Tag: holy spirit

Power in the name of Jesus: These Kids Got It!!

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What an INCREDIBLE morning. On the way to church this last Sunday, I wept as I listened to “Break Every Chain” by Jesus Culture. I began picturing the elementary class I was about to teach getting a hold of the concept that there is Power in the name of Jesus.

We have been teaching them from Becky Fischer’s Kids In Ministry International curriculum “Hearing God’s Voice”. We are in our last chapter learning about the enemy’s counterfeits. We have spent a whole year teaching our kids how to hear the voice of God. For most of them it is now a natural thing. Something that some of the parents are still learning to grasp. They have learned all the different ways they can hear Gods voice. Now they are moving out with the words of knowledge and prophetically to each other and those they know. They are worshiping with abandonment and praying for the sick and seeing God heal. They have an unstoppable faith.

When I arrived at Destiny Christian Fellowship’s Elementary class, I was so overwhelmed with the Presence of God and had so much anticipation of what He was going to do. I began class teaching the lesson about how the enemy lies to people making them believe he is just as powerful as God, or that he can be everywhere at one time, or that he knows everything. BUT THAT IS NOT TRUE! Those are only God’s characteristics.

I then had the kids write down on a little piece of paper things that the enemy tries to scare them with or tempt them with or make them believe a lie about. These pieces of paper were formed into a chain. Then I had someone in the class put a white robe around themselves to represent Jesus and as we listened and worshipped with “Break Every Chain” the person representing Jesus came and broke the chains. The kids then rushed up to break and rip up the chains because they knew they had the power of Jesus inside of them to see those chains broken. It was such a visual representation of what takes place in our lives and also what happens in others lives as we pray for them.

One of the songs I taught them was, “Romans 16:19 says”. We sang and did the actions for this song for 10 minutes. They got it and loved it. The importance of getting the Word of God in their heart is critical at this age. Song is the easiest way to do this. My other favorite Music Group who does this is “God Rocks”. They sing pure word for word scripture. My kids and I have listened to it for 8 years. It is one of the best. They have DVD’s, CD’s and books for kids. Each one has a theme with verses that back it up. Powerful and life changing. Worth every cent of investment. You can also find some on Christian TV channels or YouTube. The other group my class loved watching was “The Rizers” you can find them on YouTube. Purely scripture done in a fun and entertaining way to watch and listen.
Here is the link for Romans 16:19 Says

One little 1st grader told me after class that the power of Jesus is in his hands. That when he prayed for his grandma the heat from his hand made a red mark on her back. He knows without a shadow of a doubt the power of His healing God. He is also quite the worship leader. From the first day he came to class he came up front and let these kids into powerful times of worship.

No one can say that you miss out of church when you work in children’s ministries at DCF because we have CHURCH in our classrooms.

http://youtu.be/EtyVdC7E6Wo

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That is who my Father God is!! Give it to Him

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Unfailingly Love, Unlimited Grace, Dependable Strength, Pillar of Wisdom, Full of Understanding, lover of our Soul, Remover of Pain and Heartache – That is who my Father God is!!

I cant imagine what this life would be like if I were alone without my Daddy God. Too many situations lately what have made me drop to my knees and cry out for mercy for others. When you see the hurt and heartache people go through, even those who are walking with Christ, it seems unbearable. However, the burden I carry for others has to be taken somewhere.

God said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” If I keep the burdens of others on myself, and never take them to my Daddy God, then I will lose my joy and peace. God never intended you to carry everything on your own. Having compassion for people is one thing, but allowing the burdens to transform you into the incredible hulk is another. Give your heartache to Him!! He will give you the grace to carry what you are supposed to and help you walk in peace and joy in the process.

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Hard times – Unwavering Faith

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If my belief and trust in the character of God changes in bad times, how does that affect the effectiveness of my faith in the good times? It is in the hard times of life where we have to hold on like never before to who God says he is. He is all-knowing, He is present everywhere at the same time, He has all power and can do anything at anytime. His Love never fails, He is good all the time. He never lies. He is a God of His word. The stripes that Jesus took on His back at Calvary are for our healing. We are paid with a price and have full access to EVERYTHING that has been granted to me as a daughter of the king. There is nothing impossible for our God! Hold onto this with everything you have if you can’t do it on your own ask for us to stand with you. You’re not alone!

Expectations are a killer- But its doesn’t have to effect you

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Just a little wisdom from someone who has dealt with expectations from others.

Expectations lead to your finger pointed at others when they do not behave the way we expect and want. We can not control other people’s thoughts, feelings or actions but we can control OURS! Love and unity is a choice that we give to others despite if our expectations have been met or not. Do not let the enemy rob you of pure love in your relationships! It is something we have to walk out daily. It is not easy, but it is worth it! –    Rachelle Layzell

 

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The Battle: Christian Kids in Public School with a Biblical or Secular Worldview

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Christian-Worldview-00892-300x225     vs  Non-Christian-Worldview-00901-300x225

Parents of Public School Kids: have you discovered that your kids teachers do not use text books for you to be able to review? We had a very interesting first 6th grade parent teacher conference last night. When the Social Studies teacher pulled out a paper from my son of a drawing of a Homosapian who lived 150,000 years ago my “creationist” ears popped up. I wanted to know what my son is being taught so I know how to further supplement his education with a “Biblical World view” teaching. He knows that God created the world in six days about 6000-10,000 years ago. But what he needs is information of the intellect that God created those first people with, Adam & Eve. They were more than “double wise” as his paper said of the homosapian’s. We had a talk about the Tower of Babel as we were waiting in line to talk to his next teacher.

Now I am thankful he does not come home with much homework, because I am going to be ordering some curriculum from Answers in Genesis so he can understand the truth about social studies and science. That is why at Destiny Christian Fellowship we are so adamant about teaching our kids the truth about the authority of the Word of God along with a biblical worldview. Like tomorrow night we will be having a dinosaur night for the kids teaching them what really happened to the dinosaurs, The flood, and many other creation issues.

We have kept my oldest son in public school so he can be a light, it is his choice along with ours. But, we will not sit by and allow him to be filled with a secular world view and not have him know the truth from the word of God. He may be bold and have confidence to speak in front of a group, but he needs to know the truth and have it in him so deep that it comes out of his mouth as easy as breathing. He needs to be able to debate or challenge an issue with more confidence than the other kid. Not with just surface head knowledge, but cold hard scientific facts that creation shows.

It is the parents responsibility to guard their children from the lies of the enemy and most importantly for our children to be aware of them when they hear it. I know he is strong and smart, however it is my responsibility to make sure he has the proper tools and resources to know right from wrong, truth from speculation. If us as parents do not hold fast to the fact that the Bible is Absolute Truth, then we will allow a secular worldview to slowly creep in our mind and our children.

Please make sure you have your own library at your home of material and curriculum for your public school children to draw a Biblical World View from. I will post links below of the places I am going to purchase our own! Our children have the opportunity to transform the educational system from the inside out, they need more than checking in at church and youth group! Kingdom Families function daily inside the home teaching and walking out the truth of God’s word. Time for me to do some research and pray!

 

Comments Copied from Facebook Post this morning:

  • Rachelle Hjertstedt Layzell https://answersingenesis.org/store/newest/…

    Newest
    Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and…
    ANSWERSINGENESIS.ORG
    2 hrs · Like · 2 · Remove Preview
  • Aimee  Has he listened to the Jonathan Park series? It may be a little below his age level, but I bet if you put it on for your other kids, he’d like it, too. They teach creation apologetics in a fun, memorable way!
    2 hrs · Unlike · 2
  • Rachelle Hjertstedt Layzell He hasnt yet. I know my mom has them somewhere, I need to download them. Thank you so much for the reminder. My kids listen a lot to adventures in odyssey by Focus on the Family. But I definitely need to switch it up again
    2 hrs · Like
  • Rachelle Hjertstedt Layzell I have pinned a lot of resources here:  http://www.pinterest.com/rachellelayzell
    2 hrs · Edited · Like · 2 · 
  • Peggy Very important to discuss it, breathe it, learn it deep. It is taught in Science class yes, but also in Reading class, math class, anywhere and everywhere. I taught it everywhere as they still do.
    2 hrs · Unlike · 2
  • Rachelle Hjertstedt Layzell Yep, in Reading class it brought up the other side of things that makes me so thankful for Becky Fischer’s ministry
    http://www.kidsinministryinternational.org ,
    we use her curriculum in our children’s ministry. Tomorrow night while the kids learn about the dinosaurs, the parents will be watching a video that shows how the kingdom of darkness is invading our kids culture. I have her material pinned on my Pinterest site. Kids need to know what to do when they are forced to read books that are opening doors into their spirit. They need to know what to look for and what to guard them self from. If we do not teach them how to be discerning in their spirit they will open up a huge door for the lies of the enemy and his influence to come in. We have been teaching her children for the last year how to hear the voice of God from Becky’s curriculum. It has been phenomenal. From our preschool to the elementary these kids know how to hear God’s voice.
  • Rachelle Hjertstedt Layzell And by the way, I do not think it is just coincidence that they no longer use books. It is much harder for teachers to be held accountable for what they teach.
    2 hrs · Like · 2
  • Peggy Just for the sake of information teachers have the books and get new ones every 7 years, two problems exist one a lot of students can not read (comprehend) at the level of the textbooks and two teachers don’t have time to familiarize themselves to new text books with the constant flow of new curriculum as well as get their students to pass the state test.
    57 mins · Like
  • Rachelle Hjertstedt Layzell Some teachers do, probably more in the elementary. But what I found yesterday at parent-teacher conferences is that in six grade in the Oregon city school district they do not have books because they say the district did not want to buy them. The teacher uses online resources from many different places.
    55 mins · Like
  • Peggy  Oh they went that route, the online sources are probably from a curriculum company.
    53 mins · Like
  • Rachelle Hjertstedt Layzell Unfortunately, because of going online route there are no materials for parents to look through to know and understand what their children are being taught. I’m going to be going through as many links as the teachers give me but that’s not their curriculum in entirety
    51 mins · Like
  • Peggy  Unfortunately most sources support evolution, homosexuality, even anti-America (in the new common core) and other things we need to train our kids against.
    51 mins · Unlike · 1
  • Peggy  You are completely right Rachelle parents are cut out and teachers don’t have the time to list all their resources.
    50 mins · Unlike · 1 The common core at its roots is anti-parent.
    48 mins · Unlike · 1
  • Rachelle Hjertstedt Layzell On the way to taking David and Elicia to their private school, with tears in my eyes, I was sharing with them how thankful I am that I don’t have to question what they are being taught. Elicia began to have a discussion about what she would ask the teachers. She said she would ask them, “Who made you?” David went into the explanation that we didnt come here by a big explosion and then happen to come together by ourselves. He went through to describe how evolution says man came to be. And he said, “that is so extremely stupid! How in the world could they believe that!” At the same time when they get into Public high school they will have the tools They need to be bright lights who stand for truth. It made me all the more thankful for Christian resources that are available to help our children in public & private schools understand what truth is and how to discern when they are being fed secular lies. I know Isaac a strong and I will not pull him out of public school, because if he is not there who is going to share the truth with these other kids and the teachers? It is a very hard decision but one God told Isaac & us very clearly.

God is Jealous for YOU!

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This morning I saw a picture from a trip to the Lego Store with my boys and it reminded me that God is jealous for us. He is fierce to protect us against from the evil that comes at us.

I found an article which matches what I am saying perfectly. It even talked about jealously as Shakespeare quoted as being “green” like the hulk in my picture! http://www.girlfriendsingod.com/2012/god-is-jealous-for-me/

This thought puts me at rest in many ways. I know God has got my kids back, He has my husbands back and mine. We are not alone. Even though the face of “the Hulk” in the pic looks scary, to me it shows the intensity God is ready to fight for me with. He loves us with an everlasting love.  Nothing you can do can take that away. No matter how far you run or try to hide, He wants to protect and cover you. Under the shadow of His wings, but in this case, his very muscular arms!

Song of Solomon 8:6-
“Put me like a seal over your heart, Like a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe as Sheol;
Its flashes are flashes of fire, The very flame of the LORD.
7“Many waters cannot quench love, Nor will rivers overflow it;
If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, It would be utterly despised.”

 

Don’t Let Your Teaching Curriculum Hinder the Holy Spirit

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(Yesterday, Sunday Aug 17, 2014)

Jesus said He wants to show himself to our kids today. He wants to show His love and give them a piece of His heart! Declaring revelations, encounters, and transformed lives today. His hands are stretched out and He is pouring out His anointing oil on all Children’s Ministry Teachers today, get ready for an outpouring of the kingdom of Heaven today.

Allow the Holy Spirit to breathe on the curriculum you are using!! Let Him have His way! When have you ever seen kids who liked to stay in the box and not be free? Haha! Allow God to do what He wants to do and watch out for a breakout of the Supernatural! Healing of body, soul and refreshing of spirit. Let miracles break out and hearts be set free! Can’t wait to teach my class today!

…….Update from after class…….
In class today, The Holy Spirit showed up and in our short time of soaking in God’s presence, there were kids who saw Angels in the same place in the classroom. Another little boy saw Jesus. And hearts were touched as they learned that Jesus lived a sinless life and took the punishment for our sin upon himself on the cross. They can now come to him asked for forgiveness believe on what he did on the cross and receive Eternal salvation. Admit. Believe, Forever Receive

One little boy who is visiting accepted Jesus into his heart for the first time. Praise the Lord! It was a powerful time in his presence with the elementary at Destiny Christian Fellowship.

Heaven brought to earth: the Sunday I will never forget!

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(Facebook Post August 10th 2014)

Today I experienced something I haven’t experienced in 19 years, since Renewal hit in ’94-95. It took place while listening to my dad speak part two of his message, For Zion’s Sake. (Click the link to listen to both of these timely and important messages about Israel and the Middle East)It was an in depth teaching on Gods love for Arabs and Jews and why God is not done with either of them. Something deep inside of me cried out during our prayer time. An intercession that you can’t produce or cause to happen. Such a burden for those persecuted all over the world for the name of Christ. I had the video and pictures in my mind of Arabs in Iraq being slaughtered, young and old. An intercession crying out for mercy, protection and justice.

During the message I could feel a host on Angels all around. Then as my dad shared miracle after miracle of what God has done to protect and defend the land of Israel, I saw and heard a massive group of angels watching and cheering on what was being shared like they were watching a sports game. They were high 5’ing each other and laughing and cheering saying, “remember when we did that!”. They were cheering on my dad Joel Hjertstedt as he was speaking.

Then as he started reading
Ephesians 2:11-22 I saw Jesus get off of the throne and lay prostrate on top of the glass ceiling over us. He began to weep and blow His breath down into us. He was so grateful about what was being shared. He was also weeping for the friends he grew up with on Earth who did not recognize who he was. He was crying out for the Jews whose eyes need to be open to see that He is their messiah. He was blowing and fanning our hearts to burn for him and to burn with passion for the land of Israel and also for the Arabs which he blessed also through Abraham.

He told me that there are some who are wondering why the pastor was talking about Israel like this. And Jesus said it is because it is a part of our mandate, not only our pastor’s mandate, but the mandate of the church. It is part of our mission on earth to share this with the body of Christ so their eyes will be open to reach out and accept with open arms the Jews and Arabs who will be coming to Him by the millions!

When Pastor Ken was prophesying over my dad, God told me those words were over me as well. Israel and our families connection to it is part of my heritage and destiny. I know I will be back, God spoke very clearly when we visited in 1995. We were leaving for the airport and I was weeping in the car because I did not want to leave the land. I was only a Jr in High School so there was no option. But I told God I didn’t want to leave unless I knew I was coming back some day. I turned and looked out the window and saw the hugest brightest rainbow I had ever. There is something about seeing a rainbow in Israel that brings it’s meaning of a promise a little close to home.

The heavy weighty glory and the “tipsy” filling of the Holy Spirit lasted over an house after the service, marked me in a deep deep way. A woman came up to me right after the service and told me she has been trying to share with her friends back in Japan what is taking place in the Middle East, and was so discouraged because they wouldn’t respond to her at all. She felt ignored , haha, but God had a very powerful word or her that I was barely able to speak out at that time because of the heavy weighty glory.

What a day!!!! Just the beginning!

Here is the verse that I saw Jesus come off of his throne for :

Ephesians 2:11-22 “Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called ‘uncircumcised’ by those who call themselves ‘the circumcision’ which is done in the body by human hands – remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.

He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.