I have often been in the presence of really important and/or influential people whom I’ve longed to meet, only to find myself tongue-tied by the sheer anxiety of my honor for them. I have usually walked away having asked some stupid questions or making some ridiculous comments. Of course, an hour later I regret my behavior and I am filled with questions I wished I would have asked. Therefore, I decided to proactively put together some insightful questions that I can ask to learn from their experience. Here are the questions I thought of: […]

Putting God Back in Control

We were never created to be a powerless people, subject to the happiness or depression of the environment around us. Rather, our source of wholeness is derived from the author Himself.

God is the only one who can offer us love and security regardless of our circumstances. Placing God on the throne of our lives is not rocket science, but it does require diligence and taking the right steps. […]

 Reflect for a moment. Have you heard these sayings before?

“Stay the Course”

“When the going gets tough the tough get going”

“If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again!”

“Winners never quit and quitters never win.”

This past couple of weeks we both have been going through another peel of our healing onion.  Our journey continues as Father is taking us back to issues we have visited in the past, but now He says it is time for another peel of life’s onion!  After one particular session with the Lord, where we both received some great healing, were pretty tired.  We decided to tune in on a Gaither video.  The following song began to play and touched us both so deeply in our spirits that Rog said to me, “Ger, I believe Father is speaking to me that we should make this the theme song of Places In The Father’s Heart.”  I agreed immediately.  We’d like you to take a few minutes and listen carefully as the Gaither Vocal Band and Signature Sound come together in this stunning […]

We are so proud of Miss Lacey Hancock, Rog’s cousin, from Memphis, TN.  Lacey is the daughter of Bobby and Vicki Hancock and she  dances with Company d.  In the video below she is the gal in the purple sweater and pink pants.  This is a thriller.  You can also see Lacey’s artwork here.  She is quite a beautiful young lady with a strong and powerful testimony.  We are blessed to call her our “Memphis Cuz!”

Here are some steps you can take to ensure harmony in your marriage.

My wife Kay and I are closing in on 30 years of marriage. I must admit that our marriage is better than I ever expected it to be and seems to get better with age.

There are many factors that make for a good marriage; some are tangible, like provision (shelter, food) and protection (financial security, safety). Other factors are less tangible but just as real, such as understanding, respect and empathy.

While the aforementioned factors are important, there is also a very practical approach men can use to ensure happiness in marriage. […]

2016 Prophetic Word: Get Ready for Realignments and New Assignments Doug Addison January 12, 2016 Prophetic Words for 2016 This year will be a time of healing and breakthrough for those who have suffered unjustly. We will open the year with a purging of the things that are not of God. We are all walking through a John 15 experience in which God will be pruning things from our lives over the next few months. The result of this time of deeper cleansing will be a closer relationship with God and you will have greater authority. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” John 15:7 NIV

Major adjustment in our beliefs God will be revealing to us the beliefs, values and doctrines that are not […]

This morning as I was walking to my car in my driveway, I sensed that familiar voice speaking to me—the voice of my heavenly Father. The words triggered a big smile on my face. God said to me: “Lee, I get a big kick out of you!” For the next 10 minutes in my car, I praised Him for showing me, yet again, His overwhelming love.

I can already hear some people gnashing their religious teeth over this comment. “You just made that up!” “God does not talk like that!” “You’re delusional.” But I really don’t care what people say about it. I know my Father’s love, and His acceptance has transformed me. And I’m eager to grow more intimate with Him. […]

MY MISSION IS TO MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO NOT THINK ABOUT GOD IN ALL THAT I DO FROM THIS POINT FORWARD!

To accomplish this mission, I am committed:

To intentionally pursue Jesus, by daily emptying myself of me and kneeling before my maker in humble pursuit of His purposes for my life, relationships, and home.

To intentionally love my husband by affirming his leadership, passionately pursuing him and meeting his needs, and partnering with him to fulfill God’s call on his life.

To intentionally nurture, love, and cherish my children, embracing them as my first ministry, my disciples, to train them up in the ways of the Lord so that they will be effective tools for the Gospel.

To […]

My mother was an alcoholic most of my life.  I was raised in a household that said, “Alcohol is OK” and I have experienced first hand the ravages of it from the inside out and back again.   Jamie Morgan’s 50 reasons are spot on.  Please take time to read and ponder them.  #50 sums it all up: For any argument that tries to justify Christian drinking, there are at least 50 other reasons not to. The writing is on the wall. It’s not God’s best for Christians to drink.  Period.  Blessings, Gerri  ~ ~ ~ ~

“I am a Christian and I don’t drink. I am also a pastor and ex-alcoholic. I need to make that disclaimer right up front.  Although it makes me biased, it also makes me an expert on this hotly debated issue.

Some of the worst “shudder moments” of […]

Humility is not only compatible with greatness; it is the process of significance. We see this clearly in Jesus’ statement: “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:12). According to Christ, the act of humility is the pathway to promotion. Jesus was not criticizing the desire for greatness; He was encouraging it by showing us how to attain it! Hopefully, we all agree that Jesus is the model of humility, as He is of all other things. If this is true, then we only need to ask ourselves one simple question: What happened when Jesus humbled Himself? Paul tells us: […]

Dream: The Mountain of the Lord

Psalm 24:3-4 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His Holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…

I had a dream, and it was as if I was “within” Psalm 24 walking up the Mountain of the Lord.

I had to set my heart for the journey. It was a steep and narrow path, though it was a path well-trodden, and I pondered the patriarchs of old who had walked this same path. (Photo via Julie Meyer)

In the dream, I was carrying baggage with me. I realized I would never make it to the top of the Mountain carrying it, so I took it off and laid it aside. […]

Every so often in the course of history there are individuals born who defy common reason and statistical explanation. These are the great ones, who break the tether of their generation’s expectations and rise to the high call that seems to echo from somewhere beyond the grave.

The prophets of old peered into the future and spoke of these violent ones who would force their way into the Kingdom, take hold of Heaven and pull it down to earth. These reigning saints refuse to have their exploits be a mere reflection of the past, but instead break the gravitational barriers of naysayers and doubters, and journey far beyond the boundaries of reason into places where no one has ever gone before. Ultimately they capture the prize of the upward call of God that lies in Christ Jesus. These are God’s […]

Sadly, around the world today, those who are considered royalty or important in society usually cohabit with pride and arrogance.  They live with an attitude of privilege and entitlement.  This is the world’s way.  God’s way is much different.

In our Father’s world when a person gets born again into the family of God, we become His child.  The world does not recognize this truth.  Sadly, many who are born again don’t recognize it either.  There is no position of royalty greater on this earth than being a Child of the Most High God!  Therefore, if we are a child of God what comes with the privilege?  Should we consider ourselves better than those who are not born again children of God?  Should we expect the world to treat […]

In my 70+ years I have encountered two or three people who shared with us that they didn’t need an alarm clock to wake up.  They just decided what time they needed to wake up and they would just wake up at that time.  Wow!  What a blessing!  For the rest of us, wakeup calls are a necessity of life.  What form does our wakeup calls come in?  Perhaps they were our parents when we were children; alarm clocks when we get older; how about warnings that our behavior is unacceptable from parents, spouses or other authority figures?  I think it is reality that we all need other people in our lives that have our permission to bring a wakeup call when we get deaf, dumb and stupid.  Hopefully, we say a big ‘thank you’ as we wake up […]

From Broken to Blessed ~ by Brittney Johnson

This is the story of how Father forever transformed me by his grace and love.

As a small child, I experienced many things that would later shape me into the woman that I am today. I struggled with depression from time to time, believing that I would never be good enough. As I grew older that depression led to rebellion, which in turn led to me contemplating suicide as the only way out of the torment inside my head.

Being brought up in the church, I knew that this was not Father’s plan for my life. Even though I had given my heart to Him in 1994, my full surrender came in 1999. I was on fire for God! For the first time in my life, all of the depression was gone. […]

If someone ties our hands and feet and locks us in a closet we would know we were bound.  This would be a physical experience absent of doubt.  Yes, it would adversely impact us emotionally and spiritually, but we would not need someone else to explain what just happened.  The why of the situation may need explaining later.  My point here is that sometimes our bondage is obvious, but on the other hand, sometimes it’s not.  We all have unresolved bondage to some degree.

What are some of those unseen things that work as bondage in our lives; those hidden things that influence our decision making, our life experiences, our emotions, our relationships, our future. […]

As we have ministered to many over the years, we have learned that there are three areas that can be used to identify people.  They are:  1) the wise, 2) the foolish, and 3) the one who is evil/toxic.  Here are some things we have learned about each group, much of it from Dr. Henry Cloud in his book Necessary Endings © 2010 Published by HarperCollins, New York, NY.

The wise person is one who when presented with truth, takes it in.   This person is hungry after the things of God, eager to learn more about Him and always willing to make corrections when they are called for…corrections like repentance and forgiveness for example.  They are willing to listen when you speak into their lives and encourage them.  They are quick to adjust their behavior when it is necessary and […]

WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF OUR READERS AND LISTENERS.  THIS IS A TIME OF YEAR WHEN WE JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO TO HELP US CARRY THE MESSAGE OF FATHER’S LOVE TO THE NEXT PERSON WE MEET AND THEN TO OUR WORLD.
BLESS YOU!

FATHER’S HEART eBOOK NOW IN AUDIO FORMAT

I have been hearing a lot from the Lord and His heart towards those 60 and over and seemingly on the downward or stationary cycle of life and influence. Things are not as they appear. This is especially true for ministers and leaders who have been processed and refined almost to the place of quitting or disappearing. I believe that the Lord is saying to you- Do not think retirement thoughts. Do not start planning your exit from significance. Do not think you have missed out on so much you thought He promised would come from the call and anointing on your life. […]

When Jesus walked the earth, He had a few advantages over us. Minor things like He never sinned, for instance, so He never had to worry about hypocritically pointing out faults in others while neglecting His own. He was also God and knew the hearts of men; therefore, His assessments of people’s motives were always accurate. Undoubtedly, these advantages gave Him confidence and grace when it came to approaching a confrontation; He was neither shy nor overly harsh.

We, on the other hand, have to be told, “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). According to this standard, confrontation must never involve yelling at someone, accusing him or […]

In the book Song of Songs, the woman says to her lover, “Your name is like purified oil.” In the Hebrew language, the word for name is best translated to be etched. In this day, a name was much more than what people would call you. A name was your character, your virtue; your hidden life with God. Proverbs says, “A good name is better than silver and gold.” A name spoke of a person’s core, the kind of person they are when no one is looking. She is saying to Solomon, “Your character is holy.” This Song of Songs woman is both physically and sexually attracted to this man, yet she affirms something much deeper. She affirms his character, his secret life, his inner strength, and the name of God etched deep within him. This man has a name beneath his skin. […]