Now don’t let those words “scare” you. Put back on your courage jacket, wrap it snugly around you. And let’s walk this out together. Ready? Ok, here we go now.
There is no fear in love.
Did you know that once you truly know who you are in Christ and the magnitude of Who He is in you . . . that you will be completely fearless?
Yes, completely fearless!
Seriously think about these next statements: If you are doing anything in fear, you have not yet been made perfect in love. And if you have not stepped out because of some fear, you have not yet been made perfect in love.
Let me say that again.
If what you are doing . . . is not being done without fear . . . then you, my Beautiful Sister, are not yet made perfect in love. And if you are not doing because of fear . . . you, my Father’s Beloved, are not yet made perfect in love.
The Word of God says :
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” - I John 4:18 KJV
Now, let’s look at that same scripture in the Amplified Bible:
“There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment; and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection].” - I Jon 4:18 Amplified Bible
There is no fear in love! ~ But not so with fear!
Fear has great torment.
And the Lord your God, does not want you tormented in any area of your life.
God is love , and He so loves incredible you. ~ Oh, my Phenomenal Sister, know that your Father and my Father totally loves Wonderful, Significant You!
His love for you, Divinely Framed Woman of God, is absolutely outrageous, unconditional and so eternal. The Father God has already settled it when it comes to you, His Beloved. He loves you. Yes, He unequivocally, undeniably loves Wonderful You.
There is not one thing that can make your Heavenly Father change His mind. He cannot be bribed or threatened. His love for Phenomenal You is not up for negotiation!
Please know that for yourself.
And from this moment on, Treasured Jewel of the Most High God, let not your heart be troubled; rejoice in and settle down deeply in the love of your Gracious God. Do not dismay. There’s no stopping you now. You are the Daughter of the King of kings! No weapon formed against you can prosper. So, again I say, let not your heart be troubled. Be of good courage, and choose to FEAR NOT, Fearless Woman of God!
These are words that the Apostle Paul penned in First Timothy, Chapter 2, verse 18. And he added these words also, "lift up holy hands without anger or disputing."
Paul is not just saying that we all should pray in every place that we are found. He is saying so much more than that. Beloved Paul is beautifully saying that when we pray, we as Believers, should have clean hands, and we should have clean hearts.
What is our lifestyle? What are we living out daily? I s it different from what is on display in our congregations?
Just what are men saying about us in the marketplace? Even Jesus asked of His disciples, "Who do men say that I am?"
Oh, my precious Sisters, who do men say that you are?
Do your lifestyles backup what you preach and teach? Are you standing up for Jesus, or are you lying down with Adam?
Are you really crucified with Christ?
Can you say with confidence and boldness the very same thing that Apostle Paul boldly professed:
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God Who loved me, and gave Himself for me. - Galatians 2:20
So as we earnestly participate in today’s National Day of Prayer , let us make sure our hands as well as our hearts are clean. For the Lord our God has said:
"If My people, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive thier sin, and heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14
And oh my Father’s Beloved, how our land desperately needs healing!
This morning I was reflecting on how absolutely WONDERFUL our Darling Lord truly, truly is!
There are no words to describe or give justice to how I feel . . . So I have decided to just let the Word do the talking for me today.
Let’s go to Revelation 5:11-13. Let’s go where the Apostle John was allowed to go, and let’s hear what this incredible and humble Apostle of Love was privileged to hear:
“And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the Throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands:
Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.
And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth forever and ever.”
# # # #
Amen, indeed!
May we all fall down and worship the Lamb that was slain, the One Who lives forever and ever, and ever and ever!
Oh, yes, yes, yes, Ambassadors! May we worship Him, indeed!
Blessings,
Ora ~
* * * * * Rev. Ora Stearns Smith Ora International
Sweet, sweet greetings to Phenomenal You in the Amazingly Amazing Name of our Darling Lord & Savior!
Yes, sweet greetings, indeed!
Today, I want us all to reflect upon our Darling King and what His Life, Death & Resurrection really means to us, His Disciples, Followers, Believers, Ambassadors of the Kingdom.
It appears that there have always been questions about whether or not He truly was raised from the dead. Let’s pull back the pages and hear what people were saying back in the days of the early Church. Let’s go to I Corinthians, Chaper 15.
~
I Corinthians 15: 12-23
12) Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13) But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
14) And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
15) Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ: Whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
16) For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
17) And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
18) Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
19) If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
20) But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21) For since by man came death, by Man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22) For as in Adam all die, even so, in Christ shall all be made alive.
23) But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming.
# # #
Oh, Precious and Beloved of God, He is risen.
He’s alive and we are forgiven.
His arms are opened wide.
He’s Alive! He’s Alive! He’s Alive!
And we are alive in Him! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah, indeed!
Blessings & Much Agape!
* * * * * Rev. Ora Stearns Smith
Ora International Ministries
Empowering Women to Rise out of the ashes . . .
To Reign in the Kingdom!
Today I present to you the lyrics of a song that I wrote a few years ago. It is simply called, “Youth.” This is a song of war. War for our children. This song reminds me of young David when he encountered Goliath. He was not moved by the size of Goliath or by his threats of annihilation. David knew his God was with him.
Well, the very same God is not only with us, He is in us! And He has given us authority and power over all the works of the enemy and WE CAN take back our kids no matter how far they have fallen or how black their midnights.
So let us stop listening to the enemy’s lies and boldly tell him what we will do. Tell him and show him that we have authority over him, and we will snatch our kids out of his evil hands. And then without fear RUN TOWARD him knowing that because of our covenant, our God backs us up!
Well Precious Ambassadors, here is “Youth” . . .
~
YOUTH
No, no . . . no, no, no, uh ah, satan
No, no . . . no, you won’t!
Jesus gave to me the keys of His Kingdom
Whatever I bind on earth is bound in Heaven
The keys of His Kingdom, Jesus gave to me
Whatever I loose on earth is loosed in Heaven
What Authority . . . Jesus gave to me
When I speak His Name
satan, you’re brought to shame
Because of my covenant
My God backs me up!
Jesus said that I could lay hands on the sick
When I lay my hands, they would recover
And I lay my hands on the Youth today
satan, you cannot have
you will not have another!
For with Authority
I bring you to your knees
Yes, in Jesus’ Name
I break your every chain
Because of my covenant
My God backs me up! Father . . . Son . . . And . . . Holy Ghost!
I overcome by the Blood of the Lamb
And the word of my testimony
And I say hey Youth . . . you stand for Jesus
More than conquerors
You got the Victory!
satan, I break your chains
In Jesus Mighty Name
Forever taste defeat
Under my feet!
Because of my covenant
My God backs me up!
Father . . . Son . . . And . . . Holy Ghost!
No, no . . . no, no, no, uh ah, satan
No, no . . . no, you won’t!
From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in – we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen!
And now we’re telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly this: The Infinite Life of God Himself took shape before us. - I John 1:1,2 - The Message Bible
You don’t have to imagine what it was like for the Disciples of Old when they first saw, touched and heard the Lord Jesus Christ . Oh, how marvelously marvelous it must have been to be a personal witness of His divine presence and indescribable essence.
Oh, my precious Sister, you do not have to imagine at all.
You can know Him. He is here right now with arms wide open, waiting to pull you into Himself and shower you with a love worth knowing!
Yes, you can know the absolute joy of being intimate with the Lover of your soul!
How?
It’s really very simple: Just call His name: Jesus. And then say, “I want to know you.” And He’ll be there. He will make Himself known to Precious You. He’s not complicated, and He is always available; always waiting, expecting you to come around to Him and partake of His unending love. Ask, my sister. Truly, He is just a prayer away. Then you, too, will know the same joy as the Disciples of Old. And you too, will be His Personal Witness.
Blessings and Great Grace . . .
Ora ~
* * * * * Rev. Ora Stearns Smith
Ora International Ministries
Empowering Women to Rise out of the Ashes . . .
To Reign in the Kingdom!
I have only one question for you right now, Heavenly Father, and that is:
Has anyone told Wonderful You just how much he/she loves you today?
Well, if not, please let me be the one. I love you so much, Daddy. Honestly, I do.
Words are not able to express the depth, the height, the length or the width of the personal love and gratitude that I have for You, my Darling Lord & Savior. Again, I want to say, I love Beautiful You soooooo much!
And I want You to know, Mi Papacito, Lover of my soul and the Only One Qualified to make me whole, that I am everything I am . . . because You love me.
Yes, Magnificent One, I am everything that I am . . . because You completely and unconditionally, outrageously and eternally . . . love me!
Su Hija ~
* * * * * Rev. Ora Stearns Smith
Ora International Ministries
Empowering Women to Rise out of the Ashes . . .
To Reign in the Kingdom!
Sweet, sweet greetings to Phenomenal You in the Precious Name of our Darling Lord & Savior.
My heart is so full today. It is so completely full and running over. And I have to shout it on the roof top, and declare it to the whole world that I am utterly enthralled and enraptured with the God of my Salvation!
I truly love Him so.
When I sense His Presence filling up my room and walking towards me, hovering over me, then pouring in me, well, something indescribable sweeps over me and through me so much so . . . that my soul quakes at the splendors of His visitation.
Like Isaiah, I feel undone. And my heart gallops like a thoroughbred in the heat of his final race.
I am shaking, quaking.
He touches me with a touch that assures me. Then He softly calls my name. And the quaking ceases. Peace, sweet, sweet peace envelops me.
He calls my name again and gently, lovingly says, “I love you.”
And suddenly tears, uncontrollable tears, swell in my heart and overflow in my eyes.
“You are the one for me. I chose you. You did not choose me. I chose you and have made you My holy habitation. We are one. I in you and you in Me. We are One. You are mine forever and I am yours forevermore. I will never leave you, My forever-love.”
The weight of His words and the reality of Who He truly is, well, it grips me. Overwhelms me. Floors me. I can’t move. I can’t speak.
I can only cry profusely.
But He understands. He hears. He sees.
He knows . . . oh yes, my Darling Lord knows . . . that I am . . .
SO THANKFUL!
~
Selah.
Much Love,
Ora ~
* * * * * Rev. Ora Stearns Smith
Ora International Ministries
Empowering Women to Rise out of the Ashes . . .
To Reign in the Kingdom!
I have one question for you today: Are you hungry?
Before you answer, first, let’s look at some definitions of the word hunger for a minute.
Hunger is defined as:
1. A strong desire for food
2. The discomfort, weakness or pain caused by a lack of food
3. A strong desire or craving
Now, I know we all have had our strong desires for food and we know the discomfort and weakness or pain caused by a lack of food. But what I want to discuss has nothing to do with food. I’m talking about a hunger to want more out of life. I’m talking about a hunger to give birth to your dreams. Oh, yes, I’m talking about a hunger that is not moved by your circumstances or your bank account, or the opinions of man.
I’m talking about a hunger that won’t let you give in or give up. A hunger that says:
I refuse to be refused. And I deny to be denied!
I’m talking about a hunger that is pertinacious!
Les Brown had a revelation of this kind of hunger. He knew there was greatness in him and that his life was not useless or worthless. He knew he was born for greatness and he refused to die an unlived life. He refused to die with his dreams locked in the womb of his soul.