Christ Be Magnified!

To be completely candid, I am In Love With Jesus! I think about Him all the time; I live a life of Prayer; I seek Him 1st, and find Great Joy in Worship! I Pray for people everywhere I go, I give a Testimony every chance I get. I Love Him! He is My Everything.

I say all this, NOT by way of self-aggrandizement, but of "Fair Warning"; with me, it is going to go there.

That said; I am NOT perfect, or Holier Than Thou. I am just a broken-hearted girl-woman, who met a Man who told me everything I ever did; He didn't come for the water, He came for me. Right? Read John 4.

During the very first video I made in my Closet at the house in Marietta, I said that I was not here "to preach", mostly just to share what I was learning in The Secret Place, and share what God was sharing with me. Well. That was 5 years ago, and while much has NOT changed, Much has changed. I am here to preach. And teach. And share. And pray. And love. And advance the Kingdom as best I can. In Jesus' Holy Name! Through the power of His Holy Spirit that lives within me.

I say all of this as a Preface to what I am about to say.

This week is a Big Week for me.

It is my 60th Birthday on the 13th...YIKES! That seems so Crazy to me! When I look at myself in the mirror, I do not see a 60-year-old lady! I see the same silly, funny, misunderstood Girl that I have always been.

I am also having my name legally changed this week.

What??

Why are you doing that??

What could you possibly be thinking??

Are you sure about that??

I will tell you about it, if you are interested in hearing...

On February 27th of this year, I was up early. It was cold, so I turned on the fireplace, grabbed a coffee and my Bible, and sat down to visit with The LORD. Before I opened my Bible, I prayed: LORD, show me something, or tell me something. Make this time valuable between us. Help me know YOU better, and thereby know who I am in You. Give me a Revelation.

And then I opened it and began to read. It was more like a casual flip of the page, rather than turning to a bookmarked page, or a predetermined part that I was reading or studying. So I opened up the Bible in the Old Testament, and began to read. And it went something like this:

And they were called the people of Israel. Their name was Israel. They were the men of war of Israel. They were God's people Israel.

There were other sentences in there as well, but that was the gist. So I stopped reading after a short while, and asked the LORD, out loud, with a laugh in my tone: OK, LORD. What exactly are You trying to say here? What is Your point? And in that moment, He said to me, in my right ear (which is where He tells me things), "Your name will now be called Israel".

Excuse me?

Come again?

What was that?

Yes. Your name will now be called Israel.

OK. Don't ask for a Revelation if you don't want a Revelation.

So I studied this in the Bible. I prayed about it .I journaled with Him. I actively sought after the LORD on this. Abba? Is this what You call me when we are together in the Secret Place? Am I supposed to tell people about this? Is this just between You and me? Or what?

In the Bible, when people got a new name, their destiny changed.

Abram became Abraham.

Sarai became Sarah.

Jacob became Israel.

The LORD spoke to them, re-directed them, and poured out a Blessing on them.

He gave them a Mission, which they accepted, and the World changed.

That is so AWESOME!

Some people get "revelation", and they write a new song that makes $$! Some people get a "revelation" and suddenly there are advancements in science. I get a "revelation" and people think I have lost my mind.

So, as I prayed and sought the LORD on this, over time, I received several "confirmations" from Him about it. And they came in such bold tones, so as to be undeniable. One Sunday, Neil was preaching from Colossians, and as he was making a point, loudly and repeatedly, he said "You need to change your name!" He said this multiple times, each time with a little more power and volume. "You need to change your name!" Wow! That was so fun and funny and amazing...so GOD. So I made a note of that, and kept going.

There were many times spent at the top of Monument Rd at Eagles Rest, where the Father and I talked about what this means, and why He dropped this into my spirit. I have spent time with the LORD on this. And the time came whereby I could no longer deny what He said. I have to act on it; I have to Obey Him. And I feel totally right and sane and correct in doing so. I might find a new salad dressing, or go somewhere new to get my nails done, but I do NOT do major things without seeking the LORD. And I do NOT take the advice of people who don't seek the LORD.

This is not done in confusion.

This is not a snap-decision.

This is drenched in Prayer and Bible Study and Worship.

This is a totally Biblical, radical Love of Jesus, decision.

Christ Be Magnified!

So this week, my name change will be legal.

My New Name is Israel Strong.

And I am so excited about this. So Very Excited! Because it is from the Father, to me. Just in time for my Birthday.

This is who I am:

Blessed to be a Blessing.

Chosen.

I am a Son of Abraham.

I have wrestled with the LORD and prevailed.

I am not an orphan. I have a Father who loves me.

Right now, you are saying...Yeah. That was the case before all this change. And you would be correct. BUT. I have received this at the Revelation-Level...Spirit-Deep...Life-Changing...Life-Giving...

Hallelujah!

So while I am celebrating this, realizing fully who I am in Him, other people are feeling really unpleasant sensations in their being. That isn't good.

Not because they are trying to steal my Joy, but because it has stolen their Joy.

My husband doesn't get it, and he doesn't approve.

My sisters don't get it, one to the point of being quite unpleasant.

My kids won't get it.

People at large think it is weird.

Extreme.

But here is where the rubber meets the road...

This is NOT about "me". And it is NOT about what anyone else thinks. It is about my walk with the Lover of My Soul. It is about obedience to My King. It is about my deep and abiding love for the One Who Died For Me.

It is about the Centrality of Jesus.

It is about Worshipping Him in Spirit and Truth.

PLEASE. Do not let this weirdo cause you to look away from the One Who Died For YOU!

If you don't like it...

You can call me anything you want; odds are good you call me what you want anyway.

Don't stop seeking HIM because you are afraid that you will go off the deep end too.

Don't stop praying, seeking wisdom and revelation, because you don't want to involuntarily start acting like a Jesus-Freak.

This is my walk.

Christ Be Magnified!

Whatever you do, seek Him, and find Him while He can be found! Deuteronomy 4:29; Acts 17:27; Jeremiah 29:12-14

Give your whole heart to Him and receive His whole heart for yourself.

I can guarantee you, you won't start praying in tongues in public, or feel compelled to change your name, or start walking up to strangers and taking them in your arms to pray for their blind eyes to open...that just so happens to be how I do it, when the LORD moves within me.

Don't avoid Him because you don't like the way I do it.

He loves you, and wants to move through you to advance His Kingdom.

You are a part of His plan for the redemption of many.

Don't let my special brand of "extreme" be a hiccup in your walk with Him.

Christ Be Magnified!

I have learned in the past several years that it is my birthright as a blood-bought child of the Most High King to Hear Him, Know His Voice, and Follow Him. That's what the Bible says. Check out John Chapter Ten!! It is for you, too. I have learned that every word of the Bible is TRUE and FOR ME! It is for you, too. And you will walk it out differently than I do. And that is Good.

Just promise to walk it out.

Christ Be Magnified!

Look up, Child!

Keep your eyes on Jesus!

Seek Him, trust Him, Fall in Love with Him, Listen to Him, and Obey Him.

It is the most precious and beautiful place to find yourself.

Surrender. Lay it all down...at the feet of Jesus!

John 4:23 says, in the story of the Woman at the Well, "but the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship Him". Do this!

Christ Be Magnified!

Today is the Day of Salvation! 2 Corinthians 6:2

Christ Be Magnified!

Before you go, allow me to Pray for you:

Dear Abba Father!

Thank You for Today, and Thank You for the Blessings that are falling on my Life. I pray now, in Jesus' name, that You pour out Your Blessings on the lives of everyone who sees this! I pray that they will each come to know You in the ways that You have planned for them. I pray that nothing would stop them in their walk with You; that no weapon formed against them will prosper. I pray that each will step toward You Today...Your Word says that if we draw nigh unto You, You will draw near to us...LORD! Let this be the case in every life that I touch this day! Reveal Your Grace & Truth Today! We need You and we love You!

Christ Be Magnified!

LORD! You are Holy, and Beautiful, and Perfect...You are my Everything!

In Jesus' Name, AMEN!