Category: Spiritual Growth

Anxiety Confidence Depression Encouragement Growth in the Lord Spiritual Growth By Dr. Lisa Winchell 0 Comments

The 3-1 Miracle to Peace and Joy

Do you know the Word says when you put your mind on gratefulness, you will have the peace of God? God is calling us to put our minds on who and what we appreciate every day, especially Him and our salvation. Want peace and joy? Practice daily, three times a day, for one minute, appreciating God 1st, self 2nd, and others the 3rd time. I call it the 3-1 miracle to peace and joy! Remember to use your imagination to SEE what you appreciate. When you only engage your thinking, it will not transform you as it will when you engage your imagination. The Word of God says to take every thought captive, casting down vain imaginations and breaking strongholds. So therefore, we need to take that same path to develop good strongholds of peace, joy, and love.  Put your thought on what/who you appreciate, then “see” it in your imagination until you feel completely engaged in joy and connection.  You see,  a strong emotional capacity is the ability to stay connected in the midst of pain, connected to God, your true self, and others! When we get offended, frustrated, angry, anxious, and fearful, we disconnect from God and our true self (who we really want to be) and often from others. We get in self-preservation mode, and that sends us into what we call enemy mode. That is when you and I act in a way that those around us feel they are all of a sudden our enemies.  But we can turn that around to love by focusing with our imagination on who we appreciate and retraining our brains to go that way instead.  So it works like this.   In the morning, I think, “hmm, what do I appreciate the Lord for? Oh yes, Lord, thank you so much for being near to me each time I have been in a hard struggle.” Then I engage my imagination to see those times He was so near and “see” them over again for 1 minute or more. When you are done, you will feel peaceful and connected to the Lord. Then when a struggle comes that day, it will be easier to retrieve that place of peace with Him at that moment and not react.  Then do yourself at lunch or when you want.  You will think, “what do I appreciate you for self (name)?  Oh yes, I really appreciate how kind you were to those people that other day.” Then see you doing that and stay in that appreciation for a minute or more. When you are done, you will feel so at peace with yourself and will more clearly be able to hear God and follow Holy Spirit,  because you are not jacked up with self fears, etc.  Then that evening, move on to someone else and do the same thing about them in your imagination for 1 minute!  If you practice this each day, you will find in a month that you are far more peaceful and joyful and far more able to stay connected to the Lord instead of being triggered by the world around you!!  Remember the 3-1 Miracle to peace and joy!  Dr. Lisa Winchell

Encouragement Growth in the Lord Spiritual Growth Walking like Christ By Dr. Lisa Winchell 0 Comments

Born for Relationship with God

As I ministered to a client about the spirit, soul, and body the Lord began to show me something in Genesis 2:17. Many see that verse as talking about Adam and Even eventually dying. But I have always seen it as much more than that, as the death of the spirit. But the spirit could not have actually died, because a body apart from a spirit is dead, as Paul said. But what did they die too, they died to their full connection with God and their ability to walk in His freedom, love, and holiness, thus peace and joy. They were now slaves to fleshly passions, and could not freely go into the presence of the Lord anymore. I began to think that the word die is a strong word for God to use for this. Dead is dead, gone for good, without a resurrection. Then I began to see that the connection they had with God was so full of life and flowing freely back and forth, that God saw fit to use the word death to describe what would happen to them if they disobeyed. Ponder that for a moment, they had a connection with God that none of us have ever experienced consistently, day after day. They had no bad thoughts that got in the way, just pure connection, love, relationship with the Father! That is what we were meant to have, we are born for that. We are born created in His Image, and were meant to reflect that image through our relationship with Him!! Wow! Lord I long to have that depth of connection, don’t you?

Dr. Lisa Winchell

Growth in the Lord Spiritual Growth Uncategorized Walking like Christ By Dr. Lisa Winchell 0 Comments

Jesus the Passover Lamb – His glory for your shame!

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! I am humbled and floored. I was reading last night, I read John 2:24 and my eyes wandered to the other page to my right John 3:34-36 and they became powerfully connected. “during Passover, many believed in His name, seeing the signs He was doing. But Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all men. He did not need anyone to testify about man, for he knew what was in man.”  Next chapter “The One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. the Father loves the Son and has given everything into His hand. He who trusts in the Son has eternal life. He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

So this man/God/Jesus who has the Creator’s Spirit without limit in Him, doing miracles for these people He could never entrust Himself too. He, who came to preach the good news of the gospel to the poor, set captives free, heal the brokenhearted,  and give sight to the blind, did all this for us but could not trust Himself to any of us fully. He knows what is in man, He will never receive back all He has given because we are not capable and only by Him are we partly capable of not betraying Him daily. He has come to give us full participation in eternal life, with Him, this people He can not even entrust Himself too. Yet He shows up on this earth that He could wipe out in a minute and lays down the glory of fully being God only, to put on a man suit for people He can not entrust Hisself to fully. Michael Kouliannos, In The Jesus Book, adds to this so powerfully, talking about Jesus’ torture and crucifixion, laying there with deep wounds on a dirty floor, eyes swollen shut from beatings, sweat, and blood everywhere. He is then taken to see this high authority, Pontus Pilate. A place you typically go dressed your best.  But Jesus had no choice in the matter, in that moment. He went as He was.  Yet, Ps 88:9  says “My eye wastes away because of affliction.”  Jesus had decided before the foundation of the earth how this would all go down. After quoting Ps 88:9 Michael continues, “It was His decision to stand before His accusers looking this way (it was planned from the foundation of the earth). Because He chose to become a spectacle of shame, we will shine with glory in Heaven. He trades His beauty for our disgrace that we may receive His beauty.” This Passover, Good Friday and Easter. Let’s remember the man, Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit pouring out His love for each one of us so we can be free from sin and be transformed into His Image on this earth, and enjoy His glory for eternity. We are a blessed race!! We have the greatest God ever!! There are none like Him! Truly!! Has He won your heart? Whether you think He has done anything else for you or not, This is His love that brings you eternal joy, even beyond this earth!!

Growth in the Lord Individual Treatment Spiritual Growth Walking like Christ By Dr. Lisa Winchell 0 Comments

Walking Away from Sin by His Love and Grace

I had a dream last night. As I considered and prayed about the dream I realized it was part of a series of dreams over 8 months or more. I will not give all details but rather the substance. Some are walking down an “aisle to be married to perversion.” (symbolic for most). You don’t feel it is a problem because many around you don’t say anything. In fact, some pastors you know do not see it as a problem. You feel at ease and are assuming that is God’s peace or at least a lack of His conviction. Yet there is still a “knowing” in you which makes you almost wonder why everyone is okay with you in it or not saying anything. But remember when you or I have engaged in a lifestyle, attitude or process that seems to be well accepted by many, over a period of time, we get numb to God’s conviction. Especially, if someone can find a pastor or ex-pastor to confirm it with words like God loves you right where you are at, so I do to”. They stop there instead of truly loving you by saying “this choice, attitude or behavior is ungodly and will hurt you. and grieves the heart of God. Let me lead you into freedom.” In the continuum of dreams, in this last one I heard come out of my mouth (I was a representation of the church and individuals) “No, I am not doing this” and walked away with great strength and peace.”. God wants you to know whatever you may be engaged in that is not biblically considered godly, you can keep getting led by the enemy down that aisle unaware or you can go the Word of God and allow God to show you how much He loves you and has delivered you FROM unrighteousness, not into unrighteousness. “therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled” Study Hebrews 12, and let God bring peace and wholeness through His love, His blood, discipline and a harvest of righteousness in you. In my dream, I saw that is possible for many of you to just say no and walk out of the “wedding hall”, so to speak. Whatever agreement you have made with unrighteousness, its time to say no by the grace of the Holy Spirit that is all over you right now, call on Him and ask for more grace. He will give it to you!

Confidence Encouragement Growth in the Lord Spiritual Growth Walking like Christ By Dr. Lisa Winchell 0 Comments

We Belong to a Kingdom that Can Not Be Shaken

What can be shaken will be shaken, but since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude-through this we may offer worship in a manner pleasing to God, with reverence and awe, For our God is a consuming fire. Heb.12:28 We are not of those that shrink back to destruction, but those who have faith and are saved. Hebrews 10:39. Though they (the enemy and his diseases, his chaos, his poverty, his persecution) will fight against you, they will not win, for I am with you, to deliver you. It is a declaration of the Lord. Jeremiah 1:19 I was thinking about something David Wilkerson said years ago, in countering some people’s concerns that America would go through a great persecution phase. He said something like this, “Americans are wimps, God knows that American Christians would not come out well in persecution therefore we probably will not deal with as much as others.” I laughed, at how right he was and considered it a few times. But as time moves on, we get greater revelation on things that build on previous believers’ revelation. I agree with David’s premise but I do also see how God will USE things like the present scenario to strengthen American Christians. (I am not saying God sent the virus, it is the enemy fighting against us), God will prepare those He loves for whatever will come. We can even see how the economy got so strong right before this happened-preparation. Also, large parts of the church have been sensing and declaring that a great move of God is coming, and have been empowered in deep ways – preparation. Most of you can look at your lives and see great times of growth that were followed by great pain or hardship -preparation. God loves us and He prepares us. Will we answer His call to respond to HIs preparation in faith, not shrink back but allow our “faith muscles” to be tested and grow. We can come out of this a mighty army to be dealt with in the spiritual realm, or we can remain weak even as David saw decades ago. This world and God’s time clock will not wait on us. But God will never leave us behind, He worthy to be worshipped and worthy 

Confidence Encouragement Growth in the Lord Spiritual Growth By Dr. Lisa Winchell 0 Comments

Standing Strong and Having Compassion

Standing against fear and having compassion! It is important to understand that every believer operates in different gifts of the spirit. Those that are more gifted in prophecy, discernment, words of knowledge, etc are going to be more instructional even in their natural statements about what is going on in the world. Those that tend to the prophetic will be more assertive in their approach to lead people away from things like fear, sin, etc. Those that tend towards the gift of mercy are going to speak, even naturally, from the perspective of mercy and feeling what those hurting are feeling. It does not mean either is wrong. It does not mean that those that take on the fight against fear and sin don’t have compassion for those hurt by the pain and disease creating it. It does not mean those who feel the pain and go there with people in their words or posts, don’t see the intense ramifications of the fear or sin. We are all different parts of the body, called to be who God has called us to be. What we are not called to is accusing each other that others do not see this or that or are minimizing this, or judging and not loving these people, etc. Yes, there are weaknesses each person with each gifting has, and each of us grows to have more of the part we need from God to bring balance. But we will always tend to the approach that comes from the giftings God gave us. God’s word is full of all of these because He, the Holy Spirit, is the one that fills us with His gifts in the first place. In one place in the Word He is firm and takes a strong stance against fear, and sin, in another place He is showing great compassion for those hurting and scared. God hates fear and sin, but He loves people. This is why there are different messages coming from godly people who care enough to speak out against the fear or sin and to have compassion for those most vulnerable in sin, sickness, or pain of any kind.

Spiritual Growth By Dr. Lisa Winchell 0 Comments

Sit and Walk

Years ago a man named Watchman Nee wrote a book called Sit, Walk, Stand. I have not read it personally, but recently I heard that statement come up again in someone else’s message.  I was refreshed to hear that the whole body of Christ has not moved from walking (doing) to only sitting (believing).  I am one of the first to teach on believing to enter your rest. Hebrews chapter 3 and 4 are very clear that the Israelites did not enter their rest because of their unbelief, and neither will we. It says disobedience than clarifies what the disobedience is, unbelief.   Disobedience always starts with unbelief.  That is why we must “sit” first.  The Word of God  tells us that the “just shall live by faith”, and “as a man thinketh in his heart so is he”. He spent a large portion of the New Testament telling us who we are as a New Creation. This is so we will meditate on it, think upon it and see ourselves seated in heavenly places with Christ.  That is us learning to sit, in our identity in Christ.  From that place we then walk. Walking according to His ways is very hard unless you first see yourself as righteous in Christ, presented holy and blameless in Christ, totally forgiven and accepted and deeply loved by God. Wow! From that place Christ’s power and love flow through you so much easier and walking in obedience becomes a longing in your heart.  So you read and study and ask God to change you and make you more like Him.  When you get back out in the flesh, you repent and get back in the Spirit.

You see, we labor, as Paul tells us, to enter our rest.  The labor is learning to believe that what God says is true, and being determined to keep all doubt out. But, then the New and Old testament are full of how to live (walking).  There is a part we play in walking out who we are.  There is a dying to the flesh in the believing and in the doing. James is very clear that faith and works go together. Jesus is very clear in the gospels. I heard last year that the gospels are part of the Old Testament and what Jesus had to say was to be considered law.  LOL! I must laugh at that concept.  Let’s think about it for a minute. The King of kings, God of gods, spends 3 years teaching people information that will be obsolete as soon as he dies and rises again.  Really??  I am believing God is so much wiser than that. We have to be careful to not get on the bandwagon of what itching ears want to hear.

The grace and glory of God is amazing and I love living in the center of them both!  But living there is work. God says, “seek me and you will find me”, “Love me and love your neighbor”. etc.  When He created us He said we are created in God’s image, that is what we “sit in”, rest in, believe in.  Then He said “till the land”, work!  I always say if you want to check out a theology go back to Genesis in the garden of Eden. That is where God created His perfect plan, and in Jesus’ death and resurrection He gave us back God’s perfect plan. He did not erase it for some sloppy grace, and image of God as our candy machine. We already have it all in Christ, But, you and I will not experience it on this earth unless we are willing to walk it out.

As most of you know I could add over a thousand scriptures to this article to make the point that we are to believe and to do.  But, I encourage you to get in the Word and read it for yourself, not just through the messages of those you listen to. My first pastor always said, “don’t just listen to me, go back home and study it out in the Word”  I think among many other things that is one the best things he taught me as I ventured into the world from underneath his pastoring.

Remember,  from Genesis to Revelation there is a message of grace and work. Grace is actually the empowerment to work, not the eraser of work.

Growth in the Lord Spiritual Growth By Dr. Lisa Winchell 0 Comments

Power of Imaginations Surrendered to God

Testimony of God’s faithfulness!! A client has been struggling with her identity, and value to God, after some sin issues. As we were praying, God showed her, her before His throne; Jesus presenting her to the Father blameless. He covered her in a white veil and the angels were all around her rejoicing!! if you have not opened the eyes of your heart to allow God to give you new imaginations and visions, I encourage you to do so. This gift from God has become a powerful tool in bringing freedom to many, in my counseling sessions and my own walk with the Lord. God told me, “there is too much going on in the heads of my people, just changing their thoughts is not enough for many. But they must allow me to change their imaginations by giving them new ones. I want to replace all the old pictures full of pain, anger, offense or fear, with pictures of my love for them, and pictures of how I am seeing the issue they are dealing with”. I encourage you to do as Habakkuk says, “look and see what He will say to you”. Look and see, what He speaks. Interesting huh? I am writing a curriculum that includes this model of healing as well. So stay tuned. Oh, and no worries, in spite of the fact that religion has told us in the past that visualization is ungodly, remember God gave you an imagination and gave you 66 books in the bible with prophecies and parables that ignite your imagination. Also, we use that component of our brain, all day long for negative thinking, without thinking anything of it. LOL. It is time to own our imaginations and lay them before the Lord, to be fill up with all that He wants in us, truth!!!