understand everything about the whole process, I have enjoyed and appreciated the input from SLG along the way.

Here are some places you might like to peek into if you're of a mind to fill in some gaps concerning a pretty important reality.

Blessings as you adventure, loving God with all of you in the order He chose.

The Flow of Life and Structure of Your Spirit audio download:

Click here for more information and to order.

The Teamwork of Spirit and Soul audio download:

Click here for more info and to order.

Click here for SLG's free article titled, "The Human Spirit: A New Paradigm"

Click here for SLG's free article titled, "How to Minister to the Human Spirit"

Click here for SLG's free article titled, "Human Spirit Blessings"

Click here for free immediate audio download: Blessing Your Spirit Beloved Son

Click here for free Immediate audio Download: Blessing Your Spirit Precious Daughter

Click here for free Immediate Audio Download: Blessing Your Spirit Friend

Click here for free immediate audio download Developing Your Spirit (different than nurturing)

Or enjoy the kindle or paperback version from Amazon:

Blessing Your Spirit book in German:

For more information and to order, click here.

Blessing Your Spirit book in Afrikaans:

For more information and to order, click here.

Blessing Your Spirit book in Spanish:

For more information and to order, click here.

Blessing Your Spirit book 10 pack in English:

For more information and to order a 10 pack, click here.

Immediate audio download Ministering to Babies Spirit in the Womb:

For more information and to order, click here.

Here is the fantastic Basic Seminar Level 1 on CD for immediate download:

For more information and to order, click here.

Click here for free immediate audio download of Nurturing Your Spirit Level 2

Click here for free immediate download of Nurturing Your Spirit Level 3

Click here for 23 free youtube videos, "Ministering to the Human Spirit"

Click here for 165 youtube videos, "Daily Blessings"

Finally, need surgery or know someone who does? This is a great HOW TO on instructing your spirit before surgery.

This might shine some light, too.

Tenderly,

Kate
July 8, 2016

Heart Missing Theology

THE QUESTION
"What's all this spirit stuff?" you might ask.

Great question. The struggle between spirit and soul isn't new. The apostle Paul wrote much about it. Though I have been very drawn to the topic since I first started reading the bible twenty years ago, I felt nudged to stay away from the popular teaching out there. What I did hear made very little sense as I looked at the entirety of scripture. THEN IT HIT ME.

Our theology has missed a huge key.

Sometimes without meaning to we ignore gigantic concepts in the scriptures. I don't think we mean to. Take a look at this:

"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength..." ~Mark 12: 30-31