If I Could've...I Would've
Hearing the words of fear, doubt, and despair coming from the mouths of saints, feeling the fear radiating out of and off of them, my heart was crying out to the Lord for words to type here. The longing of my spirit was for the perfect words, divine words straight from the mouth of God, to flow from my fingers onto the page. Words to strengthen in the Lord, reveal the power of His might, and rouse the believer to the truth of Who He is and who they are in Him were my prayer. After committing this care to the Lord, I was checking emails and these are the words my inbox contained. If I could have, I would have written them myself. But since someone else already has, I'll simply share them instead. As we enter Thanksgiving Week together a blessing I am imparting to you. It is a common blessing, one often heard sometimes tossed about in a casual less than sincere, when we don't know what else to say way. However, these words today are coming to you with the utmost sincerity and love. I am thankful for you dear readers. Go forth and be blessed in Him, the One to whom ALL thanks is due. May the Lord Bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto to you. In the name of Jesus, Yeshua, Amen.
Who do you say that I am?... Matthew 16:15-19
from Kim Hadaway
"As I said, I grew up in the Church and my family members were Christians, but I was not created to live off their salvation and encounters with Jesus. It had to become personal to me, and this is true for us all. Their salvation and experiences with the Lord influenced me, but God created each of us for personal relationship. He created each of us individually for relationship and to know Him intimately.
In Matthew 16:15, the Lord Jesus asked the disciples a huge question and it was, "Who do you say that I am?" They had been walking and living with Him for a while before He asked the above question. This could be true for many of us in the Church and for those in the world at many different levels – how long have you been walking with the Lord? Do we really fully know Him? We can only grow daily in this revelation. God invites each of us to do so by walking and communing with Him every day. And in this place, we will be strengthened, encouraged, and strong!
Jesus asked the personal question and Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Jesus shared, "Flesh and blood didn't reveal this to you, Peter, but My Father who is in Heaven, and upon this rock (this revelation), I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not be able to prevail against it. And whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven."
Hell will never be able to prevail against Jesus. He is the Victor, and when we encounter Jesus and discover the richness of Who our God is, hell cannot prevail in our lives. The Lord desires for us to know Him and His great love. Jesus demonstrated this great love on the Cross, but defeated the powers and works of darkness as well, and rose victorious. Again, as we receive this revelation, we too are strengthened, because He dwells in us! The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is in us – the very Spirit of God.
During my journey with the Lord, He took me through Psalm 23 as well, and began to teach me how to lie in green pastures and trust in Him and allow Him to be my trust. Psalm 23 begins with letting us know who the Lord is – He is our Shepherd, Protector, Nurturer, Guide, Provision, Help, Comforter, Peace, Sustainer, Restorer, Lover, Deliverer, Life, Truth, Counselor, Breakthrough, King of Glory, Lord of Heaven's Armies, Friend. He is Faithful, True, Merciful, the Alpha and Omega...and so much more. Many of these names and characteristics of God are mentioned in Psalm 23 and other places throughout the Word. These names describe our God!
The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it (His Name, the truth of who He is) and they are safe. As we study His name and meditate on Him, we find ourselves strengthened, empowered, and established in the truth. Poverty mindsets are broken off and we, who have been held captive in times past, find ourselves walking and established in freedom. Giants are defeated as well.
As Believers our inheritance in Jesus Christ is rich and without limit. My prayer for you is the same as mentioned in Ephesians 1: I pray that the eyes of your understanding will continue to be flooded with light and that you will continue to grow in the knowledge of Him.
Ephesians 1:15-23 reads: "Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the Church, which is His Body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."
Weekly Scripture Meditation
Week ONE – Matthew 16:15-23
Week TWO – Ephesians 1 and 3
Week THREE – Revelation 1 and 4:1
Week FOUR – Psalm 23
Week TWO – Ephesians 1 and 3
Week THREE – Revelation 1 and 4:1
Week FOUR – Psalm 23
Kim Hadaway currently serves as head intercessor for XP Ministries in the U.S. She carries a true pastor's heart, desiring to see the love of Christ consume and transform people. She longs to see the people of God equipped and walking in the fullness of God. She believes all in the Body of Christ are called to be ministers of fire! Kim leads women's groups and intercessory prayer, as well as teaching, preaching, and operating in a strong seer anointing. She has seen the Lord impact people and regions through prayer and the release of the prophetic. She has been used along with others at XP Ministries to release revival fire, seeing salvations, physical and emotional healings, deliverance, and restoration come to many as a result!