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“Table For Two”

I don’t have to close my eyes to re-live one of my most cherished memories. Captured in my thoughts and stored in my heart, it is a beautiful scene that I often revisit.

It’s a chilly winter night, and the intimate “table for two” is set against a quaint brick wall in the small dining room of a cozy restaurant in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The ambiance creates an atmosphere of expectancy, igniting questions of hopeful love to swirl through my thoughts and dance through my heart! Is this “The One?” I wonder, My Knight in Shining Armor? The man that God has called to be my husband?

Song Of Solomon 2:4 (AMPC);

“He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me was love [for love waved as a protecting and comforting banner over my head when I was near Him].”

Through the flickering candlelight, I can see in Mark’s eyes the “Protecting Presence of God’s Banner of Love” waving over my heart. His beautiful blue eyes reflect an inviting Peace that is both comforting and intimidating to me at the same time. As a fairly new Believer, I wonder, How could this handsome and Godly man be interested in me? At moments I feel like I am in the midst of the most beautiful dream that I never want to end!

For once in my life, the “Cinderella Shoe” fits and I’m wearing it!

It has been several years since the concert in Dover, Delaware. My best friend growing up begs me to go with her; at first, I’m not interested since I’m not a big fan of “rock music” and had never heard the term “Christian Rock” before. Besides, I have not been feeling well, and it’s going to take us a few hours to get to our destination from where we live.

Several phone calls later and a promise that we will stop to get something to eat finds me on the road to Dover! As we journey along, my friend, who has previously dated the bands’ drummer, realizes that we are running late and decides to forego the food. After all, there is no time to waste!

Getting to the Church where the concert is taking place catches me by surprise, where is everybody?

As people begin to filter in, the lights dim, and the atmosphere begins to shift, dry ice adds to the mystique of the moment. Suddenly, the spotlight highlights a guy blindfolded in a plexiglass phone booth-shaped box, wearing a red shirt. From an opening in the top of the box, there is a key hanging from a string dangling in front of him.

As the music starts, the guy in the box grabs the key takes the blindfold off, swings the door wide open, steps out, and confronts another guy dressed as a demon. As they go through the motions of a staged fight between good and evil, I am intrigued by what I am witnessing.

This “staged” fight seems a lot like the life that I am currently living. I am a reasonably new Believer in Jesus Christ, yet the ties to my past are strong, and I am having a difficult time “Breaking Free” from a very toxic relationship in my life. I find out later that this is one reason my friend has asked me to accompany her to the concert.

By now, the guy in the box has won his fight against the force of evil, and the band comes out in full force. The guy in red is singing a song that he wrote entitled, “I Surrender.” With tears stinging my eyes and rolling down my cheeks, God uses every lyric he sings to fully open the eyes of my heart and break me free from the “soul ties” of my past.

For the first time in my life, I am not afraid to Dine with Father God at His “Table for Two.”

Revelation 3:20 (TPT);

“Behold, I’m standing at the door, knocking. If your heart is open to hear my voice and you open the door within, I will come into you and feast with you, and you will feast with me.”

Feasting with God at His “Table for Two,” created a “Holy Hunger” within me, a True Divine Appetite. Yes, “I Surrendered” to God’s Perfect Will for my life that night, and I am so glad I did!

Many years later, I can testify that the beauty of my relationship with Mark, (the guy who was in the box that night) is that WE BOTH LOVE GOD MORE THAN WE LOVE EACH OTHER! We have learned to continually dine at Father God’s, “Table for Two,” developing our intimacy with Him individually through His Word before communing as husband and wife.

Why?……because anything less would be idolatry!

Deuteronomy 5:7 (AMPC);

“You shall have no other gods before Me or besides Me.”

Idolatry is the antithesis of intimacy with God.

Idolatry is the devil’s playground.

Idolatry is the force behind “crimes of passion!”

Idolatry is the trap that the enemy will use to destroy your intimacy with God and kill the relationships in your life, spirit, soul, and body!

Merriam Webster Dictionary:

IDOLATRY = The worship of a physical object as a God.

ANTITHESIS = The Direct Opposite.

My friend, when you and I choose to love someone, something, or even our desires more than God, that person or thing becomes an “object of our worship.” our god! By desecrating our hearts in this manner, we sit and dine at the tables of “foreign gods,” feasting on the carnality of our fleshly desires. This heart action works in “The Direct Opposite” to developing True Intimacy with God, at His Holy, “Table for Two.”

The danger in all of this, “idol worship,” is that our true soul satisfaction can never come from any source outside of the “One True Source,” Jesus Christ!

John 4:13-14 (TPT);

“Jesus answered, If you drink from Jacob’s well, you’ll be thirsty again and again,” “but if anyone drinks the Living Water I give them, they will never thirst again and will be forever satisfied! For when you drink the water I give you, it becomes a gushing fountain of The Holy Spirit, springing up and flooding you with endless life!”

To drink from the well of human efforts will bring disappointment, and leave us spiritually dry, brittle, and thirsty “again and again. “However, drinking the “Living Water” of Jesus Christ will fill our souls to the Brim with Him! We become a “Gusher” of Holy Spirit Power as He “Springs up and Floods us with Endless Life!”

Whose dining table are you sitting at, my friend?

Have you chosen to dine at the table of foreign gods?

Have you answered God’s RSVP for Eternity?

I am so grateful that God, “Who Is,” “Love Himself,” offers His Love to us in all of the “Right Places.” My journey with Mark began at The Most Important “Table For Two” FIRST. The Table of Intimacy With God, Dining on His Word and Feasting on His Presence!

When I reflect, my heart’s deepest desire was to meet and marry a man who LOVED GOD MORE THAN HE LOVED ME! In Mark, I have found that “Dream Come True!”

Luke 12:37 (TPT):

“What great joy is ahead for The Awakened Ones who are for The Master’s return. He Himself will become their servant and wait on them at His Table as He passes by.”

Be Strong and Live Free…………..Boldly For Him!

© 2021 Clare Matthews – Boldly For Him. “All Rights Reserved.”

Photo: Raissa Lara Lutolf ( -Fasel )

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Unshakable Hope

Did you know that as Born Again Believers in Christ Jesus, that you and I have a “Hope Chest?” I’m not talking about a cedar chest filled with “earthen treasures.” I am referring to a “Heavenly Hope Chest,” an “Unshakable Hope,” that God wants everyone to know.

Merriam Webster Dictionary:

UNSHAKABLE = Not possible to weaken or get rid of, Not able to be shaken.

HOPE = To cherish a desire with anticipation to want something to be true.

Colossians 1:23 (b) (TPT);

“Never be shaken from the Hope of The Gospel you have believed in. And this is the glorious News I preach all over the world.”

How does our hope in The Gospel of Jesus Christ remain unshaken?

We continue to advance in Faith.

How do we advance in Faith when everything around us is being shaken?

By tapping into our “Heavenly Hope Chest.”

Where is our “Heavenly Hope Chest” found?

Colossians 1:26-27 (TPT) lets us in on this “secret surprise”;

There is a divine mystery, a secret surprise, that has been concealed from the world for generations, but now it’s being revealed, unfolded, and manifested for every Holy Believer to experience.” “Living within you is The Christ Who Floods you with the expectation of Glory! This mystery of Christ, embedded within us, becomes a Heavenly Treasure Chest of Hope filled with The Riches of Glory for His people, and God wants everyone to know it!”

Jesus Christ, The Son of The Living God, is “embedded within us!”

Merriam Webster Dictionary:

EMBEDDED = Attached to a military unit or group for some purpose (such as covering a conflict or providing expert advice.)

Oxford Languages Dictionary:

EMBEDDED = (Of an object) fixed firmly and deeply in a surrounding mass, implanted.

In this case, my friend the PersonHood of Jesus Christ is “The One” fixed firmly and deeply within the surrounding mass of our spirit man’s heart when we invite Him to be our Lord and Savior.

This is powerful, Jesus Christ, through salvation has been “IMPLANTED” within us!

Not only that, He is our “Ever Present Help in a time of trouble.” Ref. Psalm 46:1. He covers us in every conflict that may come our way, always providing us with “Expert Advice” just when we need it! As we choose to stay connected to Jesus Christ, Who is our “Heavenly Treasure Chest of Hope,” drawing our strength from Him, we will remain faith-filled and rock-solid in The Kingdom of Heaven. This stance of faith enables us to become reliable, joyful dispensers of “His Divine Unshakable Hope,” wherever we go! Glory To God!

While praying and asking God to make this word, “A revelation from His Heart and not merely a human explanation,” He shared something very profound with me about Divine Hope…..

WE ARE GOD’S HOPE CHEST!

When The Lord shared His Word with me, I was surprised and began to ponder it throughout the day. Early in the morning, when I woke up, I continued to think about what He had shared with me and then I asked The Lord:

“God, how are we YOUR Hope Chest?”

Immediately came The Reply of The Lord:

“I have placed Eternity within the hearts of men, IN HOPES that man would live for ME!”

Wow! God Has Hopes! I had never heard that before. I got excited with expectation! The Lord then gave me the following scripture:

Ecclesiastes 3:11(AMPC);

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy], yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”

Can you see this friend? The whole worth of Heaven has been, Divinely Deposited within us because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ at Calvary! We are “God’s Hope Chest,” a “Heavenly Treasure Chest” filled with “The Riches of His Glory!” This is our “Unshakable Hope” in The Gospel of Jesus Christ that lives within us! As men and women created in The Image of God, The Lord has implanted a yearning for Eternity, a “sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy!”

Jeremiah 29:11 (AMPC);

“For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts, and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you HOPE in your final outcome.”

Do you know what God Has placed in His Hope Chest for your life?

My beloved friend, God Has Eternal High Hopes For Us! He has filled His “Hope Chest” that is you and me with His “thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give us HOPE in our final outcome!”

Why is this so important to The Heart of Father God that you and I grasp this revelation?

Proverbs 13:12 (AMP) holds the key to our answer;

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a TREE OF LIFE.”

God knows that our flesh, the enemy, and sometimes the decisions of others can detour the timing of our hopes and dreams from being realized. The result? A spiritually sick heart, which is a confused heart. When the spiritual Heart becomes confused we can potentially “skip a beat,” regarding life-altering decisions. This can cause us to misjudge the people around us and misstep the path that is before us. However, when we stay “In Sync with God,” the desires, hopes, and dreams that He has for our lives will be fulfilled. Why?….. because the root system for our “Unshakable Hope” stems from “The Tree of Life Himself,” Jesus Christ! This is how everyone will know that we are “God’s Hope Chest” and give Him ALL The Glory For Eternity!

Ephesians 6:10 (AMPC);

“In conclusion, be strong in The Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].”

“Be Strong and Live Free with an Unshakable Hope now and into Eternity…..Boldly For Him!”

© 2021 Clare Matthews – Boldly For Him. “All Rights Reserved.”

Photo By: Lena De Fanti

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“Insulated”

For years I have held back the following personal testimony, mostly in silent contemplation, sharing it only with a handful of people. It wasn’t until December 2020 that I sensed a release from The Lord to share it publicly. My prayer is that we all continue to embrace the Invaluable Power and Presence of God’s Eternal Word Spoken through “Our Mouth” no matter what situation we face.

Matthew 24:35 (TPT);

“The earth and sky will wear out and fade away before One Word I Speak loses its power or fails to accomplish its purpose.”

It was one of those late-night flights from Dallas, Texas, to Honolulu, Hawaii. Mark had just finished his final session in the recording studio for his “Still Waters Run Deep” project, and we were excited to get back home. The lights recently dimmed by the Flight Attendants, everyone began to settle down for the long ride ahead. The peaceful hum of the Jet engines created a soothing lullaby causing weary passengers to doze off. SUDDENLY like a BULLHORN FROM HEAVEN, THE AUTHORITATIVE VOICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT URGENTLY and LOUDLY DECLARED in my Spirit

“THERE IS A TERRORIST ON THIS PLANE”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FULLY ALERT and ALARMED, I remember thinking what!!!!!!!, a Terrorist! As I clutched the arm of my seat, a horrific fear that I had never experienced in my entire life, before or since began to overtake me. I quickly turned to Mark, who was quietly resting. I wanted to tell him what I had just heard from The Lord, BEFORE I COULD EVEN OPEN MY MOUTH TO SPEAK, THE VOICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT INTERJECTED, DIRECTING ME “TO NOT” SPEAK OUT LOUD WHAT HE JUST SHARED WITH ME AND TO “IMMEDIATELY” START PRAYING PSALM 91.

In quick obedience to The Instruction of The Lord, I began to quote Psalm 91verse by verse. Visibly shaken and still unsure of what was going on, I began to wonder if this was the specific reason that He had me memorize this passage of scripture several years earlier.

The more I quoted Psalm 91, the calmer my spirit became, though I remained on guard and cautious, looking over my shoulder from time to time. Getting up from my seat to go to the restroom, I could not resist scanning the plane with my eyes to confirm a sense of “normal.” As The Peace of God “INSULATED” me, I made my way back to my seat and buckled in for the remainder of the flight home, I never did say anything to Mark that night.

The mornings in Hawaii are a beautiful gift from God, and this one was no different. As I arrived at work, I suddenly wondered, “where is everyone?” Finally, the Office Manager greeted me and promptly told me that I could go home. As I questioned her why, she looked at me strangely and said, You don’t know? I replied, no. She then proceeded to tell me that several planes had flown into The World Trade Center in New York City and The Pentagon in DC. Potentially the White House and that America was under attack!

Somehow with the time zone difference and me rushing to get to work on time, I had missed the devastating news. Like the rest of the Nation, I am stunned, horrified, and in complete shock! September 11th, 2001 is a nightmare of epic proportions and one of the saddest events of American History. So, I leave the office in a state of numbness, my thoughts race back to the plane ride home that Mark and I had taken just weeks earlier, and what occurred during that flight, there is a pit in my stomach.

Throughout the ensuing years, there has been a myriad of questions that have bombarded my mind from time to time, but the Lord has Graciously answered some, others only Heaven will reveal. What I have come to realize, though, is with every fiber of my being, there was a Magnitude of God’s Divine Protection, Through His Spoken Word, which Insulated me…….and others at a very intense moment.

Proverbs 30:5 (ESV):

“Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”

At the moment that God released His Instruction to me and I obeyed, reciting Psalm 91 verse by verse, His Power and Presence released as “A Wrap-Around Shield of Protection.” To God Be The Glory! This is how God “Insulates” us with “His Word” as WE SPEAK HIM from our HEART through our MOUTH, as He Directs us.

What does it mean to Insulate Us?

Here is the Cambridge Dictionary definition of the word insulate.

Insulate = To Cover and Surround something with a material or substance, to stop heat, sound, or electricity from escaping or entering.

God’s Word Spoken through our mouth is Creative Power and Substance. “The Insulation” of His Divine Protection, Provision, Wisdom, and Favor for whatever may be needed, in our life, according to His Will. My friend, this is how His “Wrap-Around Shield of Protection” becomes our confidence. It activates and “Insulates” us for everyday life.

Hebrews 11:1-3 (NKJV) says;

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” “For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.” “By faith, we understand the worlds were framed by The Word of God so that the things which are seen, were not made of things which are visible.”

You see friends, our trust and total reliance on The Word of God Spoken through our mouth no matter what we can see, taste, touch, hear, smell, or even “feel like” is what will ultimately provide you and me with “a good testimony” like, “the elders” of faith that have gone before us! I can personally attest to that plane ride decades ago that I felt anything but courageous or overcoming. It was ONLY “HIS Word” spoken through me, “not mine” that created the “Substance,” the “Faith,” “The Frame,” “The Insulation” and ultimately the “Divine Protection” that calmed the atmosphere.

Why is speaking The Word of God so important?

Here is our answer,

Psalm 107:20 (AMPC);

“He sends His Word and heals them and delivers them from the pit and destruction.”

God can’t Send forth His Word to bring healing or deliverance, “from any pit or destruction” unless we Open our mouth and “Speak His Word,” which releases His Manifest Presence, (His Personhood) into the atmosphere surrounding the obstacle or obstacles that we may be facing at the time. Yes! His Words, coming out of our mouth my friend can alter History! Go back and read Joshua 10:12-14, in your Bible where this Mighty Man of God commanded “The sun to stand still,” in order for the Israelites to win an important victory, and you will see what I am talking about!

I have witnessed Father God Show up, time and time again when I have implemented this vital truth in my life! However, when I have failed to implement this principle in my life or have been delayed or distracted in utilizing The Word Of God against the attacks of the enemy, I have experienced some serious and costly setbacks. My friend, the cry of my heart in sharing this testimony with you, is to remind us of the importance of learning to be quick in our obedience to The Instructions of The Lord at ALL TIMES! Our life could depend on it, and for many of us, it has!

How do we learn to operate in this principle?

Through Obedience.

1st Samuel 15:22-23 (AMP);

“Samuel said, Has The Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of The Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim (household good luck images). Because you have rejected the Word of The Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”

Here the Prophet Samuel is informing a disobedient King Saul of the penalty of doing things, “his way,” (disobedience) versus “God’s Way,” (obedience). You see my friend, anytime we choose to do things “our way” outside of The Will or Direction of God for our lives, we are actually, “Rejecting God” through our disobedience. When we do this, we reject His Safety and Protection for our lives! If we continually live this way, outside of God’s Will, rejecting His Safety and Protection for our lives without making an, “About Face of The Heart,” we will, like this Ancient King, “lose everything!”

What Instructions has God given you, my friend If any, that you have yet to acknowledge or follow-up?

Are there any areas in your life that you do not sense God’s safety and protection?

Have you allowed your decisions to replace God’s Direction for your life?

Is there a passage of scripture or scriptures that The Lord has impressed you to study or memorize?

My friend, I want to encourage you to invest some time with The Lord, Listening to His Heart for Your Life. See what He has to say to you, then quickly follow through on any instructions that He has given to you. Your life and others may one day depend on it!

Psalm 119:11 (AMP);

“Your Word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

BE STRONG AND LIVE FREE……….BOLDLY FOR HIM!

© 2021 Clare Matthews – Boldly For Him. “All Rights Reserved.”

Photo By: Joanna Nix

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“The End Result”

Time is running short and He has a lot to Say. Answering His Disciples questions brings tears of compassion and frustration to His Eyes. The Unwavering Love that He has for each one of them is intense and unconditional! He knows that the road that lies ahead of them is not an easy one, just as it has not been an easy one for Him, indeed it was about to get even more difficult, yet He is in Full Agreement with His Father’s Plan for man. The lessons that His Disciples have learned from Him over the last three years will be tested in ways that they have yet to comprehend. Now with the Intensity of Eternity resounding through His Voice, Jesus Christ Speaks to them with, “The End Result” of humanity on His Mind and in His Heart.

John 14:12-14 (TPT);

“I tell you this timeless truth: The person who follows Me in faith, believing in me, will do the same Mighty Miracles that I do—even Greater Miracles than these because I go to be with My Father!” “For I will do whatever you ask Me to do when you ask Me in My Name. And that is how The Son will show what The Father Is Like and bring Glory to Him.” “Ask Me in My Name, and I Will Do it for you!”

Can you imagine how stunned the Disciples were when they heard Jesus Christ, their Beloved Friend, and Mentor, Share this, “Timeless Truth” with them? In reality, this, “Timeless Truth” is still a stunning revelation to us, one that we as Believers in Jesus Christ must cherish and keep before us in our everyday walk with The Lord.

What is this, “Timeless Truth?”

it is The Reality that through our “Faith, as Believers in Jesus Christ that we CAN through HIS Name and in HIS Strength do, The Same Mighty Miracles—even Greater Miracles” than Jesus did when He walked the Earth!

This my friend is how you and I can choose to live out our lives with, “The End Result” of humanity on our mind and in our hearts.

You see, Jesus Still Walks the Earth today……..IN US!

John 14:18-20 (TPT);

“I promise that I will never leave you helpless or abandon you as orphans—I will come back to you!” “Soon I will leave this world and they will see Me no longer, but you will see Me, because I will Live Again, and you will come alive too.” “So when that day comes, you will know that I AM Living in The Father and that you are One With Me, For I Will Be Living IN YOU.”

What is Jesus talking about here?

He is talking about His Death, Burial, and Resurrection….a Resurrection of Salvation through The Cross of Calvary! Yes, Jesus Christ Paid The Ultimate Price for our Salvation with, “The End Result” of humanity on His Mind and in His Heart

Why did He do this?

So that we too can live with that same unbroken focus towards a lost and dying world that is so desperately looking for answers! Answers that can only be found through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

What is, “The End Result” of Calvary?

Jesus Christ coming to live WITHIN US in All of His Fullness at the point of our Salvation!

You see my friend there is a Great Deposit of Heavenly Power that has been seeded within us at the point of our salvation! This is the Revelation that Jesus wanted His Disciples to understand and embrace so that they would in turn live and now us would live with, “The End Result” of Calvary on our mind because Jesus Christ now lives in our heart.

The Apostle Paul’s poignant expression of Heavenly Intercession for us in Ephesians 1:17-23 (TPT) gives us insight into the depths of “The Seed of Salvation” that lies within us as Believers in Christ Jesus;

“I pray that The Father of Glory, The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would impart to you the riches of the Spirit of Wisdom and the Spirit of Revelation to know Him through your deepening intimacy with Him.” “I pray that the Light of God will illuminate the eyes of your imagination, flooding you with light, until you experience the full revelation of the Hope of His Calling—that is, the wealth of God’s Glorious Inheritances that He finds in us, His holy ones!” “I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s Power made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement for this Immense Power as it works through you! This is the Mighty Power” “that was released when God raised Christ from the dead and exalted Him to The Place of Highest Honor and Supreme Authority in the Heavenly Realm!” “And now He is Exalted as First Above every ruler, authority, government, and realm of power in existence! He is Gloriously Enthroned over every name that is ever praised, not only in this age but in the age that is coming!” “And He Alone is The Leader and Source of Everything needed in the Church. God has put everything beneath the Authority of Jesus Christ and has given Him the Highest Rank above all others.” “And now we, His Church, are His Body on the Earth and that which Fills Him Who is being filled by it!”

What an anointed prayer from a Mighty Man of God! The Apostle Paul’s prayer invites us into an intimacy with God that brings a Heavenly Wisdom and Revelation to our Earthly lives! This allows us to “See” as God“ illuminates the eyes of our imagination with His Light! We can then experience “the full revelation of the Hope of His Calling” in our walk with Him!

As you and I continue to develop our faith in the “Immeasurable Greatness of God’s Power made available to us,” “our lives will be an advertisement of this Immense Power as it works through us!” Glory to God my friend! This is how we can boldly and confidently go about doing “the even greater miracles” that Jesus talked about in John 14:12!

Why is it so important to The Heart of God that we do these, “Even Greater Miracles?”

The Revelation for This Answer is found in Ephesians 1:23 (TPT);

“And now we, His Church, are His Body on the Earth and that which Fills Him Who is being filled by it!”

You “See” my friend the, “Best is NOT YET to come”…..”The Best HAS COME”….His Name is Jesus Christ, and we are “HIS Body on the Earth!” Fulfilling HIs Will FOR the Earth, as we are now His Church on the Earth!

For years when I would write someone a note of encouragement, I would usually include the phrase, “Your Best is Yet To Come!” Or when I would minister to someone individually or corporately, I would again encourage them with the phrase, “Your Best is Yet To Come!” However, all of that changed recently as I was preparing to write this blog. The Lord started revealing to me that when I made this statement that it put a “Spiritual Weight of Fleshly Wonderment” on the hearer, inviting them into a place of Wondering Who, What, Where, When and Why Is their breakthrough; pointing their heart and hope to an elusive place of uncertainty, rather than The Certainty of The Personhood of Jesus Christ. The added danger in utilizing this statement is that it can take away the importance of our responsibility in tapping into The “Transforming Power of God” that ALREADY resides within us at the point of our Salvation.

My friend I am not minimizing the times that we have used, said, wrote, or heard this phrase, I am being obedient to share with you what The Lord has revealed to me. I am SO Grateful for His Continued Coaching in my life!

Let us never forget that Jesus Christ IS “The End Result” for ALL Humanity, He has given you and I Access to the Most Precious Gift of All, “Himself through Salvation!”

Colossians 1:27 (TPT);

“Living within you is The Christ Who floods you with the expectation of Glory! This mystery of Christ, embedded within us, becomes a Heavenly Treasure Chest of Hope Filled with The Riches of Glory for His People, and God wants everyone to know it!”

Why does God want everyone to know it?

1st John 5:4-5 (TPT);

“You see (friend) every child of God overcomes the world, for our faith is the Victorious Power that Triumphs over the world.” “So who are the world conquerors defeating its power? Those (You Friend) who believes the Jesus Is The Son Of God.”

Happy New Year 2021!

Make it a year where you choose to…….

“Be Strong and Live Free……..Boldly For Him!”

© 2020 Clare Matthews – Boldly For Him. “All Rights Reserved.”

Photo By : Marek Mucha

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“In The Cool Of The Day”

What was it about “the cool of the day” that made their walks so special? With every step, every breath, and every idea that they shared, a supernatural; bond of love was eternally forged, between God and mankind. Daily as Adam and Eve walked with God in “The Garden of Eden,” (the home that God Had Made and prepared for them), together they discussed God’s Plans for man. This filled their hearts with joy and expectation! These times of communion with His Creation were priceless to God, and they still are! God would do anything within His Power to protect this Divine Holy Intimacy with man, and HE DID!

John 3:16 (AMPC);

“For God so greatly loved and clearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.”

Since Adam and Eve walked with God, why did He give up “His Only Begotten Son” for man?

In Genesis 3:1-13 (NKJV), we read about Adam and Eve’s “Fall of The Heart,” the reason for God’s “Sacrificial Gift” to man.

“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.  And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”  “And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;”  “but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”  “Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.”  “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.  She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.”  “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.”  “And they heard the sound of The Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from The Presence of The Lord God among the trees of the garden.”  “Then The Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”  “So he said, “I heard Your Voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself.”  “And He said, “Who told you that you were naked?  Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”  “Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”  “And The Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”  The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

By yielding to the serpent’s deception, Adam and Eve committed the “first sin” and lost their “Walk with God.” This loss of innocence and communion with God resulted in a “Breach of Heart,” an unspeakable void that could be felt throughout The Kingdom of Heaven! So great was this loss that in order to “Heal The Breach” created by man’s fall, God implemented His Own Redemptive, “Plan Of The Heart,” that we read earlier in John 3:16.

Ephesians 1:5-7 (TPT) gives us additional insight into this Redemptive, “Plan of The Heart”

“For it was always in His Perfect Plan to adopt us as His delightful children, through our union with Jesus, The Anointed One, so that His tremendous Love that cascades over us would Glorify His Grace-for the same Love He has for HIs Beloved One, Jesus, He Has for us.  And this Unfolding Plan brings Him Great Pleasure!”  “Since we are joined to Christ we have been given the Treasures of Redemption by HIS Blood-the total cancellation of our sins-all because of the cascading riches of His Grace.”

What exciting news, my friend! You and I through The Shed Blood of Jesus Christ and “The Cascading Riches of His Grace,” have been given access to Walk With God Again!  We find out in the above scriptures that, “It was always in His Perfect Plan to adopt us as His delightful children, through our union with Jesus, The Anointed One.”

So let me ask you an important question:

 Are you walking with God, or are you hiding from Him “In the cool of the day?” 

You see my friend when you and I walk with God, there is a Brilliant Illumination of The Holy Spirits’ Presence the emanates from within us.  The Resilient Eternal Glow of a Transparent Heart, that lives in total peace and harmony with “The One True God.” A peace and harmony that is so compelling that those we come in contact with are drawn to walk with God, “In the cool of the day,” as we live our lives before them.

On the other hand, when you and I decide to hide from Him  “In the cool of the day,” we forfeit our “times of refreshing” as our spiritual wells run dry.

Acts 3:19-20 (TPT) is a refreshing drink from Heaven, and a cooling oasis for our parched and weary souls;

“And now you must repent and turn back to God so that your sins will be removed, and so that times of refreshing will stream from The Lord’s Presence.”  “And He will send you Jesus, The Messiah, The Chosen One for you.”

Jesus Christ, “The Anointed One,” is our Personal Savior, my friend, “The Chosen One for You,”……and me!   

Ever since the “fall of man” in “The Garden of Eden,” God determined to bring Redemption and Restoration to EVERY Repentant Heart, that calls upon The Name of Jesus Christ for Salvation!

Now is your time, my friend! God is longing to walk with you, “In the cool of the day!”

If you are weary, dry, and loaded down with the burden of sin and ready to repent and walk with Him,“In the cool of the day,” now and forever; please join me in praying the following prayer:

“Dear Jesus, I need you and want You in my life! Please forgive me for the sins that I have committed. I repent for them now. Come into my heart Jesus and be my Lord! I want to walk with You, “In the cool of the day,” I love you, God!

With this prayer of the heart my friend, Salvation through, “The Shed Blood of Jesus Christ” is yours! The reproach of sin has FOREVER BEEN REMOVED from your life as you are now a, “Born Again” Christian….A Christ Follower of The Most High God, Supernaturally Equipped To:

“Be Strong and Live Free…….Boldly For Him!”

2nd Corinthians 5:17 (NLT);

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.  The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”  

© 2020 Clare Matthews – Boldly For Him. “All Rights Reserved.”

Photo By Simon Berger

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Open Heart Test – Part Two


Two Kings, two hearts, two tests with two very different outcomes;

What does it take to pass an “Open Heart Test?”

This month we will learn the answer to this life-changing question.  

Last month we learned about King Asa, a powerful Ruler who once served God with his “Whole Heart.” However, the poisonous seeds of his mother’s demonic influence, the former Queen Maacah, were never removed from the soil of his heart. Therefore the moment pressure from the adversity of an impending attack from a neighboring King presented itself; he turned his back away from God!

Why?…… Because “The High Places” of rebellion, idolatry, and pride in his heart brought forth a harvest of destruction to his life! King Asa failed to understand that there was no amount of earthly money, favor, influence, or aid from another “earthly King” that could ever save him! Indeed, Like King Asa, we will all one day stand before “The King of Kings, and The Lord of Lords” and give an account for “the actions of our Heart.”  

Be encouraged, my friend! This month we will learn from the life of another powerful King. One that God describes as “a man after My Own Heart, who will do all My Will and carry out My program fully.” Ref. Acts 13:22 (AMP) It is from the life of this Beloved King that we will learn how to pass an “Open Heart Test!”

The agonizing sound of his son’s painful cries forces him to turn away in guilt. The sight of his distraught wife, Bathsheba, desperately clutching their baby to her chest, causes King David to fall to his knees in absolute sorrow of heart. Sobbing uncontrollably, he begs God to forgive him and to let the child live!  

Lying prostrate on the floor, unwilling to eat or drink, King David struggles through a painful self-evaluation:

Why didn’t I, as the King of Israel, lead my troops in battle? I should have gone before them!

Why didn’t I quickly turn away from Bathsheba when I saw her bathing from the rooftop?

How could I sleep with Bathsheba, another man’s wife, and have her husband killed to cover up an adulterous pregnancy?

How could I override my conscience and enlist the help of Joab, my trusted commander in the death of an innocent man?

How could I take Bathsheba and think that God would ignore this great evil and bless the fruit of our sin?

Why do I fear telling Bathsheba the truth behind Uriah’s death?

Perhaps the most important question of King David’s heart surfaces as he quiets his soul before The Lord,

WHEN DID I STOP FEARING YOU GOD AND BREAK FELLOWSHIP WITH YOU?

Suddenly, the excruciating pain of King David’s guilt pierces his soul once again as he remembers the reason for the recent visit of Nathan, the Prophet of God.

II Samuel 12:1-12 (AMP);

“And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came and said to him there were two men in a city, one rich and the other poor.” “The rich man had very many flocks and herds.” “But the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb which he had bought and brought up, and it grew up with him and his children. It ate of his own morsel, and drank from his own cup, lay in his bosom, and was like a daughter to him.” “Now a traveler came to the rich man, and to avoid taking one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfaring man who had come to him, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest.” “Then, David’s anger; was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan. As the Lord lives, the man who has done this is a son [worthy] of death.” “He shall restore the lamb fourfold because he did this thing and had no pity.” “Then Nathan said to David. You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel; I anointed you King of Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.” “And I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added that much again.” “Why have you despised the commandment of The Lord, doing evil in His Sight? You have slain Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife. You have murdered him with the sword of the Ammonites.” “Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because [you have not only despised My command but] you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.” “Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house, and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun,” “For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.”

Gasping for breath, King David is completely caught off guard by The Word of The Lord. Now with his sin exposed, the eyes and ears of King David’s heart are open wide with understanding. It is from this place of “complete soul surrender” that King David quickly repents to the man of God. 

II Samuel 12:13 (AMP);

“And David said to Nathan I have sinned against The Lord. And Nathan said to David, The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.”

There is power and protection in “genuine repentance!” 

What kind of power and protection? 

The power and protection to “Eternally” keeps our soul in a place of safety and Redemption through The Most High God!

Think about it, my friend, because King David was genuinely repentant before The Lord for his sin, Nathan the prophet of God was released to speak words of safety and protection;

“The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.”

King David’s repenting led to forgiveness (the putting away of his sin) from the Most High God! This action of the Heart is why The Lord allowed him to live!

Glory To God! In this scripture, King David passes, “The Open Heart Test!”

What “Open Heart Test” did King David pass?

One that you and I must pass, my friend, if we are to live upright before God all the days of our life…

The “Open Heart Test” of a “Transparent Heart.”

What is a Transparent Heart?

A Transparent Heart is one of God’s most valued treasures and secret weapons in The Kingdom of Heaven!

Let’s read the definition of the word transparent from The Oxford Languages and The Merriam Webster Dictionary so that we can “See” together why God has placed such a “High Value” on a “Transparent Heart.”

Oxford Languages Dictionary:

TRANSPARENT = (Of a material or article) allowing light to pass through so that objects behind can be distinctly seen.

Easy to perceive or detect.

Having thoughts, feelings, or motives, that are easily perceived.

Merriam Webster Dictionary:

TRANSPARENT= Fine or sheer enough to be seen through.

Free from pretense or deceit.

Easily-detected or seen through.

In essence, what God is saying to us is that He wants us to have a heart free from darkness. A transparent Heart that others can easily see through to “His Presence” within us. A transparent Heart “free from pretense or deceit.” When God See’s a heart like this, He knows that He can trust that individual with the Secret Plans and Purposes of His Heart! An individual that walks the earth with the Secret Plans and Purposes of God’s Heart leading their thoughts; will defeat the enemy no matter the attack! He or she becomes God’s Trusted and Beloved, “Secret Weapon!” 

Can God trust you with the Plans and Purposes of His Heart?

You see, my friend, transparency of heart, develops an intimate walk with The Lord.

 It is from this intimate walk with The Lord that childlike faith is born.

What does childlike faith have to do with living with a transparent heart?

EVERYTHING!!!

Do you remember what it was like when you were a child, and you would be out playing with your friends? Sooner or later, someone would do something that they weren’t supposed to do, and someone in the group or perhaps it was you would say something like;

“You weren’t supposed to do that; I’m telling mom, dad, the teacher…..etc. on you!” The point that I’m making here is that our heart must remain in a place of “Total Transparency,” which is “Total Dependency” on God.

Why?

So that when we sin and miss the mark, we QUICKLY REPENT and “tell on ourselves before it’s too late!”

1st Corinthians 11:31 (AMP) shares this principle with us;

“For if we searchingly examined ourselves [detecting our shortcomings and recognizing our own condition], we should not be judged and penalty decreed [by the divine judgement].”

The transparency of King David’s heart to acknowledge his sin caused him to pass the “Open Heart Test.” However, he could not escape the repercussion of his sin. Nathan the prophet continues with The Word of The Lord;

II Samuel 12:14 (AMP);

“Nevertheless, because by this deed, you have utterly scorned The Lord and given great occasion to the enemies of The Lord to blaspheme, the child that is born to you shall surely die.”

The things that you and I birth out of sin and refuse to repent for will die!

We must be willing to live so transparently, so dependently on The Lord that He Can:

SPEAK TO US

DIRECT US

TRAIN US

ENCOURAGE US

CORRECT US

EQUIP US…..AND ULTIMATELY PROMOTE US!

When we allow God access to our hearts in this manner, we will always receive “His Redemption,” no matter how hard we fall!

In II Samuel 12:24-25 (AMP). We celebrate The Power of God’s Love, Grace, Mercy, and Redemption in the lives of David and Bathsheba.

“David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and went to her and lay with her, and she bore a son, and she called his name Solomon. And The Lord loved [the child];” “He sent [a message] by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and [Nathan] called the boy’s [special] name Jedidiah [beloved of The Lord], because The Lord [Loved the child].”

With the birth of their second son Solomon, God blessed David and Bathsheba with the Plans, Purposes, and Desires of His Heart for the future of the nation of Israel. He gave them a “Dawn of a New Hope” for their lives!  

The Good News, my friend, is that The Lord now calls you and me His Beloved! He is waiting for our childlike faith to receive all that He has kept for our lives.  

Never forget that there is Redemption on the other side of your Repentance! 

1st John 3:1 (TPT);

“Look with wonder at the depth; of the Father’s Marvelous Love that He has lavished on us! He has called us and made us His very own BELOVED children. The reason the world doesn’t recognize who we are is that they didn’t recognize Him.” 

Living with a “Transparent Heart” before The Living God gives us His Grace, the grace and ability to… 

“Be Strong and Live Free…….Boldly For Him!”

© 2020 Clare Matthews – Boldly For Him. “All Rights Reserved.”

Photo: Christian Buehner

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Open Heart Test – Part One

Two Kings, two hearts, two test’s with two very different outcomes. 

Perhaps the greatest test that you and I will ever take will not be taken in a classroom setting, sitting at a desk or administered to us by a teacher on-line.  Where will it be taken then?  It will be a test of the heart, taken as we go through everyday life.  “This “Open Heart Test” my friend, may be one that you are right in the middle of taking right now, and not even aware of.        

Emboldened by his past successes and pumped with pride, King Asa impatiently motions for Hanani the seer to approach him in the Throne Room.  Expecting an accolade from The Lord for his latest building projects of the cities of Geba and Mizpah, King Asa sits smugly with his arms folded in front of him, lifting his finely chiseled chin he stares down his regal nose at the awaiting seer.

Hanani knows in his heart that there are great risks to this assignment of The Lord, yet as it is with every true voice of God, he has counted the cost and lives for no earthly reward. Indeed, much damage had been done to The Kingdom of God because of King Asa’s rebellion to enter into a league with Ben-hadad King of Syria; now it had to be dealt with!  Undergirded by prayer, fasting and a bold love for God, the courageous seer opens his mouth, instantly The Penetrating Word of The Lord shoots forth as a Blazing Arrow of Holy Righteousness, hitting the target, “King Asa’s hardened heart of rebellious pride!”  

Un-surprisingly delivering the Word and Judgement of God to an enraged King brings a swift repercussion to Hanani, yet he has no regret for his obedience to The Lord!  Indeed Hanani’s confident assurance for the outcome of his life, is secure in the fact that these crucial words of truth and the judgements given are not of his own manufacturing, they belong to The Lord.

Rather than receive the rebuke of The Lord and repent for his spiritual adultery, King Asa hardens his heart even further and foolishly chooses with one quick decision to jail Hanani.  Tragically, King Asa fails this, “Open Heart Test,” without realizing that you cannot jail the truth! The repercussions for his actions would live on!

II Chronicles 16:1-10 (AMP) is the astounding account of this dramatic story;

“In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha King of Israel came up against Judah, and built (fortified) Ramah intending to intercept anyone going out or coming in to Asa King of Judah.”  “Then Asa brought silver and gold out of the treasuries of The House of The Lord and of the King’s house and sent them to Ben-hadad King of Syria, who dwelt at Damascus, saying,”  “Let there be a league between me and you, as was between my father and your father.  Behold, I am sending you silver and gold; go, break your league with Baasha King of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.”  “And Ben-hadad hearkened to King Asa and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.”  “And when Baasha heard it, he stopped building Ramah and let his work cease.”  “Then King Asa took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and with them he built Geba and Mizpah.”  “At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa King of Judah and said to him, Because you relied on the King of Syria and not on the Lord your God, the army of the King of Syria has escaped you.”  “Were not the Ethiopians and Libyans a huge host with very many chariots and horsemen?  Yet because you relied then on The Lord, He gave them into your hand.”  “For the eyes of The Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him.  You have done foolishly in this; therefore, from now on you shall have wars.”  “Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison [in the stocks], for he was enraged with him because of this.  Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time.”

“When leadership fears truth, corruption begins.”  This word given to me by The Lord several months ago, applies so well to the life of King Asa, as it does to ours today, if we choose the way of hard hearted rebellion as he did.     

You see my friend, the corruption of King Asa’s heart and reign over Judah began long before God sent Hanani the seer to confront him.  The corruption of King Asa’s heart began the moment he disconnected from God as his “True Source,” and looked to the, “strength of man” the King of Syria for his deliverance.  What is so devastating about this true life account of epic self destruction, is that King Asa takes “the silver and gold out of the treasuries of The House of The Lord and of the King’s house,” treasuries that he once valued with his “Whole Heart” and uses them to bribe the King of Syria with!”  In essence, “King Asa deifies himself” above The One True God as a source of provision and protection to another “man!”  Oh how far he had fallen and didn’t even know it!!!

How could this happen?  Why did it happen?  King Asa had so much going for him, how could he so easily forget the past victories that God had given him when he sought The Lord with his “Whole Heart;” and now think that, “the strength of man,” could deliver him?

There is something so deep happening here my friend!  When I went to The Lord in the middle of writing this blog and asked Him these questions, He quickly brought King Asa’s mother to my thoughts, the former Queen Maacah, whom King Asa had removed from position as Queen Mother earlier in his reign. The Lord then shared this startling revelation with me:

“HE REMOVED HER FROM POSITION, BUT NOT FROM INFLUENCE”!!!!!!!

Instantly my spirit was open to The Word of the Lord!

Friends, I want to share this revelation with you exactly in the same manner in which The Lord shared it with me.

II Chronicles 15:16-17 (AMP)  “Also Maacah, King Asa’s mother, he removed from being Queen Mother, because she had made an abominable image for [the goddess] Asherah.  Asa cut down her idol, crushed it, and burned it at the brook Kidron.”

Here in verse 16 is where King Asa, “REMOVES HIS MOTHER FROM POSITION.”

“But the high places were not taken out of Israel.  Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was blameless all his days.”

“However, here in verse 17 is where King Asa, “RETAINS HER INFLUENCE.”

The demonic influences from King Asa’s mother had been planted like poisonous seeds in King Asa’s heart, when he did not take, “the high places out of Israel.” 

Though he had removed her from position of Queen Mother, he did not remove the, “influence” of her position from his heart or from his eyes, still leaving the nation of Israel defiled.  He allowed those poisonous seeds of rebellion, idolatry and pride to have a place in his heart. When King Asa came under pressure in the natural realm, those seeds of rebellion, idolatry and pride, that were sown in the spiritual realm, came to fruition as a harvest of death and self destruction!  Inevitably it would cost him everything!

1. My friend, are there any demonic influences that you need to remove from holding a “position” in your life?

2. Have these seeds of “influence” been allowed to remain or grow in your heart?

If so, uproot any leftover seeds of corruption from the past. You don’t want any residue from any evil influence that could catch your eyes, or change your heart.

You see my friend we are not playing a game called life we are walking out a, “God Planned  Purpose” for our lives! “Everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” in our hearts and lives must be taken down or they will take us down!  Ref. 2nd Cor. 10:5.

I am prompted by the The Holy Spirit as I am writing this, that some of you, like King Asa, have removed from “position” a source of evil from your lives. However, their “influence” is still “active” in your life, therefore the enemy is just waiting for an opportunity to bring a harvest of self destruction to pass in your life!  My friend, my prayer for you is that you will take this word “to heart”, and quickly make the necessary adjustments spirit, soul and body that are needed in order to remove and eradicate every, “influence of evil” that has been sown by these sources from your life and heart!

Please pray the following prayer with me:

Dear Heavenly Father, I submit my life and heart to You.  Please show me any evil seed that has been planted in my life and heart that would cause me and others to stumble and fall short of the plans and purposes of God.  I ask You Father God that every one of those seeds of rebellion, idolatry and pride be uprooted in Jesus Name!  I now make a fresh commitment to Plant Your Word  in the soil of my heart today, Father God, realizing that You Alone Are THE Source, and Final Authority of my life.  I repent of placing myself and others above You in any way Lord, and I receive Your Divine Forgiveness Now in Jesus Mighty Name!  Amen and Amen!

Now my friend you can,

“Be Strong and Live Free…………..Boldly For Him!”

Proverbs 4:23 (TPT);

“So above all guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are.  Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of life.”

*Next months blog will be part two of this message.”

© 2020 Clare Matthews – Boldly For Him. “All Rights Reserved.”

Photo by : Antonino Visalli

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“Alive and Well”

In this time of upheaval and uncertainty, God is sending a message of HOPE that is LOUD and CLEAR…..that IN HIM WE ARE, “ALIVE AND WELL!”

Friend, as I was praying about and thinking about writing August 2020’s blog, The Lord reminded me of the blog that He instructed me to write and publish in December of 2019. As I went back and re-read that blog, I felt impressed to re-publish it this month.

Why? I realized that, this blog, “Alive and Well” was and is a, “Forerunner of Encouragement” to us as we continue to walk out the days, months and years before us, “Strong and Free…..Boldly For Him!”

Much Love,

-Clare-

“Christ’s Resurrection is your resurrection too. This is why we are to yearn for all that is above, for that’s where Christ sits enthroned at the Place of All Power, Honor, and Authority!” “Yes, feast on all the treasures of the Heavenly Realm and fill your thoughts with Heavenly Realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm.” Colossians 3:1-2 (TPT)

At the beginning of 2019, The Lord instructed me to write two specific blogs to start the New Year. January’s title is, “The Expected End” and February’s title is, “Inner-Action”.  Now as we have come to the last month of the decade, and are about to embark on what I believe will be a “Whole New Era” for the Body of Christ in the coming years; The Lord redirected my attention back to these two blogs.

As I re-read what He had to share with us through these writings, I became keenly aware that these blogs encapsulate what He is now saying to us through this last, “Boldly For Him” blog of the year. With 2019 quickly coming to a close, The Lord wants us to know that as we approach 2020, that no matter where we are or what we may be currently facing, that as Born Again Believers in Jesus Christ, the reality of our, “Expected End” is that we are, ”Alive And Well”, In Him as we recognize, renew, develop and mature our, “Inner-Action” to the truths that are shared with us in Colossians 3:1-2 (TPT).

To fully grasp what The Lord is now saying through this blog, I think it’s important for me to refresh us on the definition of “Inner-Action.”

Inner-Action = The relationship between the mind, the will and the emotions and how they are displayed in an individual’s life through their interaction with God and others.

You see my friend we are entering a time where everything that can be challenged will be challenged regarding what we believe about our identity In Jesus Christ. It is an Era, a decade, a time that will see much fruit as well as much loss within The Body of Christ. Why?….. because of the very pressure that is coming in the days ahead that will cause many to continue to be deceived, stumble and fall in their individual and corporate walk with The Lord. That is why it is so important my friend that you and I, “fill our thoughts with Heavenly Realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm.”  Ref. Col 3:2 (TPT) 

What we learn and who we learn from can greatly affect what we believe about our God Given identity In Christ Jesus. So much so that the Apostle Paul gave the following instructions to his spiritual son Timothy who was an Evangelist and Pastor in the ancient town of Ephesus:

2nd Timothy 2:15 (AMP);

“Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.”

The Word of God and the Truths that have been “Rightly Divided” and “Accurately Taught” to us must become so “Deeply Rooted Within Us”, that no matter what distraction, adversity or challenge may come our way; we are confident that we can live our lives as one who is “Alive and Well” because of the TRUTH that “Christ’s Resurrection IS OUR Resurrection too!” Ref. Col 3:1 (TPT)  

Understanding and accurately applying this passage of scripture in Col 3:1-2, in our daily walk, as Believers is paramount to a healthy, “Inner-Action” with God and others. An overcoming “Inner-Action” that will lead to Total Victory in every area of our lives, Spirit, soul, and body, in the coming days ahead. To God Be The Glory!

How does this Biblical Principle work in our lives?  

Colossians 3:3-4 (TPT) gives us the answer;

“Your crucifixion with Christ has severed the tie to this life, and now your true life is hidden away with God in Christ.” “And as Christ, Himself is seen for Who He Is, who you are will also be revealed, for YOU ARE NOW ONE WITH HIM IN HIS GLORY.”

This is not just a figure of speech my friend these are the Words of God Himself and the REALITY of Who We Are In Christ Jesus! According to the Word of God, we as Believers, have “severed the tie to this life.”  Meaning we no longer are bound or have any obligation whatsoever to live a defeated life of sin, sickness, poverty, shame, etc.!

Can this be proven by the Word of God? 

Yes, let’s see what He has to say to us in Colossians 3:5-9 (TPT);

“Live as one who has died to every form of sexual sin and impurity. Live as one who died to diseases, and desires for forbidden things, including the desire for wealth, which is the essence of idol worship.” “When you live in these vices you ignite the anger of God against these acts of disobedience.” “That’s how you once behaved, characterized by your evil deeds. But now it’s time to eliminate them from your lives once and for all-anger, fits of rage, all forms of hatred, cursing, filthy speech, and lying.” “Lay aside your old Adam-self with its masquerade and disguise.”

God went to great lengths for you and me my friend to be, “Alive and Well” through the Crucifixion of His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Savior! You see, Calvary not only Confronted, but CALVARY also DEFEATED EVERY FORM of sin, sickness, poverty, and disease for all men, for all time…PERIOD! Calvary did not console the enemy, by fearing him and accepting his slander against the Shed Blood of Jesus Christ. Calvary Confronted and Cast the evil works of the enemy out forever!

This is The Resurrection Power of 1st Peter 1:24 (TPT);

“He carried our sins in His body on the Cross so that we would be dead to sin and live for righteousness, Our INSTANT healing flowed from His Wounding.”

Therefore my friend, you and I as believers in Christ Jesus are not to console the enemy by fearing him and caving in when he attacks us with sin, sickness, poverty, and disease, we are to confront him with The Living Word of God and cast him out of our lives, spirit, soul, and body! It is not through our strength that we do this, it is through “The Blood of Jesus Christ”, that was Shed At Calvary. My friend, it is “The Good News” of His Resurrection Power that RESIDES WITHIN US that gives us, as Believers in Christ Jesus, the AUTHORITY AND THE RESPONSIBILITY to Confront and Cast out the devil and all of his evil works from EVERY area of our lives!

Did God give me this responsibility?

YES! Jesus Himself tells us about this “Priceless Privilege” in the following passages of scripture:

 John 14:12-14 (TPT); 

“I tell you this timeless truth: The person who follows me in faith, believing in Me, will do the Same Mighty Miracles that I do—Even Greater Miracles than these because I go to be with My Father!” “For I will do whatever you ask Me to do when you ask Me in My Name. And that is how the Son will show what the Father is really like and bring Glory To Him.” “Ask Me anything in My Name, and I will do it for you!”

Mark 16:16-18 (TPT);

“Whoever believes the Good News and is baptized will be saved, and whoever does not believe the Good News will be condemned.” “And these miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will drive out demons in the power of My Name. They will speak in tongues.” “They will be supernaturally protected from snakes, and from drinking anything poisonous. And they will lay hands on the sick and heal them.”

Never doubt my friend the Power of The Name of Jesus spoken out of your mouth as a Believer in Jesus Christ! It is the same power and authority that was given to the first Disciples! As modern-day Believers it is our turn to do what these Forefathers of Faith did, to take the healing power of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world, to “lay hands on the sick and heal them”, this includes laying hands on yourself!  This Mandate is how we perpetuate the Eternal Message of Calvary! A Precious “Blood Bought” Message that Forever Speaks that, WE ARE, “Alive and Well” and Empowered to,

“Be Strong and Live Free…..Boldly For Him!”

© 2019 Clare Matthews – Boldly For Him. “All Rights Reserved.”

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Bricks or Blood?

Have you ever had God ask you a question then immediately follow with an answer that completely caught you off guard?  I have!  Several weeks ago, there was an undeniable pull to go into intercessory prayer with my husband Mark.  As we began to pray, I sensed the Tangible Presence of The Holy Spirit, so I asked Mark to start praying and declaring prophetically what he was seeing.  Suddenly, after praying for about ten to fifteen minutes, there was a shift in the atmosphere, and out of my mouth came the question of The Lord, “Bricks or Blood?….. You choose!….Bricks or Blood?

Stunned by the question that The Holy Spirit had just posed to both of us, we stood quietly and reverently yielding to The Lord.  As we pressed into His Presence, The Lord began revealing to me by the Spirit, the desperation and conversations going on in the Body of Christ.  I saw and heard many leaders concerned about “what they perceived” as, “momentum lost” during the pandemic shutdown.

The Lord continued to reveal to me that, “The current temptation for our lives was to pick up the Bricks of “human effort” and “self-accomplishment” devoid of the Power and Presence of The Living God.”  A Power and Presence that had so graciously, sacrificially, and freely been given to each one of us through The Shed Blood of Jesus Christ at Calvary.  I could see that leaders were being pushed and pushing to “hurry up” and “make up” for lost time and re-build what they thought the enemy had breached in their lives, businesses, and ministries.  All of this “Brick Work” activity was being dangerously ramped up without stopping to consider the True Clear Leadership Voice, Guidance, and Timing of The Holy Spirit.  He then led me to the following passage of scripture to illustrate what He was sharing with me;

Exodus 5:1-23 (AMPC);

“Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, Thus says The Lord, The God of Israel, Let My People go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.”  “But Pharaoh said, Who is The Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?  I know not The Lord, neither will I let Israel go.”  “And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us; let us go, we pray you, three days journey into the desert and sacrifice to The Lord our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.”  “The king of Egypt said to Moses and Aaron, Why do you take the people from their jobs?  Get to your burdens!” “Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and you make them rest from their burdens!”  “The very same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, “You shall no more give the people straw to make brick; let them go and gather straw for themselves.”  “But the number of the bricks which they made before you shall require of them; you shall not diminish it in the least.  For they are idle; that is why they cry, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.”  “Let heavier work be laid upon the men that they may labor at it and pay no attention to lying words.”  “The taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers and they said to the people, Thus says Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.”  “Go get straw where you can find it, but your work shall not be diminished in the least.”  “So the people were scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather the short stubble instead of straw.” “And the taskmasters were urgent, saying, Finish your work, your daily quotas, as when there was straw.”  “And the Hebrew foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, Why have you not fulfilled all your quota of making bricks yesterday and today, as before?” “Then the Hebrew foremen came to Pharaoh and cried, Why do you deal like this with your servants?”  “No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, Make bricks!  And behold, your servants are beaten, but the fault is in your people.”  “But [Pharaoh] said, You are idle, lazy, and idle!  That is why you say, Let us go and sacrifice to The Lord.”  “Get out now and get to work; for no straw shall be given you, yet you shall deliver the full quota of bricks.”  “And the Hebrew foremen saw that they were in an evil situation when it was said, you shall not diminish in the least your full daily quota of bricks.”  “And the foremen met Moses and Aaron, who was standing in the way as they came forth from Pharaoh.”  “And the foremen said to them, The Lord look upon you and judge because you have made us a rotten stench to be detested by Pharaoh and his servants and have put a sword in their hand to slay us.”  “Then Moses turned again to The Lord and said, O Lord, why have You dealt evil to this people?  Why did you ever send me?”  “For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your Name, he has done evil to this people, neither have You delivered Your people at all.”

Beware, fellow believers, the objective of the “Pharaoh spirit” is to push us into becoming a “taskmaster” an oppressor of ourselves AND others.  If we allow this to happen we will become a “beast of burden”, reproducing other “beast’s of burdens” as we begin to demand of those in our spheres of influence that they:

“Hurry Up and Finish their work, after all, enough time has been lost during the pandemic and we have a lot MORE WORK to catch up on!  This is no time to rest!  “Go Get Your Bricks,” before all is lost!”

The result of all this Brickwork?

An exhausted depleted family, business, or ministry on the verge of collapse!

Friends, when we get caught up in this demonically driven frenzy, we will no longer recognize God as The True, “Author and Finisher of our faith.” Ref. Hebrews 12:2. This makes it virtually impossible for us to lead, train, and mentor others through The Guidance of The Holy Spirit.  Instead, “The Bricks” of our leadership decisions, produces “Mausoleums of death” rather than “Temples of Life”

How does this happen?

By sacrificing our own, “Times of refreshing” in The Lord and ignoring The Voice and Leadership of The Holy Spirit as He Rejuvenates and Speaks to our hearts.

Romans 8:14 (AMP) says;

“For all who are ALLOWING themselves to be led by The Spirit of God are sons of God.”

The Holy Spirit is a True Gentleman!  He will not force the plan of God on our lives, or our ability to “see” that plan, we must CHOOSE to be LED and FOLLOW the Plan of God for our life.  As we REST in The Presence of God while listening and yielding to The Voice of The Holy Spirit and choosing to follow the instructions that He Gives us, we mature and develop into effective, men and women of God, “sons of God,” as the above scripture states.

Why is it so important to follow The Holy Spirit’s Guidance and learn to live a “Life in The Spirit as a son of God?”

Romans 8:15-16 (TPT) holds the key that unlocks the door to this very important answer;

“And you did not receive the spirit of religious duty, leading you back into the fear of never being good enough.  But you have received the Spirit of Full Acceptance, enfolding you into The Family of God.  And you will never feel orphaned, for as He Rises Up Within us, our spirits join Him in saying the words of tender affection, “Beloved Father!”  “For The Holy Spirit makes God’s Fatherhood real to us as He Whispers into our innermost being, “You are God’s beloved child!”

My friend, it is only through the Power and Discernment of The Holy Spirit that we learn how to recognize and reject the “Brick Mentality” which is rooted in the “fear of never being good enough.”

As we continually confront and defeat the thoughts of rejection that challenge the truth of “God’s Fatherhood” in our lives, we overcome this stronghold of fear.  This Vital Victory opens up our hearts to recognize and receive the “Spirit of Full Acceptance,” which, “enfolds us into The Family of God.”  This is where True Freedom, Joy, and Peace begins in our, “Born Again” walk with God and the relationship we have with ourselves and others.

As we learn to trust God and lay down the bricks of oppression, we understand, “The Language of The Blood” which continually speaks, “forgiveness.” Ref. Hebrews 12:24. As we freely accept and choose to “speak forgiveness,” over our lives and others, the reality of The redemption of The Blood of Jesus takes root in our lives releasing the “The Joy of The Lord” to become “Our Strength and our Stronghold.” Ref. Nehemiah 8:10. Now with eager tender affection, we can shout, “Beloved Father,” as we receive the “sweet something” that, “The Holy Spirit Whispers into our innermost being, “You are God’s beloved child!”

So now Mighty Warriors of The Most High God The Choice is yours.

Bricks or Blood?……. You Choose!

The Bricks of human effort outside of God or The Redemptive Life in The Spirit through The Blood of Jesus Christ?

Choose The Blood of Jesus Christ which Speaks of Redemption and you will…..

“Be Strong and Live Free…..Boldly For Him!”

Galatians 5:16-18 (TPT);

“As you yield freely and fully to the dynamic Life and Power of The Holy Spirit, you will abandon the cravings of your self-life.”  “For your self-life craves the things that offend The Holy Spirit and hinder Him from Living Free within you!  And The Holy Spirit’s intense cravings hinder your old self-life from dominating you!  So then the two incompatible and conflicting forces within you are your self-life of the flesh and the new creation life of The Spirit.”  “But when you are brought into The Full Freedom of The Spirit of Grace, you will no longer be living under the dominion of the law, but SOARING ABOVE IT!

 

© 2020 Clare Matthews – Boldly For Him. “All Rights Reserved.”

Picture by: Majid Gheidarlou

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What Color Is God?

*This month I have the honor of having my husband Mark Matthews guest blog for me.  I believe that you will find the word that he has written relevant, insightful and transforming as he addresses a topic that has recently been widely discussed and debated.

-Clare- 

 

The little boy looked into his mother’s eyes and asked the obvious question of the current times.  Mom, what is racism?  The mother of the bright-eyed 5-year-old paused to make sure that her response would answer her son’s inquiring mind.  Well, son, it is hatred and the belief that some people are better because of where they were born or the color of their skin.  “Mom, did God make all people”?  Yes, son! What color is God, mom?  The million-dollar question that every person who has ever heard about God has wondered.

There is something about God that might surprise you.  He loves to reveal Himself to mankind.  With God there is no containment when it comes to the Love that he has shed abroad for His creation through His Son Jesus Christ.  Did you know that God is as infinitely small as He is Large?  There is no place that you can go without running into God. If you run one direction and never turned back when you stop, God will be there.

To know God, you have to acknowledge that He is.  God is a Spirit, and He has an Image. John 4:24 (KJV) says, “God is Spirit, and all those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth.”  God made mankind a three-part person.  We have a body, we have a soul, and we have a human spirit. Our body is an earth suit. Our soul is made up of our mind, our will, and our emotions.  When we surrender our hearts to God, Our human spirit is born again by the Spirit of God. From this point forward, we are recognized by God as His son or daughter and a citizen of Heaven.  We are a Spirit-filled being temporarily living on earth.  

 Gen 1: 26-27 (ESV), “Then God said, let us make man in our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky and the cattle and all of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.  God created man in His image, in the image of God, He created him; male and female. He created them.” 

It is hard for us to reconcile in our minds that God has never made a mistake.  The world looks at you through the eyes of inspection.  God looks at you through The Eyes of Reflection.  He does not see imperfection He sees a one of a kind creation made in His Image.  He says I did not have one of you, so I made one of you.

Like this five year old you might be wondering what color is God? God is flawless.  He is the color of perfection.  When you look into a flaw-less diamond or precious jewel, you experience multiple dimensions at one time.  The color, light, and facets that make up the prisms of the diamond all interact in concert to perform a radiant expression of beauty. No matter how many times you look at that diamond, you will discover something new every time, yet it is still the same diamond.  The diamond never changed, the prisms never changed, but one thing changes every time, and that is the light. Remove the light, and the diamond looks lifeless and dull, cover it in mud, and you can’t even tell if it is glass or the real deal. 

1 John 1:5 (ESV) states, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you: God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”

The conflict that we are witnessing in the world today is about control, it is not about restoration from racism.  The enemy has made a power play of manipulation that has taken vindication hostage, right when justice was preparing to shine”.

Real love understands that tension must have restraint.  Apart from God, you can’t do anything of lasting value.  He knows the difference between the real and the counterfeit because He does not make cheap glass. 

If you could look into God’s Eyes, you would discover that whichever direction He moves or looks, you see your color and reflection in His Presence.  The moment you recognize God, you feel right at home, because He is your Heavenly Father.  Instantly Everything about Him reflects Himself in you, that is why whatever color you are on earth looks like God! 

How could God make so many people with so many different colors and they all look like Him?

The comforting answer, 

“God’s foundation color is love, not ethnicity.”

Revelation 4: 3,5 (TPT) “His appearance was sparkling like crystal and glowing like a carnelian gemstone.  Surrounding the throne was a circle of green light like an emerald rainbow! V – 5a, And pulsing from the throne were blinding flashes of lighting, crashes of thunder, and voices.”  

The color of your skin is God’s expression, His Robe of Love that frames the destiny that He has given you.  Like a fine Diamond the flawless facets of His presence reflects a Son like brilliance through your life, as you choose to walk in the “ministry of reconciliation”. 

Friends, God is forever near, and “He is our present help in times of trouble.” Ref. (Ps 46:1.) We all have a choice to make.  Which side of history will you be counted on?  Will you be remembered as the group who makes history and ushers in the love of God, or will you be numbered in the group who tried to erase history?  

Jesus is the Only Way that true peace and reconciliation will ever be found. Col 1:17 (ESV); “And He is before all things, and in Him, all things hold together!”

Search your heart, don’t be hesitant to ask God if there is any animosity or prejudice residing within your heart, that will get in the way of His Love for you and others. 

Act 17:26 (MEV) “He has made from one blood every nation of men to live on the entire face of the earth, having appointed fixed times and the boundaries of their habitation”.

I want to thank my beautiful wife, Clare, a student of the Word of God for inviting me to be the first guest blogger on Boldly for Him.  Thank you, my love! “Be Strong and Live Free…. Boldly For Him!”

 

Mark Matthews

 

© 2020 Clare Matthews – Boldly For Him. “All Rights Reserved.”