Mar 27, 2017 – Maureen Bravo, Prophetic Insights

Couldn’t stop reading these things written in years past…seeing how they applied today! 

Thanks for prompting me to visit these “ancient manuscripts!”

Children of darkness vs Children of the LIGHT

…a personal application…

Maureen Carson Bravo – January 31, 2001

I am a child of God, a servant of the Most High. Jesus is my Lord, my Love, my Life and I walk by His LIGHT; I am filled with His precious Holy Spirit, and live to glorify my Father, Who is the Father of LIGHT. 

As a child of the LIGHT, I am called to be holy; in order to abide in true intimacy with my Father, I must remain in the LIGHT. Therefore, I must renounce darkness in every form, and give the Holy Spirit my “ongoing” permission to search out, destroy and remove it from me. As each element of darkness is revealed to me by the Holy Spirit, I am convicted and agree quickly with Him. He shows me how insidiously it has infiltrated, controlled and operated throughout my life; I see, am grieved and repent. As I forgive and am forgiven, I break agreement with darkness and its power bases within me are vanquished. I find myself wonderfully refreshed, restored, renewed; I am filled with God’s LIGHT, and able to radiate Christ from a place that was previously dark. 

***

Growing in my love for God, getting freer and freer, I begin to look beyond myself; I start to see others through His eyes, and hear their cries through His ears; I begin to recognize and love them as He does. I can no longer permit darkness to operate between me and those He has united me with, and call on the Holy Spirit to tear any walls that might have been erected. I ask Him to reveal and then demolish the strongholds of whatever would seek to destroy or keep my God-ordained relationships from developing fully. 

I find that I have a place… not only in my Father’s heart, but in the Body of Christ… standing, loving and working alongside other brothers and sisters in the family of God. We are assured that by the power of the Holy Spirit working within us, He intends to accomplish His purposes through us, and that those we love, and others we never knew, will be set free from the fatal darkness, and will join us.

***

As children of the LIGHT, we are constantly being assaulted by the children of darkness…those who do not serve our Father. They are blind and deaf, and completely under the control of the enemy, who is using them as he wages war against the holy ones.

At this very hour, many precious relationships, some of which have existed for years, are under siege. The enemy has made his plans, attacked, infiltrated, and sewn seeds of doubt, discord and division among those who have been called together in Christ. While love, trust, and intimacy are being viciously assaulted, he simply waits for those who will succumb to his ploys, so he can separate unwitting (and often cooperative) victims from the protection of both natural and spiritual families.

These victims become imprisoned by their own weaknesses (sinfulness) and remain captive in fortresses of darkness, which have been erected deep within their own souls. Seemingly impenetrable walls surround them to separate and hide them from their sisters and brothers in Christ, and steal their joy and peace.

Jesus, Who is our peace, broke down every wall of division. As a Good Shepherd, He went out to seek and save those sheep who were cut off and separated from the flock. We now follow in His footsteps…breaking down or scaling whatever walls divide, laying siege to the enemy’s camp and ultimately destroying it…so the captives can be set free from the darkness that holds them powerless in its grip. 

Sound the alarm! Time is of the essence! Carpe diem! Seize the day! If these captives are permitted to remain under the strong influence of darkness for any period of time, they begin to think of their captors as their friends…they are willing to defend them, at all costs, from their would-be rescuers, the children of LIGHT, who long to “comfort them with the comfort with which they themselves were comforted”!

***

This war in which we, the children of the LIGHT, find ourselves engaged is unlike the usual warfare of hatred; this is a “warfare of love”! Love is one weapon that the enemy does not have at his disposal, nor does he possess anything powerful enough to defeat that love when we operate in it correctly. It is our responsibility to make sure that our hearts are pure and that our hands are clean, so that as we engage in each battle, we wield this powerful weapon of warfare to its fullest advantage. 

Father, we want only to honor you with our lives. Draw us ever deeper to Yourself. Watch over us moment by moment, step by step, as we move through these crucial, life-threatening times. Help us to live as Jesus did, in perfect love, clothed in meekness and humility. Fill us with Your peace, while covering and empowering us with the Holy Spirit. 

Allow us to truly “radiate Christ” and manifest His character in the midst of those who do not perceive the darkness that is surrounding, misleading and assaulting them. Help us to trust You in every circumstance, knowing that each battle is Yours…and that Your LIGHT will defeat the darkness operating on every front!

Help us to remember that You first loved us, and that love for each one You created infinitely surpasses any love we could possibly have for them. Help us not to be anxious, but to wait in joyful expectation for the miracles and deliverances that will be born out of loving obedience and submission to You, as we engage in this “warfare of love”! 

 Thank You, Father. Amen. Alleluia!

~~~

A word for 2001… “Let there be light!” …Genesis 1:3

  Maureen Bravo – January 12, 2001

This word is as critical today as it was when spoken in a moment of creation. At that moment, God called the light “good”, and He separated the light from the darkness. In the days ahead, there will be continuing separation of the light from the darkness. There will be conflicts as the children of darkness come against the Children of the Light… in every walk… in every situation…in every realm. As we face each encounter, we who are His must remember that God is sovereign. He is not taken by surprise by anything that might happen. He is totally and completely “IN CONTROL!” 

We must come to understand that we are all simple earthen vessels, jars of clay, “cracked pots”…and that there is darkness in every one of us. Moreover, there is much darkness in most of us, and it is flowing out from us. We cannot see our own darkness; if we could, then we who love Him would not continue to walk in it; the conviction brought about by the awareness of it’s presence in our lives would utterly break our vessels…and thrust us deeper and deeper into repentance…causing us to cry out to Him…for deliverance…for His LIGHT in our lives…for His power to come and close the gates that have allowed such darkness free access to our lives, our relationships, our ministries! 

ALAS! WE ARE IGNORANT. WE ARE DEAF, DUMB AND BLIND! WE CANNOT SEE! Thinking ourselves able to “see”, we continue in this blindness, moving further and further into darkness. We find ourselves caught up in things we desire not to be part of, yet curiously unable to function in the very things we know we have been called to do. When we become thoroughly frustrated by our own attempts to orchestrate / control things / “make it happen”…when we have scrutinized, targeted and blamed everyone else for our problems, yet have them still…when we have finally “had enough”… when we have “come to the end of ourselves”…then we ask, “What is the problem here?” (…Yet never thinking to ask the vital question: “Could this problem have something to do with me…with the way I think or am conducting myself?”) 

In our pride, arrogance and ignorance, we turn to the “old forms”…thinking that we can do something to make a difference! We say we are “drawing apart”…”pressing in”…”seeking His face”; we sing, praise, clap, shout, declare…all in order to “drum up” the spirit and move God. We think that He will hear us and then act to bring about the fulfillment of our personal plans. Like the priests of Baal, we do all we can to get His attention… wanting Him to act on our behalf…to validate us…to show that we are “in the right” and others are wrong…ultimately, to perform for us; but since we have no LIGHT in us, there is no response…the heavens are like brass, and we don’t understand why! We must see that GOD LOVES US, AND HAS A PLAN OF HIS OWN!

Only God…no Baal… can answer the cry of desperate hearts! Because of His great love for us, the Father had kept His promise to send us a Redeemer…His Son, Jesus, was the LIGHT that shines in the darkness… the true “LIGHT of the world”…One sent to set us free; but many loved the darkness more than the LIGHT, and refused to receive Him! As that LIGHT, which was the radiance of the Father’s love, He showed us how to walk in the light, and modeled that way of living…even unto death! When He had fulfilled all He was sent for, Jesus returned to His Father, so that the Holy Spirit could be sent to us.

When we cry out to God, the same Holy Spirit, the One Who raised Jesus from the dead…the Great Predator against darkness…comes! As we trust Him, as we submit to His discipling, He teaches us, and reveals Christ to us; thus, we are brought into the LIGHT. In that LIGHT, we begin to SEE! 

We will receive revelation, which lets us comprehend, in a new way, that which is and is not of Him. As He begins to reveal Himself to us, the contrast of His LIGHT and beauty to our own darkness and ugliness becomes apparent. The Holy Spirit will continue to expose the darkness that has dared to transgress us, the Father’s precious ones. When those dark things that invaded us manifest, we see and understand that which we have never seen within us before; we are heartsick, broken, undone as we recognize the darkness that has contaminated, spoiled…and yes, even worked though us!

As the revelation of darkness comes in fuller measure, we discover the initial wounds that gashed us…that allowed darkness to invade us; we will see how offenses continually hit those same damaged places, finding their way into us; we will learn how we eventually agreed with it, and then exported it, wounding others! We begin to see how the enemy’s strategies have been working against us throughout our lifetime, how we have linked up with darkness, making it our god, and how we have entertained and worshipped at it’s altars within us, all the while thinking we were serving Him. 

To get from where we are today and enter into this place of sight, through revelation and understanding, we must be hungry for Him, not just demanding that His hand to be extended to us! We must humble ourselves before Him, open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, and lay our hearts bare on the altar before God. We must desire to be taught (“be teachable”) and want only His Truth! Only when we have placed ourselves in that position will He begin to teach us what we need to know to be set free!

With that understanding, led by the Spirit, we will move into repentance. As we receive His forgiveness, and turn from darkness, breaking our former agreement with it, the structures / fortresses / castles (strongholds) that housed it within us can be torn down… dismantled… leveled… demolished by the Holy Spirit, and the darkness evicted. We are liberated…released… and flooded with LIGHT… set free to walk in our true calling… as CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT!

Scripture references:

Genesis1: 3, John 8:12, Matthew 5:14-16, Luke 11:35-36, Mark 4:22,

John 1:5, I Thessalonians 5:4-5, Romans 13:12, Ephesians 5:8

~~~

CODE RED PRAYER ALERT

Maureen Bravo

April 10, 2001

We who are in Christ speak freely of the “Great Commission”, but there were other “great commissions” we need to consider—“commissions” of national sins…sins for which we have yet to repent. We fail to remember our nation’s “great omissions”—times that backs were conveniently turned or eyes were diverted from things that required intervention, times we failed to take the necessary, appropriate actions. We continually promote, endorse and allow division…between cultures, races, denominations, generations, and genders, (to mention just a few). We have been proud, independent, and unwilling to admit our failures…and we are paying the price for these attitudes…in anger, hatred and division… in cases such as this! If we are willing to take an honest look at the wrongs committed throughout our national history, we will understand that there is an historical basis for why we are continually reaping a harvest from the seed we have sown. 

It was “unspeakable actions” on the part of the “white” man caused our Native American brothers and sisters to “speak” curses! There are many curses in place across this nation, spoken by wounded and dominated people being rousted off their sacred land, as they were either walking or being transported to places they never would have chosen to go. As ones Jesus sent into all the world to bring the good news of His boundless love, we failed miserably in the arena with the Native Americans. We must now be willing to “stand in the gap” and do the necessary “identificational” repentance to free those who have been held in bondage by our sins against them; we must repent to redeem our land. Let us ask God to forgive us, to free our brothers and sisters from the pain of the past, and heal our nation.

Across our nation, there are those First Peoples who need to hear words similar to these:

“I stand as a representative of my people and humble myself before you today. I ask that you accept my sincere apology for the way that your people were treated at the hands of my ancestors. We confess that we have sinned against you and against the God we said we were serving. In doing so, we have hurt you and misrepresented Him. For these things we are truly sorry. Will you please forgive us?” 

As we humble ourselves and repent, our Native American brothers will join God in forgiving us; the curses will be reverses / removed, and we will be restored as one people, one “tribe” under Jesus Christ. Our Heavenly Father will bring the healing and unity necessary to “resurrect” us all to a shared new life with Him…bringing us closer to the vision of ONE NATION UNDER GOD. 

~~~

“Transformation”… 

For one…for all…“for such a time as this!”

Maureen Bravo 

May 11, 2001

So much has been heard about “transformation” lately. Today, as we prepare for the new Transformations II video to be released in Jacksonville, Florida, I would like to share a few thoughts on the subject. 

The heart of the Father is that each of us might come to know Him, to experience His precious love personally, and be restored to relationship with Him. Then, out of our love for Him, we become ambassadors for that love to the rest of the world! Jesus was the One Whom He sent to model and communicate that message perfectly! Receiving Him and His message, the “good news”, is the first step in our individual transformation. As He pours out His life into our lives, we are changed and enabled to go forth in the power of the Holy Spirit to reach others for Him. Yes, this is a first step…but only the first…there is so much more!

As we allow ourselves to undergo this “transformation” individually, we are able to move to new levels of intimacy with the LORD and with each other. This is the KINGDOM WAY…a corporate vision…one Body in Christ…”that all might be one!” As we receive and accept freshly prepared robes of humility, we will find ourselves dying to our plans, and ourselves and experiencing a greater desire to hear God’s heart, and long to unite with our brothers and sisters in Him. As we begin to receive insight about these things HE places in our hearts, we become hungry for Him and His ways, and are further enabled to make informed intercession. 

As we each wait on Him, listen for His heart, and then hear what HE wants done, we are convicted; we realize how narrow our individual visions have been. We sense that each of us has a part to play, but what really matters is His much larger plan. We ask Him to make us ready, willing and able to set aside our previous preferences…to help us to work together…to co-labor with parts of the Body of Christ that we may never have wanted to team up with before. We prepare our hearts to be aligned with some groups who are very “different” from us, to be brought together as pieces in a puzzle, to reveal and accomplish His purposes in the earth!

To do this work, we will need His strategies, and we must pray together in order to discern our marching orders…both individually and corporately. When yielded intercessors gather, they will come forth from the time of intercession saying, “It seems good to the Holy Spirit and us…” Only then can we begin to operate with a fresh KINGDOM PERSPECTIVE…united by the Spirit under our Commander-in-Chief Who has a much wider view than any of us has individually! HE is the ONE Who is able to accomplish what He desires through His us, His people, who are willing to work together selflessly…as one unified Body! 

The wonder is that it all began with “One solitary life”…the life of Jesus! As each one of us yields to HIM, He becomes Lord… over each life, each church or ministry; then, “suddenly”, that work, which has been done in the secret place, is manifested in the public arena. Individuals / groups who allow God to transform them this way become the “forerunners” of transformation. As corporate transformation takes place in the Body of Christ, it spills out into the marketplace through these individual vessels that have allowed themselves to be changed, and then community transformation begins!

This is our goal…no less, but it must start with each of us! The call is to “whomsoever will…” I will joyfully co-labor with you in this endeavor! 

~~~

Thoughts on SUBMISSION

Maureen Bravo

June-July 2001

Submission: a crucial, satisfying, empowering “surrender” to God.

It is an understanding, attitude, posture…conceived, nurtured and brought forth in us

to enable us to joyfully know, love and serve Him, and to develop in His character,

so that we might operate in His authority, to set the captives free and lead them to Him.

It’s seed is a “gift”, deposited within us “in the beginning”; when activated, it starts to draw and eventually leads us to a point where we freely yield, and surrender our lives back to our Creator. Submission is encouraged by the understanding that there is Someone bigger than us, and we need allow for His Presence in our lives. It is an attitude of the heart which causes us to want to comply with whatever that Being’s wishes might be. It is a posture of humility that develops within us, that predisposes us, inclines us to willing obedience to Him, instead of willful disobedience and lawlessness. 

It is only from a place of total submission to God that we can eventually operate in and exercise real authority…an authority over darkness…an authority that will set the captives free…an authority that comes when we have been successfully trained under His perfect authority, and have successfully removed the known darkness within ourselves! 

This “gift” lies dormant (asleep) in us and becomes activated (awakened) through God’s grace, which is continually drawing us to Himself. (James 4:6-10) As that grace is working in us, we feel a heightened “emptiness”, a hunger which leads us to search for something to “fill” that longing within. We may try many routes, but all lead to dead ends, and we become more and more desperate. At that place of desperation, we realize that we can’t make it on our own, we need Someone else to help us, to rescue us…we need a Savior. So we appropriate that grace, and this “gift” of submission allows us to surrender our lives and receive the salvation freely offered to us through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Just as the prodigal did when he turned his back from sin and repented, when we submit to God and begin to draw close to Him, He draws near to us, rescues us from ourselves and receives us into His loving, Father’s arms. 

When we are freed (saved), and begin to experience the joy of our “new life”, we soon recognize that it is not enough to have Him simply as our Savior; our reception of Him in that capacity is simply an initial step. We long for more…we cry out to God for whatever He has for us, and ask Him to do His work in us, to have His way in us; at yet another point of desperation, we break through, and enter into a joyful, continual, life-long surrender of our entire being to His loving care (sanctification). 

When we receive Jesus as our Savior, we begin a new relationship with God; we begin to know Him as Father, and then receive His Spirit and experience the love that flows in the Godhead. When the Holy Spirit comes and fills us, this relationship with God begins to move at an accelerated speed. We see that it is not a one time experience, but an ongoing (processional), growing (progressive), and always expanding (exponential) conversion from ourselves into His likeness. As our relationship with Him intensifies, we recognize the need to have Him as Lord over our lives; we feel His Spirit inviting us to take the next step…to go to the next level! As we allow Him to take His place as “Lord” over every area of our lives, He will fulfill His purposes in us, and express Himself through us. This is an ongoing, ever deepening, continually widening and expanding, sanctifying move of God in and through us, taking us to levels of profound intimacy with Him…transforming us, making us over, more and more into the likeness of Jesus, which then allows us to go forth in His Name, and impact this world for Him.

As we die to ourselves, we take on more and more of His character, and walk more and more closely in His footsteps, we choose to walk in mutual submission with others who are in communion with Him and each other in His Body…the Body of Christ. We are no longer engaged in the same type of struggle we previously (might have) had with others who called themselves Christians. When we are called to cooperate with or work with those who are also allowing themselves to be conformed to His image, but can be a challenge when confronted with those who presume to think they are in that same condition with the Lord, but are really suffering from the delusion that comes when a religious spirit is in control of their thought processes, and they operate from a perspective that is

Submission empowers us, and enables us to fulfill His purposes throughout the world. When we are able to submit to those in positions of authority and willingly observe the law of the land, our own authority is increased. 

~~~

Paraphrase of the Prayer of Jabez I Chronicles 4:9-10

Maureen Bravo – 2001 

“May the Lord bless you indeed, with His grace and favor so that you can well represent Him as you move among your fellow men and women…

May He extend your boundaries, borders, spheres of influence, and territory both here and throughout the world…

May His powerful, grace-filled hand be upon you, to guide, inspire, comfort, and correct you at every moment…

May He keep you safe from every harm and release His angels to accompany you along the way, to guard and protect you from all evil…

And may He keep you free from pain, and prevent you from ever causing pain to anyone else.

Let all pain stop here, that you may be an exporter of His blessings only! Amen.”

~~~

LEARN TO DISCERN

Maureen Bravo 08-21-08

Where, oh, where is our discernment? And when we discern something is “out of order”, do we dare to express our thoughts about it? If we sense that others might be hurt by something that is taking place, are we bold enough to speak up, to alert the Body to deal with the problem? And finally, are we prepared for the attacks that will come against us for speaking out about what we have discerned and calling for the Body to realign with God? 

I have read many of the statements issued recently by individuals and ministries associated with the Todd Bentley meetings in Lakeland over the past few months. Accountability and responsibility about what transpired seem to be missing, while defensiveness and denial have taken center stage. Some have tried to excuse or distance themselves from the “situation”, while others “passed the buck”, and still others offered thoughts about how to make “palatable” that which has been shown to be “inedible” spiritually. The picture of “a dog returning to its vomit” is repulsive to most of us, but aren’t we doing the same thing if we fail to deal responsibly with sin and error? 

For generations, due to a misinterpretation of the scripture about “not touching God’s anointed”, we have allowed individuals who are “out of alignment” and misrepresenting the character and attributes of Jesus Christ to “minister” and “teach” without fear of reprisal. This has resulted in many being led astray while others have become disillusioned, disheartened and wounded in what should have been a “safe place”…the “house of God”!

In response to reports of a great “healing outpouring” taking place in Lakeland, people began to flood in to the meetings, hoping to “experience” whatever was happening there. Some watched the nightly gatherings on God TV while others viewed it through the internet; still others stayed home, having no leading to go at all.

Some had a fear of expressing what they felt (discerned) about the things that were being “shared” by Todd and others who were allowed onto the stage. Though some things didn’t “sit right” with them, most of them were effectively silenced by that fear! Some reported that they went to Lakeland because “inquiring minds want to know” and they didn’t want to be left out of something that might be a move of God. Others who had an initial hesitancy to go but “overrode” it, went and were sorry they did. Some reported that they had acquiesced to “peer pressure”, and after being there once or twice, left and did not return again. Some reported going, and leaving in the middle of the evening!

Many were seeking something of God but discerned nothing of darkness. They showed up night after night, singing, shouting, hoping it would prove to be what they had been “waiting for”. The call went forth: “COME AND GET IT”… (and be sure to spread the word to others about it.) When certain things were questionable, off the wall, even offensive, they defended Todd and resisted anyone who was not “gung ho” or dared to think it “might not be of God”. The “signs, wonders and miracles” that lured them in were leading many, like sheep, to the slaughter. 

Isaiah 60 tells us that darkness covers the earth and thick clouds cover (the minds of) the people, but upon us His LIGHT is shining. So where are the Children of the LIGHT? Unfortunately, too many Christians have been seduced and led into darkness; sadder yet, they are not even aware of it. Victims of our own vanity, we stubbornly defend our choices and maintain our positions…no matter what evidence is presented to us! Remember the story of the Emperor’s New Clothes, and how he was willing to buy into and believe the lies the con men told him? They promised him something that would set him apart and make him different from everyone else…and everyone who wanted to be “seen” as smart played along, even when they knew it was an illusion! 

Isn’t God “the same…yesterday, today and tomorrow”? Whatever happened to LOVING TRUTH…and radiating the JOY that resulted from knowing Him? Instead of serving the KING of KINGS…too many are drowning in pride, blind to the truth, and betrayed by swollen egos! Isn’t it time to realign?

In order to realign, we need a revelation of TRUTH, so we can wake up, stand up, throw off this present darkness… and learn to discern…both individually and corporately. We live in a world full of lost and hurting people, who are precious to the King and who belong in His Kingdom! They are yearning to “see the true Children of the LIGHT revealed”, waiting to hear us “speak the truth in love”, anticipating the moment they can “taste and see the goodness of the Lord”! They are longing to fill their emptiness with the REAL THING…an authentic, loving relationship with their heavenly Father, won for them through the sacrifice of His precious Son, Jesus, and empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit. 

To succeed in this “warfare of love”, we must learn to discern and then act upon what is revealed to us, in order to complete our mission! We have a sacred trust. We are “on assignment” – sent to show them the Way, teach them the Truth, share His Life, and bring them into His Presence so they, too, can worship before His throne. Then, God Himself will shepherd them, and He will deal with those who abuse or use His children! Selah! 

~~~

“A WARFARE OF LOVE”

MCB 06-28-04

The “WAR ROOM”

“I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem..” Isaiah 62:6

Come together with others of “like mind” in a secure “WAR ROOM” atmosphere

Participate corporately in “strategic” prayer…listening, reflecting, responding, planning, implementing

* Identify existing situations (“targets”) which need to be addressed

* Survey existing initiatives which are currently attempting to address those situations

* Suggesting new initiatives which could further to impact those situations

* Agree on strategies which will be supported / implemented regarding those situations

* Corporately launch those strategies / spiritual warfare tactics against the “target”

* Remain in ongoing communication throughout the entire “battle”

* Come back together regularly in the “WAR ROOM” for progress reports / refining of tactics /

and the determination of new “targets” et al

~~~

A STRATEGIC PRAYER GATHERING / SACRED ASSEMBLY

“Consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; gather the elders and call all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God and cry out to the Lord.” Joel 1:14

A call goes forth and the “Church” / the “Body of Christ” (in a city / state / nation) assembles (congregational representatives and individuals) to “seek God’s face”. 

As they humble themselves and pray, they recognize, repudiate and turn from everything that separates them from Him and divides them from one another (thoughts / words / deeds). 

Cleansed, they enter His Presence, to worship Him together and declare His Lordship and sovereignty in their individual lives and in the congregations they represent.

They covenant with Him and each other to operate from the “KINGDOM” perspective, loving one another and serving Him together.

They accept the commission to go forth to spread the “Good News” of the KING and HIS KINGDOM, and to make disciples for HIM wherever they go! 

II Chronicles 7:14

~~~

POSSIBLE ORDER OF SERVICE FOR THE PRAYER GATHERING

* Worship (Songs of assent / assembly)

* Processional – as delegates enter the gathering (music, banners et al)

* Worship (Songs declaring intent to act)

* Declarations by leadership of the purpose of the corporate gathering

* Declarations by delegates of individual intent in participating
* Welcome by local authorities – conferring territorial rights / keys
* Blessing by spiritual authorities – conferring spiritual rights / keys

* Worship (Songs of Humility)

* Acknowledgment (admission and confession)

* Repentance (offered and received)

* Reconciliation (mutual resolution and satisfaction)

* Worship (Songs of Power and authority)

* Declarations re: the establishment of the KINGDOM

* Strategic prayer re: destruction of strongholds

* Worship (Songs of Adoration)

* Corporate communion

* Commissioning

* Recessional – as delegates are sent forth

In 2000, Florida led the nation in births to unwed mothers, pedophilia, sexual materials ( mail order catalogs), suicides (SE FL), 

militia and KKK branches, illegal firearms distribution, unregulated gambling, and anti-Semitic incidents (4^th place nationally).

~~~

A Letter of Exhortation to a Suffering Servant

(Maureen Bravo – June 7, 2009)

I received your e-mail and am praying for you as I write this note back to you! I am with you in Spirit and carrying you and your family in my heart…and will continue to do so!

In response to what you have written, I could always take the typical “religious” route and tell you that:

· God will place no more on you than you can bear

· that His love endures forever (and that means during this particular crisis as well)

· that this is only a “momentary slight affliction” and you’ll get through it……but I won’t!

What you have described is an outright frontal assault on you / those you are in relationship with, resulting in the painful loss of a dear friend and the looming threat of your brother’s suffering and eventual demise, possibly without the consolation of knowing that he will spend eternity with you in the Presence of the Lord… (not to mention the personal torment that it is inflicting on you!) It all reminds me of what the Jews went through in WWII…right through the continuing threat that they are facing in Israel today!

What you are experiencing might well be overwhelming to most people. The suggestions that are being fed to you (mentally) are simply “whispered strategies of darkness” trying to find a way into your thoughts, take your attention, torment you, and ultimately wreck havoc on your emotions. They are meant to “topple” you / knock you over…literally, to rob you of your ability to stand on your true foundation — an intimate relationship with God!

No matter what thoughts you’ve had – (or what words you have used to express them), no matter how mad you’ve gotten – (or how loudly you yelled), no matter what frustrations hit – (and might have indulged), when you realize that you have taken a hit and responded to it, immediately refocus and turn your heart back to the Lord. You will continually have access to the only secure place I know of …His loving arms! Just remember to keep short accounts – repent quickly – and receive the forgiveness He so freely offers so that we might be restored, virtually, in seconds! Please, STOP RECEIVING the hateful CONDEMNATION that denies the power of reconciliation! Rather, receive His love and mercy and forgiveness, and then rejoice in the Lord always… in all ways! 

I say all this because you wrote about “being forced to turn… to the cross” – something that many have been taught / conditioned to do in times like these. Although we may reflect on that image of a “suffering servant”, and be grateful for His sacrifice, there is really nothing comforting about the cross…for Him or for us! It was simply an instrument of torture that our Savior endured “for the joy that was set before Him”…US! It is a point of identification for us re: our personal pain and suffering…but we must remember that He passed through that time on the cross, was taken down and laid to rest in the tomb, and emerged in glorious victory over sin and death! 

After having endured such pain and loss, we, too, must be willing to stop languishing in the place of sorrow, and move on to the place of rest. There, we can receive much needed relief and vital restoration… then, experience a new resurrection…so that we might be of use to the Master in the days that are ahead. (In your case, that may well be with your brother and family.)

What I am suggesting in no way diminishes the value of the cross, but rather positions it squarely where it was meant to be – a place of transition – where we can cross over from one state to another…from death to eternal life! I love the words to that song: WORTHY IS THE LAMB: “Thank You for the cross, Lord, thank You for the price You paid, bearing all my sin and shame, in love You came and gave amazing grace. Thank You for this love, Lord, thank You for Your nail pierced hands, wash me in Your cleansing flow, now all I know is Your forgiveness and embrace…” 

Jesus allowed His disciples to see His transfiguration, but admonished them not to camp there on top of the mountain, rather to move on into the world with Him. I believe He also calls us to see what He did on the cross (as a “substitute sacrifice” for us), and to believe that when He said. “It is FINISHED” and gave up His Spirit that day, it was indeed a “fait accompli”. All that would be necessary (from that time on) would be for each one of us to realize Who He is, acknowledge what He did, repent and receive that sacrifice as full payment for our sin debt, and then follow Him into the harvest fields, and be those “wounded healers” bringing the good news to others, so that they might in turn enter into His Presence and worship before his throne! ALLELUIA! How simple…yet how complicated we make it! 

So…while appreciating the purpose of the cross, pass through it and run into God’s arms and remain there… “firmly in His grip” during this time in your life! And when you need comfort, allow the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to bring a comfort that is like no other! You, like Mary of old, must choose “ the better part”, and God will sustain you… through it all. (As I wm writing this to you, I realize that this is the same thing your brother needs to do…and I am praying that he will!)

You know this, but I will say it anyway…it is critical to remind yourself that what you listen to and engage in will determine your actions! Stay focused on Him, and keep a worshipful attitude…maybe even play soft worship music in the background on your computer at work…something that soothes you subconsciously, but doesn’t interfere with your concentration!

I am praying for and with you!

Love and grace!

Maureen x

~~~

THE TRUTH ABOUT ISLAM

Maureen Bravo 08-12-09

As Christians, we are called to the ministry of Jesus Christ…to be Ambassadors of heaven’s King. Although we hate darkness, in which sin abounds, we love the light, and want all who are bound in that darkness to be able to throw it off, be set free and come into the intimate relationship with God that He intended for them from all eternity. 

Whenever we are presented with an opportunity to share with Muslims, we must stand firm in the spirit, and unashamedly speak the truth to them. We must never allow ourselves to move into the soul realm, which causes us to try to be politically correct, and often leads us to move in false compassion. In each and every encounter, we must pray that the Spirit will give us the words to share God’s love with those who have never experienced it because they have been completely trapped in the “matrix of Islam”.

Let us not be fooled into believing the things that are said about Islam being a “religion of peace”. That is an intentionally distorted perspective, fostered by those who serve darkness and usually touted by individuals’ whose needs, ambitions, life experiences have led them to that path. As non-threatening as the “information” about Islam may seem, especially when presented by some seemingly gentle woman, we must be clear about Islam…it is and always has been a system of intentional, forced submission to a false god, a moon god (Muhammed’s family’s household idol )

Islam is not a just a religion, but an archaic, closed system, a swirling “matrix” of darkness, in which more than a billion people worldwide are held captive. Those who have completely given themselves over to the darkness are advocating terror, culminating in the calls for global jihad. They, too, are captives, but since they are so totally deceived, they are fully cooperating with the darkness, for it seems right to them. They do not see it as darkness. (“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death!”) but have been falsely convinced that Islam is the only true faith. They are not only the jailers of those who dissent, but have also become judges, juries and executioners, deciding the fate of those who do not agree with them. Islam calls its followers to live and die by the sword!

Jesus Christ came to set the captives free. He told His followers to put away their swords. He came to show us the way to the Father, for He alone is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE…Jesus never “tolerated” or compromised with darkness, but instead, He confronted and defeated it and led its captives out of it. As His followers, we must not allow our human feelings to cause us to make concessions or commiserate in any way with darkness. We are to stand firm and lovingly call forth those ensnared in it, leading them into the LIGHT which is Christ. He is the LIGHT of the WORLD!

Lord, help us all to become wise about the enemy’s tactics. Let us be sharpened in our discernment and operate in the gift of discerning of spirits.

Teach us truth as You give us revelation about the spirit of Islam. Let us then use what we have been taught for Your purposes – advancing Your Kingdom each and every day, from one moment to the next! AMEN.

~~~

Excerpts from a letter of encouragement to a missionary in Mexico

Maureen Bravo 01-06-07

I just returned from Bolivia so I understand personally some of what you are experiencing. The atmosphere you describe is typical for places where the SON is not yet shining…but then, if God led you there, the SON must be getting ready to come out and reveal Himself! (…because He is in you!)

I encourage you, brother, to stop for a moment to quiet yourself; take a deep breath, and then…just listen… to your own heartbeat. Did you know that your heart has been set to beat in time with HIS? It is! Now, do you remember that scripture about “perfect love casts out all fear”? It is true…and it will not only work on those you are encountering, it will work on you at the same time, ‘til there is no fear, anywhere!

There is “perfect love” when God is in the midst of a people…revealed through those who are in relationship with HIM! (That would be you!) People are so hungry for real love -and totally miserable without it…which makes them vulnerable to the spirit of fear! Fear causes them to be closed to anything / everything that doesn’t fit into their traditional mindset…(ie. their picture of God – Church – religion…) Even though it has never “worked” for them and keeps them oppressed, they defend it …say they believe it…and don’t want to hear bad things about it! (They will even curse whatever comes against them or their beliefs, even if it is good and God…)

The wonderful news is that you don’t have to preach against anything right now...(for example: things that inflame and “challenge” them)…yet you can speak life over everything and everyone. Just tap into the “perfect love” that is yours in Christ Jesus and allow it to flow out of you to the people you are around (especially those who are bound in religious spirits and can’t seem to “see or hear” when you speak to them about God.). 

Teach through simple stories, and share your heart for God with them. Remind them of what they do believe in… things like God’s love, which caused Him to send us His Son, Jesus; about His birth, life, teachings, about HIs suffering, death and resurrection; about God’s promise that if we give our lives to HIM and serve HIM alone in this life, we will spend eternity with HIM. 

Be open to their pain, their hurts, their sorrows…and continually point them to Jesus.- not attack their “areas of error”. Once they feel your love, you can move in closer, and as you stay focused on “whatever is good, etc.”. (Phil 4), your love will impact them, and they will come to know HIM thru you! 

May His grace, favor and blessings follow, fill and flow forth from you as you lovingly witness to the lost and dying in the world! May you rejoice as you see them coming to HIM…and be glad!

~~~

Remember GOD! 

Maureen Bravo – May 22, 2008

Many believers are in difficult times of transition at this hour.

Pray that in the midst of every trial, we remember God and His promises to us.

When we know Who God is and acknowledge His sovereignty in our lives, we glorify HIM! Knowing He is with us, we can, like David, boldly step out onto the battlefield, and confront our “enemies”, using whatever provision He gives us at that moment, to move through the “circumstance”… (rather than “camping out” there).

Keeping a “right” heart attitude, despite our difficulties ( “working like a dog for lower pay and no insurance benefits”) brings us to a place of peace, where we can enter into HIS REST in the midst of the trial (resting warfare). The more our hearts trust in Him, the more we realize that the battle is the Lord’s…and so we can stand, confident that we will emerge victoriously on the other side of whatever “valley” we needed to pass through!

The real goal of the enemy is to keep us from remembering God’s promises and glorifying Him…for He is forever faithful to His Word and to us, His children! Think of how Israel’s army was “terrified” by a giant, Goliath. The warriors were fearful…distracted by a “tormenter” who “predicted” the “end” they were facing… and they forgot God.

When we are confronted by our enemies, fiery darts /arrows are shot at our hearts. These are tipped with the poison of fear, rejection, discouragement, condemnation, resentment, anger, bitterness…and if they find a mark, they will make us feel weak, insecure, devalued, impoverished… and fearful of whatever might be lurking in the shadows, ready to cross our path and engage us in a fight to the death!

BUT…David had no fear… because he knew God and was jealous for His Name to be glorified! We all know the way that ended!!! And remember, Goliath was not the only enemy to be defeated…he had four brothers who were just as nasty as he was… waiting in the wings… ready to come along behind him. In the end, each one was defeated by the hand of God through David and his mighty warrior(s), who, though at times wounded, would not give up — despite threats of defeat or the (perception of) “overwhelming” odds against them. Through God, they fought valiantly…and overcame!

How is that possible?

“With God, all things are possible!”

In His Word, He provides “antidotes” for every poison and “strategies” to defeat whatever plots the enemy hatches to attack us! For example, we read that ”the JOY of the Lord is our strength!” When the enemy tries to weaken us by stealing our joy, we can remember that the Lord is dancing joyfully over us. JOY will bloom in our hearts, emit a sweet fragrance, and we will be strengthened once again! (“Let the weak say I am strong, in the strength of the Lord!”)

When we are afraid, we have actually made God too small in our eyes.

David knew his God and trusted in Him with his whole heart (not half-heartedly, but whole-heartedly). Because of that, no enemy was too big! Let us follow David’s example in this situation. Let the enemy begin to shrink in size (in our estimation)…and allow God to grow bigger and bigger! Inspired by confidence in Him, and filled with His Spirit, we will remember and boldly invoke His Name in each situation and circumstance we are facing, and be delivered from evil — to the glory of God! Amen! 

~~~

VISITATION and ACTIVATION

  by Maureen Bravo 

 12-10-06 

Mary, pregnant with Jesus, went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John. As she approached Elizabeth, the PRESENCE of Christ within Mary’s womb caused a quickening / an activation of the life of God within the womb of Elizabeth. Her unborn child, John, was instantly filled with the Holy Spirit!

Like the grave that would one day be a temporary resting place for her Son, there was no way Mary could possibly contain The “Who” / “What” had been placed within her. The Son of God was conceived in her womb in order to come forth into this world. His life was meant to be shared with each and every one of us! Emmanuel, God with us!

At this hour, the Kingdom of God is being birthed anew through all those who have yielded to the Father, saying, “Thy will be done”. As each one allows Him to have His way in our lives, we too, experience this overshadowing and infilling of the Holy Spirit!

Overwhelmed by His magnificent love, we are compelled to tell others what has taken place in us, about what has been conceived in us. As we share what God has done in our lives, we become a new source of encouragement to them. As we invite them to be open to His love, we gently teach them how to yield to Him, cooperate with Him, so He can have His way with them, and do His work in their lives!

This activation most often occurs within loving, giving, affirming relationships, where the love we have experienced causes us to want only the best for others. We, who are His, are not satisfied to keep “THE BEST” to ourselves. Rather, we long to see His life quickened, activated and springing forth from every living soul!

May this Christmas season by marked by the power of His love in our lives… and remembered for the impact which that love, shed abroad in our hearts, has on the lives of those who share HIS world with us!

~~~

Real Security

Maureen Bravo – January 28, 2000

Some days can be “challenging” to say the least,

and I don’t know all this one entailed…

but I do know Who loves you more than anyone else can,

and how much He wants to see you back in top form…

What is that?

Can’t you hear Him calling?

Let us go together into His Presence right now.

Go ahead!

Crawl up into His lap,

put your head against His chest,

and feel Him stroking your hair

and softly reassuring you of His immeasurable love for you.

Let out a gentle sigh as you settle in a little deeper,

and allow the tender touch of His strong hands to soothe,

comfort,

release,

repair,

restore

and heal all that is amiss in your life.

Feeling a little better now?

Good.

Now, there is no hurry!

Just relax!

Snuggle up a little more as you realize…

He has all the time in the world for you!

Now when you are through,

you can get down and go play,

but remember,

He is never more than a breath away…

and you can come back any time you want to…

because you are His beloved child,

and He is your loving Father!

Wasn’t that fun?

Thanks for letting me go there with you.

I loved seeing you like that,

and hope you will recall how that felt next time you are hurting!

Remember…

He is not the one Who doesn’t take time to cuddle.

We get so caught up in our secret pain and adult problems that we forget

He wants us to come to Him as little children,

bringing Him our “boo boos”

and letting Him kiss away our fears while we lie safely in His arms!

Make it a point to remember that next time…

and then run to the only real place of security and love!

He’ll be waiting for you!

~~~

“A Full Court Press”

Maureen Bravo 06-29-05

This is a critical moment in our nation’s history! 

A “volley has been shot over the bow of the Ship of State”

and it cannot go unanswered! 

Our response must be immediate and intentional! 

Believers in this nation are being called to full battle status! 

1- We must stand up and be counted…acknowledging God and declaring His sovereignty… privately and publicly….over our individual lives, families, communities… city by city, state by state, over this entire nation. In effect, waging a WARFARE OF LOVE, (ie. “coming in the opposite spirit” of what we are fighting), to “create a blockade”, (stand in the gap), across the nation!

2- We must corporately repent for our selfishness and complacency…for allowing things to go this far. As we say with one voice, “Enough is enough! This far and no further!” and repent, God will help us to begin to “reverse the curse” that has been brought on us by this denial of His Person, Word and Commandments. Once reconciled with Him over this, He will inspire us with strategies and help us take the next steps in the battle!

3- We must move into a unified position, then corporately step out, step up, and take action on the strategies which will be given to us! As we recognize what could come (Rev 4:1) because of this denial, silence will no longer be an option! The battle lines have been drawn, and we must now declare openly exactly where we stand! 

Now is the time to utilize our connections…(congregations, businesses, educational, financial and economic realms, ministries, prayer groups, etc.)…all those we have influence with! Make that call, express our position, and put on “a full court press” to encourage, exhort and enable those who have the ability and authority to affect the transformation that is desperately needed in our nation at this hour! 

I look forward to hearing back from you and any others that will hear and answer this call! 

UNITED we stand…ONE NATION, UNDER GOD! 

~~~

Connecting with our Messianic Brethren

Maureen Bravo 06-25-05

I have been so touched to see how the Lord is bringing the Messianic movement to the forefront at this hour. He is leading me and other believers from all streams of Christianity to interface locally with Messianic friends as never before…attending weekly Shabbat services, learning more about our Jewish roots, and having the privilege of celebrating and keeping the feasts with them. 

We are also consciously and intentionally encouraging, inviting, and including our Messianic Jewish brothers and sisters to participate with us in city-wide, corporate (formerly all Christian) gatherings (“Body-works”). The Global Day of Prayer in Orlando saw their participation in both prayer and dance, and their presence among us brought a new dimension in praise and worship to the event!

We are making a conscious choice to speak out to other Christians / groups about our need to be connected with Jewish believers, and to stand for and with them, in the midst of much misinformation and, sadly, historical prejudice. Often there is a lack of interest or desire to connect, but our commitment to working for reconciliation and unity in the Body at every level is undaunted. What joy is experienced when we see different parts of the Body of Christ begin to “get it”, and come together! 

What is happening with you in your cities? Please share with me about it, and let’s see how we can further encourage this unity! Shalom / Blessings! Maureen 

~~~

Hurricane (Hurakan)

Maureen Bravo 07-16-05

Throughout the SE states, the June 1st announcement that we are now in the “hurricane season” (the part of the calendar year named for this destructive force) ushers in a dreadful anticipation of “what will surely come”. Fear once again pervades the thoughts and lives of the public, and many dutifully store up supplies, buy generators and formulate plans to evacuate in case they might find themselves in the path of the oncoming fury. 

As a hurricane approaches, news reporters attempt to stand aright in driving winds while rain comes down sideways. There are local “hurricane parties” – senseless celebrations held in the face of the very thing threatening to wipe out life / property! The spiritual community often fares no better, as leaders offer unsure and conflicting counsel: “Pray for mercy upon our state…stand in the gap for any region it may hit…worship the Lord over our state…in everything give thanks.” It’s all riddled with confusion!

Recently, one of our IPNCF intercessors, Melissa Rivera, felt led to research the word “hurricane”. As she shared her findings, others were inspired to begin seeking additional input on the subject. (See part of the research below) Questions arose: Are there “spirits” behind these hurricane forces receiving homage from those who acknowledge them and fear their power? Are these “gods” gaining strength and additional ability to menace from fear being exhibited by their presence? What can believers do to fend off this attack? Ignorance can no longer be an excuse! Lord, give us revelation and divine strategies about this!

We hear how:

* many feel helpless in the “hurricane season”…they act as if they have no power to do anything to protect / defend themselves;

* others have no intention of leaving their homes or trying to get out of the path of the storm…they make extensive preparations

 and plan to take cover and “ride it out”;

* some believe in “fate”…accepting the “fact” that “the gods will determine where it will go and what it will do”;

* others display useless “bravado”, behaving as if they don’t care, while partying and dulling their senses with alcohol / drugs;

* a majority in this region say the hurricanes are “an inevitable part of life” – so they adjust their thinking to receive the 

 forecast / weather “patterns”, talk about “making the best of it” and how they enjoy the time of year when there are no storms;

* few say that we as believers have the power to take authority over the elements and turn back these forces from our land.

Could it be that this impending doom causes fear which inspires a spiritual “scent” that fills the atmosphere? Is it a scent that can be “picked up” by spirits of death and destruction in much the same way in which a shark smells a trace of blood in the water? Could these spirits then take that scent of fear as an invitation to come and wreak havoc wherever they find it? 

If so, then how can we defend ourselves, or better yet, how can we defeat, rather than retreat from, this scourge? 

*Start with knowing, loving and serving the ONE TRUE GOD… and making sure we are in complete submission to HIM alone! Psalm 24′s admonition about “clean hands and pure hearts” is not a suggestion!

* Study the “enemy” we face. As we begin to see its character and understanding its “devices”, we will see it anew, in the light of the destiny God has for it…and us! Zephaniah 2:11 The LORD will terrify them as he destroys all the gods in the land. Then people from nations around the world will worship the LORD, each in their own land. 

We must change the way in which we view ourselves, the spirits challenging us and the situation in which we find ourselves. Numbers 33:28- 33 “…the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large…we can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are…and they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there…and we seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

Armed with revelation and strategies given by God, we will get off defense and launch a coordinated prayer offensive to deal with these “intruders”. 

Are there others who are getting revelation / words / information on this subject? Please share any insights ASAP! Time is short!

~~~

A Reflection for Holy Week

Maureen Carson Bravo 04-17-2000

Alas! We are so unlike Him after Whom we are called!

Thursday night, we will remember that He broke the bread and gave it to us to eat,

but will we recall that first, He stooped to wash our feet?

When we raise the glass and drink, will we realize His cost in taking that cup?

The Gethsemane experience…

the passion, leading into the death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ

was a horrible yet holy one,

yet most of us don’t begin to comprehend the Price that was paid for our salvation.

While we behold the wood of the cross,

it is usually bare,

for we rejoice in saying we serve a resurrected Christ!

Yet in removing the image of suffering and pain from our view,

we lose much;

for only as we enter into His sacrifice

can we identify fully with the sacrifices that will be required of us

in order to share the good news with others in this day and hour.

Many were willing to cheer and wave reeds on Palm Sunday,

celebrating His triumphant entry into the city…

but like those fickle ones in the crowds who cheered for Him that day

and

then falsely testified to the Sanhedrin and booed Him before Pilate,

will we continue to deny our Hero in various ways,

then wonder why we don’t feel better about ourselves.

Like those sleepy disciples in Gethsemane who were startled form their slumber,

when the real crisis comes, will we attempt to battle, yet fail and turn to run away…

only to come again and profess our love, wanting Him to forgive us…

and seeking the privileges and rights of that Friday’s innocent sacrifice.

When we are in the tombs of our lives…feeling depressed, destroyed, devastated…

do we believe that although He was once in a tomb, it was unable to contain Him,

that He rose from that place of death…

and is alive forevermore…

and is continuously inviting us to share that life with Him!

This Sunday, how many of us will be able to say that truly seeking Him,

we will journey with Mary to the garden tomb once again,

only to discover an open, empty tomb in a critical situation in our own lives…

a situation that we have allowed Him to redeem and resurrect?

Or are we more concerned with telling other “stories”

and looking for whatever candies

an imaginary Easter bunny might have left???

~~~

“LIGHTEN UP!”

(A word for the year 2000, received by Maureen Bravo 12-31-99)

How many times have you taken a balloon, and putting it to your lips, began to blow it up? Remember the strain on your lungs as you sought to get those first few puffs in, and the sting in your cheeks as you tried to fill it up? Think of the times it slipped free from your hands, and zipped around the room, sputtering and spurting until it lay spent, totally deflated. When you tried again, then finally got it full, you would tie it to a string and let it go…only to watch it head once again toward the ground. You could prop it up, tie it onto something, or even put it together in a cluster with others filled the same way, but invariably, no matter how it was displayed, it would fall, for it had nothing causing it to rise up from within.

That balloon represents each of us, and the natural air from our lungs can be likened to our own opinions, thoughts and ways. So often, we allow our beings (balloons) to be inflated with our opinions of ourselves, or others’ opinions of us; we are filled with our thoughts about how to accomplish something so that we can have what we want at the moment; we choose to do things our way, in a way that is not pleasing to the Lord. At first glance, we may seem full, like any balloon that is filled with air…but when released to do that which we are called to, the truth of what is within us is revealed. We are burned out quickly (deflated) or fall (defeated). What we have been filled with has no ability to help us accomplish that which we were sent to do!

Yet, if that same balloon (being) was filled with helium instead, it would rise up and dance in the air! Its string would be flying beneath, like the tail on a kite, as it rose gently and gracefully above our heads. That helium is likened to the Holy Spirit, the breath of God. As we allow ourselves to be filled with the Spirit, and accept God’s opinion about us, His thoughts toward us, His ways of doing things, we are able to rise up and be lifted over, into or through all that we are created for. We find ourselves soaring, circling ever upward, going from glory to glory! 

As we are filled with God’s power, we will no longer desire to operate through our own power, with feeble attempts; as we begin to discern His thoughts, we will no longer be captivated with our former vain delusions; and as we seek to discover His ways, which produce fruit and bring serenity, we will turn back from other paths which only lead to sorrow, grief and regret.

So… as we enter 2000, let’s all “lighten up!”

Let our hearts be light as we delight in Him Who is the Light of the world!

Forget about trying to be sufficient,

or the things we consider insufficient in ourselves;

we are all insufficient…but He is able.

Remember, Philippians 4:13

“I (you / we) can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me (you / us).”

Isaiah 60:1 calls us to “Rise up, as mighty men and women of God…”

Let us soar with Him as we allow Him to fill us with His breath,

the Holy Spirit…and let us imitate His ways,

doing only that which we have heard and seen Him doing.

Above all, let’s not ruin our perfectly good “balloons”

with “hot air” that has no ability to carry us through the daily experiences

of those who would be Servants of the Most High!

~~~

A Never Ending Love

Maureen Bravo January 29, 2000 

God is love…and He dearly loves us, His creation! His eyes are ever on us, and that love keeps Him constantly ready to forgive us, whenever we ask sincerely… despite repeated / continuous failings on our part. He never gives up on us! He is the HOUND OF HEAVEN, hot on the trail of His intended catch, pursuing us until we yield to Him, and are be united with Him, both here in this life and then throughout eternity! 

As we study Him, we begin to understand His nature, His character, His passion for us, His desire for us to be in relationship with Him once again (the way He created us to be). We begin to understand that everything He is, everything He does is motivated by a magnificent, unconditional love! All His actions are with the goal of bringing us into union with Himself. Whatever lines up with His love and actions becomes our plum line…and we can then easily determine what in our lives needs to be eliminated…(those things that hurt others, are unloving, or condemn, or take away hope…they certainly don’t reflect His character, and shouldn’t be in us).

He is many things to many people, for we all see (or don’t) differently; we all perceive (or can’t) at different times and seasons; we all must learn to come to grips with Him, and ourselves (or not) in our own ways, through our own life situations…but sooner or later, deal with Him we must! It is preferable to do that ASAP, so that we can get on with the JOY of living in eternity right now, despite the trials and hindrances…and it is do-able, or He wouldn’t have told us so!

Yet, with our natural understanding, our basic tendencies, we lean toward selfishness and make bad choices (sin); our independent nature (also called rebellion) make us full of ourselves (feeding our bodies and souls with whatever pleases us)…but we are dead in our spirits! In that unredeemed state, we can ignore, or forget or even reject Him, and it doesn’t even bother us. 

When we are exposed to truth though, we have a choice to make. Things can be different…if we are willing to listen and begin to seek truth, the gift of faith deposited within us upon conception is stirred up, and then suddenly we begin to hope that things might be different…and then we dare to think we could possibly believe in His love and forgiveness. Then we hear that all we have to do is accept His love, shown in the sacrifice of the cross, and repent for the separation we have had from Him; we ask Him to come and rescue us, to help us make the changes necessary, and to call us His own once again. He takes away our sin and the guilt we have taken on because of it; He washes us clean, and places His life / Spirit within us…and we are literally “born again”. These eyes, which were dulled, now see in a whole new way, and nothing is ever the same. 

To live this life of faith, our minds must be renewed, and that happens as we allow Him to touch them and fill them with His thoughts, His understanding, counsel, wisdom (of which there is none true apart from His). With that new life comes a new desire to serve Him, and a growing hatred for our old ways that were self-serving. As we walk in this newness of life, the Holy Spirit speaks to us, directing and teaching, showing us the way, (“You will hear a voice from behind you saying this is the way, walk in it”). The more we yield, the more we are sanctified / perfected…(and we realize that it is a process…not an instant fix!) 

But people are tough…we resist His love, His sovereignty, and do mental gymnastics, as we try to think of how we can have it both ways…ours and God’s…(NOT!) To live the way we choose to now (have “fun”), doing whatever we please and expecting that at the moment of the “definitive encounter” God will suddenly take on a different character, (ie. not make us accountable for what we knew and rejected), that somehow he will just “miraculously admit us to heaven” (intimacy with Him for all eternity)… is just plain delusion! 

If we do not form a habit of saying YES to Him in this life, we will be unable to speak the word YES at the moment of death… as much as He loves us, He is just, and cannot violate his own order by allowing us to (sin) rebel, without repentance, and expect that we will be able to gain the reward set aside for those in relationship to Him. 

Yes, God is serious about relationships…intimate relationships…and if that is not there, how would one have a right to ask Him for anything? You cannot demand or depend on mercy and kindness if you are not showing the attitude (repentance) that justifies His extending it! If we are not willing to pay the price for that intimacy in relationship with Him now, why do we think we will be able to have it then…that is “cheap grace”! 

When we were little, we were taught that we were created to know, love and serve God in this life and to be happy with Him forever in the next! What part of that says “Do your own thing here and get in free!” The “get out of jail card” has Jesus’ Name written in blood on it; that Blood is our security…nothing else…(even if we think we are so special that God will just have to have a soft spot in His heart for us, and we will be able to get away with murder…and it is murder, you know!) It is Jesus’ Blood that is special, He Who died for our sins…and that is the only way we were able to be redeemed…we are presented with the evidence, and must return a verdict…guilty or not guilty? If that is not true, He was a liar, died in vain, and was not Who He said He was…and we don’t have to do the things He told us to… 

The first three commandments tell us what He wants us to do in relation to Him…not to have any other gods before Him (put Him first), and to reverence His Name (be in communication with Him – pray),and to keep His Sabbath holy (take time apart with Him)…the next seven tell us how to be in relation with others. They followed the first three about relationship with Him. The New Testament says that the greatest commandment is to love Him first, and then to love others the way we love ourselves. And those were all commanded… not suggested. He does expect us to love one another… because He first loved us! If we think we can really love others while ignoring Him, we are only fooling ourselves…and putting off the inevitable! Our human love is nothing compared to the love that flows from Him…and unless we first know Him, we have nothing to give anyone else that can make an eternal difference in their lives. 

We all “invite” others to something, to some “altar”; at which altar are we worshipping and being filled? If what we are filled with and have to offer others is Christ, that is the best thing we can give! In order to do that, we must be willing to die to ourselves and our baser natures, and to rise up to the level He desires us to live on…so we can be full of Him…and He can use us to invite others to come to the waters of life as well . We each do that differently, but do it we must!

Though it is true that He has many faces and many Names in different cultures and religions, we must know that when (other than Judeo Christian) religions use the term “God”, they are not necessarily referring to the one true God that we serve …the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…the God that loved us so much that He sent His beloved Son to redeem us. That Son, Jesus, died for us…(something no other has done)…and rose victoriously from death! When He returned to his Father, He sent the Holy Spirit to us, to guide us into all truth…(again, that truth is Jesus! The Way, the Truth and the Life!) 

The Spirit leads us into that Truth, and brings us true knowledge, a knowledge of God…a recognition of what He did by sending his Son. There is a deep penetration of our hard hearts by the overwhelming love that could make such a sacrifice…FOR US! When that love is revealed to us in Jesus sacrifice, we, like Saul of Tarsus, recognize what He did for us…and see Who He is. When that happens to us, we can’t help but acknowledge Him as our Savior, and receive Him. He comes to us, and fills us with His Spirit, Who teaches us, guides us and helps us along the way, in a process called sanctification…that is, turning every area of our lives…every area…over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ! 

Many of us receive Him as our Savior when we see the Truth, but unless we are “discipled” in this new walk, we will still hang onto our old “stuff” (patterns, habits, ways)… unknowingly perhaps, but still refusing to allow Him have complete sovereignty in our lives. The truth that He is Lord, as well as Savior, must come; often it takes the experience of pain, sickness, depression and even loss to get the message that whatever we have not committed to Him is unprotected. When we cry out for that protection and surrender that part of our life to Him, He takes control and we become secure in that area. Again, it is a process, and the more we experience His Lordship, the more willing we are to yield different area to him…understanding comes that His indeed is the Way…and the only Life!

And, yes, God does love all life! Every part, each one, of His creation is precious to Him, and He wants it all, us all, restored to Him! “Christian, Jew, Buddhist, atheist, black, white, Asian, male, female, elder and younger, ad infinitum…all were created in His own image, but that image was tarnished due to sin. His Son overcame that barrier and set us free…free to come back into relationship with the Father. Yes, He created us, sustains us, loves us, and offers us freedom; He created us for Himself…for a freely chosen relationship with Him. That which was lost in Eden was regained at Calvary… we only must choose to accept it! That is our free will!

There are ways that seem right to us, that we convince ourselves of, that are just plain wrong; it may be a reasoning that seems logical to us, but it is not God’s way of thinking. To know how He thinks and what he expects, we need to know Him…and study what He has already revealed to us…through Jesus, and the prophets…through His word. That way we can learn, become educated, and be ready and able to present an explanation for the things we believe… and then lead others into that understanding (Jesus)! 

What we have learned from our different churches growing up needs to be augmented as adults; even if we do attend church regularly, there is so much more that He wants for us and from us! He wants us to have such a such a passion, such a fire within us that we are burning “white hot” with His love, and are joyfully sharing it with everyone we meet…we “become” church…and carry His Presence with us wherever we go! That becomes our everyday, normative life. 

When we love people, and are an example of God’s love through our actions, we become witnesses for Him, for the Kingdom. When that Kingdom is first within, it is so easy to export it, and thus, make our time on earth count for something other than “marking time”. Life is full of hurts, questions, and loss…but He is the healer, the answer, and the restorer…and He is waiting for each of us to let Him do what He does best…LOVE US.

When will we answer His call? When will we yield to His love? Today is not too soon!

***

May your awareness of God’s love for you grow daily,

and may you develop a deeper love for God

and then reflect Him even more powerfully than before to others by the way you love!

Thanks for allowing me to share with you, and affirm His love for you; I add my love as well, for now and for eternity! Together, let us continue to grow into a fullness of understanding, so that we can encourage, exhort and support each other and all those He places in our paths. It is a road less traveled, but we are in good company! 

~~~

An Open Letter to the Body of Christ

Maureen Bravo 06-14-2000

To whom it may concern…hopefully all of us:  

Having read about Michael Thompson in today’s daily Charisma news brief, I am truly grieved about what has happened with him. I am in intercession for the Church in Brevard, that a Godly response will be forthcoming, to both Michael and the general public. 

When these things become public, we have a choice: to defend ourselves and condemn and shun the offender, or to humble ourselves as we admit we too have sinned and fallen short. Are we willing to be numbered with the transgressors? If we do identify with our fallen brothers and sisters who have been publicly exposed as sinners, we can cry out all the more to God for their restoration! 

In reading the Charisma report, I saw nothing of the way the woman taken in adultery was dealt with by Jesus. On the other hand, there were many earmarks of the way the crowd who threw her at His feet addressed and dealt with her. 

The Lord taught me something about that story the other night. In essence, He said that when the crowd caught the woman in sin, they saw her fear, and felt powerful, superior, righteous and well within their rights by the law to stone her to death for that sin of adultery. When they tried to get Jesus involved, instead of joining them in condemning her, He drew their attention away from her by writing in the sand; He had all eyes fixed on Himself, as they became absorbed with what He was doing. In that moment, they were no longer able to compare themselves with her, a sinner, and feel smug, but recognized the vast difference between themselves and that Sinless One. In the comparison between themselves and such Purity, all they could do was drop their instruments of judgment and walk away. Jesus truly modeled what he was about to do at Calvary…taking it all on Himself…for her…for us. His message to her then was the same as it is to us today…go and sin no more; He does not condemn us, but comes to free us…to live…eternally! 

Isn’t that kind of representation of Jesus what Michael and all of us who fall prey to sin need? Can we see how afraid, condemned, publicly shunned and separated from God and us he must feel? Who will help him? Who will stoop low, in humility, and begin to draw attention away from him as Jesus did? 

I will be praying for those who might be led to intervene in his situation in Brevard. A worshipper like Michael could easily have been under the worst kind of attacks and temptations, and unable to speak about it! (This might have been going on for a long time, and who knew, or wanted to know what he was going through? For that matter, how many might be secretly gloating about it now? God forgive us!) 

I pray that he will be approached by other “wounded healers” in the spirit of love, to heal and restore him, and bind up his wounded heart. Let the darkness be driven away by the love of God, so that the light might burst forth in his life and the lives of all affected by this situation once again, in Jesus’ name.

In His love,

Your sister and servant,

Maureen Bravo

 “Grace! Grace!” 

Zech 4:7 Zerubbabel in the rubble…

Maureen Bravo November 05, 2000

Some reflections / thoughts re: Zech 4:7 for your consideration…It ministered to me and I took it into my heart, only to find multiple applications immediately…including using it as my foundation scripture for the intercession at the recent Fasting & Prayer Gathering 2000. It basically tells me that whatever He calls me to do, if I trust and commit it to Him, He will keep total dominion over it, and bring it about! I just need to wait in joyful expectation, confident that if He ordains it, He will do it!

This particular scripture refers to the time when Zerubbabel had led the people out of Babylonian captivity and back to Jerusalem. He had been told by God to rebuild the Temple, and that was quite a challenge, considering that there was such grumbling, discontent, and division among all the people who had returned. God spoke, saying that it was “not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit” that the task would be accomplished by His servant, amidst shouts of “Grace! Grace!”, (and the people would know WHO really was behind it all!)

We need to realize that of ourselves, we can do nothing; but under His orders, and with His strategy and direction, we can speak “Grace! Grace!” (favor, blessing) over every such situation, and be victorious. It is He Who will accomplish that which He has called for! He will go before us and demolish the mountains (obstacles) and make them level ground, upon which foundation the work He ordains will be done and accomplished! ALLELUIA!

So I speak “Grace! Grace!” to you today, for any and all that He has called you to do, be, or share! May His abundant blessings and continuing favor overtake you moment by moment, and help you to know, even more profoundly, the unsurpassed love He has for you! AMEN!

~~~

“Grace! Grace!”

Maureen Bravo December 13, 2000

A reflection on Zech 4:7 at this moment in our nation’s history…

This verse has been a foundational scripture for me as I have been in continuous intercession for our nation during the recent Presidential election contest. It seems particularly appropriate to share it with you tonight, that you too might speak the blessing of “Grace! Grace!”

This scripture refers to the time when Israel had come out of Babylonian captivity and returned to Jerusalem. Zerubbabel had been told by God to rebuild the Temple, and that was quite a challenge, considering that there was such grumbling, discontent, and division among all the people who had returned with him. (Sound familiar? Not unlike what we have witnessed in the past 36 days, with the task of reuniting and rebuilding now before us.)

God spoke through Zechariah, saying that it was “not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit” that the task would be accomplished by His servant Zerubbabel; if he would just listen, settle his heart to believe what God was saying to him, speak “Grace! Grace!” over the situation, and roll up his sleeves and get to work, it would be done! (…and the people would cooperate, for they would know WHO really was behind it all!)

Tonight, as Al Gore conceded, and George Bush made his acceptance speech, both men spoke of God and asked His blessings on our nation. President-elect Bush went even further, and asked all Americans to pray for him, our nation and the work to be undertaken. In effect, he is ready to get on with the work.

He, as Zerubbabel, realized that of ourselves, we can do nothing; but under God’s guidance, and with His strategy and direction, we can speak “Grace! Grace!” (favor, blessing) over every difficult situation this nation is facing. As we set to work, confident in the Lord’s ability through us, we will be victorious. It is God Who will accomplish that which He has called for! He will go before us and demolish the mountains (obstacles / divisions) that are stymieing this nation, and make them as level ground. Upon that foundation we will proceed with the work He ordains (that of reviving and reuniting as ONE Nation, under God). With Him, all things are not only “possible”…they will be accomplished!

I believe that whatever God calls us to, as individuals, as a nation, if we trust and commit the work that must be done to Him, He will bring it to pass! So I speak “Grace! Grace!” to this nation and to our President-elect George W. Bush tonight, for all that God has called him to do, be, or become! May Our Heavenly Father’s abundant blessings and continuing favor overtake this man, and our country, the United States of America, moment by moment.

Lord, as we pray Your “Grace! Grace!” over our land and leader, help us to trust in You once again. Let us experience, even more profoundly, the unsurpassed love You have for us. As Your light once again shines brightly in our nation, let us all see the work that needs to be done, and do it. May Your desire for us to fulfill our destiny become our own!

~~~ 

THE ACCUSER OF THE BRETHEREN

Maureen Carson Bravo 12-04-99

I realize that hearing the Holy Spirit and actually listening to Him

are not always one and the same, sadly!

We Christians often hear Him speak to us, and then ignore Him.

There are also other voices that speak to us,

and we have the opportunity (and ability) to listen to them as well…

They are part of an attack launched against the Body of Christ by the

ACCUSER OF THE BRETHEREN,

and can cause anyone of us to be sucked in if we are not vigilant!

Recently, a dear intercessor friend told me that she had just happened to see me (across the room) one night last month at the Charisma Conference at Calvary AG in Orlando. With absolutely no provocation, (and certainly no desire to), she found herself feeling disapproval of / dislike for / competition with me. She recognized within a few minutes that “something evil” was operating, but she was unsure of whether it was in me, on me, around me, or in her, or operating on her or around her. She stopped and prayed immediately, but the situation continued to bother her. She connected with me the next night; when she told me all of this, we prayed together and asked the Lord to give us further revelation on it.

What I have come to understand is that there is an insidious strategy of the ACCUSER OF THE BRETHEREN which is being used quite effectively against the Body of Christ, especially those of us engaged actively in spiritual warfare.

Here is what He is showing me:

  * there are spirits “assigned” to people that are “hovering” near to them

  * when perceived by others, these spirits send out messages to them

  * if the ones who hear the messages receive the things they are told, they will

  (though most probably unknowingly) actually be agreeing with the enemy, linking 

 arms with whatever spirit spoke to them, and turn against the person being spoken about 

 …(and against God).

* they are then trapped in that mental “structure” ( thought / belief/ way of thinking), 

 actually believing that the thoughts they were offered (and accepted) were true.

 (Somehow, we seem to think that if we “see” it, and believe it,

  it must be true, and we defend this “truth” to the death!)

Obviously, this can cause terrible damage to the reputation of the person that these lies are being believed about… especially if the one who is the “believer” feels “led to share” this new “truth” about the person with others! Can you imagine what just one lie…received, believed and shared…could do to anyone who carried it…and moreover, what it could do to the brother or sister accused? 

Last year, Gary Fowler, a friend in Colorado Springs, shared with me his views on deliverance. When praying with people to be set free of whatever troubles them, we first need to discover any places where they have unwittingly agreed with the enemy (listened to him in different situations) and wound up linking arms with him, (in effect, turning their backs on God). This can be through receiving accusations about another person or about ourselves.

Whenever any of us receives these accusations, we in effect, take the arms of these spirits (“entertain” them). We may think that we are “leading in the dance” and can stop dancing whenever we choose to…but that is a deception. Just as thoughts that are not taken captive become “imaginations” and then turn into “strongholds”, so too, these “dance partners” eventually dance us into a corner and escort us out the door and right into a personal HELL of bondage / captivity. 

We may not even realize that we are in bondage…but we definitely begin to feel the effects in our spiritual life; we know that we are going through “something”…and we don’t understand! We find ourselves in situations we can’t seem to “pray through”. Our faith is shaken, and soon, we have openings for doubt, then insecurity and fear! 

The only way out is to “see” and receive God’s truth about it! We followed a different voice…entertained a spirit other than the Holy Spirit…agreed with the enemy…the Accuser of the Bretheren! We then repent, renounce and break agreement with the spirit (and the sinful action we took in agreeing with it) casting it out, becoming free! 

I feel that this information must be brought forward for the Body of Christ. It is critical to realize just who (or Who) is being listened to!!!! We can unknowingly attack or destroy not only a brother or sister, but the very seeds of ministries when we mistakenly accuse one another.

Many of us have been visual aids for this teaching. (In many cases, so that we would finally discover it, try to deal with it, get it and then bring it forth!) At different times, (usually while on a critical mission), I have felt as though “something” would stir up trouble around me, resulting in an attack against me, often for what I felt was for no reason at all. I would pray and ask the Lord to show me whatever was causing the particular problem and then REMOVE IT! Whether it was a spirit around me, an attitude within me, a door opened through sin, whatever…I just wanted Him to show me so I could deal with it and get on with whatever was the task at hand! 

When I would seek prayer, and share what was happening with other intercessors, I received an interesting variety of responses:

  * some “sided” with the attack, and started to pray to “cast that thing out of me”

  * others admitted that they just “didn’t get it”, sympathized with me and sometimes 

 picked up an offense at the one(s) involved in the attack

  * if people knew me and didn’t believe whatever the lie was, I might hear:

  “Don’t worry, it is the Holy Spirit, using you to stir things up and reveal their

 inner flaws, bringing those things to the surface that need to be cleaned out”.

  None of these was a satisfactory answer to my need… 

The Holy Spirit does search our hearts and reveals sin to us, but it seemed that if it was God Who was doing this, the results weren’t being seen…(ie. people repenting, and being cleansed!) In fact, they seemed to worsen when stirred up. Some people could get downright vicious and righteous and condemning, and no matter how much I tried to be strong, I knew that Twila Paris’ song The Warrior is a Child was playing in my heart continuously! It hurts when we are attacked…both right there, “on the spot”, and throughout whatever repercussions follow (insinuations, rumors, slander, etc.) Do any of you reading this know and relate to what I am saying?

It may very well be that God allows these situations to continue and/or to be there for the purification of the Body. When we go through them, we are definitely allowed to see our own hearts and what sources we are receiving from…the Holy Spirit, or those other spirits that are appealing to our own weaknesses and sinful areas. 

It is hard to be under this kind of attack and not know why; many get disillusioned, discouraged, depressed, then give up and depart from their assigned tasks rather than being lifted up and encouraged to press in and get through it. We need to get this message out to Christians everywhere, and specifically inform and exhort those who are “carriers”, infecting the Body…so that they might be healed and set free… Lord, help us!

~~~

I share this to encourage and exhort each one who reads it to be open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit…

to flow freely with Him as He seeks to work through all of us in prayer, and bring His healing balm to a wounded world. (Jeremiah 8:22)

Intercessors, Arise! 

Maureen Bravo 12-18-99

  When we feel a prompting, some kind of interior urge to pray at a particular moment… when we get a sense that we need to lift someone up to God right then … when we read or hear of a critical situation, and it touches our hearts…we may not always understand the prompting…but the One Who prompts us does. (Romans 8:22-27). God is seeking out those who love Him passionately (John 17:26), who will yield to Him instantly…those who yearn to know Him more intimately day by day, who want to hear His heart and know His mind about every matter (Matthew 13:16-17)…those who, having listened, will pray what they have heard in. He uses our prayers of intercession to pave the highway for others to move toward Him on…(Is 35:8-10); and through those prayers, He moves as He wills in any given situation. 

  When we hear of a need, we are in fact being presented with an opportunity… to not only bless, but to be greatly blessed. The Word of God declares: “Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…He will receive blessing from the Lord…” (Psalm 24:3-5)

  As we receive that Word, and repent, our lives and walk are cleansed; we find ourselves crying out for pure hearts, and His Holiness pervades us. Then, when the call for an intercessor comes, we are able to respond because we are free, flowing with His life, hence moved with compassion (Matthew 9:36). As we begin to intercede in a situation, we enter into the “territory” of a particular battle; we confidently take our positions in prayer, knowing we are to “stand in the gap” between the problem and the person being attacked, until we see God move, and reap the harvest of our prayers! (Matthew 9:37-38) 

  “Aglow and burning with the Holy Spirit” (Romans 12:11), we speak life and blessings in the Name of God’s beloved Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ; we call upon our Heavenly Father, praying back to Him that which has been spoken into our listening hearts. He, Who sees and hears all, beholds us. Filled with His holy fire, burning brightly in the darkness, we boldly offer our sacrifices of praise and petition, and humbly yet confidently, await His response. (Numbers 17:12-13)

  While we are standing as “beacons of light”, Lighthouses of Prayer, His attention is drawn to our worship and intercession. He delights in us, and “inhabits our praises”. There, “in the midst” of us, He hears of our trust (faith) in Him, our confidence (hope) in His faithfulness, and our abiding belief in His overwhelming care (love) for us. He sees our burning desire that His will be done, and “His eyes are opened and His ears become attentive to the prayers in that place” (II Chronicles 7:15) that He placed within us, now being sent forth… and He moves…to forgive, to heal, to comfort.

  Every battle is the Lord’s, and it is He Who will conquer and vanquish that which is seeking to destroy His children. (Romans 8:31-37). We know that He has a plan, a provision (Jeremiah 29:11) in every problem we encounter; He is waiting for us…for those who love Him and others, to be willing to enter the arenas of their brothers and sisters trials, and “take their positions on the wall”, in intercession. With total confidence we stand for His will to be done, His purposes to be revealed, and we will not be moved until we see answer to our (His) prayers. (Is 62:6-7)

  What a cooperative, co-laboring effort…yet how we often carelessly disregard this high calling! The chance to pray for and beseech God on behalf of another is also an opportunity for the testing and proving of our souls…and it is a test that many of us fail. (Matthew 13: 34b-37). We are too busy, thoroughly preoccupied, simply disinterested, or so self-absorbed, that we fail to “hear the cry of the poor”. How much time can one prayer take versus how much time we waste every day? Where is the balance?

  “If today we hear His voice, let us not harden our hearts”, but rather, pray to hear those subtle beckoning, to be obedient to what we hear, and respond quickly. Lives are hanging in that balance…and who knows, one day it may be our own life, or the life of someone we love, that is being cried out for! Will there be anyone listening then? (Matthew 13:14-15)

  As we approach this 2000th anniversary of His incarnation, let us commit to extend ourselves as He did. Let us move beyond our own realm, and with loving hands and compassionate hearts, encircle, lift up, and strengthen those who are weak, wounded, and hurting…dying to ourselves and pouring out our prayers before the throne on their behalf. It only takes a few seconds, a small sacrifice of our time, to “breathe blessings” onto and into any situation we become aware of.

  The “response-ability” is ours, and we are free to choose our reply…to pick up or disregard the call at any given moment. Let us pray that we will never be too busy to take that call…to pause for a moment, hear the need, then choose to bear another’s burden, and carry that brother or sister into God’s Presence in prayer. 

  Some day when we see Him, He will remind us of each life we entered into this way. We will say, “When did I see You and clothe You, or feed You, or visit You…?” and He will reply, “Whatsoever you did for the least of My brothers, that you did unto Me.”

PS…It occurs to me that this is not unlike the situation presented to Joshua and Caleb, who entered into the land and saw the fruit and the giants (along with the rest of the group of spies). Unlike the others who cringed, pulled back and spoke death, they saw not through a filter of fear, but through God’s eyes, from His perspective, and that was the basis of the report they gave… the report of the Lord! He is still looking for those men and women who will work with Him…what do you say? Here’s the hint that He gave us…(Deut. 30:19-20). So, CHOOSE LIFE! 

~~~

Following my father’s passing on January 1, 2003, I received condolences from many whose loved ones had also gone on to be with the Lord. During our times of sharing, I have been blessed to comprehend, at an ever-deepening level, things that God has been “showing” me during this season in my life. I praise Him as I humbly share this story. With profound gratitude for what I have come to understand as a holy, blessed and glorious experience, I proclaim on my family’s behalf: “To God be the glory for the things He has done.” Alleluia! AMEN! In His love, Maureen 

“I CAME TO WORSHIP YOU”

Maureen Bravo – February 10, 2003

In the book of Deuteronomy 30:19-20, God speaks to His people saying, “I set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the Lord your God, heeding His voice and holding fast to Him.” Through the recent passing of my father, Ramon Bassett, I have come to experience a depth and meaning in this scripture that goes well beyond what I understood before. I have been permitted to “taste and see the goodness of the Lord”…and glimpse the glorious inheritance awaiting those who do decide to “choose life”.

My father did choose life, and because of his love for and relationship with God, he listened to and heeded His Shepherd’s voice, and held fast to Him through every season of his life. Hence, Daddy’s transition was marked by the love, peace and comfort of the One to Whom he belonged. What a legacy! What my father sewed in his life, he (and we, his descendants) reaped in his death! Galatians 6:8 “…he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” There was an overwhelming sense of God’s Presence throughout my parent’s home, permeating the atmosphere in every room, touching each family member, and bringing amazing consolation to those friends and acquaintances who came to offer to us their comfort and support. 

Our mortality is something we each must face, and death is the door we pass through in order to enter either eternal life or eternal separation from God; the degree and duration of the grieving process for those left behind is different for each of us. At the same time, God’s grace is sufficient for all of us! I rejoice in His kindness in preparing me for the “departure” of my parents, who were 80 and 81 this past year. Years ago, He had led me to pray and ask that when that time came, I would experience “a peace that passes understanding”; in that He would receive glory, as I journeyed with my surviving parent through their spouse’s earthly release. I felt such a “blessed assurance” that in that hour, He would indeed grant the grace asked for, and He did so…but “exceedingly above and beyond” anything I could have imagined or hoped for! What a wonderful testimony to His faithfulness! Here is a brief account…“His-story”…

Every day, for the five days preceding January 1st, the Lord had me read the December 31st passage in Oswald Chamber’s book, MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST. I was particularly drawn to the part that spoke of “letting the past sleep, but (letting it sleep) on the bosom of Christ”, so that we might “step out into the irresistible future with Him”. When I last read it before going to bed at 2 AM on New Year’s Day morning, I felt that God was speaking specifically to me about Mother and Daddy, so once again, I released them to His loving arms! Seven hours later, at 9 AM, I received a phone call telling me that moments before, my father had passed from this life.

At that exact moment, an inexplicable peace flooded my soul and a sweet serenity enveloped me. The words, “Thank You, Lord!” came flowing from my lips, as I immediately “saw” Daddy being ushered into God’s Presence with great joy by the angels and saints. I watched in wonder! He was so beautiful! His face was radiant as he was singing and worshipping, as never before; his whole being emitted such joy! I “heard” the song he was singing: * “I came to worship You, I came to seek Your face, I came to love You, Lord, Your holiness embrace…” and knew he had now “realized” everything he had ever dared to hope for…believe in…dream about… and oh, so much more! As those around him joined in his song, singing, “Alleluia! Alleluia! ” I did, too! I was literally “caught up” in his delight, and knew beyond any question that he was safely “home”…and that all was well!

What amazing grace! How faithful, kind and merciful is our God! That vision and song stayed with me throughout the following days…during family times, while comforting and sharing with friends, in the funeral preparations, during the wake and funeral, and at the interment. It still has “instant impact” on me, quickening me with its memory the second I begin to hear it playing in my heart…even today, over a month later! 

In His loving mercy, God has granted me a “foretaste” of His destiny for us…wanting us to be so secure in Him that earthly death will no longer have a “sting”. We will know the hope that is set before us, and rejoice as every transition takes place from this life to the next, where we will become fully what we were created for…to be completely His! What comfort this can bring when a loved one “slips the surly bonds of this earth and begins to dance the skies on laughter silvered wings”! What joy to know the liberty our human bodies could never permit, but our spirits were meant for. With that understanding, we can face death, while maintaining our peace, and experiencing His joy…yes, even recovering…before reacting…as we might have before knowing Him! To life! MCB

* “I Came to Worship You” / Terry MacAlmon

~~~

HARVEST

Maureen Bravo 12-1-98

Dear ones, my brothers and sisters in Christ…

The following is something the Holy Spirit spoke to me today…

and I felt impressed to send a copy to each of of you.

“A great harvest is being prepared, my brothers and sisters…

let us watch together as the breeze of the Spirit

begins to blow through the fields,

and rejoice

as we see the golden tassels begin to dance under His power…”

Alleluia!

I continue to hold you all close in prayer and thought,

and ask the Lord to continue to cultivate and bring to maturity (and reality)

all the seeds that He has allowed to be sown in the Spirit!

I await your response as to what the Lord has impressed upon you

since we spent our time together…

In His unifying love,

Your sister Maureen

~~~

Spiritual Parenting

by Maureen Bravo

August 9,2004

“SPIRITUAL PARENTING” is what the Lord has been speaking to / through me for some time now, as I have sought out and called forth the Mothers and the Fathers, (along with the wise counselors… the Jethro’s, Anna’s and Simeon’s), in the Body of Christ, to nurture and guide the “spiritual children” once more! 

Malachi’s words have been “ringing in the air” over Central Florida for years, as we have proclaimed “the hearts of the fathers and the children are being turned” in one situation after the other: in the jails and in the juvenile detention centers, in youth groups and in men’s and women’s gatherings, at conferences and in numerous prayer meetings! (Sometimes I can literally “hear” the squeaking of the hinges on the doors of hearts that have been closed for so long; as He applies the “oil of His love” to each of them, they are cleaned, lubricated, released to move, and encouraged to reopen…and live the “abundant life” once again! 

For @ 15 years now, I have been part of a “microcosm” the Lord is working with. It is an “interdenominational” prayer group / community here in Central Florida called the Servants of the Most High, a place of “spiritual family and belonging”…a group where individual lives are treated as precious and holy to the Lord… and to us. Most of our group initially came seeking more; no longer would a Sunday service and a handshake suffice! Each was looking for real Christianity, love, nurturing and guidance….desiring a fuller understanding of the Word, a deeper intimacy with the Lord and real relationships with other believers. Today, that hunger is not only being satisfied…it has become even more intense. Spirits are soaring…souls are set free…people are being healed! Touched and filled with the Father’s love, radiating our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, and activated and flowing in our giftings through His Spirit, we are able to reach out to others beyond the group…across the city / nation / world (“macrocosms”)… in a WARFARE OF LOVE…on behalf of the KING and HIS KINGDOM!

This has also led to the training and networking of intercessors in several counties through an Intercessory Prayer Network of Central Florida (IPNCF). As we learn to hear the heart of the Father with KINGDOM ears, we then speak it forth boldly; as we see with KINGDOM eyes what the Father is doing, we fearlessly step out to do the same! (Looks a lot like what Jesus said and did!)

Together, the IPNCF serves various conferences by offering them support through both intercessory prayer and ministry as they come into our area. Groups such as PK’s, Global Pastors Network BAL1 and 2, STAND, Mission America, CCCI’s Fasting & Prayer, Women of Faith, along with various city impact conferences, youth, et al have been the recipients of this ministry to them…through, with and in HIM! When the trumpet sounds, the IPNCF “members” come together from various congregations throughout the city / area, and representing the larger “Church of Orlando”, (microcosm / macrocosm again), we set up an Intercessory Prayer Room (IPR) on site to “undergird” these gatherings. 

How does that look? Sometimes, we are permitted to give “full spectrum” service…(ie. working closely with the leadership before and during the gatherings, praying for the speakers before they take to the platform, and ministering to the attendees both privately and publicly.) At other times, we are “low profile” …(ie. stuck in a “broom closet” / basically isolated from what’s going on in the conference, but diligently praying and recording what He reveals to us, then rejoicing as we hear the reports from those who bring us the good news and confirmation from the “front”!) 

Whatever the Lord permits to take place in any given situation, each opportunity for service has been an amazing experience, and a source of encouragement and growth for all of us! Let’s all look forward to those times of “prayer… and so much more”!

~~~

“Lord, that I may see!”

A Word for the Year 2003

Maureen Bravo ~ December 31, 2002

As each year draws to a close, I ask the Lord to give me a specific word that will have special spiritual significance throughout the coming year! Last year, it was: “Give us revelation, Lord!” This year, He is building on that theme. The word received is:

“Lord, that I may see!”

The scriptures refer to “sight” in many instances. We are assured that “if our eyes could see and our ears could hear”, then our hearts would be converted, and we would turn toward God. But alas, we are blind and deaf, and in great need of a Healer Who can open our spiritually blind eyes and unplug our spiritually deaf ears. We remain trapped in our darkness until THE LIGHT, Jesus Christ, appears on the scene! Then we, like blind Bartimaeus, cry out: “Son of David, have pity on me!” We rise above the crowded scenes and circumstances of our lives and shout, “Lord, come by here!” (Kumbayah). Though others may try to silence us, in desperation, we keep persisting, calling out the Name of the One Who can make a difference in our lives…“Jesus!” He will hear and have pity on us; calling us to Himself, He will ask what we would have Him do. Our answer:

“Lord, that I may see!”

At His command, our eyes will be healed, and with a “supernatural sight”, we will see that which He wishes to reveal to us!

From then on, whenever we sing, “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, I want to see You high and lifted up, shining in the Light of Your Glory…” the focus will no longer be on us being touched, but rather, it will be on the One Who is the “Object” of our sight. Eyes are opened that we might see HIM…high and lifted up, shining, glorious; when we see Him in His glory, we will just begin to comprehend why the angels and saints perpetually cry out, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY”.

Have you longed for this kind of personal, eye opening encounter with the Master? Do you want to be able to receive the revelation of all that He wants to show you? Right now, He is waiting to pour out the grace, the healing, the insight and revelation about everything that has impacted and affected our lives. He wants to impart to us His perspective, and make clear to us the truth about that which has sought to discourage or deceive us, things that have robbed our joy or brought us pain. He will also remind us of all the beauty, love and joy we have known, and bring back powerful memories of good times we’ve experienced! He desires that we “see”…and experience a whole new “Incarnation” this year…His sight operating through us! So ask Him…

“Lord, that I may see!”

Tell Him you are ready to hear all that He wants to share with you! Then trust Him to do all that He desires to in order that you might be healed and whole!

I’ll be praying for you, standing with you, as we see together in the Spirit throughout 2003. Amen!

~~~

SET IN PLACE

by Maureen Bravo

10-01-03

As we were all gathered together, I saw a High Priest, fully vested in his priestly garments. He was wearing the breastplate containing the stones of the twelve tribes over his heart. As he was lifting them up before the Lord, I saw one of the stones pop out of position and fall to the ground.

“What will we do about it?” I looked around at those gathered there… “Nothing” was the answer in some of their hearts. It didn’t matter to them that that stone had fallen out; it was not their stone! Others were checking to be sure that the stones that represented them were still fixed in place, but they showed no concern for the stone that was missing from their midst. I even heard some wish that all the stones would fall out… except their own…that was all that mattered to them! 

What? No one is taking any action. Doesn’t it matter that this stone has fallen? Can’t they see that without it, the offering is incomplete? My heart immediately responded as I heard these words: “Run to the place the stone has fallen; take a handkerchief and tenderly pick it up, and replace it in its former position…being sure to fasten it securely in place.” As I did this, the Lord said, “What happens to one happens to all”. I understood that unless we were concerned about what happens to other stones (ie. those from streams and persuasions different from our own), there would be no one to be concerned for us when trouble came to visit each of us in turn…and (He emphasized) … it surely will! 

Then I began to hear Him singing over me; it was a familiar song…but this time, it ended it in a different way! I heard His heart’s desire as He said, “Ask Me to Open the eyes of your hearts, so that you may see Me…in others!” 

Prayer came forth: Father, open the eyes of our hearts, so we can see Jesus…in those from every denomination, non-denomination, community church, congregation, assembly, parish, union, fellowship and diocese. It matters not what banner they come under, or how they are called, as long as they are called by You! 

Let us become who we say we are: ONE BODY IN CHRIST, as we learn to know, love and serve each other, by the power of the Holy Spirit working within us! Help us to realize that You are calling us to be one … as Your Son is in You and You are in Him. 

Give us Your heart, Lord, and remove our desires to stand alone. Help us to see and receive each other, as we come to the realization that You are calling all of us to come together in You! We desire Your heart, Lord…that none should perish…because we failed to reach out to each other. Touch Your people, Lord! Save us from ourselves. Have Your way in us, that Your Kingdom might come and Your will be done here on earth, through us, as it is in heaven! We ask this in Your Son Jesus’ Name. AMEN! “

~~~

Intercession for Marketplace Ministry 

Maureen Bravo August 8, 2002

“Marketplace ministry” is a phrase which is rapidly coming to the forefront, gaining attention as never before. With all that has been happening on the world scene today, the workplace is now a veritable hotbed for evangelism and discipleship! Christians who are “out there in the trenches” are uniquely positioned to reach their co-workers, clients and contacts on a daily basis. They have both opportunity and proximity…but they need encouragement and “spiritual back up” to help them step out and be the “light, salt and witnesses” they were placed there to be! 

Although we gather together on Sunday, attend mid-week services, even serve in church ministries, the average Christian has not developed an ongoing prayer life that will provide or sustain the spiritual energy necessary to dynamically and effectively live out the “Great Commandment” and the “Great Commission”. Most are unknowingly “caught up” in trying to provide for our own needs, attempting to get ahead…or to simply get by! Our focus is turned inward as we seek to find solutions our problems, satisfy our longings and remedy our situations. This inward focus causes both a preoccupation with ourselves and a blindness to the needs of others.

Jesus, on the other hand, had an outward focus. He was at peace, secure in His relationship with His Father, and full of mercy for those in need around Him. With “eyes of compassion”, He could see their plight, and reached out to touch them with an ever-flowing, healing, delivering love. His very Presence stirred faith, brought hope, and evoked love! People were changed in His Presence! What encouragement! His Presence meant transformation!

Today, individual encouragement can come through several avenues: from our pulpits, we are hearing more about the critical connection between the “Great Commandment” and the “Great Commission”; small groups are springing up within existing faith communities (ie. churches) which nurture individual believers and provide discipleship training; prayer and transformation ministries encourage coupling individual prayer and fasting with unified / corporate intercession, and that is beginning to emerge in individual churches and area wide gatherings; parachurch organizations provide evangelism training and offer opportunities for OJT (on the job training); and numerous other Christian resources are available via the internet. 

On the other hand, “spiritual back up“ is not as readily available in the corporate realm. In day to day struggles, we sometimes feel as if we are ”out there on our own!” It is one thing to encourage people to step out in the battle, and quite another to go with them to the battlefield…ie. Deborah and Barak). One way this is being remedied is through individual intercessors taking on the assignments to pray for specific businesses. These “prayer-servants” commit to upholding a company and its management / employees in prayer, and go on site on a regular basis to pray personally with the members of the organization. As they encourage, exhort and undergird these front line laborers, changes begin to take place. The atmosphere in the workplace begins to take on a different “feeling”; teamwork and true Christian love replace the ladder climbing and self-serving attitudes of the past. As individuals are affirmed and strengthened, the concept of working together as ONE in the Lord becomes “second nature”, and a corporate “team” mentality is formed through unity in the Spirit! This team works together to effectively impact their workplace, dispelling darkness and extending the love of the Lord to all they meet. Lives are changed by, with and in His Presence…which is then carried into the larger arena / marketplace by His chosen, yielded vessels!

This is not just a “theory”; it is a reality in many workplaces today! EXAMPLE: For over two years now, I’ve been meeting and interceding on the first Tuesday monthly with the members of a local law firm, a vital Christian legal defense group serving the Body of Christ. They are called to represent the Godly viewpoint in cases, and have done so at numerous court levels within our legal system, even appearing before the Supreme Court on critical issues. Every month, as we come together to pray on what they call “SUPER TUESDAY”, the Lord touches individual members of the team. Strength, wisdom and critical strategies are asked for and received for each case they are involved with, and we delight in the favor received from both God and man. Through this type of informed, focused, unified intercession, the course and welfare of businesses, ministries, cities and nations can be impacted. (Jere. 29:7)

If you are a Christian in business, this may resonate with what is in your heart! As one of His servants, you are already called to touch the lives and hearts of your community. As a “marketplace minister”, you are positioned strategically to affect the business community, a prime target for both Light and darkness! What might you do to help assure the success of Light in your sphere of influence? How can you best represent the Kingdom of the One you serve? 

Consider having an intercessor come pray with you for your business. Start where you are. Set aside a regular time of prayer and bring in your associates and employees, providing the encouragement and spiritual back up they need. Watch the Lord build His Kingdom in your midst, equipping you to go forth and touch the world with His love.

Selah!

~~~

Our hearts are knit together with yours during this holy season in which we celebrate the “Incarnation”!

Two thousand years ago,

God answered the prayers of those who were crying out for the long awaited Messiah

to come and save them! 

INCARNATION…

“The WORD was made FLESH and dwelt among us..”.

Christ with us, Emmanuel…

The Kinsman-Redeemer was on the scene…

He came unto His own…

but His own received Him not…

but to as many as did receive Him, He gave the power to become sons and daughters of God!

We who have received Him once again wait in joyful expectation…

Not just for His “second” coming…

but that He might be born anew in those hearts that have not yet received Him. 

May His KINGDOM be expanded 

with each one who receives Him as SAVIOR and LORD!

Maureen Bravo – December 8, 2002

~~~

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