Clean Up in America

July 16, 2022Blog, Personal Growth, Sunday Sermonsclean up, cleansingdebio7 Leave a comment

Sitting for 5 minutes with my phone, clicking through the local headlines, I listed the following topics that need cleaning up in America.

murder
assalut
theft
robbery
drug sales
violence
rioting
human trafficking
division
hatred
corruption
lies
big pharma
big tech

I bet we would agree too, that this is not a complete list. What would you add to it?

One of the things the Lord showed me a few weeks back was that we need cleansing. As a nation we need cleansing and as individuals, we need cleansing – a good scrubbing clean.

In fact, He was commanding us to get clean – to remove uncleanness from our life and nation. Here’s what He said,

The Lord spoke…Command the people……”
Numbers 5:1-2 ESV

Not often do we hear of the Lord COMMANDING his people, but this is one of them. He is ordering us, charging us, commissioning us to be cleansed. Now, not later. Let’s look at what we are to be rid of.

Command the people that they are to put out of the camp everyone who is leprous or has a discharge and everyone who is unclean through contact with the dead.”
Numbers 5:2- ESV

Three uncleannesses were to be put out of the camp.

the leprous
the one with a discharge, an issue
those who come in contact with the dead

In this biblical context, the ones who “quaified” in those categories were sent away from the camp where God was and sent away from the army. They were let loose from the encampment so their uncleanness wouldn’t contaminate the whole camp.

I believe that the Lord is speaking that to you and me in these days. He is calling us to a personal and national season of cleaning/cleansing. That involves removing from our camp (our family, our life) these things and then praying for their removal and cleasning from our nation. So what do these three represent?

The leprous

Leprosy is an attack on the nerve endings & loss of ability to feel pain. It has a long incubation period and when it arises, it shows as specks on the eyelids, palms and gradually spreads, bleaching the hair white with sores and swelling appearing. It casues bodily harm because of the loss of the pain mechanism by the nerve endings being attacked. And contrary to what we’ve heard, it is NOT easily contagious – but rather is caught by close, repeated contact with someone untreaded. It ends up eating inward to the bone, eventually rotting the whole body. Therefore, it has come to represent an outward and visible sign of a innermost spiritual corruption.

For the leprous, they have become desensitized, barely able feel pain anymore. Nerves shattered, and the ability to see clearly spotted by leprous specks that have found their way beyond vision to everything they do. Swollen with pride and sore with callousness, and dullness of feelings, their hearts and souls have become bleached out, dry and numb.

You will become like them, through close, repeated contact. And that is why God is commanding you and me to remove the leprous from our camp. Remember too, it’s not them. The cleansing the Lord is commanding is for us first. How have we become desensitized to what is happening in our world? Are we feeling the deep pain of the Father’s heart for our sick and dying world? Have our eyes become spotted and blinded to God’s Truth and Justice? Are our actions those of world changers or couch potatos?

Remove every bit of leprosy from your camp, from your life life. Confess, repent, seek His healing and restoration. Now is the time for a clean up in America, starting with us. He is commanding us to.

The one with a discharge, an issue

The discharge here in Numbers means “to flow freely, like water; to gush, flow away”. To waste away.” It may be referring to the STD gonorrhea, or female menses. But it reminds me of the woman in the Gospels who, for 12 years had an issue of blood. This issue for years had bled her dry of hope, money and options. All she had, had wasted away with her issue, she had no hope or help.

Jesus is capable of handling and healing all of our issues. Whatever be the issue that has caused us to waste away years… He wants to touch, cleanse and heal it. WIthout the Master’s touch, our issues will remove us from the camp where the presence of the Lord is. Our issue, will remove us from His presence.

Our nation has issues that can only be healed as we, His Body are healed, cleansed and restored. Now is time for a clean up in America, starting with us. He is commanding us to.

Those who come in contact with the dead

Old Testament law did not permit the Jews to touch anything dead. There are very specific regulations involving contact with and cleansing from touching dead things. So this charge is not aimed that direction, for it is already covered. Its aim however, is at those who contact the dead through mediums, seances, phychics, & witches. It is those involved with witchcraft and the like that are to be removed from the camp, so as to not allow their evil influences to affect the nation.

My friend, there is no power greater than that of the Almighty God, Jehovah, the great I AM. To meddle with the evil spirits who war against God, is to war with God Himslef. To seek tarot cards, a daily reading, a deceased loved one or the full on dark powers of magic and sorcery, to cast spells or try incantations, all of these, we are commanded to be cleansed from. Run all them evil spirits, books, signs, and sins out of your camp. Confess your sin, repent of it, ask forgiveness and be cleansed from everything having to do with the dead and their dry, old, dead spirits. Now is the time for a clean up in Ameica, starting with us. He is commanding us to.

Lest you think these ideas are far fetched for New Testament believers, the New Testament is clear that we are to cleanse ourselves for every form of impurity and sin. Cleansing is a new testament concept.

1 Cor. 5:7 – cleanse out all the old leaven…
2 Cor. 7:1 – let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness
Jas. 4:8 – cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts you double minded
Mat. 8:3 – immediately his leprosy was cleansed
Acts 15:9 – having cleansed our hearts by faith
2 Pet. 1:9 – …having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins…

Cleasning is for now. Is needed now. In my life. In your life. In the nation.

Webster says that “cleanse” means = clean, especially to be rid of impurities by washing. Remove toxins from body. Purge, purify, sanctify.

If we are to see our nation rid of murder, assalut, theft, violence and the others we listed earlier, it starts with us. It starts in me. It starts in you.

I am asking you to consider joining me and others in a personal prayer of cleansing and repentance. Evaluate and rid your life from any –

leprosy – anything that has numbed your senses to God’s heart. Blinded your eyes to His truth & justice. Anything that has eaten away at your spiritual condition. Those things that have worn away at your ability to feel completely and even experience pain
issues – that have run for years through your life and bled you dry of hope, healing, and faith. Issues that represent wasted years.
contact with the dead – renounce all associations with witchcraft, mediums, the supernatural, evil spirits, and walk as one covered by the Blood of Jesus, whose death overcame all forms of darkness, and by whose death you are victorious over them all

Here’s how –

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Proverbs 28:13 – he who confesses and forsakes them (his sin) will obtain mercy.

Psalms 32:5 – I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my inquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you forgave the inquity of my sin.

I believe the Lord is calling us all to put out of the camp everything that is unclean. Including these that we have discussed. He is calling for us to be purified, cleansed, forgiven and empowered. I don’t know what lies ahead for us in America, but I do know that He is up to something amazing and is looking for clean vessels that He can use.

That’s why your prayer of cleansing and my prayer of cleansing is the start of a clean up in America.

Amen!

Debbie

There’s A Waterfall in My Kitchen

September 18, 2021Blog, Personal Growth, Sunday Sermonscleansing, river, waterfalldebio7 1 Comment

Sunday Sermon 9.18.21

In my view, there’s probably nothing more calming and soothing than the sounds of a river babbling through it’s bed or a gentle waterfall over the smooth rocks. With it comes a deep sense of tranquilility, clarity, purity, refreshment and power.

It was during the Feast of Tabernacles (which, by the way, is approaching Sept. 21-27), that Jesus stood and spoke:

“On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit…”
John 7:37-39a NIV

Imagine a rustling, babbling river flowing through you, through you and the riverbed of your life, over every rock embedded in your personality. Imagine it’s tranquility, clarity, purity, refreshment and power.

THAT my friend, is the Holy Spirit flowing through you. And that, dear one, is what Jesus promised to those guys back then, and to you and me today. Rivers of living water flowing through those that believe.

So we must ask ourselves, is that river flowing in and through us? Is that waterfall of the Spirit, overflowing and toppling down, over the boulders, bushes, birds of the air?

Chances are the flowing is a mere trickle. Or worst-yet, a dry riverbed, lacking even the slightest bit of moisture. My new hero of the faith says this –

“Dear brethren, our eyes are dry, because our hearts are dry.”
Leonard Ravenhill – “Why Revival Tarries”

Are our hearts dry or is there a river of life flowing through it?

The Lord used this event and picture in my life this week to teach me a thing or two about this flowing river from within us.

I had determined to go for a walk with my husband yesterday and when we returned, I was going to clean the house. You know, mop, vacuum, dust, etc., etc. So we went for our walk and had a wonderful time outdoors, together.

When we returned home, I opened the door to the sound of a waterfall in my kitchen. Now mind you, we have no water fountain or any such water feature in our home, much less in the kitchen.

When I rounded the corner to the kitchen, this is what I saw…

Overflowing from the filled sinks was filthy, black water! It was flowing from the sinks, over the kitchen counter, down the cabinet wall, into the dining room and all over the kitchen floor. Under the cupboard was a collection of water, and the pipes were shooting this disgusting water from the lines.

And the SMELL. WAS. DISGUSTING!

I wish there was an APP for smelling, luckily for you tho’, you can use your eyes instead.

disgusting, black, sticky and smally sludge

Short story now, the tenant above us was having plumbing work done, this we knew. We had previously had no blockage problems (last November we had a plumber out to clear the lines), so we thought we were good. Until we got home that is. Another plumber came out, cleared the line and we were left to clean up the mess. After 4 hours, we were on the road to “back to normal”.

But here’s the lesson I feel the Lord had for me in this.

“You Debbie, were content to clean the visible part of the house, but I am wanting to clean what is unseen. I am wanting to unclog the lines between us, unblock the emotions between us, clean up the stinch of lies that have polluted your image of how I see you, and open you up to the clean, refreshing, tranquil, pure and powerful flow of the living water of the Holy Spirit through you.“

WOW! WOW! WOW! I was undone.

You see, the Lord has been working on me, challenging me to allow Him to walk with me through past experiences that have shut me down, distorted my image of the Father, and misshapen my stand as His beloved daughter. So when this picture played out yesteday in my life, it was powerful.

The stinch, the blockage, the sight of unclean water all were used to help me see what He was doing in my life. What He was doing to clean not just the outside but clean the inside of my life, because from me (and YOU) is to flow rivers of living water!

Refreshing, calming, life-giving, powerful, rushing pure rivers of the Holy Spirit flowing through me. But first, I gotta get unclogged, unstopped, roto-rootered… I gotta allow Him to clean me up to feel, sense, think and act like Him. So all that smelly, grungy, flesh-life has got to go.

We could mention hundreds of bible verses here, but I won’t. I will offer this one that has been so magnified in my mind and prayers these past weeks,

“Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on the altar and wait for your fire to fall upon my heart.”
Psalm 5:3 TPT

You see, I am surrendering every area of my life to Him, afresh. Allowing Him to examine, reveal and walk me through the healing that is needed so that my heart will be passionately on fire for Him and clean, refreshing and powerful rivers of living water of the Spirit will flow through and from me.

It took a waterfall in my kitchen to speak powerfully to me and I hope that through it, He has spoken to you too.

Flow through us in purity, Holy Spirit. Unstop and unclog us. We yield to you.

Debbie

You Are What You Breathe

May 11, 2021Blog, Personal Growthbreathe clearly, cleansing, lungs, toxinsdebio7 Leave a comment

Walking through the supermarket I wasn’t even aware what was happening. The same thing happened when I was sitting down with the family this weekend and again when I was at work, in that smoke filled room.

Without even my awareness or effort, the most important thing that I do was being done.

I was breathing!

16 breaths a minute totaling 13 pints of air every minute,17,280 breaths a day, 5,000 gallons of air every 24 hours and exhaling 17.5 mL of water each hour. My lungs were doing their life sustaining job, keeping me alive, and naturally expelling toxins that would harm me.

My lungs!

Those amazing, spongy organs on either side of my chest, were processing that air and filtering it through my body. The two bronchi, the 300 million alveoli in each lung, the layer of fluid surrounding each lung (the pleura), and the bronchioles, all preform their duties each and every day with little notice or fanfare. Yet, without them, we would cease to exist. (Although, our human design is so wonderfully planned that we could survive and thrive with just one functioning lung.)

We think of our lungs as being like balloons, filling up with air and releasing it. In fact, that is true. But if you were to open up those spongy balloons, and lay them flat and measure the surface area, you would find them to be as large as a tennis court. The total length of the airways running through them is 1,500 miles!

Your lungs are one of the largest organs in your body. Oh… and they are the only organs in your body that float! But I digress…

It is interesting to note that 70% of the waste in our body is eliminated through our lungs. (again, who knew?)

Which brings us to our title – you are what you breathe.

We breathe in air pollution, smoke, and other toxins that damage our lungs. COPD, Emphysema, Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Asthma or any number of other lung diseases can affect those spongy, filters of ours, making the unnoticed breathing of everyday life much more complicated, debilitating and even scary. Ask one of the 235 million Asthma sufferers if they have ever been scared?

Therefore, keeping healthy, clean lungs is important for life.

Did you know that there are actually ways that you can clean/clear your lungs? I didn’t.

They are: stream therapy – inhaling water vapor to open up the airways, controlled coughing, discharging mucus, exercise, green tea, and anti inflammatory foods. Each of these will provide some level of temporary assistance in clearing out toxins and clearing those tissues and membranes in our lungs.

Can I share one thing? It’s about mucus. As gross as that stuff is, that stuff is powerful! I mean it. It is cleaner than our blood and will actually kill the bacteria it surrounds. Blood will not kill, it allows the bacteria to grow. Mucus traps harmful particles so it can be coughed up and out. Think of that.

Amazing lungs!

Why the lesson on lungs? Consider this.

In what ways can you draw parallels between the toxins and pollutants that you are bombarded with via the news, social media, academia, friends, family, associates, colleagues and your need to breathe clearly? In what ways have the toxic voices in your life acted like COPD on your chest?

Phil Collins, and The Police said it best, “With every breath you take”, you are taking in way more than you need or that is even healthy. If you are finding your breathing labored, you are becoming inflamed with issues, or there is some kind of build up in your spirit or blockage in your peace – (like those that cause lung disease), it is time for a lung cleansing. You need to breathe deeply and clearly and remove those toxins and pollutants from your environment. Your personal survival is dependent on it.

Just like my choice to smoke or not is affecting my physical lungs, in the same way, my choice to expose myself to toxic people and ideas is affecting the clarity and strength of my daily breathing and energy.

Find the time, find a way and place to rid yourself of those deadly pollutants that are damaging you on the inside. Allow your “spiritual mucus” to surround that harmful particle in your life and get it out of you. Your life depends on it.

You are what you breathe and I want you to have a healthy life in every way with every breath you take.

Breathe deeply.

Cheers.

Debbie