In short she talked about possessing the Promised Land. I think when we plan to make any sort of big change, whether its a child, a spouse, or in my case a new city and school system, we have these idealistic perspectives that once we are there, we have arrived. We think that everything is going to be great because this is the thing we have been praying and believing God for. This is our Promised Land! And then, as Christine put it, we face the Jericho wall. To the Israelites who had wandered for 40 years in the Wilderness after 400 years of slavery, crossing that Jordan River must have been a surreal moment. Not quite the same as seeing the Gateway Arch that day two months ago, but you get the idea. And then…they see a wall, a gigantic fortified Jericho Wall. Christine challenged us by asking, “What are you going to do when you face that Jericho Wall?” You stay in the Word, you stay in prayer, you stay in faith, you keep marching! You never know when that wall is going to come down!

Here I am two months later, and I see a gigantic Jericho wall. A wall marked by generational poverty and racism, a wall of an educational system that failed my students leaving many of them at 2nd and 3rd grade level equivalency (“A hypothesis? Who has ever heard such a strange word”), a wall of aggression where you have to fight to get what you want, and a wall that leaves me completely and utterly spent at the end of each day. I start to understand why so many missionaries and first year teachers don’t make it past that first year. They faced the Jericho Wall and high-tailed it back around.

What about me? I’m going to keep marching. Some days that march is filled with victory after victory (a student running into my room completely broken because her uncle is in jail, giving me the opportunity to minister), a student who had an academic breakthrough after being convinced they weren’t smart enough to excel in my class, an open door to invite friends to our new church plant, and a building getting locked in to launch services for the church (PTL!!!). Other days I’m crawling around the wall with my school breaks marked by tears in the dean’s office or on the bathroom floor (yes folks…it happened), or a student threatening another student causing the complete derailment of my class. But at the end of the day…I just keep marching! I march because a wall doesn’t mean I am not in the Promised Land and the blessings and fruitfulness the Lord promised me and my church aren’t right in front of me and around the next bend.

The truth is the Israelites not just faced the Jericho Wall, but seven years of conquest before they settled into the Land they promised. The false belief that arrival in the Land means the struggle isn’t real is what causes so many to give up on spouses, children, or their mission field. That isn’t going to be my story. That isn’t going to mark the Rock St. Louis. We keep marching…that wall will come down!

To learn more about Jenn Burris and keep up with her blog, visit:

https://ledbygracesite.wordpress.com/blog/

December 21, 2015
Minister Sharon W. Jones
Integrity of Heart Ministries

The Journey

The Christian Journey is about hearing the call of God, answering the call of God, and sharing the call of God on your life. Father God invites you through the Cross of Christ to go on the Journey with Him to fulfill a destiny that He has already planned for you before the foundation of the world. This destiny is deposited in you in seed form in your born-again spirit. The Bible describes the Word of God as incorruptible seed. So, when you receive Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, into your spirit, He is the incorruptible seed and His presence within your spirit activates your destiny and the Journey that has been ordained for you.

When you are born into the earth realm through your biological parents you are born into a set of circumstances that you have no control over. Good, bad or indifferent, the hand that you are dealt is never too complicated for God's grace, mercy, and love. From the beginning, Father God is wooing you by His Holy Spirit to hear the call from Him and embark on the Journey of faith in relationship with Him. The Father calls you by arranging people, places, and circumstances to get your attention. As you travel along the Journey your character and values are developed as you make choices and have choices made for you, both positive and negative. When eternity intersects with time and you experience an encounter with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, you answer the call to go deeper down the path of the Journey.

The Journey now becomes a time of discovery of who God is and who you are in Christ. You begin to discover the abilities and gifts that God has deposited within you and you begin to develop these gifts. For many of us we have a great zeal for God during this season, but we lack depth in revelation knowledge needed for maturity on the Journey. Life, with its cares and disappointments, begins to happen and seemingly contradicts your understanding of the promises of God. You begin to stumble and fall but there is always that still, small voice telling you to get back up and trust and believe again. It is during these times that you must fight the good fight of faith and continue to press towards the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus. It is during these times that you must cast down every imagination and high thing that exalts itself against the revealed knowledge of God. This part of the Journey is the battle for the soul (mind, will, emotions). Outlasting the contradictions of life by the obedience of faith and winning the battle for your soul prepares you to enterthe REST of God and fulfill His purpose and mission for you as a mature “son of God”.

The final leg of the Journey is where you are able to share the call and bless a multitude of people because of the victories you experienced on the Journey to true freedom in Christ. You are now anointed to prophetically speak into the lives of others and stir up their faith in the areas of your victories. Your legacy will be one of obedience and faithfulness to the call of God on your life. When your mission is completed you will be able to say like Jesus, “Father, I finished the work you gave me to do” or like the Apostle Paul, “I fought a good fight . . . I finished the course”. Glory to God!

Scripture Readings: Ephesians 2:10; 1 Peter 1:23; Jeremiah 1:5; 1 Peter 4:10-11; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Romans 10:2-3; Mark 4:16-17; 1 Timothy 6:12; Philippians 3:14; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Hebrews 4:10; Romans 8:14; John 17:1-4; 2 Timothy 4:6-8

December 19, 2015
Minister Sharon W. Jones
Integrity of Heart Ministries

Your God-Given Mission Statement

I remember in the mid-90’s when the LORD spoke to my spirit and gave me my personal mission statement in the earth for the New Life He had given me in Christ. I was still working in Corporate America at the time, so the mission statement was given to me in the language I was accustomed to hearing in the meeting rooms of the large Chemical Company that I worked for. Below is my God-given mission statement:

“To give of my time, talent, and treasure as God has prospered me by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ in a way that draws the unsaved to Christ, edifies the body of Christ, and blesses the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of whom God chooses to cross my path, so that God is glorified.”

I can truly say that this divine mission statement has been manifesting in my life continually as I walk in obedience to the Holy Spirit.It has been my life’s compass in my decision-making. Even when I have missed the mark, my mission statement serves as my “True North” to help me make the necessary course corrections as guided by the Holy Spirit.

It is critical to note that this is a “God-given” mission statement that was birthed out of my relationship with Father God, through Jesus Christ. Every follower of Christ has a God-given mission statement that when faithfully executed, advances the Kingdom of God here in the earth realm. Your mission statement will be revealed through your personal worship and fellowship time with Father God through His Holy Spirit. I encourage you to ask the Father for your mission statement during your moments of intimacy with Him. Grab a pen and paper and be ready to write down whatever He speaks to your spirit. Ask Him to give you a Scripture that supports your mission statement. For me, the Scripture given was St. Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.” This has become my life’s verse to accompany my life’s mission statement.

Even Jesus found Himself in the Scriptures and declared His God-given mission statement to the people gathered in the synagogue. So, when you discover your personal mission statement from God, know that you are most definitely in GOOD COMPANY!

Luke 4:16-21

¹⁶ So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.¹⁷ And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of theLordisupon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,^[j&91;
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,T
o set at liberty those who are oppressed;¹⁹
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”<sup>[k&91;

20</sup> Then He closed the book, and gaveitback to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.²¹ And He began to say to them,“Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

September 28, 2015
Minister Sharon W. Jones
Integrity of Heart Ministries

Romans 10:17 (NKJV) ¹⁷ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:17 reveals to us that we receive faith when we hear the Word of God. According to Scripture, without faith it is impossible to please God. So, it is imperative that we understand how and where faith comes from. It's important as Believers to understand that faith comes by hearing and NOT by reading.

It is only when we hear the Word of God, illuminated by the Spirit of God, that our soul is anchored in the truth of the Word that has been revealed to us. This is how faith comes. When pressure comes against your soul, faith gives you the ability to stand on the truth that was spoken to you by the Holy Spirit. God revealed this truth to me when I was studying Matthew 8:13 in the Bible about 10 years ago. I was fascinated by the fact that the centurion soldier had said to Jesus to speak the word only and his servant would be healed. The Scripture says that Jesus marveled at the faith of the centurion and said to him, “As you have believed,so let it be done for you”. I remember staying in this particular verse for weeks asking the Lord “Is this true that you will do whatever I believe you are able to do?”

During this time of my meditation on this Scripture, my husband and I had been prayerfully standing in agreement for a four bedroom home to rent for our family. We were in a situation where we were in the process of a short sale of our home and our credit was not good. In spite of our circumstances, in a moment of divine agreement, we still believed that we would be able to find a 4 bedroom house to rent. So, we began looking in the newspaper almost on a daily basis. My husband looked more often than I did. However, on this one particular day when I was still meditating on Matthew 8:13, I remember my husband, after having looked at the newspaper that day, telling me that there were no four bedroom rental properties listed. After he had gone to work, for some reason, I picked up that newspaper and began looking at it. Surprisingly, I saw a four bedroom rental property and circled it. I remember calling my husband about it and he reminded me that he had looked thoroughly through the newspaper and there were no four bedrooms listed. I told him I was looking at one and gave him the location.

After my phone conversation with my husband, I continued meditating on Matthew 8:13 and to my wonderful surprise I heard the Lord say, “Go lay hands on the house and receive it in Jesus’ Name”. I was amazed that I heard God's voice behind the Word that I was meditating on regarding this particular house that I had just seen in the newspaper. I called my husband back and told him what the Lord had said. He immediately encouraged me to do what I heard the Lord say to me. So, I got up and drove to the house. I looked at the house, walked around the house, and then laid my hands on the house and said, “I receive you in Jesus’ Name”. Immediately, a supernatural peace and a supernatural knowing that the house was mine came into my spirit. There was a joy that I cannot explain other than it was supernatural. I had heard the voice of God and “faith” came. I acted on what I had heard, and “more faith came”. I went home and told my husband and our children that we should get boxes and start packing up because we were moving. I remember my husband looking at me and saying, “You don't even know whether we have the house yet”. I remember saying, “Oh, we have it. It's ours”.

Sure enough, in spite of our credit issues, the owner of the house called us one day and said, “I'm not sure why I'm renting this house to you but I feel like I should give you a second chance.” Glory to God! I knew that we would get that phone call because when I laid hands on that house and received it in Jesus’ Name, as I had been instructed to do, there was a supernatural knowing that the house belonged to us. This was truly a Matthew 8:13 moment for me. The Lord was teaching me that truly whatever I could believe HIM for it would be done for me in His Name.

Scripture Readings: Romans 10:14-17; Hebrews 11:1-6; Matthew 8:5-13

Proverbs 18:21 (AMP)
²¹ Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life&91;.

Proverbs 18:21 (MSG)
²¹ Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.

One of the greatest revelations that the Church desperately needs to understand is that the power of life and death is in the tongue. The words that come out of our mouths have tremendous power. The words that we speak set the course and direction for our lives day by day. This is a powerful truth that the Church, as a whole, has overlooked for too long - our words are seeds. The words that we choose to speak originate from the divine realm or they originate from the demonic realm. There is no “in between”. Jesus declared that the words that He speaks are spirit and life. If His words are spirit and life then the enemy of our soul, the devil, also has words, but they are spirit and death.

Words begin as thoughts in seed form that enter the human spirit and are implanted in our souls. When we meditate on these thoughts in our mind, our emotions become attached to these thoughts and we exercise our will to open our mouths and utter words emanating from these thoughts. The words that come out of our mouths either build up or tear down. The words that come out of our mouths either align with the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of the devil.

We must choose to meditate on and believe in the words of Jesus so that truth fills our soul with eternal life. We are then able to choose to speak words that bring life to us and everyone around us. Jesus declared that our words justify us and our words condemn us. Our words produce fruit that leads to life or fruit that leads to death in the circumstances of our lives. When we find ourselves in a situation of darkness that may be sickness, financial lack, or relationship trouble, we must not speak out of our negative emotions, but we must choose words that line up with the truth of God's Word so that life is produced in the situation. It is so easy to respond out of emotions of anger, frustration, bitterness, jealousy, and unforgiveness and speak words of death. These seeds of death are implanted into our own soul and the souls of the people around us and do not give grace to those who are listening to us.

We so easily block the grace of God with our words. For example, we may sneeze and immediately choose to say, “I think I'm catching a cold”, when we could choose to say, “I thank you Lord that by your stripes I was healed”. We say things like, “I'm broke”, “I don’t know how I’m going to pay my bills”, when we could choose to say, “Lord, I thank you that you have supplied all of my needs according to your riches in glory in Christ Jesus”. We say “My husband gets on my nerves” or “My wife nags me to no end” when we could choose to say, “Thank you Lord that my husband loves me the way Christ loves the church”, or “Lord, thank you for helping me to love my wife the way Christ loves the church”.

Every moment of every day we get to choose whether we speak words of life or words of death because the power of life and death is in our tongues. So remember, “there’s power in your mouth”.

Scripture Readings: John 6:63; 1 Peter 1:23; Matthew 12:33-37; Ephesians 4:29; 1 Peter 2:24; Philippians 4:19; Ephesians 5:22-26

August 17, 2015
Minister Sharon W. Jones
Integrity of Heart Ministries

John 1:1-3, 14
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.² He was in the beginning with God.³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Scripture declares in the first chapter of the book of John that in the beginning the Word was with God and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. From the beginning the spoken Word of God produced that which we can see in the earth realm and that which we cannot see in the universe. God said in the very beginning in Genesis, “Let there be light”; and there was light. Scripture declares that this light was the life of men. Jesus declared that He is the Light of the world (John 8:12). He is the spoken Word of God manifested in human flesh. All of creation was generated from the spoken Word of God.

Mankind disobeyed the Voice/Word of God and was separated from Eternal Life (the Tree of Life) in the Garden of Eden. The birth of Jesus was the manifestation of the Word of God spoken in Genesis 3:15. From the beginning the pattern has always been the same – a spoken, Spirit-filled Word becomes flesh. Jesus is the spoken, Spirit-filled Word of God sent to bring eternal life back to men (1 Corinthians 15:45). Through the Spirit of Jesus Christ in us we can speak Spirit-filled words that manifest God’s goodness in our lives and the lives of others. Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

As Believers, we must hear the Word of God, believe the Word of God, speak the Word of God, and act on the Word of God to see the Word of God manifested in the earth. Jesus demonstrated this pattern for us in His life. He modeled a life submitted to God by the Voice of the Spirit of God within Himself (John 5:30 AMP). Every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is a carrier of His Presence. His Presence within us is the Eternal Life that Jesus was resurrected from the dead to give back to us. So, Scripture declares that we are now the “light of the world” (Matt 5:14). As carriers of His Light we are able to hear from God, speak what God is saying, act on what God is saying and see God manifest Himself in the earth. This is the supernatural Christian life that was ordained by God for all believers to live.

Scripture declares that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God preached (Romans 10:17). So, we begin by meditating on the Word of God that we heard preached. As we meditate on the Word of God, the Spirit of God illuminates His Word and releases faith for us to believe what we have heard. As we continue to meditate on the Word we heard, the Spirit of God will speak to our spirit in the form of a divine instruction. We must then act on what we have heard. Sometimes it is as simple as hearing God say, “Be still and know that I am God”. When we act on a divine instruction from God we will see the supernatural power of God (grace) manifest on our behalf to do what we could not do. This manifestation is the glory (goodness) of God that brings transformation in our lives and the lives of others around us. This is “hearing to see” God in all of His power and His goodness.

Scripture Readings: John 1:1-14; John 8:12; 1 Corinthians 15:45; John 6:63; John 5:30; Matthew 5:14; 1 Corinthians 2:9-16; John 14:21; Gen 3:15; Gal 4:4; Romans 10:17; Psalm 46:10; Proverbs 18:21

August 9, 2015
Minister Sharon W. Jones
Integrity of Heart Ministries

Colossians 1:15-16 (NKJV)
¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.¹⁶ For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

I can remember years ago when the Lord started drawing me to Him. In particular, I can remember having just started working for the DuPont Company in Wilmington, Delaware after graduating from college. I was very excited to be working and earning an income. However, after a few years into the routine of going to work and coming home, I remember wondering about the purpose of my life. This question invaded my thought life on a regular basis.Often my thinking would almost take me into another realm as I pondered why human beings were here on this earth.

I believed in God but I didn't know Him. This constant thought about my purpose in life came along with a recurring dream that I would have. In this dream there would be total darkness with thousands of flickering stars and I would find myself falling in a downward spiral into this darkness among these stars. It seemed like I was in outer space, just falling and falling and falling, and I would wake up full of fear. I now believe that that dream was a picture of my condemned soul knowing that it was going to live eternally separated from God unless my purpose was found in Him.

The love of God began to draw me and eventually I did find my way to Jesus through a Baptist church that I began attending in Wilmington. I believe I thought in the beginning of my walk with Jesus, like so many others do, that I was okay now because I had been saved from going to hell and was now on my way to heaven. Jesus was my Savior and Lord in name only because my thinking had not been renewed. So, I thought that I could continue with my plans, my desires, and my will and add Jesus into what I was doing. I thought that I could get Jesus to bless, agree with, and move forward the things that I wanted to do. When the frustrations of a life lived with one foot in the world and one foot in the church began to cause me to wonder what the true Christian life was all about, the Lord began to reveal to me that Christianity is not about me but all about Him.

I realized that I had been trying to walk out my Christian faith under the doctrine of “Me, Myself, and I” with a little Jesus added in. This is a carnal life that produces no results that bring glory to God, only a life in silent defeat wearing a mask every Sunday to the church house. By the grace of God, through faith in the Word of God, my mind began to be renewed to the truth of God and I realized that this life was all about Jesus. This life that I had been given by God was not about me trying to follow the dictates of the world's way and become what I wanted to be, but about me becoming my true self – the self that God intended for me to be and had prepared for me before the foundations of the earth.

It's all about Jesus. It's all about Him. When Jesus died, I died. When Jesus was buried, I was buried.When Jesus was resurrected, I was resurrected. When Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, I ascended to the right hand of the Father. Jesus, the Christ, is my new and true self.This is why Paul said in Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and thelifewhich I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me”.

The same way I received the gift of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus is the same way I'm to live my life daily, by grace through faith in Jesus. In other words, grace (God's undeserved, unmerited favor) has already provided a life that brings glory to God for me to live on this earth. This new life is hidden in Christ and must be discovered. Faith in Jesus revealed to us through His Word by His Spirit releases the grace that God has already provided to bring to pass everything ordained for our lives. Renewing your mind to the truth of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, enables you to rest in the work that He has finished for your life now lived out through His resurrected life. This means you do not have to strive for anything in life.You learn to walk daily with a “moment by moment trust” in the purpose and provision that God has prepared and provided the grace for. You learn to yield to His Holy Spirit and to obey His voice as you hear it to accomplish what He ordained for each day of your life. This is the Christian life, and it’s all about HIM!

Scripture Readings:  Ephesians 2:8-10; Colossians 1:15-17, 26-27; Galatians 2:20; John 5:30; Philippians 2:13; Matthew 11:28-30; Matthew 6:33

John 14:30 (AMP)
³⁰ I will not talk with you much more, for the prince (evil genius, ruler) of the world is coming. And he has no claim on Me. [He has nothing in common with Me; there is nothing in Me that belongs to him, and he has no power over Me.&91;

Imagine being able to say what Jesus said in John 14:30. Imagine being able to say that the enemy of your soul has nothing in you that belongs to him. This means that there is nothing in you that resembles the devil’s nature. There is nothing in you that he can attach himself to and manifest a work of the flesh in your life.

The works of the flesh are immorality, impurity, indecency, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, envy, and the like. Imagine that there is nothing in you that is a reproduction of these works of the flesh. In 1 John 3:8b we read, “The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done&91;.”Jesus Christ through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to our Heavenly Father has made it possible for us to walk daily in His victory.

John 14:30 is the ultimate goal for the believer in Christ Jesus - to be able to say that the enemy of my soul has nothing in me. When we become partakers of the divine nature of Christ we have power over sin. Old things from our human nature void of God have passed away, and all things are now made new through the Spirit of Christ in us. We do not have to manifest the nature of the devil because we can now choose to manifest the nature of Christ (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control) by an act of our free will influenced by the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:16 (AMP) says, “But I say, walk and live [habitually&91; in the [Holy&91; Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit&91;; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).”

Given this truth a believer can never use, “I couldn't help myself”, as an excuse for behavior that resembles the devil. When we choose to act like the devil we must repent (change the way we think and turn to God) as soon as we are convicted by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will never make us feel guilty. He will simply convict us to remind us of who we really are in Christ Jesus. He will let us know when our thoughts, words, and actions do not reflect who we are in Christ Jesus. He will remind us that we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. We must then decide who we wish to resemble going forward. The choice is yours.

Scripture Readings: John 14:30 (AMP); 1 John 3:8 (AMP); John 8:44 (AMP); 2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMP); Galatians 5:16 (AMP)

To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances.
To seek Him is the greatest of all adventures.
To find Him is the greatest human achievement. 
– Author Unknown

What you believe about our Heavenly Father God is the most important thing about you. I can only begin to tell you what it means to have a reconciled relationship with Him through Jesus Christ and to be aware of His Presence on a daily basis.

In Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG) Jesus says, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you will recover your life. I will show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you will learn to live freely and lightly.”

While on earth Jesus declared that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man can come to the Father in Heaven except through Him. Christianity is all about Jesus. Christianity is not a religion. No amount of empty religious activity can reunite us with the love of the Father. Only a personal relationship with Jesus, the Christ, can reconcile humanity back to our Father in Heaven. The only thing that religion can give us is a form of godliness that dresses up on the outside but on the inside is full of death. Religion can give you a Sunday morning ritual but the rest of the week you live in defeat.

Our adversary, the devil, has a mission of recreating himself in the souls of mankind. Humanity’s sin (disobedience to God’s ways in thoughts, words, and actions) separated us from God and united us with the devil. The worship language of hell is selfishness, hatred, anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, depression, fear, and every evil desire. The worship language of Heaven is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. When we believe, think, and act like the devil, we give off the stench of death in the atmosphere and we draw all types of evil and death in our direction. The worship language of hell is poisonous to the soul (mind, will, emotions). These toxic thoughts and emotions produce sickness, disease, suicidal thoughts, and everything that resembles the devil’s nature.

When we choose to give our life to Jesus who paid the penalty for humanity’s sin with His death on the Cross, we are forgiven of all sin, and reunited with our Heavenly Father God. He plants Himself inside of us by His Holy Spirit and we begin to change from the inside out. He gives us the seed of faith, hope, and love. As we study and meditate on the Word of God and allow it to go into our souls, Jesus, by His Spirit in us, changes us from the inside out. We are then able to walk in love because we are finally free from ourselves. To be selfish is to be like the devil. To walk in love is to be like our Heavenly Father God who is Love. Jesus gave us the way to die to selfishness and become just like our Father in Heaven. When we allow Jesus to live in us and flow through us we become a sweet smelling fragrance of life that draws life to us and blesses other people.

Through a relationship with Jesus we are able to hear our Heavenly Father’s voice. When we obey the Father’s voice, we receive the grace of the Father that comes through our relationship with Jesus. Grace is the supernatural power of God to walk out His Truth. Grace is the divine influence of God on our hearts that is reflected in our lives and interactions with people. It is by the grace of God that we live, that we move, and that we have our being. Grace is God's ability in Himself alone to bring to our lives everything we need when we need it. With God's grace we do not have to figure things out. With God’s grace, we do not have to make things happen and we do not have to preserve ourselves. In Christ we have been recreated for good works that God prepared beforehand for us to walk in them. Once we come into a relationship with Jesus we are rediscovering who we were created to be step by step and day by day as we release the desire to control our own lives.

A real encounter with Jesus is like discovering a new radio station. You realize you've been tuned in to the wrong station all your life. You discover this new radio frequency and your eyes are opened. The burdens of your heart are lifted because you have been given new life and you are aware of it. The love of God floods your heart and you realize how much you are loved by your Heavenly Father, your Creator. It no longer matters what anybody thinks of you, says about you, or has done to you because you are so grateful that your Heavenly Father approves of you. When you know how much you're loved by your Heavenly Father all fear leaves. You no longer have to try to “take care of number one” and lie, steal, and cheat to do it. Your Heavenly Father has already taken care of you and will continue to take care of you if you listen and obey His voice. His voice will always cause you to walk in love, not strife; love, not confusion; love, not anger; love, not bitterness; love, not jealousy. You can finally live a life truly FREE from YOU.

This is Eternal Life. This is Kingdom Living. This is my prayer, that each of you will encounter Jesus Christ on a level that you've never encountered Him before so that you can be free from yourselves and become carriers of His Presence to bless not only your families but everyone that God puts in your realm of influence, so that God gets all the Glory.

Because HE Lives,
Sharon Wright Jones

The Gospel story, full of Your Glory, in spirit and in truth,
That transforming Glory that tells the story
Of a redeemed life no longer in strife . . .

Open my eyes to see Your Glory,
That I may run and tell the story
Of Your Son and my Savior, Jesus Christ . . .

The Gospel story, full of His Glory, in spirit and in truth,
That transforming Glory that tells the story
Of One Man’s Name exchanged for another man’s shame . . .

Open my eyes to see Your Glory,
That I may run and tell the story
Of a Peace that surpasses all understanding. . .

The Gospel story, full of Your Glory, in spirit and in truth,
That transforming Glory that tells the story
Of Love’s sacrifice for me and for you.