Deborah Perkins's Blog, page 17

"The Church as You Know it is Disappearing!"

I had a powerful dream a few nights ago. I will share portions of the dream with you here, but the most notable aspect of it was that when I woke up I heard the Spirit clearly say these words: “The church as you know it is disappearing!” 

Immediately I was reminded of the Scriptures. In Matthew 24, Jesus’s disciples are admiring the beautiful Jewish temple: its courts, structures, and architecture. Jesus turns to them and says: “Take a good look at all these things, for I’m telling you, there will not be one stone left upon another. It will all be leveled!” (Matthew 24:2, TPT)


​A DREAM
In my dream, I was a Christian believer seeking a church home. I traveled to the location of a church I knew from my childhood, which was as grand and beautiful as the temple the disciples were admiring in Jesus’s time. The church I was familiar with was built of solid stone, was large and expansive, and had ornate stained glass windows. The nave (like an “outer court”) was very large and welcoming, and the ministers and choir all wore robes like priests.

When I arrived in my dream at the hilltop where this church should have been, I found that it was no longer there. In its place was a small community of houses, with one family’s home at the apex of the hill. I entered that home cautiously, still wondering what had happened to my original church “home.”

The people who lived here eyed me with suspicion. They had never heard of a church here on their land, nor were they able to direct me to one. The two parents and two children were eating dinner and were completely unhelpful to my quest; in fact, the father made it clear I should go.

As I exited this “house on a hill” - which was no “light” at all for me, a seeker - I saw in the street down below three women walking. One of them was someone I recognized: a believer named “Brenda.” With her on her right was a middle-aged woman dressed in white. On her left was another companion I could not see. 
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“Brenda” was exactly as I knew her in real life except for one distinctive feature: her curly hair was aflame - a beautiful auburn color that glowed as if on fire! I knew from the flaming red hair that she was a Spirit-filled believer. 

(Note: The name “Brenda,” I discovered later, actually means a “torch” or a “sword!”)

I ran down to follow these three companions and saw them enter a hidden door which was underneath and to the left side of where the original church sanctuary would have been. They entered this unmarked door to worship, serve and fulfill their purpose as believers in a place the outside world would never recognize as being a church. In fact, while the family’s house at the top of the hill had been in broad daylight, the gathering place of the believers was obscured below in dim light. As I watched, I wondered if the believers kept their meetings private for fear of persecution.

AN INTERPRETATION
When I awoke the Lord began speaking, saying, “The church as you know it is disappearing! All that will be left is the cornerstone - the hidden foundation these ladies were walking towards in your dream. 

Just as new ways of living are springing up everywhere today, so a new paradigm for the church will be necessary in order for the remnant to survive. 

All is not lost, but the “grand” things you have celebrated in the past will be gone and the places you worship will be different; reminders only of an obsolete building or edifice that no longer serves its purpose.”

The Lord then began to speak about the condition of mankind in this hour. 

“Many of those who live in this time will no longer know the way to Me; the church will be offensive or even unknown to them. Your desire for a church home will seem odd to them, an intrusion upon the life that they know. 

“Families will be the center of attention, but those who are aflame for Me and My Spirit will still seek to gather together with My people, My remnant. 

“You will need to look carefully for those who truly believe, but I will “highlight” them for you in the Spirit and open the way home. What you DO will not be as important as who you ARE, for it is your life in Me that will attract others to come home again, not the church or your works. Abiding will take precedence over serving; the internal Spirit-life over external works done for man. 

“My house will not always appear to you as it has in the past. Be open to the new things which are but remnants of the old. What remains of the church is its cornerstone, Jesus, and when all else has disappeared I the Lord will still be there for you to seek and find. 

“Do not fear the changes you see but persist in pursuing Me at all costs, even when you feel like an outcast. The wealth and glory of the previous church in America are passing away, but a new model for believing faith - one that comes out of a strong personal walk and local fellowship - is arising. It will not be visible to the world but to those who have eyes to see, the way will be clear.”

SCRIPTURE COMES ALIVE
Although the Jewish temple the disciples admired was destroyed in AD 67-70, Jesus’s end-time predictions still stand. For in the last days, Jesus prophesied that not only would the “temple” as we know it fall, but also that “deception will run rampant… you can expect to be persecuted, even killed, for you will be hated by all the nations because of your love for Me. 

“Then many will stop following Me and fall away…there will be such an increase of sin and lawlessness that those whose hearts once burned with passion for God and others will grow cold. But keep your hope to the end and you will experience life and deliverance.” (Matthew 24:4-13, TPT) 

The fall of the world’s systems - even religious structures - is destined to happen. This is not the end; the end is still unfolding. Nevertheless, the signs of lovelessness and lawlessness are upon us now, marking the end times just as my dream illustrated. 

The good news is that no matter where we are on God’s timeline, we can trust that He will continue to guide believers and seekers alike into His Presence. As old structures and old wineskins pass away, it will be more important than ever to be personally on fire for Jesus. Why? Those who are seeking God will see His fire in us and find Him through relationship, not rituals! 

The parables that follow in Matthew 24-25 speak of faithful, trustworthy, and wise servants who are ready for Christ’s appearing. We want to be believers who take the time to know Christ personally and powerfully- people of deep intimacy and burning passion. 

Are you a burning “torch” for the Lord?

Is the fire of the Spirit as evident in your life as it was on the disciples at Pentecost?

Can seekers find Him in you and follow you to the place where you gather with others who are like-minded? 

Most importantly: are you ready to surrender the old models and methods of "doing church" in order to receive the new strategies and wineskins the Lord is imparting for this current "end-time" age?
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In next week’s post, I will share an unusual way that you can be a “burning one.” My prayer for you today is that your heart will always find its true home in Christ, not in rituals, structures, or traditions which will pass away (no matter how impressive they seem!) JESUS is the stability for our times, a wealth of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge and the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure! (Isaiah 33:6). Amen!

© Deborah Perkins / www.HisInscriptions.com Subscribe

The Spirit of the Lord is Upon You!

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
​-Isaiah 61:1-3, NKJV

I am writing to you this week from about 35,000 feet - roughly 7 miles up - in the air.

Two of my children and I are returning from a visit to North Carolina with my sister and her family. My younger boys have never flown before, and one of the most wonderful parts of our journey is showing them what it is like to soar above the clouds, in a place where bright daylight is radiant no matter what the weather below. We took off in a fog; we now soar in a luminescent sky with pillow-like clouds that beg us to somehow step out and walk upon them! 

The contrast is amazing. My boys have loved every minute of their flights to and fro, with the change in perspective they bring. To be "above and not beneath" (Deuteronomy 28:13) is a blessing indeed, and it started with a simple choice to shift our focus. 


A unique opportunity to travel, along with a decision to invest in relationships with family we rarely see, compelled us to leave familiar surroundings and embark on our adventure this week. I am so glad we did! Too often our focus on the familiar keeps us from a more glorious future!

This is true of spiritual things, too.

When Israel spied out the Promised Land they saw themselves as grasshoppers, not conquerors. Their "familiar" perspective - deeply engrained after years of oppression in Egypt - caused such depression and fear that they honestly believed it would be better for them to return to slavery than to enter a land that flowed with milk and honey!

These complaining Jews saw themselves as nothing more than insignificant insects to be trampled upon. Their fearful focus filled them with a daily dread of extinction. They didn't understand a simple truth:

What you focus on determines the quality of your life! 

Only Joshua and Caleb had the courage to shift their focus to victory instead of defeat, believing that God could fulfill His promises. As a result, only Joshua and Caleb lived to inherit their promised land - everyone else of their generation died in the wilderness. Ouch!

What was their key? I love the statement Joshua makes in Joshua 24:15: "Choose this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." 

MAKE YOUR CHOICE!
Just as my boys and I chose to yield to a "divine interruption" and break out of our familiar patterns and schedules, so you have a choice to make: will you live life at the top or the bottom? Above the clouds or stuck in the rain? In fear or by faith? By the Spirit or by the flesh?

Isaiah prophesies of a brilliant place in the Spirit, saying:  "Arise, shine, for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising."  (Isaiah 60:1-3)

The moment you choose to rise up and live in the realm of the Spirit, forsaking familiar ways of the flesh, God's glory arises in you! Darkness dissipates and you see and hear God more clearly. Not only that, but the radiance of heaven becomes so visible in your life that it has a magnetic effect: people from around the world are drawn to who you are IN HIM! (See also Psalm 34:5.)

A YOKE-BREAKING ANOINTING 
Shifting your focus is not for you alone! As a prophetic people we are called to declare the praises of God to a dark and dreary generation. You carry a yoke-breaking anointing!

So many people are trapped beneath clouds of despair and depression. Your choice to pursue God daily in prayer is the "shift" that empowers you to rise above your circumstances and gain heaven's perspective. The revelation and glory you receive in the atmosphere of the Spirit enables you to return to the familiar world with new insight and power.

When Moses descended from a meeting with God on Mount Sinai, a veil was placed over his face to keep Israel from gazing upon the blinding radiance of the glory of the Lord. This occurred under the "ministry of death," the Old Covenant law of condemnation. (2 Corinthians 3)

The New Covenant ministry of the Spirit today far surpasses that glory! ​Isaiah 61 reads: 

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.  ~Isaiah 61:1-3, NKJV
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As I meditated on these verses recently, I heard the Lord rephrase them this way: 

"You have a good-news preaching,
Brokenhearted-healing,
Captive-freeing,
Prison-breaking,
Mourner-comforting,
Heaviness-to-praising anointing,
Because the Spirit of the Lord is upon you!"

Amen! 

WALK ON THE WINDS!
You are a servant of the New Covenant and a new perspective on life, which comes when you shift your focus onto God's Spirit. You are called to soar! Your daily choice to walk on the winds of the Spirit with God (see Psalm 18:10) empowers you, in return, to shower the earth with blessings and release life everywhere you go.   

As I finish writing this post, I am humbled once again by a sudden thought. I hear the  Lord whisper in my ear,  "What are the names of the two children you just  "happened" to travel with this week?" 

With a start, I look up and realize:
The names of my sons are Joshua and Caleb!   

© Deborah Perkins / www.HisInscriptions.com. Photo credit: Sam Spooler and Ng of Unsplash Choose to Invest in Your Prayer Life! Subscribe Today

Your True Measure of Success

The most accomplished man ever to live on earth, the Son of God, had a list of personal achievements that astonished ordinary men. He was the quintessential “successful older brother,” the One whose footsteps all the other siblings hoped to follow to please their Father! 

As far as we know, Jesus never interviewed for a job. Like a king, He was appointed and anointed to do His work. Yet if Jesus Christ had a resume, it might look like this:


Jesus’s achievements pointed to a superior intelligence, a keen sense of timing and strategy, and amazing people skills. 

He was often criticized for His failure to market Himself properly, yet His aversion to self-promotion resulted in the largest social following known to man. 

He had no formal training, yet excelled in professions like public speaking, the medical arts, and event management. 

He understood personal mission before it was popular to write mission statements or create “vision boards,” and stayed true to His goals throughout His career.

However, when His ministry on earth was over, none of the accomplishments on Christ’s resume were a source of pride for Him. Instead, summing up His career in John 17, He recognized that everything He did came from the Father. (See John 17:7 & 10.)

JESUS: AN INTERVIEW
Interview Jesus, and He might describe His career this way: “I reveal God to those in need. I speak God’s direct messages. I am a Builder and a Restorer.” 

Ask Him about His strengths, and Jesus might say: “I ‘think different,’ outside the box,  finding creative ways to promote loyalty to God. I’m a good communicator, keeping those I serve close to God.  I know how to protect people from evil schemes and bad ideas. I have lost no one except the one of whom it was prophesied he would be lost.” 

Ask any other person what they have achieved in life and they will list completed tasks, fulfilled dreams, or finished works. Ask Jesus which of His achievements He treasures most, and He will say - as He did to God in John 17 -  that He has loved well. 

Any personal glory Christ had came, He believed, through those He loved and touched. (John 17:10.) His mission was not to promote Himself but to obey and promote His "boss." Doing only what the Father told Him to do, He never claimed that any of the works were His alone. 

In short, the various and diverse works listed in the Gospels - Christ’s “resume” - were all done with one singular motive: to reveal the life and love of God to people!

THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS
Success for the Son of God was to keep us close. Miracles and wonders were secondary - not done to astound us but to woo us.  Christ’s greatest achievement was relational. He kept friends near Him and drew strangers closer to Him. 

Think about it: Jesus ministered in a time when the Holy Spirit had not yet been poured out; when the internal desire of His friends was motivated more by a genuine love for Him as a person than by a compelling belief that He was God. His greatest achievement was the preservation of relational unity with His friends, which allowed Him to bring them, believing, into a relationship with the Father as He tore open the veil of separation.

All the accomplishments on Christ’s imaginary resume meant little to Him, compared to His overarching achievement of rooting people in God’s love.

This is why Jude worshiped Jesus, saying:

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore. Amen!”  (Jude 1:24-25, NIV). 

CALLED TO LOVE
As Christ's ambassadors, are we not called to do the same? All our good works pale in comparison to the singular mission we've been given by God: to love each other as Christ has loved us. "Let love be your aim," the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14. This objective should be at the top of every believer's resume!

What about you? What are your achievements? How do you define success? 

May we, like our Elder Brother, never be proud of our accomplishments but measure success by our love! 



© Deborah Perkins / www.HisInscriptions.com

Receive Your Keys!

"I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." -Matthew 16:19, NASB
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Dear Friends, 

Following is a word I received in prayer just two nights ago. I believe it will be a great encouragement to you as well! God is releasing great revelation to His people: prophetic keys that unlock vision, hearts, and even storehouses, all for Kingdom purposes! Don't miss your appointments with God, which have the potential to unlock so much for so many. Enter His gates with expectation, believing that He is ALWAYS speaking good things to those who will listen! 
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Blessings, 
Deborah
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Press in! Press in! For the time is short and the Kingdom’s agenda still long before the coming of the Lord! 

Those who linger behind will miss the joy of receiving My new assignments for age-old plans! There are still many people I wish to reach, and you must know the ones I am calling you to in this hour. Every person has a task, every believer a work to do to fulfill My hope in the nations worldwide. I can use you! I can use you as you are; only come to Me to hear and learn. Let Me touch your lips, and fill your mouths with good and mighty things! 

Let My Spirit open you up in this hour to receive from Me and give to others. Without an internal opening up of your heart, there will be no external reach to the nations. Only what I will give you will have the weight and substance necessary to unlock the difficult “puzzles” of men’s hearts.
​"KEYWORDS" BEING RELEASED! 
Keys are being released which you have limited time to pick up and use before the enemy comes and changes the locks once again. Now is the hour! Now is the day of salvation! See this as a kairos moment; there is a window of opportunity here in this space of time to reach certain ones My way, “with (true) liberty and justice for all.” Liberty as you know it will not remain in your nation, but is even now being corrupted. Come to Me quickly, before the fetters of what is called “freedom” - but is not true freedom at all - bind and constrain. 

For every age, there are keys. Do you perceive these keys? Look and see; these are not elaborate iron keys of old but WORDS: words of knowledge, words of wisdom, prophetic and healing words stored up in My heart and now released - spoken - to you. Pick up the keys you find along your path. Look carefully for them, for they land in unusual places and at odd, sometimes unremarkable times. My timing and placement is of divine design and intention, and if found, each key will unlock one more person who has been bound by deception, held in the grip of the enemy, or kept from a life of service to Me. 

I am releasing keys of deliverance for those bound in wheelchairs; keys for those who have lost a child; keys for those who walk with a limp because of the abuse and struggles they have endured at the hands of angry men. Don’t focus on what NOT to say, but seek Me for what I would say to each one to unlock hope again. 

For all people begin in hope, but not all end there. It is this magnificent hope of salvation which the enemy seeks to remove as soon as possible from peoples’ hearts. Every disappointment inches the heart’s door closed a little more, until at last it is sealed shut, a barrier against faith and the belief in My goodness. 

Do not fear the closed doors you encounter, for there will be many of those! But knock with Me at each one, requesting permission to come in. There are still those who are willing to open! For the ones who delay or linger, I give you keys. 

Just as a single password unlocks your life online today, so My passwords - the “keywords” you receive in prayer - will unlock people’s hearts. For some people, it will take a series of passwords and decryptions from My Spirit to release the access needed to their hearts. Other codes will be unbreakable by men yet easily deciphered in the Spirit. No mystery is too mysterious for this Codebreaker! No puzzle is too complex. Yet always, as you work with Me, you will need new, specific keys. Seek Me and live! Seek Me for the true freedom others need and you possess. 

Why the urgency? In every season these “passwords” change. What works now will only work for a time, and you are uniquely positioned here to understand the signs of your times. Do not give up, but press in for every key you can find, and you will have the joy of seeing treasures and storehouses opened to you, your nation, and your families - just as Joseph did.

7.19.19 via Deborah Perkins  © His Inscriptions, Inc.

LAST CHANCE! Sign Up for the Summer E3 Group, Tuesdays 7/23-8/27!

LAST CALL! There are still some spaces available in this summer's E3 Prophetic Roundtable Group! If you or someone you know would like to grow your prayer life and learn how to hear from God more accurately, I invite you to take advantage of the upcoming "E3" mentoring course.

"E3" - which summarizes the biblical mandate in 1 Corinthians 14 to "Encourage, Exhort and Edify" others, is focused on developing your prayer life and challenging you to move forward in the prophetic gifts - something every believer is called to do! Even if you've never had the opportunity to function prophetically, this series of teachings will help you see how God can use you to bless people in your sphere of influence as you share meaningful and personal words from His heart. You don't need to be a prophet to prophesy! You can develop the art of listening prayer and hear from God directly yourself.  (See John 10:27)

This small group setting is ideal for those who want deeper teaching on this topic but also desire a place where they can ask questions and be mentored in their individual gifts!

We will be meeting Tuesdays from July 22 - August 27th, during the day, sometime between 10 and 2pm. (Exact time TBD by participants). Easy to join in via the Zoom app (download from Google Play to your phone or computer), so you can participate from wherever you are. 

Here's what a former participant said about the E3 course: "This course came at the right time. I was in need of guidance, mentoring, teaching and encouragement. I received all of that! I am encouraged to step out and take a risk in the giftings the Lord has given me. I appreciated the detailed information, steps of action, and personal examples of what that looked like."  

Interested? Register Now  to secure a spot, or  contact me  first with any questions! Information on how to call in to each session will be provided once you are registered. 

Blessings, 
Deborah 
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Pray Colossians! New Prayer Booklet Available

As I sat down to write and pray this morning, the Spirit of God impressed upon my heart to turn the pages of Paul’s letter to the Colossians into a prayer. With several translations of Colossians in front of me, I began meditating on the powerful words about Christ’s preeminence, transforming them, paragraph by paragraph, into personal prayers. I realized then just how rich God’s Word is when we pray it as promises over ourselves!
 
Never are we closer to praying the will of God than when we are praying the Word of God! The Spirit and the Word work together as we pray, making our divine inheritance manifest as we speak God’s Word back into His heart.
 
To pray the Word of God is to agree with what God has already said He will do, setting in motion spiritual blessings that have been seen throughout history and can be activated once again by faith.
 
Space limits me to sharing just the first section of my prayers from Colossians with you today. If you would like to order the complete booklet of "Pray Colossians!" please click below to purchase in our store. 

May this heartfelt “prayer paraphrase” of Paul's first-century letter to the Colossians reveal more to you about your inheritance in Christ and build your confidence to begin praying the will of God over your life!  

Order Your Booklet, "Pray Colossians!" HereColossians: Christ's Preeminence and Our Inheritance
Dear God, my one true Father, I pray that You would release in my life the riches of Your grace and peace through the Lord Jesus, Your Anointed One. May faith and love rise within me as I access all the treasures of my inheritance stored up in heavenly realms. May the revelation of Gospel truth be as real to me today as the day I first heard of my glorious hope in Jesus Christ!

Let the truth of the Gospel be spread everywhere, bearing fruit and changing hearts throughout the world just like it changed mine. I pray that I may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. I choose to walk in ways worthy of You, Lord, pleasing You and bearing fruit in every good thing I do. I am increasing in the knowledge of who You are, strengthened and energized with the dynamic power that comes from heaven, so that I can be patient and persevere with joy.

Thank you, Lord, for rescuing me from the tyrannical rule of the kingdom of darkness and carrying me into the loving Kingdom of Your Son. His precious blood has released and redeemed me from all sin.

Let the truth of the Gospel be spread everywhere, bearing fruit and changing hearts throughout the world just like it changed mine!

Jesus, You are the image of the invisible God, creator of all things and firstborn heir of all creation. Everything exists in You and for You. You are the head of Your body, the church, and I follow Your leading in all things. Thank you for restoring all things to Yourself and for giving me peace through the blood of Your cross.

I declare that I am no longer at odds with God, since He has made me holy and removed any animosity or alienation I felt towards Him in the past. I dwell in the Presence of the Most High and I am blameless in His sight; nothing stands between me and God as I continue on in my faith.
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Oh God, help me not to be moved or shaken from this hope I have in Your Gospel. Thank you for revealing the hidden mystery of Christ in me. You have made my true inheritance known to me. I believe Jesus Christ lives in me and I expect to see the riches of Your glory daily! Amen. 
​ © Deborah Perkins / www.HisInscriptions.com

Are You Angry With God?

Not many Christians will admit to being angry with God. It seems unholy somehow, against the "rules" of Christianity that we have been taught. After all, if God is no longer angry with us, then what right do we have to be angry with Him? 

Yet simmering beneath the surface, even the best believers have some level of anger towards God, anger they often won't admit even to themselves. Why? Because most of us, no matter how holy, deal with  unmet expectations . 
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One of the greatest breakthroughs in how we understand God can also lead us to one of the greatest difficulties: God is a person! We can have a wonderful, personal relationship with God, yet that very same truth can become a stumbling block to us when we transfer natural human expectations over onto Him and forget He is also divine. 
​Unmet Expectations
In a perfect world, we would all feel completely understood. Friends would intuitively know the right times to connect with us, families would function in loving unity, our bosses would value our work (and reimburse us adequately for it!), and God Himself would respond to our every prayer - the way we want Him  to!  

I don't live a life like that, and I'm sure you don't, either! Offenses do come (far too often!) and there seems to be, in general, a large gap between what God promises in the Bible and what actually takes place day to day.

​Unfortunately,  a series of unmet expectations over time lead us to one thing: anger.  

Click to Download Your Beliefs & Expectations Resource SheetAre Your Expectations Realistic?
I talked with two friends about expectations this week. We all have them, and we all wish that it were easier to understand God and how He works with us!

We want God to speak to this person or that one and tell them to shape up, to treat us better.

We wish God would hear our cries for help.

We don't understand sickness, death, the lack of healing, the seeming unresponsiveness of God.

Aren't we all supposed to be hearing from Him? Where is He? Why isn't God - or the Body of Christ, for that matter - responding to our needs? 

The answer is that in many cases, our expectations of God are unbiblical, and our expectations of people are unrealistic. 

A Father's Blessing
My father-in-law had a gift of healing. In his earlier years, he prayed for people and they received physical healing from various ailments.

When he was older and very ill himself, close to death, I remember telling him with a smile: "You can't go home to Jesus until you pray for my hearing! (I have been partially deaf for most of my life.) 

At the time, he laughed and said, "Sure, I will!"

Perhaps I was naive, but I hoped our praying together would do more than just bring me healing; he had difficulty relating to people, and I was offering him a chance to shine in a dark time.

What I didn't know then was that he had already given up on life, on God, and on himself. He died without ever praying for me.

​Although it was nothing more than a minor offense, I felt cheated of a father's blessing. I carried resentment and anger towards him for several months until I forgave him for his selfishness. Sometimes people - and God - just don't come through for you.

Wrong Beliefs Lead to Wrong Expectations
​While it's easy to blame the other person for what they're doing wrong, ​God's solution for anger is actually to examine the wrong beliefs that got us there in the first place. 

What was my wrong belief? That I was working from a place of needing a father's blessing, when I already had one! Ephesians 3 reads: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." (NIV, emphasis mine)

I am already blessed with Bible promises for healing, adoption into my Father's wonderful family, and every spiritual blessing! I have everything I need for life and godliness. I am not working from a place of need; I am complete IN HIM! 

My wrong expectation - that someone else needed to bless me - was rooted in a wrong belief: that I was somehow deficient. 

Until we renew our minds fully to think as God thinks about us, we will continue to expect people to do what God has already done for us, or what God expects us to do for ourselves. It is my job to get to know who God is, who I am in Him, and what He has made available to me so that I have healthy, reasonable expectations of Him and others. Doing this frees me from the disappointments that inevitably come when people - and God - seem to fail me.

The only way to change my beliefs is to dig deeper into God's Word. As I meditate on God's promises and familiarize myself with His expectations, I begin to close that gap between what life is like right now and what God says it COULD be like. 
​Godly Beliefs Lead to Good Fruit!
By changing my beliefs about myself - for example, seeing myself as full, not empty - I am able to then release others from the bondages of my own unreasonable expectations, blessing them instead. Love takes the initiative! 

The fruit of anger and bitterness is a critical spirit. We tend to judge what we cannot forgive. Had I continued to nurse that wound from my father-in-law, I would have dug an even deeper pit for myself - one that would not have allowed me to receive future blessings from other "fathers" in the faith.

Fortunately, God showed me that this man was simply an "empty cup," one who had become spiritually depleted himself and could no longer give what he did not have. Praise God, those who spend time with Him never have to be that way!

I love the way the Passion Translation words it: "By constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of His love will become the very source and root of your life." (Ephesians 3:17) ​Yes, Lord!
​A Framework for Healing
No matter what you are dealing with today, whether loneliness or unforgiveness, fear or resentment, you can change the outcome by changing your beliefs. Cycles of disappointment can be broken in Christ. (See the diagram provided in today's download for  more.)

The beauty of our salvation is that it moves us from a self-centered view of the world to a God-centered perspective, one that acknowledges that we are deeply loved and immeasurably cared for. We can be content, needing nothing, because we are united with HIM.​  


​When this shift into divine thinking occurs, anger dissipates. Unreasonable expectations of others dimish and resentment towards God is replaced with gratitude and love. Today, right now, you have everything you need for life and godliness! Any gap you perceive between divine reality and your life experience is simply an opportunity to re-examine your beliefs and align yourself with God's thinking! I am doing this daily, and I hope that you will embark on this adventure as well. It sure beats blaming God! 

If you are a visual person and like to see things outlined on paper,  I encourage you to download the free handout included with today's teaching.  This is a diagram the Lord revealed to me in a quiet time this week as I meditated on the subject of anger. It outlines two cycles of beliefs and expectations: a self-centered cycle and a God-centered cycle. I believe this resource will be very helpful to you as you move forward in your faith!

Anger is a major blockage to prayer and communicating with God. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject. Share your comments below, or contact me to let me know how I can pray for you. You are not alone! 

Deborah

P.S. - Subscribers, the "Beliefs & Expectations" diagram will continue to be available to you 24/7 in your Subscriber Resource Library!
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​Deborah Perkins is passionate about helping you "Discover Life-Giving Communication with God."  At God's request in 2013, she founded His Inscriptions, a prophetic teaching ministry devoted to helping people hear God better. If you have been blessed by her words, please consider sowing a seed into her ministry! Your tax-deductible gift helps keep His Inscriptions online, reaching readers around the world with the good news of Jesus Christ. Click here for more information.
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Today: Personal Prayers for You

As I listened to the Lord last night, I felt His heart of compassion and I believe strongly that He asked me to simply pray for you today. Prophetic words are wonderful, teaching and devotionals help us grow, but there is nothing like the powerful ministry of the Holy Spirit in prayer! 

There is no distance in the Spirit (see Colossians 2:5; 1 Cor 5:3a). God is omnipresent and unlimited in His ability to reach anyone, anytime, anywhere. As I pray in the Spirit for you, and you agree with me, I believe I am effectively standing beside you, IN HIM. Our unity with the Savior means we are never alone! 

Please join me in agreeing for these very biblical promises and blessings to take place in your life today! Read them out loud over yourself; insert your name if you'd like to make them more personal. They represent God's heart for you!


I pray that today, you would be able to both perceive and receive the great love of God for you. Whatever your situation, no matter what challenges you face, I pray you would be strong in battle, knowing that He who overcomes ALL is within you and fighting for you! 

Where hope has perished because the battle has been long, I speak an awakening surge of God's mighty power on the inside: a re-igniting of what you know to be true, against all evidence to the contrary. In hope Abraham and Sarah conceived! In hope Joshua took the Promised Land! In hope you, too, will see your victories come to pass, one by one. 

I prophesy a fresh outpouring of the love of God over you today. Let every hindrance to receiving that love be broken now, in Jesus' Name. There is no counsel that can stand against the counsel of the Lord, and He calls you LOVED. CHILD. FRIEND. VICTORIOUS. HOPE-FULL. AMAZING!
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If your body is broken and weary, please pray this with me, right now: 

Father, like Abraham, I do not consider my own body, which is as good as dead (Romans 4:19). I consider Your healing Word to be far superior to my condition! I am not finished yet on this earth, so I choose to take hold of the tools in Your heavenly arsenal and do battle by faith. I thank You for the Name of Jesus, to which every opposing name, label, and diagnosis must bow. I apply the blood of my Savior to my body, which is Your temple, sprinkling it clean and declaring it holy to the Lord. I pray in the Spirit on every occasion, especially the times when I don't know what to pray, and I believe the Spirit prays through me even in my weakness. Hallelujah! 

I praise You and I saturate every dry place in my spirit, soul and body with worship that unlocks the flow of Your mighty Presence in my life. Living water springs up and overflows from within me! I make a quality decision to continue sharing my testimony of Your goodness, one day at a time. I believe that I overcome as I deny myself and follow You. Bring Me someone I can encourage today, Lord. Because You live in me, I ALWAYS have something good to give! Please show me the ones you have ordained for me to reach, right here, right now.


For those who are struggling with depression, fear, or suicidal thoughts, pray this prayer out loud with me, believing that your words hold weight in the Kingdom of God. There is power released as I set my prayers in agreement with yours!

Father, the Bible says that You are close to the brokenhearted. (Psalm 34:18) I know that You never leave me or forsake me. Yet the enemy has been pressing in lately. I feel like I am surrounded on all sides and can't get out. I need a breakthrough today. Your Word says You are the God of breakthrough (2 Samuel 5:20), and that when I cry out to You, You deliver me from my strong enemy, every time (Psalm 18:16-18 & Ps 34:19).

Like David, I cry out to you and I expect to see a Divine Turnaround! Show me the way out - show me the way YOU open up for me, when there seems to be no way! I believe Your counsel opens up ideas I haven't thought of yet. Your ways are higher and Your Word never fails. 

Depression, GET OUT in Jesus' Name. I open the door of my heart to the wonderful love of God. I take authority over all the oppression of the enemy and every attack on my body, soul, and spirit. Through the blood of Jesus, I cancel every assignment and attempt of the enemy to destroy me. I have nothing to fear, because there is no fear in love! God IS love, I love God, and I WILL NOT FEAR. No weapon formed against me will prevail, and I condemn every accusation and judgment coming against me.

I am the righteousness of God in Christ! I am the head, not the tail. I am seated in heavenly places with God, above and not beneath!

​You, Lord, have been my Savior and now You are my victory! Amen. 
 Some of you may have specific requests not covered here. Please take a moment to either email me or post your prayer request in our Facebook "Connect and Pray" group (a private, closed group solely for the members of His Inscriptions). One of the blessings of being a His Inscriptions reader is that you are connected to Kingdom warriors around the world who love to pray! 

If these prayers have helped you, I'd love to hear your testimonies. It is my fervent prayer that everything I write will be an encouragement to you and a source of spiritual breakthrough as you continue to "Discover Life-Giving Communication with God."

God bless you! 
Deborah 
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Consecrate Your Life to Comprehend God's Love!

Living a godly life is actually quite simple: ​In every situation where you honor God, He honors you in return. One choice made for God, in the midst of many other potential choices, can mean the difference between a victory or a defeat in your personal battles!

So many of us long for more of God. More love, more intimacy, more security. I do, and I have talked to some of you who desire the same thing. The Holy Spirit is drawing us into a deeper relationship with a Father who SO loves His children!

At the same time, the enemy is launching wide-scale attacks to challenge that love. He’s presenting more options than ever to keep us from entering the secret place of God’s Presence, where we are renewed.

As I contemplated this, I heard the Lord emphasize one single truth: the power to fully comprehend God’s love begins with a life of consecration!

Far from a religious ritual, and beyond the obvious biblical requirement for priesthood, the Lord’s heart is to communicate how simple and how powerful our consecration to Him really is in our quest for more of Him. Take a moment to listen to His heart; to understand how HE sees consecration and the blessing it can be for you.
​Consecrate Your Life
“Consecration is as simple as one choice made for Me in the midst of many potential choices for other things. Wisdom is to heed the “One Thing” rather than the many.

A life of consecration implies that you habitually and repeatedly choose to honor Me above all. The circumstances will vary, but your essential choice will always remain the same. In this way life is actually quite simple: in every situation, choose Me; and in every situation, I will then honor you in return!

“I cannot honor the one who does not yield to Me. All the pleading and begging is to no avail if one’s heart does not follow Me. Life - true life - follows, touches and responds to the heart, for in your heart is life itself and you will “witness” to whatever touches or intersects with your heart. What is life-giving to you will be slightly different from what impacts the person next to you, but their reality is no less “true” for them.

“Think of it this way: all life flows from the heart. (“The life is in the blood,” Leviticus 17:11.) In the words of a famous writer, I, too, have “put My heart on the page.” The pages of My Word are replete with life itself, every Word being true and heartfelt!

“When you connect with My heart, you activate a powerful desire in Me to honor My Word and My heart on YOUR behalf. Just as you find “connection” with others who share your values, beliefs, and experiences, so I connect with those who linger long enough in My Word to celebrate what is on My heart, to share - if only in the Spirit - My experiences past, present, and future.

“What we share together in prayer (you speaking to Me) and study (when I speak to you) and experience (your life and ministry in Me) bonds us together essentially as one. Like soldiers in a battle, I would - and did! - give My life for you, and you for Me; that bond is deep and irrevocable. Nothing can change or alter what we have seen and done together; it can be done again at a moment’s notice because of our training and expertise together.

“As you get to know My heart you will become utterly convinced of My love, and that love will propel you into heroic acts! Not for your glory, but for Mine, and all that I represent to you. Always be careful that your heroism does not end with man, but with Me. A heart that knows how to serve will sometimes serve the wrong things. Let My Spirit seal you for Me, for My use, and you will be a vessel of honor, of noble use in My Kingdom.

“Ignoble vessels may be taken off the shelf for various purposes by a variety of visitors to the house. Noble vessels are both sheltered and sealed for use in the Master’s hands alone. They are not removed or conscripted except with the express permission of the Householder Himself; reserved for special and sacred duties alone. This is why none of My Son’s bones were broken and why His robe was not torn; even in death, I honored Him.

“Do not cast your pearls before swine. Seek to preserve what is sacred for the right places and times, revealing the most valuable things as required on occasion.

“When I say I am preparing a banquet, a Great Supper, I do not refer to a long line at a soup kitchen, where food is served on paper plates! No, here I would use the choicest silver, the golden goblets! Why? To honor those who will come and be seated with Me for eternity; those who have consecrated themselves wholly and repeatedly to Me.

"The continuous process of washing and cleansing your vessel in My Presence yields a shine of squeaky-clean glory fit to set before any king; yet reserved, at My discretion, for Me alone.

“Your continuous consecration says “You, Lord, are worthy of my honor. I have made myself ready for You.” When I see you do this, I am all the more willing to set you before kings and princes in My Name as a representative of the very best I can bring to the table.”  

RESPOND IN PRAYER:
Father, I consecrate myself and all I am to You. Let every choice I make honor You above all. Let the continuous yielding of my life be a joy to me and a blessing to those around me!

Father, I want You to be free to use me at any time and in any situation. Make me a noble vessel, one who brings glory and honor to You.

Thank you for your protection over me as I repeatedly choose to come under Your covering. I want to know the depth of Your love, which surpasses knowledge! I want to be filled to the measure of YOUR fullness! Let my life overflow with Your amazing goodness. Amen!

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Destroy Evil Roots to Establish Righteousness!

Evil roots bear bad fruit.

Have you ever said to someone:

“Well, that’s just the way I am.”
“I’ve tried to overcome ______ (fill in the blank), but I’ve never been successful.”
“It’s part of my personality; I’m a _________” (insert label here).
“I guess some things never change.”

Or has your spouse, parent, or close friend ever said to you:

“You always do this….”
“I wish you would stop ______.” (Fill in the blank)
“Can’t you see that you’re the problem here?”

I believe most of us have said or heard at least one of these statements in our lifetimes. I certainly have!

Typically, comments like these stem from issues we or others have noticed about ourselves that don’t represent our best selves. You know what I mean: the nagging wife. The controlling husband. The angry child. The fearful friend.

Ask any one of us why we do what we do and we’ll say, “It’s because _______ (name a situation or offender) made me do it. I was bullied as a child, so I never became who I wanted to be. My mother was always angry. My husband doesn’t help me around the house unless I nag him. You get the picture!

Evil roots bear bad fruit, and while it’s easy for people to spot the bad fruit (and want to throw you out like a rotten tomato for it!), it’s not so easy to deal with the roots.

Instead of thinking we are bound to bear bad fruit in some areas (“but just look at how great I am over here, folks!”), we can take a more holistic approach to prayer and work with the Lord to destroy evil roots and establish righteousness.

​Here’s how.

GOD ESTABLISHES
When Old Testament prophet Jeremiah received his call from God, he made a similar statement: “God, I can’t do this! I can’t speak, and I’m way too young!” (my paraphrase)

Before Jeremiah (whose name means “God establishes”) could see prophetically, he clearly saw his own inadequacies! His statement to God is the equivalent of what many of us say about ourselves and others when we notice salient faults: “I’m sorry, God, but You seem to have chosen the wrong person!”  

Do you ever wonder why that man is a pastor? Why that person thinks she can speak? Why God uses people who are so obviously broken? Shouldn’t they clean themselves up first?!

If I were God, you might think, a good clean up would be a requirement! We probably wouldn’t allow half the people who are in ministry today to be there, and the more mature among us would realize that we really aren’t qualified either!

Yet God tells Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” (Jer. 1:5)

Here’s the funny part: that word sanctified means consecrated, or cleaned up! God says to Jeremiah - and to all of us, by extension:

“I formed you.
I know you.
I’ve declared you clean.
I’ve ordained you to be “fit” for a specific purpose in My Kingdom.”

These are the truest statements about us, godly declarations that should make us stop and think. God is not surprised by our deficiencies, and He pronounces us free of them before they even happen! So why do we still struggle with besetting sins, and what can we do about our own misgivings?
​UPROOT AND TEAR DOWN
The answer is found in God’s response to Jeremiah’s complaint:

“Do not be afraid… for I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord… “Behold, I have put My Words in your mouth… I have set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.”  (Jeremiah 1:8-10, NKJV)

Nothing is hidden to God. In the best scenario, our place of prayer becomes a place of revelation for us, where we begin to see as God sees and take up the authority God gives us to overthrow anything that stands in the way of seeing God’s Kingdom manifest in us and in our world.

When God exposes an evil root - something that has sprung up in us as a result of our family’s iniquity, for example, it is not to condemn us. It is to challenge us to use our God-given authority as prophets, priests, and kings to uproot that root and overthrow that behavior - the bad fruit.  
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FEAR EXPOSED
For example, dealing with anger was always difficult for me. The louder an angry person became, the more I retreated inward! I had experienced plenty of anger and rage already, and that kind of behavior triggered memories I would rather forget. I feared the consequences, so I withdrew.

Unfortunately, avoiding issues didn't help resolve any conflicts. But no amount of reasoning could convince me to “stay in it” when things got ugly; I was pre-programmed to shut down in self-defense. 

To be free of this classic behavior, I had to go to God. As I kept bringing my fears and dysfunction to the cross of Christ, I gained more freedom and confidence: enough to see an argument through to its end. Enough to realize that some anger can be constructive. Enough to know that even in the tough places, people deserve to be heard.

Generational sins such as alcoholism and abuse, addiction and pride can wreak havoc on us, even if we were never involved ourselves. Predictable behaviors emerge from these iniquities. Understanding them helps, which is why God exposes them to us in prayer. Managing them, however, does not.

It takes spiritual power to uproot besetting sins and generational iniquities!  

A biblical prayer life isn’t just about presenting your requests to God, worshiping, or remembering others in need. It involves regularly dealing with deep-rooted issues that crop up like weeds, trying to ruin your harvest! After all, if you don’t weed your own garden, who will?

God has given each of us the authority to overthrow and destroy evil roots through the power of the Name and Blood of Jesus. God is working within you to expose that which hinders you and to set you free. In His mind, you already are free, because He knows that you and He together can overcome every evil root as you establish yourself IN HIM! (See Ephesians 1:3-14.)
​ONE STEP FURTHER: A PROPHETIC WORD CONCERNING AMERICA
Those of you who have walked with God for a while know that what He does individually, He also does corporately. It is so important for us to be firmly rooted and established IN HIM in this hour, because what is sourced in evil roots is now being exposed on a grander scale. One look at the nightly news confirms this.

For those of you who pray regularly for our nation, I encourage you to take these thoughts a step further and read this related prophetic word God gave me concerning America. That which is not rooted in Him will be overthrown!
​FINAL THOUGHTS
Our lives should be full of victory, not defeat! Victory comes as we use the authority God gives us in prayer to demolish strongholds and become all we are destined to be.

That which the enemy has used to destroy us, we now overthrow through the power of God. As He did with Jeremiah, God anoints our mouths and uses our words to declare our established victory!

Your prayer life is prophetic! What you declare about yourself has the potential to deliver you from iniquity and end besetting sin. Your prayers reach back into history to uproot evil roots and your proclamations reach forward into the future to establish you with good fruit that will last.

My prayer for you this week is that the next time you hear yourself say “I’ve tried unsuccessfully to overcome this behavior in the past….” you’ll finish your sentence with “and now I am defeating it through the power of Christ in Me!”

Amen!
Read the Word for America
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