Witnessing to Children at Christmas-time

Couldn't be a better time to share the love of Jesus than in the glowing, festive season of expectation that Christmas brings with it.  And Christmas is definitely about giving... so I have a wonderful outreach idea for blessing children, that includes a free PDF you can print out.

The bare bones...
This is basically a 'be excellent in character' message from Jesus that incorporates a future hope along with the reason for Christmas. The 'character' theme is fun because we will be including a lego 'character kit' as part of the gift.

It is designed "2-up" and will be printed on both sides, cut in half and folded "card style".

The Message...
(Here is the body of the message included in the PDF):

I know Christmas is my birthday celebration, and usually the birthday boy is the one who gets the cards.  But I wanted to give you something in this very special season because you are very special to me.
It is a 'busy-busy' season, but we can learn a lot from the wise men that visited me on my birthday.  They stopped their worldly activities, sought the Savior, and offered a special gift to me.
Just as Christmas decorations make our homes pretty, so our lives can be beautiful when they are “decorated” with 'godly character' such as kindness, love, giving, faithfulness, gentleness, contentment and respect for others.
On that first Christmas morning, I may have been just a baby, but I had you in mind. Long before you were born, I knew you.  I came because I love you.  Just like there is a plan for this fun character you build… I have a great plan for you! Here is a special word from Me to you:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”  John 14:1-3

Someday we will meet face to face.  Until then, keep building godly character.  Have a very Merry Christmas.
Love,  Jesus

Things you will need:
• Preferably yellow copy paper, cardstock weight if you can.
• A lego or lego-style mini character kit
• Christmas treat bag

*Note:  I used a 'knock-off' of lego to keep the costs down.  I was able to find them sold in lots of '10' (bulk) on ebay.  We wrote "Merry Christmas" and my son signed his name before we taped the lego kit down... so it's like a nice surprise found after the kit is removed.

I simply tape the lego 'character kit' on the inside of the card.

An Encourager...
It's getting harder and harder to speak "Jesus" in schools today so I'm always on the look-out for ways to keep the door open.  In my case, the school ships the kids in a bus on fridays to the church across the street for "Religious Enrichment"... an opt program that must be parent-approved, and YAY, it's just Christian.  Every kid in the class has consent & goes to it! But that is my back up plan....we are going to try our "Building Good Character" gift as an elementary school Christmas party gift.  Where will you use it?  Homeless shelters, neighborhood kids, those once-a-year visitors at your Christmas church services... be creative!

I want to encourage any of you... especially if you are in an 'easy' community that hasn't succumbed to the pressures of atheistic culture, and if everyone is just fine with Jesus... to not be afraid to let the majority rule.  Make it known to the PTA that real Christmas songs are important to you & not white-washed 'holiday' mumbo jumbo.  Vie for the contested live nativity in the next town.  Encourage carolers and be a cocoa or snack stop for them.  There is so much we can do to spread the joy and message of Jesus our Emmanuel. It is only going to close up and clamp down more and more and the world needs you to stand for Jesus... for these little ones that need to HEAR.

Printable PDF ------>

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Q: How does one receive healing prayers?

Q:  How does one receive healing prayers?

A:  A very short question…I'm not sure of what angle this question was presented,  but I will suggest many things….

1.) Position your heart for healing
….healing only happens by faith. Sometimes its by the faith of the one doing the praying & sometimes the recipient, but we know one of the 2 has to have faith! We know that "faith comes by hearing & hearing by the Word…" (Romans 10:17), so get in the Word to gain faith for the healing.

2.) Conform to Christ Jesus
… .another imploring to read the Word.  We have to believe what the Word says to be an heir of it.  No matter the topic…but since this is healing…gather up healing scriptures like these:

…. and meditate on them over & over.  When you begin to believe the truth you will get excited in the Word and the fire from it fuels your prayer.  And we know the prayer of a righteous one avails much! (James 5:16)

3.) Praise & worship
....let the excitement cross over into adoration…anticipation of the promised truth…after all, HE is Worthy!  Praise attracts God’s presence. He is drawn to where He is welcomed.  If 'by His stripes we are healed', then we can fixate on how we'd be Praising Him for the manifestation of the healing. So start now!

4.) Relationship
…. just a moment ago the Lord gave me a lil' vision for you… He showed me an invited stranger bursting into a formally seated banquet & demanding healing.  No, it doesn't work that way….first are introductions, gratefulness for being invited….giving the host a gift (your heart) and then casual talking & mingling….. and so on.  Sometimes we need to put on God's shoes & apply what we know of Him==knowing His terms, what He expects & then apply to how we like to be treated etc.
It's like getting an invitation to a scavenger hunt with the promised reward of a pot of gold.  We can stand there and demand our gold all day long, but the prize only comes in following the instruction (the Word)…going from clue to clue to the end…whilst the demanding fool had the same opportunity, but gets nothing by belligerently standing there.  
….but back to the banquet scenario:
….If we gave an invitation to all, we'd still expect to get to know people in relationship.  Someone barreling in demanding---even if the Word says we are heir….LOL, we have to act like heirs, not vigilantes!  It's how love is proven.  We can't only go the motions to get something…real love is give and take, sacrifice & surrender.

5.) Asking others to pray for you
 ….but really WITH you as you are pressing in, in relationship with God.  Hey, it's biblical!
This can be within your church fellowship/family and beyond. 

I created a forum to encourage group interaction... 
you can post a request on the forum at:  theironsmiths.com

There are people that naturally have the 'gift of healing'… seeking those types out if they visit your area or to go visit them….(the laying on of hands type of thing), is definitely an option as well.  Just pray to God and listen to what He impresses upon you to do.  To hop from healing evangelist to the next as a 'groupie' more than pressing in to God isn't so much 'relationship building' with the one who is the source of all healing, a?  Perhaps God will tell you "No.", about getting prayer that route, but rest assured His way is the best way.

6.) Perseverance
….He wants all the souls.  He wants us eternally.  We don't want to be as a beggar that rejects the mansion for the immediate handout, so the process is a refining one.  The goal isn't in getting our healing & then move on… what we go through becomes the testimonial to encourage those that WE will then lay hands on to recover.

7.) Believe!
We are to heal the sick, raise the dead and deliver in His name, in the 'big picture', so while you are pressing in for yourself, start RIGHT NOW, in practicing the truth.  If we decide we won't take up those promises until we are healed, the enemy will target that lie, and healing may never come because of 'conditions' we've placed upon God.  But, if we focus and implement the truth in believing for others, we are fueling faith and our own healing shall not be far off!

www.hearingGod.tv

"...For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven"

You know... we are STILL doing that PA, Power and Love Series.... every time we do a long car ride with the kids. In the last one it was kind of profound because Todd White talked about what he believed Paul's 'thorn in the flesh' was. Didn't believe sickness was it (I don't think many of us overcomers 'buy' that view anyhow, Lol).... Todd stated he believes the thorn is persecution.

Let's consider the basis of one of the very first things prophesied of paul in the scripture... the Lord said he was called to suffer..

"..for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Acts 9:16

Watch the clip from 1:12:07 to 1:15:20...



Attitude Adjustment...
Ponder with me on this is a bit of 'wow'... hit the nail on the head..., and let's change our attitude a bit.

There are a great many of us standing & fighting & yet feeling gut-punched because we know the Word is true-- we walk it/live it, but we just continue to feel 'slugged'... and a bit of sadness shrugs over us.
But changing perspective like Paul did, can be a game-changer for us. When we change perspective...not only does the hope begin to flood, but you can see the honor in your suffering and persecution.

2 Corinthians 12:8 "Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong."

Victorious Mindset...
Does anyone really wake up in the morning and think... "What I do today is impacting and changing the world tomorrow for Jesus Christ"? How many slumbering warriors are out there missing this vision? How many are taking the punches and going into pity-party mode....creeping into-a-hole mode, instead of shouting "GLORY!"? There are MANY.

It's a hamster wheel of non-efficacy.

Sure it's not fun... even Jesus asked that the cup be removed... and it's okay to desire a lighter load, but are we retreating as sand or a rock that stands unbroken?

John 18:11 "...the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?'”

You Must Prophesy...

If you've found yourself relating to sand...pity parties and retreating to a hole... I have a small smooth stone to take down that goliath mindset in your life.  It's simply agreeing with the Word of truth.  If it's not there and you speak what is true... you are prophesying it.  And does it return void???  The catch is, is that you MUST speak it.  How does faith come? 

I can sit here and know all kinds of scripture and sit in a hole of sadness or I can fight and speak it out boldly for heaven, for earth and under the earth to hear.  As I speak it out, my listening ears hear and faith grows. 

Acceptance...

Did you know that the reason for persecution is so that we would be separated from the world?

John 15:18-21  “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you... If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you... because they do not know Him who sent Me."

What is the goal and purpose of this short life?  Is it about ourselves, our own accomplishments... whoever has the most toys.... LOL.  No, of course not... it's about refining for our completeness in relationship and ultimate purpose in God's plan.  Our hearts are truly restless until they rest in our creator.  In heaven, there will no longer be a 'God-shaped' hole in our hearts.  So although we don't feel, or taste, touch or experience the more lofty and comfortable promises of the Word, we can know we are doing just fine.  We're just 'fitting in' the world to come more-so then this place... and that's where we WANT to be!  With that in mind, we can thank Him for the great things we are doing that we cannot comprehend in our current bout of persecution.  We can press onward boldly, knowing it's just not about us, but who can we take with us?

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Matthew 5:10

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Struggles with Emotional Healing and Deliverance

A lot of emotional healing is forgiving others, forgiving self, and not holding God accountable for an event happening (ie. blaming Him).  I suggest in my videos about writing down all the hurts, & the ones that still get a rise out of your emotions are the ones that still need worked on…. then crumble up the paper, continue to pray & try writing them again another month.  If you’ve done this and get no emotional rise, meaning no one is longer to blame or being blamed… and you're STILL having problems, then it’s likely a self made stronghold (a deception in ones own mind).

It all starts with identity.  After we’ve declared, repented, shut doors etc., we just need to ‘be’ who He says we are ("Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm." Eph. 6:13), and trust and believe it is so.  Is who He says we are louder in our identity, or are we allowing the voice of the enemy to gang up with our carnal nature and solidify a wrong or negative belief?

When counseling people via email, I have the bonus of seeing a person's plea all written out.  As I view what they write, it is as if the negative confessions and wrong beliefs rise up above the page as if a billboard of their identity. ("…for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart." Luke 6:45c)

This is key….if we are focusing more on the past & building up that as a root because of not seeing ‘instant results’… then we make an access point in that confession.  Read that a few times to let it sink in…I don’t know how to say it better.  When I see the 'bad past' and 'negative statements' appear over and over, I know it's a well-worn path that's not from a kingdom that Jesus hails from.  We could be free but we trap ourselves in doubt etc. because we have deceived ourselves in expecting fireworks and a flash in the pan.  

After having done our due diligence, we are to stand.  In the ‘standing’ we are focusing on the Word and relationship with God.  A lot of people that have kicked evil spirits out….when satan comes back knocking, is able to deceive them into thinking he’s never left.  He’ll always come back and we have to stand.  We have to rebuke him and stand in that we’ve done everything to appease legalism and we stand, even painfully so as he spits in our face…but he can no longer slug us.  If we believe that spitty backlash more than the truth then he’ll gain free reign to slug us by our own deception…that’s why renewing our mind in the Word is the only way & IS the answer we give to the enemy every time he comes back spitting.

Here is a cool testimony I was recently sent….note in it the 'war with flesh' and 'self' mindsets that the person admitted and triumphed over:

Something life-changing happened to me a few days ago & since you were the willing vessel who enabled me to receive it, I want to share this with you in hopes you'll be blessed by it! Here's my testimony :) 

I was born again @ age 9 & baptized @ age 12. I'm in my early fifties now. Have been walking with Christ Jesus through the years (more in prodigal mode in my youth), presently seeking Him, His Will & earnestly desiring the deeper things of God. Recently He impressed upon me that I needed to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, as I'd only been operating in the Baptism of Water/Repentance. 

About that time, I found your channels & subbed. On 01/04/14, I asked the Lord for discernment & then watched your video on how to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, as evidenced by speaking in tongues. 

You said something VERY important that I'd never heard anyone mention before. You said: "your FLESH will NOT want to do it!" (speak in tongues). This brief statement made all the difference! THAT WAS IT - the problem, the reason I'd been reluctant to receive this gift all these years, was because of my flesh! I grew up in the Southern Baptist church, ones that did not operate in the Spiritual gifts. So I'd been confused, fearful, reluctant in the past, since I'd never seen the gifts in action...& wasn't really sure what I might be "getting into ..." (~ my pride & ignorance) 

I rebuked my flesh in prayer & at that instant, I began speaking in tongues!
I simply can't express what has happened since! In the natural, nothing changed. No bells rang, I didn't shake or shout or "feel" any different. I simply began to speak in tongues while in prayer. 

I believe God gave me this gift now (at the new year), because I was at the end of my "rope of hope." I could not bear the thought of another year or more on this Earth. I told God in all honesty, that if He wanted me to go on, something would have to change. Well, that "something" was me, HE CHANGED ME! THANKS BE TO GOD FOR HIS UNSPEAKABLE GIFT! 

Now I truly understand why in Ephesians 6:18 we are instructed to "... pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."

So if you've been seeking deliverance and emotional healing for a long time, take account of allllll the things you were delivered of… get out a notepad.  Discern if you’ve allowed your mind to deceive itself, ("But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6) then repent, revoke, renounce and claim it was valid and begin standing.  This Derek Prince video is a perfect example of the fight:

You may also want to spend a day writing down your thought-life too, so you can line them up next to the Word.  The enemy could be feeding you lies & here you've always just thought it was yourself; but you have to be ‘real’ with whatever doesn’t line up with the truth.  

You’ll never know unless you put those areas under a microscope and that does takes work….diligence….but in doing so, you’ll identify what’s you, what’s the enemy & when the holy spirit is breaking through.  If the enemy has essentially trained us 'wrong' for so long, it will take effort to conform to Christ Jesus and take on His identity… so let the retraining begin.  No more broken record of the past… speak identity and promise and life when those thoughts, actions, and feelings swell. Do not repeat the enemy's lies (oh the past this, the past that), but thank God, assure Him and remind Him that He gets to deal with it ("For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matt. 11:30), and to him that asks, you can be sure that HE Will! (Ask, Seek, Knock - Matt. 7:7-12)

www.hearingGod.tv