Fullfill your purpose…

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (Amplified Bible)

11He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy], yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
In each of your hearts God has implanted a sense of purpose. Some people have spent their lives searching for that purpose, trying different jobs, taking different classes, searching for that “thing” that would satisfy them. Some people haven’t fulfilled their purpose because they are too focused on money and the thing they know they should be doing doesn’t pay much by man’s standard. Some people have been deterred from their purpose by family, friends, teachers, etc, maybe people had told them that they could never become an artist, a singer, a doctor, a teacher, etc. Or maybe some had been told, “You’re a Christian now, you should be working in the church, not out there in the world” (Not true, Jesus said in John 17:15…“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”). You might have heard many things, but you can’t discover your purpose through others, or through yourself, the only way to find your purpose is through God. The above scripture states…” He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy]” Only God alone can satisfy that purpose, only God alone can reveal it to you. It doesn’t matter how much you think you would make doing it, when you are in your assignment the vision God has given you will bring in the provision that you need, just trust God. If people have told you that you couldn’t do it, or you’ve doubted yourself, it’s time to let all of that go and hear only the voice of God. In Ephesians 2:1 it says…
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
God has already anointed you and prepared you on the inside for your purpose, you don’t have to feel it, you just have to know, by faith that you have an assignment to carry out just as Jesus had an assignment when He came to this earth…

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

Matthew 20:28 “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

What if Jesus didn’t walk in His purpose and fulfill His assignment, where would we be? He could have made a decision out of His flesh to not go to the cross for us, yes He was God, but He was also fully man and that nature could have taken over, but thank Jesus He didn’t allow His flesh to move Him.

There are people out there waiting on each one of you. There are men that need to hear your testimony of deliverance, there are women that need to hear your story of mending from abuse, there are people that need to hear your testimony of healing, there are children and teens looking for someone who they can relate to and understand. There are celebrities that need God, and are looking for someone that is willing to tell them the truth, there are nations experiencing famine and war. All of these people are out there waiting on what God placed on the inside of you. It is time to release for others that which is within you. No more delay, no more fear, no more anxieties or worry, cast that all aside and trust in the Lord because the world is waiting for you. God bless!

Tracy Houston

Intimacy with God, our highest priority pt. 3…

Last week I shared with you one of the visions that Evangelist Brian Lake had shared on an interview he had done. Today I would like to share with you the second vision the Lord gave him…

Brian Lake… “Throughout the week I had another encounter in which God was reveling to me the rooms of the heart. He was showing me what people’s hearts looked like, and I remember this hall I walked down, it looked like a hotel, and on each side there was doors, but in this one room it was deteriorating, the floor was really weathered, and the smell was musty and the paint was coming off the walls. The Lord led me down the hall way and we looked in each one of these rooms, as we walked… One of the rooms was filled up with entertainment. There were TV sets in there; people were just consumed with entertainment, watching TV, etc. We went into another room and it was filled up with trophy’s, all these different awards that people won. And I noticed distinctly that there was one guy in there polishing all the awards he had won. I remember the guy turning around to look at the door to see who opened it, he looked at Jesus, nodded and grinned, then turned back around and went back to polishing the trophies that he won. Room after room there were party atmospheres and different things, but when we got to the end of the hallway I remember so clearly that Jesus turned to me and looked at me with a tear running down His face and He said “Brian, there is no room in these hearts for me.”

After hearing this I wept, “There is no room in these hearts for me.” This is what God desires from us, our hearts. He desires to dwell there. What is in your heart? Is your “heart room” filled with entertainment or trophies? Is it filled with memories of the past? Is your room filled with pictures of yourself? Is your room filled with your plans and your goals? Is your room filled with your family or friends? Is your room filled with your ministry? Etc. Etc.

Let’s look at Luke 10:38-42 NIV…

38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

41“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Let our hearts be as Mary’s, not consumed with anything else, but with Jesus. Let our hearts be open rooms where it is you sitting at His feet taking in that which is Him. God bless!

Tracy N. Houston

Intimacy with God, our highest priority pt 2…

Today the Holy Spirit had it on my heart to be very transparent with you all. I pray my story will help you.

Many of you know my story; I didn’t grow up in the church or with any type of spiritual background. I got saved when I was 26 in 2005 after God had sent a series of people into my life to lead me to Him. When I first got saved I didn’t have any type of foundation, I didn’t start attending church even until about 6 months after I was saved because I still had some thoughts about “the church” and “church folks”. I didn’t read my bible regularly at this time because it was difficult for me to understand, so I started my foundation with God learning Him. Waking up in the morning talking to Him telling Him how much I loved Him, speaking to Him throughout the day about whatever was going on or just to say hello, and every night He was the last person I spoke to. So for me it was like I was having a relationship with another person, that is how I started to learn God and it became a great love affair. During this time I had many supernatural experiences, and the gifts of the spirit were manifesting in me, and even though I didn’t really understand what was happening I flowed with it because I knew it was God, and He was showing me things.

As time went on He led me to a church, and I started to get a foundation in the Word. The church He led me to was a very relationship oriented church, it was not about religion it was about relationship with God, so that furthered my growth in and with God. So I begin to grow in God and flow in the power and anointing, just from loving on God, from Worshiping Him, and from making Him my top priority everyday, I loved being in love with the Father! Then the Lord had me move to Chicago. A lot happened when I first came here the first 8 months were a battle. It was extremely difficult, but the Lord led me to an awesome church where I heard the message of faith preached, so I was able to learn to overcome those things, and my faith really started to grow.

Then about 6 months ago something just wasn’t sitting right in me. I couldn’t figure out what it was, I didn’t feel as connected to God as I used to. It was like something was missing. Through these feelings I became discouraged and I stopped regularly doing some of the things that I was supposed to do, and let other things like TV take up my time, it was like I was trying to block out the cry in my heart so I didn’t have to think about what was happening because I didn’t know how to fix it. During this time I was still serving the Lord, praying, going to church, ministering, operating in my gifts, etc, but the spark was gone. Then I felt like I didn’t want to do it anymore, I didn’t want to minister, I wanted to quit school, I just wanted to give it all up, not because I wanted to go back to things of the world, but because I couldn’t go for the Lord with what seemed like a whole in my heart, I felt like a phony……… But GOD, of course you know when things seem at their worst, God has you set up! He used a fellow class mate to send me to a worship service at another church. It was amazing and it was all about loving God, not thinking about things, only thinking about Him. After I attended this service, it seemed like the message of love was all around me. I kept hearing people talk about loving God and giving Him our hearts, and it finally clicked in my head, I realized what I had lost…The love affair. I realized that I had started going through routine and had stopped romancing my King. This hit me so hard and I was grieved, but also relieved because I had the answer. So I went before God and asked for forgiveness. I poured my heart out to Him, I begin to just worship Him, and tell Him how much I loved Him, and it was like a weight lifted and I was filled with so much joy. I knew our love affair had been restored. This was only two weeks ago, but since then the power and anointing I was operating in when I was first saved came back like a flood, and my gifts manifested in an even deeper way, in this process of restoration God took me to a new level in Him. It has been wonderful! I’m saying all of this to say, if you have been in the same position as I was in, or you feel like something is missing, look at your love relationship with God, are you romancing Him, are you loving on Him? If not, let there be no condemnation, just do as I did go before Him. He will not be angry, in fact it brings Him great joy to be restored to that place with you. God so desires to have that intimate relationship with Him, if you don’t have that or have never experienced that before all you have to do is ask Him and give Him your whole heart, and it will happen. God bless!

Tracy Houston

Intimacy with God, our highest priority pt 1…

I was listening to Evangelist Brian Lake talk with Sid Roth about two different visions that he had. These visions that God gave him were very powerful, and I believe they are speaking to us right now in the time where the blessing is being poured out upon us as believers. As these blessings come, where are our priorities going to be? Where will our focus be? These questions are so critical to ask ourselves, not just being superficial in our asking, but we must really dive into our hearts for the answers. Remember man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7) I will share the first vision with you today, and I pray it speaks to your heart. God bless!

Brian Lake…“What I saw in a vision was I saw the hand of God actually go out over the people. His hand went over the people and begin to release to the people spiritual wealth and natural wealth. The blessing of God was coming on these people. In this vision the people were so excited, this was a multitude of people, and everybody was so excited because of all of the blessing, the spiritual and the natural wealth. But what I saw next really changed my life because I saw his hand go back out over the people, and when He stuck His hand back out over the people, He begin to motion for those people to come, and what happened was not all the people started coming, only a few, a rare few, begin to come.”

Sid Roth…“They were so busy, preoccupied with “the things” rather then the one that supplies “the things”.”

Brian Lake…“Absolutely that is what was happening, all of the people were content with all of the “stuff”…It was radically changing my life what I was seeing in that vision because I realized what He was calling us to intimacy and relationship. The people that came to Him and were wanting that relationship with Him, their blessing begin to expand even more, the blessings just kept flowing and flowing, but the people that did not come, and I believe that is where we are at right now, the people that aren’t in the relationship with Him, their blessing begin to dry up, and time after time it was just drying up.”

Sid Roth…“It’s really sad because if you really understood, there is not a higher priority than intimacy with God.”

Tracy Houston

If you were on trial…

Last night in class, the Pastor posed a question, that I would like to pose to you all…

“If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

How are you living your life, in action and in word? What would those being brought to the witness stand say about you? How you live your life? The things they’ve seen you do, when you thought no one was watching? Are you a person of character and integrity? Are you living by the Book? I believe this is a great question for all of us to ask ourselves, and if we don’t like the answer, then it’s time to do something about it. God bless!

Tracy Houston

Be healed…

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 NIV

Last night we were watching “The Passion of the Christ”, and as I watched with tears running down my face the depiction of what Jesus went through so that we might not only be saved, but that we also may be healed, the above scripture came alive! It was horrendous to watch, but so powerful. Watch time they hit Him, in the Spirit I was seeing different diseases be eradicated. I saw Cancer vanish as they beat Him, I saw AIDS vanish, I saw arthritis vanish, I saw depression vanish, I saw mental disorders vanish, I saw deformities vanish, I saw those that had been bound to wheel chairs get up, as He was tortured. I am here to tell you today, that not one of us has to be bound to any sickness, disease, virus, defect, etc. in our bodies or in our minds. As they brought Jesus for Judgment before Pontius Pilate, as they beat Him, as He carried His cross, and as He was nailed to the cross, He silently bore it all upon Himself for us…

“He was beaten down and punished, but he didn’t say a word. He was like a lamb being led to be killed. He was quiet, as a sheep is quiet while its wool is being cut; he never opened his mouth.” Isaiah 53:7 NCV

Jesus took in His body every affliction that would ever exist on the face of this earth. He took each and every one upon Himself…

“I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.” Isaiah 50:6 NKJV

His body was unrecognizable because of the beating, it was covered with the all of the sicknesses of the world…

“Many people were shocked when they saw him. His appearance was so damaged he did not look like a man; his form was so changed they could barely tell he was human.” Isaiah 52:14 NCV

This is what Jesus did for each and every one of us, it’s not “if it’s thy will Lord, then you will heal me/my loved ones”. No people of God, that is the wrong way of thinking, that is what “religion” has taught, but the Word does not say that. As we can see it was His perfect divine will that we be healed. If it wasn’t He wouldn’t have went through all of that torture, and the scripture wouldn’t say, “by His wounds we are healed.” If it was not His will, He wouldn’t have gone around healing all…Matthew 4:23, Matthew 8:16, Matthew 9:35, and on and on. If it wasn’t His will then He wouldn’t of gave us the command to lay hands on the sick, and He sure wouldn’t have said “and they shall recover, “(Mark 16:18). We do not have to be in pain, we do not have to be sick, we do not have to live with any virus or disease. Why would we bare upon ourselves that which He already bared upon Himself? Why would we suffer with that which He already suffered with? I’m here to tell you today people of God if you will grab a hold of what Jesus did for you on that cross concerning your healing, then you will be released from the captivity of all ailments. It’s time to stop just confessing the Word, it’s time to start to breathe in the Word, let the Word saturate in your heart, soul, and spirit, it’s time to let the Word heal your flesh (Proverbs 4:22). We can not continue to go forth in sickness preaching healing. It’s time people of God, for the body to be whole and healed, as God intended it to be. God bless!

Tracy Houston

Did you already forget what God did for you?

In the last few days we have really been looking at our hearts, and the Holy Spirit is still really pressing into me concerning the heart, and looking at what is on the inside of us. Sometimes when we go through the bad times is when we are reaching out for God, but when it’s all good, we lose our connection, not saying we aren’t going to church, etc, but it’s like we aren’t giving of ourselves to Him, like we did during those trying times. God is speaking to us, and pouring His heart out for us, He desires for us to be connected to Him at all times, not just when we are in need or in trouble. I wrote a poem a while back, that God would like me to share with you all. God bless…

Did you already forget what God did for you?

Did you already forget what God did for you?

The words He said to you?
The times He took care of you?

Did you already forget what God did for you?

The times He blessed you?
The times He picked you up after you fell down?

Did you already forget what God did for you?

The times He held you?
The times He comforted you?

Did you already forget what God did for you?
You were on your knees when you were in need
But as soon as He fixed everything you got up and walked away

You listened for His voice when you were in trouble,
But you tuned out His voice when He tried to direct you

He blessed you with exactly with what you asked for
But when you got it, you didn’t honor what He gave to you

Did you already forget what God did for you?

All the time He gave to you, and poured into you
But you couldn’t give Him the same in return

How you stood in agreement with Him one day,
And completely disconnected from Him the next

One foot on each side of the fence
Never totally giving your all to God

Following Him because you are supposed to, or think you have to,
But not because it’s in your heart

Did you already forget what God did for you?

The sacrifice made for you
What He gave up for you

Did you already forget how the Spirit moved in you?
Did you already forget what you felt?
Did you already forget how He put all the pieces together?
Did you already forget how right it felt?

Did you already forget what God did for you?

By Tracy Houston 9/30/07

Circumcision of the heart…

Today in class we were listening to a teaching on the blood covenant, and the Pastor started discussing circumcision and how circumcision was a sign of the covenant between Abraham and God (Genesis 17), and he also talked about circumcision of the heart. This really got me to thinking. To walk this Christian walk fully and completely our hearts have to be circumcised. In Jeremiah 4:4 it says…

“Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts…”

That means the world, and the things of this world being cut away from our hearts. That means our ways, our emotions, etc. all of the things that we have allowed to rule in our hearts and take over when circumstances and situations arise, must be cut away. This is of such importance to the Lord that in Jeremiah 9:25 He says…

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh”

He is not pleased with only the outward sign of circumcision. For example, people who might “appear” to be walking the way they are supposed to, but on the inside or behind closed doors, they are acting opposite of what they portray to others. They might be fooling everyone on the outside, but God doesn’t see any of that, He looks right past it.1 Samuel 16:7 says…

“…For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

He is the one that can see into our hearts, and see if we have been circumcised or not. If your heart is not right, or there are just something’s that are still attached to your heart that needs to go, it’s not time for condemnation or guilt, we’ve all missed it at times, I know I have. Know that God still loves you just the same. What it’s time for, is to run to God, and ask the Lord to do a work in your heart, allow Him to cut away all of the things that don’t belong there. Allow Him to do an awesome work in you! God bless!

Tracy Houston

What type of soil is in your heart?

Today it was on my heart to share this story with everyone…

Mark 4:2-9, 13-20, 23 NCV

2 Jesus taught them many things, using stories. He said, 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed.4 While he was planting, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it up.5 Some seed fell on rocky ground where there wasn’t much dirt. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep.6 But when the sun rose, the plants dried up because they did not have deep roots.7 Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants. So those plants did not produce a crop. 8 Some other seed fell on good ground and began to grow. It got taller and produced a crop. Some plants made thirty times more, some made sixty times more, and some made a hundred times more.”

9 Then Jesus said, “Let those with ears use them and listen!”…

13 Then Jesus said to his followers, “Don’t you understand this story? If you don’t, how will you understand any story? 14 The farmer is like a person who plants God’s message in people.15 Sometimes the teaching falls on the road. This is like the people who hear the teaching of God, but Satan quickly comes and takes away the teaching that was planted in them.16 Others are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching and quickly accept it with joy.17 But since they don’t allow the teaching to go deep into their lives, they keep it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they quickly give up.18 Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching,19 but the worries of this life, the temptation of wealth, and many other evil desires keep the teaching from growing and producing fruit in their lives. 20 Others are like the seed planted in the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce fruit—sometimes thirty times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes a hundred times more.”…

23 Let those with ears use them and listen!

I ask all of you, including myself, what type of person are you? What type of ground is the “seed” the Word of God falling on in your heart? It is time to take a look inside. This is a time like no other people of God, it is no longer time to just be hearers of the Word, it is time to be hearers and doers of the Word (James 1:22-25). It’s time to eat of the meat of the Word of God and it’s time to digest it. There can no longer be “superficial” Christians in the body of Christ. God is calling for true believers, those that are going to take His Word and put it into action at all times. I know for myself this is something I’ve been working on really learning how to dominate my flesh and put the Word into action no matter how I feel, or how my emotions are. I’m not saying it’s easy to do, but it is imperative. In this time when the enemy is attacking this world, we are the ones that have to be able to stand in the gap and be strong in the Word, in knowing and acting upon it. When he comes to try to make us angry or upset, or distracted we can not afford to falter. Our families, our friends, our ministries, the lost, this nation, and this world are counting on us to be strong, unmovable, and unshakable forces. So I just encourage all of you out there to read, act, and speak on the Word, cultivate the ground in your heart, so that it will grow and produce much fruit, for yourself and for others. God bless!

Tracy Houston